The March Membership Dinner Meeting of the Ridge League of Cities was hosted by the City of Bartow.  The Bartow Civic Center was decorated in the traditional St. Patrick’s Day theme and many of those in attendance were decked out in green attire.  The total attendance for the evening was 229 with sixteen (16) of the twenty-four (24) Member Cities being represented.  Each of the Member Cities were feeling the “luck of the Irish” and hoped to win the gold-plated traveling trophy.  Arcadia, Lake Alfred, and Lake Hamiliton each had seven in attendance .  Haines City had 13, Dundee had 18, and Mulberry being the city with the most in attendance (20), was awarded the Traveling Trophy.  Mayor George Hatch accepted the Trophy on behalf of Mulberry.  Associate Members Chastain Skillman took home the Associate Member Traveling Trophy with 9 in attendance.  Ron Cauthan accepted on behalf of Chastain Skillman.    Several member cities participated in the program.  Auburndale Mayor Dorothea Taylor Bogert gave an update on the Polk County Day event, Eagle Lake Clerk Dawn Wright gave a report on the Florida Clerk’s Association pending legislation, and Arcadia Mayor Judy Wertz Strickland invited the membership to Arcadia for the April Membership Dinner.  Jeff Branch, Florida League of Cities Director for Field Advocacy was the guest speaker.  Branch gave an update on the 2025 Legislative Session and encouraged the membership to be active in advocacy initiatives of the Florida League and Ridge League of Cities.  He gave a status report on current bills working their way through the Legislature.