Reserve Ramapo

With Neighborly Support, Ramapo Planning Board Approves Yeshiva

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:45:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Babcock Lane is a dead end street lined with homes separated from one another by vast lawns and backyards. One of the narrowest streets in Ramapo separates the two sides of the road; each dotted with single-family homes, some with American flags waving lightly in the winter wind. An eerily quiet street, Babcock Lane is made even more so by the fact that it is less than a mile away from the busy Wesley Kosher shopping center on Route 306.

It was the quiet solitude of the neighborhood that first attracted the founders of K’Hal Toras Chaim, a yeshiva that many sought to build on a 13-acre tract of land at the very end of this narrow road off of Route 306 in Monsey. After two years of discussions and negotiations, on Tuesday night, the Ramapo Planning Board voted to approve the yeshiva by an overwhelming majority.

Tuesday night’s ...

Ramapo Wins Tax Case In A Victory For Taxpayers

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:18:54 GMT

By: Daniel FriedmanThe only municipality in Rockland County to help taxpayers by not raising property taxes has given yet another victory to town homeowners. The Town of Ramapo has won a lawsuit they filed against Millennium Pipeline, which will more than quadruple the amount of money they pay in property taxes.Millennium Pipeline runs numerous underground high-pressure natural gas pipelines throughout Ramapo, delivering natural gas to those who use it. Though they own no major property, their use of town space is taxable. Millennium Pipeline operates similar underground operations throughout New York State, and has consistently fought to lower the valuation of their systems to pay less property tax to the municipalities they have a presence in.In other places in the state, such as Buffalo, where property values have crashed, the company gets away with paying very little in taxes. However, in Ramapo, Supervisor St. Lawrence demanded that this company pay their fair share in property taxes. St. Lawrence argued that with the rise in living and building costs, pipelines in Ramapo should be taxed in line with homeowners in Ramapo, ...

Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Depends Who!

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:20:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

It seems that the old adage underlying the American Justice System, "Innocent Until Proven Guilty," has been thrown aside by some in Ramapo. Preserve Ramapo, known for the sometimes quirky behavior of its leadership, has done it once again. The organization, which was ostensibly founded to oppose increased development in our town, has reached its tentacles into other areas bearing no relation to their cause, including education, and this week, the case against a county legislator who doesn't live in his district.

After an investigation which resulted in Legislator Jacques Michel being thrown off the voter rolls after it was discovered he did not live in the legislative district he was elected to represent, Preserve Ramapo has quickly -for some reason- come to his defense. Not only that, they do so in a big way - by establishing a "legal defense fund" to help him raise money for a lawyer to defend him against his apparent violation ...

Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence Wins Big

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:01:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

The crowd that had gathered at the victory celebration party of Supervisor St. Lawrence on Tuesday night seemed to mirror all the voters in the town of Ramapo. When Supervisor St. Lawrence entered
the room with his running mates after being declared the clear winner in the election, the people in the room were a clear representation of the over 13,500 Ramapo voters who went out to vote for
Supervisor St. Lawrence over the course of the day.

Winning by a margin of nearly two to one, St. Lawrence carried areas all over Ramapo in an election that featured lower voter turnout than there was two years ago. In 2007, over 26,000 residents
voted in the Ramapo Supervisor race, while this year about 21,000 people voted.

Despite the lower turnout, St. Lawrence won by a grater margin of victory than ever since his first election. Unofficial results have him receiving 13,505 votes, and Bruce Levine, his Preserve Ramapo ...

And The Winners Are…

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:50:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Tuesday’s elections featured important races on several levels of government. On Page 4, The Advocate has broken down the vote tallies in the Monsey community by Election District, to demonstrate
which candidates had the support of the community at large.

The following is a summary of all the election results in the area:

One of the most watched races this year has been the election for Rockland’s top office: County Executive. Republican incumbent C. Scott Vanderhoef defeated Democratic challenger and Orangetown
supervisor Thom Kleiner by a vote of 32,361 to 27,753. County Clerk Paul Piperato faced no opposition, and was the top vote-getter in

Rockland, receiving 49,757 votes.

In Ramapo, Supervisor St. Lawrence handily defeated Preserve Ramapo candidate Bruce Levine by a margin of 13,505 to 7,672. In the race for the town board, David J. Stein and Yitzy Ullman received
11,787 and 11,391 votes ...

St. Lawrence Crushes Levine - Again

reserveramapo@gmail.com (Reserve Ramapo) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:37:00 GMT

In an election that featured very high turnout in the Preserve Ramapo strongholds, Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence dealt a final blow to Bruce Levine, Preserve Ramapo's candidate for Town Supervisor. After defeating Levine in September's Primary by about 20 points- a political landslide - St. Lawrence received a mandate from the voters of Ramapo as he defeated Bruce Levine 13,347 to 7,493, with 98% machines counted.

In the days leading up to the election, the Levine campaign had resorted to underhanded attacks In a last-minute effort to scrap a few more votes. however, even with the high Preserve Ramapo turnout, voters across the town- in every village of Ramapo - cast a heavy number of votes for Supervisor St. Lawrence.

The Levine campaign, which began in the parking lot of Ramapo Town Hall several months ago ended on Tuesday with a resounding defeat that left no room for error. Levine immediately began a negative campaign months ago targeting certain groups of people, a tactic which was highlighted by a campaign mailing ...

County Executive Scott Vanderhoef Seeks Fifth Term

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:39:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

C. Scott Vanderhoef has been Rockland’s County Executive for more than 15 years, and he’s looking to add four more to that number. Throughout his tenure as the county’s top official, Vanderhoef, a Republican, has continued to stay in office despite Democratic voters outnumbering Republicans in Rockland by a margin of more than 2 to 1. In an interview with The Advocate, Vanderhoef explained the challenges facing the county, and how he plans to tackle them.

Vanderhoef was born and raised in Rockland, and began his political career as a member of the Ramapo Central School Board, where he served for six years. In 1993, he was elected County Executive, Rockland’s second in history.

Scott Vanderhoef is running on his experiences as County Executive and seeks to expand on them. He is touting a record of increasing jobs in Rockland, as well as the number of affordable housing units, as he travels the county meeting with voters.

Vanderhoef has ...

Joe Meyers Refuses To Answer Up To His Statements To His Own Supporter

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:13:00 GMT

...

Preserve Ramapo Skirts The Law Once Again

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:22:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Preserve Ramapo, an organization founded by Bob Frankl, who illegally voted in the September 15th primary, has come into trouble with the law once again. As a political organization that raises money, Preserve Ramapo is required to file regular reports with the Board of Elections disclosing their finances. The deadline to do sp has come and gone, and no such report was filed. The organization that supposedly pushes for more accountability among those in politics and government apparently has failed to practice what they preach.

Some questions relating to the finances of this organization and the Levine campaign remain. Firstly, where is Robert Rhodes? This entire campaign, beginning with the announcement by Bruce Levine of his candidacy for Supervisor as the Preserve Ramapo candidate, Rhodes has not been seen or heard from in months, and has missed every major public event and meeting which his most ardent supporters attended. Rhodes, who is the chairman of the group, has left his ship without its captain, which explains why Preserve Ramapo and the Levine campaign ...

Update: Preserve Ramapo Leader Reacts To Reserve Ramapo Article

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:24:00 GMT

Hours after an article first appeared on Reserve Ramapo about the apparent voter fraud committed by Preserve Ramapo Founder and former Wesley Hills Mayor Robert Frankl, Frankl appeared at the Rockland County Board of Elections to file an affidavit related to his voter registration and change of address. Frankl did not change his address at the Board of Elections before the primary as he was required to do by law in order to vote. Nevertheless, he voted in the Democratic Primary in the town of Ramapo, even though he had moved out of the town more than a month earlier.

This revelation has led many to call for an investigation into the matter, but Frankl’s immediate visit to the board of Elections is proof enough that the allegations first reported on Reserve Ramapo’s website were in fact true.

On Wednesday, a formal complaint was filed with the Rockland County Board of Elections alleging voter fraud in the case of Frankl’s illegal vote cast in the September 15th Democratic Primary. It will now be in the hands of the board ...

Reserve Ramapo Exclusive: Former Mayor and Preserve Ramapo Founder Voted Illegally

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:04:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Bob Frankl, the former longtime mayor of Wesley Hills, and one of the founders of the Preserve Ramapo organization, apparently voted illegally in the September 15th primary election. Frankl, who retired from his position, moved out of Wesley Hills in August and settled in Garnerville, outside of the town of Ramapo. About a month later, however, Frankl apparently returned to Ramapo to cast his vote in the September 15th Democratic Primary.

The Democratic primary, which featured incumbent Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence, and his Preserve Ramapo opponent, Bruce Levine, was a landslide victory for Supervisor St. Lawrence. Frankl’s position in Preserve Ramapo can lead everyone to speculate with a fair degree of certainty that Frankl came to Ramapo and cast his vote illegally for Bruce Levine.

An independent review by Reserve Ramapo uncovered a confirmation from the Rockland County Board of Elections that Frankl voted in the primary, even though he was not eligible to. Once a voter surrenders their residency in one locale and moves to another, they surrender their right to ...

A Call For Unity… Ignored Once Again

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:19:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

On September 15th, voters in the two major parties voted overwhelmingly for Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence as he sought and continues to seek his re-election. St. Lawrence faced fellow Democrat Bruce Levine, the Preserve Ramapo candidate for supervisor, in the Democratic Primary, and received about 60% of the vote. This was an overwhelming victory for St. Lawrence, especially given the fact that all of Levine’s strongest areas in Ramapo voted in high turnout figures, while the rest of Ramapo did not (see previous article for an analysis). Despite the high turnout in all of Levine’s strong areas, he still lost the primary by an overwhelming 20% margin.

After Democrats wage a primary against each other, it is customary for all those who participated in the process to come together and support the winner of the primary. Supervisor St. Lawrence’s victories on Primary Day virtually guarantee him his re-election- a fact recognized by even his fiercest opponents. It would be a no-brainer for any candidate who faced such a loss to do ...

Supervisior Christopher P. St. Lawrence Gives His Primary Victory Speech on 9/15/09

reserveramapo@gmail.com (Reserve Ramapo) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:23:00 GMT

Supervisior Christopher P. St. Lawrence Gives His Primary Victory Speech on 9/15/09 at The Holiday Inn in Ramapo
Part - 1

Part - 2

...

2009 Primary Analysis

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:27:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

With the results of the 2009 primary elections in, and Supervisor St. Lawrence winning by large margins in both the Democratic and Republican primaries, it is time to analyze where the votes for both candidates came from, and what the turnout figures suggest about the election. An analysis of the election districts that Supervisor St. Lawrence won shows that turnout in those districts was between 50% - 75%. Districts that Bruce Levine won had a higher percentage of turnout, suggesting that in areas St. Lawrence won in, he could have won in much larger numbers had the turnout been as high in those districts as it was in others. As a result, if turnout had been 100% in all areas, Supervisor St. Lawrence would have won the primaries by several times the 2,000-vote margin of victory he had with the low turnout.

Preserve Ramapo has long made the argument that turnout in bloc vote districts is immensely high, contributing to the success of the officials they elect. They have always urged ...

St. Lawrence Crushes In Historic Primary Day

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:31:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence cruised to a resounding victory on Tuesday, a Primary Day which had the supervisor on both Republican and Democratic lines for re-election. In the Democratic Primary, St. Lawrence received 5,833 votes to Bruce Levine’s 3,963. The landslide election victory gave St. Lawrence a clear mandate over Democrats in Ramapo, but he also received heavy support in the Republican Primary. Republican voters across the town spurned their own fellow Republican Robert Romanowski, a longtime Preserve Ramapo leader. Christopher St. Lawrence won 58% of the vote, receiving 1,585 votes, and Romanowski lost by 16%, receiving only 1,168 votes.

In his victory speech, St. Lawrence was magnanimous in his victory, and urged Romanowski and Levine to come together and support the choices the voters made in the primary elections. He promised to reach out to them to bring them on board. It is unknown whether Levine or Romanowski will now support the winners of the primary, even though that is something that has traditionally been done in elections past. Having lost the ...

Game Over!!!

reserveramapo@gmail.com (Reserve Ramapo) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:56:00 GMT

We are happy to announce that our esteemed supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence won the Democratic and Republican Primaries with a landslide!!
More info to follow.
...

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence Seeks`7th Straight Victory

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:13:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Christopher P. St. Lawrence is a man who carries himself with the confidence of a man of experience; a leader tested by inheriting the fallout of the poor decisions made by those who came before him, attacked by those who can’t explain the workings of town government, and through it all, persevered and made Ramapo a nationally recognized town and a model for local governments across the nation.

St. Lawrence starts his days off early in the morning, when most Ramapo residents have just begun to prepare for the day ahead. Most days, he pulls into the parking lot outside Town Hall before 8 in the morning, which is completely empty when he shows up for work. Throughout the day, he holds meetings inside and outside his office, and is often seen around town making sure important projects are worked on. At night, he’s still at work, rarely coming home before 9 or 10 PM, and works past midnight sometimes on the nights the town board meets.

Town Councilman Yitzy Ullman Running For A New Full Term

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:43:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Yitzy Ullman has something that nobody running for a town wide office has, and that is his youth. His running mates, Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence and fellow Councilman David J. Stein, may have energy and experience as well, but Ullman has captured the title of being the youngest elected official in any office within the town of Ramapo or any of its villages.

Youth is the trademark of Ullman’s campaign and a symbol of a slate of candidates with diverse life experiences and assets that each brings to the election. While it may seem that Ullman mostly brings youthful vigor to the ticket, he brings far more than that.

For almost 10 years, Ullman, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in public administration, worked as an administrator of assisted living facilities in Ramapo serving the elderly and disabled. That work, he said, “kept me connected to the community and families in this town.”

Ullman is no stranger ...

13-Year Town Justice Rhoda Schoenberger Seeks Re-Election

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:34:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

Ramapo Town Judge Rhoda Schoenberger learned the values of hard work and family early on in life; values which have been a staple of her legal and judicial career for nearly four decades. Growing up in a four-family house with her grandparents and other extended family members, who also spoke Yiddish, her upbringing left a lasting impression on her about the importance of family and community.

Rhoda received a degree in math and psychology, and went on to Columbia University and graduated with a Master’s degree in psychology. However, her earnest desire to become a lawyer since her younger days nagged at her, and when she met a young student of Columbia Law School, she decided to enroll and follow her dream. She would later marry that student, Ilan Schoenberger, who is currently a Rockland County legislator.

The Schoenbergers opened up a practice which is still located on Route 59 in Spring Valley, becoming partners and representing clients who lived in the community.

Rep. Eliot Engel Endorses Town Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence For Re Election In Ramapo

reserveramapo@gmail.com (Reserve Ramapo) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:56:00 GMT

Eliot Engel Endorses Town Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence For Re Election In Ramapo New York on 8/20/09.

...

The Town of Ramapo's Construction On Maple Ave.

reserveramapo@gmail.com (Reserve Ramapo) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:48:00 GMT

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence Takes Us Onto The Construction Site On Maple Ave In Monsey to Show us The Progress to The Road, The Sidewalks, The Drainage, And The Lighting.

...

Mysterious $12,000 Contributors To Bruce Levine’s Campaign Identified

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:22:00 GMT

Jennifer and Matthew Kropf, who each contributed $6,000 to the campaign of Preserve Ramapo’s candidate for town supervisor, Bruce Levine, have been identified. They are the daughter and son-in-law of Bob Rhodes, the Chairman of the Preserve Ramapo organization.

The contributions raise questions about powerful interests who funnel money through individuals they know or are related to in order to illegally boost campaign war chests by skirting around campaign finance laws. The law sets limits on individual contributions, but if someone were interested enough to contribute more money than those limits, they often give that money to a relative or close friend, who then contribute the money to the candidate. This makes the candidate look good, but also provides a buffer for the candidate and their contributor by not openly breaking the law. However, it is important to note that reimbursing individuals for campaign contributions is clearly ...

All Candidates Converge For One And Only Debate

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:03:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

On Tuesday night, about 25 candidates for offices in Spring Valley and Ramapo came together at the Kurtz Civic Center for the first and only debate of the primary season. It was a much-anticipated event as there had not been a single debate between any candidates seeking any office, and soon after it began, there was standing room only as residents of Spring Valley and Ramapo came to hear their candidates speak and debate on the issues affecting the future of the village and the town.

The debate began with short statements by the candidates for Town Council. David J. Stein, an incumbent councilman, spoke about his experience and record as a councilman, and as someone who has lived in the town for over 50 years. Yitzy Ullman, another incumbent councilman, said that during campaigns, many candidates like to talk ...

Longest-Serving Councilman David J. Stein Seeks Re-Election

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:15:00 GMT

By: Daniel Friedman

At a time when everyone seems to be talking about the “change” that Ramapo has experienced in recent years, one thing that hasn’t changed is a stalwart of Ramapo that has served on the Town Council for almost a quarter of a century: David J. Stein.

Stein has seen all the changes that have taken place in Ramapo over the last number of decades, and that didn’t just start when he began serving on the Town Council in 1986. He had been involved in town politics for many years before then, and has lived in Ramapo more than twice as long as he served on its Town Council: a whopping 53 years and counting.

David Stein grew up in Ramapo, and attended schools in what is known today as the East Ramapo Central School District. In 1970, he ...

Preserving Ramapo’s Future

yschriber@gmail.com (Yitzchok Schreiber) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:48:00 GMT

In less than two weeks, the voters in the Town of Ramapo will have a chance to once again go out to vote for a few seats that are being contested in local elections. Between all of them, the most important one is the office of Ramapo Town Supervisor, which has been held for more than eight years by the Honorable Chris St. Lawrence.

Supervisor St. Lawrence is running on his record of accomplishments. The Supervisor took over a town almost a decade ago which was run down: its sewer system was overflowing, yet the town didn’t do much about it; most main roads had cracks and holes in it which made it difficult for cars to drive by without getting damaged; adults who walked to and from shopping centers and didn’t have sidewalks to walk on, or street lights at night to ...

You are Attacking Your Own People, Dummy

yschriber@gmail.com (Yitzchok Schreiber) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:37:00 GMT

The work of Town Supervisor St. Lawrence is well appreciated by most of the Town’s residence. The Supervisor’s work is SO indisputably great, that Preserve Ramapo resorted recently to attacking the acts of a body that they supported strongly until recently. The story is this:

A few months ago, elections were held for a few seats on the East Ramapo School District Board. Among the candidates were a few people of the Chasidic community who pay property taxes to support the Public School system despite the fact that they send their kids to private schools, and on the other hand were running a few people who were incumbents on the board, supported by some in Preserve Ramapo.

The Chasidic candidates ran on a platform to enhance the quality of the Public School system by employing policies that lead to the beautiful upbringing that kids from the Jewish private schools ...

A Wrong Battle

yschriber@gmail.com (Yitzchok Schreiber) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:47:00 GMT

Recently, the Village of Spring Valley has brought a lawsuit against the Town of Ramapo for the “sin” of building dozens of affordable housing units near Twin Lane in Spring Valley. The lawsuit was brought by the Mayor and the Village Attorney, Bruce Levine, the person who is running against Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence in the upcoming primaries.

A few thoughts came to mind following the lawsuit:

· As reported in a local newspaper, the lawsuit was brought to court without the Village Board considering it and/or without the board voting on it, ...

Maple Avenue Project Nears Completion Ahead Of Schedule

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:32:00 GMT

Originally Published in The Monsey Advocate by Daniel Friedman
The reconstruction project that is redefining the downtown area of Monsey on Maple Avenue and Monsey Boulevard, will be finishing shortly, according to Town Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence.
The project, which began last August, was slated to take between a year-and-a-half and two years, but it is anticipated that the entire project will be completed by September, several months ahead of schedule. In fact, work has progressed so quickly that it would have been completed earlier, if not for the rainy summer.
The project includes a complete repaving of a large portion of Maple Avenue, the installation of about 40 antique street lights, new curbs, and new turning lanes on Maple Avenue and a bus lane on Monsey Boulevard. The ambitious project, which costs about $5 million, is intended to improve safety for residents and pedestrians, ...

Bruce Levine's Late Financial Filing Shows Little Support For His Campaign

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:38:00 GMT

Bruce Levine, the Preserve Ramapo candidate for Ramapo Supervisor, submitted his campaign finance reports past the legal deadline. The report, which appeared online five days after it was due, shows little in the way of support for Levine's faltering campaign. In total, only four individuals are listed as contributors to his campaign, which stands in stark contrast to the several hundred individuals who contributed to his opponent, the incumbent Supervisor, Christopher P. St. Lawrence. One of the individuals who contributed is Marc Citrin, Levine's running mate seeking the position of Town Justice.

During the last filing period, Levine spent over $2,700 and raised slightly more than half of that. To keep his campaign above water, Levine took the unusual step of loaning his campaign $5,000 from his personal funds- something his opponent has never done. Most candidates may loan their campaign money, but almost always do so closer to ...

Bruce Levine Late In Filing Financial Disclosure Reports

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:34:00 GMT

Bruce Levine, the Preserve Ramapo candidate for Town Supervisor in Ramapo, is still late in filing his legally required financial disclosure reports. The 32-Day Pre-Primary Report was required to be submitted by August 14th, but Levine is 4 days late- and counting. In his previous filing, Levine showed a balance of about $11,000. His opponent, incumbent Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence, filed his financial disclosure report before the due date, and has a balance of over $170,000.00 in his campaign account. Campaign account balances demonstrate the level of support a candidate has, and St. Lawrence has over 15 times as much money as Levine does.

In the last filing, Levine recorded a $6,000 check, the largest contribution given to any candidate by far. The check, which accounts for over half his last known balance, came from Robert Rhodes, the Chairman of the Preserve Ramapo organization. It is still unknown ...

Ramapo Safest City in USA in 2008

reserveramapo@gmail.com (Reserve Ramapo) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:08:00 GMT

...

Spring Valley Sues Ramapo Over Affordable Housing Legality And Origin Of Lawsuit Questioned

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:35:00 GMT

The fate of an 8.2 acre area of land near Twin Avenue in Spring Valley has been thrown into question once again, after village officials in Spring Valley filed a lawsuit that would stop the development of affordable housing on that land. After months of public hearings on the matter, the town of Ramapo purchased the land for about $7 million, and then approved the development of 132 units of condominiums for affordable housing.
This project is the creation of Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, and the fulfillment of his promise to construct affordable housing units in Ramapo. Despite the likelihood of real affordable housing in Ramapo on the horizon, many registered concerns about the project at a Town Hall meeting in March.
Neighbors, proponents, and opponents of the project gathered in the Council Chambers of Ramapo Town Hall to talk about the benefits and possible downsides of the ...

Eating the Cake While Having it Too

yschriber@gmail.com (Yitzchok Schreiber) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:15:00 GMT

When your opponent resorts to personal petty attacks, and spins facts to put you in a dark light, you know that you are wining in the arena of ideas.

I am referring to two reports posted recently on the preserveramapo.org website. One was headlined that “A town supervisor is not needed at a crime scene.” The writer, a former homicide investigator from Buffalo, says that Supervisor St. Lawrence’s presence at a recent homicide investigation was not at all needed. For the record: The Town Supervisor is a Police Commissioner in the Town of Ramapo and he can show up at any crime scene he desires to. His presence can never “impede” an investigation.

Another report, “Open space generates overwhelming debt for taxpayers,” is also quite interesting. In the report, the writer, the chairman of Preserve Ramapo, makes odd claims regarding the town’s purchase of open space and the hole it ...

Campaign 2009 Begins: Petitions, Objections, And Financial Disclosure Reports Filed

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:24:00 GMT

This week marked the formal beginning of the 2009 campaign season, as designating petitions, objections to those petitions, and reports on campaign fundraising activities were all filed with the Rockland County Board of Elections.
All three types of filings began and ended this week, with the exception of objections to some candidate’s petitions, which will end early next week.
Monday morning marked the first moment that candidates running for offices across Rockland County were able to submit their designating petitions to the Board of Elections. Designating petitions are petitions that state the name of the political candidate or candidates, and the political party whose support they would like for the September and/or November elections. Each petition carries a certain number of signatures, usually 20, from residents who are registered voters of the same party the candidate wants a line on the ballot from.
Campaign laws are complicated, but an example would ...

Preserve Ramapo’s Republican and Independence Party Petitions Thrown Out For Fraudulent Signatures

dfriedman@cmadc.com (Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:33:00 GMT

Originally Published in The Monsey Advocate by Daniel FriedmanTwo weeks may not sound like a long time, but in the world of politics, it can be all the difference in the world. That was the lesson learned this week by Preserve Ramapo leaders, who only two weeks ago, wrote a political diatribe signed by Robert Rhodes, the Chairman of Preserve Ramapo, pledging to bring three primary challenges to Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence.Supervisor St. Lawrence received the endorsements of the Republican and Independence Parties, among others. In response, Preserve Ramapo drafted petitions to challenge St. Lawrence on those lines by collecting signatures from Republicans and Independents to support separate primaries against him on those lines. In a memo to supporters, Rhodes wrote that Robert Romanowski would be challenging Supervisor St. Lawrence in the Republican primary, along with Mark Lerer, who was running for Town Justice, and was described in the memo as “a young man who is also a very religious Jew.”After the announcement, Lerer said that he had no knowledge of the Preserve Ramapo endorsement before the message ...

A Little Introduction

yschriber@gmail.com (Yitzchok Schreiber) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:51:00 GMT

You certainly might ask why we have a website, and what it may gain us.The answer is simple:In recent years, a group of grumpy, bored, cry babies residing in the Town of Ramapo, created an organization with the goal to demean the peaceful Orthodox Jewish community in this area, and to spread hate between neighbors that have lived in harmony for many years. Why would the bored, hateful people want to do this? For one, they are bored, but beyond that, they wish to undercut the ever-growing, productive Jewish community. Instead of appreciating the fact that many businesses pop up every year in Ramapo, these hateful people complain about “the poor orthodox Jews” being a strain on government.Instead of appreciating the beautiful landscaping and parks that are all over Ramapo, these hateful people complain about the environment. Instead of appreciating the nation’s lowest crime rate that Ramapo has achieved in recent years, these hateful people and their candidates portray Jews as wild, third-world country creatures.Whenever these hateful people get a chance to cry and complain, this is exactly what ...

Reserve Ramapo

With Neighborly Support, Ramapo Planning Board Approves Yeshiva

Ramapo Wins Tax Case In A Victory For Taxpayers

Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Depends Who!

Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence Wins Big

And The Winners Are…

St. Lawrence Crushes Levine - Again

County Executive Scott Vanderhoef Seeks Fifth Term

Joe Meyers Refuses To Answer Up To His Statements To His Own Supporter

Preserve Ramapo Skirts The Law Once Again

Update: Preserve Ramapo Leader Reacts To Reserve Ramapo Article

Reserve Ramapo Exclusive: Former Mayor and Preserve Ramapo Founder Voted Illegally

A Call For Unity… Ignored Once Again

Supervisior Christopher P. St. Lawrence Gives His Primary Victory Speech on 9/15/09

2009 Primary Analysis

St. Lawrence Crushes In Historic Primary Day

Game Over!!!

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence Seeks`7th Straight Victory

Town Councilman Yitzy Ullman Running For A New Full Term

13-Year Town Justice Rhoda Schoenberger Seeks Re-Election

Rep. Eliot Engel Endorses Town Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence For Re Election In Ramapo

The Town of Ramapo's Construction On Maple Ave.

Mysterious $12,000 Contributors To Bruce Levine’s Campaign Identified

All Candidates Converge For One And Only Debate

Longest-Serving Councilman David J. Stein Seeks Re-Election

More Filings Bring More Questions

Preserving Ramapo’s Future

You are Attacking Your Own People, Dummy

A Wrong Battle

Maple Avenue Project Nears Completion Ahead Of Schedule

Bruce Levine's Late Financial Filing Shows Little Support For His Campaign

Bruce Levine Late In Filing Financial Disclosure Reports

Ramapo Safest City in USA in 2008

Spring Valley Sues Ramapo Over Affordable Housing Legality And Origin Of Lawsuit Questioned

Eating the Cake While Having it Too

Campaign 2009 Begins: Petitions, Objections, And Financial Disclosure Reports Filed

Preserve Ramapo’s Republican and Independence Party Petitions Thrown Out For Fraudulent Signatures

A Little Introduction