“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.
Won’t you please join your fellow Rotarians?
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.
If so, here’s what you’ll see on the SRCrotaryNY page. It’s a quick and easy way to keep up with news of your club. Why not try t?
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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.
Please contact Bill or April to save your seat.
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 life and legacy of the late Bob Horan, a Rotarian and superintendent of the Schodack Central School District, was honored on the floor of the New York State Senate this week.
Bob died unexpectedly at the age of 52 last July 4 while vacationing with his family. State Senator Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, with Bob’s wife and three children in attendance, honored his life and legacy, specifically the six years he spent as head of the Schodack district.
“As superintendent, Bob distinguished himself through hard work and tireless dedication to his students, the community and the cause of education,” Marchione said on the Senate floor.
“One of the things I remember is that while other superintendents would complain — and maybe rightly so — that wasn’t Bob Horan,” Marchione said. “Bob Horan talked about nothing but how he could do more, how he could work with what he had, how he could help his students, and he did just that.”
Marchione also hailed Moran’s dedication to the community beyond the school district, citing his involvement as a board member for the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce and an active member of the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club and Kiwanis.
More than 100 Boy Scouts from Rensselaer and Columbia counties spent last Saturday working on a variety of cooperative team-building activities at the Rotary Scout Reservation, more commonly known as Camp Rotary, in Averill Park.
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club historically has supported the camp with summer scholarships and other forms of support.
The Record sent photographer Nicholas Buonanno there to capture the scenes. You can go here to see his 12-photo slideshow.
Have you ever visited one of the newer attractions at Crossgates Mall — the Lucky Strike Social bowling and entertainment emporium? If not, here’s your chance. And, if you have been there, here’s your chance for a return visit for even more fun.
Rotary District 7190’s Next Gen Council is hosting a “Next Gen Council Mixer” from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, February 9, at the bowling venue, located downstairs from Best Buy.
(Not familiar with Lucky Strike Social? It’s quite a multifaceted entertainment complex. Click here to visit it.)
Say the organizers, “Join us for a night of fun, food and bad bowling at the Lucky Strike Social. If you’ve never been there, you’ve got to check it out. Finish up work, and head on over. Bring a friend who might some day become a Rotarian.
“Don’t misunderstand. This is not a big membership rush event of some sort, but we need to get more young professionals to join our Rotary Clubs, and we’ll have a bunch of these mixers and fun service projects so your friends can see what you see: Rotary is fun AND important. It will be a cheap night out — $15 will get you food, bowling shoes, and a good time.”
No reservations necessary. Just show up and bring a friend or three.
That headline may seem like an odd combination, but, trust us, it will be a good one for this Thursday’s meeting at Quigley’s. Here’s how it works:
• We will begin at 6:15 p.m. by dining on a Quigley’s favorite — Chicken Parmesan — with an antipasto salad, chef’s choice of side dishes, bread, dessert and beverages.
• After dinner, club member Marco Koshykar, a practicing attorney, will speak on “The Law Today.”
• And, Jackie Lynch of the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” will fill us in on the details of the fundraiser that is staffed and coordinated by volunteers in more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries.
As always, we need to provide the folks at Quigley’s with an accurate headcount first thing Wednesday morning. So, if you plan to attend and are not yet on the reservations list, please be sure to email dinner coordinator Debbie Brown at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com no later than Tuesday evening. And, also as always, guests are welcome, just be sure to let her know you’re bringing someone along.
The RSVP list so far:
A.J. Amato
Terry Brewer
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Murray Forth
Ray Hannan
Phil Kellerman
Marco Koshykar
Becky Raymond
Carole Spencer
Jackie Lynch (Relay for Life guest speaker)
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 