Kudos for community food drive support

Dear Editor,
I just wanted to take a moment to express to the Clarkston community my extreme thankfulness.
We had the privilege to take part in the Kroger Food Drive Weekend for our Kids’ Kloset Program, which helps young families living in Oakland County.
I was blown away by the amazing generosity of our community here in Clarkston. In a culture that sometimes appears to be selfish, it’s nice to see that there are a lot of people who still care for each other.
As I stood at the Kroger on Sashabaw Road, I was reminded of what makes a community great. I witnessed people truly caring for their neighbors in need. I have only been a pastor here for nine months, but I am truly loving the Clarkston Community. If you know anyone who has children from infancy to approximately seven years of age and is in need, please send them to our Kids’ Kloset.
It’s open every Saturday from 9am-noon, 5479 Clarkston Road. For more detailed information, please call 248-394-0200.
Thank you,
Tim Chappell, pastor of First Congregational Church of Clarkston

Thanks for supporting school Charity Week

Dear Editor,
Each year, our CHS Leadership Program plans an annual Charity Week, which takes place during a week in January.
This year, Charity Week has served to be especially powerful for our students, staff and community members. As a school and community, we were able to raise nearly $12,000 through our various events, for local and national charities; including David’s Foundation, Skate for Change, Gleaners, The ChadTough Foundation and the CHS Scholarship Fund.
As a program, we’d like to extend a tremendous amount of thanks to our Clarkston community.
Without your continued support, dedication and constant love, we simply would not have been as successful in our efforts.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and we look forward to making next years events, bigger and better!
Rachel Vickers and CHS Lead

A question about ethics from reader

Dear Editor,
The circumstances of Clarkston Schools superintendent Rod Rock’s sudden departure have only been generally reported, and many community members are left wondering exactly what transpired between the administrator and a high school graduate—conduct which purportedly occurred only after the adult woman graduated—which would undermine the administrator’s ability to lead and warrant expeditious school board acceptance of his resignation.
Of course, there are assurances of independent investigation, complete with transparency and disclosure as the school board sees necessary. Hopefully, school board transparency, disclosure and accountability mean different, more substantial things than residents have often seen from Clarkston city government.
Americans seem to have lost interest in demanding truth, transparency and accountability from government officials.
The circumstances of our local leader contrast in glaring and sad ways against the unaddressed history of sexual misconduct of American president Donald Trump, a man who has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct and assault involving more than a dozen women, and who was caught on videotape admitting to his joy and pleasure in his sexual assault of women. The president even encouraged voters to send an alleged child molester to the United State Senate. His propensity to deny, lie and spin continues to erode public confidence in American government.
Yet we see from the majority leadership in Congress no calls for Trump’s resignation, no insistence for investigation into his sexual conduct, no demand for accountability and justice.
All we see from our congressman and the Trump administration and its spin lackeys is more spin, bizarre defense, vague and unexplained denial, lies and delay.
There is more work for the school board, and for all of us.
For example, one wonders how the gross disparities and hypocrisy in the circumstances and treatment of Rock and Trump might be addressed in classroom civics instruction and discussion, and how parents desirous of decent, ethical children will handle all this at the dinner table.
Mike Fetzer
Clarkston