Many Malverne residents have come to know Robert Powers as the Village Historian who brings Malverne’s past to the present. However, after six years he announced at the village board meeting that he would be stepping down.
After being appointed by Mayor McDonald, Powers said that he was very honored to take the position and he knew that he was filling the shoes of Dave Walsh, who shared his knowledge of the village.
“As historian I had not only dug through the archives at the Historical House, Village Hall, but have gone through every garage and tag sale looking to find the missing pieces of Malverne’s past,” he stated.
Maintaining the vibrant history of Malverne includes interviewing long time residents, and Powers has met with numerous individuals that welcomed him and reminisced about old Malverne. He has received many requests from people that moved from Malverne and are still interested about the history of the village, and Powers has obtained countless artifacts from households that have Malverne roots.
Leaving the role of Malverne Historian he has now two new volunteer opportunities. One of them is the archivist for the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which provides services including food, clothing, counseling and legal assistance for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered youths. The second role is working with the SAGE Service and Advocacy for the LGBT elderly community.
“It has been an honor to serve as the Village Historian but I have asked the mayor not to appoint me to another term. I know I have done my best to bring Malverne’s history to life for the residents of our village,” Powers stated at the meeting.
Powers thanked all his friends and family for the support they offered through this role. “I also want to publicly thank Howard, he has let me spend numerous hours with calls, meetings and research away from our home. He has been my biggest supporter,” said Powers.
He looks forward to seeing residents throughout the village and at the Historical Society events, including the Gala.
“Robert represents at a fine manner countless hours researching and always found his reports very interesting," said Trustee and Historical Society Board Member Joseph Hennessey. "There are many similarities between the past and today. On behalf of the Mayor and the entire Board we thank him for all his work."
