Mariella’s Pizzeria Serves up a Slice

Mariella’s Pizzeria, owned and managed by Allessandro Gambino and his family, has been serving oven-hot slices for almost two years now, and in that time the restaurant has become a Village staple. Mr. Gambino came to the U.S. in 1969 from Palermo, Italy on the island of Sicily. “I came when I was 16 years old,” he said in his heavy Sicilian accent. Subsequently, Gambino has been in the Italian food business for over 33 years. He has over five restaurants and pizzerias under his belt, and there are several “Mariella’s” restaurants still operating to this day, including the famed restaurants in New City and the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens. In total, there have been 9 Mariella’s Restaurants opened by Gambino; the Haverstraw location is now the only one owned by the Gambino family.

Julie Andrews and Bing Crosby in “High Tor”

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, author, poet, reporter and lyricist Maxwell Anderson, came to the aid of High Tor Mountain in 1936 when he wrote an immensely popular verse play of the same name, “High Tor.” The United States Traprock Company was interested in purchasing the peak at the time and planned to remove the rear side of the mountain for the aggregate it contained. Traprock, now called Tilcon, had already tore down the peak directly south of High Tor. Anderson wove an intricate tale of bribery and the supernatural and eventually prompted the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to save the mountain from industry shovels. The story, as told by the Dramatists Play Service, begins as follows:

Commenting Gets You Answers!

Feel free to leave comments on HaverstrawLife if you have any questions or thoughts. HaverstrawLife will return your comments and also try to find the best answers to your questions. If you have questions, ask. If you have something to say, say it. HaverstrawLife is an open forum for the people of New York to discuss the ongoing renovation and revitalization of the Village of Haverstraw and surrounding areas. People can make a place change. Start here.

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Kohut Sits in the Mayor’s Seat

Democrat Michael Kohut, formerly a Village Trustee,  defeated three-term Mayor “Bud” Wassmer, who is also a long-term resident of the Village. The entrance of a new mayor insights a sense of uncertainty amid Haverstraw renaissance supporters. With such a major political upset it is hard to tell whether the Village will move forward smoothly in its dealings with Ginsburg Development Corporation and the Haverstraw Revitalization Project. This may or may not be an opportunity to move the project forward at a quicker pace, something Mr. Kohut has promised time and time again. Kohut said after his win, “I am humbled and hoping only that I can produce results that people are hoping for, but I need their help to do it.”

Water Taxi Adds Haverstraw Ferry Page to Web

New York Water Taxi, the company that is offering the new Haverstraw to Lower Manhattan Ferry Service, which is to begin on September 4, 2007 (the day after Labor Day), has added a dedicated web page for the Haverstraw Route. Visit the site here for more information. New York Water Taxi

Mayor Stresses Unity in Village

The Mayor of the Village of Haverstraw, Mr. “Bud” Wassmer, recently wrote a letter to the editor in the Rockland Journal News. His letter stresses the need for unity in Village, amid calls to disband the local government and merge with the Town of Haverstraw (unincorporated). HaverstrawLife.com would like to make it known that it does not support the disbanding of the Village of Haverstraw. A Village is needed to maintain the character of our community, and to foster a true sense of community among neighbors. It would be an absolute mistake to remove the local government, in that taxes for all would surely rise in the Village. The Wassmer Administration has kept taxes the lowest in the entire county, even throughout the Mirant Scandal. Please, think before you call to dissolve your own neighborhood and community. Join with HaverstrawLife to celebrate unity and community in the Village of Haverstraw! The Mayor’s letter is here:

Calls for “Olympic-sized” Celebration of Hudson River’s 400 Years

The Westchester County Business Journal recently released an article citing Mr. Martin Ginsburg, prominent Hudson Valley developer, in calls for an “olympic-sized” celebration for the Hudson River’s discovery by Henry Hudson, 400 years ago (1609). Celebrations for Robert Fulton’s first steamboat ride up the Hudson, which was in 1809, are also planned. Ginsburg calls the amount of money alloted to the events “pathetic.” He believes that billions of dollars should be spent by the government and by private donations and corporate sponsors to properly celebrate. Ginsburg believes that a celebration of this size is needed to help the financially distressed cities of upstate New York. The article goes as follows:

Support for Tappan Zee Alernative 4A

The Tappan Zee Bridge task force has whittled down the list of alternatives for replacement or maintenance of the Tappan Zee Bridge (I-287) corridor. They have settled on six alternatives: (1) No build – maintain the bridge “as is,” (2) Rehabilitate the existing bridge with seismic and structural upgrades, (3) a new bridge and full corridor Bus Rapid Transit , (4A) a new bridge and full corridor Commuter Rail Transit, (4B) Manhattan-bound commuter rail from Rockland with Light Rail across Westchester, and (4C) Manhattan-bound commuter rail from Rockland with bus rapid transit across Westchester. If Alternative 3 is not chosen (alternatives 1 and 2 are unlikely), then commuter rail from Rockland is a definite. HaverstrawLife would like to garner support for Alternative 4A, Full Corridor Commuter Rail Transit. HaverstrawLife feels that full corridor rail, with many new stations in Rockland and Westchester and connections to the Metro North Hudson and New Haven Lines, with transfers to all other NJ Transit and Metro North lines, would provide Rocklanders with the best chance at overcoming immobility in the region. We must learn that the deemphasis of the automobile in transportation is necessary to ensure a prosperous future. Please, HELP BUILD ALTERNATIVE 4A! For more information, please visit the Alternatives Analysis presented by Metro North Railroad, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the New York State Thruway Authority.

HaverstrawLife is Seeking Your Ideas!

HaverstrawLife is looking for your ideas on what can be done to make the Village of Haverstraw a better and more exciting place to live. What can be added into the Revitalization Effort? What do you expect of the local government? What stores would you like to see on Broadway or Main Street? Should Haverstraw have a Starbucks Coffee? What do you really think about the waterfront development? Please, make your ideas known and comment here. You cannot effect change if you are not vocal. There are few ideas and infinite questions. Do you have the answer?

Question of the 21st Century. . .

Probably the most pressing question of the 21st Century is: What effects will Global Climate Change have on our local community? The recent and unprecedented release of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presents a bleak forecast for our future on the global scale and in our own backyards. The panel, which consists of hundreds of climate and meteorological scientists and experts from all over the world, says it is more than likely that by at least 2020 average temperatures in the northeastern United States will rise by at least 4 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature rise of this magnitude means a climate that is more like Georgia or even Florida’s climate today. Florida will become uninhabitable by scorching temperatures and drought. The sea level of our oceans is expected to rise upwards of three feet because of melting glaciers and ice sheets at the north and south pole. If the oceans were to rise three feet in the next 20-40 years, much of the Village of Haverstraw and most of the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. will be inundated by seawater. What will our government do to protect citizens’ private properties? Will insurance companies continue to drop policy holders, and not offer relief when the inevitable floods come? These are all important questions to ask at this point. Now, what are the solutions? Read the report on Global Warming by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change here.

Funds for Short Clove Road Overpass

The Federal Transportation Bill of 2005 allotted a significant amount of funds for the reconstruction of the Short Clove Road and Route 9W intersection, which includes construction of twin-bridge overpasses that will carry Short Clove Road over the West Shore Rail Line below. The current intersection is known to be one of the worst in New York State due to high train activity, steep grades, and heavy trucking from the Tilcon quarrying operation nearby. The following press release from the office of New York Senator Charles Schumer details funding and construction plans:

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.

Haverstraw: New Urbanism & Smart Growth

I recently was boating near the area around the pedestrian bridge at The Harbors at Haverstraw, and I saw a very unusual sight. The NY Waterway ferry had just pulled in and was beginning to unload passengers. I sat and watched from my boat as professionals of all ages (about 10 or so men and women) came off the ramp from the ferry and strolled by, along the promenade, across the lagoon bridge and to the front doors of their homes. Martin Ginsburg, since conceiving The Harbors atHaverstraw , has hoped that residents of the community would use the ferry as their main means of transport to and from work in Manhattan. The idea is clearly working.

Welcome to Haverstraw’s Future

I’ve dedicated this site to the advancement and revitalization of the Village of Haverstraw, a community at the widest point of the Hudson River in New York. This small city of 11,000 people on 2 square miles is set below a dramatic back-drop between the jagged edifice of High Tor Mountain and the expanse of Haverstraw Bay on the Hudson. The village is currently undergoing an almost billion dollar transformation, and is on the path to becoming one of the premier places to visit along the Hudson River. I hope you will use this site as a tool to explore and discover the historic Village of Haverstraw.