87 Days to the Festival
The Rockland County Executive’s Office hosted Tara Agen and I for a second time today. Jason Rielly (Research Assistant to County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef) and Heather Duke (Director of Rockland Tourism) have been gracious to also step beside the Festival.
There were two significant insights into the County Executive’s Office with this meeting.
It was noteworthy that two young men were included. Office interns, Arie Feinman and Tom Seeley, were given the opportunity to not only witness our exchange - - - they contributed to it. Arie will be entering his senior year at SUNY Binghamton. Tom just graduated Cornell. Both are music enthusiasts and latched on to the fresh perspective of a community coming together around culture. They both offered ideas, leads, and the commitment to further the message among their friends. Hat’s off to the County for boldly encouraging these young voices.
The second point of interest was coming to understand more deeply the County Executive’s passion for the arts. We are fortunate to have Village, Township and County support for the Suffern Music+Arts Festival. C. Scott Vanderhoef’s appreciation for art is due in large part to his mother, Jerre. She has passed away, but her artistry lives on and will be celebrated this coming September. There is an installation planned at Rockland Community College for the second week of September. As a result of our meeting, we are pleased to announce that SMAF will also help promote her legacy in our Artisan Garden.