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Local News

Downtown Port Huron First Friday: Dog Days of Summer

Ever wish your dog could experience the fun and entertainment of a Friday night in Downtown Port Huron? It’s Fido or Max or Buster’s lucky week, since it’s First Friday, and this week’s theme is “Dog Days of Summer”.

Each “First Friday” of the month has a different theme and this month it’s dedicated to man’s best friend, dogs. Dogs are welcome to stroll around downtown with their owners and see what kinds of treats and surprises the downtown businesses have for the canine customers.

There is a Pet Parade and Costume Contest planned for 6:00 p.m. at A Little Something on Quay. Community members such as Mike Kinyon, Kathy Swantek, Patti Samar, and Carolyn Crowe will be judging the pets for Best Costume, Funniest, Most Creative, Prettiest, and Cutest.

If your dog likes rock and roll, The Fabulous Henhouse Boys will be playing on McMorran Plaza from 8:00-10:00 p.m. To get the full schedule of events in Downtown Port Huron, visit the links below.

https://www.mcmorran.com/plaza

EVENTS

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Plan for an Outrageous Presentation of Madagascar A Musical Adventure Jr. at McMorran This Weekend

Port Huron Civic Theatre will celebrate opening night for Madagascar the Musical Adventure Jr. at McMorran Place Theatre Friday night at 7 PM.

Sixty-four kids 18 and under have been rehearsing their lines, learning their songs, and perfecting their dance moves since June, and they are ready to share this hilarious show with the community.

Hayden Valliere plays King Julian, and she says she’s loving the role. “King Julian, he thinks he’s all about himself all the time, so I pretty much get special treatment. I get to be outrageous!”

The show is co-directed by Amy Fabick and Leah Tyrrell, choreographed by Jordan Frontierro and Michelle Elliot, and produced by Danyel Lloyd. The vocal director is Erin Moran, and the show’s student director is Caleb Hodgins.

Leah Tyrrell said preparing for the show has been fun, and they couldn’t pull it off without the support of their whole team, the kids, and the Port Huron Civic Theatre parents.

Tickets are available now on McMorran.com or the McMorran Box office. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 7 PM and Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Blue Water SandFest 2019 Photo: Jessie Wiegand

SandFest This Weekend

Blue Water SandFest starts this Friday, August 5th and runs throughout the weekend. Daily hours are 10 AM – 8 PM Friday and Saturday, and 10 AM – 4 PM on Sunday.

Visitors to the event can enjoy free parking and a trolley ride from the SC4 Welcome Center and Holland Woods Middle School parking lots. Trolleys will loops around from the parking lots to SandFest from 9:45 AM to 9 PM on Friday and Saturday and 9:45 AM – 5 PM on Sunday.

Lighthouse park will be open on Wednesday and Thursday while master sand sculptors create the welcome sculpture at the park entrance in anticipation for opening day. Although the weather forecast looks good for the weekend, the festival happens rain or shine.

This year’s SandFest features demonstrations, live music, food and beverage areas, and hands-on lessons for kids. Tickets are $6 each per day or $15 for a 3-day pass. Kids 4 and under are free.

Visitors will be able to see the progress if they come more than once, and the awards ceremony is Sunday, August 7th at 3:30 PM.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Rockin’ the Rivers Starts This Week with Air Margaritaville

There’s still quite a bit of summer left with several weeks of warm evenings that are perfect for outdoor music. This year’s Rockin’ the Rivers Thursday concert series in Port Huron’s Kiefer Park kicks off on Thursday.

The four-concert series starts off this Thursday, August 4th with Air Margaritaville as the headliner and Dave Frendt as the opener.

The Rockin’ the Rivers concerts are traditionally well attended by music lovers of all ages. You just need to bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Food trucks are on-site and there is a kids’ zone full of entertainment for children.

The location is right on the St. Clair River in Kiefer Park, next to the Port Huron Municipal Office Center. Parking is free.

Thursday, August 12th brings Your Generation in Concert, a tribute band that covers five generations of hits.

August 18th features Elton Rohn and The Fabulous Henhouse Boys and August 25th features The Gobies, a local favorite, along with Paul Shonk Music.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SMR Pilot Program Bus Service to End September 9th

The partnership between the Blue Water Area Transportation Commission and SMR Automotive Systems of Marysville is winding down. The SMR Pilot Program, which has been providing reliable transportation to the Marysville factory six days per week since 2016, will end on September 9th.

The pilot program was provided by SMR Automotive Systems, which employs a large number of people in the Blue Water Area, and was intended to run for just 90 days and then be evaluated. It was so successful that it ran for six years.

According to the Blue Water Area Transportation Commission, SMR has determined that the service is no longer needed. It has been running since 2016.

Starting September 9th, the City of Marysville will provide service with Blue Water Area Transit route #20 from 6:30 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The Blue Water Area Transportation Commission has expressed its thanks to SMR Automotive Systems for providing additional transportation service days and times over the past six years.

For the full bus schedule, visit http://bwbus.com/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

No Suspicious Package Found at SC4

After an investigation at St. Clair County Community College (SC4) today, college spokesperson Kristin Copenhaver said, “a package was not found in FAB by local and state police. The call that reported seeing a suspicious package in the SC4 Fine Arts Building (FAB) was made directly to 911 earlier this afternoon at 1:21 p.m.”

The call stated that a suspicious package was in the college’s Fine Arts Building, and the college was evacuated as a precaution. Copenhaver notified WGRT that when they received information about the call, “staff, faculty, and students were released to go home for the balance of the day as a precaution. Housing residents are free to stay in College Housing as it is not on campus proper.”

The campus will remain closed for the rest of today, but it will open on Tuesday, August 2nd for normal business hours.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand