Kingston, NY
News
New Market To Open In Ulster County New Market To Open In Ulster County
New Market To Open In Ulster County A family-owned Caribbean catering company, known for its line of hot sauces and seasonings sold at local farmers markets and grocery stores, is opening its own market and cafe in Kingston. Seasoned Delicious Foods will open to the public after a Sunday, Sept. 26 ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Owners Tamika and Martin Dunkley were inspired in 2016 by the latter's mother, 74-year-old "Mama Blossom" from Kingston, Jamaica, to bottle and distribute Old-World West Indian condiments, cooking oils, spice mixes and, most famously, hot sauces.  The pair developed a presence in ne…

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by Christina Coulter
Springfield, MA
News
COVID-19: $250K In Rental, Mortgage Assistance Available To WMass City Residents COVID-19: $250K In Rental, Mortgage Assistance Available To WMass City Residents
Covid-19: $250K In Rental, Mortgage Assistance Available To WMass City Residents Chicopee is awarding $250,000 in rent and mortgage assistance to residents. The City’s Rental Assistance Program is designed to assist property owners and renters who have been impacted by COVID-19. The program is funded through the Community Development Department and federal dollars. The property owners must be in good standing with the city to receive the funds. As far as renters, the program is for low-income earners. People can apply for up to two months worth of rent. “The pandemic has created a challenge for both landlords and tenants,” said Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau. “While th…

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by Kristin Palpini
North Salem, NY
Business
New Supermarket Opens In Westchester New Supermarket Opens In Westchester
New Supermarket Opens In Westchester When one door closes, another one opens. ... Even when it comes to automatic supermarket doors. With the Stop & Shop supermarket set to close in New Roc City at the end of the month, a new supermarket has just debuted in New Rochelle. New Rochelle Farms opened its doors for the first time on Friday, Jan. 17, bringing new, fresh, produce and a host of other items inside its 10,000-square-foot space for shoppers in Westchester. The new market opened on the corner of North Avenue and Manor Place after being vacant for the better part of the past decade. A proper grand opening celebration…

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by Zak Failla
DV Plus - Fairfield, CT
Schools
Staples Training Center Lifting Athletes Into 21st Century Staples Training Center Lifting Athletes Into 21st Century
Staples Training Center Lifting Athletes Into 21st Century Did you know coaches think the emotional benefits of strength training is as important as the physical benefits like making athletes more powerful and faster? "Strength training is great for stress management and helps not just athletes but all students feel better about themselves," said Staples High School Associate Head Coach Jon Zames. That is why a fundraising effort to upgrade the school's Fitness Center with new and more equipment is so important. An upgrade from four to 14 stations will make it more accessible to support the sports teams and physical education progra…

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by Donna Christopher
Highland Lakes-Vernon, NJ
News
Sparta's First ShopRite Will Be Its Largest Supermarket Yet Sparta's First ShopRite Will Be Its Largest Supermarket Yet
Sparta's First ShopRite Will Be Its Largest Supermarket Yet Sparta's first-ever ShopRite is set to open later this month. The 95,000-square-foot supermarket on North Village Boulevard will be the largest that Sparta has ever had, according to NJ.com. The completion of the grocery store, opening Oct. 23, and the construction of a 40,000-square-foot space for tenants mark the first phase of a three-part project. Phase II will bring 58 townhouses and an assisted living facility, and a park and 92 residential lots going up in Phase III, the project builder KLAE said.

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by Cecilia Levine
Jersey City, NJ
News
Jersey City Library Renamed For First African-American Director Jersey City Library Renamed For First African-American Director
Jersey City Library Renamed For First African-American Director After a half-century of service, Priscilla Gardner, the director the Jersey City Public Library, will be taking a well-deserved retirement.  But even after her departure, a testament to her long legacy in Jersey City will remain: the main branch on Jersey Avenue was renamed in her honor this week.  “After 50 years of dedicated and meaningful service to our city, it is fitting that the main library be named in honor of Priscilla and all of her hard work,” said Mayor Steve Fulop.  The Jersey City Free Public Library is a valuable resource in our community, and Priscilla create…

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by Paul Milo
Newark, NJ
News
Off-Leash Dog Park Coming To Branch Brook Park In Newark Off-Leash Dog Park Coming To Branch Brook Park In Newark
Off-Leash Dog Park Coming To Branch Brook Park In Newark Construction has begun on an off-leash dog park at Branch Brook Park in Newark and Belleville, officials said Friday.  "We are always looking for opportunities to improve our open spaces and create recreation opportunities for the public. The development of the dog park transforms an underutilized area of the park into a vibrant location where community members and their canine pets can gather and socialize," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo said.  The dog park is scheduled to be completed by the end of next month.  "We are happy to work with the Forest Hills Neighbo…

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by Paul Milo
Peekskill, NY
Lifestyle
Sen. Harckham, Mayor Rainey Honor Hudson River Health Care Founder In Peekskill Sen. Harckham, Mayor Rainey Honor Hudson River Health Care Founder In Peekskill
Sen. Harckham, Mayor Rainey Honor Hudson River Health Care Founder In Peekskill One of the Founding Mothers of Hudson River Health Care – a network of 43 nonprofit community health centers in the Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City – was honored by state Sen. Peter Harckham and Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey. The Rev. Jeanette J. Phillips received a proclamation in her honor from the state Senate in recognition of her lifetime of service and pioneering contributions to community-based health care statewide.  The Senate proclamation, introduced in February, was presented to Phillips on Monday at the HRHCare Peekskill health center which b…

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by Jon Craig
Armonk, NY
Neighbors
Westchester Municipality Makes Sweet Sixteen In 'Strongest Towns In America' Westchester Municipality Makes Sweet Sixteen In 'Strongest Towns In America'
Westchester Municipality Makes Sweet Sixteen In 'Strongest Towns In America' While all eyes are on NCAA Tournament brackets, a Westchester municipality has made it to the Sweet Sixteen round of a competition naming the “Strongest Town in America.” New Rochelle was named one of the finalists for the “Strongest Town in America” competition, which is being hosted by the national nonprofit Strong Towns. According to officials, the “Strongest Town contest is a month-long, bracket-based competition designed to spotlight communities from around the world that are building enduring financial resilience at the local level and actively embodying the Strong Towns approach to e…

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by Zak Failla
White Plains, NY
Politics
One More Try: Cuomo Begs Amazon To Bring H2Q Back To NYC One More Try: Cuomo Begs Amazon To Bring H2Q Back To NYC
One More Try: Cuomo Begs Amazon To Bring H2Q Back To NYC New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has met with Amazon executives, including CEO Jeff Bezos, in an effort to encourage them to reconsider pulling out of a planned second headquarters in Long Island City. The online retail giant announced on Thursday, Feb. 14 that it is backpedaling out of the planned deal to construct a headquarters in New York, despite strong support from area residents. The reversal of fortune came following a vocal outcry from some politicians due to their displeasure over tax incentives. “After much thought and deliberation, we've decided not to move forward with our plans to b…

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by Zak Failla
Greenwich, CT
Politics
Another Political First For Connecticut: Sending Its First African-American Woman To Congress Another Political First For Connecticut: Sending Its First African-American Woman To Congress
Another Political First For Connecticut: Sending Its First African-American Woman To Congress There are so many new freshman members of the next U.S. House of Representatives -- more than 90 -- that some news gets lost in the transition. Connecticut scored another historic first on Election Day. Jahana Hayes will is the first African-American elected to Congress from the Nutmeg State. The former National Teacher of the Year scored an easy victory over Republican Manny Santos, former mayor of Meriden, in the open 5th Congressional District. Hayes' identity as a black woman was central to her campaign. “I know the system does not reflect us,’’ Hayes said in a video that went v…

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by Jon Craig
White Plains, NY
Politics
Latimer Names 30-Year Veteran As Planning Commissioner Latimer Names 30-Year Veteran As Planning Commissioner
Latimer Names 30-Year Veteran As Planning Commissioner County Executive George Latimer announced the appointment of Norma Drummond as commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning.  Drummond has been a staple of Westchester County government for more than 30 years, previously serving as both the Acting Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Planning Department.  The county Department of Planning formulates and recommends major planning and development ideas by way of statements, site plans, maps and other materials, to serve as a guide for creating developments within the county that are necessary, cost-effective and attrac…

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by Jon Craig