With the board meeting officially over, chocolate cake was being served to a small gathering Wednesday night. The occasion? An informal farewell for Sloatsburg resident Stephen Hoefer, who is retiring as a Sloatsburg Public Library Trustee after serving for five years. Where the library would be losing one of its most dynamic trustees, the Ramapo Catskills Library System (RCLS) would be gaining a financial whiz. Continue Reading

Spring Break is here but many students will still be working away on school projects. That’s doubly true for the Suffern High School History Team.

Last year in its first year as a competitive team, the Suffern High School History Team presented its way to the New York State History Day competition in Cooperstown, NY. And this year, after being awarded the Regional Finalist for Senior Group Performance at the Lower Hudson Valley Regional competition in early March, the Suffern freshmen team of Shannon Hart, Amy McDonough, Olivia O’Reilly, Renee Romagnoli and Calli Santangelo are headed back to the big show again on April 29. Continue Reading

Spring may have arrived this year via a colorful shooting star streaking across the Hudson Valley sky — or so say the many people who witnessed the event Friday evening at dusk.

In any case, the annual welcome of the spring season will be celebrated this afternoon at Sloatsburg’s very own Harmony Hall, beginning at  2 p.m. through 5 p.m., and will feature live music, spring slide shows, a nature walk and a bit of replenishing refreshments. Continue Reading

With school board budget top of mind, there’s also another important vote coming up Wednesday. It’s that time of year to say yea or nea on the Sloatsburg Public Library budget.

The proposed library budget would increase $8,500 over the current budget. Overall the library is proposing to spend $389,500 — a 1.8% dip from last year. Serving as the de facto heart of the Sloatsburg community, the library serves as a significant benefit to the community by providing extensive children and adult programming. Continue Reading

Parents and teachers filled the room to overflow at the last Ramapo Central Board of Education meeting. The BOE discussion focused on personnel and program reductions throughout district schools, mostly in non-mandated programs and retirements. Continue Reading

There is nothing quite like the bracing cold of a winter’s walk through woods — especially if some sweet maple syrup awaits you at the end the trail.

Cub Scout Pack 2146 was sighted out on the move again part of its constant mission to elevate and enlighten. The pack, which serves both Tuxedo and Sloatsburg, visited the Hudson Highlands Museum’s Outdoor Discovery Center last weekend to learn about the art of Maple Syruping. Continue Reading

People, places, things. Suffern is a cornerstone to a healthy Ramapo Valley and helps anchor western Rockland County — along with the circle that is Sloatsburg (and Hillburn). The Village of Suffern appears to have weathered the down draft of the last few budget-tightening years. Continue Reading

Sloatsburg — While it was rainy in Rockland, there was lots of action in Albany.

So many issues are in play for residents, parents, home owners and tax payers, small and large. Budget cuts, debt service, investment. People, places, things. Many village, town and county issues revolve around budget decisions and legislation made in Albany. From school mandates to wage and tax legislation, what gets put into state budgets (or gets cut) via legislation usually makes its way into village, town and county practices: school budgets get adjusted, social service agencies can or can’t do things, infrastructure grants are available. Down from Albany go money and mandates to town and village halls and county seats. Continue Reading

Suffern High School experienced its usual bustle of activity this past week. On Thursday, the school hosted the rest of the county for the annual Rockland County Academic League Invitational. Continue Reading

Saturday in Sloatsburg is sunny with a lot of activity going on around the village.