Narrowsburg Man Accused of Child Molestation in Wayne County

By Pat Camuso

HONESDALE – A Sullivan County, New York man is being accused of molesting two Wayne County minors.

According to police, 29-year-old Glenn Swendsen of Narrowsburg, New York has been charged with aggravated indecent assault and two counts of indecent assault of a minor.

Acting on the suspicions of a Wayne County Children and Youth caseworker concerning the welfare of a 6-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl, police began to investigate. Since then Swendsen has reportedly admitted assaulting the girls who told investigators that they were touched inappropriately on several occasions last winter.

Court records show that previous to this crime, Swendsen was convicted in Wayne County of corruption of minors in 2004 and was paroled after serving 4 months.

Swendsen is now free on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, before Magistrate Joan Snyder.

Police say that 24-year-old Brandy Sanders of Texas Township has also been charged with 3 counts of child endangerment for allowing Swendsen to be alone with the children despite her knowing he was not allowed such contact because of a previous crime.

Sanders is free on $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing for Sanders has also been scheduled for November 18.

Honesdale Man Arrested For Vandalism

On October 29, Honesdale Borough Police arrested Jacob P. Harvey, age 30, of Honesdale on a felony charge of criminal mischief and a misdemeanor charge of stalking.

The arrest was the result of an investigation into vandalism that occurred at a residence on Russell Street. On October 27, the victim’s vehicle was parked in his driveway and had the rear window smashed with a rock. On October 28, the victim contacted police again, as his vehicle had two tires slashed. The same day at 2:25 p.m. when the victim arrived home, he again noticed damage to his property. This time his motorcycle was tipped over and smashed with a large rock. When the victim woke up the morning of October 29, he found .22 caliber shell casings left on his front porch.

Harvey was arraigned before District Judge Snyder, and was incarcerated in the Wayne County Correctional Facility after failing to post $5,000 bail.

Tafton Man Arrested for Prescription Drug Fraud

HONESDALE - A Pike County man is facing felony charges in Honesdale after trying to obtain prescription drugs through fraudulent means.

According to Honesdale Borough Police Chief Mark Flynn, 33-year-old Hector Rivera of Tafton was arrested on October 23 charged with “criminal attempt to obtain a controlled dangerous substance.”

According to Flynn, on September 9 Rivera entered a Honesdale pharmacy trying to fill a prescription for Oxycodone, a controlled substance. Flynn said, “An investigation revealed that Rivera had lied to a doctor to obtain the prescription by telling him he was not seeing any other doctors for his condition. Rivera then gave a false date of birth and address to the pharmacist while attempting to get the prescription filled.”

Rivera was arraigned before Magistrate Joan Snyder and released on a $5,000 bail pending the results of his preliminary hearing.

No Injuries In 3-Car Crash

HONESDALE – Police investigated a three car crash at the intersection of Main Street and 15^th Street. At 11:55 a.m. Monday.

A 1999 GMC Sierra being driven southbound on Main Street by Brian Beach of Honesdale, struck the rear of a 2008 GMC Acadia which was also being driven southbound by Robert Curtis of Damascus. The collision sent the Acadia into the rear of a 2008 Subaru Impreza being driven by Monika Costantino of Beach Lake. Costantino was stopped in the southbound lane of Main Street waiting to turn left.

All occupants of the vehicles refused medical attention; they were wearing seatbelts. The airbag in the GMC Sierra deployed as a result of the collision. The GMC Acadia and the GMC Sierra had to be towed from the scene because of disabling damage.

Honesdale EMS, Honesdale Fire Police, and Honesdale Fire Department assisted at the scene.

Donation Jar Stolen From Honesdale Store

HONESDALE, Aug. 28 2009, 2:30 PM  — The Honesdale Police Department reports that two unidentified individuals stole a St. Jude’s donation jar from the Uptown Shell, on North Main Street, on Wednesday evening, Aug. 19.

According to a press release from HPD, two individuals were standing around the store’s counter for several minutes, and allegedly took the jar when the store’s clerk briefly left the counter.

The individuals pictured are being sought by police in connection with the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call (570) 253-1900 and speak with Patrolman Thacher. All calls are confidential.

Wayne Memorial Displays Gallery of Hope

Lisa Champeau, public relations manager, Wayne Memorial Health System; Sylvia Bailey, 2009 Gallery of Hope honoree; and Leigh Ann Wiedlich, community relations specialist, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The display, at Wayne Memorial until August 26, moves next to Pike County.

HONESDALE – Breast-cancer survivor Sylvia Bailey of Pleasant Mount has survived three bouts of cancer—two instances of breast cancer and one of colon cancer—but she doesn’t consider herself a “victim.”  She’s a fighter: “When you’re handed lemons, you make lemonade,” she says brightly. Bailey is one of 10 breast-cancer survivors profiled by Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania for this year’s Gallery of Hope. All the survivors are from northeastern and north-central Pennsylvania. On display at Wayne Memorial Hospital, the exhibit promotes the importance of screenings and early detection in surviving the disease. To nominate a survivor for the Gallery of Hope, or to request the Gallery be displayed at your facility or event, please call 1-888-245-3104.

Honesdale Reminds Residents of Skateboarding Ordinance

HONESDALE – The Honesdale Borough Police would like to remind Borough residents and visitors of the Borough Code relating to the operation of skates and skateboards in the Borough. Violators of the code are currently being warned, and advised of the ordinance, however, repeated violations will result in a citation being issued.

Section 171-1.  Use on sidewalks and bike paths.

1. Right of way to pedestrians. A person propelling or riding a skateboard or in-line skates, commonly known as “roller blades”, or roller skates upon a sidewalk or other area used by pedestrians shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian.
2. Business Districts. A person shall not ride a skateboard or in-line skates or roller skates or propel a skateboard upon a sidewalk or roadway in the business district within the Borough of Honesdale. Said business district, for purposes of this chapter, is described as follows: the territory contiguous to and including a highway when, within any 600 feet along the highway, there are building in use for business or industrial purposes, including but now limited to hotels, banks or office building, railroad stations and public building which occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one side or 300 feet collectively on both sides of the highway.

(This would include nearly all of the downtown area including central park)

Section 171-2. Violations and Penalties

Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction before a District Justice, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $600, plus costs of prosecution, and in default of payment of such fine and costs to imprisonment for not more than 30 days.

Wayne Memorial Extends Imaging Services

Samuel Choi, MD, board-certified radiologist and Medical Director of Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Imaging Services Department in front of a cardiac CT scan. Dr. Choi has joined Foundation Radiology Group, which has signed an exclusive contract with the Honesdale-based hospital.

More than 50 Radiologists Join Staff

HONESDALE – Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Imaging Services Department has expanded its ability to interpret diagnostic radiological studies everyday around-the-clock. The Hospital has signed an exclusive agreement with Foundation Radiology Group (FRG), a large Pittsburgh-based group of board-certified fellowship trained radiologists. In addition to its own two in-house radiologists, Wayne Memorial will now utilize a staff of 52 FRG radiologists.

“FRG’s turnaround time on final diagnostic readings—not just preliminary reads— of our studies is exceptional,” said James Hockenbury, Director of Ancillary Services at Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH). “It’s especially beneficial to our Emergency Department physicians who must often act quickly.”

FRG radiologists provide readings in Nuclear Medicine, MRI, Mammography,   CT Scan, PET/CT Scan, Vascular Ultrasound, General Ultrasound, and General Radiology as well as musculoskeletal, interventional, pediatric, brain perfusion, neuroradiology, cardiac CT and angiography, and breast MRI.

“The group’s ability to offer subspecialty services—pediatric radiology, for example— is also helpful to rural healthcare institutions such as Wayne Memorial which might not otherwise have access to them,” added Hockenbury.

WMH’s Chief Executive Officer David Hoff agreed. “Our partnership with Foundation Radiology Group will allow us to extend the level of radiological service that we can provide to our clients. Improving patient care is our top priority at WMH, and we are confident that this contract will be key in reaching our patient service goals.”

“The FRG solution is a perfect fit for WMH at this time,” said Dr. Samuel Choi, Medical Director of WMH’s Imaging Services Department. “With FRG’s subspecialty expertise, we become more diverse as a practice, by offering wider range of sub specialty interpretations.  We expect this change to be a tremendous benefit to our patients.”

Dr. Choi, who has chosen to join FRG, noted that WMH installation of a state of the art PACS technology in 2004 really set the stage to allow for such a transition to occur.  Picture Archiving Communications System is a private virtual network that ensures fast turnaround times for diagnostic imaging reads. The system allows physicians to access and view patient studies quickly and efficiently.

FRG is focused on serving non-university affiliated health care institutions, with an emphasis on serving the rural and suburban hospital segment.

“At FRG, we provide cost-effective radiology solutions that help our clients extend the level of care that they can provide to their patients,” said Dr. Brandon Chan, CEO, Foundation Radiology Group. “We’re proud to help WMH reach their goals, and to add them to our existing client network.”

For more information on FRG and its Joint Commission accreditation, visit www.frg-rad.com.

Drowning Victim Still Missing in Lake Wallenpaupack

An extensive search party continues to hunt the choppy waters of Lake Wallenpaupack for a man believed to have drowned last Saturday.

By Pat Camuso

TAFTON – The victim of a tragic swimming accident on Lake Wallenpaupack has yet to be found despite concerted recovery efforts and many rumors to the contrary.

According to incident coordinator Jon Castimore of Tafton Fire & Rescue, as of Monday afternoon, July 8, John J. Carvajal, a 48-year-old man from Union County, New Jersey, is still missing and presumed drowned after he jumped in for a swim from the back of a pleasure boat on Saturday, July 18.

According to the PA State Police in Honesdale, investigators have confirmed through witnesses on the day of the incident that the man was indeed a passenger on the boat that day during the time in question and they have no reason to suspect any foul-play.

Carvajal went missing in an area about 500-yards off-shore; just west of Epply Island and east of the PPL power dam where water depths range between 40 and 50-feet.

Castimore explained that despite the efforts of countless volunteers along with federal (FBI sonar gear) and state (aerial reconnaissance) assistance for five full days, the body has yet to be located.

He explained that at this point all underwater searches have ceased in part because of the continuous strain on dive crews and, according to Castimore, hazardous conditions on the lake’s floor.

Castimore stressed that the body has not been recovered and the Pike County Press will be notified immediately when it is. He said that careless rumors to the contrary can only serve to further hurt a grieving family looking to bring closure to this tragedy.

Castimore says that surface patrols are continuing with personnel and water craft from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, Tafton Fire & Rescue as well as “Lake Watch” volunteers.

Speaking on behalf of all his fellow volunteers, Castimore offered his sincere condolences to the Carvajal’s family. “We all feel bad,” he said. “We wish we could have done more for the family.”

Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary’s Other Shop “2” Re-Locates

HONESDALE – A grand opening was held June 26^th at the new location of Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary’s Other Shop “2”.  The shop moved from Main Avenue, Hawley to a more spacious building at 512 Spring Street, Hawley (the former home of Misc. Essentials).

The Other Shop “2” is a thrift store that sells donated merchandise; the Auxiliary’s Other Shop in Honesdale also sells consignment wares. Manager Jean Lawlor and Auxiliary President Helen Beck say there is something for everyone at both stores—men, women, children—as well as household items.

Among those who attended the ribbon cutting were Dave Wilson, executive director of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, Hawley Mayor Ann Morgan, Wayne Memorial Health System Board Chairman Helge Mortensen and board members Judi Mortensen and Lee Oakes, Auxilians Janet Lienert and President Helen Beck and volunteer Fred Hiris. Jean Lawlor manages the shop that is staffed by Auxiliary volunteers.

The proceeds from the shop help the Auxiliary raise money for its community work and Wayne Memorial Hospital. Shop hours are Monday 10am to 2 pm and Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 3pm.