Two Letters to The Journal NewsSeptember 2, 2010 Time for drastic change in RamapoI am a Ramapo resident of more than 30 years and have had steadily increasing concerns with the clannish Ramapo government. However, the baseball stadium debacle became a tipping over point for me and personified the arrogance of this regime. Hence, I want to call out Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence because, as all should agree, accountability goes to the top. St. Lawrence needs to remember that being a town supervisor, like any elected position, carries a mandate to primarily act on behalf of his constituency. The stadium fiasco is yet another reminder of how he has lost touch with this primary directive and acts unilaterally. His deeply entrenched role and quasi-autocratic style is the antithesis of transparency. Too many questions and questionable actions make his continued role unsustainable. To wit: his supposed degree from Harvard; property taxes paid late; ham-handed treatment of town employees; spending for the ridiculous talking clocks; paving the way for development on properties originally tagged as "open space," etc. The list goes on. There once was honor in public service. Now, it has become a platform for self-serving behavior and independent actions, as well as an assurance of wonderfully disproportionate benefits. Time for drastic change; time to put people in office who deserve to be there, in the public interest. D.A. Miller Put lake, paths on stadium siteRe "Ramapo rejects $16.5 million financing plan for ballpark," an Aug. 25 article: In light of the overwhelming 70.5 percent rejection of the proposed stadium, I would like to present what I believe is a fair solution for both sides. Many voters who support the idea of a stadium want a safe outdoor recreational area for families and teens. My proposal will do exactly that, will be economical and environmentally favorable. Part of the site has been cleared. Let's say if 45 of the acres were made into a lake, it would create a renewed environmental space. Imagine a small version of Rockland Lake State Park. The lake can be surrounded by paths for walkers, mothers with strollers, joggers and bicyclists. No problem filling the lake; a branch of Minisceongo Creek runs through the site. As an added bonus, the site is adjacent to the 272-acre Mount Ivy County Park, which is teeming with wildlife, especially 80 species of birds. Between the two sites, there can be miles of paths and trails, surrounded by views of the Ramapo mountains. No parking problems - the stadium site already has a large recently paved parking lot on Fireman's Memorial Drive. Do we want to continue on a course that at the moment is a gamble with taxpayer money or can we find a middle ground, a win-win alterative? How about "The Fireman's Memorial Park" to honor the site of the brave men and women who have served and still serve us. Joe Cali
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