port huron

Discovery City Sticking Around for Another Year

Just after the City of Port Huron City Council voted to make Port Huron Museums free for everyone, the museum announced that Discovery City will be here for at least another year.

The popularity of the exhibit, which is an indoor play experience for kids, motivated the museum to extend the exhibit until March 31, 2023. Families with Bridge Cards can access Discovery City for free due to a partnership with the James C. Acheson Foundation, and visitors without Bridge cards pay $5 per child for a 1 hour and 15 minute session.

Andrew Kercher, Community Engagement Manager for Port Huron Museums said Discovery City has welcomed over 6,00 visitors since it opened. He said, “Between the regular sessions, the scheduled birthday parties, and our popular Wednesday morning  face painting and activity days with Miss Michelle of Wonderwolf Entertainment, there are very few  times that the Carnegie Museum doesn’t echo with the sounds of children getting to experience a true  hands-on museum, many for the first time! Everything about it has been wonderful, and we are very  thankful to our partners at the City of Port Huron.”

With the new grant from the City of Port Huron, all Port Huron Museum sites will offer free admission for city residents and the many visitors to the community. There will still be a $5 charge for admission to Discovery City, but families will now be able to explore the rest of the museum during their visit free of charge.

Details about the start date for free admission will be announced soon. In the meantime, families can stay connected with Discovery City activities by following Port Huron Museums on Facebook and checking their website: https://www.phmuseum.org/

*An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that admission to Discovery City would be free as well as admission to museum sites. The free admission only applies to general admission to the museum sites, not special exhibits such as Discovery City.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

 

James Freed City of Port Huron

Freed Condemns House Bill 50545 as an “Insult” to Port Huron’s Unfunded Liability Turnaround

Port Huron City Manager James Freed is not happy with pending legislation that would bail out cities that did not deal with their unfunded liabilities, calling it an “insult” to cities like Port Huron that addressed the problem and took concessions.

House Bill 5054, which already passed in Michigan’s House of Representatives, would allocate $1.5 billion from the state treasury to hand out up to $100 million per municipality to fill in the blanks where there is no current plan to pay the contractual pensions and benefits.

Freed won an award for work that was described as “groundbreaking” to turn around the City of Port Huron’s finances to go from impending bankruptcy to having a strong plan in place to fund liabilities like employee benefits and pensions.

In his editorial that he sent to local news outlets, Freed called the legislation an “insult” and said that it is a “reward for bad behavior and failure to be good fiduciaries of taxpayer money.”

A link to Freed’s full statement can be found below.

March 9, 2022,

Dear Editor,

House Bill 5054 must be stopped in the Michigan Senate. This bill would allow the Department of Treasury to fund a $1.5 billion pension relief grant program without any real requirements…This bill is an insult to every public worker who has taken concessions, such as reduced pension benefits, in an effort to help their communities become financially stable.

This bill means municipalities who have implemented reforms and pension plan adjustments, such as bridging down the benefits, capping overtime hours in pension benefits, closing the systems to new hires and deploying a 401k-style retirement benefit, would sit by as those communities who have not acted would receive millions of dollars in unrestricted bailouts.

House Bill 5054 is a reward for bad behavior and failure to be good fiduciaries of taxpayer money. Here in Port Huron, we didn’t kick the can down the road. We are proud of the hard work we completed by working with our collective bargaining groups to implement the above reforms to our pension system.

We saved our taxpayers more than $80 million, which will be reappropriated for years to come preserving and enhancing core public services such as police, fire, and parks and recreation.

Additionally, this bill would only prop up failing systems, creating a larger problem for the next generation. The Michigan Senate now has the opportunity to send a clear message to municipal leaders across the state: if you want relief, you must reform.

Everyone supports helping municipalities struggling with the burden of unfunded liabilities, but giving grants out without any meaningful reforms in exchange for this financial assistance is a disservice to the taxpayers of Michigan.

Sincerely,

James Freed

City Manager, Port Huron, MI

 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Operation Transformation Plans Open House to “Spring Ahead” with Fundraising Goals

Operation Transformation is hoping to “Spring Ahead” by raising $25,000. They will be hosting an Open House where donors and interested community members can see what the Port Huron non-profit does in the area.

The Open House is Thursday, March 24th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at their headquarters at 1904 Poplar Street in Port Huron. Donations can be made at the Open House, or by phone or mail. They have a $6,000 matching fund that could be doubled at the fundraiser.

Those who attend the Open House will get to see what OT has been up to over the past year and get a look at their ongoing projects.

Operation Transformation works with civic and service organizations to reach out to the community. Projects include the Seek God for the City Lenten program, the Compass Christian Business Alliance, Foster Care Assistance, and other initiatives like food giveaways.

OT is also the organizer of the popular Family Night activities during the annual Blue Water Fest in the summer.  

Go to optrans.org for more information.

https://www.optrans.org/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Toll Rates Remain the Same for Those Who Can Travel to Canada

If you download the app, get the shot, get a test, and have a good reason, you can cross the border into Canada for the same toll rate as last year. The Michigan Department of Transportation reports that Canadian currency rates will not change for traffic heading into Canada via the Blue Water Bridge. The decision was made following the latest currency parity review and remains in effect until the end of September.

Passenger vehicle rates remain at $3.75 per trip with another $3.75 Canadian for each extra axle. Trucks and busses can enter Canada at a rate of $4 Canadian. There is a discount program through the Edge Commuter Pass.

ArriveCAN is a mandatory app that is used to track Covid testing and vaccination compliance. It records proof of vaccination, test results, quarantine plans, and other personal information as part of Canada’s required border crossing procedure.

There are some exceptions to the requirements, but they need to be addressed prior to reaching the border. More information can be found at the Canada Border Services Agency website.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/menu-eng.html

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Port Huron Museums Looking for Artists for Upcoming Exhibit

Did pandemic life spark your creativity and inspire some artwork? The Carnegie Museum in Downtown Port Huron is looking for artists who want to display their work and perhaps make some money from the sale of their work. The exhibit is called “Perspectives: Art Out of the Pandemic”.

The exhibit opens on April 23rd but now is the time for artists to start submitting their work. The exhibit is open to local artists who work in all forms of media. Painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and other mediums are all part of the exhibit. While the exhibit name references the pandemic, the art does not need to be about COVID-19, but it should have been created during the pandemic.

Artists who wish to offer their art for sale are able to do so, with the Museum taking a small commission. The exhibit will be held on the Mezzanine through July 22nd.  

Artists have until April 1st to register up to five pieces. Port Huron Museums will decide what pieces they will display. A link to the registration form can be found below.

phmuseum.org/art

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Big Reds Believe Charity Basketball Game March 11th

Port Huron High School will be hosting their annual Big Reds Believe basketball game on March 11th at 6:00 p.m. in the Port Huron High School Gym. The game pits senior basketball players against staff to raise money for charity. This year’s game will raise money for one of their own: 11th grader, Andrew Kolinski.

Sydney Grewe, a teacher and Student Council advisor, said, “After taking a break due to COVID we are back and are supporting junior Andrew Kolinski. Andrew was diagnosed with cancer over the summer and underwent surgery to remove the cancer, and at the moment he is cancer-free! All of the funds raised will be donated to Andrew’s family to help with his medical expenses.”

The money is raised with donations at the entrance to the event, t-shirt sales, a 50/50 raffle, a bake sale, a concession stand, and a silent auction.

Can’t make it to the game? Order a t-shirt today to support this community effort. T-shirts cost $20 and need to be ordered by March 3rd.

https://phhswebelieve.itemorder.com/shop/sale/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland