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Senate leadership switch will be good for New York’s children, advocate says

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Photo of Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News

Guest editorial by Ian Diamond

For everyone who cares about education and the safety of children, the state Senate flip to Democratic control brings a new day in New York.

For years the Republican majority, led by Sen. John Flanagan of Long Island, has stalled important progressive bills. Flanagan and the Republican majority have been catering to powerful voting blocs and wealthy political contributors to the detriment of some of the most vulnerable and aggrieved people in our state. [Read more…]

Incumbents dominate locally–SAM Party gains line

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Election Results bannerWith 100% of the ballots counted, the following are the unofficial winners reported by the Board of Elections:

Ellen Jaffee  State Assembly District 97
Kenneth Zebrowski  State Assembly District 96
David Carlucci  State Senator  District 38
James Skoufis  State Senator  District 39
Yehuda Weismandl  Ramapo Town Council
David Fried  Ramapo Town Justice
Paul Girard  Suffern Trustee
Steven Alpert  Suffern Trustee
Ernest Buonocore  Suffern Village Justice
The seven winners of Justice of the Supreme Court include Kathie Davidson, Thomas Zugibe, Joan Lefkowitz, Barry Warhit, William Giacomo, Hal Greenwald, David Everett

Governor Andrew Cuomo easily won re-election
Thomas DiNapoli won the Comptroller seat
Letitia James won the Attorney General position
Stephanie Miner and Michael Volpe of the SAM Party have won a place on the ballots for the next four years with a qualifying 51,323 votes.

For the most current list of vote totals for all the candidates, click here for the Lohud summary.

Vote Tuesday Nov. 6

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For a PDF copy of the ballot you can print
click here. 

We Endorse and Ask that You Support the Following Candidates 

OFFICE                          CANDIDATE           LINE

Governor                        Stephanie Miner        SAM
Attorney General           Keith Wofford.            REP
NYS Senate 39th Dist     James Skoufis           DEM
NYS Senate 38th Dist     David Carlucci           DEM
NYS Assembly 97th        Ellen Jaffee                DEM
NYS Assembly 96th        Ken Zebrowski          DEM
NYS Assembly 98th        Scott Martens           DEM
NYS Assembly 99th        Colin Schmidt           REP
Ramapo Town Board.      Robert Romanowski WRITE IN
Ramapo Town Justice     David Fried               DEM
Suffern Village Trustee    Steve Alpert             DEM
Suffern Village Trustee    Paul Girard               DEM
Suffern Village Justice     Ernest Buonocore     REP

Supreme Court Justices:  Richard Reitz, Kathie Davidson, Philip Grimaldi,
Robert Freehill, William Giacomo, David Everett, Joan Lefkowitz

To look up your polling place CLICK HERE

Endorsements for the Candidates: [Read more…]

Orangetown: Stop high-pressure home-sale tactics

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Orangetown Supervisor Chris Day and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee ask the state to create a cease and desist zone against aggressive solicitors at Orangetown Town Hall on Oct. 25, 2018. Carucha L. Meuse, cmeuse@lohud.com

Two years after shutting down aggressive door-to-door real estate solicitations, Orangetown wants to do the same thing to what officials call aggressive mailings pressuring residents to sell their homes.

Supervisor Chris Day was joined at Town Hall on Thursday by state Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, whose 97th District includes Orangetown, to discuss the problem and what they want to do about it.

Here’s some takeaways from their news conference: [Read more…]

Gubernatorial Candidate Stephanie Miner–Press Release: All schools should meet basic Education Requirements

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Gubernatorial Candidate for Gov Stephanie Miner

Stephanie Miner Former Mayor of Syracuse

The Stephanie Miner for Governor Meet and Greet is this Wednesday Oct. 17th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Suffern in the Upper Hudson Ballroom. The Hotel is just off the NYS Thruway at Exit 14. The address is 3 Executive Blvd Suffern, NY 10901.

PRESS RELEASE: Stephanie Miner

ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD MEET BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

October 15, 2018 1:00 PM

Syracuse, N.Y., October 15, 2018 – State education law requires that private schools provide a “substantially equivalent” education to that of public schools. However, in Andrew Cuomo’s New York, certain politically-connected schools have been given a pass.

“School children shouldn’t be political pawns,” said Miner. “All schools should be required to meet basic standards. Period.”  [Read more…]

Legal challenge of Ramapo Bluefield housing plan OK’d in bid to preserve neighborhoods

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Photo of Micheal Miller of CUPON

Micheal Miller of CUPON Photo by Peter Carr/The Journal News

The larger issue behind the lawsuit remains Ramapo’s failure to maintain single-family housing, say critics of the expansion plan.

“A lawsuit seeking to void a town agency’s zoning variance to allow high-density housing off Union Road has passed muster with a judge.

Acting Supreme Court Judge Sherri Eisenpress rejected the developer’s attempt to derail the lawsuit filed by citizen’s group CUPON-Hillcrest and Sharon Doucette, whose property shares a narrow driveway with the project, called the Bluefield Extension.

The property is targeted for development of 15 to 20 units on approximately one acre.  It sits across from the massive Bluefield complex of multiple family townhouses. [Read more…]

Striker Property sale faces opposition from Skyview Acres neighbors

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The Striker property, left, is 75 acres off Route 45 that the Town of Ramapo is looking to sell for use as a campus for yeshivas Sept. 20, 2018. Peter Carr/The Journal News

When the town bought the nearly 75-acre Striker Property in 2009, Paul Nagin and his Skyview Acres neighbors were led to believe the land would forever be preserved from development.

Times have changed and they are learning the commitment may not be forever.

The deal’s mastermind, then-Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, sits in federal prison. The town faces a potential budget deficit topping $8 million and are looking to sell properties bought for supposed preservation during St. Lawrence’s tenure. [Read more…]

$35 Million Camden Baseball Stadium Faces Demolition

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Campbell’s Field Camden, New Jersey

Here’s another local lesson in the impossible economics of Independent League baseball. Please look over the growing list at the end of this article of 25 years of failing Can-Am Independent League Teams—the league of the Ramapo’s Boulders. The ballpark is currently losing $1-2 million each year, and there’s still the debt for the bonds to be paid.

The story is by Tom Davis, and it appeared in the Cherry Hill Patch, Sept. 24, 2018

A $35 million baseball field that was supposed to boost tourism is now facing a wrecking ball.

Campbell’s Field in Camden is expected to be demolished after 17 years, according to News12. The 6,700-seat park cost $35 million to build.

The Camden Riversharks lost their lease back in 2015, according to News12, so Camden County Improvement Authority is looking for bids on the demolition. [Read more…]

Fonvil sentenced, but Spring Valley still seeks responsible governance

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Vilair Fonvil at his sentencing Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News

The following editorial from Nancy Cutler appeared in Thursday’s Journal News.

“Another public official in Ramapo — Spring Valley this time — got time for abusing the public trust.

Former village Trustee Vilair Fonvil was sentenced on Sept. 17 to a year in the county jail — he faced up to 15 years in prison — for pocketing some $11,000 in precious village taxpayer dollars. He spent two days there until he was released pending an appeal.

A conviction is another stumble along the troubled path of Ramapo and Spring Valley’s ruling class: Remember when the village’s former mayor and deputy mayor got popped for taking separate, unrelated bribes on the same development project? Or when the state installed a monitor to ensure the local school district, East Ramapo, provide even the most basic education for children? Or when former town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence’s securities fraud trial was closely watched in hopes it would shed some light on the town’s mysterious and sinking finances? [Read more…]