Rod ‘N’ Reel Celebrates Late Owner’s Birthday

Rod 'N' Reel Raises $15,000 For Calvert Hospice - Celebrates Late Owner's Birthday

Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort celebrated what would have been their owner’s 75^th birthday (October 31^st) by writing a check for nearly $15,000 to Calvert Hospice. That’s how much money was raised at this year’s Butterfly Walk held on September 30^thin honor of Gerald W. Donovan. Mr. Donovan served the citizens of the Town of Chesapeake Beach as councilman and mayor for 32 years. He also served as the president of the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department and operated the Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort. He passed away on July 31^st, 2021.

Gerald’s granddaughters released butterflies before the walk and Gerald’s children Mary and Wesley unveiled a statue of him sitting on a bench.

“It was heartwarming to see everyone who supported this year’s butterfly walk. Our hope is that it continues to grow year after year. Having Gerald’s sculpture unveiled that day will be a memory so dear to my heart,” says Gerald’s widow, Mary Donovan.

Gerald’s family says he would often sit on the bench outside the old entrance to Rod ‘N’ Reel Restaurant. Many people didn’t know who he was or all the things he had done for the town and Rod ‘N’ Reel, but they say he liked it that way. He enjoyed hearing how much the visitors were enjoying their time in Chesapeake Beach. You can now find his statue in the courtyard, outside the CBQ restaurant.

“Seeing so many people come by the resort, sitting on the bench and enjoying the sculpture has been wonderful. We miss him dearly but are so thankful for the time we had with him,” says Mrs. Donovan.

Rod ‘N’ Reel provided a special lunch and dinner for employees on Tuesday to celebrate Mr. Donovan’s birthday. Rod ‘N’ Reel gaming also held $75 Free Play Door Prize Drawings at every Bingo Session in his honor.

Mr. Donovan was well known and loved in the community. Even a recent Google Review of the resort mentioned his name.

“I went to the resort and was happy to see a large poster photograph of Gerald Donovan in the lobby near the elevator. I am happy to see they haven’t forgotten that hard working and generous man,” posted Roseanna Vogt.

Mr. Donovan was a visionary and was devoted to building his town and his business. Today, when you come to Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort, you can see great things are coming. Redesigning the complex was his brainchild and his legacy.

Gerald Donovan Custom Statue

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Altrusa Sculpture Approved for Four Corners Park

This is the design selected by Altrusa for the northwest section of Four Corners Park from the Yonkers sculpture studio of Randolph Rose Collection.

Altrusa will erect a sculpture in the northeast quadrant of Four Corners Park without the controversy that faced plans for another sculpture in the southeast quadrant last fall.

The Coldwater City Council approved the installation on March 25 of the classic Randolph Rose Collection bronze sculpture "Reading Buddies."

According to past president Carrie Stout, the 47 current local members of Coldwater Altrusa International raised $19,000 for the art piece featuring a boy and a girl reading at each end of a bench with space in between for people to sit.

Stout said, "Bronze is an incredibly durable material that withstands all sorts of weather conditions, and it assures us the sculpture will be around for generations."

Altrusa presented the sculpture to the city to encourage literacy. The group gave the sculpture, "As a symbol of our commitment to the community and to its improvement, both through continued beautification of our Four Corners Park."

The group adopted that corner of Four Corners Park in 1984 and maintains flowers there.

The corner is also home to the Farmer's Market for 13 weeks during the summer.

Another sculpture proposed for the park's southeast quadrant did not receive a similar enthusiastic welcome last November.

Councilman John Petzko and his two daughters provided seed money for the fountain to honor his late wife and their mother, councilwoman Maureen Petzko.

The family suggested, with City Manager Keith Baker, a stylistic modern 15-foot sculpture by Fritz Olsen from the 2023 Grand Rapids Art Walk.

This is the design selected by Altrusa for the northwest section of Four Corners...

Honoring The Late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun

Michael Yun Custom Bench Statue

Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a bronze statue in celebration and in memory of late Ward D Councilman Michael Yun.

The statue, known as “Achieving the American Dream,” will be erected at 366 Central Avenue in the Heights on Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m., four years to the day since his passing. At its most recent meeting in March, the Jersey City Municipal Council adopted a resolution accepting the statue as a donation from the family and friends of Yun. According to the resolution, the bronze statue is meant to beautify the Central Avenue streetscape while simultaneously celebrating the American Dream and Yun’s memory.

The statue was created by the Randolph Rose Collection, who has been committed to creating the finest work of bronze art for homes, gardens, and public spaces since 1972.

The bronze statue sits on a bench approximately 6 feet wide, to be unveiled on the sidewalk on Bowers Street next to 366 Central Avenue at the request of the family and friends of Yun. The resolution states that he chose to begin his American Dream in Jersey City, while sitting on a bench on the corner of Central Avenue and Bowers Street, thus the sentimental statue placement.

In the Heights, Yun embodied that dream, being a small business owner and community leader for over three decades. He eventually became a public servant, elected as the Ward D Councilman and serving from 2013 until his death in 2020. Yun was unfortunately one of the many lives lost in Jersey to COVID-19 amid the viral pandemic.

The resolution states that Yun’s memory and journey to achieve the American Dream is an inspiration to the next generation of Jersey City residents seeking to start their own dream in the City. At the March 20 meeting, Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh said the council worked to make this happen ahead of the four-year anniversary of his passing on April 6.

“It is our solemn duty, and I know for my council colleagues who worked alongside Councilman Michael Yun, it’s an honor for us to be able to push this forward,” Saleh said. “This bronze statue… it’s going to be a welcome and beautiful presence in the Heights. Public service is very hard… his family sacrificed a lot. Michael Yun sacrificed so much for this City, and this is a beautiful way to remember him. He is the shining example of the American Dream and may he be an example for everyone else in Jersey City and inspire… anyone else to not just start a business but get into public service and serve their community.”

Jersey City is inviting the public to attend the unveiling ceremony of a...