Who do you think is going into those concentration camps next?
News from Blooming Grove, South Blooming Grove, and Iran.
Well, hey.
Let me get the basics out of the way for new readers. (There are always new readers here, and like Stan Lee used to say to his writers at Marvel, treat every comic like it’s someone’s first.)
I’m BJ Mendelson, an investigative journalist who covers news in New York’s Southern Orange County region and beyond. You can follow me on BlueSky here. If you want to join a community of concerned residents looking to fight back against authoritarianism, you can join the Hands Off Hudson Valley Facebook group here. (Don’t mind the name; Facebook only lets you change it every so often, and I am waiting for that clock to expire so I can fix the Facebook group’s name to Hands Off Hudson Valley.)
But if you’re not in our region, there’s still a lot here for you since we also discuss what’s happening nationally. If you want to support my work, we are looking to sign up 500 new annual subscribers, which costs $120 a year. I know a lot of Substacks charge less than that (usually they’re at or just under $100 for the year), but I’m usually breaking news and not just talking about it, especially locally.
The higher amount helps to cover the enormous time I spend reading, researching, interviewing, and talking to people to put these stories together. Unlike other Substacks, our posts are incredibly long and detailed, so you’re getting your money’s worth.
500 sounds like a lot, but if half of our current free subscribers become paid subscribers tomorrow, we could hit this goal in no time.
When There Is A Fire, You Are Obligated to Say So
No Kings 3 is coming up on March 28.
Last year, Hands Off, No Kings 1, and No Kings 2 were some of the largest mass protests in American history.
I suspect that, between our dictator being accused of sexually assaulting a child, the war in Iran that he started to distract everyone from the possibility that he’s a pedophile, and the fact that you and I paid about $1,700 extra last year because of his tariffs that were just deemed illegal, 2026’s mass protests will be even bigger.
At this point, I have to give my standard disclaimer: when I say MAGA, I am not referring to people who voted for Trump. I’m referring specifically to the crazed white supremacists, gun nuts, and Christian nationalists who, together, make up a solid 30–35% of America. Those people are MAGA, and those people are the ones you should be worried about—especially as their God King’s dementia grows worse and they see their last best chance at wielding power for this generation slip away.
They are not going to go away quietly. Neither will Trump.
It’s important we distinguish between Trump voters and MAGA. Because there were many reasons not to support Clinton, Biden, or Harris. In the latter case, one reason that apparently doomed the Democrats in 2024—which they are allegedly trying very hard to keep from you—is that both Biden and Harris allowed Israel to commit genocide in Gaza. Talking about this would mean losing out on all that sweet, sweet, AIPAC money. You know, like this guy is raking in:
So, few of the Democats said boo about what should have been Israel’s quest for justice after October 7th, and not what happened instead, which was a vengeful massacre of 75,000 people (and counting.)
To which I’ll point out, if “Never Again” is to have any meaning, “never again” must mean never again, for everyone. Not just us as Jews.
Kamala Harris’s canvassers were told that people were (correctly) upset about what was happening in Gaza, and her team decided to ignore those concerns. If you look at how narrow the margin of victory was for Trump in 2024—one of the narrowest in history, with him winning by under two percent in the popular vote—the millions of people who stayed home because of the genocide in Gaza that Biden and Harris enabled is the reason we’re in the mess we’re in now.
That’s because, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israel is “the reason” we’re in a war with Iran—he later backtracked on this statement—I hope we can all stop pretending that, like criticism of our Haredi brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel is not anti-Semitic.
In fact, as a Jew, according to Halakha, we are especially obligated to call out bad behavior by our fellow Jews whenever we see it. Some of this is because we don’t want to give non-Jews a reason to be angry with us.
But some of this is also because, as Jews, our religion and culture are based on a foundation of justice. When someone steers away from that, we’re supposed to guide them back toward it. This is how we repair the world.
But between Jeffrey Epstein, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, there are plenty of bad Jews that need to be called out these days.
When there is a fire, we are obligated to say that there’s a fire.
In fact, I honestly feel like now is an awful time to be Jewish.
-Secret billionaire pedophile sex ring? Jeffrey Epstein was the ring leader. A fellow Jew.
And you know what we’re not talking enough about? Epstein’s ties with the Israeli government and the classified documents that are not subject to release. (There are millions of unreleased Epstein documents because the DOJ appears to be intentionally hiding them, but we don’t talk enough about the classified documents that are exempt from the Epstein Files Transparency Act. See below where it says “all unclassified records.”)
If our Congressman, Pat Ryan, wanted to show his independence from AIPAC, one thing he can do is ask to review all of the Epstein files—he can do this under his investigative powers as a congressman—that are specifically focused on the Israeli government and what role they played in Epstein’s operations.
And speaking of Israel …
-War in Iran? This is Israel’s war. Benjamin Netanyahu said he’s been wanting to take out the Iranian regime for forty years. Now he did, and we’re stuck holding the bag for him.
Obviously, the regime in Iran sucks. They just murdered thousands of protestors. Nobody feels bad that those assholes are dead. But …
Saddam Hussein and the Taliban sucked too.
By the way, how did those regime change wars work out for us? Good, right? I mean, because we’re now getting involved in another one and it’s not like the Taliban are still in control of Afghanistan or ..
What’s that?
They are?
Well … that was 20 years and the lives of 2,459 men and women in our armed services well spent.
-Mass deportations and concentration camps? That’s all taken from the mind of Stephen Miller. Trump’s cognitive state is exactly what all the MAGA people claimed Biden’s was. He’s got resting 25th Amendment face. He dozes off, sleeps during cabinet meetings, and has no idea where he is half the time. He was caught on camera talking to statues instead of answering questions from reporters about the war in Iran.
That man is not in charge of America.
Stephen Miller, Russel Vought (Director of the Office of Management and Budget), Elon Musk via his DOGE cronies—remember that while Musk may be out of the spotlight, he’s installed his flunkies all over the federal government, and they’re all still running things—and Vice President Couch Fucker.
Those are the people running America right now.
And that’s really scary.
Especially Stephen Miller. Because take him, and Epstein, and Netanyahu, and what do you have? Three of my fellow Jews, doing very bad things all over the world with little to no impunity.
And as a Jew? I am afraid.
Because this is exactly what all those nutbag “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” people talk about.
And if you don’t think MAGA sees what I see, you haven’t been paying much attention to Nick Fuentes and his “cool” Groyper friends. This wing of the Republican Party is who JD “I Fucked A Couch” Vance keeps cozying up to. Thinking they’ll elect him in 2028, assuming there is an election in 2028.
Now look at what’s happening right now with ICE, and ask yourself, “Are the Jews next?”
Because I’d bet my life that the answer is yes.
So. Why are we talking about this?
I sure hope my fellow Jews take note and get off that MAGA cult heroin they’re doing before it’s too late. Because once these white supremacist assholes are done rounding up and deporting our Latino brothers and sisters, you’re next. You may think you’re not. But you are. And yes, when you and I are sitting in a truck and being carted off to the concentration camp in Chester, I’m going to laugh my ass off at you the entire ride.
If you think this is an exaggeration, try to answer the following question: Let’s say the Trump regime is successful with their mass deportation program. Now you have these empty concentration camps all over America, like the one ICE is maybe or maybe not opening in the Village of Chester.
Who exactly do you think is going into those concentration camps next?
When there is a fire. You are obligated to say that there is a fire. I am telling you right now that there is a fire. And I am asking you to help put it out. You can take the first step in doing this by attending a local No Kings event in your area.
There will be multiple No Kings events across Orange County that day. I’d like to invite you to the event in the Village of Monroe, which takes place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Lake Street and 17M. This event is organized by Hands Off Hudson Valley, where I serve on the steering committee. I will, of course, share the other locations and times as I get them confirmed.
For my Rockland County friends, Indivisible Rockland will be holding events in both Tarrytown and Nyack from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. I am not 100% positive on Sullivan County locations, but I’ll share those as well as I get them.
In This Bar, We Don’t Serve Nazis
If you have a local community event that you want me to promote, you can email it to BJ@MonroeGazette.com.
As you might have figured out, The Monroe Gazette does not have a regular posting schedule. We post these long articles at least twice a month (totaling about 20,000 words, meaning you get the equivalent of a book every few months).
But if you have a long enough lead time for your event, I will do my best to incorporate it. For example, our friends at the Warwick Historical Society sent us the following to share with you:
Celebrate 250 Years of America at Tavern Night 2026
The Warwick Historical Society invites the community to Tavern Night 2026 on Thursday, March 26, from 6–8 p.m. at Baird’s Tavern — as America marks its 250th anniversary and the Society celebrates 120 years.
Built before the founding of the United States, Baird’s Tavern played a role in the nation’s earliest days. Guests will enjoy pub-style fare, beer and wine, tavern games, and access to the rarely opened second floor and attic, where docents will share stories of Revolutionary War history, including visits from George Washington and Martha Washington.
Tickets: $50 WHS members in good standing / $60 non-members. Advance purchase recommended on the calendar page of warwickhistory.org. Info: 845-986-3236.
Signs of Solidarity & Local MAGA Boycotts
I also like to promote small businesses. There’s no cost or charge; I just want to ensure I’m supporting the local ecosystem as much as I can. If you know of a small business in Southern Orange County (Blooming Grove, Tuxedo, Warwick, Chester, Monroe, Woodbury, and Palm Tree) that deserves a shout-out, let me know.
My only rule is that they MUST have a Signs of Solidarity flyer (such as the one above) in their window or on their website.
If you would like to help distribute these signs or get one to display in your window, please contact Nora and Carol at our Hands Off Hudson Valley group at HandsOffHudsonValley@gmail.com.
Should We Boycott Local MAGA Businesses?
This question has been coming up frequently from readers. Here’s my answer.
Regarding MAGA-owned businesses, this might sound contradictory unless you read what I said earlier very carefully.
If you can confirm that a small business owner or service provider is MAGA—like any of the large companies we should be boycotting (Amazon, Apple, Google, Home Depot, Paramount+, Lowe’s, etc.)—then you should quietly boycott them.
I know it’s hard; I struggle with this too. But hear me out:
The most powerful weapon we have is our money and how we spend it. Money is the only thing billionaires and corporations care about. They are the ones in charge. A recent Supreme Court decision regarding tariffs demonstrates this. The billionaires hated the tariffs, so the Supreme Court struck them down. Trump being mentally impaired, brought the tariffs back, but only for the next 140 days or so.
Otherwise, the Court would follow Congress’s lead and pretend it is powerless to stop the regime. (In fact, the Supreme Court has much more power than Congress and has been facilitating this fascist agenda for the last 50 years.)
If you are a small business owner or service provider who still supports Trump at this time, you’re supporting an alleged pedophile and endorsing the idea that anyone who isn’t white must show their “papers” or risk being detained in a concentration camp.
I don’t need to give you my money.
That said, I’m not going to make it a big deal either.
I will simply ghost you.
I’ll tell my friends to ghost you.
And I’ll ask them to tell their friends.
If you’re still MAGA at this point, you are a victim of a cult. Nothing I say or do will convince you otherwise. As Wittgenstein said, the fly will find its way out of the bottle, or it won’t.
All I can do is calmly take my business elsewhere.
It’s like when you see MAGA supporters at a County meeting’s public comment session. The goal isn’t to yell at them— they don’t care; they want you to react. Instead, just go silent or even turn your back on them.
So, if you discover a small business owner is MAGA, don’t make it a big deal. Don’t harass them or compile lists of MAGA-friendly local businesses to post online. Some things are better kept to your Neighborhood Signal Group for sharing.
The second you start making noise and announcing, “Let’s boycott the local MAGA businesses,” you’ll face backlash. People may say, “That doesn’t support the community!”
Some folks don’t understand we are living through a national emergency or are trying hard to pretend everything is fine. They won’t grasp how crucial it is for you to use your economic power to boycott MAGA-affiliated businesses.
Instead, look for businesses displaying Signs of Solidarity in their windows. If they have the sign, support them financially and encourage your friends to do the same.
We need to ask ourselves: What kind of community do I want to live in? For me, I refuse to live in a community that supports a white supremacist movement that poses a clear and present danger to our country, our democratic system, and our way of life.
We must ensure our local ecosystem is strong and healthy. MAGA’s presence is a cancerous tumor in our society. It must be removed, or we’re all going to suffer—whether through continued inaction on the climate emergency (as the oil companies want) or the initiation of senseless wars (remember Venezuela? Do you think Cuba’s next?) without a plan. Authoritarianism and fascism always need an enemy, and once they eliminate one group, they just move on to the next until they are consuming their own.
You don’t want to be like Steve Jobs, thinking you can eliminate cancer just through leafy greens and good vibes. That approach didn’t work out so well for him, did it?
Anyone who identifies as MAGA must be barred from holding any government position.
And anyone who openly supports MAGA should not receive money from you.
Use your economic power to foster the kind of community you want to live in.
And remember this: If a small business owner can refuse to make a cake for a gay wedding, there should be no issue with a cashier denying service to anyone wearing pro-MAGA paraphernalia.
Those now-former Smoothie King employees were correct to refuse service to customers in MAGA gear. At this point, it’s no different from serving a Nazi.
And in this bar? We don’t serve Nazis.
Get To The Choppa!
Last but not least, we’re still on the hunt for Joel Landau’s helicopter, VP-CZS.
If you see it taking off or landing in and around South Blooming Grove, please let us know immediately. Right now it looks like he’s parked it at Kearny Point, New Jersey, at the HHI Heliport.
If you see the helicopter, make sure to take pictures and videos if you can.
Things have been a little quiet at the illegal helipad at 58 Fort Worth since a couple of reporters stopped by “Mayor” George Kalaj’s alleged home there.
However, I have no doubt Stern and Ekstein will let their guard down, and the helicopter will be back in no time.
These are not smart men; they’re dumb and arrogant. As soon as they think the coast is clear, the helicopter will return.
You can anonymously and safely send pictures and videos to us via Signal at bjmendelson.32
I’ll be back soon with the helicopter story. The challenge I have right now is that the Village of Monroe election is going to be a disaster, and the time I was supposed to spend on the helicopter story is getting eaten up with the Village election.
If you live in the Village of Monroe, or know someone who does, it’s imperative you say to them “Girl. You’re in Danger.” Because Lipa Deutsch and Avroham Flohr, two land lords who you’re going to be hearing a lot about soon, want Alex Melchiorre, Nancy Peifer, and former mayor Joe Mancuso to do for them what George Kalaj is doing for Joel Stern and Isaac Ekstein.
(It’s worth pointing out this is yet another local election that Ekstein and Stern injected themselves into. First over in Woodbury in the mayoral race with Isaac Ekstein’s support of far right MAGA Bigot Brandon Calore, and now with the Village of Monroe race on behalf of the Blooming Grove Police Chief, Alex Melchiorre.)
And if you don’t think those things are connected, wait until I get to the story about the Town of Blooming Grove’s Police Chief, Alex Melchiorre, his great relationship with Isaac Ekstein, and that mysterious one car police vehicle accident that happened earlier this year.
South Blooming Grove is a national embarassment, but Blooming Grove’s Town government isn’t looking so pretty these days with Brian Nugent as the Town Attorney, Building Inspector Jeanne Ovensen frequently accused of taking bribes from Joel Stern and Isaac Ekstein’s friend Moche Halpern, and Alex Melchiorre summoning police cruisers the moment Isaac Ekstein asks for them, but allegedly delaying coverage or outright ignoring Town and Vilage residents who call for assistance.
In response to these accusations, the Town Supervisor Robert Jeroloman told The Monroe Gazette, “The Town Police respond to all calls for service in an appropriate and safe manner. If you have factual evidence to the contrary, please provide it to me, including but not limited to, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all complainants.”
Supervisor Jeroloman also disputed the claim, made by multiple eye witnesses who spoke to The Monroe Gazette, that Alex Melchiorre was at the scene of the recent fire at 33 Tanger Road, praising Isaac Ekstein. So, I’m not going to say the Supervisor just called some of his first responders liars, but …
Here’s what he said: “I was requested to respond to the fire scene by the Fire Chief of the South Blooming Grove Fire Department and subsequently to the SBG Fire Department Station. I arrived prior to the Police Chief and did not see or hear him make any statements that would confirm your allegation.
Again, if you have factual information supporting your claim, please provide it to me, including, but not limited to, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all complainants.”
Speaking of the allegations concerning Building Inspector Jeanne Ovensen and Moche Halpern, the Town of Blooming Grove has invented what seems to be its very own FOIL policy, which is, “we’re going to print out stuff, redact it by hand, and then charge you per page because we can and we don’t want to give these records to you.”
This is actually an incredibly common response to FOIL and FOIA, when agencies don’t want to turn over potentially embarrassing documents. It’s not something BG came up with. But like any other agency, they know the more they charge, the more likely it is an independent journalist will just give up and walk away. (Again, we’re all broke doing this shit. So it’s not like we’re doing it to make any money. We do what we do to protect our readers and get the truth out there.)
So currently, there is $30 worth of documents sitting in the Town of Blooming Grove’s offices right now. These are documents for records The Monroe Gazette requested, among other things, any communications and interactions between Joel Stern’s Pal Moche Halpern and Town of Blooming Grove Building Inspector Jeanne Ovensen.
We are discussing (our attorney and I) what we want to do, because there’s another FOIL coming due this week concerning the mysterious one car police vehicle accident. If we face the same sort of obstruction, which Mr. Brian Nugent insists is totally legal (and we can’t wait for a judge to hear that one), then we may sue the Town of Blooming Grove.
And once we do, and when we win, we’re all going to talk a lot more about the allegations from residents that the Building Inspector is taking money from a local real estate agent and Joel Stern’s wealthy pal.
If it were me, and I was a Blooming Grove resident, I’d start demanding some heads roll over there.
Also on the South Blooming Grove front…
I’ve heard from about ten residents who are interested in suing Letitia James. I’d like to get that number closer to thirty. So I need your help.
If you live in South Blooming Grove and would like to join the lawsuit, please reach out to me. If we have thirty residents, there’s extra stuff we can do. For example, we can also ask a judge to essentially perform their own audit of South Blooming Grove’s finances. I have a story coming soon involving New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who we feel is doing everything he can to bury the audit his office has been conducting into South Blooming Grove since March 2024.
I have absolutely no faith that the Comptroller’s office will ever finish this audit, let alone turn over what it finds to the FBI or the Attorney General’s office. So if we can get a court to do its own forensic accounting of what’s happening there, we can at least ensure that the information found is made available to the right people—just like I recently did with the voting records for everyone Joel Stern claims is a resident of those two yeshivas.
In other SBG news, our lawsuit is currently just sitting there. This is the one The Monroe Gazette filed against the village concerning the 2024 Village Election that the village decided not to hold. You know, the thing Senator Skoufis should have investigated and asked the Attorney General to get involved in? Instead of waiting until after it was too late to do anything about the October 2025 alleged election and then acting like he was all concerned?
(Letitia James was in fact sued by a South Blooming Grove resident for not investigating the 2024 election. The judge said the resident was better off suing the Village instead of James, because there’s nothing in New York State’s legal code that requires the Attorney General to act which … is bullshit. But that’s just another way our system protects the wealthy at our expense.)
-BJ
P.S. I know of two young female cats, a mother and daughter, in need of a home. If you’re looking to adopt these two little angels, email me at BJ@MonroeGazette.com. They’re both spayed and very sweet. I would adopt them, but we don’t have the room here for two more friends.
