Local Mom Looking for Players for Kicking Out Stigma Kickball League
Jessica Franz, a Port Huron area mom, is committed to finding recreational opportunities for her 20-year-old special needs son. Team sports are hard to find for older kids who still need that team experience and organized physical activity.
Franz is spearheading an effort to organize a kickball league that includes young adults living on the autism spectrum, or with other special needs. It will be called KOS, Kicking Out Stigma.
Franz said that it has been harder to find recreational sports for her son, Gabe, as he has gotten older. Gabe is an active young man who is interested in trains, fishing, and bowling, but what he really wants is to join a sports team, just like his younger siblings.
When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, Jessica Franz decided to start a league of her own and to put out the call for interested players. There is a possibility of future collaboration with Community Mental Health. The league would get started in mid-June.
Kicking Out Stigma Kickball League: Jessica Franz, jahgm@hotmail.com, 810-990-5118
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
SC4 and Wayne State Partner for Engineering Degree Program
St. Clair County Community College and Wayne State University are partners in a program to make it easier to launch a STEM career with an Engineering Degree.
Students will be able to earn most of their general education credits at SC4 and then to transfer “seamlessly” to Wayne State for a bachelor’s degree. They will be able to earn their Associate of Science degree while working toward the Wayne State transfer.
SC4 President Dr. Deborah A. Snyder said, “We know many SC4 students transfer on to earn four-year degrees and have gone on to lead in cutting-edge industries, but too many others lose interest in crucial STEM subjects or encounter barriers along the way.”
Snyder said that the community college can do more to inspire, educate and prepare students and cited the Challenger Learning Center and the Wayne State partnership as ways to “help students save on tuition costs and time as they pursue a bachelor’s degree from one of Michigan’s most innovative four-year institutions.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Detroit Auto Show Is Back Full Force Sept. 14-25
The North American International Auto Show has been reinvented for 2022 with a combination of indoor and outdoor displays. The Detroit Auto Show, as it is commonly called, is scheduled for September 14th through 25th at the Huntington Place, formerly Cobo Hall.
The Charity Preview is returning this year, and there are free community activities planned for Downtown Detroit. The show is described as “next generation”.
The main floor at Huntington is already sold out. It will feature a mix of hands-on activations, traditional vehicle exhibits, and a showcase of automotive innovation and technology. Want to take a test drive? The 2023 Chevrolet Grand Prix downtown circuit will be available for test drives.
There is also a focus on the future of mobility with the AutoMobili-D exhibit, featuring the latest innovators, suppliers, and educators in the industry.
Detroit Auto Show Executive Director Rod Alberts said he expects the show to be a pivotal player in consumers’ vehicle shopping and purchase decisions.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
Sanborn Park to Get New Multi-Use Trail and Needs Volunteers
Sanborn Park is held dear by many Port Huron natives who learned to swim in the city pool, learned to play tennis on the courts, watched a baseball game on the field, or simply enjoyed playing on the playground on a lazy summer day.
The gem, located in the north end of Port Huron, is getting some upgrades and the community is asked to help with a Work Day on May 5th at 5:00 p.m.
A new multi-use trail is being constructed by the City of Port Huron in the Nature Area of the park. The city is working with the Friends of the St. Clair River to preserve and improve the ecological integrity of the park.
Friends President Sheri Faust said, “Our services to the city’s Multi-Use Trail Project include removing invasive species, conducting ecological surveys, and recruiting volunteers to help care for the park and trails. Sanborn Park Nature Area has a diversity of plant and animal life, such as rare white trout lilies and old-growth trees, and the park’s existing trails add to the unspoiled effect of this urban natural setting.”
A work day is scheduled for Thursday, May 5, at 5 p.m.. Help Friends of the St. Clair River to remove invasive species and trash from the trail. Please bring gloves or loppers if you own them; extras will be available to borrow.
Please meet at the Sanborn Park near the play structure. For more info, please email lydia@scriver.org.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
“Doc” Emrick Headlines YMCA “Night of Champions”
The YMCA of the Blue Water Area is planning a “Night of Champions” featuring Hockey Hall of Fame announcer Mike “Doc” Emrick, along with some surprise guests.
The fundraiser will be held on Thursday, September 15th at 6:00 p.m. at McMorran Arena in downtown Port Huron. The event will be hockey-themed with pregame festivities, hockey activities, food from local establishments, and live and silent auctions.
YMCA of the Blue Water Area’s Foundation Chairman, Don Fletcher, said, “This Night of Champions event provides us with a wonderful opportunity to raise positive awareness for the many ways the YMCA of the Blue Water Area strengthens our community.”
Doc Emrick has a history with the Port Huron Flags, Olympic Hockey and Water Polo coverage, and with quietly supporting causes along with his wife, Joyce, according to Fletcher.
Tickets must be purchased in advance from the YMCA in downtown Port Huron. Tickets are $100 each or $1000 for a table. Sponsorships are available. All proceeds go toward supporting the mission of the YMCA of the Blue Water Area.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland