MEMBERS ATTENDING (16): Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Charlie Foote, Ron Annis, Terry Brewer and Ray Hannan.

GUESTS (4): Emery and Joan Maddocks, Monika Annis and Betty Brewer.

President Kevin Leyhane called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally.” 

Hybrid Meeting:  Please let Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane or Roberto Martinez know if you plan to join the weekly meeting via Zoom.

Proxy Votes:  If unable to attend please submit your proxy votes to President Kevin Leyhane or any board member who will be attending the meeting. Proxy votes can also be submitted using the Remind App. Text to the number 81010.

MEETING NOTES

Circles of Mercy Easter Basket Program: Once again, SRC Rotary and the East Greenbush YMCA partnered to support Circles of Mercy and their annual Easter Basket Program. Items needed include coloring books, crayons, color pencils, facial tissues, toothpaste and toothbrushes, dental floss, hair combs and brushes, age appropriate (1 to 12 years old) small stuffed animals, toys, small games, or reading books, and of course various different types of traditional wrapped candy. Tomorrow is the last day to drop off items at the YMCA. Per Shannon Romanowski, the YMCA will assemble the baskets and drop them off at Circles of Mercy. Thank you to all for your donations.

Rotary Bowling Event: The event will be held this Sunday, April 2nd, from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost is $16 per individual bowler or $50 for a family or student group of 4 with shoes included. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Anchor Food Pantry of Castleton-on-Hudson and the Water for South Sudan Project, organized by 7th grade students from the Maple Hill junior/Senior School.

There will be raffles for gift certificates. Those who bring food donate to the Anchor Food Pantry will receive a free raffle ticket. Requested food items include cereal, toiletries, instant mashed potato boxes, peanut butter, jelly, snack packages of crackers, and canned chicken.

Per Phil Kellerman, there are 22 sponsors, Murray Forth made the signs and Phil expects 40 to 50 bowlers.

Student Exchange Program: Peter Brown and Jim Leyhane will meet at Maple Hill next with regarding interest in the student exchange program.

District Training Assembly and Grants Managment Seminar: The Assembly and Grants Training will be held on Saturday, April 1st. Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane will attend the training in Schenectady. Debbie Rodriguez and Peter Brown have signed up to attend the training via Zoom.

Albany Water Project Video Presentation: Kevin Leyhane is working on posting the video to the website.

YMCA Donation: The Club approved a $200 donation to the YMCA general fund.

East Greenbush Global Education Committee:  The entire East Greenbush School District is reading the book “The Elephant in the Room” by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Velda, a large stuffed elephant, will be making an appearance at the SRC Rotary event this Sunday. We have six of the books which were loaned out to Rotary members this evening. Once done reading, please pass the book on to another member.

Tri-City Valley Cats: The game the Club was to attend last year was canceled due to weather. The new date tentatively is July 27th. If you had not signed up last year and are interested in attending a baseball game and picnic this year, please contact Debbie Rodriguez. Further information will be forthcoming.

New Members Update: Roberto Martinez suggested that new membership should be discussed at every meeting. Rotary is member driven and the biggest service organization in the world.

Name Tags: Contact Pat Baily if you need a new name tag.

Speakers and Schedules: Please check the Calendar page on the Rotary website for the speaker schedule. There still are dates available. If you have a speaker, please contact Becky Raymond, Peter Brown or Kevin Leyhane.

SUNY School of Public Health Lecture: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, winner of Axelrod Prize in Public Health, will be speaking at the George Education Center on the University of Albany’s Health Sciences Campus on Monday April 3rd at 4:00 pm about the Flint Water Crisis.

Boy Scouts: Per Jim Leyhane, the Scouts are asking for $475 for camper scholarships for this summer. The Club approved funding for the request.

Schodack Town Park: Peter Brown suggested that if the Club wants to participate in the “Summer in the Park” this year, we need to start planning. We will need more membership participation and possibly plan to sell something as a fundraiser.

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 6, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Our speaker will be Jimmy Thomas from the Glenville Rotary Club.

Entree choices will be Chicken Florentine, Chicken Caeser Salid and Manicotti.

 Recent Advancements Towards a Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease

Andy Leyhane, PhD

There were two theories about the cause of Alzheimer’s. In the beta amyloid theory, amyloid plaques collect in the brain when the beta amyloid protein wears out and enzymes cut the protein into fragments. The fragments stick together to form plaques. In the tau theory, abnormal forms of the tau protein accumulate and form tangles.

Early on, Pfizer and Eli Lily produced antibody drugs that focused preventing the enzymes from cutting the beta amyloid protein into fragments. Cognitive function did not improve with use of the drugs when compared to the control group. The trials were ended.

Subsequently, addition research suggested that amyloid formation is linked to misfolding of the tau protein leading to tangles.

Recent developments in new imaging agents allowed for better images of the brain, plaques and tangles. However, the half-life of F-18 (radiolabeled fluorinated compound) is 109 minutes necessitating manufacturing of materials in-hospital or facilities geographically located near hospitals.

There are two new treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease. Both involve monoclonal antibodies which bind to the beta amyloid protein and trigger removal of the amyloid plaques. The first treatment from Biogen and Eastside was approved in June of 2021. However, there are concerns regarding efficacy, adverse effects and the high cost of $56,000 per year. The second treatment from Biogen and Eastside was approved in January 2023. This antibody produced significant reduction of plaques and beneficial effects on the tau protein. A third treatment from Eli Lilly is expected to be approved at the end of this year or early next year.

These treatments slow down the progression of the disease. They are not cures.

The Viking Gym

Ron Annis

Ron was asked by the Town of Schodack to present information on the Viking Gym project to the Town Board last Thursday. This project is a multiorganizational effort that started in 2017 and is based on a Viking playground design created in Sweden. It was developed in conjunction with our sister Rotary Club in Gefle, Sweden, the hometown of Ron‘s wife Monika. The original gym was built as an Eagle Scout project helped in part by a grant from the Southern Rensselaer Rotary Club with contributions and guidance from Top Form and the Town of Schodack. The original equipment consisted of wood logs which deteriorated over time and were removed.

The current plan is to add eight new pieces of equipment to the current Viking gym site at the Schodack Town Park. The equipment identified is not made from wood and is guaranteed to last for 20 years. The cost for all eight pieces is $24,000. Contributions from the SRC Rotary and the Kiwanis Club will help offset part of the cost with the remainder hopefully coming from some grant money available to the Town of Schodack. Let’s make an investment in prevention!

MEMBERS ATTENDING (14): Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Debbie Rodriguez and Phil Kellerman. Via Zoom: Charlie Foote and Carol Orvis.

GUESTS (3): Joe Corr, Cherie Corr and Kevin Drumm.

President Kevin Leyhane called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally.” 

Hybrid Meeting:  Please let Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane or Roberto Martinez know if you plan to join the weekly meeting via Zoom.

Proxy Votes:  If unable to attend please submit your proxy votes to President Kevin Leyhane or any board member who will be attending the meeting. Proxy votes can also be submitted using the Remind App. Text to the number 81010.

MEETING NOTES

Circles of Mercy Easter Basket Program: Once again, SRC Rotary and the East Greenbush YMCA are partnering to support Circles of Mercy and their annual Easter Basket Program. We would like to provide for 25 baskets this year. We have enough baskets and cellophane wrap. Items needed include coloring books, crayons, color pencils, facial tissues, toothpaste and toothbrushes, dental floss, hair combs and brushes, age appropriate (1 to 12 years old) small stuffed animals, toys, small games, or reading books, and of course various different types of traditional wrapped candy.

Items may be dropped off at the YMCA or collected at each Club meeting. The last collection day for our Club will be the regular Club meeting on Thursday March 30, 2023. Circles of Mercy will also take monetary donations for this project.

Rotary Bowling Event:  Per Phil Kellerman, the event will be held on April 2nd (Sunday) from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost is $16 per individual bowler or $50 for a family or student group of 4 with shoes included. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Anchor Food Pantry of Castleton-on-Hudson and the Water for South Sudan Project, organized by 7th grade students from the Maple Hill junior/Senior School.

There will be raffles for gift certificates. Those who bring food donate to the Anchor Food Pantry will receive a free raffle ticket. Requested food items include cereal, toiletries, instant mashed potato boxes, peanut butter, jelly, snack packages of crackers, and canned chicken.

If you have not already done so, please let Phil know you will be attending. Sponsors who have not yet submitted their check, please do so at the next meeting.

District Training Assembly and Grants Managment Seminar: The Assembly and Grants Training will be held on April 1st. You can register for the Training Assembly, the Grants Management Seminar or both.  There is no cost for attendance at these events. Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane will attend the training in Schenectady. Debbie Rodriguez has signed up to attend the training via Zoom.

Viking Gym: Ron Anis is presenting the project at the Schodack Town Board meeting tonight.

Tri-City Valley Cats: The game the Club was to attend last year was canceled due to weather. The new date tentatively is July 27th. If you had not signed up last year and are interested in attending a baseball game and picnic this year, please contact Debbie Rodriguez. Further information will be forthcoming.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 30, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Our speaker will be Andy Leyhane on the Frontiers of Science.

Entree choices will be Antipasto Salid, Chicken Limone and Portobello Ravioli.

My Journey as an Educator

Joe Corr

Joe Corr recently retired as the Superintendent of the North Colonie Central School District. He served as the Superintendent for 12 years and as a teacher and administrator for 41 years. He was the 5th Superintendent of the School District in 73 years. For him, education is a family business. His wife Cherie Corr is a teacher. Both his mother and his father were teachers as well as his sister. Early on, he worked in food services, custodial services, building and grounds and transportation. He worked at St. Gregory’s School from 1973 to 1978 teaching grades three through eight. He then worked at Brittonkill Central School District from 1978 to 1981 teaching grades nine through twelve. He started in the North Colonie Central School District in 1981 and taught grades seven through twelve.

The North Colonie Central School District consists of six elementary schools, Shaker Middle School and Shaker High School. As of 2023, there were 6,090 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. They recently enrolled 52 new students and half of them were not English-speaking learners. 25% of the students are on free or reduced lunch. 6% have limited proficiency in English. Demographically the District students are 62% White, 20% Asian/Native Hawaiian, 6% Spanish/Latino and 6% Multiracial.

The North Colonie School District’s culture is reflected in their two-part Mission Statement. First, to establish an environment to develop each student’s potential and, second, establish collaboration between teachers and administrators to build the capacity to provide the environment for education. They strived to create a culture of dignity where inclusion, acceptance, recognition, safety (both physical and psychological) and accountability are important. Inclusion is achieved through participation in athletics, music, robotics and other interests. The district’s public declaration of their values is exhibited in their budgetary resource allocation for staffing, professional development and capital investment. Success is reflected in the recognition and awards the district has received.

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandella.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (11): Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez and Phil Kellerman. Via Zoom: Charlie Foote.

GUESTS (1) MC Moran.

President Kevin Leyhane called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally.” 

Hybrid Meeting:  Please let Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane or Roberto Martinez know if you plan to join the weekly meeting via Zoom.

Proxy Votes:  If unable to attend please submit your proxy votes to President Kevin Leyhane or any board member who will be attending the meeting. Proxy votes can also be submitted using the Remind App. Text to the number 81010.

MEETING NOTES

Circles of Mercy Easter Basket Program: They are asking for cellophane wrapped Easter baskets include the following items: coloring books, crayons, color pencils, facial tissues, toothpaste and tooth brushes, dental floss, hair combs and brushes, age appropriate (1 to 12 years old) small stuffed animals, toys, small games, or reading books, and of course various different types of traditional candy. Circles of Mercy would like delivery by March 31. The last collection day will be on Thursday March 30, 2023. Circles of Mercy will also take monetary donations which they will use towards this project. Roberto Martinez will check with Shannon Romanowski to determine if the YMCA is interested in participating in this project.

Rotary Bowling Event:  Per Phil Kellerman, the event will be held on April 2nd (Sunday) from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost is $16 per individual bowler or $50 for a family or student group of 4 with shoes included. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Anchor Food Pantry of Castleton-on-Hudson and the Water for South Sudan Project, organized by 7th grade students from the Maple Hill junior/Senior School.

There will be a raffle for a $50 gift certificate. Those who bring food donate to the Anchor Food Pantry will get a free raffle ticket. Requested food items include cereal, toiletries, instant mashed potato boxes, peanut butter, jelly, snack packages of crackers, and canned chicken.

To date, Phil has commitments for 15 sponsorships at $50 a lane. He asks that all sponsors bring in their checks to next week’s meeting. Murray Forth will make the sponsorship signs. Pat Bailey and Ray Hannan are helping Phil plan this event. Information about the event has also been posted on the website.  Ads have been published in “Our Town” and “The Advertiser” newspapers.

New Member: Tom King was voted in as a new member of SRC Rotary. Welcome Tom!

East Greenbush Global Education Committee:  The entire East Greenbush School District is continuing to read the book “The Elephant in the Room” by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Velda, a large stuffed elephant, is making appearances at several local businesses.  Rumor has it that Velda will be present during the Rotary Bowling event on April 2nd. Linda Wegner, Director of Business and Finance for the East Greenbush School District, sent a thank you letter for the donation the Club made. The donation was accepted at the Board of Education meeting on March 8th.

PETS Training: Roberto Martinez and Jim Lehayne will attend this year. PETS training will be held in Syracuse on March 17th through March 19th.

District Training Assembly and Grants Managment Seminar: The Assembly and Grants Training will be held on April 1st. You can register for the Training Assembly, the Grants Management Seminar or both. You can attend in person in Schenectady or participate via Zoom. The District Training Assembly will start at 8:30 am and conclude at 12:30 pm. The Grants Management Seminar will start at 1:00 pm and conclude at 3:15 pm. Debbie Rodriguez has signed up for the Assembly and Grants Management. The Club needs at least one other member to attend the Grants Management Seminar.

Drop the Puck for Polio: The District event has been rescheduled. It will be held in the Insuring Arena in Glen Falls on Fridy, April 7 at 7 pm. The Adirondack Thunder will take on the Mariners. Tickets are $21 per person. You can contact Doug Ford, District Polio Chairperson, at 518-365-4958.

Viking Gym: Debbie Rodriguez will check with Ron Anis about providing an update on the project at one of the upcoming meetings.

Tri-City Valley Cats: The game the Club was to attend last year was canceled due to weather. The new date tentatively is July 27th. If you had not signed up last year and are interested in attending a baseball game and picnic this year, please contact Debbie Rodriguez. Further information will be forthcoming.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 23, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Our speaker will be Joe Carr, retired Superintendent.

Entree choices will be Rustics Salad, Chicken Marsella and Baked Ziti.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (16): Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Jeff Simon, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Ray Hannan, Charlie Foote, Becky Raymond, and John Justino.

GUESTS (29)

Hybrid Meeting:  Please let Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane or Roberto Martinez know if you plan to join the weekly meeting via Zoom.

Proxy Votes:  If unable to attend please submit your proxy votes to President Kevin Leyhane or any board member who will be attending the meeting. Proxy votes can also be submitted using the Remind App. Text to the number 81010.

Meeting Notes: Due to the length of the presentation, Club business was tabled until next week.

Next Meeting:  The next meeting will be Thursday, March 16, at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Our speaker will be Julie Ritchie of Bees Knees Bakery.

The buffet choices will be Chicken Ceasar Salad, Spaghetti with Meatballs and Cheese Ravioli.

A Canal in Albany

An Albany Riverway Project

Len Tantillo and B.J. Costello

B.J. Costello is in Government Relations and the Education Department of Hinman and Straub, Attorneys at Law. He is also Chair of the Albany Waterways, Inc. He was founder of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association in 1971 and the Council of Albany Neighborhood Association (CANA) a few years later. He is also Chair of the USS Slater which draws 20,000 visitors per year to Albany.

Len Tantillo is a noted historical artist. He makes his paintings of Albany based on old maps. While doing so, he noticed the maps all had an arc shoreline for the Hudson River in Albany. The shape of the shoreline was altered in the 1950s when the City of Albany began filling in the River. The highway was built limiting access to the waterfront. Projects were proposed over the ensuing years to improve Albany and access to the Hudson River. However, if implemented many of these projects deteriorated over time.

Mr. Tantillo conceptualized the Albany Waterway Project in 1995.  “Instead of bringing the city to the water” he envisioned “bringing the water to the city.” The Times Union promoted the idea in 1996 resulting in $15,000 from Mayor Jennings to develop a concept brochure. He worked with his friends Pat Mahony, a city engineer, Bruce Hiser, a landscape architect and Tiogg Thyagarajam, a city planner. They had two objectives. They did not want to interfere with the highway, and they did not want to tear down any buildings. They came up with the plan to bring the water in through the existing underpass to the South, then up Broadway with a marina in front of SUNY Central and back to the Hudson River near the Central Warehouse to the North.

Nothing was done over the last 25 years. However, now is the time to revisit the project. A canal was built in Providence, Rhode Island. San Antonio developed it’s River Walk. The City of Buffalo developed their waterfront, and the Bricktown Canal was developed in Oklahoma City. All of these projects have helped revitalize these cities. A canal in Albany can create jobs, drive economic development, provide flood remediation and make Albany a destination city.

There are four proposed options. The first is the original proposal. The second is to bring the river in on just the North end by the Central Warehouse and build a marina in the central basin. The area can support commercial structures and pavilions and can host farmers markets and craft fairs. The third is to focus on the area around SUNY Central with a marina and the fourth is to excavate and restore Lock 1 of the Erie Canal. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th options allow for the project to be done in phases.

Pat Fahey, NY State Assembly, had provided funding for an Engineering Feasibility Study. The study should start shortly. Hopefully, Albany Waterways will be included in the process. They need support from City, State and Federal Governments. To find out more and to support Albany Waterways by friending them please go to www.albanywaterway.org. Special thanks to Stewert Wagner and Peter Brown for their efforts in making this presentation possible.