A year ago, as I stood in front of my neighbors during the March 2010 NC/SL Neighborhood Associations meeting, I vowed to actively work towards the resurrection of our neighborhood through education and preservation. Shortly thereafter, I joined with Xenia Allen, Kevin McCashion and Billie-Jean Greene to form The Uptown Initiative. Each of us brought passion, dedication, emotion and action along with our personal beliefs and vision too. To say that we are diverse in our convictions would be accurate, yet we find common ground where the revitalization of North Central and South Lansingburgh are concerned.
As the native of the bunch, I bring the history. Not only my own but my ancestral history too. It’s this history that fuels my passions. The Bloody 13th has plenty of history to share. As I continue to research my ancestral history in Troy, I’m continually brought back to the old 13th Ward and intertwined with that history is the industrial history that abounds throughout North Central and South Lansingburgh. I firmly believe that It is the preservation of that history that will restart Uptown’s economic engines.
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m sick and tired of other Trojans snubbing their noses at Uptown. RPI’s “unwritten” rule about students not residing north of Hoosick, Trojans who wouldn’t “commute” to St. Pat’s, and commercial real estate agents steering clients away from Uptown properties. Enough already! Figure it out folks – If it’s good for ANY part of Troy; it’s good for ALL of Troy! You want your property taxes lower? Increase the tax base. A great way to start that is to get ALL of the properties throughout our fine city back on the tax rolls and into the hands of owner occupants. That includes our industrial wonders. I’m one Real Citizen of Troy that is thankful Mr. Christopher has been able to persuade investors towards Uptown properties.
Our neighborhoods have the reputation of being “the worst” Troy has to offer. Streets unsafe and crime rampant, requiring an increased police presence. Ya know, I remember a time when that wasn’t necessary. Why? ‘Cause cops like Bill Foy lived here. Officer Foy and his family lived on Sixth across the street from where the Sub-Station is now. Another officer lived over on River. I dare say if that were the case today, that’s all the increased police presence that would be needed. Hey, here’s a thought…Detroit is offering their police officers homes for $1,000 bucks to live in certain neighborhoods. One thing’s for certain the City of Troy owns plenty of properties that could be made available similarly. Could work in more than one way, couldn’t it?
Which than leads me to perhaps the biggest difference I’ve noticed since I was a kid: the lack of respect. It’s kinda hard to see these days. Did we stop teaching it? Back then, we had respect - Respect for our neighbors; Respect for other people’s property; Respect for our elders; Respect for each other; Respect for ourselves. I’m not seeing a whole lot of respect going around these days and it IS all about respect. I don’t know about anyone else but I clearly remember being taught the importance of respect. We youngest of the Baby Boomer generation are perhaps the last batch of kids that truly were. Is it coincidental that we are also amongst the last group of children “forced” to attend church?
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