Looking Back
A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:
Carmichaels OKs
joint school study
CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board agreed Thursday to participate in a feasibility study with two other school districts to consider ways the districts can improve educational programs, share services and implement other cost-saving measures.
The study had been rejected by the board several times in the past but was approved Thursday after language was removed that indicated the study would consider the consolidation or merger of districts.
The board approved a motion under which the district will serve as fiscal agent for a $100,000 state grant to conduct the feasibility study. The grant was originally awarded more than a year ago, and an extension will be requested from the state.
The other two districts that will participate in the study are Southeastern Greene and Jefferson-Morgan.
Superintendent Craig Baily said the money would be used to hire a consultant to conduct a comprehensive study of the three districts.
“The study will look at all facets of our operations,” he said. It will consider all options to help the districts improve their educational programs, share services among them and use and improve district buildings.
It also will look at student safety and ways the district can save money, Baily said. It is not, however, a study for a merger, he said.
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Drug chief delivers
startling assessment
MAPLETOWN – Fran Suppok didn’t pull any punches when he addressed Southeastern Greene School Board Thursday.
Suppok, chief Greene County detective and coordinator of the Greene County drug task force, told the board, “You don’t just have a drug problem, you have an epidemic drug problem.”
The detective’s assessment of pervasive drug use was not focused on Southeastern Greene, but the county as a whole.
“And we are finding that the drug of choice is heroin,” he said.
Heroin is usually sold in what Suppok called “stamp bags,” because the bags are what stamp collectors use and are about the size of a postage stamp.
“A bag sells for about $20, and it is not unusual for habitual users to have a $600-a-day habit,” he said.
But what hit home was Suppok’s statement that typical drug users are high school students, and for the most part, there are no social or economic distinctions.
One board member seemed to have some difficulty accepting there was a surge in drug use among teenagers.
“Where do these kids get the money?” Don Humbert kept asking.
Suppok’s response was that they steal the money, sell previously purchased drugs at higher prices or beg off other kids.
Will Wal-Mart bring
progress or poverty?
WAYNESBURG – The proposed shopping center in Franklin Township is supposed to create 500 jobs, enhance the local property tax base and provide discount shopping to area residents.
However, if Wal-Mart sets up shop on the 115-acre parcel across Route 21 from the county airport, it will mean fewer businesses and fewer well-paying jobs for Waynesburg and the surrounding community, at least according to the half-dozen people who spoke out at the Franklin Township supervisors meeting Monday.
“Your whole community will be detrimentally affected if Wal-Mart comes in,” said Sandy Thompson, an organizer for United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 23. Thompson represents workers from Giant Eagle supermarket in Waynesburg.
Supervisors ratified an earlier decision by the Franklin Township Planning Commission when they approved the plaza’s preliminary site plan Monday.
The plan didn’t specify what stores would be located on the site, but the developer, McHolme/Waynesburg LP, previously secured a commitment from the nation’s largest retailer to open a Wal-Martsuper center there.
More businesses typically mean more jobs and a larger property tax base. Supervisor Reed Kiger said he has no interest in warding off any store, whether it be Wal-Mart or something else.
“We certainly hope they’ll be a good neighbor,” Kiger said.
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W. Greene deadlocked
on vo-tech
ROGERSVILLE – The renovation of the county’s vocational-technical school may have to be placed on hold after West Greene School Board failed to approve the $3.7 million project Thursday.
The project to replace the roof and make other improvements to the 34-year-old building attracted approvals from the four other Greene County school districts. West Greene, though, deadlocked on the matter, with a 4-4 vote. Director Rosemary Fletcher was absent.
However, the board agreed to reconsider the issue in 10 days, when a draft of the 2004-05 budget will be available. Several directors expressed uneasiness with the prospect of incurring debt for the vo-tech project before they knew their own district’s financial situation.
“I never wanted to vote for something so bad in my life,” said Director Mary Jane Kent. “But, I’m afraid to.” Kent dissented along with Directors Shelia Simms, Jim Amos and Anita Ross.
Director Harry Gillispie said he also had reservations about the project’s cost, but “I feel we have an obligation to our students, who are not in academic.”
As it stands now, West Greene will be responsible for 29.86 percent of the project’s cost, or $68,758 annually for the next 15 years. Each of the five school districts are expected to contribute an amount based on the total value of all of the taxable properties in the district.
Utility calls storm one
of worst in its history
WAYNESBURG – The statistics tell the story of the devastating ice storm that virtually paralyzed Greene County last week.
Of 34,500 West Penn Power Co. customers in the Jefferson District (75 percent of them in Greene County), more than 32,000 lost electrical service at some point between March 6 and March 7 when the final pockets of trouble were cleared up.
Many people were without heat and light for five days or longer as 71 of the division’s 93 substations were knocked out of service; 47 miles of power lines were knocked to the ground; 100 poles were broken and had to be replaced; 24 of 57 distribution centers experienced lockouts; and 464 of 864 fuse points opened.
According to Don Whipp, West Penn Power director of public relations, it translated into one of the two or three worst ice storms in the history of the power company, and most of it was concentrated in the Jefferson District.
439 ton generator
to Hatfield plant
Route 21 will be closed to through traffic between Waynesburg and the Paisley Intersection south of Carmichaels between dawn and dusk March 29.
State Highways Department officials at Uniontown said the closure is necessary because of movement of a 439-ton generator to the new Hatfield Ferry power station being built at the Masontown Bridge.
Traffic will be routed from the Paisley Intersection over Route 88 to Dry Tavern, and from there over Route 188 through Jefferson to Waynesburg.