2011 Officers & Awards  Schenectady, NY...On June 15, the Electric City Clowns, Alley #285, gathered to install officers and present awards. The following clowns will be leading the Alley for the next year: Marie "Mischief" Beck, President; Linda "Zippy" Seaman, Vice President; Debbie "Jazzy" Harper, Secretary; Stephanie “Flutterbug” Swald, Treasurer; and, Elaine "Val N Tine" Person, Sgt At Arms.

The Electric City Clown Alley presents the following awards:

The Clown Of The Year Award is presented to the alley member the general membership and the awards committee feels truly exemplifies, in both attitude and behavior, the spirit and ideals of the art of clowning. The recipient is an inspirational leader within the alley, as well as in the clown arts community at large.

The Founders Award, fondly referred to as the Hart Award, in honor of our founder, Bill “SNAPPY“ Hart, is presented to a member who truly clowns from his or her heart and inspires us all to do the same.

The Enthusiasm Award given from time to time to recognize those among us who display a certain infections enthusiasm for the clown arts and the clown community at large while making things happen within the alley.

The Memorial Award is presented to our newer members who have demonstrated significant improvement over the last year.

Our hearty congratulations are offered to:

Thomas Person, Stephanie Swald, Debra Bartolucci, Galen Archambeault, Aaron Cook, and Dan Holck!

Thomas was presented the Clown of the Year Award. Stephanie was presented the Founders Award. Debra was presented the Enthusiasm Award. Galen, Aaron, and Dan were presented Memorial Awards.

The Electric City Clown Alley is a troupe of 65+ performing clowns from all around New York's Capital Region. The clowns are often seen at community events, in schools, in area long term care facilities, in parades and at public and private celebrations across the Tech Valley. Affiliated with Clowns of America International, the alley has on its rolls five members who have been honored as International Clown of the Year, the officers of several local, regional and international clowning efforts and has been honored with the international CHARLIE Award an unprecedented five times, most recently in 2010.

April 25, 2011

Sparky Is The Clown Of The Year!

Look for Barbara Bird, “Sparky” the clown out and around the Capital District.  Sparky is the Clowns of America International (COAI) Clown of The Year! A performing clown since the early ‘90s, Sparky is a past president of the Electric City Clowns. She currently serves Red Nose Response as VP and Director of Communications. When she’s not clowning around, she’s a consulting nurse practitioner. One of the neat things she does is help medical offices put processes in place so they can see more patients, deliver medical services more efficiently and more effectively deal with quality of care concerns. When she is out clowning around she likes to face paint, is a great walk around clown and has often had competition success at regional and international competitions, both as an individual performer and in tandem with her grandchildren. She is an instructor at the Capital Region Clown Arts Festival. Be sure to say congratulations when you see Sparky out and about! Way to go Sparky! Congratulations!! (Yes, she will be the Clown of The Year all year long!)

LOCAL CLOWNS ROCK THE BOAT

Albany, NY August 7...On October 8, 1970, Public Law 91-443 under the 91st Congress, JJR 26 was passed by both the House and Senate. It was sent to President Richard Nixon for his signature. The joint resolution was signed into law by President Nixon on August 2, 1971. The world has been celebrating clowns ever since. It’s the law! August 1 - 7, 2010 is International Clown Week. The Capital Region's Clowns have been putting on their best smiles and creating laughter all week long.

To cap off the 2010 celebration of International Clown Week, 54 clowns from around the Capital Region and beyond rendezvoused at the dock of the Dutch Apple Cruise Line on lower Broadway in Albany this morning. They met with Mayor Gerald Jennings. In a special ceremony he presented the clowns a proclamation from the City of Albany. At the conclusion of the presentation, the clowns boarded the Dutch Apple II for a 90 minute tour of the scenic and historic Hudson River. They were joined by some very special guests from the Humor Project, The Ronald Mc Donald House, The Smile Monster and the Albany area. On board entertainment was provided by Dyer Switch.

The clowns represented various groups, clubs and allays to include the Battenkill Joeys, the Capital District Clowns, the Capital Region Clown Arts Festival, Clowns of America International, Clowns On Rounds, the Electric City Clowns, International Shrine Clown Association, the NORCO Clowns, Red Nose Response and the World Clown Association. Clowns from as far away as Westport, PA joined in on the fun and festivities.

LOCAL CLOWNS TO CELEBRATE

Albany, NY July 29...On October 8, 1970, Public Law 91-443 under the 91st Congress, JJR 26 was passed by both the House and Senate. It was sent to President Richard Nixon for his signature. The joint resolution was signed into law by President Nixon on August 2, 1971. The world has been celebrating clowns ever since. It’s the law! August 1 - 7, 2010 is International Clown Week. The Capital Region's Clowns are putting on their best smiles.

Proclamations celebrating Clown Week will be presented to the Electric City Clowns on the following dates and times by officials of the city/town indicated: July 30, 9:15 AM, Town of Niskayuna at Avon Crest Park; August 2, 11:00 AM, Town of Colonie at the Colonie Town Hall; August 2, 7 PM, Clifton Park Town Hall; August 3, 10:00 AM, City of Troy; August 3, 11:30, the City of Cohoes at the Cohoes Library; August 3, 2:30 PM, the City of Amsterdam, at the Mayor’s office in City Hall; August 3, 7 PM, Town of Half Moon Town Hall;; August 7, The City of Albany, 9:45 AM at the Dutch Apple Lines, 139 Broadway, Albany; August 11, Town of Rotterdam, 7 PM at the Rotterdam Town Hall.

Additionally, in celebration of International Clown Week, area clowns will be appearing in the Schuylerville’s Turning Pont Parade on August 1. On August 3, clowns will be appearing at National Night Out celebrations across the Capital Region. On Saturday morning, August 7, with the assistance of the Dutch Apple Lines and the Smiles Monster, the clowns will be launching “A Boat Load of Clowns” upon the Hudson River. The public is invited to all of these events and appearances.

LOCAL CLOWNS TO CELEBRATE

Albany, NY July 25...On October 8, 1970, Public Law 91-443 under the 91st Congress, JJR 26 was passed by both the House and Senate. It was sent to President Richard Nixon for his signature. The joint resolution was signed into law by President Nixon on August 2, 1971. It reads…“Whoever has heard the laughter of a child or seen sudden delight on the face of a lonely old man has understood in those brief moments mysteries deeper than love.

All men are indebted to those who bring such moments of quiet splendor-who redeem sickness and pain with joy. All across America good men in putty noses and baggy trousers following a tradition as old as man's need to touch gently the lives of his fellowman, go into orphanages and children's hospitals, homes for the elderly and for the retarded, and give a part of themselves. Today, as always, clowns and the spirit they represent are as vital to the maintenance of our humanity as the builders and the growers and the governors.

In the folklore of the world is the persistent claim that the heart of a clown is sad, and that all the gladness he provokes is simply a facade for the pain he cannot reveal to the world. In the myth is the kernel of reason: the clown leaves happiness where he goes, and takes misery away with him.

Yet we cannot suppose there is real truth in the myth. For surely the laugh-makers are blessed: they heal the heart of the world.

To call public attention to the charitable activities of clowns and the wholesome entertainment they provide for all our citizens, the Congress by a joint resolution approved October 8, 1970 (Public Law 91-433), has requested the President to designate the week of August 1 through August 7, 1971, as International Clown Week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of August 1 through August 7, 1971, as International Clown Week. I invite the Governors of the States and the appropriate officials of other areas under the United States flag to issue similar proclamations.

I urge the people of the United States recognize the contributions made by clowns in their entertainment at children's hospitals, charitable institutions, for the mentally retarded, and generally helping to lift the spirits and boost the morale of our people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-sixth.”

The world has been celebrating clowns ever since. It’s the law! August 1 - 7, 2010 is International Clown Week.

International Clown Week August 1 - 7, 2010

Clowns of the Capital Region along with thousands of clowns all around the USA will join the in the celebration of International Clown Week from August 1 thru August 7, 2010.

Each clown will be donating some of their time for a good cause in their community. They will be twisting balloons or face painting or just clowning around. Donations to a local non profit or clown’s favorite charity are gladly accepted. It's an opportunity allowing clowns to both showcase the fun and the laughter of the art of clowning as well as to give back to their local community.

"We are all about the smiles and the laughter!" said Marie “Mischief” Beck, the President of Schenectady’s sixty-five member Electric City Clown Alley. “Our clowns donate hundreds of hours worth of time and talent to many charitable events and organizations in the Capital Region each year. Clown Week gives us an opportunity to get out, clown around, share our art form and have some fun being who we are.” The Electric City Clowns have won the International C.H.A.R.L.I.E. Award four times.

Local clowns were seen celebrating International Clown Week in schools, camps, libraries, and hospitals in 2009. They also clowned around in malls, on Capital Region streets, and even in grocery stores...all for fun. Plans for 2010 Capital Region celebration of Clown Week include a Boat Load of Clowns on the morning of August 7, departing on the Dutch Apple Cruise Lines. Prior to cast off, Albany Mayor Jennings will present a proclamation to all of the clowns recognizing them for all the smirks, smiles, grins, giggles, laughter and good will they create throughout the year.

International Clown Week is observed in many countries around the world.