One of Port Huron’s most recognized attractions will be saying its final farewell next summer. If you’ve ever been near the boardwalk by Pine Grove Park, you have probably seen the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, the Hollyhock.

The Hollyhock has been in Port Huron since 2003, and it serves to aid the area’s authorities in missions such as navigation, search and rescue, environmental protection, and domestic icebreaking. The Hollyhock will be departing permanently in early summer of 2023 and will be replaced later that year, or in early 2024, by the Sequoia.

To aid the Port Huron Area School District and its students this winter, the Hollyhock will be offering tours of the boat and are asking for donations of new or gently used coats.

MK2 Mike Godell, organizer of the event, says, “We are doing this because the community has given so much to the crew over the years. We would love for this event to be a medium to help kids in need get a nice coat for the upcoming winter.”

The event will take place October 7th – 9th from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

Tis’ the season for ghouls, ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. The Port Huron Museum is holding the Young Adult Spooky Evening Candle Lit Museum Tour to give a unique spin on its museum tour.

The event will feature pumpkin carving, apple cider, and doughnuts. The main tour includes learning the history of Halloween by firelight as well as a candlelight tour of the museum, so get ready to be educated and served up with some seriously creepy vibes for a night of fun and entertainment.

The Young Adult Spooky Evening Candle Lit Museum Tour will be held October 30th from 6 PM – 9 PM. The event is geared toward 21-35 year-olds and visitors must be 21 to participate due alcohol being served.

For more information contact the Port Huron Museum at (810) 982-0891.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for booster doses, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said vaccine providers throughout Michigan are prepared to begin administering booster shots now.

The bivalent booster helps fight both the original strain of the COVID-19 virus and Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. It’s recommended that individuals 12 years old or order receive the bivalent booster if they have completed their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine, and they can receive the bivalent booster even if they have previously received a monovalent booster.

The FDA has removed the Emergency Use Authorization on the monovalent boosters, and they are no longer available for administration.

According to MDHHS, individuals are eligible to receive a single bivalent booster:

• If they are 18 or older, and it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.
• If they are 12 or older, and  it has been at least two months since they completed primary vaccination or received the most recent booster dose with any authorized or approved monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Influenza vaccines are also available now, and can be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 booster.

For more information, visit https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/covid-19-vaccine

Fall term at Port Huron’s School for Strings starts September 19th, and music lovers of all ages looking for an opportunity to learn violin, viola, cello, or double bass can register for classes now.

School for Strings has been teaching students on St. Clair County for over 22 years, and Executive Director Dr. Rebekah Brown said the school has the most experienced and highly trained faculty in the area.

Private lessons, group lessons, and youth orchestra classes are available in 12-week terms, and prices vary depending on the length of the lessons. School for Strings also has music theory classes, exploratory workshops, and Fiddle Club, a popular performance group that plays toe-tapping favorites at area festivals and special events.

Although many people think of string instruments as primarily featured in classical music, Dr. Brown said you can find the violin, cello, viola, and bass in a multitude of genres including jazz, pop, rock, hip hop, and other contemporary music along with Celtic, bluegrass, folk, and more.

“Playing a string instrument means possibilities of going down so many different musical avenues. We teach our students about all these style of playing then they can specialize as they wish,” said Dr. Brown.

For more information and to register for classes, visit SchoolforStrings.net.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand