local news

St. Clair County Community College Hosts Hispanic American Celebration

The period of time from September 15th to October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month. St. Clair County Community College (SC4) in partnership with The Blue Water Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating with their Hispanic American Heritage Celebration.

The event will take place on Friday, October 7th, from 5 PM – 7:30 PM at SC4’s Fine Arts Theater. SC4’s office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will host the event and will feature a panel of local individuals who will be discussing Hispanic and Latino cultures and their experiences. Moderated by Blue Water Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Thelma Castillo, the event is free to attend and will feature live music from Detroit Latin Jazz band PanaMO.

For more information or to RSVP, email: dei@sc4.edu.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell

The Minority Philanthropy Initiative Invites You to the 2nd Annual Multicultural Celebration

On October 13th, the Minority Philanthropy Initiative invites you to the 2nd annual MPI Multicultural Celebration at the Blue Water Convention Center.

Be part of an exciting evening featuring a Native American fancy dancer, Tim Seneca, the Nanou Djiapo Drum & Dance group, and Mariachi Jalisco de Detroit. A tasting of foods from around the world will also be part of the evening experience.

Your registration will help award three local nonprofit organizations a grant on event night! You will be able to nominate your favorite local nonprofit when you register, and then during the event 3 nominations will be randomly selected to make a pitch about supporting their nonprofit. Guests will then vote and the nonprofit with the most votes will be awarded the top grant with second and third receiving grants as well. 

Excess funds raised for the event will be put into the Equity & Inclusion Fund at the Community Foundation to help grow the impact of the fund. If you can’t attend the event but would still like to support the event, you can register and select “not attending” to make your gift.

Please register by Monday, Oct. 3rd. 

Tickets are $50 per adult and $10 for youth 18 years and younger.

Register here: https://commfoundation.wufoo.com/forms/zfbjqq51heg9e5/

Evening Program Schedule:

  • 6pm Cocktail hour
  • 6:45p Program kick off
  • Native American Fancy Dancer- Tim Seneca
  • Drawing of 3 organizations to make a pitch
  • Mariachi Jalisco de Detroit
  • 7:15p Nonprofit pitches & voting
  • 7:30p Announce grant winners
  • 7:45p Nanou Djiapo Drum & Dance

Reporting for WGRT – George James

Sarnia’s Mitton Village Sees Community Improvements with New Public Spaces

Work is underway on a project that will see a new, permanent space for the public established in Mitton Village in Sarnia. 

Residents in the area may have noticed features of the pop-up parkette at the 135 Mitton St. South municipal parking lot being removed over the past week as the City prepares to reconstruct the lot and create a permanent parkette at the site.

Mitton Village is one of two Community Improvement Plan (CIP) areas identified for investments under the City of Sarnia’s 2020 plan. It is hoped that City-driven public-realm enhancements will encourage more businesses to invest in Mitton Village.

The parkette will feature tree-shaded areas alongside permanent seating and support infrastructure for active transportation.

The desire for public realm improvements was highlighted by the success of a pop-up parkette installed by the City in June 2022 with support from the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative. The pop-up parkette featured eight picnic tables painted by local artists, minor landscaping, and features such as a community bulletin board and Little Free Library.

Beyond complete reconstruction of the parking lot, the project will include the installation of new lighting, alongside decorative concrete, planters and tree wells for the parkette. Construction is expected to start this week and wrap up in November, with the parkette’s trees, plants, and street furniture to be installed in 2023.

Reporting for WGRT – George James

The International Symphony Orchestra Announces Comeback Season

The International Symphony Orchestra, led by Maestro Douglas Bianchi, has announced “ISO65”, a full-season concert hall return with seven Canada/US concert series beginning this September and running to April 2023.

The symphony will open the comeback season Friday, October 14th at a brand-new venue, the Great Lakes High School Auditorium, marking the orchestra’s first Canadian live concert since February 2020. On the Michigan side, the orchestra will perform through the season at both McMorran Theatre and Port Huron Northern High School Auditorium.

Founded in 1958 as a cross-border community orchestra, the ISO has evolved into a semipro organization with membership between London and Detroit. Cross-border status enabled the organization to deliver Nexus, a digital season featuring small-group empty hall concerts in both Canada and the US, but the continuance of a sealed border delayed plans for a comeback season at a time when orchestras across North America were making their concert stage returns.

Maestro Bianchi is upbeat about an onstage return. “We made it through with digital delivery, but the goal was always to return in-person for our subscribers and friends. We had to accept the good and bad of our unique place among orchestras on the continent, and now we’re finally able to get back onstage. And this time we’re also providing a livestream service for those who still wish to enjoy it at home.”

Tickets & subscriptions are available for purchase at:

Canada https://tinyurl.com/ISO65CAN

US https://tinyurl.com/ISO65USA

For more information:

Phone: (519) 337-7775 Canada / (810) 984-8857 US

Website: www.theiso.org

Email: tickets@theiso.org

Reporting for WGRT – George James

Saturday is National Hunting and Fishing Day

Established in 1972, National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrates and recognizes hunters and anglers for their immense contributions to fish and wildlife conservation and to society.

That year, Congress resolved, “That the President of the United States declare the fourth Saturday of September 1972 as ‘National Hunting and Fishing Day’ to provide that deserved national recognition, to recognize the esthetic, health and recreational virtues of hunting and fishing, to dramatize the continued need for gun and boat safety and to rededicate ourselves to the conservation and respectful use of our wildlife and natural resources.”

Michigan provides a unique opportunity for the 650,000 hunters and 1.2 million anglers who annually enjoy an abundance of land and more than 11,000 inland lakes, tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, and 3,300 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. 

Hunting and fishing benefit Michigan’s economy by annually generating $11.2 billion, and this spending supports more than 171,000 jobs in Michigan.  

This Saturday, head out for a day of fun in the field or on the water. Just make sure you have a 2022 hunting or fishing license with you when you go. Licenses can be purchased at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or via the DNR Hunt Fish app, putting licenses, permits, regulations and more right in the palm of your hand.

Whether you’re a seasoned hunter, avid angler or beginner, review safety tips at Michigan.gov/DNR under the Education and Safety tab in addition to reviewing rules and regulations at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests.

Reporting for WGRT – George James

St. Mary’s St. Clair Fall Festival

It’s officially fall on September 22nd which means there will be plenty of fall festivities to attend and enjoy this season. Why not start with the 48th Annual St. Mary’s St. Clair Fall Festival, a three day event beginning at 10 AM on Friday, September 23rd, and ending on Sunday, September 25th. 

The festival will feature a different main attraction and event for each day. Friday will feature their white elephant sale, raffle, and bake sale. Saturday is Family Fun Day which will feature the Power Wheels Demolition Derby, bounce houses, food trucks, and more. On Sunday, the last and final day of the event, there will be the Achatz Catering famous chicken dinner.

Win prizes, enjoy great food, and create family memories at the 48th Annual St. Mary’s St. Clair Fall Festival beginning this September 23rd.

For more information and details call (810) 329-2255.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell