Guest Posting (Plagiarism, Laziness or Both?)

The Uncle is, shall we say, in low energy mode.

Young James Skoufis is not. He has put together a newsletter. We take the liberty of presenting it here. Mr. Skoufis shall be paid the Uncle's going rate of one grudging grunt of thanks:

"argh."

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Even when it isn't the holiday season with so much going on in our lives, it's easy to lose track of what's happening here in town. In addition to keeping you abreast of local news and events, this email newsletter that I'm starting can also serve as a way to engage you in your local government and offer a chance to send me your ideas and suggestions to bring to the town board. Likewise, if you ever need assistance with something in town or navigating through our government, absolutely do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

Finally, if you would like to include something in the next email, please send it along - this presently goes out to over 150 Woodbury families so it's an easy way to get the word out to people if you have news or an event you'd like to share. Enjoy the first issue of the Woodbury Bulletin Board and, of course, have a very happy holidays alongside those you love.

Always,
James Skoufis

Your Local Government

First and foremost, we say goodbye to one of the hardest working and admirable public officials in Woodbury, Geraldine Gianzero, who finishes up her eight years of service on the town board this month. Even in my few months sitting alongside her, I have learned a tremendous amount and gained a perspective and understanding of our local issues and government that I simply would not have if it weren't for her. She truly and exclusively has always had the best interests of the town in mind and heart and will be sorely missed going forward.

With the town re-organizational meeting around the corner we not only welcome the return of Councilman Frank Palermo to the board, but we also usher in new committee assignments. Though I urge people to serve on any and all committees that pique their interest, I want to particularly put out a call to serve on two that I will be sitting on: the Environmental Conservation Committee and the Technology Committee. Both will offer opportunities to make a tremendous difference for the town and your neighbors, make Woodbury a greener, cleaner, and safer community, and present a chance to lower our tax burden in ways that have, to date, not been explored. If you are interested in serving on either of these committees - and you certainly don't have to be an expert in the fields by any stretch - please email me at this address or call me at 347-406-3387; meetings will likely be held once a month.

The Village Board will be holding a continued public hearing on the dedication of Brigadoon's roads to the village at the December 29th meeting. All, especially Brigadoon residents, are encouraged to attend.

Finally, though I will be hitting the streets again in a few months to hear what is on residents' minds, forward along this email to friends and family in town that may be interested in receiving this newsletter going forward. Likewise, have them send me their email address to be included on the email list.

Woodbury Calendar


December: It's not too late to brighten the holidays for a child in need - toys are still being collected at the Woodbury Police Department, Mario's, Modell's, and Toys R Us (Woodbury Commons). Additionally, a special thanks is in order to the Highland Mills United Methodist Church and everyone else who have made collections this season.

Saturday 12/19: Santa visits the Highland Mills Fire Company at noon, immediate following a magician act at 11am. Donations of a non-perishable food item is requested; call 845-928-6070 for more information. While you're there, be sure to support our fire fighters and pick up a Christmas tree if your family still needs one - they are on sale until 12/24, Thursdays-Sundays.

Saturday 12/19: Groovy Tuesday plays at one of my favorite local establishments, Palaia Vineyards. If you've never been, it's highly recommended.For their full schedule of events check out their website at www.palaiavineyards.com. Must be 21+; call 845-928-5384 for more information.

Monday 12/21: The Highland Mills branch of the Woodbury Public Library teaches an Intro to the Internet from 9am-11:30am. They have regular computer courses throughout the year and those interested are encouraged to attend this great service provided by them ($10 deposit); call 845-928-6162 for more information.
Tuesday 12/22: The Central Valley branch of the Woodbury Public Library hosts their regular knitting and needlework night at 7:00pm. They meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month; call 845-928-2114 for more information.

Thursday 12/24: The Central Valley United Methodist Church hosts a candlelight service at 7:30pm in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ; call 845-928-6177 for more information.

Thursday 12/31: Charlie's Pub in Central Valley hosts a New Years Eve party ($5 cover charge) - music, food, and a champagne toast at midnight; call 845-827-5039 for more information.

Getting Piped

Chris McKenna

Kiryas Joel's plans to tap the Catskill Aqueduct are moving forward despite a second lawsuit by Orange County challenging the environmental review for the water project.

Shortly after the county filed suit July 30, village officials submitted an engineering report anticipating no apparent delay in their schedule: They planned to begin designing and getting permits for the 12.5-mile pipeline this fall and to start construction in 2010.

Officials filed that report with the state Environmental Facilities Corp. in August as part of an application for a short-term loan for the project, now estimated to cost $29 million.

A month earlier, the village bought a road and 21.5 vacant acres near Riley Road in New Windsor, where it plans to tap New York City's underground water tunnel and build a pump station.

And in recent weeks, a contractor began tinkering with a long-dormant well field in Cornwall that could prove to be a critical backup water source for Kiryas Joel.

The village obtained the four wells — once the water supply for the defunct Star Expansion factory in Cornwall — in 2005 and may need them to satisfy a requirement that it keep as much water in reserve as it would draw from the Catskill Aqueduct, in case the tunnel is ever closed for repairs.

Village officials have previously suggested that they could add the Star Expansion wells to their supply by connecting the former factory's pipes to the aqueduct pipeline, which would pass nearby on Route 32.

The pipeline would cross Woodbury and Cornwall, carrying New York City's upstate reservoir water to a new treatment plant off Seven Springs Road in Woodbury and then to Kiryas Joel, according to the August engineering report.

The report indicates that the village's 16 wells just barely meet its normal water demands, since two wells are inoperable and two others cannot be used until they are drilled deeper.

For almost a decade, community leaders have pursued the aqueduct connection as a long-term water source for Kiryas Joel's booming population, but they hit a legal snag in 2004 when opponents persuaded the county to challenge the environmental review in court.

Both then and this year, the county has contended that the village has failed to adequately explain the project's impact on wastewater treatment and other environmental issues.

An Avuncular Puzzle Page

Can you spot the 4,239 things wrong with this article?

The Chronicle > News
Sharing the water wealth: County proposes regional loop
Published: November 13, 2009
Chester — Hudson Valley has long been known for its abundant water supply. It has enough to supply New York City. Right?

Actually, in recent years Goshen, parts of Blooming Grove and Chester, Middletown and Washingtonville have all had water problems. With the economy creeping back up, and developers showing their wares again, the county is proposing countywide improvements in infrastructure (including “water loops”) for both water and sewer services for the 816 square miles for which it has primary responsibility.

In last year’s State of the County speech, Ed Diana said, “The best and the only way to achieve the goals in the (county’s) master plan is to develop regional water and wastewater systems.”

In September, the county planning commissioner, David Church, presented the legislature’s Physical Services Committee with a draft of the water authority’s new master plan.

It is a massive document with a wealth of information, maps and resources about the county’s water resources, collected and reviewed in a series of regional seminars of the Moodna Basin. But some legislators are wary of towns giving up home rule to the county about a resource they hold near and dear. Church gave them assurances the water authority will not plan any changes to a municipality’s water system without their full participation and agreement.

He cautioned that a list of municipalities have been desperately asking for help with shared water projects. “Don’t doubt for a minute that moving forward this is going to be important,” he said. “You need it to survive. You can’t live without water, and right now a bottle of water costs more than a bottle of gasoline.”

He presented the water master plan for their review, and given its size, predicted it need a month or two for study. After that it will be posted online and presented at public hearings and possibly a public information session.

The water plan is a part of the county’s new Master Plan that concentrates on aquifer protection, sewer provisions and affordable housing, but it can and probably will be reviewed and voted on separately.

Concerned about the potential for abuse of power, legislators asked county attorney David Darwin if the water authority had the legal right to impose their decisions on a municipality. He said “Yes, but they wouldn’t do that.”

Further, they have the ability to bond without legislative approval. Delving into the voluminous document (available now at http://waterauthority.orangecountygov.com) critics found the standard — but also disturbing wording that they do have the authority to do whatever is necessary for the health and welfare of residents, and to override a municipality if necessary.

Even legislative Chairwoman Roxanne Donnery was skeptical, recalling fees her own district in Highland Mills were charged for a water loop to provide for Woodbury.

“We were taxed without receiving any benefit,” she said.

Sheila Conroy, a former supervisor of Woodbury who is a member of a citizens committee arguing against the amendment agreed, said that when she was supervisor it became very difficult to balance the budget because of hidden fees — including a lawsuit Woodbury was not even aware they were involved in.

“We don’t need a water czar,” she said.

But from the county’s perspective, there is great pressure to centralize for the sake of efficiency and cost savings.

They have an overwhelming responsibility to account for welfare of the county’s citizens. Poor functioning of sewer and water plants puts their citizens at risk. Even routine maintenance is made easier when one of these water loops makes it possible for a town to borrow from a neighbor while their own tank is repaired. But many think that upgrades can be made without a new document that gives belt and suspenders to the powerful authority the county already has.

“Don’t doubt for a minute that moving forward this is going to be important,” he said. “You need it to survive. You can’t live without water, and right now a bottle of water costs more than a bottle of gasoline.”’

David Church, planning commissioner

“This sets a legal precedent and we have to look at it carefully,” Donnery warned.

Another legislator said he would want it in writing that the county would not take any action without participation and agreement by the municipality. Sheila Conroy, Robert Fromaget of Democratic Orange; Lorraine McNeill, former Woodbury councilman; and Jonathan Swiller, chairman of OCEAN are calling for an oversight committee such as Rockland County has found to be helpful. Fromaget pointed out in particular that even the mayors of Washingtonville and Blooming Grove disagreed with the water and sewer figures in the plan that might justify creating a loop to the already stressed Cornwall wells.

A presentation on the Moodna Creek Conservation and Management Plan will be given at the Blooming Grove Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30. The water authority has given Nov. 30 as a deadline to submit questions and comments.

The Envelope Please

So, as far as we can tell, here are the results:


Town Councilman

James Skoufis - 944
Frank Palermo - 906
Ralph Caruso - 827
George Pedersen - 791

Yes, Ralph beat Georege. Amazing!

For the uncontested seats (except by write-in)
John Burke - 1050
Pete Stabile - 1064
Dwsiree Potvin - 1049
Carol Herb - 1164

We don't have the write in numbers yet.

David Levinson 1355 (unconfirmed)
David Hasin 970 ( appx, unconfirmed)

Some Legislature Contests

Roxanne Donnery 1750

Townsend is reported to be 13 votes ahead of Kemnitz.

Castricone beat Spencer.

Hines Beat Randazzo and Fromaget

In Monroe, Sandy Leonard won but her team-mates Weeks and Martin lost.

Caruso Made The Last Minute Flyers Run On Time

Whew! Just made it. The last minute flyer from Caruso has shown up.

Interestingly, there are no out-right lies in it.

Instead it merely hints strongly at some back room manipulation and has a somewhat bizarre opinion regarding the KJ Pipeline.

Since it's a bit hard to read we have reproduced the text in the first post on this thread.

The hint of backroom manipulation: The Republicans ran no one against Burke. The Democratic Committee (including Burke) was very muted in its comments about Ralphie. Was this a quid pro quo? We R's won't run anyone against our pal Burke, you D's put up some sacrificial lambs for council seats and Burke and Caruso will sail in on a shared victory?

Just conjecture, but with this cast of characters you never know what deals were struck.

As to that "bizarre opinion." that John, Ralph and George will "rigorously and relentlessly oppose the 13 mile pipeline." I'd certainly love to hear from (my supposed doppleganger) the Pieman on that one. Fighting the Pipeline has long been his balliwick.

Score the Snore

So, if you were one of the 50 or 60 folks who showed up, how do you rate the debate?

Early word has that the major fireworks weren't between Frank and Ralph, as was expected, but between James and Ralph -- and that Ralph doesn't fare so well when he is on the receiving end.

Some other points from our staff on-scene:

Everyone wants to have automated garbage collection.
F and J would like to either end the village or find a way to merge it into the town. G is against merger and for he village and R is still saying that all services should be run by the town and the village should transfer them back.

Frank was pretty much laid back. George was pretty much asleep (we think he was added to the ticket to make Ralph look exciting). James was a spitfire who repeatedly tore into Ralph and Ralph let us all know that he is a notary public.

There was consensus on many issues. One of the few splits was in answer to the question "Did you read KJ's amended FEIS on the pipeline?" Frank - yes; James - yes; George - no; Ralph - I didn't read it all, but I looked at it.

Also "How can Woodbury be made a better place to live?" Frank - keep our businesses strong; James - strengthen businesses and have a plan for smart growth; George - improve our parks; Ralph - elect me.

Most curious answer: George suggests that we may have to cut services and raise tax revenue - but not by raising taxes.

Funniest answer(s): Ralph tied with himself for this one:
1) "I've always supported full disclosure." (this was shortly before he explained that Republican Committee meetings were open except for all the ones that aren't)
2) When James challenged him about all the former Republican Town Board members who have reported that whenever they voted in ways that Ralph didn't like the Brilliant One would call the next day to ream them out: "I think that my opponent has been lied to - but I can tell you for a fact that I don't call people to yell and scream at them. I never do that."

High point of the evening: The Junior Peewee Pop Warner Cheerleaders singing America.

Low point: Everything after that.

Degrade Debate

The Pieman emerges from his slumber to inform us that there will, in fact, be a debate.

All four candidates for town council seats - Ralph, Frank, George and James - have agreed to meet on Wednesday, October 28th, 7:30 PM at the Central Valley Elementary School.

The debate will be sponsored by OCEAN and moderated by Gerri Gianzero.

The Pieman asks that people come at 7 PM to write out their questions for the candidates.

Black Ball

OK

Here's our latest experiment.

No doubt it will fail as miserably as all the others.

Who are you against (primarily for Town Board) and - now here's the tricky part - why?

The goal (ha ha ha) is to be specific.

"Because he's a back-stabbing, mother-jumping, horse-stealing son-of-a-bitch" doesn't quite explain the animus.

The goal is to convince others that the candidate that you are denouncing is bad, bad, bad. Simply heaping denunciation upon insult upon invective may not accomplish that goal.

All that being said, we turn from Scylla to Charybdis. Getting specific may invite law-suits.

sooooooooooooooo, stick to what is on the record, or, if you are saying that you are a witness to some bad act, step forward and give your name (like that's gonna happen).

Oh, I already see that this ain't gonna work out.

Well, let's give it a shot and then try something else.

What "Signed" Means

Primary election time is fast upon us.

Here, at this spot, on this thread, at this post, your Uncle invites signed endorsements, denunciations and general comments about the candidates (there ain't many).

The one rule, comments must be signed, with real names even.

Anonymous, pseudonymous or any other kinds of mouses will be deleted.

If no one steps forward, okeleydokeley. We'll try it all over again for the general election.

Let he amongst you who knows his own name cast the first ballot (shes too).

Election Connection

There's chat going on further down the blog on the upcoming elections so I thought I'd supply a little conversation nook up here so everyone can follow along.

Oh, That Water Master Plan

Water-plan foes make case
Say county could force municipalities to connect
By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
HIGHLAND MILLS —

Could Orange County force municipalities to connect their water systems if they don't want to?

Three people who believe it could made their case to local officials at the Woodbury firehouse Thursday night, the latest rumblings of opposition to a proposed plan for the county's public water supplies.

The part attracting criticism is a recommendation for 19 intermunicipal pipe connections, which are intended to let well-supplied towns sell water to needier neighbors and steer development to areas the county has marked for growth.

The county Water Authority, which developed the plan, insists these links would be strictly voluntary, and says it will help any communities that want to build them.

But critics fear the authority could push forward without consent.

On Thursday, three opponents who studied the plan and its supporting documents laid out their findings in a PowerPoint presentation to 11 invited officials from the eastern part of the county.

They argue the authority could seize local water systems through eminent domain and tax the whole county for its costs, using a countywide water district created years ago but never used.

They also claim some wording in the documents betrays a forceful intent.

"The Legislature has no control over this authority," said Sheila Conroy, a Woodbury Planning Board member and former town supervisor. "It's only answerable to the executive branch of government."

Conroy gave the talk with Jonathan Swiller, leader of the OCEAN citizens' group; and Robert Fromaget, a Blooming Grove resident and county Legislature candidate.

Authority leaders responded Friday by repeating the pipe links are merely suggestions and wouldn't be forced on anyone.

"The authority is there for the purpose of trying to facilitate the interconnections so that everybody has a sufficient supply of potable water," said Marcia Jacobowitz, chairwoman of the five-member authority board. "This is not something that would be mandatory."

County Planning Commissioner David Church, who serves as executive director of the authority, said the notion of seizing water systems through eminent domain is "so far-fetched I never asked anybody if we could."

He emphasized that the authority can amend its proposal in response to public input. For instance, it could consider stating that no connections would be forced through eminent domain, Church said.

It's already reconsidering some population projections that Fromaget questioned.

"We're professional and humble enough to admit that if we're wrong, we'll correct it," Church said.

cmckenna@th-record.com



Pipe connections
The Orange County Water Authority has suggested connecting local water systems in 19 places as part of an overall plan for meeting water needs as the county population grows.


The most immediate connections it suggested are:


• Town of Wallkill and Village of Goshen


• Middletown and the Town of Wallkill


• Villages of Kiryas Joel and Monroe


• Villages of Monroe and Harriman


• West Point and Highland Falls


• Washingtonville and Cornwall-on-Hudson


• New Windsor and the City of Newburgh


To read the full report, go to: http://waterauthority.orangecountygov.com/

The Pieman Predicts

The Pieman is usually quite plain-spoken; however UB World Headquarters, nestled away in the swamps of Woodbury Falls, has now received the following rather cryptic email:

Unc,

As important as Woodbury Town Election, the KJ Pipeline and all the other things that we have been focused on are, they are small potatoes compared to the Orange County Water Master Plan.

This is the big one and it can have profound negative effects on all of Orange County. I'll have a lot more for you within a week or so.

Swiller

You Asked For It

Anonymous said...

Uncle Betty how about changing the topic to the upcoming town board candidates?

Residents need to know the ugly truth about Ralph.

He is pursuing an article 78 against the Village Planning Board and other entities that is costing the residents that live in the town.

How many lawsuits does that make?

When was the last time he actually served in an official elected position?

How many times has he lost an election?

WTF - we don't need or want Ralph!

6:30 PM, July 17, 2009

"Tsunami Of Sewage"

Orange County Legislature votes for 2nd suit vs. Kiryas Joel pipeline

By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
July 02, 2009
GOSHEN — Orange County lawmakers voted unanimously Wednesday night to support a second lawsuit against Kiryas Joel to challenge the environmental review for the village's proposed pipeline to the Catskill Aqueduct.

County Executive Ed Diana announced last week, as a public hearing and Legislature vote on the issue were looming, that he planned to file a suit, so the 20-0 vote was a purely symbolic show of support for that decision.

Litigation filed by the county in 2004 forced Kiryas Joel to elaborate on four parts of its environmental review but allowed the village to do so with no further public comment. Opponents contended the amendments made this year were inadequate and pressed for a second suit.

Legislators listened to two hours of arguments in support of a suit at a hearing in Central Valley Monday night and heard another round of public comments before voting.

Sheila Conroy of Woodbury reiterated her arguments that Kiryas Joel has underestimated its rapid population growth to play down the "tsunami" of sewage it will send to the county treatment plant if it's allowed to tap New York City's water supply.

"Supplying inaccurate responses just to say that it is done does not satisfy the intent of the court decision or SEQRA," Conroy said, using the acronym for the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

"Honest answers need to put out for all to look at," she added.

Jonathan Swiller, leader of a Woodbury citizens group called OCEAN, argued that allowing the amended review to pass without scrutiny means that "anything filed, a still-deficient document such as we have here, a phone book, a blank sheet of paper, must be accepted. That is absurd."

When it came time to vote, even Michael Amo, who represents Kiryas Joel on the Legislature, supported a lawsuit, saying, "Let's let the courts make that decision if it will satisfy people, and then let's move on."

Diana has until July 31 to file the suit, which will be funded with money left from the $250,000 lawmakers authorized in 2004 to challenge the pipeline study. His office said in 2007 that the county had spent $126,806 on an outside firm that handled the case.

Saving Face

Tonight the County Legislature voted to endorse Eddie Diana's decision to file an Article 78 lawsuit challenging the Amended FEIS on the KJ Pipeline.

Jeff Berkman wanted to have the whole matter dropped so that he wouldn't have to go on record voting either way.

That was a non-starter.

When it became obvious that the endorsement was going to pass, Berkman, Amo, Pahucki and Paduch bowed to the inevitable and voted yes, passing the resolution 20 to 0 (one absent).

Tonight's The Night

7 PM

Tonight

Public Hearing on

the KJ Pipeline

and the

County's Water Master Plan

at the

Central Valley Elementary School

Be There or Be Octagonal

The Thing That Would Not Die

He's baaaaaack!

Yep

Petitions are making the rounds for the Republican candidates for Town Council.

Geaorge Pedersen and, honest to God, Ralphie!

This will be fun!

Diana Agrees To Sue

Diana decides to sue Kiryas Joel again over pipeline project
By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
June 25, 2009
GOSHEN — Orange County Executive Ed Diana announced Thursday he plans to sue Kiryas Joel for the second time over the environmental review for the village’s proposed connection to the Catskill Aqueduct.

Diana said he believes the village’s amendments to the review still fail to address adequately the issues the courts identified in response to the county’s 2004 lawsuit.

His decision to sue comes four days before the county Legislature planned to hold a public hearing on the pipeline project and six days ahead of a planned Legislature vote on whether to sue.

The Pieman writes to say that it still very important that there is a huge turnout at Monday's Public Hearing at Central Valley Elementary School (7 PM) in order to send a message to the County Legislature.

Pipeline Public Hearing

Latest from the Pieman:

Keep Paying Attention

My View:
Water master plan contains wrong numbers, bad conclusions
June 19, 2009

The recently released Orange County Water Master Plan is not about planning but about taking total control of our precious water resource. It must be stopped.

Our communities need representation on a county level to participate in the management of the water resources in each of our towns. Currently the master plan is not the answer because:
* It is based on faulty population assumptions that either seriously exaggerate or understate population growth rates.
* It gives control of our water resources to the Orange County Water Authority without any oversight or local elected officials' input.
* It gives the water authority MTA-like government powers without proper oversight by our legislators or locally elected officials.

As an example, the growth projections the master plan uses for Washingtonville and Kiryas Joel are absolutely wrong, or have been fabricated to support the priorities identified in that document. The Kiryas Joel growth rate used in the plan conflicts with Kiryas Joel's own growth-rate projections as laid out in the Final Environmental Impact Statement in support of the aqueduct pipeline request.

The growth assumptions used suggest that Washingtonville will grow at almost the same rate as Kiryas Joel, which is not supported by the U.S. Census data. The Census shows a significantly smaller growth rate for Washingtonville and a significantly higher growth rate for Kiryas Joel.

The Census growth rates would cause Washingtonville to fall out of the "in need of water" category and thus eliminate the justification for the proposed link between Washingtonville and Cornwall.

The bottom line is that the plan improperly "moves" new population from Kiryas Joel, where it is expected, to Washingtonville, where it isn't. This phony "population transfer" has the effect of concealing the real reasons for the priorities identified in the master plan and that is to get access to 1.7 million gallons a day of Cornwall water for the users of those links.

There is the additional concern that the master plan will give the Water Authority unbridled powers over the control and management of our water once the plan is approved. The Authority will be able to 1) acquire right of ways using eminent domain, 2) sell bonds without legislative approval, 3) charge whatever fees they see fit to build and maintain the links they install and control, 4) once the water is in their system, send it to whomever is linked to that system.

The only involvement of our local elected officials will be powerless "consultation." The Orange County Sewer District is managed by the county; however, local elected officials have complained vigorously to no avail about how that facility is managed, how the capacity is distributed to its members and the lack of meaningful involvement in the budget process. We should assume it will be the same when the Water Authority seizes control of our water supply and decisions.

So I ask, should Cornwall allow the Water Authority to take its water without any oversight or controls in place to protect their own supply?

Since the Times Herald-Record reported in 2007 the wells in Monroe went dry when Kiryas Joel activated a number of wells illegally, this is a real concern. I urge the locally elected officials to resist the kidnapping of their oversight authority and their water supply.

We need to establish a board of commissioners with representation from all the impacted communities to manage our water. We need to resist giving it over to or the Water Authority to be managed like the Orange County Sewer District, where special-interest groups have the most influence.

Robert A. Fromaget lives in the Town of Blooming Grove.

Pay Attention, Folks

Our View:
Surrounding communities concerned about Kiryas Joel pipeline
June 18, 2009

As supervisors and mayors in southern Orange County, we have heard from many of our citizens who are concerned about the impact of the Village of Kiryas Joel's proposed pipeline to hook into the New York City water system.

The pipeline would run 13 miles through many of our communities, causing major disruptions and impact to the environment. Five years ago when the pipeline plan was first submitted, the county went to court challenging the original Final Environmental Impact Statement on the grounds that it was deficient in a number of areas, including any real plan to deal with the increased sewage capacity that would be required.

The court agreed and ordered that the plan needed to address a number of issues, including wastewater, wetlands and population growth.

Unfortunately, the court did not seem to take the environmental impact review process seriously and allowed Kiryas Joel to file an amended impact statement that is not subject to further review.

The new amended statement most certainly does not answer the court's questions. In fact, the filing is still plagued with erroneous or missing information and miscalculations.

For example, on sewage, the plan claims that a new filtration system will be installed in the Harriman Sewage Treatment Plant, which will double its capacity, and that all of this new capacity will go to Kiryas Joel. In truth, the county has not yet decided if it will install this very expensive and experimental filtration system,. The most optimistic guesses say it might increase the capacity by 50 percent, not double it. Most egregious is Kiryas Joel's claim that all additional capacity, as well as all of the recent 2 million-gallon expansion of the Harriman plant, should go exclusively to its village.

This ignores the rights of the citizens of all the communities that have been involved in the expansion project and who have been on waiting lists for years to be hooked into the system.

To allow this project to proceed without further review will make a mockery of the State Environmental Quality Review process, because the issue is not the pipeline but the necessity that the environmental review be done properly to protect the environment and surrounding municipalities.

All we ask is that all towns and villages be treated fairly and equally when, in too many instances, this hasn't been the case.

The State Environmental Quality Review Act and the review under state General Municipal Law 239 are requirements mandated by law. The law's intent is to protect the environment and coordinate land-use decisions to mitigate intercommunity and countywide impacts. It is the state, county and court's responsibility to ensure that we are all treated fairly and equally under the law. If the laws are not going to be enforced equally across the board, then rescind the laws and put everyone on an equal playing field.

Lastly, there is the question as to whether this pipeline, which will serve only one community and enrich a small group of developers, is the best use of $30 million in taxpayer money.

Signed;
Charles Bohan, Supervisor of the Town of Blooming Grove
John Burke, Supervisor of the Town of Woodbury
Robert Jeroloman, Mayor of the Village of South Blooming Grove
John Karl is mayor of the Village of Monroe
Steve Neuhaus, Supervisor of the Town of Chester
Michael Queenan, Mayor of the Village of Woodbury
Kevin Quigley, Supervisor of the Town of Cornwall
Steve Welle, Mayor of the Village of Harriman.

Pre-wedding melee erupts in Kiryas Joel; trooper cars pelted with eggs, plastic bottles
By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
KIRYAS JOEL — Young men shouted and pelted trooper cars with eggs and plastic water bottles Monday during a melee that erupted hours before an outdoor wedding that was expected to draw thousands of spectators.

Troopers say roughly 200 young men staged a rowdy protest as workers from Orange & Rockland Utilities removed decorative lights that had been strung from poles without permission. The lights were for the wedding of a granddaughter of Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, a Satmar Hasidic leader.

Protesters blocked the company’s trucks with metal pedestrian barriers and then climbed on the trucks, troopers said. Then they used the same barriers to block trooper cars as state police tried to escort the utility workers out of Kiryas Joel.

One trooper was treated for minor injuries. No police cars were damaged.
One man was arrested and was expected to face a felony charge. His identity and the charges were not immediately available.
....................................................................................................
Some background:
Moshe Witriol is head of KJ's "Department of Public Safety." That is to say, the enforcement arm of the people who run things.

The "buchers" are the yeshiva boys who act as Witriol's insta-mob.

The State Troopers are under standing orders that Witriol calls the shots. Laws (whether real or made up on the spot) that he wants enforced, get enforced. Laws that he wants ignored, get ignored.

Today, apparently, the buchers were pelting the O and R crew with eggs and bottles while Witriol stood nearby and watched.

O and R called the Troopers and the buchers turned their attention to them.

Right after the Troopers put one of the buchers in cuffs, Witriol sprang into action. He tried to get them to let the kid go.

Generally, the buchers are to be allowed to abuse whomever they want.

The problem is, the Troopers don't believe that that extends to allowing the buchers to abuse the Troopers themselves.

Live and learn.

And...

Two From The Record

Fired street sweeper seeks damages from Kiryas Joel
By Oliver Mackson
Times Herald-Record
June 02, 2009 6:00 AM
KIRYAS JOEL — Anthony Martin of Highland Mills says he lost his job because he blew the whistle on tax cheats in the government of New York's fastest-growing village.
In a suit filed May 22 in U.S. District Court, Martin says the village's public works boss fired him last year because he notified the state Department of Labor and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service that Kiryas Joel failed to deduct taxes from his paycheck.
Martin started as a full-time street sweeper in Kiryas Joel on May 26.
On Aug. 13, he reported the lack of payroll deductions to the state and feds, and on Aug. 22, the village fired him, according to his lawsuit.
"His speech addressed a matter of concern, i.e., municipal corruption, and is protected by the First Amendment," wrote Stephen Bergstein, the lawyer representing Martin.
Neither DPW Director Zalman Stern nor Donald Nichol, the village's lawyer, could be reached to discuss the suit Monday.
Authorities did not respond to a request for comment about what, if anything, they were doing about Martin's report.
Martin wants damages and compensation for lost wages. The suit doesn't name an amount.
He also wants to go back to work.
"Working for the government has its benefits," Bergstein explained. "The government doesn't go out of business."

Broker sues Orange County, claiming bid for La Guardia denied based on religion
By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
June 02, 2009 6:00 AM
GOSHEN — A real estate broker who tried to buy the former Camp La Guardia property has filed a lawsuit claiming Orange County rebuffed his offer because his clients were thought to be Hasidic Jews affiliated with the Village of Kiryas Joel.
Robert Lawrence, owner of Hudson Valley Realty Company in Goshen, is suing the county and County Executive Ed Diana in federal court for the $460,000 commission he said he lost, citing violations of the federal Fair Housing Act and the Fourteenth Amendment. Neither he nor his former client is demanding the 256-acre property, which the county recently agreed to sell to a Westchester County developer.
In the lawsuit, Lawrence claims his $11.5 million offer in March 2007 was rejected because Diana knew "the religious beliefs and affiliation" of the potential buyer and didn't want the former New York City homeless shelter sold to a developer with even a perceived connection to Kiryas Joel.
Diana spokesman Richard Mayfield said Monday that the county hasn't been served with the suit and doesn't comment on pending litigation.
The court papers identify Lawrence's client as "a major real estate developer of the Jewish faith." Michael Sussman, the Goshen civil rights attorney representing Lawrence, confirms the client was Isaac Rosenberg, a Brooklyn businessman and member of the Satmar Hasidic community.
Rosenberg is cooperating with the litigation but didn't join in suing because "he felt it would detract from his business opportunities," Sussman said.
Sussman said Rosenberg had hoped to build a mixture of homes and businesses, similar to what is now proposed for Camp La Guardia. But public fear that Orthodox or Hasidic developers would build "another Kiryas Joel" made his offer — conveyed anonymously through Lawrence — unpalatable to Diana and most county lawmakers, Sussman argues in the suit.
The county bought the property for $8.5 million in 2007 and ultimately chose Mountco Construction and Development Corp. of Scarsdale as the buyer, after a protracted Legislature debate over proposals by four bidders.
Rosenberg, who made his offer long before the county solicited bids for the property, didn't participate in that formal competition because he "determined that it would be entirely futile," Sussman said in the suit.

Somebody's Lying

Orange County, NYC yet to sign off on KJ's water pipeline plan
By Chris Mckenna
imes Herald-Record

In an April 1 conference call with state officials, Kiryas Joel representatives let it be known that no more legal obstacles await their plans for a 13-mile water pipeline, for which they are seeking state financing.

Yes, Orange County sued over the project's environmental review, they acknowledged, but county leaders were satisfied with the revised version of that study "and said they won't challenge this," according to handwritten notes from that call.

But in truth, the possibility of a second county suit hasn't passed. "The county has made no comment to anyone involved in this process," county spokesman Richard Mayfield said. "There is no credibility to this statement. It's just not accurate."

County officials and their attorneys are still scrutinizing Kiryas Joel's amended review and have told no one, even in informal conservations, that they're satisfied with it.

Also, a top engineer with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection — the agency that must approve Kiryas Joel's request to tap the city's Catskill Aqueduct — has sent the village a litany of questions, raising issues about the village's projected growth, the amount of water it would draw, the sufficiency of its backup supply and the width of the proposed transmission pipe.

The engineer, who several years ago asked the village why it wanted a 24-inch-wide pipe when a smaller one would suffice, now wonders why the village has agreed to reduce the diameter to 18 inches without providing any supporting analysis.

"Please be reminded that the pipe size selection is not arbitrary," wrote Paul Aggarwal, section chief of community supplies engineering. "An engineering analysis supporting the desired pipe size for now and the future water demands must be submitted for our review."

Kiryas Joel officials want to start construction in January on what they now estimate to be an almost $30 million project.

Orange County lawmakers have discussed the county's legal position behind closed doors once since Kiryas Joel revised its environmental review and are likely to revisit the issue soon, as a July 31 deadline to file another lawsuit looms.

If anyone in their ranks deemed the amended study "satisfactory," it certainly wasn't Frank Fornario, the Blooming Grove Republican who helped lead opposition to the pipeline and now oversees a committee that would consider further litigation.

"I'm speechless," he said when told about Kiryas Joel's claim in the April 1 conference call.

So, where do we stand with the pipeline?

KJ claims that the County has no objections. A "spokesman" for the County say different. Eddie Diana says nothing.

Will the County go back to court?

How soon do they have to act?

Stay tuned...we'll let you know what's up.

Filling the Void

Woodbury seeks input to fill town board vacancy

Highland Mills - The Woodbury Town Board is accepting inquiries from town residents who may be interested in serving out the remaining time of Michael Queenan’s Town Board seat.Queenan resigned as town councilman when he was elected mayor of the Village of Woodbury in March.

The term expires Dec. 31, 2009. In November, an election will be held for a new four-year term.All letters of interest will be considered by the Town Board. Those letters may be sent to the Town Clerk Desiree Potvin, 511 Route 32, PO Box 1004, Highland Mills, NY 10930.

So, any nominations?

Pond Bond

Tuesday we get to vote on whether we will raise the cash to fix the pond?

So yes or no and why?

And, do any of you believe enough in your position to sign your name?

Independence? Prove it!

From an article in today's Record:

Republicans and Democrats who want their names to also appear on the Independence line in November now must complete an online questionnaire that includes some hot-button topics, such as dissolving tiny towns and villages to save taxpayers money.
"We want to make it less of a popularity contest and focus it more on highly substantive issues," explained Orange County's Independence leader, Langdon Chapman.

OK, so the Independence Party is against uneccessary villages. Like, perhaps, the Village of Woodbury?

And who was one of the loudest voices in Caruso's "Let's Form a Village" Choir?

John Burke.

Now the Dems are nominating Frank Palermo for the Town Board so that he will give their slate, headed by Burke, the Independence line.

If Burke gets the endorsement it will mean that the Independence Party's claimed interest in eliminating extra layers of government is pure manure.

Wait and watch.

Or better yet, call Langdon Chapman and shout.

Catching Up

Sorry, a brief sojourn to Maryland turned out slightly less brief than planned.

Tonight (Tuesday) the new members of the village board have their first meeting. Village Hall, 7:30 PM. This is to be their last meeting there. After tonight they move the show to town hall, which has the video equipment.

From the Record:
O’Dwyer set to announce Orange exec candidacy
By Chris Mckenna
April 14, 2009 6:00 AM
GOSHEN — Democrat Pat O’Dwyer has scheduled a news conference Sunday for what is expected to be her announcement that she will run for Orange County executive in November.O’Dwyer, a party activist and former Town of Goshen supervisor, said Monday she will announce her political plans at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame at 240 Main St. in Goshen. The event is open to the public and set to run from 1 to 3 p.m.County Executive Ed Diana, a Republican, has already announced plans to run for a third term this year.

The Uncle admits ignorance about O'Dwyer. Any thoughts, insights or slander from you folks?

Ralph Was

Considering how much fun it has been to chat about Woodbury's own Gossip Girl, Ralph Caruso, the Uncle fears that that era may be coming to an end.

It appears that Ralph's sun is setting.

He hasn't won an election in decades, though not for lack of trying.

Not one of his Woodbury candidates has won in years.

His tenure as Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeal is also ancient history.

His one-time playmates on the Democratic Committee are poised to give the nod to Frank Palermo for Town Councilman. This is a wet chatooie in Ralph's face. Suffice it to say that Ralph and Frank don't play well together.

And now, our esteemed State Senator, Uncle Billie Larkin himself, has decided that Ralph's services as a chauffeur are no longer required.

Ralph has been fired.

Gasp!

No longer will our pal be able to stand before us and introduce himself as "Ralph Caruso, Aide to Senator Larkin."

O, how the mighty have fallen and the grape made low.

Prioritize

Ralph's attention was a bit diverted during the recent village election.

As attentive nieces and nephews will recall, Ralph set up THE CHAIRMAN'S CORNER in order to keep us all abreast of the pressing issues facing Woodbury.

http://www.preservewoodbury.org/ChCo.htm

He began with the "first in a series of Commentaries I will present as the Chairman of the Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury for our community. They will cover a variety of subjects in no particular order, but will include Village, Town, County, State and Federal government matters."

From January 1st 'til now this appears to be a series of one.

And the only topic Ralph found noteworthy was the Pieman's living arrangements.

Hmmm.

Is Ralphie hoping for an invite?

And, the main (pretty much only) topic on the Perversionists home page is...guess who?

http://www.preservewoodbury.org/index.htm

We begin to think Ralph has a crush on the Pieman.

And now, as the flyer reproduced up above shows, Ralph has asked us all to join in.

He has invited us to the Planning Board's public hearing tonight (Wednesday, April Fool's Day appropriately) at 7:30 at Town Hall. The subject is, yet again, the Pieman's home.

Do try to come. Bring snacks. For shut-ins, the festivities will be on cable channel 22.

In case any of you have questions about any of this, Ralph has kindly included his number. Feel free to call.

Oh Ralphie, Ralphie, Ralphie. Did you ever consider sending flowers?

The (Sour) Grapes of Ralph

I would like to thank all those who came out to vote in the Village of Woodbury election. I especially thank the voters who voted for the Preservation Team: Ben Meyers, George Pedersen and Fred Ungerer.

This election was riddled with misleading and outright misrepresented and undeliverable promises by the Common Sense Party. However, around 65 percent of the voters were able to see through the smoke and mirrors, with the Common Sense Party candidates being elected with around only 35 percent of the votes, clearly not a mandate.

Actually, there are 6,350 registered voters in the Village of Woodbury, with 1,298 voting in this election, about 20 percent, with and average of 470 voting for the Common Sense Party candidates. This means about 7 percent of all village registered voters elected the new mayor and two trustees.
This tells all of us that staying home and not voting is not a good idea. Why let the few tell the many how our village should be governed?

Keep an eye on your Village Board and make them accountable to you.

Ralph Caruso, Chairman
Highland Mills

Drip, Drip, Drip

Kiryas Joel has come out with an amended FEIS on their pipeline plan. Now we're hearing about a proposed link up of water systems throughout Orange County (see below).

Good idea? Bad idea? Who's paying attention?

Orange County study calls for 19 water system links

By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
March 25, 2009 6:00 AM
GOSHEN — Orange County is proposing that 19 links be built among municipal water systems to help those with potential shortages, channel development and share supplies during droughts and other emergencies.

The so-called interconnections are among the recommendations in a plan the Water Authority has developed to safeguard the patchwork of wells, reservoirs and other resources that supply drinking water to almost three-quarters of the county's population.

The 245-page draft projects that municipalities will have plenty of water overall to keep pace with population growth through 2018, the endpoint of the study three consulting firms did for the authority.

But supplies will vary widely from one municipality to another by that time: Some will be flush with water while as many as seven could either run short or barely satisfy demand, according to the plan.

"We have plenty of water, but it's not necessarily in the right locations," said Planning Commissioner David Church, whose department oversees the authority.

The plan suggests erecting more storage tanks and strengthening conservation efforts. But it also provides the most detailed proposal to date for a series of regional water systems — or miniloops — that County Executive Ed Diana has long touted.

These scattered connections would be a more modest successor to a colossal water-loop idea the county conceived decades ago, only to see it collapse in the early '90s because of its high cost and lack of support from the municipalities.
The plan calls for immediate action on seven of those links, including one that would stretch 4.5 miles to connect the water-rich Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson with the Village of Washingtonville, which is expected to run low within a decade.

Shortages were also foreseen in the Villages of Goshen, Highland Falls, Monroe, Kiryas Joel and the cities of Middletown and Newburgh — although the plan acknowledges potential errors in the calculations for Newburgh, Middletown and Highland Falls.

To Resign or Not?

The new Village Board members take office in early April.

Mike's term on the Town Board is up this November.

If Mike resigns then John, Bo and Carlton will handpick his replacement. If he stays on, it will be up to the voters.

There is no law against his holding both positions, but should he?

What do you folks think?

Go Vote

Noon 'til 9 PM

Village Hall
(Above the Highland Mills Fire House)

Crapping In Your Ear

Perhaps to conserve paper, the late hitting lie is traveling by word of mouth.

The lie: If one particular slate wins, the incoming mayor will invoke a little known state law and downsize the Village Board to three members.

There is no such plan.

Because

There is no such law.

This is the droppings left by the male cow.

Who started passing this around? We don’t know, we can only guess.

The Silence of the Uncle?

A number of posters, or, likely, one poster, a number of times, has called on the Uncle to close up shop until after the election. He has gone so far as to claim that to do so would honor those who have fought to protect us.

The soldiers who took up arms (and too often laid down their lives) for this country did so to defend the people’s right to have these debates. It is no honor to them to seek to silence the voices we despise.

The best answer to lies and smears is truth, not censorship.

What drew me to this country was its ability to withstand lively, even ugly, debate without it leading to mobs in the plazas. I have seen enough of those.

I would hope that you are wise enough to tell baseless slander from supported fact. I would hope that you care enough about your community and your homes to decide your votes on something more tangible than anonymous accusations.

What appears here should never be the end of a search for truth, but, at best, a start. If you read something here that interests or disturbs you, make the effort to go find out more.

If you have questions, post them. If the answers don’t satisfy, look further.

But silence is never the answer.

The Bottom Line

It comes down to this:

If you want Caruso to run Woodbury, vote for the Preservation Party.

If you don't want Caruso to run Woodbury, vote for the Community Party or the Common Sense Party.

And if you don't think that Caruso intends to pull the strings if his candidates get elected, wake up.

When Joan Caruso (no relation) was Town Supervisor, Ralph "informed" her that she was to clear all town appointments and hires with him. She ignored him.

When Sheila Conroy was elected Town Supervisor, Ralph told her how she was supposed to vote. She ignored him.

After that Ralph tried to make damned sure that his candidates understood who was boss.

He managed to hold onto Mike Aronowitz for quite a while, but in the end Mike started thinking for himself. Some of you may remember Ralph's public tirade against Mike in Town Hall.

John Burke remains content to let Ralph do his thinking for him.

In this election, Caruso is trying to stay deep in the shadows, but there is no way he would back Meyers, Pederson and Ungerer unless he felt secure that they would carry out his wishes.

If that appeals to you, go for it. If not, stop it. Either way, vote!

Ugly Betty

This blog has gotten uglier than usual (if such a concept can be imagined).

The Uncle is not guiltless, nor does he have any desire to be so. But at least he has attempted to be stylishly offensive.

On Wednesday we vote for mayor and two trustees. Nine walk in, three survive.

Thursday will thus be recriminations day.

Do attempt to bear in mind that you all have to live here - at least until the real estate market stabilizes.

The Poison Pen of DePalma

On the Clowning Around thread some posters have asked what we can expect from Caruso in the Late Hitting Lie category.

What's your guess?

In any case, as soon as you see one send it along to : cuzzincookie@hotmail.com

The End Of The Affair

How do we break this to you? Are you sitting down?

Well, um, OK, Ralph doesn't love the Pieman.

We don't know how it happened - Did Ralph find him cheating with another main squeeze? Did a jealous Don Siebold muddy the water? Or was it just one of those things?

Who can say, but the love is gone. And when Ralph's love is gone, you're gone too.

So Ralph and the peanut gallery (Ankle Biter, Rump Roast, Mrs. Ralph) all trooped down to Village Hall and demanded that the Pieman be banished from Woodbury. Heaven forfend, a fate worse than death!

And if the Village Board shrinks from this command, well, Ralph's got his own brand spanking new Village Board waiting in the wings.

Oh what shall become of our dear Pieman? Sob, sob! Does this spell the end? Will he have to move in with John Burke? Does Burke snore? And will Amanda discover that Hermione is her long lost sister?

Keep tuned to this station for the next episode of

As The Stomach Churns

Clowning Around

Considering all the depressing negativity being expressed on this blog of late, the Uncle would like to thank Don Siebold for his hilarious letter to the Times Herald Record.

Every once in a while we need a good laugh and there have been few things funnier this week than his reference to the Preservation Team as people "who have no hidden agenda and are not beholden to special interest groups."

Thanks again Don.

The Record's Editorial

Opinion
The Woodburys look for ways to save money

March 05, 2009
This might not be the year that the Woodburys unravel their tangled governmental web, but at least most candidates for village office are talking about how to minimize the extra costs.

Three years ago, voters approved the creation of an overlay government, adding a village atop a town, in the hope that the new layer would provide more protection for any possible attempts by the nearby Village of Kiryas Joel to annex land and expand. No one knows if such extra protection was necessary, but all taxpayers now know that they are paying a price for the decision.

While many municipalities and school districts are moving, albeit slowly, or studying, albeit grudgingly, the possibilities of saving money by merging operations, sharing services or even dissolving one entity into another, Woodbury went the other way.

At first, there was lots of talk about how this would not cost any more. Now, there's some talk about how the extra costs that inevitably showed up could be reduced, although not eliminated.

There is one way to bring the costs back to where they were. That would be for the voters to conclude that one government offers enough protection and can provide services more efficiently than two.

It might take a few more elections, a few more years of realizing that no area the size of the Woodburys needs so many overlapping governments with their associated inefficiencies and costs. For now, talk of minimizing the damage for the misguided vote is refreshing.

A Bizarre Suggestion

Most of the recent postings have consisted of calling someone or other an idiot, a liar, a bitch, a shithead or even something nasty.

While this elevated discussion is certainly valuable, just for a change of pace, does anyone have something positive to say about any of the candidates? And no, I don't mean "I'm POSITIVE that so and so is an idiot, a liar, a bitch and a shithead."

So, this lonesome thread will be kept free of vituperation and open to arguments favoring your candidate of choice.

Why should we vote FOR someone?

What makes me think that this will be a very quiet part of town?

Eyewitness, Nu?

Merger idea heats up Village of Woodbury candidates' debate

By Chris Mckenna
Times Herald-Record
March 04, 2009 6:00 AM

CENTRAL VALLEY — The big question for nine Woodbury candidates Tuesday night was how to limit the cost of the extra layer of government residents brought upon themselves three years ago by voting to create a village within their town.

In a debate at Central Valley Elementary School sponsored by the citizens group OCEAN, three slates of contenders for mayor and two trustee seats threw out a litany of tax-cutting ideas that included reducing the use of consultants and more aggressive grant-seeking.

But the proposal promising the greater savings — and dominating much of the debate time — was the pledge by the Common Sense Party to seek to consolidate the town and village governments, thereby eliminating a board of paid elected officials and other duplications of costs.

"That would save you $600,000 to $700,000 a year," said Michael Queenan, a town councilman who's running for mayor on the Common Sense ticket. "That's currently what it's costing you to run the village right now."

In legal parlance, he and his running mates are proposing to create a coterminous town-village, similar to several other places in New York that have a town and village with identical borders operating under a single government.
The only problem for Woodbury: its town and village are not coterminous. Their borders are nearly the same, except that the town also encompasses part of the Village of Harriman, which also sits in the Town of Monroe.

The Common Sense candidates propose to rectify that problem with special legislation in Albany — but the other two contenders are uniformly skeptical.
"It's a pie-in-the-sky idea," said Sandra Capriglione, a trustee candidate on the CommUNITY Party slate.

The three mayoral candidates running on March 18 are incumbent Stephanie Berean-Weeks of the CommUNITY Party; Ben Meyers of the Preservation Party; and Queenan.

The six candidates for two trustee seats are: Tim Egan and Tom Flood of the Common Sense Party; George Pederson and Fred Ungerer of the Preservation Party; and Fred Lindlaw and Sandy Capriglione of the CommUNITY Party.

Any of you folks actually attend?

What are your impressions of what went down?

An Avuncular Prediction

There is no way that Lorne Michaels will pass up using Jack McBrayer to open the next new SNL.

By The Company They Keep

Last night the Woodbury Democratic Committee decided to endorse Woodbury Republican Committee Chair Ralph Caruso's hand-picked Perversion Party slate.

Quelle surprise!

How proud the Perversionists must be to have the blessing of such an august body.

See
http://meetunclebetty.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post.html
for an example of their previous work.

Tonight the Woodbury Republican Committee meets.

I wonder whom Ralph will try to shove down their throats.

The Uncle maintains that there are damned few perfect people around to choose to lead Woodbury.

I have been, and no doubt will continue to be, at odds with occasional decisions made by both Stephanie Berean-Weeks and Mike Queenan.

But, despite some of the views presented by various anonymi, I think they are both honest people trying to do their best.

I also know that when Caruso gives you his blessing it comes with his expectation that you have turned over full rights to your soul, your brain and your vote to Ralphie.

With the single exception of John Burke, every one of Ralph's meat puppets has eventually broken free of the man (and earned his undying hatred for doing so). But some of them took longer than others to reach emancipation.

Now Ralph is trying to foist a new trio of Ralphlings onto Woodbury.

Be aware, be concerned and be voters.

Tradition: Woodbury's Circular Firing Squad

Thank God, no matter what dangers we face, no matter what crisis is upon us, we can always be counted upon to forget the danger and devote ourselves fully to attacking each other.

Read the postings on this blog and take pride in our unending ability to screw one another into the ground.

Another Slice Of Pie

The Pieman sends an invite.

He's putting together a debate of the Village mayoral and trustee candidates to take place on March 3rd at 7:30 PM at the CV Elementary School.

He says: "OCEAN has arranged for a site, chairs, tables, microphones and a moderator. The moderator will be Tony Houston, former Warwick Supervisor and Photo-News reporter. He will have full control over the format and the content.

"Tony is also handling the invitations and I'll pass along the responses by the three slates."

So, take all those questions that you folks have been posting here and schlep them down to the Elementary School and annoy the hell out of the candidates.

Dealing With Yesterday, Tomorrow!

Ben Meyers Discovers Woodbury And Informs The Photo News

Recently, I announced that I am a candidate for mayor of the Village of Woodbury and my running mates for the positions of Trustees are Frederick Ungerer and George Pedersen.

I have written to Orange County Legislature Majority Leader Roxanne Donnery, state Sen. William J. Larkin Jr. and state Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun concerning the issues of taxes, traffic and other very important matters of great importance to our Village of Woodbury.

The Woodbury Commons shopping center located in Central Valley generates the greatest, by far, sales tax revenue in Orange County. Woodbury suffers all of the hardships of traffic, which is horrendous, and crime.

Yet Woodbury receives approximately 4 percent of the sales tax generated from “The Commons.” The rest of the county benefits from the other 96 percent of this revenue, yet they share none of hardships.

Because of the congestion, commuters that live in the Village north of “The Commons” sometimes take 45 minutes, or more, to get home after exiting Route 6, the Thruway or Route 17.

A population explosion north of Central Valley has created an enormous volume of traffic. This major congestion must be relieved by routing traffic off of Route 32 and around Central Valley and Highland Mills.

Relieving this dangerous commuter traffic (it is difficult to safely enter onto and exit off of Route 32) will have little or no impact on local businesses to whose growth I am sensitive.

This change of traffic pattern can be executed by putting another Thruway exit halfway between Harriman and Newburgh. A dangerous situation should make pedestrian injury or death a less likelihood, while also creating enormous relief for commuters and other travelers going to the northern edge of Highland Mills, Cornwall and Vales Gate in New Windsor.

Benjamin Meyers

Candidate for mayor

Village of Woodbury


Does anyone have the heart to break it to Ben that these new problems that he just discovered have been around for years and that people have been trying to solve them for years?

A good number of Woodburians have been looking into way to change the way tax revenue from the Common is distributed and have been working with Nancy Calhoun to try to get a Thruway exit added.

And yes, so far there has been no success.

But Meyers isn't offering any solutions either. All that he is doing,and rather belatedly at that, is announcing that he has discovered that there are problems.

And it's wonderful that, now that he is running for mayor, he has discovered these problems.

But it would have been finer still if his interest extended to finding out what's been tried and what roadblocks have been encountered and to reaching out to those in Woodbury who have been attempting to deal with these issues.

For example, he might have taken part in the South East Orange Traffic Task Force meetings which were aimed at dealing with Woodbury's traffic problems.

And it would have been lovely if he had cared enough to notice these things before he decided that he ought to be mayor.

Better late than never, but it looks a little foolish to send off letters to the papers claiming credit for just discovering problems that others have already been working on for years.

Any ideas about solutions Mr. Meyers?

Or is that asking too much?