From The Clarkston News archives

25 years ago – 2000
School millage passes; Foyteck, McLean retain board seats: Clarkston Community Schools residents overwhelmingly approved a non-homestead millage restoration at the annual school election, June 12. By a 844-481 margin, voters approved a three-mill restoration millage on business, commercial and industrial properties. The voters also reelected current Board of Education member Mary Ellen McLean and Karen Foyteck to their seats for four more years.
Clarkston High students team up to repair home: Forty students from Clarkston High School’s student council came together repairing a home in the Clarkston area as part of a “Paint the Town” project. The students completed a wide variety of tasks including painting, weeding, uprooting sod, removing trash, uprooting old pieces of wood, redoing the pond area and painting the sheds and wooden swings. According to Kenny Leonard, CHS student and chair of the Paint the Town project, the student council came up with the idea after attending the Michigan Association of Student Councils conference at Saginaw Valley State University. “We want to give back to the community,” he said.
Verla wins Gold Award: Adrienne Verla, of Clarkston, earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award for achievement and leadership in Girl Scouting. Adrienne, daughter of David Verla and Deborah Ziel-Verla, developed two workshops for the Clarkston community on the Japanese culture.

50 years ago – 1975
Board table Deer Lake split: A lot split involving 3.4 acres of property on Deer Lake lying both in Clarkston Village and Independence Township was tabled by the Independence Township Zoning Board of Appeals. Eric Davidson, whose property lies on a private easement off Church Street, asked that his property be split into three parcels of .69, 1.2 and 1.5 acres, all to have access via Davidson’s private easement.
Sue’s running to the Olympics: Sue Latter ran out of nowhere into winning track meets her junior year at Clarkston High School. Now having completed her freshman year at Michigan State University it was entirely possible she was running straight into the 1976 summer Olympic games in Montreal.
The millstream: Drastic weather from the previous weekend was taken in stride by the new Girl Scouts of Troop 452, who proudly served as a color guard in the Lilac Festival parade on Mackinac Island. The eight 9-year-old girls, all students at Pine Knob Elementary, enjoyed their visit to the island, according to Sue Toretta, troop leader. The girls, also accompanied by co-leader Judy Lorenz and Nora Schmidgall, stayed in a 1900s resort home and toured the island.

75 years ago – 1950
Thirty-five seniors awarded diplomas: Thirty-five young people marched into the Clarkston school auditorium to receive their graduation certificate and to hear an inspiring address by Reverend Henry Hitt Crane, pastor at the Central Methodist Church in Detroit. Salutatorian Shirley Allen welcomed relatives and friends and thanked all who made the high school days at Clarkston possible. Valedictorian Carolyn Waterbury gave a very fine talk, opening with “Youth has always symbolized ambition, courage, spirit, vitality and idealism.” She advised the young people to remember those symbols as they went forward in life.
Eighth graders get certificates: The eighth grade graduation exercises took place at the Clarkston school on Wednesday afternoon. The program opened with a class song by the entire class, written by Cherie Littleson.
Clarkston locals: Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Lissner left for San Francisco, Calif, where Mr. Lissner attended the American Medical Association Convention. Their three sons, David, Bobby and Freddie visited their grandmother in Michigan City, Ind. while they were away.

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