🌱 Garage Fire + Art Enclave In Laguna Beach + Coffee With A K9

Good morning, friends! Today’s National Living Donor Day; did you know that you can donate one kidney, a liver segment, the lobe of a lung, part of the pancreas, and part of the intestine as a living donor? I'm back with your fresh edition of the Orange County Patch newsletter. Here's all the community news you need to know right now, including...

• 🌊 Velella velella on the beach
• 🎨 What it takes to attract and keep artists
• 💃🏽 The Downtown Fullerton Market

❤️ Loving the Orange County Daily? Tell a friend and send them this link, so they can subscribe!

🌤️ But first, today's weather:

Areas of low clouds, then sun. High: 72 Low: 54.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• Costco at 11000 Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden Grove, $4.24
• ARCO at 3003 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa, $4.45
• 76 at 26871 Aliso Creek Rd. in Aliso Viejo, $4.67

🌎 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. What are your plans for the day? So far, 63.6% say it’s a day like any other, 27.3% adopt a bah, humbug approach, and 9.1% are heading for a park cleanup.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. On Sunday morning, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) responded to the 10400 block of Ballard Drive in Garden Grove. A garage caught on fire and caused around $10,000 in damage. Firefighters were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to the home. They reported downed electrical live wires, and Edison handled those. We don’t know yet what caused the fire, but one neighbor reported hearing “a series of small explosions.” (OCFA)
2. Call them Velella velella, By-the-Wind Sailors, or just jellyfish-like, Dana Point has them by the hundreds. It turns out that these rare beach visitors are “a colony of hundreds of polyps.” They eat algae and are, in turn, eaten by ocean sunfish. And yes, the sudden visit of hundreds of them is perfectly normal as currents and winds move them around. Sadly, they start to die as soon as they are beached. (Patch)
3. Laguna Beach is looking to attract more artists. Rising property values have pushed many of them out. Last week, the City Council discussed "options for affordable housing" to make the area again “an art enclave.” The driving forces are Councilmen Mark Orgill and Alex Rounaghi. However, others, such as Councilman George Weiss, cautioned that any program must be sustainable because “the city can’t fund everything.” At this time, ideas include a public-private partnership, “a potential land trust, philanthropy, or leaving it entirely to the private sector.” (Voice of OC)
4. If you don’t typically attend the Coffee with a Cop events, you might reconsider now. The Westminster Police Department recently hosted its first Coffee with a K9 at the Beach Boulevard Starbucks. Attendees met Dragon, a gorgeous 5-year-old Dutch Shepherd weighing in at 70 pounds and with a nose for “narcotics, weapons, and explosives.” Besides that, he has a taste for Starbucks’ puppuccino. It’s fair to say that Dragon was quite popular! (Behind the Badge)
5. What are you doing on Thursday? Why not head to the Downtown Fullerton Market at 125 East Wilshire Avenue? Last week, the market hosted its first event of 2023. But it’s more than just a market. Sure, you can find locally sourced produce, Korean and Mediterranean foods, but you can also enjoy a beer garden and live music. Come every Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. You have until August 31 to come on down! (Daily Titan)

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📆 Today in Orange County:

• It's time for Golden Hour Yoga in Newport Beach (8 AM)
• Play a friendly Pickup Soccer Game at TOCA Soccer in Costa Mesa (9 AM)
• The women of Heart Link Network Worldwide meet for Elevated Networking at the Romeo Cucina Ristorante Italiano in Laguna Niguel (11 AM)
• Join the Mom Walk Collective for a FREE Ladybug Music Class at the Esencia Sports Park (11:15 AM)
• Bring the young 'uns to Art With The Muck for Kids in Grade 4-8 at the East Anaheim Branch Library (3:30 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "The City is scheduled to perform tree maintenance operations in Heritage Community Park, April 10–21. Eighteen trees will be removed due to irreversible health decline. A total of 62 new trees, including several large specimens, will be replanted. For questions, call 949-724-7600." (City of Irvine)
• "This month is your last chance to catch a live 'Swingin’ in the Palm Court' concert at Great Park! Join us April 23, 1 p.m.–3 p.m., and enjoy the same music that filled the banquet halls of early MCAS El Toro! More info http://yourgreatpark.org/arts" (Great Park)
• "Your 2023 Baron Games Champions are the SENIORS AND FRESHMEN!! The Blue and Gold teams went head-to-head last week to determine this year's winner, and after a close competition, the Blue team came out victorious! More photos at https://hbuhsd.pixieset.com/fvhsbarongames/" (Huntington Beach Union High School District)
• "It'll be an incredible atmosphere at the Honda Center for our season finale, April 13 against the rival Kings. Members of our free The Mighty rewards program will get special discounts on concessions and at our Team Store. Let's pack the house for the Freeway Face-Off!" (Anaheim Ducks)
• "Calling all artists! We are issuing a Call for Mural Proposals for the design, fabrication, and installation of original indoor artwork suitable for three areas in our Homeless Navigation Center. Estimated max budget for this project is up to $20,000." (City of Santa Ana)

🏡 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)
• OCBCAF CPR Workshops (April 30)
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Featured announcements:

• Selling Your Home? 72SOLD A Better Way To Sell Your Home (Details)
• Add your announcement

Other featured classifieds:

• Santa Baby Composer Moonlight Sonata Award Nomination, please vote! (Details)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you soon!

— 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