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On a sunny day in early October, Sparkill welcomed a new addition to its quaint Main Street. A small parade of trucks and cranes delivered a colossal bronze sculpture depicting the enlarged head of Michelangelo’s David, lying on its side atop a raw 14-ton block of Carrara white marble. Placed on the newly landscaped front corner of the former Chase Bank lot, the sculpture, known as “Time Fragment/Homage to the Masters,” is the work of renown sculptor Henry Schiowitz. But wait, what’s it doing here? It is a wonderful story of connecting the dots. “It’s all due to the 10964 Newsletter,” said Henry, currently a resident of Naples, Florida and Italy, who attended the installation with his wife Karla.

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Your friends at the Palisades Community Center wish you and your family continued health.

We were so sad to learn of the passing of Virginia McCauley, 98. She loved the Palisades Schoolhouse and devoted almost 40 years to its restoration and success.

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
Phone: 845-359-3147
Email: ppc10964@gmail.com
Website: www.palpresny.org Online Sunday Worship: 10:00 am. Link available on our website.

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

Like many townships in the Tri-State area, the police department takes a huge bite out of Orangetown’s annual budget. It’s been this way for decades, largely because of the power of the Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the local arm of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, one of the most powerful unions in the country. But with state and local economies devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, Orangetown’s 2021 budget talks beginning this fall will expose a hard truth; the current cost of policing in Orangetown is unsustainable.

The most vivid memory of losing power when I was a child was the eerie silence that followed the darkness. It was a chance to use a flashlight and barbecue most of our meals. We were patient and composed and almost somewhat disappointed when life returned to normal. Today the peaceful silence is abruptly disturbed by the sound of neighborhood generators coming to life. The brief interruption of Wi-Fi and air conditioning becomes just a nuisance in our hermetic existence.

I turn on the light, I grab some ice from the refrigerator and I give no thought to what a gift it is to have electricity until a three-hour storm with high wind yields a major power outage making energy my top concern. In our neighborhood many of us have private wells for water. Our pumps need electricity to work. No electricity no water. “Outrageous!!” “Disgraceful!” neighbors and friends said. In our neighborhood it lasted from Tuesday afternoon August 4 to Friday, August 7 at 10:00 pm. Others in our hamlet waited three more days for power.

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As we watch the horrific wildfires in the American West, most of us understand full well the urgency of the climate crisis. But we’re not sure how to have a real impact. Now a remarkable renewable energy initiative is coming to Rockland that gives all of us a chance to make a measurable difference. But you must take a few simple steps to make a difference.

For decades, the Palisades community has fought the good fight together on countless issues that would have changed the character of Palisades forever. In 1986, Dossie and Reggie Thayer organized to create the “forever green” triangle (Rt 9W and Oak Tree Road), saving its future from becoming a gas station, a NYNEX substation or a commuter parking lot. Thanks to the Palisades Civic Association, a plan to build 118 town houses on the corner of Oak Tree Road and Rt 340 was blocked. Fighting zoning and land issues is usually quite complicated and exhausting.

There are three ways to vote this November. But first - are you registered? Need to change your address? If so, visit www.elections.ny.gov

At The Historical Society of Rockland County
A virtual exhibition called Leaving Her Mark: Women of Rockland, celebrates 100 years of women’s suffrage. Twenty notable women in Rockland’s history who overcame challenges to accomplish their goals are highlighted. Among the women is Isabelle Keating Savell, one of the people responsible for getting Snedens Landing designated a historic area. Thru November 1.

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The centennial of the 19th Amendment has inspired the publication of a host of excellent books on the topic in recent years. Here are a few highlights, plus an older title worth a read:

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We have chosen to focus our attention this issue on the 100th anniversary of a monumental event. On August 18, 1920, women gained the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This is especially meaningful today as a national election looms ahead.

The "Old School" is turning 150 years old: 1870-2020
Our big 150th Birthday Party for the Old School (as it was called) planned for May 9, along with our annual Plant Sale, is postponed for a future date.
The Old School served the children of Palisades, grades K-8, for 100 years. Did you or a family member go to school there? Do you have photos? Memories or stories to tell?
Please e-mail us at: pcc@palisadesny.com Help us document this period of our Palisades history!

Need Help?
During this time of sheltering at home, if you need help with an errand or non-emergency issue, e-mail PCC@palisadesny.com. There are neighbors who are willing to lend a hand!

From the Library Director:
The library staff continues to serve Palisades patrons during our library building closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our dedicated team is ready to answer your questions via email or phone, provide virtual notary service, and online programming through our blog, recorded story times, and online book club. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will open our physical collection to circulation. We thank all our patrons for their ongoing support of our library and staff during this unprecedented time in our history and we look forward to seeing you again in person, in our beautiful library.

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On November 3, Rockland County residents vote not only for president, but to fill Congresswoman Nita Lowey’s 17th District seat.

As it navigates executive orders and New York State Education Department (NYSED) guidance pertaining to statewide school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Orangetown Central School District has focused on delivering critical safety net supports for families, providing high-quality remote instruction and ensuring continuity of business operations.

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Lisa Olsen is a longtime Palisades resident and a pulmonary nurse at a New Jersey hospital currently treating numerous COVID-19 patients. In late March Paul Riccobono interviewed her between shifts.

Paul: How quickly did COVID-19 change your work environment?
Lisa: The day I found out my nursing unit was to become a COVID-19 ward I cried. All of us who worked there were in a state of horrified shock. Somehow, we had convinced ourselves we might be spared and only the nurses in our ICU would have to deal with the patients. I worked on the unit the last night before we were to start receiving these patients when a company was installing special monitors in each room to monitor oxygen levels. Because COVID patients experience such rapid declines in oxygen levels, special monitors are placed on them. The last night I worked on the unit, we had to intubate two patients back-to-back in the middle of the night.

It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for ourselves and others.
Dalai Lama

As the world shuts down, life as we know it has drastically changed. Dealing with this pandemic is disruptive to some while for others it is disastrous. Many struggle as jobs disappear and concerns mount about debt burdens, illness, the purchase of everyday necessities and where to get the next meal. During this time of crisis, it is imperative that we reach out to those less fortunate. Can we lend a senior a hand with groceries or prescriptions, or just make a friendly call to see that everything is okay? The Palisades Community Center is assembling a list of volunteers who are willing to help out and the Rockland County Office for Aging is shopping for seniors (845-364-2110). The PCC is also collecting food for People to People and Hi Tor. There are a number of agencies in Rockland who would welcome a monetary donation or volunteers for food delivery. We have assembled a few you might want to consider supporting.