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Computer Scam: Seven from Ramapo plead guilty, face prison and thousands in fines

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Photo: John Meore/The Journal News

“Nearly four years after hundreds of FBI agents and law enforcement officers raided Ramapo businesses and private schools, seven Rockland residents have pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal million of dollars from a federal program designed to provide computer technology to schools.

Prosecutors got guilty pleas to conspiracy from Peretz Klein and his wife Susan Klein, both of Spring Valley; and five Monsey residents, Simon Goldbrenner, Moshe Schwartz, Ben Klein, Sholem Steinberg and Aron Melber. [Read more…]

Ramapo ranked 2nd in NY State population growth

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“When it comes to recent population growth in New York State, Ramapo ranked second and Yonkers fifth among all municipalities, according to lohud.NYDatabases.com.

In total, New York State’s population has grown by more than 23,000 from 2010 to 2017. With a few municipalities, including Rochester and Binghamton showing a decrease, others posted significant gains, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimates.

Ramapo’s 2017 population estimate was 137,510, up by 11,238 residents, or a 9 percent increase compared to the 2010 estimate of 126,272. [Read more…]

State’s fiscal monitoring offers bark with no bite–Just ask Ramapo

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A Community View by Bill Weber Published in The Journal News Wednesday,  November 22, 2017

The fiscal stress monitoring system was set up by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli so that citizens, government officials, and other interested parties could access information related to the financial condition of municipalities and school districts.

According to the website, “The Fiscal Stress Monitoring System (the System) is OSC’s program to objectively identify issues with budgetary solvency — the ability to generate enough revenue to meet expenditures — for each county, city, town, village and school district.” [Read more…]

Four Thousand Shades of Ramapo Gray

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Rockland Legislator Charles Falciglia

The writer is a member of the Rockland County Legislature

The two properties commonly referred to as the Matterhorn Nursery and Minisceongo Golf Course represent approximately 175 acres in the Town of Ramapo targeted for development. The Matterhorn property was purchased through a foreclosure auction for 5.1 million by deed dated August 22, 2014. The purchaser was Summit Hempstead LLC; or in other words, John Doe one through ten at the time of purchase.

The Minisceongo property was a straight buyer/seller transaction for $32 million consummated in January of 2016. The majority purchaser is Mount Ivy LLC, with a minority purchaser, Lindifrim Pomona. The Minisceongo purchaser’s are floating plans for hundreds of townhomes. [Read more…]

2016 The Year of Indictments–A Calendar of Corruption

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By the end of the year, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Rockland County District Attorney, New York State’s Attorney General and the New York State Department of State all had turned their attention to the widespread corruption in the Town of Ramapo. Investigations, search warrants, arrests and indictments followed and continue as the year came to a close. The half-dozen agencies are filing their intentions in courts, and several serious investigations continue. Finally, It’s on. [Read more…]

Monitors to oversee building departments in Ramapo, Spring Valley

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Seal of the State of New York

“The state is appointing monitors with investigative authority to oversee the building departments in Ramapo and Spring Valley after years of fielding complaints from officials and first responders about the potentially dangerous lack of fire safety and zoning enforcement in those communities.

The state acted after several years of pressure from Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D-New City, Rockland County Executive Ed Day and the Rockland Illegal Housing Task Force leaders. They have called for the state to potentially take over the inspection duties in Ramapo and Spring Valley.

The monitors will be assigned because the communities have not done enough to comply with state regulations, state Department of State spokesman Laz Benitiz said Monday. [Read more…]

Suffern exploring severing ties with Ramapo over finances

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Mayor Ed Markuna Photo:Alex Taylor/ The Journal News

Mayor Ed Markunas Photo:Alex Taylor/ The Journal News

“Suffern Mayor Ed Markunas has said the village is exploring whether to separate from Ramapo over how the town has used millions in village taxpayer money for town-provided services over the years.

Suffern is already a “full-service village,” Markunas said, and decoupling from Ramapo would allow the village to “be in control of 100 percent of our tax base.” [Read more…]

Grassroots groups fighting development in Ramapo

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Screen grab from LoHud video

Image from LoHud video of Local Activitists

“A year ago, a grassroots group called CUPON was formed by a Hillcrest resident who saw an urgent need to keep the area’s development in check.

Since then, that group has helped a handful of similar organizations spring up around Ramapo, a town with a long history of civic activism. They all share concerns similar to CUPON’s, which stands for Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhoods. [Read more…]

Concrete company operating illegally in Ramapo, officials say

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Co-Mix Concrete Photo/Tania Savayan The Journal News

Co-Mix Concrete Photo/Tania Savayan The Journal News

Concrete continues to flow from a mixing plant on the edge of town even after stop-work orders and numerous violations were issued to the business.

The town cited Co-Mix Concrete for maintaining a use not permitted in the town; changing the use and occupancy without an appropriate certificate; operating without an approved site plan; and performing construction without a building permit. [Read more…]

Ramapo Judge Alan Simon bounced from bench

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Former Judge Alan Simon Photo: Journal News file

Former Judge Alan Simon Photo: Journal News file

“A state watchdog panel has removed Alan Simon as a judge in Ramapo, Spring Valley and Hillburn for violations of judicial ethics, officials said Tuesday.

Simon’s conduct as a judge had been under review by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct based on accusations filed against him in 2012, when he was accused of grabbing the arm of an intern for the Spring Valley Justice Court.” [Read more…]