Choze Powell

Port Huron Township is asking residents to approve an increase in the fire millage in the August primary election. The increase will take the current mills levied from 1.5 to 3.0.

Port Huron Township Fire Chief Randy Vesper explained that the increase is needed to allow the hiring of three more full-time members. The increased funding would ease the strain on Port Huron Township’s General Fund while the Fire Department would be able to establish a more consistent workforce and maintain its level of service.

There is currently a shortage of volunteer and paid-on-call personnel, and calls for service continue to increase. Being a volunteer firefighter or a paid-on-call firefighter requires a cumbersome amount of training in everything from Hazardous Materials to Emergency Medical Response.

It has become difficult for potential volunteer firefighters to obtain the required training and the requirements continue to increase with state and local mandates.

If the millage does not pass, the three new hires won’t happen, but the millage increase would be back on the ballot in November.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Does your neighbor deserve the coveted yellow tulip for their stunning landscaping skills? It’s time to nominate your favorite homeowner or business for the City of Port Huron Beautification Commission’s Yard of the Year contest.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, July 15, 2022, and they can be submitted to the Port Huron City Clerk through mail by writing the nominee’s name and address on a sheet of paper or by filling out the nomination form available <HERE>. You can also email nominations to beautifyph@porthuron.org.

The Beautification Commission selects members from the local Master Gardeners group to judge the nominees. Residential winners are recognized with a wooden yellow tulip to place in front of their homes. Business owners or nonprofit winners receive a plaque.

Judging takes place from the street at the end of July, and the awards will be distributed in September.

For more information, visit PortHuron.org

Operation Transformation is gearing up for their annual Family Night during Blue Water Fest or Boat Week. The event is planned for Thursday, July 14th from 5 – 9 PM.

Family Night takes over the lawn area near the northeast corner of the 10th Street bridge in Port Huron where vendors set up kid-friendly activities and provide resources for families. This year’s planned activities are pony rides, a petting zoo, live music, carnival games, and more. There will be plenty of fund for kids and all activities are free.

Operation Transformation is also looking for sponsors for the event to join with their main sponsors: Blue Water Area Churches, James C. Acheson Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Port Huron, Power 88.3/90.7 Hope FM, and Woman’s Life Chapters 800 & 808.

Volunteers can help set up the event, direct vendors to their places, and clean up when the event ends. To volunteer, contact Renee Hernandez at 810-966-8660.

More information is available at www.optrans.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

The Blue Water River Walk has a new sculpture honoring the area’s Native American past and looking toward the future with hope. A ceremony to dedicate the Seven Grandfathers sculpture will be on June 21st at 10 AM.

Friends of the St. Clair River is celebrating Indigeneous culture and art at the dedication of the Seven Grandfathers sculpture and the River Walk Garden or Giitigan. The ceremony includes drumming and dancers from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, a smudging ceremony, and a planting project.

The Seven Grandfathers sculpture was carved by Garret Nahdee of the Ojibway Tribe of Walpole Island, and it stands overlooking the St. Clair River at about the middle of the River Walk trail.

Friends Restoration Coordinator Brooke Hiller said, “We want people to come celebrate indigenous culture, learn about native plants, and help us celebrate this project for healing the past and giving hope for the future. We are thrilled to have been awarded a Wildflower Association of Michigan grant to complete the new River Walk Giitigan with plants of Native American significance. Giitigan is the Anishinaabe word for garden. Anishinaabe people are Native Americans and First Nations (Canadian) members of local tribes in the Blue Water Area.”

The ceremony is open to the public and all tools for planting will be provided.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Kyle Vining, MBA, has been named chief financial officer for McLaren Port Huron. In this role, Kyle will provide administrative leadership and oversee Accounting and Finance, Regulatory Compliance, Patient Access, Reimbursement, Medical Records, Utilization Management and Supply Chain for the 186-bed hospital.

He joins McLaren after eight years at Beaumont Health, where he most recently served as director of finance at the Dearborn and Farmington Hills hospitals.

“We’re excited to have Kyle as part of the team here,” says Eric Cecava, MBA, president and CEO of McLaren Port Huron. “Combining his passion for health care with his experience in managing the finances of two large hospitals makes him a great asset.”

“I’m impressed with the strong culture at McLaren Port Huron, especially how well the team works together to provide high quality, compassionate care to the community,” says Kyle. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to the overall success of the organization and the community we serve.”

Kyle received his undergraduate degree in Accounting from Western Michigan University. He also graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with an MBA.

Submitted by McLaren Port Huron Hospital