• 08May

  TOO LONG…but this is why

  neighbors No Comments

  I am finally putting in an entry on behalf of Beth Koppel and myself.

  She attended an important West Ward meeting about toxins at the ballfield an O&R cleanup.  She attended, asked great questions, as did Bill and Debby Schoenleber.  Beth continues to keep a pulse on this issue with her water and chemical background.

  I have been VERY active in Suffern’s Chamber of Commerce since January, 2009.  I volunteered to Chair their 1st Annual Suffern Music and Arts FESTIVAL!  It is VERY exciting and really a true magical and great experience with many people in Suffern, 10901 and surrounding communities who are so psyched to be part of this event Labor Day Weekend 2009!

  Please check out our website: www.suffernmusicandartsfestival.com and also join our volunteer community for the Festival at www.rocklandny.tv.  Our Suffern Music and Arts Festival group will give you all the latest details and internal insights from the volunteer community attached to our Festival!

• 25Jan

  Village Board Meeting - February 2nd

  neighbors 2 Comments

  Just a note to remind District 11 of the upcoming Village Board Meeting on Monday, February 2nd.  It would be excellent if the Village pre-posted agenda items to understand what will be discussed.

  I will be there listening in for the interests of our neighborhood and our Village!

• 16Jan

  Orange Avenue Project Update

  democrats & Friends, Orange Avenue, neighbors No Comments

  Last night, I attended the special Village Board meeting on Orange Avenue.  It was not as largely attended as the Planning Board meeting a few months ago, but overall, good citizen participation. 

  The most amazing part for me was one of the speakers during the Public ‘open session’ where citizens can make comments to the Board.   In attendance was the fourth great grandaughter of John Suffern, founder of Suffern, NY.  Carolyn Suffern Johnson flew in from Knoxville, TN to give remarks around her thoughts for the Urban Renewal project on Orange Avenue, based upon her family’s founding of Suffern.

  You can go to www.orangeavenueproject.comfor more detailed interviews, pictures and information that she shared—which will be up in a few days on the SocialChord page dedicated to this robust discussion.

  What I did want to share in this blog is the following message she wrote for me to share with Suffernites!

  “I have been here once before in 1986.  I have done all my research on MSN bird’s eye view maps, which show no topography.  I was stunned by the beauty of this Village when I got here!  I also was taken by the charm of Lafayette Ave.  I have seen very few downtown areas that seem as vibrant.  I envy those of you who live here!”

  The Village Board, by unanimous vote, accepted and adopted next steps to renew Orange Avenue.  Since I started out against this project; the details that were shared by the engineering firm and the real estate attorney were MUCH more improved, detailed and specific.  For a look at the plan, go to our Village goverment website: www.suffernvillage.comto download the plan under the “urban renewal” section.  Through Dagan LaCorte’s leadership, and his ability to better partner with concerned citizens, business owners and community members, the next steps are very open to citizen committee participation.

  I would like Dagan, The Mayor and the other Trustees to continue to ‘go green’ on this project, really understand infrastructure concerns and impacts, build the citizen committe that really takes into consideration what would beautify this area and be ready for NJ Transit’s “one-seat ride” from Suffern and finally, NO use of eminent domain with one more shot at how to get David Chen, commercial building owner, to sell.

• 07Jan

  HAPPY NEW YEAR and my Wish List for Suffern

  democrats & Friends, neighbors No Comments

  I attended the 1st Village Board meeting on Monday, January 5th, for the New Year…and part of my New Year’s resolution to stay involved and engaged for our neighborhood.

   Beth and I hope you received our Holiday best wishes and update.

  On Monday, I shared with the Mayor and Board of Trustees and Village Departments my Happy New Year Wish List.

  In summary, here is what I am asking the Village to understand, embrace and make a difference about:

  1. Understand and expand our vision and plan for how Suffern will thrive, just not survive, this recession.  The goal is twofold: increase the ability for our Downtown to grow right and map into a bigger plan for optimized development.  Fill the stores that are ‘for rent’, make our downtown more appealing and attractive by working with the Chamber of Commerce to market/attract both Villagers and Rockland/Bergen/Orange County-ites.  The second goal is to really understand Orange Avenue’s vision and how it will ‘go green’ AND take the Planning Board’s recommendations to make this more attractive.  This is good for District 11 if the Board/Dagan LaCorte take this feedback and direction that the community and planning board set into motion before the Holidays.

  2.  Embrace ideas and needs to make our Village THRIVE, not just survive, the recession.  Good companies and great ideas INVEST when times are tough on innovation and excellent vision. The Suffern Chamber of Commerce, through several members, are enthusiastically proposing that Suffern have a 1st annual Music/Arts/Food Festival in Sept, 2009.  Aurie Licata, President of the Chamber, has asked me to Chair this event with Co-Chair Jeremy Wall, founding member of Spyro Gyra and local 10901 resident!  The benefits to our Village are many…and the benefits to our neighborhood will be equally great.

  3. Focus on holding expenses flat, NOT raising taxes, and optimizing costs of Village services.  It is critical to make our budget work better and I am even suggested that CPA’s, tax experts, and other Village residents that are good at managing money give their advice/direction asap.  Do you remember the movie, “Dave”, where the stand-in President look alike brings in his friend the accountant and they reinvent the Federal budget?  This is what I envision for Suffern.

  4. Finally, focus on creating an innovative government that embraces technology and automated services to reduce costs and get more people involved.  SocialChord (www.socialchord.com) is a new platform that is coming to Suffern’s Village to make us more interconnected.  It is critcal to embrace this technology and improve the way we talk about issues, make policy, report on what’s happening and connect our residents.

  Happy New Year to you and your family!

  Tara (and Beth)

• 08Dec

  Veterans Affairs Nominee on a memorable day

  democrats & Friends, obama/biden No Comments

  In reflecting about the anniversary of Pearl Harbor yesterday (67 years ago!), and the Village’s incredible turnout to honor 3 survivors yesterday, I was additionally honored to see that General Eric Shinseki has been nominated by President-elect Obama as the new Veterans Affairs leader.

  My sister just retired as a Lt. Colonel after 20 years in the U.S. Army.   I am so proud of her service and accomplishments.  Her last position was Deputy Chief of Staff for Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  She was elevated to this position as part of the turnaround team to help improve medical care for our wounded warriors coming back from Iraq and Afgahnistan. 

  She saw so much and brought so much to this position.  As she has evolved from military life, she is promised by news like General Shinseki and may be able to help Veterans and the VA like never before.  I am excited to see her become a part of the answers in Washington and she may have that opportunity, now, given the General’s potential appointment, to work in the VA or as part of the new Health/Human Services agency, where her medical background (she is a nurse practioner) could also help change this world.

  How are you thinking about helping?  How can we do more at a time that is calling on all of us to contribute more to change education, local government, the environment, etc.?  Let Beth and I know your ideas and how we can help foster and support them with local leaders.

• 06Dec

  Exciting Changes

  democrats & Friends No Comments

  From all of the post November election excitement, one of the biggest pieces of news for me was an old political friend that won his election for U.S. Senate, Mayor Mark Begich, current mayor of Anchorage, AK.  With Alaska such a HUGE news item during the Presidential campaign, I am completely happy to see him win this race after 35 years of Republican reign. 

  Check out his website and all the news on his victory to swearing in at: http://www.begich.com/ 

  Go Mark!  Here’s to the next generation of leadership in the US Senate.

• 05Dec

  This week’s theme: reorganization!

  Democratic County Committee No Comments

  I attended the Village of Suffern’s Democratic Party leadership meeting this week.  It was created to reorganize the party and select the Chairperson and his team.

  The process was a bit long and a big unorganized.  I was impressed with both sides interest to lead our local party.  With a Mayor’s race in 2009 and 2 Trustee positions, we have a lot of opportunity to influence and drive change at our local government level.  The economy will continue to put the issue and at our Village services level…we will have to prioritize what we spend taxpayers’ money on.  In addition, we have such an incredible downtown…we need great stores, boutiques, unique commerce value that, again, the Democratic party locally should be helping motivate and move our slate of candidates to.

  Stay tuned. 

• 02Dec

  Lessons from Obama - Could our Village Party Grow to these?

  obama/biden, Democratic County Committee No Comments

  Tonight is our Village Democratic Party meeting.   We are looking forward to attending and meeting other party committeepeople across the neighborhoods of Suffern.  Tonight there will be nominations for Party Chair and Board.  We want to see the future, faster, with the right choices that help this Village find the talent and means to build on the strengths of our Village…for Mayor, for Trustee, for downtown commerce, for growth, for sustainability.

  I like this article in Chief Marketer online today.  Some points are worth bringing to the conversation this evening.

  http://chiefmarketer.com/disciplines/branding/1125-obama-marketing/index1.html

• 03Nov

  Vote Nov 4th - Vote Change

  obama/biden No Comments

  Tomorrow is one of the most exciting days of 2008.  I cannot believe this day has finally arrived.  After 8 years of George W. Bush and failed economic and foreign policies, we each have the chance to change.Vote; make sure you have all the folks you know in NY and other places vote.  I am very sure this will be a day of unprecedented turnout.  Every vote will count.For offices beyond President/VP, in Rockland County, you will vote for Congress, State Senator, State Assembly and Trustees.  Make your choice count; make sure these people respresent the change you will vote for on Nov 4th for President.  It is critical to have the same enthusiasm and engagement for local office because our neighborhoods and communities need us the most. 

• 30Oct

  Less than 1 week

  obama/biden 1 Comment

  After 2 years of campaigning, it is too exciting to get to this finish line for President.  I know that District 11 will turn out very strong for Obama/Biden.  In a recent Sienna College poll, Obama/Biden lead in NYS polls by 31% over McCain/Palin.  What I am most excited about is the turnout that pollsters and pundits WILL NOT PREDICT on election day.  In a recent article, one writer called this election about the ‘invisible web”.  No one can measure how much effect online organizing, online voter registration and GOTV (get out the vote), online fundraising and online tactics for voter persuasion will have.

  I encourage all of us in District 11 to vote.  It is critical to express your opinion and understand how attached you must become to your community and our U.S. ‘community’ in order to effect incredible change.  With the recession, financial market crisis, folks struggling to keep afloat, we have to facilitate more time and energy, together, to make a difference in Suffern, Town of Ramapo and Rockland County.

   -Tara

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