Villadom Times Weekly Local Newspaper

Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • March 24, 2010 Area Hackensack Riverkeeper announces 2010 Eco-Program Captain Bill Sheehan and the staff of Hackensack Riverkeeper are getting ready to hit the water both literally and figuratively. The 2010 Eco-Program season promises to provide thousands of people with an up close and personal experience of the river, its watershed and wildlife. Hackensack Riverkeeper eco-cruises, guided paddles, river cleanups and bird walks combine hands-on environmental education with public service and fun. The 2010 season will run from April 24 through the end of October, weather permitting. “I’m somebody who has a hard time with cold, stormy weather, so you can imagine how much I’m looking forward to warm, sunny days and getting out on the water,” said Captain Sheehan. “Besides, as much as I enjoy giving presentations and talking about the river, it’s much more fun showing it to people in person with a moving deck under your feet.” Hackensack Riverkeeper offers the following programs: Eco-cruises have been popular since 1995. Thirty-six open eco-cruises are scheduled from May 1 through Oct. 10, 2010 aboard Hackensack Riverkeeper’s pontoon cruisers. Open trips are great for individuals, couples, and families. The organization requests a donation of $25 per person for adults; $10 for children age 12 and under. Hackensack Riverkeeper offers three different eco-cruise itineraries: Meadowlands Discovery, which explores the wetlands and creeks of the Meadowlands; Boating through Bergen, which runs upriver to the center of Hackensack; and Excursion around the Bay, a downriver trip to Staten Island and back to take in the sights and learn the maritime history of Newark Bay. Call Captain Hugh Carola at (201) 968-0808 to book seats. All dates/times from May 1 through Oct. 31 without scheduled trips are available for groups to book one or twoboat charter eco-cruises. Hackensack Riverkeeper asks a donation of $300 per boat for adult charter eco-cruises, and $250 for youth charters. Call Captain Hugh for details. Guided paddles: In operation since 1999, Hackensack Riverkeeper’s Paddling Center at Laurel Hill Park remains the only small boat livery on the Hackensack River. Open weekends through Oct. 31, the center offers canoe and kayak rentals ($25 per paddler with a two-paddler minimum) and guided trips from its Secaucus location. In addition to 27 Hackensack River trips, the group will hold its Second Annual Reservoir Challenge at Oradell Reservoir on June 5. A f irst-ever paddling trip on Split Rock (continued on page 15) Author to present history of Mahwah On March 31, The Hermitage History Roundtable will present Carol Wehran Greene, president of the Friends of the Hermitage. Greene will discuss her new book, “The Ramapough Chronicles: A 300-Year Histoy of Mahwah, New Jersey and Its Surrounds,” at 7:30 p.m. The discussion will be held at the Hermitage, 335 North Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus. The Ramapough Chronicles begins with the story of a small 1713 settlement (present-day Mahwah) near the New York/New Jersey boundary in the ancient Ramapough region. With the boundary in dispute until 1769, Mahwah and Suffern, New York were part of the same civil area. This close association of two communities and two states lasted long after the dispute was settled. By the 19th century, the early settlement had grown into a thriving rural hamlet with farms, grist and saw mills, a distillery, a nearby tavern, essential trades, and a centrally located church: the Ramapough Meeting House, which was built in 1798. The church, known today as the Ramapo Reformed Church, diligently saved all its records of important religious and public events and minutiae of everyday life. The interpretation of these records forms an important part of The Ramapough Chronicles. Historic roads through Mahwah and its surrounds have made the township a crossroads since the 1700s. Those roads include Ramapo Valley Road (or Route 202, one of America’s oldest roads), Island Road (the Kings Highway, 1703), Franklin Turnpike (chartered 1806), the Erie Railroad (1848), and the North Jersey Rapid Transit Company inter-urban trolley (1908-1929). Today, those roads include Routes 17 and 287, and the I-87/New York State Thruway. The story of these roads is a dynamic unfolding of the development of Bergen and Rockland counties and the nation. Technology continually changed roads, transportation, and the landscape. Mahwah’s transformation from a rural, 20th century farming community into a modern suburb reflected the same changes taking place elsewhere in northern New Jersey. “The Ramapough Chronicles,” an 850-page book with 1,600 illustrations, is a 26-year labor of love, bringing the author’s personal knowledge of Mahwah to an ambitious work of scholarship that puts many wonderful, rare, and even obscure items into the public domain, with a smoothflowing interpretation. Greene’s book will be available for sale and signing. For more information, visit hermitageroundtable@gmail.com or phone (201) 445-8311. ��