Students to wear black to honor 6th-grader

Students at South Orangetown Middle School plan to wear black to class today to honor the memory of a sixth-grade boy who was hit by a car and killed over the weekend.

Jordan Barreto, 11, of Closter Road was crossing Route 9W just south of the intersection with Oak Tree Road when he was struck by a car driven by a 76-year-old New Jersey man shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday.

No charges have been filed against Joong Kim, who was driving the Toyota that hit Jordan as he crossed the roadway.

Orangetown police are continuing to investigate the collision.

New York City resident Karl Varnik was riding his bicycle close to where the car hit the boy and saw the collision.

Two other boys, including Jordan’s brother, had just crossed the roadway and Jordan was right behind them, he recalled.

“It looked like the driver had plenty of time to stop,” he said.

Varnik and several drivers stopped to try to help the boy, who was unconscious.

The child’s grandmother arrived at the intersection, which is around the corner from the family’s home, soon after the crash.

“The guys with Jordan shouldn’t blame themselves,” Varnik said. “My thoughts are with them and Jordan’s family.”

Dozens of students attended grief counseling sessions Monday at the school, which was supposed to have been closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“Jordan was a sixth-grader with a sweet, kind disposition and brilliant smile that would light up a room,” middle school Principal Karen Tesik said in a statement. “His ability to put others above himself was an inspiration to his peers. He was a hardworking, diligent student who made a strong connection to his teachers and had a positive impact on his fellow students.”

School officials have been in touch with family members, who declined to comment publicly. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. The district is especially concerned about supporting Jordan’s brother, who is in seventh grade at South Orangetown Middle School.

“The team has made great efforts to reach out to the family and all its members and friends of both boys,” said Ann Vaccaro-Teich, deputy superintendent.

Evan Karzhevsky, head of the South Orangetown Middle School PTA, said students were planning to wear black in Jordan’s honor.

Reported by The Journal News.

Homeless Man’s Body Found In Nyack

The body of a homeless man was found yesterday behind a building on Rt. 59 in Nyack. Orangetown police say the 49-year-old man, whose name is being withheld, has been seen on the streets of Rockland for more than 15 years. His body was found behind the old Hilltop Restaurant, lying between two abandoned cars, which, police say, often provide shelter for Nyack’s homeless. His believed to have died of natural causes – no foul play suspected.

Reported by WRCR.

Local officials, families respond to devastating quake in Haiti

As local families press for news of loved ones in earthquake ravaged Haiti, Rockland officials and cultural organizations are rallying to help with information and gather donations for relief efforts.

In Ramapo, town Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence was joined by a group of local leaders, at a meeting that focused on Haitian disaster relief soon after news of the earthquake broke.

“An earthquake of such magnitude has led to the total collapse of Port-A-Prince and the tragic loss of an untold number of lives – Ramapo stands ready to do all we can to help Haiti as we have done in the past,” said St. Lawrence.

The Town of Ramapo, assisted by Haitian community organizations, Ramapo civic groups and local, state and national political officials is:

·      Creating a support group for local residents who may have lost loved ones in the disaster.

·      Staffing a Help Desk to disseminate information over Cable TV (Cablevision and Verizon FIOS) by telephone at (845) 357-8730, and on the Town of Ramapo website: http://www.ramapo.org

Town Clerk Christian G. Sampson is coordinating the Help Desk. If anyone wishes to contribute to the relief effort they can do so by calling his office at 845-357-5100, ext. 263.  Medical supplies and cash donations are immediate priorities, St. Lawrence said.

“I have been in contact with U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand’s Office, U.S. Congressman Eliot L. Engel’s Office and the Haitian Consulate, who have expressed their willingness to be of assistance – while we await specific details of the tragedy, my prayers are with those who may have loved ones in Haiti” said St. Lawrence.

Efforts to help victims of the quake are taking place throughout Rockland. Donation drop off points include the County Legislature offices at the County Office Building in New City, Clarkstown Town Hall in New City and the offices of the Village of Haverstraw.

Reported by The Rockland Review.

ST. Lawrence Announces He’s Running For Lieutenant Governor

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence of the Town of Ramapo in Rockland County formally announced today that he is running for Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York. St. Lawrence made his announcement outside Kolmar Laboratories in Port Jervis, which is in Orange County.

St. Lawrence is a 5-term Town Supervisor, 2-term Rockland County Legislator, Chairman of the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, Chairman of the Ramapo River Watershed Council, and Vice Chairman of the Rockland County Sewer District #1. With 120,000 residents, the Town of Ramapo is the most populous town in the state outside of Long Island.

“New Yorkers crave change and require real relief,” said St. Lawrence. “We need to resolve the problems of New York, recognize the potential of New York, and renew the promise of New York. We have to celebrate New York and focus on guiding this great state into the future. We must work collaboratively to strengthen our finances, lower our taxes, and protect our quality of life. Together, we can blaze a trail to a brighter future and a better state.”

St. Lawrence said that his campaign will focus on economic development, creating new jobs, and reining in the rising property taxes that are crippling New Yorkers.

“We need to fire up New York’s economic engine, generate jobs, and stabilize the state’s finances,” said St. Lawrence. “We have to implement economic development initiatives that will help solidify our state’s financial framework and bolster the many small businesses throughout New York that are the lifeblood of our state. New Yorkers are hurting and we need throw them the economic lifeline that they desperately need.”

As Supervisor of the largest and most diverse town in Rockland County, St. Lawrence has established a reputation as a hardworking and progressive leader who has initiated innovative programs that have improved the quality of life for Ramapo residents. St. Lawrence has successfully held the line on property taxes and strengthened the Town’s finances, preserved thousands of acres of open space, enhanced Ramapo’s parks and recreation programs, worked with local law enforcement to make Ramapo the safest town in America, and fought the rate hike proposals that would have increased Ramapo residents’ monthly utility bills.

St. Lawrence hails from a family that has a long and distinguished record of community service. His late father, the Honorable Joseph T. St. Lawrence, was a New York State Assemblyman, a Rockland County Legislator, the Rockland County Treasurer and a Ramapo Councilman.

Kolmar Laboratories, which is the largest color cosmetics manufacturer in North America, employs 500 people, making it the largest employer in Port Jervis and one of the largest employers in Orange County. St. Lawrence noted that after making its home in Port Jervis for the past 66 years, Kolmar Labs may be forced to relocate out of state because the cost of doing business in New York State is considerably more than in other states. A move out of state would result in the loss of the 500 jobs that currently exist at the Port Jervis facility. St. Lawrence spoke about how critical it is to ensure that companies like Kolmar Labs remain in New York.

“We need to do everything we can to keep businesses in New York,” said St. Lawrence. “Every time a company is forced to leave the state because it can no longer afford to do business in New York, our economy takes a direct hit. When hundreds of people suddenly find themselves out of work and on the unemployment line, the reverberations are felt in every corner of the state. We need to let people know that New York State is once again open for business.”

St. Lawrence said that over the next several months he will be traveling throughout the state and meeting with elected officials, party leaders, senior citizens, and working men and women to discuss the challenges and issues facing them.

Reported by The Rockland Review.

Entergy, union resume contract talks; strike-deadline clock stopped

Contract negotiators from Indian Point nuclear power plant and its largest union have resumed talks to try to avert a strike by the plant’s largest union.

Holed up in the Hilton Rye Town since Wednesday for round-the-clock discussions on a host of issues including medical coverage and wages, the two sides talked until the early hours of this morning – past a midnight strike deadline – then agreed to resume discussions at 11 a.m.

A federal mediator had asked the union to stop the clock about midnight and representatives agreed.

“There are still some contentious issues that need to be worked out,” said Joe Flaherty, a spokesman for the Utility Workers Union of America, Local 1-2, which has 430 employees at the Buchanan site.

The union voted overwhelmingly earlier this month to strike the nuclear plant as of 12:01 a.m. today, when six years of wage and benefit agreements expired.

Flaherty has said that hourly rates of the union’s members range from $20 to $50.

He said the company has made a “small fortune” on the plant and should pay workers a fair wage.

He has repeatedly declined to discuss wage and benefit demands, but characterized them as the two toughest outstanding issues, especially medical benefits.

He said a settlement, with 90 minutes to go until the original midnight deadline, was still “very much up in the air.”

Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said negotiations were continuing but declined to specify what issues remained unresolved. He said previously that management employees, all of whom are certified, would run the nuclear plants. On Sunday, the replacements worked shifts alongside union workers in case they were needed at midnight.

The two sides’ highest ranking representatives — Indian Point Site Vice President Joseph Pollock and Utility Workers Union President Harry Farrell — were involved in much of the negotiations Sunday.

Federal regulators expect to start 24-hour inspection shifts at Indian Point if the union goes on strike.

“We looked over Indian Point’s contingency plan and found it to be satisfactory,” said Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan. “There is no problem with staffing the control room, but if there’s going to be reduced maintenance, we’ll have to be clear on how they’re going to accomplish that. We’ve dealt with a number of threatened or actual strikes over the years.”

Sheehan said senior managers can run the nuclear plants because most of them have come up through the ranks and in many cases have conducted a good portion of training of their subordinates.

“If the union does walk out, we’ll have inspectors around- the-clock for at least the first week,” he said. “If something’s not being handled properly, we can intervene.”

Sheehan said the most recent strike in the Northeast was six years ago at the Oyster Creek, N.J., plant, where workers stayed out for 11 weeks.

“There were some clashes with picketers, but the plant ran safely,” he said.

As reported by The Journal News.

Mall Molest Suspect Awaits Extradition In N.J. Jail

Alleged Palisades Mall molester Elio Pintado remains held without bail at a Union County, New Jersey jail. The 36-year-old Summit man was charged Friday with sexually abusing a seven-year-old Rockland girl in a mall bathroom on New Year’s Day. Police say they were led to Pintado by two women who recognized his face from surveillance photos taken outside the bathroom and made public. Pintado was already IN jail when he was charged — there for allegedly accosting another young girl not long after the Palisades Mall incident. He was out on parole at the time of the alleged attack, after serving three years on a kidnapping conviction. Pintado faces extradition to Rockland on the mall charges, which could mean a seven-year jail term if he’s found guilty.

As reported by WRCR.

Rockland Haitians Await Word On Loved Ones

The wait continues for Rockland’s Haitian residents as communications with their earthquake-devastated homeland only slowly resume. The powerful quake hit the Caribbean nation Tuesday, leaving thousands – maybe tens of thousands – dead. The Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, lies in rubble. And for Haitians elsewhere, including the more-than 12,000 who live in Rockland, there’s been little if any word about the fate of loved ones back home. Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin’s husband Ronald was in Haiti on business when the earthquake struck. As of late this morning, he was still unheard from – making Mayor Jasmin’s appeal to Rocklanders to contribute to Haitian relief efforts especially urgent. Several relief agencies have swung into action in the county, headed by the Ramapo Haitian Task Force. For information on how to help, call the task force at 357-8730. To contribute money and/or supplies, call 357-8100, extension 263.

As reported by WRCR.

Home Sales Up in Orange & Rockland Counties

The numbers of closed sales of single-family houses in the counties of Rockland and Orange climbed in December 2009 when compared to 2008 figures.

But, Orange County Board of Realtors CEO Ann Garti said that doesn’t necessarily mean the economy is turning around.

“I can’t say that I believe it’s a sign that we’re out of it so much as a sign that the $8,000 tax credit is working very effectively, at least with first time home buyers,” she said. “As you know, that tax credit is due to expire April 30th. I think it remains to be seen what happens after that time.”

But, for now, closed home sales rose 57 percent in Orange County and by 15 percent in Rockland County year over year in December.

The average selling price of a single-family home in Rockland in December was $423,261, a decline of 13 percent. In Orange County, the average selling price was $282,740, a decline of five percent.

Source: Mid-Hudson News.

Hudson Valley Jobless Rate Inched Down in October

While unemployment rates in New York State and across the nation peaked in October, Hudson Valley workers saw a slight decrease in the jobless figures.

In Rockland, the jobless rate dropped from 7.4 percent in September to 7.1 percent in October. In Orange, unemployment decreased from 8.1 percent to 7.9 percent during the same period.

Labor market analyst Johny Nelson says these slight decreases in unemployment do not mean much to those who are currently unemployed or underemployed.

Nelson adds that the 650 pending layoffs at Pearl River-based Pfizer are likely to put pressure on the job market.

Source: News 12.

Indian Point 2 Shuts Down Due To Generator Malfunction

Indian Point 2 shut down automatically Monday afternoon after the nuclear reactor’s main generator malfunctioned, officials from plant owner Entergy Nuclear said.

“I believe this is the third (unplanned shutdown) in the last 7,000 hours of operation,” company spokesman Jerry Nappi said. “The plant had been operating continously for 66 days.”

A fourth such shutdown in what is normally about one calendar year would trigger an increase in regulatory oversight. That happened to Indian Point 3 in August.

Indian Point 2 has been operating with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s highest safety rating. Indian Point 3 was downgraded one level to a white rating.

Nappi said company engineers and workers were investigating the incident and had not determined why the generator malfunctioned about 4 p.m.

Company officials said the NRC had been notified and the agency’s resident inspectors were monitoring the search for a cause.

Nappi said the reactor shut down without incident and there was no threat to safety for workers or the general public.

Indian Point 3 was not affected, according to the company.

Attempts to reach NRC officials late Monday were unsuccessful.

Nappi said the Nov. 2 shutdown, which also happened because of generator problems, did not appear to be connected to Monday’s malfunction, but that was not conclusive yet.

Indian Point 2 also shut down automatically April 3, 2009, when a steam water pump failed.

The nuclear plant shut down in June 2008 when a voltage-control mechanism on its main steam generator had to be removed and replaced.

The two reactors, which jointly generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity, are being evaluated by the NRC for possible 20-year extensions of their operating licenses.

If successful, the company would be allowed to turn uranium into electricity through 2035.

If not, the plant would stop producing in 2015.

The three-year review of those applications could be finished this year, but not before a list of contentions from the state and environmental groups is addressed.

Source: Journal News.