Letter to the Editor, Columbia Paper
5/2019
To the Editor:
The Hudson River Historic Boat Restoration & Sailing Society thanks Rosanne Cash and her husband, John Leventhal, for a wonderful musical performance at our benefit for Sailboat Eleanor on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at Club Helsinki Hudson. Their gracious style of performing for seasoned fans and a genuinely pleased audience that quickly became fast fans as Rosanne and John sang and played songs from The List, Going to Jerusalem and She Remembers Everything. The music was truly a gift for everyone who came to support the Sailboat Eleanor’s restoration. Thanks to Club Helsinki Hudson for setting the mood in the intimate club space that was perfect in every way. Both Club Helsinki and Rosanne Cash were presented with their own courtesy flags to be flown from Sailboat Eleanor.
Thanks to members Dennis Pitts and Patricia Lee Road, hosts, and Henry Ciccone, M.C., who introduced the early evening presentations interspersed with 30 benefit drawings for gifts from merchants and contributors valued at over $2,300.
Thanks to the early show presenters: New York State Boating Safety instructors Julia Veronezi and Doug Cropper, who focused on Hudson River Ecology, Phyllis and Michael Beals, who related Tales of Eleanor on an 1986 Operation Sail voyage down the Hudson River to Manhattan; and Dennis Pitts, who related a personal story of Sailing the High Seas. Thank you to Julie Veronezi who loaned her personal collection of beautiful photographs of the Hudson River and Eleanor as sailed in earlier years.
A separate and special thank you goes to the contributors for the prizes that were donated by the following: Applebee’s, Aviator Wine & Spirits, Baba Louie’s, Baltic Linen Designs & Dish, Bruno’s Lunch, Ca’Mea Restaurant, Captain Jerome @ Tivoli Sailing, CinergE, Face, Fluff Alpaca, Hannafords, Hudson Clothier, Hudson Curry House, La Bella Pizza, Le Perche, Lilly & Loo, Lowes, Michael Musial, Napolitana Restaurant, Pondside Nursery, ShopRite, Swoon Restaurant, Time & Space Ltd, The Cascades Restaurant, The Cottage at Cheviot Landing, Verdegris, Vico Restaurant, and William Farmer &n Sons. VIP tables were purchased by Alice and Dennis Whalen and Arica’s Insurance. A final nautical basket was contributed by Hudson River Historic Boat Society and won by Cindy and William Burrows of Ghent.
A very special thanks to the members, and especially to Henry Ciccone, Dennis Pitts and Patricia Lee Rode who had the inspiration and energy to “carry off” the very successful event. To all the fans, the friends from years ago and to all the members who came to show their support for the return of historic Sailboat Eleanor to the beautiful Hudson River, thank you.
Louise Bliss, president
Hudson River Historic Boat
Restoration & Sailing Society, Inc.
Hudson
