$1.5M grant will help Farmers Market create a home

TROY -- The bustling Troy Farmers Market, arguably the premier such operation in the Capital Region, may get a home of its own.

The 15-year-old market, which has about 80 vendors operating during warm months at Riverside Park and during the winter at the Atrium, will become a permanent part of the One Monument Square project -- if all the dithering ever ends over getting a final plan for the project to be constructed on the vacant site that formerly was home to City Hall.

Creation of a new home for the market will be enabled by a $1.5 million Economic Development grant, part of $60 million in grants announced on Thursday for various Capital Region projects.

While the $1.5 million award is heartening, it is far less than the $2.8 million grant application the Farmers Market reportedly submitted back in June.

Monica Kurzejeski, market manager, said, "We're pretty hard on the Atrium. It's a tough use. We bring in produce and freight and everything every week and then pull it back out. So, this is a great opportunity for us to design a building that fits the market."

While there are no actual architectural plans for the project so far, Kurzejeski said "We are working with a developer to create a very garage-door like atmosphere, so during the summer we can roll it up and it can be a wide-open space and you can see the river and be able to utilize the public access points of the park."

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Troy Drug-Free Coalition buoyed by $625K federal grant

For the next five years, Troy's Drug-Free Community Coalition will have a financial underpinning that should help it make strides against the infestation of illicit drugs that makes our city much less than it could be.

The organization has been notified it will receive $625,000 -- $125,000 grants each year for the next five -- from the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy. The feds say the Coalition will be working to promote a lifestyle free from the abuse of alcohol and drugs. If that sounds a bit vague, it notes that the financial grants are intended to facilitate youth and adult participation at the community level in youth drug prevention efforts.

Davia Collington, a prevention specialist with the Rensselaer County Department of Mental Health who is the coordinator of the coalition, is quoted in The Record saying “We are not powerless against the challenge of drug use among young people here in Troy. Research shows that prevention is the most effective tool we have to reduce the terrible consequences associated with drug use among young people. This new funding will allow us to help place more young people on the path toward success and enable them to live healthier and safer lives.”

Troy’s Drug-Free Community Coalition works to involve parents, youths, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement and media members in its programs. Any organization that can do that deserves a financial helping hand.

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Friday parking crackdown promised by City

City officials are promising strict enforcement of the normal Friday morning prohibited parking zones in downtown Troy to help facilitate snow plowing.

Vehicles parked in areas designated "No Parking" tomorrow will be ticketed and towed to allow for snow pushback.

The affected area runs from Federal Street to Ferry Street and from River Street to Sixth Avenue. The normal Friday morning prohibited parking zones are sides of the street that are posted for no parking on Fridays from 4 a.m. until 7 a.m.

Thanks to the Troy Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) for spreading the word on the situation.

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Tavern Noodle scheduled for another pop-up

What do you call a pop-up restaurant that is popping up for a second time? Tavern Noodle, of course.

The latest project from Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine first surfaced during the Victorian Stroll last Sunday. Now, it will reappear at 5 p.m. next Thursday, December 18, and operate for one night until it runs out of food.

The downtown venue is the same -- 217 Broadway,  just off Monument Square. That's where the industrious couple is renovating The Tavern, which will become a full-service restaurant to join their portfolio of renovated structures that now house the Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar and The Grocery.

You can get a look at Tavern Noodle's food menu here and drinks menu here.

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Calling 911 on city's emergency dispatching contract

A spokesman for the mayor of Troy just told a local newspaper he cannot comment on details of the city's pending new contract with Rensselaer County to continue handling its 911 dispatches -- until it is finalized.

How lovely. Is there something Lou Rosamilia and his administration does not want the public to know about?

This is not a personnel matter. What it is, is a matter of dollars and cents -- yours and mine -- and the quality of services to be rendered. That is something that needs more public discussion, not an after-the fact comment. Especially not from an administration that has stumbled and bumbled its way through other contract negotiations and budgeting, landing us under the fiscal microscope of state government once again.

At one point it appeared as if Troy City Council members would find several possibilities on their menu. Now, however, it turns out there apparently is only one choice, since, according to a report in the Times Union, the Rosamilia administration "ended its conversation with the City of Albany about teaming up for emergency communications after reaching an agreement with the county on Friday, officials said."

Translation: Rather than having competing possibilities for 911 dispatching services to consider, we have the "choice" of the one County Executive Kathy Jimino says is being distributed to legislative bodies for consideration. And it is one the administration doesn't want to talk about publicly. That makes me nervous, since this is the first time in 20 years the city could have had a choice to consider.

I encourage the City Council to forget about their Republican and Democrat labels and work collectively to publicly discuss the potential contract rather than rubber stamp it. Given some of the machinations that have gone on under the current administration, it is imperative that all commitments the city makes undergo the most careful scrutiny before the fact.

What we do know is that eight months ago the County proposed raising its 911 dispatching fee for Troy by an astounding 75.5%, to a half-million dollars in 2015. Calls for Troy's ambulance, fire and police services make up about 40% of the county dispatch center's business, which comes out to about 53,600 calls a year.

Using those numbers, the County was trying to hike the cost to Troy taxpayers from $5.32 to $9.33 per call.

Is that number part of the contract now under consideration? Although we do know the city wasn't thrilled with that proposal back in April, we don't know what wound up in the proposed contract.

Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Again, who knows? Until someone makes details of the proposed new contract public -- and, bear in mind it is only proposed even though it is being presented as the only choice -- and gets some input from beyond the halls of government we can only ask questions.

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Another improvement in reworking Plywood City

Architect's drawing of City Station North.

The much-anticipated plans for the fourth phase of the City Station project are scheduled to be unveiled at tonight's City Planning Commission meeting.

City Station North is expected to be 90,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of residential space divided into 80 apartments in a seven-story structure.

The prior phases of the sprawling project by the United Group of Companies of Troy have turned a blah open space into an eye-catching development very much in keeping with the architecture of the city and the needs of RPI graduate students for off-campus housing. Unlike those, however, this part of the project will include residential space designed for families. The designers even envision, at least in the abstract, an urban grocery locating there, something many city dwellers  desperately need.

The $55 million phase, which should take about two years to complete, will involve getting rid of a very ugly building at Congress and Sixth opposite the police headquarters that until recently was home to the Troy Educational Opportunity Center (EOC). In a good example of the ongoing revitalization efforts in the city, the EOC recently relocated to the Hedley Building on River Street, itself the conversion of an old factory into an attractive and bustling edifice.

All of which shows the very healthy mix of new and renewed buildings that continues to make Troy an ever-more-attractive place for new businesses and new residents, all of which help grow the tax base -- certainly something the city needs, given its current financial woes created by some very weak management.

Now, if we can just get our city government to do something about what makes this place Plywood City -- namely the boarded-up commercial and residential structures that so heavily punctuate our streets and neighborhoods -- we can begin crowing about the rebirth of a community. Until then, boarded-up buildings are daily reminders of failure.

Note: Back in 2002, I first tagged Troy with the nickname "Plywood City." You can read that commentary by clicking here.

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'2015: A Beer Odyssey' set for Rare Form Brewing

Rare Form Brewing Company, Troy's new craft brewery, will ring in the new year with a little something it is calling "2015: A Beer Odyssey."

The New Year's Eve event is scheduled for 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesday, December 31.

Rare Form will be tapping its Tripped Out Belgian Trippel and inviting some guest taps for the occasion. Among those guests will be the Other Half Brewing Company of Brooklyn and Rushing Duck of Chester, Orange County, with several to be added.

In a bit of a nod to the event title, a riff on "2001: A Space Odyssey," sci-fi films will be shown on a big screen, and custom printed T-shirts will be available. Tickets, priced at $55, will cover all-you-can-drink beer plus wine, a New York State sparkling wine toast, appetizers and a T-shirt. Tickets are available only online.

Rare Form Brewing Company is located at 90 Congress Street in Troy. Phone: 326-4303.

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The iconic Notty Pine Tavern is on the block

A Troy restaurant that opened at the end of World War II is for sale.

The Notty Pine Tavern, located at 2301 15th Street on the northern edge of the RPI campus, has an asking price of $425,000 which covers the name, building and equipment.

The restaurant was founded by the DeBonis family, who sold it to the Zitto family which currently owns and operates it. The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant remains open.

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Sundays. Phone: 272-4557 and 272-9383.

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Council's missing president needs a technology lesson

So easy a child could do it.

Troy City Council President Rodney Wiltshire has, for the second consecutive year, missed the all-important municipal budget vote due to his preference for being out of town on vacation rather than facing head-on a crucial, controversial topic in the community he is sworn to serve.

Wiltshire once again has excuses for being AWOL, of course, but there really is not a legitimate one in this era of high-tech communications. Despite being away, he nevertheless could have attended -- and fully participated in -- the Council sessions via real-time electronic means such as Skype, iPad's Facetime, etc.

The City Charter does not preclude that, nor does common sense. Should Wiltshire not have such technology available to him, surely someone could have loaned him the necessary device. Modern businesses use such remote communication all the time. Matter of fact, so do children who can't stand to be separated from their friends. It is not a radical notion.

Wiltshire says the 5-3 vote that was cast shows his attendance would not have made a difference in the outcome. That could be interpreted as him admitting he does not have any influence over Council actions despite his leadership position. Perhaps he is right.

The embarrassing, endlessly-squabbling council Wiltshire will not or cannot get under control, and his callous dismissal of his responsibilities say a lot about both his performance in office and his attitude toward his civic role. Unfortunately for the residents of Troy, he has at least another year in office. 

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Played for a sucker, one last time

Me with Danny Sarmiento.

The latest charity to which I contributed was the new National WWII Museum. A rather hefty contribution, in fact, in honor of my dad who was killed in action in France in WWII.

Since sending the organization a check, it has inundated me with endless requests for more money and pushing me to buy all sorts of useless tchotchkes. It is safe to say the organization has spent more in mailings and brochures sent to me than I contributed.

This, regretably, is not unusual. Numerous other organizations that have been recipients over the years of my contributions meant as supportive of their programs and goals have done the same mindless thing. I can site such groups as the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Capital City Rescue Mission, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, the American Red Cross and on and on.

By contrast, I also contribute significant sums through Rotary International, the 1.2 million-member global public service organization of which I long have been a member. In all the years I have done so, I have never been targeted for continual arm-twisting for more money.

It has been said insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, I am proclaiming my mental health to be strong and my charitable contributions from, now on to be limited to Rotary projects, be they local or international.

Locally, our Rotary club — Southern Rensselaer County, in my case, of which I am the current president — supports family service organizations, Boy Scouts, college scholarships, food pantries, literacy, the Gift of Life organization that brings children here for lifesaving cardiac surgery, and other undertakings. Globally, we support the ongoing battle to eradicate polio, provide ShelterBoxes which bring temporary shelters, tools, water purifying equipment, first-aid supplies and similar materials to areas ravaged by the forces of nature.

When I see the direct result of the hard personal work and generosity of my fellow Rotarians that does only good rather than becoming a catalyst for incessant fundraising, I know that decision is a proper one.

The most recent example is the $11,000 my club of fewer than 30 members raised to bring a Honduran youngster to Albany for lifesaving cardiac surgery under the auspices of the Gift of Life program. Little Danny Sarmiento (see photo above) is an example of what can be accomplished without wasting money on browbeating and annoying people who want only to help.

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