Into the Final Stretch

This week is Traver's Week in Saratoga Springs which marks the entrance into the final stretch of the local horse racing season.  Well, the same can be said for my campaign to bring the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival back this year through the Refresh Everything program. Only 11 voting days remain and the winners are determined by the placement in the ranks as of 11:59 PM on Wednesday, August 31st.

$10,000 is a good sum of money and will allow me to expand on last year's event.  In addition to the Bounce House and carnival games, prizes, food & fun, I'm hoping to bring something to these families that they've never seen before - Mr. Cello.  Most kids in these neighborhoods have never seen a cello let alone heard someone play one.  So happens that Mr. Elisha's mother was an educator in the Lansingburgh School District, teaching string instruments.  His roots are here in Troy and he is happy to offer his program as part of the festival. 

Please support my efforts today by clicking here and casting a vote of support today? Please continue to support my partners at Angels4Epilepsy, Nicholson and National Inclusion Project with your daily votes as well. Most importantly, save or salvage as many of those yellow pepsi caps that you can and drop off at any of our Cap Collection Centers: Smokers Choice in Troy Plaza, Troy Discount Beverage Center in South Troy or High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignment Shop in Lansingburgh.  Remember, together we can.

We're All in This Together

Today, over 100 people will gather at Troy's Prospect Park to share photos, stories and memories of growing up on Ida Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods.  Many of those neighborhoods have been lost, like Herb Hyde's neighborhood at College and Eighth. Today's picnic is a way for those who lived in these lost neighborhoods to share this part of Troy's history with younger generations who haven't been able to experience them personally.

I became an Ida Hiller later in life, moving onto Congress Street in 1997 just before the dam burst on the Poestenkill. When that dam burst, Miles Blakeborough rallied the neighborhood to take action and the Mount Ida Preservation Association was born. Along with MIPA, Troy's Earth Day activites were also born. Something that started as a neighborhood project has grown into an annual city-wide event. Miles understood that we're all in this together and that if it's good for ANY part of Troy, it's good for ALL of Troy. I have no doubt that he will be with us today in spirit.

Miles continues to inspire me especially as I seek funding to hold the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival through the Refresh Everything program. It's this inspiration that drew me into partnering with Nicholson Heritage Association, Angels4Epilepy, and the National Inclusion Project. It's this inspiration that drives my support of other groups like The Scott Delforte Foundation & Harrisville Free Library. We're all in this together and it's by working together that our goals can be achieved.  Your continued support of these efforts will help each of us to do just that.

Please save ALL your yellow pepsi caps as they contain codes worth extra votes.  Cap Collection Centers are located at Smokers Choice in the Troy Plaza, High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignment Shop, CAC Woodside and all ARC of Rensselaer County offices.  Codes must be used by September 30, 2011 so get those in asap.  There will also be a collection box for them at today's picnic.  Sure hope you can stop by for a little bit. After all, we're all in this together.