Register to vote – by October 11
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 is the last day to register to vote or change your address for the November 8, 2016 election.
The City Offices will be open from 8 am to 5 pm on that day for city residents to register or make changes. If you have any questions regarding registration you can contact them at 989-224-8944.
Senior Center To Hold Annual Rock-a-Thon
On Wednesday, October 13 the Clinton County Senior Center will hold their 14th Annual Rock-a-Thon. The proceeds from the event are used to pay the heat bills during the cold winter months.
From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. individuals will be at the center rocking in rocking chairs while playing games, telling stories, making crafts and playing bingo. A pizza lunch is planned for all rock-a-thon participants. Prior to the event the rocking individuals will collect donations from family, friends and neighbors and sponsorships are sought from businesses and other friends. A prize will be awarded to the highest fundraiser.
The center always welcomes additional rockers. If you are interested, please call the center at 989-224-4257. If you have any questions about the event, please call the Senior Center. The center is located at 201 E Walker Street in St. Johns and is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
St. Johns Tractor Supply hosts Fall Market Day – October 9
The Tractor Supply Company store in St. Johns invites the community to attend its Fall Market Day event on Sunday, October 9. Fall Market Day will feature local artisans, crafters and farmers selling their unique wares and produce.
Shoppers can expect to find many goods for sale including Crafts, Baked Goods, Local Produce and goats.
Participating vendors will have tables set up at the tented space by the storefront where they will
showcase their goods.
“Fall Market Day gives us a chance to showcase the wide array of talents from our local community
members, who make this such a great place to live and work,” said Shelley Stewart, manager of the
St. Johns Tractor Supply. “We pride ourselves on always having what our customers are looking for at
the store and Fall Market Day gives us the opportunity to connect with them in a different way, while
offering a unique selection of local and seasonal options.”
Fall Market Day will take place October 9 at 2150 S. US Highway 27. Contact the St. Johns Tractor
Supply store at 989-224-8978 for details about the Fall Market Day.
October activities at Clinton County Senior Center
Are you 55 years of age or older and like to have fun? Then check out the Clinton County Senior Center, 201 E Walker St. in St. Johns. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Here are some of the activities going on in October:
Senior meals – Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday a nutritional meal is served at Noon for senior citizens. The meals are available for a suggested $3 donation. Some of the meals in October include Pork Loin, Vegetable Lasagna and Chicken Picata. For a complete schedule, call the center, 989-224-4257 or stop in and pick one up.
Bingo – Bingo will be held every Tuesday and Friday, 12:30 p.m. The cost is $1 and every player will win 4-5 items. Prizes include things like canned goods, personal care items, cereal, peanut butter, snacks, cookies and chocolate.
Euchre tournaments – On October 10, 24 and 31 Euchre tournaments will be held 1-3 p.m. If you eat lunch at the center before cards the tournament is only $1. If you come just for the tournament it is $2. On October 3 and 17 the Euchre tournament will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. and everyone pays $2. The tournament is pretty fast paced so you need to know the basics of the game, but you don’t have to be a great player to come and have fun.
Trivia Contest – On Monday, October 17 there will be a no cost Trivia Contest from 1-3p.m. There are a lot of clues given, so don’t worry about being the smartest person in the room. Small prizes are awarded throughout the contest.
Birthday Party – Each month the center celebrates the birthdays of any member that is celebrating a birthday in that month. Members get free lunch, cake and ice cream and a special sweet treat. The party for October Member birthdays is planned for Wednesday, October 12.
General Public Lunches – Every Monday lunch is open to the general public – no matter what age. A fundraiser meal is made by volunteer cooks each week in their licensed kitchen. The cost is only $5 for the full meal or $3 for a sandwich and chips. Meals in October include Oct 3-BBQ Chicken, Oct 10-Beef and Noodles, Oct 17-Pork Chops, Oct 24-Meatloaf and Oct 31-Corned Beef Casserole. Homemade pie is also available for only $1.50 a slice. Monday meals are served 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Take outs are available.
October Party – On Wednesday, October 19 there will be a special party for members, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. The theme for the October party will be “Halloween”. Start coming to the Senior Center and you can enjoy these fun monthly activities.
Seniors are always welcome to stop in to use the exercise room, work on a puzzle, play other card or board games or just to socialize.
If you don’t think you are old enough for the center, but want to support them in some way, consider donating items they can use for the center such as Styrofoam plates, bowls, cups, napkins, toilet paper, and paper towels or things for bingo such as candy bars, cereal, canned fruit, bagged snack foods, etc.
If you have any questions about the Senior Center stop in or give them a call at 989-224-4257.
A storm is brewing; are you prepared?
It’s one o’clock in the morning and your whole family is jolted out of bed by a sudden and violent fall thunderstorm. You hope it will pass by quickly, but the storm rages on and you come to the realization that it’s going to be a long night.
Lightening illuminates the night sky and powerful thunder shakes the whole house. You can hear the rain beating down on your roof in torrents. A look out the window reveals trees being whipped around wildly by the wind. You watch helplessly as a large tree in your front yard snaps in two, taking the power line with it as it falls to the ground. All goes black- the entire neighborhood has lost power. The kids start to cry and you fumble in the darkness for a source of light. You blindly make your way to the kitchen where you think you may have a flashlight or candle hidden in a drawer. You breathe a sigh of relief as you locate a flashlight, only to realize the batteries are dead. The storm seems to be getting worse, so you decide to wait it out in the basement, just to be safe. In the morning, you wake to find trees and power lines down all over town and you hear a nasty rumor that it could be several days before power is restored.
You have no way of cooking, no running water, and the food in your refrigerator and freezer won’t last more than a few days. If only you’d been better prepared. Don’t let a natural disaster or other emergency catch you off guard. The time to prepare is now!
Visit www.ready.gov to learn about potential emergencies that could happen in our area, like severe storms, power outages and floods, and how to prepare for and respond to them. There you’ll also find instructions on how to make a family emergency plan and what supplies should go in an emergency kit. There’s even a fun section just for kids, where they too can learn how to stay safe in an emergency.
Another great resource is www.do1thing.com, where preparedness is divided up into twelve easy steps.
Briggs Library News
Join T.A.B. -The Briggs District Library is looking for some dedicated teen volunteers to join its Teen Advisory Board. Members of T.A.B. will help plan and promote future teen events and services and will advise library staff on the teen collection. All interested teens are invited to join us for an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 12 at 7:30p.m.
Kids, Cartoons, & Crafts – Registration is now available for a special Halloween edition of this fun program. Children ages 5-9 can join us on Tuesday, October 25 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. when we will create some monsters, enjoy a snack, and watch Garfield’s Halloween Adventure!
Chapter Chatter – “The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown will be the book we share over the course of 4 weeks: Monday evenings 7-7:45 pm, November 7th – November 28th. Children ages 6 to 8 years old (independent listeners) will enjoy listening to staff read from the book and also listen to parts of the story from the audio book. Other titles by this author will also be included. There will a “robot” craft that will be put on display in the library. Snacks will be provided as well. Registration is required and is open now.
Pre-Reader Storytime “Fall Mixed Up” – Independent listeners ages 4, 5 & 6 are welcome to join in the seasonal fun on Thursday evenings, 6:30-7p.m. from October 20 to November 17. We will share autumn stories, crafts, music and games. Registration is required and open now. We will “fall” into fun tales!
Toddler Program – “Curl Up With a Good Book” – Ages 2-3 with adult participation. Wednesday mornings, 10:30-11 am, October 26 – November 16 (4 week session). Registration is required.
Junior Reader – “United Nations: A World Peace Maker” 2nd – 4th graders are invited to attend. Monday, October 24, 6:30-7:30p.m. There will be a “how can you be an advocate for peace” discussion, a craft and snack. A questionnaire will be available at the circulation desk or online. Registration is required.
Bookaholics Book Club – Our October selection is “The Secret History” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Donna Tartt. We will meet Thursday, October 20 at 6:30 at the library. The Bookaholics is an open club, and new members are always welcome.
“Socktober” Is Here – Make a Difference! – Not everyone can open a drawer each morning and choose a little thing such as a pair of warm socks to start their day, but some of us can, and we want to share this soul warming experience with soles of those who cannot. One clothing item for those in need is new socks, but people very rarely ever donate new socks to the less fortunate. During the month of October the Library will be collecting new socks for children and adults that will then be donated to local charities. Please join us in a simple & meaningful way to help families and friends who are in need this winter. Also in October please stop in the library wearing your “crazy socks” and we will share pictures of them on our Facebook page. Staff will be wearing “special fun socks” on different days throughout the month.
Sock Puppet Contest – We are not only collecting socks during “Socktober”…we are having a sock puppet contest! Puppet drop-off begins on Monday, Oct. 3 and will end on Wed., Oct. 26. This contest is for all ages (children & adults). One entry per person. Bring in the sock puppet you have crafted and they will be on display in the front lobby. We will then have “Judge Judy” choose winners from the different age groups. The winners will receive “surprises”.
Library Closure– The Library will be close at 6:00pm on Monday October 31. The drop box on the Library porch will be available for returns throughout this closure.
Staff Picks – If you are looking for a good book to read here is a list of titles that Library staff enjoyed or found informative in the last month.
– Fiction: “Smooth Operator” by S. Woods, “Matchmakers of Minnow Bay” by K. Harms, “Damaged” by L. Scottoline, “Curious Minds” by J. Evanovich, “Falling” by J. Smith, “Pirate” by C. Cussler
– Nonfiction: “Real Food Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating & What You Can Do About It” by L. Olmsted, “Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time” by S. Jenkins. Mi. ss Marie’s
– Juvenile Picks: “The Wild Robot” by P. Brown (audio & book), “The Scandal” by J. Grisham, “Sniffer & Tinni: a true tale of amazing friendship” by B. Helberg.
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Contact Information:
Library Director: Sara Morrison
Phone: 989-224-4702 * Fax: 989-224-1205
E-mail: director@briggsdistrictlibrary.org
Street address: 108 E Railroad * Saint Johns, MI 48879
Soup kitchen to make stops in area
His Cup Runneth Over, a mobile soup kitchen, will be making a stop at
– First Congregational Church, 100 Maple Ave, St. Johns 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesday, October 11 and at
– Beacon of Hope/First Baptist Church, 512 S. US 27, St. Johns, from 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 11 and at
– Suntree Apartments, 1100 Sunview Dr., St. Johns, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, October 13..
Soup, bread, fruit and dessert will be served to all who come free of charge. For more information call 989-533-9535 or 989-544-5764.
CASA Volunteer Advocates Needed
CASA-The Voice for Clinton County’s Children is currently accepting applications for our next CASA Volunteer Advocate Training.
Those interested in serving as a CASA Advocate must submit a volunteer application, completely pass a criminal and personal background check, and participate in our 30-hour pre-service training.
Applicants should have ample time to visit their appointed child every 7 to 10 days (activities during visits may include playing games, playing outside, helping with homework, coloring, etc.). Our program continues to work toward our goal of having enough CASA Advocates for every Clinton County child who is in foster care.
For more information, please visit our website ClintonCountyCASA.org or contact our office at clintoncountycasa@gmail.com or 517-599-7145.
Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 is the last day to register to vote or change your address for the November 8, 2016 election.
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October 28 Euchre Tournament
On Fri, October 28 the St. Johns Mint Festival will hold their 2nd Euchre Tournament, open to the general public. The tournament will be held at the Clinton County Senior Center,
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The community is invited to join us at St. Peter Lutheran School on Friday, October 28th from 6-8 pm for the annual Fall Fest and Trunk-or-Treat
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Trick-Or-Treating Hours
The St. Johns City Commission has set the hours for Trick-or-Treating within the City of St. Johns on Halloween, Monday, October 31, 2016, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to be signaled by the blowing of the fire whistle.
As in the past, the City Commission asks that all residents light their porches and drive carefully on Halloween Night.