Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (14): Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Bill Dowd, Debbie Rodriguez, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Charlie Foote, Carol Orvis, Carole Spencer, Peter Berry, Roberto Martinez.

Guests (2): Russ Myer, Nina Seviyaga.

MEETING NOTES: Phil Kellerman presided in Andy Leyhane’s absence. He welcomed members plus guests Russ Myer of the Capital Region Nordic Alliance and Nina Seviyaga who was visiting to learn more about Rotary. … Tonight was the unveiling of the refurbished meeting room (and here) — complete with a celebratory cake (see above) — and all who were involved in the project were thanked, with particular note made of the work by Murray Forth who built storage space and a display case. … Terry Brewer was thanked in absentia for his work in leading organization of the recent 3rd annual Community Recognition Awards dinner. No report yet on the profit made from the event. …

Bill Dowd reminded everyone that bags and barcode stickers for people participating in our ongoing Clynk beverage container recycling project are available at every meeting. He asked that anyone interested in participating in the ongoing fundraiser but unfamiliar with the details can check with him and/or check out this video. …. Murray said he can accommodate one or two more people for this Saturday’s Rotary Home Cooking roast beef dinner he and Maggie are hosting at their residence. … Next week we will begin circulating a signup sheet for volunteers to work the April 13 Recycling & Shredding Day. …

Debbie Brown asked members to begin bringing items next week for our annual Easter basket effort for needy local kids. Items also can be dropped off at the Greenbush YMCA which is partnering with us in the effort. Not sure what items to contribute? Just click here for the shopping list. …Our latest class of high school juniors completed the 2018-19 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program, and received certificates last Saturday at the RYLA dinner. We will extend the usual invitation for the students we sponsored, all from Maple Hill High School, to attend our dinner meeting to share with us thoughts about their experience. … Next week’s speaker will be East Greenbush Town Supervisor Jack Conway.

Russ Myer, founder and director of the Capital Region Nordic Alliance, visited to provide an update on CRNA’s activities in the field of adaptive sports for veterans and others with physical and emotional impairments.

Russ noted that CRNA’s lineup of four sports programs — cross-country skiing/roller skiing; biathlon; orienteering; snowshoeing/trail running — has been expanded to include para-bobsled/skeleton.

As a followup to representing the U.S. in the World Orienteering Championships held in Latvia last year, CRNA will be heading a team in the same event in Portugal this year. CRNA also continues its numerous programs at various sites around the Northeast.

SRC has been a financial contributor to CRNA for the past three years. President-elect Phil Kellerman announced the “Spare Change Jar” program will be dedicated to CRNA during his term beginning on July 1. Since April Dowd began that fundraising program in 2013, incoming presidents designate recipients of the jar.

Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (14): Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Bill Dowd, Debbie Rodriguez, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Charlie Foote, Ron Annis, Ray Hannan, Carol Orvis, Maggie Forth.

Guests (5): David Harris, Wells Packard, Mary Drumm, Kevin Drumm, Jeremy Forth.

MEETING NOTES — President-elect Phil Kellerman presided in place of vacationing President Andy Leyhane. He greeted members and guests, including provisional member Wells Packard, a former Rotarian in Greenville, Greene County, who has applied to return to Rotary as a member of SRC. … A successful 3rd annual Community Recognition Awards dinner, with Terry Brewer as lead organizer, was held on Tuesday at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant in North Greenbush, although we do not yet have a final fiscal accounting of the fundraiser. Anyone who requested to be listed as a $100 event sponsor but has not yet submitted payment to Treasurer Murray Forth is asked to do so immediately. …

… Debbie Brown has volunteered to coordinate this year’s Easter basket drive for needy kids through Circles of Mercy. As in the past, the club will pay for the baskets, artificial grass stuffing, and clear wrap, while members are asked to donate basket items from the preferred shopping list. (Click here to review it). Shannon Romanowski has volunteered the participation of the Greenbush YMCA, Len Leonidas of the Scouts, and Debbie Rodriguez for the Danes Rotaract group. Debbie B. will update us at next week’s meeting on the effort. … We’re holding a painting party beginning at 10 a.m. this Saturday as part of an ongoing effort to spruce up our meeting room at Quigley’s. All hands would be appreciated. …

Several seats remain for the first Rotary Home Cooking event of the year, a roast beef dinner hosted by Maggie and Murray Forth on Saturday, March 16. Please contact them ASAP if you wish to reserve a seat. The second event in the series will be a Hungarian dinner hosted by Dean and Doris Calamaras on Saturday, April 13. Please contact them ASAP if you wish to attend. We still need hosts for home dinner in May and June. … Our next Recycling & Shredding Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, at the Wainschaf Associates warehouse and offices in Rensselaer. Volunteers to work a shift are needed. Several Danes Rotaract members already have stepped up, but more people are needed. See Murray if you can help.

SPEAKER — David Harris, first-term supervisor of the Town of Schodack, spoke to the club, providing an update on some of the changes that have taken place during his brief tenure. Among the major changes are providing body cams for police officers, shooter lockdown drills, equipment upgrades that already are showing financial benefits, increased security at the town government headquarters, and infrastructure upgrades meant to help  entice development in the business sector.

David also answered a variety of questions, including several about the status of the projected million-square-foot complex that will host an Amazon distribution center. He said the latest filing in opposition to the project had been decided in favor of the town and the developer. He said he expects to see the first bulldozer working on the site by early May.

Our guest speaker next week will be Russ Meyer of the Capital Region Nordic Alliance, which provides adaptive sports activities for veterans and others with physical disabilities. SRC has been financially supportive of CRNA for a number of years.