As a result of the recent United Nations Climate Summit, climate change was at the center of the news in the last two weeks. I suspect that many of us are deeply concerned about the future of the earth and of humanity. We want to help reduce harmful carbon emissions but we don’t know what further actions to take.

Memorial Day honors the men and women who served in our military forces and those who gave their lives for our country, from the Revolutionary War through the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was a child during World War II, and still remember the emotions of fear and hope in this country as the Allied forces struggled with our enemies in Europe and the Pacific. It was a battle for civilization, one that averted a threat that would have destroyed the world as we knew it. In an unprecedented war effort, our country mobilized to produce weapons and equipment and sent its sons and daughters to the battlefront. Our participation made the difference between winning and losing.

I was reminded of this recently when I realized that we are facing another battle, even more consequential. If we lose this battle, it could be the end of humanity on earth. Until recently global warming seemed to me a threat far in the future, and I had faith that we had time to deal with it. But that’s not true: the world has already changed and what’s ahead, according to what scientists say, will be much, much worse.

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Thank You to our Community!
Thank you to all who have become members of the PCC, have given financial donations and attended our events this year. Since Board members and volunteers operate all PCC activities, 100 percent of donations and membership dollars go directly to the upkeep and restoration of this historic building. Thank you!

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Member of the Ramapo Catskill Library System and ANSER Network
19 Closter Road, Palisades, NY 10964
845-359-0136 Fax 845-359-6124
www.palisadeslibrary.org

Hours: Monday - Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Friday - Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Holidays: Closed Sunday, May 12 (Mother’s Day), Closed Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day)

In 2019, we can already see some of the effects of increased global warming: more floods and wildfires, stronger hurricanes and tornadoes, heat waves and droughts. But what can we as individuals do? Faced with future massive changes to our planet, it is easy to become depressed. Our country, one of the largest polluters, has not yet developed any plan for dealing with the threat. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that we have less than 12 years to act.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE NYACKSGREAT NYACK HOUSE TOUR 2019
Saturday, May 11th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Titled “Architectural Gems,” this special tour invites visitors into seven stunning homes in the Nyacks. Step inside the house where Carson McCullers wrote Member of the Wedding along with many other novels, short stories and poems, a converted barn with spectacular river views, and some of Nyack’s finest examples of period architecture, from Gothic Revival to Queen Anne. Tickets are $50 for advance purchase and $60 (walk-up) on the day of the tour. Purchase tickets at www.nyackhistory.org or at the Nyack Library. Pick up tickets the day of the tour starting at 9:30 a.m. on Voorhis Avenue outside Living Christ Church at 151 S. Broadway, South Nyack NY 10960.

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On March 7, on the grounds of HNA Palisades, BRiDGES hosted its annual dinner by honoring Kevin McCahill, the Assistant Superintendent of the Nanuet Union Free School District. McCahill was given a Leadership Award. Jill Warner, the CEO of Jawonio, was also honored with an Empowerment Award.

The Palisades Sparkill Little League, founded circa 1965 by Palisades dad Arthur Firestone, began with four teams for children ages 8 to 12. The teams were the Dodgers, Giants, Patriots and Yankees.

New York State utility bills are the fourth highest in the nation, but a few lifestyle changes can help lower the costs of living in the second highest taxed county in the United States.

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Spring is finally upon us. Dust off those hiking shoes; now is a great time to pay a visit to the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park. At one-and-a-quarter miles across, it lays claim to being the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. The Walkway forms the middle span of a twenty- five mile continuous trail. It connects the west side of the river to the picturesque Hudson Valley Rail Trail, which begins in Lloyd and meanders for five and a half miles to Highland. The eastern Poughkeepsie side connects to the Dutchess Rail Trail originating at Hopewell Junction.

OUR KITCHEN RENOVATION IS FINALLY HAPPENING!
After years of saving your donations, memberships and rental fees, we finally raised the funds needed to begin our much-needed kitchen renovation. We are grateful to Larry Bucciarelli, Susan Nemesdy, Henry Ottley and Paul Riccobono for donating their time and expertise to this project. We welcome anyone who would like to volunteer. We can’t wait to show you our new kitchen!

ZOEY ANN PAUL was born on December 30, 2018 to Jaby Paul and Gipsa Joseph who recently moved to Palisades. Jaby lived here previously with his family when they moved to Palisades in 1999. Jaby is a general dentist at Rockland Dental Group in New City and Gipsa is an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics physician at Rutgers University in Newark.

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Member of the Ramapo Catskill Library System and ANSER Network
19 Closter Road, Palisades, NY 10964
Tel. 845-359-0136, Fax 845-359-6124, Web site www.palisadeslibrary.org
Hours: Monday - Thursday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday - Saturday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Next Meeting of the Board of Trustees
Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 7:30 pm. All meetings are open to the public.

Board of Trustees
Marjorie Galen, President; Beverly Warwick, Vice-President; Christopher Keywork, Treasurer; Jen Citrolo, Secretary; Natalie Barak; Margaret Cook; Suzanna Frosch; John Guzewich; Sarah Buterbaugh; Library Director: Maria Gagliardi

ADULT PROGRAMS

The Italian Muse: Baroque Music for Two Violins
Jorg-Michael Schwarz and Karen Marie Marmer of the REBEL baroque ensemble will explore the rich, virtuosic and rarely performed repertoire written for two violins by Leclair, Locatelli, Barbella, Boccherini and Mozart, among others, on instruments and bows appropriate to their respective periods. This is a joint event with the Orangeburg Library, and will be held at the Orangeburg Library, 20 S. Greenbush Road in Orangeburg, NY. Please register.
Sunday, March 3 at 2:00 pm

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PALISADES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
117 Washington Spring Road
P.O. Box 687
Palisades, NY 10964
Phone: 845-359-3147 Website: palpresny.org

The Spaghetti Dinner, brought to you by the children of the Palisades Presbyterian Church to benefit United Hospice of Rockland, is on Sunday, March 31 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. $8.00 Adult, $5.00 Children 12 & under. $20.00 families of four or more. Spaghetti with meatballs, salad, bread and dessert will be served.

LAMONT-DOHERTY is sponsoring The Secondary School Field Research Program, a six-week intern program for about 30 high school students that runs from July 8 to August 16 and pays $1,200. Lamont is looking for high school kids who are interested in science, like to work in teams and are not afraid to get dirty. The work takes place in the field – mostly Piermont Marsh – and in the lab and can be physically and intellectually demanding.

Sadly, two thirds of America’s great gardens were lost to development by the end of the last century. When Francis Cabot, an avid gardener from an old Boston family, learned in 1989 that Ruth Bancroft’s innovative 3 1⁄2 acre drought-tolerant garden in Walnut Creek, California, was in danger he decided to start THE GARDEN CONSERVANCY to save it and other outstanding American gardens. Bancroft’s garden, now protected by a preservation easement, was open to the public in 1992.

We toss our empty Tide bottles, flattened Amazon boxes and rinsed mayo jars into the town’s blue and green bins and hope we are doing our part for the planet, but the success of a recycling ethos and recent global changes mean our good intentions are sadly irrelevant. We simply generate too much waste - recyclable and otherwise - and the time has come to rethink our habits.

At the request of Orangetown Supervisor Chris Day, Palisades Free Library Trustees are exploring the idea of forming a special district library with Tappan and Orangeburg Libraries. This may provide greater long-term financial security for our library. As a special district library, the three library buildings would become branches managed by a single board of trustees with a single budget. Please know that we are at the beginning of this inquiry. No change is imminent.

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As the new Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge took shape, many of us were surprised how quickly and smoothly the work was progressing. Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC), the main contractor for what was the largest infrastructure project happening in America, has maintained a low profile by being transparent and hitting milestones on time. However, in December the New York Attorney General announced it was investigating the possibility of a cover-up regarding bolt failures on the project. The announcement was both a surprise and a relief to many because the investigation has been ongoing for over a year before it was announced but also because the bridge was deemed inherently safe.

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PALISADES INDOOR WINTER FARMERS' MARKET
returns for our 11th year! Saturday, December 8,
9:00 am-2:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you!