Macomb County Historical Commission   Our mission is to procure, protect, preserve, and promote the historical resources and legacy of Macomb County, Michigan.

 

Stars and Stripes Festival Absorbs Bath City Festival

 

Due to economic constraints, this year there will be no Bath City Festival in August.  Instead, the Stars and Stripes Festival will host the historical tent that was an annual event at the Bath City Festival.  This will take place this year on June 26, 27, and 28, which is Friday-Sunday of the last week in June.  The historical tent will be located in the New Street parking lot, near the Anton Art Center.  Most of the same participants as earlier years will have tables in the tent.  Besides the historical tent, other events formerly associated with the Bath City Festival that will now be part of the Stars and Stripes Festival will be period musical entertainment, on-site appraisals, hands-on demonstrations, World War II exhibits, an antique fire truck display, historical presentations, and the Vintage Fashion Show at the Emerald Theatre. For questions please call Michelle Weiss at (586) 431-6788. 

Movies such as Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood and Whip It! with Drew Barrymore have recently been filmed in Michigan. Michigan, with its 40% rebate on taxes for Michigan movies and the 42% from core communities Mt. Clemens, Warren, and Eastpointe, is presently the best rate in the country! Further inquiries can be directed to www.michigan.gov/filmoffice or locally, the new website www.filmmacomb.org.

 Here is a link to some recent grant information of possible use to historical groups: http://foundationcenter.org/pdn/rfp/.

 

Historic Rehab Bills signed into law – Several changes made to the historic rehabilitation law will offer advantages for communities working with developers to rehabilitate historic properties. The governor signed SB 973 (PA 448 of 2008), which amends the credit that can be taken against the Michigan Business Tax for historic projects and allows for assignability for the historic credit as well as limited stacking with the federal credit and new tiers of credits that can be taken. Also signed was HB 6496 (PA 447 of 2008) which amends the historic preservation credit against the income tax to allow more flexibility for taxpayers who take the credit. Contact: Andy Schor.

The theme for the Historical Commission's Activity Books 2008 was schoolhouses.  The theme for 2009 will be announced soon. The activity books are unveiled each year in August at the Bath City Festival. There are also still a few activity books left from previous years and they will soon be available from your local library.  Contact the Historical Commission at macombhistory@yahoo.com if you are interested in a copy for yourself, or if you are an instructor, click on, print out, and mail the order form below. 

                                              

 

Activity Book Order Form