County : Yearlong Events Slated for County’s Centennial

Organizers of the county’s 100th birthday said Tuesday that they plan a yearlong series of events culminating with a celebration on Aug. 1, 1989.

Frank L. Smith, who worked with the U.S. Olympic Organizing Committee and then became executive director of the private, nonprofit Economic Development Corp. of Orange County, is the president of Orange County Centennial Inc.

Smith said there will be an opening ceremony Aug. 1, 1988, and a closing ceremony a year later, with artistic, cultural and other events in between that will be in “equal class and stature” to events surrounding the 1984 Olympics, but smaller.

Smith said the centennial group hopes to create scholarships for each child born in the county during the year of celebrations and wants to give residents an awareness of county history.

He said he hopes $1.5 million can be raised for the project. Commitments of $100,000 each already have been made by the Irvine Co., the Santa Margarita Co. and the Orange County Register, he said.