Ortonville? In 1940, at the beginning stages of World War II in a small dance hall near Eastburn, England, George Craven, 19, a solider in the Royal British Army asked a local girl Mary Lund, 22, to dance. That dance lasted more than 60 years. In 1942 the couple were married at St. Thomas Church […]
Brandon Fire Department Robert McArthur says they’re ready. Given a steady increase in emergency calls coupled with a local building boom, McArthur has spent the last several years working with other local officials contending with a forecasted population increase. ‘Right now we have a 10 year plan for growth in the area,? said McArthur, local […]
Somewhere under a tangle of Thorn apple trees, green stagnated water and cattails lie miles of county drains’some more than 100 years old. Originally designed to drain water from farmers? fields during spring rains, the ribbons of three-foot deep ditches through woods, fields, and meadows have for the most part blended into the topography of […]
* In May, a bill was introduced amending the Michigan Vehicle Code that would make a driver who garnered seven points on their license drivers license over two years pay an additional $100 fee. The ‘responsibility fee,? would increase by $50 for every point over seven until which time the license was suspended. The Secretary […]
Groveland Twp.? In the distance the low, dull roar of heavy diesel powered gravel mining equipment labors. Yet, the sound produced by the machines, say residents who live near the Perryville Road and Dixie Highway gravel pit, is minor compared to the environmental damage produced. Until now. ‘Since the pumps stopped the water in my […]
Groveland Twp.’On the banks of Renchek Lake two Dominican sisters etched an enduring mark on the pristine wooded shoreline. In 1973, sisters Mary Martin and Anne Mary Kearney made the trek from New Jersey to Ortonville on a mission, establishing the Our Lady of Mt.Thabor Monastery. After 30 years and thousands of prayers, the small […]
Groveland Twp.’On the banks of Renchek Lake two Dominican sisters etched an enduring mark on the pristine wooded shoreline. In 1973, sisters Mary Martin and Anne Mary Kearney made the trek from New Jersey to Ortonville on a mission, establishing the Our Lady of Mt.Thabor Monastery. After 30 years and thousands of prayers, the small […]
About a year ago I returned to my hometown of Alma, MI, located about 50 miles north of Lansing just off US-27. It had been several years since I visited the old homestead and although my family is now scattered throughout the county and the place is long since sold, I figured one last drive […]
Ortonville-While his roots were grounded in Ireland, his heart remained in Ortonville. Fr. John J. Hardy, the proclaimed ‘Bishop of Ortonville,? St. Anne’s first pastor and a priest for 65 years, died July 30, 2003 at Lourdes Nursing Home. He was 92. Fr. Hardy was born March 30, 1911 in the Corktown area of Detroit, […]
Brandon Twp.? At least five coats of paint covered her face, her arm was cracked and mold covered most of her body. Yet, for more than 25 years the four-foot statue of a robed lady survived. A gift from the Brandon High School Class of 1968 which had once occupied the Harvey-Swanson Elementary school building, […]