Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (14): Phil Kellerman, Murray Forth, Dick Drumm, Bill Dowd, Charlie Foote, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Kevin Leyhane, Carol Orvis, Debbie Rodriguez, Terry Brewer, Julius Frankel.

Guests (2): Paige Johnson, Justin DiVirgilio.

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MEETING NOTES: Phil Kellerman presided, welcoming members and one guest. … Phil read a thank-you note from a friend in Georgia who thanked the club for its $150 grant to purchase workbooks to help her instruct students learning English. … He also followed up Bill Dowd’s request of last week for members to participate in the Clynk container recycling effort to raise funds for ShelterBox. … Also as part of SRC’s environmental responsibility initiatives, Murray Forth has agreed to spearhead a recycling-and-shredding day in the spring, with a date to be determined.

… Dean Calamaras, a board member of the District 7190 Gift of Life, said about $10,000 will be realized from the recent GOL Golf Tournament at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland. He also reported that GOL’s next third-world patient to arrive here, from Bolivia, for cardiac surgery at Albany Med will land at Albany International Airport on November 4. He urged anyone who can make it to join the welcoming committee at the airport. Details to be provided.

… Members were reminded that the annual Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) session is scheduled for Saturday, October 19, in Schenectady. The club will pay the registration fee for any members of SRC and Danes Rotaract who wish to participate. Such people should contact Bill Dowd, who will handle their registration, no later than Tuesday, October 8. Anyone wishing to register after that is on their own to do so. … Our speaker next week will be Jim Leyhane with an update on next fall’s Rotary Trail Run at the Columbia County Fairgrounds.

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PROGRAM: Justin DiVirgilio of Hartgen Archaeological Associates presented a program titled “Beyond the North Gate,” an archaeological dig unearthing a Dutch colonial-era distillery in what now is part of downtown Albany.

His company specializes in studying specific plots of land to be developed to comply with state and local laws and regulations that ensure nothing of archaeological significance is harmed. His presentation discussed the history of rum distilling in Albany, the intricacies of the dig itself, an analysis of what was found, and the resulting work needed to preserve artifacts and the site itself before it was reburied.

The Albany dig uncovered remnants of several colonial distilleries that used the same footprint, and revealed how excavations and new infrastructure over the years changed the site. Several rudimentary stills were extricated and now are part of a New York State Museum exhibit titled “Beneath the City: An Archaeological Perspective of Albany.”

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