Can-am Care Corp

Go, Boulders! For region's sake

Ramapo's new baseball stadium, Provident Bank Park, and its home team, the Rockland Boulders, are now part of Rockland's fabric. Many pin their hopes on the stadium and team becoming an economic engine for the region. Wishing — and advocating — for the stadium project's doom works against the public's interest.

Indeed, many legitimate questions linger about Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence's quest to build the 4,500-seat home for the Boulders, the newest Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball League team.

Not the least of those is, will the public's needs be served by this $38-million-and-counting investment?

Many in town remain bitter over the stadium's existence, which was built with taxpayers' financial assurances even after voters overwhelmingly rejected a public referendum to do so, and was developed on parkland by a town supervisor who touts his open space initiatives.

St. Lawrence also heads the Ramapo Local Development Corp., which is the actual developer of the site. He wore both hats in his single-minded stadium pursuit. He pledged an opening date, and signed contracts that included fines for failing to meet it, before the project's financing was clear.

And that was just the beginning.

The project's problematic history includes issues with:

• Bonding. The town originally was going to guarantee $16.5 million in financing for the local development corporation. Local activists forced a public referendum, and voters overwhelmingly said "no" to backing loans for the ballpark's construction. Months later, the Town Board voted to guarantee a five-year, $25 million mortgage to complete the ballpark. A state judge allowed the loan, saying short-term loans aren't subject to public vote, so the earlier referendum didn't apply. Also, the judge said, stopping the project, which was near completion, would ultimately harm the taxpayer.

• Bankability. St. Lawrence has pledged revenue from baseball and special events like concerts and conferences will not only pay off the loan, but add to the town and county coffers. But critics blast the town's deal with Boulders' owner Bottom 9 Baseball, saying it favors the team much more than the town. Many have criticized banking on the Can-Am League, which has seen teams quickly come and go. Others, including Can-Am officials, say Rockland's just the right market for a family-oriented independent league team.

Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 Racer Josh Creamer Earns Pro Podium at ...

“Josh proved he had the speed to win both classes at MX 207, but unfortunately, he was nursing a sore knee and came up a little short in the Pro class,” said Jimmie O’Dell, Race Manger, Can-Am. “Josh’s will to persevere and race despite his injury was impressive and he really took care of business by winning the second moto in both classes and earning himself the Pro-Am class overall win.” “I was going to just go out there to salvage points, but I got tired of eating dirt and just rode like I normally would in the final two motos and ended up taking a couple of moto wins,” said Creamer. “I really want to take the championship this season and I couldn’t just let the leader run away with the points lead, so I chose to race even with a sore knee.

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