For the second year in a row, Bodywork Professionals has chosen Wellspring, an agency working to end relationship and sexual abuse in Saratoga County, as the recipient of donations for its “Try Thai” short-format massage sessions.

All money donated by participating clients goes directly to the Wellspring charity, the company said.

Rebecca Morris, a Thai yoga massage practitioner for the past nine years, will be offering 30-minute sampler sessions at Bodywork’s 11 Spring Street location from 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, May 25.

“Thai yoga massage is a comfortable introduction to bodywork for many people. The client wears loose clothing and lies on a floor mat and the therapist gently administers stretches and range of motion techniques on the whole body. It’s useful for athletes, helps those with back and hip pain, and fine for pregnant women as well,” said Nick Pavoldi, owner of Bodywork Professionals. “Teenagers and college students—with their heavy school backpacks and tight necks and shoulders from frequent use of technology—can also benefit.”

By Jill Nagy

For at least 25 years, community service has been a part of life for Skidmore College students. Currently, approximately 50 percent, including all 400 athletes,  participate in fundraising or community service activities, according to Michelle Hubbs, coordinator of the Community Service Office at the college.

The office serves as a liaison between Skidmore and more than 40 nonprofit agencies in the Saratoga area. Projects are student initiated and directed, Hubbs said, and she provides support and acts as a resource.

Projects vary. One student set out to raise money for an HIV orphanage in Vietnam. He planned a chili contest with volunteer chefs on Earth Day 2016. Other students tutor elementary students and pre-schoolers.

A club called Feedmore collects unused food from the campus dining hall and delivers it to the soup kitchen at the New England Congregational Church. The volunteers have sent 3,100 pounds of food so far this year, according to Hubbs. 

Another group works with the Sustainability Office to use compost in the community garden. Students in FeelGood make grilled cheese sandwiches several times a week and sell them to raise money for a national organization dedicated to ending world poverty. The Residential Life program engages students in projects to raise money to provide holiday gifts for local children. Last holiday season, they raised $3,000 to provide gifts for 11 children.

By Maureen Werther

It has been about three months since Curtis Lumber transitioned several key people into new positions within the organization. According to Kylie (Curtis) Holland, a sixth-generation member of the Curtis family, the new corporate management realignment and promotions are working out well for the 127-year-old, family owned and operated lumber and retail store.

During the January transition, Holland moved into the newly created role of director of organizational development, in charge of overseeing human resources, employee training and employee development initiatives. The job allows for a more structured approach to employee training, safety and security programs and it creates a central corporate outreach location for all 21 stores across New York and Vermont, she said.

The other major change involved the creation of three vice president positions. Jon Hallgren, now a senior vice president, began his career with the company 44 years ago and is planning to retire in 2018.

“When Jon transitioned into the position of vice president, we were a much smaller company,” said Holland. “In the past 10 years, we have doubled in size. Jon’s upcoming retirement in 2018 presented a good opportunity to create the new vice president positions,” she added.

In addition to Hallgren’s role as senior vice president, the new positions are held by Liz Irish, who is vice president of information services; Doug Ford, vice president of sales and purchasing; and Rich Keating, vice president of sales and marketing.

According to Holland, Irish’s previous position had incorporated information systems under the umbrella of HR and employee relations. When the separate information systems position was created and Irish transitioned into that role, it left a gap in human resources that Holland could step into.