Local News

Woman’s Life Chapter 820, the Archangels are inviting the public to celebrate our Community Heroes  at the first annual Heart of a Hero event being held at Alexander’s Banquet Hall at 1200 Gratiot Blvd. in Marysville on Thursday, February 28 beginning at 6 p.m. According to Jo An Wilton, Woman’s Life and Archangels member, the cost is $30 per person and will include hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.  There are also sponsorships available at three levels, $25 – $50 and $100.  Proceeds will go to benefit the Arc of St. Clair County and a portion of the proceeds will be matched by Woman’s Life Insurance Society.  The Archangels in cooperation with Woman’s Life Insurance Society have raised over $140,000 for the Arc since they formed the group nearly ten years ago. For tickets contact Valorie or Cheryl at 810-989-9144.  For sponsorship information, contact Jo An Wilton at 810-385-9040.

Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC) is pleased to announce its February 2019 Employee of the Month, Sandra Esho, and its February 2019 Volunteer of the Month, Sandy Bonito. LHMC is honored to have a strong team of staff and volunteers working hard to deliver high-quality care to the Blue Water Area.  Sandra is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and has been with LHMC since 2018. She was nominated by her manager who commented, “Sandra has taken complete ownership of this department.  Being the only Nuclear Medicine Technologist, she takes all the calls and covers all shifts. Her dedication and commitment has really helped this services line thrive.  She is an all-around great addition to this organization.”  Sandy volunteers in the Spiritual Care and Marketing departments. She has been volunteering at LHMC since 1990.  An employee commented, “Sandy is passionate about LHMC, its patients and staff.  She volunteers several times a month for special projects in the Spiritual Care, Marketing and Foundation departments.  She sees what needs to be done and willingly donates her time to help us accomplish our goals. We are very grateful for all she does.”  Lake Huron Medical Center is proud of each of its employees and volunteers; and extends a special thank you and congratulations to all our team members, especially Sandra and Sandy as we celebrate their accomplishments.  To learn more about the programs and services offered at Lake Huron Medical Center, visit www.mylakehuron.com.

 

 

Eerie visions of faeries, elves and sleeping giants, wedding dreams and dances, the familiar mixed with the shivery excitement of first discovery — all interrupted by the ghost of Elvis! These engaging family-friendly concerts will be taking place on Friday, February 22rd, 7:30 p.m. in the Port Huron Northern High School Theatre, and Saturday, February 23th, 7:30 p.m. at Imperial Theatre Sarnia under the baton of ISO Music Director, Douglas A. Bianchi. Repertoire has been chosen to provide a quality family experience and still capture a more sophisticated concert audience. Selections will include Rossini’s Semiramide Overture from his last Italian opera (and one of the last operatic works in the Baroque tradition), Mendelssohn’s ageless Shakespeare score A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marquez’s Danzon No. 2, popularized on the hit cable series Mozart In The Jungle, and legendary Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Ciranda das sete notas. At the centre of “Night Dreams and Dances” is modern American composer Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis, a 10-minute work for chamber ensemble and solo bassoon commissioned in 1993 in memory of the King. Featured in this work is the ISO’s principal bassoon Phelan Young, breaking out in a solo role for this monumental work. A Wayne State graduate and MA from University of Michigan, Young has established himself in the Detroit area as an in-demand bassoonist and contrabassoonist. He has played with Detroit, Windsor and Toledo symphonies and is a regular with the Adrian symphony and, of course, the ISO. When not playing the bassoon, he trains in Aikido and enjoys Japanese cooking., Maestro Bianchi looks forward to a diverse programme. “Every season we’re excited about the family-friendly February concert, not least because we like to make room for surprises to toss in with the familiar and heartwarming work our audiences expect,” he says, adding “and this year we get to highlight an orchestra member in a modern work relatable to all music lovers.” Admission to “Night Dreams and Dances” is by subscription or individual tickets, which may be purchased at the Symphony Office, 251 North Vidal Street, Sarnia, Port Huron Music Center, 2700 Pine Grove Ave., Port Huron, MI or by calling (519) 337-7775 or (810) 984-8857. iso@rivernet.net www.theiso.org Friday, February 22rd, 7:30 p.m., Port Huron Northern High School Theatre 1799 Krafft Road, Port Huron, MI adult $29, senior $27, student $7 —Saturday, February 23th, 7:30 p.m., Imperial Theatre Sarnia 168 Christina Street North adult $36, senior $34, student $12 (includes 13% hst & the theatre surcharge) Children 14 and under are admitted free with an adult (theatre surcharge applies at the Imperial)

In an effort to protect the  City of Port Huron and residents, on Thursday, February 14, City Manager James Freed stated that the city filed with the Circuit Court a Verified Complaint against Port Huron Nights, Inc., the owner of the Days Inn Hotel in Port Huron located on Pine Grove Avenue, located North of the Blue Water Bridge. In the complaint they are seeking an injunction to abate a public nuisance which is  defined as a building or place that is “used for the unlawful manufacture, transporting, sale, keeping for sale, bartering, or furnishing of a controlled substance”. Recently, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the shutting down of a hotel in the City of Ferndale on similar grounds. The statute permits the City to seek an injunction to ban such use at the property, close the facility for one (1) year, remove all of the furniture and fixtures and sell them, and recover the costs and attorney fees incurred in the abatement lawsuit.  According to Freed, the problem with the Days Inn is that its owner and operator have allowed this hotel to become an attractive place for illegal drug activity. The hotel has become a constant source of police calls, including heroin overdoses, disorderly persons, assaults, larcenies, conceal weapon violations, suspicious persons and warrant arrests. In the last two years, there have been over 100 police calls and numerous DTF drug raids, most recently last month. The raids and police calls have disclosed multiple occasions where the hotel rooms were now being used for the sale of illegal narcotics, including methamphetamine, heroin, and crack cocaine. 2 Recently, the City Fire Department and Building Department conducted inspections pursuant to court-ordered administrative warrant which disclosed additional problems. Starting with the electrical issues, there were many violations and safety hazards to the occupants, the public, and first responders. On the exterior of the building there were exposed electrical wires and lighting timers that not only are open to the weather elements but could cause harm being open to the public as well. There was a lot of old wiring hanging under the balconies that maintenance claimed was not working. There were many open distribution panels, boxes and disconnects in many of the storage areas that present a serious fire and safety hazard. In the laundry room, equipment was being powered by extension cords and loose hanging wires. In terms of fire code violations, old abandoned rooms had been converted to storage areas throughout the entire building. Mattresses and furniture are stacked in these rooms creating a heavy fire load and is a danger to the occupants. These rooms were not secured due to the proxy card readers being removed and leaving large holes in the doors. Most of these rooms were not accessible to us because of the amount of storage in these spaces. Many smoke detectors didn’t work when tested and were not secured to the wall, and some were past their service date. In the utility/storage rooms, gas cans, mowers and snow blowers – in addition to mattresses and furniture – create a high fire load. In the lobby area there are 5 -gallon buckets of paint adjacent to the main exit and an LPG grill in the seating area blocking an exit by the vending machines. There appears to be several permanent residents in the rooms. These initial findings pose serious fire hazards.  After the papers are filed the owner will then have twenty-one (21) days to respond to the allegations in the Complaint, and then we will proceed with a Motion seeking a ruling from the Court.  Community Action Agency has been asked to assist by assign case workers to  families who appear to be living in the establishment full time, to help get them the resources they need to relocate. The Community Action Agency is the local group that handles the federal grants for the Rapid Rehousing Program funding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine’s Day provided the perfect setting for the open house and reveal of the new handicap accessible bathroom at the Hunter Hospitality House across from McLaren Port Huron at 1010 Lincoln Avenue.    Paul Wilson, artist, was on hand with a drawing of the train bridge in Port Huron.  All attendees at the “In Love With The Loo” open house were encouraged to add some “local color” to the drawing with colored pencils and pastels as part of a dedication to the addition to the home.  The spacious bathroom was constructed by Sanctum Contracting, and Executive Director of Hunter Hospitality House, Tracy Willard stated the open spaced bathroom is located on the main floor, and is handicap accessible, making the lodging even more “company friendly”.  Hunter Hospitality House offers two locations with free lodging to those in need when they or a loved one are facing medical treatment or stays at one of the local hospitals.

State Rep. Shane Hernandez – chair of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee – following the State of the State address said the state’s continued success depends on providing taxpayers with the best possible return on their investments.  “We must continue building Michigan’s momentum the right way – spending taxpayer dollars as efficiently and effectively as possible on roads, schools and other essential services our state needs to thrive,” Hernandez, of Port Huron, said after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered the State of the State address. “It’s not just about more money. It’s about wisely using what we already have to deliver the results taxpayers deserve and demand.  “I will be focused on making state government better – not bigger,” Hernandez said. “I look forward to working with the governor and Legislature in the coming months to craft a state budget that works for all Michigan residents, including our hard-working taxpayers.”