Governor Cuomo’s Race to the Top program has turned out to be less of a race and more of a brawl. Cuomo offered State schools a $700 million increase in aid pending certain conditions. To qualify for the money the school has to implement a new curriculum called the core and a standardized teacher evaluation system to weed out ineffective teachers. Along with the evaluation, a student’s test score will weigh somewhat on the teachers ability to perform effectively. Governor Cuomo also set aside $250 million in grants rewarding schools whose students have shown improvement and are generally performing well. Unions and New York...

Rockland Lifestyle is thrilled to introduce our new health and fitness contributor Karissa Sullivan. Karissa is a certified a personal trainer through the International Sports Sciences Association. As well, Karissa is an ISCA Boxing & Kickboxing instructor, Kettlebell Concepts Kettlebell instructor and a certified Crossfit Level 1 coach. At an early age she fell in love with fitness. Running track for almost a decade, Karissa traveled nationally to prestigious events to compete against the best in the sport. After several years of running, she took a halt on the break of her collegiate career to pursue a career in the fitness industry as...

Rockland Lifestyle is proud to welcome local William Joseph Reynolds, a recognized Presidential Historian and local history enthusiast. Be sure to check in tomorrow morning for his first contribution, a compelling piece on Nyack history with respect to Black History Month.

Summertime in Congers is a time of community gatherings. We meet at parades, carnivals, circuses, fireworks displays, the town pool, backyard barbecues and picnics. We have several playgrounds, 2 elementary schools, ponds, lakes, parks, houses of worship, pubs and restaurants. We live here, work here, play here. And now we can also pay for sex here. Somebody had the bright idea that the only thing missing from this idyllic town is a brothel. The Congers Lake Wellness Center located in the Dunkin Donuts strip mall on Route 303 opened its doors in June to the dismay of the people that live here. Under the disguise of a massage parlor a...