Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates A man who has been convicted of DWI before is now facing a felony charge after police found him drunk behind the wheel of a car on the shoulder of Interstate 87 in Rockland County The events leading to the arrest began around 7:30 p.m when a trooper on routine patrol saw a vehicle stopped on the left shoulder of the Thruway near mile marker 18.8 in the hamlet of West Nyack the trooper smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Varma’s breath and observed other signs of impairment Varma was asked to get out of the car and perform a sobriety test He was then taken into custody and transported to police headquarters where he refused to submit to a chemical breath test Investigators later determined that Varma had a prior DWI conviction within the last 10 years elevating his new DWI charge to a felony offense He was then issued appearance tickets for the Town of Clarkstown Court and released to a sober third party There are no statistics available for this player There are currently no upcoming/recent events Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here 2025Save this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links While her choice of monochrome white emphasizes the home’s provincial charm all preconceived notions of the countryside aesthetic take a hike interior designer Ghislaine Viñas (left) and husband Jaime Viñas Despite ascribing to no color palette in particular and bearing no loyalty to anything other than the sentimental value of travel souvenirs and furniture already in the family’s possession (chalk the latter up to the mindset of downsizing empty nesters like these former Bucks County residents and parents of two grown daughters) the home looks and feels intentional in all of its whims and weirdness Shop out the look of the house here⤵ Viñas believes that one must possess “a certain amount of audacity” to seek accord among the inherently discordant “I acknowledge that sometimes I like things that are a little freaky,” says Viñas From a vaguely sinister bunny-eared figurine made by a student at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) where Viñas’s youngest daughter goes to school to entryway photographs of life-sized gnomes engaged in horticultural maintenance to a powder room hung with vintage oil-painted portraits of women (“I’ve given them all names like Pamela and Olivia,” says the designer) Viñas considers the eccentric art collection “the soul of the house.” For all of their uneasy gazing and silent discernment artful visages are a key element in the decor Since familiarity is an undisputed hallmark of an inviting home Viñas has included a few faces that are instantly recognizable an interpretive portrait of Abraham Lincoln by SCAD alum Marcus Kenney presides over the kitchen the largest room in the house characterized by tidy black-and-white colorblocking and right angles aplenty a departure from the seeming spontaneity of the rest of the house a multimedia work the homeowners acquired on a trip to Pakistan Girl Without a Pearl Earring by Abid Aslam is a mosaic rendering of the famous Vermeer oil vignette in metal eyelets Against a backdrop of unorthodox palm-green plaid wallpaper the portrait finds solidarity in its spin on a classic but is also a handcrafted foil to the sleek manufacturing Such mashups strike Viñas as “comical,” and she believes that one must possess “a certain amount of audacity” to seek accord among the inherently discordant Though Viñas never intended for the widespread plaid to convey an iota of “stuffy library,” she wasn’t opposed to conjuring a cozy insular feeling suitable for the sylvan setting So while it appears that you can take the plaid out of the study (after all dubbed the “Mad Plaider,” may qualify as a contemptuous take on tartan) “Most interesting to me is to pull from something historic and look at it through a more contemporary lens,” says Viñas or a life-size pig table by Moooi in the entryway To underscore the siren-hued Tom Dixon chairs in the dining room a wall-mounted assemblage of travel souvenirs is obligingly red and comprises a fly-swish procured during a trip to Africa as well as a weathered barber pole that appeals to the designer’s affection for candy striping Viñas’s favorite painting could be considered a mini freak show within the house-wide attraction: On a wood canvas provocatively (and intentionally) shaped like an arched church window Mark Mulroney’s Look That Way depicts a subversive medley of fleshy tree limbs oozing grubs Electric Orange by Benjamin Moore provides the focal point of this guest bath, as the vibrant hue emblazons a vintage Dutch hanging cabinet and creates the appearance of a vanity nook. Purchased in 2022, the home anchors 43 acres of bucolic idyll in the Hudson Valley. Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now Inside Lenny Kravitz’s Regal Paris Refuge Hanging Chairs Are the Ideal Spring Seating Tour a Rhode Island Barn Transformed Into a Studio for Two Artists 19 German Castles That Everyone Should Visit Once in Their Life Inside an Austin Bungalow That’s Part Groovy, Part Grandpa-Chic Where Is Pope Francis’s Funeral and When Will He Be Buried? These Outdoor Daybeds are Perfect for Your Next Alfresco Snooze IKEA Decor Hacks Transform a Paris Office Into a Family Home Coastal Decor Under $300 The Best Mother’s Day Gifts Will Show You Really Care Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of design in your inbox. Rockland County Business Journal Hoping to chip away at the Town of Clarkstown’s concerns over the proposed construction of a 30,000 square-foot building on its property on a town road the Islamic Center of Rockland (ICR) on Saturday is conducting a “viewshed” test to determine whether its proposed structure will disrupt prized vistas ICR’s engineers will erect four red balloons on the corners of the building’s proposed footprint to determine the impact of the 32-foot structure situated at the highest point on Mountainview Avenue in Valley Cottage Local residents opposing the project are asking people to share images of the balloons from different locations But an obstructed viewshed is only one – if not a more minor obstacle – for the ICR which has been trying to build the addition and add 200 legal parking spaces for years the applicant is up against a local law passed in 2016 that says certain permitted “non-residential uses in residential zones often treacherous road that spans from Route 59 to Christian Herald Road The ICR is a religious institution that built a 10,000 square-foot mosque nearly 20 years ago “non-residential uses” in Clarkstown have been strictly limited to state and county roads Mountainview Avenue is a “secondary town road,” on Clarkstown’s official map Breaking with precedent on Mountainview Avenue would have implications townwide for residents and other religious organizations seeking relief from the town’s zoning code Before the Planning Board can greenlight the project the applicant will need to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals because the existing use is already “non-conforming,” and an expansion of that non-conforming use requires zoning and planning approval Although the applicant says: “the use is permitted or allowed by a special or conditional use permit,” that representation runs counter to the provisions in the town’s zoning code which requires a use variance because a non-residential use in not permitted on this piece of property If the Zoning Board of Appeals were to grant a variance it would effectively open residential districts to houses of worship townwide The project also plans “land disturbance” of more than six acres making the proposal a Type I action under SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act); this will force the Planning Board to take a harder look at the environmental impacts of the mountaintop project in the town’s R-160 conservation zone The balloon testing for viewshed disturbance is one of many environmental issues a developer of property on Old Stone Road in Valley Cottage sought a subdivision of about 21 acres for construction of six homes Both plans failed to secure the approvals needed from Clarkstown’s land use boards after a Visual Impact Study revealed that the homes would be visible not only from Hook Mountain—a popular hiking destination—but also from the Hudson River and neighboring municipalities Residents for years have been speaking out against the enormous development proposed by the ICR that will disturb a swath of sensitive ecology at the highest elevation along Mountainview Avenue Those addressing environmental and traffic safety concerns at Planning Board meetings and through correspondences to the town have raised concern over increased traffic on the dangerous serpentine two-lane road additional flooding on a road already challenged with constant runoff an historic trail that runs from the GW Bridge to the Adirondacks With numerous environmental concerns in question including negative impact to wildlife and biodiversity disruption to an historic walking trail and a threat to core forest at a time when climate change is a pressing concern residents say the project clearly calls for deep environmental study – or more technically a “positive SEQRA declaration.” Whether the Clarkstown Planning Board agrees to truly have this site studied objectively by external experts and not just rely on the applicant’s findings than the potential traffic and safety impacts and a dangerously traversed road that sits between Christian Herald Road and Route 59 and the entrance to southbound entrance to I-87 it was recently closed to trucks over three tons (except for local deliveries) the ICR acknowledges its project will result in “a substantial increase in traffic — mornings The Islamic Center of Rockland (ICR) built the mosque two decades ago on land zoned for conservation Through its landowner the Rockland Muslim Trust the mosque is proposing to expand its 10,000 square-foot facility into a far more extensive compound by adding a 1,750 square-foot addition and constructing a two-story masonry building dug into the mountainside Adjacent to this new superstructure are plans for a 17,500 square foot “recreation area” and next to that There is also a proposed addition to the existing building The addition will extend only to the lower level with a floor area of 1,745 square feet which will be used to accommodate more room for students and parents for the Sunday School with no two days and no two schools exactly alike our photographers find what makes our school days anything but ordinary the people and programs and events that make a difference Check back to lohud.com for our lohud in our schools feature each Monday When students come to the STREAM lab at Liberty Elementary School "They're really working on what we feel is so important for kids synthesize it and apply it to solving real world problems," said Francisca White a STREAM teacher at the school in Valley Cottage One thing that makes this class unique is that there are no tests but they're doing it without fear," White said "You're testing yourself with the simple question: Did it work try some of the things they learned on their own "That lets us know that we're definitely reaching them and this is something that's meaningful," White said This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Palisades Mall Is Hosting The Rockland Arts Festival February 9th Don’t Miss: “Steel Magnolias” A Story Of Strength Resilience And Friendship February 7th “The Death Of King Shotaway” A True Story In Celebration Of Black History Month February 1st At Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House “Steel Magnolias” A Story Of Strength Resilience And Friendship “Significant Other” A Funny Bittersweet Rom-Com At The Elmwood Playhouse Nyack January 17th – February 8th Clarkstown High School Seniors Celebrate College Decisions on 2025 Decision Day Lakewood Students Walk the Runway for a Greener Planet CBS Sports Reporter and Clarkstown North Alum Tracy Wolfson Visits Alma Mater Give Back – Donate Gently Used Items and Help Reach 1,000 Bags for a Great Cause A Message From “Dom Togo” New City No One Should Go Hungry – We’re Here to Help Nyack Chamber of Commerce Presents Spring Fest Street Fair April 13th Happy National Puppy Day Shower Your Furry Friend with Love and Consider Adoption American Cancer Society Relay For Life Rockland County Dominican University April 11th Bold Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day March 21st Rockland Community College Your Gateway to a Career in Construction March 27th Free Breast Cancer Screening Montefiore Nyack Hospital May 9th Stay Cool This Summer with HEAP Cooling Assistance – Apply Today Rockland County Legislators Approve Firefighters’ Memorial George Hoehmann Shares Update: West Nyack Road Temporarily Reopened as Project Nears Next Phase PHOTOS: Rockland County Executive Ed Day Hosts Fundraiser Announces Re-Election Bid to Enthusiastic Supporters Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann Announced His Re-Election Campaign New City Attorney Nabeela McLeod Announces Candidacy for Rockland County Family Court Judge Senator Bill Weber Sworn in for a Second Term New City Attorney Nabeela McLeod To Run For Rockland County Family Court Savor the Flavor: Nyack Restaurant Week Returns April 23 – May 1 Turiello’s in Nyack is Celebrating 45 Years in Business Supervisor George Hoehmann Talks Construction At New Site For “Chick-fil-A” In Nanuet Down to Earth Living Is Offering Free Workshops To Get Your Garden Ready For Spring Down To Earth Living The Many Benefits of Indoor Plants for Health Don’t Miss: North Rockland Verse The Harlem Wizards Charity Game May 8th Haverstraw Police Join Forces with Community for Annual Sports and Law Enforcement Day Officer Genito and The Ramapo Police Department Were Honored for Excellence in Impaired Driving Prevention Car Crashes Into Webster Bank in Nanuet for Second Time in Recent Months; No Injuries Reported Rockland County Sheriff’s Marine Unit Upgrades Fleet with New High-Tech Patrol Boat Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and Consumer Protection Joint Investigation Leads to Arrest in Fraud Case Haverstraw Police Department Arrests Pomona Man on Weapon and Drug Charges Stony Point Police Department Needs Your Help in Identifying This Individual Rockland County Teams with NYS Police to Take Down Online Child Traffickers in Bold Operation RCDAO Arrest a New City Man for Possessing a Ghost Gun and High-Capacity Magazines More Than a Game: North Rockland Lacrosse Stands for Mental Health May 3rd Tommy Linehan Makes History with 300th Point Becomes Tappan Zee Lacrosse’s All-Time Leading Scorer Suffern High School Hockey Team Are New York State Champions North Rockland Varsity Girls Bowling Team Capture The Division 1 Championship with Thrilling Final Victory Sacred Heart CYO Girls Basketball Team Wins Rockland County CYO Championship UPDATE: Rockland County Firefighters Headed To Orange County To Assist In Greenwood Lake Wildfire Haverstraw Police Department Responds to Incident Involving Oil Delivery Truck in Pomona Volunteer Firefighters Save New City Home from Fire on Scott Drive Area day spa has a final day of operation set for October The Hudson Valley is home to a variety of beautiful spas that cater to relaxation and wellness. These spas often host wellness events and workshops making them perfect for a day of pampering Whether you’re looking for a full spa day or just a bit of relaxation A day spa offers a variety of services focused on relaxation Guests can enjoy a tranquil environment designed for stress relief Many day spas also offer wellness packages that combine multiple treatments for a comprehensive experience a day spa provides a perfect escape for self-care and rejuvenation without the commitment of an overnight stay One popular spa Wholeness Center in Valley Cottage, NY (Rockland County) has just announced that the business is up for sale and that their last day of operation will be at the end of October. The announcement was made on thier website and socila media Wholeness Center posted a message thanking clintele for their support since 2016 and announcing that they have decided to list the business for sale after much consideration The Final day of business will be October 31 We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your continued support of the Wholeness Center Spa it has been our privilege to provide you with exceptional skincare and wellness services the owners have decided to list Wholeness Center for sale Our last day of operation will be October 31st we ask anyone looking to book an appointment to please call and leave a voicemail with the following information: Your name and if you are looking to book a member service We will be calling you back to book your appointment or place you on the cancellation list Thank you in advance for your understanding We have cherished every moment of serving you and are deeply appreciative of the trust you've placed in us We wish you continued success in your wellness journey The message was left with sadness and disappointment from loyal customers on their Facebook post with one calling the business "a staple in Rockland County" and hoping a viable buyer comes in to support the local business One woman described receieving services at Wholeness Center during cancer treatment and how huch it meant to her Read More One popular spa Wholeness Center in Valley Cottage, NY (Rockland County) has just announced that the business is up for sale and that their last day of operation will be at the end of October. The announcement was made on thier website and socila media 2025 at 9:41 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The apartments are zoned to the Katonah-Lewisboro School District NY — Yet another new chance for renters to combat the affordable housing crisis is here for a lucky few The Housing Action Council announced that Valley Cottage Apartments in the hamlet of Katonah located in the Town of Bedford will have 12 affordable one-bedroom apartments for rent The site is owned by Blue Mountain Valley Road LLC an affiliate of the Blue Mountain Housing Development Corp. There are currently two apartments available and a waitlist is being compiled for when more apartments become available The apartments are offered to those at or below 65 percent of the Westchester County area median income based on household size a one-person household can have a maximum income of $71,078; a two-person household can have a maximum of $81,218; and a three-person household can have a maximum of $91,390 Valley Cottage Apartments are located in four buildings at 123 Valley Road within walking distance to the Metro-North station and downtown Katonah with stores and restaurants The Bee-Line Bus #19 runs nearby with stops between the Katonah train station and the Ossining train station The apartments are zoned to the Katonah-Lewisboro School District The deadline for applications is May 5, 2025. The application can be found here, and additional information about the Valley Cottage Apartments can be found here For additional information, contact the Housing Action Council at 914-332-4144 or at this email address Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A structure fire has forced the closure of a major stretch of Route 59 in Rockland County Tuesday afternoon The scene of the blaze at 103 Route 59 in Central Nyack Route 59 is closed in both directions between Waldron Avenue and Chestnut Street due to a structure fire at 103 Route 59 Police are urging all motorists to avoid the area and seek alternate routes Drivers who must travel nearby are asked to use caution and follow the directions of officers on scene No additional information about the fire or possible injuries was immediately released Clarkstown Police said they will provide updates as conditions evolve Rockland County is under contract to acquire about 21 acres of land off Old Stone Road in Valley Cottage owned by the Blinn Family Trust to preserve as open space The $1.7 million acquisition is dependent upon the Clarkstown Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals approving a subdivision of a larger parcel of land the bulk of which would be sold to the County in the Clarkstown’s R-160 Conservation Zone contains a house owned by the Blinn family The sale follows several failed attempts by the Blinn family to develop the land into a residential subdivision An effort to sell the land to the Town of Clarkstown in January of 2023 also failed The County is purchasing the land to preserve as open space It is adjacent to parkland already owned by the Town of Clarkstown The two parcels contain scenic hiking trails with views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline The Long Path currently skirts the Blinn property and hikers must walk along Christian Herald and then onto Route 9W before entering Rockland Lake State Park property to ascend Hook Mountain “The goal is to reroute a section of the Long Path—a premier 400-mile hiking trail that runs from New York City to the Adirondacks—over West Hook Mountain,” said a spokesperson from the County Executive’s office Plans include moving the Long Path along the south side of Old Stone Road in Valley Cottage then through town-owned land on West Hook Mountain toward Hook Mountain “Finalizing this rerouting will require one additional parcel along Route 9W which is being donated to the Town of Clarkstown by a developer in exchange for zoning changes related to a separate project in New City.” a proposed 100-unit senior housing project with preliminary site approval located on five acres along Route 304 in New City is donating more than eight acres of land to Clarkstown on the west side of Route 9W 700 feet south of Brittany Court in Valley Cottage The donation was made to secure approvals for the development of the New City senior housing project There are several steps that must be completed before the sale can take place The Blinns must appear before the Clarkstown Planning Board for approval on its subdivision plan They must also secure a variance for “maximum development coverage” for the remaining parcel from the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals The donation will leave the Blinns without enough land for the remaining parcel to be zoning compliant buffer zones around existing wetlands on the property need to be mapped and approved by the NYS DEC The DEC has approved changes to its regulations which greatly expanded NYSDEC’s jurisdiction over freshwater wetlands in the state The new regulations affect how the DEC determines the appropriate buffer around the boundaries of areas adjacent to State-regulated freshwater wetlands The new regulations do away with the longstanding NYS Freshwater Wetlands Maps and property owners need to apply to NYSDEC for a jurisdictional determination to ascertain whether their property includes a State-regulated freshwater wetland The determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and a delay in reviewing the plans may delay approval of the subdivision Other acquisitions of open space by the county last year include the $2.9 million purchase of 32 acres at 101 Old Route 304 and about 15 acres along south South Mountain Road in New City for about $1.9 milllion protected and preserved a 1750’s farmhouse and barn and plans include the restoration of more than 10 acres for agricultural use  It also protects vital wetlands that feed into our drinking water source at Lake DeForest The closing on the Blinn property is expected later this spring following the completion of the subdivision process “It became one of those wonderful projects that had a lovely lifespan.” designed by the late Jack Chandler and included in the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens drove many of Tucker’s aesthetic choices for the interiors which was opened into the family room to create one large gathering space she painted the cabinets a soft wheat color and picked a pale green glazed ceramic tile for the backsplash allowing the brightness of the foliage behind the windows to really stand out “We lightened everything up to take advantage of this incredible garden,” Tucker says “It’s a focal point of mine to have a fluid context with colors that flow into what’s outside.” Designer Suzanne Tucker of Tucker & Marks Inc. was tapped to update the kitchen of this weekend home in Napa Valley she opened the kitchen into the family room decorated with a combination of florals and ginghams in a color palette that matches the roses and peonies in the garden outside Tucker’s work gradually grew in scope to include all of the ground-level rooms as well as the pool pavilion and several patios she picked a series of floral fabrics that resemble the assortment of roses and peonies seen on the eight acres of land surrounding the property windows were dressed in Robert Kime’s Opium Poppy linen printed with large-scale blooms and a set of custom club chairs were upholstered in Kime’s Cory Minor a classic motif inspired by the British countryside Flowers also adorn a set of famille rose antique porcelain vases (rare pieces found in Paris’s Galerie Steinitz) and a mauve-tinged Persian rug from the early 1900s the botanical theme is not overdone; it’s tempered with plenty of neutral colors and stripes and ginghams that round out the look of the two-story the redecorated spaces display a balance between formality and freshness among them a Swedish Rococo settee from the 17th century coexisting with playful decorative details There are owls peeking out from a bathroom’s wallpaper wooden parrots staring down from the posters of a bed and ceramic spaniels sitting atop a stack of coffee table books “The home carries forward and doesn’t feel fuddy-duddy hence the whimsical elements,” Tucker says while acknowledging that she revisited the old-world wisdoms garnered while working in England under Peter Hood who was one of John Fowler’s last assistants After seeing their three children grow up in this Napa Valley retreat and now seeing their eight grandchildren run around their beloved garden the California couple is as happy to look forward as they are to look back “We have wonderful family memories here,” one of the homeowners says “We didn’t want the house to lose its essence as a cottage and I think it became one even more—it’s how it was always meant to be.” and the custom club chairs were upholstered in Kime’s Cory Minor a classic motif inspired by British gardens Above the headboard is a painting called Le jardin blanc au crespuscule (1912) by Henri Le Sidaner an important French Impressionist best known for his intimiste portrayals of everyday scenes one of several sculptures by the famed husband-and-wife duo seen in the garden who hired Jack Chandler to design it soon after she and her husband purchased the home in the late 1980s Most of us go to the library for a book or DVD or magazine Not the first resource one thinks about when in search of spring cleaning Valley Cottage Library has a unique cache that is news to most. It loans a variety of household and electronic goods such as bakeware, carpet cleaners, game consoles, small appliances and more to community patrons from its Community Closet collection This resource is just one more way libraries do a yeoman’s service to patrons’ economic says the idea for this special collection began with loaning eReaders “the concept morphed into the Community Closet where I thought what else can we offer that would allow residents access to things they might need but might not need all the time or might not want to store their house,” she said The Community Closet has the added appeal of potentially saving patrons from buyer’s remorse by allowing them to have a “try before you buy” type of experience the library houses several game consoles and a robust collection of board games patrons can take for a test drive Popular items include outdoor movie projector and screen as well as the library’s mobile hot spots The treasure chest of amenities includes a food dehydrator Blanchette explains that while the Community Closet seems novel “it’s the same thing as us offering programing and technology support in our community […] libraries have always kind of shifted to fill those needs of their communities so it’s just another way that we do that “Libraries are even more valuable in tough times than they are in the good times because we are able to share resources and provide a relief for people who might not be able to either pay for their Internet access so they can come get a hotspot or whether they don’t want to spend the money to get the cake pan for their kid’s birthday party It is a way that we can sort of provide economic relief in our community,” Blanchette added Valley Cottage Library also dedicates its front gallery to area artists Although the Community Closet is unique to Valley Cottage Library other Rockland libraries respond to their communities’ needs beyond book loaning Both New City Library and the Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library provide strong programming The Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library offers notary Both libraries loan museum passes to places like the Guggenheim and education is more than books,” said New City Library’s Head of Community Relations “You should be able to come and hear somebody speak This is a community resource for education of all kinds.” Libraries also create a free space for visitors to gather or read or contemplate “We provide sort of this mental and a physical space and a sense of connection that I think people really need in their lives to help combat this isolation that seems to be increasing as time goes on,” says the Director of Haverstraw King’s Daughters Library The library has one of the best vistas of the Hudson River Depkin says friendships are sometimes cemented at the library between patrons who attend programming “a group of folks who learned how to play Mahjong here and now they come every week and just set up at some tables and just play.” The Haverstraw King’s Daughters Library also hosts children’s events such as Mad Science shows and early literacy programs New City Library found their community’s biggest request was more spaces for group and independent work through surveys and focus groups Taking their advice the library added spaces such as the vending cafe and several rooms for people to study or hang out in These new spaces have been popular among the community; Reynolds reports “on a weekday night it’s just packed with students studying.” “Libraries are more than just books,” said Depkin “We’re sort of the community’s living room We’re a space where people can come and meet and learn and share and talk.” the library gets underutilized by most people,” and encourages people to “go to your library and just ask what’s there.” Three parcels in Clarkstown Executive Park off Route 303 in Valley Cottage were sold by RCD Park Owner LLC The parcels at 616 and 618 Corporate Way and 711 Executive Boulevard purchased in 2021 by RCD for $48.5 million and sold to Dallas TX-based Valley Cottage Owner LP for $62.75 million LP assumed the existing mortgage balance of $33.95 million held by Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Co LP is affiliated with the financial giant Invesco Real Estate of Dallas Invesco manages over $90 billion in real estate assets globally RCD Park Owner retained the other properties it acquired along Corporate Way and Executive Boulevard in 2021 It completed construction of a 220,000 square foot warehouse on 20 acres on Executive Boulevard parallel to Route 303 developed by the Lincoln Equities Group of Rutherford To secure approval at the Clarkstown Planning Board and agreed to finance traffic mitigation measures along Route 303 built in 2007 sits on 5.32 acres contains 64,000 square feet of industrial/warehouse space 618 Corporate Way is 84,150 square feet on 8.6 acres All buildings are industrial warehouse properties with multiple tenants in place The Kennedy Mall built in 1985 covers 5.14 acres with about 18,000 square feet of retail inline space in two buildings Financing for the acquisition was provided by New York City-based NEG 8 Financing LLC in the amount of $9.08 million A redevelopment proposal was submitted to the Village of Spring Valley Planning Board that contemplated adding three additional floors to the two structures on the property The ground floors would remain as retail spaces but be enlarged with additional floor area The upper three floors of the northern building would add 42 apartment units The upper floors of the southern building would add 52 apartment units The existing parking area would be reconfigured to accommodate the residential use and provide a total of 270 parking spaces The Rockland County Planning Board and Planning Department despite recognizing the need for housing and the benefits of rehabilitating the aging property and made multiple suggestions for the developer to consider The four story building would rise to 60 feet in height concerns were raised that the project will create “massive blocks that will have a severe impact on the local streetscape and quality of life in the neighborhood.” Numerous variances would be required under the redevelopment proposal Both site plan approval from the Planning Board and a Special Permit would be required from the Village Board A medical/office building at 365 South Main Street in New City sold for $1.7 million The buyer was Spring Valley-based Yemois Hachama multi-tenant office property sits on .49 acres Rents in the building are about $50 per square foot The developer of the Crystal Lake Condominium project that would have been located on a 7.18-acre parcel adjacent to Rockland Lake State Park on Route 9W in Valley Cottage has gone before the Town of Clarkstown Planning Board with a revised site plan for the complex 9W Valley Cottage LLC had received approval to build 35 condo units conditioned on it being able to acquire all of the lots needed for the project as originally planned the developer was unable to acquire two of the lots and is looking for town approval of a slightly scaled back site plan The revised site plan reduces the 35 residential units to 30 units and reduces the property size to 6.32 acres The layout of the project also has been adjusted with two roadways Crystal Lake Road and Crystal Lake Drive being removed from the project A parking area was removed and the community building for recreational use by residents was relocated and reduced in size The developer says that the site will contain 12 buildings All of the condominium units will have a two-car garage The main level of each unit will have a living room The second level will have a second bedroom The developer said it believes that a large segment of the buyers will be seniors and others looking to downsize from their current homes The developer said that by moving the garages from the rear to the front of the units they were able to reduce the amount of development coverage used by the project and increase the amount of open space between the buildings It was pointed out that the site is located on a public bus route which has a stop 621 feet from the planned entrance to the development It would give residents public transportation to retail shopping places of worship and health care located on or near Route 9W and in the Village of Nyack The site is 0.1 mile from Rockland Lake State Park and close to houses of worship of various denominations This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access. and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John F CNN (CNN) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday while receiving the John.. Trending Westchester JLL Capital Markets arranged the sale of a three-building 262K SF industrial portfolio to Invesco Real Estate Hotels & Hospitality and Capital Markets PR Your browser doesn't support speech synthesis MORRISTOWN, N.J., Feb. 12, 2025 – JLL Capital Markets announced today the $62.75 million sale of the I-287 Multi-Tenant Light Industrial Portfolio 261,950-square-foot light industrial portfolio in Valley Cottage The JLL Suburban Tri-State Capital Markets team represented the sellers the $85 billion global real estate investment business of Invesco Ltd The portfolio consists of three properties: 616 Corporate Way (64,000 square feet) 618 Corporate Way (85,790 square feet) and 711 Executive Boulevard (112,160 square feet) The buildings feature suites ranging from 2,720 to 42,075 square feet with a mix of traditional warehouse space with up to 30-foot clear ceiling heights and shallow-bay light industrial space with 20-foot clear heights The portfolio is 97% leased to 17 tenants spanning industries including logistics three miles from Interstate 287 and less than six miles from the Mario M the properties offer exceptional connectivity to the affluent and densely populated markets of Bergen County The robust highway system in the area provides access to over 980,000 consumers within a 30-minute drive and over 9.8 million consumers within a 60-minute drive JLL Capital Markets is a full-service global provider of capital solutions for real estate investors and occupiers The firm's in-depth local market and global investor knowledge delivers the best-in-class solutions for clients — whether investment sales and advisory The firm has more than 3,000 Capital Markets specialists worldwide with offices in nearly 50 countries For more news, videos and research resources, please visit JLL’s newsroom is one of the Northeast’s leading full-service real estate companies LEG has built a sterling reputation over more than 30 years in the market due to the quality of its professionals ability to outperform in all market cycles and strong relationships with tenants and the real estate community develops and manages commercial and residential properties throughout the tri-state area and Europe for its own account and for third-party owners Invesco Real Estate is a global real estate investment management business with $85 billion in real estate assets under management 607 employees and 21 regional offices across the U.S. Invesco Real Estate invests across the risk return spectrum from core to opportunistic; in equity and debt; listed and direct; locally and globally Invesco Real Estate is a business name of Invesco Advisers insights and opportunities from global commercial real estate markets straight to your inbox A Rockland County corrections officer was arrested Thursday and charged with 51 counts each of possession and promotion of child sex abuse materials Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh II said Daniel Dworkin a corrections sergeant at the Rockland County Jail from Valley Cottage was arrested Thursday after the District Attorney's regional Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce was notified of a cyber tip report from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children An investigation between the ICAC task force Clarkstown Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations led to the execution of search warrants for Dworkin's home and electronic devices 21 and was charged with 51 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child and 51 counts of possessing footage of a sexual performance by a child "The charges against this individual are deeply disturbing particularly given his position of public trust Those who exploit or endanger children will be held fully accountable for their actions," Walsh said "The residents of Rockland County should know that the men and women of the Rockland County Corrections Division of the County Jail are true professionals The actions of this individual in no way reflect the values and dedication shown everyday by those officers.” Dworkin was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court by Judge Leslie Kahn An Imam speaking at a Friday sermon last week praised Hamas, called for Allah to ‘guide their (Hamas’) shooting’, prayed for Allah to ‘destroy the Zionist Jews’, and advocated for the liberation of the ‘Al-Aqsa Mosque from the plundering Jews’ These words were invoked at the Islamic Center of Rockland on Mountainview Avenue in Valley Cottage at a time where the Israel-Hamas war rages on but when public officials like Anthony Blinken have indicated that a ceasefire may be on the horizon Public officials and members of the Jewish community are condemning the remarks “It is my sincere hope that the members of the Islamic Center of Rockland and its leadership will clearly speak out against this disturbing and that we can use this hateful incident as a bridge towards further dialogue and cooperation between our diverse faith communities,” said Congressman Mike Lawler in a statement issued Sunday The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on Oct More than 100 were released in a November cease-fire though Israeli authorities believe around a third are dead The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced and around 84% of the territory has been put under evacuation orders by the Israeli military Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 Hamas militants Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 40,074 Palestinians have been killed in the war The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians “The Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County in coordination with the Rockland Board of Rabbis and our partners at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemns a recent call to ‘Destroy the Zionist Jews!’ in a sermon at a local mosque,” said the Federation in a press release today a speaker at the Islamic Center of Rockland conveyed these inflammatory and threatening ideas to those in attendance and those watching remotely.” congregations and the over 100,000 Jewish residents of our County called upon the Islamic Center of Rockland to immediately repudiate this call for the destruction of Jews and the inciteful language used in the rest of the sermon It is our understanding that the mosque is now taking steps to do so We look forward to a clear statement to this effect.” “The last 10 months have carried the weight of tragedy for all,” said Ari Rosenblum “There is room for critical and constructive conversations between the Jewish and Muslim communities It is more than alarming; it is threatening to the overwhelming majority of our community who identify with the self determination of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland.” The Town of Clarkstown and Clarkstown Police Department have said they are aware of a video of a speaker at a local mosque within the Town from August 9 that uses extreme language toward the Jewish community “Law enforcement has reviewed the video and can confirm there is no known or credible threat to the residents of Clarkstown or Rockland County,” the release says While there are no known or credible threats the Clarkstown Police Department has stepped up patrols around all houses of worship and culturally significant places “The Clarkstown Police Department’s Cultural and Religious Security Unit  (CaReS) remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of the many religious and cultural institutions across our town,” said the town a guest imam (prayer leader) delivered several hurtful statements that included a prayer to God for the destruction of Zionist Jews as part of the conflict in Gaza We sincerely apologize for any pain caused by these remarks and will ensure that our platform is not used to promote these types of harmful messages going forward.” Read also: Islamic Center Wants To Build 30,000 Square-Foot Addition On Conservation Land In Clarkstown RTB Properties LLC of New City sold 400-500 Corporate Court (52.19-1-1) in Valley Cottage to RLF IV East 2 LLC of Annapolis The property is located on 16.42 acres of CO-zoned land at the end of Corporate Way in Valley Cottage Executive Park in Valley Cottage SIOR of Rand Commercial represented both buyer and seller on the sale The property was acquired by RTB in 2008 as vacant land from Brega Company for $750,000 and was subsequently developed for commercial and industrial use RLF IV East 2 LLC is appearing before Clarkstown’s Technical Advisory Committee this week in anticipation of petitioning the Planning Board for a Special Permit to allow retail use on the site for the sale maintenance and repair of general construction equipment and contractor supplies Realterm invests in transportation-advantaged assets located within the top global distribution and logistics markets regional and local trucking and logistics users alike manufacturers and e-commerce fulfillment providers “The New York Metropolitan region continues to experience a supply/demand imbalance for functional high-flow-through real estate,” said Ed Brickley Managing Director and Fund Manager at Realterm “The Subject’s location and differentiated physical features position it to meet the current needs of logistics customers.” RLF recently purchased the property at 80 West Nyack Road in Nanuet The five-acre commercial property with 32-truck doors sold for $6.75 million Realterm focuses on the transportation industry and manages over $11 billion in assets St a 13.95 acre property located at 50 North Saddle River Road in Monsey has sold to a Suffern-based developer for $12 million The buyer is Zalman Silber’s Developer GLP LLC immediately sold .76 acres from the acquisition to Congregation Bobov Community of Rockland County for $2 million and transferred its interest in the remainder of the parcel to RD Saddle River LLC for $11.5 million who in turn entered into a ground lease with Developer GLP LLC with an option to purchase the property Zita’s property includes a 30,000-square-foot building on nearly 14 acres which permits residential development on 15,000-square-foot lots Zita’s Villa operated as an assisted living facility The property is largely surrounded by residential lots The Sisters of Reparation of the Congregation of Mary was established in 1903 by Ellen O’Keefe a nurse from Ireland whose life’s work was dedicated to caring for women She was named Superioress of the Congregation under her religious name and offered a home for women who needed shelter and employment Zita’s Villa served as a residence for the sisters and supported women in need throughout Rockland County The retail building at 162 South Main Street (51.7-1-1) in New City sold for $1.15 million two-story building was constructed in 1970 It sits on a .25 acre corner lot with 15 parking space and over 100 feet of frontage on South Main Street The property is zoned for a broad array of retail uses The property sits in the newly created New City Hamlet Zone H-4 which allows enhanced development opportunities under specified conditions the owner will be unlikely to take advantage of the new zoning options NJ-based Unity Bank in the amount of $862,500 A mixed-use retail/office complex at 19-25 South Main Street in Spring Valley sold for $3.6 Million The seller was Spring Valley Commercial Center LLC two-story commercial property sits on .47 acres Financing for the acquisition was provided by CS General Sixth of Cedarhurst Financed with the shopping center was 4 South Madison Avenue in Spring Valley a residential property located behind the shopping center The mortgage instruments were signed by Yosef Kohn of Spring Valley Kohn sold two properties at 1 and 3 East Funston Avenue in Spring Valley to Monsey-based developer 1-3 Funston Avenue LLC campaigning for your favorite pizzerias in Lower Hudson Valley.. it's finally here: The finals for lohud's Big Cheese 2025 The Pie Man has been gunning for the win all competition long. I've seen them sharing the poll on social media and really bringing in the numbers. But their competitor in the Semi-Final round, Pizzétiello with 5,581 votes to runner-up Pizzétiello's 4,689 earning the title of Best Pizza in Rockland County "Winning Best Pizza in Rockland County is a true honor," said Tyrone Azanedo of The Pie Man "It's a reflection of the hard work and dedication we've put into transforming our current location to bring back the beloved Pieman legacy— blending nostalgia with fresh Azanedo let me know that the pizzeria is approaching their 3-year anniversary in August "This journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our loyal guests and fans," Azanedo said and I are truly humbled by the community's incredible support and we look forward to continuing to serve you for many more years to come." Check The Pie Man's menu and you'll see plenty of classics like Margherita which serves up fried chicken tossed in GoHo Sauce (Gochujang Hot Honey) their house cheese blend and scallions on a pizza; or The Salty G.O.A.T red onions and a nice little drizzle of balsamic Azanedo and Aranedo were "beyond grateful" to be a part of "such a vibrant and passionate food community," he said, noting that moving on to the finals of lohud's Big Cheese was "an exciting moment" for the restaurant. 107 NY-303, Valley Cottage, 845-268-8797, thepiemanpizza.com. Competition in Westchester cooled off after a few weeks of intense voting. Before long, it was easy for Pizzeria Baci to gain the upper crust and emerge as county winner. Runner-up Beekman Ale House put up a good fight throughout 2025's Big Cheese competition Pizzeria Baci came out on top for Westchester garnering 1,874 votes in the Semi-Final battle to Beekman Ale House's 626 Pizzeria Baci boasts decades of experience in the kitchen, along with weekly specials courtesy of the chef's "warped mind," according to the pizzeria's website From classic New York pies to their vodka pizza fresh mozzarella and real buffalo mozzarella) Pizzeria Baci is also known for their Detroit-style pizza with extra care put into each pie's thick crust I've reached out to Baci to learn more about them Of interest: Is there an oversaturation of Italian restaurants in Westchester? I said the Big Cheese poll would return on April 18 I thought it would be more fair to kick off the poll April 11 That's two weeks of voting for who makes the best pizza overall in Westchester and Rockland (Maybe you want to give a slice from each pizzeria a try before casting your vote?) here's the skinny: We are kicking off the final poll on April 11 with the winner officially announced April 25 and congratulations to The Pie Man and Pizzeria Baci on moving on to the final round Residents who live on Cottage Road in Valley Cottage say they watched a tree split in half and uproot itself before it landed across one property and on top of a car in the driveway Homeowner Nicholas Marchese told News 12 he his wife and two young children just moved in three weeks ago "No words can describe when you come to your first home and see a tree on it the sheet rock in my bedroom's damaged By Gail Kalinoski 261,950-square-foot light industrial portfolio in the New York metro’s Rockland County has changed hands for approximately $62.8 million after nearly four years of ownership by Lincoln Equities Group and PCCP Invesco Real Estate acquired the I-287 Multi-Tenant Light Industrial portfolio in Valley Cottage JLL Capital Markets represented the sellers, which teamed up for the first time in April 2021 to purchase the three-building industrial portfolio from Sasson Real Estate Group in a deal valued at $48.5 million The ensemble is now 97 percent leased to 17 tenants from a variety of industries including logistics dates back to 1999 and is located on 9.3 acres 616 Corporate Way and 618 Corporate Way sit on nearly 14 acres encompassing 85,790 and 112,160 square feet READ ALSO: Manufacturing Demand for Industrial Space Is Mushrooming The buildings have suites ranging from 2,720 to 42,075 square feet They feature a mix of traditional warehouse space with clear heights up to 30 feet and shallow-bay light industrial space with 20-foot clear heights has a total of 234 parking spaces while the buildings at 616 Corporate Way and 618 Corporate Way have 170 parking spaces The location offers connectivity to the affluent and densely populated markets of Bergen County the portfolio is 3 miles from Interstate 287 and less than 6 miles from the Mario M which connects Rockland and Westchester counties The highway system in the area provides access to more than 980,000 consumers within a 30-minute drive and more than 9.8 million consumers within a one-hour drive Based in East Rutherford, N.J., Lincoln Equities Group owns, operates, develops and manages commercial and residential properties throughout the Northeastern region and Europe. In April, Lincoln closed on a $53.5 million senior construction loan provided by PCCP to develop Belleville Logistics, a two-building, 15-acre last-mile logistics campus in Belleville, N.J In December, PCCP and another partner, Distribution Realty Group, began construction on Middle Tennessee Industrial Center, a four-building, 703,902-square-foot speculative project in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The project is slated for delivery later this year PCCP formed a joint venture with CRG to develop The Cubes at Alpha a 575,900-square-foot industrial park in Alpha Invesco has been active in both developing and acquiring industrial assets across the country. In August, Invesco and IndiCap completed the first phase of Virgin Industrial Park three facilities totaling about 1 million square feet in Glendale bringing the park’s total space to 1.5 million square feet 1.2 million-square-foot lease with an online restaurant supply company The owner of nearly 262,000 square feet of warehouse and light industrial space just north of Bergen County is seeking a buyer for the portfolio the three buildings are located at 616 and 618 Corporate Way and 711 Executive Blvd The portfolio includes 149,790 square feet of traditional warehouse space with up to 30-foot clear ceiling heights and a combined 17 dock doors across two buildings plus 112,160 square feet of shallow-bay space with 20-foot clear ceiling heights and 20 drive-in doors Jason Lundy and Conor Walsh are spearheading the assignment with the firm’s Max Custer and James Panczykowski available for financing and leasing support “The offering presents an exceptional opportunity to continue implementing ownership’s proven business plan marking in-place rents to market upon tenant lease expirations and converting the remaining leases on base-year stop or fixed reimbursement structures to true triple-net (NNN) leases,” JLL wrote in its offering materials Westchester County and the (New York City) boroughs.” Suites within the portfolio range from 2,720 to 42,075 square feet making them attractive to a diverse range of tenants A combined 17 companies occupy the buildings offering a hedge against macroeconomic headwinds with less than 1.5 percent of total inventory for shallow-bay space under construction JLL added that the average tenant tenure across the portfolio is 10.8 years showcasing the occupier base’s commitment to the location have a blended weighted average lease term of just over three years with in-place rents currently 40 percent below market The three facilities occupy a combined 23.21 acres has been covering New Jersey commercial real estate for 13 years Many industry leaders view him as the go-to real estate reporter in the state a role he is eager to continue as the editor of Real Estate NJ He is a lifelong New Jersey resident who has spent a decade covering the great Garden State Restaurant chain Bojangles has opened along a major commercial corridor in Piscataway as part of a previously announced deal brokered by The Goldstein Group All RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2023 Real Estate NJ 101 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy VALLEY COTTAGE ‒ The Islamic Center of Rockland is denouncing a recent sermon given by a guest imam that was inflammatory and violent in nature In a video of a sermon given Aug 9 and shared to the Middle East Media Research Institute's webpage Ned Muhammad Nadal praised Hamas by saying they were "the people of Allah" and would not be defeated by armies against them The Islamic Center of Rockland County responded with a public statement of apology Sunday "We unequivocally condemn these statements The Islamic Center of Rockland stands firmly against anti-Semitism and any rhetoric that incites violence or hatred as we have for the 35 years we have operated in this county alongside other faiths," the center said in a statement on Facebook We remain committed to fostering a community built on these principles where dialogue and understanding can pave the way toward a better future for all." "It's frankly shocking in one sense because this is a mosque that has really been involved in a lot of interfaith work." Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann told the Journal News who noted that Nadal's sermon was "completely out of context for this mosque." we have a program called Faith Matters we started in 2021 on the town's YouTube channel which talked about things that were happening within the religious community and building dialogue between the houses of worship in the town," Hoehmann explained "One of our episodes members of the mosque participated in was nominated for a New York Emmy award and ironically the topic was dealing with antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry." The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County issued a joint statement with the Anti Defamation League of New York and New Jersey, Jewish Rockland and the Rockland Board of Rabbis via Facebook Sunday said: "It is especially painful to hear such words from a mosque that has often been a partner to local synagogues The last 10 months have carried the weight of tragedy for all There is room for critical and constructive conversations between the Jewish and Muslim communities It is threatening to be overwhelming majority of our community who identify with the self determination of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland." chair of the Rockland board of rabbis said "I am deeply saddened to learn of this harmful rhetoric I hope a resolution leads to productive dialog and a repair in the relationship." that rhetoric calling for the destruction of Jews — based on dangerous disinformation — not only fuels hatred and divides neighbors but can lead to harmful real world consequences," said Scott Richmond regional director for the ADL in New York and New Jersey A clip posted to the website The Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based site founded by retired Israel Defense Force colonel Yigal Carmon Whether or not these clips represent the sermon's entirety was not yet known “Allah told us in the Holy Quran ‒ and this is not my words and this is not racism ‒ He said: ‘The Jews and Christians will not accept you until you follow their religions' They all gather against the people of Gaza," Nadal said in the video "The occupation army has over 350,000 soldiers all to fight 30,000 people because they have in their hearts that faith Nadal then prayed for Allah to "guide the shooting" of Hamas "destroy the Zionist Jews" and to "seize them in a crushing grip." Local organizations and political leaders spoke out against the statements Saturday including the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County Hoehmann confirmed there were no credible threats to Clarkstown and Rockland residents but said the Clarkstown Police Department's Cultural and Religious Security Unit has increased patrols around all houses of worship and culturally significant places in the town "This extreme and hateful rhetoric is unacceptable and has no place here in Clarkstown," Hoehmann said "As Supervisor I have had the opportunity to work on interfaith dialogue many times with members of the mosque and find this extreme rhetoric is not representative of the vast majority of the people at the Islamic Center of Rockland County My hope is that we can all join together to reconcile as one community." Lawler said the language was "shocking and deeply concerning" in a statement Sunday and called for using the "hateful incident as a bridge towards further dialogue understanding and cooperation between our diverse faith communities." “I will continue to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Rockland County and across the Hudson Valley in condemning hate and in unifying against antisemitism Islamophobia and other bigotry," said Lawler “There are ways to express concern over ongoing conflicts across the globe without resorting to calls for the extermination of Jews or any other population I am hopeful that this sad chapter will serve as a lesson and an opportunity for growth for both Rockland County and the Hudson Valley.” Lawler's opponent in the upcoming election for the 17th district, Mondaire Jones, a Democrat, posted a statement decrying the sermon on Facebook Sunday "I was appalled to learn that a guest speaker at the Islamic Center of Rockland used dangerous antisemitic language in a recent sermon," Jones' statatement read "I have met with multiple members of the Islamic Center of Rockland before and I know this language is not representative of this mosque "We must join together to condemn this hateful rhetoric and continue to work together to build strong interfaith relationships between our communities in the Lower Hudson Valley," Jones wrote a Town of Clarkstown resident who lives on 12 acres off Old Stone Road in Valley Cottage has been growing non-organic grapes for five years RiverWind Vineyard LLC had its first harvest last year The vineyard raises funds for underprivileged populations but also showcases how it’s possible to farm and grow produce in a once-rural but increasingly developed community Clemente on Tuesday spoke out against Clarkstown’s intent to limit agritourism to residential properties that meet newly defined criteria: the site must be seven acres and 51 percent of the land must be used for agriculture “But a farm can’t exist without agritourism “The rules are too limited and don’t make sense,” said Clemente “They’re trying to quantify something that’s not quantifiable Clemente planted 700 red and white grape vines five years ago and reaped her first harvest last year RiverWind Vineyard will eventually make its own wine But its true purpose has been to raise money for disadvantaged communities: the proceeds of twice-annual fundraisers have been used to help build a school in Uganda RiverWind is now partnering with Spring Valley-based NextGen which is helping to raise funds for underserved students in the East Ramapo School District Clemente has envisioned using the vineyard for agritourism – a priority for Rockland County which consistently says tourism is a key aspect of the county’s economy She says people will want to come and spend time atop West Hook Mountain to enjoy the vineyards throws at least two obstacles in Clemente’s path RiverWind’s vineyards cover two or her 12 acres so she doesn’t meet the 51 percent threshold the law requires Old Stone Road is a private road: agritourism is only permitted on a state or county road along with a handful of hopeful farmers and others which the town says is “intended to support and add economic flexibility to agricultural operations and to promote new commercial operations.” began with restricting agritourism to 10-acre sites but was reduced to seven acres after some outcry that the law would be too limiting The law also reduced the buffer around agritourism activities like food trucks and entertaining from 300 feet to 200 feet And it reduced the requirement of having 300 feet of frontage on a state or county road to 100 feet The Town Planning Board came up with the 51 percent restriction The Notice of Public Hearing published on June 10th represented that 10 acres or more would be required to participate in the Town’s Agri-Tourism zoning but when the public hearing commenced and the law was presented with a seven acre minimum requirement A second hearing be required because of the lack of proper notice issued by the Town Clerk Farmers or growers who add agritourism to their operations will need a special permit from the Town’s Planning Board But an agricultural operation with fewer than seven acres or one that is not on a state or county road will need to apply for an area variance from the Town’s Zoning Board of Appeals – which is often a nearly impossible hurdle to score in Clarkstown The law appears to boost agritourism in a town that is increasingly bearing the brunt of development and loss of open space. A closer look reveals that there are few undeveloped sites that would fit the criteria. The main exception is The Red Barn Cidery at Davies Farm  — the only cidery in the town New City resident Marvin Baum, who has been reviving High Tor Vineyards on a three-acre parcel he’s recently bought off Little Tor Road urged the town council to table the law for further consultation and research – and at least until a new ward member is assigned in his ward (the seat was held by the late Mark Woods “This law will hasten the demise of farms,” he said also pointing out the restrictions were too confining and that the law would preclude farmers from monetizing their operations through agritourism Town Planner Joe Simoes said the intent of the law was to create consistency in the zoning code “I want to make it very clear that agriculture is allowed in the town; we’re not changing that section of the code It’s allowed in single-family zones.” He explained residents can have greenhouses They can sell their agricultural products if they meet other requirement imposed by the town What motivated the town to define who and what kind of “agritourism” is allowed is the three-year saga in the Town of Orangetown that pit the Van Houten Farm’s Rockland Cider Works against neighbors who were angry at the noise lighting and lewd behavior that resulted in the early days when the cidery opened during the pandemic in 2020 is aimed at “allowing agritourism uses while not causing undue nuisances,” he said Simoes said farmers are entitled to hold “private events” on their property but it leaves gray areas as to what is permitted and what isn’t or just exactly how a private event is defined The United State Department of Agriculture defines a farm as “any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold during a calendar year.”  New York State does not define a farm based on acreage though equine and timber operations require at least seven acres Clarkstown’s Town Code defines a farm as “any parcel of land containing at least 10 acres which is used for gain in the raising of agricultural products poultry and dairy products.” Nothing in the town code is specific to wineries or cideries on Little Tor Road in New City is Clarkstown’s signature example of agritourism: the town/county owned farm is used for farm dinners Clarkstown also owns the former Traphagen Farm on Germonds Road but there is little farming or agritourism happening on site Municipally-owned properties do not need special permits Protecting farming and promoting tourism is a challenge in a county that is increasingly becoming a bedroom community with a priority on single-family homes Though public officials cite agritourism as an asset the reality often competes with the desires of homeowners and residential neighborhoods However, farmers like Darin Van Houten, who recently shelved plans to resurrect agritourism for Rockland Cider Works after a three-year court battle with Orangetown and neighbors told Clarkstown officials small farms cannot survive without agritourism Nowhere in the Northeast can farms exist without agritourism as it usually does when a proposed law is up for consideration the fate of the bill was a foregone conclusion:  the town council voted unanimously to adopt it “We are fine with moving forward on this law,” said Town Supervisor George Hoehmann Ridgewood police have released the name of a 65-year-old New York man arrested for DUI after they said he was spotted driving erratically in a heavily damaged pickup truck of Valley Cottage (Rockland County) was charged with driving while intoxicated and under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance on Wednesday Ridgewood police were notified by responders in Paramus of an erratic vehicle on Linwood Avenue coming from Route 17 with heavy from end damage Officers located the truck in a shopping center parking lot near 263 Franklin Avenue at 9:42 a.m. Loving show Delaney performing field sobriety tests A flatbed tow truck transported the damaged Toyota Tacoma to a nearby impound yard Delaney was processed at headquarters on his charges and released Looking to get your hands on the best cottage cheese A Westchester man crashed and overturned his vehicle after losing control at high speed on a Thruway exit ramp to a mall in Rockland County The crash happened at the Palisades Center in West Nyack.  when a 64-year-old driver from Yonkers in a 2023 Nissan was traveling westbound on the Exit 12 ramp to Palisades Center Drive according to Clarkstown Police Detective Norman Peters The driver was going too fast around a bend The driver told police he became momentarily distracted before losing control and Congers Valley Cottage Ambulance Corps arrived at the scene and safely removed the driver from the overturned car while providing on-site medical treatment Authorities issued the driver a summons for speeding A missing person has been found dead in the Hudson Valley the area of the missing person was found.  The incident occurred in Rockland County at 9 a.m. the department received a call for help from the Spring Valley Police regarding a missing person spotted in the area Shannon said the Spring Valley Police Detective Bureau was able to determine that the missing person’s last known location was near the shore of the Hudson River in Nyack Memorial Park Shannon said that the New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team searched the river in the park's area confirmed to be that of the missing person was discovered underwater approximately 100 feet south of the Nyack Memorial Park pier Further information regarding the missing person's identity is being withheld pending family notification A Hudson Valley man was nabbed for allegedly driving drunk nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit A Nyack man was nabbed for DWI in Ramapo for allegedly driving with an alcohol level three times over the legal limit.  Officials said the incident occurred in Ramapo on Tuesday An officer spotted a vehicle driving without headlights and committing several traffic violations was found to be nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit Vasquez was charged with DWI and issued nine tickets before being released to return to court later Note: DWI is not a bail-qualifying offense Welcome to the day after Election Day 2024 Here are the takeaways of the local and national races of the night Donald Trump wins presidency, takeaways from 2024 electionDonald Trump will return to the White House for his second term in January defeating Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris Amidst the dramatic showdown in the presidential election there were a series of different takeaways in the Lower Hudson Valley and throughout the state Democrats did flip key seats elsewhere and Proposition 1 also known as the Equal Rights Amendment easily passed in New York Read on for four takeaways from the 2024 election Republican Bill Weber was reelected to the state Senate in the 38th District which includes all of Rockland County except Stony Point defeating Democrat Elijah Reichlin-Melnick for the second time in two years Reichlin-Melnick conceded the race around 11:30 p.m a former teacher and Nyack village trustee won the first contest in 2020 but lost to Weber two years later after the district was redrawn The reconfiguration eliminated the Westchester County village of Ossining Weber and Reichlin-Melnick notably disagreed on how to resolve longstanding funding issues in the East Ramapo Central School District Lawler led his Democratic challenger by a commanding 12 points with votes still being tallied at 11:45 p.m. according to unofficial and incomplete counts from the state Board of Elections for the lower Hudson Valley race The two were battling for New York's 17th Congressional District which takes in all of Rockland and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester and Dutchess "What an absolute ass-kicking!" Lawler told a crowd of roaring supporters at the Paramount County Club in New City to the thumping sounds of Michael Jackson's "Beat It." tonight the Hudson Valley told Mondaire Jones to beat it!" Former county judge Susan Cacace will be the next Westchester District Attorney after defeating Republican John Sarcone in Tuesday's election according to unofficial results from the Westchester Board of Elections Read more on Susan Cacace's win here Kirsten Gillibrand was re-elected to a third full term in the U.S turning away a challenge from Republican Mike Sapraicone Gillibrand was initially appointed to the seat in 2009 replacing Hillary Clinton when the former First Lady became Secretary of State George Latimer a stalwart in the Westchester political scene was elected to Congress in New York's Congressional district on Tuesday fending off the challenge of Miriam Levitt Flisser Latimer defeated Jamaal Bowman Check back later for more from Latimer's watch party at Coliseum in White Plains The Associated Press called Kamala Harris as the winner of New York's 28 electoral votes Visit these pages for election results on Tuesday ≽ New York state election results (including Senate, Congress, Assembly, State Senate) ≽ Westchester County election results ≽ Rockland County election results ≽ Putnam County election results Election results will be rolling in shortly Be sure to download the lohud app and turn on breaking news alerts to get the latest updates on your phone. You can also sign up for news alert emails and our Daily Briefing newsletters Subscribe to support our coverage and have full access to our analysis in the weeks ahead Rockland Sheriffs remove Mike Lawler signs from truck at polling placeChurch officials contacted Orangetown police Tuesday afternoon to report a truck with Lawler campaign signs affixed to the doors had been parked in front of the poll site The church staff and election poll workers said they believed the truck was within the 100-foot zone in which campaigning Orangetown Police Officer Vincenzo Rotundo responded around 5:30 p.m and said he had contacted the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department as they handle incidents involving the county Board of Elections Rockland sheriff’s deputies arrived and ran the truck’s plates to determine who owned the vehicle They reported to the church staff that they went to the residence to speak with the owner Sheriff’s deputies discussed calling a tow truck the Rockland Sheriff’s Department apparently came up with a quick solution: Sgt Eric Thayer peeled the taped-on signs off and took them Sign placement can pose issues at polling sites At Pearl River before the St Margaret’s Church polling site opened at 6 a.m. poll workers were removing campaign signs from both ends of Summit Street Both Westchester and Putnam County Board of Elections officials have been busy "As of right now we have had a total of 20,730 voters cast their ballots (on Election Day)," Democratic Commissioner for Putnam County Board of Elections Cathy Croft said "Add to that the number of mailed ballots that have been received and counted," as well as those who have voted early Putnam has counted 24,211 early voting ballots and 6,265 mailed ballots this year There are 72,562 active voters in Putnam County 50% of voters have turned out so far this General Election Westchester has seen "185,705 voters and counting," according to Westchester Democratic Election Commissioner Tajian M "We anticipate that we will exceed our 2020 Election Day Turnout numbers," Nelson said also noting that the early voting turnout for Westchester exceeded the county's 2020 tally We've got about 3 hours left until polls close in New York We'll be following the candidates where they will be tonight. Here's the latest we know the Jones-Lawler race Here are photos of Jones when he early voted and Lawler when he voted today Visit this page for election results after polls close at 9 p.m Visit these pages for election results after polls close at 9 p.m temporary protected status — these are some issues of concern to Haitian American voters who exist outside the bubble of ongoing rhetoric that targets the community Many eligible voters of Haitian descent live in New York's Rockland County. The enclave accounts for approximately 1.4% of the total Haitian immigrant population living in the United States president of the Finkelstein Memorial Library in Spring Valley a community that is home to much of Rockland's Haitian population a small group of voters can change everything “There are a lot of places where this election is going to be determined by a very small margin,” Alexandre said I'm hoping Haitians who are in those locations For more on Haitian-American voters 562 votes had been cast at Yonkers’ Nepperhan Community Center And the steady stream of lunchtime voters was trying their best to get in Among voters at the community center was state Sen who said she tried to feed her ballot into the scanner six times before it worked Stewart-Cousins is facing Republican challenger Khristen Kerr in the state Senate's 35th district There’s plenty of political activity around many polling sites today — signs supporting candidates and literature being passed out — but such activity can’t be within 100 feet of the polls Most polling sites have signs all around that mark off the 100-foot zone But an especially busy polling site, Yeshivath Viznitz Girls School on Maple Avenue in Monsey Young men passing out campaign literature said they were trying to keep outside the boundary she said that she didn’t have tape to put up the signs so she gave people a general boundary of the sidewalk ≽ Here's our recent story about what you can wear and not wear to the polls today. How close does the Mike Lawler camp think his race against Mondaire Jones might be Tuesday morning, Lawler sued 60 voters currently incarcerated at the Westchester County jail, in Valhalla Lawler claims that these 60 individuals previously registered to vote at addresses outside the NY-17 congressional district His suit says that the race could be so close that the Valhalla ballots "may determine the outcome of this specific election." New Yorkers serving minor sentences in a county jail and others awaiting trial from jail can register to vote using the jail's address provided they have been incarcerated there for at least 30 days We will finally find out what all the campaign cash attack ads and pitches to voters have meant to the Lawler vs one of the most closely watched House races in the country But Lawler has garnered millions in support from outside groups to keep the 17th in the GOP's column As Election Day neared, Lawler rallied a Republican crowd from atop a flatbed trailer casting his opponent as a liberal extremist and urging the crowd to help maintain House Republicans' majority and elect Donald Trump Lawler was joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson Jones, joined by fellow Democrats such as U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, put abortion rights at the center of his closing pitch saying Lawler always votes to restrict access to abortion and votes against women’s rights to make their own health care decisions David and Pessy Segall had just voted at Martin Luther King Jr one of Rockland County's smaller polling sites (District 13/Ramapo and District 21 Clarkstown) David Segall said they tried early voting Sunday at Clarkstown Town Hall “We have to use our rights,” Pessy Segall said Argene Desmangles also voted Tuesday around 9:30 a.m At Highlands Middle School in White Plains two of the four voting machines developed problems Voters had cast 64 ballots in District 12 and 23 votes in District 5 when the problems arose Voters in those districts were then sent to the Plan B counter where A poll inspector said the county Board of Elections had been notified and a technician was expected but that no delays had resulted from the glitch where voters headed to the south gym and cast 402 ballots by 9:30 a.m was there to greet voters and send them to the correct table The Buffalo native has been working at the polls for 15 years He said Election Day turnout could be affected by early voting which was steady “from the minute they opened till the minute they closed Dold went to the early polling site twice: once for himself and once with his grandson a freshman at Connecticut's Fairfield University casting his first presidential ballot Dold’s first presidential vote was cast in Buffalo in 1960 Westchester County Executive George Latimer has never lost an election during his long career in public office He’s all but certain to be elected to Congress as he’s running against Republican Miriam Flisser who had little campaign funding in a district Latimer’s real challenge came in the Democratic primary where he unseated incumbent Jamaal Bowman in a closely watched It was believed to be the most expensive House primary battle ever Latimer received major monetary and voter-turnout support from AIPAC and other groups that opposed Bowman’s sharp criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct Latimer also had enormous name (and face) recognition in the Westchester portion of the district after decades of attending community events Latimer will be 71 when he enters Congress, making him a senior freshman. He told The Journal News/lohud in May that he wouldn’t be in Congress long enough to gain meaningful seniority but would work on timely "I'm not joining a small group of people that have an ideological tilt,” he said because you need more rational people in Washington in the House — and the [Senate] as well — who will go down there and try and work within a system as it exists." spoke after voting at Greenburgh Town Hall where there were no lines for voters in districts 44 and 63 and 115 had already voted.“I’m worried about the state of the whole country It is impossible.”Asked if his vote will matter he said: “I hope so.” said the lines were shorter than she expected (No line at all.) She said she’s worried about “the whole country You hold onto that hope that something’s going to get better I just hope that today is a good outcome.” 115 people had voted in Greenburgh districts 44 and 63 at Greenburgh Town Hall The race to become the 47th president of the United States between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is a close one There's a very good chance no one will know the result of the presidential election by the end of Tuesday. Different states have different rules for counting votes. What do voters in the Lower Hudson Valley think about the race a line of about 25 voters waited at St Margaret’s Church it’s 6 o’clock," the poll worker said," and the line snaked forward into the church basement The first in line was a man who left his red "Trump or Bust" hat on the ledge outside before entering the polling place A camera-shy Pearl River voter who teaches first grade in Garfield said the process went smoothly for her and her son Asked if one particular issue brought her to the polls A voter from Valley Cottage left the Pearl River poll disappointed thinking she could vote there before dropping her son at St had voted in Orangeburg during early voting and she figured she could vote anywhere and she said she'd find her Valley Cottage polling place after an hour of voting at one Pearl River polling place The early line had disappeared and voters were able to walk right in to vote An elite private school in New York City was widely mocked this week for announcing that it would make attendance optional on Wednesday for students who feel “emotionally distressed” after Election Day who had two sons attending the $65,540-a-year Ethical Culture Fieldston School got things rolling by telling The New York Times: "What kind of lives have these people led that makes them think that this is the right way to handle young people To encourage them to buckle.” Many others jumped in on social media calling the school’s leadership “snowflakes.” schools know that political stress is a real thing and that students Lots of kids will have giddy or hysterical parents when the results come in – or both in the same home – and will see and hear relatives friends and others arguing about what’s next for the country So Mamaroneck schools Superintendent Charles Sampson sent out this prudent note to his community on Monday evening: "No poll seems to be able to tell us how the election season will end our country is polarized to the point that unkind speech and actions inspired by the election are a continued possibility and may impact children and adults alike The second thing that we know is that the election season will We will be on the other side with our children and our schools doing the work that we have always done to provide support and foster learning and growth "We embrace the democratizing impact our schools can have indeed what serves as a primary purpose of their existence and will continue to foster a supportive environment of empathy and respect in each of our schools where we have no tolerance for hateful or harmful language and where all students feel known The following are where to visit for election results after polls close at 9 p.m ≽ New York state election results (including Senate, Congress, Assembly, State Senate) ≽ Westchester County election results ≽ Rockland County election results ≽ Putnam County election results The marquee race in the Lower Hudson Valley is in New York's 17th Congressional district which includes Rockland and Putnam county and parts of Westchester and Dutchess The 17th District now takes in all of Rockland and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester and Dutchess George Latimer faces Miriam Levitt Flisser for the Congressional seat in New York's 16th district while Susan Cacace faces John Sarcone for Westchester district attorney in other key races going on in the Lower Hudson Valley Catch up on what we think are seven key races for voters in the Lower Hudson Valley You can reach out to your county board of elections office or visit their website to learn how to find your polling place Swimming pools at state parks throughout New York — including four in the Lower Hudson Valley — will have entry fees waived for the rest of the summer The four locations in the Lower Hudson Valley are FDR State Park Pool in Yorktown Rockland Lake State Park Pool in Valley Cottage and Bear Mountain State Park Pool in Bear Mountain A pilot program will also provide free sunscreen at New York State Park pools Parking fees will still apply at state park locations that include on-site parking Tuesday's announcement was part of Hochul's "Get Offline Get Outdoors" campaign "to promote physical and mental health by helping New York's kids and families to put down their phones and computers and enjoy recreation and outdoor social gatherings." Also announced was a $1.5 million grant to help transport kids to swimming lessons Water safety: What Westchester lifeguards recommend Here's the New York State Parks pools locations where swimming fees are waived: A stretch of Route 9W in Rockland County is closed after high winds brought down power lines Route 9W in Upper Nyack between Glenbrook Road and Christian Herald Road is closed thanks to a burning power line Emergency crews from the Clarkstown Police Department and Nyack Fire Department responded to the scene after the incident in Upper Nyack between Glenbrook Road and Christian Herald Road Clarkstown Police have shut down the roadway and are urging drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes Authorities are also reminding residents not to approach downed or low-hanging power lines and to immediately call 911 if they encounter any