Bay County

Wrzesinski was inspired to create her In The Stars program after watching her aunt and uncle, Jeanna and Jeremy Peglow, adopt two children after providing foster care. (Photo courtesy of Jeanna Peglow)

Bay County teen creates ‘Empower Packs’ to ease transitions for teens in foster care

After researching the realities of foster care and witnessing firsthand what a foster child is dropped off with, Grace Wrzesinski created Project In the Stars to provide personal hygiene items for teens in foster care.  

In 2019, the Janet H. Jopke Courts opened. Today, the volunteers who built the complex hope it inspires people to play tennis for fun and fitness. (Photo courtesy of the Janet H. Jopke Courts)
The Janet H. Jopke Courts are a labor of love for tennis enthusiasts

A group of volunteers built tennis courts on Bay City’s East Side. Now, they’re using those courts to encourage people to try their hands at tennis for recreation and exercise.  

Today, the Third Street Waterfall Park provides a picturesque backdrop for senior photos and selfies. A century ago, though, it was in the midst of a district known for debauchery.
A walking tour of Bay City offers a glimpse of how Hell’s Half Mile earned its notorious nickname

Hell’s Half Mile, which includes a six-block strip along Bay City’s waterfront, earned its notorious nickname in the late 1800s when lumberjacks filled the streets and saloons every spring.  

From football games to haunted houses to corn mazes, the Great Lakes Bay Region shines in the fall.
If you seek a pleasant fall activity, look about you

From spooky evening tours of a haunted ship to sunny days spent lost in corn mazes, fall is a season of delights in Bay County.  

The Bay City Morning Rotary Driathlon includes a canoe or kayak race, bike race, and running. A traditional triathlon combines running, biking, and swimming.
By land and river, racers in the Morning Rotary Driathlon compete for fun and to raise money

One 74-year-old competitor who has competed for years in the Bay City Morning Rotary Driathlon calls the event fun and says he appreciates that it raises money for good causes.  

Catchy tunes and lyrics crafted by the group Men At Work still fill the radio airways. (Photo courtesy of Men At Work)
Colin Hay brings the Australian sounds of Men At Work to Bay City’s Wenonah Park

Icons of the 1980s music scene – Men At Work, Rick Springfield, and John Waite ­– set to perform in Wenonah Park on Aug. 27.  

The USS Edson is throwing a 10th anniversary bash to celebrate its first decade in Bay City

The 10th anniversary celebration on Sat., Aug. 27 includes tours of parts of the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum not normally open to the public.  

A team of volunteers and designers are working together to build a monument to the sister city relationship between Ansbach, Germany and Bay City.(Graphic courtesy of Bay Area Chamber of Commerce/Leadership Bay County)
Two nations, one family: Bay City celebrates a 60-year partnership with its sister city in Germany

In September, a sculpture in Uptown Bay City will be dedicated to the sister city relationship. Representatives from Germany will travel here for the dedication.  

Live music is planned for Bay City's historic Midland Street Business District on weekends over the next few months.
The changing face of Midland Street: New and veteran entrepreneurs aim to transform the district

With new  businesses going in monthly, a team of dedicated Midland Street Business District entrepreneurs are working to re-imagine the district's role in the community. An August fundraiser is one step toward that new image.

Kaden, who graduated from John Glenn High School in Bangor Township, starts his freshman year at Saginaw Valley State University in a few weeks. (Photo courtesy of Kaden Furtaw)
Spark Scholarship gives a John Glenn graduate the opportunity to shine

Take a short tap dance lesson in the streets of Bay City on Sat., Aug. 27 and you'll help fund Spark, a scholarship for students interested in the performing arts. 

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