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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 3 FALL 2020 

Blue Water Woman is published quarterly by The Write Company, 

511 La Salle Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060. Circulation 5,000. 

Editor & Publisher: 

Patti Samar, owner, The Write Company 

Advertising, questions, comments or story ideas: 

Email Patti Samar at pjsamar@aol.com 

Mission: 

Blue Water Woman is the premiere publication 

for women living, working and playing 

in the Blue Water Area of Michigan. 

Its stories and features are written and designed 

to be inspriational, motivational and encouraging. 

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ADVERTISE 

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CONTENT 

3 From the Editor 

4 Jorja Baldwin 

8 Caryn VanderHeuvel 

12 Debra McNair 

16 Stephanie Armstrong-Helton 

20 Lisa Beedon 

22-23 Blue Water Woman of the Year 

24 Kimberly Bizon 

26 Hockey Hall of Famers 

For more information, contact Patti Samar 

at 810-300-2176 or email her at pjsamar@aol.com 

www.TheWriteCompany.net 

2 FALL 2020 BLUEWATERWOMAN.COM

FROM THE EDITOR 

EDITOR/PUBLISHER 

PATTI SAMAR 

Editor’s Note: Part of this “From the Editor” column originally ran in the Spring 2020 

Tissue, but it is being repeated here, in light of the national election, as it explains precisely why 

more women should be elected into office. 

This year, more women will likely run for elected public office than ever before. 

“What difference does it make whether or not there are women in office?” some 

people ask. 

It has been proven that men and women approach problem solving in different ways. 

It doesn’t mean one is better than the other, but it does mean that a greater gender 

balance in elected public office could possibly create an even greater problem solving 

ability in capitals across the nation. 

One local example: 

When Pamela Wall of Algonac was an elected official on the St. Clair County Board 

of Commissioners in the 2000s, the county board was busy negotiating healthcare 

contracts for its employees. Rising healthcare costs had commissioners looking for 

various ways in which to save money. 

There was a line item in the contract that specifically outlined the cost of 

including birth control pill coverage for female employees and their eligible 

family members. At the time, many insurance companies provided that coverage 

as an additional rider to the basic healthcare package. 

Wall’s counterparts on the county board – all men – discussed eliminating 

birth control pill coverage as a cost saving measure. Wall objected, and dug a 

little deeper into drug costs as a whole for county employees. She asked for, and 

obtained, a list of all of the prescription drugs, and their associated costs, that 

had been paid for by the county in the previous year. 

The number one drug cost to St. Clair County? 

Viagra. 

That’s right. The little blue pill that helps men with erectile dysfunction. The 

county was paying more for Viagra than for birth control pills. 

When she brought that information to her next meeting, the board very 

readily determined that maybe keeping the birth control pill coverage was not 

such a bad idea after all. 

This is why it is important for women to serve in public office. As a female, 

Wall knew how important birth control pills are to women. She acknowledged 

that her male counterparts were not trying to be discriminatory toward women, 

but they didn’t think about the birth control pill issue the way a woman would. 

Without Wall’s presence on the board that year, birth control pill coverage for 

employees would have ended at that point in time. 

As I edit this issue of the magazine, voting has already begun via absentee ballot. In 

this issue, I am featuring a number of women in our community who deserve to serve 

in public office. There are Democrats, Republicans and nonpartisan candidates featured 

here. Each of them has an interesting and unique perspective on life and the many 

reasons why it is important for women to hold public office. 

And, don’t forget to read all the way toward the back of the magazine where I’ve saved 

the best for last: a story about a group of trailblazing women who played in one of the 

first-known all-female hockey leagues in the United States. Some of their equipment 

was recently procured by the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Yup, 

“the” Hockey Hall of Fame. Air horn cheers for all of them. 

It is important to celebrate trailblazing women. It is important to elect women into 

office so we have a seat at the decision-making table. It is important to listen to women’s 

voices. They matter. They change the world for the better every single day. 

Peace, 

Patti Samar 

Editor & Publisher 

Blue Water Woman 

FALL 2020 BLUEWATERWOMAN.COM 3

JORJA BALDWIN

BIG PICTURE 

vision 

BY PATTI SAMAR 

IIf there is a local candidate running for office this year who 

understands the value of each and every vote, it is Jorja Baldwin. 

The former Fort Gratiot Township supervisor won her very first 

election, a primary, in 2012, by just 86 votes. 

That win launched Baldwin into the supervisor’s chair where she sat 

until, in 2019, she applied for and was appointed to an open seat on 

the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners. 

In November, Baldwin is seeking re-election to that seat on the 

county board, where she represents District 2, which covers the 

precincts 1, 2 and 3 in the city of Port Huron, along with the 

townships of Burtchville and Fort Gratiot. She is running as a 

Republican, and she is unopposed. 


Making a Positive Impact 

During her seven years as supervisor in Fort Gratiot Township, 

Baldwin more than left her mark on the community, having 

moved forward with the construction of a new township office 

center, the expansion of recreation areas, including one of the few 

dog parks in the county, and an assortment of other municipal 

projects. 

Baldwin began making a positive impact on Fort Gratiot 

Township, however, long before she became supervisor. She 

began working for the township in 1995 through a high school 

co-op program. 

“I worked as the building department clerk,” she said. In a short 

period of time, she moved on to assignments in assessing and 

zoning ordinances. She quickly realized it would benefit her, and 

the community, to know more about the construction process, so 

within a year she had obtained her builder’s license. 

“I wanted to know, ‘Does this require a two-penny nail?’” she 

said. She also realized holding that license would help her earn 

credibility both within the office and within the community. To 

this day, she maintains her assessing certification. 

During her more than 20 year tenure at the township, Baldwin 

learned that if something needed to be done, she needed to roll 

up her sleeves and learn how to do it. 

“You wear a lot of hats,” she said. “If there was a need, I filled 

it.” 

Her favorite part of working within government revolves 

around zoning. 

“ 

I realized if I ever wanted to effect some 

kind of change that will help the next 

building official or zoning official, then 

I need to go to the next level. 

The question becomes, ‘How do you get a 

” 

township or city’s voice to the state level?’ 


“It is the basis for the quality of life in a community,” she said. “It 

is the playbook for good in a community.” 

Big Picture Vision 

When the opportunity to apply for a seat on the county 

commission arose, Baldwin decided to apply for a number of 

reasons. 

“I had started to get frustrated with things I had no control over,” 

she said of her role as supervisor at the township. “I realized if I 

ever wanted to effect some kind of change that will help the next 

building official or zoning official, then I need to go to the next 

level. The question becomes, ‘How do you get a township or city’s 

voice to the state level?’ 

“I feel like I wanted to be at a different level of government to 

affect that change. 

“I felt like I’d peaked and this was a next good step to expand my 

network. County government is focused mostly on revenue and 

economic development. I felt that was a natural next step.” 

Baldwin also understands that becoming a a true leader and not 

just a politician means that politics actually need to be put aside so 

the big picture can be better viewed. 

“A lot of people get into politics due to one issue,” she said. “If you 

can’t move past that issue, you’re never going to work as a team, and 

if you can’t work as a team, you’re not going to get anything done. 

“You learn that every relationship is about compromise.” 

Women in Office 

Baldwin encourages women who are interested in running for 

office to move forward and do so. 

“Sometimes women can be our own worst enemies with 

overanalyzing everything,” she said. “I think you should just do it. 

If you have a desire to serve, you should find a way to do it.” 

She also noted that women sometimes face situations that men 

do not, whether in public office, or just in the workplace, in 

general. 

“My mom always says to me, ‘You have a family to raise,’ and 

nobody says that to a man,” she said. “I have an equal partner in 

my husband, Scott. When I am at a meeting at night, people will 

ask me, ‘Where’s Scott? Who’s with the kids?’ People do not run 

into my husband and ask about his kids.” 

All that said, she noted that it is important for women to take a 

seat at the table. 

“Women, in general, can bring a different perspective,” she said. 

“We do see things differently, in general, and there’s a lot of good 

in that. You need that diversity to represent the whole.” 

Baldwin said things have changed a lot since she began working 

for Fort Gratiot Township more than 20 years ago. 

“I’m not the only girl in the room anymore, and I’m finding 

some allies with the men in the room,” she said. “We have some 

really impressive role models in women in St. Clair County and 

that is something to be very proud of.” 

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CARYN VANDERHEUVEL 


MAKING 

fair decisions 

BY DALE HEMMILA 

P 

“Politics is personal. Elections are about people.” 

-- David Greene, Journalist 

Friend of Court Attorney Referee Caryn VanderHeuvel 

understands how personally the outcomes of court cases affect families 

in St. Clair County. Every day in her work, she makes decisions 

that affect people’s lives in a myriad of ways, and she doesn’t take 

that responsibility lightly. Better than most, she understands the 

importance of having an experienced, compassionate and, most of all, 

fair judge behind the bench. 

That commitment and dedication to ensuring that citizens in St. 

Clair County are treated with respect and fairness in the courtroom 

were driving forces behind VanderHeuvel’s decision to run for St. 

Clair County 72nd District Court Judge. 

A Port Huron native, VanderHeuvel decided to run in 2019, when 

she knew that District Judge Cynthia Platzer’s term was ending and 

Platzer had indicated that she was not planning to run for re-election. 

Platzer then ended up retiring a year early, thus leaving a then-open 

seat on the bench. 

“About a year and a half ago, some friends who are attorneys 

came to me and said, ‘We heard that Judge Platzer is talking about 

retiring and not running again and we really could use somebody 

with your temperament and your world view in the District Court,’” 

VanderHeuvel said. 

After some thought, and with the support of her husband and five 

children, she made the decision to run. 

“My family said, ‘Public service is what you are already doing 

working with these clients and their everyday issues, and this is just 

another step,’ so here we are,” she said, recalling her family’s response. 

While new to running for public office, VanderHeuvel brings 

plenty of legal experience into the race. 

Her Juris Doctor degree is from the University Of Detroit School 

of Law, where she graduated with honors, in 1997. She went on 

to practice as an attorney focusing on family law. She also spent 

more than 10 years as Research Attorney and Law Clerk for St. Clair 

County’s 31st Circuit Court, working closely with now-retired Judge 

Peter Deegan until 2010 when she moved into her position at the 

Friend of Court. 

It is with that strong base of legal knowledge and experience that 

she hopes to add common sense, compassion, humanity and, most of 

all, fairness, as a District Court judge. She noted that Friend of Court 

matters revolve around family legal issues and it is not unusual for the 

same population to end up in District Court. 

“We see a lot of the same people in the Friend of Court that we 

do in District Court,” she explained. “I see them in Friend of Court 

because they may be struggling with financial issues, child support or 

parenting custody issues. A lot of those same families are struggling 

with criminal issues, landlord- tenant issues, and small claims issues. 

The skills that I’ve built in Friend of Court trying to resolve those 

issues, I think, really transitions well into District Court.” 

VanderHeuvel believes that a judge in that position needs to be 

creative in dealing with the people who would come before the bench. 

“You need to have a judge in District Court who is willing to 

look beyond the one solution of incarceration,” she explained. 

“Throwing people in jail is not what’s going to be best for individuals 

or for the community. These are not hardcore felons that we are 

going to incarcerate for 20 years. These are our neighbors and our 

family members. We need to consider all the options in regard to 

rehabilitation. That’s something that, as a Friend of Court referee 

when I’m resolving family issues, I have to consider all the options.” 


VanderHeuvel is running against former St. Clair County Assistant 

Prosecuting Attorney Mona Armstrong. When Judge Platzer retired 

early, Armstrong was appointed to the District Court position. While 

Armstrong is considered the incumbent, VanderHeuvel points out that 

should not hold much weight for voters in this instance. 

“The incumbent in this case was not elected, and she has never 

been elected; she ran for a bench 10 years ago and was defeated,” 

VanderHeuvel pointed out. “Even though she was appointed in 

March, the courts were closed until June, so at the time of the election, 

she will only have four to five months experience in the job. The 

citizens of St. Clair County should vote to choose their District Court 

Judge.” 

Beyond that, however, VanderHeuvel also noted the differences in 

their legal experience. 

“I have a great amount of respect for my opponent,” she said, “but 

I think we have a very different approach to the law and how cases in 

District Court should be handled. When you work as a prosecutor, 

you have one job and that is presenting evidence to obtain a conviction 

and then argue for maximum incarceration. 

“When you are a judge, you have to see both sides. You have to take 

a look at the bigger picture and you have to understand that these are 

real people who live in our community, who will be returning to our 

community, who are going to live next door to you and work where 

you work. You have to get creative, you have to address the underlying 

issue, not just behavior, but how do we help them get through this 

and become a productive member of society again. Incarceration can’t 

always be the answer.” 

The issues aside, campaigning for public office in this year of a 

pandemic has been a different challenge that all candidates, including 

VanderHeuvel, have had to deal with. Her campaign planning began 

“ 

The incumbent in this case 

was not elected, 

and she has never been elected; 

she ran for a bench 10 years ago 

and was defeated. 

The citizens of St. Clair County 

should vote to choose 

” 

their District Court Judge. 

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in July of 2019, and she and her team laid out a scenario where they 

would participate in parades, community activities, and fundraising 

events, handing out T-shirts and other campaign material. That entire 

plan all unraveled in this unparalleled election year. 

“One by one, things got cancelled and postponed and it’s given all 

candidates far fewer opportunities to connect with people,” she said. 

Without a playbook to follow for this type of campaign interruption, 

they got creative in how they would approach a public campaign 

which would feature very little personal interaction with the public. 

“We are doing neighborhood canvassing called literature drops,” she 

explained. “It used to be called door-to-door, but we are doing very 

little door knocking. We are just dropping off my literature. If people 

are outside, we do strike up a conversation, but with proper distancing, 

and people have been very welcoming. I think it shows people that 

I’m connected to the community and I’m willing to get out and meet 

people and to put in the time and the effort.” 

With the finish line in sight of what has been a more than a year long 

journey, VanderHeuvel remains committed to working the process and 

delivering the message despite this year’s campaign challenges. 

“What it’s really done is it has forced us to be laser focused on what 

we can do,” she said. “This is what we are going to focus on to do it to 

the best of our ability.” 

That focus continues to be on the message that there are differences 

that a judge with her experience and background can bring to the 

District Court with an opportunity to resolve issues focusing keenly on 

the people before her court. 

“There is no cookie cutter solution in family law, and in District 

Court, I don’t think there should be either,” VanderHeuvel said. “You 

have to look at the people in front of you, the facts of the case and try 

and craft a solution for each case.” 

“ 

There is no cookie cutter solution 

in family law, and in District Court, 

I don’t think there should be, either. 

You have to look at the people in front 

of you, the facts of the case, and try 

” 

and craft a solution for each case. 


DEBRA MCNAIR 


A VOICE 

of change 


Debra McNair wants to be a voice of change. 

McNair, a Port Huron native who retired after working at DTE for 29 

years, is running for a seat on the Port Huron Schools board of trustees. 

If elected, she would be one of no more than a handful of black people 

who have served in the history of the school board. 

“I am running because I can be a voice of change and can help with 

diversity of thought,” said McNair, who attended Cleveland Elementary 

School, Central Middle School and Port Huron High School, graduating 

in 1972. “I am a product of this school system, and I saw the good, the 

bad and the ugly with regard to diversity.” 


McNair, who remembers students walking out of class in protest of 

racism while she was in high school in the late 1960s and early 1970s, 

said she decided to run for the school board after the death of George 

Floyd in Minneapolis ignited racial protests nationwide. 

“When Trayvon Martin died in 2012, we had a small protest and we 

asked people to open their eyes to what was going on here. 

“And then George Floyd died, and it just kind of re-ignited all of that 

for me. 

“It inspired me to move outside of my walls. They say, ‘Somebody 

can do it…well, that somebody is you.’ I’ve always been a person who 

always tried to help and make a difference.” 

McNair’s resume is long and impressive. She attended St. Clair 

County Community College, where she majored in psychology. She 

later attended Ashland Theological Seminary and received a master 

of arts degree in Practical Ministry. She is a licensed and ordained 

minister and continues to serve on the Ministerial Board at Restoration 

Christian Community Church in Port Huron. 

During her 29 year career at DTE, McNair worked in a variety 

of positions, ending her career as a supervisor overseeing corporate 

security and investigations. She also worked as a diversity facilitator, 

where she designed and taught programs to employees throughout all 

facets of the company. 

McNair believes her understanding of racial issues, and her 

experience teaching herself and others about issues surrounding 

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diversity, can be of great benefit to the school board. 

“When I was at DTE working as a diversity facilitator, it helped me 

to understand diversity of thought,” she said. “The reward for me was 

to see people evolve and begin to understand diversity…when they 

said to me, ‘I didn’t know that…’” 

McNair found that experience especially satisfying after having begun 

her career at DTE as a black woman working in a male-dominated 

field. 

“I was the first black woman that worked at Detroit Edison 

that worked in a non-traditional job, and those guys made my life 

miserable,” she said of her early days with the company. 

“You have a double-whammy when you’re a black woman,” she 

said, noting that, in addition to race, gender also played a role in the 

discrimination she faced at work. 

Years later, she watched her daughter, a 1994 graduate of Port Huron 

High School, face similar discrimination at school when she was the 

first black person elected as class president. 

“They did a recount on the ballots because no black person had 

ever won before,” she said. “So I helped her deal with all of that. But 

it helped because it opened a new door. From that year on, black 

students started running for that seat because they had seen that it 

could be done.” 

And McNair’s daughter? Today she is an attorney. 

McNair decided to run for office because, she knew, that just like 

when her daughter ran for class president, not only might she be able to 

provide a voice of diversity at the table, but she knows others might be 

inspired by watching her run, too. 

“I’ve seen all of that and I’ve experienced the racism and the 

segregation,” she said. “It’s time to put this baby to bed. It’s time for 

inclusion and it’s time to stop marginalizing people. We need to put our 

differences aside. 

“I think 2020 means perfect vision,” she said. “This has been a year 

for people to open their eyes and see things clearly. I may not change 

the world, but if I can change somebody in the next generation or the 

school system in the way they see things, it is worth doing. 

“I want to bring a passion and hope to the school board. Let’s make a 

difference in some people’s lives. I do think we’re on the cusp of change. 

The millennials have a whole different concept of how this world 

should be. 

“You don’t have to re-invent the wheel, we just need to ask how to 

make the world better for everyone? How can we make a difference in 

the lives of other people? 

“I want to be a voice and help make a difference. You’ve got to go 

where you’ve never been, and you’ve got to do what you’ve never done.” 

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STEPHANIE ARMSTRONG-HELTON 


READY 

to take the wheel 


SStephanie Armstrong-Helton is kind of a policy wonk. 

The Democratic candidate for the Michigan House of 

Representatives 83rd District, which serves Sanilac County, 

Burtchville Township, Fort Gratiot Township and the city of Port 

Huron, has spent a career of 30-plus years working in marketing, 

communications and governmental advocacy. She currently works 

as a Communications and Grassroots Advocacy manager for Trinity 

Health, based in Troy. 

A graduate of Port Huron Northern High School, St. Clair County 

Community College and the University of Detroit, Helton resides in 

Fort Gratiot with her husband of 29 years. 

“I have a lot to offer given my healthcare and political advocacy 

background,” said Helton. “We have the opportunity to build healthy 

communities and a healthy economy. They are not separate.” 

Helton is running against political newcomer, Republican Andrew 

Beeler, 28, of Port Huron. 

“You want someone in this position who has life experiences and 

who will work 150 percent for the community,” said Helton. “I 

would want a representative who has vast life experiences, especially 

during this time of life challenges, and someone who can pull from a 

variety of life experiences when enacting policy. 

“I’m the only person in this race who has that kind of experience. 

I know how a bill becomes a law. I’ve helped write policy and I’ve 

worked across the aisle.” 

Helton has long been involved in local politics, and not only 

through her job. She has held positions on the board of the St. Clair 

County Democratic Party, and she has worked for and volunteered for 

numerous local campaigns. 

Sounding almost surprised to be a candidate for office, Helton 

laughed and said: “I’m not really a politician, I’m not going to wear 

the suit and I’m not going to do the glad-handing. But when it comes 

right down to it, politicians are just regular people who want to help 

other people. And you can work together to accomplish things. 

“Politics doesn’t have to be divisive. It’s clear, as humans, we have a lot 

of commonalities.” 

In terms of the issues facing the residents of the 83rd District, Helton 

noted that economic development, which can lead to an increase in 

jobs across the community, is important, as is the environment, since 

the district sits on the shores of the Great Lakes. 

“Jobs are a big one,” she said. “We’re a service industry community, 

and we’re a farming and agricultural community. We need to look at 

diversifying what we do here. It’s so beautiful here. I still can’t believe we 


are largely undiscovered. 

“We need to ask ourselves, ‘How can we look outside of the box and 

look at the beauty of our community and build on our quality of life 

and boost our economy at the same time?’” 

Through her work for Trinity Health, a faith-based organization that 

resonates with her deep Catholic faith, Helton has worked extensively 

on advocacy of healthcare-related issues. She believes the Affordable 

Care Act (ACA) is a good example of the way that once laws are 

enacted, they can actually be growing and evolving entities. 

“The Affordable Care Act was well thought out, but it needs to be 

revamped,” she said. “There’s more that can be done to improve it. 

“These things evolve when a policy is enacted. It’s not perfect, but it’s 

incremental success. You never hit a home run out of the gate. Policy 

making is a long term endeavor. People think, well, nothing gets done 

in Washington or Lansing and that is just not true. It takes time. 

“I’ve stood in Washington and in Lansing during the debate and 

passage and failures of policy.” 

Helton noted that she ran for office once, 36 years ago. 

“I ran for secretary for student government at SC4 in 1984 and I 

won,” she said. “That was my last victory. 

“There are so many things on the line right now, I believe we need 

someone in Lansing with proven policy-making experience and 

successful relationships across the aisle. I think voters want someone 

who is well-rounded and who can approach the work from a mature 

standpoint.” 

Making a reference to her opponent’s youth and lack of political and 

life experience, Helton said: “Now is not the time to hand the keys to 

the kids. It’s time for Mom to take the wheel. I’m that mom.” 

“ 

Voters want someone who is well-rounded 

and who can approach the work from a 

mature standpoint. 

Now is not the time to hand the keys 

to the kids. 

It’s time for Mom to take the wheel. 

I’m that mom. 

” 

At Blue Water Developmental Housing, 

Inc., we believe in empowering the people 

we serve to follow their dreams 

and live their very best lives. 

We have successfully accomplished 

that mission for more than 40 years, 

thanks to the auspices 

of a strong board of directors, 

and leadership team, many of whom 

are strong, empowered women. 

The individuals we assist don’t just thrive ... they soar. 

To learn more about volunteer or donor 

opportunities, contact our office today 

at (810) 388 - 1200 or visit our website 

at www.bwdh.org. 

Kathy Swantek 

Executive Director 

2016 Blue Water Woman 

Nonprofit Executive 

of the Year 

Photo of individual we serve, Dacey Pritchett, in flight 

Blue Water Developmental Housing, Inc. 

1600 Gratiot Blvd., Suite 1 Marysville MI 48040 

(810) 388-1200 www.bwdh.org 


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LISA BEEDON 


LEANING 

in 


You could call Port Huron City Councilwoman Lisa Beedon of 

Port Huron the “unexpected politician.” 

“Five years ago, if you would have asked me if I was going to be in 

politics, I would have laughed,” she said with a laugh. 

After having served two years of a four-year term on the council, 

Beedon is setting her sights higher, as she runs, as a Democrat, for 

a seat on the St. Clair County Board of 

Commissioners serving District 3. The seat 

“ 

is currently occupied by longtime County 

Commissioner Howard Heidemann, also 

a Democrat, who is retiring at the end 

of his current term. District 3 covers the 

south side of Port Huron, covering voting 

precincts 4 through 10. 

“Howard let me know he was on the 

fence about running again,” Beedon said 

of Heidemann, who encouraged her to 

pursue his seat. “There are not a lot of 

vocal Democrats in our area, and this 

district is the most diverse in the color 

of our skin, our income, our level of 

education.” 

Though she realizes, as a Democrat, she 

is in the minority county-wide, Beedon 

is drawn to the party for a number of 

reasons. 

I think, when 

opportunities 

present themselves, 

we need to lean into 

them... 

“It’s the social issues that push me over to that side,” she said. “I’m 

fiscally conservative, but I believe in equal pay, and equal rights. 

Wage disparity is real, and you then extrapolate that to people of 

color…I want to build that equality, that equity.” 

Beedon, who serves as the director of marketing and 

communications at Lake Huron Medical Center in Port 

Huron, has been dedicated to community service, volunteering 

for numerous nonprofits in the community, and business 

organizations, as well. 

After graduating from Port Huron Northern in 1998, Beedon 

went on to Central Michigan University, where she received a 

bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and cinematic arts before living 

in both Lansing and Arizona. While in Arizona, she obtained 

a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Concordia 

University. 

I want to be collaborative 

and make sure everyone 

is represented at the table. 

She returned to the Blue Water Area in 2009 and accepted a 

position with AmeriCorps, which is the state-side version of the 

Peace Corps. During her time with AmeriCorps, she was assigned 

to Blue Water Habitat for Humanity, where she served as volunteer 

coordinator. 

Those experiences helped her develop the ability to take a look at 

the big picture and to look at any number 

of issues from many different perspectives. 

She has applied that knowledge while 

serving the community in any number of 

ways. 

“When I sit on boards, I take a look 

around and ask, ‘Who are we missing? 

Whose voice is not here at the table?’” she 

said. 

A strong believer in inclusion and 

acceptance, Beedon ended up running 

for city council, initially, for a number of 

reasons. 

”“I was seeing things I don’t think are 

acceptable behaviors,” she said of her foray 

into politics. “I think, when opportunities 

present themselves, we need to lean into 

them, so that’s what I did with city council, 

and that’s what I’m doing with the county 

commission seat. I want to be collaborative 

and make sure everyone is represented at the table.” 

Currently, there is only one other woman seated on the board of 

commissioners. Jorja Baldwin was appointed to a seat in 2019. Prior 

to Baldwin’s appointment, it had been more than a decade since a 

woman was a member of the board. 

Beedon encourages other women to run for office. 

“I’d tell them to do it,” she said. “If they are thinking about it at 

all, do it. We need to be intentional. I’m completely open to talking 

to other women who might be interested. If I can reach out and 

help them, I will.” 

When she talks about equality and equity, Beedon references 

gender equity as being important to her. 

“Anything that we want to do as a gender, lean in,” she said. “If 

there’s an open seat at the table, sit in it. Sometimes we have to take 

intentional steps forward. Don’t tell yourself no.” 


who will be named... 


Nominations 

due in 

mid-November! 

of the Year? 

Nominations now being accepted 

for Blue Water Woman of the Year! 

The Blue Water Woman of the Year Awards will honor women who reside in the 

Blue Water Area of Michigan who demonstrate excellence and achievement 

in one or more of the following areas: 

? 

• Volunteerism or personal achievement 

• Mentoring other women 

• Professional achievement 

• Overall Honor: Blue Water Woman of the Year 

Award Process: 

Nominators MUST complete the nomination form and rules available at 

www.BlueWaterWoman.com 

Honoring the Award Recipients: 

Those selected for awards will be notified in early December 2020. 

All will be featured in a story in the Spring (February) 2021 issue of the magazine. 

All will be honored at a public reception on January 29, 2021, pandemic permitting. 

Nominator Requirements: 

Nominators must be committed to selling a minimum of 20 adult tickets to the awards reception. 

Receiving an award is no fun without a cheering section! 

Award recipients MUST be available to attend awards ceremony; “must be present to win.” 

Deadline for Submissions: 

Submissions must be received by email or snail mail no later than 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020. 

Submissions must be emailed in one zipped file to: pjsamar@aol.com. 

Sponsored by: 

Blue Water Woman reserves the right to refuse nominations for consideration without cause. All decisions are final and subject 

to approval by Blue Water Woman. Why? Because we said so. ;)

THE SHOW 

must go on 

If the Emmy’s and the Country Music Awards can go virtual, so can 

the Blue Water Woman of the Year Awards. 

As the year has progressed and we have begun living life much 

differently than we were living it less than one short year ago, I 

decided that, no matter what, there would be a 2021 Blue Water 

Woman of the Year Awards program. 

It just might look a little differently than in the 

past. 

So here’s the straight skinny: I am continuing to 

chat with my friends/partners at McMorran Place, 

where the annual awards take place every year. We 

believe that, one way or another, we can pull off 

one heck of an awards program with or -- most 

likely without -- a live audience. 

Please help us make our 10th Annual Blue Water 

Woman of the Year Awards one of the most 

successful ever, even with a new virtual format. 

I encourage all Blue Water Woman readers to 

nominate the most accomplished women they 

know, and we will make sure the five or six 

brightest and best are honored in early 2021, just like we always 

planned. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. 

The 2021 Nomination form can be found at 

www.BlueWaterWoman.com/blue-water-woman-of-the-year/ 

The deadline for nominations is November 18, 2020. 

I look forward to reading your nominations. 

Sincerely, 

2016 BLUE WATER WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 

Patti Samar 

Editor/Publisher 



KIMBERLY BIZON 


DETERMINED 

to win 

BY DALE HEMMILA 

Kimberly Bizon is the face of determination. 

A candidate running for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, 

Bizon is making her second straight run for the seat as a Democrat in 

a traditionally Republican district. Even though she lost in 2018 to 

Republican Paul Mitchell by more than 70,000 votes, she is back on the 

campaign trail hoping to change voter’s minds in 2020. 

“It’s definitely an uphill battle,” Bizon acknowledged recently while 

discussing her campaign. “We had a lot of financial challenges in 2018 

and we currently have financial challenges to meet, but we have over 300 

volunteers mobilized to try to get the word out.” 

That “word” includes addressing issues such as climate change and 

leveraging the Congressional seat to help rejuvenate the area. 

“A lot of times, the representatives for District 10 go to D.C. and they 

don’t bring anything back home,” she said. 

“They are approving policy, sponsoring and 

co-sponsoring bills, but they are not bringing 

anything home to a rural area like District 10. 

And then especially with Paul Mitchell, he really 

missed the mark in not having any townhalls and 

not being transparent.” 

Bizon, a resident of Lexington who is currently 

on pandemic furlough from her job as an online 

interactive director of marketing and advertising 

from the Southfield-based Sussman Agency, 

would like to change that, starting with reaching 

across the aisle. 

“Your representative as a Democrat should be able to speak to a 

Republican representative, and I’m not seeing that happen,” she explained. 

“I think that you need to represent everybody; you might not agree, but 

maybe you can find some middle ground. I think I’m able to do that.” 

And Bizon describes her policy views in fairly simple terms. 

“I love progressive ideals, but I’m also a little more moderate as well,” she 

said. “Meaning, I try to work within the system to move the needle on 

climate change and to bring back jobs and a living wage and, of course, 

healthcare.” 

Bizon won the August Democratic Primary by nearly 4,000 votes over 

Mount Clemens’ Kelly Noland, while political newcomer Lisa McClain 

defeated current State Representative Shane Hernandez in the Republican 

primary. It is now McClain who is in Bizon’s sights for the Congressional 

seat campaign. 

“She spent $2.4 million, I believe, on her primary,” Bizon said. “She 

spent $1.4 million on commercials that were just attack ads. The people 

up here in Croswell and Lexington were really surprised, and as a whole, 

I think that the community believes you should say what you’re going to 

say, and you shouldn’t benefit from putting another person down.” 

Bizon expects McClain, who has described herself as a Trump 

Republican, will spend significantly on her campaign in the general 

election. 

“She’s going to spend another $1.2 million is what we predict, and she’s 

already attacking us,” Bizon said. 

Without similar financial resources, Bizon says her campaign will look 

to more creative ways to get her message across. 

“We have the most phenomenal people who are passionate about 

the things I am fighting for,” she said, “We see some weaknesses in 

Lisa McClain. She’s one thousand percent with President Trump, and 

I don’t think that message resonates well. I think that there are a lot of 

Republicans that are not Trump Republicans. We’re trying to be really 

smart about our targeting, and very resourceful about our money.” 

That means walking door-to-door to drop off literature, setting up 

phone banks, dropping off signs, using social media, and creating an 

analytics team for campaign study. 

“We feel we are ahead of it right now and we are going to continue 

moving forward and spend as much time and energy that everybody can 

give,” she said. 

That effort will be focused on getting her 

message across to voters, hoping they will look at 

her as the right person for the job. 

“I understand the 10th District,” she said. “I 

was raised on a farm so I can connect with the 

farmers and the hard work they do every day. 

I also come from a tourist community, so I 

understand the need for tourism and small-town 

revenue. As far as schools and opportunities and 

broad band, I understand the challenges they 

have. I’m just really for people and communities; 

we need some help and they need a voice, and I 

want to be that voice in Congress for them.” 

Bizon says the current Democratically-controlled House of 

Representatives has done a good job over the past two years, but she 

remains concerned that the U.S. Senate has not taken up much of the 

legislation passed by the House and that points to the overall divide in 

Washington. 

“I feel with the current administration, it’s shock value every week,” she 

said. “Instead of bringing unity to America, we find ourselves divided. 

Truth matters. I just want to make sure we elect the right people and we 

just need to educate people and remind them of our common humanity.” 

While she rejects the term “underdog” for her political status, Bizon 

is still aware that she is in an uphill struggle as a blue candidate in a red 

district fighting what she calls some “media bias” and also taking on a wellfunded 

opposition. 

“The seat should not be bought,” she said. “I believe in campaign reform 

and I believe it should be a fair playing field. But I believe the voters are 

smart I think they will look at the candidate and see if this is someone that 

can represent me. Is this someone I can talk to?” 

Of course, Bizon believes that someone is her and will take the race all 

the way to November 3rd. 

“I could quit,” she said. “I’m sure there are days when maybe I want to 

quit sometimes, but when I see a child or when I see the young children, I 

know I have to go to bat for them. You don’t quit on things that matter. 

“My heart is in the right place to represent the people, and I do believe 

that we are going to win. I hope people don’t get discouraged. I believe if 

people get out and vote I will be in Congress in January.” 


BECKY MAYES, LEFT, AND PAM BAUNOCH 

HOCKEY 

hall of famers 


Photo, from left to right: Nancy Cruickshank Badly, Lynn Charboneau Burgett, Carol Bellow, Sandy Cruickshank, Kathie McCormick, Nan Morauski, 

Jacki Park DeLacy, Patty Lynch, Marsha Coney-Stroh, and Brenda Mudge Ruttan 


A 

“There’s no crying in baseball!” 

–Tom Hanks as Coach Jimmy Duggan in the women’s baseball movie, “A League of Their Own” 

According to Brenda Mudge Ruttan of Port Huron, there is also no crying in hockey. 

In the early 1960s, Ruttan used to strap on the skates and play with other neighborhood kids. “If I 

cried, I had to go home,” she said. “If I got hit with the puck, I had to go home. So big girls don’t cry.” 

That early lesson served Ruttan well come 1964 when she and approximately 44 other Blue Water 

Area teenaged girls formed what is believed to be the very first women’s hockey league in the United 

States at McMorran Place in Port Huron. 

Though that original league only existed for four seasons, they are leaving their mark on the history 

of the game with some of their equipment and other memorabilia recently being accepted into the 

Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

Yup. The Hall of Fame. 

The jersey belonging to Carol Bellow of Port Huron, who also played in the league, has been 

officially accepted into the Hall of Fame archives. According to representatives from the Hall of Fame, 


“ 

I think it’s great; it’s fantastic. 

I’m so happy. I wish they would recognize us 

here, but I’ll take it over in Canada. 

” 

We used to whoop their teams pretty good. 

the jersey, which has undergone professional preservation since it was 

acquired by the Hall of Fame, may be included in either traveling 

exhibits that the Hall of Fame circulates throughout the United States 

and Canada, or possibly on display at the Hall itself, at some point in 

time. 

It was a Hockey Hall of Fame traveling exhibit that visited 

McMorran a couple of years ago that helped propel the local women 

into the sights of the Hall of Fame. 

Bellow, who visited the exhibit at McMorran, chatted with the 

Hall of Fame representative who was present. She told him about her 

experience playing in an all-women’s league in the early 1960s. When 

the Hall representative asked if she had any of her original equipment, 

she told him, yes. 

“I still had my jersey,” she said. “I hadn’t figured out what to do with 

it.” 

Shortly thereafter, the Hall of Fame sent a representative to Port 

Huron to pick up the jersey from her. 

“He put on white gloves to take it from me,” she said. “He told me 

they freeze it and clean it and then freeze it again, and then they display 

it in an air-tight display case.” 

According to Bellow, the women’s hockey league began in 1964 and 

was established with four teams sponsored by Citizens Federal Bank, 

Mary Maxim, Seely’s De-Icers, and Port Huron Realty. 

McMorran’s Main Arena, which was opened in 1962, served as 

home for the league. All four teams were coached by women, most of 

whom were mothers of some of the players. 

“We played scrimmages against ourselves,” said Bellow, “and then we 

traveled to Canada. We played in Petrolia and Sarnia.” 

Both Ruttan and Bellow noted that playing any kind of organized 

sport was a treat for the teenaged girls, since many schools did not offer 

women’s athletics at the time, other than cheerleading. 

“I was always in the car with my brother and his team, going to 

Canada, going to play hockey,” said Ruttan. “And I was playing in the 

neighborhood all the time, but I just couldn’t play with the boys on 

their team.” 

Nancy Morauski of Lexington also played in the league. 

“We always made an ice pond every year and all the neighborhood 

kids played,” she said. “We would take magazines and catalogs and 

tape them on for shin guards. One of the neighborhood adults gave us 

some hockey equipment, and he gave me a pair of used shin guards. 

“We were thrilled that this league was something that would give us 

a chance to play on our own.” 

Ruttan noted that many of the girls who played had figure skates, 

but in order to use them in the league, they had to have the toe picks 

shaved off. 

Bellow was thirsty for the opportunity to play organized sports. 

“I was a tomboy,” she said. “I like sports and any sport I could get 

into. I did track and cheerleading, and I went on to be a golfer. But our 

choices were definitely limited.” 

Bellow and the others noted that the league was fiercely competitive. 

“The teams were split up pretty good, so the competition was fun,” 

said Morauski. “We never discouraged anybody that never played 

before or didn’t know what they were doing. Everybody tried to help 

them develop their skills.” 

Ruttan agreed: “It was fierce, those girls were into it every Saturday.” 

One of the last scenes in the baseball movie, “A League of Their 

Own” plays out at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New 

York, on the day the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League 

was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The characters in the movie, 

many of whom were based on real-life players, note that they didn’t 

expect this accolade. They played because they loved the game. 

Morauski expressed a similar sentiment regarding the McMorran 

all-girls hockey league, and the fact that they were on the forefront of 

women’s sports. 

“We never thought about it at that time,” she said. “I guess at that 

age, you didn’t think there wasn’t anything you couldn’t do because 

growing up in the city, we all just played together, the boys and the 

girls.” 

During the summer months, of 2020, members of the all-girls 

league gathered together to share photos and newspaper clippings. 

They have been in touch recently with the Hockey Hall of Fame in 

Toronto, which has extended a VIP invitation for them to visit as 

special guests just as soon as the U.S. – Canadian border opens up 

once again. 

“I think that’s super,” said Ruttan. “Absolutely we’re going.” 

Bellow, whose jersey is already in the hands of the Hall, is excited 

about taking a trip to Canada, as well. 

Morauski said: “I know my son and my grandkids will go, and 

my daughter and her family will go, for sure. That’s a big part of our 

history. 

“I think it’s great; it’s fantastic. I’m so happy. I wish they would 

recognize us here, but I’ll take it over in Canada. We used to whoop 

their teams pretty good.” 

She shoots, she scores! 


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