Street Beat

If the talent displayed at this week’s unveiling of ‘American Idol? is any indication, the show has taken a decidedly ugly turn for the worse. One could find better talent at the corner bar on ‘karaoke night.? Even if the show’s producers intended to switch ‘Idol’s? original focus from providing opportunities for genuinely talented people, […]

Student art turning some heads

In a world where art is often considered secondary to other academic pursuits, it’s refreshing to see that some young local artists are being acknowledged for their creative talent. From now through Feb. 16, the work of selected student artists from Lake Orion, Oxford and St. Joseph Catholic schools, will be on display at the […]

Art patrons couple up

Being a patron of the arts can take many forms. That is the philosophy Mike and Karen Shackelford share as longtime supporters of the Lake Orion Art Center. The Shackelfords, who have given their time, energy, services and financial support to the Center for several years, have been named this year’s Art Patrons of the […]

MEAP scores steady in LO

The school district finished near the top among Oakland County schools in the latest round of Michigan Education Assessment Program testing. Students in grades 3-9 were tested for their proficiency in the areas of math, English, science and social studies, with Lake Orion students showing improvement in the categories of math (88.5 percent proficiency) and […]

Winning is tradition for speller

Winning school spelling bees is becoming a habit for Brad James, an eighth grader at Waldon Middle School. The 13-year-old has won school bees four years in succession, beginning as a fifth grader at Carpenter Elementary and continuing for the past three years at Waldon. Brad will be among those students competing in the Oakland […]

Artist award goes to unassuming recipient

Kimberly Kelly Santini believes public recognition is best reserved for artists whose body of work reflects many years of effort and dedication. It is with modesty, then, that Santini will be the recipient of this year’s Artist of the Year Award from the Orion Art Center. She will be presented with the award at the […]

Peacoat memorial moves to its home

Last Veteran’s Day, local veterans and residents enjoyed a sneak peek of the long-awaited Peacoat Memorial, when it was unveiled during the ceremonies. The memorial was then temporarily moved to the Orion Township Library, while construction of a granite foundation was being completed. On Friday, Peacoat Memorial creator Joseph Zikewich and fellow veterans watched proudly […]

Street Beat

Now that Al Gore’s documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, has been nominated for an Academy Award, and even the President is opening his eyes to the reality of the consequences of spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, maybe we can get on the same page and begin to do something about it. If […]

Opponents of rezoning rally for Feb. 27th vote

Travel down any of the roads leading to the proposed Harvest Corners housing development in Oakland Township, and you’ll notice a plethora of signs opposing the rezoning of a portion of the project. While opponents of the rezoning admit they can’t stop construction of 523 homes at the site, they hope to halt an additional […]

Valentine packages headed to troops from Orion area

Four years ago, when Charlotte Cito began coordinating mailings of needed items to local troops serving abroad, it was with the hope they would all be coming home soon. Today, with troop numbers rising in Iraq and Afghanistan, Cito’s role as a liaison between Lake Orion-area service personnel, their families and home town, has taken […]