Note: This article was updated to reflect several salient points related to Sloatsburg’s police coverage, including year of the village’s dissolution of its police department and how the village and town interact for police coverage.

The Village of Sloatsburg gave up its own police department around 1990 as a purported cost-saving measure. But for some residents the short-term savings in personnal and equipment had a long-term cost in loss of local control, especially as it related to the policing of Rt. 17 through the central village. Village officials often receive complaints about traffic control on Rt. 17 and the reportedly periodic absence of Ramapo Police. Continue Reading

Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence at recent DEC public meeting at Suffern Library / Photo by Geoff Welch

It’s been another long season along the Ramapo River that has included remediation in Torne Valley of long buried Ford paint sludge, the installation of new SOS fuel tanks in Tuxedo and the ever-growing DeMarino dirt hill on Rt. 17. Some of these topics, and more, will be covered by environmental educators and professionals at Friday’s 19th Annual Ramapo River Watershed Conference at Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ. Continue Reading

What Should I Do If I Owe The IRS But I Don’t Have The Money?

by Bill Sweet

Instead of receiving a refund, about 10% of my clients end up owing the IRS an income tax payment on April 15th. It’s usually unpleasant because it’s a surprise a little less than half of the time. Poop happens.

When it is unexpected, the hopeful question that I’m always asked is this: “Should I file an extension?” Continue Reading

This past week new fancy street signs got planted in Sloatsburg along the central village corrdor. A project that has taken nearly a year from planning to installation (some of that delay was due to winter), the new spring signage comes in part from a downtown revitalization grant. Continue Reading

Anyone hungry?

A Hayward’s Deli Hero fit for a party.

Hayward’s Deli & Market is more than just a popular morning coffee and bite of breakfast stop. Located along Rt. 17 in Sloatsburg, Hayward’s serves up a hungry lunch crowd daily and caters many area events. Continue Reading

With a crowded Tuesday evening for meetings that includes the Sloatsburg Board and Town of Ramapo Planning and Zoning Board meeting, it appears the Ramapo Central School District is poised to approve an agreement between the district and Woodmont Hills at Ramapo. What that particular agreement might be will be discussed as an action item at Tuesday’s Cherry Lane Elementary School meeting that takes place at 7:30 p.m. Continue Reading

Woodmont Properties General Counsel Stephen Santola presents the plans for Ramapo Woodmont Hills apartments.

The Woodmont Properties development team came locked in and prepared to close the deal at the late February Town of Ramapo Public Hearing before the Planning and Zoning Board. The meeting before the PZB was for a First and Final Approval for Ramapo Woodmont Hills apartments, a proposed 384 unit 16-building rental apartment complex that would occupy some 50 acres south of Sloatsburg, NY. Continue Reading

Small voices raised in unison apparently rang loud and clear, saying essentially thanks but no thanks to the controversial inBloom student data collection project. Community concerns reached the ears of NY legislators and, as first reported Monday afternoon by NY State Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, inBloom has been blocked by New York State lawmakers. Continue Reading

The Rockland County Chief’s association acknowledged area firefighters and handed out awards this past week, a time when firefighters across Rockland County were celebrated.

Photo from collage at SloatsburgFire.org

New City Fire Department Chief Kenny Flynn was named Chief of the Year. Gordon Wren Sr., former chief of the all-volunteer Hillcrest Fire Department and member for some 70 years, was awarded the Jerome Trachtenberg Service Award, presented to the person who promotes outstanding service to the Rockland County Fire Chief’s Association. Continue Reading

Many people vividly remember when Hurricane Irene rolled through Western Ramapo. In the early morning hours of August 29, 2011, there was a sudden, suffocating smell of fuel oil that washed through Sloatsburg, causing numerous complaints and emergency calls to 911 and the local fire department. Continue Reading