St. Clair County news briefs: Library sign gets new paint; theater camp set; more

Jul 03, 2023

The Algonac-Clay Library sign recently got a touch up, with a local artist providing a fresh coat of paint.

“Thank you to artist Janice O’Brien DeMonte for her amazing work!” a post on the City of Algonac Government & Community Service Facebook page states. “What a difference!”

The library, which is part of the St. Clair County Library System, is located at 2011 St. Clair River Drive in Algonac.

St. Clair County Community College recently announced the addition of a new theater summer camp opportunity for learners in grades one to nine from July 17 to 21 at SC4’s Fine Arts Theatre.

Learners in grades one to three will attend the camp from 9 a.m. to noon, with learners in grades four to nine attending from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The camp aims to help participants build confidence on stage, explore creativity and act in a fun and stress-free environment, a recent press release states. It is offered in addition to the variety of SC4 athletics and STEM-based camps already announced for this summer.

“We’re thrilled to announce the addition of this camp for all the aspiring actors and thespians out there,” James McCulloch — SC4 adjunct instructor and area drama director with more than 80 productions under his belt — said in the release. “This is a wonderful, low-stress opportunity for students to dive into the world of theater and enhance their acting skills. We can’t wait to see them shine on stage.”

Theater camp participants will work together throughout the week to learn a collection of short scenes, which they will perform at the end of the camp on July 21. Each session performs its own show, with the morning session performing at 11 a.m. and the afternoon session performing at 2:30 p.m. Performances are free and open to the public.

The camp registration fee is $125 per student. To register, visit sc4.edu/camps.

For more information, call 810-989-5709 or contact McCulloch at [email protected].

The deadline for entries in the 2023 MI New Favorite Snack Competition has been extended to July 14.

The MI New Favorite Snack Competition of Port Huron, now in its second year, aims to provide capital to a few micro-businesses based in Michigan this September, with more than $75,000 in cash prizes on the table, a recent press release states.

“We have been in touch with a number of snack makers who asked if we would consider extending our deadline, and we are certainly very agreeable to that,” said Jon Holden of All Star Services of Port Huron, a break room services company and community partner in the competition.

During its inaugural year in 2022, the MI New Favorite Snack Competition attracted more than 50 snack makers from across both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan and awarded more than $50,000 in prize money to five award winners. The grand prize winner, Andrew Chmielewski of Dave’s Sweet Tooth of Harrison Township, received a $30,000 cash prize, along with a distribution agreement with All Star Services.

There is a $100 fee per entry. To be eligible for participation, companies must carry appropriate licensing and insurance, be headquartered in Michigan, have no more than 10 employees at the time of entry and have appropriately packaged product available for consumer purchase.

The top 20 finalists will be announced the week of July 31.

“It was a really well-run event,” Chmielewski said in the release. “We were honored to be chosen as the winner of the inaugural event. We didn’t know what to expect when we went, but I thought it was a great opportunity to meet people in the industry.”

He encouraged other small businesses to get out and participate.

All competitors who register for the competition, regardless of whether or not they are a finalist, will be invited to participate in the MI New Favorite Snack exhibition, giving them access to event attendees who can sample and/or purchase packaged goods. Only the top 20 finalists are eligible to win prize money and the title of “MI New Favorite Snack 2023.”

This year’s event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 9 at McMorran Plaza in downtown Port Huron. Judging will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the event will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit the MI New Favorite Snack page at bluewaterchamber.com.

Twelve students represented St. Clair County Technical Education Center and the state of Michigan at the 2023 National SkillsUSA Conference, which took place June 19 to 24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

“The event witnessed an extraordinary display of skill, dedication and expertise as students from across the country showcased their talents in various disciplines,” a recent press release from the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency states.

The following TEC students demonstrated their proficiency and skills in their respective fields:

• Maggie Tanton, of Port Huron Northern High School, took sixth place in cosmetology.

• Hank Teltow, of Yale High School, took seventh place in CNC programming.

• Makayla Lum and Natalie Wehner, of St. Clair High School, competed in nail care.

• Craig Miller, of Virtual Learning Academy, competed in electrical construction wiring.

• Savannah Swafford, of Yale High School, competed in welding sculpture.

• Veronica McClelland, of Yale High School, and Lyndsie Cameron, of Port Huron Northern High School, competed in esthetics.

• Josh DeVolder, of St. Clair High School, competed in CNC turning.

• Connor Essary, of St. Clair High School, competed in CNC milling.

• Alyssa Paynter and Cailin Williams, of St. Clair High School, competed in television/video production.

Students who placed in the top 10 in their category were honored at a statewide dinner ceremony.

“All of us at TEC are incredibly proud of our students’ achievements at the National SkillsUSA competition,” TEC Principal Lesley Murphy said in the release. “Their success reflects their talent, dedication and the support they received from our dedicated instructional staff. We are so pleased to see their hard work pay off and wish them continued success in their future Endeavors.”

TEC instructors Duane Emig (metal machining technology), Ann Frederick (digital media technology), Alecia Klein (cosmetology) and Beth Koski (cosmetology) accompanied students to the competition.

“Students and instructional staff worked countless hours to prepare and compete in the competition,” the release states. “The accomplishments of students highlight the value of career and technical education in preparing students for the workforce.”

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit partnership of education and industry serving more than 310,000 high school and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. SkillsUSA helps students develop personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. The SkillsUSA competition is an annual event designed to gauge students’ mastery of various career-oriented skills and showcase the nation’s best career and technical education students.

The Lakeshore Garden Club of Lexington will host its bi-annual garden walk called A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 22 in the village of Lexington.

Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 on the day of the event and can be purchased at Croswell Greenhouse, located at 180 Davis St. in Croswell; Lexington Gardens, located at 6334 Lakeshore Road in Lexington; Raymond True Value Hardware, located at 29 S. Ridge St in Port Sanilac, and Weekends, located at 7266 Huron Ave. in Lexington and 405 Water St. in Port Huron.

All proceeds will benefit the community work of the Lakeshore Garden Club.

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