Stories

June 19, 2023

By Eric Gross

 

Incoming president Sal Gambino was presented with a special pair of Rotary socks by outgoing co-president Marjorie Keith during the dinner.

Maria Quezada and Marjorie Nichols Keith were lauded for their efforts as co-presidents during the past year while Sal Gambino was wished well in the new leadership capacity when the Carmel Rotary conducted its installation dinner last Thursday evening at the Centennial Golf Club.

Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self was evident when members presented a variety of service awards to community members including retired teacher Joan Newman who donates handmade quilts to the chapter which are used as fundraisers for chapter causes including student scholarships.

 

The 14^th annual Community Basketball Challenge sponsored by the Carmel Rotary Club is set for April 24, 2021 from 9AM to 3PM (rain date April 25) at the ShopRite Plaza parking lot, Route 52, Carmel, NY - NOTE the NEW LOCATION. While COVID-19 has made it a little more complicated in organizing this community fundraiser that will be as successful and fun as it has always been.

This year’s Basketball Challenge is being held outdoors in the Carmel ShopRite Plaza parking lot; and all participants are required to register online, in advance. The CDC and Putnam County Health Department’s COVID-19 guidelines will be followed: everyone attending must wear a mask, social distance and follow the directions of the Rotary volunteers at the event.

The Rotary Community Basketball Challenge is a popular annual event that offers Putnam County’s local non-profit organizations the opportunity to raise funds to support their mission and enhance their fundraising efforts. Basketball Challenge Chairman, Sal Gambino and the Carmel Rotary Club invite organizations, adults and youth to take advantage of this fun and easy fundraiser for your favorite organizations. Now more than ever, our community non-profit organizations need the community’s support.

Today we had the honor of inducting Heather Boylston into our club presented by Edward Sumber, Lisa Gold and Kathy Valletta.

Celebrating the 6th anniversary of the food pantry drive

Receiving a total of $550  which came from "Fill Up The Truck Day" at the Carmel Shoprite.The gift Certificates are presented from George Knoechel  to Judy Calahan from Putnam CAP, Minister Martin McGeachy from Gilead Food Pantry and Sue Burcroff From Brewster Community Food Pantryand not in picture is Decon and wife Teri Moran from St John's in Mahopac

Do your friends and family know that you're a Rotary member or how #Rotary clubs provide service and benefit communities? Make this graphic your profile picture and show them your Rotary pride! #WeAreRotary

We had a nice lunch at George's with Isik Su before leaving for the airport to go home. She was quite a gal.

PDG Drew Kessler’s last action as DG was to electrify the Top Hat Dinner crowd with an announcement: The 64 Rotary clubs in our Rotary District 7210 -- the NYS counties of Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan & Ulster -- altogether gave over ONE MILLION DOLLARS to their communities. That’s big news! 

We should shout this from the rooftops, from the front pages of area newspapers and through bullhorns at community meetings, “$1,000,00.00!”

This doesn’t include Foundation giving, donations to communities outside our District, international projects or anything else. This is simply what we gave locally. Gifts came in the form of checks for new winter coats for kids (Operation Warm) food pantries, scholarships, local organizations and activities, Interact club, RYLA, dictionaries and library books -- just to name the basics! The million dollars benefited people in our own back yards.

The needs are great. So is our commitment. Drew's announcement came with a "Million Dollar Award" from Drew for all 1700 Rotarians in the District, “Presented to District 7210 with sincere appreciation for your outstanding dedication of service to the Hudson Valley.”

Light Up Rotary:: Let people know!

Carmel NY

On December 14, 2013, the Rotary Club of Carmel NY will enter into it's sixth year of collecting and distributing food donations to the areas four major food pantries. The donations, which are collected at the Shop Rite Supermarket in Carmel three times peer week, are delivered by Carmel Rotarians to St. John the Evangelist food pantry in Mahopac, Gilead Presbyterian Church food pantry in Carmel, The Brewster Community Food Pantry and Putnam CAP both in Brewster. During the past five years the total value of donated food is estimated at approximately $250,000.

Twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall the Carmel Rotary holds its “Fill the Truck” weekend where 150 to 200 boxes with a total value of approximately $5,000 of additional donations are collected and distributed.

“This all started as a Holiday project on December 14, 2008”, said Carmel Rotarian and Food Drive Chairman George Knoechel. “What we found out was that the need in our community is so great, we must continue to support our food pantries until they tell us they don't need us any more,” said Knoechel. "The public has been very supportive and generous, we usually find the collection boxes at Shop Rite overflowing with donations,” said Sal Gambino a Carmel Rotarian who helps deliver food to the pantries on a regular basis. Currently over 950 Putnam County families are served by our community food pantries and are helped by the efforts of the Carmel Rotary.

We had an interesting meeting with a group of exchange students from Italy. It was neat hearing each student  saying their name the years they learned English, what they enjoyed doing and their plans for the future. The crowd was big that we had to use the gym at Drew Methodist Church to fit everyone in.  We used George's for the catering. 

This weekend, my brother- and sister-in-law came to visit with their 3 adult children. We have not really had time in the past to connect for more than an evening out or for a family party. Unlike our previous times together, we spent four days having meaningful conversations, laughing, and sharing outdoor and indoor fun. I came to know and to appreciate our family in a deeper way, and after they left, instead of feeling depleted and stressed, I felt energized, loved, and connected with them in a new way.

Family can be a wonderful social support and connection if the relationships are positive and healthy. However, some of us lack healthy family interaction and will develop these ties with other social groups. Others have a combination of family, social groups and individual relationships that are supportive and provide a sense of interconnection. The need for social connection has deep cultural roots, as we consider that early humans bonded together in groups or tribes for survival.

In contrast to basic survival, several studies over the past 40 years that have suggested that social relationships may greatly enhance health and wellness by helping us to feel more positive and less depressed, and by contributing to our sense of belonging and security. A lack of social contact is a risk for cardiovascular disease and earlier death. In fact social isolation is a major risk factor for depression, and some studies have highlighted brain changes in miceas a result of social deprivation.

Now, in describing social isolation, I am not talking about people who prefer alone time to going to parties. Rather, it seems that most of us need a couple of people we can talk to about personal issues and the things that are important to us, along with sharing life experiences together.   In addition, when we connect with others by helping them or doing acts of kindness and compassion, serotonin, one of our “happy chemical messengers”, actually rises, and we feel better.

What about you? How do you connect with other people? Do you have people you can confide in? Do you feel supported and satisfied by your relationships? Do you contribute to relationships and foster closeness? Do you limit relationships that are draining, conflicted or downright harmful?

What are some ways to foster healthy connections?

Here are a few examples, and I invite you to brainstorm your own:

• Join a club or social group with a common interest by searching local newspapers or meetup.com
• Engage in an online game that will encourage you to connect with others for fun and a common goal.
• Volunteer for projects that are meaningful to you and bring you in contact with other people.
• Send an email, txt, or phone someone every day or two and thank or encourage them.
• Listen with your “whole self” in conversations, ie. be present, keep eye contact, don’t worry about what you need to say. Allow the other person to feel that he or she was heard.
• Ask friends about how you can support them in the friendship and tell them what you need.
• Remember to appreciate and encourage time for positive family interaction.

Keep in mind that our social ties not only foster our own health and wellness, but also help others.  We can make small changes in our social lives that have large impacts. What would it mean to reach out to someone who is feeling lonely or having difficulty driving to be with others? What would it mean for you? What is one small step you could take tomorrow that would promote connection?

Wishing you a week filled with meaningful interaction!

Lisa

CARMEL, N.Y. – Rotary Clubs in Carmel, Brewster, Mahopac and Patterson came together at the Putnam Hospital Center for a dedication ceremony that marked their joint participation in the hospitals “Path to Progress” Brick Program.

The four rotary clubs combined to purchase a special brick plaque configuration, which was installed in the hospital courtyard as a symbol of the club’s “Service Above Self.” The plaque is highlighted by the four clubs’ inception dates and the rotary international logo.

“Over the history of the hospital, the area rotary clubs have been instrumental in fundraising and volunteer projects to help Putnam County’s only acute care hospital remain responsive to the healthcare needs of the community.”

http://hudsonvalleyreporter.com/putnam/2013/08/rotary-clubs-honored-at-putnam-hospital-center/

 Additional pictures are available in the photo section.

Once again we invite you to participate, as a group or as an individual, and raise funds for your favorite non-profit organization or community project. Since 2008 over $66,000 was raised with 60 different organizations benefiting from the proceeds. Tables will be available for representatives from participating organizations to promote their group. If you plan to have a display, please complete the form below and return it to the Carmel Rotary Club no later than March 1st so we can provide adequate space.

Once again we invite you to participate, as a group or as an individual, and raise funds for your favorite non-profit organization or community project. Since 2008 over $66,000 was raised with 60 different organizations benefiting from the proceeds. Tables will be available for representatives from participating organizations to promote their group. If you plan to have a display, please complete the form below and return it to the Carmel Rotary Club no later than March 1st so we can provide adequate space.

Friday June 29th, 2-8pm

 VFW Hall, Rte. 52.

(Questions: contact Denis Hanrahan, 225-3048; Jim Hanrahan 222-0916; Paul Zenir 878-4859; Tom Burke (347)992-4986; Joe Mansfield 225-2144 or Adam Steibling 808-4000)

Please pass this along...

Thank you,

Bob Gentile presented the award (as last year's recipient).  Here is what he had to say:

"[Connie] has not only represented the Carmel Rotary Club well, but has been a wonderful example of “Service above Self”.  [She] has been involved in almost every club project and event this year and did it with a great attitude and what I call, a happy heart…..

Her efforts garnered four district awards for our club this year at the district assembly: New Generations award, Zone leadership award, Public image award and the Literacy award.  She instituted/implemented new initiatives such as the career day, reading program at the Kent school, protocols manual and the refacing of our meeting place.  This wonderful person joined Rotary at the invitation of Andy Senno, the same year I joined.  I also understand that she was a bit anxious about membership as she confesses to suffer from a great fear of public speaking and presentations…Well, I think she got over that fear….

Words to describe her would be ….  Respectful, Kind, Caring, Good Listener, Always Smiling, Hard Worker, Good Leader

I am happy and honored to announce that this year’s “Rotarian of the Year”, goes to our very own club President: Connie Fagan."

Connie, we are honored to have had you as our president this past year and wish you all the best!  Congratulations!

Vocational Service Award presented to Charles Stein

International Service Award presented to the Covelli family

Community Service Award presented to George Knoechel

Club Service Award presented to Amy Covais

Paul Harris Fellow bestowed upon Rita Covell

Citation presented to Interact President, Michael Landivar

 Introduction of Olivia Covelli, our outbound exchange student to Austria

Congratulations to all of you for making a difference in Rotary! 

 Please join us for our Annual Installation Dinner @ Centennial Golf Club

MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012 @ 6:30 ($50.00pp)

 We will wish Connie Fagan well as she moves into "Past President" status and welcome Mike Mc Donough and his new board as he moves into the President's office. 

Please return your invitations with payment and meal choices to Mike Mc Donough asap. 

 Hope to see you there! 

Benefactor

Open-minded

Brilliant Bassist

Godly binded

Educator ebullient

Noble nice-guy

Thoughtful gent

Insightful intellectual

Loyal loving laudable

Extraordinary

you'll agree our Rotarian Bob G

The Carmel Rotary Club will once again sponsor its Community Basketball Shootout. Since 2008 this annual Rotary Club event has enabled area service and youth organizations to raise over $27,000 in much-needed funds to support important programs in the community. The Carmel High School Interact Club (the youth contingent of Rotary International) is co-sponsoring this 21st century edition of the event. We handle virtually all the details. This is an excellent opportunity to raise money with minimal work for you. All you need to do to raise funds is solicit pledges and/or flat donations to support your participation in the Shoot-Out. 80% of all funds raised are directed to your charity with the remaining 20% being designated by the Rotary and Interact Clubs for additional charitable giving. So mark your calendars and practice those lay-ups to help a great cause. Participation instructions are below or for additional information and forms call Al Lotrecchiano at 845-225-4835 or contact us at www.carmelrotary.org.

We had another successful soup kitchen. What a great team we had to put it together. The cleaning the place, preparing the food, Cooking the food, Serving the food and clean up after.  Of course I should not leave out that the worker got to eat at the end. Pork Tenderloin, Garlic Mash Potatoes. green peas and for dessert  Pumpkin Pie .  All taken place at the Brewster Baptist Church . We had close to 30 people to feed. It was a great feeling to see how greatfull  many of the people showed.

                              FRIDAY OCT. 17TH, 2014

It was terrific to have our long time member Bill Nichols have a fantastic talk and then celebrated his 90th birthday.

We made our deliveries to the Kent Elementary and Patterson Elementary 3rd grade classes.  The youngsters were all excited to receive them. Look at those smiles. The last group got all excited about learning sign language at the end of the books.

​

Carmel Rotarians filled a lunchbox with cash to purchase school supplies for the COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM back to school supply drive. Local students will find three ring binders , composition notebooks , spiral notebooks , highlighters , pocket folders and pens thanks to the clubs generosity.
We collected enough money to purchase more than $400.00 worth of supplies and delivered them to the Brewster Cap office on Friday August  22, 2012 . 

We had a nice get together at George's with Isik Su before heading to the airport back to Turkey.

2014 - 2015 Officers:                                                              Directors:

Kathleen M. Valletta...............President                                Kathy Day.....................2014-2016

Jay Judell..............................President Elect                        Bill Guenther..................2014-2016

Barbara Ilardi.........................Vice-President                       Connie Fagen.................2013-2015

Dan Conniff............................Secretary                                Bill Huestis....................2013-2015

Charles Stein.........................Treasurer

Tony Maccarini.......................Sgt-At-Arms

Amy L. Covais........................Past President

Community Service  Award..........Joan Newman

International Service Award........Edward Schaffer

Club Service Award.........Lisa Gold

Vocational Service Award .....Edward Sumber

New Generation Award.....Lettie Hengel

Interact President Recognition.......Ciera Breslin

​Rotarian of the year......................Jay Judell

Check out this video.  It will make you smile.  Peekskill knows how to party

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IN1kQYeUUU&feature=youtu.be

Smile

Jay

We had a nice surprise party for Isik Su at the Southeast Grill in Brewster. We had a nice turn out and it was a surprise.

 It's time to get ready for our Fish and Chip Dinner at Georges 4p to 8p on Friday 4:00p to 8:00p.  Pass the word.   This event is used to give 5 Scholarships to 5 seniors at the Carmel High School  Tickets are $15 for Adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for children.  Pass the word.

Eat to Savor

Wellness Bytes #6

How does eating and food affect you and your life?  Do you have rituals around mealtime?  Do you quickly inhale your meals and run on to the next activity or chore?  Do you eat while reading or watching TV?  Are you curled around your favorite snack or dessert, blanking out the unpleasant day you’ve had?  Are meals a special time for you or just something that must be done?  Or do you tend to skip meals? Is there a way to completely savor your food?

I have been avoiding publishing a blog article on nutrition for a good reason.  There is an overabundance of articles, studies and information telling us WHAT to eat.  The studies are often conflicting, bewildering, and based on weak evidence.  The problem? Controlled studies about food and humans are very difficult to conduct – you would have to lock at least 200 people in a facility for several weeks so they have no access to outside foods to really find out useful information.  In addition, how would you account for the differences that might occur from lifestyle habits such as smoking, or genetic predisposition, in analyzing the data?  Without extensive, reliable studies, it is up to us to pick the most sensible advice that we can.  The advice that I give myself is that if my body would probably not recognize what I am eating as food, I would be better off not eating it. 

So why am I writing about eating and food?  As a wellness coach, I see nutrition playing an integral role in our health and well-being.  Now I am not referring to weight gain or loss here, so please read on.  Nutrition (snore) is about nourishment (ahhh): basic love and care for our bodies and selves.  Eating is so much more than consuming calories: it is social, it can be a peak experience, it is escape and comfort, or it can incorporate some mindless habits.

Our eating habits affect our ability to move and exercise, our concentration, our energy level, our relationships, the environment, and so many other areas of our lives.  Much of the time, we eat without really paying attention to how that meal is affecting us.  I make an effort (not always successfully) to pay attention to how my diet affects other parts of my body.  If I am weight training, I need extra protein to avoid muscle fatigue.  If I eat too much sugar, I feel a momentary state of euphoria, then I get sluggish and tired afterward.  What mind-body connections have you noticed with your food?

What would it be like to truly have a mind-body connection with your food?  I invite you to set aside about 5-10 minutes for a simple exercise in experiencing your food.  Select an orange, then pick a quiet place and go through the following steps, trying your best to just notice what happens, without classifying or judging it.

• Sit with the orange in your hand and study its appearance: What color is it? (thinking “orange” pops into our minds, but try releasing that label and simply notice the color).  How does the color affect you? Observe the texture with your eyes and your fingers.
• Now, smell the orange with your eyes open and then with your eyes closed.  What is this like? Does it evoke any body feelings? Does your mouth water? Are there any emotions that you feel? Does the fragrance evoke a memory?
• Next, begin peeling the orange and tune in to the sound this makes, the feeling of the peel on your fingers, the appearance of the fibers and interior of the fruit, the juices as they contact your skin, and the temperature of the fruit.  Again, notice the fragrance.
• At last, select a wedge, break it in half and lay a piece on your tongue.  DON’T chew it yet.  Feel the weight of the orange wedge, the sensation of the juice on your tongue, and any other aspects of the feelings in your mouth.
• Now, chew, focusing on what the orange feels like against your teeth and mouth. Swallow that first bite and see if you can feel or imagine its path down the esophagus and into the stomach. How does that feel in your body? How is this eating experience for you? How does focusing on eating this orange in a mindful way, differ from your typical eating habits?

What would it be like to incorporate this technique into a meal?  How would mindfully eating your food affect how much you eat or how much pleasure you derive from eating?  Would this eating style take you from nutrition to nourishment?

Try it and see….

For more investigation on the subject of eating with full awareness, explore the links below.

Enjoy your orange!

Lisa

Rituals Make Our Food More Flavorful

The Center For Mindful Eating

Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More than We Think

 January 1st marks the official kickoff of the 2012 Community Basketball Shootout sponsored by the Carmel Rotary Club and the Carmel High School Interact Club. The Shootout will be held on March 11th, 10am to 1pm at the Carmel High School Gym, Fair Street, Carmel.  Once again we invite you to participate, as a group or as an individual, and raise funds for your favorite non-profit organization or community project. Since 2008 over $43,000 was raised with 60 different organizations benefiting from the proceeds. Tables will be available for representatives from participating organizations to promote their group. If you plan to have a display, please complete the form below and return it to the Carmel Rotary Club no later than March 1st so we can provide adequate space.  

Fifteen Minutes, that's all it takes, come, participate and take advantage of a wonderful opportunity and easy way to raise funds for the organization of your choice. Use the enclosed pledge form and if you need more, feel free to make more copies. Sponsorship opportunity available for only $250.  Your name on our official tee shirt and prominently displayed at the event.    

 If you would like more information regarding this event or have questions, please call Al Lotrecchiano at 845-225-4835 Mike McDonough at 845-225-9229 or Sal Gambino at 845-228-9115 .

The 2012 District 7210 Conference will be  held in Poughkeepsie at the Grand Hotel and Conference Center on Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9, 2012. The Friday plenary session will kickoff at 1 p.m. and end at 5 p.m. Dinner on Friday evening will be at Billy Joe's Ribworks at 16 Front Street, Newburgh. Returning to the Grand Hotel on Saturday, the plenary session begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at noon. Lunch will be served at Shadows on the Hudson, just a short distance from the Grand Hotel. Saturday evening the grand banquet and top hat ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with a butler style and smorgasbord cocktail hour followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
Register early to save $$$
Registration for the district conference is fast, simple and convenient using the link http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=unhvoqiab&oeidk=a07e5btab7e21312e22 Payment options are either by check or credit card through PayPal. Register by February 1st and save an additional $10 per person off the complete package for conference registration and all meals.    

Do it today!

Dear RotoRooters,

I'd rather say, "New Yawkez". This article is a challenge to the culture of the state that we have grown up with.