We had no formal speaker, we just heard stories from our members. World traveler and mountain climber Rudy Vedovell told stories about climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. He also talked about meeting whales while crossing the Pacific in a 27-foot sailboat.

 

Some of our members who are active in the water safety initiative updated us on that initiative. Between 2010 and 2024 1710 drownings occurred on all of the Great Lakes. This year Lake Michigan had 58 drownings. At a recent conference, state legislators heard data pointing to the decrease in drowning that could happen with lifeguards.

 

Howard Fink, Rotary President and Park Township Manager, summarized the plans for the new Community Center. The plans are for a 45,000 sq ft building with meeting rooms and some athletic areas. The township is trying not to duplicate existing facilities, such as Holland Township's almost complete recreation facility.

 

Howard also mentioned the regional goals to preserve existing farmland as the pressure to convert it to other uses increases.