WELCOME to the newsletter of the Rotary Club of Livonia AM. Our club meets weekly to socialize, discuss the needs of our community and the world around us, and take action to address those needs. Please consider visiting our club or joining us on a service project.

All Are Welcome!

Meeting Notice and Club News

Garfield Skill Center

March 03, 2026

Dave Burton, Drew Buatti and I toured the Garfield Skills Center today with host Principal Lauren Feigel.

The purpose of our visit was to explore options for DGE Kim Spirou’s Pollinators Garden Challenge, the location of the peace pole, and district grants.

We visited several classrooms, the new greenhouse, and two of several courtyards/garden sites.

Lauren will create a wish list asap including needs for the greenhouse and food pantry.

PE Erin Dobbins

Garfield Skill Center Photos

Member News

Club Assembly

March 04, 2026

13 members of our Livonia A.M. Rotary Club, plus two guests, Trey Greene and Michelle White, a guest of Erin Dobbins, plus two zoomers, Claude Kendrick and Greg Greene, joined together on our Club Assembly day at the Livonia Senior Wellness Center. After the Pledge of Allegiance, led by President Nancy Darga, and an Invocation given by Greg Greene, based on Stevie Wonder’s 1976 song “Love’s In Need of Love Today,” Sharon Pommerville dutifully collected lots of happy bucks.

March is Rotary “Water and Sanitation” Month. President Nancy shared about Rotary avenues of service. The Club was happy to see Tammy Bonifield present, safely back from Cancun. Bill Friske showed off the new LAMR soccer balls.

This was followed by a host of cool announcements and comments:

• RYLA is May 15–17 at Camp Copneconic, Fenton. We will help the Stevenson Interact Club, as well as the Churchill Interact Club and Clarenceville H.S., in sending students to RYLA for leadership development.

• In our City of Livonia, there will be a July 8th gathering at Greenmead in celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States (July 4th, 1776). This includes a reading of the Declaration of Independence and an Apple Pie Bake-off. Dress in period costumes.

• Pat Zucal shared that the Spring Carnival (our big fundraiser) is tentatively set at the Sears parking lot again this year for May 21–31.

• Wayne Kinney reported on the Livonia Spree and our June 26th Wine-Tasting fundraiser with the Livonia (Noon) Rotary Club.

Perhaps we can talk singer Greg into a rousing vocal rendition of “Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes,” or something more mod.

• Karl Peter’s Retirement Celebration will be held in The Commons at the LSWC on Wednesday, March 18th, 1–3 p.m. See below.*

• Erin Dobbins discussed the recent Pollinator Project meeting at the Livonia Public Schools Garfield Skills Center. This sounds very promising, with the possibility of getting the Rotary peace poll added into a redesigned garden.

• Bob Carris reported that Rotary tee-shirts are available for $10. One can also get an embroidered polo shirt for $13, but you need to furnish the polo shirt.

• A new Rotary club is being chartered on Wednesday evening, March 25th, Rotray Club of Riverview. So far, Tammy, Bill, and Nancy from our Club will be attending.

• District Assembly: Mark the date, Saturday morning, April 18th, at the Plymouth Cultural Center. So far, the following are attending: Greg, Wayne, Claude, Victoria, Susan, Dave S., Tom, Bill, Erin, Sharon, Tammy, and Nancy.

• District Conference in Frankenmuth, with the following so far attending: Bill, Erin, Tammy, Nancy, Sharon, and Bob.

*The Club unanimously approved using our Rotary Foundation “points” for a Paul Harris Fellowship in honor of Karl Peters, retiring Director of the Senior Center, to be given at a Club meeting. Included will be a $50 English Gardens gift card.

After some real groaners by “joke meister” Greg Greene, we closed the meeting with reciting the “Four-Way Test.”

From scribe, Dave Stechholz.

Upcoming Club Meetings

03/11/2026 - PDG Russ Jones, Rotary Foundation, Invocation by Mike Ladwig.

03/18/2026 - Maureen Brosnan, Mayor of the City of Livonia, Invocation by Victoria Haltom.

03/25/2026 - Bill Craig, President, Holliday Nature Preserve Association, Invocation by Rev. David Stechholz.

04/01/2026 - Club Assembly

Join Us

VISIT OUR CLUB IN PERSON

We meet at the

Livonia Recreation Center

32001 Five Mile Road

Livonia, MI 48154

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

ALL are Welcome!

Visitors and friends are welcome to sign on and participate with our meeting on ZOOM.

Please introduce yourself to the
group when recognized at the
start of the meeting.

Upcoming Events

03/19/2026 - President-Elect Learning Seminar (PELS), March 19-21, 2026, Kalamazoo Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Register HERE.

03/25/2026 - District 6400's Newest Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Riverview's - Charter Ceremony Celebration, at Arnaldo's Baquet Center, 6:00 PM, RSVP by March 18th to Andrew Swift, Club President, aswift@cityofriverview.com.

04/18/2026 - District Assembly, Plymouth Cultural Center, 8:00 - 12:00 PM, $35, Registration Details to Follow.

05/01/2026 - District Conference at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Registration Details HERE.