Mint Festival and much more
2010 Mint Festival: The fun officially begins on August 13 as Mint Festival weekend kicks off Friday evening with the many art fair booths and music up at the City Park. This annual event promises to be bigger and better ever, as the many organizers and volunteers have gone the extra mile to make the 26th Annual Mint Festival something special. You will find many activities and events in the City Park, at the Clinton County 4H Fairgrounds and in the downtown area throughout Mint Festival weekend. Pack up the whole family to see the Mint Festival Parade; or stroll our beautiful City Park area where more than two hundred vendors will be offering unique crafts and other items for sale. There are sporting events, contests, food vendors and much, much more to take in at the Mint Festival. New this year will be a carnival, petting zoo, dog shows, and gamefest (computer game station). To obtain a more complete listing of Mint Festival activities contact the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, 989-224-7248, or email at ccchamber@power-net.net or on the web, www.clintoncountychamber.org/mint.
Veterans’ Memorial Pool: At the July 26th public meeting the St. Johns City Commission received information from the City Manager regarding alternate uses for the Veterans’ Memorial Pool site. While discussion and investigation are still in the preliminary stages, the early focus has been on splash park options. If you are interested in furthering this option I urge you to contact St Johns Recreation Director Bill Schafer, 224-8944 ext. 227.
Land Sale To School: The City Commission has approved the sale of two small parcels of public land to the St. Johns Public Schools so that improvements can be made to the high school football complex. This transaction was approved in the spirit of community co-operation, as it will allow the school district to make many needed improvements to its outdoor sports facility at this location, to include improved access and parking.
Fire Truck Purchase: The City Commission also approved the bid submitted by Emergency Vehicles Plus out of Holland, Michigan for the purchase of a Light Duty Rescue Fire Truck. This truck will significantly upgrade the St. Johns Fire Department’s mobile equipment. Two older trucks will be taken out of service as the result of this purchase. This new fire rig will enhance the public safety of our community.
Upcoming Election: Don’t forget to vote in the August 3rd primary election. This is a closed primary, meaning a voter can not split his/her vote between different party candidates. Also, please remember those of you who usually vote at Swegles school, your voting location for this election is the nearby First Baptist Church gymnasium.
Reverse 911 Notifications: Reverse 911 is an outbound notification system used for the mass distribution of time-sensitive messages through the phone system. Both users of land lines and cell phones can take advantage of this service. Notices of natural disaster evacuations, missing person alerts, terrorist threats and similar events and incidents are sent to subscribers. These messages can also be sent as email notifications. For more information go the Clinton County Central Dispatch web page at: www.clinton-county.org/LawJustice/CentralDispatch911.aspx. You can register for this service at this website.
Clinton Area Community Services Weatherization Program: Capital Area Community Services, Inc. (“CACS”) is offering free home weatherization assistance to residents of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee Counties. This program is designed to help lower residential fuel costs by making homes more energy efficient. Studies have shown weatherization programs such as this can lower heating bills in a gas-heated home by 32% on average. You can also reduce your summer cooling costs through this program. For more information contact Michelle at 989-224-6702 or email to mhatta@cacs-inc.org.
Site Plan Approved For Department Of Human Services: Based on recommendations by the St. Johns Planning Commission, the City Commission approved the site plan for the construction of a new building in the St. Johns Industrial Park. This office complex will house a branch of State government. The building itself will be single story and will consist of 18,000 square feet of office space. There will be 80 off-street parking spaces. The City welcomes this addition to its commercial park.
National Night Out: Bring the entire family to the 17th annual celebration of the St. Johns version of “National Night Out”, sponsored by St. Johns Police Department and the Parks and Recreation Department. The site for this event is the parking area and grounds of the St. Johns Lutheran Church, located on Sturgis Street at BR-US 27. Slated for Tuesday, August 3rd, from 6 to 8 p.m., this fun community get-together will include games for the kids and free grilled hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks for all who attend. Fire trucks from local departments will be on display. The theme for this event is crime prevention. Come on out to demonstrate the strong partnership that has been forged between local law enforcement and the St. Johns community.