Official Web site for the city of
Orange, California. "The City of Orange, with a population of
136,578 is situated in Central Orange County, approximately 32 miles
southeast of Los Angeles. The City's land area is 27 square miles. The
City's planning area is 38 square miles, with a "Sphere of Influence" area
of 55 square miles. Included in the City's Sphere of Influence is 18,500
acres of undeveloped land owned by The Irvine Company.
The City of Orange was incorporated on April 6, 1888 under the general
laws of the State of California. However, Orange dates back to 1869 when
Alfred Chapman and Andrew Glassell, both lawyers, accepted 1,385 acres of
land from the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana as legal fees. Soon thereafter,
the men laid out a one square mile town with ten-acre farm lots
surrounding a forty-acre central town site. The center of the town site
became known as the Plaza, which has become the symbol of the community.
Today, the Plaza and the majority of the original one square mile town
site, contain many homes and buildings dating to the early days of the
City; the site is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.
Under a council-manager form of government, a mayor is elected every two
years and four council members are elected to four-year terms alternating
on a two-year basis. The City Manager, who is the administrative official
of the City, is appointed by the City Council.
The City provides a full range of services for its citizens. These
services include police, fire, paramedic, emergency transportation,
library, recreation and parks, planning and development, street
improvements and lighting, and general administration. The City also
operates a water utility and provides for refuse collection and
sanitation. In addition, the City provides aid to its citizens in the form
of residential and commercial rehabilitation loans and economic
development programs. The City contracts with a private non-profit agency
to operate its senior citizen center."
VolunteerMatch.org.
"Where volunteering begins...VolunteerMatch is a leader in the nonprofit
world dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The
organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of
nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement.
Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become
the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 30,000 nonprofit
organizations. Read more in our latest annual report." Comment: If you want to volunteer, go to http://www.volunteermatch.org and click on Search, key in your ZIP Code, and you will instantly see the
organizations in your area needing volunteers. This is a brilliant
concept that makes great use of the Internet.
