Category: Activities: Local

Strong turnout for Rotary birthday party

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Screen Shot 2017-03-07 at 8.26.38 PMFrom District Governor John Mucha:

We had a wonderful Rotary Birthday Party on February 24 at the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa. Around 90 Rotarians and friends gathered to enjoy some great social time together. Thanks so much to the Ballston Spa Rotary Club who did an amazing job organizing everything.

At the birthday party, we drew the winners of the District Conference Raffle. Carolyn Ouderkirk from Fort Ann Rotary won free conference registration. Kelly Catricala from Twin Bridges Rotary won two free hotel nights during the conference. Thanks to all of you, we sold 272 tickets, raising funds to support our District Conference.

District Conference registration is open on our District website. Just click on “District Conference” at the top of the home page. The link to hotel registration for the Marriott in Lake George also is there. Registration price increases on April 7 and hotel rooms are limited, so please register soon.

Also, registration fee for the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta will increase by $75 after March 31 with no discounts after that date. If you are thinking about attending but have not registered yet, now is the time. Almost 50 Rotarians and friends from our District are going so far, and we would love to have more of you join us.

 

RSVP by Tuesday for dinner on Thursday

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Screen shot 2017-03-06 at 12.53.17 PMThey didn’t have full meal service on the iconic aircraft, but we will at Thursday’s meeting before Jim Leyhane offers an after-dinner presentation titled “A Flight Into History On A B-29.”

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Our “in flight” meal

The Quigley’s menu calls for roast pork, mixed salad, chef’s choice of sides, bread, dessert and beverages. And, of course, there always is the cash bar.

We already have a good lineup of reservations, but there is room for more — including guests. Please be sure to let dinner coordinator Debbie Brown (mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) know no later than Tuesday evening if you plan to attend but are not on this list:

Monika Annis
Ron Annis
Pat Bailey
Terry Brewer
Debbie Brown
Peter Brown
April Dowd
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Murray Forth
Ray Hannan
Phi Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Roberto Martinez
Debbie Rodriguez

P.S. This will be the first day for dropping off your donations for the Easter basket drive.

5 from Maple Hill in RYLA Class of 2017

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RYLA Class of 2017
Graduating group photo courtesy of RYLA

Five members of the current junior class at Maple Hill High School were among graduates of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program recognized on  Saturday night at a dinner in Saratoga Springs.

The students, sponsored by the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club:

  • Allison Felts
  • Kassidy Berger
  • Matthew Riordan
  • Meg Albanese
  • Shirah Strock

Not familiar with the details of RYLA? Just click here to go to the page on our website that explains it all.

And, here are several others scenes from the event, courtesy of Jennifer Felts of Our Towne Magazine.

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The whole Maple Hill group: Matthew, Shirah, Allison, Meg and Kassidy.

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Easter basket drive is under way

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src-easter-basket-driveAmong the more pleasurable projects our club undertakes are those involving kids. For the fourth consecutive year, we will be participating in Circles of Mercy’s Easter basket project for needy children ages 1 through 12.

Last year, Circles received more than 150 requests and our club alone responded by coming up with about 50. Circles anticipates at least that many requests again, so this year our goal is to match the number we provided in 2016, but our hope is to exceed it.

Please read the list below of requested basket items, do your shopping, then bring donations to our March 16 breakfast meeting or our March 9, 16, 23 or 30 dinner meetings. March 30 is the donation deadline.

Len Leonidas and his Scouts will assemble the baskets from your donations, clear-wrap them, and deliver them to Circles of Mercy. Meanwhile, John Sawchuk and the staff and students at Columbia High School will run a parallel effort, soliciting basket items, packaging them with baskets and wrappers supplied by the club, and delivering them to Circles no later than April 10.

The shopping list of requested items:

• traditional Easter candies
• coloring books
• crayons
• colored pencils
• dental floss
• toothpaste
• toothbrushes
• small toys
• small toy animals
• combs / hair brushes

Thanks for your help as always.

‘Community Celebration’ evening a successful salute to local achievers

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with

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A special cake for the occasion, complete with the official club logo.

A packed house at Tuesday’s “Community Celebration” dinner paid tribute to a wide array of local adults and young people people for their achievements through efforts that are in keeping with the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”

Because so many good things come full circle, proceeds from this event honoring people who serve the community will go toward supporting community service efforts by the sponsoring Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club.

Awards were made in 12 categories during ceremonies at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant in North Greenbush. The event was conceived by SRC Vice President John Sawchuk, backed by the able support of Murray Forth, Terry Brewer and Jim Leyhane.

Scenes from the evening’s festivities

(also available in album format on the club’s Facebook page)

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National Guard Sgt. Seth Wieland introduces Jesse Frankosin for the Outstanding Military Service award, with SRC Vice President John Sawchuk looking on at rear.
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Longtime Troop 41 Scoutmaster Dennis Cicchino, flanked by longtime supporter Jim Leyhane and two Leyhane offspring — Kevin (left) and Andy (far right) — who Dennis mentored en route to their achieving Eagle rank.
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Anticipating a gala night.
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3 Leyhanes, 2 Drumms, 1 Martinez … and no sign of a partridge in a pear tree.
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From Maple Hill Middle School: Principal Jacqueline Hill and students Andrew Penn, Jaden Ditonno and Emily Boll.
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Event organizers (from left) Terry Brewer, John Sawchuk, Murray Forth and Jim Leyhane share the spotlight with President Debbie Rodriguez.
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“Breakout Rotarian” Shannon Romanowski, flanked by President Debbie Rodriguez and Terry Brewer who co-chairs the monthly breakfast meeting program with Shannon.
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Goff Middle School Principal Wayne Grignon with Jason Carlock, Kyle McNeff, and Sophia Fruggiero.
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North Greenbush Police Chief Robert Durivage with recipient Jeff Stehr.
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The many paid sponsors who helped make the event possible.
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A whole lotta schmoozin’ going on.
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Maple Hill High School students honored: Evan Fink, Jenna Wilkinson, Jordan Scott, Rebecca Leverone.

This is how you may have helped the Rotary Foundation

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From left: Dawn Vavala, Nina and John Mucha.

For those members of our club who helped underwrite the purchase of “Rotary Serving Humanity” T-shirts, you were part of something big.

Dawn Vavala, who supplies our Rotary-emblazoned clothing and other items, reports:

Thanks to everyone who helped raise $5,100 for the Rotary Foundation by buying and selling ‘Rotary Serving Humanity’ T-shirts.

“We were able to present this check to Susan Austin [chair of the District Rotary Foundation Committee] at the Rotary birthday party on Friday night. A huge thanks to Nina Mucha and District Governor John Mucha for letting all the clubs know all about them, and [District Treasurer] Richard A. Griesche for keeping all the finances straight.”

And, Dawn noted, “SRC Rotary definitely wins for the club who bought the most. Thank you, SRC Rotary!”

 

RSVP by Tuesday for dinner on Thursday

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screen-shot-2017-02-27-at-5-43-19-pmOne of the numerous medical assistance initiatives Rotarians around the world are supporting is the Bangladesh Pediatric Cataract Surgery Project.

Rotrarian Steven Miller will be our guest this Thursday at Quigley’s to offer a presentation on this humanitarian award and seek our support.

The dinner menu includes ziti and meatballs, antipasto salad, chef’s choice of side dish, bread, dessert and beverages. And, 0f course, the cash bar is available.

As always, if you have not already reserved a seat we need you to email dinner coordinator Debbie Brown (mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) no later than Tuesday evening. The following already have made reservations:

Terry Brewer
Peter Brown
April Dowd
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Ray Hannan
Phil Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Carol Orvis
Becky Raymond
Carole Spencer
Steven Miller (guest speaker)

 

SRC health specialists on call at TU Center wrestling

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rassler-aides
Dr. Roberto Martinez, Ron  Annis, and Dr. Jim  Leyhane take a break.

Three members of the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club were on call today at the Times Union Center in Albany for the start of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA)’s annual statewide wrestling tournament.

Dr. Roberto Martinez and Dr. Jim Leyhane served as medical backup staff and first aid providers for wrestlers. Ron Annis and several of his trainers from his Top Form also were part of the medical support personnel.

Process chemistry and chicken Marsala on Thursday’s menu

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processMost of our club members know each other from Rotary meetings and social events, but in some cases we don’t know what they really do for a living.

Andy Leyhane, a club member and director, has a less-than-ordinary profession, and he’ll enlighten us at this Thursday’s dinner meeting at Quigley’s with a talk titled “The Role of Process Chemistry in Drug Development: A Little About What I do for Work.”

That presentation will come after Quigley’s “kitchen laboratory” whips up a dinner featuring chicken Marsala with chef’s choice of side dishes, salad, bread, dessert and beverages.

As always, we need to give the restaurant a proper headcount, so be sure your name is on the RSVP list below. If it isn’t and you plan to attend, please email dinner coordinator Debbie Brown (mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) no later than Tuesday. And, if you’d like to bring a guest or two, please let her know that as well.

Attending as of this morning:

Debbie Brown
Peter Brown
April Dowd
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Murray Forth
Ray Hannan
Andy Leyhane
Jim Leyhane
Debbie Rodriguez
Carole Spencer

See you on Thursday.