Ten Years Ago
Jan. 20, 1993
~~~A state engineer doesn’t think Bellevue Bridge is in bad shape. He turned down a request by village officials for emergency funding under the Critical Bridge Program so it can be repaired.
~~~LOHS senior Stacey Sanna is one of 10 finalists in Channel One’s search for a student reporter.
~~~Residents in one of the township’s newest subdivisions say it’s a dangerous intersection where one of their roads (Sunset Hill) meets Clarkston Road. Township officials said they wouldn’t help correct the problem because Sunset Hill is a private road.

Twenty Years Ago
Jan. 19, 1983
~~~Whitey McBride of Snug Harbor claims village manager James Stump is using harassment to force him to move a mobile home and trailer from property adjacent to the marina on Heights Road.
~~~Tootsie, staring Dustin Hoffman, is currently showing at the Oxford Twin Cinema.
~~~Charles Sprague has been bound over to OC Circuit Court on a charge of first degree murder stemming from the decapitation slaying of Marlene Wayne.

Thirty Years Ago
Jan. 18, 1973
~~~School board members in Lake Orion and Oxford are contemplating sharing a full-time vocational director. The state would pay 40 percent of the salary with the two school districts sharing the remaining 60 percent.
~~~A group of 40 youths and adults are leaving Friday for Washington DC to attend the inauguration ceremonies for President Richard Nixon. They will be staging a demonstration against the Vietnam War.
~~~Oxford Savings Bank officials announced plans to open a branch of their bank in Lake Orion
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
Feb. 10, 1993
~~~According to a recently completed financial study, village residents will save less than one mill in taxes if they decide to vote for cityhood next month.
~~~Statistics recently released from the township’s treasurer’s office show that about 82 cents of every tax dollar that Orion taxpayers pay goes toward education.
~~~Michigan’s Attorney General Frank Kelley told village officials two proposed charter amendments explaining guidelines for disbanding the village are not valid under current state law.

Twenty Years Ago
Feb. 9, 1983
~~~A family-oriented entertainment center could be in Orion’s future if the rezoning of an eight-acre parcel located on the east side of M-24 between Silverbell and Brown Road, is approved. The park would include a miniature race track, a unique splash pool and a miniature golf course.
~~~In Orion Township, 1,975 persons, or 22.5 percent of the total workforce, was out of work in December 1982. In December 1981, 17.1 percent of Orion’s workforce was out of work.
~~~Two teenage ice skaters were rescued after they fell through the ice between Park and Squaw Islands.

Thirty Years Ago
Feb. 8, 1973
~~~Lake Orion Police Officer Bill Waldo gave the stork a helping hand as he helped a village woman deliver a baby.
~~~The township and village are pondering whether or not fluoride should be added to the community’s drinking water.
~~~The village’s annexation and incorporation plan was rejected by the State Boundary Commission. The proposal would have enlarged the village by adding 2.7 square miles of land presently in the township.
Looking Back is compiled from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
Feb. 17, 1993
~~~Charlie Williams, known as Mr. Chamber of Commerce, died on Feb. 12.
~~~Megan Flanders, 8, was killed when a utility trailer she was riding in behind an all-terrain vehicle turned over after apparently hitting a chuck of ice on Buckhorn Lake.
~~~A court-appointed trustee walked through the doors of Zim’s Bowling Center on Baldwin Road on Friday and took control of all Joe Zimmer’s business enterprises. Zimmer has had a 14 month odyssey through the Chapter 11 bankruptcy system.

Twenty Years Ago
Feb. 16, 1983
~~~Charles Sprague has been found guilty, but mentally ill, of the first-degree premeditated decapitation murder of Marlene Wayne.
~~~Employees of the village’s DPW chopped down a famous willow stump on private property that bore a striking resemblance to a Dragon head. Village manager Jim Stump admitted there was a mistake. “We thought it was on public property.”
~~~School district officials are pondering closing an elementary school and changing the housing of some grade levels. Grades 6 and 7 would be housed at LO Junior High West and grades 8 and 9 would be housed at LO Junior High East.

Thirty Years Ago
Feb. 15, 1973
~~~Lake Orion’s newest restaurant, Harvest Time, has opened at M-24/Atwater. The new owners also purchased the former Pure service station property south of the restaurant.
~~~Dale Anderson has been named Orion Township Building Inspector. His salary will be $9,500 per year with a 12 cent per mile car allowance.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
March 10, 1993
~~~Village voters rejected a chance to become a city by a vote of 279-237 in Monday’s general election.
~~~Two newcomers were elected to the village council — Bob Hollenbeck and Timothy Arthaud. Hollenbeck garnered the most votes of the four candidates.
~~~The Orion Township Board of Review expects to hear at least 700 property tax appeals. Resident Adam Pfeiffer said 10 years ago, his property taxes were $435, now they’re $2,670.

Twenty Years Ago
March 9, 1983
~~~Running for village council are Ted Cole, Morris Cucksey, William Grube, Charles Ray, Cecil Ryckman and Stan Sweet.
~~~Residential assessments in Orion Township will be lower in 1983 than they were in 1982. For example, persons with a 1982 SEV of $21,200 will find their SEV is $20,000 this year.
~~~Detroit Piston Kent Benson, honorary chairman of the Tubby’s Basketball Shoot-off for Easter Seals, visited St. Joseph’s School.

Thirty Years Ago
March 8, 1973
~~~Candidates hoping to win a village council seat in the March 12 election include Mildred Edward, Betty McNeil, Dr. Richard McNeil, Jack Caylor, Bill Holbert, Stuart Haddrill, Stan Sweet and Harriet Roberts.
Looking Back is compiled from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
April 21, 1993
~~~Citing civil rights violations, former Orion Township Deputy Treasurer Diane Dewey is suing the township and individually, current treasurer Suzanne Hall.
~~~Early figures show the Lake Orion School District would have a shortfall of $429,000 if Governors? tax proposal (Proposal A) passes June 8.
~~~Orion Township, including the Village of Lake Orion, ranks second in Oakland County for most firearms seized and ranks fourth for most marijuana purchases/seizures.

Twenty Years Ago
April 20, 1983
~~~Firefighters came to a township board meeting to protest the fire chief’s operational procedures and his decision to cut the pay of fire department officers. The pay for district fire chiefs was cut from $300 per month to $150.
~~~State Senator Phil Mastin has filed a suit against a group of Orion citizens who want to circulate petitions for his recall. Mastin claims the wording of the petitions is ambiguous.
~~~Construction of the township’s DPW building could begin next month. Trustees recently approved a bid package of $496,540.

Thirty Years Ago
April 19, 1973
~~~The possibility of Oxford and Orion combining to form one city is currently being considered by the planning commission and village council of the new communities.
~~~School board members agreed to accept bids to complete the athletic field. Included in the package are stands accommodating 3,000 spectators, grading the football field, a storage building , installation of an all-weather track.
~~~This year’s school district budget increased from $5,060,257 to $5,843,013. The increase is due to the cost of operating and employing staff the new junior high.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
April 28, 1993
Lake Orion resident Mike Redford is a general news TV reporter for WJBK in Detroit. He said his most exciting story was when Flight 255 crashed at Detroit Metro Airport.
The Campbells would like to start on their new showroom this week, but won’t because the village won’t give them a construction easement Village officials say the original site plan has changed. The owners of Orion Marine admit that’s true.
Although township trustees have OK’d the Homearama on Silverbell Road, some of them are worried about traffic and parking.

Twenty Years Ago
April 27, 1983
Local communities are currently investigating having a central dispatch center as part of the new 911 service. The center would most likely be located in the Rochester area.
Sylvia Williams, secretary at Blanche Sims Elementary School, is retiring. She was first employed by the school district in 1956 as a teacher’s aide.
Rose Ann Bressman received a McDonald’s instant game ticket worth $1,000. The odds of winning one of the 105 $1,000 prizes with a single ticket are one in 1,553,429.

Thirty Years Ago
April 26, 1973
Orion Township has set June 1, 1974 as the mandatory tap-in date for sanitary sewers.
Lake Orion’s Denise Smolkowski has signed a contract with the Houston Ballet for the 1973-74 season. The building used to be a drugstore and the old soda fountain will
Maren Faye Carpenter opened Faye’s Fabrics at the corner of Broadway/Flint last week. The building used to be a drugstore and the old soda fountain will be used by customers to select and study patterns.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 5, 1993
~~~Although not wanting to point fingers, Orion Township Assessor Kim Vincent, said she is resigning because of conflicts with some in the township hall.
~~~Lake Orion’s Stan Ford, 38, won the prestigious West Bloomfield 5K race for the second straight year on April 18. He beat out 199 other runners.
~~~Mildred McGilliard turned 106 on April 28. The resident of Bortz Health Care loves beer and was given 106 can of Strohs.

Twenty Years Ago
May 4, 1983
~~~A committee investigating the closing of one of the elementary schools has narrowed its decision down to two — Stadium or Webber.
~~~Lake Orion’s US Postmaster Bill Bonning is retiring. He holds the distinction of receiving a bi-partisan appointment to the position and is credited with running a highly efficient office.
~~~Over 250 determined souls braved the rain and chill on Sunday afternoon to participate in the Orion/Oxford Crop Walk. The event raised $6,834.

Thirty Years Ago
May 3, 1973
~~~Pasquale’s Restaurant, on M-24 across from Buckhorn Lake, offers pizza, steak, ravioli, chops, barb-b-que, submarine sandwiches and spaghetti.
~~~Neighbors of a proposed $2.5 million sports complex at the northwest corner of Mill Lake and Baldwin Roads told the township planning commission at a rezoning hearing they won’t be able to sell their homes if the complex is built.
~~~Dancer’s is selling nightwear for mothers from $2.99-$13.99. It includes gowns, gown sets, pajamas, baby dolls, shimmering nylons, cottons and rayons.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 19, 1993
~~~A parent told school board members he considered using a Breathalyzer at senior prom ‘a threat.? LOHS Principal Leslie Thirjung said the Breathalyzer was on site because of the significant use of alcohol last year.
~~~A 50 percent increase in students in the next five years is why a new elementary school is needed, according to a facilities review group. Currently, the five elementary schools are near capacity.
~~~School board members voted 4-2 in favor of Proposal A (property tax relief) going before the voters on June 2.

Twenty Years Ago
May 18, 1983
~~~In order to ease some teacher layoffs, the school board has approved a bonus incentive of $7,500 for some teachers to retire early.
~~~The Burger King at 740 South Lapeer Road has been renamed the ‘New Hardee’s.? Hardee’s and Burger King merged in 1981.
~~~A committee formed to select an elementary school for closing at the end of the year has recommended the school board reconsider its decision. The recommendation was based on less savings than anticipated, a decrease in enrollment due to parental dissatisfaction and a possible negative affect on the upcoming millage proposal.

Thirty Years Ago
May 17, 1973
~~~Village manager Paul Willer’s letter of resignation read at the end of the May 14 council meeting surprised council members.
~~~Rev. John H. Albrecht will become the new rector of St. Mary’s-in-the-Hills Episcopal Church.
~~~Richard Robinson of Bald Mountain Road was elected Jaycee state president at the state convention.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
June 2, 1993
~~~In surprising but convincing fashion, LOHS? boys track team won the Oakland County Track and Field Championships.
~~~Three separate proposals will be on a school district ballot in September. One asks to build a new elementary school at a cost of $8,940,000.
~~~Since opening May 1, the Tastee Freeze, near the LS Food Market, is steadily gaining popularity.

Twenty Years Ago
June 1, 1983
~~~Barbara Berthiaume, current principal of Carpenter Elementary School, has been named Assistant Superintendent of Instruction for the Lake Orion School District.
~~~All of Orion’s five elementary schools will stay open. School superintendent Fred Ehman warned that the decision could be reversed by next June.
~~~The Dairy Castle ice cream & sandwich parlor (1125 South Lapeer Road) is selling a coney island and milk shake for 95 cents.

Thirty Years Ago
May 31, 1973
~~~Village council members have decided to draw up an ordinance banning the use of fluoride in village water.
~~~New officers for the Lake Orion Jaycees include Dick Sullivan, president; Larry Moehlman, internal vice president; Jerry Wall, external vice president; Paul Harding, ways and means vice president; Gary Fangboner, secretary; Dick McLaughlin, treasurer.
~~~Neal Leonard has been appointed acting village manager.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
June 9, 1993
~~~Three people are running for one seat in next week’s school election. Incumbent Karen Loerch, Deborah Wilson and Barbara Willing will be on the ballot.
~~~Orion Township voters soundly defeated Proposal A (2,675 yes’s to 4,032 no’s) in the June 2 special election. The voter turnout was 42 percent.
~~~Orion Area Youth Assistance honored four students for their special volunteer activities or for acts of courage. They are Jenny MacMillan, Leigh Downs, Jesse Walling and Sommer Stark.

Twenty Years Ago
June 8, 1983
~~~Co-valedictorians for this year’s graduating class were Andrea Moehlman and Rhonda Eldred. Co-salutatorians were Kris Nielsen and Cathy Nyberg.
~~~Officers Rick Stockton and Ernie May have joined father and daughter team Bob and Lori Jubelt on the village’s marine division.
~~~Oakland County has logged its first case of AIDS — the mysterious, usually fatal disease that destroys an individual’s immune system.

Thirty Years Ago
June 7, 1973
~~~ LOHS track team members who earned awards at the spring awards? banquet include Mike Donahue, team spirit; Rick Lacey, most improved; and Peter Loubert, most valuable.
~~~Charles Seeley Jr., director of admissions and scholarships at Michigan State University, will be the commencement speaker at the LOHS graduation ceremony. This year’s graduating class consists of 285 seniors.
~~~Ernest Shagna, Hazel Maxwell and Leonard Adair are vying for one seat on the school board in next week’s election.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 7, 1993
~~~Bud ‘Popsie? Schaar died on July 2 at the age of 85. He spent 75 years of his life in Lake Orion and knew everybody.
~~~State Senator Mat Dunaskiss and State Representative Penny Crissman lost their battles to colleagues to keep four Oakland County lakes off a public access site wish list. Lake Voorheis was one of the four.
~~~Delores Reuter, 60, and her Classic 60s volleyball team won a gold medal at the National Senior Sports Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Twenty Years Ago
July 6, 1983
~~~The house and garage at 66 Park Blvd. will soon be demolished to make way for an expansion of Children’s Park.
~~~Liquid phosphate is being added to the village water system and not all residents are happy about it. Sue Steiss says it messes up the phosphate and calcium in your body.
~~~Village council members OK’d a $6,500 purchase for Penn Central right-of-way. The narrow landstrip comprises .85 of an acre and extends from East Flint Street south to the dam.

Thirty Years Ago
July 5, 1973
~~~Margaret Hagalin, who has a lakefront house on Central Drive, claims her home is now unsafe due to sewer installations. Her utility room has separated from the house.

~~~This year’s Venetian Queen was LOHS senior Shelia Lane. Runners-up were Christine Rasczerski and Linda Lisk.
~~~The school district and the AFSCME union have agreed to a 6 percent wage increase.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 14, 1993
~~~Village voters overwhelmingly showed their desire to bring Detroit water into their homes in last Monday’s election. They voted 307-147 in support of a $1.7 million bond issue.
~~~Some parents and band students are frustrated as to why the LOHS Marching Band no longer makes an appearance in Orion’s Fourth of July parade.
~~~Two years after being turned down by the Macomb Area Conference, the Lake Orion School District has now received a formal request to join the MAC conference.

Twenty Years Ago
July 13, 1983
~~~Two 1983 LOHS graduates from South America were among the 119 persons killed Sunday in Ecuador’s worst aviation disaster. Eduardo Barrera and Alfonso Ortega, both 19, were going home to Cuenca.
~~~Kenneth Rick of Lake Orion and his friend Ron Broyles of Los Angeles appeared on front pages of national newspapers across the country on July 5 when they scaled the 73-story Westin Hotel at Detroit’s Renaissance Center.
~~~Salary increases averaging 9.9 percent for top administrators and 10.6 percent for building principals were approved by the school board. Superintendent Fred Ehman’s salary is now $48,530.

Thirty Years Ago
July 12, 1973
~~~Neighbors aren’t happy about building a new Orion Township hall on Joslyn Road. They were worried the complex would bring increased traffic and would not conform to the residential pattern of the area.
~~~Mrs. Herbert Kottke of Lapeer Road was named Lake Orion Grandmother of 1973 by the Orion Jaycettes.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
September 11, 1996
~~Orion Township Hall may not have space to accommodate the Orion Area Youth Assistance program, an idea that had been received warmly by the board of trustees.
~~Rite Aid Pharmacies purchases 10 Concord Drugstores, including one on Flint Street in Lake Orion. Another Rite Aid was scheduled to open on M-24.
~~Dia and Steve Zaraga purchased the restaurant formerly known as the Polish Princess at 28 S. Broadway in March, and have now opened the Sagebrush Cantina.

Twenty Years Ago
September 10, 1986
~~The Michigan Department of Transportation may acquire any property needed for the expansion of M-24, planned for the 1987 season.
~~Officials of Sensor Developments, Inc. hoped to net a 50 percent tax break for its proposed plant in Orion Township.
~~The Lake Orion Police Department would begin a 22-week training course for reserve officers, as the village usually retains 30 reserve officers and currently only has 21.
30 Years Ago
September 9, 1976
~~Lake Orion teachers ratified a contract calling for 3.3 to 5.5 percent pay increases.
~~ The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department was seeking citizens to ride patrol and assist deputies in a new reserve program.
~~ Big Donut Day was planned for Saturday in Lake Orion, including the trial baking of an eight-foot donut at Waltman’s Bakery.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
September 4, 1996
~~The Orion Township Board agreed to sit down for negotiations with the Eagle Valley Landfill, regarding an expansion.
~~An agreement was reached between the Michigan Department of Transportation and Orion Township, for the purchase of land at M-24 and Odanah for the future site of the Orion War Memorial.
~~Orion Township offered to help with water problems in the Red Barn Subdivision in Oxford.

Twenty Years Ago
September 3, 1986
~~The Lake Orion Village Council approved contacting various groups who have an interest in buying or leasing the historic church on Church Street.
~~Karen Muz was selected as the full-time manager of the Orion Senior Center on M-24 in the Orion Community Center.
~~The reopening of Pete’s Roadhaus on M-24 was about a month away, after the building received extensive damage in a fire on Aug. 9.
30 Years Ago
September 2, 1976
~~Lake Orion teachers returned to their classrooms, as negotiators continued talks on a 1976-1977 contract.
~~Cronk and Tocco, Inc. of Oak Park received the $87,500 contract as general contractor for the new Orion Township Hall.
~~ ‘Checkless checking,? with the use of a ‘money card? could be a reality within the next year, according to area banking officials.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
August 28, 1996
~~Orion Oaks, the first new elementary school in Lake Orion in 20 years, opened its doors, with a 64,000 square foot building.
~~A phone call from a man who claimed there was a bomb inside the building at the Sunoco on S. Broadway was a hoax.
~~The Orion Township Planning Commission denied a rezoning request from Milosch Chrysler, as several residents from the John Winters Subdivision voiced their objections to the proposal.

Twenty Years Ago
August 27, 1986
~~The slayings of postal workers in Edmond, Oklahoma had mail carriers at the Lake Orion Post Office shaken.
~~A 41-year-old Orion Township man was badly burned, when a 55-gallon drum from which he was cutting the top exploded.
~~Bob Gibson of Lake Orion won two gold medals and one bronze in the International Wheelchair Races in Sweden and England.
30 Years Ago
August 26, 1976
~~Orion Township agreed to go ahead with its share of the Neotrans subsidization for three months, while township officials further study the bus system’s operation.
~~The people who run the Franklin-Wright Settlements Camp have a new master plan for the way they’d like to see the place look in 10-15 years, as the camp has become run-down.
~~The Lake Orion High School student handbook was revised to do away with most of the distinctions between the sexes.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
August 21, 1996
~~Anthony Buchanon, 9, a fourth-grader at Webber Elementary, saved a four-year-old boy who appeared to be going underwater in a swimming pool at a pool party.
~~Lake Orion Schools purchased property on Indianwood Road, at $13,000 an acre, to be the site of a future elementary school.
~~Kevin Michael Boyd, 18, was given a life sentence, for his role in the brutal bludgeoning and stabbing death of his father.

Twenty Years Ago
August 20, 1986
~~Actions by the Lake Orion Village Council and an Oakland County Circuit Court ruling could prevent the rezoning of marina property to commercial, and keep Snug Harbor owners J.D. ‘Whitey? McBride and Lenore Kelly from improving their business.
~~The Adamec family of Lake Orion hosted a Japanese student, Yuichi Tsutsui for a month-long visit in America.
~~Judy Settles was in fair condition at the Ann Arbor Burn Center, after she received second and third-degree burns over 43 percent of her body, when an aerosol can in a pile of burning trash exploded.
30 Years Ago
August 19, 1976
~~The Orion Township Board was considering a $7,286 grant to the Neotrans public transportation system. The agency operates 10 mini-buses in six townships in northeast Oakland County.
~~Gingellville celebrated the nation’s bicentennial with a parade.
~~A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Orion Township Hall, at a site at Joslyn and Greenshield roads.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
August 14, 1996
~~Engineers from McNamee, Porter & Seeley believed dropping the required speed of 25 MPH over the proposed new Bellevue Bridge would clear up design problems, saying a speed of 20 MPH would increase clearance under the bridge from its current 7.6 feet to 9.6.
~~Lake Orion Police Lieutenant Jerry Narsh said a rape case that happened at the Paint Creek Apartment complex on Atwater Street, where a young woman was beaten, sexually assaulted and robbed in 1994, remains unsolved.
~~Incumbent Joan Buser easily dispatched T. Patrick Creper in the race for Oakland Township Supervisor. It was the first time that Buser had been opposed.

Twenty Years Ago
August 13, 1986
~~An early Saturday morning fire closed Pete’s Roadhaus, a popular M-24 meeting place owned and operated by Pete and Edith Kalohn and their two sons, Jim and Hans.
~~The Orion Township Board approved the hiring of new township assessor John Stroba, who replaced Curt Dawson, who resigned for a position with the City of Birmingham.
~~A woman burning trash in her yard was set on fire, when an aerosol can exploded. The woman’s clothing caught on fire and she was burned over much of her body, according to Orion Township Fire Chief Jeff Key.
30 Years Ago
August 12, 1976
~~An 82-lot subdivision was being planned for the area between Indian Lake Road and northwest shore of Long Lake.
~~Orion Township Station One Fire Chief Cecil Ryckman asked the Lake Orion Village Council to consider an ordinance making all burning in the village illegal, except with a special permit.
~~Postal workers prepared to move to the new post office on Lapeer Road, featuring ample parking.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 31, 1996
~~The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department was investigating a near fatal crash that happened on Joslyn Road, resulting in nine people being transported to local hospitals for treatment.
~~All but the race for the clerk’s office would be decided by Orion Township voters in the primary election on Aug. 6.
~~Bortz Health Care of Oakland would remain open for at least 60 days on Silverbell Road in Orion Township, but the facility’s efforts to be recertified by the Health Care Financing Administration would be costly.
The facility would have to pay a $32,500 federal fine and hire a management consultant team.
Twenty Years Ago
July 30, 1986
~~Rachel Snyder, 19, of Orion Township, died on July 23, after being pinned under the front wheel of a van near the Rustic Cabins on Broadway.
~~Orion Township voters were being asked to approve a special millage for upgrading the fleet of fire trucks for the Orion Township Fire Department, and a bond issue to construct a new library.
~~Bettie Wingett retired after 25 years as a school bus driver and chief dispatcher for the Lake Orion Schools transportation department.
30 Years Ago
July 29, 1976
~~The Orion Township Board selected contractor Cronk and Tocco, Inc. of Oak Park to build a new township hall at a yet-to-be-determined cost, expected to be about $235,000.
~~The villages of Lake Orion and Oxford were investigating ways of saving some money by sharing dispatch equipment.
~~Timmy Roberts, 12, of Lake Orion, attempted to save a Great Blue Heron near Lake Orion Junior High West, which he saw fly into high tension wires and land in a field at Joslyn and Waldon roads.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 24, 1996
~~Lakefront owners who frequently drive their boats under the Bellevue Bridge anticipated dangerous conditions if the opening under the proposed new bridge stays as planned.
~~St. Joseph Catholic Church representatives were surprised to learn that the county required acceleration and deceleration lanes at both the church’s new entrances off of Indianwood Road.
~~Joan Buser was attempting to win her fourth term as Oakland Township Supervisor.
Twenty Years Ago
July 23, 1986
~~Steaming temperatures were blamed for a power outage in Lake Orion, which lasted about three hours after the blow-out of three transformers. Detroit Edison said heavy use of fans and air conditioners stressed the system.
~~An additional marine deputy from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department would be coming on board to help patrol Lake Orion for about 20 hours per week.
~~Long-time Orion resident Genevieve Williams celebrated her 90th birthday.
30 Years Ago
July 22, 1976
~~The Lake Orion Village Council approved loaning money to residents for home improvements.
~~Backers of the proposed rezoning of a large portion along M-24 were informed that their petitions contained insufficient information.
~~The Village of Lake Orion’s population decreased over the past five years, to 2,830 in 1975. Orion Township’s population was up to 18,200 in 1975.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 17, 1996
~~Some members of the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors were questioning the chamber’s endorsement of local candidates for office, including chamber director JoAnn Van Tassel, who said it wasn’t proper for the chamber to endorse candidates.
~~A book containing sexual content, ‘The Bluest Eye? by Toni Morrison, would stay on a class required reading list, despite some misgivings from several Lake Orion School Board members.
~~Nearly 800 bicyclists participating in the Michigander were scheduled to stop in Lake Orion, with activities planned at Lake Orion High School.
Twenty Years Ago
July 16, 1986
~~General Motors representatives refused to meet with township officials if meetings regarding tax appeals were to be taped; GM preferred a ‘less formal? method of keeping track of what is said at meetings.
~~Lake Orion Schools and the townships of Orion and Independence recently reached agreements allowing the schools to have tax collection money early, and make its own investments.
~~Residents in the Greenbrook Hills subdivision felt their lives were endangered each time they attempted to enter or exit their neighborhood on Adams Road, just south of Orion Road, due to a steep hill on Adams.
30 Years Ago
July 15, 1976
~~Price tags ranging from $297,062 to $434,200 were attached to the new Orion Township Hall, by eight general contractors submitting bids on the job.
~~Orion Township officials wanted to hire two more Oakland County Sheriff’s Department deputies, if federal funds are available to pay a portion of their salaries.
~~Al and Tom’s Gingellville IGA was being picketed by former employees, alleging they lost their jobs following a meeting with union officials of the Retail Store Employees Union, Local 876, AFL-CIO. Store management denied the accusation.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 10, 1996
~~A judge ruled that the diminished mental capacity defense could not be used by attorneys for Jonathon Schmitz, who was accused in the 1995 shooting death of Lake Orion resident Scott Amedure, after the two appeared on the ‘Jenny Jones? talk show.
~~Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials planned to hold a public hearing on July 18, regarding the construction of a new Bellevue Bridge.
~~Randy Whitcomb was just completing his first month as pastor at the Lake Orion United Methodist Church.
Twenty Years Ago
July 9, 1986
~~Snug Harbor owners JD (Whitey) McBride and Lenore Kelly planned to fight to have a portion of their land zoned to allow commercial expansion of their bait and marina business.
~~A survey by the Lake Orion Lake Association revealed that lakeside residents were mainly concerned about the amount of boat traffic on the lake.
~~A split in the views of area senior citizens prevented an agreement from being reached on where a new center should be located.
30 Years Ago
July 8, 1976
~~A 45-year-old Orion Township man faced a murder charge in connection with the shooting death of his wife on July 5. Earl Burke was arrested in Ypsilanti about three hours after the death of his wife, Sharon.
~~Lake Orion’s bicentennial celebration was a hit, and included a parade, bell ringing and foot race.
~~The Village of Lake Orion would know by mid-July whether or not funding was available for the preparation of a master plan.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
July 3, 1996
~~Developer Larry Mullins earned a special commendation from Orion Township Supervisor Doug Brown, after Mullins spotted and reported an illegal sewer dump on Waldon Road.
~~The body of 42-year-old Diane Wirebaugh of Pontiac was found in a field on Scripps Road, west of M-24. Wirebaugh was employed at the Orion GM Plant, and was last seen leaving the Orion Sports Bar on the evening of June 20.
~~Bortz Health Care on Silverbell Road was cited for a variety of different violations, leading to federal Medicaid support being eliminated for 60 of the 96 residents at the facility.
Twenty Years Ago
July 2, 1986
~~The Michigan Department of Transportation completed a 76-page engineering study, outlining details for widening and repaving M-24 in 1987.
~~Village of Lake Orion officials filed a temporary restraining order against the owners of Snug Harbor Marina, alleging that they were failing to comply with the building code.
~~The Village of Lake Orion and Orion Township were both considering hiring a full-time ordinance enforcement officer.
30 Years Ago
July 1, 1976
~~A proposed bandshell at Blanche Sims Elementary School received the unanimous endorsement of the Lake Orion Board of Education. The project was to be partially financed with a $2,000 grant from the Lake Orion Women’s Club, and was designated a bicentennial project by the Orion Area American Revolutionary Bicentennial Committee.
~~The Lake Orion Village Council was not in support of having monthly meetings with department heads, as a motion to do so died from lack of support at a council meeting.
~~Lake Orion Village Councilman Tom Griffin wanted to see more information given to the council regarding budgets, requesting the council be given balances from the various accounts.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
June 26, 1996
~~Two months after purchasing the property, the Orion Township Board held a public hearing on whether the park at Clarkston and Baldwin Road should be used as part of a special land use, as opposed to rezoning the acreage.
~~Bloomfield Hills based-Taubman Co. planned to open a discount mall on Baldwin Road in 1998.
~~The Square Lake Cemetery celebrated 130 years, after formally becoming a cemetery in 1866.
Twenty Years Ago
June 25, 1986
~~About 80 Orion Township residents filed suit against the operation of a landfill on Silverbell Road. The Orion Township Homeowners Association alleged that the ‘sanitary landfill? was accepting hazardous waste material, compromising the domestic water supply.
~~Structural renovations were planned for the historic church on Church Street in the Village of Lake Orion, including the replacement of the building’s roof at a cost of $16,000.
~~Jeff Allen, a 27-year-old Orion resident, was the topic of Channel 7’s ‘Second Look? program, regarding his lacking insurance coverage for a liver transplant.
30 Years Ago
June 24, 1976
~~A Pontiac youth drowned in an Orion Township gravel pit at Indianwood and Joslyn Roads, just hours after entrances to the property were blocked to automobile traffic.
~~A ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the new Kmart store at M-24 and Clarkston Road.
~~The purchase of a condemned boathouse within the boundaries of Green’s Park by the Village of Lake Orion for $500 would make the village owners of the entire park.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
June 19, 1996
~~Russell and Betty Ludeman of Miller Road were surprised on a Sunday morning, when a 120-pound deer came crashing through the front window of their home.
~~A blueprint for phase one of the newly-purchased, 135-acre park at the corner of Clarkston and Baldwin Roads was available for the public to view, and included four baseball diamonds. The fields were to be ready by 1997.
~~Orion Township Building Inspector Tom Berger wanted downtown Lake Orion business owner Sam Mau to fix up the exterior of his building at 27 S. Broadway.
Twenty Years Ago
June 18, 1986
~~The State Department of Corrections discarded all the potential Oakland County prison sites, including private property in Orion Township.
~~The Lake Orion Board of Education approved selling a 20-acre site at Joslyn and Newman Roads to the Orion Township Library, for the purpose of building a new library facility. The cost of the land was $45,750.
~~The Orion Township Board of Trustees voted to obtain a cost estimate for renovating the building at 21 E. Church Street, for use as a senior citizens center.
30 Years Ago
June 17, 1976
~~The Village of Lake Orion received a proposal to rezone a large portion of property from multiple housing to commercial, on the west side of M-24 from Heights Road to Pelton’s Point.
~~All graduates from Lake Orion High School would receive their diplomas, regardless of whether they had paid class due payments, thanks to student Judith Jones who spoke to a lawyer about the issue.
~~A proposed bandshell project at Blanche Sims Elementary School was still alive, as the Lake Orion Board of Education prepared to meet with backers to work on solutions to anticipated problems.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
June 12, 1996
~~The new 38,000 square-foot pool at Lake Orion High School was expected to be in operation by 1998.
~~The Orion Township Library planned to ask voters for a $1.5 million millage in the August election. A $1 million millage was passed in 1992.
~~Daniel Printz, 34, of Lake Orion, was arraigned on the charge that he kidnapped a Pontiac woman who had crossed the road in front of his truck.
Twenty Years Ago
June 11, 1986
~~William Charles Carson, charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Davison man in the parking lot of the GM Orion Plant, was ordered to return to the forensic center for more tests and evaluations.
~~A fire at the Orion House restaurant brought out firefighters from both Orion Township stations #1 and #3. The blaze began when grease caught fire in a vent. Interior damage was reported as minimal.
~~The Orion Township Library had outgrown its current main building on Lapeer Road, as well as its branch on Gregory Road, so the library board had decided it was time to build a new building.
30 Years Ago
June 10, 1976
~~Two millage questions would appear on the Lake Orion school district ballot; one for a six-mill renewal and another for a three-mill increase in operating funds.
~~Bids for construction of a new Orion Township Hall, with an expected ground breaking by the end of July, were due June 14.
~~The Lake Orion Village Council approved an extension of 60 days for free rental space for the FISH Service Center at village hall.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
June 5, 1996
~~Land was being prepared to place four baseball diamonds next to Orion Oaks Elementary School on Joslyn Road. Orion Township will transfer three backstops currently at Kottke Field, and look into purchasing a fourth.
~~ Lake Orion resident Stan Sweet told Lake Orion Village Council members that the sewer rate discriminates, because commercial customers continue to be charged more than residential customers, despite a proposed rate decrease.
~~Twenty-three Lake Orion High School students, along with advisor Kristina Haas, were producing the school’s first newspaper in 13 years.
Twenty Years Ago
June 4, 1986
~~State Representative Mat Dunaskiss was still waiting for an answer to his request to obtain a list of private properties being offered for sale as state prison sites.
~~Proposed plans for the relocation of the senior center included construction of a new center adjacent to Orion Township Hall, or purchase of the Keatington Health Spa.
~~Lake Orion resident Patrick Donohue, 15, spent a week going through astronaut training at US Space Camp in Alabama.
30 Years Ago
June 3, 1976
~~Four people filed to run for election to the position of Orion Township Supervisor, including Democrat Gary Shedlowsky, opposing incumbent Democrat Supervisor Alden Haydel; along with two Republicans, Constance Krajicek and Robert Sheardy.
~~The Lake Orion Citizens Advisory Committee was beginning a fundraising drive to purchase a condemned boathouse within the boundaries of Green’s Park.
~~The Lake Orion Review asked readers to send in their ‘Howard Hughes wills,? if they believed they were a worthy recipient for some of the Hughes? fortune.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 29, 1996
~~Lake Orion Schools officials and staff at Stadium Elementary were investigating the possibility of combining a fine arts program with the curriculum at the school.
~~ A year-round program would begin at Carpenter Elementary on Aug. 1, and for the first time in over 20 years, a new elementary school would open its doors, as Orion Oaks was almost fully-staffed.
~~Kevin Michael Boyd was found guilty of the first-degree, premeditated murder of his father, Kevin Eugene Boyd, and conspiracy to commit murder. Boyd, along with his mother Lynn, currently serving a life sentence, allegedly entered the elder Boyd’s apartment on Orion Road, and bludgeoned and stabbed him.
Twenty Years Ago
May 28, 1986
~~State Representative Mat Dunaskiss requested that the State Department of Corrections release information on the selection of a new Oakland County prison site, under the Freedom of Information Act.
~~Kay Graphics was preparing to break ground on Lapeer Road, as was Wally Edgar Chevrolet. Local 5960 was also preparing to break ground on a new United Auto Workers union hall on Silverbell Road.
~~The lack of a Memorial Day parade in Lake Orion upset some residents, including Lepha Decker, the 87-year-old mother of 11, who had six of her sons fight in World War II. Two of her sons were killed in the war.
30 Years Ago
May 27, 1976
~~A bid would soon be made to rezone a large portion of the west side of M-24 within the Village of Lake Orion from residential to commercial.
~~Maderal Margaret Edison of Lake Orion apparently drowned in the lake outside her home on Lakeview Street.
~~Ford dealer George Skalnek was out of intensive care and was in stable condition at Crittenton Hospital, following a heart seizure on May 10.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 22, 1996
~~A federal court judge in Flint dismissed all charges filed in a lawsuit against the Lake Orion School District by an Oxford woman, whose home is in the district. Barbara Willing had claimed errors, recount problems and a violation of her voting rights in two elections in 1994 and 1995.
~~The project to build a new Bellevue Bridge may not take place until 1997, as replacing the bridge in 1996 depends on quick approval of a preliminary study submitted to the state, and cooperation of nearby property owners.
~~An oil tank was removed from park land at Clarkston and Baldwin Roads, which had been believed to be filled with hazardous waste.
Twenty Years Ago
May 21, 1986
~~Village of Lake Orion streets may be used as a bypass for M-24 traffic, as the Michigan State Highway Department prepared to widen M-24 next year.
~~A groundbreaking ceremony was held for additions and alterations to the United Methodist Church of Lake Orion, and ‘Building for the Second 100 Years? was the theme of the $750,000 project.
~~Lake Orion Schools would conduct a ‘Truth in Taxation? hearing, as an increase in property values next year would mean a hike in the homeowners? total tax bills.
30 Years Ago
May 20, 1976
~~Lake Orion School Board members were considering cutting the debt-retirement levy in the district by one mill.
~~The Lake Orion Post Office has been handling nearly 200 percent more mail since a strike was started by United Parcel Service (UPS) workers.
~~Orion Township’s Bicentennial Ball was to be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Orion Road on May 22. The ball was a joint project of the Knights and the Downtown Lake Orion Merchants Association.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 15, 1996
~~Orion Township Clerk Marie English announced she would not seek a third term in August, saying, ‘It’s time to spend time with family.?
~~A school safety committee of police officers, school administrators, township and village officials and a student asked school board members to hire an Oakland County Sheriff’s Department deputy to work in the schools.
~~Assistant Superintendent Dr. LeRoy Mabery was given approval by the school board to implement 152 changes in next year’s courses, reflecting the district’s commitment to helping its students move into the 21st century.
Twenty Years Ago
May 14, 1986
~~A search of Lake Huron was continuing for Orion Township resident Daniel Kesselring and his two fishing companions, after the trio was last seen on May 4 near Port Austin.
~~Williams Carson of Pontiac was to stand trial for the murder of Scot Cohee of Davison. The crime occurred in the parking lot of the Orion GM plant.
~~The number of vehicle accidents on Baldwin Road, between Clarkston and Waldon, had residents concerned. A Baldwin resident said there were numerous crashes in the three-curve area.
30 Years Ago
May 13, 1976
~~Village residents would be paying an increased tax levy of 3.5 mills, bringing the total millage to the 20 mills allowed by state law. The tax increase would allow the village to maintain existing services and absorb the 1974-75 deficit of $22,110.
~~Orion Township resident Edward King was charged with income tax evasion, in connection with an alleged $1.2 million construction kickback scheme.
~~The Lake Orion Village Council approved using the former Department of Public Works building on East Flint Street for township fire services.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 8, 1996
~~Residents were questioning the suitability of property Orion Township was allocating money to purchase for a park at the corner of Baldwin and Clarkston Roads, saying the property was used for a sewage dump over the past 20 years.
~~The Michigan Department of Transportation agreed to a sale of property at the corner of M-24 and Odanah, for the site of the Orion Veterans War Memorial, since renamed the Orion Veterans Memorial.
~~The Name Search Committee was asking for the public’s help in naming two schools in the Lake Orion district.
Twenty Years Ago
May 7, 1986
~~A 28-year-old Pontiac man was found competent to stand trial for the murder of an employee at the General Motors assembly plant in Orion Township last summer. A Davison man was murdered in the parking lot the previous June.
~~ Voters would be asked to approve the sale of bonds to finance a community swimming pool and auditorium in the August primary election.
~~Stan Aldridge, owner of Indianwood Golf and Country Club, was asking for a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, to allow work to begin on an additional golf course and housing development, adjacent to the current course.
30 Years Ago
May 6, 1976
~~Planning for a proposed band shell at Blanche Sims Elementary School was halted following citizen complaints and a reminder from school superintendent Lewis Mundy that the school board has yet to give final approval.
~~The charge for swimming lessons at Green’s Park would not be raised, as was recommended by Village Manager Augustin Dupont, and instead the committee’s counter suggestion was to donate $200 so repairs can be made at the beach. The group felt the proposed $2 surcharge for nonresidents and $7 fee charged for each program held was unreasonable.
~~Lake Orion’s Cathy Irwin signed a contract to become a member of the nation’s first professional women’s fast-pitch softball league.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
May 1, 1996
~~The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department had rounded up eight people believed to be involved in the wave of vandalism at Lake Orion Junior High School, and three were to be charged with breaking and entering and destruction of property.
~~Ten companies bid on the right to purchase $6,685,000 in bonds, with funds from the sale, approved by Lake Orion Schools voters in Feb., being used to finance the pool at the new high school.
~~Village of Lake Orion officials met with state officials and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to work on some solutions to snowmobile problems on the lake. The village received complaints of numerous things, including speeding and snowmobiles being run late at night.
Twenty Years Ago
April 30, 1986
~~Although Lake Orion Schools officials planned to reduce next year’s staff by 12, more than 40 teachers received pink slips. Officials cited financial concerns and declining enrollment as reasons for the staff reduction.
~~ Orion Township Supervisor JoAnn Van Tassel and others who were instrumental in blocking a proposed prison location in the township were being honored at a celebration at township hall.
~~A strike at the Orion GM Plant was averted, as an agreement between plant officials and officials from the United Auto Workers Local 5960 was reached. Workers had been talking of a strike after being told of an increase in the operation’s workload.
30 Years Ago
April 29, 1976
~~The Lake Orion Village Council tabled the formation of a Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority, following objections from downtown merchants. The main objection was insufficient information regarding the power of such an authority.
~~Village Manager Augustin Dupont blamed a $22,110 budget deficit on errors of the previous administrations, and cited unpaid bills from previous years as one of the problems.
~~Rev. Dr. Jeannette Piccard visited with a group of 50 at St. Mary’s-in-the-Hills Episcopal Church, to talk about her quest to have her ordination as an Episcopal priest validated.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.

Ten Years Ago
April 24, 1996
~~M-24 was closed to traffic after the top of the golf dome at Willow Creek Golf Center blew off. The 3,500 pound section of canvas was stuck in some nearby trees, dangerously close to power lines.
~~The Orion Township Board of Trustees gave approval to purchase voting machines that cost $10,000 more than the current ones.
~~Orion resident Kelli Heath was spearheading an effort to develop a revolutionary playground on 10 acres behind Orion Township Hall.
Twenty Years Ago
April 23, 1986
~~Orion Township voters would be going to the polls in Aug., to vote on a special millage request for the purchase of three new pumper trucks for the fire department.
~~Lack of liability insurance coverage for the housing commission overseeing Village Creek Manor on Slater Street could result in the senior apartments being closed.
~~Area recruiting stations received a call from only one prospective enlistee, after the U.S. Air Force dropped bombs on Libya last week.
30 Years Ago
April 22, 1976
~~Lake Orion Schools Superintendent Lewis Mundy recommended two millage proposals for the June 14 election, as the schools? expenditures were expected to exceed revenue by $900,000 next school year.
~~Plans were underway by the Horizons Committee of the Lake Orion Bicentennial Committee to put up a band shell at Blanche Sims Elementary School.
~~Assured that activities at the Gingellville Community Center were open to all township residents, the Orion Township Board voted to again contribute $1,500.
Looking Back was obtained from back issues of The Lake Orion Review.