Rockland County Times

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NYC Fireboat John D. McKean Sails to Final Location A fireboat with a history of saving lives sailed off to its final destination on June 23. The McKean fireboat, built in 1954, is famous for its role in rescuing 9/11 victims in 2001, as well as passengers of the U.S. Airways Flight 1549, dubbed the Miracle on the Hudson, in 2009. It will now rest at Pier 25, serving as a museum for those who wish to learn about the ship’s role in those historic events. The boat is named aft...er Marine Engineer John D. McKean, who was killed by a live steam explosion aboard the McClellan in 1953. Tracy Conte, daughter of New York City Fire Department Lieutenant Harry Wanamaker, helped lead the McKean’s restoration, which took an estimated four years. A lot of the people you see on board today have been working on it for the last four years, said Conte. Full story at the link below!

BREAKING: Spring Valley Village Hall Raided by State Police

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Health Dept. Announces Covid-19 Vaccine Registration for Phase 1B Essential Workers By: Jennifer Korn The Rockland County Department of Health (RCDOH) received 700 new doses of the Covid-19 Moderna vaccine allotted for phase 1b essential workers and will open up registration at 4:00 P.M. this afternoon. The department stated in a release that it does not expect the registration to be open for very long. ... Phase 1b essential workers can make an appointment by visiting: http://rcklnd.us/covid19 We will continue to look for ways to improve our local response, will keep fighting to bring more vaccine to Rockland and we will not stop until all of you who want the vaccine get the vaccine, said County Executive Ed Day. Click the link below for more information.

This will serve as an update of the winter snow storm as of 11:00AM Tuesday February 2, 2021. Unofficially it appears that we received between 22 and 24 inches ...of snow within the Town. The Clarkstown Highway Department are currently doing curb to curb clearing and salting of all town roads. The roads are in pretty good shape black in many areas but we ask you to stay home and off the roads as the clean up continues. A few items to note about the storm and what is going on with the clean up. First, we had approximately a dozen minor accidents in the town during the storm none major. We did have one resident out of power yesterday. This morning a local warehouse business in West Nyack is out of power the privately owned transformer blew and is being addressed by O&R and private contractors as we speak. The Mini-Trans bus service resumed at 10:00AM this morning. Recycling and garbage were again suspended today, but we have make up days scheduled for recycling only. For those who have Monday recycling pick-up the make up day is now Thursday; for those with recycling scheduled for today (Tuesday) the make up day is Friday. There is no make up day for garbage collection. We do have one road closure, Casper Hill from Kings Highway to Route 303. Also a very important caution. One of the photos on this post shows a two street intersection in Nanuet where snow is piled high on the side of the road. YOU SHOULD APPROACH EVERY INTERSECTION WITH CAUTION GIVEN THESE TYPE CONDITIONS. This is especially true in local neighborhoods at intersections without stop signs. You may find sight distance issues so approach these areas with caution. We will address these one by one but these conditions exist everywhere not just in the town but across the Tri-State area. Further, you should also be aware that many people have driveway sight distance issues as snow may be piled high at the ends of driveways so go slow driving on residential streets. So what happens next? We are also clearing the twelve commuter parking lots in the town. Next, we will start to work over the next two to three days to clear the 45 miles of sidewalks in the town. Additionally, we will be working to clear the 70 bus shelters around the town. We will make determinations in the coming hours and days about potential removal of snow drifts in our downtown areas. Finally, my deep gratitude to Bob Milone Superintendent of Highways- Clarkstown and all the men and women of our Clarkstown Highway Department. These folks have been working straight through on consecutive sixteen hour shifts. When they do take a break it is short in duration and they are back at it so we are so grateful for a job well done. Most of these folks have had four hour sleep breaks only meaning they have had no more than eight hours sleep in two days. They will be going all day today as well so thank them if you see them out and about--even if it is only a thumbs up as they are on your street. Special thanks to our cul de sac crew town maintenance staff Town Hall and Main Street New City are looking good. Also while the vast majority of people were home our local ambulance corps including New City Volunteer Ambulance Corps; Nanuet Community Ambulance Corps.; Congers-Valley Cottage Volunteer Ambulance Corps; Nyack Community Ambulance Corps who all cover our town were on the job. Likewise so were our paramedics and EMS from Rockland Paramedic Services. All of our fire houses had folks at the ready and we did have calls during the storm. We cannot say thank you enough. Last to Chief McCullagh and the men and women of the Clarkstown Police Department and the emergency management folks who managed the storm and provided detailed briefings for all of us.-well done. I will post an update late today or this evening. Again please stay home if you can as the clean up continues.

Throwback Thursday: Take a look at our coverage of the Spanish Flu Pandemic from over a century ago!

Rep. Mondaire Jones Introduces Bill to Bring Tax Relief to Westchester and Rockland By: Jennifer Korn On Friday, Jan. 19, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D) took a big step toward fulfilling one of his campaign promises. Jones introduced the SALT Deductibility Act, a bill that would provide tax relief for Rockland and Westchester families and remove former president Donald Trump’s $10,000 cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction.... Donald Trump cut taxes for billionaires and big corporations and paid for it on the backs of hardworking families in Westchester and Rockland Counties, where we pay the highest property taxes in the entire nation, said Jones. That must change. Restoring the SALT deduction is a necessary first step to creating an equitable tax system one where we put money back in the pockets of working people. In addition to removing the $10,000 cap, the SALT Deductibility Act would also allow New York residents to fully deduct their state and local taxes from their federal taxes, and bring direct relief to Jones’ constituents, who pay the highest property taxes of any Congressional District in the nation. Click the link for the full story.

County Executive's Corner: Rockland Is Ready https://www.rocklandtimes.com//county-executives-corner-r/

New York's Attorney General Sounds Alarm on Coronavirus Vaccine Scams https://www.rocklandtimes.com//attorney-general-sounds-al/

DRUG BUST NETS GUNS, DRUGS AND MONEY Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced the execution of two search warrants in a drug investigation... coordinated by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force. The three (3) month long investigation netted four (4) handguns, large amounts of narcotics and more than $19,000 in cash. The narcotics task force initiated this case in September and has been working with multiple police agencies throughout Rockland County since its inception. As a result of the investigation, two search warrants were executed yesterday in the Town of Haverstraw and within the Town of Clarkstown. Based upon the safety concerns executing these high risk search warrants it was deemed essential to utilize the Clarkstown Critical Incident Response Team and the Rockland County REACT team for the respective locations. These highly trained and professional teams were able to execute both of these high risk warrants without injury to anyone involved. Rashaad Harcum, 32, of Central Nyack, NY, was taken into custody at the site of the second search warrant and his residence. A search of the residence revealed: four loaded handguns, approximately 20 grams of cocaine, approximately 16.4 grams of heroin and $19,708.00 in United States Currency. Harcum was charged with Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd (felony), Criminal Possession of Firearm 3rd and 4th (felony) and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd (felony). Rashaad Harcum was arraigned before Town of Clarkstown Justice Court Judge David Ascher who set $10,000.00 bail. He has a return court date of January 22, 2021.. More arrests are imminent. The Rockland County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force consists of members of the DA’s Office as well as, police officers from the Clarkstown Police Department, Orangetown Police Department, and Haverstraw Police Department. The District Attorney would like to thank Supervisor George Hoehmann (Town of Clarkstown), Supervisor Teresa Kenny(Town of Orangetown), Supervisor Phillips (Town of Haverstraw) for allowing police officers from their respective Towns to join this Countywide taskforce. Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh said: Today was a prime example of the great police work from our law enforcement partners in Rockland County. This investigations demonstrates how a united front can produce great results in combatting drug sales and removing dangerous firearms from our streets here in Rockland. I thank all of the Police Departments and Town officials who ensure that we operate as a cohesive unit. We would also like to acknowledge the great work by Supervising ADA Maria Gaston-DeSimone and Narcotic Drug Task Force Director George Lutz from the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office; both of whom led this investigation. * It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Super Bowl LV, The Goat Vs. The Future Goat? Maybe By: John Jastremski Maybe I should’ve learned my lesson.... Maybe I should’ve just known better. However, I go back two years ago when Tom Brady held up the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Rams and I kinda figured, yeah there’s no way he’s winning anymore right? Well, fast forward two years. Oops, I did it again! When it comes to Tom Brady and playing on the biggest stage in sports, never underestimate his chances. In many ways, I will look back on the 2020 season as one of the greatest achievements in a career that to me is the greatest of any single NFL quarterback in the history of the sport. Why? Remember the offseason narratives. Tom Brady left the place he called home for 19 seasons. He left a situation where all he did was win and win consistently. Could he win with a team with a losing record from a year ago? Click the link to read more.

An Extra-Special Reason to Celebrate 2020: Mom’s gift to her teenage daughter literally saved her life https://www.rocklandtimes.com//an-extra-special-reason-to/

Local Legislators Approve State Senator’s Push For Ward Elections for all County School Districts Rockland County Legislators Aron Wieder (D), Itamar Yeger (D) and Phil Soskin (D) have commended Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski and Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick for introducing a bill to the state senate which would allow any school district in Rockland to create wards for school board elections. ... We want to commend Assemblyman Zebrowski and Senator Reichlin-Melnick to finally agreeing to take action in response to what we have been arguing all along, Legislator Wieder said. This is not an East Ramapo problem. It’s a county wide problem. This bill could help mitigate the problem, Legislator Wieder said. Once such a system is put in place, all minority groups, even minority Hasidic communities in other school districts, will have an opportunity to get a seat on the school board in the school districts in which they reside. Click the link for the full story.

If you’re over 65 and retiring, it’s time to look at your Medicare options as your opportunity to enroll in a Medicare plan begins. If you’re losing your current coverage, you may be able to enroll in a Medicare plan today, and you may even be eligible for premiums as low as $0. UnitedHealthcare Agent, Sonia Mawyin-Barrera, is here to answer any questions you may have about AARP Medicare Advantage plans from UnitedHealthcare. ... Your premium could be as low as $0 if you qualify for Extra Help paying for your prescriptions. Read the full article below to find out what these plans may include... https://www.rocklandtimes.com//medicare-advice-from-local/

Rockland commuters anxious about the fate of the Pascack Valley Line can rest easy. On Sunday night, Senator Chuck Schumer announced via Twitter that the latest Covid-19 relief bill will provide funds for the cash-strapped agency and allow the MTA to avoid the devastating budget cuts forecasted during their November board meeting. https://www.rocklandtimes.com//mta-bailed-out-metropolita/

Last Sunday Pear River residents gathered outside of the town’s Hibernian House to celebrate Francis Duffy, a World War Two veteran and proud member of the fraternity. At the request of the organization’s Pearl River chapter, and through the efforts of Councilman Denis Troy and Supervisor Teresa Kenny, the section of Railroad Avenue in front of the American Legion and Hibernian House was renamed Francis T. Duffy Way following a ceremony celebrating Duffy and his service to our country. https://www.rocklandtimes.com//pearl-river-honors-local-v/

Show off your holiday spirit in our next print! Submit a photo of your decorated house to [email protected] by Monday, Dec. 21 and we might feature it!