Food Drives in Clawson Help Needy Families

With more children living in poverty, recent welfare cuts and high unemployment, assistance from Grace Apostolic Church and others helps residents survive.

For the past two years, Patrick Henderson has organized an internal food pantry for needy families at Grace Apostolic Church. Henderson said he served about 50-60 families a year, but wished for a more expanded effort. This year, Henderson's wish came true. Volunteers at Grace have teamed with Mayor Penny Luebs' office to host two food drives for families in Clawson. "I've always wanted to do it," Henderson said Monday during the first food drive. "I am absolutely ecstatic." In Michigan, 23 percent of children were living in poverty by 2009 compared with 14 percent in 2000 and with an unemployment rate, at 10.9 percent, worse than the nation’s, the New York Times reported. The food drive comes at a time when the demand for food is expected…

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City Leaders Form Clawson Community Foundation

Resource is designed to help organizations, initiatives and projects.

Clawson residents will soon be introduced to a initiative designed to help organizations and projects within the city. The Clawson Community Foundation has been formed to serve as a resource for groups that may not be eligible for tax exemption. Acting as an umbrella for groups, such as the Clawson Farmers Market, the CCF will provide a way to give back, with a monetary contribution or property donation, to the little city with a big heart. The Clawson Community Foundation was incorporated in July 2011. Farmers Market director Travis Cochran brought the idea to life with help of city attorneys John Kingsepp and Lauren Trible-Laucht. Cochran said the initiative is an asset to Clawson because there is no other organization that supports …

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Mavericks to Celebrate Homecoming on Saturday

The football organization honors its original board of directors and celebrates its 40-year anniversary.

The Clawson Mavericks youth football and cheerleading organization will host its homecoming game Saturday in a matchup against Hazel Park. The event, held at City Park, will celebrate the group's 40th anniversary with a special ceremony.  General Manager Todd Shattuck said the Mavericks' original board from 40 years ago will be honored between the freshman and junior varsity games. Ken Zeiter, the first president of the Mavericks, recalled the original board members in a statement released by the organization. "I was nominated president, Ken Eads was vice president, John Magill was treasurer, and Larry Grady and I were the conference representatives," Zeiter said. The rest of the original board of directors included Sue Grove, Jerry and …

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Stuff-a-Backpack Drive Exceeds Last Year's Results

Police were able to provide more students with backpacks this year thanks to donations and supplies from the community.

Nearly 200 needy students received school supplies this year thanks to the Clawson Police Department's annual stuff-a-backpack collection, a department official said Thursday. Clawson Detective Lt. Scott Sarvello said the department delivered 188 stuffed backpacks to Clawson schools the week before school started. The first day of school was Sept. 6. This was an increase from last year when they distributed 154 bags. Sarvello said the department's collection and drive raised about $900 in addition to school supplies the community donated. "Once again this backpack drive was very successful with the help and contributions from many citizens, the Clawson Schools PTA's, residents of the Clawson Manor, the Clawson American Legion, GFWC Clawson…

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UPDATE: Clawsonites Unite For Storm Cleanup; 1,000 Still Without Power

Residents and city workers are still clearing damage left by a powerful storm that hit the south end of Clawson on Saturday.

High piles of branches line the curbs of the south end of Clawson as the neighborhood cleans up after a brief but powerful storm blew through the area late Saturday afternoon. Debris is still scattered across yards, and sounds of chain saws echo on almost every block. Late Sunday night, DTE Energy was reporting a little more than 1,000 customers without power. Yellow caution tape guards danger zones where power lines are still down. Many residents said Saturday night's powerful storm left the worst damage they've seen. But the neighborhood unity in Clawson has made this challenge a bit easier for those affected. "All of the neighbors came out and cleaned it all up," said Ryan Pote, who lives on the 600 block of Redruth. Pote said several …

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Hometown Hero

Eva Burns: Promoting Her Community

Burns serves as president of the Library Board and a member of the Clawson Juniors.

If there’s one thing that Eva Burns really enjoys, it’s promoting Clawson. Since the late 1960s Burns has been involved in the community in many ways. She grew up in Troy, moving to Clawson in 1966. There was a period in Burns' life when she moved to Oxford, but she and her husband Timothy kept the house in Clawson and eventually moved back in 2000. Even while she lived in Oxford, Burns remained active in the Clawson community. Her participation with the Clawson Juniors, the local division of the General Federation of Women's Club (GFWC), started 39 years ago. Burns said she has held every membership position available in the Juniors, and recently finished her term as president. She likes participating in the GFWC because it strives to …

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Hometown Hero

Deborah Wooley: Maintaining a Community Celebration

Planning the Fourth of July parade isn't an easy job, but Wooley is up for the task.

Every year crowds of people flock the streets of Clawson to watch the Fourth of July parade. The hour that it takes the parade to snake through town is the end result of dozens of hours put in by the Fourth of July Parade Committee led by Deborah Wooley. Nine years ago, Wooley became involved with the committee and hasn’t left her role as chair since. She said a lot of time goes into planning the parade and every year she strives to add new participants. Along with new participants, she has been trying to find additional people to help with the parade planning. “There are about 15 people total who help to put on the parade the day of and a few prior to that,” Wooley said. “It’s a lot of work.” Wooley said it doesn’t matter how long people …

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Hometown Hero

Paul Lukas: Embracing His Neighboring Community

Troy resident Paul Lukas volunteers in Clawson whenever his help is needed.

Although Paul Lukas is a resident of Troy, he dedicates a lot of his time to volunteering in the neighboring community of Clawson.  Lukas, 45, embraces Clawson as if it were his own community by helping out with many projects around town including Friends of the Library, the Fourth of July celebration, Relay for Life, working at the Clawson Historical Museum and more. Lukas began volunteering in Clawson three years ago with the Fourth of July celebration Firecracker Mile Race and crowd control. Since then, he has continued to serve the Clawson community. “He perseveres in asking what he can do around Clawson, what events are going on and I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing and able to volunteer,” Mayor Penny Luebs said of Lukas…

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Hometown Hero

Friends of the Library: Working Hard to Sustain a Valued Part of Community

The Friends of the Blair Memorial Library received the 2011 Clawson Volunteers of the Year Award.

A group of book and community enthusiasts, known as the Friends of the Blair Memorial Library, donate their time and efforts each month to support Clawson's public library. This group has seen an influx of members this year, including Clare Mann, current president for Friends of the Library. However, Mann said, the group could always use more volunteers. Each member of Friends provides something significant to the group, Mann said, whether it be marketing knowledge, a knack for brainstorming or a past in library work. The Friends operate by bringing together people with different skills to work toward one common goal: sustaining the library. This year, the city awarded Friends of the Library with the 2011 Clawson Volunteers of the Year …

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Hometown Hero

Chuck Rondeau: Clawson's Volunteer Cameraman For Nearly 25 Years

Rondeau has been volunteering his time to produce local event footage since 1987.

Clawson resident and avid volunteer Chuck Rondeau, 55, spends a lot of time behind the camera or in the control booth, working as the producer and director for ClawTV, the cable TV channel for Clawson Public Schools. His role as the volunteer cameraman started in 1987. At the time, he was one of the “soccer dads” who decided to help tape footage for the council meetings to run on the local government station. He did not have any professional videotaping or editing experience prior to that, but now, he is a whiz behind the scenes. Today, he films sporting events, pageants and other community and school events in Clawson. “He’s just a wonderful volunteer, he’s always concerned, always willing to help out," said Clawson Schools Superintendent…

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