Clarkstown PD

August 24 – A 44-year-old victim from West Nyack called the Clarkstown Police to report a fraudulent deposit of a check from his TD Bank account. The victim stated that one morning he dropped an envelope containing a check to pay Sears in the drop box in the West Nyack Village Square. The victim became aware that the check was not cashed by Sears and that it was fraudulently deposited at an ATM in Paterson, NJ.

It was determined that the West Nyack Post Office Postmaster had previously reported that an unknown suspect had broken into the drop box at both the West Nyack Village Square and the West Nyack Post Office at the same time the victim said he mailed his Sears bill. The victim stated that he is in contact with TD Bank who have opened up an investigation. The Postal Inspector Office currently has its own investigation regarding the stolen mail from the drop boxes in West Nyack. This kind of mailbox theft has been reported in many communities in the tri-state area.

Stony Point

On August 24 at approximately 11 a.m., defendant Michael Garabo was arrested following an investigation into a complaint that someone was observed spray-painting a railroad trestle that connects Tomkins Avenue to Beach Road, using red paint. When officers arrived the suspect was gone, but their investigation led them to the defendant’s residence a couple of blocks away. During an interview of the defendant, officers observed that he had some red paint on his arm and a can of red spray paint in his vehicle. After initially denying any knowledge of the incident, the defendant ultimately admitted to defacing the trestle. He was arrested on the listed charges, processed and released on an appearance ticket returnable to Stony Point Justice Court on September 20 at 1:30 p.m.

On August 14, the Stony Point Police Department received a complaint from an employee of Shop Rite in Stony Point of larceny at the store. The employee provided the license plate number and the defendant was arrested at his residence with the stolen property. In addition to the stolen property, the defendant was found to be in possession of four decks of heroin. The Defendant was arrested and processed on the charges of Petit Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the fifth degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the seventh degree and is scheduled to appear in Stony Point Justice Court on October 2 at 9 a.m.

Suffern PD

Weekend activity [August 17-19] summary from the Suffern Police Department relayed by Chief Clarke Osborn: Suffern PD responded to a domestic dispute on W. Park Place, determined that the actual dispute took place in Mahwah, and contacted Mahwah PD about the incident. SPD handled several medical related calls and responded to Berkeley Square, Lonergan Dr., Jersey Ave., Bon Aire Circle, E. Maple Ave. and Orange ave. for those incidents and assisted EMS as needed. Officers handled two Lifeline alerts, one on Danbury Ct. and one on Lafayette Ave. and fortunately both were set in error. They checked on the well being of a resident of Interstate St. after being contacted by a family member and fortunately, it turned out alright.

Along with the Suffern Fire Department, SPD responded to two reports of gas leaks, one on Lonergan Dr. and one on Milford Lane which ended up being a faulty furnace that had a leak in it. Officers impounded a vehicle from a driver who was found to be driving without a license, and an officer on patrol on Jersey Ave. located a vehicle with its door wide open in the evening and contacted the owner who had mistakenly forgot to close it. Officers also handled two disputes, one on Wayne Ave. and one on Lafayette Ave., assisted a motorist who ran out of gas on Rt. 202, handled two suspicious incidents where residents found items in front of their homes, one a cooler and one a gym bag which both ended up being left there accidentally. 

SUFFERN NARCAN SAVE

On August 24, Suffern PD officers responded to a residence in the Knolls of Ramapough for a report of an unresponsive female who was not breathing. Lt. Andy Loughlin and Sergeants Jim Giannettino and Jose Martinez arrived at the address within one minute of the call, and after assessing the situation found the woman to be unconscious and not breathing. These officers administered NARCAN to the woman and shortly after she started to breathe and her condition greatly improved. Due to the quick response time and knowledge of officers Loughlin, Giannettino and Martinez, this woman literally had her life saved. The Rockland Paramedics and Ramapo Valley Ambulance Corps. arrived shortly after and assisted the officers’ efforts.

Orangetown PD

On August 23, the Orangetown Police reported an increase of calls involving the “grandparent scam.” The grandparent scam involves a suspect calling grandparents and telling them that their grandchild has been in an accident or has been arrested and needs money to settle the case “out of court.” The suspects will then put a child on the phone that is usually crying who quickly ask the grandparent for help before the phone is taken away.

The grandparents are then told not to call anyone, or the deal is off. The grandparents are then instructed to get cash or gift cards to turn over to suspects. OPD encourages all citizens who are in this situation to call their local police department. Do not send cash or gift cards in response to these calls or any similar call that is trying to get cash or personal information over the phone.

Enjoy music, food and fun at the Suffern Rotary Jamfest on Saturday, September 15th noon-6pm (rain or shine) at Mahwah Elks Lodge #1941 (1Foxwood Drive Mahwah).

Musical performances on the Jamfest stage will feature the talents of Ron Ossi; Strings Attached and Friends; and The Petty Young Dylans Band.

Admission ($15.00/adults; $5.00/6-12 yrs.; under 6 free) includes: music, food, beverages, face painting, bounce house and more.

Buy tickets online at suffernjamfest.org or at the door.

Proceeds raised from Suffern Jamfest will benefit local and international humanitarian Rotary programs.

For more information call 914-261-5460.

BY DYLAN SKRILOFF

In four short years, Class of 2014 Suffern High School alum, Nick Perri, has gone from a video analyst for the Suffern Mounties ice hockey team to a rising talent in the Tier II junior league ice hockey coaching ranks.

Perri was hired this May as the assistant coach for the Johnstown (PA) Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League [NAHL], America’s only Tier II junior hockey league. Last year he worked for the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League in Canada.

It was a setback to his health in high school that led Perri to focus on coaching and picking up analytical skills earlier than most. “I had some health and injury issues that stopped me from playing [hockey] and I channeled more into coaching it.”

Perri began his tenure as Johnstown assistant coach traveling around the country to tryout camps. The NAHL holds a draft every summer and the front office and coaches vet prospects to see if they’re interested in their league.

“You have to be familiar with the level of play and level of prospects you are looking for. When you are analyzing them, you have to go through the process of can this player play at this level and be familiar with the type of player,” Perri explained during an interview earlier this year.

Tier 1 junior circuit USHL develops the most highly touted prospects in the United States, some who bypass college and go straight to the NHL draft; while Tier II NAHL grooms secondary prospects most of whom first go to college. Many NAHL players go on to play minor league hockey and over 70 have made it all the way to the NHL, including future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane of the Chicago Black Hawks and All-Star Phil Kessel of the Pittsburg Penguins.

The franchise is a big draw in Johnstown, where their hockey tradition is cemented in Hollywood immortality. The celebrated sports comedy “Slapshot” was filmed there, and Perri now coaches on the same bench the fictional but legendary Charlestown Chiefs played.

“I don’t think there’s anything in junior hockey that compares to it,” Perri said. “It has a historical feel… It’s a dream job. An absolute honor.”

As for where this all leads, Perri said, “I’d love to one day work in the National Hockey League, but I am realistic. I know there’s a lot of work that needs to be put in before I get there and I plan to be at Johnstown a long time.”

Tomahawks head coach Mike Letizia praised the hire of Perri this spring. “I am very excited to bring Nick onto our staff…He has an incredible passion for the game and the development of players, and he is extremely knowledgeable about recruiting, video instruction, and his attention to detail.”

Tomahawks executive, Jean Desrochers, says Perri’s early career course is auspicious. “As a coach, Nick is moving up the hockey ladder really quick due to his incredible hockey knowledge and analytics skills.”

Two months into the new season, it sure doesn’t seem Perri has done his team any harm. The Tomahawks currently have the best record in the NAHL [19 wins – 4 losses] and are riding a 12-game winning streak.

Perri offered credit to Suffern Mounties head coach, Rob Schelling, for promoting the sport in Rockland County.

“I want to thank Coach Schelling and the entire hockey staff and family at Suffern High School. I will always be proud to be a member of Suffern hockey family,” Perri said.

Hockey has long been Perri’s favorite pastime. “I have been on the ice everywhere I’ve gone,” he said. “My parents got me into hockey at a really early age. My dad played men’s league.”

Perri has a fiancée Nicole and a one-year-old daughter Kennedy.

By Barry Warner

Wrestling puts kids in situations where they have to dig in and fight to reap the rewards. There are incredible feelings of satisfaction when getting their hands raised after winning hard fought matches. Wrestling uses every part of the body and is one of the toughest sports to train and compete in.

“I took seven kids to their first wrestling tournament, four took first and the others took second,” said Coach Khyl Farrison of the Nanuet-based Farrison Wrestling Academy told the Rockland County Times. “The beautiful thing was that the best compliment I got from the other parents was that ‘your kids really work hard.’ That’s what I want the kids to be known for. Wins will come and so will the losses, but I preach to the kids to work hard and good things will happen.

“There’s the technical side of wrestling and the kids have to know the moves. Wrestling is a sport of putting a number of moves together. For every action, there’s going to be a reaction from your opposing partner. We start to teach the moves in a sequence and their opponent will have moves to escape. Our biggest thing here is that the kids know that for every technique that I show, there’s a counter to those techniques.” Farrison continued. “To be an effective wrestler at any level, you have to string 1-2-3 moves together. I worked as a strength and conditioning coach for nine years. For the young kids, it isn’t so much about strength development, but it’s the understanding about their own bodies. All kids go through an awkward period from 10-14, so what we do to minimize the risk of injuries is work on the cardiovascular component. It is my philosophy that the kids don’t start with any weights until they understand their own body weight. For 8-12 years old, we do basic wheelbarrow exercises, sedan carry and piggyback exercises. These are fundamental movements of supporting someone else’s weight. Kids are paired up according to age, size and ability level.”

“In the recent history of law enforcement, there are certain groups that produce a lot of tension,” said Farrison. You have to work with groups of people in all walks of life. You have to have patience and understanding and listen to all sides before you go to the next level. Here it’s the same thing. The kids come from a long day at school, maybe they didn’t sleep well the night before and you have to have the patience to recognize those issues and know when to push forward and when to back off. The law enforcement perspective is that we develop a sense of patience working with the general public and it carries over here. The mission of this wrestling academy is two-fold; to develop great wrestlers and develop great people to be successful in life. It’s one of those sports where the price you pay has a direct transfer to life. When applying for a job, if you don’t get it, you can fold or move on. Same thing with wrestling—when you’re out there one-on-one, someone’s got to win, someone’s got to lose. I want the kids to have fun, but I tell them it’s important to win and know how to lose, because nobody wins all the time. I didn’t put the kids in a tournament for an entire year because I wanted them to know how to score, to understand the philosophy of wrestling and the rules of wrestling. Then when we went to the tournament, the kids understood the coach’s directions and had the desire to win.”

The 37-year-old Farrison was a three-sport athlete and amassed a wrestling record of 157-29 at Suffern High School under the guidance of the late Mickey DeSimone. In recognition of these achievements, he was a three-time Section 1 Champion, winning Most Valuable Wrestler twice and finished second, third and fifth in the New York State Wrestling Championships. He’s a member of the Section 1 Wrestling Hall of Fame and was named All-County in football and baseball. After holding coaching positions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Yale University, Manhattanville College, Iona College and Seton Hall University, Farrison returned to Rockland County to pursue a career in law enforcement as a Corrections Officer with the Rockland Count Sherriff’s Department and begin his dream of establishing a wrestling school.

“Trevor is a senior at North Rockland High School,” said parent Beth Bate-Du Boff of her student who is taught by Khyl. “He was a good wrestler who knew he needed to work hard to wrestle on a higher level. Trevor has wrestled since he was in elementary school and worked with other coaches, but nothing compares to what he has learned from Khyl, both on and off the mat. Khyl expects his students to give 100 percent every time they’re on the mat. They may not win, but he expects them to give their all. He stresses fundamentals and a strong work ethic. Wrestling is the only sport where, for six minutes, you’re alone. It’s a team sport and you must pull and encourage your teammates, but for six minutes you’re alone. Trevor has watched someone who has competed at the highest level in three sports and achieved every accolade possible in our region. As a result of college-level coaching, Khyl has insight into techniques and a strength-building regimen that isn’t available in other Rockland programs. Unlike other programs, Khyl is right out there on the mat with the kids, drilling one-on-one and not giving an inch. He’s challenging them to do their best and setting the bar very high for every wrestler. More importantly, the life skills he has instilled in the boys will stay with them, long after graduation.”

Some kids find success early, but many will lose more matches than they win. Many of the greatest wrestlers started out losing their first few seasons. It can take a couple of years before it finally clicks, but when it does, it’s one of the greatest moments to observe. The lights come on, their confidence commences and they start beating opponents they have lost to several times.

For additional information about the Farrison Wrestling Academy, visit khyl@nyunitedbjj.org or call 845-499-6893.

By Kathy Kahn
Photos by Scott Waters

If you’re looking for a special or unusual gift for someone, there’s no place in Rockland like “Wow! That’s Unusual,” a shop that’s been on Lafayette Avenue in the Village of Suffern for nearly a decade.
Owner Steve Kaufman was originally in the newspaper business—in his case, making sure deliveries of several newspapers were on schedule—but when his company downsized, his job went down with it. He decided to turn his love of music into a business, opening a record store in Bergen County.

However, Kaufman and his wife, Sonia Paz, decided they needed to do more than just sell vinyl. So they opened “Wow! That’s Unusual” in Suffern and went to work both taking in goods for consignment as well as selling records, DVDs and other sundries.

The store is a labrynth of the “usual”—but more than likely, customers will find many one-of-a-kind items that can’t be found anywhere else—especially at the prices Kaufman sells them for. He’s got a prehistoric animal head, tickets to the 1939 World’s Fair and postcards literally from the edge—of time. (Does anyone even send postcards anymore?) Yet, these items have people who collect them—and if they are collectors, or enjoy the eclectic, Wow! That’s Unusual, is the place to shop.

Kaufman loves music and has a fondness for Beatles memorabilia, which has become popular among millennials and those younger. He has even sold some rather unhappy memorabilia: two books autographed by Mark David Chapman, who assassinated John Lennon in front of his home on December 8, 1980. “Chapman had a huge collection of books, and since he was born in 1955, he marked every book he owned with his initials on Page 55. He also signed a few of the books he had,” said Kaufman. What may seem gruesome to one might be of greater interest to another, however, and he quickly sold both books signed by Lennon’s killer.

Kaufman’s store is open every day, and he has a flock of faithful customers who regularly visit because the inventory changes every day. “If you see something you want, you’d better grab it,” said Kaufman. “It may be gone by the next day.”

Visiting Wow! That’s Unusual is a treasure seeker’s delight, and Kaufman is very accommodating and friendly. Have something you’d like to sell on consignment? Visit Kaufman’s store on Lafayette Avenue and he’ll probably take it. You’ll be amazed at his unique collection of dolls, furniture, vinyl records, costumes and collectibles.

LATHAM, NY (10/07/2019)– Major General Raymond F. Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces recent awards and individual recognitions for members of the New York Guard state defense force for their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of New York State’s Military Forces.

Capt. John Mauro from Suffern, NY, serving with the 10th Area Command, received the 6-month Service Ribbon during recent unit training events.

The New York Guard is a force of 500 uniformed volunteers, organized as a military unit, who augment the New York National Guard during state emergencies. They provide administrative and logistics support to the National Guard. Members of the New York Guard have been involved in flood control efforts along the Lake Ontario shoreline this summer.

It took four years of planning, tough decisions and a commitment to make things right, but it all paid off when the Village of Suffern was advised on October 8, 2019 that Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the Village of Suffern rating from Baa1 to A2.

“The Village Board and I worked with Treasurer Michael Genito, department heads, employees and volunteers as a team to bring the Village back from the abyss and this is something Suffern can be truly proud of. Due to outstanding financial leadership of Treasurer Michael Genito, the village’s dedication to fiscal stability was recognized by Moody’s two-step upgrade in Suffern’s rating from Baa1 to A2”, said Mayor Markunas.

At the end of May in 2015, according to the Office of State Comptroller’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System, the Village had the dubious distinction of being “the most fiscally stressed Village in the State of New York”. The Village of Suffern ended that fiscal year with no cash in the General Fund. In November 2015, Moody’s assigned a rating of Baa3 to the Village’s debt which was just one step above non-investment grade, otherwise known as “junk bonds.” The Baa3 rating reflected the Village’s distressed financial position characterized by a sustained negative fund equity position for four years prior to 2015, a negative cash position, and a reliance on cash flow borrowing to sustain operating liquidity.

“According to the New York State Comptroller’s Office, the village has no designation of fiscal stress”, Michael Genito explained. “As I have noted many times before, we are implementing multi-year plans to get us out of fiscal stress and into financial stability and viability. We are now out of the worst of it, but we are continuing to work hard to stay the course to achieve even better ratings.”
In 2016, the Mayor and Village Board asked Treasurer Michael Genito to develop a financial plan to bring the village back to financial stability. The plan developed by Treasurer Genito included the issuance of deficit bonds to inject cash into the village treasury and allow the village to pay vendors and employees. Budgets no longer included phantom revenues and unrealistically low expenditure estimates. New financial policies were developed and existing ones updated, and more importantly, were enforced to ensure that everyone kept to their budgets. The team effort included everyone – the elected officials, department heads, employees and volunteers, and that team effort paid off.
The first good news came in May of 2018, when Moody’s upgraded the Village from a Baa3 to a Baa1 rating. It is highly unusual for a municipality to gain a two-step increase, but as the Moody’s report pointed out, “The upgrade to Baa1 reflects a significantly improved financial position driven by deficit financing and improved budget management…”

And now on October 8, 2019, Moody’s upgraded the Village from Baa1 to A2, an additional two-step increase, in part because the village “…benefits from significantly improved fiscal management as evidenced by strong operating results over the past three fiscal years.”

As noted in the Moody’s reports, Suffern still has challenges, especially with its Sewer Fund operations and maintenance, but the village has taken the necessary steps to ensure compliance with all environmental requirements while providing dependable sewer service to its residents and businesses. “Our hard work is paying off “, said Mayor Markunas. “And, we
will continue to do what is best for our residents, businesses and those who come to the Village of Suffern to enjoy all that it has to offer.”

The Moody’s report on Suffern may be accessed at:
https://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-upgrades-Suffern-NYs-GOLT-issuer-rating-to-A2–PR_906072837

BY KATHY KAHN 

Rockland residents were treated to a special showing of “The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese’s newest film detailing the life and times of International Teamsters’ union leader Jimmy Hoffa, who went missing in 1975. (His remains have never been found, and he was officially declared dead in 1982.)

Part of the film takes place on Route 59 in the village of Suffern and features the Lafayette Theatre, with both the street and theatre set revamped to reflect late 1940’s, the decade in which the story begins. Other locations in and around the county were used—the sell out crowd in the Lafayette Theater cheered when they saw the vintage movie house on screen.

After a question & answer session with the film’s executive producer, Richard Baratta, the audience settled back to watch the “kings of crime movies”—Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino—do their thing in the 3 ½ hour-long film, which will debut on Netflix the evening of Wednesday, November 27—just in time for Thanksgiving.

BY SCOTT WATERS

SUFFERN – Community members and volunteers were out in full force on Friday collecting donations for the 29th Annual Suffern PBA/D.A.R.E. Holiday Toy Drive. The volunteers were very successful raising thousands of dollars that will go directly toward toys for local children in need. Members of the Suffern Police Department and Village DPW were also assisting volunteers. You can drop off a toy or gift card at the Suffern Police Department – located at 61 Washington Ave, Suffern until December 20.

Jared Lloyd’s son turned six yesterday. Hundreds of first responders from Rockland County, Orange County, and New Jersey drove by his house to wish him a happy birthday. Lloyd died Tuesday morning as he helped save over 100 lives in a major fire at the Evergreen Adult Home in Spring Valley. 

Over 150 pieces of first responder apparatus gathered for the 40-minute-long parade. 

The New York Mets also offered condolences to Lloyd’s family in a statement on Twitter Thursday morning. The statement reads: “We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of #Mets fan and hero, Jared Lloyd. Jared, a volunteer firefighter, was killed while rescuing elderly residents from a nursing home. We salute his bravery and sacrifice. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones.”

An online fundraiser has been set up for Lloyd’s two sons. Over $305,000 was raised as of Thursday morning. 

Donations can be made at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/firefighter-jared-lloyd-fundraiser?utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&fbclid=IwAR2O3DuOMHSn14xr6n7dRozJYy15fh673e3KF5zxesainr8EmM7qiQgyZ4w 

This welcome news comes on the heels of another update from the Governor, who earlier that day stated that beginning Tuesday, March 30 at 8:00 a.m., all New Yorkers 30 years of age and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine.

In its announcement, the state government reported that more than 2 million total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered at New York State-run and FEMA-assisted mass vaccination sites. Across New York, more than 9 million total doses have been administered in total. 

Despite that progress, New York saw a 64 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases last week. Rockland health officials reported 198 new cases of the virus in that time-frame, bringing the county total to 43,130.

“Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID,” said Cuomo. “As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but until we get there it is more important than ever for each and every New Yorker to wear a mask, socially distance and follow all safety guidelines.”

Update: Judge David S. Zuckerman set Kezek’s bail to $100,000 Thursday afternoon. Kezek was then remanded to County Jail and will return to court on June 17.

Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh announced an additional felony indictment of a Rockland County Corrections Officer, which stems from a continuing investigation into criminal activity in the County Jail. A Rockland County Grand Jury handed down the charges late last week.

John Kezek, 35, of Knoxville, Tennessee, formerly of Florida, NY was indicted on Criminal Sexual Act 1st (B felony), Criminal Sexual Act 3rd (E felony) and Official Misconduct (A Misdemeanor). The charges were prompted by allegations made by a female victim who came into contact with Kezek while working in his official capacity.

“The latest indictments of Mr. Kezek reveal an evil course of conduct, leaving the victims to put their lives back together,” said Walsh. “My office will continue to pursue justice for the victims of sexual crimes.”

Last year, Kezek and another Rockland County Corrections Officer, Christopher Taggart, 39, of New City, were indicted on multiple charges of misconduct. Kezek was previously charged with 5 counts of Official Misconduct (misdemeanor), as he allegedly sexually harassed more than one female minority inmate. 

Taggart was indicted on 21 counts of Official Misconduct and two counts of Promoting Prison Contraband (felony). He allegedly engaged in inappropriate relationships with female minority inmates. 

The District Attorney’s Office is protecting the victims’ identity, and asks that anyone who may have witnessed these incidents to send an anonymous tip by either downloading the Rockland County CO DA Tip 411 app, or by contacting law enforcement. Informants can also text the keyword ROCKLANDCODA to 847411, along with their tip information. 

“Rockland will not tolerate this horrific behavior,” said Walsh. “I would like to personally thank Rockland County Sheriff Lou Falco for his assistance in this investigation.”

Executive Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Devlin is prosecuting this case. 

Wonder Girls, a non-profit that aims to lift middle- to high-school girls’ community spirit, is hosting a Wellness Day at Varsity House, 337 Blaisdell Road in Orangeburg on Sunday, June 27 from 10:00am-1:00pm. Featuring Allison Jackson, fitness/nutrition coach and founder of Allison Jackson Fitness, Dr. Arantzazu “Zazu” Cioce, Physical Therapist,/PT/CAPP-OP and founder of Phoenix Physical Therapy and Yudy Veras Bueno, a spiritual guide/author who calls herself the “Joyful Shaman,” the three speakers will share their experience  as female entrepreneurs with a new generation of self-driven young women. The mid-morning event is sponsored by Goya Foods, Phoenix Physical Therapy and Varsity House Wonder Girls is also offering a virtual event on Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00pm. Join Gynecologist | U.S. Army Captain Dr. Kerry-Anne Perkins for a one-hour free health workshop for high school girls, parents and educators via Zoom with a Q&A to follow. Visit www.wondergirlsusa.org to reserve a spot for Wellness Day and for the Zoom chat with Dr. Perkins.

LATHAM, NY (10/07/2019)– Major General Raymond F. Shields, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces recent awards and individual recognitions for members of the New York Guard state defense force for their continuing commitment to serve community, state and nation as part of New York State’s Military Forces.

Capt. John Mauro from Suffern, NY, serving with the 10th Area Command, received the 6-month Service Ribbon during recent unit training events.

The New York Guard is a force of 500 uniformed volunteers, organized as a military unit, who augment the New York National Guard during state emergencies. They provide administrative and logistics support to the National Guard. Members of the New York Guard have been involved in flood control efforts along the Lake Ontario shoreline this summer.

It took four years of planning, tough decisions and a commitment to make things right, but it all paid off when the Village of Suffern was advised on October 8, 2019 that Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the Village of Suffern rating from Baa1 to A2.

“The Village Board and I worked with Treasurer Michael Genito, department heads, employees and volunteers as a team to bring the Village back from the abyss and this is something Suffern can be truly proud of. Due to outstanding financial leadership of Treasurer Michael Genito, the village’s dedication to fiscal stability was recognized by Moody’s two-step upgrade in Suffern’s rating from Baa1 to A2”, said Mayor Markunas.

At the end of May in 2015, according to the Office of State Comptroller’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System, the Village had the dubious distinction of being “the most fiscally stressed Village in the State of New York”. The Village of Suffern ended that fiscal year with no cash in the General Fund. In November 2015, Moody’s assigned a rating of Baa3 to the Village’s debt which was just one step above non-investment grade, otherwise known as “junk bonds.” The Baa3 rating reflected the Village’s distressed financial position characterized by a sustained negative fund equity position for four years prior to 2015, a negative cash position, and a reliance on cash flow borrowing to sustain operating liquidity.

“According to the New York State Comptroller’s Office, the village has no designation of fiscal stress”, Michael Genito explained. “As I have noted many times before, we are implementing multi-year plans to get us out of fiscal stress and into financial stability and viability. We are now out of the worst of it, but we are continuing to work hard to stay the course to achieve even better ratings.”
In 2016, the Mayor and Village Board asked Treasurer Michael Genito to develop a financial plan to bring the village back to financial stability. The plan developed by Treasurer Genito included the issuance of deficit bonds to inject cash into the village treasury and allow the village to pay vendors and employees. Budgets no longer included phantom revenues and unrealistically low expenditure estimates. New financial policies were developed and existing ones updated, and more importantly, were enforced to ensure that everyone kept to their budgets. The team effort included everyone – the elected officials, department heads, employees and volunteers, and that team effort paid off.
The first good news came in May of 2018, when Moody’s upgraded the Village from a Baa3 to a Baa1 rating. It is highly unusual for a municipality to gain a two-step increase, but as the Moody’s report pointed out, “The upgrade to Baa1 reflects a significantly improved financial position driven by deficit financing and improved budget management…”

And now on October 8, 2019, Moody’s upgraded the Village from Baa1 to A2, an additional two-step increase, in part because the village “…benefits from significantly improved fiscal management as evidenced by strong operating results over the past three fiscal years.”

As noted in the Moody’s reports, Suffern still has challenges, especially with its Sewer Fund operations and maintenance, but the village has taken the necessary steps to ensure compliance with all environmental requirements while providing dependable sewer service to its residents and businesses. “Our hard work is paying off “, said Mayor Markunas. “And, we
will continue to do what is best for our residents, businesses and those who come to the Village of Suffern to enjoy all that it has to offer.”

The Moody’s report on Suffern may be accessed at:
https://www.moodys.com/research/Moodys-upgrades-Suffern-NYs-GOLT-issuer-rating-to-A2–PR_906072837

BY KATHY KAHN 

Rockland residents were treated to a special showing of “The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese’s newest film detailing the life and times of International Teamsters’ union leader Jimmy Hoffa, who went missing in 1975. (His remains have never been found, and he was officially declared dead in 1982.)

Part of the film takes place on Route 59 in the village of Suffern and features the Lafayette Theatre, with both the street and theatre set revamped to reflect late 1940’s, the decade in which the story begins. Other locations in and around the county were used—the sell out crowd in the Lafayette Theater cheered when they saw the vintage movie house on screen.

After a question & answer session with the film’s executive producer, Richard Baratta, the audience settled back to watch the “kings of crime movies”—Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino—do their thing in the 3 ½ hour-long film, which will debut on Netflix the evening of Wednesday, November 27—just in time for Thanksgiving.