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!

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!

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.

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)

To all our District 11 voters! THANK YOU!!! The votes are in and Beth and i will be your new Democratic County Committee members. We are excited to serve with the Schoenlebers. We will be in touch to continue to understand what our neighborhood and District 11 needs to be the great place we all live.

The official results:

http://www.co.rockland.ny.us/BOE/ACCUME090908.HTM

Just a reminder of the Village Planning Board meeting tomorrow night. Many of you talked about a Suffern that continues to understand our West Ward, Orange Ave, Chestnut Ave, Park Ave and Lafayette needs! 7pm sharp at Village Hall.

Again, so many thanks for the support and embrace you have given us.

Tara

WOW…it’s all Beth and I had to say about our great event yesterday.  Between canvassing and The Garden Party on Sunday, we have met hundreds of Registered Democrats and Neighbors in District 11 the last few weeks.

Yesterday was a complete treat where over 100 of you stopped by, met new friends, reconnected with old ones, and had a great time in the 23 Meadow Garden.  We discussed everything from how to lose weight, to the Presidential campaign, to Orange Avenue to putting an old fashioned Merry-Go-Round where the Gazebo is in the Village.

We had terrific food supplied by Georgie Porgie’s on Chestnut (everyone said the meatballs were some of the best they ever tasted…so was their ziti);  Dona Maria’s (the quesadilla’s and tortillas/salsa were a hit);  Bagel Train (I just love their everything bagel anyday); Crumbs (my favorite Boston Creme cupcakes…but everyone loved the brownies!)…all District 11 businesses…thank you!

Finally, The DJ was terrific.  And…what a treat for all…Spence Adams performed 6 songs from her repitoire…just amazing.  The 23 Meadow Ave Garden’s 1st oudoor concert.  Just think if we could do this scene at The Quarry….a much better use of that land if we can’t keep it open space (but that is another entry).

Remember, tomorrow, Tuesday, September 9th is the Democratic Primary.  Please vote for Tara Agen and Beth Koppel.

As we prepared for our Garden Party Saturday morning, we also wanted to make sure we canvassed our neighborhood again. Beth had a blast getting soaked by Hanna, while I was piloting the car through the puddles. Thanks to all who continue to connect with us and validate that we just want to better understand how to connect with our Village elected officials, dialog around the issues that matter most to our neighborhood and begin to interconnect how we organize solutions, together, to make a difference in Suffern and Town of Ramapo.

We look forward to having folks stop by Tara’s Garden tomorrow for lively dialog and meeting new friends.

Sometimes, you just get lucky.

Tonight, during our canvass, we had the pure pleasure of meeting a new neighbor, and wonderful woman, Beatrice. She filled our heads with great feedback and ideas on how Suffern could be a better place for all.

Of course, it all started with ‘parking’…or the inability to park when guests visit her in the Village. She had excellent ideas for overnight parking, how to make our Village more lively, and how to make NJ Transit a better ‘neighbor’ to all of us, like residents have done in Spring Valley.

The best part about our visit is that with her actress and singing background, she will be part of our Garden Party on Sunday and bring her guitar, her voice and herself (including a great sense of humor) and share her talents with all of us, who are her neighbors, at our event. Lucky us!!

Hi-District 11 is part of the Town of Ramapo/Rockland County voter districts.  Think about this ‘map’ as a series of streets that represent different areas within our neighborhoods.  District 11 includes:  The West Ward (the neighborhood that sits over the train tracks on the side where you catch NJ Transit).  Those streets include:  W. Park Place, Meadow Avenue, N. Ramapo, Maple, W. Maltbie, Oak Terrace, Jersey Avenue, Dunnery Court, Ridge Ave and First Street.  Across the tracks on the Downtown side of the Village, District 11 includes: Chestnut, Park Ave, Orange Ave, and Lafayette Ave.Tonight, Beth and I canvassed part of our district again.  The issues are still the same and the overall need from our citizens is continued education around key issues like Orange Ave development, The Quarry Development, the One seat train to Midtown from Suffern, the upcoming Presidential election.  We are excited for neighbors to stop by our “Garden Party” on Sunday, September 7th, from 11:30 am - 3:30 pm to continue to the conversation.We will be out tomorrow night talking to neighbors again.  One message is clear, make sure you vote on Tuesday, September 9th for Tara Agen and Beth Koppel AND also make sure our neighbors attend the Village Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, September 10th at 7pm.  It is critical we have neighbors make the effort to attend, understand, listen and contribute.Thanks to all those neighbors tonight who were so hospitable with their time and energy to talk.