Times Herald Port Huron

Rib-lovers view antique boats

Mike Adams had his hands full as he dug into a small basket of barbecue ribs Saturday afternoon.

"Boy, are they messy," said Adams, as he enjoyed the sweet yet tangy sauce on the meat.

The 63-year-old Fort Gratiot resident was one of many chowing down in the parking lot of the Zebra Bar, 522 Quay St. in Port Huron during the Blue Water Antique and Classic Boat Show and Ribfest. Farther down the Black River, people checked out antique and classic boats docked west of the Seventh Street bridge.

At the Ribfest, five businesses offered barbecue ribs and side dishes. With the businesses competing to be named the best ribs in town, diners voted for their favorite ribs of the bunch.

Lee Ann Peart, director for Downtown Port Huron, said White Boy BBQ, a Port Huron catering company, won the title with 194 of 643 votes.

As she served ribs and jalapeño beer bread, Sue Papinaw, co-owner of Bogey's Bar and Grill in Fort Gratiot, said she was happy to get out and let people know about their food.

"It's just a lot of fun," Papinaw said.

Past the Seventh Street bridge, about 35 antique and classic boats lined up along the Black River.

Larry Krabach, registration chairman for the Antique and Classic Boat Show, said the show went well Saturday. He said the oldest of the boats was a 1928 Chris-Craft runabout.

"There's something about the classic boats that people love to see," Krabach of Port Huron said. "... There's just a sort of nostalgia about seeing these boats that you remember Grandpa and Grandma had ..."

Brent Cantwell, 47, of Port Huron especially admired the craftsmanship of an 18-foot runabout named "Born Again." Dating back to 1937, the boat's rich mahogany shined on the sunny day.

"This guy's got 20 layers of varnish on this boat," Cantwell said

He said the work necessary to restore the old boats was a forgotten craft.

"It's a labor of love.

Obama to announce fuel economy standards on Friday | The Times ...

The administration has been in negotiations with automakers on boosting fuel economy.

Officials familiar with the talks told The Associated Press this week that recent changes to the standards for light trucks have reduced the proposal to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The administration's proposed target for light trucks was 56.2 miles per gallon last month.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday this new round of standards will save consumers money at the pump, reduce oil consumption, cut pollution and create jobs.

In 2009, automakers agreed to raise fuel economy standards to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

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