Last Friday evening, May 5th, my wife and I were honored to be guests of our friends PJ and Kim Reynolds at an Oakland Christian School (OCS) event to raise funds and awareness of the great education students receive at this Auburn Hills school.  Although the school got its start in 1968, it would be October 15, 1977, when 383 students and faculty began classes in their new home in Auburn Hills.  It was truly and outstanding event and three of their alums were honored for special achievements.  An even greater treat was watching and listening to the many performances of their students.  There are a lot of talented students at that school.   Continue reading “An Evening with Oakland Christian School” →

Far, far away, or so it seems, is Hawk Woods Nature Center, an Auburn Hills jewel that is truly worth the visit.  Aside from its nature trails, pond, pavilion and many other amenities, I had the chance on Saturday evening to rent its six cabins and lodge for a family get-together.  Twenty-one of my family members gathered on Saturday afternoon for an overnight stay.   Continue reading “Camping at Hawk Woods Nature Center” →

Whether you know it or not, today is National Day of Prayer, instituted in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and then President Harry S. Truman.  Held each year, and this is the 36th, is the Rochester Area Prayer Breakfast.  Today, it was celebrated in glorious form by nearly 900 people who heard the gospel, listened to choir music, and were inspired by the words of Reverend Faith Fowler, Executive Director of Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) in Detroit.   Continue reading “Celebrating National Day of Prayer” →

First, I want to thank Oakland Community College for inviting me as their guest to the annual Oakland County Economic Outlook Luncheon last Thursday, April 27th.  I have attended this event annually for a number of years and very much appreciate the level of information delivered by economists from the University of Michigan.  Without going into great detail, there are two specific pieces of information that are among the greatest takeaways from the presentation.  First, the unemployment rate is very low in Oakland County and hovering just above 4%.  Of course, that is good news.  However, this also means there are very few people available for the thousands of jobs that need to be filled throughout the county.  It also appears that steady job growth will continue in the county as we look out through 2019, with an expected stable and relatively modest inflation rate and an auto industry that appears to maintain its market share in producing the world’s automobiles.  Congratulations to County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and his entire Team at Oakland County for what continues to be one of the best counties in the country in which to live, work, and play.  Auburn Hills is honored to be among one of the many communities that make up this great county!

Anyone interested in receiving a copy of the Summary Report of the 32nd Economic Outlook can do so by contacting my office.  We’ll be happy to send you a scanned copy.

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Tom Tanghe, City Manager  

Looking back at last night, there’s no doubt that Mayor Kevin McDaniel took great pride in presenting a proclamation to Mr. Ed Guay, an Avondale Public Schools Teacher who was recently named Oakland Schools Teacher of the Year.  Mr. Guay has been teaching English and Drama in the school district for thirty years, so it’s fitting that as his career at Avondale is coming to a close, he has received such a wonderful acknowledgment for his years of successfully educating students in the district.  The tables were turned last night when Mayor McDaniel had the chance to call Mr. Guay to the head of the class (well, City Council Chamber), since Mr. Guay was once a teacher of Mayor McDaniel’s.  When you meet Mr. Guay, you know right away that his enthusiasm for teaching can hardly be contained.  All of us at the City of Auburn Hills wish Mr. Guay a long, healthy, and happy retirement.  We know he’s earned it!

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Tom Tanghe, City Manager

It’s another exciting day for Auburn Hills at Oakland University.  I had the privilege of attending today’s groundbreaking ceremony for what will become the newly expanded version of the Oakland Center (OC), OU’s main student gathering place.  The nearly $50 million expansion promises to be a spectacular addition to this thriving campus and as I can attest, will provide badly needed space for students.  On occasion, I am on campus in the OC during the day and I witness firsthand a number of students sitting on the floor in the hallways due to a lack of available seating.  For me, the OC is really a special place.  As an undergrad and graduate student at OU in the mid-80’s to early 90’s, I remember a rather simple building with few amenities, but it was the center of a lot of college life.  Of course, it met the needs at the time.  I often joke that I received my undergrad at OU back when it was a one-room schoolhouse.  Well . . . not quite.  Over the years, I’ve taken a class here and there and I am currently enrolled as a student, experiencing what is the new and improved current version of the OC.  But now I will have the opportunity to experience yet another generation of the OC, the one that begins construction and renovation this summer and re-opens next year as the latest and greatest version.   Continue reading “Auburn Hills Welcomes Oakland Center Expansion at OU” →