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.