Thank you Santa for the new socks. They will keep me warm as I continue to explore the streets of Troy. Now, here are my wishes for 2002! I promise that all Trojans will be good boys and girls all year long.
1. That there will be more rehab of existing buildings and new construction (in-fill) instead of demolition in the city, and that the city will develop a 'stabilization' program instead of a 'demolition' program for vacant historic buildings.
2. That the city will put together a real historic sites commission and become a Certified Local Government (CLG) so we can get some grants to help promote preservation in the city. Geez, even Schenectady is a CLG!
3. That everyone will look in their attic and basement to see if they have any old Troy photos, Troy made products, or memorabilia that I can write about (my email is drittner@aol.com).
4. That folks that have interesting architectural detail or structures in their homes will invite me in to photograph them.
5. That someone will donate an office to me so I can write this column in Troy instead of Schenectady!!
6. That the following buildings get restored this year: Quackenbush Department Store (3rd & Broadway), Jones Bell Foundry (First & Adams), Brown Building (Broadway & Franklin), Proctor's Theater (4th), Stanley's (State & 3rd), and the old harness foundry (4th and Broadway).
7. That the following words and phrases get retired this year:
a. "It's the fault of the Democrats!"
b. "It's the fault of the Republicans!"
c. "It's the fault of (inset name here)!"
d. "It needs to get torn down ASAP!"
e. "Uncle Who?"
f. "There goes another business out of the city!"
g. "We can't afford to save that!"
h. "You have the right to remain silent..."
8. That the city will develop and implement design standards so national chains cannot warp our streetscapes, or 21st century ranch houses cannot be built next to 18th century Dutch houses!
9. That a light bulb will go off in the minds of our local officials and realize that we need to capitalize on our historic resources, help Trojans rehab their historic homes and businesses, and put troy on the heritage destination map. This of course will bring in lots of money to the city, and in turn they can fix the streets and sidewalks, beautify downtown, and live happily ever after.
10. That everyone at City Hall will hug each other and work together for the benefit of all Trojans for the coming year. Ok, ok, I'll leave that for the miracle worker.
11. That more people will move into Troy rather than move out!
12. End the occupation. Let Lansingburgh go free!
13. That someone thinks rebuilding Franklin Square is a good idea!
14. That I can go see a movie again in Troy (in Proctor's).
15. That every time a building gets torn down it doesn't become a parking lot!
16. That we recognize those who renovated or restored their buildings in Troy instead of taking the easy way out. Attorney John Sweeney comes to mind. After his historic office (former bank) building on First Street burned, he completely restored it. Others would have rebuilt some ugly new construction or made it a parking lot.
17. That the ugly asphalt around Monument Square get dug up and expose the old Belgium blocks and trolley tracks. It wouldn't hurt to make the speed limit at this location 20 mph either! I've seen car doors taken off in seconds!
18. Get some folks on the planning board that know something about planning.
19. That Barker Park once more become a Park for everyone.
20. That the entrances of our city become off limits for ugly vanilla boxed Eckerd's, CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreen's, or other national chains. Instead, they should be manicured with greenery and shrubs, and have signs that welcome folks to the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution; home of Uncle Sam; the place where the Ironclad Monitor's hull plates were rolled; and home of Union leader Kate Mullany. These people and events are more important to Troy than a drive up prescription window.
Finally, I wish all my readers the best for the coming new year!