Harrison Rocks! A Delightful Decorating Diversion

By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – In March of  2025, a group of school and community members set about tackling the need for students to receive various supports in order to realize positive behaviors and successes. Thus began a series of Community Night events which would enable students to mingle with adults and other business/law enforcement/government leaders to grow the students’ comfort in such interactions.

The Comm Committee established to facilitate a series of such events has been comprised of Anita Yager, City of Harrison program coordinator; Savannah Cavanaugh, Hayes Township treasurer; Michala Wilde, Northern Michigan Alliance for Children community outreach specialist; and Kasie Cooper, Harrison Community Schools social worker.

The first event was a March 18 Community Fun Night at Harrison Community High School, which included a taco bar and games, and enabled students to meet the business owners and agencies who hosted the various games – all in an effort to build a community supportive of its children.

That was followed by an April 12 free Community Egg Hunt is slated for 10 a.m. April 12 at the Hayes Township Hall soccer fields. Included were representatives of the sheriff’s department, fire department, Mobile Medical Rescue ambulance service, the DNR, Member’s First Credit Union and Biggby Coffee – and the Easter Bunny.

Next came an April 17 Comm Night at Hayes Township Hall featuring games, food and community.

That was followed by a planned crafts Community Night June 6 at The Venue on Main in Harrison,

Summer events continued with a July 16 Touch-a-Truck, and the Northern Michigan Alliance for Children’s 2^nd Annual Paint the Pavement and back-to-school event Aug. 28. Another Touch-a-Truck Trunk-or-Treat was held on Halloween at Harrison City Park.

This year the fun continued Feb. 9 with a free bowling and pizza night for families at Snowbird Lanes.

After a year of dedicated work on behalf of the community’s young people, another Community Event celebrated that anniversary with a “Harrison Rocks!” event March 19 at The Venue on Main. Dozens of students and adults participated by painting rocks with designs of their own creations. Also provided by a high school class were wood birdhouses for painting and taking home.

Participants also got to enjoy some cheeses, meats, crackers, fruits, cookies and other confections.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

All paints, brushes, rocks and loads of napkins were provided to enable creativity and tidiness. HHS art teacher Ian Humphres was on hand also, providing encouragement and nods of approval.

The event lasted only two hours, but the work didn’t end there. Anita Yager then collected all the rocks for drying, after which she would be sealing/waterproofing them with Mod Podge. Her plan, when warmer weather permits, is to distribute the rocks across the community for others to find. The “Harrison Rocks!” Facebook page is available for posting photos of the decorated rocks so they can bring smiles far and wide.

The next question might be is the job done? Since success is never its own conclusion, the work to engage young people and grow the assets needed to instill positive behaviors/successes, the obvious answer is that this effort most certainly will continue.

The next community-centered event will be the April 11 Egg-Stravaganza Egg Drop at Clare County Airport 80D.

REPORTER’S NOTE: This writer’s takeaway? It was no 4x5-foot Frostbite window, but this Community Night anniversary celebration was unquestionably a whole lot of fun for a whole lot of people.