In a heartwarming tribute to Memorial Day, the Stars and Stripes Club of Clarkstown South and North High Schools organized a special breakfast to honor local veterans. The event, held in the school cafeteria, was attended by numerous local officials, school administrators, and veterans, creating a meaningful community gathering.

The breakfast featured a series of heartfelt speeches, expressing gratitude for the sacrifices made by veterans. The students of the Stars and Stripes Club, who coordinated the event, ensured a respectful and patriotic atmosphere, complete with decorations in red, white, and blue. Veterans shared their stories, providing the students and other attendees with personal insights into their experiences and the significance of Memorial Day.

Local officials praised the initiative of the Stars and Stripes Club, highlighting the importance of educating younger generations about the value of service and sacrifice. The event not only served as a tribute to veterans but also as an educational experience for the students, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the country’s history and the individuals who have served.

School officials expressed pride in their students for their dedication and organizational skills, noting that the event exemplified the spirit of community service and respect that the Stars and Stripes Club stands for. The breakfast concluded with a moment of silence, honoring those who have fallen in service to the nation.

Overall, the veteran breakfast was a touching and successful event, reflecting the strong community spirit and commitment to honoring the nation’s heroes in Clarkstown.

New City, NY – County Executive Ed Day has expressed disappointment over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) recent expansion of ferry service, noting the lack of increased weekday options for Rockland County commuters.

“We appreciate that MTA has responded to our pleas for the past 20 years to expand the ferry service but are disappointed that there is no increased weekday service for our commuters,” said Day. “Rockland County commuters have very few public transit options to the city, and the current ferry service’s extremely limited ‘peak only’ schedule simply doesn’t work for folks who need to travel later in the morning, midday, early afternoon, later at night, or on weekends.”

Day acknowledged that the expansion marks a positive initial step towards enhancing and expanding transit service from Rockland County, as mandated by the State’s congestion pricing authorizing legislation. However, he emphasized the need for further action.

“We look forward to MTA’s next step, which should be making a funding commitment in its Capital Plan for the Gateway and Bergen Loop projects and the corresponding Pascack Valley line investments that must be made in order to provide Rockland County’s one-seat-ride,” Day added.

While Day appreciated the news of discounts on Hudson Link and ferry Uniticket, as well as parking discounts for Rockland residents at White Plains, he pointed out the existing financial imbalance. “But with Rockland County’s existing $40 million annual value gap, fares and parking should really be free.”

Day concluded with a call to action for the MTA: “I sincerely hope that MTA gets to work soon to expand weekday ferry service and improve the quality of existing rail service from Rockland County so that our residents start to receive some level of equity for what they pay to the MTA.”

Rockland County residents continue to seek equitable and effective transit solutions to meet their daily commuting needs.

New City, NY – In a significant financial achievement for Rockland County, Fitch Ratings has upgraded the County’s General Obligation Bond Rating from “AA-” to “AA+.” This notable upgrade will enable Rockland to borrow money for capital projects at a lower cost, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars.

County Executive Ed Day, County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr., and Commissioner of Finance Stephen DeGroat expressed their pride in this accomplishment.

“I vowed to restore Rockland to a position of fiscal responsibility and strength; through conservative budgeting and strict fiscal discipline we have achieved that,” said County Executive Day. “I applaud my employees for their dedication and hard work that transformed Rockland into one of the fiscally strongest counties in the entire state.”

Chairman Jay Hood Jr. echoed this sentiment, stating, “It is extremely gratifying to have outside financial experts verify that County government remains on the right track when it comes to managing our finances. I want to thank everyone who is contributing to our ongoing efforts to improve our credit ratings, including my Legislative colleagues, the County Executive, and our County employees.”

This upgrade follows the County’s completion of payments on the $96 million deficit bond back in March. Fitch’s rating report gave Rockland a positive outlook, noting the county’s “high midrange budgetary flexibility and a continued trend of structurally balanced operations.” The report also highlighted that “new management and new financial policies had contributed to the county’s improved financial position since 2013.”

Commissioner of Finance Stephen DeGroat commented on the rating increase, “The upgrade from ‘AA-‘ to ‘AA+’ is the result of strong financial management followed by conservative budgetary practices.”

This double upgrade by Fitch reflects Rockland County’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and strategic financial planning, positioning it as one of the fiscally strongest counties in New York State.