Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition open to high school students and sponsored by the National Endowment for The Arts. Catherine Woodard is the granddaughter of Harriet Hyams and a senior at Syosset High School who was named the New York State champion.and moves on to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. at the end of April. She and 52 other students representing the United States and territories will compete for the National Title. She will perform “A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General” by Jonathan Swift, “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop and “Conversation” by Ai. Congratulations!

Joan Salomon of Horne Took Road has recently been appointed to the Zoning Board of Approvals (ZBA). This is the first time that a Palisadian has served on this board.

Wayne Garrison of Closter Road has recently been appointed to the Historic Architectural Board of Review (HABR). He is replacing Palisadian Henry Shrady who is on a leave of absence and will be joining other Palisadians Larry Bucciarelli and Bill Walther.

Eric Vorenkamp will be exhibiting his photographs at Grape D’Vine in Tappan, starting May 5th, 2009. There will be a wine and cheese reception at 7 pm on Thursday, May 21st.

Rockland Symphony to Perform at RCC
The Rockland Symphony Orchestra is set to perform the final concert of its 2008-09 season, at Rockland Community College, on Sunday, May 17th at 3:00 pm. The performance will take place at the R.C.C. Cultural Arts Center, 145 College Road, Suffern, NY.

Edward Simons, Founder and Music Director of Rockland Symphony Orchestra, will conduct. The orchestra will feature music which highlights several of the outstanding faculty members from the Rockland Conservatory. Tickets are available the day of the concert at the R.C.C. Box Office: $25 regular admission, $20 for Seniors, $10 for Students. For further information, about the Rockland Symphony, or to make a donation, please visit www.rocklandsymphony.org.

Dog Cleanup in the Neighborhood
There is an Orangetown ordinance requiring the cleanup of dog waste from public and private property (of others). Yet there seem to be a number of dog-owning individuals here who are either very forgetful, or who apparently believe their duty is done when the dog waste is ‘in the bag’. These people make a habit of leaving plastic bags — mostly, from their appearance, not biodegradable bags! — filled with dog waste along the sides of Washington Spring Road, Woods Road, and even in Tallman Park. Leaving a bag on the way out and forgetting to pick it up on the way back is understandable… for a day. Not for a week, or a month. Please do not leave your plastic-clad poop on the side of the road for someone else to take care of.

O & R Substation on Oak Tree Road
For the fifth month, O & R has postponed its appearance before the planning board. The next scheduled appearance is June 10 at 7:30pm at the Planning Board in the Greenbush Road auditorium in Orangeburg. Join the SAVE TAPPAN e-mail list at: Tasull13@aol.com and visit their website to learn more www.savetappan.org.

South Orangetown Central School District
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell and Board President Rosemary Pitruzzella will hold a 2009-2010 School Budget presentation at the Palisades Community Center on Thursday, May 14 at 11:00am. This year's budget is $76,394,112, an increase of 1.34%, the lowest in years.

Budget Vote and School Board Election:
Tuesday, May 19 6:00am-9:00pm. Palisades residents vote at Tappan Zee Elementary school on RT 9W. Visit the District website to learn more: www.socsd.org