Feb 10 - The Nyack Villager

TheNyack Villager ®
An independent monthly news magazine celebrating life and the arts in the Hudson River Villages
February
2010
Graphic by Joanne Ottaviano © 2010 Joanne Ottaviano, Nyack, NY
Happy Valentines Day
PRST STD
US Postage
PAID
permit no.
5432
WHITE PLAINS NY
Nyack Villager® Villager On Hudson®
Mailed to every resident of eight river villages—Upper Nyack, Nyack, Central Nyack, South Nyack, Grand View, Upper Grandview, Piermont and Palisades NY.

2 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

In this issue
Departments
3 REPORTER AT LARGE
• Who’s Who at Village Hall? pg 3
• The Earthquake in Haiti pg 3
• Friends of the Nyacks’ new Steering Committee pg 4
• Blue Rock School receives ACOR grant pg 4
• NYC Horses get paid vacation time; people don’t pg 4
• Desalinating the Hudson pg 4
• Bad news for Rockland County: overflights will continue pg 7
• Nyack Library budget vote pg 7
11 LETTERS TO THE N YACK VILLAGER
14 FEBRUARY FROLIC Arts & Entertainment this month
19 HOUSES OF WORSHIP Religious services in the river villages
20 CALENDAR Highlights in January
21 OP-CALENDAR PAGE Useful local phone numbers
22 COMMUNITY NOTES What else is happening in February
Columns
6 MENTAL HEALTH NOTES Daniel Shaw on dating without drama
7 REMEMBER THE DAYS Jim Leiner on the Sisco Family
12 NATURAL HEALING Dr. Greenberg on The Germinators
13 PIERMONT NOTEBOOK Kathy Baruffi on a work in progress
16 THE LIFETIME GARDEN Jon Feldman on trees in Winter
17 FROM THE OUTSIDE IN Thom Kleiner on gay marriage
18 THEY GOT WHAT?! Donna Cox on current trends in real estate
Features
6 EVERYBODY SAYS I LOVE YOU Sweet talk in 34 languages
7 ACCORDING TO ASTROLOGERS ... With whom are you compatible?
8 SUMMER CAMPS 2010 Ten fine Summer Camps for Kids
16 CONSIDER THE GROUNDHOG
17 DAY TRIPPIN’ Finding maple sugar festivals
18 BEAUTY TRICKS Joanne Ottaviano on concealing under eye circles
22 GODSEND ON 3RD AVENUE Dr. Lloyd Hamilton’s Health Lifeline
On our February cover
Happy Valentines Day
Graphic by Joanne Ottaviano, © 2010 Joanne Ottaviano, Nyack, N Y
Story on page 16
The Nyack Villager
February, 2010 Vol. 16 No. 6
Mailed on or near the first of each month to every residential address in eight river villages—Upper Nyack,
Nyack, Central Nyack, South Nyack, Grand View, Upper Grandview, Piermont and Palisades NY.
On the Internet at www.nyackvillager.com
E-mail news releases to us at info@nyackvillager.com Deadline for our March issue is February 15.
Please include a contact name and telephone number
Everybody says
I love you
see pg 5
Check out that charity
before you send money
see page 3
Row-a-on to
benefit Nyack Center
see page 3
Casino Night
see pg 23
art/dance party
Dance Party
see pg 14
Desalinating
the Hudson
see pg 4
Reporter at
Large
by Jan Haber
Who’s Who at Village Hall?
Richard A. Kavesh Mayor, newly elected
Doug Foster Deputy Mayor, newly elected
Louise Parker Remains Trustee
Jen Laird White Trustee, newly elected
Steven Knowlton Trustee, newly appointed to
complete Richard Kavesh's
unexpired term.
Mary White remains Village clerk
John Cincotta, Village Treasurer (has retired but
remains as treasurer until he is replaced in May)
Rosa Martinez remains deputy treasurer and
Deputy Village Clerk
Walter Sevastian remains Village attorney
Carol Weiss replaces Jean Pardo as Village
Historian
Robert S. Knoebel, Jr. remains Village Justice
Robert P. Lewis remains acting Village Justice
Renee Halperin, Justice Court Clerk, will retire
in February after 26 years.
Steve Mulvaney, the Deputy Court Clerk will become
Justice Court Clerk and Renee will return
part time as the Deputy Court Clerk.
Planning Board (PB) Members:
Peter Klose (Chair)
Ted Sestak
Peter H. Voletsky
Daniel Jean-Gilles
Bonnie Hauser
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) members:
Cathy Friesen (Chair)
John Dunnigan
Mary Ann Armano
Robert Knoebel, Sr.
Ellyse Okin Berg
Architectural Review Board (ARB) members:
Eileen Kuster Collins (Chair)
Toma Holley
Maggie McManus
T. Robbins Brown
Marion Baron
The Earthquake in Haiti
Scammers are at work intercepting contributions
intended to relieve the suffering of earthquake
victims in Haiti, so it is essential to
check out the charity before sending money.
Charity Navigator charitynavigator.org
is packed with useful information. It is reliable
and easy to use.
eir tips for supporting earthquake relief:
• Avoid newly-formed charities. It’s hard
enough to start up a new charity—without
also having to deal with a mega-disaster.
Reporter at Large continues on page 4
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 3

Doctors Without Borders, founded in 1990, is
currently treating people on the ground and
will be operating its inflatable hospital.
Americares, founded 1982, is sending $5 million
of medical aid including antibiotics, pain
relievers, bandages and medical supplies for
survivors with trauma injuries. ere are
other rescue agencies. See the website.
• Do not give to the Haitian government.
Haiti’s government is notoriously corrupt.
• Be careful of e-mail solicitations.
• Be leery of anybody who contacts you online
claiming to be a victim.
• Hang up on telemarketers.
• Do not send supplies. is type of philanthropy
is neither practical nor efficient. Even
if mail could get to Haiti, no one is set up to
receive goods, much less organize and distribute
them to victims. Furthermore, charities
are often able to partner with companies to
acquire large donations such as bottled water
and new clothing. Instead of boxing up and
sending your old clothing, have a garage sale
and turn your used goods into cash and donate
that to a worthy charity.
ere may be a time in future when donations
of goods will be useful. For now, the best donation
is in currency.
Charity Navigator rates the charities.
e following are in the top category.
Unicef gets 4 stars ★★★★ and an overall
score of 61.55
Oxfam America gets 4 stars ★★★★ and an
overall score of 63.01
Americares gets 4 stars ★★★★ and an
overall score of 61.28
Doctors Without Borders gets 4 stars ★★★★
and an overall score of 61.23
4 The Nyack Villager February, 2010
Reporter at large
starts on page 3
Blue Rock School receives grant
Blue Rock School of West Nyack received a grant
from e Arts Council of Rockland (ACOR) for
a project entitled, Symbiosis in Art & Science.
Middle school teacher Meredith Kates and local
artist Ruth Waldman, will work with students in
scientific experiments and mixed-media sculpture
to learn about symbiosis and how it is applied in
both art and science.
e term symbiosis commonly describes close and
often long-term interactions among different biological
species. In recent years, it has been employed
by artists and writers as well, used to
describe the symbiotic relationships between an
artist and his work, between elements in a particular
piece, and between art and nature.
In the project at Blue Rock School, students will
explore the concept of symbiosis and how it can
be found in both art and science.
Friends Of the Nyacks
2010 Elected Steering Committee Officers:
Danielle Watson, Chair; Duncan Lee, Vice
Chair; Paulette Ross, Vice Chair; Charlie Cross,
Recording Secretary; Jerry Carroll, Treasurer.
e Friends thanked Deborah Darbonne for all
her time and efforts throughout her tenure as
Chair and are happy that she will continue to
serve on the Steering Committee.
Left to right: Danielle Watson, Chair; Duncan Lee,
Vice Chair; Paulette Ross, Vice Chair; Jerry Carroll,
Treasurer. Absent: Charlie Cross, Secretary.
2009 was a banner year for e Friends. Among
the year’s highlights: Chaired the Nyack Quad
celebration, hosted the Sloop Clearwater in cooperation
with Nyack Boat Club, received the
County Executive Arts Award, co sponsored the
4th annual Art Walk, successfully produced the
19th annual Mostly Music Concerts in Nyack’s
Memorial Park, hosted virtual & live Candidates’
Forums. At the year’s end, e Friends agreed to
serve as sponsor for Arts Rock, the newly formed
organization producing arts and entertainment
throughout Rockland County.
Friends of the Nyacks, now in its 36th year, is a
non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining
and improving the quality of life in the Nyacks. e
Friends value the richness of our history and architecture,
the variety of our residents' interests and the
possibilities for our area in the future. Contact
Friends of the Nyacks, www.friendsofthenyacks.org
at (845) 358-4973.
Horses get paid time off.
Humans? Not so Much.
If a new proposal before New York’s City
Council is enacted, Central Park horses would
get a full five weeks of job-protected vacation
time per year, while continuing to enjoy their
standard payment: room, board and grooming.
If enacted, the rule might make New York humans
a little jealous. In October a report by
the Community Service Society found that at
least 1.3 million working New Yorkers (about
39% of the city's workforce) have no paid
leave whatsoever—no vacation, no sick days,
no nada.
According to e Huffington Post, legislation
has been introduced that would begin to give
the US human workforce parity with the standards
proposed for the Big Apple's equine
workers: periodic holidays with pay, paid sick
leave and a weekly day of rest.
Desalinating the Hudson
In December, 2006, the NY Public Service
Commission directed United Water, private
owner of Rockland’s public water supply, to
find a long term solution to the water shortage
that crops up all too often in Rockland.
United Water brushed aside arguments that
Rockland has plenty of natural water and that
problems could be fixed through conservation,
infrastructure improvements, better land use,
stormwater and watershed management. Instead,
United Water pressed for construction
of a project to desalinate Hudson River water.
e project is expected to cost up to $105
million (in 2008 dollars). United Water expects
to recover its costs through a New Water
Supply Source surcharge, which water users will
be forced to pay.
United Water promotes the scheme with slick
television ads designed to make viewers feel
good. In fact, because it will draw from the
Hudson River, the drinking water the plant
produces may contain traces of radioactive
chemicals that pose serious threat to human
health. e radioactivity is courtesy of
Entergy, the Indian Point people.
In addition, the plant will use two to three
times as much electricity as a similarly-sized
water treatment plant and only produce threequarters
of the water—all while adding to carbon
emissions, polluting the Hudson River,
damaging wildlife and creating more floods.
Desalination has failed elsewhere.
Florida’s Tampa Bay plant, perhaps the most
notorious example of the failures of desalination,
is unable to consistently produce the
promised amount of water. It came online
years behind schedule and millions of dollars
over its predicted cost. A smaller plant in
Swansea, Massachusetts, went over its $18
million original budget before its scheduled
date to come online. Desalination projects
currently proposed in California are being met
with considerable resistance from local groups.
Rockland residents fight back.
Local residents have formed the Rockland
Coalition for Sustainable Water which, in addition
to opposing the plant, is working to educate
stakeholders about safe and affordable
means of establishing a sustainable source of
drinking water for the area. Reach them online
at RocklandWater@gmail.com or call (845)
429-2020.
Also critical of the plan is Food & Water
Watch, a non-profit watchdog group. Reach
them at www.foodandwaterwatch.org/
Who is United Water?
United Water is part of Suez Water, a French
multinational corporation with operations primarily
in water, electricity, natural gas and
waste management.
concludes on page 7

The Nyack Villager February, 2010 5

Mental Health Notes
by Daniel Shaw, L.C.S.W
Dating Without Drama
Over the years, I have counseled many people
who were going out of their minds because
they kept getting into bad relationships and
not getting into good ones. Some people are
confused about the difference between being
in love, on the one hand, and hysterical,
chaotic, sadomasochistic drama, on the other—
although there usually is some overlap. Here
are some common errors and some more productive
alternatives.
You are miserable, lonely, hurt, frustrated and
frightened. You are alone again; or you have
been with someone for ‘x’ number of weeks,
months, years, and you’ve been unhappy just
about the whole time. Your fights are repetitive,
no one has discussed marriage or it keeps
getting postponed, your sperm is slowing
down or your eggs are drying up, you’re not
having sex, or you’re having great sex but fighting
bitterly in between every short-lived reconciliation.
You try to travel together and one of
you ends up flying back early, alone. You invite
your girl/boyfriend to meet your parents and
she/he bags out at the last minute. You blame
everything on your partner, and vice versa. You
talk about going to couples counseling, but it
never happens.
This is not a great place from which to start
having that great relationship you say you
want. You—yes, that’s spelled Y-O-U—have to
change. You have to get clear that you are a
worthy, valuable human being, entitled to love
and be loved. Your sense of unworthiness may
be so deep and so unconscious that you don’t
even know it’s there—but it’s why you’re lonely,
or why your relationship is lousy. Get your
self-esteem together, start working on repairing
the relationship you are in and commit to it,
get into that couples counseling already—or
get out of it and start fresh.
So let’s say you are starting fresh, ready for a
new relationship. Having followed the advice
above, you now believe in yourself, you have
fully worked through your hidden self-doubt
and self-loathing, you have reinforced your belief
in your strengths, your goodness, and your
worth, and you are not unduly focused on
your flaws and weaknesses. And you are crystal
clear: you want to get into a great, healthy,
strong, happy, successful, intimate relationship.
If you aren’t really crystal clear about that, you
haven’t changed enough yet. If you experience
repeated frustration and disappointment in
getting to this healthier place, consider consulting
a mental health professional for some
deeper self-understanding.
But let’s say you are in fact clear. Good, now
start dating. You have to tell everyone you
know that you are looking
to meet someone. If
you are 30 or over, you
probably need to use the
online dating sites. You
might need to use online
dating even if you’re
younger, but the older
you are, the more useful
those sites tend to be.
Forget bars, for the most part. They’re more for
hook-ups than relationships, and you need not
to confuse the two.
Next, you have to be a smart shopper. Yes, you
are being chosen, or not—but you are also
choosing. Be the chooser, and be picky. If
someone turns you down, keep moving. And
if someone is into you, it doesn’t mean you
have to be into them. You either are or you
aren’t— and if you aren’t that into them, the
sooner you decide to keep looking elsewhere,
the better. You can spend 6 months trying to
figure out if you really want to be with someone
or not—but if you’re honest with yourself,
you probably knew it wasn’t a go from day
one, and you let fear and guilt stop you from
saying no thanks. And then you spent six
months with the wrong person, when you
could have had twenty-five dates during that
time, one of which might have yielded someone
you would have been crazy about. And
now that person is no longer available, because
you wasted your time not breaking up with
Mr./Ms. Wrong!
Yes, you need to be really attracted to the person
you fall in love with—but maybe some of
your requirements—like no back hair, or extra
large breasts, or a minimum of $3 million in
conservative investments, and other overly-specific
demands; maybe you need to be a little
flex on some of those things. And bear in
mind, you’ve probably already had horrible relationships
with people you were intensely attracted
to, or people who seemed to be able to
provide you with everything you wanted, so
physical attraction or plenty of dough, by
themselves are not enough. Is this person
kind, supportive, excited about you and your
dreams and goals—and vice versa? Do you
share common tastes, preferences, interests?
Do you imagine enjoying the same kinds of activities
and lifestyle together?
Keep looking for the right person, don’t give
up. Don’t get entangled in relationships that
are either lifeless, or full of drama from the getgo.
Believe in yourself and the goodness of the
love you want to give. Good luck in your
search—and vive l’amour!
Daniel Shaw, LCSW, practices psychotherapy in
Nyack and in New York City. He can be reached at
(845) 548-2561 in Nyack and in NY City at
(212) 581-6658, shawdan@aol.com or online at
www.danielshawlcsw.com ✫
6 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

Remember the days?
by James F. Leiner
e Sisco Family
of Palisades
If you spent any time down in
the hamlet of Snedens Landing
in Palisades during the first half
of the 20th century I am sure
your path crossed that of Harry
Sisco. Harry spent most of his
life in and around the little community
east of Route 9W. Back in the early
70s I was a young utility representative, and
when I needed help in finding anything or
learning about the area, it was best to seek out
Harry. He always had the answer.
Harry was one of the sons of Sam Sisco and
his wife Mary. ere were eight children in
the family living in a house almost across the
street from the little white Presbyterian Church
on Washington Spring Road. Sam, a coachman
and barber, worked for some of the well-to-do
families of the area. e Sisco children became
an integral part of the life of the community,
but it was Harry who became so well known
that he was often described as the soul of the
landing.
e Sisco family is possibly the oldest African-
American family of our area. Dr. Carl Nordstrom,
noted Rockland County Historian,
believes the family is a descendent of a sailor,
Jan Fransisco, who was on a Spanish or Portuguese
ship captured by the Dutch of New
Amsterdam in 1643. e first Sisco family to
come to Rockland is recorded in 1739 near
the present day Airmont. Along with other
African-Americans the Siscos found their way
to the southeastern part of the county long before
the Revolution. ey called their little
community e Mountain. Some of the locals
referred to it as Skunk Hollow. Some historians
believe they came to escape racial tensions in
New York, however Dr. Nordstrom believes
African-Americans were drawn to the areas as
it was a kind of no-man’s land, long claimed
by both New York and New Jersey, an area
where the residents would be left alone and
not questioned about land titles. e settlers
built houses, cleared and planted land to sustain
their families. ey erected what is believed
to be the first black church in Rockland County.
ere are only a few foundation sections left
today in the Hollow. For years Jane Sisco’s worn
gravestone was in the community’s cemetery;
she was the fourteen-year-old daughter of
John and Jane Sisco, ... who departed this life
March 4, 1846. e headstone was later
moved to the family plot in Sneden’s Landing
in an attempt to preserve the Sisco history.
e Sisco family may have been
among the last to leave the Hollow.
Most of the little community
lasted until around 1915 but not
Harry and his parents. In the early
20’s a spunky young lady moved
into the area. Adele Dow was the
great-granddaughter of Hanna
Whitehead Oliver, an Iroquois Indian
and of course Harry took notice.
He managed to meet Adele
while she was stuck high up in a tree in the
Hollow. It didn’t take long before Harry was
in love, and they married in August, 1925.
In the ensuing years they raised six children.
Harry worked for the Fox family for almost a
half century. He served as caretaker, handyman,
driving instructor, mechanic, snow remover,
philosopher, counselor and friend. e adults
respected and relied on him; the family children
loved him, calling him Pop. Harry had a
special no-nonsense rapport with them; he
was their stern but total ally. e Fox children
fondly recalled that when the winter snows
covered Sneden’s Landing, they would take to
the long steep roads with their sleds, while
Harry, driving a tractor with a flat, wooden
snowplow, went out to clear the roads. Somehow,
Harry always seemed to be at the bottom
of the hill ready to start back up just as the
kids reached that place on their sleds. e Fox
children always felt that Harry had a sixth
sense for danger or mischief. He was always
telling the family children to straighten up and
be somebody.
In his later years Harry was severely crippled
with arthritis, and walked with a cane, but he
worked almost every day as a chauffer for Miss
Jennie Fox. He proudly drove her sparkling
bright 1950 Packard Grand Touring Car on
all the family trips and errands. e news of
Harry’s passing on February 28, 1976 was but
a short obituary; it was left to his wife, Adele
and their children, to tell of his legacy and recall
memories going back decades.
e family brought Harry back to Sneden’s
Landing and laid him to rest in the old cemetery
beside his in-laws and his son Ramon,
whom he lost shortly after Ramon’s service in
the Korean War. ere also resting close by is
Molly Sneden, mistress of the Revolutionary
War ferry; she gave her name to the community.
Harry Sisco gave them his heart.
The Nyack Villager thanks Jim Leiner for helping us
all ‘Remember the Days.’ ✫
Bad news for Rockland County
e U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an
appeal of Rockland County vs. FAA challenging
the Federal Aviation Administration’s Redesign
Plan to allow many more flights from Newark
Airport to be re-routed over residential space,
mostly in Orangetown.
Congressman Eliot Engel pledges to “continue
to fight every step of the way to prevent implementation
of the current FAA Airspace Redesign
plan and work towards an alternative
solution that doesn’t put an additional 200-
400 flights a day over my constituents.”
Rep. Engel plans to pursue the matter in Congress
through the FAA funding and authorization
process. He says the FAA redesign plan,
intended to relieve congestion in airport traffic,
is deeply flawed and adversely affects
Rockland.
Nyack Library Budget Vote
• February 9th, 2010.
• For residents of Nyack, South Nyack, Upper
Nyack, Central Nyack & Upper Grand View.
• Polling Place: Nyack Library, 10am to 9pm.
59 South Broadway, Nyack NY, 10960. ✫
According to astrologers ...
v
d
p
t
n
b
l
f
h
r
x
j
Reporter at large
continued from page 4
ARIES is most compatible with
Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini and Aquarius.
TAURUS is most compatible with
Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer and Pisces.
GEMINI is most compatible with
Libra, Aquarius, Aries and Leo.
CANCER is most compatible with
Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Virgo.
LEO is most compatible with
Aries, Sagittarius, Gemini and Libra.
VIRGO is most compatible with
Taurus, Capricorn, Cancer and Scorpio.
LIBRA is most compatible with
Gemini, Aquarius, Leo and Sagittarius.
SCORPIO is most compatible with
Cancer, Pisces, Virgo and Capricorn.
SAGITTARIUS is most compatible with
Leo, Aries, Libra and Aquarius.
CAPRICORN is most compatible with
Virgo, Taurus, Scorpio and Pisces.
AQUARIUS is most compatible with
Libra, Gemini, Sagittarius and Aries.
PISCES is most compatible with
Scorpio, Cancer, Capricorn and Taurus.
Penguin Plunge
Feb 28: PENGUIN PLUNGE penguins will jump into the Hudson River at Memorial Park in Nyack before a crowd of
cheering supporters. e Hudson is generally around 40° F. at this time of year.
Details: call mayor’s office at 358-0229
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 7

Summer Camps 2010
ere are many fine local summer day camps avaliable; many are associated with a well-known school.
e various camps have a wide variety of activities for children of all ages, from fine arts to circus skills,
sports, water play, crafts, nature study and academic enrichment, to working with farm animals.
In alphabetical order—
• Amazing Grace Circus Summer Day Camp, Nyack, NY
e only year-round, all-youth circus in the Tri-State area where children and teens (ages 5-18) work in a
fun collaborative, environment challenging themselves to defy gravity and reach new heights.
Skills taught by professionals include Juggling, Balancing, Tightwire, Trapeze, Classic Clown Routines, Acrobatics
& Human Pyramids. No special ability required. ree, 2-week sessions and one 1-week session
is held from June 28 through August 13 at the air-conditioned hall of Grace Episcopal Church, 130 First
Ave. For information and to register call (845) 348-8740, e-mail carlo@amazinggracecircus.org or visit
online www.amazinggracecircus.org
• Blue Rock School Summer Play, West Nyack, NY
A relaxing, yet enriching place for your child to spend Summer days with a talented veteran staff. is 5-week program invites children ages 4
through 11 to explore art, drama, games, woodworking, reading, sports, nature and water play on our three acres of wooded property. e program
will run from June 28 through July 29, Mondays thru ursdays (urs optional), 9:30am to 2:30pm. Call (845) 627-0234 or visit
www.bluerockschool.org
• Dwight-Englewood School Summer Connections, Englewood, NJ
is program engages students from pre-school (age 3) through 12th grade in exploratory learning in areas such as robotics, photography, soccer
and journalism. For scholars looking for Carnegie school credit, there are a variety of courses in math, science and foreign language. Our smallest
campers discover the joy of learning through a full day of guided activities by caring and experienced teachers and counselors. Connect to a
different community, to your teachers, and to your inner passions. Program from June 28-Aug 6. Call (201) 569-9500 ext. 3501 or visit
www.d-e.org/summer
• Elisabeth Morrow School, Englewood, NJ, Summer Explorations
A blend of camp and school, with choices to stretch a child’s imagination, intellect and muscles. Our 14-acre wooded campus, playgrounds and
labs provide the right setting for learning and recreation. ree-year-olds through grade one explore their world through games, music, water
play, drama and crafts. Grades two through six investigate special interests and develop skills in mathematics, reading, writing, science and more.
Afternoons, students make choices of activities. Two, 3-week sessions with half or full day options are offered, June 28 through August 6. Visit
online www.elisabethmorrow.org
photo: Michele Sommer
8 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

photo: Michele Sommer
photo: Deb Grosmark
• Green Meadow-Waldorf School Summer Farm Days
For 4 through 6 year-olds takes place at the Fellowship Community farm at 241 Hungry Hollow Road in Chestnut Ridge, NY. e program
provides play and natural discovery, vital for children’s healthy intellectual and emotional development. ey care for lambs and calves, garden,
go on nature walks, bake bread, make ice cream, create nature crafts, have fun with water play and more. e camp will run for two weeks beginning
June 21, half day, 8:30 am to 1pm ($360 per week) or full day, 8:30 am to 3pm ($500 per week). Register: Ivy Greenstein (845) 356-
2514 ext. 330 or e-mail igreenstein@gmws.org
• Helen Hayes Youth eatre Summer Camp, Nyack, NY
An intensive summer theater experience for kids ages 5 - 17. We spend two weeks rehearsing a show in order to achieve our goal of performing a
one-hour long, full stage production including choreography, vocal direction, staging and character development as well as costumes, lights and
scenic design. All levels of performance are welcome. Shows include: Oklahoma, Once Upon a Mattress, Once on is Island, Cinderella and
Mulan Two week sessions run June 28 - August 21. Visit www.helenhayesyouththeater.com for more information or call: (845) 826-2049
• Palisades Schoolhouse, Blauvelt, NY
For 19 years Palisades Schoolhouse has offered Summer camp programs 2 miles from Nyack. A small, fun, program filled with wonderful activities
including daily water play, non-competitive sports, arts and crafts, nature exploration, music and movement—and more. Trips are scheduled
for the older children. Weekly theme days like Pirate Day, Messy Day and Treasure Hunts are among the favorites. Our playgrounds are shaded
and our classrooms are air-conditioned. Meals are included and the program runs all summer. Half and full days, 2 to 5 days are available.
Call (845) 365-6705 or visit online Palisadesschoolhouse.com
continues on page 10
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 9

Summer Camps 2010 starts on page 8
• Rockland Center for the Arts Summer Camp, West Nyack, NY
e summer camp at RoCA turns "sun" days into creative "fun" days for children ages 5 through 12. Ten wooded acres, fully equipped, air-conditioned,
art studios and large swimming pool. Campers, under the supervision of adult instructors and caring counselors, learn in a hands-on,
non-competitive environment where confidence, creativity and group cooperation are encouraged. ree or four days per week, two four-week
sessions are offered. Open House will be held Sunday, 3/14/2010, June 29 – August 20. 1-4pm. Contact: Amy Alinkofsky (845) 358-0877
x.18 AmyRCA@aol.com. www.rocklandartcenter.org
• Rockland Country Day School, and e Nature Place Day Camp, Congers, NY
RCDS and Nature Place have formed Summer Studios starting in July. It is a unique day camp for children ages 5-12, with four weeks of Summer
camp where art and nature will be woven together in play and practice. Each five-day week will have a different muse: visual arts, music,
theater arts and food. Our 20-acre campus will be devoted to the arts in nature and nature in the arts. Visit our open houses in February,
March and April. Information: contact Lorraine Greenwell (845) 268-6802 or e-mail: lgreenwell@rocklandcds.org
• Small Steps Early Childhood Camp, Nyack NY
A small, safe camp for your child age 2-5 in an early learning center environment that is fun and rewarding with low staff-to-child ratios. e
children participate in themes from “the beach” to games, to celebrations, to field day to “camping outdoors.” ey will share stories about the
friends that they have made, show you their sculptures or mobiles from art projects and the rewards of the cooking they experience. Water play
and outdoor activities are offered daily. For information on dates and rates for our six-week program, call (845) 353-2350. ✫
10 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

An open community forum.
Letters
to the editor
Opinions expressed are those of each
letter writer, not necessarily
those of The Nyack Villager
A question of gender
To e Nyack Villager—
I am a young man who is passionate about fashion
design. Last Summer, home from college, I
applied for a job at one of Nyack’s clothing stores
for women. I arrived with an enthusiastic attitude,
ready with photos from previous jobs. I
told the owner that I hope to gain experience—
paid or unpaid—to help me move forward in
this profession.
e owner turned me down flat, saying she won’t
hire men in the store because women feel selfconscious
getting undressed with a man in the
room.
Considering the fact that the store is located in a
progressive, open-minded village like Nyack, is it
right to assume that all women would be put off
by a male employee? Please share your thoughts,
—Tomas Maccio
[Editor’s note—please, readers, let us hear what you
think about this.]
Diner lingo at Dish Deli
To e Nyack Villager—
My wife and I read your article on diner lingo
and had a good laugh. We bought a deli in
Upper Nyack this past July and opened for business
in September.
Since the opening of Dish Deli, we have developed
our own kitchen lingo and vocabulary—it’s
just something that grows organically. BECSPK,
for example, stands for bacon, egg, cheese, salt,
pepper, ketchup. It’s pronounced “beck speck.”
e term was coined by a Nyack High School
student when he saw us writing BECSPK on
order pads.
Having a private language, or coded words, in a
work environment, allows workers to bond and
communicate without the customers (and sometimes
the boss) knowing what the hell is being
said. Every profession has its private language,
but the food business is probably the most colorful
and creative in its ability to sling the hash.
Hobo, no legs—
—Mark Arduino and Alex Lopukhin, Dish Deli
Parking ticket abuse
To e Nyack Villager—
e parking ticket abuse in Nyack is out of hand.
It is up to the community to take control. We
have meter attendants who stand by a meter that
is about to run out, just to ticket it the second it
expires. ese attendants or the funds they tally
each month in tickets, do nothing for us or our
village; their collections are just a way to justify
their jobs. Would we even need the meters if
these people weren’t on the payroll? eir tactics
cause animosity, frustration and keep residents
from utilizing the stores in our own village for
fear of getting tickets. We have had enough—
especially these days.
—Frustrated in Nyack.
On school lunch safety
To e Nyack Villager—
We are currently assisting NY Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand on an upcoming food safety bill she
will be introducing in the near future. School
lunch food safety is an important part of that.
I am writing you to see if any of you know anyone
who was made sick from school lunch.
Please reply to this email as soon as possible.
anks in advance.
—Margaret Quinn, Director of Outreach ,
S.T.O.P. (Safe Tables Our Priority)
Victim Assistance: 800-350-STOP
www.safetables.org
Correction Last month we committed an
error in printing Joseph Brady-Amoon’s letter.
We should have printed the Clarkstown Police
Department, not Orangetown. ✫
The Nyack Villager
welcomes your letters.
Our address appears on pg 21
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 11

Natural Healing
by Jerome L. Greenberg, DC
e Germinators
By the time you read this, the
biggest marketing campaign for
the drug companies will hopefully
be over. Its called the flu season.
Every year, they do their best to convince
everyone that the germinators have returned
to take over the planet. And the only way for
you to survive is to arm yourself with sticking
some of their drugs in your arm. ey convince
every news media— which they control
(just count the number of ads that come from
these companies or their affiliates) and government
agencies—which they control (just
count the number of lobbying dollars) to put
them and their products out in front of any
other stories or concerns. And this year, they
got double the press with the H1N1 “pandemic”
which was probably created with their
corporate buddies in agribusiness by using totally
unnatural methods in farming and raising
livestock.
28 out of the 35 million pounds of antibiotics
sold in the U.S. last year went into our pigs,
chickens and cows. Unless you are getting
your meat from an organic free-range farm,
you are getting a good dose of these drugs
with every bite. Even if the government
didn’t pay billions of dollars
for these vaccines and even if
the drug companies lost money on
the flu vaccination, it is still the
most brilliant marketing move in
history. For about five months
each year, they get to brainwash
everyone by repeating their mantra
over and over again; “I am sick or I will get
sick because I have a deficiency of drugs in my
body.” It’s hard-wired into your brain. Unless
you go for some type of intervention, you will
always think like this.
e NY Times got hold of a report from the
inspector general of Health & Human Services
(HHS) which stated that most of the experts
who served on vaccine safety advisory
panels in 2007 to evaluate vaccines for flu and
cervical cancer had potential conflicts of interest
that were never resolved. Some who weighed
in on safety issues had been legally barred
from doing so since they had taken money
from vaccine manufacturers.
e Centers For Disease Control (CDC)
failed nearly every time to ensure that safety
advisors adequately filled out forms confirming
that they weren't being paid by companies
with an interest in their decision.
64% of CDC advisors had potential conflicts
that weren't identified or were left unresolved.
13% of advisors failed to have an appropriate
conflicts form filled out.
If this isn't bad enough, I'd like to know how
the death tolls and adverse reactions are being
reported. Did anyone out there ever go to
their M.D. when they were sick and were
tested for the flu or H1N1? ousands of
people die every day, but during flu season,
they died of the flu. Go figure.
One of my patients who works for a major
Westchester hospital was forced to get the
swine flu vaccine. She became so sick, she
missed a week of work. No one tested her and
no one reported it to any government agency.
And this woman knows a little something
about scientific method. She's an M.D. ✫
Dr. Jerome Greenberg has offices in NY City and
Upper Nyack. Reached him at 800 789 BACK.
12 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

Piermont Notebook
by Kathy Baruffi
Work in Progress
e journey from the archipelagos
of Malta to Piermont has been a
creative one for architectural designer
Daniel Vella.
Passersby often stop in their tracks to puzzle
over the unusual architecture of his artistic
piece de resistance, the travertine marble-clad
building next to the Piermont Firehouse on
Piermont Avenue. e building, inspired by
early Christian architecture of the Norman era
on Malta circa 1090 AD, is a reference to
Vella’s primogeniture lineage, as the hereditary
Marquise di Casalvecchio.
His project, which began as a routine home
renovation that morphed into a serendipitous
ecumenical mission, is over 20 years in the
making. “I bought the building in 1989,”
Vella says of the old cottage that was so infested
with termites it had to be demolished. Excavation
efforts to save the original structure revealed
piles of shells, old bottles and a foundation of
tree trunks piled atop stone boulders, bordering
the original shore of the river.
“I ended up turning my bad investment into a
lifetime of creativity and work towards reflecting
the history of our ancestry,”
Vella says, pleased to share his passion
for ancient culture, and tell
others about the historically strategic
importance of the country of
his origin.
e design of the new building
may be linked to Malta in the
Middle Ages but the green construction
practices Vella used are firmly rooted
in the 21st century. “e 2700 cubic feet of
red sandstone excavated from the foundation
of the original building was recycled for the
waterfalls and terraces in the garden. And I
wore out my Honda Civic, gradually transporting
18 tons of manageable pieces of opulent
and exotic stone, donated by Christopher
of Passoni Marble & Granite, of Pomona,”
Vella says of the 7,500-hand cut pieces he
formed into elaborate mosaics of Jerusalem
circa 1096 AD, depicting the story of the
Barons Crusade.
Vella continues to paint the 29 Papal frescoes
for the ceilings (photo lower right) and create
sculptures for this project from his studio in
Vermont.
“I hope to finish the project in the near future,
then open it to the public and invite featured
artists to exhibit their work. ere might be a
harpist playing in the garden or poetry read-
e Work in Progress on Piermont Avenue
ings, as we have successfully experimented
with during the Summer of 1997.”
Vella said that one of the many joys of this
project has been the chance to chat with
strangers who have stopped by while he was
toiling outside. Say ‘hello’ if you see him in
his dusty clothes, happily working away. ✫
Kathy Baruffi, a freelance researcher and travel
writer, has resided in Piermont for nearly 30 years.
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 13

February Frolic
Art
and Entertainment
Write It Out
A new, free writing workshop for military veterans
and family members starts this month.
Workshop leaders have all seen military service.
For more info phone (845) 398-4134 or e-mail
gmccarth@stac.edu
Starts Feb 2 at 8pm, continuing thereafter at
Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), 521 North
Broadway, Upper Nyack, NY
First Friday Film Series
Piermont Library will present Un Coeur en Hiver
(A Heart in Winter, 1992), an exquisitely acted
French film detailing an obsessive love triangle in
the classical music world of Paris.
Fri, Feb 5 at 7:30pm at Piermont Public Library
25 Flywheel Park West, Piermont. Info: call
359-4595
Chant Camp
Susan Hellauer, of the renowned vocal ensemble
Anonymous 4 will lead an interactive workshop
dedicated to the art, theory and singing of chant.
e session is for both professional and amateur
singers who want to know more about Western
plainchant from medieval sources. Some vocal
experience is helpful but not necessary. Info: e-
mail chantcamp@ChantVillage.com
Sat Feb 27 10am to 1pm (9:30am registration)
at Grace Episcopal Church 130 First Ave at
North Franklin Street Nyack NY $25 cash or
check (to Chant Village) at the door
Valentine’s Day Concert
e Rockland Symphony Orchestra will present
a concert of romantic arias by Rossini, Verdi and
Puccini performed by soprano Jennifer Cece.
Orchestral works by Khachaturian & Tchaikovsky
will be performed by e Rockland Symphony
under the direction of Dr. Marvin von Deck.
14 The Nyack Villager February, 2010
3pm Sun, Feb 14 at SUNY Rockland’s Cultural
Arts Center, 145 College Rd, Suffern. Tickets at
door: $20 adult, $15 senior adult, $10 student.
Info: visit www.rocklandsymphony.org or call
(845) 942-2574.
Rockland Center For the Arts
Rockland Center for the Arts, 27 South Greenbush Rd.
West Nyack (off Exit 12 NYS ruway. Info: 845-358-
0877 or visit www.rocklandartcenter.org Hours: M to F:
10am to 5pm; weekends; 1 to 4pm; closed holidays.
• Dance Party—biennial Artist Party with music
by Forro In the Dark, Brazilian dance floor sensation.
Come eat, drink & dance, but mostly
dance, at the RoCA party among the people who
create, love & support the arts.
Feb 13, 8-11 pm. $30 pp includes refreshments.
Tickets (845) 358-0877 or Lynnstein@aol.com
• Valentine Workshop—Make personalized
Valentines for those you love. Participants use
pop-up structures, stamping, and collage to create
one-of-a-kind tokens of affection.
Ages 5 to adult Sun, Feb 7, 1:30-3pm Fee $15pp.
• Fresh Paint curated by Lynn Stein
Participating artists are Cecile Chong, Suzanna
Frosch, Jen P. Harris, D. Dominick Lombardi,
Lisa Sanditz, Holly Sears & Michael Zansky—
7 painters whose work reflects a fresh sensibility.
rough March 7
• Stage Life Photographs by Stephanie Berger
As a staff photographer for Lincoln Center Festival
since its inception in 1996, Stephanie Berger
of Piermont brings her stunning images to RoCA
with a focus on the visual drama of the stage.
rough March 7
• Media Project Space Kit Fitzgerald: Tiny Sisters
In the Enormous Land Dance video choreographed
by Bebe Miller opens in the Media
Project Space.
rough March 7
• RoCA’s School for the Arts offers an exciting
variety of studio art classes and workshops for all
ages—including fine arts, ceramics, woodworking,
jewelry, glass, creative writing, photography,
cartooning and more.
Info & free catalog: (845) 358-0877 or view the
catalog & register at www.rocklandartcenter.org
Live Theatre at Nyack Library
e award-winning M&M Productions Acting
Company brings a new play, touching comedydrama,
to Nyack Library in March. One performance
only. Admission is free.
Sun, Mar 7 at 2pm at Nyack Library, 59 South
Broadway Nyack
Hopper House
82 N Broadway Nyack NY. Gallery hrs 1-5 pm urs thru
Sun. Info: (845) 358-0774 or visit www.HopperHouse.org
Contact Hopper House to arrange for use of standard size
wheelchair lift when visiting.
• Call for Artists
Hopper House seeks high quality photographic
work for the Biennial Juried Photography Exhibit
2010, scheduled May 15 thru July 11. Submit
by 3/22/10. Call for prospectus & details.
• Annual Members’ Exhibit
Hopper House members are invited to include a
work in this display of creativity. ru Feb 7.
• Deyrup / Revitzky
Dorothy Deyrup Retrospective and NY Landscapes
by Dennis Revitzky will be on view Feb
13 thru Mar 21; opening reception: Sat, Feb,
13, 5-7pm.
Workshops
Info: (845) 358-0774 or visit www.HopperHouse.org
• Saturday Art Starts with Delah McKay
• Figure drawing (the details) for teen to adult
• Mid-Winter School Vacation Art Workshops
• AfterSchool Art Club for Kids
• Hopper House Art Club for Teens
• Poetry and You (monthly)
• Song Writers’ Workshop (monthly)
• Figure Drawing sessions (weekly)
First Sunday at F.O.R.
is month: performances by acoustic musicians
Rob Bunting (stand-up bass & vocals), David
Frye (6 string guitar & vocals), Randy Iannacone
(harmonica & vocals) and Kevin Keck (banjo &
mandolin).
Sun, Feb 7, from11:30am to 1pm at e Fellowship
of Reconciliation, 521 N. Broadway, Nyack.
Info: (845) 358-4601 ext. 32
At Piermont Flywheel Gallery
Miles From Nowhere, a solo show of current work
on paper and panel by Alicia Chimento, will be
on view this month in Piermont. Ms. Chimento
exhibits in national and regional juried shows;
her work is seen in galleries on the East Coast.

She will be at the Flywheel during gallery hours.
Feb 11 thru 28, at Piermont Flywheel Gallery,
223 Ash St, Piermont Landing, Piermont, NY.
Hours:urs & Sun 1 to 6, and Fri & Sat 1 to 9
or by appointment. Info: (845) 365-6411 or
visit www.piermontflywheel.com
Nyack College Concerts
All concerts are at Pardington Hall, Nyack College, 45
South Boulevard, Nyack, NY. Info: (845) 675-4687
• Dr. Tammy Lum performs works by Schumann
Wed, Feb 17 at 12:15pm
• Dr. Tammy Lum performs works by Chopin
Wed, Feb 24 at 12:15pm
Rockland Conservatory presents
e Stonybrook High Cs will perform a wide
range of genres, including 80s Rock, Pop, R&B,
Classics, 90s Rock and more.
Sun, Feb 28 at 3pm at Simons Hall, Rockland
Conservatory 7 Perlman Drive, Spring Valley NY
356-1522 Tickets: $12 adults, $7 seniors; students
under 18 free.
Rivertown Film Society
Tickets—$9 general admission, $7 seniors, $6 for students.
Info: (845) 348-1880, or www.riverspace.org
Wed, Feb 3 at 8pm (Lafayette eatre)
• THE BOYS ARE BACK
Wed, Feb 10 at 8pm (Lafayette eatre)
• THE MAID
Wed, Feb 17 at 8pm (Lafayette eatre)
• COCO BEFORE CHANEL
Wed, Feb 24 at 8pm (Lafayette eatre)
• A SERIOUS MAN
Sat, Feb 20 at 7:30pm (Nyack Center)
• GOOD HAIR
AT THE LIBRARIES
Nyack Library
59 S. Broadway, Nyack. Info & reg:
(845) 358-3370 ext. 14. Book group
books available at ref desks.
• Celebrate Black History Month
with the history of African-American hairstyles
and fashion, plus Soul Food Celebration.
Sat, 2/6, 3pm
• e Life & Music of Nina Simone
Book discussion & signing with Nadine Cohodas,
author of the newly-published Princess Noire: e
Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone; performance
by Sam Waymon and the Magic Band. Register.
Sat, 2/27, 2pm
• ree Stories of Peace
Mark Judelson dramatically recounts the true
stories of courageous individuals who responded
to violence and hatred with acts of peace—e
Open Window, ree Strings, and 100th Monkey.
Must register.
Sun, 2/28, 1:30pm
• Healthy Eating for Teens
Sweets for your sweetie, but good for you to eatie.
Wed, 2/3, 4pm
• Teen Media Swap Meet
Trade your gently used books, movies and games
for other teens’ used stuff: be green and greedy at
the same time.
Wed, 2/17, 4pm
• Try Out Teen Yoga with Julie Lifton
Get centered, stretched, energized and relaxed in
this mini-series introduction to yoga.
urs, 2/18, 2/25 & 3/4, 4pm
Valley Cottage Library
110 Route 303. Handicap accessible. Info: (845) 268-7700.
M-Th. 10-9pm, Fri-Sat. 10-5pm.
• In Our Gallery Feb 1 thru 28
Rivers and Shores by Carol Palermo
Reception: Sun, Feb 7, from 1 to 3pm
• Defensive Driving Course
Feb 3 & 10 from 5:45 to 8:45pm, 6-hour course
open to NYS licensed drivers. Participants may be
eligible to receive discounted auto insurance premiums.
Registration & check for $23 payable to
Ian Prastien required. 845-639-4982, ext. 52685.
• Identity eft, Harassment, Stalkers
Rockland DA omas P. Zugibe & members of
the Clarkstown Police answer questions on these
problems. Refreshments. Feb 4 at 7:30pm.
• ursday Matinee Movies at 4pm
Feb 11—Departures ‘09 Oscar Best Foreign Film
Feb 25—Revanche (Germany)
• Nonfiction Reading Club
e Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark
Kurlansky. A history of NY City, told from the
perspective of the once-plentiful Eastern oyster.
Discussion and refreshments. Please register.
Feb. 11 at 7pm.
• Songs that won an Oscar
Singer Bettina Paley performs Moon River, e
Way We Were, New York, New York and more.
Please register. Sun, Feb. 28 at 2pm.
Piermont Public Library
25 Flywheel Park West, Piermont. Hours: Mon to urs,
10-8; Friday, 12-5; Saturday, 12-4. Open some Sundays for
special events. Info: 359-4595. Events are free unless otherwise
noted.
• January In the Gallery
Rebecca Gmucs of Orangeburg will show large
scale oil landscapes with a strong abstract/impressionistic/color
and a focus on Hudson Valley
places. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence, Rebecca
also studied at the Art Students' League and
Pratt. She writes, “Space and color are what
move me. I have always been interested in expressing
the immensity of the space surrounding
us. ere is peacefulness and strength in large expanses.”
Opening reception Sun, Feb 7 at 2pm. All are
welcome.
• Wed, Feb 17 at 11am
Moon River Music Together with Catherine. Fun
with music for the very young child.
New City Library
220 North Main Street, New City, NY. Contact: Sally
Pellegrini, 634-4997, ext. 139; spellegr@rcls.org
• Winter Film Series showings at 1pm
Wed, 2-3 East of Eden with James Dean.
Wed, 2-10 Widow's Peak w/ Natasha Richardson
Wed, 2-17 Uncle Buck starring John Candy
• Homage to Valentine's Day
Bob Hoover, pianist Fri, Feb 12 at 1:30pm
• Family Game Night
Play one of our many board games together.
Fri, Feb 12 from 6 to 8pm
• Children's Valentine Craft
Drop in and create a holiday craft.
Sat, Feb 13 from 1 to 3pm
• Concert
Sam (e Man) Waymon returns with his four
musicians to share his new songs. Piano, drums,
saxophone and two guitars create blues and soul
music with an emphasis on the beat.
Sun, Feb 14 at 2pm (snow date: 2-21). ✫
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 15

The Lifetime Garden
by Jon Feldman
I love watching trees. Especially so in winter,
after deciduous species have dropped their
leaves. Oak, maple, beech and locust, to
name some of my favorites, exhibit unique
trunk and branching structures that clearly
identify them to an observer equipped with
merely a field guide and the simplest of detective
skills.
ese gorgeous beings stand stoic against winter’s
omnipotence. Aside from occasional
branch-rubbing groans in the wind, they seem
impervious to the weather.
Oaks tower above the ground with a main
trunk reaching skyward, splitting into side
limbs frequently larger than most trees growing
around them. Maples look like a ‘typical’
tree—the generic kind you would draw by instinct.
e light grey bark of the beech distinguishes
it from all others. Its elephant-like
ripples are unmistakable and a particularly
special attraction.
Another all-time favorite, the shag-bark hickory,
is also set apart by its bark. e peeling
plates seem ready to shed without warning,
showering shards of wood upon the forest floor.
On Our February Cover
Illustration by Joanne Ottaviano
Joanne Ottaviano recently returned to Piermont
after living in New York City for fifteen years.
Joanne began her career in illustration and
fine art. She has exhibited her paintings nationally
and internationally, including a onewoman
art exhibition in Tokyo.
In addition to her works on canvas, Joanne
paints interior and exterior murals (frequently
for children’s rooms) and creates customized
home tiles and furniture with hand painted
designs. She enjoys creating personalized
greeting cards in her whimsical style for private
clients.
Joanne is delighted to call Piermont her home
once more. ✫
Evergreen trees get a featured
role this season as
well. Without the distractions
of leafy neighbors,
their structures
and stature become
much more prominent.
eir bulk provides the
skyline a scale that puts
all into perspective.
Some species of trees can reach a hundred feet
or more, though most of our locals are lucky
to reach 60 before succumbing to natural or
human-related causes. e endurance of the
eldest capture most of our attention. e surrounding
lesser trees can frequently be their
progeny, perhaps representing the next generation
of giants.
Mine has been a life-long love affair, yet, because
of the non-verbal, immobile nature of
the focus of my affection, these feelings remain
unrequited. And, like many such unbalanced
relationships, an occasional change of
scenery can do wonders for the soul.
at said, I’m off to warmer climes to get reacquainted
with some coconut palms I met a
few years ago.
Jon Feldman is the owner of G. biloba Garden Environments.
Reach him at 353-3448. ✫
Consider the
Groundhog
Woodchuck and groundhog
are common terms for the
same animal.
How much wood could
a woodchuck chuck if a
woodchuck could chuck wood?
About 700 pounds. A wildlife biologist once
measured the inside volume of a typical woodchuck
burrow and estimated that, if wood filled
the hole instead of earth, the industrious animal
would have chucked about 700 pounds worth.
What goes on in the groundhog’s burrow in
Winter?
Not much. Groundhogs go into deep hibernation.
eir metabolic rate slows ‘way down
and their body temperature drops to just a few
degrees above ambient temperature. Because
their hibernaculum, the deepest portion of the
burrow where they hibernate, is below the
frost line, the temperature of their surroundings
may be about 40º F.
Below: diagram of a groundhog’s studio apartment. ✫
16 The Nyack Villager February, 2010
anks to Cornell University

From the Outside In
by om Kleiner, Former Supervisor,
Orangetown Township
Gay marriage ... what’s all the
fuss about?
During my tenure as town supervisor, there
were a number of times when I wanted to
comment on issues that were not particularly
relevant to my position. Sometimes I did, but
more often than not I took a pass on issues
that were likely to certain to cause political
problems with certain segments of the electorate.
Hence my column this month on gay
marriage.
ere are those who say that heterosexual
marriage is an institution tied to fundamental
tenets of a number of religions and to the very
formation of American society itself and should
be "protected." To those I say: Whatever
happened to separation of church and state?
But the fault here does not so much lie with
those who have immutable religious beliefs; it
lies with their state legislators who have an obligation
to protect civil rights and liberties that
should be superior to any religious order or
even legislators' own religious views. Most recently,
legislators in New York and New Jersey
failed to permit marriage equality in their states.
What could be their reason except base prejudice
and ignorance or, most powerfully, a fear
of the wrath of certain segments of the electorate.
It is wrong for the state to forbid two
people who are committed to one another to
benefit psychologically and legally from the
institution of marriage. It is
a privilege that heterosexual
couples take for granted, however
imperfect their unions
may otherwise be.
I am confident that ten or fifteen
years from now, we will
look back on this time as that
period in our history when timid legislators
refused to recognize that allowing gay people
to marry would have no negative impact on
anyone, gay or straight. Conservative attorney
Ted Olson, who represented George W. Bush
in Bush v. Gore, has teamed with his former
rival, David Boises, to challenge California's
ban on same sex marriage. He stated to Maureen
Dowd in the New York Times of January
17: “We're going to explain why allowing
same-sex couples to have that same right that
the rest of us have is not going to hurt heterosexual
marriage. It has no point at all except
some people don't want to recognize gays and
lesbians as normal, as human beings.”
I have to believe that the setbacks to gay marriage
are temporary. Yet, with an increasingly
fragile moderate to conservative majority on
the U.S. Supreme Court, it is uncertain when
it will take the inevitable step to cure the irrational
and parochial behavior of the legislatures
and permit gay marriage, just as it did
in Loving v.Virginia in 1967, striking down
anti-miscegenation laws. But, it will happen.
And when it does, everyone will wonder what
all the fuss was about.
Mr. Kleiner welcomes questions and comments.
Send to info@nyackvillager.com ✫
Day Trippin’
Maple sugaring in March
Excursion idea—Maple festivals take place
throughout March at participating farms
and parks, featuring family activities, education,
arts & crafts, food, and best of all,
tasty maple products. e weather influences
the harvest, so call first.
★ Remsburger Maple Farm celebrates Maple
Weekend March 29 & 30 with tree tapping
and boiling demonstrations. From 9am
until 4pm each day.
756 Traver Rd in Pleasant Valley, (Dutchess
County, just west of Taconic State Pkwy, off
Route 44. (845) 635-9168 or online at
www.RemsburgerMaple.com
• Celebrate Maple Sunday on March 16
from 9am to noon with a pancake breakfast and other festivities. e breakfast is $6 ($4 for
children). e day includes demonstrations of blacksmithing and woodcutting.
Taconic Outdoor Education Center at Fahnestock Memorial State Park in Cold Spring (Putnam
County). For more info call (845) 265-3773.
Or do an online search for maple sugaring festivals in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut or Vermont. Dates vary; some festivals take place in April. ✫
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 17

y Donna Cox
Positive news on the
housing market is finally
starting to filter through the media. We are starting to see some positive
signs here in the river villages, as well. We had a strong finish in the
4th Quarter 2009 with 4th Quarter sales showing an increase of more
than 50% over 4th Quarter 2008– the first quarter over quarter increase
in sales here in more than two years. ere were several factors that influenced
this including the first-time homebuyers tax credit of up to $8,000
that was scheduled to end November 30, homes becoming more affordable
to more people, historically low interest rates and increasing consumer
confidence in the real estate market . ere are indications this momentum
could continue through the first quarter of this year. To take advantage of the expanded homebuyer’s
tax credit, eligible buyers must be in contract by April 30 and closed by June 30. It appears that this
deadline, along with predictions of rising interest rates could continue to spur buyer activity and may
result in a strong and earlier-than-usual “spring market”. Let’s hope so! With that, here are the homes
that sold during the month of December.
• THE HOMES LISTED BELOW WERE SOLD BY A VARIETY OF BROkERS PROUDLY SERVING THE RIVER VILLAGES.
STYLE LOCATION ADDRESS BEDROOMS BATHS LIST PRICE SALE PRICE
Split Level
Contemporary
Victorian
Colonial
Colonial
Colonial
Co-op
Colonial
Colonial
Condo
Condo
Colonial
U. Nyack
Nyack
Nyack
Nyack
Nyack
Nyack
S. Nyack
Piermont
Piermont
Piermont
Piermont
Palisades
Beauty Tricks
by Joanne Ottaviano
They got what?!
214 Radcliff Dr
11 Orchard St
76 Sixth Ave
160 High Ave
259 N Midland Ave
146 Depew
1 Salisbury Pt #5B
246 Hudson Ter
26 Paradise Ave
9-1 Lawrence Park
64 Roundtree Cir
66 Washington Spring Rd
Oh sighs. Circles under my eyes.
4
5
4
3
3
3
1
3
4
2
1
2
2.1
3.1
2.1
1.2
1.1
2
1
1.1
2
1.1
1
2.1
$ 425,000
995,000
795,000
459,000
450,000
155,000
309,000
495,000
449,000
232,000
219,900
899,000
$ 443,000
925,000
780,000
400,000
405,000
110,000
305,000
495,000
459,000
220,000
205,000
720,000
Summary Source: GHVMLS YTD Comparison Report
November YTD 2009 vs. November YTD 2008 - Single Family Homes
New inventory (the number of homes going on the market) decreased 4% (233 YTD 2009 vs. 243 YTD
2008). ere was a 30.4% decrease in the number of sales (55 YTD 2009 vs 79 YTD 2008). e average
sales price of homes that have sold decreased 3.5% to $643,487. Overall, the average sales price for single
family homes that have sold in Rockland County (inclusive of the river villages) was $448,560, down 10.6%
over the same period last year.
November YTD 2009 vs. November YTD 2008 - Condos
New inventory (the number of condos going on the market) decreased 16.7% (95 YTD 2009 vs. 114 YTD
2008). ere was no change in the number of sales (41 YTD 2009 vs. 41 YTD 2008). e average sales
price of condos that have sold increased 8.3% to $466,682. Overall, the average sales price for condos that
have sold in Rockland County (inclusive of the river villages) was $271,686, down 6% over the same period
last year. ✫
It’s a frequently asked question (by men & women)—how do I decrease the dark circles
under my eyes?
Whether you wear foundation or go without, choose an under-eye concealer one shade
lighter than your foundation or bare skin. For oily skin choose a stick concealer and for
dry skin, a liquid one. Place a few dabs of the under-eye concealer on the back of your
hand warming it up with your pinky, using a circular motion. Apply the concealer with
little pats under your circles, again using your pinky, dabbing into your warmed concealer
when more is necessary. Extending the concealer past your circles and slightly upwards
will give your eyes a slight lift. With a half inch flat brush, sweep a light powder gently
over the concealer. is will seal the makeup making the results last longer. If this looks
too light for your taste, take a two inch rounded brush lightly covered in your daily facial
powder and apply it sparingly over your lighter powder.
Joanne Ottaviano is a makeup artist for TV, film and video. She does makeovers for private
individuals as well, and is an illustrator* and muralist. www.joanneottaviano.com
* Joanne is our guest cover illustrator this month.
18 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

HOUSES OF WORSHIP
in the River Villages
Reformed Church of Nyack
Corner South Broadway and Burd Street, Nyack NY
(845) 358-5518 e-mail to frchurch@optonline.net
Pastor Tom Danney
SCHEDULE FOR FEBRUARY
Sunday Worship Services 10:30am
Casa de Oracion Para Las Naciones 2pm Sun, 8pm Tues
French Speaking Seventh Day Adventists - Saturday 10am
First Haitian Church of Rockland Sunday 11am and 6pm
Soup Supper—Wednesdays 5:30pm
Wed at Noon: Sanctuary open for silence, meditation, prayer
February 7 10:30am Annual “Souper” Bowl of Caring. Service
and Soup Luncheon. Bring donation for People to People.
Congregation Sons of Israel
300 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack
* Call CSI office for times / information 845-358-3767
FEBRUARY 2010
Friday evening services, time varies.
Feb 26, 6pm. Family Shabbat and Main Service at 6:45pm.*
Saturday services, 9:30am. Feb. 26 & 27. Junior Cong. and
Tot Shabbat.
Feb 6, Lunch N’ Study following Shabbat services. *
Sunday morning services, 9 a.m. *
Unitarian Society of Rockland
130 Concklin Road, Pomona, NY 10970,
opposite Exit 12N, Palisades Parkway
845 354-1789 administrator@fusrc.org
Sunday worship services 10:30am followed by fellowship hour.
Religious education classes 10:30am unless otherwise noted.
Feb 7 at 10:30am—Barrie Peterson:
Business Ethics: Oxymoron or Necessity?
Feb 14 at 10:30am—Rev. Harry Green:
Standing on the Side of Love (Intergenerational Valentine Svc)
Feb 21 at 10:30am—UU Member: Harry Shair:
The Spirituality of Science
Feb 28 at 10:30am—Rev. Harry Green
Having the Courage of Your Convictions
Piermont Reformed Church
A center for spiritual development, cultural events, and service to
the community: visit piermontchurch.org
361 Ferdon Ave., Piermont 845-359-4637
Rev. John VandenOever
Saturday Worship: 5pm / Sunday Worship: 11am
SPECIAL EVENT FOR FEBRUARY
There will be an Acoustic Music Open Mic/Jam Night on Fri
Feb 19 starting at 8pm in the Social Hall at Piermont Reformed
Church. Admission is free. Info: call 845-359-4637 or
visit www.piermontchurch.org
St.John the Baptist RC Church
895 Piermont Ave, Piermont NY. Info: 359-0078
Msgr. John T. Mulligan, pastor
www.stjohnspiermont.e-paluch.com
SCHEDULE OF MASSES:
Saturday Vigil: 5 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m., 10:30am, 1pm (Spanish Mass), 5pm
Weekdays Mon thru Fri at 7:45am
Saturday 9am
Reconciliation: 4:30pm Saturday or by appointment.
Feb 17—Ash Wednesday Masses at 7:45am and 7pm
Distribution of ashes at 4pm
Feb 21—Blood Drive in Connelly Hall. 8am to 2pm, in conjunction
with Hudson Valley Blood Center.
Grace Episcopal Church
130 First Avenue, Nyack, NY 10960
The Rev. Richard L. Gressle, Rector
The Rev. Emily Sieracki, Assistant to the Rector
(845) 358-1297; website—www.gracechurchnyack.org
• Worship Schedule: Sundays
8am Holy Eucharist (Rite One)
9:30am Holy Eucharist (Family Service, followed by church
school)
11am Holy Eucharist (Senior Choir)
6:30pm (second & last) French Creole Mass
• IN FEBRUARY
Tues, Feb 16—5:30 to 7pm: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner
Wed, Feb 17—Ash Wednesday: Services 7:30am, noon, 8pm
Sat, Feb 20—9am & 3:30pm—Adult Spiritual Formation
presents: The Rev. Dr. Emilie Townes
One Day Workshop: Does Your House Have Lions? Faith
and Citizenship in a World of Change
Suggested Donation$20, includes lunch.
Sun, Feb 28 at 4pm GraceMusic presents: ETA3 performing
Debussy, Bartok, and more. Adm: $15; Seniors $10, Students
$5; Tickets available at the door.
• Every Month
Men’s Prayer Breakfast: 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 7am
Midnight Run Meal Preparation 2nd Saturdays at 10:00am
Every Sunday: Food collection for People to People
Helping Hands shelter (winter months - call to volunteer)
For more info visit our website at www.gracechurchnyack.org
or call 845-358-1297.
Palisades Presbyterian Church
Washington Spring Road, Palisades, NY (345) 359-3147
Pastor: Reverend Angela Maddalone
www.ppc10964.org
• Sunday worship service: 10am, Sunday School: 10am
Feb 7—Communion Sunday
Feb 7—Healing Service: 11:30 after Sunday worship; prayer for
the healing of our body, mind and spirit. As we pray together,
drawing on the healing power of Jesus through the presence
of the Holy Spirit, we open ourselves to the Divine Presence
that wills for us wholeness and joy. Whether you are in need
of healing or you wish to pray on behalf of someone else, you
are most welcome to join us.
• Bible study: Wed 12:15 Parish House
• Play Group: Thurs 10 to noon
• Choir Rehearsal: Thurs 8pm
Temple Beth Torah
330 North Highland Ave, Nyack NY. On the Internet
at www.TempleBethTorah.org Info: 358-2248
FEBRUARY
2/5 7:30pm—Erev Family Service / Jr. Choir Sings
2/6 9am—Tot Shabbat: Children to age 6 & siblings welcome
9:15am—Taste of Torah (Book of Job)
10:30am—Shabbat Morning Service
2/12 6:30pm—Erev Shabbat Service (note early time)
2/13 9:15am—Taste of Torah (Book of Job)
10:30am—Shabbat Minyan Service
2/19 8pm—Erev Shabbat Service
2/20 9:15am—Taste of Torah
10:30am—Shabbat Minyan Service
2/26 8pm—Erev Shabbat Service
2/27 9:15am—Taste of Torah
10:30am—Shabbat Minyan Service
7pm—Purim Shpiel & Megillat Esther
2/2811am—Purim Carnival
*AA Meets every Wednesday at 6:30pm
Did you know ... ?
e Nyack Villager is the only local
magazine that is mailed directly to
every resident of all eight river villages
every month.
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 19

Birthstone:
AMETHYST symbol
of sincerity
February 2010
i
w
Love is the only gold. —Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809—1892
Flower:
VIOLET symbol
of faithfulness
SUN MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT
last quarter
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
FIRST
SUNDAY
at The F.O.R.
see pg 14
new moon
14
D 15 16 17 18 19 20
today is
VALENTINES
DAY
❤❤❤
Valentines Day
CONCERT
see pg 14
1st quarter
21 22 R 23 24 25 26 27
❤
28
full moon
S
Penguin Plunge
11a
CONCERT
at Rockland
Conservatory
see pg 15
Nyack PB
7:30p
❤
Nyack ZBA
7:30p
❤
Nyack Justice
Ct 5p
free
Writing
Workshop
for military vets
and families
see pg 14
Nyack Justice
Ct 5p
Nyack Housing
Auth 3p
No Justice Ct
Nyack Justice
Ct 5p
CALENDAR ABBREVIATIONS
N=Nyack
PB=Planning Board
ZBA=Zoning Board of Appeals
ARB=Architectural Review Board
Healthy eating
for
TEENS
at Nyack Library
see pg 15
❤❤❤
Nyack ARB
7:30p
Nyack College
CONCERTS
Feb 17 & 24
see pg 15
Nyack Parks
Commission
7:30p
Nyack Justice
Ct 9:30a
❤❤❤ ❤❤❤
Nyack Justice
Ct 9:30a
Nyack Water
Bd 4:30p
Nyack Village
Bd 7:30p
* see note
No Justice Ct
❤
Nyack Justice
Ct 9:30a
Nyack Village
Bd 7:30p
* see note
First Friday
FILM
see pg 14
PIERMONT
LIBRARY
Wine and
Food Tasting
see pg 23
* note
On both Feb 11 and 25, the Village
announces a pre-meeting at 6:30p
R
DANCING
with the
STARS
see pg 23
❦
art/dance party
see pg 14
BLACK
HISTORY
MONTH
celebration
at Nyack Center
see pg 22
casino
Night
for
Nyack Schools
see pg 23
Chant Camp
see pg 14
20 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

The Nyack Villager
Founded in 1994, The Nyack Villager is published monthly, mailed on or about the first of each month to every postal address in eight Hudson River villages—Nyack,
Upper Nyack, Central Nyack, South Nyack, Grand View, Upper Grandview, Piermont &Palisades (zipcodes 10960, 10964 & 10968).
Editor
Contributing Editor
Correspondent
Publishers
Community advisor
Office Manager
JAN HABER
SHEL HABER
FRANK LoBUONO
JAN & SHEL HABER
FRANCES PRATT
JOYCE BRESSLER
exchange numbers 845
unless otherwise noted
Columnists • PETER SEGALL DVM • JEROME GREENBERG DC
• DUNCAN LEE, ESQ • JON FELDMAN • JIM LEINER • THOM
KLEINER • DONNA COX • DAN SHAW, LCSW • VIVIANE
BAUQUET FARRE • TIM BARTZ • HOLLY CASTER • KATHY
BARUFFI • DOROTHY GOREN Ed.D • GEORGE MANIERE
NYACK VILLAGER ADDRESSES PO Box 82, Nyack, NY 10960-0082 e-mail: info@nyackvillager.com
• Editorial / advertising phone (845) 735-7639 • Fax (845) 735-7669
on the Internet at www.nyackvillager.com The Nyack Villager is on the Internet courtesy of Devine Design.
Published monthly by Nyack Villager, LLC © 1994—2008
All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission is forbidden.
Phone Numbers
AMBULANCE CORPS 911
non-emergency 358 4824
TO REPORT A FIRE 911
POLICE EMERGENCY 911
non-emergency 359 3700
POISON CONTROL 1-800 + 336 6997
RPT CHILD ABUSE 1-800 + 342 3720
BATTERED WOMEN 634 3344
HOSP EMERGENCY 348 2345
➤Nyack VIllage Hall, Nyack 9 N Broadway
OFFICE OF VILLAGE CLERK
MAYOR'S OFFICE
OFFICE OF TREASURER
BUILDING DEPT
DEPT PUBLIC WORKS
FIRE INSPECTOR
JUSTICE COURT
PARKING AUTHORITY
WATER DEPT (non emerg)
WATER PLANT EMERG
HOUSING AUTH 15 Highvw
SECTION 8E
➤South Nyack VIllage Hall 282 S B’wy, S. Nyack
OFFICE OF VILLAGE CLERK
BUILDING DEPT
JUSTICE COURT
POLICE NON EMERGENCY
➤Upper Nyack VIllage Hall N. Bdwy, U. Nyack
OFFICE OF VILLAGE CLERK
➤Grand View VIllage Hall 118 River Rd
OFFICE OF VILLAGE CLERK
BUILDING INSPECTOR
JUSTICE COURT
➤Piermont VIllage Hall 478 Piermont Ave
OFFICE OF VILLAGE CLERK
JUSTICE COURT
MUNICIPAL GARAGE
YOUTH RECREATION
THE NYACK VILLAGER
358 0548
358 0229
358 3581
358 4249
358 3552
358 6245
358 4464
358 3851
358 0641
358 3734
358 2476
358 2591
358 0287
358 0244
358 5078
358 0206
358 0084
358 2919
348-0747
358-4148
359 1258
359-1258 ext. 310
359-1717
359-1258 ext. 326
735 7639
NYACK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
S. ORANGETOWN CENTRAL SCHL DIST
NYACK PUBLIC LIBRARY
PALISADES FREE LIBRARY
PIERMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY
NYACK POST OFFICE
PALISADES POST OFFICE
PIERMONT POST OFFICE
NYACK CENTER
HEAD START OF ROCKLAND
NYACK YMCA
COMMUNITY GARDEN
FRIENDS OF THE NYACKS
ART CRAFT & ANTIQUES DLRS
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
353 7013
359 7603
358 3370
359 0136
359-4595
358 2756
359 7841
359 7843
358 2600
358 2234
358 0245
358 1734
358 4973
353 6981
353 2221
Starting on the first of each month and while they last, free copies of The
Nyack Villager are available at Nyack, Piermont, New City & Valley Cottage
Libraries, Best Western Inn Nyack, Koblin’s Pharmacy, Runcible Spoon,
Hogan’s in Nyack, Nyack Village Hall, Lanie Lou’s Café in Blauvelt, Orangetown
Town Hall, Rockland Center for the Arts.
Advertisers—
The Nyack Villager is the only
magazine that is MAILED every
month exclusively to every resident
of all eight river villages
from Upper Nyack to Palisades
NY—very choice territory!
Everybody reads every issue
cover to cover so you know
your ad dollars are working
hard for you. Ad prices start
as low as $112.
And, if you want us to, we’ll
design your first ad for
you—at no extra cost.
Call (845) 735 -7639
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 21

Godsend on 3rd Avenue
As we prepared to write this story on Dr. Lloyd
Hamilton, we heard him described as a godsend
over and over.
A young man, one of Dr. Hamilton’s 200 or so
patients, arrived the morning we stopped by to
take a picture of the doctor in
his office. The young man told
us that, as a substitute teacher, no
health benefits whatsoever attach
to his job. “Dr. Hamilton is a
godsend, he added.”
Trained in psychiatry and internal
medicine at Harvard, Dr.
Hamilton was, for years, part of
the professional staff at the low
cost clinic at the Yeager Health
Center in Pomona. The clinic
closed when Rockland County abruptly eliminated
its funds. Hundreds of the clinic’s patients
had no place to go for health care. It is
important to know that not all of them are
what you would call indigent; some, like the
young substitute teacher, are fully employed—
just not paid enough to afford rent, food,
transportation and increasingly expensive
health insurance. Some patients pay what they
can toward the clinic’s expenses.
When the Pomona clinic closed, Dr. Hamilton’s
response was to open an independent free clinic
at an age (81) when most people would be
happy to settle for retirement. He accomplished
COMMUNITY NOTES
Tell e Nyack Villager and we’ll tell the world.
Deadline for March Community Notes: Feb 15
e-mail us at info@nyackvillager.com
AT NYACk CENTER
Broadway and Depew St, Nyack Info (845) 358-
2600.
• 14th Annual Black History Month You are invited
to attend a unique living expression of the
roots of African American history in our community.
e program features performances celebrating
the stories of African Americans through song,
dance and the spoken word. Special honorees who
have contributed to the lives of African Americans
in our community will be honored that night. e
centerpiece of the evening will be the spectacular
convergence of the arts during the Harlem Renaissance.
Sat, Feb 27 at 7pm; free admission at Nyack
Center, corner South Broadway at Depew, Nyack.
Info: 358-2600.
• ArtsRock Presents e Grand Falloons
Sat, Feb 13 at 10:30am. Tickets $10. Info:
visit www.artsrock.org
• Undoing Racism
Feb 10, from 9:30 to 10:30am. All are welcome &
encouraged to attend. Info: (845) 634-5729.
• First Annual Mulch Madness
Nyack Center takes care of all your Spring mulch
needs by delivering bags of mulch to your home.
this apparent miracle with help from generous
friends.
Fr. Daughtry, Pastor of St, Ann’s, offered him
first floor space at St. Ann’s convent, which
closed when the school ended its operations.
The convent is a fine, big space in a handsome
building on Third Avenue in Nyack. Donations
of money and medical supplies followed;
Rockland County’s Health
Dept. assisted with the transfer
of patient records and, with the
help of volunteer nurses and
office staff, The Health Lifeline
opened in May, 2009.
Not an acute care clinic, Dr.
Hamilton mostly sees patients
in need of long term management
of chronic conditions,
such as diabetes, heart disease,
arthritis, high blood pressure,
and high cholesterol.
Currently, the clinic is open two days a week,
Monday & Wednesday, from 8:30am to 5pm.
Dr. Hamilton would like to add a third day
and seeks another physician to work with him
and the volunteer staff. The clinic is always
looking for volunteers and donations. The day
we visited, Jane Takis and Jennifer DeJesus
were helping out. The clinic has 501C3 status,
so contributions are fully tax deductible.
Lloyd Hamilton, MD, Health Lifeline,
150 Third Avenue, Nyack NY 10960
By appointment only (845) 358-5433 ✫
Order deadline is Feb 12; we will deliver Mar
19, 20 & 21 rain /shine. Info (845) 358-2600.
FILM ON AFGHANISTAN
Award winning filmmaker Robert Greenwald’s documentary,
Rethink Aghanistan, shatters myths surrounding
the war and the recent troop escalation
announced by President Obama.
A screening will be held Sun, Feb 14 at 2pm at
the Fellowship of Reconciliation, 521 N. Broadway,
Nyack. A discussion, respectful of all points
of view, will follow. All are welcome. $10 suggested
donation. Info: (845) 358-4601, ext 32
RIVER ROWING IN MARCH
River Rowing Association, Inc. (RRA) and the
Nyack Center announce their joint Pull with Purpose
Row-a-on—a fundraiser to benefit Nyack
Center.
Put your team together now. Rowers will ask for
pledges; all proceeds of the event benefit Nyack
Center’s community programs. Rowers form teams
and row in continuous relays for two hours on indoor
rowing machines. Rowers range in age from
young people of 13 to men and women in their 60s
and 70s. Five member teams qualify to compete for
the highest overall distance rowed.
Come alone or organize any club, organization,
family or group of friends to compete for individual
and team prizes in a variety of categories. To register,
please visit www.riverrowing.org
All are welcome to participate.
22 The Nyack Villager February, 2010

Sat, Mar 13, from 11am to 2pm. Meet up at
Nyack’s Memorial Park, corner of Cedar and
Main. In case of bad weather, meet at Nyack
Center, 58 Depew Avenue, corner of Depew and
South Broadway.
INDOOR WINTER FARMERS’ MARkET
e cure for farmers’ market withdrawal! Rockland’s
only winter indoor farmers’ market is back.
Shoppers will find seasonal fruits and vegetables,
chicken, eggs and meat, pies, cupcakes, pickles,
cheese, breads, nuts, jams, fair trade coffee. Two
new vendors: fish from Pura Vida Fishery and milk,
yogurt, drinkable yogurt & butter from RonnyBrook
Farms. Info: visit www.Palisadesny.com
Every Sat 9am to 1pm thru May 15, Palisades
Community Center, 675 Oak Tree Rd, Palisades
AT BIRCHWOOD CENTER
85 S. Broadway, Nyack. Call 358-6409 or visit
info@birchwoodcenter.com
• Exploring Standing Postures
Standing poses cultivate strength, flexibility, and
alignment. Taught by Jill Ganassi, certified in Iyengar
Yoga; for intermediate & advanced.
Sat, Feb 6, 2 to 5pm. Fee: $45
• Moving Mantras
Merging Movement and Meditation with Betsy
Ceva. A focused asana practice ranges from gentle
to vigorous. Open to all levels.
Sat, Feb 13; 1:30 to 4:30pm. Fee $45
• Move & Be Moved on Valentine’s Day
A Massage & Stretch Workshop for Couples. Charlene
Bradin and Betsy Ceva join forces for this special
workshop. Bring your partner, friend or family
member for a fun and soothing experience. Materials
are included. Space is limited. Please call to reserve
your place.
Sun, Feb 14, from 2 to 6pm. $100 per couple
DANCING WITH THE STARS
Don’t miss your opportunity to dance with Latin
ballroom dynamos Jaryd Farcon and Cara Abaya-
Campos during Rockland Country Day School’s
Valentine’s Ballroom Dance Benefit. e event includes
an auction with the highest bidder getting
the opportunity to boogie with one of the professional
dancers.
Proceeds benefit Rockland Country Day School, in
Congers. Open to the public (including children
10 years and older). Info and to purchase tickets
call (845) 268-6802, ext. 202 or visit www.rocklandcds.org
Tickets from $150pp.
Feb. 6 at 6pm at Casa Mia Manor House at 577
Rte 303, Blauvelt, NY 10913.
WALDORF / GREEN MEADOW SCHOOL
307 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY
10977
(845) 356-2514, x301. On the net: www.gmws.org
• Commercialization of Childhood (free)
How youth marketers have transformed American
children into powerful & profitable consumers.
Wed, Feb 3 at 7:30pm in Arts Building Music Rm.
• Introductory Session
A video presentation on Waldorf Education featuring
Green Meadow. Q&A and tour follows.
Fri, Feb 12 at 9 am
• Morning in the Nursery/Kindergarten
Speak with our Early Childhood teachers while your
child enjoys Kindergarten activities.
Sat, Feb 27, 9:30-11am, Kindergarten Building
• Nursery/Kindergarten Tea and Play
You and your child explore a Kindergarten classroom
with a teacher. A drop-in event for parents
and children. No registration necessary.
Wed, Feb 24, 1-2 pm
WINE & FOOD TASTING
Enjoy International wines and delectable food at
Piermont Library’s annual fundraiser. Space is limited;
tickets must be purchased in advance. Mail
check, $45 pp, payable to Friends of Piermont Library,
103 Gair Street, PiermontNY 10968. Info:
365-0499.
Fri, Feb 26, from 7 to 10pm at Pasta Amore, Ash
Street, Piermont, NY.
NURSERY SCHOOL OF THE NYACkS
Parents & children are invited to the Nursery
School Open House; see what makes our parent-run
cooperative nursery school so special. Based on the
Bank Street College philosophy of early childhood
education, our emphasis is on social interaction and
learning thru play.
Feb 11th at 11:30am. 130 First Avenue (the
Franklin Street entrance to Grace Church). Info:
call 348-3268.
CASINO NIGHT FOR NYACk SCHOOLS
Play Black Jack, Texas Hold 'Em 50/50 Tournament
and Roulette. Players cash in chips for raffle tickets
and, at the end of the night, winning tickets are
chosen at random. Fabulous prizes and a live auction
of more wonderful stuff. Buy tickets online at
www.inspirenyack.org
All proceeds benefit the Nyack School district. In
less than two years we have been able to donate over
$120,000 to the district.
Feb 27 from 7 to 11:30pm at Nyack Seaport, 21
Burd Street, Nyack, New York
ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN
• Great Decisions discussion group
urs, Feb 4 at 7pm at New City Library,
Squadron Boulevard, New City.
• Rockland Readers Book Club
urs, February 4 at 1pm at Barnes & Noble,
Nanuet. Info: 535-3331.
• AAUW will host the Diversity Brunch at St.
Charles A.M.E. Zion Church in Sparkill.
Sat, Feb 27 at 10:30am
ROCkLAND CO. GUIDANCE CENTER
17 S. Broadway, Nyack Info/to register (845) 358-
9390
• Interviewing Workshop
Wed, Feb 3, from 7 to 8:30pm
• Finding a Job In Tough Times
Wed., Feb. 17, from 10 am-12noon
• Organizational Workshop
Attend all 3 sessions. Registration begins Feb 4.
urs, Feb. 18, 25 & Mar 3, from 10am to noon
EDWARD JONES INVESTMENTS
Learn more about your options regarding long-term
care. Dinner will be served at La Terrazza Restaurant,
Wed, Feb 24 from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Please
RSVP to Renee Comack (Financial Advisor) at
(845) 639-9383 by February 12.
PALISADES-SPARkILL BASEBALL
e league is open to all boys & girls, from any
town. In-person registration Feb 27 (10 to 1am)
and March 1 (7 to 9pm) at e American Legion
on Route 340 in Sparkill. Motivated 4 year-olds
and up are welcome to play (T-Ball). Or register
online at www.psbaseball.org ✫
The Nyack Villager February, 2010 23