🌱 Isabel Osterberg Is 103 + Lawsuits In Irvine, HB + Rail Locations

Hi all! Today’s National Gingersnap Day; did you know that while they’ve been around for a while, the first written mention of an American Gingersnap was in 1805? It's Sylvia, your host of the Orange County Patch newsletter — back with news including...

• ⬅️ The best OC city to celebrate Independence Day.
• 🚇 Discussion of moving the rail lines for the Pacific Surfliner.
• 🤔 Pacific Airshow LLC settlement under scrutiny.

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🌤️ But first, today's weather: Mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 62.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• Costco at 17900 Newhope St. in Fountain Valley, $4.29
• ARCO at 300 N. Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, $4.35
• Costco at 33961 Doheny Park Road in San Juan Capistrano, $4.49

🥤 Summer Drink Poll!
It’s heating up! Besides water, what is your favorite summertime drink? So far, 23.5 percent like frozen margaritas. Another 17.6 percent each like lemonade, an Arnold Palmer, or Coca-Cola. For 11.8 percent, iced tea is the drink of choice. The final 5.9 percent each grab an ice-cold beer or watermelon punch.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. An employee is suing the Irvine Hilton and alleges the hotel violates the city’s hotel worker protection ordinance. She says the hotel didn’t provide “functioning panic buttons, failed to implement daily room cleaning, and failed to pay maids double for exceeding the limits set by the law.” Her attorney went on record stating that panic buttons were pushed several times and didn’t work. (Voice of OC)
2. Another lawsuit involves Huntington Beach and its settlement with Pacific Airshow LLC. According to former Huntington Beach Mayor Connie Boardman and former Planning Commissioner Mark Bixby, the city hastened the settlement before a judge had a chance to comment. You may remember that current officials “have refused to disclose the full agreement” that ended the suit. (MSN)
3. Garden Grove neighbor Isabel Osterberg celebrated her 103rd birthday! Her granddaughter revealed that Osterberg loves playing poker slots at the local casino. What should give most of us hope is that she loves Diet Coke, marshmallow peeps, and chocolate. And no, she doesn’t like veggies. “Osterberg was born in 1920, which means sliced bread was not invented until she was 8 years old.” (NBC)
4. There’s preliminary talk of moving San Clemente’s Pacific Surfliner rail lines inland. However, this move could cost about $5 billion. That said, proponents note that “the county has already invested tens of millions on short-term solutions” and will spend additional funds on stop-gap measures to deal with crumbling cliffs. (New Brunswick News)
5. Where’s the best place in the OC to celebrate Independence Day? Once again, insiders set the parameters and crunched the numbers. Metrics included the cost of alcohol, duration of fireworks shows, and DUI statistics. Comparing 100 cities, Orange County enters at No. 48 with Irvine. Other OC mentions are Santa Ana at No. 61 and Anaheim at No. 65. By the way, Los Angeles is rated No. 1 overall. (WalletHub)

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📆 Today in Orange County:

Saturday, July 1

• Founders' Park Open House at 400 N West St. in Anaheim (9 AM)
• Lighting Aura Grand Opening in Costa Mesa (10 AM)
• Exhibition Opening: "Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence" at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana (10 AM)
• Family-friendly Independence Day Market at Hangar 24 in Irvine (1 PM)
• Teen & Adult Art Workshops at the Laguna Beach Library (1:30 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "The scenario: Rescue a patient experiencing a medical emergency and stuck in a construction elevator. This is the drill our technical rescue firefighters conducted recently in Irvine. Crews from Heavy Rescue 6, Truck 56, and Truck 61 worked as a team to execute the quick and successful rescue of the simulated patient." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• "Red Lobster revealed its 'Ultimate Endless Shrimp' promotion is now 'here to stay.'" (Orange County Register via Facebook)
• "As part of our quest for continuous improvement, we are interested in your feedback to help us assess our communications and outreach endeavors. Your input will be used to inform ongoing district communications efforts. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete." (Orange Unified School District via Instagram)
• "We would like to thank Simon Tavassoli and Sogol Eftekhar from B.B. Simon for an amazing time at our Girl Scout Summer Day Camp! Girls learned how to think like entrepreneurs as they participated in activities that sparked curiosity, confidence, and innovation!" (Girl Scouts of Orange County via Facebook)
• "County Holiday Closure Notice: All county offices will be closed Tuesday, July 4, in observance of the holiday. Normal operation hours will resume Wednesday, July 5." (County of Orange, California, via Facebook)

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• 🇺🇸🤩 7/1 Independence Day Market (Family-friendly - FREE Admission): (July 1)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you around!

— 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