Night of Worship – Friday, December 11
On Friday, December 11 come for a Free night of worship with local musician Josh Mayes featuring some of his original worship music as well as other contemporary music.
The service will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Mt. Hope UB Church, 5011 S. Mt. Hope Rd, Carson City, MI.
For more information call 989-544-5764.
Arts Council Holiday Open House – Tuesday December 8
The Gallery is a Clinton County Arts Council gem in the heart of St. Johns business district, but at Christmas it glistens temptingly with an array of gifting hints ranging from seasonal and general wall art to enchanting works from the hands of local artists.
Come Tuesday December 8, all of these attractions will be on display during the Council’s annual open house from 6-8 p.m.at special discounts to members and non-member alike without diminishing the artist’s normal commission amount. Along with price concessions – 10% and 20%, non-members and members, respectively – there will be complimentary gift wrapping and refreshments served throughout the evening.
It will also be a perfect time to meet CCAC President Jason Butler along with Director Ashley Garijo Jackson, both of whom are in the first year of their assignments.
For additional information on this event or other Arts Council activities, calls may be made to the Gallery at 989.224.2429
Wilson Center hosts weekend of holiday music – December 4-5
A pair of musical shows courtesy of Homegrown Productions provide a great opportunity for area residents to get in the holiday spirit, December 4-5, at the Wilson Center Auditorium that’s located across from the Clinton County Courthouse near the downtown business district.
Youth are the focus of the fifth annual Christmas variety show created by Homegrown Productions that begins at 7:30 p.m., Friday evening following the Santa Parade in the downtown area. St. Johns’ favorite performers are featured in the evening of holiday stories and songs.
Tickets are $5, available at the door; no charge for youth age 10 and younger.
A special encore performance of the holiday musical, “Nuncrackers,” brings the talented cast to the Wilson Center stage December 5, after its successful run at the Starlight Dinner Theatre in Lansiong. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for “Nuncrackers” are $25; call (989) 224-8982 for reservations. Funds from both shows benefit the Wilson Center Auditorium Renovation Project that committee members hope to conclude in 2016. For detailed information on the Wilson Center fundraiser and upcoming shows at the venue check out the Wilson Center Auditorium Facebook page or visit: http://wilsoncenterauditorium.org/
Santa Claus is Coming to Town – December 4, 5
Santa will arrive in St. Johns Friday, December 4 at 5:45 p.m. for the downtown St. Johns Santa Parade of Lights.
After the parade Santa will receive the key to the city and then the downtown and Chamber of Commerce will award one lucky winner a cash prize from their 50/50 raffle drawing. Call the Chamber (989-224-7248) or Downtown (989-227-1717) to find out where to purchase your ticket.
Then on Saturday, December 5 Santa will be at the Chamber’s Breakfast with Santa at the CCRESA Building, 1013 S US 27 in St. Johns from 8:00-10:30 a.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under. Children 2 and under are free. Bring your cameras for lots of pictures.
In addition to the Breakfast there will also be a Craft Show and Festival of Trees (8:00-10:00 a.m.) and Kids Make It and Take it Crafts (Noon-3:00 p.m.)
Clinton County Meals on Wheels needs your help
Each year the Clinton County Meals on Wheels program gives a holiday gift to their clients. They would like to do the same this year. They operate on the theory that it’s not the size of the gift but the thought. Most of the items can be bought at the dollar store.
If you would like to help, here are some of the items they are looking for: Kleenex, Hand Cream, Shampoo, 100 Piece Puzzles, Large Print Find a Word or Crossword Puzzle Books, Small Flashlights, Sugar Free Candy, Gloves, Mittens and Socks.
You can drop items off at the Meals on Wheels Office, located in the Clinton County Senior Center at 201 E Walker Street, St. Johns, or you can call 989-224-3600 if they need to pick anything up.
Community Christmas Concert – December 11
On December 11th at 7:00 pm the Wilson Center Auditorium will host the annual Community Christmas Concert.
Participants include the St. Johns Community Band, the Dewitt Community Concert Band, the Mint City Singers and Vivo Contando, and the community children’s choir.
There will be a free will offering.
The Wilson Center Auditorium is located at 101 W. Cass St., St. Johns.
Annual Toys for Tots Concert – December 12
The King of Country “Louie Longoria” and The King of Rock n’ Rock “Steve “Elvis” Hunt” will put on their 8th Annual Concert to benefit Clinton County Toys for Tots.
The Concert will be Saturday, Dec 12, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. at the VFW Post 4113, 2497 N US 27, St. Johns.
Admission is $10 or a new unwrapped toy of equal value. Special thanks go to Mckenzie Crosby Insurance Agency.
Upcoming Kids Programs – St. Johns Recreation Department
The City of St. Johns Recreation Department is accepting registrations for the 2016 K-2nd Biddy Basketball Program.
The deadline to register is January 15, 2016. The registration fee for the program is $31.00 for St. Johns School district residents and $36.00 for non-school district residents. After the January 15th deadline there is a ten-dollar late fee. Registrations received after the deadline are not guaranteed to be placed on a team.
This six-week program, for children in kindergarten thru 2nd grade, will teach children the game of basketball. The program is meant to be a positive introduction to the game of basketball for first year players and a skill sharpening opportunity for returning players. All participants can expect to learn, from parents and volunteers, the basics of basketball in a non-competitive and safe atmosphere. An emphasis will be placed on all players playing the same amount, good sportsmanship, fundamentals and having fun.
The season runs on Saturdays from February 13th thru March 19th. Kindergarten and 1st graders will spend the first two-weeks learning the basics of basketball. The next four-weeks the beginning of each session will be used as an instructional period where the coach will spend time teaching the fundamentals of passing, dribbling and shooting. The second part of the session will be used to scrimmage against another team, where the players will be able to showcase what they have learned and work as part of a team. 2nd graders will spend the entire six-weeks practicing and scrimmaging.
Each participant who pre-registers will receive a t-shirt, certificate, individual award and a “Big Boy MVP Award” from Big Boy Restaurant of St. Johns.
The Recreation Department needs volunteer parents/coaches for K-2nd grade levels. No experience needed, we provide a coaches manual to help you out. There is also a Coaches Clinic on Saturday, February 6th, 2016 led by Basketball University Sports and Events LLC. You must enjoy working with children and want to make a difference in the lives of our young people.
Returning again this year will be the Basketball Skills Camp for grades 3rd – 6th. The camp runs on Saturdays from February 13th thru March 19th. Basketball University Sports and Events LLC will provide instruction on skill development to help your child with ball handling, shooting, and understanding team play. Your child will get helpful information that will prepare them to better understand the game of basketball.
Can’t make it every week? Then just drop-in and pay for the weeks you can make it. Registration for the program is $42.00 when pre-registering for 6 weeks or $10 per week drop-in for St. Johns School district residents and $48.00 when pre-registering and $12 per week for drop-in for non-school district residents. Drops-ins are allowed only if space permits, to ensure your spot pre-register by January 23, 2016.
If you would like to know more about Basketball University please visit www.bballuniversity.com. Everyone that pre-registers will receive a certificate and a “Big Boy MVP Award” from Big Boy Restaurant of St. Johns.
Registrations for all activities are available at the City Offices and website at www.ci.saint-johns.mi.us. Call the City of St. Johns Recreation Department at 224-8944 ext. 228 or email rfaivor@ci.saint-johns.mi.us for additional information. Like us on Facebook.
Baker Online achieves Top Rankings for Doctoral Degree, affordability
Baker College Online/Center for Graduate Studies recently placed among the best in two national rankings for online colleges:
· No. 3 in the 2016 rankings of the most affordable online colleges for bachelor’s degrees by College Choice.
· No. 10 in the 2016 list of the top 50 online doctoral degrees in business and management by Top Management Degrees.
“Baker College Online continues to garner national recognition for the great value of its programs,” said Jill Langen, Ph.D., Baker College Online/Center for Graduate Studies president. “These two recent rankings again prove our dedication to providing affordable and quality online programs.”
Most affordable online bachelor’s degrees ranking
Baker College offers online bachelor’s degrees in the areas of business administration, nursing, human services and computer information systems.
In assessing online bachelor’s degrees for affordability, College Choice included all regionally accredited colleges with at least five online bachelor’s degree programs. To determine the true cost of each online program, the rankings also considered actual total cost including fees not directly accounted for in tuition. College Choice compiled its data from websites of the listed universities, reputable publications such as U.S. News & World Report, and from the National Center for Education Statistics.
College Choice is an independent online publication dedicated to helping students find and thrive at the right colleges for them.
Top online doctoral degree ranking
Baker College offers an online doctorate of business administration.
“Our doctoral degree serves the needs of working adults, helping them advance in their careers through quality graduate education,” Langen said. “It is designed to graduate scholar practitioners who will set the standard for best practice and contribute to the solution of critical business and management problems through research, teaching and consulting.”
Top Management Degrees determined its top 50 list of online doctoral degrees in business and management based on the following criteria: accreditation, flexibility, prestige, estimated cost and business management curriculum. Each criterion was given equal weight, and data were collected from diverse sources, including each college program’s website, U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and the National Center for Education Statistics.
Tammie Cagle, Top Management Degrees editor, said, “Business professionals are turning to doctoral programs to gain further expertise to become more effective leaders and gain global credentials for being knowledgeable and skilled business leaders.
“Our rankings are designed to help prospective students make smart choices about where to invest their time and money. We are committed to connecting people to inspiring ideas and high quality educational opportunities, and are confident that students will find both at Baker College Online.”
Top Management Degrees provides information about business and management education that includes degree program rankings and reviews, how to select a program based on an individual’s interest and needs, how to finance a degree and careers in management.
For more information about Baker College Online, contact Chuck Gurden in the admissions office at 810.766.4390 or adm-ol@baker.edu, or visit www.baker.edu.
The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 23,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance-free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in distance education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.
Christmas decorations are in place at the Paine-Gillam-Scott House Museum. 
The Travel Channel show “Mysteries at the Museum” plans to air a segment Friday, November 27, featuring the Michigan Historical Museum. The segment will discuss Michigan Gov. Hazen S. Pingree’s “Potato Patch Plan.” The museum’s collections include a potato-shaped glass bottle created at the time, known as the “potato Pingree” flask.
Big Boy to honor Veterans with free breakfast – November 11
