Home Run Hitters Honored at Haverstraw

Sofia Arecena and Lucas Lopez were the first two players to hit a home run this season at the Haverstraw little league. As per tradition, the town of Haverstraw honored them at their town board meeting on April 28th. Sofia is a pitcher who plays for the Bricktown Bombers and Lucas plays shortstop for the Dodgers. 

The pair of athletes reminded Supervisor Phillips of a local legend, when Yankees player Babe Ruth came to Haverstraw to film his movie ‘Heading Home’. According to Supervisor Phillips, Ruth played a game against the local Knights of Columbus chapter. He hit a homer that went so far that every time the story is told, the length of the homer increases by just a little bit. The town board expressed their pride and admiration for the athletes, honoring them both with a prize of $200.

The town of Haverstraw also nominated three men to become full time police officers. Christopher Badenchini, Ryan Lutz, and Wolf Joseph. Wolf Joseph serves a particular need for the town by being a speaker of both French and Haitian Creole. With a sizable Haitian diaspora living in Rockland, Creole has quickly become one of Rockland’s unofficial official languages making knowledge of the language important for those in public service. We wish all three of them good luck at their new positions. 

The first phase of the Haverstraw Recreation Center is now open. A plaque unveiling and tour of the park will take place this coming Saturday, May 2nd. A football/soccer field, a little league baseball field, and a building with restrooms and a concession stand have been built as a part of this phase. Additional phases could include pickleball courts and a softball field. 

Like other municipalities around the country, the Town of Haverstraw is looking to regulate the use of electric bikes and other motorized vehicles that are currently unregulated. Orangetown announced similar plans, as covered by Community Editor Gillian DeStefano. The town plans to hold a public hearing on May 12th at 7pm, details can be found at their website https://townofhaverstraw.gov/