SOUTH HAVEN ROTARY SPOKES VOL. LXVII NO. 41                                                                              May 11, 2021

 

http://www.southhavenrotary.org

 

President Thompson began our virtual meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Art Ayer’s invocation with a reminder that we all have the capacity to bring something good to the world around us and special thoughts for Bob and Dee Stickland and continued prayers for Mike Livovich and a recovering Jane Copping.

 

Our guests this morning included prospective members Emily Gruber, and Yolanda Blunt.

 

Announcements:

  • Many great articles about our club in the District Newsletter this month.  Thank you Tom Renner!

  • We are still looking for a Membership Committee co-chair

  • Thank you from Project Curb for our donation to the gym entrance project.

  • Our total grant to the Bronson Telemedicine project will total nearly $17,000 including a corporate donation from Paul Hix and District grand arranged by Mark Odland.
     

  • President presented a check to Melinda Gruber for our support to Lory’s Place for $2500.

A Touch of Humor

Bob Copping quizzed us about what a pig with laryngitis is called:  Disgruntled.

 

50/50 and Fines

Mary Whiteford drew our prize winner’s numbers today with Rhonda Wendzel hauling in the big money and Pete Swanson the smaller prize.

 

Fines were charged to:

  • Marty Graber has his 87th birthday today

  • Steve Miles is also celebrating a birthday this week.

  • Kaleigh Eddy’s daughter Opal turns 20 this week.

  • Art Ayers has a grandson celebrating his 12 the birthday.

  • Dene Hadden’s daughter and son-in-law Steve celebrated their 24th anniversary in Watervliet while his other son-in-law, Mike, from Niagara Falls had a birthday.

  • Bob Boerma’s son and daughter-in-law both celebrate birthdays today.

  • Jerry Gruber announced that granddaughter Seirra and daughter Amy have birthdays this week.

  • Tom Renner’s daughter Suzie celebrates a birthday this week.

  • Tom Fleming announced that granddaughter Elke Blue has a birthday this week.

  • Larry Wittkop played a cute little birthday song for all of our celebrants.

 

New Member Induction

 

This morning President Thompson had the pleasure of inducting new member Griffin Graham into our club.  Griffin was sponsored by his mother Melinda Gruber.  He is actually a transfer, having joined the Saugatuck club when he worked as Saugatuck Township manager.  Griffin is a graduate of Michigan State University and has a Masters from Indiana University and is currently the Assistant City Manager for the City of South Haven.  Welcome to our club Griffin!

 

 

Our speaker this morning State Representative Mary Whiteford, introduced by Brian Kurtz.

 

In an unusual presentation, Mary spoke to us from her car as she stopped along I-96 on her way to Lansing for hearings about bills she has sponsored.

 

Mary talked about four of her priorities that she has during her last term in the state house.

 

First, she has a strong commitment to improve the child welfare system in our state, using state and federal money to make sure every child has a family of some kind.  She especially like to see former foster children helping in the system now that they have built a life for themselves.  This is especially important since many foster children end up in jail or addicted to drugs and she wants to make sure we invest money in programs that help prevent that.

 

Her second priority has been and is Behavioral Crisis Services.  Currently she is pushing for a hot line that parents, police, emergency rooms and other people that come into contact with people with mental health issues can use to find beds for those people so they can be diagnosed and treated.  She hopes to have crisis stabilization units set up all across the state so those in crisis can be treated.  Federal COVID money is being allocated to provide a new facility for the state’s crisis center, now in a very old building that is only half used.

 

A third priority, and one that Mary has advocated for many years, is eliminating human trafficking in Michigan.  She is working to improve facilities that can provide shelter and services for victims of trafficking.  She mentioned that one of the best programs to help these victims is in Kalamazoo.  She mentioned, and was supported by Kevin Schooley,  that early intervention in schools is an important part of preventing trafficking.

 

Mary is also heavily involved in providing help so communities can get broadband accessibility to all of their residents.  The plan is to provide grants to cities, townships and counties to help them work with Internet providers to make sure everyone has affordable access.  A key part of this grant process is working with local state legislators to secure these grants.

 

Mary was questioned about the lack of workers many businesses are facing and she believes that one of the solutions will be returning to the requirement that those receiving unemployment benefits will have to prove that they are actively searching for a job to continue to receive those benefits.

 

She also mentioned that she is vaccinated and looks forward to things opening up.

 

President Thompson thanked Mary for her presentation and presented her with a gift certificate to a local eatery as our gift.

 

We closed the meeting with the Four Way Test

 
  • NEXT WEEK:   Tom Fleming will introduce Kerry Hagy, Director of the South Haven Center for the Arts for her presentation.

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  • Editarian:  Dene Hadden