12. History comes to life in more ways than one
‘Preserving yesterday’s history to enrich tomorrow’s future.? That’s the motto of the Orion Historical Society, and something that certainly came to fruition this year.
Archaeological digs and work on the bell tower was followed by a Math-a-thon and national grant in the efforts to preserve the Howarth School.
The Math-a-thon raised well over $20,000, while the project was given special recognition from the White House with a $10,000 Save our History grant from the History Channel, which included a group from Orion visiting Washington D.C. in May.
Meanwhile, the Scripps Mansion received recognition on the National Register of Historic Places. And, following a successful ‘Scripps Days? celebration, the Friends of the Scripps Mansion group picked up steam ? something that will ultimately result in more opportunities for the public to visit one of Orion’s crown jewels.
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11. Band places second in the state, challenges powerhouse
Some things never change. The sun will rise, the Sagebrush Cantina will be busy and Plymouth-Canton will be the state’s best marching band.
Well, maybe not for long.
Lake Orion put a real scare into a band that hasn’t been seriously challenged in decades, with their performance of ‘The Per7ect Number? being scored higher on three of the seven judges? sheets.
The Dragon band scored a school-record 89.15 in the early November state finals at Ford Field. Lake Orion was within three points of Plymouth Canton, and their second-place finish improved them one spot from the previous year.
The band also won two invitationals earlier in the season.
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10. Supervisor’s assistant sues township
Former Assistant to the Supervisor Jill Verros had been fighting for some time to secure benefits for her position within the township.
She never got them and her contract expired. The end result: she filed a lawsuit against Orion that is still in the court system.
Verros also filed defamation suits against Clerk Jill Bastian and Treasurer Alice Young.
The township hired a special attorney to handle all three matters and has been meeting behind closed doors for the past seven months.
It appears that, in recent weeks, the sides are drawing closer to a settlement that could avoid a possible trial ? but a 4-3 vote earlier this month shows that there are some differences of opinion on exactly how to proceed.
This is one of a few stories on our list that easily could wind up in the same place in 2008.
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9. District says goodbye to two key officials, another to follow
Longtime School Board President Leeann Bartley said goodbye to the district after 12 years, retiring when her term ended in June.
She was joined by Assistant Superintendent David Beiter, who had served some 30 years with the Lake Orion Community Schools, and retired at the end of last school year to spend more time with his family in North Carolina.
Earlier this month, Superintendent Christine Lehman announced her intentions to retire when her contract expires at the end of this school year, a decision that gives the district plenty of time to find a replacement.
Lehman has been with the district since 1979.
‘Lake Orion has an excellent board and they will decide what their steps are to continue a strong leadership,? she told The Review.
The school board now includes Tiffany Weber-Phillips, who was elected along with Bob Gritzinger, in May. Jim Weidman and Mary Jo Burchart were selected to serve as president and vice president on the new board.
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8. Voters say ‘no? to everything
Perhaps a sign of the economic times more than anything else, voters narrowly rejected proposals for library expansion and renewal of the safety path millage.
The library proposal failed by 264 votes, with less than 53-percent voting ‘no.? A new safety path bond was voted down by over 900 votes, but renewal of the safety path millage failed by just 18 votes.
Both items are likely to appear on a ballot at some point in 2008, but the proposals will be much more low-key.
In Oakland Township, voters said ‘no? to a rezoning measure that would have allowed plans to proceed for uber-development Harvest Corners.
The proposed 708-acre housing development was rejected by a 3-1 margin, overturning the board’s decision to rezone and prompting the developers to seek legal action.
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7. Soldier with Orion ties missing
Pvt. Byron Fouty went missing on May 12, when his unit from Fort Drum, NY came under enemy attack in Iraq.
Fouty spent some of his childhood in Lake Orion, and his stepfather, Gordy Dibler, Jr,. lives in Oxford with Fouty’s sister, Sarah, and nephew, Isaac.
Dibler said the community support in Orion has been outstanding, including multiple ceremonies in Fouty’s honor at the Veterans Memorial and a special October ceremony at the Beaumont Medical Building.
Both Gordy and Sarah went to Washington D.C. in September for National Prisoners Of War/Missing In Action Recognition Day, where they had a chance to meet the president and other national leaders.
‘We’re very honored by what they’re doing to keep his name and face out there,? Dibler told The Review. ‘We’re going to hold on as long as we can.?
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Come back next week for the top six stories from 2007. Can you guess what they are?