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Nanuet Chamber Of Commerce Acts As 'Voice' For Businesses, Residents Nanuet Chamber Of Commerce Acts As 'Voice' For Businesses, Residents
Nanuet Chamber Of Commerce Acts As 'Voice' For Businesses, Residents CLARKSTOWN, N.Y. -- If you’ve been admiring the new trash can corrals or the pretty holiday lights in downtown Nanuet, you can thank the hardworking folks at the Clarkstown hamlet’s Chamber of Commerce. They are also the behind-the-scenes elves who organize community events such as street, art and health fairs and the wildly popular Halloween Spooktacular. When they aren’t doing that, they are throwing networking parties for fledgling entrepreneurs, awarding scholarships to local students and holding ribbon-cuttings for new businesses. All that is fine, says one of its founding members, Su…

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by Carol Reif
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New City's Anastasia Tasia Karassik To Head Rockland's MADD Chapter New City's Anastasia Tasia Karassik To Head Rockland's MADD Chapter
New City's Anastasia Tasia Karassik To Head Rockland's MADD Chapter ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. – The new year will bring an immediate change at the Rockland County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). On New Year’s Day, Anastasia Tasia Karassik will take over as head of the local chapter, which works across Rockland to end to drunken driving, according to the office of County Executive Ed Day. “Anastasia and her family suffered the most heartbreaking loss imaginable when their 13-year-old daughter, Larisa, was killed by a drunk driver on Memorial Day weekend 2015," said Day in a statement congratulating Karassik. "The Karassik family and th…

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by James O'Rourke
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Valley Cottage Animal Hospital Adds Veterinary Critical Care Specialist Valley Cottage Animal Hospital Adds Veterinary Critical Care Specialist
Valley Cottage Animal Hospital Adds Veterinary Critical Care Specialist VALLEY COTTAGE, N.Y. – Valley Cottage Animal Hospital has added a new veterinarian to their team. Melissa Salgado, DVM is a board-certified doctor of veterinary medicine, specializing in critical care and emergency medicine.  She is an expert in emergency and critical care medicine, the animal equivalent of the intensive care unit.  In addition to veterinary school, a criticalist must complete a minimum of three additional years of intense training in emergency, surgery, and critical care through completion of a residency program.  Here the focus is on the most up-to-date techniques for d…

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by Donna Christopher
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Military Family Receives Holiday Of A Lifetime In Blauvelt Military Family Receives Holiday Of A Lifetime In Blauvelt
Military Family Receives Holiday Of A Lifetime In Blauvelt BLAUVELT, N.Y. -- The family of a Blauvelt soldier stationed overseas were surprised recently with an early Christmas present – a home patriotically festooned for the holidays. Joe and Maureen LaPenta, who have five young children, were nominated by a neighbor for a national program that aims to thank members of the military for their service by decorating their homes for free. Joe LaPenta, a New York City police officer, was deployed to Kuwait not long after his twin sons Joe and Jack were born. Not only will he be missing their first Christmas, LaPenta, who is expected to remain overseas…

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by Carol Reif
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Pomona Resident Awarded Key To Rockland County Pomona Resident Awarded Key To Rockland County
Pomona Resident Awarded Key To Rockland County ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. -- A Pomona woman who stood up to acts of hate in her neighborhood was awarded the Key to the County on Tuesday by Rockland County Executive Ed Day. Millicent "Ivey" Mackle was presented with the Key to Rockland during a ceremony at the Jewish Community Center in West Nyack. When a criminal – still unidentified -- scrawled anti-semitic graffiti in front of several homes on her block last month, Mackle responded by drawing hearts in front of the residences as a sign of love and respect. "All it takes is one person to make a difference," Day as he pr…

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by K Reakes
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Nanuet Entrepreneur Jumps On Bearded Bandwagon With 'Women-Approved' Oil Nanuet Entrepreneur Jumps On Bearded Bandwagon With 'Women-Approved' Oil
Nanuet Entrepreneur Jumps On Bearded Bandwagon With 'Women-Approved' Oil NANUET, N.Y. -- Inspired by a recent trip to San Francisco where it seems most men have beards -- and tend to take care grooming them -- Nanuet Entrepreneur Eli Hardof came up with an idea: To create a premium organic beard oil line. Hardof, who many Rocklanders may remember from his years owning cult wine shop Wine For All in Tappan, said he came home from his California trip energized. "I realized I could probably blend my own and do a better job than what was commercially available," he said. His product -- after much research and trial and error -- is made from high quality 10…

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by Jeanne Muchnick
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Rockland County Leader Touts The Salvation Army's Religious Roots Rockland County Leader Touts The Salvation Army's Religious Roots
Rockland County Leader Touts The Salvation Army's Religious Roots ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. -- People often associate The Salvation Army with the December holidays, when bell ringers collect donations for the organization’s charitable programs. Marcus Jugenheimer, the Rockland County Coordinator for the Salvation Army, says collecting donations only scratches the surface of the organization’s community involvement. The Salvation Army offers weekly church services, and provides food, heating, housing and rent assistance to needy families, among other services. The Salvation Army offers its support without any government funding and relies on donations from peop…

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by Tom Renner
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Dominican Sisters Of Blauvelt Present Orangetown Police With Prayer Cards Dominican Sisters Of Blauvelt Present Orangetown Police With Prayer Cards
Dominican Sisters Of Blauvelt Present Orangetown Police With Prayer Cards ORANGETOWN, N.Y. -- In the spirit of Christmas, the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt recently presented prayer cards to members of the Orangetown Police Department to keep them safe while in the line of duty. Blauvelt Dominican Sister Loretta Lynch, along with President, Sister Catherine Howard, presented Orangetown Police Chief Kevin Nulty, Sgt. Michael Boysa, and Capt. Donald Butterworth with St. Michael The Archangel prayer cards for all of the officers in the department. “I was grateful to stand with the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt and honor our Orangetown Police Officers by assuring the…

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by K Reakes
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Leadership Rockland Announces 25 Class Of 2017 Winners Leadership Rockland Announces 25 Class Of 2017 Winners
Leadership Rockland Announces 25 Class Of 2017 Winners ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y. – The 2017 class of Leadership Rockland will feature 25 of the top emerging leaders from a diverse range of backgrounds including politics to banking and police officers. Leadership Rockland, in its 27th year, is the county's premier leadership program in which members attend day-long sessions for 10 months focusing on topics including education, history, the environment and healthcare.  The sessions are conducted by the top professionals and organizations in each respective industry. Class members were selected in a highly competitive process. “We are delighted to we…

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by K Reakes
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More Than Two Dozen Graduate From Rockland Police Academy More Than Two Dozen Graduate From Rockland Police Academy
More Than Two Dozen Graduate From Rockland Police Academy POMONA, N.Y. – More than two dozen men and women graduated recently from the Rockland Police Academy, according to a post Friday on the county government’s Facebook page. Held at the Rockland County Fire and Emergency Services building in Pomona, the graduation ceremony honored 26 people who completed the police academy’s program, according to the post. Rockland County Executive Ed Day attended the event and offered his congratulations. “Whenever someone needs help, the first person they call is a police officer," said Day, a former NYPD lieutenant commander, to the group. "We co…

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by James O'Rourke
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BodyBuilding Love Story: Bergen Couple Takes Relationship To New Levels BodyBuilding Love Story: Bergen Couple Takes Relationship To New Levels
BodyBuilding Love Story: Bergen Couple Takes Relationship To New Levels HACKENSACK, N. J. — It took courage for Hackensack bodybuilder Kenny Kelly to stand on a stage at less than 4 percent body fat among the best in the U.S. for judging. That was last month at the biggest national competition in Miami, where he placed eighth. There with him was his girlfriend, Dumont native Krysten Wondrack,  who came in 22nd in her class of 50. Kelly knew that when he came home, though, he'd have to muster up even more courage than he had for the show and pop the question to Wondrack. The pair now has plans to tie the knot. But before that, they've got one more challenge to…

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by Cecilia Levine
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Hudson Valley Chef Wins Food Network's Cooks Vs. Cons Hudson Valley Chef Wins Food Network's Cooks Vs. Cons
Hudson Valley Chef Wins Food Network's Cooks Vs. Cons POUND RIDGE, N.Y. -- Folks in New Canaan, Conn. know Angela Baldanza,  owner of Baldanza Café more for her work in the front of the house rather than in kitchen, but on Wednesday, Dec. 7 this self-taught chef surprised everyone by cooking her way to victory on Food Network's "Cooks vs. Cons 'Tis the Seasoning." The culinary competition, hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian, sees talented home cooks go up against kitchen professionals. Culminating in a blind taste test to prove who has the best dish, Baldanza, a Pound Ridge resident,, remained focused and calm as she prepared a rack of lamb …

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by Jeanne Muchnick