Dagan LaCorte began his first term as mayor by fulfilling a promise he made to downtown merchants at a Suffern Chamber of Commerce breakfast held just prior to his taking office.

The breakfast meeting took place at Suffern Chamber of Commerce President Aury Licata's office on Lafayette Avenue in late November.  During this meeting which was also attended by Suffern Police Chief Clarke Osborn and Gail Curtin of the Recreation Department, local merchants presented their concerns directly with the village.  Downtown revitalization was at the top of the agenda.

One of the main concerns of merchants on Lafayette Avenue was lighting or lack thereof.  Previously the village had applied for and received an Obama stimulous grant to help pay the cost for improved pedestrian lighting.  The project had to have been put out for bid by December 31 or the $50,000 grant would have been lost. 

The new mayor put together a committee consisting of village employees and merchants to get the job done.  Beginning in the spring, lights that match the existing decorative street poles will be installed along Lafayette Avenue starting at Orange Avenue.  The new lighting poles are approximately 4 feet high.  They're designed to provide better illumination for pedestrians.  “We decided to start on the lower end of Lafayette and work our way up toward Chestnut Avenue” said Mayor LaCorte, “because that's where most of the night life in the village is we felt that we could provide a positive impact immediately.  Our goal is to continue this project as more funds become available until the entire stretch of Lafayette Avenue between Orange Avenue and Washington Ave. has been outfitted with these new lights”.

“We've also applied for community redevelopment grants totaling $1.5 million over the next five years.  If we receive these funds portion will go toward completing pedestrian lighting project and we’re also looking at a program to enhance the façades and storefronts in our downtown business district.”

There are a number of other plans being worked on by the Mayor and residents of Suffern that will be outlined in great detail by Ramapo Times in the coming weeks.