May 2011 LaSalle Yacht Club Volume 4, Issue 5 The Griffonriffon Log
Commodore Joe signing on, Spring? Where is it? It’s coming the weather man First Mates says. It’s that time of year when work parties are needed by the membership to help out. This is a The First Mates are off to a great start very important time to help the Club get ready for this year! We have had two successful the boating season quickly and we can use all the fund raisers at the Niagara Falls Boom help you are able to provide. So much to do Days Celebration, which is officially held inside and out. R/C Rob Downs and F/C Frances at our Club each year. We are now Galdon need your help. Check the bulletin board looking forward to repainting the patio for work party sign-up sheets. furniture to accommodate the beautiful Have you visited the Club lately and seen the new changes, especially umbrellas that we were able to inside? Please do! The Club is doing its best to make new changes so purchase. So, we need volunteers to that the membership can enjoy its time at LYC. V/C Jim Swanson is doing come out on Saturdays to help. We a great job using all the resources he can. have to wait until the temperature Call in your reservations for Mother’s Day Brunch, May 8th and Opening reaches 50 degrees (hope burns eternal) Day Ceremony, May 15th. Please support your Club! - but we want them done by Opening Commodore Joe signing off, Day, May 15th. Please, call Maggi at 683 -5633 if you’d like to help. On Opening Commodore Joe Ventura Day we will be raffling off the popular summer cart with summer supplies - in time to load and celebrate in YOUR boat. Our next meeting is on May 4th at Chart Room Corner 7 PM. ~Maggi Ventura I think I promised you last month that Spring was here. Let’s try that again! It was pretty amazing though watching all that ice BOARD OF come down. We had a pretty good turn out for Boom Days. May CLUB OFFICERS DIRECTORS is always one of our busiest months for parties. We hope to see
Commodore Pat Driscoll all of you for Mother’s Day brunch and Opening Day. I’m looking Joe Ventura 683-5633 P/C Charles Frantz forward to meeting our new members. Thanks to all of you who Vice Commodore Tim Phillips Jim Swanson 579-2382 signed up for our 3rd annual golf tournament. We have a full Dave Ricigliano roster. More details to follow soon. Rear Commodore P/C Tony Rodgers Rob Downs 417-4683 Gene Swanson The new bar in the pit is almost complete. We have switched over Fleet Captain Frances Galdon 574-0475 to a new POS system. Thanks for bearing with us as we work out GRIFFON LOG Treasurer all of the kinks. I think you’ll appreciate your new billing Published by: Ken Argona LaSalle Yacht Club statements. They will be easier for you to understand. 73 S. 68th Street Secretary Niagara Falls, NY 14304 (716) 283-3080 Can’t wait to see those boats in the water. Come on out for dinner Walter Garrow Editor: and enjoy the view! ~Judy Fleet Chaplain Joy Johnson [email protected] Rev. Calvin Babcock Page 2 The Griffon Log www.lasalleyachtclub.com
Greetings! Let’s hope that the warmer temperatures are here to stay! Work on the bar in the pit area is nearing completion. We’ll be wrapping up the finishing touches just in time for many parties that are booked this Spring. The new point-of-sale system is up and running. As with any major change, we have experienced some glitches and unexpected tribulations. I would like to thank the membership for its patience while we work through these. A special thanks to those behind the scenes who have not only made this upgrade possible, but have spent many tiresome hours at the Club resolving these issues including Tom Loncto, Gary Holland, P/C Keith Kinney, Chef Dan and Comm Joe Ventura. We are on target to release an updated menu by Opening Day. While we intend to keep many of the “old stand-by” menu items, we are looking to infuse the menu with some fresh options and trendy ideas. Keep an eye ROBERT COPELIN open for this release! Chef Dan and his kitchen staff did a spectacular job with Easter Brunch! The food and the turnout was great this year. A pat on the back also to Jen Bystrzak and her daughter for running a terrific Egg Hunt and providing activities to keep the kids entertained. She is doing a wonderful job in her new position thus far. Plan on attending Mother’s Day Brunch and Opening Day during the month of May. Opening Day is an event filled with strong tradition. What makes it even more special this year is that it is the 75th Anniversary of LYC! Please make reservations for these events if you plan on attending so that Chef Dan, Judy and the staff can properly prepare. Vice Commodore Jim Swanson
Member Please inform Rear Commodore Rob Downs in the event a member or first mate is 5 Gerald Schuur 7 Patrick Driscoll hospitalized for illness. He will need to 15 Joseph DeLoreto know who it is, the name of the hospital 21 David Ricigliano 21 Joseph Butler and the room number. Officer’s phone Happy Anniversary First Mates 22 Richard Utcig numbers are always listed on the first page 22 Keith Kinney 5 Norman & Mary Ann Bishara 12 Robin Farago 23 Thomas F. McNamara of the Griffon Log . 8 Gary & Cynthia Sykes 22 Andrea Wrobel 23 Nancy Brown 12 Donald & Terri Campbell 28 Judi Garlapow 26 Kent Welsh 20 Grant & Susan Babcock 31 Aaron Clause
Hello fellow LYC members. So far Dawn’s daffodils are the only sign of Spring. We’ve only completed one work party so far, due to bad weather. Don’t let the term work party scare you. They are opportunities to meet new people and get to know your fellow members better. Working elbow to elbow with someone builds a strong bond between you. Generally the projects are fun and the old adage “Many hands make for short work” can really come to light. There is a lot to do, making membership participation even more important now. Work parties will be posted in the Chart Room, but consider any Saturday morning or weekday evening with good weather (not Fridays) to be work parties, through Opening Day. Just stop on by with your work clothes. I can always be contacted at 417-4683 with any questions. The 2011 LYC Membership Drive is in full swing! The Membership & Publicity Committee led by Tim Phillips is doing a remarkable job. Four new Members, Thomas Snyder, Christopher Chop, Melissa Richardson and Renee Agnello have been approved for membership so far, with several more in process. Now is the time to get your friends and associates in on the fun at LYC. Through the New Member’s Picnic, we’re offering a $200 gift certificate as an incentive to new members. If that recruit takes a boat slip, the rewards are even greater. See you at the Club!
Rear Commodore Rob Downs The Griffon Log www.lasalleyachtclub.com Page 3
Soon we will all be waxing and preparing our boats for launch. Members requesting services of the travel lift and operators please look for the signup sheet in the Chart Room. I will be posting soon! The new pilings for the Marina have been ordered and will arrive shortly. Henry (pile driver) will be driving the new pilings in mid- May. Hopefully good weather is on the way so the small repairs to the docks can be completed. Remember, Opening Day is just around the corner, please come out and enjoy the ceremony with the Officers and your fellow members. See you at the Club!
Fleet Captain Frances Galdon
From the Gaming Committee... As you know, the 2011 LYC Monte Carlo Night was a great success (especially for some of the players)! Make plans now to do it again next year. Also, be thinking about helping out with that event next time, there is a lot to do and the participation is fun. The Queen of Hearts game is starting to build up the jackpot again. Stop in to the Club any time to purchase tickets or come on over for dinner on Friday nights to be a part of the drawing fun. It’s been a little while since a $250 winning ticket has been found in the Pull Tab game, that baby’s ready to POP! Stop in and try your luck. It’s easier than a slot machine and your odds are better! If you would like to be a part of the LYC Gaming Committee contact P/C Grant Babcock or R/C Rob Downs. Good Luck!
Since everyone is still waiting for our Spring to arrive, I hope you’ve been able to think ahead to which Saturday morning or two you might like to indulge yourself in assisting a work party. Our Club does rely on our membership to keep our docks, party areas, gardens etc in shape with the assistance of membership so please pencil us in and lend a hand. You will be rewarded with free lunch and a warm fuzzy feeling. Thankfully, the weather was perfect for our Egg Hunt and all the LYC kiddies had a great time gathering eggs and winning prizes. Keep your eyes open for more kid friendly activities at the Club. From a simple coloring table (such as we had on Easter) to tie dying shirts sometime this summer, I hope they enjoy themselves just as much as Mom and Dad. May brings a wonderful pair of events. Celebrating Mother’s Day with Mom is always special and Opening Day is a traditional event for Members and Mates only that celebrates the beginning of our boating season and the end of our long dreary winter. If you find yourself available on the 15th, please call the Club and sign up for this luncheon event. It carries much tradition and becomes a special day for those who have been members for several years or more. There isn’t a special event planned for Kentucky Derby (May 7th) this year but do not think it won’t be on at the Club. Dan will have the traditional ‘Kentucky Derby Hot Brown’ as a special and we’ll have a small house bet. Head over to OTB before you come and watch to see if you are a winner! Good Luck to everyone this year.
Social Director, Jennifer Bystrzak Restaurant Hours Chart Room Bar Hours
Monday & Tuesday……………Closed Mon - Sat ……… 4 pm till Closed Wed & Thursday……… 5:00 - 9:00 Sun …………… 12 pm till Closed Friday & Saturday… 5:00 - 10:00 Happy Hour — Everyday For reservations, to book an event or other information Sunday ……………………12:00 - 9:00 4 pm - 6 pm call LYC: 283-3080. MayMay 20112011
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
May 1 2 3 4 First Mates 5 6 7 Meeting 7:30 Haddock Calves Liver Florentine
8 9 10 11 House Comm 12 13 14 Mother’s (Brunch Menu Meeting 6:30 (Brunch Menu
Day Brunch is posted at Lamb Burger 11 AM --- 3 PM the Club) Seafood Platter
15 75th LYC 16 Board 7:30 17 18 19 20 21 Meeting Opening Day Turkey All members Tetrazzini 12 PM welcome! Tilapia 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Chicken Cacciatore Crab Cakes
29 30 31 June 1 2 3 4 Memorial Day Club Closed 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 New Member’s Picnic Let me introduce myself, my name is Ken Argona and I have been a member of LYC for over ten years. I am happy to announce that I have the privilege of assuming the LYC Treasurer position, as appointed by the Board of Directors which became effective April 1, 2011. I have been working with our accountant Tom and the Officers to streamline a few processes that have come to our attention. First off, in order to make our billing process more efficient, we are upgrading our point of sale computer system to display purchases and charges on your monthly statement in a more intuitive, user friendly manner. Monthly purchases will be separated and listed by date of transaction with a descriptive title eliminating any ambiguity on charges that you incur during the month. This includes dues, restaurant/bar, clothing and boating (slip) purchases. This is the first step that the officers, along with Tom Loncto, Chef Dan and I are taking to answer the concerns of the membership. Along with these enhancements, we are working on the ability to have the monthly statements and Griffon Log delivered if you prefer, directly to your email account. This will result in significant savings to the membership due to elimination of postage costs. Also LYC now accepts MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express. These improvements are being completed in an effort to make your LYC experience more positive. That said, I welcome any feedback on the new process and encourage suggestions for enhancements to the billing process that you may want to see implemented in the future. Feel free to email me [email protected] or contact me personally at the Club.