The race is hot in Rockland County, as voters in the Orthodox Community are working to deny County Executive Ed Day a second term. Those voters are casting their ballot for Maureen Porette – whose candidacy as a Democrat is her first run for elected office.
Others say they will not be voting at all in that race.
The community is outraged at Ed Day over a statement that he made – as the Hamodia put it – “for the calling for the government to deny services to the Orthodox community so they will move out of Rockland”.
But the Democrats’ longtime hold on town government is at stake in the Town of Ramapo.
Yitzchok Ullman has been acting as Ramapo Town Supervisor since longtime Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence was ousted following his fraud conviction.
In the supervisor’s race, Deputy Town Attorney and first-time candidate Michael Specht faces certified public accountant William Weber, who has run unsuccessfully for town board in the past.
Specht has the Democratic line, while Weber holds down the Republican, Green, Reform and New Direction lines.
Specht’s running mates are incumbent Councilman Yitzchok Ullman and David Wanounou; Weber’s slate includes Shani Bechhofer and Grant Valentine.
YWN notes that Valentine is currently a trustee in Chestnut Ridge. Additionally, it should be noted that there hasn’t been permits issued for any Shuls in the past 2 years. Eight have opened , but are all illegal.
The community’s establishment is backing the candidacies of Michael Specht for supervisor.
Opposing that ticket is Bill Weber, a former Preserve Ramapo member who left that group and started his own New Direction for Ramapo line. He is running with Shani Bechoffer and Chestnut Ridge Trustee Grant Valentine.
(Charles Gross – YWN)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
I have been inundated with phone calls since last night in Yiddish, English, and other languages I don’t understand touting everyone and their Mother. The latest one that I just received now, after voting already this morning, actually called for a split, voting for both Ullman and Shani Bechhofer. All I know is that what has been happening here in Monsey during the past 15-20 years makes me sick. One needs to have his head examined or a death wish to drive on Route 306 or 59 past 10am. The over crowding in every area of old Monsey is both disgusting and dangerous. For that reason and that reason only, I voted Row B straight across.
to address the statement you made regarding the lack of legal shuls in Chestnut Ridge.
There have been many accusations made against Grant Valentine that as a Trustee of the Village of Chestnut Ridge, he has been working against the approvals of shuls getting permits. That is a blatant untruth. When the village was incorporated many years ago, zoning laws were written that make it almost impossible to get shuls approved. Grant Valentine is on the village board. Applications have be made directly to the planning board. Variances, if needed, go to the zoning board. He explained that the mayor of Chestnut Ridge, Sam Presti, and several Rabbis from the OJC are working together to rewrite the wording of these laws to accommodate the shuls to make it user friendly. What was said at a recent meeting was that there have been no shul applications brought to the VILLAGE board and he does not serve on the planning or zoning boards. No bias or prejudice is tolerated by village board as they would be illegal violations of religious freedoms. There has been a shul on Natalen Terrace that has been approved and there is one other application pending (750 Chestnut Ridge Road that is being worked on for the conversion from office building to shul).
One does not need a magnifying glass to see the corruption that goes on. If the fact that developers and builders are backing Ullman and Specht doesn’t tell you something than what does?