‘Open your heart’
More than $22,000 was raised at the annual Open your Heart fundraiser for Lighthouse of Oakland County. The event, at the home of Jim and Audrey Tanner, included food, drinks, lots of laughter and disco ball dancing.
Township layoffs looming
For Carol Gabris, human resource director for Independence Township, budget reductions are a matter of dollars, not people. ‘If you budget for $100,000 and you have to reduce it to $75,000, as a department head, you have to cut $25,000 out of that budget,? she said. ‘It can be through cutting programs, cutting expenses in […]
Keiser’s Role
The philosophy ‘one bad kid ruins it for the whole classroom? makes a bad rule. You don’t punish all the kids because one is misbehaving. Trustee Neil Wallace seems to think you should. Wallace gave an 807-word speech at the Jan. 19 Independence Township board meeting about a newspaper and story (‘Mum’s the word,? Jan. […]
Property values plummet
As residents receive their change in assessment notice for 2010, they will more than likely notice a reduced assessment in their residential property value. ‘This year the rate of inflation is actually deflationary,? said Dave Hieber, manager of the Oakland County Equalization Division. ‘All residents will see a reduction in taxes except for those who […]
Filmmaker Pardo’s O.J. project in the can
Norman Pardo of Independence Township is hoping to release his thriller ‘Suspect 32,? this year. His star: O.J. Simpson. ‘I got the last of the O.J. Simpson footage of him being a free man,? said Pardo, Simpson’s former promoter and agent. Simpson filmed his scenes in the movie just prior to his 2007 arrest and […]
City police, public works could be cut
Police and public works should be considered for consolidation with the township, city officials say. Clarkston City Council voted unanimously to look into combining services with Independence Township. ‘I’ve been a proponent of it from day one. I’m not certain what services make sense ? I think we ought to be having discussions as to […]
Snow plan down to ‘all or nothing,’with exceptions
When it comes to plowing snowy sidewalks on private property, city officials have taken an ‘all or nothing? approach. ‘This is unacceptable, we’ve beat this horse to death,? said Councilman Charles Inabnit at the Jan. 25 meeting. ‘This year we shouldn’t be discussing what it takes to get a sidewalk cleaned.? City officials directed City […]
Recall moves forward
Though Supervisor Dave Wagner thinks ‘it’s unfortunate,? third time was a charm for recall efforts against him. ‘I think perseverance pays off, for whatever it’s worth,? said Joel DeLong, new treasurer of Citizens Against Independence Township Waste. ‘It at least says we addressed the issues that needed to be done and we’re in the next […]
Library ballot language ‘confusing?
In Independence Township voters have never turned down a library or police millage renewal, but both could be in jeopardy due to “confusing ballot language,” officials say. ‘I think both of them are vitally important to the nature of the kind of community we are and hope to continue to be,? said Trustee Neil Wallace. […]
Watershed group springs anew
The Clarkston Watershed Group is enlarging its territory by joining the national non-profit group ‘Wild Ones? ‘The national affiliation would give it a little more legitimacy, a little more exposure for the group and activities,? said Jim Brueck, Clarkston Watershed Group member and city councilman. ‘Part of that was maybe to allow us to expand […]