Blue Water Middle College Academy (BWMCA) welcomed Tyrone Burrell to its Board of Trustees. Burrell was recently appointed to replace Kenneth Cummings who has served BWMCA since 2011.
Burrell is respected in the community for his work as the Executive Director of SONS Outreach, an organization he founded that focuses on mentoring and developing at-risk youth in the Blue Water Area.
Matthew Ruiz, Blue Water Middle College Director, said, “Tyrone brings decades of experience to our board. His unique background and perspective will help the middle college expand its reach to the area’s at-risk, disadvantaged, and first-generation college students and improve their access to quality postsecondary education opportunities.”
Blue Water Middle College Academy is a charter school that partners with participating high schools in the area to enable students to attend college at St. Clair County Community College starting in their 11th grade year. Participating students have the opportunity to graduate high school with both a high school diploma and an associate degree if they complete the program.
St. Clair County, MI — Veteran Food Assistance vouchers are back, and they are available through the St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs.
The County Veterans Service Fund Grant grocery voucher program helps veterans who are experiencing an emergent need for food assistance.
The program offers $50 and $100 vouchers redeemable at Meijer stores for food, paper, laundry and household cleaning products. They can also be used for health and beauty care products and pet food.
Wartime and peacetime veterans, service members, dependents, or survivors who need assistance may apply by completing a short application on the St. Clair County Department of Veterans Affairs’ website at www.sccvet.us and clicking on the Emergency Grants tab.
The application can also be mailed by calling the VA Office (810) 989-6945.
Port Huron, MI — Downtown Port Huron has decided to close Huron Avenue during Blue Water Fest, and they are looking for arts & crafts vendors to fill up the streets.
Vendors can apply through an online application available on the Downtown port Huron Facebook page or <HERE> . The opportunity to have a booth on Huron Avenue is open to non-food vendors only.
Some downtown businesses will join the mix and set up tents in the street as well. The booths must be open on Thursday and Friday from 4 – 9 PM, but they may be open longer if the vendor desires.
Business vendors will pay a $250 vendor fee while arts & crafts vendors will pay $150 and nonprofits $100. This will be a great way to share your business with the foot traffic that spends time downtown during Boat Week and Blue Water Fest activities.
Although this year’s Boat Week activities were scaled down due to uncertainty about rules for public gatherings, a lot of favorites will still be present this year.
The Rotary International Day Parade is planned for Wednesday, July 21st, OT’s Family Night is planned for Thursday, July 22nd, and popular events like Mannequins Making a Difference and the Blue Water Fest carnival will take place that week.
The Lambton County Library is ready to give away some amazing prizes for its summer readers. The Every Hero Has a Story, summer reading program is open for registration and available to Lambton County Library cardholders for free.
“The Library encourages heroes of all ages from around Lambton County to read stories, participate in activities, and discover online programs,” said Greer Macdonell, Community Library Supervisor. “The more registrants read and participate, the more chances they will have to win amazing prizes.”
The summer reading program runs through July and August, and registered participants will receive an age-specific registration package in French or English with program details, stickers, and supplies.
For every five books read, kids will earn a prize, and up to three prizes can be earned per child. There is also a summer reading program for teens and adults, along with online activities featuring local heroes.
The National Guard Youth Challenge program just celebrated the graduation of their 44th class, and two St. Clair County youth were part of their ranks. Justin Marsee and Caleb Gelaude completed the 22-week self development program and both received their high school diplomas.
Justin Marsee was a homeschooled 16 year old when he decided to enroll in the program. Now that he has graduated from the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy and earned his high school diploma early, he is ready to pursue a degree in Computer Security at Macomb Community College.
Caleb Gelaude is 17 years old and attended Marine City High School before entering the program. Now, he has secured a job at the New Baltimore Department of Public Works and looks forward to a career in skilled trades where he can have benefits and good pay.
Candace Gelaude, Caleb’s mother, and Susan Marsee, Justin’s mother, both said it was difficult to say goodbye to their sons for the 5 1/2 month long program. Because of COVID-19, they were unable to visit or see their boys until they graduated, but both said the sacrifice was worth it.
“It was so hard to let him go,” said Susan Marsee, “but when I saw him come off that bus, it was all worth it.”
“”If it wasn’t for the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy, I don’t know where my son would be,” said Candace Gelaude. “Doing virtual [school] set him back a bit, and I was concerned about some of the people he was hanging out with. When we sent him, I was a nervous wreck; I was emotional, but when I heard the transformation that was happening with him, I knew it was a positive reflection [of the program]. He went there and he excelled. I can’t even explain it.”
The program emphasizes self-discipline and service, and both mothers shared that their sons have demonstrated those characteristics since coming home.
“It made him use his head and think as a young kid. He understands that there are consequences to his actions whether they be good or bad, and now he talks to my husband and me with the utmost respect,” said Candace Gelaude, “The transformation is phenomenal.”
The 44th graduating class included youth from 36 Michigan counties, and the voluntary program involves the opportunity to earn high school credit while participating in military activities like drill formations, physical fitness tests, and community outreach.
MYCA Drill Exercise
“As part of their Youth Challenge experience, these cadets have provided a total of 2,884 hours of service to their community, averaging 27.2 hours per cadet,” said Anica Simmons, deputy director of the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy. “Their volunteer efforts provide additional opportunities for career exploration as well as enhancing community-needs awareness and understanding the importance of giving back.”
Youth in the program have to earn privileges by demonstrating discipline and respect for rules and routines. They begin the program as cadets and rank up as they advance in the program and mature in their leadership abilities.
The next session of the Michigan Youth Academy Challenge starts in July and is open now for interested 16 – 18 year old students. Prospective students must participate in an orientation.
To schedule an orientation, contact Frank Vasquez at (269) 968-1397
A new option is available for small and medium sized businesses in Sarnia to help identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in the workplace. The StaySafe TM Lambton will provide free rapid COVID-19 tests.
Businesses with 150 employees or less can order free screening kits online at StaySafeLambton.ca. Once the kits are ordered online, they can be picked up at the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce office in Downtown Sarnia.
Businesses will receive a two-week supply that will enable them to test their employees twice each week. The tests are pain-free and can be performed right at the workplace. The test results are available in 15 minutes.
Frequent screening with rapid antigen tests can increase the chance of identifying early or symptom-free cases of COVID-19. They can provide an extra layer of protection for the workplace and prevent spread of the virus.
The StaySafe TM Lambton program is made possible through funding from the Digital Main Street program through TechAlliance and the Government of Ontario.
