Jan 24 2014 Briar Crier

BRIARCRIER

 Jan. 24, 2014, Friday, 12:15, The Briar's Restaurant, Briarcliff Manor Rotary Club.

                                                   TODAY IN HISTORY

1950: The Israeli Paliament affirmed a resolution declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

MEETING LEADER: President Anne Cargill

PLEDGE: Anne Cargill      PATRIOTIC SONG: Sy Yuter      PRAYER: Paul Rosen

HAPPY THOUGHTS: Anne, this is Robert Burns birthday in Scotland; Anne, beautiful Scotland, home of golf; Dr. Maher's students marching in superbowl parade;  Other happy thoughts but not correctly recorded.

ROTARIANS PRESENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: 17 Rotarians present. Kris, we have new Rotary shirts and caps from India.

GUESTS: None.

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT:  Alex Vastole, an interne for the Briarcliff/Scarborough Historical Society, on 1908 Briarcliff Race together with society co-presidents Jan Wagner and Karen Smith.

                                                                                                                       SUMMARY OF TALK

Walter law, who founded our village in 1902, based on farming properties he bought from 1890 on, sponsored the 1908 Briarcliff Race in order to advertise the availability of Briarcliff realty for sale. A church and a few homes still exist. Law put up a trophy, made by Tiffany, which is now in the Indianopolis museum. He also, as a first prize, put up $10,000, now worth about $250 million. The race was run up and down the county, encircled four times, mostly on dirt roads, some with oil on them but mostly gravel. Karen Smith and other society members drove the race route and distributed a paper listing the race route.  Some 300,000 people attended the race, about 100,000 in what is now our village. Some stayed at the Briarcliff Lodge, then one of the nicest vacation spots in the country. Others camped out. They came up mostly from New York City by horse and buggy, early cars and railroad. Most people populated sharp turns where they expected race cars to turn over. One did, but was righted by the driver and mechanic in the car and finished the race. The race was won by local Louis Strang in an Italian car, an Isotta Fraschini,  presently in the Tokyo Toyota museum. The winner died in a car accident in a 1911 race. Among the race drivers was Barney Oldfield, a dare devil driver.

This Friday, tomorrow, the speaker will be our own Vijaya Jain on malnutrition.


Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expedite

Jan 17, 2014 Briar Crier

RIARCRIER

 Jan. 17, 2014, Friday, 12:15, The Briar's Restaurant, Briarcliff Manor Rotary Club.

                                                           TODAY IN HISTORY

1547: Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible) was crowned Czar.

MEETING LEADER: President Anne Cargill

PLEDGE: Anne Cargill      PATRIOTIC SONG: Sy Yuter      PRAYER: Rev. Lee Carrozzi

HAPPY THOUGHTS: Kris is happy to be back from India; Eric, Briarcliff High School has excellent learning disabled program. Other happy thoughts but not correctly recorded.

ROTARIANS PRESENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: 18 Rotarians present. Kris bought at much lower prices Rotary shirts and caps. Briarcliff does not have learning disabled programs for kids who have not reached high school.

GUESTS: None.

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT:  Colleen Wagner, a member of Pleasantville Rotary and a trustee for two years, on a VIP special needs program.

                                                             SUMMARY OF TALK
Most of the special needs children, from three to 18, come from the Pleasantville school district. She started program around seven years ago, playing soccer. Went from three kids to now about 55. These children are main streamed. They do not have to go to an out-of-town special needs school. They are in their local community, not in another community. Some are autistic and do not speak. Autistic children do not respond to questions but respond to their names. Their fears, food allergies and more are taken into consideration. Making them feel comfortable is most important. For teens there is a Friday night program.  They play games like table tennis. One of the most interesting aspects of the program is how some of the parents react when they see their children with their children's peer group. After 18 until 21 she has an arrangement with Pace University.

On Friday, January 24, the speakers, Jan Wagner and Karen Smith, will speak about the Briarcliff Historical Society.

They may have an intern speak about the 1908 race, which started and ended in Briarcliff.

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter

New Cap, Banner and T-shirt

Past pres. Kris brought back goodies from his recent Indian trip.     They included newly designed Briarciff Rotary Banner featuring the "founder" of Briarcliff village Walter Law.       All the members received new Cap, Banner and T-shirt with Briarcliff Rotary Logo.     Thanks  Kris!

Jan. 10, 2014 Briar Crier

                                         BRIARCRIER

 Jan. 10, 2014, Friday, 12:15, The Briar's Restaurant, Briarcliff Manor Rotary Club.

                                                           TODAY IN HISTORY

1870: John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil.

MEETING LEADER: President Anne Cargill

PLEDGE: Anne Cargill      PATRIOTIC SONG: Sy Yuter      PRAYER: Rev. George Higgins

HAPPY THOUGHTS: Rick, that his son David could come to our meeting; Ken, that his son was visiting him; Sy, had a flat that was fixed by Briarcliff policeman Guzzo; Bob M., we have 29 dues-paying members.  Other happy thoughts but not correctly recorded.

ROTARIANS PRESENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: 12 Rotarians present. Last Friday meeting was cancelled due to snow; Kris still in India; Today's speaker, Sarah Studley, cancelled due to early snow.

GUESTS: Rev. George Higgins, Rachel's dad; Janet Gallegher, friend of Anne's; David Zuckerman, son of Rick.

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT:  Dr. Sy Yuter on Mideast Update as substitute speaker.

SUMMARY OF TALK

Palestinian leader Abu Mazen, at age 87, was very unlikely to compromise on the extreme Palestinan position that the Palestnians should get back East Jerusalem as their capital, that they should get all of the West Bank which should be free of Jews, and that the descendents of the refugees who left or were driven out in 1948 are entitled to return to their original homes in pre-1967 Israel. The Israeli position, rejected by the Palestinians, is that Israel should be recognized as the Jewish state with the Israel Defense Forces remaining in the Jordan Valley. That in early Christianity, at the Nicean Council in 325 AD, when the Roman Emporer Constantine adopted Christianity for the Roman Empire, the issue was the divinity of Jesus Christ, with Arianists arguing that God was greater than his virgin-born son Jesus, but Constantine had the council agree that Jesus Christ was equal in divinity with God. That the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity -- God, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit -- was considered a person equal to God (so that monotheism was retained) but that the Jehovah Witnesses believed that the Holy Spirit was equal to God's God-like energy; and the Gospels of Mark, Mathew, Luke and John were adopted by what became The Roman Catholic (Universal) Church.  That the Greek Orthodox Church split from the Roman Catholic Church over the issue that the Bishop of Rome was the Pope (father) of the Christian Church. That our Secretary of State, John Kerry, believed (hopelessly in Sy's view) that there could be peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and verbally proposed a partial "framework agreement" to each side, mostly rejected by the Palestinians, who would only settle for a final agreement ending the conflict. But that the hatred of the Palestinians of the Israelis, starting with the Palestinian children in elementary school,  blocked any end of the conflict.  

On Friday, January 17, the speaker, Colleen Wagner, will speak about a VIP Special Needs Program  of Pleasantville Rotary.

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter

Dec. 27, 2013 Briar Crier

                                                                                                      BRIARCRIER

 Dec. 27, 2013, Friday, 12:15, The Briar's Restaurant, Briarcliff Manor Rotary Club.

                                                                                               TODAY IN HISTORY

1932: New York City's Music Hall opened to public in midtown Manhattan.

MEETING LEADER: President Anne Cargill

PLEDGE: Anne Cargill          PRAYER: Bishop John

HAPPY THOUGHTS: Rick, that his temple helped others; Sam (son of Scott Lanoff) will be active in Interact when he gets to High School next year; Frances Chu, home and feeling better.  Other happy thoughts but not correctly recorded.

ROTARIANS PRESENT AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: 12 Rotarians present. Ernie, grapefruits, each member responsible for at least five cartons.

GUESTS: Sam Lanoff, Rod Chu (Frances' son).

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT: Sup't of Public Works Ed Torhan on Briarcliff water system and other public works.

SUMMARY OF TALK

The primary source of Briarcliff's water is New York City, which comes from the Catskill's Aqueduct. Since NYC's water is not filtered, ours is not filtered although we add certain chemicals, including chlorine and anti-lead chemicals, to make sure that our water is fit to drink. Our water is pumped from NYC. We have a number of storage tanks almost all with their own generators so that our water continues to flow after Con Ed's electricity ceases to flow. The water tanks are high so fed to homes by gravity. We have about two hours of water stored in the tanks. An alternative source is the Delaware Aqueduct via the Long Hill Road pumping station. There are 10.34 square miles in our water district. There are almost 60 miles of water mains, concrete lined. Maintenance is one of the costs although a lesser cost is buying the water from NYC. The price of village water is high, and will keep going up. The village spends most for the Briarcliff School District. Peak demands are during the summer when many water lawns. Rachel said the Fire Department uses village water. In our own homes, especially if old, we use a lot of water. There are only four people used for collection of garbage.

On Friday January 3 we will meet at a table in the main Briar's Restaurant (rather than in our regular room) and all will eat off the menu with a reimbursement of ten dollars to each attending member by the Club. Sy will give a talk on a MidEast Update on Friday, Lunch, at 12:15, unless the roads are covered with snow in which event he and Elinor will not be there.

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter