Independence Day fireworks return to St. Johns City Park
The Rotary Club of St. Johns Board made a last minute decision; and with the financial help from several local businesses and the Kiwanis Club and Sparrow Clinton Hospital, the fireworks will return to the City Park on July 4th as usual.
The band Revival will start playing at the Performance Shell at 7 p.m.
Fireworks will begin once it is dark enough.
Denver Duo kicks off Concert in the Park series July 7
Alright Alright, a husband-and-wife duo from Denver, Colorado, will kick of this year’s Concert in the Park series.
This opening concert will take place on Wednesday evening, July 7 starting at 7:00 in the William E. Tennant Performance Shell in the beautiful St. Johns City Park.
“Seth and China Kent will present a program focusing on deep rooted Americana songs in a distinctive folk style,” comments Bill Tennant, series coordinator. “Their songs often bear a deep sense of tradition, with their love of words being very evident. This is will be a different opening concert this year as we feature a wider variety of unique groups this season.”
Part of the appeal of Alright Alrtight’s sound comes from the contrasting vocal styles: Seth’s Dylan-esque warble feels like a throwback to a brighter, purer moment in folk music’s past, while China’s lush alto tempers that brightness with a husky richness. Their songs incorporate many elements of everyday life.
The concert is sponsored by the Clinton County Arts Council and the City of St. Johns. It is open to the public free of charge, but donations will be gratefully accepted.
All concerts are presented rain or shine. The Lion’s Club food trailer will be available this year/ Social distancing and safety precautions are strongly encouraged. The CCAC receives funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Thank you, Barry
by Jean Martin
The passing of Barry Bauer this week marks the end of an era at the SJ Indy. Although Barry had not been an active contributor in the past few years, longtime readers will remember him for his talent with a camera. Besides being a local photographer, Barry will be remembered for his columns.
After his love for his family, Barry had a special place in his heart for the men and women who worked at Federal Mogul whom he documented in his albums over the years.
Superhero 5K Registration is Open
The Voice for Clinton County’s Children is looking forward to our 8th Annual Superhero 5K Run, Walk, or Fly! on Saturday, September 25 at the St. Johns City Park.
Proceeds from our 5K supports their essential services for Clinton County children and youth who have experienced human trafficking, neglect, physical abuse, and/or sexual assault.
They remain optimistic that they will host the event in person with a virtual option. Safety guidelines will be followed.
Registration, sponsorship, and event information is available on the website VoiceForClintonCountyChildren.org.
Will YOUR cape be ready?!
Saginaw Singer Songwriter opens new Brown Bag Concert Series on July 9
Siusan O’Rourke, an Americana, Blues and Folk musician from Saginaw, will open the new Brown Bag Concert Series on July 9 in downtown St Johns. The hour-long concert will start at 12 noon and will be held in the Rotary Park Pavilion by the CIS Trail and Depot.
Siusan is the daughter of a first-generation Irish American on one side and English emigrating in from Barbados of the West Indies on the other. She was reared within a family that not only taught the appreciation for the music of her culture, but instilled in her an appreciation and love of all genres.
“Siusan is a most accomplished songwriter and performer,” states Bill Tennant, concert coordinator. “Everyone will enjoy her powerful deep rich alto voice that brings each song to life. It’s great that she was available to open this new concert series.”
This concert is being presented by the Clinton County Arts Council and is made possible by a grant from the St. Johns Area Community Fund using gifts received from The Forest and Doris Swatman Trust.
The concert is open to the public free of charge and will be held rain or shine. Some picnic tables are available for the lunchtime concert, but it’s advisable to bring your favorite lawn chair. Social distancing and safety precautions are strongly encouraged.
Don’t forget to check out and support the Brown Bag Specials from the following downtown businesses below:
Bruno’s Bar, Main Street Café, Swany’s Pub & Grub, St Johns Brewing Co, Dershey’s Café, Domino’s Pizza,
Global Coffee Co, Waypoint Coffee Company, Mazz’s Endzone Party Store, Oh Mi Organics, Cupcakes and Kisses
RBW class of ’65 to celebrate 55th plus 1 Reunion Weekend September 17 – 18
On Friday September 17 Classmates from Rodney B. Wilson High School class of 1965 will gather at the Emerald Golf Club at 6:00 p.m. for light appetizers for Happy Hour and a Taco Bar starting around 7:00 p.m.. There will be a cash bar.
Because they had funds left over from previous reunions and they received a generous donation from a couple of classmates, there will be no charge. They will need you to RSVP so that they can organize food and table set ups.
On Saturday, September 18 there will be a golf outing in the morning. Please Contact Diane Sharick for details shidi47@yahoo.com
At 4:00p.m. there will be a potluck gathering at the Nordic Pineapple B&B, remembered by some as the Kuntz house in the 500 Block of Oakland Street. Details to follow but do RSVP so that they can get a good headcount for this event too.
Questions or RSVP’s? Contact: Celia Ebert – ebert.celia@gmail.com, Betsy Everett- beverett1969@gmail.com or Diane Sharick- shidi47@yahoo.com
FOMR to meet July 21
The Friends of the Maple River (FOMR) will hold their July Bi-Monthly meeting on the Maple River near Elsie at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21.
Please gather at the Elsie dam parking area on the north side of Island Road just on the west side of Elsie. The primary activity will be to float a section of the river upstream or downstream of the dam, to be determined.
Please make arrangements or bring your own canoe, kayak, etc. and appropriate equipment to participate in the float. There will be a short informal gathering for introductions and to catch up before we disembark on the paddle. Feel free to bring a lawn chair to sit in as you prefer.
There is no charge to attend. There is no specific requirement to wear a mask, but feel free to bring and wear one at your preference. They plan to get back on track with our more traditional meeting format in September and have a speaker already lined up with a tentative meeting date of Wednesday, September 15, location to be determined.
The FOMR would like to share and encourage participation in the cleanup event on the Looking Glass River on Sunday, July 18 in the DeWitt area. More details are available from the Clinton Conservation District.