Choze Powell

Event Will Donate $10,000 to Local Nonprofits

Community members will have an opportunity to give $10,000 to selected nonprofit organizations at the Community Foundation of St. Clair County’s first Minority Philanthropy Initiative event.

The Minority Philanthropy Initiative Giving Circle is on Thursday, October 28th from 5 – 7 PM at the Blue Water Convention Center.

The event will celebrate the diverse cultures represented in the Blue Water area with a variety of cultural dancing and musical performances along with food tastings from around the world.

Attendees will pay $100 for their ticket which contributes to a pool of money that will be donated to three nonprofits that evening. The goal is to gather at least 100 people and give away $10,000.

Jessica Brown,  Minority Philanthropy Initiative committee member, said, “This is going to be a very important opportunity for us to gather together, to learn culturally, share our stories, network, eat together, dance together and enjoy each other’s company.”

All guests must register by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 19th. Information about registration is available at stclairfoundation.org.

Or access the registration form here: https://commfoundation.wufoo.com/forms/z7cizff1crzbdk/

Bridge Card System Down This Weekend

Michiganders who use Bridge Cards to buy food or use cash assistance benefits will be unable to do so late Saturday and early Sunday while a system upgrade is implemented that will provide easier access to benefits.

The Bridge Card system will be down from approximately 11 PM on Saturday, October 16th to 11 AM on Sunday, October 17, 2021.

Residents who receive food assistance, cash assistance and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) benefits loaded on the Electronic Benefit Transfer cards will not be able to redeem them during those hours. They can use the same cards beginning again at 11 a.m., Sunday without any effect on their benefits. Benefit balance information for all programs will be available at 11 a.m. and the transactional history will be available by 3 p.m.

“These system changes will improve access to food and cash assistance because clients now will be able to use a mobile app that was not previously available,” said Lew Roubal, MDHHS senior deputy director for opportunity. “We apologize for any inconvenience and chose a timeframe with low Bridge Card activity to make this transition.”

Submitted by MDHHS

Border Reopening in November

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued  a statement on the Michigan-Canada border reopening for vaccinated travelers beginning next month.

Whitmer said, “The relationship between Michigan and Canada is one built on trade, travel, and friendship. I am grateful to the government of Canada and our federal partners for coming together to reopen the Michigan-Canada border. I look forward to welcoming our neighbors as they cross the Ambassador Bridge or Detroit-Windsor Tunnel into Detroit, the Blue Water Bridge into Port Huron, or the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge into Sault Ste. Marie.”

She went on to say, “By reopening the border, we can build on Michigan’s economic momentum. We had the third-highest GDP growth in the second quarter of 2021 and have a $3.5 billion surplus to invest in our families, communities, and small businesses. I look forward to collaborating with our Canadian friends to emerge from the pandemic and usher in a new era of economic prosperity.”

Submitted by Governor Whitmer’s Office

Matt Brooks Converts Port Huron Alley Into Social Club

Matt Brooks, Entrepreneur and owner of several local businesses, wanted to create a space for games and social activity on the south end of downtown Port Huron. His newest venture, Jackleg Games & Social Club will fill that desire.

Jackleg Games & Social Club is an outdoor venue located behind Foundry at 1219 Military Street. Its neighbors to the west are The Hatch, a co-working space owned by Brooks, and The Hallway Entertainment, owned by Carol Hall and home to several escape rooms and Kid City.

The space has been outfitted with custom seating, fire pits, string lights, and cozy landscaping to help visitors feel like they are stepping into a friend’s backyard. The definition of the word “jackleg” is unskilled or amateur, so Brooks hopes people keep that in mind while having fun at the new venue.

In the future, there will be a membership program where members can use the space and access the games such as giant Jenga, Connect Four, and corn hole, but, for now, those interested can check out the space while attending a couple of upcoming events.

The next event is a Blue Water Chamber of Commerce Business After Five on Thursday, October 14th from 5-7 PM. The event will take place at Jackleg Games & Social Club and includes music by Dave Liniarski.

On Saturday, October 16, 2021 Foundry is hosting a Halloween Party that includes raku pottery, an outdoor pottery firing experience. Visitors to that event will get to see Jackleg’s space as it connects to the alley behind Foundry.

When asked what he has in mind for the future of Jackleg Games & Social Club, Brooks said, “We look forward to hosting food trucks and playing wild and crazy games.” He also said the winter weather won’t stop them, and they plan to have leagues in the spring.

To learn more, follow Jackleg Games & Social Club on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/jacklegporthuron

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Photo Cred: Jackleg Games & Social Club – Photo by Cecelia Schuler – Downtown Imaging Co.

Croswell Received Clean Water Grant

Governor Gretchen Whitmer awarded more than $14 million in grants under the umbrella of the MI Clean Water plan to help 28 Michigan cities, villages and townships better ensure safe, clean tap water for residents.

“By making critical investments in our water infrastructure, we can create thousands of good-paying jobs and protect access to safe drinking water and drive down costs for families and communities,” said Governor Whitmer. “The MI Clean Water plan is a game-changer for Michigan and we should continue building on it to replace all lead service lines statewide, tackle toxic contaminants, and lower utility bills for families.”

The grants, issued through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) support work including replacing lead service lines, enhancing water affordability plans, and connecting homes with contaminated drinking water wells to safe community water supplies.

In our area, the City of Croswell received a $323,756  Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant.

Submitted by Governor Whitmer’s Office

Learn How to Adult in New 4-H Program

The 4-H Future Squad is a new program being offered by the MSU Extension, and its goal is to teach 12-19 year-olds how to “adult”.

“Adulting” is a fairly new verb being used to describe normal tasks of independent living such as paying bills, taking care of a home, and being a contributing member of a community.

The 4-H Future Squad consists of 30 virtual sessions along with an in-person session and a community service day. Youth must be enrolled in Michigan 4-H to participate, but registration is easy and available online.

Youth can attend as many sessions as they’d like to, and they will earn t-shirts and other incentives if they participate in 6 or more sessions. The program begins now (October 2021) and runs through June of 2022.

Some examples of topics include handling stress, preparing for work, communicating with others, and preparing food.

To learn more, visit the website here:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/career_preparation/4-hfuturesquad/