News

Sloatsburg’s long-time former mayor, Samuel Abate, died Sunday in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Abate helped to get rid of the county’s Board of Supervisors and replace that with a 21-member Legislature. He also supported establishing a county executive form of government in the mid-1980s. Rockland GOP Chairman Lawrence Garvey holds the position once held by Abate…

Abate won election to the Sloatsburg Board of Trustees in 1962, then served as mayor from 1963 to 1967. He served again from 1981 to 1985, and then again from 1989 to 2000. In between he also helped run the family flower shop in the village. He is survived by his wife Louise, three children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in South Carolina tomorrow. Memorial donations can be made in his name to Roper Hospice Cottage in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. He was 88 years old.

Two local communities are looking at ways to improve housing and retail in their train station areas, but a local business leader thinks Rockland is already at a disadvantage. Both Nanuet and Pearl River have released plans recently for potential improvements to their downtown areas along the train stations that serve them, generally targeting millennials. The head of the Rockland Business Association, Al Samuels, says most transit-oriented development projects focus on areas with dual tracks and one-seat rides to the city…

Trains into the city from Pearl River, Nanuet and Spring Valley on the Pascack Valley line are on a single track with fewer routes and don’t go directly into the city.

A new moms circle support group series began this weekend at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Patti Guzman is a board-certified lactation consultant with Nyack Hospital, and says healthy moms, babies and families are the focus of the new group, and they’ll be meeting once a month through January…

The monthly meetings are held at The Prenatal Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital and they run from 11 am to 1 pm. They’re designed for new moms with infants and toddlers up to 24 months. The meetings are free and walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registration is appreciated. Call 845-348-7505 or send an email to ThePrenatalCenter@Montefiorenyack.org.

Here’s a list of future meetings and their topics:

· Oct 19 – “Talk, Sing & Point” led by Nichole Lande, “Wee Can Sign,” founder and ASL educator

· Nov 16 – “Count, Group and Compare” led by Lynnette Marshall, Nyack Schools Basics Coordinator and early childhood educator

· Dec 7 – “Explore Through Movement & Play” led by Jeffrey Friedberg MT-BC, LCAT, lead musician and music therapist

· Jan 11 – “Read & Discuss Stories” led by Melinda Watkins, Children’s Librarian at Valley Cottage Library

Rockland’s county executive will soon have a “comprehensive response” to the “Rockland’s Future” summit passed along party lines last week by the legislature, with Democrats voting for it. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says the summit is likely the product of election year politics…

The summit would include meetings that bring community leaders and residents together to focus on controversial issues, such as over-development, anti-Semitism and other expressions of hate, poverty, and cultural diversity. The bill’s sponsor, Orangetown legislator Nancy Low-Hogan, could not be reached for comment.

Ramapo Police say Route 59 in Suffern, also known as Orange Avenue, was closed for about two hours yesterday as police and the Suffern Volunteer Fire Department handled a brush fire. There were no reports of injuries.