Water Main Break in Wesley Hills Causes Low Water Pressure or No Water Service to Many Residents

By Jane Lerner and Rob Ryser, The Journal News

WESLEY HILLS - Police and emergency work crews are at the scene of a water main break near the corner of Route 202 at Wilder Road, according to United Water.

The break in the 16-inch main was reported shortly after 6 a.m. today, according to utility spokesman Steve Goudsmith

"With freezing temperatures, water main breaks are not uncommon this time of year," Goudsmith said.

Ramapo police were diverting traffic off Route 202.

The road was covered in ice near the site of the water main break.

Several customers in the area have reported low water pressure or no water service, Goudsmith said.

The utility will decide later in the day if it needs to issue a warning to boil water before using it.

Wesley Hills Updates Legislation to Maintain Its Property-Size Requirements for Schools

By James Walsh, The Journal News

WESLEY HILLS - The village has updated legislation to maintain its long-standing property-size requirements for schools, without automatically requiring more land based on enrollment.

Meeting the 10-acre requirement now also gives the builders the opportunity to enroll up to 200 students. Previously, the 10 acres was needed just for the school.

If a larger enrollment is planned, there must be 0.01 acre for each additional student.

The change comes as religious congregations, some already based in the Monsey area, seek sites for new schools in other Ramapo neighborhoods to meet the demand of rising enrollments.

No proposals for new schools have been filed with Wesley Hills, but Mayor David Goldsmith said last week that village officials wanted to ensure current lot-size requirements.

"Certainly that's a concern of ours," Goldsmith said. "That's why we made the change to allow more students, but not to lower the area requirement."

The change also accommodated an existing school, Yeshiva Ohr Reuven, which long has operated as a high school at Grandview Avenue and Spook Rock Road.

Continue article here.

Ramapo House Demolished Before Thursday Auction

By James Walsh, The Journal News

MONSEY - A heap of wooden shards and the scarred trunks of cedar trees were all that remained of a house at 1 Carlton Road.

Two residents of the neighborhood called The Journal News on Monday, concerned that the house had been knocked down at dusk on Sunday without a permit and before natural gas service was terminated.

While no utilities were still being delivered to the house, it was indeed torn down without a demolition permit, the town of Ramapo confirmed after a reporter's call about the incident and the residents' concerns.

The demolition occurred four days before the property was to be auctioned after a mortgage default.

Code Enforcement Officer Peter Muzzi issued a summons yesterday afternoon to the last known owners of the property.

The property was scheduled for an auction tomorrow in the lobby of the Rockland County Courthouse in New City after the default of a mortgage held by U.S. Bank National Association, a trustee for Credit Suisse First Boston.

Two Local Boys Named After R' Gavriel Noach Holtzberg H"YD In One Week

Yossi and Sara Touger named their son Gavriel Noach.

Levi and Chaye Sabol named their son Gavriel Noach Chaim.

Mazel Tov Weinsteins!

Mazel tov to Rabbi Naftoli and Sherry Weinstein on the birth of a grandson born to Rabbi Aryeh and Rosie Weinstein of Newtown, PA!