Rotary Informer September 2, 2026

Rotary Club NEWSLETTER 
September 2, 2026
104 Years of Service Above Self

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Sharon Schappacher officiated this week’s meeting. 

If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter. 

Patriotic Song:  Howard Richards led us in America the Beautiful

4-Way Test:  Kassia Perpich (Done with drama and flair) A true patron of the arts!

Invocation:  Kassia Perpich

“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Kindness is just love with its work boots on!" 

~ Shelley from The House Bunny

Calendar Winners Read Off By:  Reg Smith

Calendar Winners September 2, 2026

Visiting Rotarians:  Shirley Love, Cincinnati, OH, Ginger Child Minoletti and spouse Paul from Half Moon Bay, CA; 

Guests:  Spencer Howey, PM; Steven & Nancy Keck, Speakers

Life Events:  Christine Hammond has just been approved for the new medicine that has been successful in extending the lives by a few months for some pancreatic cancer patients. Chris herself doesn’t need help but in honor of her 70^th birthday, you are encouraged to donate to PanCan which supports research for pancreatic cancer. Please keep Chris and her husband Tom in your thoughts and prayers. PanCan.org

Birthdays: 

Anniversaries:  

Jeff Leslie – 19 Years 

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards led us in Smile

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rotary Club of Petoskey Centennial Grant — Now Accepting Applications. The Rotary Club of Petoskey has launched its Centennial Grant Program, making up to $277,000 available for a bricks-and-mortar community project in Emmet County. Eligible organizations — including nonprofits, municipalities, educational institutions, and public agencies — are invited to apply. Projects must be shovel-ready and capable of completion within 12–24 months of award. This is a capital investment grant; events, programs, and operational funding are not eligible. Applications are open now through November 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET via the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation's SmartSimple grant portal. An optional Zoom information session will be held September 24 at 1 p.m. ET. Visit petoskeyrotary.org to learn more and apply.

Dr. David Finley announced that Monday was a big day at North Central Michigan College. Among other celebrations, NCMC awarded its inaugural Founders Society Award to our very own Rotarian, Chris Hammond. Congratulations, Chris!

Get ready! The Rotary Great Grocery Giveaway Raffle officially kicks off August 26.
Tickets are $25 each, and every Rotarian is asked to sell at least 10 tickets.
1st Prize: $100 a week for a year — $5,200
2nd Prize: $50 a week for a year — $2,600
3rd Prize: $25 a week for a year — $1,300
Tickets and everything you need to start selling will be available at our regular meeting on August 26. Get ready to sell! 

Monday, September 10, 2026 Petoskey Rotary’s STRIVE Program will be the featured community nonprofit at the September 10 performance of Come from Away! STRIVE will receive $1 from every concession sale, have a table in the lobby to share information about our high school mentorship program, and be recognized during the pre-show announcement. We’re looking for a few Rotarians to help staff the STRIVE table beginning at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary tickets available for volunteers. Interested in helping? Let Sharon Schappacher know! To buy tickets click on the following LINK

Rotary Youth Exchange Inbound Orientation Conference.  — We are preparing to host fourteen new exchange students this year on Friday evening, September 11th - Sunday morning, September 13th and can use your help. Here are the meals during which volunteers are most needed:

Friday Dinner, September 11th - (5PM - 7:30 PM)

Saturday Dinner, September 12th - (5 PM - 7:30 PM)

Sunday Breakfast, September 13th - (6:30 AM - 9:30 AM)

Please let me know if you might be able to assist. 

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to provide!

Mark Andresky <markandresky@gmail.com>

Saturday, September 19, 2026 Mark your calendar for our fall Rotary Roadside Cleanup! Join fellow Rotarians as we help keep our community clean and beautiful. More details, including meeting time and location, will be coming soon. Save the date and plan to lend a hand! Register here LINK

Monday, September 21, 2026 Set sail with fellow Rotarians, family, and friends for a sunset cruise aboard the Little Traverse Bay Ferry. Enjoy a relaxed evening of fellowship, great food, and beautiful views of Little Traverse Bay. Bring your spouse, a guest, or a prospective Rotarian!

$45 per person includes:
2-hour sunset cruise
Appetizers, wraps or sandwiches, and dessert
Cash bar available onboard.

Boarding: 5:30 PM | Cruise: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
101 E. Lake Street, Petoskey
Space is limited Click on the LINK to register

Good news! We’ve been approved to set up a Rotary booth at the Downtown Petoskey Holiday Open House on Friday, December 4, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. It is FREE. We’ll have a tent in Pennsylvania Park near the chamber and stage where we can sell grocery raffle tickets and can hand out cookies, cocoa, or another holiday treat. This is just a heads-up for now. I’ll announce it to the full club and put together a volunteer sign-up as we get closer. We’ll need people to staff the booth and some bakers willing to donate cookies. The timing should be great since it’s just a few weeks before the ticket sales deadline and drawing, so hopefully we can move a lot of those last tickets! Just wanted to get it on everyone’s radar and calendars. 

Member-Hosted Community Events

September 14 is a croquette challenge with the Kiwanis Club. See Andrea Koch for details.

Member Induction:  None

Paul Harris:  Dibby Smith

Member Spotlight:  None

PROGRAM:  Steve Keck–Kinchloe – Air Force Base and the Cold War

Today we were joined by Steve Keck, the Emergency Planning & Security Officer at North Central Michigan College. Steve is a Petoskey native, having graduated high school with Reg Smith in 1981. He then joined the Air Force, before returning home years later.

Steve gave a fascinating presentation on the historical presence of fighter planes in Northern Michigan. Did you know that B-52 bombers used to fly regularly over the Char-Em area and broader Upper Peninsula? This was especially the case in the 1950s - 1970s, a time when America had concerns about the potential for Russian military attacks.

Steve explained how the military determined that Russians would likely attack over the Arctic Circle, through Canada and onto the United States -- making Northern Michigan a strategic location of interest. 

He described how fighter planes, missiles, and other defense equipment were transported, stored, and used throughout Northern Michigan for national defense purposes. For example, the "Chrome Dome" mission required 10% of the Air Force fleet to be in the air at all times, so it was not uncommon for civilians to see fighter planes over Little Traverse Bay, the Straits of Mackinac, etc. Super interesting - thank you, Steve!!

Next Week’s Program: Michael Size-Dam Maintenance and Removal