Churchill HS Interact Club Earns Gold ShelterBox Hero Recognition

July 23, 2024

Thank You, Churchill Interact Club, for being a Gold ShelterBox HERO club.

A ShelterBox HERO is a Rotary Club that has committed to making an impact in worldwide disaster response by giving $1,000, $3,000, or $5,000 within the Rotary year.

HERO Clubs enable ShelterBox to have the resources and time to be ready when disaster strikes by allowing ShelterBox to purchase and pre-position aid in or near countries where we respond often, resulting in a more efficient and timely response.

There are three HERO levels: Bronze ($1,000); Silver ($3,000); and Gold ($5,000).

Creating Habitats for Pollinators

July 24, 2024

Opening: The President, Reverend David Stechholz, opened the meeting, reporting on his vacation to see his son and visiting the Red River Valley. He sang a song of the same name. There were four Zoomers and ten in-person members participating in the meeting.

After the pledge of allegiance, Reverend David, led an invocation and asked that civility prevail in this year’s presidential election.

During Happy Bucks, David Burton shared some words of wisdom. “Do not let yesterday use up today. What you do today makes up all your tomorrows."

Successful Grant Applications! Thanks were given to the Grant Committee for securing several grants.

1. The District Community Matching Grant was awarded to LAMR for $2,500 to purchase children's car seats for the AAA Pregnancy Center in Livonia.

2. The Make Miracles Happen Collaborative Grant Program from the Rotary Foundation awarded $10,000 towards the FOSA Ghana Incubator. This grant was matched by four clubs at $2,000 each and the remaining $2,000 was donated by Kim Sparrow, the champion of the project.

Bob Carris reported that he found a former Rotary Club Member, Richard Nkosu, who agreed to take the “Ultrasound Machine” the club purchased to Cameroon.

This was great news because after Dr. Stanley died, there was concern that we did not have the means to get the machine to the clinic that needed it.

Methodist Children's Home Soccer Update: Dave Burton reported that two new soccer goals were purchased by a sponsor he secured for the Children’s Methodist Home in Redford. He requested that members help him assemble the nets on Monday, July 29, 2024, at 4:00 pm. Bring simple tools like pliers, hammer etc. He will be starting the soccer classes beginning in August 2024 with the end-of-season hotdog and hamburger "Victory BBQ" on August 25th at 5:00 pm.

The Civic Library Storybook Project to repair vandalized signs was put on hold at the City's request. The city is developing a new Master Plan for the library's exterior and wants to delay investing in the current layout.

Special Speaker, David Hammond, Creating Habitats for Pollinators

presented on the progress of his group American Meadows who are dedicated to creating habitat for pollinators. He explained how pollinators are declining and they are vital to propagation of food crops and flowers. He pointed out that Monarch Butterflies have declined by 85%.

They are a non-profit organization. They sell wildflower mixes and advocate for reduction of lawns. He showed examples of plots they created in public parks in Canton and other cities. It costs about $3,000 per acre to secure the seed and establish a flower bed. These meadows have become a special places in the parks in that the flowers captivate visitors wedding and prom pictures. David hopes to introduce this concept of meadows into everyday features such as front lawns, roadsides and open lots. americanmeadows.com

Nancy Darga

Visit Our Club in Person

We meet at the

Livonia Senior Center Complex

15218 Farmington Road

Livonia, MI 48154

Every Wednesday, 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

All Are Welcome!

Phone Access Option (929)436-2866

Meeting ID: 924 328 2286

Password: 4waytest

Adopt-A-Road Clean-Up Day

July 20, 2024

Our Club held its second road cleanup event on Saturday.

Through the Wayne County Adopt-A-Road program, LAMR recently “adopted” Five Mile Road from Farmington to Merriman.

The adoption responsibility involves three cleanup events per year. Litter is picked up and bagged on both sides of the street and in the median strip.

Time to Teach Trainer

July 17, 2024

The meeting was opened by former President Claude Kendrick until President-Elect Nancy Darga, arrived and took charge. Invocation was delivered by Bob Carris. 

Nancy shared that she spent a week in Washington, D.C., and experienced a renewed sense of appreciation for our nation and its ability to overcome significant challenges, both historically and in the present. She likened the 

foundation and purpose of our nation, “to serve the needs of its people,” to the foundation and purpose of our mighty Livonia AM Rotary—to serve wherever there is a need.  

Nancy reviewed how the Livonia AM Rotary is serving its community by the number of activities that are on the calendar for the rest of July through September. Bob is particularly excited that he has been able to secure three helicopters for the Touch a Truck event on August 24. This year, we will have the Army’s Black Hawk helicopter and two other helicopters, plus Claude mentioned that there will be 4 Silverado electric trucks present to provide shuttle service from the parking lot and be on display. 

Check out the Upcoming Events part of the newsletter for dates, times and to register for events you are able to participate in. 

Nancy is particularly looking forward to the Livonia AM Rotary picnic on July 30, where members will have time to socialize and become more bonded as Rotary club mates. 

Nick Middleton, the speaker for this meeting, presented the teacher’s professional development workshop created by the Center for Teachers’ Effectiveness called “Time To Teach Educational Trainer.”Nick opened his presentation by sharing the biggest challenge that teachers face: Classroom Management.

He talked about his first days as a new teacher and how much he struggled to find control and balance in the midst of chaotic student behaviors. He cited the problem as being that teaching degree programs rarely teach classroom management skills, and so Rookie teachers are clueless as to how to handle their students’ behaviors. This leads to many first-year teachers and other teachers experiencing early burnout and quitting the teaching profession. The "Time To Teach” one-day workshop provides teachers with strategies, techniques, and the support they need to learn effective classroom management skills.

“Time to Teach” has five basic beliefs: 1) The students need to know how much you care about them before they care about how much you know. 2) Conflict is an essential part of growing up and human development. 3) Behavior can be changed 4) Good behavior must be taught because students don’t know how to behave. 5) Good discipline is well-timed.

Nick also outlined five components of the workshop, starting with teaching teachers how to regulate their own emotions and behaviors. Nick stated that the workshop has effectively eliminated 90% of low-level behaviors that obstruct the ability of teachers to teach students subject content. The key is to manage the behavior first before content can be taught.

Nick has taught for 17 years and currently teaches music at Redford Union High School and also plays the trumpet.

Victoria Haltom

Club Assembly

July 10, 2024

The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag followed by a Invocation by Bob Carris. The club then did something new, we sang "America the Beautiful'' from the Rotary songbook. (Who knew that Rotary had an official song book?) The singing was so successful that it was decided to sing once a month.

The value of having a Club Assembly once a month was discussed as the attendance is down when we have an Assembly. Those present said they wanted to keep the present format of having an Assembly once a month.

Upcoming Events: July 20 Road Clean up. Need help. Meal Packing Event October 21 from 9:00 to 11:30 at St. Edith's Church, and the Club Picnic at Rotary Park, Pavilion #3 on July 30. Reminder that all events are listed at the end of the Club's newsletter along with signup information.

Tammy Bonifield presented the Treasurer's Report and discussion held on several items. Our club dues will remain the same. If anyone has any questions they are welcome to contact Tammy.

Information came out for District 6400 Governor Nominations. Our club has two members that qualify for nomination, Erin and Tammy.

Bill Friske gave the report of the Giving Committee, which approved grants for four organizations. These groups have all presented to us before.

Our president reported that Maria, our exchange student for 2025-2026, is excited and is starting to prepare for her year.

The Clarenceville cooler project was on hold while it was decided on the location of the door handle.That decision has been made so it is being installed.

Bob Carris' new address in Canton will be emailed to club members.

Dave Burton reported on the Methodist Children's Home Society soccer camp and picnic on August 24. Dave has a new assistant coach. He might need help assembling goal posts so be on the lookout for that information.

The meeting ended with Greg Greene's Dad Jokes.

Susan Paluchniak

Welcome To Our New Rotary Year

July 08, 2024

Welcome, my dear Rotary friends, to another new Rotary year, "our year," 2024-2025. I have much to share with you in our first meeting of the new year in our Club Assembly, so I hope you can make it in person or Zooming. Hopefully, you are having a great Summer. I'll see you Wednesday morning! Think about whom you may invite to our Rotary "breakfast" meetings in the weeks ahead.  

Rotarily,  Dave Stechholz  

P.S. There is no word "Rotarily."  I invented it a few years ago, but it never caught on. It is not in the Scrabble dictionary, but don't you think it should be?

Livonia Rotary Noon Club President Addresses Livonia AM

June 26, 2024

Our meeting opened with an Invocation by Mike Ladwig. Rounds of thanks were offered to outgoing Club President Claude Kendrick for a great year of Livonia AM Rotary leadership. Claude then gave the Club a big thank you for being allowed to serve us for the year.

Update on the Cooler project: Discussions on opening the door have delayed the final installation.

The Touch a Truck committee, led by Churchill HS Interact club members, has been meeting every two weeks at the Chamber of Commerce. The event will have more vehicles than last year. 

The first speaker was Jon Wennstrom, the outgoing President of Livonia (noon) Rotary. Claude gave a talk at the Noon Club so now was Jon's turn to address our club. Both club presidents stressed unity between the clubs. Jon said their Club has started a member spotlight each month with info about club members.

Jon reported that Starfish Family Services came to speak to the members, asking for 2500 diapers. He mentioned that sometimes a project can be small-scale, but the outcome is huge. He loves our newsletter by the way. Jon suggested that the clubs share newsletters to better support each other. The noon club currently has 33 members. The reverse raffle that the club used for a major fundraiser is gone forever due to the expense of renting the room. 

Presently, the club is doing a wine pull for its fundraiser. This is held in May. It started out with just one event, but now the club has two time slots for attendance, which has worked out well.

Carrie Budzinkski was our second speaker for the morning, speaking about Niji-Iro Japanese Immersion Elementary School. This is a Livonia Magnet School located at 36611 Curtis. Carrie enrolled her son when he entered kindergarten, which was the best time to start. The school is a 50-50 split, with math and science in English and the rest in Japanese. When the students are in 6th grade, they can take Japanese classes at Wayne State for credit. Classes are presented in both English and Japanese. 

The Niji-Iro school is a family commitment. School events tend to be elaborate, with music and  Japanese costumes. Some of the students perform at other Livonia Schools.

Carrie is asking for some funding for the after-school program /summer school. Our club gave money for library books when the school started. There are currently 250 students in the school. 

Susan Paluchniak

Meet the Governor Night

June 25, 2024

Club President Dave Stechholz took an international day trip to Canada to participate in the annual Meet The Governor Night hosted by the Harrow Rotary Club.

It was the 71st Meet the Governor Night. The attendees heard from now Past District Governor Russ Jones as he reviewed his year. Then they heard from now District Governor Nick Krayacich and heard about the Magic of Rotary.

Guests witnessed the traditional passing of the Governor's pins.

President Claude Kendrick Addresses Noon Club June 24, 2024

Club President Claude Kendrick and President-Elect David Stechholz attended yesterday's Livonia Rotary Noon Club meeting. Claude was the group's guest speaker. Likewise, Jon Wennstrom, the Outgoing President of the noon club, will speak at our meeting this week. Both clubs agreed to stay in touch to better understand what events are coming up that we can mutually support.

Rotary Park Clean-up

June 22, 2024

During the tornado-like winds and heavy rains that hit Livonia a few weeks ago, Rotary Park suffered severe damage. It took an army of caring people to tackle the branch clean-up. The volunteers, led by David Stechholz, arrived on Saturday to assist with the clean-up. Including spouses or family: There were (6) volunteers from LAMR, (9) from Livonia Noon, (3) from Canton, (4) from Dearborn / Heinz Park, (1) from Plymouth, and a couple of other volunteers—about 27 total. 

Tons of work with roots, raking, picking up of sticks and branches, and leveling.

Good work by about 27 or so Rotarians and spouses or family.  Larry Stephen's missionary son from Ecuador was one of them! 

David Stechholz

Wo Ye Bra Program

June 19, 2024

Claude Kendrick opened the meeting with the “Pledge of Allegiance,” and an Invocation by Bob Carris. Thirteen members attended the meeting in person, four by Zoom, and three of the attendees were students of the Churchill High School Interact Club, Emily Davis, Allison Pritula, Co-chairs of the club, and the Treasurer, Shana Talmon. They were enthusiastically welcomed. These students also attended the annual Installation Picnic at Tammy Bonfield’s cottage in the Irish Hills and met the new District Governor, Nick Krayacich. It is heartwarming to see the Interact Club so engaged. 

Announcements: The summer schedule is very busy with many opportunities to help out, have fun, and make new friends. Please see the calendar of events posted on the web site and newsletter. 

Rotary Park Clean Up: Saturday June 22, 2024 from 9:00 to 2:00 pm at the Rotary Park, Six Mile Road in Livonia.This park is where the tornado that passed through Livonia touched down, uprooting more than 50 trees and ripping the roofs off two picnic shelters. Bring rakes, shovels and gloves. Susan Paluchniak is organizing a pizza lunch on site at noon sponsored by Schoolcraft College through our member Dawn Margaretta. This event is being organized by both the AM and Noon Livonia Rotary Clubs and several members are joining the service project from the Plymouth, Canton, Northville, and Dearborn Heights Clubs. 

Meet the Governor: June 25, 2024. For 71 years, District 6400 has held a “Meet the Governor” gathering on the last Tuesday in June. This year, the Harrow Rotary Club of Canada is hosting the event. The incoming governor is Nick Krayacich of the LaSalle Centennial Rotary Club. The event will be at the Coachwood Golf and Country Club in Amherst. Tammy Bonfield is attending and encourages anyone willing to attend to contact her. 

Special Guest: Dr. Adrienne Booth Johnson, member of the Rotary Club of Detroit and founder of the “Wo Ye Bra” program in Greater Accra, Ghana, West Africa. Reverend Johnson started her presentation by thanking the Detroit Rotary Club for their support. She pointed out that she has been going to Africa for more than 20 years. Her program has been in Ghana for 7 years. The focus of the program is to empower women economically and socially by teaching them viable skills to become financially independent. Their program has helped 325 women start businesses in those years. Some are making jewelry, purses, and other products. 

Currently the “Wo Ye Bra Project,” teaches women to fabricate reusable sanitary pads to eliminate girls from missing school or work. She purchases sewing machines through a supplier in Africa. She has a team working in Ghana to run the program and provide instructional classes. Referrals are made through churches. Ghana is a democracy with 34 million people. Fifty percent of the population are women who earn a daily wage of $2.07. Half of the women population are under 25 years old. Life expectancy in Ghana is 69 years. Lifting women out of poverty is critical for the country. Women are still sold or traded in that country. 

Dr. Johnson gave each of the three Interact students attending the meeting a colorful purse made in Ghana. She laughingly told the group that something had told her to bring three purses, and now she knew why.

If you want to support the project, you can email or call at adrienneboothjohnson@gmail.com (404) 769-3457 woyebra.org.    

Nancy Darga

Annual Installation Dinner and Celebration at the Lake

June 15, 2024

My Dear Fellow Livonia AM Rotary Friends:

Thank you! I'm humbly honored to serve you as President of our LAMR club beginning July 1st. It was a wonderful Installation this past weekend at Tammy Bonifield's Irish Hills lake cottage. Weather, friendships, Gov. Nick, spouses, food & drink a-plenty, Tammy's honey, the pontoon ride on the lake!

Thank you, Tammy. And my thanks to Nancy Darga for being my successor as President-Elect. Bravo to Pat Zucal as Rotarian of the Year. Extremely well-deserved, Pat! And President Claude, what a year. You were tremendous. Well done, as our leader, dear friend. And with your family present! 

I'll miss all of you this Wednesday morning since Janet and I will visit our daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild for four days in Las Vegas.

Rev. David Stechholz

Thank you, Rev. Dave and Rotarians. You are starting out of the gate really strong, Dave …… I love it!

Tammy, you and your family were wonderful hosts, as always, for our installation dinner. Our dinner is truly the best! It was an honor to have Dr. Nick at our installation Dinner. Already looking forward to next year. We should all think of an excuse for Tammy to host us again this season. Thanks for everything. 

I really understand how hard it is to pick “Rotarian of the Year” for our club. Pat, you were incredible this year with placemat design, coordinating all signage and printing, our Carnival, being a liaison with the other clubs and non-profits with communication, the Zoom tech team, you and Bill F., and your secret construction company, words of encouragement, I was introduced to a lot of people directly because of you and lastly taking on the fun Governor position. I was able to navigate quickly to help our club. 

I look forward to Dave, Nancy, and Erin taking us into the future. “The Magic of Rotary” begins July 1st. I want to thank everyone for helping me “Create Hope in the World.”

Yours in Rotary, Claude Kendrick

Livonia Civic Ballet

June 12, 2024

The meeting opened with a warm welcome to our newest member, Russell Bisinger, who received a hardy round of applause. Russell reported that he is two weeks away from obtaining his Masters in Project Management. Welcome to our Rotary Club, Russell!

Tammy Bonifield reminded members to check the Waze App before driving to her cottage to see what the traffic is like. She passed out maps and said she would park her car near the road with the Rotary AM flag attached. Look for the flag, as you can not see her road, which is a sharp right turn and then goes down the hill to the lake. Call if you get lost.

Pat Zucal reported that Corrine, the woman whose child died in the tornado that hit Livonia, is now in a wheelchair, and it is believed that she will be able to walk again. She needs extensive rehab and more surgeries.

Bob Carris' happy buck was for closing on his Condo in Canton. Victoria Haltom is happy that she will be attending our Installation Dinner at Tammy's cottage with her daughter. This is her first outing since her surgery.

Rotary Park suffered extensive damage after last week's storm. The Director of Parks & Recreation, Ted Davis, put out a call for help picking up small branches left after the big trees were cut up and removed. Information on this will be sent shortly via email. Dawn Magretta suggested that Schoolcraft College could bring meals for the workers. Stay tuned for information on the park cleanup.

Our club voted to purchase 10 trees to replace some of the downed trees. We will work with Ted Davis on the kind of trees needed. Pat will check where the Club can hold its picnic.

The club voted to give $500 to the Livonia First Responders Fund to help the family. We will check back with the family in 6 months to see if we can help with any current needs.

The Carnival did much better than last year! We await the final count. 

Scott Newell of the Livonia Civic Ballet Company was our speaker.

Scott thanked the Club for its recent donation to the ballet company.

In 1965, Jean Newell (Scott's Mother) opened Livonia's first ballet/dance studio. Through the years, the Ballet Company's focus has changed from performance-driven to educational. The company's roster represents six Livonia dance studios and four from neighboring cities.

Guest instructors come from nationally and regionally recognized companies to give workshops to students.The workshops include ballet, hip hop, jazz, and contemporary.

In 2023 the Livonia Civic Ballet Company joined The Friends of the Arts. They have given scholarships to dancers but have learned that they should give the scholarship money in increments to make sure the funds are used for dance. Scott reported that the only auditorium they can afford is Garden City. Livonia is very expensive.  

Susan Paluchniak

Club Assembly

June 05, 2024

President Claude Kendrick opened the meeting with his usual enormous smile, leading us into the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Invocation was given by Bob Carris, who talked about the "Blessings of Giving.” It was pointed out that the LAMR received another check in support of the “Cooler Project.” We are over our goal.

Happy Bucks was full of laughter as folks shared their personal experiences. Dave Burton challenged the group to identify who had said the famous quote, “Make a living by what you get. Make a life by what you give.” No one knew that it was from Winston Churchill. Claude shared a personal moving experience of helping a young woman move into “Hanna’s House,” a faith-based housing for women. This young woman had aged out of the foster care service and was on her own. When she entered the room set up for her at Hanna’s House, she was moved to tears, saying she had never had her own room. Claude shared that her emotional reaction made him see that he did not realize how blessed his life had been, wanting nothing growing up.

Soccer Camp: Dave Burton, as in the past, is starting up his soccer camp at the Methodist Children Home Society, a foster care facility for boys in Redford, Michigan. The camp will run every Tuesday night in August. Dave proposed that Tuesday, August 27, 2024, will be the group game with staff and the cookout sponsored by Livonia AM Rotary.

The set up will be at 5:00 pm. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. Dave’s son, who usually helps out, is not available this year, and Dave is looking for an adult to help him with the boys; you do not need to know soccer.

New Member: Russell Bisinger, a former Rotary member of the Livonia afternoon club, was nominated for membership by Reverend Dave Stechholz. Russell has attended

the required three meetings and seems to be interested in being active in the club. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.

The 2024 LAMR Carnival is underway at the Seven Mile site. The operation is going smoothly, as usual. We are fortunate to be able to use the Sears site once again. Nancy Darga suggested featuring pictures of the carnival. It was suggested to take night pictures showing the bright lights. Close-up pictures of kids having fun are preferred.

Golf Outings: The topic of how or should members’ participation be financially supported by the Rotary AM Club was discussed. Many non-profits have golf outings as fundraisers. Currently, members have to pay to participate. Should some of the cost be covered? It was recommended that this topic be discussed in full by the Giving Committee.

Look at the District 6400 newsletter; Claude Kendrick, our president, has included a letter of appreciation. Great job, Claude.

​

2024 Annual Installation Dinner and Celebration at the Lake. There will be an Open House, and ALL Members, Friends, and Families are encouraged to come out to the lake! Our get-together begins at 1:00 PM, the program starts at 5:00 PM, and dinner will be immediately following the program. For our newer members, the program consists primarily of thanking our outgoing President (Claude Kendrick) and the Board and swearing in our incoming President (Rev. David Stechholz) and the new Board. Hope everyone can make it.

Nancy Darga

Livonia AM Rotary Carnival Is A Wrap

May 30th - June 9th

Our annual carnival just completed its 11-day run. We had the usual mix of Michigan spring weather: hot, cool, sunny, and rainy. So, hopefully, our fundraiser crushed it. We should know the results sometime this week.

Passport to Safety

June 08, 2024

Livonia Passport to Safety Country's Largest Children's Safety Event

Club members Sharon Pommerville, Dave Stechholz, and Bill Friske, led by volunteer coordinator Susan Paluchniak, participated in Passport to Safety on Saturday.

The event looked and felt like Touch A Truck, but with an emphasis on teaching safety to children (and adults). Various stations dealt with Food Safety, Bike Safety, Cell Phone Safety, Weather Safety, K-9 Police Demonstrations, Distracted Driving, and more. A favorite station was manned by actual 911 Operators who coached the kids on how to call and speak with 911 during an emergency.

The Churchill HS Interact Club was represented by members; Rony Korab, Hayato Yamaguchi, Shana Talmon, Reyhan Khan, Nithin Ramkumar, and Kanav Sharma.

The event organizers posted a few short videos of the event. Check them out HERE.

Kids Coalition Against Hunger - Meal Packing Event

June 08, 2024

Club member Greg Greene joined several community volunteers, led by the Livonia High Nooners Lions Club, to help feed the hungry! The Kids Coalition Against Hunger provided the supplies, Madonna University graciously provided the facility, Lions Clubs International District 11A1 sponsored the event, and funding was provided by Lions Clubs throughout Wayne and Monroe Counties and many gracious donors.

The Lions Club offered special thanks to the Livonia AM Rotary Club and Northville Lions Club for their continued support and volunteers.

Member Spotlight

May 29, 2024

The meeting opened with excitement and joy on the cooler project funding and a great Career Day at Clarenceville with our two members, Rick Popa and Dave Stechholz, presenting programs for the students. Tammy Bonifield was very grateful for a new jet ski that will be in the lake for the June 15th installation at Tammy's lake cottage. Tammy provides the meat, but club members are to bring other dishes to pass at the dinner.

Member Spotlight: John Clay

John Clay grew up in Redford Township, then South Haven, and then back to this area. Went to Schoolcraft College, Western, Wayne State, and Michigan State. He graduated from Western with a Master's degree in Psychology.

John started as a prison Psychologist at Jackson Prison. From there, he was in charge of group homes in Central City Detroit. He then went on to be the Chief of Activity Therapy in Warren. There, he learned that all hospitals are not the same.

Another job took John to Livingston County where he was a Psychologist for all the group homes in the county for developmentally disabled students. About this time, he had a couple of kids and wanted to spend more time with them, so he changed jobs again. That's when he decided to work for schools because the hours and pay were better. John worked in Wayne Westland,  Dearborn, and Greenfield Village Schools. He retired from the school when his wife suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, and he decided he had to take care of her. She now walks 6 miles a day! John tried various activities during retirement, such as glassblowing and welding.

John had back surgery in the fall and is still recovering, but getting stronger.

When asked by Claude what motivational technique he could share with us, he said to help people see what their strengths are and build from there.  

Member Spotlight: Nancy Darga

Nancy passed out short bio that she had from previous jobs. She was born in 1953 and contracted polio at 10 months. She was the 4th child of 5 . Her Mother is a first-generation American. Her Mother's family came to America when famine came to Italy. Since they were expert stone cutters and metalsmiths, they found jobs building tunnels in New York. Henry Ford brought them to work in his factories. Her Father's family came to the States on the second boat after the Mayflower.

Nancy was raised Catholic and went to East Catholic High School, but when Martin Luther King was assassinated, her family transferred her to Bishop Gallagher. Nancy went to Michigan State, where she graduated as a landscape architect. She went to work in South Chicago to work for Public Housing. Nancy came back to the Detroit area where she worked as Chief of Design for Wayne County Parks. She had some interesting events working there as the first woman architect. She will share some of those memories when she is "loose of tongue."

Nancy got laid off when the county did not have funds, but that opened Nancy up to a job with Disney(where she always wanted to work). This was to work for Disney in Japan. She lived in the British Embassy and worked with an animator who had worked previously with Walt Disney. The animator shared great insights on what it was like to work for Disney.

Nancy came back to Detroit because her job became available and invited Michael Darga to the first Rogue River rescue that she had organized. He fell in the river and she fell in love. She worked for Northville City Council for 12 years. Nancy has volunteered and worked for many organizations in Northville but also finds time to participate in Livonia Rotary.  

Susan Paluchniak

Source of Universal Love

May 22, 2024

How We Touch Other Lives in What We Do 

Club President Claude Kendrick opened the meeting with the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Fourteen attended in person, three on Zoom. Special guests were Ginger B Wiechers, our presenter from Source of Universal Love (SOUL), and Russell Bisinger, a supporter. 



The invocation was done by Mike Ladwig, who gave thanks for the divinity source for universal love. Happy Bucks was collected by Sharon Pommerville, the Sargent of Arms, now that she is recuperating from her shoulder surgery. She received applause for getting “Back in the Saddle Again.” 

Announcements:

Mike Ladwig reminded members that the Female Products Drive for high school kids is coming to an end, and to please get donations to the senior center by next week.

Raffle tickets for the Westland Rotary Club Fund Raiser were offered for $20.00. The prize is a private box at the June 22, 2024, Tiger Baseball game. Claude has the tickets for those wanting one. 

Volunteers are needed at the Passport to Safety event on June 8, 2024, 10:00 – 2:00 PM. There will be 10 safety stations featured at the Livonia Police & Fire Stations at the Livonia Civic Center. Find event information HERE. Volunteer and enjoy the children learning to be safe.  Volunteer signup information is HERE.

Thank you letters were received from Janice Newsome Memorial Scholarship awardees Hannah Woods and Ava Bell. Their letters were read out loud, and their thoughtful comments meant a lot to the members. A thank you letter was also received from Shelter Box USA (A Rotary International’s Project Partner) for the club donation of $6,000 to their Shelter Box Project. As a result, the club was awarded a “Hero Award.” Our Club is now listed at ShelterBoxUSa.org/HERO.

The Livonia Symphony Orchestra also sent a heartfelt thank you letter for the club’s continued support. Victoria Haltom, Susan Paluchniak, Larry Stephens, and Claude Kendrick reported on the concert they attended and remarked on how enjoyable it was. They encouraged all to attend. 

Career Day at Clarenceville was a success. Reverend Dave participated as one of the career vendors featuring religious service. He stated that the event was well-organized and impactful for the students. 

The Livonia Noon Club Wine Pull event was attended by Claude and Reverend Dave. There was a fun-filled description of the event, the raffle tickets, and the wine that each of the members who went won.

The Livonia AM Rotary Carnival event was approved by the Livonia City Council. Applause was heard from the news. ​

The Braille Enhanced Story Walk follow-up: Sharon Pommerville reported on her follow up efforts on the vandalism of stanchions along the walk behind the library. She reminded the club that LAMR installed the braille enhanced “Story Walk,” in 2018 within the Nature Nook Area behind the library. The project was a group project with Michael Sas, an Eagle Scout and Seedling Braille Books for Children.

The project was championed by the past club president, Jeff Adams. Karen Smith, a librarian, informed Sharon that the stanchions were damaged last October, and they have not been able to post a story since then. The city is looking into installing video security cameras in the area. Prices are being solicited for their replacement. 

SOUL was the featured service organization presented at the meeting. Ginger B Wiechers, the founder explained that SOUL stands for “Source of Universal Love.”

The 501(c) (3) has operated for 20 years. They have a resource center at 23030 Mooney St., Suite A, Farmington, MI 48332. They do estate sales as part of their funding method. They are also on Amazon Wish List. They provide help to those in need with furniture, connections to rides to work, food, education, and counseling. SOUL gets referrals through several churches. They also provide help to pets of their clients.

Ginger gave an example of one of the individuals they are assisting. This young man was referred to them after his Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His father is already deceased, and the teenage boy is struggling to run the house and pay medical bills. They are supporting him both with counseling and physical assistance. Ginger pointed out that they are oftentimes helping families deal with the end of life of a loved one.

She asked us, “Do you have your life in order?" Have you documented your intentions for those you are leaving? Do you live today as if it is at the end of life?” She suggested we listen to Mathew West song “What If.” Russell Bisinger testified on how helpful the organization is to families and individuals that hit an unforeseen setback. They currently help around 1000 to 1200 families. They are always in need of toilet paper, diapers, laundry soap, small appliances. More information is available at their website sourceofuniversallove.com or call (248)957-6078.

Nancy Darga

Livonia Civic Chorus Concert

May 19, 2024

The Livonia Civic Chorus Event was very well choreographed and produced. All the songs were songs that were Hits in their own time! I could sing along to every one of them. The theme was “I write the songs”. Basically, meaning the songwriters were singers as well. Larry Stephens, Victoria Haltom, and President-Elect David Stechholz (with son Andrew and wife Janet) are all members of this finely tuned Chorus. They sang 17 songs.

The directors, Jeff and Kimberly Swan are finishing up their last year as leaders of this busy Chorus. Honorable mention to the Five musicians that played along side them. This was a real treat to attend!

Claude Kendrick

Clarenceville High School - Career Day

May 17, 2024

I represented our LAMR. It was from 12:30 to 2:30, with four half-hour sessions. Mine were smaller because youth don’t think in terms of “Professional Church Work Careers” till their college years. Nevertheless, I had nine interested young people during each of my four sessions - 1, 1, 4, and 3, all well-mannered. The four boys were a riot.

Paul Shepich mentioned in passing our LAMR’s $30,000 cooler project, which one of the senior staff called hugely “transformational” for Clarenceville. With great thanks to LAMR!!

I got a few pictures. I was in Mrs. Adam’s Science Classroom. I met a couple of the 25 or to presenters. Many careers were featured. This is a truly fine program. Bravo, Clarenceville!

Rev. David Stechholz

Awareness of Human Trafficking

May 15, 2024

Would you believe it? 22 members were in attendance, including 3 Zoomers and 19 “live,” including four guests: Rev. Chad Parmalee and Russ Bissinger (invited again by this scribe), Trey Greene (who noted his brother Greg’s absence!), and today’s speaker, Therese Maggioncaldra, who was the Program Chair of DisCon 2024 (District 6400's Annual Conference). LAMR President Claude Kendrick chaired another great LAMR Meeting, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance and Words of Inspiration on supporters by Victoria Haltom. Tammy Bonifield did the rounds for “Happy Bucks.” Tammy also presented everyone with a beautifully decorated Rotary cupcake (tasty!!) to celebrate our Livonia A.M. Rotary Club’s 36th birthday on May 17th. Thanks, Tammy! It was noted that the Club did a great job on our first “Adopt-a-Road” clean-up project on Five Mile Rd. on Saturday, May 11th, with excellent Churchill Interact participation. 

Upcoming Events: 



Passport to Safety - Saturday, June 8th, 10:00-2:00 PM; volunteers come at 9:15 AM to the Livonia Police Station, a service project to help our children, youth, & families.

LAMR Evening Picnic at Rotary Park - Wednesday, June 12th, 5:00-ish, Rotary Park, Pavilion #1. More details to follow. Many thanks to Pat Zucal for arranging this!

LAMR Annual Installation Party at Tammy Binofield's lake cottage in the Irish Hills - Saturday, June 15th, 1:00 PM or when you arrive. Bring swimsuits. Golfers, come in the morning; non-golfer spouses can hang out with Tammy. Bring a bottle and a dish to pass. An added treat: District Governor-Elect Dr. Nick Krayacich, Rotary’s first-ever “First Gentleman” and husband of PRIP Jennifer Jones, will install President-Elect Dave Stechholz and other Club officers around 5:00 PM.



Clarenceville High School Cooler Project:

President Claude announced three big checks have come in for our “Cooler Project” at Clarenceville HS. We are under $4,000 toward meeting our goal of raising $30,000. Keep making an “ask,” and thanks to all who have participated, donated, or made an “ask.” 

Awareness of Human Trafficking:

Therese Maggioncaldra, our Speaker and President-elect of the Passport-to-Safety Club, did an outstanding job presenting on a difficult subject: Human Trafficking. Therese is a gerontology social worker and is involved with our own Erin Dobbins in Rotary’s peace initiatives (one of the seven areas of focus in Rotary). Sadly, human trafficking occurs right here in SE Michigan and worldwide. People, often youth and children, who have been caught up in this trafficking have been lured into a horrible life of bondage or servitude. Human trafficking includes labor trafficking, domestic servitude, debt bondage, and, notably, sex trafficking. It is dehumanizing. “Human trafficking” is the second largest criminal enterprise, second only to drug trafficking. What makes it human trafficking?: fraud, coercion, force, and lack of consent.

Therese showed a compelling video of young people, especially those who were caught up in “human trafficking” against their will. Often, they trusted someone who drugged them or suddenly took advantage of them in a vulnerable state. We were encouraged to report to the police any instances we may see of what might be human trafficking; the police will at least investigate and, in many cases, rescue an individual who has been forced into human trafficking. This was an engaging program, so we closed without our usual Rotary Four Way Test and Greg Greene jokes.

Rev. David Stechholz

Adopt-A-Road Cleanup Day

May 11, 2024

Livonia AM Rotary Is In Road Cleanup Mode!

On April 27th, the Rotary Club of Livonia A.M. held its very first road cleanup event.

LAMR recently “adopted” Five Mile Road from Farmington to Merriman through the Wayne County, Adopt-A-Road program.

The adoption responsibility involves 3 cleanup events a year where litter is picked up and bagged.

This inaugural event, which involved 15 LAMR club members, Churchill Interact club members, and friends, was held at Nehasil Park.

Participants met for coffee, orange juice, and donuts, organized, and socialized under the club's gazebo.

Policing both sides of the street and the median strip, the group split into two teams, one on each side, and did the job in a little over an hour.

Everyone met back at the gathering point, the beautiful Larry Nehasil Memorial Park.

Thank you to the LAMR club cleanup committee, Susan Paluchniak, John Clay, Steve Alexander, and Eric Ladwig.

Next cleanup event in July - Please stay tuned.

Greg Greene

Livonia First Citizen 2024 - Holli Kerkhof

May 08, 2024

Our meeting opened with a Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance led by Bob Carris, dressed in his prince outfit and hat from his time in Cameroon.

Russell Biesinger, a guest of Reverent Dave Stechholz, was visiting our club. Welcome, Russell, we hope to see you again at our club.

President Claude Kendrick asked members who attended the District Assembly on April 27th in Windsor for feedback. Tammy Bonifield said she had a lot of people in her workshop for club treasurers. There was also a workshop that dealt with ''why people come to the club and why they stay there". It was brought up that there was a lot of material on the main Rotary.org site. Scroll to the learning center to access this information. It was discussed that each club is expected to raise $1400 this year towards the Polio Eradication effort. Our club exceeded that amount last year because of the spaghetti dinner this past Fall.

District Conference in Grand Rapids, May 3rd-5th was summarized by Tammy. She also mentioned that our Club won the Dick Hedke Award for "Membership." Tammy said that's because we care about our members. Nancy Darga summed up the event as standing on a beach with waves of information floating over your feet with groups of neighbors all over the world to help you. Dave mentioned that our club had 11 members in attendance, more than any other of the 54 District clubs.

Shirt Embroidering: Bob Carris reminded members that he will be taking shirts to be embroidered with our Club logo next week after the meeting on May 15th. Bring the shirts to our next meeting along with $13.50 for the embroidering fee. 

Adopt A Road Cleanup: This Saturday at 8:00 AM. Meet at the Senior Center. Donuts, coffee, juice, and water will be provided. Please bring your own gloves. Grabbers to assist in picking up trash will be provided.

Livonia First Citizen 2024 - Holli Kerkhof:

The speaker for our meeting was Holli Kerkhof, Livonia First Citizen 2024. Holli is quoted as saying, "It seems like one thing always leads to another. So many groups have needs, and I like to get my hands dirty and help them if I can."

Holli works at Community Choice Credit Union, which focuses on doing projects for the community that feed her need to help people and causes.

She is a member of the Livonia Rotary (Noon) Club, Livonia Lions, and the PTA. She recently took a vacation day to do a taco day at her son's school for the teachers and support staff.



Holli goes to Chamber of Commerce meetings for her job but it also connects her to other groups. Farmington Cares is another organization that she's involved with. Cares supports 8 communities surrounding Farmington that are in need of everyday necessities due to insufficient financial resources. Cares gives monthly food assistance to 700 families. These families "shop" for food by appointment. They can pick out what they want in the store and then go through a checkout line, just like a regular grocery store. This way, if kids go with parents, they don't know the food comes at no cost to parents.

Holli's giving shows other ways, too. When she bought Flower cards that gave away a free arrangement each month, she bought two cards so she could give someone a free flower arrangement just because. 

Community Choice Credit Union offers free credit counseling to help couples get into a home. The credit union also provides student backpacks and teacher boxes full of supplies. The credit Union stresses members volunteering for nonprofits. It appears that Holli has found a perfect place to work and volunteer, a place to get her hands "dirty" and help the community. 

Susan Paluchniak

District 6400 Convention 2024

May 3rd - May 5th, 2024

Rotary District 6400 Convention 2024, Amway Grand Plaza Grand Rapids, Michigan

Our Livonia A.M. Rotary Club came in big numbers and with our soccer balls. A shout-out to Tammy Bonifield, Sharon Pommerville, and Bob Carris. The LAMR trademark 4-Way-Test soccer ball Dudes!

Along with the three members mentioned above, our attendees included Susan Paluchniak, Victoria Haltom, Mike Ladwig, Dave Stechholz, Claude Kendrick (and Jeanne), Nancy Darga, and Erin Dobbins. 11 of us, more than any other of the 54 District 6400 Rotary clubs!

Friday, May 3rd, morning and afternoon was the District 6400 Conference Service Project –environmental focus – at Blandford Nature Center.

Tammy Bonifield at the morning project of removing invasive plants Dave Stechholz at the afternoon project of re-mulching of the outdoor Summer Camp “classroom”.

A way cool place to meet – the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel (two towers).

Club Presidents Claude Kendrick (Livonia A.M.) and Jon Wenstromm (Livonia Noon).

Outstanding, world-class speakers, presenters, and leaders – including PRIP Jennifer Jones, & her husband, DGE Dr. Nick Krayacich; DG Russ Jones; PRIP Ian Riseley from Australia; and many, many more!!

How many of these Past District Governors and others in the pictures do you know?

And our own Club heroes at the mic!

President Claude, toasting & chairing introductions. Erin Dobbins (with Marcia Lane, Chelsea Rotary), presenting on Peace & Conflict Resolution. Tammy Bonifield & Erin were also at the mic on Sunday morning, leading the Program of Remembrance.

Our Club’s DisCon participants

Our LAMR was a winner of the Dick Hedke Rotary “Membership" Award, (presented by DGE Nick & DG Russ).

We were very glad to represent our Livonia A.M. Rotary Club. We invite you all next year to celebrate DisCon 2025 at St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario.

David Stechholz

Livonia Prayer Breakfast

May 02, 2024

Club members Pat Zucal, Dave Burton, President Claude Kendrick, and Rev. David Stechholz joined 450+ guests and enjoyed a wonderful morning at the 50th Livonia Community Prayer Breakfast, which featured Chuck Gaidica.

Club Assembly

May 01, 2024

So Many Guests it Felt Like a Party

So many guests attended that it felt like a party instead of a meeting. Guest included Bill Joyner (Friday Musings), Charlie Mahoney (Livonia Symphony Orchestra), Nancy and Gary Reisten (invited guest from Bob Carris and Larry Stephens), Samantha Lewis and Carolyn Lewis (artists Claude Kendrick met at Friends of Livonia Art), John Larkin (Livonia Rotary noon club), John Goci (Heritage Bakery). There were 16 in person and 5 "Zoomers” in attendance. 

Invocation: Bob Carris gave our invocation, asking us to pray for our club members and friends who are struggling. 

Happy Bucks: Tammy Bonifield, who explained to our guests that we donate to the club $1.00 in celebration of something we are happy about. 

Clarenceville Cooler Project Receives Large Donation: Bill Joyner presented the Livonia AM Rotary Cooler Project with a $10,000 grant from the Hardy Family Trust for Clarenceville High School. Both Bill Joyner and Charlie Mahoney sit on the Board and were in attendance to issue the award. John Goci, from Heritage Bakery, announced that 50% of the donut proceeds sold on Monday, May 6, 2024, will go to the Clarenceville Cooler Project. This announcement received a round of applause, followed by a conversation on how to get the word out. 

Friends of Livonia Arts: Bill Joyner thanked the club for our sponsorship of the Friends of Livonia Arts event on April 25, 2024, at Mama Mia’s Restaurant. It was the first “Meet and Greet Assembly” of all of the arts groups in Livonia. The club wanted to network with these community groups. Their outreach in the community aligns on many levels, and the Livonia AM Rotary Club is proud to contribute to their efforts. 

Livonia AM Rotary nominated to Livonia Hall of Fame: Bill Joyner reported that the Livonia AM Rotary is being nominated to the Livonia Hall of Fame. All attendees, including the “Zoomers, “cheered loudly in support.

Membership Committee: Mike Ladwig welcomed all of the guests. He explained 

that the normal procedure is for potential members to attend three meetings and then ask to join. Mike thanked the members who invited guests to learn about Rotary. He stated that every month should be “Invite a Guest” month. 

Giving Committee: Bill Friske reported that the Giving Committee met on April 15, 2024, and after reviewing the applications, the following recommendations were made. 

1. All for One $1,000​
2. AAA Pregnancy $2,000
3. Livonia Symphony $2,000
4. Teacher Training Livonia School District $525

Tammy Bonifield moved for approval; Nancy Darga seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved. 

Special Thanks from the Livonia Symphony: Charlie Mahoney thanked the club for our continued support of the Livonia Symphony. It was pointed out that the LSO is a legacy group. Charlie pointed out that the continued support is vital to the success of the Symphony. 

Grant Committee Report (GC): Erin Dobbins stated that the club voted to join in a collaborative grant spearheaded by the Windsor Roseland Club to buy incubators for Ghana. The funding strategy is to raise the needed $9,000. The four collaborating clubs will donate $1,000 each, and Kim Spiro from Windsor Roseland is personally donating $1,000.  Nancy Darga asked for an update on the ultrasound machine we bought for Dr. Stanley to take to Cameroon. Bob Carris stated that he is still trying to find someone to take over the machine now that Dr. Stanley has passed away. This person must also be willing to train the users. 

Adopt-A-Road Project: Greg Greene reported that the clean-up day is scheduled for May 11, 2024, at 9:00 AM. Volunteers are to report to the Senior Center at 9:00 AM. There will be a tent set up with water and safety vests. 

Passport to Safety Event: Will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2024, from 10:00 to 2:00 PM. Our club would help direct foot traffic. Volunteers are to report at 9:15 at the police station on Five Mile and Farmington Road. This youth-aligned event has children pick up a passport book and go to different stations to get their passports stamped, featuring different safety careers. 

The Lions Meal Packing Event: This will be held at Madonna University on the same day as the Passport to Safety Event, Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 9:00 AM.

Livonia AM Rotary's Annual Installation Gathering: Will be held on June 1, 2024, at Tammy Bonifield's cottage, 180 E. Shore Drive, Onsted, MI. The gathering starts at noon, with the program at 3:00 pm. Bring a dish. 

Touch a Truck August 24, 2024: There were 8,200 participants in 2023. A need for additional parking is prompting a look at the feasibility of providing off-site parking with shuttle service. Bob Carris will report back with their findings. 

LAMR's Community Meal Packing: October 12, 2024, at St. Edith's Church in Livonia. Mike Ladwig is the fund-raising chair of the event, and the Livonia AM Rotary Club is the organizing club. The goal is to pack 50,000 meals. ​

Happy Birthday, Victoria Haltom! 

Nancy Darga

You Gotta Have Art Party

April 25, 2024

The "You Gotta Have Art Party" sponsorship was a way for the Livonia AM Rotary Club to connect to the art community. The Jaycees, LSO, Friends of Livonia Arts (FOLA), three elected officials, and, of course, the organizer, Friday Musings, Bill Joyner, were present as well. We networked with actors, painters, puppeteers, musicians, and sculptors.

I was asked to present (FOLA) with a check. Of course, I invited everyone in the room to our Wednesday morning meetings at 7:30 a.m.

I want to thank the following Rotarians for their support and attendance: Nancy Darga, Erin Dobbins, Mike Ladwig, Steve Alexander, and Sharon Pommerville.

Claude Kendrick

The Rotary Foundation

April 24, 2024

The Sheriff is Back in Town

Much to the delight of the club members, Sharon Pommerville, Sargeant of

Arms attended the meeting in person after a long convalescence period from surgery to repair a broken shoulder from a fall this past winter. Folks were so happy that everyone donated a “Happy Buck” to celebrate Sharon's attendance.

The Invocation was from Larry Stephens.

Bring a Friend: Russell Parmalee, a former member of the Livonia (Noon) Club, was welcomed to the meeting. He was invited by both Rev. Dave Stechholz and Erin Dobbins. Carnival Update: Susan Paluchniak reported that the Livonia City Council will be voting on approving the carnival at its next meeting.

Livonia AM Rotary Road Clean Up is scheduled for May 11, 2024, along Five Mile Road. Greg Greene will give details on where to meet, the time, and to pass out equipment.

The Rotary Club of Canton is sponsoring a special dinner at On the Border, 21091 Haggerty Road, on May 9, 2024. The price is $20.00. Members of the club were encouraged to attend to support the Canton Club.

In support of the Arts, the Livonia AM Rotary Club donated $500 to Bill Joyner’s “You Gotta Have Art Party,” a meet-up for Livonia artists. All artists are invited to attend: painters, writers, dancers, performers, photographers, and graphic artists. Steve Alexander, Nancy Darga, Sharon Pommerville, and Mike Ladwig will attend. Claude Kendrick, President of the Club, will present a giant check at the event on Thursday, April 25, 2024, from 6 to 8 at Mama Mia’s Livonia.

The “Special Speaker” was Rick Caron, the Past District Governor 6400 and a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918). Rick started his presentation by explaining that,

“The Success of The Rotary Foundation is the Foundation of Rotary’s Success.”

Rotary is comprised of three parts: Individual Clubs, Rotary International,

and the Rotary Foundation. All three components work together to make lasting change.



The Rotary Foundation uses gifts for service projects. In the past 100 years, it has funded more than 4 billion in life-changing, sustainable projects.

To be eligible for The Rotary Foundation Grants, a club needs to raise $100 per capita for the annual fund. Rick gave us an example of a project his club did in Ghana. The village has been suffering from waterborne diseases because people use water from the same source they bathe in and dump in. His club drilled a well, set up a pump, and taught the locals how to maintain it, repair it, and keep spare parts on hand. The water sanitation global grant in 2019 built over 200 wells and reached 25,000 people.

Rick encouraged the club to take donations to the Foundation seriously because it means much to the world.

Nancy Darga

Kids Coalition Against Hunger

April 17, 2024

A Fantastic Regular Rotary Meeting

LAMR President Claude Kendrick chaired a great, action-packed LAMR Meeting, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation by Mike Ladwig. Tammy Bonifield presided over a big haul of “Happy Bucks.” 15 LAMR Rotarians and 3 guests (Mitsy Morris, Livonia Democratic Club; Patrick McNally, Clarenceville Engagement Coordinator; and Matt Collins, Livonia Lions & Past Livonia District Governor) were present “live,” and 3 “also alive Zoomers.” A crowd of 21, total! It’s still “Bring A Friend to Rotary” Month. Announcements: Greg Greene noted that Saturday, May 11th, 9-11 is our “Adopt-a-Road” project on Five Mile; park at the Senior Center. Dave Burton affirmed that Thursday, May 2nd is National Day of Prayer, with the 50th Anniversary Year Livonia Prayer Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cultural Center on Merriman, north of Six Mile Road, and with a member and his son doing the Scripture readings. 

Clarenceville High School

Our first and briefer speaker was Patrick McNally. Patrick introduced himself and mentioned two events coming up at Clarenceville High School: Friday, May 17th, Career Opportunities Day presentations for career awareness, and May 29th, an end-of-the-year event. Rotarians are welcome to these. To volunteer or find out more information, you may contact Patrick at Patrick.McNally@Clarencevilleschools.org. He also noted that as Engagement Coordinator for community outreach and under his watch, absenteeism at Clarenceville has had a 20% improvement this past year. Our LAMR is also looking into the possibility of starting an Interact Club at Clarenceville.

 Matt Collins and Kids Coalition Against Hunger

Our old friend and distinguished partner in Livonia community service, Matt Collins, thanked our Livonia A.M. Rotary Club for outstanding collaborative service in our city and world. Matt is “Lions-through-and-through,” having served many years as Livonia Lions Club President and recently as the Lions District Governor for their district. Matt mentioned the upcoming Kids Coalition Against Hunger (KCAH) meal-packing events, to which we can or are joining in:

Saturday, June 8th (Lions-sponsored), noting that we also, as the LAMR club, are doing Passport-to-Safety on the same date, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the LPD and Livonia Fire Dept. parking lots. Maybe some can do both!

Saturday, October 12th (LAMR-sponsored) KCAH meal packing event at St. Edith’s RCC gym, 9:00-11:30 a.m. Matt noted that in the decade-plus of our KCAH meal-packing events in Livonia, we are approaching the half-million meals mark!

Matt mentioned projects we have also done together (Lions and Rotary) in addition to KCAH, including Sleep-in-Heavenly-Peace (bed building for children) and during COVID the candy and flower distributions at St. Mary-Mercy Hospital (now Trinity Health) for nurses and other health workers. The Lions have been known for their service in providing eyeglasses, sending eyeglasses (including sunglasses) to MOST Ministries (in Ann Arbor) and Seedlings Braille Books for Children (in Livonia). Matt noted that the Lions would be doing diabetic-retinopathy screening at the Livonia Spree, and volunteer screeners would be needed. Lion Matt especially spoke about Diabetic Retinopathy, an eye condition that can cause vision loss and blindness in people who have diabetes and a completely preventable disease. Livonia Lion Daniel Rathbun has gotten a grant to study this disease. Matt suggested that vision screening could be done at the Touch-A-Truck (pending Interact Club approval). They have an ambulance and trailer to take D-R screening on the road. What a project! In short, Matt applauded our efforts to work together to help build a better Livonia.

We closed with the Rotary Four Way Test, but no Greg Greene jokes.

- Dave Stechholz

P.S. Tickets to the Livonia Civic Chorus “I Write the Songs” Spring Concert on Sunday, May 19th 3:00 p.m. at Stevenson High School Auditorium are available from Larry Stephen, Victoria Haltom, or Dave Stechholz. ($15 per adult).

Rotary's First First Gentleman: Nick Krayacich

Nick Krayacich, spouse of 2022-23 RI President Jennifer Jones, sat for an interview about his experience as Rotary's first first gentleman. Nick shared some of his memorable stories on a recent Rotary Magazine podcast episode. Listen to Nick's story and many others at on.rotary.org/podcas

All For One

April 10, 2024

We had two guests at our meeting this morning, one by Zoom, Brian Morgan, and the other, in person, Tristen Bonifield.  Welcome!

The speaker for today was Ishmail Terry with All for One located in Detroit. Their mission is to empower individuals and communities to reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens.

Our work stems from the growing need to empower those trapped in the cycle of poverty by providing educational tools, mentors, and community-building projects we inspire and present pathways out of poverty.

The non-profit started in High Schools in poverty areas with mentors working with kids, molding them into students. They teach the kids financial skills and knowledge of banks. If you don't have a checking account, getting paid for your work is difficult. The mentors also present

financial programs for the students. 

The program takes place in High Schools, using mentors and school staff during their prep periods. They currently offer a $2,000 scholarship if a student goes into education.

Another aspect of the program is improving the areas surrounding the schools and in the community. All for One has worked on developing parks/playgrounds in those areas using the Kaboom playground group. They want the students to have good recreational facilities. 

They have recently made improvements to two city parks in Detroit including the Ida W Jones Park with the help of area students and volunteers. Other programs are expanding such as Urban Farms. 

The group has received many awards such as Brightest Star and has been recognized by PBS and United Way.

Ishmail's main focus was to ask our club to donate money to reach the goal of getting 850 new bikes for low income students in Redford, Detroit Cody Rouge, and Dickinson Educational area. These bikes will be given out on June 7th.

Susan Paluchniak

Club Donation for RYLA Weekend

April 03, 2024

Livonia AM Rotary is sending (5) student to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA).

RYLA is an intensive training program that brings together our youth, ages 14-18, to further develop character, leadership skills and to learn about Rotary. 

RYLA 2024 will be on April 19-21, 2024 at beautiful Camp Copneconic in Fenton, MI. This program will focus on building the foundation for young leaders, and giving them the tools to find their own leadership ability and the confidence to go out and make positive change happen in their communities.

Club member Eric Ladwig has graciously donated (14) boxes of essential "snacks" for the students. The club has thrown in (9) cases of water.

Club Assembly

April 03, 2024

High Energy Meeting

President Claude Kenrick opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Twelve members participated in person and five Zoomed in.

Invocation was given by Reverend Dave Stechholz by Zoom from Chicago.

Happy Bucks was handled by Tammy Bonifield.

Erin Dobbins thanked the club for publishing the flyer for the “Take Action for Peace,” a session being held on April 13, 2024, by Zoom. She pointed out that Rotary International felt the current discord across the world warranted a focused effort to foster peace.

Claude Kendrick reported about a special day his fraternity held with the Big Brothers and Sisters Organization in Detroit, whose mission is to ignite the potential in all youth through mentorship. They have supported over 47,000 youth since 1974. More than 175 kids are currently on a waitlist to participate in the programs. Claude’s fraternity held two workshops at a repurposed school in which the organization operates from, with the kids who are on the waitlist. One workshop was titled “What do you want to do”. They also played flag football with the youth. From Claude’s description of the activities, you could tell he was greatly touched by being with the kids.

President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) by Reverend Dave Stechholz. A slide show presented on the PETS training indicated there were over 450 in attendance, including Jennifer Jones, from Rotary International (RI), and representatives from 7 Rotary Districts. The Livonia AM Rotary Team sold 57 soccer balls and received a shout-out for their efforts. The Rotary International theme for 2024-2025 is “The Magic of Rotary.” They have outlined seven areas of focus: Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Saving Mothers and Children, Supporting Education, Growing Local Economies, Protecting the Environment, and Polio Eradication. The theme for District 6400 is “Be the One,” this coming year. It was pointed out that LAMR will mimic District 6400 and RI goals about the seven areas of focus, but also include Rotary Public Image, Youth Exchange, and the Peace Initiative.

The training ended with Jennifer Jones giving what Reverend Dave described as a knockout, home run pep-talk. The smiling pictures of Reverend Dave and other PET participants showed a high-energy experience that greatly inspired our next President on what we can achieve as a club.

It was pointed out that we need to identify the next President after Reverend Dave.

Committee Report and Votes

Fund Raising Committee reported that they are looking for a program to replace the carnival when that event is no longer available. We have benefitted greatly from it but the last few years have indicated how vulnerable it is to being discontinued. The Committee proposed a Bowling Event coupled with a silent auction. It was suggested to enlist a celebrity and the Professional Bowling Association.

The Membership Committee pointed out that we need to attract young people to the club. Victoria Haltom suggested we invite young entrepreneurs to speak at the club meetings to attract young people’s awareness. Her suggestion received support.

Mike Ladwig reported that he has 3 months of speakers lined up. The members clapped and cheered Mike for doing an amazing job enlisting speakers. In his not-so-humble manner, Mike stood up and took a regal bow in which the group clapped even louder.

Progress on the Touch A Truck Event was given by Bob Carris and Bill Friske. The TAT organizing committee held its first meeting this past Monday. There were 11 Interact students in attendance and they presented a very detailed and impressive spreadsheet. Currently, there are 40 students enrolled in the Churchill Interact Club and they have created teams to work on different facets of the event. The spreadsheet was improved since last year, containing information and comparative data from past Touch A Truck events. Bill said it was the most sophisticated spreadsheet he

had ever seen. The kids doubled down on sponsorships and inserted useful past data.

The Giving Committee met on March 18, 2024, to review and make

recommendations for grant awards. The Committee proposed the following grant awards, Kids Coalition for Hunger, $1,000, LEAP Global Missions was paused. Friends of Livonia Arts, $ 500, Divine Mercy Academy $500. Tammy Bonifield moved to approve the awards; the motion was seconded by Mike Ladwig. The motion was unanimously approved.

The Grant Committee pointed out they need to collaborate more closely with the Giving Committee because of overlap with needing match funds. Currently, the Grant Committee is applying for two grants. They are applying for a $2,000 grant from the Rotary 6400 District Community Grant to purchase car seats for AAA Pregnancy Center. This grant requires a 50/50 match of $2,000. They are also applying for a collaborative grant from the District 6400 Collaborative Grant Program to raise money for the Clarenceville Cooler Project. Our club would need to match $1,000. A motion was made by Tammy Bonfield and seconded by Bill Friske to approve the grant applications. The motion was unanimously approved. Discussion followed about exploring developing an international project with Larry Stevens, a member, and his family Camps in Ecuador.

The Adopt A Road Team formally applied to Wayne County to sponsor a section of Five Mile between Farmington and Merriman. Greg Greene felt this was an important road section in that it is part of the proposed efforts to create a downtown for Livonia. It was also pointed out that the clean-up on the road is in line with the “Environment Focus,” of the seven focus areas of Rotary International.



Happy Birthday to Bill Fried and Greg Greene.

By Nancy Darga 

Project SMART

March 27, 2024

Our meeting started with an Invocation by Bob Carris, who asked the group to pray for his son-in-law who had a heart attack this week. (Twelve participants were in person, and 7 Zooming in online.) 

Happy Bucks by Tammy Bonifield. Rick Hart was welcomed to the meeting, the group was glad to see him in attendance. Bill Friske was particularly happy to announce he is training his nephew to take over his company for when he retires 

someday. 

Bring a Friend effort, was highlighted by Mike Ladwig. This month the club is concentrating on building membership. Mike extended an invitation to everyone to bring a friend to a meeting. 

Adopt a Road Project was reported on by Greg Greene. Greg recapped a meeting he had with the core group on this project. They selected Five Mile Road between Farmington and Merriman as the road to sponsor. They felt the planning efforts to make location a “Town Center,” made this portion of the City’s road system meaningful. The Adopt a Road Group will order a sign from Wayne County and organize a clean-up day

Special Guest: Robin Persiconi, a Livonia Rotarian, spoke about her campaign to run for 35th District Judge. She is a lifelong resident of Livonia, married, and has two daughters. She has a degree from U of M and a law degree from Wayne State University. She started a law firm 21 years ago. She pointed out that her experience in litigation made her well-suited for the judge position she is running for. 

Project SMART, a multifaceted initiative of the Rotary Action Group for Addiction and Prevention. (RAG for AP) was introduced to the club by Steve Ahles, a member of the Southgate Rotary Club. The RAP for AP is a group of Rotarians whose goal is to mobilize Rotarians to offer worldwide leadership to tackle problems as drug abuse and addiction in all its forms. RAP for Ap operates under the policies of Rotary International but is not an agency of, or is not controlled by Rotary International.

The project mobilizes Rotary Clubs in the U.S. to address opioid overuse from prevention to treatment. This program is currently running worldwide with 45 countries currently involved. Steve was reporting on the North American chapters. 

After showing several articles about the program and the staggering number of deaths from opioid overdoses, he outlined what SMART stands for regarding the program’s actions. 



1. School education and training. The “Drug Free America Program” is being introduced in schools. There has been an increase of 169% in teen deaths due to the use of fentanyl in the age groups of 14 – 18 years People are dying of overdoses, and they do not even know they are taking Fentanyl. Educating youth is patterned much like the former “Stop Smoking Campaigns.” 

2. Medicine safe disposal, Examples of how to safely dispose of medicine using activated charcoal. Education efforts to the public focus on how our water supplies are being polluted by throwing medicines in the toilets, sinks, or landfills. Rotary is currently mailing out pill disposal bottles with activated charcoal and setting up disposal kiosks. 

3. Awareness of Naloxone (common name Narcan or Kloxxado). To prevent overdose Rotarians have launched an active program to teach fellow Rotarians how to use Naloxone. This program is utilizing funds from lawsuit settlements against pharmaceutical companies. Currently Wayne County is llocating 100,000 dispensaries of Narcan.  

4. Recovery Programs are being offered in partnership with other groups. 

5. Treatment Programs use telemedicine outreach for easy access. 

In closing Steve asked that a “Project SMART Committee,” be 

established in our Rotary Club to join in the effort to curb the overuse 

of drugs. 

By Nancy Darga 

Passport to Safety

March 20, 2024

After the Pledge of Allegiance, led by LAMR President Claude Kendrick, the Invocation was given by Larry Stephens, and Happy Bucks was handled by Tammy Bonifield.

14 club members and two guests were present, 9 “live” Rotarians and five “Zoomers (also “alive”)!

A couple of our members are attending tonight’s Rotary Grants Seminar.

Bob Carris noted that 56 of our soccer balls were sold at PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar) in Kalamazoo this past weekend. Bravo to Bob, Tammy, and Bill Friske for selling those “signature” soccer balls.

Dave Stechholz, at PETS as President-Elect, affirmed that PETS was an outstanding training seminar.

On behalf of District 6400 Governor, Russ Jones, Dave presented two banners and a citation for our Club’s outstanding 100% participation in TRF (The Rotary Foundation).

Mike Ladwig, our Membership Chair, mentioned that April is our Club’s “Bring a Friend to Rotary” Month. Let’s each try to bring someone to our non-Assembly April Rotary meetings, featuring outstanding speakers, such as we had today.

Several Club members attended the annual “State of the City” Address on the first day of Spring, March 19th at Schoolcraft College’s VistaTech Center, featuring our own Club member, Mayor Maureen Brosnan. A few of us watched Maureen’s presentation on live-streaming.

In view of today’s presentation, Susan Paluchniak has graciously stepped up to be Chair of our new Passport To Safety Committee.

Passport To Safety:

Our speakers, Cheryl Bowker, an All State agent and one of the co-founders of "Passport to Safety” in 1999, and Sgt. Jayson Scarantino of the Livonia Police Dept. (LPD officer in charge of community outreach events) presented on the annual Passport to Safety event.

This event is the largest safety event in the country!! 2,000 to 5,000 attend annually. The upcoming Passport to Safety event is Saturday, June 8th, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Livonia Police Department and Livonia Fire Dept. parking lots.

The Passport to Safety event helps

families to learn safety. For example, a family got out of their burning house without loss of life because they, especially the children, were trained at a previous Passport to Safety event. Kids, ages 5-11 have fun and learn. They each get a passport and get it hole-punched as they visit 10 “learning” stations.

• Learning about proper 911 calling;
• Car safety (such as children and pets not being left in a car that can be 160 degrees on a hot Summer day) and car seat fitting;
• Bike safety (and with a free gift helmet);
• Choking and poison;
• Cell phone, phone (child predators), and internet safety;
• Water safety; and so much more.

At each station, there is a “message” for the parents and one for the kids.

Gun safety may be a future topic for consideration. The event also features K-9 Police Dog and Jaws of Life demonstrations and drawings.

Cheryl and Sgt. Jayson’s talk and slideshow were simply great, and our Club’s Giving Committee has already approved a donation, subject to Board and Club approval shortly.

We closed with the Rotary Four Way Test and Greg Greene’s corny, par-a-dox-ical jokes.

Dave Stechholz, Scribe

A Rotary Thank You!

March 18, 2024

Dear fellow members of the Livonia A.M. Rotary Club:

Thank you!   Thank you for sending me to PETS (President-Elect Training Session) this past Thursday-Saturday in Kalamazoo.  I wish every one of you could someday go to PETS.  

More later, perhaps in a Club Assembly. But for now, THANK YOU!  I have a couple of banners to present to you, our Club, this Wednesday magic morning.

Rotary blessings,

Dave Stechholz

P.S. The photo above is Laurie Pohutsky and me, attached. Laurie is the President-Elect of our sister Livonia Rotary (noon) Club.

Member Spotlight - Tim Belanger

March 13, 2024

A Week of Memorable Dates

Invocation: Mike Ladwig named his invocation “Drift”. He noted that his new car

sounds an alert when the vehicle drifts out of its lane. He thanked the Lord that when he drifts spiritually, he brings him back on course.

Fun facts: Reverend Dave Stechholz pointed out that today 3/13/2024 was “313 Day,” established to celebrate Detroit based on their telephone area code. Tomorrow 3/14 will be PI Day celebrating the mathematical constant ratio of circles circumference/ diameter which starts with the numbers 3.14 established in 1988 by the San Francisco Science Museum to inspire students nationwide. Friday 3/15, the Ides of March, the day dictator Julius Caesar was stabbed by members of his senate and Sunday 3/17 is St. Patrick’s Day to honor St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland.

Adopt A Road: Greg Greene proposed that the Livonia Rotary AM “Adopt a Road” This commitment requires picking up trash 3 times a year on a section of road chosen by the club. Wayne County provides trash bags, vests and a sign. After a discussion on how to get the Interact Kids involved a motion was made by Greg and seconded by Claude Kendrick to have Greg proceed in getting a list of road sections to adopt for the group to select. The motion passed.

Happy Birthday was sung by the club to Pat Zucal.

Touch a Job April 20, 2024: Brian Weiss thanked the Rotary Club for allowing him to use the Touch a Truck phrase for a project to introduce high schoolers to careers that do not require college degrees. The event will be held at Schoolcraft College Manufactures and Engineering Center at 13001 Merriman Rd. Livonia on April 20, 2024 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Students will get hands on introduction to several trades jobs.

Walk in Cooler Project Clarenceville High School: Special thanks were extended to Dawn Margaretta from Schoolcraft College on the announcement a the college made a $10,000 grant towards the project. Fund raising efforts continue toward the goal of raising $30,000 for the cooler.

Member Spotlight: Tim Bellanger, an Ohio State Football fan, opened his presentation by singing the

Wolverine fight song as a result of a long standing bet he made with club members that the losing party of the Michigan versus Ohio State Football Game would sing the others fight song. He paid his debt now that he was at the Rotary meeting in person. Mike Ladwig added his own rub by wearing a very obnoxious bright yellow U of M shirt with giant M’s embroidered on it. Tim an early member of the Rotary Club and former President in 2000 took the heckling with good spirit. ​

Tim pointed out that he was the son of two high school sweethearts that had him in their teens while they were both in 9th grade. This rocky beginning resulted in his parents moving 21 times due to limited financial resources. They settled in Livonia and Tim earned a scholarship at Central Michigan but decided to go to college in Ohio where his mother lived after remarrying. He worked producing sports features at a local radio station and was soon promoted to sales.

In 1987, Tim’s Dad convinced him to return to Michigan and work for a painting company he started doing sales. The company evolved in doing “Construction Management,” specializing in medical facilities that require infection control on construction jobs. Ames Construction has been operating for 52 years and expanding to Pittsburgh in 2009 and expanded again in 2019 to Columbus Ohio.

He is married to Sharon and has three kids. His daughter Jesse has two children, son, Andrew, went to West Point and is currently in Germany doing air defense. Tim

plans on retiring in two years and hopes to spend more time with Rotary.

Nancy Darga