Congratulations!

Congratulations — again — to Marion Field, a leader in Troy’s Little Italy neighborhood and other initiatives.  In addition to being feted as this year’s Troy Treasure at TRIP’s annual HomeComing Dinner, she recently was awarded the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award at its headquarters in Albany.   She was recognized for her “diligent efforts and contributions to the city of Troy.”  We could not agree more.  Congratulations to our Troy Treasure, Marion Field, with our gratitude for all you do in our city!

Click here to view the article in The Record:

http://www.troyrecord.com/general-news/20131209/troy-woman-honored-by-fbi-for-community-leadership

Call for Nominations: Troy Treasure Award

Deadline: August 17th

There are many individuals and groups that are making a significant difference in Troy. The Troy Treasure award, created by TRIP in 2005, is a way to recognize and thank one of them publicly each year. 

We are seeking nominations for the 2013 Troy Treasure awardee. This year's Troy Treasure awardee will be recognized at the TRIP & RCHR Homecoming Dinner on October 28th.  

Please nominate a Troy resident, business, or group today that has helped to improve Troy.  The deadline for nominations is August 17th. More information and a nomination form may be found at  http://www.triponline.org/news_and_events/troys_treasures.html

We can’t wait to see the range of nominees for the 2013 Troy Treasure!

Thank You to The Record

As TRIP celebrates its 45th anniversary -- having been created in Spring 1968 -- we want to say thanks to all our supporters and partners over these many years.  As executive director Patrick Madden writes in The Record on April 3rd, “The accomplishments of TRIP over the decades are properly credited to hundreds if not thousands of individuals and institutions:  the many current and former board and staff members, the many neighborhood residents past and present, the many city and county administrations, the local business community and the many, many individuals who have supported this effort with their time and their financial contributions.” 

You can read more about TRIP, our accomplishments and the potential that lies before us, how you might support these efforts, and 45 reasons why people like TRIP in The Record’s insert about TRIP that was published and included in the April 3rd edition.  For a copy, email Hilary [at] triponline [dot] org or call 272-8289 x214. 

We want to thank Lisa Lewis, editor of The Record, for her generosity in publishing the 8-page insert about TRIP and its programs, history, etc.  We also appreciate Lisa’s and The Record’s partnership in its ten years of printing “Troy’s Treasures” articles in the Sunday editions about all the positive things happening in Troy.  To read past columns, go to 

http://triponline.org/news_and_events/TroyTreasuresArticles.html.

We look forward to decades more of working with The Record and many other partners to continue the story of how, collectively, we are creating vibrant, sustainable communities in Troy.   

Homecoming Dinner to Celebrate TRIP & RCHR's Excellent Customer Service

The 2012 TRIP & RCHR Homecoming Dinner, happening on Monday, October 29th at 5:30pm at The Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Ave., Troy, will honor NYS Assemblymember Ron Canestrari and Troy Treasure Michael Esposito.  It is also an opportunity to celebrate the high-quality services provided by TRIP & RCHR.

** Tickets are still available, visit

www.triponline.org/news_and_events/Homecoming_Dinner_RSVP.html to RSVP. **

One part of the TRIP & RCHR mission is to promote responsible homeownership, and the TRIP NeighborWorks HomeOwnership center recently earned high quality service marks from NeighborWorks America.

NeighborWorks America scores each affiliated HomeOwnership Center across the country on a quarterly basis, and we are happy to announce that the TRIP NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center received a 9 out of 10 overall score!

To determine each HomeOwnership Center's Level of Service, NeighborWorks examines the number of homebuyer education clients who successfully purchase homes and the rate at which post-purchase clients maintain homeownership and avoid foreclosure. NeighborWorks organizations consistently strive for excellence, and this score simply underlines the excellent programming available at TRIP.

TRIP's NeighborWorks Center is a one-stop shop for homebuyers and homeowners. Quality, confidential housing advice and group education programs are available to anyone regardless of income or geography on a range of topics whether you are a long-time homeowner or just starting on the path to becoming a homebuyer. Getting this information today will save you money and headaches tomorrow. TRIP HomeOwnership Center staff hear again and again "I wish I'd heard about TRIP before I bought my house!"

To learn more about the programs offered through the TRIP NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center visit www.triponline.org or call (518) 690-0020.

Information on NeighborWorks American is available at www.nw.org.

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.

Call for Authors: "Troy's Treasures" Column

What makes Troy special to you? Share your story through the "Troy's Treasures" column!

Do you have a "Troy's Treasure" to share?  Let us know! This column -- which promotes positive neighborhood news, events, history, people, etc -- is published in the Troy Record every other Sunday. If you would like to write a column or have an idea for an article, contact Claire Pitts at TRIP and sign up for a publication date. Claire can be reached by phone at (518) 272-8289 x213 or email her at claire@triponline.org.

To read past "Troy's Treasures" articles click here: http://triponline.org/news_and_events/TroyTreasuresArticles.html

Call for Nominations: Troy Treasure Award

TRIP is seeking nominations for the 2012 Troy Treasure Award-- an individual, group, or business committed to improving Troy. We know there are many of you, and we would love to see you honored as a Troy Treasure. This year's Troy Treasure awardee will be recognized at the TRIP & RCHR Homecoming Dinner on October 29th.

Please nominate your favorite Troy resident, business, group, etc. today! The deadline for nominations is July 19th.

More information and nomination forms may be found at http://www.triponline.org.

Promote Your Community, Write a "Troy's Treasures" Column

Does your neighborhood have great programs happening? Do you know of a compelling, historical Troy figure or story that you want to share? Want to publicize or report on a neighborhood event? Share your story through the "Troy's Treasures" column!

"Troy's Treasures" is published in the Troy Record every other Sunday. Any Troy resident is welcome to write a column promoting the positive programs, events, history, etc. happening in his or her neighborhood. If you would like to write a column or have an idea for an article, contact Claire Pitts at TRIP and sign up for a publication date. Claire can be reached by phone at (518) 272-8289 x213 or email her at claire@triponline.org.

To read past "Troy's Treasures" articles click here: http://triponline.org/news_and_events/TroyTreasuresArticles.html.

Call for Nominations: Troy Treasure Award

TRIP is seeking nominations for the 2012 Troy Treasure Awardee -- an individual, group, or business committed to improving Troy! We know there are many of you, and we would love to see you honored as a Troy Treasure. This year's Troy Treasure Awardee will be recognized at the TRIP & RCHR Homecoming Dinner on October 29th.

Please nominate your favorite Troy resident, business, group, etc. today! The deadline for nominations is July 16th.

More information and nominations forms may be found at http://triponline.org/news_and_events/2012TroyTreasureNominations.html .

Calling for a Troy Treasure!

TRIP is seeking nominations for the 2012 Troy Treasure Awardee -- an individual, group, or business committed to improving Troy. We know there are many of you and we would love to see you honored as this year's Troy Treasure.

More information and nomination forms may be found at our website or by calling TRIP at 272-8289.

The deadline for nominations is July 16th, 2012. This year's Troy Treasure Awardee will be recognized at the TRIP & RCHR Homecoming Dinner on October 29th, 2012.

Mark Your Calendars!

The TRIP & RCHR Annual Homecoming Dinner will be held on October 29th, 2012 at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom. Come support Honorable Ron Canestrari as he receives the 2012 Community Citizenship Award. Also presented will be the 2012 Troy Treasure Award to a soon-to-be-named awardee.

Troy Bike Rescue Spring Events

Spring is here, and it's time to dust off those bikes! TRIP's 2011 Troy's Treasure Awardee, Troy Bike Rescue, can help you get peddling again! In their own words, "TBR is a collective of bicycle enthusiasts committed to removing bikes from the waste stream, and putting them back into use.  Join us as we build bicycle community through hands-on education."

Their shop is located at 3280 6th Ave. in North Troy, and below is their new schedule and expanded hours:

The TBR Storefront is open Sunday through Thursday 12-5pm.

Workshop nights are as follows:

Open Shop: Monday & Wednesday 5-8pm

Youth Shop (ages 10-15): Tuesday 3-6pm

Fem Shop (women and trans folk only please): Thursday 5-8pm

Troy Bike Rescue's annual fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, 5/19 at the Sanctuary for Independent Media. TBR is a volunteer organization that relies on community support; admission to the event is $20.

As the weather continues to warm up TBR will be even more active. Keep up-to-date on all their goings-on by visiting their website: http://www.troybikerescue.org/ or 

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/troybikerescue.

Meet this Year's Troy Treasure

TRIP is pleased to announce that this year's winner of the much-coveted 2010 Troy Treasure award will go to Pastor Willie D. Bacote of The Missing Link Street Ministry Mission. Pastor Willie has been a long-time active proponent of families and particularly of children, especially those living in North Central Troy. He has been involved in the ministry since moving to Troy in the mid-1990’s, but never more so than in the past several years through The Missing Link Street Ministry Mission, located at 3370 Sixth Avenue.

Resulting from his deep concern for children’s safety, he has sponsored various anti-violence marches involving many of the neighborhoods’ families who are impacted by street violence. To remove guns from the streets, he created a gun buyback program that has collected over three hundred guns in the City of Troy since the program began. 

But perhaps Pastor Willie is best known for the daily ministry he and others perform by providing hot meals to children free of charge. He started the Feed A Kid Program through The Missing Link Street Ministry in North Central more than two years ago so that no child would go to bed hungry despite issues of poverty or drug/alcohol addictions in their households.  The program offers hot meals three evenings a week from 6 - 8pm, some evenings feeding close to one hundred children.

Of course, he doesn’t do this alone. There are many partners who have joined with him to feed our city's children, and to them, he -- and we -- are appreciative. For more information about how to help or to make a donation, go to www.missinglinkstreetministry.com. 

Thanks to Pastor Willie’s wonderful leadership, consistent involvement and outstanding service and the difference that he has made in the lives of thousands of families in Troy, we are proud to call him this year’s Troy Treasure. 

Pastor Willie will be honored at TRIP/RCHR”s Annual Dinner on October 20th. See www.triponline.org for details.

Seeking -- and Rewarding -- Good Deeds

Public recognition for good deeds is a good thing! TRIP is happy to give such recognition to a “Troy Treasure” -- an individual, group or business who has done good deeds in Troy. It's easy to nominate a Troy Treasure; the simple form can be accessed from our website at http://triponline.org/2010TroyTreasureNominations.html.  Nominations are being accepted through August 6th.  

The selected "2010 Troy Treasure" will be celebrated at the TRIP/RCHR Annual Dinner on October 20th at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom.  Also honored that evening will be E. Stewart Jones, who will receive TRIP/RCHR's Community Citizenship Award. 

Congratulations to the five years of Troy Treasure awardees, including:

TRIP’s Previous Executive Directors Vinny Lepera, Duncan Barrett, and Barbara Jones Higbee (2009)

Alane Hohenberg (2008)

The Friends of Prospect Park (2007)

Friends of Sixth Avenue/S.Lansingburgh Neighborhood Association (2006)

Osgood Neighborhood Association (2006)

Washington Park Association (2005)

Are You a Troy Treasure?

TRIP is accepting nominations for the Sixth Annual “Troy Treasure” Awardee, which will be presented at the TRIP/RCHR Annual Dinner on October 20th at Franklin Terrace.  This award is to honor a Troy resident, community group, or business who is passionately committed to improving Troy, toils in his or her neighborhood out of a love of community, and demonstrates his or her hometown pride in Troy in very positive and real ways.  Criteria include that the nominee lives or works in the City of Troy; individuals must live or work here for at least five years and community groups or businesses must have been in existence for at least three years.  Nominations are due to TRIP by July 20.  Nomination forms may be found at http://www.triponline.org/ or hilary@triponline.org.  

Troy is lucky to have many treasures. Previous Troy Treasure awardees include Washington Park Association (2005), Osgood Neighbors and the North Central/S.Lansingburgh Neighborhood Association (2006), Friends of Prospect Park (2007), Alane Hohenberg for her visionary role in creating the Troy Community Food Coop (2008), and TRIP's previous executive directors since 1969 Vinny Lepera, Duncan Barrett, and Barbara Jones Higbee (2009). 

Christmas in Little Italy

There is an old Italian saying “to get what you want, you must share what you have.” The residents and businesses of Troy’s Little Italy invite the people of the Capital District to share in our love for our Italian heritage and our spirit of Christmas by attending “Christmas in Little Italy” to be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009, beginning at 5:30 pm at Liberty Square (Fourth and Liberty Streets) on the evening before Troy’s Victorian Stroll.

Our event begins with the display of an eight foot Ceppo (an Italian Christmas tree) at Liberty Square along with a community Christmas tree donated by the DeFazio family. The Ceppo, a three tiered pyramid shaped structure made of wood, has its origin in the Tuscan region of Italy. A Nativity scene donated by St. Anthony of Padua Shrine Church, representing the gift of God, is displayed on the bottom shelf. The remaining two shelves contain greenery, fruits, nuts, and presents representing the gifts of the Earth and Man. There will be Christmas carols sung in both Italian and English led by members of a local school choir. Musical accompaniment will be provided by Historic Second Street neighbor John Chupka on accordion. There may be several other musicians announced soon. Roasted chestnuts will be available at the site compliments of Chef Michael LoPorto. 
 

The timeless Italian Christmas folk story of the legend of Old Befana, based on author Tomie DePaola’s popular childrens’ book, will be read by Claire Davis of the Osgood neighborhood. The reading will be held at Lisa’s Gelateria (across the street from Liberty Square) while you enjoy holiday treats and hot beverages. Holiday cookies and candy will be provided for each child attending the event.

At 7 pm, Professor/Cavalier Philip J. DiNovo, founder and President of the American Italian Heritage Association, (our “Dr. Phil”) will give a presentation on Italian Christmas traditions in the meeting center of the Freihofer’s Run for Women building a block south of Liberty Square at the corner of Fourth and Washington Streets. The event concludes with a showing of the entertaining film, Pinocchio, at Flavour’s Café across the street from the meeting center.

Several neighborhood restaurants, including Carmen’s Café, DeFazio’s Pizzeria, Flavour’s Café, the Irish Mist, Lisa’s Gelateria, and the Red Front Restaurant and Tavern, welcome your patronage on the night of the Christmas in Little Italy event if you choose to dine before or after our program.

On Sunday, December 6^th, the day of the Victorian Stroll, volunteers from Troy’s Little Italy will join with representatives of the Italian Community Center and the CYO Center at shared information tables in the Troy Atrium between the hours of 11 am and 5 pm. We will provide a continuous showing of our neighborhood history DVD. There will be a book signing of Troy’s Little Italy, as well as copies of Tomie DePaola’s The Legend of Old Befana on sale. In addition, a Silent Auction will be held on the second floor level of the Atrium outside the Bingo Hall to benefit the “Adopt a Family Fund” being sponsored by volunteer workers from the St. Anthony and Troy Little Italy bingo players with the support of various local businesses. Troy Little Italy will hold Bingo at 2 pm – doors will open at 10 am! Join us for a pleasant weekend of Christmas and holiday traditions.

--Mike Esposito 
Originally published 11/29/09 in The Troy Record as TRIP's Troy Treasures column, which runs in every other Sunday edition. 

Annual Homecoming Dinner

Throughout its history, TRIP has been privileged to be touched by "movers and shakers" who are dedicated to Troy. Four of these treasures will be honored at the TRIP and Rensselaer County Housing Resources (RCHR) Annual Homecoming Dinner on Monday, October 26, 2009.

TRIP & RCHR will present its 2009 Community Citizenship Award to John Scarchilli, President and CEO of Pioneer Bank, for his many decades of commitment to Troy and Rensselaer County. In conjunction with John's leadership, Pioneer has helped TRIP and RCHR -- and the communities they serve -- in numerous ways for many years. Pioneer is a long-term supporter of the homeownership programs, helping first-time homebuyers achieve -- and maintain - their American dream. Additionally, Pioneer provided capital investments so that TRIP could renovate derelict abandoned buildings and bring them back to life, and then supplied volunteers to help improve the surrounding neighborhoods with various improvement projects.

Also being recognized at the TRIP and RCHR Annual Dinner are three people who each contributed to Troy's revitalization when they served as Executive Directors of TRIP during its 40 year history. Vinny Lepera, Duncan Barrett, and Barbara Jones Higbee are this year's recipients of TRIP's Troy Treasure Award, which recognizes a person or group who demonstrates a passion for Troy in very positive and real ways. Come hear their stories.

TRIP and RCHR are pleased to honor and show their appreciation for four of our area's valuable assets at the Annual Homecoming Dinner. Please join us on Monday, October 26 at the Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Avenue, Troy, NY. Tickets are still available. For ticket information, please contact gail@triponline.org or 272-8289 x212.