Sunday’s going to be a busy day! We have Youthfest over at the RCC Fieldhouse (real family event, with information about county’s nonprofits and youth-centered business, and activities for kids, too.) It’s from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Then, there’s the Chocolate World Expo 2009 at the Palisades Center (on the fourth floor of the West Nyack mall, toward the ice skating rink) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is a fund-raiser for Camp Venture and its plans to build an indoor equestrian center in Stony Point, so it can offer its therapeutic riding programs year-round. Here’s the news article and here’s their Chocolate World Expo Web site. (Find out more about Venture here.)

Yes! You can support a wonderful effort by munching free samples of chocolate products, and purchasing all kinds of yummies. Last year, the vendors were varied and had interesting products, and this year, there’s an even longer list of participants.

Both are events where there’s plenty reason to linger, except you’ll want to get to the next one.

Photos: These are from last year’s Chocolate World Expo, from our archives. At left, Lauryn Smallwood, then 10, from Garnerville, bites into a cookie from the Black & White Cookie Company. At right, a group of buddies from Blauvelt try out the chocolate fondue fountain from Aurora Gourmet.

Did you see the article that recounts White Plains Hospital ER doc Erik Larsen’s decision to use an new treatment technique on a 49-year-old woman who went into sudden cardiac arrest?

Larsen, who lives with his spouse, Rockland County Legislator Connie Coker in South Nyack, (D-17th District) made the kind of decisions we think only TV ER docs make: A snap decision to try something untried to save a patient who looked all but lost. His decision: To employ cooling blankets recently purchased by the hospital but not tried, with no protocol established, and induce therapeutic hypothermia, to stave off brain damage that so often accompanies this kind of without-warning massive heart attack.

Photo: Erik Larsen, M.D. FACEP, the Associate Director of the Emergency Department at the White Plains Hospital Center, checks a reading from a monitor March 13, 2007. ( Mark Vergari / InTown Westchester )

Larsen is associate director of White Plains Hospital’s emergency department, and an expert in medevac rescues who has worked with FEMA, and was part of a federal disaster medical assistance team that headed to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He acted as  medical director for the hospital set up in the New Orleans International Airport.

Telling this story—and a great thanks to Siegrid Buhleller, the patient, for  sharing her most harrowing and personal moments—gives us insight into the art of medicine.

I talked with Rockland Community College President Cliff Wood about the college’s policy to make the entire Suffern campus (and their Spring Valley and Haverstraw extensions) 100 percent smoke free. Story here.

I asked if the policy included all tobacco products, ie, chewing tobacco, which it doesn’t. But I forgot to ask if the policy switch, to take effect Sept. 1, includes smoking Smarties. Smoking Smarties, as in the little sugary candy rolls? Yup.

Check out the Fox interview grilling one of the first kids to post a how-to on Youtube. (The instructional videos suggest you don’t inhale. Sugar in your lungs can’t be good.)

Smoking Smarties

Basically, you roll them around to create a little sugar dust, then unwrap the end, bring the sugar “smoke” into your mouth and exhale

Why? Well, of course, we would ask that. Likely a 12-year-old would ask, “Why not?” I remember getting candy cigarettes in my Trick or Treat bag. Did they make me smoke? No. Did my friends, my parents and others smoking make me smoke? Yes, for a while. Lucky I didn’t get addicted—because it’s a serious addiction.

There are everyday products that young people have turned into dangerous substances—huffing with aerosols is just one example. The substance isn’t the issue as much as the behavior.

But smoking Smarties isn’t smart, it isn’t good, and it’s a waste of a perfectly good candy.

Don’t have plans yet for Sunday? Well, head over to the 11th annual Youthfest. It’s free. It’s educational. And, it’s even fun. Youtfest brings together scores of nonprofits and businesses in the county to show their stuff at booths throughout the RCC Fieldhouse. There’s plenty of hands-on stuff, including the Teddy Bear Hospital sponsored by Nyack Hospital (it’s not strictly a BYOB thing, they will lend you one if you forget.) And there’s always first responders there to give an inside look (see below.)

Best part: There’s a stage set up that allows local schools, dance troupes, clubs and other youth organizations to perform. Wonderful fun. And some of these kids are really talented—and they all try really hard and show great dedication. So see you at the Fieldhouse sometime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. See what Rockland has to offer.

Photo: Griffin Bishop, 4, of Airmont takes the steering wheel of a hook and ladder fire engine from the Haverstraw Fire Department March 11, 2007 as Danny Albin, 15, of Tappan, gives him pointers at the annual Rockland County Youthfest at Rockland Community College. Albin is a members of Explorers Troop 44. ( Kathy Gardner / The Journal News )

So, I tracked down Judy Kellersberger, or rather she tracked me down, after yesterday’s blog post about Hudson River-themed music.

She wrote “Tribute to the Hudson River,” a song being used at many of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebrations, including the Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake in January. (Find out more about the Quadricentennial at exploreny400.com)

Judy explained, via email, that she first wrote the poem, and then people kept saying how befitting it was for the Quad, and encouraged her to come up with a melody.

You can hear a sampling at richflanders.com, and click on the “new single” promo at the right.

Why did she write the song in the first place? Judy Kellersberger says:

My reasons for writing this song are very simple.  I live near the
Hudson River and it has been a part of my life for almost 40
years.  It has been the backdrop of my life, and I wanted to honor
something that I love so much.

For those interested in trying a little singalong, I present:

TRIBUTE TO THE HUDSON RIVER lyrics/music by Judy Kellersberger

Mighty Hudson River flows from valley to the sea.
Man has left his mark upon your shore.
Days will pass and time will write a story of its own – the river flows, though man may be no more.

Thunder rumbles down your valley.  Lightning flashes bright,
City standing stark against the sky.
Everything is waiting on a stifling summer night – waiting for the storm to pass it by.

Oh river flow, your waters keep on turning.
Oh river flow, your tides keep on churning.
And late at night when city folk lie dreaming – your waters gleam with moonlight as they sleep.

Summer turns to autumn and the leaves begin to fall.
Brilliant shades of gold and red blow free.
Golden leaves rise skyward as the wind begins to stir.
The river gently takes them to the sea.

Dark and troubled Hudson flowing sluggish on its way.
Sheets of ice now choke your frozen shore.
Ships and tugs and sailing boats are from a season past,
but still you know that spring will come once more.

Oh river flow, your waters keep on turning.
Oh river flow, your tides keep on churning.
And late at night when city folk lie dreaming – your waters gleam with moonlight as they sleep.

Hudson River cascades from the mountains to the land,
makes its stately way down to the sea.
Man must dream his dreams and plan his glories while he can.
The Hudson River flows on timelessly.
c J. Kellersberger, 2007.

Clarkstown Town Clerk David Carlucci is known as a kind of high-tech wonk. His office has had a Facebook page for a couple years now. He helps register voters via text messages. He was taking government high tech before the Obama campaign found such success with Youtube.

But the 27-year-old — he won office at age 24 — also seems to appreciate history. You know, old stuff. So he sent in a letter to the editor/press release (he’s also really good at these…) congratulating the town on marking its 218th year. Today is the official founding date. Woohoo! Cake at Maple Avenue??? His letter, of course, points out all the technological advances that have occurred in his office, which can make life easier for Clarkstowners.

So, we share. Here’s Clarkstown Town Clerk David Carlucci’s letter, with slight editing for punctuation and style, on the 218th anniversary of the town’s birth

1791 saw a lot of firsts, the First Bank of the United States, the first U.S. mint, and the first establishment of Clarkstown, when it was incorporated on March 18 of that year. As both the Clarkstown Town Clerk and a lifelong Clarkstown resident, I am filled with pride in acknowledging the 218th birthday of Clarkstown!
Much has changed in these 218 years, not the least of which is that Clarkstown has grown from a population of less than 2,000 to nearly 85,000 people, making it one of the largest towns in New York.  Clarkstown’s residents in 1791 could not have imagined the Clarkstown of today. Just getting to their Town Clerk was an ordeal, but with the advent of the Internet, many of our services are right online. Today, www.clarkstownclerk.com serves as a virtual office, better facilitating the needs of busy Clarkstown residents. I try to incorporate new technologies, such as podcasts, blogs, widgets, and text-messaging, in order to make the town clerk’s office as user-friendly and accessible as possible. Thanks to a state grant I was awarded to digitize Clarkstown’s records, which predate the Declaration of Independence, digital records allow instantaneous access, and not just in our town, but worldwide!  More importantly, by digitizing Clarkstown’s records, I am making a commitment to the community that these historical records will be safeguarded and preserved for future generations.
Time may not have been kind to our country’s banks, but Clarkstown has fared well these past two centuries. Whether you look to our efforts to stay on the forefront of technology or the fact that we are ranked the second-safest place to live among comparably sized communities, Clarkstown is not just a great place to live; it is a place one can be proud to call home. I know I am.  Please join me in wishing Clarkstown a Happy 218th Birthday!

Well, apparently, the historic Hudson River inspires song.

Plenty of historic tunes tell the river’s tale. And of course, there’s Pete Seeger’s classic, “My Dirty Stream,” also called “The Hudson River Song.” (Read it or listen here.) And here’s a sample:

Sailing down my dirty stream / Still I love it and I’ll keep the dream / That some day, though maybe not this year / My Hudson River will once again run clear.

And, I just got a letter from Nyack resident Linda Steinman, who sent the words to her 2007 song, “Hudson Rhapsody,” after reading Mike Risinit’s article about what the Hudson River looked like when Henry Hudson set sail 400 years ago. Read it here. And, here’s a sampling of Steinman’s lyrics:

Sunset over the Hudson / on a summer night / overlooking Hook Mountain / what a sheer delight!

But wait, there’s more! I’m working on tracking down a song, “Tribute to the Hudson River,” that celebrates the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial.

Yes, 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s expedition up the river that now bears his name, and of Samuel de Champlain’s first siting of the lake that bears his name. Then there’s the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s first steamboat trip up the Hudson. Find out more at ExploreNY400.com, the official Web site of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain celebration. The aforementioned song was performed at the opening ceremonies of the official Quadricentennial kickoff, the Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake at the end of January. I went, but didn’t hear the song, unfortunately. The sculptures were stunning, but it was cold, cold, cold. Check out some pictures (here) from the Rockland Lake ice extravaganza.

And when I get the song, I’ll post it as a follow-up.

I was intrigued by a Page 3A brief in today’s Journal News about two Sneden’s Landing residents spotting some mystery animal. Here’s the LoHud version. Now, the LoHud story chat has settled on it being a coyote, which have a history of populating the Palisades area. But other possibilities range from bobcat to plain old stray black Lab.

This got me thinking about the wildlife that populates even the most densely developed parts of Rockland, from raccoons to skunks. And, the feral cat. The county’s full of them. And they are all suseptible to rabies—and yes, rabies is always present in Rockland. Ask any veterinarian.

Feral cats aren’t always considered a natural “vector” for rabies, like raccoons, but because of their proximity to wildlife and people, they pose a big threat.  The best protection is keeping your distance from an animal that’s aggressive. Really, if you don’t know an animal, keep your distance.

There’s another risk: Your cat and dog. Make sure they are vaccinated, and all vaccinations are up-to-date. Dogs break off leash sometimes, or dig under the fence. Cats that are usually indoors slip out.  It’s not worth the heartbreak, and the danger, if something goes wrong.

So, back to our mysterious creature roaming around southeastern Orangetown—what do you think it is?

I’ve been hoping to have a sitdown with state Sen. Tom Morahan, R-New City. I’m hoping to discuss the “climate” in Albany, and what life’s like as a member of the minority now in the Senate (though it’s a slim one, just by 2 votes.) And we’ll likely talk about the legislation he’s working on now, including a push to expand Timothy’s Law, which aims for insurance parity for those with mental illness. Among the updates to the law, he’s trying to get PTSD included for coverage.

We’re scheduled to talk at 11 a.m. Friday, March 20. And you can watch, as well as ask questions, because it will be shown live on LoHud.com/editorialspotlight.

If you are shy, or won’t be available to send your question in via “Cover It Live,” (it’s at the right of the screen when you’re viewing the interview) post your questions for Morahan here, or email me at ncutler@lohud.com.

So, Bernard Madoff says he’s is grateful for the opportunity to speak. He is “painfully aware I have deeply hurt many people” and he “knew this day would come.” (See story here on his 11 guilty pleas.)
He’s not saying what his victims want to hear. Who cares that he’s “deeply sorry,” not explantions of how he really wanted to go straight, end the scam he started in the early 1990s, but he got in too deep.”
That’s cold comfort. Investors don’t want to hear it.
No, they want him to show them the money. What assets are left? Where is the money and how can those whose life savings were swindled gain at least a fraction back?
Who else is involved? Madoff protests that it was him alone who engineered the biggest Ponzi scheme in history, portraying the huge swindle as almost happenstance.
Those protestations are difficult to swallow — as unbelievable as his lawyer’s bid to continue his house arrest. Thanks to U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin for denying it, so clear that Madoff needed to be jailed immediately that he waved off the prosecution’s objection to house arrest: “I don’t need to hear from the government.”
It seems so complex, but really, the whole Ponzi scheme was pretty simple: Madoff took money to “invest” and didn’t. He kept it, adding more “investors” so pay out modest “earnings.” But, when the market tanked and more people wanted money out, the game was up. As Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said, “Apparently, The guy was just a two-bit thief, he just found an elaborate way to cover himself.”
His victims, some of whom went from financially comfortable to destitute, will likely never see their money again.