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The Lakewood Times

Ramapo, NY - Angry Residents Storm Town Hall; Say It's Time To "End Corruption"

8/12/2013

17 Comments

 
Rockland County, NY -  Over one hundred angry residents held a rally calling for a “regime change” outside the Ramapo Town Hall on Tuesday before storming a scheduled Planning Board meeting where they planned to voice their opposition to the “political favoritism” they say is ruining their town.

LOHUD.com (http://lohud.us/1cvhcVN) reports that many protesters held signs dedicated to the town’s latest hot-button issue, the granting of a temporary permit to the ultra-Orthodox congregation Mosdos Sanz Klausenburg to operate a yeshiva out of a single-family residence on Eckerson Lane.

“People are just fed up,” said 40 year-old activist Michael Miller, who is leading the charge against the Eckerson Lane yeshiva. “They are fed up with the obvious corruption in this community and the favoritism and mistreatment.”

The bulk of the protesters’ ire was directed at Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence and his perceived favoritism towards the rapidly-growing ultra-Orthodox community on decisions involving land use and development—-opposition ultra-Orthodox leaders often claim is religion-based, but which opponents in attendance denied.

Video Below: A large crowd turns out to protest political corruption and favoritism given to the ultra-orthodox Jewish community at Ramapo Town Hall. ( Video by Peter Carr/The Journal News courtesy to VINnews.com)

“I don’t care what your religion is,” said the Rev. Weldon McWilliams IV of the activist group Wake Up Rockland, “If your value system is to exploit the community, I want you out of the way. This has nothing to do with religion.”

Following the rally, protesters filed into the Town Hall to voice their opposition on the Eckerson Lane yeshiva, only to see their hopes dashed when the topic was tabled by the Planning Board at the “congregation’s request.”

Activists reaffirmed their commitment to return in “full force” at any future meetings on the matter.

“This town, it’s in bad shape,” said Michael Miller. “And we can’t go back to where we were. But if we don’t do something, it’s only going to get worse.


17 Comments
lakewooder
8/12/2013 12:32:43 pm

Not much different from Lakewood in that respect, we have seen zoning changes to the point there really is no zoning anymore and jus about anything can be built anywhere. Its a real shame that elected officials do not represent ALL the citizens and are owned by those who put them in power , for that reason I have very little respect for politicians . In most cases the only concern they have is staying in office ,which means doing the right thing when voting and making decisions is often a low priority

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Chai
8/12/2013 11:20:26 pm

Anyone on the committee ever go to downtown beween 3 - 5 Clifton ave, 4 th street, Rt 88 are parking lots. Central and Rt9 is a disgrace every morning. Pine and Rt 9/MLK is terrible every morning and afternoon oh and Rt 9 traffic we are all used to as a part of life but the committee wants the zoning and planning to approve every yukel developer for his projects for soon another 1000 homes - Lakewood can't handle it!!......This is quite embarassing its right there for all to see.

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old time Lakewood
8/13/2013 12:58:34 am

On another topic, how do the regular Lakewood old-timers stop this very vocal campaign to put a mechitza on the boro park bus? Their stated purpose is to make Lakewood like Williamsburg. How do we take back our town?

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sushi
8/13/2013 11:04:41 am

yeah. how old time are you? like 4 years?

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old time Lakewood
8/14/2013 03:31:50 am

old enough to remember Hirshel's shul on Lexington Ave. also old enough to not eat sushi.

Chashuvim have been riding the bus for decades and nobody thought it was any lack of tznius.

What's happening to Lakewood today is what happened to Monsey if we don't fight back.

parking lot
8/13/2013 06:33:41 am

go to bmg paking lot is unpaved people park like meshugoim
hey wait there is a vip parking lot with video and eletronic gate

you get the picture!!

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just curious
8/13/2013 10:23:00 pm

What does one have to do with the other? There is a VIP parking lot for employees of yeshiva and there is a bar there to ensure that no one else parks there. I am not sure what that has to do with the fact that some people park by yeshiva inconsiderately. Besides, I am not sure the connection between your silly comment and this silly article. HH is very into writing about Ramapo, maybe he should.move there and tty to solve their problems, after all they don't have digital billboards! we all know that he wouldn't care about them if they had ads for all his stores.....

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LOL
8/14/2013 03:56:08 am

Lazer Do us a favor and just write your comments on your own site

sushi
8/14/2013 06:22:33 am

he was saying that the VIPs don't care to be considerate and make a normal parking lot for the yeshivaleit because they have their blocked off lot. therefore, the regular lot is a mess.
was that simple enough for you einstein?

wow
8/14/2013 04:12:54 pm

wow my friend u dont knw Hershel. wow u dont.

go visit him anytime and talk to him. he more then willing to talk , trust me.

careful in elul with ggetting personal like that. u dont knw who ur messing with. the RBS"O loves a huge heart as hershels.

shotah
8/14/2013 12:40:35 am

the point is there is the elite and there is everyone else BMG does not care about the yugerlait just look at the parking lot
however for their own VIP they have proper parking!!

that goes on with everything else that goes on in Lakewood!!!

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Yungerman
8/16/2013 02:52:44 am

As someone who was zoche to learn in Yeshiva for a long time, I vehemently disagree with you statement that BMG does not care about the yungeleit. I honestly feel that they care alot, but there are other reasons why certain lots are not able to be paved regular. For example, if they would pave the lot on 9th and Clifton (the old LL) certain people like the owner of this site would cry foul that they were milking the township so thanks to those people, we all bump around the lot trying to park.....

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Old Lakewood asks
8/14/2013 05:13:51 am

How many of you with complaints about zoning and traffic live in homes that were built within the last five years??

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lakewooder
8/15/2013 12:12:16 am

that's a great question!! as someone who as resided here for 40+ years I have seen this once tranquil family friendly town turn into a "CITY" with all the problems that go with that . traffic, crime, lack of good zoning ( residential single family homes that are used for other uses are common place)

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menashe miller
8/15/2013 03:58:56 am

what are you talking about I get to drive in the twp police car with lights I never get stucked in traffic!!

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Alta lakewooder
8/18/2013 12:43:28 am

Lakewood is definitely turning into Monsey. Just look at the amount of chasidim that have moved to

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Lakewood Resident
8/29/2013 10:00:18 pm

Lakewood needs help. Please start going to zoning, planning board and township committee meetings.

Reply



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