Member Announcements

Member Announcements 2007: Ribbon Cuttings,
Ground Breakings and Grand Opening Celebrations

Bangor Lincoln Elementary School celebrates the opening of their new playground

A Ribbon Cutting was held Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at Bangor Lincoln Elementary School. After waiting a whole year, Bangor Lincoln Elementary School officially welcomed their new playground.

Bangor Lincoln Elementary School is home to approximately 310 students of various background and abilities. The school is a Kindergarten through fifth grade school. The playground remodeling project started in October of 2006. The equipment was outdated and several students who had physical limitations that prevented them from playing with their friends. The school designed, found funding for, and build the new playground in less than one year. There are many parents and sponsors to thank for helping raise and donating what amounted to approximately $90,000 worth of equipment, surfacing, and labor. Included in this was $25,000 from Maier and Associates, $15,000 from Ronald McDonald House, $5,000 from Strosacker Foundation, $2,500 from SC Johnson, and roughly $20,000 in labor and equipment from Clements Contracting.

After the ceremony the kids quickly lined up for a swinging good time.

Dedication of the Pinconning Nature Preserve.

Two years of hard work has finally paid off. On Tuesday, September 18th, Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy staff, board members, and volunteers, gathered with community leaders from Pinconning and Bay County to dedicate the Pinconning Nature Preserve and officially open it to the public. The weather was warm and sunny, a perfect day for a dedication that stirred many individuals from business, organizations and local communities onto the preserve to attend the dedication. For additional information, view their Press Release (PDF) or visit Saginaw Land Basin Conservancy on the web

Bay Regional Medical Center held a special dedication ceremony on September 9, 2007, for it's new Patient Services Tower.

The new Patient Services Tower is a 144,000-square-foot addition attached to the south side of the hospital. It will house the emergency Department, Cardiovascular Care Unit, Family Birthplace, a Surgery and Recovery Unit and a will provide a new home for minor Outpatient Procedures and the Outpatient Laboratory.

The new addition represents a $54 million investment in the health care of the Bay Area region by McLaren Health Care.

For more information, call 989.894.3000 or visit Bay Regional Medical Center web site.

Chamber Ambassadors help the new owners of Memory Lane celebrate their Grand
Opening on August 30, 2007.

Memory Lane celebrated its Grand Opening with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on August 30, 2007. The store is a scrapbooker's paradise with over 7,000 square feet and two floors
full of supplies and products. The store also has wireless internet access, two large screen televisions and much more.

Memory Lane owner Jamie Hurt explains, "The store has been designed with everyone in mind. We offer classes for beginner to advanced, a Sony Photo Kiosk which provides fast, high-quality prints with a user-friendly interface, and our friendly, knowledgeable staff is available to any any questions! In encourage everyone to stop in and browse our selection." For more information, please call 989.894.7973 or visit the Memory Lane website.

Newton Eyecare Center celebrates it new location and renovation on July 12, 2007.

Dr. Lee Newton's practice relocated from a 2,000 square foot facility on Center Avenue to a 5,400 facility on Wilder Rd in February, after approximately 4 months of renovations to the building that formerly housed Rush Office Outfitters. "It was definitely time for a change," Newton said. "We had long outgrown the parking at the old office and were starting to reach the physical limitations of the space. Besides, our patients deserved a more modern facility." The practice accepts new patients and is a provider on most medical and vision insurance panels. It also offers a corporate plan whereby local firms may obtain vision coverage for their employees at little or no cost. Newton Eyecare Center

The Chamber of Commerce’s 2007 Leadership Bay County class unveils Downtown Bay City Welcome sign on July 11, 2007.

The Leadership Bay County Class determined at the beginning of their class year that there is a need to assist the community with its tourism efforts. To help visitors know they’ve arrived, the class decided that a welcome sign to Downtown Bay City would be a great class project. The unique design includes three beautiful sails and a “sea wall”. The sign welcomes all to Bay City supports our incredible maritime history and the present role the riverfront plays in the community.

The class of 2007: Candace Bales, Bay City Downtown Management Board; Joni Boye-Beaman, Saginaw Valley State University; Thomas Begin, Consumers Energy; Brenda Biggs, COPOCO Community Credit Union; Chuck Brooks, Bay Area Family YMCA; Marsha Brown, Consumers Energy; LeAnn Bruzewski, Wolverine Bank; Joy Butler, Bay Arts Council; Jill Callahan, LaSalle Bank; Daniel Couveau, Independent Bank; Erin Dunkle, American Red Cross, East Shoreline Chapter; Larry Ehrlinger, Citizens Bank; Robert Loiselle, Bay Regional Medical Center; Jerome Lombardo, Bay City Public Schools; Ronald Rachwitz, Weinlander Fitzhugh; Scott Rector, Rowleys Wholesale; Jo Ellen Strieter, Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; William Tillen, Chemical Bank; and Clark Woody, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

Leadership Bay County is administered through the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Since its inception, the program has graduated nearly 425 business and community leaders. If you would like more information about joining the 2008 class in September, please contact Renee Torka with the Bay Area Chamber at 989.893.4567.