Type Away Cait

Max Vales (left) sits with his wife, Niquette Vales (right), of 56 years at Ramapo Activity Senior Center. photo credit: Aileen Miller, Manager of Ramapo Senior Activity Center Max and Niquette Vales have been married for 56 years. It's all thanks to her brother. He went to a picnic, where he met the music-loving guy. “That same day when my brother got home, he bought a guitar and tried to play. Then one day, Max stopped by my house,” she said. “They were talking, playing guitar and I passed by to go out and he saw me. I saw him too…and then I left.” From when their eyes first met, he kept returning every day, every afternoon. Read full article here.

Three suspects from Haverstraw were arrested on Wednesday for attempted murder, Haverstraw Police officials say. The victim was in the area of 17 West Broad St. on Feb. 3 at 10 p.m. when he was approached and attacked by two men and one teenager, according to Capt. John Gould Jr. Two suspects were identified as Said Diaz, 19, David Ramirez, 18. The other suspect, 17, allegedly drew a knife and attempted to stab the victim multiple times. The victim’s large puffer style jacket weakened the impact, but he still suffered multiple cuts around the torso. His wallet in his pocket also protected him from one of the stabbing attempts. The 17-year-old was arraigned in Rockland County Youth as part of the Superior Court and remanded to Rockland County Correctional Facility, where he was charged with Attempted Murder, Attempted Gang Assault, Menacing and Attempted Assault each in the second degree as well as Assault in the third degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the fourth degree. Dia...

A Pomona woman was arrested in connection with the fatal hit-and-run accident that happened on Jan. 26 in the area of the Hillcrest firehouse, Haverstraw Police officials say. At approximately 6:30 a.m., a pedestrian was crossing Thiells Mt. Ivy Road when he was struck by two vehicles. The victim was identified as 72-year-old Daniel DeSerio, News 12 reported. While one driver stopped to call 911 to request medical attention, the other allegedly fled southbound on Thiells Mt. Ivy Road. Investigators identified the suspect as Rosana Pelaez Dipaolo, 25, based on car parts left at the scene. She was arraigned on the below listed charges in the Town of Haverstraw Justice Court and released on her own recognizance: Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Death (D – Felony) Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 1st permanent revocation (E – Felony) Circumventing an Interlock Device (((unclassified) Misdemeanor) Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd suspension (A – Misdemeanor). This article was l...

A man suspected of murdering a woman in Ramapo died yesterday after fleeing to Connecticut, Ramapo Police officials say. Just before 9 a.m., officers were called to Inwood Drive in the Hillcrest area for reported gunshots fired and a woman lying on the ground, according to Lt. Christopher Franklin. The 56-year-old was unresponsive and transported to Good Samaritan Hospital by Spring Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps where she was pronounced dead. After determining that the suspect, 53-year-old Lawrence Byrd, fled to Connecticut, the Ramapo Police Investigations Division notified nearby officers, including Stamford Police. Byrd was seen walking from 300 Tresser Blvd. and officers approached him on the intersection of Canal Street and South State Street underneath the MTA train overpass. Shortly after, Byrd shot himself in the head. Stamford officers immediately rendered emergency care and CPR. He was transported to Stamford Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Ramapo Police Departmen...

  photo courtesy of Susan Bresnahan Patrick Bresnahan was just one of the millions of U.S. babies born when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. His mother, Susan Bresnahan, would learn later that she would not only have to deal with the stress of the pandemic, but an unknown condition impeding her newborn son’s development. At 2 years old, Patrick was diagnosed with a rare CACNA1C-related disorder. That was when Susan reached out to find support and came across Timothy Syndrome Alliance, a charity in England whose mission is “to improve the diagnosis, treatment and care of individuals with CACNA1C-related disorders, including Timothy Syndrome and LongQT8.” Read full article here. NEWS TIPS: cmalilay@rocklandcountytimes.com

The Ramapo Police Emergency Communications Center received a report yesterday after 5:30 p.m. that a child was struck by a school bus in front of 100 Clinton Ave. in the Village of New Square, Ramapo Police officials say. The first Ramapo officers on scene were told by paramedics that the 8-year-old boy was pronounced dead, according to Lt. Blaine Howell. The driver of the bus remained on scene and is cooperating with the police. The crash is currently being investigated by the Ramapo Police Crash Investigation Unit. This article is featured on The Rockland County Times. 

photo courtesy: Town of Ramapo Police Department / Facebook A suspect from New York City was arrested in connection with synagogue burglaries in the Monsey area, Ramapo Police officials say. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Joel Jungries, allegedly entered and stole money from three synagogues, located on Monsey Boulevard and Suzanne Drive, on Jan. 6. He returned to the same two synagogues on Monsey Blvd. on Jan. 20. The Ramapo Police Department Investigations Division identified Jungries and arrested him on Jan. 23. He was charged with five counts of burglary and one count of grand larceny each in the third degree, and two counts each of petit larceny and possession of burglar tools. Jungries was arraigned on all charges and released on his own recognizance pending future court appearance. This article is featured in The Rockland County Times. NEWS TIPS: cmalilay@rocklandcountytimes.com Instagram: @cait_malilay_writes

photo courtesy: Town of Ramapo Police Department / Facebook Two suspects from New York City were arrested for stealing $2,035 worth of merchandise from CVS, located at 20 Filors Lane in Stony Point. Stony Point Police responded to CVS on Jan. 10 for a reported shoplifting complaint. Jhohan Pierdrahita-Lopez, 34, of Queens, and Rafeal Suarez-Hernandez, 27, of Brooklyn, were identified in a security video leaving the store without paying, Stony Point Police stated. The suspects were stopped by Ramapo Police shortly after they put out a description of the vehicle they left in. After a brief investigation, they were arrested and charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree. The defendants were issued an appearance ticket and are due back in Stony Point Justice Court on Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m. News Tips: cmalilay@rocklandcountytimes.com This article is featured in The Rockland County Times. Instagram: @cait_malil...

  The new year is approaching soon and with that comes new beginnings and the brand new you. While it may be easier for some, It may be hard for others to make adjustments into their everyday lives, even the smallest of changes. Dr. Jennifer Buchwald, a clinical psychologist at the Hudson Valley Center for Cognitive Therapy , spoke with The Rockland County Times to share her advice on how one can stick to their new year’s resolutions. "It’s really helpful to make a specific plan for how you’re going to make the change. Write down your reasons for making the change, so you can read your list over when you’re feeling tempted to do the behavior you’re trying not to do,” she said. Read full article here.

Remember the good old days of going to the video store to rent movies? Christopher Plummer, the director of Rockland Community College’s Cultural Arts Theatre and co-founder of the Rockland Shakespeare Company, shared that the first VHS tape his mother ever bought him was "Back To the Future." "We were in the electronic store and I remember the guy saying to us, ‘Hey, would you like to buy the movie?’ We looked at each other like, ‘You can buy a movie?’” he said. The brand new copy costed them $100. Read full article here.

  Christopher Plummer, the director of Rockland Community College’s Cultural Arts Theatre and co-founder of the Rockland Shakespeare Company , will never forget one of the very first horror movies he watched as a kid: “The Exorcist” (1973) , directed by William Friedkin. “‘The Exorcist’ terrified me in a way I can’t properly convey to you or quantify,” he said. “I watched it since many times and I remember distinctly seeing it as a child, but that was one movie that very very much scared me and I don’t get particularly scared at films.” Plummer —who is a distant relative of the late actor Christopher Plummer, known for iconic films such as “The Sound of Music” (1965) and “Knives Out” (2019) — discusses the evolution of horror movies and what elements constitute a great horror flick.  Read full article here.

  graphic courtesy: The Mental Health Association of Westchester County The Mental Health Association of Rockland County and The Mental Health Association of Westchester County are expected to merge this autumn or early winter.  “We believe that the merger will make us stronger as a combined entity, which will give us a deeper and wider array of services, and a greater ability to be flexible and nimble to meet the changing needs of our communities. We’ll also have a stronger infrastructure and enhanced financial strength, which really positions us to be the best that we can be on behalf of the people that we have the privilege of supporting in our communities," said Stephanie Madison, the president and CEO of MHAR. With an operating budget of $50 million and 500 staff members, the new partnership will make them the second-largest mental health association in the country. Read full article here.

  photo courtesy:  L’Oréal Paris Samantha Wettje, Bardonia resident and co-founder of 16 Strong Project, will be honored in Los Angeles as part of L’Oréal Paris's 18th annual private celebration for Women of Worth on Nov. 16. “It is an incredible honor to be included in one of this year’s L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honorees alongside some of the most incredible women I’ve ever met making unbelievable change in their community,” she said. 16 Strong is an organization dedicated to helping children, teens and young adults affected by adverse childhood experiences. Read full article here.

  photo courtesy: Fever  Let those Autumn vibes flow by visiting Pomona’s Clover Stadium, where Pumpkin World is set to launch tonight at 6 p.m. and run through Halloween! Read full article here.

Let’s talk hair down there.  Yes, there! Experts Brianna Brass, a licensed esthetician of more than 10 years and owner of Pearl River’s Velvet Truth Esthetics , and Dr. Tal Sarig-Meth , an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York Presbyterian Columbia University, share their advice on how to properly care for the bikini area. Read full article here.

  photo courtesy: Brianna Brass Velvet Truth Esthetics is a solo woman-owned skincare and waxing service located at 7 W. Central in Pearl River. The owner, Brianna Brass, shares her inspiring story and what it takes to open a business.  "I’d rather put all my money into working for myself than continue to work for someone else and I was willing to take the risk,” Brass said. Read full article here.  

photo courtesy: Birdie's Batch website Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! Sara and Vinnie Cann, the founders of Birdie's Batch, a mother-daughter duo that sells jams and old-fashion classic baked goods from heirloom recipes, spoke with the Rockland County Times to share the secret behind a good chocolate chip cookie. Read full article here.

photo courtesy: We Fight Like A Girl / Instagram We Fight Like A Girl will be hosting their ninth annual fundraiser for Young Survival Coalition at Hudson’s Mill, located at 55 W. Railroad Ave. Building 19 in Garnerville, on October 13. “Every year we invite breast cancer survivors or families of those who have passed to join us. We have music, we have raffles. We raffle off prizes from local businesses all the way through to sporting events, and it’s a really fun night where everyone can just come gather and really get together to fight for a really good cause,” said Michelle Nishanian of We Fight Like A Girl. Read full article here.

photo credit: Valeria Maddalena Instagran / @hair_by_vale We may be a little over a month into the summer season, but it’s never too late to revitalize your hair with a new style. Valeria Maddalena , a senior stylist at JLK Salon in New City of over nine years, shared with The Rockland County Times some of her favorite hair colors and care tips to keep in mind. Read full article here.

July marks Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the CDC , more than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. cope with a mental illness. In many cultures, mental health issues are mistakenly viewed as a character flaw or weakness. Stephanie Madison, the president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Rockland County, spoke with The Rockland County Times to share what the organization is doing to alleviate these inequities and how society can overcome these stigmas. Read full article here. Cait · President and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Rockland County on mental health in the media hgh