The "Seniors for Holiday Wishes" program is in desperate need of assistance and is in danger of not being able to provide help to needy local families this holiday season.  The Seniors program has been providing gifts to needy children in the Washingtonville School District for many years. Under the leadership of Stella Bianco, this program grew through the years to providing gifts to over 100 local families and over 200 children. Generous donations by local residents and businesses over the years have made this a very successful program affording needy children an opportunity to enjoy Christmas that they may otherwise have not received. This year the August flood destroyed all of the gifts that were left over from last year.  Donations of unwrapped gifts to the program thus far, have b... 12/01/2011

Community Events This Week Published by Anthony Stokes Pereira / BHG Rand Realty on Thursday November 17, 2011 FALL Events Guide for Westchester and The Hudson Valley   Each season, Anthony Stokes Pereira / Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty collects information about community events throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. New events are posted weekly, so visit us often for updates on events in your area.  www.anthonystokespereira.com   ROCKLAND, ORANGE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES:   November 12, 13, Monroe, New York 20th Century Thanksgiving. See and taste a traditional dinner prepared over an open hearth. Crafts and activities for children. Times vary. 1010 Route 17M. (845) 782-8248. www.museumvillage.org This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provi... 11/17/2011

As most know there is a great new schedule of classes going on at Museum Village as it is now open all year long.  Pottery classes are being given weeknight evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm and Saturdays from 3 to 6 pm.  The cost for 7 sessions is $245.00 which includes the class, all firing costs and all materials such as clay, glazes, stains and tools.  These 7 sessions can be taken any time within a four month time frame.   What a great holiday or birthday gift for a loved one! For more information about these classes contact Tim or Aluca Lindstrom at 845-781-3736 or 845-248-1601. Museum Village 1010 Route 17M Monroe NY  10950 845-782-8247 11/16/2011

Rambler’s Rest Entertainment    Monday Night Football    .25 cent wings and 2.50 Bud, Bud Lite, Coors Lite      Wednesday Trivia   Two (2) $50.00 Ramblers Rest Gift Certificate to the crowd Brainiac   Thursday Night   “Ladies Night”   Half priced Wine and Martini’s from 7:00 to Close   NFL Football Specials   Friday   “DJ Dukes”     Saturday   “Hudson Blue”   Sunday   NFL Package   .25 cent wings $2.50 Bud, Bud lite, Coors Lite and Killians   Ramblers Rest Bar & Restaurant 590 route 208 Monroe NY  10950 845-782-1345 11/14/2011

Late October is an unusual (but not unheard of) time for snowfall in the Northeast.  On October 29th of this year, the Northeast was hit with a Nor'easter which dumped quite a bit of snow.  There have already been many reviews and news articles and blogs about the snow and power outages, but I thought I'd add one about the snowstorm from my perspective. The Monroe, NY area was forecast to have anywhere from 8 to 14" depending on which news report one listened to.  Early that morning, I took Halo, our Siberian Husky, out for a walk and several of my neighbors were out preparing for the possible snowfall (who really believes these predictions anymore until it happens?).  One of my neighbors asked if I thought it was really going to snow, and I had to say "yes, it FEELS like snow."  Becaus... 11/02/2011

There will be an Off-the-Loom Bead Weaving Workshop on Wednesday October 26, 2011 and Wednesday November 2, 2011 from 7-9 pm.  Make a bracelet in your choice of colors with a class cost of $75 per person which will include all materials as well.  Materials to include semi precious stone beads, pearl accent beads, needles and weaving materials. Your class registration will be through payment.  Payment is to be made in person at Museum Village on weekdays or weekends.  Credit cards will be accepted by phone.  All checks are to be made out to Museum village.  For more information please call 845-781-3729 or 845-782-8248 x27.  Do you have a traditional art skill to share?  Then contact Dr. Schmick at the Museum for more information. Museum Village 1010 Route 17M Monroe NY 10950 10/24/2011

A visit to the Museum Village, located at 1010 Route 17M in Monroe (exit 129 off Route 17) will transport you back to the late 1700s/early 1800s.  The Museum opened in 1950, as a result of the efforts of Roscoe William Smith, the founder of Orange and Rockland Electric company, who was also an entrepreneur, engineer, philanthropist, and collector.  Smith's goal was to allow the public to explore and interpret rural life of the 1800s. The Museum is open from April to June, and September to November for school groups; reservations will open the museum not only to the school, but the public is able to visit during those times as well.   Also, in May, June, September, October and November, the Museum is open to the public between 11am-4pm on weekends, with tours at 12pm and 2pm. So what can... 10/06/2011

The below post was written in 2011; for a 2014 update, click here.   Where can you participate in a balloon animal fundraiser for the Hudson Valley Foodbank (September 30 - October 2), participate in a Club Crystal Run Kid's Club event with a costume parade, dancing and fun (October 13), bring the young ones in their costumes for trick-or-treating at select stores at the October 31st Malloween, or participate in the sixth annual Day of Giving on November 13th?   Where can you select from one of 16 movies at a theater that offers Sony 4K digital 3M movies, sensory-friendly showings, senior days and students days?  Or where you can order pizza, mozzarella sticks, curly fries, tenders, or coffee and Tazo tea?   Where can you eat at Johnny Rockets where the waiters and waitresses burst out ... 09/28/2011

One of the things I love to do on a morning when nothing specific is scheduled is to fill the backpack with some sort of food and beverage, put on the hiking boots and find a trail.  In my opinion, the best trails are the ones that either go up to a gorgeous view or the ones that go to a lake for some quiet reflection.  But regardless of what MY favorite trails are, no matter what you may enjoy, the Monroe NY vicinity will meet your needs. The major trail systems in the area include Bear Mountain State Park, Harriman State Park and Schunnemunk State Park. At the Bear Mountain State Park, you can hike to the Perkins Memorial Tower which sits atop the mountain and is 1300 feet above the Hudson River.  Talk about amazing views.  If that is not to your liking, there are about 12 different t... 09/25/2011

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a mere half hour from Monroe NY.  It is located on the western shores of the Hudson River, a little over an hour, 20 minutes from New York City.  Approximately 4,400 cadets are at West Point at any given time, with 1,000 graduating each year and joining the Long Gray Line as second lieutenants. While West Point is certainly known for its military program, the Academy's grounds are also definitely worth a visit for other reasons.   Visitors can visit the West Point museum, attend a concert, a theater program, see fire works, or watch an exciting army athletic game, to name just a few reasons for visiting. The West Point Museum has what may be the largest and oldest public collection of militaria in the Western Hemisphere.  The collectio... 09/24/2011

This is the last weekend for the 2011 NY Renaissance Faire, located in Sterling Forest in Tuxedo Park, NY, a mere 15 minute drive from Monroe, NY.  The faire will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 7pm.  Tickets can be purchased online (at the link below), and they cost $20 for an adult (13 and over), and $10 for a child (5-12 years). So what will you find at the Renaissance Faire?  Old-fashioned fun!    The NY Renaissance Faire has 11 main stages that provide continuous entertainment with jesters, jugglers, magicians and minstrels. You can see knife throwing at the Sherwood Forest stage, an archery tournament at Roselawn Tournament Field, glass blowing demonstrations, storytelling, dancing and more. You might see a joust between knights on charging steeds or play games of s... 09/22/2011

No discussion of the Monroe NY area could be complete without mentioning the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. The outlets are located on 498 Red Apple Court in Central Valley, NY, a mere 10 minutes from the center of Monroe, and right off the NY State Thruway (exit 16).  This is such a popular destination that there are also buses available from the NY Port Authority, Newark airport, east Manhattan, and other locations. So what is it? The Woodbury Common Premium Outlet center is a shopping oasis.  The Outlet contains 220 different stores which include Coach, Armani, Nike, Prada, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Eagle, Brooks Brothers and more.  It occupies more than 800K square feet and is color coded so visitors won't get lost. In addition, because people visit from around the world, the ce... 09/20/2011

This morning we set off on our bicycles down the Orange County Heritage Trail which runs from Monroe NY, through Chester NY and ends in Goshen NY.  In the early 1990s, construction of a paved trail was started in Goshen, NY and it was built along the old Erie railroad tracks.  Work on the trail was completed in 2003 in Monroe.  The current trail is about 11 miles from end to end, although additional trail may be added in the future.  The trail is used by walkers, runners, skateboarders and bicycllists.  Today we fell into the last category. The weather was in the 60s with bright sun - a perfect morning for biking. We started in Monroe, NY - the entrance to the trail can be found off Goosepond Turnpike, near the Monroe Airport Park.  This is off exit 130 of Route 17. The trail is fairly ... 09/18/2011

I've been sharing interesting tidbits about Monroe NY for the last few weeks, and I still have much to share, but today I happened to have reason to go to the Palisades Center in West Nyack NY.  My visit made me think that sharing some of the major sites of interest around the Monroe area might be a great idea as well. So the Palisades Center in West Nyack NY -- what it is?  It's an entertainment and shopping destination for people in the Westchester and Rockland counties, as well as those from New Jersey and Orange counties. The Center is located at 1000 Palisades Center Drive and the stores are open Monday through Saturday from 10am - 9:30pm, and on Sundays from 11am to 7pm.  That being said, access to the mall is provided until early in the morning to allow for visitors who wish to s... 09/17/2011

Every town has at least one.  That is, a topic that is sure to energize discussion between residents.  Is it this one or that one?  Is that team better or this one?  Is this grocery store more popular than that one?  In Monroe, NY, the topic is one of critical importance.  Everyone has an opinion about it.  If you don't, then you must not live here. So here it is.  Are the products better at Mr. Cone or at Wally's Ice Cream Parlor? Both businesses are located on Route 17M in Monroe, and both are on the East side of the street. Both have parking tables and sufficient parking.  Both are always busy (except when I took these pictures but that was on purpose!). Wally's is open from 11:15am to 9pm every day.  Mr. Cone is open from 11am to 9:30pm every day.  Slight advantage to Mr. Cone in te... 09/16/2011

There is a street near me, in Monroe NY, called Reynolds Street.  And next to a home on the street, there's a little sign that says "Outlaws attacked and attempted to murder patriot Henry Reynolds, who was saved by the heroics of his daughter Phoebe, circa 1782," So that sounds kind of impressive, right?  A female saved her dad from outlaws in the late 1700's. But what REALLY happened?  Once you hear the story, you will be even more impressed. Pheobe was one of many children who were residing in the Reynolds' Monroe NY home during the time when Claudius Smith's outlaws were wreaking havoc on that region of the country.  Claudius was a guerilla leader during the American Revolution. One night, Claudius' gang surrounded the Reynolds' home in order to gain entry, but they realized the door... 09/15/2011

Are you trying to decide whether to move to the Monroe NY (Orange County) area, but don't know anything about the public school system?  If the answer to the question is yes, the following information should help. The Monroe-Woodbury school district is where most children from the Blooming Grove, Chester, Harriman, Monroe, Tuxedo, and Woodbury areas attend school.  The school district is large.  During the 2012/2013 school year, approximately 7,100 pupils were enrolled in the school district.  43% were enrolled in the elementary grades (Kindergarten through 5th grade), 25% in grades 6-8 and 32% in high school.  In addition, students attend BOCES and other programs. The school district offers just about every type of sports invented!   Their teams include:  football, soccer, tennis, cros... 09/13/2011

Today, Monroe NY is home to many different faiths.  There are Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches, and there are multiple synagogues and temples.   However, the very first church of Monroe NY was Presbyterian. It was established in 1783.  The first pastor was Silas Constant who preached his first sermon under an apple tree on April 20th, 1783.  A church and school were subsequently built on the 2.5 acre parcel.  The school was open to all residents regardless of faith.  It remained in operation as a public school until about 1813.  At that time, NY State decreed that school districts become established so the school ended formal education.  In 1819, the school began use as a Sunday school.    In 1844, the Erie Railroad purchased some of the church's land to bui... 09/12/2011

I volunteered to man (woman?) the Better Homes & Gardens Rand Realty booth at the Monroe NY Cheese Festival today.  My stint there reiterated how wonderful the Monroe, NY area is. 1) While this wasn't specific to Monroe of course, the weather today was AWESOME!   Sunny with a little breeze and about 78 or so.  In my book, that's a perfect September day. 2) People were interested in the fair.  There was a nice sized crowd, but it wasn't crowded per se.  Folks continued to move from place to place without blocking any booths.  Although I wasn't able to traverse the entire fair end to end, I can speak for the street where we were located.  Music played throughout the day.  We saw a martial arts demonstration which took place on the grass next to one of the ponds.  Various vendors were invo... 09/10/2011

Beautiful Views on 14 Acres Overview Maps Photos Description $779,900 Single Family Home Main Features 4 Bedrooms3 Bathrooms1 Partial Bathroom1 UnitInterior: 4800 sqftLot: 14.30 acre(s) Location 321 Museum Village RoadMonroe, NY 10950USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Debra Walsh Keller Williams Realty(845) 294-8800debbiewalsh40@gmail.comhttp://www.orangenyhouses.com Listed by: Keller Williams Realty Our recent listings Ridgebury Lake in Minisink SchoolsPrivate Lot in Yankee LakeYankee Lake Residential Lot3 BR With FireplaceFlorist Shop For Sale Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 09/10/2011