Join the forum that gives residents the chance to sound off on issues and concerns about the town they call home. Enter into a civil discussion on matters of importance to you. The program last for 45 minutes during lunch hour – noon to 12:45 p.m. Let’s hear about the things you care about!

We’ve reported on two red swastikas that were found spray-painted on trees on South Mountain Road in New City.

The Nazi symbol angered residents in the Lake Lucille community on South Mountain Road, but they responded to the vandal(s) with humor. Barry Carl, president of the Lake Lucille Property Owners Association, said they covered the symbol of hate up with hearts.

Clarkstown police Detective Sgt. Bernard Cummings said investigations were still continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Clarkstown Police Department Detective Bureau at 845-639-5840.

(The photo with a heart was contributed by Barry Carl.)

Everyone was looking forward to the prospect of bringing you a live, streaming video of the demolition of the Lovett smokestack here on LoHud.com today.

The appointed hour came, and … nothing.

What happened? Simple: Our photographers couldn’t get an Internet connection from where they were stationed in Verplanck.

I think everyone has gotten so used to Wi-Fi and network cards and Internet service everywhere they go that it never occurred to anyone that a signal would be a problem. But it was.

So, here’s the video from today’s action:

And here’s a slideshow of the smokestack toppling down:

Oh, and our apologies. Next time, we’ll make sure we can get an Internet signal first.

Ramapo Live returns with an opportunity for residents and others to comment on affairs in Rockland’s largest township. This is a chance to discuss matters including the potential development of condominiums at the Suffern quarry, Suffern’s urban renewal plan, town expenses at the Equestrian Center, whatever is on your mind. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Residents of South Mountain Road in New City found two swastikas painted on two trees in their neighborhood on Saturday. Clarkstown police continued investigating.

Legislator Ed Day, R-New City, who represents the areas, today issued a news release.

“This pointless act of vandalism was obviously committed by cowards in the cloak of night,” Day said. “This hurtful act contradicts the spirit and cohesive atmosphere of our community.  It reflects ignorance and immaturity on the part of the perpetrators.”

Day has requested the support of his legislative colleagues to formally condemn this act of vandalism.

“It was just two weeks ago where I and a number of fellow elected officials joined our neighbors on the Rockland County Courthouse steps to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, also known as the “night of broken glass.” I said then it is the people’s rightful expectations that elected officials immediately and vociferously decry incidents of hate so as to ensure that the seeds of oppression never have the opportunity to again take root as it did in pre-war Germany.”

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At a budget workshop last night, I got a chance to bump into Doug Foster, a village guy who helps run a local blog. If you haven’t seen it, check it out some time: www.nyacknewsandviews.com. It’s got meeting dates, blog entries on recent news and they even gave one of my stories a shoutout.

Rockland’s eight school districts could receive a total of $11.4 million in state budget cuts under a plan by Gov. David Paterson to reduce the state’s deficit.

North Rockland, Clarkstown and East Ramapo each could receive spending cuts of $2.5 million or more under the governor’s proposal. Pearl River, which was supposed to receive $9.1 million from the state this school year, could see that figure drop by $578,890.

To see how your school district might be affected under Paterson’s proposals, click here: Proposed cuts for every school district.

Paterson also has proposed cutting state aid to municipalities. While no Rockland community would receive cuts this fiscal year, the county’s municipalities could see a total drop of $105,163 in state aid during 2009-10 under the governor’s plan.

To see how your community might be affected in the 2009-10 fiscal year, click here: Proposed cuts for every New York community.

Next week, the state Legislature will meet for a special session to discuss ways of reducing the state’s budget deficit, which could reach $2 billion. Paterson has proposed numerous cuts to the state’s budget, including health care and state aid to communities and school districts.

Rockland Sheriff’s Detective Shlomo Koenig recently got kudos from the U.S. Secret Service for helping investigated people dealing in child pornography on the Internet.

Koenig, a member of the Rockland Sheriff’s Department Computer Crime Task Force, has been named “2008 Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” by the Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami.

He was co-recipient with two special agents who worked with him on investigating a man who was trading child pornography on-line.

The man was from Flint, Mich., and Koenig used the man’s screen name to develop additional leads and information on a prolific child pornographer in Florida, according to a letter of commendation from John Lange, a deputy special agent for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Koenig also is assigned to the New York Field Office of Electronics Crime Task Force, which also presented him with a plaque of appreciation for his investigative work on pedophiles and child pornographers.

Sheriff James Kralik was giddy with pride over the honors bestowed on Koenig, who joined the department in 1996 as the nation’s first Hasidic Jewish police officer. He remains a Kaser village trustee and deputy mayor of the Ramapo village.

Kralik said Koenig has attained national and potentially an international reputation for his work on the Internet involving people who prey on children.

Estimating Koenig has participated in 160 convictions, Kralik called Koenig a “world-class officer who has reached the top of his profession.”

“I am extremely proud of Sholom,” Kralik said. “He has become not only a national figure in computer crime case, especially in child porn and pedophila, he’s become international,” Kralik said. “His assistance has been requested by the Israel National Police on computer crimes.”

In above photo, Koenig holds certificate given to him by Secret Service, represented by agent Rafael Praigo of White Plains. They are standing with Kralik

Garrett Bucksath, Michael Pagano Jr. and Kevin Keelty were in Nicky’s Pizza in Suffern yesterday when the village’s Mayor John Keegan and Police Chief Clark Osborne ran into them. 

The three men — all members of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division — ended up being invited by Keegan and Osborne to attend the Veterans Day ceremony in Suffern this morning.

The three friends were sorry they hadn’t brought their uniforms for the brief trip, but that was okay, said the many of the scores of people who attended the gathering. The young mens’ presence, their service, were more than enough.

Bucksath is 20. He hails from Cincinnati and is soon to be deployed for his second tour in Afghanistan. Pagano, 23, of Stanhope, N.J., and Keelty, 21, of Suffern, are both headed back for their second tours in Iraq next year.

Charlie Calotta, commander of the Ramapo Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2973, which co-sponsored the event along with the Fromm-Maxwell-DeBaun American Legion Post 859, said the day was important to him as an Army veteran of World War II and the Korean War.

“When you’re in the service and you’ve served with men” who’ve ended up injured or dead, you never forget those comrades, he said, “and it’s something you want perpetuate.”

The brief ceremony unfolded this morning in front of the Soldier’s Memorial on Washington Avenue.

Residents will get another look at the proposed urban renewal plan between 120 Orange Ave. and Chestnut Street sometime in January.

There could be fewer floors – six rather then the seven initially proposed, but more than the four recommended by the Planning Board – which means fewer units. Deputy Mayor Dagan LaCorte said today that just because the village board could approve six, didn’t mean that it wouldn’t entertain a builder’s plan for less.

A lower number, though, could mean higher-priced condominiums, and a tighter market.

The village board plans form a committee of two trustees, two Planning Board members, AND TWO RESIDENTS, to review developers’ proposals. The committee would then make recommendations to the village board.

People interested in serving on that committee can leave a message for Deputy Mayor LaCorte at Village Hall – 845-357-2600.

A previous posting mistakenly scheduled the Ramapo Live blog for Monday. It will resume tomorrow from noon to 12:45 p.m. This is your opportunity to sound off on issues in the town and villages that concern you. I’ll be asking about growth issues – housing and schools – and how the municipalities can best deal with them, but any issue is open for civil discussion.

New York state acting Supreme Court Justice Catherine Bartlett didn’t play a quiet role today during Spring Valley Police Officer David Lebron’s trial on corruption charges.

Bartlett, an appointed Court of Claims jurist from Orange County, has been vocal during this  case in the Rockland County Courthouse in New City.

With the jury out of the courtroom today, Bartlett gave the defense some help.

Bartlett offered suggestions on a plea deal prosecution witness Joseph Houston got in 2007 for his cooperation. She did so after speaking with prosecutor Gary Lee Heavner and Lebron’s lawyer Richard Murray, who raised the issue. 

When Heavner told her there was no written plea agreement, Bartlett suggested Murray give her a subpoena to sign that would compel the testimony from the former prosecutor, Louis Valvo.

Then, Barlett used her judicial authority to question Houston about the plea deal that led to him receiving a lesser charge of possessing stolen jewelry in burglary case - a sentence she approved. Houston told her he believed he got a reduced charge for his cooperation.

When the jury returned, Murray then questioned Houston about the deal, rightfully leaving it up to the jury to determine the overall credibility of Houston’s testimony.

Murray also questioned Houston about his criminal record and his background for most of yesterday – something a prosecutor likes to do in an effort to show the jury that nothing is being hid.

As Heavner pointed out to Barlett, he was leading up to raising Houston’s conviction and arrest record, when Bartlett told him to skip the background questions and get to the core of Houston’s testimony, which was Lebron was his friend and tipped him off to prostitution stings and bar raids.

Bartlett also jumped ahead of the lawyers by questioning Houston about other evidence and publicizing an internal Spring Valley police department memo discussing unsubstantiated allegations that other officers tipped off bars and committed crimes.

Heavner argued the memo had nothing to do with the Lebron case and all allegations were being investigated.

At one point, Bartlett theorized why Houston said he was arrested more times than his computer record showed. She said if police don’t fingerprint a person after their arrests, sometimes it doesn’t appear on the person’s record. Murray also joined the judge by questioning the integrity of the police investigation, asking for a copy of Houston’s rap sheet.

Bartlett also said Houston violated her order not talk to the police or anyone. She implied a Spring Valley police detective tutored Houston on factual dates for his testimony.

Houston maintained he spoke with the officer about non-trial issues.

Heavner defended Houston, telling Bartlett that Houston’s testimony has been consistent and has not changed one iota. He also told her that it was difficult for Houston not to talk to the officers since they were in charge of driving him to his hotel room and getting him his meals.

Bartlett countered that Houston’s testimony on dates became more precise yesterday, compared to Thursday.

Houston continues testifying to questions from Murray on Wednesday, when the trial is scheduled to resume.

Come to Ramapo Live between noon and 12:45 p.m. and sound off about your concerns around the town. I’m planning to ask about growth issues – housing and schools – and how folks think the town and villages should respond to them.

 Rockland servicepeople on active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq don’t have to worry if there’s an emergency home repair that needs fixing under a county program that taps the support of local contractors.

The Veterans Maintenance covers such emergency home repairs as broken water heaters, leaking roofs, or fallen trees, according to a press release issued today by County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

Assistance would be provided to families living in the households of veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan through the Rockland County Veterans Service Agency.  A total of 88 local contractors from around Rockland have volunteered to help veterans and their families through the new program.

“This is a great way we can offer a helping hand to the families of our Rockland soldiers who are serving their country overseas,” Vanderhoef said.  “In this way, we can provide a sense of security to them and their families, who also make sacrifices while their loved ones are away.”

The Rockland County Office of Consumer Protection asked contractors to volunteer their services free of charge for families who live in households with servicemen/women on active duty.  Contractors specializing in plumbing, heating and electrical work responded and are willing to provide free emergency repairs and services in household emergencies.

“Our troops have enough stress in the combat zone without having to worry about what their families will do in an emergency at home,” said Jerry Donnellan, director of the county Veterans Service Agency, said.  “We hope this program gives them one less thing to worry about while they’re at war.”

Family members can contact the Veterans Service Agency at 845-638-5244 or at www.rockvets.com. The Veterans Service Agency will confirm that the service member is deployed overseas and put their family in touch with an appropriate contractor.

Contractors interested in volunteering their services can call the county Consumer Protection Office at 845-708-7600.

The Rockland County Legislature’s Environmental Committee will hold a public hearing on a proposal to a 25-cent fee for paper or plastic carryout bags at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 in the legislature’s chambers in the Allison-Parris County Office Building, 11 New Hempstead Road in New City.

Legislator Connie Coker, D-South Nyack, who chairs the committee, worked with Andy Stewart, the executive director of Keep Rockland Beautiful, and wrote legislation that to charge the carryout bag fee.

In a news release, Coker said today that paper and plastic bags threaten the environment, are a source of significant litter, and contribute to overburdened landfill sites.  She said the legislation would discourage the use of these bags while encouraging the use of environmentally friendly reusable bags.

Coker has also expressed her support for  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to charge city shoppers a fee for every plastic bag they receive when checking out at the supermarket.

“While I hope that New York City ultimately passes Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal and I am certainly eager to pass similar legislation in Rockland County, I believe that this issue would be more effectively addressed on a statewide level,” Coker said today.

“Until such time as a statewide law is put into place, each municipality throughout New York State should take steps to discourage the use of plastic and paper carryout bags and promote reusable shopping bags,” Coker said.

State Senator Thomas Morahan (R-New City) and Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern) will receive the Nyack Center’s Legacy Award at 6 pm Saturday at the center, 58, Depew Ave.

The duo is being honored for securing money that was used to replace a boiler and support after-school programs, among other services. The Nyack Center serves more than 2,000 people each year.

“These well-organized activities provide an extrinsic motivation for so many young people, and are of great benefit to our community,” Morahan said.

Jaffee said the Nyack Center ’s were “invaluable to our community.”

“The center provides positive activities for youth that foster academic and social growth, and a safe alternative to being on the streets,” Jaffee said. “Just walking in the doors and seeing children engaged, playing games, and studying with friends demonstrates the value the center has in our community and the impact it has and will continue to have for generations to come.”

Kim Cross, director of the Nyack Center, said the center was “thrilled” to honor Morahan and Jaffee.

“They’ve always been there for us when we’ve needed them,” Cross said.

Bob Baird, columnist for The Journal News, was recently interviewed by Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and can be seen and heard on the next edition of County Executive’s Forum.

During the show, Vanderhoef and Baird discuss the state of the newspaper business and how it has evolved through the years.  Baird also discusses his involvement with the Challenger Little League and Touching Bases, a softball league for adults with disabilities.

The half-hour show will air at 7 p.m. on Wednesday on Cablevision channel 78, Rockland’s government access channel.  The program will be rebroadcast every Wednesday in November and December at 7 p.m. on channel 78.

Every election, we receive report after report of candidates’ signs being stolen.

This presidential race was no exception, though I can tell you that it’s usually the local races that really bring out the sign-stealers.

We don’t generally write about them, as both sides tend to be equally culpable and I can report that in this presidential race we received plenty of reports of both Obama and McCain signs being stolen.

A call this morning was a bit different from the rest.

Erik Johnson of Valley Cottage rang me up this morning and told me his story. He’s an Iraq War veteran who designed his own sign and spent $25 to have it printed.

It was on his lawn through the election, but this morning, Johnson went outside and discovered someone had snatched it — along with other Obama-Biden signs on his street — sometime during the night.

Here’s what Johnson had to say:

I traveled all the way to Philadelphia to canvass before the election. There were other New York Vets doing the same.

We’re in two wars, with Afghanistan escalating. The Soviets didn’t fare well there even with 200,000 troops in country. We need leaders who think before they act. That’s why I designed the sign. Hopefully there will be a time soon where we have 5 or 6 choices for President in each election. That will require more thought by the electorate. Less television. We shall see.

Want to make some tummy room for that turkey dinner  with all the trimmings, while also exercising and supporting a positive cause?

Well, how about running or jogging or maybe walking fast for  five miles during the Rockland Road Runners 17th annual Active International Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot on Nov. 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. in Rockland Lake State Park’s north parking lot number 1.

Sponors dub the Turkey Trot the largest single road race in Rockland County and is fast approaching 2,000 participants. Proceeds benefit the Active International Cardiovascular Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital and other local charitable organizations,  including People to People and the Rockland County Police Hispanic Society Scholarship Fund.

To register for the race, go to www.rocklandroadrunners.org/turkeytrot

For those who shy away from anything computer,  pre-race registration and packets can be picked up on Tuesday, Nov 25, and Wednesday, Nov 26, at the Palisades Center in West Nyack by going to The Sports Authority (2nd floor) between 12 to 8 p.m.  Pre-register and get a free long-sleeved shirt.

People also  can register on race day between 6:45 and 8 a.m. (but no free shirts)

Fees for running: Before Nov 21, the cost is $18 ($15 for Rockland Roard Runners)  The fee is $20 on race day. And those age 65 and older can pay $10 by pre-registering.

People also are asked to contribute to the People to People food drive.

For more information, call 845-692-8141 or e-mail turkeytrotdirector@rocklandroadrunners.org. For more info about the Active International Cardiovascular Institute visit www.goodsamhosp.org.

On Veterans Day, Haverstraw town in conjunction with the North Rockland school district will be dedicating the bridge on American Legion Way in Thiells to all the men and women who have served the country.

The dedication ceremony will take place following the Veterans Day service at Calico Hill in West Haverstraw, which will start at 11 a.m. Haverstraw town Supervisor Howard Phillips said the bridge dedication would start at about noon.

The old bridge was condemned in fall 2005 because of structural problems, leaving the North Rockland school district’s Fieldstone Secondary School and Willow Grove Middle School without an emergency route in or out of the facilities.

The bridge is also the primary access for the Hudson Valley Developmental Disabilities Service Office, an agency under the state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and the new American Legion Leo Laders Post 130.

The bridge has been open since August.

Call Haverstraw Town Hall at 845-429-2200 for more information about the bridge dedication.

A machine glitch at a West Haverstraw polling site appears to be much bigger than the Republican Board of Elections commissioner explained to a reporter.

Commissioner Joan Silvestri said this afternoon that a voting machine for the West Haverstraw’s District 3 did not have names of village candidates when the poling site opened at 6 a.m. this morning. An election inspector became aware of the situation and reported to the county Board of Elections at about 6:15 a.m., Silvestri said.

Democratic Incumbent Mark Loblanco and David Barbera, a former superintendent of the Public Works Department, are running for a trustee seat with unexpired three-year term. Village Justice Kevin Russo is running to secure his seat. All three names were not in one of the two voting machines at the S.W. Johnson firehouse on Bridge Street.

Silvestri estimated that because of the problem, about 15 people voted with emergency paper ballots, though she would not know the real impact of the problem until tomorrow morning.

But Jennie Morf, chairwoman of the inspectors at the S.W. Johnson firehouse polling site, said a total of 74 people cast their ballots without noticing the three candidates’ names were missing. And at about 7 a.m., County Legislature Michael Grant, D-Garnerville, came in to vote and noticed the problem and alerted inspectors, Morf said.

Morf said the machine was shut down and was replaced. While the machine was not in use, 48 voters voted via emergency paper ballots.

Depending on the margin of victory tonight, the village trustee race might have to be repeated, Morf said.

The Spring Valley office of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will be open tomorrow — which is Election Day — starting at 9 a.m.

According to a release, members of the chapter’s Civic Engagement Committee will be available to answers questions regarding polling sites, transport people to the polls, or to help with other voting-related matters.

The office is located at the Town of Ramapo Cultural Arts Center, 62 N. Main St., Spring Valley.

(For those of you who haven’t been to the office before, it’s located around the corner from the center’s main entrance, on Grove Street.)

For more information, call the chapter at 845-362-6227.

Tomorrow is Election Day, a busy time for us all. So Ramapo Live will not be held tomorrow. It will resume at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 11. That will also give everyone an extra week to line up their discussion topics. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and White Plains will field complaints of possible   violations of  federal election laws today relating to the upcoming general elections in Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, Sullivan, Orange and Dutchess counties, as well as Manhattan and the Bronx.

The office can be reached at 212-637-0840. In addition, complaints of possible violations of federal election laws may be made directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (212) 384-1000.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office issued the following statement:

The U.S. Attorney’s Office  stated that the enforcement of federal laws protecting the rights of all eligible persons to vote for the candidates of their choice is a high priority of the Department of Justice.

It is unlawful under federal law to deny or abridge  anyone’s right to vote because of race, color or national origin.  Federal laws also require local election authorities to make voting accessible to disabled and elderly voters.  Voters who require assistance because of blindness, disability or inability to read and write have the right to receive such assistance from a person of their own choosing.

In counties with substantial numbers of non-English speaking voters, federal laws prohibit the denial or abridgement of a voter’s ability to participate in the election process in certain languages other than English (i.e., Spanish, Chinese, Korean).

In addition, certain activities designed to subvert the integrity of the election process are federal crimes.  It is a federal crime, for example, to deprive citizens of their right to  fair elections or to conspire to do so.  Specific election laws also make it a crime to bribe or intimidate voters, to cause  ballots to be cast fraudulently in the names of individuals who  did not vote (“ballot stuffing”), to vote more than once, or to alter or falsely report the vote count.  It can also be a federal offense to challenge qualified voters without cause and in bad faith or to harass persons seeking to vote for the purpose of discouraging their vote.
The spokesperson said that the ability of federal law enforcement authorities to detect and eliminate improper restrictions on voting rights and to prosecute election fraud depends to a large extent on the watchfulness and cooperation of the voters.

It is therefore imperative that those who have been asked to participate in illegal election practices, who have been the subject of such practices, who have observed such practices,
or who have information bearing on such practices, make that information known promptly to the FBI or the United States Attorneys at the telephone numbers listed above.

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for Manhattan and Brooklyn also noted that the following additional telephone numbers are available on election day for citizens to call for routine inquiries, such as where to vote or how late the polls are open, or to register complaints that may concern violations of New York State election laws:

In counties outside New York City, the countyt board of elections:

Dutchess: 845-486-2473

Nassau : 516-571-2411
Orange : 845-291-2444
Putnam: 845-278-6970
Rockland: 845-638-5172
Suffolk: 631-852-4500
Sullivan: 845- 794-3000
Westchester: 914-995-5700