The recent Resorts World/Genting Americas proposal for a New York State gaming license to build a resort and casino in Tuxedo at Sterling Forest has sparked great local debate. The development bid may have enormous and lasting implications for the Western Ramapo and Highlands region that includes the Village of Sloatsburg and Town of Tuxedo.

In the following letter, Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce President Bill Sweet, along with the chamber, has encouraged community input on the issue. Continue Reading

Village and Town board meetings can often be fraught with cautious talk and official speak and, well, somewhat sleepy.

The Village of Spring Valley apparently does not suffer from that particular municipal malady. A recent late April meeting descended into name calling and communication breakdown, complete with banging and yelling. Often agenda items move along quickly and quietly, usually to sparse attendance. But with tax dollars and budgets front and center, things can get animated and sometimes heat up in a hurry. Continue Reading

The cards are being shuffled and four lucky winners are gambling on a winning hand in gaming in New York.

The Tuxedo Ridge Ski Center and Genting Americas, part of an international gaming conglomerate, hosted  an afternoon meet and greet at the popular ski center that abuts Sterling Forest and is adjacent to Harriman State Park. Continue Reading

This year’s Ramapo Central School Board budget process has ended. The Board of Education voted Thursday, April 24, to adopt the proposed 2014-2015 budget, which totals $130,372,327 and represents a 1.85% budget-to-budget increase from the 2013-14 school year. The tax levy levy increase will tick in at 0.82%.

The Suffern Chamber of Commerce has taught itself to do one thing well — put on a street fair that draws people from all over. Continue Reading

Sloatsburg Elementary School staff greet the announcement of the school’s new principal, Joseph Lloyd.

Sloatsburg Elementary School was in the spotlight during the most recent Ramapo School Board of Education meeting at Cherry Lane Elementary School. Superintendent Dr. Douglas Adams introduced the district’s candidate to lead Sloatsburg Elementary School, after sorting through some 120 applicants and various interviews. 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

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

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