by Becky Andrus | Jun 7, 2022 | Local News
ONTV Announces the Premiere of New Series
“Ideas and Insights”
Orion Neighborhood Television, Orion’s community access television station, announces the premiere of a new series entitled “Ideas and Insights.” The program will premiere on June 11 at 9 p.m. on Comcast Ch. 10, AT&T U-verse 99 and simulcast at orionONTV.org. The show is produced and hosted by Dr. Badrinath Rao, Associate Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies at Kettering University. In the 8 episode series, Dr. Rao remotely interviews authors and professors from all over world to discuss topics about some of the most pressing issues of our time.
In the premiere episode, Dr. Rao discusses the distressing state of democracy across the globe with John Keane, professor of politics at the University of Sydney in Australia. Prof. Keane offers a seminal analysis of the aberrations of democracy from his latest book, “The New Despotism.” “Ideas and Insights” is like no other program ONTV has produced before,” says Ian Locke, ONTV executive director. “When Dr. Rao approached us with his idea for a program that would challenge viewers to think about the times we are in, we couldn’t say no. This program connects our viewers with leading thinkers of our time from across the globe to inspire us to think about how we interact with, and treat one another. It’s very inspiring and thought provoking.”
The program is produced at ONTV, but will be shared nationwide with other community TV stations. “Meaningful programming isn’t just found on commercial media outlets,” says Locke. “Stations like Orion Neighborhood Television exist to allow the public access to media, to encourage free speech, and the sharing of independent ideas.”
A new episode of “Ideas and Insights” will air weekly on Saturdays at 9 p.m. and include additional air times on Sundays at 9 a.m., Mondays at 9 p.m. and Wednesdays at 5 p.m. on all ONTV media platforms.
Orion Neighborhood Television is an award winning community access television station serving the Village of Lake Orion and Orion Township. ONTV is housed at the Orion Center at 1349 Joslyn Rd. ONTV can be seen on Comcast Cable, AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, Roku and Amazon Fire TV, via the Cablecast channel. Programs can also be seen on-demand at www.orionontv.org. Contact ONTV by phone: 248-393-1060, Email: [email protected].
by Becky Andrus | May 25, 2022 | Local News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Prem Mukherjee
Email: [email protected]
Grants to be awarded to children’s based charities by local renowned
fine art portrait studio.
LAKE ORION, MI — Arising Images, a local Lake Orion portrait studio, is offering an opportunity to submit applications for a charitable grant. Organizations must be a 501(c) 3 within 75 miles of the Lake Orion community and provide programs and/or services that focus on children. Multiple grants between $15k-$30k will be awarded.
Locally owned and operated by Prem and Cheridy Mukherjee since 2004, Arising Images is excited to open up this donation opportunity to the many worthy causes in the area. Prem says, “Supporting the mission of the good people doing the good works of providing programs & services to children in the community really aligns with our vision to help kids realize they are valued and important. By capturing their strength and inner beauty through portraits, our goal is always to reinforce their self-worth and build confidence. We also know that the process for applying and obtaining grants can be challenging for smaller charities so we have made the process to apply and be considered very simple. It really just seemed like a great marriage of our values.”
To be considered for a donation, organizations will submit an application on or before the deadline of July 31, 2022. After careful review, finalists will be notified and invited to do a short, in-person presentation at a date/time to be announced.
Complete submission criteria and application link is available at: https://arisingimages.com/grant_application/; Arising Images FB; or request by email at [email protected]. For more information, please call 248-720-5848.
About Arising Images
Arising Images, a Michigan boutique studio, specializes in children’s fantasy portraits that capture their innocence and amazement with mystical forest friends and magic in a lush realistic forest setting. Fine Art Photographer’s provide artistic images and heirloom quality products that last a lifetime and create a memorable family experience.
by Becky Andrus | Apr 19, 2022 | Local News
Media contact: Carla Tousley, treasurer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friends of the Orion Township Library Gently Used Book Sale
- May 18-21 Public Days / May 17 Preview for Friends Members and Teachers
(Lake Orion, Mich.) April 18, 2022 – The Friends of the Orion Township Library will be hosting the Friends Gently Used Book Sale at the library with public days Wednesday, May 18, 2022, through Saturday, May 21, 2022, and exclusive preview to “Friends” members and teachers on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
“Our Friends book sales are a great place to pick up summer reading material and help the Friends raise funds for our library at the same time,” said Don Walker, president of the Friends of the Orion Township Library. “Donations have continued pouring in, thanks to the generosity of library patrons, and we are well stocked again for the spring sale.” The Friends offer hard cover and soft cover books in over 40 categories, with prices at $1 or less. Cash, credit card, and checks accepted.
Spring Gently Used Book Sale
- Tuesday, May 17: Friends Member Day & Teacher Day (Memberships available at door) – 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Open to the Public 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 18: Open to the Public – 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 19: Open to the Public – 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Friday, May 20: Open to the Public –10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Half Off Day)
- Saturday, May 21: Open to the Public – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ($5 Bag Day)
olunteers:
Those interested in volunteering to help with the book sale, please reach out to the Friends at [email protected] or orionlibrary.org/friends.
About the Friends
The Friends are a 501 (c) 3 non profit organization that was started in 1985 “to promote public support of the Orion Township Public Library and the library in the community, to promote reading, literacy and lifelong learning, and to maintain an association of persons interested in the library.” Friends act in cooperation with the library board and staff, serving as a liaison between the community and library. All money raised by the Friends, except for minimal administrative costs such as postage and printing, is donated directly to the library in the way of program funding, material purchases and monetary contributions.
by Becky Andrus | Mar 21, 2022 | Local News
GM Seeks to Hire 100 Employees for Material Jobs at Orion Assembly
Hiring event scheduled for March 22 and 23
LAKE ORION, MICH. – General Motors is actively hiring 100 Material Department team members at the GM Subsystems operation within the Orion Assembly plant in Lake Orion, Michigan. The plant will host a job hiring event on March 22 and 23.
The event will run from 12:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23. Those attending should enter through the plant’s visitor lobby located at 4555 Giddings Road in Lake Orion.
Applicants are encouraged to register for the event here.
During the event, applicants will complete a screening and interview process. Expect job offers to be made the same day with a start date of March 28.
Job details include:
- Full time
• First shift (6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with overtime possibilities)
• Benefits on day one
• Part-time opportunities also available
To learn more about the Material jobs, view the job descriptions:
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.
by Becky Andrus | Mar 3, 2022 | Local News
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF ORION
OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR
CHRIS BARNETT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Barnett 248-391-0304 ext. 1001
[email protected]
UM-DEARBORN’S iLABS’ eCITIES RESEARCH RECOGNIZES ORION TOWNSHIP FOR SUPPORTING BUSINESS IN THEIR COMMUNITY
Orion Township, MI (March 2, 2022) – Orion Township has been recognized for its successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s entrepreneurial growth and economic development in the annual eCities study conducted by researchers at iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research. Orion Township was honored as a five-star community along with 97 other communities across the state.
“We are very proud that the University of Michigan has recognized Orion Township for its efforts in attracting new investment in the community. Our initiatives on Brown & Baldwin roads are contributing to meaningful change benefitting our residents in terms of tax base and new recreational opportunities while creating platforms for new business and employment,” said Chris Barnett, Orion Township Supervisor.
The eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities from 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets, and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments, and cost of doing business within the community. For example, over the five-year period of 2016-2020, these communities increased their capital assets by an average of 2.9 percent per year by investments such as park facilities, water and sewer infrastructure projects, and emergency vehicles, while property tax rates increased by less than 3 percent on average per year.
Although accounting for less than 20 percent of the State’s cities and townships, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 71 percent of Michigan’s population and 86 percent of the state’s commercial property. “Each year, the eCities project aims to highlight the successes and continued commitment of cities and townships to grow business and support entrepreneurship within their communities,” said Kari Kowalski, iLabs project manager.
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About University of Michigan-Dearborn
Founded in 1959 with a gift of just over 200 acres of land and $6.5 million from the Ford Motor Company, University of Michigan-Dearborn is a metropolitan university serving southeastern Michigan, committed to excellence rooted in strong academics, innovative research and programming and civic engagement. The university has 8,300 students pursuing more than 100 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees in liberal arts and sciences, engineering, business, education and health programs. A top-ranked university with faculty devoted to teaching and students committed to achievement, UM-Dearborn is shaped by its history of partnering with local leaders and communities, and is committed to finding solutions for the challenges that face the region.
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF ORION
OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR
CHRIS BARNETT
LINKS:
eCities homepage:
https://umdearborn.edu/cob/business-community/ilabs-center-innovation-research/entrepreneurship/ecities
List of all four-star communities:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i2DeeZ1mE2ofxCYTkWG31DJ2GOWOgMco/view?usp=sharing
List of all five-star communities:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lHhrRxx1J2wbQuyyg9i8H20j_MEr4wNl/view?usp=sharin
by Becky Andrus | Jan 26, 2022 | Local News
Children Will Play on New Playscape at Lake Orion’s Lakefront Park Thanks to Grant
Pontiac, Michigan – The Village of Lake Orion, a member of Main Street Oakland County, was one of 25 communities nationwide – and the only one in Michigan – to receive a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant. The village will use the grant to enhance Green’s Park with a new playscape and pavilion.
“The Village of Lake Orion is the only small town in Michigan to receive the first round of the nationwide T-Mobile Hometown Grants,” said John Bry, supervisor of Main Street Oakland County. “Molly LaLone, executive director of Lake Orion’s Downtown Development Authority, identified the grant opportunity and helped Village Councilmember Teresa Rutt, serving on the parks and recreation committee, begin the grant process last year.”
Rutt applied for the grant last June.”We are grateful to T-Mobile for the opportunity to invest in recreation space in a way that will improve the quality of life in our area by creating a gathering space for the community,” Rutt said. “This is the largest grant the committee has received during my eight plus years on the village’s parks and recreation committee.”
The grant will cover the cost of the playscape but not the estimated $15,000 installation costs. The additional costs include labor, tools, equipment, concrete, unloading and sorting materials, prepping the site, providing safety and landscape restoration. Rutt said the parks and recreation committee will schedule a “Community Build Day” in the spring of 2022 to help defer these expenses. To volunteer, contact the Village Hall at 248-693-8391. Look for updates on the village website at www.lakeorion.org.
The village’s Department of Public Works will help, and an engineer from Penchura, LLC, Brighton, Mich., will be on hand to make sure their Tree Tops playscape is installed to appropriate specifications. Green’s Park is two acres with 560 feet of frontage on Lake Orion. It is the only one of the village’s six parks with lake access.
T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants are designed to help jumpstart community development projects and reenergize small towns, building upon what makes them unique. T-Mobile partnered with Main Street
America and Smart Growth America, two consulting partners with a combined experience of more than 60 years working to help build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. Together, they determined the grant recipients based on several factors, including detail and fullness of the submission, community impact and viability of the project.
“These incredible projects spark innovation, ingenuity and hard work that have always been the hallmark of our nation’s small towns,” said Jon Freier, executive vice president of T-Mobile’s Consumer Group. “From beautifying historic Main Streets to building all-new retail spaces, pop-ups and parks, this is part of our commitment to rural America. We can’t wait to see all these creative plans come to life.”
This group of 25 communities is just the first round of recipients. T‑Mobile has committed $25 million to small town grants over the next five years and plans to award Hometown Grants on a quarterly basis to towns with populations of less than 50,000. For more information on applying, visit: www.tmobile.com/brand/hometown-grants.
Since 2006, the Lake Orion DDA has been a MSOC nationally accredited community. Its mission is to enhance the economic potential and preserve the historical character of the Lake Orion DDA District, the heart and hub of the Orion Community, through promotional activities and an organizational structure that focuses on community involvement with local businesses, residents, and other stakeholders.
To date, nearly $963 million in public and private investments have been made to Main Street downtowns, establishing 1,254 new businesses, and generating 8,303 jobs. Oakland County is the first and only county in the U.S. to operate a full-service, countywide Main Street coordinating program. MSOC has 25 designated communities currently in the program.
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