I stopped by Admiral’s Cove Marina in Haverstraw last week to see some happy faces of North Rockland Rowing Club members: The club held a dedication ceremony of the club’s new dock, which would be used by club members, including North Rockland High School crew team.

I met club members for the first time on Aug. 9, 2005. It was my second day on the job with the Journal News, covering north Rockland.

Members spoke before the Stony Point Town Board, lead by former Supervisor A. Douglas Jobson, and asked about status of their proposal to build a boathouse on a town park.

The club was just established by parents of North Rockland High School crew team members to support the high school crew team.

Parents said that having a boathouse was very important to protect the team’s expensive gears. They were hoping to build it in a location near the Hudson so that children can launch their boats safely and conveniently.

Since then, the project took many unfortunate turns. When a new administration took over the Town Board in January 2006, the plan basically went back to stage zero, as Supervisor Phil Marino and Town Board members expressed their concerns on building a permanent structure for a private club on a town property.

Club members repeatedly told the town that the boathouse would be dedicated to the town so that it would be a part of town property. But the town did not buy the club’s argument, and eventually the project died. Meanwhile, the crew team’s boats on a boat rack left outside of the Fieldstone Secondary School — because they didn’t have a boathouse — were vandalized.

The club’s attempt to place a dock in a Stony Point town park did not go through, either.

But after nearly four years, the club finally found a home in Haverstraw village. Though the club still doesn’t have its own boathouse, they have a dock, which cost about $27,000. Jerry Rodriguez of North Rockland Rowing Club said major part of the cost was covered by the state grant procured by state Sen. Thomas Morahan (R-C, New City). A $5,000 grant sponsored by Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R-C, Blooming Grove) was also used to finance the cost. Rodriguez said the club was hoping to build a boathouse somewhere near the dock, although he didn’t know where yet. Rodriguez said he was grateful that Haverstraw village Mayor Michael Kohut and Ginsburg Development Companies, owner of the marina, stepped up to the plate to help the club and the high school crew team.

Jobson was one of the dignitaries who attended the dedication ceremony, which I arrived too late to see ribbon cutting.

“Jerry invited me down. I’m glad to see they’ve finally got plenty of space to work out,” Jobson said. “It’s been four years.”

The anti-drinking and drug message while driving will  be demonstrated for Fieldstone Secondary School 9th-graders with two mock car crashes on Tuesday at the West Ramapo Road campus.

The volunteer victims will be covered in red – for blood – and trapped inside a crushed car, requiring firefighters to cut open the vehicle. A medical helicopter will land to show how personnel transfer the victims to the hospital. And capping off the lesson will be a Hearst carrying the casket with the victim(s) to the cemetery for burial.

And Fieldstone School Resource Officer Henry Sirakovsky is looking for volunteers, preferably students, to spend time in the casket.

The hour-long simulated crash and responses is to emphasize to students the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol – and an general message  not to drink and use drugs in ny case. Some schools have left a crushed car on the campus as a message.

The mock crash at Fieldstone will be held at 9:50 a.m. and again with a second car at 1:05 p.m. Sirakovsky, who will moderate,  organized the mock crash with school officials and Students Against Destructive Decisions. And the rain date is Thursday.

Two supervisors in North Rockland want to meet the public this Saturday.

Haverstraw town Supervisor Howard Phillips will hold a “meet the supervisor and town elected officials� event from 10 a.m. to noon at the ShopRite store on Route 202 in Garnerville. Residents can bring their questions and concerns related to the town government.

Stony Point Supervisor Phil Marino invites residents to join the “Coffee with the Supervisor” session from 8 to 10 a.m. at Stony Point Town Hall at 74 E. Main St. People can bring their concerns and issues to discuss with Marino. Coffee will be served.

While Marino is having coffee with residents, Stony Point Town Clerk Joan Skinner will open her office for business from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to accommodate residents who cannot make it to her office on weekdays.

I stopped by Haverstraw Center this week, where the Haverstraw Collaborative — a group of local agencies serving the village youth and families — was hosting a week-long event for children during the school break.

When I was visiting, multiple programs — including a knitting class, a group discussion, and exercises — were ongoing, and participating children looked all excited.

Jeanmarie Zubko, counselor at the center, said about 100 children participated in this year’s event. The number had doubled from last year, since said.

Haverstraw Village Mayor Michael Kohut, a supporter of the project, was pleased to see the successful event.

“Kids do enjoy it,” Kohut said. “The more things they get to do, the less chance they get in trouble.”

The children were supposed to celebrate the center’s first anniversary last night as part of the week-long event. But the reception was postponed to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 29 due to the weather.

This podcast features highlight’s from last week’s North Rockland tax forum. The North Rockland Business Alliance hosted the forum, check out what the president of the group and what one resident had to say.

Download:

Link to related article:

North Rockland taxpayers raise their concerns at tax forum

Gobble gobble, I’m back and here with another Week In Review.

Download:

After the break, check out the links to related articles, videos and blogs. Note: These Week In Reviews only show portions of the videos our photo staff puts together, so be sure to view the full videos by clicking the links.

Read more of this entry »

A long-awaited bridge-replacement project at the former Letchworth Village finally started this week.

The bridge on American Legion Way, formerly known as Underpass Road, was condemned in fall 2005 because of structural problems.

The condemnation left the North Rockland school district’s Fieldstone Secondary School and Willow Grove Middle School without an emergency route in or out of the facilities. Employees of the Hudson Valley DDSO, a local division of the state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities located at Letchworth, were trapped in the area when its primary access road for was blocked by storm damage.

I’ll check with the town about the progress of the construction.

Ashley Dechelfin, 18, a senior at North Rockland High School, shares her views in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre. She is the commentary editor for the high school’s monthly newspaper, the Rambling Raider.

Her article after the break… Read more of this entry »

Kenneth P. Zebrowski Jr., son of the late Assemblyman Kenneth P. Zebrowski, announced today that he will seek election to the 94th Assembly District. Assemblyman Zebrowski died March 18 from complications of liver disease less than four months into his second term.

The governor’s office announced today that the special election will be held May 1.

“We care about a lot of the same things,” Zebrowski Jr. said today, noting that he’d like to continue his father’s work on HMO reform and relief for North Rockland taxpayers.
Kenneth P. Zebrowski Jr. on the campaign trail in 2005. Photo by Vincent DiSalvio/The Journal News

Zebrowski Jr. served on the County Legislature for a year in 2005 after being appointed to his father’s old seat when the elder Zebrowski was first elected to the Assembly. The younger Zebrowski then lost his seat in November 2005 to now Legislator Ed Day, R-New City.

Former Clarkstown Town Board Member Ann Marie Smith also said today that she’s interested in running for the position.

Day said he’s received phone calls encouraging him to run also, but is not ready to make a decision yet. But, “I really find all this timing very curious,” he said. “I find it remarkable that these announcements come almost within an hour of each other.”

The governor’s office is expected to announce a date for a special election within the next few days.