Today's Top Stories

The Proud People of Pomona

Pomona is a village located partly in the town of Ramapo and partly in the town of Haverstraw. In Roman mythology, Pomona is the goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards. In 1967, the people of this community formed the village and its name in order to realize their rural roots.

Several parks in Pomona are enjoyed by the residents, including the Van den Hende Park, named after the first Mayor of the village, which provides two tennis courts. Burgess Meredith Park offers a children’s playground, a basketball court, an exercise trail, a ball field, and paths by the Minisceongo Creek.

Harriman State Park, located near the village, is the second largest park in New York State. It offers 31 lakes and reservoirs, 200 miles of hiking trails, miles of streams and scenic roads, and scores of wildlife species, vistas and vantage points.

Provident Bank Park, located in Pomona, is not just a park! It is the home of the Rockland Boulders baseball team in the Can-Am League. The people of Pomona and all of Rockland County are proud that this professional baseball team has chosen their ballpark to play ball.

In 2012, the Rockland Boulders will have a 100 game season featuring six teams from the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

During the 1940’s, the Brooklyn Dodgers, whose team color was royal blue, held their spring training at Bear Mountain State Park. The Rockland Boulders team’s color of blue honors the Dodgers. The name Boulders refers to the numerous amount of large rocks found in Rockland County. The color of red honors the neighboring Rockland County Fire Training Center. Boulder Bird is the official team mascot.

The ballpark serves as a multipurpose venue hosting local high schools and colleges, and amateur baseball teams.

Palisades, a Hamlet with Extraordinary Architecture and Science


Palisades, formerly known as Sneden’s Landing, is a charming hamlet in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County. Approximately 30 minutes from Manhattan, it is the southernmost community in the county.

This hamlet has a registered national historic district known as the Closter Road-Oak Tree Road Historic District which contains residential, commercial, religious, and civic properties of architectural and historic significance dating from the end of the 18th century to the first decade of the 20th century.

The Washington Spring Road-Woods Road Historic District located in a valley west of the hamlet, also contains residential and religious properties of architectural and historic significance dating from the 18th century to the 20th century.

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, located in Palisades, is one of the world’s leading research centers seeking knowledge about the origin, evolution, and future of the natural world.

As a member of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, more than 300 research scientists and students study the planet on every continent and in every ocean.

Amongst many major achievements, Lamont–Doherty scientists provided the first evidence that the earth’s inner core spins faster than the rest of the planet. They were also the first organization to systematically study and create a global topographic map of the oceans.

Palisades has a great deal to offer their community. On Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3, from 9 am- 3 pm, a large Community Flea Market will be held at the Palisades Community Center located at 675 Oak Tree Road.

On Saturday, June 9, at 2 pm – 6pm, the annual Strawberry Festival will be celebrated at the Palisades Presbyterian Church. Rain or shine, this event with will be enjoyed by adults and children.

 

 

Come Celebrate at the Brotherhood Wine and Beer Festival

Washingtonville, a quaint village in Orange County with a history of over two hundred years, was named in honor of George Washington. The residents take great pride in both the history and the growth of their community.

In 1837, Jean Jacques, a French Huguenot émigré, purchased land in Washingtonville in order to plant vineyards. Within two years, underground cellars were excavated by hand and Jacques’ first wine vintage was fermented. These cellars, the oldest and largest in the United States, are used today at the Brotherhood Winery located at 100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive.

Today, visitors can tour these dimly lit cellars, which house over two hundred oak barrels and feature a crested vault containing some of the oldest vintages in the United States.

For 60 years, Jacques continued to make wine until he eventually sold the winery to the Emersons, NYC wine merchants. The Emerson family renamed the Washingtonville winery, the Brotherhood Winery. In 1921, Louis Farrell purchased the winery.

The Vinum Café, located on the historic site of the Brotherhood Winery, occupies the ground floor of the original winery building circa 1839. Their award winning chef who has earned some of the highest recognition in the Hudson Valley shares his love for fine food and gourmet cooking.

In the tasting room, Brotherhood Winery supports talented local artists with changing exhibitions.

On Saturday, June 2, from 1-6pm, the Brotherhood Wine and Beer Festival will feature Brotherhood’s famous collection of wine, Yuengling’s assortment of beers, Newburgh Brewing Company’s new releases, along with many other favorite fine craft breweries.

Rhinebeck, One of the Largest Historic Districts in the United States

Rhinebeck, a beautiful rural village located in the town of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County, is one of the largest historic districts in the United States. Known as the “Sixteen Mile Historic District”, it has over 430 sites listed on the National Historic Register. Three U.S. presidents have passed through the town, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, [...]

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Botanical Gardens and more… in Riverdale

Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the Bronx only 30 minutes from Manhattan. Wave Hill, located in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale which overlooks the Hudson River, is a 28 acre estate that consists of a Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens. Special features of the gardens include a perennial flower garden, a wild [...]

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New Rochelle, an Interesting and Impressive City

New Rochelle, a city in Westchester County only 35 minutes from Manhattan, has many beautiful and historic sites to explore. The Thomas Paine Cottage located in New Rochelle was the home of Thomas Paine, one of the founding fathers of the United States, a patriot of the Revolutionary War, and an English American author. Since [...]

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A Bridge of Hope in Valley Cottage

Valley Cottage, a tucked away, rural hamlet in the town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, is only 38 miles from Manhattan. Rockland Lake State Park located in the eastern part of Clarkstown, has two Olympic-sized swimming pools and two kiddie pools, picnic tables and grills, car-top boat launch and boat rentals, hiking trails with views [...]

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