Harmony Hall in winter, fronted by the Great Lawn. / Photo by Geoff Welch

Spring was about to be sprung early this year, when winter temperatures climbed to record highs. And then, suddenly the thermometer plunged back to below freezing. But no matter. The Vernal Equinox will be right on time and marks the official beginning of spring while also featuring a perfectly balanced day with equal parts day and night.

Harmony Hall Curator Geoff Welch will host an afternoon celebrating the Vernal Equinox on Sunday, March 19, from 2-4 p.m. (The actual Vernal Equinox takes Monday, March 20, at approximately 6:29 a.m.) Continue Reading

Sloatsburg lost one another of its treasured World War II veterans with the passing of Elizabeth “Betty” Lahm, who was 96 years old.

Betty Lahm sits between two other Sloatsburg WII veterans, Village Historian Harrison Bush and George Heller (now deceased), during a special Village Board ceremony in 2012 to honor village veterans.

Betty Lahm was a longtime member of both the Sloatsburg Senior Center and the The Ladies Auxiliary of the Sloatsburg Fire Department. As a member of the Senior Center, Lahm could be found many a Wednesday afternoon, welcome smile on her face, behind the old-style raffle bin which she ran for a $1 a ticket. Continue Reading

Sloatsburg residents have received their official Complete Streets Public Workshop 1 announcement from Mayor Carl Wright and the Village Board. Next up is the first Route 17 Sloatsburg Complete Street meeting on Tuesday, February 28, at the Municipal Building. Continue Reading

Part One of a two-part editorial that will, hopefully, provide incentive for residents to seriously prioritize improvements on Route 17 through Sloatsburg, and think about more than just a repaved road, a few curbs and a couple of stretches of new sidewalk. 

Many Sloatsburgers look around this semi-rural bedroom community, nestled snug in the surrounding Ramapo Mountains, and see potential. There’s plenty of green space, accessible rail service, houses that are still relatively affordable, and a main transportation artery in Route 17 that runs, well, right through the village. Continue Reading

UPDATED. There was a Short Line Coach bus accident in Tuxedo Friday morning, February 10, that involved injuries and one fatality, according to a MidHudsonNews.com report.

Car reportedly under a “Coach USA” Shortline commuter bus caused by icy roads. Rt. 17 Tuxedo, Orange County. Car’s occupant(s) trapped.

— Mark Lieb (@rocklandvideo) February 10, 2017

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Sloatsburg capped off the D.A.R.E. program with a spaghetti dinner celebration during the first weekend of February. The action took place at the St. Joan of Arc Church Hall. / Photo by Joe Lloyd, Ph.D. via @SESPirates

Sloatsburg celebrated the end of the Sloatsburg Elementary School D.A.R.E. program Saturday with pasta and other good foods.

Sponsored by the The Friends of Sloatsburg School, and other private donations, the D.A.R.E. Spaghetti dinner took place in warm, cozy Church Hall at St. Joan of Arc Church. The dinner has become a traditional big finale to the Town of Ramapo Police Department 5th-grade student program – SES 5th-graders “graduated” from the program in January. Continue Reading

The little teal-colored taproom in Sloatsburg, NY, opened to much fanfare and excitement and late summer 2016. Village regulars and visitors quickly took to the spot like a shady oasis in the desert dunes.

Owners and operators Martijn Matos Mollet and Jamie Lovelace opened Seven Lakes Station craft beer taproom and market in Sloatsburg, NY, in 2016.

Seven Lakes Station owners and operators Martijn Matos Mollet and Jamie Lovelace have been steering the taproom since that opening to a sweet spot, where most evenings, from sundown to closing, finds the craft beer taproom and beer market filled with thirsty customers. Continue Reading

Just say no to buses, trucks and cars whizzing through Sloatsburg’s village center. The NYS DOT has offered residents a transformative opportunity to participate in a Complete Streets Main Street Project that will re-imagine Route 17 through Sloatsburg.

Now is the time for Village of Sloatsburg residents to get up, get involved and get excited.

The cry for traffic calming, safe passage and turning Route 17 into more of a Main Street that provides Sloatsburg with safe pedestrian walkways and “village feel” has been heard. Loud and clear. Continue Reading

Mayors of villages can do a whole lot, from making local laws to managing employees and common properties. Alas, they can’t build private roads or give away money.

The New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials is holding an essay contest and want to know what you would do as Mayor. The contest invites 8th graders in the Villages of Sloatsburg, Hillburn and Suffern to write a short essay on what they would do as Mayor. Easy as getting elected. Continue Reading

Town of Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence attended a presentation by Dr. Chuck Stead on the history of paint sludge contamination in Torne Valley, Ringwood and its impact on the Ramapough Indians. After receiving a report from Environmental Consultant Geoff Welch, St. Lawrence introduced a resolution opposing the Pilgrim Pipelines to the Town Council as they pose a threat to the Ramapo River watershed and public water supplies of Suffern and Rockland County residents.

It was a big week for oil pipelines. An executive order from the White House set into motion this past week the permitting process for two controversial oil pipelines, the proposed transnational Keystone XL that would run from Canada to Texas, and Dakota Access Pipeline. Both pipelines would cross the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest. Continue Reading