The Village of Spring Valley recently held a celebration in honor of Haitian Flag Day.
Haitian Flag Day Celebrated in Spring Valley
Town of Ramapo
Ramapo Town Hall
237 Route 59
Suffern, NY 10901
845-357-5100
www.ramapo.org
Housing and Community Development Needs
County Seeking Public Input
New City, NY, – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Office of Community Development Assistant Director Maria Frank announce two public meetings related to the 2020 – 2024 Rockland County Consolidated Plan which must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).
“We need the opinion of housing and service providers and our residents to help guide the housing and community development priorities for Rockland,” said County Executive Day. “Please take a few minutes of your day to complete the survey or virtually attend one of the meetings.”
As a recipient of Federal entitlement grant funds, Rockland County is required to submit a Consolidated Plan to HUD every five years. The Consolidated Plan describes the County’s community development priorities and multi-year goals, which are informed by an assessment of housing and community development needs and an analysis of housing and economic market conditions and available resources.
The Rockland County Office of Community Development is the overall administrative agent for the HUD Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), Rockland County Supportive Housing Programs and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) programs for the County.
The surveys for members of the public are available here:
- English Language Survey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Rockland-eng
- Spanish Language Survey – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Rockland-esp
The survey for housing and service providers is available here:
The last day to complete the surveys is June 9, 2021.
The County has arranged for a pair of virtual public meetings on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at 7:00 PM and Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 10:00 AM on Zoom. The meetings will be identical and will cover topics related to Institutional Structure and Housing and Homeless Needs and Impediments to Fair Housing. A portion of the meeting will be dedicated to public input.
Please register at the links below to attend one of the meetings:
- Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at 7:00 PM: https://bit.ly/3yIhnLn
- Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 10:00 AM: https://bit.ly/3ursYLt
If housing or service providers or members of the public have questions, please contact Karey Lynch, Office of Community Development at lynchk@co.rockland.ny.us
Montebello to host annual Memorial Day ceremony May 30th
Annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony
Sunday, May 30, 2021 – 9:00 AM
WELCOME
Mayor Lance N. Millman
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Fiona O’Brien, Suffern High School
READING OF THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
Montebello Elementary School 5th Graders
Zachary Dempsey & Lily Somogyi
GUEST SPEAKER
Jeremy Honey, Vietnam Veteran,
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant
Marine Corps League, Rockland County Detachment Color Guard,
Laying of Wreath, Rifle Salute & Taps
*Refreshments at the Gazebo after completion of service
Last Call: Administrator Guzman Announces Final Push for Restaurant Revitalization Fund Applications
Qualifying eating establishments should submit applications by theMay 24th deadline
WASHINGTON – Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced that eligible eating establishments have until Monday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET, to submit applications to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.“If our nation’s food and beverage industry is going to fully recover, we must ensure as many of the hardest-hit businesses get the economic aid they need,” said Administrator Guzman. “We are committed to creating easy to navigate programs and removing barriers that have kept many of our nation’s smallest businesses from accessing these crucial economic lifelines. The SBA will continue to be as entrepreneurial as the small businesses we serve, and we will continue to work as fast as possible to deliver the relief our businesses need so urgently.”
“The numbers speak to the commitment SBA made to educating owners and operators through their work with the Association, our state partners, and other industry support organizations,” said Tom Bené, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “The funds that have already been distributed will help accelerate the recovery of thousands of restaurants and bring much-needed capital to communities across the country.”
The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund signed into law by President Joe Biden established an initial $5 billion set-aside established by Congress for applicants with gross receipts not more than $500,000. To further ensure an equitable distribution of funds, Administrator Guzman created two additional funding allocations to ensure the smallest of the small restaurants and other eating establishments have equitable access: 1) $500 million for applicants with 2019 gross receipts not more than $50,000, and 2) $4 billion for applicants with 2019 gross receipts between $500,000 and $1,500,000. In the first two weeks of the RRF program, and after 600 targeted community outreach events in multiple languages, SBA has received from priority groups:
- 12,898 applications from businesses with not more than $50,000 in pre-pandemic revenue requesting $290 million in funds
- 73,671 applications from businesses with not more than $500,000 in annual pre-pandemic revenue requesting $6.1 billion in funds
- 34,010 applications from businesses with $500,000 – $1,500,000 in annual pre-pandemic revenue requesting $8.4 billion in funds
Designed to ensure the smallest of small eating establishments get the relief needed, set-asides continue a commitment to an equitable distribution of funds to hard-hit communities. Because SBA still has potential set-aside funding available for eligible establishments with 2019 annual revenue of not more than $50,000, it will keep the application portal open until Monday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET. While all qualified restaurants may submit applications, more than $220 million of a $500 million set-aside remains in the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). Eligible establishments that meet this revenue standard are encouraged to apply through SBA-recognized point-of-sale vendors or directly via the SBA online application portal.
To date, the RRF program has received more than 303,000 applications representing over $69 billion in requested funds, and nearly 38,000 applicants have been approved for more than $6 billion. Of the overall submitted applications, 57 percent came from women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged business owners. During the first two weeks of the program, SBA has received applications from:
- More than 122,000 women business owners
- More than 14,000 veteran business owners
- More than 71,000 economically and socially disadvantaged individuals
For those interested in applying to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, visit sba.gov/restaurants.
St. Thomas Aquinas College Celebrated its 64th Commencement at New York Boulders Stadium
(SPARKILL, N.Y. — May 20, 2021) — St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) held its 64th Commencement Exercises in-person on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona, NY, the baseball home of the New York Boulders — and the STAC Spartans. The excitement was palpable while over 300 students were celebrated and awarded master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s degrees on a beautiful spring day.
It was an honor to have as our guest, Dr. Philip O. Ozuah, MD, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Montefiore Medicine, who delivered an inspiring and poignant Commencement address to the Class of 2021, sending them off with words of wisdom as they begin their career journeys during this challenging time. In his closing statement, Dr. Ozuah said, “Always strive for excellence and go boldly into the future and make a name for yourself.” Dr. Ozuah was also bestowed The Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree by STAC President, Kenneth D. Daly.
President Daly shared kind words with each graduate, and stated: “While the history books will document the devastating COVID health and economic impacts that have continued into 2021, I will always remember how my first graduating class navigated these challenges and safeguarded the entire STAC community. I will also remember how, together, we launched our Center for Social Justice and began to listen and learn from one another in our commitment to ensure that all voices are heard and that we become part of the solution in the turbulent days ahead. I know you will be your best self … and I know you will make an impact. You have made an impact on me … and you have left an indelible mark here at the College.”
Salutatorian, Niamh Ellen McKevitt, and Valedictorian, Daniel Alan Monarchi, spoke to the graduating class and shed light on their fulfilling time at the College.
Student Class Service Awards included the Gold Key and Silver Key Service Awards—the Gold Key Service Award was presented to Michael Paul Gonoud, Abagaile Therese Kimbrell, Samuel Harris Naveran, and Matthew Ray Quinones; the Silver Key Service Award was presented to Nicholas Austin DiPietro, Mary Elizabeth Dristle, Gianna Philomena Galu, Hayley Nicole Kousoulas, Kristina Nicole Lodato, Christina Carla Maretzo, George Meizah Nkrumah, Michael James Rappo, Alexandra Rose Presti, Sadiki E. St. George, and Paige Louise Toothaker. The Terence Cardinal Cooke Award was presented to Anabel Garcia, who has demonstrated outstanding and meritorious service; the Jon Roberts Award was awarded to Felicity Erica Popovich, for earning the highest academic excellence in Literary Studies; the Sister Regina Rosaire Dolan Award was presented to Taylor Marie Gorman, for having the highest academic excellence in the School of Education graduate program; the Francis Cardinal Spellman Award was given to Hayley Nicole Kousoulas and Daniel Alan Monarchi for the highest academic excellence in the undergraduate program; and the Betty LaSala Award was given to Abagaile Therese Kimbrell for earning the highest academic excellence in the Sciences.
In addition to the Special Awards, students who completed the Honors Program of Study and Aquinas Leaders Program were officially recognized for their admirable accomplishments.
The STAC community is thankful to the College’s dedicated faculty, staff, students, friends, and all who came together to celebrate our graduates this week. We are especially proud of the Class of 2021 for their hard work, tenacity, and resilience while adapting to extraordinary conditions over the past year. Congratulations to the St. Thomas Aquinas College Class of 2021!
St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 72 acres in Rockland County, NY, which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s approximately 2,000 full and part-time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is a candidate for accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and its School of Business is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.