Members of the Sloatsburg Volunteer Fire Department lead the 2016 Memorial Day Parade. The SFD held its first official meeting on November 27, 1923, at the Henry Club which still stands on Route 17 and was once a thriving community gathering place for dances and other entertainment.

While other village Memorial Day celebrations and parades across the Hudson Valley were cancelled due to early morning threatening weather, Sloatsburg carried on with its scheduled program — to the delight of many. Continue Reading

This year’s mild winter weather has teased an early spring. And with spring comes a lot of hiking in the surrounding hills. The whole Trail Town corridor vibe has picked up momentum, with groups in Tuxedo, Sloatsburg and Suffern all working to highlight local parks and recreational assets. Continue Reading

Rockland County recently held an interagency oil train drill, where some 30 county groups participated in a mock train crash disaster. The effort was a direct response to growing concern that the increase in mile long freight trains of Bakken crude oil rolling through Rockland on rail has increased the probability of a spill disaster. Continue Reading

Review of American Native By Geoff Welch
Curator, Harmony Hall, Sloatsburg, New York

On Sunday, May 21, at the transplanted Hoboken Film Festival, now held at the Historic Paramount Movie Theater in Middletown, New York, the documentary American Native was screened. Directed by Steve Oritt, the film has gone through much re-editing since its rough-cut screening at Ramapo College over a year ago and is now making the rounds of film festivals throughout. Continue Reading

View of the Ramapo River as it washes over Sloats Dam in Sloatsburg, NY, with Mill Pond’s higher flat surface behind the roiled white water.

The Village of Sloatsburg has an industrial and commercial history going back to the mid-1700 Dutch settlers that included Stephen Sloat, who built Sloat’s Tavern. That original structure is still in existence at the rear section of the current Sloat House.

Mostly, the manufacturing history of the area centers on the power provided by the Ramapo River. Continue Reading

Tuxedo has many good things. The whole casino process revealed the many good people engaged with their community — those who are concerned and care about the future of Tuxedo. Following is a letter from Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce President Bill Sweet that briefly reviews the casino process and chamber position while also looking at the community engagement as opportunity to continue to build a better Tuxedo. Continue Reading

The New York Gaming Commission’s Facility Location Board rejected any Orange County sites, leaving Tuxedo to forge it’s own economic future.

The possibility of a casino in Orange County was always a long shot. Wednesday’s decision by the New York Gaming Facility Location Board to exclude Orange County from any casino development was confirmation of those odds. Continue Reading

The Ramapo Special Election Tuesday turned out to be the controversial thriller many thought it would be. Continue Reading

BackHome Antiques, along Rt. 17 in Tuxedo, features an ever-changing collection of collectibles and interesting items. In only its second year, the popular store owned and operated by Sloatsburgers Stephen Hoefer and Darrell Frasier has become a destination for those looking for that certain something.

BackHome Antiques in Tuxedo celebrates its 2nd anniversary Saturday and Sunday with special sales.

Darrell Frasier calls the store’s inventory “priced to go” — and shoppers can certainly pick through all sorts of jewelry, art, frames, cast iron kitchen ware, furniture, and more. The spacious two floors are fun to wander, with any number of objects certain to catch your eye. Continue Reading

Members of Sterling Forest Partnership met before a recent Palisades Interstate Parks Commission meeting.

A possibly momentous decision was made on gaming in Orange County on a sunny Monday afternoon amid the rough hewn beam and stone facade of Bear Mountain Inn. Continue Reading