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Archives for June 2018

East Ramapo Election Results

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From The Journal News:
“East Ramapo was one of 16 budgets across the state that were defeated, according to the New York State School Boards Association. Within the Lower Hudson Valley, the only other proposals that failed were in New Rochelle and Brewster.

About six percent of registered voters came out in Clarkstown and North Rockland. South Orangetown saw about nine percent of its registered voters and Suffern Central had a turnout rate of about 14 percent. In East Ramapo, the participation rate was 16 percent. All numbers were lower than 2017.

Statewide, fewer people voted Tuesday, a trend the state school board association has been tracking over the last few years. Since 2012, when New York implemented a tax-levy cap on school budgets, fewer people are hitting the polls each spring.”

The following table from The Power of Ten demonstrates how the bloc vote once again defeated the budget. The data linked to polling sites show how Proposition #1 (the budget) fared:

Power of Ten Election Results by Polling Place

Rockland Lawsuit alleges Ramapo sidestepped rules to downzone property at Bluefield Extension

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Rockland County Times bannerPublished in the Rockland County Times
BY JOEL GROSSBARTH

While former Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence continues to languish in a federal prison only three months into his 2 ½-year sentence, the effects of his administration’s policies in connection with land use applications continue to haunt the residents of Ramapo. Now, the County of Rockland has had enough and has sued the town in Rockland County Supreme Court.

According to papers filed with the Supreme Court, the county is asking a Supreme Court judge to declare invalid and unlawful an approval of a property known as the Bluefield Extension project located on 126 – 130 Union Road opposite Bluefield Drive in the unincorporated section of Ramapo. [Read more…]

The Bernard Charles Vocational Carousel Continues to Spin

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Bernard Charles LoHud File Photo

You’ve probably heard of a Teflon Don to whom no charges, no matter who brings them, can stick. Well, Bernard Charles might be Ramapo’s first Teflon Employee, to whom no job will stick, at least not for long, before he needs another one created for him. And they just keep creating jobs for him despite Civil Service exam challenges or questionable time cards. Why would Supervisors St. Lawrence and Michael Specht and School Board officials keep doing this? I’ll leave that to your imagination or your own review of his past voting record in various board seats that he has kept warm for others. Here’s the Journal News’ latest cross-out and reassignment for Mr. Charles. [Read more…]

Airmont moves closer to zoning code update, lifting building moratorium

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June 12, 2018 “Village officials are nearly ready to pull the trigger on approving an updated zoning code and lifting a thrice-extended building moratorium that some Hasidic Jewish residents find restrictive to their plans to expand their homes.

The final step in the process that began in October 2016 starts Tuesday night with a public hearing on the proposed zoning code changes before a subcommittee of the Comprehensive Master Plan Review Committee. [Read more…]

Important vote at Rockland Legislature Multi-services Meeting Tues. June 12

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On June 12th at 6:00, a discussion and vote will take place in order to support a resolution Naftuli Moster, along with Legislators Carey and Hofstein sponsored. This resolution calls for the county to support Assemblyman Zebrowski’s bill A1305, which looks to strengthen the Education Department’s ability to enforce standards in the education received at non-public schools. If it passes this committee, it will head to the full legislature. It has received bipartisan support the last time it was discussed.

Steve White’s Commentary on Orthodoxy series in LoHud

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Steve White

The following was published by The Journal News as Commentary regarding “5 Jewish women talk about what it means to be Orthodox in Rockland,” a series of articles:

“What does it mean to be an Orthodox Jewish woman in Rockland? This is the question asked by the headline in the Journal News/lohud in a series of articles by reporter Rochel Leah Goldblatt.

The author presents Orthodox Rockland as a kind of Jewish Lake Wobegon, where all the women are modest, all the men are God-fearing, and the number of children is above average.

Is this objective reporting? Have we answered the question in the headline? Have we done justice to the lives lived by women who identify as Orthodox Jewish, or understood their complicated relationships with others in Rockland County? [Read more…]

SEC Charges against St. Lawrence still not settled

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Seal of the US SECIn a press release today, the Securities and Exchange Commission summarizes the settlements and penalties of their charges against Aaron Troodler, Michael Klein and Nathan Oberman. The agency also explains:

“The SEC’s litigation against Christopher St. Lawrence continues. The SEC is seeking injunctions, financial penalties, and an order prohibiting St. Lawrence from participating in future municipal bond offerings.” [Read more…]

SEC Settles Muni Bond Fraud Claims with Three Town Officials

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Law 360 LogoThis notice appeared on the Law 360 website June 5, 2018.

“Three officials of the town of Ramapo, New York, have agreed to civil fines and a permanent injunction barring them from municipal bond offerings to resolve U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations they perpetrated a bond fraud, according to consent judgments filed in New York federal court Monday. [Read more…]