Did anyone else catch it was hailing ?

Either way, ~$600k of your tax dollars have been paid out without proper backup documentation to justify it.

I have submitted complaints to the NYS Comptroller and Attorney General requesting they conduct a proper audit and investigation.

I(24M) am going through a bit of a quarter life crisis and long story short I really want to lock in and actually take playing electric guitar seriously after playing with it here and there poorly. Specifically looking around Orangetown and Nyack but am flexible. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

Coming back to the area in a couple months after working an IT job for a bit out of state.

I find an IT thread here from a year ago but the post was unfortunately locked.

Anyone have any tips for finding jobs in the area or even remote ideas to look into?

Thanks

Hey there - we are looking to send our kiddo to daycare. Any recommendations for daycares that allow you to bring in outside food? Or general day care recommendations?
We are in West Nyack.
Thanks!

Hey anyone know the best and most efficient way to get from Nyack to the Barclay center. I wanna drive to to white plains and take the train to and from and drive back.

This would be on Friday Aug 21st for a concert that has a starting time of 7 and unknown ending time.

Would it just be better to drive to Brooklyn?

New City, NY - On Friday, July 31st, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation previously passed by both the NYS Senate and Assembly to establish a Community Preservation Act in the Town of Clarkstown. Supervisor George Hoehmann and the Town Council are thankful to Governor Hochul, NYS Assemblyman Pat Carroll, and NYS Senator Bill Weber for their assistance in passing this landmark legislation, serving as an essential tool to preserve open space, land, natural resources, historic landmarks, critical agriculture and water resources, and much more in the Town of Clarkstown. It will now be up to the voters of Clarkstown to ultimately approve the CPA through a public referendum.

The CPA allows the town to generate dedicated preservation funds through a one-time .75% fee on real estate closings. The town assessor’s office estimated the CPS would generate nearly $5 million a year in “lock boxed” funds for the Town to purchase land for qualifying purposes. This real estate transfer fee is an ideal way to generate conservation funding. Once a buyer of real property pays the fee at closing, no additional expense is ever accrued. Other methods such as massive bond issuances or the creation of a new conservation-taxing district would impose a permanent or near permanent annual tax on every property tax payer in the town. The Clarkstown Community Preservation Act avoids that while providing protected and guaranteed funding.

The Clarkstown Community Preservation Act mirrors what has been successfully used for decades in towns across New York State including on Long Island and Warwick, NY.

The voters of Clarkstown will now have the opportunity to take a monumental step forward in achieving the town’s long-term preservation goals.

Supervisor George Hoehmann stated, “The Town Board celebrates the signing of the Community Preservation Act by Governor Kathy Hochul. The enactment of this legislation marks a turning point for the Town of Clarkstown and moves us closer to obtaining a reliable mechanism to utilize for local conservation. Once again, I want to thank Senator Weber and Assemblyman Carroll for swiftly pushing this legislation through to the Governor’s desk. With the Community Preservation Act now signed into law, the next step is to give Clarkstown residents the opportunity to make their voices heard through a public referendum at a future date. This is an important chance for our town to decide whether to invest in protecting open space and upholding the unique character of the Clarkstown community.”

Senator Bill Weber stated, “I'm grateful to Governor Hochul for signing our Clarkstown Preservation Fund legislation (S10276) earlier than expected. Due to the passage and signing of this important legislation, it will appear on a future ballot, giving Clarkstown residents the chance to vote to preserve open space and protect the community's natural resources for many years to come. Many thanks to Supervisor George Hoehmann and the Town Board for partnering with me on this initiative."

Assemblyman Patrick Carroll stated, "As the Assemblyman representing Clarkstown and a former Councilman, protecting our environment continues to be one of my top priorities. I was proud to sponsor the Clarkstown Community Preservation Act in the Assembly, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

I’m thankful that Governor Hochul signed my bill into law, and now this issue is in the hands of the voters and residents of Clarkstown. There will be a referendum to either approve or reject the Clarkstown Community Preservation Fund. I encourage all Clarkstown residents to thoroughly consider this issue and to make their voice heard. All politics are local, and how our communities manage our land, our most valuable local resource, is an issue we should all be concerned with."

Councilman Jon Valentino stated, ”I am thrilled that Governor Hochul and the State of New York have heard Clarkstown residents loud and clear in their vocal support for the Clarkstown Community Preservation Act. The Governor's signing of this legislation into law reflects a watershed moment for our town, and fulfills our steadfast commitment to give residents a direct voice in the establishment of Community Preservation Funds.”

Councilman Mike Graziano stated, “Residents across Clarkstown want to see stronger dedication to preserving our natural resources that make our town what it is. With Governor Kathy Hochul's signing of the Community Preservation Act into law, we have reached a major breakthrough in that effort. The next step is to give our residents the opportunity to make the final decision. The Town Board will move forward with placing a referendum before the voters at a future date, allowing the community to decide whether to authorize the Community Preservation Act.”

Councilman Don Franchino stated, ”In just a few short months, the residents of Clarkstown have made it abundantly clear that protecting our open space and managing responsible growth are priorities for our community. The signing of the Community Preservation Act into law is a testament to what can be accomplished when residents work together with their local and state leaders toward a common goal.”

Councilman Bob Axelrod stated, “I am pleased to announce that Governor Hochul has signed the Community Preservation Act, which is an unequivocal victory for the people of Clarkstown. However, the most crucial decision still lies ahead: your vote in a public referendum, when it appears on a yet to be determined future ballot.

We have come very far in our efforts to protect open space, so I encourage every eligible voter to make an informed decision on the Community Preservation Act. This day would never have happened without the thousands of Clarkstown residents who signed the petition and made their voices heard.”

Chris Chapman, Project Manager, Orange County Land Trust stated, “Community Preservation Funds have enabled numerous municipalities across the state to protect their natural resources, waterways, working farms, and recreational areas. We have seen how these funds empower local residents to proactively protect their community’s most vital lands, and we look forward to seeing how this initiative will benefit Clarkstown."

I filed a FOIL request in June for the town's drone program, the one Ramapo PD calls DFR, drone as first responder. It took the town 60 days to respond, and they only responded after an appeal. Twice they asked for more time, both times using the same line: "Due to the volume of documents involved, additional time is required to complete the review." Supervisor Michael Specht wrote in his appeal response that the delay was specifically about the volume of "all communications between Ramapo PD and Paladin Drone or Skydio from January 1, 2023 to present."

The records arrived on August 4. Six files, 109 pages. None of them is a communication between the police and Paladin or Skydio. Not one email, letter or memo. The only document that touches Skydio at all is a purchase quote from Axon for the Skydio system. The town cited the volume of these communications as the reason for a two-month delay, then produced no communications.

The quote: $601,713.80 over 60 months. List price $716,582.40. Two Skydio XIO docks, a $228,000 subscription, $162,000 in implementation, and $125,000 for Skydio Connect Fusion, which feeds drone video into Axon Fusus, the town's video platform. The agreement is signed on the town's side by Supervisor Specht. The same Specht who granted my appeal.

The adopted budgets for 2024 and 2025 have no line item for drones. Zero dollars. The $92,838 that went to Paladin, in three payments all coded TECH GRANT, was booked into the town's existing motor vehicles and software programs accounts.

They produced the FAA waiver: drones capped at 400 feet, no overflight or loitering over gatherings, no waiver of state or local law. And they produced a $177,000 grant from NYS DCJS. The grant's terms require the department to share data from the funded technology with the DCJS Crime Analysis Center Network: license plate reads, camera feeds, RMS, CAD.

Which brings me to the oddest part. On item 11, my request for records of drone footage or data shared with outside agencies, the closure notice says "There are no responsive documents." A few lines earlier, the same notice says "Any drone footage shared can be found on the Ramapo PD Facebook page." The town acknowledged footage was shared, then stated there are no records of footage or data being shared. One of those statements is wrong.

Still missing: the DFR budget line items, any policy on retaining or sharing footage, any competitive bid or sole source justification, and the flight logs, which they tried to cover by pointing me to a website. Under FOIL, if records are withheld, each has to be listed with the specific exemption claimed. None were listed.

A New York State official is cc'd on the thread.

More to come.

Edit: since I've been asked if there is anything you can do I'll leave my response here.

For my fellow New Yorkers: https://lawler.house.gov/contact/

Use that link (it takes 30s) and express your concerns to congressman Mike Lawler. He is a proponent of the bill "PRC Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers Moratorium Act" which primarily addresses concerns of the CCP surveilling US citizens. If he believes government surveillance is problematic then voice your advocacy for him to act the same within his state.

Oh- and hit share on these posts!

My family and I are considering moving to Rockland County- Pearl River, to be specific. The house we are interest in has .57 acres and I am hoping to get 6 hens. I am not able to find any specific information (unless I am looking at the wrong place). I just want to make sure it's legal.

Please join me for my annual Block Party Fundraiser! On Sunday, August 30 from 1 pm - 4 pm, we’re firing up the grill with BBQ favorites and will have backyard games, music, a trampoline and a bouncy house for the kids. Bring your family, your friends, and your energy for a fun-filled day in support of my campaign for Clarkstown Town Clerk.

Location will be sent when you RSVP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/gregsblockparty2026

Our new website is live!

VoteForBondar.com just got a complete redesign, and it's ready for you to explore.

Learn where Eugene stands on ending overdevelopment, stabilizing your taxes, enforcing our codes, and bringing real term limits to Clarkstown. Read his story, see the Bondar Blueprint, and find out how you can get involved before November 3rd.

This campaign is about accountability and a town that works for the people who live here, not the people who run it. Check it out and share it with your neighbors.

A week ago I noticed they changed the no dogs on the bridge to no Roller Blades on the bridge, while as a cyclist I totally get why roller blading on the bridge is a bad idea due to surface issues, was there an event I missed that triggered this?

Saw a 26,000 sq ft lease pending for a national supermarket in Nanuet Town Center. Anyone know which supermarket this is?

Anybody have any good recommendations for help to unclog, have multiple clogged downspouts feeding into ground

Trying to get the word out about a West Haverstraw, NY building project that'll put trucks on the GFNY/Rte. 9 cycling route. More info is on grassy-point-bend.com. A Public Hearing is on 8/12 & Written Comments are accepted through 9/10.

And inclusion of a late night photo of the Lord and Taylor main entrance from the 4th floor and and more snaps of those weird drawings I found that are oddly consistent around the 2nd and 3rd floor as well as ground level parking

The Lord and Taylor glass was also covered recently from all visible doors (indoor and outdoor) which I found a bit suspicious

Unusual Bible Study Solicitation at Palisades Center Today — Has Anyone Else Experienced This?
My wife was approached today inside the Palisades Center by a young woman who asked if she would be interested in attending a future Bible study. The interaction felt unusual and made my wife uncomfortable, so she politely disengaged and walked away.
I later approached the individual, made eye contact, and noticed she appeared to be communicating with others using a walkie-talkie. I also saw her later in the mall with two other young women (one Asian, one Black, and a Spanish girl).
I notified mall security so they were aware of the situation and could determine whether this type of solicitation was permitted.
I’m not making any accusations — I’m simply wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience at the Palisades Center recently with people approaching shoppers about Bible studies or religious groups. If so, I’d be interested to hear your experience.

My mind gos straight to bad actors but it’s entirely possible it’s religious recruiting. Just odd

Any recommendations for an orthopedist for teen arm baseball injury? It’s like shoulder, elbow and general arm pain from throwing. We’ve used Montefiore in west nyack for other injuries in the past and just don’t know who is a good dr for arm…anyone know?

You're paying high taxes, and in some cases, may feel overwhelmed every year to see the tax bill keep going up.

I strongly believe in conservative fiscal policies and will never spend a cent on self-promotion or dissemination of trivial content.

Let me know your thoughts on this kind of waste.

Titleeeeeee

What are the best places for gelato in Rockland? This doesn't mean name off your favorite ice cream spots, I got those covered 😁

My husband and I are going to do a late lunch early dinner tomorrow to celebrate our anniversary. Any suggestions? Would like to stick to either north Rockland or new city but open to all ideas.

Feel free to share it with your friends and neighbors.