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.
The scheduled speaker has cancelled, but we’re still going to sit down to a hearty dinner this Thursday at Quigley’s.
East Greenbush Town Supervisor Jack Conway just informed us he has a scheduling conflict for this week. He hopes to visit at a later date. Dick Drumm is working to secure a replacement program for Thursday.
Meanwhile, if you have not yet emailed Debbie Brown at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com with your dinner reservation, tonight (Tuesday) is the deadline for doing so.
We hope to see you at Quigley’s at 6:15 for Chicken Parmesan with an antipasto salad, chef’s choice of side dishes, bread, dessert, and beverages. And, as always, the cash bar is open all evening.
Held at Quigley’s Restaurant 573 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush, NY 12061
Members Attending (12): Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Dean Calamaras, Bill Dowd, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Debbie Rodriguez, Andy Leyhane.
Guests (4): David Harris, Mary Drumm, Kevin Drumm, Paige Johnson.
MEETING NOTES — President Phil Kellerman welcomed members and guests. … Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez updated members on Murray Forth’s status. He has been rehospitalized with different a different problem, but expects to go home in a day or two. … Roberto reported that he won a raffle basket at the Gift of Life Golf Tournament awards dinner on Monday and is giving it to Murray and Maggie on behalf of the club as a get-well gift. Apropos the GOL event, Dean and Doris Calamaras were recognized as Friends of Gift of Life, and SRC had two foursomes participate. …
Phil shared a flyer from a friend in Georgia who teaches English as a second language to students who speaks other languages and are financially limited. She was asking for a $150 grant to purchase specific workbooks that have proven successful in helping such students. Phil said he would personally match anything up to $75 toward such a grant. Several other members quickly chipped in $75, thus reaching the $150 grant level. … Bill Dowd said he has resumed stocking up on Clynk container recycling bags and bar-code stickers for use by club members to raise funds for ShelterBox. They will be available at all meetings at Quigley’s. Last week, Bill presented a $400 check for the first proceeds from our efforts via the program Clynk runs in partnership with Hannaford supermarkets. Bill noted that participation in the program costs the club nothing because he has been paying for the bags and will continue to do so. …
Bill also reported that, for the first time in 19 years, a case of polio has been reported in the Philippines. The polio virus also has been found in the sewage systems of Manila, the principal city, and other locations, A mass vaccine program will be resumed within the next few weeks. He asked that members continue remembering Rotary’s PolioPlus program when it comes to donations. … Debbie Rodriguez is succeeding April Dowd as the Sunshine Committee lead. Members are asked to remember to keep Debbie in the loop when they have word of illness or bereavement among our Rotary family. … Next week’s speaker will be East Greenbush Town Supervisor Jack Conway.
David B. Harris
GUEST SPEAKER — David B. Harris, supervisor of the Town of Schodack, paid a return visit (he spoke to the club last March) to update us on what’s happening in the town. Among the major points:
• Work is proceeding on the Route 9 site that is being prepared for construction of a million-square-foot Amazon distribution center. He said he is confident a lawsuit by a neighborhood group near the site seeking to halt work will be overcome. He also noted that drilling is being done to remove a huge rock — “It’s about the size of this meeting room,” he said — because of a county regulation against blasting there.
• The town continues to concentrate on attracting new businesses, especially for the Routes 9 & 20 corridor, Columbia Turnpike. As he noted, sales taxes are the largest income stream for the town, so retail stores are particularly important. A new Stewart’s is being constructed; Cumberland Farms is looking into adding a store; strips of unused land owned by the town are being offered for sale to enable them to be returned to the tax rolls; a Georgia company is studying the possibility of reviving the former Fort Orange paper mill into a facility to produce cardboard (perhaps to sell to Amazon?).
• He said the town is in need of more staffing in the police, planning, and other departments. But, with the 2% tax increase cap instituted by the governor, that is difficult to accomplish. He has assigned one police officer to be a fulltime detective.
• On the social level, the town increased the number of dates this summer for its weekly concerts in the park program. And, a playground was added to the town park, at no cost to taxpayers.
Harris also complained about two state-mandated items. One is a requirement to have police officers follow a very complicated paperwork process when issuing a traffic ticket. He said it would take an average of 30 minutes of officers’ time per ticket which, he says, obviously would diminish their time to actually carry out their basic duties. The other is that rather than have school districts pay for required installation of cameras on buses to track motorists who violate the law by passing stopped buses the local governments would have to do so. He said at $2,000 to $3,000 per bus, such a requirement would be impossible to pay for.
An outbreak of polio was declared today in the Philippines, the first such occurrence since the Pacific Ocean nation was declared polio free 19 years ago.
People in the Philippines, primarily children, now are at risk of death or lifelong paralysis because of this outbreak.
The Philippine Department of Health and partners are working together on a comprehensive outbreak response, including mass polio immunization rounds beginning in October. All children, regardless of whether they are covered by the mass immunization campaign or not, should be vaccinated according to the routine immunization schedule.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is supporting the Philippine government’s response. The GPEI is a public-private partnership led by national governments with five partners — the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. GPEI’s goal is to eradicate polio worldwide.
Grace Agwaru, from Uganda, was the keynote speaker at the after-tournament dinner. In 1975, Grace was the first recipient of a District 7190 Gift of Life surgery.Gentlemen of leisure at Pinehaven CC before Monday’s GOL Golf Tournament dinner. From left: Roberto Martinez, Terry Brewer, Jim Leyhane, A.J. Amato. Robbie Donno, who founded the GOL in 1960.
Southern Rensselaer County had a strong presence at this year’s Gift of Life Golf Tournament, held Monday at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland.
Dean and Doris Calamaras, who were recognized as “Friends of GOL,” sponsored the post-tournament happy hour leading up to the awards dinner. Terry Brewer and A.J. Amato led foursomes, and Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane joined them for the dinner.
In addition, several SRC members were sign sponsors for the event, a major fundraiser each year for the District 7190 GOL.
For the 12th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating possible — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the United States.
The Foundation earned the recognition for demonstrating both strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only one percent of the organizations Charity Navigator evaluates have received 12 consecutive four-star evaluations.
“Attaining a four-star rating verifies that The Rotary Foundation exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in your area of work”, says Michael Thatcher, president and chief executive officer of Charity Navigator. “This exceptional designation sets the Foundation apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.”
The rating reflects Charity Navigator’s assessment of how the Foundation uses donations, sustains its programs and services, and practices good governance and openness.
Various clubs in District 7190 raise funds in a variety of ways for Rotary International’s anti-polio efforts worldwide. SRC, for example, directs portions of several events toward that effort.
Here’s another club’s idea, “Pints for Polio.” It’s an event created by the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Rotary.
The social event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, September 26, at the Wolf Hollow Brewing Company, 6882 Amsterdam Road, Glenville. It is open to all.
This week’s dinner meeting speaker will be Schodack Town Supervisor David B. Harris, who will give us an update on major topics in his Rensselaer County community.
Harris, who is in his first term as supervisor, also spoke to the club last March.
The dinner menu will feature beef tips with mushroom gravy, chef’s selection of side dishes, antipasto salad, bread, desserts, and beverages. And, as always, the Quigley’s cash bar will be available throughout the evening.
And, also as always, we need an accurate headcount for purposes of buffet food supply and seating arrangements. So, please be sure to contact Debbie Brown at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com no later than Tuesday evening to reserve a seat. Guests always are welcome.
The following people have made their reservations. Please join them.
Terry Brewer
Debbie Brown
Peter Brown
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Ray Hannan
Phil Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Roberto Martinez
Debbie Rodriguez
Guest: David Harris
Here’s the latest activity report from ShelterBox regarding Hurricane Dorian and the resulting confusion in the aftermath of such a devastating occurence, and other disasters around the globe.
“It’s looking increasingly likely that we will be supporting families in the Bahamas with aid such as tarpaulins and shelter kits.
T”he team still is working hard to clarify where the gaps are and understand who needs help, where those families are, and what kind of support is most needed. This includes traveling to the worst-affected areas and coordinating with other organizations.
“Understanding the number of people who need help and being sure about where they located is a complex task. With so many organizations working to help people in the Bahamas, damaged infrastructure and crowded ports, it is taking time to ensure that we make the right decisions and are able to help people in the best way possible for their future recovery.
“As well as a team in the Bahamas, we also are active right now in Bangladesh, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Syria, and across the Lake Chad Basin in Africa.
“While we are not accepting designated donations for Hurricane Dorian at this time, we are asking Clubs to support ShelterBox generally. Contributions allow us to respond rapidly when disasters strike.”
Held at Quigley’s Restaurant 573 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush, NY 12061
Members Attending (14): Pat Bailey, Terry Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Debbie Rodriguez.
Guests (2): Peter Sawyer, Luigi Magliocca.
President Phil Kellerman called the meeting to order and welcomed members and two guests — Peter Sawyer, from the Burnt Hills Rotary Club, and Luigi Magliocca of Miracle Ear in East Greenbush, guest of Ray Hannan… . Debbie Rodriguez will send a card and gift basket to Murray Forth, whose convalescence is going well. He expects to return to meetings in the next week or two. … Debbie and Doris Calamaras have volunteered to succeed Debbie Brown as dinner meeting meal planners. Thanks to Debbie B. for handling that duty for a number of years. …
Dean Calamaras offered raffle tickets for sale for a drawing that will be part of the annual Gift of Life Golf Tournament next Monday at Pine Haven Country Club in Guilderland. SRC has two teams entered in the event. … We are considering meeting with Danes Rotaract on Thursday, October 24, at the UAlbany School of Public on World Polio Day. As to other programs, coordinator Dick Drumm is asking people to pick a date for which they will provide a speaker/program. … Terry Brewer reported that we have four students from Maple Hill High School who will participate in the 2019-20 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program, with SRC paying their tuition fees. …
Contents of the “spare change” jar for the remainder of the Rotary Year will go to the Capital Region Nordic Alliance to help its work providing adaptive sports for disabled military veterans. Donations collected up to this point will go to the Danes Rotaract. … Phil suggested we hold another blanket-making session with the Blue Star Mothers. Debbie R. will contact them to arrange a date. … Guest Peter Sawyer announced his club is sponsoring a fundraiser for polio efforts on Thursday, September 26, at the Wolf Hollow Brewing Company, 6882 Amsterdam Road, Glenville. It is open to all. … Next week’s guest speaker will be Schodack Town Supervisor David Harris.
President Phil presented his goals for the remainder of the 2019-20 Rotary Year.
• Encouraging each member to bring at least one guest, if not more, to a meeting.
• Setting a goal of recruiting and inducting three new members.
• We will hold at least one recycling/shredding day.
• Following up Bill Dowd’s Clynk update of last week, he is encouraging all members to become involved in the recycling effort that provides funds for SRC to donate to ShelterBox. We will maintain a supply of bags and bar code stickers at Quigley’s.
• In an effort to keep meetings to a reasonable length, speakers will be given a five-minute warning at 7:25 so meetings will end promptly at 7:30. No exceptions. He will personally speak to presenters before their talk to inform them of the time limit.
The scheduled speaker has cancelled, but we’re still going to sit down to a hearty dinner this Thursday at Quigley’s.
Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
• From the World Health Organization
For the 12th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating possible — four stars — from 
Various clubs in District 7190 raise funds in a variety of ways for Rotary International’s anti-polio efforts worldwide. SRC, for example, directs portions of several events toward that effort.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 