The Sloatsburg Village Board meeting last Tuesday evening was nearly standing room only. Officials came from across the county to attend the village’s special veterans remembrance ceremony that included recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 1643.
“We have to make sure that our veterans coming back from Afghanistan, that the last place we send them is to the unemployment line,” said NY State Sen. David Carlucci, who’s working to create state legislation to help veterans and seniors.
Guests at the village event included Fr. Niranjan Rodrigo from St. Joan of Arc Church, NY State Senator David Carlucci, Rockland County Legislator Doug Jobson, Carmen Dubaldi, who representated Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt’s office, as well as American Legion Post 1643 Commander Pat Miller, Ladies Auxiliary President Rita Cronk, and Bishop George Langberg.
The Village Board will meet again Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. for its annual reorganization meeting, at which time newly elected trustees Thomas Buckley Jr. and Daniel O’Leary III will be sworn into office. The meeting, as all board meetings are, is open to the public. The reorganizational meeting also includes board and committee appointments, which will be made by Mayor Carl Wright, who was recently elected to his non-consecutive 9th term of office..
Last Tuesday’s meeting featured a special tribute to Sloatsburg native John Lindemann, recently back from military duty in Afghanistan. Mayor Wright said 
Lindemann was one of those people who he just knew was going to be successful. The mayor recalled a day back in 2002 when Lindemann was still just a high school sophmore at Suffern High School. Heavy smoke billowed from a house on Ballard Avenue and Lindemann, along with middle school student Tina Garcia, happened to be walking through the neighborhood at that exact moment. Lindemann responded by calling 911, then went up to the house, knocking on doors and windows — though the house turned out to be empty.
Both Lindemann and Garcia were awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Sloatsburg Volunteer Fire Department for their actions.
Smartly dressed in his army blues Tuesday night, Lindemann was brought to the front of the hall by the mayor, and eventually cracked a smile that turned into a broad grin as he thanked the audience.
The Sloatsburg Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 1643 received a special Certificate of Appreciation from Assemblywoman Rabbitt’s office. The group will disband after 50 years service (1963-2013). Auxiliary President Rita Cronk accepted the award, acknowledging the work the group has done throughout the village over its 5 decades of service.
“Fifty years is a long time,” said Cronk. “We did an awful lot for the Legion. We had a lot of suppers. We had Christmastime. We had music. We had a lot of fun. I come from a veterans family, from my dad down to my son, and it’s an honor to help the veterans of our town.”
Other Sloatsburg WII veterans on hand for the ceremony were Village Historian Harrison Bush, George Heller and Elizabeth Lahm.
Outgoing Trustee Barbara Berntsen was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by American Legion Post 1643 Commander John Patrick Miller, a Vietnam veteran, who thanked Berntsen’s efforts on behalf of the legion.
Sloatsburg high school sophmore Hannah Consiglio provided a musical program, along with Casey Chu, and Eunice and Steven Cho.
Monday’s special Re-Organization Village Board meeting is open to the public.
