Caruso challenges letter writer’s version of Woodbury park issue

Caruso challenges letter writer’s version of Woodbury park issue

To the editor,

This letter is in response to the letter in the Oct. 28 issue of The Photo News by Neil Crouse.

Shame on you Neil Crouse, for fabricating words to suit your needs, then putting quotes around them and crediting me with saying them. Your desperation to get my opponent elected is making you push the envelope on common decency.

Earlier in 2001, my opponent urged the Town Board to apply for an Orange County Municipal Park Grant. Dec. 20, 2001, after research, I correctly cautioned the Town Board not to apply for or accept any county, state or federal grants for our Woodbury Parks, because you will subject us to open Our Parks to all non-residents.

As Sal Marciano would say, Go To The Video Tape, of Dec. 20, 2001, where Councilman John Kelemen said: “I immediately the next day called the comptroller’s Office.” “Anytime you pretty much take any other kind of money unless it’s private funds … if it’s government money, you are open and libel somewhere down the road.” “I think Mr. Caruso is being protective and rightfully so….” I know of one grant you volunteered to complete, the application for a grant package I presented to the Town Board in October 2001, for improvements to the Woodbury Water System, from the Clean Water / Clean Air Act. In fact you came back to the Town Board in the early 2002, and told the Town Board, that the Town can not qualify for this grant. Councilwoman, Holly Gubernick-Borzacchiello and myself, took the grant application and completed it. I filed it in Senator Larkin’s office, where it was processed and forwarded to the Empire State Development Corporation on April 19, 2002. The Application was approved for $300,000 on August 1, 2002.

I hope this information clears up any of your confusion.

Sincerely,

Ralph Caruso

Orange County Legislator

Candidate 14th District