Now is Not the Time to be Complacent

Irene - who as I write continues to wring out the towel overhead - can't dampen the joy my heart feels because of the incredible steadfast, die-hard, invaluable DAILY votes folks have cast to help me bring the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival to life this year.  After months of supporting other organizations through the Refresh Everything program, I'm within reach of bringing something to my neighborhood so sorely needed - a full day of FREE family fun.  I'm preparing for the best possible outcome.  There's tons of planning that goes into an event like this and that planning has begun. Vendors have been selected and contacted for estimates and groups are gathering volunteers to man the booths.
 
I've reached out to Jim Blessing and the wonderful staff at The ARC of Rensselaer County to let them know it's looking like a "GO".  Pastor Willie Bacote at Missing Link Street Ministry is putting together his shopping list to ensure a festive menu for the days activities. Tom Techman is warming up his vocal cords and songlist so that he can thouroughly entertain us. Joe over at Jumping Bean Party Rental is sharpening his pencil to allow for the maximum amount of fun and games.  And wait till the kids get a load of the prizes they can get with their stash of tickets won at the games.  The cherry on top? Well that is a special four-day residency by reknowned cello virtuoso and my dear friend Dr. Steven Elisha when he brings his Mr. Cello program to the area.

We're close yet we're NOT there.  This is NO time to become complacent. It is vital to continue voting EVERY day and it will take a small city of daily votes for funding to be realized.  In addition to your online daily vote (logging in with your FB account or direct with Pepsi or BOTH), those of you with texting capabilities get to cast a third daily vote by sending 107824 to Pepsi (73774). Your daily votes coupled with our collective POWER VOTES are the reason we're so close.  Those little yellow Pepsi caps contain the codes we need to solidify funding.  Find them where you can & drop them off at Smoker's Choice in either Troy Plaza or Latham or at Troy Discount Beverage in South Troy.  Tell them The Dartlady sent ya.

Beyond a doubt, the hope of funding would not be possible without the strong support by my partner projects and their supporters. Please continue to cast a daily vote for Angels4Epilepy (107962), Nicholson (107973), Cohoes Music Hall/C-R Productions (100081) and most importantly National Inclusion Project (108169) with your daily votes over the next three days.  That's right.  Only three more days till we know whether our projects will be considered for grant funding. A special shout out goes to Uptown Initiative's Youth Supporting Youth partners from January Project Hope/Ft Edward, who have re-activated their voting machines to help make this festival happen.
Tonight as I've been writing this entry, a section of my old neighborhood was permanently altered. I lived both on top of that hill on Highland Avenue and at the bottom of that hill on Congress Street.  My thoughts and prayers are with my neighbors up there especially those directly affected by the mudslide. For those neighbors not living in Mt. Ida, please send your good thoughts to them as well. With the rain continuing to fall, the risk of further slides and the flooding of the Poestenkill on the southside of the road increases.  Ida Hillers & South Trojans are being evacuated. Stay safe my friends.

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.

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.