May 13, 1876 – 150 YEARS AGO
Rockland County Journal
THE HOODLUMS OF THIS LOCALITY
Boys will be boys, of course, —that’s what they are intended for; but it seems to us that all boys are not like our Nyack boys. Not that the Nyack boys are any worse particularly than those of other places, but they appear to have an ingenuity and taste for mischief which will surpass those of almost any other place. When they intend doing mischief, they do it systematically, forming well-laid plans of operation before they commence it. Last Friday night, half an hour before the military company began their parade, a company of small boys, from one foot long to the average size, formed in the central part of the village and marched after a style of their own down Broadway. —When they returned a few minutes later, it was found that they had been down in the old quarry and brought with them all the old wash-boilers and tin kettles they could find; and with the tin instruments they made music far superior in tone to that of the Modoc Indians.
This noise they kept up for about an hour, frightening horses, almost deafening the ears of the promenaders, and proving themselves and their kettles a positive nuisance. A good rawhide in the hand of some active person would have brought out the vocal powers of the young musicians.
May 14, 1926 – 100 YEARS AGO
Nanuet Life
ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH MOVED TO NEW SITE
[Image: St. Stephen’s Church in Pearl River surrounded by flood waters, October 1903. Prior to bring moved, the sanctuary stood on low ground on Central Avenue west of the Pearl River, originally known as Muddy Creek. John Scott Collection of the HSRC.]
The St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Building will soon be on the new site on Central avenue, opposite the school.
The moving of the structure from the old site has created much attention and is ably being handled by the moving concern of Spaanstra and Sons.
There is considerable work for the telephone and lighting companies yet to be done as many wires had to be lowered and raised at various points. A delay on Tuesday was caused before crossing the tracks owing to the wires of the Western Union Telegraph Company. However, when the process was resumed on Wednesday, rapid work followed. It required only twelve minutes to move the entire structure across the trades. Fortunately, automobile have not had very big detours.
May 12, 1976 – 50 YEARS AGO
The Journal News
SKATEBOARD DRAMA FEATURES CAST OF DISAPPOINTED TEEN
At least one teenager in Orangetown has turned off the skateboard craze. She’s also turned off walking around, going to school, and swimming—at least until the cast comes off her leg.
Dana Engellener, 13, a champion swimmer from Pearl River, fell off a borrowed skateboard recently, sustaining five major broken bones in her right leg. All the fractures occurred below the knee.
Her mother, Patricia Engellener, is also turned off skateboards, and wants to warn other parents of the dangers.
“Skateboard injuries are becoming quite a problem,” she said, when we took Dana to Nyack hospital there were two other children in the Emergency Room with bones that had also been broken in skateboard accidents.”
In her one-woman campaign, Mrs. Engellener has managed to convince at least eight other parents not to buy skateboards. “My daughter isn’t clumsy,” she points out. “She’s an athlete and has good balance. But she didn’t realize the danger, and neither does anyone else until an accident happens.
Dana was trying out the skateboard on the Monday after Easter when it struck a rock in the road. The skateboard stopped but she kept on going.
“Skateboard accidents are like ski accidents,” says Mrs. Engellener, “The bone breaks are quite similar because of the forward motion involved.”
Dana has received plenty of cards from her friends and has collected signatures on the cast that covers her leg from hip to toe. After the first cast is removed, a second will be put on, immobilizing Dana for most of the summer. But the cards and signatures are no substitute for a season of missed swimming, and three months of classes that Dana will miss at St. Margaret’s.
“I’ll never go on a skateboard again,” the teenager says. “It’s too late to say that now.”
Both Dana and her parents are upset about the pain, lost school time and general inconvenience the accident has caused. “Maybe Dana’s lucky that she only broke a leg,” Mrs. Engellener says.
”When I see these kids coasting down the hill on Central Avenue, I’m sure that someone is going to be run over by a car and killed.” Lucky or not, Dana is now wondering about her promising swimming career. She was county champion in the 11-12-year-old age group and had high hopes of taking the CYO championships this season.
Now all that will have to wait.
This Week in Rockland (#FBF Flashback Friday) is prepared by Clare Sheridan for the Historical Society of Rockland County. © 2026 by The Historical Society of Rockland County. #FBF Flashback Friday may be reprinted only with written permission from the HSRC. To learn about the HSRC’s mission, upcoming events or programs, visit www.RocklandHistory.org or call (845) 634-9629.