SuzySaid is all about town. You’ll find Suzy in Rockland County’s hot spots for women doing the ‘BFF’ thing of giving girlfriends the inside scoop on the best of everything in suburbia. No wonder Suzy has come along side The Suffern Music and Arts Festival. SMAF is one of Suzy’s new ‘favorites’.

Who is SuzySaid? She is the newest online resource for Rockland’s ladies. Part of a national free weekly email and destination website, Rockland’s SuzySaid is brought to you by two local moms, Kelly Miller and Arleen Goldenberg. Both have embraced the Festival’s positive family, community, and volunteer giveback slant. SuzySaid is specifically partnered with SMAF on Girls’ Night Out, The Give Back/Get Back SMAF Seismic Slimdown, and the Children’s Experience. Each week SuzySaid is featuring a personal story stemming from a woman’s journey to wellness in the Seismic Slimdown.

“Suzy is a fictional character, the best friend each of us (girls) phones when we need information, advice or simply to gush over the ‘great deal’ we stumbled upon during Saturday morning errands.” Suzy is you. She’s your neighbor, your sister-in-law, your daughter’s Girl Scout leader.” This is according to the Fairfield, CT founders who launched Suzy in March 2007.

Come meet SuzySaid at SMAF. She’ll be there. In the meantime, check out her site. There you’ll find such categories as “Deal of the Day”, “Give”, “Restaurants”, “Mom to Mom”, “Around Town” and more.

The Ramapo Times joined SMAF early on as a media partner. And to that end, I give thanks.

Richard Gandon is the driving force behind this online publication that “provides community news by our community and for our community”. It’s not about hard news. It’s about connecting individuals to their neighborhood and it is fueled by the horsepower of its readership. Presently, The Ramapo Times has a fan base of over 22,000 subscribers. It’s a forum which is taking hold and bringing folks together.

Today seemed like the perfect day to acknowledge Richard Gandon, who is also a Festival volunteer. He wrote a humorous, anecdotal account of the Festival’s kickoff fitness class last night. The Give Back/Get Back SMAF Seismic Slimdown is no longer all about the girls. Boys - - - bring it on.

60 Days to the Festival??? Yikes.

So we had this major meeting last night. A who’s who of ‘getting it done’ volunteers.

We heard the talent rundown. We dove deeper into venue designs. We announced our ticketing partner (Tix go on sale July 12th). We heard about simulcasting, media partners, corporate sponsors, green initiatives, volunteer training. . .

It’s breath-taking - - - and I don’t mean in the ‘I think your gorgeous’ kind of way. I mean it takes your breath.

To reflect back on the 6 months of sprinter’s speed milestones surpassed and then to look ahead at the glory of what appears to be a mountain-top climb equal to Everest, we as a community have to take pause, RELEASE BREATH, and go ‘WOW’. NOW let’s get down to MORE WORK.

Do your dash to SMAF 2009. Join us on this last leg of the journey.

How was your Independence Day? Did you hang out independently by yourself? Or was it more of a social scene of friends, family and community?

George Bernard Shaw said “Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.”

When you break it down, ‘independence’ is really not an emancipation onto one’s own self. ‘Independence’ is a breaking from oppression. Whether the stronghold is from another country’s rule or from a mindset of negativity, independence is taking that proverbial ‘road less traveled’ - - - the tougher path. Oft, the more rewarding. And that ‘road’ is all the richer when shared with another soul.

In terms of the Suffern Music and Arts Festival, we are celebrating the independence to ‘THRIVE’ and not just ’survive’ this economy by bringing forth an event of commercial and community transformation driven by culture. That’s a change of mindset! In on the SMAF 2009 festivities are independent (indie) artists sharing their gifts of song and visual art without the constraints of the BIG Label. That’s a change from dominant rule!

But to George Bernard Shaw’s point, indie artists are dependent on a circle of fans (loyal and new) to keep the arts alive. To that end , anyone looking forward to SMAF 2009 is IN-Dependence of a more united community.

U.S. World & News Report reported in a May 2007 article that volunteering is good for your health. According to the experts, it begins with the most simplistic shift in thinking. You need to move from an attitude of “I am the center of the world” to a “willingness to act toward others in helpful ways.”

This ‘open arms’ approach to life allows a positive release of hormones in your body and brain. By-products can be longevity, higher cognitive function, a lower rate of depression and reduced heart disease.

With that know-how on our side, the Suffern Music and Arts Festival is leveraging your healthful head start by offering the “Give Back/Get Back SMAF Seismic Slimdown”. This is a “ladies only” benefit. Become a Festival volunteer THIS WEEK (deadline July 5th) and any woman will be eligible to participate in this FREE 8-week contest.

Not only will the winner have a fitness transformation, but she will also receive a full makeover inclusive of hair, makeup, nails, and wardrobe courtesy of Suffern Chamber of Commerce merchants. The winner will be a part of the headline performance at Suffern’s historic Lafayette Theater entitled “Girls’ Night Out”, featuring an array of female vocal performers on Sunday, September 6th. The winner will introduce the lead acts on stage in her newly transformed state.

The “Give Back/Get Back SMAF Seismic Slimdown” is being delivered in conjunction with the Village of Suffern Recreation Department. Montebello resident and certified personal trainer, Richard DiSanto (owner of www.TrainwithRich.com), was tapped to lead the contest. Train with Rich, a Rockland-based business, is a sponsor of the Suffern Music and Arts Festival. Salon owner and Suffern Chamber member, Gina Bertolino, is thrilled to provide all the beauty services. Her business, Mystic Images, will be the exclusive salon sponsor for the contest. Kim Profita will do nails. Stephanie Mayo is the makeup artist. Fellow Chamber member, Anne Kilduff of High Style, will supply the wardrobe.

This exclusive volunteer fitness program kicks off on June 24th at Festival Headquarters, located at 34 Lafayette Avenue in Suffern, NY. There will be a one-hour orientation and measurement session (7-8PM). “This is not a weight contest”, stresses trainer Rich DiSanto. “Instead, contestants will be rewarded based on loss of inches and percentage body fat”. Classes will be held twice a week at The George J. Parness Suffern Community Center (41 Washington Avenue). The times are Wednesday 7:00-7:45PM and Saturday 11:00-11:45AM. Again, everything is free. It’s only for female volunteers. And it all leads to one of the best experiences inside the 2-day Suffern Music and Arts Festival event: “Girls’ Night Out”!

“They have a PASSION for the arts.” “They have a PASSION for music.”

If you are like me, you often hear the word ‘passion’ associated with arts and music. Why this word? Why not the Webster listed synonyms like love, fervor, ardor, enthusiasm, or zeal?

The root of the word ‘passion’ is ‘passio’ or suffering. Though this is an outdated use, more typically associated with the Passion (or suffering) of Christ, it makes more sense as to why ‘passion’ is tied to arts and music over any other.

Starving artists. Suffering for the music. Rags to riches. Ashes to glory.

The most esteemed artistry seems to emerge from the darkest of circumstances. And sometimes, the artist forever personally dwells in that space of oppression only to be glorious on a world stage. In the wake of all the Michael Jackson retrospection, we certainly have an example of the latter. Troubled spirit. Incredible talent.

The Suffern Music and Arts Festival is bringing the passions of many together into one vision. Hope you are there to experience it.

‘School’s Out (for Summer)’.  For most of us, that Alice Cooper song can begin playing today.  Finally after much academic testing, typical June fanfare and far too many 1/2 days (the curse to working parents), it’s officially the kick-back season.

The popular mottos associated with this economy are ’staycation’ and ‘daycation’.  The thought is that  vacationing from your home saves on both travel time and $$$.

Is a ’staycation’/'daycation’ is in your Summer 2009 planner?  Is yes, then The Suffern Music+Arts Festival is thrilled.  We’ll be bringing a world of culture to your backyard on Labor Day weekend.

To make the most of your ’stay’, however, I offer these words of advice.  Make sure to pack your home with a little (vac)ate-tion.

Vacate for one week . . .

• Taking any work related calls/texts/emails.
• Opening up all snail mail.  It’s either ‘junk’ or ‘bills’.
• Reading personal emails if you can.
• Doing (or adding to - - - ladies out there) the ‘honey do list’.
• Harping on chores of any kind.
• Cooking most meals.  Splurge and dine out.  It’s still cheaper than if you are at a resort.
• Really staying home.  Go explore your backyard, town, county, state, any where within a day’s driving.

Vacate-tion planning makes your ’stay’ enjoyable, restorative, and memorable.  Now that’s value!

Summer is a time to kick back.  It’s memories at the pool side, children romping at camp, drama in summer stock theater, and music in the park.  To make all that carefree joy possible in the Village of Suffern takes the labor  from none other than Recreation Coordinator, Gail Curtin. She and her dedicated staff work wonders to bring extra sunshine into the season.

The Festival is privileged to have Gail working as a volunteer.  Specifically, I am proud to have her on my PR Marketing Team.  She’s an asset to community relations, a partner on co-marketing events, and a liaison to all other Village Departments.

If you see Gail or the Recreation staff this week at Suffern Pool or perhaps tomorrow night for the concert in Avon Park, be sure to say ‘thank you’.  They make it look so easy.

Happiest of Father’s Days to you.

An especially Happy Father’s Day to my dad, Dan. He’s a man who put himself through Princeton University to earn an engineering degree. Yet when the 1970’s economy looked similar to our challenges of today and he was laid off, he humbly pumped gas to put food on the table. He and my mom stood the test of time to celebrate (what is also today) their 46th wedding anniversary. Their fortitude, loyalty and spirit of giving are a role model for me.

When I serve on projects like the Suffern Music+Arts Festival, I often think back on how they exemplified community generosity. My parents, with my little sister and I in tow, volunteered in church, drove for Meals on Wheels, sang at senior citizen centers, and took in strays.  That’s just to name a few.

Hope you too have similar memories.

Yesterday, our immediate family went to a BBQ to relax with our Festival friends. As we drove up, my son said “Mom, I haven’t done anything to serve the Festival yet. Maybe I shouldn’t be here.” My reply - - - “Son, you’ve done more than you know by allowing me and Dad the time - your time - our time - to give back and make a difference.”

Not sure if my son totally caught the message. After all, he is 12. What I know for sure is that children take in EVERYTHING we do.  It is my belief that this rings true most profoundly during times of challenge.  How we rise from the ashes can be a testament of grace to the next generation.  Certainly, my own father’s humility taught me.

Whatever your condition - - - take the time to volunteer. Whether for the Suffern Music+Arts Festival or for another worthy endeavor. It will make for a better you, enrichment for your children, and fonder memories on days like Father’s Day.

HP, one of the Festival’s premier sponsors, just launched a brand new ‘Friends & Family’ program that offers their employee discount to you! It’s a limited time offer, so start shopping today.

The Suffern Music+Arts Festival attracted HP’s attention with our goal of being a shade of green. What they will be able to deliver is an eco-efficient installation that produces a new direction for “how to” go green and be more sustainable inside a community of businesses as represented by the Village of Suffern merchants in downtown.

HP has brought another sponsor to the Festival - Duggal. Duggal works with HP to print super wide and large format prints. Together, they will be able to produce a print revitalization story within the framework of SMAF 2009 that is all about being earth-friendly.

To understand better the magnitude of the HP+Duggal+SMAF marketing alliance, take a look at what HP and Duggal were able to achieve this past winter at the Special Olympics in Idaho. Not only will eco-efficient printing be brought to our community, but we will be able to dress our Festival with magnificent, welcoming signs that are recyclable.

Mission accomplished to better commerce, community, and the environment, while still having fun and giving back.