Part 1: Council votes to seek alternative options for the Pickeral Tournament

Algonac Lions announce they will fight to keep the festival, an 88-year tradition

By Barb Pert Templeton

The heat and rain had barely left the fairgrounds at the end of the annual Algonac Lions Pickeral Tournament over the Fourth of July weekend when the city council stepped in on July 7 and announced a plan to “reorganize” the event.

After an hour-long closed session at the recent council meeting officials reconvened just before 8 p.m. and the following motion was made:

“That city council gives the city manager the authority to seek options regarding future July 4 festivities and notify the Lions of such.” Councilman Michael Bembas made the motion and Councilwoman Cathy Harris seconded it.

All the council members, including Mayor Rocky Gillis and council members Wendy Meldrum, Jake Skarbek and Ed Carter, plus Bembas and Harris, voted in favor of the motion. Mayor Pro Tem Dawn Davey took a long pause before she also voted yes but included the (caveat) that the Lions be notified and be in on any future discussions on the topic.

After that, a letter on July 8 addressed to “Dear Members of the Algonac Lions Club” and signed by Algonac City Manager Artie Bryson, was sent out.

In the ‘regarding’ section of the letter at the top of the one-and-a-half-page missive it stated “Future Organization of the Pickeral Tournament.”

Bryson began by writing: ‘the Algonac City Council unanimously directed me as city manager to evaluate alternative options for the future organization of the annual Pickeral Tournament.

“After considering the long-term interests of the community, the city will be moving in a different direction regarding the organization and management of the Pickeral Tournament beginning with the 2027 event,” the letter stated.

It then noted that the Algonac Lions role from an “historical” standpoint for the event would be changing. The next paragraph said the “decision was not made lightly” and the city certainly appreciates everything the club has done over decades to make the event a “signature” one for the city each year.

“Our goal is to create an event that includes participation from a broad range of civic organizations, service clubs, businesses, volunteers and commercial partners. We believe the collaboration approach with strengthen the tournament and ensure its continued for many years to come,” he said.

In a phone call on July 9 Algonac’s Mayor Pro Tem Dawn Davey confirmed her husband is a member of the Algonac Lions Club

Davey said that she was surprised at the recent decision from the council regarding the Pickeral Tournament and the Algonac Lions.

“Because if this was any kind of mindset…. without some kind of plan…I just don’t get it,” Davey said, adding that she was preparing a written statement on the matter.

Apparently, a strong majority of the community are also puzzled. When the city’s letter was posted online on July 9 nearly 100 posters weighed-in on the issue with many implying the decision was surprising and hasty.

Writer’s Note: Attempts to get comments about this topic from the seven city council members and the city manager (calls, texts and questions sent via email) have gone unanswered as a publication time today.

Lion’s Club calls decision ‘a hostile takeover’

On Friday, July 10 just before noon, Algonac Lions Club Board Member Brett Kodet posted a nearly 1,500-word response to the city’s letter announcing their decision to take the Pickeral Tournament in a new direction.

It began: Attention residents of Algonac and to whom it may concern, we need your help.

The Lions received a letter from the city stating they will be performing a hostile takeover of the Algonac Lions Club Pickerel Tournament indefinitely, Kodet said.

Some highlights of the Lion’s Club response:

· Our organization has been running this event for 88 years. It is integral to the long-term health and survival of our club.

· By far, it is our largest annual event for us to raise charitable funds. These funds allow the Algonac Lions to donate to a multitude of recipients.

· Last year’s donations were approximately $73,000 and Kodet listed some of the charities and community support the Lions have offered.

· The reality though, all of that is now in jeopardy due to a very small group of individuals.

· As to why one may ask. It truly is a complex matter of politics, egos, responsibility,

misunderstanding, social relations, financial and power gains.

Lion’s history with the city:

The Algonac Lions have had over the decades an obvious relationship with the city that the club operates in.

· Many of those years have seen amazing cooperation, others, even before recent events, have seen the opposite, even to the point of embezzlement from a former city manager.

· Our vast club is actually one the largest around and encompasses all variety of locals. The

stereotype of a small club of very elderly men is simply no longer the case. Members of all ages

are part of our program, and, the Algonac Lions were one of the first around to integrate women

into our club, one of the best decisions we could have ever made.

Social media posts DO NOT represent the club as a whole:

· With such a large establishment of people naturally comes a large capacity for opinions,

emotions and ideas. A very small percentage of those people decide to place their opinions on

social media. Those individual comments are not the thoughts of the club as a whole.

· While obviously it is not a good look for the club, and the vast majority of us prefer to handle things internally, we also highly respect our first amendment to free speech. Leadership does not penalize those actions, but rather tries to provide guidance with our combined years of diplomacy.

Many problems stem from social media:

It is our belief that a huge part of this situation stems from these social media posts.

· Egos of politicians in our town seem to be easily bruised. Numerous anonymous accounts in this city seem to pushing certain agendas. Their attention first was directed toward leadership, but now, at our heart, our soul, our everything, OUR Pickerel Tournament!

· We hypothesize that these social interactions, both internal and external in source, have given the false belief to these politicians that they can leverage your support for their takeover.

Please support the Lion’s Club going forward:

Their letter changes everything. They have united us even more, Kodet wrote.

· Please, please, show us the support by letting us retain our tradition, our lifeblood.

· We pledge to you to continue to improve every year. To listen, respond, and act on your requests and suggestions. We will be starting a written, and potential online petition for you to sign.

To see the Lions Club statement in its entirety go to Algonac Lions Club on Facebook.s: Blocks 7, 8, and 9 and the North 794 feet of the South 899 feet of the South Fractional half of Section 1 lying West of Blocks, 7, 8, and 9, Cottrell’s Subdivision, except beginning North 0 degrees 51 minutes West 104.41 feet from Southwest comer of Section 1; thence North 0 degrees 51 minutes West 724.03 feet; thence North 89 degrees 57 minutes East 1131.02 feet; thence South 0 degrees 03 minutes East 701.79 feet; thence South 88 degrees 49 minutes West 1121.13 feet to beginning. Tax Parcel Nos. 74-02-002-4000-000 and 74-02-300-0036-000. WHEREAS, the City’s ownership of the Property is subject to the condition that the Property be used for school and recreational purposes.