You know what’s really cool? Saturday’s “What’s Really Cool” conference at 1:30 p.m. at Finkelstein Library. The event, for girls grades 7-12, is hosted by the Mental Health Association of Rockland, the American Association of University Women, the county Youth Bureau and POW’R Against Tobacco.

I was lucky enough to attend a couple years ago, and watch the hard work and dedication of MHA staff and AAUW volunteers who really got the girls to talk about important, and tough, issues. Youth Council members did some skits. (Uh, I helped clean up, because that was really all I was qualified for…) Topics change every year, but it all comes down to teaching good decision making, confidence and self-trust, which is often in short supply among young women.

Look at today’s article to find out more.

I was a high school kid from the South Bronx when I first got a look at the Bear Mountain Inn. My school and a couple of others, including one from Long Island, had bused us up to the country for our Senior Field Day. I loved everything about the place.
I didn’t make it back until the 1970s, after I was married, and over time the Inn became one of the places we liked to go with our parents and in-laws for Sunday Brunch. After they were gone, we continued going there with the kids as they got older.
Several years back, when the Inn closed for renovations, that ended and we found other places for Mother’s Day and the like.
If you’re like me, every now and then, you get to wanting more than a bagel on a Sunday morning.
And sure, there are plenty of places that serve one form or another of brunch. But few measure up to a trip to the Bear Mountain Inn and a journey back in time for a walk in the sunshine around the field where we tossed a Frisbee and played touch football that June day in 1965.
So when State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash came calling on the Editorial Board with Jim Hall, who replaced her as executive director of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission—which oversees the Inn—I had to ask when I’d next be able to enjoy Eggs Benedict and a Belgian waffle at the inn of my youth.
Don’t call for reservations any time soon, was the simple answer.
The more complete and complex answer is that they didn’t have all the money needed to renovate the entire building at once, so they decided to do it in stages. During the process, Hall says, they found that the pieces didn’t work well together. Add to that the impact of the Wicks Law, which requires multiple contractors on state projects of a certain size, and there are built-in delays.
The first floor of the Inn is pretty much finished after extensive renovation that uncovered plenty of unanticipated issues that needed costly and time-consuming solutions.
The commission is out to bid—can you believe it—on the demolition for the second floor and for an operator for the restaurant that will eventually exist there.
How long will it all take?
Well, Hall said, it could be the end of the summer.
That’s 2009, not the one coming up.
It could be possible to open the first floor—with the gift shop, hiker’s lounge and meeting room—before the rest of the restoration, but there’s also something to be said for holding off and having a Grand Re-opening, Hall said.
So, I asked, “I’m better planning for brunch in the fall of 2009?”
That’s a good guess, I was told.
But that’s if everything goes smoothly.

News that change was afoot at the Nanuet Mall provided little in the way of answers, but certainly raised more questions last week. (Losing Boscov’s is an answer that begs the question: Why, by whose choice, and what might go in that space?)
The Feb. 23 article states: “Simon Property Group Inc. said it would reconfigure the Nanuet Mall into an open-air shopping and entertainment lifestyle center. But the Indianapolis-based property manager didn’t provide details about how the mall may look or which other retailers would occupy the refurbished site.”

Open-air shopping and entertainment lifestyle center? Huh?

Well, believe it or not, Eastern Connecticut State University’s American Studies department has a handy list of Shopping Center Terminology. Its list of Shopping Center Types (which is “based in part on criteria established by the International Council of Shopping Centers) includes:

Lifestyle center: typically, an open-air shopping center whose array of retail outlets (such as women’s fashion stores, jewelers, leather goods, and restaurants) are designed to appeal to upscale consumers; lifestyle centers usually include attractive landscaping, fountains, outdoor seating, and other features that encourage browsing

Entertainment complex: a shopping center that features theaters, restaurants, amusements and related retail stores

Open-air: a shopping center in which stores are directly accessible to the public; exterior walkways may be covered, but the stores are not enclosed under a single roof.

Helpful? Not really. Simon’s Web site has little information about changes at its Nanuet property.

Some jazzy terms, few specifics. Sigh.

This morning’s “summit” on the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Interstate 287 corridor took place, as scheduled at RCC. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, or a combination thereof, can stop transportation wonks, it seems.

If you go to next week’s Open Houses (see info below) hosted by the TZB/I-287 Corridor Project Team, you’ll see how much plans have changed since last year’s series of Open House meetings. Really significant are the sketches of several new options for a rehabilitated bridge. In fact, Jerry Ilowite, who wrote a Community View on the cost vs. benefits of the TZ/I-287 corridor plan, (cost is also a concern of our state comptroller, btw) pointed out that the plans shouldn’t really be called “rehab” options, because they include adding structures attached, or near, the current bridge. Instead, he suggested they be considered “expansion” projects, so there are three options: rehab, expand or replace the bridge. Smart.
Even in the snow, this morning’s trip to RCC for the summit discussion was well worth it. And it will be worth a jaunt to the Palisades Center, or, if you work in Westchester or Orange, one of the other Open House locations. All take place from 4-9 p.m. at: – Tuesday: Performing Arts Center, SUNY-Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase

– Wednesday: The BOCES for Orange and Ulster counties, 53 Gibson Road, Goshen – Thursday: Community room, Palisades Center mall, 1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack

My daughter and I were very interested in watching last night’s eclipse. But we weren’t interested in being cold. So, we took turns putting on coats, gloves, etc., and running outside every 10 minutes or so, and calling the other one if it was worth the view. Every time it was worth the view. Until we got cold. Then back inside for a few minutes to warm up. No big secret, I’m a weather wimp. Lucky for me, Journal News photographer Frank Becerra Jr. isn’t. His pictures and video can fill in the spots you missed!

Imagine that people are confused about parking in Nyack.
In barely two months, they’ve raises the rate and dropped it.
They instituted a priority zone with a higher fee, then backed off the plan.
Merchants called once again for a parking structure to solve problems for shoppers and those dining in village restaurants.
Even the Parking Authority gave up, going out of business at least temporarily, until everyone figures out whether they have any authority left.
We’ve done valet parking, too.
We won’t even go into the controversy over the ferry service the state proposed a decade ago and how it got chased to Haverstraw. In Nyack, they wanted to build a parking structure, which generated panic and posturing. But in Haverstraw—at least until the ferry to Ossining moves to a new home at Emeline Park—they’re doing very nicely with a parking lot.
Point is, no matter how much we write about it, there’s going to be confusion about parking in Nyack—and people who can’t find the kiosks to buy their parking tickets—so long as the decisions keep shifting and the rules keep changing.
There have been enough—no, make that too many—studies.
It’s past time for the village to make a decision that works for merchants, residents and visitors alike.
Then stay with it…at least for a week or two.

Did your kids get any Pokemon Valentines with a heart-shaped lollipop inserted in the card? Here’s a picture courtesy of Channel 7 News Boston (they had the best picture I could find.)

They are recalled after pieces of metal were found in two lollipops in central Florida. Sherwood Brands of Maryland, which imports the candy from China, said it was recalling all of its Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops, which have been pulled from the shelves of thousands of stores across the country.

Terry Grosselfinger, director of Rockland’s Office of Consumer Protection, sent his inspectors to the store where the pops were believed to be purchased, Rite Aid in Valley Cottage, and the pops were no longer on the shelves, but had, indeed been sold there. Grosselfinger was going have his workers keep an eye out, and encouraged anyone who has seen or purchased the Pokemon Valentines to contact his office at 845-708-7600.

Ah, the new parking meters, and the lack of signs about them, is causing much drama in the village of Nyack (and giving us lots of letters!).

What’s an out-of-towner to do when they get nailed for a ticket when they didn’t understand the change? Letter-writer John Cable of Valley Cottage gave his opinion in this letter to the editor. Before publication, he reached Nyack’s mayor who pledged to get the parking ticket squared away. Cable kindly notified us, and we verified with the mayor. The result was this note at the end of the letter:

Editor’s note: Nyack Mayor John Shields has notified the letter-writer that the ticket would be waived in this case because of inadequate signage there. The mayor also said new parking signs will be installed this week.

Then the fun began. Village trustee Richard Kavesh apparently took issue with the idea of the mayor “waiving” the ticket. An e-mail to the New York Conference of Mayors elicited a response from NYCOM that tickets can’t be “waived,” but should be handled by the issuing agency or the courts.

So, Shields says he won’t be taking any tickets anymore. Now, it’s up to the village justice court to decide—is it fair to ticket someone when they don’t see the meters or ANY SIGNS?

The signs are on the way, Shields says, and the village will put up temporary signage if the permanent ones aren’t ready. But what about now? (I actually had someone tell me that when she told a village employee that didn’t know about the parking change, she was told that it had been reported in The Journal News, so she should have been aware. Aw, c’mon. Not even I  believe that people should know just because we’ve published stories about it.)

Did you get to the Chocolate World Expo today at the Palisades Center? I did. And so did several thousand others, from what I could tell.

How popular was it? Well, 250 paid their admission in the first 10 minutes, according to security officials. The fee, $10 for adults and $5 for children, let you walk around and see scores of vendors, selling everything chocolate, and other items, including ice cream, wine and even fancy dog biscuits. Lots of free samples, except, I would guess, for the doggie biscuits, but I didn’t ask. I had two little girls with me who had spotted a gourmet ice cream stand and a fudge vendor. Off we went.

Proceeds benefitted Venture, which provides services to people with developmental disabilities. The extraordinary nonprofit runs a wonderful summer camp (the agency’s full name is “Camp Venture, Inc.”) after-school programs, adult services, family support — the full complement of services. Venture’s equestrian program was a benefactor of the chocolate-laced fundraiser.

Rockland County Legislator John Murphy, who is Venture’s president, was chairman of the event’s planning committee. I saw him as he stood by the entrance (both sides of the fourth-floor halls of the Macy’s/Lord & Taylor wing, as well as the two conference rooms near the ice rink were chock full of chocolate etc. vendors.) He was smiling and greeting people. He should be quite proud of himself. Wonder if he got tired of chocolate after a few hours, like I did. Not to worry. It only lasts about 20 minutes. Then, it’s time for another sample!

The story about county health department fines for a mess left at the former Rockland Drive-In in Monsey after a religious ceremony (Kapparot) stirred up scores of comments on the LoHud.com forums and lots of letters to the editor.

Today, we published, this letter from the coordinator of the Kapparot ceremony. The custom is performed by some Jews in the days before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when a live chicken is held above a person’s head and moved in a circle three times. The chicken is then slaughtered (according to kosher law) and the meat donated to the poor. (This description is just point-of-information.)

Moshe Lefkowitz’ letter is worth a close read. Especially noteworthy are his comments that the “burgeoning population” of the religious community presents special challenges to the county government, and he sees their efforts as “kind.” He readily states that county officials were fair to fine him $3,000 for the mess left at the site, and takes responsibility.

Thoughts?