Champion's Rate Hike (Update: Push-Back)

Residents aim to stop move to hike ferry rates

Harsens Islanders launch a petition drive

By Christina Hall Free Press Staff Writer

   Some Harsens Island residents are gathering signatures to ask the Michigan Public Service Commission to deny a recommendation by its staff to raise rates of the island’s ferry.

   The petition drive came after a meeting Sunday about a proposed stipulation and settlement agreement signed last week between MPSC staff and Champion’s Auto Ferry. The agreement would allow a $1 rate hike starting March10 and another $1 fare hike in January. A round-trip ferry ticket for a vehicle currently is $7.

   The MPSC must approve the proposed agreement and could take up the matter at its Feb. 28 meeting.

   Champion’s threatened to shut down the 24/7 ferry, the only link between the island and Algonac for visitors and about 1,200 residents other than private boat or plane.

   About 150 residents and ferry company President David Bryson attended Sunday’s meeting, said Norman Rhodes, a lifelong island resident.

   “This meeting was not against Mr. Bryson. This meeting was to bring to the forefront the fact that the Michigan Public Service Commission — the duly-appointed group that is supposed to protect the health, safety and welfare — has, on its own accord, created a ferry increase that is totally unasked for and out of line,” Rhodes said Monday.

   “Whether the dollar is needed or not is what they are to determine on our behalf. They can only do it if they follow their own administrative rules or procedures.”

   The petition lists six reasons for denying the proposed agreement, including that it is not in the best interest of the public. Other reasons include that the MPSC denied a prior request by Champion’s to raise rates and the ferry service didn’t ask for a rate hike in this case, which focused on Bryson retiring and closing down the ferry.

   The petition states MPSC staff “violated the administrative procedure rules” for the commission “with this unsolicited recommendation.”

   It also states that the MPSC will breach its legal duty resulting in loss, harm and injury to the public by initiating/approving a rate increase that was not specifically requested by Champion’s and an additional $1 to fund new equipment that Champion’s never requested, “which contrary to the administrative procedure rules has denied the public the time and opportunity to comment.”

   MPSC officials could not be reached Monday. State offices were closed for Presidents’ Day.

   Rhodes said, “We have no time to waste.”

   Organizers are directing the petition drive and other letters and comments to the MPSC before its meeting next week.

   Rhodes said he left Sun-day’s meeting with 60 signatures and handed out 15 petition forms, which are available at the Waterfront Shoppe on South Channel Drive or through him at bobdog68@gmail.com  . He said there is no cutoff to signing the petition or filing comments.

   “Even after the smoke settles, people have a right to speak their mind. We are up against a deadline. We don’t know what the deadline is,” Rhodes said.

   MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said last week there is no deadline for the commission to make a decision. If it doesn’tdiscuss the matter next week, it has meetings March 15 and 27.

   According to the proposed agreement, part of this year’s rate hike would be used to hire a manager to facilitate Bryson’s transition into retirement and to allow for the company’s continued operation. Money from next year’s hike is to set aside funds for an additional ferry or major capital improvements in existing ferries, according to the proposal.

   The proposed agreement states the company would not file a request for additional fare increases prior to Jan. 1, 2015,unless severe economic factors prevailed.

   In July, Bryson submitted a letter to the MPSC indicating his intention to retire and giving official notice that the company intended to discontinue ferry service at some point, saying the company was being “regulated out of business.”

   • CONTACT CHRISTINA HALL: CHALL99@FREEPRESS.COM  

KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/DETROIT FREE PRESS

   Traffic leaves the Harsens Island ferry in August. Residents have launched a petition drive trying to prevent two $1 rate raises.

Champion's to Receive Fare Increase's

Tentative pact will boost Harsens Island ferry fares

By Christina Hall Free Press Staff Writer

   The operator of the Harsens Island ferry will get the fare increase it has sought, under a tentative agreement signed this week.

   Users of the ferry between Harsens Island and Algonac will pay $1 more in fares starting March 10 and an additional $1 next January if the agreement is approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission. A round-trip ticket for a vehicle is currently $7.

   The rate hikes are included in a stipulation and settlement agreement signed Monday by MPSC staff and Champion’s Auto Ferry. Champion’s had threatened to shut down the ferry, the island’s only link to the mainland, other than by private boat or plane.

   Part of the rate hike money will be used to hire a manager to facilitate company President David Bryson’s transition into retirement and to allow for the company’s continued operation, according to the proposed agreement. Once a manager is hired, the company would file a letter with the commission.

   Money from next year’s ferry hike is for the “sole purpose of setting aside funds for an additional ferry or major capital improvements to Champion’s existing ferries,” according to the proposed agreement. The money would have to be deposited monthly in an account administered by the federal government. It would allow the purchase of an additional ferry or capital improvements to existing boats.

   The proposed agreement states the company would not file a request for additional fare increases prior to Jan. 1, 2015, unless severe economic factors prevailed.

   MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said there is no deadline for the commission to make a decision. She said the MPSC’s next regularly scheduled meetings are Feb. 28 and March 15 and 27.

   Neither Bryson nor his attorney returned calls or e-mails Tuesday. The attorney for MPSC staff referred a Free Press reporter to Palnau, who said the proposed settlement agreement “speaks for itself.”

   The 24-7, year-round ferry is the only way visitors and about 1,200 island residents can get to and from the mainland unless they go by private boat or plane.

   In July, Bryson submitted a letter to the MPSC indicating his intention to retire and giving official notice that the company intended to discontinue ferry service at some point, saying the company was being “regulated out of business.”

   The MPSC had previously denied requests to raise rates, including a $1 rate hike in April.

   In December, Bryson said he was willing to delay retirement for one or two years if the company was allowed to increase revenue to previously approved 2009 levels, giving it the finances to hire and train an operations manager to take over for him.

   The MPSC received 16 public comments about the matter, a third of them against a fare hike.

   It also received letter Dec. 20 from Frank Piku of Waterford who said he had “serious interest” in buying, operating and managing the ferry service. Piku, who said he carried a 100-ton captain’s license, said he called Bryson about his interest many months ago but Bryson said he was not selling the business at that time and that he would keep Piku’s name and contact him if interested.

   • CONTACT CHRISTINA HALL:

   CHALL99@FREEPRESS.COM  

AUG. 17, 2012, PHOTO BY KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/DETROIT FREE PRESS

   Users of the ferry between Harsens Island and Algonac will pay $1 more in fares starting March 10 under a tentative agreement.

Champion's Auto Ferry (Update)

But he wants rates back at 2009 level

Ferry’s owner: I can wait to retire

By Christina Hall Free Press Staff Writer

   The president of a ferry service between Harsens Island and Algonac said he is willing to delay retirement for one or two years if the company is allowed to increase revenue to previously approved 2009 levels, giving it the finances to hire and train an operations manager to take over for him.

   “Please understand that it is my sincere desire to avert any suspension of service,” David Bryson wrote in a hand-delivered letter Friday from Champion’s Auto Ferry to the Michigan Public Service Commission. “I would love to establish a contractual relationship with the State where I agree not to abandon the service and you agree to allow me to charge a reasonable price to my customers for my efforts.”

   “If not, there is no point in my remaining active in the company,” Bryson said.

   Friday was the deadline for the company to submit a proposal on how to continue transportation service to the island at the mouth of the St. Clair River after Bryson retires. The 24-7, year-round ferry is the only way visitors and about 1,200 island residents can get to and from the mainland, other than by plane or private boat.

   Bryson submitted a letter to the PSC on July 27 indicating his intent to retire and giving official notice that the company intends to discontinue ferry service at some point. The letter stated that the company was being “regulated out of business.”

   The PSC has denied requests to raise rates, including a $1 rate hike in April. A round-trip ticket for a vehicle is $7.

   A PSC order Aug. 14 directed the company to file an initial proposal for how a transition might be accomplished. It was to include consolidated financial statements; a timeline and description of the proposed transition and other information.

   PSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said Monday that public comments can be filed until Jan. 30. The commission will file a report with recommendations by March1. She said the PSC had no immediate response to Bryson’s proposal, saying it “speaks through its orders.”

   Nan Elizabeth Casey, an attorney for the company, said the issue comes down to money.

   “There’s a lot of ways to get money, a rate increase, appropriations from government agencies, private money,” she said. “It has to come from somewhere.”

   Bryson wrote that he reinvested $50,000 back into the company to buy fuel in January to continue the operation for another two months.

   “Whether any additional money is reinvested back into the company to continue operations past that point or is invested elsewhere depends on what; if any, ‘Return on Investment’ you might now be willing to allow,” he wrote.

   Financial documents submitted by Bryson showed revenue declined from a high of more than $1.8 million in 2009 to about $1.6 million in 2011.

   The commission has received a half-dozen letters — including some supporting a rate hike. A letter from the Harsens Island St. Clair Flats Association cited everything from the ferry service needing a new boat, to fewer island visitors because of the economy and island residents leaving to find jobs.

   “While no one wants a rate increase and there is a valid concern that any rate increase will exacerbate an already bad situation , there is an equal and perhaps greater concern; that the ferry will be forced out of business. Should that happen, everyone would be left without a means to get on and off the island. This cannot be allowed to happen. There can be no interruption of service,” association president Patrick Feighan wrote.

   The letter said elderly and sick residents would be put at great peril; children could not get to school and people could not get to and from work.

Champion's Auto Ferry (Update)

Ferry service between Algonac and Harsens Island still in limbo

By Christina Hall Free Press Staff Writer

   The ferry service between Harsens Island and Algonac has until Friday to submit a proposal on how to continue transportation service to and from the island after the company’s president retires.

   David Bryson, president of Champion’s Auto Ferry, said Wednesday that the business plans to file by the deadline set by the Michigan Public Service Commission four months ago. Plans haven’t been finalized yet, he said.

   Bryson said he still plans to retire, but is not sure when.

   The ferry, which operates 24-7, except during ice jams in the St. Clair River, is the only way for the island’s visitors and roughly 1,200 year-round residents to get to and from the mainland, other than by private boat. There is no other ferry or bridge, though the Detroit International Bridge Co. said in August that it was ready to resurrect plans to build a bridge to the island at the mouth of the St. Clair River in Clay Township.

   Bryson submitted a letter to the commission July 27 indicating his intention to retire and that the company intends to discontinue ferry service at some unspecified point in the future. It also stated that the company was being “regulated out of business.” The commission has denied requests to raise rates.

   “Interested parties can file comments on the proposal and related matters until Jan. 30. The commission will review the company’s proposal and comments and file a report by March1with recommendations.

   As of Wednesday, five comments from four parties were filed with the commission.

   Bryson said a rate increase would give him the financial resources to hire and train someone to replace him. But, he said, he hasn’t been approached by anyone about taking over the ferry service.

   “Nobody wants to get involved with a business that doesn’t make any money,” he said.

   A letter from island resident Paul Scott Kuebler requests the commission approve a fare increase in fees “to preserve a service upon which our island community is extremely dependent to the extent that the lack of dependable ferry service would visit economic ruin upon the entire community.”

   John Fannon, chairman of the Harsens Island Transportation Authority, submitted a letter highlighting Bryson’s problems and to make sure that, “in the future, we are charged a fair and stable ferry rate.”

KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/DETROIT FREE PRESS

Crossing from Harsens Island, the Middle Channel ferry arrives at the Algonac dock last summer. It transports cars and pedestrians.

Ferry and/or Bridge (Update)

Moroun revives Harsens Island bridge plan

Execs: No state money needed for project

By Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki and John Gallagher Free Press Staff Writers

   Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun may build a second bridge after all. But this one wouldn’t be to Canada.

   Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Co. announced Wednesday it was ready to resurrect plans to build a bridge to Harsens Island, now that the owner of the island’s lone car ferry service has said he plans to retire and shut his business down.

   The bridge company already owns the necessary land on the mainland and the island, as part of an aborted plan to build a bridge about five years ago, said company President Dan Stamper. The company had talked to state officials and done most of the preliminary work, including pulling most of the necessary permits, Stamper said.

   Then the economy crashed and the plans were shelved. But not forgotten.

   “The issue is, is the economy strong enough to go forward?” Stamper said. “I think the economy has been replaced by the threat of no service to the island.”

   The ferry, operated by Champions Auto Service, is the only year-round link to the mainland for Harsens Island’s 1,200 permanent residents. It transported more than 275,000 vehicles in 2011, according to the Michigan Public Service Commission.

   Stamper said it would take about 18 months to build the bridge across the North Channel to the island, which sits at the mouth of the St. Clair River in St. Clair County’s Clay Township.

   The North Channel is about a quarter of a mile wide, according to Clay Township Supervisor Tom Krueger.

   Stamper said his company would build a bascule bridge, which is a drawbridge that opens in the middle, so it would not hamper boat traffic.

   Stamper said the toll bridge would charge rates comparable to Champion ferry’s current rate of $7 per round-trip ride for a car. No state money would be used to build the bridge, Stamper said.

   Moroun, 85, who with his family owns the Ambassador Bridge, has battled Michigan and Canadian officials for years over his proposal to build a second span over the Detroit River next to the Ambassador. He has spent millions of dollars trying to block plans backed by Gov. Rick Snyder to build a competing public bridge about two miles downriver from the Ambassador.

   The legal wrangles over the proposed public bridge form only part of a web of lawsuits and other legal entanglements.

   Moroun and Stamper, his top aide, were jailed for a night earlier this year for civilian contempt of court stemming from the long-running dispute with the Michigan Department of Transportation over construction of the Gateway project.

   Gateway was a joint project with MDOT to ease congestion at the Ambassador Bridge by connecting it directly to nearby interstates through a series of new roads and ramps.

   In addition, Moroun has either filed lawsuits or been sued in local, state, federal and Canadian courts in multiple disputes involving, among other things, control of the City of Detroit’s Riverside Park near his bridge and the demolition of houses near his bridge in Windsor.

   Several years ago, the Morouns also proposed building a bridge between Buffalo, N.Y., and Ft. Erie, Ontario, but that proposal came to nothing.

   Ferry owner David Bryson notified the Michigan Public Service Commission in July that he intends to retire. The MPSC posted the news on Tuesday, stunning the island community, which swells to about 5,000 during the summer months.

   There is only a smattering of island businesses. All goods and supplies come via ferry, and islanders rely on it to get to everything from shopping to visiting doctors on the mainland. Even the school buses must travel by ferry.

   A bridge would probably be welcome news to the islanders, Krueger said.

   “I think the people on the island are looking for some stable ingress and egress to get on and off the island,” Krueger said.

   Several years ago, a survey found islanders split about 50-50 on whether they wanted a bridge. But Krueger said he thinks recurring issues such as rates and now the ferry owner’s retirement have likely changed that in the bridge’s favor.

   “It’s kind of a fantasyland for a lot of people,” Krueger said of Harsens Island. “It’s kind of a throwback to days gone by.”

   Bryson gave no date for his retirement in his letter to the MPSC.

   MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said the Harsens Island Transportation Authority informed the state agency that the bridge company planned to build a bridge to the island when the ferry operators applied for a rate hike in 2011 that was denied.

   The MPSC has given Champions Auto Service 120 days to submit a proposal for transportation to and from the island. After that is submitted, the agency’s staff will write a report with recommendations by March 1.

   • CONTACT PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI:

   MMWALSH@FREEPRESS.COM  

Manuel (Matty) Moroun’s bridge company already owns the necessary land on the mainland and Harsens Island.

Free to retire ferry service

   In the Aug. 15 article “Harsens Island fears for ferry service,” we learned that David Bryson, the operator of the service, wants to retire. Bryson reportedly sought a rate hike in May but was rebuffed, and apparently feels that it’s no longer worth it for him to keep working. But township supervisor Tom Krueger opines that “even though he’s a private business … I don’t believe the MPSC would let him just shut down.”

   As far as I can tell from the article, Bryson is a free citizen, which precludes enslaving him, even for an essential service. It sounds as if the Harsens Island community had better buy and operate a public bridge or ferry. And, by the way, don’t ask the rest of us to belly up to the bar to help pay for it; we didn’t ask you to live on an island.

   Ralph Emmons Dearborn

FILE PHOTO BY MARY SCHROEDER/DETROIT FREE PRESS

   The operator of the Harsens Island ferry service said he wants to retire.

THINK! (Bridges of Every Ilk!)

Harsens Island fears for ferry service

Owner planning to retire, shut down

By Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki Free Press Staff Writer

   For the 1,200 full-time residents of Harsens Island, the car ferry run by Champions Auto Service is their only year-round link to the mainland.

   They use it to get to work, travel to doctor appointments and go shopping. Children depend on it to get to school.

   So residents of the island at the mouth of the St. Clair River were shocked Tuesday when news began to trickle out that Champions’ owner wants to retire and shut down the ferry service.

   David Byson didn’t give the Michigan Public Service Commission a date for when he would end the ferry service.

   “That’s awful. We have to have a way to get across,” said Adele Raska, a 25-year island resident. “Everybody has to go across, whether you want to or not. We have to go to shop, we have to go to doctors, we have to go for everything.”

   Although many residents have small boats and there is a tiny airstrip on the island, the ferry service is the only publictransportation to the mainland, operating even in the midst of winter.

   There is only a scattering of restaurants and small businesses on the 16-square-mile island, which is part of St. Clair County’s Clay Township. The island’s marshy interior is ringed by both year-round and vacation homes, with its population swelling to about 5,000 in the summer.

   Byson, who couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday, notified the MPSC in a July 28 letter that he intends to retire.

   On Tuesday, the MPSC announced it was launching an investigation into transportation to the island. The MPSC wants to ensure a smooth transition from the current service to whatever service may replace it, said spokeswoman Judy Palnau.

   The commission gave Champions Ferry 120 days to submit a proposal for transportation to and from the island, Palnau said.

   After that is submitted, the agency’s staff will write a report with recommendations by March 1.

   Even the township wasn’t notified of Champions’ intent until the MPSC posted its notice.

   “It took us by surprise to us here at the township. We didn’t know anything about it,” said Clay Township Supervisor Tom Krueger. “The only information we have is on the MPSC website.”

   There have been threats to close the ferry in the past, Krueger said. Champions also sought a rate hike in May from the MPSC, but was denied.

   Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun has talked about building a bridge between the island and mainland, but Krueger said that idea seems to have died as Moroun fights to stop a second bridge to Canada.

   “Even though he’s a private business, I do believe he’s an essential service, and I don’t believe the MPSC would let him just shut down,” Krueger said of the ferry service.

   • CONTACT PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI:

   MMWALSH@FREEPRESS.COM  

2005 PHOTO BY J. KYLE KEENER/DETROIT FREE PRESS

   Aferry makes the trip to Harsens Island. Ferry service is the only public transportation to the mainland.

"Any Time, Any Place, Any Way, Any Pace!" (Digital Learning Model)

Schools of Choice bill coming

Legislature likely to get proposal this week as foes from Detroit, suburbs gear for fight

By CECIL ANGEL FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

   An education reform package that includes mandatory Schools of Choice and cyber schools could be introduced in the state Legislature as early as Wednesday, the chairman of the state Senate Education Committee said.

   “It’s a good possibility on Wednesday, the 24th, we’ll have part of the package ready for introduction,” said state Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township.

   The education package also addresses charter school caps and school aid. The package is part of Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed “Any Time, Any Place, Any Way, Any Pace” public school learning model.

   Education Committee hearings on the package will begin Sept. 7, Pavlov said.

   Mandatory Schools of Choice is emerging as the most controversial part of the education package.

   Opposition is strong in the heavily Republican Grosse Pointes. In heavily Democratic Detroit, three legislators have said they are opposed to state-mandated Schools of Choice because, they said, it will negatively impact Detroit Public Schools.

   “I don’t want the state to help usher children from one community to another at the expense of the community where they are,” said state Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park, whose district includes the Grosse Pointes and part of Detroit.

   State Sen. Coleman A. Young II, D-Detroit, said every proposal out of Lansing that was supposed to help DPS has hurt it. He cited the 1999 state takeover that was supposed to improve the district academically.

   At the time, the district had 180,000 students, a $93-million fund balance and a $1.5-billion bond project. Under state control, DPS wound up with a $200-million deficit, he said.

   “I don’t think the state should be imposing another mandate on the city or any other city,” Young said.

   State Rep. Lisa Howze, D-Detroit, said mandatory Schools of Choice “would further impact DPS’s ability to stabilize.”

   Last week, the Grosse Pointe Woods City Council passed a resolution against mandated Schools of Choice.

   The Grosse Pointe Woods-based Michigan Communities For Local Control has set up a Web site at www.miclc.com   and is contacting other school districts to build opposition.

   Peter Spadafore, assistant director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said the MASB has been talking with the Snyder administration and legislators about the bill.

   Based on the ongoing discussion, the bill likely will include “universal choice K-12 up to capacity. The problem is how to define capacity,” he said.

   Spadafore said the MASB is opposed to mandatory Schools of Choice. “We feel that decision should be made by the local school district,” he said. “By mandating Schools of Choice, it’s just a solution looking for a problem.”

21st Century Digital Learning Environments & Studios (2)

2nd Annual Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival (A BIG Hit!)

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Models our Practice (Real-World Learning by Doing!)

Sunday: August 14, 2011 12:00PM to 2:00PM (Channel #4 MSNBC A Stronger America: "Making the Grade")

Clickondetroit.com
http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/28851709/index.html

2nd Annual Harsen's Island Bluegrass Festival TODAY!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

21st Century Digital Learning Environments & Studios

Mark YOUR Calendars (Can't Miss!)

FOR IMMEDITATE RELEASE
Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival Returns    Festival Fast Facts...  ~ Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival  ~ Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011 Noon - 9 p.m.   ~ Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille, 2669 Columbine Road, Harsens Island, Mich. 48028 ~ Featuring Outstanding Regional Bluegrass Bands  & a Bluegrass Jam ~ Local vendors and food celebrating a back-to-basics lifestyle  ~ Admision is $20, Kids under 12 FREE - proceeds to Harsens Island Lions Club with proceeds going to to the Harsens Island Lions Club Family Emergency Fund, Readers Cove Island library and the Schoolhouse Grille Scholarship Fund for Island residents ~ Tickets are on sale online and at select local businesses  ~ Online Tickets@ http://2011harsensislandbluegrassfestival.eventbrite.com/ ~ Parking is FREE ~ Producer: Kate Hart, 810-748-3204, katehart@speakeasy.net ~ Media Contact: Peggy Blue 586-291-2018, bluehorizonmedia@gmail.com   Bluegrass Festival has something for everyone  (HARSENS ISLAND, MICH - JULY 22) -- You don't have to look like George Clooney in the movie Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? - long, fuzzy beard and tweed cap - or dress like Jed Clampett from "The Beverly Hillbillies" to enjoy a little old-time Bluegrass music. If you love a lively tune, enjoy a bit of dancing or just like tapping your foot to the beat, you're qualified to become a bona fide Bluegrass fan. So grab your kinfolk and come on out, 'cause the Second Annual Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival is almost upon us! The Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival will play out on the playground of the former two-room schoolhouse Saturday, Aug. 13 from noon until 9 p.m. The old school, now home of Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille, is located at 2669 Columbine.Tickets are $20, with proceeds going to island charities.  A ferry ride away from Algonac and just across the river from Canada, the festival offers close-to-home fun for families with a full day of music by great regional bluegrass bands, slow-roasted barbecue beef and veggies, plus organic, natural and handcrafted goods from vendors in a beautiful island setting. Festival producer Kate Hart was drawn to the island for its natural beauty and historic charm. After more than 40 years on the road traveling with the best in blues, Hart - a Grammy-nominated blues singer and songwriter - settled on Harsens Island three years ago with her husband Joe Veler. "This island instantly makes you feel connected to nature," explained Hart. "It is absolutely breathtaking here. We love it and wanted to share the experience with others. For us, music is a way of connecting. That's how this festival came about." Kristin and Tony Bane, the owners of the Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille, quickly adopted Hart's vision and began work to transform the playground into the perfect festival grounds and plan a mouth-watering menu. Festival goers seemed to love the result. Nearly a thousand Islanders and visitors came out last August and had a foot-tapping, thigh-slapping good time. Families spent the day listening to the music while enjoying ice cream cones and kettle corn. Others stopped in after church and strolled the old schoolyard, catching up with old friends. Still others shopped at the vendor show, picking up paintings, handcrafted flutes, pottery and jewelry. And island resident John Horvath worked with the Banes, slow-roasting beef on an open flame filling the air with an aroma that made the mouth water in anticipation. And now they're ready to do it all again! 	GET TICKETS: Online @ Eventbrite.com Just click the image above. Or visit one of these convenient locations... Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille 2669 Columbine Road, Harsens Island, MI 48028  Delta Hardware 3062 S. Channel Dr. Harsens Island, MI 48028 The Spiritwear Shop 5297 Pointe Tremble Rd Algonac, MI 48001  Sue's Coffee House 201 N Riverside Ave St Clair, MI 48079  Holistic Voice Institute 2769 Coolidge Berkley, MI 48072 An arial view of the island.    An Island Paradise  For those who've never beenthere, Harsens Island is a real surprise. Only about an hour from Detroit or Port Huron, the Lake St. Clair island feels like a secluded rural island teeming with wildlife -swans, ducks, foxes, deer, raccoons, even an American Bald Eagle has a nest there. Its crystal waterways and canals are dotted with quaint wood-framed cottages and elegant Victorian homes. The only way to access the island is a  ferry ride (in your car!) or traveling by boat. The ferry ride across is $7.
It's About the Music! Organizers have worked hard to find the best regional bluegrass bands around. So count on the air sizzling with lively traditional bluegrass and a bit of gritty newgrass. At the end of the day, festival goers will be invited to join in a jam session entitled Jammin' With Jerry's Kids, which is a tribute to Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead.   Hart said the jam session was added as a way to draw the crowds further into the music. Each of the bands is expected to play a tribute to Garcia or the Dead. If crowds choose to jam too, Hart said she'll be pleased. "We'd love it if people brought their instruments and joined in," Hart said. "Bluegrass really lends itself to improvisation. From the music to the food to the vendors, this festival will be organic - growing naturally into whatever it is supposed to be."   Goldmine Pickers Goldmine Pickers is a young, passionate, four-piece band weaving together roots and inspiration in bluegrass, jazz, folk and Irish traditions to create an energetic new space in Americana music. With memorable acoustic performances, the group has mesmorized audiences in intimate clubs and expansive concert halls; at festivals and on live radio shows with inspiring interplay between guitar, mandolin,upright bass, a fiery fiddler and soaring, heartfelt vocal harmonies. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Bill Bynum & Co. With songs both traditional and original, and a sound that's at once as comfortable as old jeans and as fresh as a new blade of grass, Bill Bynum & Co. is a band that's easy to love and hard to quit. The band's core of guitar, pedal steel, fiddle, bass and harmony vocals can lean into country, veer toward bluegrass, or take listeners on a unique journey through Bill's original songs. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN   Lonesome County Back by popular demand, Lonesome County, has long been known as Michigan's finest bluegrass band and one of the finest anywhere. They have been garnering loads of attention since their 2002 inception. From concert halls to many large bluegrass festivals throughout the U.S., they can be found playing their distinctive style of bluegrass - a lively mixture of traditional Bill Monroe style music to energetic originals. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN    New County Grass This quartet out of the Flint area -yes Flint -bangs out hard-driving traditional bluegrass music with a  Nine Pound Hammer and still has plenty of energy left to create cutting edge originals. One festival critic says New County Grass is a band with "one of the most eclectic blends of modern and traditional bluegrass to take the stage" in years. Since their inception three years ago, the band has been playing festivals around the Midwest and has released its first CD - Start the Whole Thing Over. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN    VENDOR VILLAGE Hart made a concerted effort to attract vendors and artists who celebrate a back-to-nature, hand-crafted or organic lifestyle. The result has been pretty impressive. Below is a sampling of some of our vendors.   Photography by Island resident Brenda Thomas focuses on natural beauty. Award-winning collectible - or usable - handmade fishing lures by Ron Cracchiolo. And yes, the ones meant for fishing catch some impressive fish! Check out www.bluewaterbait.com to see more lures and the fish they helped catch.   Distinctive, custom-made jewelry and crystal writing instruments by Debbie Irvine and gorgeous pieces made by another talented artisan - Michelle Yinger - will be available at the festival.   Watercolor paintings, photographs and notecards by Mary Jo Beranek and pottery by Sondra Maryon focus on natural beauty and whimsy. Be sure to bring some extra spending money because not every vendor accepts credit cards and you don't want to miss an opportunity!	OUR SPONSORS         Sunset Harbor Marina 1784 N. Channel Drive    Harsens Island, MI 48028 810-748-3082 Planning on coming to the festival by boat? Call Sunset for information on a slip for the day. Trolley service will take you from Sunset to the HarsensIsland Schoolhouse Grille.   Preferred Charters  3233 Dove Road Port Huron, MI 48060 (810) 982-7433    This year, in addition to theTrolley transportation from the Ferry, Preferred Charters is offering Festival Packages with rides from Port Huron, St. Clair and MarineCity for $30, including festival ticket. Call today to make your reservations.     Spiritwear Shop  5297 Pointe Tremble Rd  Algonac,  MI 48001  810-956-9032    Holistic Voice Institute  2769 Coolidge  Berkley, MI 48072  248-460-356  UPDATES We'll be posting regular updates about the festival on Facebook. So won't you 'Like' our page?