George James

Wales Center Road over the south branch of the Pine River, between Morriss Road and Lapeer Road in Wales Township, will be closed to traffic starting on August 26th.  Work will include removing the existing bridge, installing a new 3-sided concrete culvert, new asphalt pavement, aggregate shoulders, pavement markings and restoration.  Wales Center Road will be closed for 65 days and Through traffic will not be allowed on Wales Center during construction. Local residents and emergency vehicles will have access up to the bridge from either Lapeer Road or Morriss Road.  The detour will be Morriss Road, Goodells Road and Lapeer Road.  Officials say that access will be maintained to local traffic within the construction zone, including homes and businesses, during the closure. Local residents are encouraged to plan for delays due to construction.

Plans for the Hotel Harrington were shared with the Historic District Commission in Port Huron at their regular monthly meeting yesterday.  The commission is responsible for reviewing all plans for structures in the Historic District.  At their meeting yesterday, they reviewed a request from Vince Cataldo a principal and architect at Virtuoso Design and Build and founding Owner of Infuz Ltd.  Mr. Cataldo’s company was hired by the owners of the historic hotel as it’s architect in the Hotel Harrington process. Cataldo described plans to perform a complete exterior rehabilitation of the Hotel Harrington.  Cataldo said that because the project received a federal tax credit hotel plans had been previously reviewed by the federal park service.  Those same plans were presented and approved by the commission. Local developer and commercial realtor Gerry Kramer said projects like the Hotel Harrington have to follow a strict set of rehabilitation guidelines or else some funding may be in jeopardy.

Local leaders and residents took to the waters on Monday for a legislative kayak on the Belle River and the St. Clair River.  Hosted by Michigan Trails and Greenways, the route took the kayakers south on the Belle River to the St. Clair River, then back north to the Marine City Beach.  It was the fourth time that the group has put on the event, but the first time for our area.  The Community Foundation of St. Clair County sponsored the cost of renting the Kayaks.  Lori Eschenburg of the St. Clair County Planning Commission and Blueways of St. Clair said the event was attended by local officials and departments such as the DNR.  She went on to say that State Senator Dan Lauwers presented Blueways of St. Clair with a proclamation making August 19th Michigan Water Trail Day.  Ms. Eschenburg noted that there is also a Legislative Bike Day, and Hike Day as well.  The aim of each day is to promote through lawmakers and officials the beauty of Michigan’s natural resources in different parts of the state.

Tuesday, November 6, area residents will head to the polls to fill seats in a number of areas. Eight candidates are on the ballot for three open Port Huron City Council seats. These include, incumbent Councilwomen Anita Ashford, and Teri Lamb, who was a mid-term appointee, up against newcomers Lisa Beedon, Jon Hardman, Bob Mosurak, Art Payne, Jeff Pemberton and Marissa Williams. Councilman Rico Ruiz is not seeking re-election. Jon Hardman says he feels the years he spent away from the city gave him an opportunity to see how other cities handled business, and having worked in marketing and the concert business for a number of years,  he feels would be a great asset in helping the city develop ways to attract people to the city.

The overall homeless population in Michigan has decreased for the third year in a row, according to an annual report released today by MSHDA (Michigan State Housing Development Authority) in conjunction with the Michigan Campaign to End Homelessness. “In the past year, we have seen drastic improvements in certain homeless populations, including a 20 percent decline in the area of the chronically homeless,” said Earl Poleski, executive director at MSHDA. “This annual report tells a story about our collective work, and the story is that we are making progress where it matters most.” The steady overall decline is largely due to the coordinated efforts of state and local partners and their ongoing commitment to prioritize those most in need using the Housing First model. In this model, people are moved to housing as quickly as possible while being provided a support structure that improves physical and mental health. “Housing is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of Michigan’s residents,” said Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “Our department manages more than $30 million in funding for outreach, shelter and permanent housing resources so that we can assist residents in removing any barriers to housing security.” Data suggests that a network of critical supportive services and transitional living programs are equipping youth with skills to better prepare for adulthood. The results show that since 2015 there has been a 10 percent drop in homelessness among youth aged 18-24. “In the [Transitional Living] program, I learned adult responsibilities and worked with a case manager who helped me understand rent, utilities, driving tests, budgeting and saving…I wouldn’t have learned these things living at home,” said a youth living in Livingston County who sought help at a local drop-in center. On the other side of the state, the Greater Grand Traverse Area Continuum of Care is earning recognition for being selected as a Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (YHDP) site by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This group is one of only 10 YHDP sites in the nation and one of four rural communities in the program. Michigan’s response to homelessness extends past housing. The Campaign is working with new partners in other sectors such as healthcare and employment to improve key social determinants of health and increase access to stable income. This is especially important because the statewide Homeless Management System (HMIS) shows the average income for a person experiencing homelessness is $649 a month, while the 2017 Census Bureau data puts median rent in Michigan at $835. In addition to rent overburden, action is needed to create innovative housing solutions for people with disabilities. The top three disabilities affecting Michigan’s homeless population include mental health (66%), physical health (39%) and substance use disorder (29%). In September, MSHDA’s Board approved more than $5.1 million in grants related to addressing homelessness, the bulk of that amount––$4.8 million––went to Emergency Solutions Grants that fund work to rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families and homeless prevention efforts, among other services. “Each year MSHDA allocates more than $70 million in state and federal funding to help individuals experiencing homelessness with the end-goal of getting them into permanent housing,” said Kelly Rose, chief housing solutions officer at MSHDA and governor-appointed chair of the Michigan Interagency Council on Homelessness. “This report shows us that we are making an impact, but there is still work to be done.”