A dog park will grow in Woodbury
To the editor,
We would like to express our appreciation to Mr. John Burke and the Woodbury Town Board for approving the establishment of a dog park in our community.
We would also like everyone to know how professionally the board members went about making this decision. They logically and systematically evaluated all of the research presented to them on this subject. The presentation of that research by board member Michael Aronowitz was very detailed and professionally done. Board members evaluated feedback from residents who attended the four meetings at which this topic was discussed
Finally, after all of that, they made a decision. In this case, we believe it is the right decision. We look forward to joining other residents of our community in utilizing this new facility next spring.
Drs. Andrea and Carl M. Gold
Highland Mills
Monday, December 25, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Black Friday Shopper Spending Jumps 19%
Black Friday Shopper Spending Jumps 19%
But Traffic Down at Bricks-and-Mortar Retail Outlets
By Mya Frazier
Published: November 27, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Traffic for Black Friday declined by 3.4 percent to 140 million people, but spending jumped nearly 19% to $360.15 over last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Despite packed parking lots and long lines, the shopping stampede didn't benefit all retailers the same.
Photo Credit: AP
Up 19%
Americans spent an average of $360.15 per person last weekend, some 19% more than on the weekend after Thanksgiving the prior year, according to the NRF. Despite packed parking lots and long lines, the stampede didn't benefit all retailers the same. Traffic dropped by double digits at discount stores, including Wal-Mart, declining to 49.6% from 60.7% in 2005.
As a result, Wal-Mart, despite aggressive discounting and an early holiday-advertising campaign, just one day after Black Friday warned that its same-store sales will actually fall 0.1% when it reports its final November numbers later this week.
Traffic declines
Traffic also dipped at department stores, to 38.8% of shoppers vs. 47% in 2005. It was the same story at specialty retailers and clothing stores, which saw overall traffic drop to 37.5%, compared to 41.2% in 2005.
So how do analysts reconcile the traffic declines in these retail channels with an overall increase in spending?
With gas prices down and consumer confidence higher than a year ago, shoppers were less willing to jump through hoops for deals, and more consumers shopped online, where sales on Black Friday grew to an average $82, up from $70.80 per consumer in 2005.
"Consumers are more purposely shopping," said Gary Drenik, an analyst with Columbus-based Big Research. "There's less this mentality of 'I've got to go out and shop 15 different places in one day.' This year, many went to only a handful of stores instead."
Surgical strike
This shift in buying behavior and retail traffic patterns reflects the increasing power of internet-gleaned information, said Pat Conroy, an analyst with Deloitte. "Time-pressed consumers are doing more research online and they are more surgical in how they shop," he said.
This more information-rich shopping style, and how retailers respond, will separate the winners and losers this holiday season. "Those that have a strong and seamless multichannel offering will have the advantage," he added.
In fact, the busiest bricks-and-mortar retail site on Black Friday was Wal-Mart.com, with 3.2 billion unique visitors, followed by Target.com with 2.3 billion and BestBuy.com with 1.6 billion, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.
Despite problems of intermittent shutdowns reported at Wal-Mart.com on Black Friday, the season and online battle is far from over. "The hiccup was the website shutdown, in some ways that was a good thing because there were a lot of people trying to get there," Mr. Conroy said. "It shows some demand that was aimed at Wal-Mart and their promotions and discounts."
Cyber Monday
And despite technical problems, Wal-Mart came out swinging this Cyber Monday, launching a five-day sales blitz on its website, focusing on the hot electronics sector and toys and offering everything from digital cameras for $49 and roller-coaster play sets for $35, as well as cashmere scarves for $16.88.
The final word on Black Friday won't be known until Nov. 30, when most retailers -- including Costco, J.C. Penney, Sears and Target -- report final numbers for the critical month.
And despite the fierce battle online, none of the top retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target, have yet to break out e-commerce sales in financial results.
But Traffic Down at Bricks-and-Mortar Retail Outlets
By Mya Frazier
Published: November 27, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Traffic for Black Friday declined by 3.4 percent to 140 million people, but spending jumped nearly 19% to $360.15 over last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Despite packed parking lots and long lines, the shopping stampede didn't benefit all retailers the same.
Photo Credit: AP
Up 19%
Americans spent an average of $360.15 per person last weekend, some 19% more than on the weekend after Thanksgiving the prior year, according to the NRF. Despite packed parking lots and long lines, the stampede didn't benefit all retailers the same. Traffic dropped by double digits at discount stores, including Wal-Mart, declining to 49.6% from 60.7% in 2005.
As a result, Wal-Mart, despite aggressive discounting and an early holiday-advertising campaign, just one day after Black Friday warned that its same-store sales will actually fall 0.1% when it reports its final November numbers later this week.
Traffic declines
Traffic also dipped at department stores, to 38.8% of shoppers vs. 47% in 2005. It was the same story at specialty retailers and clothing stores, which saw overall traffic drop to 37.5%, compared to 41.2% in 2005.
So how do analysts reconcile the traffic declines in these retail channels with an overall increase in spending?
With gas prices down and consumer confidence higher than a year ago, shoppers were less willing to jump through hoops for deals, and more consumers shopped online, where sales on Black Friday grew to an average $82, up from $70.80 per consumer in 2005.
"Consumers are more purposely shopping," said Gary Drenik, an analyst with Columbus-based Big Research. "There's less this mentality of 'I've got to go out and shop 15 different places in one day.' This year, many went to only a handful of stores instead."
Surgical strike
This shift in buying behavior and retail traffic patterns reflects the increasing power of internet-gleaned information, said Pat Conroy, an analyst with Deloitte. "Time-pressed consumers are doing more research online and they are more surgical in how they shop," he said.
This more information-rich shopping style, and how retailers respond, will separate the winners and losers this holiday season. "Those that have a strong and seamless multichannel offering will have the advantage," he added.
In fact, the busiest bricks-and-mortar retail site on Black Friday was Wal-Mart.com, with 3.2 billion unique visitors, followed by Target.com with 2.3 billion and BestBuy.com with 1.6 billion, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.
Despite problems of intermittent shutdowns reported at Wal-Mart.com on Black Friday, the season and online battle is far from over. "The hiccup was the website shutdown, in some ways that was a good thing because there were a lot of people trying to get there," Mr. Conroy said. "It shows some demand that was aimed at Wal-Mart and their promotions and discounts."
Cyber Monday
And despite technical problems, Wal-Mart came out swinging this Cyber Monday, launching a five-day sales blitz on its website, focusing on the hot electronics sector and toys and offering everything from digital cameras for $49 and roller-coaster play sets for $35, as well as cashmere scarves for $16.88.
The final word on Black Friday won't be known until Nov. 30, when most retailers -- including Costco, J.C. Penney, Sears and Target -- report final numbers for the critical month.
And despite the fierce battle online, none of the top retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target, have yet to break out e-commerce sales in financial results.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON,because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.!
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life , whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
Send this to every friend that you have on-line,including the person who sent it to you.
0 Replies - you may need to work on your "peopleskills"
2 Replies - you are nice but probably need to be more outgoing
4 Replies - you have picked your friends well
6 Replies - you are downright popular
8 Replies or More - you are totally awesome (and that's probably why you're on MY list)
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Web Sites Not Liable for Posts by Others
Web Sites Not Liable for Posts by Others
Monday November 20, 9:08 pm ET
By Jordan Robertson, AP Business Writer
California Supreme Court Rules Web Sites Are Not Liable for Libel in Third-Party Postings
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Web sites that publish inflammatory information written by other parties cannot be sued for libel, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The ruling in favor of free online expression was a victory for a San Diego woman who was sued by two doctors for posting an allegedly libelous e-mail on two Web sites.
Some of the Internet's biggest names, including Amazon.com, America Online Inc., eBay Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., took the defendant's side out of concern that a ruling against her would expose them to liability.
In reversing an appellate court's decision, the state Supreme Court ruled that the Communications Decency Act of 1996 provides broad immunity from defamation lawsuits for people who publish information on the Internet that was gathered from another source.
"The prospect of blanket immunity for those who intentionally redistribute defamatory statements on the Internet has disturbing implications," Associate Justice Carol A. Corrigan wrote in the majority opinion. "Nevertheless ... statutory immunity serves to protect online freedom of expression and to encourage self-regulation, as Congress intended."
Unless Congress revises the existing law, people who claim they were defamed in an Internet posting can only seek damages from the original source of the statement, the court ruled.
The case centers on an opinion piece sent via e-mail to Ilena Rosenthal, a woman's health advocate who runs various message boards and promotes alternative medicine.
The scathing missive, written by Tim Bolen, accused Dr. Terry Polevoy, of Canada, of stalking a Canadian radio producer and included various invectives directed at Polevoy and Dr. Stephen Barrett, of Pennsylvania. The two doctors operated Web sites devoted to exposing health frauds.
After Rosenthal posted the piece to two newsgroups, Polevoy and Barrett sued her, Bolen and others for libel. The lawsuit accuses Rosenthal of republishing the information after being warned it was false and defamatory.
The trial court ruled that Rosenthal's actions were protected, but an appeals court decided she was not shielded from liability as a distributor of the information. The state Supreme Court's ruling reversed that decision.
Legal experts said the ruling follows similar decisions in other states designed to protect free and open access to information.
"Even though the court recognizes that it could have unfortunate consequences, they're saying that Congress controls this area," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.
Christopher Grell, the lawyer for Polevoy and Barrett, said they have not decided whether to appeal the decision.
"What this decision does is, it basically promotes the distribution of offensive material, which I can't imagine Congress ever intended," he said.
Monday November 20, 9:08 pm ET
By Jordan Robertson, AP Business Writer
California Supreme Court Rules Web Sites Are Not Liable for Libel in Third-Party Postings
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Web sites that publish inflammatory information written by other parties cannot be sued for libel, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The ruling in favor of free online expression was a victory for a San Diego woman who was sued by two doctors for posting an allegedly libelous e-mail on two Web sites.
Some of the Internet's biggest names, including Amazon.com, America Online Inc., eBay Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., took the defendant's side out of concern that a ruling against her would expose them to liability.
In reversing an appellate court's decision, the state Supreme Court ruled that the Communications Decency Act of 1996 provides broad immunity from defamation lawsuits for people who publish information on the Internet that was gathered from another source.
"The prospect of blanket immunity for those who intentionally redistribute defamatory statements on the Internet has disturbing implications," Associate Justice Carol A. Corrigan wrote in the majority opinion. "Nevertheless ... statutory immunity serves to protect online freedom of expression and to encourage self-regulation, as Congress intended."
Unless Congress revises the existing law, people who claim they were defamed in an Internet posting can only seek damages from the original source of the statement, the court ruled.
The case centers on an opinion piece sent via e-mail to Ilena Rosenthal, a woman's health advocate who runs various message boards and promotes alternative medicine.
The scathing missive, written by Tim Bolen, accused Dr. Terry Polevoy, of Canada, of stalking a Canadian radio producer and included various invectives directed at Polevoy and Dr. Stephen Barrett, of Pennsylvania. The two doctors operated Web sites devoted to exposing health frauds.
After Rosenthal posted the piece to two newsgroups, Polevoy and Barrett sued her, Bolen and others for libel. The lawsuit accuses Rosenthal of republishing the information after being warned it was false and defamatory.
The trial court ruled that Rosenthal's actions were protected, but an appeals court decided she was not shielded from liability as a distributor of the information. The state Supreme Court's ruling reversed that decision.
Legal experts said the ruling follows similar decisions in other states designed to protect free and open access to information.
"Even though the court recognizes that it could have unfortunate consequences, they're saying that Congress controls this area," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.
Christopher Grell, the lawyer for Polevoy and Barrett, said they have not decided whether to appeal the decision.
"What this decision does is, it basically promotes the distribution of offensive material, which I can't imagine Congress ever intended," he said.
Females Aged 25-34 Prepare For Black Friday On The Web
Females Aged 25-34 Prepare For Black Friday On The Web
Hitwise recently announced that the market share of US Internet visits for the top five Black Friday advertising websites increased 167 percent for the week ending November 11, 2006 versus the same week last year. The websites showing the strongest growth were BlackFridayAds.com, up 456 percent and The Black Friday, up 425.
Black Friday is the nick name given to the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and the "official" kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. "Black Friday" was originally an inside term amongst retailers, as that was the day their books went from the red to the black. It consists of a combination of people being in the Holiday mood following Thanksgiving, and stores offering tremendous bargains on a number of items for a couple of hours. This year's sale falls on November 24th, and most "door buster" offers run from 6am-11am, while others run throughout the weekend.
The Black Friday advertising website receiving the largest market share of US Internet visits for the week ending November 11, 2006, was Black Friday Advertisements which received 37.65 percent of US Internet visits to the top five Black Friday sites. Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com was the second, followed by Black Friday.info.
Hitwise Clickstream data show that each of the five Black Friday sites sent more than 50 percent of downstream traffic to websites in the Hitwise Shopping and Classifieds category, suggesting that users are finding deals on the Black Friday sites and then linking to retailer websites for more information.
Name
Market Share
Percent of Downstream Traffic to Shopping & Classifieds Websites
Black Friday Advertisements
37.65%
50.88%
Black Friday @ GottaDeal
27.90%
65.61%
BlackFriday.info
17.74%
78.94%
BlackFridayAds.com
9.75%
64.07%
Black Friday Ads
6.96%
54.31%
Source: Hitwise
Note: Data based on market share of visits for the week ending 11/11/06 from a sample of 10 million US Internet users
LeeAnn Prescott, research director, Hitwise, said "Consumers have clearly caught on to the idea of planning their Black Friday shopping by using the Black Friday websites to find the best deals for holiday gifts..."
Visitors to the Black Friday advertising websites were predominantly females aged 25-34, according to Hitwise. For the four week ending November 11, 2006,
67% of visitors to Black Friday @ GottaDeal were female
60% to BlackFriday.info
65% to BlackFridayAds.com,
56% to BFads.net
62% to The Black Friday
Visitors between the ages of 25 and 34 were largest age group for visitors to BlackFriday.info, BlackFridayAds.com, Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com, and BFads.net, comprising between 36 and 41 percent of visits for the four weeks ending November 11, 2006.
The Black Friday website had 38 percent of its visits coming from those aged 18-24, and only 31 percent of visitors age 24-34.
Hitwise recently announced that the market share of US Internet visits for the top five Black Friday advertising websites increased 167 percent for the week ending November 11, 2006 versus the same week last year. The websites showing the strongest growth were BlackFridayAds.com, up 456 percent and The Black Friday, up 425.
Black Friday is the nick name given to the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and the "official" kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. "Black Friday" was originally an inside term amongst retailers, as that was the day their books went from the red to the black. It consists of a combination of people being in the Holiday mood following Thanksgiving, and stores offering tremendous bargains on a number of items for a couple of hours. This year's sale falls on November 24th, and most "door buster" offers run from 6am-11am, while others run throughout the weekend.
The Black Friday advertising website receiving the largest market share of US Internet visits for the week ending November 11, 2006, was Black Friday Advertisements which received 37.65 percent of US Internet visits to the top five Black Friday sites. Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com was the second, followed by Black Friday.info.
Hitwise Clickstream data show that each of the five Black Friday sites sent more than 50 percent of downstream traffic to websites in the Hitwise Shopping and Classifieds category, suggesting that users are finding deals on the Black Friday sites and then linking to retailer websites for more information.
Name
Market Share
Percent of Downstream Traffic to Shopping & Classifieds Websites
Black Friday Advertisements
37.65%
50.88%
Black Friday @ GottaDeal
27.90%
65.61%
BlackFriday.info
17.74%
78.94%
BlackFridayAds.com
9.75%
64.07%
Black Friday Ads
6.96%
54.31%
Source: Hitwise
Note: Data based on market share of visits for the week ending 11/11/06 from a sample of 10 million US Internet users
LeeAnn Prescott, research director, Hitwise, said "Consumers have clearly caught on to the idea of planning their Black Friday shopping by using the Black Friday websites to find the best deals for holiday gifts..."
Visitors to the Black Friday advertising websites were predominantly females aged 25-34, according to Hitwise. For the four week ending November 11, 2006,
67% of visitors to Black Friday @ GottaDeal were female
60% to BlackFriday.info
65% to BlackFridayAds.com,
56% to BFads.net
62% to The Black Friday
Visitors between the ages of 25 and 34 were largest age group for visitors to BlackFriday.info, BlackFridayAds.com, Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com, and BFads.net, comprising between 36 and 41 percent of visits for the four weeks ending November 11, 2006.
The Black Friday website had 38 percent of its visits coming from those aged 18-24, and only 31 percent of visitors age 24-34.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Mayor urges attendance at town budget meeting
Mayor urges attendance at town budget meeting
To the editor:
I urge all residents of the Villages of Monroe, Harriman and Kiryas Joel to attend the public hearing on Monday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. to show your disgust as to why the villages are being saddled with a 13.2 percent increase on a home assessed at 50,000 and a 15.7 percent on a home assessed at 75,000 while those outside town will see a 4.7 percent on 50,000 home and 5.2 percent on 75,000 assessed home.
Our town elected officials should be ashamed to put the burden on the villages that do not put a burden on town services.
Please join me in protecting our taxes and show our town board that we will not stand for it. The meeting will take place at the Senior Center on Mine Road.
Let’s stand as one and demand changes to the proposed town budget.
Mayor John M. Karl III
Village of Monroe
Print this story
Email this story
To the editor:
I urge all residents of the Villages of Monroe, Harriman and Kiryas Joel to attend the public hearing on Monday, Nov. 20, at 7:30 p.m. to show your disgust as to why the villages are being saddled with a 13.2 percent increase on a home assessed at 50,000 and a 15.7 percent on a home assessed at 75,000 while those outside town will see a 4.7 percent on 50,000 home and 5.2 percent on 75,000 assessed home.
Our town elected officials should be ashamed to put the burden on the villages that do not put a burden on town services.
Please join me in protecting our taxes and show our town board that we will not stand for it. The meeting will take place at the Senior Center on Mine Road.
Let’s stand as one and demand changes to the proposed town budget.
Mayor John M. Karl III
Village of Monroe
Print this story
Email this story
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Warwick voters approve transfer tax by 237 votes
Warwick voters approve transfer tax by 237 votes
Tax will take effect April 1, 2007, By Linda Smith Hancharick
Warwick — Nearly 7,000 voters came out to vote Tuesday in what is called an “off-year election.”
But it wasn’t “off year” here in Warwick. No, the campaign to approve or deny a Community Preservation program was the number one topic on many people’s minds for the last few months.
Voters approved the Community Preservation Fund by a vote of 3,574 - 3,337. The 237-vote margin shows just how divided the community is on what amounts to a transfer tax on real property. About 35 percent of the town’s 19,544 registered voters went to the polls.
Supervisor Michael Sweeton, one of the original writers of this proposal, was happy with the result.
“I knew it would be close,” Sweeton said. “The issue of taxes are on everyone’s minds. We deal with taxes every day and understand the concerns. Ultimately, the test of time will show this will be good for Warwick.”
Sweeton said he was also happy with the turnout for an off-year election. Other places had average turnouts but Warwick’s turnout was pretty high.
The supervisor, along with others who devised the plan, went to Albany in 2003 requesting that home rule be granted to allow Warwick to decide its own fate. That would allow local voters to decide whether to impose a tax on real estate and use the money to preserve open space by buying the development rights to farms. It wasn’t until two years later that Albany came through, thanks to a bill by state Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, and Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, R-Greenwood Lake.
Opponents say tax
will hurt middle class
The proposition had its detractors. James Marsden, owner of James Marsden Real Estate on Main Street, was one resident against the transfer tax, not because he is against preserving open space, he said, but because he felt the issues and effects of this law weren’t really addressed.
“They based their numbers on the market two years ago,” Marsden said. “You’ll see them raising the percentage. They’ll say this isn’t raising enough money and they’ll be back for more next year.”
That’s not going to happen, according to Sweeton.
“This is a New York State legislative act. It is a law that amends the finance law,” Sweeton said. “Going back four years we said ¾ of one percent is a reasonable number. Every member of the town board still feels that way. We can’t just change that. We would have to go through the whole process again. No one has that intent.”
Marsden said this is already a slumping market. Adding a sales tax to buying houses is going to hurt the working guy.
“It is just another obstacle to sale,” Marsden said. “This is going to hurt the working guy who wants to sell his house and the middle class guy trying to buy one.”
‘When fear gets out’
Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard said he understands people’s concerns but is “very pleased” with the result.
“I think the opposition to this had more to do with people’s concern with the cost of living here, not preserving open space,” said Newhard. “What I sense is it was fear based. When fear gets out there, it infiltrates quickly and it is tough to undo it. We have such a diverse community with diverse politics and vantage points. I thought it would be close.”
The money raised through the fund, just like the $9.5 million raised through the Purchase of Development Rights referendum in 2000, will go toward preserving open space throughout the town. The new law will allow the town to impose a .75 percent tax on all real estate transactions within the town of Warwick. The first $100,000 of the selling price of a home would not be subject to the tax. The first $50,000 of the price of land would be exempt as well. Warwick has preserved more than 1,200 acres of land so far with commitments from landowners for 1,100 more.
The tax will not take effect until April 1, 2007, according to Sweeton, after a mandatory 60-day waiting period. It must be implemented at the beginning of a quarter.
In August, the town created a plan which includes properties that are eligible for preservation. None of the properties are mandated to participate. A copy of the plan is in the town clerk’s office for review and can be found on the town’s Web site at www.townofwarwick.org. Properties listed include open space, trails, aquifer recharge areas, recreation areas, historic sites, and agricultural sites.
Time will tell
Both Newhard and Sweeton foresee a better Warwick thanks to this new law. Marsden thinks it will have a negative effect on the middle class here in Warwick.
“What effect will this have on the Warwick market?” Marsden asked. “Only time will tell.”
Tax will take effect April 1, 2007, By Linda Smith Hancharick
Warwick — Nearly 7,000 voters came out to vote Tuesday in what is called an “off-year election.”
But it wasn’t “off year” here in Warwick. No, the campaign to approve or deny a Community Preservation program was the number one topic on many people’s minds for the last few months.
Voters approved the Community Preservation Fund by a vote of 3,574 - 3,337. The 237-vote margin shows just how divided the community is on what amounts to a transfer tax on real property. About 35 percent of the town’s 19,544 registered voters went to the polls.
Supervisor Michael Sweeton, one of the original writers of this proposal, was happy with the result.
“I knew it would be close,” Sweeton said. “The issue of taxes are on everyone’s minds. We deal with taxes every day and understand the concerns. Ultimately, the test of time will show this will be good for Warwick.”
Sweeton said he was also happy with the turnout for an off-year election. Other places had average turnouts but Warwick’s turnout was pretty high.
The supervisor, along with others who devised the plan, went to Albany in 2003 requesting that home rule be granted to allow Warwick to decide its own fate. That would allow local voters to decide whether to impose a tax on real estate and use the money to preserve open space by buying the development rights to farms. It wasn’t until two years later that Albany came through, thanks to a bill by state Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, and Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, R-Greenwood Lake.
Opponents say tax
will hurt middle class
The proposition had its detractors. James Marsden, owner of James Marsden Real Estate on Main Street, was one resident against the transfer tax, not because he is against preserving open space, he said, but because he felt the issues and effects of this law weren’t really addressed.
“They based their numbers on the market two years ago,” Marsden said. “You’ll see them raising the percentage. They’ll say this isn’t raising enough money and they’ll be back for more next year.”
That’s not going to happen, according to Sweeton.
“This is a New York State legislative act. It is a law that amends the finance law,” Sweeton said. “Going back four years we said ¾ of one percent is a reasonable number. Every member of the town board still feels that way. We can’t just change that. We would have to go through the whole process again. No one has that intent.”
Marsden said this is already a slumping market. Adding a sales tax to buying houses is going to hurt the working guy.
“It is just another obstacle to sale,” Marsden said. “This is going to hurt the working guy who wants to sell his house and the middle class guy trying to buy one.”
‘When fear gets out’
Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard said he understands people’s concerns but is “very pleased” with the result.
“I think the opposition to this had more to do with people’s concern with the cost of living here, not preserving open space,” said Newhard. “What I sense is it was fear based. When fear gets out there, it infiltrates quickly and it is tough to undo it. We have such a diverse community with diverse politics and vantage points. I thought it would be close.”
The money raised through the fund, just like the $9.5 million raised through the Purchase of Development Rights referendum in 2000, will go toward preserving open space throughout the town. The new law will allow the town to impose a .75 percent tax on all real estate transactions within the town of Warwick. The first $100,000 of the selling price of a home would not be subject to the tax. The first $50,000 of the price of land would be exempt as well. Warwick has preserved more than 1,200 acres of land so far with commitments from landowners for 1,100 more.
The tax will not take effect until April 1, 2007, according to Sweeton, after a mandatory 60-day waiting period. It must be implemented at the beginning of a quarter.
In August, the town created a plan which includes properties that are eligible for preservation. None of the properties are mandated to participate. A copy of the plan is in the town clerk’s office for review and can be found on the town’s Web site at www.townofwarwick.org. Properties listed include open space, trails, aquifer recharge areas, recreation areas, historic sites, and agricultural sites.
Time will tell
Both Newhard and Sweeton foresee a better Warwick thanks to this new law. Marsden thinks it will have a negative effect on the middle class here in Warwick.
“What effect will this have on the Warwick market?” Marsden asked. “Only time will tell.”
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Endorsing Hall over Kelly
Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Endorsing Hall over Kelly
Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - The leadership of the Village of Kiryas Joel is backing Hall over Kelly.
According to Isac Weinberger, of Brooklyn, the Jewish community in the town of Kiryas Joel has backed Democratic challenger John Hall over Republican Sue Kelly in the 19th Congressional District, despite the lobbying of Mayor Michael Bloomberg for Kelly.
Eliot Spitzer and Hillary Clinton, Isac says, lobbied the community for Hall.
Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - The leadership of the Village of Kiryas Joel is backing Hall over Kelly.
According to Isac Weinberger, of Brooklyn, the Jewish community in the town of Kiryas Joel has backed Democratic challenger John Hall over Republican Sue Kelly in the 19th Congressional District, despite the lobbying of Mayor Michael Bloomberg for Kelly.
Eliot Spitzer and Hillary Clinton, Isac says, lobbied the community for Hall.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Calhoun states platform
Calhoun states platform
I write in response to your endorsement in the 96th Assembly District.
Serving proudly in Albany for 16 years, I have been a prime sponsor of more than 100 pieces of successful legislation. My bills allow our American flag to fly proudly over condominiums, babies to be protected from maternal AIDS, volunteers to receive property exemptions, and I helped create the STAR program.
I have picketed with union members, secured the Project Labor Agreement at Stewart, caused an unconstitutional K.J. school district to be overturned, and fought for the soon-to-be installed high-speed E-ZPass at Woodbury. I oppose both the Kiryas Joel pipeline and the intrusive NYRI power line proposal.
When I vote, I carefully weigh your views. I am pro-choice but vehemently opposed to partial-birth abortion. My endorsements include PEF, NYSUT, NYS Nurses Association, NFIB, nine police organizations, the Conservative Party and recognition in the Farm Bureau's "Circle of Friends."
As ranking member on the Assembly Real Property Tax Committee, I've conducted hearings on school tax reform, studied other states' actions, and know that to be successful, we must gain the support of NYC legislators where they don't vote on school budgets or levy school taxes. We must tighten quasi-religious exemptions, eliminate ALL unfunded mandates, dedicate Medicaid savings toward school aid and freeze all seniors' taxes at age 70.
Casting your vote for Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun on Nov. 7 will keep an independent champion of the people fighting for YOU!
Nancy Calhoun
member of Assembly
Blooming Grove
I write in response to your endorsement in the 96th Assembly District.
Serving proudly in Albany for 16 years, I have been a prime sponsor of more than 100 pieces of successful legislation. My bills allow our American flag to fly proudly over condominiums, babies to be protected from maternal AIDS, volunteers to receive property exemptions, and I helped create the STAR program.
I have picketed with union members, secured the Project Labor Agreement at Stewart, caused an unconstitutional K.J. school district to be overturned, and fought for the soon-to-be installed high-speed E-ZPass at Woodbury. I oppose both the Kiryas Joel pipeline and the intrusive NYRI power line proposal.
When I vote, I carefully weigh your views. I am pro-choice but vehemently opposed to partial-birth abortion. My endorsements include PEF, NYSUT, NYS Nurses Association, NFIB, nine police organizations, the Conservative Party and recognition in the Farm Bureau's "Circle of Friends."
As ranking member on the Assembly Real Property Tax Committee, I've conducted hearings on school tax reform, studied other states' actions, and know that to be successful, we must gain the support of NYC legislators where they don't vote on school budgets or levy school taxes. We must tighten quasi-religious exemptions, eliminate ALL unfunded mandates, dedicate Medicaid savings toward school aid and freeze all seniors' taxes at age 70.
Casting your vote for Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun on Nov. 7 will keep an independent champion of the people fighting for YOU!
Nancy Calhoun
member of Assembly
Blooming Grove
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Time to Vote
There are many qualities that make a great leader. But having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristic of a great leader.
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Sunday, October 29, 2006
News
News
Village heading into strange new territory
Woodbury voters start something new
By Chris McKenna
October 29, 2006
Times Herald-Record
&byline2;
Woodbury — A strange new chapter in the history of this town will begin Thursday when voters elect the first mayor and trustees of the village they created almost three months ago.
If the motto of Eliot Spitzer's campaign for governor is, "Day One: Everything Changes," the slogan here might be, "Day One: Now What Do We Do?"
OK, let's get this straight: This new board will rule the Village of Woodbury, which is practically the same as the Town of Woodbury. But the Town Board still exists and retains control — at least for the time being — of a roughly $16 million budget and a full roster of cops and other employees.
And how exactly is that supposed to work?
Below is a summary of how this experiment in local government — a first in New York — came to pass and some of the complicated issues that attorneys have been flipping through law books to resolve.
Background
On Aug. 10, residents voted overwhelmingly to incorporate a 36.8-square-mile village encompassing all of the Town of Woodbury except its share of Harriman (which straddles Woodbury and Monroe). The new Village of Woodbury formally came into existence Aug. 28.
Why
The proposal surfaced in 2004 amid hysteria that Kiryas Joel — the fast-growing Hasidic community next door — would commandeer Woodbury land through annexation or by incorporating a second village. Voters hoped that forming a village would hold Kiryas Joel and its dense, multifamily housing at bay.
The reality
Forming one big village did prevent any smaller ones, Hasidic or otherwise, from cropping up in Woodbury. But it did nothing to stop or hinder annexation, since state law allows one village to annex land from another.
The weirdness factor
Woodbury appears to be the first place in New York to create a village with borders nearly — but not quite — identical to those of the town. As a result, two governing bodies — the new Village Board and the Town Board — will rule over virtually the same territory.
Meanwhile, next door
Residents of southern Blooming Grove, also motivated by fear of an expanding Kiryas Joel, voted in June to form a village. But theirs takes up only 4.8 square miles and poses none of the complex issues that Woodbury officials now face.
If only
If Woodbury's town and village borders were identical, a single government could be formed to eliminate the confusion. (New York has five "coterminous" town-villages operating that way, including three in Westchester County: Scarsdale, Harrison and Mount Kisco.) Woodbury couldn't go "coterminous" because it already had a small piece of incorporated territory — Harriman.
The transition
The new village will truly come into its own on June 1, when the town and Orange County begin sharing revenue with the village, and the village's new Planning Board begins reviewing development applications.
The seven-twelfths clause
On June 1, the town must give the village seven-twelfths of its taxes and assessments unless the two boards have worked out another arrangement. But that fraction applies only to revenue to be spent on services that the village is taking over from the town.
Services
A big question mark. At this point, all of the candidates say they want to preserve the town services, which would mean little transfer of revenue and oversight to the village board. (Nobody has suggested, for example, making the police force a village department.) But it's hard to predict what officials will decide after they take office.
Woodbury elections
The Village of Woodbury's election will take place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Woodbury Senior Center.
CPW: Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury
WC: Woodbury CommUNITY Party
RCG: Right Choice Government party
BM: Bull Moose party
Mayor (expires April 6, 2009)
Ralph Caruso (CPW)
Stephanie Berean-Weeks (WC)
David Sutz (RCG)
Anthony F. Cirigliano (BM)
Trustee (two seats expiring April 7, 2008)
Neil Crouse (WC)
Michael Kling (WC)
Adrienne F. Fuchs (CPW)
Benjamin L. Meyers (CPW)
Trustee (two seats expiring April 6, 2009)
William F. Mullooly (CPW)
George Pedersen (CPW)
Joann Stabile (WC)
Patrick Kinney (WC)
Village heading into strange new territory
Woodbury voters start something new
By Chris McKenna
October 29, 2006
Times Herald-Record
&byline2;
Woodbury — A strange new chapter in the history of this town will begin Thursday when voters elect the first mayor and trustees of the village they created almost three months ago.
If the motto of Eliot Spitzer's campaign for governor is, "Day One: Everything Changes," the slogan here might be, "Day One: Now What Do We Do?"
OK, let's get this straight: This new board will rule the Village of Woodbury, which is practically the same as the Town of Woodbury. But the Town Board still exists and retains control — at least for the time being — of a roughly $16 million budget and a full roster of cops and other employees.
And how exactly is that supposed to work?
Below is a summary of how this experiment in local government — a first in New York — came to pass and some of the complicated issues that attorneys have been flipping through law books to resolve.
Background
On Aug. 10, residents voted overwhelmingly to incorporate a 36.8-square-mile village encompassing all of the Town of Woodbury except its share of Harriman (which straddles Woodbury and Monroe). The new Village of Woodbury formally came into existence Aug. 28.
Why
The proposal surfaced in 2004 amid hysteria that Kiryas Joel — the fast-growing Hasidic community next door — would commandeer Woodbury land through annexation or by incorporating a second village. Voters hoped that forming a village would hold Kiryas Joel and its dense, multifamily housing at bay.
The reality
Forming one big village did prevent any smaller ones, Hasidic or otherwise, from cropping up in Woodbury. But it did nothing to stop or hinder annexation, since state law allows one village to annex land from another.
The weirdness factor
Woodbury appears to be the first place in New York to create a village with borders nearly — but not quite — identical to those of the town. As a result, two governing bodies — the new Village Board and the Town Board — will rule over virtually the same territory.
Meanwhile, next door
Residents of southern Blooming Grove, also motivated by fear of an expanding Kiryas Joel, voted in June to form a village. But theirs takes up only 4.8 square miles and poses none of the complex issues that Woodbury officials now face.
If only
If Woodbury's town and village borders were identical, a single government could be formed to eliminate the confusion. (New York has five "coterminous" town-villages operating that way, including three in Westchester County: Scarsdale, Harrison and Mount Kisco.) Woodbury couldn't go "coterminous" because it already had a small piece of incorporated territory — Harriman.
The transition
The new village will truly come into its own on June 1, when the town and Orange County begin sharing revenue with the village, and the village's new Planning Board begins reviewing development applications.
The seven-twelfths clause
On June 1, the town must give the village seven-twelfths of its taxes and assessments unless the two boards have worked out another arrangement. But that fraction applies only to revenue to be spent on services that the village is taking over from the town.
Services
A big question mark. At this point, all of the candidates say they want to preserve the town services, which would mean little transfer of revenue and oversight to the village board. (Nobody has suggested, for example, making the police force a village department.) But it's hard to predict what officials will decide after they take office.
Woodbury elections
The Village of Woodbury's election will take place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Woodbury Senior Center.
CPW: Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury
WC: Woodbury CommUNITY Party
RCG: Right Choice Government party
BM: Bull Moose party
Mayor (expires April 6, 2009)
Ralph Caruso (CPW)
Stephanie Berean-Weeks (WC)
David Sutz (RCG)
Anthony F. Cirigliano (BM)
Trustee (two seats expiring April 7, 2008)
Neil Crouse (WC)
Michael Kling (WC)
Adrienne F. Fuchs (CPW)
Benjamin L. Meyers (CPW)
Trustee (two seats expiring April 6, 2009)
William F. Mullooly (CPW)
George Pedersen (CPW)
Joann Stabile (WC)
Patrick Kinney (WC)
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Joann Stabile states her case for Woodbury Village trustee
Joann Stabile states her case for Woodbury Village trustee
To the editor:
Joann Stabile is a candidate running on the CommUNITY party ticket for one of the new village trustee positions. She has lived in the Town of Woodbury for the last 34 years and is married 32 years to Peter, who as we all know, is the Woodbury Town Highway Superintendent.
Together they raised two children, Joann and Peter III, who are now grown and married.
Joann was a successful local business owner in Central Valley for 17 years, a former member of the Women of Woodbury and the Highland Mills Ladies Fire Auxiliary, as well as chairperson of Woodbury Community Day, a member of the Woodbury Parks Commission and FEMA-certified Crisis Manager and a member of St. Patrick Church in Highland Mills.
Joann is currently a regional safety and accident prevention manager with a regional trucking company in Newburgh, and the first woman to hold this position in the 88-year history of the company.
When the residents elect the CommUNITY Party as the new village board, they will work closely with the town board to ensure that all town services will stay intact and they will defend against anyone who tries to annex any land out of the village. Their goal is to minimize village taxes.
In recent years, the most commonly cited reason for seeking incorporation is the desire to control or limit local development, principally by getting more localized control over zoning. Local zoning powers are not absolute, and are limited by state law as well as court decisions. Those seeking to control and guide development through incorporation are well advised to proceed carefully to make certain that their wishes fall within the effects that are possible and legal and to be certain that they take actions that will not produce unwanted side effects.
So vote for the CommUNITY party on Nov. 2 at the Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You will find the CommUNITY Party on Row D Bottom line, so vote bottom line. That is where Woodbury’s future is.
Joann Stabile
candidate for trustee
Village of Woodbury
To the editor:
Joann Stabile is a candidate running on the CommUNITY party ticket for one of the new village trustee positions. She has lived in the Town of Woodbury for the last 34 years and is married 32 years to Peter, who as we all know, is the Woodbury Town Highway Superintendent.
Together they raised two children, Joann and Peter III, who are now grown and married.
Joann was a successful local business owner in Central Valley for 17 years, a former member of the Women of Woodbury and the Highland Mills Ladies Fire Auxiliary, as well as chairperson of Woodbury Community Day, a member of the Woodbury Parks Commission and FEMA-certified Crisis Manager and a member of St. Patrick Church in Highland Mills.
Joann is currently a regional safety and accident prevention manager with a regional trucking company in Newburgh, and the first woman to hold this position in the 88-year history of the company.
When the residents elect the CommUNITY Party as the new village board, they will work closely with the town board to ensure that all town services will stay intact and they will defend against anyone who tries to annex any land out of the village. Their goal is to minimize village taxes.
In recent years, the most commonly cited reason for seeking incorporation is the desire to control or limit local development, principally by getting more localized control over zoning. Local zoning powers are not absolute, and are limited by state law as well as court decisions. Those seeking to control and guide development through incorporation are well advised to proceed carefully to make certain that their wishes fall within the effects that are possible and legal and to be certain that they take actions that will not produce unwanted side effects.
So vote for the CommUNITY party on Nov. 2 at the Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You will find the CommUNITY Party on Row D Bottom line, so vote bottom line. That is where Woodbury’s future is.
Joann Stabile
candidate for trustee
Village of Woodbury
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Political happenings
Political happenings
Chester Councilman Steve Neuhaus will host a fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Trailside Pub on Winkler Place in Chester. Tickets are $30. Call 469-2445.
The Mamakating Democratic Committee will host a public meeting to discuss town issues at 7 p.m. Thursday at Mamakating Town Park. Free.
The Woodbury Community Party will host an open house at 6 p.m. Thursday at its campaign headquarters at 509 Route 32 in Highland Mills. Log onto www.communityparty.net.
Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury are hosting a free continental breakfast at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Savory Grill on Route 32 in Highland Mills to introduce its Village of Woodbury candidates. Call 928-2059.
Talk on the Street is the Times Herald-Record's weekly roundup of political events and anecdotes. Write to Talk on the Street, c/o Times Herald-Record, 1170 Route 17M, Suite 4, Chester, NY 10918. Call 783-2764, ext. 6308, fax 783-2604 or e-mail contributions to bscott@th-record.com.
Chester Councilman Steve Neuhaus will host a fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Trailside Pub on Winkler Place in Chester. Tickets are $30. Call 469-2445.
The Mamakating Democratic Committee will host a public meeting to discuss town issues at 7 p.m. Thursday at Mamakating Town Park. Free.
The Woodbury Community Party will host an open house at 6 p.m. Thursday at its campaign headquarters at 509 Route 32 in Highland Mills. Log onto www.communityparty.net.
Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury are hosting a free continental breakfast at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Savory Grill on Route 32 in Highland Mills to introduce its Village of Woodbury candidates. Call 928-2059.
Talk on the Street is the Times Herald-Record's weekly roundup of political events and anecdotes. Write to Talk on the Street, c/o Times Herald-Record, 1170 Route 17M, Suite 4, Chester, NY 10918. Call 783-2764, ext. 6308, fax 783-2604 or e-mail contributions to bscott@th-record.com.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Questions we should ask the candidates
The new Village Election a few weeks away I have some thoughts about the election and questions we should ask the candidates.
Questions
• What are the specific changes you want to make in our community?
• Is running for this office the best way to make these changes?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• Are you ok with the current zoning or do you want to change it?
• Will you use all the Towns services?
• What is your plan to reduce taxes now that we have a Village and it will cost taxpayer more to live here?
• Will you use the Town Master Plan or re write your own?
• Do you have any Local Government experience?
• Do you have any budget experience?
• What do think the Village Officials salaries should be?
• What are your plans for a building or renting a Village Hall and what will this cost the taxpayers?
• Do you have any idea of what your 2007 budget will be?
• Do you really want the job?
• Are you absolutely healthy and sane? (You will
• be under tremendous pressure)
Questions
• What are the specific changes you want to make in our community?
• Is running for this office the best way to make these changes?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• Are you ok with the current zoning or do you want to change it?
• Will you use all the Towns services?
• What is your plan to reduce taxes now that we have a Village and it will cost taxpayer more to live here?
• Will you use the Town Master Plan or re write your own?
• Do you have any Local Government experience?
• Do you have any budget experience?
• What do think the Village Officials salaries should be?
• What are your plans for a building or renting a Village Hall and what will this cost the taxpayers?
• Do you have any idea of what your 2007 budget will be?
• Do you really want the job?
• Are you absolutely healthy and sane? (You will
• be under tremendous pressure)
"We Cannot Let Down Our Guard"
"We Cannot Let Down Our Guard"
By Rudy Giuliani
USA Today, Sep 11 -
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, continue to flood me with many memories. Some are sad, some are tragic, others are uplifting. But recently I have been reflecting on how the attacks are ongoing. The attacks of five years ago cannot be consigned to history.
The attacks did not begin on Sept. 11, 2001. They actually began sometime in the late 1960s, when Islamic radicals started hijacking planes and directing terror at civilians. The first attack that drew significant international attention was the slaughter of the Israeli wrestling team at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Numerous attacks followed, leading up to Sept. 11 and the deadliest ever attack on American soil.
The attacks have continued unceasingly since 9/11 and include those on Bali, Indonesia; Madrid; Beslan, Russia; London — and the recent interrupted plot in the United Kingdom, which might have been even deadlier than the attacks five years ago.
So the killing of innocent civilians by Islamic fanatics has been going on for some time. What was quite different about the attacks of five years ago is that Sept. 11, 2001, marks the day that our nation went on offense against the terrorists.
We broke the pattern of inconsistent response to previous attacks. We began a concerted effort to defeat Islamic fundamentalist terrorism.
'Safer, but not safe enough'
Five years later, the measures taken to improve safety in our country have made a difference. We are safer, but not safe enough. It might be tempting to lower our guard and allow our memories to fade into history. That's probably a natural tendency. But it would be a dangerous mistake for our country.
The people who consider democracy their enemy have not stopped fighting. They have not stopped killing. We cannot let down our guard.
This month brings us another sad anniversary, the second year since the siege at Beslan by terrorists. Imagine the kind of people who saw their intended targets — schoolchildren — enter for the first day of school laden with flowers for their teachers. Days later, those children would be so hungry they would eat those wilted flowers as the terrorists mocked them. Soon, many of the children and their parents would be dead.
Shortly after the siege ended, I happened to travel to the region. I was in Moscow on the day of the memorial gathering. Having recently endured a deadly takeover of a Moscow theater and the downing of commercial airliners, Russia's reaction was swift and overpowering. The war against radical Chechen Islamists continues, but Russia has won significant victories and seems to have turned the tide.
It is just over a year since the brutal bombing attacks in London that killed more than 50 innocent people on their way to work. I was visiting in London on that date, just a half block from Liverpool Street Station when the bombings occurred. These attacks made it clear to us that any place is vulnerable. Despite having perhaps the best intelligence services in the world, British authorities were not able to prevent the attack. They did, however, display superb skill in responding to the emergency. Their immediate action saved lives, reduced suffering and mitigated the shock the terrorists were attempting to achieve.
They had learned from years of terrorism how to handle an attack. The perpetrators were identified and their accomplices and plotters of further attacks were captured before additional planned attacks could be launched.
The British intelligence services learned a lesson from the bombings on July 7, 2005. They updated their methods and learned to identify new sources of danger. Then, homegrown British citizens planned and executed deadly plans without detection, possibly because the intelligence was focused on foreigners. By 2006, the security services had adapted. They were able to thwart a massive plot involving mostly homegrown terrorists.
The United States has successfully prevented domestic attacks over the past five years, but the terrorists have not relented. Think of the innumerable attacks from Israel to Iraq and the reported attacks planned by sleeper cells in Buffalo; Portland, Ore.; and Canada that were disrupted by alert authorities.
Some argue that the attacks continue because of the war in Iraq. But the attacks began decades before the Iraq war. Some argue that our enemies seek negotiation and understanding. But our enemies have made clear to us that what they seek is the annihilation of our most precious freedoms.
One of the main reasons for the founding of the United States was to establish freedom, particularly freedom of religion. Our enemies oppose freedom, particularly freedom of religion. This was made shockingly clear by the recent gunpoint "conversion" of two kidnapped journalists in Gaza. The terrorists don't want to understand and co-exist alongside Western democracies. There are those over the past 30 years, and even to this day, who want to negotiate with the fanatic Islamic terrorists. But the fanatics don't want to negotiate. They want to establish a world in which everyone practices a perverted version of their religion. They want to return to a time before the modern age, to a world in which women have no rights and religious dissent is met with death.
These attacks are about a radical form of Islam that views our very existence as a grave threat. This is not a debate over values or policies. This is not a border dispute. This is a war over the preservation and expansion of the modern world.
We must realize the depth of the danger we face and the determination of our enemy. We have increased attention on air security. We have extended the USA Patriot Act, which has given us a greater opportunity to detect terrorist plots before they occur. We now receive much more help from other countries, such as Pakistan, including banks sharing information about money flow inside terrorist organizations. That information was vital to revealing this summer's airline terror plot in Britain.
Secure our future
As we continue to focus on what we've learned, we must also focus on goals for securing our future. We must improve our intelligence. We must commit to restoring a human intelligence base. We must increase our port security and expand the cooperation of other countries. We must ensure at least a minimum level of emergency preparation in every community in America.
If we remain steadfast in our commitment to these goals, we will succeed. We will make the world safe for the practice of all religions, including Islam. After all, the majority of Muslims are peaceful and law-abiding — they too have been victimized by the radical minority.
On the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, I hope the world will visit the hallowed ground of the World Trade Center and see a soaring memorial to those who were killed there, as well as those in Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa. A fitting tribute will pay honor not only to the victims of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but also to the spirit of freedom.
There is a reason thousands of rescue personnel rushed into enormous danger to save men and women who were strangers to them. The reason was respect for the value of human life. It can also be described as love — the kind of love expressed in a biblical phrase, "Man has no greater love than to lay down his life for his friend." This respect for human life and love for others, including strangers, form the core of Western civilization. It is the driving force that helped us create freedom.
What I learned from Sept. 11, 2001, is that free people have much greater strength than they realize. Ultimately, free people prevail over oppression.
Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of New York on Sept. 11, 2001.
By Rudy Giuliani
USA Today, Sep 11 -
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, continue to flood me with many memories. Some are sad, some are tragic, others are uplifting. But recently I have been reflecting on how the attacks are ongoing. The attacks of five years ago cannot be consigned to history.
The attacks did not begin on Sept. 11, 2001. They actually began sometime in the late 1960s, when Islamic radicals started hijacking planes and directing terror at civilians. The first attack that drew significant international attention was the slaughter of the Israeli wrestling team at the Munich Olympics in 1972. Numerous attacks followed, leading up to Sept. 11 and the deadliest ever attack on American soil.
The attacks have continued unceasingly since 9/11 and include those on Bali, Indonesia; Madrid; Beslan, Russia; London — and the recent interrupted plot in the United Kingdom, which might have been even deadlier than the attacks five years ago.
So the killing of innocent civilians by Islamic fanatics has been going on for some time. What was quite different about the attacks of five years ago is that Sept. 11, 2001, marks the day that our nation went on offense against the terrorists.
We broke the pattern of inconsistent response to previous attacks. We began a concerted effort to defeat Islamic fundamentalist terrorism.
'Safer, but not safe enough'
Five years later, the measures taken to improve safety in our country have made a difference. We are safer, but not safe enough. It might be tempting to lower our guard and allow our memories to fade into history. That's probably a natural tendency. But it would be a dangerous mistake for our country.
The people who consider democracy their enemy have not stopped fighting. They have not stopped killing. We cannot let down our guard.
This month brings us another sad anniversary, the second year since the siege at Beslan by terrorists. Imagine the kind of people who saw their intended targets — schoolchildren — enter for the first day of school laden with flowers for their teachers. Days later, those children would be so hungry they would eat those wilted flowers as the terrorists mocked them. Soon, many of the children and their parents would be dead.
Shortly after the siege ended, I happened to travel to the region. I was in Moscow on the day of the memorial gathering. Having recently endured a deadly takeover of a Moscow theater and the downing of commercial airliners, Russia's reaction was swift and overpowering. The war against radical Chechen Islamists continues, but Russia has won significant victories and seems to have turned the tide.
It is just over a year since the brutal bombing attacks in London that killed more than 50 innocent people on their way to work. I was visiting in London on that date, just a half block from Liverpool Street Station when the bombings occurred. These attacks made it clear to us that any place is vulnerable. Despite having perhaps the best intelligence services in the world, British authorities were not able to prevent the attack. They did, however, display superb skill in responding to the emergency. Their immediate action saved lives, reduced suffering and mitigated the shock the terrorists were attempting to achieve.
They had learned from years of terrorism how to handle an attack. The perpetrators were identified and their accomplices and plotters of further attacks were captured before additional planned attacks could be launched.
The British intelligence services learned a lesson from the bombings on July 7, 2005. They updated their methods and learned to identify new sources of danger. Then, homegrown British citizens planned and executed deadly plans without detection, possibly because the intelligence was focused on foreigners. By 2006, the security services had adapted. They were able to thwart a massive plot involving mostly homegrown terrorists.
The United States has successfully prevented domestic attacks over the past five years, but the terrorists have not relented. Think of the innumerable attacks from Israel to Iraq and the reported attacks planned by sleeper cells in Buffalo; Portland, Ore.; and Canada that were disrupted by alert authorities.
Some argue that the attacks continue because of the war in Iraq. But the attacks began decades before the Iraq war. Some argue that our enemies seek negotiation and understanding. But our enemies have made clear to us that what they seek is the annihilation of our most precious freedoms.
One of the main reasons for the founding of the United States was to establish freedom, particularly freedom of religion. Our enemies oppose freedom, particularly freedom of religion. This was made shockingly clear by the recent gunpoint "conversion" of two kidnapped journalists in Gaza. The terrorists don't want to understand and co-exist alongside Western democracies. There are those over the past 30 years, and even to this day, who want to negotiate with the fanatic Islamic terrorists. But the fanatics don't want to negotiate. They want to establish a world in which everyone practices a perverted version of their religion. They want to return to a time before the modern age, to a world in which women have no rights and religious dissent is met with death.
These attacks are about a radical form of Islam that views our very existence as a grave threat. This is not a debate over values or policies. This is not a border dispute. This is a war over the preservation and expansion of the modern world.
We must realize the depth of the danger we face and the determination of our enemy. We have increased attention on air security. We have extended the USA Patriot Act, which has given us a greater opportunity to detect terrorist plots before they occur. We now receive much more help from other countries, such as Pakistan, including banks sharing information about money flow inside terrorist organizations. That information was vital to revealing this summer's airline terror plot in Britain.
Secure our future
As we continue to focus on what we've learned, we must also focus on goals for securing our future. We must improve our intelligence. We must commit to restoring a human intelligence base. We must increase our port security and expand the cooperation of other countries. We must ensure at least a minimum level of emergency preparation in every community in America.
If we remain steadfast in our commitment to these goals, we will succeed. We will make the world safe for the practice of all religions, including Islam. After all, the majority of Muslims are peaceful and law-abiding — they too have been victimized by the radical minority.
On the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, I hope the world will visit the hallowed ground of the World Trade Center and see a soaring memorial to those who were killed there, as well as those in Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa. A fitting tribute will pay honor not only to the victims of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but also to the spirit of freedom.
There is a reason thousands of rescue personnel rushed into enormous danger to save men and women who were strangers to them. The reason was respect for the value of human life. It can also be described as love — the kind of love expressed in a biblical phrase, "Man has no greater love than to lay down his life for his friend." This respect for human life and love for others, including strangers, form the core of Western civilization. It is the driving force that helped us create freedom.
What I learned from Sept. 11, 2001, is that free people have much greater strength than they realize. Ultimately, free people prevail over oppression.
Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of New York on Sept. 11, 2001.
Berean-Weeks makes her case to be Woodbury’s first mayor
To the editor:
My name is Stephanie Berean-Weeks and I am seeking your support to be the first mayor of our new village.
My father was for many years active in the community I grew up in as a public official, including time as our town supervisor. I learned at an early age that the decisions made by our public officials have a direct impact on the lives of my neighbors and friends. Several years ago, I came to call Woodbury home after marrying my husband Cliff, who has been a longtime resident of Woodbury. I have come to love all that Woodbury has to offer and have come to realize, along with my husband, that it is a wonderful community to raise our daughter, Kelly.
Therefore, like many of you, who also realize Woodbury is a great community to raise a family, my husband and I struggle to pay the taxes and bear the high costs it takes to live here. We do it, however, because we feel the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Recently, the voters of Woodbury created a village. There will be new costs that we must bear to live in this new village. I am concerned that this new village could very well break the budgets of many young couples raising families like my husband and I, or seniors who have for years paid more than their share in taxes.
Along with the financial impacts of this new village, we will also have to face the inevitable battles over annexation, issues regarding zoning, increased growth and how to handle the burdens of that on our community, among many others.
I believe that my team and I, running on the CommUNITY ticket, have the best interest of Woodbury at heart. We will attack the issues that Woodbury faces head on.
I look forward to talking to all of you on the campaign trail. If you have any questions or would like to speak to me, please contact me at 845-206-2090 or visit our Web site at www.communityparty.net to learn more about my platform.
Thanks and I look forward to your support on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Stephanie Berean-Weeks
Candidate for Village of Woodbury Mayor
Highland Mills
My name is Stephanie Berean-Weeks and I am seeking your support to be the first mayor of our new village.
My father was for many years active in the community I grew up in as a public official, including time as our town supervisor. I learned at an early age that the decisions made by our public officials have a direct impact on the lives of my neighbors and friends. Several years ago, I came to call Woodbury home after marrying my husband Cliff, who has been a longtime resident of Woodbury. I have come to love all that Woodbury has to offer and have come to realize, along with my husband, that it is a wonderful community to raise our daughter, Kelly.
Therefore, like many of you, who also realize Woodbury is a great community to raise a family, my husband and I struggle to pay the taxes and bear the high costs it takes to live here. We do it, however, because we feel the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Recently, the voters of Woodbury created a village. There will be new costs that we must bear to live in this new village. I am concerned that this new village could very well break the budgets of many young couples raising families like my husband and I, or seniors who have for years paid more than their share in taxes.
Along with the financial impacts of this new village, we will also have to face the inevitable battles over annexation, issues regarding zoning, increased growth and how to handle the burdens of that on our community, among many others.
I believe that my team and I, running on the CommUNITY ticket, have the best interest of Woodbury at heart. We will attack the issues that Woodbury faces head on.
I look forward to talking to all of you on the campaign trail. If you have any questions or would like to speak to me, please contact me at 845-206-2090 or visit our Web site at www.communityparty.net to learn more about my platform.
Thanks and I look forward to your support on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Stephanie Berean-Weeks
Candidate for Village of Woodbury Mayor
Highland Mills
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Will it be to much government in Woodbury?
So it’s now election season in Woodbury and the field is set. Thomas Jefferson once said “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government”. We do not know what the future will bring us but we do know for sure will have more government in Woodbury.
‘Embarrassed to live in the Village of Woodbury’
‘Embarrassed to live in the Village of Woodbury’
To the editor:
George Pederson writes, “Woodbury, take a bow” because your “yes” vote for the village of Woodbury showed you care about home and community.
Well, Georgie boy, I have a different view. I think the 2,094 people that voted “yes” should bow their head in disgrace, because they believed the misinformation, put out by groups in Woodbury, with the intent to scare them into believing that forming a village would keep men dressed in black coats and black hats from living next door to them.
In fear, they voted for an extra layer of government that we, the people, don’t need and, which is guaranteed to raise our taxes.
The misinformation stated “that forming a village” would place another layer to prevent the men in black from developing their land.”
Well, haven’t the events in the past few months proved that so wrong. The men in black coats and black hats have an answer to your obstacles.
Take the recent vote by our 17 biased legislators who voted against a water tower in a county park, denying a sect of people water needed to develop their land.
A great victory against the men dressed in black. Yet, only one month later, they buy the land a few feet away from the proposed location and they will build the two water towers.
And if anyone really believes that these legislators will prevent the men in black from getting the water line from New York City and if you believe a survival packet, sent out by the Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury is going to stop the men in black from annexing Ace Farms, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
No, George, Woodbury shouldn’t be proud that they toppled a government and rendered it useless.
Like me, they should be embarrassed to live in the Village of Woodbury.
Frank J. Palermo
Highland Mills
To the editor:
George Pederson writes, “Woodbury, take a bow” because your “yes” vote for the village of Woodbury showed you care about home and community.
Well, Georgie boy, I have a different view. I think the 2,094 people that voted “yes” should bow their head in disgrace, because they believed the misinformation, put out by groups in Woodbury, with the intent to scare them into believing that forming a village would keep men dressed in black coats and black hats from living next door to them.
In fear, they voted for an extra layer of government that we, the people, don’t need and, which is guaranteed to raise our taxes.
The misinformation stated “that forming a village” would place another layer to prevent the men in black from developing their land.”
Well, haven’t the events in the past few months proved that so wrong. The men in black coats and black hats have an answer to your obstacles.
Take the recent vote by our 17 biased legislators who voted against a water tower in a county park, denying a sect of people water needed to develop their land.
A great victory against the men dressed in black. Yet, only one month later, they buy the land a few feet away from the proposed location and they will build the two water towers.
And if anyone really believes that these legislators will prevent the men in black from getting the water line from New York City and if you believe a survival packet, sent out by the Citizens for the Preservation of Woodbury is going to stop the men in black from annexing Ace Farms, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
No, George, Woodbury shouldn’t be proud that they toppled a government and rendered it useless.
Like me, they should be embarrassed to live in the Village of Woodbury.
Frank J. Palermo
Highland Mills
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Fourth village coming for Monroe?
News
Fourth village coming for Monroe?
By Chris McKenna
September 09, 2006
Times Herald-Record
Monroe — Now that village fever has taken hold in neighboring Blooming Grove and Woodbury, the first rumblings have begun about creating a fourth village in Monroe to shake up the political order.
The citizens group Save Monroe dips its toe in these turbulent waters in its latest newsletter, soon to be distributed to town residents.
"What do the citizens in the Towns of Woodbury and Blooming Grove know that Monroe doesn't?" the group asks.
"Isn't it time we investigate the pros and cons of a new village — one that would represent the 50 percent of Monroe's population that resides outside the Village of Kiryas Joel?"
No boundaries for this hypothetical village have been drawn. Save Monroe President Theresa Budich said yesterday that her organization is merely seeking input and has taken no position on the issue.
The idea comes on the heels of overwhelming votes by residents of southern Blooming Grove and Woodbury to incorporate villages.
In both places, voters wanted to prevent the high-density housing of Kiryas Joel from spreading into their towns.
In Monroe, the idea has arisen because of Kiryas Joel's dominance in town elections, not its potential expansion.
The Hasidic community's voting blocs have kept Monroe's Republican incumbents in power in the last several elections, despite huge support for their challengers in areas outside Kiryas Joel.
"Kiryas Joel has their own village, and obviously I don't vote in their elections," Budich said.
"They determine their own destiny. I think a large part of the population would like the same right to determine their own," she said.
The first step in creating a village would be to submit a petition signed by residents of the area that would be incorporated.
If the town supervisor determines the petition is valid, the proposal would then be put to voters in a referendum.
Fourth village coming for Monroe?
By Chris McKenna
September 09, 2006
Times Herald-Record
Monroe — Now that village fever has taken hold in neighboring Blooming Grove and Woodbury, the first rumblings have begun about creating a fourth village in Monroe to shake up the political order.
The citizens group Save Monroe dips its toe in these turbulent waters in its latest newsletter, soon to be distributed to town residents.
"What do the citizens in the Towns of Woodbury and Blooming Grove know that Monroe doesn't?" the group asks.
"Isn't it time we investigate the pros and cons of a new village — one that would represent the 50 percent of Monroe's population that resides outside the Village of Kiryas Joel?"
No boundaries for this hypothetical village have been drawn. Save Monroe President Theresa Budich said yesterday that her organization is merely seeking input and has taken no position on the issue.
The idea comes on the heels of overwhelming votes by residents of southern Blooming Grove and Woodbury to incorporate villages.
In both places, voters wanted to prevent the high-density housing of Kiryas Joel from spreading into their towns.
In Monroe, the idea has arisen because of Kiryas Joel's dominance in town elections, not its potential expansion.
The Hasidic community's voting blocs have kept Monroe's Republican incumbents in power in the last several elections, despite huge support for their challengers in areas outside Kiryas Joel.
"Kiryas Joel has their own village, and obviously I don't vote in their elections," Budich said.
"They determine their own destiny. I think a large part of the population would like the same right to determine their own," she said.
The first step in creating a village would be to submit a petition signed by residents of the area that would be incorporated.
If the town supervisor determines the petition is valid, the proposal would then be put to voters in a referendum.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Reverberations of a Baby Boom
August 27, 2006
Reverberations of a Baby Boom
By FERNANDA SANTOS
KIRYAS JOEL, N.Y., Aug. 22 — As the administrator of this village in southern Orange County, Gedalye Szegedin knows that much of his job revolves around a simple equation: the number of girls who get married is roughly equal to the number of new homes this community will need to accommodate its rapid growth.
Last year, Mr. Szegedin oversaw the construction of 200 houses and apartments, mostly on the outer-lying lots along the eastern edge of this 1.1-square-mile community, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish enclave about 60 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. By the end of this year, he said, the village will most likely have 300 new homes.
“There are three religious tenets that drive our growth: our women don’t use birth control, they get married young and after they get married, they stay in Kiryas Joel and start a family,” Mr. Szegedin said.
“Our growth comes simply from the fact that our families have a lot of babies,” he added, “and we need to build homes to respond to the needs of our community.”
But developable land is a finite resource here, and not much of it is left. And as Kiryas Joel pushes up against its borders, nearby neighbors in the towns of Blooming Grove and Woodbury are moving aggressively to prevent the community from expanding by incorporating into villages of their own.
“We still have huge tracts of open land in Woodbury, and we want to keep it that way,” said Woodbury’s supervisor, John P. Burke, who grew up in the Bronx and moved to Orange County in 1969.
“We want to make sure that no outside community is able to completely transform the character and the look of our town,” he said. “If we need a village to do that, so be it.”
Kiryas Joel’s population leaped to 18,300 last year from 13,100 in 2000 and 7,400 in 1990, making it one of the fastest growing places in the state, according to the most recent estimates by the Census Bureau. For two years, developers and local officials have been searching for private parcels in surrounding communities, hoping to expand the village through annexation for the third time since it was incorporated in 1977 as an offshoot of the Satmar Hasidic sect of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
After its incorporation, most of the growth was driven by migration from New York City. But now, new arrivals are mostly babies and grooms coming to marry one of the local women.
Worried residents in Blooming Grove, which lies northwest of here, and Woodbury, which lies east, have voted overwhelmingly in the past two months to approve the creation of two new villages. State law allows villages to be established within towns and to set their own zoning regulations, and area officials say the new villages would be able to restrict the multifamily, high-density building that predominates in Kiryas Joel.
Many of the families in those towns also fled the crowded streets of New York City, moving here for the cleaner air, the safer communities and the open spaces, where the closest neighbor may not be so close.
“We’re hard-working people who decided to move up here to pay less taxes and enjoy the quietness of country,” said Garry Dugan, a retired New York City detective and the president of the South Blooming Grove Homeowners Association, the group that began the drive to create one of the villages.
“It’s a shame that it has come to us and them, but we feel like we had to form a village for no reason other than preserving our quality of life,” said Mr. Dugan, who has lived in Blooming Grove for 26 years. “This has nothing to do with their religion.”
It is not the first time that Kiryas Joel and its neighbors have clashed.
Over the years, there have been disputes — over a water pipeline Kiryas Joel sought to build, for example, and whether the state should pay for a school system for its disabled students. There was also an argument in 1986 when 600 Kiryas Joel boys refused to board school buses driven by women. (The drivers are now all men.)
The Satmar Hasidim share what they call a deep mystical connection to Kiryas Joel. They were led here by their founder, the Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, who saw in it the ideal place for his followers to raise large families away from the influences of the outside world. Hence the name of the village, which means Town of Joel.
About 3,000 families live here, many of them in boxy wood-frame homes built close to one another, with up to a dozen apartments stacked in four floors.
The village has no parks or public playgrounds, so children play with their colorful plastic toys on small front yards.
A network of sidewalks twirl across the village, so the women, who do not drive, are able to walk to the clinic and supermarket. Baby strollers seem to be everywhere: in the lobbies of buildings, on sidewalks, outside the stores.
“This is a great place to raise our children; it’s easy to keep them away from the distractions of the city,” said Judith Greenfeld, 34, whose family moved here from Williamsburg two decades ago.
All but 3 of her 12 siblings live here.
Mrs. Greenfeld and her husband, Joseph, 35, have five children, three boys and two girls, ages 3 to 13. The median age is 15, compared with 35 for the nation, according to the 2000 census. The village has one of the lowest median ages among communities nationwide with more than 5,000 residents.
The Greenfelds live on a dead-end street, in a third-floor apartment across from a girls’ school. Like most families here, they speak more Yiddish than English and have no radio, computer or television at home. Mr. Greenfeld owns a tile shop in Monroe, just outside the village borders.
His wife helps him run the business, which makes her a rare exception among Kiryas Joel’s women, who are married soon after they graduate from high school, work until they give birth to their second child and then become stay-at-home mothers. The men, meanwhile, board yellow school buses every morning and ride to New York City, to jobs in the diamond district or at B & H, the photo and video store near Herald Square.
Because of the sheer size of the families (the average household here has six people, but it is not uncommon for couples to have 8 or 10 children), and because a vast majority of households subsist on only one salary, 62 percent of the local families live below poverty level and rely heavily on public assistance, which is another sore point among those who live in neighboring communities.
“We just don’t understand why they have to keep pushing their expansionist ideas on us,” said Charles J. Bohan, who is the supervisor of the Town of Blooming Grove and a resident of the new village, named South Blooming Grove.
On Sept. 21, South Blooming Grove will hold its first election for mayor and for a four-member board of trustees. The state must still certify the results of the vote to create the village in Woodbury before elections there can be held.
Mr. Szegedin, Kiryas Joel’s administrator, said his community was not deterred.
"We have several different developers that want to sell land to Kiryas Joel, but if they can’t do it, we can build up,” he said. “We can change our zoning code to allow high-rise apartments. The creation of these villages are not going to stop the growth in the village of Kiryas Joel."
Mrs. Greenfeld agreed.
“People don’t understand the conception of our people, of our religion,” she said. “There’s no government or land or any other authority that can stop us from having babies,” she said while her husband put out a plate of cheese blintzes, strawberries and sour cream.
“If there’s not enough land, families will double up. There’s always going to be room for the new families,” Mrs. Greenfeld said. “And if I have to slice up my apartment in two, I’ll do it, without doubt or hesitation.”
Reverberations of a Baby Boom
By FERNANDA SANTOS
KIRYAS JOEL, N.Y., Aug. 22 — As the administrator of this village in southern Orange County, Gedalye Szegedin knows that much of his job revolves around a simple equation: the number of girls who get married is roughly equal to the number of new homes this community will need to accommodate its rapid growth.
Last year, Mr. Szegedin oversaw the construction of 200 houses and apartments, mostly on the outer-lying lots along the eastern edge of this 1.1-square-mile community, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish enclave about 60 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. By the end of this year, he said, the village will most likely have 300 new homes.
“There are three religious tenets that drive our growth: our women don’t use birth control, they get married young and after they get married, they stay in Kiryas Joel and start a family,” Mr. Szegedin said.
“Our growth comes simply from the fact that our families have a lot of babies,” he added, “and we need to build homes to respond to the needs of our community.”
But developable land is a finite resource here, and not much of it is left. And as Kiryas Joel pushes up against its borders, nearby neighbors in the towns of Blooming Grove and Woodbury are moving aggressively to prevent the community from expanding by incorporating into villages of their own.
“We still have huge tracts of open land in Woodbury, and we want to keep it that way,” said Woodbury’s supervisor, John P. Burke, who grew up in the Bronx and moved to Orange County in 1969.
“We want to make sure that no outside community is able to completely transform the character and the look of our town,” he said. “If we need a village to do that, so be it.”
Kiryas Joel’s population leaped to 18,300 last year from 13,100 in 2000 and 7,400 in 1990, making it one of the fastest growing places in the state, according to the most recent estimates by the Census Bureau. For two years, developers and local officials have been searching for private parcels in surrounding communities, hoping to expand the village through annexation for the third time since it was incorporated in 1977 as an offshoot of the Satmar Hasidic sect of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
After its incorporation, most of the growth was driven by migration from New York City. But now, new arrivals are mostly babies and grooms coming to marry one of the local women.
Worried residents in Blooming Grove, which lies northwest of here, and Woodbury, which lies east, have voted overwhelmingly in the past two months to approve the creation of two new villages. State law allows villages to be established within towns and to set their own zoning regulations, and area officials say the new villages would be able to restrict the multifamily, high-density building that predominates in Kiryas Joel.
Many of the families in those towns also fled the crowded streets of New York City, moving here for the cleaner air, the safer communities and the open spaces, where the closest neighbor may not be so close.
“We’re hard-working people who decided to move up here to pay less taxes and enjoy the quietness of country,” said Garry Dugan, a retired New York City detective and the president of the South Blooming Grove Homeowners Association, the group that began the drive to create one of the villages.
“It’s a shame that it has come to us and them, but we feel like we had to form a village for no reason other than preserving our quality of life,” said Mr. Dugan, who has lived in Blooming Grove for 26 years. “This has nothing to do with their religion.”
It is not the first time that Kiryas Joel and its neighbors have clashed.
Over the years, there have been disputes — over a water pipeline Kiryas Joel sought to build, for example, and whether the state should pay for a school system for its disabled students. There was also an argument in 1986 when 600 Kiryas Joel boys refused to board school buses driven by women. (The drivers are now all men.)
The Satmar Hasidim share what they call a deep mystical connection to Kiryas Joel. They were led here by their founder, the Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, who saw in it the ideal place for his followers to raise large families away from the influences of the outside world. Hence the name of the village, which means Town of Joel.
About 3,000 families live here, many of them in boxy wood-frame homes built close to one another, with up to a dozen apartments stacked in four floors.
The village has no parks or public playgrounds, so children play with their colorful plastic toys on small front yards.
A network of sidewalks twirl across the village, so the women, who do not drive, are able to walk to the clinic and supermarket. Baby strollers seem to be everywhere: in the lobbies of buildings, on sidewalks, outside the stores.
“This is a great place to raise our children; it’s easy to keep them away from the distractions of the city,” said Judith Greenfeld, 34, whose family moved here from Williamsburg two decades ago.
All but 3 of her 12 siblings live here.
Mrs. Greenfeld and her husband, Joseph, 35, have five children, three boys and two girls, ages 3 to 13. The median age is 15, compared with 35 for the nation, according to the 2000 census. The village has one of the lowest median ages among communities nationwide with more than 5,000 residents.
The Greenfelds live on a dead-end street, in a third-floor apartment across from a girls’ school. Like most families here, they speak more Yiddish than English and have no radio, computer or television at home. Mr. Greenfeld owns a tile shop in Monroe, just outside the village borders.
His wife helps him run the business, which makes her a rare exception among Kiryas Joel’s women, who are married soon after they graduate from high school, work until they give birth to their second child and then become stay-at-home mothers. The men, meanwhile, board yellow school buses every morning and ride to New York City, to jobs in the diamond district or at B & H, the photo and video store near Herald Square.
Because of the sheer size of the families (the average household here has six people, but it is not uncommon for couples to have 8 or 10 children), and because a vast majority of households subsist on only one salary, 62 percent of the local families live below poverty level and rely heavily on public assistance, which is another sore point among those who live in neighboring communities.
“We just don’t understand why they have to keep pushing their expansionist ideas on us,” said Charles J. Bohan, who is the supervisor of the Town of Blooming Grove and a resident of the new village, named South Blooming Grove.
On Sept. 21, South Blooming Grove will hold its first election for mayor and for a four-member board of trustees. The state must still certify the results of the vote to create the village in Woodbury before elections there can be held.
Mr. Szegedin, Kiryas Joel’s administrator, said his community was not deterred.
"We have several different developers that want to sell land to Kiryas Joel, but if they can’t do it, we can build up,” he said. “We can change our zoning code to allow high-rise apartments. The creation of these villages are not going to stop the growth in the village of Kiryas Joel."
Mrs. Greenfeld agreed.
“People don’t understand the conception of our people, of our religion,” she said. “There’s no government or land or any other authority that can stop us from having babies,” she said while her husband put out a plate of cheese blintzes, strawberries and sour cream.
“If there’s not enough land, families will double up. There’s always going to be room for the new families,” Mrs. Greenfeld said. “And if I have to slice up my apartment in two, I’ll do it, without doubt or hesitation.”
Sunday, August 27, 2006
County gives motel tax break; Woodbury gets ‘bupkis’
County gives motel tax break; Woodbury gets ‘bupkis’
By Tony Houston
Woodbury - “It’s an outrage and a disgrace that this project that was approved by the Town will be granted tax abatement by another government.”
Those are the words of Woodbury Town Councilman Michael Aronowitz pertaining to the proposed financial assistance to the Hampton Inn hotel project by the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA).
The three-story, 136-room, 80,000-square-foot hotel and related improvements are planned for a 16-acre parcel of land at 25 North Drive behind Kohl’s in Woodbury Centre off Route 17.
The OCIDA’s proposed financial assistance includes a sales and use tax exemption, a mortgage recording tax exemption and a partial real property tax abatement. The real property tax abatement would result in property taxes from zero percent (in the first year) to 90 percent (in the tenth year) of the otherwise full amount; there is an increase of ten percentage points each year.
This arrangement would result in the property owner paying only 45 percent of the full amount over the first ten years. Beginning with the eleventh year, the full amount would be paid annually.
“Orange County is sticking it to the Town of Woodbury again,” Aronowitz said. “It’s bad enough that we get so little from Woodbury Commons; now they are screwing us twice.”
Aronowitz is concerned that the County is not just exempting the project from county taxes, but from town and school taxes as well. Woodbury Town Supervisor John Burke and Monroe-Woodbury School District Superintendent Joe DiLorenzo have expressed the same concern.
The OCIDA is one of seven IDA’s in the County. There is a local IDA in one of the county’s villages, in two of its towns and in all three of its cities. The purpose of financial assistance from an IDA is to attract development and jobs to a location that would not be developed otherwise or would not be chosen otherwise by a specifically targeted developer.
“These tax breaks are not needed to encourage the Hampton Inn development,” said John Staiger, the assistant superintendent for Business and Management Services for the Monroe-Woodbury School District. “They would build here with or without the financial assistance being offered. The OCIDA is not acting in the best interest of the school district.”
This matter is especially galling to the school and town officials. The school district and the town both decided long ago not to participate in a statewide tax-incentive program — a program far less generous to developers that the one being offered by the OCIDA.
“The county wants more shoppers in order to get more revenue,” said Aronowitz, “A hotel goes up here to house the shoppers and we won’t get the full property taxes.
“Woodbury puts up with all the headaches like traffic and policing — and we get bupkis,” Aronowitz added.
The OCIDA will hold a public hearing on Monday, Aug. 28, on the matter of financial assistance for the Hampton Inn development at 1 p.m. in the Woodbury Town Hall at 511 Route 32 in Highland Mills.
OCIDA Administrative Director William Trimble will preside and OCIDA Attorney Philip Crotty will be present.
By Tony Houston
Woodbury - “It’s an outrage and a disgrace that this project that was approved by the Town will be granted tax abatement by another government.”
Those are the words of Woodbury Town Councilman Michael Aronowitz pertaining to the proposed financial assistance to the Hampton Inn hotel project by the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA).
The three-story, 136-room, 80,000-square-foot hotel and related improvements are planned for a 16-acre parcel of land at 25 North Drive behind Kohl’s in Woodbury Centre off Route 17.
The OCIDA’s proposed financial assistance includes a sales and use tax exemption, a mortgage recording tax exemption and a partial real property tax abatement. The real property tax abatement would result in property taxes from zero percent (in the first year) to 90 percent (in the tenth year) of the otherwise full amount; there is an increase of ten percentage points each year.
This arrangement would result in the property owner paying only 45 percent of the full amount over the first ten years. Beginning with the eleventh year, the full amount would be paid annually.
“Orange County is sticking it to the Town of Woodbury again,” Aronowitz said. “It’s bad enough that we get so little from Woodbury Commons; now they are screwing us twice.”
Aronowitz is concerned that the County is not just exempting the project from county taxes, but from town and school taxes as well. Woodbury Town Supervisor John Burke and Monroe-Woodbury School District Superintendent Joe DiLorenzo have expressed the same concern.
The OCIDA is one of seven IDA’s in the County. There is a local IDA in one of the county’s villages, in two of its towns and in all three of its cities. The purpose of financial assistance from an IDA is to attract development and jobs to a location that would not be developed otherwise or would not be chosen otherwise by a specifically targeted developer.
“These tax breaks are not needed to encourage the Hampton Inn development,” said John Staiger, the assistant superintendent for Business and Management Services for the Monroe-Woodbury School District. “They would build here with or without the financial assistance being offered. The OCIDA is not acting in the best interest of the school district.”
This matter is especially galling to the school and town officials. The school district and the town both decided long ago not to participate in a statewide tax-incentive program — a program far less generous to developers that the one being offered by the OCIDA.
“The county wants more shoppers in order to get more revenue,” said Aronowitz, “A hotel goes up here to house the shoppers and we won’t get the full property taxes.
“Woodbury puts up with all the headaches like traffic and policing — and we get bupkis,” Aronowitz added.
The OCIDA will hold a public hearing on Monday, Aug. 28, on the matter of financial assistance for the Hampton Inn development at 1 p.m. in the Woodbury Town Hall at 511 Route 32 in Highland Mills.
OCIDA Administrative Director William Trimble will preside and OCIDA Attorney Philip Crotty will be present.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Woodbury hotel up for $1.5M tax break
News
Woodbury hotel up for $1.5M tax break
By Chris McKenna
August 25, 2006
Times Herald-Record
The developer planning a Hampton Inn hotel near Woodbury Common would save at least $1.5 million in property taxes over 10 years under a generous new tax abatement Orange County is dangling to attract high-paying employers.
With days to go before a public hearing on the proposed tax break, no one has released an official estimate of how much the Monroe-Woodbury School District, Woodbury and the county would lose in taxes, because no one knows how much the assessor will decide the proposed 136-room hotel is worth.
But you can calculate the bare minimum by taking the assessment of the 127-room Hampton Inn in Wallkill, translating it into Woodbury property values and plugging in current Woodbury tax rates.
By that yardstick, the discount totals $1.5 million — if tax rates remain where they are now until the abatement runs out.
The estimate is highly conservative because the Woodbury Hampton Inn will be larger than Wallkill's and because taxes will undoubtedly rise, even before the hotel opens.
Developer Martin Milano's Hampton Inn is one of the first projects in line for a juiced-up tax break for new businesses that the county adopted in May. The county's Industrial Development Agency — its economic development arm — created the incentive to compete with neighboring counties and states for big employers with high-paying jobs.
According to the agency, four or five businesses have already applied for the abatement, which waives property taxes for one year and then phases them in at 10 percent increments. The total savings over 10 years is 55 percent.
Hotels are explicitly excluded under the tax break, but Milano — the owner of a Hampton Inn in Newburgh and a Hilton Garden Inn that will soon open in the same town — is seeking to qualify as "tourism-related," one of many industries the policy targets.
Local officials are on the warpath because both the town and the school district eliminated a smaller, state-imposed tax break years ago but have no say over this new one.
Whether Milano gets it will be up to the Industrial Development Agency. Its seven-member board will hold a hearing on the proposal at 1 p.m. Monday at Woodbury Town Hall. The board is expected to make a final decision in September.
Woodbury hotel up for $1.5M tax break
By Chris McKenna
August 25, 2006
Times Herald-Record
The developer planning a Hampton Inn hotel near Woodbury Common would save at least $1.5 million in property taxes over 10 years under a generous new tax abatement Orange County is dangling to attract high-paying employers.
With days to go before a public hearing on the proposed tax break, no one has released an official estimate of how much the Monroe-Woodbury School District, Woodbury and the county would lose in taxes, because no one knows how much the assessor will decide the proposed 136-room hotel is worth.
But you can calculate the bare minimum by taking the assessment of the 127-room Hampton Inn in Wallkill, translating it into Woodbury property values and plugging in current Woodbury tax rates.
By that yardstick, the discount totals $1.5 million — if tax rates remain where they are now until the abatement runs out.
The estimate is highly conservative because the Woodbury Hampton Inn will be larger than Wallkill's and because taxes will undoubtedly rise, even before the hotel opens.
Developer Martin Milano's Hampton Inn is one of the first projects in line for a juiced-up tax break for new businesses that the county adopted in May. The county's Industrial Development Agency — its economic development arm — created the incentive to compete with neighboring counties and states for big employers with high-paying jobs.
According to the agency, four or five businesses have already applied for the abatement, which waives property taxes for one year and then phases them in at 10 percent increments. The total savings over 10 years is 55 percent.
Hotels are explicitly excluded under the tax break, but Milano — the owner of a Hampton Inn in Newburgh and a Hilton Garden Inn that will soon open in the same town — is seeking to qualify as "tourism-related," one of many industries the policy targets.
Local officials are on the warpath because both the town and the school district eliminated a smaller, state-imposed tax break years ago but have no say over this new one.
Whether Milano gets it will be up to the Industrial Development Agency. Its seven-member board will hold a hearing on the proposal at 1 p.m. Monday at Woodbury Town Hall. The board is expected to make a final decision in September.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
Volunteers Needed!
There is a dramatic change in Woodbury these days and we need experienced leadership. We have a chance to make a tremendous difference. But it cannot happen without you. This is your campaign. Together, we're going to make the new Woodbury Village a better place to live, work, and play.
The success of any campaign relies not only on the candidate getting their message out to the community, but the volunteers who step up to help ensure the success of their candidate. We can not make this vision a reality without volunteers such as yourself. If you would like to be a part of our team and can spare a few moments of your time, please send me an email to maronowitz@gmail.com , so you too can make a difference. Thank you!
The success of any campaign relies not only on the candidate getting their message out to the community, but the volunteers who step up to help ensure the success of their candidate. We can not make this vision a reality without volunteers such as yourself. If you would like to be a part of our team and can spare a few moments of your time, please send me an email to maronowitz@gmail.com , so you too can make a difference. Thank you!
Volunteers Needed!
There is a dramatic change in Woodbury these days and we need experienced leadership. We have a chance to make a tremendous difference. But it cannot happen without you. This is your campaign. Together, we're going to make the new Woodbury Village a better place to live, work, and play.
The success of any campaign relies not only on the candidate getting their message out to the community, but the volunteers who step up to help ensure the success of their candidate. We can not make this vision a reality without volunteers such as yourself. If you would like to be a part of our team and can spare a few moments of your time, please send me an email to maronowitz@gmail.com , so you too can make a difference. Thank you!
The success of any campaign relies not only on the candidate getting their message out to the community, but the volunteers who step up to help ensure the success of their candidate. We can not make this vision a reality without volunteers such as yourself. If you would like to be a part of our team and can spare a few moments of your time, please send me an email to maronowitz@gmail.com , so you too can make a difference. Thank you!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Why Woodbury needs one village now
Why Woodbury needs one village now
By Colleen Campbell
I believe that by voting for the Village of Woodbury, you are providing the best defense against the inevitable changes that will occur.
As a former councilwoman, I strongly supported the five local laws recently re-enacted. This was the first step toward maintaining our current style of housing. The second step is to incorporate as a single village. By voting yes for the current incorporation, you minimize the impact of future zoning and boundary changes to the territory we live in.
A perfect example is Kiryas Joel. It's own incorporation allowed its residents the ability to build as they chose without complying with Monroe's zoning. They built according to their own standards. KJ is up front about its need for high-density housing.
It needs additional lands to continue to grow, so it purchased Ace Farms. It is very likely that KJ will attempt to annex those lands into the existing village. If it can't, it could create another village in Woodbury. I believe if KJ created a village in Woodbury, you would quickly see other villages popping up throughout Woodbury.
Highland Mills, close to KJ "2," would most likely choose to create its own village to prevent further encroachment. Central Valley residents may then decide they need to create their own village to protect their interests. Not only would we now have three to four villages throughout Woodbury, but also only certain villages would contain the tax ratables. Most of the business district would be centralized in the Village of Central Valley, where most of the money would be. How would this impact the taxes of the other newly formed villages? What would they have for revenue?
The best way to prevent this dissection is to vote yes for the current village proposal Aug. 10. This village would prevent any future villages from popping up, because you cannot create a new village within an existing village. This proposal would allow all the revenue to continue to be shared equally by all. It would be the closest scenario to maintaining what we currently have.
While it is truly unfortunate that we are faced with this dilemma, faced with it we are. To sit back and do nothing is to allow forces beyond our control to control us. Working out the details of how a single village would operate within the Town of Woodbury is a heck of a lot easier than three to four villages vying for their piece of the pie.
Oh, and let's not forget that the village with the most inhabitants would control the vote. Just look at Monroe. We need to be proactive and seize our own destiny. We can do that by voting yes for the village incorporation Aug. 10.
Colleen Campbell of Central Valley is a former Woodbury councilwoman.
By Colleen Campbell
I believe that by voting for the Village of Woodbury, you are providing the best defense against the inevitable changes that will occur.
As a former councilwoman, I strongly supported the five local laws recently re-enacted. This was the first step toward maintaining our current style of housing. The second step is to incorporate as a single village. By voting yes for the current incorporation, you minimize the impact of future zoning and boundary changes to the territory we live in.
A perfect example is Kiryas Joel. It's own incorporation allowed its residents the ability to build as they chose without complying with Monroe's zoning. They built according to their own standards. KJ is up front about its need for high-density housing.
It needs additional lands to continue to grow, so it purchased Ace Farms. It is very likely that KJ will attempt to annex those lands into the existing village. If it can't, it could create another village in Woodbury. I believe if KJ created a village in Woodbury, you would quickly see other villages popping up throughout Woodbury.
Highland Mills, close to KJ "2," would most likely choose to create its own village to prevent further encroachment. Central Valley residents may then decide they need to create their own village to protect their interests. Not only would we now have three to four villages throughout Woodbury, but also only certain villages would contain the tax ratables. Most of the business district would be centralized in the Village of Central Valley, where most of the money would be. How would this impact the taxes of the other newly formed villages? What would they have for revenue?
The best way to prevent this dissection is to vote yes for the current village proposal Aug. 10. This village would prevent any future villages from popping up, because you cannot create a new village within an existing village. This proposal would allow all the revenue to continue to be shared equally by all. It would be the closest scenario to maintaining what we currently have.
While it is truly unfortunate that we are faced with this dilemma, faced with it we are. To sit back and do nothing is to allow forces beyond our control to control us. Working out the details of how a single village would operate within the Town of Woodbury is a heck of a lot easier than three to four villages vying for their piece of the pie.
Oh, and let's not forget that the village with the most inhabitants would control the vote. Just look at Monroe. We need to be proactive and seize our own destiny. We can do that by voting yes for the village incorporation Aug. 10.
Colleen Campbell of Central Valley is a former Woodbury councilwoman.
Hearing on cluster proposal set for Aug. 1
Hearing on cluster proposal set for Aug. 1
By Tony Houston
Highland Mills - The Woodbury Town Board, having passed five local laws this month amending zoning ordinances, is holding a public hearing Tuesday, Aug. 1, which may result in two more local laws affecting zoning.
The hearing is on the application by Legacy Ridge at Highland Mills, LLC, to build 287 single-family detached 4-bedroom homes on 749 acres. The proposed site is located on both sides of Trout Brook Road between Smith Clove Road and Route 32; the average cost of a home is expected to be $625,000.
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement, completed by the applicant and accepted by the Town Board, addresses the impact of both the proposed development and the two laws. Issues addressed in the draft environmental report include traffic, schools, water, sewers, grading the land, vistas and the impact on plants and animals.
“Legacy Ridge is not currently in front of the Planning Board,” said Planning Board Chairman George Sewitt in a telephone interview. “The project is in front of the Town Board as lead agency on a matter of conservation cluster development.”
One proposed local law would change the zoning of the Legacy Ridge site from R-3A to R-2A. The other would designate Legacy Ridge as a Conservation Cluster Development. The effect of the two laws would be an increase in the number of housing units allowed, the clustering of the 287 units on lots averaging 1.11 acres each on 319 developed acres, and the preservation of the remaining 430 acres as open space.
“The law relating to the Conservation Cluster Development deals, in part, with senior housing,” said Woodbury Supervisor John Burke, “but this project doesn’t include any senior housing.”
Woodbury Town Councilman Michael Aronowitz, whose change of mind resulted in the passage of this month’s five local laws, discussed the Legacy Ridge proposal in a recent interview.
“I will examine the application and local laws and listen to the public comment before I make my decision,” he said. “We must be sure of a benefit to the citizens of Woodbury and anyone else affected.”
One entity affected is the Cornwall School District, in which the Legacy Ridge site is located. Residents of other towns in that school district have complained that this project in the Highland Mills section of Woodbury would overload the Cornwall district.
“Many homes are going up in other towns within the Cornwall Central School District,” said Councilman Aronowitz. “We are not the bad guy.”
The public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the IBEW Training Center at 67 Commerce Drive South off Route 17 North in Harriman.
By Tony Houston
Highland Mills - The Woodbury Town Board, having passed five local laws this month amending zoning ordinances, is holding a public hearing Tuesday, Aug. 1, which may result in two more local laws affecting zoning.
The hearing is on the application by Legacy Ridge at Highland Mills, LLC, to build 287 single-family detached 4-bedroom homes on 749 acres. The proposed site is located on both sides of Trout Brook Road between Smith Clove Road and Route 32; the average cost of a home is expected to be $625,000.
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement, completed by the applicant and accepted by the Town Board, addresses the impact of both the proposed development and the two laws. Issues addressed in the draft environmental report include traffic, schools, water, sewers, grading the land, vistas and the impact on plants and animals.
“Legacy Ridge is not currently in front of the Planning Board,” said Planning Board Chairman George Sewitt in a telephone interview. “The project is in front of the Town Board as lead agency on a matter of conservation cluster development.”
One proposed local law would change the zoning of the Legacy Ridge site from R-3A to R-2A. The other would designate Legacy Ridge as a Conservation Cluster Development. The effect of the two laws would be an increase in the number of housing units allowed, the clustering of the 287 units on lots averaging 1.11 acres each on 319 developed acres, and the preservation of the remaining 430 acres as open space.
“The law relating to the Conservation Cluster Development deals, in part, with senior housing,” said Woodbury Supervisor John Burke, “but this project doesn’t include any senior housing.”
Woodbury Town Councilman Michael Aronowitz, whose change of mind resulted in the passage of this month’s five local laws, discussed the Legacy Ridge proposal in a recent interview.
“I will examine the application and local laws and listen to the public comment before I make my decision,” he said. “We must be sure of a benefit to the citizens of Woodbury and anyone else affected.”
One entity affected is the Cornwall School District, in which the Legacy Ridge site is located. Residents of other towns in that school district have complained that this project in the Highland Mills section of Woodbury would overload the Cornwall district.
“Many homes are going up in other towns within the Cornwall Central School District,” said Councilman Aronowitz. “We are not the bad guy.”
The public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the IBEW Training Center at 67 Commerce Drive South off Route 17 North in Harriman.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Legacy Ridge next in line
July 19, 2006
Legacy Ridge next in line
Woodbury sets public hearing
By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com
Woodbury - The town spotlight now shifts to a second proposal for a gated community seeking zoning accommodations similar to those Bill Brodsky got last month for his 451-home WP3 project.
Town Board members have set an Aug. 1 date for people to weigh in on 287-home Legacy Ridge after determining that the developer's seven-binder draft environmental impact statement was complete.
The houses would be built on slightly more than 300 acres off Smith Clove and Trout Brook roads, a quiet area near Cornwall in the northern part of town. All would have four bedrooms and cost $625,000 on average, according to the environmental statement. Most lots would be a little more than an acre.
The Legacy Ridge proposal surfaced in November 2004 at the same time as Brodsky's project. Like its twin across town, Legacy Ridge is seeking a reduction in the minimum lot size and classification as a "conservation cluster development" to increase the number of homes allowed.
In the case of Legacy Ridge, that would mean building 287 houses instead of the 164 allowed under current zoning.
In return, Millennium Homes, the Livingston, N.J., builder behind the project, is offering to donate 430 acres to the town for open space and upgrade an aging sewage plant that would serve its 287 houses. The developer would also turn over the water supply and water storage tanks it would build. Though smaller, the project has aroused some of the same concerns about traffic and school taxes that Brodsky's proposal raised. Some of the strongest criticism has come from neighboring Cornwall, the school district that Legacy Ridge children would attend.
The public hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at the IBEW training center, 27 Commerce Drive South, Harriman. The environmental statement may be viewed at www.hdrprojects.com/legacyridgeeis/.
Legacy Ridge next in line
Woodbury sets public hearing
By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com
Woodbury - The town spotlight now shifts to a second proposal for a gated community seeking zoning accommodations similar to those Bill Brodsky got last month for his 451-home WP3 project.
Town Board members have set an Aug. 1 date for people to weigh in on 287-home Legacy Ridge after determining that the developer's seven-binder draft environmental impact statement was complete.
The houses would be built on slightly more than 300 acres off Smith Clove and Trout Brook roads, a quiet area near Cornwall in the northern part of town. All would have four bedrooms and cost $625,000 on average, according to the environmental statement. Most lots would be a little more than an acre.
The Legacy Ridge proposal surfaced in November 2004 at the same time as Brodsky's project. Like its twin across town, Legacy Ridge is seeking a reduction in the minimum lot size and classification as a "conservation cluster development" to increase the number of homes allowed.
In the case of Legacy Ridge, that would mean building 287 houses instead of the 164 allowed under current zoning.
In return, Millennium Homes, the Livingston, N.J., builder behind the project, is offering to donate 430 acres to the town for open space and upgrade an aging sewage plant that would serve its 287 houses. The developer would also turn over the water supply and water storage tanks it would build. Though smaller, the project has aroused some of the same concerns about traffic and school taxes that Brodsky's proposal raised. Some of the strongest criticism has come from neighboring Cornwall, the school district that Legacy Ridge children would attend.
The public hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at the IBEW training center, 27 Commerce Drive South, Harriman. The environmental statement may be viewed at www.hdrprojects.com/legacyridgeeis/.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
What is a strategist inflection point?
Many people have asked me about my comment other night on what is a strategist inflection point?
Strategy formulation and implementation is an on-going, never-ending, integrated process requiring continuous reassessment and reformation. Strategic management is dynamic.It involves a complex pattern of actions and reactions. It is partially planned and partially unplanned. Strategy is both planned and emergent, dynamic, and interactive. Some people (such as Andy Grove at Intel) feel that there are critical points at which a strategy must take a new direction in order to be in step with a changing business environment. These critical points of change are called strategic inflection points.
Strategic management operates on several time scales. Short term strategies involve planning and managing for the present. Long term strategies involve preparing for and preempting the future. Marketing strategist Derek Abell (1993), has suggested that understanding this dual nature of strategic management is the least understood part of the process. He claims that balancing the temporal aspects of strategic planning requires the use of dual strategies simultaneously.
Strategy formulation and implementation is an on-going, never-ending, integrated process requiring continuous reassessment and reformation. Strategic management is dynamic.It involves a complex pattern of actions and reactions. It is partially planned and partially unplanned. Strategy is both planned and emergent, dynamic, and interactive. Some people (such as Andy Grove at Intel) feel that there are critical points at which a strategy must take a new direction in order to be in step with a changing business environment. These critical points of change are called strategic inflection points.
Strategic management operates on several time scales. Short term strategies involve planning and managing for the present. Long term strategies involve preparing for and preempting the future. Marketing strategist Derek Abell (1993), has suggested that understanding this dual nature of strategic management is the least understood part of the process. He claims that balancing the temporal aspects of strategic planning requires the use of dual strategies simultaneously.
Resident asks: ‘Are you prepared to fight?’
Resident asks: ‘Are you prepared to fight?’
To the editor:
When questioned as to why he changed his mind and subsequently his vote on an issue that he once opposed not so long ago, Councilman Michael Aronowitz of the Woodbury Town Board cited preserving the quality of life as one of the main reasons he voted in favor of the WP3 project, slated to be built along Nininger Road in Woodbury.
This project, when combined with the planned Legacy Ridge development, also in Woodbury, will add 738 homes and in my estimation will bring 1,200 to 1,500 more vehicles to a town already strangled by traffic and to an area that has one of the worst air quality ratings in the state.
That’s not what I would call preserving the quality of life. Not when you consider that the children of our community, while attending the nearby schools and who represent our very future, will be forced to breathe in additional amounts of extremely unhealthy air.
Over the next five to ten years the impact on the environment along with the associated increased health risks will be devastating. With the amount of children contracting asthma and other chronic illnesses due to increases in air pollution at an all time high in this country, it makes his decision to vote in the affirmative all the more disturbing.
With that in mind, I would like to know if his supposed concern extends to all of Woodbury or just a few select areas, The reason I ask is because it has come to my attention that the municipality of Kiryas Joel is already putting together a petition to annex property which they own in Woodbury into their village. This parcel of land lies along Bakertown Road extending west and is very close to where my family and I live. I have already spoken to Town Supervisor John Burke, the lone dissenting vote on the aforementioned projects, about his position in regard to this issue. He assured me that he is prepared to fight annexation in any part of Woodbury for as long as it takes.
So my question to Mr. Aronowitz and the other three Town Board members is: Do you share Mr. Burke’s values and are you prepared to fight to protect the interests of those of us who live in this area and are under the constant threat of properties in close proximity to our homes being annexed into K.J., thus affecting our quality of life? Are you prepared to fight now and in the future for all of the residents along County Road 105 including the Sisters who reside at Bethany Retreat? Are you prepared to fight for the residents of Bakertown Road, Blueberry Lane, Campbell Avenue, Seven Springs Road and anyone else who might be affected by this? Are you prepared to fight annexation no matter what or do you plan to tell us that we’re all expendable?
I would hope that as elected officials you are committed to protecting the sanctity of Woodbury and EVERY citizen who resides within its boundaries.
Bob Reveille
Highland Mills
To the editor:
When questioned as to why he changed his mind and subsequently his vote on an issue that he once opposed not so long ago, Councilman Michael Aronowitz of the Woodbury Town Board cited preserving the quality of life as one of the main reasons he voted in favor of the WP3 project, slated to be built along Nininger Road in Woodbury.
This project, when combined with the planned Legacy Ridge development, also in Woodbury, will add 738 homes and in my estimation will bring 1,200 to 1,500 more vehicles to a town already strangled by traffic and to an area that has one of the worst air quality ratings in the state.
That’s not what I would call preserving the quality of life. Not when you consider that the children of our community, while attending the nearby schools and who represent our very future, will be forced to breathe in additional amounts of extremely unhealthy air.
Over the next five to ten years the impact on the environment along with the associated increased health risks will be devastating. With the amount of children contracting asthma and other chronic illnesses due to increases in air pollution at an all time high in this country, it makes his decision to vote in the affirmative all the more disturbing.
With that in mind, I would like to know if his supposed concern extends to all of Woodbury or just a few select areas, The reason I ask is because it has come to my attention that the municipality of Kiryas Joel is already putting together a petition to annex property which they own in Woodbury into their village. This parcel of land lies along Bakertown Road extending west and is very close to where my family and I live. I have already spoken to Town Supervisor John Burke, the lone dissenting vote on the aforementioned projects, about his position in regard to this issue. He assured me that he is prepared to fight annexation in any part of Woodbury for as long as it takes.
So my question to Mr. Aronowitz and the other three Town Board members is: Do you share Mr. Burke’s values and are you prepared to fight to protect the interests of those of us who live in this area and are under the constant threat of properties in close proximity to our homes being annexed into K.J., thus affecting our quality of life? Are you prepared to fight now and in the future for all of the residents along County Road 105 including the Sisters who reside at Bethany Retreat? Are you prepared to fight for the residents of Bakertown Road, Blueberry Lane, Campbell Avenue, Seven Springs Road and anyone else who might be affected by this? Are you prepared to fight annexation no matter what or do you plan to tell us that we’re all expendable?
I would hope that as elected officials you are committed to protecting the sanctity of Woodbury and EVERY citizen who resides within its boundaries.
Bob Reveille
Highland Mills
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Wi-Fi access across upstate
Schumer unveils plan to promote Wi-Fi access across upstate
In light of the rapid growth of wireless internet access in major cities across the country, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer Tuesday announced a new plan to bring wireless, including “Wi-Fi” (wireless fidelity), high speed internet access to homes, businesses, and communities across upstate New York.
The state currently ranks 31st among all 50 states in percentage of households with an internet connection. Dozens of communities across upstate are looking to create Wi-Fi networks in public places, and even, covering the entire region. Schumer’s plan includes creating a federal resource for local communities who are looking to create wireless networks and tax incentives for individuals and businesses that purchase broadband or Wi-Fi equipment.
Right now, most wireless “hot spots” are limited to chain restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels (McDonalds, Starbucks, and Best Western provide Wi-Fi access). However, some local governments across upstate New York, as large as Buffalo and Rochester and as small as Tivoli and Oneonta, have contracted with private companies to create wider-scoped networks to cover public places and entire communities.
There are currently 797 Wi-Fi hotspots in all of upstate New York. There are 18 wireless high-speed internet “hot spots” currently active in the Hudson Valley. The counties with urban centers typically have seven high-speed internet providers and the more rural counties have 3 or less.
In order to promote the expansion of Wi-Fi networks in communities across upstate New York, Schumer announced a new three-point plan to direct federal resources and expertise to help local governments establish wireless networks, and provide broadband service to rural and underserved communities.
Create a Comprehensive Federal Resource for Communities Looking to Start Wi-Fi Networks: Schumer is calling on Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to create a series of federal standards and best practices for creating wireless networks so communities who want to create these networks can navigate through any potential problems and can create a system that suits their needs.
Schumer also called on the Commerce Department to coordinate with the FBI to craft a set of specific security standards to protect wireless users and prevent criminals from taking advantage of public internet services.
Tax Breaks for Broadband and Wi-Fi Expansion: Schumer is pushing the bi-partisan Broadband Tax Enhancement Act, led by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), which passed the Senate Finance Committee last week. Schumer’s legislation would permit individuals and businesses to deduct from their taxable income costs associated with the installation and connection of broadband and wireless networks in rural or underserved areas. This could significantly reduce the cost of creating Wi-Fi networks and expanding existing broadband networks for consumers and businesses.
Federal Funding to Expand Broadband in Rural and Underserved Communities: Schumer announced his going to offer an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that would increase by $50 million, or a 10 percent increase, funding for the Rural Development Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.
In light of the rapid growth of wireless internet access in major cities across the country, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer Tuesday announced a new plan to bring wireless, including “Wi-Fi” (wireless fidelity), high speed internet access to homes, businesses, and communities across upstate New York.
The state currently ranks 31st among all 50 states in percentage of households with an internet connection. Dozens of communities across upstate are looking to create Wi-Fi networks in public places, and even, covering the entire region. Schumer’s plan includes creating a federal resource for local communities who are looking to create wireless networks and tax incentives for individuals and businesses that purchase broadband or Wi-Fi equipment.
Right now, most wireless “hot spots” are limited to chain restaurants, coffee shops, and hotels (McDonalds, Starbucks, and Best Western provide Wi-Fi access). However, some local governments across upstate New York, as large as Buffalo and Rochester and as small as Tivoli and Oneonta, have contracted with private companies to create wider-scoped networks to cover public places and entire communities.
There are currently 797 Wi-Fi hotspots in all of upstate New York. There are 18 wireless high-speed internet “hot spots” currently active in the Hudson Valley. The counties with urban centers typically have seven high-speed internet providers and the more rural counties have 3 or less.
In order to promote the expansion of Wi-Fi networks in communities across upstate New York, Schumer announced a new three-point plan to direct federal resources and expertise to help local governments establish wireless networks, and provide broadband service to rural and underserved communities.
Create a Comprehensive Federal Resource for Communities Looking to Start Wi-Fi Networks: Schumer is calling on Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to create a series of federal standards and best practices for creating wireless networks so communities who want to create these networks can navigate through any potential problems and can create a system that suits their needs.
Schumer also called on the Commerce Department to coordinate with the FBI to craft a set of specific security standards to protect wireless users and prevent criminals from taking advantage of public internet services.
Tax Breaks for Broadband and Wi-Fi Expansion: Schumer is pushing the bi-partisan Broadband Tax Enhancement Act, led by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), which passed the Senate Finance Committee last week. Schumer’s legislation would permit individuals and businesses to deduct from their taxable income costs associated with the installation and connection of broadband and wireless networks in rural or underserved areas. This could significantly reduce the cost of creating Wi-Fi networks and expanding existing broadband networks for consumers and businesses.
Federal Funding to Expand Broadband in Rural and Underserved Communities: Schumer announced his going to offer an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that would increase by $50 million, or a 10 percent increase, funding for the Rural Development Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Residents mobilize
July 10, 2006
Residents mobilize against KJ By Chris McKennaTimes Herald-Recordcmckenna@th-record.com
In southern Blooming Grove, residents pour into a firehouse and vote overwhelmingly to form their own village, even if that means placing another layer of government - and taxes - over themselves.
A week later, two other momentous votes: one to stop Kiryas Joel from erecting water storage tanks on Orange County parkland and the other to let a developer build 451 homes in neighboring Woodbury.
Three closely watched votes in the space of a week, all tied directly or indirectly to Kiryas Joel and its growth. Each outcome reflected, to some degree, a growing determination by neighbors to prevent the village from encroaching - even if that meant extraordinary steps.
Take the decision in Woodbury.
It's almost unthinkable that people in Orange County would mobilize in support of a housing development, much less a big one that needs zoning breaks. The usual course would be to wage war against it.
But Thursday night, a crowd cheered as the Woodbury Town Board cleared the way for 451 new houses. Why were they celebrating? At least partly because it meant those 400 acres would never sprout something worse, in their view: Kiryas Joel-style condominium buildings.
"Granted, it's going to create more volume," supporter Steve Gunset reasoned after the board vote. "But if Kiryas Joel were to get it, it would create 30 times that volume."
Kiryas Joel's diminished clout has been evident since 2004, when opponents pressured the county government into challenging the village's plans to tap the Catskill Aqueduct. The pendulum swung toward the critics, whose enormous grass-roots support suddenly countered the power of Kiryas Joel's voting bloc.
The three recent votes have underscored this new political landscape, one of perpetual conflict for Kiryas Joel's leaders.
"We're very concerned and nervous about the reaction of ordinary people," Gedalye Szegedin, the village administrator, said Friday. "We believe that ordinary people are misled by a few who want to use Kiryas Joel to scare people away."
But those on the opposite side of the debate make a similar charge about Kiryas Joel's leaders - that their tactics and rhetoric invite opposition, to the detriment of their constituents.
Jonathan Swiller, the Woodbury activist whose organization, OCEAN, fought the water tanks and supported the 451-home Woodbury project, regards those and the Blooming Grove votes as a repudiation of the insensitivity of Kiryas Joel's leadership.
"They are all, in one way or another, reactions to the way that Szegedin deals with his neighbors, which is to say, with disdain," Swiller said.
In the end, the growth causing so much strife comes down to an unchanging cultural pattern. Each year, up to 200 couples marry and settle in Kiryas Joel. For the leadership, that means roughly the same number of homes must be built on a shrinking supply of village land.
"Kiryas Joel doesn't want to take over Woodbury," Szegedin said. "Kiryas Joel doesn't want to take over Monroe. Kiryas Joel doesn't want to take over Blooming Grove. We want to provide for the couple of hundred marriages that take place in Kiryas Joel in a year."
Residents mobilize against KJ By Chris McKennaTimes Herald-Recordcmckenna@th-record.com
In southern Blooming Grove, residents pour into a firehouse and vote overwhelmingly to form their own village, even if that means placing another layer of government - and taxes - over themselves.
A week later, two other momentous votes: one to stop Kiryas Joel from erecting water storage tanks on Orange County parkland and the other to let a developer build 451 homes in neighboring Woodbury.
Three closely watched votes in the space of a week, all tied directly or indirectly to Kiryas Joel and its growth. Each outcome reflected, to some degree, a growing determination by neighbors to prevent the village from encroaching - even if that meant extraordinary steps.
Take the decision in Woodbury.
It's almost unthinkable that people in Orange County would mobilize in support of a housing development, much less a big one that needs zoning breaks. The usual course would be to wage war against it.
But Thursday night, a crowd cheered as the Woodbury Town Board cleared the way for 451 new houses. Why were they celebrating? At least partly because it meant those 400 acres would never sprout something worse, in their view: Kiryas Joel-style condominium buildings.
"Granted, it's going to create more volume," supporter Steve Gunset reasoned after the board vote. "But if Kiryas Joel were to get it, it would create 30 times that volume."
Kiryas Joel's diminished clout has been evident since 2004, when opponents pressured the county government into challenging the village's plans to tap the Catskill Aqueduct. The pendulum swung toward the critics, whose enormous grass-roots support suddenly countered the power of Kiryas Joel's voting bloc.
The three recent votes have underscored this new political landscape, one of perpetual conflict for Kiryas Joel's leaders.
"We're very concerned and nervous about the reaction of ordinary people," Gedalye Szegedin, the village administrator, said Friday. "We believe that ordinary people are misled by a few who want to use Kiryas Joel to scare people away."
But those on the opposite side of the debate make a similar charge about Kiryas Joel's leaders - that their tactics and rhetoric invite opposition, to the detriment of their constituents.
Jonathan Swiller, the Woodbury activist whose organization, OCEAN, fought the water tanks and supported the 451-home Woodbury project, regards those and the Blooming Grove votes as a repudiation of the insensitivity of Kiryas Joel's leadership.
"They are all, in one way or another, reactions to the way that Szegedin deals with his neighbors, which is to say, with disdain," Swiller said.
In the end, the growth causing so much strife comes down to an unchanging cultural pattern. Each year, up to 200 couples marry and settle in Kiryas Joel. For the leadership, that means roughly the same number of homes must be built on a shrinking supply of village land.
"Kiryas Joel doesn't want to take over Woodbury," Szegedin said. "Kiryas Joel doesn't want to take over Monroe. Kiryas Joel doesn't want to take over Blooming Grove. We want to provide for the couple of hundred marriages that take place in Kiryas Joel in a year."
Friday, July 07, 2006
Take the parkland by eminent domain.
July 07, 2006
Legislature rejects KJ water tank plan
Officials mull new pumping options
By Brendan Scott
Times Herald-Record
bscott@th-record.com
Goshen - Whether you see it as a victory for open space or the latest political rebuke against the Village of Kiryas Joel, Orange County lawmakers last night rejected the village's plan to build a pair of water storage tanks in a new county park.
The decisive "no" vote capped off more than a month of debate over what might have otherwise appeared a simple request for a favor: Kiryas Joel said it needed to erect the tanks in the Gonzaga property to boost water pressure for firefighting.
The towns that surround the Hasidic community, however, argued the move was an unnecessary land grab by Kiryas Joel. Thus, the water tank proposal provided yet another rallying cry against the village's explosive growth and strong political influence.
"The fact that it would be inconvenient or more expensive to the village to install pumping stations versus water towers on high ground should not scare you on this Legislature from deciding this issue for a village that builds first and plans later," said Phyllis Rampulla of South Blooming Grove, one of more than 100 in the audience.
The Legislature agreed. The proposal failed 2-17 with one absence and one abstention.
But if anything, last night's vote underscored how the political influence of Kiryas Joel's critics has eclipsed that of the village in the county Legislature. The result follows the Legislature's 2004 decision to sue the village and stall its unrelated plan to draw water from the New York City Aqueduct.
As during that vote, County Executive Ed Diana stayed silent during the water tank debate, even though he had carried the proposal to the Legislature. Like two years ago, Legislator Michael Amo, R-Central Valley, whose district is dominated by Kiryas Joel, argued that the village was being singled out.
But several lawmakers who said they might have otherwise supported the water tank proposal said Kiryas Joel failed to convince him that building the tanks on the Gonzaga land was necessary.
After the vote, Kiryas Joel Administrator Gedalye Szegedin said the village's options included building a pumping station, erecting a higher tower or trying to take the parkland by eminent domain.
Legislature rejects KJ water tank plan
Officials mull new pumping options
By Brendan Scott
Times Herald-Record
bscott@th-record.com
Goshen - Whether you see it as a victory for open space or the latest political rebuke against the Village of Kiryas Joel, Orange County lawmakers last night rejected the village's plan to build a pair of water storage tanks in a new county park.
The decisive "no" vote capped off more than a month of debate over what might have otherwise appeared a simple request for a favor: Kiryas Joel said it needed to erect the tanks in the Gonzaga property to boost water pressure for firefighting.
The towns that surround the Hasidic community, however, argued the move was an unnecessary land grab by Kiryas Joel. Thus, the water tank proposal provided yet another rallying cry against the village's explosive growth and strong political influence.
"The fact that it would be inconvenient or more expensive to the village to install pumping stations versus water towers on high ground should not scare you on this Legislature from deciding this issue for a village that builds first and plans later," said Phyllis Rampulla of South Blooming Grove, one of more than 100 in the audience.
The Legislature agreed. The proposal failed 2-17 with one absence and one abstention.
But if anything, last night's vote underscored how the political influence of Kiryas Joel's critics has eclipsed that of the village in the county Legislature. The result follows the Legislature's 2004 decision to sue the village and stall its unrelated plan to draw water from the New York City Aqueduct.
As during that vote, County Executive Ed Diana stayed silent during the water tank debate, even though he had carried the proposal to the Legislature. Like two years ago, Legislator Michael Amo, R-Central Valley, whose district is dominated by Kiryas Joel, argued that the village was being singled out.
But several lawmakers who said they might have otherwise supported the water tank proposal said Kiryas Joel failed to convince him that building the tanks on the Gonzaga land was necessary.
After the vote, Kiryas Joel Administrator Gedalye Szegedin said the village's options included building a pumping station, erecting a higher tower or trying to take the parkland by eminent domain.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Bullied kids have more behavioral problems
Bullied kids have more behavioral problems Thu Jul 6, 12:18 PM ET
Children who are bullied during their early school years may experience behavior problems as a result, new study findings suggest.
"Our results indicate that bullying victimization in the early school years is an influential experience for a child's behavioral development and mental health problems," study author Dr. Louise Arseneault, of King's College, London, and her colleagues write.
"Prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing mental health problems during childhood should target bullying as an important risk factor," they add.
According to previous research, victimization may be associated with mental health problems in adults. It is also known that some mental health problems in adults stem from poor mental health in childhood. In the current study, Arseneault and her team investigated bullying in childhood, looking at the extent to which bullying contributed to later adjustment problems.
They analyzed information for 2,232 subjects who participated in home-visit assessments at 5 years old and follow-up assessments at age 7.
Those assessments revealed that the majority of children had never bullied another child or experienced bullying between ages 5 and 7. However, 14.4 percent were "pure victims" and 6.2 percent were "bully/victims," children who had been bullied and who also victimized others. Another 1,387 children who were not involved in bullying served as a comparison, or "control," group.
Both groups of children had significantly more behavior problems and problems adjusting in school at 7 years old, compared with the control children, the investigators report in the journal Pediatrics.
Pure victims had more internalizing problems, such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed, and were also more unhappy at school compared with children in the control group.
Bully/victims also had internalizing problems. In addition, they had fewer prosocial behaviors, such as being considerate of other people's feelings; and were less happy at school at age 7 compared with the pure victims and children in the control group.
In light of their findings, "bullying could be regarded as a stressful life event that might influence children's normal development," Arseneault and her co-authors conclude.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Abraham Lincoln
Children who are bullied during their early school years may experience behavior problems as a result, new study findings suggest.
"Our results indicate that bullying victimization in the early school years is an influential experience for a child's behavioral development and mental health problems," study author Dr. Louise Arseneault, of King's College, London, and her colleagues write.
"Prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing mental health problems during childhood should target bullying as an important risk factor," they add.
According to previous research, victimization may be associated with mental health problems in adults. It is also known that some mental health problems in adults stem from poor mental health in childhood. In the current study, Arseneault and her team investigated bullying in childhood, looking at the extent to which bullying contributed to later adjustment problems.
They analyzed information for 2,232 subjects who participated in home-visit assessments at 5 years old and follow-up assessments at age 7.
Those assessments revealed that the majority of children had never bullied another child or experienced bullying between ages 5 and 7. However, 14.4 percent were "pure victims" and 6.2 percent were "bully/victims," children who had been bullied and who also victimized others. Another 1,387 children who were not involved in bullying served as a comparison, or "control," group.
Both groups of children had significantly more behavior problems and problems adjusting in school at 7 years old, compared with the control children, the investigators report in the journal Pediatrics.
Pure victims had more internalizing problems, such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed, and were also more unhappy at school compared with children in the control group.
Bully/victims also had internalizing problems. In addition, they had fewer prosocial behaviors, such as being considerate of other people's feelings; and were less happy at school at age 7 compared with the pure victims and children in the control group.
In light of their findings, "bullying could be regarded as a stressful life event that might influence children's normal development," Arseneault and her co-authors conclude.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Abraham Lincoln
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Hot air, wet pants spice up election race
Hot air, wet pants spice up election race By Catherine Bremer
Fri Jun 16, 10:25 AM ET
A squawking wild turkey as president, voodoo, a dancing grandpa pharmacist and a nervous criminal urinating in his pants on television -- welcome to Mexico's election race, as wacky as it is vitriolic.
Full of colorful insults, blaring pop songs and nonsensical sparring, the campaign for the July 2 election has been based as much on personalities and petty point-scoring as policies.
Sick of weeks of mudslinging and silliness, voters have been sticking pins in voodoo dolls of the candidates, and the Federal Election Institute has axed some political ads as too slanderous to be aired.
"It's a very basic, very crude, very coarse, very clumsy election campaign," commentator Guadalupe Loaeza told Reuters.
The battle for the presidency is the first since 71 years of one-party rule ended in 2000 and fierce competition between the three main parties has sparked flaming tensions.
Probably the oddest campaign moment yet is a TV ad by third-place candidate Roberto Madrazo showing a criminal wetting his pants out of fear for Madrazo's tough stance on crime.
"For me, it's lacking in creativity. Vulgar. It's resorting to something very childish," said Loaeza.
Among outlawed ads are spots by conservative Felipe Calderon calling his leftist arch-rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador a danger and linking him to Venezuela's fiery leader Hugo Chavez.
Calderon, a balding lawyer whose hairline is inked in on his campaign posters, is in a neck-and-neck race with Lopez Obrador, a crusader for the poor who dons floral garlands and tropical-style guayabera shirts.
In their latest spat, Lopez Obrador sent Calderon's campaign office huge cardboard boxes he said contained documents proving Calderon awarded his brother-in-law lucrative contracts when energy minister.
But Calderon said the boxes were a farce, empty but for a few meaningless papers. He said his rival was a liar, called him "Lopez Hablador" (Lopez Talker) and his aides "clowns."
Rhetoric has been harsh, reflecting a nation split between left and right that is still learning some of the rules of democracy.
"If the players persist in just insulting each other, they may win the contest but could not lead the country," wrote columnist Javier Oliva in daily La Jornada.
DANCING PHARMACIST
Lopez Obrador has laid into President Vicente Fox, who he says is illegally helping Calderon, dubbing him a "chachalaca" -- a wild turkey known for its piercing squawk.
"He acts like a chachalaca, he screeches like a chachalaca," the leftist said, also accusing Fox of "verbal incontinence."
Keeping with the bird theme, he told supporters after a heated election debate last week that his rivals "came to eat pigeon, but what they got was a fighting cock."
Amid all the madness, frustrated voters have lobbed plastic bottles, paper airplanes and inflated condoms at candidates and even offered one, Patricia Mercado, a puff of marijuana.
Some of the most colorful campaigners cannot legally run because no political party will back them.
They include oddball magnate Victor Gonzalez, who has adopted the persona of his pharmacy chain's rotund and grandfatherly mascot, "Dr Simi," with fluffy white hair and mustache.
Claiming more Mexican fans than Mickey Mouse, and fond of models in mini-skirts, Gonzalez hires people to wear spongy Dr Simi costumes and dance outside his pharmacies.
"I have money but I earned it honestly. I have women but I am single. The people love these things," he said recently.
Also seeking support is Zapatista rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos, who gave his first live TV interview in years in his trademark ski mask and smoking his pipe to call for the overthrow of the government, whoever wins.
Fri Jun 16, 10:25 AM ET
A squawking wild turkey as president, voodoo, a dancing grandpa pharmacist and a nervous criminal urinating in his pants on television -- welcome to Mexico's election race, as wacky as it is vitriolic.
Full of colorful insults, blaring pop songs and nonsensical sparring, the campaign for the July 2 election has been based as much on personalities and petty point-scoring as policies.
Sick of weeks of mudslinging and silliness, voters have been sticking pins in voodoo dolls of the candidates, and the Federal Election Institute has axed some political ads as too slanderous to be aired.
"It's a very basic, very crude, very coarse, very clumsy election campaign," commentator Guadalupe Loaeza told Reuters.
The battle for the presidency is the first since 71 years of one-party rule ended in 2000 and fierce competition between the three main parties has sparked flaming tensions.
Probably the oddest campaign moment yet is a TV ad by third-place candidate Roberto Madrazo showing a criminal wetting his pants out of fear for Madrazo's tough stance on crime.
"For me, it's lacking in creativity. Vulgar. It's resorting to something very childish," said Loaeza.
Among outlawed ads are spots by conservative Felipe Calderon calling his leftist arch-rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador a danger and linking him to Venezuela's fiery leader Hugo Chavez.
Calderon, a balding lawyer whose hairline is inked in on his campaign posters, is in a neck-and-neck race with Lopez Obrador, a crusader for the poor who dons floral garlands and tropical-style guayabera shirts.
In their latest spat, Lopez Obrador sent Calderon's campaign office huge cardboard boxes he said contained documents proving Calderon awarded his brother-in-law lucrative contracts when energy minister.
But Calderon said the boxes were a farce, empty but for a few meaningless papers. He said his rival was a liar, called him "Lopez Hablador" (Lopez Talker) and his aides "clowns."
Rhetoric has been harsh, reflecting a nation split between left and right that is still learning some of the rules of democracy.
"If the players persist in just insulting each other, they may win the contest but could not lead the country," wrote columnist Javier Oliva in daily La Jornada.
DANCING PHARMACIST
Lopez Obrador has laid into President Vicente Fox, who he says is illegally helping Calderon, dubbing him a "chachalaca" -- a wild turkey known for its piercing squawk.
"He acts like a chachalaca, he screeches like a chachalaca," the leftist said, also accusing Fox of "verbal incontinence."
Keeping with the bird theme, he told supporters after a heated election debate last week that his rivals "came to eat pigeon, but what they got was a fighting cock."
Amid all the madness, frustrated voters have lobbed plastic bottles, paper airplanes and inflated condoms at candidates and even offered one, Patricia Mercado, a puff of marijuana.
Some of the most colorful campaigners cannot legally run because no political party will back them.
They include oddball magnate Victor Gonzalez, who has adopted the persona of his pharmacy chain's rotund and grandfatherly mascot, "Dr Simi," with fluffy white hair and mustache.
Claiming more Mexican fans than Mickey Mouse, and fond of models in mini-skirts, Gonzalez hires people to wear spongy Dr Simi costumes and dance outside his pharmacies.
"I have money but I earned it honestly. I have women but I am single. The people love these things," he said recently.
Also seeking support is Zapatista rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos, who gave his first live TV interview in years in his trademark ski mask and smoking his pipe to call for the overthrow of the government, whoever wins.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Reassessments bring fairness
Reassessments bring fairness
To the Editor:
As the southern regional director of the State Office of Real Property Services, I am writing in regard to the issue of property taxes.
This year, nearly 350 municipalities are conducting reassessments in order to provide fair assessments for their taxpayers. This is no easy task, especially when real estate values nationwide have increased dramatically in recent years.
As property values change, it is important for local assessors to adjust assessments - typically by conducting reassessments. When assessments aren’t adjusted to reflect changing real estate values, some property owners will pay too much in taxes while others will pay less than their fair share; in fact, some taxpayers will actually subsidize the tax bills of others.
Reassessments do not collect more taxes for school districts, counties, cities, and towns. Rather, reassessments ensure that the taxes to be collected are distributed fairly among all taxpayers.
Many taxpayers don’t realize that an increase in their assessment does not necessarily mean that their taxes will increase. After a reassessment, some taxpayers may see their tax bills decrease even if their assessments increase.
In almost all communities conducting reassessments, assessments will be determined at market value. In communities assessing at less than 100 percent of market value, the estimated market value of each property is listed on the tentative assessment roll. If this estimated market value reflects roughly the price for which you could sell your property, then you are probably assessed fairly.
Each year, property owners should check the tentative roll, which becomes available in early May in most municipalities. Of course, not everyone may agree exactly with his or her assessment. If you have questions or concerns, you should discuss them with your assessor.
To learn more about these and other topics, readers are invited to visit the Office of Real Property Services’ website: www.orps.state.ny.us.
John Wolham
Regional Director, Southern Region
New York State Office of Real Property Services
To the Editor:
As the southern regional director of the State Office of Real Property Services, I am writing in regard to the issue of property taxes.
This year, nearly 350 municipalities are conducting reassessments in order to provide fair assessments for their taxpayers. This is no easy task, especially when real estate values nationwide have increased dramatically in recent years.
As property values change, it is important for local assessors to adjust assessments - typically by conducting reassessments. When assessments aren’t adjusted to reflect changing real estate values, some property owners will pay too much in taxes while others will pay less than their fair share; in fact, some taxpayers will actually subsidize the tax bills of others.
Reassessments do not collect more taxes for school districts, counties, cities, and towns. Rather, reassessments ensure that the taxes to be collected are distributed fairly among all taxpayers.
Many taxpayers don’t realize that an increase in their assessment does not necessarily mean that their taxes will increase. After a reassessment, some taxpayers may see their tax bills decrease even if their assessments increase.
In almost all communities conducting reassessments, assessments will be determined at market value. In communities assessing at less than 100 percent of market value, the estimated market value of each property is listed on the tentative assessment roll. If this estimated market value reflects roughly the price for which you could sell your property, then you are probably assessed fairly.
Each year, property owners should check the tentative roll, which becomes available in early May in most municipalities. Of course, not everyone may agree exactly with his or her assessment. If you have questions or concerns, you should discuss them with your assessor.
To learn more about these and other topics, readers are invited to visit the Office of Real Property Services’ website: www.orps.state.ny.us.
John Wolham
Regional Director, Southern Region
New York State Office of Real Property Services
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
I welcome your comments….
Politics is about serving the people who elected you to office. It’s about working to improve and enhance the quality of life of all residents, despite what the uninformed have said and the misinformation and attempts to sow confusion in the minds of residents. I welcome your comments….
Voters may create village
May 23, 2006
Voters may create village
Blooming Grove petition ruled valid
By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com
Blooming Grove - A state judge has cleared the way for residents of southern Blooming Grove to decide whether to establish the first new village in Orange County since Kiryas Joel formed in 1977.
State Supreme Court Justice Lawrence Horowitz ruled Friday that a petition signed by nearly 1,000 residents of the proposed village is valid, dismissing a litany of technical objections brought by landowners hoping to derail the effort.
The ruling compels Blooming Grove to schedule a referendum for voters in the 4.8-square-mile area straddling Route 208 that would constitute the Village of South Blooming Grove. Almost 2,800 people live in that area.
"This is very good news," Garry Dugan, a leader of the petition drive, said yesterday.
Both he and Spencer McLaughlin, a lawyer who has advised Dugan's group, said the proposal still carries momentum, despite the nearly two years that have elapsed since residents mobilized to take control of their zoning and stave off high-density building.
South Blooming Grove was one of three new villages contemplated in 2004 as people in areas outside the Hasidic community of Kiryas Joel scrambled to prevent the densely populated village from expanding into their suburban neighborhoods.
Hal Greene, a key opponent of the creation of the village, said yesterday that he would leave any appeal to the investor group that recently bought a controlling interest in the 862-acre Lake Anne Country Club, which Greene's family owned for decades.
One influential member of that partnership told the Times Herald-Record earlier this year that he had no interest in appealing.
"The whole lawsuit was nonsense," said Ziggy Brach. He and his business partners hope to build as many as 300 homes on the property. Brach said he saw no reason to fight the creation of a village because he doesn't expect its leaders to tighten Lake Anne's zoning.
Greene was ambivalent about the court decision. He still worries about the zoning uncertainty if a village is formed. But he said allowing the process to move forward might lift suspicion that Brach, who is Hasidic, and the other Hasidic buyers intend to establish another "Jewish village."
A petition to transform most of neighboring Woodbury into a village was submitted in 2004 and challenged; the case is now before the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court. A third proposal, to incorporate Salisbury Mills as a village, never got off the ground.
Voters may create village
Blooming Grove petition ruled valid
By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com
Blooming Grove - A state judge has cleared the way for residents of southern Blooming Grove to decide whether to establish the first new village in Orange County since Kiryas Joel formed in 1977.
State Supreme Court Justice Lawrence Horowitz ruled Friday that a petition signed by nearly 1,000 residents of the proposed village is valid, dismissing a litany of technical objections brought by landowners hoping to derail the effort.
The ruling compels Blooming Grove to schedule a referendum for voters in the 4.8-square-mile area straddling Route 208 that would constitute the Village of South Blooming Grove. Almost 2,800 people live in that area.
"This is very good news," Garry Dugan, a leader of the petition drive, said yesterday.
Both he and Spencer McLaughlin, a lawyer who has advised Dugan's group, said the proposal still carries momentum, despite the nearly two years that have elapsed since residents mobilized to take control of their zoning and stave off high-density building.
South Blooming Grove was one of three new villages contemplated in 2004 as people in areas outside the Hasidic community of Kiryas Joel scrambled to prevent the densely populated village from expanding into their suburban neighborhoods.
Hal Greene, a key opponent of the creation of the village, said yesterday that he would leave any appeal to the investor group that recently bought a controlling interest in the 862-acre Lake Anne Country Club, which Greene's family owned for decades.
One influential member of that partnership told the Times Herald-Record earlier this year that he had no interest in appealing.
"The whole lawsuit was nonsense," said Ziggy Brach. He and his business partners hope to build as many as 300 homes on the property. Brach said he saw no reason to fight the creation of a village because he doesn't expect its leaders to tighten Lake Anne's zoning.
Greene was ambivalent about the court decision. He still worries about the zoning uncertainty if a village is formed. But he said allowing the process to move forward might lift suspicion that Brach, who is Hasidic, and the other Hasidic buyers intend to establish another "Jewish village."
A petition to transform most of neighboring Woodbury into a village was submitted in 2004 and challenged; the case is now before the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court. A third proposal, to incorporate Salisbury Mills as a village, never got off the ground.
Friday, May 19, 2006
How to File For a Review of Your Assessment
How to File For a Review of Your Assessment
A Guide for Property Owners
Printable pdf booklets:
38-page How to File booklet - includes large print and sample forms
16-page reduced How to File booklet
HTML version:
Purpose of this Publication
General Guidelines
Key Dates
Assessment Review Process (BAR)
Step-by-Step through form RP-524
sample form
blank RP-524 form (pdf)
Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR)
Step-by-Step through review petition RPTL-730;
sample form
blank SCAR Petition (pdf)
Also see: Glossary, How Estimates of Market Value are Determined for Residential Properties
A Guide for Property Owners
Printable pdf booklets:
38-page How to File booklet - includes large print and sample forms
16-page reduced How to File booklet
HTML version:
Purpose of this Publication
General Guidelines
Key Dates
Assessment Review Process (BAR)
Step-by-Step through form RP-524
sample form
blank RP-524 form (pdf)
Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR)
Step-by-Step through review petition RPTL-730;
sample form
blank SCAR Petition (pdf)
Also see: Glossary, How Estimates of Market Value are Determined for Residential Properties
NYS Office of Real Property Services
New York
NYS Office of Real Property Services. The Mission of the Office of Real Property Services is: "To lead the State's efforts to support local governments in their pursuit of real property tax equity." Appeals must be postmarked no later than 30 days after final assessment roll is filed... Dates vary see: Filing Dates. Initial grievance must be filed with the board of assessment review, upon notice of board of assessment review's determination an appeal can be filed with the small claim assessment review section of the NYS Supreme court. >A successful appeal is based upon first establishing the Market Value of your property. In order to reduce your property taxes you must prove that the value of your property is less than the valuation assigned by your assessing district (according to New York State Law, the Assessment is deemed to be correct, and the burdon of proof, falls on the petitioner-homeowner to prove otherwise). A recent bonafide arms length sale of the subject property is the best evidence. If the property was not recently purchased, or the purchase was not at arms length (as in an inter-family sale, foreclosure or other sale made under conditions of distress), An Appraisal by a New York State Certified Appraiser is the next best type of evidence, which is typically used to prove value of your home throughout the process. To determine if you are over assessed, you can multiply the estimated market value of your property by the residential assessment ratio (RAR-see listings above) that has been establshed for your assessing district. If the result is lower than your property's current assessed value, you may reasonably expect that your assessment be reduced to that amount with proper proof and timely filing in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the New York State Office Of Real Property Services.
NYS Office of Real Property Services. The Mission of the Office of Real Property Services is: "To lead the State's efforts to support local governments in their pursuit of real property tax equity." Appeals must be postmarked no later than 30 days after final assessment roll is filed... Dates vary see: Filing Dates. Initial grievance must be filed with the board of assessment review, upon notice of board of assessment review's determination an appeal can be filed with the small claim assessment review section of the NYS Supreme court. >A successful appeal is based upon first establishing the Market Value of your property. In order to reduce your property taxes you must prove that the value of your property is less than the valuation assigned by your assessing district (according to New York State Law, the Assessment is deemed to be correct, and the burdon of proof, falls on the petitioner-homeowner to prove otherwise). A recent bonafide arms length sale of the subject property is the best evidence. If the property was not recently purchased, or the purchase was not at arms length (as in an inter-family sale, foreclosure or other sale made under conditions of distress), An Appraisal by a New York State Certified Appraiser is the next best type of evidence, which is typically used to prove value of your home throughout the process. To determine if you are over assessed, you can multiply the estimated market value of your property by the residential assessment ratio (RAR-see listings above) that has been establshed for your assessing district. If the result is lower than your property's current assessed value, you may reasonably expect that your assessment be reduced to that amount with proper proof and timely filing in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the New York State Office Of Real Property Services.
KJ water-tank plan sparks hot debate
KJ water-tank plan sparks hot debate
Pedestrian killed
Goshen - No issue requiring agreement between the Orange County Legislature and the Village of Kiryas Joel is simple these days.
That's why the village's seemingly simple request to build a pair of water holding tanks on a defunct Jesuit retreat would spark a half-hour debate and inspire a heated exchange between County Executive Ed Diana and Blooming Grove Supervisor Charlie Bohan yesterday.
Placing the tanks on a hill on the county-owned Gonzaga property would improve the village's water pressure, Diana told the Legislature's physical services committee. He pressed the panel to vote on the measure immediately.
But legislators, who have been sparring with Kiryas Joel since blocking its plans to tap the New York City Aqueduct in 2004, balked. The Gonzaga property is scheduled to become a county park. Legislators had some concern about whether the plan would set any precedent for other county parks.
Things got dicey when Diana said the three neighboring towns, Blooming Grove, Monroe and Woodbury, had been notified about the project. Bohan, who was sitting in the room, angrily denied the claim. Committee Chairman Frank Fornario, R-Blooming Grove, had to call Bohan out of order.
In the end, Fornario denied Diana's requests for a vote until lawmakers could get more information. The issue will return to the committee next month.
Brendan Scott
Pedestrian killed
Goshen - No issue requiring agreement between the Orange County Legislature and the Village of Kiryas Joel is simple these days.
That's why the village's seemingly simple request to build a pair of water holding tanks on a defunct Jesuit retreat would spark a half-hour debate and inspire a heated exchange between County Executive Ed Diana and Blooming Grove Supervisor Charlie Bohan yesterday.
Placing the tanks on a hill on the county-owned Gonzaga property would improve the village's water pressure, Diana told the Legislature's physical services committee. He pressed the panel to vote on the measure immediately.
But legislators, who have been sparring with Kiryas Joel since blocking its plans to tap the New York City Aqueduct in 2004, balked. The Gonzaga property is scheduled to become a county park. Legislators had some concern about whether the plan would set any precedent for other county parks.
Things got dicey when Diana said the three neighboring towns, Blooming Grove, Monroe and Woodbury, had been notified about the project. Bohan, who was sitting in the room, angrily denied the claim. Committee Chairman Frank Fornario, R-Blooming Grove, had to call Bohan out of order.
In the end, Fornario denied Diana's requests for a vote until lawmakers could get more information. The issue will return to the committee next month.
Brendan Scott
Pedestrian killed
Goshen - No issue requiring agreement between the Orange County Legislature and the Village of Kiryas Joel is simple these days.
That's why the village's seemingly simple request to build a pair of water holding tanks on a defunct Jesuit retreat would spark a half-hour debate and inspire a heated exchange between County Executive Ed Diana and Blooming Grove Supervisor Charlie Bohan yesterday.
Placing the tanks on a hill on the county-owned Gonzaga property would improve the village's water pressure, Diana told the Legislature's physical services committee. He pressed the panel to vote on the measure immediately.
But legislators, who have been sparring with Kiryas Joel since blocking its plans to tap the New York City Aqueduct in 2004, balked. The Gonzaga property is scheduled to become a county park. Legislators had some concern about whether the plan would set any precedent for other county parks.
Things got dicey when Diana said the three neighboring towns, Blooming Grove, Monroe and Woodbury, had been notified about the project. Bohan, who was sitting in the room, angrily denied the claim. Committee Chairman Frank Fornario, R-Blooming Grove, had to call Bohan out of order.
In the end, Fornario denied Diana's requests for a vote until lawmakers could get more information. The issue will return to the committee next month.
Brendan Scott
Pedestrian killed
Goshen - No issue requiring agreement between the Orange County Legislature and the Village of Kiryas Joel is simple these days.
That's why the village's seemingly simple request to build a pair of water holding tanks on a defunct Jesuit retreat would spark a half-hour debate and inspire a heated exchange between County Executive Ed Diana and Blooming Grove Supervisor Charlie Bohan yesterday.
Placing the tanks on a hill on the county-owned Gonzaga property would improve the village's water pressure, Diana told the Legislature's physical services committee. He pressed the panel to vote on the measure immediately.
But legislators, who have been sparring with Kiryas Joel since blocking its plans to tap the New York City Aqueduct in 2004, balked. The Gonzaga property is scheduled to become a county park. Legislators had some concern about whether the plan would set any precedent for other county parks.
Things got dicey when Diana said the three neighboring towns, Blooming Grove, Monroe and Woodbury, had been notified about the project. Bohan, who was sitting in the room, angrily denied the claim. Committee Chairman Frank Fornario, R-Blooming Grove, had to call Bohan out of order.
In the end, Fornario denied Diana's requests for a vote until lawmakers could get more information. The issue will return to the committee next month.
Brendan Scott
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