Charles "Skip" Vezzetti,
Rockland County’s Superintendent of Highways, on June 5, 2013 received a 30-year attendance award at the 68th Annual School for Highway Superintendents. The event took place at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. Around 700 local highway and public works officials, attend the Annual School for Highway Superintendents (Highway School) every year.

Oak Tree Sidewalk
They say it is coming… The drainage was completed and the trench on the south side of the street (between the Ottley’s and the Papay’s) was filled in this summer. The Town is now waiting for the NYS Department of Transportation to sign off on the design near the intersection of RT 9W & Oak Tree Road.

Joanne Barak
Palisades resident Joanne Barak has been elected a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators. Joanne’s service as an arbitrator began when she was tapped by the American Arbitration Association for its commercial and international neutrals panels, after having represented international corporate clients and foreign governments as a litigator. Her election comes after a review of her twenty-five year service as an arbitrator for international and domestic arbitration service providers, and her stature in the commercial arbitration community.

Diana Green is participating in the Sonnet Project with a short film she directed assisted by Chris Carroll of Shakespeare’s sonnet 121. From April 2013, New York Shakespeare Exchange is releasing three web-based video sonnets a week until April 23, 2014 in celebration of the bard’s 450th birthday. Locations will be set throughout NYC’s five boroughs with a mobile apps created of each video. Diana was assigned the United Nations for her film, which stars CST actor Alec Tucker who was dressed as a soldier returning from Iraq to create a global military perspective

Cemetery
Lee Sneden, David Englander and Alice Gerard continue their efforts to return the historic Palisades Cemetery to the community of Palisades. We hope to have more news for you next month.

Palis-Agers
The Palis-Agers will meet in the Community Room of the Palisades Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, October 22th at 1:30 pm. Over cookies and coffee we will catch up after the long summer recess

Conversations with Dorothy Davis
In June 2009 Joanne Bentley published a small book titled Conversations with Dorothy Salisbury-Davis. In it Dorothy talks about her life and her work. I found the book fascinating. Cass Ludington (398-2621) has copies of the book, which sells for $10, if you are interested in reading it.

Brown Tree Tips
Have you been wondering why the tips of our tree branches are turning brown like old corsages? It’s simple— cicadas. In a process called “flagging,” the trees are shedding the sites where the females laid their eggs after mating with the thrumming males. Established trees take it all in stride, although young ones with branch diameters fewer than one and a half inches may suffer more and saplings may experience damage to their trunks if they are small enough.

Peter Baryshnikov
In 2011, Peter Baryshnikov traveled throughout Central America documenting the lives of marginalized and impoverished peoples in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. Guajeros, the Spanish word for “trash pickers” served as the title and subject of Baryshnikov’s series of photographs, exhibited at his first solo show — “Recycled: A Selection From Peter Baryshnikov’s Guajeros,” which opened in Southampton, New York over Memorial Day weekend and was written up in the New York Times.

Tom Mazziotti
For those interested, both feature films, Charlie Hoboken and Undertow, which were written and directed by 10964 staff member Tom Mazziotti, are now available on Amazon instant video.

Eric and Dale Prusinowski
of Palisades host the “Bikes and Breakfast” event at the Palisades Market on 9W the first Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 am. This father and son duo enjoys vintage, classic and modern motorcycles and are looking to share their passion with others. Additional information can be seen on their website www.bikesandbreakfast.com.

(Click to enlarge)

Grape D'Vine Has Moved
Grape D’Vine at 9 Depot Place in Sparkill is now open. For those of you who loved the little green Tappanese store packed with bottles, corks hanging from the ceiling, and Joe Printz himself presiding at the back with tastings and good cheer, you will not be disappointed. Meg Fowler, architect, has perfectly captured the feel of what made Joe’s great and released it again into the new “cave,” still green, still packed, and Joe still at the counter, but in a lighter and airier space and with a larger, more varied stock. There is even a little room in the back where rare and costly bottles rest quietly away from the hubbub of the main store. The hours haven’t changed: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm every day, and the phone number is the same: 845-359-2142. Joe has a new website, www.grapedvine.com where you can track the progress of the D’Vine Bar to open soon next door.