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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…]

Zebrowski vows to prosecute illegal housing, safety code violations as district attorney

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Photo Ken Zebrowski

Rockland District Attorney candidate Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D- New City, discusses plans to prosecute illegal housing and other safety violations during news conference at a firehouse in Spring Valley April 11, 2019. (Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News)

“Embroiled in a competitive contest for Rockland County district attorney, Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski unveiled a plan Thursday to defend tenants and prosecute landlords whose violation-ridden buildings and schools endanger lives.

Zebrowski said as district attorney he would break with the tradition of deputizing all municipalities to prosecute building and fire code violations that jeopardize the safety of tenants, students, responding firefighters and police.

He said he also would establish a task force to protect the rights of tenants from what he called “predatory landlords” who exploit poor people and potentially illegal residents. [Read more…]

Judges uphold St. Lawrence conviction

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“An appeal effort by deposed Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence was slapped down by a three-judge appeals panel on Monday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals panel unanimously rejected each of St. Lawrence’s five claims, which included insufficient evidence, the length of his sentence and alleged juror misconduct.

St. Lawrence and his lawyers filed the appeal of his conviction and sentence in 2017.

Christopher St. Lawrence 77363-054 USPrison Canaan–Release date 05/19/2020

In rendering their decision, the judges referred to St. Lawrence’s comment that it would take “a magician” to reach the numbers he gave to Moody’s Investors Services. Such statements were “sufficient to support St. Lawrence’s convictions.”

Read the complete LoHud coverage here.

Topsy-turvy Start for new Government in Airmont

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The Rockland County Times
by Joel Grossbarth

“The newly elected mayor and trustees in Airmont had a tough first day in office following their close March 19 victory over the write-in campaign led by former mayor Phil Gigante.

The newly elected Mayor Nathan Bubel took the oath of office at noon and then presided over his first Board of Trustees meeting hours later. However, few could have foreseen what was coming. [Read more…]