Microseira wollei algae are pulled from Lake St. Clair near the shore in Harrison Township.
Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal | Published September 20, 2023
County pulls lake ‘muck’ for testing
MACOMB COUNTY — A second round of samples of the algae formerly known as lyngbya have been pulled from Lake St. Clair for lab testing.
Samples of Microseira wollei are being sent from Harrison Township to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers research facility in Mississippi to undergo testing as part of a two-year study of the mysterious algae. These recent samples will be tested against samples taken from the early summer.
“This muck is found in areas of the shoreline where the water flow is stagnant,” Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said in a statement. “There are a number of boat wells along Lake St. Clair where this stuff is just packed in, or you see it in different areas right along the shore where there are layers of it.”
Studying Microseira wollei will help officials understand the causes of the algae, what threats it poses to life around the water and what steps can be taken for effective management.
Save the Manatees run returns to Metropark
HARRISON TOWNSHIP — After a three-year pandemic hiatus, the Save the Manatees 5k race returns to Lake St. Clair Metropark on Saturday, Oct. 7.
“(The route) is very scenic and flat,” said race founder Lesley Argiri. “You run by the water, you go out by the marina and it’s just one lap. And it’s an official registered course, so if anyone were to break any records it would be official.”
Coming into its 20th year, the fundraising run is offering both in-person and virtual participation options this year. All funds from either option will be donated to the Save the Manatee Club to support its efforts in manatee conservation in the United States and abroad. The event has raised about $400,000 for the Save the Manatees Club. The Save the Manatees 5k began when Argiri noticed that, after becoming a runner with her husband, many of the events they took part in were fundraisers.
“I was a biology teacher at L’Anse Creuse High School, and we teach about environmental issues, and I’ve always liked manatees,” Argiri said. “My parents would take us on trips to Florida all the time, and that’s where I learned about them and got intrigued by them. So I figured why not try a save the manatees race and see what happens.”
Runners can register at savethemanatee5k.com. Entry options start at $27.
SMASH to help St. Mary fundraise for gym
MOUNT CLEMENS — The St. Mary Catholic School Parents Action Committee is hosting the 50th annual SMASH golf outing at Cracklewood Golf Club on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Originally a men’s-only event, SMASH is used to raise money for scholarships and improvements to school equipment and facilities. Around five $1,000 scholarships are raised to help cover Catholic high school tuition.
“I think that well over the 50 years, probably a quarter of a million dollars have gone to improve the school proper,” said principal Patrick Adams.
This year, SMASH will help raise funds for gym improvements. St. Mary used to have two gyms until its older gym was converted into a chapel.
“You’ve got a big gym, a brand-new gym, about five years old, but you’ve only got two backboards,” Adams said. “We want to put in more backboards so you can have more kids playing at a basket. If we had four more baskets, that means we’d have six baskets, and we could have more teams practicing at the same time.”
The full cost to furnish the gym is about $50,000, which Adams does not expect to be raised through SMASH alone.
SMASH begins at noon on Sept. 30 with lunch at 1 p.m., 18-hole golf at 2 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets are $175 and sign-up forms can be found at stmarymtclemens.com. Email golf4stmary@gmail.com for more information.
Senior fair coming to Lorenzo Center
MACOMB COUNTY — The 32nd annual Macomb County Senior Fun Festival will be held at the Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College on Friday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to noon. Emceed by Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, the free event will feature vendors, giveaways, live entertainment, a photo booth and refreshments.
“We look forward to the Senior Fun Fest every year,” Hackel said in a statement. “This event illustrates our county’s commitment to engaging and caring for seniors. We welcome all seniors across our community to come and explore the trusted programs and partners dedicated to helping them each day here in Macomb.”
Vendors include the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, the Macomb County Health Department and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido will be at the festival providing information about threats and scams targeting seniors, including fraud scams, telemarketing scams, foreign solicitations, financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, domestic violence and elder abuse.