🌱 Don’t Threaten To Bomb + San Juan Hills HS Lockdown + Garden Show

Hello, everybody! Today’s National Laundry Day; did you know that the first patent for an electric washing machine was registered in 1910? It's Sylvia, your host of the Orange County Patch newsletter — here to cover...

• 📕 Five trustees vetting school books
• 🤔 An Arabic language program on the chopping block
• 🌺 The 33rd Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show

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☀️ But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and beautiful. High: 71 Low: 52.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• World at 8972 Adams Ave. in Huntington Beach, $4.49
• Grab-N-Go at 20572 Lake Forest Dr. in Lake Forest, $4.69
• ARCO at 300 N Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, $4.69

🌎 Earth Day Poll!
Earth Day is on April 22. This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the event. Plenty of organizations will host cleanup events and festivities across the county. We asked what your plans for the day were. You answered! 53.3% say it’s a day like any other, 20% adopt a bah, humbug approach, 6.7% each head for a park cleanup and beautification project, and 13.3% will attend an Earth Day celebration. Thank you for participating!

📰 Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. A 35-year-old Rossmoor man was sentenced to prison for making violent threats against dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster. He reportedly has a history of threatening entities such as “the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Land O’ Lakes Inc., Hasbro, a nonbinary rabbi, and others.” He’ll spend a year in prison, 30 days in house arrest, three years on probation, and must undergo mental health treatment. The presiding judge acknowledged that the man “had no intent or capacity to carry out his threats.” However, this is of little comfort to Merriam-Webster, which closed its offices after the man “threatened to shoot and bomb company headquarters.” (AP News)
2. San Juan Hills High School in San Juan Capistrano went on lockdown Thursday morning. Reportedly, a man “wandered onto the campus” and told the security personnel that he had a weapon, which turned out to be a pocket knife. He was taken into custody and removed from the school’s property. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, right? Check out the text messages from the teen daughter of Tamra Judge from “Real Housewives of Orange County,” and you might change your mind. (KTLA, Page Six)
3. Speaking of schools, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District determined that books must be vetted before being placed into children's hands. Trustees voted 3-2 that they would have “to vote on books before they get tested with students.” The trustees nixed the idea of a literature review committee populated with parents and teachers. Now, the five trustees decide which books are taught, a decision that Trustee Carrie Buck doesn’t believe they’re qualified to make. (EdSource)
4. Western High School in Anaheim started an Arabic language program in the 2017-2018 school year, said to be the “only Arabic language public school program of its kind in Orange County.” Now, the district wants to shut the Arabic program down due to “low enrollment” and funds running out. The program's students and teachers argue that knowing Arabic, “one of the most widely spoken languages in the world — is a skill they can use for the future.” Citing the above reasons, the district says it's proud of offering it, when greater interest existed. District representatives invite the community “to help with solutions in terms of how we can fund this.” (Voice of OC)
5. What are you doing next weekend? If your dance card’s still free, why not pencil in the 33rd Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show in Costa Mesa? Design specialists collaborated with South Coast Plaza stores to create “eight inspiring display gardens.” And, if you’re in the market for collectible plants, you can find 35 specialty vendors hosting pop-ups. (South Coast Plaza)

📆 Today in Orange County:

• E-Waste & Shredding Event at Yorba Linda City Hall (all day)
• Annual PTSO Rummage Sale at the Rancho Alamitos HS in Garden Grove (6 AM)
• Free Compost Giveaway Event at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center (8 AM)
• Come on down to the Boysenberry Festival at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park (9 AM)
• Bring the kids to the OC Fair "Imaginology"' STEAM Fest in Costa Mesa (10 AM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "Firefighters reunited with a woman who survived a severe car crash in Irvine on the 405 freeway last month after she was rescued by our technical rescue firefighters and treated by our firefighter paramedics." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• "🎉 We have some exciting news to share! 🏆 OC Parks' Old Orange County Courthouse rehabilitation project was recently awarded a 2022 Governor's Historic Preservation Award. It's the only official preservation award presented by the State of California recognizing exceptional achievements in the field of historic preservation." (OC Parks via Instagram)
• "BAKE SALE THIS WEEKEND to support the orphans of GSROC! Please come out to meet our dogs and pick up some delicious homemade treats (for humans). Our bakers are the very best because they sprinkle Love into everything they make. See you Saturday, April 15 at PetSmart Yorba Linda between 11:30 and 2:00." (German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County via Facebook)
• "The color of the week is GREEN. Take 50% off all items with a green tag or sticker. Find a location: https://bit.ly/3blADnc" (Goodwill of Orange County via Facebook)
• "“You’ve Got the EDGE!” Congratulations to Tracie Dunwoody, 1st Grade Teacher at Anaheim Hills Elementary School, and Stacie Hokenson, Substitute Service Technician, in Human Resources, OUSD Employees of the Month for April 2023. 👏" (Orange Unified School District via Instagram)

🏡 What are homes selling for these days in Orange County?

• Median Listing Home Price $1M
• Median Listing Home Price/Square Foot $598
• Median Sold Home Price $975K

Check out more Orange County real estate information!

🐶 Meet adorable Orange County area Pets Available To Be Adopted!

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Featured events:

• GardenFest 2023 with huge plant sale, flea market, kids activities, garden tool sharpening and more (April 15)
• (July 23rd show date) THE BEATLES vs THE ROLLING STONES! (April 15)
• 33rd Annual Southern California Spring Garden Show (April 20)
• Earth Day Shop Small Event!! Family & Pet Friendly! Reviving The Kaleidoscope Mall! (April 22)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Bee Swarm Simulator (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orange County Patch newsletter? Contact me at orangecounty@patch.com