Harriger found guilty of child molestation
ALBION – Roy Harriger has been found guilty on two out of the three charges of course of sexual contact. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Orleans Hub will have more on the verdict later.
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Albion fire chief appointed county coroner
Rocky Sidari
ALBION – Rocky Sidari, Albion’s fire chief the past five years, has been appointed one of three county coroners.
Sidari took the oath of office and was sworn into the position on Friday. He responded to his first call on Friday night at a fatal Carlton fire. Sidari worked with Scott Schmidt, a veteran county coroner, on the call.
Sidari said he will shadow Schmidt and another coroner, Charles Smith, as part of his training. He also expects to attend a conference for coroners.
“There is a lot to learn and each call is different,” Sidari, 42, said on Sunday.
He was appointed coroner by the Orleans County Legislature on Jan. 14. He fills a vacancy created when Joe Fuller of Albion resigned after being elected Albion town justice.
Sidari is a familiar face to many local residents and the emergency services community. He has been an officer with the Albion Fire Department for about 20 years. He works as a general mechanic at the Orleans Correctional Facility in Albion.
He also is part of the county’s critical incident stress management team, which helps firefighters with a stress debriefing after a fatal fire or serious car accident.
Sidari said he will strive to be a calming presence as coroner, especially for grieving family members of the deceased.
“I’ve built up a lot of relationships in the community,” he said. “Maybe it will be comforting for a family to see someone they know.”
Sidari said he will step back from fire chief in April.
“I wanted something that would fill that gap,” he said about his willingness to serve as coroner. “I’m definitely looking forward to the next chapter of my life.”
Moreland Commission looked at Hawley’s outside income
Local assemblyman was found to not abuse office for financial gain
Photo by Tom Rivers – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, says he was one of 13 state legislators investigated by the Moreland Commission for outside income. Hawley, owner of an insurance company in Batavia, says he was cleared in the probe.
ALBION – State Assemblyman Steve Hawley says he was subpoenaed by the Moreland Commission, the state commission established to root out public corruption, about two years ago and forced to turn over business records from his insurance business in Batavia.
“There’s an old adage: ‘If you have nothing to hide, comply,'” Hawley said.
He turned over a list of clients, employees, family members, advertisements, political materials, income taxes and property taxes. It was an exhaustive collection of documents.
After three months of reviewing those records, to see if Hawley was making money in kickbacks or abusing his public office for financial gain, Hawley was cleared and found to not be misusing his office, he told about 75 people on Friday during a Legislative Luncheon at The Village Inn.
That wasn’t the case for the leader of the State Assembly. Sheldon Silver, speaker of the Assembly since 1994, on Thursday was accused of corruption by the U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Silver was arrested on public corruption charges and accused of using his position to obtain $4 millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.
Sheldon Silver
Bharara investigated Silver after Gov. Cuomo disbanded the Moreland Commission last March. Bharara said on Thursday more state officials could face corruption charges.
Hawley said he has strived to avoid any conflicts of interest in his 36 years in the insurance business. He has been asked to give insurance quotes for fire departments, school districts and municipalities, but has always declined.
Hawley and many of the Republican members of the State Assembly have called on Silver to resign. At the very least, Hawley said Silver should step down as Assembly speaker on a temporary basis until the case is resolved. The Assembly needs a leader to negotiate with Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos about the budget, Hawley said.
“It’s a shame, a debacle, a travesty for the people of New York,” he said about Silver.
Hawley would like to see the top leadership positions in the State Legislature capped at 8 years. Silver has been in his post for more than two decades.
Hawley was surprised to see only two out of more than 100 Democrats in the State Assembly call on Silver to resign. Hawley said that is indicative of the iron-fisted rule Silver has over the Democrats in the Assembly.
State Sen. Rob Ortt addresses about 75 people at the Legislative Luncheon at The Village Inn on Friday.
State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, also addressed the Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Ortt said he will try to be an “antidote” to the corruption in the state capitol.
Ortt served as North Tonawanda mayor for five years until he was elected in November, succeeding George Maziarz. Ortt was a member of the National Guard and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
He said he will advocate for a streamlined state government with less red tape, regulations and taxes on businesses.
He also said he would work to bring more state resources to local governments that need revenue to keep up with roads, bridges and other government services.
Ortt has been named chairman of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee. In that position, he said he will be an advocate for people with developmental disabilities and their families.
Many developmentally disabled residents are being cared for by their elderly parents. Ortt said the state needs to provide more resources to ensure developmentally disabled residents have safe places to live, especially when their parents can no longer care for them.
“They need a champion, a person of influence in Albany,” Ortt said.
5 injured in Albion accident
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Five people were injured in a two-vehicle accident this morning at the intersection of Gaines Basin Road and West Countyhouse Road.
The accident occurred at about 10:50 a.m. The driver of a pickup truck likely sustained internal injuries while four people in a minivan had lacerations and other injuries, firefighters at the scene said.
Two of the people in the minivan were ejected.
Two Mercy Flight helicopters, and ambulances from COVA and the Medina Fire Department transported those with injuries.
State Police, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance and firefighters from Medina, Albion and Barre all responded to the scene.
Legislature leader says selling nursing home one of county’s best decisions
Photo by Tom Rivers – Lynne Johnson, vice chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, said selling the county nursing home has proved a wise decision, saving local taxpayers millions of dollars. She was one of the speakers on Friday during the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Luncheon.
ALBION – It was a controversial choice, and resulted in lots of protesting and public disapproval. But the decision to sell the Orleans County Nursing Home has proved a good one, Legislature Vice Chairwoman Lynne Johnson said.
“Selling the nursing home is the best thing we’ve ever done as a Legislature,” Johnson told about 75 people on Friday during the Legislative Luncheon.
She was one of the featured speakers during the event at The Village Inn. The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce organized the luncheon.
Johnson had legislators in attendance all stand up for supporting the nursing home sale. The $7.8 million sale became final on Jan. 1. It removed what had been about a $1 million annual expense to local taxpayers. That deficit was forecast to hit $2 million or more annually, especially as federal Intergovernmental Transfer Funds dry up.
“Job well done, gentlemen,” Johnson told the legislators.
The new owner, Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC, took over the nursing home on Jan. 1, acquiring the 120-bed Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center.
The new owner has kept 99 percent of the former county employees, Johnson said. The company has also offered benefits and seniority for the employees.
With the nursing home out of the county budget, legislators cut taxes by 1.5 percent and reduced the tax rate from $10.11 to $9.89 per $1,000 of assessed property for 2015.
The county also committed to an $8 million bond for a series of bridge, culvert and county building projects in the next three years. That annual payment will be covered from $260,000 in gambling money approved by the state, Johnson said.
“The sale of The Villages takes the pressure off,” Johnson said. “We can rebuild our bridges and culverts.”
The county cleared a major milestone in 2014, wrapping up $7 million upgrade to its emergency management system, Johnson said.
The county is now working to expand broadband Internet coverage throughout Orleans, especially in the outlying rural areas that do not have high-speed Internet. Four companies have submitted bids for expanding broadband in the county. Those proposals are being reviewed.
The timing of the project fits with Gov. Cuomo’s push to extend broadband throughout the state.
“We stand ready to go after that money,” Johnson said about the governor’s broadband initiative.
Johnson told the Chamber crowd that county leaders are vigilant and active in fighting a plan to regulate Lake Ontario water levels.
Orleans, Niagara and other southshore lake counties worry a new plan for lake levels will lead to more extreme highs and lows in the lake, putting commercial and recreational businesses at risk, while also eating up valuable lakeshore property due to erosion.
“When property owners assessments go down, it affects all of Orleans County,” she said.
Johnson and Niagara County Legislator David Godfrey travelled to Washington, D.C. in July to press the counties’ concerns about the plan from the International Joint Commission. Johnson said it was unprecedented for a county legislator to visit the nation’s capital and press a cause on behalf of the county.
She praised the partnership with Niagara County and their two-county Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance.
“NORA gives us a bigger voice for concerns,” Johnson said.
Man found dead in Carlton fire
Deceased has not been positively identified
Photos by Tom Rivers – Firefighters work on putting out a fire on Friday afternoon at a house owned by George Swartz.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Scott Hess
CARLTON – A man was found dead following a structure fire that started Friday afternoon on Route 98 in the Town of Carlton.
At about 1:40 p.m., Carlton firefighters were dispatched to 2086 Oak Orchard Rd. A Sheriff’s deputy on patrol arrived at the scene within a minute of the call and reported the two-story dwelling fully engulfed in fire.
The owner and sole resident of the home could not immediately be located and it was believed that he might be in the structure. In addition to the Carlton Fire Department, seven other fire departments from within the county were called to the scene. It was several hours before the fire was completely extinguished.
It took several hours for firefighters to put out the blaze in the two-story house.
Once the fire was completely out, a search was initiated and shortly before 10 p.m., an individual was located in the basement of the remaining structure, and pronounced dead by Orleans County Coroner Scott Schmidt.
The body was subsequently removed and transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester for autopsy and positive identification.
In addition to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident remains under investigation by the Orleans County Office of Emergency Management, and the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control. A New York State Police K-9 team assisted with the search for the deceased.
Fire Departments responding to the scene were as follows: Albion, Barre, FHM (Fancher-Hulberton-Murray), Kendall, Lyndonville, Ridgeway and Medina. Fire Departments providing station fill-ins were Elba at Barre and Shelby at Albion.
The dark smoke from the fire could be seen from several miles away.
Weather Service warns of freezing drizzle
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church is pictured in this recent photo in Albion with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the First Baptist Church in the background.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 1:18 p.m. to 11 p.m. today for Orleans and several other Western New York counties.
The Weather Service warns there will be snow and freezing drizzle, which could result in slippery roads, sidewalks and parking lots.
Today is forecast for a high of 32 degrees, followed by a high of 17 on Sunday, with highs of 16 on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Weather Service.
Medina HS senior wins award in Distinguished Young Women
Provided photos – Regan Stacey of Medina competed in the Distinguished Young Women of New York on Jan. 10 in Albany.
ALBANY – A Medina High School senior competed in the 2015 Distinguished Young Woman of New York and won the award for “Be Your Best Self.”
Regan Stacey, daughter of Trisha and David Stacey, competed in the Distinguished Young Women competition, which was formerly known as Junior Miss.
Heather Dorler of Stockton in Chautauqua County was the overall winner of the state-wide competition on Jan. 10 at Cohoes High School Auditorium in Albany.
Stacey and Dorler were among 11 high school senior girls from New York who competed to represent the state as the Distinguished Young Woman of New York for 2015. Participants were evaluated in the categories of Scholastics (20 percent), Interview (25 percent), Fitness (15 percent), Self-Expression (15 percent) and Talent (25 percent).
The scholarship program awarded $5,000 in scholarships, with Stacey earning $200 for the “Be Your Best Self” award.
Participants in the Distinguished Young Women of New York include, front row, from left: Sarah Pierson – Southampton; Heather Ryan – Crown Point; Sarah Burbank – Moriah; Regan Stacey – Medina; and Heather Dorler – Stockton. Back Row: Christine Schmidt – Elmira; Jonni Mills – Red Hook; Lillith Ida – Ticonderoga; Keneally Phelan – Harriman; Hillit Avnon-Klein – Queens Village; and Rachel Lavin – Whitehall.
The 58th National Finals will take place on June 25-27 in Mobile, Ala. Dorler will travel to Mobile along with 49 other state representatives to participate in personal development activities and community service projects before competing for the opportunity to become the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2015 and for additional cash scholarships.
Abigail Feldman of Lyndonville was the NY state winner in 2014.
The New York State program is now accepting applications for any high school junior girl, with graduation date for 2016. For more information, visit www.distinguishedyw.org.
Firefighters remain at Carlton scene
Route 98 remains blocked off north of Route104
Photos by Tom Rivers
CARLTON – Firefighters remain at the scene of a fire in Carlton that destroyed much of a house at 2086 Oak Orchard Rd.
The property is owned by George Swartz and the site was condemned by the town recently as living quarters. Swartz was at the scene earlier today, trying to clean up the property, law enforcement officials said.
Fire investigators are on scene sifting through the rubble, looking a cause and also checking to see if anyone remained inside the house during the fire.
Fire departments from throughout Orleans County responded to the fire, which was first reported at 1:39 p.m.
Update: No verdict yet in Roy Harriger trial
ALBION – The jury has been sent home for the weekend after failing to reach a verdict in the trial against Roy Harriger, a former pastor in Lyndonville who is accused of molesting three of his grandchildren.
The grandchildren testified against Harriger, 71, on Wednesday, alleging he performed sexual acts on them and forced the kids, when they were 5 to 7 years old, to perform acts on him.
Harriger’s attorney Larry Koss said the claims are not true. He said one of Harriger’s sons, George Harriger, has orchestrated the claims against the elder Harriger. Both George and his brother Robert testified they were abused by Harriger.
“George says he was abused as a child and then he takes his children there,” Koss told the jury during closing arguments today. “Either his moral system is so degraded or it never happened to him.”
Koss implored the jury to “examine the proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
District Attorney Joe Cardone said Harriger’s grandchildren, including one who is in the military, all detailed the abuse from their grandfather. They said they weren’t coerced into testifying, as Koss suggested.
“Do you really believe someone made these kids come up with all this stuff?” Cardone told the jury.
Cardone said Harriger used his position of power to silence his victims for years.
“There has been a wake of destruction caused by this defendant,” Cardone said. “He is a man who puts himself before anyone else in his family.”
Cardone noted the case has split the family with many on one side of the courtroom and others, including Harriger’s church supporters, on the other side.
“Look at the divisiveness this man has caused,” Cardone said.
Harriger was the pastor at Ashwood Wesleyan Church in Lyndonville when the alleged abuse occurred in 2000 and 2001. After leaving Ashwood in 2009, he started a new church in Hartland, Community Fellowship Church, where he continues as a pastor.
Harriger faced charges of incest and course of sexual conduct, the latter charge means the crime lasted more than 3 months.
Orleans County Court Judge James Punch this morning dismissed the incest charges. Harriger faces the more serious charges, which carry a maximum of 25 years in prison.
Koss told the jury there is no way to prove the crime, if it occurred, lasted more than 3 months. Because the charges were brought long after the alleged incidents, Koss also said Harriger was denied the chance to offer an alibi.
The defense attorney said the layout of the Harriger house in 2001 and 2001, the church parsonage, didn’t offer privacy for Harriger to commit his alleged crimes. The house was also busy, with people over all of the time, Koss said.
“Jurors, apply common sense and see if the whole story makes sense,” Koss said. “I submit to you it doesn’t.”
Koss acknowledged the Harriger family is “dysfunctional.”
“You’re talking about personalities,” Koss said. “Look at those personalities.”
During his testimony on Thursday, Harriger denied any inappropriate sexual contact with his grandchildren, his two sons and one of his daughters, as was alleged. He denied any sexual relationships outside his marriage, and he denied Cardone’s claim that Harriger has an illegitimate daughter in Pennsylvania.
Cardone said the grandchildren admired their grandfather, who was a leader in the church and family. After he committed the alleged crimes, he would tell them, “You don’t talk about this,” Cardone said.
On Wednesday, the three grandchildren, now all about age 20, testified about the alleged crimes.
“The dysfunction has been going on in this family for generations,” Cardone said. “Thank God they’ve had the strength to come to you to put an end to it and it ends right here.”
Judge Punch told the jury they are not to talk about the case over the weekend, or follow any of the news reports about the case.
“You’re going to have to go into a media blackout,” the judge said. “If you’re on Facebook, just stay off of it for the weekend.”
