MAY '09 - The Nyack Villager

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TheNyack Villager ® 

An independent monthly news magazine celebrating life and the arts in the Hudson River Villages 

May 

2009 

Just Married 

Photo by Jorge Madrigal © 2009 Madrigal Studios, Nyack, NY

2 The Nyack Villager May, 2009

In this issue 

Departments 

3 REPORTER AT LARGE 

• Contested elections in Nyack this year by Nan Gundersen 

• Chamber announces major changes 

• New Event for Nyack: Yard/Sidewalk Sale by Patti Aagaard 

• Earth Day Observances 

• Shoe Drive 

• River Day in June 

• Art, Craft & Antiques Street Fair 

• Jazz Series Gets the Boot by Richard Sussman 

4 LETTERS to The Nyack Villager 

10 MAY DELIGHTS Art & entertainment this month 

14 COMMUNITY NOTES What else is happening in May 

23 HOUSES OF WORSHIP Religious services in the river villages 

24 CALENDAR Highlights in May 

25 OP-CALENDAR PAGE useful local phone numbers 

Columns 

15 THE JAZZ SCENE by Michael Houghton 

16 PET CARE Dr. Peter Segall on No. 1 and No, 2 

17 FROM TOWN HALL Supervisor Kleiner on Rockland Psych property 

18 THE LIFETIME GARDEN Jon Feldman turns a new leaf 

20 REMEMBER THE DAYS? Jim Leiner on Nyack’s Honor Roll 

16 NATURAL HEALING Dr. Greenberg on the FDA 

—and Upper Nyack’s Planning Board 

22 MENTAL HEALTH NOTES Daniel Shaw on depression 

26 THEY GOT WHAT?! Donna Cox on current trends in real estate 

Features 

19 WORD HOUND On the language of baseball 

26 GROWING TOMATOES UPSIDE DOWN 

27 HOW TO DRINK ABSINTHE Jan Haber on a brief history of the liquor 

27 HOUSEKEEPING WITH THE EXPERTS Red wine stains on the carpet 

27 MRS. OBAMA’S ORGANIC KITCHEN GARDEN 

On our August cover 

Just Married 

by Jorge Madrigal © 2009 The Nyack Villager, Nyack, NY 

Word Hound on the 

language of baseball 

see page 19 

Art, Craft & Antiques 

Street Fair see page 7 

Growing tomatoes 

upside down 

see page 26 

How to drink absinthe 

see page 27 

River Day 

see page 7 

The Nyack Villager 

May, 2009 Vol. 15 No. 7 

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 June issue is May 15. 

Please include a contact name and telephone number 

REPORTER 

at large 

by Nan Gundersen 

Contested Elections 

in Nyack is Year 

is November, Nyack 

voters will see something 

not seen in years: a contested 

primary. 

In brief—John Shields 

will not seek reelection, leaving the mayoral 

seat open. To date, there are five announced 

contenders: Trustees Kavesh, Lorenzini and 

Hogan, Richard Quinn, of Rockland World 

Radio and Marianne Olive, of Olive’s on 

Main Street. 

e implications: if Kavesh runs and loses, he 

goes back to his seat on the Village Board, as 

more than a year remains in his current term 

as trustee. Both Lorenzini & Hogan, however, 

complete their 2-year terms as trustee at the 

end of ‘09, and must relinquish their place on 

the board to run for mayor. 

Two candidates for trustee have announced: 

• e village knows Jen White through her involvement 

in the Nyack Park Conservancy, 

which she helped to found. She is also an appointee 

to the Park Commission. In the past, 

she held positions on the boards of both Hopper 

House and Riverspace. Prior to moving to 

Nyack ten years ago, she worked as a journalist 

in production and as a correspondent. 

• Douglas Foster became a resident and homeowner 

in Nyack three years ago. He has 

worked closely with the Park Conservancy, 

served on the Chamber’s Parking Task Force 

and on the Mayor’s Task Force on Riverspace. 

He was a professional planner for the City of 

Ithaca for 10 years, worked on a national 

homeownership program for low and moderate 

income families, was Director of Housing 

Development for a non-profit housing organization. 

For 10 years, he has owned his own 

company, where he works as a computer programmer 

and website developer. 

Watch e Nyack Villager for much more on 

the candidates’ background and the issues 

they’ll be running on. When other candidates 

announce, we will include them as well. 

Important dates: 

• Primary Election: September 15, 2009 

• General Election: November 3, 2009; 

Village Board Terms begin January 1, 2010. 

Reporter at Large 

continues on page 6 

The Nyack Villager May, 2009 3

An open community forum. 

Letters 

to the editor 

Opinions expressed are those of each 

letter writer, not necessarily 

those of The Nyack Villager 

Henry Was an Englishman 

To e Nyack Villager— 

You've probably had a dozen or more e-mails, 

but here's one more: Henry Hudson, (page 4, 

April 2009) was an Englishman, hired by the 

Dutch.—Murray 

[Editor’s Note: Blush blush.] 

New Event for Nyack 


In the spirit of community, the merchants and 

residents were looking for ways to keep the 

downtown viable and create good will in 

town. In speaking with villagers who frequent 

Reality Bites, there have been many discussions 

about events that might bring us all together 

in one collaborative effort. e idea of 

a Village-Wide Yard/Sidewalk Sale was developed 

for that purpose. Residents, merchants, 

the Keep Rockland Beautiful & Free-Cycle organizations, 

and Nyack non-profits will all 

benefit as a result of this new partnership. 

When I asked for Village Board approval, May 

2 was not my first choice. Due to other events 

going on in town, that date was suggested to 

me. A later date perhaps would have been 

better, but this is the date I have to work with. 

I can only presume, since I don't know all the 

rules the Board uses to make their decisions, 

that because many of the streets that are usually 

closed during a street fair, would be open, 

and that the amount of people coming to the 

Sidewalk Sale would be a fraction of the number 

that come to the street fairs, that the need 

for the extra police and clean up was not required 

based on volume. But again this is only 

my assumption. As this is an event by our own 

Village merchants, they have all agreed to be 

responsible for cleanup of their own sidewalk. 

Documentary Film on 9-11 


For the past two years, our group Rockland 

Bergen 9/11 Truth has been showing documentary 

films at Nyack Library dealing with the 

terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. We 

want to thank the library for giving our group 

the opportunity to show films some people feel 

are controversial. Nyack Library has recognized 

our First Amendment right of free speech, one 

of the pillars of our democratic republic. 

It was my mentor and friend, Phil Greenspan, 

4 The Nyack Villager May, 2009 

Keep Rockland Beautiful organization is helping 

with cleanup as well. 

I would hope e Villager would do a story 

about this wonderful collaborative effort to 

keep people thinking positively about Nyack, 

to make sure the stores and restaurants stay in 

business and the residents feel we have their 

best interest in mind. I am committed to 

moving forward in this positive direction, 

working with the people who have a vested interest 

in the community with common goals. 

—Sincerely, Patti Aagaard Reality Bites Café 

and coordinator, Village Yard Sale 

[Editor’s Note: ¡Brava! e Nyack Villager applauds 

your effort to unite the community and 

provide some fun. In future, though, we’ll need 

notification a little earlier. Our deadline is the 

15th of this month for next month’s issue.] 

Friends’ Benefit a Success 


anks to those who attended our March benefit, 

when we honored Gary Hecht and om 

Kleiner. e well-attended, delightful evening 

ended late, with enthusiastic dancing to the 

wonderful music of Stevan Swann. e Rockland 

County Legislature and the Village of 

Nyack issued proclamations honoring both 

awardees and the Town of Orangetown issued 

a proclamation honoring Hecht. 

Eyevolution Optique underwrote the dinner 

at e Nyack Seaport. Funds raised will be 

used to pay for e Friends’ Mostly Music 

Concert Series. It’s not too late to contribute. 

Work with Friends to make the concerts happen. 

Donations in any amount are welcome. 

Checks may be sent to Friends of the Nyacks, 

PO Box 120, Nyack, NY 10960. All who are 

interested in becoming a Mostly Music Sponsor, 

please call Danielle Watson at 353-4701 

or e-mail her at eyevolve@yahoo.com Contributions 

are tax deductible. 

—Friends of the Nyacks 

Great Article on Catholic Church 


Jim Leiner wrote a great article on the history 

of Nyack’s Catholic Church. Father Whelan 

was the favorite of many. I believe if he were 

a founding member of Rockland Bergen 9/11 

Truth, who started showing these films. Since 

his passing, I have taken on the job of coordinating 

our public outreach program. 

As a group we are committed to educating the 

public on alternative research on 9/11, obtaining 

a new independent investigation of the attacks, 

and working to involve the wider public 

in our effort. On May 3rd we will show the 

documentary Fabled Enemies, that dares to ask 

how and why our government failed to protect 

its citizens on 9/11/01. is documentary explores 

the latest evidence, which contradicts 

still at St. Ann's, the bingo would be up and 

running. 

Father Whalen ministered to my mother (and 

she is Protestant). She loved him and many of 

the elders cried when he was transferred to another 

Church. He officiated alongside Reverend 

Greene at my young son's funeral, even 

though my son was Christianed in the Protestant 

faith. Father Whalen never cared as to 

your religious affiliation and would take time 

out of his busy schedule to minister to all, 

paying a lot of attention to the sick in Nyack 

Hospital as well as anybody in need. When 

my son died I was nearly comatose; Father 

Whelan broke through the barrier I had put 

up around me. I will always be grateful for 

how he showed me the way out and how to go 

on with my life. 

anks again for bringing back such wonderful 

memories of the Nyacks. Your friend and 

faithful reader, 

—Harry Nolan 

Somebuddy Flunnked Spalling 


Take a look at the parking sign at the South 

Nyack DPW on Brookside Ave. I have photographed 

and e-mailed it to you—or you can 

go see for yourself. Yours, 

—PH 

[Editor’s Note to PH—it is impossible to thank 

you enough! is gets the prize for the funniest 

sign we have seen in years!] 

the official account of the attacks on which 

the Bush administration built the Patriot Act, 

torture, warrantless wiretapping and two wars, 

which cost the lives of 4,000 US troops, along 

with tens of thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis. 

Was the official narrative of the events on 9/11 

correct? Come and see the film and decide for 

yourself. 

Again, we thank the Director of the library, its 

board and staff for their commitment to the 

First Amendment. 

—Nicholas DeVincenzo, Northvale, NJ ✫


REPORTER 

at large 

starts on page 3 

Nyack’s Chamber of Commerce 

Announces Important Changes 

• Last month, the Chamber announced the selection 

of its new president, Carol Fleischmann. 

A chamber board member for over 15 years 

and past president, Carol stepped up to the 

office following the resignation of Robert 

Gundersen, chief operating officer of one of 

the largest non-profits in NY, whose increased 

work demands required more of his time. 

• In March, the Chamber offices moved one 

flight up, in the old Woolworth building. It is 

open Mon, Wed and Fri from noon to 2pm. 

Reach them at 353-2221. 

• Last month, the Chamber launched its handsome 

new website, www.NyackChamber.com 

New Event—Yard/Sidewalk Sale 

by Patti Aagaard, owner of Reality Bites Café 

and Coordinator of the Yard/Sidewalk Sale 

Now is the time to drag out that old beanbag 

chair, dust off the Lincoln logs, beer cap birdhouse 

and clothes the kids outgrew. Turn the 

Nehru jacket, rock'nrock sweatshirts, vintage 

record albums & college textbooks into cash. 

e First Annual Downtown Nyack Village- 

Wide Yard & Sidewalk Sale will be held Sat, 

May 2, from 9am to 5pm—raindate May 3. 

Following the sale, there will be a 24-hour Free 

Cycle* event, from 6pm Sat May 

2, thru 6pm Sun, May 3. Everything 

that's left on the curb will be 

picked up for FREE. No need to 

throw away used items that are in 

good or repairable condition just 

because you have no further use 

for them. Your trash can be someone 

else’s treasure. Every item 

that's reused is one less thing 

headed for the landfill. 

e Downtown Nyack Village- 

Wide Yard Sale is a grassroots public 

awareness campaign co-sponsored 

by Nyack merchants, Restaurant 

Row, e Nyack Chamber of 

Commerce, and e Rockland 

County Solid Waste Management 

Authority. 

During the event, residents are encouraged to 

hold their own sales or go garage-sale shopping. 

Main Street, between Cedar and Broadway will 

be turned into a Pedestrian Walkway as merchants 

in downtown Nyack (Main Street & 

Broadway), display their sale items on the sidewalk 

in front of their shops—a great chance to 

see the diverse assortment of merchandise (some 

*The Freecycle Network 

is made up of 4,727 

groups with 6,635,000 

members across the 

globe. 

It’s a grassroots and entirely 

nonprofit movement 

of people who are 

giving (& getting) stuff 

for free in their own 

towns. 

handcrafted) for which Nyack is known. 

Sample international cuisine in one of Nyack’s 

acclaimed cafés and restaurants offering gourmet 

breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. 

It’s all about reuse and 

keeping good stuff out of 

landfills. 

Info:www.FreeCycle.org 

Earth Day Observed 

From noon to 3pm on May 2, 

activities will center at the Veteran’s 

Park Gazebo, at the corner 

of Cedar and Main, for a Community 

Earth Day Celebration 

and the Second Annual Parade 

of All Beings, sponsored by the 

Rockland County Solid Waste 

Management Authority. 

At noon, Earth Day Mistress of 

Ceremonies, Vox Lumina, will 

present awards to local legislators 

responsible for passing environmentally 

friendly laws in the 

past year. 

ey are: om Kleiner, Connie 

Coker, Ilan Schoenberger, John Murphy, Harriet 

Cornell, Alden Wolfe, Alex Gromack and 

Christopher St. Lawrence. 

Recycling Awards will be presented to local 

municipalities that did the most recycling in 

the past year. 

At 2pm, gather for the Second Annual Parade 

of All-Beings, (last year’s event had over a 

hundred paraders!) and from 2:30 to 3pm, 


participants and street musicians will move 

through the streets of Nyack to Memorial 

Park, clad in hand-made, recycled-material 

Creature Costumes, representing Earth’s life 

forms, in all their creative variety. 

So come to Downtown Nyack. Spend the 

day, have some fun, find a treasure! 

Shoe Drive at p. ross 

p.ross will host a shoe drive to benefit 

Soles4Souls Inc., the international footwear 

charity that delivers shoes to needy people 

around the world. During the shoe drive, 

p. ross, the elegant shoe shop at 89 Man Street 

in Nyack, will offer a 15% discount on one 

new Spring item to every customer who brings 

in a gently-worn pair of shoes toward the effort. 

e shoe drive begins May 6, and ends May 10. 

"ese times calls for creativity and our event 

becomes a wonderful way to give back," said 

Paulette Ross, owner, of p.ross. "It’s a win, 

win, win for all," For more information on 

how you can get involved with this shoe drive 

and take advantage of the discount toward a 

new pair of shoes, contact Paulette, owner, at 

845-348-1767. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR— 

River Day in Nyack is Sat June 6 

Mark your calendar for Nyack’s day to welcome 

the Quadricentennial flotilla of historic ships 

sailing upriver from NY Harbor to Albany, 

tracing the route Henry Hudson took in 1609 

which led to the European discovery of New 

York. 

Accompanied by a contingent of Coast Guard 

vessels, the flotilla will dock in the Tappan Zee 

bay area on the night of the 6th and depart 

the following morning for the next leg of their 

trip northward. Nyack’s Boat Club, celebrating 

its 100th anniversary this year, plays host 

to one of the sailing vessels and has generously 

offered to open up its gates to the general 

public so that we all may enjoy a sighting. 

During that day, from 11am onward, the 

Quadricentennial Committee, coordinated by 

the Friends of the Nyacks in conjunction with 

many of our local non-profits, will host a day 

of community events and fun in Memorial 

Park. ere will be children’s activities, music, 

demonstrations and exhibits. 

So come on down to the shores of our magnificent 

Hudson River, bring a picnic and enjoy 

the day with friends and neighbors. 

When word comes from the Coast Guard that 

the flotilla is arriving in our area, church bells 

will ring out and the public will be invited to 

make their way over to the Nyack Boat Club 

at 59 Gedney Street (a short walk North). ✫ 

Art, Craft & Antiques Street Fair 

Once again, Nyack’s Art, Craft & Antiques 

Dealers will be on Main Street and Broadway 

rain or shine, Sunday, May 17, 10am to 5pm 

showing arts, crafts, antiques & collectibles. 

It’s always a fine assortment for browsing or to 

pick up a special gift. Maybe you’ll start a collection—or 

add to one. ✫ 

Cost cutting move ends Jazz Series at Riverspace letter on page 9 



Paid advertisement

REPORTER 

at large 

starts on page 3 

Jazz Series Gets the Boot 

After a successful two and a half year run, regretfully, 

the weekly jazz series at Riverspace 

Arts in Nyack has been cancelled due to costsaving 

programming cuts brought about by 

the economic crisis. As the series sponsor, 

Rockland County Jazz and Blues Society is 

grateful to Riverspace for having provided us 

with this opportunity to serve the community. 

Our mission at RCJBS is simple and straightforward: 

to promote the heritage, performance, 

and appreciation of Jazz, Blues, and 

related music forms in Rockland County and 

neighboring communities. We support Jazz 

and Blues musicians and audiences in the region 

by creating opportunities for performances 

at various venues, and through 

identifying sources of funding to support the 

creation of new musical works by area musicians 

and composers. We also strive to develop 

the Jazz and Blues musicians and 

audiences of the future—through education, 

mentoring, and an appreciation of music history, 

so that the music remains a vital and relevant 

cultural force in the region. 

We also believe that it is even more important 

to provide consistent music and arts programming 

to the community during times of economic 

difficulties, and are committed to 

doing so. We are therefore pleased to announce 

that the community jazz series will be 

moving across the street to Olive's, located at 

118 Main St., Nyack, NY. 

e new series will begin at Olive's on May 7, 

from 9pm to midnight, with scheduled events 

on the first & third ursdays of each month. 

Continuing the popular format begun at 

Riverspace, most events will consist of a featured 

jazz artist joining the excellent house 

rhythm section for one set followed by a jam 

session. e Music Charge is only $5, and 

musicians get in FREE. And—at Olive’s, 

there is a full bar, extensive food menu, micro 

brews, and WiFi! 

We hope that the many friends we've made at 

Riverspace over the years, as well as any and 

all music lovers in the area, will join us at 

Olive's in continuing to support a consistent, 

ongoing venue for live Jazz and Blues in Rockland 

County. 

—Richard Sussman, President 

Rockland County Jazz & Blues Society, Inc. 

www.rocklandjazzandblues.com ✫ 

[Editor’s note: in addition to heading up the 

Rockland County Jazz & Blues Society, Mr. Sussman 

is an acclaimed musician.] 


May Delights 

Walking Tours of the Nyacks 

Friends of the Nyacks’ 35th year of conducting 

tours of the Nyacks begins this month. Join Kay 

Levinson, Luke Conroy, Gini Stolldorf and Bob 

Goldberg for a walk about our towns and/or 

cemetery. 

e schedule for May— 

• Oak Hill Cemetery 

Celebrate the lives and history of Nyack’s 

illustrious permanent residents. 

Sundays at 2pm, May 3 and Oct 18. 

• Upper Nyack 

From Hopper House, this tour goes north on 

Broadway, past glorious Victorian homes and 

sites of the ship building era of the Nyacks. 

Sundays at 2pm, May 17 and Oct 4. 

All tours are $5pp. Reservations not necessary. 

Visit our website www.friendsofthenyacks.org or 

call (845) 358-7910. 

Historical Society Yard Sale 

Nyack’s Historical Society holds its annual 

Spring Yard Sale Sat, May 2, 10am to 2pm at 

213 South Broadway, South Nyack, (Broadway 

at Clinton). Rain date: Sun, May 3. 

Donated items for sale may be delivered to the 

site of the sale any time after 8am on the day of 

the sale. Proceeds of the sale support the educational 

work of the Historical Society. e value 

of items donated can be claimed as a charitable 

contribution. e sale will include furniture, 

household goods, clothes, tools, toys, books, 

recordings and an occasional antique. 

Rockland Center for the Arts 

27 South Greenbush Rd, West Nyack, NY 10994 (845) 358- 

0877 www.rocklandartcenter.org 

School of the Arts, Summer Day Camp, exhibitions, 

performances, & outreach programs. Art 

classes in many media for children & adults start 

Mon, May 4; Summer classes begin Mon, June 

29. REGISTER NOW. 

• Summer Day Camp Open House: May 3, 1-4. 

MAY ExHIBITIONS AND EVENTS 

• James Garvey: Objects for Personal Ceremony 

Outdoor exhibition on view through June 14 in 

the Catherine Konner Sculpture Park 

• RoCA's Annual Student Exhibition 

Opening reception, Sat, May 9, 1—4pm 

On view through Fri, May 22. 

• RoCA hosts Gay Pride Rockland Sale & Exhibition. 

Opens Sun, May 31, 1—4pm; Artists’ 


Reception Sun, June 7, 1—5pm. Sponsored by 

VCS Community Change Project 

Art Students League, Vytlacil Campus 

• Sat May 2, 10am-2pm—Wendy Shalen: Drawing 

from Life: the figure in line, tone, & color; 

work in watercolor, pastel or oil on a long pose, 

adult beginners through advanced. 

$60 per session, includes lunch. 

• Sat, May 2 & Sun, May 3, 10am-4pm, with 

field trip May 7—e Art Market and You. is 

3-day intensive workshop will be taught by Hugo 

Bastidas. Explore NY City’s Chelsea Gallery Art 

District, on urs, May 7. 

$250 includes Sat & Sun lunch. 

• Sat, May 23, 11am to 2 pm—G. L. Sussman 

Critique: an opportunity to have up to 3 pieces 

of your artwork critiqued by a master artist in an 

open forum with discussion. 

$30 includes lunch. 

Info: www.theartstudentsleague.org or call (845) 

357-1263. Please register for all events at least three 

days in advance. 241 Kings Highway, Sparkill, 

NY. Visit our great Art Supply Store. 

GaGa Arts Festival 2009 

Wander the alleys and alcoves of an historic, red 

brick Civil War-era textile mill with open studios 

around every corner; visit gallery exhibits, kids’ 

art workshops, art demos and more. Enjoy great 

food & live music. Festival 2009 is a fine time to 

visit GaGa’s complex of buildings, a working home 

of artists who create their art for a living. Highlights: 

• Ken Karlewicz and 40 other photographers’ 

digital images of A day in the life of Route 59. 

Opens May 9, continues through June 6. 

• Dye Works Bazaar at the indoor coffeehouse: 

artworks for sale. • Cubehead—interactive 

video installation • Hudson Vagabond’s giant 

puppets • Marta Renzi Modern Dance • Dance 

Performance by Chiku Awali • Student Art 

Show • Youth Workshops—creating musical instruments, 

painting and crafts. 

Garnerville Arts & Industrial Center. 55 Railroad 

Ave, Garnerville, NY. Sat and Sun, May 2 & 3, 

11am to 6pm, rain or shine. Admission $5— 

kids under 14 are free when accompanied by an 

adult. Info: www.gagaartscenter.org or (845) 

947-7108. 

Terry Hekker Book Launch 

Join Terry Hekker and her friends at Nyack Center 

for the launch of Disregard First Book, her 

new, witty autobiographical book that takes up 

where Terry’s first bestseller, Ever Since Adam & 

Eve, left off thirty years ago. 

ere will be a wine & cheese reception, readings 

by Terry and her friends and some surprises. 

Copies of Disregard First Book will be available 

for purchase and signing. All proceeds benefit 

the Camp Venture Foundation. 

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the 

door, online at www.venturefoundation.org by 

calling (845) 398-8173, or mail your check 

payable to Venture Foundation c/o Eileen Murphy, 

10 Isabel Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962. 

urs, May 7 at 7:30pm at Nyack Center, South 

Broadway at Depew, Nyack. Info: 258-2600. 

For Fans of Tom Dudzick 

e world premiere of the comedy, Our Lady of 

South Division Street, by Nyack playwright, Tom 

Dudzick, will open at the Penguin Rep in Stony 

Point on May 15, to run through June 7. 

In this lively comedy, Clara Nowak always 

thought she was special, ever since the Blessed 

Virgin Mary materialized in her father’s barber 

shop in Buffalo. Now in this comedy from the 

author of Over the Tavern and Greetings!, the 

faith of Clara & her children is shaken to the core 

as an old family legend and a deathbed confession 

are revealed with heartfelt and hilarious results. 

All the details: www.penguinrep.org 

Tickets by mail: Box 91, Stony Point, NY 

10980-0091. Phone (845) 786-2873 leave a 

voice mail message if no answer. 

Club Latino at Nyack Center 

Feel the Latin beat on Friday, May 15th at 7:30, 

when Nyack Center is transformed into Club 

Latino by Nancy August Interiors. e Center 

will be hopping when DJ Derek, from MB's 

Salon, spins the dance tunes. Instructor Cowado 

will be on hand to teach salsa basics and Maria 

Rocco will do face/body painting to complete 

the look; (semi-formal attire requested). e 

cost: $50, includes a performance by Flamenco 

dancer Ana de la Paz, yummy tapas from Casa 

Del Sol and flowin' drinks. All proceeds go to 

the Nyack Center, thanks to sponsors Keller 

Williams Hudson Valley Realty. Call 358-2600 

for tickets. 

Hopper House 

• Kids’ Afterschool Workshops for ages 8-11. 

Four Tuesdays: May 5, 12, 19, 26 from 4:15— 

5:30pm. Instructor: Diane Churchill 

An afterschool art class using drawing and collage 

techniques inspired by the magnificent Australian 

Aboriginal artworks on exhibit in the 

galleries. 4 sessions: $68 members, $75 nonmembers; 

materials fee $5. 

Register by May 2; visit www.HopperHouse.org 

or call (845) 358-0774. 

• Figure Drawing for teen to adult; Sat, May 2, 

10am to 12:30pm. Instructor: Janet Hamlin 

Focus on drawing face, hands and other details 

without being intimidated. Working with a live 

model, we will go over the basics of proportion, 

structure and shading. A class for all skill levels. 

$27 members; $30 non-members. Register at 

our website or contact Hopper House (845) 358- 

0774. 

• Weekend Workshop in Delah McKay’s Piermont 

Studio overlooking the Hudson—Fri May 29 

from 7 to 9pm and Sat & Sun, May 30 & 31, 

9:30am to 4:30pm. All skill levels welcome, from 

beginner to accomplished. 

Info: e-mail delahmckay@gmail.com or call 

(914) 260-0097. To register, e-mail Hopper 

House at info@hopper house.org or call 

845-358-0774. 

ONGOING PROGRAMS—(Poetry for People, 

Song Circle Workshop, Weekly Figure Drawing Sessions)—Find 

details online. 

1) Visit www.HopperHouse.org

2) From the box PROGRAMS & EVENTS, select 

Special Events. At the left of your screen, click 

Programs & Events 

3) Select Classes and Workshops—you’re there. 

Hopper House Art Center, 82 N. Broadway; 

gallery hours: 1-5 pm urs thru Sun. Info: call 

(845) 358-0774 or visit www.Hopper House.org 

Spring Concert at RCC 

e Rockland Symphony Orchestra is set to perform 

the final concert of its 2008-09 season, at 

Rockland Community College, on Sunday, May 

17 at 3pm. e performance will take place at the 

R.C.C. Cultural Arts Center, 145 College Road, 

Suffern, NY. Tickets available the day of the concert 

at the R.C.C. Box Office: $25 regular admission, 

$20 for Seniors, $10 for Students. Group 

rates $8 per person for 10 or more. 

Showing by Young Piermont artist 

A showing of paintings by local young artist, 

Brody Morales, will be on display at Barnes & 

Noble, at the Palisades Center Mall on May 2. 

e opening takes place from 7-9pm and continues 

through Sun, May 31. Brody, now 21, sustained 

traumatic brain injuries as a passenger in a 

car crash in September, 2007. Doctors say Brody 

might have been a vegetable, were it not for a lot 

of therapy, hard work, and the support of family 

and friends. He lives in Piermont, creating art 

and living life to the best of his ability. 

Art School Open House 

is free event features an outdoor pottery sale, 

in-studio art demonstrations, gallery exhibition 

and activities for children. On display will be 

works by an accomplished student body in ceramics, 

sculpture, oil and acrylic painting, charcoal 

and colored pencil drawing, watercolor, 

Chinese brush painting, pastels, jewelry, stained 

glass, lampworked glass beads, fiber, etching, 

silkscreen, collage, and mixed media. 

Sun, May 3, from 10 am to 4pm (rain or 

shine) at e Art School at Old Church, 561 

Piermont Road in Demarest, NJ. Info: call 

(201) 767-7160 or visit www.tasoc.org 

Hudson River Pianofest 2009 

An intensive two-day festival of piano master 

classes, workshops & concerts, featuring Frederic 

Chiu, Tammy Lum & others. Open to intermediate 

to advanced piano students, adult amateurs, 

teachers & observers. Nyack College, May 29 & 

30. Info: www.nyack.edu/pianofest 

Film Series at Piermont Library 

On Fri, May 1, at 7:30pm, treat yourself to 

the dazzlingly fast-paced, delicious romantic 

comedy, Shakespeare in Love (1998) with 

Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Judi Dench, 

Ben Affleck, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. 

Free and open to the public, an informal discussion 

follows the screening. 

Piermont Library, 25 Flywheel Park West; fully 

accessible to the disabled. Info: 359-4595. 

Rockland Camerata 

On Sat, May 30 at 7:30pm, the Rockland Camerata, 

under the direction of Sheila Schonbrun, 

will perform a program of music from the 17th 

century along with traditional American selections, 

in a concert celebrating the Hudson River 

Quadricentennial. Suggested donation—$10 at 

Tappan Reformed Church, 32 Old Tappan Rd, 

Tappan, NY. Info: call (845) 634-5562. 

Works by Nyack Artist on View 

rough May 2 at the Arts Alliance Gallery at 

Haverstraw: works by Sharon Falk, of Nyack. 

Ms. Falk creates large works on paper mounted 

on canvas. She worked for many years as a courtroom 

sketch artist for CBS News for broadcast 

television, taught painting & drawing at colleges 

and universities in the area and has received numerous 

honors for her work. 

e Arts Alliance Gallery at Haverstraw, 91 

Broadway, Haverstraw. Info: (845) 786-0253. 

e Tappan Zee Bridge Exhibit 

As part of Rockland County’s celebration of the 

NY State Quadricentennial, e Historical Society 

of Rockland presents e Tappan Zee Bridge: 

Transforming Rockland County, telling the story of 

the bridge, through rare photographs, drawings, 

oral histories and blueprints; Rockland was transformed, 

practically overnight, from a quiet rural 

community to a sophisticated suburb. 

Opening / reception: Sun, May 24, continues 

thru Oct at 20 Zukor Rd, New City. Museum 

Hours: Tues thru Sun, 12 to 5pm. Sunday admission 

includes tour of the historic 1832 home. 



continued from page 11 

South Nyack Recital Series 

At Nyack Library 59 S. B’dway, Nyack. Info: (845) 608-3593 

www.southnyackrectialseries.org Tickets: $25/$20/$15 

• Sat, May 2 at 7pm at e Nyack Library Andrea 

Lam, pianist, performs an exciting program 

that she will present this year at the International 

Van Cliburn competition. 

• Sat, May 9 at 7pm at e Nyack Library 

Jin Woo, violin; Eunice Kim, piano, perform 

Chopin, Bartok, Prokofiev, Szymanowski 

• Sat, May 16 at 7 pm at e Nyack Library 

Amy Buckley, soprano; Koji Attwood, piano 

Perform Schubert, Schumann, Faure, Borkievicz 

• Sat, May 23 at 7 pm at e Nyack Library 

Pianist Michael Shinn performs Wagner, Schubert, 

and Liszt 

• Sat, May 30 at 7 pm at Pardington Hall, Nyack 

College, 1 South Boulevard, Nyack. 

Nacole Palmer, soprano and Kimball Gallagher, 

piano, perform Haydn, Bizet, Poulenc, French 

Art Songs, with special guests. 

Fellowship of Reconciliation 

521 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY (845) 358-4601 

• Live Outdoor Youth Concert by teen band, Regret 

the Hour, Sat, May 16, from 6-8pm. Tickets 

$5pp at the gate. Info: www.regretthehour.com 

• First Sundays Classical Music Meditation • Phil 

Greenspan Film Festival • Weekly Compassionate 

Communication Circle • AA Meetings • Nicotine 

Anonymous Meeting • Buddhist Meditation 

For details call Mary Heckler: 845-358-4601 or 

visit www.forusa.org 

Spring Craft, Plant & Bake Sale 

Sat, May 2, e Piermont Reformed Church will 

hold its annual Spring sale—rain or shine—on 

the front lawn of the church. e sale includes 

Mother’s Day gifts, crafts, plants (hanging baskets, 

flats and potted plants), homemade cakes, pies, 

cookies, barbecued hot dog & salad luncheon. 

Info, call (845) 359-4637. 

Helen Hayes Youth eatre 

Live on stage—High School Musical 2, May 2— 

May 100 at Riverspace in Nyack. To purchase 

tickets ( $15), call (845) 348-1880 or visit 

www.riverspace.org 

At the 

Libraries 

Nyack Library 

59 S. Broadway, Nyack. Info & reg: (845) 358-3370, ex 14 

• oughtful Films Documentary Series—Sunday, 

May 10 at 2pm. e End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion 

and the Collapse of the American Dream. 

Discussion to follow with Larry Kintisch. 

• Quadricentennial Book Discussion Series—Tues, 

May 12 at 7pm. High Tor by Maxwell Anderson. 

High Tor opened on Broadway in 1937, and won 

a New York Drama Critics Circle Award for the 


best American play of the 1936–1937 season. 

e story was inspired by the real life controversy 

over quarrying the palisades along the lower 

Hudson. Playwright Maxwell Anderson lived on 

South Mountain Road in New City and is credited 

with galvanizing the successful movement to 

save the mountain from excavation. ere will be 

a staged reading of High Tor at Riverspace Arts in 

Nyack on Sun, June 7. 

Teen Scene Programs 

Open to young people in grade 6 & up. To register, 

please call 358-3370 ext. 28. 

• Book Discussion—Mon, May 11 a 4:30pm 

Join us to discuss e Graveyard Book by Neil 

Gaiman, the popular author of Coraline. Light 

refreshments will be served. 

• Movie Friday—Fri, May 15 at 4pm. 

Iron Man (PG-13) with Robert Downey, Jr. 

• Sewing Mania!—urs, May 28 at 4:30pm. 

Learn the basic stitches and create a cozy pillow 

or Ugli Doll for your room. 

Piermont Library 

25 Flywheel Park West, Piermont.. Hours: Mon-urs, 

10-8, Fri 12-5, Sat 12-4. Accessible to the disabled. 

Info:359-4595 or visit online at www.piermontlibrary.org 

• Sun, May 3, from 2 to 4pm—Dennis Hardy, 

former Mayor of Piermont, who followed in his 

father's footsteps in pursuing fishing on the 

Hudson River, will host an opening reception for 

a special Quadricentennial exhibit, e River is 

Full of Fish: A Photographic Account of a Day in 

the Life of a Hudson River Fisherman. e photographs, 

made in 1989 by local photographer 

Greg Tavarone, track the Hardy fishing crew as 

they pursue centuries-old methods of catching 

fish on the Hudson River. Today the commercial 

fishing business is in sharp decline and Dennis 

has moved on to other endeavors but at one time 

the Hardy operation brought in 100,000 pounds 

of fish annually. is exhibit will be on display 

for the month of May. 

• Mondays 11am—Toddler Storytime with Agnes. 

• Sun, May 17, 2 pm—e third in a series of 

special concerts at the library: e Bennett Harris 

Trio presents American Roots Music: Early Jazz 

and Blues. Harris, an expert traditional acoustic 

blues guitarist/singer, specializes in Piedmont 

ragtime and Mississippi Delta sliding styles from 

the pre-World War II era. His trio has been playing 

together for more than a decade. 

• Wed, May 20, 11am. Music Together with 

Catherine. Lots of fun & music for the young. 

Valley Cottage Library 

110 Route 303. Handicap accessible. Info: (845) 268-7700. 

M-Th. 10-9pm, Fri-Sat. 10-5pm. 

• May 4 at 7pm—Real Reads! Nonfiction Reading 

Club. Blink: e Power of inking Without 

inking by Malcolm Gladwell. Please register. 

• May 6 at 7pm—Genealogy - Exploring Your 

Family Tree. Actual Case Studies—difficult research 

where little information is available. 

May 13 at 7pm—Writing the Family History 

Narrative, using family stories and the data collected. 

Come to one or both. Please register. 

• May 7 at 7pm—5th Annual Nyack High 

School da Vinci Center Film Festival: the best 

short student films created during the past year. 

Meet the producers, directors & actors. 

• May 14 at 7pm—New York's Palisades Interstate 

Park. Originally formed to prevent quarries 

from desecrating the majestic lower Palisades 

cliffs, authors Wesley & Barbara Gottlock will 

provide an historical overview with photographs. 

• May 18 at 7pm—50th Anniversary Special Tribute. 

View a short film created as a tribute to the 

VC Library, starring your friends and neighbors. 

• May 28 at 7pm—Spring Book Discussion Series: 

e Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, Pulitzer 

Prize Winner. 

Books are available at the Circulation Desk. Discussion 

led by Dr. June Dunn. Please register. 

New City Library 

220 North Main St., New City, NY Info: (845) 634-4962. 

Hours: Mon-Thurs. 9am-9pm, Fri noon-6pm, Sat. 9am- 

5pm, Sun 12-5pm. Programs info, 634-4997, ext. 139. 

• Dickens Film Discussion Mon, May 4, at 3pm. 

Watch the film,e Old Curiosity Shop at home 

on PBS on May 3 and then come for the discussion, 

led by Dr. Nancy Lind, leader of the International 

Dickens Fellowship, Rockland branch. 

• Mother's Day Craft Fri, May 8, 4—5:30pm 

Children drop in, make a card and gift. 

• All at Mail! Wed, May 13, 1:30pm 

A workshop on organizing information, streamlining 

material to keep, finding the best way to 

retrieve personal papers. Observe a demo of 

QuickBooks. 

• Sounds of Summer Sun, May 24, 2pm, add 

some swing to your Memorial Day weekend at 

our annual outdoor concert featuring the Big 

Band Swing Machine. Bring blankets/chairs. In 

case of rain, concert moves indoors. 

• Genealogy Day Sat, May 30, 10am to 3pm 

Morning demo of genealogy databases by members 

of the Rockland Genealogy Society and library 

staff. Bring bag lunch for midday break. 

Beverages & cookies provided. At 1:30pm: miniworkshops 

on personal research basics. Subjects 

include cemetery records, vital records, census, 

family memorabilia & use of the Rockland Room. 

Palisades Free Library 

19 Closter Rd, Palisades. Please sign up for all programs at 

the desk, or by phone or e-mail. (845) 359-0136 

pal@rcls.org 

• Celebrate Cinco de Mayo—Tues May 5, 7-8pm 

Decorate your own piñata and sample Mexican 

snacks. For teens 

• Make it for Mom—Wed, May 6, 4:30-6pm 

Make some goodies and a card for Mom or 

Grandma. Ages 5+ 

• Movie Night—urs, May 14, 7-8:30pm 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. For teens 

• Book Discussion—Mon, May 18, 7:30pm 

A Mercy by Toni Morrison. 

• Play Ball!—urs, May 21, 7-8pm 

Learn about the history of baseball cards, how to 

read stats and play games with cards. Ages 8+ 

• Toni Morrison in Conversation w/ Adam Gopnik 

—Sun, May 31, 3:30pm. IBM Conference Cen

MONDAY JAZZ 

AT THE TURNING POINT 

Mondays from 8 to 11pm at the Turning 

Point Café, 468 Piermont Ave, Piermont, 

NY. (845) 359-1089 www.turningpointcafe.com/ 

ere are 2 sets—8pm and 9:30pm; one music charge 

for the evening. Student discount, no minimum. 

• Mon May 4—Bassist Mark Egan, Unit 1 

John Hart, Karl Latham. 

• Mon May 11—Special guest, w/Saxophonist 

John Richmond Quartet, Jim Ridl, Bill Moring, 

Tim Horner 

• Mon May 18—Tenor Saxophonist Ralph Lalama 

Quartet, John Hart, Rick Petrone, Joe Corsello. 

IMAX 

PALISADES MALL 

• Star Trek—the IMAX Experience 

Opens May 8—e adventure begins with a 

young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most 

advanced starship ever created: the USS Enterprise. 

On a journey filled with action, comedy 

and cosmic peril, the crew must find a way to 

stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance 

threatens all mankind. 

e fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter 

rivals, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), a thrill-seeking 

farm boy and Spock (Zachary Quinto), who was 

raised in a logic-based society that rejects all 

emotion. e pair must form an unlikely but 

powerful partnership to lead their crew thru 

unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one 

has gone before! 

• Night at the Museum: Battle of the 

Smithsonian (PG-13) 

Opens May 22—Starring Ben Stiller, Robin 

Williams & Owen Wilson. Digitally re-mastered, 

with crystal-clear images, laser-aligned digital 

sound and maximized field of view, IMAx 

provides the world's most immersive movie experience. 

IMAX is located on the top floor in the Palisades 

Center Mall in West Nyack near Target. Details: 

tickets & showtimes: www.imax.com/palisades/ 

v 

Riverspace 

119 Main Street, Nyack, 10960. 

Tickets— www.riverspace.org or (845) 348-1880 

• Jazz Highlights 

As he heads into his 74th year, Nyack resident 

Houston Person returns on Fri, May 15 with 

shows at 8 & 9:30pm. House band includes 

Richard Sussman, piano, Cameron Brown, bass 

and Steve Johns, drums. Tickets: $15/$12 

RCJBS & Riverspace Members. 

• Riverspace Party 

At the new Union Restaurant and Latino Bar, 

22-24 New Main Street, Haverstraw on urs, 

May 14, from 6 to 10pm. Latin Music, Food 

and Festivity, silent/live auction. Price: $100pp 

includes dinner and drinks. RSVP by May 5. 

• Milk and Cookies Playhouse 

Nyack’s own Danna Banana, award-winning 

songwriter and kids’ favorite, performs on Saturday, 

May 16, at 10:30am. Tickets: In advance/members 

$9 adults/$7 children 2 and over. 

At the door: $12 adults/$8 children 2 and over. 

• Marriage & Other Odd Occurrences, 

Short stories by Alethea Black, directed by Elliott 

Forrest. Sun, May 17, at 5pm. Tickets: $15/$12 

students, seniors and members. 

• Jazz in the Café 

Friday, May 22 at 8pm: Dick Voigt & the Big 

Apple Jazz Band. Tickets: $15/$12. 

• Brass Concert 

e Principal Brass quintet of the NY Philharmonic, 

performing for the first time on stage in 

Rockland County, will appear at Riverspace on 

Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 pm in a program of 

popular favorites that includes e ieving Magpie 

Overture by Rossini, Take Five and New York, 

New York. e quintet features long-time Nyack 

resident Joseph Alessi, Trombone; Philip Smith 

and Matthew Muckey, Trumpets; Philip Myers, 

French Horn and Alan Baerm, Tuba. A portion 

of the proceeds go to the Nyack Soup Angels; 

non-perishable items will be collected at the performance 

for the Nyack Soup Angels. 

• SAVE THE DATE—Fri, June 12 at 7pm: 

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot, with Bill 

Irwin, Nathan Lane, John Goodman, John 

Glover—plus a special pre-show reception 



continued from pge 13 

with Bill Irwin and other cast members and a 

post-show Q&A at e Roundabout eatre, 

254 West 54th St., NY City. $185pp for limited 

first mezzanine seating, Reserve thru 

Riverspace box office or call 845 348-1880. 

WEDNESDAY 

at the movies 

All screenings at Riverspace, 119 Main 

Street, Nyack. Tickets: at the door: $9 , 

$7 students, seniors & general subscribers, $6 student & 

senior subscribers. Info: (845) 348-1880, or 

www.riverspace.org NOTE: matinée on May 6. 

• WALTZ WITH BASHIR May 6, 1 & 8pm 

Directed by Art Folman; Israel 2008, 90 min., feature-length 

animation; in Hebrew & Arabic, with 

English subtitles. Rated R for violence. 

A memoir about war—the director’s attempt to 

make sense of his experience as a soldier in the 

1982 war in Lebanon. Nomination, 2009 Academy 

Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

• ROCKLAND STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL 

Wed, May 13 at 6pm 

Meet our local filmmakers. Doors open to an 

equipment exhibit in the lobby from 5 to 8:30. 

Filmmaker receptions take place after screenings 

at 6 and 8:30pm. Suggested donation: $9 or $7. 

For more info visit www.rivertownfilm.org 

• GOMORRAH May 20 at 8pm 

Directed by Matteo Garrone. Unrated; Italy, 2008 

137 min. In Italian with English subtitles. 

A deadly serious take on the global reaches of the 

mob’s tentacles. Winner, 2008 grand prize at the 

Cannes Film Festival. 

• THE CLASS May 27 at 8pm 

Directed by Laurent Cantet, France, 2008, 128 

minutes, in French with English subtitles, rated 

PG-13 for language 

An artful story of one teacher’s attempt to shepherd 

his multi-cultural students into responsible, 

aware young adults. As tightly-focused as a documentary, 

thanks to the cast of non-professionals 

who developed the story via improv workshops. 

e director does something rare in films about 

children: he allows them to speak. 

THURSDAY NIGHT 

JAZZ at Olive’s 

118 Main St Nyack, NY 10960. • Jazz series continues 

first & third ursdays of the month, with 

different guest artists each week, followed by a jam 

session. Info: Rockland County Jazz and Blues Society: 

(845) 641 1648. 

• May 7—Dick Oatts, saxophone, Scott Wendholt, 

trumpet. 

• May 21—Erik Lawrence, Saxophones. 

House Band: Richard Sussman or Mike Holober, 

piano, Cameron Brown, bass, Steve Johns, drums. 

Events Sponsored by the Rockland County Jazz 

and Blues Society; info, call (845) 641-1648 or 

visit www.rocklandjazzandblues.com ✫ 

COMMUNITY NOTES 

Tell e Villager and we’ll tell the community 

GET READY FOR SUMMER 

A new series of Weight Watchers meetings will 

start at the Nyack Public Library on Monday, 

May 4. Weigh-in will be at 5pm, with meeting 

to follow. Info: Barbara at (845) 358-0641. 

CORRECTION 

We printed an incorrect e-mail address in our 

New Kids On e Block Column for Janice Styles’ 

Zumba class in our April 2009 issue. e correct 

e-mail is: JaniceStyle@yahoo.com Apologies to 

Janice and our readers. 

CLUB LATINO AT NYACK CENTER 

On May 15th at 7:30pm, Nyack Center will be 

transformed into Club Latino by Nancy August 

Interiors; the Center will dance when DJ Derek 

spins the dance tunes and Cowado will be on 

hand to teach salsa basics; Maria Rocco will do 

face/body painting; semi-formal attire requested. 

The cost, $50, includes a performance by Flamenco 

dancer Ana de la Paz, drinks & yummy tapas. 

All proceeds go to Nyack Center. Call 358-2600 

for tickets. 

PIERMONT FARMERS’ MARKET 2009 

Starting Sun, May 31, shoppers welcome back 

locally grown & produced foods for sale at Piermont’s 

Farmers’ Market—wine, chutney, baked 

goods, pastry, pickles, cut flowers, herbs, plants, 

vegetables, fruit, quiche, prepared foods, salsa, 

Community Notes continues on page 15 


The Jazz Scene 

by Michael Houghton 

e jazz jam in the RiverSpace complex 

closes, and a Subway outlet opens 

—is there a message there? e jam 

(which began there in Nov, 2006) 

will move to Olives, just across Main 

from the theater. Sessions will begin 

ursday, May 7, then every other ursday 

thereafter; the sponsor is Rockland County 

Jazz and Blues Society. e opening get-together 

features saxophonist Dick Oatts with 

trumpeter Scott Wendholt, both members of 

the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. On the 21st, 

Erik Lawrence leads on saxophones. ose 

with long memories will recall Erik hosted the 

original grand-daddy of this jam, all those 

years ago, at the hip 91-Main. 

Do check out Olives, probably now the oldest 

largely-unaltered bar in Nyack. e room is 

well set up for music, with a bar and booths 

up front for people who want to hang near the 

bottles, and a few rows of theater seating and 

an ample stage at the back. We have high 

hopes for this new venue—after all, jazz began 

in joints like this! (RiverSpace did a nice job 

with “the Café”, but it was always basically a 

stage-set; this is a real club.) 

Also on an every-other basis—Wednesdays, in 

this case—the versatile and driving 

drummer, Ray Levier, hosts a new 

jam at the 76 House in Tappan. I urge 

keyboard players to turn out for this, 

as the house has a nice acoustic piano. 

No cover charge on this one. 

John Richmond continues first-class 

bookings for his Monday Jazz series 

at the Turning Point. Bassist Mark 

Egan leads his “Unit 1” with Karl Latham on 

drums May 4. (Mark is like no other bass 

player we’ve heard; see if you agree.) en 

Mon, May 11, be sure to catch chromatic harmonic/ 

guitarist virtuoso Enrico Granafei, another 

unique talent. May 18 the fine tenor 

saxmaster Ralph Lalama returns to celebrate a 

new CD. (Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day 

so, as I write, there is some question whether the 

‘Point will be open—check online.) 

I was going to tip you to a new jam in Suffern, 

at the swank NV Lounge on Wednesdays, but 

the plug has already been pulled! at was 

short but sweet. Damn! However, the fine 

keyboardist and synth-player Neil Alexander 

urges everyone to join him there on Wed, May 

20, promising that if well-attended, it’ll be a 

regular thing. I’m a big fan of Neil, as well as 

of his current drummer, the always fine Nadav 

Zeiniker, so I’ll be there. 

What else? Catch Sam Waymon’s Magic Band 

at the Turning Point on May 22nd. Sam always 

delivers a good Rhythm & Blues program. 

And check out Sam’s sax-player Colin 

Pohl, just back from Cuba. Colin played an 

outstanding date at Casa last month with his 

own Latin band Zona—keep an eye out for 

Zona’s future bookings in the area. And Joel 

Newton continues to mix it up ursdays at 

the Old Fashion. Lots to hear this month! 

Michael Houghton is a resident of South Nyack 

and a long-time jazz fan ✫ 

Community Notes start on page 14 

soup, organic nuts and New York cheese. 

e 2009 season starts Sun, May 31 at 9:30am, 

continuing every Sunday from 9:30am to 3:30pm 

through Nov 22 at the M&T Bank Parking lot in 

Piermont. Info: rpedinotti@communitymarkets.biz 

INDOOR MARKET ON THRU JUNE 

Due to the success of the market, it will continue 

through June. Sat, May 9, an added attraction 

will be the Annual Palisades Library Spring 

Fling, with children's games, activities & raffles. 

Market is held every Saturday, 9am to 1pm at 

Palisades Community Center, 675 Oak Tree Rd, 

Palisades. Visit www.Palisadesny.com 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY CLEANUP 

Celebrate Earth Days with a cleanup on Sat, 

May 2. (Rain date: May 3.) Come out with 

friends and family and de-litter our streets, parks, 



Pet care 

by Peter Segall, DVM 

No. 1 and No. 2 

It is a fact of nature. You take into 

your body food & drink, the body 

processes it, and lo and behold!— 

the body releases the by-products. 

e organs which finally handle these end 

products are the kidneys, bladder and colon. 

Pathologic conditions affecting theses structures 

are very common and make up a good 

portion of veterinary practice. 

Kidney disease may affect many cats and dogs 

as they get older. e kidneys can be affected 

by toxins, bacteria, metabolic, congenital disorders, 

autoimmune disease as well as simply 

old age. Young animals may have a number of 

rare conditions that will alter kidney functions. 

We are often asked why we recommend blood 

testing before performing procedures on 

young animals. Anesthetic drugs, in many 

cases, need the kidneys to be in working in 

order to remove their by-products, which at 

high levels can result in damage to the heart 

and brain. Doing pre-anesthetic blood work 

which shows abnormal kidney functions may 

save a life. Lack of a kidney, multiple cysts 

which decrease functioning kidney tissue, can 

be seen in rare cases. 

Many older animals have periodontal 

disease. What do gums 

have to do with things that affect 

internal organs? When tarter 

builds up on the teeth it starts to 

work its way under the gums. 

e gums get red and bleed (gingivitis) 

and then become infected 

by mouth bacteria. ese bacteria 

can then enter the blood stream 

and can get filtered out in the kidney and 

liver. Many older dogs and cats die of kidney 

failure and I believe that the constant bombarding 

of functioning units of the kidney 

with bacteria causes scar tissue to build up and 

affect the ability to filter poisons from the 

blood. ese same bacteria can then move 

from the kidneys into the bladder and cause 

cystitis, a bladder infection. Besides infection, 

which is probably the most common bladder 

disease, we see a significant number of cases of 

bladder stones and bladder cancer. e symptoms 

for all of these are straining to urinate, 

frequent urination, and possibly blood in the 

urine. Bladder stones are formed when the 

minerals precipitate out of the urine and form 

stones from marble to golf ball size. In a male 

dog, sometimes a small stone will get stuck 

behind the penis and cause an obstruction. 

Surgery is required to remove the stones and 

diet changes will help to prevent recurrence. 

Bladder cancer usually occurs near the out 

flow tract and can make it difficult for urine 

to pass. We can treat cancer with drugs because 

it is often difficult to remove tumors 

surgically. 

e last organ to talk about is the colon. e 

job of the colon is to remove fluid from the 

feces passing through so that the bowel movement 

will be formed and come out easily. 

Diseases of the colon include colitis, parasitism, 

cancer and neurological conditions which impair 

the ability to push feces thru. ere are 

certain intestinal worms which cause inflammation 

in the colon—whipworms in particular. 

e symptom is diarrhea, usually with blood. 

If dogs eat foreign material (such as grass, paper, 

plaster, wood, leaves, etc) may get colitis as 

these materials will not be digested and will 

rub the colon wall, causing inflammation. 

When irritated, the lining of the colon wall 

will separate large amounts of mucus and, if 

blood vessels are abraded, blood will be present 

as well. Dogs and cats also get inflammatory 

bowel disease, which is an autoimmune 

process. e body perceives the bowel lining 

as foreign and attacks it, causing inflammation. 

Most of these conditions are treatable 

with a combination of diet and medication. 

Dr. Segall is a veterinarian practicing at the Pomona 

Animal Hospital at 1545 Route 202, Pomona NY 

Phone: (888) 309-2570. ✫ 


From Town Hall 

by om Kleiner, Orangetown Supervisor 

Public to Comment on RPC 

Environmental Analysis 

On April 13, the Orangetown Town Board 

reached an important milestone by accepting 

the draft Generic Environmental Impact 

Statement for the redevelopment of property 

at the Rockland Psychiatric Center. is action 

allows the public environmental review 

process to begin, a prelude to the applicant 

appearing at the Orangetown Planning Board 

for site plan review. Two public hearings have 

been scheduled at Orangetown Town Hall: 

noon on ursday, May 7 and 7:30pm on 

Monday, May 18. 

National homebuilder, K. Hovnanian, was the 

winning applicant in the Town’s selection 

process for a developer. eir proposal involves 

the construction of 543 active adult 

homes as well as 20 units for volunteers and 

12 single family homes on 90 acres. e site 

plan embodies a “new urbanist” approach by 

creating a walkable community, and includes 

trails along Lake Tappan. ree holes of the 

Broad Acres golf course will be reconfigured to 

provide a buffer between the new residential 

development and the existing hospital. 

A large portion of undeveloped 

Town land will be left 

for future development, or for 

use as a passive park. 

e DGEIS provides an 

analysis of the potential impacts 

of the proposed redevelopment. 

Impacts identified 

include traffic, drainage, fiscal and water supply 

issues, among others. e study estimates 

that, when completed, this development 

would yield approximately $4.6 million in tax 

ratables annually for the Town and other taxing 

jurisdictions. e developer is also obligated 

to pay the Town $24 million at closing, 

which the Town Board intends to use to stabilize 

taxes, reduce debt and address priority 

capital projects. 

Despite the nationwide downturn in the 

housing market, Hovnanian has continued to 

expend money on the environmental studies 

and has indicated their intention to proceed 

with the project after the environmental review 

process is completed. 

e public review process will enable the public 

to review the analysis and comment on all 

the issues raised in the DGEIS. In addition to 

the public hearings, the public may submit 

comments directly to my office until June 18. 

e document is available in all of the Town’s 

libraries, at Town Hall and on the Town’s 

website: www.orangetown.com 

At its April 13th meeting, the Board also 

passed Energy Star legislation for new homes. 

It will improve the environment by reducing 

greenhouse gases and also save homeowners 

money by reducing annual energy costs. 

Supervisor Kleiner welcomes questions and comments. 

Send to info@nyackvillager.com ✫ 


beaches, and waterways. Meet 9– 9:30am at 

Riverspace to get your cleanup supplies, enjoy 

breakfast treats, meet fellow cleanup volunteers. 

Please let us know you’re coming. Register at 

www.KeepRocklandBeautiful.org or call (845) 

708-9159. 

VENDORS WANTED IN SEPTEMBER 

Orangetown Ladies Auxiliary of South Nyack 

will hold a craft fair on Sat, Sept. 26, at the Orangetown 

Fire House on Depot Place. Vendors 

are wanted. Vendor tables are $35 each. All interested 

vendors should call Eileen Bacchi at 

(845) 268-4952 to reserve a table. 

FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION 

521 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY (845) 358-4601 

• Live Outdoor Youth Concert 

Featuring the local teen band, Regret the Hour 



The Lifetime 

Garden 

by Jon Feldman 

In recent memory, can you think of 

something beneficial you’ve done 

for the environment? Even something 

simple, like using products 

with earth-friendly chemicals, driving less or 

picking up litter. 

Do you Recycle? 

I try. I truly do. But…I get complacent and 

confused. is in one bin, that in another. 

Tie these up, leave those loose. I never seem to 

get the pick-up date right. I do know its every 

other ursday, but I never know which one is 

the other ursday. 

I’ve lived the mantra of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ 

my entire life. My personal recycling reticence 

creates an impediment to my identity. 

After all, my supermarket visits usually include 

reusable bags. I turn off lights in a room even 

before I leave it. I feel conspicuous using 

paper towels rather than cloth and cringe 

when choosing plastic over paper. Worst, is 

the guilt felt when buying a plastic toy instead 

of searching out a similar wooden one. And, 

when those toys require batteries, I am moved 

to downright self-loathing when making the 

choice of disposables over re-chargeables. 

I know better, but sometimes 

I get paralyzed by indifference. 

I was getting concerned that this behavior 

wasn’t simply a ‘slip’, but that 

I’d strayed. Could I have stopped 

caring about the Earth? But recently, 

and just when I was ready to recycle 

the mirrors in the house in order to 

avoid having to face myself, I was moved by the 

energy and environmental call to action championed 

by our new president. His focus on the 

‘economics of ecology’ re-awakened my spirit 

and re-ignited my commitment towards more 

responsible consuming and disposing. My selfesteem, 

and mirrors, were saved. 

e transformation was quick and enthusiastic. 

I’ve re-acquainted myself with my garbage. 

I challenged my trash. My bins have made it to 

the curb more regularly and I include a greater 

percentage of eligible materials than ever before. 

e best part is, I’ve managed to ease up on 

myself, forgiving my past failings to applaud 

the acts of humanism that are returning faster 

than the advancing Spring. 

Further inspired, and after threatening to do so 

for years, I’ll re-activate my composting pile 

this summer. Seriously. Composting isn’t hard, 

or smelly, or gross. Removing your non-meat 

food scraps from the kitchen pail will significantly 

reduce your personal landfill footprint. 

I credit Mr. Obama’s initiatives for my reprieve, 

as another small, but noteworthy, achievement 

of his remarkable agenda for the first 100 days. 

Following in this new and exciting spirit of nationalism, 

I will gladly provide information to 

anyone interested in starting a compost space. 

Who knows, you could become an environmental 

hero without having to leave your home. 

Email me, just don’t ask me to bring your bottles 

and newspapers to the curb. 

Jon Feldman is the owner of G. biloba Garden Environments. 

Reach him at 353-3448. ✫ 


Saturday, May 16, from 6-8pm. Tickets $5pp at 

the gate. Info: www.regretthehour.com 

1st Sundays Classical Music Meditation, Phil 

Greenspan Film Festival, Weekly Compassionate 

Communication Circle, AA Meetings, Nicotine 

Anonymous Meeting, Buddhist Meditation. 

For details call Mary Heckler: 845-358-4601 or 

visit www.forusa.org 

MUSICWORKS COFFEE HOUSE 

Join us for a fun filled Friday evening of live 

music and poetry, from 7 to 9pm at Nyack High 

School on May 15. Admission $5, baked goods 

and beverages will be available for purchase and 



Play Ball! 

by Jan Haber 

So many of our idioms derive 

from baseball you can make a 

good argument that the vocabulary 

of the game is the language 

of the US. Probably more than 

any other sport, baseball talk 

permeates informal speech in 

the United States—even for 

people who never go out to the 

ball park. 

If I do something right off the bat, I do it without 

delay or reflection. 

You step up to the plate when you’re ready to 

do your job. If you’re on the ball, you’re capable 

of doing it well. He threw me a curve ball 

means he did something unexpected. If I’m a 

pinch hitter, I’m filling in temporarily for 

someone else. When I drop the ball, it’s a bad 

mistake. 

In baseball, a screwball travels in the direction 

opposite that of a normal curve ball, so screwball 

has come to mean eccentric or irrational. 

People or ideas can be screwball. 

If I strike out or go down swinging, I attempted 

something that failed. Everybody knows, three 

strikes and you’re out. If, however, 

I make a hit, hit a homerun or hit 

one out of the park, I did something 

extremely well. You might 

say I’m batting a thousand. 

If you say you want to touch base 

with me, I understand it’s to have 

a brief conversation. You might 

say you touched all bases, meaning 

you did everything necessary. If 

you covered your bases, you were 

well prepared. If, however, you 

were ‘way off base, you got something 

wrong or were even dishonest. If my 

ideas seem strange, you might say they’re out 

in left field. 

If he is not in her league, it’s no wonder that he 

can’t get to first base with her. 

A ballpark estimate is a rough approximation 

of something. If I say the estimate is in the 

ballpark, that means I think it’s reasonable. If, 

on the other hand, I say, we’re not even in the 

same ballpark, I mean we’re not going to be 

able to agree; our opinions are too far apart. 

When a situation changes completely, we may 

call it a whole new ballgame. 

The Word Hound welcomes comments and questions 

from readers—sports fans and others. ✫ 


yes—more door prizes! All proceeds benefit the 

music program in the Nyack School District. 

ROCKLAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 

Learn more about our individualized approach to 

education at our monthly campus tours Fri, May 

15 at 9am and urs, June 25 at 7pm. 

Info: Lorraine Greenwell, Admissions Director, at 

www.rocklandcds.org or call (845) 268-6802 

ext. 201. 4 Kings Highway, Congers. 

FINDING FOCUS AT GREEN MEADOW 

Join award-winning author Maggie Jackson for a 

discussion of her compelling new book, Distracted, 

in which she explores the impact of a media-saturated 

culture on the hearts and minds of young 

people; tap into exciting scientific discoveries related 

to the development of attention. 

Fri, May 15, 7:30 pm in the Gym. Admission: 

$10 Green Meadow Waldorf School, 307 Hungry 

Hollow Rd, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977. Info: 

call 845-356-2514 or visit www.gmws.org 

MORE AT GREEN MEADOW SCHOOL 

• Introductory Session for adults takes place Fri, 

May 8, at 9am. Video & campus tour. 

Info call (845) 356-2514, ex 302 

• Tea & Play—tea & conversation for parents 

while children play in GM’s home-like classroom. 

urs. May 7, 14 & 21, & 28, 12:30 to 2pm. 

Info call (845) 356-2514, ex 302 

• Summer Farm Camp—June 16-27: Nature walks, 




Remember the days? 

by James F. Leiner 

Nyack’s Honor Roll 

e following men from the 

Nyack area were Killed in Action. 

ey left Nyack and fought for 

their country. Some travelled 

only upstate, others halfway 

around the world. What they all 

have in common is that they did 

not come home. ey gave their 

lives in defense of our liberties and for the perpetuation 

of American ideals. 

With their sacrifice they earned the gratitude 

of our community and nation. 

REVOLUTIONARY WAR 

Jacob Archer, C.A. Blauvelt, Michael Cornelison 

Sr. 

CIVIL WAR 

William H. Ayres, Isaac Blauvelt, Isaac Dean, 

James H. Demarest, William Dickey. 

J.N. Dines, James L. Fenton, Charles Hagerman, 

R.E. Higgins, Joseph Hoffman. George 

Hyer, William Ives, Alfred Lowdie, Charles 

Meissner, William Phillips, August Singler, 

Jeremiah Springstein, George Tremper, Towt J. 

Waldron, J. Bradley Ware, omas Welsh, 

Daniel Wood, John N. Wood, Timothy Yeomans 

WORLD WAR ONE 

Charles R. Blauvelt, Raymond O. Blauvelt, 

Conrad Crawford, William H. Gardner 

Charles A. Gernand, Samuel P. Hyman, John 


farm animals, gardening, ice cream making and 

wholesome snacks. Half day price: $360 per 

week. Full day price: $500 per week. Info: Mrs. 

Barton at (845) 425-5247. 

Green Meadw School 307 Hungry Hollow Rd, 

Chestnut Ridge. Online at www.gmws.org 

BENEFIT FOR BLUE ROCK SCHOOL 

e community is invited to a garden party at 

Hopper House, Sat, May 30 from 5 to 7pm with 

lovely music, wine and hors d’oeuvres, exciting 

silent auctions and raffles—all to benefit Blue Rock 

School. (Rain date Sun, 5-31.) Call 845-627- 

0234 or visit www.bluerockschool.org for more 

info. Tickets are $15pp. 

Hopper House 82 South Broadway, Nyack, NY 

GOOSETOWN BAZAAR 

e annual Goosetown Bazaar will be held Sat, 

May 16 from 11-3 at Upper Nyack Elementary 

School (336 North Broadway, Upper Nyack) to 

benefit the school’s PTA. ere’s something for 

everyone—kids’ games, crafts, flower sale, food, 

raffles, and tag sale (toys, kid’s clothes & books). 

Open to the public; rain or shine. 

PUBLIC SCOPING SESSION 

On urs, May 7: two informational meetings, 

on plans by United Water / Suez for a desalination-filtration 

plant on the Hudson, with a view 

Ingalls, Paul Leggett, Haliday S. Smith, Goelet 

Tiffeny 

WORLD WAR TWO 

Robert Abrams, William Avery, 

James Brown, J. Newton Bollinger, 

John Byrne MD, Claude Christian, 

Roger G. Devan, Seaton Hall 

Fairbanks, Richard Ferris, J. Edward 

Gere, Valentine “Jack” 

Goehring Jr. Vaughn Higginson, 

Robert E. Horn, eodore Kerchman, 

George H. Lawrence Jr. 

Wendell, Lovett, George McCandless 

Jr., Willis Polhemus, Raider E. Ramstead, 

Charles Ross Sr., Dean L. Ross, Marvin Smith, 

Emanuel F. Steiner, Joseph Steiner, Donald R. 

Tasman, Fred M. Taylor, Crawford Wheeler, 

Andrew Wood 

KOREAN WAR 

Henry William Cook 

VIET NAM WAR 

Andre Maurice Brooks, Stephan Andre Broquist, 

Peter E. Conlin, Andrew James Daniel 

Each of these men has a story to tell, unfortunately, 

they can’t. eir remains lie scattered 

all over the world. Only the accounts of their 

deeds are recorded and I hope to be able to 

continue bringing you the stories of these 

brave neighbors. is list was compiled researching 

books, newspapers and periodicals. 

If I am missing anyone please contact me at 

e Nyack Villager, Box 82, Nyack NY 10960 

The Nyack Villager thanks Jim Leiner for helping us 

all ‘Remember the Days.’ ✫ 

to turning the Hudson River into drinking water. 

e DEC anticipates significant environmental 

impacts resulting from this proposed project. 

e investigative State Environmental Quality 

Review (SEQRA) process allows for public input 

while there is still time. e public should bring 

questions/comments in writing. Session 1 will 

be held from 1 to 4:30pm, session 2, from 6:30 

to 9:30pm at Haverstraw Town Hall, One Rosman 

Road, Garneville NY. Info: 429 2200. 

BIRCHWOOD CENTER 

• Karma Yoga Community Class 

Yoga for anyone—especially those experiencing 

financial hardship at this time. Teachers of this 

level I/II class will donate time & expertise; all 

proceeds will be donated to local charities. 

Saturdays, 2 to 3:15pm; sliding scale fee: $7 to $12. 

• Relax & Renew on Mother's Day 

Treat your Mom or yourself to a day of renewal 

and relaxation. Take a Restorative Yoga class and 

a 15 minute massage between 1 and 3pm for a 

complete relaxation experience! Gift Certificates 

available. Sat, May 9; $15 Yoga only, $20 Massage 

only, $30 both. 

• Living Yoga with Liz Schulman 

In this workshop, embrace the idea of self-study 

with asana, meditation & discussion to answer 

Community Notes continues at right

Natural Healing 

by Jerome L. Greenberg, DC 

I'm not sure how the rest of you are 

wired but, when I catch someone in 

a lie, I have a real tough time believing 

anything that comes out of their 

mouth on any subject from that time 

forward. 

I doubt anyone in his right mind would invest 

with Bernie Madoff, yet you'll continue to 

worship the drug companies no matter what 

level of unethical activities they perpetrate on 

the public. I guess Bernie should have spent a 

few billion on brain-washing marketing and 

he'd still be in business, no matter how much 

he lost. 

Let's start with my favorite useless government 

agency, the FDA. Even though scientists from 

all over the world, including US government 

toxicologists at the National Institutes of 

Health found that a chemical used in many 

plastic products stays in the body much 

longer than they originally thought. BPA, 

found in baby bottles may have harmful effects 

on the development of the prostate and 

brain and induce behavioral changes in fetuses, 

infants and children. Even after fasting for 24 

hours, high levels of this estrogen mimicker 

were found. What kind of iron grip does the 

plastic manufacturers have on this agency? 

Or, maybe they're hooked up with the drug 

companies and want us sick. 

In other FDA lame behavior, congressional 

investigators are probing their decision to remove 

a scientist from an advisory panel that 

reviewed Eli Lilly's proposed blood thinner 

Prasugrel. Prominent cardiologist Dr. Sanjay 

Kaul was pulled from the panel after he cited 

concerns about the drug's safety. Duhh!! 

Shouldn't the FDA take advice from experts? 

Pfizer agreed to pay 2.3 billion dollars to settle 

a federal investigation into its alleged off-label 

marketing of the now-withdrawn painkiller, 

Bextra. is easily eclipses the 1.4 billion dollars 

Eli Lilly paid this year to settle similar 

charges related to its antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa. 


the questions: Where did I come from? Where 

am I? Where do I want to be? Come prepared to 

move, to speak, and listen. Sat, May 16, 4—7pm. 

Fee: $45. 

ART EXHIBIT-BENEFIT 

Rockland Center for the Arts is proud to host 

this year's Gay Pride Rockland Art Exhibition 

Benefit. Phyllis Frank & Hal Parker will facilitate 

the event from May 31 thru June 14, with 

artists’ reception Sun, June 7. 

Info: e-mail Halburd10@optonline.net 

GAY PRIDE ROCKLAND BENEFIT 

A gala cocktail party will he held Sun, May 31, 

from 3-6pm, hosted by Simona & Jerry Chazen, 

I guess if you have enough 

money, you can pay investigators 

to get off your ass. God 

Bless America. 

Internal documents show that 

AstraZeneca "buried" unfavorable 

studies of its 4.4 billion 

dollar blockbuster psychiatric 

drug Seroquel. is was according 

to court documents in litigation for the 

drug causing diabetes and weight gain. E- 

mails showed the project physician was 

praised for her great "smoke and mirrors job!" 

ey got away with this for over a decade. 

e U.S. Justice Department alleges Forest 

Laboratories improperly marketed its antidepressant 

drugs Celexa and Lexipro for use in 

children and paid kickbacks to encourage doctors 

to prescribe the drugs in general. 

Have you lost your faith yet? I doubt it. In 

more local news of useless government agencies, 

the Upper Nyack Planning Board has allowed 

a Westchester developer to ignore an 

Environmental Impact Statement and "clear 

cut" 11 acres on the east side of 9W. After I 

brought this to their attention at the Planning 

Board meeting last May, they've had a Clarkstown 

cop at every subsequent meeting to 

avoid being embarrassed by the truth. ey've 

taken no action and the builder is refusing to 

replant the 50 feet of undisturbed buffer 

around the site. Since then, the Board let 

them get away with building a house which 

exceeds the height restrictions in our village by 

about 20 feet. Still, no action by the board! 

Hey Mayor Mike! We voted for you and you 

put these people in a position of power to uphold 

our village laws. Well, we all make mistakes. 

How about showing some integrity at 

the next meeting and straightening out this 

mess? 

Dr. Jerome Greenberg practices chiropractic and 

clinical nutrition in Upper Nyack and at New Millennium 

Comprehensive Medical Health, PC, 

1270 Broadway, Suite 408 NYC 10001 (212) 

643-0616 ✫ 

543 North Broadway, Nyack, to support VCS 

Gay Pride Rockland. $125pp. Festive attire. 

Valet parking. RSVP with check to Gay Pride 

Rockland, 77 S. Main St., New City, NY 10956. 

Call (845) 634-5729 to pay by credit card 

ANNUAL PLANT SALE 

e Garden Club of Nyack holds its Annual 

Plant Sale on Sat, May 16 from 10am to 2pm, 

rain or shine. It will be held at 507 North Broadway, 

Upper Nyack. Look for perennials & shrubs 

from members’ gardens, organic plants and herb 

plants from professional growers, homemade 

baked goods for sale; shrub or tree will be raffled. 

GRACE CHURCH PLANT SALE 

On Mother's Day weekend, Sat & Sun May 9 



Mental Health Notes 

by Daniel Shaw, L.C.S.W 

Depression 

No, not the economic one—the 

other kind. Depression, once an 

illness that dared not speak its name, 

is now familiar to most Americans. 

It affects men and women, young 

and old, and plenty of us. Depression 

can be minor or major—that 

is, less or more seriously afflicting. It can 

come in a single episode, or it can be recurrent 

or chronic. 

Andrew Solomon, the brilliant author 

of a comprehensive work on depression 

entitled, e Noonday Demon, 

described it as the aloneness within us 

made manifest. “e only feeling left 

in this loveless state,” Solomon wrote, 

“is insignificance.” Another great 

poet of depression, William Styron, 

likened it to “darkness visible.” 

To those who have not known clinical depression, 

its powerful, poisonous grip can be hard 

to understand. e depressed person, instead 

of eliciting our compassion, can seem to just 

want pity, who isn’t trying, who wants everyone 

else to be as miserable as he is. ose who 

love a depressed person are deserving of compassion 

themselves; the depressed person is 

often very hard to live with. He cannot feel 

loved, no matter how sincerely and with how 

much devotion others try to love him. He 

clings to his loved ones, even as he pushes 

them away. His self-loathing is often turned 

on those who love him, who then feel the 

brunt of his profound disappointment in himself, 

his discouragement and self-contempt. 

e more he hurts those who love him, the 

more he sinks into shame, guilt and despair. 

Depressed people need help but often are too 

afraid, discouraged or ashamed to seek it. 

ose who love them need to push, insist, or 

demand, if need be, that they get help. Two 

things help: medication and psychotherapy. 

e SSRI medications (Selective Serotonin 

Reuptake Inhibitors), such as Prozac and its 

many successors, have been the most effective 

medical treatment to date. With relatively few 

side effects for most people, they have helped 

relieve the worst symptoms of most kinds of 

minor depression, and they are very often successful 

in controlling recurrent major depression. 

However, these medications 

do not turn sorrow into joy—an 

SSRI is not a panacea. Rather, they 

help to diminish obsessive rumination. 

For the depressed person, this 

can mean that the compulsion to 

obsess over an endless litany of cruel 

judgments against himself can be 

controlled and eventually even 

stopped. 

But habits of self-loathing run deep and have 

not sprung out of thin air. e terrible 

thoughts and feelings of the depressive have 

meaning—and therapy is the means by which 

the traumatic origins of depression can become 

known. People typically think of “trauma” as 

a terrible incident of some kind of violent assault. 

But trauma can also be developmental. 

Developing as a child in a family led by caregivers 

who are ill—for example, with alcoholism 

and other addictions, mental illness, 

personality disorders and mood disorders— 

can be a significantly traumatic experience. 

For those who have grown up under these 

conditions, where trauma is cumulative, and 

rooted in childhood dependence on unstable 

caregivers, the sense of utter, desolate aloneness 

can become a lifelong, haunting presence, 

like a curse one is helpless to dispel. Too 

often, depressives blame only themselves for 

their difficulties, not realizing that their upbringing 

all but guaranteed they would eventually 

fall prey to depression. erapy not 

only illuminates the origins of depression, but 

helps to create a path toward healing, growth 

and change. 

If you have healed your depression through 

exercise, spirituality, service to others or meaningful, 

inspiring work, or through a loving relationship—you 

are among the lucky. If 

you’ve tried it all and still suffer, seek the help 

of a licensed mental health professional. It is 

never too late to get help for depression, and 

to claim the right to a life of meaning and 

possibility—a life in which it is possible to 

love and be loved. 

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 ✫ 


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 MAY 

Sunday Worship Services: 

Community worship/Sunday School 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 

Temple Beth Torah 

330 North Highland Ave, Nyack NY; Rabbi Brian Beal; 

on the Internet at www.TempleBethTorah.org 

Info: 358-2248 

5/1 7:30pm Erev Shabbat Family Service, Jr Choir 

Yom HaZikaron & Yom Ha’Atma’ut Observed 

5/2 9:15am Taste of Torah 10:30am Shabbat Morning Service 

5/8 6:45pm Tot Shabbat 8:00pm Erev Shabbat Service 


5/12 5:30pm Cong. Lag B’Omer:Bonfire & Celebration 

5/15 8pm Erev Shabbat Service / Choir 


5/22 8pm Erev Shabbat Service 


5/28 7pm Confirmation/ Erev Shavuot Service 

5/29 9am Shavuot Morning & Yizkor Service 

8pm Erev Shabbat Service 


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 

Bible study: Wednesdays 12:15 Parish House 

Play Group: Wednesdays 10 – 12 

Choir Rehearsal: Thursdays 8 pm 

Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast 

Monday May 25th 8 -10:30am. All welcome. Start the holiday 

with a hearty breakfast of juice, sausage and pancakes. In the 

Parish house. 

Adults: $5, Children under ten years of age: $3. 

Grace Episcopal Church 

130 First Avenue, Nyack, NY 10960 

The Rev. Richard L. Gressle, Rector 

The Rev. Emily Sieracki, Assistant to the Rector 

Worship Schedule: 8am Holy Eucharist (Rite One) 

9:30am Holy Eucharist (Family Svc, followed by church school) 

10:30am Holy Eucharist (Senior Choir) 

6pm Sunday Nite Lite (informal, come as you are Eucharist. 

(2nd & Last) 6:30pm French/Creole Mass (Bradley Chapel) 

The Haitian Congregation of the Good Samaritan 

IN MAY: 

Sunday, May 17—Yard Sale to benefit Church Youth Service 

Mission trip to Appalachia. 

Every Month: Men’s Prayer Breakfast: 2nd & 4th Thurs at 7am 

Midnight Run Meal Preparation 2nd Sats at 10am 

Every Sunday: Food collection for People to People 

Unitarian Society of Rockland 

130 Concklin Road, Pomona, NY 10970 (Exit 12N, Pal 

Pkwy) Phone: (845) 354-1789 e-mail: 

administrator@fusrc.org website: www.fusrc.org 

Sunday worship services 10:30am followed by fellowship hour. 

Religious education classes 10:30am unless otherwise noted. 

5-3—Rev. Harry Green, Celebrating Pluralism 

5-10—A Visit With Louisa May Alcott: Duty's Faithful Child 

(Intergenerational service) Jeanne Austin 

5-17—Rev. Harry Green, The Power of the Gathered Congregation 

5-24—Rev. Harry Green: Confessions of a Military Brat 

no RE classes—al ages program 

5-31—Rev Jef Gamblee Topic tba 

Hollingsworth Memorial 

187 Main St, Nyack NY 10960 

(845) 348-0401 Dr. Eugene Jones, Sr - Pastor 

10:30am—Sunday School 

12 noon—Sunday Morning Worship 

7:30pm—Tuesday 'Hour of Power' 

MAY events—5/10 Happy Mother's Day 

5/16-17 Annual Men's & Women's Day Weekend 

Saturday, 5/16—Family Workshop (10am) 

Sunday, 5/17—Morning Celebration (12 noon) 

Dinner (3pm) 

Afternoon Close-out (4pm) 

5/24 Rockland Ministerial Alliance Service (7:30pm) ✫ 


and 10, from 11:30 to 3, Grace Church will host 

a plant sale. Perennials, including peonies, iris, 

and grasses, flats of impatience, ferns, pachysandra, 

vinca, roses, hydrangeas, plus garden items: 

tools, vases, ornaments, books and birdhouses 

will be for sale at reasonable prices. For digging, 

bring shovels and containers to Grace Episcopal 

Church, 130 First Ave., Nyack. 

PLANT A ROW FOR THE HUNGRY 

Gardeners are urged to plant a row of vegetables 

to be donated to local food agencies and soup 

kitchens. e Master Gardener Volunteers at 

Cornell Cooperative Extension remind us that 

need for hunger assistance has increased by 70% 

in recent years; research shows that hundreds of 

hungry children and adults are turned away from 

food banks each year due to lack of resources. If 

you can participate, please call the Cooperative 

Extension at (845) 429-7085 ext117. 

[Editor’s note: Don’t forget Nyack’s own Soup Angels, 

358-5518.] 

APPRAISAL DAY 

At 2pm on May 16, 2009 Piermont Historical 

will offer local residents a rare opportunity to 

learn the history and value of their antiques & 

collectibles. Licensed appraisers Debra Karten 

and Andrew Malin will provide written appraisals 

on items brought to Piermont Village 

Hall. You are asked to donate $15 for one item 

for appraisal, $25 for two items. Info: call (845) 

365-0655. ✫ 


Birthstone: 

EMERALD 

symbol of 

happiness 

b May 2009 

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. 

Don't complain. —Maya Angelou 

c 

Flower: 

LILY of the 

VALLEY 

symbol of 

return of 

happiness 

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

Walking Tour of 

Oak Hill Cemetery 

2 pm 

see page 10 

10 

SUN MON TUES WED THU FRI SAT 

new moon 

1 D 2 

Spring Lambs 

Village-Wide 

Philipburg Manor, the historic Piermont 

Yard and 

restoration across the river, was Library 

Sidewalk Sale, 

blessed with 19 baby lambies Film Series 

this Spring—three sets of triplets 

Earth Day 

see page 11 

among them. 

9-5 

see page 6 

Happy 

Mother’s 

Day 

11 12 13 14 15 16 

full moon 

17 S 18 19 20 21 22 23 

Art & Antiques 

STREET FAIR 

rain or shine 

9-5 

see page 7 

R 

John Richmond 

Quartet at 

Turning Point 

see page 13 

N Housing 

Auth 3p 

Nyack Justice 

Court 5p 

Student Film 

Festival 6pm 

see page 14 

Nyack ARB 

meets 7:30 p 


Court 9:30a 

Club Latino 

at 

Nyack Center 

7:30pm 

see page 10 

IMAX 

“Night At the 

Museum” 

opens 

see page 13 

last quarter 

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 

Tappan Zee 

Bridge exhibit 

see page 11 

31 

Piermont 

Farmers’ Market 

starts 2009 season 

see page 14 

Nyack PBmeets 

7:30 p 

Arts Classes 

start at RcCA 

see page 10 

Memorial Day 

Village Halls 

are closed 


Court 5p 


Court 5p 


Court 5p 

Brass 

Concert 

at 7:30 at 

Riverspace 

see page 14 

CALENDAR ABBREVIATIONS 

PB=Planning Board 

ZBA=Zoning Board of Appeals 

ARB=Architectural Review Board 

Nyack Parks 

Commission 

meets 7:3 p 

Nyack ZBA 

meets 7:30p 


Court 9:30a 

• Terry Hekker 

book launch pg 10 

• Jazz Series 

at Olive’s pg 14 


Court 9:30a 

Nyack Water 

Bd 4:30 p 

Nyack Village 

Bd 7:30 p 


Court 9:30a 

Nyack Village 

Bd 7:30 p 

IMAX 

“Star Trek” 

opens 

see page 13 

Hudson River 

Pianofest 

see page 11 

1st quarter 

R 

“A Day in the 

Life of Route 

59” 

opens at GaGa 

see page 10 

Antiques and 

Appraisal Day 

2pm at Piermont 

Village Hall 

see page 10 

ASL 

Vitlacil Campus 

Critique by 

master artist 

GLSussman 

11-2 

see page 10 

Rockland 

Camerata 

see page 11 


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 

• RIC PANTALE • DUNCAN LEE, ESQ • JON FELDMAN • JIM LEINER 

• THOM KLEINER • DONNA COX • JANET BROOKS CNM, MPH 

• DAN SHAW, LCSW • VIVIANE BAUQUET FARRE • TIM BARTZ 

• HOLLY CASTER •DOROTHY GOREN Ed.D • NAN GUNDERSEN 

• GEORGE MANIERE • MICHAEL HOUGHTON 

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 


BUILDING DEPT 

JUSTICE COURT 

POLICE NON EMERGENCY 

➤Upper Nyack VIllage Hall N. Bdwy, U. Nyack 


➤Grand View VIllage Hall 118 River Rd 


BUILDING INSPECTOR 

JUSTICE COURT 

➤Piermont VIllage Hall 478 Piermont Ave 


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, 

Riverspace in Nyack, Hogan’s in Nyack, Nyack Village Hall and Orangetown 

Town Hall. 

Advertisers— 

The Nyack Villager is the only 

magazine that is MAILED each 

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 


y Donna Cox 

Are you thinking about 

buying? Why not consider 

a condo, townhome or co-op? In the River Villages we have condos, 

townhomes and co-ops to suit just about everyone, from first-time buyers 

looking for an affordable way to enter the real estate market to empty nesters 

looking to scale down in size but not in luxury. ese properties offer many 

benefits. Often, people don’t have the inclination, ability or time to dedicate 

to regular home maintenance like outside repairs, lawn care, snow removal 

and other routine maintenance issues that come with owning a single-family 

home. Condo, townhome and co-op owners pay a monthly fee that includes, 

among other things, hiring outside services to manage these and other 

tasks. Many people also like the sense of community and security that having neighbors in close proximity 

offers. Other advantages are the amenities the complex may offer such as a pool, tennis courts 

or fitness center—perks you might not be able to afford or have room for in a single-family home. 

Weigh your options. A townhome, condo or co-op may just be the perfect choice for your next home. 

With that, here are the homes that sold during the month of March. 

• THE HOMES LISTED BELOW WERE SOLD BY A VARIETY OF BROKERS PROUDLY SERVING THE RIVER VILLAGES. 

Cape Cod 

Colonial 

Ranch 

Co-op 

Colonial 

Tudor 

They got what?! 

STYLE LOCATION ADDRESS BEDROOMS BATHS LIST PRICE SALE PRICE 

C. Nyack 

U. Nyack 

U. Nyack 

Nyack 



20 Vine St 

128 Highmount Ave 

103 Wydendown Rd 

38 Fourth Ave #2E 

149 First Ave 

37 Central Ave 

$249,000 

669,000 

1,250,000 

234,900 

519,000 

550,000 

$235,000 

620,000 

1,100,000 

205,000 

480,000 

525,000 

Summary Source: GHVMLS YTD Comparison Report 

First Quarter 2009 vs. First Quarter 2008 - Single Family Homes 

New inventory (the number of homes going on the market) decreased 30% (45 YTD 2009 vs. 64 YTD 

2008). ere was a 62% decrease in the number of sales (10 YTD 2009 vs. 26 YTD 2008). e average 

sales price of homes that have sold decreased 28.7% to $489,000. Overall, the average sales price for single 

family homes that have sold in Rockland County (inclusive of the river villages) was $433,285, down approximately 

18% over the same period last year. 

First Quarter 2009 vs. First Quarter 2008 - Condos 

New inventory (the number of condos going on the market) decreased 5% (35 YTD 2009 vs. 37 YTD 

2008). e number of sales increased 80% (9 YTD 2009 vs. 5 YTD 2008). e average sales price of condos 

that have sold increased 11% to $432,167. Overall, the average sales price for condos that have sold in 

Rockland County (inclusive of the river villages) was $266,424, down 4% over the same period last year. ✫ 

2 

4 

5 

1 

3 

3 

1 

2.1 

3.1 

1 

2.1 

2 

Growing Tomatoes Upside Down 

by Jan Haber 

Last August, Shel and I spent a long 

weekend in Vermont. At a roadside 

greenhouse, we spotted a display 

of garden tomato plants in 

containers, growing upside down. 

Loaded with shiny, bright red fruit, 

they looked robust and happy, in 

spite of their unusual posture, so 

we stopped to ask about them. 

e greenhouse people said the practice 

of growing fruits and vegetables in 

upside-down containers was popularized 

at Epcot Center (a Disney resort near 

Orlando, Florida), where there is an impressive 

indoor garden with upside down everything—tomatoes, 

zucchini, peppers, eggplants 

and more. 

If this seems at first like silliness, the people at 

the greenhouse said there are real advantages. 

Water and nutrients can be delivered where 

they’re needed with no waste. ere is no 

bending and no weeding. Hanging high from 

hooks on a sunny deck, your tomatoes 

are safe from groundhogs, deer, slugs, 

cutworms, and other critters who 

like your tomatoes as much as you 

do. e soil stays nice and warm, 

promoting healthy root growth. 

You can even move the tomato 

patch to catch more sun if, like my 

piece of ground, overhanging 

trees provide more shade in 

some seasons than the tomatoes 

like. 

A couple of years ago, my expensive 

potted patio tomatoes 

were gobbled up by Mme. 

Groundhog and her kids in two 

nights. On night one, they ate 

everything above soil level: stems, 

leaves, flower buds and baby fruit; on night 

two they came back for the roots. 

We are going to try the upside down system 

this year and will report on our success or lack 

of it. If you have any experience with this, 

your comments and opinions will be welcome. 

✫ 


How To Drink Absinthe 

by Jan Haber 

When we were in art school, we were dazzled 

by stories of the French Impressionists and 

their scandalous lifestyle. e booze of choice 

was absinthe for Van Gogh, Lautrec and their 

friends, though it was widely believed that 

wherever absinthe went, debauchery, drunkenness 

and madness followed. 

Absinthe was well known among the Classical 

Greeks, who used it as a painkiller called 

apsinthion, which means "undrinkable" presumably 

because of the bitter taste of the herb, 

wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), one of its 

main ingredients. It was also recommended as 

an elixir of youth and a cure for bad breath. 

In Tudor England, mixed with ale, it was popular 

with the working classes. 

Modern absinthe was invented in 1792 by a 

French doctor who produced 136-proof herbal 

elixir in his still, incorporating wormwood, 

anise, hyssop, dittany, sweet flag, melissa (a type 

of mint) and varying amounts of coriander, 

veronica, chamomile, parsley, and even spinach. 

Upon the doctor’s death, the recipe passed to a 

man named Pernod, and the rest is history. 

Chances are, absinthe would have remained 

just one of many liqueurs but for the spread of 

a tiny aphid, the grape phylloxera, that destroyed 

two-thirds of Europe’s vineyards in the late 

19th century. e price of wine skyrocketed 

and was soon in short supply. Absinthe, already 

growing in popularity, was a perfect alternative; 

the emerging Bohemian culture in Europe 

took to it like ducks to water. It became 

the rage among the intellectual elite, while 

others, perhaps alarmed that absinthe threatened 

to replace wine, promoted rumors about 

Housekeeping 

With the Experts 

Stain Removal Without 

the Toxic Fumes 

To remove red wine from 

your carpet all you need is a 

spray bottle, ammonia, soft white cloth and liquid 

laundry detergent. Mix one tablespoon of 

the detergent, three cups of ammonia and one 

cup of water in a spray bottle. Blot up any excess 

wine, being sure not to rub. Spray this solution 

on the wine stain, soaking thoroughly. Using a 

soft white cloth, dampen with warm water and 

then gently rub the stain. Spray and repeat, as 

necessary, until the stain is gone. Blot with a white 

towel and then let the stain air dry. It’s a good 

idea to first test this an a part of the carpet that 

nobody sees. 

When the knees of your kids’ pants are grassstained, 

rub a little liquid dishwashing soap on 

the stains. Let soak overnight in a little cool 

water, then wash as usual. ✫ 

—anks to Ed Roth, of Merry Maids 

(845) 634-9000 or visit www.merrymaids.com 

its deadly dangers—how it caused blindless, 

madness and violence—(think Reefer Madness 

in the 20th century). It was widely believed 

that drinking absinthe prompted Van Gogh’s 

do-it-yourself surgery. Importing it into the 

USA was forbidden in 1912. e ban remained 

in force until 2004. 

For the last five years, it has been legal in the 

US to buy a modified formula minus the 

wormwood, which contains the chemical thujone, 

a toxin when taken in large amounts. 

e concoction is pale green in the bottle, 

hence its nickname, e Green Fairy. In contemporary 

absinthe, the flavor of anise predominates, 

though it is not as overwhelming 

nor as sweet as pastis, another popular tipple. 

Absinthe drinkers, from the chic to the shabby, 

are said to delight in the absinthe ritual. You 

place a sugar cube on a perforated spoon, resting 

on the rim of the glass containing a measure 

of absinthe. Iced water is then very slowly 

dripped onto the 

sugar cube, which 

gradually dissolves 

and trickles, along 

with the water, into 

the absinthe, causing 

the clear green 

liquor to turn milky 

white as the essential 

oils precipitate out 

of the alcoholic solution. e effect is called 

the louche (pronounced loosh). e mix ratio is 

usually five parts water to one part absinthe. 

In parts of the French-speaking world, though 

wine has fully recovered its sales, the cocktail 

hour is known as L'Heure Verte, the Green 

Hour, in honor of absinthe. ✫ 

Michelle Obama’s Organic 

Kitchen Garden 

MACA, a group that represents companies 

that manufcture pesticides is having a fit because—wait 

for it—Michelle Obama isn’t 

using chemicals in her organic garden at the 

White House. 

In an e-mail they forwarded to their supporters, 

a MACA spokesman wrote, "While a garden 

is a great idea, the thought of it being 

organic made us shudder." MACA went on to 

publish a letter it had sent to the First Lady 

asking her to consider using chemicals—or 

what they call "crop protection products"—in 

her garden. 

Many of us think Michelle Obama and has done 

America a great service by publicizing the importance 

of nutritious food for kids (she's growing 

the garden in partnership with a local elementary 

school class) as she promotes locally-grown produce 

as an important, environmentally sustainable 

food source. ✫ 

—See Times Online

MAY '09 - The Nyack Villager

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