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Rockland's Award-Winning News
02-08-1
HIKER FOUND IN HARRIMAN STATE PARK DIES
A hiker died Sunday after being found in a wooded area of Harriman State Park in Sloatsburg. Police say the man was discovered by other hikers, lying unconscious on a trail near Seven Lakes Drive. Paramedics reportedly worked to revive the man at the scene, then transported him to Good Samaritan Hospital, where was pronounced dead. Neither the man’s identity nor the cause of his death has been released.
MORE THAN 300 TREATED FOR MUMPS IN RAMAPO OUTBREAK
An outbreak of Mumps considered to be the largest in years continues to plague parts of Ramapo. Health officials say more than 300 people in the orthodox and Hassidic communities of Monsey and New Square have come down with the disease. The outbreak is believed to have started last August in Sullivan County. It’s been centered primarily in Jewish enclaves in Orange, Rockland and Bronx counties.
ORANGETOWN TO GIVE NEW POLICE CHIEF’S EXAM
The town of Orangetown is taking steps to hire a new police chief, if necessary. A former member of the force is suing the town on grounds that the current chief, Kevin Nulty, passed the wrong exam to become chief 14 years ago. Town officials now say they’ll hold a new chief’s exam next month to fill the vacancy, should the town lose that lawsuit. It’s not clear whether Nulty would be eligible to take the test.
SUFFERN POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH FORGING PAIN-KILLER PERSCRIPTIONS
A Suffern police officer has been charged with forging pain-killer prescriptions. Thirty-five year-old Michael Laurenso – who’s been out on disability since December with an injured leg -- was arrested Friday at his home in Monroe. He’s accused of using a prescription pad taken from a Haverstraw doctor to write his own prescriptions for the drugs. Laurenso was to meet with Rockland prosecutors today. He faces a possible suspension without pay as he awaits action on the criminal charges.
STONY POINT MAN REPORTED BEATEN AND ROBBED AT GUNPOINT
Stony Point police are on the lookout for three men who allegedly beat and robbed a local man in his home over the weekend. Thirty-year-old Parminder Sindx says the three – wearing ski masks and carrying guns – broke into his home on South Liberty Drive Friday night and demanded money. When he told them there WAS no money, Sindx says, they pistol-whipped him. The trio reportedly made off with about a thousand dollars worth of loot – in a car driven by a fourth man. Sindx was treated at Nyack Hospital for a head wound sustained in the attack.
BRONZE EAGLE MISSING FROM HAVERSTRAW MEMORIAL
Haverstraw police are investigating the case of the vanishing eagle. It’s not an endangered species case, but one involving a ceremonial eagle – the one that’s been perched atop a monument at the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge in Thiells for more than a year. Police say the bronze statue went missing over the weekend. It’s not clear whether it was stolen by a thief or borrowed by a prankster. In either case, town officials say it’ll cost about $100 to replace the eagle.
02-05-10
INDICTMENTS HANDED UP IN TWO SEX-ABUSE CASES
Indictments in two Rockland County sex-abuse cases headline the day’s news – both involving New Jersey men.
A grand jury in New City indicted 36-year-old Elio Pintado of Summit in the alleged New Year’s Day molestation of a seven-year-old girl at the Palisades Mall. Prosecutors say Pintado followed the girl into a stall at a theater-complex bathroom and fondled her. Security video shows a man who appears to be Pintado slipping into the ladies room moments before the girl entered – and exiting minutes later, again just ahead of her. Pintado faces extradition to Rockland from the Union County jail, where he’s being held on unrelated charges. He’ll be tried in the Mall case for felony sex abuse and unlawful imprisonment – charges that could put him away for up to seven years.
In yesterday’s other indictment, 36-year-old Alex Avila of Dumont is accused of fondling an eleven-year-old Central Nyack girl as she slept alongside his own daughter at a December slumber party. Clarkstown police say Avila videotaped the incident -- then, weeks later, loaned the camera to an acquaintance, who saw the incriminating scene and went to the police. Yesterday’s indictment accuses Avila of sex abuse and other felonies involving the video-taping – and with molesting the girl on a previous occasion.
ST. LAWRENCE: NYS TAXES, UTILITY RATES TOO HIGH FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence says New York State has become a hostile business environment. St. Lawrence told WRCR this morning that’s become clear to him as he travels the state in his campaign for Lieutenant Governor. The problem – high taxes and utility rates that St. Lawrence says are putting local firms out of business in record numbers.
ENGEL: ROCKLAND SCHOOLS NEED MORE FEDERAL AID TO WELCOME HAITIAN REFUGEES
Congressman Elliot Engel wants more federal funds for Rockland school districts facing an influx of Haitian refugees from last month’s earthquake. Engel and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand made the plea in a letter this week to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Rockland is home to a large Haitian community, much of it based in Spring Valley and Nyack. Schools in those districts have opened their doors to what’s expected to be scores of Haitians left homeless by the January 12th quake. In the meantime, hospitals in Rockland and the rest of the Hudson Valley are reported gearing up for an influx of Haitians injured in the quake, which left as many as 200,000 dead.
SCHUMER: HUDSON VALLEY TOO POPULOUS TO RISK TERROR-TRIAL DANGER
Senator Charles Schumer has joined a growing list of elected officials who oppose holding the nine-eleven terror trials in the Hudson Valley. Schumer says the region is too densely populated for the security risk the trials would bring. Critics are voicing their opposition in the face of a request by Newburgh mayor Nicholas Valentine to hold the trials there as a way to bring needed revenue to that city.
02-04-10
A spokesman for State Senator Thomas Morahan says doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital are hopeful about Morahan’s recovery from Leukemia. Morahan revealed he’s being treated for the blood disorder in a call to WRCR yesterday. The 78-year-old legislator reportedly entered the hospital Monday and is likely to remain in treatment there for much of this month. His spokesman, Ron Levine, says Morahan is still on the job even in the hospital, staying in constant touch with his legislative aides in Rockland and Albany. Levine told the Journal News Morahan’s doctors are “very, very optimistic” about his chances of recovery.
E. RAMAPO BOARD HIRES NEW ATTORNEY DESPITE PROTESTS
The East Ramapo school board apparently will go ahead with its controversial plan to hire Long Island attorney Albert D’Agostino. The board voted 5-4 last night to give D’Agostino the board-attorney’s post held for more than 30 years by Rockland lawyer Stephen Fromson. Public protest arose last November when it was disclosed that D’Agostino fees would be at least twice as high as Fromson’s. And there’s continuing concern over D’Agostino’s reputation. He’s reported to be under scrutiny by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as part of a pension probe.
ROCKLAND BUSINESMAN PLEADS GUILTY IN $286,000 TAX FRAUD CASE
A Valley Cottage man faces up to seven years in prison on larceny charges in a tax-fraud case involving his West Haverstraw business. State officials say 53-year-old Charles Wurf pleaded guilty to stealing more than $286,000 in sales tax by falsifying returns over a five-year period ending in 2008. In addition to Wurf’s jail time, his business – D.E.C. Copiers – faces an undisclosed amount of fines. Wurf is due in court March 23rd for sentencing.
CHARGES FILED AGAINST NEW SQUARE DRIVER WHO INJURED YOUNG BOY
The New Square man whose minivan struck and critically injured a young boy one week ago at a local intersection has been charged with assault and reckless endangerment. Ramapo police say 35-year-old Reuven Bayer crossed a center line, passed two cars stopped at the intersection, and ran the stop sign before hitting the four-year-old boy. Bayer reportedly told police he had just learned that his mother was seriously ill and was rushing to her side at a Manhattan hospital. The boy, who has not been identified publicly, remains in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center with head and body injuries.
THRUWAY ICE CHUNK SENDS BROOKLYN MAN TO GOOD SAMARITAN
A Brooklyn man spent last night at Good Samaritan Hospital – the victim of flying ice. Forty-nine year-old Jose Catala reportedly was headed north on the Thruway just before noon yesterday when a chunk of ice fell from a tractor-trailer ahead of him and crashed through his windshield, hitting him in the chest. Catala was taken to Good Sam complaining of chest pains. Police say the tractor-trailer continued on, the driver apparently unaware of what had happened.
02-03-10
MORAHAN BEING TREATED FOR LEUKEMIA
State Senator Thomas Morahan revealed today that he’s being treated for Leukemia. Morahan told WRCR listeners this morning the blood disorder was discovered in recent tests, and that he’ll undergo treatment throughout this month in New York City. A spokesman told us later that Morahan’s doctors are confident of his recovery.
STATE FINDS STRONTIUM-90 LEVELS NEAR INDIAN POINT NO HIGHER THAN ELSEWHERE IN HUDSON
New York State says Strontium-90 levels in the Hudson near Indian Point are no higher than elsewhere in the river. A report by the Department of Environmental Conservation says bone samples from fish caught near the Buchanan nuclear plant show “no measurable difference” in Strontium-90 from fish caught upstream. State health officials have suggested as much in the past, finding that eating fish caught near Indian Point poses no health concern from that radioactive material. Environmentalists in the region are greeting the new report cautiously. A spokesman for Riverkeeper says the group will withhold comment until reviewing the findings, and, in any case, will continue to press for stricter controls at Indian Point on radioactive contaminants.
HAITI RELIEF MISSION BACK IN RAMAPO
The Earthquake Relief Mission from Ramapo has returned from Haiti after a ten-day tour of duty. Echoing the words of others who worked to save lives in Haiti following the January 12th quake, one emergency worker from Haverstraw said the scene “was like a war zone.” Members of the group spoke at a news conference yesterday in Spring Valley, which is home to a large part of Rockland’s Haitian community. Officials say they’re planning a second mission to the Caribbean nation, where as many as 200,000 people died in the devastating quake.
ENGEL SEEKS DEBT-RELEIF FOR HAITI
In a related development, Congressman Elliot Engel says Haiti deserves the biggest of financial breaks as it struggles to survive post-earthquake. Engel is calling on the Obama administration to press the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Inter-American Development Bank to cancel all of Haiti’s debts. Engel heads the House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. He made the plea in a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
CLARKSTOWN POLICE: DRUG CACHE FOUND IN CAR STOPPED ON THRUWAY
Clarkstown police reportedly found a cache of drugs in a Brooklyn man’s car they pulled over on the Thruway. Police say 27-year-old Paul Greaves was stopped early yesterday morning for possible traffic violations – and that a search of his car turned up some $12,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana. Greaves is being held without bail on a variety of charges, including first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
02-02-10
ORGANS FROM STONY POINT CAR VICTIM SAVING LIVES
The death of a Stony Point man allegedly run over by his wife is giving new life to others. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says the family of 27-year-old Glenn McElroy donated his organs for transplant following his death last Friday. McElroy’s 31-year-old wife, Kelly, was charged initially with vehicular assault. But now, with McElroy’s death, Zugibe says the charge will be upgraded to vehicular manslaughter. Kelly McElroy is also charged with drunk driving in the incident, which took place in the early-morning hours of January 24th, after the McElroys spent time at a Stony Point bar. Because of the charges, doctors got permission for the organ removals from McElroy’s parents. Zugibe says those organs saved five lives.
NYACK BRAWL-BAR FACES LOSS OF LIQUOR LICENSE
The Nyack restaurant that was the scene of a huge bar fight early Saturday morning faces the loss of its liquor license. Orangetown police say the Riviera Steakhouse was slapped with a violation for over-crowding following the brawl, which involved what a surveillance video shows to be at least 75 people. Police say they’ve sent notice of the case to the State Liquor Authority for action, which could included pulling the restaurant’s license. One Orangetown police officer was injured by shattered glass as he tried to break up the brawl.
EX-COP SAYS ORANGETOWN CHIEF NEVER QUALIFIED FOR POST
A retired Orangetown officer is suing the town over the appointment 13 years ago of Police Chief Kevin Nulty. Michael Seidel filed the suit in State Supreme Court, claiming the chief’s exam on which Nulty was promoted -- a test for the village of Port Chester – was inappropriate under state and county regulations. Nulty’s attorney says that’s a misinterpretation of the rules. Seidel served 33 years on the Orangetown force, retiring in 2006. Nulty was named chief in 1997.
02-01-10
WEST POINT, NEWBURGH SEEN AS POSSIBLE TERROR-TRIAL SITES
There’s more talk today that the upcoming 9-11 terrorist trial could wind up just a stone’s throw from Rockland. The Obama administration decided over the weekend not to hold the trial of 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants in New York City, as originally planned. Among the alternative sites reportedly being considered are West Point and Stewart Air National Guard base in Newburgh. Area residents are lining up on both sides of the issue, some saying the trial would bring millions of welcome dollars to the region, others saying it wouldn’t be worth the security risk.
STONY POINT WOMAN FACES MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE IN HUSBAND’S DEATH BY CAR
The Stony Point woman accused of running her husband over early last week now faces manslaughter charges. Twenty-seven year-old Glenn McElroy died Friday of head injuries. His 31-year-old wife, Kelly McElroy, had been charged with vehicular assault and drunk driving while her husband remained on life support at Nyack Hospital. Now, says District Attorney Thomas Zugibe, the assault charge will be upgraded. The couple reportedly had been drinking at a Stony Point bar just before the early-Sunday-morning incident. If convicted on the manslaughter count, Kelly McElroy would face up to seven years in jail.
S. ORANGETOWN SCHOOLS TO TIGHTEN SECURITY
South Orangetown schools are getting a security upgrade following a second potentially dangerous situation involving armed intruders in the last seven months. Officials say, from now on, entrances to all schools in the district will be locked when classes are in session, and all visitors will have to show photo-ID’s at the door. A man who walked into South Orangetown Elementary School on January 20th -- possibly just seeking directions -- was found to have been carrying a knife at the time. More serious was the incident last June, in which the father of a student brought a gun into the district Middle School and confronted district superintendent Kenneth Mitchell. Thirty-seven year-old Peter Cocker of Tappan was sentenced last week to five years in jail in that case.
PARENTS OF ALLEGED MOLESTATION VICTIM SAY MALL NEEDS MORE SECURITY
The parents of the young girl allegedly molested in the Palisades Mall one month ago say the MALL needs a security upgrade. The couple – who have not been named publicly – issued the appeal in a statement released Friday. The reported New Year’s Day incident occurred in a bathroom at the mall’s theater complex. A 36-year-old New Jersey man, Elio Pintado, was arrested several days after the alleged attack. He’s in Hudson County jail, awaiting a grand jury indictment.
COP HURT BREAKING UP NYACK BAR BRAWL
An Orangetown police officer was injured early Saturday while trying to stop a Nyack bar fight. Police from more than a half-dozen departments in the county were called to the scene, at the Riviera Steak Pub, to break up the brawl. The un-named officer was treated for cuts from broken glass after one of the combatants shattered the bar’s front window. Two Rockland men arrested at the scene face a variety of charges in the case.
SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON WESLEY HILLS PHONE TOWER SET FOR TONIGHT
Another public hearing is scheduled tonight in Wesley Hills on a proposed cell-phone tower. Village officials say they’re keeping an open mind about Verizon’s application to build the tower off Spook Rock Road near the Antrim Playhouse. Verizon says it needs the tower at that site to bridge a gap in phone coverage. But residents opposed to the plan say the tower would destroy the neighborhood’s historic character. Tonight’s hearing is scheduled for seven o’clock at Ramapo’s Lime Kiln Elementary School.
FLU-SHOT CLINIC SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY AT YEAGER CENTER
The County Health Department is offering a new round of flu shots this week. Officials say both seasonal and swine flu vaccinations will be available Friday, by appointment only, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. To make an appointment, call 845-364-2633.
01-29-10
ST. LAWRENCE DEFENDS PATRICK FARM DEVELOPMENT VOTE
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence says much of the criticism of the Town’s Patrick Farm development plan is unfounded. The plan envisions some 500 housing units on the 200-plus-acre site near Pomona. Critics say the development will cause environmental problems, and they point to a county planning board recommendation against it on environmental grounds St. Lawrence told WRCR listeners this morning, the town approved the plan this week only after addressing those concerns – chief among them, the fear it would rob the county of much needed ground water.
MAN’S OWN CAMERA LED TO HIS ARREST IN CHILD-MOLESTATION CASE
A digital camera reportedly led to the arrest last week of a 35-year-old New Jersey man for molesting an 11-year-old girl at her home in Central Nyack. Clarkstown police say the suspect, Alex Avila of Dumont, videotaped himself touching the girl as she slept alongside his daughter during a December 13th slumber party. Avila reportedly loaned his camera a month later to another man, who reported him to police after seeing the images that had been saved on the camera. Avila is charged with first-degree sexual abuse. He’s in Rockland County jail on $250,000 bail.
ROADS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER THURSDAY’S STORM
Traffic on Rockland’s roadways was back to normal this morning – one day after a surprise snowstorm made them a drivers’ nightmare. Town highway officials say the timing of the storm was the problem. It hit at about 7 a.m. -- earlier than expected, but too late to head off its impact on morning traffic. The snow and below-freezing temperatures made for slick conditions. Police say there were scores of accidents throughout the county – most listed as minor. But they added to the traffic snarl that caused temporary shutdowns of roadways including the Palisades Parkway. Despite it all, no serious injuries were reported. And there were no school closings, due to the fact that school buses were already on their morning runs when the surprise storm hit.
POLICE: NEW SQUARE DRIVER RAN STOP SIGN BEFORE HITTING BOY
A four-year-old boy was seriously injured in New Square yesterday evening when he was struck by a minivan. Ramapo police say the incident happened at about 5 p.m., at a village intersection. The van reportedly crossed double yellow lines to pass three cars stopped at the intersection, then ran the stop sign, and hit the boy as he crossed the street with his mother. The boy, whose name was not given, was taken to Westchester Medical Center with head injuries. The minivan driver, identified only as a 35-year-old New Square man, was not immediately charged.
01-28-10
MORNING SNOWSTORM TIES UP ROCKLAND ROADWAYS
An unexpectedly early start made this morning’s snowfall a real hazard for Rockland drivers. More than an inch of snow hit the roads before 9 a.m. causing scores of cars to spin out of control. Multi-car accidents were reported throughout the county, most of them minor. Traffic, for the most part, was extremely slow, with sections of the Thruway, the Palisades Parkway, Routes 59, 45 and 304 stalled at various times. There were no school closings -- in part, because the storm had been predicted to start later in the day, and school buses were already out on the roads when the first snow hit.
ROCKLAND EMT: HAITI RELIEF EFFORT NEEDS MORE DOCTORS, NURSES
Relief workers in Haiti say there’s a need for medical personnel ready to work in war-zone-like conditions. One medical technician in Haiti from Ramapo says the earthquake-relief effort needs more doctors and nurses, particularly those with disaster-response or military experience. The January 12th quake left much of Haiti in ruins and killed nearly 200,000 people. But, on the positive side, Haitians are still being pulled alive from the rubble.
BIG SHIPMENT OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES HEADED SOON FOR HAITI FROM SPRING VALLEY
Two firms that do business in Spring Valley reportedly are teaming up to deliver more than $100,000 in medical supplies to Haiti. The Journal News says the supplies themselves were donated by one of the firms, Brooklyn-based MedExSupply.com. And Newark-based Aromak Shipping, which donated two containers, will take care of shipping the supplies to Haiti. Spring Valley is home to many of Rockland’s 12,000 Haitians. The county will hold a Solidarity Day observance for the Haitian quake victims tomorrow,
EX-LEGISLATOR WITHERS TAKES VACATED RAMAPO TOWN BOARD SEAT
Ramapo has a new Town Board member. Former County Legislator Pat Withers was named last night to replace David Stein, who resigned to take the judgeship vacated by ex-assemblyman Sam Coleman. Withers is a Suffern restaurant owner and retired New York City police officer. He served on the County Legislature in 2007 and 2008.
PUTNAM LEGISLATOR WANTS TAXPAYER REVOLT OVER MTA PAYROLL TAX
A state legislator from Putnam County is calling for a taxpayer revolt against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s payroll mobility tax. Assemblyman Greg Ball of Patterson wants employers in region to place their mobility-tax payments in an escrow account rather than sending them to the state. Ball was to outline his plan in Mahopac today at a meeting with area business leaders. His envisioned revolt would culminate in a state-wide Tea Party protest on Tax Day, April 15th.
RABBITT CALLS FOR PROBE OF MTA SPENDING
Orange-Rockland assemblywoman Annie Rabbit says the state should investigate the MTA’s management practices. Rabbitt’s call comes in response to a report by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli scoring the MTA for its failure, so far, to implement a security plan created after nine-eleven. DiNapoli says delays have driven the estimated cost of the plan up from the original $591-million to the current $833-million, with Phase One of the plan not expected to be completed until June of 2012, nearly eleven years after the terrorist attacks.
ALL BUT 4 INDIAN POINT SIRENS PASS EMERGENCY ALERT TEST
Indian Point’s new emergency alert system made a strong showing yesterday. Officials at the Buchanan nuclear plant say 168 of the system’s 172 alert sirens sounded in yesterday’s test. That compares with tests last September and December, when first-18 then-37 sirens failed to sound. In a real emergency, the alarms would signal residents of Rockland and other lower-Hudson counties to tune in to their local TV and radio stations, including WRCR, for instructions.
STONY POINT MAN RUN OVER BY WIFE STILL IN CRITICAL CONDITION
A Stony Point man remains in critical condition, four days after being run over by his wife. Twenty-seven year-old Glenn McElroy is reported on life support with head injuries sustained in the early-Sunday morning incident. His 32-year-old wife, Kelly, is charged with vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated. Stony Point police say the couple had been drinking at a local bar before McElroy was run over. The exact circumstances of the incident are still under investigation.
01-27-10
LOCAL LEGISLATORS SKEPTICAL OF PATERSON’S PROPOSED TAX HIKES
Rockland’s state legislators are poring over Governor David Paterson’s proposed budget with an eye toward softening its impact on New York taxpayers. Paterson’s plan would help close a seven and a-half billion-dollar budget gap – in part, with a $1.00-a- pack tax-increase on cigarettes and a penny-per-ounce tax on sugared soft drinks. Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski told WRCR this morning the proposed soda tax, though well-intentioned, would be the wrong way to go.
On another matter, Zebrowski said he and fellow lower-Hudson legislators are continuing to press for relief from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Payroll Mobility Tax. The tax is considered locally to favor New York City and Westchester at the expense of Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties, which receive far less MTA service. Zebrowski said his “gut feeling” is that the tax will remain, but that legislators can succeed in making it more equitable.
SCHOOL GUNMAN SENTENCED TO FIVE-YEAR PRISON TERM
The South Orangetown Middle School gunman will spend five years in state prison. Thirty-seven year-old Peter Cocker of Tappan was sentenced yesterday on his guilty plea to second-degree kidnapping in the case. Cocker was arrested last June 9th as he grappled with district superintendent Kenneth Mitchell inside Mitchell’s office at the school. The gun Cocker had waved at Mitchell turned out to be unloaded. Cocker is a former New York City police officer who, according to his attorney, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. His son was a student at the school at the time of the incident. Cocker was angry over the school policy regarding the Swine Flu, which the boy was thought to have contracted.
2008 WESLEY HILLS ANIMAL ABUSE CASE ON HOLD UNTIL MARCH
The long-running case of a Wesley Hills woman charged with abusing more than 20 dogs at her home has been adjourned until March. Police arrested 74-year-old Karol O’Connor in December of 2008 after the dogs were found inside cages filled with their own waste. Village Justice Philip Schnelwar adjourned the case at a pre-trial hearing yesterday, citing unresolved issues.
PUBLIC TO SOUND OFF TONIGHT ON PROPOSED CELL PHONE TOWER IN WESLEY HILLS
Wesley Hills residents will head for a public hearing tonight on a proposed cell phone tower. Verizon’s application to build the tower has touched off a protest, opponents saying the tower would destroy the character of the neighborhood, which includes the Antrim Playhouse. Verizon says the tower is necessary at that location in order to fill a dead-zone in coverage. The hearing is set for 7 p.m. at the Lime Kiln Elementary School.
INDIAN POINT SIRENS GET ANOTHER TEST RUN
Indian Point held another test of the nuclear plant’s new emergency alert system today. The sirens went off at about 10:40 this morning, sounding at full-volume for four minutes. Previous tests of the system have been less-than-resounding successes, with as many as ten percent of the sirens in Rockland failing to go off.
01-26-10
STORM LEAVES ROCKLAND WITH BIG CLEAN-UP JOB
Rocklanders are cleaning up after yesterday’s wild, spring-like storm. The day’s 50-degree temperatures were no match for the high winds and rain that pummeled the region. Here in Rockland, more than 7,000 homes lost electricity at one time or another, as trees and power lines came down in the storm. Stretches of roads were closed throughout the day -- and on those that stayed open, driving was often a slip-sliding affair. Two lanes of the Tappan Zee Bridge were closed just after noon, when the wind toppled a south-bound tractor-trailer. There were no injuries in that accident. Upper Grandview took a big hit, with Route 9-W closed all day by downed trees. Crews worked through the night on that. Countywide, power was restored by night-time to most of the 7,000 homes affected. Orange and Rockland says all but 16 homes were back on line by mid-day today.
Things were at least as bad on the east side of the Hudson. Wind damage was extensive; flooding closed parts of the Saw Mill and Bronx River Parkways, and more than 13,000 homes lost power in Westchester and Putnam counties.
RAMAPO TOWN BOARD OKAYS PATRICK FARM DOWN-ZONING
A storm of a different kind rose up in Ramapo last night, as the the town board approved the controversial development of Patrick Farm. The plan calls for some 500 housing units on the 208-acre site near Pomona. From the start, an angry crowd of residents opposed to the plan reportedly began hurling shouts of “crook” and “liar” at the board members, who went on to approve the down-zoning proposals unanimously. Opponents say development of the wooded tract will upset the county’s environmental balance and could result in the creation of an incorporated village with even higher-density housing.
HAITIANS HEAR PLAN TO BRING COUNTRYMEN HERE DURING QUAKE RECOVERY
Rockland’s Haitian community got some encouraging news yesterday about the plight of those who survived the Haitian earthquake. Immigration officials gave details of a federal program that will give Haitian refugees what’s called temporary protection status – allowing them to stay in the United States while their country recovers from the January 12th quake. Congressman Elliot Engel hosted the meeting at his West Nyack office. Part of his message to the Haitian community was to beware of immigration fraud – promises of help getting loved ones here in return for exorbitant fees.
Meanwhile, Haitian refugees have begun planning for their stay in Rockland. More than 20 Haitian students reportedly have already applied to enroll in the East Ramapo school district, where much of Rockland’s Haitian community lives. District officials say they expect that number to grow as the post-quake exodus continues.
POLICE: STONY POINT MAN AND WIFE WERE IN BAR JUST BEFORE SHE RAN HIM OVER
Twenty-seven year-old Glenn McElroy remains in Nyack Hospital with injuries sustained when he was run over by a car allegedly driven by his wife. Stony Point police say 32-year-old Kelly McElroy had been with her husband at a local bar around midnight Sunday morning, and was drunk when she took the wheel. It’s not clear what caused the car to run over McElroy – or if the incident was an accident. Kelly McElroy was charged with vehicular assault and held at county jail on $25,000 bond. At last word, her husband was in critical condition.
ROCKLAND HOME SALES UP IN DECEMBER, AS PRICES STAY PUT
Existing home sales in Rockland rose during December, while sale PRICES remained the same. Figures just out show a nearly 15% increase in local home sales from December 2008. The median price for a house sold in Rockland last month was just over $420,000 – unchanged from the year before. Westchester’s numbers were better – December sales up 56 %; median sale price up 1.3 % to $572,000.
01-25-10
RAMAPO BOARD TO VOTE TONIGHT ON PATRICK FARM DOWN-ZONING
It’s “Patrick Farm Night” at the Ramapo Town Board – with a vote scheduled on down-zoning the 200-acre site off Routes 202 and 306 for a planned housing development. Opponents say the project, which would include some 500 homes, would upset the environmental balance not only of the heavily-wooded site but of the whole county. And they charge the development would eventually become an incorporated Hassidic community able to make its own zoning laws. Much of the opposition’s focus has been on Town Board member Fran Hunter, who they feel could be the one “no” vote needed to stall the project. Hunter has declined to say how she’ll vote.
ENGEL WARNS OF HAITIAN RELIEF FRAUD
Rockland continues to play a lead role in the Haitian relief effort. Most of the county’s 12,000 Haitian residents have relatives back home, where the January 12th earthquake left well over 100,00 people dead. Some are still uncertain if their loved ones survived. Congressman Elliot Engel says that uncertainty has led to some instances of fraud by people offering to help Haitians here find out about their relatives – in exchange for cash. Engel says Haitian families looking for such information should call the U.S. State Department instead – at 888-407-4747.
ST. LAWRENCE PRESSES FOR CABLEVISION REFUND OVER 3-WEEK LOSS OF FOOD AND HGTV NETWORKS
The Town of Ramapo says Cablevision owes its customers in Rockland MORE than the return of HGTV and the Food Network. Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence is pressing the state Public Service Commission to get Rocklanders a REFUND. That’s for the more than three weeks those channels were OFF Cablevision’s line-up in a dispute over fees charged by their parent company, Scripps. St. Lawrence, who’s hoping to run for Lieutenant Governor, says without stricter state and federal regulation of the cable industry, the Cablevision-Scripps dispute will be “an omen of things to come.”
VALLEY COTTAGE TEEN REPORTEDLY STABBED BY THREE MEN
A Valley Cottage teen-ager reportedly was stabbed near his home early this morning in a confrontation with three men. Clarkstown police say the 17-year-old boy – whose name was not released – was able to make it home after the 4 a.m. attack and was then taken to Nyack Hospital. The extent of his injuries is not known. The three alleged assailants are still at large.
STONY POINT WOMAN CHARGED WITH DRIVING DRUNK OVER HER HUSBAND
A Stony Point woman has been charged with vehicular assault after running her husband over while driving drunk. Police say 31-year-old Kelly McElroy had a blood-alcohol level of .16 – twice the legal limit – when the incident occurred, early Sunday morning near Walnut Street. McElroy’s husband was taken to Nyack Hospital with head injuries, and was last reported in critical condition. The circumstances behind the incident are still unclear.
01-22-10
RAMAPO TOWN BOARD TO VOTE MONDAY ON PATRICK’S FARM DEVELOPMENT
The battle lines are forming in advance of Monday’s special town board meeting in Ramapo. At issue, the future of what was once known as Patrick’s Farm. The board is to vote on a plan to develop the more-than-200-acre site off Routes 202 and 306 – a controversial plan that would include hundreds of housing units. Opponents say the development would open the way to high-density housing, a potential drain on town and school district resources. And they accuse Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, who supports the plan, of catering to the politically-powerful Hassidic community, which would form the development’s main population base.
DOLAN DELIVERS MASS FOR HAITIAN QUAKE VICTIMS
Mourners of Haitian earthquake victims filled Spring Valley’s St. Joseph’s Church last night for a mass presided over by Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Spring Valley is home to much of Rockland County’s Haitian population of more than 12,000. Dolan told the mourners the devastating quake has brought together not just the Haitian community but the whole world. Hundreds of millions of dollars and an untold amount of food and supplies have been collected worldwide for the survivors. As many as 200,000 people are believed to have been killed in the January 12th quake. Archbishop Dolan was to fly to Haiti today to attend mass for one of the victims -- the archbishop of Haiti’s capital, Port au Prince.
WAKE HELD FOR BOY KILLED BY CAR IN PALISADES
A wake was held yesterday in Tappan for Jordan Barreto. The eleven-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car last Saturday as he crossed Route 9-W in Palisades. Grief counselors will continue to meet with students today at South Orangetown Middle School, where Jordan was a sixth-grader. And Orangetown Supervisor Paul Whelan is scheduled to meet today with state transportation officials about ways to make the intersection where Jordan was killed safer.
MEDICAL EXAMINER: CAR-IN-POOL VICTIM DIED OF DROWNING AND EXPOSURE
The West Nyack woman found dead in her car at the bottom of the family swimming pool died of drowning and exposure. That’s the finding of county medical examiners in the death Wednesday of 52-year-old Marianne Bax outside her home on Continental Drive. Officials say more tests will be conducted to pinpoint the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The car reportedly backed across the lawn and through a fence before reaching the pool, raising the possibility of suicide.
GLAUBER RESIGNS FROM RAMAPO POLICE FORCE, TAKES SETTLEMENT
Ramapo’s first Orthodox Jewish policewoman has resigned after reaching a settlement with the town. If it’s approved, Baile Glauber will walk away with $190,000, and with her $285,000 legal bill paid by the town. The 32-year-old single mother has been on probation with pay for the past year – her first on the force – due to an ankle injury. Glauber’s relationship with the department reportedly soured in recent months, leading her to sue the town for alleged religious discrimination.
FOOD NETWORK AND HGTV BACK ON CABLEVISION
Rockland’s Food and Fix-it Freaks are rejoicing today. The Food Network and HGTV are back on Cablevision after reaching an agreement on fees. Cablevision dropped the two channels from its lineup January first, when their owner – Scripps – sought to triple the fee it charges cable operators to carry its programs. Terms of the settlement reached yesterday were not released.
01-21-10
RAMAPO STORING CONTRIBUTIONS TO HAITIAN RELIEF
The town of Ramapo is filling a storage facility with the large amount of food and supplies being donated to the Haitian earthquake victims. Most of Rockland’s 12,000 native Haitians live in Ramapo. Many are still unaware of the fate of loved ones back home, where as many as 200,000 may have died in last Tuesday’s quake. Ramapo spokesman Phil Tisi told WRCR listeners this morning the town will continue to take, store and deliver donated items to Haiti. He said monetary contributions are most needed at the present time, along with food and medical supplies.
DOLAN TO DELIVER MASS FOR HAITIANS AT S.V. CHURCH
New York’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan is scheduled to preside over a mass for the earthquake victims tonight at St. Joseph’s Church in Spring Valley. The mass will be celebrated in Creole, the Haitian language, and will be followed by a candlelight vigil.
WEST NYACK CAR-IN-POOL DROWNING PROBED AS ACCIDENT
Police are investigating as an accident the death of a West Nyack woman who backed her car into the family swimming pool. The body of 52-year-old Marianne Bax was pulled from the car in about six feet of water yesterday after it was discovered by members of Bax’s family. The car reportedly had backed across the lawn of the Continental Drive home and through a chain-link fence before reaching the pool. Police say there was no indication that the brakes had been applied at any time. Bax’s husband, Wayne, is a New York City police inspector. Their son, Christopher, is on the Clarkstown force.
MAN WITH KNIFE ARRESTED AFTER ENTERING ORANGETOWN SCHOOL
Police arrested a Connecticut man yesterday after he allegedly walked into a South Orangetown school carrying a knife. Twenty-three year-old Abdulrahim Sulaiman of Bridgeport reportedly entered the lobby of the Tappan Zee Elementary School before 8 a.m. and left after being stopped by school officials. Orangetown police say he was carrying a switchblade-like gravity knife when they arrested him at a nearby convenience store. No one was injured in the school or during the arrest. Sulaiman is due in court February 3rd to answer misdemeanor weapons and trespassing charges.
FED. JUDGE: ROCKLAND DAY CAMP DISCRIMINATED AGAINST HIV-POSITIVE BOY
A Haverstraw day camp broke anti-discrimination laws when it turned away a ten-year-old boy because he was HIV positive. That’s the ruling that came down yesterday from a federal judge. The boy, identified only as Adam Doe, contracted the AIDS virus before birth and reportedly has no symptoms of the disease. It was in 2004 that officials at the Deer Mountain Day Camp denied the boy entrance to a basketball program, citing his medical condition. In his ruling yesterday, the U.S. District Court judge said Deer Mountain officials including the camp nurse -- should have known that the boy would not have posed a threat to other children in the program. Legal experts say the decision could set a precedent for other AIDS-related discrimination cases nationwide.
01-20-10
LEGISLATORS WEIGH GOV. PATERSON’S BUDGET PLAN
Rockland’s state legislators are poring through Governor David Paterson’s proposed state budget. The $134-billion package includes a round of new or increased taxes on items such as cigarettes – an extra dollar a pack – and cans of sugar-sweetened soda, a favorite Paterson target. But one aspect of the budget plan that troubles lawmakers most is the proposed 5% cut in state aid to schools. State Senator Thomas Morahan told WRCR this morning the cutbacks to individual school districts in Rockland would be as high as 10%.
If approved by the state legislature, Paterson’s proposed budget would, at least on paper, wipe out the state’s $7.5-billion deficit. In addition to the tax hikes, Paterson’s plan would raise revenues in other ways, including expanded hours and locations for state-sponsored gambling such as Quick Draw.
AFTERSHOCK ROCKS HAITI AS QUAKE RELIEF ARRIVES
Reports from Haiti say a major aftershock struck this morning – strong but not as powerful as last Tuesday’s devastating quake. The tremor – reportedly measuring six-point-oh the Richter scale – is said to have struck just after 6 o’clock this morning. The extent of damage and number of casualties – if any – are not yet known. This second event comes as a relief mission from Rockland heads to the Caribbean nation. The group, sponsored by the Ramapo Haitian Task Force, will spend a week providing medical and other humanitarian aid to the quake survivors. Rescue workers continue to pull survivors from the rubble, even as hope dwindles now, eight days after the initial quake. Officials say the death toll could top 200,000.
SCOTUS WON’T HEAR ROCKLAND’S CASE AGAINST AIRLINE OVERFLIGHTS
The Supreme Court says “no” to Rockland’s bid to stop the FAA’s airspace redesign plan. The court yesterday declined to hear Rockland’s case against the plan, which would allow hundreds of additional airline flights over the county each day. That puts an apparent end to Rockland’s challenge in the courts. But opponents of the over-flight plan, including Congressman Elliot Engel, say the fight isn’t over. Engel says he’ll have opportunities to confront the FAA in Congress – for example, when he votes on funding for federal agencies.
01-19-10
TWO SPRING VALLEY DOCTORS GO TO HAITI TO TREAT QUAKE VICTIMS
Two Haitian-born Rockland physicians are joining the relief effort for earthquake victims in that Caribbean nation. Doctors Delatre Lolo and Childebert St. Louis are with the Ben Gilman Medical Clinic in Spring Valley. They’re carrying medical and surgical supplies to Haiti, as rescue workers pull a dwindling number of survivors from the rubble. Officials now say up to 200,000 people may have been killed in last Tuesday’s quake. The two doctors are expected to remain in Haiti for about two weeks, treating survivors. Meanwhile, Rocklanders continue to donate funds, food and supplies to the quake-stricken nation. Collection points have been set up at various locations around the county -- primarily in Nyack and the town of Ramapo, where most of the county’s 12,000 native Haitians reside.
N.J. MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING ROCKLAND PRE-TEEN
A New Jersey man is in Bergen County jail today, accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in Rockland last month. Clarkstown police say 35-year-old Alex Avila abused the girl in the early morning hours of December 13th in Central Nyack. He’s said to have been a friend of the girl’s family. The evidence against Avila reportedly includes sexually explicit photographs and video of the alleged attack. Avila is expected to be extradited to Rockland in the next week or so. His arrest comes just days after that of the suspected Palisades Mall molester, also in New Jersey. Thirty-six year-old Elio Pintado is in Union County jail, awaiting extradition to Rockland, on charges he abused a seven-year-old girl in a mall bathroom on New Year’s Day.
SCHOOL-MATES WEAR BLACK FOR BOY KILLED BY CAR IN PALISADES
Students at South Orangetown Middle School wore black today for a classmate who was struck and killed by a car over the weekend. Eleven-year-old Jordan Barreto was killed Saturday morning as crossed Route-9W in Palisades. No charges were brought against the 76-year-old New Jersey man who was driving the car. Dozens of Jordan’s fellow students reportedly have received grief counseling at the middle school, which remained open for that purpose yesterday despite the King Day holiday.
HOMELESS MAN’S BODY FOUND IN NYACK
The body of a homeless man was found yesterday behind a building on Rt. 59 in Nyack. Orangetown police say the 49-year-old man, whose name is being withheld, has been seen on the streets of Rockland for more than 15 years. His body was found behind the old Hilltop Restaurant, lying between two abandoned cars, which, police say, often provide shelter for Nyack’s homeless. His believed to have died of natural causes – no foul play suspected.
01-18-10
MALL MOLEST SUSPECT AWAITS EXTRADITION IN N.J. JAIL
Alleged Palisades Mall molester Elio Pintado remains held without bail at a Union County, New Jersey jail. The 36-year-old Summit man was charged Friday with sexually abusing a seven-year-old Rockland girl in a mall bathroom on New Year’s Day. Police say they were led to Pintado by two women who recognized his face from surveillance photos taken outside the bathroom and made public. Pintado was already IN jail when he was charged -- there for allegedly accosting another young girl not long after the Palisades Mall incident. He was out on parole at the time of the alleged attack, after serving three years on a kidnapping conviction. Pintado faces extradition to Rockland on the mall charges, which could mean a seven-year jail term if he’s found guilty.
ROCKLAND HAITIANS LIVING FOR NEWS FROM QUAKE-RAVAGED NATION
The anxious wait for word from home continues for Rockland’s Haitian community. More than a hundred thousand Haitians are feared dead after last Tuesday’s powerful earthquake left the Caribbean nation in ruin. Bodies of victims were pulled from the rubble throughout the weekend – along with a dwindling number of survivors who had been trapped under it. Among the Rocklanders who got good news from Haiti is Spring Valley mayor Noramie Jasmin, who learned that her husband – there on a business trip – was alive and well. Less fortunate was Haitian-born county legislator Jacques Michel, whose wife lost two aunts in the earthquake.
MICHEL KEEPS SEAT IN COUNTY LEGISLATURE
As for Michel himself, he’ll continue to SERVE in the county legislature thanks to a state supreme court judge’s ruling late last week. The county elections board cancelled Michel’s voter registration last November on grounds that he did not actually reside at his listed Spring Valley address. But in his ruling, the judge said police who investigated Michel’s residency were mistaken – and that he does, in fact, live at that address.
SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
Schools, government offices and some businesses in Rockland are closed today for Martin Luther King Day. Hundreds of people filled Spring Valley’s First Babtist Church yesterday for the annual celebration of the late civil rights leader’s life. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. He would have turned 81 this past week.
ROCKLANDERS TO JOIN MARCH FOR LIFE FRIDAY
And the 37th annual March For Life is scheduled for Friday. Hundreds of abortion opponents from Rockland are expected to travel to Washington for the march, marking the anniversary of Roe V. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.
01-15-10
HAITI THE FOCUS OF COUNTY-WIDE RELIEF EFFORTS
Much of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, lies in ruin as workers continue to pull bodies and survivors of Tuesday’s powerful earthquake from beneath the rubble. Tens of thousands are believed to have died in the quake, tens of thousands more left homeless. Thousands of U.S. troops are expected to arrive in Haiti over the weekend to help maintain order. Meanwhile, relief efforts continue to be organized throughout Rockland, where the Haitian community numbers more than 12,000. The Town of Ramapo is taking a lead role in the efforts, particularly in getting medical supplies to the quake-stricken Caribbean nation. Spring Valley’s Haitian-born mayor, Noramie Jasmin, has received a bit of GOOD news. Her husband Ronald was in Haiti when Tuesday’s earthquake hit. There had been no word of his fate until yesterday, when a family member in Haiti finally got through to Spring Valley by phone with the news: Ronald Jasmin is alive and well.
DOG ALERTS SLOATSBURG FAMILY TO HOUSE FIRE
Members of a Sloatsburg family credit their dog with saving their lives early this morning. Fire officials say the Whritenour Terrace family was awakened just after 4 a.m. when the dog, named Sammy, began whining. It turned out that the house was on fire, and once alerted, the family – including a pregnant woman – was able to escape the blaze unharmed. Some 80 fire-fighters from Rockland and Orange counties took more than two hours to bring the fire under control, but not before it destroyed the wood-frame home.
TAPPAN-ZEE JUMPER IDENTIFIED AS RYE FATHER OF THREE
Police have identified the man who jumped to his death from the Tappan Zee Bridge yesterday. Investigators say 50-year-old George Croughan of Rye was despondent over the recent loss of his job when he drove to the bridge’s mid-span, got out and jumped. Another motorist reportedly tried to pull Croughan from the railing just before the leap. Croughan was married and had three children. He was recently let go from his salesman’s job with a New Jersey paper company.
TV NEWSMAN SENTENCED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE
A Ramapo judge has thrown the book at former cable-TV newsman Dominic Carter for his conviction in a long-running domestic abuse case. Judge Arnold Etelson sentenced Carter yesterday to 30 days in jail, and barred him from contact with his wife for the next two years. Etelson cited a history of more than ten years of violence in the Carter home – and down-played the fact that Carter’s wife had eventually withdrawn her accusations against him. Carter’s attorney calls the two-year no-contact order “draconian,” and promises to appeal. Carter was recently let go from his anchor post with the cable news outlet NY1.
01-14-10
ROCKLAND HAITIANS AWAIT WORD ON LOVED ONES
The wait continues for Rockland’s Haitian residents as communications with their earthquake-devastated homeland only slowly resume. The powerful quake hit the Caribbean nation Tuesday, leaving thousands – maybe tens of thousands – dead. The Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, lies in rubble. And for Haitians elsewhere, including the more-than 12,000 who live in Rockland, there’s been little if any word about the fate of loved ones back home. Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin’s husband Ronald was in Haiti on business when the earthquake struck. As of late this morning, he was still unheard from – making Mayor Jasmin’s appeal to Rocklanders to contribute to Haitian relief efforts especially urgent. Several relief agencies have swung into action in the county, headed by the Ramapo Haitian Task Force. For information on how to help, call the task force at 357-8730. To contribute money and/or supplies, call 357-8100, extension 263.
MAN JUMPS TO DEATH FROM TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE
Divers pulled the body of an unidentified man from the Hudson River this morning, about two hours after he jumped from the Tappan Zee Bridge. Police say the body was visible on a slab of river ice for a short time before slipping beneath the surface. The man’s SUV was found abandoned on the bridge.
FEDS SAY NEW SQUARE CHICKEN PLANT COMPLYING WITH ORDER TO STAY CLOSED
Federal officials say New Square’s existing poultry plant is complying with a court ruling to remain closed. The plant was ordered shut-down last month over public-health concerns involving unsanitary conditions. Neighboring residents charged recently that there was activity at the plant suggesting it was still operating. But after visiting the plant, inspectors say the activity was simply the arrival of frozen processed chicken for storage. All of this comes as the plant operator awaits a final decision on its proposal to replace the plant with a new and much larger facility – a plan that’s drawn criticism from residents and officials throughout Rockland County.
AREA FORECLOSURES STILL TRENDING UPWARD
Home foreclosures were way up last year throughout the lower Hudson Valley, reaching record levels in some areas. Figures released today show there were 56-hundred foreclosure filings in the region in 2009, a 42% increase over 2008. Of those filings, about 2,000 were in Rockland. Experts say they expect the region’s foreclosures to remain high this year.
01-13-10
S.V. MAYOR’S HUSBAND IN HAITI WHEN QUAKE HIT
As of noon today, the husband of Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin remained unheard-from in Haiti. Ronald Jasmin was on a business trip to the Caribbean nation when a powerful earthquake struck yesterday afternoon. Thousands are feared dead, and much of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, is said to have been leveled. MAYOR Jasmin told WRCR this morning she’s hoping that communications with the devastated island will be restored soon. Jasmin was at Ramapo Town Hall as supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence kicked off a co-ordinated relief effort with the village of Spring Valley. Also involved is the organization Partners in Health. The number to call to make a donation to the Haitian relief effort is (617) 432-5256. For more information, e-mail info@pih.org.
UNITED WATER ANSWERS DESALINATION QUESTIONS AT CLARKSTOWN MEETING
More than 50 residents turned out at Clarkstown Town Hall last night to hear United Water make its case for the proposed Hudson River desalination plant. The water company is fighting opposition to the plant from a number of quarters. Much of the public criticism stems from health concerns – about the lower Hudson’s high pollution levels and possible contamination from Indian Point. In addition, local water watchers say Rockland has a sustainable natural supply, and that a desalination plant would be unnecessary and costly. On that score, United Water acknowledged upon questioning last night that the cost of the plant, initially estimated at $79-million, would be more than $116-million.
ROCKLAND SEEKS REFUNDS FROM CABLEVISION OVER CHANNEL DROPPING
Still no word from Cablevision on whether it will give customers refunds for the Food Network and HGTV. Cablevision dropped both popular channels from its schedule this month after the company that owns them tripled the fees it charges cable systems for them. Reaction from Rockland officials has been strong. Ramapo supervisor Chris St. Lawrence, who’s hoping to run for Lieutenant Governor this year, has called on the state Public Service Commission to press Cablevision for the consumer refunds. And the County Legislature is weighing a resuolution with the same goal.
MALL MOLESTATION REWARD DOUBLED TO $5,000
AMC Loews has added $2,500 to the reward being offered in the Palisades Mall molestation case. It was in the ladies room at the Loews theater complex that the alleged assault on a seven-year-old girl took place on New Year’s Day. Surveillance cameras show a stocky, white man entering the bathroom just before the girl. Police say they have some promising leads from the 40-or-so tips in the case but note that the trail for the suspect gets colder with time. They’re hoping the now-$5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect will bring more witnesses forward.
01-12-10
DESALINATION ON TAP AT CLARKSTOWN TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT
United Water goes to the public tonight in New City to make its case for a Hudson River desalination plant. Company representatives will headline the so-called workshop meeting at Clarkstown Town Hall with a presentation on the proposed facility. Questions and comments from the public are to follow. The desalination plan has met criticism from across Rockland, including official resolutions opposing it by the towns of Stony Point and Ramapo. Opponents fear the lower Hudson is too polluted for drinking, especially with the threat of nuclear-waste contamination from Indian Point. If approved, the $79-million plant would draw water from the Hudson at Haverstraw. The environmental group Food and Water Watch issued a report today making another argument often given by critics – that Rockland has enough sustainable water to make desalination unnecessary.
LEGISLATOR WANTS PSC TO PROBE DROPPED CABLE CHANNELS
County Legislator Douglas Jobson says the state Public Service Commission should investigate Cablevision’s dropping of the Food Network and HGTV. The cable company took the two popular networks off its schedule this month when they raised their programming charge. Jobson’s resolution asks the PSC to ensure that Cablevision offers customers rebates for the two dropped channels. The resolution comes up for debate at a legislative committee meeting at 6 p.m. today in New City. The meeting is open to the public.
MTA URGED TO RESTORE PLANNED PASCACK VALLEY SERVICE CUTS
An appeal by the county legislature urges the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to restore planned service cuts in Rockland County. The MTA cost-cutting move would eliminate two weekday and four weekend trains on the Pascack Valley Line between Spring Valley and Hoboken this coming summer. In a statement released yesterday, County legislative chairman Harriet Cornell and New City legislator Ed Day call the proposed cutbacks “totally unacceptable” – especially at a time when the public is being encouraged to use mass transit.
INDIAN POINT REACTOR SHUT-DOWN PROBED
Indian Point officials are trying to find out why one of the nuclear plant’s reactors shut down. Indian Point Two went off-line automatically about 4 p.m. yesterday. Plant operator Entergy says there was no safety threat to the public, and that the plant’s other reactor, Indian Point Three, continued to operate normally. It’s believed to be the third unplanned reactor shutdown at Indian Point in nearly a year.
LAU PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO ASSAULT ON JAIL GUARD
Accused murderer Eric Lau is fighting yet another criminal charge – that of assaulting a corrections officer at the Rockland County jail. Lau has been in jail since the beginning of December, when he was arrested for slashing and bludgeoning his Valley Cottage neighbor, gym teacher Jami Erlich, to death. He’s accused of attacking the jail officer inside his cell on December 24th – a charge Lau denied yesterday in Clarkstown Town Court. The 32-year-old Lau has pleaded not guilty to murder and burglary charges in Erlich’s death, as well.
01-11-10
NEW CITY RIVITALIZATION PROJECT RESUMES
The crews revitalizing New City are back on the job today. The project took a break in late November to give downtown merchants a less troublesome holiday shopping season. But traffic re-routing resumes today as drainage work begins on a new stretch of Main Street. Clarkstown officials say that section – from Second Street to Third Street – should be back to normal in about 30 days. The revitalization project, which began last September, is expected to be completed sometime in 2012.
UNITED WATER, PUBLIC TO TALK DESALINATION AT NEW CITY WORKSHOP
The Hudson River desalination plant gets a public hearing this week in New City. The Clarkstown Town Board will hold a workshop on the proposed plant tomorrow night. Representatives of United Water will be there with a presentation on the project and then, reportedly, will field questions from the public. Opposition to the plant, which would be in Haverstraw, has involved mostly health issues – whether the river water would be safe to drink, given its high pollutant content, and the plant’s proximity to Indian Point. Environmental officials presumably will be able to answer the health-risk question once United Water completes a pilot project to serve as a test run for the proposed desalination plant.
PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON INDIAN POINT SPENT-FUEL REQUEST
The public will get to comment on a proposal involving spent fuel at Indian Point. The Buchanan nuclear plant’s operator – Entergy – wants the freedom to move spent uranium and plutonium back and forth between its two main reactors to maximize storage space. Federal officials said last week they’ll look closely at the safety issues involved – and might, at some point, hold a public hearing on the request. In any case, once notice is published in the Federal Register, the public will have 60 days to file comments with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
SEARCH STILL ON FOR ALLEGED MALL MOLESTER
Still no arrest in the Palisades Mall Molestation case. The search continues for the man who allegedly assaulted a seven-year-old girl on New Year’s Day in the ladies room at the mall theater complex. He’s described as a stocky white man in his 40’s with short to medium-length hair. The girl was at the mall with her father for a children’s movie when the alleged incident occurred.
01-08-10
VANDERHOEF CONSIDERING RUN FOR HIGHER OFFICE
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef is considering a bid for higher office again. Vanderhoef says fellow-Republicans have approached him about a possible run for State Comptroller, which he might consider -- or even to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for the U.S. Senate, which he won’t. The revelation comes just days after Vanderhoef was sworn in for his fifth term as County Executive. It’s not the first time during his tenure that he’s looked toward higher office. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2002, and for Lieutenant Governor in 2006.
E. RAMAPO TO PUT SCHOOL ATTORNEY POST UP FOR BID
It’s reported today that East Ramapo will put the position of attorney for the school district up for bidding. The decision apparently was made during an executive session at this week’s school board meeting. It’s considered a step back from the board’s decision two months ago to replace the district’s long-time attorney, Stephen Fromson, with controversial Long Island lawyer Albert D’Agostino. Critics of that decision focused on D’Agostino’s high salary demands – and the fact that his financial dealings are under investigation by New York State.
CLARKSTOWN SCHOOL BOARD HANGS UP ON VERIZON OVER PROPOSED PHONE TOWER
The brief uproar over a proposed cell-phone tower near Felix Festa Middle School fizzled out last night when the school board said “no” to Verizon. Some Clarkstown residents who oppose the tower as a possible health hazard accused district officials of not fully publicizing last night’s public hearing. Board president Phil DeGaetano denied that charge – and made his position clear at the start of last night’s hearing when he said of the proposed cell-phone tower: “This won’t be happening.”
ANOTHER COLD SNAP HEADING IN
Rocklanders are bracing for another wave of cold weather this weekend. Wet snow pelted the county this morning, making it a bit slippery on the roads. The snow started a few hours after midnight, leaving a light ground-cover by day-break. An accumulation of less than an inch is expected overall. The word to drivers is “caution.” Just-below-freezing temperatures were warm enough this morning to help keep the roads clear. But much lower readings threaten to bring icy conditions over the weekend.
01-07-10
SEARCH FOR SUSPECTED T-Z JUMPER CALLED OFF
The search for suspected Tappan-Zee Bridge jumper Wolf Aristilde has been called off. The 22-year-old Spring Valley man has been missing since Sunday night, when his SUV was found abandoned on the bridge. Icy conditions on the river hampered the search, which included a team of skin-divers. It’s believed that Aristilde’s body could be trapped under the ice – assuming that he did leap from the bridge. Police say there were no known witnesses to a jump, no suicide note, and Aristilde has no record of emotional problems. The recent college graduate and army reservist was to be deployed to Iraq in June.
STILL NO SUSPECT IDENTIFIED IN ALLEGED MALL MOLESTATION
The search for the alleged Palisades Mall molester continues, apparently with no suspect as yet identified. Clarkstown police say they’ve received several tips from people who were at the Mall during the alleged New Year’s Day assault – on a 7-year-old girl, in the Theatre Complex ladies room. Surveillance photos suggest the attacker was a stocky white man in his 40’s who tried to hide his face as he entered the ladies room. The girl says, once inside, he followed her into a stall and fondled her. A $2,500 reward is offered for information leading to a suspect. Clarkstown police say, if you know or saw something in connection with the alleged attack, call them at 639-5800.
EAST RAMAPO TAKES NO ACTION – AGAIN – ON ATTORNEY HIRING
The status is still quo in East Ramapo, where a dispute over hiring a new attorney for the school district has raged for several weeks. The school board met last night, and after a brief debate, tabled the matter until later this month. At issue is the board’s decision in November to hire controversial Long Island lawyer Albert D’Agostino to replace the district’s long-time attorney, Stephen Fromson, at a much higher cost. The board voted last night to extend the contract of a Nyack law firm it hired temporarily as debate continues on the D’Agostino hiring.
PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR TONIGHT ON PROPOSED CELL-PHONE TOWER
A proposed cell-phone tower is up for debate at a public hearing tonight during the Clarkstown school board meeting. A number of residents are reported to be upset over the tower, which, if eventually approved, would be erected on the grounds of Felix Festa Middle School. Some parents reportedly believe the tower would pose a health hazard for the students. They accuse the board of not notifying the full district about tonight’s public hearing – a charge that district officials deny.
MENTAL-HEALTH ADVOCATE SALLY HOLLAND DIES AT 72
A funeral service is scheduled Saturday for mental-health advocate Sally Holland. The 72-year-old Holland died Tuesday after a year-long battle with lung cancer. Holland was a long-time member of the Rockland County Mental Health Association and taught religious education for some 20 years at St. Augustine’s Church in New City. Holland is survived by ten children, 18 grand-children and her husband, former State Senator Joe Holland. Viewing is scheduled today and tomorrow at Higgins Funeral Home in New City.
01-06-10
POSSIBLE WITNESS SOUGHT IN MALL MOLEST CASE
Clarkstown police say there might have been a witness to the New Year’s Day molestation incident at the Palisades Mall. Police distributed a flier yesterday showing photos of a woman standing outside the mall’s Theatre-Complex ladies room at the time of the alleged assault on a 7-year-old girl. They’re asking the public for help identifying the possible witness as well as the suspect sought in the case. He’s described as a stocky white male of about 40. Security cameras caught him entering the ladies room just before the girl – who claims he then followed her into a stall and fondled her. Police want to know what – if anything – the woman might have seen or heard inside the bathroom. They don’t believe she was an accomplice of the alleged assailant.
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR T-Z BRIDGE JUMPER
Searchers continue to comb the icy Hudson for a young Spring Valley man believed to have jumped from the Tappan Zee bridge over the weekend. Skin divers spent much of yesterday in the frigid waters beneath the bridge – as patrol boats and helicopters circled above. The object of the search – 22-year-old Wolf Aristilde – whose SUV was found abandoned on the bridge late Sunday night. Police say Aristilde – an Army reservist scheduled for deployment to Iraq in June – had no reported history of emotional problems.
ST. LAWRENCE TO ANNOUNCE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
It’s official. Ramapo supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence will seek the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor. St. Lawrence announced his interest in the position last week here on WRCR. He says he’ll formally announce his campaign plans soon. St. Lawrence has all-but endorsed Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for governor, although he says the two have not yet discussed the possible running-mate’s position. Cuomo, himself, has not formally announced for governor. St. Lawrence says it’s time the executive branch in Albany had an advocate for the financially hard-hit lower Hudson Valley.
VANDERHOEF SEES CHALLENGING TERM AHEAD
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef was sworn in yesterday for a fifth term. Some 200 supporters were on hand for the ceremony at Rockland Community College. Vanderhoef told the gathering he’s “humbled” by the faith Rockland voters have shown him – and said he expects this fifth term to be one of his most challenging, thanks to the state’s ongoing financial crisis. Also sworn in yesterday – Paul Whalen, who succeeds Vanderhoef’s re-election challenger, Thom Kleiner, as Orangetown Supervisor.
01-05-10
MALL MOLEST SUSPECT STILL AT LARGE
The search continues for the man who allegedly molested a young girl at the Palisades Mall on New Year’s Day. Clarkstown police describe the suspect as a stocky, white male in his 40’s. Surveillance cameras caught the man entering the Theatre Complex ladies room just ahead of the alleged victim. Police say he appeared first to have tried to disguise himself, or at least his gender. The girl says he followed her into a bathroom stall and touched her inappropriately. In addition to searching for the man, police are still trying to find out why they weren’t called to the scene for some two hours after the alleged assault. A $2,500 reward is being offered in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the state Crimestoppers line at 866-313-TIPS.
CONVICTED COCAINE DEALER GETS TEN-YEAR SENTENCE
A Haverstraw man has been sentenced to ten years in jail on drug charges. Thirty year-old Henry Torres, Jr., was convicted in May of selling cocaine to a police informant. He was sentenced yesterday in County Court. Torres had argued he was framed by the informant. Prosecutors say Torres was part of a cocaine sales ring that operated out of downtown Haverstraw last year.
S.V. RESERVIST THOUGHT TO BE T-Z BRIDGE JUMPER
The search resumed this morning for a Rockland County man thought to have jumped from the Tappan Zee Bridge. Police say 22-year-old Wolf Aristilde of Spring Valley was the last known driver of an SUV found abandoned on the bridge late Sunday night. Aristilde reportedly was in the military reserve, scheduled for active duty this coming March. State police have been searching the scene with helicopters, boats and skin divers.
ST. LAWRENCE BLASTS CABLEVISION FOR DROPPING CHANNELS
Ramapo supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence is blasting Cablevision’s decision to drop the Food Network and HGTV from its Rockland service. The two channels have been gone from the New York City area since New Year’s Day, after failing to reach a new contract agreement with Cablevision. St. Lawrence filed a complaint with the state Public Service Commission yesterday, saying the channel-dropping violates consumer protection laws – and entitles Cablevision subscribers to a rebate.
01-04-10
REWARD OFFERED IN ALLEGED MOLESTATION AT PALISADES MALL
A $2,500 reward is offered for information on the man who allegedly assaulted a seven-year-old girl at the Palisades Center Mall on New Year’s Day. Police say the unidentified male was caught on a surveillance camera entering a ladies room at the mall’s theater complex just before the girl walked in. He then reportedly followed the girl into a stall and fondled her. A Clarkstown police spokesman says cameras had caught the man earlier buying a blouse and other children’s items, suggesting he had planned the alleged attack. The theater center was packed with children over the weekend for an “Alvin and the Chipmunks” movie.
NEW YEAR’S PARTY MELEE: TWO ARRESTED, THREE COPS HURT
A fight that broke out just hours into the new year left three Clarkstown police officers injured. Police were called to the Candlewood Suites hotel in Nanuet about 1:30 a.m. Friday to calm a rowdy party. Some 50 people reportedly were packing the suite when a fight erupted just after the cops arrived. By the time it was over, two young Spring Valley men – 21-year-old Malcolm Duncon and 18-year-old Isaiah Hamilton -- were under arrest on assault and other charges. Three officers were treated for minor injuries at Nyack Hospital.
STRONG WINDS BRING TREES, POWER LINES DOWN
Yesterday’s high winds took their toll on Rockland. Tree limbs and power lines were downed throughout the county, keeping town and utility workers busy for much of the day. A downed tree knocked power out for more than four hours last night for hundreds of homes in Montebello.
INAUGURATION DAY TUESDAY FOR VANDERHOEF, OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
Tomorrow is Inauguration Day for County Executive Scott Vanderhoef. He’ll officially start his fifth term with a late-morning ceremony at SUNY-Rockland’s Technology Building. All five of Rockland’s town supervisors also get sworn in this week – including the two first-timers, Orangetown’s Paul Whalen and Stony Point’s Bill Sherwood.
THRUWAY TOLLS UP 5%
If you’re taking the Thruway today, you’ll see what New York State gave us for the new year – a toll hike. Fares on the 640-mile toll-way were nudged up by 5% yesterday. It’s the fifth toll hike in the last five years – and designed to put a dent in the nearly $3-billion cost of Thruway repairs and improvements.
12-31-09
SNOW USHERS 2009 OUT THE DOOR
It’s New Year’s Eve, and much of the lower Hudson Valley is watching the cold and wet stuff give the old year a somewhat treacherous sendoff. Accidents have been reported throughout Rockland since the snow started this morning. Slippery conditions were hindering traffic on the New York State Thruway, the Palisades Parkway and most local roads, with the snow expected top taper off and driving conditions to improve throughout the day. Needless to say, police are out across the county, keeping things safe. They’ll be watching for speeders and drunk drivers – particularly tonight, as people head to and from New Year’s Eve celebrations. Some taxi companies in Rockland and Westchester reportedly are offering free rides home for late-night revelers who call in from participating bars.
NYACK CONTRACTOR CHARGED WITH HARASSING ESTRANGED WIFE
A Nyack contractor has been charged with harassment for allegedly threatening his estranged wife, violating an order of protection in the process. Forty-seven year-old Andrew Naclerio turned himself in yesterday after his wife reported to Piermont police that he had vowed in a morning phone call that she would live the rest the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Naclerio denies the charges, saying through his attorney that he made no threat to his wife and had never been served with an order of protection. Nalcerio is out on bail, awaiting a January 13th court appearance.
TWO SOUGHT IN SPRING VALLEY ROBBERY
Spring Valley police are on the lookout for two men who they say held up a convenience store Tuesday night. The pair reportedly wore wool caps and face masks when they entered the Bethune Boulevard store. Police say they brandished handguns and made off with more than $3,000 in cash and jewelry. The suspects are described as two black men – one about six feet tall, the other a foot or so shorter.
HAVERSTRAW DOCTOR DISCIPLINED IN PAIN-DRUG CASE
A Haverstraw physician has been ordered to stop treating chronic-pain patients and to stop prescribing certain pain-killing DRUGS. State investigators say David Rosenberg repeatedly and inappropriately prescribed the drugs for a group of patients from 1999 to 2006 and failed to keep proper patient records from1991 to 2001. The disciplinary agreement allows Rosenberg to continue treating patients at his Haverstraw practice, although not those with chronic pain. And he won’t be allowed to prescribe morphine, methadone or a number of other so-called Schedule II drugs, which are considered high-risk for abuse or addiction.
12-29-09
FEDS CITE NEW SQUARE CHICKEN PLANT FOR SANITARY VIOLATIONS
A New Square chicken processing plant is in the news this morning. Not the proposed plant, but the existing facility. Federal inspectors say the plant is unsanitary and has been selling ininspected chicken meat since 2002. And prosecutors are going to federal court in White Plains this morning, seeking an injunction against the plant owner, New Square Meats. An inspection this past April reportedly found a range of sanitary violations – from poultry residue on the walls inside the plant, to an employee restroom with no hand soap, to piles of garbage and pools of stagnant water outside. It’s not clear what, if any, impact the case against New Square Meats will have on its controversial proposal to build the new chicken plant – at five times the size of the existing one.
NYS COMPTROLLER: NYACK TAXPAYERS OVER-PAYING FOR FIREHOUSE
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says Nyack taxpayers might wind up paying nearly $10-million more than they approved for a new firehouse in 2004. In a report issued this week, DiNapoli says Nyack Fire District officials circumvented state law in setting terms for the land-lease and equipment purchases needed for the new firehouse. The reported violations involved such things as side-stepping competitive bidding procedures and failing to sign binding contracts with service providers. DiNapoli says it all means Nyack taxpayers could wind up paying nearly $13-million, instead of the $2.85-million approved in the 2004 bond issue.
GROUP SEEKS PAY-BACK FOR DAMAGE TO PEARL RIVER CRECHE
A Pearl River group that puts up the nativity scene at Braunsdorf Park each year wants restitution from the vandals who damaged the display on the morning after Christmas. Police arrested two men – 21-year-old Jonathan Burns of Middletown, and 22-year-old Patrick Murphy of Scarsdale. They’re charged with causing more than $5,000 in damage to a number of statues in the display – including that of the Baby Jesus, whose fingers were broken off. The two suspects are due in Orangetown court January 20th. Members of the committee that erects the nativity scene say they’ll attend the session – and urge the judge to require the two to repay the group for the damages.
12-28-09
PELCAK ARRAIGNED IN N.J. FOR ALLEGED ATTACK ON EX-WIFE
Accused ex-wife stabber Allan Pelcak was arraigned this morning in Bergen County Superior Court. The 41-year-old Pelcak, of Ramapo, is charged with attempted murder in the September attack on Laura Matousek, his former wife, outside the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah. Police say Pelcak stabbed Matousek repeatedly, then ran her over with his SUV. The 46-year-old victim spent several weeks in a coma following the attack, which left her with multiple injuries, including a crushed pelvis. Pelcak was arrested after a three-month investigation that focused, ultimately, on the couple’s bitter divorce two years ago, and subsequent court battles over support payments for their two children.
PAIR ARRESTED IN PEARL RIVER HOLIDAY CRECHE VANDALISM
Orangetown police have arrested two people for vandalizing the holiday crèche in Pearl River’s Braunsdorf Park on the morning after Christmas. Police say the unidentified pair damaged four figurines from the nativity scene – among them, the baby Jesus, whose fingers were broken off. The Pearl River crèche has been the target of holiday vandalism at least three times over the past decade. Saturday’s damage is estimated at about $5,000.
SPRING VALLEY PURSE-SNATCH LANDS TWO IN JAIL
Two men were arrested after a Saturday-night purse-theft in Spring Valley. Village police say the men were picked up after fleeing by car from the robbery scene near the Main Street-Rt. 59 intersection. Neither the victim nor the alleged purse-snatchers have been identified.
CHRISTMAS FIRE DAMAGES POMONA HOME
An electrical malfunction is thought to be the cause of a Christmas Day fire that heavily damaged a Pomona residence. Officials say the fire began in the basement of the South Ridge Road home as the family sat down to Christmas dinner. No one was injured in the blaze, which fire-fighters from Thiells and Hillcrest contained to the basement, but which caused extensive smoke damage throughout the home.
DRUNK-DRIVING SWEEP TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEEKEND
The holidays aren’t over yet, and police will be out in force across New York State through the upcoming weekend. The targets – in addition to speeders – are drunk drivers, this year’s campaign labeled “Over the Limit, Under Arrest.” Officials say nearly 12,000 people were killed on the nation’s roads and highways last year by drivers with blood-alcohol levels at .08% or higher.
12-24-09
POLICE WATCH FOR DRUNK DRIVERS AS CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY BEGINS
It’s Christmas Eve, and for most Rocklanders the holiday is well under way. Expect less commuter traffic on the highways today, but the roads will be filled with travelers on the way to and from holiday gatherings. Officials say extra police will be on the lookout for speeders and drunk drivers. And, if you are working and traveling by TRAIN, Metro North is helping out with an expanded schedule – an extra 17 commuter runs in and out of Grand Central Station. The train line says schedule changes over the next week will accommodate after-Christmas sales-shoppers and New Year’s Eve revelers.
CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED FOR UNANNOUNCED MOVE
A convicted sex offender could find himself back behind bars after allegedly moving from his Hillcrest residence without notifying the State. Ramapo police arrested 28-eight year-old Jean Dufresne yesterday at the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan, reportedly on a tip from a Dufresne acquaintance. Dufresne previously served more than seven years in jail for raping a 13-year-old girl. He’s listed as a Level Three, or high-risk, sex offender. He’s in Rockland County jail today, facing a felony charge for failure to notify.
PELCAK IN N.J. JAIL FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN ATTACK ON EX-WIFE
Accused ex-wife-attacker Allan Pelcak is in Bergen County jail after waiving extradition from Rockland. The 41-year-old Pelcak was arrested last Friday at his New Hempstead home. He’s charged with repeatedly stabbing his former wife, Laura Matousek – and then running her over -- in a Mahwah, New Jersey, parking lot this past September. Matousek spent several weeks in a coma as she recovered from her injuries. Pelcak is charged with a variety of felonies, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, and illegal weapons possession. Pelcak and Matousek reportedly had been engaged in child-support battles since their divorce two years ago.
12-23-09
ROCKLAND HOME SALES, PRICES BOTH UP IN NOVEMBER
Some encouraging news for Rockland on the economic front. Both home sales and home prices in the county are up. The state realtors association says 135 homes were sold in Rockland last month – a 75-percent increase from November of last year. At the same time, the price of the typical Rockland home rose from $415,000 to $422,000. The report says the NUMBER of sales throughout the Lower Hudson region is back around pre-recession levels. But for much of the region, that coincides with lower prices – as in Westchester, where the typical home sold in November for $525,000, down from $561,000 last year.
WEST HAVERSTRAW TEEN CHARGED IN FIELDSTONE SCHOOL BOMB SCARE
Another bomb scare at the Fieldstone school in Thiells, and a 15-year-old West Haverstraw boy is the suspected culprit. It happened about 10 a.m. yesterday – the sheriff’s department bomb squad, called to the school after a note threatening to blow up a locker was found written on a classroom wall. An hour-long search turned up NO explosives. Haverstraw police say the boy – who remains unidentified because of his age – was in the school during the search. He was arrested hours later and charged with a felony – falsely reporting an incident. The arrest was one of two actions involving Fieldstone yesterday. Police say another 15-year-old was charged with a felony for making a bomb threat at the school this past May.
MONSEY MAN SENTENCED IN CONNECTICUT BANK STOCK-SALE SCHEME
A Monsey man has been sentenced to a year in jail for his admitted role in a Connecticut bank scheme. Fifty-three year-old Steven Schliefer pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to violating Internal Revenue Service laws in a complicated scheme involving the sale of New Haven Savings Bank stock. Schliefer reportedly made more than $130,000 on the sale, then disguised the profit to avoid paying taxes on it. In addition to his year-and-a-day in jail, Schliefer will have to pay a $10,000 fine and spend another year under supervised release.
WESTCHESTER DOG CATCHES SWINE FLU FROM OWNER
A pet dog in Westchester County has become the first dog in the nation to come down with the human Swine Flu. The 13-year-old mixed-breed male is believed to have caught the virus from his owner. This, despite the fact that veterinarians have found no clinical evidence that dogs and people can cross- transmit the H1N1 virus. In any case, the dog in question is said to be recovering from breathing difficulties blamed on the flu.
12-22-09
TREASURER ADMITS STEALING FROM SUFFERN CONDO ASSOCIATION
A Suffern man faces a year in jail after pleading guilty to stealing more than $130,000 from his condominium association over the past five years. Prosecutors say 47-year-old Matthew Stoll took the money mostly in checks written to himself and family members in his capacity as treasurer of the Sussex Condominium Three association. Stoll reportedly must pay back all the stolen funds as part of a plea agreement to avoid a state prison term of up to 15 years on the grand larceny count.
CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST MONSEY MAN IN PHONY-GYNO CASE
Prosecutors have dropped charges against a Monsey man accused of illegally performing gynecological exams on women in New York City. Forty-year-old Zalman Silber was accused of performing the exams in an office space he rented from an actual physician in Manhattan. The District Attorney’s office there says the charges against Silber were dropped yesterday for technical reasons only. But Silber’s lawyer says prosecutors decided they couldn’t win the case, in part because two of the four alleged victims had trouble identifying Silber.
EXTRA POLICE PRESENCE AND TRAIN SERVICE SET FOR HOLIDAY WEEK
Expect to see more police cars on the roads – and more trains on the tracks -- this week. The Journal News says Metro North will add 17 trains to its commuter schedule in and out of Grand Central Station on Thursday, to help with the early Christmas-Eve getaway. And the train line says schedule changes will also accommodate after-Christmas sales-shoppers and New Year’s Eve revelers. As for the extra police, they’ll be on the lookout mostly for revelers who drink and drive.
REPORT: GIULIANI WON’T RUN FOR U.S. SENATE
It’s reported today that Rudolph Giuliani has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate after all. New York One TV quotes anonymous Republican sources as saying the former New York City mayor will, instead, devote more time to his law practice and to his security-consulting firm, Giuliani Partners. Giuliani has been seen as likely to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for the Senate seat she inherited after Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State. He was also mentioned as a potential candidate for governor. But Giuliani is expected today to endorse former senate candidate Rick Lazio for that position. Giuliani Partners, by the way, just won a contract for the upcoming Rio de Janiero Olympics.
12-21-09
COUNTY DIGS OUT FROM WEEKEND SNOWSTORM
Rockland is still digging out from the weekend snowstorm. Up to nine inches blanket southern parts of the county, with three to four inches on the ground in northern Rockland. Plows and salt-spreaders were out all day and night Saturday, and most major roads in Rockland were cleared for driving by late morning yesterday. But side roads -- and road-sides -- are still a problem. The plowed snow is piled high, and car-owners who waited until this morning to dig out are having a slow and strenuous start to the work-week. It’s worse to the south and east, with up to 18 inches of snow on the ground in New York City, and as much as two feet in Long Island.
WAVE OF CAR BREAK-INS HITS STONY POINT
Snow might not be the problem for car-owners in Stony Point, but police say theft. Some 30 overnight car break-ins were reported during the weekend, thieves making off with a range of easy-to-carry items. Police say most of the cars hit had been left unlocked in driveways. They’re urging residents to stop doing that, and to report any suspicious characters hanging around, especially at night.
PELCAK CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER IN SEPTEMBER ATTACK ON EX-WIFE
A Spring Valley man has been charged with attempted murder for a vicious attack on his ex-wife in September outside a New Jersey hotel. Forty-one year-old Allan Pelcak is accused of repeatedly stabbing Laura Matousek in the Sheraton Mahwah parking lot, then running over her with a car. Matousek was severely injured and spent weeks in a coma at a Hackensack hospital. Police finally brought charges against Pelcak Friday, after three-months of gathering evidence in the case. Pelcak is in Rockland County Jail today, facing extradition to Bergen County.
MUMPS OUTBREAK TRACED TO CATSKILLS SUMMER CAMP
An outbreak of mumps that’s hit Rockland has been traced to Sullivan County. Health officials say a young boy who had traveled to England spread the disease to other children at a Jewish summer camp in the Catskills. They, in turn, passed it along when they returned to their home communities. Some 150 mumps cases have been reported in Rockland, primarily in Monsey and New Square. Other outbreaks have hit the Kiryas Joel community in Orange County and heavily-Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
DRUG CHAINS GETTING SWINE FLU VACCINE
State health officials say the Swine Flu vaccine is making its way to chain drugstores throughout New York. Some 26,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been approved, initially, for drugstores around the state. Among the chains that will offer the shots at in-store clinics are Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Duane Reed and Stop-&-Shop pharmacies. Not all individual stores will take part, so residents are urged to call ahead to their local pharmacies.
12-18-09
ST. LAWRENCE SAYS HE WOULD ACCEPT LT. GOVERNOR NOD IF OFFERED (BY CUOMO)
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence made it more-or-less official today – he wouldn’t mind making a run for state-wide office. St. Lawrence told WRCR in his weekly call this morning he’ll be traveling around New York in coming months, pushing for renewed economic development throughout the state. That, combined with the praise he heaped on Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, led to the inevitable question: Would St. Lawrence accept a running-mate’s role next year if Cuomo were to run for governor? His response: If the Lieutenant Governor’s spot on a Cuomo ticket is offered, he’ll take it.
VANDERHOEF DEFENDS PAY-HIKE APPROVED BY COUNTY LEGISLATURE
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef pushed back today in the controversy over his pay raise. The county legislature voted Tuesday night to give Vanderhoef a $5,500 salary increase for 2010, and then raised the salary for his position by an extra $11,000 in the future. That brings the county executive pay rate to the level it would have been at, had Vanderhoef not agreed to forego his raises for the last two fiscal years. Although Vanderhoef declined to take the two years’ back pay, critics suggested that the retro-active element of the increase was slipped through without time for debate. One legislator, Airmont’s Joseph Meyers, told WRCR yesterday he was shocked to see the item, for the first time, just before Tuesday’s vote. This morning, Vanderhoef struck back, saying Meyers wouldn’t have been surprised had he attended more meetings when items like the pay-hike were discussed. In any case, the pay-rate for county executive starting next year is $155,000 – up from the current $138,000.
UNEMPLOYMENT DIPS SLIGHTLY IN LOWER HUDSON REGION
State labor officials say unemployment dropped slightly in November throughout the lower Hudson Valley – dipping to 6.8% percent from October’s 7.1%. Labor department officials call it a step in the right direction, but caution against making too much of the one-month decline, The report comes one day after federal officials revealed that one in 14 lower-Hudson residents is now using food stamps.
AIRMONT FAMILY’S PIT BULL SHOT AND KILLED
Police say an Airmont family’s pet dog was shot to death outside their Cherry Lane home this week. Homeowner Denise DePalma says she heard a gunshot early Wednesday afternoon and ran out to find the family’s pit bull in the yard, bleeding. She says the 3-year-old pet, named Karma, died in her arms. Ramapo police are investigating. No suspect has been named in the case.
POLICE: CONTRACTOR STOLE $15,000 USING CLIENT’S CREDIT CARD
A Nanuet contractor has been charged with a felony in a case involving a neighbor’s credit card. Prosecutors say 43-year-old Eric Leopold told the neighbor, who had hired him for renovation work, that he needed the card to buy supplies for the job. Then, Leopold allegedly ran up more than $15,000 in charges on the card for items unrelated to the job. Clarkstown police arrested Leopold yesterday at his home. If convicted on the third-degree grand larceny charge, he would face up to eleven years in jail.
STONY POINT NATIVITY-SCENE THEFT CAUGHT ON TAPE
O’Henry might have called it “The Theft of the Magi.” Stony Point police say two women made an overnight raid on the town’s nativity scene early yesterday and made off with several figures, including the Three Wise Men. What the pair didn’t know, apparently, was that a surveillance camera installed after previous thefts had occurred outside Town Hall caught them in the act. Police played the video for reporters yesterday, and they’re asking anyone with information about the theft – or the women involved -- to call them at 786-2744.
12-17-09
VANDERHOEF BLASTED OVER PAY RAISE
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef’s pay-raise continues to come under fire. The county legislature voted 12-to-5 Tuesday night to boost Vanderhoef’s salary for next year by $17,000 – including a retroactive increase that effectively undoes the salary freeze that Vanderhoef agreed to last year. WRCR listeners are blasting the vote on that increase because it was taken with no advance word to the public. Legislator Joseph Meyers of Airmont, one of the five who voted “no,” told WRCR this morning he suspects that a behind-the-scenes deal had been made to push the pay raise through without debate.
County legislator Joe Meyers. We’ll ask Vanderhoef about the pay hike, and about Meyers’s allegation, when the County Executive joins us on the “Steve and Charlie Show” at 8:15 tomorrow morning.
E. RAMAPO BOARD POSTPONES DECISION ON ATTORNEY HIRING
The East Ramapo school board met last night and effectively tabled the dispute over hiring a new attorney. The board voted to postpone any decision on hiring controversial Long Island lawyer Albert D’Agostino until at least January sixth, when the board meets next. In the meantime, an interim firm brought in to consult on the legality of the D’Agostino hiring will remain on the job. The board touched off the controversy last month by hiring D’Agostino to replace long-time attorney Stephen Fromson at twice-or-more the cost – and despite the fact that D’Agostino is under investigation for alleged pension-payment improprieties.
INDIAN POINT SEEKS TIME-EXTENSION FOR PUMP REPAIR
The owners of Indian Point say they need more time than the rules allow to work on a feed-water pump without having to close down the nuclear plant’s Number-3 reactor. Entergy officials say they need to take the pump off-line for more than 100 hours to examine – and, if necessary, repair – a vibration inside the pump. Federal regulations require a full-reactor shutdown for off-line repairs taking more than 72 hours. So, Entergy has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license amendment needed to extend the time-limit. The public has 60 days now to request a hearing on the extension request.
RAMAPO POLICE: CLEANING WOMEN MAY HAVE TAKEN HOMEOWNERS’ JEWELS
Ramapo police are searching for a group of cleaning women suspected of stealing jewelry from their clients’ homes. A police spokesman says a number of such thefts have been reported recently in the Monsey area, in each case, right after a cleaning-woman visit. At least five unidentified women, all described as Spanish-speaking, are wanted for questioning.
NEIGHBORS HELP POLICE CATCH SUSPECT IN MONTEBELLO BREAK-IN
Alert neighbors helped in the search for a suspect nabbed this week in a Montebello break-in. Thirty-four year-old Dennis Nieves of Dover, New Jersey, was arrested Tuesday for the Mayer Drive break-in two days earlier. Ramapo police say tips from neighbors who had reported a suspicious car in the neighborhood led them to Nieves. He’s believed to have fled the home empty-handed after a burglar alarm went off.
12-16-09
VANDERHOEF GETS $17,000 RAISE …
Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef is getting his raise -- and then some. The county legislature last night not only approved the 4% pay hike Vanderhoef had sought for the upcoming year, but then voted by the same 12-5 margin to make the increase retroactive through last year. That effectively undoes the freeze that was imposed on Vanderhoef’s salary two years ago. And it results in a total raise of more than $17,000, boosting Vanderhoef’s current $138,000 salary to $155,000.
… AND A MIXED (THOUGH MOSTLY CRITICAL) REACTION
Reaction to the pay increase from WRCR listeners this morning was mostly negative. Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner, who challenged Vanderhoef’s re-election bid unsuccessfully this year, said the retroactive part of award was ill-advised in these economic times. That retroactive element drew most of the listeners’ criticism, particularly because it had never been brought up for debate before last night’s vote. But on that point, Vanderhoef got a vote of support from Haverstraw supervisor Howard Phillips, who justified the surprise factor on grounds that, without it, Vanderhoef might have lost his re-election bid last month.
COUNTY FACES $800,000 CUTBACK IN STATE CHILD WELFARE AID
Rockland faces a cutback of more than $800,000 in state funds for child welfare services. It’s part of the belt-tightening imposed by Governor David Paterson to help deal with the state’s $1-billion budget shortfall for the upcoming year. Paterson is also holding back 10% of the state aid already approved for school districts, a move that has raised fears of big increases in local taxes.
PFIZER TO LAY OFF ANOTHER 95 AT PEARL RIVER PLANT
There’s more bad news on the local labor front. Drug-maker Pfizer says it will lay off 95 union and non-union workers at its Pearl River facility between now and next spring. That’s reportedly on top of the 200 layoffs Pfizer has already announced, and it makes the total so far about 10% of the plant’s 3,000-member workforce.
ROCKLAND PSYCH MEETS FILING DEADLINE ON IMPROVEMENTS PLAN
State officials say Rockland Psychiatric Center met the deadline for submitting a plan to improve patient care at the Orangeburg facility. Rockland Psych had until Monday to make its case for retaining its federal certification, and its eligibility for millions of federal dollars. It now has until January 31, 2010, to make the improvements. An on-site review of the psychiatric center this past summer led federal officials to threaten to withdraw its certification.
MTA ENDS FREE RIDES FOR NYC STUDENTS
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted today on measures to meet the agency’s $400-plus-million budget shortfall. Among the controversial measures approved is the elimination of free bus and subway rides for New York City students.
12-15-09
SCHOOLS BRACE FOR STATE FUNDING HOLD-BACKS
School districts in Rockland and around New York State are bracing for big cutbacks in aid from Albany. The state has about a billion dollars in debts to pay today, and Governor David Paterson is withholding ten percent of promised state aid to schools in order to pay those bills. It’s unclear when – or if – that 10% hold-back will be restored. In addition to the reduction in general aid, the school districts face a 20% cut-back in funding for the popular STAR property-tax rebates.
In a related development, the Yonkers Federation of Teachers says it will sue Governor Paterson on constitutional grounds, because the school-aid hold-backs are on funds already budgeted.
COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO VOTE ON VANDERHOEF SALARY-HIKE REQUEST
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef wants a raise, and the County Legislature will vote tonight on the $5,500/yr pay-hike. The four-percent raise – to come in two installments during 2010 – would boost Vanderhoef’s salary from just under $138,000 to just over $143,000. Vanderhoef agreed to a temporary cap on his salary two years ago.
HOGAR FUNDING UP FOR LEGISLATIVE VOTE TONIGHT
Also on the county legislative agenda tonight is a vote on funding for the affordable housing agency, HOGAR. A budget committee proposal calls for paying the Haverstraw-based agency less than half its promised $113,000 for the current year. Most of the rest would be held aside until legislators are satisfied that HOGAR is spending its funds properly. Questions persist despite a District Attorney’s finding that HOGAR executives had not engaged in illegal or unethical acts, as had been alleged anonymously.
COUNTY-RUN BUS LINES: BACK HOME AGAIN
Rockland stands to save thousands of dollars a year under a new housing plan for county-run buses. The Transport of Rockland and Tappan-Zee-Express buses have been garaged during off-hours in Bergen County since the 1970s – at an annual cost of about 330-thousand dollars in travel and driver-salary expenses. That practice will end January 2nd, when both bus lines will move to new headquarters at Clarkstown Executive Park in Valley Cottage. It’s not clear how much money Rockland will save in the move, but one county transportation official says the savings will be “tremendous.”
12-14-09
BLACK ICE PLAGUES ROCKLAND
Black Ice got the better of drivers throughout Rockland and the rest of the region yesterday. Slick conditions caused dozens of cars to spin out of control on roadways from Tompkins Cove to Palisades. Some came to safe stops off the road. Others were less fortunate, slamming into oncoming vehicles or stationary objects, like trees, poles and even the newly rebuilt Farley Bridge in Stony Point. No fatalities were reported in Rockland. But police in Putnam County say Black Ice was the likely cause of a head-on collision that killed a 51-year-old Brewster woman. Icy conditions remained this morning in parts of Rockland, particularly Ramapo, even as temperatures rose toward the 40-degree mark.
STATE TO ADDRESS ROUTE 59 TRAFFIC TIE-UPS OUTSIDE PALISADES MALL
State highway officials say they’ll take at least ONE step toward easing the traffic situation on Route 59 in West Nyack. Roadway re-construction has snarled traffic for weeks on the busy thoroughfare – directly in front of the Palisades Center Mall, and the situation has only worsened during the holiday shopping season. Now, says the state transportation department, it will monitor traffic closely there in order to re-adjust lane closings so as to lessen delays.
ROCKLAND PSYCH DEADLINE TODAY TO AVOID DE-CERTIFICATION
Today is Deadline Day for Rockland Psych. Administrators there must show investigators why the Orangeburg psychiatric facility should not lose its federal certification for reported lapses in patient care. Meanwhile, State Senator Thomas Morahan is demanding an explanation from the State of New York as to why the psychiatric center has not been forced to clean up its act despite a history of problems on a range of issues – from administrative procedures and record-keeping to reports of patient abuse. If Rockland Psych officials can’t make a convincing case today, the center could lose its certification – and its eligibility for millions of federal dollars -- at the end of January.
GAY MARRIAGE ADVOCATES MARCH ON MORAHAN’S OFFICE
Morahan was the focus of additional news over the weekend. Dozens of demonstrators held a vigil outside Morahan’s district office in Rockland yesterday to protest his “no” vote in the State Senate last week on same-sex marriage. Morahan was one of 38 senators to turn thumbs-down, sending the bill to defeat, and keeping gay marriage illegal in New York State.
NICHOLSON PLEADS GUILTY, FACES 45 YEARS IN PRISON
Disgraced financial advisor James Nicholson pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges on Friday. The Rockland native is accused of bilking more than 400 investors – including friends and relatives -- out of more than $133-million. He’ll be sentenced April 30th in U.S. District Court. Nicholson faces up to 45 years in prison.
MONSAY LAWYER PLEADS GUILTY TO MAIL FRAUD IN REAL-ESTATE DEALS
Monsey attorney Hugh Zuber pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to defrauding two clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in real estate deals he handled for them. Zuber reportedly convinced the clients to sell their properties at well below their asking prices -- then, through illegal manipulations, wound up owning the properties himself. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or more when sentenced on the mail-fraud conviction.
12-11-09
ERLICH MURDER DETAILS REVEALED
Prosecutors have released details of school-teacher Jami Erlich’s murder. Assistant District Attorney Stephen Moore told a state supreme court bench conference yesterday the 32-year-old Erlich suffered a cracked skull and a slashed throat in the November 29th attack inside her Valley Cottage condominium. Erlich’s next-door neighbor, 32-year-old Eric Lau is being held on two-and-a-half million-dollars cash bond after pleading not guilty to the murder. Moore also said police found articles of Erlich’s clothing in Lau’s condominium.
MORENO RESPONDS TO SHERWOOD IN STONY POINT FEUD
A push-back from outgoing Stony Point supervisor Phil Moreno to allegations by his successor. Supervisor-elect Bill Sherwood told WRCR on this program yesterday he’s being “stone-walled” by town officials in his attempts to question the Town Attorney about the cost of running the attorney’s office. Moreno hit back with a written statement calling the allegation “unfounded” and part of an attempt by “one person” to replace the town attorney with a long-time friend. Sherwood takes over as Supervisor January first.
SPRING VALLEY DUNNED ANOTHER $91,000 ON URBAN RENEWAL PROPERTY BUY
The village of Spring Valley has been ordered to pay an additional $91,000 to settle a long-running legal battle. The case stems from the village’s seizure in 2004 of a property on Main Street to make way for an urban renewal project. A state judge later ruled the price paid to the property owner, NBW Enterprises, was about $200,000 too low – and ordered Spring Valley to make up the difference. The village balked, delays ensued, and the court ruled this week that Spring Valley must now pay the extra legal fees involved in the case. That $91,000 would bring the village’s total expenditure on the property to more than $460,000.
NEW SPRING VALLEY MAYOR HAS TRYING FIRST WEEK
The ruling is one more sore-spot facing Spring Valley’s new mayor, Noramie Jasmin. She was sworn in Monday, becoming the village’s first female mayor and – reportedly – New York State’s first Haitian-American mayor. But Jasmin got off to a rough start. She came under fire earlier this week for hiring a controversial East Ramapo school board member as her $45,000-a-year assistant.
12-10-09
TROUBLE BREWING IN STONY POINT OVER COST OF TOWN ATTORNEY
Stony Point supervisor-elect, Bill Sherwood says he’s being “stonewalled” in his attempts to scrutinize the finances of each town department. Sherwood, who takes office January first, told WRCR this morning the Town Board has forbidden him from talking to the Town Attorney about the $200,000 to $300,000 the attorney’s office is paid each year. Sherwood said he could sue for the information, but he’ll wait three weeks and call the attorney in when he becomes supervisor.
ONE IN FIVE INDIAN POINT SIRENS FAIL TEST
Indian Point officials say more than 20 percent of the sirens in the nuclear plant’s alert system failed to go off in yesterday’s test. Twelve of the system’s 56 sirens in Rockland fell silent, as did all 16 sirens in Putnam County, with a handful failing in Orange and Westchester. Officials say they don’t know what caused the failures. But they note that the test used only one of the two means of activating the alarms that would be used simultaneously in the event of a real emergency. It’s not clear whether the spotty test results will affect a pending decision by the federal government on whether to approve the new alarm system.
SPRING VALLEY BROTHERS GET PRISON TERMS FOR ATTACK ON HAVERSTRAW COPS
Two Spring Valley men who assaulted two Haverstraw police officers on Superbowl Sunday last February have been sentenced to prison. The pair – 31-year-old Juan Batista and his 28-year-old brother, Jason – pleaded guilty in September to the beating that was so severe it left one of the officers unconscious. Appearing yesterday in State Supreme Court in New City, Juan Batista was sentenced to five years in state prison – Jason, to three years – both for second-degree assault.
LONG JAIL TERM LOOMS FOR ATTACKER OF PIZZA DELIVERY MAN
A young Haverstraw man faces up to 25 years in prison for attacking and robbing a pizza delivery man at gunpoint last Christmas. Twenty-two year-old Rasean Coble was found guilty in County Court this week on two counts of robbery. Coble and three other men reportedly set the Domino’s employee up by calling for delivery at a fictitious West Haverstraw address. Police say the four made off with the victim’s cell phone, a hundred dollars, and all four of the pizzas he was delivering. Coble’s three alleged accomplices are still on the loose.
NEW CITY LIBRARY BUDGET APPROVED
Clarkstown voters have said “yes” to the New City Library’s proposed 2011 budget .The $4.9-million package is about 4% higher than the 2010 budget. The increase, mostly for operational costs, was kept down somewhat by a six-percent reduction in proposed spending on books and equipment.
12-09-09
REPORT: MURDER SUSPECT ERIC LAU HAS VIOLENT HISTORY
The man accused of killing school-teacher Jami Erlich reportedly has a history of violence. The Journal News says public records show 32-year-old Eric Lau was indicted in 1997 for assaulting a fellow high school student in Clarkstown. The paper says Lau’s record also shows a conviction for attempted robbery, also as a teen-ager. The report comes as investigators search for evidence in the Erlich killing. Clarkstown police have put up fliers around the condominium complex where Erlich lived and was murdered less than two weeks ago – those fliers, seeking the whereabouts of a Dell computer missing from Erlich’s apartment. Police say Lau, who was Erlich’s next-door neighbor, was waiting inside her apartment on the night of November 29th when she arrived home and was beaten and stabbed to death. The 32-year-old Erlich was a gym teacher at a Suffern elementary school.
SNOW-TO-RAIN STORM SLOWS ROCKLAND ROADS AND DOINGS
Road crews have been out since the overnight hours, as Rockland deals with its first real winter-like storm of the year. Temperatures were rising and rain was falling before daybreak, melting away the three-plus-inch overnight accumulation of snow, but making for a slippery ride to work this morning. Most public schools in the county opened after a two-hour delay. The exception: Ramapo Central schools, which were opened on schedule. Highway officials said the roads were clearing in most areas but urged motorists to drive carefully, especially as the late-day temperatures dip toward the freezing mark.
WEST NYACK STATE TROOPER DIES IN FALL FROM LADDER
A long-time New York State Trooper from West Nyack died in Orange County this week after falling from a ladder. Authorities say 42-year-old Richard O’Brien fell about 15 feet from an extension ladder, while doing repair work at a home he owned in Walden. He died of head and internal injuries at St. Luke’s hospital in Newburgh. O’Brien was a 12-year veteran of the State Police who served with the Army National Guard in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s survived by his wife, who’s pregnant.
CONVICTED NAIL-SPREADER TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE
The West Haverstraw man who spread nails outside his neighbors’ homes will be busy every weekend for the next six months. Sixty-year-old Michael Delisio was sentenced Monday to 26 weekends – Saturdays and Sundays – of community service. He pleaded guilty in August to scattering roofing nails on the driveways of people with whom he had been feuding, including at least one relative. Police say Delisio may have done the nail-spreading bit more than 40 times over a two-year period, from 2006 to 2008.
COUNTY TO HOST THIRD FREE SWINE FLU CLINIC NEXT WEEK
Another week, another Swine Flu clinic. The county health department says it’s offering free H1N1flu shots next Monday, December 14th, at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. It’s the third round of shots offered by the county since the H1N1 vaccine arrived in Rockland last month. Monday’s clinic will run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. To register, call 364-2633.
12-08-09
D.A.: ERLICH AMBUSHED BY KILLER IN HER CONDO
Prosecutors say slain school-teacher Jami Erlich walked in on her murderer. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says Erlich was on her cell-phone with her boyfriend when she entered her Valley Cottage condominium on the night of November 29th – and that the call abruptly ended when she was attacked. A county grand jury indicted Erlich’s neighbor, Eric Lau, for the murder yesterday. Few other details of the crime were released, although Zugibe said there was NO EVIDENCE that Erlich had been attacked sexually. Lau was arrested last Tuesday in a wooded area of New City after a two-day search by Clarkstown police.
NICHOLSON EXPECTED TO PLEAD GUILTY IN FRAUD CASE
Haverstraw native James Nicholson is expected to plead guilty this week to federal fraud charges. The 42-year-old investment advisor is accused of bilking clients – including friends and relatives – out of more than $160-million. Nicholson is due to appear Friday at U.S. District court in Manhattan to enter a plea. He faces up to 65 years in prison if convicted, but the reported plea deal could shorten that term under current sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors say Nicholson lived high-on-the-hog with his investors’ money, splitting his time among three residences -- in Manhattan; Southampton, NY; and Palm Beach, Florida – worth a total of some $40-million.
FOUR PLEAD GUILTY IN BOOTLEG CIGARETTE CASE
Four businessmen charged with selling bootlegged cigarettes in Rockland County have pleaded guilty in the case. Prosecutors say the men dealt in cigarettes on which they paid no taxes but sold at full price, pocketing the difference. The four, who made the sales at stores in Haverstraw, West Haverstraw and New City, have been ordered to pay some $370,000 in back taxes and face further sentencing. They were arrested last year after a sting operation by county and federal agents.
JASMIN BECOMES SPRING VALLEY’S FIRST WOMAN MAYOR
Political history was made yesterday in Spring Valley when Noramie Jasmin was sworn in as mayor. Jasmin becomes the village’s first woman mayor and, reportedly, New York State’s first Haitian-American mayor. She was elected last month to succeed George Darden.
INDIAN POINT SIREN TEST SCHEDULED TOMORROW MORNING
Get ready for another test of the Indian Point alert system. The sirens are set to go off tomorrow morning at 10:30 and blare at full volume for a full four minutes, if all goes well. It’s the third test of the nuclear plant’s alert system in recent months. The initial one was less than a resounding success, as ten percent of the sirens in the system failed to go off.
12-07-09
STONY PT. CARE-GIVER CHARGED WITH CHEATING NYS IN PAY SCAM
A North Rockland woman has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly cheating New York State out of thousands of dollars in pay. The woman, Sara Bogart of Stony Point, was a state-employed care-giver while she reportedly worked a second job for a privately-run facility. Prosecutors say Bogart filed time-sheets and collected more than $30,000 in pay from the STATE for some of the private work she performed between 2004 and 2007. Bogart is due back in court next month. She faces up to seven years in jail if convicted of the grand larceny charge.
RAMAPO PUTS ORTHODOX COP ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
Ramapo’s first Orthodox Jewish police officer may be out of a job soon. Officials say probationary officer Baile Glauber has been placed on administrative leave – with no gun and no badge – while a police commission decides her future. Glauber has been on limited duty because of an injury sustained during her probationary period, which is scheduled to end in February. She made news shortly after being hired when she was granted a work schedule with Saturdays off because of her religion. This prompted others in the department to request schedules consistent with their religions. Glauber has filed a federal complaint saying she’s been discriminated against by some of her co-workers because of her religious beliefs.
E. RAMAPO BATTLE SEEN OVER PLAN TO HIRE PRIVATE SCHOOL BUS FIRM
A fight may be brewing in East Ramapo over a proposal to hire a private bus firm to replace the district-run school-bus service. Proponents of the move say it would cut costs and help the beleaguered district meet its $25-million budget. But opponents, including school board president Nathan Rothschild, say the personal care and concern that come with having long-time locally-based drivers are more important to the students. Meanwhile, district drivers say they’re worried about losing not only their jobs but possibly their pensions as well.
ROCKLAND PSYCH SLAMMED IN FEDERAL INSPECTION REPORT
Another poor report card – and now the Rockland Psychiatric Center may lose its federal funding. Officials say they found lapses in patient care at the state-run facility in Orangeburg during inspections in August, September and October. And the Psych Center has been given until next Monday to show a plan for correcting the problems, which reportedly involve both poor record-keeping and a lack of patient-treatment plans. It’s the second time in less than two years the 500-bed facility has come up short in a major inspection report.
12-04-09
JAMI ERLICH REMEMBERED AT SERVICE; MURDER CASE GOES TO GRAND JURY
Slain teacher Jami Erlich was remembered by family and friends yesterday in a ceremony at Temple Beth Am in Pearl River. Hundreds packed the synagogue to say good-bye to Erlich, the 32-year-old elementary-school gym teacher who was beaten and stabbed to death Sunday in her Valley Cottage condominium. Her next-door neighbor, Eric Lau, is charged with the killing. Rabbi Daniel Pernick presided over yesterday’s service for Erlich, as he did for her Bat Mitzvah 19 years ago. Of her death, he said, “There is a profound sense of anger and outrage. None are ready to say good-bye to Jami.”
As for Lau, whose case went before a county grand jury today, he faces indictment for second-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty to the charge after his arrest Tuesday. The 32-year-old Lau dismissed his private lawyer, David Goldstein, yesterday for reasons not made public. He’s represented now by the county public defender’s office, which has asked that all court records on Lau be sealed to protect his right to a fair trial.
23 INDICTED FOR SELLING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS TO TEENS
Twenty-three people were indicted in New City yesterday, accused of selling prescription drugs to teen-agers in Clarkstown, Orangetown and Ramapo. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says six more arrests are imminent as a result of the year-long investigation into drug sales in malls, parks and even outside Congers Elementary School. The drugs reportedly included Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin and sold for as high as $80 a pill. Officials say many of those charged are young, first-time offenders who took the drugs from their families’ medicine cabinets and used text messaging to set up the sales.
PFIZER ANNOUNCES 200+ LAYOFFS
It’s official. There will be lay-offs at the Pfizer plant in Pearl River. The drug maker filed notice this week it plans to let more than 200 employees go within the next three months. Pfizer says it’s already begun notifying workers of the impending lay-offs. It’s all part of a global cutback by Pfizer and brings the total of its announced layoffs in New York State so far to nearly a thousand.
LEGISLATURE APPROVES TRIMMED-DOWN COUNTY BUDGET
Legislators in New City approved a scaled-down county budget yesterday that they say will raise the average property-tax bill by about $14 a year. That’s about half the increase included in the original budget submitted last month by County Executive Scott Vanderhoef. Part of the savings would be used to scale down Vanderhoef’s proposed cutbacks to contract agencies from 15% to 7.5%.
12-03-09
ERLICH MURDER CASE TO GRAND JURY TOMORROW
The case against murder suspect Eric Lau goes to a county grand jury tomorrow. The 32-year-old Valley Cottage man was charged yesterday in the beating-and-stabbing death of his next-door neighbor, Jami Erlich. Her body was found Sunday night in her apartment at the Lake Road Condominiums. Lau pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder yesterday in Clarkstown Town Court. He was arrested Tuesday by town police after a two-day search that ended in a wooded area of New City. The 32-year-old Erlich was a popular phys-ed instructor at the Richard Connor Elementary School in Suffern. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says he expects the grand jury to return an indictment against Lau as early as next Monday.
E. RAMAPO BOARD RETAINS ATTORNEY IT VOTED TO REPLACE
The East Ramapo school board voted last night to retain the district’s long-time attorney, Stephen Fromson. The action came at a boisterous board meeting attended by more than 500 district residents. Many of them were angry over the board’s recent decision to replace Fromson with Long Island attorney Stephen D’Agostino at a cost to the district estimated at more than twice the amount paid to Fromson. The board last night also hired a South Nyack law firm to advise it in a legal dispute over the initial hiring of D’Agostino. That action came hours after the Westchester law firm hired for that purpose the night before backed out of the contentious situation.
DAY SAYS IT’S TIME FOR ROCKLAND TO GET TOUGH ON MTA PAYROLL TAX
County Legislator Ed Day says, barring withdrawal from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, getting tough may be Rockland’s last hope for equity. Day was on hand Tuesday at a Sparkill luncheon conference with MTA Chairman Jay Walder. At issue – the Payroll Mobility Tax, which will cost employers in the MTA region tens of millions of dollars a year -- all in an effort to keep New York City bus and subway fares down. Day told WRCR this morning that Walder’s comments at the luncheon made it clear the MTA has no plans to give Rockland and the other outlying MTA counties relief from the tax. And that, he added, means Rockland’s legislators in Albany must make a rollback of the tax the price of their support for legislation favored by their fellow lawmakers.
MICHEL REMOVED FROM VOTER ROLLS AFTER RESIDENCY PROBE
County Legislator Jacques Michel is crying foul over his removal from the voter registration rolls. The Rockland Board of Elections took that action this week after board investigators concluded that Michel did not, in fact, live at his listed Spring Valley address. It’s not clear whether Michel’s position on the county legislature is now in jeopardy. For his part, Michel calls the election board action “a conspiracy … to disenfranchise me as the first Haitian-American county legislator.” All of this comes as Spring Valley poises to inaugurate the nation’s first Haitian American mayor. Noramie Jasmin takes office next Monday, a month after her election to succeed the outgoing George Darden.
12-02-09
NEIGHBOR CHARGED IN DEATH OF VALLEY COTTAGE WOMAN
The man sought as a “person of interest” in the murder of school teacher Jami Erlich has now been charged with her killing. Clarkstown police say 32-year-old Eric Lau was arraigned in Town Court this morning and charged with second-degree murder. Erlich was beaten and stabbed to death Sunday inside her Valley Cottage condominium. The search for Lau, who was Ehrlich’s neighbor, began shortly after her body was discovered Sunday night, and intensified Monday when he failed to show up at work in Pearl River. Police captured Lau last evening in the woods off Lansdale Drive in New City. The 32-year-old Erlich was a gym teacher at the Connor Elementary School in Suffern.
E. RAMAPO HIRES LAW FIRM TO ADVISE DISTRICT ON HIRING OF LAWYER
The East Ramapo school board is hiring a Westchester law firm to advise the district on the legality of its recent hiring of a new board attorney. The decision was announced at a special session last night. It was called in the wake of a public outcry over the hiring of Long Island attorney Albert D’Agostino to replace long-time board attorney Stephen Fromson. Some 350 residents left last night’s eight-minute-long public portion of the session with questions unanswered – questions the board says they can ask at tonight’s regular session, scheduled for 7 p.m.
PUBLIC WORKSHOP TONIGHT ON COUNTY MASTER PLAN
The Rockland public will get a chance tonight to help shape a new master-plan for the county. A workshop session is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Fire Training Center in Pomona. Officials hope to use the master-plan to guide future development in the county. And they’re seeking public input on a range of issues it will involve, from housing and zoning to transportation and the allocation of natural resources. Rockland’s last official master plan was adopted in 1973.
PROTESTERS MARCH AS OBAMA SPEAKS AT WEST POINT
Some 250 demonstrators marched last night to the gates of West Point, where President Obama addressed the nation on the war in Afghanistan. As expected, Obama announced he’ll send some 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in the coming weeks. At the same time, he said, the U.S. will begin a troop pullout from Afghanistan in the spring of 2011. Many of the anti-war protesters on hand for the address remained unswayed by the pullout plan, calling it a continuation of the war. A handful of counter-demonstrators were there as well, to criticize Obama for not doing enough to win the war.
12-01-09
SEARCH FOR “PERSON OF INTEREST” IN VALLEY COTTAGE MURDER CENTERS ON NORTHERN CLARKSTOWN
The car of a man sought as a “person of interest” in the Jami Erlich murder reportedly has been located. Clarkstown police have been searching for 32-year-old Eric Lau since Erlich was found beaten and stabbed to death Sunday night in her Valley Cottage condominium. A police spokesman says Lau’s car was found this morning off North Main Street in New City. As a precaution in case Lau is in the area, Clarkstown North schools have locked their doors, and residents have been urged to stay inside and lock THEIR doors as well. At this point, Police say only that Lau, who was one of Erlich’s neighbors, might have information about the murder and is not officially a suspect. The 32-year-old Erlich was a gym teacher at the Robert Connor Elementary School in Suffern.
ACCIDENT VICTIM MARINE SGT. IRENE GREGORIADES BURIED IN HAVERSTRAW
Marine Staff Sergeant Irene Gregoriades was laid to rest with full military honors yesterday after a funeral mass at St. Peter’s Church in Haverstraw. The 26-year-old North Rockland native died last week of injuries suffered in a New Jersey car crash two weeks earlier. Gregoriades, who served in Iraq in 2005, is survived by a two-year-old son.
OBAMA TO DETAIL AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY IN WEST POINT SPEECH TONIGHT
The war in Afghanistan has all eyes on West Point tonight. That’s where President Obama will deliver his address to the nation on the future of U.S. involvement in that war. Obama reportedly will outline a long-term withdrawal plan from Afghanistan, preceded by a buildup requiring tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops. Anti-war protesters are planning a candlelight vigil outside the West Point gates just before Obama’s scheduled 8 p.m. speech.
E. RAMAPO SPECIAL B.O.E. SESSION ON ATTORNEY HIRING SCHEDULED TONIGHT
East Ramapo residents opposed to the district’s hiring of a new attorney are hoping to have their say at a special school board meeting tonight. Board president Nathan Rothschild called the session, apparently in response to a public outcry against the hiring of Albert D’Agostino. The Long Island lawyer reportedly would cost the district at least twice as much as the man he would replace – East Ramapo’s long-time attorney, Rocklander Stephen Fromson.
COUNTY’S SECOND SWINE FLU CLINIC SCHEDULED DECEMBER 7TH
County health officials say they’ve received a second shipment of Swine Flu vaccine. And the county will hold its second H1N1 CLINIC next Monday afternoon at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. The Swine Flu shots will be available only to those who register in advance by calling the Health Department at 364-2633.
COUNTY BLOOD DRIVE TOMORROW AT YEAGER HEALTH CENTER
The county is holding the last of its four yearly blood drives tomorrow at the Yeager Health Center. Those who donate will be offered the usual post-donation snacks. And donors who arrive with food, toys or holiday gift cards for needy residents will be eligible for raffle prizes. Tomorrow’s blood drive runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 364-2017 to make an appointment.
11-30-09
POLICE PROBING DEATH OF VALLEY COTTAGE WOMAN
Clarkstown police are investigating a homicide in Valley Cottage. The body of the victim, identified as 32-year-old Jami Ehrlich, was found last night at her residence on Church Lane. Police are withholding additional information on the homicide – including cause of death and possible suspects -- pending further investigation.
MILITARY BURIAL IN HAVERSTRAW FOR “SERGEANT G.”
Family and friends bid a final good-bye today to “Sergeant G.” Twenty-six year-old North Rockland native and Marine Staff Sergeant Irene Gregoriades died last Monday of injuries suffered in a New Jersey car crash. Gregoriades, who served in Iraq in 2005, was buried this morning in Haverstraw with full military honors. She leaves a two-year-old son.
ANTI-WAR VIGIL PLANNED FOR PRESIDENT AT WEST POINT
Protesters against the war in Afghanistan are expected to greet President Obama at West Point tomorrow night. Obama will address the nation from the military academy at 8 p.m. tomorrow, reportedly to announce he’s sending thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan. More than a dozen anti-war protesters plan to gather earlier in a Highland Falls park, then stage a candlelight vigil at the West Point gates.
E. RAMAPO SCHOOL BOARD TO HOLD SPECIAL MEETING ON CONTROVERSIAL ATTORNEY HIRING
Last week’s hiring of a new attorney by the East Ramapo school board might not be a done deal after all. The board will meet tomorrow night in special session, apparently bowing to public outrage over the hiring. At issue, in part, is money. The Long Island-based lawyer, Albert D’Agostino, would cost the district an estimated two to three times the amount paid to Rockland attorney Stephen Fromson, who was let go after serving East Ramapo for some 30 years. Also at issue is an allegation by the New York State Comptroller that D’Agostino received public pension money improperly.
S.V. MAN ACQUITTED OF RAPE CHARGE FACES DEPORTATION
A Spring Valley man acquitted of a rape charge last week remains in county jail today as an illegal alien facing deportation. Twenty-one year-old Alex Martinez Nazarigos was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at his village residence last January. While acquitting him of first-degree rape, the jury deadlocked on a statutory rape charge. Martinez Nazarigos will be re-tried on that charge January sixth. In the meantime, federal officials will consider whether to return him to his native Guatemala.
T-Z BRIDGE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS MOVE TO WESTCHESTER
Those public meetings on the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project continue this week and next in Westchester. Workshop sessions are scheduled tomorrow night in Elmsford and next Tuesday night in Portchester. The meetings, which began in Rockland earlier this month, are designed to give the public some say in how the new bridge – and the bus and train lines it will carry – will affect individual communities on both sides of the Hudson. Construction of the replacement bridge is expected to start in 2013, and be completed four years later.
11-27-09
ST. LAWRENCE: E. RAMAPO SCHOOL ATTORNEY SWITICH “MAKES NO SENSE.”
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence is weighing in on a simmering dispute in the East Ramapo School District. At issue is the recent firing of the district’s long-time attorney and the hiring of a new attorney at an estimated twice to three times the cost. Opponents of the move say the school board’s majority faction rammed it through with no regard to public concerns over district spending. St. Lawrence told WRCR this morning he has no official role in the school dispute but can use his “bully pulpit” to represent district residents. And in this case, he said, the board’s decision makes no sense, financially.
MTA CHAIRMAN TO SPEAK (AND LISTEN) IN ROCKLAND TUESDAY
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new chairman is coming to Rockland next week – to get an earful from the public. Jay Walder will appear Tuesday at a noon-time luncheon at the Rockland Country Club in Sparkill. It’s part of what’s being called a “listening tour” by Walder of the four counties that share a single vote on the MTA Board. What he’s likely to hear MOST are complaints about the recently-imposed Payroll Mobility Tax, a fee that will cost employers in the MTA region millions of dollars a year. The public is invited to Tuesday’s luncheon by reservation only, through the Rockland Business Association, the event co-sponsor.
MARINE SGT. KILLED IN CAR CRASH TO BE BURIED MONDAY IN HAVERSTRAW
Funeral services have been set for Marine Sergeant Irene Gregoriades. The 26-year-old North Rockland native died Monday of injuries sustained in a New Jersey car crash earlier this month. She’ll be buried in Haverstraw Monday with full military honors. Known affectionately as “Sergeant G.,” Gregoriades served in Iraq in 2005 before re-upping for a second four-year stint with the Marines. She leaves a two-year-old son.
TWO INJURED WEDNESDAY IN AIRMONT ROAD FLIP-OVER
Two Ramapo residents injured in a one-car accident on Airmont Road Wednesday are at Good Samaritan Hospital today. Doctors say 43-year-old Wanda and 37-year-old Eugene Larkin of Sloatsburg suffered non-life-threatening injuries when their minivan hit a pole and overturned near Route 59. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
PFIZER PARKING LOT DEATH RULED A SUICIDE
The death of a man Tuesday in a parked car outside the Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Pearl River has been ruled a suicide. Orangetown police say the un-named, 44-year-old Westwood, New Jersey, man was a Pfizer employee. But they add there’s no evidence his suicide was related to Pfizer’s recently-announced restructuring at the plant and the layoffs expected to result.
VICTIMS’ FAMILY TO SUE ESTATE OF WRONG-WAY TACONIC PARKWAY DRIVER
The family of two Yonkers men killed this past July in the wrong-way, Taconic Parkway crash will file suit in the case next week. Michael and Guy Bastardi died when the wrong-way vehicle slammed head-on into their car. A third person in the Bastardi’s car also was killed, along with the wrong-way driver, Diane Schuler, and four young children in her car. A lawyer for the Bastardi family says the lawsuit will target the estate of Mrs. Schuler, who was found to have been drunk and high on marijuana at the time of the crash.
11-25-09
SCHOOL GUNMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO KIDNAP CHARGE
Thirty-seven year-old Peter Cocker of Tappan admitted in state supreme court yesterday that he kidnapped and held South Orangetown schools superintendent Kenneth Mitchell at gunpoint inside his middle-school office this past June ninth. Cocker, a former New York City policeman, faces a five-year prison term when sentenced in January. Prosecutors agreed to the minimum sentence in part because the gun Cocker used in the confrontation was unloaded. Cocker allegedly was distraught over the school district’s policy on swine flu, an ailment his middle-school son might have had at the time.
SUFFERN DRUG SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY, FACES DEPORTATION
One of eight people arrested last week in a Suffern drug sweep pleaded guilty yesterday to selling cocaine. But 18-year-old Carlos Garcia has more than a drug sentence to worry about. Officials say he faces a federal warrant for being in the United States illegally and might well be deported before serving time on the drug conviction. Garcia, five other Rockland men, and two from New Jersey were picked up after a coordinated local, county and state investigation into cocaine sales in Suffern.
MAN FOUND DEAD IN PFIZER PARKING LOT
A New Jersey man was found dead yesterday inside a car parked at the Pfizer pharmaceuticals plant in Pearl River. Orangetown police say the victim, whose name was not immediately released, appeared to have committed suicide. It’s not known whether the death is related to Pfizer’s recently-announced restructuring at the Pearl River facility, a move that could mean hundreds of layoffs.
STATE RECOMMENDS SAFETY UPGRADE AT THRUWAY EXIT 15
The state Thruway Authority says the off-ramp at Exit-15 in Suffern needs a safety upgrade. In a report released yesterday, the Authority recommends a series of safety measures at the exit – including a speed-reduction to between 35 and 45 miles an hour, higher safety barriers, and new reflective strips in improve visibility. The study was made at the recommendation of County Legislator Alden Wolfe, following a fatal accident on the Exit-15 ramp this past July.
POLICE PATROLS STEPPED UP FOR HOLIDAY TRAFFIC
Police throughout the region are bracing for Thanksgiving Weekend. Extra patrols will be out as of this afternoon, the start of one of the busiest travel times of the year. Some forecasts say travel is likely to be OFF somewhat this year, given the economy. But police will be on the lookout as always for speeders, drunk drivers and seat-belt shunners. And stepped up holiday security at the region’s airports is expected to make that experience as slow and crowded as ever.
11-24-09
HOME SALES RISE IN ROCKLAND & WESTCHESTER
Some good economic news for Rockland -- possibly. Existing-home sales increased last month throughout the Lower Hudson Valley – up 9.9% in Rockland, and up 11.3% in Westchester. But in releasing the figures, the National Association of Realtors notes that home PRICES in the region remain stagnant at best. The median sale price in Westchester stayed at $575,000, while it dropped more than 11% to $407,000 here in Rockland.< P>
COUNTY: NO PENALTY IF TAXES PAID BY FRIDAY
Hundreds of Rockland taxpayers who received late-payment notices this month won’t be penalized after all. The County waved the $15.00 penalty after residents complained they hadn’t received the customary pre-payment reminders for their quarterly tax bills. But officials say forgiveness goes only so far. You’ve got until Friday to make your quarterly payment, or this time the penalty will stick.
PUBLIC WORKSHOP SCHEDULED ON COUNTY MASTER PLAN
Rockland County is set to hold the first public workshop on its Comprehensive Plan project. It’s scheduled for next Wednesday evening, December 2nd, at the Fire Training Center in Pomona. As envisioned, the Comprehensive Plan will guide all county planning and development for the next 20 years. County officials say the workshops will give the public insight and input into all aspects of the plan, including land use, housing, transportation and natural resources.
IRAQ VETERAN-MOTHER DIES AFTER CRASH
A Garnerville family is grieving the loss of a beloved daughter, sister and mother. Twenty-six year-old Irene Gregoriades died yesterday of injuries suffered in a Woodbridge, New Jersey, collision earlier this month. The 2001 North Rockland High School graduate was a U.S. Marine Sergeant, serving her second four-year hitch. The first took her to Iraq for seven months in 2005. Gregoriades, who was known affectionately as Sergeant G., leaves a two-year-old son.
11-23-09
EIGHT JAILED IN SUFFERN DRUG SWEEP
Six Rockland men are in County Jail, after their arrests late last week in a coordinated drug sweep. Suffern police say the six, along with two New Jersey men, were part of a cocaine distribution ring in and near the village. All eight face felony drug charges. Three of the men, all from Ramapo, are also suspected of being in the country illegally. Joining Suffern police in the investigation were law enforcement agents from the county, the states of New York and New Jersey, and the U.S. Immigration service.
CLARKSTOWN BUNGALOW RESIDENTS FACING EVICTION FOR PLANNED SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT
Residents of a Clarkstown bungalow colony say the town failed to notify them that they face eviction to make room for a senior-citizen housing complex. The town board is expected to approve the project permit when it meets tomorrow night. If it does, construction of the 105 one-bedroom units would likely start next spring, forcing demolition of the Hyenga Lake bungalow colony and the re-location of its residents. Town officials refute the non-notification claim, saying bungalow residents were told of the development plans last year.
FORMER SUFFERN TRUSTEE SUES MAYOR-ELECT OVER ALLEGED ASSAULT
Suffern’s mayor-elect, Dagan LaCorte, is being sued for assault by a former village trustee. Eighty-four year-old Jack Rosenberg says LaCorte roughed him up in a confrontation in the village two days before Election Day. In a suit filed in State Supreme Court, Rosenberg says he was carrying a bag of campaign literature for a LaCorte opponent when LaCorte approached and grabbed the bag forcibly, knocking him to the ground. LaCorte, who’s scheduled to take office December seventh, says Rosenberg fell on his own.
DARDEN TWEAKS CRITICS OVER DELAY IN PARK’S OPENING
Spring Valley’s outgoing mayor, George Darden, has taken a swipe at critics while announcing the opening of a new park. Darden says the Village on the Green Park project took two years to complete because the unfinished work of one contractor posed a safety hazard for the seniors who live near the park site, on Main Street and Maple Avenue. In a statement, Darden says it would have been wrong to risk the public safety “for the sake of opening the park when others thought it was time.”
COUNTY HAILS INITIAL SWINE FLU CLINIC AS SUCCESS
Rockland health officials say the county’s first Swine Flue vaccination clinic was a success. Some 12-hundred at-risk residents were inoculated Friday at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona, as the county distributed the first of its 40-thousand initial doses of the H1N1 vaccine. More clinics are expected in December and possibly January as the county receives more vaccine from the federal government. Groups at risk for the swine flu include pregnant women, health-care workers, care-givers for children under six months old, healthy residents between three and 24 years old, and 25-to-64-year-olds with underlying medical conditions.
NEW CITY PET SHOP “RESIDENTS” SAFE AFTER SUNDAY FIRE
All’s well that ends well … especially when fire is involved. An electrical fire brought emergency crews to the Pet Palace in New City early yesterday morning. The pet shop reportedly was filling with smoke when they arrived, so members of the New City fire department swung immediately into rescue mode. And before the flames were out, so were the 50 or more animals caged inside – cats, dogs, birds, even reptiles, all carried out of harm’s way by New City’s finest.
11-20-09
RAMAPO: EMPLOYEE BUYOUTS WILL SAVE $MILLIONS
The Town of Ramapo is offering buyouts in an effort to cut costs. The plan offers town employees six months’ pay if they retire now. Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence told WRCR this morning that 19 employees have expressed an interest in the early-retirement plan so far. He said if they do take the buyouts, that could saver the town some $3,000,000 dollars in salaries over the next two years alone. A buyout plan is already in place for county employees. Ramapo is the first municipality in Rockland to follow suit during the current economic crisis.
ROCKLAND TAKES OVERFLIGHT CASE TO U.S. SUPREME COURT
Rockland County is taking its case against those planned airline over-flights to the U.S. Supreme Court. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says attorneys this week filed a brief asking the High Court to let Rockland’s suit against the Federal Aviation Administration go forward. A federal appeals court dismissed the suit earlier this year – a ruling the county wants the Supreme Court to vacate. The FAA’s so-called airspace redesign plan would add hundreds of flights daily to the skies over this region.
FAA: GLITCH FIXED, FLIGHTS BACK ON TIME
FAA officials say the computer glitch that caused flight delays across the country yesterday has been repaired. The breakdown reportedly involved the FAA’s main computer centers in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. Here in the Hudson Valley, air travelers fared a bit better than those in other parts of the country. Officials say the glitch caused only minor delays at the Westchester County Airport.
UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN SLIGHTLY IN REGION
New figures show October’s unemployment rate in the lower Hudson region including Rockland came in at seven-point-one percent. That’s well below the 10.2% national rate – and slightly below the region’s September rate – but it’s still well above last October’s 5% unemployment rate regionally.
POVERTY RATE UP IN REGION
New figures from the FEDERAL government show an increase of poor people in the region. Statistics released by the Census Bureau Wednesday say some 12-thousand Rockland and Westchester residents fell below the poverty level during the past year. The poverty rate for Rockland jumped from 8.8% in 2008 to 10.4% in 2009. The Westchester rate climbed less steeply – from 7.7% to 8.4%.
11-19-09
SWINE FLU CLINIC SET FOR TOMORROW AT YEAGER HEALTH CENTER
The county health department is set for its first public Swine Flu clinic. Those who register for the shots will line up tomorrow at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona, starting at 9 a.m. The first shipment of H1N1 vaccine – some 40,000 doses – arrived in the county this week. Additional clinics are planned as the rest of Rockland’s 173,000 allotted doses come in. Officials say the vaccine is only for those in high-risk groups, which include pregnant women, health-care workers, care-givers for infants under six months old, healthy residents aged three to 24, and those between 25 and 64 years old with underlying conditions. If you’re in one of those groups, you need to register for the clinic. To do that, call the health center at 364-2633.
CRITICS PAN COUNTY LEGISLATURE FOR ART-WORK EXPENDITURE
A work of art commissioned for display at the Yeager Health Center has come under fire, but not for its content. It’s the sculpture’s $100,000 price-tag that brought several critics to Tuesday’s County Legislative session. The expenditure, of funds already allocated for art under a decades-old law, was approved by an 11-to-5 vote – but not before some angry residents let loose about spending priorities. New City legislator Ed Day was one of the five to vote “no.” He told WRCR listeners this morning his objection isn’t to spending county funds on art as such, but to doing so in these tough economic times.
THEFTS PROPMT HEIGHTENED POLICE PATROLS IN SOUTH NYACK AND GRANDVIEW
Police in South Nyack and Grandview are stepping up patrols due to an up-tick in crime. Officials say the crimes have been non-violent – primarily thefts from unlocked cars and residents’ front porches. Police Chief Robert Van Cura tells the Journal News there were four reported property thefts from cars on a single day. He advises residents to make sure their vehicles are locked at night, even if they’re in the driveway.
11-18-09
COUNTY TO DISPENSE SWINE FLU VACCINE FRIDAY
The Swine Flu vaccine has come to Rockland. The county health department says It will start dispensing the H1N1 vaccine at a free clinic this Friday. The day-long clinic opens at 9 a.m. Friday in Building A of the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. Only those who register are eligible for the shots … and only those who are in high-risk groups. Those are: pregnant women, health care workers, caregivers for infants under six months old, healthy residents aged 3 to 24, and those between 25 and 64 years old with high-risk medical conditions. To register, call the health center at 364-2633.
THYROID SCREENING CLINIC HELD TODAY AT RCC
Rockland Community College hosted a free thyroid screening clinic today. The clinic was sponsored by a group tracking possible victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant accident in Ukraine but was open to anyone concerned about thyroid cancer. The sponsors say fallout from Chernobyl exposed people around much of the world to cancer-causing radiation.
INDUSTRY GROUP: GOOD SAM IS VERY GOOD AT HEART SURGERY
Good Samaritan Hospital has earned a top industry award. It’s one of 12 hospitals in New York to win the Healthgrades Award for Excellence in Cardiac Surgery, and is cited as the region’s best facility for coronary bypass and valve replacement surgery. Good Sam opened its cardiac surgery center less than three years ago.
SPRING VALLEY TEENS CHARGED WITH HATE CRIME IN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY
Two Spring Valley teens accused of trying to rob a Hispanic man last month have been charged with a hate crime. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says 16-year-old Leroy Simpson and 17-year-old Tre Sellers admitted they singled the victim out because of his race. They’re said to have believed he was a day laborer whose cash would be in hand rather than in a bank. The alleged crime occurred October tenth on West Church Street in the village.
11-17-09
REPORT: THYROID CANCER RATE NEAR INDIAN POINT WELL ABOVE U.S. AVERAGE
A published report says the incidence of thyroid cancer in the counties nearest to Indian Point, including Rockland, is 66 percent higher than the national average. The International Journal of Health Services cites data showing that the disparity began after the nuclear plant began operating in the late 1970’s. Critics of United Water’s proposed Hudson River desalination plant say the report is one more reason to abandon the project. As envisioned, the desalination plant would take water from the river off Haverstraw, right across from Indian Point.
THYROID SCREENING TOMORROW AT R.C.C.
In a related development, a free thyroid screening clinic is scheduled for Rockland County tomorrow. It’s part of a continuing effort to identify and help victims of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in Russia more than two decades ago. The screenings’ sponsor, Project Chernobyl, says people around much of the world were exposed to radiation released during the 1986 accident – fallout that could lead to thyroid cancer. Tomorrow’s screenings will be held – by appointment only -- at Rockland Community College, Room 5303, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. To make appointment, call Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffe at 624-4601.
NEW SAFETY RULES FOR FLIGHTS OVER HUDSON
New safety rules for aircraft flying over the Hudson are on the way. The Federal Aviation Administration says the river airspace will be divided into three levels. Smaller aircraft, including helicopters, that are used for local purposes such as sight-seeing, news gathering and police work will be limited to flying at 1,000 feet or lower. Small planes flying through the airspace must stay between 1,000 and 1,300 feet high. And larger aircraft, such as commercial flights, will continue to use the space above 1,300 feet, which is monitored by air traffic controllers. The new rules, to be formally announced Thursday, come in response to the fatal collision this past August of a small plane and a sight-seeing helicopter over New York City.
HEARING ON PROPOSED HOSPICE SLATED FOR NEXT TUESDAY IN NEW CITY
Rockland County’s first hospice home may be coming soon. A public hearing is scheduled next Tuesday on United Hospice of Rockland’s request for a special permit to operate a home in New City. The hearing, at Clarkstown Town Hall, is the latest chapter in a five-year quest by United Hospice to bring Rockland a facility to care for terminally-ill patients in their final days. As it stands, the area’s closest hospice facilities are in Orange County and the Bronx.
TWO JAILED, TWO SOUGHT IN W. HAVERSTRAW ROBBERY
Haverstraw police are on the lookout for two young men suspected in a weekend robbery. Two 18-year-olds, Fernando Dunbar of Spring Valley and Dior Lovelle of Pomona, were arrested Sunday after they and the two being sought allegedly robbed a man on Bridge Street in West Haverstraw. Police say the four took the man’s wallet and cell phone. Dunbar and Lovelle are in County Jail on $50,000 bail each while police search for their alleged accomplices.
11-16-09
STATE MIGHT DITCH NEW LICENSE PLATE FEE
The new license plate fee for New Yorkers might not happen after all. Governor David Paterson and state legislative leaders say they’ll repeal the $25 fee if they can agree on ways to cut the budget by the $129-million-a-year the fee would bring in. Public outrage met the initial proposal, and Albany’s second thoughts come as county clerks from across New York stage a protest visit to the State Capitol today. As it stands, the fee is to go into effect next April. It’s not clear if the planned switch to gold-colored license plates would be dropped along with the fee.
FIRM DROPS PLAN FOR CONGERS LANDFILL
Here in Rockland, Congers residents have won the battle to keep a proposed landfill out. The site, a sinkhole at the Davies property off Route 303, was to have been filled with construction material from the New City revitalization project. The site planner, Cal Mart Enterprises, says the material would not be hazardous to nearby Lake DeForest, as has been feared. But a Cal Mart spokesman says the firm is dropping its permit application, bowing willingly to public concerns.
HIGH FORECLOSURE RATE SLAMS LOWER HUDSON REGION
The region continues to be hit hard by economic woes, including unemployment and the resultant loss of homes. Monthly figures cited by The Journal News show a more-than two-fold year-to-year increase in initial foreclosure filings across the lower Hudson Valley. That includes an increase in Rockland from 94 filings in October, 2008, to 177 filings last month. The October increase in Westchester was even steeper, from 96 foreclosure filings in 2008 to 320 filings in 2009.
TARGET, WAL-MART SET FOR HOLIDAY PRICE WAR
One good sign for cash-strapped consumers: Wal-Mart and Target have declared a price war for the upcoming holiday season. The two retail giants say they’ll slash prices drastically on a range of products, including household appliances and electronics. The price war gets under way the day after Thanksgiving – or as it’s known to retailers hoping to wipe away the red ink: Black Friday.
SEAT-BELT CRACKDOWN IN EFFECT THROUGH THANKSGIVING
“Operation Click it or Ticket” is back in force, so buckle up. State officials say police will be out on the roads through Thanksgiving Weekend, checking for seat belts. They’re manditory for drivers and front-seat passengers, and for rear-seat riders under the age of 16. First-time fines for violators run as high as $100.
PIP-THRUWAY RAMP TO CLOSE FOR FIVE HOURS TOMORROW
If you’re heading north on the Palisades Parkway after rush hour tomorrow, hoping to pick up the Thruway eastbound, expect some delays. Officials say guard-rail work will close the Thruway entrance ramp at Parkway Exit 9-E from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Watch for detour signs at that same interchange that’ll guide you onto the Thruway.
11-12-09
T-Z REBUILD WORKSHOP TODAY AT PALISADES CENTER
Rockland and Westchester residents get another official look today at what’s in store locally when the Tappan Zee Bridge is replaced. The second of five community workshop on the bridge project is slated for 6 p.m. at the Palisades Mall’s Adler Community Room. The session will focus on Clarkstown – specifically, on how new mass transit options – via Thruway and railway -- would affect the town. The first workshop, focusing on Ramapo, was held two nights ago. The next one, focusing on Orangetown, is slated for next Wednesday, the 18th, at Nyack High School. The estimated five-year, $16-billion project could start as early as 2013. It calls for the addition of new, and as yet unfinalized, commuter bus and rail links across the new bridge.
NYACK VETERAN’S WIDOW SUES CEMETARY OVER GRAVESIDE MARKER
The Nyack widow of a World War Two veteran is suing a local cemetery over a missing veterans marker. Eighty-nine year-old Ruth Leonard says Oak Hill cemetery has failed to place a memorial marker at the grave of her late husband, Lonnie, who died IN 2007. She says Oak Hill has had the marker -- etched with Lonnie Leonard’s name, rank and service -- for two years. She’s suing the cemetery and its superintendent for $2,500,000 for what she calls its refusal to place the marker at the foot of her husband’s grave.
SCHUMER: 8,600 HOMELESS VETS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
Senator Charles Schumer says there are some 86-hundred homeless veterans in upstate New York, and that returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are becoming homeless at a faster rate than those in earlier wars. Schumer is calling for new funding to combat veteran homelessness and mental disorders, and to provide student loans for returning vets.
POLL GIVES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL SLIM CHANCE IN NYS SENATE
Those keeping count say the prospects for legalizing same-sex marriage in New York this year are far from certain. Governor David Paterson said yesterday he’s confident the State Senate will vote on gay-marriage legislation before the end of the year. But a survey by the media outlet, New York One, finds only 21 senators who say they’d vote “yes” on the legislation, with six saying definitely “no” and 35 senators, including Rockland’s Thomas Morahan, still on the fence. The state Assembly approved a same-sex marriage bill earlier this year.
11-11-09
RABBIT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR INACTION ON BUDGET DEFICIT
Assemblywoman Annie Rabbit is blasting Democrats in the Assembly and State Senate for delaying work on the state’s huge budget deficit. The Republican Rabbit, whose district covers parts of Ramapo, says the Democrats are – in her words – “sabotaging another opportunity” to save the state from bankruptcy. Both legislative houses are controlled by Democrats. They wrapped up brief special sessions yesterday with no agreements on how to deal with the deficit, estimated at between three and four billion dollars. The legislators have been meeting privately on the budget and have been called back for another special session next week.
PATERSON: STATE SENATE TO VOTE THIS YEAR ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL
One agreement apparently did come out of Albany yesterday. Governor David Paterson says State Senators agreed to vote before the end of the year on legislation to legalize same-sex marriage. The Assembly already has passed a same-sex measure, but its chance of passage in the Senate is viewed as uncertain.
CHERNOBYL GROUP TO SPONSOR THYROID CANCER SCREENING CLINIC AT RCC NEXT WEEK
A free thyroid screening clinic is scheduled in Rockland next week. It’s part of a continuing effort to identify and help victims of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in Russia more than two decades ago. The screenings’ sponsor, Project Chernobyl, says people around much of the world were exposed to radiation released during the 1986 accident – fallout that could lead to thyroid cancer. The screening clinic is scheduled for next Wednesday, November 18th, at Rockland Community College.
VETERANS DAY EVENTS MARK DAY IN NYC REGION
Parades and ceremonies marking Veterans Day were scheduled throughout the region today. The BIG event kicked off this morning, with hundreds of thousands of people lining Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue for the New York City parade. Here in Rockland, ceremonies were held in Pearl River and Garnerville. Highlighting the LATTER -- an address by First Lieutenant Mike Boesch, commander of an Army Reserve company just back from Iraq.
SERVICEMAN THANKS ROCKLAND SUPPORTERS WITH FLAG FLOWN IN IRAQ
An American flag was raised outside the County Courthouse in New City at a Veterans ceremony YESTERDAY. The flag was dedicated to courthouse employees by a former co-worker – Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rolle – in appreciation for their support of Rolle and his fellow service members. The flag came to Rockland after being flown over several cities in Iraq, where Rolle served.
11-10-09
STATE LEGISLATURE IN SPECIAL SESSION TO TACKLE BUDGET DEFICIT
Rockland’s state legislators and their colleagues are in special session today, trying to deal with New York’s multi-billion-dollar budget deficit. The legislators were called to Albany by Governor David Paterson, who HAD hoped that meetings yesterday would smooth the way for today’s session. But Democrats and Republicans in the Assembly and State Senate were unable to agree even on the size of the deficit. Paterson places the shortfall at $3.2-billion. That’s $300-million more than Senate Democrats estimate – and a $500-million less than both Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly estimate. A spokesman for Rockland State Senator Thomas Morahan says he expects today’s session to be a long one.
PFIZER’S PEARL RIVER PLANT TO BECOME MAJOR RESEARCH FACILITY
Pfizer says it’s making its Pearl River plant one of the drug company’s five major research sites. But that might not be good news for all who work there. A Pfizer spokesman says the plant will switch its research emphasis from the current chemistry-based drugs to vaccines and bio-therapeutics. It’s not known how many workers would face re-location to other Pfizer facilities – or even the loss of jobs -- under the move, which is expected to be completed by 2011. The announcement comes as Pfizer cuts its global workforce – in part, with the planned closing of three upstate New York facilities at a loss of some 600 jobs.
HIGH-RISK SEX OFFENDER MOVES TO SPRING VALLEY
Police say a high-risk sex offender has moved to Spring Valley. Forty-three year-old Ronald Estiverne was convicted last year of having sexual contact – including attempted intercourse -- with a 13-year-old Clarkstown boy. He reportedly was sentenced to six years’ probation after serving less than a month in jail. Spring Valley police forwarded Estiverne’s new address -- 319 Roosevelt Avenue – to Ramapo school officials after receiving the required notification from Estiverne.
WRONG-WAY DRIVER SEEN VOMITING BEFORE FATAL CRASH
More details are coming to light in connection with the wrong-way Taconic Parkway collision that killed eight people this past July in Westchester County. A state police report says witnesses saw wrong-way driver Diane Schuler – apparently vomiting – after pulling off the road less than two hours before the crash. She reportedly was seen back on the road later, weaving aggressively through traffic. Blood tests showed Schuler was drunk and high on marijuana when she crashed head-on into another vehicle. It was revealed this week that her sister told police Schuler had smoked pot routinely – an assertion contradicting previous statements by other family members.
WEST POINT FOOD WORKERS THREATEN FRIDAY STRIKE
A federal mediator has been brought in to head off a strike by food service workers at West Point. Some 180 employees of the Newburgh-based company that handles the military academy’s food say they might walk off the job Friday, when their contract expires. The mediation effort is set to begin Thursday morning. The workers union reportedly seeks a 65-cent-an-hour raise – 40 cents more than the company is offering. A union spokesperson says the average West Point food-service employee makes about $23,000 a year.
11-09-09
DESALINATION PILOT PROJECT GETS NYS OKAY
The state of New York has given the okay for a pilot project to test Hudson River water for possible desalination. The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued the permit late last week, allowing United Water to get the test project going. The plan calls for up to two years of contaminant testing on water drawn from the Hudson in Haverstraw – to see if it could be made drinkable through desalination. Opponents say there’s enough drinkable water in Rockland to make desalination unnecessary.
COUNTY LEGISLATURE LIMITS FERTILIZER USE
The County Legislature has voted to regulate the use of fertilizer, limiting the amount that makes its way into local waterways. Under terms of the new law, the use of fertilizer is banned from December through March each year, when ground-freeze causes additional water runoff. Fertilizer with phosphorous is banned unless soil tests show it’s necessary. And lawn fertilizers cannot be used within 50 feet of surface water, such as lakes, streams and rivers.
COUNTY REVIEWING FAILURE TO SEND PRE-PAYMENT TAX NOTICES
Rockland officials are looking to find out why notices were not sent to home-owners last month, reminding them that their quarterly taxes were due. Scores of taxpayers confronted county officials Friday, after receiving late notices informing them they now were tax delinquents facing penalties. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef acknowledges the failure to send early reminders is a break from tradition – although the county is not required to do so. County Legislative Chairwoman Harriet Cornell promises the legislature will take whatever action it can – and legislative approval is necessary -- to have the penalties waived where appropriate.
SISTER SAYS WRONG-WAY TACONIC DRIVER WAS REGULAR POT SMOKER
There’s another twist in the wrong-way Taconic Parkway collision that killed eight people this past summer. The sister of wrong-way driver Diane Schuler now says her sister smoked marijuana regularly. The claim comes as the family of two men killed in the car Schuler hit head-on prepares to file a civil suit in the case. Blood tests performed on Schuler’s body just after the accident turned up both marijuana and alcohol. Until now, Schuler’s family members have denied she was a pot smoker.
NANUET HIGH SCHOOL HOSTS TEEN DRINKING FORUM TOMORROW NIGHT
A public forum on teens and drinking is slated for tomorrow night at Nanuet High School. Organizers call it step-one toward developing a comprehensive safety and healthy-lifestyle program for young people in Rockland. The forum comes partly in response to a survey suggesting local teen-agers find alcohol and drugs easily available – and that Rockland high school students drink more alcohol than those elsewhere in New York State. The legal drinking age in New York is 21.
PAVING PROJECT TO SLOW TRAFFIC AT PALISADES MALL THIS WEEK
Work starts today on the re-paving of a roadway alongside the Palisades Center Mall. Clarkstown highway department officials say the work will affect a section of Palisades Drive-North where it meets the Thruway ramp at Exit 12. The re-paving job is slated to last about a week, with minor traffic delays expected.
AUTISM CONFERENCE DRAWS HUNDREDS TO PEARL RIVER HILTON
Medical experts and concerned citizens gathered in Rockland today for the county’s fourth conference in recent years on AUTISM. More than 600 people were expected to attend the conference at the Pearl River Hilton. County Legislator John Murphy, who helped organize the conference, says the number of people with autism is increasing rapidly. And that, he says, requires more public education on the disorder, which affects a person’s ability to interact with others.
KRISTALLNACHT OBSERVANCE TONIGHT IN NEW CITY
A solemn ceremony in New City tonight marks the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht. It was on the night of November 9th, 1938, when German soldiers vandalized Jewish neighborhoods in Germany and Austria – the shattered glass from broken windows giving Kristallnacht its name. The Rockland observance takes place at 7:30 tonight in front of the county courthouse.
11-06-09
SPRING VALLEY FIRE DISPLACES RESIDENTS
A three-alarm fire heavily damaged a Spring Valley home yesterday. Firefighters from Spring Valley, Monsey and Hillcrest were at the scene, on Paikin Drive, for about a half-hour. Officials say no one was at home when they arrived at the scene at about ten a.m. There were no casualties, but village officials declared the split-level home uninhabitable after the fire, displacing its residents until necessary repairs are made.
NEW HEMPSTEAD MAN CHARGED IN ATTEMPT TO TORCH HIS OWN HOME
Ramapo police arrested a New Hempstead man yesterday on charges he tried to set his own home on fire with people inside. Twenty-six year-old Michael St. Fleur was picked up when he returned to the home on Gloria Drive about four hours after he reportedly was seen pouring an accelerant around the residence. The accelerant was never touched off. St. Fleur is charged with second-degree attempted arson. Police say he had been arguing with a family member before the incident.
MUMPS OUTBREAK REPORTED IN RAMAPO
An outbreak of mumps has hit Ramapo. It’s reported at least 45 people have come down with the highly-infections disease in recent weeks, virtually all in religious communities in Monsey and Spring Valley. Most of those diagnosed are children, and health officials say the outbreak likely began in August at a summer camp in Sullivan County. More than 60 other mumps cases have been reported elsewhere in the region – primarily in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and at the Kiryas Joel community in Orange County.
ORANGE COUNTY SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED
Convicted Orange County sex offender Michael Mele was sentenced to three years in jail yesterday for failing to register as such. Mele is considered a prime suspect in another case -- the disappearance of a young Brooklyn woman, Laura Garza. She was last seen with Mele on the night she disappeared last December. Mele has not been charged in that case.< P>
KERIK ADMITS HE LIED ABOUT PERSONAL FINANCES
Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik has admitted in court that he lied about his financial dealings while pursuing a top Bush administration post. Kerik told a judge in White Plains yesterday he faked a charitable contribution, hid income from the IRS and falsely reported paying taxes to his children’s nanny -- all while under consideration for the post of Homeland Security Director. The admissions came as part of a plea bargain that lets Kerik off the hook on the main corruption charges leveled against him. He’ll be sentenced next February.
YANKEES FETED IN MANHATTAN PARADE
Today was Parade Day in Manhattan – the first one in nine years for the World Champion New York Yankees. The ticker-tape parade stepped off at 11 a.m. from Battery Park and made its way up the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall. The Yanks won their 27th World Series Wednesday night, beating the Philadelphia Phillies four games to two. Their LAST title came in 2000 when the Yankees beat their cross-town rivals, the New York Mets.
11-05-09
YANKEE WORLD SERIES WIN EXTRA SWEET FOR ELECTION VICTORS
This was the Morning After for a second straight day –especially for Yankee fans. The bombers took home the team’s 27th World Series trophy last night, with a 7-3, Game-Six victory over the reigning-champ Philadelphia Phillies. Hideki Matsui knocked in six runs in the game, clinching the series Most Valuable Player award. Andy Pettit got the victory, his second of the series. Pedro Martinez took the loss. It’s the Yankees’ first World Series title since beating the Mets in 2000, and it comes in the first year of the new Yankee Stadium.
ELECTION WINNERS, LOSERS, TAKE STOCK
Here in Rockland, the winners and losers of Tuesday’s elections are dealing with the results. On the winning side, County Executive Scott Vanderhoef readies to start his fifth, four-year term. His Election Day opponent, Thom Kleiner, looks back not only at a personal loss, but at the defeat of his fellow Democrats in Orangetown. Paul Whelan headed the Republican ticket, winning Kleiner’s supervisor’s seat, and carrying running-mates Denis Troy and Thomas Divini to victory on the Town Board.
INCUMBENT DEMOCRATS WIN IN CLARKSTOWN, HAVERSTRAW AND RAMAPO
Elsewhere in Rockland, Election Day was a good one for incumbents. All three town supervisors who were up for re-election, Clarkstown’s Alex Gromack, Haverstraw’s Howard Phillips, and Ramapo’s Christopher St. Lawrence -- all Democrats -- swept to victory. Stony Point voters elected Republican William Sherwood as supervisor, to succeed Phil Moreno, who didn’t run for re-election.
L.I. CONTRACTOR CHARGED WITH UNDER-PAYING WORKERS IN ROCKLAND JOB
Prosecutors have charged a Long Island contractor with under-paying workers in a Rockland construction job. A spokesman for district attorney Thomas Zugibe says 59-year-old Mario Echeverria stole some $91,000 from at least five workers by paying them below the prevailing wage during a 2005 project at Helen Hayes Hospital. Echeverria is charged with grand larceny for the alleged under-payments -- and with perjury and falsifying records, for his alleged attempts to cover up.
11-04-09
ELECTION DAY BIG FOR ROCKLAND INCUMBENTS
Incumbents have been swept back into office throughout Rockland. Voters gave Republican Scott Vanderhoef the fifth term he sought as County Executive. Ramapo’s Christopher St. Lawrence, Clarkstown’s Alex Gromack, and Haverstraw’s Howard Phillips – all Democrats -- were returned as Town Supervisor.
DEMOCRATS TOP BALLOTTING IN RAMAPO, CLARKSTOWN, HAVERSTRAW
Vanderhoef held off a strong challenge from Orangetown’s departing Supervisor, Thom Kleiner, to win re-election by nearly 5,000 votes. St. Lawrence, who appeared on five ballot lines, scored a nearly-two-to-one victory over challenger Bruce Levine, who ran on the Preserve Ramapo line. Gromack and Phillips ran unopposed. Republicans took the two supervisor races where incumbents did not run – William Sherwood topping Democrat Peter Muller in Stony Point; and Paul Whalen beating Democrat Suzanne Barclay in Orangetown, to succeed Kleiner.
REPUBLICANS TO LEAD ORANGETOWN, STONY POINT
Republicans won both TOWN BOARD races in Orangetown, as well, with incumbent Denis Troy and running-mate Thomas Diviny scoring solid victories. Democrats Stephanie Hausner and George Hoehman took the Clarkstown board races. Haverstraw voters returned Democrats Vincent Gamboli and Isidro Cancel to the board, both unchallenged. Incumbent Democrats Geoffrey Finn and Luanne Konopko won in Stony Point. And voters returned Democrats David Stein and Yitzy Ullman to the Town Board in Ramapo.
NEW MAYORS FOR THREE BIG VILLAGES
Voters in Rockland’s three large villages elected first-time mayors – all Democrats: Noramie Jasmin won in Spring Valley, Dagan LaCorte in Suffern, and Richard Kavesh in Nyack. Village Board seats in West Haverstraw went to Robert D’Amelio and Robert Lagrow.
INCUMBENT LEGISLATOR, TOWN AND COUNTY CLERKS RETURNED TO OFFICE
Incumbent Bob Jackson held off a challenge from Giovanni Scaringi to return as County Legislator from Clarkstown. County Clerk Paul Piperato was returned to office … as were town clerks David Carlucci in Clarkstown, Charlotte Madigan in Orangetown, Josephine Carella in Haverstraw, and Joan Skinner in Stony Point.
11-03-09
COUNTY EXECUTIVE RACE TOPS ELECTION DAY RUNDOWN
Polls are open until 9 p.m. throughout Rockland, with more than 40 races to be settled on this Election Day. The key race county-wide pits incumbent County Executive.Scott Vanderhoef against Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner. County Clerk Paul Piperato runs unopposed for re-election. Giovanni Scaringi takes on incumbent Robert Jackson in the only county legislator’s race -- that of the 14th district, in Clarkstown.
Two town supervisors are running unopposed in Rockland – Clarkstown’s Alex Gromack and Haverstraw’s Howard Phillips. Ramapo’s incumbent supervisor, Chris St. Lawrence, is challenged by Spring Valley village attorney Bruce Levine. Suzanne Barclay and Paul Whelan are vying for the Orangetown supervisor’s seat being vacated by Kleiner. And in Stony Point, William Sherwood and Peter Muller are vying to succeed incumbent supervisor Phil Marino, who’s not running.
As for the villages, there are three key mayors’ races. Noramie Jasmin, Allan Thompson, and Jacques Michel are up for the seat being vacated by incumbent mayor George Darden. Richard Kavesh and Denise Hogan square off for Nyack Supervisor. And in Suffern, Dagan LaCorte takes on James Giannettino, with incumbent mayor John Keegan on the ballot but not actively seeking re-election. Finally, Christoph Sanders runs unopposed for mayor in Piermont.
SUFFERN MAYOR CANDIDATE ACCUSED OF TAKING RIVAL’S CAMPAIGN LEAFLETS
One issue tainting the Suffern mayor’s race: Candidate Dagan LaCorte faces a misdemeanor charge of petty larceny after an incident involving a rival’s campaign worker. Former village trustee Jack Rosenberg says he was handing out John Keegan leaflets on Sunday when LaCorte accosted him and grabbed his stack of leaflets. Rosenberg says he fell while chasing LaCorte, sustaining cuts and bruises.
GUARDIAN ANGELS HEADING FOR NYACK?
The Guardian Angels might come to Rockland. A former member of the red-bereted anti-crime group says Nyack would be good place to start. The Journal News quotes the one-time Angel -- Orangeburg resident Frank Morrico – as saying the group would start by working with Nyack’s homeless population, and would eventually train people in self-defense and anti-crime patrol work. The paper says some Nyack business owners are opposed to a Guardian Angels presence in the village on grounds it could make people associate Nyack with crime.
11-02-09
CANDIDATES, VOTERS BRACE FOR ELECTION DAY
It’s the last day before Election Day, and candidates throughout the county are making their last pitch for votes. At the top of the Rockland ballot is the race for County Executive, pitting incumbent Scott Vanderhoef against challenger Thom Kleiner, who’s stepping down as Orangetown Supervisor. County legislator Bob Jackson takes on a challenge from Giovanni Scaringi.
Two town supervisor races feature incumbents, as well. Alex Gromack is unopposed for re-election in Clarkstown. And in Ramapo, Christopher St. Lawrence with both major party endorsements, faces a challenge from Spring Valley village attorney Bruce Levine.
Suzanne Barclay and Paul Whelan battle it out for Kleiner’s seat in Orangetown. William Sherwood and Peter Muller square off in Stony Point, where the incumbent supervisor, Phil Moreno, is stepping down.
Trustee races are featured in several towns, including Clarkstown, where five candidates are chasing two board seats. The county’s three largest villages – Nyack, Spring Valley and Suffern -- will elect new mayors.
HUNDREDS MARCH ON CHICKEN PLANT SITE
Some 200 people turned out for yesterday’s protest march against New Square’s proposed chicken processing plant. Protestors made the mile-long march up Route 45 to Rovitz place, chanting and carrying anti-slaughterhouse signs. It was the second march in about as many weeks against the proposed 26-thousand square-foot facility, which nearby residents fear will bring in traffic and pollution at the expense of local property values. And it came just days after New Square officials put off a public hearing on the poultry plan scheduled for November tenth.
ALCOHOL SALES STING NABS THREE IN HAVERSTRAW
Haverstraw’s crackdown on illegal alcohol sales netted three arrests last week. The combined town-and-county task force reportedly used specially-trained teenagers in the sting operation. Officials say the teens – carrying no proof of age – were able to buy alcohol at three businesses in downtown Haverstraw -- Garcia’s and Broadway Groceries, and Haverstraw Bay Liquors. Clerks from all three stores face misdemeanor alcohol-sales charges. And police say the state will review each store’s liquor license.
10-30-09
CHICKEN PLANT PROTEST SET FOR SUNDAY; ST. LAWRENCE SEES ANTI-SEMITISM IN DEBATE
Opponents of the proposed New Square chicken slaughterhouse are ready to march in protest for a second time in as many weeks. The march, set for Sunday afternoon, will take demonstrators up Route 45 from Eckerson Road to the plant site near Rovitz Place. The yet-to-be-approved project has become a county-wide issue, focusing attention, in part, on New Square’s Jewish community. Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence told WRCR this morning he supports the rights of those PROTESTING the plant, but that, when it crosses over to anti-semitism he “won’t tolerate intolerance.”
COUNTY CLAIMS SUCCESS IN ONGOING PROBE OF WELFARE FRAUD
County officials say a major crackdown on welfare cheats has entered its final stage with the arrests of eight more people. The total of those charged with stealing Medicaid, food-stamp and other benefits since the crackdown began 16 months ago now stands at 62. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe told reporters at a news conference yesterday that those charged so far in the crackdown, dubbed “Operation Fraudbuster,” stole more than $580,000 in benefits. And he says the investigation will continue indefinitely as a permanent program, with one major difference from the first two phases: No amnesty period will be offered, allowing offenders to come forward, pay back the money they stole and possibly avoid trial.
NO CHARGES TO BE FILED IN CLARKSTOWN ABSENTEE BALLOT PROBE
The District Attorney’s office says no charges will be brought against Clarkstown Town Board candidate Aney Paul after a probe stemming from September’s primaries. Paul came from nowhere to stage an upset victory in the Working Families Party contest, thanks to 39 absentee ballots filed at once by her supporters just before the deadline. Questions arose as to whether those voters filed fraudulently -- for example, with no real intent to be out of the district on Primary Day. But investigators said yesterday they found no criminal intent on the part of Paul’s campaign.
SEARCH FOR PLANE SCALED DOWN IN HARRIMAN STATE PARK
The search for a small plane that might have gone down in Harriman State Park is in its fourth day today. But search officials say they’ll scale the effort back, now that the weather has cleared and there’s still no actual evidence that a crash occurred. Two helicopters yesterday circled the six-square mile area of the park where witnesses saw what appeared to be a plane going down in a stream of smoke. But officials said yesterday it’s more likely the plane was simply staging a low-level flight maneuver, possibly spewing smoke from a sky-writing device inadvertently left open.
10-29-09
DOUBTS RAISED AS SEARCH CONTINUES FOR PLANE IN HARRIMAN STATE PARK
Police helicopters were back in the sky over Harriman State Park today – in search of a small plane that might have gone down in the park on Monday. Steady rain and fog hampered the search for the past two days. The search centers on a six-square-mile section of the park in Haverstraw where witnesses saw what appeared to be a plane going down in a stream of smoke. But officials say there were no reports on Monday of a plane gone missing in the area. And this morning, Rockland’s Fire and Emergency Services Director, Gordon Wren, said chances are, what the witnesses saw wasn’t a crash, but a commonly-performed low-level flight maneuver – possibly by a plane emitting excess exhaust or smoke from a machine used in sky-writing.
RAMAPO SCHOOL BACK TO NORMAL AFTER LOCK-DOWN
Parents in East Ramapo are breathing easier this morning, after one of the district schools was locked down for a police search. That happened yesterday morning, when an unidentified man was reported to have entered the district’s Freshman Center on Viola Road. But a 90-minute search by Ramapo Police turned up no intruder, and school officials said the person seen in the building might have been one of the school’s employees.
CLARKSTOWN 2010 BUDGET UNVEILED
The Town of Clarkstown’s proposed 2010 budget calls for a 1.7% tax increase. Supervisor Alex Gromack unveiled the nearly-$133-million budget this week, saying it would add about $52 a year to the average household tax bill. A public hearing is set for next Thursday, with the Clarkstown Town Board scheduled to vote on the package later that night.
PHOTO ERROR FUELS POLITICAL DUEL IN STONY POINT
A photo errorlast Sunday has become a sore-point in the race for Stony Point Supervisor. The Journal News photo, of Republican candidate and former State Supreme Court justice William Sherwood, was mistakenly identified as that of retired Clarkstown Police Chief William Sherwood. The paper corrected the error on Monday, but Judge Sherwood says the mistake has confused Stony Point voters about his identity and record. Sherwood’s opponent for supervisor, Democrat Peter Muller, dismisses the complaint as a publicity grab by Sherwood in this last week before Election Day.
10-28-09
”INTRUDER” AT RAMAPO SCHOOL? MAYBE NOT.
East Ramapo School officials say the search for an intruder at the Ramapo Freshman Center on Viola Road this morning probably was unnecessary. A district spokesman says the person seen by the security guard who sounded the alarm just before 9 a.m. might have been one of the school’s maintenance men. The school was locked down for more than 90 minutes while Ramapo police searched the building.
CHICKEN PLANT HEARING POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
The public hearing scheduled for November 10th on the proposed New Square chicken processing plant has been postponed indefinitely. The company that would run the slaughterhouse made that call yesterday. Officials at Adir Poultry say they need more time to study the plant’s likely environmental impact before reporting to the public. Meanwhile, Opponents of the facility are keeping to their schedule, with a second protest march set for Sunday near the plant site on Route 45.
RAMAPO TOWN JUSTICE ADJOURNS ILLEGAL SCHOOL CASE FOR ONE MONTH
The town of Ramapo’s case against an illegal religious school in Suffern has been adjourned for a month. The ruling came yesterday from Town Justice Rhoda Schoenberger. Ramapo officials say the Yeshiva, in a converted residence on Highview Road, violates several of the town’s safety ordinances – including a lack of fire alarms and sprinklers. Yeshiva officials say they’re working to bring the building up to code. Meanwhile, town attorneys were scheduled to plead their case against the Yeshiva today before State Supreme Court justice Margaret Garvey.
MORAHAN HEADS BI-PARTISAN HUDSON VALLEY COALITION IN STATE SENATE
Senator Thomas Morahan says once Election Day is over, it’ll be time for bi-partisanship in Albany. And to that end, he’s cobbled together a coalition of Republicans and Democrats from the Hudson Valley to fight for the region’s interests on such matters as taxes and representation on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Morahan says the coalition has already drafted legislation to that end, to be filed when the Senate is back in session next January.
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR PLANE IN HARRIMAN PARK
Searchers are out on foot again today in Harriman State Park, trying to find a small plane that might have gone down in the park late Monday. Rain and fog grounded search helicopters yesterday and this morning. Further complicating matters is the possibility that there’s no plane to find. At least one witness says he saw a plane go down; others reported seeing a plume of smoke rising from the park. The Federal Aviation Administration says a small plane that took off from Orange County DID go off radar shortly before the reported crash, but that there were no reports of a plane gone missing.
TACO BELL GUNMAN LEFT WITHOUT MONEY … OR JOB
Haverstraw police now say there was no robbery in the Taco Bell robbery case. They say the man who pulled a gun and demanded money from a restaurant cashier on Monday fled empty-handed – stopping first in the manager’s office to ask for a job. The manager reportedly said, “No.” And police are now looking for a man with no money and no job – which, in these hard times, would seem to leave a wide-open field of suspects.
10-27-09
MTA PAYROLL MOBILITY TAX PAYMENTS BEGIN
Rockland employers have begun making their first payments of the controversial Payroll Mobility Tax, imposed by the State Legislature this year to bail out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The levy, of 33 cents per $100 of payroll, hits all employers in the MTA district, which includes Rockland and eleven other counties in and around New York City. Rockland officials say the tax imposes an undue burden on businesses, hospitals, and other employers with large payrolls. And they say it’s just one more insult to Rockland and the district’s outlying counties, which receive much less MTA service than counties in New York City and on Long Island.
ROCKLAD SEEKS $20,000,000 PAYBACK ON ANNUAL MTA CONTRIBUTION
Meanwhile, Rockland officials are asking the MTA to help the county get some of its money back and make up for that so-called “value gap.” County Executive Scott Vanderhoef and State Senator Thomas Morahan met yesterday in New City with the new MTA chairman, Tim Walder, and pressed for the return of $20,000,000 a year to Rockland. Wadler reportedly offered to help Rockland secure some new state funding, but he wouldn’t say how much money he’d fight for.
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR PLANE BELIEVED DOWN IN HARRIMAN STATE PARK
The weather is hampering the search for a small plane believed to have gone down in Harriman State Park late yesterday. Helicopters were to have resumed their search this morning, but officials said today the search would be conducted on the ground only, until the rain and fog that covered the area had lifted. The search centers on a six-square-mile section of the park, in Haverstraw, where several witnesses say they saw a plane go down at about 6 p.m. yesterday. The Federal Aviation Administration reportedly confirms that a plane did go off radar at about that time, but says it received no missing-plane reports.
ARMED MAN SOUGHT IN HAVERSTRAW TACO BELL ROBBERY
Police are on the lookout for a man who robbed a Haverstraw Taco Bell at gunpoint yesterday. Witnesses say it was about 2 p.m. when the man walked into the Route 9-W fast food restaurant and pulled a gun on employees. It’s not known how much money he made off with when he fled on foot. The search centered initially on a wooded area near the fast-food restaurant.
TOWN OF RAMAPO, ILLEGAL YESHIVA, DUE IN COURT TOMORROW
The operators of an illegal religious school in Suffern are due in court tomorrow to explain why the school should stay open. The Town of Ramapo wants the Yeshiva, set up in a private home on Highview Road, closed down. They say it violates town safety ordinances by failing to have such things as sprinklers, fire doors and alarms on premises. And residents complain that buses carrying the 65 young children who attend the school are disrupting the neighborhood.
SUFFERN MAYOR PULLS OUT OF RACE FOR RE-ELECTION
Suffern Mayor John Keegan says he’s no longer running for re-election. Supporters tried to keep Keegan in the race even after he lost last month’s Democratic Primary to village trustee Dagan LaCorte. But Keegan says, with Election Day at hand, it’s time to back out, rather than split the Democratic vote and pave the way for the Republican candidate, former mayor Jim Gianettino. Keegan says his withdrawal from the race is not, however, an endorsement of LaCorte.
10-26-09
REBUILT FARLEY BRIDGE REOPENS
The Farley Bridge reopened today after a six-month reconstruction job. Dignitaries from throughout Rockland were in Stony Point for the 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting. With that, the bridge opened to traffic for the first time since April 22nd. The Route 9-W bridge, linking Rockland and points north, re-opened with one lane in each direction. A third, center lane is to be added during Phase-Two of the project, sometime in 2011. An added bit of good news for Tompkins Cove: bus service to and from Rockland’s northernmost community will resume tomorrow.
VANDERHOEF UNVEILS 2010 BUDGET
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef has unveiled his proposed 2010 budget. The $708,000,000 package would increase spending by about one percent and, according to Vanderhoef, raise property taxes less than $2.00 a month for most Rockland residences. It also would reduce the county payroll by 150 jobs, mostly through early buyouts. And, says Vanderhoef, it would not include the new cell-phone tax he had proposed – a contentious issue in his re-election bid against challenger Thom Kleiner.
VANDERHOEF HOSTS NEW MTA CHAIRMAN
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef played host to a controversial figure today. The new chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Jay Walder met with the Vanderhoef this morning in New City. It’s Walder’s first visit to Rockland. And it comes with the county up in arms over the newly-imposed MTA payroll-mobility tax – a tax that county officials, including Vanderhoef, have pledged to fight.
CAT UPENDS CANDLES, STARTS AIRMONT FIRE
Fire officials blame a cat for an overnight fire at an Airmont senior-citizens apartment complex. The cat reportedly knocked over some lighted candles in a first-floor apartment at Airmont Gardens, igniting the blaze and bringing fire companies from Tallman, Monsey and Suffern to the scene. Residents of the complex were evacuated while firefighters battled the flames, containing the fire to that one apartment. One unidentified person reportedly was treated for smoke inhalation at Good Samaritan hospital.
ACCUSED SWINDLER BACK IN ROCKLAND TO FACE STOCK FRAUD CHARGES WITH WIFE
The former New City man accused with his wife in a multi-million dollar stock fraud case is back in Rockland. Fifty-nine year-old Steven Lampert was escorted by Clarkstown police to New City on Saturday from California, where he and his wife, Karen, have been living since leaving Rockland County. The couple is accused of bilking friends and acquaintances out of more than $3,000,000 through the sale of bogus stocks. Karen Lampert, 62, was brought to Rockland last week after her arrest at a friend’s home on Long Island.
10-23-09
ST. LAWRENCE: I’LL HELP CHICKEN PLANT PROTESTORS GET THEIR SAY
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence says he’s taking steps to make sure that opponents of the New Square poultry plant are heard. St. Lawrence told WRCR this morning he’ll see to it that permits are awarded for a planned protest march on Rt. 45 next weekend. And he said he’s asked New Square officials to make sure opponents have easy access to a Nov. 10 public hearing on the plant in New Square. Residents of both New Square and neighboring New Hempstead fear the 26,000 square-foot chicken slaughterhouse would bring excess traffic and pollution to the area.
WOMAN INJURED IN ONE-CAR PIP CRASH
A one-car accident on the Palisades Intestate Parkway has sent the driver to the hospital. State Police say the woman was driving north this morning, just north of Exit 12, when her car left the roadway and hit a tree. No details were immediately released on the cause of the accident, the victim’s identity or the extent of her injuries.
THREE SOUGHT IN RCC ASSAULT, CAR-JACKING
Ramapo police are looking for three men in connection with a beating and carjacking at Rockland Community College this week. Police say the three attacked a 21-year-old male student Wednesday night in a school hallway, then forced a woman driver in the parking lot to take them to Spring Valley. The beating victim was treated for his injuries at Nyack Hospital. Police say they believe he knows the attackers’ identities but, at this point, won’t identify them or press charges.
TWO HELD ON DRUG CHARGES AFTER STOP ON THRUWAY
An upstate New York couple face drug charges in Rockland County after their arrest on the Thruway this week. State police say 29-year-old Siasia Maynor of Schenectady and 48-year-old Freddy Vasquez of Albany had about $8,000 worth of heroin in their car Wednesday night when troopers pulled it over in Ramapo for driving erratically. They say the car also smelled of marijuana smoke, and that Maynor was driving under the influence. She and Vasquez are in County Jail, charged with drug possession and the intent to sell.
SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT SENDS THREE ADULTS TO THE HOSPITAL
A collision in Ramapo yesterday injured three people – but it could have turned out much worse. Police say an East Ramapo school bus hit a pickup truck on Rt. 45 at Tall Pines Road at about 1 p.m., then careened over a three-foot-high stone wall. The bus driver, bus monitor and truck driver all were treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening. The silver lining: there were no students on the bus.
RAINY FORECAST DELAYS RAMAPO HOLLOWEEN PARTY
Tomorrow’s forecast for rain much of the day has forced at least one postponement In Rockland. Haverstraw supervisor Howard Phillips says the town’s Halloween party, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been pushed back to Sunday , noon to 4 p.m., at Bowline Point Park.
10-22-09
COUNTY TASK FORCE TO PROMOTE BUILDING SAFETY
Rockland County is taking steps to combat slumlords who allow their buildings to become safety hazards. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says a new task force is in place to enforce fire- and building codes throughout Rockland. Local officials including fire and building inspectors make up the 20-plus-member task force. Emergency Services director Gordon Wren says its mission includes using the media to expose building violations and illegal building conversions that endanger the lives of residents, firefighters and other emergency workers. Residents are asked to call the task force at 364-8800 to anonymously report dangerous dwellings.
RAMAPO TO ASK COURTS TO CLOSE ILLEGAL SCHOOL
The Town of Ramapo is going to court to shut down a school operating illegally from a wood-framed house. Officials say town attorneys will ask the state Supreme Court to order the school, Talmud Torah Ohel Yochanan, closed. They say the school building, in a residential neighborhood on Highview Road, not only violates town zoning laws but lacks basic safety features such as fire doors and sprinklers. Some 65 students aged 3 to 6 attend the school.
PEARL RIVER WIDOW AWARDED $9.75-MILLION IN 2006 N.J. TURNPIKE DEATH
A Pearl River woman has won a multi-million-dollar settlement over the death of her husband on the New Jersey Turnpike three years ago. Patrick Sweeney was killed when the limousine he was riding in hit a Turnpike guardrail in Teaneck. Sweeney’s widow, Kristen, filed suit, claiming the guardrail was improperly placed alongside the highway. Her attorney says Sweeney will get $9.75-million in the settlement -- from several defendants, including the company that installed the guardrail, the limousine company, and the limo driver.
INDIAN POINT ALERT SIRENS SOUND IN ROCKLAND
That siren you heard earlier today was another full-volume test of Indian Point’s new alert system. Previous tests from the Buchanan nuclear plant have been somewhat hit-and-miss, with ten percent of the sirens in Rockland failing to go off in a test last month. The alert system sounds alarms in Rockland, Westchester, Putnam and Orange counties – all within Indian Point’s ten-mile evacuation zone. In an actual emergency, the sirens would not be a signal to evacuate, but rather, to tune to WRCR for information and instructions.
10-21-09
COUNTY SCHOOLS FACE $10-MILLION IN STATE CUTS
Rockland County school districts stand to lose more than $10,000,000 in state funding under Governor David Paterson’s proposed budget cuts. That’s according to Our Town newspaper in a report in today’s edition. Among those who’ll vote on the cutbacks is State Senator Thomas Morahan. He told us this morning he thinks there are ways to trim the budget without short-changing local school districts. But he said districts in Rockland and throughout the state should be looking for ways to keep their own spending down. State legislators are likely to be called back to Albany next week to vote on the budget cuts.
CHICKEN PLANT TO GET AIRING IN NEW HEMPSTEAD TONIGHT
Opponents of the proposed New Square poultry plant say they’ll be at Village Hall in neighboring New Hempstead tonight to air their concerns. Critics in both villages say the 26,000 square-foot chicken slaughterhouse doesn’t belong in a residential neighborhood, and they fear New Square officials will go ahead with the plant despite their concerns. Ramapo supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence reportedly told a gathering of plant opponents in Hillcrest last night he’ll make sure their voices are heard – and that they’ll have easy access to a public hearing on the chicken plant scheduled for November 10 in New Square.
ANOTHER BOMB SCARE AT FIELDSTONE SCHOOL
Another bomb scare – another false alarm – at Fieldstone. Police were called to the Thiells secondary school yesterday morning after a threatening note was found in a bathroom. Officials say the school was partially evacuated while the County Sheriff’s bomb squad searched – in vain – for explosives. It’s not known who wrote the note. It was the second bomb scare in a week at Fieldstone, and the fifth in the past year.
PLANNED SCHOOL ATTACK AVERTED IN MONROE
The incident comes as a possible Columbine-style school attack is thwarted just north of the Rockland border. Police say they found gasoline-filled bottles and a blow torch in the home of a 15-year-old student at Monroe-Woodbury High School. The teen reportedly told investigators he was planning an attack on the school in retaliation for being bullied by other students. The target date: next April 20th – the tenth anniversary of the Columbine massacre in Colorado, carried out by two students who also had complained of being bullied.
SPRING VALLEY BURGLAR SENTENCED AFTER GUILTY PLEA
A young Spring Valley man was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison in connection with two robberies in the village. Twenty-one-year-old Kemar Smith pleaded guilty to burglarizing a woman’s home last December and to the robbery of another man during a drug deal in February.
HUNDREDS ATTEND MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR 1981 BRINKS VICTIMS
Two Nyack policemen and an armored truck guard slain in the infamous 1981 Brinks robbery in Nanuet were honored yesterday. Hundreds gathered at the site near Thruway Exit 11 in Nyack where Sgt. Edward O’Grady and officer Waverly Brown were shot down after the robbery, in which Brinks guard Peter Paige had been killed. The victims’ families accepted heroism awards in yesterday’s ceremony on behalf of all three men.
10-20-09
BAIL SET FOR WOMAN IN STOCK FRAUD CASE
Bail has been set at $100,000 for a former New City woman accused in a multi-million-dollar stock fraud scheme with her husband. Sixty-two year-old Karen Lampert was arraigned yesterday in State Supreme Court here in Rockland. Her husband, 59-year-old Steven Lampert, is in jail in California. That’s where the couple has been living since leaving Rockland eight months ago. Police say the Lamperts left the county after selling friends and acquaintances more than $3,000,000 in bogus stocks. They’re both charged with grand larceny.
SUSPECT SOUGHT IN S.V. DELIVERYMAN ROBBERY
Another food deliveryman was robbed in Spring Valley this past weekend. It happened Saturday night, when a driver for Planet Wings delivered an order to an address on Madison Avenue. Police say the victim was hit on the head with a pistol and robbed of $100.00 by a man described only as slim and about six-feet tall – that suspect, still on the loose. Three men were indicted last week for robbing a pizza deliveryman in Spring Valley on October eighth – a robbery that ended in a three-hour police standoff with one of the suspects.
ALCOHOL MARS SUFFERN H.S. DANCE
Ramapo police reportedly had their hands full Saturday night at Suffern High School. Officials say a dozen or so students arrived drunk at the school’s annual homecoming dance – two of them so drunk, they had to be taken to Nyack Hospital for observation. A third teen was arrested and charged with drunk driving and marijuana possession. School officials, who suspended up to ten students, say the teens somehow got past at least two alcohol check points before entering the school.
CHICKEN PLANT OPPONENTS PLAN MORE EVENTS
More demonstrations are planned against the proposed chicken processing plant in New Square. Opponents of the slaughterhouse have scheduled a protest march Sunday, November first, along Route 45 near the plant site. That’ll be followed by what organizers call a Community Information Meeting the next night in Nanuet. Hundreds of protestors rallied this past Saturday against the 26,000 square-foot facility, which they say will destroy the residential character of the neighborhood.
10-19-09
HUNDREDS OUT FOR CHICKEN PLANT RALLY
Another rally to protest the controversial Pamona poultry plant is scheduled for this coming Sunday. An estimated 200-300 demonstrators including a handful of elected officials were out Saturday on at Rt. 45 and Rovitz Road, near the site of the proposed chicken slaughterhouse in New Square. Critics say the 26,000 square-foot facility will cause pollution, traffic and a drop in property values. And they want the state of New York to withdraw a $1.6-million grant of taxpayer money to the project. New Square officials say those critics should reserve judgment on the plant until a scheduled November 10 public hearing.
EX-ROCKLAND COUPLE CHARGED IN ALLEGED STOCK FRAUD SCHEME
A former New City couple is charged with defrauding more than a dozen people of millions of dollars. Fifty-nine year-old Steven Lampert was arrested late last week at his California home; his 62-year-old wife, Karen, was picked up at a relative’s home on Long Island. Clarkstown police say the couple, who left Rockland early this year, sold friends more than $3,000,000 in bogus stocks. It’s not known how many transactions were made in all. Police say 13 alleged victims, mostly Rockland residents, have been identified so far. The Lamperts face arraignment this week on grand larceny charges.
FIVE HURT IN THREE-CAR COLLISION IN HAVERSTRAW
Five people were injured over the weekend – one seriously – in a three-car accident in Haverstraw. Police say it was about 10:30 Saturday night when an eastbound car on Rt. 202 hit first one, then a second car traveling west – overturning both vehicles. The driver of the second car hit was taken to Westchester Medical Center with two fractured legs. Four others injured in the collision were treated at Nyack Hospital. None of the victims was immediately identified.
CEREMONY TOMORROW FOR 1980 BRINKS VICTIMS
It was 28 years ago tomorrow that two Nyack policemen and a Brinks guard were murdered during and after an armored car robbery by self-proclaimed revolutionaries outside the Nanuet Mall. Hundreds of people are expected to attend a memorial ceremony tomorrow near Thruway exit 11 Nyack. That’s where the two police officers – Edward O’Grady and Waverly Brown – were gunned down in a roadblock. The families of both officers – and of the Brinks guard, Peter Paige – will be on hand for the ceremony to accept heroism awards on behalf of all three victims.
10-16-09
P-S-C GIVES O&R THE O.K. ON RATE-HIKE
Orange and Rockland bills will rise an average of about three dollars a month, starting November first. The state Public Service Commission has approved the utility’s request for a rate increase on natural gas delivery. That three-dollar-a-month increase represents only the first year of the package. Two more annual increments will bring the overall increase to more than ten dollars a month for the average user by November of 2011. One of the most vocal critics of the rate hike blasted the P-S-C this morning, telling WRCR listeners he’ll explore possible legal action to block the increase.
ORANGETOWN BUDGET SEES 4.5% TAX HIKE
Orangetown residents will get a 4.5% tax increase if the town’s proposed 2010 budget is approved. Supervisor Thom Kleiner says the $2.9-million increase is necessary to meet contractual agreements with town police and civil service employees. Otherwise, Kleiner says, the budget aims for a zero-percent increase in discretionary spending. Kleiner won’t be in his current office when the budget takes effect. He’s stepping down as supervisor to make his bid for County Executive.
CHICKEN PLANT PROTEST SET FOR SATURDAY
Opponents of New Square’s proposed chicken slaughterhouse will stage a protest rally tomorrow. It’s is set for 1 p.m. at the corner of Route 45 and Rovitz Place in New Hempstead – across the street from the planned facility. Neighboring residents fear the 26,000 square-foot plant would bring more traffic and pollution to the area – a charge denied by New Square officials. They’re urging residents to HOLD their criticism – and their questions about the plant – until a public hearing scheduled for November tenth.
TWO INDICTED IN HAVERSTRAW BREAK-IN
Two Haverstraw men have beenindicted on burglary and robbery charges, for their alleged break-in of a Warren Avenue home earlier this month. The pair, 25-year-old Juan Martinez and 17-year-old Julio Urena, were found outside the home on the night of October 4th, both bleeding from gunshot wounds. Police say the non-life-threatening wounds came from the rifle that the elderly homeowner used when he chased the pair out after the break-in.
SIDEWALK DRIVER CHARGED IN NYACK
A Nanuet man faces d-w-i and weapons charges after his arrest Wednesday by Orangetown police. They say 26-year-old Peter Urbiaco was driving on the sidewalk along Route 9-W north of High Street when they stopped him. Urbiaco reportedly failed a sobriety test, but that wasn’t all. Police say a search of Urbiaco’s car turned up a weapons-grade collapsible baton and a can of mace, along with a handcuff key.
HOURS EXTENDED FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICANTS
The County Board of Elections has extended hours for residents who need absentee ballots for the upcoming elections. The extended hours begin this coming Monday, when the board offices will keep their doors open from 5 to 7 p.m. Those same extra hours will apply to next Wednesday and the following Tuesday and Thursday, in addition to 9 a.m. to noon next Saturday and on the 31st. Board of Elections officials say the extended hours are for the purpose of applying for absentee ballots only.
10-15-09
CHICKEN PLANT OPPONENTS TO RALLY SATURDAY IN NEW HEMPSTEAD
Opponents of the proposed New Square chicken slaughterhouse are gearing up for a protest rally this weekend. It’s scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Rt. 45 and Rovitz Place in New Hempstead. That’s on the border with New Square, where the 26,000 square foot facility would stand under current plans. Opponents of the plant in both villages say the processing plant would destroy the residential character of the neighborhood. New Square officials refute that, and say the plant would create scores of new jobs. The village will hold a public hearing on the plant November tenth. By that time, the County Legislature might be on record IN OPPOSITION to the plant. Ramapo legislator Joseph Meyers told WRCR this morning he’ll introduce a resolution urging New Square officials to abandon the project.
CUOMO, IN ROCKLAND, TOUTS PENSION REFORM BILL
New York’s Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, came to Rockland yesterday to promote a state pension reform bill. Speaking to reporters at Ramapo Town Hall, Cuomo said the measure would protect both the dwindling pension fund and the state’s taxpayers. The bill would, among other things, increase the number of fund overseers from the current one trustee to a 13-member board of financial advisors. And it would ban political contributors to the State Comptroller from doing business with the Comptroller’s office. Cuomo is viewed as a potential front-runner among Democrats expected to seek the party’s nod for Governor next year.
COUNTY GETS MORE FLU VACCINE, SCHEDULES FRIDAY CLINIC
A new shipment of seasonal flu vaccine has arrived in Rockland. And the County Health Department is re-opening its flu-shot PROGRAM, at least for a day. Officials say the shots will be available at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona tomorrow from 1 to 4 p.m. And they say MORE vaccine is on the way by early November. The shots are available free to seniors over 60, and for a $25 charge to all others. The county suspended much of its flu-shot schedule when the initial supply of vaccine all-but ran out last week.
CONGERS FIRE CO. BLOOD DRIVE OFFERS FLU SHOTS
Anyone can get a flu shot nearly free in Congers today -- the only charge, a pint of blood. If that sounds like a good deal to you, you can get in on it from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Congers firehouse at 40 North Harrison Avenue. To reserve a spot – and a shot -- call ahead. The number is 825-7287.
10-14-09
KLEINER: “PAY-TO-PLAY” COUNTY GOVT. UNDER VANDERHOEF
County Executive candidate Thom Kleiner says incumbent Scott Vanderhoef has brought a “pay-to-play” culture to Rockland County government. Speaking today on WRCR, the Orangetown supervisor cited New York state election board figures showing that Vanderhoef has received more than $285,000 in contributions from contractors, appointees and high-paid county employees. That amounts to more than 44 percent of the total contributed to Vanderhoef’s re-election campaign since 2006. Kleiner says that’s a “startlingly high” percentage – and reason enough for voters to boot Vanderhoef after 16 years in office.
PRIVATE FUNDS REPORTEDLY SOUGHT FOR T-Z BRIDGE PROJECT
State officials reportedly are working toward what they call a “public-private partnership” to fund the Tappan-Zee bridge-replacement project. Tappan Zee Task Force member Al Samuels says New York State can’t afford to handle the project without private investment. And Governor David Paterson is said to be looking for businesses willing to invest.
ORANGETOWN BICYCLING INCIDENT SENDS N.J. WOMAN TO NYC HOSPITAL
Doctors at the Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan are treating a New Jersey woman injured in a bicycling accident in Rockland. Forty-six year-old Karen Marx of Leonia suffered serious head and body injuries on Sunday when she was thrown from her bike on Route 9-W in Palisades. Police say the accident likely was caused by a mechanical problem with Marx’s bike. The accident occurred along the same down-hill stretch of 9-W where three Bergen County police officers were injured in a motorcycle collision several months ago. One of those officers lost a leg in the crash.
ENGEL: SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL “AN ENCOURAGING STEP.”
Congressman Elliot Engel gives the health-care bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee a passing grade, but not an A. The Bronx Democrat, who represents parts of Rockland County, says the measure okayed yesterday is an “encouraging step” toward health-care reform. But Engel says he’s hoping the FINAL bill worked out by the House and Senate will include a public option that’s affordable to the millions of Americans now without health insurance.
10-13-09
SPRING VALLEY ATTACK CALLED HATE CRIME
Spring Valley police say the recent beating and robbery of a Hispanic man in the village was an apparent hate crime. Three teen-agers arrested in the attack are suspected of committing similar assaults in the past. Police quote the three suspects as saying they target Hispanics -- especially day laborers, because they carry cash and make easy victims.
VANDALS HIT NYACK CHURCH
Police say two antique, cast-iron lampposts were knocked over early yesterday morning outside St. Ann’s Church in Nyack. The lampposts, believed to date back to the 19th century, reportedly weigh 200 to 300 pounds each, leading to speculation that more than one vandal was involved. There were no suspects in the case as of this morning.
THRUWAY CELL PHONE CRACKDOWN UNDER WAY
New York State police are cracking down on drivers who use hand-held cell phones while on the Thruway. “Operation Hang Up Two” kicked off yesterday and will continue through Thursday. Police issued more than 5,400 tickets last year – the first year of the program. Another 800 Thruway motorists were ticketed this past April in a similar crackdown. Fines top out at $100 plus a $60 surcharge. State law allows motorists to use hand-held cell phones only in emergency situations.
SCHUMER: MAKE SILVER ALERT SYSTEM NATIONWIDE
Senator Charles Schumer is hoping to expand a senior-citizen safety program already in use in Rockland County. Schumer says he’ll propose legislation for a nationwide “Silver Alert” system to help find Alzheimer’s patients who wander away from their residences. As with the “Amber Alert” system for missing children, “Silver Alert” would send out warnings on local radio and television stations to be on the lookout for missing seniors. Some five million Americans reportedly suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease. Silver Alert systems are in effect in eleven states, along with a number of counties nationwide, including Rockland.
RCC STUDENTS TO GET FEET WET IN BRONX RIVER TOMORROW
A group of Rockland Community College students have a date with the Bronx River tomorrow. The marine biology students are scheduled to join their counterparts from the City University of New York at Soundview Park – for a class on water-quality testing and oyster reef maintenance. School officials say it’s an important chance for the students to apply what they learn in class to a hands-on situation. RCC is the first college in Rockland to offer a degree in Environmental Science.
10-12-09
CLARKSTOWN PRIMARY ABSENTEE BALLOTS PROBED
A new wrinkle in the race for Clarkstown Town Board. The county District Attorney’s office reportedly is investigating absentee ballots cast in last month’s primary. Results of the September 15th voting gave first-time candidate Aney Paul the Working Families line for the November election. Party officials say it was a late burst of absentee ballots that put Paul over the top, even though she hadn’t even sought the party’s endorsement. A private investigator reportedly found some of the people who cast those ballots at home on primary day, not out of town. For her part, Paul denies any wrongdoing, and credits her primary victory to what she calls a “well-organized” campaign.
TWO ARRESTED IN STONY POINT UNDERAGE LIQUOR SALES STING
Two Stony Point store clerks face charges of selling liquor to a minor – this, thanks to a police sting involving a teen-ager. Police say they sent the specially-trained teen last Thursday into six Stony Point businesses licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. Four of the stores reportedly turned the teen away when he failed to produce proof of age. But police say the clerks at two stores – a Rite Aid and a Shell station mini-mart – did sell to the teen. The clerks – 20-year-old Hector Liranzo and 45-year-old Zhid Hussain, both of Stony Point – are due in court December 3rd to face misdemeanor liquor-sales charges.
STREET CRIME REPORTED INCREASING IN SPRING VALLEY
Spring Valley residents are being urged to take extra precautions when they’re out and about. Police say street crime appears to be rising in the village. The warning comes after a spate of crimes in Spring Valley last week, including an armed purse-snatching, and a pizza-delivery robbery that resulted in an armed standoff between police and one of the suspects.
VACCINE SHORTAGE IDLES COUNTY FLU-SHOT CLINICS FOR NOW
Rockland County has all but run out of the seasonal flu vaccine. Health officials say most of the flu clinics scheduled through next month at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona are cancelled for now. They say another 2,400 doses of the vaccine are expected here by the end of November. In the meantime, the shots will be made available to seniors over 60 years old at some locations around Rockland -- including Helen Hayes Hospital next Monday afternoon.
10-09-09
ST. LAWRENCE SAYS HE CAN HELP, BUT NOT DECIDE, NEW SQUARE SLAUGHTERHOUSE ISSUE
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence says he’ll do what he can to help resolve the New Square chicken-plant controversy. But he says the town has little if any jurisdiction in the matter. Speaking on WRCR this morning, St. Lawrence said he’ll try to bring New Square officials together with residents concerned that the proposed slaughterhouse would hurt the local environment and lower property values. But St. Lawrence said residents will have to look, ultimately, to state and county environmental laws to address those concerns.
The 26-thousand square-foot slaughterhouse is proposed for a site on Rt. 45 that touches on residential areas of New Square and neighboring New Hempstead.
COUNTY EXEC CANDIDATES DEBATE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
The County Executive candidates met in debate last night. The square-off at Clarkstown Town Hall in New City brought incumbent Scott Vanderhoeff and Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner together to debate environmental issues confronting the county. Both candidates drew applause from supporters as they gave opposing views on a range of issues from land-use and energy policies to United Water’s proposed Hudson River desalination plant. One area of agreement: each praised the other for working to preserve open space in Rockland.
BOMB SCARE CLOSES SPRING VALLEY VILLAGE HALL
There was a bomb scare at Spring Valley village hall last night. Police evacuated the building – which contains the police department – after receiving a telephoned threat around 7:00 p.m. The building was reopened after a canine search found no explosives.
THREE CHARGED IN ROBBERY OF PIZZA DELIVERYMAN
The bomb threat was the day’s second tense situation for Spring Valley police. It followed a three-hour morning standoff at a local residence with one of three men suspected in the robbery of a pizza deliveryman Wednesday night. Twenty-year-old Zephaniah Seward was arrested after the standoff. He and his two fellow-suspects -- Allen Dawson and James Armstrong -- were arraigned on robbery and other charges when Village Hall was re-opened after the bomb threat.
SUFFERN MAN ACCUSED OF BILKING FRIEND OUT OF $41,000
A Suffern man faces up to seven years in jail for allegedly stealing $41,000 from a friend. Police say 45-year-old Eric Horoshak borrowed the money over a nine-month period in 2007 and 2008 on the promise of repayment after collecting a lawsuit payoff. The cops say there was no lawsuit – so no payback of the loans – and Horoshak faced grand-larceny charges when he returned to court today.
NYACK STREET FAIR SET FOR SUNDAY
Downtown Nyack will be a shopping mall of sorts this weekend. Some 300 vendors will be on hand Sunday for the village’s annual arts & crafts street fair. Officials say they expect up to 25,000 people to turn out for the event, which gets under way at ten a.m. As in years past, Nyack’s two downtown thoroughfares – Main Street and Broadway – will be closed to traffic throughout the day.
10-08-09
COUNTY EXEC CANDIDATES IN DEBATE TONIGHT
Rockland development and resulting environmental issues are the focus of debate tonight for the County Executive candidates. Incumbent Scott Vanderhoef and Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner will square off at 8 p.m. at the Clarkstown Town Hall in New City. The debate is sponsored by the Rockland Coalition for Sustainable Water. One hot-button issue likely to come up: United Water’s proposed Hudson River Desalination plant.
ROCKLAND’S SEASONAL FLU VACCINE RUNNING SHORT
Rockland’s supply of seasonal flu vaccine is running low. County Health officials say that’s because the turnout of residents for the shots has been high. The county has been dispensing the seasonal vaccine at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona and at various other locations for about a week. Health Commissioner Dr. Joan Facelle says there’s enough vaccine on hand to continue giving the shots through this week. The shots are being dispensed free to seniors at least 60 years old, and for $25.00 to all others.
CHARGES DROPPED IN SEX-ABUSE CASE AGAINST EX-COP
Prosecutors have dropped the sex-abuse case against former Ramapo policeman Andrew Dale. District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says he made the call yesterday, when it became clear that the alleged victim had lied on the stand. Forty-year-old Sarah Silber Hollender had accused Dale of performing gynecological exams on her two years ago at her home -- as her then-husband, Zallman Silber, watched. Defense attorneys were able to trap Hollender in lies during her testimony on Tuesday. That led to yesterday’s dismissal of all charges against Dale and Silber, who was to have been tried separately. Dale -- was fired from the Ramapo police force after his indictment – has filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the town.
RT. 59 WORK TO DISRUPT TRAFFIC NEAR PALISADES MALL FOR MUCH OF 2010 AND 2011
If you think traffic on Route 59 is heavy now – wait ‘til next year. So says the State Department of Transportation, which will give a mile-long stretch of the highway – outside the Palisades Center Mall -- a $30-million makeover. Officials say the project will involve lane closings some re-routing of traffic. The work is scheduled to start next spring and continue for more than a year, ending in the fall of 2011.
WINDS KNOCK OUT POWER TO THOUSANDS IN ROCKLAND, WESTCHESTER
Some 2,000 Rockland homes lost power in yesterday’s wind storm. Officials say the winds, which topped out at nearly 40 miles-an-hour, toppled trees and power lines throughout the lower Hudson Valley – knocking out power to about 12-thousand homes in the region. Some homes, primarily in Westchester County, were reported still without power this morning. One venue affected by the wind storm was the Westchester Broadway Dinner Theatre in Elmsford. The musical “42nd Street” was in performance last evening when the lights flickered and went out for good. The show did not go on -- and theater officials say some 450 audience members went home with rain checks.
10-07-09
STATE LEGISLATORS WEIGH IN ON BUDGET CUTS
WRCR heard from both sides of the aisle today on New York State’s budget shortfall – and on what’s taking so long to deal with it. Governor David Paterson says between two and three billion dollars in cutbacks are necessary. So far, Paterson hasn’t said what programs should be slashed. Republican State Senator Thomas Morahan told us this morning it’s clearly a hot potato issue, with neither Paterson nor the Democrat-controlled legislature eager to propose specific cutbacks. Democratic State Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski offered a somewhat different view when he spoke with WRCR later on. Zebrowski agreed that Governor Paterson needs to show more leadership on the budget issue. But he said Republicans in Albany aren’t helping matters when they sit back and let the majority Democrats take all the heat for budget cuts.
SWINE FLU VACCINE ARRIVES; MEDICAL WORKERS, EMT’S TO GET FIRST SHOTS
The Swine Flu vaccine has come to Rockland. The county Health Department says the first 500 doses of the H1N1 vaccine arrived this week. They’re being offered first to medical and emergency workers. Four other target groups – pregnant women, young children, parents of infants, and people with high-risk medical conditions – are next in line for the shots. The next shipment of vaccine is expected late this month or in early November.
COUNTY CONTINUES SEASONAL FLU SHOT PROGRAM
In the meantime, the county is continuing to dispense seasonal flu shots at clinics throughout Rockland. Seniors at least 60 years old get them free; all others pay $25.00. They’re available through late November, not only at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona, but at various locations including nursing homes, churches and pharmacies.
WOMAN TESTIFIES AGAINST EX-COP IN SEX-ABUSE CASE
A Monsey women took the stand yesterday against the former Ramapo policeman she says performed illegal gynecological exams on her three years ago. The defendant, Andrew Dale, is charged with practicing medicine without a license -- and with aggravated sex abuse. The woman, 40-year-old Sarah Silber Hollender, says the exams were done in the presence of her then-husband, Zallman Silber, for his sexual pleasure. Silber, himself, is set to go on trial separately in the case October 19th.
10-06-09
COURTHOUSE LOT OFFERED FOR PARKING DURING NEW CITY REVAMP
The county of Rockland is giving the town of Clarkstown a hand in implementing the New City revitalization project. The County Courthouse parking lot will be made available to the town weekday evenings and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Officials say that should help alleviate the parking-space shortage resulting from the project. New City merchants are concerned that the downtown street- and sidewalk-tear-ups will keep customers away – most critically, during the upcoming holiday shopping season. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef announced the parking-lot deal today.
COUNTY EXEC RIVALS TO DEBATE (AGAIN) THURSDAY
Vanderhoef and his re-election opponent, Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner are prepping for their second debate of the week. The two will square off Thursday night at Clarkstown Town Hall. The topic: Environmental issues affecting Rockland, including United Water’s proposed Hudson River desalination plant. Kleiner and Vanderhoef warmed up with a debate last evening at the Gracepoint Gospel Fellowship in New City.
RESIDENTS MEET TO PLAN STRATEGY VS. CHICKEN SLAUGHTERHOUSE
New Square’s proposed chicken processing plant was the subject of a strategy session last night in neighboring New Hempstead. Some 30 residents of both villages met at the home of plant critic Barbara Greenwald to coordinate efforts to block construction of the facility. The 26-thousand square-foot plant would be more than five times as large as New Square’s EXISTING chicken slaughterhouse. It’s planned for a residential site on Route 45, bordering New Hempstead. Nearby residents fear that traffic and odors from the plant would lower property values. New Square officials say the fears are groundless. A public hearing on the facility is scheduled for November 10th.
TWO MEN SHOT DURING ALLEGED HAVERSTRAW BREAK-IN PLEAD NOT GUILTY
Two Haverstraw men have pleaded not guilty to a home break-in that police say ended with both men being shot. The two, 17-year-old Julio Urena and 25-year-old Juan Martinez, are in county jail today on burglary and robbery charges. Police say they broke into a home on Warren Avenue in Haverstraw Sunday night, waking the homeowner, who grabbed a rifle and shot the men as they fled. Both were found hiding outside the home, and bleeding from what were described as “non-life-threatening” gunshot wounds.
NEIGHBOR HELPS RESCUE ELDERLY WOMAN IN NANUET FIRE
An elderly Nanuet woman is alive today, thanks in good part to a concerned – and quick-reacting – neighbor. Fire officials say 22-year-old Normandie Gateau raced across a courtyard at Normandy Village yesterday afternoon when she saw smoke coming from a second-floor apartment. Gateau reportedly helped carry the apartment resident, 91-year-old Hilda Schwartzberg, downstairs to safety. No one was injured in the fire, which officials say started accidentally during a plumbing repair on a lower floor of the building.
CANDLE MAY HAVE TOUCHED OFF SUFFERN BLAZE
A candle is the suspected culprit in a Suffern house fire. Officials say the blaze began just after midnight Monday on the lower-floor of the Ward Street home, sending smoke through the building and alerting residents to the fire. Everyone in the single-family home made it to safety, including one person in a wheelchair. Firefighters say a candle, apparently left burning in the downstairs bathroom, probably caused the fire.
10-05-09
COUNTY EXEC CANDIDATES TO DEBATE TODAY AND THURSDAY
The county executive candidates will debate the issues today in New City. The debate, between incumbent Scott Vanderhoef and Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner, is set for 6:30 p.m. at Gracepoint Gospel Fellowship on New Hempstead Road. The two will meet again this week – Thursday night at Clarkstown Town Hall – to debate environmental issues facing Rockland County.
VANDERHOEF: CELL PHONE SURCHARGE MAY COME UP AGAIN
One issue that might come up at tonight’s debate is Vanderhoef’s proposed cell phone surcharge. The plan would charge cell phone users in Rockland 30 cents a month, per phone – the revenues to help fund the county’s E-911 emergency response system. The system gets much of its funding now from a surcharge on land-line phones. But as more people switch to cell phones, the land-line revenues have fallen drastically, from a reported $656,000 in 2003 to $349,000 last year. Vanderhoef first proposed the cell-phone surcharge in August but shelved it as criticism mounted on grounds that Rocklanders can’t afford another tax.
STONY POINT DEBATE BRINGS OUT SUPERVISOR, TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES
Saturday was Debate Day in Stony Point. About 100 residents were on hand at Letchworth Village’s Rho Building to hear the candidates for Town Supervisor and Town Council. The debate was held under Oxford rules, which allowed members of the audience to interject with questions and receive on-the-spot responses from the candidates. A poll of audience members taken after the debate gave the Republicans, led by supervisor candidate William Sherwood, a narrow edge over Peter Muller and his slate of Democrats.
WEEKEND RALLY IN NYACK SUPPORTS HEALTH-CARE OVERHAUL
Hundreds of people gathered in Nyack’s Memorial Park yesterday for a rally supporting President Obama’s health-care overhaul. Congressman Elliot Engel told the crowd he’ll continue to push for a so-called public option to compete with private insurance firms. And he predicted a comprehensive health-care bill will become law by the end of the year.
NYACK BANS SMOKING IN MEMORIAL PARK
Sunday’s health-care rally might well have been the last at which cigarette smoke wafted through Memorial Park. The Nyack town board has adopted a smoking ban for the park, replete with a $250 fine for each violation. It’s part of a growing movement to protect the public from second-hand smoke in the nation’s parks.
TWO MEN SHOT AFTER HAVERSTRAW BREAK-IN
Haverstraw police say two men broke into a Warren Avenue home last night, only to be chased out – and shot -- by a rifle-toting resident. The men were caught hiding nearby not long after the alleged break-in – both with gunshot wounds considered non-life-threatening. None of the principals in the case was immediately identified.
N.J. MAN CHARGED IN KNIFE THREAT AT SUFFERN RESTAURANT
A Mahwah, New Jersey, man has been charged with threatening a woman with a knife at a Suffern restaurant last Friday. Police say 29-year-old Edwardo Morales pulled the knife on the unidentified woman during an argument at Dona Maria Bistro on Lafayette Avenue. The woman was not injured, but police say they found the knife – and stab marks in the wall where the woman had been standing during the argument. Morales is believed to be in this country illegally. He reportredly had been deported back to Mexico a decade ago. Police say they’ve notified Immigration officials of Morales’s arrest.
10-02-09
STATE SENATE BILL WOULD MAKE BANKS PAY FORECLOSED PROPERTY CLEANUP BILLS
State Senator Thomas Morahan says foreclosed homes left abandoned can be a costly neighborhood blight. And he’s pressing for legislation that would force mortgage-holding banks to pay for clean-up and maintenance of foreclosed properties. Morahan spoke at a news conference in Haverstraw yesterday along with the legislation’s chief Senate sponsor, Jeff Klein of the Bronx. Also on hand was Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips. He hailed the so-called Neighborhood Preservation Act as a way to relieve municipalities of what he called an “undue” financial burden.
WESTCHESTER HOLDS TOP SPOT NATIONWIDE IN PROPERTY TAXES
Westchester County is still Number One – the highest-taxing county in America, that is. New figures place Westchester’s median 2008 property tax bill at $8,890.00. That’s more than twice the $3,600.00 statewide median – and more than four times the median nationwide property-tax bill of $1,900.00. The Census-Bureau estimates keep Rockland County in the taxable Top-Ten, with a median bill of $8,430.00.
WEST NYACK MAN AMONG 19 NABBED IN GAMBLIN-RING BUST
A Rockland man is among 19 people charged in connection with what authorities call a mob-related gambling ring operating in the region. Thirty-one year-old Tomislav Dobrilovic of West Nyack and the others face a variety of charges. Police say the gambling ring brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from several betting locations, including one in Mt. Vernon. Dobrilovic pleaded guilty earlier this year in an Internet gambling case.
PIERMONT DRIVER COLLIDES WITH HOUSE, FACES CHARGES
A Piermont man faces charges for driving his car into a village home. Twenty-one year-old Hugh Artrip reportedly told police it was a mechanical problem that caused him to plow into the Piermont Avenue residence Tuesday afternoon. But police say their own investigation found no mechanical problems – and Artrip is now charged with reckless driving and reckless endangerment, both misdemeanors.
MONSEY PARKING LOT PACKAGE BRINGS OUT BOMB SQUAD
A suspicious-looking package left in a Monsey parking lot got more than its share of attention yesterday. Cars were cleared from the Pathmark lot on Route 59 as a sheriff’s department bomb squad arrived at the scene. But the package turned out to be empty except for a small electric motor, possibly for a model car.
10-01-09
KLEINER FIRST WITH TV CAMPAIGN AD
The county executive’s race has gone TV. And it’s the Democrat, Thom Kleiner, with the first television ad of the campaign. The 30-second ad begins with the line, “After 16 years, it’s time for a new County Executive.” And it goes on to tout Kleiner’s record as Orangetown supervisor. The ad doesn’t mention Kliener’s opponent, Republican incumbent Scott Vanderhoef, by name. But it dismisses his four terms in office as a time of “more debt, bigger deficits, and higher taxes” for Rockland.
COUNTY GETS $749,000 FEDERAL ENERGY GRANT
The county is three-quarters of a million dollars richer today, thanks to an energy grant from the federal government. Congressman Elliot Engel says the $749,000 grant will help Rockland communities improve their energy efficiency and create environment-friendly jobs. It’s part of an overall $3.2-billion program using federal recovery funds to encourage sound energy policies.
LEGISLATURE TO VOTE ON SAVE-ENERGY SPENDING
Rockland County is considering one new step on behalf of the environment. County legislators Alden Wolfe and Ed Day have introduced a resolution for what they call a “sustainable procurement policy.” A statement from the two says the policy would, among other things, require the county to use energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, low-emission vehicles and recycled paper products.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE DEBATE REMINDER
The County Executive candidates – Scott Vanderhoef and Thom Kleiner -- will DEBATE environmental policy issues a week from tonight. That’s 8 p.m. Thursday, October 8th, at Clarkstown Town Hall.
BROTHERS PLEAD GUILTY TO BEATING HAVERSTRAW POLICEMEN
Two Spring Valley brothers have pleaded guilty to assaulting two Haverstraw Policemen eight months ago. Jose and Jason Batista face three to five years in prison when sentenced in December. Police say the pair beat police officer Matthew Galvin unconscious with his metal flashlight -- and injured the hand of officer Michael Cruger -- when police intervened in a domestic dispute last February 3rd.
ACCUSED BUSINESSMAN ARRESTED ON SEPARATE CHARGE
Call it the revolving door of justice. A Long Island businessman was arrested inside the Rockland County courthouse yesterday … just moments after leaving a court hearing on another charge. The businessman, security-service owner Emmanuel Odigie, had just appeared before State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bartlett on charges of violating minimum wage laws, when he was arrested for perjury in a separate case. Police say Odigie bilked nearly $300,000 from employees by illegally under-paying them over a four-year period.
09-30-09
FUNDING EYED FOR T-Z BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
County, state and federal officials met at Rockland Community College yesterday with an eye on the Tappan Zee Bridge – specifically, on how to fund the long-awaited bridge-replacement project. The proposed $16-billion project would include a new and larger bridge with commuter bus and rail service provided. A federal transportation official promised those at yesterday’s summit that Washington will squeeze out every penny it can for the project. But others, including Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner – who’s running for County Executive – warned that the funds necessary to complete the project as envisioned might take longer to find than expected.
PHILLIPS CALLS FOR N. ROCKLAND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips says looking ahead to the town’s housing, transportation and commercial needs is a good idea. And he’s calling on the villages of Haverstraw and West Haverstraw to join in what he calls a “comprehensive plan” for North Rockland. Speaking to WRCR listeners this morning, Phillips said one thing a plan might involve is the re-opening of dormant railroad sidings along the Hudson River freight-line tracks in Haverstraw and Stony Point.
ACCUSED SCHOOL GUNMAN DUE IN COURT 0CTOBER 14TH
The alleged South Orangetown school gunman is due in court in two weeks for the next phase of his prosecution. Thirty-seven year-old Peter Cocker is charged with entering the district middle school June ninth armed with a handgun, and holding school superintendent Kenneth Mitchell hostage. Cocker is waging a psychiatric defense based in part on his years as a New York City policeman. A state supreme court judge this week ordered both sides in the case to exchange Cocker’s medical records and then return to court on October 14th. Cocker faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted on the main felony charge – second-degree kidnapping.
S.V. MAN ACCUSED OF BILKING MOTHER OUT OF $72,000
Prosecutors say a Spring Valley man bilked his mother out of thousands of dollars. Forty-two year-old Steven Dloughy is charged with second-degree grand larceny for allegedly borrowing more than $72,000 from his near-80-year-old mother over a two-year period with no intention of paying it back. Prosecutors say Dloughy used the promise of a non-existent legal settlement as collateral for the loans.
LAST CHANCE FOR UNDER-70 SENIORS TO PAY LOW PRICE FOR HUNTING-FISHING LICENSE
Today is the last day for seniors under 70 to pick up a lifetime sportsman’s license for just $50.00. As of tomorrow – November first – 65-to-69-year-olds will have to pay for their hunting and fishing licenses at standard, non-senior rates. And the new rate for a non-senior lifetime license is $765.00. Clarkstown Town Clerk David Carlucci opened his office at 6 o’clock this morning – to give those under-70 seniors a long last day to get in on the $50.00 bargain rate.
09-29-09
SAFETY PANEL RECOMMENDS INDIAN POINT LICENSE EXTENSION
An advisory committee on nuclear-plant safety gives Indian Point a passing grade. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards says the Buchanan plant deserves a 20-year license extension. A report by the group, which advises the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, says Indian Point’s safety procedures are sufficient to keep the plant running for that extended period “without undue risk” to the public. Indian Point’s operable reactors, #2 and #3, come up for license renewal by the NRC in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE DEBATE ON ENVIRONMENT SLATED NEXT WEEK
The county executive candidates will debate environmental issues next week. The debate – between incumbent Scott Vanderhoef and his challenger, Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner -- is slated for Thursday, October 8th, at Clarkstown Town Hall. The Rockland Coalition for Sustainable Water, sponsoring the event, says the debate will cover, among other things, flooding, land use, and United Water’s proposed desalination plant.
COUNTY BLOOD DRIVE: GIVE A PINT, GET A MASSAGE
Rockland County wants your blood. And it’s prepared to take a pint from you – with your permission. The county-sponsored blood drive runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Sain Building in New City. Officials say donors can just walk in – or call ahead for an appointment, at (845) 708-7500. Some extra incentive this year: donors are entitled to a ten-minute chair massage.
CARLUCCI: SHOP NOW AND SAVE $700 ON SENIOR SPORTSMAN’S LICENSE
Clarkstown Town Clerk David Carlucci says tomorrow’s the last day for seniors under 70 to save big bucks on a lifetime hunting-and-fishing license. Carlucci says the state has raised the eligibility age for a $50.00 Senior Sportsman license to 70 years. That means that starting Thursday, October first, seniors between 65 and 69 years old will have to purchase a standard lifetime license – and that fee has been raised to $765.00. Carlucci says his office will open at 6 a.m. tomorrow to accommodate the last-minute bargain shoppers.
WOMAN CHARGED OVER FALSE RAPE ACCUSATION
Authorities have charged a Nanuet woman with falsely accusing a Spring Valley man of rape. The woman, 42-year-old Miriam Chambers, said initially she was forced by the man, Abraham Wilson, into his Rose Avenue apartment on June 20th, then beaten and raped. Chambers later recanted the accusation, and charges against Wilson were dropped after he spent several weeks in jail as an accused parole violator. Police say the two KNOW each other, but it’s not clear what might have LED Chambers to falsely accuse Wilson.
09-28-09
HEIRESS SUICIDE CAPS GRIM FAMILY SAGA
A sad new chapter to a 15-year-old murder-suicide. Police pulled the body of 38-year-old Anne Morell Petrillo from the Hudson River yesterday, four days after she leapt from the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Scripps-family newspaper heiress’s suicide mimicked that of her step-father, Scott Douglas, in 1994. Police say Morrell Petrillo left a suicide note in the car she left on the bridge last Thursday. Douglas’s car yielded something more sinister 15 years ago: the bloody hammer that police say he had used to bludgeon his wife, Morrell Petrillo’s mother, to death hours before.
POLICE TOP SPRING VALLEY SALARY LIST
More figures are in on municipal salaries – and like most towns and villages in the region, Spring Valley’s list of top earners is top-heavy with police. The Journal News says 48 of Spring Valley’s highest-paid 50 employees are police officers, led by chief Paul Modica. Figures cited in the paper’s freedom-of-information series place Mayor George Darden’s salary – the highest of any mayor in Rockland – last in the Spring Valley Top-50. Figures from West Haverstraw were released, as well. Eight of that village’s top-ten earners are in the Public Works department.
THRUWAY LANE CLOSINGS TONIGHT AT SPRING VALLEY TOLL BARRIER
If you’re traveling north on the New York State Thruway tonight, expect some delays around Spring Valley. E-ZPass repair work at the toll barrier there will shut down two and then three northbound lanes beginning at 10 p.m. The Thruway Authority says passenger cars, which normally use those “free-of-charge” lanes, will be diverted through the “pay toll” lanes until 6 a.m. tomorrow.
UNITED WATER SEEKS $10/MO. RATE INCREASE
Drinking from the tap may cost Rocklanders a bit more in the near future. United Water applied Friday for a rate increase of just under $10.00 a month – or about 33 cents a day for the average household. If approved by the state Public Service Commission, the rate hike will boost the county’s average yearly water bill from the current $573 per household to $692. The request comes three years after United Water’s last rate increase.
09-25-09
HILLCREST-NEW SQUARE FIREFIGHTER PACT CITED
An agreement reportedly has been reached in the ongoing dispute between Hillcrest fire-fighters and the village of New Square. Fire officials have complained that an untrained local fire brigade sometimes interferes with their efforts to put fires out, endangering both the public and the fire-fighters. Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence told WRCR this morning the long-running dispute may be at an end. He said both sides reached an agreement at a meeting this week that keeps the New Square brigade alive, but on a more professional basis. St. Lawrence said members of the brigade will be trained at the fire-training site, allowed to fight external fires, and given a role in educating residents about fire safety.
MERCHANTS WIN EXTRA SHOPPING WEEK FROM DOWNTOWN RENEWAL OFFICIALS
New City merchants will get an extra week’s break from the downtown revitalization project to get a start on the upcoming holiday shopping season. The merchants sounded off at Supervisor Alex Gromack and other town officials last night about the impact of the renewal project on their businesses. The chief complaint, aside from a lack of communications, was the timing of the winter construction break. That was scheduled to start December first – a week after the shopping season actually begins. Angry merchants pointed out that that would mean a week’s less holiday business for them, due to the ongoing street-side disruption. The result: Town Public Works Administrator Ed Lettre agreed to move the construction break forward to November 23rd.
QUEENS MAN CHARGED IN STAC FONDLING INCIDENT
A Queens man has been charged with sexually abusing a St. Thomas Aquinas College student in her dorm room. Orangetown police say Kevin Salguero broke into the room through a window in the early hours of September 11th, then climbed into the student’s bed and began fondling her. Saguero is said to have fled from the room when the 19-year-old student screamed. He surrendered to police Tuesday. The woman reportedly says she had met Salguero at a party hours before the alleged attack.
ROCKLAND DENTIST LOSES LICENCE IN INSURANCE FRAUD CASE
The state reportedly has taken the license from a Rockland dentist convicted of insurance fraud. The Journal News identifies the dentist as Ajay Baman of Blauvelt, who has practices in West Nyack and New York City. The paper says Baman pleaded guilty in 2004 to filing false Medicaid claims over a six-year period. He was required to pay more than a half-million dollars in restitution – and placed on five years’ probation. In stripping him of his license at the end of that term, the state Board of Regents said Baman has not shown that he takes responsibility for his actions.
VANDERHOEF ENDORSED BY AREA POLICE UNIONS
Nearly a dozen law-enforcement unions in the region have endorsed County Executive Scott Vanderhoef for re-election. Vanderhoef made the announcement yesterday in New City. At least five of the endorsements come from inside Rockland, including the County Patrolmen’s and Sheriff’s Deputies unions -- and the PBA of Orangetown. That’s the home turf of Vanderhoef’s rival in the November election, Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner. Along with the Rockland unions, four from New York City and one from Westchester County threw their support behind Vanderhoef.
09-24-09
MOTHER ACCUSED OF THRUWAY DWI TO FIGHT CHARGE
The New York City educator accused of driving drunk with her 10-month-old son on the Thruway last week says she’ll FIGHT the charge if indicted. Forty-one year-old Melonie Lendor goes before a Rockland grand jury next week on DWI and child-endangerment charges. Lendor was stopped near Thruway exit 13 in Clarkstown last Thursday morning, reportedly for driving erratically. She claims she was drowsy – not drunk – at the time. State police say she refused to take a blood alcohol test. Lendor, of Walden in Orange County, has been reassigned from her job as assistant principal of a Bronx public school.
NEW CITY MERCHANTS TO SOUND OFF ABOUT REVITALIZATION PROJECT
Some New City merchants say the downtown revitalization project is endangering business. They’ll meet with Clarkstown supervisor Alex Gromack and other town officials at Town Hall tonight, reportedly to tell them the project could have been better planned – and more sensitive to their concerns. The spruce-up project includes a re-paving of Main Street, with some traffic stalls and re-routing in the downtown area expected.
FINAL VOTE COUNT GIVES KAVESH DEMS’ NOD FOR NYACK MAYOR
The votes have been counted in Nyack … and Richard Kavesh is the Democratic candidate for mayor. Kavesh was just seven votes ahead of fellow-trustee Denise Hogan when polls closed at last Tuesday’s primary. But after a counting error was discovered and absentee ballots were counted, Kavesh wound up with a 42-vote victory -- over yet another candidate – while Hogan finished third. For all of it, Kavesh and Hogan will face each other again in November, with Hogan on the Preserve Nyack and Independence lines.
HAVESTRAW DRAWS BIG FINE FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING
The town of Haverstraw has been fined $100,000 for illegal dumping. State officials say the town dumped more than 30,000 cubic yards of construction debris at a former landfill site without necessary approval from the Department of Environmental Conservation. Town attorney William Stein claims Haverstraw officials were unaware that some of the discarded material was contaminated. He says the town is removing the material from the dump-site – and he expects the fine to be reduced.
CORNELL: SENATE SHOULD SECOND HOUSE PASSAGE OF JOBLESS BENEFITS EXTENSION
County legislative chairwoman Harriet Cornell has called on the U.S. Senate to sign off on a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. Cornell cites new figures showing that more than 10,000 jobs were lost last month in the lower Hudson Valley. She says more than 11,000 are now unemployed in Rockland alone. The House of Representatives this week approved the 13-week extension on a strongly bi-partisan vote of 331-83.
SEASONAL FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE THROUGH NOV. 20TH
Seasonal flu shots will be available again tomorrow and every Friday through November 20th at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. They’re free-of-charge for seniors over 60 – and $25.00 each for everyone else. The shots will be available elsewhere in the county, as well, for the next four weeks. Health officials say the seasonal flu vaccine won’t fight the swine flu. That vaccine will be made available to the public by mid-October – and will require a separate injection.
09-23-09
KLEINER QUESTIONS TOWN REPUBLICANS’ FITNESS FOR OFFICE
Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner came out swinging today on the so-called “workforce housing” issue. Kleiner’s proposal to set aside some multi-family housing units at reduced prices for moderate-income families was defeated last week at a contentious town board meeting. Angry residents filled Town Hall, charging, among other things, that the proposal was a prelude to the down-zoning of large tracts of property in the town. Appearing on WRCR this morning, the Democrat Kleiner adamantly denied that. He accused Orangetown Republicans, including Town Board member Denis Troy, of deliberately misleading the public. And for that, he said, he questions their fitness for office. Kleiner, himself, is off the font-line of this battle; he’s running for County Executive. But he said the Orangetown Board is likely to take another look at workforce housing in the future.
VANDERHOEF: “WE’LL TAKE FAA TO SCOTUS ON AIRLINE OVERFLIGHT PLAN.”
The fight to block those proposed airline over-flights may go to the nation’s highest court. A federal appeals court dismissed Rockland’s case against the controversial F-A-A plan several weeks ago. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says Rockland will petition the Supreme Court of the United States by November 17th to overturn that decision. The so-called Airspace Redesign Project would add hundreds of flights daily over suburban areas in the region, including Rockland. The County Legislature last week approved the spending of an additional $15,000 to continue the legal battle.
RAMAPO GROUP REPORTED PRESSING FOR NEW THRUWAY EXIT
Should the Tappan-Zee replacement project include a new Thruway exit in Rockland? Some Ramapo officials reportedly think so. The Journal News says the group met this week with the bridge-project team to pitch for an additional exit in Ramapo. The envisioned exit – between Spring Valley and Airmont – would, in theory, loosen congestion on that Route 59 corridor by giving traffic easy access to the Thruway. If eventually approved, the paper says any such exit would not open until the bridge project is completed – at least eight years from now.
ULTRA-ORTHODOX RITUAL TO CONTINUE DESPITE FINES
A week-long ritual by ultra-orthodox groups in Ramapo continues, despite the threat of mounting fines. The ritual involves the use of live chickens, and the County Health Department says it’s resulted in several health-code violations so far. Inspectors will be checking for further violations – including the failure to dispose of waste products -- as the ritual continues this week.
09-22-09
SEASONAL FLU SHOTS OFFERED THROUGH NOVEMBER
County health officials are offering more seasonal flu clinics through – and in some cases, beyond – the end of next month. Shots for the seasonal virus will be available every Friday through November 20th at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. The program there started last Friday – the shots free to residents over 60 years old, and for a $25.00 fee to all others. The vaccine will be offered on that same basis at several other Rockland sites through the end of October, with a number of others offering only the free over-60 shots. Officials say the seasonal flu can be serious, especially for those with heart or respiratory conditions. As for the Swine Flu, that vaccine is expected to become available nationwide by mid-October.
SEARCH STILL ON FOR WOMAN’S ATTACKER
The search continues for the attacker of a Valley Cottage woman last Friday in Mahwah, New Jersey. Forty-six year-old Laura Matousek was stabbed and apparently run over in the parking lot of the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel. She was last reported in critical condition at Hackensack University Medical Center. Her ex-husband, Allan Pelcak of Spring Valley, was questioned and released uncharged after the attack.
THREE ARRESTED IN HAVERSTRAW HOUSING-FRAUD PROBE
Two Haverstraw residents are in County Jail this morning – and a third out on bail -- after their arrests Friday in a coordinated raid on their Broadway apartment. The county-and-federal operation, which began as a housing-fraud investigation, uncovered an alleged drug-dealing operation as well. Forty-year-old Phyllis Harris is charged with stealing more than $7,000 in federal housing benefits. Her son, Tory Means, is charged with the possession and sale of drugs, including cocaine. His girlfriend, Heather Burch, is out on bail, facing similar drug charges. Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe says other arrests are expected in the case.
AT LEAST 60 TICKETED IN RAMAPO DRAG-RACE CRACKDOWN
More than 60 drivers were ticketed Sunday when State Police stormed an alleged drag-racing site in Chestnut Ridge. Police say there was no racing in progress when they arrived at the site near the Garden State Parkway. But several cars were stopped as they allegedly fled from the scene, the drivers cited for a variety of infractions, including speeding, illegal lane-changing and driving with loud mufflers. Police say the alleged drag racing – at times involving as many as 200 cars -- has been going on, relatively unchecked, for years.
COURT APPEARANCE TOMORROW FOR ALLEGED DWI MOTHER
A New York City educator is slated to re-appear in Clarkstown Town Court tomorrow on child-endangerment charges. Forty-one year-old Melonie Lendor – an assistant principal at a Bronx school – was arrested early last Thursday after being pulled over on the Thruway near Exit 13. State police say she was drunk at the time, with her ten-month-old son in the back seat of her car. Lendor, of Walden in Orange County, was arraigned yesterday and is free on $7,500 bail. She’s been temporarily re-assigned from her school job.
09-21-09
SUPPORTERS OF HEALTH-CARE OVERHAUL TO RALLY IN NYACK
Local supporters of health-care reform are planning to rally in Rockland two weeks from now. A spokesperson says the rally, to be held Sunday, October 4th, at Memorial Park in Nyack, will feature speakers and musical acts. Opponents of the Obama administration’s planned health-care overhaul have been out in large and loud numbers at events across the country in recent weeks. And that, according to Nyack psychotherapist Alan Levin, prompted him and his pro-reform allies to arrange the upcoming rally. Opponents say an overhaul would be a budget-busting act of socialism. Levin says that argument amounts to “fear-based rhetoric.”
DRUGS, WEAPON FOUND IN NYACK CAR SEARCH; TWO CHARGED
Orangetown police say they found crack, marijuana, and a .357 Magnum in an SUV they stopped in Nyack over the weekend. Two men inside the vehicle – 35-year-old Christopher Robinson of Mount Kisco, and 42-year-old Ryan McDonough of Patterson, NY – face drug and weapons charges in the case. Police say they stopped the Jeep Cherokee early Saturday morning on Main Street in Nyack because Robinson and McDonough were behaving suspiciously.
VALLEY COTTAGE MAN CHARGED IN NYACK STABBING
A stabbing in Rockland over the weekend sent one man to Nyack Hospital and another to jail. Police say 32-year-old Michael Welch of Valley Cottage slashed and stabbed the unidentified victim during an argument Friday evening on Franklin Street in Nyack. The victim was taken to Nyack Hospital with stab wounds described as non-life-threatening. Welch was charged with felony assault and weapons possession. It’s not known what the two had been arguing about.
HOSPITAL MUM ON VALLEY COTTAGE WOMAN STABBED IN NJ
Doctors are withholding further information on the Valley Cottage woman attacked Friday outside a New Jersey hotel. Forty-six year- old Laura Matousek was stabbed in the torso and apparently run over in the parking lot of the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah. She was last reported in critical condition at Hackensack University Medical Center. Police questioned Matousek’s ex-husband, Allan Pelcak of Spring Valley, for 12 hours Friday before releasing him uncharged. The couple’s two young children have been living with Matousek since she and Pelcak divorced two years ago.
WOMAN WHO LOST HOUSE IN DISPUTED DEAL SUING ATTORNEY
An elderly woman who lost a Spring Valley house she owned in a disputed real estate deal is taking her lawyer to court. Seventy-six year-old Verna Held claims she was tricked into selling the home during a conversation six years ago in a Monsey bagel shop. Held lost a lengthy court battle to regain the home earlier this year. Now, she seeks five and a-half million dollars from attorney Harold Seidenberg in a malpractice suit claiming that he botched the case.
09-18-09
SUSPECT IN N.J. BEATING SOUGHT IN ROCKLAND
Clarkstown police were reported on the lookout today for a suspect in the beating of a woman in New Jersey this morning. Police say the beating, which left the unidentified victim badly injured, happened around 8 a.m. in the parking lot of the Sheraton Cross Roads Hotel in Mahwah. Police said they had reason to believe that the alleged attacker, an unidentified male, might have headed for Valley Cottage.
”COMPREHENSIVE PLAN” PROJECT OUTLINED
Rockland has kicked off what county leaders are calling a Comprehensive Plan Project. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef and legislative chairwoman Harriet Cornell outlined the project yesterday, calling it necessary to improve Rockland’s long-range quality of life. The 18-month series of meetings and workshops will bring together experts in a variety of areas, including land- and water-use, transportation, housing and economic development. The public is invited to attend the first workshop, set for December 2nd at the Fire Training Center in Pomona.
ANOTHER WRONG-WAY DRIVER ON TACONIC
There’s been another wrong-way driving incident on the Taconic State Parkway. It happened yesterday in Mt. Pleasant, near the site where eight people were killed in a head-on crash two months ago. No collision this time, so no casualties. But as in the July crash, the car was traveling south in a northbound lane of the parkway. And police say the driver, 19-year-old Henry Garcia of Ossining, was drunk – with a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. Garcia faces arraignment on charges of aggravated drunk driving.
MOTHER CHARGED IN THRUWAY DRUNK-DRIVING INCIDENT
An Orange County woman is charged with endangering the welfare of a child by driving drunk on the New York State Thruway with her ten-month-old son in the car. The woman, 41-year-old Melonie Lendor of Walden, was pulled over in West Nyack yesterday after other Thruway drivers reported she was driving erratically. Lendor, who’s an assistant principal at a Bronx school, is due in court Monday to face DWI and child-endangerment charges.
FOUR ARRESTED IN WEST NYACK BURGLARY
Four young Rockland men – including a teen-ager -- were due in court today in connection with a week-end home-burglary in West Nyack. Police say two of the four – who range in age from 15 to 20 – broke into the home on Rockford Drive Sunday afternoon while two accomplices waited in a car outside. The owner says the alleged burglars took a laptop computer and a 200-pound safe. The four are charged with burglary and criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies.
09-17-09
LEGISLATURE PASSES CONTRACTOR SCAM BILL
The County Legislature last night approved a measure to protect Rockland home-owners from unscrupulous contractors. It allows police to impound the equipment of unlicensed contractors who victimize homeowners with escalating-price scams and sometimes even theft. Clarkstown legislator Ed Day proposed the law. He told WRCR this morning it was prompted by a series of contractor scams in Upper Nyack and Nanuet a few years ago. According to Day, police who impounded the alleged scammer’s truck and tools as arrest evidence had to release the equipment because it was owned by a third party. Day said the new law removes that third-party loophole. But he made clear it will be used only in extreme cases.
LEGISLATORS COOL ON PROPOSED CELL-PHONE TAX
One measure not adopted at last night’s session was the proposed 30-cent monthly tax on cell phones to help fund Rockland’s emergency alert system. Clarkstown legislator Ed Day told WRCR this morning that legislative support for the tax, proposed by County Executive Scott Vanderhoef, was spotty, at best.
ROMANOWSKI WANTS VOTER SIGNATURES CHECKED
The losing candidate for town supervisor in Ramapo’s Republican primary wants election officials to look at the signatures of those who voted Tuesday. Robert Romanowski lost the primary to incumbent Christopher St. Lawrence by hundreds of votes. Now, Romanowski wants the signatures checked to make sure that all those who cast ballots in the primary were legitimate voters. Romanowski says he’s making the call in good part as a response to St. Lawrence’s pre-primary challenge to his nominating petitions. That challenge, which ultimately failed, left Romanowski with just six days to campaign.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS KEY IN NYACK MAYORAL RACE
Absentee ballots hold the key to who’ll be on the Democratic line in November for Nyack mayor. Richard Kavesh holds a lead of just seven votes over fellow-trustee Denise Kogan after Tuesday’s primary. At least 15 absentee ballots remain to be counted, and election officials say they’ll do that next Tuesday. The results could well determine who becomes Nyack’s next mayor, since Democrats hold a solid majority of voters in that village.
INDIAN POINT SIRENS FAIL ALERT TEST (WITH A 90% GRADE)
Is 90% a passing grade? Not when the test-taker is a nuclear power plant’s alarm system. Officials at the Indian Point plant in Buchanan say about 10% of its Emergency Alert sirens failed yesterday’s full-volume test. Most Rocklanders heard the late-morning alarm, but eight of the sirens here either remained silent or sounded at low volume. In all, 18 of the 172 sirens in the Indian Point system – covering Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties – failed the test. A spokesman for the nuclear plant blames computer software problems, which he says were immediately rectified. A do-over test reportedly could come before the end of the month.
T-Z BRIDGE SUMMIT SCHEDULED SEPT. 29TH
State and local officials will gather in Rockland later this month to discuss possible funding efforts for the Tappan Zee replacement project. The $16-billion project – one of the nation’s largest – would not only replace the aging structure with a new bridge, but add a mass-transit link between Rockland and Westchester counties. The summit, called by county legislative chairwoman Harriet Cornell, is slated for September 29th at Rockland Community College. Organizers say a limited number of seats will be available for residents to sit in on the discussions.
09-16-09
PRIMARY RESULTS: MIXED BAG FOR INCUMBENTS
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence was the big winner in yesterday’s primaries. St. Lawrence bested Bruce Levine in their own Democratic party’s contest, and won the Republican primary as well with a victory over Robert Romanowski. This puts St. Lawrence on five ballot lines in November’s election – Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independence and Working Families – with Levine on the Preserve Ramapo line.
Incumbent Town Board members David Stein and Yitzy Ulman also prevailed in Ramapo’s Democratic primary … as did incumbent Town Justice Rhoda Schoenberger.
In Suffern … an upset. Trustee Dagan LaCorte won the Democratic nod for mayor, beating incumbent John Keegan. Incumbent trustee Patricia Abato and running-mate Bruce Simon won in the Democratic primary for two Suffern board seats.
Spring Valley’s five-way Democratic race for the mayor’s slot ended with Noramie Jasmin on top. Joseph Desmaret and Joseph Gross won that party’s eight-way race to run for Spring Valley’s two open village board seats. And the Democrats chose David Fried and incumbent Alan Simon for the two village justice slots.
In Nyack … village trustee Richard Kavesh appears to have won the Democratic primary for mayor over three others. His closest rival, Denise Hogan, finishing just eight votes behind Kavesh, has called for a recount.
Incumbent Clarkstown trustee John Maloney lost the Democratic line for re-election, finishing third in the race for two board seats to Stephanie Hausner and Aney Paul. Maloney remains on the November ballot, though, as the Working Families candidate. Clarkstown’s superintendent of highways, Wayne Ballard, won the Democratic line for re-election. Ballard will also appear on his own, Republican party’s line in November.
And in West Haverstraw, write-in candidates Timothy Adams and David Barbera won the Conservative and Independence primaries for two village board seats, beating two incumbents, Robert D'Amelio and Robert LaGrow on those lines.
INDIAN POINT TESTS ALERT SIREN
That loud siren you heard this morning was just a test – of the Indian Point nuclear plant’s emergency alert system. Had it been an actual alert, you’d have been instructed to tune in right here to WRCR for information or further instructions.
COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO MEET TONIGHT; THREE HEARINGS ON TAP
The county legislature meets tonight – pushed back a day by yesterday’s primaries. Public hearings on three bills to come up for votes will lead off the session. One would allow the county to impound the tools and vehicles of unlicensed contractors who prey on the public. Another would update County Sewer District Number One facilities. The third would impose a 30-cent per-month tax on cell phone users, the proceeds to help fund Rockland’s Emergency Alert system. That proposal – from County Executive Scott Vanderhoef – has its critics, including Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner, who’s running to unseat Vanderhoef. Kleiner told WRCR this morning his initial objection still holds: no additional tax would be necessary if Vanderhoef had estimated Rockland’s tax revenues correctly in the first place.
SEASONAL FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE FRIDAY
A reminder that the County Health Department will be dispensing seasonal flu shots this Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Yeager health complex in Pomona. The shots are offered free to seniors over 60 years old, and for $25.00 to all others. The seasonal vaccine won’t kill the H1N1, or swine flu, virus. The vaccine for that reportedly will be available nationwide early next month.
09-15-09
PRIMARY DAY BRINGS OUT ROCKLAND VOTERS
Primary voters are at the polls throughout Rockland today, as candidates for 22 town and village positions vie for party designations on the November ballot.
Ramapo’s Christopher St. Lawrence is Rockland’s only sitting town supervisor being challenged today – and not in just one primary, but two. Spring Valley village attorney Bruce Levine takes-on St. Lawrence in their own Democtatic party’s contest, while late-comer Robert Romanowski wrestles the incumbent for the Republican nod.
One incumbent village mayor is in a contest today: Suffern’s John Keegan goes against village trustee Dagan LaCorte in the Democratic primary.
Four candidates square-off in Nyack for the Democratic line in November’s mayoral vote. And, in Rockland’s busiest village primary, five Democrats are vying for that party’s nod to succeed retiring mayor George Darden, while eight Democrats duke it out in the race for two village board seats.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. throughout the county. They’ll close at 9 p.m.
PUBLIC PROTEST KILLS PROPOSED HOUSING LAW IN ORANGETOWN
Hundreds of Orangetown residents filled Town Hall last night to sound off on a proposed affordable-housing law. And the protest worked, the town board rejecting the measure by a four-to-one vote. The law would have required larger multi-family developments built in Orangetown to offer ten percent of the units at below-market sale or rental prices. Opponents charged the measure would lead to a high-density urbanization of Orangetown. Supervisor Thom Kleiner, who cast the one “yes” vote, said the law was aimed simply at making Orangetown affordable to more working people, including young professionals.
COUNTY TO DISPENSE SEASONAL FLU SHOTS FRIDAY
Rockland is ready to take on that other flu. The seasonal flu, that is, coming this year on the coat-tails of the swine flu. The county health department will start dispensing seasonal flu vaccine this Friday – free to senior citizens at least 60 years old, and for $25.00 a shot to everyone else. The clinic will run from 1-4 p.m. Friday, in Building A at the Yeager Health Center in Pomona. Officials say the seasonal vaccine won’t help with the swine flu, but the vaccine for that virus, also known as H1N1, reportedly will be made available to the public as early as the first week of October.
INDIAN POINT TEST SIRENS TO SOUND TOMORROW MORNING
Indian Point is ready to sound-off -- at full volume. Officials at the nuclear power plant say they’ll test its new alert sirens with a four-minute blast tomorrow between 10:30 and 11 a.m. In actual use, the sirens would signal residents to tune their radios to this Emergency Alert Station, WRCR, for instructions.
SPRING VALLEY MAN SENTENCED IN SEX-WITH-MINOR CASE
A Spring Valley man has been sentenced to five years in jail for having sex with an under-age girl. Twenty-year-old Ariste Adonis was found guilty in July of second-degree rape, for the sexual relationship he denied having had last year with the then-14-year-old girl. Adonis continued to proclaim his innocence at yesterday’s county court sentencing – this, despite incriminating tape-recordings that had been played at his trial.
NYACK MAN CAUSES JAIL-CELL FLOOD IN ORANGETOWN
And a Nyack man being held in an Orangetown police holding cell may have been hoping to SWIM to freedom over the weekend. Police say 46-year-old Peter McGrath managed to dismantle a sprinkler head Saturday night, flooding the cell and causing some $2,000 damage. McGrath “road the wave,” so to speak, all the way to County Jail, where he now stands accused of felony criminal mischief – along with the misdemeanor charge he’d been arrested on initially.
09-14-09
HEATED CONSTESTS IN RAMAPO HEADLINE TOMORROW’S PRIMARIES
Tomorrow is Primary Day, with a smattering of intra-party contests scheduled here in Rockland. The hottest primary spot this year is Ramapo, where the incumbent supervisor, Democrat Christopher St. Lawrence, seeks re-election on two lines. He’s challenged by Spring Valley village attorney Bruce Levine in tomorrow’s Democratic primary, and by latecomer Robert Romanowski in the Republican contest – this, after the town Republican party cross-endorsed St. Lawrence.
FIVE-WAY RACE FOR MAYOR SLOT HIGHLIGHTS SPRING VALLEY DEMS’ PRIMARY
A donnybrook shapes up in Spring Valley’s Democratic primary, with five candidates seeking the party’s nod for mayor, to succeed the retiring George Darden. Also in that primary: a four-way race for two village justices, with incumbents Susan Smith and Alan Simon facing challengers David Fried and Vladimir Leon.
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP: “THAT’S NOT OUR CAMPAIGN FLYER!”
There’s been some last-minute politics as usual in Ramapo. A self-described non-partisan environmental group, the Spring Valley Concerned Citizens Coalition says it’s concerned, all right … about the people who call themselves the Concerned Citizens of Spring Valley. That’s what the S-V-C-C-C used to call itself. And it’s the name at the top of a campaign flyer that Ramapo Democrats have been getting in the mail. The flyer depicts Ramapo supervisor hopeful Bruce Levine as a product of political patronage. SVCCC members say they don’t know who is behind the mailer that bears their old name – except that it’s not them.
FOUR VIE FOR VILLAGE TRUSTEE IN WEST HAVERSTRAW PRIMARIES
In West Haverstraw, there’s a potentially confusing pair of primary ballots in two village trustee races. Incumbent Democrats Robert D’Amelio and Robert LaGrow, both seeking spots on the Conservative and Independent lines, face two last-minute challengers in those parties’ primaries. But the challengers, David Barbera and Timothy Adams, are so last-minute that their names won’t be on the ballots in those primaries. West Haverstraw conservatives and independents who want to vote for David Barbera and/or Timothy Adams will have to write their names in.
COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO MEET WEDNESDAY, HEAR PUBLIC ON PROPOSED CELL-PHONE TAX
The Rockland County legislature will meet on Wednesday instead of tomorrow, due to the primary elections. Public hearings are scheduled at the start of Wednesday’s session on three proposals facing legislative votes. One, a consumer measure, would allow the county to confiscate the tools and vehicles of unlicensed contractors. A second would update County Sewer District Number-One facilities. And the third, proposed by County Executive Scott Vanderhoef, would impose a 30-cent monthly tax on cell phones and other mobile devices to help fund the county’s emergency response system.
MONSEY WOMAN INDICTED IN HOME-DEED SCAM
Officials say it’s a case of one bad deed following another. A county grand jury has indicted a Monsey woman on two grand-larceny counts involving a phony house deed. Forty-three-year-old Yitty Shteierman is charged with using the deed in a scam that fleeced two people out of $270,000. D.A. Thomas Zugibe says Shteierman received that amount from the victims in 2005 and 2007 as loans she never intended to pay back. Nor did she own the house on Parker Drive that she used as collateral on the loans. Shteierman faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted.
FIREMEN’S PARADE CELEBRATES TALLMAN F.D.’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY
Rockland honored its volunteer firefighters on Saturday. Hundreds of grateful residents lined Rt. 59 in Tallman for the county’s 97th annual firefighters’ parade. It was a banner day for the host company in particular, marking the 100th anniversary of the Tallman Fire Department. WRCR was on hand for the festivities, which ended on a high note – the sun finally shining through the overcast sky just as the last parade contingent passed the reviewing stand.
CAR CRASHES THROUGH FRONT OF RESTAURANT IN NANUET
A Nanuet restaurant was invaded over the weekend by a spirit -- not a ghost, but a CAR. Police say it was lunchtime Saturday when a Dodge Spirit lost its breaks at the Toys-R-Us shopping center on Rt. 59, glanced off another car, and crashed through the glass front of the Gourmet Garden. No one in either car or the restaurant was injured, and no charges were filed against the driver.
09-11-09
ROCKLAND REMEMBERS SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
A day of reflection: Observances are scheduled throughout America for the nearly 3,000 victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon eight years ago today. Rockland County’s official observance – a memorial service at Haverstraw Bay County Park – got under way at 8:30 this morning. Gatherings honoring those who died in the attacks and in the rescue effort began last night, including a mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack. An American Flag adorned the altar for that service, and the names of Rockland’s 74 nine-eleven victims were read aloud.
VIGIL TOMMOROW FOR DROWNED PEARL RIVER YOUTH
A memorial gathering is scheduled tomorrow in Orangetown for Chance Cosgrove. He’s the 12-year-old Pearl River boy who drowned two weeks ago at a North Carolina beach. Family and friends will be at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Orangeburg for a six p.m. barbecue, followed by a candle-light vigil. Chance Cosgrove would have begun seventh grade this week at the Pearl River Middle School.
RAMAPO TEEN CHARGED WITH SECOND HATE CRIME THIS YEAR
A Montebello teen-ager is in county jail, charged with his second hate crime this year. Ramapo police say 18-year-old Michael Conklin fired a b-b gun at a Hispanic teen on Monday, hitting the victim three times. The wounds were not serious, but the case was made more serious by what Conklin wore during the alleged attack: a shirt adorned with a Ku Klux Klan insignia and a swastika. Police say more serious still was the fact that Conklin was out on bail at the time – having been charged with a hate crime for an attack in April, also on a Hispanic male.
PALISADES MALL TO LAY OFF 24 SECURITY GUARDS
Layoffs are ahead at the Palisades Mall: as many as 24 security guards to be put out of work when the mall switches from its own security staff to an outside contractor. The outsourcing is scheduled to begin December third. Those laid off reportedly will be eligible to apply to the new security firm for some of those same jobs.
FIREMEN'S PARADE TOMORROW IN TALLMAN
The Rockland County firemen’s parade steps off tomorrow afternoon at Airmont Rd. and Rt. 59 in Tallman. In addition to honoring all of the county’s volunteer firefighters, this year’s parade will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the host company, the Tallman Fire Department. WRCR will be on hand starting at 2 p.m. for live coverage of the event.
09-10-09
MIRANT WINS CASE AGAINST STONY POINT ECO-CLEANUP LAW
Another victory for Mirant. State Supreme Court Justice Francis Nicolai has thrown out a Stony Point environmental-cleanup law that was challenged by the energy company. It required large firms LEAVING the town – including Mirant -- to leave the property tested for -- and free of -- hazardous materials. At issue, specifically, was Mirant’s former Lovett plant in Tompkins Cove. Nicolai ruled that correct procedures weren’t used in adopting the cleanup law – procedures that Town officials now say they’ll follow in writing a new law. Mirant has taken Stony Point – and Haverstraw – to court in the past, winning huge reductions in tax assessments which, in turn, cost North Rockland taxpayers some $275,000,000 in paybacks.
RAMAPO TO PURCHASE BURGESS MEREDITH ESTATE
The Town of Ramapo is reported close to taking over the former Burgess Meredith property. Officials say the town has worked out a deal to buy the historic seven-acre site off Camp Hill Road for $2,500,000. If the deal is sealed, the purchase would cap a months-long controversy over previously-announced plans for a yeshiva to be built on the site. But when the deal was disclosed yesterday, it immediately became a political issue. Bruce Levine and Robert Romanowski, challenging incumbent supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence in Tuesday’s Democratic and Republicans primaries, dismissed the estate-purchase as a last-minute vote-grab by St. Lawrence.
COUNTY 9/11 CEREMONY SET FOR TOMORROW MORNING
Tomorrow is the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Rockland County will hold a memorial ceremony at Haverstraw Bay County Park, starting at 8:30 a.m. Among those to be honored – Bill Harris, a Pearl River resident who took part in the 9-11 recovery effort. Harris died of a heart attack earlier this year.
09-09-09
ROMANOWSKI WINS SPOT ON RAMAPO GOP PRIMARY BALLOT
Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence faces not one but two primaries next Tuesday. St. Lawrence, a Democrat, squares off against Bruce Levine in that party’s primary. And he’ll go up against Robert Romanowski in the Republican primary that same day. St. Lawrence won the Republican cross-endorsement weeks ago, but Romanowski got on the ballot yesterday when State Supreme Court judge Margaret Garvey reversed an earlier decision rejecting his nominating petitions. Romanowski now has six days to mount his primary campaign against St. Lawrence.
OPPOSITION TO NEW SQUARE CHICKEN PLANT GROWS
The proposed chicken slaughterhouse in New Square is becoming a major issue in this election year – touching now on the County Executive’s race. Democrat Thom Kleiner yesterday joined a growing chorus of opposition to the plant, calling for at least a temporary halt to the project planning. Kleiner says concerns over the facility’s possible impact on adjacent residential neighborhoods – not only in New Square but in New Hempstead -- must be addressed first. Kleiner, who hopes to unseat incumbent Scott Vanderhoef on Election Day, told WRCR this morning the County Executive should step into the slaughterhouse fray to ensure that residents of both villages are represented in the planning.
ZEBROWSKI, PHILLIPS SOUND OFF ON NEW SQUARE PLANT
Kleiner joins two fellow-Democrats – Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips and Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski – in condemning a $1.6-million grant for the project from the state of New York. Both men also were on WRCR this morning. Zebrowski called again on Governor David Paterson to step in and rescind the grant. Phillips renewed his call for a probe of how and why New Square won its grant while a grant application from the Village of Haverstraw was rejected. Phillips also criticized State Senator Thomas Morahan for providing New Square with an early letter of support for the grant despite. But Morahan defended his action, telling WRCR he routinely sends such letters on behalf of communities in his district.
VANDERHOEF PUSHES YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef has called on local businesses, government agencies and non-profits to join the county’s Youth Employment Program. The program helps employers put young people on their payrolls by reimbursing the businesses 50 percent on their salaries. The program’s goal is to give Rockland’s future work force a taste of life in the work world. Vanderhoef has set a budget of $260,000 to operate the Youth Employment Program this year.
CLARKSTOWN SOUTH SENIORS RISE EARLY, RAISE CAIN ON OPENING DAY
Some young people in Clarkstown got a boisterous head start on the new school year yesterday. A group of seniors at Clarkstown South High reportedly got to school early – at about 4:30 a.m. – and staged a noisy celebration outside, featuring loud music, car horns and even a bullhorn. Clarkstown police say there was some trash spreading and spray painting, as well, but no arrests were made. Yesterday was opening day of classes in Clarkstown and South Orangetown. The new school year started today for the rest of Rockland County.
09-08-09
COUNTY EXEC DEBATE ON DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT SET FOR OCTOBER
Candidates for County Executive will debate economic development issues before the public next month. The debate, sponsored by the Rockland Coalition for Sustainable Water, is scheduled for October 8th at Clarkstown Town Hall. Incumbent Scott Vanderhoef and his opponent, Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner, will share their views on economic growth in Rockland and how it will affect such things as water resources, flooding, and zoning regulations. A main focus of the event is the whether the proposed Hudson River desalination plant will be necessary.
CLARKSTOWN SCHOOLS OPEN TODAY, OTHERS TOMORROW
Those yellow monsters out on the roads today are Clarkstown school buses. It’s Day One of the new school year in Clarkstown – and the last day of summer vacation for the rest of Rockland’s students, who return to class tomorrow. In addition to math, science and English, the students will learn the effects, if any, of fiscal belt-tightening. Staff and service cutbacks were common this year as most Rockland districts approved near-austerity school budgets.
HAVERSTRAW BLAZE INJURES THREE FIREFIGHTERS
Three Haverstraw firemen were injured yesterday -- one seriously -- in an early-morning fire at a used-car dealership. Firefighter Brian Holmes was taken to Westchester Medical Center for smoke inhalation and a high blood-level of carbon dioxide. He’s reported in serious but stable condition. The two others, Eric Rausch and Afran Castro, were treated for minor injuries at Nyack Hospital. The fire, at Nine West Auto Place on Route 9-W, extensively damaged the dealership. Officials are investigating the cause of the blaze.
WOMAN REPORTED STABBED OUTSIDE HAVERSTRAW RESTAURANT
A woman reportedly was assaulted outside a Haverstraw restaurant last night. Police say the unidentified victim appeared to have been stabbed or slashed. It’s not known what led up to the 8 p.m. assault, near the Latin Star restaurant on Grant Street and Broadway. No arrests are reported in the case as police investigate.
TRAFFIC SAFETY SEMINAR SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY
Rockland officials have scheduled a public seminar on traffic-safety issues. Residents are urged to attend the seminar, to be held a week from today at the County Fire Training Center in Pomona. The goals, reportedly, are to identify safety problems on roads throughout the county and to discuss possible solutions. A sheriff’s department spokeswoman tells the Journal News that public input is important because, "maybe there are things that the public sees that we don’t see.” Recommendations from the seminar are expected to result in new road-safety legislation.
09-04-09
ZEBROWSKI: PATERSON SHOULD RESCIND GRANT FOR NEW SQUARE SLAUGHTERHOUSE
Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski says Governor David Paterson should step into the dispute over a planned chicken slaughterhouse in New Square. New York State just awarded the village a $1.6-million grant toward construction of the processing plant. Zebrowski says the grant is “inappropriate and misguided,” and he called on Paterson yesterday to rescind it. The 26,000 sq. ft. facility, to be built in a residential area on Rt. 45, has raised the ire of families who live nearby, in both New Square and New Hempstead. Opponents say the plant could bring more traffic and air pollution to the neighborhood, along with declining property values.
BLUE RIBBONS OUT FOR DROWNED PEARL RIVER BOY
The village of Pearl River is decked out in blue ribbons, sadly welcoming 12-year-old drowning victim Chance Cosgrove home for the last time. Volunteers were out all day yesterday, pinning ribbons to trees and lampposts throughout the community. Cosgrove drowned last Friday at a North Carolina beach. His family will return to Pearl River with his body late today. A candle-light vigil is scheduled for Cosgrove September 12th at Orangetown’s Veterans Park. Meanwhile, his classmates at the Pearl River Middle School will be offered grief counseling when they return to classes next week.
OFFICIALS STAGE SCHOOL-SHOOTING DRILL
County school officials staged an unusual drill in Pomona yesterday – on how to deal with school shootings. The officials posed as students in a classroom under siege by a gunman – to see if actual students in such situations would have the means to defend themselves. The drill was prompted by the real-life incident at South Orangetown Middle School in June in which an angry parent confronted schools superintendent Kenneth Mitchell with a gun.
POLICE: WAITRESS ROBBED AT KNIFEPOINT IN SUFFERN
Suffern Police are looking for three men who they say robbed a woman at knifepoint overnight. The unidentified woman reportedly was walking home on Chestnut Street at one a.m. when the trio confronted her, one of the men holding a knife to her throat as she turned over more than $100 in cash. Police are hoping surveillance cameras in the area can help them find the three men, who fled after the robbery.
DNA TEST SLATED FOR DRIVER IN FATAL WRONG-WAY CRASH
More tests are reported on the way in the aftermath of that fatal wrong-way crash on the Taconic State Parkway. A private investigator for the family of Diane Schuler says DNA from her toothbrush will be compared with that from blood samples taken at autopsy. Those blood tests found that Schuler had been drunk and high on marijuana July 26th when she drove head-on into an oncoming car on the parkway. Schuler and seven other people in both cars were killed in the wrong-way crash.
09-03-09
DROWNING VICTIM, FAMILY TO RETURN TO PEARL RIVER TOMORROW
The family of drowning victim Chance Cosgrove is to return with his body to Pearl River tomorrow. The 12-year-old boy died last Friday while swimming in the Atlantic at a North Carolina beach. His body was found on the beach Tuesday not far from where he’s believed to have been pulled down by a powerful undercurrent. Neighbors of the Cosgroves reportedly will have trees and lamp-posts throughout Pearl River tied with blue ribbons for Chance’s final return home.
EVICTION CAPS SIX-YEAR BATTLE OVER RAMAPO HOME OWNERSHIP
A six-year dispute over ownership of an elderly Ramapo woman’s house ended yesterday with an eviction. The possessions of 76-year-old Venera Held’s daughter, who rented the Decatur Avenue house from her mother for the past 25 years, were placed on the curb outside. In a losing court battle, Held had claimed that she was tricked into selling the house to a neighbor in 2003. The neighbor, Michael Goldstein, prevailed with his argument that the real estate deal was legitimate.
ACQUITTAL IN S.V. GANG FIGHT CASE
A Spring Valley man who challenged gang-fight charges against him has been acquitted. Twenty-three year-old Victor Dempsey was found not guilty in State Supreme Court yesterday. He had been charged with assault in connection with a fight in the village last December between reputed members of the Bloods and Crips street gangs that left one man severely injured with knife wounds. Six men charged along with Dempsey pleaded guilty in the case several weeks ago.
09-02-09
CLASSMATES OF DROWNED PEARL RIVER BOY TO BE OFFERED COUNSELING
School officials say grief counseling will be offered to classmates of 12-year-old Chance Cosgrove when the new term begins next week. Cosgrove, who drowned Friday at a North Carolina beach, would have been a seventh grader this year at the Pearl River Middle school. His body was discovered yesterday after washing ashore. North Carolina officials say an autopsy will be performed before Cosgrove’s body is returned to Rockland. The young boy had been swimming with family members in shallow water when he suddenly disappeared beneath the surface – presumably dragged down by a strong undertow.
COUNTY UNVEILS SWINE FLU PLAN
County officials say they’ll work with schools, businesses and community groups to deal with the Swine Flu if a new outbreak takes place this fall, as expected. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef unveiled the plan at a news conference yesterday. Among other efforts, the county health department will hold clinics throughout the fall for both the H1N1, or swine flu, virus, and the normal seasonal virus that’s expected to hit about the same time. In addition, officials will monitor the progress of the fall outbreak and report regularly to the public. The spring outbreak left Rockland with 18 confirmed swine flu cases – all of them mild. Officials say 180,000 Rocklanders fall within high-risk categories, including pregnant women and young children. They’re urged to get swine flu shots as soon as the vaccine becomes available next month.
RAMAPO SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES SQUARE OFF IN SPRING VALLEY
Ramapo Democrats traded barbs last night at a pre-primary debate. Heading the list of candidates – the two contenders for town supervisor. Spring Valley village attorney, Bruce Levine, slammed Incumbent Chris St. Lawrence for not stepping in to block a proposed kosher slaughterhouse in New Square. St. Lawrence lashed back, dismissing Levine as a “befuddled paper pusher.” Also debating questions from the public on hand -- the six Democrats running for Spring Valley mayor, to replace the retiring George Darden.
09-01-09
BODY OF PEARL RIVER BOY FOUND ON N. CAROLINA BEACH
The body of a Pearl River boy missing since last Friday in the waters off North Carolina has been found. Twelve-year-old Greg Cosgrove was body-boarding in shallow water at an outer-banks beach when he suddenly disappeared beneath the surface. Authorities think Cosgrove was swept under by a strong undercurrent. His body reportedly was discovered this morning by a person walking on the beach. Coast Guard cutters and helicopters had searched for the 12-year-old since Friday.
DRIVER IN FATAL THRUWAY ACCIDENT CHARGED
Prosecutors have charged a young Suffern man with vehicular homicide in a fatal accident two weeks ago on the New York State Thruway. Twenty-year-old Brian Frankel was driving from a bachelor party August 16th when he lost control of the car and flipped it over near Exit 13 in Clarkstown. One of his passengers, 21-year-old Dominic Zeoli, was ejected from the car and killed when it landed on top of him. A blood test showed Frankel with a point-one-six percent alcohol level – twice the legal limit.
ROCKLAND UNVEILS BACK-TO-SCHOOL SWINE FLU PROGRAM
Rockland County is gearing up for a new wave of Swine Flu cases once schools are back in session. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef announced the renewed effort at a 2 p.m. press conference today in New City. Health officials expect the H1N1 virus to return, possibly in full force, in its second go-‘round this year. The spring Swine Flu outbreak was kind to Rockland: only a handful of mild cases, and no fatalities.
KLEINER UNVEILS FLOOD-CONTROL PROPOSAL
Vanderhoef’s re-election challenger held a press conference of his own yesterday. Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner stood on a bank of the Hackensack River in West Nyack to outline a plan he says will help Rockland County control flooding while saving taxpayers money. Among other things, the plan would provide residents with tax incentives and credits for making their properties more flood-resistant, with such things as porous pavements and so-called green roofs.
W. HAVERSTRAW MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN NAIL-SPREADING CASE
A West Haverstraw man faces a heavy fine and community service for giving his neighbors flat tires. Sixty-year-old Michael Delisio pleaded guilty in Town Court yesterday to six misdemeanor counts of criminal tampering. Police say he spread nails on the driveways of four neighbors with whom he had been feuding over a two-year period starting in 2006. Delisio will have to pay his victims more than $2,700. He’s expected to be granted probation, and to serve four weeks in a work-release program, when he’s sentenced on December seventh.
08-31-09
NEW CITY FACELIFT TO START SOON
The New City Revitalization project is just days away. Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack says the project, aimed at making the county seat more pedestrian friendly, will get under way by the middle of next week. The estimated 18-24-month project will include new drainage, pavement, sidewalks and lighting for the downtown area. Gromack says the project is likely to cause some inconvenience for drivers and shoppers, but not enough to force New City businesses to close, even temporarily.
COUNTY EXEC CANDIDATES TO HOST PRESS EVENTS THIS WEEK
With September just a day away, the County Executive race is heating up. Both candidates have scheduled events this week that will touch on major issues for Rocklanders. The Democrat, Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner was to unveil this afternoon a five-point plan that he says will help taxpayers save money while protecting their homes from flood damage. Tomorrow, Republican incumbent Scott Vanderhoef announces updated plans to deal with a possible swine flu outbreak once county schools are back in session.
FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP ROCKLANDERS AVOID EVICTION
Relief is on the way for Rocklanders faced with losing their homes. The county has been granted more than $860,000 in new federal stimulus funds to help residents avoid eviction and keep their utilities from being cut off. Under terms of the grant, qualifying households will receive up to $3,000 each. County officials say residents can apply for the funds by calling the Social Services Department at (845) 364-2023.
STATE REPORTED RE-PROBING NEW SQUARE FIRE BRIGADE
State labor officials reportedly have started a second investigation of the untrained fire brigade that’s been operating in New Square. Local volunteer fire officials first complained about the brigade last January, but no action has been taken on that complaint. The Journal News quotes Hillcrest Fire Chief Kim Weppler as saying the untrained brigade poses a safety risk for itself as well as for his trained crew. And he calls on the state to take action, including confiscating the mobile water-tank that the brigade uses as a fire truck.
SPRING VALLEY FIRE SEEN AS SUSPICIOUS
Spring Valley officials are calling a weekend apartment fire in the village suspicious. The Sunday afternoon fire damaged one residential unit at 244 North Main Street, but caused no casualties. Police say they’re looking at a possible case of arson because neighbors said people in the apartment were arguing before the fire broke out.
08-28-09
POLICE TO CRACK DOWN ON SPEEDERS, DRUNK DRIVERS THROUGH LABOR DAY
Police will be out in force this weekend on the Thruway and other state roads. “Operation Summer Brake,” as it’s called, will run through Labor Day -- its goal, to keep the last weeks of summer safe for driving. State police officials say extra patrols will be on the lookout for speeders, drunken drivers and those who talk on cell-phones while driving. And they advise motorists to make sure they and their passengers are buckled up, or else face hefty fines. Here in Rockland, sheriff’s deputies are already out on DWI patrols, and a sheriff’s spokesman says they’ll join in the crackdown on speeders and cell-phone talkers, as well. Last year, the sheriff’s patrol issued some 200 end-of-summer arrest warrants and summonses.
DANNY TO BRUSH EASTERN LONG ISLAND
If you’re planning a weekend getaway to the Hamptons, watch out for mother nature. Forecasters say Hurricane Danny will bring cool temperatures, 20-30 mph winds and 10-12 ft. waves to eastern Long Island tomorrow as it makes its way out to sea. A warmer, calmer day is forecast for Sunday.
KLEINER CITES “CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE,” CALLS FOR CON-CON
Orangetown Supervisor and County Executive candidate Thom Kleiner says it’s time for a state constitutional convention. In a letter to Rockland’s state legislators, Kleiner says there’s a “crisis of confidence” in New York State government that only a bi-partisan constitutional revision can cure. As it stands, there are bills in both legislative chambers calling for a convention. Kleiner urges Rockland’s five state legislators to help work out differences needed for the legislation to pass. As for that “crisis of confidence,” Kleiner points to the recent – and, as he puts it, “embarrassing” – state senate leadership battle. Meanwhile, he notes, skyrocketing taxes and local budget shortfalls have businesses and residents leaving Rockland for greener pastures.
GARNERVILLE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLING BANK
A former Rockland bank manager faces a long prison stretch for embezzling her employer. Forty-year-old Milagros Rodriguez of Garnerville pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing some $700,000 from the New City branch of Hudson City Savings Bank, where she worked for the past seven years. Rodriguez faces a million dollar fine and could go to prison for 30 years on the conviction, although a shorter sentence is believed to be more likely.
HALL HIT HARD ON HEALTH-CARE
Congressman John Hall took a verbal beating from angry constituents yesterday at a public forum in Orange County. Some 200 people packed a senior center in Monroe to sound off about the Obama administration’s health-care overhaul. At times, it’s reported, the session resembled the recent “town-hall” meetings featuring angry condemnations of the overhaul effort. One resident yesterday told Hall, “You’re taking away our freedoms.”
08-27-09
COUNTY SAID LIKELY TO APPROVE “SILVER ALERT” SYSTEM
The County Legislature reportedly is on the way to approving a “Silver Alert” system for Rockland. The program, modeled after the Amber Alert system for children, would make it easier to track down seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who wander off. Clarkstown legislator Bob Jackson, who backs the plan, told WRCR this morning it has several advantages. For one thing, it would start police searching immediately, rather than after a day’s wait, as with other missing person cases. And, said Jackson, the program would employ so-called “reverse 9-1-1” telephone calls to local residents to keep an eye out for the missing senior. Jackson says he expects the County Legislature to approve the Silver Alert system with little, if any, opposition.
TREATMENT, NOT JAIL, IN STORE FOR SOME TROUBLED WAR VETS
Rockland County is extending a helping hand to returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who have trouble re-adjusting to civilian life. Officials announced yesterday the county will create a special court for veterans who turn to drugs and non-violent crime back at home. Those who qualify would be eligible for sentencing to mental health treatment instead of jail. County Veterans Services Director Jerry Donnellan hailed the program, noting that combat experience often drives returning vets to drugs, alcohol and, eventually for some, criminal activity.
APPEAL FILED IN ”ZOO FROM HELL” CASE
The so-called “zoo from hell” owner is appealing his animal cruelty conviction. Sixty-year-old Robert Everle was convicted this month of keeping more than a hundred animals in inhumane conditions at his West Haverstraw home. He was sentenced to pay $30,000 in fines. Everle filed a notice of appeal this week, saying he had been poorly represented at trial. A state appellate court has issued a stay on collection of the fines, pending a response to be filed soon by the county District Attorney.
SPRING VALLEY MAYORL DEBATE SET FOR TUESDAY
The crowded field of Spring Valley mayoral hopefuls will meet in debate next Tuesday. Sponsors say they’ve invited all six mayoral candidates to the debate, along with those running for Ramapo supervisor and other local offices. The mayoral candidates – all hoping to succeed retiring incumbent George Darden -- will debate questions submitted by members of the public. The other office seekers won’t debate, but each will get to deliver a three-minute statement.
ANOTHER ”CASH-FOR” DEAL ON THE WAY FROM WASHINGTON
If you liked the “Cash for Clunkers” program, you might love what’s next from the federal government. The Energy Department reportedly has set aside $300,000,000 for what’s being called “Cash for Appliances.” Under the program, Americans who buy energy-efficient appliances will get rebates ranging from $50.00 to $200.00. Local businesses are hoping the plan will boost their sales the way Cash for Clunkers helped car dealers.
08-26-09
MOTOR VEHICLE FEE HIKES TO HIT REGION HARD
Rocklanders will be hit especially hard when the state raises driver’s license and auto registration fees on September first. Both will increase statewide by about 25 % – license fees, from the current $50.00 to $64.50, and registration fees from the current $44.00 to $55.00. But the shell-out will be much higher for Rockland and the other 11 counties under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority umbrella. Car-owners here will pay an extra $50.00 surcharge for registrations, and an added $16.00 license fee. That revenue will go to the MTA, primarily to help keep New York City bus and subway fares down. It’s the latest blow to Rockland and other counties on the outer fringes of the MTA region, coming on the heels of a controversial payroll deduction tax imposed on local businesses. That tax prompted county officials to petition Albany for permission to withdraw from the MTA. Speaking on WRCR this morning, State Senator Thomas Morahan said he and his colleagues are weighing the request but want to know first whether Rockland can take care of its commuter transportation needs without the MTA.
ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE ADJOURNED TO SEPT. 28
The animal cruelty case against an elderly Wesley Hills woman has been adjourned for a month. Village court justice Philip Schnelwar says he’ll rule September 28th on what evidence will be admissible at the trial of 74-year-old Karol O’Connell. She’s accused of keeping dozens of dogs in inhumane conditions at her home on Spook Rock Road. At issue now is whether photographs taken at the home last December by an animal control agent can be used at trial. That inspection resulted in the removal of 23 dogs from the O’Connell home.
TROUBLED VETERANS TO GET HELP STAYING OUT OF JAIL
Relief is on the way for Rocklanders returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and having trouble re-adjusting to civilian life. County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says Rockland will institute a new program to benefit veterans who wind up involved with drugs or other non-violent crime. The so-called “Veterans Alternative to Incarceration” program will place qualified veterans in closely monitored treatment programs rather than in jail. Vanderhoef unveiled the program at a news conference today with District Attorney Thomas Zugibe and Veterans Services director Jerry Donnellan at his side.
INTERNET PROVIDES FREE PHONE ACCESS TO CLARKSTOWN CLERK’S OFFICE
Clarkstown Town Clerk David Carlucci has gone to the Internet to make his office more accessible. Carlucci says residents can now call his office directly – and without phone charges – by using Skype. That’s a software program that allows users to make phone calls – free – on the Internet. To take advantage of the service, residents with free Skype accounts can go to Carlucci’s website, www.clarkstownclerk.com and click on the green “call me” button.
08-25-09
LEGISLATURE TO DEBATE “SILVER ALERT” SYSTEM
County legislators are set to debate the merits of a so-called “Silver Alert” system for Rockland. The program would help locate missing seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The legislature’s Public Safety Committee takes up the measure when it meets today at 5:15 p.m. Sponsor Bob Jackson of Nanuet says the growing number of Alzheimer’s patients in Rockland – now at well over 5,000 – makes a “Silver Alert” program worth considering. Officials say about 60 percent of Alzheimer’s patients wander away at some point during the course of the disease.
DRUG BUST ON THRUWAY NETS UPSTATER
An early-morning car stop in Rockland ended with a drug-and-weapons arrest. State police say they stopped 49-year-old Peter DiCiccio of upstate Greenwich, New York, on the Thruway in South Nyack about 1 a.m. yesterday. A subsequent search of the car turned up a six-inch knife, marijuana, and nearly five ounces of cocaine with an estimated street value of about $10,000. DiCiccio is being held on a variety of charges, including felony drug and weapons possession.
LANDSCAPER BITTEN BY SNAKE
A snake came out from under a rock in Orangetown yesterday and sent a landscaper to the hospital. It happened just before noon outside a home on Tweed Boulevard – the landscaper, bitten by a black snake when he turned over a rock. Police say the unidentified man seemed okay after the bite but was taken to Nyack Hospital for tests. Black snakes in this region are generally not poisonous.
PROVIDENT BANK, O&R DONATE $25,000 TO “HOMES FOR HEROES”
The “Homes for Heroes” project has gotten a boost from two Rockland business institutions. The plan, spearheaded by County legislator John Murphy, is to build 25 apartments at Camp Shanks in Tappan for returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who are homeless or unemployed. Murphy announced yesterday that Provident Savings Bank had donated $20,000 and Orange and Rockland Utilities $5,000 toward the project’s estimated $10,000,000 price tag.
08-24-09
NEW CITY READIES FOR REVITALIZATION PROJECT
The New City revitalization project is about to get under way. The nearly-$7,000,000 project is aimed at making the downtown area more pedestrian friendly. It’ll involve major street and sidewalk reconstruction, new streetlights and park benches. Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack told WRCR this morning the town will take steps to ensure the project won’t be too disruptive to motorists or New City businesses. Most of the revitalization project’s cost is being picked up by state and federal grants.
REPAVING SET FOR SPARKILL-S. NYACK STRETCH OF ROUTE 9-W
The State of New York is ready to re-pave a key stretch of highway in Orangetown using federal stimulus funds. Work on a 3.5-mile stretch of Route 9-W from Sparkill to South Nyack is expected to start by mid-September. The $1.500,000 project is one of several that will be covered by the $5,300,000 stimulus package earmarked for road repair in Rockland and Westchester counties.
BOBOVER YESHIVA TO SHUT DOWN
Ramapo’s most controversial yeshiva is closing down. Officials at the Bobover Yeshiva on Route 306 say the school for young children will close its doors September first, and the students will be moved to a yeshiva in Spring Valley. Bobover has been beset by fines stemming from a Health Department inspection that found a number of violations, including blocked emergency exits. The yeshiva made headlines in May when a cow was slaughtered on the grounds in full view of neighboring residents. That earned Bobover a $5,000 fine.
PHOTOS AN ISSUE IN ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE
Attorneys in the case of a Wesley Hills woman charged with animal cruelty are due in village court tomorrow evening. At issue is the question of photographs taken by an animal control officer last December at the home of the defendant, 74-year-old Karol O’Connell. Prosecutors say the photos show that O’Connell kept more than 20 dogs in the home in squalid, inhumane conditions. Defense attorneys are expected to argue tomorrow that the photos not be allowed as evidence at O’Connell’s trial.
”CASH FOR CLUNKERS” PROGRAM ENDS TONIGHT
Today is the last day to get a “Cash for Clunkers” deal. The popular program. aimed at boosting the auto industry and the environment, reportedly brought a rush of business to local car dealers in its final weekend. Under the plan, car-owners get up to $4,500 toward the purchase of a new and more fuel-efficient car by turning in a gas-guzzler. Federal officials say more than a million Americans have applied for the deal over the program’s brief life-span. It all ends tonight at eight o’clock.
08-21-09
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN SPRING VALLEY BANK DEPOSIT THEFT
Police say the man who robbed two businesswomen of a bank deposit at the Spring Valley marketplace was a former co-worker of the victims. The suspect is identified as 21-year-old Forrest Lee Fate of Spring Valley. Police say he was recently employed at Michael’s Arts and Crafts, which is located at the marketplace. He’s charged with grabbing a Michael’s deposit bag containing $1,800 as the two women employees were about to place it in an outdoor deposit box at the Wachovia Bank Wednesday morning. Fate is charged with second-degree robbery. He’s being held in county jail on $15,000 bond.
W. HAVERSTRAW TEEN HELD IN MCDONALD’S BANK DEPOSIT ROBBERY
Fate’s arrest follows that of a West Haverstraw teen-ager charged with stealing a $5,000 bank deposit. Haverstraw police arrested 16-year-old Welinton Mendez Tuesday night, hours after he allegedly robbed an employee of the McDonald’s on Route 9-W as he walked with the deposit to a nearby bank. Mendez is and jailed on $50,000 bail on a charge of first-degree robbery.
MOSQUITO TESTS FIND WEST NILE VIRUS IN ROCKLAND
The West Nile virus is back in Rockland. County Health officials say the virus has been detected in two mosquitos collected in northern Rockland. It’s the eleventh straight summer that West Nile has made it to the county. The potentially-deadly disease is passed from birds to mosquitos and then to humans. So far, only one person in New York State has been diagnosed with West Nile this year. There were 46 cases statewide last year, six of them fatal. Health officials say late August is the prime time for mosquitos, and they urge residents to use repellant when outside. Even more important, they say, don’t let rainwater collect in things like planters and spare tires, since standing water provides a breeding-place for mosquitos.
”SILVER ALERT” PROPOSAL UP FOR DEBATE IN COUNTY LEGISLATURE
The County legislature is moving forward on a proposed “Silver Alert” program to for Rockland. Silver Alert is designed to help locate missing senior citizens who suffer from conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. New City legislator Bob Jackson says it’s time the county stepped in and set up its own Silver Alert system – this, as legislators in Albany consider two bills for a state-wide program. Rockland reportedly has the state’s fastest-growing senior population.
DRUNK DRIVING CRACKDOWN UNDER WAY IN REGION
If you’re out on Rockland’s roads and highways today, expect to see more police cars than usual. It’s the start of a region-wide crackdown on drunk drivers that’ll be in effect through Labor Day. Officials say checkpoints might be set up just about anywhere in the tri-state area – at any time of day or night. There were about eleven-hundred DWI arrests in Rockland County last year. Here in New York, DWI means driving with a blood-alcohol content of at least .08 percent. Officials say drunk driving accounts for about 40 percent of all traffic deaths.
08-20-09
KITCHEN FIRE DAMAGES CHESTNUT RIDGE RESTAURANT
A kitchen fire seriously damaged a Ramapo restaurant yesterday. Firefighters were called to DaVinci’s Restaurant in Chestnut Ridge at about 3:30 p.m., and arrived to find the kitchen and part of the second floor above it engulfed in flames. Officials say the fire apparently was touched off by flames from the stove and raced upward. Two of the restaurant employees were treated at the scene for smoke-inhalation. The restaurant is expected to be closed several days, at least, for renovation.
SPRING VALLEY BANK-DEPOSIT THEFT IS COUNTY’S SECOND THIS WEEK
Another bank-deposit theft in Rockland, this one at Wachovia Bank in the Spring Valley Marketplace. Police say two businesswomen were about to make an outside deposit at about 11 a.m. yesterday when a man who had been waiting nearby grabbed the deposit bag and ran off. Witnesses say the fleeing thief climbed and jumped from a 20-foot-high wall and disappeared, limping, in to the woods off New Clarkstown Road. One witness says he saw an SUV speed from the scene at about the same time. The theft came one day after two men robbed a bank deposit from a McDonald’s employee in Haverstraw.
SHOTS FIRED AT SPRING VALLEY TEEN; FOUR MEN SOUGHT
Police are on the lookout for a gunman who fired at a Spring Valley teen-ager Tuesday night. The unidentified 17-year-old and a friend reportedly were walking along Rose Avenue in the village when a silver Lexus pulled up alongside them. The teen says a man jumped from the car and ordered them at gunpoint to lie on the ground. When they ran, instead, the man reportedly fire three shots in the teen’s direction, missing each time. Police describe the alleged shooter as slim and about six feet tall. Two other men in the Lexus are described as about the same height, but stocky. If you’ve got information about the robbery, call Spring Valley police at 356-7400.
WEST NYACK TATTOO PARLOR FINED
The county health department has fined a West Nyack tattoo parlor more than $3,000 for operating with an unlicensed employee. The owners of Body Incorporated on Route 59 were slapped with the fine yesterday – the first fine issued in Rockland for violating a new body-art law. Officials say the employee was giving tattoos to customers without a permit. The owners blame a misunderstanding of the law and say all of their employees now have licenses.
MORAHAN PROVIDES GASOLINE PRICE BREAKDOWN
Prompted by a WRCR caller, State Senator Thomas Morahan has tracked down the figures on how much various taxes and fees contribute to the price of a gallon of gasoline. Here’s the breakdown with gasoline at $2.65 a gallon, roughly the current price in Rockland County. Federal tax: 18.4 cents per gallon; Petroleum Business Tax: 17.1 cents; Petroleum Testing Fee: .05 cents; Spill Tax: .3 cents; state sales tax: 8 cents; local sales tax: 10.4 cents; Motor Fuel Excise Tax: 8 cents. This means that taxes and fees make up about 62 cents of the $2.65 per gallon price at the pump.
08-19-09
SEARCH ON FOR ARMED MEN WHO STOLE HAVERSTRAW MCDONALD’S BANK DEPOSIT
Haverstraw police are on the lookout for two men who robbed an employee of the McDondald’s on Route 9-W at gunpoint yesterday morning. The two reportedly intercepted the worker as he headed to a nearby bank with the restaurant’s morning deposit. Police used dogs and helicopters to search for the suspects yesterday, to no avail. The amount of money inside the stolen deposit bag has not been disclosed.
TOWN POLICE SUING HAVERSTRAW VILLAGE OVER USE OF MOUNTED SHERIFF’S OFFICERS
Haverstraw town police are suing the village of Haverstraw over its use of mounted officers from the County Sheriff’s department. Those officers-on-horseback patrol the village once every three weekends. In its suit, the police union says the practice violates its labor contract, holds down its members’ salaries, and lowers morale. Speaking on WRCR this morning, Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips called the suit “disheartening,” and chided the police union for caring more about overtime pay than public safety.
PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT ON DESALINATION PLAN
Rocklanders get a chance to sound off tonight about the proposed Hudson River desalination plant. A public forum on issues relating to a pilot testing program for the plant is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Haverstraw Town Hall. Under a three-year-old agreement, United Water has until the end of the year to test its ability to make the river water drinkable before the state can approve the desalination plant.
LEGISLATOR PROPSES TIME EXTENSION FOR TAX-DELINQUENT HOMEOWNERS
Some relief may be on the way for Rocklanders having trouble keeping their homes. County Legislator Alden Wolfe has introduced a local law that would give tax-delinquent homeowners more time to pay up and avoid foreclosure. The measure would increase the redemption period for residential property owners from the current two years to three. Wolfe says in economic times such as these, “any relief government can provide for Rockland homeowners must be considered.” The legislature will act on Wolfe’s measure if and when it makes it though committee.
”COOLING CENTERS” OPENED FOR THIS WEEK’S HEAT WAVE
The county is providing relief of a different sort – for Rocklanders having trouble beating the heat. So-called “cooling centers” have been set up throughout the county for this week, as 90-degree temperatures make the humid air even less bearable. Among the locations offering air-conditioned spaces for the walk-in public are the Haverstraw, Orangetown and Ramapo town halls, the village halls in Suffern and Nyack, and community centers in Clarkstown and the village of Haverstraw.
$1.7-MILLION OVERRUN REPORTED FOR RAMAPO’S MAPLE AVE. RENOVATION
Ramapo’s Maple Avenue-Route 306 renovation is reported to be more than $1,700,000 over budget. The Journal News says changes to the project – upgrading one of the county’s busiest intersections – have raised the cost from the original $3,600,000 to more than $5,300,000. Ramapo officials say the over-run is due to a number of factors, including the discovery of mistakes in the original plans, and decisions to do more than the initial plans called for.
08-18-09
HEAT WATCH ADVISORY ISSUED FOR SECOND DAY
For the second day in a row -- and only the second day this summer -- Orange & Rockland has issued a Heat Watch Advisory. Temperatures in the 90’s are forecast for Rockland again today, with the heat wave to continue this week. O&R expects the increased use of air conditioners to place an extreme load on its power system. The utility is asking residents to help keep demand down by following any of several steps. Among them: Keep your air conditioners set to turn off when the room temperature falls to 78 degrees. Install a timer to turn you A/C off at times when no one is home. And if you have room air conditioners, close off the rooms not being used and keep the A/C off in those rooms.
DRIVER IN FATAL THRUWAY CRASH SAYS HE WAS CLIPPED BY ANOTHER CAR
The young Suffern man charged with drunk driving in Sunday’s fatal one-car accident on the Thruway claims it was another driver who caused the early-morning crash. The attorney for 20-year-old Brian Frankel says his client’s Ford Mustang was clipped by another car, sending it out of control. A passenger in the Mustang, 21-year-old Dominic Zeoli of Suffern, was thrown from the car when it hit an embankment and flipped over. Frankel and his two other passengers walked away from the scene. The four were on the way home from a bachelor party when the accident occurred, near Thruway Exit 13 in Clarkstown. Frankel’s attorney says his client was not drunk and, in fact, had been the group’s designated driver that night. Police say further charges against Frankel, including vehicular manslaughter, are possible.
FIVE-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR OF WRONG-WAY CRASH TOLD OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS’ DEATHS
It’s reported that the young boy who survived the wrong-way crash that killed eight on the Taconic State Parkway has been told of his mother’s and sister’s deaths. Five-year-old Bryan Schuler has been hospitalized, first in Westchester and now Queens, since the July 26th crash. It killed not only the two Schulers but three of Bryan’s cousins, along with three men in the SUV that Diane Schuler’s mini-van hit head-on. Police say Mrs. Schuler was drunk and high on marijuana at the time of the collision. Her widowed husband, Dan Schuler, refutes that finding, saying his wife’s erratic driving must have been caused by a medical condition.
FOUR-YEAR-OLD NEARLY DROWNS IN SLOATSBURG POOL
A four-year-old Queens boy is in stable condition after nearly drowning in a Sloatsburg swimming pool. Ramapo police say the unidentified boy fell into the pool on Acadia Court late yesterday morning while playing with friends. Paramedics say he had been in the water for more than a minute and needed to be revived. He was treated at Good Samaritan Hospital, then taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for observation.
MAN THREATENS TO BRING GUN TO W. NYACK SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE
Clarkstown police say a Spring Valley man began shouting inside the Social Security office in West Nyack yesterday and threatened to return with a gun. The man, who was not identified, reportedly was upset about an argument he’d had with employees at the office. Police tracked him down at his home and, after determining that he had no gun, decided not to file charges. It’s not clear what the man’s dispute with the agency was about.
FRIESEL ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BAIL IN FRAUD CASE
Former New Square village clerk Avrum Friesel is in a New York City jail this morning – ordered held without bail yesterday by a federal judge. Prosecutors say Friesel was part of a fraud scheme that bilked more than $11-million from state and federal education programs. He was extradited from London August seventh, 12 years after fleeing the United States to avoid trial. Six of Freisel’s alleged accomplices were convicted, four of them released from prison in 2001.
HUNDREDS ATTEND GREENWOOD LAKE HEALTH-CARE FORUM
Life and death issues came up last night in at an Orange County health-care forum attended by Congressman John Hall. Hundreds of residents packed the meeting in Greenwood Lake, many to vent anger and frustration about the Obama health-care overhaul. Among those who spoke, a 63-year-old Chester man suffering from what he called “a long list” of serious medical problems. His concern, he said, was that the Obama plan would rob him of a chance to make – quote – “life and death choices.” Hall and the Republican who’s challenging his re-election bid, Assemblyman Greg Ball, have been holding health-care forums around the Hudson Valley – although not, as yet, in Rockland.
08-17-09
ALCOHOL SUSPECTED IN FATAL NYS THRUWAY ACCIDENT
Police say alcohol might have been involved in a one-car Thruway accident that killed a young Ramapo man early yesterday morning. Twenty-one year-old Dominic Zeoli of Suffern was thrown from the back seat of the north-bound Ford Mustang after it went out of control near Exit 13 in Clarkstown and flipped over. The driver of the car, 20-year-old Brian Frankel of Suffern, and his two other passengers suffered only minor injuries. Initial tests reportedly point toward alcohol as a factor in the crash. Police say only that they’re considering criminal charges in the case.
HEARING SET ON DESALINATION PLAN
Rocklanders will get another chance to sound off about a proposed Hudson River desalination plant this week. The town of Haverstraw planning board will hold a public hearing Wednesday night on part of United Water’s plan for the facility. Meanwhile, United Water has moved to lease a riverfront warehouse as the base for a pilot testing program. Under a three-year-old agreement, testing on the plant’s ability to make the river water safe to drink must be completed by the end of this year.
NYACK DISPLAY BY HEALTH-CARE PLAN OPPONENTS LINKS OBAMA AND HITLER
The storm surrounding President Obama’s health-care overhaul touched down in Rockland over the weekend. Opponents of the plan were in Nyack Saturday, handing out pamphlets that featured images of Obama and Adolph Hitler, and proclaimed: “Act Now to Stop Obama’s Nazi Health Plan.” Posters depicting Obama with a Hitler-like moustache stood nearby. The Journal News says a number of passers-by took offense at the display, calling the protesters “racists” and “crazy.” Police say none of the confrontations was violent. Those protesters, by the way, were supporters of perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.
ROCKLAND CONGRESSMEN REPORTED PLANNING PUBLIC FORUMS ON HEALTH-CARE PLAN
Meanwhile, plans reportedly are under way by Rockland’s three Democratic congressmen to hold public forums on the health care plan. Spokesmen for Nita Lowey and Elliot Engel say both representatives plan to hold sessions sometime later this month, times and places to be determined. And it’s reported that Congressman John Hall will meet with the public on four as-yet unspecified dates. Town Hall meetings and other public forums on health care around the country have drawn loud and angry criticism of the Obama plan. Several Rockland residents have complained that telephone conference calls set up by Lowey and others don’t give the public at large a real voice in the health-care debate.
PATERSON DOWN IN POLLS VS. CUOMO AND GUILIANI
The latest state-wide news is not good for Governor David Paterson. A new Quinnipiac poll shows Paterson trailing Attorney General Andrew Cuomo by a four-to-one margin in a potential Democratic primary for governor. The poll shows support for Cuomo up from 57% in June to 61% in July, while Paterson’s numbers slipped from 20% to 15% over the same period. When asked about an election matchup against former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, those polled turned thumbs-down on Paterson again, favoring the Republican Giuliani by a 53%-33% margin – while giving Cuomo a 48%-39% edge over Giuliani. Neither Cuomo nor Giuliani has formally announced for the governor-ship, but both are viewed as likely candidates.
08-14-09
$24-MILLION COST-OVERRUN REPORTED FOR T-Z REPAIR JOB
The price of repairing the Tappan Zee Bridge has been revised – upward. State officials say the project, which began two years ago with a $147,000,000 price-tag, will now cost at least $171,000,000. The state Thruway Authority, which operates the bridge, says the $24,000,000 increase is due to extra, and necessary, repairs to the T-Z’s support structures. All this comes as the state moves ahead with plans to replace the half-century-old bridge with a new one within the next ten years.
SEX OFFENDER EVICTED FOM HILLCREST HOUSING COMPLEX
A convicted sex offender has been evicted from a Hillcrest housing complex. Forty-seven year-old Michael Fonti had moved into Eckerson Village after his release from prison, where he served time for molesting a young boy. Several residents of the complex held a rent strike in June after learning of Fonti’s level-3 sex-offender status. At the time, managers of the complex said Fonti had not revealed his status when he applied for an apartment. By law, registered sex offenders cannot live in HUD-funded housing, which includes Eckerson Village. It’s not known where Fonti moved after his eviction.
MALL SUICIDE VICTIM HAD SOUGHT PSYCHIATRIC HELP
It’s reported today that the young man who plunged to his death at the Palisades Center mall this week had been treated psychiatrically. County Legislator John Murphy, a long-time advocate for the mentally and physically impaired, tells the Journal News that 20-year-old Max Goldstein was a recent psychiatric patient at Good Samaritan Hospital. After his discharge, says Murphy, Goldstein was considering moving into a West Nyack residence for the mentally ill. Goldstein jumped over a railing at the mall Wednesday evening, landing four floors below. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
ELECTRIC GUITAR INVENTOR LES PAUL DIES AT 94
Music-industry legend Les Paul has died. Paul, who invented the electric guitar and multi-track recording, died yesterday at White Plains Hospital, where he had been treated for pneumonia. He was 94 years old and lived much of his life in Mahwah, New Jersey. He and his wife, Mary Ford, had several hit records in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, including “Via Con Dios” and “How High the Moon.”
08-13-09
DEATH LEAP AT PALISADES MALL
An apparent suicide leap at the Palisades Mall. Clarkstown police identify the victim as 20-year-old Max Goldstein of Pomona. It was just before 7 p.m. yesterday when Goldstein jumped to his death from the top floor of the mall, landing at the parking level four floors below. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It’s not known what might have driven Goldstein to take his own life. His would be the second suicide at the Palisades Center, following that of a 23-year-old man who leapt to his death in 2005. Goldstein’s death renews concerns that the waist-high railings around the mall’s atrium are not high enough.
NRC SAYS INDIAN POINT SAFE ENOUGH TO PURSUE LICENSE RENEWAL
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the Indian Point plant in Buchanan can continue its bid for a 20-year license renewal. The results of an NRC safety study were released yesterday saying the Hudson River plant is operating safely as it nears the end of its first 20 years. At issue are Indian Point reactors One and Two, whose licenses expire in 2013 and 2015 respectively. The plant’s chief critic, the environmental group Riverkeeper, promises to keep fighting the license extensions, a spokesman saying the NRC isn’t looking closely enough into potential safety hazards at the aging nuclear plant.
VANDERHOEF SEEKS EXTENSION OF COUNTY’S EARLY-RETIREMENT PLAN
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says he hopes another 50 to 75 county employees will sign up for early retirement. That would be in addition to the 112 who already have taken the county up on its buyout offer. County officials said yesterday the program’s first-year savings in salaries and benefits should be about $6,000,000. Vanderhoef acknowledged that the county workforce of just under 27-hundred employees is now at its lowest level in 25 years. But he insisted the county is still managing to provide residents with necessary services.
ORANGETOWN AGREES TO TERMS FOR $250,000 PAYBACK FROM DEVELOPER
Vanderhoef’s upcoming Election-Day opponent has some good financial news of his own. Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner says the town’s general fund will be $250,000 richer before long. It’s all thanks to a settlement between Orangetown and STEJ. That’s the developer planning to build a recreation center on 17 acres of former Rockland Psychiatric Center land. The payback – in $50,000 installments – is the result of STEJ’s failure to complete the project within three years of the deal’s 2005 signing. A number of factors, including the recession, have put the project on ice, reportedly until the economy improves.
MAGAZINE PEDDLERS CHARGED IN RAMAPO WITH DRUG AND WEAPONS POSSESSION
Three out-of-state magazine peddlers face drug and weapons charges after their arrests in Ramapo. The three – two from Florida and one from Ohio – were pulled over by Ramapo police Tuesday night after they were spotted at a convenience store with what looked like marijuana. Police say a car search turned up not only pot, but methamphetamines and a handgun, and that a subsequent search of the trio’s hotel rooms found more marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
08-12-09
VANDERHOEF: TAX CELL-PHONE USERS
County Executive Scott Vanderhoef says the increasing use of cell phones is costing Rockland hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. And he wants the county to tax cell-phone users 30 cents a month per phone to make up the difference. Land-line users already pay that tax, the revenue going to fund the county’s Emergency-911 system. If approved by the County Legislature, the cell-phone tax would add an estimated $400,000 a year to the E-911 coffers , about half the system’s yearly cost. Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner, who’s hoping to unseat Vanderhoef on Election Day, told WRCR this morning he doesn’t think now is the time for any new taxes. He says the county should work instead to bring in new businesses and other revenue sources. A public hearing on the proposed cell-phone tax is set for September 16th at the county office building.
JUDGE RULES EX-EMPLOYEE’S SUIT AGAINST ST. LAWRENCE CAN GO FORWARD
A federal judge says a former town employee’s case against Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence can go forward. The worker, Timothy Cronin, sued St. Lawrence in 2006 after being fired as a groundskeeper at the town-owned Spook Rock Golf Course. Cronin says he was fired for refusing to display a “St. Lawrence for Supervisor” sign on the lawn of his home. St. Lawrence says Cronin was let go for improperly using vacation time. Town Attorney Michael Klein says he’ll file a response to Cronin’s charges in about a week.
”ZOO FROM HELL” HOMEOWNER AVOIDS JAIL BUT MUST PAY $30,000
The West Haverstraw man who owns the so-called “zoo from hell” gets to stay out of jail. But 60-year-old Robert Everle has to pay $30,000 in fines and restitution to the veterinarian who treated the animals taken from his North Wayne Avenue property. That’s part of the sentence Everle received yesterday from Village Justice Kevin Russo. He’ll also have to serve 450 hours of community service, working for animal welfare. Everle was found guilty of animal cruelty after authorities found more than 100 animals on his property, many of them living in squalid, inhumane conditions.
DRIVE-IN MURDER SUSPECT WAIVES PRELIMINARY HEARING
The suspect in Ramapo’s Rockland Drive-in killing is in county jail this morning. Twenty-year-old Mariuzs Lopata waived his right to a pre-liminary hearing yesterday. He’s accused in the slaying of a homeless man, 54-year-old Eugeniy Kovalev, whose body was found over the weekend in a weeded area behind the drive-in. Both men are part of a group of Polish immigrants, many of whom live in a camp at the abandoned drive-in site. In related news, fire broke out yesterday in an abandoned trailer-truck at that same site. No casualties reported. It’s not known whether the fire was in any way connected to the Kovalev murder.
WRONG-WAY CRASH SURVIVOR RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL
Five-year-old Bryan Schuler was released yesterday from Westchester Medical Center. The young boy was the sole survivor of the July 26th “wrong-way” crash on the Taconic State Parkway. His mother, sister and three cousins were killed in the collision, along with three men in a second vehicle. It’s not known whether Bryan was released directly to his father’s custody. Authorities still want to know what, if anything, Daniel Schuler knew about his wife’s apparent use of alcohol and drugs before the fatal crash.
08-11-09
FRIESEL JAILED AFTER EXTRADITION FROM LONDON
Former New Square village clerk Avrum Friesel is in jail today, back home in America, after his extradition from London last Friday. Friesel fled the country in 1997 to avoid trial on charges he was part of a fraud scheme that bilked more than $11,000,000 from state and federal education programs. He and six other men were charged in the case. The others were convicted at a lengthy trial. Four of them were released early in 2001 after outgoing President Bill Clinton reduced their sentences.
CLARKSTOWN SYNAGOGUE DAMAGED BY FIRE
Fire heavily damaged the West Clarkstown Jewish Center last night after a downed power line grazed its roof. Officials say it happened just before nine p.m., when a fierce storm knocked down a tree, taking the power line with it. No one was injured in the blaze. And officials at the Jewish Center have special praise today for the volunteer firefighters who managed to recover the synagogue’s three Torahs before the flames could reach them.
THREE TEENS HURT AS CAR WINDS UP IN PEARL RIVER RESERVOIR
Three teen-agers were injured – apparently not seriously -- in Pearl River yesterday after their car veered off Blue Hill Road and into the Lake Tappan reservoir. Officials say the driver, Edward Paglairoli of Tappan, and the two unidentified passengers all were able to walk to the ambulance that took them to Nyack Hospital for observation. Paglairoli is quoted as saying he lost control after swerving to avoid an oncoming car that had crossed to the wrong side of the road.
POSSIBLE STROKE SEEN IN WRONG-WAY TACONIC CRASH
There’s more on the wrong-way collision that killed eight on the Taconic Parkway two weeks ago. It’s speculated today that the wrong-way driver, Diane Schuler, might have had a stroke before the accident. And Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiori says she’ll continue to investigate the collision, which killed Schuler and seven others. DiFiori says she’ll meet next week with Schuler’s husband. For his part, Daniel Schuler maintains that despite blood tests that show his wife was drunk and high on pot at the time of the crash, she did not have an alcohol or drug problem. To back that up, Schuler’s attorney says workers at nearly 30 bars and liquor stores on Long Island, where the Schulers live, say Mrs. Schuler was not a customer.
08-10-09
HOMELESS MAN IS ROCKLAND’S FIRST 2009 HOMICIDE VICTIM
Rockland County registered its first homicide of the year over the weekend. Ramapo police say the body of a homeless man was found Saturday morning behind the old Rockland Drive-in movie theater on Route 59. The man, 54-year-old Eugeniy Kovalev, reportedly had suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding in a fight with another man. Police charged 20-year-old Mariusz Lopata with second-degree murder, saying he kicked and punched Kovalev to death. No weapons were used in the fight.
WRONG-WAY DRIVER STOPPED ON TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE
Drivers on the Tappan Zee Bridge got a scare yesterday. State Police say an elderly Irvington woman drove nearly across the bridge – heading toward Rockland in the Westchester-bound lanes. Seventy-six year-old Anne Buerly was ticketed for several infractions, including reckless driving. She reportedly entered the Thruway on an exit ramp well marked with “Wrong Way” signs. State Police say they received a dozen or so 9-1-1 calls from other drivers before Buerly finally came to a stop – with a police-car escort – near the Rockland side of the bridge.
NEW “WRONG WAY” SIGNS ADDED NEAR TACONIC CRASH SITE
That incident came two weeks to the day after eight people were killed in a wrong-way collision not far from the Tappan-Zee, on the Taconic State Parkway. Work crews on Friday put up an additional two “Wrong Way” signs near the site of the crash – one of them at the exit ramp which the mini-van that caused the accident used to enter the parkway.
WIDOWER OF WRONG-WAY DRIVER FACES PROBE BY CHILD ADVOCATES
Blood tests show the mini-van driver, Diane Schuler, was drunk and high on marijuana at the time of the collision. The Long Island woman, her daughter and three nieces were killed, along with three men a second car, leaving Schuler’s five-year-old son the only crash survivor. Now it’s reported that Suffolk County officials are probing what, if anything, Schuler’s HUSBAND knew about her drinking or drug habits. They say they want to be sure the boy will be safe in DANIEL Schuler’s care.
SALESIANS SETTLE SEX ABUSE CASE WITH THREE FORMER STUDENTS
The Salesians of Don Bosco have settled out of court with three men who claim they were sexually abused three decades ago while students at a Salesian seminary. The three say they were touched and fondled by the Reverend Richard McCormick, the seminary director and a former director of the Marian Shrine in Stony Point. At least three other men have come forward to accuse McCormick of sexual abuse. The three who settled reportedly will receive unspecified “six-figure” awards.
ASSEMBLYMAN CALLS FOR STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb says it’s time for a state constitutional convention. The upstate Republican says it’s the best way for the PUBLIC to rescue New York state government from what he calls “growing dysfunction, gridlock and partisanship.” Kolb wants to put the question on the ballot next year, when just about everyone in Albany – including the governor – is up for re-election. The last state convention was held in 1967. Kolb says he envisions a “people’s convention” run by private citizens, with no public officials taking part.
08-07-09
ROMANOWSKI VOWS TO STAY IN RAMAPO SUPERVISOR’S RACE
Would-be Ramapo supervisor candidate Robert Romanowski says he’s still in the race. State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Garvey rejected Romanowski’s nominating petition this week, saying too many signatures were invalid. Garvey’s ruling over-turned Rockland County election officials’ earlier APPROVAL of the petition. Romanowski’s trying to get onto the Republican primary ballot, to challenge incumbent supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, a Democrat, who picked up the GOP cross-endorsement last month. Romanowski told WRCR this morning that Garvey may have exceeded her authority by ruling more signatures invalid than those found by the board of elections. Romanowski says he’s still pursuing options in the supervisor’s campaign, although he’s not committing to an appeal of Garvey’s decision. For his part, St. Lawrence told WRCR listeners this morning that challenging petitions is an important part of the political process.
WRONG-WAY DRIVER’S HUSBAND MAY SEEK SECOND AUTOPSY
The husband of wrong-way driver Diane Schuler says he might ask for another autopsy to be performed on his wife. Dan Schuler told reporters yesterday it must have been a medical problem, such as a stroke, that caused his wife’s erratic driving. Diane Schuler and seven other people were killed July 26th when her mini-van slammed head-on into another vehicle on the Taconic State Parkway. Blood tests found that she was drunk and high on marijuana at the time. The Schulers’ five-year-old son was the collision’s only survivor. He’s recovering from his injuries at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.
COUNTY LEGISLATORS PUSH FOR NY-NJ FLOOD-CONTROL AGENCY
Three Rockland County legislators say it’s high time New York State formed a joint flood-control agency with New Jersey. In a statement yesterday, Alden Wolfe, Connie Coker and Bob Jackson called on the state senate and assembly to enact pending legislation to that end. An environmental group, Rockland Residents against Flooding Tomorrow, first called for a bi-state river commission, citing the large number of waterways shared by New York and New Jersey.
SPRING VALLEY SUES RAMAPO OVER PROPOSED CONDO COMPLEX
Environmental concerns are causing a showdown between the village of Spring Valley and the Town of Ramapo. At issue is Ramapo’s plan to build a 132-unit condominium complex off Twin Avenue. In a suit filed yesterday, Spring Valley officials ask the state Supreme Court to order an in-depth study of the project’s likely environmental impact.
SOLDIER’S WIDOW USES INERNET TO CAMPAIGN FOR PURPLE HEART
The widow of an Orange County soldier killed by a fellow American in Iraq four years ago has begun an Internet campaign to award her late husband a Purple Heart. Lieutenant Lou Allen of Otisville and Captain Philip Esposito of Suffern were killed in 2005 in a mine explosion believed to have been set by a soldier in their command. That soldier, Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez, was acquitted of all charges. But the military has rejected Barbara Allen’s request, saying the Purple Heart is reserved for soldiers killed by enemy fire.
08-06-09
JUDGE RULES ROMANOWSKI PETITION INVALID IN RAMAPO PRIMARY FIGHT
Ramapo Republican Robert Romanowski has been dropped from the party’s primary ballot for supervisor. The ruling, by State Supreme Court judge Margaret Garvey, leaves the incumbent, Democrat Chris St. Lawrence, uncontested for the GOP nod. It comes on a challenge to Romanowski’s nominating petition, Garvey finding enough invalid signatures to reject the petition. St. Lawrence will be challenged in the Democratic primary -- by Spring Valley village attorney Bruce Levine.
CLARKSTOWN TO SLASH POLICE BUDGET
Clarkstown officials are planning to cut the town’s police budget by one and a-half million dollars, trimming the force by ten officers in the process. Supervisor Alex Gromack says it’s all about the economic downturn, and not due to a public outcry over police salaries. A recent series by the Journal News found that Clarkstown pays its top wages to police, with three officers each clearing more than $300,000 in salaries and benefits last year.
LAMONT-DOHERTY DROPS OPEN HOUSE EVENT IN COST-CUTTING MOVE
The economic slump is also taking its toll on Lamont-Doherty. Officials say the geologic research institute in Palisades will have to forego its annual open house this year. The event normally costs the Columbia University-owned facility about $60,000. But Lamont-Doherty lost some $500,000 in funding for this year’s budget.
TWO MEN SOUGHT IN NYACK ASSAULT
Orangetown police are on the lookout for two men in connection with a Nyack assault this week. The pair allegedly beat up a teen-age boy Tuesday night at MacCalman football field. That’s across the street from Nyack Hospital’s emergency room, where the unidentified victim was treated for minor injuries.
FORBES NAMES WEST POINT NATION’S BEST COLLEGE
Forbes magazine just named the U.S. Military Academy at West Point the best college in America. Forbes cited the academy for its students’ work ethic and drive to succeed. Princeton ranked second and Cal Tech third in the magazine’s annual best-college survey.
08-05-09
ANSWERS LEAD TO MORE QUESTIONS IN WRONG-WAY CRASH
There are more questions, now that others have been answered, regarding the July 26th wrong-way collision that killed eight on the Taconic Parkway. Toxicology tests-results disclosed yesterday show the driver of the wrong-way car, Diane Schuler, was drunk and high on marijuana at the time of the crash. Now, investigators want to find out who, if anyone, knew of Schuler’s condition beforehand. Her brother has said she called him before the accident to say she felt disoriented, but no mention was made of drugs or alcohol. Also unclear is why police said initially there were no signs that drinking was involved, even though a broken vodka bottle had been found in the wreckage. For now, the case has been re-classified as a homicide. But police say no criminal charges are likely to be filed. Schuler, her daughter and three nieces were killed in the crash, along with three men in the vehicle Schuler’s mini-van hit head-on.
SIX SENTENCED IN SPRING VALLEY GANG FIGHT
The trial of one of seven men charged in a Spring Valley gang fight last December continues in New City. Twenty-three year-old Victor Dempsey chose to take his case before a state supreme court judge. All six of his co-defendants pled guilty to gang assault charges and were sentenced yesterday to prison terms ranging from three-and-a-half years to nine years. The brawl, between members of the Crips and Bloods street gangs, left one man with more than a hundred facial stitches.
SLIGHT CUTBACK IN STATE FUNDS TO FIGHT VIIOLENT CRIME
Dempsey’s trial comes as New York State announces it’s cut back on funds that have helped Spring Valley hold down violent crime. The funding, part of the state’s Operation Impact, reportedly helped the village bring its violent crime rate down by some 20 percent compared with last year. The state belt-tightening brings Spring valley’s annual share of the funds down from nearly $207,000 to just over $180,000.
08-04-09
ERRATIC DRIVING MIGHT HAVE FORESHADOWED WRONG-WAY TACONIC CRASH
There’s more today on what might have led up to that fatal collision on the Taconic parkway nine days ago. State police say witnesses report seeing a red mini-van with a woman and small children inside driving erratically on Route 17, and on the New York State Thruway, some time before the Sunday-afternoon accident. Eight people were killed in the crash, including the driver and four children in a mini-van heading home to Long Island from Sullivan County. The last of the victims, a passenger in the vehicle struck head-on by the mini-van, was buried yesterday in Yonkers. Police still don’t know why the woman was driving into oncoming traffic on the Taconic.
MOTORCYCLIST CHARGED WITH DWI AFTER POLICE CHASE
A New City motorcyclist faces a range of charges after what’s described as a near-disastrous incident on Route 304. Clarkstown police say 21-year-old Paul Bitts was doing about 80 miles an hour when he sped through a red light at Germonds Road, just missing a car in the intersection. A police chase ended with Pitts’s arrest – after which he reportedly tried to break free of police custody, and later, refused to take an alcohol blood test. Pitts is free on bail, charged with DWI, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, and speeding.
FIRED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPLE TO SUE DISTRICT
A popular Pearl River principal says he’ll sue the school district over his recent firing. District officials terminated Fred Weitz’s contract on grounds that he often told dirty jokes to female teachers at the Lincoln Avenue Elementary School, where he just finished his first year as principal. Weitz denies the allegation and compares his termination to a – quote – “mafia-style hit.”
STONY POINT MAN CHARGED WITH BURGLARIZING TOMPKINS COVE DELI
A Stony Point man is due in court Thursday on charges he stole a 12-pack of beer from a Tompkins Cove deli on Sunday. Police say they followed a trail of blood from a broken window at the deli to the home of 35-year-old Eugene Mcdermott. He reportedly was bleeding from a cut at the time of his arrest. He’s charged with burglary, criminal mischief and petty larceny – all in pursuit of a dozen Coors Lights.
08-03-09
LAST OF TACONIC CRASH FATALITIES BURIED TODAY
Funeral services were slated today at St. John the Baptist Church in Yonkers for the last of eight victims of last Sunday’s wrong-way collision on the Taconic State Parkway. Seventy-four year-old Daniel Longo was killed along with his friends, Michael and Guy Bastardi, in the SUV involved in the crash. The Bastardis were buried over the weekend. It’s still not known why the mini-van that caused the collision was driving south on the parkway’s northbound side. The mini-van driver, her daughter and three nieces also were killed. They were buried last week on Long Island.
ALERT COPS THWART TAPPAN-ZEE SUICIDE
Two Tarrytown policemen thwarted a suicide attempt off the Tappan Zee Bridge Friday night. The pair, Gregory Budnar and Chris Aioli, had just ended their shift when they spotted a barefoot man heading for the bridge guardrail. As they approached him, the man reportedly got back into his car and drove to another spot on the bridge for a second try. This time, Budnar and Aioli caught up and managed to wrestle him OFF the guardrail. At last word, the unidentified Connecticut man was undergoing psychiatric tests. The incident came one day after a New Jersey woman jumped from the Tappan Zee to her death.
MAN ESCAPES SERIOUS INJURY IN P.I.P. CRASH
Yesterday’s heavy rain made driving hazardous around Rockland County and caused one nearly-tragic accident. State Police say a car heading south on the Palisades Parkway in Stony Point hydroplaned, went off the road, hit several trees and flipped over. The driver, 22-year-old Gabriel Penzo of Yonkers, managed to walk away from the accident. He was treated at Nyack Hospital for minor injuries.
TARGET BRIEFLY CLOSED DUE TO GAS ODOR
A small chemical spill caused a brief shutdown of the Palisades Mall Target store yesterday. Mall police closed the store at about 1:45 p.m. when shoppers noticed the smell of gas. The doors were re-opened less than a half-hour later when it was determined the smell was not from natural gas, but most likely from a leaking container of gasoline additive sold in the store.
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