MEMBERS ATTENDING (13): Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Debbie Rodriguez and Phil Kellerman, Via Zoom: Charlie Foote and Carol Orvis.

GUESTS (2): Jimmy Thomas and Ruth Samuels.

Vice-President Peter Brown 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:  Partnering with Shannon Romanowski of the East Greenbush YMCA, over 30 Easter Baskets were assembled and delivered to Circles of Mercy in Rensselaer.  Thank you to everyone who donated and delivered donations to the YMCA.

Rotary Bowling Event:  The event was a huge success.  The Club raised $1088. Phil Kellerman drooped off the donated food along with a check for $544 to the Anchor Food Pantry. The remainder of the money will go to the Water for South Sudan Project, organized by 7th grade students from the Maple Hill junior/Senior School. Phil will check with Christine Fowler regarding the possibility of presenting the check to the students at school or at an upcoming meeting. Thank you to Phil for organizing the event, and everyone who donated time and money especially Pat Bailey, Debbie Brown and Peter Brown for manning the tables and to Murray Forth for making the signs. We are planning to make this an annual event.

Website Updates:  We are in the process of updating club information on our websites, currently there are three of them: MYRotary (International), ClubRunner (District), and SRCRotary.org.  As you use these websites, please check please check the information for accuracy, especially your contact information.

Exchange Program: Peter Brown and Jim Leyhane met with students and parents (approximately 20 people) at an evening event at Maple Hill. The School’s International Club will be making a couple of trips on their own, one to Montreal. There is an exchange request for next summer for a student to visit Australia.

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 13, 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. This will be a Club Assembly.

Entree choices will be Chicken Rustica Salid, Lasagna and Penne Ala Vodka.

Jimmy Thomas is a member of the Glenville Rotary Club. He is also an Army Veteran who recently lost his service dog Boots. Service dogs are trained to assist individuals with physical and/or emotional problems, for example, providing help to someone experiencing seizures, calming someone with PTSD and helping those with visual or hearing disabilities navigate. Having Boots changed Jimmy’s life. Jimmy will be getting another service dog in the future who he will name Duke.

Many veterans suffer from traumatic brain injury, PTSD or amputations. They have a 50% higher risk of suicide. More than 114,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001. Veterans are in need of service dogs. The military does not provide nor does insurance cover the cost for service dogs. Trained service dogs can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $75,000. Jimmy and the Glenville Rotary Club established Doggie Paddle in order to help veterans obtain a service dog.

Jimmy travelled 2,000 miles by kayak from Albany, New York to Key West Florida and he biked 1,945 miles from Key West to Albany “to raise money and awareness for those veterans in need of a service dog.” Along the way, he attended many Rotary meetings and was hosted by a number of Rotarians. Some of his experience included being forced out of the Hudson River because of six-foot waves produced by a hurricane. He reentered the water in New Jersey. A ferry boat hit him in the Delaware Bay. He met two Rotarians who loaded his kayak on top of their car and drove him across the Bay. Kayaks are only 8 inches out of the water which was very scary during a bad storm in Titusville. At one point, sharks swam around the kayak. Jimmy thought that was because the local fishermen used chum and the sharks were then drawn to the kayak looking for food. He was also rammed by a 12-foot alligator. One of the manatees he encountered lifted the kayak up out of the water. Dolphins swam back and forth under his kayak. While biking back, he was hit by a car twice and, at one point, his eyes froze shut. His determination kept him going to prove to those who thought that he could not do this that he could.

Jimmy Thomas has raised a quarter of a million dollars so far for Doggie Paddle. For more information, visit the website at http://www.doggiepaddle.org. You can also attend the Glenville Rotary Foundation Dinner on April 8th.

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.

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.

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.

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.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (10): Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, Becky Raymond. Via Zoom: Charlie Foote.

GUESTS (0)

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

Our Club:  Thursday marks the 63rd Birthday of the Southern Rensselaer Rotary Club. Kudos to Dick Drumm, a charter member.

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 16 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.

East Greenbush Global Education Committee:  The entire East Greenbush School District is reading the book “The Elephant in the Room” by Holly Goldberg Sloan. The project kicked off on yesterday.  Can you name the three species of elephants? Velda, a large stuffed elephant, will be making an appearance at several businesses. The District invites community involvement. Further information can be found at https://egcsd.org/onebook/. If you are interested in participating and/or signing up as a guest reader, please fill out the Interest Form found on the website.

Circles of Mercy: Thank you cards were received from the Richard and the families that the SRC Rotary adopted for the holidays.

Gift of Life Donation Boxes:  Kevin Leyhane spoke with Tom Burdick about the box in Schodack Plaza. Mr. Burdick spoke with the Schodack Plaza management. The donation box will remain in Schodack Plaza. Items dumped at the site will be cleaned up. Signs will be posted and camaras will be installed to monitor the site to ensure that it is used for donations.

Albany Water Project Presentation: Len Tantillo, noted historical artist, and B.J. Costello will speak on March 9th about the proposed waterway in downtown Albany. Attendance is limited and capacity has been met. Anyone else interested in the presentation is invited to join via Zoom. The Zoom link is available on the Calendar page of our website. Those with reservations, please arrive at 5:45 pm. A buffet will be served. The cost is $25 per person. The buffet choices will be Penne with Marinera Sauce, Chicken Lemone and Sausage and Meatball with Cannoli for dessert and coffee.

PETS Training: PETS training will be held in Syracuse on March 17th through March 19th. Information is available on the District website. The last day to sign up is this Friday. Roberto Martinez and Jim Lehayne will attend this year.

Rotaract: Becky Raymond provided an update of Rotaract activities. Rotaract met last week with 6 members in attendance. Rotaract sponsored activities include having Cathy Stone and her Therapy dogs on Campus in early March. Ann Williams will speak to the students about the Peace Corps at the end of March.

Saratoga Springs Rotary Clubs Home Show: Becky Raymond will help staff the Shelter Box table at the Home Show on Saturday, March 3rd.

DAF Committee: Phil Kellerman will organize a meeting of the Committee. The Club will consider the future direction of DAF.

Next Meeting:  The next meeting will be Thursday, March 9, by reservation only, at 5:45 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.

The buffet choices will be Penne with Marinera Sauce, Chicken Lemone and Sausage and Meatball.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (13): Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Peter Brown, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, Terry Brewer and Pat Bailey. Via Zoom: Becky Raymond and Charlie Foote.

GUESTS (2): Maria Coady and Dina Sevayega.

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

Club Email and Phone Number: The new Club email is SRCRotary1960@Gmail.com. The email and the Club’s phone number have been updated on website.  If you notice any information that needs to be updated on the Club’s website, please notify Kevin Leyhane. Roberto Martinez also suggested that the Club appoint Peter Brown as the Membership Chair so that he may make edits in My Rotary.

One District One Book: Jeff Simons, Superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District, sent a letter on behalf of their Global Education Committee thanking the Club for our $1000 donation to purchase copies of the book “The Elephant in the Room.” The Committee is sponsoring a Project to have the entire District read the book by Holly Goldberg Sloan. The start date has not yet been determined because of delays in obtaining the books.

Iron Giraffe Project: Students from the Maple Hill International Club spoke last week about their fundraiser for Water for South Sudan.  The Club will donate fifty percent of the proceeds from the Rotary Bowling Event to the Maple Hill International Club for their fundraiser. In addition, the Club will also donate another $500 for the fundraiser.

Rotary Bowling Event:  Per Phil Kellerman, the event will be held on April 2nd (Sunday) from 2 pm until 4 pm. Phil will also check to see if the event can be held from 1 pm until 3 pm. To date, Phil has commitments for 12 sponsorships at $50 a lane. He would like 16. He proposed a raffle for a $50 gift certificate. It was suggested that participants who bought food to donate to the Anchor Food Pantry will get a free ticket. Phil contacted the Pantry. The Pantry suggested donations of peanut butter and jelly, toiletries, instant mashed potatoes and cereal. Please let Phil Kellerman know if you are planning to attend. Pat Bailey and Ray Hannan are helping Phil plan this event.

Rotary Plaque for Moscatiello’s: Moscatiello’s management approved the plaque and will place it by one of the doors.

Albany Water Project Presentation: Len Tantillo, noted historical artist, and B.J. Costello will speak on March 9th about the proposed waterway in downtown Albany. Attendance is limited to 50 people. A buffet will be served. The cost is $25 per person. The buffet choices will be Penne with Marinera Sauce, Chicken Lemone and Sausage and Meatball with Cannoli for dessert and coffee. Capacity has been met, anyone else interested in the presentation is invited to join via Zoom.

Pre-PETS Schedule: Roberto Martinez joined the February 15 meeting on Club Finances and Insurance. They discussed taxes, budgets and membership counts. The new District will consist of 100 Clubs with 3,000 members. PETS training will be held in Syracuse. Let Kevin Leyhane know if you are interested in attending.

Next Meeting: Note that there is no meeting next week. The next meeting will be Thursday, March 2, 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.

Entree choices for March 2 will be Penne Ala Vodka, Rustica Salid and Baked Sausage and Peppers.

Dr. Coady is Professor of Multilingual Education and is the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity at North Carolina State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Bilingual, Multicultural and Social Foundations of Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been a teacher, teacher-educator and advocate for English language learners in the US and abroad for over 30 years. She also provides educational professional development in the US, Ukraine, China and the United Arab Emirates. She was awarded the American Educational Research Association “Exemplary Contributions for Practice-Engaged Research” in 2020 for her work with rural, multilingual communities.

There are over 5 million multilingual learners (ML) students in grades K through 12 in the US who are learning English as an additional language. Seventy-five percent of these students are Spanish speaking. In North Carolina, 80 percent of the counties are rural and have population growths attributed to Spanish speaking families. North Carolina has 1.4 million students in grades K through 12. Of these, there are 270,000 students who speak a language other than Englis with Spanish is being the most widely used. The rural districts have found an increase in the number of students from Haiti. Only 50% of rural districts offer English as a second language (ESL) compared to city districts where 89% offer ESL Bilingual education is more effective than ESL.

Dr. Coady did a Talking Tour, speaking with ML educators about problems they have encountered. There are issues with teacher retention, teacher to student ratios that vary significantly, no access to bilingual social workers and psychologists, no native language assessment materials and ML family engagement.

The LEAD Foundation was incorporated in 2013. They provide scholarships for high achieving students whether they are documented or undocumented, migrant or ML. Students submit applications, their GPA and usually an essay about what they want to study. Their submissions are reviewed. The applicants are interviewed by Phil Kellerman regarding what obstacles and challenges they have overcome, their goals and plans as to how they will finance the remainder of their education after the $1000 per semester scholarship is awarded. These students contribute back to their communities. To learn more about LEAD, go to http://www.languageeducate.org.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (12): Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, Charlie Foote and Pat Bailey.

GUESTS (6): Debra Oligny, Chris Fowler, Vivian Palmer, Hailee LaRose, Thomas Webb and Jack Willett.

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

Email Account:   The new Club email is SRCRotary1960@Gmail.com. Kevin Leyhane will update the website.

Pre-PETS Schedule: Peter Brown, Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez joined the Zoom PETS training session on the Topic of Goals and Learning Center this past Tuesday night. Per Peter Brown, members can now access Rotary through my.rotary.org. The website has more system capability. This was the first of four virtual sessions. Members are invited to participate in these trainings. The remaining sessions are Wednesday February 15 on Club Finances and Insurance, Thursday February 23 on Meeting Formats and Friday February 27 on the RI Foundation. All sessions start at 7 pm. Members must activate their MyRotary account. at Rotary.org.

Rotary Bowling Event:  Per Phil Kellerman, the event will be held on April 2nd (Sunday) from 2 pm until 4 pm. It will cost $16 per person for 2 hours of bowling and this includes the shoes. Phil suggested the Club offest the cost of bowling by $3.50 per participant so that they would be charged $12.50. Phil also suggested sponsorships at $50 a lane. He would like to split the funds raised between the Anchor Food Pantry and the Maple Hill Iron Giraffe Project. Pat Bailey and Ray Hannan volunteered to help Phil plan this event.

One District One Book: Jeff Simons, Superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District, sent a letter on behalf of their Global Education Committee requesting that Rotary consider purchasing 400 copies of “The Elephant in the Room” for approximately $1500. The Committee is sponsoring a District Wide Project to have the entire District read “The Elephant in the Room” by Holly Goldberg Sloan. The Club agreed to give the district $1000 towards this project.

Rotary Plaque for Moscatiello’s: Roberto Martinez will share the plaque with Moscatiello’s management.

Albany Water Project Presentation: Len Tantillo, noted historical artist, and B.J. Costello will speak on March 9th about the proposed waterway in downtown Albany. Kevin Leyhane proposed limiting the attendance to 50 people. Let Roberto Martinez know ASAP that you plan to attend. Over 40 people are already on the list. Those interested, after capacity has been met, will be invited to join via Zoom.

Viking Gym: Ron Annis emailed Kevin Koing, the Town of Schodack Parks Superintendent, the quote for 10 pieces of equipment for the Gym. The total cost for all 10 pieces of equipment is $24,067.19. Based on the amount of funding already raised, several pieces of equipment can be purchased with additional equipment to be purchased over several years.

Next Meeting: Thursday, February 16, 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 Dr. Maria Coady from LEAD joining via Zoom.

Entree choices will be Antipasto Salid, Chicken Marsala and Cheese Ravioli.

           

Vivian Palmer, Hailee LaRose, Jack Willett and Thomas Webb, students from Maple Hill’s International Club presented on their Iron Giraffe Project.

They are raising $1000 for Water for South Sudan. Water for South Sudan is a non-profit organization dedicated to digging wells in order to provide clean water in South Sudan. Only 10% of the population has access to clean water. Non-clean water causes water-borne illnesses. It also takes time to walk to water and carry it back to the village. Access to clean water prevents illness and allows people to focus on other things like going to school. Salva Dut founded Water for South Sudan in 2003. It costs $15,000 to drill a well. They have dug 557 wells and also teach about hygiene.

The students were inspired to raise money for Water for South Sudan after reading the book “A long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park. The book is about Salva Dut’s life story and about a girl named Nya who walked twice a day for 7 months a year to get water. As a child, Salva Dut was displaced by war in South Sudan. He became separated from his family and walked to a refugee camp in another country. After years in the camp, he had the opportunity to relocate to the United States. He later found that his father was alive in South Sudan but had a disease he got from dirty water. This inspired Salva Dut to start Water for South Sudan.

Why do they call their project the Iron Giraffe Project? The machines that dig the wells look like giraffes. So far, they have raised $230. If you wish to donate, send a check to the Maple Hill Student Activities Fund for the class of 2028. If they make their goal of raising $1000, they have a chance to meet Mr. Dut and Linda Sue Park.

Peter Brown, spoke to the students about the Student Exchange Program and the Summer Exchange Program. There will be a parent information night in March and will be taking applications starting in March. In order to do this, there must be enough families willing to host the exchange student.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (14): Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Becky Raymond, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, Charlie Foote. John Justino, and Pat Bailey. By Zoom: Terry Brewer.

GUESTS (1): Cathy Stone.

President-Elect Peter Brown 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

District Reorganization:  Our three upstate NY districts (7150, 7170, and 7190) will become one district as of July 1, 2024. We are not looking at this as a “merger,” but as an opportunity to create something new, called CNY Rotary. Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane and Dick Drumm joined the District Zoom session this past Monday night to learn more about the direction CNY (Central New York) Rotary is heading.  The new District will have a President instead of a Governor. The CNY District will encompass 100 clubs. They are working out the details of the executive and club structures. The districts will be combining their expertise. District 7190 does a lot of projects, whereas the other two Districts excel at attracting new members. The Exchange Programs, Shelter Box, Polio and donations to the Foundation all remain unchanged. The district’s financing will have to merge. Many things are still in the discussion stage. There are a few more opportunities to find out about the District Reorganization. The next Zoom meeting will be held on February 9th. We also encourage you to visit the CNY Rotary Website (CNY Rotary.org), District 7190 website and visit the FAQ, and the Facebook page.

Rotary Bowling Event:  Per Phil Kellerman, April 2nd (Sunday) is available. The lanes open at noon. It will cost $16 per person for 2 hours of bowling and this includes the shoes. We can do noon to 2 pm and/or 2:15 pm to 4:15 pm. If we choose two sessions, then we have to change sides and lanes. We can accommodate 48 to 80 participants per session. We can also do a food drive for the local food pantry and offer a discount for each food item donated. Phil requested a decision by next week.

Bylaw Change: The Bylaw changes were read again and put to a vote. The changes were unanimously approved.

          Current Bylaw:  Section 3: Twelve (12) members constitute a quorum at the regular meetings of this club. Written proxy votes submitted to the president in advance of a meeting may be counted toward achieving a quorum.

          Proposed Bylaw:  Section 3: Ten (10) members constitute a quorum at the regular meetings of this club.  Written and electronic proxy votes submitted in advance of the meeting to any board member attending the meeting may be counted toward achieving a quorum.

Viking Gym: Ron Annis Zoomed in from Sweden to join Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm and Debbie Rodrigez at the meeting at the Schodack Town Hall. Rotary members met with Charles Peter, Schodack Town Supervisor, and Kevin Konig, Parks Supervisor. Ron Annis had emailed some pictures of equipment from a company he identified. The equipment ranges in from $1100 to $3200 per piece. Shipping is included and we can do the installation. The equipment is guaranteed for 10 years. Per Mr. Peter, he has had a preliminary discussion with the Town Board about the project. Beside the current location at the Schodack Town Park, Mr. Peter also offered the land next to the Town Hall for the Viking Gym. Mr. Peter also wants to explore corporate sponsorships for the project which could be acknowledged on the donated pieces of equipment. Ron will send a pricing request for 5 to 10 pieces of equipment to the company. He will also draft a donation letter and a short description of the project.

Albany Water Project Presentation: Len Tantillo, noted historical artist, and B.J. Costello will speak on March 9th about the proposed waterway in downtown Albany. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.

Plaque at Moscatellos: It was suggested that a “Rotary Meets Here” plaque be purchased for Moscatellos. Per Roberto Martinez, the Restaurant management will need to see what it looks like.

“One District One Book: Jeff Simons, Superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District, sent a letter on behalf of their Global Education Committee requesting that Rotary consider purchasing 400 copies of “The Elephant in the Room” for approximately $1500. The Committee is sponsoring a District Wide Project to have the entire District read “The Elephant in the Room” by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Next Meeting: Thursday, February 9, 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 speakers will be students from the Maple Hill International Club.

Entree choices will be Chicken Caeser Salid, Penne in Pesta Cream Sauce and Linguini with Baby Clams in White Wine Sauce.

Cathy Stone has two therapy dogs, Henry Charles and Piper. Both are standard poodles. Poodles do not shed and are hypoallergenic. She has been working as a therapy dog owner for eight years. She got involved with having her dogs be therapy dogs because she wanted to volunteer and have it be meaningful. Owners and their therapy dogs are not paid. It is strictly a volunteer service.

Therapy dogs support people’s mental and physical well-being by providing affection and comfort. Dogs of any age can be a therapy dog. Dogs are temperament screened after birth and they must be very calm, friendly, not afraid of loud noises and not bark all the time. Their owner trains them to sit, stand, lay down, and come when called. They should meet the standards for the Canine Good Citizen Certification. Therapy dogs provide instant satisfaction and calmness. They are uplifting, bring joy, release strain and tension, can lower blood pressure and help with depression. Therapy dogs are used in such settings as pediatric clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Therapy dogs are not emotional support dogs.

Therapy dogs must be licensed by organizations such as Therapy Dogs International and Bright and Beautiful. These organizations screen the volunteer and the dog, provide liability insurance and memorandums of understanding with hospitals, schools and other organizations that use therapy dogs. They also provide education about the importance of having therapy dogs. The dog must be at least one year old to take the Therapy Dog test. There are 13 elements to the test and the dog must pass every element to receive a license. Such elements include food refusal, not responding to loud noises and being able to focus only on the owner in the presence of other distractions. Once licensed, the rest is on the job training. Licenses must be renewed every year.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (12): Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Debbie Rodriguez, Phil Kellerman, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Terry Brewer. and Pat Bailey. By Zoom: Becky Raymond and Charlie Foote.

GUESTS (2): Betty Brewer and Mary Alice Cardes.

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 Kevin Leyhane. Proxy votes can also be submitted using the Remind App. Text to the number 81010.

MEETING NOTES

Guest Speakers, Meetings and Calendar:  The Calendar is filling up, make sure you check it when scheduling a speaker. There will be no scheduled meeting during the school break week for February 23rd. Becky Raymond suggested introductions before the meeting begins and giving members a chance to voice what is new in their lives before the meeting is adjourned. Roberto Martinez suggested that we schedule Club assemblies every six weeks. Phil Kellerman suggested asking if the Club could place a “Rotary Meets Here” sign at Moscatellio’s.

Albany Water Project Presentation: Len Tantillo, noted historical artist, and B.J. Costello will speak on March 9th about the proposed waterway in downtown Albany. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.

Clynk:  Please keep using Clynk. Theis is an easy way to raise funding for the Club’s projects.

Bylaws changes regarding Proxy votes: We are proposing to amend the bylaws to allow members to give their proxy vote to any board member who will be attending the meeting that the member will miss. Also, Terry Brewer has suggested decreasing the number of members to ten members to constitute a quorum at regular meetings.

Current Bylaw

Section 3: Twelve (12) members constitute a quorum at the regular meetings of this club. Written proxy votes submitted to the president in advance of a meeting may be counted toward achieving a quorum.

Proposed Changes:

Section 3:  Ten (10) members constitute a quorum at the regular meetings of this club.  Written and electronic proxy votes submitted in advance of the meeting to any board member attending the meeting the member will miss may be counted toward achieving a quorum.

Menu: Antipasto Salad, Penne in a pesto cream sauce, Rustica Salad and Chicken Florentine (5 chicken tenders sautéed in white wine with tomatoes and spinach over linguini) were added as menu items.

Cafe Capriccio Raffle:  The winner is …….Dick Drumm! There were 168 tickets sold. Thank you to all who participated. Special thanks to Terry Brewer and Andy Leyhane for planning and organizing the raffle.

Small Project Ideas: Currently, members suggested working on the Star of Hope Garden student memorial located by the WMCA. The stones need to be replaced and the garden refreshed. Roberto Martinez, Ron Anis, Dick Drumm, Jim Leyhane and Debbie Rodriguez will be meeting next week with the Town of Schodack about starting the Viking Gym project. It was also suggested that the Club plan a bowl-a-thon and plan service projects instead of having the traditional summer social meetings.

Districts Merge: Our three upstate NY districts (7150, 7170, and 7190) will become one district as of July 1, 2024. We are not looking at this as a “merger,” but as an opportunity to create something new, called CNY Rotary. You will have the opportunity to learn more about the direction CNY Rotary is heading.  We also encourage you to visit the CNY Rotary Website and visit the FAQ, and the Facebook page.

If you want to learn more about where the districts are in the creation of the new CNY Rotary, you are invited to attend the upcoming town hall meetings. To sign up for one or more Town Hall Events, please go to this link https://cnyrotary.org/ events/.

Rotaract: Per Becky Raymond, the Rotaract Board met earlier this week. They are planning a member meeting possibly combined with a social event. Ann Williams, US Peace Corp Recruiter, will be speaking at the School of Public Health about how the Peace Corps can be a step in a student’s career. This event is being sponsored by Rotaract. They are looking at planning a service and a social event every month. They also plan to participate in Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA on April 29th. Rotaract members were invited to attend a Rotary meeting.

Next Meeting: Thursday, February 2, 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 Cathy Stone presenting on Therapy Dogs.

Entree choices will be Chicken Florentine, Meat Lasagna and Rustics Salad.