News Record from North Hills, Pennsylvania • Page 1

Saturday Festival of lights draws thousands in mourning UPMC-Passavant gets into spirit of season A3 Community remembers slain teen-agers B8 for the holidays How to save money this season A7 North Hills Dec. 6, 1997 ivorcn xiius News Record 350 At a glance HEIDI MURFUN, stafl photographer High school basketfaafl North Hills boys edge N. Catholic North Hills High School's David Reddick drives to the basket over the North Catholic defense Friday during a game at North Hills. North Hills won, 51-19. Sports, Bl Kllbuck Budget proposal would raise taxes A major budget shortfall has forced Kilbuck supervisors to consider a tax hike that would almost double the township's real estate taxes.

North Hills, A3 Gammage case Witness: Police found marijuana A police lieutenant charged in the death of motorist Jonny Gammage found marijuana in the man's car less than a minute after reaching in to look, a witness said Friday. State, A5 Ramsey slaying Police want to question parents Almost a year after JonBenet Ramsey was found strangled in the basement of her home, police say they have a lot of new questions and want to talk to the girl's parents again. B8 Index 2 sections, 24 pages 36th year No. 340 Across Hills, A4 Classified B10-12 Comics B9 Crossword B11 Dear Abby AS Horoscopes A9 Lifestyle A7-9 Local A2-5 Lottery A2 Movies A8 Nation B8 Obituaries A4 State A5 Television A9 Weather B8 World B8 For dally delivery 366-9505 in Allegheny County 772-7326 Butler County Classifieds 1-800-874-9989 1991 North Hills News Record Carone won't seek fifth term By Jim Ritchie Staff writer As one of the House's strongest supporters of term limits, it should shock no one that Pat Carone will not seek a fifth term. Carone, 54, R-Lancaster Township, said Friday she will leave the House next year after serving eight years as a state representative.

Among the North Hills communities in her district, which lies in southern and western Butler County, are Cranberry, Adams, Jackson, McDade to retire Veteran Republican to leave state House AS Forward, Harmony, Mars, Seven Fields and Zelienople. "I have always opposed the concept of a career politician," Carone said in a written statement. "I made a commitment to stay in the House no more than eight years. 1 have been driven to work hard and fast because the clock has always been winding down for me. "1 have a deadline to meet," In her statement; Carone bashed the Legislature for creating "incredible incumbent protection plans and tools." "Serving as the people's representative is an opportunity that should not be monopolized by the same person for many, many years," she said.

Carone Some area House members who worked said news of her exit was not unexpected. "She's always said she'd only serve a couple of terms and pursue other things," said state Rep. Terry Van Home, D-Lower Burrell. Van Home and state Sen Melissa Hart, R-McCandless, said Carone also had been dealing with a long- distance marriage since tying the knot with a fellow House member, state Rep Ed Krebs, R-Lebanon County. Carone is known as a representative who would "cast off party lead- Area stocks up to avoid salt shortage Ron Avolio, a laborer for Franklin Park, unloads the remaining salt from his morning route after Thursday night's snowfall.

ERIC CURTIS BOND staff photographer Communities come together to get best prices By Kevin Carter Staff writer WhenTranklin Park Public Works Director Ron Merriman wakes up to see snow falling outside his window, his thoughts turn to road salt It doesn't matter how much salt he has stockpiled in the rectangular storage area that holds 600 tons behind the borough building. He orders more to replace the salt hell use. Like other North Hills officials, the lessons Merriman learned two winters ago when successive snows kept salt in scarce supply stuck with him. "Everybody had the maximum supply on hand, but it kept snowing," Merriman recalled. "Everybody ran out at the same time, and they had trouble filling orders So, to keep from running out, Merriman places an order that the supplier must deliver in four working days to avoid paying a penalty.

"In three days, we can use it up," he said. "They don't have to have it here for four days." In an average winter, Merriman's road crews spread 3,500 tons of salt. At $31.45 per ton of salt borough roads will be spread with $110,075 worth of salt To get the best price for salt. North Hills communities banded together to bid contracts through eight different council of government organizations. Municipalities enlisted with the North Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) and the South Hills Council of Governments make up more than 50 percent of those salt orders.

The pnce of $31.45 per ton of salt they got is 76 cents per ton lower than the state obtained Several things have changed since the winter two years ago when salt was in scarce supply, said NHCOG's executive director Wayne Roller Turn to SALT, A2 Ready for winter B9I North Hills municipalities the roads with road salt aim to keep drivers on Municipality Salt ordered, Franklin Park Marshall Millvaie McCandless Ohio Pine Richland Ross Shaler Cranberry 'ies car ejy fro-- 60 ca- S- ss' tons 3000 2500 600 7000 1 000 5500 2000 5000 5000 to '50 oe'c 3-C an- Storage capacity, tons 600 500 150 5300 300 1 500 1 800 3000 4.000 400 salt 250 anti-sKid er 1 o' ce' 3 3 a 3 3 3 5SS San on hand, tons 400 400 150 5200 300 1 200 400 2500 2500 400 salt 250 anti-skid seasc- 3 Strong economy brings good news for holiday shoppers PRINTED WITH SOY INK Unemployment rate drops to 24-year low The Associated Press WASHINGTON: A surge of job growth pushed the nation's unemployment rate to a 24-year low of 4 6 percent and fattened employees' paychecks as the holiday shopping season began. The stock market, often unnerved by such figures, extended its comeback rally into a sixth consecutive trading session November's seasonally adjusted rate of joblessness down from 4 7 percent in October matched the rate in October 1973. the Labor Department said Friday It hasn't been lower since March 1970. when it was 4 4 percent "It's certainly a merrv Christmas for American workers," said economist WHliam Dunkelberg of the National Federation of Independent Business Employers added a seasonally- adjusted 404,000 workers to their payrolls, the most since February 1996. Retail establishments from department stores to catalog sales operations accounted for a quarter of the increase but manufacturing, construction and a range of services reported gains too Americans' average earnings jumped 7 cents an hour in November to a seasonally adjusted $12 47 That's 4 1 percent, or nearly 50 cents, higher than a year earlier Today we see the latest evidence that our economy is growing, steady and-strong.

that the American dream is in fact alive and well," President Clinton said. But economists warned it could be too much of a good thing Accelerating wage gains could lead to rising inflation, although they haven't yet. And that could draw a growth-dampening interest-rate hike "Something has got to give Either the economy will slow or inflation will accelerate significantly next year." said economist Mark Zandi of Regional Financial Associates in West Chester. Pa. Reacting to the inflation threat, interest rates edged higher on the bond market But the stock market thrived on the report.

The Dow Jones average of industrial stocks rose 99 points to close at 8.149 -just 110 points short of the record high reached Aug 6 Analysts said the strong report didn't raise the usual ruckus because Wall Street traders have concluded Asia's currency crises will prevent Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and his colleagues from raising interest rates when they meet next on Dec. 16. ership if it wem against her pjincK pies," according to HarL "She was not determined for her own personal gain," Hart said. "She was determined for all the right reasons." Carone began her stint in the House in 1991 as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party in 1993. She previously was a public school teacher.

She could not be reached for additional comment Friday. "She was a good member in our caucus and a good member in the Republican caucus," Van Home said. Minister answers call from Hollywood By William Loeffler Staff writer That reported "sighting" of Richard Rossi sneaking out of the Viper Room with Julia Roberts' Untrue. And no, that definitely was not the former Cranberry resident discussing the grosses with Michael Ovitz last Saturday at the Polo Lounge. But the buzz in Tinseltown is that the former courtroom defendant and pastor of the First Love Church has answered another calling from a higher power: Hollywood.

Sources at Variety professed ignorance, but the producers of the film short "Jesus 2000." confirm that the man playing the role of a tabloid television reporter is the same Rev. Richard Rossi. Rossi was charged with a murder in the 24, 1995 bludgeoning of his wife, Sherrie, His first trial ended in a hung jury. He later served 101 days in Butler County Prison after pleading no contest to felony aggravated assault. The couple later reunited Now living in California with his children and Sherrie, Rossi landed a small role in the film, had a screening Wednesday in Santa Monica The 30-minute satire examines media reaction and the political ramifications were Jesus to appear in 1999 instead of 2.000 years ago The premise is.

if he came now rather than when he did. what would the media do about it?" said writer, producer and director Eric Cooper. In "Jesus 2000." the savior's appearance triggers a media feeding frenzy. A tabloid news story called "Hard Story" films the savior talking with a prostitute on the Sunset Strip Talk shows speculate as to his sexuality. Ethnic groups compete to claim him as their own for political purposes His crucifixion is televised on pay- per-view Rossi portrays Larry a Channel 7 reporter who is one of the pack of television journalists hot on the trail of the savior Presumably, the a i a i guitar-playing Rossi brought some of his own media experience to the role Newspapers and tabloid television reporters dined off accounts of his 1995 trial for his wife's beating Turn to ROSSI, A2 Rossi Former pastor and courtroom defendant Richard Rossi landed a role in the film short "Jesus 2000.".