Friday, May 20, 2016

Welcoming The Warm Months With Lakeside Park's New Splash Pad

Port Huron's Lakeside Park looks a little different this year.  With help from the city, grants and donated funds the park is in the process of a $500,000 facelift. One of the major new things people will notice is the brand new splash pad.


Yesterday, city officials held the ribbon cutting for the splash pad. In this video, Mayor Pauline Repp discusses where the park, which is home to the city's most popular public beach, has been and some of the great things that are planned for its future.

Photo by Dale Merrill
The splash pad itself pays tribute to the Blue Water Area with structures that resemble the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and the Blue Water Bridge.

Photo by Dale Merrill
New benches, shower stations and landscaping are some of other projects that are also happening at the ADA compliant park.

Photo by Dale Merrill
City of Port Huron, Fort Gratiot and Port Huron Township residents can buy annual parking passes for $5. Residents from other parts of the county can pay $35 for a year or $5 per day. For Out-of-county residents it's a $10 daily entrance per vehicle. These passes are available at the park's entrance booth.

Friday, May 13, 2016

The Art Of Chris Kro

When most people talk about how rock-n-roll has influenced them it's usually how it has affected the music they are making.

Though Blue Water Area based artist Chris Kro is a musician (he plays bass and sings in the band Dirty Copper),the records he grew up cranking loud as a youngster not only inspired him in that way but also the way album covers looked help shape his head into the design perspective it has. Earlier this week Chris gave us a little insight into his work.

Combining the rough-hewed and the comfortably frayed with vivid colors and street level aesthetics, his work is a feast for the eyes for fans for classic rock album cover and poster design but with a modern age twist.

Photo by Dale Merrill

The designs Chris has done have been seen not only promoting concerts appearances for Wille Nelson, rock legends CCR's John Fogerty and The Beach Boys Brian Wilson but also on works for biker fuzz rockers the Lords Of Altamont, Americana favorites Jason Isbell and Billy Joe Shaver and the DVD box design for Funkadelic.

Photo by Dale Merrill

Posters and album covers are just a few of the formats Chris works in as he's also designed the MC5 and Thirteenth Floor Elevators skateboard decks for pro skater Corey Duffel.

Photo by Dale Merrill
Fans of locally made craft beer may be familiar with his work and not even realize it as Chris has been mastermind behind many of the images that celebrate the brews being made at Port Huron's Thumbcoast Brewery.

The Art Of Chris Kro runs through May 30th at Studio 1219 in downtown Port Huron.

While we're on the topic of checking out some art in the Blue Water area, the first Art Hop of 2016 is happening next Friday from 6-9pm in Downtown Port Huron. Also on Saturday, May 28th, the Thumb Arts Guild will be having it's annual Spring exhibit at the Port Austin Gymnasium.

 To find out more about these happenings along with many more-check out our events page.