Imports: Jewelry by Mónika Rodriguez

Haverstraw’s rich wealth of culture and history continues to create new opportunities for residents to share aspects of their customs with each other. 18 year old Mónika Rodriguez lives in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. She began designing and creating jewelry at age 15. Mónika’s Godmother and Aunt, Floriana Gonzalez, lives in Haverstraw and receives samples of jewelry in the mail, directly from the Dominican Republic. Floriana works to sell her neice’s unique and vibrant jewelry to any interested buyer.

Ferries Reach Milestone

The Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry, a precursor to the Newburgh-Beacon ferry that started this year, is considered one of the most successful ferry operations on the Hudson River. Within 5 years of its creation, the Haverstraw Ferry has reached a ridership record of over 500.

George M. Cohan’s Debut

In time for Independence Day, it might be fitting to discuss George Cohan’s relation to Haverstraw, as he was so famously “Born on the Fourth of July!” Cohan travelled and performed with his parents and sister on a Vaudeville circuit that continually stopped at Haverstraw’s Waldron Opera House Theatre. Cohan would stay in Haverstraw for weeks on end practicing, writing and performing on stage for the local elite in Westchester and Rockland Counties. It was here, at the Haverstraw Waldron Opera House (once located on Broadway in the Village of Haverstraw, but lost by fire) in the spring of 1888 that he first performed Yankee Doodle Dandy, which would later go on to be one of his most famous songs in 1904 in his Broadway hit Little Johnny Jones. These plays became popular just as Cohan was becoming a teenager and as he was moving away from Vaudeville and into the spotlight in New York City.