A Letter from Your Editor

Dear Readers,

It is an honor and a privilege to introduce myself as the new Managing Editor of the Rockland County Times. 

Some of you may recognize my name as the former Community Editor, a position I have held and loved since the summer of 2024. In my role of Community Editor, I was able to interview over 100 small business owners, non-profits, politicians and community members such as yourself.

As a non-native Rocklander, getting to know my community in such a deep way has been a blessing beyond my wildest dreams. Rocklanders have welcomed me with open arms since day one, and that trust and respect is something I will never take for granted, no matter what role I hold. 

With how dear the Community Editor role was to me, I knew we as a paper could not hire just anyone. Enter; Gillian DeStefano. This Pearl River native came to us as a freelancer, and after meeting her in person we knew her bubbly, inquisitive and outgoing nature was the perfect fit to continue uplifting the voices of our community and reporting on the multifaceted happenings of our busy county. 

As I step into my new role, I am anxious to meet even more community members and guide this paper into becoming the best it can be. I ask for your grace as we make large transitions, knowing that sometimes big changes mean big whoopsies. I also humbly request your opinions and your voices. We are nothing without our readers, and hearing from you is my favorite aspect of working at this time-honored paper. This is your paper – let us know what you want to see. 

While Gillian will be completing a full profile for next week’s paper, I would like to leave you with a few tidbits about myself – 

I am a huge reader and am always reading two or three different books. Currently lying on my nightstand are The Compound by Aisling Rawle, The Will of the Many by James Islington, and the second installment in R. F. Kuang’s Poppy War Series, The Dragon Republic. I am on a streak of fantastic books and recommend all three. 

I speak intermediate Swedish. My husband is from Sweden, hence the Swedish last name, and learning his mother tongue  has been the toughest and most rewarding “hobby” I could have. Try out some Swedish of your own by saying “Hej hej!” next time you see me!

As mentioned earlier, I am a non-native Rocklander and moved here from California three years ago. Three has always been my lucky number, and I have a feeling this year will be my best year yet. 

Sincerely, 

Sierra Lidén

Managing Editor