Let's End The Week By Talking About South Blooming Grove's Fake Fire Department
An update on a pretty major story, some housekeeping, and all the questions I just sent to everyone's favorite local criminal, Mr. Joel Stern.
Just a short-ish housekeeping post to end the week.
Remember: I won’t be posting on Saturday and Sunday.
My plan is to use that time to piece together some of the longer articles I’m working on.
There’s a big one coming concerning Richard Cattagio, Woodbury Village Planning Board Member, for example.
There is also another long one coming to follow-up on the South Blooming Grove Fire District / Department. (More on that after the break.)
These long posts take a lot of time to chase everyone down, then fact check, then publish. I also sometimes have to wait for FOIL requests to be fulfilled.
Before I write the final installment of this series, for example, I am waiting for the Attorney General’s office to provide me with the FOIL-ed emails sent between Attorney General Letitia James and her Chief of Staff about Keen Equities LLC and South Blooming Grove.
Those emails are forthcoming, according to the AG’s office. I’m supposed to start receiving them at the end of this month (5/29).
If YOU enjoy these posts, I hope you’ll become a paid subscriber to The Monroe Gazette. We’re halfway to our goal of 100 paid/paying subscribers by August 1st, 2024. If we can hit 100, I can afford to do The Monroe Gazette full time. If not, I’ll need to cut back our posting schedule so that I can just focus on the longer articles. Since those seem to be the ones everyone responds to.
So, to close out the week, I’m going to plug two community events in Washingtonville that deserve your attention this weekend; and then I’m going to share with you all the questions I sent to Mr. Joel Stern about his fake fire department / fire district that definitely shouldn’t exist.
First is a community event near and dear to my heart: Free Comic Book Day. It’s exactly what you think it is. You can go to your local comic book store, while supplies last, and pick up free comics and other fun stuff. Here’s some more details:
And of course, tomorrow is ALSO:
So if you live in Washingtonville or near it, I hope you’ll check out both events.
Now, onto Mr. Joel Stern …
Let’s Talk About Your Phony Fire Company
I should explain something. If I think I’m dealing with someone who’s less than honest, I’ll publish my questions I sent to them online. This way, you know exactly what I asked them. Because the odds are good, when you ask people tough questions, they tend not to respond.
I’m getting real close to wrapping up the story concerning South Blooming Grove’s hilariously corrupt new Fire Department (or district, it’s been referred to as both by Mr. Stern and Mr. Ekstein.)
Now that I’m done interviewing people and doing research, I have to (legally) send my questions to the subject to give them an opportunity to respond.
So, these are the questions I sent to Mr. Joel Stern about South Blooming Grove Fire Company / Department / Division One, and the United Jewish Community of Blooming Grove’s Emergency Response Unit. The latter was authorized to provide fire and EMS service in the Village of South Blooming Grove despite New York State municipal law that may prevent it from doing so.
Enjoy the questions, and I’ll see you all again on Monday …
Mr. Stern,
I am currently completing an investigation concerning your claims to the Village of South Blooming Grove Board of Trustees on March 28th, 2022. I know it was some time ago, but a helpful resident has made them available on YouTube to refresh your memory:
My questions are below. Given that you are a well compensated, but unelected Village official, please try your best to provide an honest answer to each question.
You have five days to respond to this email.
All residents of South Blooming Grove, whether they speak English or Yiddish, will be made aware of your answers as you are responsible to all of them equally.
1. You stated in your letter that the Independence Fire Company is responsible for 17 square miles. The actual number is just over 7 square miles. Can you explain this discrepancy?
2. In your letter you stated, "However, over the past two years [2020-2022] the fire department and district is seeing a steady and rapid decline on its member roster, response time, and overall performance."
Given that your statements were made in March of 2022, I am sure you are no doubt aware of the COVID-19 Pandemic that occurred within those two years.
The pandemic is not mentioned once in your letter, can you explain why? Are you of the belief that this pandemic had nothing to do with the decline in member roster, response time, and overall performance during these two years?
3. You mentioned a desire to present a helping hand to the fire department. The Independence Fire Company disputes this. They also dispute the claim, made by yourself and others numerous times, of discrimination toward Satmar applicants. Can you present any evidence to support your claims that the Independence Fire Company was involved in widespread antisemitism in selecting its volunteers?
For example: Mr. Uri Deutch claimed to have applied to Independence Fire Company, only to be ignored. There is no proof of this. But Mr. Deutch was recently appointed Assistant Chief of the new Fire Department you created. Did Mr. Deutch report this discrimination to the Attorney General's office? The New York State Division of Human Rights?
If these claims are true, did you file a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights? What about the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission? Surely this sort of discrimination would be reported as antisemitism is vile and repulsive in all forms, don't you agree?
4. You stated that the Fire Chief of Independence Fire Company was "out of touch with the South Blooming Grove of today's day and age." Can you elaborate on this statement? Do you feel the chief is out of touch because he wants you and Mr. Ekstein, specifically, to ensure that all new construction is done in such a manner that promotes the safety and well being of all residents?
Given your role on the CDRC AND the Planning Board AND holding virtually every liaison role in the Village, surely you can alleviate any concerns the Fire Department may have concerning the new buildings being up to code, correct?
5. Are you implying that the Independence Fire Company is antisemitic because it wants new construction to conform to existing fire codes, which would prevent the kind of casualty and structure loss you are blaming them for?
6. You state "the proof is in the pudding." What proof can you share to support your claims that the Fire Company is putting "politics ahead of policy and procedure?"
Do you have minutes you can provide from the Fire Company's meetings to support this? Surely in your capacity as the liaison for the Fire Department for the Village you could access such records, isn't that right?
7. You claimed that the Fire Chief made an antisemitic statement at a meeting. Can you verify that this occurred? Given your frequent tendency to lie, and that the fire chief disputes this claim, the public has a right to know if the fire chief is making inappropriate comments. And if he is found to have done so, he should face the consequences.
If you heard such a hateful statement being made, why didn't you report it to the appropriate authorities?
8. Two months after receiving permission for the UJC Emergency Response Division to operate in South Blooming Grove, the UJC's not-for-profit status was revoked. When Form 990s were requested from the UJC, the English language version of the website was removed, but the Yiddish language version of the website remained.
Can you explain why the UJC does not have the required Form 990s? Can you also explain why the not-for-profit status was revoked for an organization authorized to provide emergency services in the Village?
What accountability is there concerning the UJC's Emergency Response Division?
One example: A Public Safety officer, paid by the village, is paying UJC Emergency Response Division's Passover Patrol out of pocket, and then billing the Village for those same hours that the Passover Patrol worked.
That doesn't sound kosher, does it? Can you explain where the line between the Village of South Blooming Grove government ends and the UJC begins?
9. The UJC Emergency Response Division then claimed that it had the ability to respond to incidents "in seconds." Can you provide a documented example of this?
10. The UJC Emergency Response Division, according to comments you made, claim the fast response time is due to first responders carrying oxygen tanks in their personal vehicles. Can you confirm that this is an appropriate and legally permissible action to carry these tanks?
11. Mr. Kalaj stated the UJC Emergency Response Division would operate 24/7 and be available to all residents; however, I can confirm that a different number is being provided to some residents to call for emergency services. This number is not publicly provided or listed anywhere online. Can you explain how this is not a discriminatory practice on the part of your Emergency Response Division?
12. I'm sure you're aware of this, but Village Law 4-412(3)(9) states the following:
"May contract for the furnishing of fire protection within the village with the fire department in the village or with any city, village, fire district, or incorporated fire company having its headquarters outside such village and maintaining adequate and suitable apparatus and appliances for the furnishing of fire protection in such village."
Given the proximity of the UJC headquarters to Independence Fire Company, and both reside well within the Village, can you explain how your request for the UJC Emergency Response Division does not violate this law?
13. Can you explain how the March 28th, 2022 vote by the Village Board to authorize the UJC to provide fire and emergency services does not violate this specific Village Law?
14. Can you also explain how the UJC, which had its not-for-profit status revoked by the IRS in 2022, is a legal entity that the village was able to contract with in the first place?
15. Further, I spoke with the New York State Department of Homeland Security. You claimed that the Independence Fire Company filed false claims and other misinformation concerning fires that were reported to Homeland Security.
The spokesperson I chatted with said there is no record of this, nor is there any record of complaints lodged against Independence Fire Company by yourself or other residents of South Blooming Grove.
Did you, at any point, share your concerns of false information being reported to government agencies by the Independence Fire Company? Or did you bring it up, just once, in order to get the UJC authorization?
16. Can you clarify the allegations you made concerning Independence Fire Company that they falsified records? This sort of comment is slanderous and could open you up for a lawsuit from the Independence Fire Company, not to mention erode trust in it from the public.
17. Can you clarify whether or not South Blooming Grove Fire Company No 1 Inc. is a fire department, or a fire district?
18. As the founding board member of the UJC, can you clarify if Mr. Joel Goldstein (Fire Chief of South Blooming Grove Fire Company 1), Uri Deutch (Assistant Fire chief), and Mr. Lazer Weiss (2nd Assistant Chief) are also members of the UJC?
That’s all for this week. Be good. Read some free comic books, and send me news tips.