Jaliek Rainwalker has been missing for more than two months now and families that fostered the 12-year-old in the past and his maternal grandparents have made The Find Jaliek Task Force.

The task force has put up a $5,000 reward for finding the missing Greenwich boy.

Tom and Elaine Person provided respite services to Rainwalker prior to is disappearance on Nov. 1, 2007.

Rainwalker’s current adoptive parents, Stephen Kerr and Jocelyn McDonald, are not part of the task force.

It was reported that the original reward of $25,000 put up by Kerr and McDonald was reduced to $20,000 as of the first of the year and will continue to decrease by $5,000 each month.

The task force has set up a Web site, www.findkaliek.org.

The last person to see Rainwalker was Kerr. Kerr has said he believes his son is with an African-American family in Albany.

Police have said there is no evidence to support Kerr’s theory.

Anyone with information should call Greenwich Cambridge Police Department at 692-9332.

Stewart’s Shops raise $1.2 million for kids

Stewart’s Shops raised $1.2 million for local kids as part of the 21st Stewart’s Shops’ Holiday Match program.

Customers contributed more than $610,000, which the local company is matching.

The money will be distributed to local children’s charitable organizations in the early part of 2008.

Contributions were collected at all 325 Stewart’s Shops locations from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.

For more information on the program go to www.stewartsshops.com.

Lowe’s aides Shelters of Saratoga

Lowe’s replaced the Shelters of Saratoga stolen snow blower after it was taken from a locked shed sometime on Dec. 24, 2007.

Shelters of Saratoga had used the snow blower to clear sidewalks at its facilities.

Lowe’s got approval to donate the 9-horsepower Poulan snow blower, which costs about $1,000.

First baby of year born at Saratoga Hospital

The first baby of 2008 was born at Saratoga Hospital early on January 1.

Avery William McMorris was born at 1:44 a.m. to Briana and Matt McMorris of Ballston Spa.

Carousel closes down at Wilton Mall

Thursday, Dec. 27, was the last day of operations for the carousel at the Wilton Mall. It has been dismantled and put in storage.

Florida-based Island Carousel Inc., the firm that bought the ride last January from the mall’s owner, Macerich Co., fully restored the ride in May 2007 to boost revenues. Since sales didn’t improve, Island Carousel owner Bill Christ decided a few months ago to close it at the end of the year.

Island Carousel has rides at 35 locations. Christ plans to find a new venue for the carousel, which was built in 1990.

Bruno criticizes state Democrats over racing

Joseph L. Bruno, Senate Majority Leader, held a press conference on Wednesday and blamed the state’s top Democrats for failure to get a racing deal done at the close of 2007.

On Monday, the New York Racing Association, which runs Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga Race Course, was given a temporary extension to continue doing so through Jan. 23. NYRA’s contract was to end on Dec. 31 and racing in the state would’ve ceased without the extension.

Iraq veteran dies outside Wilton Mall

Joshua P. Maloney, 24, of Brunswick died Sunday, Dec. 30, at Albany Medical Center Hospital after suffering a head injury in a freak work accident on Friday, Dec. 28. He was laid to rest Wednesday, Jan. 2 at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery.

Maloney, who worked as an equipment operator for Douglas R. Dyer & Sons Inc. of Mechanicville, had been removing snow from the Wilton Mall parking lot. Deputies of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office allege that while Maloney was putting air in the tire of a front loader, a lock ring on the tire rim came off and struck him in the head.

A U.S. Marine Corps corporal, Maloney recently completed four years of active duty, including two tours of duty in Iraq. Maloney was also a member of the Speigletown Volunteer Fire Co., where he had been a firefighter since age 16.

The Troy native and his wife Angel had celebrated their fourth anniversary the day before his accident. They have three sons Jaiden Joshua, 3, Zackari Matthew, 2, and Colin George, 4 months.