🌱 Crusin' 2 Freedom + Hero Firefighters + No Blossom Festival

Good morning, Orange County! It's me again, Paula Constance, your host of the Orange County Daily. Let's make today an amazing day.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny today and warm. High: 79. Low: 49.

• High Surf Advisory: In Dana Point, Strong Winds In OC. (MSN Weather)
• Weekday Wind Advisory: In Inland Orange County, Gusts To 50 MPH. (Orange County Patch)

Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. Be sure to check out the In-N-Out Burger car show, and cruise in Costa Mesa with the company’s owner Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson. She and her husband, Sean Ellingson are putting on the Cruisin’ 2 Freedom car show on Saturday, Jan. 15 at the OC Fair & Event Center. to benefit a nonprofit organization they founded called Slave 2 Nothing. The event includes an auction, a raffle, and a 22-mile cruise with a lot of photo opportunities. Cars will cruise past a couple of In-N-Outs, "and during sunset, we’ll be on Pacific Coast Highway,” Snyder-Ellingson said in a phone interview. You can read more about this event here (if you subscribe). (OCRegister)
2. The Orange County Cherry Blossom festival has been canceled for the third year due to a surge in cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus. The annual Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival, a tradition for Huntington Beach, was scheduled this year for March 11 through 13. Event director Kevin Elliott said in a social media post on Friday that the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution." He added that the festival team can focus on bringing the event back when guests, vendors, and performers "can all feel confident about the outlook for the event." We're looking forward to the return of the festival next year! You can read more here: (Los Angeles Times)
3. A big thank you to Orange County Fire Authority firefighters who acted quickly to rescue a minivan. This weekend, officers reported that firefighters on duty at station 53 in Yorba Linda pitched in to help a stranded family just off the 91 freeway in S. Imperial Highway and La Palma Avenue. The family car happened to come to a stop in front of OCFA Station 53, according to OCFA Capt. Greg Barta. The crew was able to quickly swap out the flat and cheered up a little girl inside the car who was crying because she was scared by the situation. Way to go, OCFA! You can read more about this story here: (Reverb MSN Music)

From my notebook:

• Orange County Fire Authority: "Please join the community of San Clemente for a candlelight vigil in honor of LA County Firefighter and San Clemente resident Jonathan 'Jon' Flagler." (Facebook)
• German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County: "Rumi is available for adoption. She knows all her commands and loves to go for walks. She is ready and willing to be your exercise companion." (Facebook)
• Orange County Sheriff's Department, C.A: "Even though we are especially feeling the love on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we are grateful for our community that shows us appreciation every day!" (Facebook)
• County of Orange, California: "The Board of Supervisors meets tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 11. To see what is on the agenda, please visit https://board.ocgov.com/meetings-agendas. You can watch the streaming feed online with closed captioning." (Facebook)
• Orange County Boys Basketball Top 25: Jan. 11. (OCRegister)

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Events:

• New Year, New You: Life After Divorce — Vesta Irvine, California Hub. (Jan .14)
• FREE WEBINAR | “Michelangelo and the Terrible Pope” Presented by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero. (Jan. 14)
• I Have a Dream 1M 5K 10K 13.1 26.2 — Participate from Home! (Jan. 17)
• Taxes In Retirement Seminar. (Jan. 17)
• Social Security Seminar. (Jan. 20)
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Gigs & services:

• Les Misérables Auditions THIS WEEK! (Ages 13-18) (Details)
• Arts & Learning Spring Classes Enrolling NOW! (Details)
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Other classifieds:

• Profitable Family-Owned Italian Restaurant for Sell!! (Details)
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If you love the Orange County Daily, here are all the ways you can get more involved:

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• Send me a news tip or suggestion at orangecounty@patch.com

Now you're in the know and ready to start your Tuesday. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.