Dear Residents -
Welcome back! I trust you had a great summer and, for those with little ones, hope you had a chance to visit the new splash pad at Veterans Memorial Park.
I planned to begin the newsletter with a recap of fun summer happenings but, thanks to an over-height tractor trailer on the NYS Thruway that collided with the South Broadway overpass, I have to take a detour and start with an update on this ever-changing situation.
For those who don’t know, last Thursday the bridge overpass in South Nyack was seriously damaged when it was struck by a tractor trailer, causing the on-again, off-again closure of the overpass. Upon further assessment of the damage this week, engineers for the NYS Thruway determined it was more severe than originally anticipated and that immediate repairs were needed to mitigate the problem.
Thus, starting tonight around midnight and into “sometime” late Saturday, the southbound NYS Thruway will be completely closed to traffic. This means no southbound traffic will be permitted to cross the Tappan Zee Bridge. How long it will remain closed will depend on what they find when they remove a part of the overpass bridge. Please be aware of this closure, tell your friends and neighbors, and try to avoid the area if at all possible (as traffic is sure to be chaotic).
For our South Nyack residents living south of the overpass on South Broadway, the NYS Thruway has agreed to install 4 temporary traffic signals at the intersection of South Broadway and 9W sometime today. However, please continue to use caution when entering and exiting 9W.
Now, with the bad news dispensed, on to the fun stuff. This summer, several art students from Tappan Zee High School volunteered to paint the tunnel under Orangeburg Road on the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail. To see what they painted, take a stroll on the rail trail or click here for a glimpse of the talent that exists in Orangetown.
Two of my favorite nights this summer were Jawonio's Bowl-a-thon and Orangetown Night at Clover Stadium. The Bowl-a-thon was non-stop bowling for two hours with all proceeds benefiting Jawonio. I commend Jawonio for bringing the "fun" back into fundraising and am already looking forward to next year.
For those of you who braved the rain and attended Orangetown Night at Clover Stadium, thank you! The rain let up just in time for our Orangetown celebrities to take the field. And what a cast we had, the championship teams from all three of our Little Leagues (Pearl River, South Orangetown and Palisades Sparkill), representatives from Boy Scout Troop/Cub Scout Pack 55 as our honor guard, and Ciara Carle and Danny Gurniak performing the National Anthem and God Bless America. Orangetown really does have great talent. It was a lot of fun and I hope to see more of you out there next year.
This Monday will mark the 22nd anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The Tappan Fire Department will be hosting a ceremony at 8:30 am at the Tappan Green, the Orangetown Police Benevolent Association will be hosting a ceremony at 5:00 pm at Veterans Memorial Park in Orangeburg, and the Village of Nyack will be hosting a ceremony at 6:30 pm at Memorial Park. Please join in one of the ceremonies and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Stay safe everyone and enjoy your weekend.
Regards,
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