Nice new wood chip piles that steamed in the morning chill and troublesome tress cut along property lines — these are just a few of the benefits some local residents have received from recent Orange and Rockland storm hardening work.

It’s hard to keep track of which O&R project is what, as the company’s in the second year of a $143 million capital improvement program that includes distribution line upgrades, new power poles, upgraded wire, and storm hardening. Continue Reading

This weekend marks the official change of season. So, that means the holidays in all their many manifestations are close upon us.

One corner shop in Tuxedo is celebrating its one-year anniversary and wants to spread the good cheer. Whether you’re heading out to the Rennaissance Faire up in Sterling Forest or wandering down the booths of the Tuxedo Farmers’ Market this Saturday, visit BackHome Antiques. The store with the red door looks small from the outside but once inside, the store sprawls with two stories of antique, collectibles and interested items. Continue Reading

It’s simple — all you have to do is eat at Characters after 5 p.m. Tuesday to help take a bite out of hunger.

Characters Restaurant & Bar has joined with the Sloatsburg UMC Food Pantry for a fundraiser to support Rockland Hunger Awareness Month, which was recently proclaimed by County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. The effort is part of an initiative by members of the Rockland Community Against Hunger (RCAH) to highlight the silent issue of hunger and food insecurity throughout the county. Continue Reading

It’s a good late summer day to take a walk down Lafayette Aveneue, the Village of Suffern’s main street. This afternoon you’ll be able to stroll and loiter and look all day, walking right down the middle of the road, visiting shops while you people watch during the Suffern Greater Chamber of Commerce Street Fair, the last of the season. Continue Reading

In all the muss and mess of Thursday’s storm blow, that at one point left knocked power out to some 14,000 Orange & Rockland customers, the Town of Ramapo Police Department reported that an Orange & Rockland utility truck clipped a female Suffern High School cross-country runner out practicing with the team.

The accident took place along Grandview Avenue at Rt 306 in Suffern where a group of runners were on a practice run. The 15-year student suffered a lower leg fracture. The incident was first reported by Ryan Buncher of the Pearl River Patch. Buncher reported that the O&R truck was heading south on Route 306 and the accident took place at the intersection of Grandview and 306. The student was treated by the Spring Hill Ambulance and Rockland Paramedics and taken to Westchester Medical Center for evaluation.

Ramapo Police are currently investigating the incident and at this time have not issued a traffic summons related to the accident.

Thursday’s storm featured on and off buckets of rain, with rumbling thunder and lightening that downed trees and power lines across the county. Of the 14,000 O&R customers who lost power, 10,000 are back online.

Yes, that sudden power surge some felt when the thunder rumbled through Thursday afternoon knocked out power in many places across Rockland. Orange & Rockland is reporting that nearly 9000 people experiences some kind of power outage, with Spring Valley and Monsey being the hardest hit areas. In Spring Valley alone. O&T reported lights for some 3,100 people. Nearly a 1000 people in Viola lost power.

The storm rolled through at 1 p.m. and some area experienced sheets of rain while other areas only witnessed a bruised sky and winds.

O&R estimates that most power should be restored by 5 p.m. But where tree work is necessary, power may not be restored until midnight.

O&R spokesman Michael Donovan said the outages were in large blocks with concentrations in Spring Valley, New City and Suffern.

Sloatsburg power was not disrupted though St. Mary’s Villa may be out. And there was a larger power outage by the Tuxedo Club — which involves wires and should be taken care of soon. St. Mary’s is under investigation as is a small power outage in Hillburn.

Most of the outages were caused by trees and downed wires and took place on the other side of the mountain, beginning in Suffern and spreading east as far as Nyack.

The Lafayette Theater in Suffern invites all US military members to take in a movie Thursday evening, for free.

On September 12, 2013, the snazzy Lafayette Theater will join businesses across the country and participate in Freedom Day USA, a national event designed to thank members of the military, veterans and their immediate families for their service. Participating businesses provide a thank you by offering gifts and goods throughout the day.

The Lafayette will show its appreciation to the expansive military family by giving free admission to the Thursday, September 12 showing of the “The Butler,” the biopic about Cecil Gaines, an African-American pastry chef who worked in the White House for some 30 years. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Before the show, get on over to B-Balls Meatballs on Praire Avenue in Suffern. Home of the busted ball sandwich, B-Balls is also participating in Freedom Day by offering a free Italian Ice to all military members.

“The Town of Ramapo joins the Benmosche Family in giving the members of the Military, past and present, a small token of appreciation for their dedication and sacrifice,” said Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence.

There will be various deals all across Rockland County. In New City, Dr. Ralph Berk and his team at Rockland Pediatric Dental will be offering free cleanings, x-rays, fillings, and other services. Dr. Berk is a Freedom Day National Committee Member and as well as a NY state director. Quality Care Dental will also be offering some free dental services and Eye Adventure is throwing in for free military member eye exams.

The Historic Lafayette Theater is located at 97 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, New York.

The new school school year is here for Ramapo Central students and just in time as mornings have been chilled by fall weather — perfect back to school weather.

Sloatsburg capped the summer season Sunday with a nice turnout for the Highlands Bluegrass Festival. The Harmony Hall Great Lawn was dotted with blankets and chairs and people from all over Rockland and the Hudson Valley. Vendors stationed colorful craft booths along the walkway and many Sloatsburgers showed for a sunny afternoon of music. Continue Reading

The Great Lawn at Harmony Hall was mowed and groomed Friday afternoon as last minute preparations were being made for Sunday’s Highlands Bluegrass Festival, featuring the Rowan Cunningham Band.

With the Jacob Sloat house closed for on-going renovations, the festival will take place on the grounds of the historic Jacob Sloat house, where the Town of Ramapo’s mobile stage will be the center of Sunday’s attention. Vendors in colorful booths will line Harmony Hall’s walkways, selling crafts and other goods.

A community-oriented event, the Highlands Bluegrass Festival is sponsored by the Town of Ramapo and Friends of Harmony Hall, the Jacob Sloat house support group that helps manage the house and raises funds for the continuing renovation and restoration projects.

Sunday’s weather is expected to be more of the same — sunny with temperatures in the seventies. So, grab a friend and a blanket and follow the rooster down to Harmony Hall for an afternoon of sun, music and seeing the sights.

The Highlands Bluegrass Festival takes place Sunday, September 8, from 1 – 6 p.m. Additionally, the Sloatsburg Public Library will feature a display of Highlands-themed nature photographs by Harmony Hall Curator Geoff Welch.

The Highlands Bluegrass Festival is free and takes place at Harmony Hall in Sloatsburg, NY, Sunday, September 8, from 1 – 6 p.m.

Photo of the Highlands Bluegrass Festival rooster enjoying a live stage jam session courtesy of Geoff Welch.

Ever so slowly the men and women who make up the Sloatsburg Volunteer Community Ambulance Corp are building a first rate emergency first responder outfit that can answer most any emergency.

Last year Thomas Lorenz III earned his Eagle Scout wings with a project at the SVAC that involved a complete renovation of the entire upstairs. Suddenly, the SVAC had a second-story meeting room that now hosts local scout meetings and other events.

Now the Sloatsburg Ambulance Corp is a finalist to win a coveted grand prize AmbuBus® conversion kit from First Line Technology, which develops, manufactures and supplies materials and equipment to first responders. One of 25 finalist currently competing in a First Line Technology Facebook contest, SVAC is up against other first responders from all across the country. The grand prize is the conversion kit that can transform any type of transit bus or larger vehicle into an ambulance for up to 18 people.

This is where the social and media connect with you. To win, SVAC needs to garner votes on First Line’s contest page. The process is simple: go to the First Line Vote Here page and in the upper right corner above the big purple arrow click the large Like button. A list of contest finalists should appear below. Find Sloatsburg Volunteer Ambulance Corp and vote for them.

Voting goes through September 20, with the winner scheduled to be announced October 1.

“What caught our attention was the sincerity of the nomination,” said Jennie Williams, Marketing Manager at the Chantilly, VA-based First Line. Williams said that the online nomination process contained two parts — one part related to how the AmbBus® would be used by the organization, with the second part concerned how much the organization “deserved” the conversion kit.

SVAC’s nomination hit all the right notes.

There is currently not a single resource like this between the 3 counties we border. We see less than 10 MCI’s a year but a tool like this could go mutual aid to MCI’s all over, it would be a great asset and would help us do our job to the best of our abilities providing superior patient care with the most state of the art equipment. I believe that we need to do more in preparing for such incidents considering we live 30 minutes outside of NYC and are 45 minutes from multiple smaller cities in Orange County, this AmbuBus would be an incredible asset to our arsenal of EMT’s who want to get out there and save lives. — excerpt from part of SVCAC nomination essay

The volunteers at SVAC did their part. First Line Technology is doing theirs. Now, the local community must put shoulder to the wheel and do its part: log in to the Facebook contest page and vote (only people not biz pages can vote).