The Orangetown Town Clerk will hold satellite office hours at the Pearl River Library on Wednesday, Feb. 4 and Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., providing 2009 commuter parking permits, handicap permits, dog licenses and requests for vital statistics.

Haverstraw village, in conjunction with the Haverstraw Town Police Department, is seeking to establish a village neighborhood watch program.

Residents who are interested in participating in the program are encouraged to attend an orientation meeting at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at the 2nd floor meeting room at Haverstraw Village Hall at 40 New Main St.

The village held its first orientation meeting for the program in November.

Mayor Michael Kohut said he decided to hold another meeting because the program needed more participation.
Kohut said he was hoping that this program would help Haverstraw police tackle crimes in the village.

“The police cannot do it all by themselves. They need our eyes and ears to assist them since they cannot be everywhere at the same time,” Kohut said in his statement. “By taking responsibility for our own neighborhoods, we can help remove the thereat of drugs and crime in the village and make life in Haverstraw better for everyone, except for the bad guys.”

He added: “Please join us on February 4th to make this program a reality.”

Call Village Hall at 845-429-0300 for more information.

I apologize to anyone waiting to participate in the Ramapo Live blog. Technical difficulties have been encountered at my end. I’ll be checking with our tech services people today to determine the cause and to rectify the problem.

The town of Ramapo plans to appoint alternate members to its planning and zoning boards, with the idea that the alternates could step in when regular members were absent.

This could come in handy, considering that there was only one Planning Board meeting last year when all the members were present and arrived on time. Eight of 15 Zoning Board of Appeals meetings had full attendance in 2008.

Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said that the alternates would be expected to attend all of the meetings, so they’d be up to speed on all of the issues before the boards.

What do you think? Are there people out there willing to be on time for one meeting a month?

Dozens of people met at the Nyack Center last week to look over the redesign plans for Memorial Park, a 5-acre patch of green space along the Hudson that is Nyack’s only public park. The $7 million to $15 million project would take 10 years to complete and would revamp the park with more open space, a new bridge to the neighboring marina, a larger beach and butterfly garden. Here’s the original story I wrote about the project.

And here’s a PDF of the park plans: memorial-park

Doug Foster, webmaster of NyackNewsandViews.com, has the plans up on his blog too and the Nyack Park Conservancy is welcoming suggestions and comments at Doug’s site. (Thanks for the PDF, Doug.)

The Joseph T. St. Lawrence Community, Health and Sports Center in Hillburn made the cover of a 2009 calendar produced by the New York State Recreation and Park Society.

The aerial photograph shows the facility’s athletic fields and the building that includes exercise and meeting rooms. The Ramapo River can be seen looping past the grounds.

The February page of the calendar shows last year’s winter carnival inside the community center building.

Venturing farther afield, there are photos of parks and nature preserves from around the state including ones in Garden City, Rye, New Rochelle, Yonkers, Rochester and LaFargeville.

The 23rd annual Tri-State International Auto Show will be held at the Rockland Community College Fieldhouse, 145 College Road in Ramapo starting Friday. Admission is $8 for adults, $3 for kids 10 to 15, and kids under 10 can come in free. Here are the times:

Friday, from 2 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information on the show, click here.

UPDATE: Legislator Wolfe sent me an email this morning (01/20/09) saying he wanted to “clarify something.”

From the email, verbatim: “You mentioned that I didn’t want to hold a public meeting. That’s not entirely accurate, as both the committee meeting and full Legislature are public meetings and all are entitled to attend and be heard. What I said was that I wasn’t going to hold a public hearing, which is a much different thing.”

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:

When the Rockland Legislature meets tomorrow, it is likely to consider a resolution calling for the government body to recognize Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. The measure has been proposed by Legislator Alden Wolfe, D-Suffern.

Hamas governs Gaza, where fighting began Dec. 27 after Israel launched an air attack and followed with a land invasion. A cease fire was agreed upon by the two sides Sunday. Israel said it attacked Gaza to get at Hamas terrorists, which have been firing rockets onto Israel. Hamas was democratically elected by the Palestinian people, but Israel, the U.S. and other nations consider it a terror organization.

Wolfe is among those strongly opposed to Hamas. He outlines his reasons in a proposed resolution that is 3-plus pages long.

But he’s meeting up with opposition from those who say the resolution is unfair and one-sided.

Alan Levin, of Nyack, has created an online petition so like-minded Rocklanders can voice their view on the resolution. He, and others, want the measure to be voted down or postponed until all the issues regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be discussed in a public forum.

Levin, who also wonders if it is county government’s role to pass a resolution regarding another nation’s foreign policy, has also written to the Legislature to express his views.

So far, Wolfe says he won’t hold a public meeting.

The Legislature meets at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Allison-Parris County Office Building, 11 New Hempstead Road in New City. The public can speak on the resolution. Sign up when you arrive for the meeting. Each person gets up to two minutes.

Keep reading for the full texts of Wolfe’s resolution and Levin’s letter to the Legislature. We’ll also have a story in The Journal News and on LoHud.com later.

I have had some trouble getting Legislator Alden Wolfe’s resolution to post below a break line. Dang ghosts in the machine again. So I’m posting it here.

THIS IS LEGISLATOR ALDEN WOLFE’S RESOLUTION, VERBATIM. ALTHOUGH IT STATES THAT IT IS A DRAFT, WOLFE SAID TODAY THAT IT IS THE RESOLUTION THAT WILL GO BEFORE LEGISLATORS TUESDAY.

DRAFT

Introduced by: Referral No.
Hon. Alden H. Wolfe, Sponsor

RESOLUTION NO. OF 2009
EXPRESSING THE ROCKLAND COUNTY LEGISLATURE’S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL, RECOGNIZING ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST ATTACKS FROM GAZA, AND SUPPORTING THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS

WHEREAS, Hamas was founded with the stated goal of destroying the State of Israel; and
WHEREAS, Hamas has been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; and
WHEREAS, Hamas has refused to comply with the Quartet’s (the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations) requirements that Hamas recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence, and agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians; and
WHEREAS, in June 2006, Hamas illegally crossed into Israel, attacked Israeli forces, and kidnapped Corporal Gilad Shalit, whom they continue to hold today; and
WHEREAS, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets and mortars against Israeli population centers since 2001, and has launched more than 6,000 such rockets and mortars since Israel withdrew its civilian population and its military from Gaza in 2005; and
WHEREAS, Hamas has increased the range and payload of its rockets, reportedly with support from Iran and others, putting hundreds of thousands of Israelis in danger of rocket attacks from Gaza; and
WHEREAS, Hamas locates elements of its terrorist infrastructure in civilian population centers, thus using innocent civilians as human shields; and
WHEREAS, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement on December 27, 2008, that “We strongly condemn the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the cease-fire and for the renewal of violence there”; and
WHEREAS, on December 27, 2008, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, “For approximately seven years, hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens in the south have been suffering from missiles being fired at them . . . In such a situation we had no alternative but to respond. We do not rejoice in battle but neither will we be deterred from it. . . .The operation in the Gaza Strip is designed, first and foremost, to bring about an improvement in the security reality for the residents of the south of the country”; and
WHEREAS, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including shortages of food, water, electricity, and adequate medical care, is becoming more acute; and
WHEREAS, Israel has facilitated humanitarian aid to Gaza with hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian assistance and numerous ambulances entering the Gaza Strip since the current round of fighting began on December 27, 2008;
WHEREAS, on January 6, 2009, before the United Nations Security Council, Secretary Rice stated that: “The situation before the current events in Gaza was clearly not sustainable. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis lived under the daily threat of rocket attack, and frankly, no country, none of our countries, would have been willing to tolerate such a circumstance. Moreover, the people of Gaza watched as insecurity and lawlessness increased and as their living conditions grew more dire because of Hamas’s actions which began with the illegal coup against the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. . .A ceasefire that returns to those circumstances is unacceptable and it will not last”; and
WHEREAS, the ultimate goal of the United States is a sustainable resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will ensure the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and a viable, independent, and democratic Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel; and
WHEREAS, the Committee has met, considered and by a vote approved this resolution; now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Rockland County Legislature hereby:

(1) expresses vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and recognizes its right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against Hamas’s unceasing aggression, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter;

(2) reiterates that Hamas must end the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence, agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, and verifiably dismantle its terrorist infrastructure;

(3) encourages the federal administration to work actively to support a durable and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza, as soon as possible, that prevents Hamas from retaining or rebuilding its terrorist infrastructure, including the capability to launch rockets and mortars against Israel, and thereby allowing for the long-term improvement of daily living conditions for the people of Gaza;

(4) believes strongly that the lives of innocent civilians must be protected to the maximum extent possible, expresses condolences to innocent Palestinian and Israeli victims and their families, and reiterates that humanitarian needs in Gaza should be addressed promptly and responsibly;

(5) calls on our State officials to join our Federal officials in:

(A) condemning Hamas for deliberately embedding its fighters, leaders, and weapons in private homes, schools, mosques, hospitals, and otherwise using Palestinian civilians as human shields, while simultaneously targeting Israeli civilians; and

(B) laying blame both for the breaking of the ‘calm’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas;

(6) supports and encourages efforts to diminish the appeal and influence of extremists in the Palestinian territories, and strengthen moderate Palestinians who are committed to a secure and lasting peace with Israel;

(7) calls on Egypt to intensify its efforts to halt smuggling between Gaza and Egypt and affirms the willingness of the United States to continue to assist Egypt in these efforts;

(8) calls for the immediate release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been illegally held in Gaza since June 2006; and

(9) reiterates its strong support for a just and sustainable resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict achieved through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in order to ensure the welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and a viable, independent, and democratic Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel.

RESOLVED, that the Clerk to the Legislature be and is hereby authorized and directed to send a certified copy of this resolution to Barack Obama, President of the United States; Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Secretary of State; Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, United States Ambassador to the United Nations; Gabriela Shalev, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations; Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the United States; Consul General Asaf Shariv and Deputy Consul General Benjamin Krasna of the Office of the Consul General in New York; Hon. Charles Schumer, United States Senator; Hon. Eliot Engel, Hon. Nita Lowey and Hon. John Hall, Members of the United States Congress, New York State Governor David A. Paterson; Hon. Thomas P. Morahan, New York State Senator, Hon. Kenneth P. Zebrowski, Jr., Hon. Ellen C. Jaffee, Hon. Nancy Calhoun, and Ann G. Rabbitt, Members of the New York State Assembly; the President Pro Tem of the New York State Senate; the Speaker of the New York State Assembly; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the New York State Senate and Assembly; and to such other persons as the Clerk, in his discretion, may deem proper in order to effectuate the purpose of this resolution

So to be fair, I’m also posting Alan Levin’s letter to the County Legislature above the break line.

THIS IS ALAN LEVIN’S LETTER TO THE ROCKLAND COUNTY LEGISLATURE, VERBATIM.

To: All Rockland County Legislators:
Regarding: The Proposed Resolution “In Support of Israel…..”I respectfully request that this proposed resolution be voted down or at least postponed during which time a respectful and more meaningful resolution can be prepared (if it is decided there needs to be one at all).

The situation in the middle east and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people is long and very complex. It is not the place of the Rockland County Legislature to vote on a summary of its history, especially one that tells only one side of the story. The history presented in the resolution represents only those points used by the Israeli government to justify its recent actions in Gaza. As in all conflicts, there are very compelling facts and analyses that tell a very different story. It is unfair and, in fact, destructive, to present only one view as true.

There is no mention of any of the narrative from the Israeli peace movement let alone the Palestinian point of view. Many Jewish organizations oppose the Israeli military action both on humanitarian grounds and because they feel it further jeapordizes the safety and future of the Israeli people. Just as many (most?) people in Rockland County oppose the U.S. actions in Iraq and do so because of humanitarian concerns and because they believe that such military adventures are hurtful to U.S. interests, many Jews and Israelis oppose Israel’s resort to the current massive violence.

The following issues are only a short list of important facts and issues that are very related to what is now going on. My point here is not to argue that these are true and the other wrong. Only that it is not helpful to pass a resolution that ignores these things that are part of the conflict. There is no account in the County Resolution of 40 years of Occupation of Palestinian territory, thousands of prisoners held without trial (many tortured), targeted assassinations during the cease fire periods (that kill family members and neighbors), home demolitions, increasing the size and number of settlements, the blockade of basic food, medicine and fuel, checkpoints that prevent people from going to school and hospitals, the ongoing billions of dollars a year in military supplies by the U.S. to one side of the conflict, ongoing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Such one-sided resolutions only serve to increase the level of violence and give support to the right-wing views both in this country and Israel that have contributed to so much of the crisis.

For your consideration, please read the resolution at the end of this message, passed by an inter-faith network from the Boston area, comprising religious leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths.

I fully understand and appreciate the fears and concerns that motivate the resolution placed before you. As an American Jewish man, I have deep feelings for the people of the region. I ask you, for that very reason, to consider the actual intention and effect of whatever resolution you pass.
Respectfully,
Alan Levin
Nyack

P.S. A short petition, posted less than two days ago, has already gathered over 50 signatures of Rockland County residents.
“The undersigned feel very strongly that the currently drafted resolution before the Rockland County Legislature regarding the conflict in Israel/Palestine is one-sided and promotes further misunderstanding and inflames conflict rather than peace and justice. We ask that any decision be postponed and a public meeting be held to discuss drafting a resolution that truly represents support for peace and justice.”
————(The following resolution of an interfaith group, could easily be changed to say “We Members of the Rockland County Legislature, having deep and symbolic” ……)
We, members and leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities in Greater Boston – all having deep and symbolic ties to the land and peoples of the Middle East – are anguished by the events unfolding in Israel and Gaza. Recognizing the legitimate needs of all peoples, including all those living in the Middle East , for dignity, peace, safety and security ñ- regardless of religion, race, or national origin—we issue this joint statement with the hope and belief that our interfaith voices will be heard clearly, above the din of war.

As guiding principles,
• We acknowledge the long, complex, and painful history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

• We acknowledge the wide range of deeply-held beliefs, and intensely-felt narratives on all sides

• We acknowledge that all sides are capable of assigning blame to others, and asserting justification for their cause

• We observe that violence by any side begets more violence, hatred, and retaliation

• We deplore any invocation of religion as a justification for violence against others, or the deprivation of the rights of others

• We decry any use of inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes the other and is intended, or is likely, to promote hatred and disrespect

• We believe the conflict can be resolved only through a political and diplomatic solution and not a military one.

In the face of many competing narratives, we recognize that the overriding common need of the peoples of the region is the prompt implementation of a just and lasting peace. Toward that end, and particularly in response to the current hostilities,

• We call upon the United States and the international community immediately to intercede to help reestablish a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, toward the goal of a permanent cessation of hostilities

• We call upon Hamas immediately to end all rocket attacks on Israel, and upon Israel immediately to end its military campaign in Gaza

• We call for an immediate end to all strikes on civilian centers and citizens, both Israeli and Palestinian

• We call for lifting of the blockade on Gaza as to all non-military goods, for an immediate and significant increase in humanitarian aid to address the needs of the people of Gaza , and for all parties involved to join in taking responsibility to address those human needs

• We call on all parties involved in the conflict to work sincerely and vigorously toward a just and lasting peace that addresses and promotes the national aspirations of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples

• We call on President-elect Obama to make clear that as President he will urgently assert US leadership to achieve a comprehensive diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts
Through this joint statement we affirm our commitment to engage with one another, even, and especially, during times of great stress. We also affirm our common humanity and our common belief – as Jews, Muslims and Christians – that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must cease, that there is no military or violent solution, that all human life is valued, and that all parties must cooperate to make the peace – a just and lasting peace desperately needed and deserved by all the peoples of the region.

Signed:

Salwa Abd-Allah, Executive Council, Muslim American Society of Boston
(MAS Boston ), Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC)
Tariq Ali, President, Harvard Islamic Society
Hossam AlJabri, President, MAS Boston-ISBCC; Trustee, Interreligious Center for Public Life (ICPL)
Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, President, United Church of Christ Mass. Conference

Abdul Cader Asmal, Past President, Islamic Council of New England and Islamic Center of Boston ; Trustee ICPL

Rabbi Al Axelrad, Hillel Director Emeritus, Brandeis University

Diane Balser, Executive Director, Brit Tzedek víShalom
Dorothy C. Buck, Ph.D., Director, Badaliya
Rev. Nick Carter, Ph.D., President, Andover Newton Theological School
Dris Djermoun, President, Islamic Center of Boston (Wayland)
Diana L. Eck, Professor, Harvard University
Imam Talal Eid, Islamic Institute of Boston ; Chaplain Brandeis University
Ashraf Elkerm, Board Chairman, Islamic Center of Greater Worcester
Rev. Dr. Terasa G. Cooley, Unitarian Universalist Mass. Bay District Executive
Mercedes S. Evans, Esq., Committee on Contemporary Spiritual & Public Concerns (CSPC Committee) (Civil Rights)

Imam Abdullah Faruuq, Imam, Mosque for the Praising of Allah (Roxbury)
Michael Felsen, President, Boston Workmen’s Circle
Lisa Gallatin, Executive Director, Boston Workmen’s Circle
Zekeriyya Gemici, President, MIT Muslim Students Association
Rabbi David Gordis
Rabbi Arthur Green, Rector, Rabbinical School, Hebrew College , Newton
Rev. Raymond G. Helmick, S.J., Instructor, Conflict Resolution, Boston College
Arnold Hiatt
Rev. Jack Johnson, Executive Director, MCC
M. Bilal Kaleem, Executive Director, MAS Boston-ISBCC
Anwar Kazmi, Executive Council, MAS Boston-ISBCC
Alexander Kern, Executive Director, Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries
Nabeel Khudairi, Past President, Islamic Council of New England
Idit Klein, Executive Director, Keshet
Margie Klein, Co-Director, Moishe/Kavod House
Mary Lahaj, Muslim Chaplain, Simmons College

Geoffrey Lewis
Imam Taalib Mahdee, Imam, Masjid Al-Quran, ( Dorchester )
Rev. Bert Marshall, Church World Service, New England Director
Jerome D. Maryon, Esq., President, CSPC Committee
Michael J. Moran, Pax Christi Massachusetts
Sister Jane Morrissey, SSJ, Pax Christi Massachusetts
Merrie Najimy, President, American Arab Anti-discrimination Committee, MA
Imam Khalid Nasr, Imam, ICNE-Quincy
Imam Basyouni Nehela, Imam, Islamic Society of Boston
Rashid Noor, President, Islamic Center of New England
Rabbi Sara Paasche-Orlow
Rabbi Barbara Penzner, Temple Hillel B’nai Torah
Rev. Rodney L. Petersen, Ph.D., Executive Director, Boston Theological Institute
Dr Asif Rizvi, President-Elect, Islamic Council of New England
Rabbi Victor Reinstein, Nehar Shalom
Rev. Anne Robertson, Executive Director, Massachusetts Bible Society
Qasim Salimi, President, Boston University Muslim Students Association
Robert M. Sarly, Trustee, ICPL

Rev. Mikel E. Satcher, Ph.D., Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church
Professor Adam Seligman, Boston University
Rabbi Sanford Seltzer, Chair, ICPL
Enid Shapiro, Trustee, ICPL
Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, Episcopal Bishop, Diocese of Massachusetts
Alan Solomont
Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek

Rev. John K. Stendahl, Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Newtons
Sidney Topol
Rabbi Andrew Vogel, Temple Sinai
Peter D. Weaver, Bishop, United Methodist Church , Boston Area

(Organizational affiliations for identification purposes only)

See also:

http://www.masboston.org/index.php?

action=view&id=130&module=newsmodule&src=%40random41940a897e943

http://bostonstandswithgaza.blogspot.com/

Hey, if it were up to most of us, we’d probably just skip the whole tax thing.

But the state has this thing about getting its revenue, and on time, too!

This year, due to the massive financial challenges now facing the Empire State, the state Department of Taxation will not be mailing any personal income tax forms and instructions to residents.

It will, instead, send out postcards with instructions as to how you can get the forms and instructions. The possibilities include visiting www.nystax.gov and local libraries.

Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski has sent out a news release to bring tax filers up to date. He said the Taxation Department estimates that fewer than 5 percent of New Yorkers use the mailed forms, opting instead to use a paid preparer or software. By skipping the mailing, Zebrowski said, the department also estimates it can save $1 million in printing and postage.

If you have a problem getting the materials you need to file your state taxes, Zebrowski said you can call him at 845-634-9791. The offer is good for any Rockland resident, not just those in his district, he said.

Gov. David Paterson may or may not know who he’s naming to fill Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate seat, but he apparently does know good food.

The gov decided to catch a meal at Restaurant X in Congers last night, arriving about 6 or 6:30 p.m. and staying most of the evening, according to Colleen Scollin, the well-regarded eatery’s main hostess.

Scollin described Paterson as a nice guy who shook hands with patrons and posed for pictures after he finished his meal. Of course, finishing up took a while because Restaurant X, owned by chef Peter Kelly, kept bringing out different dishes for him and his guest to sample. He was there with a lady, but Scollin wasn’t sure of her identity, and “lots of body guards,” she said.

“It was so exciting,” Scollin said. “He was the nicest man.”

A local motorcycle group of correction officers raised $5,500 for Matt Lupo of Stony Point, who was partially paralyzed during a pool accident five years ago.

The Turnkeys of Rockland LEMC held a benefit Thursday at  Noel’s, Route 9W, Stony Point. They raised money to help Lupo buy new exercise equipment for his home to help him continue with his physical therapy, acupuncture, pool therapy,  and other needs, member Darlene Babcock said.

The group’s 50/50 raffle raised $6,800 – of which $3,400.00 went to Lupo, Babcock said. The door prize raffle raised $1,600 and the 50/50 winner, Tommy K. Larkin, donated $500.00 from his winnings to Lupo.

The officers of The Turnkeys are: Clint Halstead, president; George Barbera Jr., vice president; Gordon Heller, secretary; Paul Orbacz, treasurer; and Al Fagan, sergeant at arms. Other members include Darlene Babcock, Paul Allison, Dan Dworkin, Erica Marino, Freddy Perez, and John Cocuzza.

Matt Lupo, a 1998 North Rockland High School graduate, broke a vertebra in his spine and suffered a bruised spinal cord after hitting his head on the bottom of a swimming pool at a friend’s home in New Jersey. The injury left him paralyzed from the waist down and with limited movement in his arms and hands.

Lupo and his family has been supported by the community since he was injured. Back in 2003,  his friends held a fund-raiser at Don’s Neighborhood Grill in Stony Point to help pay for the modifications to their 1959 Cape Cod home. The Lupos raised their four sons in he house.

No one will confuse the nightlife in Suffern with Manhattan. And NV bar – the former Mountain Valley Brew Pub and Green Room – will not replace the chic clubs of New York City.

That doesn’t mean the neighborhood tavern can’t attract a little celebrity.

In this case, the celebrity was singer-actress Hayden Panettiere, who grew up in the Orangetown community of Palisades and was visiting from the West Coast during the Christmas holidays. The actress, who began appearing in commercials at 11 months and has been acting since she was 5, now has a role in the NBC television series, “Heroes.”

Panettiere ended up visiting the NV bar on Dec. 23 to see a member of the Joe Turco band and calling the Suffern police when a bouncer took her identification. She’s 19 and cannot legally drink in New York.

She told them she wanted to discuss music collaborations with the band member. She went in the side door, because she told police she didn’t want to cause a stir or be mobbed at the front door.

Anyway, the bouncer found her and proofed her.  He gave her the boot for being underage, but kept her driver’s license/identification card, police said. He shouldn’t have kept her ID card and she was correct to ask for it back, Suffern Detective Craig Long said.

To get her ID back, Panettiere called 911 – her call going to the Mahwah police, who sent it to Suffern. Police went to the nightclub.

“She had a valid driver’s license,” Long said. “He takes it and doesn’t give it back. He says it’s fraudulent. She’s  going back to California and rightfully so wants her identification back.”

Long said he never heard of Panettiere, but the only television he watches is the History channel. (He is the town and village historian)

“The only Hayden I know is the Planetarium (in New York City),” Long joked. “From what the officer said you would never know she was a celebrity. She acted like a regular person and was very nice and polite.

Panettiere also has involved with Kohl’s Cares for Kids and the department store chain “Candie’s” spokeswoman.

One officer on the scene, Lou Venturini, the K-9 officer whose police partner is named Hero.

Panettiere’s Suffern adventure was important enough to be picked up by the celebrity-gossip magazines and Websites like TMZ ( www.tmz.com/2009/01/13/hayden-underage-hero/ )which has documented events in her life, from boyfriends and family controversies  to buying a house in California.

For more information on Panettiere, one can google her name.

Laurence Holland, who worked extensively on local campaign efforts for Barack Obama, will be among a group of 100-plus people headed to Washington, D.C., for Tuesday’s inauguration.

In an email today, Holland said the Rockland County Grassroots Volunteers for Barack Obama has chartered two buses and will head off to the festivities at 2 a.m. Tuesday, and return late the same day.

“During the campaign, I had told the group that if Barack Obama wins we will be in Washington for the inauguration,” Holland wrote. “Well, true to my word, we are going to DC for the big day.”

The group doesn’t have tickets to the actually swearing in ceremony, but hopes to catch a glimpse of the new president during the parade up Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Capitol to the White House.

Holland said local elected officials had secured one-day inaugural Metro passes to allow visitors unlimited access to public transportation. Each will also be given a map of the D.C. area and the schedule of events.

Photo: Laurence Holland, of Spring Valley, and Kris Burns, of Nyack, who worked to get Obama Barack elected president, will be in Washington, D.C., Tuesday for the inauguration. Holland will join a group traveling by bus while Burns will meet up with everyone later. I grabbed this shot in Nyack in September.

A fundraiser is being held tomorrow night for Matt Lupo of Stony Point, who was  partially paralyzed in an accident five years ago.

The Turnkeys of Rockland LEMC, a newly established motorcycle group consisting of correction officers, is sponsoring the benefit from 6 to 9 p.m. at Noel’s, Route 9W, Stony Point.

Lupo needs new exercise equipment for his home to help him continue with his physical therapy, acupuncture, pool therapy,  and other needs, member Darlene Babcock wrote.

There will be a 50/50 raffle, door prizes and a DJ to help raise these funds for him.  The drawings will begin at 8 p.m.

The officers of The Turnkeys are: Clint Halstead, president; George Barbera Jr., vice president; Gordon Heller, secretary; Paul Orbacz, treasurer; and Al Fagan, sergeant at arms. Other members include Darlene Babcock, Paul Allison, Dan Dworkin, Erica Marino, Freddy Perez, and John Cocuzza.

Town clerk David Carlucci is savvy with the Internet. He was at Rockland Country Day School a couple of evening ago to talk to parents about Internet safety for their kids.

He addressed dangers that put children at risk every time they go online, including online enticement, children accessing inappropriate Web sites and cyber bullying. His presentation also gave an overview of e-mail, instant messaging, blogs and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Any parent who is interested in the issue can access the power point program Carlucci used. It’s available at www.clarkstownclerk.com.

Random graffiti scrawled on the outsides of stores in the Nanuet area has some local residents and businesses upset. Our photographer was in the area this afternoon and took pictures. It’s mostly in the area around Middletown Road and Prospect.

Charlene Margiotta, who owns Children’s Art Design Studio, said there was some graffiti outside her store and on the walls of some building. She plans to have it cleaned but has concerns about the expense. This is the first time she has seen anything like this in the area before.

So far nobody appears to have reported it to the police. Clarkstown police said they hadn’t received any complaints about graffiti from that area in the last few days

“We’re used to seeing bad things happen. What will the police do?” Margiotta said.

A resident attending a Town Board meeting last month suggested that Planning Board meetings begin a bit earlier than the customary 8:15 p.m. The Zoning Board of Appeals, by the way, starts its meetings at the same time.

One regular attendee of such meetings, a lawyer who represents clients before the boards, recalled that the 8:15 p.m. time began many years ago when a majority of the board members worked out of town. That’s apparently not the case anymore.

So, would earlier meetings be better for everyone? How about a 7:30 p.m. starting time? If the boards kept up the same pace to get through their agendas, everyone could be packing for home at least 45 minutes earlier.

In neighboring Clarkstown, Planning Board meetings begin at 7 p.m. and zoning board meetings at 8 p.m.

Why not give earlier meetings a try in Ramapo?

County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, has named the leaders of the legislature’s main committees.

• Legislator Ilan Schoenberger, D-Wesley Hills, is back as chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, a post he’s held since 2005. 

• Legislative Majority Leader Michael Grant, D-Garnerville, continues to chair the Economic Development Committee.

• Legislator Robert Jackson, D-Nanuet, will chair the Planning & Public Works Committee.

• Legislator Connie Coker, D-South Nyack, will return as chair of the Environmental Committee.

• Legislator Alden Wolfe, D-Suffern, has been reappointed chair of the Government Operations Committee.

• Legislator Jay Hood, D-Haverstraw, will remain chair of the Public Safety Committee.

• Legislator William Darden, D-Hillcrest, who is the legislature’s vice chairman, will chair the Rules Committee. 

• Legislator Philip Soskin, D-Monsey, will return as chairman of the Multi Services Committee.

Photos: above, Schoenberger; right, Darden.

Read more, including short descriptions of what the committees focus on, below.

Rockland County legislators Ed Day, R-New City, Frank Sparaco, R-Valley Cottage, and Joseph Meyers, D-Airmont, have sent a letter to federal officials to express their support of Israel’s efforts to “secure its borders and make its citizens safe from repeated rocket attacks launched by Hamas against innocent civilians.”

In a statement issued today, Sparaco said, “Hamas has initiated numerous acts of aggression against Israel, including crossing its borders to kidnap soldiers and commit other horrendous acts.”

Day said, “Rocklanders and all American citizens should see that this issue affects all of us as the Hamas mentality is no different than those who flew planes into the World Trade Center and killed nearly 3000 innocent people.”

Meyers said, “No independent country in the world would be expected to endure such aggression against its borders and its residents without taking steps necessary to end aggression from such acts of terrorism.

Photos: above, Sparaco; right, Day; left, Meyers.

Read the entire press release and a copy of the letter sent by the legislators below. Both are verbatim.

State Senator Thomas Morahan, R-New City, will be sworn in for a sixth term during a ceremony that starts at Goodwin D. Katzen Early Childhood Education Center at Jawonio, 155 Phillips Hill Road in New City.

Acting Supreme Court Justice William K. Nelson will administer the oath of office.

Several guests will also perform: the Suffern High School Chamber Orchestra, the Ramapo High School Dance Company,  Rockland resident Shelby Yamin of the Manhattan School of Music, Gianna Policastro from Little Tor Elementary School in New City,  the Eclectic Violins, the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hiberians’ Pipe Band, and the New York
State Police Color/Honor Guard.

State Mental Health Commissioner Michael F. Hogan, who has worked with Morahan in his capacity as chairman of the Senate’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee, will deliver keynote remarks.

Morahan represents the 38th Assembly District, which includes all of Rockland and the towns of Tuxedo and Warwick in Orange County.

The Senate job pays about $80,000 annually.

The village was expecting to begin advertising soon for a Department of Public Works chief, a job that’s been vacant for about a year.

I was wondering how residents – the taxpayers – feel about this. Do they think the village should save the money that would be spent on the position, or should it be filled? Have you noticed any change in services?

I was wondering if folks have been applying to adopt the dogs that were rescued from a Wesley Hills home on Dec. 23.

They’re being kept at the Hudson Valley Human Society’s facility off Quaker Road in northern Ramapo. About 20 or so at last count.