Early voting is underway in Rockland County. Though Election Day isn’t until November 2nd, all Rocklanders can vote at any town hall, with the exception of Stony Point. Hours are from 9 to 5 today, Wednesday and Friday, noon to 8pm Tuesday and Thursday, and 9 to 2 Saturday and Sunday. Rocklanders will be casting ballots in several local races, including County Executive, the 9th judicial district, and supervisors and town councils in all five towns, though supervisors in Ramapo, Orangetown and Haverstraw are running unopposed. Some towns are also electing town clerks, highway superintendents, and receivers of taxes and other positions. In Suffern, Republican Mayor Edward Markunas faces a challenge from Democratic candidate Michael Curley. Nyack mayor Don Hammond is running unopposed, as are the mayors of Spring Valley, Piermont and South Nyack, though that village will be folding into Orangetown this spring, and in West Haverstraw two trustees are running unopposed. In Stony Point, residents will vote on the pending sale of the Patriot Hills golf course and Letchworth Village property. For a complete list of candidates and other election information, visit rocklandgov.com for a PDF of the candidates.
Rockland Marks Brinks’ Heists’s 40th Anniversary
40 years ago last week, two Nyack police officers and a Brinks guard were gunned down by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground, who jumped from the back of a truck and ambushed them following a robbery at the former Nanuet Mall. Rockland officials and law enforcement personnel were among the hundreds who came out to honor Sergeant Edward O’Grady, Officer Waverly Brown and guard Peter Paige by the stone memorial and plaque in Nyack off Route 59 near Mountainview Avenue. Paige’s son, Michael, spoke at the ceremony…
And that was Sergeant O’Grady’s widow, Diane, who also spoke at Wednesday’s service. 76 year-old David Gilbert, one of the getaway drivers, just over half-way through his 75-years-to-life prison sentence, was expected to go before the state parole board this month after getting clemency from former governor Andrew Cuomo in August. The New York State Department of Corrections website has Gilbert listed as “in custody.”
Dominican College in Orangeburg Secures Millions in Federal Grants
Dominican College in Orangeburg recently got millions in federal grants to help set up educational programs for Hispanic students at the college. Dominican spokesperson Susan Cerra says the $6 million will help establish STEM opportunities for their “Hispanic and Low-Income Students” project and a “Public Health Informatics and Technology Workforce Development” program, designed to increase the diversity of students entering these fields…
Dominican College President Sister Mary Eileen O’Brien says $4.5 million will go to the Hispanic and Low-Income Project…
Dominican Professor Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky is the Director of the Business Administration Division, and says $1.9 million will help fund the Public Health Workforce Program…
The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Ceremony Honors Former County Clerk with Naming of County Park
A North Rockland Park has been renamed for Rockland’s former long-time County Clerk who passed away last year. Haverstraw Bay Park was officially renamed “Paul Piperato Haverstraw Bay Park” at a presentation earlier this month. He and Rockland sheriff Lou Falco were childhood friends…
Rockland County Legislator Michael Grant said while a new sign at the park entrance may bear his name, it doesn’t tell the whole Paul Piperato story…
Paul’s niece, Alexa, said all the kind words that have been spoken about him have meant a great deal to his family…
Piperato died unexpectedly on May 6th last year. He spent 15 years as County Clerk, and 30 years in county government. Haverstraw Bay Park is located at 21 Gagan Road in West Haverstraw.
Clarkstown’s Solar Field to be Featured on National TV show
The town of Clarkstown will be featured this week on a special national TV program that spotlights unique green projects around the country. Supervisor George Hoehmann says the town’s solar field at the landfill in West Nyack, which has been in operation since 2015, will be featured in the program. Hoehmann says the town has saved a great deal of money with the solar field, so they’re looking to expand it elsewhere around town…
The program, “The Power Of Solar & Wind – The Road To Carbon Neutrality,” premieres on the Discovery Channel at 6AM tomorrow.