News

Unofficial results in Tuesday’s election in Airmont have challenger Nathan Bubel winning the mayor’s spot with his two running mates taking trustee seats over write-in candidates, incumbent mayor Phillip Gigante and his two trustees losing by a close margin. Former mayor Ralph Bracco and his two running mates finished a distant third. During the campaign, mayor Gigante and his running mates had taken themselves off the ballot after Bubel challenged their candidacy petition in court.

UNOFFICIAL

AIRMONT MAYOR
(W) Nathan Bubel 1,449
Philip Gigante 1,293
Ralph Bracco 152
AIRMONT TRUSTEE
(W) Brian Downey 1,453
(W) Migdalia Pesante 1,455
Paul Marchesani 1,289
Anthony Valvo 1,285
Ronald Roberti 148
Angela Thompson 146

The Rockland County Human Rights Commission held its second annual Interfaith Symposium at RCC yesterday. Reverend Owen Thompson of Grace Episcopal Church in Nyack led a multi-cultural panel that discussed how we all might have different beliefs about god, and how some forces might try to tear us apart. Father Thompson quoted Nobel Peace Prize winner, Bishop Desmond Tutu…

The event comes in the wake of the terror attack in New Zealand in which a gunman killed 50 people at two mosques last Friday.

The Clarkstown Police Department is asking area retailers to help them try and curb scams involving gift cards. Clarkstown Police Detective Peter Walker says the Community Policing Unit has been going around to local CVS, Walgreens, 7-Eleven and other stores to educate customers about the scams, and encourage store employees to watch for red flags, such as when someone tries to buy lots of gift cards…

Detective Walker says if you get scam calls like that you should hang up and call 911.

A free two-hour training session is being held tonight in Middletown, New York, that can help you prepare for natural or man-made disasters. “Access-Supports for Living,” a not-for-profit agency that helps those with disabilities and mental illness, is hosting the event, and CEO Ron Colavito says the session is led by the New York National Guard, with experts from Homeland Security, the Office of Emergency Management and the office of Fire Prevention and Control…

Participants will learn how to develop a family emergency plan and stock up on emergency supplies. They’ll also get a free New York State Disaster Preparedness Kit. For more information or to register, click here or email Heidi Johnson at hjohnson@asfl.org.

The Rockland County legislature is taking steps to put a ban on plastic bags in the county’s supermarkets. Minority Leader Lon Hofstein says the bags are bad for the environment, but they aren’t the only culprits…

The state Senate and the governor are also looking to ban plastic bags. The Senate also is looking to add a fee for paper carryout bags. A Senate resolution wants to make sure reusable bags are distributed to those who can’t afford them.