Dear Lake Orion Review, I am an 8th-grade student at Oakview Middle School and I have been studying the social issue of girls being treated unfairly in schools. It is alarming to know that even in the modern age, one in four girls (globally) do not attend school. Girls have faced unfair treatment globally for […]
Something interesting, do you know what these agencies; police, Oakland County Community College, NOTA, Orion Township Parks and Recreation, safety paths, Orion Township Fire Department and Oakland County Metro Parks all have in common? They are all agencies that you VOTED to have your tax dollars fund. If you live in the DDA district of […]
The DDA executive director had a 547-word guest opinion with color photos in last week’s Lake Orion Review. In those words, the director listed the wonderful things the DDA has done, or more correctly, was involved with. They are generally good things. We mere mortals are limited to 300 words, and I didn’t know photos […]
Well let’s admit it the Lake Orion DDA is a special interest organization authorized by the village council, but organizationally they report to the village manager. After two weeks of guest columns, the DDA executive director has made significant points, pointing out all of the things they have accomplished. Please note the area of benefit […]
Everyone should know what brainwashing is right? Brainwashing is said to reduce the ability to think critically or independently. To briefly explain, it seems to be what happened when the DDA told the village government why they should agree to a taxpayer expense of almost $7 million over the next 18 years, about $405,000 a […]
As expected, four members of the Village of Lake Orion council voted for the $5 million bond that the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) wanted. They also handed off future decisions to the village manager because it seems four members of the village council do not want to be bothered with the debt village taxpayers will […]
A guest column by Executive Director Molly LaLone, Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority What does it mean to be a good community partner? Being a community partner means that you are actively working together with others in your community to make positive changes. It’s about being part of a team that cares about the well-being […]
Once upon a time there was a sleepy village on the shores of Lake Orion where living was a vacation. That all changed in 1985 when a well-meaning force at the time, the Downtown Development Authority, asserted itself into the politics of the village. The DDA now takes nearly $500,000 of citizens’ taxes yearly. During […]
The village manager is suggesting the implementation of a Special Assessment District (SAD) system to solve the financial woes of the village. This concept is based on a user or benefactor paying for their share of the service or asset. I’d like to suggest that this philosophy could and should apply to the business district. […]
A guest column by Molly LaLone, Lake Orion DDA executive director What do we need? MORE PARKING! Where do we need it? DOWNTOWN! Who wants it? WE DO! When do we want it? NOW! If there were a cheer squad for downtown matters, this would be the cry heard through downtown Lake Orion, complete with […]