Chestertown Fire Issues Still Ablaze

Posted on Monday, 4 of July , 2011 at 9:04 am

CHESTERTOWN—Fourteen months ago today on May 4, two firefighters of the Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company were arrested for stealing gas from the organization.

Three days later, their wife and mother, then a member of the Ladies Fire Auxiliary, was arrested for stealing toilet paper.

What has transpired over the past 14 months is almost unbelievable, incongruous.

And while some may think it’s over, it’s not.

What happened inside these cases for the past year?  What has transpired since these cases were supposedly resolved by probation and a conditional discharge?  How many other people were victimized during the past year as a result of these arrests? What’s the real story?

It appears that there may be a new round of arrests in the near future.

A recent filing with the state Comptroller’s Office by the Chestertown Board of Fire Commissioners and statements by secretary/treasurer Alison Burch seem to indicate a discrepancy of $150,000 and so far, no one has been able to explain how nearly a half million dollars has found it’s way to a fire district slush fund.

While the district’s annual financial report was due for filing by law no later than Feb. 28, even with an extension granted by the comptroller’s office, Burch was 45 days late in filing the report.  State law says she could be charged with a misdemeanor for the late filing and the district assessed a fine of $5 a day.

A state audit report of the fire district is due to be released and the state Committee on Open Government is also expected to soon release a formal written opinion on the legality of the actions of the Horicon Town Board in conducting a meeting in January denying the use of the town community center for an open government forum by Robert Freeman, executive director of the NYS Committee on Open Government.

A lawsuit involving the Freedom of Information Law and Open Meetings Law filed against the fire company and its chief, Jack Crossman, is still pending in Warren County Supreme Court with at least four motions still outstanding, awaiting a decision by Judge David Krogmann.

An appeal of the first decision, rendered in January, is ready to be filed in the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Albany but may be in jeopardy due to one of the parties.

Litigation is ready for filing against several individuals who have persistently engaged in harassment and cyberstalking of the NCG publisher since the outset of the fire district issues, including the son of a the current fire company president.  While several of the individuals are employed by Warren County, the litigation will be brought in their individual capacities so that taxpayers will not have to foot legal expenses for their defense.

The North Country Gazette will present an anatomy of the case including facts never before released,  in an exclusive report this week, available to subscribers only.  Don’t miss it!  Subscribe today by clicking on subscription ads to the right of this article.   7-4-11