In 2013, HRNERR – the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) agency that oversees four marshes on the Hudson River – came out with a plan to eradicate up to 200 acres of Phragmites in the Piermont Marsh, most likely by spraying a glyphosate herbicide. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Round-Up and the subject of multi-million dollar lawsuits. Local opposition quickly manifested itself and, organized by the Piermont Marsh Alliance, mounted an eight-year campaign to put a stop to this plan. While HRNERR has not officially committed to abandoning the plan, it first reduced the size of the proposed eradication, then pivoted to funding a study – the results of which confirmed that Phragmites serve an important function in absorbing the force of storm surges – and eventually settled on a small project using geotextile rather than herbicide. In a Zoom meeting last summer, the new head of HRNERR essentially admitted that the original plan was a bad idea. Also in 2020, New York passed a law forbidding the use of glyphosate on state land. Overall quite a vindication for the local community that opposed the plan from its inception.

Hi-Tor Animal Care Center in Pomona has been the primary shelter for Rockland County’s stray or abandoned animals since 1972, and a “low kill” shelter for the last decade. But a stalled new multi-million dollar facility, rapid board turnover, accusations of poor management and even a lawsuit have cast a pall over the shelter in recent years. Orangetown, citing poor management and ongoing disputes between the shelter’s board and shelter staff, is withdrawing its financial support, and for 2021 will contract with Hudson Valley Humane Society for animal control services (dogs only).

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Since 2018, the impending sale of the HNA Palisades Conference Center on Route 9W has been of great concern because of the potentially dramatic change it could have on the semi-rural feel of our hamlet. Built in 1989 by IBM as a secluded and luxurious state-of-the-art executive training center, this use proved harmonious to Palisades for three decades. The 106-acre property was sold in 2016 to the HNA Group, a Chinese airline and hospitality conglomerate known for acquiring $150 billion worth of property worldwide. But in 2018, the HNA Group, in a financial crisis, put the idyllic property on the market. In 2019, Vasco Ventures, a Brooklyn-based real estate investment business, was set to purchase the property for $40 million, but the deal fell through the day before closing.

Palisades Community Center
675 Oak Tree Road

Your friends at the Palisades Community Center wish you and your family continued health. Are you new to the area? Welcome! We invite those who do not receive our e-blasts to e-mail us at

Thank you to Larry Bucciarelli, Rich Rasmussen, Susan Nemesdy, Owen and Curt Epstein and Tommy Fowler for lending a hand this snowy winter!

The Palisades Swim Club is happy to report 2020 was a successful year. Amid financial uncertainty and a global pandemic the staff put together an amazing year that was certainly the highlight of the summer for many local families.

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STUDENTS & MEMBERS EXHIBITION
ROCKLAND CENTER FOR THE ARTS
FEB. 15 TO MARCH 22, 2021

The Rockland Center for the Arts (RoCA) exhibition will be both onsite and virtual. Artwork will include pottery, glass beads, drawing, painting and sculpture. To visit Gallery One and Gallery Two, which will feature 50 works of art, visitors should call for an appointment.

Boca swirl by Lou Spitz
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Masks and social distancing are required. To view these works virtually, go to RoCA’s website, www.rockland-artcenter.org

PALISADES FREE LIBRARY
Member of the Ramapo Catskill Library System
19 Closter Road, Palisades, NY 10964
845-359-0136
www.palisadeslibrary.org

Board of Trustees: Marjorie Galen, President; Margaret Cook, Vice President; Andrew Goffe, Treasurer; Paul Riccobono, Secretary; Sarah Buterbaugh; Marty Nealon; Kathryn Shattuck; Library Director: Maria Gagliardi. The next board meeting is Wednesday, April 14 at 7:30 pm via Zoom and streamed live on Facebook.

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The Atlantic menhaden is no stranger to our part of the river. Also known as bunker, they are a species of schooling fish that swim in large, (really large) groups. This important species is arguably one of the most vital parts of the aquatic food chain model bridging the gap between microscopic organisms and larger predators. These abundant filter-feeding fish convert plankton into a much sought-after source of protein for birds, mammals and larger fish. Seals, birds, striped bass and even whales rely on this abundant food source. The Atlantic menhaden fish stock is very healthy and so abundant that they are still harvested for use as fertilizer and animal feed.

Spring is around the corner, yet the Corona Virus rages on wreaking havoc on both our health and our economy. While many businesses have fallen victim to this cruel pandemic, a few are optimistically hoping persistence and hard work will carry them through these difficult times.

I used to belong to a gym. I went to classes including spin, weightlifting and barre. The pandemic hit; gyms closed. I joined the strolling, loping, jogging, walking, biking, hiking and otherwise displaced formerly fluorescent-lighted gym-goers outside in our forest, Tallman Mountain State Park. I began trekking there and always parked in the dirt lot off 9W. It is always very crowded. Cars stretch for nearly a half mile some weekend days. According to New York State Park attendance figures, in 2019 Tallman had 361,922 visitors. Contrast that with 2020. Last year Tallman attendance exploded to 545,969. Locally this is only exceeded by Bear Mountain State Park which has over 2,000,000 visitors annually.

PALISADES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH UPDATE

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Rev. Leslie Mott, the interim pastor here at Palisades Presbyterian Church, has been on board now for six months, yet she has met only a handful of our congregation in person, and even those at a proper social-distance. Members like me have not seen each other in person for even longer – not since the Farewell Party for our former Pastor Angela Maddalone, which we slid in on March 15, the day before going fully remote.

As of early February, appointments for Covid vaccines in our area are as elusive as snow leopards. Many of the approximately 7.1 million New Yorkers currently eligible are not yet vaccinated due to a frustrating maze of websites, cancelled appointments, and of course, limited vaccine supply. But with new vaccines emerging and supply increasing, this could change quickly. Governor Cuomo has said that New York State is capable of administering 100,000 doses a day when supplies allow. In the meantime, here is information that may help you snag that appointment as supply increases.

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Throughout the dark days of COVID, we’ve turned to our computers and smartphones to get us through the day. So much a part of our daily routine, we tend to take it all for granted. The internet started as an academic research project funded by the Department of Defense in 1969. Twenty-two years later in 1991, the World Wide Web became publicly available, changing our world. In 1994, 27% of U.S. households had a personal computer. In 2016 it had risen to 89%.

We are one year into the Covid pandemic and some of our neighbors are struggling to pay for basic needs such as food, toothpaste and soap. In response, employees of the South Orangetown Central School District (SOCSD) have formed a food pantry available to any resident of Blauvelt, Orangeburg, Palisades, Piermont, Sparkill and Tappan; the towns and hamlets that comprise the district.

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Your friends at the Palisades Community Center wish you and your family continued health. Are you new to the area? Welcome! And to those who do not yet receive our e-blasts, we invite you to e-mail us at PCC@palisadesny.com to receive Palisades alerts and event information.

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Palisades Presbyterian Church
117 Washington Spring Road Palisades, NY 10964
Phone: 845-359-3147
Email: ppc10964@gmail.com Website: www.palpresny.org

Cases of Covid have spiked in the last few weeks. Between March and October we generally had only a few cases, but at the time we went to press we had 45 current cases. You can check on the number of Palisades cases by going to the Covid Dashboard page of the Rockland County Health Department, which has a map showing each town or village and its number of cases .

Our New Neighbors: Red Owl Academy
Outgrowing their existing space on Main Street in Sparkill, the Red Owl Academy is moving to the former school building on Oak Tree Road in Palisades. Liana Sargsyan-Quinn, who runs the school, is an educator with over 15 years’ experience of teaching in schools and universities and started Red Owl Academy when she found limited pre-school options for her own daughter. Red Owl Academy brings a fresh and modern approach to early childhood education with a strong emphasis on the importance of organizational skills. The school offers language and art programs for children aged 3 to 5 as well as a nursery for younger children. Liana has made great renovations to the building and created a beautiful facility which will be a welcome addition to our community.

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Palisades Free Library Member of the Ramapo Catskill Library System 19 Closter Road, Palisades, NY 10964 845-359-0136 www.palisadeslibrary.org

Board of Trustees: Marjorie Galen, President; John Guzewich, Vice President; Christopher Keywork, Treasurer; Jen Citrolo, Secretary; Margaret Cook; Suzanna Frosch; Sarah Buterbaugh; Paul Riccobono; Kathryn Shattuck; Library Director: Maria Gagliardi. The next board meeting is Wednesday, December 9 at 7:30 pm via Zoom and streamed through YouTube. This is our Annual Meeting and we will adopt the 2021 Budget and certify the election of trustees.

Winter weather and Covid make shopping for groceries a new kind of challenge, but your savvy neighbors have workarounds that don’t include the usual suspects of Amazon, Fresh Direct and Instacart. Here are their suggestions to get fresh produce and damn near everything else delicious delivered to your door.