The homes will generate rental income for the church and the diocese. Two units will be set aside for moderate-income households (no more than 110% of the median area income), the others will be market-rate rentals, officials said.

Church representatives said leaders are looking at several properties in the diocese’s inventory to see where underutilized land could be put to better use.

“The Diocese of Orange is committed to serving both its local faithful and the broader community in ways that reflect its values and long-term vision. As part of this commitment, we are carefully evaluating underutilized properties to determine how they might be used to better meet the needs of our communities and support our ministries,” Jarryd Gonzales, spokesperson for the diocese, said. “This includes exploring housing development opportunities, such as the 21-unit project in La Habra.”

The diocese is looking into housing projects in Fullerton, Irvine and Santa Ana, Gonzales said, but added “it’s too soon to comment on any details.”

Douglas Woodward, a consultant for the diocese who answered questions from the La Habra councilmembers on the project at their meeting last week, called the property at Our Lady of Guadalupe “a fallow piece of land, it is not being utilized.”

Though the project is using part of the church’s property, it will not be accessed from La Habra Boulevard, where people enter to visit the church and its elementary school. Access will instead be from the neighborhood to the west, via Walker Street. The long Marian Street feeds the neighborhood from La Habra Boulevard, ending at Walker, which is a short road with a few houses that ends at the church property.

The complex will be a series of six buildings, each two stories, that line a road that loops back to Walker. Each will have their own two parking spaces and a small backyard and there will be a visitor parking lot and a small passive park and spots for gardening.

Adding more homes to the neighborhood that is served by only one road in and out from La Habra Boulevard drew several residents to the council meeting complaining about parking, safety and traffic issues they said the church has already exacerbated over the years.

While councilmembers said they liked the looks of the housing complex the diocese had designed, they were reluctant to approve the project because of the residents’ concerns.

But the project meets all of the city’s requirements and standards, they said, raising concerns the diocese could turn to litigation if the council denied the project.

“What makes this difficult is that we have to balance state law and the concerns of the public and the property rights,” Councilmember Delwin Lampkin said. “It seems there were ongoing issues that exist regardless of this project.”

“These are things that have been brewing,” he added. “I hope that this is a moment for you to see that we have concerns from the residents that go beyond this development. There are concerns the residents felt they have not been heard on.”

Gonzales said “although the project has been approved” the church’s pastor will be planning a meeting with the residents.

The two-story homes will have three bedrooms, an attached garage and the complex will have a Spanish-influenced design with wrought iron lighting, wooden shutters, decorative tile and balconettes.

Sánchez, D-Whittier, is the ranking member on the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee and is critical of President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs. Trump has proposed new tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico as well as reciprocal tariffs that match tax rates that other countries charge on imports.

“Strategic, targeted tariffs can level the playing field for American businesses and workers who are suffering from unfair trade practices in a specific industry,” Sánchez said, adding, “Tariffs shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip to try to achieve non-trade-related goals (e.g. immigration) or score political points, especially against our neighbors and allies.”

This year, as legislative work in Washington, D.C., gets underway, we’re reintroducing our readers to the six House members who represent at least a portion of Orange County, veterans and newcomers alike. We asked each lawmaker five questions, tailored to their policy expertise, committee assignments or votes.

Sánchez, 56, represents California’s 38th Congressional District, which includes communities in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including La Habra. A former labor lawyer, Sánchez was born in Orange County and has been a member of Congress since 2003. She was the first woman IBEW member elected to Congress.

Read on to find out more about what Sánchez proposes Congress should do when it comes to trade policy, continued protections for DACA recipients and more.

Q: You are the ranking member on the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. Can you tell us what the work that subcommittee does? And how does it serve as a check on the Trump administration, particularly as you’ve described President Trump’s trade plan as “chaotic.”

A: The Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee is responsible for overseeing and setting U.S. trade policy. It plays a key role in trade deals, examining the impact of trade on American businesses and workers and ensuring that U.S. trade policies align with our national interests.

The Constitution gives Congress the authority to oversee commerce. So even in the minority, Democrats can serve as a check against the president’s disastrous and chaotic trade policies.

In my new role, I hope to be a bridge to unite Democrats who lean more free trade with those who are more progressive. I’ve long championed trade policies that balance the rights of domestic and foreign workers to have dignity and safety in their workplace with ensuring American businesses can compete globally.

I believe that when done right, trade can spur innovation, boost American industries and advance democratic values abroad.

Q: Economists say both President Trump and former President Biden have escalated trade war policies with the use of tariffs. In your view, should tariffs be used as a president’s bargaining chip — and should there be more congressional oversight?

A: President Trump’s tariffs have brought us nothing but chaos. He threatens them, then gets scared and retreats, leaving fragments in place and delaying others on a whim. There is clearly no well-thought-out plan.

Strategic, targeted tariffs can level the playing field for American businesses and workers who are suffering from unfair trade practices in a specific industry. Tariffs shouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip to try to achieve non-trade-related goals (e.g. immigration) or score political points, especially against our neighbors and allies.

While Congress has granted the presidency some tariff authority, it’s time we consider revoking or adjusting that authority. President Trump’s constant trade tantrums demonstrate why he can’t be trusted with unchecked power in our trade policy.

Q: During President Trump’s first term, he proposed a deal — at the time to end the government shutdown — that included his demand for border wall funding, along with temporary protection for DACA recipients as a concession to Democrats. With DACA still in legal limbo, would you be open to considering a similar situation, where a funding request is tied to a pathway to citizenship or other protections for DACA recipients?

A: For decades, we have thrown more and more money toward enforcement, but there has been no relief for immigrant communities. Any plan must address this disparity to earn my support.

I’m open to any proposal that addresses immigration in a fair and humane way and, most importantly, keeps families united. It must include a plan for “Dreamers,” farm workers and legal protections for other undocumented immigrants who are already here and contributing to their communities.

Q: You’ve said President Trump’s decision to grant Elon Musk, an unelected “special government employee,” significant access to federal agencies is “a direct attack on our democracy.” How can Congress keep Musk and his team’s work in check, particularly if any of his work ultimately breaks the law? 

A: It is a direct attack on our democracy. We’re witnessing a constitutional crisis. President Trump has surrendered complete control to Shadow President Musk, giving him unchecked power over federal spending.

Let’s be clear: What Musk and DOGE are doing right now is illegal, and Democrats are fighting it with every tool at our disposal to hold them accountable. We’ve been speaking out, supporting lawsuits, demanding hearings and investigations and introducing new bills — including the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which I’ve cosponsored. Our bill would block Elon Musk and DOGE’s access to your private data.

But Democrats are also facing a math problem in Congress. We’re in the minority in both the Senate and the House. We need just a few Republicans to have the courage to stand up to Elon Musk and reclaim Congress’ constitutional authorities. It’s been disheartening to see not a single Republican willing to defend the rule of law.

Q: Democratic leaders have said any upcoming spending plan must block President Trump’s promised federal funding freeze. Why is this considered a “red line” for Democrats — and do you see it being successful? 

A: Republicans are recklessly pushing us toward a government shutdown with their chaos and dysfunction. They control the White House, Senate and House and will decide whether we continue funding the government beyond the March deadline.

So far, they have shown no interest in working with Democrats. If Republicans are going to need our votes to bail them out once again and keep the government open, then we want to know that they follow the law and restore the funding that Congress already passed.

Q: Bonus question: Anything else you’d like your constituents to know about your plans for the year?

A: With President Trump’s previous tax cuts for billionaires set to expire, Congress will begin negotiating a major tax bill this Congress. As a senior member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, I will play a significant role in that debate. My focus will be ensuring this isn’t just another giveaway to billionaires like Elon Musk and President Trump. Instead, I will advocate for tax policies that support middle- and working-class families, like strengthening the Child Tax Credit and providing other relief for average Americans.

The Oregon-based chain with the slogan “energy for a better world” is known for its coffee confections, which run high on sugar and caffeine.

The stores do not have a walk-in space. Instead, customers order from a walkup window or drive-throughs. The La Habra store spans 950 square feet on the southwest corner of Lambert Road and Beach Blvd.

Dutch Bros. hires “broistas” at some 998 locations in 18 states. In addition to hot and cold brewed coffee drinks, it sells energy drinks, cocoa, lemonade, soda, smoothies and tea. Food is limited to muffin tops and granola bars.

The coffee chain launched in Orange County in Fountain Valley, where it now has two locations. It has several in Los Angeles and San Diego counties and the Inland Empire.

Address is 2060 W. Lambert Road.

Chinese jeweler opens at Brea Mall

Chow Tai Fook and Gem Hooray, a Hong Kong-based jewelry company, recently opened their first US store at the Brea Mall.

The jewelry store is on the upper level of the mall, between Lush and Chrono Toys.

Chow Tai Fook is nearly 100 years old, opening in 1929 in Guangzhou, China. The company operates thousands of stores in mainland China. It specializes in jewelry in either 18 karat or 24 karat gold.

Prices start in the low-hundreds for gold items. See more of their selection online at gemhooray.com

DAUM Commercial Real Estate Services closed the lease deal on behalf of the mall owner, Simon Property Group.

Hilton takes over Costa Mesa hotel

The Holiday Inn Express in Costa Mesa has a new name and a fresh look.

The Hampton Inn by Hilton Costa Mesa Newport Beach has been renovated, with each of its 62 guest rooms updated. The hotel also got an upgraded fitness center, lobby spaces got an update and breakfast was expanded.

For more information, go to hamptonbyhilton.com/costamesanewportbeach or call 949-631-6000.

Address: 2070 Newport Blvd.

Stratford School opens in Laguna Niguel

Stratford School Laguna Niguel is open and enrolling preschool students starting at 2 years old through fifth grade.

The campus has four preschool classrooms and nine elementary school classrooms, an outdoor playground and play space, plus a multipurpose room that also serves as our music room and library.

Tuition for a 10-month preschool year starts at $16,340, according to the school’s website. Elementary school tuition is $22,800.

For more information, go to stratfordschools.com/schools/southern-california/orange-county/laguna-niguel or call 949-876-7479 or email ln@stratfordschools.com .

Address: 29028 Aloma Ave.

Ickes retires at South County Outreach 

Bunni Ickes, a 35-year team member with South County Outreach, has retired from the organization.

Ickes got started with the nonprofit as a volunteer and moved to board member before joining the staff in 2004. She was key to launching and managing the Upscale Resale Thrift Store, which now has two locations, and most recently she was the organization’s community outreach manager .

To honor her dedication, South County Outreach recently opened a fundraising campaign at sco-oc.org/honoring-bunni-ickes .

South County Outreach provides food and services to help end hunger and homelessness in Orange County. For more information, go to sco-oc.org .

On the move

Steve Marquez is the new president at SullivanCurtisMonroe Insurance Services in Irvine. Previously he was with Armstrong/Robitaille Insurance, which became BB&T and then McGriff, where he served as corporate senior vice president. The firm also in recent weeks welcomed Costa Mesa-based Clarke Marine Garvey Insurance Services, which is now affiliated with SCM.

News from last week

Old Towne restaurant closes: Hector’s on the Circle, a Mexican restaurant and bar in Orange’s historic plaza, closed abruptly. The Register’s food writer Brock Keeling reported the business was sold . The eatery took over after Watson’s Soda Fountain & Cafe closed after struggling through its debut. Coming to the former diner, established in that space back in 1899, is the seafood concept Kickin’ Crab.

Ownership changes: The longtime owner and developer of Bella Terra mall in Huntington Beach has sold its 25% interest in the property to its partner, PGIM Real Estate. San Jose-based DJM Capital Partners, which bought the property 20 years ago, declined to share terms of the sale. DJM bought the Huntington Beach Center in the early 2000s and soon launched a revamp of the aging center, which opened in 1966. It demolished many of the smaller buildings and flipped the mall inside-out, creating an exterior-facing experience for shoppers.

CTA moves forward: The Supreme court revived the Corporate Transparency Act , a new law requiring the owners of millions of small businesses to register with an arm of the Treasury Department charged with fighting money laundering and other financial crimes. The CTA had been held up after two judges put the order on hold. Now, owners and part-owners of an estimated 32.6 million small businesses must register personal information with Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. The information includes photo IDs and home addresses. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will devote much effort to enforcing the registration requirement.

Broncos and Mavericks recalled: Ford Motor Co. is recalling 272,827 Broncos and Mavericks due to a power problem that can cause vehicles to stop unexpectedly or fail to start. The problem is related to a 12 volt battery made by Camel Battery of China that has “internal manufacturing defects,” including weld failures that can cause open circuits.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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.

A headline, in bold capital letters reads: VOTE FOR INCORPORATION.

Following are details of the array of benefits incorporation would bring to the town: police and fire protection, streetlights, sanitation and increased property value.

And the residents of La Habra agreed those 100 years ago, overwhelmingly voting in favor of incorporation, 311-146.

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, generations of residents, some perhaps descendants of those who cast votes that day, joined with city officials, long-time business owners and others in the atrium to celebrate La Habra’s centennial.

Several local notables shared memories and recounted the city’s roots as a citrus hub, along with subsequent milestones over the years.

Then, the hundreds in attendance raised their champagne glasses to toast the city.

At the same time, a two-story tall mural depicting an avocado tree – a symbol of the city and its agricultural history – was unveiled at the south end of the atrium.

Longtime councilmembers Jim Gomez and Rose Espinoza, both La Habra natives, recounted the roots of their respective families and chronicled the town’s growth.

“Everyone here represents La Habra’s past, present and future,” said Gomez, a councilmember since 2002 and grandson of early residents. “We’re all woven together like a beautiful blanket is woven together.”

Gomez recounted his youth, attending La Habra schools from kindergarten through high school, and highlighted the growth of the town’s business community.

He mentioned the original Parkview Market, owned by Howard and Nancy Lu, the first Chinese American couple to open a business in La Habra, adding, “And eventually this Chinese couple spoke Spanish, and they were dear to our heart.”

And he remembered George Williams, who, as proprietor of a small body shop, was the town’s first Black business owner and part of the first Black family to make the city home.

“It was George who restored my grandfather’s 1928 Ford Model A in 1981,” Gomez recalled. “There’s no other place that I’d rather be than La Habra with all of you. All roads of La Habra lead to my heart.”

Also among the celebrants was Cynthia Cramer Freeman, daughter of noted Orange County historian Esther Cramer, a lifelong resident of La Habra and author of multiple books, including “La Habra: The Pass through the Hills,” published in 1969.

Esther Cramer died in 2012 at age 85.

Cramer Feeman recounted her family’s Swiss heritage and roots in La Habra going back 128 years.

“There were no trees then,” Cramer Freeman said. “There were just rolling hills and land and it looked like opportunity.”

Cramer Freeman’s grandfather purchased small ranches, some along a section of La Mirada Boulevard, which later became Beach Boulevard.

“We watched as the groves were planted and we had citrus everywhere,” she said. “We were the heart of Sunkist oranges, Sunkist lemons, and then Hass avocados, as you probably well know.”

She pointed out that the largest Hass avocado grove in the world once grew along La Mirada Boulevard.

Espinoza was raised in the so-called Red Camp built by the La Habra Citrus Association for migrant workers and attended a segregated school as a child.

As the youngest of eight children whose parents were fruit pickers, Espinoza said she would also sometimes help her mother clean houses.

In 1991, out of concern for the growing gang activity in her neighborhood, Espinoza founded Rosie’s Garage, an after-school tutoring program she started in her garage.

As Rosie’s Garage expanded over the years, the program rooted in La Habra earned national recognition and was featured in multiple publications and documentaries.

“Knowing how much our city has grown and accomplished over the last 100 years is truly remarkable,” Gomez said. “Something we should be proud to celebrate together.”

Lauren Aslanian was a 15-year-old sophomore at Sonora High — a strong soccer player — when she felt the lump on her throat. Nick Meza was 17, a senior at Fullerton High — a visual artist — when he noticed his swollen neck.

About 10 years ago, cancer diagnoses derailed their adolescent lives. But the darkest of times led them to each other. As they overcame blood cancers, their bodies, and their feelings for one another, strengthened.

Today, their cancers are in remission and their lives are intertwined.

The Thursday before Christmas, Meza, now 28, proposed to Aslanian, 26, in room 539 of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County — in the same cancer ward where they met as teenagers.

“I wanted to do the proposal where our journey started,” Meza said. “This is where we met.”

But, CHOC isn’t where they fell in love.

“It was two years from the first time we met until the time we got in a relationship,” Meza said. “We were just sick. We weren’t exactly focused on finding love.”

Except that was only half true.

They met around June 2014. The film, “The Fault In Our Stars,” had just come out. In it, a 16-year-old girl with cancer meets her 17-year-old crush in a support group.

Aslanian and other teenage girls at CHOC were infatuated with the movie for obvious reasons.

After watching the movie, her friend Christine, another cancer patient, said she had fallen in love with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy down the hall on the fifth floor. They went looking for his room.

“I’m 15, and she was 14,” Aslanian said. “We’re doing teenage girl things, like walking around and knocking on all the doors in the unit looking for this boy.”

A nurse directed them to Nick’s room. It wasn’t love at first sight.

“She didn’t describe him as having blonde hair or blue eyes, so we were like, ‘That doesn’t really sound like him. But, sure. Let’s give it a shot,’” Aslanian recalls. “So we knocked on the door and said, ‘Hey.’ Chrstine was like, ‘That’s not the guy.’”

“But, it was Nick and his mom,” Aslanian recalls. “And Christine’s mom and Nick’s mom are both Bulgarian. So, long story short, everyone started talking to each other in Bulgarian except for me. I had no idea what was going on, but that was kind of the icebreaker, how we all kind of got to know each other.”

Aslanian was discharged from the hospital shortly afterward. She and Meza didn’t stay in touch.

“After that first encounter, we exchanged phone numbers but didn’t keep in contact or see each other again,” Meza said.

“Until the AYA event at the Block,” Aslanian added.

AYA is the Adolescent and Young Adult cancer program at CHOC and the Block is now The Outlets at Orange.

When a teen or young adult is diagnosed with a pediatric type of cancer at CHOC, they get treatment from two types of oncology experts: one who specializes in their type of cancer and one who specializes in the needs of adolescents and young adults.

That second person is often called a child life specialist.

“They come around and make a child’s life better,” Aslanian said. “They bring you games and talk to you. Sort of like a social worker. They’re just someone you can hang out with and talk to about being in the hospital. And help you forget that you’re in the hospital.”

In the cases of Aslanian and Meza, that child life specialist was Kara Noskoff.

Around the time they were admitted, Noskoff was innovating one of the only child life programs in the country specially geared toward teens with cancer.

In addition to getting to know patients in the hospital, Noskoff envisioned a social program for adolescent cancer patients to get to know each other outside of CHOC. She created a social calendar replete with weekly activities from movie nights to art classes to an annual holiday party and oncology prom.

“When a cancer diagnosis interrupts adolescence or young adulthood, a time when most are focused on school, social activities, college and planning for the future, the risk for depression is high and can interfere with treatment,” Noskoff said in a previous interview with CHOC about the program. “Our goal is to reduce the risks of depression and feelings of isolation, and focus on important issues outside of illness. We want our patients to not only survive, but to thrive.”

To this day, Aslanian and Meza remain involved with AYA. They serve as mentors to younger patients and help to shape the future of the support network. Meza proposed to Alsanian at an AYA holiday event.

Noskoff played a key role in the proposal, shepherding Aslanian away from the AYA event to the fifth floor on the premise of her needing to meet a young cancer patient in Room 539 who — like Aslanian — aspired to become a nurse.

There was no such patient. When Aslanian opened the door to Room 539, she found Meza on one knee with a ring in his hand.

The ring is one of a kind: a marquise cut diamond set on a band custom-designed by Meza.

The band looks like two strands of DNA coming together, and it’s exactly 2.3 millimeters wide, representing the 23 pairs of chromosomes normally found in DNA.

“When you have cancer, your DNA is mutated,” Meza said. “There are some issues with it. So at the bottom of the ring, there’s a separation between the strands of DNA, and this represents the mutation in our DNA and our cancer. And, in that mutation, I inlaid the coordinates to CHOC where we met and added an orange stone, which represents the ribbon color for leukemia, and a green stone, which represents the ribbon color for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”

Long before the proposal, the event at the Block was one of the first AYA social events. Only a handful of kids went, Meza recalled. One of them was Aslanian.

At the time, a boy at Sonora High School had a crush on her. She said she was annoyed by his incessant texts.

“Don’t worry,” Meza said. “I will take care of this.”

He took her phone and snapped a selfie of the two of them together, sending it to the other guy.

“Hey, bro, this is Nick,” he wrote. “Chill out. I’m talking to her.”

“At that point, it was just kind of like a cop-out for this guy to stop talking to me, but then something happened,” Aslanian recalled.

They started dating. On their first date, they went to see “Deadpool.”

They didn’t talk about cancer.

“We just talked about, I don’t know, like first date stuff,” Meza said. For instance, they bonded over their mutual interests in Marvel movies.

“He was my first boyfriend,” Aslanian said.

“She was my first girlfriend,” Meza added.

Their relationship became a slow burn. After Meza finished coursework at Fullerton College, he moved to Prescott, Arizona, to study at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Then, he moved to Seattle to work for Boeing.

Aslanian studied health science at Cal State Fullerton and then completed nursing school at Duke University in North Carolina. Now, she’s a bone marrow transplant nurse at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

They’ve lived apart for most of their relationship. That’s finally about to change. Meza accepted an engineering job with the City of Los Angeles, and the two of them will live together in La Habra starting in the new year.

“We’ve grown up both separately but together,” Aslanian said. ” I think that’s really important, and why we were able to stay together for such a long time. We were understanding of each other’s individual goals and able to come back to our common goal — each other.”

Along with stocking up for the weeks ahead, visitors tasted the savory and sweet tamales vendors were selling as they listened to live entertainment throughout the day and wandered the festival that has become a popular tradition in the city’s downtown. In the evening, the city hosted its tree-lighting ceremony.

f

Didn’t get the memo? You have another chance to fill your fridge and tummies at the Placentia Tamale Festival, which is celebrating 30 years on Thursday, Dec. 12.

The festival will be open 4 to 10 p.m. on the 100-200 block of Santa Fe Street and the 200 block of Bradford Avenue in Old Town Placentia.

A variety of tamales may be purchased from downtown restaurants and there will be live entertainment, a visit by Santa Claus and a craft beer garden. Information: placentiatamalefestival.org

So to get your belly into the holiday spirit here are five tamale festivals coming up this month.

But what if you can’t make it out to the festivals? Don’t worry, there are still tamales in your future since we’ve also included a few chain restaurants where you can find tamales to go near you.

LACC Tamale Festival

When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7

Where: 4725 Maine Ave., Baldwin Park

Cost: $5

Information: calegion.org

The $5 wristband gets you tamale tastings at the American Legion’s fourth annual festival. There will be tamale competitions, live music and more food.

La Habra Tamale Festival

When: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7

Where: Euclid Street between La Habra Boulevard and Bridenbecker Avenue

Cost: Free admission

Information: lahabratamalefestival.com

About 10,000 people are expected at this annual event where of course they’ll get to try all sorts of tamales from dozens and dozens of vendors. Live entertainment will take place on three stages that will include music and kid-friendly shows. It’ll wrap up with a tree-lighting ceremony and fireworks.

Indio International Tamale Festival

When: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7-Sunday, Dec. 8

Where: Miles Park, 82524 Miles Ave., Indio

Cost: Free to enter

Information: indiotamalefestival.com

According to the organizers this event is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the Largest Tamale Festival with more than 50,000 people expected to attend to check out offerings from more than 200 vendors. Tamale vendors will compete for the coveted title of “Best Tamale” in three categories that include Traditional, Vegetarian, and Sweet. Guests can also compete in a tamale eating contest, check out Lucha Libre matches and even go ice skating on a free rink.

Placentia Tamale Festival

When: 4-10 p.m. Dec. 12

Where: Old Town Placentia, 100 and 200 blocks of Santa Fe Avenue and the 200 block of Bradford Avenue, Placentia

Cost: Free to enter

Information: placentiatamalefestival.org

When the sun starts going down the tamales take over the city of Placentia in this now 30-year-old festival that’s expected to attract up to 10,000 people to Old Town Placentia. Tamales are of course the main draw but visitors can also expect live music, a beer garden, dozens of vendors, a tree-lighting ceremony and pictures with Santa for the kids.

Long Beach International Tamale Festival

When: 1-9 p.m. Dec. 14

Where: Long Beach City College PCH campus, 1350 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach

Cost: $7-$95

Information: playalarga.co/lbtamalesfest/

The Long Beach festival will include traditional tamales and a Best Homemade Tamale Contest. Besides tamales there will be festive tequila tastings, live entertainment including Lucha Libre matches and Ballet Folklorico performances plus a visit from Santa Claus.

Pick up tamales

Acapulco Restaurant Y Cantina, Chevys Fresh Mex, and El Torito Mexican Restaurant

Where: Various locations

Information: xperiencerg.com

Since they’re all run by the same parent company, these Mexican chain restaurants will all be offering the “Tamales To-Go” and seasonal Cranberry Margaritas specials through Jan. 1. Customers can mix and match from a selection of chicken, carnitas or sweet corn tamales for $28 per dozen. And to wash them down the restaurants are offering a 32-ounce Cadillac Cranberry Margarita, made with Lunazul Reposado for $38.

Miguel’s Jr.

Where: At various locations in the Inland Empire and Orange County

Information: miguelsjr.com

The Mexican chain restaurant is bringing back its holiday tamale specials through Dec. 31. They include the returning Spicy Chicken and Chile Rojo Pork tamales plus the new Chile Cheese Tamale, which will be available through December 10.

Firefighters dispatched at 10:38 a.m. to the 1300 block of Farrington Drive, a few blocks north of Whittier Boulevard, had the fire out at 11:10 a.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

A primary search of the garage discovered the body of Heath Michael Vlahos, 48, officials said.

The fire’s cause was under investigation.

Who are the people who do important things outside of the spotlight? Let us know about the kids who help their community, the first responders, the educators and the volunteers who might not get attention most of the year but deserve some now.

And, of course, we’ll include some of the people everyone knows. World Series MVP Freddie Freeman went to El Modena High in Orange, after all, and there’s a pretty good chance he’ll make the cut.

Please nominate someone who has done something exceptional in 2024 using the form in this link. We’re looking for people who live or work in Orange County and truly made a difference this year.

The deadline for your nominations is Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 5 p.m.

Thank you.

By the way, here’s a look at our selections from the past several years:

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

LIVE ELECTION RESULTS: See a chart of the latest vote counts

Incumbents Espinoza, Nigsarian and Carrie Surich faced challenges from Michelle Bernier, Lampkin and Susan M. Pritchard for the City Council.

Measure V is the city’s request to increase the local sales tax from a half-cent to a cent and make it permanent. Early returns indicated support among voters. It will require a simple majority in support for the measure to pass.

Espinoza, who grew up in town, was first elected to the City Council in 2000. She’s also known for creating Rosie’s Garage, the afterschool tutor program that grew from her garage.

Bernier, a small business owner, has been a member of the city’s Planning Commission and touted her role in the “successful approval of an inclusionary housing ordinance in 2021” when asked by the newspaper’s voter guide about meeting demands and mandates for housing.

Lampkin, a deputy sheriff, said he wants to be a leader who empowers people. He previously said the city needs more transparency in city spending as residents are asked to approve a half-cent increase to the local sales tax.

Nigsarian, a retired sheriff’s deputy and a former planning commissioner, was appointed to the council in February 2022. He previously raised in his voter guide response concerns about “rampant redevelopment” and its impacts on the community’s character.

Pritchard has served on the La Habra City School District board and spent more than 30 teaching science in town. She raised a concern about the cost of lawsuits the city is fighting when asked in the voter guide about big needs in the city.

Surich was appointed to the council in April and previously served on the planning and community services commissions. She said in her campaign statement that priorities for her will include supporting public safety, expanding open space and park options and working “to promote and attract quality businesses.”

The Registrar of Voters said following election night, results will be updated daily at 5 p.m., except weekends, until the counting is complete.