MALTA — Malta has been growing so rapidly that some town board members have recently called for a development moratorium.

There’s the massive GlobalFoundries campus, which will soon grow even larger when a new $575 million center is built. Around 100 full-time jobs are expected to materialize over the next five years thanks to the expansion.

There’s a 293-unit development planned for Route 9 that could add hundreds of new residents and another 40,000 square feet of commercial space to the town.

There was also an attempt made late last year to replace the Albany-Saratoga Speedway with a 700-unit development, though that plan hit a dead end. Next to the speedway, however, is a new, 13,000-square-foot, $3 million office for a solar company. 

All of this new infrastructure and population growth has created some challenges for the Malta-Stillwater Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team, including higher call volumes (they’ve already received more than 1,000 in 2025), harder-to-retain employees, a decline in volunteers, and newly built elevators that are too small to accommodate nine-foot-long ambulance stretchers. 

“A lot of times, that’s a problem; trying to maneuver, trying to get a patient out of their apartment to get them to the hospital and you have to try to manipulate the stretcher to get them out of there,” said Lenore Norris, a member of the Malta-Stillwater EMS board of directors.

“New York State code doesn’t necessarily consider EMS stretchers as an important item because they do allow for smaller elevators,” said Executive Director Scott Skinner.

New York also doesn’t formally recognize EMS as an essential service, though attempts have been made in the state legislature to change that. An essential service designation would have a significant impact on funding, which has been a persistent issue for many EMS agencies, including the one in Malta. EMS agencies are dependent on revenue from Medicare and Medicaid, both of which can reimburse below the cost of care. Private insurers also often deny emergency claims.

“Insurance companies are holding onto their money, not paying. They’re making copays higher. They’re making the cost to the customer more and it’s hard to collect. So we have to go to the towns for funding,” Skinner said. “There are no good solutions, other than making it an essential service.”

EMS agencies seem to be in a state of peril. According to the EMS Leadership Academy, the number of active EMS responders in New York State declined by 17.5% between 2019 and 2022. Additionally, over the past decade, the number of ambulance services in New York State has decreased by 9%, from 1,078 to 982. Nationwide, nearly 60% of EMS agencies report insufficient staffing to meet 911 call demands. 

“We have to keep people employed,” Skinner said. “If we don’t have people, that’s our biggest asset. We can have all the nice ambulances and equipment in the world but if we don’t have people that deliver a service, if we don’t have two people in every rig, we can’t run those rigs. There’s a real problem nationwide with getting people to do EMS.”

Despite its challenges, the Malta-Stillwater EMS has been serving the community since 1961, responding to tens of thousands of 911 calls with what Skinner called “emergency rooms on wheels” equipped with ventilators, CPR devices, and cardiac monitors.

“People in EMS, especially our agency, these are people with a heart and they do it because they have a heart,” Norris said. “They enjoy doing patient care and that’s the priority.”

“I’ve been in fire and EMS since I was 18,” Skinner said. “I’ve always liked to help people…My whole adult life, it’s kind of the only thing I know.”

For more information on employment and volunteer opportunities at the Malta-Stillwater EMS, visit https://maltaems.org/volunteer-careers/.

BALLSTON SPA — The popular Speckled Pig Brewing Co. is expanding its presence in downtown Ballston Spa with a forthcoming distillery, The Still at Speckled Pig. 

Nestled next door to the brewery at the former site of Jim’s Garage, The Still will feature a modern design, outdoor patio with fire pits, and an interior glass wall revealing liquor-makers and bottlers at work. 

RJ Elliott of Speckled Pig is one of five partners (including Larry Heid, Mary Jo Heid, Randy Elliott, and Kelly Delaney-Elliott) spearheading the project.

“I grew up in the village. My family grew up here,” Elliott said. “The goal has always been to bring cool businesses to the village so that it continues to thrive.”

The Still just acquired its final permit last week and electrical work is underway as the former auto repair shop is transformed into a chic eatery where patrons can toss back glasses of whiskey and bourbon. Despite the redesign, the building will keep its garage doors, which will open up to the front brick-filled patio space.

As for the menu offerings, aside from liquor and cocktails, Elliott said to expect small plates that pair well with the drinks, such as charcuterie boards, salads, and skirt steaks.

If all goes well, Elliott expects the doors to be open and the spirits to be flowing by this summer, just in time for the Speckled Pig’s three-year anniversary on Sept. 23.

“Ideally, we’re open then for a large gathering, bar hopping scene between the two places; a block party type deal,” Elliott said.

The extravaganza would be one of many events (which Elliott said sometimes reel in thousands of people) happening at Speckled Pig, like the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Mar. 15 that will feature green beer and the Albany Pipe Band. Past events have included Oktoberfest shindigs, trivia nights, rooftop yoga, and live music.

One new offering is Speckled Pig’s cocktail club, which will allow members to design a brick on The Still’s patio. Members will also receive a complimentary cocktail of the month and a special invite to an annual cocktail club party.

“We have a lot of great businesses opening up [in Ballston Spa], and more and more people visiting the village,” Elliott said. “The hope is that we add another one to that scene, another bar where people leave the Speckled Pig and go grab a cocktail next door, and then maybe they head to dinner at Next Door Kitchen or Brickyard. There’s plenty of great businesses in the village that all benefit when we pull more people in.”