First Mates. Members. John & Catherine Brown 3/13 Carmen & Jean Granto 3/18 Brian & Denise Rowe Carney 3/18 J Gary & Rosanne DiLaura 3/19

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William Spencer
5 years ago
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Birthdays Anniversaries Members Dominic Florio 3/1 Calvin

Campbell 3/9 John Korzak 3/10 Ralph Aversa 3/13 Maureen Weber

3/23 Patrica Rufrano 3/24 Paul Granga 3/26 Joseph Maietta 3/26

Richardson 3/5 Michele Altman 3/9 Lisa Nicoletti 3/11 Audrey

Hennessy 3/18 John Poremba 3/26 John & Catherine Brown 3/13

1 Birthdays Anniversaries Members Dominic Florio 3/1 Calvin Babcock 3/2 John Simon 3/3 Christopher Schultz 3/6 Donald Campbell 3/9 John Korzak 3/10 Ralph Aversa 3/13 Maureen Weber 3/16 Shirley Lippens 3/19 Sally Ann Pack 3/20 Patricia Capton 3/23 Patrica Rufrano 3/24 Paul Granga 3/26 Joseph Maietta 3/26 Steve Tisack 3/30 Vincent Dominesey 3/31 First Mates Christine Richardson 3/5 Michele Altman 3/9 Lisa Nicoletti 3/11 Audrey Reinhold 3/11 Polly Vallina 3/12 Sandy Frantz 3/12 John Hennessy 3/18 John Poremba 3/26 John & Catherine Brown 3/13 Carmen & Jean Granto 3/18 Brian & Denise Rowe Carney 3/18 J Gary & Rosanne DiLaura 3/19

Page 2 Commodore Tim Phillips Hello everyone, I would like to begin by giving a huge Thank You to those who competed and helped out in the Pasta Sauce-Off, Cooking for Cancer.

The event was sanctioned by Roswell Park Cancer Institute and had news coverage from various local television stations.

The goal for this year was to raise $2000 for Carly s Club, sponsored by Roswell. The girls raised $4,600 in one afternoon at LYC!

2 Page 2 Commodore Tim Phillips Hello everyone, I would like to begin by giving a huge Thank You to those who competed and helped out in the Pasta Sauce-Off, Cooking for Cancer. This event was run by eleven year olds Alison Nemeth and Jessica Flash, their parents and LaSalle Yacht Club members and staff. The event was sanctioned by Roswell Park Cancer Institute and had news coverage from various local television stations. There were sixteen Sauce-Off competitors, a Silent Auction, 75 Gift Baskets for a Chinese Auction, a Grand Prize and several donations. The goal for this year was to raise $2000 for Carly s Club, sponsored by Roswell. The girls raised $4,600 in one afternoon at LYC! We had a huge turnout, raised money for a good cause, and everyone involved had a great time! Fantastic job, girls!! As conceived by our Rear Commodore, Mike Dallessandro, we are striving to make the Griffon Log a little more interesting by changing the theme of the Officer s messages each month. This month, we are going to talk about Past Commodores who have made an impression on us as current Officers. While quite a few come to mind, the one who stands out for me is P/C Grant Babcock. Grant is Director of Operations for Community Missions in Niagara Falls, NY. He is, to me, one of the unsung heroes of The LaSalle Yacht Club. Grant is very involved with the Club, even years after completing his term as Commodore. He provides the Membership Cards, produces the printed Club Constitution and other official documents, such as the Annual Membership Meeting Reports, and is on the Gaming Committee as well as the Commodore s Ball Committee. He is a constant visitor to the Club, making himself available as a sounding board for ideas and suggestions, and yet maintains such a low profile that many new members don t even know who he is. What really impresses me about Grant is his thought-out advice. When I approach him for his opinion on a Club matter, or anything else, for that matter, I know what to expect. He smiles, looks at the ceiling for a moment, truly thinking about his response before giving it, and then he answers in a very profound way. His response will be well worded, succinct and to the point, and will be truly his response, not swayed by anyone else s opinion. A wise man once told me, When you have a problem, come see me, but, when you do, make sure you bring a solution to the problem. That advice has always stuck with me, and I believe Grant Babcock demonstrates that wisdom. When he, himself, has an issue with some aspect of the Club, he will present it along with a thoughtfully considered solution. This changes the issue from a complaint to a suggestion, and makes it easier for everyone to consider. To summarize, Grant is a man whom I respect. He is a true asset to the LaSalle Yacht Club, and I am proud to know him and call him my friend. ~Tim

3 Page 3 Vice Commodore Marty Houck Happy March Everyone! Boating season is only 2 months away!!!! Writing a monthly report for the Griffon Log, being one of four officers who are updating our membership about club happenings, can be quite a challenging task and somewhat repetitive reading for our membership. In an attempt to overcome the Writer s Block that may accompany our monthly articles, our Rear Commodore has requested that we focus our March articles on those Commodores, past and present, that have influenced us on our journey through the bridge at LYC. A worthwhile and helpful suggestion, but nonetheless still quite a challenge. Let me begin by relating an experience I had a couple of weeks ago on a very snowy Saturday morning. I was at the club going about the business of some painting and cleaning. I walked into the dining room, passing the wall of Commodore s photographs. I took a moment to stop and look at the faces of all of the men who have served as Commodores of the LaSalle Yacht Club. Looking at the individual faces, thinking about each man with his own distinct talents and contributions to the club, I found myself wishing that I could shake the hand of each one of the past Commodores who gave of their time and talents to build LaSalle Yacht Club into the club it is today the best club on the Niagara River. I wondered what challenges each Commodore faced? What triumphs? I m sure not all of our past Commodores found their charge to be an easy one. The historic road of LYC has had its hills and valleys. How did these men face the challenges and obstacles that presented themselves? I would guess with courage and a sense of purpose to do what was right to sustain the club. I was sure of one thing though as I stood there these Commodores were, and are, all dependent on and connected to each other by the their common purpose. And now I was part of that purpose as well; striving to do my best with the dignity and perseverance these men have shown. Most of these men I will never have the opportunity of meeting, but I felt gratitude for the sacrifices they made and hopeful that I could follow successfully in their footsteps. I felt inspired by those Commodores I have not known and grateful for those Commodores who I have the honor of calling my friends; that offer guidance and advice that comes from their years of experience and dedication. I would never attempt to name any inspirational Commodore by name for the list would be far too long. My inspiration is drawn for the collective generosity and commitment of all of those who have honorably served as officers of the LaSalle Yacht Club throughout its history. I am proud to be serving as a current LYC officer and hope to one day have my picture displayed on the walls of the club, beside those that I admire and those yet to fill the shoes of future LYC Commodores. Until then, I can only hope to act with the courage, integrity and selflessness that I saw in those faces on that distinguished wall one snowy day in January ~Marty INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE GRIFFON LOG? Tim Phillips FOR DETAILS

4 Page 4 Rear Commodore Mike Dallessandro Hello, If you are reading this log article, congratulations! You are alive and have survived the harshest part of the winter and should now be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, March can still bring cold temps and nasty weather but we can now count by weeks (not months) the time until we start to see cracks in the weather patterns that will lead us to warmer temps. The only formal R/C business I want to mention in this month's article is that I will be planning a Sail Loft clean up in early April (date TBA) to get things organized so F/C Grenga's dock party participants aren't tripping over stuff that they need to ready the docks. This month I have asked the officers to dedicate some space in their log articles to pay homage to an LYC Past Commodore that they admire or have learned from. When writing about male influences in my life I always default to my Dad. Everyday he silently demonstrated through his actions his commitment to family and job and was always a stable role model for me. As far as LYC goes, in anticipation of this article I counted that by the end of this year there will be 72 P/C pictures on the wall. Of the 72, I personally know or have met 46 of those men. While I could share a personal or humorous story or two about most of the 46 a few do stand out. P/C Vic Scozzaro (1994) is the only man that I could ever say for a period of time treated me like a second father. I will be forever grateful for the time of my life he welcomed me into his life, home and family. P/C Bill Warren (1996) for many years has been one of my dearest friends and is the Godfather to my daughter Abby. Back in the day Bill and I were an odd couple of friends with him being the respected insurance executive and me the somewhat irresponsible party DJ, but we always had many laughs when we were together and he always had my back. But most importantly I want to say a few words about my friend, the late P/C Bob Hackett (1985). Bob was an equipment operator for the Carborundum Company but was also a master boat restorer. There wasn't any project on an old boat Bob could not handle. Bob was always there for me any time I didn't have the skills or talent to maintain my old boats. He would try to teach me but if I started screwing it up he just finished it himself for me because he wanted to see it done right. He taught me how to run my first boats and Bob and I shared many good times and conversations about life over some beers of which his favorite was Utica Club. I will always miss Bob terribly and am thankful for the time he was in my life. ~Mike Chart Room Corner Judy With Spring right around the corner, we have many upcoming parties. Please keep us in mind for your next event. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our 2nd annual Sauce Off. The girls raised almost 5000 dollars for Carly's Club. Awesome job girls!!! Special thanks to all of our members who came out to help and to those who made sauce. A great time had by all! Our next event is on Saturday. March 15th. We will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Chef Dan will be having Corned Beef Dinners and Ruebens on the menu. Please make your reservations early. The seating will fill up fast. The dancers will be back again this year at 8:00 P.M. We are also having Joe Marohn performing before and after the dancers. He is an awesome singer. What a great way to spend your St. Patrick's Day weekend! We will have Irish beers and drink specials as well as Green beer upon request! Keep in mind, it is never too early to get those Easter reservations in. The early seating fills up early. For all of you new members out there, you won't want to miss this one! Chef Dan puts out an amazing buffet for Brunch. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt and other activities for the kids. Also, I want to remind everyone of our 6th annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 19th at 10:00 at Hyde Park Golf Course, Details will be posted in the Chart Room soon. Keep in mind that we open every Sunday at noon all year round. We are open for lunch. We are starting to introduce a few new wines at the club. Come and check them out. Also, Saturday nights we are still offering our Prime Rib Dinner for 2 for $30 which includes a glass of house wine. Think Spring everyone!!! ~Judy

5 Page 5 Fleet Captain, Paul Grenga Hello All, With Spring still around the corner, there s not much for this Fleet Captain to report on yet. Though I d like to take credit for the recent thaw, I am advised that credit has already been given to, and accepted by, by P.C. Trimmer. Otherwise, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to our boating members who have submitted their 2014 slip requests. Assignments will be posted shortly. I ask you to bear with me; mistakes I ll make; but, any will be corrected with your input and kind cooperation. Although boating for almost 40 years, and having been a LYC member for several, I have to admit that I took for granted how much effort, time, dedication and commitment our Board Members and Bridge Officers (to date, that excludes me) contribute to the LYC and its membership. Likewise, I have recently come to recognize how little I really know about the inner workings of the LYC. In a recent debate, in which I made a fool of myself, I learned that the Griffon Log and John Grave s Shout Out are different animals. And guess what? The Griffon Log is not named after a former Buffalo Mayor. Thankfully, I kept that gaffe to myself (well, until now). For those of you who took American History with me, here s a quick Griffon primer. The Le Griffon was the first full-sized sailing ship on the Great Lakes and she led the way to the modern commercial shipping which eventually shaped our local economy. Built by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in his quest to find the Northwest Passage to China (circa 1677), she was constructed and launched right here at Cayuga Creek as a seven-cannon, 45-ton sailing vessel. La Salle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on the Le Griffon's maiden voyage on August 7, 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across the uncharted Great Lakes; waters that only canoes had previously explored. Reports of her journey are sketchy, both La Salle and Hennepin having reported their respective heroics quite differently. It is known, however, that La Salle eventually disembarked the Le Griffon and she was sent back toward Niagara Falls. On its return trip from Green Bay, Wisconsin, she vanished with all her crew members and a substantial load of furs. Father Hennepin wrote that Le Griffon was lost in a violent storm. Others charged fur traders, and even the Jesuits with her destruction. At the time of her loss, relations with the Iroquois were uneasy, yet many held that the Ottawas or Pottawatomies had boarded her, murdered her crew, and then burned her. La Salle, being as savvy as many a Niagara Falls native, had a more simple and less Machiavellian theory; the pilot and crew sank her and made off with the booty. 330 years after her maiden voyage, the Le Griffon was reportedly found in Lake Michigan. Early news reports claimed that the vessel went straight to the bottom of the lake and intact. Almost immediately upon her yet to be confirmed discovery, litigation was commenced amongst the U.S., Michigan, France, Canada and others asserting claim to her. La Salle, having launched her from Niagara Falls, may likely be getting kick out of that. Little else has been reported on her discovery since the law suits started. Those damned lawyers!! Found or not, and regardless of whether she was scuttled or lost to nature, we at the LYC continue to honor her and those who sailed her through the name of this publication and the Board Room - in which more lessons are expected to be learned by this Junior Officer With that said, I wish you all the warmest regards, ~Paul Social Director Kari Bullman I hope everyone had a nice February maybe you won a little money on the Super Bowl, enjoyed Tony & Tina s wedding, or a nice evening with your sweetheart somewhere. And thank you all that attended and volunteered at the Sauce off fundraiser, what a great job those little gals did, they should be so proud of themselves and all the students involved. I can t say that time is going by too fast, because in these cold winter months, I only hope it does and Punxsutawney Phil confirmed that I will be wishing for six more weeks, but I rest assured that spring is near. And just as our St. Patrick s Day celebration arrives on March 15th, we will be just out of those six more weeks of winter woods! So, channel your Irish for the day and come celebrate a fun evening. Irish drink favorites and corn beef and cabbage will be on special. But, you won t want to miss our annual guests the Clann Na Cara group performing authentic Irish Dancing and new this year is one of my favorite performers, Joe Marohn will take us into a fun filled musical acoustic evening, he really is a crowd favorite. But, whatever your pleasure, come raise your glasses and Cheers or as they say in Ireland Sláinte. ~Kari

Page 6 Restaurant Hours Monday & Tuesday Closed Wed & Thursday 5:00-9:00 Friday 5:00-10:00 Saturday 5:00-10:00 Sunday 12:00-9:00 Mon

OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 3/5 Fried Boneless Chicken $10.95 with 3 Dipping Sauces 3/12 Chorizo Croquettes $10.

95 & Gravy Fridays Commodore Tim Phillips 628-9936 Vice Commodore Marty Houck 982-1801 Rear Commodore Mike Dallessandro 535-7936

Pasta $14.95 3/14 Seafood Bouillabaisse $18.95 3/21 Corn-Fried Tilapia $14.95 3/28 Drunken Sea Scallops $17.

Patrick s Day Party * RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY NIGHTS (THE BUSIEST DINING NIGHT OF THE WEEK) or

6 Page 6 Restaurant Hours Monday & Tuesday Closed Wed & Thursday 5:00-9:00 Friday 5:00-10:00 Saturday 5:00-10:00 Sunday 12:00-9:00 Mon Fri Sat & Sun Chart Room Bar Hours 4:00 till closed 4:00 till closed From the Chef Dan March Specials & Events Wednesdays CLUB OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 3/5 Fried Boneless Chicken $10.95 with 3 Dipping Sauces 3/12 Chorizo Croquettes $ /19 Salisbury Steak with $10.95 Mushroom Gravy 3/26 Pork Roast with Stuffing $10.95 & Gravy Fridays Commodore Tim Phillips Vice Commodore Marty Houck Rear Commodore Mike Dallessandro Fleet Captain Paul Grenga Social Director Kari Bullman Treasurer John Caputo Secretary Mike Shepard Fleet Chaplain Rev. Calvin Babcock Donnie Boland Raymond Folmar Paul Merletti Sal Moreno John Petrishin P/C Tony Rodgers /7 Smoked Salmon Pasta $ /14 Seafood Bouillabaisse $ /21 Corn-Fried Tilapia $ /28 Drunken Sea Scallops $17.95 Saturdays Prime Rib for two with a glass of house wine $30 3/15 St. Patrick s Day Party * RESERVATIONS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY NIGHTS (THE BUSIEST DINING NIGHT OF THE WEEK) or when the evening is listed as Chart Room dining only. GRIFFON LOG Published by: LaSalle Yacht Club 73 S. 68th Street Niagara Falls, NY (716) Editor: Julie Cook julie7508@msn.com Please inform us in the event a member or first mate is hospitalized for illness. Let us know who it is, the hospital name and the room number. Officer s phone numbers are always listed within the Griffon Log.

Bar Committee Report

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