So much of what's going on around us lately is disorienting. We've got a candidate for President, convicted of 34 felonies who claims the election was stolen. He presents himself, without any evidence, as a victim of a vast plot against him. He repeats "Rigged" "Witch-hunt" over and over. He calls out judges, prosecutors, jurors, and the entire justice system. He pledges to put his enemies in jail. The fallout from these lies is everywhere, even here in Stony Point. Last week my neighbor began to fly his flag upside down. In our local Stony Point social media we Democrats are called traitors, communists, Marxists, pedophiles and groomers. There's an undercurrent of menace and intimidation in some of the posts. "Bullshit! Democrats nationwide called for the DEFUNDING of the Police. Stony Point Democrats marched with Antifa and BLM during the Defund movement...You Marxists succeeded in removing God and pride in the country from the schools... There's no rational discussion about issues. The narrative is being driven by memes meant to raise our blood pressure and not solve problems. Any attempt to discuss an issue immediately devolves name calling and insults. The atmosphere is so volatile that many of us avoid social media altogether. |
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The noise from all this disruption can get so loud that we want to turn it all off. It's just too much. We stop watching the news. We think "This stuff is depressing" The world and political discourse seems so different, our people so divided. The America we grew up in seemed more civil and sane. |
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I suggest we take a deep breath. First, it's good to remember that the folks on the other side are our neighbors. We worship together and our kids go to school together. If we were invaded by a foreign country we'd stand together to defend our freedom. That said, we also need to take a stand for our beliefs. If we don't things will only get worse. Ignoring problems doesn't make them go away. Last week the President visited Normandy. I can't imagine what it must have been like to have to taken that beach. It took courage, perseverance and luck, but they did it, and they did it for us. |
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Now it's our turn. We aren't being asked give our lives for our country. We're simply being asked to do whatever we can, however we can, to elect men and women who will guide us back to normalcy, to help bridge the gulf that divides us, and take us into the future. This won't happen if we sit back and wait for others to do it. This year we're called to take action. We're asked to do more than just show up to vote. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to get involved when things seem so divisive and tense but think about those men on their way to the beach at Normandy. We owe them. |
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Stony Point Dems 2nd Annual Picnic |
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Members of the Stony Point Democratic Committee, our friends, and supporters had a great time at our 2nd annual picnic which took place Thursday evening, June 6th at Vincent A. Clark Park. The rain held off and a cool breeze coming off the river kept us all comfortable. Thanks to all who contributed dishes to our pot luck dinner and Ellie for grilling hot dogs for us. The food was delicious. Thank you to Rufina Belthrop and Kim Petro for organizing the event and Steve Adler for the use of his sound system. Also many thanks to Mondaire Jone's team and Andrea Composto for addressing our group. |
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We have serious work to do during this important election year but getting together at events like this strengthens our relationships and recharges our batteries so that when we're called on to knock on doors, make calls, write postcards, and many other important tasks we're ready. |
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If you'd like to learn more about our group or attend an event sign up at the link below. |
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I'm interested in helping! |
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Please forward this newsletter to a family member, friend, or neighbor. |
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NYS Democratic Committee Opens New Office in Nanuet |
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The NYS Democratic Committee began rolling out its campaign infrastructure by opening a campaign office for NY-17 in Nanuet. The grand opening was standing room only and people were Fired Up! and Ready to Go! Mondaire Jones, our Democratic candidate for Congress spoke to the group and highlighted the work that was done for the middle and working class when the Democrats had the House two years ago and contrasted that with the least productive Congress in modern history. He also took aim at his opponent laying out the case for why we should watch what he does not what he says. Electing Mondaire is key to winning back the House and whatever differences we may have pale in comparison to the Majorie Taylor Greene show that is now the norm in Republican led House. Other speakers included soon to be retiring Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, Pat Caroll who is running to replace him, and NYS Senate candidate Elijah Melnick. |
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Proyecto Faro "Grow the Love" Benefit Thursday June 13 |
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On Thursday, June 13th Proyecto Faro will be holding a "Grow the Love" benefit at the Sloane House located at the Stony Point Center. We’ve had the Project Faro Board at our Dem committee meetings and also had work days at their farm. They do great work and could use our support. Details and tickets here: https://proyectofarorockland.org/ |
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Haverstraw African American Connection |
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This Saturday at 3pm Ginny Norfleet, (who spoke at our April committee meeting) and the Haverstraw African American Connection will be hosting their 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration. They’ll be unveiling the Beacon of Hope statue and highlighting the Freedom Mural. Hope you can make it. This should be a special day! |
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Stony Point Democrats Annual Fundraiser at the Penguin Theater |
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Our annual Penguin Theater fundraiser on August 8th is quickly approaching. Please don't wait until the last minute to buy your tickets. This event is super popular and sells out quickly. You can buy your tickets here: Fundraiser Ticket Purchase We'll have a wine and cheese reception prior to the show. Mondaire Jones, NYS Pete Harckham, and NYS Assemblyman Chris Eachus will also address the group. Come on out and support your local theater, local Democrats, and enjoy a wonderful show. |
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Congratulations Ed! Job Well Done! |
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Thank you Ed for your service to the residents of Stony Point. |
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Gran Fondo 2024 World Championship Bicycle Race |
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This year's Gran Fondo Race was extra special because it included the inaugural UCI 1.2 men elite pro race "Gran Premio New York City". The Stony Point Democrats had a great team mannIng the Stony Point Aid Station this year. Team members began unpacking the race staff truck and setting up bike racks, tents, tables, and organizing the food and drink at 6am. |
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The Pro racing teams flew past the station without so much as a thought of stopping. They were followed by dozens of team cars with replacement bikes and parts. About a 15 minutes later the first peloton of the non-pros zipped past and around 8:45am thousands of riders began stopping to refill their drinks, grab a bite to eat, and use the porto-potties. |
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This was the most fun part of the day for the Dem team. We met cyclists from all over the world. The team began packing up the truck at approximately 10:30am as the last few riders departed. One consistent theme from the riders was their gratefulness for our hospitality in Stony Point. Working at the aid station was tons of fun and we thank everyone who got up early and worked so hard to make this year's race a success. |
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North Rockland School District Budget Passes |
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The Stony Point Democratic Committee congratulates Rich Fernandez and Mary Romano on their re-election to the NRCSD Board of Education. The Budget passed 1,451-376. Proposition 2 passed 1,426-397. Richard Fernandez, with 1,528 votes and Mary Romano, with 1,512 votes, were re-elected to the school board; Kimberly Von Hein got 390 votes and Joseph Call got 317 votes. |
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In Case You Missed It: Champlain Hudson Power Express Presentation |
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On Tuesday May 7, officials from the Champlain Hudson Power Express project held an information meeting at the Stony Point Community Center. The project will be ongoing for the next two years with the terrestrial portion leaving the river and traveling down 9W from Tomkins Cove to Congers where it will return to the river and proceed to Queens. The project is expected to supply 20% of NYC's electricity. Among the biggest concerns from the attendees was the disruption of traffic on 9W while the cable is being deployed. Business owners were concerned about loss of revenue during construction. There were also concerns raised about the possible health effects from the cable's emissions. According to a 2018 article in the Journal News the Town of Stony Point will receive $5.3 million from CHPE for a Community Fund, $2,914,286 for a Streetscape Fund, and $250,000 in estimated annual taxes. You can read more in this Journal News article here. You can read a Rockland Business Journal article here. Note: Thank you to George Potanovic Jr. and SPACE for the photo used in this article. |
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Please forward this newsletter to a family member, friend, or neighbor. |
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Get Involved! Join SP Dems Community Service Team! |
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors! Each month the Stony Point Democratic Committee performs a public service for our community. You don't have to be a committee member or a Democrat to participate. Just let us know you're interested and we'll invite you to our next project. To learn more email: spdc@stonypointdemocrats.org |
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Please forward this newsletter to a family member, friend, or neighbor. |
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Want To Get More Involved? |
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Join us for one of our monthly Clean Ups For Dates and Times: email: spdc@stonypointdemocrats.org |
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Or Drop into one of our monthly SPDC meetings. All are welcome! email: spdc@stonypointdemocrats.org for more information |
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