By Megan Collier
Review staff writer
This time of year, Santa’s workshop is so full of toys the big guy and his big belly have a hard time moving around.
That’s the news from Orion Senior Center volunteer and Santa’s helper Elaine Schefke, who’s been keeping Lake Orion kids up-to-date on North Pole information for years if they write a letter to Santa. A special mailbox is outside the village offices on Flint Street right now for little Orionites to send their letters off to the North Pole.
On behalf of the jolly one, Schefke personally responds to each letter mailed.
‘It’s fun for me. I’m a grandma and I like doing it,? said the Oxford resident, mother of ten and grandmother of 26. ‘One boy says to tell Rudolph hello, so I told him, (Rudolph) says hello, too. Another said he hasn’t been very good, so I told him I’m glad to hear he’s going to be good for the rest of the year.?
Want to send your own letter to Santa? Pen a merry note and drop it off outside 37 E. Flint Street, no postage required. A special response will be sent to your address. Postage and other costs are provided for by the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority.
‘It’s a neat experience,? said DDA Executive Director Suzanne Perreault, urging more kids to get their pencils or crayons out and drop a letter off for Santa.

By Megan Collier
Review staff writer
What woman doesn’t feel a little better with a fresh hairdo and polished nails, says Amy Atkeson.
The Lake Orion resident is co-owner of the Downtown Salon in Oxford , and Sunday, Dec. 5, she and coworkers lightened spirits like trees at Christmastime when they offered their salon services free of charge to the ladies ? and a few gentlemen ? at Heritage Place in Lake Orion.
Atkeson got the idea a few weeks back, when she was at Heritage Place taking care of her grandmother, Mary. Atkeson is the closest living relative to her grandma and makes an effort to visit regularly as well as cut and style her hair.
A few weeks ago, the color came out a little dark for Mary’s taste. The two decided to gather opinions from the ladies in Heritage Place’s community room. Atkeson said all the ladies exclaimed how young she looked and Mary eventually decided she liked the color after all.
But the looks some of the women’s faces inspired Atkeson to help get the whole place dolled up.
She said, ‘Some of them were saying, ‘I can’t afford to get my hair done,? or ‘I wish I had someone to take care of me,? and I said, ‘You know what, I can work that out.??
Atkeson talked it over with another stylist and the Downtown Salon group decided to come back to Heritage Place Dec. 5 and have a beautification day, free of charge for anyone who wanted a service.
‘Because I don’t have kids, I think about growing old and not having anyone there for me. Hopefully, someday somebody will do something nice like that for me. I’m not doing it to get anything out of it, but I was thinking about how I would feel if I was in that situation,? Atkeson said. ‘What woman doesn’t feel pretty to have polished fingers or to have your hair done? It just really lifted their spirits.?
In addition to a buffet lunch, Atkeson and her staff provided haircuts, coloring, styling, waxing and nails. Atkeson started setting up at 9:30 a.m. and was joined by three other staff at noon. The quartet worked until 7:30 p.m., doing hair and nails for about 30 ladies and a few gentlemen.
‘A lot of them thought they could only have one service done, and I kept saying, no, you can have anything you want!? Atkeson said, adding ‘It was just fun.?
Atkeson, originally from Rochester, has owned and operated her salon for 11 years alongside Bobby Johnson.

Music isn’t just a frivolous amusement for Leonard Holliday.
The 81-year-old director of the Orion Chamber Music Society sees evidence of God’s plan, morality and the rejoicing of the human spirit in music’s mathematical structure.
‘Music is a revelation of the order of creation. It’s a gift of God,? he said.
It’s what has motivated him to teach music for four decades.
Five years ago, the Troy resident came to the Lake Orion First Baptist Church to teach.
He also started the chamber music society and runs a string camp once a year.
Holliday said he’s always loved classical music, especially the composers Mendelsohn, Chopin, Bach and Vivaldi.
He taught himself to play the violin at a young age and by the time he got to college, the Christian school Bob Jones University in South Carolina, Holliday was determined to study not just theology, but also music.
He received a master’s in theology and an undergraduate in music education from Bob Jones, but eventually went to the University of Michigan where he received another master’s in music education.
After that, Holliday taught at Pontiac schools for 24 years. Now, he’s the director of the Orion orchestra, which draws musicians in from Lapeer, Clarkston, Imlay City, Troy and Romeo.
They give a handful of concerts a year, usually at churches. Keep an eye out for one this fall, he said.
Holliday was also very active in church music and now sees it as his moral perogative to teach children classical music.
‘Unless children get a chance to hear it and play it, they won’t know it,? he said.
Holliday said he witnessed the beginnings of rock and roll, when Elvis and The Beatles came out.
‘It had a message of sexuality,? he said, and The Beatles encouraged drug use.
‘Everything promoted wasn’t for the good of the country. Rock music hasn’t done anything for our morals,? he said. ‘Music written with integrity needs to be kept alive.?

The Orion Senior Center is pleased to announce that they are again having the Annual Orion Senior Center-Golling Pontiac-GMC Classic Car Show. It will be held at Golling Pontiac-GMC, located at 1491 S. Lapeer Rd in Lake Orion, Saturday, September 19. The event is free of charge.
Pictures will be taken of guests and their car while during registration and can keep the photo for small donation.
The show starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. with trophy awards ceremony at 3. This year, Miss Michigan 2009 will help at the ceremony and will be available for photos from 1 until 4 p.m.
At noon the great oldies group The Viceroy’s will perform. Rock’N’Ronnie will also spin old forty-fives.
ONTV will be in attendance to video all of those great classic cars.
The following businesses and community groups committing are joining in the event: Coffee News, Crittenton Medical, Dunlap Collision, Orion Chamber of Commerce, M&B Graphics, VFW Post 334, Oxford Overhead Door, Friends of the Orion Library, Chief Pontiac Federal Credit Union, Lake Community Credit Union, Paint Creek Country Club, Professional Hearing Clinic and Spano Allstate Insurance Company.
This year will also feature Chicago Brothers pizza, Culver’s frozen custard, Blue Ox sandwiches and Buffalo Wild Wings wings.
Sports Authentic will have some items to bid on. And former Detroit great athletes like Gates Brown, Dan Petry, Jimmy King, Ted Lindsay and more will sign autographs.
Our Kiddie Area, sponsored by Pee Wee Patch, of Lake Orion, will have Tootsie the Clown, face painting, a moon walk, and clowns from Shriners.
State Farm Insurance along with the Lake Orion Police Department will be putting information on DVD’s and finger printing children for potential emergencies. L.A. Dance will be performing many dance routines and Stars & Stripes Gymnastic Academy will have mats for children to roll on.
For everyone’s entertainment, Detroit-area mascots Hooper, from the Detroit Pistons, Paws, from the Tigers, and Roary, from the Lions, will be there for pictures and autographs.
For questions, please call the Orion Senior Center at 248-693-2066.
Saturday, September 26 will be the rain date.

Mondays
Stay Stronger Longer 9:30 to 11 a.m.
China Painting 10 a.m. to noon
Ceramics 9 a.m. to noon
Learn to Knit and Crochet 1 to 3 p.m.
Pinochle 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesdays
Bingo 10 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m.
Great Lakes Athletic Club 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
New! Keyboard lessons 11 a.m. to noon
New! Guitar lessons 1 to 2 p.m.

Wednesdays
Bridge 1 to 3 p.m.
Quilting 10 a.m. to noon
Pinochle 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Chinese Language 1 to 3 p.m.
Red Hat Society 1 p.m. (first Wed. of month)

Thursdays
Ceramics 9 a.m. to noon
Stay Stronger Longer 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Great Lakes Athletic Club 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Open knitting and crochet 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Spanish Language 1 to 3 p.m.
Pinochle 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.
TOPS 6:30 p.m.
Ham Radio Group 9 a.m. (first Thurs.), 7 p.m. (second Thurs)

Fridays
Crafting and quilting 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Scrabble 1 to 3 p.m.
Tai Chi (advanced) 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Tai Chi (beginners) 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.

The Lake Orion High School Class of 1959 celebrated their 50th reunion June 27 at King’s Court Castle in Canterbury Village.
Of the original 133 members, 39 attended with spouses or friends, for a grand total of 73.
In addition to the banquet on Saturday night, the class had tours on Friday of the old high school on Scripps Road and then the new high school that is quite a contrast with its nataorium, performing arts center, and computer technology.
After the tour, the class met at Harry Stephen’s house for boat tours of Lake Orion looking as beautiful as ever, according to the 1959 class.
Saturday morning was a golf outing at Devil’s Ridge in Oxford, and finally the banquet with music by the Du Wop DJ, Phil Brown.
There is nothing like the Platters and Elvis Presley.

Lake Orion loves its senior citizens! In fact, we’re pretty ‘senior? ourselves at 128 years old, so let’s celebrate together in our newest section: Senior Moments.
We’ve created this section (pages 8 and 9 this week) with a little bit humor, lots of information and some fun events to pay tribute to our most precious natural resource — you!
The section will be a unique collaboration between The Review, the Orion Senior Center and our readers to bring you details on local happenings designed specifically for seniors, vital services like Meals on Wheels and the North Oakland Transportation Authority and feature stories on the seniors we see everyday around town.
It’s with this last part that we’re asking for your help. We want to hear those thrilling memories of yesteryear and see your photos of Lake Orion of Olde. Mostly we want to know what interests today’s seniors, and we’re looking for your contributions to make this section valuable to readers.
Share your thoughts, ideas and stories with us by calling 248-693-8331 or emailing lakeorionreview@sbcglobal.net.
Lois Hall, program supervisor of the senior center, is as excited as we are to begin this project.
‘One of the most gratifying things I hear at the center from seniors is ‘Why didn’t I start coming here years ago??? Hall said. ‘Another favorite is ‘I’ve always wanted to learn how to do that but never had the time when I was working.??
She added that the center is a satellite for Orion Township Library and provide a senior library which offers reading groups and beginner and advanced computer classes. It also has resource literature on services to seniors from local, county, state and national entities.
‘I want the community to know that we provide many opportunities to socialize and make new friends through exercise, sports, trips, games, knitting for charity, crocheting, language classes, keyboarding and guitar lessons,? she said.
Stay tuned to future Reviews for Senior Moments. Next week’s will feature a schedule of area events and trips specially designed for seniors.
~ Megan Hess

Mondays
Stay Stronger Longer 9:30 to 11 a.m.
China Painting 10 a.m. to noon
Ceramics 9 a.m. to noon
Learn to Knit and Crochet 1 to 3 p.m.
Pinochle 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesdays
Bingo 10 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m.
Great Lakes Athletic Club 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wednesdays
Bridge 1 to 3 p.m.
Quilting 10 a.m. to noon
Pinochle 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Chinese Language 1 to 3 p.m.
Red Hat Society 1 p.m. (first Wed. of month)

Thursdays
Ceramics 9 a.m. to noon
Stay Stronger Longer 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Great Lakes Athletic Club 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Open knitting and crochet 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Spanish Language 1 to 3 p.m.
Pinochle 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.
TOPS 6:30 p.m.
Ham Radio Group 9 a.m. (first Thurs.), 7 p.m. (second Thurs)

Fridays
Crafting and quilting 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Scrabble 1 to 3 p.m.
Tai Chi (advanced) 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Tai Chi (beginners) 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.

If you come by the Orion Senior Center on certain mornings or evenings you may see cars and pickups with more than one radio antenna on them. The extra antennas may be on the car tops, trunk lids or even attached to their bumpers.’They may even have strange license plate numbers: KC8YRM, N3BEL or KD8AKO.?
These all belong to O.S.C.A.R.T. the Orion Senior Center Amateur Radio Team.’We are a small but dedicated group of licensed amateur or ham radio operators. Yes, I’said amateur! After all the inventor of radio, Guglielmo Marconi always considered himself a radio amateur.
We hold regular meetings at the Orion Senior Center at least twice a month, once during the day and once in the evening.’The evening meetings are to accommodate those members who may still work during the day.?
Most of the OSCART members also belong to the Oakland County Emergency Operations Center. This is a group of radio amateurs who volunteer their time to act in any local, state or national emergency whenever and wherever they are needed.?
When there are no emergencies they are still active in many ways.’On the first Saturday of the month during the spring and summer at 1 p.m., many will be out checking the tornado warning sirens to make sure they are working properly.’This is reported to the Oakland County Emergency Operations Center via amateur radio.’Along this same line the National Weather Service Does not issue a tornado warning unless a tornado is spotted by a trained observer.?
Many of these observers, you guessed it, are’amateur radio operators. They take a SKYWARN class at least once every two years to become certified weather observers and report local conditions to the National Weather Service by radio or telephone.?
You also may have see some radio amateurs working at the Dream Cruise and other events
Recently the 16 major hospitals in Oakland County have had amateur radios installed in or near their emergency rooms.’These radios must be tested regularly to insure they will be working properly in any emergency including massive communications failures.’There are teams of radio amateurs assigned to each hospital so that they become familiar with the equipment and procedures at their particular location.
There are plans to add some of the larger local clinics to the network along with Genesys Hospital in Genesee County which will be in the Oakland County network because it already has an active clinic in Clarkston.’That hospital will be taken care of by volunteers from the Genesee County EOC.
Being a radio amateur is a great activity for seniors to be involved in.’It is a wonderful learning experience.’It keeps your mind active, you must learn enough to pass various tests to get a basic radio license and upgrades.?
You also learn to solve problems that are part of setting up and using a radio.’Lastly, it gives you a chance to’meet people and make new friends almost anywhere in the world from your own location.’One last thing that I have found out is that the more you learn about it, the more you want to learn.?
Currently the’OSCART meetings at the Senior Center are on the first Thursday of the month from 9 to 12 in the morning, and on the third Thursday in the evening from 7 to 9. Stop by and see what it is all about.

My wife and I, and a few hundred other Orion Area Senior Citizens, were absolutely bowled over by the wonderful treatment we were shown when we attended Lake Orion High School’s final dress rehearsal of their Spring Musical, ‘Hello Dolly.?
It was not just the performance, which was excellent, but the way the seniors were treated during the entire event that was memorable.
It all started as we were picked up at 9:30 a.m., at a local church’s parking lot, and bused with courtesy and respect to the high school.
Once there, we were met by an enthusiastic group of student leaders, who ushered us into a large recreation hall. At that point, we formed a line and headed up to a long brunch buffet that spread over several long tables.
It was scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, fresh fruit, and breakfast beverages, and an exceptionally tasteful French toast-style breakfast treat, all provided free of charge to the seniors.
The food was wonderful, and the general hospitality provided by the high school kids was simply outstanding.
After a generous amount of time that enabled all of the seniors to complete the meal, we were ushered into the beautiful Lake Orion High School Performing Arts Center auditorium.
Being a long-time theatre performer in my own right, I was pleasantly surprised by the outstanding talent that was demonstrated by the cast of ‘Hello Dolly.?
The large cast was vocally and dramatically proficient, and well disciplined. The orchestra was marvelous, the scenery and costumes were outstanding, the lighting and sound were technically professional, and the whole production smacked of excellence.
But the thing that most of my fellow senior guests marveled most at was the wonderful way we were treated by the legions of students who attended to our every need.
It was indeed refreshing and most appreciated, that they were so cheerful, giving, and sensitive to our needs, especially in the aftermath of the tragic events in Virginia last week. We just can’t say enough about how special we were made to feel during the entire event.
To cap off the entire occasion on a positive note, the high school principal announced that they intended to repeat this event every year.
While many teachers and other school officials were undoubtedly involved, we would be remiss if we didn’t single out Mr. Todd Dunckley, the Lake Orion High School principal, and Ms. Lisa Sokol, Orion Senior Center Director, for special recognition for putting this entire event together.
The Orion Area Seniors appreciate their efforts, and we look forward to another such event in the future.
— Wes Fuelling, Orion Senior