To be Reviewed

Coming up in this week’s Review, a local school attains ‘Blue Ribbon? status, deputies catch an armed robbery suspect and the Dragon GAP and LO Special Education Department team for their fifth annual volleyball tournament (we have the pictures to prove it).
As promised, we’ll also go in-depth on the General Motors abatement. Plus, see what Lake Orion Community Schools are doing to help raise funds for the Howarth Schoolhouse project.
All that, and you can meet our newest staff writer.
In sports, two Dragon teams celebrate championships they clinched a week ago, five wrestlers qualify for state finals and the ski team competes at states.
Get the latest on Wednesday online or in print.

By the way…
Was it a requirement that all acceptance speeches at last night’s Oscars show thank Al Gore?
With all the global warming talk, I think ‘Little Miss Sunshine? stood no chance in the ‘best picture? category – they should’ve gone with the title ‘Big and getting increasingly hotter due to the state of emissions on planet Earth Miss Sunshine.? – C.B.
And, did anyone that made the trip down to the Palace yesterday feel weird about rooting for Ben Wallace to miss his free throws?
For years, we crossed our fingers in hopes that maybe, just maybe he’d hit the rim on consecutive attempts.
What a relief to know that the percentages are on our side for a change. – C.B.

Be on the lookout for this week’s issue of The Review, which includes a positive update on Karl’s Place and an in-depth look at the downtown parking situation.
Also, the Dragon wrestling and volleyball squads had strong weekend showings to place second in their respective OAA leagues. We’ll have the latest, plus the LO b-ball squad, now with a two-game league lead in the loss column, host Adams on Tuesday night and The Review will be there. Get the latest right here at lakeorionreview.com on Wednesday.
All that, plus stories on GM’s first visit to the Orion Tonwship board in nearly five years, the middle school teacher of the year, and the state of the township, all coming up this week.
So now you know what’s being ‘Reviewed.?

Some random thoughts?
Did the Dixie Chicks win every conceivable award at the Grammy Awards last night?
Not a huge country fan myself (that’s the genre the group seems to be falling in these days), but those I know and trust say the album was worthy of the praise.
It’s too bad that many seem to overlook that fact, because of the group’s well-publicized political views.
I’m not saying everyone has to agree with their stance, but we should applaud the fact that they’ve taken one.
As our good buddy John Mellencamp likes to remind us in that Chevy commercial, our country was founded on ‘the voice of freedom? ? which I take to mean as the freedom to say what you think.
If it alienates fans, then that is their (the fans?) problem. The group appears to be doing ok for themselves regardless.
In the meantime, I’ll make my decisions on what music I listen to based on what music I like ? and nothing else. C.B.
***
Ok, here it is, the first Tigers posting of 2007?
Spring training officially gets underway this week, when pitchers and catchers report for duty, and, for a welcomed change, there is some buzz in the air about our Motor City Kitties.
I’m sure there will be lots of fielding practice for the pitchers this spring, but this year’s trip to Lakeland leaves less intrigue than usual.
The reason: Most of the team’s 25-man roster is essentially set.
The starting rotation appears ready (assuming the health of Mike Maroth). Five or six of the projected bullpen spots are locked down. And the starting nine hitters, plus a couple of backups are guarantees.
For those of you still following, here is what I think the opening day roster will look like (barring possible trades or injuries) ? keep in mind I won’t actually see the team perform in person until a mid-March grapefruit league game, so I’m no Jim Leyland:
Pitchers: Rogers, Bonderman, Robertson, Verlander, Maroth, Jones, Zumaya, Rodney, Mesa, Ledezma, Grilli and Campusano.
Hitters: Rodriguez, Casey, Polanco, Inge, Guillen, Monroe, Granderson, Ordonez, Sheffield, Wilson, Infante, Thames and Shelton.
Notables? Edward Campusano (a rule-5 pick) beats out non-roster invitees for the second lefthander’s spot (keep in mind righty Zach Miner still can be protected in the minors)? It’s unlikely that Shelton and Thames will both make the roster (trade?). Look for Ramon Santiago to fill the void there if need be.
Like I said, trades or injuries are definite possibilities. If not, we’ll call something in the 23-24/25 range a success. Go ahead and bookmark this post, so you can tease me about it later. C.B.