News of this New York State club that practices "Service Above Self"
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.
SRC Club President Debbie Rodriguez this morning joined the long, long line of people representing clubs, schools, sports facilities, day care centers and more who are telling people to stay indoors, stay warm, and don’t worry about any evening activities today. There won’t be any.
We will reconvene for our weekly dinner meeting at 6:15 p.m. next Thursday, February 16, at Quigley’s. And, because it will be the third Thursday of the month, we also will have a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting at the Greenbush YMCA.
Meanwhile, don’t overdue the snow shoveling, watch your footing, and drive safely.
From the National Weather Service for the Troy, NY, area.
From SRC Club President Debbie Rodriguez on Wednesday evening:
We are watching the approaching storm that is expected to start early tomorrow morning.
As it looks now, the storm should be over by early to mid-afternoon with three to six inches of snow accumulation expected. So, right now we are planning to proceed with the dinner meeting as planned tomorrow.
However, if the storm should shift and the forecast change so that we need to cancel the meeting we will start emailing and calling early Thursday afternoon. Please plan to check your email and phone before heading out if there is a change in the forecast.
Debbie Brown has been in contact with John at Quigley’s. He is aware.
For all who have to venture out tomorrow morning, be safe.
“Project Legos,” an ongoing effort created by Jim Leyhane last fall when Debbie and Chuck Rodriguez’s grandson Xavier began undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia and was in need of a bit of cheer, is going strong.
As these photos show, the latest shipment of Legos, underwritten by various Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club members, was met with enthusiasm and smiles in Xavier’s household.
Anyone who would like to contribute to ‘Project Legos” can do so by contacting Jim.
Have you RSVP’d for this Thursday’s dinner meeting at Quigley’s? Tuesday evening is the deadline to email coordinator Debbie Brown at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com. And, please, be sure to let her know if you’re bringing a guest.
A representative of the East Greenbush Fire Department will be our after-dinner speaker, outlining the department’s many roles in the community.
The dinner menu calls for spiral-sliced ham, salad, chef’s choice of side dishes, bread, dessert and beverages.
Tequila isn’t sold only in clear glass bottles. Sometimes the agave liquor gets an artsier treatment.
The accompanying image is just one example of the lengths to which some Mexican artists will go to provide what they consider a loving embrace for the drink that is the national spirit of their country as well as a favorite among millions of Americans.
You’ll have the opportunity to get a close-up look at this piece of ceramic art as well as several other artistic expressions from bottles to presentation boxes if you attend “An Agave Experience.”
The event, set for Saturday, April 8, will be a tasting of ultra-premium tequilas, mezcals and various Mexican-inspired tapas finger foods hosted by Bill and April Dowd as part of our club’s “Rotary Home Cooking” series. You can get more details about the event by clicking here.
The date may seem somewhat far off, but don’t be fooled. Reservations ($35 each) are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and we already have one-third of the 12 seats spoken for just two days after announcement of the event. So, with just eight seats left and counting down, if you’re interested — and newer members will find this an excellent opportunity to socialize with veteran members they may not know well — contact Bill or April ASAP.
Spicy red sangrita (not sangria) and tequila are a perfect sipping pair.
UPDATE (as of February 5): 4 of the original 12 seats have been spoken for.
If your only experience with tequila and other agave-based spirits was a bad one in college, or if you’ve never tried them but are curious, here’s your chance to take part in an enjoyable tasting as part of our club’s Rotary Home Cooking series.
The event is “An Agave Experience,” to be hosted by Bill and April Dowd at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at their Troy residence.
Reservations, priced at $35 per person, will be limited to 12 guests accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. All proceeds from the evening will go to the club treasury to support our community service efforts.
Guests will be treated to a guided tasting of several ultra-premium Mexican tequilas and mezcals, some of which usually are not available in this country, accompanied by an array of finger foods inspired by south of the border chefs but with a local twist. This definitely will NOT be the college experience you may recall.
For those of you who are not familiar with the process of turning agave plants into tequilas and mescals, Bill will provide commentary and explanations about the art and about the various products being sampled, gleaned from his numerous journalistic visits to Mexico’s Jalisco State, the center of the tequila industry.
Only a couple of seats remain available for “A French Bistro Dinner,” the next event in our Rotary Home Cooking series of fundraisers.
The social event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, February 11, at the Castleton home of Debbie and Peter Brown. Reservations are $35 per person, with proceeds going to our club treasury to support our many community service activities. Contact either of the Browns ASAP to save a seat before they’re gone.
The menu, based on recipes from the cookbook “Bistro Cooking,” by Patricia Wells:
Provencal Beef Stew
Gratin of Macaroni
Green Salad
Cheese Plate
Chocolate Mousse
Beverages appropriate to the menu
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant 593 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush, NY
February 2, 2017
Members Attending (14): Debbie Rodriguez, Roberto Martinez, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Bill Dowd, Jim Leyhane, Terry Brewer, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, A.J. Amato, Carole Spencer, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Ray Kellerman.
Guests (1): Jennifer Felts.
Program: “Our Towne Magazine”
Jennifer Felts
Pat Bailey introduced Jennifer Felts, publisher of Our Towne Magazine, a monthly print publication based in East Greenbush and covering Southern Rensselaer and Northern Columbia counties.
Jennifer, a virtual one-woman band, handles all aspects of the publication, from ad sales to graphic design to editorial content, to create what she refers to as “a happy read.” Her emphasis is on positive information without politics or controversy as well as connecting different parts of the community.
Jennifer assumed ownership of the publication with no previous experience in the field. She learned all aspects of it during an intensive six-week tutelage from a friend from whom she purchased Our Towne. The magazine had been a franchise spun off from the original in Bethlehem, but eventually became an individually-owned publication when the franchised collection disbanded.
She noted that Our Towne is printed in Massachusetts by a company that handles a particular process no company in the Capital Region offers. She said she has some assistance from her father in the monthly physical distribution of the magazine, and has lined up a professional graphics artist to create some specialty advertising layouts. She does the bulk of the ad creation work at no extra charge for customers. She also utilizes a Facebook account as a value-added exposure for her advertisers, and has grown distribution from 9,000 to 21,000 homes.
Jennifer, who explained that her work week often runs 100 hours although she is able to take off about one week a month, said she sees her role in the community as connecting businesses that might be able to benefit from each other: i.e., being a matchmaker at no charge to anyone; being involved in such efforts as sitting on the board of the Greenbush YMCA; and also channeling 20% of her revenue into supporting programs in the community. As an example, upon hearing at this meeting that SRC is sponsoring a community recognition awards night later this month, she volunteered to be one of the event sponsors.
Business/Announcements
GREETING — President Debbie Rodriguez presided, and welcomed members and guests.
ROTARY HOME COOKING UPDATE — We raised $210 at the initial event of the 2017 series, a Greek dinner hosted by Dean and Doris Calamaras for the Gift of Life project. The next event in the series of home-hosted dinners is “A French Bistro Dinner” scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, February 11, at the residence of Debbie and Peter Brown. The menu, taken from the book “Bistro Cooking” by Patricia Wells, will feature: Provencal beef stew, gratin of macaroni, a green salad, a cheese plate, and chocolate mousse, and beverages appropriate to the menu. There are just four reservations remaining at $35 each. This is an excellent opportunity for socializing. If interested, please contact the Browns ASAP. All proceeds will go to the club treasury to support our community service projects. The Brewers will host a March event, and the Dowds will host “An Agave Evening” on Saturday, April 8. As always, reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
RI BIRTHDAY PARTY — This year marks the 112th anniversary of Rotary International and the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation. Those milestones will be celebrated with a birthday party from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, February 24, at the Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton Street, Ballston Spa. Admission is $20 per person. Details are available by clicking here.
MEMBER APPLICATION FORMS — Updated forms for individuals and groups (corporate, family) reflecting recently-enacted rules changes on the local and international levels now are available from Treasurer Murray Forth, Secretary Pat Bailey, or the club website. … Jim Leyhane reported that former members, and past club presidents, Rommel Tolentino and Len Leonidas will be rejoining the club as part of the Community Care Physicians’ corporate membership application.
A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION — That is the title of an awards recognition event being spearheaded by John Sawchuk and sponsored by our club to honor people in numerous walks of life in the community for their service. A buffet dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 28, at Moscatiello’s Restaurant on Route 4 in North Greenbush, adjacent to Hudson Valley Community College. Awards will be given in such categories as schools, veterans affairs, Read More »
Dean and Doris Calamaras hosted “A Greek Evening” at their home on Friday, the opening event for the 2017 “Rotary Home Cooking” series.
Joining them were Debbie Rodriguez, Chuck Rodriquez, Jim Leyhane, Mary Drumm, Dick Drumm and Roberto Martinez.
The series consists of a lineup of member-hosted home dinners, usually with a theme, for small groups of Rotarians and guests. Hosts set the price per person, and their contribution is the food and drink. All proceeds go to the club treasury to support our community service activities. Anyone who would like to host such an event can contact event coordinator Roberto for details.
Next on the schedule is a Saturday, February 11, dinner to be hosted by Debbie and Peter Brown. A few seats remain, so contact them ASAP if you’d like to attend.
The setting for “A Greek Evening” … and a few of the dishes.
Have you RSVP’d for this Thursday’s dinner meeting at Quigley’s? 
Tequila isn’t sold only in clear glass bottles. Sometimes the agave liquor gets an artsier treatment.
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
hosted by Dean and Doris Calamaras for the Gift of Life project. The next event in the series of home-hosted dinners is “A French Bistro Dinner” scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, February 11, at the residence of Debbie and Peter Brown. The menu, taken from the book “Bistro Cooking” by Patricia Wells, will feature: Provencal beef stew, gratin of macaroni, a green salad, a cheese plate, and chocolate mousse, and beverages appropriate to the menu. There are just four reservations remaining at $35 each. This is an excellent opportunity for socializing. If interested, please contact the Browns ASAP. All proceeds will go to the club treasury to support our community service projects. The Brewers will host a March event, and the Dowds will host “An Agave Evening” on Saturday, April 8. As always, reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION — That is the title of an awards recognition event being spearheaded by John Sawchuk and sponsored by our club to honor people in numerous walks of life in the community for their service. A buffet dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 28, at Moscatiello’s Restaurant on Route 4 in North Greenbush, adjacent to Hudson Valley Community College. Awards will be given in such categories as schools, veterans affairs, 
Dean and Doris Calamaras hosted “A Greek Evening” at their home on Friday, the opening event for the 2017 “Rotary Home Cooking” series.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 