I am amazed at the one-sided article written by Jane Meggitt, a reporter I have known for several years. She sounds like she is the personal spokeswoman for the opinions of Bert Ellentuck. And opinions they are. Jane had been given a copy of the letter written by the attorney for Yeshiva Me’on Hatorah, requesting that negotiations be considered in lieu of litigation. The yeshiva would like to talk with members of the Planning Board and Borough Council about how a fair and equitable solution can be reached through compromise and accommodation rather than though more expensive means.
The Planning Board meetings were canceled and postponed for a number of reasons, including Ellentuck’s trip out of the country; the unavailability of the “real” ordinance; the fact that the Planning Board had not sent out the requisite notices to the required newspapers, making the meetings outside the “sunshine law”; religious holy days, etc. Among the many reasons was the illness of a key witness on behalf of the yeshiva. While it is true that many signatures were collected among the people of the town, I believe that now, knowing that litigation might have a huge impact on the amount of taxes we will pay in the coming years, these same townsfolk would sign in favor of compromise and negotiation rather than strong-arm tactics.
Perhaps if, in an open forum, the majority heard the real story rather than what the recall committee/Roosevelt Preservation Association want us to believe (and which they are still misquoting to their benefit), the yeshiva would find a place to stay that was amenable to all.
Elly J. Shapiro
Roosevelt