FEBRUARY 11 (Saturdays): The 4th season of the Australian naval series, Sea Patrol, continues at 1 p.m. each Saturday through February 25 at the Great Lakes Maritime Center. Two episodes will be shown on Saturdays. Each runs about 45 minutes and features Capt. Mike Flynn and his crew of 21 aboard the HMAS Hammersley. Upcoming dates are: February 18 and 25. In previous years, the movies were shown on Sundays.
FEBRUARY 12 & 26 (Sundays): If you liked the music at the Maritime Center in January, it's back in February! An "Old Time Jam" session is February 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Then, guests musicans visit on February 26, again starting at 11 a.m. and playing until 3 p.m.
FEBRUARY 25 (Saturday): Area professional photographers will exhibit their pictures at the annual "Maritime PHoto & Art Show" from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Maritime Center. Plus, amateur photographers may enter photographs (deadline is February 20) to win prizes. Photos must be from the last 12 months and not digitally enhanced. Entries may be dropped off or mailed to the Maritime Center, 51 Water Street, Port Huron MI 48060. For more information, call 810-985-4817.
MARCH 3 & 10 & 17 (Saturdays): The Great Lakes Nautical Society will again host model ship building classes for children 12 years and younger from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Maritime Center. A fee of $5 will be charged for each ship model (four choices) a child builds. Classes are limited to 40. Each child must be accompanied by an adult during a class. For more information, please call the Maritime Center at 810-9854817.
MARCH 18 (Sunday): In March, you'll only have one chance to hear Dave Rutkofske and his Blue Water Musician's Network. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Maritime Center, the group will present guest musicians.
APRIL 14 (Saturday): Roger LeLievre, author of Know Your Ships, will be at the Maritime Center again this spring to sell and sign copies of his 2012 book. The book is a must-have for anyone who enjoys watching Great Lakes and foreign ships travel Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. He will be at the Maritime Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
APRIL 21 (Saturday): A ceremony, outside the Maritime Center (weather permitting), will be held at 1 p.m. to mark the opening of the Great Lake shipping season. Various maritime groups - such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Port Huron Power Squadron and the Port Huron Yacht Club - will participate in the "Blessing of the Fleet" service.
APRIL 15 & 29 (Sundays): Two Sundays in April at the Maritime Center again will offer the music of Dave Rutkofske and his Blue Water Musician's Network. On April 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can join in on an "Old Time Jam" session. Then, on April 29, it's another "On the Road" with guest musians.
APRIL 24 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure & Body Mass Index Screenings are coming back to the Maritime Center. The event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
MAY 12, 19 & 26 and JUNE 2, 9, 16 & 23 (Saturdays): The 6th Annual Vantage Point Flower Market kicks off May 12 and continues every Saturday through June 23. As in past years, the Market is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. under the white tents south of the Great Lakes Maritime Center, where the Black and St. Clair Rivers meet. Among the goodies available for front yard, backyard, and all around gardners are trees, planting flats, potted flowers, fruit trees, perennials, annuals, herbs, ornamental grasses, hanging baskets and much more. You'll also be able to buy bison meat, eggs, jams & jellies, smoked fish, and baked goods! It's a great time and a beautiful view!
MAY 22 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure & Body Mass Index Screenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maritime Center. The event is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
JUNE 2 (Saturday): Kid Fest 2012 will feature games of all sorts for children of all ages. The event, co-sponosred by the Port Huron Recreation Department and the Great Lakes Maritime Center, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the field across from the Maritime Center. In case of rain, Kid Fest will be held at the Bean Dock (Seaway Terminal), 2336 Military Street, in Port Huron. KId Fest is part of "Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown Day."
JUNE 2, 9, 16 & 23 (Saturdays): Remember, the 6th Annual Vantage Point Flower Market continues through every Saturday in June. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. under the white tents south of the Great Lakes Maritime Center. You'll be able to purchase trees, planting flats, potted flowers, fruit trees, perennials, annuals, herbs, ornamental grasses, hanging baskets and much more. You'll also find bison meat, eggs, jams & jellies, smoked fish and baked goods. Come on down!
JUNE 26 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure & Body Mass Index Screenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maritime Center. The event is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
JULY 15, 22 & 29 (Sundays): The 2nd Annual Vantage Point Arts & Crafats Market will be held under the white tents south of the Maritime Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., most Sundays starting July 15 and continuing through September 9. Handmade items from local artists and crafters will be sold. For more information or to participate, contact Liz Mathews at 810-985-3983.
JULY 24 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure & Body Mass Index Screenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maritime Center. The event is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
AUGUST 5, 19 & 26 (Sundays): The 2nd annual Arts & Crafts Market continues in August. The evente, featuring handmade items from local artists and crafters, is held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. under the white tents south of the Maritime Center.
AUGUST 28 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure & Body Mass Index Screenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maritime Center. The event is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
SEPTEMBER 2 & 9 (Sundays): This is the final month for the Vantage Point Arts & Crafts Market. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features handmade items from local artists and crafters. You'll find their goodies under the white tents south of the Great Lakes Maritime Center.
SEPTEMBER 25 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure and Body Mass Index Screenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maritime Center. The event is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
OCTOBER 23 (Tuesday): Free Blood Pressure and Body Mass Index Screenings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maritime Center. The event is sponsored by the Port Huron and St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals' Partners at Heart and the County Health Department.
The Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point continues to be a favorite spot for area residents and visitors alike. They spend time watching freighters, chatting with friends while enjoying a cup of coffee, or just plain relaxing without a care in the world. Now that 2011 has ended, we've counted the last visitor to have passed through the Maritime Center doors last year - 203,161. Come on down and we'll see how many visitors we have in 2012!
READ ON FOR NEWS FROM THE PAST_________________________________
Liz Mathews, Highlander Sea office manager since April of 2006, has relocated to the Great Lakes Maritime Center at Vantage Point. Her duties include coordinating Center volunteers and scheduling meetings and events at the Center. Liz will continue to manage the annual Vantage Point Flower and Farmer's Markets outside the Martitime Center. Any person or group interested in renting space at the Seaway Terminal (Bean Dock) will work with Liz, too. She can be reached at the Maritime Center (51 Water Street) at 810-985-3983.
The Mariners Coalition, a group dedicated to communicating U.S. and Canadian boating rules and regulations between the countries, held a press conference Tuesday, March 9, 2010, in the Great Lakes Maritime Center. The press conference officially introduced the Mariners Coalition membership, its DVD, and a business-size contact card with navigational rules and regulations affecting U.S. and Canadian boaters. The Mariners Coalition and Acheson Ventures have co-sponsored a Mariners Coalition website (www.marinerscoalition.com) with an e-mail address. These two informational tools enable boaters to review - in detail - the rules and regulations of area waterways. The e-mail within the website allows boaters to inquire about the clarification of rules/regulations or outline concerns directly to the Coalition.
The City of Port Huron handed over management of the River Street Marina to Desmond Marine, a subsidiary of Acheson Ventures. The City Council voted 7-0 in February of 2008 to approve a three-year operating agreement with the company. Rich Engle, chief operating officer of AV said, “We decided to do it because we feel the revitalization of the Black River is important to the area.” When Desmond Marine takes control at River Street, the marina will join a consortium of what could be one of the largest marina systems in the Great Lakes. When Desmond takes over River Street, the Sarnia, Ontario-Port Huron marina area will have 1,200 boat slips.
May 19, 2007, marked the first annual Acheson Ventures’ Flower Market at Vantage Point. Local growers featured flats of flowers, potted plants, fruit trees, and much, much more. Then, in August of 2007, the first annual Acheson Ventures Farmer's Market opened. Local farmers offered the traditional fruits and vegetables plus such things as bison meat and Yale bologna.
WOW - DISCOVERING DESMOND LANDING!
We have permission from Mr. and Mrs. Sampson to share their thoughts with our website visitors:
“As a former resident of Port Huron, please know how excited my husband and I were to discover Desmond Landing and other Acheson Ventures projects when visiting home earlier this week. My husband hasn’t caught the boat bug addiction yet, but I am definitely working on him! We did get some fine pictures of boats and a saltie or two.
“Please know how much we appreciate your investment in preserving the most wonderful waterway in the world for the people of Port Huron, former residents who return home to visit, and tourists. How absolutely wonderful to spend a number of hours (two days this week) just sitting at Desmond Landing and watching ’my’ boats go by. In this era of greed and building of condos along waterfront property, I was so proud of Acheson for the gift of waterfront preservation for everyone to experience. The historical information, the volunteers, and Boat Nerd are all helpful and friendly parts of the preservation and lore of the region. Who’d have thought that one day I would sit on a wooden bench bolted to the railroad tracks that were used for the trains on the old railroad bridge across Black River?
“Monday we spent hours walking along the river from the old Dunn paper mill to the Huron lightship. Tuesday and Wednesday hours were spent enjoying the river scene at Desmond Landing. WOW, and that doesn’t even begin to cover my extreme joy in the discovery of these two areas that have been developed for the USE by the PEOPLE.
“Again, thank you for all you are doing. - Jane and Reed Sampson”