www.mybaycity.com
June 11, 2006
Rotary Article 1159
Bay City Noon Rotary UpdateJune 11, 2006
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 RECOGNITION: Jerome Yantz, past district Governor, Paul Harris Fellow Plus 5, presented by Kathy Czerwinski. | UPCOMING PROGRAMS: Rotary Foundation Day. All Paul Harris Fellows are encouraged to wear their medallions and pins. Spouses and Widows of PH Fellows are invited to the meeting. |
LAST WEEK'S PROGRAM: Former Bay City Rotarian and 14 year director of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Mike Asiala, presented a program on his Van Buren Street Theatre. Now in its second season, the theater is fully air conditioned and the plumbing problems which plagued the first year have been solved. Asiala reminisced about that first opening night on May 20, 2005 when the toilets backed up and required guests to be shuttled to a neighboring building. When the season opened this May 20, the problem was thought to be fixed only to occur again. The lesson was learned and all plumbing will be checked before upcoming shows.
The mission of the theater is to only perform comedies. "If you're going to get dragged to the theater by your wife, you better have a good time", said Asiala.
The format is dinner theater. Tickets are $39 per person which includes meal and the show. Drinks are sold separately. Dinner is prepared by Dave Hetzel's "Really Good Food Company". (Dave is husband of Rotarian Sharon Hetzel). Dinner starts at 6:15 and the show runs from 7:30 to 9:30.
The theater seats 141 occupants. The first show this year had between 80 and 90 guests. Last year the audience was more like 100 to 120. The goal is to stay in the 110 to 120 range. Guests have been drawn from across the state, including some tour bus traffic. 40% of the guests are from outside the Bay County area.
When asked how long it takes to put a show together, Asiala replied that it's generally 6 weeks from casting to opening. If necessary, a play could be put together in 4 weeks. Cast members are drawn from around the state.
The theater is located in the old Christian Science Church on Van Buren. The building was last used for a church service in 1988. Remodeling as a theater required a number of changes such as leveling the sloped floor "so your food doesn't roll off the table".
Asiala related that only after the new floor was in place did they learn that the plan needed to be certified by an engineer. That was done and the floor passed the 110 pound weight requirement. Only then did they learn that the original floor, which supported the new floor had to be certified for the combined weight. As a testament to the way building were once constructed, the combined floors can still support over 150 pounds, well over the requirement!
For more information and a show schedule visit the theater's web site at http://www.vanburensttheatre.com.
Other Club News
The Waterfall Park and the Rotary Historic Kiosk at the site of the old Third Street Bridge was dedicated on Thursday the 8th. Governor Granholm was on hand to declare Bay City to be a "Michigan Cool City". She joined past Rotary President Mike Stoner to unveil the kiosk to the applause of all on hand.
Photo by Andy Rogers
eClub-One: Members with internet connections are encouragedto visit eClub-One monthly for a makeup. To get makeup credit you need to fill out the makeup form on that site. Print the acknowledgement for you receive and turn it in to receive credit. Be sure to enter our club's district number (6310) on that form.
Click this link to open eClubOne in a new window: www.rotaryeclubone.org.
The Bay City Rotary Club meets at Noon each Tuesday at the Lumber Barons resturant on the West Side.
Rotary Club of Bay City Web Site
District 6310 meeting schedule
0202 nd 04-15-2024