For Immediate Release

Contact: Lynn Kopka 518-274-6434

Troy’s Washington Park Unveils New Historic Marker, July 27

Private park open to the public during reception, Wednesday 1:30 p.m.

TROY, NY (07/25/2011) — This Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., neighborhood residents will unveil a historic marker indicating that Washington Park is one of only two privately owned and maintained urban residential parks in New York state.

“A lot of new people are discovering Troy, but they don’t always realize how special some of our features are. Washington Park and the famous Gramercy Park in Manhattan are the only parks of their kind in the state,” said Lynn Kopka, president of the Washington Park Association. “This historic marker will help newcomers realize how special our city really is.”

The cast iron sign is located in the northeastern corner of Washington Park, near the intersection of Third St. and Washington St. It is painted in the state colors, blue and gold, and reads:

WASHINGTON PARK

Established in 1840 this park is one of only two privately owned urban ornamental parks in New York State.

Washington Park Association

The sign was cast by the same company used by New York State to create more than 2,800 official historic markers during the 1920s through 1960s, when the program was discontinued. Now it’s up to individual communities to create, finance and erect site-specific historic markers.

The Washington Park historic marker was commissioned by a former resident, but never displayed publicly until now.

“Some people didn’t want the sign because it’s not an original feature of the park,” said Steve Muller of Second Street, noting that neighborhood residents are very protective of keeping their park in its original condition. “But we had a popularity contest at our summer picnic and the majority of people said yes to the sign.”

Muller repaired and repainted the sign, and Washington Park resident Karl Moschner erected the mounting pole.

PRIVATE PARK OPEN TO PUBLIC DURING RECEPTION

Most days of the year, only neighborhood residents can access the gated park with a key. But this Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., the public will have a rare opportunity to walk the Washington Park grounds during the sign unveiling and reception. Refreshments will be served.

“This Wednesday is a special opportunity for the public to explore our park grounds, so don’t miss out,” said Kopka.

WASHINGTON PARK ASSOCIATION TO ACQUIRE ST. MARY’S CHURCH

On Monday, July 18, Friends of Washington Park submitted plans to the city to transform the closed former St. Mary’s Church into a community cultural center. Friends of Washington Park, a nonprofit affiliated with the Washington Park Association, will purchase the historic church at 196 Third St. from the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. The purchase is contingent upon approval by the city Zoning Board of Appeals for the proposed reuse.

Last summer Friends of Washington Park completed a $200,000 restoration project to preserve and restore the original Belgian block pavers on Washington Place, a short street bordering the south end of the park.

“We’re hoping that all of these efforts will spur additional development in the community,” Kopka said.

For information, contact: Lynn Kopka at 518-274-6434.

For high resolution publicity images of the historic marker, click here.

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release:

State historical marker to be unveiled at Washington Park this afternoon
The Record, July 27, 2011Troy

Washington Park in Troy is historic. There’s a sign now and everything.
All Over Albany, July 26, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amy Williams 518-273-0552 ext 228

Jump N’ Jive “River Street Riot” to Benefit Arts Center, April 16

Featuring: The Tichy Boys, food by Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

TROY, N.Y. (03/28/2011) — This April 16 is “River Street Riot,” a night that promises to be one of the Capital Region’s biggest, most innovative rockabilly dance parties ever.

All proceeds will benefit The Arts Center of the Capital Region.

“Rockabilly itself is a blast,” said Amy Williams, Arts Center president. “Add to that a few muscle cars, a jive dance lesson, some temporary tattoos, and great food and drinks — why, it’s going to be a riot!”

This is a new event for The Arts Center. Festivities will begin at 7 p.m. on April 16 at The Arts Center, 265 River Street in downtown Troy.

The evening will feature live music by The Tichy Boys, consisting of John Tichy, a founding member of the legendary Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, and his son Graham, a highly respected local musician, along with others. The food concession at the Riot will be provided by Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.

There will be photo ops with cutouts of 1950s icons Bettie Page, the bombshell pin-up queen, and James Dean, the ultimate bad boy. Prizes will be awarded for the best Page and Dean look-alikes. The evening also will feature a dance contest and a silent auction.

“We really want the crowd to have fun and let loose,” said Daria Mallin, party planning committee member. “So we picked a few not-so-prim-and-proper celebs for the look-alike contest.”

Mallin said she expects the evening — filled with music, art, fashion and fantastic energy — will be especially attractive to the local arts community, college students, music lovers, swing and jive dancers, art collectors, foodies and “retrophiles.”

“Our theme is great music, a trendy ‘look,’ cool cars, and hip styles of dance,” Mallin said. “We’re really aiming to transport party goers with a rockin’ evening of fun for a good cause.”

FAST FACTS:

Who: The Tichy Boys, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

What: River Street Riot

Where: The Arts Center of the Capital Region

When: Saturday, April 16, 2011, 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Why: To benefit local arts at The Arts Center

Cost: $15 advance/members; $20 at the door. To purchase tickets in advance, visit http://artscenteronline.org or call 518- 273-0552.

PUBLICITY IMAGES:

For a high resolution River Street Riot poster, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/ArtsCenter.html

For information, contact Amy Williams at 518-273-0552 ext 228.

###

Family-Friendly Celtic Storytelling, Music & Dance Performance, March 5 & 6

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company with Storyteller Bairbre McCarthy Present “Celtic Footprints” at The Arts Center of the Capital Region

TROY, NY (Feb. 28, 2011)—A performance of spoken word, music and dance this weekend at The Arts Center of the Capital Region will tell the story of the Celts.

In “Celtic Footprints,” Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company and seanchaí (storyteller) Bairbre McCarthy bring audiences on a fantastical journey that follows the historical migration of the Celtic peoples from Central Europe to Scotland, Wales & Ireland and then across the Atlantic to Appalachia.

Audiences of this family-friendly show will see and hear the myth of the Seal People, the Legend of the Swans, the Adventures of Jack (beyond the beanstalk), and more.

WHO: Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company & Storyteller Bairbre McCarthy

WHAT: Celtic Footprints

WHERE: The Arts Center of the Capital Region, 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180

WHEN: Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m. & Sunday, March 6 at 1:30 p.m.

TICKETS: In-Advance: $12 / $10 Members / $8 Children | At the Door: $15 (518) 273-0552

PUBLICITY IMAGES

To download high resolution publicity photographs of Bairbre McCarthy and of the Ellen Sinopoli dancers, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/The_Arts_Center_of_The_Capital_Region.html

ABOUT THE STORYTELLER

Ireland’s Sunday Tribune describes County Clare native Bairbre McCarthy as a master storyteller. The Irish Prime Minister brought her latest book, “The Keeper of the Crock of Gold” to the White House on St. Patrick’s Day 2009 as a gift for the daughters of President Barack Obama. McCarthy now lives near Saratoga Springs, N.Y

Her website is: http://www.bairbremccarthy.com

ABOUT THE DANCERS

Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (ESDC) presents the provocative and richly imagined choreography of Artistic Director Ellen Sinopoli. ESDC is the resident company of The Egg in Albany, N.Y. This year, Ellen Sinopoli and her dancers celebrate ESDC’s 20th Season. http://www.sinopolidances.org

ABOUT THE ARTS CENTER

Located in 5 adjoining 19th-century buildings in downtown Troy, The Arts Center of the Capital Region includes a fully-accessible 99-seat theater, four galleries and specially-designed studios for pottery, print-making, culinary arts, jewelry-making, woodworking, painting and drawing, stained glass, and dance. http://www.artscenteronline.org.

###

Advisory: Tonight – Breathtaking Japanese Flowers & Floral Design at FlowerSchool NY

Spectacular Photo and Video Opportunity

For Immediate Release

MANHATTAN (Jan. 17, 2011) — Tonight only, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., FlowerSchool New York will offer flower enthusiasts and the media a special opportunity to view and learn about breathtaking, unique Japanese flowers.

News photographers and videographers are especially urged to come capture vivid images of these stunning flowers.

Tonight’s free event at FlowerSchool New York is open to the public and is held in conjunction with Bloom Japan’s second annual flower show at the Japan Society in NYC.

While the flower show is limited to wholesalers and florists, tonight’s event at FlowerSchool New York is a chance for the general public to see Bloom Japan’s amazingly high quality flower varieties with colors, sizes, and characteristics rarely seen in the U.S.

About 1,000 stems will be on view at FlowerSchool New York, including: gorgeous, tall Gloriosa Lilies; large and fluffy Lisianthus; and spectacular Sweet Pea that changes from lavender to green all in one blossom!

The Bloom Japan Network is an alliance of Japan’s key flower auctions.

FlowerSchool New York offers floral design classes for flower enthusiasts taught by New York City master florists, including Michael George, Cas Trap and Meredith Waga.

Event:

JAPANESE FLOWERS & HOT SAKE

FlowerSchool New York
5 Tudor City Place
New York, New York 10017

Monday, January, 17, 2011
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Free Admission

212.661.8074

http://www.flowerschoolny.com

Media Only:

For information, call 212.661.8074 or email: flowerschool@flowerschoolny.com

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release:

Note: This event was attended by Bruce Golding of the New York Post. Later the following article by Reuven Blau appeared in print:

Valentine’s love in $500 bloom
New York Post, Feb. 6, 2011

For Immediate Release Contact: Duncan Crary 518-274-2723

Love Story Novel Explores Cold War of the Sexes

In “Comeback Love,” Historian and Journalist Peter Golden makes the case that the changing role of women was the most significant result of the Cold War

ALBANY, N.Y. (01/10/2011) — Peter Golden is best-known for his interviews with Cold War-era world leaders, including Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush (41); Secretaries of State Kissinger, Haig, and Shultz; Israeli Prime Ministers Shamir, Peres, and Rabin; and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

Now the historian and journalist is exploring the changing role of women during the Cold War with his first novel, “Comeback Love.” Though the story includes both male and female perspectives, Golden said he particularly wanted to write about how the changing roles of women affected men.

“Men were changed enormously by how our culture has been re-arranged by the wider choices now available to women,” he said. “That moment of change — before women started to enter professional schools in great numbers — and what it means to both sexes today, is what I tried to catch in the novel.”

THE STORY:

Set in Spuyten Duyvil in the Riverdale section of the Northern Bronx, “Comeback Love” journeys into the hearts of two lovers who came of age in the 1960s and find themselves reunited in the present.

Thirty-five years ago, Gordon Meyers, an aspiring writer with a low number in the draft lottery, packed his belongings and reluctantly drove away, leaving Glenna Rising, the sexy, sharp-witted med student he couldn’t imagine living without.

Now, decades later, Gordon is a former globe-trotting consultant with a grown son, an ex-wife, and an overwhelming desire to see Glenna again.

Stunned when Gordon walks into her Manhattan office, Glenna agrees to accompany him for a drink. Glenna is now a pediatrician with a large practice and her battles with Gordon should be long behind her. Yet, as the two head out into the snow-swept city, they become caught up in the passions that drew them together then tore them apart.

“This is the story of two people who are flattened by the cultural and psychological roadblocks in their relationship and then finally discover the meaning of love,” Golden said. “Love, in my view, is when people come to view their partner’s sense of emotional security to be as important as their own. That’s why I kept a note on my desk while writing this novel that says: ‘If you can’t be fair to both sides, then you can’t tell this story.’”

COLD WAR CONNECTIONS

Golden said he was compelled to write “Comeback Love” while researching for his forthcoming nonfiction book on the Cold War. Some scenes in his novel also include intricately researched historical Cold War events, such as a speech by Stalin.

“People who know my background want to know how this novel is connected to the Cold War,” Golden said. “I tell them: ‘You won’t find the Soviet Union any more, but men and women are still working it out.’”

NEW INDIE BOOKSTORE PUBLISHING MODEL

“Comeback Love” is the first title released by Staff Picks Press, a new publishing project of Susan Novotny, an independent bookseller in Albany and Troy N.Y. Novotny believes “Comeback Love” will especially appeal to fans of Nicholas Sparks.

“Comeback Love” is available at select independent bookstores and through IndieBound at: http://bookhouse.indiebound.com/book/9781935680000

ABOUT PETER GOLDEN

Peter Golden is an award-winning journalist, biographer, memoirist and historian. He is the author of five books and lives outside Albany, N.Y., with his wife and son.

Visit http://www.petergolden.com to learn more about the author.

For an author photo and book cover, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/PeterGolden.html

To schedule an interview with Peter Golden, or to request a review copy of “Comeback Love,” contact Duncan Crary at 518-274-2723.

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release:

A heartfelt and lyrical novel of loss and redemption (.pdf)
Senior Beacon, Feb. 2011 pp. 28

Peter Golden Explains Social Changes Resulting From the Cold War
Brainstormin’ with Billy The Brain
KKZZ 1400 AM, Ventura County, Calif.
Jan. 31, 2011

When history repeats itself
The Record, Jan. 29, 2011

Five Questions for Peter Golden
The Record, Jan. 18, 2011

A Cold Reunion
Spotlight Newspapers, Jan. 3, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Duncan Crary 518-274-2723

Popular Author Publishes Vermont Christmas Novella – James Howard Kunstler

Author of “The Long Emergency” and “World Made By Hand” novels visits the warm-hearted side of life with “A Christmas Orphan”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (11/29/2010) – Author James Howard Kunstler is best-known for his books and novels warning about peak oil, economic collapse and the failures of suburbia.

But this holiday season he’s taking a short break from analyzing the converging catastrophes of the 21st Century to share a Christmas parable with his readers. “A Christmas Orphan,” by James Howard Kunstler, is a new novella about a big city boy who runs away from home to small town Vermont on Christmas Eve.

“We all need a time-out from the fiascoes of the day,” Kunstler said. “Christmas is the perfect theme for reflecting on what’s enduringly funny and heart-warming. Also, I don’t think Glenn Beck should get to hog all the holiday sales.”

Set in the 1960s, “A Christmas Orphan” is the story of 11-year-old Manhattanite Jeff Greenway. When Jeff overhears his parents arguing after his dad’s holiday office party, he gets the idea that he was actually an orphan who was placed on his parents’ doorstep in a willow basket. Shocked to discover that his parents are “phonies,” he runs away to Grand Central Station on Christmas Eve and catches a train to the small town of Drakesville, Vt. There, he goes from door to door asking people to adopt him.

“When I was a kid growing up in Manhattan, I always longed for a Currier & Ives existence in a small town, where you could fish for bass and ride your bike without getting killed by a taxi-cab,” Kunstler said. “Instead, I spent my city childhood in museums, with the shrunken heads and stuffed gorillas.”

Though Kunstler’s acclaimed nonfiction books and novels are published by New York City -based Grove/Atlantic, his newest 76-page novella is the product of a print-on-demand publishing experiment with Chris Morrow, owner of Manchester, Vt.-based Northshire Bookstore.

“My own publisher didn’t know what to do with it,” Kunstler said of his novella, “and the whole industry is in turmoil. Chris recognized its value and we’re blazing the trail for a new publishing model. I think readers will get a huge kick out of it.”

Northshire is one of the only independent bookstores in the U.S. to have an Espresso Book Machine on its premises. The machine prints, binds and trims completed books on location.

“A Christmas Orphan” is available for purchase for $10 at Northshire Bookstore, located at 4869 Main Street Manchester Center, Vt., and online at: http://www.northshire.com. It will be available at select other bookstores this December.

Kunstler will read from “A Christmas Orphan” at Northshire Bookstore on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.

ABOUT JHK

A renowned social commentator, Kunstler lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He is the author of four nonfiction books: “The Geography of Nowhere,” “Home from Nowhere,” “The City in Mind” and “The Long Emergency.” He has written 11 novels and one play. His website is http://kunstler.com.

For information and high-resolution author photos and book covers for reproduction, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/JamesHowardKunstler.html

To schedule an interview with James Howard Kunstler, or to request a review copy of “A Christmas Orphan” contact Duncan Crary at 518-274-2723.

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release:

Prognosticating author lightens up with Christmas book
The Saratogian, Dec. 05, 2010

Kunstler reads from ‘Christmas Orphan’ at Northshire Bookstore
Bennington Banner, Dec. 9, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jes Constantine 518-859-5822

Capital Region Trainers Tout Barefoot Exercise

Oct. 3 & 11 Events in Alb. & Sch. Educate Public on Health Benefits of Shoe-Free Workout

ALBANY/SCHENECTADY (Sept. 27, 2010) — Two local fitness instructors want people in the Capital Region to kick off their shoes while they work out.

“Our bodies evolved a long time before we invented running shoes,” said Jes Constantine, group exercise instructor at Best Fitness in Albany and Schenectady. “So padded running shoes might feel comfortable to work out in, but they actually interfere with the natural movement of your muscles and can lead to serious injury.”

Because most running shoes have very thick padded heels, people tend to incorrectly thrust from the heel instead of thrusting from the ball of the foot, which is how we are supposed use our feet, Constantine said. Barefoot training can lead to reduction in knee, hip and back pain, enhanced posture and movement confidence.

This October, Constantine and Best Fitness Group Exercise Instructor Jaime Muscato are inviting adults of all athletic ability levels to learn about and experience first-hand the benefits of barefoot training through an inspirational, sweaty and dynamic workout called willPower & grace (R).

Constantine and Muscato will host two willPower & grace (R) launch parties that are free and open to the public. The first event will be on Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. till 11 a.m. at Best Fitness Albany, at 911 Central Ave., Albany. The next event will be on Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. till 11 a.m. at Best Fitness Schenectady at 2330 Watt St., Schenectady.

“Some athletes are starting to catch on to the benefits of training barefoot,” Muscato said. “We want to show the rest of the people out there why it’s good for you to workout with your shoes off.”

Stacey Lei Krauss, Nike Elite instructor, created willPower & grace (R), which became one of the first fitness fusion programs in the country. willPower & grace (R) is a sweaty, dynamic blend of the fitness industry’s most popular (and most effective) group exercise programs. This cardiovascular barefoot training workout is appropriate for participants of all fitness levels.

“I love the barefoot aspect of the class,” said Victoria Daley, 52, of Rotterdam, N.Y. “It’s a body part which has not been addressed in other classes I have participated in, yet it’s the physical foundation of our bodies!”

Daley’s son Eamon Daley also works out with her in the willPower & grace (R) class at Best Fitness Schenectady.

Classes are offered regularly at both the Albany and Schenectady Best Fitness gym locations.

The general public may contact Best Fitness for additional information at 1-877-695-8671 or by visiting http://bestfitness.us.

For high resolution photographs of Jes Constantine and Jaime Muscato, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/JesConstantine_JaimeMuscato.html.

For information, contact Jes Constantine at 518-859-5822.

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release:

Bare foot running: The latest trend
Your News Now (Capital 9), Oct. 11, 2010

Runners finding benefits in taking their shoes off
The Daily Gazette, Oct. 2, 2010

Benefits of being barefoot
Spotlight Newspapers Sept. 30, 2010

Popular Novelist Portrays Life After Fossil Fuel – James Howard Kunstler

“The Witch of Hebron” Author Warns That A Permanent Oil Crises is Coming

For Immediate Release

Contact Duncan Crary 518-274-2723

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (09/23/2010) — A new novel by best-selling author James Howard Kunstler imagines life after fossil fuel.

Set in upstate New York in the not-distant future, “The Witch of Hebron” (Atlantic Monthly Press, Sept. 2010) is the sequel to Kunstler’s acclaimed 2008 post-oil/collapse novel, “World Made By Hand.”

A renowned social commentator, Kunstler is perhaps best-known for his 2005 nonfiction book “The Long Emergency,” which delivered a stark warning about peak oil, climate change, economic instability, political strife and other converging catastrophes of the 21st century. The nonfiction ideas in “The Long Emergency” provide the basis for his “World Made By Hand” and “The Witch of Hebron” novels.

“A permanent oil crisis is coming. No combination of alternative fuels will allow us to keep running suburban development and commerce the way we have been,” said Kunstler. “Life in the mid-21st century is going to be about living locally, whether we like it or not.”

In “The Witch of Hebron,” Kunstler weaves hot-button issues like oil depletion and the perils of climate change into a compelling narrative of violence, religious hysteria, innocence lost and love found.

“The Witch of Hebron” picks up the story where “World Made By Hand” left off, in a not-distant future in the tiny upstate New York hamlet of Union Grove. The electricity has flickered out. The Internet is a distant memory. There may be a president, and he may be in Minneapolis, but it’s little more than a rumor. Travel is horse-drawn, medicine is herbal and farming is back at the center of life. But it’s no pastoral haven. Wars are fought over dwindling resources and illness is a constant presence. Bandits roam the countryside. And a sinister cult, led by a man of other-than-worldly abilities, threatens to shatter Union Grove’s fragile stability.

Though characters from “World Made By Hand” reappear in this sequel, the new novel centers on 11-year-old runaway Jasper Copeland and the men searching for him. Out in the open, the boy encounters a landscape of social disruption comparable to the Middle Ages, but with abandoned strip malls in the place of crumbling Roman aqueducts.

Life without cars, air conditioning, Cheez Doodles and modern medicine may sound like a doomsday scenario, but it’s not all bad.

“The people in my fictional town have lost a lot of comfort and convenience, but they’re not distracted by television, computers and hand-held devices. Instead, they are compelled to fill their world with meaningful ceremonies, deep personal relationships and satisfying work,” Kunstler said. “I believe that when circumstances compel us to live differently we’re going to benefit hugely from making these changes.”

ABOUT JHK

James Howard Kunstler lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He is the author of four nonfiction books: “The Geography of Nowhere,” “Home from Nowhere,” “The City in Mind” and “The Long Emergency.” He has written 11 novels and one play. His website is http://kunstler.com.

Visit http://thewitchofhebron.com for a book trailer, chapter readings and an interview with the author.

For information, a high-resolution author photo and book covers for reproduction, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/JamesHowardKunstler.html

To schedule an interview with James Howard Kunstler, or to request a review copy of “The Witch of Hebron,” contact Duncan Crary at 518-274-2723.

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release (and localized versions):

(This press release resulted in dozens of radio interviews, a handful of articles and a few book reviews. List coming soon).

For Immediate Release

Contact: Lynn Kopka 518-274-6434

Historic Stone Street in Troy Gets Extreme Makeover

Washington Place Ribbon Cutting August 3, at 2 p.m.

TROY, NY (07/19/2010) — Neighborhood activists have restored one of the Capital Region’s most historic streets to a pristine stretch of granite block pavers.

“Washington Place is one of the few streets in the Capital Region that is still surfaced with its original pavers. It’s beautiful,” said Lynn Kopka, president of the Washington Park Association. “Once streets like this are gone, they’re gone. They disappear under the asphalt.”

Washington Place is a 310-foot-long street that borders the southern end of Troy’s Washington Park. It is a rare example of an intact 19th century Belgian block paved street.

But years of neglect and major potholes eventually made Washington Place unsafe to drive on and impassable at parts. When neighborhood residents realized the city might have to replace the antique street with modern pavement, they raised the funds needed to save the treasured landmark, which is part of the Washington Park National Register Historic District.

To preserve the original street, each of its 35,000 Belgian block pavers had to be removed and stored so that the roadbed could be leveled and the correct subfill added. Workers then painstakingly reinstalled the pavers by hand, one stone at a time. Often confused with round cobblestones, used in earlier road construction, Belgian block pavers are uniform in size and rectangular or square.

Friends of Washington Park initiated the $200,000 restoration project and coordinated the work efforts. The group also secured private funding and a state grant for the preservation of the historic pavers.

Professional services were contributed by Ryan & Biggs, PC; Architecture+; and Bob Talham, Inc. The City of Albany donated more than 8,000 blocks to replace the missing stones. The Friends also coordinated with the City of Troy Department of Public Utilities and National Grid to replace and upgrade the utility lines under the roadbed.

On Aug. 3, at 2 p.m. Friends of Washington Park will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception to recognize the street’s reopening and to thank the contributors who made it possible.

“Very few neighborhoods would attempt to re-build a road using 1800′s pavers. But we wanted to preserve this small piece of Troy’s heritage,” said Kopka. “That street has been there since the late 1800′s, which is a testament to the structure and longevity of a road built like that. We’re hoping it will last another century.”

The street restoration is the second capital project undertaken by Friends of Washington Park in collaboration with the City of Troy and TAP, Inc. The first was the stabilization of a collapsed 19th century rowhouse at 8 Washington Place, one of 10 monumental buildings that were designed together to represent a massive Greek Temple spanning the entire block. That effort saved the whole row and spurred the rehabilitation of other threatened historic buildings at 3,4,5 and 7 Washington Place, 207 Second Street and 222 Third Street.

ABOUT WASHINGTON PARK:

The Washington Park neighborhood is modeled after the private residential green squares of 19th Century London. It is often compared to New York City’s famous Gramercy Park. Washington Park and Gramercy Park are the only two privately owned and maintained parks of their kind in the state.

For information, contact: Lynn Kopka at 518-274-6434.

For images of the work in progress, visit: http://duncancrary.com/clients/washington_place.html.

###

Media coverage resulting from this press release:

Historic Troy street gets ribbon cutting renovation
WRGB Ch. 6, Aug. 3, 2010

Troy’s Washington Place – Cobblestone Street Raised From Ruin
Albany.com, Aug. 3, 2010

Neighbors partner to preserve historic Troy street
The Record, Aug. 4, 2010

Troy paves way to its past
Times Union, Aug. 4, 2010

Mayor Harry Tutunjian: Troy’s eclectic, historic neighborhoods
The Record, Aug. 16, 2010

Troy community restores 1840 street
The Associated Press, Aug. 3, 2010.

Stone-paved street restored to 1840s condition
WNYT, Aug. 3, 2010

Troy street restored to former glory
The Daily Gazette, July 25, 2010
(photo).

Block by block, Washington Place is back together
All Over Albany, July 19, 2010

A Trip Off The Old Block
TU Blog: Don Rittner, July 20, 2010

Troy reopens its charming road
TU Blog: Places and Spaces, Aug. 3, 2010

Historic Stone Street in Troy Gets Extreme Makeover
Upper Hudson Valley EcoLocalLiving Magazine, July 19, 2010

Transitions, Restored: Washington Place
Preservation magazine, November/December 2010

A Piece of Historic Americana Revived
Landscape Architect and Specifier News, Sept. 2010, Vol. 26, No. 09, pp 214

For Immediate Release

Contact Jeff Gaines, 518-237-7353

TEDx Comes to Albany: Call For Speakers, Sponsors, Volunteers

Nov. 4 Event to Offer Mind-blowing Discussion

ALBANY (6/29/10)– TEDxAlbany, where x=independently organized TED event, will present a day of information, inspiration and entertainment in the Lewis A. Swyer Theatre of The Egg on Nov. 4, 2010.

The organizers of TEDxAlbany are currently seeking speakers, sponsors and volunteers. The theme is “Human Change.”

“TEDxAlbany is bringing the excitement of TED to New York’s Capital Region,” said Jeff Gaines, TEDxAlbany organizer. “If you still haven’t heard of TED, check out a few videos on the website and you’ll be hooked. There’s nothing more inspiring than experiencing the reckless sharing of good ideas by intelligent people.”

(more…)