3 Story Layout (Jan 03, 2025)

News from the

Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club

Volume 1 | Issue 1

Welcome to the first issue (and test run) of our Club Runner newsletter! Find out who our upcoming speaker is, announcements to make you aware of, what happened at our last gathering, plus learn more about our featured Member. Enhancements to format are expected as we learn the intricacies of platform capabilities--stay tuned!

Mark your calendar for January 14 meeting

Trees – Garden City’s Treasure
New Tree Policy
Village Arborist to Report

by Althea Robinson

for the Garden City News "This Week in Rotary"

All are invited to join the Mineola-Garden City Rotary’s first lunch meeting of 2025 on Tuesday, January 14, 12:15 at Mineola’s Davenport Press restaurant, 70 Main Street, Mineola NY. Rotary will be pleased to welcome as guest speaker, Joseph Umana, Garden City Village arborist.

The importance of maintaining Garden City’s treelined streets, recognizing the environmental benefits, and working to increase our overall tree canopy is the aim of the new Tree Policy recently unanimously passed by the Village Board of Trustees and Joe will have an integral part in this on-going process.

Joe began working with the Recreation and Parks Department with the task to address the Village tree situation and to work with Andy Hill of the Parks Department along with the in-house Village planting crew. Acknowledged to have a passion for trees, Joe will speak on his first year as Village arborist – issues found and corrected, initiatives, policy and what the future holds for horticulture in Garden City.

Born and raised on Long Island, Joe started his work in the landscaping horticulture field while in high school at Kellenberg Memorial, Uniondale. He attended the University of Delaware where he graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Plant Science and Horticulture with a concentration in Landscaping Design.

After graduating, Joe attended Walt Disney’s professional internship program in Orlando, Florida. After Disney, Joe returned home to Long Island and studied to pass the Certified Nursery Landscape Professional, the ISA Certified Arborist Exam and the Municipal Specialist Arborist Exam. Joe started his career with the Village as arborist in January 2024.

All are welcome to attend. To reserve, please email mineolagardencityrotaryclub@gmail.com. Luncheon fee: $40 payable at the door.

Announcements

Membership Roster

A request to update the profiles of members is forthcoming via email so that we can ensure the roster is correct. Please respond using the link provided in the email.

Breakfast Meeting on January 28

The second Rotary meeting for January will be a breakfast to be held on Tuesday, January 28, 8 a.m. at the Carle Place Diner. Fee: $20 payable at the door. To reserve, email mineolagardencityrotaryclub@gmail.com.

December 18 Holiday Dinner/Community Service Awards Event, a resounding success!

As a prelude to year-long planned activities to celebrate our 100th anniversary, we commemorated the launch of this impressive milestone with a holiday-themed Community Service Award Dinner on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at the Stewart Manor Country Club from 6 to 10 pm. Over 130 guests enjoyed the festivities! Fundraising metrics being compiled now. It was such a special event as we came together to spread holiday cheer and experience the true joy of giving back.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Rotary's Community Service Award to two exceptional civic-minded individuals who embody the ideals of Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self." Our honorees were Mineola Mayor Paul Pereira and Garden City Public Library Trustees Chair Randy Colahan who were feted for extraordinary service to both the Mineola and Garden City communities.

The evening began with a cocktail hour that included open bar and featured a special performance by the renowned Garden City High School Chamber Orchestra directed by Andrew Albani. An elegant buffet dinner followed in the holiday-themed ball room. An array of 32 raffle gift baskets and two silent auction prizes benefited Rotary's myriad services and good works. And returning to officiate at emcee was our affable Rotarian Ray Sikorski, past president and past Community Service Award recipient.

Many thanks to our planning committee members:

James Brady

Kimberly Carlstrom

Jennifer Ferrara-Poupis

Diane Marmann

Joanne Meyer-Jendras

Meg Norris

Tina O'Keeffe

Diana O'Neill

Katherine Perrera

Althea Robinson

Ray Sikorski

Also much appreciation to businesses and organizations that supported the December 18 event:

Adelphi University
Ambiance Beauty
Ambiance Salon
Angelo & Co.
Bagel Boss East
Beverage Barn
Bileddo's Key Food Marketplace
Brosnan & Associates, LLP
CheerWare
Cultural Arts Playhouse
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty

Duck Donuts

Garden City Chamber of Commerce
Garden City High School Chamber Orchestra

Garden City News
Garden City Pizza
Garden City Public Library
Hengstenberg's Florist
Iavarone Bros.
Incorporated Village of Mineola
Kiwanis Club of Garden City
Law Office of Diane Pacifico Marmann
Robert Mehran, Jr., Esq.
Long Island Volunteer Center
Mineola Chamber of Commerce
Mineola-Williston Times
New Ground
Pantano’s Bagels
Paul LeSueur Legacy Foundation

Repeal
Revel
RotaCare
RTS Print Services
Salon Aqua
Salvation Army
Schroder & Strom, LLP
Seventh Street Café
Stow and Behold
The Event Office – Scott Perrin
Taku Sushi/Asian Fusion
Tsontos Furs of Mineola
Unicorn Graphics

Featured Member

J. RANDOLPH COLAHAN

Chairman, Board of Directors, Garden City Public Library

A lifelong resident of the Inc. Village of Garden City, Randy ha spent more than 20 years in Garden City’s Public Library system. He had served as Library Trustee since 2002 and as Chairperson and President since 2007. Randy’s leadership positions also include service as former president of the Garden City Centennial Soccer Club from which he was the recipient of the Past President Award, the Fiftieth Anniversary Award and Tim Kevil Award. He has coached numerous intramural and travel soccer teams. Randy had served as president of the Estates POA, as a director on the Original Turkey Trot Race Committee and as a director of The Mens Association (TMA). Randy also served on the Adelphi President’s Advisory Council, the Duke University Admission Committee, and on several GCHS Class of 1970 Reunion Committees. Professionally, Randy has held management, sales and ownership positions in the printing and graphics art industry for more than 50 years having received numerous industry awards. Randy serves as a proud member of the Board, Kiwanis Club of Garden City and as an active member of the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club. For his lifelong philanthropic contributions, he was honored with the 2024 Community Service Award at the December 18 Holiday Dinner sponsored by the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club.

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