🌱 Memorial Day Events + Pet A Chicken + San Clemente City Council

Good morning, everybody! Today’s National Grape Day; did you know that drinking “to your health” may date back to Ancient Greece, when a host would drink the first glass of wine to the guests' health as proof it wasn’t poisoned? I'm back with your fresh edition of the Orange County Patch newsletter. Come along to find out about what's happening. In today's issue, you'll learn about these stories and more...

• 🤝 A retired police officer fills a city council vacancy.
• 🧑‍⚖️ OC’s only sanctuary city has neighbors facing deportation.
• 💡 Getting a summer job in the OC.

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🌥️ But first, today's weather: Low clouds, then some sun. High: 70 Low: 59.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• Mohsen #3 at 5981 Westminster Blvd. in Westminster, $4.24
• Anthem Oil at 105 E. Lincoln Ave. in Orange, $4.29
• Costco at 22633 Savi Ranch Parkway in Yorba Linda, $4.49

🦸 Superpower Poll!
A 2018 survey found that Americans would love to have the superpower of healing others. If we take this one off the table, which superpower would you love to have?

• 30.8 percent: The ability to fly
• 23.1 percent: The ability to time travel
• 15.4 percent: The ability to become invisible
• 7.7 percent: Superhuman strength, the ability to read minds, teleport, or win select lotteries and give money away

📰 Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. Rick Loeffler, a retired police officer, is San Clemente’s newest city councilmember. The 23-year San Clemente resident was appointed in a 3-1 vote to fill the vacancy left by Gene James, who resigned and opted to move to Wyoming. Loeffler intends “to make decisions without bias as a non-party registered voter.” (The Epoch Times)
2. The Orange County Justice Fund said that there are around 2.1 million OC neighbors with business in front of an immigration judge. Santa Ana, the county’s only sanctuary city, has the “highest number of residents facing deportation” in all of California. Residents say they live in fear that immigration enforcement will pick them up before they have their hearings. Since February, Santa Ana’s immigration court deported 2,448 individuals, with more than 23,000 cases still pending. (ABC)
3. Where does Orange County rank when it comes to getting a summer job? Insiders crunched the numbers and looked at everything from part-time job availability to commuter friendliness. In the OC, Huntington Beach and Garden Grove rank 27th and 28th out of 182 cities. At the bottom of the list is Santa Ana, in 117th place. Irvine ranks last regarding labor-force participation of those aged 16 to 24. (WalletHub)
4. Memorial Day events: On Monday, we honor the women and men who died while serving our nation. There are several events neighbors can attend. For example, Irvine hosts its Northwood Memorial Candle Lighting ceremony on Sunday at 4 p.m. The city will host a formal Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday at the Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park at 10 a.m. Tustin, Orange, and Santa Ana combine observances on Monday at 10 a.m. at the Old Santa Ana Cemetery. In San Clemente, head to the Community Center at 11 a.m. on Monday; in Dana Point, come to Pines Park at 10 a.m. (City of Irvine, 2, OC Cemetery District, San Clemente, Dana Point)
5. If you’d like to meet miniature chickens, learn how to graft, get free pots for planting, and free seed packets, come to the monthly meeting of the South Orange County California Rare Fruit Growers! It’s scheduled for today, Saturday, at 10 a.m. at 8000 Great Park Blvd. in Irvine, “near Sand Canyon and the 5 Freeway.” Bring the kids! If they collect 15 small pieces of trash, they get to feed the chickens. Add another 30 pieces from the farm food lab grounds, and they can pet one of the birds! (Patch)

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📆 Today in Orange County:

• Free Compost Giveaway & Paper Shredding Event in Corona del Mar (8 AM)
• Inaugural Orange County Latino International Film Festival at the Action Studios in Costa Mesa (10 AM)
• How to Build A College List Seminar in Irvine (10 AM)
• Vietnamese Bilingual Storytime at the Fountain Valley Library (11 AM)
• The Anaheim Convention Center hosts Renovacion Carismatica Catolica - Pentecostes (7 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "34 available Pitties looking for their forever homes! Our local OC Animal Care Shelter has many wonderful Pit Bull type dogs looking for homes. They have all ages and colors, and each one of these babies would love to find a furrever home. All of these dogs are available to the public and rescue groups with no adoption fees. This includes microchipping, vaccinations, spay/neuter, deworming and flea control." (Orange County Pit Bull Rescue via Facebook)
• "Knott’s Fiesta Village parte dos! 🇲🇽 Knott’s did an amazing job at updating Fiesta Village. We feel seen and represented. 💕" (OC Guide 🍊 Orange County events via Instagram)
• "Reminder: All OUSD offices and sites will be closed on Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day. Enjoy the long weekend! Recordatorio: Todas las oficinas y sitios de OUSD estarán cerrados el lunes, 29 de mayo, en observancia del Día de la Conmemoración de los Caídos. ¡Disfruta del fin de semana largo!" (Orange Unified School District via Instagram)
• "Register for our Esports Summer Camp today! Joining Esports can improve socialization, cognitive function, and healthy competition for your child. Sign up today at ymcaoc.org/esports" (YMCA OF ORANGE COUNTY via Facebook)
• "Trans*forums is a processing Therapy Group for transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, gender-fluid, intersex, and androgynous individuals. This group provides individuals with a safe space to voice and process feelings, issues, and thoughts unique to their experiences. Every Thursday 7:30-9 p.m. via Zoom, $5 Fee, 18+. For more information, contact: ryan.grosjean@lgbtqcenteroc.org." (LGBTQ Center, Orange County, via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• SC Tennis Academy 2023 Summer Tennis Camps @Los Cab (June 1)
• Dutcher Crossing Winemaker Tasting (June 1)
• OCBCAF Family Day Event (June 11)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you soon!

— 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