Rockland Review Local News

NEW CITY (MARCH 9) – Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef demanded answers today as to why counties in the Indian Point Emergency Planning Zone were not notified yesterday of a release of steam from a pipe underneath the plant.

Entergy, owner and operator of the plant, characterized the release as “small and radiologically insignificant,” according to emailed reports sent out before 8 a.m. today. The release, which occurred at about 11 a.m. Monday during an underground transfer of steam from Unit 3 to Unit 2, could have contained small amounts of tritium, Entergy officials said. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was made aware of the release yesterday, according to the report.

Entergy officials claimed their community relations staff were developing “talking points” yesterday and felt it was better to notify counties this morning of the event.

News of the event comes less than a week after the NRC gave Indian Point its top safety rating.

“This continued pattern of delaying or keeping information from officials and from the public doesn’t give us the level of comfort we need when we’re dealing with 120,000 Rockland County residents living within ten miles of two nuclear reactors,” Vanderhoef said. “We demand an investigation by the NRC into the exact nature and cause of this steam release, as well as an explanation as to why we weren’t notified immediately when this event occurred.”

CITY - County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to eliminate the proposed Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Line service cuts from the MTA’s plans to close its budget gap.

“Rockland County is one of only two counties (with Orange) in the MTA region that have a value gap. In fact, all of the other MTA counties and boroughs benefit from value surpluses – they get more service than they pay for,” Vanderhoef said. “It is, therefore, simple common sense that dictates that Rockland County be exempt from these service cuts.”

Vanderhoef received a commitment from MTA Chair Jay Walder in October that Walder would support Rockland’s efforts to gain equity for its value gap.

The MTA has been conducting hearings throughout its service area, including Rockland, this week about planned service cuts.

Part-time opportunities available through REC Program; deadline extended to March 10

NEW CITY - The Rockland County Youth Bureau’s AmeriCorps has extended a deadline for a program seeking professionals who are currently out of work for a part-time opportunity with Rockland Employment Connections (REC), according to Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

Created through the AmeriCorps program in response to rising unemployment, REC will match out-of-work County residents with municipal and non-profit entities that are short-staffed due to layoffs, hiring freezes and early retirement incentives. The new deadline for application to the program is March 10, 2010.

REC members who participate in the 450-hour program will receive a $2,949 living stipend and a $1,250 educational award. Members who participate in the 300-hour program will receive a living stipend of $1,959 and an educational award of $1,000. Additional benefits include training, employment, social networking and the ability to provide a needed community service.

Potential candidates must be legal permanent residents of the United States and will work a part-time schedule with hours primarily on weekdays. Other qualifications are, but are not limited to, a commitment to completing the program, a dedicated work ethic, flexibility, good time management skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with others.

Member applications are due March 10, 2010. For more information or to request an application, contact Jenny at 845-638-5362 or e-mail kuriskoj@co.rockland.ny.us.

RAMAPO — The New York Community College Trustees of the State University of New York announced the 2010 NYCCT award winners and will present their awards on Friday, March 12, at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs. Two of the recipients are from Rockland – Jerry Donnellan of Valley Cottage and Dennis Dale of Ramapo.

The awards program recognizes extraordinary leadership and achievement, dedicated and effective service, and commitment to community as models of excellence in New York State’s community colleges.

Donnellan and Dale were nominated by the Rockland Community College Board of Trustees.

Dale is president of the insurance company Dale and Dale Associates. He became an advocate on behalf of RCC beginning in 2003 because he was impressed by the quality of education his two sons received in the RCC Honors Program at a fraction of the cost of private colleges.

He attends all RCC recruiting events and uses his own imaginative displays to present the financial and academic reasons to start at a community college before transferring to a four-year college. Aside from regularly donating to the RCC Foundation to fund student scholarships, Dale also serves on the RCC Foundation Board and the RCC Center for Professional and Personal Development Advisory Board.

A retired New York City firefighter, Dale was instrumental in the 2010 signing of an articulation agreement between the University of New Haven and RCC in Fire Protection Technology. Dale lives with his wife Marion in Ramapo.

Donnellan, a 1966 RCC grad, is director of Rockland County Veteran Services, and has served the needs of veterans for more than 20 years.

Losing his leg to a grenade in 1969 during service in the Vietnam War, his interest in helping veterans was ignited in 1988 when he suffered a flashback and subsequently learned that more vets had killed themselves following the war than had died fighting on the battlefield. Finding services lacking in Rockland, he helped develop a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Clinic, which now aids more than 6,000 veterans each year; helped establish a shelter for homeless veterans, M.I.A. (Missing in America) House; was instrumental in the establishment of the Camp Shanks Museum in Orangeburg; and organized the first Memorial Day watchfires in honor of those who died in combat.

Donnellan is the former chairman of the RCC Foundation. He has two sons and lives with his wife, MariEllyn Dykstra-Donnellan, in Valley Cottage.

Representatives of CONSERV Construction meet with Suffern officials and volunteer firefighters.

SUFFERN – CONSERV Construction in Suffern found out first-hand last year just how important the fire department is to a community.

When the company’s downtown Suffern facility caught fire, the blaze took a nightlong effort by Suffern volunteers and volunteers from many other departments throughout Rockland County to put out. In the wake of that fire, CONSERV says it is stepping up to help firefighters by buying an old fire truck from the Suffern Fire Department and donating it to a fire and rescue department in Jefferson, Maine.

Don Brennan, chief operations officer at CONSERV Construction, says the fire truck that is being donated to Jefferson is the same truck that was used to battle the February 2009 fire at CONSERV. Brennan said the old Suffern truck will allow rural Jefferson firefighters to improve their service to the community without expense to the community.

Suffern’s 1992 American LaFrance engine will help Jefferson Fire and Rescue tremendously, Chief Walter Morris said .

“The Jefferson, Maine Fire & Rescue Department was elated when we learned that Don was donating a fire truck,” Morris said. “The truck will replace a 1963 fire truck which is breaking down and suffering from water tank leaks. The Suffern fire truck has the capacity to carry 1,000 gallons of water – with no fire hydrants in our rural area, this is a great upgrade. We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new truck and the men are very excited about the training session we’ve scheduled. This was unexpected and we’re extremely grateful for what Don, Suffern, and CONSERV has done for us.”

Chief Michael Stark, the Battalion Chief of the Suffern Volunteer Fire Department, said that CONSERV is also arranging for the transport of the old Suffern truck to Maine.

“It gives us great pride to donate this apparatus to the Jefferson Fire and Rescue Volunteer Fire Department,” Stark said.

“More than anyone, they realize the importance of making sure that volunteer fire departments have the proper resources to fight fires,” LaCorte said. “I know the Suffern Fire Department is thrilled to be able to help a fellow department in need.”

Brennan said he has always appreciated the hard work and dedication of volunteer firefighters.

“After being the victim of a devastating fire last year, I have even more respect for what these brave men and women do,” Brennan said. “They risked their lives and braved frigid weather to make sure that the fire was safely put out. The members of the Suffern Fire Department are true heroes.”

CONSERV Construction is a regional construction services company with extensive experience in all phases of design-build, site development and facilities maintenance. In business since 1996, the company has handled a diverse range of construction projects. CONSERV has three divisions: Architectural and Building, Civil and Structural and Building and Facilities Maintenance.

RAMAPO - The Town of Ramapo will host a public hearing on a proposal by United Water Inc. to increase its water use rates by 31.2 percent, according to Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence.

The hearing is set to take place on April 22, at Ramapo Town Hall, 237 Route 59, starting at 7 p.m. The hearing will be video-streamed on the town website www.ramapo.org and broadcast on Cablevision channels 75 / 78 and Verizon Fios channel 32. Viewers will be able to e-mail statements and call-in comments about the proposed rate increase.

“For the past several years, the Town of Ramapo has intervened in a number of Utility Rate Increase Cases before the Public Service Commission - these increases are intolerable to local families and must be opposed,” said St. Lawrence.

Tuesday, March 9, 3 to 9 p.m, Woodglen Elementary School, Lower Level Gym, 121 Phillips Hill Road, New City.

Thursday, March 11, 3:30 to 8 p.m., Link Elementary School Gym, 51 Red Hill Road, New City.

Thursday, March 11, 3:30 to 9 p.m., West Nyack Elementary School Cafeteria, 661 West Nyack Road, West Nyack.

Monday, March 15, 3:30 to 9:30 p.m., Bardonia Elementary School Cafeteria, 360 Bardonia Road, Bardonia.

Monday, March 15, 3 to 9 p.m., Laurel Plains Elementary School Gym, 14 Teakwood Lane, New City.

Tuesday, March 16, 3 to 9 p.m., Congers Elementary School Gym, 9 Lake Road West, Congers.

Tuesday, March 16, 3 to 9 p.m., Little Tor Elementary School Cafeteria, 56 Gregory Road, New City.

Thursday, March 18, 3 to 9 p.m., Jesse J. Kaplan School (Rockland BOCES) Cafeteria, 65 Parrott Road, West Nyack.

Tuesday, March 23, 3:30 to 9:30 p.m., Lakewood Elementary School, Lower Level Gym, 77 Lakeland Avenue, Congers.

Tuesday, March 23, 3:30 to 8 p.m., Strawtown Elementary School, Library/Dimensions/Computer Lab, 413 Strawtown Road, West Nyack.

Thursday, March 25, 4:30 to 9 p.m., New City Elementary School Cafeteria, 60 Crestwood Drive, New City.

The Little Doctors Program is the brainchild of Karen Brothers, a Putnam Valley Middle School teacher who felt her students would benefit and learn from the experience of organizing and planning a community blood drive. The program teaches community service and leadership skills, and offers a learning experience for both students and the surrounding community. Each blood donation can help save up to three lives following component (red cell, platelets, plasma) separation.

HAVERSTRAW – Chefs at 10 Rockland County restaurants already are hard at work creating tantalizing menus for the fourth annual Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, March 15-28.

During this 14-day celebration of fine dining in the Hudson Valley, participating restaurants offer restaurant goers three-course lunches at a fixed price of $20 and/or dinners for $28. Restaurant Week devotees will be pleased to learn that this year’s event includes Saturday nights for the first time.

Diners will have the opportunity to choose from a wider-than-ever variety of cuisines at more than 130 restaurants in seven counties. From classic Italian, French, steak and seafood houses to Eclectic American, Nuevo Latino, Moroccan, Portuguese or Greek cuisine, the event offers something for every palate. Many of the participating restaurants showcase the bounty of Hudson Valley farms and orchards by using locally grown ingredients on their menus.

From casual Italian eateries to 18^th century inns to top-floor luxury hotel restaurants with sweeping views, Hudson Valley Restaurant Week offers many dining options.

“This is Restaurant Week’s fourth year, and each year it has grown in popularity, both in restaurant participation and with customers,” says Janet Crawshaw, organizer of the event and publisher of The Valley Table. “This year we’re thrilled to announce that the number of participating restaurants shot up by more than 40%. We recommend making reservations early so as not to be disappointed.”

The following is a list of participating restaurants in Rockland County: Hudson House of Nyack; Il Portico, Tappan; Lanterna Tuscan Bistro, Nyack; Louie's on the Avenue, Pearl River; Marcello's of Suffern; Mt. Ivy Café, Pomona; Restaurant X and the Bully Boy Bar, Congers; Two Spear Street, Nyack; Union Restaurant & Bar Latino, Haverstraw; and, Woody's Parkside Grill, Sparkill.

GARNERVILLE - Students and staff in the North Rockland Central School District have raised close to $10,000 in donations to assist with the Haiti relief efforts, reports Ileana Eckert, Superintendent of Schools.

In addition to the money raised the schools have donated medical supplies, toiletry items, baby supplies, formula, toys, clothing and bedding. Organizations such as the American Red Cross, UNICEF, and CARE have been recipients of the funds raised. Some of the schools in the District have donated all their money and supplies to the Haverstraw Assembly of God Church located in the Village. The Church has been forwarding all the donations directly to Haiti. West Haverstraw Elementary School teacher aide, Hencie Rosarion will be traveling to Haiti this week to bring donations of money, clothing, medical supplies and toys to the people of Haiti. While there she will be visiting orphanages in Port au Prince and Jamal and delivering letters and cards that the students at West Haverstraw have written to the children. With the assistance of their teachers the students have also created a French Creole booklet for Ms. Rosarion to share with the children.

“Our schools have come up with many novel ways to raise money to help the people of Haiti,” stated Mrs. Eckert. “They have held bake sales, pizza sales and button sales with the slogan Yes I Care, Yes I Support. Schools have participated in Hats on for Haiti, Sunglasses for Haiti, Pajama Days and coin drops. A Home and Careers teacher made two quilts with her class to send to Haiti; two second grade students initiated the fund raising effort in their school; a Life Skills class raffled off a cookie cake and a Read 180 class raffled off a basket and donated the proceeds. As a District we are extremely proud of the generosity of our students, their families and our staff members for making these generous donations for the people of Haiti.”

Rockland Health Department warns residents a rabid cat, rabid raccoon found in Clarkstown

POMONA – The Rockland County Department of Health is alerting residents that a raccoon and a feral cat recently tested positive for rabies in Clarkstown, and as result, one resident is undergoing rabies treatment and two dogs had to get rabies booster shots.

The Rockland County Department of Health urges all residents to take these common steps to avoid exposure to rabies:

· If you are bitten, scratched or have contact with an animal you believe to be rabid, immediately wash the wound with soap and water, seek medical attention and report the incident to the Rockland County Department of Health (845-364-2656).

· To avoid unnecessary rabies treatments, all potentially rabid animals that may have exposed someone should be confined and observed or tested for rabies. Report all potentially rabid animals and possible exposures to the Rockland County Department of Health.

· Although a bite from a rabid animal is the primary way for rabies to be transmitted, contact the Rockland County Department of Health regarding any contact with an animal that may be rabid.

· Avoid contact with any wild animal. Be suspicious of wild animals that are unusually tame or aggressive, especially those that attack your pets. Do not attract raccoons to your yard by feeding them. Avoid contact with any stray animals, especially cats.

· Do not handle pets with bare hands for several hours after any involvement with a suspected rabid wild animal. Pet owners should keep a pair of thick gloves handy for just such situations, and should bathe pets after wildlife encounters.

· Do not release bats found in homes or cabins and seek advice from Rockland County Department of Health about what to do with the bat. Immediately report any possible contact with bats, and such situations as bats in rooms or camp cabins with sleeping persons, unattended children, or individuals with mental impairment.

To protect your pet, the Health Department will hold a rabies vaccination clinic on Sunday, April 25, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Fire Training Center, 35 Firemen's Memorial Drive in Pomona. There is no charge for the vaccination, but a $5 donation per pet will be accepted to help defray costs.

Animal rabies continues to be a serious public health problem in Rockland County, according to Commissioner of Health Dr. Joan Facelle. She reminds all residents to make sure that their animals are immunized against rabies and that the vaccinations are kept up to date.

New York State law requires all dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age, and owners can be fined up to $200 if they fail to get their pets vaccinated and keep them up to date. If an unvaccinated pet, or one that's overdue on its vaccination, comes in contact with a rabid or suspected rabid animal, the pet must either be destroyed or strictly quarantined for six months. Vaccinated animals that come in contact with wild animals can be given booster vaccinations, but these shots must be given within five days of exposure.

WEST NYACK - Meals on Wheels Programs and Services of Rockland has received a stock donation from the Kurz Family Foundation, with both the Clarkstown and Nyack senior centers - programs of Meals on Wheels – getting the approximate equivalent of $10,000 to benefit their programs.

In addition, Meals on Wheels will also benefit from a stock donation that will yield approximately $50,000, according to Barbara Kohlhausen, agency president and CEO.

“We are very grateful to Herb Kurz and the Kurz Family Foundation for their continued generosity and support of Meals on Wheels,” Kohlhausen said.

Herb Kurz is a board member of Nyack-based Presidential Life, where he is the former board chairman. The foundation, run by the Kurz family, nearly 21 percent of Presidential Life’stock. Kurz, 89, of Piermont, is an officer and director of the foundation, which is a separate entity from Presidential. Presidential Life Corp. is parent of Presidential Life Insurance Co., which is licensed to sell life insurance and annuity products in 49 states and Washington, D.C.

In 2009, after 35 years of delivering meals to the community’s homebound population Meals on Wheels served its 8 millionth meal. Kohlhausen said Meals on Wheels continues to advance its mission by providing for the nutritional needs of the elderly, reaching out to frail, isolated, and disadvantaged individuals and by providing a myriad of support services to those served. Through the Homebound Meal Delivery Program, Senior Centers, Adult Day Care Centers and other programs, the Agency has impacted the lives of thousands of Rockland residents and their families.

Meals on Wheels is a Rockland County contract agency, operating with funding from the federal government Older Americans Act, New York State, the Office for Aging, the County of Rockland, United Way, towns and villages, fees for services, grants and private contributions.

NEW CITY - County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef announced today that the Rockland County Human Rights Commission received certification for an additional five-year term with full powers to act as an Agency of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to investigate housing discrimination claims in Rockland County.

Under this official designation, the Human Rights Commission can act as an agent for HUD to investigate housing discrimination in Rockland County under the Federal Fair Housing Act. HUD granted the extension, which is effective immediately, after a thorough audit of the commission’s policies and procedures and their recognition of local housing laws. Rockland County was the first County in the tri-state area to achieve such recognition by HUD.

“The County of Rockland will not tolerate discrimination in any form,” said Vanderhoef. “We are grateful that HUD renewed this designation so that we may continue, under the Human Rights Commission, to protect our citizens from discrimination under federal and local housing laws.”

For over 46 years, the Rockland County Human Rights Commission has helped residents and improved communication in the community by sharing information with similar agencies to address and prevent discrimination in all forms. In recent years, the commission has instituted a number of outreach programs, including the Executive Lecture Series, with experts speaking about issues related to civil and human rights; Leadership conferences, which are day-long symposiums pertaining to housing and human rights issues; and the Montage program, which enlists leaders of different ethnic groups to come together to build human dignity.

“We are truly gratified that we continue to receive HUD’s approval of our activities and use such recognition to help the citizens of Rockland County,” said S. Ram Nagubandi, Commissioner of Human Rights.

WEST HAVERSTRAW - Representatives from P.S. Aeropostale are slated to be at West Haverstraw Elementary School on Friday, Feb. 12 to present the school with a $5,000 check as the grand prize in the Design A T-Shirt contest, according to school Principal Peter DeBernardi.

Grade 3 and 4 students in the school participated in the contest by designing paper tee shirts. Grade 4 student Brianna Vila’s tee shirt design was selected as the winner. Brianna will be receiving a $500 Aeropostale gift card for herself and $5,000 for her school. All of the school’s third and fourth graders will also be receiving Aeropostale tee shirts.

In addition to the Aeropostale visit which will begin at 9:45 a.m. the students in the school will be participating in the Rockland County Read-In. During the day students will be spending as much time as possible reading and will be receiving visits from parents and community members as guest readers. All students will also receive the gift of reading by selecting their choice of a book to keep through the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program, supported by the school’s PTA.

The school will also be celebrating the 100^th Day of School on Friday by participating in a school-wide trivia contest and reading activities connected to the 100^th day of school.

Supervisor Gromack Supports Empire Zones and Tax Incentive Credits for Businesses

NEW CITY – Clarkstown town Supervisor Alex Gromack is calling on Gov. David Paterson and state leaders to extend the Empire Zone program and the Investment Tax Credit, both of which are set to expire in June.

“The governor and Legislature must act now to ensure this critical program is kept in place for businesses that bring jobs and tax stabilization to Clarkstown and Rockland,” said Gromack. “To allow these programs to expire is irresponsible.”

According to the NYS Empire State Development Corporation, Empire Zones were created to stimulate economic growth through a variety of tax incentives designed to attract new businesses to New York and to enable existing businesses to expand. Currently the enhanced Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is available to manufacturers under the Empire Zone program for production equipment related to the manufacture of product at the zone location.

The State’s Tax and Finance Department has opined that the ITC will no longer be available to certified businesses after the Empire Zone program sunsets in June. These businesses were promised this incentive when they made their investment.

“This is a downgrade of incentives,” said Gromack. “Most concerning is that it may force those who planned to expand or move to New York, to change their plans,” said Gromack. “In these difficult economic times, we should be promoting a business friendly environment, not taking away the very incentives businesses seek that make New York attractive.”

The Town of Clarkstown has an Office of Economic Development dedicated to assisting small and large businesses to succeed and is an active promoter of the benefits of the Empire Zones located in Clarkstown on Route 303, in Congers and Valley Cottage, and Overlook Boulevard. The office also provides businesses with information and technical assistance about government sponsored grant and loan opportunities and assists businesses interested in starting, relocating, or expanding to navigate through the needed government approval process.

The Empire Zone program has been very successful in the Town of Clarkstown and has helped secure and attract businesses to our area. Currently, there are 17 businesses in Clarkstown either working within the program or in the application stages. These businesses are home to hundreds of jobs that the Town relies on.

“In this economic climate we have to remain competitive. New Jersey’s Governor recently received a report from the Economic Development Subcommittee of his transition team and they are recommending a 20 percent ITC among other incentives. New York State cannot be left behind,” said Gromack. New York State offers a 10 percent incentive.

According to the Rockland Economic Development Corporation, the state’s ITC cut could destroy two attraction projects in Rockland with 300 jobs and another eight expansion projects with 311 jobs and more than $4.1M in investment.

“I strongly urge our state leaders to extend the Investment Tax Credit,” said Gromack. “This aspect of the Empire Zone is imperative to helping local municipalities, like Clarkstown, continue to be business friendly.”

SOUTH NYACK - The Esposito-Gesner Avenue Park Link Trail in South Nyack has been designated as a new segment of the Greenway Land Trail, according to Greenway director Mark Castiglione.

The Esposito-Gesner Avenue Park Trail links other Greenway trails, Castiglione said, noting how the trail is an excellent example of how communities can establish lasting connections to the Hudson River.

The Esposito-Gesner Avenue Park Link Trail is a .4 mile trail located in South Nyack that links the Esposito Trail (a Greenway Trail) at South Franklin Street to Gesner Avenue Park (a Greenway Water Trail Site), also in South Nyack. The trail follows Clinton, Piermont and Gesner Avenues to link the trail to the riverfront at Gesner Avenue Park. The Rockland County Department of Planning and the Rockland Riverfront Communities Council have been working to designate various trail sections in Rockland as part of the Greenway trail.

“Rockland County is pleased to have played a role in securing official designation of the Esposito-Gesner Avenue Park Link Trail,” said Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. “The designation will increase awareness of the trail’s ability to connect residents and visitors alike with other trails and with the Hudson River. Increasing access to the riverfront is a priority in Rockland County and projects like this, along with Greenway recognition and funding, help make our goal a reality.”

South Nyack Mayor Patricia DuBow said, “We are very glad to get this designation. We worked very hard on the Gesner Avenue Park, with funds from the Greenway and the Rockland Riverfront Communities Council, as well as village funds. It was a wonderful combination of help and hard work. This is the culmination of that work, to link the park to the Esposito Trail.”

Designation by the Greenway is a formal recognition of the regional significance of the trail as a destination for experiencing the natural, scenic, cultural and historic resources of the Hudson River Valley. The Greenway places a priority in the grant program for the development and enhancement of designated trails.

Designation recognizes that the trail is an important link in the Greenway Trail System, which will run along both sides of the Hudson River from Saratoga County, to NYC. With the latest trail designation, the Greenway Trail System, including the land trail, water trail and State Bike Route 9, now totals over 710 miles.

The Hudson River Valley Greenway is a New York State agency within the Executive Department, established by the Greenway Act of 1991 to continue New York State’s commitment to the preservation, enhancement and development of the world-renowned scenic, natural, historic, cultural and recreational resources of the Hudson River Valley, while continuing to emphasize appropriate economic development activities and remaining consistent with the tradition of municipal home rule. One of the Greenway’s objectives is to establish a Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail system, that links cultural and historic sites, parks, open spaces and community centers, and provides public access to the Hudson River.

Participants to receive a living stipend, educational reward for part-time service to community

NEW CITY - County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and the Rockland County Youth Bureau’s AmeriCorps program are seeking professionals who are currently out of work for a part-time opportunity with a new program, Rockland Employment Connections (REC).

Created in response to an increase in unemployment, REC will match out-of-work County residents with municipal and non-profit entities that are short-staffed due to layoffs, hiring freezes and early retirement incentives.

Unemployed Rockland residents who are accepted into the REC program will be considered as AmeriCorps members who are performing service for the community.

Member applications are due Tuesday, Feb. 16. For more information or to request an application, contact Jenny Kurisko at 845-638-5362 or e-mail rcamericorps@co.rockland.ny.us.

BARDONIA - The New York Lottery says a Bardonia Mega Millions player has won $10,000 in the drawing held Jan. 26.

The winner, Daniel Annunziato, purchased the winning ticket at the Foodmart Usa at 61 Bardonia Road in Bardonia.

Lottery prizes up to $600 may be cashed at any of the Lottery's 16,000 licensed retailers statewide. Lottery prizes valued at $601 to $999,999 may be claimed at any of the Lottery's seven stand-alone Customer Service Centers located in Buffalo; Rochester; Syracuse; Schenectady; Fishkill; Manhattan; and Garden City, and within any of the Lottery's eight gaming facilities including Saratoga Gaming & Raceway; Monticello Gaming & Raceway; Tioga Downs Casino; Batavia Downs Casino; Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway; Fairgrounds Gaming & Raceway; Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack; and Vernon Downs Casino & Hotel. Prizes of $1,000,000 or more must be claimed at one of the Lottery's seven stand-alone offices listed above.

For more information on how to cash a winning Lottery ticket, click the "Ask New York Lottery" tab at www.nylottery.org.

MONTVALE, N.J. – Closter-based Miele Sanitation Co. has expanded its services to include local trash hauling in Montvale after borough officials bounced another contractor from that job.

Based on a Jan. 26 vote, borough officials hired Miele Sanitation with an emergency contract to replace Passaic-based Scuffy Carting. Scuffy, which state records show is involved with more than a dozen municipal garbage contracts in Bergen and Passaic counties, failed to comply with bond requirements for its three-year contract in Montvale, according to borough officials.

Scuffy was also replaced under similar circumstances in Lyndhurst and is being reviewed by officials in Ringwood, where the borough says Scuffy has not supplied the required bond. Ringwood officials are also examining whether garbage transfer station fees that were supposed to be paid by Scuffy for Ringwood were indeed paid in 2009.

Scuffy Carting, 80 Liberty St., Passaic, did not respond to a request for comment about the status of its business and its municipal garbage contracts.

Joseph Miele, owner of Miele Sanitation, said his company has started servicing residents of Montvale. Additionally, Miele said his company would submit a bid to Montvale as it seeks to formally replace Scuffy Carting. Miele Sanitation operates in New Jersey and New York.

Scuffy Carting was about to enter the second year of its three-year contract with Montvale. Scuffy got the contract for trash services in Ringwood two years ago.

Municipal officials said the bonds required for garbage contracts are sought as a way of covering the cost for garbage pick up if the company hired for the job can no longer fulfill its obligations.

Public records filed with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection do not show any current violations or enforcement actions against Scuffy Carting. However, in 2008, Scuffy paid the DEP a $3,000 fine for taking over customers in Teaneck from Ippolito Industries without prior DEP approval.

Nyack resident receives 2010 Buffalo Soldier Award

County honors Purple Heart winner John P. Vasser to launch Black History Month

NEW CITY – Korean War veteran John P. Vasser of Nyack is the winner of the 2010 Buffalo Soldier Award, according to County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

Vasser, 78, who was a sergeant in the Army, served in the 3rd Infantry Division in the Korean War, as well as the Army Reserve and the New York State National Guard. A graduate of Lehman College, he was employed by the Montrose Veterans Administration until 2000.

Vasser is currently a member of the Korean War Veterans of Rockland County Eagle Chapter Honor Guard, assists with returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at Montrose VA and organizes events for the Nyack Plaza senior citizens and Orangetown senior citizens.

He is also a recipient of the Korean War Service Medal with two bronze stars, a Purple Heart and the United Nations Service Medal.

Vasser is the 29^th honoree to receive the Buffalo Soldier Award. A panel of past Buffalo Soldier honorees helped select Vassar for this year’s award.

“We are proud to honor John Vasser for his brave service to our country and his dedication to the Rockland community,” said Vanderhoef. “We thank him for his selfless acts and willingness to help his fellow soldiers returning from service.”

The Buffalo Soldier Award has been presented annually to an outstanding African-American veteran who resides in Rockland County since 1993. It is named after the soldiers of the 10^th Black Cavalry Regiment, who were nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers” after Native Americans spread the legend of the soldiers’ uncommon valor, likening them to buffalo because they suffered wound after wound yet did not die. They earned their fearsome fighting reputation in the Kansas Frontier and were never defeated in 23 years of service in the Indian Wars, which lasted from 1867 to 1890. The 10^th Cavalry also served in World War I, World War II and Vietnam.

Vasser’s contributions to the community were also noted this week by the Nyack school board, with board member Claudette Clarke noting his selection for the Buffalo Soldier Award.

Town honors local businesses with Pride of Clarkstown awards

NEW CITY - Councilmember George Hoehmann, Supervisor Alex Gromack, and the Town Board will award the 2009 Pride of Clarkstown Awards on Tuesday, February 9, at the Town Board Meeting scheduled for 8 p.m.

All residents and businesses are welcome to attend.

The program was created to recognize outstanding commercial properties, nominated by individuals and civic organizations. This is the fourth annual Pride of Clarkstown ceremony in which the winners will receive an attractive award to display at their place of business.

“The committee of volunteers visited every nominated site and met numerous times to carefully choose winners in each category,” said Councilman George Hoehmann, the Town Board Liaison for the Pride of Clarkstown. “My deep appreciation goes to the members of the committee who have donated their time and talent to recognize businesses that are going above and beyond others in making our town more attractive for all of us.”

Gromack and the Town Board established this program and a committee in 2005 under the leadership of the late Clarkstown Councilman Ralph Mandia. The committee of volunteers accepts nominations, separates them by various categories and after careful consideration selects the winners.

“I congratulate this year’s winners and thank the committee for their hard work,” said Gromack. “These businesses have proven their commitment to the Town and our community by making such beautiful enhancements to their properties.”

The Pride of Clarkstown Awards serves as an incentive to business owners to take that extra step to make their property look beautiful. The goal is that these voluntary and often costly efforts would prompt other business owners to do the same. Since its inception businesses are continuing to beautify their establishments in a unique public/private partnership that is not at taxpayer expense and makes us all feel a sense of civic pride.

“If Ralph were here today, he would be most proud of the efforts of these business owners who truly are the Pride of Clarkstown,” said Hoehmann.

RAMAPO – As local families press for news of loved ones in earthquake ravaged Haiti, Rockland officials and cultural organizations are rallying to help with information and gather donations for relief efforts.

In Ramapo, town Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence was joined by a group of local leaders, at a meeting that focused on Haitian disaster relief soon after news of the earthquake broke.

“An earthquake of such magnitude has led to the total collapse of Port-A-Prince and the tragic loss of an untold number of lives – Ramapo stands ready to do all we can to help Haiti as we have done in the past,” said St. Lawrence.

The Town of Ramapo, assisted by Haitian community organizations, Ramapo civic groups and local, state and national political officials is:

· Creating a support group for local residents who may have lost loved ones in the disaster.

· Staffing a Help Desk to disseminate information over Cable TV (Cablevision and Verizon FIOS) by telephone at (845) 357-8730, and on the Town of Ramapo website: www.ramapo.org

Town Clerk Christian G. Sampson is coordinating the Help Desk. If anyone wishes to contribute to the relief effort they can do so by calling his office at 845-357-5100, ext. 263. Medical supplies and cash donations are immediate priorities, St. Lawrence said.

“I have been in contact with U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand’s Office, U.S. Congressman Eliot L. Engel’s Office and the Haitian Consulate, who have expressed their willingness to be of assistance – while we await specific details of the tragedy, my prayers are with those who may have loved ones in Haiti” said St. Lawrence.

Efforts to help victims of the quake are taking place throughout Rockland. Donation drop off points include the County Legislature offices at the County Office Building in New City, Clarkstown Town Hall in New City and the offices of the Village of Haverstraw.

NEW CITY - The New City Library Staff Association is teaming up with the New York State United Teacher's Union to host it's Second Annual “Have a Heart Let's Do Our Part - Fight Hunger Food Drive” Jan. 19 through Feb. 14 to benefit People to People.

Help your neighbors by donating much needed nonperishable items such as: Boxed pasta, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, cereals, and powdered milk, canned fruit, vegetables, beans, soups, pasta sauces, tuna, and stews, plastic containers of peanut butter, baby food, and salad dressings.
No glass containers please.
Items can be dropped off at the New City Library, 220 N. Main St., New City. There will be collection bins at each of the public desks.

NEW CITY – Rockland County Legislator Ed Day and Chairwoman of the Legislature Harriet Cornell are appealing to the Metropolitan Transit Authority to rescind proposed service cuts that would result in the elimination of two weekday trains and four weekend express trains on the Pascack Valley Line. The cuts would take place in the summer of 2010.

“We are painfully aware that the MTA receives $60 million more than Rockland commuters receive in value from the MTA,” said Day, “It is totally unacceptable for the MTA to propose eliminating any service from the Pascack Valley Line.”

The proposed service cuts would affect the weekday 4:56 a.m. inbound train from Spring Valley and the 6:55 p.m. outbound train from Hoboken. The four weekend trains affected are: the 9:27 a.m. and 11:37 a.m. inbound trains from Spring Valley and the 3:14 p.m. and 7:22 p.m. outbound trains from Hoboken.

“Our rail service is limited as is,” said Cornell, “and runs counter to the 2008 agreement between Metro North and New Jersey Transit to expand service. Consistency of service is what leads to increased usage by residents. Cutting rail service is destructive and sends the wrong message, as we try to convince people to take mass transit.”

“Much time and energy has been spent to coax commuters and day trippers out of their cars and onto mass transit,” said Day, “These trains allow easy access for those who work off-peak hours. The MTA shows no remorse and continues to defy logic in their treatment of Rockland County.”

FOCUS MEDIA ACQUIRES MADDEN TO FORM ONE OF THE REGION’S LARGEST ADVERTISING AGENCIES

Firm plans expansion into Westchester, Bergen; will open office in White Plains in 2010

CHESTNUT RIDGE – Focus Media Inc., a leading advertising and public relations agency in Orange County, has acquired Madden Communications & Marketing, the largest public relations and marketing firm in Rockland County, and plans an expansion into Westchester and Bergen counties.

“This is a landmark event in the history of the firm,” said Josh Sommers, the founder, president and CEO of Focus Media. “This acquisition is a perfect fit between two excellent companies and our combined talents establish Focus Media as the top advertising firm in the region. No other firm in Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties will be able to match our experience, sophistication and scope of services.”

Bill Madden, the president of Madden Communications, will serve as the executive vice president of Focus Media. Three other Madden employees will join Focus Media to give the combined company a total of 14 employees. Focus Media will operate offices in Goshen, Chestnut Ridge and Monticello, and plans to open a new office this year in White Plains.

Sommers, 34, said the acquisition will enhance the level of strategy and service for existing Focus Media and Madden clients, while positioning the combined firm to offer wider and more comprehensive marketing services to clients in Rockland, Westchester and Bergen counties.

“Our clients will benefit from the expanded services that we offer and we will now be able to serve organizations in all industry sectors with the kind of quality associated with Manhattan agencies,” said Sommers. “Focus Media’s value proposition is that we help companies grow their business, which is especially important in these challenging economic times.” Focus Media specializes in branding, advertising, public relations, media planning, special events, direct mail, graphic design, Web site development and all forms of internal and external communications.

Focus Media is one of the region’s fastest growing companies. After a 12-year career in radio, Sommers launched the business eight years ago in Sullivan County and aggressively expanded into Orange County in 2007. The firm has been the No. 1 ranked advertising agency in the Hudson Valley by HV Biz for the last two years. Focus opened a new office in Goshen in 2008. Walden Savings Bank, Orange Regional Medical Center, Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center and SUNY Orange are among its clients.

Sommers writes a weekly column on marketing, public relations and crisis management in the Times Herald- Record, one of New York State’s 10 largest daily newspapers. He is the chairman of the Board of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, vice president of Development for the Board of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan Counties and is past president of the Monticello Rotary Club.

Madden is the former managing editor of The Journal News and spent three years with KPMG’s national corporate communications group before starting his company in 2002. He is currently the chairman of the President’s Advisory Counsel at St. Thomas Aquinas College and is a board member of the Rockland Business Association, United Way of Rockland and the Rockland chapter of the Salvation Army.

“Focus Media will bring a new level of advertising, public relations and marketing expertise to the lower Hudson Valley and northern New Jersey,” said Madden. “This is an exciting opportunity for me and I am eager to join the Focus Media team.”

POMONA – The Rockland County Department of Health will be holding a flu vaccine clinic on Friday, January 22^nd from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Robert L. Yeager Health Center, Building A Exhibition Hall, located at 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona, New York.

Both the Seasonal and H1N1 vaccines will be available at the clinic. Appointments are required. Call the Rockland County Department of Health Flu Hotline at 845-364-2633, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, to make an appointment or for more information.

The H1N1 flu vaccine is free and is available at the clinic to Rockland residents ages 3 and older. Flu mist will be available to healthy children and adults who meet eligibility requirements.

The Seasonal flu vaccine is available to residents 9 years and older. The seasonal flu vaccine is free to individuals ages 60 and older, and $25 to individuals 9-59 years of age. People with Medicare or Medicaid must bring their cards.

“Its not too late to protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated against both H1N1 and Seasonal flu, as flu activity typically is greatest during the first three months of the year,” said Dr. Joan Facelle, MD, MPH, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

Other sites in the county are offering flu vaccine clinics. Visit www.flu.gov to find flu vaccine clinics near you. Call first to confirm availability, dates and fees. Many local health care providers have H1N1 vaccine. Check with your regular health care provider to see if he/she has the vaccine.

The Rockland County Department of Health will continue to keep residents informed through the:

RAMAPO - Reflective safety sashes, with the inscription “A Safer Ramapo,” are now available to town residents, according to Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence.

St. Lawrence said the sashes demonstrate the concern of he and the Town Board have for the safety and welfare of each resident.

Made of reflective material that will catch the eye of a motorist from a significant distance, the sashes are a must for anyone who walks at night, St. Lawrence said, noting the sashes are excellent for running, walking, boating, skiing, bike riding, rollerblading or any outdoor nighttime activity. He suggested that school children of all ages should be advised to wear safety sashes when coming home from school, especially in the winter months when it gets dark early.

The sashes are lightweight and provide exceptional visibility for dusk or nighttime activities. The brilliant neon yellow efficiently reflects oncoming light even when wet. The sashes will not restrict movement and easily fit over clothing or outerwear. The adjustable Velcro closure allows one size to fit all.

“I am pleased to distribute safety sashes for our residents again this year, as we have done in the past” said St. Lawrence. “I believe it is incumbent upon every one of us to wear the sashes when we are outdoors at night. If we all work together, we can protect the safety of our pedestrians and our motorists. Reflective safety sashes have been shown to save lives.”

For sashes or additional information, contact Elaine Silverberg at 845-357-5100, ext. 324 or via email at silverberge@ramapo-ny.gov.

NEW CITY - The Rockland County Youth Bureau is offering a training session for local groups interested in applying for funding through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Local Assistance Resource Allocation Package.

The Office of Youth Development within the Office of Children and Family Services has announced a new process for the 2010 funding cycle. The Quality Youth Development System (QYDS) is an online application that incorporates the New York State Touchstones Framework and the identification of Services, Opportunities and Supports (SOS) for specific populations targeted by programs funded through the Youth Bureau.

To support the appropriate preparation of the new QYDS application, all agencies that plan to apply for 2010 funding through the Youth Bureau will be required to attend a mandatory training session. Only those agencies that attend will be able to apply.

The Youth Bureau, in collaboration with representatives from the Office of Youth Development, will be offering two training sessions: Friday, Feb. 5, or Wednesday, Feb. 10, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Fire Training Center, 35 Firemen’s Memorial Drive, Pomona.

The application process is expected to be extremely competitive with an anticipated funding cut through NYS Office of Children and Family Services of 12.5 percent. The volunteer Board of Directors will base all recommendations for 2010 allocations on a thorough review and evaluation of the new QYDS application.

Agencies applying for Youth Bureau funding must be community-based organizations that are private, not-for-profit corporations. Public agencies can receive grants only when it is documented that private organizations are not available to serve communities in need.

To receive SDPP funding, programs must address school-related problems; provide family support, work experience or training; offer alternatives to institutional care; or assist youth who are re-entering the community after institutional placement. YDDP funding may include recreational-type programs.

For more information, contact Marianne McCarney-Haesche at 845-638-5166. To reserve a seat at the training, please contact Diane LePre at 845-638-5378.

POMONA – The Rockland County Cancer Institute of the Rockland County Department of Health

encourages women to get tested for cervical cancer during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. A simple test called the Pap test can help prevent cervical cancer.

“A Pap test can find changes in the cervix that can be treated before they become cancer and is very effective in finding cervical cancer early, when it is highly curable,” states Rockland County Commissioner of Health Dr. Joan Facelle.

According to the American Cancer Society, between 60% and 80% of American women who are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer have not had a Pap test in the past 5 years. In fact, many of these women have never had a Pap test.

Doctors can also test for infection with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the most important risk factor for cancer of the cervix. Certain types of HPV are most likely to cause this cancer. Samples of cells are collected in much the same way as for the Pap test. This test can be used as a screening test along with the Pap test, and can also be used in women with slightly abnormal Pap test results to see if more testing or treatment might be needed.

Vaccines have been developed to help prevent infection with some types of HPV. Currently there are two HPV vaccinesthat are approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine doesn't protect against all cancer-causing types of HPV, so routine Pap tests are still necessary. The American Cancer Society recommends that the vaccine be routinely given to girls ages 11 to 12 and as early as age 9 at the discretion of doctors, "catch-up" vaccinations should be given to females up to age 18, and women aged 19 to 26 should talk with their health care provider about their risk of previous HPV exposure and potential benefit from vaccination before deciding to get the vaccine.

Talk to your doctor about your own cervical cancer risk, which screening tests are right for you, and when you should get them. The Rockland Cancer Services Partnership program provides Rockland County women who are uninsured or underinsured with cervical cancer screenings at no cost. For more information or to make an appointment, call 845-369-0742 Ext 1.

For information about cervical cancer, and about resources in our area, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org.

The Rockland County Cancer Institute offers education about cancer prevention and early detection, multi-lingual outreach into the community, and referrals to services in the County. For more information call 845-364-3857 or visit the Rockland County Cancer Institute website at www.RocklandCancerInfo.com.

SPRING VALLEY - On Sunday, Jan. 17, the West of Hudson train schedules for MTA Metro-North Railroad’s Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines were adjusted so that there is just enough time, space and place for all the trains to operate more reliably.

These changes are minor adjustments in connections between Secaucus Junction and Penn Station-NY due to a location shift in Amtrak’s ongoing concrete tie replacement program.

The resulting schedule changes on the Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line mean that some Port Jervis and Pascack Valley connections to/from Penn Station will change by up to 2 minutes on weekdays and up to 5 minutes on weekends.

The one exception is the last train from Spring Valley on Friday nights only, when customers traveling to Penn Station will have to wait an additional 18 minutes at Secaucus Junction for their connection to Penn Station.

Not every train has its schedule adjusted but no matter which line you take, be sure to pick up a new timetable at Hoboken, Penn Station-NY or Secaucus Junction. Timetables also are available on the Metro-North pages of the website at www.mta.info or at www.njtransit.com

Legislator calls for review of the county Health Dept.’s oversight of New Square slaughterhouse

NEW CITY – Rockland County Legislator Joseph L. Meyers has introduced a discussion item before the Rockland County Legislature, to review the history of the County Health Department’s oversight, inspection and enforcement of the existing 5,000 square foot New Square poultry processing facility in light of recent federal action against the operation of the existing New Square facility.

Late last month, federal authorities, through the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, filed a complaint against the existing poultry plant alleging that New Square Meats had violated the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act. Federal Judge Stephen C. Robinson in White Plains agreed and ordered the slaughterhouse that supplies all the poultry to the Hasidic village of New Square padlocked. Federal authorities said New Square Meats has been selling uninspected poultry since 2002.

“Since there was obviously a breakdown in the inspection process at the New York State and federal level dating back to 2002, I believe the County Legislature should be briefed by our Commissioner of Health, Dr. Facelle, and other appropriate personnel to gain a complete understanding of what, if any, inspection responsibility the County of Rockland has with respect to this facility and whether the County properly fulfilled its role in safeguarding the health and safety of the public with respect to the chickens processed at this facility during the period in question,” Meyers said.

According to court papers filed by federal authorities which led to the ordered closure of the plant, federal investigators said they found poultry residue on walls and light fixtures and in the manager's office. Employee restrooms had no soap or hand sanitizer. There was mold on walls and overhead areas, and rubbish and foul-smelling pools of water were found outside the plant. A chiller tank lacked running water, even though it was full of processed birds. A plant official told inspectors in 2005 that an unrefrigerated van was used to transport product.

In October of last year, Meyers introduced legislation pending before the Legislature objecting to the new 25,000 square foot poultry processing facility that is proposed to replace the existing facility and be built on Route 45 in New Square on its border with the Village of New Hempstead and the border of the Town of Clarkstown. Meyers’ October resolution also requests that the state withdraw the $1.621 million grant awarded to the project under the Empire State Development program “Restore New York.”

Meyers believes that recent developments demonstrate the lack of credibility of the operator of the existing and proposed new facility in its claims that the new facility would not impair the quality of life of its residential neighbors and that all laws will be complied with in the construction, maintenance and operation of the proposed new facility.

“The larger question is how such an operation ever qualified for a $1.6 million grant under the state's Restore New York program,” Meyer said. “Even the barest of due diligence would have revealed that the existing facility was woefully and purposefully out of compliance with applicable laws and that the surrounding communities and our own County Planning Department opposed the project.”

The discussion will occur before the Multi Services Committee of the Legislature on an upcoming date to be scheduled.

NEW CITY – Rockland County Legislator Ed Day has requested a legislative committee discussion concerning the oversight by the Office of the County Executive of the use of taxpayer money awarded to contract agencies.

Day requested the discussion in light of recent concerns surrounding operational inconsistencies by a county-funded not-for-profit agency.

“Taxpayers need to be assured that their tax dollars are spent wisely and in conformity with the contract with the county,” said Day. “We need to make sure that proper controls are in place to minimize the potential for misuse of funds. It is a matter of accountability on our end and credibility on the part of the agency.”

Contract agencies provide necessary services to county residents such as housing and shelter, medical and mental health services, and elder and childcare services. In order to be considered for county funds, agencies must be registered as a not-for-profit or charitable organization (501c3) by the Internal Revenue Service and submit to the county a lengthy application that details the contracted services, how money will be spent, a detailed budget, proof of insurance and 501c3 status.

“The purpose of utilizing contract agencies is to augment the mission of local government, and do so efficiently, effectively, and in a manner that gets critical services to our residents in need while respecting taxpayer funding,” Day said. “There should be a clear contract for the service to be provided, accountability, and verifiable checks in place, with absolute and timely adherence by all county-funded contract agencies. This should be the standard and safeguard before any county funds are released, and this effort should be complemented by an effective follow up measurement process of these agencies that ensures compliance.”

POMONA - Sixteen county volunteer firefighters who have achieved national certification, will be among those being recognized at the next firefighter graduation ceremony Friday, Jan. 15.

The 7:30 p.m. ceremony is being held at the performing arts theater of Rockland Community College in Ramapo.

“It’s a night of firsts for us,” said Gordon Wren Jr., Rockland County’s Fire Coordinator. “We’ve never had national status for any of the county volunteers before, and it’s our first time at RCC for graduation.”

Previous graduations have been held in the auditorium of the county Fire Training Center in Ramapo.

“The ceremony is always open to the graduates’ families and the public,” said Deputy Fire Coordinator John Kryger, “but we’ve had standing-room-only the past three ones. We’ve outgrown the Training Center and RCC was available. Each ceremony seems to get bigger and bigger.”

Eighty-one volunteers from 23 of the county’s 26 volunteer fire departments will be in the graduation class. Fifty-nine will graduate the N.Y. State Firefighter I course with 22 more finishing the more-advanced Firefighter II class. In addition, one Firefighter I graduate comes from a volunteer department in nearby Orange County, and two national certifications are from Ulster and Orange County departments.

The national certification test was given Oct 31, 2009 at the FTC. Successful completion of the national test results in accreditation by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications. National certifications are recognized in most states, by agencies of the federal government, and in some foreign countries, and provide a vehicle by which firefighter training can generally be transported across jurisdictional boundaries.

The graduates gave 78 hours of their own time to attend the state’s Firefighter I course.

Twenty-two of them went on to take the 27 hours advanced Firefighter II course as well.

Firefighter I course consists of the following: of performance criteria in incident command, building construction, ropes/knots, rescue procedures, forcible entry applications, ventilation practices, fire extinguisher applications, suppression of structural fires, tactics, vehicle suppression, water supply, loss control, fire cause determination, fire department communications, fire suppression systems, hazardous materials, weapons of mass destruction, confined space safety and fire prevention practices. It is designed for entry-level firefighters.

Firefighter II consists of the following: performance criteria in incident command implementation, building materials and collapse, special rescue, hydrant flow and operability, hose tools, foam operations, flammable liquid/gases, detection, alarm systems, fire cause and origin, fire department communications, pre-fire planning, special situations, strategy and tactics. It is designed for interior structural firefighters and/or firefighters who may serve as team or group leaders.

POMONA – The Rockland County Department of Health will be holding a free H1N1 and Seasonal flu vaccine clinic on Sunday, January 10, 2010 from 11 am to 4 pm at the Robert L. Yeager Health Center, Building A, Exhibition Hall, in Pomona.

Those who wish to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine and/or the Seasonal flu vaccine must make an appointment in advance by calling 845-364-2633.

H1N1 Flu Vaccine

· As of December 10, 2009, the H1N1 flu vaccine is available to all New Yorkers who want the vaccine, including those who are not in priority groups established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

· At this clinic, the H1N1 vaccine cannot be provided to children younger than 3 years of age.

· Many local health care providers also have H1N1 vaccine. Check with your regular health care provider to see if he/she has the vaccine.

· The seasonal flu vaccine is available free of charge to adults 60 years and older.

· Individuals 9 through 59 years of age can receive the vaccine, but will be charged a $25 fee.

“Its not too late to protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated against both H1N1 and Seasonal flu. Flu activity remains widespread in New York State and typically, we see the most flu activity during the next few months,” said Dr. Joan Facelle, MD, MPH, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

The Rockland County Department of Health will continue to keep residents informed through the Rockland County Department Of Health Flu Hotline at 845-364-2633, 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday

SUFFERN - The New York Lottery says Suffern Mega Millions player Graham Udelsman won $250,000 in the drawing held on Dec. 15.

Udelsman, purchased the winning ticket at the Wesley Hills Gas and Convenience at 477 Rte 306 in Monsey.

Shari Stopler of The Healthy Neighborhood Program, Rockland County Department of Health places Radon test near interior floor drain. Sump pump areas are also good testing locations.

POMONA - The Rockland County Department of Health announces that January is Radon Action Month, a time to educate the public about radon risks and encourage home testing.

“Radon exposure is estimated to cause over 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S each year and is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. This number can be reduced by easy, inexpensive home testing and repair,” said Dr. Joan Facelle, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that can accumulate in your home and can cause cancer in you and your loved ones. Radon usually comes from the surrounding rocks/soil under your homes foundation and can enter through cracks and openings on the lowest level of your home.

Many people don’t know about radon because you cannot see, smell or taste it. Exposure to radon is the second cause of lung cancer in the United States, and the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

“Everyone should know their risk and have their home tested. Testing your home is especially important if you live in a high-risk area or if you are planning to build or buy a home,” said Facelle.

The Healthy Neighborhood Program, part of the Rockland County Department of Health, is providing free radon testing for low to moderate-income families and seniors. Testing involves leaving the kit in a specific area for a set number of days and returning it to a testing facility. There is no cost to the resident for testing. Results are generally available in one to two weeks. If a home does have elevated levels of radon, a qualified radon mitigation contractor can make repairs to solve the problem and protect families.

For more information or to see if you live in a high-risk area, visit http://nyradon.org.

To schedule a free radon test, while supplies last, contact: Christine Wagner at (845) 364-3292 or Shari Stopler at (845) 364-3290.

SUFFERN – Bon Secours Charity Health System (BSCHS), parent of Good Samaritan Hospital, says that it is evolving its patient care philosophy to meet a wider spectrum of patient needs in its continuum of care, adopting what is known as the “Caritas” philosophy.

The Caritas philosophy, being adopted by healthcare organizations across the globe, is based on the belief that major life problems must be interpreted within a “Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual” framework, according to BSCHS. This allows healthcare providers to care for life in its entirety:

“Our patients are experiencing our higher standards of care, and we are moving to formalize this approach throughout our healthcare facilities, staff and treatments,” said Mary Del Guidice, RN, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for BSCHS. “The Caritas philosophy is a multidimensional holistic, non-sectarian approach to treatment that will allow our patients to affect change in all of these aspects of their lives, thus permitting a fulfilling return to the world around them.”

BSCHS is beginning the process of creating a Community Caritas Council, which will be open to members of the public, to help shape the direction of the system’s care. As the initial step to the creation of this council, the public was invited Thursday, Jan. 7, to a presentation at Good Samaritan by Dr. Jean Watson, the founder of the International Caritas Consortium, which is a network of systems using “Caring Science” to transform practitioners and healthcare organizations.

Watson is Distinguished Professor of Nursing and holds an endowed Chair in Caring Science at the University of Colorado Denver and Health Sciences Center. She is founder of the original Center for Human Caring in Colorado and the International Caritas Consortium. Watson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, previously served as Dean of Nursing at the University Health Sciences Center, and is a Past President of the National League for Nursing.

“Caring Science is an evolving new field that is grounded in the discipline of nursing and evolving nursing science,” said Del Guidice. “It encompasses a humanitarian, human science orientation to human caring processes, phenomena and experiences. Caring Science includes arts and humanities as well as science.”

The International Caritas Consortium is supported by a growing number of educational and healthcare organizations that are transforming their practices, practitioners, and systems by implementing new professional practice models.

The new philosophy will be rolled out to more than 300 of the BSCHS nurses in a day-long workshop on Jan. 8 at the Sheraton Mahwah, in Mahwah, N.J.

Bon Secours Charity Health System serves more than 500,000 people in communities within New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is comprised of three acute care hospitals located in the Hudson-Delaware Valley of New York: St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis and Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, as well as Good Samaritan Home Care, two long-term care facilities, an assisted living and adult home facility and several other medical programs.

The Bon Secours Charity Health System provides the region’s only open heart surgery program; Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; advanced cancer, stroke and vascular therapies; and the widest array of health and wellness programs in the region. It has been recognized nationally for superior patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and as the place to practice for physicians throughout the area.

HAWTHORNE, N.Y. – The Hudson Valley office of The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) recently closed on two permanent loans totaling $735,000 for two properties in Rockland County, comprising a total of five residential units and one commercial unit.

A permanent loan for $435,000 will finance the acquisition and gut rehab of a three-story wood frame two-family house on Prospect Street in Nyack. The scope of the rehab work, currently underway, includes installation of a new roof and windows as well as new plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. The borrower, William Kiesel, is a construction contractor and developer from Nyack. He purchased the property in October 2008.

Two large three-bedroom units, a first floor flat and a second floor duplex have been renovated with new kitchens, baths, and finishes. The permanent loan will reimburse the borrower for a portion of the acquisition cost and the construction costs associated with the gut renovation of the property. CPC previously financed a neighboring property for the borrower which was successfully gut renovated.

CPC has also provided the borrower with a $300,000 permanent loan to refinance the existing mortgage on a recently renovated mixed-use, two-story 3,700 square foot property on Broadway in the Village of Haverstraw. The building includes two two-bedroom and one one-bedroom occupied apartments along with 1,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space currently leased to a deli. A portion of the loan will reimburse the borrower for the cost of the recent renovations including kitchen and bath upgrades and new flooring.

Sadie McKeown, Regional Director of CPC’s Hudson Valley office which handled the loans, said: “CPC is pleased to provide financing that will help enhance these existing properties in Nyack and the Village of Haverstraw.”

The Community Preservation Corporation is a not-for-profit mortgage lender that finances residential multifamily development throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Since its founding in 1974, CPC has invested more than $7 billion in more than 136,000 units of housing.

NEW CITY – While Clarkstown said its official farewells this week to John Maloney as a member of the Town Board, the consensus around Town Hall is that everyone will still see plenty of Maloney as he remains active in the community he has served as a public official for 36 years.

“Some people retire, but John Maloney is a person we will see more than ever with all the things he does,” said Clarkstown Town Supervisor Alexnder Gromack has he an other Town Board members saluted Maloney at a ceremony Wednesday.

Maloney, a Democrat who has been a Town Board member since his election in 1973, this week finished his term in office after a failed bid for re-election in 2009. With his departure from town government, town officials, political leaders and community members paid tribute to Maloney this week.

“John's career in politics spanned a generation,” said former Town Board member Ann Marie Smith. “He led Clarkstown from the mid ’70s to become one of the most desireable towns in the county. He was very instrumental in establishing a recreation department that offered every athletic and sport opportunity to youngsters and adults; he was a pioneer in establishing the town pools; he saw the need for group homes and for senior clubs.”

Smith said Maloney is capable of understanding all ages and all needs, and that his legacy will be his reputation for fairness.

Among those who saluted Maloney this week was Rockland Republican Party leader Vincent Reda. Who said he considered Maloney a good friend despite their positions on opposite sides of the political aisle.

“I always cast my vote for what was good for the people, not what was good for a particular political party,” said Maloney during the Town Hall ceremony.

Besides his work on the Town Board, Maloney has long been known for his active role with many social, community and religious organization.

He has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for 52 years and a member of the Nocturnal Adoration Society for 48 years. He was ordained a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of New York in 1973.

His volunteer work in the includes 27 years a fire chaplain for the Nanuet Fire Department, 17 years as a chaplain at the county jail, 14 years as a Nyack Hospital volunteer and 37 years as a weekly volunteer at Northern Manor Geriatric Center in Nanuet.

Maloney has served on the Board of Directors of Martin Luther King Center, Spring Valley; Fordham Social Service Alumni; Cathedral College Alumni; Arthritis Foundation of Rockland County. He continues to serve on the Board of T.O.U.C.H. an Aids Advocacy organization.

Town officials said that Maloney, completing his 9^th consecutive 4 year term, is the longest serving councilman in the history of New York State. He ran for U.S. Congress in 1976, but lost that race.

Outside of politics, Maloney has also been active as writer, director, and actor for 29 years in local community stage productions. He was cheered on at Wednesday’s Town Hall ceremony by a group of actors from the Rockland Shakespeare Theater at Rockland Community College.

“When you look over John Maloney’s career of 35 years, you cannot find any area that he has not had a positive impact on,” said Gromack. “John always took the time to meet with residents and community groups and served in so many volunteer capacities …”

Known for his sense of humor, Maloney did not miss one last chance to make a joke as friends showed up at Town Hall on Wednesday.

“I was hoping it was someone from the Board of Elections coming with news of a recount,” smiled Maloney.

State comptroller critical of methods used to finance new Nyack fire station

Fire commissioners defend project, efforts to save taxpayers money

NYACK (Dec. 30) – A state audit released this week criticizes the Nyack Joint Fire District board for the methods used to finance the $3.5 million new firehouse on Park Street in Nyack, but fire commissioners say state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has sounded a false alarm with his report.

The audit is the culmination of a three-year process which public records show has put the comptroller’s office in conflict with Nyack fire commissioners, who contend they are being unfairly criticized after they successfully replaced a dilapidated firehouse that stood for more than 130 years with a modern structure that houses two fire companies a block off Main Street in downtown Nyack.

The Nyack Joint Fire District is the public entity created to operate the Nyack Fire Department, which includes Nyack, South Nyack and Upper Nyack and more than 12,000 people. The district funds the fire department through property taxes. The full 36-page audit report is available at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/firedists/2009/nyack.pdf

In his office’s report, DiNapoli criticizes the Park Street project’s financing methods and warns that the project has the potential of costing taxpayers up to $9.9 million more than necessary – based on his reading of the financing and lease arrangements used for the project.

“All across New York, families are watching every dime,” DiNapoli said. “Government officials should be doing the same. And they should give taxpayers honest numbers and straight information. In the Nyack Fire District, taxpayers were led by the nose when this project was first put on the drawing board, and now they’ll pay through the nose for the new firehouse. Government is supposed to protect taxpayer dollars, not throw them away.”

In no uncertain terms, however, Nyack fire district officials say DiNapoli is wrong and respond that they are the ones who have saved taxpayers money by using innovative financial tactics.

“The comptroller has lauded ‘out of the box’ thinking when it comes to protecting taxpayers,” said Donald J. Feerick, attorney for the Nyack fire district. “That is exactly what Nyack Joint Fire District officials did to bring the cost of construction in for a new fire house at the lowest number possible. The savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars in construction of a new fire house is the real story that the comptroller’s press release never mentions.”

Nyack fire commission member Keith Taylor said the comptroller’s report ignores problems faced by the district as it moved forward with the Park Street project, including having to pay $400,000 to buy the old firehouse on Park Street from the Village of Nyack so the site could be used for a new home for Jackson Fire Engine No. 3 and the Nyack Fire Patrol. Additionally, Taylor said the fire department faced environmental issues with the Park Street site that raised the cost of the project above the $2.85 million bond issue approved by voters.

“People really don’t understand what went on,” said Taylor, a fire department volunteer who owns Hannemann Funeral Home in Nyack. “We needed a new firehouse and our goal was not to give the taxpayers a big bill. I’m a taxpayer, too. I don’t want the taxes to go up. This was the first new firehouse for 30 years – if we didn’t do it, it would have never gotten built.”

The comptroller’s audit contends the Nyack fire district did not follow correct procedure after the 2004 voter approval and inappropriately formed two not-for-profit corporations to handle land acquisition and construction activities. The two not-for-profit corporations are the focus of much of the audit report.

Through the not-for-profit corporations, the report states, Nyack’s fire district avoided competitive bidding requirements and exceeded the taxpayer authorized maximum for the construction of the facility. The report also contends the lease agreements with one of the not-for-profit corporations could potentially bring big cost increases for taxpayers.

The fire district responds that the comptroller is ignoring the fact that the not-for-profit corporations were established with the goal of supporting fire service in the Nyack area – not generating profits like a commercial real estate holding company.

Taylor said the fire district was able to use loans from private investors to fund the launch of the project and construction of the firehouse through the not-for-profits. Money from the voter-approved bond issue, Taylor said, will be used to repay the money used by the district that’s still outstanding. The district has 10 years from the time of the voter approval to actually float the bond issue.

“Future costs always seem high, but let’s look at what the fire district has already done with the debt service for this firehouse. The district in less than three years has reduced the debt by over 20 percent for this project,” said Feerick, the fire district attorney. “What local, state or national government has ever done that?”

Feerick also noted the fire district has shown its fiscal responsibility through its operating budget.

“The district has either decreased or frozen its annual budget in the past two years,” Feerick said. “New York State should follow that lead, not criticize it.”

The audit report recommends that in any future projects, the Nyack Joint Fire District follow state-approved funding and purchasing methods, as well as record-keeping procedures that comply with the law and ensure the projects are “transparent” and records are available for pubic review.

SPRING VALLEY – HACSO Community Center and HSBC Mortgage Corp.’s Community Works Program have teamed up to help low-to-moderate income individuals and families purchase their first home.

The program offers home purchase and ownership education and counseling, focusing on eliminating key barriers in the home ownership process. The program also includes a First Home Club Savings account, with which participants will receive $4 for every $1 saved toward the purchase of a home.

The program also includes a grant of up to $7,500 to use toward the down payment and closing costs of a new first home.

HACSO is currently enrolling individuals and families for the program, which has classed starting on Jan. 19. Classes are available in English, Creole and Spanish.

Founded in 1974, HACSO Community Center at 25 South Main St., Spring Valley, is a grass-roots non-profit organization with the mission of creating a community where immigrants can be empowered to achieve self-sufficiency and become active contributors to the economic, social and cultural development of Rockland.

The program also helps first-time home buyers seek out other assistance, such as through HUD and the state Division of Housing.

Counseling efforts in the program examine issues including: Budgeting, credit reports, predatory lending practices, home selection, home energy efficiency, working with a real estate broker, finding a mortgage, legal representation and the responsibilities of a homeowner.

For more information or to register for the program, call 845-352-5897, or go to hacso.org.

NYACK – If shoppers looking for post-Christmas bargains at Rockland malls were disappointed by bare shelves at one store, they could easily move on to another shop for a better selection.

But when Martha Robles’s shelves go bare, Rockland men, women and children go hungry - and they often don’t have anywhere else to turn to put a meal on the table.

Robles is executive director of Catholic Community Services of Rockland, which operates a local food pantry out of its headquarters on Hudson Avenue in Haverstraw. Robles says the shelves of the food pantry were well-stocked from donations to keep local needy families fed through the holidays. But, as New Year’s Day approached, Robles was growing concerned by the empty shelves at the pantry.

“I was really worried,” Robles said. “The need is tremendous and it’s still growing.”

Robles, and organizers of nine other food pantries in Rockland, got some relief this week when the Nyack-based Rockland Community Foundation announced it was donating a total of $5,000 worth of ShopRite gift cards to the pantries so they could buy items needed to get them into the new year.

John J. Eccleston, executive director of the Rockland Community Foundation, said his organization contributed $2,500 toward the food, and Inserra ShopRite stores matched that contribution and provided the gift cards for the pantries to use.

“Everyone understands the need of the food pantries around the holidays,” said Eccleston. “But now that Christmas is over, we wanted to make sure the pantries could keep doing their work and helping families put meals on the table.”

The nonprofit Rockland Community Foundation is donor-driven and says it exists to help ensure Rockland County achieves and sustains as a desirable place to live for all individuals now and in the future. The organization says it structured as an umbrella group so that it can serve many types of donors and enable all nonprofits, should they choose, to take advantage of the foundation’s endowment management services to gain more for their organizations.

Robles said the gift from the foundation and ShopRite is an example of the on-going support that her group and others throughout Rockland are continuing to see, despite the tough economic times.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people in the community,” said Robles as she watched volunteers working to re-stock the shelves at the Catholic Community Services of Rockland food pantry. “I do see a lot of people stepping up to the plate to help.”

Since Thanksgiving, Robles said her organization was flooded with donations to help its food pantry and other programs, including an effort that got 279 children “adopted” by donors who bought them holiday gifts. For Thanksgiving, the pantry received more than 300 turkeys to distribute.

Robles said she especially appreciated the Rockland Community Foundation and ShopRite donation this week because it gives her and organizers at other pantries a leg up on meeting the increasing need they face.

For 2009, Robles said her organization served more than 100,000 meals to about 2,000 people – mostly from the Haverstraw, Spring Valley and Suffern communities. She said those numbers represent a 39 percent increase over the previous year.

“There continues to be an increase in the number of children and the elderly coming to the pantry,” Robles said, noting her pantry has even started a community garden at its headquarters with hopes of providing more fresh vegetables to the needy. “We are providing food, but we are also helping people find the different services that they need but haven’t been able to access.”

NEW CITY - Supervisor Alexander J. Gromack said this week that the winter Coats for Kids Program generated approximately 500 coats.

"For the 20th year in a row Rockland residents again opened their hearts to help those in need," said Gromack.

The Coats for Kids Program started on Nov. 16 and ran until Dec. 18. Gromack said that with the help of media sponsors Rockland Review and 100.7 WHUD, for those five weeks all of Rockland County heard the appeal for new and nearly new coats of all sizes.

"In that time, not only coats but sweaters and clothes were brought into participating dry-cleaners, who cleaned the coats for free before being delivered to not-for-profit agencies around Rockland," stated Gromack.

Supervisor Gromack said he extends his thanks and appreciation on behalf of over 500 people who are warmer this winter because of the generosity of Rocklanders.

"I wish to thank the dry cleaners, who donated their services by cleaning the coats, and the distribution centers who saw to it that the coats got to those in need," said Gromack.

This years’ list of participating dry-cleaners included: CONGERS: June French Cleaners; NEW CITY: Touch of Class; PEARL RIVER: Tiffany Cleaners; SPRING VALLEY: Personal Touch Cleaners; Tiffany Cleaners; SUFFERN: Bon Aire Cleaners, Montebello Cleaners.

The distribution centers included:Haverstraw: Community Action Program, DSS Haverstraw Clothing Depot; Spring Valley: Martin Luther King Center; Nanuet: People-to-People of Rockland.

Gromack also thanked The Byne Group and New Born Printing for the design of the promotional material and printing of the posters, free of charge. Gromack extended a special appreciation to the Florian Association of Rockland County (a group of active and retired firefighters) and personnel at Tutor Time Child Care Learning Centers who volunteered their time and effort.

"An extra special thanks goes to the residents of Rockland County who donated coats, which they no longer used, and allowed for those in need to benefit from them," concluded Gromack.

NYACK – The Rockland County Guidance Center has a series of free programs to help job-seekers coming up in February at its offices at 17 S. Broadway, Nyack.

Finding A Job In Tough Times, Wed., Feb. 17, 10 am-noon, Registration begins Feb.3. Learn creative ways to job search in today’s

market! Learn how to remain positive to keep motivated! Learn to step out of the box!

Organizational Workshop, Thurs., Feb. 18, 25 & Mar. 3, 10 am-12 pm (you must attend all 3 sessions); Get your life in order…make time work for you! Registration begins Feb. 4.

Interviewing Workshop, Wed., Feb. 3, 7 pm – 8:30 pm, registration starts Jan. 20, Learn effective interviewing skills Captivate the interviewer and ace the interview.

For information and reservations call 845-358-9390, www.co.rockland.ny.us/guidance/center.htm

POMONA – The Rockland County Immunization Coalition says there will be a seasonal flu vaccine clinic, sponsored by Good Samaritan Hospital, on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

The clinic runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Suffern Medical Pavilion, 257 Lafayette Ave., Suffern.

This seasonal flu vaccine clinic is available free of charge to Rockland County residents 60 years and older only. Please note that supplies are limited. For more information, call 845-368-5545 or email: barbara_demundo@bshsi.org.

Other sites in the county may be holding additional seasonal flu clinics. A source for locating flu clinics is to log onto the American Lung Association flu clinic locator at www.flucliniclocator.org.

“The best way to prevent seasonal flu, and its complications, is by getting the seasonal flu vaccine every year. Though the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you against H1N1 (often referred to as swine flu),it is extremely important, especially for those at high risk for complications,” said Dr. Joan Facelle, MD, MPH, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

· Adults and children who have a weakened immune system or who have certain chronic medical conditions such as cardiovascular (except hypertension), pulmonary (including asthma), renal, hepatic or hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes). Check with your health care provider to determine if your condition is high risk

· Caregivers, family members and other individuals who have contact with high risk individuals, including children under 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

The Rockland County Department of Health will continue to keep residents informed through:

· The Rockland County Department of Health Flu Hotline at 845-364-2633, 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday

· The Rockland County website www.rocklandgov.com (and click on the seasonal flu icon)

POMONA - The Rockland County Department of Health’s Put It Out Rockland Quit Smoking program asks, “Will 2010 be the year you resolve to quit?”

“The benefits of quitting start within 20 minutes of putting out your last cigarette and last a lifetime,” said Dr. Facelle, Rockland County’s Commissioner of Health. Put It Out Rockland has helped over 1,000 people quit since starting their nationally recognized program in 2002.

Put It Out Rockland suggests you consider the following reasons to quit for the New Year:

· I will feel proud of myself and my friends, family and coworkers will be proud of me

· I will no longer have to run outside in bad weather or hide my smoking from others

Quit smoking group support classes will be held in the Helen Hayes Hospital Auditorium in West Haverstraw from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on the following nights:

All Put It Out Rockland Quit Smoking Programs are free for those who live or work in the County of Rockland and all offer free nicotine replacement patches, gum or lozenge.

To register for the classes or for more information, please call the Department of Health at 845-364-2651.

Rockland County Legislators Expand Eligibility for Cold War Veteran Property Tax Exemption

NEW CITY – The Rockland County Legislature passed a local law at the December 15^th meeting that will expand the eligibility for the County‘s existing property tax exemption for Cold War veterans. The exemption is available to those veterans who served a minimum of 365 days between September 2, 1945 and December 26, 1991. The expansion extends eligibility to those Cold War veterans who reside in cooperative units or whose property is held in trust for their sole benefit.

Legislators Alden H. Wolfe, Ilan Schoenberger, Philip Soskin and Chairwoman Harriet Cornell introduced the local law upon learning that Governor Paterson had signed a bill allowing counties to expand the exemption. The original state law was introduced in August of 2007 and was adopted by Rockland County in November 2007.

“We are pleased by the full support of the Legislature,” said Legislator Wolfe. “Our veterans deserve the benefit of this tax exemption, which is intended to compensate and recognize their bravery and sacrifices on our behalf. This legislation will correct an inequity in the prior state law by offering the exemption to many more veterans who proudly served our country.”

Chairwoman Cornell added, “We owe all veterans so much and I am pleased that the state recognized the imperfection in the law that now allows the county to extend the property tax exemption to cooperative unit owners who served during that period of international tension.”

Legislator Ilan Schoenberger said, “I joined with Legislators Wolfe, Soskin and Chairwoman Cornell to introduce this legislation to make sure Cold War veterans, who own cooperative units, are treated fairly and equitably and are party to the same benefits as other veterans.”

“Veterans have served our country,” said Legislator Philip Soskin, “and deserve all benefits that we can make available to them. This extension will grant equal status to Cold War veterans residing in cooperative units. I urge all eligible veterans to avail themselves of this benefit by applying to their local assessors before the March 1 filing deadline.”

PEARL RIVER – Orange and Rockland Utilities has named Richard M. Struck, a 26-year company veteran, with broad experience in both economic development and energy efficiency fields, as Director of Economic Development.

Struck, currently a Project Director in O&R’s Customer Energy Services group, assumes his new post Jan. 1.

Struck’s focus will include new business attraction and current business expansion and retention as well as the promotion of energy efficiency programs and practices throughout O&R’s service area.

In working to enhance the business climate in the region, Struck will be promoting energy efficiency programs as part of a larger sustainability strategy for not only newly recruited businesses but for current businesses as well. His business development and recruitment efforts also will be targeting energy efficiency manufacturers to either start up their businesses in the O&R service territory or move their businesses here.

O&R President and CEO Bill Longhi said, “Rick Struck is an enthusiastic, can-do guy with a track record of success and accomplishment. His unique talent, training and experience make him the right man at the right time for this job. As the economy begins to show signs of improvement, we want to be ready to help the business community take advantage of that improvement as quickly as possible. That’s Rick specialty.”

Longhi said, “Rick will also use his experience in promoting energy efficiency programs at O&R to spread the word among the business community. We believe that employing energy efficiency programs is a winning strategy to achieve greater business sustainability.”

Longhi added, “We also want Rick to use his expertise in the energy efficiency area to help lay the ground work for the creation of an energy efficiency industry here in the O&R service territory. We want the people who build the solar panels and other equipment that make our use of energy cleaner, greener and more affordable to build them here.”

Struck said, “We have a very attractive setting here for new industry. We have a splendid labor pool, fine schools, strong housing stock and a great location. We want new development to create jobs for our people and to expand the tax base to keep our communities affordable.”

The announcement represents a coming home of sorts for Struck who directed O&R’s Economic Development efforts from 1984 to 2005. During that 20-year period, he was responsible for O&R economic development operations and partnerships that resulted in attracting or expanding 155 major companies.

In his economic development capacity, Struck served from 2001-2003 as Board Chairman of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation, a nine-county consortium of economic development organizations. He also is a past board member of the Orange County Partnership, the Rockland Business Association, the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and the Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress.

During his most recent assignment as a Project Director in O&R’s Customer Energy Services group, Struck was responsible for major elements of the Company’s energy efficiency programs’ administration, outreach and education components. He played a key role in the administration of the company’s own internal energy efficiency initiatives and is the company representative on the Green Council of the Rockland Business Association. He also served on the Community Environmental Committee in Orangetown.

Struck is a U.S. Army veteran who holds a B.A. from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. He and his wife Jeanne live in Pearl River, N.Y.

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R), a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, is a regulated utility. It provides electric service to approximately 298,000 customers in southeastern New York State (where its franchise name is Orange & Rockland), northern New Jersey (where it’s Rockland Electric Company) and northeastern Pennsylvania (where it’s Pike County Light & Power Company) and natural gas service to approximately 127,000 customers in New York and Pennsylvania.

NEW CITY – The last phase of three building renovations for the New City Library is set to begin on Monday, Jan. 4.

For the entire month, construction of a new circulation center will take place. During this time, there will be no interruptions to library service. The circulation desk will be moved and there will be additional check-out service available in the AudioVisual area.

Library staff members say they thank their loyal customers for their patience as this last renovation is completed.

SCHENECTADY - The New York Lottery today announced the name of a New City Mega Millions player who won $10,000 in the drawing held on December 8th. The winner, Mariafe Mercado, purchased the winning ticket at the Hill Top Deli at 368 New Hempstead Road (#1) in New City.

For more information on how to cash a winning Lottery ticket, click the "Ask New York Lottery" tab at www.nylottery.org.

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, earning more than $36.7 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago. The Lottery contributed nearly $2.54 billion in fiscal year 2008-9 to help support education in New York State, which was over 12 percent of total state education funding to local school districts. The Lottery's ongoing commitment to education also includes the awarding of more than 1,100 Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Scholarships annually to high school students pursuing their higher education in New York State. Since 1999, the Lottery has awarded more than 11,500 scholarships representing a total commitment of almost $50 million.

RAMAPO – Fake blood and simulated car accident injuries replaced paper and pencils in a recent lesson given to EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) students at SUNY Rockland Community College.

The rescuing skills of EMT 101 and 102 students were challenged in an exercise that included scene size-up and safety precautions, assessment of medical and trauma patients, and treatment of injury or illness. Students were tested in airway management, oxygen administration and CPR, transportation considerations, ambulance operations and Weapons of Mass Destruction/ terrorism awareness.

Victims donate their time and include past EMT students, nursing students and volunteers from the community.

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program is offered through the Hudson Valley Educational Consortium, an innovative collaboration of four community colleges. One of the goals of the Consortium is to bolster the Hudson Valley's domestic preparedness by broadening the availability of a variety of first-responder degree programs offered by the schools, including emergency management, fire protection technology, paramedic services, and cyber security. The participating colleges are Orange, Ulster, Rockland and Sullivan Community Colleges.

For more information, contact Peter Andryuk, Chair/Instructor, Paramedic Program/Emergency Medical Services, at 845-574-4584, pandryuk@sunyrockland.edu or visit: http://www.sunyrockland.edu/go/ems

Now and Then: Rockland Community College coach Joseph Famellette (l), Professor of Physical Education, in the 1960s.

RAMAPO – Joseph Famellette has been one of the driving forces in the athletics program at Rockland Community College nearly 50 years, and in honor of his work he is has been named a member of the RCC Sports Hall of Fame.

RCC says the third Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner is set for Saturday, January 23, 7 p.m., at the Italian American Social Club, 35 Cosgrove Ave, West Haverstraw. The $50 admission includes hors d'ouvres, cocktails, salad, pasta, prime rib, coffee, dessert and dancing.

The evening is a celebration of the college’s 50th Anniversary and past student athletes who have excelled on the field, in the gym and in their communities. This year, the college will be honoring a coach for the first time.

Famellette, professor of Physical Education, has been on the RCC faculty since Fall of 1960 and is now going on his 50the year, making him the longest serving faculty member. He has coached men’s bowling, golf, wrestling and soccer along with women’s basketball and volleyball.

He also started the women’s tennis program and designed a personal fitness course. He has won more than 10 Conference and Regional Championships. He and his wife Judy have started two scholarship funds for RCC students: The Heinz Ahlmeyer USMC scholarship and the Jerry Donellan Veterans Scholarship.

Since 1960, RCC athletics has produced 48 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Americans, and more than 50 former athletes have become coaches after their playing careers. This event is co-sponsored by the Athletic Department and the RCC Foundation.

For reservations, contact Patti Castro, RCC Foundation, at 574-4576 or pcastro@sunyrockland.edu.

STONY POINT – Town police say two town residents have been charged in connection with the theft of nativity statues from a display at Town Hall.

Cassandra Strimater, 20, of 2 S. Liberty Drive and Danielle Leonard, 20, of 19 Fonda Drive are accused of Petit Larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth-degree, police said Friday.

PEARL RIVER - O&R has named Richard M. Struck, a 26-year company veteran, with broad experience in both economic development and energy efficiency fields, as Director of Economic Development.

Struck, currently a Project Director in O&R’s Customer Energy Services group, assumes his new post January 1.

Today’s announcement represents a coming home of sorts for Struck who directed O&R’s Economic Development efforts from 1984 to 2005. During that 20-year period, he was responsible for O&R economic development operations and partnerships that resulted in attracting or expanding 155 major companies.

Struck is a U.S. Army veteran who holds a B.A. from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. He and his wife Jeanne live in Pearl River.

Past president of JCC Rockland and JCC Maccabi Games Co-Chair Barry Kantrowitz addresses a crowd of nearly 300 at JCC Rockland Monday night to officially announce that Rockland County will host the 2012 JCC Maccabi Games. Standing next to Kantrowitz are Joel Zbar (center) current JCC Rockland President and David Kirschtel (far right) JCC Rockland CEO. Behind them are past and current Maccabi athletes.

WEST NYACK – As young athletes who play on teams sponsored by JCC Rockland lit a menorah candle to celebrate the fourth night of Hanukkah this week, they were joined by hundreds of JCC members who also gathered to cheer their selection as hosts for the worldwide Macabbi Games in 2012.

The JCC Rockland campus off West Nyack Road took on a party atmosphere as leaders and members shared their joy over hosting the Macabbi Games, which are expected to bring nearly 2,000 youth athletes and more than 5,000 spectators to participate in events in Rockland County.

“Two years ago, we celebrated moving into this beautiful building. Today, we are at another beginning,” said Barry Kantrowitz, a past-president of JCC Rockland and co-chair of the effort to bring the Maccabi Games to Rockland. “We have a long way to go before we can have the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Maccabi Games.”

JCC Rockland members have been lobbying for more than a year to bring the games to Rockland. For the past 27 years, the JCC Maccabi Games, an Olympic-style sporting competition held each August in North America, has been the largest organized sports program for Jewish teenagers in the world.

This past summer, the games were held in San Francisco, Calif, San Antonio, Texas and in Westchester County. Sixty-one Rockland teens participated in Westchester County’s opening ceremony, which took place in Madison Square Garden.

JCC Rockland members said that in addition to overseeing athletic competitions, they are arranging for more than 800 host families to provide housing for visiting athletes. The Maccabi Games effort in Rockland has raise about $400,000 to support the program and organizers are seeking 1,000 volunteers to help run the games.

In addition to the honor of hosting the games, JCC Rockland CEO David Kirschtel says the games will be a boost for the Rockland County economy.

“This is an international event that is going to put Rockland County on the map,” said Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. “This is a great athletic event and it is a great spiritual event.”

Vanderhoef was among a long line of local officials who helped JCC Rockland members celebrate the coming of the games. Clarkstown Town Superivsor Alexander Gromack the games will be opening up Clarkstown and Rockland to the world.

Rockland Business Association President Al Samuels says the Maccabi Games will be the biggest public event to come to Rockland.

“I applaud the vision that was necessary to bring this to Rockland,” said Samuels.

The gathering to celebrate the coming of the games included about 50 past and present teen Maccabi athletes. Also on hand to show support were Sasha and Roman Zaretsky, Israel’s pairs skating champions, who train locally, courtesy of JCC Rockland. JCC Rockland has supported the Zaretsky’s efforts to train here in Rockland because Israel only has one ice skating rink. The next stop for the Zaretskys is Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.

The JCC Maccabi Games serve a larger purpose than just athletic competition. They promote community involvement, teamwork, and pride in being Jewish. Since 1982, the games have included the “Day of Caring and Sharing Program,” where each participant takes a day off from competition to participate in a community service project.

The American concept of community service is closely tied to the basic Jewish value of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), which urges people to make a difference in the lives of others who may be less fortunate than ourselves. “This memorable experience,” said Kirschtel, “allows the athletes to return home with a sense of inspiration and commitment to continue doing community service throughout the year.”

Rockland lawmakers urge Congress not to fast-track FAA funding for airspace resdesign

NEW CITY – The Rockland Legislature, in part of the county’s effort to fight changes in airliner flight paths over the county, passed a resolution this week urging the Senate and the House of Representatives to prevent the fast-tracking of the FAA Reauthorization Bill as was requested by 35 senators in a Nov. 5 letter to the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders.

The resolution, sponsored by Legistlature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell and County Legislators Jay Hood Jr., Edwin Day and Patrick Moroney, received the unanimous support of the legislature. The Reauthorization Bill would provide $35 billion in funding to the FAA to implement the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), which includes an airspace redesign plan that would dramatically increase air traffic over Rockland County, and portions of New Jersey and Pennsylvania (NY/NJ/PHL), according to county officials.

About $90 million of that bill would be allocated to implement the airspace redesign plan. The County of Rockland, along with other states and municipalities, is presently involved in litigation to prevent implementation.

The resolution also requests careful scrutiny of reports recently issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that identify several areas of the FAA where managerial and operational improvements are recommended, including: directing resources and addressing environmental issues, adjusting its culture and business practices, and developing and implementing options to encourage airlines and general aviation to equip aircraft with new technologies.

“Before being allowed to move forward to implement for the future, the FAA needs to resolve present issues,” said Chairwoman Cornell, “The government needs to challenge the FAA on every point before providing massive funding.” Cornell added that the NY/NJ/PHL redesign plan is “fatally-flawed, harmful to the public, to parkland and to the environment.”

In 2007, the law firm of Holland & Knight, experts in the fields of environmental and aviation law, filed a law suit on behalf of the county and its petitioners in the U.S. Court of Appeals to prevent the FAA from implementing the proposed airspace redesign program. The court dismissed the appeal in June of 2009. Holland & Knight filed a brief on Nov. 17, in the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., petitioning the court to overturn the Court of Appeals’ decision to dismiss the case.

“The Senate needs to closely examine the opinions of the GAO,” said Hood. “No allocations should be made toward the airspace redesign while Rockland and other states and localities are in litigation to prevent the redesign.”

Cornell and Hood credit the local grass roots organization “Quiet Rockland” for its unwavering perseverance and organized action to keep this matter in the forefront. “This small, vocal group is to be commended for the many letters, emails, rallies and countless hours spent to advocate against this ill-conceived plan,” said Hood.

NEW CITY - Supervisor Alex Gromack and the Town Board recognized more than 100 local businesses this week for their participation in the Clarkstown Volunteer Incentive Program.

Each year, the Town Board asks local merchants to join the CVIP by providing a discount to all eligible emergency service volunteers in Clarkstown.

“We are always looking for ways to benefit our volunteers and this program was created to thank them for all of the selfless, hard work and dedication they so generously provide to our town,” said Gromack. Volunteers can find the list of participating businesses on the town’s website at town.clarkstown.ny.us under “community.”

“We want to thank the businesses for joining us in supporting our volunteers,” said Gromack. “Our businesses have always been active members of the community. CVIP is a good way to say thank you to our volunteers and is a great advertisement for our businesses. It is a win-win situation for everyone.”

“Our emergency service volunteers give up time away from their families and put their lives on the line to serve Clarkstown,” said Councilman John Maloney. “This program is a great way to thank them.”

“To have so many businesses participating in these economic times is a true testament to our emergency service volunteers,” said Councilwoman Shirley Lasker.

“This is a manner in which the Town can work with our local businesses to benefit our residents who so bravely volunteer,” said Councilman Frank Borelli.

“I am proud that the Town collaborated with our local businesses to offer this great program to our volunteers who protect the health and safety of us all,” said Councilman George Hoehmann.

Rockland Housing Action Coalition building affordable housing for veterans in Tappan

TAPPAN - U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer says both houses of Congress have passed the FY 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which includes $974,000 for the Rockland Housing Action Coalition’s permanent, supportive housing for disabled veterans and their families at an old Army base in Tappan.

The bill passed the House last week and the Senate over the weekend and now awaits the president’s signature.

“This funding will help give the brave men and women who fought to protect our county access to affordable housing, and is now a done deal” Schumer said. “The great service that our veterans have given this nation should be returned with the chance for them have a house of their own.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leased thirteen acres of surplus U.S. Army Reserve property to the Rockland Housing Action Coalition (RHAC) for the purpose of building and operating permanent, supportive housing for disabled veterans and their families, who are unable to either purchase homes or find suitably-equipped rental units at market prices. Last year, Schumer toured the site and promised to secure funding to house disabled veterans and their families. The Rockland Housing Action Coalition currently holds a five year, renewable lease to build rental housing for homeless veterans.

The site is in the area of Orangetown that once was home to Camp Shanks, the largest World War II Army embarkation camp in the United States. Over 1.3 million soldiers went through the camp, also known as “Last Stop USA,” for processing before being deployed to Europe.

The initial “Homes For Heroes” project will construct 25 rental units on six of the 13 acres and will include the rehabilitation of one or two buildings presently standing on the property. It is estimated that 10 to 15 labor trade organizations will be onsite during the 12-month period of construction, providing economic stimulus to the community.

The project will ultimately consist of 50 handicapped accessible, garden-style apartments, a community center and offices for agencies that will provide support services to the resident veterans. The tenants will meet the spirit and criteria of the law that was implemented in the Federal Government’s decision authorizing the land-lease agreement.

The appropriation was originally included in the Senate FY2010 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill. Last week that bill was combined with five other appropriations bill into the FY 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

SPRING VALLEY - The New York Lottery today announced the name of a Spring Valley Win 4 player who won $50,000 in the drawing held on September 3rd. The winner, Dwayne Sanders, purchased the winning ticket at the A To Z Deli & Convenience Stor at 2 East Hickory Street in Spring Valley.

For more information on how to cash a winning Lottery ticket, click the "Ask New York Lottery" tab at www.nylottery.org.

NEW CITY - Rockland County AmeriCorps (RCA), a program of the Rockland County Youth Bureau, is seeking mature and experienced people for a part-time paid opportunity with our Literacy Corps as Home Visitors for the Parent-Child Home Program.

Literacy Corps members receive a $2,949 living stipend and a $1,250 educational award for dedicating 450 hours of service (over approximately 10 months to one year) to this in-home literacy program. Positions primarily exist in the East Ramapo school district, but placements in other districts may also be available.

Potential candidates will have a part-time schedule with hours primarily during weekdays. Other qualifications are, but are not limited to, a passion for children and books, an understanding of the impact of early literacy on long term academic success, a commitment to the program and its completion, flexibility, excellent time management skills, patience, creative thinking and problem-solving skills as well as an interest in social work and/or education.

Literacy Corps Members are required to devote 400 hours to home visiting and/or literacy initiatives, and will also receive an additional 50 hours of training. For their service they earn a $2,949 living allowance, which is delivered in bi-weekly paychecks. At the completion of service and training hours, Literacy Corps Members receive an educational award of $1,250 that can be used to pay towards college tuition or a qualified student loan.

Home Visitors with the Parent-Child Home Program visit families with two- and three- year-old children twice a week for approximately one year. In play sessions with the parent and child, the Home Visitor models verbal interaction and learning through reading, conversation and play, using carefully chosen books and toys, which are the Program’s gifts to the family. Home Visitors visit up to 6 families per week.

Participation in this program is an excellent way to explore career interests, bolster your resume, network within the literacy/education field, or donate one’s time, good will and expertise to a program that has a longstanding positive community impact. This is a wonderful opportunity for active retirees, college and graduate students, who are at least 25 years old.

Positions are available immediately. For more information, or to request an application, please contact Kathy at 845-708-7307 or e-mail rcamericorps@co.rockland.ny.us.

NEW YORK -- Response to Census 2010 recruiting efforts has been overwhelming, but New York Regional Census Center (NYRCC) officials are still testing applicants for possible future employment in hard to count areas in which the questionnaire mailback response rate has traditionally been low and which may face challenges such as language barriers or cultural isolation.

Interested applicants should be advised that recruitment will be targeted, and there is a possibility that recruitment will not be conducted in their area at this time.

If an applicant has already taken and passed the Census test, but was not hired, he or she does not have to retake the test. The applicant’s information remains on file, and he or she will be eligible to be called for Census work for a few positions beginning in March 2010, and considerably more positions in late April 2010.

All Census taker positions are short term, temporary jobs, determined by the volume of work in each neighborhood. Hiring is based on need in a particular geographic area and test score, from the highest score down. All Census takers must be able to speak English, but people with bilingual skills are needed in communities where a large number of residents primarily speak other languages.

If an applicant was hired to work as a Census taker in the spring of 2009, he or she does not have to take another test. Their information remains in Census files and they could be called back for Census taker work in the spring of 2010.

Census taker positions are not guaranteed to anyone. Simply passing the test does not guarantee hiring, nor does previous Census employment.

Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, are between jobs, or who want to earn extra money and help their community. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses such as mileage incurred while conducting Census work. Best of all, Census takers work right in their own communities.

Interested applicants should monitor the website www.2010censusjobs.gov for more information on Census taker positions.

Apply today by calling 1-866-861-2010. You will be informed as to whether the Census Bureau is currently recruiting in your area and if so, you will be directed to your local Census office to schedule a test. If the Census Bureau is not currently recruiting in your area, your name will be placed on a “will call” list for possible future opportunities.

NEW CITY - Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R,C – Blooming Grove) today encouraged

Rockland County teens between the ages of 14 and 18 are encouraged to apply for the 2010 Youth Employment Program, according to Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun, R, C – Blooming Grove.

This long-running program puts young people in places of employment where they will learn professional attitudes, teamwork, decision making, problem solving, and how to deal with conflicts through effective communication.

“During this current economic downturn, it is great to see that Rockland County is once again offering YEP as a way to teach children life lessons in real work environments,” said Calhoun. “The experience gained in this program is invaluable and will benefit not only the children who participate, but also the state because of the stronger, more qualified workforce that is being developed at such an early age.”

Participants in the Youth Employment Program are placed at one of many non-profits or businesses while also having the opportunity to participate in the BRIDGES Academy. Applicants must complete a mandatory Pre-Employment Training Series with the Youth Bureau of Rockland County prior to job placement. If accepted into the program, job placement will be based on performance and staff evaluations gathered during training. Although job placement is not guaranteed, those receiving employment will be paid at a rate of $7.25 per hour.

The Youth Employment Program is also looking for businesses to join in their goal of creating a better workforce. Businesses and non-profit organizations will be reimbursed anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent of their labor costs associated with participating in the program.

Youth looking to participate can contact Calhoun’s District Office at 845-567-3141 to receive an application packet. Businesses looking to participate should contact the Rockland County Youth Bureau at 638-5166.

NEW CITY – Rockland County Legislative Chairwoman Harriet Cornell has sent a letter to the new MTA CEO, Jay Walder, and among a list of specific ways the MTA can close the value gap in Rockland County, she has included a “good faith” request that the MTA move its EasyPay Service Centers in Elgin, IL, and Tampa, FL, to Rockland County.

She wrote, “I don’t understand why jobs that service the New York Metro area and could benefit the New York Metro area are not in the New York Metro Area.”

EasyPay is a reduced-fare program for people who are over age sixty-five or who have a qualifying disability. It does have service centers in Brooklyn and Connecticut, but those in Florida and Illinois are obviously outside the MTA region. “It’s time to move them to Rockland County,” Cornell said. “We have an educated work force, 11,000 unemployed people, and of all 12 counties in the MTA district, we have the largest value gap between monies paid and benefits received.”

By the MTA’s own account, Rockland County has approximately a $60 million value gap. It had been $46.5 million, but the new Mobility Tax is projected to cost the county an additional $18 million per year.

“The Mobility Tax has placed a shockingly high and blatantly unfair burden on our government, our school districts, our non-profits, our individuals, and our businesses large and small, even those with just one or two employees,” Cornell said.

In March 2009, Cornell wrote a letter to Governor David Paterson, state Senate Leader Malcolm Smith and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver urging them to reconsider levying the Mobility Tax, which would “devastate” Rockland taxpayers. That letter was to no avail, and Walder has already stated that he thinks the Mobility Tax was vital for the survival of the MTA and, at this time, he would not support any measure to repeal it.

But in a press conference in Rockland County held in early November of this year, Walder did pledge that providing “good value” to MTA constituents was one of his, “highest priorities.” In addition, the MTA website lists, “workforce development,” as its top Strategic Goal.

“Moving these service center jobs to Rockland County surely accords with the goal of workforce development,” Cornell said. “More than any other county, we have shown our good faith to the MTA. Now it’s time for the MTA to show its good faith to us. And there’s no better way for the MTA to do that than provide jobs to Rockland County that it needs and, frankly, deserves.”

POMONA – The Rockland Department of Health will be holding a free H1N1 flu vaccine clinic from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14 at the Robert L. Yeager Health Center, Building A, Exhibition Hall, in Pomona.

Those who wish to receive the vaccine must register in advance by calling 845-364-2633. Only those who register and who are in the priority groups below will be able to receive vaccine.

The H1N1 flu vaccine clinic hours are as follows for the following priority groups:

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - pregnant women, health care workers, household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age, 25-64 years old with an underlying medical condition that puts them at increased risk of influenza complications

· Vaccine cannot be provided to children younger than 3 years of age at this clinic

· If you are a health care professional, you must provide proof of employment in a health care facility.

Many local health care providers also have H1N1 vaccine. Check with your regular health care provider to see if he/she has the vaccine.

The Rockland County Department of Health expects to receive additional vaccine and will schedule more clinics at that time. Please check the following sources frequently for future clinic dates and locations:

POMONA – The Rockland County Immunization Coalition says another season flu clinic is set for Friday, Dec. 11.

Northern Home Care will be providing staff to operate the clinic from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Drug World Pharmacy in West Nyack. The clinic is available free to Rockland County residents 60 years and older. Patients between the ages of 18 and 59 years of age will be charged a $25 fee for the vaccine.

Pregnant adults can only receive the vaccine with a prescription from their physician. Patients with Medicare must bring their cards. For more information, call (845) 426-6701, then enter *226.

· Caregivers, family members and other individuals who have contact with high risk individuals, including children under 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

The Rockland County Department of Health will continue to keep residents informed through:

· The Rockland County Department of Health Flu Hotline at 845-364-2633, 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday

· The Rockland County website www.rocklandgov.com (and click on the seasonal flu icon)

NEW CITY – The Rockland County Purchasing Division will donate about 800 surplus personal computers to public schools, public libraries and other public and private institutions for secular educational use, and to not-for-profit institutions for use by individuals with disabilities upon proof needed by the institution.

Only CPU’s are available. Monitors are not currently available. The available computers are:

The Purchasing Division is accepting competitive applications that must be received by Friday, Dec. 18. Each application should include:

The Purchasing Division will review and evaluate all applications submitted. The division will then recommend to the Rockland County Legislature which agencies or institutions should receive surplus computers and the quantities that will be allocated based on the demonstrated need detailed in the application. The Legislature, by resolution, will authorize the donation of the computer equipment.

All donations will be made in compliance with New York State General Municipal Law, Section 104-c “Disposal of Surplus Computer Equipment.” Collaborative proposals among different schools, libraries, and not-for-profit organizations are encouraged.

Submit applications to: Paul J. Brennan, CPPO, Director of Purchasing, 50 Sanatorium Road, Bldg. A, Second Floor, Pomona, NY 10970. For more information, contact the Purchasing Division at 845-364-3824 or brennanp@co.rockland.ny.us.

POMONA - Rockland County has opened Summit Park Hospital’s new Acute Renal Dialysis Unit, expanding medical services available locally for Rockland residents.

Representatives from several regional hospitals, including Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern and the Westchester County Medical Center, attended a ribbon cutting ceremony this week on the fourth floor dialysis unit at the hospital, which is part of the Dr. Robert L. Yeager County Health Complex off Route 45 in Pomona.

The three-station dialysis unit can treat up to six patients per week and is being operated by Dr. Jonathan Wolf and the staff of Rockland Acute Services. Using state of the art hemo-dialysis equipment, the unit will operate Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and can be expanded to operate six days a week, according to Rockland Hospitals Commissioner Richard Maloney.

Summit Park Hospital’s objective in requesting certification of an Acute Renal Dialysis Unit was based on the needs of long term acute care patients who also require renal dialysis, Maloney said. With an on-site dialysis unit, Summit Park patients will no longer need to be transported to community-based dialysis centers, according to Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

“This is a very important day in Summit Park’s history,” Vanderhoef said during a ceremony at Summit Park. “We will now be able to treat patients who need dialysis here in our hospital instead of having them take arduous trips to other facilities for treatment. We’re gratified to expand and improve our medical services in order to provide better care for our patients.”

Vanderhoef said the creation of the new hospital unit is part of the county’s overall plan to build a new county hospital to replace aging facilities at Summit Park. Rockland has already been cleared to build a new hospital.

“This is a wonderful quality of care initiative,” said Dr. Paul Mercurio, Summit Park Hospital’s medical director. “Our patients can receive their dialysis treatments in the convenience and comfort of our hospital setting, without needing to be transported several miles away. We are so pleased to be able to offer this service.”

Summit Park Hospital is a 100-bed acute care hospital with 57 physical medicine/rehabilitation beds and 43 inpatient psychiatric beds and is one of four Long Term Acute Care Hospitals in New York State. These facilities are fully licensed acute care hospitals that care for patients who require an intense course of medical treatment for an extended period of time. The average length of stay is 28-30 days.

Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell applauded the opening of the new unit as she helped Vanderhoef and others cut the ceremonial red ribbon to open the new unit.

Cornell said the new facilities immediately brought to mind the situation of a former county legislator, the late John Allison, who required dialysis treatment.

“John had to travel three times a week for almost 10 years across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Grasslands Hospital for his dialysis sessions,” Cornell recalled. “This unit will bring relief to many residents.”

Francine Allison Keahon, sister of John Allison, attended the ceremony with Cornell.

The new unit uses space that was a fourth-floor day room. Using county staff to do most of the work, Maloney said the new unit cost about $70,000 to create. He noted that a key to the unit was the installation of sophisticated water treatment equipment essential for the dialysis process.

The process leading to the opening of the unit took about 18 months, Maloney said. Patients have already started using the new unit at Summit Park.

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita Lowey, D-Westchester/Rockland, says $990,000 worth of federal funding has been earmarked to support projects in Rockland County through the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which is designed to help ease financial strain on local governments and taxpayers.

“In these tough economic times, it is critical that the federal government support projects that create jobs and ease the financial strain facing local governments and taxpayers,” said Lowey.

Lowey is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, where she chairs the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and serves on the Homeland Security and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittees.

The Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act conference report was expected to pass the House of Representatives this week, Lowey said

Legislator calls for cancer study
NEW CITY – Rockland County Legislator Connie
Coker, Chairwoman of the Legislature’s Environmental Committee, will introduce a resolution at the December 8^th committee meeting, to request the NYS Legislature and the NYS Department of Health to commission a study on the rates of thyroid cancer, the rates of infant hypothyroidism and other adverse health effects that may result from the operation and by-products created by the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.

A recent article published in the International Journal of Health Sciences, reports the rate of thyroid cancer cases in Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Westchester are among the highest in the state and the nation. The article, written by Joseph Mangano, the Executive Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project research group, reports that
thyroid cancer rates in the four counties which are closest to the Indian Point Nuclear Energy Plant, are 71% above the national rate in counties with a population of 88,000 or more. The American Cancer Society has stated that exposure to radiation is a proven risk factor for thyroid cancer. Sources of such radiation include certain medical
treatments and radiation fallout from power plant accidents or nuclear
weapons.

“According to this article, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Westchester counties rank first, second, third and seventh among the 32 New York counties that match the population criteria,” said Coker. “These statistics, gathered from incidence data recently made available by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are quite startling and demand immediate attention.”

Mangano also reported that the rates of newborn hypothyroidism, a disorder of the thyroid gland, are near double the U.S. rate in those counties closest to Indian Point.

Coker added, “Government records indicate that Indian Point, in comparison to other U.S. nuclear plants, has emitted the 5^th highest level of radioactive iodine into the air,” said Coker, “The increased incidences of thyroid cancer and hypothyroidism in newborns in these four counties can not be written off as coincidental. The federal government must investigate this. The health and safety of millions in our region is in jeopardy.”

4 NEW MEMBERS TO INDUCTED INTO CIVIL, HUMAN RIGHTS HALL OF FAME

NEW CITY - County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and Commissioner of Human Rights S. Ram Nagubandi said that four new members have been inducted into the Civil and Human Rights Hall of Fame at the 7^th Annual Civil Rights Hall of Fame luncheon at The Club at Patriot Hills, 19 Club House Lane in Stony Point.

All of the individuals being honored have significantly contributed to the advancement of equality, diversity, human rights and civil rights in Rockland County, Vanderhoef said.

“Each year we honor our inductees who have worked tirelessly to promote civil and human rights in Rockland County,” Vanderhoef said. “On behalf of all Rocklanders, thank you to this year’s honorees for their tremendous efforts in making our community a better place for all.”

“Rockland continues to be one of the most diverse counties and we can be thankful to our honorees for their efforts,” said Nagubandi. “Residents are proud to be part of a community that promotes equality regardless of race, creed, color or national origin.”

Wilbur Foulkes – A Naval veteran and a civil rights activist, Foulkes lived through segregation, but stood firm in his belief that one must never give up and stop working for justice and freedom for all. He is also involved in the Spring Valley NAACP.

Cynthia Moore Hesdra (posthumously) – Born a slave in Tappan, NY, Hesdra suffered many hardships throughout her life, but this did not stop her from using her home to shield those seeking freedom. The Hesdra home is now a historical landmark known as the Underground Railroad Station in Nyack.

Rev. Louis E. Sanders – Rev. Sanders organized programs and activities dealing with health care, education, civil and human rights. He led his church and the Sparkill community in a campaign to collect items for flood-ridden residents of Laurel, Mississippi.

Walter Zayas (posthumously) – Zayas organized numerous anti-racism programs and was instrumental in bringing awareness to the deplorable living conditions of the Hyenga Lake residents. He was also an advocate for health insurance coverage for all people.

NEW CITY - The New City Rams Junior Pee Wee football team won the State Championship on Thanksgiving weekend by defeating the Sherman Park Bulldogs, 13-7.

The teams met in the championship game by winning all the games in their respective brackets as part of the Empire State Classic Championship tournament, which encompasses dozens of teams that are part of New York State’s eight regional Pop Warner youth football organizations.

The Rams came into the championship game on Nov. 28 with two shutout wins under their belts, having bested Mid Hudson’s Hyde Park Eagles in the quarterfinal round, 20-0, and then defeating Westchester’s White Plain’s Wolverines 26-0. With this championship victory, they concluded the 2009 season with a 10-2 overall record.

Quarterback Aaron Morales methodically took his team downfield in the Ram’s opening drive, controlling the ball with a running game that culminated with a 9 yard run by Jake Spreckman for the game’s first score. Running back Justin Bullock also took advantage of the Ram’s offensive line – Matt Jung, Kyle O’Neill, Anthony Tafuri, Jake Maraia, Mike Piscani, and Vince Maraia - to tack on the extra point that gave the Rams a 7-0 lead.

The Rams defense stifled the Bulldogs, the upstate champions from Syracuse, through the remainder of the half, and the teams went into the clubhouse with the score still 7-0. The third quarter remained a defensive battle, but when the Rams got the ball at the beginning of the fourth quarter, they put together a drive that culminated with a 2 yard sneak play by Aaron Morales that gave the Rams a 13-0 lead with 5 minutes to play.

The Bulldogs came back to score on a broken play from midfield, tightening the contest to 13-7 with the extra point. They managed to stop the Rams in their next possession, getting the ball back with 2 minutes remaining, but as they had done all year, the Ram’s defense made the big play, with nose guard Patrick LaFontant jarring the ball loose. Linebacker Joe Maraia made the recovery, sealing the victory for the Rams.

The rest of the New City Rams: Bill Bahssin, Colin Byrnes, Santino Crespo, Tyler DeFino, Joe Distefano, Brian Fuller, Josh Finkelstein, Bodhi Gallo, Tom LoBritto, Nick Minucci, Pat Naughton, Nick Passanante, Ed Pecora, Kyle Samuels, Ryan Thomas, and James Wiggins. The head coach is Rory Spreckman, and the Ram’s assistant coaches are Jim O’Neill, Bob Gallo, Jim Bullock, Ed Day, Bob Distefano, Lee Fuller, and Anthony Piscani. Team managers are Christine Piscani and Theresa Jung.

CONGERS – Volunteer members of the Congers Fire Department delivered food to Don Dwyer, chairman of the St. Paul’s Church Food Pantry, as part of a food drive over the Thanksgiving holiday. Donations from the community helped replenish the food bank/pantry for people and families in need. From left, firefighters Frank Voce, Joe Sarvaideo, Scot Orser, Don Dwyer and Frank Voce Jr.

NEW CITY – Rockland County has its first public workshop on Wednesday, Dec. 2 to gather input for the county’s Comprehensive Plan project, which public officials would use to guide policy decisions for the next 20 years.

The meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Rockland County Fire Training Center, 35 Firemen's Memorial Drive, Pomona. All interested residents, public agency representatives and municipal officials are encouraged to attend, according to County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

The purpose of the workshop is to introduce residents and “stakeholders” to the Comprehensive Plan update, involve them in the process and encourage them to share their preliminary thoughts and ideas, according to county Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell. Attendees at the workshop will be asked to identify opportunities and issues in the county that they think should be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan.

During the Workshop, participants will have an opportunity to hear a presentation by BFJ Planning, the project consultants, and then, following a coffee break, will be asked to break into roundtable discussions. There will also be public sharing of items discussed at the roundtable groups.

The Comprehensive Plan will serve as the basis for all county government planning and development issues for the next 20 years and will provide guidance for future municipal planning and zoning actions, according to Vanderhoef. The plan will address a range of key issues facing the county, including transportation and infrastructure, land use and zoning, natural and environmental resources, open space and recreation, historic and cultural resources, housing, economic development, services and information resources, and services for the aging population.

The plan’s overarching goals are to provide general recommendations on future land uses within the county and possible alternative strategies; recommend general policies that could be undertaken at both the county and municipal levels to implement these strategies; address those matters that are under direct jurisdiction of the county; and identify issues of land use and zoning conflicts between and among municipalities that should be resolved to allow the various municipal zoning regulations to work more effectively.

On a local level, municipalities’ zoning and land use regulations are the central tools for controlling land development, according to Vanderhoef. Rockland County does not have jurisdiction to direct allowable land uses through zoning, however, a countywide land use plan can guide, influence and shape future development to ensure that it is consistent with the existing community character and meets countywide and regional goals.

A county land use plan can also take a “big picture” approach to larger-scale issues such as regional infrastructure, major institutions and the environment - issues that cannot be fully addressed at the local municipal level.

The comprehensive planning process encompasses an 18-month effort which began in September, and will include public workshops, meetings with town and village planning boards and elected officials and regular meetings with a Technical Advisory Committee, the county Legislature and the county executive. The plan is intended to be updated periodically to reflect land use changes, data updates or other major planning-related issues.

The Comprehensive Plan project is being carried out by the Rockland County Planning Department in conjunction with the consultant team of BFJ Planning (Buckhurst, Fish and Jacquemart, Inc.) of New York, N.Y., along with Urbanomics of New York, N.Y. and McLaren Engineering of West Nyack.

For more information on the Rockland County Comprehensive Plan project, see the project website: www.rccompplan.com.

Legislator Proposes Legislation to Protect Taxpayer Money In Instances of Discriminatory Practices by a Municipality

NEW CITY – Rockland County Legislator Ilan Schoenberger has proposed a county policy to withhold county taxpayers’ money (sales tax and mortgage tax) to any Rockland town or village that has been declared by a federal court determination to have engaged in discrimination toward anyone based on race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity or any other protected civil right, until such time the federal court, the Department of Justice or the U.S. Attorney’s office finds the town or village no longer engages in discrimination.

“Rockland residents are proud of our vast diversity,” said Legislator Schoenberger, “Our racial, religious and ethnic diversities are mutually respected, enjoyed and celebrated. We can not allow the civil rights or first amendment rights of people to be unfairly ignored by local government and we can not allow taxpayer money to be used to further discriminatory actions on the part of a town or village government.”

“Discriminatory actions such as those that result in biased planning and zoning practices are unlawful,” stated Schoenberger, “and the cost of legal defense for intolerable actions of this nature must not be through the expenditure of county, town or village taxpayers’ money.”

Schoenberger has also sponsored two other related resolutions – the first to request the State and Federal governments to pass a law to withhold State and Federal money from any town or village that has been judicially declared to be a discriminatory town or village, and the second to request the NYS Attorney General to investigate and prosecute any elected official, past or present, in any New York municipality that has been judicially declared to have acted in a discriminatory manner. This resolution also includes a request for the State Comptroller to investigate to determine if municipal funds were used to promote the discrimination.

Schoenberger’s proposals will be referred to an upcoming meeting of the Legislature’s Multi Services Committee. All committee meetings are open to the public and are held in the Allison-Parris Building, 11 New Hempstead Rd., New City, NY.

Real-Life Roadway Obstacles and Distractions Teach Life-Saving Lessons to Rockland Teen Drivers

THIELLS – Car crashes are the number one killer of American teens, with nearly 5,000 teens killed and 300,000 injured annually — with more teen crashes increasing from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

Fourteen teens die every day across the country in crashes, and the primary cause (77%) of those fatal accidents is driver error.

To help save teen lives, Allstate Insurance Company — with the cooperation of North Rockland High School — recently brought a distracted driving course to the school, for local teens to navigate. North Rockland teens drove through the obstacle course, focusing on the road while trying to avoid cones, as they learned firsthand the dangers of driving distracted.

This Allstate distracted driver training course helps to educate teens about the dangers of distracted driving practices, such as texting and talking on the phone while driving.

Rockland asks U.S. Supreme Court to give county a chance to fight FAA airspace redesign

NEW CITY – County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef says Rockland County attorneys have filed a brief in U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., to petition the court to overturn its decision to dismiss the county’s case against the Federal Aviation Administration’s airspace redesign plan.

Rockland took its fight against the FAA’s New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia Metropolitan Airspace Redesign Project to the highest court in the country this week, arguing that the Court of Appeals incorrectly dismissed the county’s claim that the FAA failed to comply with several laws, including disregarding proper public notice and comment provisions.

“The FAA is a bureaucratic organization that believes it can continue to disregard the voices and the quality of life of Rockland residents, and they are wrong,” Vanderhoef said. “We will fight this case in the top court in the country to make sure our concerns are vetted in court.”

Vanderhoef said the FAA specifically violated its own regulations in failing to seek Rockland’s input on possible noise impacts of the redesign plan in violation of the National Environmental Protection Agency, or NEPA, in “a deliberate attempt to deprive the public of a full understanding of the impact of this redesign plan and to deprive them of their right to have their voices heard.”

The court’s rejection of the case also did not consider critical Clean Air Act stipulations by excusing the FAA from its failure to quantify the impact of increased air emissions from the redesign plan, Vanderhoef said, placing it in potential violation of the Clean Air Act.

Holland & Knight of New York and Washington, D.C., experts in the fields of environmental and aviation law, filed the lawsuit against the FAA on behalf of Rockland County and its petitioners in September 2007. The basis of the suit included the FAA’s use of unreliable methodology to measure potential noise impact, the FAA's failure to adequately address environmental concerns, and possible violations of regulations and the federal Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 in its treatment of alternatives and noise mitigation issues.

The Rockland County Legislature recently approved an additional $15,000 expenditure for outside counsel so that the county could continue to fight against the FAA’s redesign plan in court.

SUFFERN - The New York State Thruway Authority has completed a safety study of the Exit 15 interchange in Suffern, with a series of recommendations being offered as a way to prevent major accidents such as the July 7 incident that killed a truck driver and spilled fuel and garbage into the Ramapo River.

Rockland County Legislator Alden H. Wolfe in July asked the Thruway Authority to assess conditions at Exit 15. A meeting followed, and with additional input from Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence, Hillburn Mayor Bernard Jackson and Suffern Mayor John Keegan, the Thruway Authority agreed to examine the interchange for possible improvements.

The study proposes several safety upgrades at the exit and on the overpass to alert truckers and other motorists to proceed with extreme caution on the curved overpass, which provides interchange access to Route 17 South and I-287 South toward New Jersey. The proposed improvements would:

· Add a recommended 40 MPH speed to existing signage to forewarn motorists of 40 MPH speed limit

· Install LED capable sign on both sides of overpass approach to reinforce 40 MPH speed

· Reduce speed in overpass curve to 35 MPH – Install speed limit signs on both sides of the overpass

· Place a Spill Abatement Container in the vicinity to the Ramapo River to assist the Village of Suffern in addressing any future fuel or toxic spills

“I am very pleased by the Authority’s quick response,” said Wolfe. “And I am gratified to hear that they have taken my concerns to heart and are proposing these additional safety measures. I am hopeful that these improvements will provide better warnings to motorists and enhance safety at this interchange.”

PEARL RIVER - Pace University Law School officials have recognized Orange and Rockland Utilities’ participation in the most recent session of the school’s Land Use Leadership Alliance Training Program.

O&R sponsored one of its Transmission and Substation engineers, John Haggerty of Valley Cottage, to participate in an intensive four-week program that explored suburban land use planning in New York, the major issues developing in that field and a collaborative community decision-making process to provide greater context for those issues.

NYACK - Nyack Hospital and Temple Beth Torah plan to present a free community educational program about breast cancer screening on Monday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. at Temple Beth Torah, 330 North Highland Ave. (Route 9W), Upper Nyack.

The “To screen or not to screen – that is the question” discussion includes a panel of Nyack Hospital physicians including Dr. Patricia Joseph, who was recently featured on NBC’s Nightly News and The Today Show; Hematologist/Oncologist Dr. Anna Komorowski; Breast Imaging Specialist Dr. Shari Siegel-Goldman; and, Radiation Oncologist Dr. Margaret Torrey.

The highly controversial report just released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has unleashed widespread media attention and public concern, especially among younger women. The experts on this panel will discuss these findings and answer questions.

Register online at www.nyackhospital.org for this free event. For further information, contact Nyack Hospital’s Department of Public Affairs at 845.348.2773.

Rockland honors those who give to others

PEARL RIVER—The grand ballroom at the Hilton Pearl
River was at capacity Thursday morning, Nov. 19, as a record 350 people
gathered for a breakfast to celebrate the 10^th Anniversary of
Philanthropy Day in Rockland.

The awards breakfast was presented by the Rockland Development Council (RDC), the nonprofit trade association of fund-raising professionals who work for 65-plus nonprofits in Rockland County.
A dry-eye was hard to find as guest speakers Alison and Jefferson Crowther eloquently spoke from their hearts about their late son Welles, known around the world as “the man in the red bandanna.” A successful bonds trader, Welles, who at the age of 24 used his firefighter training and covered his face with a red bandanna to prevent inhaling smoke and toxins helped many people escape the burning World Trade Center before
its collapse; he lost his life there on Sept. 11.

In his memory the Crowthers established the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust to fund youth programs in Rockland and throughout the region. Alison boasted about how Welles’ young friends from college, Nyack High School, the neighborhood and from various youth sports teams in which Welles played, rallied behind fund-raising and volunteering on behalf of her son for the fund.

Alison Crowther encouraged those in the room to look to youth to help them
with their charitable work and give them the guidance of giving of themselves. She believes they are eager and willing to help. Jefferson Crowther said it helps them immensely with their pain and loss to be able to give to others in the name of Welles.

The Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust Fund is managed under the Rockland Community Foundation, in which Jefferson is a member of the Board of Directors. He says they look for projects that are “under the radar” and focuses on supporting youth
academics, music, arts and sports.
RDC President Jeff Kassover, who is also development director for Jawonio Inc., presided over the 2009 Philanthropy Day Awards. The Outstanding Volunteer Award was presented to Patricia Smith Lefkowitz for her tireless and selfless work for the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation. She was introduced by Amanda Levin, the Foundation’s Senior Development Officer. Lefkowitz contributions date back to the Foundation’s establishment in 1986 and she is credited with helping create the highly successful Spring Ball fund-raiser.

Simona and Jerry Chazen took the stage to receive the Outstanding Philanthropists Award for their many contributions to nonprofit organizations in and outside Rockland, including VCS in which Simona has been involved for more than three decades. VCS Executive Director Deborah Murnion recapped their long list and long time of generous
philanthropic support, and said of the Chazens “They not only give but they ask and inspire others to give. They not only lead, they serve.”
Jerry Chazen commented upon receiving the award that he plans to “die broke.”
Jerry Chazen is one of four founders of Liz Claiborne, and the Chazen Foundation makes significant contributions to the likes of VCS, Rockland Family Shelter, Temple Beth Torah, JCC of Rockland, Jewish Federation of Rockland, Nyack Hospital and the Rockland Community Foundation, in which Simona serves on the Board and is one of the original founders.
Active International Senior VP Joe Allen accepted the Outstanding Corporate Leadership Award on behalf of his Pearl River headquartered company. Dorothy Filoramo, vice president for Advancement for Dominican College, spoke about Active’s many philanthropic contributions in the county and presented Joe with the award. He told the crowd that while Active International does not do its commerce in Rockland many of its
employees live in the community and they like to support causes that are of interest to them. Charitable giving is a part of its business philosophy through its “Active Cares” program, which Allen heads and it supports numerous nonprofits, including Good Samaritan Hospital, People to People, United Way of Rockland County, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, March of Dimes, Camp Venture, Jawonio and Helen Hayes Hospital, to name a few.

Planning federation hosts ‘green design’ and energy issues program

POMONA – The Rockland Municipal Planning Federation will sponsor an educational session on Monday, Nov. 30, on Green Design and Energy Issues.

The program is set for 7 to 10 p.m. in the Ellipse Room at the Rockland Community College Technology Center Building, 145 College Road, Ramapo.

The program is geared toward municipal planning and zoning board members, elected officials, building inspectors, planners, engineers, attorneys involved in land use law, environmental advocates and other interested stakeholders.

The program will provide information and ideas about incorporating green design principles and technologies in new commercial and residential development.

The program is free and open to the public; registration is requested. The program also provides continuing education credits for planning and zoning board members to help them meet state training hour requirements.

Event sponsors include the Rockland Municipal Planning Federation, the Hudson Valley Regional Council, the Rockland Business Association and the Environmental Finance Center.

The Rockland Municipal Planning Federation is comprised of town and village board, planning board and zoning board members, plus members of the Rockland County Planning Board and the Rockland County Department of Planning. The staff, attorneys, consultants and building inspectors for the boards and land use professionals such as planners, surveyors, architects, and engineers are also members. Any individual interested in the purposes of the federation may become an associate member.

To register, please call Arlene Miller at 845-364-3448, or send an e-mail to millera@co.rockland.ny.us.

New bus center open at Palisades Center

WEST NYACK - A joint project between Rockland County and Palisades Center has created a new county bus center at the mall, located near the southeast entrance facing Route 59 by the Macy’s first floor entrance.

The bus center, serving from 1,500 to 2,00 bus riders daily, features a lighted passenger waiting area with three bus shelters, passenger benches, and specially-designed bus pullover and passenger boarding areas. The center is accessible via a newly constructed sidewalk to and from the mall entrance, eliminating the need to walk across the roadway through the parking lot.

Weatherproof display cases at the center contain schedule posters listing the departure times and destinations of the bus routes that serve the Palisades Center.

Eight bus routes serve the Palisades Center mall, including the Transport of Rockland (TOR) #59, #91, #92 and #97, the TAPPAN ZEExpress (TZx), the Clarkstown Mini Trans Routes A & D, and the Rockland Coaches (Red & Tan Lines) #20. All of these routes l began using the new Bus Center on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Buses no longer serve the mall’s old bus stop location - near Bed, Bath and Beyond. Bus schedules did not change, and there was no change to bus service to the Commuter Parking Lot at Palisades Center - across from the Home Depot.

The county contributed the bus shelters and other equipment for the bus center along with the shelter installation using Federal Transit Administration (80%), NYS Department of Transportation (10%) and other transportation dollars allocated to Rockland County (10%). The county’s contribution toward the project was approximately $20,000. No county tax funds were used to pay for the project.

Pyramid Companies, owner of the Palisades Center, coordinated and performed the engineering and construction work for the roadway and sidewalk modifications that were needed for the project. The sidewalk and bus pull off area transition together to provide an uninterrupted smooth surface between the parking lot, the bus waiting area and the mall’s entrance, ensuring easier access for people with disabilities. The cost for the Mall’s portion of the project was approximately $80,000.

“Rockland County’s TOR and TZx buses bring hundreds of shoppers and employees to Palisades Center every day,” said County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. “The County is pleased to have played a role in meeting the needs of our riders at this very popular location, and we thank the Palisades Center for helping us establish this important facility.”

“Palisades Center is one of the top ten destination malls in the country which serves thousands of customers daily,” said Rich LeMond, General Manager for the Center. “We are pleased to have partnered with the county to provide a new bus shelter for our mall patrons and employees prior to the holidays of which, all signs signal to be a busy shopping season.”

“The Clarkstown Mini Trans bus service provides more than 40 trips a day to the Palisades Center,” said Supervisor Alexander J. Gromack. “The town is pleased that Clarkstown residents and bus riders from all areas now have improved and safer access to the Mall.”

Palisades Center is a transfer point for TOR #59, #91, #92 and #97, connecting from all five towns in Rockland County. TAPPAN ZEExpress buses connect with Westchester County’s BeeLine buses and Metro-North trains at the White Plains TransCenter and at Tarrytown Station. The Clarkstown Mini Trans Routes A and D provide local service within the Town of Clarkstown, and Coach USA’s Rockland Coaches (Red & Tan Lines) #20 travels to Manhattan via Bergen County, N.J.

For information on these bus schedules and for all other transit inquiries, call the Rockland Transit Information Center at 845-364-3333, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Visit online at www.rocklandgov.com and click on the bus.

SPARKILL - As part of a series of events marking National Hospice Month, United Hospice of Rockland recognized approximately 175 local veterans for their bravery, service and sacrifice by hosting a breakfast at Rockland Country Club in Sparkill.

Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef, State Sen. Thomas Morahan, County Clerk Paul Piperato and Director of Veteran Services Jerry Donnellan helped in the effort to show veterans appreciation for their service.

Tess McCormack Raso, UHR Board chair who is also a veteran – a Korean War WAF - related a story about her late husband at the breakfast. She said Gil McCormack had survived a harrowing battle and came away with a flag held by another teenager, a Japanese youth. However, she only learned of this experience when her husband was receiving hospice care and secrets were no longer relevant.
Other veterans shared memories of how military service influenced their lives. To further honor the veterans, each received a pin from a UHR staff member or volunteer.
Piano music was performed by Cynthia Burgos and sing-a-long was led by Tom Goldrick. The free event was open to all veterans. The breakfast was sponsored by Hellman Memorial Chapels, Michael J. Higgins Funeral Services and Wanamaker-Carlough Funeral Home.
“We felt a need to express our appreciation to those who have served our country,” said Amy Stern, United Hospice executive director. “We at UHR believe that honoring our nation’s veterans must include supporting them throughout their lives and especially so at the end of their lives. Many veterans are not aware that we offer assistance with end-of-live issues and that their insurance pays for hospice services."
Miriam Hoffman, UHR Community Liaison, said, “We annually recognize Rockland's veterans for their service and their sacrifices. Hospices all over the country have had the privilege of working with veterans at the end of their lives and in the process, have learned from them how their service to our country has shaped their lives. In other words, ‘everyone has a story.’ At UHR we feel that we are in a unique position to express our heartfelt appreciation for their bravery and sacrifice and to assist them in coming to terms with their extraordinary life experiences. Those veterans who have responded to our invitation are most appreciative of being recognized and seem genuinely touched by our attention to them.”
United Hospice of Rockland (UHR), founded in 1988, serves as a resource for palliative care, bereavement support, and information about end of life issues.

WEST NYACK – As Clarkstown puts the finishing touches on its revitalization project in Valley Cottage and has begun its New City downtown project, town officials are looking ahead to a revitalization effort in West Nyack.

A workshop session of the West Nyack Revitalization Committee set up by the town is set for Monday, Nov. 16, at the West Nyack Fire House, 42 Strawtown Road, at 7 p.m., when town residents can provide their input on the future of West Nyack.

Clarkstown Supervisor Alexander Gromack said the workshop will give the public a chance to see drawings and discuss ideas about the West Nyack Vision Plan. Like other hamlets in Clarkstown, West Nyack is expected to undergo significant streetscape improvements for the core hamlet area. Over the last 18 months, the town has worked with Behan Planning Associates, a land use community planning firm, and an Advisory Committee, consisting of West Nyack residents and town officials, to create a Vision Plan for West Nyack.

Residents were also invited to participate in these hamlet planning initiatives through a public workshop held last June.

For more information on the West Nyack plans, call Gromack’s office at 845-639-2050 or send an email to michael@westnyackvision.com with any questions. Also, check out www.westnyackvision.com for more information.

New York — The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 9,176 New Yorkers who are due to receive a combined $14.5 million in the form of refund checks that were returned to the IRS by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.

“We want New Yorkers to get this money as soon as possible. If you think you are missing a tax refund, take a few minutes to go on IRS.gov or call the toll free IRS refund Hotline,” said Dianne Besunder, IRS spokeswoman for New York. The web site is open 24/7 to help you get your check.

All a taxpayer has to do is update his or her address once. The IRS will then send out all checks due. Undeliverable refund checks for New York taxpayers average $1,581 this year, compared to $1,061 last year. Some taxpayers are due more than one check.

Several changes in tax law likely played a role in boosting refunds, including the First-Time Homebuyer’s Credit and the Recovery Rebate Credit, among others.

The vast majority of checks mailed out by the IRS each year reach their rightful owner. Only a very small percent are returned by the U.S. Postal Service as undeliverable.

Taxpayers can update their addresses with the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov. The tool enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds. A taxpayer must submit his or her social security number, filing status and amount of refund shown on their 2008 return. The tool will provide the status of their refund and in some cases provide instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.

Taxpayers checking on a refund over the phone will be given instructions on how to update their addresses. Taxpayers can access a telephone version of “Where’s My Refund?” by calling 1-800-829-1954.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to choose direct deposit when they file their returns because it puts an end to lost, stolen or undeliverable checks. Taxpayers can receive refunds directly into personal checking or savings accounts. Direct deposit is available for filers of both paper and electronic returns.

The IRS also encourages taxpayers to file their tax returns electronically because e-file eliminates the risk of lost paper returns. E-file also reduces errors on tax returns and speeds up refunds.

E-file coupled with direct deposit is your best option; it’s easy, fast and secure.

Vanderhoef seeks answers on Indian Point steam release

Asks why counties weren’t notified until nearly 24 hours after event

Nyack resident receives 2010 Buffalo Soldier Award

NEW CITY – Korean War veteran John P. Vasser of Nyack is the winner of the 2010 Buffalo Soldier Award, according to County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

“We are proud to honor John Vasser for his brave service to our country and his dedication to the Rockland community,” said Vanderhoef. “We thank him for his selfless acts and willingness to help his fellow soldiers returning from service.”

Graduates By Dept

H1N1 Flu Vaccine

State comptroller critical of methods used to finance new Nyack fire station

Fire commissioners defend project, efforts to save taxpayers money

4 NEW MEMBERS TO INDUCTED INTO CIVIL, HUMAN RIGHTS HALL OF FAME

Rockland honors those who give to others

Planning federation hosts ‘green design’ and energy issues program

New bus center open at Palisades Center