MEETER / GREETER
Dave Alexander
INVOCATION
John Snider
THIS WEEK’S MENU
Turkey w/Mashed Potatoes
-or- Chef’sSalad
-or- Fruit Plate
NEXT WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS
Bill MariettiSep 17
PROGRAMS / ITEMSON TAP
Athena Awards/Rotary Park
WestShore Symphony
GRAPE ESCAPE
Rotary District Governor
Chamber of Commerce
United Way Campaign
MuskegonMuseum of Art
Life Leadership Conference
Muskegon Co-150 Yrs Young
GRAPEUPDATE
As of Thursday, just 42 of the Club’s 192 members, or about 20 percent) had contributed items to the updating Sept. 24thGrape Escape aboard the LST 393. We’ve got some great items on hand, but more are needed. Suggestions include restaurant packages, hair care items, car care packages, homemade desserts and meals, books or music, sports tickets, gift certificates to local businesses, children’s toys and (more) wine. Call Doug Wood, 760-1350, or Luke Seward with your donation or drop it off at the YMCA downtown. Thank you in advance for helping to make this the best Grape Escape ever!Tickets are just $40 apiece and are available at Club from Pam Babbitt. The tickets can be put on your Club account, so not having your checkbook is not an excuse! David McIntire should have reminder postcards and posters available next week.
Rotary Grapevine
President Ken shared with us that former Rotarian and long-time head of Junior AchievementAl Reiter passed away last week following a brief illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.Bob Scolnik is at it again, putting on a fall concert series. The Chenille Sisters will perform at the Frauenthal Theatre on Oct. 2nd. Tickets are $20/$25 and proceeds benefit Rotary Park. The second concert is Nov. 6th, also at the Frauenthal. Performing will be Ruth and Max Bloomquist, The Oat Bran Boys, and Hawks and Owls, whom Bob says he discovered while drinking in a Grand Haven bar with Darlene Collet. Tickets are $15/$20 and proceeds will benefit the United Way of the Lakeshore. A 2-concert pass is available for $30/$40. The 50/50 pot continues to grow. Sherri Slater is looking for Mentors for our newly inducted members. See her if interested. There is also an upcoming cocktail/mixer for prospective members to be hosted at Sherry Becker’s home. Stay tuned for more soon. Guests last week were: Judith Hill, new Director of the Institute for Healing Racism (Doug Wood); Fred Johnson, Associate History Professor at Hope College (Rillastine Wilkins); 100th District State Representative Goeff Hansen (John Snider) and George Maniates, Muskegon Community College Associate Vice President for Student Services (Bill Loxterman).
Last Week’s Program
Three years after he spoke at Club about his dreams for restoring the LST 292, Dan Weikel was back last week to update us on the remarkable progress that’s been made by a group of dedicated volunteers.
LST stands for Landing Ship Tank. The LST is an ocean going ship capable of shore to shore delivery of tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, and troops. The ships were designed with an innovative ballast system which allowed the flat-bottomed ships to sit lower in the water during ocean transit for seaworthiness purposes, then, by pumping the ballast tanks dry, to raise up in the water, facilitating shallow-draft landing operations. The ballast system was adapted from the systems used by fleet submarines.
The LST 393 is docked at the Mart Dock in downtown Muskegon. Dan, left, said it is 1 of 2 known remaining LST’s out of the 1051 that were built. The LST 393 is completely run by a team of 50 volunteers. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults and $3 for students. It is open from May through October.
The LST program was developed in response to a need for armored infantry divisions in invasions by sea. England’s failed invasion at Dunkirk prompted Prime Minister Winston Churchill to request that the United States design a ship that was large enough to traverse an ocean, but with provisions to quickly and efficiently unload armored vehicles and personnel on an unimproved beach. The resulting ship design proved to be among the most successful in the
be among the most successful in the history of the Navy.
Back in 1946 the bow doors of the LST 393 were welded shut. It took $3,000 of acetylene and oxygen to get the doors back open. Once they were reopened and a glass door entrance was installed phase 1 of the museum had been completed. The LST 393 now houses one of the largest collections of military artifacts in the Midwest. One of the most popular exhibits is an exhibit that is dedicated solely to items with a Muskegon Connection. To see all the exhibits and memorabilia make sure you get your Grape Escape tickets because it is being held on the LST 393 this year. More information can be found at
– Josh Wallace