Boat the Blue Brings Art, Boating History, and Fun to Downtown Port Huron

Port Huron, MI — The Boat the Blue Antique and Classic Boat Show is just a few weeks away, held on September 10th and 11th in Downtown Port Huron.  Port Huron is preparing for the event in a lot of ways, one being the artwork that is displayed in the windows of downtown businesses.

Cynthia Cutright of the Downtown Development Authority said that the art is an extension of the Boat the Blue Art Contest for youth and a contest amongst businesses. Local artist Faith Serio freehand painted each of the pieces, which can be found at Casey’s, Moe’s Deli, Sperry’s and MiMutual.

Boat the Blue Organizer Mark Walker said that boating history and heritage are unique to the area and the boat show is a way to remember, celebrate, and appreciate the history.

The family-friendly boat show offers free boat rides to the public, which started in Port Huron and is now being modeled throughout the country. On September 10th, there will be a music and painting show with the group, “Empty Canvas”.

Walker said, “There are no more generous people in the world than right here in our communities.” He praised the hard-working committee that is working to make the show the best it can be.

http://boattheblue.org/2021-event-schedule

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Military Job Fair In Detroit Thursday

Disabled American Veterans and RecruitMilitary are hosting a job fair for all transitioning military, veterans, military spouses and dependents on Thursday, August 19th from 11 AM – 3 PM at Ford Field.

This in-person job fair has 57 registered exhibitors offering educational opportunities and careers in law enforcement, information technology, skilled trades, and healthcare.

The job fair takes place inside Ford Field in the Hall of Legends room, and the one-way layout will enable visitors to connect with every exhibitor. Parking is free for job seekers in the Ford Field parking deck.

RecruitMilitary offers resources on their website to help job seekers prepare for the job fair. Job seekers can learn how to craft a 30-second elevator pitch, prep for interviews, and review their resume before the event. There is no need to bring paper resumes to the event however, as RecruitMilitary provides each attendee with an online job board profile they can fill out before the event and share with exhibitors.

More information is available on their website <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Photo courtesy of Bass Pro Shop

Fishing Tournament Coming to Lake St. Clair

The Bass Pro Shops amateur fishing tournament is coming to Lake St. Clair on Saturday, August 21st at the Lake St. Clair Metropark in Harrison Township. The event boasts 250 amateur teams competing for cash prizes.

In addition to the Lake St. Clair event, there are 8 regional qualifying events held nationwide. The top 40 teams from the regionals will advance to the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Championship held in November at Table Rock Lake in Missouri.

Registration is closed for the Lake St. Clair event, but spectators are welcome to visit Fan Village to watch the tournament. Proceeds from the event will benefit fisheries conservation and the future of fishing.

The top 40 teams of amateur fishers participating in the event will have a chance to win cash prizes including $50,000 for the first place team.

To learn more visit https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/usopen-qualifier5

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Photo courtesy of Bass Pro Shops

 

 

 

Op-Ed from Dr. Mercatante – Getting Kids Back to School Safely

Here we are, staring down the barrel of COVID again.  It’s been a difficult year for all of us. No one has fully escaped the burden of trying to make choices that impact our health and the health of others.  The vast amount of uncertainly, misinformation, and real-time adjustments of guidance has all of us weary and confused.  Counting bodies has not been easy for us, and our only fight in these contentious times is the fight against the virus SARsCOV2 and trying to reduce the negative impact it is having on everyone.

In addition to the devastation of illness, long term complications and death that COVID causes, we know that our young people have had incredible losses from the policies we have used to try and control this problem.  We all can agree that our children are one of our greatest resources and any healthy community should assure that they receive the best we have to give.  Keeping them in the classroom is a critical component of this, even knowing that putting them together indoors will increase their risk of getting infected.  How can we find a solution to this?

One thing is very clear; if widespread and uncontrolled COVID infection occur, in-class learning will be disrupted.  Individuals who are infected will have to remain out until 10 days following the onset of their symptoms (isolation).  Those who were exposed to people who are known to be infected have no way of knowing if they actually did get a viral load sufficient to cause illness. However, if they were vaccinated, wearing a mask, and keeping their distance while indoors, the RISK of this gets progressively less.  Each layer of mitigation adds a layer of protection.  If there are NO protections the risk of an exposed individual actually getting infected is relatively high.  Remember the Delta variant is even more contagious than the virus circulating this past winter.  That means every person within 6 feet of an infected individual for 15 minutes, who is not fully vaccinated, will be required to stay home and not interact with people outside of their family (quarantine). But if there are consistent layers of protection in place during exposure we can assume (from the observations and studies from last school year) that the risk of transmission is very low beyond 3 feet, and we can let students stay in the classroom despite having an exposure.

The choice is clearly there for every school and parent to make:  do the things that reduce viral transmission and infections (to the extent that we know them) or allow your child to certainly be exposed and infected in school.  Is not wearing a mask worth not going to school?  Does the avalanche of misinformation and anger make an entire body of evidence supporting risk reduction strategies go away?  Do you really believe that an entire nation of health care workers, researchers and scientists are systematically and nefariously creating scenarios to harm your kid? I hope you will join us in saying “no” to the above questions and embrace the hope that quality medicine and science can bring.  Do the right thing:  choose health.

Yours in health,

Annette Mercatante, MD, MPH, Medical Health Officer

St. Clair County Health Department

 

Submitted by the St. Clair County Health Department

Former Congressman Paul Mitchell Passes Away at 64

Former congressman Paul Mitchell passed away on Sunday, August 15, 2021 after a battle with renal cancer.

Mitchell presided over Michigan’s 10th District in the U.S. from 2016 until 2020, when he decided not to run for a third term so he could spend more time with his family.

Mitchell was honored on the U.S. House floor by many of his colleagues earlier this year as they hoped to encourage him in his battle with cancer. They spoke about their respect for him and the many ways he touched their lives.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan’s 8th District said, “Whether you were on the left or on the right, Paul worked with you to get things done. These days some might call that behavior an independent…being a Maverick, but to us, that was just Paul.”

Mitchell is survived by his wife Sherry and their six children. In a statement to the press, Sherry said, “Paul was a better human than me. I wanted no part of public life, keeping all of him for our family alone and the safety of complacence. I am immensely proud of him and never more so than when he was the lone voice in a sea of politicians who cared more about power than the true definition of the office.”

Congresswoman Lisa McClain, current rep of the 10th District, said in a statement, “Today we mourn the passing of former Rep. Paul Mitchell, who was an advocate for improving Michigan’s 10th Congressional District during his time in office.  My thoughts and prayers are with Paul’s wife Sherry and the entire Mitchell family.”

Governor Whitmer said in a statement, “Congressman Paul Mitchell was a fierce, independent voice for Michiganders. Throughout his tenure in the United States Congress, he led with his values and always spoke out for what he felt was right, even when he had to go against his own party, the president, or conventional political wisdom. After an incredibly successful career in the private sector, Paul entered public life, channeling his passion for people and innovative mind to help his neighbors and community succeed. He embodied values that we all aspire to have—he was independent, witty, and principled. Simply put, he was Paul, a joyful warrior for the people he believed in and for Michigan, the place that he loved. My thoughts are with Paul’s family, his six kids, six grandkids, his staff, and all those who were lucky enough to call him a friend. Paul, we will miss you.”

Sherry Mitchell asked that those who want to honor Paul to “give someone your time in a meaningful way” and make a financial donation to a local foster care charity.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand