By Wendi Reardon Price
Staff Writer
wprice@mihomepaper.com
As we turn the calendar to 2025, we take a look back at some of the top stories from the pages of The Clarkston News during January, February, March and April of 2024.
January 3
Township Planning Commission short two members entering 2024: One of the agenda items for the Dec. 19 Independence Township Board of Trustees regular meeting was to appoint two members to the Township Planning Commission. It didn’t happen. The two members not being reappointed, Brent Savidant, chair of the commission, and Judith Tully, secretary, were not contacted by Supervisor Jose Aliaga to see if they were seeking to stay on the planning commission or leave at the end of their terms on Dec. 31.
CHS Drama Club participates in the Michigan Thespian Festival: A total of 44 members of the Clarkston High School Drama Club Troupe 803 attended the Michigan Thespian Festival. Troupe 803 participated in 15 “Thespy” entries and all received Excellent and Superior Ratings.
Depot Park skating rink: Just two things stood in the way of another season of ice skating on the Depot Park skating rink – a new liner and freezing temperatures. The new liner would arrive soon, but freezing temps, not so much. “Nonetheless, we’re thankful for the special efforts of the DPW team, Steve Wyckoff and his Construction Tech students, the Clarkston Area Optimist Club, and longtime supporter Tom Middleton,” said Clarkston City Manager Jonathan Smith.
January 10
Bound for Worlds: The Clarkston FTC Robotics program wrapped an incredible season which included the Technados robotics team qualifying for the 2024 FIRST Championship in April in Houston, Texas. Approximately 50 students from Sashabaw Middle School and Clarkston Junior High, spanning grades sixth to eighth, dedicated the past four months to building robots for this year’s FIRST Tech Challenge competition, Centerstage.
New SCAMP board members: With the new year brought three new board members to Clarkston SCAMP, a local five-week summer day program developed and designed for children and young adults with special needs covering a wide variety of both emotional and physical diagnoses. Emily Ford, Paige Mason and Andrea Rouland became the new board members, taking over for Andrew Wint and Kyle Kijorski.
Hockey continues winning streak: Facing-off with No. 6 ranked Livonia Stevenson, the Clarkston Varsity Hockey team was denying everything to their opponent in their 4-0 shutout, Jan. 3. The Wolves also posted two wins in the Stan Konrad Showcase, defeating Grand Rapids Christian, 3-1, and Reeths-Puffer, 7-4. “This is a great way to start our second half (of the season),” said Nathan Bryer, head coach.
January 17
Wolves to Victors: It was a season fans and University of Michigan wouldn’t forget as the Wolverines finished with their third consecutive Big Ten title, won the Rose Bowl, and then won the College Football Playoff national championship by defeating Washington 34-13 on Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex. For a pack of Wolves from Clarkston High School, including Josh Luther and Logan Forbes, players on the football team, Cameron Brosky on the U of M Cheer team. and Cameron Hempton, Henry Sprague, and Amanda Scott with the Michigan Marching Band, it was as surreal as it could get. Carigan Price, with the UofM Dance team, shared her experience in the January 31 edition.
New sewer rate for city: The City of the Village of Clarkston Council unanimously approved a resolution to increase the quarterly sewer billing rate from $117.42 to $128, a 9% increase, per residential equivalent unit (REU) starting Feb. 1 to cover recently implemented increases from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA).
Wolves down Dragons, Highlanders in first OAA duals of the season: Clarkston Varsity Wrestling opened up the OAA Red league with two wins at home over Lake Orion, 40-20; and Rochester Adams, 39-42.
January 24
Students make mark in business competition: Clarkston High School sent 46 students to the Business Professionals of America (BPA) Regional Leadership Conference at Walsh College, the first competition for the club this year. Out of the individuals who went, 34 advanced to the state conference in Grand Rapids March 7-10.
New logo approved for city: To coincide with the launch of the city’s new website, which was under development at the time, a freshened version of the city’s long-standing oak tree logo was approved unanimously by the Clarkston City Council. Clarkston City Manager Jonathan Smith said the old logos are approximately 10 years old and poor, low-resolution images.
Clarkston Dance team golden during invitational: Clarkston Varsity Dance competed at the second annual Novi Pom Invitational at Novi High School, Jan. 13. The Wolves danced their way to gold in the varsity dance category.
January 31
Township trustees fill out planning commission: After voting Jim Sucher to one of the vacant two spots on the Township Planning Commission at the Jan. 9 regular meeting of the Township Board of Trustees, the board filled the second spot by voting in Bill Scarborough at the Jan. 23 meeting.
New school safety upgrades, initiatives presented to the board: During a lengthy presentation to the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education at the Jan. 22 meeting, upgrades and ideas for improved safety measures across the district were presented to the board by four CCS employees. “This is a critical element. Job No. 1 in everything we do to assure when our students come to Clarkston schools, including our own children, is their safety, before they can ever consider opening their first book, having opportunities to learn,” said Superintendent Dr. Shawn Ryan. “To that end, it’s not as simple as having locks on the doors as it might have been 20-30 years ago or proper preparedness, everything we do with local law enforcement.”
Cheering to high placement, big points during competition season: Clarkston Varsity Cheer scored its highest score overall since 2015 with a total of 766 points at the Rochester Royal Rumble. The Wolves competed in the OAA White League at Troy. Both varsity and JV teams finished in first place. The varsity team finished with a total score of 746.64 and the JV team finished with a total score of 675.26.
February 7
Early voting locally for 2024 Presidential Primary Election: With the passage of Proposal 2022-2, and beginning with the Presidential Primary Election on Feb. 27, all voters in Michigan had the constitutional right to vote in-person prior to Election Day. It meant voters for every election had the opportunity to physically cast their ballot for nine consecutive days beginning the second Saturday prior to Election Day and ending on the Sunday before an election.
Addams Family visits Clarkston High: The Clarkston High School Drama Club was making the last preparations as they got ready to present “The Addams Family High School Edition” for the winter musical at the CHS Performing Arts Center, Feb. 15-18.
Clarkston grad top of innovation with Golden State Warriors: Alison Wright was honored with the NBA’s 2024 Pete Winemiller Guest Services Innovation Award. Wright, a Clarkston native and 2007 graduate of Clarkston High School, currently senior director of guest experiences for the Golden State Warriors, had hoped she would receive the award one day but visualized it would be years.
February 14
New township logo, planning commission member approved: The Independence Township Board of Trustees approved a new township logo at their regular meeting on Feb. 6. Kieley Hoppe and Al McWilliams from the Q+M marketing firm unveiled the logo at the meeting and explained how the logo came to be created.
Winter Carnival joys: It was a special night at Independence Elementary last Friday. Not only was it the 8th annual Winter Carnival but a birthday celebration as the school marks its 25th year. Students and families enjoyed carnival games, bounce houses, face painting, the cake walk and chances to win a silent auction and several raffles during the PTO fundraiser.
Clarkston Girls Ski rules Pine Knob in division races: The Wolves wrapped the regular season last week at Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard in the top three in their division. The Clarkston Girls Varsity Ski team finished first place overall in the Pine Knob League Division while the boys varsity team finished third overall in the division after competing in the divisional races, Feb. 6. The girls finished 11-0 for the season against teams in the Pine Knob division. The win in divisional races put them first place overall in the league. The boys varsity team finished 8-3 and tied for second in the divisional race, putting them third overall in the league.
February 21
Optimists getting $25K refund from the city: The Clarkston Area Optimist Club donated $25,000 to the city’s Friends of Depot Park organization for improvements and additions to the downtown space during the summer of 2023. After months of the funds sitting, the city received a letter from Optimist Club President Deb Berry asking for the money to be returned.At council meeting, council voted unanimously to return the money to the Optimists.
“Concerns brought forward by our club membership have led to CAOC Board of Directors discussions regarding the use of the funds given ($25,000),” said Berry in the letter dated Feb. 1. “Although funds were allocated in good faith, as indicated in a letter to the Friends of Depot Park dated Aug. 7, 2023, it had come to our attention that the vision for Depot Park improvements is uncertain. Given that a public forum is being considered that would determine the use of these funds, our Board of Directors is requesting a return of said funds in light of possible delays while public consensus is being sought. In our opinion, such action would also benefit Friends of Depot Park in alleviating pressure to meet unknown community expectations.”
Singing their way to Italy: The Clarkston High School Choir was heading to Italy during the 2024 summer to perform at the Vatican as well as in Venice, Florence and Rome. Choral Director Michael Peterson shared he wanted to do a big trip with the students because he is retiring at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Six off to Ford Field finals: Six Wolves moved on to the MHSAA Division 1 Individual Wrestling State Finals after qualifying at the regional tournaments during the weekend. Archer Anderson (120) and Brock Trevino (190) finished as champions in their weight classes. Preston Lefevre (120) and Nate Carter (132) finished in second place and freshman Gavin Culloty finished in fourth place
February 28
CCS bond update includes new junior high design: Projects made possible by voter approval of the Clarkston Community Schools bond proposal in Nov. 2022 were moving along, with the latest update surrounding the soon-to-be-new Clarkston Junior High School. At the Feb. 12 CCS Board of Education meeting, details were presented on the junior high phase of the projects.
Mercy over Bobcats sends Clarkston to next round in hockey regional playoffs: The Wolves opened the MHSAA Division 1 Hockey Regional 4 semifinal playoff with a mercy win over Grand Blanc at Dort Financial Center, 8-0.
Dancing for all ages: The Clarkston Varsity Dance team welcomed 54 young special guests to the floor during Chad Tough Night, Feb. 18. All joined in for a lively half time performance during the boys varsity basketball game against West Bloomfield.
March 6
Clarkston City Council discusses transparency plan: During its meeting on Feb. 26, the Clarkston City Council reviewed and discussed ongoing measures to provide better access for residents to view meetings as well as participate in public participation virtually throughout meetings. The council also voted unanimously to have city Manager Jonathan Smith look into expanding the use of virtual meeting participation and Independence Television recordings.
Megan Kelley named editor of the Clarkston News: View Newspaper Group was pleased to announce the appointment of Megan Kelley as editor of the The Clarkston News. Kelley looked forward to the new opportunity to venture into a new area and continue the mission of The Clarkston News to connect the community.
Clarkston downs Mott 65-56 in district championship: The Wolves came out of the locker room skipping in celebration after winning the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Basketball District 28 Championship with a 65-56 win over Waterford Mott.
March 13
Independence Twp. Board approves additional $50,000 for gravel road maintenance: The Independence Township Board of Trustees approved a budget amendment to provide an additional $50,000 to go toward graveling and maintaining gravel roads within the township. The $50,000 was in addition to the $50,000 the township budgets annually for the graveling of township roads that have not been maintained by the county due to budget cuts, making the total amount of money now budgeted by the township for this maintenance $100,000. The board voted 5-1 in favor of the budget amendment.
Everest Academy celebrates reading month: Everest Academy’s Olympic readers kicked off March is Reading Month with “opening ceremony,” March 1. The classes paraded into the commons to the Olympic theme song. Everest Academy Principal Susan Ender ran the Olympic torch in for the official start of reading month. She also read a book to the preschool through second-grade students. Each class represented a country as they tallied the books they read towards their reading goals.
Wolves clinch nail-biter against Dragons for district title: With less than two seconds left on the clock Clarkston Brooklyn Covert passed the ball to Elia Morgner, who hit a layup. The basket gave the Wolves a 41-40 lead over Lake Orion to win the MHSAA Division 1 Girls Basketball District 29 Final at Waterford Mott High School.
March 20
CCS re-ups on open enrollment programs: The Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education voted 6-0 in favor of continuing the district’s open enrollment program at its last regularly scheduled meeting, March 11. The motion included no changes to the number of students allowed to enroll in each district program through open enrollment.
Programs re-upped on an unlimited open enrollment were: grades 9-12 at the CSMTech Academy, grades 11-12 in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, grades 8-12 in the Career Immersion Programs, grades 6-12 in the Construction Technology Program and grades K-12 in Online/Blended Learning.
CJH freshmen celebrate undefeated season: The Clarkston Boys Freshman Basketball accomplished an amazing feat as they closed the season against Bloomfield Hills, Feb. 22. The Wolves ended their game against the Blackhawks, 52-28, to put the team 22-0 overall for the season and 12-0 in the OAA Red League.
March 27
Township board discusses $2.477 million surplus in road millage fund: During its meeting on March 19, the Independence Township Board of Trustees discussed what to do with the remaining $2.477 million in surplus monies remaining in the township’s Road Millage Fund. After some conversation on potential options, the board decided to create a sub committee to further discuss the options with the Road Commission of Oakland County.
Jaclyn Sivers named to Oakland County’s 40 Under 40: Oakland County Executive David Coulter announced members of the Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 in early March. Included in this class was Clarkston resident Jaclyn Sivers, a senior assistant prosecuting attorney in the Juvenile Justice Division of the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, trustee for the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education and a mother of two.
Everest’s Joseph Milosch finishes in top 10 at state meet: Clarkston Everest Collegiate senior Joseph Milosch finished in the top ten the Michigan High School Powerlifting Association State Meet at Lake Orion High School, March 9. Milosch finished in ninth place in the 181-pound weight class with a total of 1,145. He had 390 in squat, 290 in bench and 465 in deadlift.
April 3
Township fire department gets approval to purchase ventilators, ambulance cot: At its meeting on March 19, the Independence Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved two requests from the township fire department for ventilators and an ambulance cot. The request, from Fire Chief Dave Piché, included four Zoll Z Vent portable ventilators and related accessories for $62,430 and a four year service plan for $21,906, for a grand total of $84,336.
Clarkston SCAMP receives MACC grant: Clarkston SCAMP was awarded a grant of $4,000 from the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). Clarkston SCAMP was one of 711 applications to compete for MACC fiscal year 2024 funding which is awarded through the MACC peer review process.
Team RUSH finishes first at district competition: Clarkston High School Team RUSH 27 Robotics achieved a lot over the 27-plus years of the program. They had a new achievement as they went undefeated and won the Finger Lakes FRC Regional at the Rochester Institute of Technology, March 13-16.
“We are really proud,” said Luke Jeung, who was on the drive team. “It was our first time at that specific location in New York which was super fun to play against teams from New York. There were teams from China, Taiwan, Canada, and a couple other states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. It was fun to meet new people we haven’t met before and play with them.”
April 10
Township board approves budget amendment for unspent 2023 funds: During it’s meeting on April 1, the Independence Township Board of Trustees approved a budget amendment to pull unspent 2023 funds into 2024 for various capital projects. The amendment covered 14 already approved projects in the general, fire, PRS, CIA, safety path, sewer and water funds.
Team RUSH finishes first in the state championship: Team RUSH 27 won the FIRST in Michigan State Championship for the fourth time in its 20-plus history. The robotics team, which includes students from Clarkston Junior High and Clarkston High schools, started the tournament on the first day going 1-1-1.
Clarkston Foundations awards $9,500 in classroom grants: The Clarkston Foundation was continuing its work to support classrooms in Clarkston Community Schools by providing grant money to teachers to implement new and innovative programs which were unable to be funded by the school’s operating budget.
April 17
Independence Twp. holds State of the Township: Independence Township Supervisor Jose Aliaga delivered his first State of the Township address highlighting improvements in the community, and Clarkston Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Shawn Ryan gave an update on the state of the school district in a joint address, April 9.
CHS drama club presents ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’: The Clarkston High School Drama Club was taking a journey into Peter Pan’s past in their spring production “Peter and the Starcatcher” at the CHS Performing Arts Center.
‘Look up a little bit more:’ resident makes fourth trip to view total solar eclipse: For many, viewing a solar eclipse at 100 percent totality is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but for Dr. Brian Kerman, a longtime resident of Independence Township, it had become something of a hobby. Kerman traveled to Toledo University with his son, Sean Kerman, granddaughter Katelyn Kerman, and Sean’s father-in-law, Dr. Howard Friedman, to see the solar eclipse, April 8. It was the first eclipse for Katelyn and Howard, the third for Sean and the fourth for Brian.
Wolves open OAA Red with pair of wins over Dragons: The Clarkston Varsity Baseball team opened their series against OAA Red foe Lake Orion with two wins, winning the first game, 1-0; and the second game 4-3. “I couldn’t be happier to win our first two league games, said Addison Turk, head coach. “They are always a great team. I was really proud of the way we won both games.”
April 24
Clarkston City Council approves Pony Cycle installation at Depot Park: The City of the Village of Clarkston Council voted 4-1 in favor of installing a pair of non-motorized Pony Cycles in Depot Park. The council approved the project to not exceed cost of $3,500 to be paid upon project completion and upon approval from the city engineer and risk management.
Maker Girl Mania gets students interested in STEM: From making tie-dye T-shirts to driving a robot, nearly 300 girls experienced STEM (Science, Techology, Engineering and Mathematics) at the annual Maker Girls Mania at Clarkston High School.
Clarkston Boys Lacrosse posts first win in OAA league play: The Clarkston Boys Varsity Lacrosse team opened the week with two big wins including its first win in the OAA Red League with a 18-6 victory over Bloomfield Hills.

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