www.preserve-ramapo.com
Piles of dirt at Sloatsburg Community Field (Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)
“Contaminated soil left untouched for years in a park and other locations in Ramapo is finally on track to be removed.
The board for the local sewer district awarded a $445,625 contract last week to a New Jersey company to dispose of thousands of cubic yards of soil piled in Sloatsburg’s Community Field and three locations in Hillburn. [Read more…]
The Ramapo Stadium Photo/The Journal News
“Yitzchok Ullman doesn’t want to be supervisor, but he is — potentially for the next seven months unless the Town Board names someone else.
Federal jurors made the decision for him when they convicted Christopher St. Lawrence of securities fraud and conspiracy on May 19, forcing his removal from the office he held for 16 years. [Read more…]
Kenneth Nakdimen Photo/Times Herald-Record
News story from James Nani of the Times Herald-Record
“Kenneth Nakdimen of Monsey pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to committing voter fraud in the 2014 Bloomingburg village election.
Nakdimen, 64, partnered with developer Shalom Lamm to build the Chestnut Ridge housing project in Bloomingburg.
In December, Lamm and Nakdimen, along with Volvy Smilowitz of Monroe, were charged with conspiracy to corrupt the electoral process, also known as voter fraud.
Federal prosecutors say they filed falsified voter registrations, paid for voter registrations and offered bribes for registrations and votes, all to swing the 2014 village election in an effort to seat a mayor and trustees who would be favorably disposed toward their project. On Thursday, Nakdimen admitted that was all true. [Read more…]
The following is a letter published in The Journal News in response to “State must fix Route 59 mess in Monsey,” May 22 Community View:
“I applaud the vision of Mr. Brachfeld. The improvements he proposes for Route 59 are desperately needed. I can’t understand, though, why he feels that taxpayers should pay to clean up the mess that real estate developers like him created, and in the process enrich his real estate enterprise. [Read more…]
It was supposed to be the first post-St. Lawrence Ramapo Town Board Meeting, but it was more like three meetings than one. Beginning at 7 pm, part one opened with a loaded agenda of 59 items to be discussed in the workshop phase. The hefty backlog was due to not having any meetings since late March. St. Lawrence was a little too preoccupied at the time with questions of his political survival and prison issues to keep to a regular schedule. Then, about an hour later, and after a brief executive session, part two revisited the 59 items, and the board members voted on or tabled each of the decisions. And then, again about an hour later, the public was given its chance to speak in the Public Participation Period. And many did—some expressing hope, some spilling leftover bile, and some presenting specific, concrete propositions as to how the Town should now move forward. [Read more…]
Mayor Bob Frankl
The following notice and bio appeared in The Journal News May 24
“Robert Frankl, who fought in the Korean War and then battled the Town of Ramapo to form the Village of Wesley Hills, died Wednesday at age 87.
Frankl, who moved to Ramapo in 1968, was among a group of residents who became disenchanted with development policies under Supervisor Morty Baron, recalled Rhea Frankl, who was married to Robert for 58 years. [Read more…]
“The Town Board has an ambitious agenda for its first meeting since Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence’s removal from office following his conviction on federal securities fraud charges.
Wednesday night’s agenda does not include replacing St. Lawrence on the five-member board. The Town Board, which is composed of four Democrats, can leave the decision to town voters in the November election. No candidates have officially entered the race by filing nominating petitions, and a September primary is possible for the Democratic Party nomination. Petition-gathering starts June 6. [Read more…]
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…]
An important fact that has been mostly overlooked in the news coverage of the St. Lawrence convictions is that this case set legal precedent as the first of its kind. A Google search of the early stories shows only one article from US News and World Reports titled “New York Town Official Convicted in Landmark Bond Fraud Case” that paid attention to what was apparently an important part of the Justice Department’s original interest in what was happening in Ramapo.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara had pointed this out in his first press conference at the time of St. Lawrence’s arrest by federal agents. He said: “Today, this Office has brought what is believed to be the first ever municipal bond-related criminal securities fraud charges against public officials.” [Read more…]
On the same day that Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence was convicted of 20 felony charges in federal court, the County Executive, Ed Day, and the Deputy Ramapo Town Supervisor, Yitzy Ullman, both sent releases to the press that were surprising, and potentially very consequential.
Day’s media advisory announced that the County Executive would announce new measures on Monday to promote responsible development. An executive order will put in place penalties for those building projects that are not in line with municipal law. Penalties will include:
“Under this Executive Order, failure of a town or village to comply or explain why will result in the County not issuing permits for such uses as water and sewer connections, well permits, rooming house permits, drainage permits, road opening permits, issuance of new addresses and others.” [Read more…]