See more of Andrea’s recent Photo Shoots here and find even more of her outstanding work on Instagram.
St. Paddy’s Day
Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day, so we’re dedicating this space to all the fun things you can do donning green this weekend.
Nyack’s St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl and the Shamrock Stroll are already sold out, but here’s a sampling (best served with a Guinness) of other ways to celebrate:
- The Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians will hold its St. Patrick’s Parade in Pearl River on Sunday, at 1:30 p.m. According to organizers, the parade leaves from the Pfizer parking lot, turns east onto E. Crooked Hill Road, turns south onto N. Middletown Road, turns west onto E. Central Ave, turns south onto South Main Street, and ends near the Pearl River Post Office. Roads in the Pearl River area are subject to closure up to an hour before the parade. On-street parking is available in the Pearl River area. No open bottles or containers with alcohol.
- Feel like taking a day trip? There are tons of events in the Hudson Valley this weekend, including a Keg-n-Eggs brunch to the tunes of a fiddle or a ramble parade. Plan your trip with this roundup of events up and down the Hudson. For starters, the aforementioned brunch at the Hudson Brewing Company starts at 10 a.m. and comes complete with drink specials, a buffet and live music.
- There are also parades throughout Westchester, from White plains to Mt. Kisco. This handy list compiles all your options for bagpipes and kilts in one place.
In other news:
The Rockland County Legislature celebrated Women’s History Month by recognizing four women residents – Suzanne Barclay, Rena Finkelstein, Marie Lorenzini and Nicole Matthews, according to Patch.
According to the legislature, Suzanne Barclay “has devoted her life to the advancement of environmental and social justice; Rena Finkelstein is “a dedicated proponent of education and an advocate for families impacted by the challenges of mental health disorders”; Marie Lorenzini is “a committed member of the Village of Nyack community who has served as a member of the Nyack Planning and Zoning Boards before her election as Nyack Village Trustee”; and Nicole Matthews “holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University, where she graduated magna cum laude, and earned her law degree from Pace University, where she was President of the Black Law Students Association.”
Rockland lawmakers unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the governor, Kathy Hochul, and the state legislature to delay new congestion tolls until the passage of a state law mandating discounts for drivers entering the city after crossing the Tappan Zee or George Washington bridges, Patch reports.
A 37-year-old man was indicted for allegedly stabbing his “live-in companion” in Spring Valley. It was Rockland’s second murder of 2024. Check out the video story from lohud below:
ICYM NNV’s weekly features: See Andrea Swenson’s newest Photo Shoots; Bill Batson’s latest “Nyack Sketch Log”; Mike Hays’ most recent “Nyack People & Places”; and past editions of “The Villages.”
Weather prediction (through March 21)
Possible rain Friday night. Then pretty much clear skies through the weekend and into the middle of next week, but temps will also drop back down into the 40s. Just when we thought it was spring! [Click here for the National Weather Service‘s latest 7-day forecast for the Nyack area. Click here for the latest Air Quality Index report for Nyack.]
9+ Months Later: Still looking for answers in the death of Sean Harris
We continue to look into the case of Sean Harris, who died under suspicious circumstances after an hours-long standoff with police on May 30, 2023.
[Update: On October 30, 2023, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office said they were still investigating Harris’s case. There has been no update from the AG’s office as of March 8, 2024]
Watch the video from Truth 2 Power below to learn more about what activists are saying, and why family, friends and police reform advocates are demanding answers.
Here’s our breakdown of what happened.
Village updates
Nyack
- Here’s the list of all upcoming meetings posted for the Village of Nyack.
- If you could use help paying your water bills, click here.
- Drop off humanitarian aid for victims of the war in Ukraine (including first aid, painkillers, blankets, baby food, diapers, non-perishable food, antibiotics and more, at Village Hall, 9 N. Broadway (or at the Orangetown town hall, 26 W. Orangeburg Rd.).
Upper Nyack
- Click here for updates from the Village of Upper Nyack.
South Nyack
- Thanks to reader request, we have re-added South Nyack, which dissolved as an official village earlier this year. Please send us info about what’s going on in South Nyack at info@nyacknewsandviews.com.
Orangetown
- Check out the draft chapters of Orangetown’s new 2023 Comprehensive Plan.
- Help limit greenhouse gases and curb pollution by joining this new food scraps recycling program.
- Check out the Orangetown YouTube channel.
Clarkstown
- The Technical Advisory Committee, which “evaluates the technical adequacy of land development applications and decides their readiness for Planning Board review,” meets most Wednesdays, including this Wednesday, from 10 am to noon, in the town hall’s Historic Map Room.
- For a calendar list of all Clarkstown meetings and events, click here.
Other Local Updates
South Nyack advocates have filed a petition with the town of Orangetown seeking to show support for a new Elizabeth Place Playground — the grassy play area and dog park just south of 87 and right off the Esposito trail. After South Nyack dissolved in March, the town found the playground equipment at Elizabeth Place was unsafe and not compliant with ADA regulations and removed it. A new ADA compliant park has been proposed and advocates want to see the proposal approved and implemented. Click here to read and/or sign the petition.
Nyack Schools
Check out our latest Nyack Schools Report, a somewhat regular feature we will post whenever possible. (Editor’s note: if you’re interested in writing about schools for Nyack News and Views, lease send us an email at info@nyacknewsandviews.com.
Find out what else is going on in Nyack-area schools at Home Page – Nyack Public Schools (nyackschools.org)
Rockland-wide
It’s now been a year since polio was discovered in Rockland County wastewater, yet Rockland County has the fourth-lowest polio immunization rate in the state, according to Patch. Polio was eliminated in the U.S. starting in 1979, but it appeared again in July 2022 when a Rockland resident tested positive. The virus was subsequently found in New York wastewater, with a positive sample of concern found in Rockland last February.
. Here’s some info on how to protect yourself:
- Pre-register for a free polio vaccination here or call 845-238-1956. Walk-ins also accepted. Local health care providers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, also provide the vaccine.
- Learn about polio, including symptoms and spread, by visiting NYSDOH’s page here.
- Educate yourself about the vaccine at the CDC’s page here.
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