Excerpts from July 1 - July 7, 2009 Issue
MTA “Overtaxing” Rockland $60 Million
BY Dylan Skriloff
Staff Writer
The 0.34% payroll tax to be levied on Rockland County by theMTA, will cost county businesses and organizations over $18 million a year according to a study released at a meeting of the Rockland County Legislature in May. Currently the tax is scheduled for only two years - but leaders are skeptical that the state will roll back the tax when it expires. Many fear it could even rise further.
Other fees imposed to fund the MTA, like an increase in the cost of driver's licenses and vehicle registrations, will cost several million more annually for Rockland. All for a system that has long been shown to be unfair to Rockland County in the services it offers compared to the taxes it reaps. Prior to the new taxes, studies by Rockland County had indicated that the MTA was offering around $40 million worth of service to Rockland, while reaping over $80 million in taxes.
The Rockland County Times has long been bringing this to the attention of readers, and rather than seeing an improvement, the situation now becomes more onerous. [The MTA does not collect the majority of its funding from the state's general budget, but through various fees and taxes including surcharges on real estate transactions.] When both the real estate market collapsed and the state's contribution to the MTA was reduced, it left the MTA with a $1.75 billion deficit. The state decided to cover that deficit on the back of taxpayers throughout the metropolitan area.
The 0.34% tax extends from Rockland andWestchester through New York City and Long Island. Orange, Putnam and Dutchess County will pay a 0.25% tax. Several state legislators and leaders in the business community fought vociferously against the imposition of the tax. In the wake of its approval Rockland Business Association President Al Samuels told...
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911 Dispatchers Earn Awards
“EmergencyTeam”
The four winners celebrate their award on Sunday, June 28th. Back row
are winners Dominick Alisera,
SVPD; and Brian Duddy, CPD. Front row are CPD dispatchers Mary Francis
Ginnity-Zayas and Laurie Sharkey.
Dinner Held to Honor Emergency Workers
By Evan WechmanStaff Writer
"They're not like the police officers who (are) seen out in public, but they are the glue that holds everything together.”
These remarks uttered by Rockland County political leader
Dave
Fried summarized the feelings of the attendees towards the 911
emergency dispatchers at an awards ceremony held this past Sunday evening.
Fried, whose brother is also a dispatcher, commented that when citizens
call 911 they are often in a state of panic, but because of the calm demeanor
of the Rockland County 911 emergency dispatchers, "They help to get
to the bottom of what's happening."
The event, held in Thiells, was organized by the Rockland County 911 Dispatch Association. Its president, Pete Medina, who is a dispatcher for the Town of Ramapo, agreed with Fried that the county dispatchers show great composure each day, and, "Every dispatcher is worth their weight in gold."
According to Medina, "We (the association) started this awards ceremony to show recognition of all the dispatchers here in Rockland County." Though only four awards were presented, Medina noted that the only difference between the award winners and the other dispatchers was that, "They got the call that stood out." However, the goal of the ceremony was not just to give out awards, but rather, as Medina said, "To show people that we exist because when people call 911 they have no idea who they are talking to. However, we are the first responders."
The recipients of this year's Rockland County Emergency 911 Dispatchers Association of the year Awards stemmed from a collaborative effort by the Spring Valley and Clarkstown Police Departments. The winners were Dominick D'Alisera of the Spring Valley Police Department and the following three from the Clarkstown Police Department: Brian Duddy, Laurie Sharkey, and Mary Francis Ginnity-Zayas. On March 26, 2009 dispatcher D'Alisera responded to a call in Spring Valley concerning an upset husband who was threatening to kill his child and himself. Also complicating matters was that he was on a mobile phone. D'Alisera was successfully able to coordinate the communication demands of the incident and answer the request for critical data to complete the Amber alert paperwork.
Clarkstown dispatchers Duddy, Sharkey, and Ginnity- Zayas quickly recognized the events unfolding in Spring Valley and summoned additional help from Clarkstown. With information gathered by the Spring Valley Police Department and the ability to locate the phone, a Clarkstown officer saw the suspect in his vehicle and attempted to apprehend him, while trying to rescue the child. The suspect fled from the officer and tried to escape. However, officers from Spring Valley were able to contact him by phone and persuade him into not harming the child or himself. Thus, the suspect finally surrendered.
Regarding the incident, Clarkstown Police Captain Michael Sullivan remarked that the dispatchers, "Kept a calm and professional demeanor, which substantially aided in the successful outcome of the investigation and the safe return of the child. Their actions should be commended."
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Zoning Board of Appeals Rejects Plans for New Yeshiva in Ramapo
It was announced this week that Ramapo's Zoning Board of Appeals has rejected plans for a yeshiva and dormitory brought to the Town by Mesifta Beth Shraga. The yeshiva and dormitory was to be built, with housing for all staff members, on the historic land that was part of the late actor Burgess Meredith's estate. Town officials said a supermajority vote (or 4-1 vote) was needed for the plans to go through. Initially at a June 18th meeting, a 3-2 vote approved the zoning variances. A supermajority vote was needed though, as it was announced by the Town Attorney's Office board and the zoning board earlier this week.
Plenty of people are happy that the historic estate on Camp Hill Road will stay the way it is. Several residents (approximately 855) signed a petition that opposed all variances.To the local residents impacted by the yeshiva plans, for them it was more about preserving the history of the estate than just over-expanding the town with more housing. Among the other concerns of the people opposed to the yeshiva are the consequences involving mass traffic, water supply, drainage and other key issues like noise and lighting effecting nearby residents.
Unanimous votes for projects by planning and zoning board can overturn the supermajority requirement. Rockland has been hinting at Ramapo to reconsider it's controversial R-15C zone as it puts pressure on its infrastructure. However, in the past, single-family houses have been replaced with up to six multifamily units in this particular zone.
Ira Emanuel, the attorney representing Mesifta Beth Shraga, was disappointed in the ruling. Emanuel was undecided what the next course of action would be. They can decide to appeal the matter in state Supreme Court or go back to the drawing board and submit new plans to the planning board. Emanuel said that the yeshiva would have restored the most historical aspects of the estate. Emanuel also said that other residents concerns about traffic and other matters were thoroughly discussed with the Planning Board as they said the environmental impact would be minimal. Even though now a supermajority vote is needed, the fight for this yeshiva on Camp Hill Road seems a long way from being brought to an end.
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“Internet SafetyWorkshop”
Stony Point Police Officer Tracy Roberts presented workshops on internet
safety for the third and fourth graders.
Officer Roberts told the students not to reveal any personal identity
information in their screenames, such as their birthdays, hobbies, hometown
or school.
North Garnerville Elementary Students Learn About Avoiding Abduction and Internet Safety During ‘Awareness Week’
Recently, North Garnerville Elementary School sponsored an 'Awareness Week' with programs that dealt with avoiding abduction and internet safety for the parents and children.
During the week, teachers discussed the theme with the students; an investigator from the New York State Attorney General's Office conducted a power point presentation on internet safety for parents; a plan was arranged for a presenter to involve students from grades 1-4 to participate in an abduction prevention workshop and a Stony Point police officer offered a lesson on internet safety for the 3rd and 4th graders. Culminating events included a poster and essay contest plus a pep rally.
The main objective of a predator is to befriend the potential victim or
isolate the child from others to avoid detection. By helping children learn
some basic steps on how to avoid potentially dangerous situations and what
to do, teachers and parents can help ensure the safety of children. From
the website fbi.gov, here are some good rules to tell the children to follow,
to avoid abduction:
1. Share a secret code word: You and your parents should agree on a code word that is easy for you to remember. This way, if anyone tells you that you need to come with them because your parents were hurt or are in the hospital, you can ask them for the code word. If they are really a friend, they will know the code word that you and you parents share. If they do not know the code word, you should turn away from them as fast as possible.
2. Stay away from strangers: Who is a stranger? If you have seen someone hanging around your playground at school or in your neighborhood, this does not mean that you know him or her. Although he has a familiar face, he is still a stranger to you!
3. Grownups should not ask kids to do things that other adults can do for them: This means that you should not go, or get in a car with an adult who asks you for directions. Grownups should not ask you to help them find a lost puppy or kitten.
4. If you lose your parents in a public place like a store or park, do not go looking for them: Immediately ask someone who works there to help you find them. Tell them you have been separated from your parents and you need help finding them.
5. Always ask your parents or a grownup in charge before: Going anywhere with anybody; leaving the yard, play area or going to someone's home; getting a ride home with someone other than you bus driver or getting into a car or going somewhere with some-body even if it's someone you know!
6. Once you have permission from your parents: Tell themwhere you are going;Tell them how you will get there; Tell them who will be going with you; Tell them when you will be back and get back on time or call to let them know when you will return!
7. If someone follows you on foot or in a car, STAY AWAY! You do not need to go near the car to talk to the people inside.
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I
Love a Parade - Happy Fourth of July
By Armand Miele
Publisher, Rockland County Times
A parade is made up of believers: believers in the celebrated event and believers in the marchers. Mind you, it would not be a parade if it weren’t for the audience.To me every single person, either a marcher or the audience are believers: believers in carrying out tradition and wanting to be a part of it. So no matter whether on the sidelines or in the parade you are believers.
I noticed in the St. Patrick Day parade, although it was an Irish parade, the Irish and American flags were held up high together. It’s the same for other nationalities. Italian, Jewish, Puerto Ricans, all are believers. All believers, families, all nationalities, color, and religion, marched with pride in what they represented. Volunteer firemen, policemen, schools, veterans of all wars, elected officials. The volunteer fireperson marching with pride, knowing he is helping his fellow man and family, along with the department's shiny equipment. The policemen and women marching erect and in cadence, proud to show citizens what they are made of. The school children with their teachers trying so hard to put on a big show for the audience. The immigrants who swore for their citizenship but would never give up their heritage, marching with their associations.
It is unbelievable. So proud, erect, they put on the greatest show, mainly because they believe. I marched with the Korean War veterans and I can tell you it was great to hear and see from the crowd that they remembered the forgotten war. For once I felt that we, the believers in America, were not forgotten.
God bless America.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: As with all our
columnists, the opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist
alone, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Rockland County
Times.