local news

St. Clair’s Icy Bazaar Brings Ice Carving and Entertainment January 21-23

St. Clair will be embracing the cold with the Icy Bazaar on January 21st through 23rd. The festival will be held in the St. Clair Riverview Plaza Courtyard. 

St. Clair’s Icy Bazaar will feature live ice carvings done by Kaitlin Pfropper, who has competed in World Ice Championships in Alaska and Yellowknife, Canada carving huge sculptures from giant ice blocks. This is Kaitlin’s third year at the St. Clair festival. 

The Icy Bazaar will have creative craft vendors, food and drink specials, live entertainment, and fireworks. 

The music lineup has been published with Ryan Beaudry kicking off the entertainment starting at 5:00 on Friday, January 21st, followed by Alter Ego, then Los Gringos playing until midnight. 

Saturday’s entertainment starts at 2:00 in the afternoon with Greg Hind, followed by Paul and Oates, and headlining with The Gobies playing until midnight. 

Sunday features the Meldrum Brothers playing from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

St. Clair’s Icy Bazaar is hosted by the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce. 

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

SC4 Presents MLK Day Celebration “Where Are We Now?” Jan. 17

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will be observed in Port Huron with a celebration hosted by St. Clair County Community College. The “Where Are We Now?” event will be held on Monday, January 17th, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre on the main campus.

Dr. King’s legacy will be celebrated with songs, dance, and videos. There will also be a selection of Dr. King’s own words shared with the audience.

There will be panel discussions about health care disparities and racism and investing in small businesses. There will also be a discussion about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in education, along with other topics.

The Master of Ceremonies will be Jessica Brown, who leads SC4’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The annual event is free but reservations are required by emailing SC4. It will be live-streamed also.

Admission is free and can be reserved by emailing dei@sc4.edu. Seating is limited. Masks required inside campus buildings. The event also will be livestreamed at sc4.edu/dei-live for those unable to attend in person.

For questions, call SC4’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at (810) 989-5564.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

DNR Seeks Public Input on Algonac State Park

If Algonac State Park is your go-to camping spot, you might want to get involved in making the 1,550-acre scenic St. Clair County park even better. Algonac State Park is the topic of an upcoming virtual public meeting hosted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR is gathering public feedback on a new management plan for the popular state park. The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 20th, from 6-7 p.m.

Debbie Jensen, park management plan administrator for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division said, “Public input is a critical part of the planning process. We hope visitors, local community members and everyone interested in the future of this park can take part in the public input phase.”

The DNR reports that the meeting will feature a review of the draft management plan, proposed improvements, and planning process, and will give the public an opportunity to share feedback and questions.

The meeting will be recorded and available for viewing afterward. There will also be an opportunity for additional public input after the meeting.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Invites Community to Strong Inside Book Discussion

The whole community is invited to a book discussion, sponsored by the St. Clair County Community College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The book is Strong Inside by Andrew Maraniss. Copies of the book are available for free through the SC4 Office.

The college is planning a guided book discussion with the author during the fall semester of 2022.

Strong Inside is a biography of Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference, playing for Vanderbilt University. The biography is set in the times of civil rights struggles of the 1960s.

Strong Inside won the Lillian Smith Book Award in 2015, among other accolades.

The author, Andrew Maraniss, is a contributor to ESPN and has written several other history and sports-related books.

https://sc4.edu/event/strong-inside-book-discussion/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

All Kids Can Play Together with the Arc of St. Clair County’s Inclusive Recreation

Inclusive Recreation is a way to get kids of all abilities playing together and learning from each other. The ARC of St. Clair County has organized several opportunities for kids of all abilities to enjoy winter fun while fostering understanding of the things that make each kid unique.

Valorie Hudgens, Executive Director of the Arc of St. Clair County, said that the program helps build friendships between kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities.

The free recreation programs are geared toward children aged three to twelve, but teenagers often enjoy the interactions as well. Due to covid restrictions, all events will be held outdoors, so attendees should bundle up. Hudgens said, “Snow will not slow us down.”

The events are held outside the Community Rooms at Dulhut, Huron, and Gratiot Housing Developments. Participants do not have to live in the neighborhoods to participate. No RSVP is needed; just show up to have fun.

January’s Inclusive Recreation kicks off with Mystery Snow Fun.

The Arc is looking to expand its program into downriver communities in the future.

Call the Arc of St. Clair County at 810-989-9144 for more information.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Library Has Creative Options for January

The St. Clair County Library System has plenty on the calendar for January to get the New Year off to a good start.

Kids can stop by the Children’s Library at the Main Branch in Port Huron to pick up a kit to build their very own stuffed bear. Once the bear is built, at the library or at home, kids can bring the bears back for Teddy Bear Sleepover Camp, where the bears will make scrapbooks of their adventures at camp. Registration is required.

Ever wanted to learn the ancient art form of Origami? This might be the year to build that lifelong skill. The G. Lynn Campbell/Kimball Township Branch, located in Kimball, will be hosting both Teen and Adult Origami classes in January. Materials are provided and the classes are free.

Feeling creative? A Fairy House Workshop will be held on Thursdays for six sessions, with all materials provided to create a fairy house of your own design. The sessions will be held at the G. Lynn Campbell/Kimball Library.

There is also a presentation on Understanding Grief and a group that meets for card games. For the full schedule of events, https://stclaircountylibrary.org/events

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland