Good Luck, Rockland County

Legendary publisher of the Rockland County Times Armand Miele retires his longtime column “Miele’s Musing.” Read the final “Miele’s Musing”

BY ARMAND MIELE

When I became involved with the Rockland County Times in the 1990s, I was an old man. I was born during the Depression in a poor neighborhood, saw my brothers drafted into World War II, was drafted myself during the Korean War, built businesses, raised a family, and lost a daughter, all in the 70 years before I stepped into the newspaper world. For a man like myself, from the streets, born to manual labor, news publishing was something I never thought I could aspire to.

Those who have read my Musings and my book, “Born Minus,” will remember that my past was not only filled with hard work, but with severe illness, as well. I survived cancer twice and nearly died of bullous emphysema before turning 70 years old.

But I saw what a fighter like me could offer to a newspaper. I could offer Rockland County Times’ readers a voice they hadn’t heard before, in the pages of Rockland’s best source of news. I’ve lived the history that your children read in textbooks, except that unlike the textbooks, I want to tell the whole story. And our readers, like all Americans, are hungry for wisdom as well as information on our American lifestyle, whether political, economic, or moral. All these things made it a great privilege to write “Miele’s Musings” during my senior years. I sincerely hope that readers have been able to benefit from my words and experiences.

In recent months, I’ve slowed down a bit. I’m in my 80s now. After my kidneys failed, I had a very hard time on dialysis, but was saved once again, this time by a kidney transplant. I suppose I’ve earned a break.

But slowing down is hard, and I’ll tell you why. Gratified as I am that people have read Miele’s Musings over the years, I would love even more to see some action.

For years, I’ve been telling readers to go out and vote in local elections and school elections. The voter turnout remains pathetic in local election years. I’ve stated and re-stated information’s regarding the numerous unfair taxes imposed on us by the MTA, which is not even a body of elected officials.

Yet Rockland continues to be poorly served by the MTA, in huge disproportion to the taxes we pay, and very few complain. I warned voters that Obama’s “Change” slogan was nothing but a catchy word in a rock and roll song. All Americans now know that I was right. But how will people vote this year? Will they remember, will they ACT, or will they just enjoy Obama’s new song?

I wish you well, Rockland County. I feel I’ve done my part. The Miele’s Musings column lives on in the pages of my book, “Born Minus.” I hope that you will go on reading, of course. I hope that you will remember me well. But even more, my hope and prayer for you is that you will carry on with everything that I’ve tried to do, along with all the fighters in the world, who battle unfairness and debilitating illness. If we have survived and achieved so much, you can too!

Words alone will not preserve your American lifestyle. Only your actions can do that. God bless you, Rockland, and God bless America.

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