At a recent Stony Point’s budget hearing, several residents spoke against the town’s proposal to close Kirkbride Hall in Letchworth Village to save taxpayers’ money.

Town officials have said that they would have to close the building because it has been costing the town about $50,000 annually for utilities.

One of residents told the Town Board that the town should close the Patriot Hills Golf Club instead of Kirkbride Hall because the municipal golf course is losing a lot of money.

Town Board members had to explain to the resident that the golf course appeared to be losing money because of its debt payment.

To purchase the land and build the course, which opened 2003, the town borrowed $21 million. The debt payment has been about $1.5 million every year. After the debt payment, the golf course operation has been breaking even, although this year, operation costs would exceed revenue, officials said. Taxpayers have been subsidizing the golf course, paying more than $1 million a year.

The irony is that even if the town shuts down the golf course, the town will still have to pay back the debt.
Town Board member Geoffrey Finn, who opposes the idea of closing Kirkbride Hall, said he believed that the town should sell the golf course and pay back the debt. But to sell it, the golf course would have to be active and nicely maintained, Finn said.

Still, those residents who support youth sports activities at Kirkbride Hall appeared to be perplexed by the fact that the town paying $1 million for the golf course while trying to close Kirkbride to save $50,000.

It’s hard to believe that Election Day is only a few days away.

The campaign has captivated people across the world, igniting passions and obliterating apathy in America. It seems that no matter where you go, people have something to say about Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, or his Republican rival, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The Rockland County Grassroots Volunteers for Barack Obama, which has been working hard on the Illinois senator’s behalf, will gather starting around 6 p.m. on Tuesday to watch as the results of the historic election unfold.

They’ll be at Xtravagant Taste — a catering hall located at 201 N. Route 9W in Congers — where they’ll watch the returns with a big screen TV, music and food.

Lawrence Holland, one of the local Obama supporters, says everyone is welcome. The event is free, and people will gather starting at 6 p.m. until …

The group probably won’t be the only ones glued to the tube. Tuesday night will definitely be global must-see TV.

My colleague Suzan N. Clarke and I sat in Spring Valley Justice Court today as Spring Valley Section 8 second-in-command Brendel Logan stood with her lawyer before Justice Alan Simon.

Logan is charged with a misdemeanor count of third-degree menacing and violation of harassment – accusations being made by her boss, Section 8 Administrator Monique Anderson. Anderson has  accused Logan of threatening her and used profanity. Logan denied threatening her, though she said two had argued.

The personality clash comes as the Section 8 office is the target of a criminal investigation by the Rockland District Attorney’s Office. The office and the village, including Mayor George Darden, were  the target of a highly critical audit report by the Housing and Urban Development Department, which oversees the federal rent-subsidy program.

In the criminal case, Assistant District Attorney Eric Holzer today asked Simon to step aside and allow the Logan’s prosecution to take place in another jurisdiction.

Holzer argued that Simon knows both Logan and Anderson, as well as other village officials, and that gives off an appearance of a conflict of interest, if not a bias. Logan was hired by Darden. Simon’s colleagues, justices Susan Smith and Christine Theodore, are prepared to opt out of the case and will sign the recusal documents, Holzer told Simon.

Simon demurred at stepping aside.  He said Theodore and Smith can do what’s convenient for them, but his standards are a bit different.  Simon said recusing himself would be the easy way out and he wasn’t elected to take the easy road.

He waxed poetically for several minutes about the role of the court, public service,  and adults working together for the common good.

He contended he would not favor either side, seemingly hurt by the suggestion, and that to step aside would be a dereliction of his duty as a judge. Simon maintained that knowing Logan and Anderson was no different from knowing the police officers who bring charges in court or anyone else who appears before him. He also noted he went door-to-door campaigning, shaking hands of residents, some of whom  may appear before him.

Simon, 65, a former Ramapo town attorney,  public defender,  and criminal defense lawyer, noted he has practice law for 30 years. living and working in  Spring Valley. His clients covered generations in some families and some have appeared before him .

Simon  told Holzer he had anticipated his recusal request after reading District Attorney Thomas Zugibe’s comments in The Journal News about the judge and the case.

“I  don’t see me as having any bias,” Simon said. “I tend to think, and I may be wrong, I may have a unique ability to hear this case. After the reading the complaint, I have no preconceived notions except to be embarrassed for the village that two co-workers are involved.”

Simon also suggested that possibly Anderson and Logan should sit down with the Volunteer Counseling Service to resolve their problems outside the courtroom.

Simon also denied Holzer’s request for a order of protection on Anderson’s behalf against Logan. He said he told the two to act civil toward one another and has not been told there have been any flareups. Holzer said Simon’s refuse to issue an order of protection could be construed as a bias in the case.

Logan’s lawyer, Brian Berkowitz of the Rockland Public Defender’s Office, said there was no need for any order of protection. He said nothing has changed since Simon first rejected Holzer’s request at an earlier court session.

Simon said he would consult with the court administration on if he should recuse himself. He said he would provide a written decision by Nov. 6.

Orangetown Councilwoman Nancy Low-Hogan will host two informal, community meetings in the upcoming weeks. The first will be tomorrow in the Greenbush Auditorium by the Orangeburg Library, 20 South Greenbush Road. The second will be held Thursday, Nov. 20 at the DeWint House, on Livingston Street and Oak Tree Road, in Tappan. Both meetings will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call Town Hall at 845-359-5100.

County Legislator Alden Wolfe, D-Suffern, has sponsored a resolution to express concern and opposition to the state Workers’ Compensation Board’s plan to close 11 of its 30 customer service centers around New York, including the one in Rockland.

The shut down looms as state agencies seek to trim their budgets under orders from Gov. David Paterson. The state faces a massive deficit due to the slowed economy and is working to respond to the revenue shortfall.

Wolfe and the 14 other legislators present during its general meeting Thursday unanimously approved the resolution, addressed to Paterson, on the planned service center reductions.

“Injured workers are already suffering financial hardship and should not have to bear the burden of added costs,” Wolfe stated.  “Moreover, the closures won’t save state taxpayers any money, as the board’s operations are funded by assessments against insurance carriers.  The insurance companies will be the only beneficiaries of the closings.”

Wolfe concluded, “Cutting the costs of the insurance companies, at the expense of those the system was designed to assist, is wrong and burdensome. Furthermore, injured workers may be unable to pursue their compensation claims if the service centers are too distant and will need to turn to other public assistance, a burden transferred to the local taxpayer.”

County Legislator Joseph Meyers, D-Airmont, today called for a new county law to require certain eateries to post the calorie count in their food.

The “Rockland County National Food Service Establishments Calorie Posting Law” would require an eatery that is part of a chain that has 15 or more restaurants to post the calorie court of their standard food items on their menus, including menus boards.

The law would not apply to menu items that are listed for sale for less than 30 days in a calendar year, Meyers stated.

“Providing calorie information is public health intervention and will help address the rapidly growing epidemics of obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” Meyers stated.  “These diseases affect our entire society in terms of higher health care costs for everyone and higher taxes to support Medicare and Medicaid for the uninsured and underinsured. I am concerned that a result of the current economy more of our citizens will be frequenting fast food establishments.”

He further stated, “The fact is that people who eat at fast food establishments consume more calories.  It is important that people are provided with accurate calorie information from which they can easily make their own healthy choices. In the long run, I anticipate that some chains will improve their menus by offering selections lower in calorie count.”

Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, has issued a proclamation to call attention to the issue of domestic violence. She signed and affixed the county seal to the actual proclamation, which was witnessed by the Legislature’s clerk, Laurence O. Toole.

The Rockland Family Shelter is among the places to turn for help when confronted by domestic violence. Contact the shelter at 845-634-3344.

Here is the proclamation:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH

October 2008

WHEREAS, Rockland County recognizes that any community member, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age or economic status, may become a victim of domestic or sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, Rockland County is committed to serving and supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, Rockland County is committed to holding perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence accountable; and

WHEREAS, Rockland County recognizes that it is through community collaboration and participation of all Rockland leadership that we will succeed in ending the ongoing social patterns of domestic and sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, the Rockland Legislature recognizes the hard work and dedication of volunteers and advocates working to make every Rockland family safe; and

WHEREAS, observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight and emphasize the importance of this work for the well being of our entire community; and

WHEREAS, this Legislature has an historic commitment, starting in October 1987, to acknowledge the importance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the work to increase public understanding and collaboration; and

NOW, therefore, I, Harriet Cornell, Chairwoman of the Rockland County Legislature, on behalf of the entire Legislature, take this occasion to proclaim the month of October 2008 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH in Rockland County.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have caused the seal of the County of Rockland to be affixed this 1st day of October 2008.

Members of the Rockland County Legislature have issued a statement regarding the proposed 2009 county budget submitted by County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

The plan increases spending by about $30.3 million, from about $684.2 million this year to about $714.5 million next year.

The proposal increases the amount of money to be collected via the county property tax by about 9.85 percent, from about $54 million this year to about $59 million next year.

Here is the Legislature’s statement:

New City, NY (October 24, 2008) – Rockland County Legislative Chairwoman Harriet D. Cornell, Vice Chairman William L. Darden, Majority Leader Michael M. Grant, and Budget and Finance Chair Ilan S. Schoenberger made the following statement today regarding County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s 2009 Executive Budget:

“While we certainly recognize that difficult times call for difficult choices, as elected officials we have a responsibility to ensure that the choices that are made are the right ones.  Over the coming days and weeks we will continue the budget review process that we began several weeks ago and further analyze departmental spending and revenues in an effort to pass a balanced budget that is both fiscally prudent and financially sound.

With a cloudy economic future ahead of us, it is more critical than ever that the budget we received from the County Executive contains accurate projections when it comes to the generation of revenue. We are all aware that sales tax revenues, upon which the county depends, have slowed considerably.  We will closely scrutinize the budget and ascertain how the spending cuts that were proposed affect the delivery of vital services and programs to Rockland County residents.  Knowing that Rockland taxpayers are already struggling to make ends meet, we will closely examine the property tax increase that was proposed by the County Executive.

Today’s turbulent economy has put the county in a tenuous financial situation, yet with a balanced and pragmatic approach we can help chart the right course, steer our county’s finances back on track, and protect Rockland families.”

The Rockland County Young Democrats will hold a “Countdown to Change/Halloween Party” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Ireland’s 32, 32 Orange Ave. in Suffern.

The gathering is open to all ages, and elected officials from around the county are expected to attend, according to one of the Young Democrats’ co-presidents, Amanda Roman.

Tomorrow’s expected rain has pushed three Halloween celebrations to Sunday:

• The Chamber of Commerce of the Nyacks’ annual Halloween parade begins assembling at 3:15 p.m. Sunday — bands, floats and marchers assemble at the upper level of Memorial Park, at the corner of DePew and Piermont avenues.

• Haverstraw’s annual Halloween festival has been moved to noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Bowline Point Park.
• Sloatsburg’s annual Halloween parade has costume judging beginning at 4 p.m. and the parade at 5 p.m., at the entrance to the community fields by Route 17. The parade goes up Route 17 to the elementary school.

Pomona’s not changing its Halloween party, scheduled for 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Village Hall.

Suffern’s parade was already planned for 2 p.m. Sunday at the corner of Orange and Lafayette avenues, so it’s not changing. Costume judging, cider and donuts immediately follow the parade at the Virginia Menschner Gazebo on Washington Ave.

Have fun!

I stopped by Admiral’s Cove Marina in Haverstraw last week to see some happy faces of North Rockland Rowing Club members: The club held a dedication ceremony of the club’s new dock, which would be used by club members, including North Rockland High School crew team.

I met club members for the first time on Aug. 9, 2005. It was my second day on the job with the Journal News, covering north Rockland.

Members spoke before the Stony Point Town Board, lead by former Supervisor A. Douglas Jobson, and asked about status of their proposal to build a boathouse on a town park.

The club was just established by parents of North Rockland High School crew team members to support the high school crew team.

Parents said that having a boathouse was very important to protect the team’s expensive gears. They were hoping to build it in a location near the Hudson so that children can launch their boats safely and conveniently.

Since then, the project took many unfortunate turns. When a new administration took over the Town Board in January 2006, the plan basically went back to stage zero, as Supervisor Phil Marino and Town Board members expressed their concerns on building a permanent structure for a private club on a town property.

Club members repeatedly told the town that the boathouse would be dedicated to the town so that it would be a part of town property. But the town did not buy the club’s argument, and eventually the project died. Meanwhile, the crew team’s boats on a boat rack left outside of the Fieldstone Secondary School — because they didn’t have a boathouse — were vandalized.

The club’s attempt to place a dock in a Stony Point town park did not go through, either.

But after nearly four years, the club finally found a home in Haverstraw village. Though the club still doesn’t have its own boathouse, they have a dock, which cost about $27,000. Jerry Rodriguez of North Rockland Rowing Club said major part of the cost was covered by the state grant procured by state Sen. Thomas Morahan (R-C, New City). A $5,000 grant sponsored by Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun (R-C, Blooming Grove) was also used to finance the cost. Rodriguez said the club was hoping to build a boathouse somewhere near the dock, although he didn’t know where yet. Rodriguez said he was grateful that Haverstraw village Mayor Michael Kohut and Ginsburg Development Companies, owner of the marina, stepped up to the plate to help the club and the high school crew team.

Jobson was one of the dignitaries who attended the dedication ceremony, which I arrived too late to see ribbon cutting.

“Jerry invited me down. I’m glad to see they’ve finally got plenty of space to work out,” Jobson said. “It’s been four years.”

Singing police officers.

There are two  active in Rockland – Marta Rodriguez and Daniel Rodriguez (no relations). And  Eraina Collazo, who’s not an officer but the teenage  daughter of Haverstraw Police Detective Terry Collazo.

While retired NYPD Officer Daniel Rodriguez has become  known as “America’s singing policeman,”  having sung  at  9-11 commemorations, Yankee Stadium, and some Rockland police memorial events,  Marta Rodriguez hit all the right notes singing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America during the 27th annual Brinks memorial commemoration on Monday for two slain Nyack officers – Sgt. Edward O’Grady Jr. and Officer Waverly “Chipper” Brown – and Brinks guard Peter Paige. All three were murdered during the Brinks robbery on Oct. 20, 1981.

Marta Rodriguez received polite applause  – a rarity at this solemn event – after closing the ceremony by singing God Bless America.  The ceremony at the New York State Thruway entrance in Nyack also featured speeches, the Clarkstown Police Department’s precise honor guard, and the Rockland Emerald Society Pipes and Drums.

Eraina Collazo, now college-age, had been singing the anthems for several years.

Daniel Rodriguez, an opera singer known as the  singing policeman, will sing the national anthem on Saturday night at the Rockland Police Hispanic Society’s annual dinner-dance to raise money for charitable endeavors. Rodriguez, born in Brooklyn,  sang in Carnegie Hall at age 17 as a bel canto tenor and later joined the NYPD, retiring in 2004.

The 13th annual fund-raisers  starts at 7:30 p.m. at  Town and Country Caterers on Route 9W in Congers. The event raises money for the society’s projects involving young people and the community. The society will hand out five scholarships and honor Hector May, president of Executive Compensation Planners and a society advisory board members, and retired Haverstraw Police Detective Hector Soto, a Haverstraw Town Board member and former society president. The dinner-dance will feature live music from “La Rebelion,” with special guest Yomo Turo.

Each ticket is $90 and for more information, call 845-721-2620 or go to www.rcphs.com.

Welcome to our first live chat about issues facing Ramapo and its residents. It will begin at noon. Please feel free to enter the chat and toss in your two cents.

The second of two debates focusing on the presidential election takes place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Route 202 in Garnerville.

The event is sponsored by the Hudson Valley Debate Union and will focus on Senator John McCain’s readiness to be president. The first debate, held Sept. 29, focused on Senator Barack Obama’s readiness.

In the Oxford-style debate, a motion will be made and the debate will begin. Two teams with three members each will square off.

Each member will get eight minutes to make their point.

No one can interrupt the debater during the first and last minute, but audience members can stand and make their own points during the minutes in between.

At the end, audience members cast ballots as to whether or not the motion was carried or defeated.

Incumbent Eliot Engel and challenger Robert Goodman are scheduled to debate at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Orangeburg Public Library, 20 S. Greenbush Road, in Orangeburg.

The duel is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rockland County.

Engel is running on the Democrat, Independence and Working Families lines, while Goodman is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

What would you ask these guys if you had the chance?

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, I will host a live chat here on Inside Rockland between noon and 12:45 p.m. The topic will be all things Ramapo — whatever is important to you.

Let’s remember to keep the chat civil. Serious discussion is the tone, not name-calling, or the hurling of  back-and-forth insults.

I will attempt to answer questions that might arise without interjecting my opinion.

Below, you’ll see the window where the chat will take place.  The window will be re-posted the day of the chat, but in the meantime you can sign up for an e-mail reminder.

Yes, there’s already an Obama ‘08 Rockland County Headquarters in the Indian Rock shopping plaza in Montebello.

Today, there will be another HQ, this one dubbed the Obama-Biden Election Headquarters. The new site will open at 5:30 p.m. today at 311 N. Main St. in Spring Valley.

The Democrats who won seats on the Ramapo Town Democratic Committee in the Sept. 9 primary, but who have not yet officially taken their seats, will open the site.

The Obama ‘08 Rockland County Headquarters opened in space previously used by Ramapo town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence as an election office.

The Democrats opening the new site and St. Lawrence and his supporters are at odds, to say the least, and their fight about who can call a reorganization meeting and when, as well as who can fill vacancies on the town committee, has stalled the effort to actually have an official meeting.

The two sides are wrestling for control of the committee and this, in turn, has stalled the Rockland County Democratic Committee from being able to hold its reorganization meeting, because by-laws require all five of Rockland’s town committees to hold their meetings first.

One impact is that Republicans are already moving ahead to reappoint Joan Silvestri as co-commissioner of the county Board of Elections. Her Democratic counterpart, Ann Marie Kelly, is in limbo until her party’s faithful iron out their issues and decide whether or not to reappoint her.

Haitian-American Voters and Entrepreneurs National and the Council of Haitian-American Public Officials are joining in opening the new HQ today.

A fundraiser dubbed “Boogie for Obama” will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday at the Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave.

You have to be 18 or older to attend to attend the bash, which will feature Sam Waymon & The Magic Band, Whitley of Whitley & The Hard Time Band, Frankie D and D.J. Preston Powell.

Organizers also said the event will offer original videos, a silent auction, raffles, and lawn signs, T-shirts, buttons and other stuff that promotes Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy.

The sponsors are Rockland County Grassroots Volunteers for Barack Obama and Sign of the Times, a Nyack business at 112 Main St.

The donation is $25. Call Greg Jackman at 845-353-6142 or Kris Burns at 845-353-6590.

Rockland County Grassroots Volunteers for Barack Obama organized several months ago and has been meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Monday at Origins bookstore in the Nanuet Mall.

The group has registered more than 200 new voters in Rockland, and raised more than $10,000 for Obama’s campaign, according to one of its activists, Laurence Holland.

A reader from West Nyack called today wondering why some libraries in Rockland are open today while others closed for Yom Kippur.

A good question, and one I didn’t know the answer to, so I asked ace reporter Khurram Saeed to find out.

Here’s his report:

Nyack Library Director James Mahoney was able to explain:

Every library is an independent entity. Their board of directors decides which days they will be closed.

Each library probably has its own reason.

Some may feel not enough patrons will show, but considering how diverse most communities in Rockland are, it’s hard to figure that’s the primary reason.

Mahoney said sometimes it’s done as a sign of respect.

For example, Nyack Library now closes on the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday in January, though for many years it was open on that day.

Another issue may be staffing. If a library has predominately Jewish employees who are taking the holiday off, opening on Yom Kippur might not be a viable option.

I’ve been criticized by some supporters of Ramapo Democrats for Change for calling them insurgents. Some readers, including writers to the Editorial Page, have seen this as a bias in favor of their opposition.Now, I’ve relied on Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, for a definition of insurgents: “designating or of a faction in revolt against the leadership of a political party.”I think that described the Ramapo Democrats for Change.It’s time, though, to move beyond that as the change group has held two meetings to select committee leaders, and the other side is presumably waiting to hold its own meeting.As it stands, both sides appear to consider themselves to be THE Ramapo Democratic Committee.Sooooooo, what do you think they should be called? The newbies? The old guard? The status quo? The Joseph Meyers group? The Laurence O. Toole group? The Town Hall alliance? The Preserve Ramapo alliance?What’s good to you? Lets get some suggestions.

Should we start  call Clarkstown “Hollywood” on the Hudson?

Well, during the past few weeks,  the world of television has discovered  Upper Nyack and other areas of Clarkstown.

NBC-television crews have been filming episodes of  hit comedy series, “30 Rock” and the drama, “Lipstick Jungle.” Also, ABC is filming “Ugly Betty” at Davies Farm along Route 9W this week.

So far this week – and continuing tomorrow and Friday – Lipstick Jungle is filming at 501 Broadway, Rockland Lake State Park and Nyack Beach State Park.

NBC television bills “Lipstick Jungle” (www.nbc.com/Lipstick_Jungle)  as a drama that follows three high-powered friends as they weather the ups and downs of lives lived at the top of their game. It stars Booke Shields as a movie exec trying to balance career and family.

Late last month, crews filmed scenes for the Emmy-award winning “30 Rock”  at 649 N. Broadway in Upper Nyack. Clarkstown Police Sgt. Harry Baumann said the shoot drew comedian Bill Murray of Palisades fame, Emmy-winner Tina Fey (who has immitating Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live). The comedy series also stars Alec Baldwin, an Emmy winner.

Clarkstown police officers do traffic control and security for the shoots, Baumann said, emphasizing the officers are paid 100 percent by the networks and it’s considered overtime. Baumann said he is in charge of the assignment for the details and fielding calls from neighbors upset by the sound trucks and other equipment blocking the streets.

Baumann said the companies pay several thousands dollars. For example, this week’s shoot could hit $13,000.

Several commercials have been filmed recently in Clarkstown.

“Clarkstown is very film friendly,” Baumann said. “We’re a Hollywood town.”

Rockland has a history of film stars and directors as residents. Director Woody Allen and others have  filmed in Piermont an d other areas of the county.  Nyack was the home of Helen Hayes, and the county can boast of Director Jonathan Demme and actor-director Bill Irwin, as well as Al Pacino, among others.