Talk of The Towne State of the City 2012

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This year’s State of the City luncheon promises to be bittersweet for Carolyn Cavecche when Orange’s mayor delivers her sixth and last State of the City address to 400 business owners, community group members and citizens. “I plan to review the many accomplishments we’ve achieved over the past 5½ years, while looking forward to the work that still need to be done in the coming months,” says Cavecche, who finishes her last term as mayor this year. One poplar subject Cavecche plans to cover in detail is the local economy. “During my years in office, despite the worst economic downturn in a generation, the city council successfully navigated many challenging circumstances,” she says. “Thanks to a variety of factors, including increasing sales tax revenue from an influx of new stores, particularly at the Outlets, the city’s future is looking bright. We’ve been able to balance the budget this year.” Cavecche also plans to address the implications of the recent dissolution of the city’s redevelopment agency and share a variety of accomplishments, including completed infrastructure improvements and the recent opening of the Santiago Creek Trail, which is something she pushed for since taking office. The Orange Chamber of Commerce also presents at the luncheon, and this year Laurie Weidner, Chairman of the Board for the Chamber, will touch on the strengthening local business economy and the organization’s various accomplishments, including the recent launch of a mentoring program. Other highly anticipated events at the luncheon include presentation of awards for “Citizen of the Year,” “Business of the Year” and “Legacy Business of the Year.” Past “Citizen of the Year” recipients include Mark Murphy, Shannon Tucker and the first woman to receive the award in 1979–Joanne Coontz. Businesses formerly honored include The Bookman, Watson Drugs and the Old California Lantern Company. The State of the City Luncheon takes place Thursday, March 22nd at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange from 11:30 – 1:30 pm. Individual tickets are $60. For reservations, contact the Orange Chamber of Commerce at (714) 538-3581 or visit OrangeChamber.com. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]