Sodomy hearing closed to public

HONESDALE, PA — A certification hearing for three Long Island high school football players charged with sexually assaulting younger football players during a hazing incident last summer was scheduled to be closed to the public.

The incident involved players from Mepham High School at Camp Wayne for Girls in Preston Township. Last week, several relatives of the victims came here from Long Island to picket the courthouse, asking that the offending juveniles be tried as adults.

The hearing before President Judge Robert Conway was scheduled at the Wayne County Court House for November 12.

The announcement of the closed session was made by Wayne District Attorney Mark Zimmer, who earlier said the session would be open. Zimmer said the closure was at the request of the victim’s families.

Water Gap citizen advisory commission meeting

BUSHKILL, PA — A meeting of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Citizen Advisory Commission is scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2003, at 7:00 p.m., at the Pocono Environmental Education Center, Briscoe Mountain Road, Dingmans Ferry, PA.

The agenda will include Citizen Advisory Commission reports, issues and discussion. Superintendent John Donahue will give a report on various park issues.

The meeting will be open to the public and there will be an opportunity for public comment to the commission. Anyone who wishes to comment should call the Bushkill Headquarters Office of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area at 570/588-2418 prior to the meeting in order to be included on the agenda, or send a written statement relaying topics of concern to Steve Van Campen, Chair, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Citizen Advisory Commission, P.O. Box 284, Bushkill, PA, 18324.

DCNR adds cameras to curb illegal dumping

HARRISBURG, PA — In an effort to identify and prosecute criminals who dump on state forest and parklands, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), recently installed motion-sensitive cameras at illegal dumpsites in several state forests, including Delaware State Forest.

Officials say dumping has been a major problem in the Commonwealth’s remote woodlands.

Illegal dumpsites not only ruin beautiful scenery, they also create hazards for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts. Discarded tires containing standing water can become breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects, and dumped materials can leech into the groundwater, affecting drinking water supplies.

Bethel supervisor-elect arrested on felony charges

BETHEL, NY — Town of Bethel Supervisor-elect Ira S. Liff has been charged with third-degree insurance fraud and third-degree grand larceny, both Class D felonies, following an investigation by New York State Police.

A state police press release from Liberty reported that Liff received payments from Worker’s Compensation, in excess of $27,000, while he was allegedly able to work.

If convicted of a felony, Liff will not be able to become Bethel’s supervisor, reported Lee Daghlian of the New York State Board of Elections.

Sullivan County District Attorney Stephen Lungen reportedly waited to arrest Liff until after the November 4 elections because he wanted to avoid influencing voters’ choices.

Liff is free on $10,000 bail pending a November 20 court date.

Anti-tax lobbying is underway

ALBANY, NY — Business interests in New York have taken up the cry against new state taxes. In a November 7 press release, the Business Council of the State of New York cited a series of recent and earlier polls showing New Yorkers prefer reduced spending to new taxes.

Cited was a Quinnipiac University poll showing that New Yorkers still strongly preferred cuts in government spending to tax increases. The results are said to be identical to a similar Quinnipiac poll from last December.

More than half of respondents (52 percent) to the poll said New York should cut government services and keep taxes at their present level, the poll showed. Only 36 percent said they preferred higher taxes to keep services at their present level. Upstaters favored reduced taxes and government spending even more strongly than downstaters, the university said.

Deer season will open November 17

ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced Monday that the 2003 regular deer hunting season in New York State’s Southern Zone opens at sunrise on Monday, November 17, 2003, and closes at sunset on Tuesday, December 9, 2003.

The southern zone includes most of upstate New York, except Westchester County. Hunters are reminded that bear hunting opens November 22, 2003, in the Catskill Mountains.

Immediately following the regular deer season, a five-day late archery season opens December 10, 2003, and closes at sunset on December 14, 2003. A seven-day late muzzle loading season in the Southern Zone also begins December 10, 2003 and closes on December 16, 2003.

Specific areas that are open for bear hunting and other seasonal regulations are listed in the 2003-04 DEC Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide and on the DEC website at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/guide/. Hunters are urged to review all regulations and safety tips contained in the guide.