Clarkstown Parks and Recreation: A New Column

By Matt Veronesi

Hello Rockland County Times Readers, my name is Matt Veronesi and I will be writing this new column focusing on recreation programming and events in the Town of Clarkstown.  As the Superintendent of Parks & Recreation for Clarkstown I will be sharing everything that we have going on in the Town, but will also be glad to share other events and programs in Clarkstown from various other organizations. 

A little about myself – I have been the Superintendent of Parks & Recreation in Clarkstown for a little under two years after previously serving 18 years in the Town of New Windsor in Orange County. While working in New Windsor I wrote a similar column for a local newspaper for 10 years. My wife Jenn and I have four children, our son Brendan aged 34 who is married to Eryn and they have a son, our grandson Theo, who is six months old. We also have our 14 year old son Mattingly and our twin ten year olds Gabriella and Anthony. Mix that in with three dogs and two guinea pigs and the Veronesi house is crazy but fun. I will be happy to share a little of that craziness by taking all of you along with me for the journey while sharing what is going on in the Town of Clarkstown.

When I was hired as the Superintendent of Parks & Recreation for Clarkstown,  with the support from my boss Supervisor George Hoehmann, we brought back town bus trips. These trips are open to all Clarkstown residents as we attend professional sports games, Broadway shows, museums, casinos, holiday shows, etc. These bus trips have become super popular as they are affordable and make things easy for people attending as they do not have to worry about transportation or parking. We offer something for everyone and I highly recommend you checking them out.

Speaking of trips, I’m not a huge hockey fan (mostly because I can’t skate to save my life!), but seeing Team USA men and women win gold has gotten me and a lot of others interested. Being a former athlete and current coach for different sports I truly understand how hard the sport of hockey is, and how much athleticism, endurance, and strength it takes to put on the skates and play this demanding game. With this new found interest for myself and others, as well as all of the existing hockey fans out there in this Hockey rich area of ours, I invite you to sign up for an upcoming bus trip we have in Clarkstown. On Monday March 16th the Town will be taking a trip to Madison Square Garden, The World’s Most Famous Arena, to see the hometown New York Rangers take on the Los Angeles Kings in a professional hockey game. The bus leaves the Town of Clarkstown Parks & Recreation Department at 4:00pm for a 7:00pm game. The price of the trip is $140 per person which includes the bus ride and the ticket to the game. If you are interested in attending this trip or if you have any questions, reach out to the Clarkstown Parks & Recreation Department at 845-639-6200 or by email at recreation@clarkstown.gov. I promise, even if you are not a big hockey fan, there is nothing quite like seeing professional hockey in person. Watching it on TV definitely does not do it justice. I hope you can join us! 

Got an idea for the column or an event in Clarkstown you want me to mention? Shoot me an email at mveronesi@optimum.net. Have a great week!