George James

With no place to go or a warm bed to sleep in, the Blue Water Area Rescue Mission goes beyond providing food, shelter, and clothing to individuals in need of those resources. In addition to this, they encourage people to do something with their lives and better themselves by asking for 10 job applications within the week or gifting their time to community service if they are not able to get a job. 

Arnold “Arnie” Koontz, executive Director, explained to ebw.tv in an interview that the most successful program is Inside Out, where they assist incarcerated individuals back into the community. Dante Ferrazza, former Inside Out mentor, told ebw.tv in an interview that he grew up in violence and at the age of 18 he went to prison and spent the next 53 years in and out of it. However, over the last 25 years Ferrazza was in prison, he became a Christian and started looking for a church. After one of his friends invited him to River of Life Christian Fellowship, he is now a senior deacon at the church. With all his needs met, he does not find a need in the extra stuff. 

The Blue Water Rescue Mission is currently working on a new expansion of their facility after graduating 53 men and putting $1.6 million back into the community. Find out more on how the Blue Water Rescue Mission is going to continue changing lives in the New Year in this feature. 

People celebrate the new year in many different ways. From dressing up and going out to the bar, or staying close to home with family, there has been one accessory that remains constant through it all… New Year’s glasses. After almost a decade, it is finally time to be able to have two circles to see through instead of having a “1” blocking the view. 

The novelty glasses were invented in 1990 by Richard Sclafani and his friend and business partner, Pete Cicero but were no longer sold around 2010 due to an abundance of knockoff versions that made their venture unprofitable. 

For 119 years, a Pennsylvania-based company, Party Express, has been selling New Year’s novelties to consumers and businesses and this year they have seen an increase in pairs sold. Mark Sullivan, Party Express manager, explained that 2000 to 2009 was the easiest when it came to designing the glasses as no thought really had to go behind it. This year makes the glasses fun because of the irony with 20/20 vision. 

Since 2000, this is the most interest Party Express has had with the glasses as it was the turn of the millennium and the natural excitement of having three zero’s. With this year being a new decade and people celebrating “The Roaring ’20’s,” New Year’s sales as a whole have simply been bigger. However you dress up for the new year, we hope you started it with 20/20 vision!

Adapted from the Today Show’s “2020 will be the best year in a long time for those New Year’s glasses” by TODAY.

The popular Golden Corral restaurant in Fort Gratiot has closed for business permanently for unknown reasons. Sunday, December 29 was the chain location’s last day in business. 

The Golden Corral franchise started in 1973 in North Carolina and was named the top buffet restaurant by Entrepreneur magazine just this year. The franchise is known for their Military Appreciation Nights and the summer camp they run for the children of wounded and fallen military heroes. The chain currently has around 480 restaurants nationwide. 

The Fort Gratiot location appears to be the latest closure. The “north end” Fort Gratiot commercial landscape is constantly changing, and the Golden Corral looks to have gone the way of Old Country Buffet, as a memory for those who love an all-you-can-eat dining experience. Golden Corral locations nationwide have occasionally closed, remodeled, and reopened. It remains to be seen what the status of this location will be. If you just can’t live without the all-you-can-eat experience at Golden Corral, the next closest locations are in Clinton Township and Flint.

Capac High School’s Team 2604, Metal and Soul, will host one of the more than 140 worldwide kickoff events for the 2020 FIRST Robotics season this Saturday, January 4th. Blue Water Area Robotics Alliance teams from across the county will be joined by 14 teams from around the Thumb at the event. Saturday’s event launches the 2020 high school season during which teams will continue to practice and innovate robots through a 12-week season with the goal of earning a berth at state and regional championships.

The event will include a NASA broadcast of the highly anticipated Star Wars-themed game which will feature the game reveal and animation, interviews with FIRST staff, a field walk and a question and answer. Teams that choose to arrive early will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops being offered beginning at 8 a.m. to help them start their season. After the broadcast, teams will pick up their official Kit of Parts. 

This is the seventh year that Metal and Soul has been host to an official kickoff event. Michigan teams advancing to states will compete April 8 through April 11th at Saginaw Valley State University to determine which team will compete in the World Championship event at the TCF Center in Detroit.

A statement to the community in a recent East China School District newsletter has revealed the details of a new bond proposal that voters will see on a March 10, 2020 ballot. 

According to the statement from Superintendent Suzanne Cybulla, “After the May 2019 bond was defeated, the school district set out to understand and listen to what the community felt. A survey was conducted of voters and many conversations with community members took place to listen and truly understand what happened.”

With that feedback, Cybulla said the District began the process of redeveloping a bond program that would meet the principles established by the strategic planning committees and bond steering committees. The principles developed include: building safety enhancements, upgraded technology, increased opportunities for our students, and a respect for community traditions and spirit.

The new bond program proposal includes St. Clair and Marine City High Schools remaining at their current locations, infrastructure, technology, and security upgrades among other items with an overall Bond Scope that has been reduced by 25%.

The statement says the district is waiting on final approval from the State and attorneys to distribute more details. The district website has a Bond FAQ and property tax calculator. Community presentations are also planned in the new year. More information can be found at ecsd.us. 

Port Huron Police are asking for the public’s help as the search continues for the perpetrators in a string of robberies. One set of robberies occurred between November 28 and December 20. They are believed to be committed by the same man who is described as a black male of medium build. He was masked and armed with a handgun during the robberies. 

Another robbery of the Speedway Gas station on Oak street in Port Huron on December 27 was carried by a masked robber of unknown race, also with a handgun. All of the robberies involved confrontation of the employees and emptying of the cash registers. 

These robberies are being investigated by the Port Huron Police Department Major Crimes Unit and Criminal Investigative Division. The vehicles involved are yet to be identified. Photos from the security cameras at the businesses show the suspect or suspects. The Port Huron Police Department offers a cash reward for tips leading to the capture of suspects. Anonymous tips can be left at the Capture Hotline at 987-6688 or through the TipSubmit website. Business owners are encouraged to remain vigilant in their safety practices.