TRIP & RCHR's Homecoming Dinner to Honor Ron Canestrari, 2012 Community Citizenship Awardee

This year's TRIP & RCHR Homecoming Dinner, to be held on October 29 at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom, is sure to be an evening to remember as we present the 2012 Community Citizenship Award to the Honorable Ron Canestrari. 

Assemblyman Canestrari has truly earned this award through his decades of public service -- first as the Mayor of Cohoes and then as a member of the New York State Assembly for eleven terms, representing this area and serving as Majority Leader for the past six years. He has been a strong advocate on a variety of  key issues for Capital Region residents, including quality higher education and economic development initiatives.  Assemblyman Canestrari will be retiring from the NYS Assembly at the end of the year to be able to devote more time for personal interests. We wish him well and will definitely miss him as an advocate for the 106th Assembly District. 

We hope you will join us in thanking New York State Assembly Majority Leader Canestrari for his dedication as a public servant and his many years of commitment, determination, and support of the Capital District.

For tickets to the Annual Homecoming Dinner call Gail at 272-8289 ext. 212 or email gail@triponline.org.

Statewide Neighborhood Revitalization Conference: Strengthening Neighborhoods Strengthens New York

The first annual Statewide Neighborhood Revitalization Conference is almost here! Will you be there?

On September 21st and 22nd, Troy will host this grassroots community event bringing in neighborhood advocates from all over New York State. The conference will be held at Russell Sage College in Troy.

On Friday night, mingle with people from different communities and attend a keynote speech from writer, speaker, and local activist James Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency and The Geography of Nowhere. This event is free and open to the public.

Registration for workshops and discussions on Saturday, the 22nd, is open at www.nyneighborhoods.org. The day's events will start early with breakfast and another keynote speech, this time from housing, planning, and community development advocate and scholar Alan Mallach, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Following will be a large panel discussion and breakout workshops with community leaders from across New York State.

This conference is sure to energize all who attend to return to their communities with new ideas and renewed passion!

Announcing the 2012 Troy Treasure Awardee: Michael A. Esposito

TRIP is proud to announce that this year's "Troy Treasure" awardee is Michael Esposito!  As a lifelong resident of Troy, he has been chosen for his tireless, lifelong efforts toward improving Troy's Little Italy as well as the entire city.  He has also helped to preserve Troy's history by serving for years as the city's unofficial historian. Mike will be recognized at TRIP & RCHR's annual Homecoming Dinner on October 29th.

Early on Mike recognized the potential in our city and has dedicated his life to supporting Troy through his activism, organizing, and recording our history through stories. One of his most ambitious projects was the book "Troy's Little Italy."  Mike is also an integral force in organizing community events including an annual stickball tournament, celebrations of famous Troy residents, and Troy's annual International Festival.

As Frank Visco says, and many would agree... "Mike has the goods." 

Congratulations, Mike, on being this year's "Troy Treasure!"

For tickets to the Annual Homecoming Dinner call Gail at 272-8289 ext. 212 or email at gail@triponline.org.

General Election to be held Tuesday, November 6th -- Don't Miss Your Chance to Vote, Register Today!

Make sure your voice is heard.

Important Voter Registration Deadlines:

Mail Registration -- postmarked no later than October 12th and received by a board of elections no later than October 17th

In Person Registration -- Must register by October 12th

Change of Address -- Notice of an address change must be received by October 17th

NYSERDA Energy Audits Help You Go Green and Save Money

Do you think your utilitiy bills are too high? Is your home chilly in the winter? Are your heating and cooling costs too high? TRIP can help you find the energy efficiency program that's right for your home or apartment. Taking control of your energy use will save you money and make your home more comfortable year-round.

The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program offered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a comprehensive, whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency and home comfort while saving money. Energy assessments and upgrades are conducted by a participating Home Performance contractor accredited by the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Income-qualified homeowners are eligible for additional incentives to make energy improvements.

There are six simple steps to make your energy efficient upgrades happen:

1. Get assessed. Have a comprehensive home energy assessment performed by a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor. In addition to measuring your home's energy performance, your Home Performance contractor will perform important health and safety tests to ensure major combustion appliances (furnace, boiler, water heater, stove) are operating properly. For most New Yorkers, the home assessment is free. Request an assessment form and find a participating BPI-accredited Home Performance contractor by visiting www.GreenCapitalRegion.org.

2. Make a plan. Your contractor will review the results of the comprehensive home energy assessment with you, and then work with you to select cost-effective energy upgrades that match your budget and goals.

3. Paying for the work. If you don't have the cash on hand to make the improvements, NYSERDA offers low-interest loans and assisted subsidies to help you pay for work. You can now finance energy efficient upgrades with low interest payments conveniently built into your existing utility bill. Offset your payments with the savings you earn.

4. Get approved. Receive loan status notification and return the signed loan documents.

5. Upgrade. Have a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor implement the upgrades described in your Scope of Work. NYSERDA may inspect the work to verify its quality.

6. Test-out and earn incentives. When your energy upgrades are finished, your contractor will repeat the test conducted during the initial assessment. Upon test-out and acceptance of work you and your contractor will sign a Certificate of Completion, which is submitted to NYSERDA. Your lender will then make payment to your contractor. You can also enjoy other incentives like 10 percent cash back on eligible upgrades.

TRIP staff can help you choose which NYSERDA energy efficiency program is right for you and guide you through the process. Call us at (518) 690-0020.

Keep your hard-earned energy dollars! Visit www.GreenCapitalRegion.org to get started.

Don't Forget to Bring Your Old Electronics to the TRIP & RCHR Green Fair, 9/29

On September 29th, from 9 AM - 1 PM, in the Troy Marina Parking lot (just north of the Green Island Bridge), TRIP & RCHR will host our first Green Fair. Underwritten by Citizens Bank Foundation and in partnership with Rensselaer County and the City of Troy, TRIP & RCHR will host eLot Recycling and local organizations providing an array of Capital Region eco-knowledge.

Items that can be recycled for FREE include: batteries, cameras, cell phones, electronic toys, florescent light bulbs, lawn mowers, etc. For a full list of recyclable items visit: http://elotrecycling.com/.

** Note: for those recycling computers-- eLot will be accepting both computers that have already had their hard drives erased as well as those that will still need to be scrubbed.  When depositing your computer, there will be signs indicating which pallet to leave your machine on.  Computers still needing to be cleaned will be brought back to the eLot warehouse to have hard drives erased.