Here we go again...why am I not shocked at reading this article. Sure she will sleep it off and deeply regret her actions that night/ morning and then hire an attorney specializing in these type of charges and then guess what ? I've read too many of these stories lately and maybe it's time to re-think our handling of this business. Maybe it's time to change how Nyack does business. A friend of mine from work who lives in upper Westchester County asked where I lived the other day. I said Nyack and he answered, "wow, heard it's a drinking and bar-hopping town, that true ? "

She's only 23? She needs to go dry out for awhile because her hard living is showing.

Isn't it time that Nyack changed its' image?
A village has to define what type of place it wants to be seen as so that it will draw the type of businesses that it wants.
It seems to me that Nyack's image has been headed slowly downhill for awhile.
Don't the folks who own homes here want Nyack to be defined as more middle class and family friendly?

Amazing! If your tired of reading articles like this make sure to come to the Village's zoning board meeting tonight @ 7:30pm to oppose the expansion of Reality Bites into a a 5,000sf bar!! (As soon as it is approved thre are plans in place to sell/partner it off into yet another Nyack watering hole smack in the middle of main street) Nyack is already a bar town, and will soon be THE bar town. How many bars do we need lined up on main street? How many incidents do we need to read about in the paper? Will the members of the Village keep complaining or actually do something about preventing more problems? Come voice your oppinion before its too late!!!!

It's sad that the actions of one or two people make Nyack look like a bad place. I go out in Nyack all the time and have a great time at the bars and restaurants. There are a couple hundred people walking around the streets every night that cause no problems, but out of those people there is always one or two will will act innapropriately and end up in the papers. It's not the bars fault, its not the employees fault, its not the owners fault, its not the Village's fault, it's not the Mayor's fault, its not the police's fault - its the people who are acting up who are at fault !!!!!!! The same stuff happens in every town, but because Nyack is the place to go we hear about it more. I love Nyack, and will continue to go there to have fun!

Does anyone know if the owners of Black Bear/Pour House live in Nyack? I'm guessing not, because for months they have been disrespecting the residents who do live here - they have been operating their bars outside our laws - they serve to minors, put drunk drivers on the street, blast club music till 4am. This has become a dangerous town to raise children. Let's bring civility and respect back to Nyack. It's time the owners of Black Bear and Pour House stop ruining our town.

Please file complaints with the New York State Liquor Authority here:
http://www.sla.ny.gov/register-a-complaint

Pete, I must respectfully disagree with you. The reason my friends and I go to O'Malley's and the Pour House is because there is never underage kids in those bars. O'Malley's has been there for a long time and the Pour House has been there for about 2 years, and there has never been underage in either of them. O'Malley's has a 30/40/early 50 year old crowd at night and the Pour House has a late 20's/30/early 40 year old crowd. The owners of both are always there and they live in Nyack. I can't speak for Blackbear because I don't go there, but from their website it looks like there are 2 different locations in NY and 6 in Ct so I'm guessing that their owners may live somewhere between them? The Blackbear in Nyack has been around for a while so its possible that the owners live close, but I'm not sure?

Either way, I still believe its the people who are acting up who should be blamed and not the bars, Village, Mayor, police, etc as I posted earlier. Nyack is a great place to go at night, and I hope it stays that way!!

If we don't all gather at the Village's zoning board meeting tonight @ 7:30pm and oppose the expansion of Reality Bites into a a 5,000sf bar, we will be sitting here a year from now complaining why there are so many bars in town, etc. Nyack is already a bar town, and will soon be THE bar town. How many bars do we need lined up on main street? How many incidents do we need to read about in the paper? Will the members of the Village keep complaining or actually do something about preventing more problems? Come voice your oppinion before its too late!!!!

I hardly think that Reality Bites is the kind of place where unruly people are going to be kicking in police cars. The vibe there is so very different, and sophisticated rather than rowdy. If they continue to feature quality music for grown-ups, I think they will be a wonderful addition to our cultural landscape, and not in any way (except for the perennial bugaboo of parking) harmful to Main Street. With the HHT/Riverspace gone, many of us ache for a quality venue in Nyack.

The Pourhouse has been on the local newspaper, Ch. 12 news and this website numerous times for the problems, fighting,underage drinking and village noise violations they are bringing to the village of Nyack so this ensures that they have a very rowdy underage crowd. It has all been documented. The Black Bear Saloon had very similar problems. Why OMalleys bar has to be mentioned makes absolouley no sense to this argument.
There are alot of good well run bars and restaurants in the village that should not be mentioned along with these two places. its only a matter of time before the State liquor authority come down and step in and do the job the Orangetown Police are clearly not capable of doing.
It will be very interesting to see if the six owners from Westchester that own the Black bear Saloon and the dozen or more people from Pearl River that own the Pour House, will be their to anwser questions tonight. I know I will.

We don't need outsiders from Pearl River (Pour House) or Westchester (Black Bear) ruining our town just so they can make a quick dollar. I agree, the other bars on Main Street, including O'Malleys, have run their bars respectfully within the guidelines of our town laws.

I think Nyack is a great place to drink and it should be turned into one big bar. Then we dont have to worry about people urinating and vomiting in my doorway-because i wont live here anymore.

So for all you complaining about these bars, what do you propose to replace them with. Or do you expect to go without the tax revenues that they bring into your Village. Hey Pete , will you do the same ID check on other business owners in Nyack? Is that now a requirement for owning and operating a business in the village that you must live there? If there is as much underage drinking going on as you all claim, then one has to assume OPD is aware and why not raid the offending establishment ? Believe me SLA will shut hem down very quickly. So again, for all those ranting against these places, what do you propose to take their places? What will bring people to Nyack other than bars and restaurants?

John with all due respect, you really have not answered the question. I have no side on this issue as I don't live in Nyack and probably only head into the Village 2 or 3 times a year for dinner. I understand and agree with the quality of life issue you raise, but if these bars close down, even if rents somehow decline , I still do not see what businesses come in to replace them. Yes, you are correct, sales tax revenue does not accrue to Nyack. Maybe that can be looked at? All I am saying is like every other small town/village, other than banks, bars, and restaurants what businesses can compete with the Mall locations and survive? It's a big dilemma.

First, if you want to register a complaint with the NY State Liquor Authority against the Black Bear Saloon their license serial number is: 2133507.

Go ahead and do it, I did.

Second; The taxpaying residents of Nyack have had enough of these unruly bars. They disrupt life at night in the village, endanger us when we try to drive our cars in the very early morning. Yes, some of us actually get up early and drive when all these drunks are stumbling to their cars to drive home. We really don't want to be in a head-on collision with some person in a drunken stupor. How about drunk driving check points from 2AM - 5AM in Nyack on weekends????? I would bet a dozen drunk drivers would be arrested on the first night. Drunk driving is against the law....

It is time to take the village back from these bars. Yes, some of them are respectable and well run but certainly not the Pour House and the Black Bear Saloon.

Our leaders have failed us in making sure that we don't turn into a mini Greenwich Village...sad but true. We should put the blame where it belongs. Bar owners who should have been turned down because we have enough in town are not at fault. It is the elected official that has turned the cheek to allow more and more of the same type bars and drinking establishments. I have been to nice towns in upper westchester that allow a few then turn down others keeping bars to a reasonable amount. Thereby they have suceeded in keeping their town clean and respectable. I agree with Mr Gromada...he makes a lot of sense. Listen up Nyack..before it is too late...but sadly it might be already.

I know for a fact that there was a very nice Italian restaurant owner who wanted to rent Reality Bites, and was refused, because they preferred to sell the business, and keep it, basically a bar, instead. I remember when Nyack used to be such a nice village. I loved going downtown to shop, walk around, and browse all the little stores and cafes. Remember "Eat your Heart Out?" Dana is right. We need to go in front of the Village Board and insist on limiting the number of bars, and petitioning the SLA to change the closing hours to 1:00. The Orangetown Chief of Police has already said he would support this move. Does anybody want to go to a Village Board meeting this Thursday to bring some of these issues up?

You're right, Reality Bites was a nice, quiet, restaurant, and that is the point. They were partially run out of business by the noisy, bar and crowd next door. We need to be very vigilant about the new owners, not expanding into another Pour House.

I hope so Heather and I pray for you and it does seem you have true remorse...but words are just that..words, and basically they mean nothing without action to back them up. I do hope this is your first and last time (your words ) drinking and breaking the law involving excessiveness. You don't remember any of it...the fighting, destruction of the interior of a police car, the physical force you exerted and others used to stop the situation , punching the bar's empolyee, SPITTING ( really vile and disgusting offense in today's world) at and on a police officer, swearing, kicking a police officer, the list is long and indisputable. You WERE out of control and that's the point myself and others living in and around Nyack see on a weekly basis. That is why people are upset and tired of these stories. Your story ended on a better note than others in the same situation. I have been to the ER at a hospital, seen a friend with tubes running all over, oxygen mask/ machine , a face and body swollen and battered beyond belief, family members out of control racked with horror to see their once beautiful daughter lying, dying on a gurney , beyond imagination. No parent should have to see that...but with out of control drunk drivers..it happens. And I heard from another room down the hall from that drunk driver these words..." I don't remember anything, one minute we were all drinking and now I'm here"....and the words trail off with sobs. I hope you get Heather...I pray you do.

Why don't you support our movement to close the bars earlier. This would never have happened to you if the bars were closed by 1am.

I moved to Nyack to get away from all this craziness. What is happening to this charming village? Why are village rules not being enforced? And if they cannot be, them maybe the rules should be changed/updated? Thankfully, some of this is in the works.

I can vouch for Heather...This article bashes and rips a bad image to the reader. To make matters worse they post the picture of her mug shot after crying all night on google worldwide including the info of her home address. That is wrong in my eyes,,everyone has made mistakes while under the influence. The barmaid that was working may have provoked the situation that saturday night.

If the bars were closed by 1:am, this never would have happened.......Otherwise there will be many more "Heather's" to come.

Well, it doesn't hurt to try. The majority of the population of our village wants it. We need to get the mayor and trustees to petition the SLA for an earlier closing. The SLA said they would consider this application. The Orangetown Chief of Police said he would back up any effort on this behalf.

Scotty were you there?

Someone kept ringing my doorbell at 2 in the morning. Happens all the time. Sometimes they even leave little gifts like condoms, cig butts, and vomit. Clearly this has nothing to do with the bars. Probably just shoppers stopping by to say high and leaving a token of their appreciation.

No Eric...was not there. So you must wonder how I can be so descriptive of an incident that I petsonally did not see. I've seen this many times however and it NEVER ends good. I've seen drunk drivers pulled out of cars totally wrecked without a scratch yet the other driver and friends injured beyond description. Don't worry or dwell on who was or wasn't there...story and endings are the problem.