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St. Lawrence sentencing for corruption conviction rescheduled for Nov. 27

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“Christopher St. Lawrence will learn how many years he will spend in federal prison when he’s scheduled for sentencing Nov. 27 in the White Plains federal courthouse.

U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Seibel adjourned St. Lawrence’s sentencing, which had been set for Sept. 28, at his lawyer’s request.

A federal jury convicted St. Lawrence on May 29 on 20 corruption-related charges accusing him of manipulating the town’s books and fabricating revenues to get better rates on bonds to finance the town’s baseball stadium and other projects. The conviction ended the Democrat’s 16-year reign as supervisor. [Read more…]

Cuomo signs bill for Ramapo Central schools to change name

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Logo of the Ramapo Central School DistrictThe Ramapo Central School District will now be known as the Suffern Central School District.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the law Tuesday that allows the state education commissioner to change the school district’s name. The bill was co-sponsored by state Sen. David Carlucci and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee and unanimously passed both houses of the state Legislature in June.

The name change was meant to clear up confusion with the neighboring East Ramapo school district and set the two districts apart. [Read more…]

Eruvs didn’t create Ramapo’s problems, bad zoning decisions did: JN Editorial

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The following editorial appeared in The Journal News on August 11, 2017

“Many have been worried about a recent expansion into New Jersey of a Ramapo-area eruv — a near-invisible boundary that allows Orthodox Jews more freedom of movement during the Sabbath.
Some say the boundary would extend eastern Ramapo’s chaos and crowded conditions into their backyard.

But Ramapo’s mess can be blamed on policy, not PVC piping; ill-planned zoning and lax building code enforcement caused the issues in Ramapo, not eruvs attached to utility poles. [Read more…]

Millions still flowing to St. Lawrence’s RLDC

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Money vacuumYou would think that as fast as St. Lawrence and his attorney were pedaling in the courtroom in White Plains, trying to outrun the 22 felony charges from the Dept of Justice, that he wouldn’t have time to continue to siphon public money to his bankrupt RLDC. So much for common sense. While St. Lawrence and his attorney, Michael Burke, were looking over perspective jurors, his corrupt machine was still still cranking up the giant sucking sound at Town Hall on Route 59, vacuuming millions in public assets. At the other end of the pipe, almost six million was blowing in at the RLDC office over at the ballpark.  [Read more…]

Preserve Ramapo celebrates an overdue conviction

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Last night, many of the Preserve Ramapo faithful showed up at the Water Wheel restaurant in Tallman to celebrate the conviction of one of the most disastrous politicians in Ramapo’s long 226-year history. The former supervisor, Christopher St. Lawrence, was found guilty of 20 federal charges of bond fraud and will be sentenced in September. The damage caused by St. Lawrence’s abuses go well beyond those spelled out in the criminal charges that will remove him from the community. [Read more…]

St. Lawrence Conviction Party Today–Tuesday

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Sweep Ramapo Clean posterPlease join our celebration of the successful prosecution of Christopher St. Lawrence on Tuesday, June 27th. And help us continue the legal fight for an honest referendum for single member districts in Ramapo.
Our party will be at the Water Wheel in Tallman starting at 7 PM. The entertainment will be free, but the drinks and food will be on you.
If you have been following our fight for single member districts in Ramapo you will remember that we first circulated our petitions and then had to spend years in court to force Ramapo to hold our referendum vote for single member districts. [Read more…]

Vote Yes Tuesday ERCSD Budget

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Strong East Ramapo

Journal News editorial: East Ramapo Budget Must Pass

“It’s June. East Ramapo’s 2017-2018 budget remains unsettled. That’s a scary place for the deeply divided district, which has already seen two controversial spending plans upended this budget season alone.
The district has one more chance to win approval for its spending plan on June 20. East Ramapo voters must approve the $231.6 million spending plan. The alternative — an automatic contingency budget — would freeze the district’s tax levy, even as expenses rise, precipitating yet more cuts in the struggling district.”

Read the complete editorial here.

Erasing Christopher St. Lawrence

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St. Lawrence’s name removed from the front of the office. (Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News)

“The glass window welcoming people to the Ramapo supervisor’s office in Town Hall is nameless.

Christopher St. Lawrence’s name had been scratched off the glass Friday after his 16 years of running the county’s largest town with flair and controversy came to an abrupt end. [Read more…]