Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino has thrown his hat in for the struggle to be Governor of the State of New York. Right now he is running against Rick Lazio. I like the man, I like what I hear so far and it shouts out that he thinks using Common Sense,i nstead of what he thinks people want to hear to garner votes for him. I for one, and many many others know New York State needs a BIG change. Our State, our Country is in trouble. More and more each day we pick up the paper and read of more and more corruption and problems with our Politicians. We need, as simple as it sounds, to put more 'honest' people in our Government and stop the people from being elected that are just in it for the 'money', 'security' and personal power. We need someone who is going to do something for the PEOPLE and make the state great again. It has been a long long time, I don't think I will see it fixed in MY lifetime but perhaps for my children and Grandchildren should they decide to stay.

I know quite a few people that have already left New York State and a couple that have left the Country....sad.

I have a gut feeling this man can do the job. I like what I hear, he has his own money and is not in it for the money, he appears to be as sick as everyone else with what has been going on. He is a Businessman, Community Activist ( I really like that) and a Veteran. He was previously with the Democratic party, now a Republican since 2005. I myself for those who don't know am a Republican. I don't always vote along Party lines, I vote for who I feel is the best person to get the job done, I stand on my own two feet, I never did like someone telling me what to do. His religion doesn't make a difference to me but he is Roman Catholic, maybe he can straighten out the Church.

When he was younger he was also in the CCC, (Civilian Conservation Corps. ) I know of that period as my Father also participated in them in his younger years, it was hard work. He is looking to change our out of control Welfare System, thank God someone does, how did it ever get this way? This is NOT what it was intended for, Generations living solely on Welfare, we have free education in this Country and listings after listings in the paper for JOBS! As we all know some people just are NOT able to work and some people need temporary help and that is why it was created, not as a unending fund for those who know how to minipulate the system.

He wants to stem the Illegal Immigration (note:Illegal) we still need and want all and anyone to come to our Country who have a love of America and want to live and work here, but not the ones who don't want to do it the correct way or come here for Criminal activity.

I hear 'reform' when I listen to him speak. Others are out there beating him up, are they afraid of him, maybe.

Well we all get our chance in the voting booth, my vote will go to Carl Paladino, and your vote will go to your choice, THAT is America. I hope whomever we end up with can set New York straight and where it should be so we can afford to continue to live here.

Curfew!

The following is a copy of a letter posted to "Pulse of the People" in our Troy Record regarding the Curfew; Please read and feel free to comment. I would like to hear your comments and also any experiences you have had or known others to have regarding this late night activity that is causing so many problems. Or any issue you have with what we have written. This is your Forum for thoughts and opinions.

Tina

We Deserve a Curfew

As I read the paper today and turned to the opinion column, I have to say I was more than dismayed over what I read. The column was written regarding the recent enforcement of the "Curfew Law" in Troy. In the June 10 edition of The Record, Jim Franco wrote his opinion on the same subject and I have to say I agree more with Jim Franco. Also previous to these two writings there was another story right after the weekend enforcement, of people that made statements stating that it was unconstitutional or a violation of the underage children's rights.
Thila Bell, Nina Glandz and myself have co-chaired the combined North Central/South Lansingburgh Neighborhood Assn. for over 12 years. The most common complaint we hear at the meetings is that people are out on the streets late at night disturbing residents sleep, vandalizing property, partying and other quality of life disturbances. We and our groups have been asking for years to put out occasional "details" to put an end to this. We have a new Chief with the Police Department, and he is listening to us, and started the enforcement. Now we have people who are not affected by these late night activities, who feel that they need to jump in and tell us "why" it isn't needed, or how it violates the constitutional rights of those who choose to thumb their noses at the law. Laws are put on the book to be obeyed. Why do certain factions think that they are there only to be ignored? Towns and cities put laws in to their ordinance to make life livable and keep the residents happy and safe. Chirldren under 18 years of age have no business being out that late. Why do they need to be on the streets at that hour and why are their parents allowing it?

The following are our thoughts:
-Parents are just as guilty for endangering their children's lives by not supervising them, so they should be punished with the child.
-If the Parent protests, they should be reported to Child Protection Services and let the government get involved as they are endangering their child.
-The Malls prohibit teens and younger from the malls without a parent accompanying them.
-Mr. Guynup would not have gotten injured if they were home with their parents. The Parents in this case should also be charged.
-Neither North Central nor the black youth are being targeted on this. Anyone out past the curfew is being targeted. North Central just seems to have the most kids roaming the streets at three and four in the morning and where 'would' it be enforced, where there aren't any problems?
-Lastly just whose 'rights' are being violated? The poor suffering people who are trying to get some sleep so they can work the next day and pay for the vandalism to their houses and cars, or the creepy noisy little vandals roaming the streets at night? Put that to the test. Our vote goes to 'our' rights. Where in the Consitutution does it say that kids under 18 have the "right" to go out and disturb people late at night and pillage others property?

Retirement Communities, and gated communities all have their laws for quality of living they have all agreed on and no one is challenging those. If you don't like the laws of your village, town, City or state, move. That would make most of us happy.
If you are not having these problems in your area, thank your lucky stars and enjoy your sleep. But we are, so please let the citizens, the Police and the Public officials in our area handle it the way the laws state, and keep your opinions to issues that affect you. We aren't trying to run your neighborhood, please don't try to run ours.
We have suffered in our area long enough and we would like more people to agree with our efforts of remediation and let us enjoy the same privileges others have in this city.
Please help us make this city a place to enjoy living and be able to hear people say, "hey, you know, I LIKE living in Troy."

Tina Urzan, Thila Bell and Nina Glandz

How is Troy doing these days?

Well today dawns as a lovely Sunday in wonderful Troy, NY. Give or take some problems, it is our City and up to us to make it what it is or isn't.
I would like to hear from some of my fellow Citizens out there to let me know how their feelings are lately. Nothing is off limits. Speak of our upcoming Festival Season, or the bantering of over where the new City Hall should be, How Mayor Harry is doing, what you would like to see from our Home Town paper the Troy Record, how your Neighborhood is coming along, how the new Chief is doing, it is your Forum. This will give me a nice platform to write of what interests people, let me know what your issues are.

Have a great day!

Tina

Chief Tedesco

Boy do I like the sound of that CHIEF TEDESCO! I know most of the Neighborhood heads are as happy as can be and I am leading that list, just jumping for JOY!

Why? The simple reason being of the history the groups of the City of Troy have had with John Tedesco when he was Captain of the Community Police. And why is he so popular? Because he has always done his job. I first met Chief Tedesco, years ago, while being involved in our South Lansingburgh group. We had been meeting for quite a while going over and over our problems of our ever changing neighborhood which was going downhill quickly. Let me preface this with, I had not previously had much success with the Police in Troy, I had some bad experiences when calling about problems, one being a young boy who I caught setting fire to my garage, others which involved others in our neighborhood when there was a local boy shooting out our windows with a BB gun. So the outlook on the Police helping us was 'not good'. Well we invited Tedesco to our meeting, he sat and listened and we talked. When some who don't like him call him "Mr. Personality" I have to laugh, because when you first meet him, he is ALL BUSINESS. He has what we call 'the puss' on, but he did listen and said 'this will be taken care of and this is what I can do for you", and let me tell you, it wasn't just Lip Service just to shut us up. He and his Officers went to work 'with' us. We developed a great relationship and he always stood by us. He was always just a phone call away, always RETURNED phone calls and emails, the attention was always there. My opinion of the Troy Police did a huge turn around. Though not a perfect force it is getting much better and will continue to do so and shine under his leadership.

The Downside was when he was promoted to Asst. Chief, we felt this would be a plus for us, but with this promotion his duties were taken away from him, things were not well in the Dept. another story for another time. We began the Merry Go Round of "Heads of Community Policing". It took a giant step backwards. There were times we weren't even notified there was a new Captain in charge. There were times when we would get a new Community Police Officer and not even know it as no one, the Dept. Head nor the Officer would contact us. Sometimes we LOST our Officer and didn't know it. It was in shambles, much like the Dept. is now. But NOT FOR LONG! Tedesco has great plans for the City and the Force. He is very organized and determined. The Officers badly need direction and they will receive it. There is some shuffleing going on now and we will be advised of more. Tedesco knows exactly what the Neighborhoods need and I for one am very happy. Let's give the Chief the support he needs to guide the Dept. in the most advantageous way for the Citizens of Troy.

Let's hear your comments and what you would like the Chief to do for the City and the Force. Let us not forget a great big HUGE THANK YOU to Mayor Harry Tutunjian for making the best selection of all. LONG LIVE THE CHIEF!!!!

2010 Census

Have you filled out and sent in your 2010 Census? The forms went out last week and should have been in your mailbox by now. I received mine, filled it out as soon as it came and returned it. I didn't want to set it aside, thinking "I'll do it later" and then have it forgotten. It was very easy, 10 questions, all easy to understand and not personally invasive.

Some people may not understand the importance of filling this form out. It is not that the Government is being nosey, of which they frequently are accused us, but need this information to distribute our tax dollars to the areas that are in need. This information will tell them the numbers that are living in our Cities and the ages of people. Many of the Social Service dollars are distributed in this way, to the needy areas and other dollars for improvements such as infastructure. Troy is one City that fell below 50,000 in the last Census and we lost aid because of this. In reality I find it very hard to believe we were below 50,000, just take a look around you. Look at the large houses that have been broken down into multi-apartments, and many Census forms delivered to those houses are inadequate. Records may show it is a 2 or 3 Family house, when in reality, it may now be 5 to 6 apts in there, so the proper number of forms never arrive. Many of the apts are also severely overcrowed and they fear being evicted so they don't fill out the form or fill it out incorrectly understating the amount of people there. Thus, we show less than our City has and hence get less funding. I hope the Government also does a cross reference on the amount of Citizens in the area on Social Services, Unemployment, and Elementary and High School enrollments and compare that number with the numbers that come back in the Census forms, that would show whether or not there is an imbalance to our numbers as the forms are returned.

Also we have a number of illegals living in the City, obviously they are not going to fill out a form or the people that they are living with are not going to include them.

We need to have these forms filled out properly and returned so we can receive our fair share of our Tax dollars returned to us. I have heard some make statements such as "I am not giving them any of my personal information, they know too much already!" Folks, if you know of any of these people, please try to stress the importance of filling out the form. Most people don't realize that there are other benefits to the count besides just knowing how many people live in the Country, State and Cities.

If you need help with it, Call City Hall in Troy as our Mayor has set up various times and places for Trojans to go and ask questions and receive help filling out the form.
If there is anything I have missed or any comments you would like to add, please do so, this is a BLOG for the Community, and we all jump in to comment because, "That's the Way It Is"!

Stop the State, I want to get off!

What the heck is going on in New York State? I don’t even know how to actually start this piece. Has our Government gone crazy? Or is it crazy people that are in these positions? Over the past 2 years starting with Eliot Spitzer we have been entertained by the most embarrassing characters ever in State government and I guess it really ISN’T funny. We are paying for these people to represent us, and if we had to buy them, we would probably find them in a Garage Sale, picked over and tossed aside, only to be purchased at very low, cents on the dollar, price. We are the laughing stock of the Nation. I thought other states with the Governors having their affairs, and the “BLAGH’ in Chicago were Comedy show material, but we certainly hit the JACKPOT.


When I was a child and young adult, you thought of Congressmen, Senators and my God the Governor to be very revered men. Someone you had great respect for, and in some cases people you wanted to model yourselves after. But THIS BUNCH?? My God you just can’t make this stuff up, to tell the unwary of what was going on they would say, “go wan” you got to be kidding me! But no Folks, here it is, in Black and White right on the front page of our Newspapers, on our TV’s and all over the talk shows. What is it? It is the Governor Paterson show with all his Merry Thug men. I look at this ‘entourage’ he has surrounding him and all I can think of is rejected bouncers in Suits and wrinkled ones at that. What a joke they all are. Where did he find these prizes anyway? In the reject pile of the WWF?

Today came the news that he wasn’t going to seek re-election, did he even THINK he had a chance? Did ANYONE think that? Well I guess we can’t be entertained by that show anymore. What ever happened to intelligence in our State government? Maybe no one can spell the word so they don’t’ practice it. That is as good as reason as any I guess, considering the explanations and excuses we have been receiving to cover up all of these goings on. I will be so happy when the next election comes, if we have any money left to run one, just to get this brutal gang and tax-aholic make believe Governor OUT OF HERE!

When Commissioner Denise O’Donnell resigned I knew it was very serious and none of this was being fabricated. I met the Commissioner twice; both times she came to Troy when announcements of our continued funding for the IMPACT program were being made. I found her a very likeable person who took her job very seriously and was very surprised that she remembered me from the years before and asked how the area was doing, what our continued problems were and the value of the continued program. I thought to myself, this woman is putting a lot into her position and not just collecting a check or biding her time. If it is true she may be running for the next Attorney General, she would certainly have my vote. She certainly showed HER credibility by resigning. And she is doing the right thing distancing herself from this cover-up crowd. Lies, lies lies, right down the line, even the State Police involved in it all. Denise O’Donnell may even make a great candidate for a Governor at some point.

Do you think I am being too harsh? Have you ever seen anything like this in your life? Every morning you get up and say, now what? We are paying through the noses here in New York State, and this is what we get for our dollar? Plaeeeze…….save me! Maybe we could put them all on stage and sell tickets to their show and raise tax money that way……..but who would go?
We would make more money selling the Tomatoes out front to throw at them.

OK, so I haven’t been nice in this column, but geez, with the material we have here, what can you be? At least I am honest in my feelings.
I am just an everyday Citizen living under this umbrella of deceit with the rest of us and this is how I feel. I really don’t think I can write anymore as it is all very upsetting.

Add your comments. Was I being too hard? Too EASY?? What do YOU think and where do you think these hapless wannabes are going to land next? Those thoughts should be very entertaining. Can’t wait to read your opinions and comments.

St. Patricks Church

One of my BLOG readers has asked me to comment on the closing of St. Patricks Church. Usually I stay away from Religious conversations as it always seems to raise the hair on some Folks backs as all our views are different so here I go on my Soapbox as requested!

Just for the record, I myself, was raised Roman Catholic. My Father was a Ukrainian Orthodox, but my Mom was a Roman Catholic so that is how myself and all my Siblings were raised. I started Kindergarten in the old St. Joseph's School with Sister Immaculata and mid-year after our Christmas recess, returned to the new school built on Fourth St. We moved in 1956 and I was enrolled in St. Jude's in Wynantskill until shortly after the death of my Mother in 1961 and then re-enrolled in Wynantskill School by my Step-Mother. So I do have a religious education and can comment with this being stated.

I feel the closing of St. Patricks is doing an absolute disservice to the people of North Central and the surrounding areas, as many Parishioners who have relocated still attend Mass there. I had the opportunity to speak with Bishop Hubbard last year and I was very direct in telling him how wrong this was for the Community and how he was going to realize this after the fact, and should reconsider. I told him I was sure that he was not aware of plans for some redevelopment of his area, especially along the river and that the volume of the people living here was going to increase and for the better. These Folks are all going to be looking for a Church and probably the most beautiful church in the City of Troy is going to be shuttered. I don't think I fazed Bishop Hubbard, I felt I was looking into empty eyes. I wondered if he was even hearing me. Bishop Hubbard was raised here in this area, St. Patricks was his school and Parish and he is not fighting one bit for that Church or Parish, SHAME on him! All the support he received through the years from his Parishoners and this is what he gives in return! Shame on him TWICE!!!!! I don't think he should be let into Heaven, St. Peter at the Pearly Gates should look HIM in the empty eyes and say "you did not do what we put you on earth for, and especially as a PRIEST & BISHOP"! You did not fulfill your duties. sorry you are not getting in. The Gates of Heaven should then be closed on him as he is closing the Gates to St. Patricks!

You would think that of all Churches, he would want to save the one of the neighborhood he grew up in, but sadly it seems not to be the case. In fact, that is my rub with the Catholic Church and why I don't attend Mass any longer. I do not feel that they care about their Community, the physical Church is there, the Priests are there but to go to them about a problem in your Family or your Community, they are not there for you, they will refer you to someone else or an agency. THAT is not what a Church is all about, it is about keeping the flock attended, checking on Parishioners who have fallen on hard times, people who are physically sick or those who are misguided.

So to the reader who asked my opinion, there is it, you got me on my Soapbox. For those who know me, they know I speak from the heart and truthfully, and never lie, I speak it as I see it and KNOW it, and if you don't like it, maybe you are the person I am speaking of or are maybe dishonest yourself. So I can't see and I haven't heard of anyone who is in favor of this Church closing. All of the donations made for over 100 years to this beautiful Church are now for naught. What the walls of this Church has witnessed over the years, the Baptisms, the Weddings, Funerals, Confessions, First Communions, Confirmations, prayers and many many people living and long passed on will fade into a non-existence. I hope Bishop Hubbard reads this,I hope he feels terrible after he does. Am I being rough on him? No rougher than he is being on the Parishioners that have supported him for years! Keep it open and get us a new Bishop! Bishop Hubbard is retiring soon, so he doesn't' care, he will be safe and sound, but what of his Flock? Don't bother looking for him in Heaven, he won't be there.

Delivery Stick Ups

Troy and other areas are becoming hot spots for Deliverymen becoming victims of Crime. Usually they only end up losing all of the money that they have collected for the food delivered and/or the food that they are currently delivering, but someday one of them is going to lose their life! In times past more frequently you would hear of Cab Drivers being robbed,and we have had some murders involved in this, and to solve that problem bullet proof shields were installed in the cabs separating the Driver from the Passengers,and Passengers were to only ride in the back, but unfortunately, some drivers still allow pick-ups to ride in the front and are robbed.

Now deliveryman are a different victim, they have no way of protecting themselves from these creeps. These are innocent people trying to make a living and these creeps robbing them are the scum of the earth with no morals or values. A lot of my readers of this BLOG know me, and I have to apologize for some of the words I use to describe people or actions, but being in volunteer Community service as long as I have, I have learned these words are the only way to describe these Hoodlums.

How are the businesses, mainly Pizza and Chinese Food establishments to protect themselves? I have thought long and hard about this. Perhaps the Businesses could have a registry of their regular delivery customers. If you are someone new who would like to use their services and has not ever had delivery to your home, you could go to this business and tell them you would like to be able to partake of delivery and register your address and show your Drivers License number to be recorded to prove you actually live there and are legitimate. Then Drivers will only go to these safe locations. Food delivery brings more income to these businesses as many people are not able to go pick it up. It has nothing to do with being lazy, some people just don't have cars, some are elderly Folks who won't drive at night, due to vision problems or just being afraid to go out at night.Others may be a Parent home by themselves while the Spouse is working and just can't pack all the kids in the car for a pickup and can't leave the kids alone at home, so it is a great convenience.

What else could you do besides send a Cop out posing as a Deliveryman of which we don't have the available Police personnel to do this or positioning a undercover unit occasionally at a unknown request for delivery that seems questionable, perhaps the street crime unit. It is an easy crime for these thugs to pull off and I welcome comments, views and suggestions on solving this problem.

Action Jackson!

Wow, so “Action Jackson” is coming to the RECORD! I think this is a great move for this Kid’s career. How many out there have caught his segment on Capital News 9 on the weekends? I do occasionally and think he is a mixture of talent, knowledge and hilarity! He really is funny on top of knowing his movies. We are usually accustomed to some older funky boring type person giving his reviews of movies and now along comes ‘Action Jackson”!

I am not sure of his age, he appears to be somewhere between 10-12. He is a short, cute kid with freckles, a nice looking and very well spoken. BUT inside the ‘kid’ body is somewhat of an ‘old man’ lurking in there. Have you ever heard someone describe their child as 10 going on 50? Well this is “Jackson”. He speaks as though he were 40 years old, went to the School of Hands for sure and has all of the facial movements and actions of any well seasoned TV Commenter. He really is a riot. I was very sorry I missed his show for the Halloween weekend. I caught the advertisement for it but was busy during the day and never did get to see it, but he sure had a cool get up on for the advertisement of the segment.

Sometimes you laugh watching his antics and sometimes he acts so old you want to “grab him and stuff him back into his KID body” but he is so enjoyable you are just stuck watching him and can’t turn away, his reviews are right on also, not just his opinion.

Well I want to wish him all the luck in the world with his young career. I can remember being his age and having all the ideas going through my head of what I wanted to ‘do’ or ‘be’, something we don’t see many of the kids doing today, they are just coasting, but he is acting on his ideas. Hurray for his Parents for encouraging him and not holding him back, or telling him he is ‘too young’ or wait until you are older. Let him to continue to run with this and all those other ideas floating around in his head, I think he should also branch out into TV advertisement he certainly has talent and a way of making people pay attention to him.

I don’t know if just having a Review column in the RECORD is going to be as interesting as watching his “act” on TV, but maybe, just maybe the RECORD may want to tie in a video segment of his reviews on their ‘online’ edition, I am sure there will be a lot of advertisers wanting their product info tied to his video segment. IF you have never caught his review, make an effort to do so. You will be mesmerized watching him and come away laughing.

Let me know what your opinion of ACTION JACKSON is, I am sure I will enjoy reading those, and also maybe ‘Action’ will too and get a feel for what the public thinks!

Troubled Sixth Avenue

We all have been aware of the summer problems in Troy and even more aware of the problems that have plagued 6th Avenue on the Boulevard between 101st and 102nd Sts. It has been a real replay of the Hatfield and the McCoy’s for quite a while now.

The problem had been largely ignored by the Police Dept. per complaints at the Neighborhood Assn. meeting until the situation boiled over a few weeks back and 8 arrests were made out of one big brawl. NOT amazing was only one arrest was a person who actually lived on the block. Much of the crisis was coming from outside interference, but not all.

To try and rectify the problem, Nina Glandz, (co-chair Friends of the combined North Lansingburgh and South Lansingburgh Neighborhood Assn.) took it upon herself to hold 2 separate meetings with the group. The first was held with the Parents only at the North Central Community Police Station. Most of the parents on the block attended as well as Chief Kaiser, the Street Crime Unit (Officers Adam Mason, Chad Klein and Marty Furciniti), Chuck McDonald (the Community Officer for that district) and Dominick Comitale. Also in attendance was Councilman Mark McGrath, Pastor Willie Bacote, Jeff Pirro and myself.

The parents sat in a circle and one by one in rotation; they spoke of their problems as a group and individual either with each other or the situation. A lot of frustration was aired and problems alleviated and hopefully friendships that did not exist before extended. Plans were made to meet with each other and discuss how they were doing on each others porches and a BBQ get together. All left feeling much better.

A week or so after that, Nina held a meeting with the children and Teenagers at Pastor Willie’s Church at 101st & 6th, who was in attendance there but no one from the Police Dept., and she spoke and they conversed about their behavior that led to the problems and what they do that so irritates others that live on the block. The lights seemed to go off in the heads of those gathered. All left this meeting feeling better about themselves and each other also. Lately it has been a Model block with no need to call the Police.

THIS is Community, THIS is how problems should be solved before they blow up into something bigger than could be imagined and the Police need to intervene.

OK, just so WHO is Nina Glandz? Besides being the Co-chair of the Neighborhood Assn. she is a resident who lives on Florence Place. You can see her regularly, out sweeping and cleaning and picking up the street. Originally she came as a Guest to my Bed and Breakfast when her daughter was coming to this area to go to college. She fell in love with Troy and came to live, first renting an apt. and then later purchasing the home on Florence Place. Within the first 6 months of moving to Florence Place some very unusual things happened including a murder right behind her house in the alley, things that just aren’t acceptable mostly based in the problems of Absentee Landlords.

Nina at that point decided to jump in head first to improving the Community and the quality of life issues in her area and has been working her butt off since. If we all could put just half of this effort into our neighborhood blocks and areas, my God what a transformation in Troy we would see.

Let’s give an A+ to Nina and a huge THANK YOU, to the energy she put into solving a problem and making a problem block as trouble-free as possible.

Let her know how you feel, because THAT’S THE WAY WE ARE!