The Nyack Library Construction project continues to progress. Steel for the new infrastructure has been erected including the new Young Adult Room (1st level), Children’s Room (2nd floor) and the Adult Reference Room (third level). The project is scheduled to be finished by November, 2008.

More information and pictures are available at The Nyack Library Expansion blog.

It could have been a scene from Austin’s Power’s “The Spy Who Shagged Me.” Remember the sequence when a series of characters say…

Jet Pilot: Dick. Dick, take a look out of starboard.
Co-Pilot: Oh my God, it looks like a huge…
Bird-Watching Woman: Pecker.
Bird-Watching Man: [raising binoculars] Ooh, Where?
Bird-Watching Woman: Over there. What sort of bird is that? Wait, it’s not a woodpecker, it looks like someone’s…

It’s juvenile, childish, sophomoric and bound to make anyone who isn’t a complete prude laugh. And it was the second of two pranks pulled by Nyack High School seniors on Wednesday. About 100 students came to the school 8:30 Tuesday night and moved desks on an athletic field to spell out “2008.” After they left, another group of pranksters came along to produce the Austin Powers moment.

Sources:
June 5: Journal News, NewsDay, News12 (video), The Museum Of Hoaxes
June 6: In Focus: Rockland

The former editorial board editor of the Journal News says a school funding crisis is right around the corner. School taxes should be based on income, not just property value, says Blauvelt’s Arthur Gunther.

Source: Journal News, June 2

We saw the winners of last Tuesday’s elections. we were also able to see how was the vote distributed in the four polling locations. I was surprised at the high turnout Valley Cottage displayed.

I am very interested in finding out how was the the vote distributed among the candidates for each voting area. If such info was published, I will be greatful if somebody directs me to it. If it was not published, how can I find out?

mda

Editor’s note: you can find a list of election results by districts here

Tom LaColla, Bryan Burrell and Claudette Jimerson were the top vote getters in the Tuesday May 20 trustee/budget election. Newcomers LaColla and Jimerson will replace incumbents Dr. Fletcher Johnson and Vic Czajkowksi. Voters will send Burrell back for a fifth term.

The Nyack Schools’ budget was approved by 64% of the voters, passing 1357 to 732. The approved budget of $68.9 million is a 4.9 percent increase over last year.

Turnout was somewhat higher for this vote than the 2007 budget/trustee election. A little more than 16 percent of registered voters cast ballots on Tuesday compared to 13 percent in 2007.

Source: Nyack Public Schools

Also see: Journal News, May 21

An Election Commentary by Murphy The Golden Retriever about the Tues May19 School Board Election

I always say, if you’ve got it flaunt it. If I could vote, I would. Instead I just wave my very pretty tail in the face of smaller dogs. But I still wish I could vote. And have opposable thumbs. OK, maybe I’d go with the opposable thumbs first - it would make pulling the lever in the voting booth easier to do.

I saw in the paper - right before I peed on it - that only 13% of the registered humans in Nyack voted in last year’s school board election. That’s unbelievable! In my world, that would be like only 1 in 10 dogs taking the opportunity to mark their territory. We dogs feel that marking territory is an unalienable right. I hear some of the humans feel that way about marking ballots, too.

So if I were you, I’d go out on Tuesday and exercise a right that dogs all over the world and a fair number of humans wish they could, too. And if you are walking to your polling place, bring your dog. If we can’t exercise the same freedoms as you, at least we can exercise our legs.

Earlier this month, the Friends of The Nyacks solicited questions from the public on their Web site for the candidates running for the Nyack Schools Board of Education. Responses from six of the eight candidates are now online.

If you have any comments, feel free to post them on NyackNewsAndViews.com

The Trustees/Budget election is Tuesday May 20th from 7:00a to 9:00p For information on where to vote, please visit the vote & budget information page hosted by the school district.

Thanks to Friends of The Nyacks for hosting this Q&A among the candidates. And thanks to all of the candidates and board members for their time and efforts volunteering to make our community a better place.

Police say they have arrested the Spring Valley ring leader behind last month’s mini-riot in South Nyack.

Orangetown police Detective Lieutenant James Brown says Malcolm Pitt, an 18 year old from Spring Valley, is believed to be the ringleader of the Spring Valley gang that came to Nyack on April 16.  Jesse Jones and Malcolm Dupree, both 19 and from Spring Valley, were also arrested in connection with the incident.

All three were charged with first-degree attempted gang assault and two counts of second-degree assault. A fourth teen has been accused of wielding an axe during the incident. Nineteen year old Karl Dubuisson of Nyack was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony offense.

Source :Journal News, May 15

Nyack, May 7th — Bad things can bring good people together, demonstrated by the 100+ people who turned out for Wednesday’s community forum at the Nyack Center to talk about gang violence and youth issues.

It’s clear that the causes behind what happened in the park at Cedar Hill Avenue and Franklin Street on April 16th aren’t confined to the Village. What isn’t as clear is whether or not gangs were involved.

Continue reading →