News digest

Multi-lingual Day at Monroe Free Library on July 23 to feature Eric Carle’s book MONROE — The Friends of the Monroe Free Library will host its second annual “Multi-Lingual Day” Saturday, July 23 at 11:30 a.m. The event will feature the reading of Eric Carle’s book, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See?” in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Polish. Reading in English will be Andrea Pfleger; Maria Delgado will read in Spanish; Sophie Aubry-Shea will read in French; Carmela Fritz will read in Italian; Kajetan Leitner will read in German; and Magda Yastion will read in Polish. The event is open to adults and children of all ages who are interested in hearing Carle’s text presented in a multi-lingual format. A vocabulary list of words in six languages will also be distributed. Light refreshments and giveaways will be offered, while supplies last. The Book Garden, the gently-read book shop operated by the Friends of the Monroe Free Library, will be open during that time as well. To learn more, call 783-4411. Rotary hosts 'Taste of Monroe-Woodbury’ on July 24 at Museum Village Monroe - The Monroe-Woodbury Rotary will host the first annual “Taste of Monroe-Woodbury” on Sunday, July 24, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Museum Village. The program allows guests to sample from a variety of restaurants in the area at the same time the Rotary raises funds for scholarships and community service programs. Tickets are $20 in advance at $25 on the day of the event. For tickets, contact Rotary President Gail Dejmal at 781-3563. Among the establishments that already have signed up are: Smokey D’s, Taste of India, V&J Italian Deli, Black Forest Mill, Maria’s Breakfast and Lunch, Crossroads Cafe, UNOs Chicago Grill, Little Italy, La Vera Cucina, Star Wines, Jay’s Deli, Big Mike’s, Rambler’s Rest, Mansion Ridge, Captain’s Table, ShopRite and Dunkin’ Donuts. The event is sponsored by Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc. Explore 'The Iron Age’ of Sterling Forest with historian Doc Bayne on July 21 Tuxedo - Popular historian and photographer Doc Bayne will entertain and educate about the furnaces, forges and bloomeries used in the local iron industry during a program for the Tuxedo Historical Society on Thursday, July 21. Baynr will describe how local iron was mined, produced and its end use, including the significant contribution that local iron products made to the American Revolutionary War effort. The links for the “Great Chain” that was stretched across the Hudson River from West Point to Constitution Island was produced locally as was the anchor for the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”). This program was postponed from June 23. Flooding rains that day caused many registered attendees to cancel. The program begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public, although are gratefully accepted. Reservations appreciated; call 845-351-2926 or e-mail tuxedohistory@gmail.com. Former Congressman John Hall will not run again Dover Plains - Former U. S. Congressman John Hall, who lost his re-election bid in November 2010 to Republican Nan Hayworth, has decided not to run for office and regain his seat in Congress in the upcoming 2012 election. “Having spent ten years of my life in elective office, and having family duties that include taking care of my 90-year-old parents and spending more time at home with my wife Pamela and extended family, I have decided not to run for reelection to New h Congressional seat,” Hall said in a press release announcing his decision. Hall added: “This does not mean that I am happy with my successor, Nan Hayworth. By supporting the Ryan Plan, which would turn Medicare into a voucher system that would leave seniors on their own to negotiate fees with doctors; by voting to gut the EPA budget for enforcing the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act; and by voting to eliminate all funds for Planned Parenthood, Congresswoman Hayworth has shown again that she is out of touch with the needs and concerns of mainstream America. “I look forward to working with my fellow Democrats in the 19th District to find the best candidate to reclaim this seat in 2012. A huge obstacle that Democrats must surmount in this election will be the third party corporate and PAC contributions, which are now unlimited and unreported. Until a saner Supreme Court majority is constituted, any Democratic candidate must find sympathetic corporations and individuals who can match the hundreds of millions of dollars coming from the Koch Brothers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, slush funds run by Karl Rove, Glenn Beck and George Pataki, among others.” Hall is presently recording new songs and performing live both as a solo artist and occasional guest with Orleans, the pop-rock band he co-founded in the 1970s. “Right now, I am returning to the relatively honest and straightforward business of music,” Hall said. “When my parents told me to make sure I had something to fall back on, they never knew it would be the guitar.”