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. SQUASH HUNGER: Capital Roots’ Squash Hunger program is a food donation initiative that collects and distributes more than 40tons of fresh produce to our region’s food pantries and shelters each year. Since 2004 Capital Roots has involved thousands of community members in our effort to increase the presence of fresh food on communal tables. We rely on generous gardeners, farmers and grocery shoppers to donate fresh produce to our collection bins and on volunteers to deliver it to food pantries and shelters, some of which feed more than 100people three meals a day, every day. Our Squash Hunger donation bins are located at markets and grocery stores throughout the region, so it’s convenient for you to make a food donation while you shop. We rely on a broad network of volunteers to collect and deliver donations to pantries and shelters in their communities. If you are a volunteer, shelter, pantry or store manager who would like to participate, please contact us at 518-274-8685 or squashhunger@capitalroots.org. More information about the Squash Hunger program, including a full list of donation locations, is available online at https://www.capitalroots.org/squash-hunger/.

URBAN GREENING: Urban greening refers to public landscaping and urban forestry projects that create mutually beneficial relationships between city dwellers and their environments. Since the creation of its Urban Greening program in 1989, Capital Roots has planted thousands of trees and implemented many public landscaping projects throughout New York’s Capital Region. Every spring and fall we involve dozens of volunteers, many of whom are high school students, in city-wide tree planting projects. Committed community members take pride in caring for the trees as they continue to grow in our region’s neighborhoods. Vibrant green spaces improve aesthetic appeal,increase property value and decrease energy consumption. Our Urban Greening projects are grant funded. This makes it possible for Capital Roots to provide property owners with trees at no cost. If you are a property owner interested in having a tree planted on your land contact 518-274-8685or Tara at gardens1@capitalroots.org.

COMMUNITY GARDENS: Community Gardens by local nonprofit Capital Roots offer plots around the Capital Region to anyone interested in growing their own produce. Gardeners receive nutritional, recreational, social and physical benefits from tending plots. Get the space, sunshine and support you need to grow your own food. More information about how to sign up for a community garden plot is available online at https://www. capitalroots.org/communitygardens/ or by calling 518-2748685. Orientations are held throughout March and into April for new participants at various locations throughout the Capital Region. In order to register for a garden plot, attendance at orientation is required. Orientation sessions are being held via conference calls this year. There is a suggested $30donation to sign up for a plot. Donations are greatly appreciated and help support this program. The average cost to operate each plot is over $200 per year. If you have expendable income and garden with us, please consider giving more to support the continuation of the program for everyone. We take into consideration personal financial experience and will not turn anyone away from getting a plot due to a lack of funds. If paying the full suggested donation causes you to be less secure in meeting your basic needs, we will work with you.

SNOW EMERGENCY PLAN:

Mayor Patrick Madden is reminding Collar City residents and families to review the city’s Snow Emergency policies and procedures ahead of the winter season. The plan includes street-level parking restrictions and expanded off-street parking options, and is designed to assist city crews in clearing snow and ice from roads across Troy during and after heavy snowfall events. Under a snow emergency, normal parking rules and regulations are temporarily suspended on designated snow emergency streets only. To review the city’s Snow Emergency plan, and to view a full list of designated streets, visit www.troyny.gov/ snow-emergency

SINGLES OUTREACH SERVICES: Bringing people together to enjoy a common experience of performances and more in the Capital Region of New York, Capital Region Social Happenings is a registered name of Singles Outreach Services, Inc. and is a New York state non-profit organization. More information about the group and its upcoming events is available online at www.facebook.com/CapitalRegionSocial/.

ROCHMON RECORD CLUB: Join us at an upcoming Rochmon event for an evening of music and community. Each show our host Rochmon Chuck Vosganian takes the room on a high fidelity journey through classic albums spanning many genres and decades. More information about this series, including a schedule of upcoming events, is available online at www.rochmon.com.

REALITY CHECK: Reality Check is a youth-led movement in New York State that empowers youth to become leaders in their communities in exposing what they see as the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry. The organization’s members produce change in their communities through grassroots mobilization and education. More information about Reality check and how to join the movement can be found online at www.realitycheckofny.com or www.facebook.com/realitycheckofny.

DROP IN TECH HELP: Beginning Thursday January 6, 2022, one-on-one assistance with technology will be available through the Troy Public Library’s “Drop-In Tech Help” program. An ongoing program, TPL librarians will be on-hand to help with laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other common devices brought in by patrons. Librarians will also explain and help navigate common apps, such as Gmail and Instagram, and library resources like OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla. Assistance will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis. This program is provided weekly on Thursdays from 10AM to 11AM, in the first-floor Troy Room of the Main Library. This program is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary. For more information, call the library at 274-7071. The Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy.

RAISE A PSALM: Festival Celebration Choir invites you to sing with us this spring. Our Spring concert, RAISE A PSALM, features a variety of biblical Psalms set to music by classical and contemporary composers and arrangers. Rehearsals are Mondays from 7:00 pm to 8:15pm at First Lutheran Church, 181 Western Avenue, Albany beginning Monday, January 24th, 2022. Vaccinations and masks are required. The Spring concert will take place at 3:00pm on May 15, 2022at First Lutheran Church, Albany. Email Albert Yasus at contact@festivalcelebrationchoir.org or Julie Panke, Director at kirkechor@earthlink.net for more information or visit our website (festivalcelebrationchoir.org) to download order/ registration form.

ONLINE WRITING WORKSHOP: Novelist Elizabeth Brundage is accepting submissions for The Craft of the Novel: An Online Workshop, co-sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany. Elizabeth is the author of five novels, The Vanishing Point, All Things Cease to Appear, A Stranger Like You, Somebody Else’s Daughter, and The Doctor’s Wife. She has taught at several colleges and universities, most recently at Skidmore College, where she was a visiting writer in residence, and lives with her family in Albany. About this workshop: This class will consider the essential elements that contribute to a novel’s success: character/voice, conflict/resolution, time/place, setting, thematic aspects, with the goal of nurturing the inevitable completion of a rough first draft. In class writing prompts/ assignments will be given to help you better understand some of the things we’ll be discussing. The 5-week workshop, which will run every two weeks on Wednesdays, is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. beginning February 2nd. The class will take place virtually on Zoom. The five class dates will be: 2⁄2, 2⁄16, 3⁄2, 3⁄16, and 3⁄30. The workshop will be limited to 10writers. The cost to participate is $350. If you are selected to take part in the workshop — you will be emailed a link to complete your registration and submit your payment online by Jan. 31, 2022. To be considered, submit manuscripts to the Writers Institute according to the guidelines. Submissions are due by Wednesday, January 12, 2022.

HIGH AND MIGHT WINTER PROGRAM:

High and Mighty Therapeutic Riding and Driving Center in Ghent is accepting new students for our Winter Session beginning on January 3rd. All sessions will be weather permitting. Volunteers are also needed to assist with mounted and unmounted activities. Even a couple of hours a week would be a great help to our participants. High and Mighty is a not for profit that serves people of all abilities, veterans, and seniors. For information on lessons or volunteering ,please contact Rachel@high-n-mighty.org or call us at 518-672-4202.

APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITY:

The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) for Tri-City Electricians, Local Union #236, will conduct a recruitment from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 for 60Electrician apprentices. Applications are available online at any time, during the recruitment period, at www.tricityjatc. org. Applicants can visit Tri-City Electricians JATC, Local Union #236at 428Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, NY, for assistance with completing applications. A computer is available at the union’s office lobby for applicants who do not have access to a computer. Applicants may also be able to access computers at their local library. Please note that the 60openings listed for apprentices represent the total number for four recruitment regions — the Capital District, Mohawk and North Country regions of the state. For further information, applicants should contact Tri-City Electricians JATC at (518) 785-5167. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: dol.ny.gov/ career-centers).

COHOES ROTARY ORNAMENT & MUG SALE:

In 2004 The Rotary Club of Cohoes started a collectible series of Christmas ornaments featuring historic landmarks in the City of Cohoes. This year’s ornament depicts St. Agnes Church. A portion of the proceeds for the sale of the 2021 ornament will go to support the programs at the Connect Center for Youth, currently operating in the former St. Agnes Church. Following are previous ornament designs in the series: 2004the Cohoes Falls; 2005-the Harmony Mills; 2006-the Cohoes Music Hall; 2007-the Cohoes Mastodon; 2008-Cohoes City Hall; 2009-the Half Moon; 2010-Silliman Memorial Church; 2011-the Van Schaick Mansion; 2012-Keveny Memorial Academy; 2013-Cohoes High School; 2014-Cohoes Library; 2015-the former Cohoes Movie Theatre; 2016-Carlson’s Ice Rink; 2017Erie Canal Locks; 2018Cohoes Armory; 2019-Matton Shipyard; 2020-Cohoes 150th Anniversary logo. Coffee mugs with the St. Agnes design are also available for purchase. Cost for ornaments is $20. Mugs are $10. To purchase ornaments or mugs go to http://www.rotaryclubofcohoes.org for further information. Ornaments and mugs are also available for purchase at Marra’s Pharmacy, 217 Remsen Street, Cohoes.

SOUTHERN SARATOGA ART SOCIETY EXHIBITS:

Artist Karen Woodin will be exhibiting at the Clifton Park Senior Community Center, 6Clifton Common Court, Tel.#: 518383-1343. Her collection titled “A Moment in Time & Place” will be on exhibit during Jan. & Feb., 2022. Karen is an award winning landscape plein air artist whose paintings often capture a sense of place and moment in time through the effective communication of color, texture and composition with a delicate handling of details and water reflection. Artist Jean Skanes is exhibiting in the Town of Clifton Park Lobby, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Tel.#: 518-3716651during the month of Jan., 2022. Jean is a watercolorist who primarily paints landscapes. She prefers softer tones and light colors but occasionally works with a bolder palette. Both artists are members of SSAS. Stop in and visit these exhibits and support the arts in Southern Saratoga County. For more information on SSAS, visit: southernsaratogaartist.com.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS NOMINATIONS OPEN:

YWCA NorthEastern NY is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2022 Achievement Awards (formerly Women of Achievement) are now open. These awards are a time-honored tradition focused on recognizing remarkable community members who have demonstrated extraordinary achievements throughout their career and/or community involvement. Nominate an outstanding community member who has demonstrated remarkable accomplishments in; business, diversity and inclusion, medicine, education, volunteerism, law, human services, philanthropy, community development, women empowerment, and more. To submit a nomination, visit www.ywca-neny.org/aa-app. The 38th Annual Achievement Awards will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2022at Rivers Casino & Resort Event Center from 11:30AM to 1:00PM. Amy Aldrich, owner of Amy Aldrich State Farm Insurance and Financial Services Agency, will be serving as the Honorary Chair. Jaye McBride, proudly transgender comedian and past Women of Achievement awardee, will be the Master of Ceremonies. If you would like information about sponsorship opportunities, please email Kindra McHale, Chief Development Officer, at KMcHale@ywca-neny.org or call her at 518.374.3394 x105. More information on the Achievement Awards can be found online at www.ywca-neny.org/achievement.

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE SUPPORT GROUP:

The “Further Along Survivors of Suicide” Monthly Support Group meets the second Tuesday of each month. The group is structured to meet the needs of people who have lost a loved one to suicide and who are approximately 1824months past the date of their loss. It is not designed for someone who is recently bereaved. Facilitators are peers who have attended AFSP’s (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — AFSP.org) “Facilitating a Suicide Bereavement Support Group” training. There is no charge, but we encourage people to bring a treat to share or a book that would help someone else on their healing journey that we can include in our lending library. For more information, please email David Grapka at Furtheralongsos@gmail.com. For more information on AFSP, please visit AFSP.org or contact Sandra Goldmeer Sandra Goldmeer, Area Director, Capital Region New York at sgoldmeer@afsp.org or 518.791.1544.

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP:

Albany Med’s Division of General Pediatrics will host a weekly Postpartum Depression Support Group for mothers and fathers struggling emotionally following the birth of a child. The group is open to mothers who have given birth within the past year and fathers with a child less than one year old who have no additional support. A virtual session via Zoom will be held Mondays from noon to 12:45p.m. In-person sessions will be held each Tuesday from 4:15to 5p.m. at 391Myrtle Ave., third floor, DevelopmentalBehavioral Pediatrics conference room, Albany. Babies are welcome. No pre-registration is required. For more information or to receive information about a Zoom invite, please contact Selina Grant at (518) 262-6221 or grants3@amc.edu.

BLOOD DRIVES: Your blood donation is essential to maintaining our community’s health. For a full list of upcoming American Red Cross Blood Drives in the area visit www.redcrossblood. org, where participants can register online.

READING MENTORS NEEDED:

Reading mentors are currently needed for children in Troy Public Schools. Do you enjoy reading? Would you like to share your love of reading with children to support their reading development? Do you have an hour a week to spare? If so, the Everybody WINS! Power Lunch program is just for you. Everybody WINS! Power Lunch is an innovative reading and mentoring pro