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PLACE: Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site, Stony Point, New York. Faith Leigh and Jeanne Nelson, Go-Chairs, RCCA Award 11:15 A.M. Program: OPENINGS All are welcome. Please bring a picnic lunch.
The Chromatic Harvest "As summer advances the colors change, slowly, subtly, but unmistakably. Spring is the time of new greens, pale greens of all degrees that warm and deepen week by week, and for the most part of whites and pinks and thin yellows in the blossoms. Early summer strengthens the spectrum with blue-green in the treetops, stronger yellow in the flowers, occasional orange and light blue, and here and there a touch red. But by July's end the strong colors appear, sign of the season's chromatic harvest..." From Hal Borland's "Twelve Moons of the Year",
Ms. Negron's thoughts about environmental conservation are concrete and close to home and community. Of the question "Why should anyone worry about the environment?", she answers, "For me, personally, this is something very important because the environment you are in has a great impact on the way you feel. " Through her school's "Participation in Government", membership in
the Hispanic Active Bi-Cultural Leadership Association (HABLA) where each
student must do something to improve the environment and the inspiration of Keep
Rockland Beautiful, Ms. Negron endeavors to "make a big impact" on her
community. Her activities include picking up neighborhood trash, separating
everything collected for recycling and planting flowers for Every year as her high school's graduating class plants a garden, it cleans up the surrounding area. For that job this year, Ms. Negron was in charge. Ms. Negron tells how photos shown by an activist from Keep Rockland Beautiful contained a surprise. "In the background of a picture he took of garbage while working, I could see where I live. I knew that what I was doing was not enough and determined to do even more. " She believes that involvement for betterment of habitats "has to start from a really young age to have the greatest results. If everyone put in a little share it could make an enormous difference." The $500 annual award to a graduating Rockland County senior is in memory of Eleanor Burlingham who chaired RCCA for more than 20 years and led in the establishment of many crucial environmental measures and agencies. She died in 1991. RCCA's President Betty Hedges has hailed her legacy as "the heart and soul of environmental conservation in Rockland County." Ms. Negron will attend SUNY Binghamton in September.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has a very good toll-free
ozone hotline, which contains updates and advice: 1-800-535-1345.
Via Express Mail June 24, 2002 Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman Re: Relocation of Ferry, Village of Haverstraw Rockland County Dear Commissioner Boardman: The Board of Directors of the Rockland County Conservation Association strongly objects to any plans to site a ferry at Emeline Park, Village of Haverstraw. We believe that the decision makers must focus on efforts to expand the Park rather than permit the intrusion of a commercial transportation facility. Such a facility would bring more congestion to the area, and it would detract from the Park's neighborhood use, charm and natural setting. On June 18, 2002, our Board of Directors took the following action, which was unanimously adopted:
In this instance, Federal funds should be used to enhance public open space, not to further congest a fragile downtown. Thank you for your attention to our concerns. Sincerely, Betty Hedges cc: Village of Haverstraw Village Board
First Things First in the Ramapo River Watershed The 1.5 mgd (million gallons daily) wastewater treatment plant proposed for the Ramapo River, just above the New York New Jersey state line in Hillburn, has now been increased to a 5 mgd giant project. This proposal must be examined very carefully in a complete environmental impact study, which will not be forthcoming unless there are many comments from the public when the draft study soon comes out. With public pressure, we may get a supplemental environmental impact study that addresses a wide range of issues. Since federal money is involved, the project must also be reviewed by the EPA as to its impact on the Ramapo River Sole Source Aquifer Area (which is the entire 163 square mile watershed). We believe that this plant is much too large and will promote development and drive up the prices on the very lands we are working so hard to save in the Ramapo Pass area of the Highlands. Putting first things first, this project should not be considered until we have:
- Geoff Welch, Ramapo Director,
American National Power (Ramapo Energy Limited Partnership) application to build a 1,100 -megawatt electric generating plant in Torne Valley, Town of Ramapo - The Applicant has now submitted revised testimony relating to visual/cultural/recreational resources, terrestrial resources, stormwater/stream disturbance. PM 2.5 emissions, decommissioning and blasting. Despite strong opposition from the public, County of Rockland, Town of Ramapo, State of New Jersey. Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Village of Suffern, Rockland County Conservation Association, Tome Valley Preservation Association, Passaic River Coalition and many other municipalities and organizations. the company persists in moving its application forward under the state's Article X siting law. Hearings on the application, conducted by the NYS Department of Public Service and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. are expected to resume in the fall. It's been a long fight, and we have a long way to go. Our citizens' legal fund is EMPTY. Contributions are desperately needed. Every dollar will help. Checks should be made out to the Torne Valley Preservation Association (TVPA) Legal Fund. Please send checks to RCCA, P.O., Box 213, Pomona, NY 10970, for forwarding. Thank you. RCCA Newsletter - Betty Hedges (bhbettyhedges@aol.com)
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Last Updated: September 09, 2003 |
