George James

We have good news to report on one aspect of the health of the Great Lakes. Sea lamprey levels are down, which is good news for fish and anglers in the Blue Water Area. 

According to a report by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, sea lampreys, an aggressive invasive species that are responsible for up to 103 million pounds of fish killed every year, are under control. The Commission credits both comprehensive sea lamprey control methods and environmental factors in this year’s population decline. 

If you have visited the Port Huron Sturgeon Festival, held every year in June, you may have seen live sea lamprey, which are vampire-like parasites that are considered to be the worst of invasive species in the Great Lakes. Sheri Faust, Board President of The Friends of the St. Clair River, told us that “the news of the decline of sea lamprey is good for the Blue Water Area’s local threatened species like Lake Sturgeon and [the] native mussel populations. [Area residents] need to care about mussels because they are natural water filters and are among the most imperiled creatures on the planet. 

St. Clair County’s rivers support some of the most diverse – and endangered – mussel species in Michigan. Invasive species like Sea Lamprey can affect mussel’s survival, as well as important sportfish species survival like Walleye and Northern Pike.”

Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv.

Monday night’s Port Huron City Council meeting brought discussion of two interesting new developments. Downtown is bustling with several new businesses and increased foot traffic. With that increased commerce, comes increased trash production. Given the idea by a local business owner, City Manager James Freed, has started a pilot program, similar to one that is successful in Sturgis, Michigan, where businesses share dumpsters.This program, if successful, could alleviate the cumbersome practice of storing garbage until curbside pickup day and the eyesore of private dumpsters in parking lots.  

In other discussion, most of the meeting was spent discussing the future of playground equipment that was intended for Knox Field, near the industrial park on the south side of the city.  After extensive discussion, the safety of the location of the current splash pad and the intended playground was called into question. Council member Anita Ashford and city resident Alex Crittenden commented on the proximity to a new gas station and the distance from the neighborhoods from which children would come to play.  Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Winzer encouraged that a decision be made quickly so that the city would not lose money on returning the equipment, and the council then changed course and voted to keep the equipment and install it at Gratiot Park in the spring. Gratiot Park has the equipment most in need of replacement. A new plan for Knox Field is likely to be discussed in the future. In the meantime, the residents in the Gratiot Park area can look forward to new ADA compliant equipment, including a zipline.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The early snow and frigid temperatures are delaying and cancelling more than just school. Due to the heavy snow conditions, leaf pickup has been suspended in the city of Port Huron until the weather improves to allow for machines to pick up and remove leaves from the curbs and boulevards. The city’s garbage and recycling provider, Emterra says “attempting to do leaf removal under the current conditions will cause damage to the vacuum units.”

The unseasonably early winter has also caused some havoc and delays to garbage  pickup. According to Joshua Johnson, Route Supervisor with Emterra, due to weather, the company is experiencing difficulty with equipment and heavy delays in travel. To minimize the inconvenience to residents in Port Huron, Emterra says they are “working to correct these issues and coordinate with other locations.”

Emterra says they “appreciate [resident’s] patience during this weather incident,” and assured they are working diligently to return to the normal residential schedule, and leaf vaccing program as soon as possible.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

There is exciting news in Fort Gratiot as a large commercial space that has been empty since 2018 has a new owner.  The space was first occupied by Hudson’s, then Marshall Field’s, and most recently, Macy’s, which left Birchwood Mall last year. 

The nearly 103,000 square foot space is listed as a new acquisition of the Lionheart investment group’s Out of the Box Ventures of Miami, Florida, who paid over a half million dollars for the property. The investor owns similar commercial properties throughout the country.  

While its ownership has changed, the future is still in question. No definite plans have been made. Fort Gratiot Community Development Coordinator, Sharon Wilton, told us that she spoke with the owner, Out of the Box Ventures. The Township is looking forward to working with them and potential developers on an approved use for the building. 

Out of the Box had a variety of options in mind which all fit into Fort Gratiot’s Master Plan. According to the township’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the need for indoor recreation opportunities have been identified, including a year-round sports complex.  The Master Plan also identifies the growing senior citizen population in the area and the need for indoor entertainment. The possibilities are broad and there is no end to the speculation as to the future of the former Macy’s space, but at this time it is all speculation and guessing.  Out of the Box Ventures is in communication with Fort Gratiot officials and is gauging the needs of the community, with the intent capitalize on its investment in the future. We will keep you posted as we learn more about the plans for this big piece of Birchwood Mall.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

St. Clair County RESA offers a wide variety of programs that include opportunities for students of all ages and abilities. Specifically, RESA’s Next STEP program gives adults with disabilities ages 18 to 26 the skills and work experience they need to build productive lives of their own. This Thursday, November 14, from 5 to 7:30, RESA is inviting prospective students or employers who might benefit from workers of this background, to stop by SC4’s College Center for an open house. This transition program through RESA helps meet the educational needs of all county students.

The program was established four years ago, and it replaced the Transition Program, formerly operated by the Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair County. Next STEP which stands for Student Transition Experience Program, recently relocated to classrooms on the campus of St. Clair County Community College. Deana Tuczek, RESA’s Director of Special Education, said Next STEP focuses on developing employability, community involvement, and independent living skills for the students. The program enrolls around 30 students.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

While it seems like summer was just yesterday, and fall had barely begun, clearly winter is here and looks to be sticking around for quite a while. Ski resorts are already open in the Upper Peninsula and the rest of the state is not far behind. Soon, Blue Water area skiers will have an expanded option when outfitting for their next trip. 

John Eppley, of Alpine Cycles, wants to build on the local company’s long history, which his father, Kurt Eppley, and uncle, Bob Eppley, started in 1981. They already have a full-service bike shop and ski shop along with a skateboard, scooter, and accessory shop. The family business expanded in 2008 with a skate shop next door and has been active in raising funds for a new skatepark at Optimist Park in Port Huron.  But, there’s even more happening with Alpine Cycles, as they have announced their expansion into another storefront just down the street from their original shop.  

Alpine has expanded their operations into 720 Huron Avenue, the former Cool City Games location, with the new space as a dedicated ski shop. They now own all four storefronts, including Jan’s Hair Design, which is staying in the space between the Alpine stores.  John said they want to bring back the local ski culture and have a place where ski enthusiasts can meet up before they hit the slopes. He sees potential for the ski culture to flourish and is excited to be a part of it. While the ski shop is now open for business, a Grand Opening is planned for Small Business Saturday.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.