At a June board meeting, trustees took a look at recommendations for merging Imperial Elementary with Crescent Elementary, Prospect Elementary with Esplanade Elementary, Fletcher Elementary with Taft Elementary, and Portola Middle School with Yorba Middle School. The district is in the very early stages, officials emphasized, of the process and no final decisions have been made. A consolidation commssion began meeting in April.

District leaders say consolidating schools would help reduce combination classrooms — where students from different grade levels are placed in a single classroom often due to low enrollment — and create more equitable class sizes across the district.

“Our projections show an additional 3% decline expected through 2034. While this is more modest than our historical decline, it represents continued downward pressure on enrollment,” Sulema Holguin, assistant superintendent of business services, said at the meeting.

In the Orange Unified School District, enrollment in the past decade has fallen by about 4,500 students, or 15%. But the conversation around school consolidation isn’t limited to Orange Unified.

Other districts in Orange County have recently taken similar steps as enrollment continues to decline. Between 2014 and 2024, student enrollment countywide dropped by 14%, or about 68,000 students, according to data from the California Department of Education. Holguin noted that’s roughly the combined enrollment of the Placentia-Yorba Linda, Tustin and Orange school districts.

District leaders also emphasized that consolidation could unlock new academic offerings.

“The more students you have, the more options you can provide so that students can pick from a larger menu when they’re looking at ranking their elective choices, their pathway choices, to go further in things that interest them specifically,” said Tracy Knibb, assistant superintendent of human resources.

Officials said Crescent Elementary is already a popular choice for families in the area. Of the 52 students who live in Imperial Elementary’s boundary and attend Crescent through open enrollment, 32 are in the district’s GATE program, Holguin said.

In the case of Prospect and Esplanade, Holguin said both schools offer similar programs, but Esplanade has been modernized “from the studs up,” and would be eligible for more modernization funding.

“Merging would allow for a larger number of enrollment, which means we would actually have a higher enrollment count to be eligible for those funds,” she said.

State modernization funding is based on student enrollment, which means the more students at a school, the more funding it qualifies for, officials said. For example, a school with 2,000 students would receive twice as much in state modernization dollars as one with 1,000 students.

Currently, 45 students from Prospect attend Esplanade through open enrollment, while 29 students from Esplanade opt into Prospect, Holguin added.

Esplanade has also struggled with combo classes, officials said.

“We had seven combo classes there. We were able to bring that down, but because we don’t have enough classes at each grade level, we have very little flexibility, and ultimately more combo classes are a result,” Matt Witmer, assistant superintendent of educational services, said at the meeting.

For Portola Middle School, district officials cited facilities as a key reason for merging with Yorba Middle.

“Yorba was also one of the schools that was modernized from the studs up, while Portola was not,” Holguin said, adding that the combined enrollment of both schools would be around 800 students.

“When you have more students, 800 to 1,000 students at a school, you can provide more program opportunities,” Witmer said.

But not everyone supports the changes. Parents and teachers voiced concerns at the recent school board meeting, especially around Imperial Elementary’s special education program. Some expressed concern that the close-knit community at Imperial couldn’t be replicated at Crescent, which is a much larger school.

One speaker said her son had been bullied at a bigger school and found safety and community at Imperial. If the school closes, she said she would pull him from OUSD and enroll him in private school instead.

District officials said multiple combination classes at Imperial prompted the district to provide an extra teacher earlier this year to ease the situation.

Holguin said many families in OUSD already take advantage of open enrollment and that flexibility would continue to be prioritized.

“We definitely want to continue to do that as a part of consolidation,” she said.

At the board meeting, trustees directed staff to return with more information at a future date.

It was the first time the property at 7701 Yorktown Ave. has been on the market in more than 30 years, according to CBRE, which represented the seller and the all-cash buyer from Newport Beach.

Completed in 1973 and 1974, the two-building complex includes one studio and 17 two-bedroom units in 15,903 square feet.

The property includes a courtyard, picnic area and private patios or balconies in certain units. Recent improvements, CBRE noted, include new exterior paint, garage roofs, stairs, upper-level walkways, and washers and dryers.

“For the buyer, this acquisition presented an opportunity to capitalize on the property’s all-electric buildings and the potential for rental upside in a desirable Huntington Beach location, less than 2 miles from the beach,” said Mike O’Neill, a senior vice president at CBRE.

Neither the buyer nor the seller were identified by CBRE.

Industrial building in Fullerton fetches $3.4M

An industrial property in Fullerton sold June 11 for $3,380,000, and the new owner has a plan to convert the building to a dental laboratory.

The property at 1041 S Placentia Ave. includes 9,982 square feet of industrial space.

Lee & Associates in Orange represented the buyer, who acquired the facility with plans to repurpose it.

Medical office in Orange sells for $1M

A medical office building in Orange sold June 6 for $1,025,000, according to Lee & Associates in Orange.

The property at 555 N. Tustin St. includes a 1,690-square-foot building on a 0.16-acre lot, originally built in 1956.

Lee & Associates represented the seller. The buyer had been the property’s tenant for a number of years.

JLL’s new team to manage OCVibe

JLL Property Management’s new team, The Mixx, will be managing OCVibe when it’s completed in Anaheim.

The 100-acre mixed-use development is under construction next to Honda Center and will include 20 acres of parks and plazas, four parking garages, restaurants, the office building The Weave, and retail plazas around the arena.

JLL’s team will oversee operations, management and maintenance of OCVIBE’s commercial and common areas.

The brokerage noted that OC Sports and Entertainment, owned by the Samueli family, will continue to manage Honda Center and future entertainment venues at OCVIBE.

Henry Samueli, the billionaire owner of the Ducks, and his company are the primary investors in the the $4 billion development in Anaheim.

When completed, the complex in Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle will have four performance venues, 28 restaurants and six bars, two hotels, green space and around 2,000 apartments.

The first phase of construction was estimated to be complete in late 2026, with the entire complex finished by 2029.

Wimberly first woman tapped to industry exec board

Leah Wimberly, a principal at the woman-owned union drywall contractor Pacific Wall Systems based in Anaheim, recently was appointed to the executive board of the Western Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association.

She is the first woman in the association’s 124-year history to join the board.

“I look forward to working collaboratively with fellow members and labor partners to advance education, promote best practices, expand training and technology use, and ensure that office and field teams remain aligned in delivering top-tier projects — safely and efficiently,” Wimberly said.

She has spent her 17-year career at Pacific Wall Systems where she began as an estimator and project manager before becoming principal in 2022.

Wimberly’s father, Daryl Wimberly, served on the WWCCA Board of Directors and now is on its advisory board.

The real estate roundup is compiled from news releases and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos via email to  sgowen@scng.com . Please allow at least a week for publication. All items are subject to editing for clarity and length.

That interest in the everyday storytelling is exactly what resonated with Diane Challis Davy, longtime director of the famed Pageant of the Master, the annual summer show in Laguna Beach that recreates artwork as tableau vivants, or living pictures.

Challis Davy is incorporating five of the Hilbert-collected paintings in the pageant’s show this summer, themed “Gold Coast: Treasures of California,” which opened over the weekend.

The show is set up as a road trip through storied California museums and also includes pieces from the nearby Laguna Art Museum, the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, the Arden Helena Modjeska Historic House and Gardens in Modjeska Canyon, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and the UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art. Dana Point’s Waterman’s Plaza is also referenced.

Along with paintings, the pageant’s living pictures recreate sculptures and other masterpieces.

With this show, Challis Davy said she hopes patrons will take inspiration this summer and visit some of the featured places.

“We are bombarded by images and images on screen and even reproductions, but it is a very different experience to stand in front of a painting and see the brushstrokes and see how the painting has aged,” Challis Davy said. “You get a connection with the artists being present and seeing the art up close.”

On Wednesday, July 9, in a first-time-ever for the pageant, Hilbert, a Newport Beach resident, will appear as himself in one of his own collected pieces: Bradford J. Salamon’s oil painting, “Monday at the Crab Cooker.” The painting catches a moment at the iconic Balboa Peninsula restaurant, where Hilbert, Salamon and artist Gordon McClelland discuss plans for the future museum.

The pageant and the Hilbert Museum announced their collaboration earlier this summer during an event at the Orange space where Challis Davy and Hilbert spoke about their passions for getting people to appreciate and enjoy great California art.

A major factor of the Hilbert Museum’s public appeal, he said, was an idea from his late wife, Janet Hilbert, that its collection features artwork that tells the story of everyday life.

“It was my wife’s idea to have people in the painting,” he said. “‘When people are in the painting, ‘It’s more interesting,’ she said.”

And now becoming part of the story, “is pretty cool,” he said. “It’s a rare thing for a person to pose in the painting as themselves.”

“It will be fun, they’re going to be putting makeup on me, I’ve never had makeup applied,” he added. “It’s going to be a lot of laughs. It will be an indelible memory for the rest of my life.”

Challis Davy, who picked the Crab Cooker painting without knowing it was Hilbert in it, said her idea to collaborate with the Hilbert started more than a year ago when she saw social media posts from the couple about the art collections they owned and loaned out to museums for exhibit. So, when Challis Davy learned of an invitation from Hilbert, she jumped at it.

“He gave me a personal tour, as he’s famous for,” she said, referring to the regular Thursday tours Hilbert conducts at the Orange museum. “What really connected with me was the fact that he collects the work of artists I was very familiar with. Artists like Phil Dike and Roger Koontz, some of whom my dad showed at his gallery here in Laguna. I just loved seeing he had purchased and put in this permanent collection, all these works I was familiar with. It really resonated with me.”

Challis Davy said she selected the five pieces to fit into this year’s theme. Once she realized “Monday at the Crab Cooker” depicted Hilbert, she said she loved it even more for the way it fit into the “storytelling theme.”

“It’s kind of like showing the beginning of the saga of the creation of the museum,” she said.

Hilbert, who founded the museum in 2016, said he can still recall sitting with his two friends and talking about the museum. A waitress snapped the photo that Salamon later used to paint the image.

Challis Davy selected two other local Orange County scenes that appear in Act II; they are also Salamon oils.

“Seal Beach Nighthawks,” an oil painting of people at a beach concession stand, coincidentally also in the Hilbert collection, and “Marine Room,” which captures a scene from the Laguna Beach tavern.

The last painting was created for the show.

“I thought there are these two cool local OC hangouts and I need to have a third,” Challis Davy said. “That’s when we decided we’d ask Bradford if he’d like to paint a third piece having to do with a bar or restaurant. I gave him a choice: it could be the Swallows Inn, the Sandpiper or the Marine Room.”

Challis Davy had to convince the Festival of Arts to commission the piece and it is now on exhibit on the festival grounds. The huge 74-inch painting has a tremendous amount of detail and is a shout-out to the historic Ocean Avenue bar, famous for not selling food.

Salamon had until March to finish the piece so the pageant staff could start working on its set. Challis Davy said that there have only been five art pieces commissioned and shown in the show.

“Theatrically speaking, when you’re doing comedy or skits or things, the magic number is three,” she explained. “To cap off the story, I needed a painting that was really fun. Bradford came up with the whole composition himself. He did a detailed drawing and he went off and painted it without any interference from us. And came up with this great canvas.”

Beyond the novelty of his appearance in the living picture, Hilbert said he is flattered that his museum is included among other notable, longtime institutions, especially the Norton Simon Museum, a favorite of he and his wife. The museum celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The pageant includes a bronze “Little Dancer” by Edgar Degas and two of the artist’s pastels, “Dancers in Pink” and “Dancers in the Wings,” from the museum’s collection.

Challis Davy said it doesn’t surprise her that the Hilberts admired the Pasadena museum.

“Norton Simon, his collection is very personal,” she said. “He had a passion for Degas. Hilbert has a passion for Southern California art, storytelling, and works of art with people. That’s why it’s such a good fit for Pageant of Masters because we focus on storytelling, and it’s all about artworks with people, so it’s a perfect fit.”

The Pageant of the Masters runs through Aug. 29; get more information and tickets at foapom.com.

Contributing Columnist

Here in sunny Southern California, children spend a lot of time outdoors — whether it’s at the park, pool or beach. But while we’re quick to provide them with swim goggles and life jackets, there’s one safety habit that too often gets overlooked: sun protection.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and childhood sunburns can cause serious problems. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood can nearly double a person’s lifetime risk of developing melanoma, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Fortunately, sunburn is highly preventable with the right habits and planning. As a pediatric dermatologist, I work with families every day to create sun-safe routines that are both effective and child friendly.

Sunscreen is safe and effective

One of the most frequent questions I get is: Is sunscreen safe for kids? The answer is yes — when used as directed, sunscreens are both safe and effective. For infants under 6 months, the best protection is shade and clothing. For older babies, toddlers, and children, choose a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.

I typically recommend mineral sunscreens (containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) for young children and those with sensitive skin. These create a physical barrier on the skin and are less likely to cause irritation.

Apply and reapply

Sunscreen works best when used correctly. Apply a generous layer 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure, and don’t forget often-missed spots like the ears, scalp, back of the neck, and tops of the feet. Reapply every two hours or more often if your child is swimming or sweating.

Clothing is your first line of defense

While sunscreen is important, sun-protective clothing provides even better protection. Look for swim shirts (rash guards) labeled with UPF 50+ and always pair them with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection.

Remember: If you can see light through the fabric, UV rays can get through, too.

Avoid peak UV hours

Plan outdoor activities around peak sun intensity, which is usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’re out during those hours, seek shade — whether it’s under an umbrella, tree, or stroller canopy.

Make sun safety a family habit

Children are more likely to follow sun-safe behaviors when they see their parents doing the same. Make it a habit to apply sunscreen together, wear hats as a family, and talk about why protecting your skin is important.

Sun damage is cumulative, and the habits we teach children now can protect them for a lifetime.

As a pediatric dermatologist and mother of three, I understand the challenge of keeping kids sun safe — but I also know how powerful these small actions can be. Every hat, every shirt, every ounce of sunscreen is an investment in their long-term health.

Dr. Maria Gnarra Buethe is a double-board-certified dermatologist and pediatric dermatologist. She is division chief of the new dermatology division at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and director of pediatric dermatology at UC Irvine. For more information about CHOC dermatology, including a list of locations, visit choc.org/dermatology

The City Council approved nearly $18 million in general fund budget cuts for the new fiscal year that starts this month, slashing public events, services and city staff positions, freezing hiring of public safety personnel, limiting overtime and deferring infrastructure repairs. 

Even still, the council fell short of passing a balanced general fund budget, something they said they intended to do at the beginning of this year’s budget cycle review.

Instead, the city will face another general fund budget deficit of nearly $2 million.

“The current uncertain economy and budget deficit continue to provide a challenge to the city’s long-term fiscal sustainability and the level of services residents and businesses depend on,” city budget manager Michelle Kresan told councilmembers before they passed the budget on June 24.

In a last-ditch effort to cut back a bit more spending, Councilmember Kathy Tavoularis forfeited more than $650,000 in capital improvement funds earmarked for her district. Councilmember John Gyllenhammer questioned spending from a designated parks improvement fund. Otherwise, the councilmembers seemed to grimly accept another year with a structural general fund budget deficit, making few comments on the item.

The deficit is a far cry from the $19.1 million shortfall Orange faced in May of last year. 

After making some cuts before fiscal year 2024-25, the council also supported a half-cent local sales tax measure on November’s ballot that would have raised about $20 million in city revenue over each of the next 10 years.

But voters narrowly rejected that ballot measure, leaving their elected officials in a position of needing to make yet more cuts.

The council has hired a new city manager, Jarad Hildenbrand, to try to right the ship when he takes the helm in August. An Orange native, Hildenbrand is the city manager of Laguna Hills.

In the meantime, Orange will cut its budget in fiscal year 2025-26 by eliminating seven vacant positions, freezing 16 vacant positions and reducing part-time staff hours. 

The city will also defer vehicle replacements, reduce spending on IT and continue to underfund its accrued liability, kicking the ball down the road on another multimillion-dollar issue while hoping that interest rates do not increase. 

This city did not host a fireworks show for the first time in nearly three decades.

The event, like all others traditionally sponsored by the city, has been cancelled due to budget cuts. 

But for the first time in at least that long, the city will allow the sale and use of safe and sane fireworks for celebrating Independence Day.

Just not everywhere. 

Fireworks are not allowed in any part of the east of Orange where authorities deem the fire risk too high.

Fines up to $1,000 may be imposed for violating the city’s fireworks ordinance. For more information, visit www.cityoforange.org/fireworks.

Otherwise, fireworks may be discharged from noon to 10 p.m. on July 4. 

They’ll be available for purchase from noon to 10 p.m. through July 3 and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on July 4 at eight locations across the western part of the city. Proceeds will benefit schools and nonprofit groups, which were chosen in a lottery system to host fireworks booths.

Here’s the groups affiliated with each stand:

• 1628 Lincoln Avenue — The Hub OC
• 1411 West Katella Avenue — Journey to Hope Ministries
• 2102 North Tustin Street — St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School
• 460 The City Drive South — Spirit and Truth Worship Center
• 222 West La Veta Avenue — Orange Plaza Rotary Club
• 123 East Collins Avenue — North Sunrise Little League
• 1888 North Tustin Street — Fletcher Elementary PTSA
• 1803 East Chapman Avenue — El Modena High School Vanguard Football
• 1411 North Tustin Street — Orange High School Panther Football
• 2222 North Santiago Boulevard — Orange Lutheran High School
• 305 South Main Street — Hub for Integration, Reentry & Employment
• 2139 North Tustin Street — Carter-Drenner-Kalms Foundation

Orange voters approved Measure AA in November by a wide margin, making the city the 12th in Orange County to allow the sale and use of safe and sane fireworks.

Proponents highlighted the fundraising aspect for community groups in those cities, which raise hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Other cities allowing legal fireworks sales include Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Santa Ana, Stanton, Villa Park and Westminster.

Anaheim also bans their use in the city’s eastern wildland area, everywhere east of the 55 and east and southeast of the 91 freeway, and in Huntington Beach they are prohibited at the coast.

The fireworks that are allowed by the 12 local cities to be sold and used are inspected by the state fire marshal and bear that seal; they can be purchased at the designated booths around these cities and only used in those cities. Other fireworks are still considered illegal and in most cities, their use comes with a hefty fine as local law enforcement try to crack down.

Fire officials still warn not to tamper with the legal varieties of fireworks or let children handle them.

Miguel Ocampo was arrested and booked on Monday, June 30, at the Santa Ana jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

David Westman, 46, of Santa Ana was crossing Harbor Boulevard, police say they believe, stopped in the first lane and was struck on Sunday morning, June 29, said Officer Natalie Garcia, a spokeswoman for Santa Ana police.

Officers, at 5:26 a.m., found the unresponsive Westman, who died at the scene.

Police identified the suspect with help from surveillance video.

After hitting the man, Garcia said, the driver continued south on Harbor and pulled into a parking lot, where his vehicle was captured on surveillance video.

Detectives found the suspect and vehicle in Orange on Monday and took him into custody.

Paul Richard Randall, 66, of Orange is facing a federal charge of aiding and abetting a health care fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Monday, June 30.

Federal prosecutors allege that over an 11 month period, Randall — along with Kyrollos Mekail of Moreno Valley and Patricia Anderson of West Hills —  submitted claims to Medi-Cal through a business called Monte Vista Pharmacy for expensive prescription drugs that were not medically necessary, in many cases were not dispensed to patients and were procured by kickbacks.

Randall and the others are accused of exploiting a suspension of Medi-Cal authorization requirements that was instituted as part of a transition to a new payment system for the health care program.

Normally, prosecutors said, requests for high-cost medications would have required prior authorization in order for Monte Vista Pharmacy to be reimbursed. By “exploiting” the prior authorization suspension, prosecutors added, Randall and the others are accused of wrongly billing Medi-Cal tens of millions of dollars per month for the prescription drugs.

Monte Vista from May 2022 to April 2023 allegedly billed Medi-Cal for more than $269 million and was paid more than $178 million for what prosecutors described as “expensive, non-contracted drugs containing low-cost, generic ingredients.” Prosecutors allege that Randall and the others laundered the proceeds in order to hide the money from law enforcement.

The allegations against Randall are part of a countrywide “National Health Care Fraud Takedown” announced by the Justice Department act included more than 300 defendants across the United States.

“Public health programs are designed to help the sick and needy, not to help unscrupulous individuals pad their pockets,” United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a written statement. “Working with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we will continue to crack down on those who cheat taxpayers via health care fraud.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also confirmed that Randall is the same healthcare marketer and former medical group owner who in 2012 pleaded guilty to his role in a $600 million spinal surgery kickback scheme.

Randall is currently being held without bond, prosecutors said. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

It’s also opening one in Irvine, the city where its headquarters are. It isn’t ready to divulge where.

Live Más Café is a beverage concept is a beverage concept the fast food giant launched last December in Chula Vista. It serves several Churro Chillers and Refrescas, Taco Bell’s version of aguas frescas, as well as items from the Taco Bell food menu.

Taco Bell is planning on expanding the concept to more than 30 locations in existing Taco Bells by the end of the year, according to a news release. Locations will include San Diego and Los Angeles County.

The Orange restaurant will be the first, the news release said. It is at 468 S Main St., near Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s main campus.

In the meantime, Taco Bell has added six Refrescas to its menu at its regular restaurants. Flavors include Strawberry Passionfruit and Mango Peach. They cost about $3.89, or $4.89 for beverages laced with Rockstar Energy.

See also: Taco Bell introduces Crispy Chicken Strips in tacos and burritos

Live Más Café is different from Taco Bell Cantina, which have liquor licenses. There are three in Southern California, in Newport Beach, Los Angeles and Hollywood.

Live Más Café followed McDonald’s attempt to spin off a beverage concept called CosMc. McDonald’s abandoned the project in May but said in a news release it would be testing CosMc beverages in some of its restaurants.

McDonald’s is also ending its partnership with Krispy Kreme, which was to have brought doughnuts to its restaurants by the end of 2026.

This year, you will find a handful of eateries where you can enjoy the fiery spectacles lighting up the coastline. Plus, included are a couple of new additions in Anaheim; rooftop spots ideal for dining while checking out the fireworks from the Disneyland Resort and beyond.

As always, make haste and book a reservation sooner rather than later, as these sought-after spots fill up quickly.

Calaca Mama’s Cantina, Anaheim: Guests can watch Disneyland fireworks from the patio of this family-owned eatery offering organic Mexican-fusion fare. In addition to the fiery acrobatics up high, homemade churros will be served tableside on a tiny rolling cart that comes with a lit sparkler. Calaca Mamas Cantina, 1550 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim

Chart House, Dana Point: The cliffside restaurant high atop Dana Point Harbor holds an annual July 4th fireworks viewing spectacular for $150 per guest. The three-course prix fixe dinner, held outside, includes such surf and turf fare as lobster bisque, roasted prime rib, New York strip, surf and turf, lobster tails, lava cake, key lime pie and more. Seatings start at 5 p.m. The interior of the restaurant will also be available for a la carte dining, with some seats offering views of the Pacific. Fireworks will shoot off from a barge on the water, located off the Doheny State Beach coastline. Chart House, 34443 Street of the Green Lantern, Dana Point

Hacienda On the Lake, Mission Viejo: This lakeside Mexican spot will welcome spectators on a first-come, first-served basis for the fireworks above Lake Mission Viejo. Menu highlights include enchiladas, tacos (beef, shrimp, chicken), calamari, cocktails, beer, wine and more. Hacienda On the Lake, 27792 Vista Del Lago, Mission Viejo

Huntington Beach House, Huntington Beach: Alicia Cox’s Huntington Beach House, in addition to her other beach concessions (PCH Tacos, Sahara’s Sandbar & Pizza, SeaSalt Honky Tonk and more) will be open until 10 p.m. on the Fourth of July. Menu items here include Hot Mess Fries (loaded with carne asada, chicken or bacon, cheese and onions), taquitos, poke nachos, tacos, burritos, burgers, beer, wine, cocktails and more. Fireworks will launch just off the pier tentatively starting at 9 p.m. Huntington Beach House, 21601 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach

Offshore 9, Huntington Beach: At this 21-and-over affair, guests can enjoy aerial views of Huntington Beach’s annual fireworks show from the pier, with a live DJ setting the score, from 4 until 10 p.m. General admission costs $59 and gets you access to the rooftop lounge and a “Glow-in-the-cloud” sparkler cocktail. Guests of six or more can purchase a table for $245 per person, which gets you said cocktail, a seafood tower, one bottle of champagne, seafood chowder tots and a fire tabletop. A special holiday menu with all-American themed fare will also be available. Offshore 9 at the Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Highway., Huntington Beach

Olamendi’s, Capistrano Beach: No need to get gussied up for this beloved Mexican restaurant that hugs Coast Highway. While the restaurant closes at 9 p.m., guests who arrive early for a seat on the patio can stay to watch the fireworks that go off in Dana Point and San Clemente, which both erupt starting at 9 p.m. According to an employee, patrons will be allowed to watch the show as the restaurant closes up. Olamendi’s, 34660 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point

Orange Hill, Orange: Before taking the fireworks, enjoy an a la carte meal with a barbecue brisket special. Guests who want to check out the pyrotechnics in the sky can opt for patio seating for $35 (price does not include food and beverage). Orange Hill, 6410 East Chapman Ave., Orange

Parkestry Rooftop Bar, Anaheim: Located atop the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort, this rooftop lounge offers light bites like queso fundido with chorizo, loaded nachos, a charcuterie board, individual pan pizzas, tacos, kobe beef sliders, croissant bread pudding and more. Libations include local beers (Boat Shoes, Aurora Hoppyalis) and wine. There’s also a kids menu featuring spaghetti and meatballs, chicken tenders, a cheeseburger, cheese quesadilla, ice cream and cookies. Disneyland’s annual “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” fireworks show begins around 9:30 p.m., weather permitting. Parkestry Rooftop Bar, 1775 S Clementine St., floor 11, Anaheim

Top of The V, Anaheim: This is the third entrant in this guide for those who really want to check out Disneyland’s Independence Day fireworks fete without having to enter the park. For $160, each guest gets access to a three-hour beer and wine package (cocktails available for purchase) and a buffet featuring Iberico ham sliders, gazpacho oyster shooters, surf and turf paella, lemon and herb grilled chicken, and summer market salad. Top of The V at the Viv Hotel, 1601 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim

View and Edge Bar, Newport Beach: Once again, View and Edge Bar, the VEA Newport Beach hotel’s dedicated restaurant and watering hole, respectively, will offer its regular menu at both venues for Independence Day, but the resort will also host a barbecue on the lawn with sweeping views of the fireworks show. (Barbecue menu items will be sold a la carte.) View and Edge Bar at VEA Newport Beach, 900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach