One Of Orangetown's Greatest Environmental Projects

At 11:00 AM on Friday October 21

Jimmy Dean, Orangetown’s Superintendent of Highways’ and the Town Board are inviting everyone to join in the official naming of one of the greatest environmental pubic works in Rockland’s history -

In keeping with Orangetown’s respect for its military history since the Revolutionary War. The Town Board & Jim Dean are naming it

“ROCKLAND HOMES FOR HEROES”

The parcel was once part of the historic WWII Camp Shanks, the world’s largest Port of Embarkation for 1.3 Million GIs headed for Europe

“Rockland Homes For Heroes’”

This is a NYS not-for-profit 501[c] 3 charity that operates 8 permanent affordable supportive apartment homes for former homeless veterans and is building 14 more on a parcel that was not only part of Camp Shanks but the post-WWII HQ for the 50’s Nike Missile Defense & the HQ of an Army Reserve.

The invitation is open to the public at no fee and there will be parking on Bogart Place off Western Highway in Tappan

Wikipedia describes the Creek - Sparkill Creek, as a tributary of the Hudson River in Rockland County, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey in the United States. It flows through the Sparkill Gap in the Hudson Palisades, which was created by a fault line which provided the only sea-level break in the Palisades.[1]

Sparkill Creek is 8 miles (13 km) long and drains 11.1 square miles (29 km2) of watershed. It begins from runoff from Clausland Mountain in Orangetown, New York. Small tributaries feed the creek as it flows through the hamlets of Blauvelt, Orangeburg, and Tappan, New York, the borough of Northvale, New Jersey, the hamlets of Palisades and Sparkill, and finally the village of Piermont, New York before emptying into the Hudson River at Piermont Marsh.

One more thing -The Town Board voted on this following Resolution regarding

1. THE HEROES GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE BASIN PROJECT

WHEREAS, John Allen Murphy served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps active/reserve for 14 years from 1961 until 1975, and; WHEREAS, John Allen Murphy served 44 years as a Rockland County Legislator where he was elected 12 times, and;

WHEREAS, John Allen Murphy served on the Boards of Camp Venture (President & Chairman of the Board) — 44 years in one of Rockland County’s most respected and long-serving social services agencies serving our intellectually & developmentally disabled; and Joseph’s Home (Co-Founder & President) — serving the residential needs of our homeless; and the Loeb House (Co-Founder & President) — over 30 years serving the residential needs of our mentally ill; and the NYS Rockland Psychiatric Center (President of the Board of Visitors); and the Orangetown Narcotic Guidance Council; and the Rockland County Board of Mental Health, Mental Retardation & Alcoholism, and;

WHEREAS, John Allen Murphy is one of the Founders of Rockland Homes for Heroes and serves as the President & Chairman of the Board of Directors, and;

WHEREAS, John Allen Murphy was instrumental in the transfer of 7 of 14 acres of Rockland Homes for Heroes land to the Town of Orangetown to build a surface stormwater bio-retention basin to prevent the flooding of the iconic Sparkill Creek, and; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that in honor of the John Allen Murphy, the pathway around the Homes for Heroes Green Infrastructure Project is hereby designated as “Captain John Allen Murphy Pathway” with the intention of installing nearby memorial street signs to signify the dedication.

And DESIGNATE / INSTALL MEMORIAL SIGN / PATHWAY / ROCKLAND COUNTY HOMES FOR HEROES / HOMES FOR HOMES