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Brothers.....
ZXZ Alumni Assocation sponsored our 2nd annual BBQ. Was nice to see some of the newer alumni and current brothers.
If you have never attended an Oswego Harborfest you are really missing out! It is a great time for the whole family. So many things to see and do and of course - legendary fireworks! - This years event followed the same format as last year....Golf Tourney on Saturday Morn 10am - Fair Haven Greens(7/28).....BBQ at the current ZXZ House (111 West Onidea St) on Saturday afternoon....(7/28)
Its worth the trip!!!!
Boe
In August on Harborfest Weekend in Oswego, we had our first annual ZXZ Harborfest BBQ. It was at the “new” house.
It is being rented by the current brothers. The address is 111 West Onieda Street in Oswego. The grills in the
backyard were cooking up some good burgers and dogs and we even had some steamed clams! Of course, all the beer you
can drink is standard. Harborfest is a great weekend in Oswego with all the vendors, concerts and the impressive
fireworks display, its worth the trip alone! In attendance was Dennis Morriessey, John Toomey and David Craig.
There were many more recent alumni including Jason Peltzer, Aaron Thrope, Steve Miller and Benard LeVine. There was
even a golf event hosted by Mike Delaney that turned out to be a great time! So come on up this coming summer!
The newest brothers would LOVE to meet you!
Follow this link on the net for some photos:
PHOTOS
As most of you know, the long battle with the House at 58 Ellen Street has finally concluded with it being sold.
FOR THE MOST RECENT AND COMPLETE NEWS ABOUT THE HOUSE
-
Brothers - Please go to the CHAT ROOM
-FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!
Brothers - On June 5th, 2004 a meeting was held with many alumni at the house to make decisions on the future of our property. In this three-hour meeting, the financial statements were reviewed and much debate was held. A motion was made, voted on and approved that each alumni member be assessed $100 so that expenses could be paid until current brothers move in. Current brothers will be paying the semester’s rent up front from now on and a budget was established to manage the property. I realize that many of you have given so much in the past. I have tried very hard to bring our house back to a livable condition and put your money to good use. The alumni that came saw first hand the incredible progress that has been made. Many gave the money right then to know the ZXZ legacy will live on. Please contact me for any other information.
Boe
Brothers,
35th Anniversary Reunion
The planning for our next major reunion on the June 5th weekend
of 2004 is really coming along. We are going to have it at Bridie Manor.
This is a great resturant and bar located along the Oswego River on the West
Side near the House. We will have great food and drinks! Please register at the SUNY Oswego website for
for our event - ZXZ 35th Anniversary. We will have some special guests for entertainment!
For those who remember way back in the 70's - our good friend ANDY SCOTT "DAD" will
be performing! I remember many hours in the Tavern listening to him. Also our own
TOM CORRIGAN will be performing his material too! A free after party at the house is being
planned Saturday evening, so make sure you come up that weekend.
Click Here to Register for the Reunion
ZXZ Alumni House
A tremendous amount of work has been accomplished on the House. At this point there are a few
things left to finish up. We are trying to rent it out to whom ever would like to live there.
I had four students lined up for the spring semester, but unfortunately they backed out of the
deal after they gave me a deposit. This has caused some serious financial problems because we
were counting on thier money to pay some of the renovation costs. At this point, we REALLY
need financial support from the Alumni. Many of you have already contributed and I thank you
from the bottom of my heart. An invoice will be going out to many other alumni asking for their
help. We can be assured that the fall semester will bring tenants into the House. I have talked
to some current brothers and they are excited to live their again. I have had much interest from
other students also. We just need to get through the spring and summer and we will be in great
shape so PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!
You can contriubte using the PAYPAL option on the Home Page or you can send a check in the usual way. See you all in a few months!
Strength in Brotherhood,
Joe
Brothers,
I would like to first wish you all a very happy holiday season and hope that
this letter finds you in good spirits and health. This alumni letter is a
little later this year because I have been very wrapped up in dealing with
house renovations that I barely have time to inform you of what is going on.
There is a lot to inform you of though and most of it is good news!
35th Anniversary Reunion
I would like to announce that our next reunion will be on the June 5th weekend
of 2004. This is a major five-year reunion that we have had such good
turnouts in the past. I am very hopeful that this one will be too! We will
have a very nice venue picked out and as in the past, a great time is being
planned. Many more details will be coming as we work with the Oswego Alumni
Association to plan our event. You will be able to register as before via the
Internet or by phone with the Oswego Alumni Office, so just keep that date
open and plan to be in Oswego for a wonderful time.
ZXZ Alumni House
Most of you know by now that the ZXZ Alumni Association, Inc. has purchased the
house from the current brothers. This avoided foreclosure and we are in the
midst of renovating the property. The Alumni board decided to renovate just
the brick structure at this point. So much work has already been accomplished.
We have built two new bathrooms with showers included. There is one on the
third floor and one on the 2nd floor. We replaced all of the windows and have
filled 4 – 30 yard dumpsters with old furniture and garbage that has
accumulated over the past 5 years. We have installed a new roof and each
room will get a good overhaul of new flooring, ceilings and walls. We are
also building a new kitchen and plan to start renting for the spring semester.
We are making good progress in our plans.
The Alumni Association secured a loan and I had to co-sign it. I can only stretch the loan so far and do the critical repairs that have to be done to operate. Please realize that your contributions will make the difference in turning this property around into a self-sufficient operation. It will only get better as we reinvest the rental income and make sure that whoever lives there pays the rent. It is a beautiful house and property that is a great asset. You will be thrilled when you come to the reunion this summer and see a newly renovated house that is nice to live at. There may even be rooms to rent for the reunion! Contact me if you are interested! I would like to take the opportunity to thank our generous brothers who have contributed this past year and I would especially like to thank our board member advisors for their help! – Rich Coots, Peter Wiles and Frank Wallace.
Strength in Brotherhood,
Joe
The Board of the Zeta Chi Zeta Alumni Association, Inc. would like to make things clear on the situation at hand concerning the recent activities with the property and conduct of the fraternity.
Joe Busa does not make decisions on his own. The ZXZ Alumni Association has three other alumni board member brothers he constantly consults with when deciding to take action. Peter Wiles ‘77, Rich Coots ‘87 and Frank Wallace ‘80 along with Joe Busa’74 decided together to save the house from foreclosure. Together, they applied and appeared before the Oswego Zoning and Planning boards for a new permit and were turned down due to the recent past history of complete neglect and neighbor’s complaints. The property is zoned a one family residence at this point. If it were used in another manner the town would have the right to take away ANY ability to rent or lease the property. Our hands are tied now on how we use the property.
Joe Busa did not lose the house and did not steal the house. “Brothers” from years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 did not pay taxes to the tune of $15,500. The house would have been repossessed and auctioned by the county of Oswego in October 2003 if action by the alumni organization was not taken. Current leadership of the fraternity agreed to sell the property to the alumni association. Contracts were signed on May 24, 2003. Over 140 Brothers from the decades of the 70’s and 80’s bought that house, paid off two mortgages and continually maintained it. They have put countless hours into fixing it and a lot of money into seeing that it stays part of their heritage. There are many brothers of the 90’s who have also been responsible alumni and have helped. They have every right to see that it continues in their name as alumni of Zeta Chi Zeta.
At the last major reunion in July of 1999, a meeting was held at the house and over 80 alumni were present. After a three hour discussion on the problems with the house, a resolution was proposed by alumni brother Bob Rigney to give Joe Busa the authority to “act as he sees fit” in dealing with monetary and house problems. This resolution was voted on and passed. Joe has every right to act in the name of the alumni as he sees fit.
Joe Busa is not compensated for his time and efforts he puts into the ZXZ Alumni Association. He has spent countless hours organizing work weekends, actually working on the house, organizing reunions, creating and sending out alumni newsletters, creating and maintaining the alumni website, establishing the alumni association to begin with and has generously used his own funds to bridge the gaps in times of need. In that same meeting in July of 1999, unbeknownst to him, Joe was awarded the honor of “Brother of the Decade” on a plaque given by the alumni for his determined attitude and years (10) of dedicated service as alumni chairman.
Negative comments about Joe Busa’s actions as to his integrity and purpose are ludicrous and absurd. The alumni board are made up of brothers who have given large sums of money, their time and their talents to the effort of preserving our heritage. They have been involved for a decade and have generously given of themselves to make this organization successful.
Click here for SUMMER 2003 Newsletter
Brothers - House is still standing, but there are financial problems. Last I heard they have a pledge class of 4. If you wish to have a local alumni gathering, contact me and I can organize it. Also I have a new alumni directory so if you are looking for a brother, I may have new information. Hey - check out this link if you are a Survivor Fan
Click here for WINTER 2002 Newsletter
Well another semester has started in Oswego and from what I hear, the current brothers have a pledge class of 10. Lets hope they are all ZXZ material. The phone at the house has not been turned on yet, so communications are hard. I am sure they will do a Bridge Street Run for Halloween so if you are interested, go to the current brothers page by clicking the link on the menu. More info on the house will be forthcoming in a newsletter.
Boe
We are hoping for a big turnout at the Reunion on July 19th - YOU MUST BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE - use the online registration and sign up for the Class of 1977 event at Colemans. Will be a great time! OSU doesn't care if thats your class or even if you graduated...just come and have a good time. House and financial troubles still exist for the current brothers. If you want to help out contact Rich Coots((315)635-6793).
Brothers,
A big reunion has been planned for July 19th Weekend!!...Come join your brothers and classmates!...When you get the reunion flyer from SUNY Oswego, sign up for the Class of 1977 - Get Together!...anyone is welcome!...There will also be a party at the house that night! Will be a great time! Contact me for more info!
Joe
Brothers,
It has been a very busy year for me and I am sure for you. I hope this letter finds you all in good health. This year has also seen many changes in the world and here too. I wanted to send out this newsletter to keep in touch with you all and to give you updates on topics of interest regarding our fraternity.
As many of you know, this past spring the current brothers experienced many problems with the house and the alumni association once again stepped in with $1,500 in order for the house not to be condemned. The house survives today, but there are changes in place. The main change is that I am no longer dealing with house problems and issues. That job has gone to an alumni brother named Rich Coots (rcootsjr@aol.com) He lives close to Oswego and I have sent him all the important papers concerning the house. If you wish to communicate about the house with him please e-mail him or contact me and I will send you his information. My job is to organize and inform you all of upcoming reunions and maintain the web site I created. I have recently updated our web site with some great photos and the address is http://www.geocities.com/zxzalumni
Reunion 2002
The summer of 2002 will be the host of another great reunion for anyone who wants to come! On July 19th weekend in Oswego there will be a great party!! I am organizing it right now and would love to hear from you. This reunion will celebrate the Class of 1977’s –
25th Anniversary and the Class of 1982’s – 20th Anniversary! Please realize that this time, things will be a little different. We are not having our own gathering of ZXZ brothers. Anyone can attend this reunion party and it will be a mixture of great people!
When you receive the information from the Oswego Alumni Association, sign up for the 25th Anniversary GetTogether-Class of 1977. It does not matter when you graduated or if you even graduated at all. Everyone is welcome! We have planned a great venue right on the lake/river at Coleman’s Irish Pub. This main event is on Saturday afternoon and a private ZXZ party will follow that evening at the ZXZ House. (There is no sign up for the ZXZ private party and no cost to you.) For brothers who have not attended other reunions, you are really missing out on a great time! This is a wonderful weekend in Oswego. Many brothers have traveled great distances to attend and were so glad they did. There is campus housing available at very good rates and the weekend is full of fantastic times!
Current News
I was recently in Oswego for reunion planning sessions and did stop in to visit with current brothers. In talking with the leadership the biggest concern they have is paying the back taxes owed. The city has worked out a payment schedule with the brothers, but they voiced concern with being able to keep current and meet this payment schedule. I promised them I would put this concern in the next newsletter. You can learn more by visiting our web site and linking to the Current Brothers page. If you wish to donate to that cause please send it to me and tell me what you want the money to be used for. I will send it to Rich Coots and he will make sure that is where it goes.
In conclusion, I really hope that you are able to make an appearance this coming summer. Please look for the flyers coming from the Oswego Alumni Association and sign up when you receive them! Here’s wishing you a prosperous and Happy New Year!
Send any donations to:
ZXZ Alumni Assoc.
223 Placid Drive
Schenectady, NY 12303
Joe
Anyone who has recently contributed to this alumni association has been contacted by email or regular mail to inform them that I will not be dealing with ZXZ House problems anymore. Brothers were asked to inform me as to the disposition of their money and it has now been distributed as they wished. Please visit the current brothers website for any information on the house. This can be done by clicking the Current brothers tab on the menu to the left.
Thank you!
Joe Busa
Dear Brothers,
The town of Oswego is very close to revoking our permit because they are fed up with the condition of the house. I spoke with Alderman Dunnsmoore. He noted some problems with snow removal and abandoned cars in the driveway, but his overall emphasis was on the general condition of the house. He said this is a nice neighborhood and the city wants to keep it that way.
One thing that is very clear is that the house needs work. The Alumni are planning a huge work weekend in the beginning of June to fix many of the problems we have.
THIS IS VERY SERIOUS.
We have got to fix things up and make the house a decent place to live. We can debate all we want about what the city can do or whatever - the house has to be fixed up and WE NEED YOUR HELP. If you can't come and help out in June then please send a contribution to this cause.
UPDATE - 3/7/01
We have
installed a new heating system and a new hot water heater. This puts us over the first hurdle of a 3 page inspection document. There are many more to go with another inspection review in April. As many of you know, the Alumni have requested that the ownership of the house be transferred to them. The current brothers are deciding this issue.
UPDATE - 3/23/01
The current President of ZXZ Fraternity has personally told me that a vote was taken and that the current members have voted to transfer the ownership of the house to the ZXZ Alumni Association. The banter on the message board will stop. The message board was not meant to be and open forum of our problems. If you want to discuss issues, use the chat room. Personal attacks on me are incredibly rude after what I have done for the past 15 years. I am doing what the majority of our alumni want, especially those who send me money. Brothers who disagree are welcome to thier opinion but you are in the extreme minority and some of you are not good standing members of this alumni organization, but of course are the most vocal. We are planning the transfer for the end of April - beginning of May time frame. Information on the structure of the alumni organization can be found HERE
UPDATE - 4/19/01
Well of course you can't believe what the President says these days - so it looks like the House will not be transferred to the alumni association and as I promised I will have nothing to do with it anymore. I suggest you visit the new fraternity website click here to link and see what these young men have done in their own words. I wish them luck!
I will continue to organize alumni reunions and there is a new link to investigate! Check out www.zxz.net
This site is being taken cared of by Flipper (Jeff Goldman) and he is collecting history information on pledge classes! Just click the bottom tab on the menu!
Strength In Brotherhood,
Joe
