(Update) In memoriam: Julius Frankel

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Julius Frankel

Julius Frankel, a longtime SRC Rotarian who has been living in the Boston area for several years, died on June 1, according to his daughter, Liza Frankel Guimbard. Here is his official obituary:

Julius Frankel of North Greenbush, NY, passed away Friday, July 1, 2022, in Newton, MA. Julius was born December 10,  1935, in Chernovitz, Romania to the late Leopold and Stefanie (Granirer) Frankel.

Julius and his family immigrated to the United States in 1950 and lived in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended Erasmus Hall High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in science from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.

Julius was a physicist for 45 year with the United States Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Benet Laboratories in Watervliet.  His research, collaborated and published technical reports and patents with a specialized focus on ultrasonic techniques  for nondestructive testing of surfaces.

Julius met his beloved wife, Effrosini “Effie” (Galakatos) in Albany at an international dance in 1966 and were married on July 10, 1970.

Julius most enjoyed his time with family and friends,  grilling and dinner parties, traveling, attending weekly Torah study classes, going to the theatre and  operas,  playing tennis, and spending summers sailing  in Willsboro Bay on Lake Champlain.

Julius loved to travel throughout his life for work and pleasure throughout Europe, in India, the Mediterranean and Middle East. 

Survivors include his daughter  Liza (Frankel) Guimbard of Watertown,  MA, son-in-law Alex Guimbard,  and beloved Papou to grandchildren A.J., Nicholas  & Sophia Guimbard. Surviving cousins. include Mirium Grunstein and family of Brooklyn, NY and Jean-Marie Neiderhoffer of Paris, France.

His family is comforted in knowing he has finally found his eternal peace and reunited  with his beloved Effrosini. To have known Julius,  you were loved.

A private blessing and prayers were held with family upon his passing. Friends and family are  welcome to call or visit Liza and family while they sit Shiva this Thursday & Friday  (3-6 p.m.) and Sunday (2-5 p.m.) Please contact Liza to make arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for  donations made in Julius and Effie’s memory to:
Faith and Family Hospice Foundation
420 Lakeside Ave., Suite 203
Marlborough, MA 01752

Meeting Clipboard: 6/30/22

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Outgoing president Debbie Rodriguez passes the gavel to Kevin Leyhane.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (15): Debbie Rodriguez, Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey. By proxy: Carol Orvis, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Terry Brewer.

GUESTS: None.

President Debbie Rodriguez called the meeting to order, noting the presence of a quorum and the fact that it was the last meeting of the Rotary Year.

Debbie passed the gavel to President-elect Kevin Leyhane for the 2022-23 Rotary Year that begins on July 1. She provided some highlights of her year as president. Debbie was given two folding Rotary lawn chairs.  Kevin said he will be collecting thoughts on moving the club forward and is looking forward to another successful year,

MEETING NOTES:

• DONATIONS — By consensus, it was decided make a financial contribution of $100 to the Castleton Girl Scout/Brownie Troop 1762 for its effort to replace the 911 plaque in the Schodack Town Park. The Scouts had emailed and approached Rotary members at last Tuesday’s “Summer In the Park” event.

• VALLEYCATS OUTING — Several tickets remain for the Thursday, August 4, ValleyCats baseball game and pre-game pavilion picnic, part of our “Summer Casual” schedule for July and August. Prices: $30 per adult, $25 for children 12 and under. Please let event coordinator Debbie Rodriguez know if you are interested. Debbie will collect ticket money on July 14 at Peter and Debbie Brown’s picnic. Tickets will be available for pick up at the pool party at the Leyhane house on July 21.

• IMPACT COMMITTEE — Chair Pat Bailey reported that nearly $1,000 has been raised from, and numerous members of the public spoken to about Rotary, a series of appearances at the YMCA Healthy Kids Day, Kristy’s Barn, and the Schodack Town Park summer music series. There may be opportunities next year.  We were hoping to attract new members through such efforts.  Congratulations and hats off to all committee members and those who participated.

• SHELTER BOX SOLAR LIGHTS — The Shelter Box Starter kit was received this week.  It included 10 small solar lamps and five large solar lamps.  The club funded the first $260, and the lamps sell for $25 for the smaller and $50 for the larger lamp. The net proceeds of $250 will go to ShelterBox.  At tonight’s meeting, nine of the smaller and two of the larger lights were sold. There are one small and three large lights remaining for sale. Anyone wanting any of the remaining inventory may contact Roberto Martinez.

• DISTRICT GRANT — The final report of the 2021-22 grant was submitted by Jim Leyhane and Roberto. Many thanks to Terry Brewer for his coordination of the scholarship program, and congratulations to the three students receiving $1,000 scholarships.

• DRIVER SAFETY COURSE — Per Kevin Leyhane, there was not enough response to hold the course this summer. The subject will be revisited in the fall.

• “SUMMER CASUAL” — The first event of the July-August calendar will be a picnic at Peter and Debbie Brown’s residence at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14. Please bring an appetizer.

7190 GOL finishes latest Dominican visit

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Daniel and a GOL volunteer are all smiles.

Gift of Life-District 7190 last week was in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for its ninth training visit there since the COVID-19 pandemic set in.

GOL has treated nearly 180 children on these visits. One was Daniel, age 20, who waited more than 19 years from when he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect to when GOL operated on him this past Tuesday.

Gift of Life has been there for more than 42,000 children since 1975. It now is the largest humanitarian organization in the world providing care to children in the developing world with heart disease. Every three hours, GOL is providing life-saving surgery somewhere in the world.

Presidential Changeover dinner on Thursday

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Each June 30, we mark the end of another Rotary Year and look forward to the next 12 months of community and global service to others.

This year, June 30 coincides with our final meeting date of the year, and is designated as our “Presidential Changeover Dinner.”

Please plan to be on hand this Thursday to see President Debbie Rodriguez hand over the gavel to President-elect Kevin Leyhane for the 2022-23 term.

We’ll begin our session at 5:30 p.m. at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant with a social half-hour before dinner begins. As always, a cash bar will be available, and non-Rotarians are invited to attend the event.

FYI: Theater Barn cancels season

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The Theater Barn will suspend its 38th season after the July 3 performance.

If anyone was hoping to visit The Theater Barn, which we visited as a group during last year’s “Summer Casual Season” when our usual spot, the MacHaydn Theatre, was in flux due to the pandemic, forget it.

The owners of the summer theater in New Lebanon since its founding in 1984 have suspended the 38th season, effective at the end of the current run of Agatha Christie’s “Fiddlers Three,” which is being presented through next Sunday, July 3.

Allen Phelps, whose parents founded The Theater Barn, said the venue has not been able to attract the same level of attendance it had before the pandemic. Subscriptions have dropped by two-thirds, and single-performance ticket sales are off as well.

A ‘Summer Casual’ date opens up

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We’ve had a change in our July-August “Summer Casual Schedule.”

The Drumms have moved their picnic date from July 28 to August 11, meaning we have that July date plus two August and one September dates open.

If you would like to host an event, or make arrangements for a “field trip” on any open date, please let incoming President Kevin Leyhane know which date you want to reserve and copy Bill Dowd on your note so the calendar can be updated.

Here’s the current schedule:

Meeting Clipboard: 6/23/22

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MEMBERS ATTENDING (17): Debbie Rodriguez, Bill Dowd, Charlie Foote, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Kevin Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey. By proxy: Carol Orvis, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras.

GUESTS: None.

President Debbie Rodriguez called the meeting to order, noting the presence of a quorum and the fact that it was the last Zoom meeting of the Rotary Year.

MEETING NOTES:

• DONATIONS — By consensus, it was decided not to make a financial contribution to the Rotary float project for the 2023 Rose Parade.

• MEMBERSHIP — It was reported that all but one current member paid six-month or one-year dues for the start of the 2022-23 Rotary Year. Wells Packard has been removed from the membership roll.

• VALLEYCATS OUTING — Several tickets remain for the Thursday, August 4, ValleyCats baseball game and pre-game pavilion picnic, part of our “Summer Casual” schedule for July and August. Prices: $30 per adult, $25 for children 12 and under. Anyone who has not yet let event coordinator Debbie Rodriguez know of their interest is asked to do so no later than next Thursday, June 30.

• VIKING GYM — Ron Annis reports from Sweden that he’ll begin work on reconstruction of the rustic installment at Schodack Town Park when he returns home in August.

• IMPACT COMMITTEE — Chair Pat Bailey reported that about $800 has been raised, and numerous members of the public spoken to about Rotary, during a series of appearances at Kristy’s Barn and the Schodack Town Park summer music series. The last such event is scheduled for next Tuesday.

• DRIVER SAFETY COURSE — Kevin Leyhane issued a final call for anyone interested in participating in a course on Saturday, July 23, at a venue TBD. A minimum of 20 people is needed. SRC members are eligible, as are friends and family. Contact Kevin at KRL1873@aol.com by this weekend.

• PRESIDENTIAL CHANGEOVER — Debbie Rodriguez will pass the gavel to Kevin Leyhane for the 2022-23 Rotary Year at the 6:15 p.m. Thursday, June 30, meeting at Moscatiello’s, our final meeting of the 2021-22 year. As of the next day, July 1, Peter Brown will become President-elect en route to becoming president for 2023-24.

A breakout session at the convention center.

• THE RI CONVENTION — Jim Leyhane (5th convention) and Roberto Martinez (3rd time) were among 22 Rotarians from District 7190 to participate in the Rotary International Convention in Houston June 4-8. In total, more than 11,000 Rotarians were at the first in-person convention in three years.

Roberto and Jim described the range of speakers — from the first woman ever to be RI’s president-elect to a Nobel laureate, to a former moonwalking astronaut, to a Ukranian OB/GYN.

Discussion emphasis was on such global problems as clean water, child trafficking, and women’s rights.

The 2023 convention will be in Melbourne, Australia, and the 2024 session in Calgary, Alberta.

Texas native Roberto shown under a Texas-themed artwork.

Jim says his shoulder surgery won’t let him hold the world. but the moon is another story.

RSVP to attend Capital Roots thank-you event

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In April, the SRC Rotary Club hosted a speaker from Capital Roots, the current incarnation of what started out as a community garden project and has grown considerably in recent years to include feeding the hungry, improving nutrition in the region, and providing educational opportunities.

If that visit piqued your interest in the organization, you’re invited to the organization’s “Spring Donor Appreciation” event — SRC sent a check to Capital Roots — any time from 5:30 to 7 p.m. this Wednesday at the organization’s headquarters, 594 River Street in Troy.

Drinks and small plates will be served to attendees, but you do need to RSVP if you plan to attend. Contact Capital Roots by email at events@capitalroots.org to do so, or give them a call at 518-274-8685.

For those of you who missed the program in April, you can get filled in on Capital Roots’ many impressive activities by going to the organization website.

Meeting Clipboard 6/16/22: Scholarship Night, Part 2

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MEMBERS ATTENDING (17): Debbie Rodriguez, Kevin Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Pat Bailey, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Phil Kellerman, Murray Forth, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane. By proxy: Bill Dowd, Tony Morris, Carol Orvis, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras.

GUESTS (4): Scharlette Wilkins of Unity House, student Chelli Lopez and mother, RHS Counselor Chris Labatagglia.

President Debbie Rodriguez called the meeting to order at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, noting the presence of a quorum.

MEETING NOTES:

Scholarship winner Chelli Lopez and mom pose with RHS counselor Chris Labatagglia.

• SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS — Last week, we honored the winners of $1,000 SRC Scholarship Awards to students from Columbia and Maple Hill high schools. Tonight, we honored the third student — Chelli Lopez of Rensselaer High School, who was accompanied by school counselor Chris Labatagglia. Chris described Chelli as someone dedicated to community service that is integral to having the school and public communities function together. She tries to provide tools for projects to succeed.  Because it is a smaller school district, she feels connections are more personal than in some others. Chelli also is a member of her school’s varsity softball team.

Chelli, who was presented with a $1,000 cashier’s check and a certificate of achievement from the club, plans to attend SUNY Oswego. 

President Debbie with Scharlette WIlkins from Unity House, holding a check from SRC.

• GUEST SPEAKER — President Debbie introduced Scharlette Wilkins, assistant director of domestic violence services for Unity House of Troy, where she has worked for 17 years.

Debbie presented Scharlette with a check from the club for $382. The money was collected via the “Pocket Change” contribution jug that is passed around at in-person SRC meetings. That method of fundraising for a different, specific purpose each Rotary Year as designated by the current president was instituted in 2013 under then-President April Dowd.

Scharlette explained that Unity House gets its funding from grants and donations. Its programs include assisting women and men in such areas as poverty, domestic violence, and mental illness. Unity House has a regular staff and the assistance of three attorneys plus a cadre of volunteers, serving people from all ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. They even have a gun violence program. Most of their clients pay 30% of the cost of given services. 

• NOTES OF GRATITUDE — We received thank-you notes from ShelterBox and Capital Roots, our two most recent financial recipients.

• SHELTERBOX — Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane are in the process of acquiring a $250 Lumaid starter kit for rechargeable lights offered by ShelterBox, to be sold by the club as a ShelterBox fundraiser. We continue our Clynk container recycling effort to help support the emergency aid organization. Anyone needing bar code stickers for that purpose may contact Bill Dowd.

• IMPACT COMMITTEE — The most recent public meet-and-greet effort was staffed by Debbie and Peter Brown at Schodack Town Park on Tuesday during the town’s summer concert series. Anyone wishing to volunteer a few hours to help at additional weekly events is asked to contact Pat Bailey.

• NEXT MEETING — 7 p.m. Thursday, June 23, via Zoom. As always, use the link in the club’s website calendar page to access the session.

Meeting Clipboard 6/9/22: Scholarship Night, Part 1

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SRC scholarship winners pose with Rotarians, family, and school officials.

MEMBERS ATTENDING (17): Debbie Rodriguez, Becky Raymond, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Murray Forth, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Jeff Simon. By proxy: Carol Orvis, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Terry Brewer, Bill Dowd.

GUESTS (8): Michael Harkin, Brenna Sambrook, Kelly Sambrook, Brian Sambrook, Megan Sambrook, Hillary Brochu, Ethan Wilkinson, Cathy Wilkinson.

President Debbie Rodriguez called the meeting to order at Moscatiello’s Restaurant and noted the presence of a quorum.

ROTARY INTRO — For the benefit of our visitors, Jim Leyhane gave an introduction to Rotary from the local to international prospectives. Rotary is the largest non-governmental service club in the world and is represented in more countries than in the United Nations, with 1.4 million members.

SCHOLARSHIP HONOREES — Two of the three $1,000 SRC Scholarship awardees for this year joined us for dinner, with school and family guests. The students were nominated by their school administrators for exemplifying the principles of Rotary in their service to their schools and communities.

BRENNA SAMBROOK / Columbia High School

 CHS Principal Michael Harkin introduced Brenna, who has earned the Gold Award, highest honor from the Girl Scouts of America. She implemented strategies to prevent the spread of invasive species in the East Greenbush Town Park. She built foot brushes and developed signage for placement on waterproof signs that were installed at trail entrances in the park. Brenna also designed an educational website explaining the dangers of invasive species that is featured on the town’s Parks & Recreation page. She created a QRL code that was incorporated into the signage that allows hikers to use their mobile devices to connect to the website.

Brenna  is a member of Students for Environmental Action, Future Business Leaders of America, and
Key Club. She is an honor roll student and member of the National Honor Society. She will be attending SUNY New Paltz to focus on environmental studies. 

ETHAN WILKINSON / Maple Hill High School

Assistant Principal Hillary Brochu introduced Ethan. He has participated in community service activities
through the Kiwanis Club and his church. He has focused on collections for refugees coming to the Capital Region by raising  $2,000 and a truckload of goods for the Tulip Project and RISSE of Albany. He has participated in ALS walks, raised funds for domestic violence programs and placed flags on
veteran’s gravesites.

Ethan also is a student member of the interview committee to determine the best candidates to join the Maple Hill Community. He is treasurer of both the Key Club and SADD. He will be attending the University at Albany where he plans to major in atmospheric and environmental sciences.

ADDITIONAL MEETING NOTES — Rotarian Jeff Simon, superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District, spoke about the Times Union’s 2022 “Best of the Capital Region” poll in which East Greenbush was voted “Best School District.”

Jeff spoke about the challenges of returning students to school after the worst of the pandemic and
different programs that were implemented to assist them, such as after-school tutoring and transportation.  They also implemented some mental health support programs and worked to increase the resources.

The district had the second highest graduation rates in the region at  98%. He attributes the success
to a very supportive community, teachers, school board, and nurses. The environment was service oriented and they never had to close the school. COVID grants were used to hire more teachers and support staff. Non-traditional programs, which included trap shooting and archery, were added.

NEXT MEETING — Thursday, June 16, dinner at 6:15 p.m. (5:30 social period), at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Speaker: Scharlette Wilkins, assistant services director of
Unity House’s Domestic Violence Programs.