SPRING 2017
KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE
THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION OF VOLUNTEER CITIZENS PROGRAMMED WITH ACTION TO KEEP MICHIGAN BEAUTIFUL
It’s that time of year to
Clean-Up and Beautify
Keep Michigan Beautiful is in full clean up and beautification
mode as we begin our Great American Cleanup Days and
welcome in spring with our annual “Celebrate Spring” Luncheon.
As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, KMB encourages all of
you to participate in the Great American Cleanup Campaign.
Keep America Beautiful launched the Great American Cleanup
on the first day of spring, March 20, 2017, with the start of a
series of high-impact events. Local affiliates and partnering
organizations, volunteers and corporate sponsors play a key
role in the success of the Great American Cleanup.
KAB’s Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest
community improvement program, engaging more than 5
million volunteers and participants every year to create positive
change and lasting impact in local communities.
Entering its 19th year in 2017, the Great American Cleanup
offers structured service projects – experiential environment
education, organized volunteer events and employee
engagement opportunities – in more than 20,000 communities
across the country. Their volunteers’ work returns, on average,
$175 million in measurable benefits across participating
communities over the past five years. Keep America Beautiful
affiliates and participating organizations coordinate events and
programs to renew parks, trails and recreation areas; clean
shorelines and waterways; remove litter and debris; reduce
waste and increase recycling; and plant trees, flowers and
community gardens, among more than 40,000 events annually
to inspire a new generation of community stewards.
“Celebrate Spring” Luncheon
Please join KMB
at our annual
“Celebrate
Spring”
Luncheon on
April 12, 2017
at The Gazebo
located at
31104 Mound
Rd, Warren
Michigan
from 11:00
a.m. to 2:30
p.m. You will
especially enjoy
our featured
speakers, Jan Copolla Bills and Dan Welihan.
Jan is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, landscape
designer, advanced master gardener and contributing
writer for State-by-State Gardening magazine. In 2006, Jan
developed her business plan and strategy to exit corporate
America to start a boutique landscape and garden business
called Two Women and a Hoe® which provides professional
indoor/outdoor sustainable landscape and garden design,
installation, consultations and organic garden maintenance
continued on pg. 2
This year’s Great American Cleanup theme “Clean Your Block
Party” encourages all volunteers and participants to take what
they learn from experiencing a public space Great American
Cleanup event and bring it home to organize an event in their
own neighborhood, on their own block. Get the tools to launch
a cleanup event in your community and participate online using
#cleanYOURblock.
If you don’t have an affiliate near you, you can still register
your own group to participate and #cleanYOURblock by
emailing Jason Smith, Senior Director/Program Operations,
at [email protected] for more information. (Please include your
contact name, name of organization, contact information
including address, phone and email, information about your
organization, number of volunteers you anticipate, and details
about your event.)
Design by: Two Women and a Hoe®
continued from pg. 1
by certified master gardeners and landscape designers.
Jan’s book, “Late Bloomer: How to garden with Comfort,
Ease and Simplicity in the Second Half of Life” is available
on her website.
“I am a certified landscape designer, advanced master
gardener and a contributing writer who knows what
works and what doesn’t. Our gardens don’t look like other
gardens: They are low-maintenance and beautiful. After all,
they should be our love, not our labor of love”.
Jan is
available
for speaking
engagements
for garden
clubs,
symposiums,
fundraisers,
arboretums,
garden
shows, garden
centers, trade
shows and
more. Other
services
include
seasonal
container
plantings,
rain gardens
and vegetable
gardens. You
may contact
Design by: Two Women and a Hoe®
Jan, (Two
Women and a
Hoe®), at 248-891-0548, [email protected] or
visit her website at www.twowomenandahoe.com.
Dan Welihan has been
an avid photographer for
45 years and volunteers his
professional photography
services to KMB. He has
taught photography for the
last 6 years in the Northern
Michigan Area and his
photos have been published
in several books and
magazines. Dan will speak
on “Capturing the Beauty
of Michigan”. Dan’s love of photography shows vividly
through his pictures of people, unique flowers, picturesque
scenery and the outdoors in general. Jan and Dan both
really love what they do and are hands on in capturing your
ideas and vision whether it’s your landscape or seeing your
vision through the lens of a camera.
From The President…
I am happy to begin my tenure as President of Keep Michigan
Beautiful, Inc. Past-President Jim Keehn has been most
helpful in making sure I have what I need to begin the job
and Executive Committee members have been helpful in
providing the history I need to know in order to know what
needs to be done in the future.
Our first Executive Committee meeting was held January and
was held at The Breakfast Club in Brighton. Our first Board
meeting was held February 8, 2017 at Coral Gables in East
Lansing. Both meetings were productive and full of ideas for
the future of KMB.
Some things to look forward to in 2017:
• Our Celebrate Spring event will be held on April 12, 2017.
at The Gazebo Banquet Center in Warren. Our speakers
include Jan Bills who will speak on “How to Garden with
Comfort, Ease and Simplicity” and Dan Welihan who will
teach us how to “Take Great Photos of Flowers.” Plus the
Gazebo always provides a lovely lunch buffet!
• Our summer board meeting will be held in Ludington this
year. July is a great time to be in Ludington and I hope
you can join us on July 6-7 at the Best Western Lakewood
Hotel in Ludington. More details on that meeting will
be coming later on. We are pleased to have Brad and
Todd Reed, father and son, who will give a pictorial
presentation of the natural beauty of Michigan.
I look forward to seeing you at any of these events and
hope that you will stay active in the work of Keep Michigan
Beautiful.
Joanne Welihan
KMB President
2nd Annual Fresh Water Festival
June 17, 2017 marks the day of the second annual Fresh
Water Festival in Elk Rapids, Michigan. This Festival was
created to gather groups in Michigan that have water as a
common denominator. These groups each have their own
events every year. Wouldn’t it benefit each one if we all
got together on one day to present our information to the
public?
In 2016 the following groups attended; Coast Guard,
Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Sail & Power Squadron,
Maritime Heritage Alliance, Inland Seas Association. We also
had the “Gracie L”, a small schooner, on a trailer and a 14 ft.
racing sailboat on a trailer for display.
In 2017 we are expanding the Festival to include boats in
Elk Rapids Harbor flying distinctive burgees to attract people
to tour the vessels. This year’s Festival is already bigger and
better than last. Contact Jan Hartesvelt, Event Coordinator,
at 231-620-0530, or e-mail [email protected] for
more information.
2017 KMB MEMBERSHIPS
LEGACY SOCIETY
Planned & Estate Gifts
GOVERNOR’S SOCIETY @ $5,000 & UP
Children of Carol L. Tappert
Tod N. Tappert, Greenville, SC
Tara L. Tappert, PhD, Takoma Park, MD
Penny E. Sidick, Royal Oak
Wendy & Michael Shultz, Carmel, IN
Lesly & Gary Hurford, Harrison Twp.
GREAT LAKES SOCIETY @2,500 - $4999
Keep Michigan Beautiful Foundation
MICHIGAN SOCIETY @1,000 – 2,499
PENINSULA SOCIETY $500 - $999
CAPITOL SOCIETY @250 - $499
Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland,
Frankenmuth
Conaway, Brian, Southfield
Tollar, Jim & Bette, Midland
Waste Management, Southfield
MACKINAC SOCIETY $100 - $249
Bai, Richard & Helen, Grosse Pointe
Shores
Bottrell, Becky, Sault Ste Marie
City of Sault Ste Marie, Sault Ste
Marie
Country Garden Club of Northville,
Northville
Deck, Larry & Pat, Grosse Pointe Park
Deeb, Ed, Warren
Dulgerian, Mike & Marilyn,
Rochester Hills
Fischer, Henry & Sandie, Grosse Pointe
Holland Garden Club, Inc, Holand
Keene, Jim & Susan, Harrison
Township
Mabin, William & Angela, Marshall McKeown, Elsie, Farmington Hills
Men’s & Women’s Garden Club of
Grosse Pointe
MI Youth Appreciation FND, Warren
Romano, Frank & Carol, Grosse Pointe
Woods
Todd, Earl & Celia, Novi
VanDevelde, Jim & Verna, Frankenmuth
Welihan, Dan & Joanne, Cheboygan
PATRONS SOCIETY $99 and under
Alma Woman’s Club
Bloomingdale Township
Charter Twp of Clinton
Charter Twp of Harrison
City of Center Line
City of East Tawas
City of Grosse Pointe Park
Beautification Commission
City of Lathrup Village
City of Midland
City of Mt. Pleasant
City of Northville
City of Novi
City of Roseville
City of Taylor
City of Traverse City
City of Trenton
City of Walled Lake
City of Warren
City of Warren Beautification Commission
City of West Branch
Colter, Brian, Grosse Point Park
County Downs Garden Club,
Huntington Woods
Farmington Hills Beautification
Commission
Flat Rock Beautification
Commission
Franklin Branch of Women’s Natl Farm
& Garden Association
Gimpel, Christopher & Colleen, Grosse Ile
Graham, Don & Judy, Allen Park
Highland Township Beautification
Commission
Keep Allen Park Clean, Green & Beautiful
King, Cheri, Midland
Kyle, Lisa, Grosse Pointe Park
Landis, Teri, Harrison Twp
Petoskey News-Review
Plymouth Garden Club, Westland
Port Huron Branch of Women’s Natl
Farm & Garden Assoc, Franklin
Port Huron Garden Club
Prior, Kevin, Petoskey
Rochester Branch of Women’s Natl
Farm & Garden Association
Sabatini, Terri, Homer
Schmidt, Marion, Sterling Heights
Shelton, Patricia L., Farmington
Strong, William, Portage
Tokar, Renee, Gowen
Village of Columbiaville
KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE
Village of Dimondale
Village of Goodrich
Village of Merrill
Village of St. Charles
Warren Garden Club
Wyandotte Beautification Commission
INDIVIDUALS-FAMILIES
Phyllis Armour, Saginaw
Lincoln Avery, Novi
Anthony Bellomo, Mt. Clemens
Jo Marie Bondie, Dearborn
Phyllis Bothwell, Farmington Hills
Irene Bronner Frankenmuth
Richard Brooks, Pelkie
Mary Bush, Farmington
Mary Christian, Flint
Ron Colasanti, Highland
Phil D’Annunzio, Howell
Mary Daume, Monroe
Larry & Pat Deck, Grosse Pointe Park
Richard Dengate, Rochester Hills
Jan Dolan, Farmington Hills
John Duff, Belleville
Katherine Ferguson, Saranac
Jack & Pam Frucci, Grosse Ile
Suzanne Hall, Southgate
Mrs. John Hammond, Bloomfield Hills
Douglas Henry, Grosse Ile
Cheryl Herren, Saginaw
Dale & Joanne Huggler, Alpena
Ann Javoroski, Grosse Ile
Gloria Kennedy, Southfield
Dennis Knetchel, Alpena
Edurne Kowalski, Ortonville
Carol C. Kurth, Farmington Hills
Bill & Heather Lehnmann, Midland
Eleanor Leutheuser, Hillsdale
Jim Little, East Lansing
Millie Machuga, Eastpointe
David & Joy McBride, Petoskey
John McCandless, Midland
Elsie McKeown, Farmington Hills
Casimera Miller, Highland
Art Nagy, Brownstown
Dr. John & Shirley Richardson, Waterford
Jim Risher, Wayne
Todd & Jeanne Sanborn, Frankenmuth
Patricia Shelton, Farmington
2017 KMB Memberships - continued
Eloise Schubert, Alpena
Merv Simpkins, Westland
Jerry & Betty Anne Stone, Lathrup Village
Walter Sundquist, Farmington
Michael Swartz, Brighton
Pam Swiderek, Canton
Carol Tappert, Warren
Tod Tappert family, Greenville, SC
Jim & Betty Tollar, Midland
Bernard Wallis, Dearborn
Mary Walsh, Wixom
FOUNDATIONS
MI Farm & Garden FDN, Inc., Port Huron
MUNICIPALITIES
Village of Grosse Pointe Shores
Village of Mackinaw City
KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE
BUSINESS
Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth
Etkin Management Service, Southfield
McCabe Funeral Home, Farmington Hills
Silk & Morgan, Inc, Birmingham
CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS
Glens of Whitehills, East Lansing
MI Education Association, East Lansing
St. Charles High School Ecology Club
Westland Firefighters
MEMORIALS & TRIBUTES
Since its inception in 1996, Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc. (KMB) has received 191 donations through the Memorials
& Tributes Program. Memorial Plaques are created for display with a Memorial donation of $100 or more. To date, 44
Memorial Plaques have been created since 1996. KMB keeps the Memorial income in a separate fund for future use. KMB
appreciates and thanks all who have contributed to this program.
MEMORIALS
WALLY BRONNER
Jim & Verna VanDevelde
MARY CHRISTIAN
Henry & Sandie Fischer
KMB Board of Directors
JEANETTE GAY COWELS
Virginia Christiansen
Joanne Oppenheim
Douglas C. Pearson
Jim & Bette Tollar
Jim & Verna VanDevelde
CASIMERA MILLER
Lois & Paul Adams
Richard & Helen Bai
Beautification Counsel of
South East Michigan
Becky Bottrell
Larry & Pat Deck
KMB Board of Directors
John & Shirley Richardson
Jim & Bette Tollar
Jim & Verna VanDevelde
ERNEST A. PARKANZKY
Elsie McKeown
JOHN KEEHN
Jim & Verna VanDevelde
WILLIAM T. PARKANZKY
Elsie McKeown
THOMAS & LEMPI KEVERN
Paul & Lois Adams & Sons
CAROL TAPPERT
Michael & Susan Riordan
Tod Tappert family
Earl & Celia Todd
Jim & Verna
TRIBUTES
BETTE TOLLAR’S BIRTHDAY
Jim & Verna VanDevelde
A Special Tribute to
Mary Pike Christian
The KMB family sends our warmest
thoughts to the family of Mary Pike
Christian. Mary Pike Christian was
the niece of Gladys Smith often
referred to as KMB’s First Lady and
Historian. Mary became a member
of KMB’s Board of Directors in 1992
and served 6 years as its 2nd Vice
President. Mary was a former Flint
school teacher and very involved in
the MEA and NEA. She was a loyal
and dedicated KMB Board member
and we will miss her dearly.
Midland Wins Top Honors
at America in Bloom
The Midland Daily News
The City
of Midland
received
national
recognition
for its
beautification
efforts last
weekend
at the 2016
America in
Bloom (AIB)
Symposium and Awards in Arroyo Grande, California.
AIB judges awarded Midland first place in the 30,00050,000 population category during the annual awards
ceremony. Midland was also nominated for Best Use of
Local Bloom Committee Logo for its “Get Your Bloom On”
design for the 2016 program. In total, 39 cities and towns
across America participated in this year’s Symposium.
Judges visited each participating city, ranking them
by population size in the following areas: environmental
efforts, landscaped areas, urban forestry, floral displays,
community involvement, heritage preservation, and overall
impression. Following a visit in July, the AIB judges’ panel
awarded Midland a “5-out-of-5” bloom rating and gave a
special mention for community involvement.
“This is an incredibly exciting win for our committee
and, more importantly, our community,” Midland Mayor
Maureen Donker said.
“Receiving national
recognition for our
beautification efforts
is a testament to
the hard work and
dedication of our
committee and our
residents. I am very
proud to have shown
the entire country
how Midland ‘gets our
bloom on.’”
Members of the Midland America in Bloom Committee
include: Gina Pederson, Carl Coons, Amy Tolton, Abbey
Claerhout and Nancy Wells.
The America in Bloom program promotes national
beautification efforts through education and community
involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants,
trees and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements.
Go to www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/beautification for more
information on the City of Midland’s beautification
program.
Beautification Council of
Southeastern Michigan
Area 1 of Keep Michigan Beautiful
The Beautification Council
of Southeastern Michigan
(BCSEM) welcomes John Darin
as its new President. John is
very passionate about the
goal of BCSEM; to make every
community a cleaner, healthier,
safer, more beautiful place in
which to live, work and play; and
thereby, develop a sense of civic
pride and citizen responsibility.
He understands the connection
on the national level with KAB to the state level with KMB
to the local level with BCSEM.
John firmly believes that through community
engagement, fresh and innovative ideas, and the
extensive past history of all these organizations, provides
the foundation and the tools needed to reach out and
recruit neighboring communities to re-establish their
beautification committees or form new ones to meet
the need of beautification and environmental efforts in
southeastern Michigan.
BCSEM’s Individual Service Award Nomination forms
are available to nominate an outstanding volunteer
who contributes to the beauty of their community.
Nominations are due by June 30th. Nomination forms
are available at bcsem.org. The June Quarterly Meeting
will be hosted by the Island Beautification Committee of
Grosse Ile on June 15, 2017. The theme of the meeting will
be: “Preservation is Progress”. They are planning a panel
discussion of preservation projects on Grosse Ile followed
by a tour. The meeting will take place at the Ford Yacht
Club, which is right on the water with a lovely view of Lake
Erie. You may contact John at [email protected].
KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE
KMB is on Facebook! Engage with Our Page
Email Lisa Kyle ([email protected]) with Clean-Up events or
beautification projects in your area. We will post photos and
information to spread the word. Don’t forget to Like our page!
DISCLAIMER: KMB apologizes for any incorrect spelling or information
contained herein. We will correct in upcoming newsletters.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
P A I D
Ithaca, MI
Permit No. 35
KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE
P.O. Box 23215
Lansing, MI 48909
2017 KMB Board of Directors
HONORARY CHAIR
Governor Rick Snyder
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President:
Joanne Welihan (Cheboygan)
1st Vice President:
Cheri King (Midland)
2nd Vice President:
Bill Strong (Portage)
Secretary:
Colleen Gimpel (Grosse Ile)
Treasurer:
Verna VanDevelde (Frankenmuth)
Immediate Past President:
James Keehn (Harrison Township)
Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc.
“Caring for Michigan since 1962”
www.keepmichiganbeautiful.org
Members-at-Large:
Pat Deck (Grosse Pointe Park)
Beverly Smith (Detroit)
Jean Engel (Battle Creek)
Bette R. Tollar (Midland)
Renee Tokar (Gowen)
Member Emeritus
Lincoln Avery, (Novi)
DIRECTORS
Alice Bailey (Ann Arbor)
Angela Ireland (Detroit)
Angela Mabin (Marshall)
Betty Anne Stone (Lathrup VIllage)
Brian Colter (Grosse Pointe Park)
Brian Conaway (Southfield)
Bob Eldridge (Traverse City)
Carol Romano (Grosse Pointe Park)
Celia Todd (Novi)
Don Graham (Allen Park)
Dr. Kristine Bobish (Gaylord)
Ed Deeb (Bloomfield Hills)
Elsie McKeown (Farmington Hills)
Frank Romano (Grosse Pointe Park)
Helen Bai (Grosse Pointe Shores)
Henry Fischer (Grosse Pointe)
Jack Frucci (Grosse Ile)
Jason Manshum (Lansing)
Jerry Stone (Lathrup Village)
Kevin Prior (Petoskey)
Lisa Kyle (Grosse Pointe Park)
Lois Adams (Taylor)
Marilyn Dulgerian (Rochester Hills)
Marion Schmidt (Sterling Heights)
Pam Frucci (Grosse Ile)
Sandie Fischer (Grosse Pointe)
Shirley Richardson (Waterford)
Teri Landis (Harrison Twp.)
Wendy Duvall-Angelocci (Novi)