Biggest Winners Celebrate Victories at Closing Ceremony

Maria Morales Before the Biggest Winner Program

Maria Morales After the Biggest Winner Program

Maria Morales lost 127 pounds with the help of the local Biggest Winner Program, but she's not the only person to find success. In fact, in the Biggest Winner program, everyone's a winner.

This year-long health program has helped hundreds of people drop pounds, control their diabetes, quit smoking, and lower their blood pressure, but most importantly, it has helped them take control of their health--and that makes them all winners.

Now, the local grassroots initiative is drawing to a close, and to celebrate these victories, the whole community will be invited to a closing ceremony, to be held January 28 from 4-7pm. The location has not yet been announced.

The ceremony will include singing, dancing, and some inspirational stories from Biggest Winner participants. The evening will culminate with a grand prize drawing for $5,000.

Started in April, the Biggest Winner program is a collaboration between Downtown Campus of the University at Albany's Center for Excellence in Aging program and the Healthy Hearts on the Hill program. (both programs particpate on the Central Avenue Farmers Market) The program has about 260 participants, who were recruited at block parties, health fairs, farmers' markets, and other community events across the city, says Kimberly Connell, program coordinator through the Center for Excellence in Aging. "People were very eager to be a part of it," Connell says.

These participants agree to work toward a healthier lifestyle, and they earn points for participating in healthy activities like exercising, visiting the doctor regularly, and eating healthy food, she says. These points are recorded on a scorecard, which they carry with them and then turn in at the end of the month.

The Biggest Winner is a winner because of its relatively narrow focus, Connell says. The program also works because it engaged people in their own communities, and provided help that was in line with individual goals, she says. The program also gave participants plenty of incentives to stick with their new healthier lifestyle, including monthly prize drawings for people who earned at least 30 points. At the end of the year, these individuals qualify for the grand prize drawing of $5,000.

The program focuses on taking small manageable steps, but participants report that the impact is anything but small. Ron Scott, Townsend Park Homes Tenant Association President helped bring the program to the affordable housing complex on Central Avenue. Scott is active with "Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables," Healthy Hearts on the Hill, Active Choices, and serves as a task force member for the Neighborhood Health Task Force and the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities. He liked the Biggest Winner program because it "ties all these programs together," he says, and because it helps residents feel like they're in charge of their aging and health.

Since bringing the program to the complex, Scott says more residents are taking advantage of the nearby Albany YMCA. He also reports that the seniors have become more mobile, and are taking advantage of some of the activities in the area. Residents will tell him they walked to the CVS and back, the next time he sees them, they say they've gone to the park, he says. "They're more active and sometimes that means their minds are more active," he says.

One winner's story

Looking at Maria Morales, it's hard to believe that just over a year ago, she weighed 300 pounds. Today, this woman is a svelte 173 pounds, and full of life, but a year ago, she says, she spent a lot of time at home, in bed. "I would get up to go to the bathroom, or the kitchen, and then go back to bed," Morales says, sitting on the couch in her parents living room. "I didn't do anything."

Morales attributes her weight to depression; not long before the weight gain, she had broken off her marriage. She also successfully battled two bouts with Hodgkins-Lymphoma, but the cancer had left her with a rod, plate, and screws in her leg. She was taking regular medication to combat the pain, but it left her feeling slow and lethargic.

Finally, her primary care physician, Dr. Robert Paeglow, gave her a hard dose of reality. "'Maria,' he said, 'you're going to die of a heart attack if you don't lose some weight,'" she recalls. After that, she says, she made a conscious decision to start a diet and start exercising. Morales wasn't a big eater, but she liked her sweets, she says--cookies, cake, candy, ice cream--and giving them up was not easy. She also joined a gym, and began to swim regularly at her brother's pool and go on long walks. She was on a fixed income, so she needed to find affordable ways to get in shape. Initially, she was exercising 4-5 times a day, a vigorous schedule for anyone, but for someone so overweight, it was particularly challenging. Sometimes, it was hard to find the motivation, but Morales just kept telling herself she could do it and that her life was worth it. In no time at all, she had gotten down to 279 pounds, but she felt like she needed some support to keep going.

Dr. Paeglow, who was one of the co-founders of the Biggest Winner program, encouraged her to join the new initiative as a way to stay on track. Morales joined and found great support in the new program, she says. She liked it because it covered the full spectrum of health, both physical and mental. She got involved in new activities like zumba, and began attending regular meetings Overeaters' Anonymous meetings. As a result, she became more social, more self-confident, she said. "Now I feel like that Mary J. Blige song, 'You Ain't Got Nothing on Me,'" she says with a laugh.

Before the Biggest Winner program, Morales had trouble walking up a flight of stairs, today the 39-year-old woman feels like she can do anything. "That program saved my life," she says. She glows with new life, and looks forward eagerly to what awaits. Morales has a new boyfriend, and is contemplating another wedding. She is also looking forward to returning to school and finishing her clinicals so that she can become a nurse, she says. The Biggest Winner program taught her the secrets of healthy living, and she plans to continue working out and eating right: "Now I know forever how to do it," she says.

Morales is looking forward to the Closing Ceremony and her shot at the $5,000 grand prize, but, she says, she already got the best prize she could hope for: she got control of her life. "The Biggest reward for me is that I'm going to live," she said. "I'm not going to die."

NABA completes tenant parking lot

The Northeastern Association for the Blind of Albany completed their brand-new parking lot on Central Avenue. The parking lot will provide much needed spaces to the non-profit's tenants at their two adjacent properties. The lot also offers a small green space for clients' guide dogs, complete with a picnic table donated by the Girls, Inc. club of Albany.

The new lot was completed in mid-November, and is now in use. For safety and security, the parking lot is fenced with handsome brick and iron; tenants are issued a code to gain entrance. New lightpoles have been added to ensure that the parking lot is well-lit. It's been landscaped as well, to make it more pleasant.

The lot will provide 10 spaces to the University at Albany, NABA's tenants at 299 Washington Avenue, as well as additional spaces for the future tenants at 80 Central Avenue, says Christopher Burke, NABA's Executive Director.

Eighty Central is currently empty, but NABA is in talks with a potential tenant for the old building, says Burke. If terms are agreed upon and met, this tenant would take a good portion of the building's 17,000 square feet, and NABA would use the remainder to expand its children's programming and technology resources, he says. NABA is already pressed for space in its current location at 301 Central, and by collaborating with this potential tenant, they could gain as much as 5,000 additional square feet.

The new tenant will not be named until all the paperwork has been finalized. In the interim, NABA is trying to identify funding to begin to rehab the old building, starting with the historic facade. This process could begin as early as spring, Burke says.

The collaboration with this new tenant is very exciting, Burke says. Building a new parking lot, securing tenants, and restoring an adjacent building for expanded programming is part of an innovative multi-phase approach to building and developing the agency. It's ambitious, but also it's exciting, Burke says. "That will make us permanent," he says.

Veteran's Day Parade 2009

Seems like old times: Original Shalimar Owner Reclaims Landmark Restaurant

Qasim Bhatti just opened Lazeez on November 1, but already, he feels at home. Not surprising, since Bhatti owned and operated Shalimar out of this building for years before deciding to take a break from the restaurant business in 2000. He turned the business over to his brother-in-law, Leo Ashiq, who went on to open two additional locations in Bethelehem and Clifton Park.

This fall, when Ashiq announced plans to close the original Albany Shalimar to focus on his suburban locations, a collective groan went up across the city. Thankfully, the restaurant's original owner swiftly stepped in and filled the gap. In fact, there seemed to be almost no interruption in service, and the only outward sign of the shift was the new restaurant sign on the building.

Bhatti's restaurant Lazeez offers a menu almost identical to Shalimar's, and the dishes are cooked by the same chef and served by many of the same staff members. Customers who have grown accustomed to the comfortable ambience, complete with lantern lights and colorful artwork will be happy to find that the restaurant's interior is exactly the same. Even the buffet is the same--in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the chafing dishes were in the same order.

"The perception is that it's a new restaurant because of the name, but they come in and they see it's the same or an even better operation," Bhatti says.

In the future, Bhatti would like to update the menu with some new vegetarian options and to offer some new appetizers, but all cooked in the same northern Indian style that his customers have come to so appreciate, he says.

After a nine-year hiatus from the restaurant business, Bhatti says it's a pleasure to be back on Central Avenue. He and his wife started the restaurant in 1992, during a real turning point in the area, and they became intimately involved in the neighborhood and its residents. Bhatti has been gratified to see many of those same customers still coming in. "The local community has supported me over so many years," he says. He hopes that same level of support will continue.

Lazeez is located at 35 Central Avenue, Albany. They offer delivery service. For more information, please call 435-0333 or visit their website at http://www.eatlazeez.com/.

Roadmap for the Future: Albany's Comprehensive Plan Underway

Where are we going? Are we there yet? The City of Albany has engaged a planner and appointed a new board, all with the goal of creating a comprehensive plan for the city. The plan will take a long range view of the city's future, to figure out both where we are, and where we'd like to be in the next 20 years.

Slated for release in 2011, the comprehensive plan will be the first in the city's 400 year history.

Neighborhood Association members across the city are being invited to attend a series of January meetings so that residents can provide their input on the state of the city. At Monday night's West End Neighborhood Association meeting, John O'Grady, president, exhorted members to participate in the meetings. The city needs to hear from its constituents, he explained to the members who met at the West End Presbyterian Church.

The plan is an important document, which promises to have a long-lasting impact on Albany. It will serve as the city's guiding policy document, and "set a common direction for the city," says David Rouse, Principal with Wallace Roberts and Todd, a planning and design firm out of Philadelphia that was hired to consult on the process.

The firm will work with the city's Department of Planning and Development, as well as the city's recently created Comprehensive Planning Board. The 30-member comprehensive planning board is made up of city personnnel, business owners, and civic leaders who were appointed by the city's Common Council in September. According to the city website, the board will provide guidance for the plan and make a recommendation to the council for its adoption.

The process for creating the city's first comprehensive plan promises to be both thorough and thoughtful. "We're under way, and we're looking for the entire process to take between 15 and 18 months," Rouse explained. The comprehensive planning board will host group meetings, hold one on one interviews, and conduct massive surveys, all with the goal of soliciting input from the public. This week, Rouse and his colleagues kicked off the process by holding meetings with city stakeholders, including transportation agencies, neighborhood associations, and business improvement districts. During the meetings, attendees were asked about the city's strengths and challenges.

While it's still early in the process, the meetings have nevertheless revealed a number of concerns, Rouse says. Stakeholders voiced concerns about the high number of tax-exempt properties in the area, the perception problem with the city school district, and safety issues. However the meetings also revealed a long list of city assets, including walkable neighborhoods, a number of vibrant arts institutions, and a wealth of historic architecture.

In January, the city will hold another series of public meetings, this time aimed at city residents. "We want as many people to participate as possible," Rouse says. Residents will be asked what they like about living in the city and what they would like to see improved.

The idea is to capitalize on some of the city's assets and solve some of the problems that have been identified, Rouse says. The plan will serve as a starting point, and could help direct zoning changes, regulatory changes, and transportation infrastructure, he says. It could even make the city more eligible for grant funding: "Generally, if a community has a good plan in place, it puts them in a good position for competitive grants," Rouse says.

The meetings will be held on January 28, 29 and 30. Times and location will be announced soon.

Other meeting notes:

--Janet Parker, community liasion for the Albany Police Department, updated the audience on recent criminal activity in the area. There's been an upsurge in burglaries from cars, which will probably continue to rise as the holiday season approaches, she cautioned. She advised people to park in well-lit areas, don't leave valuables in plain sight, and always lock your car doors and roll up your windows. "I've seen larceny for things like change in a cupholder," she said.

--A public meeting will be held on December 3rd at 6:30pm in the Education Building of the St. Rose College, Carl Touhey Forum to discuss the selection of the new police chief. Residents will be asked to help choose criteria for the selection of this new post.

Legal clinic for small business

Contact: Paul Stewart
Capital District Community Loan Fund
518/436-8586 tel
For Immediate Release
November 16, 2009

Free Legal Clinic for Entrepreneurs

The Capital District Community Loan Fund and the Legal Project of the Women’s Bar Association are sponsoring a legal clinic for small business and micro enterprise owners on Thursday, December 3rd at the Legal Project Office, at Stuyvesant Plaza in Albany.

Volunteer attorneys with expertise in business-related matters will provide individual and confidential consultations on specific questions about: the various forms of business ownership and legal structure; purchasing an existing business; trademarks & copy rights; contracts; and permit and zoning issues for example.

Space is limited. Participants must sign up for an appointment by calling the Legal Project at 435-1770. Priority is given to women, minorities and low income people starting or owning their own business. The meeting place is handicap accessible and there is free parking.

This clinic is one part of the Capital District Community Loan Fund’s efforts to provide accessible, affordable and relevant training and capital to businesses that have traditionally been denied access to services. The Community Loan Fund is a non-profit community development financial institution founded in 1985.

The Legal Clinic of the Women’s Bar Association is offering this clinic as part of their Small Business Legal Network and with financial support from the New York State Bar Foundation.

Mayor's Drop Off Event a Success in spite of rain

With the support of the Lodges, Central BID, Hannaford Supermarkets, Nigro Real Estate, Stewarts, and Hoffmans Car Wash, Mayor Jerry Jennings held his annual Drop Off Event on October 24. The event held at Hannaford Plaza to gather winter gear for Albany's underprivileged kids, and even rainy weather couldn't dampen the spirit of giving. Tents were erected to protect volunteers, and as the day went on, the coats and winterwear kept piling up.

The Mayor will distribute the proceeds at five area schools on November 16, said Bob Van Amburgh, Executive Assistant to the Mayor.

"Girls Need a Place": Girls, Inc. holds annual lunch

The vision for Girls Incorporated is simple. It was founded in 1957, when three girls were prohibited from joining the city Boys Club. The girls took action, and went to the then-mayor Erastus Corning to ask for help. Fifty-two years later, at the foundation's annual luncheon, Gail Wilson-Giarratano, President and CEO of Girls Inc. recalled the important message the girls carried to the mayor so long ago: "'Us girls, we need a place,'" she said, her voice filling the ballroom crowded with Girls Inc. members and alumnae.

Mayor Corning agreed with the young women, and he established Girls Incorporated, which has been offering fun, educational programming for young women ever since.

The message those "three girls in action" carried to Mayor Corning is as true now as it was then, Wilson-Giarratano explained at Thursday's Girls in Action Fundraising luncheon. In today's stress-filled world, where there is more pressure on girls than ever to become prettier, skinnier, and stronger, they need a safe haven where they can escape from that pressure, and figure out what they want, she said.

To that end, Girls Inc. offers educational programs in media literacy, financial literacy, sports and adventure, health and wellness, as well as homework help. Perhaps most importantly, the clubs offers a safe space for girls to meet with other girls and simply be themselves, she said.

Thursday, one young woman after another took the stage at the Century House and spoke of the important role Girls Inc. played in their lives.

Lisa Simmons, a former police officer and is now a Crime Prevention Specialist at Union College, who was a member of the club in the 1970s spoke about how important it was to have that consistency in her life. "I was a girl who needed a place," she told the room. Marsé Pulley, who just graduated from high school and is just about to embark on her training as a nurse, agreed. For her, Girls Inc. was "a stepping stone to overcoming adversity," Pulley said.

Girls Inc. has two locations, one in Albany and one in Schenectady. These clubs offer vital afterschool programming, as well as workshops and summer camp, but they need financial contributions in order to continue their mission, explained Felix Neals, member of the Board of Directors. Luncheon attendees were encouraged to make a donation using pledge cards distributed at the tables. Neals explained that "there's no right or wrong amount of giving," and that even small amounts help connect girls with services.

People can also help by giving their time, explained Penny Page, Vice President for Development. People can donate their time and skills to the Cornerstone Group, a committee that helps with fundraising, she said. The luncheon program also listed a number of supplies needed by the club in the form of a "wish list." Their wish list includes everything from modeling clay to photo paper, white T-shirts, computer mouses and journals, all of which would be used for programming.

Girls Inc. is located at 25 Western Avenue, Albany. (518) 436-0034. For more information about Girls Inc. of the Capital Region and how you can get involved, please visit their website: http://www.girlsinccapitalregion.org/

Girls Inc. Wish List

modeling clay
plaster of paris
beads and string
markers
colored
paper
scissors
pipe cleaners
tissue paper
styrofoam balls
glue
badge kits
photo paper
organizing bins
easel boards
white boards
new volleyball net
exercise flooring
mesh sports
bags
10 compound light microscopes
soldering iron
12 scientific
calculators
bunsen burners
beakers
hot plates
graduated
cylinders
K-nex building kits
leaf blower
breast exam model
various woods for woodworking
t-squares
hand push drills
disposable cameras
writing tablets
2 electric CD players
headsets
journals
sand table/water table
lights for growing
plants
computer mouses
turtle filter
blenders
apple corer
First Aid kit supplies

Caribbean Breeze Packs Flavor Whollop

Brisas Del Caribe, the newly-reopened Caribbean and Spanish-American restaurant on Washington Avenue, brings the taste of the tropics to Townsend Park. The menu offers Caribbean favorites like jerk chicken and fish, oxtail soup, curried goat, and fried pork chops as well as a selection of more mainstream and vegetarian dishes.

Reopened under new ownership in late September, the remodeled restaurant offers an expanded menu, with the same eye toward flavorful, authentic Caribbean food. The restaurant maintained the same chef. He uses fresh ingredients, and then seasons and cooks them just right, turning even simple dishes into Caribbean reveries.

On the night we went, we ordered jerk chicken ($8.99) and pork pernil ($10.99). The jerk chicken was falling off the bone, and so savory that my dining companion couldn't stop raving. I was equally impressed with my entree, a slab of pork obviously fresh, and roasted in its own skin to maintain its tenderness. It was topped with peppers and onions that carried vinegary power punch, but it was served with a hot bowl of beans that tasted like they had been simmering all day, that more than balanced out the vinegar. Both dishes came with our choice of white or yellow rice, and a side of steamed vegetables to round things out. We also ordered fried plantains ($2.50) and an empanada ($1.50). Dinner came with salads. The portions are generous, so plan to bring some home for lunch the next day.

We had the restaurant to ourselves that night. The liquor license is still in the works and that may be scaring people off, our waiter told us. The food was so good (and affordable) that we were baffled as to why people would skip it just because you couldn't order drinks. Don't they know that if they drink too much of the island rum, they won't be able to appreciate the yummy spiciness of the food?

In addition to expanding the menu, the new owners also gave the restaurant a much-needed facelift. In addition to some more superficial changes, the wall between the narrow bar and dining area was torn down to give a more open feeling to the space. Tearing down the wall also revealed the island-inspired murals painted along one side of the dining room. The room was so dark and narrow before that you could hardly see them; now you can gaze at these prettily-painted oceanscapes and farm scenes, and almost believe you're on vacay.

Our bill came to about $30.00. For bargain hunters--try the All You Can Eat Buffet, $7.99. It takes place Monday through Friday from 10:30am-3pm, making this a perfect stop for lunch, letting you sample a range of dishes and all for an affordable price.

Brisas Del Caribe is located at 244 Washington Avenue, near the corner of Henry Johnson Boulevard. For more information, call 462-0895.

"Dead is the New Alive": The Linda's Zombie Fest Welcomes Undead

This weekend, the dead took to the streets as part of the Linda's second-annual Zombie Film Feast II. Beginning Friday, October 23, audiences enjoyed three nights of zombie entertainment that included 10 films, live music, video gaming, and a celebration of all things undead.

"The festival has been a success," said coordinator Graeme McKenna. "We've had nice crowds at the films, and lots of people purchased passes so they could attend all three nights. We've had good consistency."

The festival culminated Saturday night with a zombie walk down Lark Street and Central Avenue, a brain-eating contest, and a zombie prom. Dressed in their funereal best, people began meeting at the Lark Street BID at 4pm. Couples, individuals, friends and even whole families met on the sidewalk, to compare costumes and discuss the finer points of zombie lore. Some took the opportunity to reapply their makeup, adjusting their bloody maggots and making sure their bite marks were on straight. By 5pm, a sizable crowd of bloody zombies had assembled for the walk, and when McKenna gave the signal, the hoards began their long limp down Lark Street and Central Avenue to the Linda.

Crowds assembled on either side of the street to watch the 100-or-so participants stagger past, snapping pictures and shuddering at the gorey scene. As they moved down the streets, they groaned and growled, and yelled for brains. The corpses were in various stages of decomposition. Many looked as if they had really stepped right from the grave, complete with torn and muddy clothes and rotting flesh.