UPCOMING CALENDAR

EDITOR’S NOTE: This calendar is being regularly updated to reflect all event cancellations and postponements. However, it is recommended that readers contact event organizers before they attend. For the most updated version of the calendar, please visit or troyrecord.com.

FAMOUS LADIES TEA: Celebrate Women’s History Month and support literacy programs in Rensselaer County and Albany County at the all-virtual Famous Ladies’ Tea, Sunday, March 28, 1:00-4:00p.m. Local actresses will portray ten notable women including Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Temple Black, Anne LaBastille,and Doris Day. Raffle tickets are available in advance. Single tickets to the virtual Famous Ladies’ Tea with lunch are $45. Boxed lunches (to be picked up 3/27) will include three mini croissant sandwiches (chicken salad, egg salad, ham and gruyere) with a side order of Chef salad. Tickets without lunch are $30. A box of tea-themed cookies can be purchased for $20. Payment is required in advance, online at www.lvorc.org or by check to Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, 65 First Street, Troy, NY 12180. A link to the event will be sent to registered guests. For more information, call (518) 244-4650 or visit www.lvorc.org.

GUIDED MEDITATION: The Troy Public Library will offer Meditation Classes on Mondays, March 8th - 29th at 6:30PM. Learn a surprisingly simple yet powerful practice that can help you reduce stress, get recharged, and possibly get you “blissed-out” while seated comfortably in a chair. Led by Stress Management Coach Michael Fuselli, with over 35 years of meditation teaching and practice experience. Beginners are always welcome. Registration is required. This program will be presented using Zoom. Joining the presentation will require the installation of the Zoom client on your computer (microphone and speakers required for audio, camera for video) or the Zoom app on your mobile device. Please register by calling 518-274-7071, online at www.thetroylibrary. org or by stopping at the information desk. This program is free and open to the public.

ESSAY CONTEST: The Republican Women’s Club of Columbia & Rensselaer Counties, NY is sponsoring an Americanism Essay Contest open to ninthtwelfth grade homeschool students in Columbia and Rensselaer Counties. Students are to submit an essay of 500 words or less on the following topic: “Relevance of the First Amendment”. Grand prize is $250 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place. The essay must be double-spaced and typed or printed legibly. Students should include a cover sheet with their full name, home address, grade, school district and parent contact information. The essay will be judged on originality, creativity, neatness, grammar, spelling and development of topic. Entries must be postmarked no later than May 17, 2021 and emailed to RWCCRCNY@ gmail.com. Donations can be made towards this contest at paypal.me/RWCCRCNY. Winners will be announced the week of May 31 and determined by the RWCCRCNY. Americanism Committee. The winners will be announced in local newspapers and offered the opportunity to have their essay featured at an award ceremony. For information: Sally Hogan, club President at RWCCRCNY@ gmail.com.

RACE IN AMERICA: At 6 p.m. on Tuesdays April 6, April 20, May 4, May 18, June 1 and June 15, Dr. Jennifer Thompson Burns will lead a Race in America: A Reading and Discussion Group through the Troy

Public Library. This reading and discussion series will explore the inception, inculcation, and function of race in American society. We will discuss this topic in order to improve our understanding of systematic, and social, inclusion and exclusion in American systems. Our goal is to tease out the implicit ways race serves as a real, and imagined, force in the lives of all Americans. This group will explore racial dynamics in America, expanding beyond the black-white binary and our understanding of race, and develop a deeper understanding of the interlocking forces of systemic racism. This group will be led by Dr. Jennifer Thompson Burns, Professor of Africana Studies at SUNY Albany. Copies of the books will be available after March 1st. The first book the group will read is Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Recreate Race in the TwentyFirst Century by Dorothy Roberts Please have this book read for the April 6th meeting. This program is supported by Humanities New York. Humanities New York is a private, non-profit organization that helps all New Yorkers to lead vibrant intellectual lives by strengthening traditions of cultural literacy, critical inquiry, and civic participation. Registration is required and is limited. This program, designed for community members ages 16+, will be presented using Zoom. Joining the presentation will require the installation of the Zoom client on your computer (microphone and speakers required for audio, camera for video) or the Zoom app on your mobile device.For more information and to register call the library at 518-274-7071 or visit www.thetroylibrary. org.

LENTEN FISH FRY DINNERS: The Latham-Colonie Knights of Columbus located at 328 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, 12110, will be hosting Lenten Fish Fry Dinners every Friday from Feb. 19th 2021 through and including Good Friday April 2nd 2021. The “Take Out” dinner includes; Fish Fry or Clam Roll served with French Fries or Onion Rings and Coleslaw. All Dinners are $10 each. Please call 518 892 3750 for reservations, please indicate pick up time requested. Social distancing and masks are required per CDC guidelines. www.lathamcoloniekofc. com/events.

SHORT STORY CAFE: Short Story Reading and Discussion Group - On Wednesdays, February 24th – April 7th at 6PM (no meeting March 31st), Short Story writer David Sylvester will lead a reading and discussion group at the Troy Public Library. Local shortstory writer Dave Sylvester hosts The Short Story Café, an informal discussion of the short story form that examines how writers handle structural elements such as plot, character and theme in their writing. Each week we will read and discuss two stories by well-known (and some lesser-known!) masters of the form. Copies of the stories will be available in advance and should be read before the discussions. This program will be presented using Zoom. Joining the presentation will require the installation of the Zoom client on your computer (microphone and speakers required for audio, camera for video) or the Zoom app on your mobile device. The first set of stories will be emailed to you one week prior to the first class and will be available at the information desk of the main library. For more information and to register call the library at 518-2747071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org.

SPIRITUAL CLASS: Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace Class – 8 Tuesdays, beginning February 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. The world needs more peace, and it begins with you. Make this

prayer of St. Francis an integral part of your life. Take your reading from theory to practice in this interactive class that explores this prayer through Kent Nerburn’s book, “Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit of the Prayer of St. Francis. Suggested donation: $20 per class session. Hosted by Albany-Saratoga Spiritual Adventures via Zoom. For more information, visit our meetup.com group AlbanySaratoga Spiritual Adventures, call (518) 366-9918, or visit www.newthoughtnewyork.org.

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION: “Portrait of the Artist” is the newest virtual exhibition by the Martinez Gallery in Troy, NY. We invite you to see it and tell us your reactions to it. My desire is to bring fascinating art to you during this time that has limited our visits to museums and galleries. I have been told by many how art has made them feel better despite the challenges we are living through. If you or your business want to join us in bringing more art to our area and would like to be a named sponsor for our next exhibition, let me know. This next exhibition will celebrate the Gallery’s 20th anniversary and is planned for early April. Opportunities for Sponsorships begin at $75. https:// www.martinezgallery.org/ portrait-of-the-artist.

CLOTHING SHED: The Clothing Shed located at the Latham-Colonie Knights of Columbus, 328 TroySchenectady Road has reopened! The Covid-19 Pandemic has hit the Knights of Columbus and the Columbiettes very hard. We’ve had very few opportunities this past year to raise funds for the Community Groups we support! We accept clothing, shoes, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, towels, comforters, curtains, pillowcases and stuffed animals. Please bag all items. We do not accept: furniture, electronics , books, household items, toys, garbage, pillows, rags, fabric scraps, etc.

LITERACY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Make a Difference in the New Year: Be a Literacy Volunteer in Rensselaer or Albany County - Would you like to help someone learn to read, write, or speak English? Would you like to become a more engaged member of your own community? We can train you! Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County (LVORC) is actively seeking volunteers. We are looking for tutors to be paired with adult English Language and Basic Literacy learners, as well as math and computer tutors. As a volunteer you can develop new skills, make friends, and see how your efforts make a difference in your community. To register for the information

session, contact mhellerlvorc@aol.com. To learn more about LVORC, visit www.lvorc.org or call 518 244-4650.

LVORC ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS: Since 1968, Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County has helped adults to improve their ability to read, write, speak and understand English.New learners can join Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County by calling (518) 244-4650 or sending an email to LitVolDirector@aol.com. Call (518) 244-4650 to register. Visit www.lvorc.org for more information.

NEW TROY PAY-BYPHONE PARKING APP: Mayor Patrick Madden today announced the City of Troy has launched a new pay-by-phone mobile app for metered parking in the Collar City. The app provides a simple, easy to use option for drivers to pay for parking in downtown Troy. Drivers will be able to pay for on-street metered parking using the new Passport Parking mobile app beginning January 4, 2021. The Passport Parking application is available for free download on iOS and Android devices, and at www. passportparking.com. Watch a video demonstrating how to use the Passport Parking application: https://youtu.be/MThHrcDET0o. A map of metered parking zones and instructions on using the Passport Parking app for metered parking in downtown Troy is available at www.troyny. gov/parking.For questions on the City’s parking management system, please contact the City Treasurer’s office at (518) 279-7115.

NEW TROY ONLINE PARKING PERMIT SYSTEM: The City of Troy recently launched a new online parking permit registration system for spaces in municipally-operated lots and garages. The system will simplify the permit reservation and payment process and allow the City to issue and track parking permits using license plates instead of physical tags. Effective January 2021, monthly parking fees for municipal lots & garages will increase to $75. Drivers are encouraged to renew their current parking permit online at www. troyparkingpermits.rmcpay.com. For questions on the City’s parking management system, please contact the City Treasurer’s office at (518) 279-7115.

APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITY: The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Eastern New York Laborers Training Center will conduct a recruitment from April 16, 2021 through April 15, 2022 for ten Skilled Construction Craft Laborer apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today. Please note that five openings are for the Albany area and five openings are for the Utica area. All applications must be completed on-site for both locations. For the Albany area, applications can be obtained on the third Friday of each month, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., excluding legal holidays, at the Eastern New York Laborers Training Center, 666 Wemple Road, Glenmont, NY; the Eastern Contractors Association, 6 Airline Drive, Albany, NY; and the Laborers International Union, 348 Duanesburg Road, Schenectady, NY. For further information, applicants should contact Eastern New York Laborers Training Center at (518) 426-0890. Additional job search assistance can be

obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: https://w w w.labor.ny.gov/ career-center-locator/location-list-all.php).

FREE ART KITS: The Troy Public Library is giving away free Art Kits courtesy of the TANG Museum! Kids ages 5-12 can pick up a set of art supplies including watercolor pencils, markers, coloring pages, and a sketch pad along with instructions for creating art projects at home. Of course if you need art or craft books we can supply those too! More information is available online at www. thetroylibrary.org.

CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS: Troy City Council meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. They typically take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 433 River St, Troy, but are currently being held virtually via Zoom. Committee meetings are scheduled on a regular basis. Agendas and minutes for meetings are posted on the city’s website. All meetings are open to the public. At monthly regular meetings, Troy residents can discuss any issue related to the City of Troy. The city is currently live-streaming Council meetings on the Troy City Council YouTube page at w w w.youtube.com/troycitycouncil. FARMERS MARKET: The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market (TWFM) is holding its Winter markets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays indoors at the former Lansingburgh Price Chopper, More than 60 vendors will participate. For the previous 18 years, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market held its winter market downtown in the Troy Atrium, which the organization leased from the owner. This winter will be the first time since its inception that the market will have a presence in Lansingburgh, Troy’s northernmost district. In accordance with New York State’s current COVID-19 guidelines, the Lansingburgh store will have a capacity of 200 at any one time. After counting the vendors and staff, the space will be able to safely accommodate approx. 120 customers at a time with ample room for social distancing. Customers can arrive any time during market hours. When the market reaches capacity, arriving customers will be asked to wait in line outside the store. Shopping from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. will be prioritized for seniors age 60+ and the immunocompromised. The market will publish the full list of vendors and safety protocols on its website www.troymarket.org.

ONLINE FARMERS MARKET: In May, the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market implemented TWFM Online, a web-based store and contact-less pickup system in neighboring Green Island. The online order and pickup service will continue this winter in tandem with the indoor market, Ridler said, distributing customers between two locations and providing valuable options to suit the different needs of customers. Shop online at troymarket.localfoodmarketplace.com for contactless drive-thru pickup, order Friday through Thursday, and pick up on Sunday every week at Carioto Produce in Green Island.

FREE UNIFORM CLEANING FOR MILITARY AND VETERANS: New York-based dry cleaning business Best Cleaners offers a free uniform cleaning service to veterans and those who are currently serving in the military. This service has been offered through Best Cleaners since 2018 not only at all five of their store locations, but also with their pick up and delivery service as well. While many dry cleaners only offer free military cleaning during the month of May (Military Appreciation Month), Best Cleaners has long offered this service year round. Best Cleaners currently has five locations across the Capital Region including Delmar, Glenville, Latham, Loundonville, and Schenectady. The business offers free pick-up and delivery, dry cleaning, and restoration services. For more information visit bestcleanersny.com.