COUNTY TIMES ROCKLAND
THURSDAY, MAY 19 — WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2022
Community WALKS to Honor Their Loved Ones
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Local Veteran Small Business Owner Receives $10,000 Back2Business Grant from Fiserv
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ROCKLAND’S WEEKLY JOURNAL
COUNTY TIMES ROCKLAND
ROCKLAND’S SOURCE FOR REAL NEWS SINCE 1888™
135th Year, No. 20
PUBLISHED WEEKLY - THURSDAY MAY 19 - WEDNESDAY MAY 25, 2022
10 PAGES
$1.00
North Rockland native Raises Awareness of kidney disease in Rockland County By Jess Warren
North Rockland native, Nicole Faleri, is working to make her fellow Rocklanders more aware of the hazards of Kidney disease. Herself a Kidney patient, Faleri first got diagnosed with the condition on Easter Sunday, three years ago in 2019. Coincidently, before she experienced symptoms on that day, her sister, Lauren, also complained of not feeling well, suffering from an abrupt bout of dizziness. As Faleri noticed her sister’s condition, it occurred to her to take her own blood pressure as she quickly began to mirror the same complaints. Faleri became concerned as she noticed that the more she took her blood pressure, the higher it rose. Faleri ended up calling her doctor on call at around 8:00 PM on that same day. Dr. Daniel Cohen was the one to answer right away to help address her concerns and confirm that her blood pressure wasn’t normal. Cohen immediately sent her to a professional, PM Pediatrics in Spring Valley. Shortly after her visit that night, they then urged her to take an ambulance to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital right away. When Faleri arrived at the emergency room, the ER doctor said they were unsure of what was wrong with her, and ordered an ultrasound. Despite the constraints of the pandemic, Dr. Cohen was able to arrange the test and get some answers. Eager to know what was happening, she spent thirty minutes receiving an ultrasound. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that Faleri discovered she was in stage four chronic kidney failure. Additionally, she was told that there was a very high chance she wouldn’t make it. Faleri’s mother, Carol Faleri, was by her side the whole time that night along with the art and music therapists. Faleri recollects listening to the song “Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves, which gave her the hope she needed. Despite what doctors said to her, that her fight wasn’t over. Due to years of undiagnosed blood pressure issues, Faleri had developed a heart problem. Thankfully, her diagnosis on Easter Sunday has saved her life. “What I want to raise awareness for the most is that we don’t perform that type of blood test on people when they go for routine blood work,” said Faleri. “You have to advocate for yourself and know what to look for and ask for.” Faleri urges anyone to get their blood tested for kidney disease, even if they do not show symptoms. “ The day after the hospital, Faleri and her mother Carol felt very panicked and did not give up on finding the right doctor. Carol first called Rockland Renal Associates in West Nyack when one of the receptionists, Marilyn Ferrier, picked up. Marilyn said that she could hear the desperation in Faleri’s mother’s voice, and, right off the bat, knew who she needed to see. “We try to help everybody as they come in, you know? Everybody has a different situation, and I was glad to be here at that time when her mom called in to schedule an appointment. Dr. Kozin is the best, so I scheduled her with Dr. Kozin.” That’s when Faleri met Dr.
Arthur Kozin, whom she credits for helping save her life. “Dr. Kozin went above and beyond for me,” said Faleri. Kozin told Faleri not to give up her fight. “I don’t know what they told you in that hospital, but you are not going to die.” said Kozin to Faleri. “If it weren’t for Daniel Cohen and Arthur Kozin, I wouldn’t be alive,” said Faleri. Additionally, Faleri commemorates Jennifer Harrington, a teacher from Fieldstone Middle School, Sean McHugh, a North Rockland High School (NRHS) teacher, and Tommy Nelson, a mentor and colleague from NRHS, for supporting her during her hard fight with kidney disease. Faleri’s passion for teaching is one of her positive outlets in life. She also credits her students for being supportive, even though they might not know what happens behind closed doors. “They’re such supportive, kind-hearted, generous people and I’ve been blessed with the best students. It’s as if they’ve all been placed in my class,” said Faleri. Faleri hopes to bring awareness to kidney disease in a way where others see her as herself and not the disease itself. Faleri praises the Rockland community for staying so unified, especially during rough times for residents. “We cry for help, and the community answers – that’s what I think is great about where we live, and that’s why I never want to leave North Rockland. There is no place like home, and home for me is NR,” said Faleri. “When the day comes, and I’m told that I will need a kidney, I know that my community will help me get that kidney. There’s nobody like where we live, and people need to open their eyes and be more grateful for that.” Faleri expressed. To learn more and donate to NephCure Kidney International’s charity organization, you may visit: https://nephcure.org. Photo of Nicole Faleri
Ramapo Valley Ambulance Corps files lawsuit against Town of Ramapo
By Joe Kuhn and Jess Warren
The Ramapo Valley Ambulance Corps (RVAC) has filed a lawsuit against the town of Ramapo accusing its government of sabotaging the volunteer service, which has been in operation for over 75 years. In court documents shared on their Facebook page, the leaders of the organization allege that Ramapo’s government has taken measures to “intentionally block (their) efforts to operate within the town” and run the corps “ out of business.” The plaintiffs, Ronald and Susan Spiegel, William Ciancaruso, Peter and Susan Milo, and Adolph and Elizabeth Rivera, contend that the town has taken steps to dismantle their organization and have accused Ramapo’s leadership of launching unnecessary investigations into the corps operations, “stonewalling” the organizations suggestions and seeking to replace the volunteer organization with a for-profit outlet. The RVAC was originally formed in 1947, and became an official partner to the town almost 40 years later. On April 27, 1983, the Ramapo Town Board adopted an order establishing Ramapo Ambulance District One (the “Ambulance District”) to provide emergency and related ambulance services to the residents within the Ambulance District’s borders, including the area serviced by Ramapo Valley since its inception. The Town Board was authorized to outsource EMS care provided in the district to one or more qualified organizations: the Town subsequently contracted with multiple third parties, including RVAC. On June 17, 1983, the Town entered into a Publicly Funded Contract with RVAC to provide emergency medical and related ambulance services to all residents located within the boundaries of District One. The town then updated and amended their publicly funded contact with RVAC on or about January 1, 2001. Since 1983, the Town has operated the Ambulance District as a special administrative area and not as its own separate municipal corporation.
DOMINICAN COLLEGE IS NOW DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY NEW YORK
Dominican College has been elevated to the status of a university, becoming the first university in Rockland County. Dominican College President Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., Ph.D., announced today that New York State Board of Regents has granted Dominican College university status and approved the name change to Dominican University New York. “This is an important milestone in our history as we prepare to celebrate our 70th anniversary,” said Sr. Mary Eileen. “Changing our name to Dominican University New York brings formal recognition to the caliber of our academic programs. With our new name comes additional prestige and more opportunities for the school and our students.” Dominican offers a range of undergraduate programs and graduate programs in nursing, business, occupational therapy, education, and organizational leadership and communication. In addition, it has the distinction of being the only institution in Rockland County to offer doctoral degrees – including Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). Dominican has a strong academic reputation for its liberal arts, business, education, and health-related programs. Recently, Dominican added programs in finance, information technology, health sciences, and marketing. Dominican also caters to adult learners through programs in the evenings, on weekends, or online. The news of the university status follows earlier announcements that Dominican had secured two federal grants, one from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the other from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dominican was one of only 10 higher education institutions nationwide and the only one in New York State to receive the HHS grant and will use the funding to launch a new Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) program this fall. “The news about our university status coupled with the infusion of the federal funds will certainly raise the profile of our school,” said Sr. Mary Eileen. “Dominican University New York has a bright future that will serve more students from around the region and beyond.” Dominican was granted university status by the New York State Board of Regents based on the fact that Dominican offers graduate programs in at least three of the following discipline areas: agriculture,
biological sciences, business, education, engineering, fine arts, health professions, humanities, physical sciences, and social sciences. Founded in 1952 by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the College began as a two-year college for religious women to become educators. Over the years, the campus expanded to accommodate a growing enrollment and to welcome resident students. A number of new buildings were constructed including an athletics facility, residence halls, a dining hall, and a new academic building for health and science education. The most recent construction was the expansion of the Hennessy Center with a new gymnasium and fitness center. A new turf field is anticipated for 2023. Dominican has a total of 17 NCAA Division II sports teams, as well as a competitive rowing club and a new esports team. Dominican has been named both a College of Distinction and a Catholic College of Distinction. On the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges List, Dominican was ranked #21 out of Regional Universities North for social mobility. It is also designated a Hispanic Serving Institution and was recognized as Military Friendly. Dominican University New York moves forward with a renewed spirit and dedication to its mission to promote educational excellence, leadership, and service in an environment characterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community and its needs.
Photo provided by Studio Eleven Productions
Under the terms of the Publicly Funded Contract, RVAC agreed that it would supply all the necessary equipment and required personnel in accordance with the requirements of the New York State Department of Health. While RVAC maintains that they have performed their duties under the contract, they have accused the town of not acting diligently and transparently with them. RVAC alleges that they have been made to meet arbitrary requirements not imposed on other third party contractors that cooperate with the village. Specifically, the RVAC has stated that since 2020, they have been required to have paid crews on standby 24/7 and that those crews “check in” with town police at the beginning of every shift to verify that they are present. If those calls were not placed, alleges the RVAC, town police were instructed not to contact them. The RVAC has stated that this “unnecessary” process has slowed their response time and prevented them from responding to emergencies within their jurisdiction. Additionally, the complaint states that the town had rerouted its emergency response network so that Ramapo Police, not the county’s 911 service, was the first to receive distress calls made in Ramapo. The RVAC believes that this method has enabled Ramapo Police to pick and choose which emergency services are dispatched, and “freeze out” ambulance corps which they did not wish to support. Finally, the RVAC has alleged that Ramapo has refused to fund capital improvements to their facilities, and has also accused Ramapo of improperly billing the Corps for its use of town resources. The Rockland County Times reached out to the Town of Ramapo for comment on the lawsuit, but did not hear back by press time. Our coverage of the copmlaint is ongoing.
Senator Skoufis and Assemblymember Paulin Rally for Anti Cyberflashing Legislation By Joe Kuhn
Senator James Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley) and Assembly member Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) are calling on their fellow legislators to crack down on digital sex offenders. Gathered with representatives from Bumble, the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Women’s Political Caucus, and other advocate at the Capitol on Monday, Skoufis and Paulin urged state lawmakers to advance their “long-overdue” cyberflashing legislation (S.6420A / A.318B). This legislation would establish the offense of unsolicited disclosure of an intimate image as a criminal violation. A 2022 survey by Bumble, a “women-first dating and social networking app”, found that nearly half of all respondents (46%) have received unsolicited, obscene images in their lifetime, and almost 1 in 3 (29%) had received them within the past month. These images are frequently conveyed anonymously between mobile phones via text or digital file sharing services, and often in public settings–violating the recipient’s personal space and undermining their sense of safety. For recipients who have a history of sexual trauma, such a violation can trigger intense emotional distress. “State law simply hasn’t kept up with new digital forms of harassment and exposure, and we must do better,” said Senator Skoufis. “I am proud to be working with Assemblymember Paulin and the advocates gathered today to make cyberflashing a crime once and for all. This kind of invasive and abhorrent be-
havior will not be tolerated in New York, and I urge my colleagues to bring this key piece of legislation to a vote before session’s end.” “Cyberflashing is a relentless, everyday form of harassment that causes victims, predominantly women, to feel distressed, violated, and vulnerable in their daily lives,” said Assemblymember Amy Paulin. “Particularly concerning is the very intrusive way that these nonconsensual sexual images are sent. In many ways, cyberflashing is worse than being flashed in the street - with the offender unknown, and no one seeing what’s happening, it’s like an invasion into the very personal space of your phone which is impossible to ignore or forget. Cyberflashing is illegal offline and should also be illegal online. “This legislation is a vital step forward to help women feel safer – online and off,” added Christian Nunes, President of the National Organization for Women. “As our digital and physical lives continue to intertwine, we must ensure we have similar standards of conduct and protection. The National Organization for Women is proud to join Bumble, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Senator James Skoufis, and the National Women’s Political Caucus to support this landmark legislation. We hope New York will be a model for reform across the country to finally eradicate cyberflashing.”