Rotary Saginaw Bay Nature Festival

08/06/2026

On July 20, 2026, members of the Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish heard a presentation by Brendan Flum, local outreach coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan. Brendan coordinates the annual Alzheimer’s Walks in Bay, Midland, and Saginaw Counties. He stated that Rotary International is a partner of the American Alzheimer’s Association and encourages its local clubs to participate in the walks. Both Bay City Rotary Clubs have already registered teams to participate in the “Bay City Walk to End Alzheimer’s” on Saturday, October 10th.



Brendan provided information on the work of the Alzheimer’s Association. Supporting brain health in communities is the primary goal. Currently, 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. One-third of older adults will die of Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. 13 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with dementia. While 75% of Americans say that lifestyle behaviors are important for their brain health, less than half make the connection between their own lifestyle behaviors and their role in reducing the risk of having dementia. Accelerating research on the disease, encouraging risk reduction, and maximizing quality care and support are the means that the Association promotes to end Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Early detection is crucial in treating the disease. Treatments are available to slow the progress of the disease and to help treat symptoms.



Ten things that people can do to reduce the risk of dementia include protecting your head from injury, quitting smoking, keeping your body moving, engaging in activities that challenge your mind, controlling your blood pressure, managing diabetes, getting good quality sleep, eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in educational activities to reduce cognitive decline. Addressing these risks has proved effective in increasing brain health. More information is available online at “alz.org/healthyhabits.” The Alzheimer’s Association also maintains a helpline [800-272-3900] 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that offers support for people with the disease, their family and caregivers.

An Alzheimer’s/Dementia Rotary Action Group [ADRAG] has been established to assist Rotary Clubs in planning projects and programs centered on this disease. Currently, 800 Rotary Clubs in 200 countries participate in the group. One of the primary ways that clubs can participate is by taking part in an annual “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.” Since 2021, Rotary clubs in 600 communities have raised $2.6 million for Alzheimer’s research. The next Walk in our area will be held in Bay City on Saturday, October 10th, starting in Wenonah Park. Rotary teams can register online at “alz.org.”

Brendan Flum [left], Alzheimer's Association rep, and Rotarian Dan LaPan

07/26/2026

On July 23rd the Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish heard a presentation by Arenac County Commissioners Lisa Salgat and Sally Mrozinski on the three parks operated by Arenac County. One of the three Arenac County parks is the 100-acre Youngman-Fiddler Park which is situated along State Road between Standish and Omer. At this point, its facilities remain rustic, more like a roadside park. Since it is located along the proposed Iron-Belle Trail -- a 2,000-mile system of hiking and biking trails that will connect Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironwood in the western Upper Peninsula -- the park could potentially function as a trailhead along the eastern Iron-Belle route. Once the trail is completed, the County would like to upgrade facilities in the park to meet the needs of travelers.

The 7-acre Point AuGres Park is located along South Rumsey Road near the tip of Point AuGres. The park has a large Day Use area with 900 feet of sandy beach on Saginaw Bay, 3 pavilions, a playground, fishing dock, kayak hangers, bathroom building, and shower house. There are 16 campsites available for overnight rental [9 rustic, and 7 with water & electric hook-ups], as well as 6 cabins [5 rustic, and one with water & electric]. Point AuGres is a trailhead for the Arenac Blue Water Trail.



Oasis Lake Park’s 207 acres sit along the west side of Old M-76 between Sterling and Alger. The park’s 22-acre lake was created as a “borrow pit” when the nearby I-75 freeway was built in the late 1970s. There have been many improvements made during the last 6 years, financed in part by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the Arenac Community Fund, a DNR grant, and ARPA money [federal covid recovery funds[. The campground has 25 rustic campsites, plus 5 new cabins with water & electric service. In the Day Use area there are 4 pavilions, a playground, 2 beach volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, a fishing dock, and a walking trail through the woods connecting it to the campground. Great swimming and fishing is available at the park, as demonstrated during the conservation district’s fishing day in May when a group of kids caught 150 fish in a 4-hour period.



Reservations at all of the parks can be made each year starting on January 1st. Online reservations are made on the Parks & Recreation site – arenaccountymi.gov/parks. The parks are open Memorial Day through Labor Day, although cabin rentals may be made after Labor Day. Daily vehicle passes cost $10 and are good at all parks for the same day. Seasonal passes are also available. Rates for the use of the pavilions, the beachfront and non-beachfront cabin rentals, the rustic campsites and those with electric and water service, and rentals of kayaks and pedal boats are also available online.



The phone number for the Arenac County Parks Department is 989-846-6188. The best source for information on these and other services provided by Arenac County is on the online site, arenaccountymi.gov.



Commissioner Lisa Salgat [left], Rotarian Mike Stoner, and Commissioner Sally Mrozinski [right]

07/22/2026

Good things happening in our Rotary Club!

Thursday, July 16th, was a difficult day to hold a meeting outdoors. In summer, the Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish likes, on occasion, to hold its meetings outside, often at the gazebo perched along Saginaw Bay in Pinconning County Park. Unfortunately, on this day the thick, toxic fog enveloping the state—the result of wildfires in Canada and Minnesota—made meeting in the park a bad idea. Fortunately, the new club president, Andy Kowalczyk, Pinconning Area Schools Superintendent, was able to make last-minute arrangements for the weekly meeting to move indoors at the high school. As it happened, Mr. Kowalczyk was also the scheduled speaker for the July 16th meeting. Every Rotary club president’s term runs from July 1st one year through June 30th of the following year. The new president used this meeting to present his goals for the club during the next 12 months. What followed, in addition to the presentation of goals, was a thorough and positive discussion among club members on how well the club has done in recent years in achieving its community service objectives, as well as sharing ideas on where the club ought be headed in the future. A brief summary of the president’s goals for the 2026-27 year follows.



The Rotary Club currently has 27 primary members, 9 associate members [family and corporate] and 7 honorary members, for a total of 43. Adding 3 new members is the goal for the coming year. The club’s Strategic Plan, initially adopted in 2016, will be updated to reflect changes during the last 10 years. The club’s Bylaws, last amended in 2020, will also be updated. As in past years, there will be at least 45 volunteer service opportunities for club members. Contributions to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund and the Polio Plus Fund will be encouraged. Twelve monthly social gatherings will be held again this year. The club’s primary community service activities will continue, including the annual nature festival [with its many components], the twice-yearly Adopt-a-Highway cleanup, the CheeseTown Festival finish line, the art education program in schools, the Arenac Conservation District annual tree sale, and more.



The club will continue its efforts to maintain an online presence, usually at least once per week, to keep local residents apprised of club activities. In addition to local newspapers, this will mean keeping its social media sites up-to-date; that is, its two pages—“Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish/Facebook” and “Rotary Saginaw Bay Nature Festival/Facebook”—as well as its new Instagram page—“pinconning_standish_rotary”—which can be accessed by those who use Instagram.

At least one member will be encouraged to participate in leadership development opportunities to serve Rotary beyond the local club level, and at least one member will participate in the annual Rotary district conference next May. Re-activating the former Interact Club for high school students will be pursued. At least one student, hopefully more, will be sponsored to attend the annual Youth Leadership Camp in Clare County next June. At least 55 news articles will be submitted to local newspapers and the Rotary district administrator during the coming year. At least one member will participate in a Rotary Fellowship, that is, non-club social and professional activities focusing on golf, reading, skiing, travel, history studies, birdwatching, and dozens of other activities and hobbies, which bring Rotarians together from around the world [either online or in person] who share a common interest. Members in attendance said they thought today’s exercise very productive in terms of setting goals for the future and suggested that it would be a good way to begin every new president’s year in office.



All Rotary meetings, and all of its community programs, are open to the public. Weekly Rotary meetings are generally held at noon on Thursdays. Meeting locations “rotate” every month [such rotating is how Rotary got its name 120 years ago]. They rotate between Standish, Pinconning and Linwood. Meeting sites are posted weekly on the club’s page. Program topics are also posted there. Many people ask what Rotary is and what it does. Attending a program is a good way for local people to drop in—no strings attached, no pressure to join—and see what we’re all about. Each club has a different local focus, but all seek to serve the communities where they’re located. Participating in Rotary offers people the opportunity to learn more about their hometown and to engage in activities that help improve their community.



Front row [L to R]: Sue Wackerle, Marie Fox
Back row [L to R]: Mike Stoner, Andy Kowalczyk, Marty Schultz, Lori Schumann, Cindy LeVasseur, Dennis Curtis

07/19/2026

On June 25, 2026, members of the Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish met at Fergie’s Restaurant and heard a presentation by Molly Wozniak, a 2017 graduate of Pinconning High School, who told the group that her conservation journey began while still in school where her high school biology teacher, Connie Botzau, inspired her to pursue a career in the field. Her journey began in Michigan, moved to Arkansas, then moved to Massachusetts, then returned to Michigan. While still in high school she participated in the school-to-work program which gave her the opportunity to do a variety of jobs at Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area. After graduating she went to Lake Superior State University in Sault Sainte Marie where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries & Wildlife Management. The program at LSSU includes courses in forestry, ichthyology [the study of fish], ornithology [the study of birds], and wildlife biology. Because LSSU is a small college with small classes, students can participate in many hands-on projects. Through the LSSU Center for Freshwater Research & Education Molly spent one summer as an Education & Outreach Assistant where she worked with kids, then with a field crew sampling lake sturgeon. Another summer she helped monitor ecological and physical impacts of a program coordinated by the Little Rapids Habitat Restoration Project on a degraded waterway, a branch of the St. Mary’s River. Molly’s senior thesis was a study of invasive algae found in Lake Superior called Didymo—affectionately known as rock snot—to determine what impact the algae might be having on invertebrates [crayfish, snails, dragonflies] in the lake.



Molly went to graduate school at the University of Central Arkansas where she studied macroinvertebrates [non-fish creatures in swamps] in Arkansas. While there, she also worked with the Arkansas Audubon Society’s Ecology Camp where she taught aquatic biology to 5th – 7th graders. After Arkansas, she went to Massachusetts to work at the Nature’s Classroom New England project, a residential outdoor education experience for 4th – 8th graders involving activities like hiking, studying aquatic biology and beavers, and showing kids how to fish.



Molly is currently employed by the Genesee Conservation District [CD] based in Flint where she serves as the Invasive Species Coordinator. The Genesee CD [like districts in Michigan] works to improve habitat for wildlife and encourage good conservation practices among farmers. She shared information on the distinction between native species and invasive species. Native species are those that normally live and thrive in a particular area where they have natural predators and pests to help keep their populations in check. These include species like white pines, white-tailed deer, robins, painted turtles, and brook trout. An invasive species lives outside its native range and often causes harm to the environment, the economy, or human health in an area where it has relocated, and where it may outcompete native species because it has no predators or pests to control its numbers. Most invasive species have been introduced by people. Examples of such species include European Starlings and House Sparrows, garlic mustard plants, Japanese knotweed, Bradford pear trees, and the devastating Emerald Ash Borer. In her role at the Genesee CD, Molly provides invasive species management, education, and outreach, as well as doing site visits and field work, not just in Genesee, but also in Lapeer, Shiawassee, and Livingston counties. Interesting outreach projects she is involved with include erecting Boot Brush Stations in nature areas to allow visitors to remove invasive species from their footwear so as not to introduce them into a new area and offering native seed packets at coffee shops when a special latte drink is ordered.



More information on invasive species can be obtained online at the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network - www.misin.msu.edu. Molly can also be contacted for information at [email protected].

Molly Wozniak [right] and her mother, Amy Wozniak [left]

07/19/2026

Thursday, July 16th, was a difficult day to hold a meeting outdoors. In summer, the Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish likes, on occasion, to hold its meetings outside, often at the gazebo perched along Saginaw Bay in Pinconning County Park. Unfortunately, on this day the thick, toxic fog enveloping the state—the result of wildfires in Canada and Minnesota—made meeting in the park a bad idea. Fortunately, the new club president, Andy Kowalczyk, Pinconning Area Schools Superintendent, was able to make last-minute arrangements for the weekly meeting to move indoors at the high school. As it happened, Mr. Kowalczyk was also the scheduled speaker for the July 16th meeting. Every Rotary club president’s term runs from July 1st one year through June 30th of the following year. The new president used this meeting to present his goals for the club during the next 12 months. What followed, in addition to the presentation of goals, was a thorough and positive discussion among club members on how well the club has done in recent years in achieving its community service objectives, as well as sharing ideas on where the club ought be headed in the future. A brief summary of the president’s goals for the 2026-27 year follows.



The Rotary Club currently has 27 primary members, 9 associate members [family and corporate] and 7 honorary members, for a total of 43. Adding 3 new members is the goal for the coming year. The club’s Strategic Plan, initially adopted in 2016, will be updated to reflect changes during the last 10 years. The club’s Bylaws, last amended in 2020, will also be updated. As in past years, there will be at least 45 volunteer service opportunities for club members. Contributions to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund and the Polio Plus Fund will be encouraged. Twelve monthly social gatherings will be held again this year. The club’s primary community service activities will continue, including the annual nature festival [with its many components], the twice-yearly Adopt-a-Highway cleanup, the CheeseTown Festival finish line, the art education program in schools, the Arenac Conservation District annual tree sale, and more.



The club will continue its efforts to maintain an online presence, usually at least once per week, to keep local residents apprised of club activities. In addition to local newspapers, this will mean keeping its social media sites up-to-date; that is, its two pages—“Rotary Club of Pinconning & Standish/Facebook” and “Rotary Saginaw Bay Nature Festival/Facebook”—as well as its new Instagram page—“pinconning_standish_rotary”—which can be accessed by those who use Instagram.

At least one member will be encouraged to participate in leadership development opportunities to serve Rotary beyond the local club level, and at least one member will participate in the annual Rotary district conference next May. Re-activating the former Interact Club for high school students will be pursued. At least one student, hopefully more, will be sponsored to attend the annual Youth Leadership Camp in Clare County next June. At least 55 news articles will be submitted to local newspapers and the Rotary district administrator during the coming year. At least one member will participate in a Rotary Fellowship, that is, non-club social and professional activities focusing on golf, reading, skiing, travel, history studies, birdwatching, and dozens of other activities and hobbies, which bring Rotarians together from around the world [either online or in person] who share a common interest. Members in attendance said they thought today’s exercise very productive in terms of setting goals for the future and suggested that it would be a good way to begin every new president’s year in office.



All Rotary meetings, and all of its community programs, are open to the public. Weekly Rotary meetings are generally held at noon on Thursdays. Meeting locations “rotate” every month [such rotating is how Rotary got its name 120 years ago]. They rotate between Standish, Pinconning and Linwood. Meeting sites are posted weekly on the club’s page. Program topics are also posted there. Many people ask what Rotary is and what it does. Attending a program is a good way for local people to drop in—no strings attached, no pressure to join—and see what we’re all about. Each club has a different local focus, but all seek to serve the communities where they’re located. Participating in Rotary offers people the opportunity to learn more about their hometown and to engage in activities that help improve their community.



Front row [L to R]: Sue Wackerle, Marie Fox
Back row [L to R]: Mike Stoner, Andy Kowalczyk, Marty Schultz, Lori Schumann, Cindy LeVasseur, Dennis Curtis

06/25/2026

A great nature related program is scheduled for today, 6/25 at Noon. Guests are always welcome!

Send a message to learn more

06/13/2026

Special thanks to our sponsors, because of you the Rotary Saginaw Bay Nature Festival happens!