Chillicothe Gazette from Chillicothe, Ohio • 1

Friday January 1, 1999 Established 1800 Chillicothe, Ohio Vol.199, No. 237 Chillicothe HAPPY NEW YEAR LJ 1 I ran Enter 1999, exit 1998 The celebration begins Berlin's Brandenburg Gate is lit up by fireworks during the city's New Year's Eve cel-e rat i About 400,000 people took part in the city's celebration. AP the 1960s. The ball will be replaced by a Waterford Crystal-made successor next December. "You will not be hearing Auld Lang Syne' at my party," promised Casper Wallace, a 28-year-old Brooklyn man who was buying rum, gin and champagne at a liquor store Wednesday.

"It will be strictly he said. referring to the early-1980s song by Prince, when he was still known as Prince. "I've been waiting to play that song, at that moment for a long time." In Times Square, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, who was paralyzed in a fall at the Goodwill Games, were charged with pressing the button that starts the ball's drop. Despite temperatures in the low-to mid-20s, the party was expected to draw 500,000 revelers and a record numbers of TV viewers this year, partly because of Chinese interest in Lan's participation. Meanwhile, the folks in Lebanon, were planning the Second Annual New Year's Eve Bologna Drop.

The Lebanon Valley Sertoma Club lowered a 100-pound, 7-foot cylinder of smoked bologna from the roof of the Lebanon Unfinished Furniture building. Last year, about 1,200 people turned out for the ceremony. In Fayetteville, the city had its first family-oriented First Night celebration, an outdoor festival that includes artisans, musicians, food, jugglers and midnight fireworks. "We're going to party like it's 1999," said Nancy Hendricks, assistant to the mayor. This is a way for young people to spend New Year's See 1999, PAGE 2A Partygoers celebrate in flair, style The Associated Press NEW YORK Hundreds of thousands of revelers converged on Tunes Square on New Year's Eve to party like if 1999.

After a particularly bountiful year for New York City and its financial markets, irrational exuberance was mounting as workers put the finishing touches on a 16-foot Father Time puppet, a release, a spotlight said to be visible from Mars, and the final drop of a 500-pound aluminum ball that has ushered in every New Year since as? lb to on wm 1.0 Members say recycling debate brought them cohesiveness By JEFF HENSON Gazette Staff Writer There was the vote, and then, three months and dozens of meetings later, there was the fist The most important chapter in the story of Chillicothe City Council for 1998 began one year ago today. By a 6-3 vote council eliminated funding for "Keep Chillicothe Beautiful" and the recycling program. The final chapter began in early March, when Bill Taylor, D-6th Ward, slammed his fist on the table and said after weeks of regular council meetings, special council meetings, council review sessions, and task force meetings that he was sick of it all, and it was time for the city to move on. No council decision this year was more discussed and debated than the move to eliminate, temporarily revive, and then ultimately abolish the "Keep Chillicothe Beautiful" and restructure the city-wide curbside recycling program. That six Republican council members supported the funding cut, and three Democratic council members voted against it, only added to a fire that burned hard for four months.

Looking back, most council members now feel council is bet- Sportsnews Ohio State is ready for their Sugar Bowl showdown with Texas today. Page 5A Joday'sbowls Outback Bowl -11 a.m. Penn St v. Kentucky Cotton Bowl -11 a.m. Miss.

St v. Texas Gator Bowl p.m. Ga, Tech v. Notre Dame Citrus Bowl 1 p.m. Michigan v.

Arkansas Pose Bowl 4:30 p.m. i. Wisconsin v. UCLA Sugar Bowl 8:30 p.m. Texas v.Ohio St Thursday's bowl results on Page 5A v.

tj 4 Lifestylesnews More retirees opting to work part-time. Page IB Got a hangover this morning? We'll tell you what your body is telling you. Page IB Localnews Waverly teacher helps set national writing test Page 3A Check out the rundown of road closings and lane restrictions with our Road Report Page 3A National news Nearly 100 cars involved in a pileup on 1-75 in Michigan. Page 5A President and First Lady Clinton are among the most admired people in America. Page 5A Worldnews The U.S.

ambassador to Israel shuts down the embassy after threats. Page 9B Iraqi families are struggling to find food. Page 9B The dream of a European money union is finally realized. Page 9B Fagebutex Section A Section Court news. 4 Classifieds.

5-8 Death notices 2 Comics 4 Local 3 Dear Abby 3 Lottery 3 Entertainment. 3 Opinion 6 Lifestyles 1 Police log 3 News of note 2 Markets 4 Snapshots Nation. 2,5,9 TV listings 3 Sports 7-9 World Weather 2 Tcday'Sdaatfis Oley Herdman, 64 Janice Herdman, 53 Raymond Amicon, 94 Ruth Jordan, 73 Mary Benjamin, 77 Details, Page 2A Cominglomorrcv Well take a look at the 1999 budget for the City of Chillicothe. Where are the big increases and decreases? AH in the Weekend Gazette. Woaitarfcrscast Saturday possible snow or sleet.

Highs the 30s. Page 2A '4090V'0160r Copyright 1998, CMHcoBw Gazetta Steve Patrick, the youngest member of the task force that studied Keep Chillicothe Beautiful, addresses Chillicothe City Council in April. Highlights of Chillicothe City Council in 1998 1 1 Tim JohnsonGazette Boulevard and Limestone Boulevard, plus two double turn lanes, and to widen an eastbound lane outside city limits. The project could not be completed, however, because city officials didn't have enough time to go out for bids and award a contract for the work before asphalt plants closed for the season. November Approved a flat rate tax-relief plan for Scioto and Springfield townships to help them deal with the loss of revenues from the North Bridge Street annexation.

December Made six employees in the Parks and Recreation Department full time and gave them health insurance, plus other benefits. Governor Nancy Hollister is sworn as Ohio's first female governor in this AP photo 2t -s park. Jury -Voted against reconsidering an ordinance, first introduced in April, that would have made I Year In review 1 1998 tobacco possession by minors illegal. Also voted to move $30,000 from an unused downtown loan fund to start the First Capital Technology Center. August Approved the annexation of 368 acres along North Bridge Street into the city and $90,000 in improvements to Poland Park.

September Voted to spend $25,000 to make left turn only lanes for Kroger's, Centennial for now Earlier, she received a gift from Voinovich a state coin commemorating his administration. "I stuck it in my pocket" Hollister told reporters. "It's a good luck piece." She called the inaugural events a bit overwhelming. "I was very determined to enjoy today because it is a piece of history, no matter how brief." State Sen. Robert Cupp, the No.

2 leader in the Senate, said he once heard it would be "a cold day" before Ohio had a female governor. "What I am curious about is, how did they know?" Cupp, R-Lima, quipped on a day when it was 21 degrees outside. r. r-- 1 Inside I Full page of photos fea-1 luring the Images of 1998. See Page 10A.

ter from the experience. They say party-line voting has been nonexistent since. They say communication has improved between council and the mayor. They point to the successes of the annexing 368 acres along North Bridge Street and the Ohio 104 industrial park into the city, the continued development of city parks; street and alley and water line improvements; new regulations on storm water management and the placement of cellular communication towers; and sound fiscal management "Despite the press at the time, what council did was very right and very responsible," said Cindy Henderson, R-At-large, about the "Keep Chillicothe Beautiful" controversy. The controversy, she said, "has made us more excellent" "Council did what was right in their vote," said Jim Phillips, R-3rd Ward.

"We did save the taxpayers some dollars. And there's still areas that can be touched without See Council, PAGE 2A 1 1 A. Scott OsbomeGazette Hollister, who had been lieutenant governor since 1995, on Nov. 3 lost the congressional race in southern Ohio's 6th District to Rep. Ted Strickland, a Lucasville Democrat She will lead the state until Jan.

11 when Republican Bob Taft is sworn in. Ohio last had an interim governor in 1957 when John W. Brown served 11 days after Gov. Frank Lausche left office early to join the U.S. Senate.

"My primary goals are to complete my term as 66th governor with dignity, integrity and to provide a smooth and orderly transition between Voinovich and Taft administrations," said Hollister, 49, a former mayor of Marietta. In early spring, council voted to spend more than $400,000 on a new fire truck to replace two broken down fire trucks each 25 years old. March Voted to abolish Keep Chillicothe Beautiful and move the city-wide recycling program to the City Service Department Mayor Margaret Planton vetoed the legislation. Council then voted in mid-April to override her veto. April Voted to spend more than $400,000 to buy a combination 75-foot aerial ladder and pumper truck for the Fire Department to replace two 25-year-old fire trucks.

Also voted to amend a city ordinance that allowed the proposed development of the first gated community in Ross County. June Voted to allow City Auditor Bill Morrissey to borrow up to $500,000 to make improvements to the Ohio 104 industrial That includes signing a farmland preservation bill, making appointments to courts and state boards, and presiding over the opening session of the 123rd Legislature next week. Voinovich said Hollister's inauguration assures a smooth transition between administrations. "I've always admired Nancy's work ethic, tenacity and determination," he said. "It's comforting to know that someone with your qualities will be running the state." In the governor's ceremonial Statehouse office after the ceremony, Hollister signed her oath at a desk Abraham Lincoln sat at in 1861.

Hollister then swore in her cabinet members all holdovers from the Voinovich administration. It's Governor Hollister The Associated Press COLUMBUS In about two months, Nancy Hollister has gone from an Election Day loser to a history maker. Hollister became Ohio's first female governor Thursday and the 66th since 1803 when Ohio became a state. She will complete the final 11 days of the term of George Voinovich, a fellow Republican elected to the U.S. Senate.

"Let me be clear about my plans," Hollister told a standing room only crowd at the Statehouse ceremony. "I will offer no major initiatives. I will commute no sentences, I will propose no legislation. "However, I do stand ready to face any challenge that we might encounter in this state." 1.