County Legislature Vice Chairman William Darden, D-Hillcrest, announced today that he would not seek election to the 95th Assembly District against incumbent Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern.

“I thought about it for a period of time. I had supporters over there and I truly treasure their support,” Darden said this afternoon.

Even though he knows it’s cliche, Darden said he honestly likes what he’s doing on the Legislature.

Still, he said, a run for the Assembly is “not out of the future.”

Jaffee had been facing as many as five challengers from within her own party.  Of them, only one, Ramapo Town Clerk Chris Sampson, has decided to run. The others were Darden, Suffern Mayor John Keegan and former Legislators David Fried and Patrick Withers.

The Republicans are expected to run a candidate against Jaffee, who is finishing out her first term. The district includes Orangetown and parts of Ramapo.

Ramapo Town Clerk Chris Sampson has formally announced that he will challenge Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, in the Democratic primary for Jaffee’s seat this fall.

Sampson was one of several area Democrats who said this winter they were interested in the seat. The others were County Legislature Vice Chairman William Darden, Suffern Mayor John Keegan, and former Legislators Patrick Withers and David Fried.

Jaffee and Rockland’s other state representatives are up for re-election in November. Jaffee is completing her first term.

The county’s Democratic convention is coming up in the next few weeks. We’ll be checking in with the four stragglers soon. Stay tuned.

My daily commute to The Journal News’ Rockland office takes me down Route 17 in Orange County. For the past few days road crews have been working on an overpass near Monroe.

I was driving along, cursing getting stuck in construction traffic during an already long commute, when I saw one of Patrick Withers’ campaign signs. Wha??

Withers, a Democrat from Suffern and a former county legislator, was one of several politicians last fall who used the sides and back of trucks to promote their candidacy.

And one of his old advertisements, albeit faded and peeling, has been parked along the side of Route 17 in Monroe for the last few days. The smaller details of the ad are almost gone—one can make out the word “keep”—but the Pat Withers, now dulled to a light gray,  is clear as day.

Withers was defeated last year by Legislator Joseph Meyers, D-Suffern.

Rockland County has long been excluded from receiving federal anti-terrorism funding as part of the New York City-metropolitan area security net.

Sheriff James Kralik has raised the issue of Rockland being excluded from the Urban Area Securities Initiative since after Sept. 11, 2001. Several years ago, then Assemblyman Ryan Karben, D-Monsey, and Legislator Ellen Jaffee, who succeeded Karben in the Assembly, raised the issue, as have other county officials.

Now, Rep. Eliot Engel. D-Bronx, who represents parts of Rockland and Westchester counties, has picked up the gauntlet. The argument has been that Rockland is not a potential target for terrorism. The county has marked several sites, including the Tappan Zee Bridge, power plants and grips, malls and neighborhoods, as potential targets.

“Rockland in an integral part of the area, and with the Tappan Zee Bridge and the New York State Thruway, it has primary terrorist targets as well,” Engel said in a news release. “The various Metropolitan area agencies that are a part of UASI must be willing to include Rockland in our safety net. It’s time for the security net around New York City to be complete. New York State should take a leadership role in making this happen.”

For an area to be a part of the UASI funding it must be contiguous with New York City, such as Westchester, or an agency in the city, such as the Port Authority. Only a small part of Rockland is considered contiguous. Engel, there are notable exceptions. Suffolk County, which is separated from New York City by all of Nassau County, nevertheless gets UASI funds.

Last year , Engel got an additional $20 million included in the Urban Area Securities Initiative budget, raising it to $850 million, and this year he is working to get it raised again, this time to $900 million.

“Now it’s time for Rockland to be included,” Engel said. “The other agencies funded under UASI are reluctant to give up a share of the funding that would go to Rockland, but that is why I got additional money put in last year’s budget, and why I’m fighting to get an additional increase in this year’s budget.”

U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel’s office announced today that the Internal Revenue Service would open sites and be available by phone to assist residents who are eligible for the upcoming economic stimulus payment, but who don’t regularly file an income tax return.

On Saturday, the IRS will assist residents with the 1040A form that residents are filing solely to receive a stimulus payments. Most IRS offices across the country will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., though some will have longer hours.

Residents can call the IRS hotline at 800-906-9887 for free assistance locations.Taxpayers with economic stimulus questions on March 29, they can call 1-866-234-2942 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time.

Locally, the IRS office at 242 West Nyack Road in West Nyack will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Residents who do not regularly file an income tax return can click here for more information.

UPDATED March 12, 2008:

Ryan Karben responded to yesterday’s blog. In an e-mail, Karben wrote that he never stated that “Spitzer should (or should not) resign.”

He wrote that he’d simply responded to a reporter’s “what-if” question.

“I was asked what would happen IF Spitzer chose to fight and responded he’s a resilient person with lots of fight in him,” Karben said in an e-mail. “I was not asked by the paper, and did not opine publicly, on what he should do.”

As we all know, Spitzer didn’t stay resilient too long. He resigned today.

ORIGINAL POST, March 11, 2008

Ryan Karben just can’t stay out of the newspapers – even if he’s being quoted in his old stomping grounds in Albany.

Karben was quoted giving advice to the beleaguered Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a fellow Democrat, in the Albany Times-Union (You have to go to page 2 of the article to find Karben’s quote.)

Karben told the newspaper Spitzer should fight for his job, even after it was revealed the governor supposedly was the man caught on a federal wiretap making arrangements for a high-priced prostitute to meet him in Washington’s famous or infamous Mayflower Hotel. Federal agents were investigating the call-girl service operating on the Internet. The costs top $1,000 an hour.

“This is a very smart, extraordinarily capable man with tremendous resilience,” Karben told the newspaper. “If he’s determined this is a battle he wants to fight, I think he’s got a lot of fight in him.”

The paper identifies Karben as a former Democratic Assemblyman from Rockland County and a lobbyist on Spitzer’s finance committee, showing Karben had close ties to the governor. What the paper left out was that Karben left the Assembly in 2006 under the cloud of a sex scandal, albeit different than Spitzer is facing. Accusations of improper behavior with male interns followed Karben, 33, forcing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to bring down the hammer on the young Assembly member.

Michael Bongiorno was angrier than most about Gov. Eliot Spitzer being reportedly involved with prostitutes. And not too many people were happier than Bongiorno that Spitzer’s political career could end.

Talking about Spitzer angers Bongiorno, who was Rockland’s district attorney for 12 years until losing in November to Democrat Thomas Zugibe.

Bongiorno, a Republican, still blames Spitzer for costing him election. Spitzer convinced New Square leaders to recommend they give the community’s bloc vote to Zugibe, during the final days of the campaign. Even when New Square leaders offered to split the community’s vote, Bongiorno said, Spitzer demanded it all for Zugibe.

Download:

Links to related articles:
Few see big changes with Fidel Castro gone
Local Pakistanis take pride in ‘free and fair’ elections
Lowey says she’s ‘feeling great’
Teacher calls 911, saves woman
Spring Valley trustee wants police at meetings for safety

Burt Singer of Pomona always thought that more parking spaces should be available at Pomona Village Hall when it serves as a polling site. He thought many residents might shy away from casting their votes because of the difficult parking situation there.

Through his observation, Singer realized that on an election day, election workers seemed to take up most of the spots in the small Village Hall parking lot. He thought election workers should park their cars in other locations so that voters can use more parking spaces.

To make the plan work, Singer offered his help in giving lifts for election workers who park their cars at the Hindu temple’s parking lot.

Singer said Mayor Nick Sanderson gladly accepted Singer’s offer, and Village Clerk Lisa Thorsen would help Singer.
So on Super Tuesday, voters should have a better chance to find a parking spot at the village hall.

Download:

Links to related articles:
Ex-lawmaker Karben to plead not guilty to DWI

4 generations evicted in Stony Point

Grand View woman helps foster peace through jobs

Flood repair funds headed to Rockland

After enduring several accusations of political patronage and wrongdoing, former Legislator David Fried very quietly started his job as Sheriff James Kralik’s public safety advocate on Monday.

The $65,000-a-year position, new this year, was created by Sheriff James Kralik, a Republican, to go after grant money and build community relations. Kralik has said since the position was first discussed last year the Fried, a Democrat, was one of the candidates he was considering.

Clarkstown Police Detective Sgt. Tim O’Neill, who unsuccessfully challenged Kralik for the sheriff seat last year, charged over the summer that Kralik was going to give the job to Fried in exchange for Fried leaving the Legislature to make way for newly elected Legislator Jacques Michel, one of Kralik’s deputies. Kralik, Fried and Michel have denied any involvement in any sort of job-swapping plot.

Fried said he supplied Kralik with a resume and about 20 references. He was also called in for an interview twice. “When it comes to public safety, it’s based upon qualifications … an not on politics,â€? Fried said yesterday.

Staff writer Christina Jeng was tied up this week, so her colleague and fellow blogger, Sarah Netter, stepped up to bring you the Week in Review podcast.

Download:

And, as usual, here are links to the appropriate stories:
Monsey group fined for mess after chicken ritual
Schumer visits cadets at West Point
Special Report: Our Schools, Our Money
Haverstraw resident charged with trying to kill Spring Valley man

Here are some highlights of last night’s reorganizational meeting of the Orangetown Town Board.

• Nancy Low-Hogan, who was sworn in as a member of the Orangetown Town Board last night, promised to hold monthly meetings with the community to talk about town issues.

• Michael Maturo, a 23-year-old from Sparkill, was also sworn in as a Town Board member. Interestingly, he started his speech by remarking on the great diversity in the room, even though he was more or less talking to a room of white people. Elaborating, he mentioned the diversity in ages and that fact that people came from all parts of town for the meeting.

• Justice Paul Phinney used his swearing in to make another plea for his department. He thanked his staff, who he said worked day and night and through the lunch hour. He estimated that his office was 20 to 40 percent understaffed, but his pleas went unheard during budget time, when the Town Board cut funding to his office.

• Denis Troy joked about his status as the board’s last-standing Republican, but after the meeting said he was not worried about the board’s new 4-1 Democratic majority. His only concern was that Supervisor Thom Kleiner would use the pulpit to push liberal-agenda items such as Indian Point and climate change, which Troy said had as much to do with the town as the man in the moon. Kleiner, of course, disagrees.

• Kleiner gave a predictable State of the Town address, where he talked about ongoing development, senior housing and traffic calming. He also offered examples where the town could help the improve the environment, such as reducing its energy use.

This is part one of our Year In Review podcast. Check out part two above. Happy New Year!

Part 1:

Download:

Links to related articles:

Rockland’s top stories of 2007

Since John Ramundo left the Haverstraw Town Board to become West Haverstraw mayor earlier this month, the Town Board has been missing one board member.

Supervisor Howard Phillips said he was planning to appoint someone to fill the vacancy at the reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 3.

Rumors have been circulated that Town Board member Isidro “Papo” Cancel, whose term expires at the end of this month, may be appointed to the position. Cancel lost his re-election bid to Hector Soto in the Democratic primary in September.

The County Legislature at last night’s meeting honored four of its members who won’t be returning next year: Legislators Patrick Withers, D-Suffern, Bruce Levine, D-Montebello, David Fried, D-Spring Valley, and Theodore Dusanenko, R-Valley Cottage.

While the contributions of Levine, Withers and Fried were appropriately noted, the farewell was notably geared toward Dusanenko, also fondly referred to as “Teddy” and “The Dus.”  As Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, said his name, the Legislature and audience responded by giving him a standing ovation, upon which Teddy waved and took a deep breath.

He also left the meeting with a lot more stuff than he came in with. In addition to the Legislature’s certificate and portrait, given to all four outgoing members, Dusanenko was also given a certificate of mert from Clarkstown — he was a supervisor there in the 1980s —  plaques from the county Democratic Party and the county Solid Waste Management Authority and the 2007 Ramapo Freedom Award for excellence in community service.

Dusanenko was first elected to the Legislature in 1969 and has served since save for a four year break in the late 1980s when he ran for county supervisor. (NOTE: That should read county executive, not county supervisor.) Fried was elected in 2003. Levine was first elected in 1985 and served for 10 years, including as chairman, and was re-elected in a mid-term election last year. Withers was appointed in January.

The new Legislature, with 12 returning members and four new faces, will be sworn in Jan. 3.

It’s December, and that means we’re gearing up for the annual Year in Review, a look at the 10 biggest news stories in Rockland in 2007.

The main criteria we look at is that the news has to be Rockland-specific, so the war in Iraq would not qualify, but news regarding the criminal military case stemming from the fragging death of U.S. Army Capt. Phillip Esposito would.

We’d love your thoughts and suggestions. Some stories we’re looking at so far, in no particular order:

• Election defeats of District Attorney Michael Bongiorno and Haverstraw Mayor Francis “Bud” Wassmer.

• Wyeth Pharmaceuticals celebrates 100 years in Pearl River.

• The rabbi banned from baking matzos on a converted bus in his backyard.

• Rats, roaches in Clarkstown North.

• Scientists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades share in the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.

County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef announced today that he rescinded his proposal to give eight county employees, including himself, substantial raises in 2008. He listed a recent, unexplained slump in sales tax revenue from the state as the primary reason for the change, but also said that the raises had become a “distraction” and that there were more important parts of the budget to focus on.

Chief among those is the Department of Hospitals. Vanderhoef and other county officials have been touting 2008 as the year the department’s finances will stabilize. Going into to 2008 the county is carrying a deficit of between $14 million and $19 million, most of that from the hospitals department which has been losing money on its facilities.

While the 20008 budget is balanced and stable, Vanderhoef and finance commissioner Chris Kopf said they first need to stabilize spending and revenue at the hospital—or “stop the bleeding” as Vanderhoef put it today—and then begin to chip away at the deficit.

Looks like a lonely two years for Denis Troy.

Come January, he will be the only Republican on the Orangetown Town Board, now that Denis O’Donnell and Thomas Morr have lost their seats to Democrats.

Morr was locked in a close race with Democrat Michael Maturo at first. But after poll numbers were readjusted and absentee ballots counted, Maturo came out the winner.

Not only have Democrats seized control of the board, but they have done so with a 4-1 majority. Town residents are waiting to see how the Democrats will use their new might.

Hey all,

Here’s this week’s review. Below the podcast, I’ve included links to the articles mentioned and the videos shown in the review. Check ‘em out and have a relaxing weekend.
Download:

Links to related articles:

Ramapo bloc vote decides Rockland DA and sheriff races
Zugibe ousts Bongiorno in Rockland district attorney race
Stony Point legislator takes slight lead after election night errors are caught
One more seat for Rockland Legislature Democrats causes power shift
Students at Albertus Magnus, Felix Festa recovering from MRSA
New Jersey man accused of Pearl River house burglary, as cops hunt second suspect

Links to related video:

Video: Burglary suspects sought in Pearl River

Over the past few years, Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence directed his clout Suffern’s way on numerous occasions, for what would seem to be the benefit of residents.

He worked to get Avon Products to keep its research and development operation going in the village. He arranged to acquire the Tilcon quarry as a way to reduce the threat of flooding in the Squire’s Gate neighborhood. He offered to pony up some town cash to help buy the Schwarz property and keep it from development. He also worked to keep power plants out of the nearby Torne Valley.

So why didn’t more villagers vote for St. Lawrence? Six polling places had him lagging Anthony Mele, his unsuccessful challenger, by 386 votes, 940 to 554, according to unoffical results still being verified this week.

Why?

Hey hey Rockland,

Just a reminder that you can get a rundown of the week’s major stories by viewing our Rockland Week In Review podcast. If you have a video iPod, you can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking the link on the right side of your screen so that you can download and view ‘em say … during your commute to work, maybe during a quick sprint on the treadmill or a commercial break at home? Also, below I’ll include any relevant links to the stories mentioned in the podcast. Have a great weekend!

Download:

It’s that time of year again – election season. Even when I’m indoors, typing up a story at my work desk, I can tell. That’s because I get all kinds of calls from people talking about signs. You know the ones – they’re usually red, white and blue with one name written in a huge font. Yes, campaign signs.

Ron Altman, a candidate for Clarkstown Superintendent of Highways, said many his signs have been missing.

“They’ve just been disappearing,” he said. “One was busted in half.”

Altman estimated about 200 signs have been missing so far even though they were on private property and followed all the local laws.

According to Joel Epstein, Clarkstown’s code enforcement officer, signs must be placed on private property with the owner’s permission. Typically, signs should be 10-feet away from the curb, but that could vary depending on the property, he said. The town has become even more strict after passing a sign ordinance a year or so ago that limits the types of signs that can be displayed.

Epstein said the Building and Highway departments have impounded anywhere from 500 to 1,000 signs so far this fall. Many were campaign signs but there were also real estate, weight loss and other advertisements in the mix. Officials perform “random sweeps” of the streets about once a week, he said.

“I think Clarkstown has been very thorough the best they can…to keep the rights of way clean all year long,” Epstein said. “It’s not like we’re out there with every available force all the time. We do the best we can and I think the town looks great.”

Some, like Nanuet resident, Vincent Pacella, would disagree. He said he has seen Pascack Road plastered with campaign signs for days at a time.

“They’re on the guard rail, the street signs, you name it, they’re all over the place,” he said.

And though Pacella said he would like to see the signs removed, he doesn’t think it should be the town’s responsibility. Instead, he would rather the candidates be forced to remove them.

“Something should be done but I don’t think we should be spending taxpayers’ dollars to remove these things,” he said.

Epstein said late October and early November tend to be the worst times of the year for campaign signs. But in just a few days, he said they’ll all be gone.

“The silly season is almost over,” he said.

The Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Action Fund endorsed the following candidates for Rockland County Legislature:
—Michael Diederich, D, District 1
—Legislator Ilan Schoenberger, D-Wesley Hills, District 4
—John Fellas, D, District 5
—Legislature Vice Chairman William Darden, D-Hillcrest, District 8
—Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, District 10
—Legislator VJ Pradhan, D-Nanuet, District 14
—Legislator Connie Coker, D-South Nyack, District 17

Carl Gilpatrick, president of the Civil Service Employees Association’s Stony Point unit, said yesterday that the union had endorsed Democratic candidates for November’s local election.

Those candidates endorsed by the union were incumbent Supervisor Phil Marino; Town Board candidates Luanne Konopko and Tom Brown; and Patrick Kennell, who is running against Republican incumbent Highway Superintendent Larry Brissing.

Republican Jerry Rogers is challenging Marino.

Louis Vicari and James White, both Republicans, as well as George Potanovic, a Friend of Stony Point candidate, are also running for two Town Board seats, which will be vacated by Town Board members Fred Bohlander and Tim O’Neill.