Learn how to dance from Fred Astaire Dance Studio
Eligible: Clarkstown residents age 18 and older
Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Time: 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
Fee: $10.00
Location: Street Community Center, 31 Zukor Road, New City, NY 10956
Learn More…
Business
Skoufis Bill Would Level Playing Field for Businesses, Lower Community Property Taxes
Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County) has introduced legislation (S.2774) that would allow local school districts and governments to collect property taxes from private corporations that occupy tax-exempt federal or state land like West Point. Doing so would offset some of the tax burden on all other duly-paying property owners in the community, including small businesses, while providing new funding to our schools and municipalities to provide services.
Private businesses like the Thayer Hotel that lease and operate within the bounds of West Point – federally-owned, tax-exempt territory along the Hudson River – for example, hold a competitive advantage over comparable businesses outside West Point’s gates that pay full property taxes.
“The cost of entrepreneurship in New York is already staggering for your average mom-and-pop small business,” said Senator Skoufis. “Our goal here is to ensure that our Main Streets aren’t carrying an inequitable tax burden when their competitor just up the block isn’t contributing to our schools, infrastructure, and local police. We must close this unjust tax loophole.”
Over 80% of all land within the Town of Highlands, where West Point is located, is either owned by the state or federal government, making it fully or partially tax-exempt. Should Senator Skoufis’ legislation be signed into law, over $20 million in new local revenue would be collected statewide.
“I applaud Senator Skoufis for his continued work to support our local governments and drive down taxes for those in Orange County,” said Town of Highlands Supervisor Bob Livsey. “Highlands is uniquely impacted by existing federal and state property tax exemptions, and this legislation would ensure our business community thrives while key municipal services are supported.”
Skoufis has long advocated for closing property tax loopholes as a way to benefit our local community. In 2021, he secured a permanent provision requiring the state to pay property taxes on Goosepond Mountain State Park, accounting for roughly $100,000 in new annual revenue for the towns of Chester and Blooming Grove. Previously, the tax bill for every park under the jurisdiction of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission–except for Goosepond– had been paid by the state.
Empire State Development Programs Offer Unprecedented Access to Capital for Loans, Equity and Technical Assistance for Small Businesses
More than $500 million in federal funding is now available to support the resurgence of small businesses across New York State through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a program through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury, SSBCI provides funds to support programs for small businesses, including socially and economically advantaged (SEDI) businesses and very small businesses (VSB), to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and allow them opportunity to succeed in the post-pandemic economy.
With this funding, Empire State Development (ESD) has developed a suite of capital access and equity programs to help New York State small businesses recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and allow them the opportunity to succeed.
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Chef Tom Doran Purchases Napoli’s Pizza
Announces Homecoming Hometown Special for March
New City, NY, – Napoli’s Pizza, 48 Germonds Road, and new owner Chef Tom Doran have come full circle or in this case pie. Tom Doran, who grew up down the street from Napoli’s (called DiNoto Pizza at the time), got his first job there at age 14 and tossed his first pizza when he was 16 (see attached photo which is framed and on display in Napoli’s).
“I am thrilled to be back at Napoli’s where my love for food and cooking first started,” said Chef Tom Doran. “I grew up around the corner on Morris Drive, was part of the Rockland BOCES Culinary Arts program and graduated from Clarkstown South. I appreciate this close knit community that helped raise me and can’t wait to share great food, great pizza and a great deal with everyone in the area.”
In celebration of Tom’s return, Napoli’s is offering a Homecoming Hometown Special Sunday through Thursday in March. Any home within 1 mile of Napoli’s can order one large plain pie at the same price it was when he was 16, only $10.00, all other orders, regardless of distance, will be discounted 10%. One $10.00 pie per household.
“Giving back and helping out are two of the things Clarkstown, and Rockland are known for. The last few years have been hard on everyone, and I want to reintroduce people to delicious food and pizza made right in their neighborhood at a great price,” said Chef Doran.
Tom Doran graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1996 and worked at several local restaurants before traveling through Europe as a chef in 2003. He later returned to New York to join the family painting business in NYC but never forgot his passion for pizza. Seeing the pandemic as a chance to make a change, Tom went back to his roots, purchasing Valley Pizza, 4 Lakeridge Drive, Valley Cottage, in April of 2020, and Napoli’s Pizza last January.
For more information about Napoli’s Pizza visit their website, Facebook or Instagram.
TIME MISSION TO HOST COLLEGE CHALLENGE
(ROCKLAND/May 3, 2023) — Time Mission®, will host a College Challenge on Thursday, May 7 th with
student participants from Rockland Community College, St. Thomas Aquinas, Dominican University and
Ramapo College.
The four colleges will be tasked with completing as many of the 32 challenge rooms as possible in a one-
hour timeframe with the goal of getting the highest score. The college whose teams have the highest
combined score will win $500 for the school’s scholarship fund. Second place will receive $250 and third
and fourth place will win $100.
Time Mission is an indoor adventure game that transports players into the past or the future in a fun,
immersive experience. Teams work their way through up to 32 different portals where they collect
skill points by completing challenges in less than 2-5 minutes. There are portals for different skills, i.e.,
intelligence, strength, coordination, and speed, and each one propels you backwards or forwards into
a different time zone! Teams can repeat, or abandon, rooms at any time to improve their score or find
the next clues on the mission before the hourglass runs out and they are returned to the present.
Representing Rockland Community College Legal Studies, team, the “Justice League” will have
three Legal Studies students who are trained in analytical thinking, problem-solving, and
attention to detail, which are all qualities that can make them good at puzzles.
"I am incredibly proud of my students for their efforts in the Time Mission College Challenge
competition. Their dedication and hard work are a true testament to the character and
potential of the students here at Rockland Community College," said Patricia Szobonya,
Associated Professor of Legal Studies and Criminal Justice at RCC. "Supporting student
scholarships is vital to ensuring that we can continue to provide equal opportunity career
growth to our community, and I encourage everyone to contribute to the Rockland Community
College Foundation in any way they can,” she added.
In December Time Mission celebrated its grand opening with a fundraiser for local non-profits. More
than 50 representatives from Meals on Wheels, Girl Scouts, Wonder Girls, and Nanuet Interact Club
(playing for Nanuet/West Nyack Rotary) participated in a fun Charity Challenge and were the first to
experience the new Time Mission challenge rooms.