Nyack May Ban Smoking in Veterans' Park

A downtown-wide ban on smoking in Nyack may be far away, but village legislators are hoping to stomp out smoking in Veterans' Park.

"It's a desecration of the park," said Richard Kavesh, Nyack's mayor, referring to the cigarette butts that litter the downtown space dedicated to the nation's soldiers.

In 2009, Nyack took a similar step, enacting a smoking ban in Memorial Park. Kavesh was a trustee then and supported the ban, which passed into law with only one legislator opposed: then-mayor John Shields.

Now, Nyack's village code states, "no person in [Memorial Park] shall... carry or possess any lit tobacco product."

The next step in prohibiting smoking in Veterans' Park would be approaching the Parks Commission, Kavesh said. "I'm very interested in getting their input before moving forward," he explained.

Park officials said it's an idea they'll entertain. "We would be interested in what the mayor has to say," said Bert Hughes, a parks commissioner. Hughes also noted that although it is against the law to smoke in Memorial Park, it occurs frequently due to lax enforcement and careless visitors.

Earlier this month, Kavesh said he , a moratorium that exists in several California municipalities. "The best way to do this is on a step-by-step basis," Kavesh noted.

Last week, a spotlighted the polarizing issue—over 300 readers voted, and result was a near 50/50 split. 52 percent of voters said they support a downtown-wide smoking ban, and 48 percent said they are opposed. Many readers were opposed not because they are smokers, but because they feel the ban is an abuse of power and not within the government's authority.

The poll has been reattached to this story; cast your vote and leave a comment.