While a community continues to grieve in Newark over the fatal shooting of three college students, United for Peace and Justice plans an anti-war march in Newark on Aug. 25 to ask that Iraq war funding be re-directed towards domestic needs, including ending community violence, strengthening human rights, creating affordable health care for all, helping the homeless, working for environmental justice and aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina.

These are issues that have resonated on a local level in Rockland County. Advocacy for affordable housing, particularly for the county’s working-class residents, appears to be a priority among policy-makers and politicians, as is affordable health care.

Environmental justice issues also are gaining more traction. Residents in Spring Valley have long complained about industrial operations such as factories and bus parking lots being put near residential areas, and about diesel locomotives idling overnight — although strong efforts by the Spring Valley Concerned Citizens coalition has led recently to a possible decrease in the practice.

Rockland’s residents continue to respond to the reconstruction of communities that have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Grassroots efforts since the storm hit included food and clothing drives, inviting affected families to stay with local residents, and sending finances and volunteer construction and emergency response crews to area. From time to time, residents from New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast area come back to Rockland to say thanks and to update supporters on the progress of the rebuilding effort.

And every Saturday, members of the Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice conduct an anti-war protest at the Four Corners in Nanuet. Just this weekend, the march led to controversy when questions arose as to whether a West Nyack Fire Department truck was incorrectly used to appear with counter-protesters calling for support of the troops.