What Will Troy’s Future Hold?

Help Determine it!

December 10 | 6:15 - 8:30pm | ICC 1450 5th Ave.

The second of three deliberations of “Building A Stronger Troy” will be held on Tuesday, December 10 at the Italian Community Center from 6:15pm - 8:30pm. 

The meeting is free and open to the public.
 Click here to register. 

For information about the first deliberation held on November 19, go to http://www.buildingastrongertroy.org/wordpress/?p=87. 

Building Civic Capacity for a Stronger Troy has been funded by The Louis and Hortense Rubin Community Fellows Program. The funding will support three public deliberations throughout Troy, giving Troy residents the opportunity to focus on the future of Troy. It is organized by Dr. Peter Sawyer of Hudson Valley Community College in collaboration with Russell Sage, Rensselaer, Emma Willard, and other groups. 

For more information, visit www.buildingastrongertroy.org.

Energy Savings Tips

Visit http://aceee.org/consumer

This is the time of year when the heat goes on and utility bills increase – just when we prefer to spend money on holiday gifts or events.   Fortunately, there are many things we can do to save energy and money, but it can often be overwhelming to know exactly what could provide the biggest “bang for your buck;”  i.e., what kind of difference will your actions make. Fortunately, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy put together this handy list.  Click here for the full list. 

It is broken into 4 sections:

• Things to do right away, like: 
• Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F).  You will not only save energy, you'll avoid scalding your hands.
• Start using energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers
• Replace some of your incandescent lights (particularly the 60-100W bulbs used several hours a day) with compact fluorescents (CFLs). These lights can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. 
• Things to do this week, like:
• Visit the hardware store. Buy a water-heater blanket, low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, and compact fluorescents, as needed.
• Things to do this month, like:
• Schedule an energy audit (click for NYSERDA page) for more expert advice on your home as a whole.
• Things to do this year, like:
• Insulate. If your walls aren't insulated, have an insulation contractor apply blown-in insulation (cellulose or fiberglass) to the walls. Bring your attic insulation level up to snuff.

(Read the rest of the list here)

Faces at TRIP: Michele Desormeau

Michele Desormeau: Maintenance Team

Meet Michele Desormeau, TRIP’s newest employee at 3 months and one day.  She is quick to tell people that her nationality is French although based on the different ways that people pronounce her name, it changes from Italian to German to …..

Michele joined TRIP’s maintenance team in September and has many years of experience in this field.  She feels working in maintenance is challenging and rewarding work, particularly since it is not the “same old thing” every day.  The work changes daily, whether it is making repairs or meeting tenants.  She is exhilarated to be working at TRIP, doing everything from repairs to “make readies,”   where she enjoys working alone as well as working with other maintenance staff on joint projects. 

When Michele is not working she loves traveling in her RV, which is currently vacationing without her in warm weather in Knoxville, TN.  Michele recently rescued a Jack Russell terrier who she named “Jack.”  Before you accuse her of having no imagination, she will tell you that her grandson thinks it’s cool when he googles Jack Russell and photos of Michele’s dog pops up. 

She used to be fussy about her hair in order to look her best, which she thought was important until her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy.  Now she cuts it as soon as it reaches 8 inches (every 18 months) and donates it to Locks of Love to make wigs for cancer patients.  She explained that she often has clips in her hair, not because she thinks it looks “cute,” but to keep the hair out of her face so she doesn’t cut it before it’s long enough to donate. 

Michele is an awesome worker and a great team player.  In addition to her excellent work, we enjoy seeing her smiling face when she comes into the office.  Welcome, Michele!  

Gang of 9

Troy’s New City Council 

We want to congratulate the nine elected officials who will serve as members of Troy’s City Council beginning January 1, 2014.  We welcome the three new members:  Erin Sullivan-Teta is an at-large delegate, Jim Gordon will be representing District 1 and Anastasia Robertson will be representing District 2.  Additionally, we look forward to again working with the six incumbents who were re-elected:  at-large delegates Rodney Wiltshire (who will become council president) and Lynn Kopka, District 3’s representative Dean Bodner, District 4’s representative Bob Doherty, District 5’s representative Ken Zalewski and District 6’s representative Gary Galuski.  

We look forward to great things in Troy in 2014!

Go Team!

Don't Forget to Register for Your Basic STAR Property Tax Exemption

Don’t forget to register with the NYS Tax Department by Dec. 31st, 2013 to continue receiving Basic STAR property tax exemption (except for senior citizens who are exempt from the registration requirement).

Go to www.tax.ny.gov or call NYS Tax Dept at (518) 457-2036.

Building a Stronger Troy

To more effectively support the City of Troy and to enhance the opportunities for teaching and learning for our students, Hudson Valley Community College, Russell Sage College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Emma Willard School are working together to create a series of public deliberations to focus on the future of Troy.

The public is invited to a meeting on Nov 19th, 2013 at the Italian Community Center, 1450 5th Ave, Troy, NY at 6:15pm. 

This is free and open to the public and will be followed by additional meetings in 2014.

For more information, go to www.buildingastrongertroy.org

Building Leaders

Community Leadership Institute

TRIP hosted a group of residents at this year’s Community Leadership Institute in Sacramento in October.  James (Chick) Mayben, Mack Henderson, Andrea Branch, and Team Coordinator Davia Collington were joined by TRIP’s VISTA volunteer Anasha Cummings, Rental Manager Kenny Holmes, and Director of Community Affairs Hilary Lamishaw.  Spending two and a half days with a thousand passionate resident leaders from around the country and superb trainers has charged up our Troy team, which is putting together an Action Plan for a veteran/youth mentoring program in the neighborhood.  

Go team!