September 25, 2009
TODAY’S INTERESTING QUOTE
“If you want to clean your system out, sit on a piece of cheese and swallow a mouse.”
--Johnny Carson
THIS DAY IN HISTORY.
On this day, in the year 1973. Brigette LeeAnn Wilson was born. She was, as you will recall, Miss Teen Age USA, last year.
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MEETING OPENING: Briarcliff Rotary Club president, Mark Seiden, opened our meeting promptly at 12:15, while the Briarcliff High School Marching Band played
“Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!”
..
SALUTE TO OUR FLAG, PATRIOTIC ANTHEM, AND PRAYER: The Salute to Our Flag was rendered heartbreakingly by Sy Yuter and the national anthem by a golden-throated Peter Garth.
PRESIDENTIAL COMMENTS: President Seiden reminded us of the upcoming Briarcliff Community Day, which would and did take place on the following day (Saturday), and urged all Rotary participants to sell, sell, sell--with the utmost dignity, of course. He then called our attention to the Briarcliff and Pleasantville Rotary Club annual clambake, scheduled.for Oct. 9, and which has been postponed. He followed this with the announcement that new Briarcliff Rotary-member name buttons would soon be available. (Huzzah!) And concluded with a plea for solid Fund Raising ideas from our members.
Picture: Mark Seiden & Mike Risko (new member)HAPPY THOUGHTS, ANNOUNCEMENT OF COMMUNITY NEWS, AND A COLLECTION OF THIS AND THAT. Carl Weiner rose to announce proudly that he and his wife were celebrating a Wedding Anniversary. When the cheering stopped, Paul Rosen reminded us of his (Paul’s) upcoming birthday, when he will turn 107. This was immediately followed by Bob Maher’s reminder that the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team will be appearing at the Briarcliff High School very soon. Marie Fuesy urged us all to bring our food contributions to the Food Pantry next week. Julio Salazar followed pridefully with his announcement that he and his wife had been married for 15 happy years. Paul Rosen displayed the brand-new Briarcliff Rotary shirts (they are handsome!) and announced that we could own one for our very own for a ridiculously-low $25. Also, the Briarcliff Historical Society is sponsoring an Up-The-Hudson Cruise on October 4th. And our Club has sold yet another bench! (Ta Ra Ra Boomdeyay!)
NEXT WEEK’S SPEAKER: Our speaker next week will be a gentleman who will speak on a subject dear to the concerns of a host of Briarcliff Rotary members: Alzheimer’s Disease.
THIS WEEK’S SPEAKER: Our speaker this week was Assemblywoman Sandy Galef.
Sandy is always interesting and once again she didn’t disappoint. She announced sadly that this year was the worst year, legislatively for New York, that she could recall: state aid to public libraries was cut, the Stimulus Package to schools came with strings attached, and State revenues were raised.
Assemblywoman Galef followed this with a reference to the difficult pension issues faced by the MTA, and said she was besieged by telephone calls from distraught Westchester residents concerning the issue of high taxes.
She also referenced her feeling of futility on the State budget, and her sense of frustration about the downside of text messaging.
She want on to note that employers who hire illegal immigrants would be prosecuted (including hiring illegal yard workers), although no enforcement procedures are currently in place.
Ms. Galef concluded with a nod to a law she has sponsored outlawing smoking in children’s playgrounds. Very, very harmful to little ones, she noted.
Ending on a more positive note, Sandy assured us that there is light ahead in the tunnel. Hold on and stay positive, she advised The best is yet to come!
Thank you, Sandy, for an interesting and most enlightening speech.
THE DRAWING: The first dollar-prize went to Sy Yuter (It was really Eleanor); the second cash prize went to Paul Rosen, who immediately ordered drinks all around.
In protesting the results of the drawing, Bishop John threw himself out the window.
THE CONCLUSION OF OUR MEETING: Our weekly meeting ended precisely at 1:30 pm, with a flyover of 1500 B-52 bombers.
Respectfully submitted by
Recording Secretary, Don Wilde
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9/25/09 Attendance - Robert Amsterdam, Frances Chu, Antonia Conte, Etrusca Cosentino, Zachary Cosentino,Rodney Ertischek, Marie Fuesy, Peter Garth, John Herzog, Rachel Leihbacher, Seth Leitman, Shelley Lotter, Robert Maher, Geraldine Mahoney, Ernest Pacchiana, Mike Risko, Paul Rosen, Julio Salazar, Mark Seiden,
Carl Weiner, Donald Wilde, Elinor Yuter, Sy Yuter
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