The document summarizes upcoming events at the Blue Water Center for Independent Living (BWCIL) in Port Huron, Michigan. It announces that the 3rd annual graduation ceremony for the BWCIL's Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) program will be held on March 24th at 6:30pm at the Port Huron Municipal Building. Nearly 40 students will graduate this year, the largest class to date. The keynote speaker will be David Williams from Michigan State University. It also announces the 4th annual St. Clair County Community Resource Fair on March 9th, which will provide services like health screenings, food, clothing, and assistance with housing, education, employment and more.

1. Port Huron
The BWCIL
Quarterly
Special points of February, 17 2011 Volume 2, Issue 1
interest:
A Letter From the Desk of the Executive Director
 Community Resource
Fair to be held on March Twenty-five years! It’s hard to the best of our ability and we’re doing right, what we
9th believe that a quarter of a continually striving to be may be doing wrong, and
Century has passed since better. Many changes have what we can improve upon.
 YOU Graduation has
been made during these years Think on these things –
the Blue Water Center for
but there continues to be Please!
biggest class ever Independent Living became a
bridge, a link between disabil- many challenges ahead, Come April we will be con-
 A Board Members Story ity and capability. accomplishments to be ducting forums in all five
achieved and goals to reach. counties and mailing surveys
Our mission, our goal was, is,
 New Program at SC4 for
for you to fill out. Your
and will be bringing independ-
ideas, suggestions and com-
students with disabilites ence to every individual.
Now we turn to you, ments will be critical in shap-
While every lack of asset
whether you are a person ing the future of the BWCIL.
cannot be remedied, the
with a disability, a family You will be helping the Board
striving for independence,
member, a friend or a com- and staff to develop the
Bringing every person (no
munity partner, the BWCIL is BWCIL’s plan for programs
matter what his or her dis-
and services in the next three
ability) into the main stream respectfully asking for your
of society, into every facet of years.
help. We want and we need
life, is what we’re about. Believe us– YOU are the only
Inside this issue: you to tell us what you think
we might do, should do, what
one who can help us achieve
“Access for everyone, every
During the years we have place, and every time.”
been fortunate in reaching
YOU 2 out to the counties of
Michigan’s Thumb (Huron, Sincerely,
Graduation
Tuscola, Sanilac, Lapeer, and Angela Hoff
Board 3 St. Clair) and serving you to
Executive Director
Member
Story Community Resource Fair in March
On March 9th 2011, the 4th homeless. This is not your aver- and is absolutely free, including
TRIO 4 annual St. Clair County age “fair” where participants are lunch and childcare for children
Community Resource sent home with little more than 5 and younger! For more
Support Fair will be held at St. Clair pamphlets or business cards; information: (810) 966-
County Community College our vendors will be providing 7898 or e-mail commu-
Services in Port Huron. Taking place actual services on-site! We will nityresourcefair@scccmh.o
from 10:00am – 3:00pm, this have health screenings, food, rg
day-long event is designed to clothing, and hygiene product
Contact 4 offer a wide variety of com- give-a-ways. There will be agen-
munity supports, informa- cies there to assist participants The fair is sponsored by the
BWCIL tion, and resources to indi- with housing, utilities, employ- Housing & Support Services
viduals and families who are ment, education and so much Workgroup of the Community
struggling financially, home- more! The Community Re- Services Coordinating Body.
less or at-risk of becoming source Fair is open to everyone

2. The BWCIL
YOU Program Graduation
Special points of
Once again the BWCIL’s Youth we are lucky to have Mr. David mony held by the BWCIL. And
interest: Opportunities Unlimited pro- Williams of Michigan State this year will be the largest to
● 3rd Annual YOU gram will be celebrating a suc- University. date. Nearly 40 participants
program gradua- cessful year. Each year the will be eligible to participate
Mr. Wiliams works in the Stu-
tion YOU program hosts a very and to accommodate we have
dent Athlete Services Depart-
● Speaker David special graduation ceremony moved the ceremony to a lar-
ment and has a long and ac-
Williams of MSU for participants that have ger venue.
complished background in as-
student athlete earned their GED. The cere-
sisting at-risk youth. He him- The ceremony will take place
services mony is complete with a pro-
self earned a GED and went on at 6:30 p.m. March 24th at the
● Thursday March cession and full cap and gown
to earn both a Bachelors and Port Huron Municipal Office
24th at 6:30 pm regalia.
Master’s degree from Bowling Center in the Large Confer-
● Port Huron Mu-
In the past years speakers have Green University. We are ence Room. The room seats
nicipal Building
included prominent community very excited that Mr. Williams 200 and given the size of our
● Come early to figures such as Representative is making the trip from East audience in the past, it would
secure a seat John Espinoza and Professor Lansing to speak to our gradu- be advised to show up early
John Berry of St. Clair County ates. and get a seat! Congratula-
Community College. This year tions to all of our graduates!
This year marks the 3rd cere-
Photo Gallery from Huron County Press
Gary Wolschlager is a Board Member for the BWCIL. Read the story of how he overcame
his disability on the following page.
Gary Wolschlager of Harbor
Beach has not let a farming
accident slow him down from
Wolschlager gets lifted into the what he enjoys doing. Thanks
Gary Wolschlager rides
cab of a tractor in his sling. to the determination of family
a n elevator down to his
Photos by DAVE FREDRICK basement Photos by and friends, he is still able to
DAVE FREDRICK drive farm tractors and go
hunting. Above, Wolschlager
is pictured with two of the ani-
mals that he and members of
his hunting party harvested
while on a trip to Africa, after
the accident. Photo by DAVE
FREDRICK
Page 2

3. Volume 2, Issue 1
Accident Fails to Slow Harbor Beach Man
Story taken from the Huron County Press (Written By: Dave Fredrick)
HARBOR BEACH - Gary Wolsch- Wolschlager. "I remember falling and chair, a special van with a lift
lager was like many other men in feeling a crushing sensation, feeling was purchased and other de-
Huron County, busy working the like the wind was being sucked out of tails were worked out. The trip
family farm and raising a family. me. I knew something was happening, was on!
but didn't know what it was, or how bad
And like so many folks in rural set- “That was a great experience,”
it was."
tings often do, he enjoyed an oppor- Gary said with a wide smile.
tunity to help wherever he could He was rushed to Harbor Beach Com- “Between all of us on the trip,
when a neighbor needed help. munity Hospital and later transfered to we harvested 28 animals and it
On a cold winter morning in March a Saginaw hospital where between was a trip we will never forget,
of 2006, his world changed in a treatment and therapy, he spent the for a lot of reasons.”
blink of an eye. next 10 weeks recovering. Wolschlager said he was told
One minute, he was helping out a It did not take long for family members, he was the first person in a
neighboring farmer in the Harbor and for Wolshlager himself, to realize wheelchair to make the trip to
Beach area spread fertilizer in a his life was in the midst of a major Africa to take part in a hunting
transformation. trip.
field, and then in a matter of sec-
onds, he was lying in the field in- “I remember telling my wife, you don’t He also made sure to be part of
jured from an accident. As a result deserve this. I knew she was going to Opening Day for deer season
of the tragic farming accident, have to take care of me. Father TJ this year, spending the day in
Wolschlager suffered serious inju- gave me my last rites. I did not know if his blind last week. Since his
ries to his spinal cord and was left a I was going to make it.” accident, he has enjoyed good
quadriplegic, bound to a wheelchair He returned home to his family farm a success locally too. Gary has
for the rest of his life. few months later in June and quickly bagged several deer, some us-
ing his cross-bow and also has
"It was such a freak thing," Wolsch- began to formulate a plan to continue
shot a black bear while hunting
lager, 60 recalled. "It was a beauti- on with an active life, despite his situa-
ful, chilly morning and things were tion. up north. The Wolschlagers
going good. I was driving the tractor have several of their mounts
“I didn’t know what I was going to do, throughout their home to remind
and stood up to look back and see but my sons - Jared (29) and Jessie them of their successful hunting
how much fertilizer was left. Almost (38) went right to work. They made ventures.
at the same time as I started to turn things easier for me to keep on driving
around, the tractor hit a rut or bump the tractors and going hunting by mak- Through all of his trials, Wolsch-
in the field, I lost my balance and lager said, “I am so thankful for
ing special equipment. Those two, and
started falling. I went to the left and my family. They have been tre-
my wife, I don’t know what I would
put my hand out to break my fall, have done without what they have mendous. Plus, my friends. If I
but instead, my hand got tied up in done.” didn’t have all of them, and my
the tread of the tire and it pulled me faith in God, I don’t know how
off the tractor and I fell to the With the special made equipment, this would have turned out. I am
ground." Wolschlager was able to log over 100 so thankful. I feel so blessed to
hours of driving a tractor for topping live here. The entire community
sugar beets and is able to mow lawn has been so wonderful to me
The Sand Beach Township resident and other farm-related jobs. The boys and my family.”
fell face first into the dirt, his body made a sling and use a fork lift to hoist
being crushed by the 7,500 pound Wolshlager into the cab of the tractors.
tractor and the nearly-empty fertil- *Gary Wolschlager is an active
Prior to the accident, the Wolschlagers
izer wagon. The tractor continued had planned a 14-day hunting adven- board member of the BWCIL.
across the field, driverless, while ture to Africa. While Gary was thinking
Wolschlager struggled for life. For- they were not going, the rest of the
tunately, a passerby saw the acci- family picthed in and made it happen.
dent and called for help right away.
By the time it was time to go on the
"I didn't lay there too long," said trip, there was a new motorized wheel-
Page 3

4. OUR MISSION
The Blue Water Center for Independent Living is a consumer driven organization that advo-
cates, informs and supports all people with disabilities to live Independently.
New College Program for Students with Disabilities
Trio, Student Support Services, line from middle school to tural enrichment activities,
is a federally funded program post baccalaureate pro- help applying for financial
that helps students successfully grams. aid and scholarships, help
complete their coursework, with career planning, indi-
The SC4 program focuses
graduate and, when possible, vidualized tutoring, one-
on student support service
transfer to a four year univer- on-one mentoring, person-
facebook.com/ sity. alized aca-
demic advising,
bwcil TRIO in- priority regis-
cludes eight tration for SC4
programs classes, spe-
targeted to cialized work-
serve and shops and
assist low- transfer plan-
W E’RE ON THE income indi- ning. Informa-
viduals, first- tion can be
WEB VISIT US generation found on
college stu- www.sc4.edu
W W W . B WC I L . O R G dents, and or by contact-
individuals ing the TRIO
with disabilities to progress in the following areas; ad-
office at (810) 989-5801
through the academic pipe- ditional support for stu-
or emailing trio@sc4.edu.
dents with disabilities, cul-
Port Huron Lapeer Sanilac Tuscola Huron
1042 Griswold 392 Nepessing 103 East Sanilac 1184 Cleaver P.O. Box 29
Suite 2 Suite 3 Rd. 614 N. Port Crescent
Lapeer, MI
Port Huron, MI 48060 Sandusky, MI Caro, MI Bad Axe, MI
48446
48471 48723 48413
Phone: Phone:
Phone: Phone: Phone:
810-987-9337 810-664-9098
810-648-2555 989-673-3678 989-269-5421
Fax:
Fax:
810-987-9548 Fax: Fax: Fax:
E-mail: info@bwcil.org 810-664-0937
810-648-2583 989-673-3678 989-269-5422