An out-of-place Snowy owl, a record setting amount of rain and a lost historical blimp hanger – along with the usual graduations, surfing and sports victories – were some of the highlights around Orange County in 2023.
Our photographers looked back and choose some of their favorite moment from the last 12 months to help us remember the big, and little, stories that taught us a little more about our communities. Here are some of the moments that put smiles on our faces and the images that made us say, “Wow.”
JANUARY:
Rain, rain, rain … a little sunshine, then more rain. Then the snow-capped mountains appeared. That pretty much sums up January in Orange County.
In Cypress, a snowy owl, certainly not native to Southern California, made an appearance in a residential neighborhood, drawing avid ornithologists and curious gawkers alike.
FEBRUARY:
Rain, rain, rain…. and more rain. That sums up February.
In between the raindrops we celebrated spring pushing up flowers on the hills and high school sports champions. Tesoro boys basketball celebrated their win over Orange Lutheran during the CIF-SS Division 2AA boys basketball championship game but Sage Hill couldn’t hold on as they lost to Long Beach Jordan in the CIF-SS Division 4A boys basketball championship game.
The Big Game came to Anaheim as the Super Bowl LVII MVP, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, greeted fans on Main Street., U.S.A, during a cavalcade through Disneyland.
We also celebrated students as the team from Orange County School of the Arts celebrated their win in the final against El Dorado in the Orange County mock trial competition by the Constitutional Rights Foundation at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
We also remembered the year anniversary of fallen Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella during an emotional dedication in Huntington Beach where a portion of PCH was renamed the “Officer Nicholas Vella Memorial Highway”.