Girl Scout Troop And Shops At Nanuet Reach Agreement

A New City Girl Scout Troop will be selling cookies at The Shops At Nanuet after all. Troop leader Carol Ackerman said after initially being told that the troop would have to pay a $175 fee, which was then lowered to $100, to sell cookies during the annual drive, she and Mall Manager Ryan Hidalgo reached an agreement on Tuesday afternoon. Ackerman said she was pleased with the results and thanked Rockland County Executive Ed Day for his intervention on the troop’s behalf and the support of the community. 

Hidalgo released a statement, “In this instance, we are pleased that we were able to come up with a mutual understanding with the Girl Scouts and we look forward to welcoming the local troop to The Shops at Nanuet in March.”

Ackerman said she could not disclose the terms of the lease agreement, which apparently does include a minimal fee. A Shops At Nanuet spokesperson said they will promote the cookie sale on their social media channels.  

Hidalgo said The Shops at Nanuet’s policy for outside organizations selling items onsite remains in place. 

“Anytime we consider a request by an outside organization to come to the property to sell a product, there is a fee structure involved,” he added.

Ackerman said she was excited to share the news with the 13 girls in her troop.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my girls Friday meeting and telling them we will be there,” said Ackerman.

Troop 40826 will sell cookies at The Shops At Nanuet on Sunday, March 16 probably from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“I guess this is going to be a huge event for us,” she said. 

Ackerman said the way things were resolved made her feel validated and that her complaints were listened to. She said the community response was overwhelming from the involvement of Day, business owners who invited the troop to sell at their locations, residents who promised to show up to buy cookies wherever the troop was selling them to a woman who offered to pay the original $175 fee.

Day commented on Patch, “I am most happy that I was able to help mediate the matter for the good of all concerned, and look forward to being first on line for chocolate mint cookies!”

Flip N Dip and Jimmy’s On Main, both in Nanuet, reached out to Ackerman through Patch offering their storefronts to her troop to sell cookies.  

“It was really just such a positive warm feeling,” said Ackerman of the support. “It just reaffirms that there is kindness, warmth in our town.”

Related article:

Girl Scout Troop Disappointed By Shops At Nanuet Policy