Suffern Police Department members pictured with their new ranks are PO Ryan Ortiz, PO Billy Simurra, PO Andrew Yorke, PO Mike Careswell, Lt. Ed Dolan, Chief Clarke Osborn, Det. Sgt. John Mallon, Sgt. Jose Martinez, Sgt. Andy Loughlin, Sgt. Jim Giannettino and Sgt. Rick Marsh.

The Suffern Police Department recently welcomed aboard new police officers and promoted a hand full of others.

During last week’s Village of Suffern Board meeting, the Suffern Police took center stage with the department’s promotion ceremony, where six officers were promoted to new ranks and four officers were formally sworn in. Continue Reading

Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright discusses deteriorating wall along Rt. 17 with Senator David Carlucci.

Senator Carlucci joined Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright Wednesday morning at the old stone wall that borders Route 17 in just across the street from Rhodes North Tavern to announce critical funding secured by Carlucci to repair portions of the wall that have fallen into disrepair. Continue Reading

With two Ramapo villages at odds with the Town of Ramapo, the special ward election on September 30 takes on an interesting color. Would an expanded Town Council with locally elected members have made any difference in how the town and villages communicate related to pressing development and tax issues? Continue Reading

A quick step on the wrong pedal caused one New Jersey driver to make an unscheduled stop at Golden Nails & Spa 2 in Sloatsburg Sunday morning. Continue Reading

Think about this for a moment — you’re feeling tired, run down. The sluggish feeling just won’t shake. And then one day you just stop working right and collapse.

Doug Corbett, popular trainer and fitness instructor at Rockland Peak Performance, found himself in this very situation this past June. Corbett had been feeling like a “zombie” for a few weeks while training clients at RPP. Finally, one day, with his heart rate racing and jaw swelling, Corbett hit the wall and was rushed to the hospital. Continue Reading

With the super Harvest Moon rising full this weekend, don’t let the patchy sky fool you. This Sunday’s Highlands Bluegrass Festival at Harmony Hall should get you out under sunny skies for some down home roots music. The event takes place September 7 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the Great Lawn at Sloatsburg’s Harmony Hall, so bring a blanket and pull up a chair. Continue Reading

Students got back to school Wednesday morning, a chill in the air and an eye toward the calendar and first official school holiday. It’s back to those A, B, C, D school days again. Continue Reading

The Sloatsburg Fire Department’s recent colorful mid-August Classic Car Show featured a special guest bearing a great gift.

Rockland U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey made an appearance at the car show and gathered firefighters together, including Village Trustee Peter Akey, to announce that Sloatsburg’s volunteer fire department was the recipient of a 2013 FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) for radio equipment. Continue Reading

The local farmers’ markets send Saturday salutations on clear blue blue days and a bit rainy too. The season of chill mornings and warming days are upon us. Look for both the Suffern and Tuxedo Farmers’ Markets to be open Saturdays until midday this late summer and into the fall, with colorful vendor tables laden with foods and hand crafted goods — soaps, syrups, sauces. There are baked goods, plus farm foods galore, all waiting for you to stroll through and make a selection of something eye catching. Continue Reading

Chuck Stead presents his interdisciplinary Recovery Narrative PhD dissertation to the public at Ramapo Town Hall. / Photo by Geoff Welch

The long story of life in the shadow of Torne Mountain made its way to the Ramapo’s Town Hall when environmental educator Chuck Stead presented his doctoral dissertation to the public last week. An interdisciplinary recovery narrative, Stead’s story is also a history of Torne and Western Ramapo that traces industrial impact on the area’s community and uses ecotoxicology and memoir to weave together a complex story of Ford Motor Company’s toxic legacy in and around Torne Valley. Continue Reading