George James

The next few months look to be a busy time in Fort Gratiot with local businesses expanding and moving into new spaces as well as businesses coming to the area for the first time. The Township is also seeing renewed interest in developing local properties for additional housing.

Fort Gratiot Township Supervisor, Rob Crawford, said in an interview this week that with the relatively mild winter, area construction projects have been moving along well, but the weather is still a factor in some of the projects. He says it’s likely that the Culver’s building will be completed in the near future, but warmer temperatures will be needed in order for the asphalt companies to pave the parking lot. There’s also been interest, but no confirmed tenants, for the former Golden Corral building. Godwin’s Furniture is expected to complete its move into the former Toys R Us building near early summer.

The PACE Program is purchasing property from Lakeshore Presbyterian Church and plans to create a facility for those who need medical assistance and possibly even a Senior Day Care.

As far as housing, two township properties are being considered for development. Lakeshore Woods on Lakeshore Road is undergoing a major expansion and there’s talk of Lake Huron Woods Senior Living Community expanding in the coming months, as well.

For complete details on all the projects in Fort Gratiot, go to ebw.tv.

Kimball Township’s newest business is officially open.  NOLA Cafe opened to the public this week after the final equipment installations and inspections. 

Kimball residents, Andrea and Christopher Shifflett, hope to share their love of New Orleans through New Orleans style food, beverages, and desserts as well as their classic New Orleans decor. They also want to incorporate the inclusive feel of the southern city, where everyone is welcome. Over the course of 10 years, they’ve tried four other times to create their dream. Andrea says they’ve hit roadblocks in previous attempts, but this time they have made it happened. 

This family-owned coffee shop’s signature beverage is the praline latte with other beverage specialties including hot chocolate and Bubble Tea. As far as food, the sharable muffaletta will be the featured item as well as a variety of homemade baked goods. The shop is located at 5287 Lapeer Road. The Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce will host a grand opening ceremony for the cafe on March 13 at 4 p.m.

The Harsen’s Island St. Clair Flats Association has joined ranks with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. The non-profit has established a fund with the Foundation, as announced on Wednesday. The Harsen’s Island St. Clair Flats Association came from a merger of the Harsen’s Island Improvement Association and the St. Clair Flats Association. 

The group works on advocacy for residents who are struggling with high water and the effects it has on properties as well as maintaining public spaces on the island in the southern part of St. Clair County and hosting events for the community. The group is the largest homeowner’s association in Michigan, according to their website. 

Harsen’s Island is a unique island community that relies on a ferry to get to jobs and commerce on the mainland. The Harsen’s Island St. Clair Flats Association maintains a Park and Ride lot for ferry commuters as well as a clean water station for boaters. The partnership with the Community Foundation is intended to provide long-term funding and opportunity for giving for the group that has been working to improve life on the island since 1925. More information about the association can be found on their website hiscfa.org.

A St. Clair native is set to make his debut on Broadway this month! Matt Manuel will join the cast of Broadway’s hit Temptations musical Ain’t Too Proud February 28 in the role of David Ruffin. Manuel previously made his professional acting debut in the national tour of Motown: The Musical.

According to the Broadway Buzz, “Ain’t Too Proud follows The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. Through friendship and betrayal amid the civil unrest that tore America apart, their moving and personal story still resonates five decades later.”

The show is running at the Imperial Theatre in New York and has dates scheduled through the end of November.

Don’t panic if you can’t get your Chai Latte’ or Lobster Bisque for a few days next week. The Raven Café in Downtown Port Huron is making some repairs and upgrades to the iconic restaurant and will be closed. The Edgar Allen Poe- inspired restaurant, located at 932 Military Street, is doing some repairs to the flooring and upgrading some aspects of the kitchen.

The restaurant announced on social media that it will be closing temporarily starting on Sunday, February 23, and expects to stay closed for five to seven days. The opening will be conveyed on social media once the work is done. It could be done sooner than expected. In the meantime, the owners, Sadaat and Jody Hossain, have kept with the spirit of cooperation and shared success that makes downtown thrive. They have suggested that you patronize other downtown businesses in the meantime, suggesting Moe’s Corner Deli and the Exquisite Corpse Coffeehouse, both of which are located in the same block of Military Street just south of the Black River. The Raven had a busy weekend with several weddings being held in the restaurant on Valentine’s Day and the popular “Trivia Night” on Sunday night. The restaurant expects to reopen with business as usual after the repairs and upgrades are completed.

Local scouting is going strong despite news of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a letter to the “Scouting Family” nationwide, the leaders of the national organization confirmed that they did indeed file for bankruptcy as a result of legal action filed against the organization by victims of abuse while involved with Boy Scouts. 

Local councils, however, have not filed for bankruptcy and no disruption to local programs is expected. Local scoutmaster, Tom Ruedisueli, of Boy Scout Troop 168 in Port Huron, said that, as a scoutmaster, the bankruptcy will not affect his troop.

The publicity regarding the filing and reasons for the filing will bring things into focus. Ruedisueli said that his troop, like all troops, follows safety protocol and that the safety of the scouts is always a top priority. Boy Scouts of America has set up a dedicated website, BSArestructuring.org, to post relevant information about the Chapter 11 restructuring.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.