Girls Going Wild at McMorran

Girls Going Wild at McMorran


Blue Water Derby Girls play first match on Sunday

Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

Let’s have some good old-fashioned girl-on-girl action. Speed, style and sensuality are smashing to Port Huron this weekend.

The Blue Water Derby Girls will skate in their inaugural match on Sunday at the McMorran Pavilion. The doors open at 5:30 p.m.

“Expect controlled anarchy,” said coach Jeff “Darryl B. Payne” Good. “The match will remind you of a Mount St. Helena’s type of chaos. The eruption may be overwhelming but it sure will look pretty as it explodes.”

Unlike its 1970 predecessor, roller derby is governed by stringent rules. The days of a reliance on cheap theatricals with a predetermined outcome are long gone. It now has its own governing body: the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

“Today’s version of roller derby has more rules than hockey,” said referee Scot “Zoso Naughty” Kavanaugh. “The skaters no longer exchange punches, clothesline each other or toss their opponents over the rails. These girls are true athletes.”

The rules remain reminiscent of the days of the “Blonde Bomber” Joanie Weston from the famous ‘70s San Francisco Bay Bombers. Jammers (designated scoring skaters) still must lap the opponents to score points. The strategies remain similar.

“Imagine football, except both teams have the ball at the same time,” Good said. “The goal is to get your jammer through first. Then your team has unlimited time outs which can be used to stop the other team from being able to score.

“Each team must play offense and defense at the same time. Even at an amateur level, you will not be able to believe the skills set of these ladies.”

Roller derby is being called the fastest growing sport in America. The grassroots explosion of do-it-yourself startup franchises is phenomenal, Good added.

“Of the 120 U.S. teams, only 30 are older than three years old,” he said. “Twenty alone have started this year. The sport has evolved from 40 teams nationally in 2007 to nearly 500 worldwide today. Roller derby has exploded in Canada, Australia and Europe.”

The players find an intrinsic worth in the game that lives up to its violent reputation.

“The sisterhood is amazing,” said skater Brenda “Anna Phylaxis” Good. “We’ll knock each other down one minute and hug the next. This game empowers women. We can open up and be ourselves, while playing a hardcore contact sport.

“This is not just for jocks, cheerleaders or princesses. It is also for those of us who once stuck out in ways that we wish we didn’t. Roller derby is for all walks of life.”

Rocket Ray will perform music before the match and at halftime, and a DJ will play background music throughout the bout. A cash bar will also be available.

“If you like to watch well trained girls in cute outfits getting hot and sweaty while knocking each other down to score — you will love this,” Brenda Good said.

Up to two children aged 10 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Tickets are $10.

“We’re the team the established leagues are worried about,” Jeff Good said. “The overall event will border on spectacle, but I assure you the action on the track will be amazing.”

HUE BLANC'S JOYLESS ONES "LIVE" at the Roche Bar in Port Huron Tuesday Oct 26th

Twisted and gnarled sound blasts of two guitars and two drummers from Algoma, Wisconsin (population 3,357).

Check this interview with them
http://smashintransistors.homestead.com/midwest_gentlemen.html

Read a review of their album from a couple years back on Victim Of Time
http://www.victimoftime.com/articles/breaking-sounds-hue-blancs-joyless-ones-arriere-ga/

Listen to some of their music here
http://www.myspace.com/hueblancsjoylessones

(((SUNDAY SONANCE)))
FIRST Sunday of every month
6P-9P (sometimes longer)

NEXT NIGHT SUNDAY OCTOBER 3

Dale & Franck on the turntables spinning soul, funk, reggae, dub, downtempo, minimal, ambient, indie, psych, noise, fuzz and other groovy treats, obscure sounds and twanged-up rarities.......

@ the Raven Cafe
932 Military Street
Downtown Port Huron
810-984-4330
www.ravencafeph.com

Barn Resounds with Laughter
Michigan native's play to be featured in Port Sanilac

Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

If you believe that laughter is the best medicine, perhaps a few chuckles will help you forget the heat. Cool off with a few smiles and a lake breeze at Port Sanilac’s Barn Theatre this weekend.

A production of Paul Wade Smith’s nationally renowned “Unnecessary Farce” concludes its run, August 19-21, show times at 8.p.m.

“’Unnecessary Farce’ is a clever and funny script,” said Barn Theatre actor Kelly Kennedy. “The play is filled with outrageous physical comedy. The fact that the playwright, Paul Wade Smith, is from Michigan is fantastic. I commend the Barn Theatre for helping to promote homegrown playwrights.”

The synopsis of “Unnecessary Farce” is described by its web site, www.unnecessaryfarce.com, as:

The setting is two adjoining rooms in an economy motel. It is early morning. Two inexperienced police officers, Eric Sheridan and Billie Dwyer, have been sent to videotape a meeting between the local mayor and the town’s accountant, with the aim of uncovering an embezzlement scheme. But the day is not starting off well.

Billie has been spotted by the mayor in the motel lobby. And Eric and the accountant, Karen Brown, have just spent the night together, a fact they’re trying to keep secret. But when they start going at it again in Karen’s room, just as Billie – in the other room – accidentally begins videotaping them, things begin to unravel.

Billie attempts to erase the tape, but, flummoxed by the remote control, she only manages to start it playing again just as the mayor walks in – thereby establishing his honor’s uncanny knack for entering the room the moment anything sexually suggestive is happening.

The mayor is accompanied by Agent Frank – the head of Town Hall security – an impressively nervous man who warns the officers that anyone who dares to try to find the missing money will incur the wrath of a local mafia called the Scottish Clan. Agent Frank speaks with particular fear of a man named Todd – “The Highland Hitman” – a formidable villain, who always dons a kilt and plays the bagpipes before making a kill.

When Billie, momentarily alone, discovers a plaid duffel bag in the room – with a kilt inside – this straightforward investigation suddenly turns dangerous. Too frightened to answer Todd’s questions, Billie makes the Scotsman angry. And as he gets angrier, his accent gets thicker, until it’s impossible to understand a word he’s saying.

Meanwhile, the mayor’s wife has arrived. Is she merely concerned for her husband, or could she somehow be involved in the criminal plot?

Will the embezzled money be recovered? Can Billie be saved before Todd plays the bagpipes? Will Eric and Karen get to have sex? And can the cops manage to capture the crooks without resorting to… Unnecessary Farce?

The play is not recommended for young children. Ticket prices are $9 for side section seats and $10 for center section seats. The Barn Theatre is located at 242 S. Ridge Street in Port Sanilac. Box-office hours are from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. For further information, call 810-622-9114.

“I’m thrilled to have been given the opportunity to make people laugh,” said Kennedy. “So come on out to The Barn … There may be bats, but there are even more laughs!”

Shakespeare Rocks Port Huron




By Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

Billy Shakespeare was the gangsta rapper of his day.

Sex, blood and off-color humor prevail in his work. So, too, does love and tenderness.

Yet, these days, many feel his work is boring and out of time.

Not so.

Enter Stage Right (ESR) wants to bring the passion and timeliness of the bard to you. On Aug. 14, the inaugural Will on the Water festival will be held on the north lawn of Port Huron’s Municipal Office Center. The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the downtown corners of McMorran and Merchant.

Don’t let the antiquated prose scare you.

“We are presenting scenes, rather than entire plays, that are fun and physical so people can get past the language part of it,” said Regina Spain, Managing Director of ESR. “Our goal is to emphasize the joy within the Bard’s work that sometimes gets obscured by his style.”

Will on the Water will showcase highlights from “Romeo and Juliet,” “Macbeth” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” An original performance will also be presented that illuminates the wealth of everyday phrases derived from Shakespeare’s writings.

“What makes this event special is that we do not type cast Shakespeare’s characters,” Spain said. “We look at the personalities of the actors and their skills rather than ‘play by the book’. For instance, the players portraying Mercutio and Tybalt from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ will be female.”

As well as performances on Port Huron’s very own Globe stage, a variety of interactive “Pageant Wagons” will allow the patrons to experience life in the days of Shakespeare. These include sword fighting and dancing. Also, “Stalls” will offer delicacies of the period and “Town Criers” will extol the virtues of the festival’s sponsors.

“We call it ‘User Friendly Shakespeare,’ because we want to emphasize the fun and vibrancy of his world,” said Elaine Schatzline-Behr, Artistic Director of ESR. “Remember, he wrote his plays to be performed aloud rather than read in the classroom. His theater was very popular because it was very entertaining

“We want to give participants a sense of what a summer day would have been like in London in 1599. One of the reasons that Shakespeare was so popular was that not only his theater was fun but downtown London of the time was a hopping place. We decided to recreate the world people would have traveled through to get to the Globe Theatre.”

Some of the other interactive experiences for the attendees will be May Day style dance celebrations, drumming and games, including the original version of horseshoes.

People are urged to attend in period costume, much like patrons of the Michigan Renaissance Festival.

Globe stage performances will occur every half hour. All other activities will run throughout the day.

“The festival should be a fabulous addition to the area,” Spain said. “Our goal is that this year we are starting a little small with scenes rather than full plays. Each year we hope to grow a little more.”

For further information, log on to www.enterstageright.org or contact Regina Spain at 810-334-6415.

Thursday July 29th-The Sugar Stems LIVE at the Roche bar in Port Huron

The Sugar Stems feature Drew of the LegHounds/Jetty Boys fame, Betsy and Stephanie of the Flips and JonE from bands such as the Catholic Boys, Teenage Rejects, Tuff Bananas etc. Check out more about them at their Myspace page.

Sort of a last minute show announcement here but it'll be a good one. Many thanks to Johnny and Suzie of the Roche Bar for always providing a place where band's doing their own music can play in this otherwise podunk town called Port Huron.

Some LIVE Rock-n-Roll Fun at the Roche Bar in July

Gorevette: Featuring the legendary Nikki Corvette and Amy of the Gore Gore Girls
http://www.myspace.com/gorevette

From sunny California The Pleasure Kills play New Wave/Power Pop. Good times and dancing will happen!
http://www.myspace.com/thepleasurekills

Also on the bill-the Blue Water Area's best at "1!2!3!4! Fun Punk" The McFlys.
http://www.myspace.com/themcflys

'Lighthouse Bob' Memorial

Service for Hanford This Saturday
Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

Robert “Lighthouse Bob” Hanford devoted more than 20 years to the Port Huron community as keeper of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. Saturday, June 26, the community will honor the life and service of Hanford with a memorial service at 11 a.m. on the grounds of the lighthouse. The memorial is open to the public.

Many remember Hanford from the many tours of the lighthouse he oversaw as lighthouse keeper, a position he held since 1988. Prior to those years, Hanford, who passed away on June 4, served in both theatres of World War II and spent 25 distinguished years with the Detroit Police Department.

“Bob was truly a member of the ‘Greatest Generation,’” said Bill Thornton, a fellow U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary member. “That generation, which came of age during World War II, produced outstanding individuals whose characters were honed by that bloody conflict.”

Hanford was born in Plainfield, New Jersey and his family relocated to Detroit in 1934. Nine years later he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and during WWII as a landing-craft operator, he deployed troops at the invasions of Normandy and southern France in the Atlantic Theatre, and at Iwo Jima and Okinawa in the Pacific Theatre.

“In 1942, Bob enlisted in the United States Coast Guard at the age of 17,” Dave Bennis, a friend and co-worker at the Fort Gratiot Light Station, said. “As both of his parents had died, his brother had to sign the enlistment papers. At D-Day, Bob’s memory was etched, that the ocean was red for three days with the blood of the troops that didn’t make it through that fateful day.”

After the war, Hanford returned to Michigan and spent 25 years with the Detroit Police Department. He was cited for numerous awards, including a meritorious service award bestowed upon retirement. As well as general police work, Hanford was a member of the Motorcycle Division and was involved in undercover assignments. After retirement, he became the bodyguard for General Motors’ C.E.O. Roger Smith for seven years.

Locally, Hanford is best known for his involvement as the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Keeper. Thousands of light house fans, school children and tourists have been enlightened by Hanford’s tours of the grounds, as well as numerous presentations he presented during the winter months.

“Bob was quite the character,” Bennis said. “One time a school boy asked him if the lighthouse was haunted. Bob didn’t bat an eye and replied, ‘Maybe not yet, but it will be one day.’ When kids would camp the grounds, he would sometimes climb into the tower and flash a lantern to spook them.”

The United States Coast Guard – Port Huron Station and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are opening the grounds of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse Saturday’s memorial, with Ray Carrier, chaplain of the Michigan Allied Veterans Council, officiating. The council will also provide the honor guard at the memorial.

Representatives from the USCG Auxiliary, USCG 9th District (Cleveland), Detroit and Port Huron Stations will attend the service, as well as from the vessels Hollyhock and Bramble.
Parking is limited to the Lighthouse Beach lot and entry confined to the double gates into the station on Omar Street.

Bob is survived by his daughter Lynne (John) Capadagli, sons Scott Hanford and Kim Hanford.

Club Hosts Kayak Clean-Ups on Black River

Blue Water Social Club Organizing Several Unique Events
Twana Pinskey
Contributing Writer

Protecting the natural resources of the Blue Water Area is something on which everyone in the region can, and should, agree. Many talk big about the conservation of our waterways, parks, fields and air, but few ever take action.

Due to a lack of such movements, the Blue Water Social Club is taking the initiative to protect our natural resources, by hosting several Black River clean-ups. The river has a reputation of being, generally, all-around gross, but the BWSC has found a way to clean the river all while having some fun and even getting a little exercise.

So far this summer, the group has organized two Project Deliverance kayak river clean-up trips: June 6 and 20.

Eight members of the club paddled the river for five hours between Norman and Beard roads during the groups first kayak clean-up event a few weeks ago.

Mike Higgins, administrator for the social club, said the eight paddlers picked-up nine bags of trash, several soft balls and three car tires.

“We even found a plastic child’s tricycle,” he said.

Those who participated in the clean up tour, got to see the wildlife of the Black River in its natural habitat. According to Higgins, clean-up participants viewed cliff swallows, king fishers, frogs, turtle nests, jumping fish and the highlight of the trip, a pair of bald eagles.

“We saw the first one in flight, and when it moved into the right angle, you knew it was an eagle,” he said. The second eagle was perched on a nearby tree branch.

The success of the first clean-up effort, led Higgins and the group to organize a second tour on Father’s Day.

Higgins said he and his fellow administrators would hear people say there is nothing to do in the Blue Water Area. They disagree with that train of thought, and decided to start the social club. Along with Higgins, group administrators include, Ryan McInnis, Sadat Hossian and Scott Martynyuk.

“There’s a lot to do in our area,” Higgins said. “We just don’t always know what’s out there. That’s why this social club was formed; to bring people together.”

The group is organizing other events across the area including, a series of adult kickball games, weekly Bowlioke (combination bowling and karaoke) at Port Huron Lanes and a spontaneous Flash Mob dance session during the Port Huron fireworks June 26.

More information about the Blue Water Social Club and its activities is available at the groups Facebook page or by e-mailing organizers at moustachebash@live.com.

Making a Film on a Budget

Local Film Crew Debuts Web Series
Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

Many think making a film is easy: just turn on some lights, point the camera and yell, “Action!”

But making a good quality product is a lot more difficult than one might think. It takes a lot of pre-production planning, countless takes and hours in post. Yes, making a film is definitely a lot of work. Not to mention expensive.

A group of local filmmakers are taking on the task to create a coming of age comedy Web series, called “Part Timers,” about locals saddled with temporary employment. The series is proof that a small budget does not preclude a professional product.

What does it take to bring that cinematic dream to the screen?

“The script is where it all begins,” series producer Ryan Falcheck said. “Without a good script to begin with, the production is doomed from the start.”

Next, comes the assembly of the production team.

“The producer guides the projects from beginning to end: from pre-production to post-production,” Falcheck said. “They (also) secure the funding for the film.”

Equipment has always been a big deterrent to novice filmmakers, but the cost of good quality cameras has dropped in the past few years. With the right network of resources, a filmmaker may be able to borrow other invaluable filming items.

“We used a Cannon 7D to film “Part Timers,” he said. “In a previous film I worked on, the cost of the camera was about $10,000. The Cannon 7D allowed us to shoot a quality film for much less. The Cannon provides a simple lens set that allows us to shoot the full spectrum: close up, medium shot and long shot.

“The only problem with the Cannon is that you can only shoot on 4GB flash cards, that only allow 12 minutes of taping at a time.”

Other fundamental pieces of equipment include microphones and an audio recording device to capture sound.

Lastly, a proper light kit is a preferred, yet not essential for filming Falcheck says.

“The light kit will help you shoot in low light,” he said. “The Cannon 7D shoots well without bright light, but going in without a light kit reduces the daily shooting schedule.”

It’s important to have a good crew too. Crew members are the ones behind the scenes, typically not seen in the movie, unless, as in “Part Timers,” cast members double as crew.

“I’ve never been lucky enough to work with a full crew,” said Falcheck, who has worked on several films. “But if I had my wish list, I would have at least two grips (crew handymen), two production assistants, an assistant cameraman, at least one sound operator (who runs the sound mic through a sound board) and a script supervisor (who watches for continuity).”

Continuity is the flow of the movie from scene to scene, to ensure movements flow and props stay in the same place.

“What I would like to have, which I’ve always had to do without, is a first assistant director,” Falcheck said. “He is the person who holds every together on the set.

There’s also the director of photography. “He comes up with the visual vision for the film and the shot list. Finally, the Director keeps the vision of the film on track.”

When completed the film goes into post production.

“An editing program is essential,” Falcheck said. “I prefer Final Cut, although if the budget is especially constrained Movie Magix 16 is an option.”

When it’s all is completed, the final step is to get the movie noticed – via press releases, newspapers, internet and film festivals.

To see the Falcheck and his crew’s final product, log onto the series' Facebook page.

'Part Timers' Find Work Online

Web Series Focuses on Trials of Temporary Jobs
Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

From martinet bosses to empty-headed co-workers to a pay check that barely pays for a value meal, the daily struggles of the under-employed challenge many to not give away their souls for their daily bread.

Local filmmakers have created a comedic Web series, “Part Timers,” to address the trials and tribulations of making it in this not so brave new world. Each episode will feature four twenty-somethings living and working, and trying to work, in the economically struggling region of southeast Michigan known as the Blue Water Area.

The inspiration for the series is the ennui that transforms one’s self when an individual is forced to subsist in these modern times.

“When one applies for part-time work, one feels it will only be short term. Nobody applies for a temporary job unless it is absolutely necessary. But what happens when the job becomes no longer a short-term gig?” said Ryan Falcheck, who stars as Chris in the series. “These characters have come to the grim realization that this part-time job has become their lives. They deal with the despair of wondering, ‘How much longer is this going to go on?’”

Series co-creator Jesse Dunsmore, Randy in the series, based “Part Timers” on a short-story he wrote in high school about when he worked at a department store.

“The story grew from one person’s experiences. It became a tale of a group of men in their early twenties who are trying to grow up and be successful in an area that invites people to settle for mediocrity,” he said. “The series almost feels like a documentary. The issues Randy deal with are ones that I have either gone through or am going through.”

The plot revolves around four characters that are on the lower end of the economic food chain: Chris (Falcheck), Randy (Dunsmore), James (Rob McCollister) and Abe (Joe Liniarski).

Falcheck character, who also narrates, is a “friendly, well-intentioned dreamer, who works as a server. Chris is the glue that holds the group together. While other characters show their uncertainty, Chris does his best to hide it and maintain,” Falcheck said.

Dunsmore’s character, Randy, is a recent college graduate with a journalism degree seeking work in his chosen career path. “He was once very idealistic and wanted to save the world. The stress of attempting to find a job has made him very numb. He bottles up his emotions,” Dunsmore said. “In another life, Randy might have ended up as a sniper if he snapped.”

The characters of James and Abe round-out the cast. McCollister’s character, James, “works at a movie theater and is the sort of person who aspires to be a Jedi. James has the best intentions of being everything a nerd would want to be,” Falcheck said. “James is also a dreamer: he wants a girlfriend but doesn’t have the nerve to get one, he wants to make the next ‘Star Wars’ but does not have the nerve for that either.”

Abe, played by Joe Liniarski, can’t hold a job for more than a month.

“Abe has a new job every episode,” Dunsmore said. “The other characters live together in Abe’s house, but Abe doesn’t live there. He is a type of cartoon character. He gets along with Chris and Randy, but has a strained relation with James.

“Abe and James are so much alike, yet they can’t get along. Abe is the sort that lives on the seat of his pants without any goals for the future.”

The series is set to be released Saturday, June 19, at 11 a.m. and will be submitted to area film festivals. The first “Part-Timers” episode may be viewed at the Facebook page for the series: "Part Timers" episode one.

“We are not of the traditional Hollywood mode,” Dunsmore said. “We are just regular guys from the area who love to tell stories. This series is about doing those things and discussing their world the way local guys would.”

What Would You Do With $100?

Group to Give $100 to 100 People in 100 Days

Twana Pinskey
Contributing Writer

Times are tough and sometimes finding a job can prove to be even more difficult. Especially in St. Clair County.

According to the United States Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in Michigan during April was 14 percent. Many believe that rate to be as high as 25 percent St. Clair County.

Unfortunately, the Blue Water Area is not immune to the sluggish economy, but there are a few bright spots out there.

Project 100 Blue Water Area is one such bright spot, giving hope and inspiring goodwill around the area. The idea behind the project is to help people by encouraging them to give back to their community, by giving to each other.

The project encourages people to “pay-forward” random acts of kindness to other Blue Water Area residents.

Jenny Bulgrien of Port Huron is a member of the Blue Water Project 100 team and said team members are encouraging residents to focus on random acts of giving.

“A lot of people are shocked,” when someone else offers to pay for their items Bulgrien said. “I was in Tim Horton’s and paid for the people in front of me.”

Bulgrien said the project is now in its second phase, where team members are randomly giving away $100 to 100 people in 100 days, with the intention for those people to also pay it forward.

“We want to focus on how people in the community can give back,” Bulgrien said.

The project hit the streets June 7, passing out $100 bills across the Blue Water Area.

Recipients of the $100 are asked to think of ways they could give back to their communities, including donating time and helping neighbors in need. Recipients of the money are also encouraged to share their personal stories on the Project 100 Web site – project100bluewater.com.

Mark Berry of Lexington, who shared his story on the Web site, said he was in line at the Dairy Queen in Fort Gratiot, when a man handed him a business card and offered to buy his ice cream.

“I thought he was kidding,” Berry said.

If you are one of the 100 Blue Water residents handed a $100 bill, lets us know and we'll share your story.

Wanted: Resident Tourist

See Port Huron Through the Eyes of a Tourist
Twana Pinskey
Contributing Writer

People don’t always see everything their respective communities have to offer, often taking for granted the little things that make each community great. Every year, thousands of tourists ascend upon Port Huron and the Blue Water Area, which is commonly known as the Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes, to see its splendor and enjoy its blue waters.

Locals don’t always remember to appreciate all the area has to offer. Though, every day they are encouraged to celebrate all the things that make the area great, and one day each spring, they are invited to see Port Huron and the Blue Water Area through the eyes of a tourist

Blue Water Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is hosting its eighth-annual Be a Tourist in Your Own Town event Friday, June 5, at various locations across Port Huron.

Events designed to get residents out of their comfort-zone and into the community include, narrated trolley tours, cruises on the Huron Lady II, tours of the Thomas Edison Depot Museum, kids crafts and demonstrations at Studio 1219 and tours of the McMorran tower.

Additions to this year’s tourist-day include, Red Cross clowns, musical acts, face painting, actors performing in period dress, as well as the introduction of a Shipwreck Series.

Judi Stewart, Sales Manager for the Blue Water Area CVB, said the program was started for area residents who had never been to attractions in their own town.

She believes that the event is not only good advertising and promoting the area, but also gives residents a chance to experience first-hand what the Blue Water Area has to offer.

“We wanted our own residents to say, ‘Wow, that’s cool,’” she said.

Transportation between the event sites will be provided free of charge by the city transportation department on eight of its trolleys and busses. All events throughout the day are free, except for cruises aboard the Huron Lady, which are $5 each and leave the dock at corner of Military and Water streets at 10:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Lee Perry, Executive Director of Studio 1219, expressed excitement about the day’s events.

“What’s really cool is the Seaway Terminal,” he said, which will have several activities for every member of the family, including a marine flea market sponsored by the Port Huron Museum, a Great Lakes Nautical Society ship show, tours of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Bramble, a game-zone and underwater videos.

Perry feels the event is a good opportunity for the people of Port Huron and surrounding communities to get in-line with what the Blue Water Area has to offer.

“They (residents) are truly the ambassadors for the area,” he said.

Stewart said the program promotes community and believes, that the more community is involved, the more the community will support local businesses and each other. She said it is important for residents to bond together as a community.

“Especially in these tough economic times, we really need that,” she said.

(((Be A Tourist In Your Own Town Schedule of Events)))

Colonial Festival Hits 30-Year Mark

Annual Feast of the St. Claire Takes Over Pine Grove Park This Weekend
Donald Lierman
Contributing Writer

From authentic costumes and colonial dances to bean soups and rock candies, the 30th-annual Feast of the Ste. Claire is sure to offer a little something to suit everyone’s tastes.

More than 650 French, British, and American Indian re-enactors will portray life in the Blue Water area as it was in colonial times. Cannons will be fired. Battles will be re-enacted. And demonstrations of Celtic dance, craft, cooking and much more will re-create how life was in the region between 1750 and 1840. Each day of the two-day festival will also offer 18 historically-accurate presentations.

“This is really a wonderful event,” said Volunteer, Programs and Grant Manager for the Port Huron Museum, Holly Modock. “The feast allows both young and old a chance to experience the sights and sounds of early Michigan history.”

The two-day celebration kicks-off this weekend, May 29-30 (Memorial Day weekend), at Pine Grove Park just north of downtown Port Huron. Gates open at 10 a.m. both days and close at 10 p.m. on Saturday and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the feast is $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students. Military personal (with proper ID) and children under 5 get in to event free.

Harry and Rose Burgess, who chair the annual event, have been involved with the festival since its inception in 1980.

“The festival was to first celebrate the 300th anniversary of Fort St. Joseph,” Rose Burgess said. “The idea grew to celebrate the Feast of the Ste. Claire. The lake and river were named after that feast day on which a Father Henniten ‘discovered’ those bodies of water.”

A wide variety of daily events and presentations are scheduled during the festival’s 30th anniversary celebration.

“There will be three special speakers,” Rose Burgess said. “Philip Sincully will discuss the ship, The Welcome, which was a local trading vessel. Ron Pinson will talk about local Native Americans of that period. And Gary Werner will demonstrate a colonial surgery, as well as speak on early medicines.

“Finally, a ladies high tea will be presented, which will include a commemorative cup and saucer. In addition, there will be a couple night-time firings of cannon, which will leave spectators breathless. They’ll learn why you don’t stand in front of one, even if it’s only a re-enactment.”

Also highlighting the festival will be candlelight tours, a Catholic mass and a colonial ball Saturday evening, with colonial contra dance lessons before the ball at 4:45 p.m.

Modock said volunteers are still needed for the event. Those interested should contact her at 810-982-0891, ext. 118.

Free parking will be available in the St. Clair County Community College parking lot, located by the M-TEC building, with free trolley rides to the park.

Museum members pay only $2 for admission and family passes to the festival are available for $20. Admission is good for both days of the feast.

“The event is like your own personal time machine to our ancestors’ days,” Harry Burgess said. “Even if it is not of the hot tub variety.”

Café Takes Fresh Approach to Dining

Patrons Travel Miles to Enjoy Speakeasy
Twana Pinskey
Contributing Writer

When it comes to the restaurant business, Ryan Senk is in good company -- his family. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde, New York, he returned to the area to become executive chef at the Black River Café and Speakeasy in downtown Port Huron.

Located at 213 Huron Avenue, the café offers unique dishes not found in other area restaurants, such as perch tacos and pan-fried frogs legs. Owner Bill Senk, of Algonac, said his customers come from as far south as Rochester and Mt. Clemens, and as far north as Lexington and Port Sanilac to dine on the his son’s culinary creations and enjoy a drink in the basement prohibition-inspired speakeasy.

The father- son-duo is adamant about serving the freshest food possible.

“Everything is fresh and cooked to order,” the elder Senk said. “We don’t have a deep fryer, microwave or a freezer here.”

The Senks try to order their ingredients from local farmers and suppliers, including Maple Creek Farm, which grows a variety of organic vegetables across 80-acres in Yale, as much as possible.

Chef Senk said in the current Michigan economy, it’s important to support local businesses whenever possible. That sentiment is echoed by Maple Creek owner, Michelle Lutz.

“It is a rarity to have a chef willing to change their menu based on what is available,” she said.

Lutz said Chef Senk is so particular about what goes into each plate, that he travels to the farm to hand pick the best veggies for the restaurant. She said he’s extremely dedicated and committed to picking only the freshest items.

“I just knew this was going to be a good working relationship,” Lutz said.

But Senk doesn’t just serve fresh produce, he also seeks out the freshest cuts of meat for the café. He says there is a stark difference between frozen, farm-raised and wild seafood products. That difference can be tasted in two of the café’s most popular entrees: pretzel-encrusted walleye and wild-caught Scottish salmon.

Ellen Frazer, of St. Clair, who recently dined on the pretzel-encrusted walleye, had nothing but good things to say about Senk’s skills behind the stove.

She was quite happy with the wait staff’s willingness to accommodate her special request, which included ordering the walleye’s cracked-mustard cream sauce on the side, in case she thought it would be too spicy.

“The cracked-mustard sauce was wonderful,” she said, adding that it complimented the walleye quite well. “I appreciate the sauce being artfully presented, separately with arrangement of fresh raw vegetables as an accompaniment,” she said.

She also enjoyed a side of wild mushroom hash with her meal.

Customer satisfaction is the main goal of both Senks, which can be seen not only in the food, but in their work-ethic and attention to detail.

“With the economy being as tight as it is, when people are able to go out for dinner, they want a true dining experience,” Bill Senk said. “We believe we offer them that.”

He believes their attention to even the smallest of details, such as the restoration of the building from its original décor, has made a huge difference in the café’s patronage and return business.

“There are 15,166 bricks in this room; I hand washed everyone of them,” Senk said jokingly.

CAFÉ ELECTRONIQUE & DANCE PON THE ROOF

(((SUNDAY SONANCE))) ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

...we're spinning at the raven cafe...
...SUNDAY, MARCH 7...
OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!
................
...a dubwise minimal ambient downtempo psychedelic fuzz-filled evening...
...6pm-9pm (or until 10pm)...
...FIRST Sunday of every month...

RECORDS @ THE ROCHE ---and--- CANNED FOOD DRIVE!!

RECORDS AT THE ROCHE ---and--- CANNED FOOD DRIVE!!

(((BLUEWATERBEAT.ORG))) and All Saints Episcopal Church are holding a canned food drive to benefit the BLUE WATER FOOD DEPOT. All Saints Episcopal Church will be on-hand at RECORDS @ THE ROCHE on February 13 to collect canned good donations. Help spread the love as members from All Saints build and decorate a Spirit Tree of Giving with all of our canned food donations. The need is very great and the more food we gather, the larger the tree we can build so please be generous!!!

RECORDS AT THE ROCHE!
Saturday, February 13
NO COVER - 10pm+

Deejays Smashin Transistors, Icky, Four Eyes and The Love Terrorist spin selections of Soul, Funk, Indie, Punk, Reggae, Ska, Disco, House, 80's, Hip-Hop, New Wave and other red hot selections...