Persistence wins a dock for North Rockland crew team
- October
- 22
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.â€
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Kenneth P. Zebrowski Jr. on the campaign trail in 2005. Photo by Vincent DiSalvio/The Journal News
