News

Around 2,000 backpacks full of school supplies have been distributed to needy students for this school year thanks to People to People’s “Back to School with Dignity” program. People to People’s Executive Director Diane Serratore says the program was greatly boosted by a $15,000 donation from Orange and Rockland Utilities and other generous Rockland companies and groups…

People to People has been running this program for 25 years.

That was former area state senator Bill Larkin, who died Saturday. Larkin was a World War II and Korean War veteran, became supervisor of the Town of New Windsor in Orange County, an assemblyman, and then was elected in 1990 to the state Senate covering portions of Orange, Ulster and Rockland counties. He retired last year. Senator James Skoufis, who replaced Larkin in the Senate, called his “unwavering dedication” an “inspiration.” Assemblyman Colin Schmitt said his “legacy of selfless service set the standard for others to follow.” Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center in the William and Pat Larkin Education Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday morning at 11 at St. Thomas of Canterbury in Cornwall-On-Hudson. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations can be made to Newburgh Armory Unity Center, Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties and Nora Cronin Presentation Academy. He was 91 years old.

The Suffern-born, Emmy-winning actress Valerie Harper, best known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the ’70s hit sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and her own spinoff, “Rhoda,” died on Friday. Six years ago Harper was diagnosed with a rare condition that occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain. She was 80 years old.

Less than 24 hours after it was posted, the Rockland County Republican party pulled what was panned by many as an offensive and anti-Semitic video off its Facebook page. The video suggested Ramapo Legislator Aron Wieder and the Hasidic and Orthodox community of Ramapo were planning to take over the county. The video was criticized by the state Attorney General and area political leaders from both sides of the aisle. Rabbi Justin Schwartz is the chairman of the Rockland County Illegal Housing Task Force, and said the video was “deeply disturbing” and called for the head of the Rockland Republican Party and those responsible for it to step down…

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said the video “set a troubling tone for a necessary conversation about over-development” and added “the content of the video is factual.” The video prompted Day to cancel a press conference he was going to have with other area political and community leaders about code enforcement. Rockland State Senator David Carlucci said the video attempted to create fear and division without solutions. Even the governor weighed in, calling the video disgusting and adding, “There is no excuse for anti-Semitism masquerading as concerns over zoning.” After viewing the video, callers to “The Morning Show” yesterday had differing opinions…

In a statement to WRCR yesterday, Rockland GOP Chairman Lawrence Garvey said it is not a religious issue, but rather about “the greed of a handful of elected officials.” On Twitter, Wieder called the video “shameful.”

The village of Nyack is looking to build a foot-bridge across the inlet near Memorial Park. A request for proposals has been posted on the village’s website, the deadline is September 27th. Nyack mayor Don Hammond says it’ll be an ADA-compliant bridge that is part of the Memorial Park master plan…

Hammond says the village got grants for some of the nearly $400,000 project and work should begin in the fall. For more information visit Nyack’s website, Nyack-NY.gov.