The Titusville Herald from Titusville, Pennsylvania • Page 2

TITUSVILLE HERALD, Tituaville, Pa, Thursday, January 20 Regional Schools Closed Again 1904 Titusville Area Schools wiil be closed today in comhance with a request made yesterday by Lt. Governor Mark Single. Superintendent of Schools Richard Carr told The Herald last night that the local schools will be closed, but that the day care program will be in operation today. The lieutenant governor made a request yesterday that all state and federal offices remain closed today as well as schools in an effort to conserve energy. St.

Titus School follows the public school schedule, and will be closed as well. Benson Memorial Library also announced last night that it will be closed today. Other area schools announcing closings for today by Herald presstime are Valley Grove, Cranberry, Oil City, Franklin, Maplewood, Forest Area, Christian Life Academy, Venango County Vocational- Technical School, University of Pittsburgh at Titusville, Head Start and Venango Campus of Clarion University. The Job Service office at Oil City will be closed, as wili all non-essential offices of the Crawford County Courthouse at Meadville. New Choices graduation has been postponed.

Other closings include the YMCA, Crawford County Drug and Alcohol offices, YWCA Activities Building (the administration building will be open from 9 to and YMCA. The Women's Aglow meeting to be held in the St. Titus Cafeteria has been cancelled. Also postponed is a Grand Valley Auxiliary dinner to be held Saturday evening.City Manager Carolyne Ford has announced that all city services and emergency services will be maintained during this period. Feds Seek Forfeiture Of Meadville Firm The U.S.

Attorney's office is seeking the forfeiture of a Meadville business office as part of the federal government's investigation into allegations of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. NOT MANY OUT According to one source, the warmest the thermometer got on Wednesday was minus-5 degrees Those who were up and about early in the day got the horrifying news that the temperature was 21 degrees below zero Obviously, it was a day to stay home and stay warm Many apparently followed that advice. This picture was taken in the Big Wheel plaza at about 2:30 p.m., and there were many available parking spaces in the lot. Weatherwise the I immediate future does not seem brighter. April gets closer every day.

(Herald photo by Jon Sherman) -power- intervals to insure adequate electric supplies to hospitals, nursing homes and other critical facilities. Van Horn said the first rolling blackout occurred about 7 a.m. and they continued through 2 p.m. Most of the blackouts lasted 15 minutes, but several were as long as 30 minutes, he said. Titusville was affected, and most residents reported a power outage lasting about 20 minutes.

License Sales Are Scheduled Margaret R. Spence, Venango County treasurer, has announced that 1994 Venango County dog licenses, fishing licenses and sportsman's firearm permits will be on sale at the Cornplanter Township Fire Department on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and at Pinegrove Firehall from 1-4 p.m. The cost for the dog licenses and the fishing licenses remain the same as last year, the sportsman's firearm permits are $6 and are good for five years as long as the applicant purchases a hunting, fishing or furtaker's license during those years. If none of the licenses is purchased, then the firearm permit becomes invalid.

Van Horn called Wednesday's situation "very critical." Penelec generates its own electricity, and Van Horn said demands were at a record level. Penelec is part of a power pool involving Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, but Van Horn said because of the emergency Penelec could not purchase power from other companies in the pool as they, too, were experiencing a shortage. He said Penelec serves 42 the crises was worse in the Reading and Scranton areas than in northwestern Pennsylvania. Van Horn cited the cooperation of Penelec's customers to conserve electricity. He said the cooperation received was responsible for the company's ability to end the rolling blackouts at 2 p.m.

He cautioned, however, that if the temperatures do not rise overnight, there may be a need for the blackouts to begin again. Van Horn said the company is asking its customers to conserve electricity at least through Thursday evening. Gov. Robert Casey signed a winter disaster proclamation Wednesday, to include all 67 counties of the state. -blaze- Michelln said the freezing temperatures affected the Urefighting efforts.

He said each department was able to dump only one load of water from their tankers before the pumps would freeze. There were no injuries as a result of the fire. The departments were at the scene until about 2 p.m. The Rhoades family rented the residence. However, the name of the owner was not released yesterday because firemen had not yet been able to contact him.

POLICE BLOTTER Is Sentenced at Meadville RD 2 Was sentenced third offense of to 12 fh t0 P3y COSts $25 fine "ve five to 12 months Crawford County Jail, sentence deferred work Underage Drinking Citation Cited for Careless Driving Richard C. Westerbeck 20, of Titusville, RD 3 was cited too Sac at 1 CareieSS drivi "g- The incident took place at 7.45 p.m. the parking lot of McDonalds restaurant on South Franklin Street. McDonalds Issued Two Citations Citations for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct were Tlt svi lice Sunday to James A. Jolly Jr.

26 of 362 Walnut Meadville. He was cited at 12:17 a.m. at an establishment on Diamond Street. State Rep. Teresa Brown told The Herald last night that Lt.

Gov. Mark Single was urging commercial oeprations across the state to curtail business and allow utilities to reduce power to all as needed. Single asked all Pennsylvanians to turn their thermostats back to 60 degrees, with the exception of older people and the very ill. He said everyone should turn off unnecessary electric lights and equipment such as televisions, dishwashers and clothes washers and dryers. The state government office closed Wednesday at noon and issued an order that thermostats in all state buildings be set at 60 degrees.

Rep. Brown commended area residents and businesses for their cooperation in this time of emergency. She said she had been in contact with Steve Watt, county emergency management director, for updates on the emergency shelters being operated in the county "at Titusville and Meadville and had learned that in the evening few emergency situations had been reported. Northwestern Rural Electric reported yesterday that its customers were affected by the same blackouts and voluntary load reductions as Penelec customers. Mary Mulligan-Haines, com- municatons manager, said REC is also asking customers to voluntarily reduce electrical use by limiting their lighting and appliance use.

The co-operative association said its members should continue to listen to emergency broadcasts to keep aware of the situation. National Fuel yesterday said it is not experiencing any major delivery problems due to the cold weather. Company spokesman David Waples said there had been a few cases of gas outages due to meter freeze- ups or low pressure in isolated areas, and added that National Fuel workers were responding promptly to emergency calls. Waples said National Fuel customers who experience electric power outages due to the cold should call National Fuel only if they have no heat when their power is restored. Waples said most natural gas forced air furnaces are powered by electricity and customers who lose their electric power also do not have heat.

However, if any National Fuel customer has heat or gas service problems once electric power is restored, Waples said, they should call National Fuel's emergency number at 1-800-4443130. -cold- One Pleasantville weather watcher would agree wit! those titles and probabl have a few of his own to add. Elmer Weber reported tha the highest the mercury in his outdoor thermometer rose Wednesday was to fiv degrees below zero. That was a improvement from the 2i below zero recorded on the borough resident's backporcl earlier in the day. Weber told The Herald that he awoke from a dream in.which he believed someone bad left a door open and hii borne was freezing.

fact, the temperature inside the Weber home dipped to 54 degrees. Weber discovered that his electricity had gone off shortly after a.m. and in two hours hat dipped considerably. This was when he also discovered the outdoors was al 26 degrees below zero. Weber said the electricity came back on about 6 a.m.

but went off again at 6:15 a.m., as part of Penelec's rolling blackout energy conservation process. The power at the Weber lome was off a total of three hours Wednesday morning, a lock indicated. Weber said the high emperature of minus five egrees was even worse than Monday's high reading of ero. Pleasantville man also ompiles snowfall statistics nd noted that as of esterday, 59 inches of snow ad fallen, in the borough ince first iin -FIRE- "re by the departments of Hydetown, Cambridge Springs, Blooming Valley, Bloomfield Randolph, West Mead II Saegertown, East Mead and Mill Village. Also assisting were the ambulances from Centerville and Meadville.

Sullivan said there was plenty of water to fight the fire and there were no problems. He said that one firefighter suffered frostbite and smoke inhalation. The boys at the house reportedly both about 19 years old, were listed as a son and nephew of Mrs. Snyder. Sullivan said they also suffered frostbite and were taken to Meadville Medical Center for treatment.

Firemen received the call at 8:30 a.m. and were on the scene until about 2 p.m. Crimestoppers Crime of Week A burglary in Cherry Grove Township is the crime of the week for Warren County Crimestoppers Inc. The burglary took place sometime between Nov. 21 and 26 at a camp owned by Marton M.

Trout of Conneaut, O. Someone entered Trout's camp and removed the following items: two dark brown recliners, two military sleeping bags, a Coleman propane stovel two lawn chairs and two sheets of 4x8 plywood. The total value of the items is $900. Crimestoppers will pay a reward for information leading to an arrest. Call 1-800-83- CRIME.

-Ridge- In order to achieve true reform, a complete reorganization of the regulatory framework is necessary to promote collaboration, cooperation and leadeship among agencies. This agreement only takes a baby step in that direction. "There is an excessive amout of duplication in regulatory enforcement and wetland determinations that need to be corrected," continued Ridge. "But, farmers aren't the only ones faced with frustrating webs of bureaucracy and vague definitions. The need for comprehensive reform touches many other facets of our economy." Ridge's wetlands reform bill seeks to balance responsible conservation management with legitimate rights of landowners.

In order to achieve this, "The Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and Management Act," would more clearly define what is and is not a wetland, unify all wetlands management under one federal agency and classify wetland into three categories based on function and value. 04 wetlands are created equal," said Its about time the law reflected the importance of protecting both ecologically valuable wetlands and the constitutional rights of property owners. I firmly committed to ensuring the adoption of this common sense The criminal investigation arm of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service is probing Michael J. Kalustian, his wife, Kathy, and certain businesses owned or controlled by them, according to the forfeiture complaint filed by assistant U.S.

attorney Ernest J. Di Santis Jr. The civil complaint in forfeiture was filed Friday in the clerk's office of the U.S. District Courthouse in Erie. The Kalustians' attorney, William Jorden of Meadville, said he has not seen the complaint, but knows about the federal investigation.

No criminal charges have been filed against the Kalustians. The Kalustians' office building at 201 Arch Meadville, is forfeitable to the federal government, "since it was involved" in alleged violations of the law, DiSantis claimed in the civil complaint. The government has "probable cause to believe that the Kalustians, as well as business entities they controlled, devised a scheme and artifice to defraud and convert thousands of dollars belonging to innocent individuals," DiSantis claimed in the civil complaint. In December 1985 the Kalustians formed a company called Direct Health Promotions and Consulting Inc. (DHP) and other related corporations and businesses, the complaint states.

The company, whose sole offices and stockholders are the Kalustians, was incorporated to provide management consulting services to health clubs, according to the complaint. The complaint also alleges that the Kalustians and DHP unlawfully laundered thousands of dollars from the scheme to various bank accounts, properties and business entities. Responding to the allegations in the complaint, Jorden said, "We believe those charges are unfounded." Happy 14th Birthday To Our "Superbowl Daughter'' Shannon Johnston Love, Mom, Dad Brendon Amber Volkstadt is University of Pittsburgh at Titusville Barco Center for Business Education Due to inclement weather, we have cancelled all computer workshops for this week. The following schedule will begin next week: Introduction to Personal Computing Section 01 (Won) Jan 24. 31.

Feb 7, 14, 21 Using Microsoft Windows Section 01 (Tues) Jan 25, Feb 1, 6,15, 22 6:00 WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows Section 01 (Wed) Jan 26. Feb 2, 9,16, 23 6:00 Introduction to Lotus 1-2-3 Section 01 (Thurs) Jan 27. Feb 3.10,17. 24 It's not too late to register! Call 327-44O3.