The calendar has flipped, and most people are back to their daily routines.
Santa Claus has come and gone, and the New Year’s celebrations have completed.
It’s time to put 2020 in the past and start to look ahead to 2021.
Without further ado, finishing up our reflection series on the year that was in Clarkston:
July 15
Concerts in the Park nixed for 2020: There were no concerts at Depot Park this summer. After emerging, new concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus have been revealed from healthcare members, the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Village of the City of Clarkston elected officials, made the decision to cancel all remaining dates.
July 22
Modifications on Main Street?: During the previous week’s Clarkston City Council meeting, local restauranteur Curt Catallo presented a two-part proposal designed to assist restaurants and other businesses in the city struggling due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
July 29
Clarkston restaurants back open, with safety the top priority: Back in March when the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order was put in place, most Michigan restaurants were forced to close their doors. After a long couple of months, hometown favorites and many more have begun opening up their doors to customers yet again with some adjustments that have been mandated by the government.
Supreme Court rules in favor of resident in city FOIA case: The Michigan Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that Clarkston City Attorney Tom Ryan’s correspondence with a consulting firm was indeed subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), despite the fact the documents were being kept in the attorney’s own files and not the city’s files.
Church Street outdoor seating council-approved: In special meetings held virtually, both the Clarkston Planning Commission and Clarkston City Council approved the temporary usage of E. Church Street from Main Street to the alley entrance for additional seating by Honcho.
August 5
2020 Primary Election results: Independence Township, Springfield Township: No changes to the Independence Township Board of Trustees after yesterday’s primary election as Jose Aliaga, Paul Brown, Ronald Ritchie, and Terri Nallamothu are all back. Sam Moraco, Heidi Warrington, and Terry Whitney were not elected. In Springfield Township, Laura Moreau was the lone candidate for new supervisor, defeating David Smith and Kevin Sclesky. Sean Miller defeated Michaela Bishop for clerk candidacy for the November election.
August 19
Clarkston schools to start ’20-21 school year online: After hours of deliberation and hearing conversations on both sides, Clarkston Community Schools will start the 2020-21 school year the way the 2019-20 year ended – online.
September 2
Condos evacuated: According to an email received by The Clarkston News, residents of the Hills of Pine Knob condo community were evacuated in the early hours of August 17 after a gas line was struck by a contractor digging a foundation for a new building.
September 9
Local businessman killed in tree accident: Clarkston resident Ronald Ohlinger was tragically killed Monday, August 31, when a massive tree fell on his minivan on Williams Lake Road near Vanden Drive in White Lake Township near the Waterford border.
EMS sign ordinance going back to planning commission: The sign debate continued. At the Independence Township Board of Trustees meeting, August 25, board members voted 5-2 to send the revised sign ordinance with new language for electronic messaging signs (EMS) back to the Independence Township Planning Commission to consider background color and code enforcement.
Murder in Springfield Township: One person is dead, and the alleged killer has been taken into custody and subsequently arraigned after a late-afternoon shooting in Springfield Township on September 3. Vincent Scott Merrill, 50, called 9-1-1 at 5:52 p.m., saying, “I just killed my girlfriend,” before hanging up.
September 16
Parents, students stage rally, want to open Clarkston schools now: Just one week into Clarkston Community Schools starting the 2020-21 school year online due to COVID-19 precautions, concerned parents came together to stage a peaceful rally on Clarkston Road to prod the Clarkston Board of Education to consider opening the doors to district buildings.
September 23
Ryan hopeful students, staff can return soon to district buildings: After two weeks of all Clarkston Community Schools students and staff participating in online learning to start the 2020-21 school year, that may soon change as early as next week. Superintendent Dr. Shawn Ryan has been keeping busy monitoring the COVID-19 situation on a daily basis.
Village dedication: The new City of the Village of Clarkston City Hall building is so nice, one would be hard-pressed to realize it was truly a community effort. At Monday’s open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony, dozens of residents attended and took in the details of the new building.
September 30
Clarkston students, staff back to face-to-face learning: In a unanimous vote Monday night from the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education, the doors to all schools in the district will gradually reopen to staff and students starting Monday, October 5.
October 7
Bisio awarded $1,146, FOIA case rehearing denied: In a case that went back five years, Susan Bisio’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the City of the Village of Clarkston took another turn last week as the Michigan Supreme Court denied a city-requested rehearing and also awarded Bisio $1,146 in taxable costs.
Waldon Village project heading for township board agenda: The Planned Unit Development project, Waldon Village, located on the north side of Waldon Road between Sashabaw and Walters roads, received final site approval from the Independence Township Planning Commission in a 5-2 vote, Oct. 1.
October 14
Clarkston link in governor kidnapping plot?: As the shocking news quickly spread that state and federal officials had foiled an alleged plot to kidnap and possibly harm or murder Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a late-afternoon press conference opened local eyes even more when Clarkston was mentioned as a location where persons of interest reside.
October 21
Clarkston schools showing ‘impressive level of grace and grit’ adjusting to being back: It’s had been two weeks since Clarkston Community Schools reopened their doors to district buildings for staff and students. Superintendent Shawn Ryan said he has been proud to see everyone involved make the adjustment back to face-to-face learning.
City releases Bisio emails from FOIA case, ‘many citizens have lost trust in city government:’ The five-year wait was over for Susan Bisio. At the Clarkston City Council meeting, Oct. 12, the council voted to release the 18 documents Bisio had requested back in June 2015 as they pertained to city land developments.
With Fort Clarkston shuttered, customers, owner disagree on refund process: When Fort Clarkston closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, customers were reportedly left with no refunds after paying up front for gift cards and parties at the location. Owner Pam Rush disagreed.
Clarkston icon ‘Ma’ Gibson remembered by many: Clarkston shed tears as a community upon hearing the news Barbara Gibson passed away on Oct. 11. Gibson retired from Clarkston Community Schools after a long career as an English teacher but is probably best known in the community as “Ma” Gibson, the theater director of over 30 student musicals and plays at Clarkston High School.
November 4
As COVID cases rise, schools prepping for distance learning: Clarkston Community Schools Superintendent Shawn Ryan was closely monitoring COVID-19 cases in the district, and as the numbers increase, so, too, did the chance that schools may close with students and staff returning to distance learning. Andersonville and Independence elementaries were already shuttered.
New social district coming to town; Church Street closure extended: At the Oct. 26 Clarkston City Council meeting, extending the closure of Church Street through next spring to provide Honcho more outdoor seating, and also approved for a social district.
November 11
Local government elections yield little change: Local voters took to the polls and absentee voting to give the nod to their candidates in Clarkston, Independence Township, and Springfield Township. When all was said and done, most incumbents were re-elected, save for one change with the Board of Trustees in Springfield Township.
Schools shuttered again as COVID rears ugly head: Clarkston Community Schools opened its buildings last month for face-to-face instruction for the first time since early March. Not even a month later, all buildings are closed again, the result of rising COVID-19 cases in the area, and all students and staff will transition back to online/distance learning.
November 18
Waldon Village proposal takes next step despite disdain, some pushback: The proposed development known as Waldon Village, located on the north side of Waldon Road between Sashabaw and Walters roads, had its first reading at the Independence Township Board of Trustees meeting, Nov. 10, and was met with unanimous approval from the seven-member board. Preservation Clarkston President Sam Moraco wished it would be designed better.
December 2
Clarkston youngster succeeding helping others: As a fifth-grade student at Bailey Lake Elementary, Evelyn Turcsak has her priorities in order. For the fourth straight year, she stood outside Flo’s Sewing, Tuxedo and Dry Cleaning in Ortonville selling homemade face masks and pillows to raise money to buy pajamas for women and children at Pontiac’s HAVEN.
Riding for a worthy cause: Davisburg native Jonathan Blazevic is an avid bike racer, and he used that talent to raise funds for Movember initiatives pertaining to men’s health.
December 9
Giving back: Pine Knob Elementary third-grade student Levi Baldwin created a wish list of hygiene items on Amazon.com and delivered over 10,000 items he collected to Lighthouse Clarkston on Dec. 4.
Hitting the century mark: Clarkston resident Anne Brouwer turned 100 years old on Saturday, Dec. 5.
First chiropractor in Clarkston calling it a career in 2021: Dr. John Cowan was bringing in the new year with a big change as he retired from Cowan Chiropractic Clinic after 45 years of being in the community, with his last day on Jan. 6.
December 16
Roundabout coming to Oak Hill/Sashabaw: A new roundabout is coming to the intersection of Oakhill and Sashabaw roads on the border of Independence Township and Brandon Township.
Chance of Clarkston schools opening in January ‘very strong:’ In Clarkston Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Shawn Ryan’s weekly letter to the district’s parents, he wrote something that many parents have been hopeful to read.
December 30
Upcoming roundabout will have ‘zero township cost:’ When plans were announced for a new roundabout coming to the intersection of Oak Hill and Sashabaw roads on the border of Independence Township and Brandon Township, replacing the current four-way stop, response on social media was fairly mixed.