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.
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 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!”
After 15 years of merging fashion, culture, and civics, Paulette Ross is retiring from retail. This Friday, September 25, the owner of p.ross boutique and the founder of ARTWALK will close her Main Street doors, opening the next chapter of her life.
Nyack Sketch Log talked to Paulette about the sartorial style and strategy she brought to Nyack and what comes next for the woman who built a store where art and fashion met.
As a person who cares deeply about the future of my county and my country, I enthusiastically endorse the re-election campaign of New York State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee.
Helen Hayes MacArthur was known as the First Lady of American Theater, but lived here in the Village of Nyack as a mother, wife, neighbor and civic leader–not as a celebrity.
Each year, Sam Waymon’s star in the galaxy of American Black culture shines brighter. Waymon arrived in Rockland County in the early 1970s, and was launched into the arts orbit along with luminaries like his sister, Nina Simone, and his creative partner, the iconic writer and director Bill Gunn. Films, soundtracks, and television shows that he performed in or wrote continue to be re-released to critical acclaim.
The unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service promises to swiftly deliver the mail, despite “snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night.” We need to revise that creed to include a new obstacle: tyranny.
Since launching Nyack Sketch Log 9 years ago (on August 23, 2011), never more than now have I been so aware of the responsibility and utility of having a weekly column.
Here are some recent examples of when Nyack Sketch Log was called into the civic arena during its ninth, and most urgent year.
I know that some may say the cost of burying our electrical grid is too great to consider, especially during a pandemic-stalled economy. This is one place where we can learn from local history: both the Palisades Parkway and Harriman State Park were conceived during the Great Depression, an earlier period of massive unemployment. If that generation was able to rise to the challenge, putting people back to work and investing in the future, why can’t we do the same?