This Week in Clarkstown

By Matt Veronesi

This has been a crazy summer when it comes to the weather! Trying to navigate all of our Parks & Recreation events around all of these storms has been a real challenge. We have had to cancel, reschedule, or move multiple events indoors, and quite honestly, it has not been much fun.

And as for the weather reports? Sometimes they seem to mean absolutely nothing! They can say one thing one minute, only for the weather to do something completely different. In my college career, I earned only one D—and it was in a class called Weather and Climate. Based on how unpredictable the weather has been this summer, I guess that qualifies me to be a weatherman today, because the experts don’t always get it right either!

If you’re looking for a fun night out next week, join the Town of Clarkstown on Wednesday, August 19, at 7:00 p.m. at Lake Nanuet Park for our Summer Concert Series featuring Tim Urban.

I have personally known Tim for about 15 years. I first had the opportunity to have him perform at the town where I previously worked in Parks & Recreation, shortly after his appearance on American Idol. Tim has performed in Clarkstown a handful of times over the years and has always been very well received by our residents.

Tim was just 20 years old when he appeared on American Idol, where he ultimately finished seventh that season. One of the things that stood out about Tim was his incredibly positive attitude. He was always smiling, even when Simon Cowell was being particularly tough on him during the judging. Tim was always polite, thanked the judges for their feedback, and continued to improve each week, ultimately making it quite far in the competition.

Following American Idol, Tim went on to appear on several national television programs, including Late Night with David Letterman and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among others. Tim, who travels from the Dallas, Texas, area will entertain audiences of all ages with his original music as well as popular cover songs that audiences love.

I promise you, if you come out to Lake Nanuet Park on Wednesday, August 19, you will not be disappointed!

The Town of Clarkstown will also be holding our annual Senior Picnic and Health Fair on Thursday, August 20, at 11:30 a.m. at Lake Nanuet Park in the pool area. There will be a barbecue lunch, an opportunity to visit with various vendors, and live music to enjoy.

The event is open to Clarkstown seniors ages 55 and over. To register, call the Parks & Recreation Department at 845-639-6200 and ask for Chelsea, or email c.tosto@clarkstown.gov.

Looking ahead, on Friday, September 11, the Town of Clarkstown Recreation Department will be taking a day trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to see Joshua at the Sight & Sound Theatre.

Joshua takes audiences from the banks of the Jordan River to the towering walls of Jericho as they journey alongside the people of Israel through their newfound freedom in the wilderness. As Joshua steps into a leadership role following Moses, this powerful production brings one of the Bible’s most inspiring stories to life in an unforgettable way. Whether you are familiar with the story or experiencing it for the first time, it promises to be an incredible show for the whole family.

Before the performance, we’ll stop at Kitchen Kettle Village in the heart of Amish Country, where you’ll have time to enjoy lunch and browse the unique shops. The bus will depart from the Clarkstown Parks & Recreation Office at 8:00 a.m., arriving in Lancaster for lunch and shopping before the 3:00 p.m. performance.

The cost of the trip is $140 per person and is open to Clarkstown residents and their guests. To register, visit www.clarkstown.gov/recreation or call 845-639-6200. I can honestly say this is one trip you won’t regret taking!

Another important update from Parks & Recreation is that we will be transitioning to a new recreation registration platform, Rec Technologies, this September. We are encouraging residents to create their new accounts now so that registering for programs and events in the future will be quick and easy.

Simply visit www.rec.us/organizations/town-of-clarkstown and click “Sign Up” at the top of the page to create your new account.

If you need assistance setting up your new account, or if you’d like more information about any of our Parks & Recreation programs or events, please call our office at 845-639-6200.

As always, if you have an idea for a future column or a Clarkstown event you’d like to see highlighted, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at m.veronesi@clarkstown.gov.

Have a great week, Clarkstown!