Local News

Warm weather is on its way and that means the countdown to summer registration and activities at the Port Huron Parks and Recreation Department has begun.  Every summer the rec department offers activities for kids and adults to enjoy.  Registration opens on May 7 at Palmer Park Recreation Center for City of Port Huron residents and open to nonresidents, township partners and online on May 8.  Organizers say the summer lineup includes a variety of sports programs, new art and theatre workshops, dance classes, nature programs, half day summer camps, recreational activities for people with developmental disabilities and more.  New this year – adults can register for weekly water aerobics classes and kids can learn and interact with nature through a weeklong nature camp.  On June 11, the department will host a summer preview event where families can learn more about upcoming programs.  For more information call the Recreation Department at 810-984-9760

St. Clair County Community College will host a variety of athletics and arts camps this summer for youth in grades 4 through 12.  All athletic camps take place in the SC4 Fieldhouse, except for softball camps at North River Road Park and baseball camps at Sanborn Park. Camps are led by SC4 coaches and student-athletes. To find more information and register for SC4 athletic camps, visit sc4.edu/camps, email athletics@sc4.edu or call 810-989-5670.   Arts camps are organized by the Riverbank Theatre and take place in SC4’s Fine Arts Theatre. To find more information and register for summer arts camps at SC4, visit riverbanktheatre.com/rpaa-summer-2019.   “These camps provide a wonderful opportunity to learn from collegiate coaches, athletes and experts,” said SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos. “We are thrilled to offer these experiences and look forward to welcoming youths to camp this summer.”

Individual camps

Wrestling One-Day Clinic (for boys and girls)
June 24, 9 to 11 a.m., Noon to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.
Limit: 40 campers
Price: $65

Softball Camp (for girls)
June 24-26 (rain date June 27), 9 a.m. to noon
Limit: 40 campers
Price: $115 ($105 if received by June 14)

Volleyball Camp – Beginner/Intermediate (for girls)
July 8-10, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Limit: 60 campers
Price: $115 ($105 if received by June 28)

Volleyball Camp – Advanced (for girls)
July 8-10, 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Limit: 60 campers
Price: $115 ($105 if received by June 28)

Basketball Shooting Camp (for boys and girls)
July 8-11, 5 to 8 p.m.
Limit: 50 campers
Price: $115 ($105 if received by June 28)

Volleyball Clinic – Hitters and Setters (for girls)
July 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Limit: 60 campers
Price: $70 ($60 if received by June 28)

Basketball Camp (for boys)
July 15-18, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Limit: 50 campers
Price: $125 ($115 if received by July 5)

Baseball Camp (for boys)
July 22-24 (rain date July 25), 5 to 8 p.m.
Limit: 50 campers
Price: $115 ($105 if received by July 12)

Basketball Camp (for girls)
July 22-25, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Limit: 50 campers
Price: $125 ($115 if received by July 12)

Cross Country Camp (for boys and girls)
July 23-25, 9 a.m. to Noon
Limit: 30 campers
Price: $115 ($105 if received by July 12)

Team camps

High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team Camp
June 14-16
Eight games guaranteed. Tournament with teams split by division/level. Minimum two officials, at least one MHSAA-certified for all games. On-site athletic trainer. Housing and meal options. Games held in the SC4 Fieldhouse.
Price: $495 per team

High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team Camp
June 21-23
Eight games guaranteed. Tournament with teams split by division/level. Minimum two officials, at least one MHSAA-certified for all games. Onsite athletic trainer. Housing and meal options. Games held in the SC4 Fieldhouse.
Price: $495 per team

Arts camps

Elementary and Middle School Performing Arts Camp
Students will participate in fun and exciting vocal, dance and acting workshops, as well as audition and rehearse for the live musical performance of “Rock Around the ‘50s!” that they will perform on the Riverbank stage at the conclusion of the week.

SC4 Port Huron Session: July 15-20
Limit: 25 students
Price: $150

Theatre Tech Camp
Grades 6-12

Calling all future theater “techies!” If you have an interest in learning what goes on behind the scenes of a production, this is your chance. This camp is in coordination with the Middle school “Rock Around the ‘50s” camps and is designed to teach you all of the fundamentals of technical theater, including stage management, lighting, sound and artistic design.

SC4 Port Huron session: July 15-20
Limit: six students
Price: $150

United Way of St. Clair County announced their first of four waves of programs to be funded by their 2018 Campaign.  Each of these programs fall into UWSCC’s Teaching Youth Life Skills Impact Area.  At a press conference held at the United Way on Wednesday, Executive Director Doug Dolph stated that a  total of over $81,000 is being released to five organizations for eight programs, to help the community’s youth have a stronger bridge into young adulthood.   Organizations included The Harbor, Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan, SONS, Michigan Crossroads Council-Boy Scouts of America and The ARC of St. Clair County.  According to Lisa Fecteau, Street Outreach Worker at the Harbor, the funds they are receiving will be used for their Street Outreach Program, focusing on at risk youth ages 12 to 21.  According to Doug Dolph, Programs and funding for the three remaining Impact Areas will be announced throughout the summer; one Impact Area per month.

Blue Water Fest 2019 is set for Wed, Jul 17 through Sat, Jul 20.  This highly-anticipated summer festival will kick off on Wednesday with the Rotary Parade at 6:30pm.  The carnival will be located in North McMorran lot and will run from Wednesday July 17 through Saturday July 20.  Thursday will feature Family Night produced by Operation Transformation from 5-9pm just south of the 10th Street bridge.  Fireworks will be taking place Thursday night at dusk and will be launched from Desmond Landing.  Friday will continue with Boat Night, a fun-filled carnival, live music, and other activities.  The silent disco will be back both Thursday and Friday.  According to Wing Thiele, a volunteer for the Blue Water Fest,  the festival will again include the sailboats lined up in advance of the 2019 Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race kick-off on Saturday, July 20.   There will be live music Thursday and Friday night, starting at 7:30 p.m.   Thiele says they are looking for local vendors which include food and product vendors.  She says the vendor price is very affordable.  If you are interested you can contact her at IndependentFloor.com or call her at her work number 810-986-4196 or www.bluewaterfest.com

Ande and Michael McCarthy will speak about the two weeks they volunteered in El Paso, Texas during the migrant crisis, in March and April 2019. They volunteered at a religious hospitality center for refugees who have been pouring over the border from Central America by the thousands every day.  They will speak at 6 p.m., Sunday, May 5 at Holy Trinity Parish Center, 2568 Henry St., Port Huron, Township. The parish center is a single-story school building, not the church. This is a free event which is open to the public. No reservations are necessary. Light refreshments will be served.  Mike McCarthy, a retired physician’s assistant, is the leader of Blue Water Pax Christi, the local unit of an international peace organization.  He was a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 10^th District in 2018. Ande McCarthy is a registered nurse who is with Visiting Nurse Association of Port Huron.  She led a Port Huron campaign to discourage gun ownership in 2017-18. Both have volunteered their time serving the medical needs of impoverished residents of Mexico and Cuba in recent years.

 

 

 

Sen. Dan Lauwers on Tuesday supported legislation to give more flexibility to many schools that were forced to cancel several school days this winter due to unusually harsh weather.  “It was important that we passed this bill this week so we could notify school districts and they could plan their calendars accordingly,” said Lauwers, R-Brockway Township. “It was past time to stop discussing the issue and act.”  Lauwers said that House Bill 4206 is a one-time forgiveness solution that only applies to the current 2018-19 school year due to the especially extreme weather Michigan faced this winter.  Senate Democrats voted in favor of the bill, but they did not support giving it immediate effect, which means the plan will not be in place for this school year. “It is a shame that this bill will not be able to help with school scheduling,” Lauwers said. “As a result of Democrats withholding immediate effect, schools will not be able to adjust the school calendar and parents remain uncertain as to when their kids will end their school year.”  Michigan requires schools to provide a minimum of 180 days and 1,098 hours of instruction per year. Schools are currently forgiven up to six “snow days” when school is canceled due to dangerous weather, and schools can get a waiver from the state superintendent for three additional forgiven snow days.  If HB 4026 had been given immediate effect, it would have effectively forgiven schools up to four additional snow days this year for any days schools canceled during the governor’s declared state of emergency (Jan. 29 through Feb. 1).