Rockland State of the County: Renaissance underway

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said a renaissance is underway in the county during his State of the County address Tuesday night.
And he says an increase in tourism will help carry the county forward.
"We have also begun marketing ourselves in Scotland and Ireland to take advantage of the new direct flights into Stewart Airport in Newburgh," Day said.
Another part of the renaissance is new development, an upgrade to the county's bond ratings and the repurposing of a former Pfizer campus for TV and film projects.
Speaking in the county's legislative chamber, Day also announced new plans for law enforcement training at the former Summit Park Hospital, now known as the Pomona Campus.
"Our next step forward is the creation of a new training academy for the Rockland County Sheriff's Department," he said. "The current academy has outgrown their space and will be moved out of the basement of the Fire Training Center, into Building G at the Pomona Campus."
The facility will generate further revenue by allowing recruits from other areas to train in Rockland.
Economically, Day said the county's unemployment rate has fallen to 4.2 percent.
Toney Earl, a Democrat and chairman of the County Legislature, graded the executive's speech as "a B."
"If he continues to come to the table with us, including all legislators, then I think we could get great things done," Earl said.