Pictured, from left: Daisy Klein, Lee Johnson, Barbara Easton, George Squires, George Wood, Jennifer Wood and Sharon McWethy.
Submitted photos and press release:
Rainy weather didn’t stop friends and fellow volunteers from honoring Dennis Wood -- artist, professor, and longtime dedicated ACORNS Volunteer. Dennis was a very generous and good friend of the Genesee County Parks in many ways.
He gave his time by participating in ACORNS meetings and field trips, and attending many educational programs. Dennis donated some of his own collections to the Interpretive Nature Center and funded the purchase of children’s field binoculars for use during kids' programs at the park.
Dennis was a very talented artist, and he provided beautiful note-cards for the ACORNS to sell as a fundraiser. The cards feature some of his landscapes and wildlife paintings, and are available for purchase at the Interpretive Center. Dennis loved to share the joys of art as a professor at GCC, and taught a beginner drawing class to the ACORNS as a volunteer training day. Dennis was a delightful person to be around and is remembered for his quiet way of making people smile and laugh.
Following a motion for funding by the ACORNS and a donation from Dennis’s wife Jenny Wood, a fully functional artist’s easel has been created as a memorial to Dennis. The memorial will be placed in the ACORNS Outdoor Learning Center at Genesee County Park & Forest.
The memorial design was created by Paul Osborn, Parks Supervisor, and Kurt Schwab, Genesee County Highway sign maintenance mechanic, which was then laser cut by Oxbo International. Genesee County Highway welder Rob Barone adapted the donated easel to install the newly created art platform, which was then painted by DJ Desjardins in the paint shop. A collaborative effort indeed!
Pictured, from left: Shannon Morley, George Wood, Jennifer Wood, Sharon McWethy, Daisy Klein, Barbara Easton, George Squires and Lee Johnson.
The Rembas family made a generous donation to the park to honor their father, John Rembas, and their mother, Clara Rembas. John Rembas is remembered by his family for loving the Genesee County Park & Forest very much, thus where the family chose as a donation site in his memory.
Discussions between the Rembas family and the ACORNS proceeded as planning for the ACORNS Outdoor Learning Center was underway. OLC plans included two bird feeding stations, so the ACORNS proposed funding them with the donations received in memory of John Rembas. The family was thrilled with the idea.
ACORNS member Jim Schmitt built two beautiful large platform feeders, and member George Squires designed and built the feeder stations. The bird feeding stations were completed, and the family responded with these kind words: "We cannot thank you - and all the volunteers enough for the time and effort put into this birdfeeder project. We hope it will serve to provide for the many birds, as well as provide enjoyment and learning for all. It is a wonderful tribute to our Mom and Dad."
Thanks to the generous donations in memory of John Rembas, the ACORNS Outdoor Learning Center was provided with two bird feeding stations, a collection of specialized bird feeders, and funding for bird food for the 2017 feeding season.
