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Rockland County DOH Shares Tips On How To Stay Cool In The Heat And Humidity

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Rockland County Department of Health urges residents to take these simple steps to stay cool and help prevent heat-related illnesses:

  • Use air-conditioning to cool down.  Stay indoors in a place with working air conditioning. If you do not have air conditioning at home, spend time in air-conditioned places such as libraries, movies, malls, or other public buildings during the hottest hours of the day. Cooling centers are places where people may go to cool down during hot weather. You can call your town or village for a list of cooling centers near you. Before going to a cooling center, it’s important to call ahead to make sure it’s open, as some cooling centers are only open during regular business hours and during officially declared heat emergencies and extreme heat events.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink more fluids. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks. If your doctor generally limits the amount you drink or has you on water pills, ask how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
  • Beat the heat with cool showers and baths.
  • Stay out of the sun as much as possible.  Avoid activities that involve a lot of energy or effort during the hottest part of the day, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and take many breaks from physical activity.
  • Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing to help keep cool.
  • Wear sunscreen and a ventilated hat (such as straw or mesh) when outside in the sun and even when it is cloudy.
  • Talk to your healthcare provider about any medicine or drugs you take. Certain medications can increase the risk of heat-related illness. These medications affect the body’s ability to sweat and stay cool. Do NOT stop taking medication unless instructed to do so by your doctor.
  • Never leave children, pets, or those with special needs in a parked car, even briefly. Even with a window cracked open, temperatures in the car can become dangerous within a few minutes.  Always check that no one is left inside your vehicle before locking it up.
  • Keep your pets safe. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible, and bring lots of water on walks.
  • Check in on your family, friends, and neighbors.  Heat and humidity can be dangerous for anyone, especially older adults, young children, and those with chronic medical conditions such as heart and breathing or lung problems.
  • Check the Air Quality Index to find out how clean or polluted your air is, what associated health effects might be a concern for you, and whether  you need to limit outdoor activities. Rockland County is considered part of the NYC Metro region. If you would like to get air quality notifications, sign up for Enviroflash.

For more information about keeping cool in the summer heat, visit the New York State Department of Health

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Senator Weber Announces Record State Aide For Rockland County Schools

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Rockland County schools are poised to receive a record amount of state aid, thanks partly to the Rockefeller Institute’s groundbreaking report on education funding disparities. While the Institute held five public hearings across New York State, the Hudson Valley was notably excluded. In response, Senator Bill Weber hosted his own bipartisan foundation aid forum on July 29, 2024, bringing together school superintendents from Rockland County and beyond to ensure their voices were heard.
The testimony from Senator Weber’s forum was submitted to the Rockefeller Institute and incorporated into their final report, highlighting the urgent need for increased funding for Rockland County schools. As a result, the Governor’s proposed executive budget includes an additional $42.2 million in base state education aid for Rockland County schools over last year, including: 
⦁ $19.75 million more than last year for the East Ramapo School District
⦁ $13 million more than last year for the North Rockland School District
⦁ $4.2 million more than last year for the Clarkstown School District
⦁ $1.98 million more than last year for the Nyack School District
⦁ $1.81 million more than last year for the Suffern Central School District
“I’m grateful to the Rockefeller Institute for acknowledging and addressing this long-standing funding imbalance,” said Senator Bill Weber. “For years, Rockland County schools have been short changed due to an outdated funding formula. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure these crucial funding increases, at a minimum, are adopted in the final New York State budget for 2025-2026. I am also looking forward to the implementation of some of the other good recommendations in the Rockefeller report, which will ensure even more base state education aid for all our schools.”

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Rockland County DA Chief ADA Patrick Frawley Named Aide to the Grand Marshal for Rockland St. Patrick’s Day Parade

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PEARL RIVER, NY – The 61st Annual Rockland County St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on March 23rd at 1:30pm. Chief Assistant District Attorney Patrick Frawley is a retired Detective with the Town of Orangetown Police Department. Pat went to law school while working full-time with the Orangetown PD graduating Cum Laude from Pace Law School in White Plains. Following his law enforcement career, he worked at Clarkstown Central School District as the Coordinator of Safety and Security and implemented many new safety initiatives. Some of his exhaustive credentials include completion of the F.B.I. Criminal Investigators course, NYPD Homicide Investigators School, NYPD Sex Crimes/Child Abuse School and also traveled to Israel in 2003 to train with the Israeli Police and Global ATS in anti-terrorism methods.

The parade leaves from the Pfizer parking lot, turning east onto E Crooked Hill Road, turning south onto N. Middletown Rd, turning west onto E Central Ave, turning south onto South Main Street, and ending in the area of the Pearl River Post Office. Roads in the Pearl River area are subject to closure up to 1 hour prior to the start of the parade. On-street parking is available in the Pearl River area, but please check for any full-time or temporary parking restrictions for that roadway before leaving your car. Any parked vehicles that are found to impede emergency response or endanger public safety are subject to be ticketed and towed. Please remember that The Town of Orangetown Town Code Local Law No. 2 Chapter 10 states that open bottles or containers in which there is an alcoholic beverage are prohibited by law. Please Note that the Orangetown Police Department has informed us that they will be closing the parade route to traffic at Noon. Crooked Hill will be closed at Dove St.; all vehicles must be in place before the closure. If you need to go to the parking lot after 12, you must approach from Nanuet.

Congratulations to all of the honorees:

Hibernian of the Year – Charles “Chuck” Parnow
Businesspersons of the Year – Bernie (Foley) Fitzgerald, Tara (Tonner) McDonald & Tina (Segatta) Murphy, The Gracie Rose (Pearl River, NY)
Parade Commander – Patrick Casey, Orangetown Police Dept
Grand Marshal – John W. McGowan
Aide to the Grand Marshal, NYC – John B. Kelly
Aide to the Grand Marshal – Patrick Frawley, Rockland County District Attorney’s Office

A message from Ancient Order of Hibernian’s Men’s County Board President Dermot Moore and Ladies’ Ancient Order of Hibernian County Board President Terry McGeever For the past 60 years, the men and women of the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians have been pleased to host their annual St. Patrick’s Day Parad. This eventt has become a Rockland County institution. The parade celebrates our pride in our Irish heritage, and we take equal pride in it also being an event that has brought in spectators from around the world, state, county, etc., and an opportunity to bring families and friends together in a day of wholesome recognition and celebration of the contributions of Irish Americans to our community and country. An event such as the Rockland County St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which draws tens of thousands of people, would be impossible without the hospitality of the Town of Orangetown, the hamlet of Pearl River, and the professionalism of its first responders, particularly the Orangetown Police department, who provide a friendly and safe environment for the day’s proceedings. One of the oldest Irish values is the custom of hospitality and the obligation of courtesy and respect that is incumbent on a guest to their host. In keeping with the spirit of the day and the celebration of our heritage, the Parade Committee asks all participants and spectators to honor this venerable Irish tradition and show the proper courtesy and respect to the residents and businesses of Pearl River, and to comply with all directions of the Orangetown Police Department, particularly observing regulations on parking and open containers. The Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians asks that all participants remember the true meaning of the day: to celebrate St. Patrick and the generations of Irish Americans who have dedicated and sacrificed themselves for America and not be part of the trivialization of the holiday into the “St. Patty’s Day” image of T-shirt makers and other 21st Century “Know Nothings” whose only respect of “the green” is the “the green of the till”. Keeping the parade the joyous yet dignified and responsible celebration that the day deserves will help ensure that we can keep this great tradition alive for years to come.

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