Preserve Ramapo

www.preserve-ramapo.com

Vote for Kenneth Zebrowski Rockland District Attorney

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NY Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski

In the Democratic primary for Rockland County District Attorney we give our endorsement to Kenneth Zebrowski.

Ken Zebrowski has served in the New York State Assembly for the past 12 years and is well known throughout Rockland County. He is the very model of what a public servant should be. He is smart, remarkably hardworking and proactive with the capacity to bring people together and make things happen. He always does his homework and seeks out common sense solutions to problematic issues.  His forceful personality along with the determination and vigor to take the bull by the horns and clean up the corruption that rules the roost in Rockland, make him the most compelling choice for District Attorney. [Read more…]

State education chief unveils retooled ‘substantial equivalency’ rules for private schools

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“The New York State Education Department announced proposed regulations Friday for academic instruction at nonpublic schools, less than two months after its guidelines with similar goals were blocked by the State Supreme Court.

The issue focuses on enforcing state law requiring that secular studies at private schools — like math science, English and history — be “substantially equivalent” to what’s taught in public schools. Concern has been most focused on certain ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish yeshivas that advocates have reported fail to meet the law or prepare their students for employment and a solid economic future.

State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia initially issued new guidelines in November that were meant to update previously issued guidelines for enforcing the law. But the court ruled in April that the Education Department failed to follow its own procedure for such specific changes. [Read more…]

Rockland marks 4th year of housing crackdown, focusing on cleanup violations

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“As Rockland County government marked the fourth year of its crackdown on slum housing, Jennifer Rivera said Friday that she pays $520 a month rent for a tiny bedroom inside a rundown, violation-plagued house on Fairview Avenue.

As Health Department inspectors walked through the house with hopes of forcing the landlord to clean it up, Rivera said she and 11 other people live with rats, mice, and other animals entering though the attic and wood flooring softened by moisture.

Inspectors have cited the manager/owner Moshe Landau for 48 violations of the county sanitary code, including operation of an illegal boarding house, exposed piping and wires, mold and chipped paint, and garbage on the front lawn.” [Read more…]

State hearing rips Ramapo for lackluster code, fire safety enforcement

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Gordon Wren inspecting housing

Gordon Wren Jr. Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News

“Ramapo officials and state code watchdogs came under criticism Thursday for lackluster enforcement and bending to special interests during a state Senate hearing in Newburgh.

Gordon Wren Jr., the county’s retired emergency services coordinator who chairs the grassroots watchdog group CUPON Rockland, led the critique along with state Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, and, to a lesser degree, Rockland Deputy Health Commissioner Catherine Johnson Southern, who oversees enforcement of the county sanitary code under the Rockland Codes Initiative.

The hearing was held in Newburgh Armory before the Senate’s Investigations and Government Operations Committee, which is chaired by Democrat James Skoufis, whose district includes Stony Point and Haverstraw. [Read more…]

Budget and School Board Election Results

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Election Results banner
Here are the Election Results for the East Ramapo and Suffern School Districts. The numbers for the budget results are unofficial, but both budgets passed. We would like to congratulate the winners and all the candidates participating.

Suffern Central School District

Budget passed 2,844 to 799.
Matt Kern and Chris Nicpon were elected to the board.

East Ramapo Central School District

Budget passed 2,922 to 1,892
Ashley Leveille, Yehuda Weissmandl, and Bernard Charles were elected to the board.

Tuesday Elect Eric Goodwin and Ashley Leveille for East Ramapo School Board

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On Tuesday, May 21, please go out and vote for Eric Goodwin and Ashley Leveille for positions on the East Ramapo School Board.

Please note that you will have to write in Eric’s name in the space on the ballot marked Write In. After you have written in his name make sure that you also fill in the oval space next to the name. The marked oval is needed to count your vote. For Ashley you only have to fill in the oval. SEE BELOW:

Support Kunow and Valenti next Tuesday for Suffern School Board

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Jeanette Kunow and Cheryl Valenti are candidates for the Suffern School Board in the upcoming Election, Tuesday, May 21.

The reasons for our endorsements follow here:

This year there are two open seats on the Suffern School Board and four candidates running for those seats. The candidates are Jeanette Kunow, Cheryl Valenti, Matt Kern, and Dr. Chris Nicpon. All four candidates willingly agreed to an interview and described their qualifications, positions on the issues, and motivations for running in an honest and open manner,  without reservation. We believe that all four candidates are valued members of the community with good intentions who will make excellent school board members if elected.

It was a tough decision but after much discussion we ultimately decided to endorse Jeanette Kunow and Cheryl Valenti. [Read more…]

CUPON slaps Chestnut Ridge with another legal action vs. house of worship law

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Logo for the Chestnut Ridge CUPON“A grassroots organization has hit the village with its second legal action looking to block a law that allows residential houses of worship across the community.

In a federal action, Citizens United to Protect our Neighborhoods, known as CUPON, and several residents claim the Board of Trustees violated the constitutional rights of secular residents by using land-use regulations to provide exclusively for the religious needs of Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish residents.

The request for an injunction claims officials adopted a proposal largely drafted by the Orthodox Jewish Coalition of Chestnut Ridge. [Read more…]