Volume 2, Issue 2
Table of Contents

Cover Story:
Banking On Change
Rockland’s financial institutions adapt to a changing county’s needs

Feature Story:
Give Him Credit
Palisades Federal Credit Union CEO/President Mark Welshoff just wants to save you money

RBD Round-Up:
What's Your Opinion?
County Exec Signs Ban on Smoking in Cars. Do You Agree?

DEPARTMENTS:

Economic Round-Up
• The Smart Investor
Your portfolio is doing great, so why rebalance?

Retail Round-Up
• Delinquencies Decline
Credit card loan delinquencies decline In first quarter of 2007
• New In Town
Businesses opening or expanding in Rockland and Orange Counties
• Why Are The Chains Everywhere?
Retailers who reinvent themselves stay successful

Invest in Your Community
• Red Cross Honors Volunteers
Two award recipients from Rockland County
• Dress Success
Local dentist helps disadvantaged woman get her life together
• School Supplies Drive
Rockland County Board of Realtors annual drive is here
• Non-Profit Calendar

Dedicated Section:
Rockland Business Association:

The President’s Desk
Time To Celebrate!
RBA marks 40 years of community involvement

Call For Memories
RBA asks for your help to celebrate its 40th anniversary

RBA Happenings
• Committee and Council Info
• Calendar of Events
• New Members

New York – June 15, 2007 -- Two volunteers from Rockland County, Lawrence V. Rivera and Jeff Varghese, received special honors from the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) for their extraordinary commitment to helping county residents prepare for and respond to emergencies.

The 2007 ARC/GNY awards were presented at the volunteer recognition ceremony held at the chapter’s headquarters at 520 West 49th Street in Manhattan on Thursday, June 7. The event marked the first volunteer recognition ceremony at ARC/GNY’s new headquarters, which opened last September to better serve the people of New York City and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan counties. ARC/GNY – Rockland is located at 143 North Broadway in Nyack (845-358-0833).

“All that we do could not be accomplished without the support of our thousands of volunteers who give their time, energy, caring and commitment to the Red Cross and the people of this area,” said Theresa Bischoff, CEO, American Red Cross in Greater New York. “Their indispensable role every day provides crucial immediate humanitarian assistance to all New Yorkers when they are most distraught, most vulnerable, most in need. Our work makes a big difference to those touched by disaster.”

First Year Award – Lawrence V. Rivera
Honors an exceptional new volunteer who has served the Red Cross for less than one year and still has made an outstanding contribution to the success of a particular service area or project activity.

Lawrence Rivera of West Haverstraw in Rockland County has achieved an enormous amount in an extremely short time, doing literally everything he can to help the Red Cross. He completed the five basic disaster courses. He is a member of the Rockland and Manhattan disaster action teams, is a trained presenter of safety and preparedness classes, and has received bilingual instructor certifications for various programs. As the Haverstraw Red Cross disaster coordinator, Mr. Rivera organizes activities with Rockland officials, emergency planners and responders. He also is the liaison with the town’s Hispanic population.

Mr. Rivera began his involvement with the Red Cross as a child in New York City, when he accompanied his grandmother, a nurse, to local Red Cross functions.

Youth Services Award – Jeff Varghese
Recognizes an exceptional youth volunteer within ARC/GNY who has served for at least one year and has demonstrated creativity in developing youth services, organization and leadership in an activity that reflects honor on the youth volunteer and on the Red Cross, and/or an accomplishment of exceptional merit that enhances the Red Cross.

Jeff Varghese of West Nyack in Rockland County joined Clarkstown South High School’s Red Cross Club during ninth grade. As a junior, he has energized the club while serving as president and recruited more than 17 new members. As an active member of the Nanuet Ambulance Corps, Mr. Varghese also is trained in first aid and CPR. He anticipates he will become trained in additional Red Cross disciplines when he turns 18. RBD

Dress For Success
Dress For Success is an organization that promotes the economic independence of New York’s disadvantaged women by providing attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

Dr. Marvin Fier

Rockland dentist Dr. Marvin A. Fier donates his services to Dress For Success and was dedicated to helping Carmen Matos get her life back together. One of her problems was her smile and poor oral health. Dr. Fier, who specializes in cosmetic dentistry and is the Executive Vice President of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. partnered with Philips Sonicare, the most recommended power toothbrush by dental professionals in the United States, to provide Carmen with complimentary dental work – giving her a brand new smile -- a smile that would provide her the confidence to tackle job interviews and keep working to improve her life.

“Changing her life by transforming her appearance with a smile she would be proud to show off was enormously gratifying. We spent so much time together that Carmen became one of my favorite patients,” says Dr. Fier.

School Supplies Drive
The Rockland County Board of Realtors (RCBOR) annual school supplies drive is underway, part of the “Back to School with Dignity” program, a charitable initiative collecting new school supplies for Rockland County’s underprivileged children.

This year, RCBOR has announced that CVS will partner with the Realtors and People to People, a Rockland-specific non-profit organization, in this charitable effort by offering special coupons and discounts on school supplies for the drive. Additionally, CVS District Manager John Thomas has donated $100 in gift cards to be used toward the purchase of supplies at CVS.

“It’s important that all children have the opportunity to receive the necessary tools for a successful education,” said Nettie Price, President of the Rockland County Board of Realtors. Local residents can donate pens, pencils, scissors, glue, notebooks, backpacks, lunchboxes and similar items. Monetary and gift certificate donations are also welcome. All donations can be dropped off at various Realtor offices throughout Rockland.

All items donated to the drive will be delivered to People to People, a Rockland-based charity that helps families and individuals return to self-sufficiency and provides assistance with food, clothing, personal care items, school supplies and guidance. People to People will then dispense the supplies to the county’s students in need. RBD

Non-Profit Calendar
An Active Summer… And All For Charity

This time of the year, Rockland is brimming over with charitable events. Here’s a listing of just a few of them. Have an event you’d like to publicize? Send us the info and we’ll publish it here next issue.

Tues, Sept. 16, 11 am. – 6 pm.:
The Fourth Annual Hudson Ferry-Go-Round
The Fourth Annual Hudson Ferry-Go-Round will take place from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., with free shuttle busses carrying people from the ferry docks to special events such as concerts, arts shows and food festivals expected to be held in each town.

Tues, Sept. 18, Noon:
Joseph R. Holland/Department of Social Services 8th Annual Golf Classic, Spook Rock Golf Course, Suffern
Proceeds benefit the Rockland County Parent Aid Fund, Inc. to help needy families and children who live in Rockland County. For more information, please contact Ruth Masterson at 845-364-3302 or mastersr@co.rockland.ny.us.

Monday, Sept.24:
The 18th Annual Good Samaritan Hospital & The Journal News/Lohud.com Fall Golf and Tennis Classic, Edgewood Country Club - Rivervale, NJ
New This Year - $10K GIVEAWAY! Ask how you can win $10-Grand While Supporting Good Sam! For more information or to become a sponsor/underwriter, please call Tracie McLee at (845) 368-5618 or email tmclee@tshs.org. (Editor’s Note: We inadvertently published the incorrect date in last issue’s Calendar. Please take note of these actual dates.)

Support Groups Forming - Provident Bank Hope & Healing Center
United Hospice of Rockland offers a variety of support groups for those who are experiencing the grief that results from loss. Support groups and bereavement programs are held in the Provident Bank Hope & Healing Center, 11 Stokum Lane (off South Main Street), New City and are supported in part by The Jeffrey David Walerstein Fund for Bereavement.

The following groups are eight consecutive weeks and all participants MUST pre-register by calling United Hospice at: 845-634-4974 ext, 117.

Spouse Loss Groups: for those who have had a loss of a spouse or significant other, the groups will begin:
– Monday, September 24th - 11:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.
– Monday, September 24th - 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Parent/Sibling Loss Group: For those who have had a loss of a parent or sibling, the group will begin:
– Tuesday September 25th from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.