| A host of local and county officials gathered at the Orion Senior Center on Jan. 7 as U.S. Representative Dale Kildee announced an additional $150,000 federal earmark for the North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA) program.
The NOTA program received the first earmark of federal funds in October 2000, when a $250,000 check was presented to county commissioner Larry Obrecht, who spent the last five years working to get NOTA off the ground. The joint venture betweeen Orion, Oxford and Addison Townships currently has five passenger vans on the road, with plans to add a mini-bus.
The NOTA program replaces Orion Township's senior van program. As part of its agreement, the township board has donated use of its senior vans to the program, as well as kicking in money to purchase additional vehicles.
At the ceremony, township supervisor Jerry Dywasuk noted that Kildee played a major role in the development of the M-24 Task Force, helping to secure $500,000 in start-up funds. Village manager Jo Ann Van Tassel said although the congressman will probably not be representing the Orion/Oxford area anymore after redistricting, he is still showing that he cares for the residents of the area.
"It's been a great pleasure working with Lake Orion," Kildee said after presenting Obrecht with the additional $150,000 in NOTA funds. "For some people it took Sept. 11 to bring democrats and republicans together...out here, we've already been doing that."
"You can always call on me," he said. "Public transportation is very important."
Obrecht said ultimately NOTA plans to have seven vehicles on the road and to greatly expand the service hours.
"We are currently already doing some requests for early morning pick-ups, and we plan eventually to so that regularly," said NOTA director Karen Koski. | 
