Buy Rotary Christmas Trees at Curtis Lumber

The Ballston Spa Rotary Club has reduced prices for its Christmas trees, which are for sale daily until 7 p.m. in the Curtis Lumber parking lot on Route 67 in the town of Ballston, just west of Malta and south of Ballston Spa.

Steve Williams is a member of the Ballston Spa club, which imported its trees from Canada this year for its annual fund-raiser. Williams, a retired 42-year reporter for the Daily/Sunday Gazette, was our speaker yesterday. 

He talked about the history of Christmas trees, originating in Medieval passion plays when they held more religious significance. Their use at Christmas originated in Germany, and was first spread in the United States by immigrants from that country -- including some Hessian soldiers who fought for UK King George III but stuck around in the New World after their military defeat.

Williams noted the environmental benefits of natural trees, helping support farmers and open space. UK Queen Victoria and her German husband Prince Albert helped popularize the Christmas tree custom in the mid-19th century.

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. 

Local Scholars

 

Yu Jie Loh, left, from Shenendehowa High School, and Madysen Thomas from Ballston Spa High School joined Scholarship Chairman Paul Phillips and fellow Rotarians this morning at The Ugly Rooster. Thomas was our $1,000 scholarship winner, while Loh and Elijah Ramos (also from Shenendehowa) were the runners-up receiving $500 each. 

Thomas is headed to the University of Delaware at Newark to study nursing, while Loh will go to Cornell to study applied economics and management. Both had records of academic excellence in high school along with extracurricular activity and community service. 

Local Programs

 

Deborah Dugan, liaison for families in temporary housing at the Ballston Spa School District, was our speaker this morning. Her position is funded by the federal government through the 1987 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Dugan said she works with about 64 students classified as homeless and 79 others at-risk. Homelessness is increasing, she said.

A Rotary member gave her $200 in gift cards for use in the program. 

Later Thursday, five Rotarians helped out at the free summer lunch program operated by the First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa for children in the school district. 

A New Rotary Year

 

Mike Williams, left, hands over a $2,000 check to new Malta Sunrise Rotary President Larry Levine at last week's meeting. Mike was closing out his campaign fund (he ran for town supervisor last year) with charitable contributions. His Rotary donation is for specific causes we have supported: $750 for AOET Uganda, $750 for QMC in Lesotho, and $500 for our local scholarship fund. 

Larry took over from Miles Cornthwaite on July 1, the start of the Rotary year. He, Miles and Mike are also among the club members who have served previous presidential terms.

At the business meeting, we discussed the successful wrap-up of our project to assist the New York Race Track Chaplaincy in cleaning up cabins and brush at Pine Grove camp on the west side of Saratoga Springs, where the families of track workers will be spending the summer.

And we discussed plans to help with a free summer lunch program for children in the Ballston Spa School District (which includes most of Malta) operated by the First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa.

Williams' Book

 

Retired Daily/Sunday Gazette reporter (and Ballston Spa Rotarian) Steve Williams was our speaker on Thursday; and his topic was a soon-to-be released book published by the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum. You can attend the free launch event at Brookside at 7 p.m. June 28 by signing up here, and there will be a follow-up presentation July 14 at the Malta Community Center.

The $20 book is a selection of his 21st-century journalism, mostly Off the Northway columns, many with new introductions by Steve to update and put them into context. The first part is primarily about the coming of a computer chip factory to the Luther Forest Technology Campus, and there are also sections on politics, the environment, county history, and Saratoga Springs.

In other business we got updates on recent activity, including last Sunday's successful pancake breakfast at the Round Lake Fire House; and ongoing cleanup and prep work at Pine Grove Camp, where families of track backstretch workers will soon be arriving.

Sunday Breakfast

 

Our upcoming pancake breakfast was on the agenda at this morning's meeting. It will be Sunday morning June 5 at the Round Lake Fire House from 8 to 11:30, and that department's support group will share proceeds. Prices are $7 for adults, $3 for children and free for kids 5 and under. (Anyone who purchased a ticket for our Covid-cancelled breakfast last fall and who did not get a refund is invited free of charge.) 

A new slate of officers was elected for the Rotary year starting July 1. They are: President Larry Levine; Vice President Paul Phillips; Immediate past president Miles Cornthwaite; Treasurer Cynthia Young; Secretary Kristen Stanley; Membership Chair Mike Williams; Budget and Finance Chair Steve Ames; Foundation Chair Barbara Conner.

Gottmann Checks In

 Kristan Gottmann, founder of the Malta Helps Facebook page, and the town's new director of parks and recreation, was our speaker last Thursday. She said activities are gearing up, including summer children's programs, as Covid concerns ebb. 

There are plenty of activities for adults, too, from yoga to pickleball, and including a 7 p.m. July 14 book talk and signing at the Malta Community Center by Steve Williams, author of "Off the Northway" to be published by the Saratoga County History Center.

The food pantry at the Community Center serves more than 100 families, Gottmann said, and will be getting fresh vegetables twice a month from the Pitney Meadows farm in Saratoga Springs.

In other food-related news, our club has a pancake breakfast scheduled for this Sunday June 5 at the Round Lake Fire House.

Education, Mentoring and Camp Work

 

Retired Scotia-Glenville educator Jeff Kimble was our speaker on Thursday. He managed the credit recovery program there, and said the Covid pandemic has intensified and spread the "toxic stress" levels which many students experience at home and bring with them to school. But that can be offset, he said, by a student connecting with a stable caring adult mentor.

On Saturday, six of our members -- Kristen Stanley, Miles Cornthwaite, Helen Endres, Larry Levine, Bob and Barbara Conner, worked on cleaning up cabins and brush at Pine Grove camp on the west side of Saratoga Springs, where the families of race track workers will be spending the summer.

Assemblywoman reports

 Assemblywoman and club member Carrie Woerner was our speaker on Thursday, noting passage of the $221 billion state budget.

Unlike state senators and members of Congress, she knows what the lines of her new Assembly district will look like (and it still includes Malta). State courts have ruled the new Senate and congressional lines were enacted in a partisan manner in violation of the state constitution, so the shape of those districts remains up in the air. The Assembly lines held up, Carrie said, because that chamber's Democratic majority consulted with Republicans in drawing up the new districts.

 She discussed other matters more or less controversial, ending with a pitch for her New York Textile Act.

Supervisor Speaks

 Malta Supervisor Mark Hammond was our speaker on Thursday. (He hasn't turned Canadian. Someone put up that flag next to the larger US one as a tip of the hat to our Canadian member Kristen Stanley.)

One of his top priorities, the still fairly new town supervisor said, is addressing the intersection of Routes 67 and East Line Road on the border of Ballston, where the town hopes the state and federal governments will allocate funds to build a roundabout.

Hammond said the New York State Police barracks in town will soon be moving to a nearby building to be constructed on Dunning Street.

The supervisor also discussed a proposed development on Route 9P by Saratoga Lake, and another on East Line Road that would preserve part of the Mitchell farm.

DA's Report

 

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen was our speaker on Thursday. A lifelong Malta resident, she has worked 29 years in the district attorney's office, the last eight at its head. 

She talked about recent changes to state bail and discovery laws, and some of the higher-profile cases her office has dealt with in recent years.

In other business, club members will meet at eight o'clock tomorrow (Saturday) morning at Forest Cleaners for our Dunning Street spring cleanup.

Catching Up

Our speaker on March 31 was Michael Phillips, who talked about his work as a prosecutor for the state Department of Health covering nursing homes.

In other business at this and the April 7 business meeting, we agreed to follow up on a project discussed at a Feb. 10 meeting, to help prepare a cabin in a camp on the western edge of Saratoga Springs to be used this summer by the families of racetrack backstretch workers. Two of our current members worked there during a Rotary District 7190 day of service project in 2019.

Also discussed was an upcoming May 1 banquet to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Ballston Spa Rotary Club.

We set April 23 for our regular Dunning Street cleanup, meeting at 8 a.m. at Forest Cleaners.

And we donated $50 to the Ballston Spa School District after-prom party.

Lesotho letters; Civil War book

Recent letters from two of our students sponsored via Qholaqhoe Mountain Connections were passed around at Thursday's meeting.

We also had a guest, 25-plus-year Rotarian Dean Stanley, the father of our member Kristen Stanley. Dean is past president of the Rotary Club of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. 

The speaker was club member Bob (Robert C.) Conner, on his most recent Civil War era book, a biography of James Montgomery to be published by Casemate next month.

 

Addressing Problems of Poverty in Ballston Spa District

 

Ballston Spa Schools Superintendent Ken Slentz was our speaker on Thursday, telling us about district programs to reduce the dropout rate, address academic and disciplinary problems, improve reading and upgrade standards. While Ballston Spa remains an "average need" district as assessed by the state, it "and pretty much every other district" are grappling with increased poverty among students, he said.

The club voted to increase this year's scholarship total to $2,000, to allow for a $1,000 winner and two $500 runners-up, out of a strong group of candidates.

And it was announced that our fund-raising total contribution to ShelterBox for the Ukraine crisis has gone up to $2,000 from the $1,500 figure announced last week.

Ukraine ShelterBox Donation Grows to $2,000

 At last week's meeting, we donated $200 from the club to Rotary-affiliated ShelterBox for the Ukraine crisis, and undertook additional fund-raising. Our total donation, mostly individual contributions from Rotary members, will be $2,000, it was announced this month. (Post updated from $1,500 previously.)

At Thursday's meeting, Kathy Eitzmann, president of Malta Seniors, updated us on the progress of the organization, which has increased in membership from 90 to 276 over the past half-dozen years. It fosters connection and combats isolation, she said, and has two upcoming bus trips scheduled (see link above).

Mike Williams received a Paul Harris fellowship award from club President Miles Cornthwaite.

Next week's speaker (on March 17) will be Ballston Spa schools Superintendent Ken Slentz.

Ukraine and other matters

 At Thursday's business meeting, we donated $200 to ShelterBox for the Ukraine crisis; several members in attendance made additional individual contributions, and others are being sought.

Also Thursday, we voted to send $100 to the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program for a memorial brick honoring former president and Air Force veteran Tom Disinger, at the walkway by the monument near Town Hall on Route 9. 

Our Scholarship Committee is starting the interview process. We discussed updating Rotary signs around town, and potential board members for the Rotary year starting July 1.

Next week's speaker will be Kathy Eitzmann from Malta Seniors.

New Magazine

 

Melissa Drummond, publisher of Malta Neighbors magazine, was our speaker on Thursday. She is pictured holding the February issue, with Malta Ridge Fire Chief Pete Shaw on the cover. (Pete happened to be one of our speakers in January.) That issue also contains an article by our member Paul Phillips about local efforts to assist AIDS Orphans Education Trust-Uganda. Paul also may be featured in an upcoming edition of Malta Neighbors.

The magazine started up last August, and is aligned with Best Version Media. Melissa also works as an educator and is the mother of two sons, one serving in the Air Force and the other set to graduate this year from Ballston Spa High School.

At last week's meeting, the speaker was Alice Benfey from Community Hospice. And President Miles Cornthwaite presented Estelle Genest with a Paul Harris fellowship award.

 

Race Course Workers and Horses

 

Kim Weir, director of major gifts and planned giving for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, was our speaker on Thursday. She discussed the much improved current treatment of retired racehorses, and her involvement with the families of backstretch workers. She invited our club to volunteer to clean one of the cabins that will house a family from April to October.

Capitol Report

Malta Supervisor Mark Hammond (standing), state Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and Times Union reporter Kathleen Moore (left to right) were among those at Thursday's meeting. (Pete Bardunias photo)

Carrie (a club member) gave her usual thorough report on the legislative session so far, starting with an update on "my eighth budget" -- she is in the middle of her fourth two-year term.

She engaged in-depth with questions about problems and opportunities in areas including criminal justice legislation, employment, welfare, transportation and housing.

Firefighting Report

 

Malta Ridge Fire Chief Pete Shaw was our speaker on Thursday, and said his volunteer department responded to 527 calls in 2021. Shaw, who retired from his professional career in 2020 as assistant chief of the Saratoga Springs Fire Department, pointed out some drawbacks to modern modes of construction. Open plans, two-by-four framing, and furniture amounting to "wood covered in gasoline" can help fire spread dangerously fast, he said. He stressed the importance of working smoke detectors, and supports passage of a local law requiring sprinklers in new buildings.

In other business, Treasurer Cynthia Young confirmed she is sending $1,330 for AOET in Uganda and $830 for QMC in Lesotho. The funds include $1,000 approved at the Dec. 23 meeting, supplemented by additional contributions from members to be funneled through the club.

Next week's speaker (Jan. 27) will be club member Carrie Woerner, who is also a member of the New York State Assembly.