Some might say the Orion area was defined by change and challenge in 2009.
Jobs were lost, homes went into foreclosure and the school district and local municipalities lost money as property values stayed on a downward slope and the state economy remained stagnant at best.
The entire region was threatened when General Motors idled the Orion Assembly Plant and announced the facility could well be closed by the end of the year.
But many in the community embraced a proactive, can-do approach, and the threat turned to good news — elation — when GM announced the Orion plant beat out two other facilities and will remain open.
The plant recently began a retooling process that will save jobs and, possibly, the entire Orion area.
We took a look back; the highlights of 2009, from January through June, run in our pages today.
We’ll take one last look at the year next week in the second half of ‘Year in Review, and then it’s on to the business of 2010 where we’ll focus, as always, on the local news; the things that happen right here in Orion’s back yard, and in your life.
Happy New Year, Lake Orion! We’ll see you ’round the neighborhood.