🌱 Emergency Berm + Santa Ana Money Squabbles + Donation Drama

Hi all! Today’s National Pizza Party Day; did you know that Naples is considered the home of modern pizza? I'm back this spring morning to walk you through news on...

• 👨‍🎓 A 12-year-old college graduate.
• ✈️ Living near John Wayne Airport.
• 🌊 Flooding in Seal Beach.

💗 Please help us grow! Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can be in the know, like you!

🌤️ But first, today's weather: Low clouds breaking. High: 74 Low: 61.

Here's to the wonderful local business who sponsors this newsletter. Check out what they can do for you:

Orange County Dog Owners: Are you curious about your furry friend's biological age? Discover your dog's biological age with myDogDNAge. Their easy-to-use cheek swab kit provides accurate predictions of your dog’s health span, backed by science. Test today and get the data you need to optimize your pup's health and make informed decisions about their nutrition, exercise, and enrichment. Order your test kit here for your fur baby and use code PATCH20 to get 20 percent off this month!

Want to see your business featured in this spot? Click here to get started.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• US Gas at 2502 Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa, $4.39
• Shell at 23652 Rockfield Blvd. in Lake Forest, $4.51
• Costco at 27972 Cabot Road in Laguna Niguel, $4.69

🍷 Hobby Poll!
Everybody has hobbies. If time and money were no object this summer, which new hobby would you like to learn or take up? We have some preliminary results.

• 20.6 percent - traveling
• 7.8 percent - flying
• 5.9 percent - ballroom dancing, line dancing
• 2.9 percent - fly-fishing, crocheting, Mahjong, basket making, dog training & showing, surfing, watercolor, pickleball, pottery, reading, horseback riding, wine collecting, car collecting, playing guitar, kickboxing, golf, roller skating, woodworking

One of you asked a great question: “Does anyone have photography as a hobby now?” With our new phones, there’s no longer the need for a dark room and all the accouterments that used to come with the hobby.

📰 Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. Clovis Hung is Fullerton College’s youngest graduate. The 12 year old will walk across the stage on Saturday “with five associate degrees in tow and a sixth planned for next year.” Besides being smarter than the average bear, the boy plays Minecraft and Roblox and participates in Boy Scouts. What’s next? In the long run, he’s looking at careers in “aerospace engineering, piloting, or pediatrics.” (ABC)
2. Seal Beach neighbors woke up Thursday morning to street flooding around the pier. Waves had picked up trash cans and carried them along. Low-lying areas, particularly parking lots, were also impacted by the high tides that had rolled in. Public works crews were doing a cleanup and identified “10th Street South to 12th Street in the city's Old Town” as the location of the most serious flooding. To prevent a recurrence, crews were putting up an emergency berm. As usual, neighbors are welcome to come to the 8th Street beach lot and fill up free sandbags. (Fox, Patch)
3. The Santa Ana city council and school district are playing a game of chicken. Depending on who blinks might affect whether school children will have crossing guards in August. So far, the city council has been paying for crossing guards; however, when the latest contract hit the desk, most councilmembers “opted to hold off.” Some now want the school district to foot the bill. Others cast a critical eye at school board expenditures the district claims. There are also calls for the school district to pay at least half. What’s lacking is consensus. At this time, there’s no resolution, and City Manager Kristine Ridge said, “We’re going to explore volunteer opportunities.” (Voice of OC)
4. If you recently bought a gorgeous wedding dress at the Goodwill in Brea, the original owner would like an opportunity to buy it back. A family member mistakenly donated the dress to the charity. There, folks have been alerted and are keeping their eyes peeled. "If you have it, please consider selling it back to me. I will pay more than you paid for it. You can even wear it for your wedding! I don't mind sharing the joy and beauty of the dress," the original owner pleads. (CBS)
5. Do you like living near John Wayne Airport? The Federal Aviation Administration wants to know how it affects your daily life — for the better or worse. You can give feedback at one of the virtual town hall meetings scheduled for May 23 and May 25. Reportedly, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley considers the meetings as potential catalysts for airlines developing quieter planes and cleaner operations. (Patch)

📆 Today in Orange County:

• Katchafire plays at Garden Grove's Garden Amp (4 PM)
• Main Street Classic Car Show in Garden Grove (4 PM)
• OC Greek Festival Weekend at St. John Greek Orth. Church in Anaheim (5 PM)
• Anaheim's Heat Ultra Lounge presents REWIND OC (9:30 PM)
• The Rec Room in Huntington Beach hosts a Dual Reality Illusion & Comedy Show (10 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "We know we’ve got great crews, but it sure is nice when we get a visit like this. Nurses and staff from Children’s Hospital of Orange County stopped by Fire Station 85 today to show their appreciation to the firefighters who helped save an infant in March. The staff from CHOC wanted to personally tell the crew how they played an integral part in saving the infant’s life and bought enough time for the doctors and cardiologists to continue treatment and intervention. The patient is still recovering from the incident. We want to thank the staff from CHOC for their kind gesture, and a huge shout-out to Captain Mike Patterson, Engineer Andrew Cheung, Firefighter Anthony Bolanos, and Firefighter Gonzalez." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• "Join us to learn about the major developments taking center stage throughout Orange County and how these projects are impacting Orange County’s commercial real estate scene. Learn more about the emerging opportunities in the market, the top reasons to develop and invest in Orange County, and how industry leaders are adapting to the evolving demands." (BisNow)
• "Do you have plans for Saturday? We would like to invite you to our GSROC Adoption event and Bake Sale. Our dogs are already talking about the event and are looking forward to meeting you. We will have dogs of all ages hoping to find their forever families. Our volunteers are going to be baking up a storm, so there will be a wide selection of treats for you. So, please mark your calendar and stop by Yorba Linda Petsmart and say hello!" (German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County via Facebook)
• "Our friends at Alteryx recently came by to volunteer in the warehouse. They packed a full pallet's worth of food!" (Orange County Rescue Mission via Facebook)
• "Is your home wildfire ready? Set up a FREE Wildfire Home Assessment to protect your home today! Wildfires can happen at any time. Take the steps to protect your family, home, and neighborhood from Orange County’s No. 1 fire risk." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Storage Valet — (Visit website)
• Uptown Cheapskate — (Visit Website)
• Tablerock boarding kennels — (Visit website)
• The Au Pair Expert — (Visit website)
• Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP — (Visit website)
• Michael Hinderberger, Realtor — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• Free Home Buyer Event (May 20)
• 2023 San Clemente Garden Tour (May 20)
• Spring Garden Art Faire at Sherman Gardens (May 20)
• Crawfish Festival - May 19-21, 2023 - Taste of New Orleans in SoCal! (May 20)
• Armed Forces Day Celebration with Haley Reinhart, Ashley Gutermuth and Dogs on Deployment (May 20)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (May 22)
• Bello Welcomes Winemaker Chase Carhartt (May 24)
• Sounds of Summer Concert Cruise Featuring Surf's Up (May 27)
• Golden State Ballet: From New York, With Love (June 6)
• Golden State Ballet: From New York, With Love (June 9)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Christ follower. Wife. Book dragon. Proud supporter of the Oxford comma.

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