BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Editor

For CJ Sivak, working for the City of the Village of Clarkston as a Michigan State University undergrad may yield results pertaining to Main Street speeding.
With an eye on becoming a transportation planner with a focus on public transportation and multi-modal transportation, Sivak began working in late July and plans to continue through the year at a minimum.
“I had met with a representative of the Michigan chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism last fall at the Michigan Association of Planners conference, which led to their offering me a position as their liaison to MSU,” said Sivak. “From this, I was given the opportunity to write a piece on my summer Introduction to Urban Planning coursework. My piece was about looking towards our hometowns for suggestions and inspiration when planning. Mayor (Eric) Haven read my article and reached out to start dialogue about the city and we have moved forward from there.”
Sivak is currently working on a project associated with the speed signs planned to be on Main Street. This will involve downloading and visualizing the speed data collected to show if the presence of the speed signs influences the driving speed on Main Street.
The 2020-21 school year will be Sivak’s second year at MSU.
Originally from Waterford, Sivak attended Clarkston Community Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, graduating from Clarkston High School in 2019.
“My early impressions of Clarkston were that there was not a lot for a kid to do,” Sivak said. “Now, my impressions are changing. I see the city as a place that values and preserves its history, and I am honored to be a part of its work.”
After undergrad, Sivak hopes to attend graduate school outside of the United States.