Wednesday afternoon St. Clair County 4H Fair President Rob Usakowski announced a project that is partnering the fair with Michigan State University Extension and Mid City Nutrition.  The project is entitled “Pig With A Purpose”.   The pigs will be raised with the intention of raising money for Mid City’s soup kitchen, and raise awareness about the need for a soup kitchen in the community.  The fair board is purchasing two pigs from Thueme Hog Farm, one of which will be auctioned off at fair with money raised going directly to Mid City, according to 4 H Fair program coordinator Jacqui Rabine.  Rabine said she started with a small idea and it mushroomed into a large project involving a number of people as well as businesses.   The intention is that one pig will be auctioned, with both pigs processed and their meat donated to the soup kitchen.  Susan Bennett, Executive Director of Mid City stated more than 70,000 meals were served in 2018, and they are grateful for the involvement of 4H and hopes for their partnership to grow in the future.   Mid City Nutrtion will be opening a new building in the fall with a teaching kitchens and she would like to see 4 H members there cooking and have MSU Extension  provide storage, canning and serving knowledge to Mid City.  A mascot and spokesperson for the fundraising is “Penny” who has her own Facebook presence and will be making appearances in events leading up to the fair.  Penny (a 4 H member dressed in a pig suit) will educate the public on soup kitchens and food banks, as well as give facts about pork and bacon.  The St. Clair County 4 H and Youth Fair set a record attendance last year of just under 112,000 attendees.  The 2019 Fair will be held at Goodells County Park July 15 to the 20th.  Anyone interested in bidding on the pigs at the livestock auction can contact the fair office at (810) 364-9100.  Check out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/StClairCounty4HFair/videos/456722668196235/

On Friday, February 22, 2019 Phil Kaatz, MSU Extension Educator, will be conducting a Pesticide Core Review at the St. Clair County Administration Building in the Don Dodge Auditorium at 200 Grand River Avenue, Port Huron.  The review will be from 9 am to noon for a cost of $30, which is payable on line at https://www.canr.msu.edu/events/core_review_-_st._clair   or pay at the door via a check made payable to MSU.  You must pre-register by calling the Lapeer County MSU Extension at (810) 667-0341.
Prepare for the MDARD Core Pesticide Applicators Certification exam with this review session. The 3-hour review covers the 12 chapters of the National Pesticide Applicators Certification Core Manual. The review is held in the morning and the MDARD exams are given that afternoon. Three recertification/RUP credits in either Private or Commercial Core are also available for those already certified and seeking renewal by seminar credits. We recommend participants read and study the Core Manual before attending the review. County Extension may also have copies available. Please call for availability in St Clair County (810) 989-6935.  In the afternoon starting at 1 pm the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) representatives will conduct testing for those who want to be certified as either a private ($50) or a commercial ($75) applicator.  Pre-registration is required for the exam by going online to register at https://secure1.state.mi.us/opes/ ; for any questions regarding the test please contact MDARD at 800-292-3939.

Have you turned down a chance to go out with family or friends because you were concerned about falling?  Have you cut down on a favorite activity because you might fall?  If so, A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls is a program for you.  Fear of falling can be just as dangerous as falling itself.  People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in severe physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater.  Many older adults also experience increased isolation and depression when they limit their interactions with family and friends.  A Matter of Balance can help people improve their quality of life and remain independent.   A Matter of Balance is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors, and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance.  Lake Huron Medical Center is offering A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls Mondays for eight (8) consecutive weeks beginning on Monday, February 11.  The program meets from 1pm to 3pm, is free to attend and attendance to all eight (8) sessions is recommended. Please call Rosemary Hunger at (810) 216-1035 to register or for more information.  For more information on the programs and events at Lake Huron Medical Center, please visit www.mylakehuron.com.

Oakland County Police and Firefighters competed in a 12-hour outdoor hockey game this weekend to raise over $10,000 for two charities: Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids  of Michigan and Angel Kisses during the Oakland County Winterfest. The final score was police: 54 and fire: 42.   The event was held at On the Dunes / Griffin’s Sports Bar & Grill in Commerce, MI from
9:00 am – 10:00 pm with a full house. The national anthem was sung by the Detroit Red Wings own Erika Roxin and other activities included live entertainment, an arts & crafts area for children,  “fowling” football-bowling, ice sculptures, carnival games, and a virtual golf scramble.  Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan is a local, grassroots, non-profit 501(c)3 organization that provides wigs & support services to children ages 3 to 18 at no charge throughout the state of Michigan. Since 2003, the nonprofit has provided over 4,500 wigs & support services to kids in need.  The organization was chosen by the police as their charity of choice this year after participating in the annual “Pigs 4 Wigs” campaign. Led by Milford officers, 15 departments made monetary gifts to grow their facial hair during No-shave November. Proceeds helped provide wigs for local children in need.  “The officers wanted to find an additional way to support our program this year and chose to invite us to be part of the Oakland County Winterfest. This fun, family-friendly event was a great success and we appreciate the many sponsors, volunteers, donors and attendees who came out to help our cause,” said Maggie Varney, Founder & CEO of Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan. “The majority of the children we serve are from the tri-county area, so the police are truly helping those in their own communities.”  For more information about Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, please visit www.wigs4kids.org.   If you ever know of a child in need you can contact the organization at: 586-772-6656 or maggie@wigs4kids.org.  To follow the annual Oakland County Winterfest, go to www.oaklandcountywinterfest.com

Children and their families visiting Pathways Health Centre for Children will now be welcomed with brighter and engaging waiting rooms, thanks to the generous support of Smilezone Foundation and an anonymous donor.  Over a single weekend at the end of December, the Centre’s main waiting area and aquatics waiting area were fully transformed with colourful murals, drawing boards, comfortable seating, iPad stations, autographed hockey jerseys, and sensory activities to engage and entertain the children and families who visit the Centre. Hundreds of children, youth, and their families will benefit from the Centre’s newly refurbished spaces during their visits.  The Centre’s staff worked very closely with Smilezone Foundation to design spaces that children and youth would love and feel comfortable in. “Pathways is exceptionally grateful for the generosity of Smilezone and our Pathways supporter as these improvements are guaranteed to enhance the experience of our clients whenever they come into the Centre and as they wait for their therapy or programs,” says Jenny Greensmith, Executive Director of Pathways Health Centre for Children, “Pathways always has been committed to supporting children, youth and young adults to achieve their potential through the development of effective partnerships.  Working with the team from Smilezone is a tremendous example of such a partnership in action”.    “On behalf of our Board of Directors, Smilezone Foundation is honoured to help improve the experiences of the kids and their families during their visits to Pathways,” says Scott Bachly, co-founder and chair of Smilezone Foundation. “We hope the new changes in the waiting rooms will bring smiles to their faces each time they walk through the door!”  Pathways is located at 1240 Murphy Rd, in Sarnia.