James Sturm (born 1965) is an American cartoonist and co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction , Vermont . Sturm is also the founder of the National Association of Comics Art Educators (NACAE), an organization committed to helping facilitate the teaching of comics in higher education.
90-545: Sturm grew up in Rockland County, New York , and later attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison . In 1988, one year after graduating, he self-published Down and Out Dawg , a book collecting his college newspaper strips, and Commix , an anthology that featured some of the first works of Chris Ware and Scott Dikkers . In 1990, Sturm was hired as a production assistant on Art Spiegelman 's RAW magazine, and subsequently
180-536: A shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians. The south span carries southbound and eastbound automobile traffic. Although not as old as other bridges such as the George Washington , the original Tappan Zee was built in the midst of a material shortage during the Korean War and was thus only designed to last for approximately fifty years. The process to replace the bridge kicked off in 2012, with construction on
270-568: A "fast track" for approval by the Obama administration . On December 17, 2012, New York state officials dropped their proposal for a 45 percent increase on the State Thruway toll for trucks, while advancing a $ 3.14 billion project to replace the bridge. The project was funded through a public-private partnership . Construction began as scheduled in October 2013, with completion targeted for 2017. TZC,
360-408: A $ 3.142 billion contract to Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC), whose proposal was not only the least expensive but also promised the shortest construction timeline and included plans to minimize environmental impact. Originally, some motorists thought that bridge tolls could more than double (to $ 12–$ 15 for automobiles, eastbound only), rising to those of New York City's Hudson River crossings. However,
450-545: A New York-issued E-ZPass, or $ 6.61 with an out-of-state E-ZPass. The Hudson Link BRT runs the HO3, HO5, HO7, and HO7X across the bridge. In the summer months Hudson Link also runs free shuttle buses on the route of the HO7 bus. Responding to widespread concerns about the lack of new public transit services, bridge planners agreed only to build one "dedicated express bus lane" in each direction for use during rush hour . Construction on
540-449: A bill to name the bridge after his late father, former Governor Mario Cuomo , on June 29, 2017. This has been met with significant opposition from residents of nearby localities, largely due to the fact the new name did not include "Tappan Zee" like its predecessor; this name has been viewed as an homage to the Tappan tribe that inhabited the area as well as Dutch settlers who arrived during
630-423: A closed containment zone. As of July 4, 2021, there are a total of 47,027 COVID-19 cases and 966 deaths. At 14,450 cases per 100,000, Rockland had the greatest density of COVID-19 cases of any New York county . 47% of the population and 58% of the eligible population (aged 12 and over) have been vaccinated . The Orthodox Jewish community, the largest in the country, have some of the lowest vaccination rates in
720-680: A county legislature made up of 17 members, elected from single-member districts. This includes 12 Democrats and 5 Republicans. The Chairman of the Legislature is Democrat Jay Hood Jr. As of November 2023, the legislators are: Rockland Community College appointed County Legislator Dana G. Stilley and Legislative Fiscal Director Moshe Gruber as its unanimous choices of the Rockland County Legislature's bipartisan Multi-Services Committee. The five towns of Rockland County are led by town supervisors and town boards. The villages encompassed in
810-556: A family was $ 80,000. Males had a median income of $ 58,000 versus $ 39,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 39,286. The mean, or average, income for a family in Rockland County is $ 73,500 according to the 2004 census. About 6% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14% of those under age 18 and 8% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2000 United States Census , 286,753 people, 92,675 households, and 70,989 families were residing in
900-402: A flat rate. E-ZPass users pay the lowest rate possible, the rate normally charged from 12:00 midnight to 6:14 a.m., while other users are charged using the highest rate possible, the rate normally charged from 7:00 a.m. to 8:59 a.m. Class 2L vehicles, which have a height of less than 7.5 feet (2.3 m) and contain two axles, pay a flat rate of $ 7.48 at all times, $ 5.75 with
990-779: A peace treaty. Two days later, Washington visited Sir Guy aboard a British war vessel, H.M.S Perseverance, laying anchor in the Hudson. On this day, the king's navy fired its first salute to the flag of the United States of America . In the decades following the Revolution, Rockland became popular for its stone and brick manufactories. Many buildings in New York City were built with bricks made in Rockland. These products, however, required quarrying in land that many later believed should be set aside as
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#17328770545201080-469: A preserve. Many unsuccessful efforts were made to turn much of the Hudson Highlands on the northern tip of the county into a forest preserve. Union Pacific Railroad president E. H. Harriman , though, donated land and large sums of money for the purchase of properties in the area of Bear Mountain . Bear Mountain / Harriman State Park became a reality in 1910 when Harriman's widow donated his lands to
1170-723: A professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design , in Savannah , Georgia . In 1998, Drawn & Quarterly published the story Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight , the second in Sturm's trilogy of American historical fiction pieces. Two years later came the last installment of the trilogy, the best-selling and award-winning graphic novel The Golem's Mighty Swing . This book went on to be printed in three languages, earned praise from such publications as The Sunday Observer , Entertainment Weekly , and The Washington Post Book World , and
1260-915: A project of master planner Robert Moses , and built between 1947 and 1958, connects the county directly to the George Washington Bridge due south. The Garden State Parkway opened in 1955, connecting New Jersey to I-87/287. For further information The Transport of Rockland operates several local bus routes throughout the county, and the express bus Hudson Link routes to city centers and train stations in Tarrytown and White Plains in Westchester County. TOR provides connections to other neighborhood bus operations – Minitrans and connections to private commuter lines, Rockland Coaches and Short Line providing service to North Jersey and New York City . NJ Transit / Metro-North Railroad operates
1350-607: A total of $ 2,150,800 was paid in compensation for numerous illnesses caused by power plant pollution, including asthma attacks, heart attacks and death. The Lovett generating station was closed and dismantled prior to 2014. From 2015 to 2018, the Haverstraw Quarry owned and managed by CRH Tilcon and Oldcastle Materials was heavily fined for air and water pollution, including over- blasting , over- excavating , non-viable use of its NESCO unhealthy dust suppression systems and lethal dust & water runoffs into protected waterways. In
1440-653: A total of 66 presently active Rockland County facilities are currently regulated. In Scorecard's list of Top 10 polluters from 2002, the Lovett generating station in Tompkins Cove is the top polluter, releasing 1,523,339 pounds of toxic emissions. Studies were released in 2000 and in 2004 by the Clean Air Task Force to study the impacts of power plant emissions in the United States. This data for Rockland County shows that
1530-599: A twin cable-stayed bridge spanning the Tappan Zee section of the Hudson River between Tarrytown and Nyack in the U.S. state of New York . It was built to replace the original Tappan Zee Bridge opened in 1955, which was located just to the south. The bridge's north span carries the northbound and westbound automobile traffic of the New York State Thruway , Interstate 87 (I-87) and I-287 ; it also carries
1620-586: Is Hoboken Terminal in New Jersey, where connections can be made to several NJ Transit bus lines , ferries, and PATH trains to New York City. Until 1958, Rockland County's eastern side was served by the New York Central Railroad 's passenger service on the West Shore Railroad from Weehawken, New Jersey , opposite midtown Manhattan up through Tappan, West Nyack, Congers, and Haverstraw, on to
1710-486: Is 139 ft (42 m). Upon completion, the new Tappan Zee Bridge became one of the widest cable-stayed bridges in the world, having a combined width across both decks of 183 feet (56 m). The new spans equal the width of the relatively short-span, cable-stayed Leonard Zakim Bridge in Boston . Turkey's 3rd Bosphorus bridge , completed in 2016, has a single deck about 192 feet (59 m) wide. The new Tappan Zee Bridge
1800-661: Is intended to last at least 100 years. Each span contains four cable-stayed towers (two on each side of the Tappan Zee), with eight total across the length of the bridge. The towers are 491 feet (150 m) tall and lean five degrees outward from the vertical axis. The towers are constructed of open-box beams, with cross beams linking the towers below each deck. The towers support a total of 192 cable stays, which consist of 4,900 miles (7,900 km) of steel strands. The decks of each span are composed of precast concrete panels, connected underneath by "edge girders" running parallel to
1890-658: Is limited to those involving less than $ 25,000. Each of the towns and 15 of the villages have Justice Courts , which mostly hear routine traffic ticket cases, especially from the New York State Thruway and the Palisades Interstate Parkway. They also handle drunk driving charges, lower-level criminal misdemeanor matters, and occasionally perform arraignment on felonies (most felony proceedings are heard in County Court). These courts generally handle
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#17328770545201980-521: Is named after a local point of interest and provides Wi-Fi , a seating area, bike racks (on most), informational kiosks , and trash cans. The path also contains LED displays for warning messages. The bridge is equipped with LEDs for the roadways and structures. The lights can be changed to a variety of colors for decorative purposes on major holidays such as Memorial Day and Christmas , traditional dates such as Mother's Day , Father's Day and St. Patrick's Day , and special commemorations throughout
2070-623: Is represented by Congressman Mike Lawler . The county of Rockland is represented as follows in the New York State Senate as of 2023: The county of Rockland is represented as follows in the New York State Assembly as of 2023: On July 10, 2024, Ken Zebrowski resigned his elected position in the New York State Assembly 96th District six months before he was to leave Albany for good. Rockland County has
2160-553: The 2020 United States Census , 338,329 people and 100,438 households were residing in the county. The population density was 1,950 people per square mile (750 people/km ). The 107,002 housing units averaged 617 units per square mile (238/km ). Of the 107,002 households, 38% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63% were married couples living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23% were not families. Around 19% of households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who
2250-617: The British as strategic to dominating the American territories, Rockland saw skirmishes at Haverstraw, Nyack, and Piermont , and significant military engagements at the Battle of Stony Point , where General "Mad" Anthony Wayne earned his nickname. George Washington had headquarters for a time at John Suffern's tavern, the later site of the village of Suffern . British Major John André met with American traitor Benedict Arnold near Stony Point to buy
2340-672: The Hackensack River valley through present-day Bergen County, New Jersey , and also along the Palisades and Hudson River shore all the way to present-day Edgewater, New Jersey . In 1609, Henry Hudson was the first major English explorer to arrive in the area. Hudson, thinking he had found the legendary " Northwest Passage ", sailed on the Half Moon up the river that would one day bear his name, and sailing through present-day Haverstraw before exploring north in present-day Albany . In
2430-522: The Korean War , the bridge had a low construction budget of only $ 81 million and a designed life-span of only 50 years. During its first decade, the bridge carried fewer than 40,000 vehicles per day. By the start of the 21st century, the old Tappan Zee Bridge was "decaying" and "overburdened". The deteriorating structure bore an average of 140,000 vehicles per day, substantially more traffic than its designed capacity. The collapse of Minnesota's I-35W Mississippi River bridge in 2007 raised worries about
2520-809: The New York State Thruway , which crosses the Hudson River to Westchester via the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Tappan Zee, ten exits up from the NYC border; and the Palisades Parkway , four exits up, via the George Washington Bridge . The county's name derives from "rocky land", as the area has been aptly described, largely due to the Hudson River Palisades . The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of
2610-670: The Orthodox Jewish and Hasidic Jewish communities are 15 percent of the population in Rockland County. The county is home to several Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award winners, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education : School districts include: The county is home to several colleges and universities : The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, commonly called the Tappan Zee Bridge, connects South Nyack in Rockland County and Tarrytown in Westchester County across
2700-643: The Palisades Cliffs pause and give way to Sneden's Landing in Orangetown . The state line remains there to this day, though various disagreements along the exact border were had over the years. In the 1670s, permanent Dutch settlers began to arrive with land grants, starting with the Tappan area. These settlers were eager to escape "city life", moving from Manhattan to Rockland. A number of unique, Dutch-style red sandstone houses still stand, and many place names in
2790-843: The Port Jervis Line , which stops at the Suffern Railroad Station and Sloatsburg Station , and the Pascack Valley Line , whose stops include Pearl River , Nanuet , and Spring Valley . in their respective hamlets and village of the same name. Connections on this line are available at Secaucus for service to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and service to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey . The southern terminus of both lines
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2880-430: The 17th century. Many, including the daughter of former New York Governor Malcolm Wilson (whose name was on the original Tappan Zee Bridge), were vocal in their opposition to the name. A Reclaim New York Initiative poll of Rockland and Westchester county residents found only 14.7% of respondents supported the new name. As of November 29, 2017, over 100,000 people had signed a Change.org petition called "Return
2970-632: The Bronx in the early years), the population flourished from 89,276 in 1950 to 338,329 in 2020. Rockland County lies just north of the New Jersey-New York border, west of Westchester County (across the Hudson River), and south of Orange County. Its east border is formed by the Tappan Zee portion of the Hudson River. The county's terrain ranges from 1,283 ft (391 m) ASL on Rockhouse Mountain (northwest of Lake Welch) to approaching sea level along
3060-627: The County Courts. In Rockland, however, the Supreme Court does exercise jurisdiction over some criminal cases. The County Court is inferior to the Supreme Court and is authorized to hear criminal cases that have occurred in the county as well as limited jurisdiction over civil cases. The County Court handles felony cases exclusively and shares jurisdiction with the town and village justice courts on misdemeanor cases and other minor offenses and violations. The County Court's jurisdiction on civil cases
3150-562: The Cuomo Bridge its original name: The Tappan Zee. That bridge is our history." Despite the official name, "Tappan Zee Bridge" remains a common name for the structure. Lawmakers have proposed several bills to rename the bridge. On December 6, 2017, State Assemblyman Kevin Byrne, a Republican from Mahopac in Putnam County , announced that he would introduce legislation to change the name of
3240-664: The English began to colonize Nyack and Tappan , the Native Americans began to leave Rockland in search of undisturbed land further north. The natural barrier of the Ramapo Mountains and the size of the county made carrying out governmental activities difficult. At one point, two governments were active, one on each side of the Ramapo Mountains, so Rockland split off from Orange in 1798 to form its own county. That same year,
3330-577: The Fantastic Four. It won an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. In 2004, Sturm and Michelle Ollie founded the Center for Cartoon Studies , with its first classes offered in the fall of 2005. As of April 2010, he writes a column about the Internet for the website Slate . (writer and artist unless otherwise noted) Rockland County, New York Rockland County is the southernmost county on
3420-559: The Hudson River in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York. The old bridge was replaced with a new span in 2017. The county is served by several major highways, including Interstate 87 / 287 (the New York Thruway ), opening from Suffern to Yonkers in 1955. The old Tappan Zee Bridge opened the same year, connecting Rockland and Westchester, allowing Rockland County's population to grow rapidly. The Palisades Interstate Parkway,
3510-659: The Hudson River. In 1664, the British Crown assumed control of New Netherland from the Dutch. In June 1664, the Berkeley - Carteret land grant established the colony of New Jersey , dividing present-day Rockland and Bergen Counties into separate political areas. The northern border of New Jersey was placed in a straight line from the Delaware River at present-day Port Jervis to the Hudson River at 41 degrees even North latitude, where
3600-494: The Hudson River. According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 199.34 sq mi (516.3 km ), of which 173.55 sq mi (449.5 km ) are land and 25.79 sqmi (66.80 km ) (13%) are covered by water. It is the state's smallest county outside the five boroughs of New York City. About 30% of Rockland County is devoted to parkland, belonging to either the five towns, incorporated villages,
3690-415: The Tappan Zee Bridge's structural integrity. These concerns, together with traffic overcapacity and increased maintenance costs, escalated the serious discussions already ongoing about replacing the Tappan Zee with a tunnel or a new bridge. Six options were identified and submitted for project study and environmental review. The Federal Highway Administration issued a report in October 2011 designating
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3780-431: The Tappan Zee's replacement to be a dual- span twin bridge . The new bridge was to be built a few yards to the north of the existing bridge, connecting to the existing highway approaches of the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287) on both river banks. The New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) requested design proposals from four companies in 2012 and eventually received three project proposals. The authority awarded
3870-593: The Transport of Rockland's Ferry Express route to the Haverstraw ferry terminal for service to Metro-North's Hudson Line service to Grand Central Terminal . Ferry service is typically suspended in the colder months when the Hudson River freezes over, and commuters must take shuttle buses across the Tappan Zee Bridge. Nearby airports include: All of Rockland County falls within the 17th Congressional District , along with central and western Westchester County. The district
3960-617: The West Hudson shore cities of Newburgh, Kingston, and Albany. The service ran to West Haverstraw, in the north of the until 1959. The Erie Railroad ran train service on the Northern Branch through the southeastern corner of the county to Nyack up to 1966. NY Waterway operates a ferry service between Haverstraw and Ossining in Westchester County for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority . Commuters take
4050-414: The bridge instead of conducting its own investigations, and the office did not treat the allegations as serious. Third-party consultant Alta Vista conducted its own study, concluding in late 2017 that hydrogen embrittlement was not the cause of the broken bolts. In March 2021, some records relating to the case were unsealed. Following this, U.S. Representative Mondaire Jones , whose district encompasses
4140-499: The bridge to the "Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge." The old Tappan Zee Bridge had been named for Wilson from 1994 to October 2017. A compromise bill to rename the bridge the "Governor Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge" was later introduced and sponsored by both Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco , Republican of Upstate New York, as well as Assemblyman Byrne. On June 20, 2018, the State Senate voted 40–20 in favor of renaming
4230-645: The bridge, and all Republican members of the New York State Assembly requested that the United States Department of Transportation investigate the allegations of structural deficiencies. In response, the Federal Highway Administration issued a statement claiming it had "no safety concerns" with either of the Tappan Zee Bridge's spans. In a lawsuit filed that month, a whistleblower claimed that TZC had knowingly delivered many defective high-strength bolts and taken measures to hide evidence of
4320-550: The bridge. However, the effort failed after the Assembly's legislative session ended without the bill being put to a vote. After Cuomo's resignation in August 2021, another bill to change the official name to "Tappan Zee Bridge" was proposed in the New York state legislature. In February 2023, state senator James Skoufis sponsored another bill to change the official name of the bridge to
4410-441: The completion of the new southbound/eastbound span. The northbound/westbound span of the new Tappan Zee Bridge temporarily carried four lanes in both directions until the new southbound/eastbound span was completed. After some delays, the project was later expected to be completed by June 15, 2018, at a cost of $ 3.98 billion. However, the scheduled opening was later pushed back to mid-September. The new southbound/eastbound span
4500-431: The contractor, was composed of several design, engineering, and construction firms including Fluor Corporation , American Bridge Company , Granite Construction Northeast and Traylor Bros. The Left Coast Lifter was used to install groups of pre-assembled girders one full span at a time. The contractors were obliged to finish the bridge by 2018, after which the state would fine the contractors around $ 100,000 per day. By
4590-410: The county reveal their Dutch origin. In 1683, when the Duke of York (who became King James II of England ) established the first 12 counties of New York, present-day Rockland County was part of Orange County , known then as "Orange County South of the Mountains". Orangetown was created at the same time under a royal grant, originally encompassing all of modern Rockland County. Around this time, as
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#17328770545204680-400: The county seat was transferred from Tappan to New City, where a new courthouse was built. Haverstraw was separated from Orangetown in 1719, and became a town in 1788; it included the present-day Clarkstown , Ramapo , and Stony Point . Clarkstown and Ramapo became towns in 1791, followed by Stony Point in 1865. During the American Revolution , when control of the Hudson River was viewed by
4770-583: The county. The population density was 1,652 people per square mile (638 people/km ). The 94,973 housing units averaged 547 units per square mile (211/km ). Residents live closer together than the census numbers indicate, as 30% of the county is reserved as parkland. About 9% of residents reported speaking Spanish at home, 5% Yiddish , 3% French-based creole , 1.5% Italian, 1.3% Tagalog , 1.3% Hebrew , 1.2% French, and 1% Russian. Other languages spoken at home by at least 1000 people include Malayalam , Korean , Chinese , German , and Polish . As of 2017,
4860-408: The current longest streak of voting for the popular vote winner, having done so in every presidential election beginning in 1980 . According to Scorecard.org, which integrates data from different sources including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2002, Rockland County ranked among the worst 10% in the United States in terms of air releases. Recent EPA statistics show that
4950-550: The defects. The NYSTA sued TZC in August 2024, claiming that around 61 of the 192 cables had been improperly installed and needed to be repaired. The new Tappan Zee Bridge is composed of two cable-stayed decks and has a total length of 16,368 ft (4,989.0 m; 3.1 mi; 5.0 km). The main span of both decks is 1,200 ft (370 m) and is approached on either side by 515-foot-long (157 m) side spans. Each deck carries four lanes of traffic in one direction, plus inner and outer shoulders. The clearance below
5040-451: The edges of each deck, as well as floor beams running perpendicularly to the deck. The cable stays are anchored to the outer faces of the edge girders underneath each span. The bridge is supported by 1,250 girders, each measuring up to 120 feet (37 m) long and 12 feet (3.7 m) high. They are secured to splice plates by about 500 bolts. The north span has a bicycle and pedestrian path, which opened on June 15, 2020. This path connects
5130-463: The end of 2013, General Electric had completed four seasons of dredging to remove contaminants from the river bottom. Approximately 70 percent of the sediments targeted for dredging were removed (totaling more than 1,900,000 cubic yards (1,500,000 m ) of sediment). On July 19, 2016, a crane used for the construction of the bridge collapsed onto the existing older bridge. Five people were injured, including three drivers and two bridge workers; no one
5220-417: The environmental impacts. However, when the instability of the eastern span was discovered in September 2018, it was decided to destroy it outright. The explosive demolition of the eastern approach took place on January 15, 2019, while the western approach was lowered onto a barge on May 12, 2019, and hauled away. Reports of a coverup of structural problems emerged in December 2018. Dozens of bolts holding
5310-404: The federal system, as well as in most states (the Court of Appeals is the highest court in New York). The Supreme Court has broad authority over all categories of cases, both civil and criminal. Generally, the Supreme Court in Rockland County hears civil cases involving claims in excess of $ 25,000. While the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over criminal cases in most counties, this is handled by
5400-494: The highest volume of cases. On March 1, 2024, Deirdre Smith was sworn in as the first female officer to serve as chief of detectives for Rockland County. Like most of the Hudson Valley, Rockland County historically voted Republican but in recent years has leaned Democratic. Between 1892 and 1992, Rockland County was won only three times by Democrats in presidential elections – in Lyndon B. Johnson 's landslide victory in 1964, Franklin D. Roosevelt 's landslide in 1936 (in which it
5490-447: The list of highest-income counties by median household income in the United States , with a median household income of $ 82,534 according to the 2010 census. The area that became Rockland County was originally inhabited by Algonquian -speaking Native Americans , including Munsees and Lenape . The Tappan tribe had a particularly noteworthy presence in the area, extending from present-day Nyack , south to Sparkill and Tappan , down
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#17328770545205580-437: The new bridge's bus lanes finished in 2020, leaving one bus lane in each direction. Early plans also called for Metro-North Railroad commuter rail service on the bridge, but ultimately the span was built without commuter rail tracks. During construction, the project's website referred to the crossing as the "New NY Bridge." However, other sources referred to it as the "New Tappan Zee Bridge". Governor Andrew Cuomo signed
5670-414: The new spans beginning by contractor Tappan Zee Constructors in 2013. The Left Coast Lifter (one of the world's biggest cranes) was instrumental in the construction of the bridge. The north span officially opened to westbound traffic on August 26, 2017, and eastbound traffic temporarily began using the north span on October 6, 2017. Contractors then began demolishing the old bridge. An opening ceremony for
5760-413: The old bridge started in November 2017 with the removal of the first steel section from the Rockland County approach. The work continued to April 2018 including the removal of the truss sections. In May 2018, the 10-million-pound main span was removed, leaving only the east and west approaches. The original plan was to complete the remaining demolition by taking down spans piece by piece in order to minimize
5850-421: The patients there to have been housed in neglectful conditions. Letchworth closed in 1996. Rockland remained semi-rural until the 1950s, when the Palisades Interstate Parkway , Tappan Zee Bridge , New York State Thruway , and other major transit arteries were built. In the decades that followed, the county became a maturely developed suburb of New York City. As people moved up from the five boroughs (particularly
5940-414: The period from 2017 to 2020, Suez experienced instances of discolored water and odor complaints. During 2020, the Rockland County Health Dept. and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Conservationfound/investigated and informed Suez of untreated polluted water at Tilcon operated discharge points at a stream that flows into Lake DeForest . After discovery, Tilcon stopped pumping
6030-432: The plans for the fortifications at West Point . André was captured with the plans in Tarrytown on his way back to the British lines; he was brought to Tappan for trial in the Tappan church , found guilty, hanged, and buried nearby. Yet another important chapter in the story of the Revolution was written on May 5, 1783, when General Washington received Sir Guy Carleton at the DeWint House , where they discussed terms of
6120-410: The south span was held on September 7, 2018, and traffic started using the new span three days later. The bridge's official name, which does not include the words "Tappan Zee" like its predecessor, has been controversial since its announcement. A petition and several legislative bills have sought to officially rename the bridge to the Tappan Zee Bridge or similar names. The Tappan Zee river crossing
6210-408: The state Department of Transportation . The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council added the Tappan Zee Bridge to its list of projects eligible for federal funds in August 2012. The United States Department of Transportation approved the plan on September 25, 2012. The approval process took fewer than 10 months as opposed to the traditional multi-year process as a result of being placed on
6300-415: The state passed legislation freezing the toll on the bridge at $ 5 through 2020 in its 2016 legislative session. The new Tappan Zee Bridge was proposed to include four vehicle lanes on each span, for a total of eight lanes, as well as a shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path. Like its predecessor, the new Tappan Zee Bridge is to be administered by the NYSTA. The authority is the project co-sponsor, along with
6390-410: The state, and by 1914, more than an estimated one million people a year were coming to the park. After World War I , Rockland County became the most important sausage-making hub in New York. In 1911, Letchworth Village , an institution for the mentally disabled opened in Rockland County near Thiells . The institution gained national infamy in 1972, when an investigation by Geraldo Rivera revealed
6480-566: The state, or the county. These parks provide walking and hiking trails , ballfields , dog runs , historic sites , ponds , streams , salt marshes , and equestrian trails . Some popular state parks include Bear Mountain State Park on the northernmost tip of the county, Harriman State Park, also along the county's northern boundary, and Nyack Beach State Park along the Hudson River, with trails connecting to Rockland Lake State Park . The county hosts numerous public and private golf courses , with
6570-497: The state. Rockland County is the smallest county by area in New York outside New York City. It comprises five towns , eighteen incorporated villages , eighteen census-designated places , eight hamlets and eleven defunct communities. Rockland County is designated as a Preserve America Community , and nearly a third of the county's area is parkland. The county has the largest Jewish population percentage of any U.S. county, at 31.4%, or 90,000 residents. Rockland also ranked 80th on
6660-502: The state; Monsey's is the lowest in the state, at 17.8%, as of June 15, 2021. News reports confirmed that the first known case of polio in the United States in a decade was discovered in Rockland County in July 2022. Tappan Zee Bridge (2017%E2%80%93present) The Tappan Zee Bridge , officially named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after the former New York governor , is
6750-414: The steel girders together had failed, and some bolts broke more than a year after they had been tightened into the plates that hold the girders together. A presentation by a whistleblower included allegations that the bolts had broken due to hydrogen embrittlement , which weakened the metal. The number of failed bolts was abnormally high for a project the size of this bridge. Engineering experts warned that
6840-507: The structural problems could compound, causing the girders to fall and the bridge to collapse. The issue was known as early as February 2016, when New York state officials had begun testing some bolts for breaks. The Attorney General of New York began investigating whether structural problems with the bridge had been covered up in 2017. According to a report in the Times Union , the attorney general's office relied on other investigations of
6930-792: The towns are led by mayors and village trustees. As of the November 2023 elections, the town supervisors are: There are three types of general trial courts in Rockland County: the New York Supreme Court , the County Court, and the Justice Courts . The Supreme Court is the trial level court of the New York State Unified Court System , which presents some confusion as the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeals in
7020-479: The towns of Tarrytown and South Nyack and measures 3.6 miles (5.8 km) in length. It has visitor centers at each end, named after the counties of Rockland and Westchester . Both of these contain restrooms, brochures, and interactive displays. The Westchester visitor center also has vendors that operate daily. The path is split into two lanes with bikes on the east and pedestrians on the west. The path has six scenic overlooks known as "belvederes." Each belvedere
7110-468: The towns of Orangetown, Ramapo, Stony Point, and Haverstraw all operating public golf courses within their towns. The Palisades Interstate Park Commission operates two golf courses in Rockland Lake State Park. Notable private courses in the county include Paramount Country Club , Manhattan Woods Golf Course (designed by PGA great Gary Player ), and Rockland Country Club (Sparkill). As of
7200-475: The waste. Higher cancer rates in Rockland County as compared to Manhattan associate towards drinking water quality, aging drink water infrastructure/storm drain runoff concerns. Recently, COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have reached Rockland County on March 6, 2020. After the areas of Spring Valley and Monsey were identified as having the highest infection rates, County Executive Ed Day requested that state emergency management declare those areas
7290-464: The west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York . It is part of the New York metropolitan area . As of the 2020 U.S. census , the county's population is 338,329, making it the state's third-most densely populated county outside New York City after Nassau and neighboring Westchester Counties. The county seat and largest hamlet is New City . Rockland County is accessible via both
7380-478: The year. The lighting system reportedly has the ability to be synced to music, although it has yet to be demonstrated. The Tappan Zee Bridge charges tolls in the Westchester southbound/eastbound direction only. On weekdays, tolls are variable based on the New York State Thruway 's vehicle classification system and the time of day, and are collected using a cashless toll system. On weekends, each vehicle class pays
7470-534: The years before 1664 when the area was formally a Dutch colony called New Netherland , present-day Rockland did not have formal European settlements. However, individuals did explore the area and made transactions with Tappan tribe for land with the idea that it could have future use. For example, in 1640, Dutch Captain David Pietersz. de Vries purchased from natives the area where the Sparkill Creek flows into
7560-410: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.0 and the average family size was 3.5. The county's age distribution was 28.4% under 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 28% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 12% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 women, there were 95 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 91 men. The median income for a household was $ 93,024 and for
7650-566: Was chosen as the Best Graphic Novel of 2000 by Time . In 2004, Drawn & Quarterly collected Hundreds of Feet Below Daylight and The Revival as a deluxe comic book titled Above & Below . In October 2007, the trilogy was collected in a volume entitled James Sturm's America: God, Gold, and Golems . In 2003, Sturm wrote the Marvel Comics four-issue miniseries Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules , featuring characters based on
7740-463: Was killed or critically injured. The project timeline originally indicated that the old bridge would be closed in 2016 and that the demolition of the old bridge would begin in February 2017. The new northbound/westbound span opened on August 26, 2017. Southbound/eastbound traffic remained on the existing span until October 6, 2017, when it was shifted to the new northbound/westbound span to allow for
7830-518: Was named by 17th century Dutch settlers. The Tappan Zee Bridge is the only crossing of the Hudson between Westchester and Rockland counties. The original Tappan Zee Bridge was a cantilever bridge built from 1952 to 1955. The bridge was 3 miles (4.8 km) long and spanned the Hudson at its second-widest point. It was the longest bridge in New York State, at a length of 16,013 feet (4,881 m) including approaches. Built immediately after
7920-686: Was published in the second and fourth issues of the Drawn & Quarterly anthology magazine. In 1991, Sturm received a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He then moved to Seattle , Washington, and co-founded the alternative newsweekly , The Stranger . Meanwhile, Fantagraphics published his first comic book The Cereal Killings #1. During the next five years Sturm juggled jobs as art director of The Stranger , publisher of his own Bear Bones Press , and work on his own comics, like The Revival , published in 1996. In 1997, Sturm became
8010-474: Was supposed to open to traffic on September 8, 2018. An opening ceremony was held on that date, but the traffic shift itself was delayed when a piece of the old bridge came loose on September 7 while being demolished. The opening of the eastbound span, which was 160 feet (49 m) away from the old bridge, was delayed until the old bridge could be stabilized. After the old bridge was stabilized, all lanes were opened on September 11, 2018. The demolition of
8100-625: Was the only New York City suburb to vote Democratic), and Woodrow Wilson 's first campaign in 1912, when Republicans were fractured into two tickets. Rockland County began to lean Democratic in 1992 and has since voted Republican just twice, but elections have remained closer than in neighboring Westchester County , which has delivered dependable Democratic victories since the 1990s. Rockland County voted for Republicans George W. Bush in 2004 and Donald Trump in 2024 . With Caddo Parish, Louisiana , and St. Joseph County, Indiana , voting for Kamala Harris in 2024, Rockland County now by itself owns
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