Meeting Recap
Ashley Gay gave the invocation, including a tribute to George Schindler, and led the pledge.
Students
The Strongsville Girls Tennis team visited us, who had an awesome season this year, winning the conference championship for the first time since 1990, and were also champions at other tournaments during the year. They had the most district qualifiers in team history, and the first state qualifier since 1991.
We also invited the parent of the students to visit, and received the following thank you:
Good afternoon, I wanted to take a moment to thank you, and the rest of the Rotary club, for hosting the SHS girls’ tennis team and parents this morning. It was exciting for my daughter Leah, and all the girls to be recognized, along with Coach Black. It was exciting for us as parents to get to participate, and see them be recognized! I also really liked that the girls got to hear all the good works done by the Rotarians and how people volunteer their time, talent, and treasure on behalf of others. What a great lesson and message for them to carry with them as they go on to their next chapters! Please extend our thanks to your fellow board and club members. Warm regards, Lisa and Mark Leszynski
Speaker
Our speaker last week was Bryan Bogre, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Senior Services for the City of Strongsville.
Bryan, who has been with the department for 26 years, shared updates on the Strongsville Town Center Park and the ongoing renovations at the Ehrnfelt Recreation Center.
He described how the Town Center project began with a simple playground request in 2019 and grew into a connected, walkable green space linking the Recreation Center, middle school, and downtown area. The park now features the Brunswick Auto Mart & Medina Auto Mall Community Pavilion, splash pad, basketball court, eight pickleball and four tennis courts, two sand volleyball courts, an accessible playground, and a large lawn for concerts and community events. Nearly $6 million of the $11 million project was funded through grants and donations—including a $50,000 contribution from the Rotary Club of Strongsville.
The summer concert series drew over 2,000 attendees for the final show and will expand from five to seven concerts next year. The city also hosted free movie nights, community day, and the popular Trick-or-Treat Trail.
Renovations are also well underway at the Recreation Center. The gym has been updated with new sound panels and flooring, the pool boilers have been replaced, the restrooms refreshed through a county grant, and new LED lighting installed throughout the building. Additional work—including new flooring, exterior doors, elevator upgrades, and a replacement of the pirate-ship play structure in the pool area—is planned over the coming months.
During construction (mid-December through February), Rotary meetings will temporarily relocate to the Town Center Pavilion. Bryan closed by thanking the community for its continued support and patience as improvements continue, ensuring Strongsville’s recreation facilities remain a point of pride and year-round enjoyment.
John Turnbull's table won the drawing and are responsible for setting up this week. There are 36 cards in the deck and the Queen is worth $488.
