Orange County Almanac
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El Modena residents have long debated the name of their community, which is in the eastern part of Orange.
In the 1880s, most residents favored the name Modena, after a city in Italy. But when residents sought a post office for the growing community, the government rejected the name because it sounded too much like Madera, a city in Central California. For a while, the town was known as Earlham, named by Quakers after a religious college in Indiana.
Finally, in 1888, the federal government agreed to name the town’s post office El Modena.
Today
Chapman University is celebrating the season with its annual spring dance.
Students will perform ballet, jazz, funk and modern dance numbers in a program they choreographed with faculty members.
The dancers begin their performance at 8 p.m. in the Waltmar Theater on campus, 333 N. Glassell St., Orange.
General admission is $7, with tickets for senior citizens and children under 12 available for $5.
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