Have you paid your 2024 dues?

Monday, January 1, 2024, is the deadline for paying your dues for the year or the first quarter of the year.

If you somehow still need an explanation of the process after all these years, please click here for details.

And, please be assured that your dues still go toward paying for grounds maintenance during warm months, snow removal during winter months, maintenance of grounds, structures, parking area, seasonal decorations, and so on without the often-exorbitant charges of maintenance companies are handled.

---

As we head into 2024 ...

Dear Terrace Neighbors:

As April and I celebrate our 28th New Year's Eve on the Terrace -- exceeded only by our friend Lorraine Bailey as the neighborhood's longest residents -- I would like to mark the occasion by expressing our gratitude to all of you, new and not-so-new, for your contributions toward making the community the wonderful place it is.

We have experienced the windswept periods of construction -- including the holidays during which we decorated the chemical toilets on the grounds for the construction crews -- and watched your homes being built to the plantings of the original packages of trees and shrubs that now are being replaced as they age out, to the turnovers of residents as they, too, age out -- such wonderful neighbors as Russ and Rose Golino, Bob and Polly Hayward, Joe and Gerry Claeys, Harvey Bailey, Julia Austin, Charlie and Dorothy  Crowley, Donna Mackey, Dorothy DeLuca, Bill Wade, Phil Steiner, Tory Clements, and on and on.

All that said, as the president of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Associaton for going on a second decade, I am profoundly grateful for your faith in repeatedly voting for me to continue leading our community and for the continuing willingness of our current Board members to work on your behalf to maintain services to our residents, keep costs below what we would have had to pay to a management company, and to be responsive to your many needs, all without pay and often without thanks.

That said, bless you all and a Happy 2024!

-- Bill Dowd

THCA President

---

How to get rid of your Christmas tree

That annual problem for some households -- getting rid of a Christmas tree -- isn't necessarily a problem for residents of Troy.

The City will be sending crews throughout the neighborhoods to collect real trees beginning next Tuesday, January 2. The program will run through Friday, January 12, at no charge to households.

“The City of Troy continues to prioritize sustainable disposal practices that are environmentally responsible and economically sensible, which is why we are ensuring that recycling options are still available to Troy families who wish to recycle this season’s Christmas tree,” said outgoing Mayor Patrick Madden. “I thank our workforce for all they do to enable our families to recycle, compost, and responsibly dispose of refuse in every neighborhood.”

Troy’s Departments of Recycling, Streets and Sanitation is asking residents to place their trees at the curb or roadside on their regular collection day between January 2 and January 12. Or, residents may bring trees to the Troy Resource Management Facility (formerly known as the Alamo) at the intersection of Main Street and Eastern Industrial Parkway on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Real Christmas trees can be turned into mulch or allowed to naturally break down over time. Keeping real Christmas trees out of the landfill allows them to be used to build stronger soil in Troy. 

Don't have a real tree but want to dispose of an artificial version? Call the Department of Public Works dispatcher at 518-270-4579. 

Residents are asked to:

• Remove all ornaments, lights, and other decorations from the tree
• Remove the tree from the tree stand
• Place the tree next to your recycling and garbage containers on your normal collection day

RECYCLING HOLIDAY LIGHTS

The Mount Ida Preservation Association is recycling old Christmas lights, extension cords, and charging cords. Residents may drop their recyclables at 548 Congress Street in the big green barrel in front of main red doors at the front of the Church through the first week of January. More information about this program is available through the Mount Ida Preservation Association.

---

Scenes from a party

Here are a few scenes from Friday's "Terrace Holiday Luncheon" at McGreivey's Restaurant in Waterford. 

If anyone else took photos and would like to share them with the community, please email them to Bill Dowd. Thank you in advance!

---

Troy gets $100K grant to revitalize waterfront

The City of Troy has been selected to receive $100,000 in state "Local Waterfront Revitalization Program" (LWRP) funding. 

What does that mean? According to the Patrick Madden administration, "The funding will help Troy identify a vision and guide development for the city's eight-mile Hudson River waterfront, while aligning with the recently completed zoning update called 'ReCode Troy' and addressing the city’s smart growth, resiliency and sustainability goals."

The LWRP is funded through the state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to provide grants to communities to develop locally-driven plans with a vision for their waterfront, guided by several environmental policies to ensure projects work in harmony with waterfront natural resources and ecosystems. 

The funding was awarded as part of $23 million in state funding to support 101 communities across the state through part of Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. It will help Troy develop its Hudson River waterfront by allowing it to plan its own economic future to benefit residents, businesses, and visitors alike. 

Dylan Turek, the city's commissioner of planning and economic development, said, "I am excited to see the positive impact this funding will have on the community and the entire Capital Region. Troy is fortunate to have direct access to so much waterfront and nearly every neighborhood lives within a few miles of the Hudson River. Cities that commit to working closely with communities and developers to realize a shared vision for their waterfront experience the greatest return through growing property values and increased revenue as far as three miles away. 

"With our coming submission to nominate 200+ acres of the South Troy waterfront for 'Brownfield Opportunity Area' designation working in concert with the U.S. EPA Assessment grant that was awarded in 2021, adopting a new LWRP dovetails perfectly into our proactive approach.

"We want to make sure that we do it right since the opportunity won’t come again for at least a century.” 

---

Troy PD adds electric bikes to its fleet

You may not seem them here on the outskirts of the City of Troy, but don't be surprised if you see several members of the Troy Police Department patrolling on bicycles elsewhere as you travel through the city.

The Troy Police Department has added a pair of Recon Interceptor electric bicycles to its fleet of vehicles, thereby removing barriers preventing community access to officers while maintaining their ability to respond quickly to emergencies. 

“Our families have asked for more community policing as a way to foster better relationships with the officers serving their neighborhoods, and these new e-bikes will help us meet that goal of increasing interactions and partnership while maintaining our force’s ability to respond quickly in an emergency,” said Mayor Pat Madden. “This will make it easier for officers and residents to have more personal interactions in neighborhoods across the city.” 

The intent of the department’s bicycle program is to equip officers to reach locations that are difficult to access by other means while also breaking down the physical barriers that a motor vehicle creates between officers and the community they serve. The electric bicycles will, says Madden, improve officers’ ability to access neighborhoods and areas that are harder to navigate to on a traditional bicycle, including Troy’s many hills. 

All bicycle-trained officers will be able to utilize the new e-bikes once a brief familiarization training is completed. 

Says Chief of Police Daniel DeWolf, “The addition of e-bikes to our toolbox for community engagement makes good sense. These bikes allow our officers to get closer and more approachable to the community while also providing an additional layer of safety and security for our neighborhoods and parks.” 

---

Don't forget your socks for Friday's luncheon

We are just five days from our annual Terrace Holiday Luncheon event, so if you haven't shopped for new socks for women, men, and children, better get moving.

Besides the check you've already dropped off at event coordinator Janice Dessingue's residence, we're again asking for the sock donations that she will deliver to local service groups that help those in need. Clean sock are, believe it or not, one of the most-requested but least-donated items.

We're looking forward to seeing you at Friday's luncheon at McGreivey's Restaurant in Waterford.

Meanwhile, you can go here to see what happened to last year's donations. 

---