Ivory Coast Libraries

 

Don Wildermuth, left, and Katy Ballo (on screens) were our speakers last Thursday.

Katy, a Skidmore College graduate, is founder of Impactful Education, which creates libraries as educational hubs in Ivory Coast, the West African country where Katy lived before moving to the United States in 2013. She now lives in the area of Trenton, New Jersey. Ivory Coast suffered severely from civil warfare in the early 21st century.

Don, a former Wilton Rotarian, is treasurer and a board member of Impactful Education. For more information about the organization and to give a hand, check out their website.

LifeWorks Director

 

Krystle Nowhitney Hernandez, executive director of LifeWorks Community Action, was our speaker last Thursday.

Lifeworks -- formerly the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council -- is one of about 1,000 community action agencies (CAAs) around the country under a program established by the federal government in 1965. 

Most of its funding is from the US government, and last year, Krystle said, under the previous federal administration, it experienced a cut of about one-third for its largest program, Head Start. "We're fund-raising for everything now," she said. "We've scaled back our budget to bare bones." 

Other programs operated by LifeWorks include WIC, weatherization assistance, and the largest food pantry in Saratoga County (which is run by LifeWorks in Ballston Spa). Need is up, she said, and she is concerned about potential further cuts from the current federal administration.

An Immigration Services program is funded by the state.

LifeWorks does accept donations (including through a May 4 brunch fund-raiser) and relies heavily on volunteers. More information is available on its website. 

Lots Going On

 

Cate Miller (at end of table) was our speaker on Thursday, describing her role as branch manager of the new Hudson Valley Credit Union branch in Malta. It used to be a branch of Berkshire Bank, where Cate used to work.

She noted that HVCU's charitable foundation has given money to both the Malta Ridge and Round Lake fire departments in Malta, and $5,000 to Unity House in Troy.

Cate is one of our newer members along with Bret Smith (see below). She was also one of the members helping out at our Red Cross blood drive on Monday at the Malta Community Center.

 Anne Santino, coordinator for the Red Cross, said "We had a great blood drive, collecting 48 units on our goal of 31, including 32 whole blood and 16 power red units."

In other business, from a combination of club and individual member donations for projects in Africa which we have long supported, we have raised and are distributing approximately $1,100 for an AOET Uganda medical clinic, and $500 for an emergency food distribution program in Lesotho.

Upcoming events include an April 12 roadside cleanup of Dunning Street. Meet at 8 a.m. near Forest Cleaners.

On April 26, there will be a benefit concert by the band Enjoyous (our Brian Farrell is a member). The public is invited, and we voted to help the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club with the event, as described in their letter below:

"The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club would like to invite the Rotary Club of Malta, NY to co-host a charity benefit concert by the Albany-based band Enjoyous. The concert will be held on Saturday, April 26 from 7-8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall at the East Greenbush Methodist Church at 1 Gilligan Road in East Greenbush.

Enjoyous will feature mostly original folk, blues and rock songs.  Suggested donation of $15 to benefit the St. Paul’s Center in Rensselaer. The Center provides emergency shelter to mothers and their children without a place to call home.

Two sets of ten songs will be performed. A 15-minute intermission will be held with refreshments and snacks served. The intermission will allow a church representative to speak about the charity being supported and allow both Rotary Clubs to speak about their respective club and activities. The Fellowship Hall can easily fit over 100 attendees.

On behalf of the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club, I would like to ask the assistance of the Malta Rotary Club to share expenses related to the provision of refreshments and snacks for the audience. I will also be spearheading publicity efforts in local media.  

Enjoyous has been rehearsing quite diligently, and they sound great. I believe this event will showcase their talent while also informing audience attendees to the good works of both Rotary Clubs and the St. Paul’s Center.

Sincerely,

Phil Kellerman, President-Elect "

Superintendent's Report

 

Ballston Spa School District Superintendent Dr. Gianleo Duca was our speaker on Thursday. 

He started by describing the expanding construction trades program, which among other things builds "tiny houses" behind the high school. When completed they are moved and donated to area veterans.

The physical education program is changing, with students choosing "strands" such as lifetime sports or fitness. 

Musical productions included Beetlejuice Jr. in February, and Catch Me If You Can is coming up March.

Problem areas include mental health issues, homelessness, food insecurity, and absenteeism, all of which the district is trying to address.

Ballston Spa is planning to buy its first electric school bus, as mandated by the state. "I'm OK being late to the party," he said of the vehicles, which cost about $480,000 each.

Zim Smith Trail

 

We detoured for one meeting to the Round Lake Fire House, where Steve Haydon spoke about the Zim Smith Trail in south-central Saratoga County. In Malta, the trail extends from Round Lake northwest through the Shenantaha Park.

It also goes well beyond Malta, with the most recent extensions to Mechanicville in the east, and northwest to Ballston Spa. Cynthia Young confirmed plans at the county level to extend the trail north to Saratoga Springs, and possibly at some point beyond that.

Steve mentioned sights to be seen including a golf course and train depot near Mechanicville, a turtle crossing, the Ushers Road loop through a patch of state forest, and, in Malta, benches donated and installed by our club.

This week we return to our regular meeting site at The Ugly Rooster diner.

Concerns about long-term care

 

At the center of this photo on Thursday were our speakers, Lynn and Peter Young (not to be confused with Doug and Cynthia Young on left; the two couples are not related to each other). 

Lynne and Peter recently retired from careers in senior care, at places including The Eddy in Troy and the New York State Department of Health. They recommended planning for old age, eg having a health-care proxy, making your directions clear, and considering purchase of long-term care insurance.

 Hospice care, said Peter, "is dramatically under-utilized in the US," while some people find themselves receiving "aggressive care" in hospitals which they may not want. At the state policy level, staffing levels are "extremely low" in nursing homes, while reimbursement rates (eg for Medicaid) are also "extremely low," and the two problems are connected.

They recommended websites for research including www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ .

RIP Paul Perreault

 

Paul Perreault, who is seen at the center of this photo taken at our meeting last November 21, was an outstanding Rotarian and a friend to most of us. We mourn his recent death at the age of 82 and send condolences to his family. Paul exemplified the ideal of a gentleman and a scholar. His obituary, along with information about calling hours, can be found here. At this morning's meeting, we named our annual scholarship in his honor.

Also this morning, Town Supervisor Cynthia Young discussed water districts, police funding, and a "budget crunch." She said a pedestrian crossing will be constructed across Route 9 from Town Hall to Ellsworth Commons.

Last week, our speaker was Joyce Crawford, RN, manager of clinical operations for The Community Hospice in Saratoga, Washington and eastern Montgomery counties.  

Not all patients die in hospice, she said. Some recover and "graduate" from the program, which is mostly funded by Medicare and free of charge. Some younger patients are covered by private insurance. Most are at home or in a nursing home. She also mentioned Mary's Haven and The Gateway House of Peace, two small local facilities where patients are usually in their last months of life. While hospice is professionally run with doctors, nurses, aides and social workers, it is also supported by volunteers, along with private donations which fund "extras" such as massage.