March 19, 2020
Dear Fellow Clifton Club Members,
I write to you from my couch, where I have found social distancing isn’t nearly as fun as spending time having wonderful dinners and drinks at The Clifton Club. For some reason, I can’t get my cocktails to taste quite the same as Bill’s, and my steaks aren’t quite as juicy as Gary’s.
I wanted to provide an update on several fronts. First and foremost, with this COVID-19 pandemic that has happened globally, the Governor has ordered all restaurants, and places that 50 or more people could congregate to close for at least two weeks. This means we can’t spend the time at The Club, but we can still bring The Club home with us. Gary and Kathy have put together a wonderful to-go menu for us to order from, including Friday Fish Fry during Lent. It is vitally important that, in a time like this, we support our Club by ordering top notch food made by our amazing chef. We are offering this up to all Park and Lagoon residents as well, as a good faith gesture in trying times. To order, call Kathy at 216-521-3051.
We have had to temporarily lay off most of the staff in an effort to conserve costs in these times. Kathy and I made some very tough decisions once the news came down that we had to shut down. I’ve honestly had a pit in my stomach thinking about those good people not being able to work, especially with how great of a job they do on a nightly basis. During this time, we will be waiving all food minimums. If you’d like to assist the service staff at this time, we are welcoming contributions to our employee fund, normally designated for holiday bonuses. Please call the Club to make a contribution, or send a check in with “Employee Fund” in the memo.
We have enough cash on hand to get through this period, and our dues will cover our monthly fixed expenses, along with the rent we get from the property next door. The sole goal is to keep our balance sheet strong through this uncertain period of time. We’ve also put off a few projects in order to keep the belt tightened. Our hope is that it will only be a few weeks, and life can get back to normal.
You should have also received your Clifton Beach packet in the mail. Fill out the green form, and return it to Club ASAP so you can get your sticker in the coming weeks, and spend some time at the Beach enjoying the sight of other humans. Remember that you MUST be paid up in full for the Club to authorize your sticker for the season. If you’re unsure, reach out to Kathy or Debi.
Speaking of the Beach, we have discussed with the Clifton Park Trustees how things will operate this coming year. Our understanding is that ALL members of Clifton Beach will have the same color stickers this year, and that guards will have far more discretion over parking than the beginning of last year. My hope is that this eases some of the issues we ran into for parking. As always, if you or a guest are elderly or disabled, talk with the guards about providing a special pass to park at the Beach, rather than walk up. These passes are limited, but can help alleviate some frustrations.
Finally, as Beach Season fast approaches, we have a few spaces available. As a Spring Resident membership offering, we are offering the referring member one month of dues waived, as well as the new member. Any new Resident member under the age of 35 will also be able to have a reduced initiation fee. Contact Kathy for her to get info out to our prospective members.
I hope the next few weeks keeps you and your families happy and well.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Bentley
President, The Clifton Club