Many Blue Water Area children will have gifts under the tree this Christmas thanks to a local couple who have been hosting Toys for Tots fundraisers for 21 years. Scott and Susan Hartfil of Fort Gratiot, did it again this year with their Bowling Fundraiser at Port Huron Lanes with proceeds benefiting Toys for Tots. The fundraiser has become an annual tradition for many people who get to both enjoy a night out and help local kids. 

Last Friday was the 21st annual event and Scott Hartfil told us how it got started. It is a pretty simple story of a man who just wanted to do some good for his community. In 1998, he attended a bowling fundraiser for his nephew’s hockey team and had so much fun that he wanted to host one himself. He just needed a cause. When he heard about Toys for Tots on the radio, the rest became history. 

Scott connected with the right people, started with a small event, and, along with his wife Susan, local coordinator Linda McLeod, and fellow organizer Misty Adair, kept the momentum going. Scott estimates they have collected about 5,000 toys over the years and raised around $80,000.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

We all know it when we see it… The perfect packing snow. In Michigan, many people experience those nostalgic moments of building a snowman or having a snowball fight. With all the snow Michiganders experience each year, could you imagine snowball fights being outlawed? Well, one town in Wisconsin has actually done so. 

In Wausau, Wisconsin a person could be fined for throwing a snowball in public places like sidewalks, streets, parks, schools or even against a building. With a population of about 40,000, Wausau classifies snowballs under the same category as rocks. 

As early as 2017, people have actually received citations under the ordinance according Wausau Police Patrol Captain, Todd Baeten. The Assistant City Attorney, Tara Alfonso, stated that she has never prosecuted someone for throwing a snowball but in the interest of public safety and common sense, Mayor Robert Mielke says that you just don’t throw stuff at people. 

The logic is there, but sometimes it is all just simple fun. At least having a snowball fight at home seems as though it is still fair game. If you’re making plans to visit Wausau, Wisconsin this winter, just be sure to not throw any snowballs in public.

Adapted from the Today Show’s “Wisconsin town outlawed snowball fights” by Callie Patteson

Many local communities have jumped on the train to update their towns and Yale has been no exception. Barbara Stasik, DDA Board Member, told ebw.tv in an interview that many small communities like Yale suffered in the downturn. Some areas needed attention and local business owners are doing just that.

ebw.tv had the chance to meet some of those local owners that kickstarted the upgrades. Lawrence Carter, Owner of Carter Mechanical, has lived in the Yale area for about 14 years. Carter bought a local heating and cooling company and turned it into whatYale Spruce Up is now known as Carter Mechanical. Joe Moza, Owner of Moza Construction, did some sprucing up with his building a few years ago that led Carter to wanting him to come and update his building as well. Barbara Stasik called this a trickle down theory as many other local businesses have followed suit. 

Much like Carters, many Yale businesses were outdated and simply needed some extra love. That love is showing through as the previously pink building is now blue with more renovations to come. Learn more in this feature.

For many students, a college degree would not be possible without financial aid. Making that aid happen for students is an important job and one for which a local woman has been recognized. Josephine Cassar is the Director of Financial Assistance at St. Clair County Community College. She has received the State Leadership Award from the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. 

According to a statement from SC4, Ms. Cassar was recognized for her “exceptional contributions to the financial aid profession at the state and regional levels and for her integrity, character and creative leadership”. In addition to her personal award, a committee on which she served, the Summer Institute and Leadership Symposium Committee, was also recognized as the Committee of the Year. 

With more than thirty years of experience in higher education, students at SC4 are in good hands when making important financial decisions for their futures. According to Vice President of Student Services at SC4, Pete Lacey, “Jo has helped improve college access for thousands of students and families by sharing her knowledge and expertise. Congratulations to her on another outstanding and well-deserved honor.”

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

Local hunters have another chance to fill the freezer as the deer season has been extended in some parts of southeast Michigan. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources started a pilot program three years ago to try to reduce the deer population in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties. Deer populations have been conflicting with urban sprawl in those counties and the DNR is trying to do something about it. 

The extended season is for bow hunting only and goes until January 31, 2020. As the final year of the pilot program, the success will be evaluated to determine if it will continue in the future. Chad Stewart, deer, elk, and moose program leader for the DNR, said that there are high quality deer out there for hunters to harvest. 

To participate in the hunt in our neighboring counties, south of the Blue Water area, hunters need a valid deer license and need to make sure that hunting is allowed in certain municipalities. State game and wildlife areas are open to hunting in the tri-county area. The DNR hopes that this extended season will help to reduce the deer population in these heavily travelled and populated areas and give hunters one more chance to bring home some venison.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.

We reported about a month ago that the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble, which was stationed in Port Huron and served as a museum ship for many years, was on the auction block. The ship was indeed sold at an auction earlier this week in Mobile, Alabama. The highest bid was $80,000 from an unnamed bidder and the ship was listed for sale in 2018 for $1.65 million. 

During its time as a museum in Port Huron, it was used in the movie, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”, where it can be seen unloading a shipment of kryptonite. But unpaid bills seemed to be the Bramble’s kryptonite, as the recent owner who navigated it out of the Great Lakes and south to Alabama, was unable to pay for repairs and services to ready the boat for an intended journey through the Northwest Passage. 

The boat was seized by U.S. Marshalls after a court ruling in favor of Inchcape Shipping. The whole Bramble saga is actually part of a bigger bankruptcy, according to Business Alabama Magazine. It reported that “the vessel was in dry dock in Mobile for renovation by Epic Alabama Shipyard when repair bills became part of the uncollected assets of parent Epic Companies, a Houston maritime company that declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September.” The future of the ship is still in question, but her memories remain strong for the many former crew members and for the whole maritime community.

Reporting for WGRT, Kelsie Kaczperski.