Tomorrow’s in person meeting has been canceled and the meeting will take place exclusively remotely on Zoom. The Zoom Link can be found on our calendar page. The reason for this move will be explained during the meeting. Dean Calamaris will still be our presenter and he will be joining us via Zoom. Looking forward to seeing everyone remotely tomorrow night.
Author: SRCrotary
A volunteer service club located in Rensselaer County, NY, that is part of Rotary International, the 1.23 million-member international organization of men and women serving their community and their world.
This Week’s Guest Speaker, Dean Calamaris, on “The Baron of Second Avenue”
This Thursday, October 17, 2024, the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club will be hosting its weekly meeting at Moscatiello’s at 6:00 pm. Joining us will be SRC’s very own Dean Calamaras. Dean will be speaking about the novel “The Baron of Second Avenue”, a book that he wrote the forward for. As usual if you are unable to join us in person you may do so remotely using the link located on our calendar page.
Menu choices for the evening include: Antipasto Salad, Chicken Lemon, or Portabella Mushroom Ravioli. Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday.
Meeting Clipboard 10/10/24
Members in Attendance (9): Jim Leyhane, Pat Bailey, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Debbie Rodriguez, Dick Drumm and Terry Brewer.
By Zoom (2): Becky Raymond and Roberto Martinez
Guests (1): Jonathan Newell
Vice-President Jim Leyhane called the meeting to order.
Theme for the year: Grow membership, do good in the world, leverage social capital, & have fun!
Meeting Notes:
Website Updates: Membership changes need to be made on the website.
Meeting Notes: Thanks to Phil Kellerman for the meeting notes last week. Phil will be missing the next three meetings. He spoke at the Malta Rotary Club on October 10th. Carol Heany will be out until late October. Debbie Rodriguez will be missing the October 24th, 31st and November 7th meetings.
Services: Terry Brewer, Betty Brewer, Murray Forth and Jim Leyhane attended the services for former member John Sawckuck
Grant Update: There is a meeting on Monday. The bank account in Kenya will be established and all outstanding questions will be addressed.
East Greenbush and Social Capital: The Club is proposing a cornhole tournament to raise funds for a school project. Mr. Simon proposed funding a community center for integration in the School District. Lisa Jackson will come to speak to the Club about holding a tournament.
Tax Status: Per Terry Brewer, he should have the paperwork completed by next week and ready for submission.
Member Dues: Of the two outstanding dues, one member paid and the other withdrew from Rotary.
Benefit Concert: The concert can’t be held on November 2nd. The concert will be scheduled for some time next spring.
Viking Gym: Per Murray Forth, the sign and Peace Pole were delivered to the Town.
Rotary Leadership Institute ( rlinea.org ): The next training will be held on Saturday, November 2nd from 7:30 am until 3:30 pm at the Universalist Unitarian Society of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue, Albany. Per Roberto Martinez, the Club will pay the $75 fee for any member who wants to attend. Roberto will be attending. Register NOW for RLI NEA Seminar – Dist 7180 – Albany, NY.
Membership: Membership is ongoing. One member has resigned. A membership and visibility discussion will be held after the first of the year.
Speakers: Needed for this year. Contact Phil Kellerman with any speakers.
World Polio Day: It is on October 24th. The interview video with Martha Lepow will be shown.
Holiday Party: December 12th is not available at Moscatiellos. Peter and Debbie Brown have offered to host the party on that date. The other option is to change the date.
Rotary Presidential Peace Conference: To be held February 20-22, 2025 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel and Conference Center in Istanbul, Turkey. Register at rotery.org/istanbul25.
Next Meeting: Thursday, October 17th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page.
Entry Choices will be Antipasto Salid, Chicken Limone and Portabella Mushroom Ravioli.
Imaging the Body’s Interior with Electricity
Jonathan Newell. PhD
Dr. Jonathan Newell is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and also teaches physics at Bethlehem High School. He is developing, in collaboration with others, Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) systems. EIT is an imaging of the body based on how the body conducts electricity. The first paper in this field was published in 1986.
Thirty-two electrodes are placed around the body. A current is applied to the electrodes and the voltage is measured to produce a three-dimensional image in real time. This method is simpler, cheaper, more portable and non-hazardous (no radiation). This system shows both ventilation and blood flow. The other four systems in the world only show ventilation. Except for Cystic Fibrosis, this is not diagnostic. It is useful for constant monitoring. It can be used for monitoring collapsed lungs, pulmonary emboli, gas exchange, Cystic Fibrosis and mechanical ventilation. Commercially, he predicts EIT will become an add-on to mechanical ventilation.
Dr. Newell’s research is funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imagery and Bioengineering, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the New York State Department of Health.
This Week’s Program, Jonathan Newell on “Imaging the Body’s Interior with Electricity”
On Thursday, October 10, 2024 the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club will be meeting a Moscatiello’s at 6:00pm for our weekly meeting. Joining us this week will be Dr. Jonathan Newell, a professor at RPI. Dr. Newell will be speaking on the topic of “Imaging the Body’s Interior with Electricity”. Due a number of conflicts we are unsure if we will be able to make this presentation hybrid so please try to attend in person if you are able. You may still try to join us remotely but we can’t guarantee that the link will be up and running at this time. Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday.
Meeting Clipboard 10/3/24
October 3, 2024
This meeting was conducted via Zoom.
Attended by: Roberto Martinez, Phil Kellerman, Carole Heaney, Jim Leyhane, Terry Brewer, Kevin Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Pat Bailey, Peter Brown, Deb Brown, Ray Hannan, Charlie Foote, and Andy Leyhane.
Roberto welcomed everyone. The pledge was conducted and Roberto noted that there were no guests.
Next week’s speaker will be Jonathan Newell speaking on “Imaging the Body’s Interior with Electricity.” It will be hosted by Deborah Rodriguez.
Terry spoke about the untimely death of John Sawchuck. Cards can be sent to: Cathi Sawchuck, PO Box 729, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29597. Some on the zoom call said they were going to the calling hours and funeral in our area. Terry added that the club might want to plant a tree in his memory or do some other type of charitable activity in his honor.
Concerning the Global Grant for the water project in Kenya, Peter said that we were waiting for the bank account to be set up.
Terry then followed up with a tax status update. He said he had been working on the paperwork to be submitted to the IRS for reinstatement of our 510c4 status. Terry said that he would meet with Phil soon to finalize the paperwork.
Phil provided an update on a benefit concert. He said that a local music group he has been working with is in the process of producing a full length CD. Along with a music group from Florida, both bands wish to play in our area as a benefit for charity. Thanks to Roberto, a connection has been made with the East Greenbush Methodist Church that might be willing to host the concert in the spring of next year.
Phil said that we are still in need of speakers. Roberto mentioned that John Justino would be unavailable for a talk on World Polio Day on October 24th. The group discussed options such as viewing videos about polio which could include a video by Martha Letow which was viewed by the group several years ago. Carole said that she is working to set up a talk by Joan Nicole from the Community House for the Aging. She also suggested that we might want to schedule a Zoom call with representatives from the newly formed Central New York Rotary District to learn more about the changes.
Roberto mentioned that he tuned into a RLI/NEA Seminar and their efforts to get folks to bequeath money to Rotary Foundation. The goal is to raise one million dollars to continue to fund district and global grants.
This Week’s in Person Meeting at Moscatiello’s has been Canceled, Moving to Zoom Instead.
This week’s in person meeting at Moscatiello’s has been canceled due to a combination of illness and conflicts that will affect attendance. We will be having the weekly business meeting on ZOOM instead. The meeting will begin at 6:00pm and the Zoom link is located on the top of our calendar page on the website.
We apologize for any inconveniences this causes, and we plan to meet in person again next week. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Zoom this Thursday.
Meeting Clipboard 9/26/24
Members in Attendance (14): Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Pat Bailey, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Andy Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Carol Heaney, Debbie Rodriguez, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote and Kevin Leyhane.
By Zoom (2): Ruth Russell, Becky Raymond
Guests (1): Dr. Chris Bystroff
President Roberto Martinez called the meeting to order.
Theme for the year: Grow membership, do good in the world, leverage social capital, & have fun!
Meeting Notes:
Website Updates: Notify Kevin Leyhane if there are any changes for the website.
Grant Update: Edith Kanara of the Rotary Club of Enkare Naroch, Kenya put together the financial and demographic packages. Jennifer Grymm of the Rotary Club in Kenya will get back to Peter Brown tomorrow.
East Greenbush and Social Capital: The Club is proposing a cornhole tournament to raise funds for a school project. Peter Brown, Roberto Martinez, Terry Brewer, Jim Leyhane and Ron Annis met with Jeff Simon, Superintendent for the East Greenbush School District regarding a potential project. Mr. Simon proposed funding a community center for integration in the School District. Lisa Jackson will come to speak to the Club about holding a tournament. Mr. Simon also proposed moving the Star of Hope to Columbia High. The memorial for families of students who died prior to graduation is currently located between the WMCA and the East Greenbush Library.
Tax Status: Per Phil Kellerman, the accountant is finalizing the numbers and hopes to have it done next week.
Member Dues: According to Murray Forth, there are 2 outstanding.
Viking Gym: The Grand Opening was Saturday 9/14/24 at 1 pm at the Schodack Town Park. Kiwanis and Top Form, Rotary and Charles Peter, Schodack Town Supervisor, along with other Town employees were present. Murray Forth will deliver the sign to the Town next week.
Rotary Leadership Institute ( rlinea.org ): The next training is in Verona, NY on 9/28.24. Per Roberto Martinez, the Club will pay the $75 fee for any member who wants to attend.
Membership: Membership is ongoing. An application was sent to a potential new member. Jim Leyhane will look into Rotary shirts for new members.
Speakers: Needed for this year. Contact Phil Kellerman with any speakers.
World Polio Day: It is on October 24th. Roberto Martinez will check with John Justino at the School of Public Health. John is not available until Monday. Per Jim Leyhane, Rotary will focus on clean water availability for all in the future.
Benefit Concert: Phil Kellerman has a local and a band from Florida. He is looking for a venue. Roberto Martinez with check with a local church regarding availability.
Cafe Capriccio: Andy Leyhane and Jim Leyhane are contacting the Cafe regarding a fundraiser.
CNY Town Hall: The next meeting will be on Monday, September 30th, at 7 pm. The upcoming Legacy Brunch on November 17th and World Polio Day will be discussed. Join the Zoom meeting at https://zoom.us/j/99518062782?pwd=xbrK6gziSOBkdaaHMLj5BQsF2PruXA.1#success.
Rotary Presidential Peace Conference: To be held February 20-22, 2025 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel and Conference Center in Istanbul, Turkey. Register at rotery.org/istanbul25.
Next Meeting: Thursday, October 3rd at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page.
Entry Choices will be Chicken Caesar Salid, Chicken Marsala and Penne Vodka.
A New Task Force for Post Election Audits
Dr. Chris Bystroff
Dr. Bystroff is a Professor of Biology at RPI. He has been looking at election polls and noted recent “weird” election results. Post election polls are accurate within one percent but that has not been the case in recent elections. Estimates can be made on how accurate polls are using a random sample distribution looking at the margin of error between the State tally and the election polls. Exit polls are done by phone. They usually get 700 to 800 responses out of thousands of contacts.
When you vote, your ballot is scanned into the voting machine from which a poll tape is printed out at the end of the night and submitted to the Board of Elections. The ballots go into a ballot bag and are sealed.
Can an election be stolen? Ballot stuffing uses pre-marked ballots that are added to the ballot bag. However, this is unlikely because there are watchers at the polling place. Voting machine software manipulation can occur at the factory or by hacking into machines at a later time. Voting machine manufactures, citing intellectual property, keep the software secret. This issue can be solved by auditing the votes by comparing the ballots to the poll tapes. He has looked at election results and found that these numbers do not agree. The results were certified even though there were discrepancies probably because it was felt that the discrepancy did not affect the election outcome and to minimize work.
The League of Women Voters has conducted research into audits and has come up with a set of recommendations. However, New York certifies elections immediately. Only three percent of voting machines are audited by the same people who conducted the election fifteen days after the election using machines. There is no statute in New York for making audit results public. Dr. Bystroff recommends public audits by a post-election task force to be done manually.
This Week’s Speaker Dr. Chris Bystroff, RPI Professor
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club will be holding its weekly meeting this Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 6:00pm at Moscatiello’s located on Route 4 in North Greenbush. Joining us will by RPI Professor Dr. Chris Bystroff, and his presentation will be on the topic of voting machines. As usual if you are unable to join us in person you may still join us remotely using the link on the calendar page of our website.
Menu for the evening include a choice of Rustica Salad, Eggplant Parmesan, or Spaghetti and Meatballs. Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday.
Meeting Clipboard 9/19/24
Members in Attendance (11): Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Pat Bailey, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Andy Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Carol Heaney and Debbie Rodriguez.
By Zoom (0): Ruth Russell
Guests (1): Richard Zazycki
President Roberto Martinez called the meeting to order.
Theme for the year: Grow membership, do good in the world, leverage social capital, & have fun!
Meeting Notes:
Website Updates: The website needs some updating. Kevin is fixing the information.
Grant Update: The Global Grant was submitted on time under the previous district. Peter Brown received questions from Rotary International. The answers are to be provided by Jennifer Grymm of the Rotary Club in Kenya. He hopes to have the questions answered over the next two weeks and then receive final approval.
East Greenbush and Social Capital: The Club is proposing a cornhole tournament to raise funds for a school project. Peter Brown reached out to Jeff Simon, Superintendent for the East Greenbush School District regarding some potential projects. Terry Brewer, Jim Leyhene, Roberto Martinez and Ron Annis will meet on 9/25 to discuss the project.
Tax Status: No update this week.
Member Dues: According to Murray Forth, there are 2 outstanding.
Viking Gym: The Grand Opening was Saturday 9/14/24 at 1 pm at the Schodack Town Park. Kiwanis and Top Form, Rotary and Charles Peter, Schodack Town Supervisor, along with other Town employees were present. See the post on 9/14.
Rotary Leadership Institute ( rlinea.org ): The next training is in Verona, NY. Per Roberto Martinez, the Club will pay the $75 fee for any member who wants to attend.
CNY Event: Took place this evening at Huck Finns. The Rotary Area 22 Event included Albany, Cohoes, Colonie-Guilderland, Southern Rensselaer and the Delmar Club.
Gift of Life Golf Tournament: The Club will follow-up with Dean and Doris Calamaras.
Membership: Membership is ongoing.
Speakers: Needed for this year.
World Polio Day: It is on October 24th. Roberto Martinez will check with the School of Public Health.
Benefit Concert: Phil Kellerman has a local and a band from Florida. He is looking for a venue.
Cafe Capriccio: Andy Leyhane and Jim Leyhane are contacting the Cafe regarding a fundraiser.
Rotary Presidential Peace Conference: To be held February 20-22, 2025 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel and Conference Center in Istanbul, Turkey. Register at rotery.org/istanbul25.
Next Meeting: Thursday, September 26 at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. RPI Professor Dr. Chris Bystroff will speak about voting machines.
Entry Choices will be Rustica Salid, Eggplant Pharm and Spaghetti and Meatballs
Circles of Mercy
Richard Zazycki
Richard Zazycki is President and CEO of Circles of Mercy, a not-for-profit located at 11 Washington Street in Rensselaer. Mr. Zazycki is the only full-time employee. There are approximately 75 to 100 volunteers. They have a budget of approximately $165,000 per year. The funding is raised through donations and fundraising activities. Established in 1997, September 24th will mark their 26th year of providing services and programs to the Rensselaer Community.
SRC Rotary participates annually in the Circle of Mercy’s three main outreach programs: back to school supplies, adopt-a-family, and Easter baskets. Over 165 students received new back packs and school supplies. Other programs include: Catherine’s Closet and VITA. Catherine’s Closet thrift store is open Monday through Friday from 10 am until 2 pm for shopping. Donations can be dropped off between 10:30. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Program begins the last week in January. Last year, 38 volunteers donated 2,700 hours of service and saved clients over $299,000 in commercial prep fees.
Circle of Mercy’s three main fundraisers each year are the Irish Night in June, the Taste of Mercy gala in June and the Walk for Mercy with Maria College this month. To find out more about Circle of Mercy to go http://www.circlesofmercy.org.
This Week’s Program an Update for Circles of Mercy
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club will be meeting this Thursday September 19, 2024 at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s located on Route 4 in Troy. Joining us will be Richard Zazycki, Executive Director of Circles of Mercy. For several years now, SRC Rotary has partnered with Circles of Mercy in annual projects such as their holiday adopt-a-family and their back to school backpack program. Richard will be presenting on the current status of Circles of Mercy and the various community support programs they offer.
As usual, if you are unable to join us in person you may still do so remotely using the link located on out calendar page. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 