Everyone is Included

At a planning meeting for Uptown/North Central's National Night Out event, I got a bit bent out of shape at what I percieved to be an exclusion of a group interested in participating as volunteers.  As can sometimes happen with me, my passion for the underdog blinded me.  In other words, I jumped when I should have just sat still. In the end, that group was welcomed with open arms and written acknowledgement.

Maybe I'm so passionate about inclusion 'cause so many people I knew were picked on by "the popular" kids in school. Maybe I'm so passionate about inclusion 'cause kids I knew were excluded from activities due to circumstances beyond their control.  Maybe I'm so passionate about inclusion 'cause I'm a Libra.  What ever the reason, it is certainly something I am passionate about. That's why I am so excited to have partnered with the National Inclusion Project while we vie for Refresh Everything grant funding to hold the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival again this year.

The National Inclusion Project serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them. They partner with communities and inclusive programs creating awareness about the possibilities that inclusion can bring.  For me, this is a perfect partnership given that The ARC of Rensselaer was instrumental in getting last year's festival up and running.

Please continue to support my efforts to bring the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival back this year with your daily votes along with my partner projects National Inclusion Project,  Nicholson Heritage Association and Angels4Epilepsy. Please remember them when voting too. Cap Collection Centers are established at CAC Woodside (a previous grant recepient), High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignment Shop, Smokers Choice in the Troy Plaza and all ARC of Rensselaer County offices. Save those yellow caps and drop off to any location when ya can. Voting continues until August 31st.

Being an Active Member in your Community

For those who know me, they know my passions run deep and I can get fired up when they become inspired. If I sense an injustice or feel someone being attacked that can't defend themselves, I'm right there looking out for them. I could blame it on being the oldest of six siblings. Truthfully, I was just born that way. I look out for the underdog. I stand up for what I believe is the right thing to do. I speak up, speak out and take action. That's why I'm seeking this Refresh Everything grant. The families in my neighborhood NEED access to family fun activities. 

Way back in 1982, there was a massive flood in Ft. Wayne, Indiana - my son's father's hometown.  John Mellencamp did a benefit concert that summer to help raise funds for his neighbors and their communities.  He saw a need and knew a way he could help. For me, he's one of the greats.  His music is insprirational.  His Cutting Heads album is one of my favorites.  There's a line in his song Peaceful World that inspires my work in my community - "It's what you do not what you say. If you're not part of the future, then get out of the way."  Yeah, I say plenty, that's for sure and I do plenty too.

Please continue to support my efforts to bring the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival  back this year with your daily votes. I've partnered with two incredible projects Nicholson Heritage Association and Angels4Epilepsy.  Please remember them when voting too. Cap Collection Centers are established at CAC Woodside (a previous grant recepient), High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignment Shop, Smokers Choice in the Troy Plaza and all ARC of Rensselaer County offices.  Save those yellow caps and drop off to any location when ya can.  Voting continues until August 31st. 

The Sacred Disease

When I was about 14 I witnessed an epileptic seizure while waiting for a bus. One of the men suddenly convulsed, fell to the ground and began to foam at the mouth. Fortunately someone there knew what to do, sticking something in his mouth to prevent him from swallowing his tongue. Within moments, his shaking stopped and all that remained of the episode itself was the nasty bump on his head where it had hit the concrete sidewalk. It was a frightening experience.

The ancients referred to Epilepsy as the Sacred Disease believing that seizures were either attempts by demons to possess humans or a means of punishment inflicted by the gods.  Given the limited knowledge of the human body at the time, it is understandable why they held such beliefs.  Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, believed otherwise.  He held that there was nothing sacred about the seizures and that there manifestations were purely psychiological in nature. He worked to remove the stigma just as the Epilepsy Foundation works today to do the same.

Approximately 125,000 people here in the US are diagnosed annually with Epilepsy. It is not a single disorder but rather a syndrome with vastly different degrees of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Although most common in children and the elderly, it can occur to anyone at anytime. Some people with Epilepsy will simply stare blankly for a few seconds while others will suffer grand mal seizures. In most cases, Epilepsy is controlled with medications. Although a diagnosis of Epilepsy may prevent a person from driving or operating heavy machinery, it shouldn't prevent them from participating in life.

Bud Abbott, Danny Glover & Ward Bond each suffered from recurring seizures yet had fulfilling acting careers. Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham and Prince too are epileptics. I recently met a 10 year old boy who said he couldn't play baseball because of his Epilepsy.  Well, it didn't stop Grover Cleveland Alexander, Buddy Bell or Tony Lazzeri from playing so I don't see why it should stop him.

Along with the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival, please continue to support my partners at Angels4Epilepsy and Nicholson Heritage Association as together we vie for Refresh Everything grant funding. Voting is open till August 31. Cap Collection Centers have been opened at Smokers Choice in the Troy Plaza, High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignment Shop and all The ARC of Rensselaer County locations.

NY-PENN Connection

Troy is rich in history, we all know that, but did you know that Troy was home to one of the first rail lines in the country? Incorporated in May of 1836, the Schenectady & Troy Railroad began operation in the fall of 1841. The road itself was constructed by the City of Troy.  All that remains in Troy is a section of the roundhouse once used to turn the engines around and lots of old photos. It's this rail history that drew me into partnering with Nicholson Heritage Association this month as we both vie for funding through the Refresh Everything program.

Nicholson, PA is fortunate enough to still have their 1849 railroad station.  I sure wish Troy still had her Union Station.  She was a beauty.  Each of my parents grew up on Eighth Street near Rensselaer Street just south of the roundhouse and have clear memories of the trains traveling through their childhood neighborhood. And although they stopped running years before I was born, the tracks remained.  I spent many an hour playing with my friends along those old tracks up by the coal shoots.  In the early 80's the tracks were covered and the Uncle Sam Bikeway was born.

Please continue to support my efforts to bring the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival back to Troy this fall with your daily votes as well as supporting my partners at Nicholson Heritage Association & Angels4Epilepsy.  Another way to help is to collect yellow pepsi caps and dropping them off at one of our Cap Collection Centers such as CAC Woodside or High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignement Shop.

Help Bring Back the Troy Community Harvest Festival

Last year The Uptown Initiative along with The ARC of Rensselaer County, Missing Link Street Ministry, TRIP, Ross Valve & SEFCU sponsored the first Troy Community Harvest Festival.  It was a ton of work and took many volunteers to make it the extraordinary success that it was. So when I heard that The ARC would not be spearheading an effort to hold the event again, I decided to see if I could get some funding through Pepsi's Refresh Everything program. Here we go again!

Millions of dollars of funding has been provided to thousands of worthy projects in the last 18 months that the program has been running including grants to CAC Woodside, Cohoes Music Hall & Hannah's Hope.  Troy BID made an excellent run at funding too in January 2011, falling just short.  Well, I'm happy to report that the UptownTroyFestival is within range of getting that funding.  It's early and August is a long month.  As Ken Zalewski, D-District 5 said Thursday night at the City Council meeting, it will take a small city worth of daily votes to get this project funded.  I believe that Troy NY is just that small city.

There are some changes to the program this year, mainly those little yellow caps containing Power Vote Codes.  It is those Power Vote codes that have gotten many a small project funded this year.  To help in collecting those codes, Cap Collection Centers have been set up throughout our fair city. You can drop off your caps at Smoker's Choice in the Troy Plaza, High Maintenance, Low Budget in North Lansingburgh, any The ARC of Rensselaer County office, Missing Link Street Ministry on 101st & Sixth Avenue or Conway Court off of Hoosick.  I'll be adding more CCC's as the month progresses, so keep a watchful eye out for the new additions. If you'd like to set up a CCC at your location, let me know.

I've also been fortunate enough to partner with two incredible projects: Nicholson Heritage Association is seeking to preserve their 1849 Railroad Station and Angels4Epilepsy who provides care packages to children afflicted with Epilepsy from low-income families.  Please support these groups with your daily votes too.