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Syndication

TROY, N.Y. -- They say history doesn't actually repeat. But it does rhyme. Duncan Crary and Troy Attorney E. Stewart Jones Jr. share a legacy that binds them to one of America's most notorious Prohibition Era Gangsters, Jack "Legs" Diamond. Crary's great-grandfather, John, was the New York Sun correspondent assigned to cover Governor FDR’s statewide roundup of the Diamond gang. Jones' grandfather, Abbott, was the attorney representing Legs in an infamous trial in Troy on the last night of the gangster's life. Today, Crary and Jones carry on their ancestors' work in the same trades, in the same city. Music by Jack Casey.

Direct download: SAC_08.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:44pm EDT

TROY, N.Y. -- It's been almost 10 years since Vic Christopher, 37, and Heather La Vine, 35, landed in Troy. They came here to recharge a minor league baseball team.

But they fell in love with the city and with each other. Their "office" romance was not allowed. So they got hitched and left professional sports. Today, they're working to revitalize the city, instead.

Last year, the husband-and-wife team opened The Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar at 12 Second St., a building they own and live in. It was an instant hit in town, with its eclectic décor of reclaimed materials and Troy ephemera.

Just over a week ago, the couple purchased an adjoining building described as "one of the most endangered buildings in downtown Troy."

In this rolling and sometimes outrageous conversation, Duncan Crary speaks with Christopher and La Vine about love, marriage, urban renewal, gentrification, economic development and The American Dream.

At the start of this episode, Crary reads a personal essay, "So you think you own this?"

Music: "Untitled #9" by mount mole; "Downwind" by Sean Rowe.

Direct download: SAC_07.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:11pm EDT

TROY, N.Y. -- In 1916, James Connolly led the Easter Rising in Dublin, which eventually resulted in the creation of the Irish Republic we know today. He was a freedom fighter, a husband and a socialist labor organizer. Connolly lived in Troy, N.Y. from 1903 to 1905, where he worked to promote socialist ideals in this city that once bustled with industry and inequality.

In 1986, Belfast native James Devine worked to create a monument to Connolly in Troy, to honor the Irish hero's years spent living here. Like Connolly, Devine was a labor organizer at the time. Host Duncan Crary speaks to Devine about the Connolly, the monument and the Irish experience in America and in Northern Ireland.

The residue of James Connolly still remains today. Jon Flanders, a railroad machinist and labor organizer from Troy, works to continue the Connolly tradition in this small American city today through The James Connolly Forum. Crary speaks to Flanders about what it means to be a socialist in Troy today.

Music by The Broken String Band, feat. Michael Cooney. "James Connolly" and "The Big Fellah," by Black 47.

Direct download: SAC_06.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:24pm EDT

TROY, N.Y. -- When you first arrive in Troy, you can't avoid seeing it. A playful sticker placed here and there. A black and white oval, with happy little lowercase lettering that says "enjoy troy." This "meme" has spread all over town. But for a long time few people knew where the cheery mandate orientated. When it started appearing on clocks and signs at local businesses, even the original creator of the slogan didn't know who was spreading those joyful gifts. In this episode, Duncan Crary speaks with Linda Passaretti and Tom Reynolds, the duo behind The Enjoy Troy Co. Today, there are dozens of variations on the original icon, which appear on shirts, hats, coffee tables, etc. that can be purchased locally at the art galleries and stores downtown. And the small entrepreneurs have plans to sell their wares nationally to other cities and people named Troy. But this effort has never been about making money for Tom and Linda. It's about spreading a philosophy -- to enjoy the small city they love. Music: "Come To Life," by Ben Karis-Nix (feat. Sea of Trees)/Swordpaw; "Trojans," by Atlas Genius (courtesy of +1); "Joy All The Time," by Ben Karis-Nix.

Direct download: SAC03.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:03pm EDT

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