local news

Saturday’s Thumbfest Celebrates Folk Music

If you like folk music, this weekend’s Thumbfest is for you. Lexington will host the music festival on Saturday, September 4th from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the town.

Thumbfest began in the 1990s and has since developed into a late summer tradition, organized by the dedicated volunteers in the Blue Water Folk Society.

The festival is free to the public thanks to many commercial sponsors and donors, but donations are accepted. Those who attend will need to bring their own lawn chairs. Both food and craft vendors will be onsite.

There are seven stages with full schedules of musical acts, along with a community sing tent and a jam tent, among others. There are opportunities for those who brought their instruments to join into some performances.

Thumbfest is a family-friendly event with special areas for children to make music, as well as a drum circle. Camp Cavell is hosting special activities for kids.

Shuttles will be running throughout the festival, with service every 15 minutes along the route. The full lineup of musical acts can be found at bluewaterfolk.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

HURON Lightship Back Open for Visitors

The HURON Lightship is back in business after the unplanned shutdown due to a rare weather-related issue. The damage from last summer’s rapid rise in water levels on the St. Clair River has been repaired and Port Huron’s crown jewel, the museum in a boat, is ready to greet guests.

The location at Pine Grove Park in Port Huron near the Thomas Edison parkway makes the HURON one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.

The HURON Lightship was the last operating lightship and along with many maritime artifacts also displays live footage from a camera located on the river bottom.

Port Huron Museums’ Andrew Kercher told us that the Museum is very excited to have the HURON Lightship reopened to the public. Kercher said, “The HURON Lightship is marking its centennial this year, and we are very grateful to our partners at the City of Port Huron that we can help share this National Historic Landmark with thousands of visitors each year.”

From now until September 19th, the HURON is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. After that, it will be open on a weekend schedule. Ticket information can be found at phmuseum.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Range Road Overpass Closing for Construction

Range Road from Griswold to Lapeer Roads in Port Huron Township is scheduled for reconstruction. The project will close Range Road temporarily.

The work is scheduled to begin on September 8th and is planned to wrap up by October 22nd if the weather cooperates. The work is being done by M.L. Chartier Excavating, Inc. The project has a $939,000 price tag, paid for by the St. Clair County Road Commission, the State of Michigan, and the Federal Highway Administration.

The reconstruction of Range Road includes crushing and shaping the existing asphalt, paving a portion of the road shoulder, cleaning up the ditches and replacing culverts, as well as making new pavement markings, and restoring the site.

About two weeks after the start of the project, the Range Road overpass at I-69 will close to traffic. The closure is allowed for up to 35 days. The detour involves Griswold, Michigan, and Lapeer Roads.

Local traffic access to homes and businesses will be allowed, along with access for emergency vehicles, but local residents should plan for delays during construction.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

SC4 Publishes Fine Arts Magazine

St. Clair County Community College has announced the publication of this year’s edition of Patterns magazine. The magazine is the oldest publication of its kind in Michigan and is entirely student-published. 

The magazine’s publication was delayed for the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 restrictions. But it is here now, and it is something to be celebrated by those who appreciate student writing and art.

Sarah Flatter, professor of fine arts at the college said, “Patterns is an opportunity to celebrate being creative and to recognize the unique talents of our next generation of artists. We’re excited to honor students and their success while at SC4.”

This year’s Patterns is published in memory of David Korff and Alfred Gay, both of whom left lasting legacies with SC4’s Fine Arts programs.

Each year, winners are named in the various categories and this year’s Eleanor Mathews Award winner is Makenna Joppich. The Patrick Bourke Award winner is Brandi Schmitz.

A link to Patterns:

https://sc4.edu/support-services/honors-and-awards/patterns/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Nutrition Services to Continue with New School Year at PHS

Last week, Port Huron Schools Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas sent a letter to all families and staff in the district, explaining policies and procedures for the upcoming school year. School starts on September 7th.

Kerhoulas made special note of the way in which the district addressed nutrition over the last school year and how it will feed children in the district this year. He shared that the district served 1.8 million meals to students and families during the ongoing pandemic.

Breakfast and lunch are available to all students in the district, with no proof of income needed. All students in every school, from preschool to high school can eat up to two meals a day at school.

Those families who choose virtual school for their children can pick up five-day meal packs at Port Huron Northern High School or Port Huron High School on Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., except for the first week of school on which distribution will be on Tuesday.

The Food and Nutrition Department Staff will be recognized for their tireless work in feeding students during the Crosstown Showdown on October 8th.

Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland

PHS Addresses Parent Concerns

Port Huron Schools Superintendent Theo Kerhoulas sent a letter to all families in the district to answer questions about upcoming procedures as the pandemic lingers on, and to address issues that have been of concern to parents.

Kerhoulas stated in the letter that the district will follow all orders from local, state, and federal authorities and that at this time masks must be worn on buses, and are encouraged, but not required, in classrooms.

Sick or exposed unvaccinated students and employees will have to stay home, and close contacts can plan on quarantining unless they can prove vaccination or a documented diagnosis in the past 90 days.

The district is not requiring vaccinations for staff. Ventilation systems have all been upgraded to meet CDC recommendations.

Addressing parent concerns about teaching critical race theory, Kerhoulas said that it is not part of the curriculum. In the letter, he said, “We support our professional teaching staff and trust them to answer student questions and guide meaningful, appropriate discussions in our classrooms.”

A link to the full letter.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland