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.

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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

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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.

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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!

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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.” 

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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.” 

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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. 

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Spotting the 'Monarch of the Terrace'

"Monarch of the Glen," which hangs in the Scottish National Gallery.

Some of you may be familiar with the painting "Monarch of the Glen," an oil-on-canvas painting of an impressively large red deer stag completed in 1851 by the English painter Sir Edwin Landseer.

It was commissioned as part of a series of three panels to hang in the Palace of Westminster in London. As one of the most popular paintings throughout the 19th Century, it sold widely in reproductions in steel engraving, and finally was bought by companies to use in advertising.

Well, except for their cool accents, us red-blooded Yanks can always do better than the Brits, and neighbor Ned Alaskey has supplied us with proof of it. Well, sort of. Our resident "monarch" stag is camera shy, so any recorded glimpse of him may be a bit fuzzy, but here it is anyway.

 

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Happy Thanksgiving to all

 

"Freedom From Want," one in a series called "The Four Freedoms" by iconic artist Norman Rockwell who often used locations and people from Troy in his paintings.

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Details on upcoming Terrace Holiday Luncheon

Bring 'em with you!

Thanks to those of you who emailed your RSVPs by today's (Saturday's) deadline for a place at the table at the upcoming Terrace Holiday Luncheon.

It is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 15, at McGreivey's Restaurant in Waterford, the same venue as last year. Twenty-three people have reserved seats. The price per-person is $34. Please drop off your checks, made payable to Janice Dessingue, at her house (or  mail them to her at 6 Hyland Circle) no later than December 8.

The event will be a sit-down, three-course lunch -- salad, an entrée chosen from among five offerings by the chef that day, and dessert. Coffee, tea, water, and soda are included. A cash bar will be available.

Once again, rather than stuffing holiday stockings we are asking attendees to bring along new socks to be donated to the needy. Socks, believe it or not, are among the most requested but most overlooked clothing items collected by organizations helping the needy.

P.S. If you had planned to email your reservation but forgot today was the deadline, you can send your "yes" not to Janice right now by clicking on jldessingue@nycap.rr.com . Tomorrow may be too late.

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Report from your THCA Board

As required by the bylaws of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association (THCA), your elected Board held a reorganization session on Monday, November 13.

Attending were six of the seven members unanimously re-elected at the recent THCA meeting. Absent was Ned Alaskey who was in warmer climes.

For reorganization, the membership votes on members of the Board and, as such governing organizations as the British Parliament does, that Board then decides on who fills each Board seat. In this instance, after discussion the Board unanimously decided to maintain the current slate of officers as follows for 2024-25:

President: Bill Dowd

President Emeritus: Steven Sanders

1st Vice President: Sid Legg

2nd Vice President: Ned Alaskey

Treasurer: Jerry Gordon

Secretary: Ellen Gordon

At Large: Bill Shover

The key takeaways from the meeting:

• Bill agreed to accept yet another two-year term as THCA president, which will result in more than a decade in the position. To help alleviate some of the year-round pressure on such a volunteer position, Steven has agreed to fill in for Bill as needed.

• For example, Bill and Steven will share duties as sole contacts with Skyview Landscaping, Bill for the "green months" and Steven for the "winter months." Any resident who has questions or comments about grounds services is asked to contact them directly via email rather than interacting directly with Skyview employees which has caused problems in the recent past. 

• The Board established a Finance Committee, with THCA Treasurer Jerry Gordon as chair and Peg Savchick as an "understudy" member. The logic is to create a stronger depth of fiscal knowledge on behalf of the THCA which has for many years relied perhaps too heavily on one person.

• Janet Fowler, who spearheaded the recent improvements of the planted area around the mailbox gazebo, was added to the Beautification Committee to succeed Colleen Walsh who resigned. The Board thanks Colleen for her service, as it does for chair Paula Fox Murphy and member Florine Rogers.

• Jim Cotter resigned from the Grounds Committee. The Board thanked him for his service, and found no need to appoint a successor since we have point persons to provide contacts for our grounds vendors (see item above) and returning members Ned Alaskey, Bill Shover, and Bob Malphrus can handle grounds matters not involving outside contractors. Bill Dowd and Steven Sanders can handle communications since they are here year-round

• All other standing committee members have been reappointed. They will be listed on the periodically-updated THCA roster distributed by Jerry Gordon.

The THCA Board thanks those Terrace residents who have volunteered to serve or continue to serve on the Board and various committees. Their contribution of services continues to help us avoid contracting with a professional management company that would wildly increase our dues.

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Care about traffic? Make your thoughts heard

The Capital Region Transportation Council -- formerly CDTC -- wants to know where you experience traffic in the Capital Region and what you think about proposed strategies to address it.

To get involved, you can read the report, take the five-minute survey, and even get your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to do the same.

The deadline for commenting is Tuesday, November 28. Just go online to http://capitalmpo.org/2023CMP to begin the process.

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Hoosick St. traffic to be delayed on Saturday

A portion of Hoosick Street (Route 7) will be closed on Saturday so a Department of Public Utilities (DPU) crew can repair leaking underground water infrastructure.

According to an announcement from City Hall, at least two lanes of Hoosick will be closed from 15th Street to Burdett Avenue. The plan is for a 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. closure or until repairs are completed, whichever is sooner. 

"While it is not currently anticipated that there will be a need to do so, the City may close additional lanes of traffic -- up to all four lanes of Hoosick Street between 15th Street to Burdett Avenue -- based on the repair needs of the project," the announcement added.

The Troy Police Department will be on-site to facilitate the safe passage of vehicles near the work zone. Motorists and commuters should plan alternate routes of travel if possible and mind any posted parking restrictions.

Not sure of the side streets in the affected area? Go here for a map that may help you navigate.

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Make your reservations now for our Holiday Luncheon

Our annual Holiday Luncheon date is coming up fast -- noon on Friday, December 15, at McGreivey's Restaurant in Waterford.

The party planners -- Janice Desingue and Anne Hunter -- are working on the details but need an advance headcount because the number of attendees could have an impact on the eventual price.

Please email Janice at jldessingue@nycap.rr.com NO LATER THAN THIS SATURDAY to let her know if you plan to attend.

A few notes:

• The price probably will be in the $35 range per person, which will include tax and tip. 

• The menu for the three-course, full-service sitdown luncheon will include a salad, a variety of entrees from which you can choose upon arrival, dessert, plus coffee, tea, soda, or water. A cash bar also will be available. 

• The restaurant is handicap accessible. 

So, please contact Janice ASAP. We encourage as many people to attend as possible. Last year's luncheon was a successful post-COVID resumption of an annual social event we hope to continue for years to come.

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2024 dues information

 

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An early 'turkey day' sighting

It's still 12 days until Thanksgiving Day, so this small flock of turkeys obviously didn't feel threatened as they browsed around the Terrace today.

Thanks to neighbor Joan Richardson for sharing this image with us.

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Don't forget to vote on Tuesday

Oakwood Bible Church polling place.

Would you like a say in who will be the next mayor of the City of Troy? 

Or, who will be the next City Council president?

Those and other races for office, along with a pair of questions, are on the ballot in front of voters on Tuesday, November 7.

If you didn't take advantage of early voting which ended on Sunday, you can check in at this year's polling place for anyone who lives in the Terrace neighborhood -- Oakwood Bible Church, located just south of us at 260 Oakwood Avenue.

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Troy Waterfront Chili Festival set for Saturday

The 2nd annual "Troy Waterfront Chili Festival" is set for this Saturday in the River Street Market inside the Hedley Building, 433 River Street.

The event, organized by Brown's Brewing, is a fundraiser for Folds of Honor New York. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 51,000 scholarships totaling more than $240 million to the spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. It recently announced it is expanding to incorporate first responders such as police, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.

Tickets available online, are $20 in advance, $25 day of (children under 12 free). The festival will run from 1 to 4 p.m., with attendees being able to sample various chilis from a range of eateries including those operating in the River Street Market's food court. 

Participating eateries that operate on the Troy waterfront:

• Brown’s Brewing Company
• Troy Beer Garden
• Ryan’s Wake
• Oh Corn, Arepas and More
• Maria’s Healthy Smoothies and Bowls
• Pataconia
• Prime Burger
• Taco Libre
• Organa Juice Bar
• Hummucidal
• The Fox and The Burn

In addition, Joe Aldee and the Lug Nuts will provide live music for the family-friendly event.

Attendees are asked to bring a bag of groceries to donate to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and be entered in a drawing for a prize raffle.

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Let there be (lots of wintertime) light

As we prepare to turn our clocks back one hour before we go to bed Saturday night, it's a good time to remember the need for proper outdoor lighting when it gets dark earlier.

We have a number of dark areas on the Terrace, so the more proper lighting we have at each residence the better. We already have repaired the lighting fixtures at the Hyland Drive entrance to the Terrace and added solar-powered lights in the planted area next to the mailbox gazebo parking lot.

Please check your exterior lights -- both the pole lights and the bolted-on lights adjacent to the garage doors as well as any lights attached to the rear exterior -- to be sure they are in good working order. 

John Paccione has been making himself available to neighbors to advise them on the most affordable state-of-the-art lights that improve illumination and reduce utility costs. You can call him at 518-577-2200 for advice.

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Save the date!

A snapshot of last year's Holiday Luncheon.

Last December, we revived our tradition of a Holiday Luncheon that had been sidelined for a number of years by resident turnover and then the COVID pandemic.

We had such a good time gathering at McGreivey's restaurant in Waterford that we're going to do it again.

So, circle Friday, December 15, on your social calendar and save the date.

Planning has begun, and the details will be shared with the entire Terrace community as they are firmed up.

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