A majority of Orchard Lake voters authorized the city to vacate a portion of property on Willow Lane during the Tuesday, Nov. 8 general election. Voters were asked the following: “Shall the City of Orchard Lake Village vacate, discontinue and abolish 40 feet of roadway located at the end of Willow Lane, formerly known as Troy Street, in the City of Orchard Lake Village, and then sell the vacated portion of the road?” The proposal [...]

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s won its third consecutive district championship in convincing fashion as it defeated Redford Thurston, 62-20, in a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 3 district final on Friday, Nov. 4. With the win, the Eaglets earned a home matchup with Linden (7-4) in a Division 3 regional final on Saturday, Nov. 12. The Eaglets (9-2) won their sixth district title in eight seasons with a punishing rushing attack that wore [...]

It will be up to Orchard Lake voters to decide during the Tuesday, Nov. 8 general election whether the city should vacate a portion of city property on Willow Lane. The property is located on the west shore of Orchard Lake on Willow Lane, off of Old Orchard Trail near Birchway, and juts out where Willow Lane dead-ends. According to the Orchard Lake City Charter, before the City Council disburses, vacates or abolishes any city [...]

The Orchard Lake City Council will be mulling whether it should use reprogrammed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from 2010 and 2011 along with a new allocation for improved accessibility of City Hall facilities, during a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 17. “The work would include installing automatic opening doors via a push button, as well as new doors and mitigating a water issue in the lobby,” said City Service Director Gerry McCallum. The [...]

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s defeated Warren De La Salle at home, 35-10, on Friday, Oct. 7 to clinch a state playoff berth. St. Mary’s is also tied for first-place in the Detroit Catholic League Central Division with Novi Detroit Catholic Central. The Eaglets and Shamrocks will square off at Shamrock Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 15 to decide the division title. Grant Niemiec rushed for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns on 15 carries, including an 80-yard [...]

Former Orchard Lake St. Mary’s hockey standout Dan Milan, 19, is living a dream as he has signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Milan recently participated in the Lightning’s training camp and had a chance to practice with some of the best players in the game, including Steve Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. The Lightning’s general manager and vice president also happens to be Milan’s idol, Steve [...]

With the state spotlight shining on its home field on a wet, dreary night, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s pulled through with a thrilling 10-9 victory in overtime over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice on Friday, Sept. 30. After Cheyne Lacnaria threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Brian Roney in the Warriors’ first possession of overtime, Brother Rice’s extra-point attempt failed. Then it was St. Mary’s turn, as Dan Clements threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Chris [...]

It was a rough week for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, as the Eaglets lost and drew a tie in two matches last week. St. Mary’s began the week at home with a 5-3 loss to Dearborn Divine Child on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Senior midfielder Kyle Richards scored the Eaglets’ first goal with an assist from junior Brandon Fagnani. Striker Mavis Gappy also scored a goal on a header from a cross by freshman Jonathon Stoneback. [...]

The Orchard Lake City Council extended a pair of personal service contracts just prior to a Thursday, Sept. 15 deadline that calls for municipalities to comply with a pending state law that limits government spending on public employees’ health care. The contracts of Director of City Services Gerry McCallum and City Clerk Rhonda McClellan were extended one year to June 30, 2014 to mirror the police bargaining unit’s contract set to expire in 2014. Currently [...]

Jenny Birmelin, 33, became the first Michigan woman on record to swim the English Channel in 11 hours, 31 minutes, and 7 seconds. A middle school teacher at Orchard Lake Middle School in West Bloomfield, Birmelin swam 24 nautical miles, a distance of 28 land miles, from Dover, England to France while braving freighters, jellyfish, water currents, and the frigid temperatures of the English Channel. She has chronicled her journey from Detroit to Dover on [...]