Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Calendar of Events

Past Weeks, 2/7 and 2/14: James Jamison – Restoration of the State Capital and SCCC Dinner Meeting and New Member Installation

This Week, 2/21: New Members’ Night and Talks

Next Week, 2/28: Corey Bishop – “Restoration of Yaddo Gardens.”

BOD Meeting at 5:00

Minute for Rotary: Mark Gasparovic

Coming Up:

3/7: Bob Van Vranken – “Ballston Spa National Bank – A Community Success Story.

Invocation: Garry Morrow, Dan Stec or Bob Youmans

Suggestions for future programs may be given to Linda LeTendre

Highlighting the annual dinner meeting at SCCC was the induction into club membership of Don Boucher, Chris Campbell, Chris Nyhan, and Margaret Phillips by Membership Chair Ron Serapilio. Don was introduced by Steve Caine and is a retired BH-BL music teacher who plays professionally in both the Albany and Schenectady Symphony Orchestras. Chris Campbell is a Scotia native, who began a banking career as a teller in 1987 and is now the Malta Branch Manager for Ballston

Spa National Bank. He was introduced by Bob Youmans. Chris Nyhan, introduced by Dan Stec, is a 1993 BH-BL graduate who specializes in investments in a global economy and is opening a branch office in Burnt Hills in the near future for Edward Jones Investments. Margaret Phillips was introduced by Ron Serapilio. Margaret operated a small catering firm in Syracuse before deciding to change careers and accepting a position in mortgage funding at the Ballston Spa National Bank. She is now a Branch Manager for the Nivek Funding Group dealing with real estate and mortgages. President Rey formally installed the new members and welcomed them into the club.

2/7 and 2/14 Announcements

2/7: Dan Stec mentioned that on Feb 28 six future club Presidents for next year may join us for dinner. Following our meeting, Dan will be holding a “pre-PETs” meeting with these future Presidents from Area 5.

A sign up sheet for Rotary Minutes was passed around. More volunteers are needed.

We are about half way to this year’s goal for our club’s Rotary Foundation Goal. If you have been waiting for the new tax year, now is the time to give.

Mary Anderson made a “last-call” for anyone interested contributing in Floyd Baker’s name to CHS. Mary also reported on how well the mentoring project at O’Rourke Middle School was progressing. One more mentor for a female student is needed.

Pres. Rey told us that a virus originating with someone using Road Runner has been going around. It gets in address books and appears it is sent from one of us, when it has not.

Mike distributed a Clover Patch Newsletter, which included a statement about Rotary’s work project there this Spring.

2/14: Vladia Namnesky, SCCC Director of Development, thanked the Rotary for its continued support since 1982 of the Mel Bartlett Fire Science Scholarship at SCCC.

Lon Pena, a Glenville Rotarian, described the Water Buffalo Project that Glenville and other District 7190 clubs are sponsoring in Pakistan. BHBL Rotary funded the first water buffalo for this project.

Gini Whetten distributed newly designed, attractive membership brochures and urged the members to give theirs away to a prospective new member.

State Capitol Restoration

On Feb 7, we were fortunate to hear an interesting and informative presentation given by James Jamieson, AIA, Capitol Architect. James is a highly talented, award winning architect who is responsible for all the preservation and reconstruction of the capitol building and the Governor’s Mansion. He is also on a commission for restoration of the Lake House in Washington Park. James’s presentation was made all-the-more interesting with the slide pictures he used to explain both the fascinating history of the capitol building and the immense, complex and beautiful restoration project that has just completed Phase II.

James showed us pictures of NY State’s first Capitol Building, built in 1809 by James Hooker. Notably, President Lincoln spoke there and subsequently lay in state there for several days. The current State Capitol Building was first designed in 1879. It was supposed to cost $4 million and be completed in four years. It ultimately took seven architects, 32 years and $25 million to complete. James said it would cost $500 million to replace it today. The building is the second largest load-bearing structure in the country, behind the Capitol Building in Philadephia. Some walls are 16’ thick. Some of the stones weigh 3,000 pounds. They come from 11 states and three foreign countries.

The work completed that James discussed includes the restoration of the roof with all its complex and beautiful tile-work, a complete restoration of the Great Western Staircase (modeled after the Paris Opera House) and the massive skylight and glass dome over the Western Staircase. The work was extremely challenging because of the heights involved (personnel working up to 200’ above ground), the weather they had to deal with, the close urban area in which the work was accomplished, the large scale, unique shape, material makeup and weights of components, the steep roof pitches and the fact that the building was occupied and being used the entire time. All objectives of the work to date have been achieved – and, the results are something all New Yorkers can be proud of. PBS has made two documentaries about this project: “Flood of Light” and “Legacy in Stone.” They may be shown again and are very well worth watching. This was a super presentation!!