Interest Rates are Low

The State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA) now has the lowest interest rates ever offered in 40 years. SONYMA's Low Interest Rate Program is at a rate of 4% and it's Achieving the Dream Program, for low-income first-time homebuyers, is at 3.5%!

SONYMA is dedicated to providing affordable home ownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income families in the State of New York by offering competitively-priced mortgages. SONYMA was created in 1970 with the mission of helping low- and moderate- income families become homeowners. It offers a variety of low down payment mortgages that provide below-market fixed interest rates, as well as closing cost assistance through a network of participating lenders across the state.

SONYMA offers six mortgage programs as well as mortgage credit certificates to assist you with the purchase of a home in New York State.  Each mortgage program features a competitive interest rate, low down payment requirements, no prepayment penalties and down payment assistance, while the mortgage credit certificates offer a federal income tax credit.  Each of these features are designed to make your home purchase more affordable.

For more information:

http://www.nyhomes.org/index.aspx?recordid=1331&page=9

http://www.nyhomes.org/index.aspx?page=48

 

Visit www.triponline.org for more information about TRIP's HomeOwnership Center and how we can help you purchase a home.

Single Stream Recycling in Troy

Mayor Harry Tutunjian has announced that residents can now combine all of their recyclables into one container and no longer need to separate them.  This new process called “single stream recycling” makes recycling easier for the residents while incurring no additional costs to the city.

“Single stream recycling means you no longer have to keep paper and cardboard products separate from plastics, metals and other commodities.  Instead, you can place all of your recyclable materials into one blue recycling bin and not have to worry about what goes where,” said Mayor Tutunjian.  “Increasing the ease of recycling has been shown to reduce the amount of garbage that goes to our landfills.  Single stream recycling is a simple, environmentally friendly way to support ‘green’ practices all at no cost to our residents.”

According to their website, in December 2009, County Waste and Recycling launched Single Stream Recycling (SSR), which allows all recyclable materials – glass, paper, metal, cardboard and plastics – to be placed in the recycling bin for collection. Once collected, the recyclables are taken to County Waste and Recycling’s facility to be sorted and processed for shipment to recyclers.  The result, according to County Waste and Recycling, has increased recycling rates by 24% in the communities where it’s been implemented.

Tutunjian noted that for SSR to achieve its maximum effect, it’s important to note what not to recycle including: trash, pizza boxes, diapers, clothing, styrofoam, bottle/can caps or lids, food, compost, yard waste, electronics, and construction debris.

Tutunjian noted that the city’s recycling program has had a significant, positive impact on City finances, specifically in the area of avoided disposal costs. Annual solid waste disposal for the City averages $1.2 million. Through the curbside recycling program the City has saved an average of $115,000 annually.

Please be advised that collection containers should be placed for collection after 6:00 PM the night before your scheduled collection day.  If your recycling is not collected, please leave the container out and call the DPW dispatcher at 270-4579. 

For more information on the city’s program and list of acceptable items to recycle please visit www.troyny.gov/recycling.html.  To learn more about County Waste’s SSR program please visit www.county-waste.com/ssr.html.

Furnace Repair or Replacement

The Furnace Repair and Replacement Component of the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is available to help eligible low-income home owners repair or replace furnaces, boilers and other direct heating components necessary to keep the home's primary heating source functional.

Furnace benefits amounts are based on the actual cost incurred to replace or repair the applicants’ furnace, boiler, and/or other essential heating equipment necessary to keep the home's primary heating source operational.

To receive a benefit, an application must be made in person at the local Department of Social Services and the applicant must receive a determination from the local department of social services that the applicant has met all established eligibility criteria, including established income and resource requirements. Benefits are paid directly to vendors after completion of all work for previously approved applications only.

Applications for furnace repairs or replacements are available at your local Department of Social Services office.

2010-2011 HEAP Benefit Gross Monthly Income Guidelines

Your total gross monthly income for your household size must be at or below the following guidelines:
Effective 10/01/10-9/30/11

Household Size	Maximum Gross Monthly Income
1	$2,129
2	$2,784
3	$3,439
4	$4,094
5	$4,749
6	$5,404
7	$5,527
8	$5,650
9	$5,773
10	$5,896
11	$6,029
Each additional	Add $468

Questions regarding the HEAP program should be directed to your local Department of Social Services Office or the NYS HEAP Hotline at 1-800-342-3009.

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.

Fall's Coming: Home Projects Checklist

From americanhomeguides.com

Well, we can't deny it any longer; fall is in the air.

And that means that winter is just around the corner, so now is the ideal time to be getting yourself ready for the cold months ahead. To get you started, here are a few things to put on the list.

• Check the gutters: Fall is the ideal time to check your gutter and downspout systems. Clear the gutters of leaf and pine needle debris, and check that the opening between the gutter and the downspout is unobstructed. Look for loose joints or other structural problems with the system, and repair them as needed using pop rivets. Use a gutter sealant to seal any connections where leaks may be occurring.
• Drain sprinkler systems: In colder areas, now is the time to be thinking about having your sprinkler and irrigation systems blown out. You can rent a compressor and do this yourself, or contact a landscape or irrigation system installer and them handle this for you. This is also the time to shut off outdoor faucets and install freeze-proof faucet covers as needed.
• Check the fireplace: It's about time to get those logs burning, so get the fireplace ready! Clean the fireplace chimney or wood stove flue using brushes approved for the size and type of flue you have. If you're not partial to ladders, roofs and soot, this is a good project to leave to an experienced chimney sweep company as most do a great job at a very reasonable price. Clean out the firebox, making sure you place the ashes in a fireproof container with a tight lid for proper disposal. If you have an airtight wood stove or fireplace insert, check the door-seal gasket, and clean the glass on the door.
• Change your furnace filters. Replace your old furnace filter with a new one. While you're at it, check the furnace for worn belts, lubrication needs, or other servicing that might be required, refer to your owner's manual for specific suggestions, and follow any manufacturer safety instructions for shutting the power and fuel to the furnace before servicing.
• Clean your ducts: Now is also a great time to clean your furnace ducts. If it's been a while since that's been done, hire a professional duct cleaning service to handle this chore. If you've had it done within the last couple of years and you've been good about changing your filter, then all you should need to worry about is removing the register covers and vacuuming out the boots with shop vacuum.
• Handle those yard chores: Many plants require pruning this time of year, and lawns should be fertilized with a fall/winter fertilizer to feed them through the winter and get them ready for a fast green-up when spring returns.
• Close off foundation vents: Depending on the winter climate in your area, you'll want to be thinking about closing off your foundation vents to help prevent pipe freezes. You can leave the foundation open for as many months as the weather remains mild, but close them off when the local forecasts begin calling for freezing temperatures. Once closed, you can leave them that way until it warms up again in the spring.
• Pack up the patio: Check and clean patio furniture and put them away for the winter. Clean and cover removable furniture cushions to protect them from dust and dirt, but be sure the cushions are dry before storing in order to prevent mildew growth.
• Add a humidifier: Plagued with dry skin, cracking furniture, or maybe even an occasional nose bleed? Winters are dryer than summers, and closing ourselves up indoors with furnaces and especially wood-burning appliances going full blast will dry you and your house out in a hurry. You might want to think about adding a central humidifier to your forced air heating system, or simply setting up one or two portable units in key areas of the house such as the living room or bedroom.
• Check weather-stripping: Air leaks around doors and windows can rob your home of expensive heated air and create uncomfortable drafts that keep you feeling chilly. Check the weather-stripping around doors and windows, and replace any that are worn. Retailers who specialize in doors and windows can fix you up with the proper replacement type for your situation. Now is also a good time to close up a few more air leaks by checking the condition of caulking around exterior door and window frames.

Troy Celebrates Peace Day

What is Peace Day?

The International Day of Peace provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981, and in 2002, the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace. On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, men, women and children from around the world will celebrate this day, also known as "Peace Day." 

Join with others from Troy and around the world to nurture peace
In 2009, a group of Troy residents and business owners came to together to create a day of celebration for Troy in the spirit of the original vision that brought forth the Charter of the United Nations which envisions building a Culture of Peace in the 21st century, uniting the strengths of organizations, businesses, projects and peoples in order to make peace a practical reality.

Banners asking "How can I/we make Peace?" have been hanging all over Troy this month inviting the residents of Troy to write their thoughts about peace. On Peace Day, church bells around the city will ring at noon inviting all to join a moment of silence for peace. There will be opportunities to find peace through yoga or meditation, children will be making art, a Peace Walk  will be held downtown in the evening and there will be a music celebration at The Judges Inn. For more info about events, visit http://troypeace.org/.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation. Or it can involve getting co-workers, organizations, communities or governments engaged in a large event. Or spending some time volunteering for a local charity or not-for-profit that works everyday to make lives in the community more peaceful by solving problems such as hunger, homelessness, domestic violence and providing a safe place for children after school. Since its inception, Peace Day has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day, with the commitment to peace expressed in diverse and creative ways.

 

Along with being designated by the UN as the International Day of Peace, September 21 is also a day of Global Ceasefire. The cessation of hostilities for 24 hours enables relief workers to reach civilians in need with food, water, and medical supplies in areas that are often unreachable due to heavy fighting. These activities cover various areas of need and contribute towards peace-building and lives being saved: immunization campaigns, water and sanitation programs, the building of homes, gun amnesties, distribution of humanitarian aid, sports activities focused on reconciliation, workshops on human–wildlife conflicts and peace and security issues.

For Peace Day events in Troy visit: http://troypeace.org

Find out more about the International Day of Peace at: http://internationaldayofpeace.org

Find out more about the Culture of Peace Initiative at: http://cultureofpeace.org/

Find out more about Peace One Day at: http://peaceoneday.org

Compiled by Katherine Young

County Waste

Troy can't be lead agency in County Waste expansion

By Cecelia Martinez
Reprinted from The Record

TROY  - The state Department of Environmental Conservation will extend the comment period an additional week for the proposed expansion of a County Waste transfer station in South Troy, but the City Council will not be able to seek lead agency status under the State Environmental Quality Review Act process. According to DEC Region 4 spokesperson Rick Georgeson, the city administration never responded to a June letter sent out regarding lead agency.

Its not clear that they could even be lead agency if they wanted to, because they have to have some kind of permitting authority, said Georgeson. They'd have to tell us if they have any permitting authority for this type of change. At this point we don't know because they never responded.

City spokesperson Jeff Pirro said that he could not immediately determine whether or not the letter was received by the Mayors Office, but did release a statement via e-mail.

"I support the DEC extending the period allowing residents to comment and learn more about the operations at the County Waste site. DEC has stringent policies in place to permit and monitor these operations for environmental compliance," said Mayor Harry Tutunjian, adding that the city will install new signage and use enforcement to address resident complaints about the use of city streets for truck traffic. County Waste has invested significantly in that site. It is much cleaner and safer than it was six years ago when I took office.

Because they never received a response, the DEC took over as lead agency and made a negative declaration for the proposal on July 20. After multiple residents spoke out against the proposed expansion to the tonnage and operation hours of the station at last weeks regular meeting, City Council President Clem Campana, D-At Large, said the Council planned to seek lead agency status. Upon hearing that the SEQR process was already completed, Campana said No steps can be skipped in this process. It seemed like this thing just ramped right up without anybody knowing about it.

Campana said that members of the Council plan to meet with the DEC and have reached out to County Waste to hold some kind of open house so that residents can get a better idea of the stations operations.

The process was flawed, like most things with the city, so lets get back on track and get it done the right way, Campana said.

Even with the SEQR process already completed, changes can still be made to the proposed expansion.

The negative declaration means it does not have to go through a full-blown environmental impact statement, but if we did receive significant, substantive comments that we felt warranted further action we could either deny the permit or approve it with amendments, said Georgeson, adding that amendments could include a change in the proposed hours of operation or other permit conditions.

Comments received by the DEC are responded to, after which point a decision will be made a process that could last months.

It varies tremendously based on the project, said Georgeson. We work with County Waste to prepare responses; well look at them and if we have any further questions or concerns well have them amend it.

Georgeson said that the DEC has only received about a half dozen comments so far from the public regarding the proposal, but after multiple requests the comment period has been extended through August 19. For more information on how to submit a comment, visit the Environmental Notice Bulletin on the DECs website at www.dec.ny.gov/enb/enb.html or contact the Region 4 permitting office at 357-2456.

Cecelia Martinez can be contacted at 270-1294 or by e-mail at cmartinez@troyrecord.com.