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Archives for April 2018

East Ramapo: Ward system lawsuit moves forward

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Deborah Wortham and Yehuda Weissmandl Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News

“A federal judge has denied the East Ramapo school district’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit demanding that the at-large voting method used to elect the school board be replaced with a geographic ward system.

Filed in November by a group of parents, the suit claims the at-large system has led to a lack of representation for minorities and seeks a system made up of nine single-member districts to be put in place.

The New York Civil Liberties Union, which filed the suit on behalf of parents, said U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel denied the district’s motion on April 13 and that the case will move forward. [Read more…]

East Ramapo: Mass mailing gaffe on polling site was printer’s fault

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“East Ramapo officials say a printing glitch caused nearly 60,000 voters to receive postcards directing them to cast ballots from one of the district’s smallest polling locations during next month’s school board election and budget vote.

The cards have turned up in voters’ mailboxes over the past week, telling them to vote at Chestnut Ridge Middle School on May 15 and listing polling-site hours and information about the proposed school budget. [Read more…]

Fonvil sentencing postponed as ex-trustee seeks dismissal of charges

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Photo of Vilair Fonvil in court

SV Trustee Vilair Fonvil Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News

“Vilair Fonvil won’t be sentenced Tuesday for theft, as the judge gave the prosecutor until June to respond to the former Spring Valley trustee’s request to have multiple felony convictions and a grand jury indictment dismissed.

Fonvil claims in his dismissal motion that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to warrant his November conviction by the judge and the indictment leading to trial was rife with deficiencies. [Read more…]

‘Yeshiva clause’ in New York budget plays politics with children’s education: Assemblyman

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NY Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski

The following editorial by Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski appeared in The Journal News

“In the 11th hour of state budget negotiations, Simcha Felder, a state Senator from Brooklyn, proposed to strip the State Education Department of their authority to regulate curriculum in certain private schools.This proposal, the Senate Republican/Democratic dynamics, and Sen. Felder’s refusal to vote for a budget without this change sent the entire state budget into chaos. At the center of the debate was the following question: Should New York enforce its law that requires private schools to provide a “substantially equivalent” curriculum to the public schools? [Read more…]

Reimer, Mackenzie, and Cairns running for Suffern School Board

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Candidates for Suffern Central School District BoardThree newcomers will be vying for seats on the School Board in the Suffern Central School District, May 15. The importance of school board positions has become manifestly clear to the residents of the East Ramapo Central School District, and Suffern voters should pay attention to this election and get out and vote.

Here are the candidates—their experience and thoughts on the election: [Read more…]

SEC wants to end Ramapo case as St. Lawrence fights back

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The Bond Buyer logoStory posted by Kyle Glazier in The Bond Buyer

“WASHINGTON – The Securities and Exchange Commission is asking a federal court to skip the trial and rule against former Ramapo, N.Y. town supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence due to his earlier criminal conviction, a request that has drawn opposition from St. Lawrence’s attorney.

At issue before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is whether or not to grant summary judgment against St. Lawrence, who was convicted last year on criminal charges for masterminding a scheme to conceal Ramapo’s financial troubles in the bond documents for municipal securities issued over a period of five years. [Read more…]

Patrick Farm: Judge reverses rulings, sending housing plan back to square one

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Landscape Photo of the Pond on Patrick Farm

Patrick Farm pond

“A judge sent Patrick Farm’s developers back to square one by rejecting all remaining approvals for construction of a 474-unit housing development in the woods outside Pomona, development opponents said Tuesday.

State Supreme Court Judge Thomas Walsh reversed his previous decisions and followed the edicts of the state Appellate Division panel that issued a series of blows to the developer in November by annulling a zone change and site plan approvals. [Read more…]

Delhomme sues Spring Valley for $147K from failed try to oust him

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“Former Mayor Demeza Delhomme has gone to court to force the village to pay his nearly $150,000 legal bill to fight off an attempt by citizens to oust him from office.

Delhomme’s lawsuit argues that New York’s public officer’s law states the village must pay his legal costs, particularly since a referee refused to kick him out of office, ruling that’s a decision left to the voters. Delhomme lost a September primary election won by Alan Simon, who later replaced him as mayor. [Read more…]