by Bill Batson As autumn darkens into winter, we all crave light and life-affirming contact with friends and family. Especially a pandemic weary public hoping to salvage a holiday season where masks and social distancing […]
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Nyack Gift 2020
For our third Nyack Gift set collaboration, this charming illustration, Tale of Two Bridges, embellishes the featured commemorative mug. As a testament to the resilience of local small businesses, Nyack Sketch Log, Teagevity, and Nyack Sweets hope to bring some cheer at the end of one of the most challenging years anyone can remember.
Pre-orders on nyackgift.com allow us to estimate how many gift sets to assemble. $10 discount for pre-orders before mid-nite Dec. 4.

Nyack Sketch Log: Pickwick Celebrates 75 years of Bibliophilia
by Bill Batson San Francisco has City Lights. New York City has the Strand. And Nyack has the Pickwick Book Shop. The experience of shopping at Pickwick has changed little since it first opened in […]

Nyack Sketch Log: Civil War Vets Buried in Mount Moor Worshipped at St. Philip’s AME
Recent discoveries at Mount Moor Cemetery in West Nyack are shedding light on the central role that St. Philip’s AME Zion Church played in the transition of black life in American from Slave to Free in Rockland County. Thanks to the meticulous research, down to the granular level, of William Stump, a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War we are learning that many men who are buried at Mount Moor Cemetery led or were members of St. Philips, which is located at Mill and North Burd Streets in Nyack. Upcoming projects, inspired by Stump’s research, are giving epically courageous men, who either escaped the cruel institution or raised arms to destroy it, their day in the sun.

Nyack Sketch Log: Slaves and Civil War Substitutes Fought So You Could Vote
The least we can do to honor the colored troops from the Civil War buried at Mount Moor Cemetery near the Palisades Mall is to vote today. (And if you have voted already, get someone who hasn’t to the polls!)
But while standing in line, or contemplating the future of our democracy, it’s also worthwhile to dwell on the lives of Solomon Miller, who witnessed the surrender of Robert E. Lee; and Andrew Cason, a member of the 1st Colored Cavalry.
There will be a program via Zoom entitled Mount Moor Cemetery: Time to Pay Respect on December 2, at 7p. Visit the Nyack Library events page to register.

Nyack Sketch Log: Object Lessons from the Edward Hopper House
Author and futurist Jules Verne observed “inanimate objects by which you are surrounded have a direct action on the brain.” (Think Rosebud from Citizen Kane!) Visiting curator at the Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center Carole Perry asked 6 artists to revisit their earliest memories and mine the material that still resonate in their work. The exhibit, Object Lesson, is aptly situated in the childhood home of America’s greatest realist painter, a few paces from the handmade toys that shaped his aesthetic.
Enjoy the images and words about each artist–perfect reading as you stand in line during early voting.

Nyack Sketch Log: Halloween At Home
When Sandy slammed through in late October 2012, we declared the first Saturday in November Boo Sandy Day, and made a substitute candy corridor through downtown. Now the same inventive and intrepid minds are finding ways for you to safely get your spook-on–securely at home or socially distant in public–while wearing seasonally and medically appropriate masks!

Nyack Sketch Log: Introducing River Hook: The Hester Haring Cason Preserve
For all of its resplendent beauty, there is one thing that the Village of Upper Nyack lacks: a place for residents to gather. Hook Mountain State Park is certainly an impressive attraction, but one that is shared regionally, and controlled by the State of New York. Now, thanks to the foresight of the village and a group of residents, a 12-acre parcel known as River Hook, the Hester Haring Cason Preserve, is being cultivated as a public amenity.

Nyack Sketch Log: Jeff Rubin Takes a Nip O’ Scotch
In a village that is arguably the live music capitol of the region, Jeff Rubin was one of the liveliest acts! “So has COVID-19 stopped the show?” you might ask. Nip O’ Scotch, a weekly Facebook Live event, is Rubin’s way of delivering a resounding answer: No!

Nyack Sketch Log: Hudson Market on Main Feeds the Community
Nyack has our own culinary & hospitality school thanks to Rockland Community College. Harnessing the energy of a restaurant scene in Nyack that had reached over 50 sit-down establishments prior to the pandemic-induced economic slow down, RCC offers those eager to enter the food service industry a chance to “stay near” and “go far!”