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President Swope brought the meeting to order with a ring of the Rotary bell and led all assembled in reciting the ever-impactful four-way test. Barb Whitney offered a reflection that shared some of her earliest memories, giving inspiration to others to consider their own favorite parks and recreation moments (and we don’t mean the TV sitcom). Singing of ‘My Country, ‘Tis of Thee’ ensued. Ben Rathbun tossed the cube for several visiting Rotarians and guests; Rebecca Bahar-Cook announced her plan to bring a visitor every week in August (all others invited to take the challenge!).  The health of the club is decent, with Pam Miklavcic recovering from ankle surgery and Heidi McNaughton preparing for ankle surgery. Watch your ankles, folks. Terry Terry reminded the club about Jazz Fest (July 30 – Aug 2) and introduced two gentlemen (Jeff & Dave) who shared some truly jazzy music with us. Dan Aylward gave a July birthday report; he had invited July babies to share their memories of favorite/memorable meal(s) and why. Laugh-worthy and touching moments were shared; good food, friends, family and beautiful places were common themes. $475 raised with 23% giving to-date; c’mon July peeps! Camron Gnass, serving as Chair of the Month & Day, introduced Brett Kaschinske, Parks Director, to give the Club an update on Lansing Parks & Recreation. Lansing Parks and Recreation has 111 parks and over 2000 acres of parkland, 4 community centers, a nature center and historical house, 3 cemeteries and two outdoor pools, as well as 25 miles of non-motorized trails.  Brett spoke to how parks and recreation affects all people – pickleball, birdwatching, etc – goal is to serve all people of all abilities in their leisure activities. Rotary Park was highlighted as a true jewel, particularly during covid, for all that it has enabled, such as Lansing Shuffle and additional economic development. Working to expand the River Trail through Wentworth Park and connect to Michigan/Grand, where the Rotary Clock Tower is. Released 4th of July Fireworks from Shiawassee St bridge for the first time this year – a great view from the River and Rotary Park. 250th anniversary next year will be BIG. Brett touched on the upcoming millage vote that is important to park improvement projects and their 5-year plan (essential to grants from State of Michigan). They are looking ahead to the future (we didn’t have pickleball courts 20 years ago), to identify the next opportunities for recreation in our community. Summer camps (almost 300 kids) are important; staffing for those has been a challenge but is getting better. Moores Park Pool should be back next year; built in 1922, the city ran it for 100 years and are working to rehab that pool now. Hunter Pool, Beacon Fields and more – assets we are proud of – support drop-in recreation for youth and adults. Strike-Out Baseball at Ferris Park is another great space that will impact the game for all and enable kids in our city to grow in the game. Rivertrail is at 25 miles; you can go from Turner Dodge House to Lake Lansing or even to Mason. It’s not only leisure but a transportation route to connect our community; the next expansion is to go west of Waverly to the SW corner of Lansing. Brett took questions that touched on improvements to boat launches, consideration of additional dog parks, updates to certain parks (Cherry Hill), concerts in the park, storm damage/recovery of Cooley Gardens and activation of the pavilion for weddings and other special events, particularly in REO town. Trivia question of the day: what percentage of “tree cover” does Lansing have? Currently 31% with more coming. The only thing harder than managing the cemeteries or balancing the parks and rec budget is figuring out TEQ Ball. HINT: it’s a soccer game that meets table tennis; bring a soccer ball and give it a go. As my mother used to say, GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY. Next week we’ll welcome Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks at MSU Research Foundation. Email for Michelle Reynaert: mreynaert@michfb.com |
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