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Local News

Grants to Sarnia-Lambton Organizations Meet Community Needs

Sarnia, Ontario — The United Way of Sarnia-Lambton was able to approve two Critical Service grants to supplement and bring much needed services to the community. They approved grants to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank and the Walpole Island First Nation Warming Shelter.

St. Vincent de Paul food bank has received an increase in requests for cleaning supplies and vitamins along with fresh food. Senior citizens have also requested more nutritional supplement drinks, hygiene items, and diabetic supplies. The $20,000 grant from the United Way of Sarnia-Lambton will help meet those needs along with assisting clients who need help paying for dental work.

Susan Platt, Manager, St. Vincent de Paul in the food bank.

A $30,000 grant went to the Walpole Island First Nation Warming Shelter which will allow the shelter to expand and add a space specifically for women. The shelter currently cares for over 20 individuals each night, and the expansion will make room for more clients.

James Jenkins, CEO, Walpole Island First Nations and Larissa Wrightman, Community Planning and Political Office Assistant at the Warming Centre.

Jason Killingsworth, United Way volunteer Board President, said, “As the pandemic continues, we have to determine how to best support our local community given the increase in need for services. The approval of these grant speaks to the incredible work being done across Sarnia-Lambton.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Private Wells Are Focus of this Year’s Drinking Water Awareness Week

It’s Drinking Water Awareness Week. With over 20% of the world’s fresh water in the Great Lakes, keeping water clean is a priority for the state and is vital to the Blue Water Area.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Clean Water Public Advocate, Ninah Sasy, said, “Regardless of whether your water comes from a municipal supply or private well, there are still things you can do to make sure you’re serving our families healthy drinking water.”

Those steps to ensure clean water will be highlighted through virtual events and public service messages to connect people to water resources.

For Michigan, PFAS contamination, along with the not-so-distant memory of Flint’s lead contamination, has put the state in the spotlight for water resource management. Residential wells are also a focus this year, with Tuesday being “Private Residential Well Awareness Day”. One-quarter of Michigan residents have residential wells.

Sasy said, “Proper well maintenance and testing are critical to ensuring that your family has healthy drinking water.”

Links to Drinking Water Awareness Resources:

https://www.michigan.gov/cleanwater/0,9779,7-411-106430_106431_106434—,00.html

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Vantage Point Farmers Market Opens Saturday

Port Huron, MI — Those of you who have been waiting for your favorite Farmer’s Markets to open, can get ready to begin your outdoor shopping this weekend. Saturday, May 8th is opening day for the Vantage Point Farmers Market, which rings in outdoor market shopping in the Blue Water Area.

Vantage Point Farmers Market opens up at 51 Water Street in Port Huron at 8 AM on May 8th, and it will be open until 2 PM. Shoppers can enjoy a stroll along the St. Clair River while collecting fresh grown and homemade foods, plants, hanging flower baskets, and locally grown and packaged meats.

The St. Clair Farmers Market is slated to open June 2nd and take place every Wednesday from 7 AM until noon until the end of October. It takes place in the Riverview Plaza parking lot across from the St. Clair Inn.

If you’re up for a little road tip, you can discover other farmers markets in Michigan by visiting the Michigan Farmers Market Association’s website. The site has an interactive map of all farmers markets in the state <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

 

Work Day and Wildflower Walk Planned at Columbus County Park

St. Clair County, MI — The Friends of the St. Clair River are inviting to community to join them for an Eco-Stewardship Work Day and Wildflower Walk on Saturday, May 8th from 10 AM – 12 PM at Columbus County Park.

The event will focus on exploring the park in search of spring wildflowers and then removing invasive species. Naturalist and wildflower enthusiast, Mary Kay Weber, will lead the hike and provide educational information about the park’s ecosystem.

This is a free event, but registration is required by emailing stewardship@scriver.org. Participants are asked to dress for the weather and bring their own gloves, face covering, water, and snack. Gardening tools are optional.

This event is part of the Friends of the St. Clair River’s Second Saturday Stewardship Series, and more information is available at scriver.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Increased Vaccination Rates Could Help MI Get Back to Normal

As of April 29th 48.8% of Michiganders have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and Governor Whitmer announced her “MI Vacc to Normal” plan which will use future vaccination rates to determine when to lessen public health restrictions and get the state back to normal.

The first milestone that affects change will be two weeks after 55% of Michiganders have received their first dose of the vaccine. When that happens, the plan indicates that in-person work can resume for all sectors of business.

The milestones are hit 2 weeks after every 5% increase in first doses.

At 60% indoor capacity will be increased at sports stadiums, conference centers, banquet halls, and funeral homes to 25% and exercise facilities and gyms to 50%. It will also lift the curfew at restaurants and bars.

At 65%, all indoor capacity limits will be removed and only physical distancing will be required indoors.

When the state reaches two weeks after 70% of residents vaccinated, face mask orders will be lifted and there will be no limits on gatherings of any kind unless unexpected circumstances arise.

If cases remain greater than 250 daily per million people in a 7-day average, MDHHS may delay implementation of a proposed milestone until the case rate decreases.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, “The MI Vacc to Normal challenge outlines steps we can take to emerge from this pandemic as we hit our vaccination targets together. On our path to vaccinating 70% of Michiganders 16 and up, we can take steps to gradually get back to normal while keeping people safe. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to rise to the challenge and be a part of the solution so we can continue our economic recovery and have the summer we all crave.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

House Bill Addresses Unclaimed Bottle Return Money

The amount of unredeemed deposits on bottles and cans is huge this year, with millions of dollars worth of eligible deposit returns sitting in basements, garages, and likely landfills. What to do with the unclaimed money has prompted action that has been called both “commonsense” and “misguided”, depending on who is talking.

The Michigan House passed house bills 4443 and 4444 that would put more money from unclaimed bottle returns into updates for equipment that processes the returns. The bill would allocate more money for the bottling industry and less for the Cleanup and Redevelopment Trust Fund which currently gets 75% of the money.

Spencer Nevins of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers praised the legislation, saying, “Our members have spent millions of dollars to purchase large, expensive equipment — which takes up valuable warehouse space — to process returnables without seeing a dime from the state.”

Environmentalists are less impressed. Nick Occhipinti, government affairs director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, argued that more money is needed to “fight contamination in our drinking water, rivers, streams, lakes, and land” and he urged lawmakers to “oppose this misguided legislation.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland