Stewart's, a Malta-based Business

 

Stewart's Shops Vice President, Facilities, Chad Kiesow holds the attention of Dave Kruczlnicki, Jim Hale and Larry Levine at last week's meeting.

Kiesow, who has worked at Stewart's for 30 years, said the company, which is 40 percent employee-owned, offers great opportunities for career advancement. Stewart's continues to expand, he said, but like other employers is encountering difficulties due to a shortage of workers. 

The company has several stores in Malta and is headquartered here on Route 9 southeast of Northway Exit 13. It owns more land near that site which may be developed, but is constrained by traffic issues and a lack of public water and sewer services.

In other business, Malta Rotarians Paul Phillips and Barbara Conner discussed a recent meeting celebrating AOET's work in Uganda, which our club has helped support (including a recent contribution of $1,000). Approximately $1.3 million has been raised for AOET over the past 20 years by donors in the Saratoga County area.

Thomas C. Luther's Big Legacy in Malta and Stillwater

Malta Town Historian Paul Perreault was our speaker earlier this month, and told us about Thomas C. Luther, about whose family he is writing a book. Luther, who lived from 1862 to 1937, turned the White Sulphur Spring Hotel on Saratoga Lake in Stillwater into a famously successful resort. He also ran lumber operations in northern Washington County.

In Malta and Stillwater, Luther created the 7,000-acre Luther Forest Preserve. His descendants facilitated development of parts of the Preserve into a rocket testing facility for the U.S. government, and later into housing developments and a tech park. The tech park (which includes the former rocket site) is now home to the GlobalFoundries computer chip manufacturer.

Luther's granddaughter, Carol L. Mackay, died on November 1.

In other business, we set our Christmas/holiday party for Wednesday December 21 at 6 p.m. at The Galley restaurant on Route 9, just north of the Malta Ridge Fire House. (Please confirm attendance to Paul Phillips.)

$1,000 for QMC in Lesotho

 

Lynn Minderman, right, president of Qholaqhoe Mountain Connections, visited Lesotho in August and September. She is seen here with Remaketse, a recent graduate of the National University of Lesotho.

Our club recently received letters (to which we will respond) from two of the high school students we sponsor. At this morning's meeting, we voted to contribute $1,000 to continue supporting the QMC program. Most of this money comes from our member Mike Williams, who closed out his political campaign fund.

Mayor's view; plus Cleanups

 

Frank Rossi Jr., right, chats with former Malta Supervisor Paul Sausville (a club member) at this morning's meeting. Rossi was our speaker, and told us about his first six months as mayor of the Village of Ballston Spa.

In other news, we've got our regular fall-and-spring cleanup of Dunning Street coming up this Saturday Oct. 15. Come join us if you like, meeting at 8 a.m. near Forest Cleaners.

Regarding that subject, a few of us (including photographer Barbara Conner) got together last Saturday for a little cleanup at the Pine Grove Camp on the western edge of Saratoga Springs, where we're part of an ongoing project to provide summer housing for the families of racetrack workers. Left to right, that's Kristen Stanley, Bob Conner, the Rev. Jim Hale, Chris and Dwight Havens.

Gary Evans and Elmer Ellsworth

 

Howard C. Ohlhous photo

Our speaker today was Malta Town Historian Paul Perreault, who told us the bizarre story of daredevil serial killer Gary Evans and his connection to Malta's Civil War hero Elmer Ellsworth.

Last week's speaker was Councilman Craig Warner, who spoke about issues surrounding public water supply in town. The week before, Dwight Havens gave us an overview of what's going on with our volunteer fire departments in town.

On Saturday Oct. 1, two of our members will sell Ugandan crafts to help support AOET at the Malta Cultural Arts Festival at the Community Center.

Today we resumed our weekly deliveries of food to Chango Elementary School as part of the Shenendehowa Bountiful Backpacks program.

100 Acre Wood, Runners, Community Day, Blood Drive

Topics covered by Paul Loomis, the speaker at our meeting yesterday, included the 100 Acre Wood, a forested trail system open to the public in Malta's Luther Forest Technology Campus, which his Roundabout Runners Club maintains. They welcome volunteers.

He also spoke about the Malta 5K (and 10K) coming up this Saturday morning, September 10, in the tech park. The races start and finish at the Hudson Valley Community College campus. Money raised from the annual event provides assistance to the Malta Ridge and Round Lake fire departments, Malta-Stillwater EMS, and homeless veterans. It's not too late to register.

Saturday also is Malta Community Day, to be held in Shenantaha Creek Park. Our club will operate a cornhole booth.

On September 19, we are sponsoring from 1 to 6 p.m. a Red Cross blood drive at the Malta Community Center. Blood donors can make an appointment here, using sponsor code MALTAROTARY or ZIP code 12020.

Catching Up

 Our speakers in August included Pete Bardunias, senior vice president at the Capital Region Chamber, seen here at left with club President Larry Levine.

Others were Paul Phillips, who spoke about a recent visit to Uganda with AOET, which our club has helped support; and Malta Town Clerk Jennifer Holmes.

At last Thursday's business meeting, a thank-you card from the First Baptist Church summer feeding program for children in the Ballston Spa School District was passed around, recognizing our $200 contribution of Price Chopper gift cards. (Some of our members also did volunteer work for the program.) We also discussed whether Rotary could help distribute food next summer for needy children in Malta.

We voted to contribute $100 each to two institutions in Vermont, the Monkton Volunteer Fire Department and the Addison County Hospice, in recognition of losses in the family of our former member Estelle Genest.

We discussed plans for Malta Community Day on Sept. 10 at Shenantaha Park, where we will operate a cornhole booth; and plans for the Sept. 19 Red Cross blood drive at Malta Community Center which we are co-sponsoring.