The late Alice Sheats — better known as Apple Annie — rides as grand marshal in the Applefest parade during a past festival. (Archive photo by Scott Bolthouse — The Huron Hub)
Applefest in Huron Township is set for the first weekend in October.
The festival, held Oct. 7 and 8 this year in downtown New Boston, is the most popular event held annually in the township.
The family-friendly event features a long list of venders, crafters, activities, and a carnival.
Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The Applefest parade begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, starting at the entrance of Huron Metropark on Waltz Road and continuing over the bridge into downtown New Boston.
For more information, including a vender lineup and full list of activities, visit the Applefest website.
A horse was killed in a rollover crash that occurred April 3 on I-275 in Huron Township. A person close to the horse’s owners launched a GoFundMe page to help support them during this time. (Photo provided)
A GoFundMe page has been launched to help support two sisters involved in a rollover crash that claimed the life of their horse on I-275 earlier this week.
Kristine Ledger is organizing the fundraiser on behalf of Deonne Goetz and Yvonne Cole of Newport, who are owners of Two Sisters Tack N More.
On April 3, Cole was driving a van and towing a horse trailer with three horses, while Goetz was following her towing another trailer.
Ledger said the sisters were heading to a school where Cole teaches for explore week. Explore week is a week of learning something other than your usual academics, and she was excited to teach kids about horses.
While traveling north on I-275 near Will Carleton Road, Cole had a tire blowout, which caused the rollover crash.
(Photo provided)
According to witnesses, the van rolled three times. Goetz was directly behind her and witnessed everything as it was happening.
Sometime during the rollover, the horse trailer detached from the van and rolled down the embankment of the highway.
During the crash, one horse died instantly, and the other two horses survived the accident and are recouping at home.
One horse is showing signs of additional injuries, but nothing that appears to be life-threatening. That horse is receiving additional care.
Cole was treated and sent home to monitor for a possible concussion. She is sore and bruised up, but is healing, according to Ledger.
According to Ledger, all funds will go towards a replacement horse trailer, vet bills, and insurance deductibles (both medical and car).
Below is a message from the department’s GoFundMe page:
The Huron Township Police and Fire Departments would like to work with deserving children again this holiday season with our 8th annual “Shop with a Hero” event.
Last year, we provided a Christmas for Huron Township children and multiple other well-deserving families. It was and is truly the best day of the year. Huron Township First Responders, community members, Huron School District staff and their families volunteered their time to make this happen. Our goal is to make this the best Christmas for children that otherwise may not have one.
After seeing our event for the last several years, many residents asked us how they could donate to this wonderful cause. We again ask our community partners for help in this project. Anything will help. We assure you that every dollar will go towards Huron Township Children, and receipts will be maintained.
The goal is to make this happen, not just from the Police and Fire Departments but from this great community! If we are lucky enough to surpass our goal, the Huron Township Police Department will gladly use extra money to help other families in our community. In that instance as well, all expenditures will be publicly revealed.
Based on the generosity of our residents, we were able to help many more people last year during the holiday season than ever before. Below is a synopsis of some of last year’s event, which was our biggest ever:
We started the evening by pairing each child with a Huron Township Police Officer, Huron Township Firefighter and a generous volunteer! Each child got a private ride in a Huron Township Police Car or Huron Township Fire Truck to have a night out shopping. Before leaving, each kid got the chance to get into the Police Car or Fire Truck, turn on the lights, and ring the sirens; probably their favorite part of the evening.
We traveled to the Meijer Store in Flat Rock, where each kid got to go on a shopping spree for themselves and their family. Each parent also went on a shopping spree of their own to help with Santa’s arrival on Christmas morning, not only for the kids present at the event but for their siblings as well. Special thanks to the entire staff at the Meijer in Flat Rock for going out of their way to make this memorable for these children. In addition, each family also received a $100 Meijer gift card to assist with making Christmas even more special.
(10) Huron Township Middle and High School students were also taken on shopping sprees. Their names and photos are withheld due to their age and the sensitive nature of being a teenager.
** The highlight of the event **
Each year we try to highlight a special highlight that shows the true meaning of Christmas through the eyes of a child. When we arrived at the store, each child was told that they had money to spend to buy themselves anything in the store that they wanted. One child took more than two hours to shop, while most can spend their money in 5 minutes. We asked this child why he struggled to pick things out for himself. The 6-year-old child responded that everything in the store cost too much and that he didn’t want to waste OUR money. The child then asked if they only spent half of their money, could they give the other half to their baby sister, who they said needed toys too! Once we told them their mom was shopping for their baby sister, the money was gone in 5 minutes. The selflessness of this young child showed is what the giving season is all about! Proves we never know what is going through a child’s mind!
This year we look forward to returning to our traditional event and thank the community for their partnership in creating a night that OUR kids will never forget!
A ribbon cutting ceremony is set for Thursday at 2 p.m. to mark the completion of phase two of the Huron River Drive Road Improvement Project in New Boston.
“While the street will remain closed through the weekend to accommodate the annual Huron Township Applefest, it will re-open on schedule to the general public on Monday, Oct. 3,” said David Glaab, Huron Township supervisor.
The improvements to this stretch of Huron River Drive from the intersection at Waltz and Hannan Roads east through downtown New Boston to Kass Street include a total rebuild of Huron River Drive and its sidewalks, as well as the installation of new street lights.
Also included in the project was the removal of the utility poles and wires that clogged the downtown skyline.
The utilities were relocated underground.
“We continue to work toward enhancing walkability and pedestrian safety throughout downtown New Boston while facilitating connectivity with the Metro Parks. Additionally, a much more inviting environment has been created to strengthen existing business and to attract future economic development,” Glaab said.
Phase one of the project was completed last fall and consisted of similar improvements to Huron River Drive from the same intersection north to Huron Dental.
That’s how long it takes for a child to board a school bus.
I know because I personally timed it on my stopwatch when I did a ride along with Huron Township police on Monday morning.
Since school started, there have been a rash of drivers passing schools buses that are stopped on area roads.
11 seconds is what these impatient drivers are saving during their commutes, when they pass a bus that’s stopped with red flashing lights.
To these drivers, saving 11 seconds is more important to them than the safety of our children, and local police are doing what they can to crack down on the issue.
On Monday morning, police conducted a bus operation by following all of the bus routes in the township.
My ride along began at about 5:45 a.m. on Monday with a briefing at the police station.
A group of officers gathered to discuss the bus routes and make their plan of action for the morning, and then it was off to patrol the roads.
Not only were there extra patrol units following each bus route in the township, but multiple buses also had an officer on board to relay information to the officers in the police cars.
Once the briefing was finished, I got into an unmarked Huron police SUV with Police Chief Everette Robbins in the driver’s seat.
When we hit the roads, it only took a matter of a few bus stops until I witnessed the first violator drive right past a school bus stopped on Middle Belt Road.
The egregious thing about this driver is that they didn’t even slow down for the bus.
They blew right past the bus going 45 mph. It was shocking and sad to see.
The driver, who was a resident from a local community, blamed their actions on the wet roads when an officer approached their vehicle.
They actually claimed they were scared to stop for the bus.
It was raining on this morning, but that’s no excuse for not stopping.
It makes no sense.
In instances like these, police can write reckless driving tickets due to the manner in which a driver passes the bus.
Fair warning to drivers: if you fly past a bus, you are likely going to get a reckless driving offense in Huron Township.
During the remainder of the morning, police nabbed a second driver for passing another stopped bus.
That’s two drivers on Monday morning who disregarded a bus stop.
Police say that this has happened just about every morning since school has started, and if you read this publication regularly, you’ve probably seen the multiple reports we’ve published on the issue.
Seeing this happen makes me mad and I want to do what I can to make people aware of what’s happening.
Parents have some power over this.
By standing with their children and helping them get onto the bus safely, we can make sure our children are safe.
Unfortunately during my ride along, I witnessed a young boy, maybe in first grade, who was out by the busy road all by himself waiting for the bus.
I watched as the young school student had to make the choice for himself, to cross the road to get onto the bus.
No parents were anywhere in sight, no adults even outside at the time. No one was there to pull him back, in case a driver made a bad decision at that very moment.
I was stunned.
Adults should be out at the bus stop with their children, especially with younger school students.
To me, that’s an obvious thing to do. It’s a parent’s duty.
A few positive things I gathered during my ride along: most stops did have adults standing with their students.
Additionally, many drivers were extremely cautious as they approached bus stops.
Some drivers stopped well before the red lights were even flashing.
Well done, to them.
Also, according to police, not one Huron Township resident has been caught passing a school bus this year.
That says a lot about the families that live in the township.
We care about the kids in our community, and so does our law enforcement.
By bringing more attention to this issue, maybe we’ll be able to solve it.
Thanks to the Huron Township police for letting me ride with them this week.
Do you have questions about the upcoming fire department millage renewal? Send them to ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com and they’ll be forwarded to the public safety director.
The Huron Hub is hosting a question and answer session regarding the upcoming millage renewal for the fire department that will appear on the ballot in November.
The Huron Township Fire Department is participating in a grant-funded initiative through MI Prevention that provides free smoke detectors to any owner/occupants (no rental properties) in Huron Township.
Huron Township Firefighters must do the installation and provide a free fire safety inspection for every resident.
Residents are encouraged to contact any of the staff members listed below to schedule an installation.
“We are always looking for opportunities to get our first responders into the community as a way to have direct interaction with our residents. In this case, we get to work hand in hand with homeowners to make sure homes within our community are a safer place for families. We have limited supplies, so I would encourage interested residents to make their appointment as soon as possible,” said Everette Robbins, Huron Township director of public safety.
Requirements: Must be an owner-occupied residence, not rental Must be installed by Fire Department personnel Must document installation with State of Michigan Must discuss Home Fire Safety Checklist with residents
Procedure: Meet the above requirements set by MI Prevention Contact Huron Township Fire Department to schedule Allow Fire Department personnel access to install equipment Feel comfortable knowing that you have protected your family
Contact Information: Deputy Fire Chief Bill Metzger: bmetzger@hurontwpfd.us
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