Bob Bonney, center, with club President Dwight Havens, left, and Foundation Chair Rick Handley, was recognized last week for his Ruby level of donations to the Rotary Foundation.
At our business meeting on Thursday, members saw a letter from CAPTAIN thanking us for a recent $500 donation.
Jason Laing was our speaker last week, telling us about the life of his daughter, now in her late 30s, who has written a book (under the pen name Ruby Lucas) about her struggles with bipolar disorder. She's doing well now, he said. More information about the book can be found at Home - Ruby-Lucas.
Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby, who was elected last November, was our speaker on Thursday.
He's been making changes, but said he offered to retain everyone who was working in the office. He plans to be aggressive in seeking grants to fund new hires.
Eby is starting a unit to handle appeals in-house, which should cut down the need to pay for outside counsel. He's also expanding the use of treatment court, trying to reduce prison time for nonviolent felons with substance-abuse and mental health issues. He's gearing up for summer, a busy season in the DA's office, when crimes such as sex trafficking peak.
Eby grew up in Clifton Park and attended Shenendehowa schools. Now married with a daughter, he had wanted to be an FBI agent, but there was a hiring freeze when he was seeking employment there so he sought other opportunities.
Dr. Gianleo Duca, superintendent of the Ballston Spa School District, made a pitch at our meeting Thursday for a $61.8 million capital project that will go to voters next week, on Tuesday Dec. 9. Malta residents who live in the school district can vote at Town Hall from 7 am to 9 pm.
While $26 million of the cost would be borne by local taxpayers, Duca said, the district has saved almost $8 million to partly offset that burden. The last capital project, he said, was focused on "academic spaces," but this one is more about infrastructure, including roofs, drainage, HVAC, parking and traffic, along with athletics, arts and music. It includes renovation of the high school auditorium and middle school cafeteria, library improvements, laying down artificial turf, and expansion of air conditioning. The projects should take about five years to complete, if approved by voters.
Also present were students and staff associated with the Rotary Interact club at the high school, which is connected with the Ballston Spa Rotary Club. The school club has about 40 members involved in activities such as helping with blood drives and holiday season projects.
