February 2026
Our next General Meeting takes place on Wednesday, February 4th, at the Sunflower Clubhouse, 45800 Hanford, in Canton. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Guests are welcome. See our current newsletter for details on upcoming special events and club activities.
We are offering a membership special in February. Only $20 for new members joining in February. See Nancy for details.
January 2026
Our first General Meeting of the New Year took place on Wednesday, January 7th, at the Sunflower Clubhouse on Hanford, in Canton. Doors open at 6:30 PM – Members heard a presentation from the Canton Historical Society, followed by hot chocolate, homemade holiday treats, and friendly conversations.
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December 2025
This year, our December General Meeting and Annual Holiday Celebration took place on Wednesday, December 3rd. Here are some highlights.
November 2025
Annual Craft Night meeting – always a popular event, was led by Nancy E and proved to be a fun evening for the fifty-plus members in attendance.
Our sincere thanks to Nancy for all she does on behalf of Canton Newcomers and Neighbors.
October 2025
Our October meeting was a lot of fun, featuring Halloween games, treats, and plenty of laughter. Here are the winners of our costume contest: The Best Costume award went to Jeannie, Most Original to Nancy, Scariest to Jackie, Sweetest to Minnie, and Funniest to Betty.
Special Book Club Event
Author Susan Sage joined us for a discussion of her latest novel, Dancing in the Ring, a historical fiction set in Detroit during the 1920s and 1930s. Sage based the story on her own family history and talked about how the book came to be. It brought back many memories for those of us from the Detroit area. Our thanks to Betty for all she did to make this author visit happen. Here are a few pictures from the event that took place at the Canton Community Library.
September 2025
Our September kickoff meeting featured a light dinner, courtesy of Carraba’s Italian Restaurant, a bit of catching up, a preview of what’s planned for the coming year, and a raffle of lovely porcelain statues that also served as our centerpieces. Thanks to Betty Nolan for providing our raffle prizes.
Summer 2025
June 2025
Our general meeting on Wednesday, June 4th, featured our annual picnic at Canton’s Heritage Park.
Some of the highlights from the event: Connie and Janet announced that we raised $5400 for our local Special Olympics teams this past year, Michelle gave us a hula lesson, drawing on her early days as a dancer, and everyone enjoyed the bountiful and delicious potluck dishes.
May 2025
We enjoyed a lovely tea party, talking tea trivia, hearing all about a local lavender farm, drinking tea, and eating cake. Thanks to the board members who shared their beautiful china settings and provided delicious home-baked treats for our General Meeting.
DIA Trip
Thanks to Nancy Ellenberger for making the arrangements and overseeing the May 22nd outing to the Detroit Institute of Art.
We enjoyed a wonderful one-hour acoustic musical performance, perused the museum’s artworks, and enjoyed a cookie, compliments of the DIA, on the way home. One particular interesting exhibit featured needlework from the past three centuries.
April 2025 – General Meeting
We are planning a Friendship Tea for our May 7th Meeting, at the Sunflower Clubhouse on Hanford, in Canton. Doors open at 6:30 PM – Meeting begins at 7 PM.
We hope you will attend and bring a friend or two. Light refreshments will be served along with tea and coffee and a few surprises.
Windy Mack, owner of the BELLE LAVANDE Lavender Farm, our featured speaker for the evening, develops and produces lavender products, works on the Stockbridge farm, and in the BELLE LAVANDE shop in Plymouth as well. She is the driving force behind Belle Lavande’s commitment to habitat restoration. You won’t want to miss this special event.
Registration is requested (we need to know how many will attend).
Sign up at the April Meeting or email dianegsands@gmail.com by April 15th
November 2024 – General Meeting
We meet Wednesday, November 6th, at the Sunflower Clubhouse on Hanford, in Canton, Doors open at 6:30 PM – Meeting begins at 7 PM. As our tradition, it is our craft night. Orders for the craft kit had to be placed at the October meeting, so unless you have ordered and paid for your kit, you won’t be able to purchase one at the November Meeting. You can still join in on the fun and camaraderie that evening and we hope to see you then.
We will sell tickets for our November 13th Bingo Fundraiser for Special Olympics. Your friends and family are welcome to attend -$35 admission includes Pizza dinner and Bingo cards. Please plan to attend the event which is our major charity fundraiser for the year.
Cindy Koldys will be taking reservations (and payment of $38) for our Annual Holiday Dinner at the November meeting. If you would like to attend but can’t make the November meeting, please contact Cindy directly to make the necessary arrangements.
October 2024 – General Meeting
Our October 2024 Meeting was magical 
The Canton Newcomers and Neighbors Board Members put on a Witches Murder Mystery. It made for an enchanting evening. Many members, not in the skit, also dressed up for the evening in bewitching and charming costumes.
(Women In Total Control Here)
September 2024 – General Meeting
There was a lot to cover as Canton Newcomers and Neighbors began our 2024/2025 monthly meeting schedule. Nancy and Cindy welcomed new and returning members. Phyllis took in and tallied member’s dues. The Interest Group table signup sheets drew interest. Raffle tickets were sold to raise money for this year’s designated charity – Canton Special Olympics. Connie reviewed minor changes to the constitution and led some meet-and-greet games. Everyone enjoyed a lovely light supper provided by Carrabba’s Italian Grill. All and all it was a great start to the new year!
June – Garden Club
Despite a soggy start to the day, the Garden Club enjoyed the Livonia Garden tour, on Saturday, June 29th. The next trip is tentatively planned for the Toledo Botanical Gardens. Contact Connie Moore if you are interested in future trips. Here are a few snaps from the June garden tour.
June 2024 – General Meeting
The annual June Picnic was canceled due to severe thunderstorms.
May 2024 – General Meeting
At the May meeting, we elected officers and board for 2024/2025.
Guest Speaker Home Organizer, Lauren Berryman
Vice President, Cynthia Kuczynski, introduced Professional Home Organizer, Lauren Berryman, who shared tips on how to get organized. Members also enjoyed light refreshments in honor of Cinco de Mayo – because who doesn’t like tacos. Thanks to our members who shared their culinary talents and food.
May 9th Trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts
It was the perfect day to visit the DIA – chilly and rainy – a great day to be inside. Docent Dave Gilli, who spoke at our March meeting, shared some illuminating comments as he guided us through several key galleries. We also enjoyed coffee and cookies at the end of the tour, courtesy of the DIA.
April 2024 – General Meeting
In celebration of the Baseball Season Opening Day and the Detroit Tigers, members donned their favorite sportswear to show our support for our hometown team. The meeting featured Canton’s Community Relations Liaison, Officer Cale Bell, who shared information on home security and how to identify cyber scams. His best tips: Remember to keep those garage doors shut and do not give out personal information online or to unknown callers.
March 2024 – General Meeting
In anticipation of Spring and St. Patrick’s Day, green was the color of the day at our March 6th Meeting. Dave Galli from the Detroit Institute of the Arts, our featured speaker, took us on a nature hike through art and history, explaining how plants and animals play into what artists try to express in their work. Thanks to Nancy Ellenberger (pictured with guest Dave Gilli) for arranging this most enjoyable presentation. The meeting ended with some traditional Irish blessings to ensure everyone returned home safely.
February 2024 – General Meeting
Our February meeting offered useful heart health information and a nice salad-in-a-jar takeaway. Thanks to our speaker, Denise Kerr, RN, for an insightful discussion of the dos and don’ts of cardiac health, to Betty Nolan for the salad in a jar idea, along with her donation of mason jars, and to everyone who shared ingredients for our salad bar.
January 2024 – General Meeting
During our January meeting, Claudia Gering shared glimpses of Poland’s history and culture. She took us on a virtual tour of the country, relying on photos and personal experiences from a trip she and her husband, Ron, took this past year. Thank you, Claudia, for an entertaining presentation that kept everyone’s interest. Well done!
To make the evening even more memorable, Club President Connie Moore baked an assortment of Kolaczki cookies for our members to enjoy. Kolaczki, a traditional Polish Christmas treat, is a simple cookie that features a lovely, flaky pastry made with cream cheese, butter, and flour, filled with a touch of jam, and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Delicious! Thank you, Connie!
December 2023 – General Meeting
Our Annual Holiday Dinner at Canton’s Antonio’s Restaurant took the place of our monthly meeting in December. It was a nice opportunity to enjoy friendship, food and fun during the Holiday Season. Raffle baskets created by Sharon, Claudia and Jeanne raised money for our 2023/2024 Charity, Special Olympics. However you celebrate this holiday season, may your days be merry and bright and filled with good cheer
November 2023 – General Meeting
At our November meeting we created Santa and Snowman ornaments. Our thanks to Nancy E for a night of crafty fun.
2022/2023 Vista Maria Charity Fundraiser
Scenes from our HIGHLY successful bingo charity fundraiser, held in March 2023, at Kickers in Canton. Thanks to ALL who participated and volunteered for this event.
Out & About 2023
Here we are at the Indian Village Home and Garden Tour
Dinner at a local restaurant
Being Creative at Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery
A nice turnout for a Saturday workshop in downtown Detroit. Everyone was able to tour the facility, a Detroit treasure, and make a unique tile. Thanks to Michelle’s daughter, a student at the Pewabic Pottery studio, for picking up the tiles after they were kiln fired and getting them back to our members at the following General Meeting.
Doing Lunch
Out & About 2022
Ax Throwing at the Tailgate Garage – One of several 2022 events when members gathered to visit local attractions in and around Canton.
2022 Scavenger Hunt / Road Rally Pics A great way to spend the day! Good Fun!
Canton Newcomers and Neighbors... 