Orange County, the state’s apostille services are coming a bit closer to home.
Hugh Nguyen, the county’s clerk-recorder, is partnering with the California Secretary of State, offering residents a one-day opportunity to get documents certified with an apostille. The service is something only offered by mail or at SoS offices in Los Angeles or Sacramento.
The apostille is basically a stamp of authenticity, certifying California officials’ signatures and seals on documents such as a birth and marriage certificates, educational records or single status certificates.
The apostille (derived from either the French word apostiller or Latin’s postilla for “note”) is necessary for anyone looking to use such documents outside the United States.
So, to bring the services closer than the bustling, do-we-really-have-to-drive-there Los Angeles, a popup event is taking place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the county’s administration south building at 601 N. Ross St. in Santa Ana.
Now, like any bureaucracy, the service isn’t free, and you’ll need some paperwork, too.
The SoS requires anyone seeking an apostille to bring the original document signed by a California official (photocopies will not be accepted) plus an apostille cover sheet, which you can find online (google “California apostille cover sheet”) or download it here .
The price, per document, is $20 plus a $6 handling fee. The popup will not accept cash at the event, so bring a money order, check or credit card.
The clerk and the SoS recommend arriving early in order to guarantee service. Notary services will also be available.
Attendees should go to Parking Lot P4 at 620 N. Broadway St., in Santa Ana. Parking is free for the first 30 minutes.
Dispensary opens in Costa Mesa
STIIIZY South Coast opened another marijuana dispensary in Costa Mesa, its second in the city and county and 36th in the state.
The shop at 675 Paularino Ave. is part of a remodeled retail center near Mitsuwa Marketplace.
The Los Angeles-based company was founded in 2017 and operates seven cultivation facilities, five manufacturing facilities, four distribution facilities, and three retail stores in Michigan. As for the name, the company tells us that the three ‘I’s’ in STIIIZY stand for influence, inspire and innovate. The overall name STIIIZY comes from the California term “steez” — a blend of style and ease.
Costa Mesa residents approved marijuana sales in the city when they voted in favor of Measure Q in 2020.
Volunteers needed for tax help program
With the end of the year seemingly just ahead, it’s time to think about taxes.
Orange County United Way is seeking volunteers to help with its annual OC Free Tax Prep program, which returns to help more residents for the 2025 tax season.
The nonprofit emphasizes that no prior experience is needed to participate in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (or VITA).
The 19-year-old program helps low-income residents file their taxes and in turn encourages more self-sufficient lives to break the cycle of poverty.
Last year, volunteers prepared more than 13,620 tax returns, according to Andrew Fahmy, executive director of United for Financial Security initiative of Orange County United Way.
Here’s what volunteers to need in order to help:
Complete and pass the online Volunteer Standards of Conduct training and certification requirements based on their role.
Volunteer roles greeter, tax preparer, quality reviewer, interpreters (Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Arabic and Mandarin bilinguals are needed).
Online and in-person training sessions led by an IRS-certified VITA instructor will be available in November and December 2024 and early January 2025.
All volunteers, new or returning, will be required to complete training and certification sessions.
During the 2024 tax season, OC Free Tax Prep prepared 13,629 tax returns.
To learn more about becoming an OC Free Tax Prep volunteer, go to ocfreetaxprep.com/volunteer or email OCVITAVolunteer@UnitedWayOC.org.
Hoag expanding to San Clemente
Hoag is opening a facility at the southern end of Orange County, bringing a full suite of services to San Clemente by summer 2025.
The 20,000-square-foot facility at 993 Avenida Pico in Plaza Pacifica will include primary and urgent care, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic and sports medicine, radiology and imaging services.
“As a San Clemente resident myself, I know firsthand of the critical need for quality health care in your own backyard,” said Hoag President & CEO Robert T. Braithwaite in a statement.
Find more details about Hoag Health Center San Clemente at hoag.org/san-clemente.
Grand opening for new pediatrics office
Ocean Pediatrics will celebrate its opening Wednesday in Laguna Hills with a ribbon cutting at 1 pm and festivities from 11:30 am to 6 pm
The practice, which opened Aug. 19 at 24422 Avenida De La Carlota, Suite 130, is owned by Dr. Steven Abelowitz, formerly of Coastal Kids Medical Group.
For more information, go to ocean-pediatrics.com
Investment firm opens in Newport Beach
The investment firm Mariners Capital Management launched recently in Newport Beach, offering customized planning,building, and management of private market portfolios for family offices. The firm was founded by Nick Faulkner, formerly of Pathway Capital Management in Irvine. For more information, go to marinerscapital.com or email info@marinerscapital.com.
On the move
Brian Montes is the new chief executive officer at RADD LLC, a compliance and internal audit consulting firm in Rancho Santa Margarita. The company’s founder, Radhika Lipton, is shifting to an advisory role. Montes has been a consultant with RADD since 2019 and running operations and people management full-time for the last 18 months.
Grants & donations
Disneyland Resort recently donated $100,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. The donation will support the nonprofit’s efforts to address food insecurity in the community. For more information about Second Harvest, go to visit feedoc.org.
MaxLove Project raised $250,000 at its 10th annual Farm to Fork App-Off, held at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. MaxLove helps families with children living with cancer and rare pediatric diseases. Its focus is culinary medicine, whole-body health, mental wellness, therapeutic social support, and expert-designed educational resources. For more information about the organization, go to maxloveproject.org.
Tennis Serves Others has given $80,000 to Waymakers, a nonprofit that helps people through conflict and crisis. The grant, one of the largest in TSO history, was announced at the organization’s recent Wimbledon Garden Party. “When Waymakers was selected as a grant recipient, we knew the impact would be tremendous,” said Kelley McBride, CEO of TSO. “The organization works tirelessly to serve at risk teens by providing safe spaces to heal and a variety of resources to assist “both individuals and families, while creating growth opportunities and hope for the future.” For more information about Waymakers, go to WaymakersOC.org
Nonprofit Radiant Futures in Fullerton is the recipient of a $20,000 grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Radiant Futures Chief Executive Officer Mark Lee said the money would support the general operations of Radiant Futures, which provides crisis support and services for domestic abuse survivors, and education to prevent domestic violence and trafficking. For more information, go to radiantfutures.org
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.
