St Johns Community Spray Park Murals
by Maralyn Fink
On Saturday I decided to make a trip down to the Art Gallery to see about the mural painting.
I met up with Charlotte Voisin and Kelly Bitz who showed me all the details.
Tracie Davis designed the mural and is the only person who knows what it will look like. She cut the canvas into 5″ squares and residents are able to purchase a 5×5 aluminum tile on which to duplicate the canvas square by painting that on the tile.
The tiles will be glued into place on the wall which backs the spray park located in St Johns City Park and will be revealed at a later date.
Each tile is numbered and lettered with the name of each painter on the back of the tile. This will allow each person to locate their tile in the finished mural.
Other painting opportunities include:
August 1-4 during the Clinton County 4-h fair
times to be determined
They will be painting at the Spray Park during fair week.
August 2
National Night Out
They will have a table set up at the Spray Park for this fun and popular event.
August 13-14
Mint Festival! Stay tuned for times.
Mid-Michigan Festival Orchestra performs July 20 at SJ Concert in the Park
Summer breezes will carry the sound of light classical and popular music when the Mid-Michigan Festival Orchestra performs July 20 at the William E. Tennant Performance Shell in the St. Johns City Park as part of the weekly Concert in the Park series. There is no admission for the concert that begins at 7 p.m.
Rodney Page, former orchestra director at St. Johns Public Schools, returns again as conductor of the Mid-Michigan Festival Orchestra – the final time he will conduct the orchestra in the Concert in the Park series. “This is my final year conducting the orchestra so this show is bittersweet,” he says. “It has been a pleasure for me to take the podium and conduct this outstanding group. It’s been so much fun and the people I’ve worked with have been amazing.”
The Mid-Michigan Festival Orchestra was formed in 1985, and is comprised of talented musicians from Clinton and Shiawassee counties along with the greater Lansing and Flint areas. This year’s program features popular and light classical music that has a wide audience appeal.
The variety of the program fits the style of the director whose talents span the musical spectrum from violin to vocal percussion and classical to freestyle rap. As a creative, classically-trained violinist and pianist, Page has accrued thousands of hours of performance experience in diverse venues. His unique and energetic style whether as a conductor, performer or DJ has touched audiences for many years.
Concert in the Park is sponsored by the Clinton County Arts Council and the City of St. Johns with support from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. Concerts are held each Wednesday evening; rain or shine. The St. Johns Lions and Lioness Club staff a concession stand that offers light refreshments.
For detailed information on the Concert in the Park series visit the CCAC web site, http://www.clintoncountyarts.org/ and check out the St. Johns City Park Performance Shell page on Facebook.
St. Johns Concert in the Park 2016 Schedule
St. Johns City Park Performance Shell
Wednesday evenings, 7 p.m.
July 20: Orchestra Pops, Mid-Michigan Festival Orchestra
July 27: Canadian Roots/Ragtime, My Sweet Patootie
Aug. 3: Eagles Tribute Band, Motown Eagles
Aug. 10: The Music of Ireland, Monday’s Supper
Aug. 17: Beatles Tribute Band, Toppermost
Aug. 24: All Brass, Capital City Brass Band
Aug. 31: Elvis Impersonator, Matt King
Motown Legend Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in Concert – an album
Mint Festival Tournaments
It is that time of year again! 2016 St. Johns Mint Festival will be here before you know it! The CO-ED Kickball Tournament will be held on Saturday, August 13th and Sunday August 14th at the Main Field in St. Johns City Park. The format will be a double elimination tournament, with trophies being awarded to the top two teams. Cost per team is $125. Register your team by Wednesday, August 3th because space is limited.
Can you hoop with the best of them? Come out to the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at the St. Johns Mint City Festival and show off your smooth jump shot on Saturday, August 13th and Sunday, August 14th. Teams will be guaranteed at least two games and will play in a double elimination format. This fun event is open to men and women ages 10 and older. Early registration is now open until Wednesday, August 3th with a $60 non-refundable entry fee per team. We will also hold a Three Point Shootout competition on Saturday, August, 13th for anyone ages 15 and older, which is $5 per participant.
Registrations forms are available at the City Offices and website at http://cityofstjohnsmi.com/Departments/ParksandRecreation/MintFestivalTournaments.aspx.
Call the City of St. Johns Recreation Department at 224-8944 ext. 227 or email bschafer@ci.saint-johns.mi.us for additional information. Check us out on Facebook at St Johns Recreation.
Burning ban update
Here is an update to the outdoor burning ban for the City of St. Johns, Bingham Twp. and the east half of Bengal Twp.
You now are permitted to have a campfire/recreational fire that is self-contained and monitored.
Open burning of brush/leaves/garden debris is still prohibited.
Please call the St. Johns Fire Department at 989-224-2151 with any questions.
Bomb threat at HIFCM found to be misunderstanding
On Saturday, July 9th, 2016 at 2:02 PM the St. Johns Police Department responded to a bomb threat at Hazel Findlay Country Manor, a long-term care nursing home. A call was received by an employee at Hazel Findlay indicating the possibility of a bomb.
Due to the vague threat and following the Hazel Findlay Bomb Threat Plan, the facility was searched by employees and three Police K-9 Bomb Dogs. No suspicious items were found on the property.
At 4:00PM the all clear was given and normal operations resumed at Hazel Findlay.
According to SJPD Chief Kyle Knight, this bomb threat was taken very seriously because of the ongoing events throughout the United States. The St. Johns Police Department continued to monitor Hazel Findlay closely throughout the weekend while conducting their investigation.
After conducting an extensive investigation, it was determined that the bomb threat was actually a misunderstood phone call received by an employee. A doctor accidently called the wrong department and due to his accent, the employee did not understand him and felt a statement about a bomb was made. This was confirmed through phone records and speaking with both the caller and the employee who received the call.
The St. Johns Police Department has closed their investigation with no prosecution being sought.
The St. Johns Police Department was assisted by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, East Lansing Police Department, St. Johns Fire Department, and Clinton County Central Dispatch.
Friends of The Maple River to host a field/float
The Friends of The Maple River will host a field/float trip on Wednesday July 20 on Muskrat Lake in Clinton County. Time: 7:00 PM. This field/float trip is to highlight the water stabilization project and it’s impact on wetlands. Bring your canoe, kayak or outboard boat.
Be sure to have a Coast Guard approved personal floatation life preserver for every person in your vessel. There is an improved public access launch site on the north end of the lake off Jason Road.
Muskrat Lake is approximately 2 1/2 mile west of old US127 on Jason Road.
Jason road is 4 miles north of DeWitt on old US 127, or 4 miles south of Price road on old US 127.
The scheduled field/float trip should be completed by 9:00PM.
For more in information about the field/float trip check out the Friends website at friendsofthemapleriver.org, or like us on facebook at: friends of the maple river.
FAQ – District Library Millage
How do I know if I am registered to vote? Where do I vote?
Go to michigan.gov/vote and search by name or driver’s license number to find your voter registration status and polling location information.
What will be on the ballot?
The August 2nd ballot will include a millage request of 0.75 mills ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) to allow the library to offset funding decreases and provide relevant library services to the entire district.
What is the ballot language?
Shall the Briggs District Library be authorized to levy a new additional tax annually upon the taxable value of all property subject to ad valorem taxation within the district of the Briggs District Library in an amount not to exceed 0.75 mill ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of ten (10) years, 2016 through 2025, inclusive, to provide funds for all Library purposes authorized by law?
This millage is estimated to provide revenues of $464,000 in 2016, the first year of the levy. To the extent required by law, a portion of the revenues from this millage (approximately 1.4% in the first year of the levy) will be captured within the district of and disbursed to the City of St. Johns Local Development Finance Authority.
Yes__ No__
Why 0.75 mills?
The resources generated from 0.75 mills is enough to replace the revenue lost over the last nine years and put the library in a financially secure position, without overburdening residents of the district.
Why 10 years?
10 years is a standard length of time for library millages across the state. For our library, a 10 year millage will allow for planning and development that we are not currently able to pursue with a four-year millage, while still keeping the library accountable to the voters.
Why is some of the millage captured by the City of St. Johns Local Development Authority?
The Briggs District Library’s millage is subject to tax capture laws. Tax capture laws are statewide laws that have an effect on most voted millages. This tax capture only affects properties that are within the portions of the City of St. Johns that belong to the Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA) district. It has no effect on properties outside of the LDFA district’s boundaries. This means that no funds are captured from township taxes or from property taxes in the City of St. Johns that are outside of the LDFA district’s boundaries.
Don’t my taxes already fund the Library?
Currently, 59% of the Library’s budget comes from millages provided by the residents of the City of St. Johns and Bingham Township. An additional 2% of our budget comes from contractual relationships with Bengal, Dallas, Greenbush, Olive, Riley, and Westphalia Townships.
The new millage, collected from all residents within the St. Johns School District boundaries, will replace the previous allocations provided by the residents of the City of St. Johns and Bingham Township, not be in addition to.
Why is the Library asking for an increase in taxes?
The library has seen a decrease in operating funds of approximately $100,000 since 2007, and had to dip into reserves to pass a balanced budget for fiscal year 2015-2016. Because of this decrease in funds, the library has eliminated one full-time position, has reduced hours of operation, has cut the collection budgets and program budget, and has not been able to stay current with needed facility maintenance and upgrades.
Because of the way the library is currently funded, if the millage passes, some residents in the district will see a slight tax increase, while some will see their taxes decrease, but the proposed millage is the most equitable way of funding the library — all residents in the district will be taxed at the same rate of 0.75 mills.
What will happen if the millage fails?
If the millage does not pass in August, there will be an immediate reduction in the hours of operation and severe cuts to collections budgets, programs, and staff, and a further delay in needed facility upgrades and improvements.
What is PA116/the Farmland Preservation Program, and how does it affect my property taxes?
This is a State program enabling farmers to enroll their farmland for preservation with the promise to be reimbursed for all property taxes (excluding drain assessments) in excess of 3.5% of their income. In effect, farmers enrolled in this program will be eligible to have some of the library millage refunded.