🌱 Red-Tagged Homes Safe + Catal Restaurant Closes + CA Wine Festival

Hello, everybody! Today’s National Beer Day; did you know that it commemorates when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act in 1933, which once again permitted beer brewing and selling after Prohibition? I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new edition of the Orange County Patch newsletter. Today's briefing includes...

• 🐰 The OC’s ranking as a great place to celebrate Easter
• 🤔 Huntington Beach’s 90-day plan
• 🍷 The California Wine Festival in Dana Point

💗 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:

Areas of low clouds, then sun. High: 70 Low: 51.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• ARCO at 10602 Westminster Ave. in Garden Grove, $4.25
• Berri Brothers at 1234 N Main St. in Orange, $4.35
• United Oil at 795 S El Camino Real in San Clemente, $4.49

🌎 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?

📰 Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. Do you remember the four San Clemente apartment buildings that were red-tagged because of a landslide? Mayor Chris Duncan said three of the structures will have their red tags removed, meaning that they’re safe to live in. Reportedly, the paperwork is in the works for the fourth one as well. However, the city is asking experts to evaluate other coastal bluff tops in a coastal erosion study. (The Orange County Register/paywall)
2. Huntington Beach unveiled a “90-day plan to address homelessness.” Building 13,368 affordable housing units by the end of the decade is not part of the plan. Rather, the city council unanimously agreed to communicate with business owners and residents “about community resources and property rights,” review services and programs currently available, and reach out to unhoused neighbors. The focus shifts from housing to enforcing anti-vagrancy laws. Concurrently, a consultant will seek to pinpoint the “psychological barrier that keeps people living on the streets from wanting to accept help and how to better package their services.” (Voice of OC)
3. Disneyland’s Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar in Anaheim are closing their doors. They first opened in Downtown Disney in 2001. Their last day will be April 14. Why is the eatery that's famous for its paella closing? To make room for Paseo and Céntrico, a restaurant and bar serving Mexican cuisine by lauded chef Carlos Gaytan. Catal’s patrons are expressing their dismay; many recall memories such as meeting their spouses here or having a first job at the restaurant. (Business Insider, Catal Restaurant)
4. Speaking of April 14, the California Wine Festival is coming to Dana Point’s Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa. In addition to a Sunset Rare & Reserve tasting, you’ll enjoy appetizers, a silent auction benefiting the Sandy Feet Initiative, and music by the duo Kalina and Kiana. If you can’t make it on Friday, we have good news: The event also goes on Saturday! (Dana Point Times)
5. We’re number ... 28? Number crunchers determined the best places to celebrate Easter. They compared 100 larger cities across several metrics, including candy stores per capita and weather. In first place is Pittsburgh, PA. California doesn’t enter the mentions until 18th place, with Long Beach in L.A. County. The OC’s first representation is #28 with Anaheim. In last place is North Las Vegas, NV. Across California, Chula Vista lists last at #87 and Orange County’s Irvine at #63. (WalletHub)

📆 Today in Orange County:

• The Orange County United Way hosts an Informative Breakfast on Eviction at Irvine City Hall (8:30 AM)
• The Westminster Family Resource Center conducts FREE Developmental Screenings for kids under 5 (8:30 AM)
• The Bridge Community Church holds a Good Friday Service in Orange (12 PM)
• Santa Ana's historic Yost Theater hosts Left On Read RNB Party (10 PM)
• Sega Genecide hosts an Emo Party at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa (10 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "Congratulations to our 2023 OUSD Employees of the Year! Each year, Orange Unified recognizes certificated, classified, and leadership employees who go above and beyond by helping to create an engaging and successful learning environment for our students and staff." (Orange Unified School District via Instagram)
• "Academy 57 Spotlight: Week 8 • The week the academy recruits put their skills to the test. Everything they’ve learned so far from pulling hose, throwing ladders, forceable entry, to searching techniques have gotten them to their first live fire training." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• "Empty seats were scarce in the multipurpose room at Nicolas Junior High as families packed the room on March 30, eager to find out how the new community center will help thousands of people with students attending the Fullerton School District." (Orange County Department of Ed via Instagram)
• "Zissen Pesach to our Girl Scout community! This year, Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, and ends on Thursday, April 13. Here’s to a happy Passover" (Girl Scouts of Orange County via Facebook)
• "The 54-year-old South Orange County man accused in a drug-fueled crash that killed an infant days away from his first birthday and seriously injured his parents in Rancho Santa Margarita has been released from jail without charges." (Patch)

🏡 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:

• Easter Sunrise Service at the beach (April 9)
• Easter Service-Community Church of OC (April 9)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Marina Park Community and Sailing Center (April 11)
• OCBCAF CPR Workshops (April 30)
• Add your event

That's it for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another 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