Troy's Community Newsletter

Planning begins for Earth Day cleanups

Residents of Troy, dust off your rakes and dig your gloves out of the closet, because, come rain or shine, the city is looking to give the Collar City a spring cleaning on April 24.

And they need help.

Each of the 18 project coordinators for this year's Earth Day cleanup would be delighted with more helping hands. Since the city has more than 26 small "pocket" parks and playgrounds, there's plenty of opportunity for residents to choose a site and start raking, organizers say.

This, the second-annual Earth Day cleanup in Troy, will be hard pressed to beat last year's event -- deemed an overwhelming success when more than 300 residents came out to clean the city's various parks, playgrounds, creeks, ponds and waterfront areas.

The Earth Day Celebration will be held on April 25 in front of city hall and has the potential to be quite an event, said Brant Caird, of the Mt. Ida Preservation Association.

After marginal efforts the last two years, organizers of the celebration say they are better prepared and are hoping to schedule more events and vendors. While details are still sketchy, Caird said the event will potentially feature live music, environmental information booths, a variety of vendors and other attractions related to the Earth Day theme.

The Record will be providing updates of scheduled projects and details of the celebration during the next few weeks.

The focus of Earth Day, outside of the tangible benefits of a clean city, is to bring the community out for a common cause.

"I think it's a celebration ... the value is in the community pride it will create," said Mayor Mark Pattison. "In every location, this public-private cooperation means the difference between night and day ... How people see Troy plays an important role in defining the city's image. We can improve this image though cooperation."

Some of slated projects have been ongoing, but will get a boost of energy and assistance from Earth Day volunteers.Caird said the Mt. Ida Preservation Association will continue the work that the neighborhood association has been doing since the Postenkill Dam burst two years ago.

"We'll be cleaning up the two cemeteries, the (water) spring on Linden Avenue and the bank on Pawling Avenue," said Caird, who had 50 people join in last year's Earth Day. "We'll be doing general clean-up with as many hands as want to come out and help."

The group is still hoping for the Postenkill Dam to be rebuilt, but Caird said the process remains stuck in the bureaucratic stages.

"Earth Day is a fantastic event," Caird said. "Troy is about it's natural resources ... and they need to be promoted and looked after."

Like the Mt. Ida Preservation Association, the Lansingburgh Rotary maintains Powers Park on 112th Street on a regular basis, said John Rustin of the Rotary.

Last year the group had eight people come out to lend a hand, and will be out on Earth Day to give the park a spring-time face lift and to show a sense of community.

"It's always nice to see the community get involved in something like Earth Day," Rustin said. "And it's nice to see the community be cleaned up and look good."

In Troy's interior, Michael Kittner will again be organizing a cleanup of the waterfront between Ingalls Avenue and Middleburgh Street.

Kittner, who had 40 people turn out at his project last year, has ambitious plans. He said he has the material for landscaping around the island on President Street, and has materials to build a step from Middleburgh Avenue down to the riverfront.

"It all depends on how many people show up and the talent they have," Kittner said. "It's an extremely valuable day, mostly from the point of community involvement: people getting together and supporting each other for a common goal, which is the environment."

Kittner also volunteered the site for an after-work get together for April 24.

The city will coordinate with the various groups to remove any debris that has been collected by the volunteers.

Anyone who wants to sponsor his or her own project can do so by calling Craig Pettinger at 270-4613.

In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation
Items published herein do not necessarily represent the opinions of Troy United Ink Corp., its officers or it's Board of Directors.

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