Former town of Diana supervisor appointed to Lewis County board

LOWVILLE — Lewis County legislators on Tuesday appointed a former Diana town supervisor and business owner as District 1 legislator.

Legislators voted 9-0 to appoint Republican Philip C. Hathway of Route 3, Harrisville, to fill the seat formerly held by L. Kelley Dickinson, R-Harrisville. Mr. Dickinson died in February after serving nearly 20 years on the county board.

Mr. Hathway will need to run for election this fall to keep the job past the end of the year.

"I had an awful lot of people contact me about putting my name in," the new legislator said after the meeting.

While being a legislator was certainly not a "life-long dream," Mr. Hathway said he was pleased that he was chosen, given the quality of other candidates. "I look forward to it, and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it," he said.

Mr. Hathway served as Diana town supervisor from 1994 to 1997, when he stepped down due to other commitments.

Born and raised in Diana, he left in the early 1970s to work in construction for about 20 years in the south before returning. He operated Phil's Over the Hill convenience store on Route 3 from 1990 through 2003, when he closed the store due, in part, to competition from chain convenience stores.

Since then, he has worked part-time for a local contractor, primarily in purchasing and procuring materials.

Seven Republican committee members who live in District 1, which encompasses the town of Diana and the northern part of the town of Croghan, on Sunday interviewed five candidates and selected Mr. Hathway as their top choice.

County law gives the legislators the power to fill a vacant seat, but lawmakers traditionally accept recommendations from the party to which the former legislator belonged.

Mr. Hathway will take over Mr. Dickinson's committee assignments, including chairman of the Transportation and Solid Waste Committee. And, while abstaining from voting Tuesday, he did get a quick initiation on highway and solid waste issues.

Legislators last month decided to maintain operations at the Croghan transfer site — including three part-time workers who had been cut from the 2009 budget — through the end of the year. However, they added the stipulation that the county would quit operating the site after Dec. 31, with only legislators Michael A. Tabolt, R-Croghan, and John O. Boyd, D-New Bremen, opposing that move.

Mr. Tabolt sought to have the proposed closure rescinded, producing figures showing the site turned a $9,515 profit last year.

"You wouldn't sell a cow that's making you money," the Croghan dairy farmer said.

Mr. King questioned the validity of those numbers, suggesting a couple more weeks will be needed to ensure that all costs are figured in.

Legislators on Tuesday were notified that the town councils in Diana and New Bremen had passed resolutions in opposition to the proposed closure, and Croghan Town Supervisor John B. Jones asked legislators to reconsider. A petition against the proposal containing an estimated 1,300 signatures was also presented to the Legislature.

Several other residents from the northern end of the county also spoke, including Gary F. Buckingham, a former county legislator and solid waste coordinator from Harrisville. "That serves about one-third of the county," Mr. Buckingham said.

He also gave lawmakers a history lesson on the establishment of the Croghan transfer site, which he oversaw.

Mr. Hathway said the site should remain open even if it doesn't quite break even as a service to residents.

After a spirited discussion, Mr. Tabolt agreed to table the matter until next month's meeting.

Mr. Hathway's committee also will be choosing a replacement for Thomas M. Sweet. Mr. Sweet announced plans to retire as superintendent of highways and solid waste on July 1 after nearly 12 years at the post.