Sounding Off:

Not that long ago, people laughed when “Orange County” and “historical” were mentioned in the same sentence.

But those days are gone, and many county residents are intent on preserving what is left of bygone eras, even relatively recent decades like the 1960s.

More than half of the cities in Orange County, including Newport Beach, have a historical commission, committee or board. Any proposal to demolish an “older” building — 35 years or older — in these cities will be closely scrutinized.

Recently, a 1963 medical building was deemed eligible for listing in the national, California and Newport Beach historic registers.

It is considered one of the best and few remaining examples of famed architect Richard Neutra’s medical buildings.