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SCHENECTADY
After 30 years, bar owner serves last free meal Difficult times force an end to longstanding tradition
BY MARCY VELTE Gazette Reporter

    The sign outside the Saw Mill Tavern on the corner of South Avenue and North Jay Street reads “free Sunday buffet,” but come today, the sign will either be covered up or taken down, according to owner Don Birch. That’s because the bar’s final buffet dinner was served at noon on Sunday.
    Birch has been preparing hundreds of free meals each weekend for more than 30 years, but the tradition will end because of the economy. Not even the donations he received each week from Price Chopper, Perreca’s Bakery or local farmers could save the weekly dinners — meals many in the community rely on.
    “It breaks his heart that he can’t do it anymore,” said Artie Smith, whose wife, Ellie, is the bar’s manager. “My heart’s breaking. My wife’s heart is breaking. It’s sad.”
    Birch opened the Saw Mill Tavern as a biker bar in 1978. Two years later the free meals began, but only as a courtesy to his friends and regular patrons.
    Word spread quickly. Patrons began bringing their families for the free meal. Members of the community with nowhere else to go came too.
    Now, Birch estimates about 200 to 250 people come for each meal. About 190 showed up for the fi nal meal despite Sunday’s rain.
    Birch said he owes his generosity to his mother, who also was a single parent. He said his mother and grandmother were givers, who always wanted to help people. They raised him to be that way, too.
    “I went a little bit further,” said Birch. “When you have the money, the more you want to do.”
    The 73-year-old said his mother told him how proud she was before she passed away in 1992.
    The number of meals given out increased as the economy got worse. Unfortunately, Birch has fallen on hard times as well.
    “It’s grown to the point that I can’t handle it anymore,” Birch explained. “I’ve been doing it for years, but I’ve always had a good job. I could afford to do it. Now I’m going downhill trying to keep up.”
    In 2009, Birch lost his job as assistant plant manager for Super Steel when it closed. He supports himself now with his Social Security and the income from the restaurant. ......................>>>>...................>>>>.................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00101&AppName=1

This is yet another casualty of the poorly run City of Schenectady. Here's a businessowner who has been in the City for 33+ years, pays around $10,000 in property and school taxes, uses DONATIONS to feed the homeless, has Toys for Tots rallys and other charitable events ..HE'S THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE CITY SHOULD BE DOING!!!

Humm...Proctors (a registered charity) has NEVER done ANYTHING for the City..yet we give money hand over fist for the sham. Metroplex and the County LEG have lead to the systematic destruction of the neighborhoods and businesses. Super Steel, Sawmill: poignant examples that this City is a fiscal mess and the destruction is far reaching.

Thank you Don Birch. If only the City had one ounce of your integrity....

He gets the middle finger, along with the other established and long time business owners who have been struggling, while politically connected and influential donors (like Lame-mozzis) get to seel their wares without paying the same property tax burden, get interest free loans, grants and all the goodies they can fit in the trunk of their Ferraris or Lamborghinis..

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

He gets the middle finger, along with the other established and long time business owners who have been struggling, while politically connected and influential donors (like Lame-mozzis) get to seel their wares without paying the same property tax burden, get interest free loans, grants and all the goodies they can fit in the trunk of their Ferraris or Lamborghinis..

Yep, DV won't like this, but here's a propertry owner taxed to the nth degree in order to give those tax dollars to the millionaires downtown.

DV, this guy gives free meals to the financially struggling people, WITHOUT ONE PENNY of tax dollars.     So tell us DV, with the multimillions, does Proctors give free seats to the Lion King to the financially struggling people of the city???????    

Well DV???????      Are you speechless??????      Too chicken to respond???????     SOOOOOOOO, DV, do you STILL endorse giving 100% tax breaks to the millionaires and taxing the little man to the nth degree even when he feeds the poor???????  

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

He gets the middle finger, along with the other established and long time business owners who have been struggling, while politically connected and influential donors (like Lame-mozzis) get to seel their wares without paying the same property tax burden, get interest free loans, grants and all the goodies they can fit in the trunk of their Ferraris or Lamborghinis..

Or Brinks truck-Ferrari as a small trunk. The tavern is not closing but the free Sunday meal has now ended. This shows what great fiscal straights the residents are in after paying record DEM taxes or higher rent caused by record DEM taxes. Over 200 peeps every Sunday.

     Bravo to Pereca's and Price Chopper but where is the vast nonprofit community? Where is Mercury Morris donating huge Lion King profits since he refuses to repay anything? No one can have a fund raiser for this noble cause? Villa should get involved in giving-they have been taking for so many years.

In all do respect here....and in appreciation for Mr. Burch's generosity............this article is yet another bleeding heart story. The Saw Mill is a privately owned tavern who took it upon themselves to give away a sunday dinner.  Which apparently was originally exclusive to their regular private patrons.....not the entire city!!! That is what the city  mission/salvation army/churches...etc are for. They receive both monetary and physical donations.

The saw mill got in over their head with 'free stuff' and should have gotten a handle on it long ago. As soon as they saw this go beyond their original patrons, and wanted to extend the 'free food', then they should have registered as a non profit and asked for monetary donations by sitting in malls with a red bucket and ringing a bell. IMHO!

However, his heart was in the right place and confirms again the bad shape the city is in!!

Bumble I agree but, the CITY and the COUNTY need to stop handing out taxpayer money. There has to be a cap on this because it's ruining the City. People like Don Birch understand that businesses are able to help the poor..it's not the sole responsibility of the City or County.

Currently, the City has become a non-profit haven but it needs to be inhabited by businesses which generate and pay property, school AND sales tax. Enough Proctor charity, enough MVP non-profit, enough tax exemptions for restaurants, bars and bakeries.  

Quoted from rachel72

Bumble I agree but, the CITY and the COUNTY need to stop handing out taxpayer money. There has to be a cap on this because it's ruining the City. People like Don Birch understand that businesses are able to help the poor..it's not the sole responsibility of the City or County.

Currently, the City has become a non-profit haven but it needs to be inhabited by businesses which generate and pay property, school AND sales tax. Enough Proctor charity, enough MVP non-profit, enough tax exemptions for restaurants, bars and bakeries.  

Point taken. And like I stated, his heart was in the right place. However, this is just ONE result of a city in decline. Private businesses having the need to feed folks who say they can't feed themselves.

First.....I happen to know first hand that many many welfare recipients who are on public assistance are receiving thousands of dollars in tax returns and are yet saying they can't pay their rent or buy food. HOGWASH!!! Folks who get their SSI checks on the third and hit the dss building on the 4th because they are broke. No rent or utilities paid!! It doesn't take a rocket scientist here!!

Second.....Schenectady is known as the welfare capital of NYS. They have the most lucrative hand outs!! It's a 'government' created problem.

Third.......The saw mill is proof that in 30 years the need for 'free hand outs' has increased!! Proving again that the plex and the way the city governs has failed miserably!!

Fourth.......the saw mill's generosity just put off the inevitable!!

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First.....I happen to know first hand that many many welfare recipients who are on public assistance are receiving thousands of dollars in tax returns and are yet saying they can't pay their rent or buy food.

I could not and still can't understand how this happens. I knew a woman on welfare who was getting thousands back every year, and she was claiming kids who were never home, one on the street selling drugs with her knowledge and "permission" as he was bringing more money in.  Then she would use her kids SS numbers to get heat turned back on as she wouldn't Pay her NM bill, ended up when her daughter hit 18 she found out her credit was shot due to her "mom".

BT you are quite amusing.  If Golub was literally feeding people every Sunday you would be applauding the results of BIG business.  But a small guy who gives it back once a week and now can't is a bleeding heart.  Scheenctady is NOT known for being the welfare Capital.  City Gov't is a mess and so is Rotterdam.  Of course in thrity years the need to help the poor has grown.  What planet do you live on?  Just in the Soup Kitchen in albany they now feed three times as many people as they did five years ago.  THERE ARE NO JOBS.  There's the working poor and the underemployed.  I'm with GB on this.  Tired of hearing how about the Metroplex winners continually skunk out the little guys.

Quoted from rpforpres

I could not and still can't understand how this happens. I knew a woman on welfare who was getting thousands back every year, and she was claiming kids who were never home, one on the street selling drugs with her knowledge and "permission" as he was bringing more money in.  Then she would use her kids SS numbers to get heat turned back on as she wouldn't Pay her NM bill, ended up when her daughter hit 18 she found out her credit was shot due to her "mom".

And if 'we' know all this...........why doesn't Dennis Packard from the dss dept know it?

hey, idiots -- he is not closing his business. he is just not giving away free meals, which he did on sundays for years. jeez. you guys are total jerks.. complete, utter, unblemished stunuts.... good god.. 'I thank every day that people like you are not in any position of power.

What I find amusing is that there are A LOT of people collecting welfare that live in a decent place, drive a really nice SUV or new car, have expensive clothes, and I cant get a damn dime for food stamps when I really need it.  I would have to sell my car if I need money.  

Quoted from rachel72

Currently, the City has become a non-profit haven but it needs to be inhabited by businesses which generate and pay property, school AND sales tax. Enough Proctor charity, enough MVP non-profit, enough tax exemptions for restaurants, bars and bakeries.  

We need more Malloozi's on Metrograft! Didn't you hear that glorious leader Stratton sent out 170 tin cup letters? He got 3 positive responses from the generous nonprofit community. They want more taxpayer money and they to contribute anything to a private business. Mercury Morris refuses to repay grants, start a PILOT-repay anything even for the City pool program. It's all about grabbing from the sheeple with both hands. So you can flee the City like Mercury Morris, Death Ray and Stratton.

Quoted from Smoking Bananas

hey, idiots -- he is not closing his business. he is just not giving away free meals, which he did on sundays for years. jeez. you guys are total jerks.. complete, utter, unblemished stunuts.... good god.. 'I thank every day that people like you are not in any position of power.

Well, there's SB aka DV, so jealous.  So jealous to read about a little business that does NOT get tax exemptions, has been giving back to the community, while his buddy dem cronies won't give a penny to the financially strugging taxpayers of the city, instead they raise the taxes big time on the financially struggling people and give those tax dollars to millionaires downtown and claim it has improved the city.

How has it improved the city??????    The city is the people.   Downtown is only a teeny fraction of the whole city.  What has metroplex and the dems done for the the people????   What have they done to the property and school tax bills?????   What have they done with trash collection?????    What have they done with vital services?????   What have they done to the crime rate??????    What have they done to the number of vacant houses in the city????    What have they done to the property values of city homeowners???????