Come celebrate the Fourth of July with us!
As regular readers of www.troyrecord.com already know, The Record is celebrating the Fourth of July in a special way with “The Ben Franklin Project.”
On July 4, all of us at The Record will proclaim our independence from proprietary computer programs by producing that day’s newspaper, as much as possible, using only free software available on the Internet. All 18 Journal Register Company dailies
Another important element of this innovative project, which was conceived by JRC CEO John Paton, is reader involvement.
And that’s where you come in.
We’ve planned a variety of projects, some suggested by our readers, for that day’s edition.
Record digital specialist Tom Caprood is putting together detailed information on each project for this web site and our print edition, but I want to touch on a few of our efforts and encourage you to become a citizen journalist for the Fourth of July. Read more »

The Capital District lost two of its CEOs in recent weeks, both deaths coming after hard-fought battles with cancer.
Sister Maureen Joyce, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, died on May 21 after heading up her agency for 20 years. Sister Maureen and I met many years ago at a media breakfast and I found her to be a warm, caring individual who was deeply committed to serving others.
Pioneer Bank President and CEO John Scarchilli died last Saturday after battling cancer for nine years. There is no question that he leaves his mark on the bank and the many community organizations in which he was involved. Over the years I’ve had several friends who worked for Pioneer and, to a person, they all found him to be a man of integrity. While we had a nodding acquaintance at professional events over the years, my most memorable encounter with him came at a “Relay for Life” event in Green Island.
Mayor Ellen McNulty Ryan had asked me to take part in the Relay’s “Survivors Lap” so I could celebrate being cancer free after completing treatment for breast cancer. I had no idea that John had cancer until then, but we ended up talking about living with cancer and how uplifting it was to see so many people taking part in such a terrific event that would help so many.
I offer my sympathies to the families of both CEOs as well as to Catholic Charities and the Pioneer community. Both Sister Maureen and John Scarchilli were terrific individuals who will be greatly missed.

“I love a parade, the tramping of feet,
I love every beat I hear of a drum.
I love a parade, when I hear a band
I just want to stand and cheer as they come.”

Thousands of people will be singing that tune Sunday as the 43rd annual Flag Day Parade gets under way at 1 p.m. in the Collar City.
I am proud to kick off my blog, “From the Editor’s Desk,” on such a big weekend here in Troy.
Having worked at The Record for almost 34 years (I started as an intern on June 15, 1976, three weeks after earning my journalism degree from St. Bonaventure University), I’ve enjoyed many Flag Day Parades over the years.
To me, one of the most impressive things about the parade is the people who labor behind the scenes year-round to put on this massive annual production for all of us to enjoy.
Over the years, it has been a pleasure to work on coverage plans with Ed Verrillo and John Kacharian, both of whom have died in recent years, as well as Joe Killeen and Jerry Weaver. So many times they told me it was their privilege to carry on the work of the late Jimmy Pasinella, the parade founder. In recent years, I've enjoyed working with Cindy Bizaro-Wilson and Ed Manny, president of the Flag Day Committee.
All of these people — and the other committee members — put their hearts and souls into this annual tribute to our nation’s flag.
Come check out the parade on Sunday as it moves along Fourth Street into downtown Troy with its many bands and marchers. The Record will be there with a vehicle in the parade and some of our employees will be passing out free Sunday papers along the parade route.
If by chance you happen to see Ed, Cindy, Jerry or any other parade committee member, please thank them for all they do and congratulate them on a job well done.