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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…]

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…]

Chestnut Ridge adopts hotly debated zoning law for houses of worship

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Chestnut Ridge Board Photo: Carucha Meuse/The Journal News

“During a contentious and emotional meeting, the Board of Trustees adopted a three-tier zoning law that allows houses of worships in residential neighborhoods.

The law adopted Thursday night before dozens of people will be challenged in court by CUPON-Chestnut Ridge, an attorney for the grassroots group said Friday.

Steve Mogel said the board ignored basic environmental impacts on residents by essentially allowing unlimited houses of worship and crafting the law to cater to the Orthodox Jewish Coalition, which suggested the zone and has since filed a civil rights lawsuit accusing the village of violating religious rights.

“I think the way they crafted the resolution defined their bias,” Mogel said. “What they did … throughout the whole process is they made it clear that they would pick and choose among the statements made to support their pre-conceived determination to pass the resolution regardless of how bad it might be for the overall community.” [Read more…]

Airmont: Judge tosses Hasidic congregation’s legal action against village

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Congregation’s legal action against Airmont is dismissed by state judge

“An acting state judge rejected an Orthodox Jewish congregation’s legal action claiming Airmont violated its own zoning laws involving a synagogue hit with violations during a village wide building moratorium.

Mayor Philip Gigante applauded the village’s vindication in state Supreme Court, as he also has denied allegations made in two separate federal lawsuits claiming the village discriminates against Orthodox and Hasidic Jews.

The congregation’s legal action – called an Article 78 – has nothing to do with the two civil rights lawsuits. [Read more…]

Lawsuit accuses Chestnut Ridge of discrimination vs. Orthodox and Hasidic Jews

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“Even as local officials consider a hotly contested zoning law that would permit houses of worship in houses in residential neighborhoods, a coalition of ultra-Orthodox Jews filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Ramapo village.

The legal action – filed hours before Tuesday’s fourth public hearing on the proposed law – states the village’s five-acre minimum for a house of worship was “onerous” for religious freedom. [Read more…]

CUPON: Special Chestnut Ridge Board Meeting, Tues. Jan 15

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Special Village Board Meeting, Tuesday January 15 at 7:30 PM at the Chestnut Ridge Middle School, 892 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Spring Valley. This meeting is another continuation of the special hearing on proposed large scale zoning changes.

We want to thank everyone who attended the previous meetings, we had 1000 people at the first and over 600 at the second meeting

We need to attend this meeting because the board is getting close to making a final decision! [Read more…]

Spring Valley fails to provide public documents under FOIL, lacks transparency

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SV Mayor Alan Simon Photo: Journal News file

Mayor Alan Simon’s administration has failed to produce dozens of public documents under state law, creating a lack of transparency about salaries, meeting agendas, policy votes and how taxpayer money is spent.

During Simon’s first year in office in 2018, the village has missed deadlines or failed to provide The Journal News/lohud with agendas of government meetings, votes during those meetings, and minutes about who spoke during the sessions.

The Journal News/lohud made about a dozen requests for information, and follow-up reminders, with the village responding several times, but always in violation of the legal deadlines.

Simon and Village Clerk Diana Montgomery, who is the village’s public records officer, have not responded to requests for comment. Simon, a former judge, prosecutor and defense attorney, once worked with the state Freedom of Information Law as the Ramapo town attorney under two town supervisors. [Read more…]

Important Chestnut Ridge Zoning Change Public Hearing Tonight: Tuesday 11/20 7:30pm Chestnut Ridge Middle School

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From CUPON Chestnut Ridge

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Special meeting of the Village of Chestnut Ridge Board of Trustees shall be held on the 20th day of November, 2018, at 7:30 pm at the Chestnut Ridge Middle School, 892 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Chestnut Ridge, New York 10977.

The agenda item for the Special Meeting shall be Resolutions to Conduct a Public Hearing on proposed amendments to the Zoning Law of the Village of Chestnut Ridge with regards to regulations pertaining to establishing Houses of Worship within the Village of Chestnut Ridge.  [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…]