Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake, NY

President Skip Patton                                                                                                                                    President-Elect Patricia A. Lane
Vice President Randall Wheeler, II                                                                                                               Immediate Past Pres Gary Meislin

Treasurer Robert S. Pasquarelli                                                                                                                              Secretary David E. Booker

Webmaster David E. Booker                                                                                                                                  Photographer James Rogers

Sandpiper Editor Margaret Weiss

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Joseph M. Behson, Raymond C. Turner, , William M. Whipple

Barbara Fioravanti, Robert R. Loveridge & Ron Wagner

Michael Gates, Bryce Ginther & John Mulligan

MEETING OF APRIL 11, 2011

PRESIDENT Russell Patton presiding

GREETINGS & INVOCATION by Jim Rogers

MEETING OF APRIL 25, 2011

PRESIDENT Russell Patton presiding

GREETINGS & INVOCATION by Peg Weiss

GUESTS:  Chris Foster & Jessica Zweig, APCSD Board members

WELCOME BACK:  Supt Jo Moccia; Pat Lane, Barb Fioravanti, & Peg Weiss from trips abroad!

PROJECT SIGNUP SHEETS

DOORS OF HOPE:  Thanks to those who worked Tues Apr 19^th: 

            Mulligan, Loveridge, Johnsen, & Ginther

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE @ Church of the Covenant, Thurs Apr 28^th:

            Set Up and Clean Up:  Nancy Davis

                                    Registration                                         Canteen

12:45-2:45                   Eve Ward                                            Pat Lane

  2:45-4:45                   Eve Ward                                            Peg Weiss

  4:45-6:45                   Mike Gates                                          Gary Meislin

TRASHBUSTERS HIGHWAY CLEANUP Sat May 7^th, 9 AM @ Arlington House:

            Dorr, Lane, Ginther, Mulligan, Tysiak, Davis, Willis, Kieley, Morizio

DIVISION COUNCIL @ HOOSICK FALLS’ 83^rd Anniversary, Tues May 17^th @ 6 PM, $20:

            Mulligan, Rogers, Booker, Pasquarelli, Patton, Loveridge, Weiss, Ward, Lane, Wagner 

BLOOD SCREENING CLINIC @ APHS Cafeteria, Sat May 21, 5:30-9:30 AM:

5:30/6 - 8         Booker, Trupia, Lane, Ward -- NEED TWO MORE

8 - 9:30            Tysiak, Mulligan, Ward, Johnsen, Weiss – NEED ONE MORE   

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ø  Bob Pasquarelli is taking orders for Kiwanis dress shirts @ $32.  A minimum of 12 is needed to have the “Sand Lake” name embroidered in addition to “Kiwanis”.

Ø  Eve Ward reported that the Boy Scout Camp Rotary may not be available for our annual End of Year Steak & Lobster Roast, but that former SLK Peter Sentz has indicated that the Tsatsawassa Fish & Game Club may be available in September.  More details later.

REPORT OF NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Candidates for 2011-2012 will be elected at the Annual Meeting on May 9^th.

President:  Pat Lane                                       Directors (3):  Joe Behson                 

President-Elect:  Randy Wheeler                                           Dick Johnsen

Vice President:  _____________                                            Kevin Sarsfield

Treasurer:  Bob Pasquarelli                                                   Bill Whipple

                                                                                               Fred Wurtemberger

Nominations will re-open at next week’s meeting.

PROGRAM

            Jo Moccia, Superintendent of the APCSD, introduced Board of Education members Chris Foster and Jessica Zweig, who assisted her in the presentation of the 2011-2012 school budget.

Chris began with an overview of the well publicized situation that all area school districts are facing.  Education must change to prepare our students for life in the 21^st century, and we must reduce expenses to what is absolutely essential so taxpayers can afford this education.  We have had two years of reduced state aid, (nearly $7 million!), and expect a third.  Tax levy increases have been low over the last several years, (average of 3.13%), due to use of fund balance and reserves.  Federal funds have been eliminated.  Jessica continued to explain that the Board has worked long hours setting priorities, and struggling with the many mandated services that must be paid for.  The result has been elimination of 19.5 teachers, 2.5 support teachers, 8.5 support staff, 1 supervisor, 23 curriculum leaders, 6 team leaders, 18 technology assistants, and after school support.  The duties of these people will have to be shared among the remaining staff.  Program reductions include athletics by 20%, extra-curricular activities by 20%, elimination of summer school, (except mandated special ed), childcare, driver education, arts in education, conferences, reduction of supplies, and the elimination of the adult ed coordinator.  Class sizes will necessarily increase.  The bottom line is a $55,116,818 budget, (last year was $55,437,669), with a tax increase of 5.1%.  May 10^th will be an open hearing and meet the 4 candidates for two seats on the Board.  Voting will take place Tues May 17^th at the high school from 7 AM to 9 PM.  Many questions, suggestions, and comments were heard, including “think outside the box” for solutions, create “internships” with students performing some tasks, teach practical life skills, older students teach younger ones, and with new technology, distance learning between schools, sharing skills and knowledge.  Pres Skip thanked Jo, Chris, and Jessica for an excellent presentation of an unpleasant situation.

HAPPY DOLLARS

$     Dick Johnsen:  I’m glad I married a teacher who’s retired—well!  Also, I had the privilege of celebrating Easter at one of my former churches.

$     Barb Fioravanti:  Gene & I, and Peg, went with a group on a great trip along the Rhine River with perfect weather, perfect organization, and had a wonderful time!

$     Randy Wheeler:  I’m relatively new in the community, and so have a different perspective on all these school issues.  I’m much impressed with the AP School District, and despite all the cuts, it’s a good one!

$     Pat Lane:  Went on a trip to see Holland’s tulips and Belgium’s very impressive WWII memorials.  I’m glad to be home, but I’d go again in a flash!

$     Peg Weiss:  I have to echo Barb’s comments about a wonderful trip!  The ship was fabulous, the tours amazing, and even after eating all those 5-course meals, I only gained 2 pounds!

$     Jerry Tysiak:  I just returned from 2 weeks in Florida sun at 90 degrees—lots of family in and out!  My youngest daughter has just started her new job as pharmacist at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine!

$     Bill Whipple:  I’m just glad AP didn’t use any more snow days, so I could use the week off to visit our son and daughter-in-law in California!  Great weather there, too!

$     Gary Meislin:  Just remember to vote early and often, and as they say in Albany County, just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you can’t vote!

$     Skip Patton:  I’m happy for our great school district—thanks to those who are trying so hard to keep it going!

DOOR PRIZE, next week’s dinner money provided by Jo Moccia, was won by Jim Colabelli!

50/50 for $30 was won by TC McEntyre!

MEGA 50/50 has reached $855.50, and you could hear everyone hold their breath as Ken James took his turn trying to find that elusive King of Clubs…….nope, only 5 cards to choose from, but he pulled the 3 of Spades!  Next week, only 4 cards left!!!

NEXT WEEK

MAY 2                        PROGRAM:  Update on Sandpiper by Peg Weiss

                                    BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING with 2 Columbia HS Key Clubbers doing a presentation on setting up a Facebook account for SLK 

                                    GREETER/INVOCATOR:  Skip Patton 

MAY 9                        ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTION OF OFFICERS & DIRECTORS 

                                    GREETER/INVOCATOR:  Gary Meislin 

MAY 16                      PROGRAM:  John Glasser 

                                    GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Dudley Dorr

MAY 23                      PROGRAM:  Clayton Besch

                                    GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Jerry Tysiak

MAY 30                      NO MEETING – MARCH IN MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

            “No matter how dark things seem to be, or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities---always see them, for they’re always there.”                    Norman Vincent Peale   

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