“Preserving farmland in Malta, as well as protecting the woods, parks and waterways of the town are a priority for me. That is why I am running. I think that the Town Board has shown an unwillingness to listen to town residents on these crucial issues.”

Barbara is an active member of the Malta Sunrise Rotary Club, currently serving as their Foundation Chair. She was a founding member of the North Country Blue Star Mothers, an organization that supports families while their children are on active duty abroad.

Barbara is an experienced public official having previously served in Glens Falls as a member of the Board of Education, the Crandall Library Board of Trustees, the Zoning Board of Appeals and as the first woman member of the Board of Public Safety.

Barbara and her husband Bob moved from Glens Falls to Malta in 2006.  “We enjoy all that Malta and Saratoga County have to offer. I love this area. However, I think there is still work to be done to ensure that Malta remains a great place to live.

"One conclusion I have come to is our town simply must do a better job of letting the residents know what is being proposed and what action the Town Board is proposing to take. We all have the right to know about projects that impact our homes, neighborhoods, and our quality of life here in Malta. If I am elected, I promise to make communication and access to information a top priority.”

In retirement Barbara has found many ways to be involved in our community. Each of these volunteer opportunities has provided valuable lessons and insight. As a volunteer for CAPTAIN Youth and Community Services, Barbara has witnessed the struggles faced by some people in our area.

"For example, the lack of public transportation in Malta often means that people have trouble getting to work, and employers have difficulty filling vacancies. As a Town Board member, I will work hard with Saratoga County, New York State and the Capital District Transportation Authority to expand local transit options.

“Recently my husband and I were eating dinner at a restaurant near some apartments in town. From our table, I could see a young dad and his daughter playing outside on a narrow-paved area bordered by driveways. Not an ideal playground. I would like to see a future for Malta where family-friendly spaces are included in all new residential communities.

“Malta does many things righgt. We have two good libraries, a terrific community center with a great range of programs for children, adults, and seniors, and we have very good local schools. But to keep Malta a desirable, livable, safe community, we have some work to do. We need more sidewalks, and to control traffic so that our neighborhoods are safe.

We need to protect the woods and waterways that add so much to our quality of life here. We need to protect the remaining agricultural areas. And we need community input about how and where Malta should grow. We also need to make sure that our residents are kept informed in a timely fashion, and that our neighbors’ voices and opinions are heard and valued.”

Barbara has spent the past 10 years as a member of the Town of Malta's Open Space, Agriculture and Trails Committee, but resigned as its chairwoman earlier this year because of her opposition to the South Shore Marina project.  "That proposal would jam 85 condos next to Saratoga Lake, wiping out wooded hillsides which now provide environmental protection. The Planning Board voted unanimously against it, but the Town Board irresponsibly overruled the Planning Board volunteers, and is pressing ahead with a bad project.

“I am also opposed to a new state police station being located in Luther Forest. There are other sites in Malta that are better suited for it.

"Some new development in Malta is inevitable. GlobalFoundries has proposed a second publicly subsidized chip fab to be built next to the existing one. GF should be required to build parking structures and subsidize public transit so as to minimize further tree-cutting.

"I am for a walkable downtown with enforced design standards, while preserving woodlands and fields in the rest of Malta. While more sidewalks are needed downtown, they also would be a good idea in other areas. For example, a new roundabout is planned for East Line Road and Route 67. This would be a good opportunity to work with the state and the town of Ballston to build a sidewalk to Shenantaha Park and the Ballston Creek Preserve trail on the other side of East Line Road.

Protecting our environment and ensuring that residents are active partners in the future of Malta is my No.1 priority.