By Dawn Burleigh

Dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com

 

Orange City Council Member At Large Position 6 Larry Spears Jr. made a comment during the City Council report at the Tuesday meeting, worth repeating.

Many times, council members will use this time to remind residents of upcoming events or thank a department for a job well done. Spears thanked the citizens attending the council meeting.

‘Thank you to the citizens for coming out today,” Spears said. “I am finishing up my second term. I choose to run to make Orange better.”

To make Orange better.

Those words came to mind often during the week as the staff of The Orange Leader continues working on Profiles, a special supplement to the paper each weekend in March.

Each person selected for the section was done so due to being a volunteer.

A volunteer is defined as a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking or a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.

Taking on a task without pay for the betterment of ones community is what makes Orange so great.

“We all want more business, better education and housing. We can’t do this on our own,” Spears said. “Please come to the meetings, work with the school boards for LCM and WOS.”

Spears pointed out the first thing a perspective buyer looks at in an area is the school systems.

“We need to get it to where it needs to be,” Spears said.

Sometimes it takes one person willing to make that first step for change to happen.

There are many ways to help in the community. One can serve on a city board. There are two openings at this time according to the City of Orange’s official website. The city has a position open for the Board of Adjustments and the Convention and Visitors Board.

The Board of Adjustment was created by Ordinance 1984-62, consists of seven members. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month.

This board was established according to applicable state law primarily to grant variances from the strict application of the Zoning Ordinance. It also is empowered to approve special exceptions.

The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Advisory Board assists the city in the proper operation of the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau by making recommendations for the expenditure of hotel/motel tax revenues to encourage tourism within the City of Orange.

If you are interested in applying for a position on a Board or Commission, please contact the Office of the City Secretary at 409-883-1042 or download an application from the city’s website.

There are several non-profit organizations one can volunteer their time or skills such as Friends of the Orange Public Library, United Way of Orange, Orange Christian Services, Friends of the Orange Depot.

Spears also suggested ways to help clean up 16^th Street.

“If you see trash, pick it up,” Spears said.

The street is the first introduction to the city of Orange for many traveling to the city.

Picking up trash along the road is just one way to volunteer to make Orange better.

 

Dawn Burleigh is editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at 883-3573 or dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com