Vibrant small towns, strong urban cores, picturesque lakeshores, thick woods, and beautiful agrarian scenery that fill the region known as Mid-Michigan or Mideast Michigan, yet the area often is overlooked. A team of over 40 local writers seeks to change that narrative through a series of printed materials, story maps, and an interactive app chock full of information about the region in and around Bay City, Midland, Saginaw, Flint, Owosso, Lapeer, and the Thumb. Teaming up with the University of Michigan-Flint and through a matching Michigan Humanities Council grant, these writers are creating a series of city narratives, tours, story maps, and photos encompassing stories, histories, and points of interest to be explored by users.

On Nov. 25, Downtown Bay City held its annual Christmas Tree lighting in the park. With unusually warm weather, a record 4,000-plus people filled the park to welcome Santa Claus, sing carols, and cheer as the switch was flipped to turn on the tree’s lights. Last year, about 3,000 people attended the annual event. “This year it went like any other year — fantastic,” says Downtown Development Authority Director Michael Bacigalupo, who was also the event emcee.

World-renowned pianist, award-winning musical director, arranger, composer, vocalist, archivist, and Bay City native Kevin Cole will be delighting concertgoers once again at the State Theatre on Fri., Dec. 9 and Sat., Dec. 10 in Downtown Bay City. Cole has received praise from the likes of Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, Hugh Martin, Burton Lane, Marvin Hamlisch, Stephen Sondheim and members of the Jerome Kern and Gershwin families. Cole has previous experiences working as a vocal arranger/accompanist for pop, musical theatre, and opera performers such as Dawn Upshaw, Sylvia McNair, Karen Morrow, John Lithgow, Christine Andreas and many others.

Michael Bacigalupo is adding another line to his resume. Bacigalupo, Chief Operating Officer for the State Theatre of Bay City, Director for the Bay County Historical Museum, and Special Events Coordinator for the City of Bay City, recently was named Director of the Downtown Development Authority. Bacigalupo also chairs several organizations including the Bay Arts and Culture Commission, Bay City River Roar, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance Institute for Leaders, Tall Ships Celebration 2025. He sits on the Board of Directors for United Way of Bay County, Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance, and BaySail. He is a member of the Bay City Morning Rotary Club, and he manages a full 40 minutes of sleep per night like "Elf".

Kellie Rupp has been working as support staff for the Downtown Management Board (DMB) and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) since January 2020. For the last year, she’s been picking up extra duties as the organizations were short-handed. This month, that extra work paid off as Rupp was promoted to DMB Marketing Director.

Learn more about the historical Davidson Building from Sam Fitzpatrick of the The Bay County Historical Society/The Historical Museum of Bay County in the third episode of Bay City History! Thanks to Hil productions, keep an eye out for these videos monthly! Written by Samuel Fitzpatrick Filmed/Edited by Jeff Hildebrant

Stroll along Water Street, Saginaw Street, and Third Street in Downtown Bay City today and you’ll find restaurants, bars, and luxury condos. Stop on the right night and catch live music in Wenonah Park or the Third Street Waterfall Park. On summer weekends, you can buy an ice-cold lemonade and warm, salty popcorn from vendors working at an art festival. Wind the clocks back to the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, though, and you’ll find a completely different scene. Sure, you’ll find bars, restaurants, and hotels, however they might not be filled with the type of crowds we see in the area today.

Learn more about the Bay County Buidling at 515 Center Avenue from Sam Fitzpatrick of the The Bay County Historical Society/The Historical Museum of Bay County in the second episode of Bay City History! Thanks to Hil Productions keep an eye out for these videos monthly! Written by Samuel Fitzpatrick Filmed/Edited by Jeff Hildebrant

Learn more about Bay City's promiscuous past from Sam Fitzpatrick of the The Bay County Historical Society/The Historical Museum of Bay County in the first episode of Bay City History! Thanks to Hil Productions keep an eye out for these videos monthly! Written by Samuel Fitzpatrick Filmed/Edited by Jeff Hildebrant

The following story map is one of my contributions to the University of Michigan-Flint's WPA Guidebook Project for Mideast Michigan. "Through booms and busts, population growths and declines, and to industry and societal changes, the Saginaw River has been the beating heart of the City of Saginaw’s economic, cultural, and everchanging soul for well over a century. This story map aims to give the viewer a glimpse into Saginaw’s vast history best viewed on foot, bicycle, or maybe event renting a scooter that are scattered throughout the city. Like the Saginaw Narrative, this is very brief and meant to encourage further exploration and research to those curious about Saginaw’s history. Included are links in the passages for more information on various topics where applicable."

The United Way of Bay County is now accepting Community Investment Grant applications from local non-profits. Grant proposals must be aligned with one of the United Way of Bay County’s focus areas – education, health, and income stability. The goal of the United Way grants is to elevate people in our community to be self-sustainable, provide access to a quality education, a healthier lifestyle, and to earn the income needed to support their families.

Last year, Wayne Hofmann, Client Funding Director of WadeTrim, who Route Bay City visited with in 2021, was in the process of renovating his family’s forever home on North Grant Street on Bay City’s East Side. Just over a year later, Route returned to visit with the Hofmann family and find out what’s been happening. We found the Hofmanns officially home at 615 N. Grant St. The work isn’t completely finished, but it’s come a long way. And Hofmann is making big plans for the neighborhood.

It takes a village to raise a service project that benefits everyone from toddlers to senior citizens. Recently, a coalition of agencies, educators, senior citizens, and service clubs came together to pull off a MLK Day of Service Project that helped hundreds of people in Bay and Arenac counties. The collaborative project took place in January during the week surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The aim of the project was to honor the legacy of the civil rights activist.

Students at the Bay-Arenac Career Center are working with two of the top teachers in Michigan, according to a statewide organization. In 2021, the Michigan Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) named Lisa Forrest its Michigan Teacher of the Year and Elizabeth Wise its Region 1 Michigan & Regional New Teacher of the Year. Forrest and Wise teach at the Bay-Arenac Career Center.

The Center Avenue Historic District and touring its seemingly endless rows of homes both along Center Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods is a fascinating way to spend a few hours on a sunny day. Along the way, you’ll learn about architecture and local history. This fall, Route is taking you back to the leaf-covered sidewalks and streets of the district for a third time to admire more historic architecture and learn local history. In 2020 and 2021, Route Bay City has offered our readers several historic architecture walking tours. In November 2020, Route Bay City detailed our first self-guided walking tour of the Center Avenue district. That route lines up perfectly with our May 2021 tour of another section of Center Avenue. Cross the river and you can stroll through the historic Midland Street district in a tour outlined in December 2020.

Since 2012, the USS Edson DD-946 has been docked along the Saginaw River as the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum Before arriving in Bay City, the ship had a remarkable history and service record dating back to the 1950s. Over its 30-year U.S. Navy career, it had seen numerous awards and commendations for its service, was part of another museum at one time, and may even be haunted The ship is named for Major General Merritt Austin Edson of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1897-1955. It is one of the few destroyers named for a Marine Corp. veteran and is a Forrest-Sherman class destroyer.

The United Way of Bay County didn’t have to look far to find the best woman for the job as United Way of Bay County’s new CEO and Executive Director. On July 1, Nicole Luczak transitioned from her role as Associate Director of the charitable agency to Executive Director. She succeeds Marybeth Laisure, who announced her retirement about a year ago. Since January, Michael Bacigalupo has served as the interim director. Luczak is a Central Michigan University alumnus and has been active in Bay County and the region for over a decade.

When Laura Ogar looks at an abandoned gas station or empty factories in Bay County, she doesn’t see blight and decay. Instead, she sees the possibility for community growth in the form of new businesses, jobs, and family homes. Ogar, Director of Bay County Environmental Affairs and Community Development, is working to make this vision a reality. She’s part of a team of people across Bay County who envision a bright future for the community. Earlier this year, the Bay County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution authorizing a county-wide Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) by the end of 2021. BRAs determine which properties are eligible for re-development and identify financial incentives that could attract developers.

Bay City’s James Clements Airport has incredible history and big plans in store. Inside its hangars, gentlemen such as Mark Staudacher and Andrew Kolak put time into their passions to keep history alive. At the airport, Staudacher has restored a rare piece of aviation history: a 1935 WACO YOC Custom Cabin ‘sesquiplane’ — where the lower wings are smaller than the upper wings. Fellow pilot Kolak has changed his focus from airplanes to restoring classic cars, including a 1938 Packard Victoria V12 convertible 3-speed.