Avoid Identity Theft and Shred Your Documents - Town of Ramapo Shredding Day August 21, 2011 Identity theft is becoming more and more of an issue these days and with the worsening of the economy it becomes an even more prevalent problem.   According to the Better Business Bureau, identity theft is the largest growing crime in America. One way to safeguard against identity theft is to safely dispose of any sensitive documents that contain personal identification and financial information by shredding them. For those of you that don't have shredders, the Town of Ramapo is sponsoring a Shredding Day.  It's their way of doing their part to promote the safe disposal of credit and financial information and reduce the possibility of identity theft. If you have any bank statements, credit card ... 08/03/2011

This Weekend in Rockland County NY If you're planning on spending the weekend in Suffern NY or anyplace in Rockland County, you've got a whole plethora of things happening in and around the county to enjoy. Beginning this evening in Suffern there is another one of the village sponsored FREE concerts at the Virginia Menschner Gazebo beginning at 7 p.m. In the event of rain, the concert will be held in the Community Center.  The band Reflections will be performing. The weekly Suffern Farmer's Market will take place, rain or shine at Orange Ave and Lafayette Avenue Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. rain or shine. Besides all the local produce there is always great family entertainment and activities to enjoy. Movies in the Park at EmelineSaturday, July 16, 7pm. Raindate Sunday, July 17E... 07/14/2011

Visit the Library Without Ever Leaving Home - Digital Library Services Did I ever tell you that we've got a great local library? Suffern Free Library is the best!! Now, if you haven't already done so, you can take advantage of a whole host of online services that the library offers. The services are available at the library or by visiting the libraries online site (www.suffernfreelibrary.org). So what online services are available? First and foremost, though it's a service that's been around for awhile, if you sign up and request it, the library will send you a reminder a few days before your books are due. You can then log into your account and renew them online. Since I've been using this service, I seldom (if ever) have any overdue charges on my account. There's just no excuse anymor... 07/06/2011

Music Under the Stars - July 4th Concert and Fireworks! If you live in Rockland County NY, then you are lucky enough to have The West Point Military Academy practically in your backyard.  Every summer they sponsor a concert series of Music Under the Stars.  These are weekly concerts held at the Academy and the best part of all is that they are FREE.  What better way to celebrate July 4th then to do it with those that train to protect and maintain our freedom and everything that this country stands for.  If you've never been to West Point, you're in for a treat.  The grounds are spectacular;  it's worth the trip just for the views from Trophy Point.  The concert and fireworks are just an added bonus.  At this evenings concert the Concert Band is scheduled to perform some great American p... 07/04/2011

Beware of Fire! - FDNY Fire Zone One of the advantages of living in Suffern is that we're just a short train ride (or bus ride or car ride) away from the New York City and all that it has to offer.  Here's a trip to the city that will delight the kids in your life and the "kid" in you. Which kid at one time or another hasn't dreamed of being a fireman?  They can now experience something of the life of a fireman in a visit to the New York Fire Department's FDNY Fire Zone.  It's located in the heart of Manhattan at 50 Rockefeller Plaza. Kids will have the opportunity to meet a firefighter, climb on a fire truck, try on bunker gear and learn how to crawl through smoke-filled hallways.  For the children over the age of five, there's also a multimedia fire-simulation presentation they can ex... 06/30/2011

Visit New York Museums for FREE!! Compliments of Suffern Free Library I love our local library in Suffern NY.  Besides being a great place to hang out in, the library has some super activities it sponsors on an ongoing basis.  One of their new programs available to Suffern and nearby Sloatsburg cardholders is the loan of a pass entitling you to free admission to one of several of New York's most popular museums.  You can reserve a pass (one per family) for same day or next day pick-up which gives you free museum access for 2 to 4 people.  Passes can be borrowed for up to three days and are available for the following museums:  American Folk Art Museum American Museum of Natural History Brooklyn Museum Children's Museum of Manhattan Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum The Museum of Bethel... 06/29/2011

Celebrate Independence Day Early! The Town of Ramapo's Celebration of Liberty and Pride, Concert and Fireworks - Sunday, June 26,2010 at Rockland Community College in Suffern NY The Town of Ramapo is once again commemorating Independence Day with a Music and Fireworks display. Their annual "Celebration of Liberty and Pride" is scheduled to take place this Sunday, June 26 from 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM at Rockland Community College's athletic fields. Admission to this annual event (both the concert and the fireworks) is FREE.  The musical entertainment  is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM , followed by a skydiver display. Reggie Woods and The Soul Street concert will start at 9:00 PM with the grand fireworks extravaganza (by Zambelli Internationale) to follow at approximately 9:30 PM. Rockland Com... 06/21/2011

Marcello's Turns 25 and You're Invited to Celebrate! - Suffern NY Marcello's has been a fixture in the village of Suffern for 25 years now.  This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of his retaurant's existance in Suffern and to celebrate a quarter of a century of success he'd like to invite the community to share in a special celebration that will take place at the revitalized historic Lafayette Theatre.   How special is that! There's two week-ends of fun planned as part of this celebration - June 16 and June 23 with a concert on each of those days at the Historic Lafayette Theatre. On June 16, 2011 at 8PM the concert will feature  singer Chritina Fontanelli in "From Napoli to Broadway" with The Fun Bunch Big Band and a special guest ventriloquist Gary WIllner. On June 23, 2011, 8pm "Po... 06/16/2011

Avon Free Summer Concert Series - Suffern NY Summer is fast approaching and the village of Suffern will be continuing their tradition of free summer concerts. The Village of Suffern's summer concert series will be starting next Thursday, June 23 with its first concert featuring the Rock and Blues Band,  NO EXIT. The concert will take place at the Virginia Menschner Gazebo, at 7:00 p.m. You're welcome to come, bring the family and don't forget to bring a chair or blanket, and maybe a picnic dinner too.   All shows are kid-friendly. In case of rain, the performance will be moved to the George J. Parness Suffern Community Center (just next door) at 41 Washington Avenue. (For more information, call 845-357-7943). And just so that you don't miss any of the other concerts that are planned for... 06/15/2011

Golf Camp - Another Town of Ramapo Specialty Camp If you're wondering how to keep the younger set entertained this summer, you're worries are over. The Town of Ramapo Parks and Recreation department keeps coming up with more and more great ideas for specialty camps to keep our kids busy.  When I was a kid, our only choice was good old day camp where we went swimming and played ball.  Today, the choices abound.  There's Space Camp, Mad Science Camp, Teen Trek, Create and Explore, Field Hockey Camp and now, Golf Camp. Golf Camp is designed for boys and girls in grades K-8 who are interested in learning to play golf or those that have had some lessons and are interested in improving their game.  The goal of the camp is to teach the campers the fundamentals necessary to play their best at t... 06/13/2011

Suffern Street Fair - June 12 2011 In case the weather, your schedule or real life got in the way and you missed  the first of this seasons Suffern Street Fair"s, you can catch their next one this Sunday June 12, 2011 between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.   It will take place all along Lafayette Avenue.   Vendors will line the streets from the Gazebo opposite the Lafayette Theater, until the end of Lafayette at Orange Avenue. The fair is a chance for local businesses to promote their businesses and services, and a great venue for neighbors to meet and get to know each other in a fun way. It's also a chance for local community groups to network and reach out to others. There will be hundreds of vendors on hand, wonderful food, some musical bands to entertain you and some fun activities for the w... 06/10/2011

A Tribute To Frank Sinatra - Suffern Free Library June 5 2011 For all of you lovers of Frank Sinatra and his music, the Suffern Free Library will be hosting a Tribute To Frank Sinatra at the library at 1:30 PM today, June 5, 2011.  The pianist Louis Landon will be performing and "The Summer Wind", "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Witchcraft" are among some of the featured musical presentations.  Louis Landon is a solo pianist and composer, who hails from Chestnut Ridge, in Rockland County New York.  He's traveled around the world performing and play a variety of styles including jazz, Latin music, rock, pop, film composing, and classical piano. He's published own music  and his latest CD "Reality Not Fantasy was released in March 2011. If you're a Frank Sinatra fan, you won't want to mi... 06/04/2011

 Want to Run With the Dogs? - Town of Ramapo Pet Parade - Fun Run June 4, 2011 Here's a novel fun event for all you dog lovers.  A fun run for the canine crowd. The Town of Ramapo will be sponsoring a Pet Parade One- Mile Fun Run on June 4, 2011 to benefit the Hudson Valley Humane Society.  It will take place at the Torne Valley Recreation Center between 10:00AM and noon. Registration starts ate 10:00 AM and the walk starts at 10:30 AM. PETCO in Nanuet will be sponsoring a free "goodie bag" for your dog, with free id tags and tennis balls  courtesy of the Hudson Valley Humane Society. Bring your family and your dogs and come prepared to have a fun run. The cost is a $10 donation per dog participating, which goes to the Humane Society.  The Torne Valley Recreation Center is located at 11... 05/31/2011

Town of Ramapo Family Day at Eugene Levy Park The Town of Ramapo has some great parks and Eugene Levy Park on Route 45 in Pomona, NY is one of my favorite.  It's one of the towns newer parks, but is full of wonderful facilities. They have a great children's playground that they are always adding to.  But, the park is so much more than just a place to play.  There are handball courts, an exercise trail, paths for jogging and walking, a duck pond, a great sledding hill for winter fun, picnic areas and more.  The park is located right next to Herb Reisman Sports Complex which hosts a Little League field, soccer field, sand volleyball courts, basketball and tennis courts, paved walking path, a picnic pavilion, comfort station, most of which is  illuminated for night use. Whenever my grand-k... 05/30/2011

The Suffern Farmers’ Market 10th Season - Suffern NY Spring is here and local farmers will begin marketing their fresh spring produce at farmers markets all around the county.  You'll get a chance to meet our local farmers firsthand and to sample their gardens bounty.  Not only do they use this venue to sell the gifts of their gardens, but they also sell some homemade products created from their produce. You'll have a chance to get to know where your food is coming from and and be able to cash in on some great deals while supporting local farmers and vendors. The Suffern Farmers’ Market  will be beginning its' 10th season on Saturday, June 11, 2011 and offering a wide selection of products. Saturday's from June through November 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Rain or Shine at Orange Ave at Lafayett... 05/29/2011

Reach Family Fun Run- Suffern, NY The Reach Foundation  (Road to Educational Achievement by Choice),  a not for profit organization that supports community programs benefitting the Ramapo Central School District, will be sponsoring a Family Run/Walk/5K event on June 12 2011. The goal of this years Fun Run is to raise funds for new classroom teacher grants at all levels.This event is being held at the Torne Valley Sports Complex and should be a fun family event with entertainment, refreshments and t-shirts. This three part event consists of:  a one mile family fitness fun walk.    A 5K run for the more experienced runners  a one mile Jami Erlich "sunshine" memorial run for K-5 students Registration is required for all participants in the runs.$5 - student walker$10 - adult walker$20 - 1 ... 05/27/2011

Your Driving Needs and What They Cost The rising cost of gas has made us all rethink the way we do business, the way we commute and the way we get our errands and daily activities done. It is also becoming a determining factor in choosing a neighborhood and location to live. As realtors we spend a goodly percentage of our time in our cars, showing properties and with gas prices hovering just under $4.00 a gallon we're looking for ways to conserve and cut costs. Even perspective home buyers are focused on cutting down their commuting costs and are choosing homes closer to work and/or public transportation. But, before we can cut down on prices we need to first know what it actually costs us to get from point A to point B. Cost2Drive.com is a great site designed as a commuter calculator t... 05/26/2011

Memorial Day - A Day to Remember in Suffern NY Memorial Day is so much more than just a day for barbecues, or the day that marks the beginning of the summer season.  It's a day to honor and pay homage to all soldiers. The first Memorial day was celebrated in 1865 as a day to honor Union soldiers that died in the Civil War fighting for their country.  Because it began as a day to commemorate Union soldiers, many southern states didn't begin to observe the day until after World War I, when it officially became a day to honor all fallen soldiers from all wars. The Village of Suffern will be commemorating their veterans in a parade on Memorial Day sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion.  It's scheduled to take place on Monday May 30 2011, beginning at 11:15 ... 05/25/2011

May 22, June 12, September 18, 10-5 PM, Suffern, NY: Suffern Street Fair - Peruse the booths of more than 100 vendors while you enjoy wonderful food, live music and activities for the entire family. Lafayette Ave and side-streets. Free. (845) 357-8424. www.woodwill.com , www.rockland.org  If you would like us to include your event, email me your event and contact information at  anthony.stokespereira@randrealty.com or Fax (845) 624-7137 Anthony Stokes Pereira, Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I'm experienced, because I am a Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Real Estate Professional . . .and because I care.    As your Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Sales Professional, I will provide you with the informat... 05/21/2011

Award Winning Spook Rock Golf Course, Suffern NY Suffern, New York is home to the Award Winning Spook Rock Golf Course.  It's an 18 hole regulation course located on Spook Rock Road.  The spook rock golf course is a municipal golf course with an "Open to Public" guest policy, of course if you're a Ramapo resident there is built in savings.  The golf course was built on land that was originally one of the first Boy Scout camps in the United States.  The coarse was designed by Francis J. Duane in 1969 and sits on 150 acres amidst the Ramapo Mountains.  There are four seperate sets of teeing areas that offer a challenge to golfers of all abilities.  The course rating is 72.7 with a slope rating of 127. The golf course is part of Spook Rock Golf Course facility in Suffern, NY. which also of... 05/19/2011