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Repair Café Comes to Pearl River Saturday

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If you have some items at home that need fixing you might want to check out the free and very popular Repair Café coming to Pearl River this Saturday. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says it’s been a very successful program…

Things like lawn mowers, chainsaws, and other gas-powered landscaping equipment are not eligible for repair at this event, neither are computers or other digital devices, but Howard Phillips heads up Rockland Green, says they pretty much can fix everything else…

The Repair Café is tomorrow (Saturday) from 11:30AM to 2:30PM at the Pearl River United Methodist Church on Franklin Avenue. For more information call Kathy Galione, the Repair Café Volunteer Coordinator, at 845-364-2932. While you’re in Pearl River you can check out the year’s final Central Avenue Farmer’s Market.

Deadline Approaching for Artists to Enter 2025 Rockland Arts Festival

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If you’re an artist and would like to participate in the 2025 Rockland Arts Festival, the deadline to apply is rapidly approaching. Lisa D’amico is with the Festival and she says 128 artists will be accepted into the online festival and 50 will get to partake in the in-person festival… 

The festival gets underway January 31st and runs through February 9th next year. For more information visit RocklandArtsFestival.org. Click here for the entry form. The deadline to apply is December 1st.

Rain Helps End Orange County Brush Fires, Rockland Upgrade to Drought Warning

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With the Orange County fires more than 90 percent contained and rain here and more on the way, officials are breathing a little easier now. In an update yesterday afternoon, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said more than 400 fire departments statewide with over 1,300 personnel have fought the fires across the state, including National Guard Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters that conducted more than 550 water drops with 500,000 gallons of water just for the Jennings Creek wildfire in Sterling Forest. Clarkstown supervisor George Hoehmann says after a few smaller fires in his town, the rain that’s here is a welcome sight for the Lake Deforest reservoir, which is hurting…

Today’s rain is helping to put the remaining fires out, but it’s not likely to make much of a dent in the drought situation. The State of New York has upgraded the Hudson Valley from a Drought “Watch” to a Drought “Warning.” That means while there are no water usage restrictions in place, residents are asked to voluntarily conserve water. A Drought “Warning” is the second of four levels in the state’s drought advisories. Third level is “Emergency,” and fourth would be “Disaster.”

O&R Cuts Ribbon at New Power Plant in Tomkins Cove

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North Rockland and O&R officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Lovett substation in Tomkins Cove yesterday. At the event, Stony Point supervisor Jim Monaghan said the electric transmission system will provide more reliable service to the area…

O&R President and CEO Michele O’Connell said the new more climate-friendly substation will service around 50,000 Rockland customers…

The new plant is located on Elm Avenue.

GOP Congressional Reps Slam Congestion Pricing, Threaten to Withhold Federal Funds

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Rockland’s Congressman was joined by other fellow GOP Representatives in Washington yesterday to denounce the re-launched congestion pricing plan set to launch in January. In a press conference held on the Capitol steps, Mike Lawler of the Hudson Valley’s 17th District called Governor Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing scheme a “cash grab” and a “scam on working families struggling to make ends meet.” The new plan is expected to charge most drivers $9 to enter Manhattan and go below 60th Street. In 2028 it’ll go up to $12 and then $15 in 2031. State law requires that congestion pricing raise money for the MTA and decrease traffic and pollution. There are still several lawsuits against it pending in court. There are carve-outs for emergency vehicles, buses and transportation for the elderly, the disabled, and for those with health conditions who can’t use mass transit. The plan still needs federal approval.