Imagination Station Plans and Status Presented to Rotary
February 26, 2017
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By: Stephen Kent
Matt VanNortwick points
Lisa Cleland runs show
Matt VanNortwick, Co-Chair of Friends of the Imagination Station Steering Committee,
and committee member
Lisa Cleleand
presented Rotary with an update on the status of the new playground.
The project was recipient of about $15,000 raised by the club's recent
"Running Dead" Zombie run. Held at Bigelow Park on the middle grounds, the run started near the proposed location of the new playground.
The Bigelow Park location was the alternate to the first site next to the Trombley House. That first site proved to have some soil issues which lead to the selection of Bigelow Park.
Matt and Lisa talked about the plans and the information gathering effort the committee has done. Input from the community helped select the elements of the park. Studies have indicated that when complete this park should be a destination for the entire area.
Rotarian and City Manager
Rick Finn added some background from the city. He said that the decision to tear down the old Imagination Station in Vet's park was necessary because of toxic treatment that was leaching from the timbers. He said that Bay City was one of the first to do this, but that now play stations are being removed around the country for the same reason.
Matt addressed the issue of funding, which is now approaching a million dollars. He said that at the estimates began to increase the committee almost threw in the towel. But he said the efforts to get grants and awards that began coming in kept everyone on track.
Playscapes today are much different, and much more advanced than the old Imagination Station which was largely built by volunteers in the 1990's. They are more sophisticated and require professionals to do the construction.
The Imagination Station does look like a great venue. If anticipated funding can be finalized, construction should start in the not too distant future.
CLUB NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Connie Schweitzer presented
Rod Sundstrom with his Paul Harris Plus 5 recognition pin. She also presented
Anne Trahan with her Paul Harris Plus 3. The Club appreciates the loyal support of the two members toward Rotary International's worldwide effort to eradicate Polio.
President Andrea read a couple of thank you cards from
All Saints students for the Thesaurus and Dictionaries given by Rotary. She showed a picture of the class and passed around the cards and letters.
Andrea then read a short history of the
Rotary Foundation. The 100th year anniversary of the Foundation will be celebrated on Thursday.
The
District Conference is coming up soon. In the past clubs have donated items to club gift baskets to be raffled off. This year the District will be raffling off pictures painted by Artist George Lewis. Tickets will be sold by the club until May 1st.
Reporting on last weeks
board meeting, Andrea noted the following.
- The Zombie Run was approved as next year's major fundraiser again.
- A third Tiny Library was approved for the Discovery Preserve on Euclid Ave. The Library will keep it stocked with books.
- The board voted to cancel the Rotary Rocks concert this year due to scheduling conflicts and issues involving getting performers. Supporters are encouraged to redirect your funds and assistance to the Golf Outing later in the year.
- The club is now up to four boxes of books to be shipped to the Philippines.
- The Spring Community Grant cycle is now open. Check the website for details and application information.
The next off-site meeting will be March 7 at the Planetarium.
Current and past
DISTRICT DISPATCH newsletters are available on the District site shown in the LINKS section below.
DATES TO REMEMBER
OFF SITE Meeting -
March 7
At the Delta College Planetarium.
(Also May 16, June 6)
June 10-14, 2017 Rotary International Convention - Atlanta, Georgia, USA
www.RotaryConvention2017.org
OR
www.RIConvention.org
Dee Dee Wacksman, District Chair
November 7, 2017 - Vocational Day
Upcoming Programs
(See the official schedule at
RotaryBayCity.org )
February 28, 2017 Bay City Through the Lens Local Photographer, Small Business Owner, and Optimistic Change Maker Avram Golden will share his vision of the local area.
March 7, 2017 MSU's Midland Research Institute for Value Chain Creation.
Off-site meeting at the Delta Planetarium
Executive Director Katherine Franz will talk about the Institute which
is a premier research and education facility dedicated to developing effective and sustainable solutions to improve all types of public and private value chains. Established by Michigan State University in 2013, the MRIVCC conducts cross-disciplinary research, with input from our corporate partners, in areas such as value chain optimization, data analytics, engineering, smart packaging, anti-counterfeiting, and water and food safety.
March 14, 2017, Polio Plus Update by Chuck Cusick.
Rotary is an intimate affiliation of carefully selected business and professional people,
having as its objective the promotion of high ethical standards in private, commercial
and civic life, and dedicated to the ideal that the basis of all worthy endeavor is unselfish service.
Current and past
DISTRICT DISPATCH newsletters are available on the District site shown in the LINKS section below.
Rotary Bay City on Facebook!
Click on the Blue Facebook to visit us there.
Remember! Check attendance sheets at the front desk.
LINKS
Stephen Kent
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Steve Kent and his family have lived in Bay City for 40 years. He is VP of Technical Services at MMCC which produces MyBayCity.Com. Kent is active in many Bay City civic organizations.
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