Time to think school again
St. Johns Schools will open August 30.
Elementary Schools have scheduled walk throughs and open houses for next week on Thursday, August 26.
Riley Elemenary has scheduled an informal Open House and Walk Through for 1 – 6 p.m. The school will be open for families to walk through with their students. This will be a self guided tour for you to find your classroom, the lunch room, gym, art/music room, and the playground. The office will be open if you have any medication you would like to drop off. Teachers will be ready for a meet and greet at 5:00 p.m. outside the building.
The Gateway Open House will be held from 1 – 6 p.m. with Meet the Teacher from 5 – 6 p.m.
The Oakview Open House will be held from 1 – 5 p.m. with Meet the Teacher from 5 – 6 p.m.
Not sure if your child is signed up for district busing? Didn’t ride last year and want to make sure you are signed up for busing this year? Complete a “Transportation Requests and Changes” form at https://www.sjredwings.org/transportation/.
Copies of Rodney B. Wilson High School collage photos available
The Clinton County Historical Society has decided to make copies of the photo collages from the Wilson Center accessible to the community. The photos have been digitized, and for a donation you may obtain a digital file to use as you wish.
After the sale of the former Rodney B. Wilson High School and Junior High School building, the Clinton County Historical Society was fortunate to obtain the framed collage photos from the graduating classes of 1925, 1941, 1945-1967, that had been hanging along the hallways for so many years.
Central School was the high school before Rodney B. Wilson was built for the 1925 graduating class. They also have the whole school photo from 1921 taken at Central School.
The frames are well worn and of the many individual photos they contain, fewer than five are missing.
To obtain a file, you will need to contact CCHS to arrange the file transfer. Contact the Museum at pgsmuseum.com, or 989.292.9096 or the Archives at petersj@msu.edu.
Dave Bennett returns on August 25 for Concert in the Park performance
The Dave Bennett Quartet will be making their 4th appearance in St. Johns as they bring their dynamic, entertaining show back to mid-Michigan. This incredible performance will take place on Wednesday, August 25 starting at 7:00 p.m. in the William E. Tennant Performance Shell in the beautiful St. Johns City Park.
Bennett is a clarinet virtuoso who plays electric guitar, piano, drums AND vocalizes. Saluting Swing to Rock, he covers music from the Swing Era to early Rockabilly and Country, to Elvis Presley and more. Audience members can expect everything from toe-tapping swing, to moody blues, to emotional ballads – to original, brand-new jazz compositions – all performed with deft touch, virtuosity, and style.
Leading his tribute to Benny Goodman, Bennett has been a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra and has played the show with 35 other US and Canadian orchestras. He has also performed in 50 performing arts center across the USA. AND, his tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis brings down the house every time!
“Bringing back Dave Bennett to perform again this year was a must,” says concert coordinator Bill Tennant.
“Dave and his quartet made such an impression on everyone who heard them before – there was no question that we needed to have them back. They are without doubt, one of the best groups we’ve ever had perform in St. Johns!”
The group’s namesake is looking forward to the show. “We love St. Johns, “ says Bennett. “This will be our fourth performance in the city, first performing there in 2019! We love the Performance Shell and the Wilson Center Auditorium – both great venues. We’ve also connected with our St. Johns audiences on a deep emotional level – that’s what it’s all about!”
Along with Bennett, who’s from the Detroit area, the quartet includes local jazz greats Jeff Kressler on keyboards, Ed Fedwa on bass along with Saginaw’s Doug Cobb on drums.
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 – donations are graciously 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 & Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kitty Donohoe will be featured on the August 27 Brown Bag Concert
The Ann Arbor based singer-songwriter and Michigan Emmy recipient Kitty Donohoe is known for her striking voice, delivering each song with power and emotion, as she forms a deep connection with each of her audiences. The internationally acclaimed musician will be presenting a special concert on the new ‘Brown Bag Concert Series’ on Friday, August 27 in downtown St Johns. The hour-long concert will start at 12 noon and will be held in the Rotary Park Pavilion next to the Railway Depot.
Kitty grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, the oldest daughter of a non-Catholic Irish American family of 8 children. She lived in St. Johns early in her career, just a couple of blocks from where she’ll be performing. Kitty has gone on to become a highly respected performer opening for a variety of artists including Doc Watson and Bruce Cockburn, as well as performing on the same stage with Bruce Springsteen. She will be presenting a nice mix of folk, Irishy and Canadianish music at her St. Johns concert.
“Kitty is one of those rare singer-songwriters whose music seems to resonate with everyone,” says Bill Tennant, concert coordinator. “I’ve been following her career for many years; she continues to keep her music fresh and relevant as she explores new avenues of self-expression. Her music and words skillfully come together into strong and mesmerizing songs, which will entertain and delight!”
Kitty’s bio includes many great reviews from national music magazines including from the Victory Music Review, “an artist well worth paying attention to,” and from Sing Out, “Kitty creates a glorious sound.” And a review of her latest CD, The Irishman’s Daughter from Irish Music Magazine says “Kitty is making a name for herself in Irish America and you can see why from the high quality of the work here.”
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
Lansing Team Hope Walk/Run coming up September 18
The Upper Great Lakes Region of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) will host their Walk/Run on Saturday, September 18 at 10 a.m. at Granger Meadows Park, 1745 Granger Meadows Lane in Lansing.
Team Hope is HDSA’s largest national grassroots fundraising event. Thousands of families, friends, co?workers, neighbors and communities walk together each year to support HDSA’s fight to improve the lives of people affected by HD and their families.
The event includes a 5K Run and all donations go towards HDSA
To learn more about this event contact Contact: Dawn Perry, 517-202-8558, dawnp3rry@gmail.com.
Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities usually during their prime working years and has no cure. Every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene that causes Huntington’s disease. Today there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. In less than 10% of cases, juvenile Huntington’s disease (JHD) affects children and adolescents. JHD usually has a more rapid progression rate than adult onset HD; the earlier the onset, the faster JHD progresses.
HD is described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases – simultaneously. HD is characterized by a triad of symptoms, including progressive motor dysfunction, behavioral disturbance and cognitive decline. The Huntington’s Disease Society of America is the premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by HD. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today and hope for tomorrow for people with HD and their families.
To learn more about Huntington’s disease and the work of the Huntington’s Disease Society of
America, visit www.HDSA.org or call 1(800)345-HDSA.