Sloatsburg Plen Air Event participants and landscape subjects. Thanks to Plein Air Sloatsburg for use.

The Plein Air Sloatsburg art show had local incubation. The show first appeared on the Great Lawn at Harmony Hall for a day of plein air painting and local history. Jessie Taylor shaped shifted the show. Peter Bush helped stage the Sloat House and host the event.

Then the event spread out across Sloatsburg with painters setting up easels at local spots, including the Great Lawn at Harmony Hall and along the Stony Brook and the Ramapo River. This year the show with juried winners takes place at Mill Street Park. Instead of painting day of, participants enter the competition and have had measured time to complete a work.

Sloatsburg Plen Air Event participants and landscape subjects. Thanks to Plein Air Sloatsburg for use.

A homegrown special for sure, this is a cool collection of Hudson Valley landscape painting.

A Sloatsburg theme runs through the work  with the Ramapo River and surrounding mountains as objects. The hills. Pathways. Fields and lakes. Still lifes.

Sloatsburg Plen Air Event participants and landscape subjects. Thanks to Plein Air Sloatsburg for use.

The juried show is partnered with Arts Westchester, New York Foundation for the Arts and the New York Council of the Arts. Nice.

The Sloatsburg Plein Air Art Event takes place next Sunday, May 15, from 3-5pm at Mill Street Park. Check it out.

What: Sloatsburg Plein Air at Mill Street Park, Juried Art Show
Where: Sloatsburg at Municipal Plaza, 96 Orange Turnpike, Sloatsburg, New York
When: Sunday, May 15, 3-5PM
To Do: Check out the the landscapes and Ramapo Mountain themed painting. Locations in our neck of the Hudson Valley.

Sloatsburg Plein Air Event.

THE FRIENDS OF HARMONY ARE GOING ALL OUT THIS YEAR TO hold a grand bluegrass festival on the Great Lawn. After a year of quiet due to Covid-19, the Highlands Bluegrass Festival marks a return to form for the historical non-profit. With Rockland County Tourism grant in hand, Harmony Hall is set to throw a big open-air party this Sunday, September 12, from 1-5PM. Continue Reading

Rockland County announced its major tourism grants at Boulder Stadium on Tuesday, July 6, and Sloatsburg scored several key hits.

The Friends of Harmony Hall and the Sloatsburg Chamber of Commerce each were awarded vital tourism grants that will benefit the entire corridor community.

Even as the Covid-19 pandemic caused shutdowns and reduced service for local businesses, Sloatsburg’s collaborative groups have been awarded for past efforts and future potential. Together, the RCT grants have awarded Sloatsburg groups for big, inclusive tourism and economic revitalization ideas.

Harmony Hall’s Highlands Bluegrass Festival last took place in 2019 and was an amazing local success, with people spilling into the village from across the Hudson Valley. The number one complaint with the festival was finding a place to park.

Meanwhile, the Sloatsburg Chamber‘s nurturing of Explore Harriman has continued to pay dividends, as the campaign has positioned Sloatsburg and western Rockland County as an important gateway to NY state recreational via Harriman State Park. New Yorkers and north New Jersey residents have increasingly visited the area to take advantage of easy park access and businesses in the village that cater to them.

Sloatsburg’s latest improvement that will help welcome visitors is the Mill Street Park and parking lot, across the street from the Sloatsburg Train Station.

The Rockland County Tourism grants have done in Sloatsburg precisely what they’re intended to do — stimulate collaboration between public and private groups while promoting economic revitalization.

The corridor communities of Suffern and Sloatsburg (include Tuxedo for its close proximity) were again big winners in the Rockland County Tourism grant award announcement for county non-profit groups on Monday, January 22.

Sloatsburg’s Harmony Hall via the Friends of Harmony Hall was a big winner, as it was awarded $20,000 by Rockland County Tourism to promote the Highlands Bluegrass Festival and associated historical and educational activities. A singular Rockland County big-tent event, the Bluegrass Festival has become a Sloatsburg fall season kick off event.

The Explore Harriman campaign was awarded $12, 995 and has been a significant voice in promoting Sloatsburg and the corridor communities that include Suffern and even Tuxedo.

Clare Consiglio, in white t-shirt facing the camera, at the groundbreaking of the Farmony Garden at Harmony Hall in Sloatsburg, NY, 2007.

Clare Consiglio always had food on her mind. Along with the daily practice of feeding her own family, Clare had a deep interest in “food justice” and the idea that eating healthy would certainly help people become better in body and spirit. Clare became a certified dietician nutritionist and earned a master’s degree in nutrition education at CUNY/Queens College, where she became a tenured professor and chaired its sustainability initiative. She was also a New York State-certified teacher.

Clare Consiglio, active in the Sloatsburg community for some 35 years, died January 18, 2021, at 57 years old.

Clare also taught food science, meal management and nutrition courses in a food management studies program at the City University of New York. In Sloatsburg, Clare was a force for local change, always ready with a warm smile, who shepherded her kids through school and successive life achievements, and broke ground at Harmony Hall to create the Farmony Garden to teach Sloatsburg Elementary School kids backyard nutrition.

Clare Consiglio, left in red, was a longtime active member of the Sloatsburg community and friend of Harmony Hall. Clare stands next to Friends of Harmony Hall President Barbara Berntsen.

Clare died on Monday, January 18, at home on the North Folk of Long Island in Southhold, surrounded by farmland and the coast and her family. She was 57 years old.

Farmony Garden at Sloatsburg’s Harmony Hall is a continuing testament to Clare’s belief that good nutrition and food justice can and should be a community endeavor. Her influence and spirit helped shape the community outreach at Harmony Hall and her vision of a farmers market offering fresh food in Sloatsburg has been partially realized through Valley Rock Market’s selection of fresh produce in the village center and fresh vegetables available at Auntie El’s. The Consiglio name is also proudly imprinted on the walls of the Sloatsburg Elementary gym due to their athletic achievements.

Clare left Farmony Garden in the good hands of the Friends of Harmony Hall, with loving help from members of the Sloatsburg Chamber of Commerce, and it will continue to feed folks fresh foods and a taste of nature now and in the future.

January 15 marked Ken Hayward Day at Hayward’s Deli in Sloatsburg. The annual day of celebration features free coffee and treats in honor of Hayward, who died suddenly in mid-July of 2014 at just 57 years old.

This year the Sloatsburg Food Pantry collected some $20,000 in tips from customers for the Food Pantry.

Whether collecting coins at the deli counter for those in need, delivering holiday turkeys to the Sloatsburg Food Pantry or supporting Sloatsburg Elementary School during Olympic Day, Hayward’s Deli has been generous with its community support.

The tradition of giving back to the community started under Ken Hayward and has continued with Lauren Hayward.

Hayward’s Deli is synonymous with giving. Patrons have given some $15 thousand in coins each of the past three years in the Hayward’s tip jar, which raises funds for the Sloatsburg Food Pantry. That in itself is an amazing feat.

The swearing in ceremonies at Village Hall in Sloatsburg on the first Monday of December was a long time coming and represented a significant changing of the guard during this year of Covid-19. With attendees wearing masks, and generally socially distanced from one another, longtime Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright swore in Peter Akey as the new village mayor — which officially capped Mayor Wright’s long and productive leadership of our rustic foothill village.

Sloatsburg’s longtime Mayor Carl Wright presided over his last official duty Monday, December 7, when he swore in new Mayor Peter Akey. Wright has served as Sloatsburg’s mayor since 2000, with additional stints from 1975-1981 and 1985-1989. His legacy has included extending and making improvements village common properties and and securing Sloatsburg as a gateway to the parks region.

Sloatsburg’s annual December reorganization kicks off the new village administrative and budget year and generally sets the operating rules for village government meetings. It’s also the time when newly elected officials are sworn in.

Mayor Peter Akey represents a new generation of village leadership, one that has mostly worked in tandem with former Mayor Wright’s vision of the village as a semi-rustic community in the Ramapo Mountains. With Akey’s ascension to the mayor’s seat on the dais, the village will continue to embrace that vision while also positioning itself as a gateway community and trail town.

New Sloatsburg signs, including street signs, are samples of the quiet changes new Mayor Pete Akey has already made in the community, helping to rebrand the village and revitalize its economy. Now comes the real challenge, leading Sloatsburg through these next days of a Covid-changed outlook. Mayor Akey has surrounded himself with a whole new energized municipal team to meet the challenge.

Akey has surrounded himself with an energized team that will confront a whole new slew of municipal issues as the days of Covid-19 continue. Sloatsburg has been on solid ground thanks to topnotch budgetary management (due to cooperation between the board, Mayor Wright and the wizardry of Village Clerk Thomas Bollotta) but will face a new municipal playing field defined by shrinking revenues and state funds.

Thankfully, Sloatsburg was well positioned before the pandemic hit, with major municipal infrastructure improvements already underway and was enjoying an expanding local economy rooted in the village’s growing reputation as a gateway stopover into Harriman State Park.

Monday’s swearing in also installed new Village Board leadership that reflects a truly diverse representation of the local community. The three new trustees include Thomas Donnelly, Darrell Frasier and Joyce Donohue.

Village of Sloatsburg Annual Re-organizational Meeting Swearing In Ceremony. Congratulation to Peter Akey, New Mayor of Sloatsburg!@Sloatsburgny @SloatsburgLib @pantry_food @SESPirates @BusinessCounty @RockLegislature @rocklandgov @TrusteeAkey #sloatsburgvillage #sloatsburgmayor pic.twitter.com/MhniZnZYe7

— Sloatsburg Chamber of Commerce (@SloatsburgC) December 8, 2020

Donohue takes Mayor Akey’s former trustee seat, and is a very savvy appointment by the new mayor. Donohue is the first female to serve on the Village of Sloatsburg board since Barbara Berntsen and comes with a large community service portfolio, including her work as director of the Sloatsburg Food Pantry and vice president of the Sloatsburg Chamber of Commerce. Donohue will prove an enormous asset to Akey’s administration as a liaison to the local business community.

Sloatsburg resident Darrell L. Frasier is sworn in as a new Village Trustee by new Village Justice Jerome Jefferson. The evening saw three new trustees take their place on the dais, representing a diverse Village of Sloatsburg constituency.

Darrell L. Frasier also has a strong community engagement background that includes his chairing the Sloatsburg Revitalization Committee (Beautify Sloatsburg), member of the Sloatsburg Library board and stint on the village  Building & Zoning Board of Appeals. Frasier has been active in promoting Sloatsburg’s historical assets and helping to revitalize the village as a gateway to the parks region.

Thomas Donnelly represents Sloatsburg on the Suffern Central School District and was Suffern High School’s longtime Resource Officer while a member of the Ramapo Police Department.

Village of Sloatsburg Annual Re-organizational Meeting
Swearing in Ceremony!
Congratulations New Village of Sloatsburg Trustee Joyce Donohue! @Sloatsburgny
@SloatsburgC
@TrusteeAkey
@SloatPubLibrary
@donohue_brennan
@BusinessCounty @rocklandgov @SuffernCSD pic.twitter.com/F9EtlZU35t

— Sloatsburg Chamber of Commerce (@SloatsburgC) December 8, 2020

Tuesday, November 3, is just around the corner. Many people have already taken action to vote and have their ballot counted. The most powerful way to redress any grievances as citizens is to vote.

On the national level, 2020 offers a clear choice between two very different vision for the country. Dark and stormy division or united in hope for a better future.

The Village of Sloatsburg reminded residents that people can cast ballots in-person at Village Hall on election day. Voters should stop by Village Hall to vote in-person on Tuesday, November 3, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wear a mask. Social distance. Vote.

On the Village level, there are several candidates on the ballot, with top of ticket being the selection of a new mayor. Longtime Mayor Carl Wright has announced he is stepping down after a long career at Village Hall. Peter Akey is running to succeed Wright. Akey is a Village Trustee and Deputy Mayor and has worked closely with Wright on key projects and local issues.

Sloatsburg resident Peter Akey is on the ballot for mayor in the upcoming November 3 election. Akey has been instrumental in promoting Sloatsburg via municipal improvement projects and economic development. On a visual level, he has helped with the installation of new Sloatsburg signage, including street signs, welcome signs and a new merchant parking sign.

Trustee Akey has been on the dais at Village Hall for some 10 years, serving as both a Trustee and Deputy Mayor. He also helped write the Comprehensive Plan in 2007 as a member of the Sloatsburg Planning Board. Over the the past few years, Akey has worked (with both Mayor Wright and the entire board) to push for completion of municipal infrastructure projects and harness Sloatsburg’s park and community assets to revitalize the local economy.

Akey has had in hand the many village improvement projects, including new village signage, common property improvements and upkeep, park and Community Field upgrades, as well as working to support renewal of the village business center via additional parking and the roll out an evolving pedestrian-friendly corridor (including the NYSDOT Complete Streets).

Akey has worked with Mayor Wright to articulate the vision that Sloatsubrg’s strengths reside in celebrating its semi-rural roots, history, culture and community, while harnessing its location as a gateway to NYS and Rockland County parks as a way to promote economic activity and attract new residents.

Two Village Board candidates will be on the ballot to fill the Village Board seats of Dan O’Leary and Tom Buckley, whose terms expire. Both Trustees deserve a big thank you from Sloatsburgers for their  very active and extremely productive tenures as board members. Each served their constituencies and contributed to improving Sloatsburg.

Local voters can cast ballots Tuesday, November 4, at the Sloatsburg Fire Hall at Municipal Plaza, 96 Orange Turnpike. Polls are open 6m to 9pm.

Darrel L. Frasier and Tom Donnelly are on the ballot for the two open board seats. Frasier is Chair of the Sloatsburg Revitalization Committee, a Trustee of the Sloatsburg Library and serves on the Sloatsburg Zoning Board of Appeals. He has advocated to beautify Sloatsburg through the village and to take action to calm traffic along Route 17.

Tom Donnelly currently serves on the Suffern Central School District Board of Education and was a longtime Ramapo Police Officer and renowned Resource Officer at Suffern High School.

Lawn signs from the 2019 Highlands Bluegrass Festival, an annual Sloatsburg event put on by the Friends of Harmony Hall. This year’s bluegrass fest was cancelled for obvious reasons. Better luck next year!

The temperature on Saturday morning felt like fall. Remember that this time last year Harmony Hall in Sloatsburg was preparing to throw open its doors and welcome people from across the Hudson Valley to the Great Lawn for an afternoon of bluegrass and Americana music. Continue Reading

Sunday’s Sloatsburg Plein Air show encouraged foot traffic around the village, with artists stationed at different spots sketching and painting familiar places. The hazy dog day turned torpid under a late August sun but the village center had some pep in its step with the Plein Air show giving masked visitors something extra to do.

Which was precisely the idea for the show – hold an event that shows off Sloatsburg’s strengths: history present in many structures and features, such as the Sloatsburg Cemetery, and the village’s place in the Ramapo Mountains with the Ramapo River running through.

 

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The Sloatsburg Plein Air art show provided an interesting visual tour of the village, from the Ramapo River across the village center and Harmony Hall into the cemetery. The dog day sun was an oven but a cool day for the burg. The Sloats Dam powered it all back in the day. #sloatsburg #exploreharrimanyny @explorerocklandny #rocklandhistory

A post shared by Sloatsburg Village (@sloatsburgvillage) on Aug 23, 2020 at 2:24pm PDT

The Friend’s of Harmony Hall collaborated with Rockland County Tourism and pulled off a an engaging event, where participants were safely tucked away behind branded white tourism tape to work at such diverse locations as Stony Brook along Seven Lakes Drive, the Sloats Dam off Ballard Avenue, the Village Clock at Route 17, Seven Lakes Station and the Sloatsburg Library, Harmony Hall, and the Sloatsburg Cemetery.

The Friends of Harmony Hall and Rockland County Tourism teamed up to produce a village wide Plein Air art show that promoted safe circulation of people throughout the village.

Harmony Hall’s Peter Bush and local artist Jessie Taylor organized much of the event, while Rockland County Tourism worked with the group on signage and word of mouth. The result was a unique event that accented Sloatsburg interesting assets, nestled as the village is next to Harriman State Park, with Route 17 and Seven Lakes Drive threading visitors through.

Guests taking in Sloatsburg’s Plein Air event this weekend also caught the groove of Waistcoat Ruckus at Harmony Hall – se up nice and safely outside on the lawn. pic.twitter.com/qJ5bR6c3sz

— Sloatsburg Village (@Sloatsburgny) August 24, 2020

Photo by Geoff Welch

Updated date due to rain. The Sloatsburg Plein Air Show takes place on Sunday, August 23. Same time, same place!

The local Plein Air art show came on the scene just a few short years ago. Hosted and curated by Jessie Taylor and Peter Bush, the show offered an afternoon of open air painting on Harmony Hall’s Great Lawn.

Continue Reading