Troy Bike Rescue

Summer is on... Uptown Summer, that is....
We are super-excited to be part of a new collaborative grassroots revitalization project called Uptown Summer. It's a group effort on the part of Troy Bike Rescue, Collard City Growers, Missing Link Street Ministry and Youth Media Sanctuary.  TBR is doing youth 'Learn & Earn' programming on Mondays and Wednesday afternoons, Collard City Growers is active Monday through Thursdays from 12-5pm as a place for young people to work a new garden (see below), the Missing Link has opened up their kitchen for DIY snack workshops created by Ellie Markovitch and Amy Halloran, and Youth Media Sanctuary is documenting it all for a short video that will be created in the fall.   Uptown Summer is an effort of these four community groups to come together and create programming and safe spaces for youth in a neighborhood that has endured years of neglect.  It is the face of positive change that really coming from the ground up.... and next year will be even better!  Check out this awesome video that explains it all...

What's Collard City Growers?
CCG is particularly exciting development on our block.  It's a youth-led gardening project that is giving kids a place to go, get there hands dirty and actually turn what was a vacant lot into an active food-producing garden.  This is a community garden, but not the kind where each person has there own plot... It is a unified garden made by the hands of youth from the North Troy community.  [Left: Ellie teaches a DIY snackshop right on the CCG garden lot!  Below: Soil workshop with local guru, David Yarrow]

Freedom Square
as part of Uptown Summer's activities, The Sanctuary for Independent Media, put on a killer music show on July 2 which featured local rockers Sumac, 518  hip-hoppers, S.K.A.T.E., the Missing Link Mens Chorus, and DeboBand - and Ethiopian funk influenced band from Boston.  TBR set up a mobile bike clinic, there was a free food BBQ, and potluck, and it was an AMAZING manifestation of love and the desire for change in the face of adversity and oppression.  Long Live Freedom Square! There is already talk of outdoor movie nights, and more events that reclaim this deserted lot for local residents and visitors alike.

TBR Travelling Reunion -- Troy to Coast!
Lastly, the week of July 11-15 is reunion time for TBR.  Except for us, reunions might not be what you think.  Rather than parties under tents with long lost family members, TBR reunions are bicycle camping adventures over long distances with fellow bike-maniacs.  Last year an annual tradition was launched with our bike trip to and from Toronto, and to keep the tradition alive, the TBR volunteer community is going on a bike trip... to the Maine Coast and back.  We leave the morning of July 9th on an unsupported bike ride over mountains and valleys to the ocean!  There are about 15 of us, and we are busy preparing our bikes, bodies, and minds for what promises to be an adventure for all.  This means that the shop will be closed for the week of July 9-15.  Apologies to any patrons affected by this.  Don't worry we'll be right back!