News

You might see a really, big potato at RCC tomorrow but it’s not there only to sell French fries and other potato-based fare. It’s a marketing gimmick cooked up by the folks at the Idaho Potato Commission to help spread the word about – you guessed it – organ donation! Heart transplant recipient Roxanne Watson of Nanuet is with the Rockland Organ Donation Alliance, and says they’re helping draw attention to April as Organ Donation Awareness month…

The Big Idaho Potato Truck and Volunteer Fair rolls into RCC’s Academic Quad tomorrow from 10 am – 4 pm. It is free and open to the public. There will be music, games and prizes, food and, of course, Roxanne at her Donate Life sign-up table. She expects to sign up her 11,000th organ donor, so don’t be just a spec-tater – head down and sign up!

A judge is expected to rule today whether the county had the authority to declare a state of emergency over the measles outbreak. Judge Rolf Thorsen heard arguments yesterday. The county has defended the action, claiming the public’s health was at risk. Un-vaccinated children under the age 18 were barred from schools and public places on March 26th. In other measles news, Rockland State Senator David Carlucci is among a handful of lawmakers looking to end religious exemptions for vaccinations. The number of measles cases in Rockland County is now up to 166. When cases in Brooklyn and Queens are added in, it’s over 420.

Two Thruway overpasses in Ramapo are going to be replaced sometime next year. Supervisor Michael Specht says the New York State Thruway Authority approached the town with their plans for College Road and Scotland Hill Road, but they made some changes to lessen the impact on the community…

While the work is being done there will be temporary footbridges so people can still walk across. An upcoming informational event, which has yet to be scheduled, will detail the projects. Neither overpass has been replaced in around 60 years.

New York is number one – in losing people to other states, that is. The U.S. Census Bureau says that between July 2017 and July 2018, New York’s population declined by more than 48,000. Whether it’s high taxes or the weather, Assemblyman Colin Schmitt of Stony Point and Orange County says the state still has a lot to offer, but it seems more people want to visit rather than live here…

Schmitt says the state needs to make it easier for small businesses to start and thrive, which could assist residents in remaining in New York.

The Hudson Valley Humane Society of Pomona and Rockland’s Center for Safety & Change in New City have partnered on a new program they hope will encourage victims of domestic violence who also have pets. The “PAWS for Safety” program lets victims and their pets confidentially take refuge in safe housing to escape abuse. Nancy Donoghue is the Center’s Pet Safety Coordinator and says fear for a pet’s safety often keeps victims from leaving their abusers…

Donoghue says having the Humane Society available 24/7 to help the Center with victims’ pets can be critical to saving everyone in an abusive situation. AnnMarie Guadio is the president of the Hudson Valley Humane Society, and says sometimes an animal can show signs of abuse that lead neighbors or family members to suspect situations that humans are sometimes reluctant to admit…

The Center’s 24-hour hotline is 845-634-3344. You can also confidentially report animal abuse to the Humane Society by calling 845-354-3124 or send an email to: “reportcruelty@hvhumane.org.”