the St. Clair Shores Living
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INDEX
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Published Bimonthly
Inaugural Issue —March/April 2022
Will include :
Notable Neighbors – Resident Profiles
A Day in the Life – Featuring SCS Leaders
Waterworks – Everything Boats
Local Business Highlight
Home & Garden
Health & Fitness
Community Happenings
Dining Guide
our MISSION Welcome to the Shores Magazine — a bimonthly magazine with a mission to entertain,
inform and inspire you. In addition to being a go-to guide for St. Clair Shores happenings, the publication will tell the stories of those who make the city a wonderful place to live and work. The Shores will also feature articles by local experts in real estate, home improvement, finance, law and more. From the city’s hardworking professionals, neighbors and treasured annual traditions, the Shores will focus on what makes our community oneof-a-kind.
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Written by Anna Swartz
Top Ten Spots to Dock for the Day on Lake St. Clair
Let us take a brief tour of Lake St. Clair’s ports and attractions, traveling clockwise from the northeast.
Mitchell’s Bay, Ontario – Rumored to be the same now as it was in the 1700s, this is one of the best fishing locations in the Great Lakes. On the eastern shore is the Marine Park Marina with a nearby restaurant. The Thames River – Located at the mouth of this river are two scenic and full-service marinas with restaurants on-site. If you want to venture up the Thames (no wake, about a four-hour trip), you’ll arrive at bustling Chatham, where you can tie up at the sea wall, and enjoy shopping and dining galore. Belle River, Pike Creek and Puce River – Located along the southern shore of Lake St. Clair, this area is served by no less than six marinas, with several waterfront or water view restaurants nearby.
The Nautical Mile – St. Clair Shores residents are all familiar with this stretch of marinas, boat and yacht dealerships, shops and restaurants running between 9 and 10 Mile Road. This area contains one of the highest concentrations of boating and boaters in the world. Marinas and dockage are available for transients, and the Nautical Mile is known for its dining and nightlife. The Clinton River and Mt. Clemens – Cruise carefully around the shallow waters of Huron Point, and you come to the mouth of the Clinton River, the terminus of a vast watershed that begins with Paint and Stony Creek, home of a high-quality trout and salmon fishery. Further downstream, the deep-water Clinton River is lined with marinas, restaurants and homes—and hundreds of boats, many of them sailing yachts thanks to the water depth. Cruise further west up this navigable river and you will arrive at the city of Mt. Clemens, with its vibrant business community and its numerous summer festivals. You will find good dockage right downtown. Harrison Township – Just north of the mouth of the Clinton is Harrison Township, home of two of the largest, full-service marinas on Lake St. Clair. Serving as a kind of gateway to Anchor Bay, Belle Maer Harbor and MacRay Harbor are destinations of their own. With each offering a myriad of amenities and services created for the active boating lifestyle, whether staying for a weekend or the summer. On warm days, you will see dozens of boats at anchor near each marina, where the water is clear and warm and the bottom is sandy. Chesterfield Township, Salt River and New Baltimore – On the northern shore of Anchor Bay you will find the mouth of the Salt River and, nearby, the quaint town of New Baltimore. Take a nautical chart and explore this entire stretch—you will not regret it. Fair Haven – Relaxing at times, bustling at others,
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Fair Haven is one of those villages that has not changed a whole lot over the years and still offers great boating facilities at an excellent value. There are seven marinas in and around this area, along with several great local restaurants you can reach by boat or car. Algonac– This is the home of Chris Craft and the birthplace of speedboating. Algonac is a short cruise up the scenic North Channel and offers a great deal en route. Like eight marinas, and dozens of restaurants and attractions. Sassy Marine is one of the best known; they offer transient dockage with all the bells and whistles. Harsen’s Island – Tucked in the northeast part of the lake, between the Middle Channel and the South Channel, is a charming island that offers a lot to do by boat or by car (take the ferry). It is dotted with cottages, large and small, along with several marinas, shops and restaurants. And Muscamoot Bay is legendary for its sandy anchorages and massive floating weekend parties. Among the most noted facilities is Sunset Harbor, a fullservice marina also catering to transient boaters. Information courtesy of www.tourlakestclair.org
• Boat Tops & Covers • Yacht Enclosures • Acrylic & Bonded Windows • Custom Interiors • Sailboat Dodgers • Marine Carpet • Cushions & Upholstery • Canvas Service & Repair • SeaDek Flooring • Contract Sewing
• Exceptional Traction • Unparalleled Comfort • Shock Absorption • Protection for Boat Surfaces • Noise Reduction
Custom Outdoor Patio Covers
If you have a boat, you have a place for
24601 Jefferson on Nautical Mile • www.lakeshoreboattop.com • 586-465-1731 the shores 5
Fireside Saturday
around TOWN Upcoming Community Events
Saturday March 5, 5-9 p.m. The next Fireside Saturday will take place at the Blossom Heath Beach House, 24800 Jefferson. In addition to the outdoor firepits, the fireplace inside the beach house will be blazing. Come, hang out and enjoy live music by the Laurie Johnson Project (sponsored by the St. Clair Shores Activities Committee) and grab something to eat from Lil Bros Food Truck.
St. Paddy’s in the Park
Saturday, March 12, 4-9 p.m. Join us at the St. Clair Shores Hockey Association for our 1st St. Paddy’s in the Park. The event will feature: food trucks Corned Beef Daddy & Pizza, Srodek Polish, Corner Kitchen, Lil Bros Burgers, Little Donut Factory, Señors and Island Noodle. Music by Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band and Irish Music sponsored by B-A-S Security Systems. Craft and Irish Beer including Guinness, Murphy’s, Dragonmead, Rochester Red, Kuhnhenn and Bud Light. Beer glasses sponsored by FreeStar Financial. Attendees will also enjoy outdoor firepits, indoor fireplace and vendors.
Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Kids will have a chance to see the Easter Bunny, hunt for eggs and collect a treat bag at Veterans Memorial Park. Participants must pre-register for a time slot.
Kiwanis Easter Baskets Giveaway
Saturday, April 16, Noon-2 p.m. The Lac Ste Clair Kiwanis have a limited number of Easter Baskets filled to the brim with goodies and ready to give to families in need. Baskets can be picked up at Kennedy Middle School on a first come, first served basis.
St. Clair Shores Farmers Market: Flowers, Food Trucks & Farmers
Sunday, May 22, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Join in the fun on opening weekend with more than 100 vendors and plenty of fun and activities for residents of all ages. The market is held at Blossom Heath Park on Jefferson between 9 and 10 Mile Roads. • Children Are Our Future: A Wellness Day of Fun, Fitness & Safety, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., at the Blossom Heath Park Pavillion • Farmers Market Fresh cooking demo with Chef Bobby Nahra from Encore Catering at 11 a.m. • Petting Zoo sponsored by St. Clair Shores Lac Ste Clair Kiwanis • Food Truck Rally with 14 food trucks • Music by Funhouse, sponsored by B-A-S Security Systems, at 2 p.m. • Traveling Beer Garden with free pint glasses (sponsored by Ireland’s Pub)
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&
THEN NOW Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum
T
he Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum, which is located behind the St. Clair Shores Public Library, represents the history of a family that was typical of the late nineteenth century settlers in this area. John and Mary Selinsky, Polish immigrants, came to Erin Township (now St. Clair Shores) in 1868, bought property and built their saltbox structure of log timber framework. They sold it to their daughter Ernestine when she married German immigrant John Green in 1874. Pictured above: John and Ernestine Green are seated with their children Walter and Mary in the yard of their farmhouse on its original site around 1898. Sons William and Charles are standing on the left of the image.
Green descendants lived in the house until 1974 when the State Highway Commission bought the house and land to make way for the I-696/I-94 interchange. The Museum was moved to its present location and is owned by the City of St. Clair Shores under the direction of its Historical Commission. It is listed in the Michigan state register of historic sites. The Farmhouse has been meticulously restored over the past years by dedicated volunteers. Thanks to them, this piece of St. Clair Shores history has been preserved and restored for future generations to enjoy. For more information about the Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum and its hours of operation, go to https://www.scslibrary.org/sgfm.html
Wanted Historical Photos of St. Clair Shores Cleaning out the attic? Holding onto an old photo album? Those dusty boxes beneath the basement stairs could hold invaluable information about the city’s history. The St. Clair Shores Historical Commission is always grateful for any donations of historic memorabilia to add to their collection. Not able to part with your photographs? No problem. The Commission can scan the photographs and return them to you. To inquire about donating photos, send an email to historicalcommission@scsmi.net
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