Best Active Lifestyle City + County Plans For 1M Seniors + No Pet Fees

Hello again! It's Paula Constance, your host of the Orange County Daily. Here are the most important things happening in Orange County today. In this edition...

• Thirty-eight O.C. distinguished schools.
• County signs $1 lease for growing senior population.
• Best Orange County city for an active lifestyle.
• Large dog pet adoption fees waived.

But first, today's weather:
Overcast High: 65. Low: 49.

Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. Thirty-eight elementary schools in Orange County made the list of 2023 California Distinguished Schools. The California Distinguished Schools program, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, "honors the hard work, resilience and dedication" of 356 schools throughout the state, selected by state Superintendent Tony Thurmond. The schools were praised for proving "quality education" while also navigating the many challenges of the pandemic. See the list here: (OCDE.com)
2. Orange County is "charting an uncertain course" for a quickly growing senior population. The Golden State will have nearly 1 million people who will be 65 and older in 40 years. As a first step to prepare, Orange County signed an agreement with the city of Placentia to build a senior center at the Tri-City Regional Park for a leasing fee of only $1 per year. Commenting on the deal, O.C. Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Chaffee said, “I’m really excited to see if we can make it a really special place." (Spectrum News)
3. Which Orange County city made the list of 2023’s Best and Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle? Irvine, California! WalletHub compared the 100 biggest cities in the United States across 36 key metrics including fitness-club fees, bike scores and even the number of physically inactive adults. See which cities are the Best and Worst according to the new study: (Wallet Hub)
4. O.C. Animal Care in Tustin is making it a lot easier to adopt large dogs: Adoption fees for them are being waived throughout January! The fee will be waived for any dog weighing 25 pounds or more. The successful program saw 92 large dogs adopted in December compared to 45 large dogs during the same month in 2021. The program "includes microchipping, vaccinations, spaying or neutering and an anti-parasite treatment." Find a dog waiting to meet you and schedule an appointment here: (Daily Pilot)

From my notebook:

• Pageant of the Masters Open Casting Call of Volunteers: Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Saturday, Jan. 7, 7 to 9 p.m. (Google Calendar)
• Winter Fest O.C.: Through Jan. 7. More than 20 wintry activities, including outdoor ice skating, ice tubing down Snowflake Summit, a snow play area with real snow, and more. O.C. Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. (Winter Fest)
• Urban search and rescue firefighters train with Live Find Search dogs: Task Force 5 has been actively training this week with their Live Find Search Dogs named Dallas, Steven, Kendri, Moon and Sadie, in all types of weather to respond to any severe mud and debris flow incident. "Be safe all!" (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)

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Events:

• Le Salon de Musiques: Schubert - Winterreise for Baritone & Piano (January 8)
• Crossing Over With Psychic Medium John Edward (Live)! (January 20)
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That's it for today. I'll catch up with you again soon!
— Paula Constance

About me: Paula is a contributing writer, author, and producer. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking or watching fireflies in the sultry moments before sunset. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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