Local News

Ellsworth Kelly forged a distinctive style of abstraction over his seven decades as an artist and recently he was commemorated with 10 U.S. Postal Service stamps highlighting his work.  The Ellsworth Kelly Forever stamps were dedicated at the Ellsworth Kelly Studio in Spencertown, NY.   “Ellsworth Kelly honed his artistic voice as a soldier during World War II when he created camouflage patterns and designed posters for the U.S. government,” said USPS Marketing Vice President Steve Monteith, who served as the dedicating official. “Today we celebrate the American master of abstract painting with these dynamic stamps that truly capture the creative talent of Kelly and will be seen by millions as Forever stamps on cards and letters.”  Characterized by precise shapes rendered in bold, flat colors, Ellsworth Kelly’s art encompasses painting, sculpture and works on paper, drawing on careful observations of light and shadow, negative space, and line and form. In painting shapes — like a tennis court, a smokestack on a tugboat, or the roof of a barn — as flat planes of color, Kelly removed their dimensionality and turned reality into abstraction. He was also one of the first artists to create shaped canvases and to integrate art with modern architecture, taking great care in the decisions he made about the size of a painting, its boundaries, and its placement in relation to walls and floors.  Even late in his career, Kelly continued to refine his vision, constantly returning to his notebooks and earlier works to further develop ideas and explore new directions. Fittingly, his last work, an ambitious free-standing building titled Austin, seamlessly melds color, sculpture and architecture into a single experience.  Kelly received the National Medal of Arts in 2013. Today his work is in the permanent collections of major museums in the U.S. and around the world.  Joining Monteith at the ceremony were Jack Shear, Ellsworth Kelly Foundation Director; Ian Berry, Dayton Director of the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, Skidmore College; and Ian Alteveer, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The 20 stamps on the pane feature 10 of Kelly’s artworks, each represented twice in the following order: top row, L to R: “Yellow White” (1961), “Colors for a Large Wall” (1951), “Blue Red Rocker” (1963), “Spectrum I” (1953), South Ferry, (1956); and second row, L to R: “Blue Green” (1962), “Orange Red Relief for Delphine Seyrig” (1990), “Meschers”, (1951), “Red Blue” (1964), and “Gaza” (1956). The selvage features a detail from “Blue Yellow Red III” (1971), as well as Kelly’s name and his birth and death years.  Ellsworth Kelly’s name appears at the bottom center of each stamp in bold black type. “USA” and “Forever” are printed alongside each artwork.  Derry Noyes served as art director and designer for this stamp sheet.

Postal Products

Many of this year’s other stamps may be viewed on Facebook, Instagram, or via Twitter. A video of the ceremony will be available on Facebook.com/usps.  Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shop, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.  Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is found at usps.com/shop under “Collectors.”  The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Investigation continues into a shooting that occurred in the 2500 block of Manuel Street in Port Huron on May 31 shortly after 1 a.m.  Port Huron Police Officers were dispatched to the area after receiving calls of shots fired.  While arriving in the area, road patrol officers located a male who was shot in the hand.  The injured 23-year old Port Huron male was transported to the hospital for treatment, then arrested on unrelated charges after his hospital release.  The Port Huron Major Crimes Unit found that during the altercation two suspects were involved in a verbal and physical altercation, both having fired handguns at each other.  The second suspect was identified as a 23 year old who had fled the scene prior to officer’s arrival.  On Sunday, June 2^nd Demarko Martrell Woods was arraigned and is lodged at the St. Clair County Intervention and Detention Center.  A warrant has been signed for Xavier Trevon Davis whose whereabouts are currently unknown.  The Port Huron Major Crimes Unit is asking for assistance in locating Davis.  If you have information, please call 810-984-5383.

Sarnia council has given the go ahead for the return of slot machines to Hiawatha Horse Park and Entertainment Centre.  Reports say the Doug Ford government reached an agreement in principle with Gateway — the owner/operator of Point Edward’s Starlight Casino — to reestablish slot machines last October.  When the site opens at Hiawatha, it will open with 150 slots, opposed to the previous 450 slots at the racetrack.  The city will earn 5.25 percent of the first $65 million generated from the slots.  The amount lowers to 2.5 and 3.5 percent on the next $435 million and down to 0.5 percent once revenue reaches $500 million.  Officials say an opening date has yet to be announced.

Car insurance reform supported by Rep. Shane Hernandez was signed into state law last week, lowering costs for all Michigan drivers.  The reforms – approved by Hernandez and the Legislature – give drivers more choice on personal injury protection coverage, combat fraudulent claims and stop price gouging on medical services for car accident victims. Many Michigan families will save hundreds of dollars or more each year.  Michigan has had the most expensive car insurance in the nation mostly because it’s the only state mandating unlimited lifetime health care coverage through car insurance. The revised law will provide more affordable options while allowing those who currently use the unlimited coverage to keep it, and those who want it in the future to continue buying it.  “These reforms will get rid of what amounts to a burdensome and often unaffordable mandate on Michigan drivers, providing real rate relief,” said Hernandez, of Port Huron. “Eliminating the state mandate for unlimited medical coverage through car insurance is a victory for freedom of choice and family finances.  “Starting in July 2020, some drivers will be able to opt out of personal injury protection altogether, including seniors with retiree health coverage such as Medicare and those with health insurance policies that cover car accident-related injuries. Others will be able to continue with unlimited coverage or choose PIP limits of $250,000 or $500,000. A $50,000 option will be available for drivers on Medicaid.  A fee schedule will be established for medical providers, reining in runaway costs that result from medical care providers charging far more to treat car accident victims than other patients.  Non-driving factors such as zip codes, home ownership and educational level can’t be used to determine rates. Residents in Sanilac and St. Clair counties will not have to pay higher rates to subsidize drivers in other regions of the state.  An anti-fraud unit will help crack down on those abusing the system, which should help further lower car insurance rates.  “This reform plan is not perfect, but it is a huge step in the right direction after four decades of dealing with a broken car insurance system,” Hernandez said. “It proves that good things happen when we work together in the spirit of bipartisanship with the best interests of Michigan families at heart.”