The Piqua Daily Call from Piqua, Ohio • Page 1

Icy Roads Close Many Schools TROY Ice from freezing rain which made aU area roads hazardous for drivers early today was breaking up by mid-morning under the combined influence of rising temperature and sale applied last night. Lloyd Peacock, county road superintendent, said all county roads were salted last night and for the most part he thought drivers should be able to operate with normal caution by mid morning. Peacock said there was considerable slush and a few icy spots remaining. He also said water accumulation on roads was mounting steadily due to frozen ground and continued rainfall this morning. Because of the reported icy conditions, many area schools were closed for the day, while others delayed morning classes and bus operation for one hour.

Reported closed were schools Hardin- Houston, Russia, Ft. Loramie and Versailles Schools in that area. Also Mississinawa, Gettysburg, Franklin-Monroe and Arcanum-Butler in Darke County. Bradford and Newton were closed, but Covington delayed an hour before starting. Piqua, Sidney and Lehman Schools, as Graham and Miami East delayed the start one hour, but were operating.

Despite treacherous road conditions which started early this morning, the State Highway Patrol has investigated only three relatively-minor accidents on roads in the county. Roads were still considered extremely hazardous on many state highways, with Interstate 75 having many icy spots on passing lanes and slippery conditions in the driving lanes. The first accident was reported at 2:35 a.m. on Interstate 75 when a semi- trailer slipped on ice and struck a guard rail. Driver was Stewart A.

Bradshaw, 65, of North Carolina. He was traveling south when the incident occurred three- quarters miles south of Swailes Road, near Troy. Also at the same location at 2:50 an auto driven by Burnett R. Mapp, 43, of Cincinnati swerved into a guard rail due to road conditions. coil board 88th Year No.

89 28 Pages PIOUA DAILY CALL Piqua, Ohio Thursday, February 4, 1971 10 In Two Sections Hospitals Deaths Society Sports TV-Comics Classified 14-20 14 4-5 15-16-17 27 24-25-26 Moon Landing Set Friday ICY RUINS--Piqua's fire-ravaged buildings on the southwest public square, with their thick coating of ice from tons of water, were an ever- chillier sight in this morning's freezing rain. (DeWeese Photo). SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) Apollo 14's astronauts fired into a "roller coaster" orbit around the moon today, swooping to within 11 miles as they prepared to land Friday in the bleak and rocky lunar highlands. "We're here!" shouted commander Alan B. Shepard Jr.

as Apollo 14 skimmed over the craggy landscape at the low point of the orbit. "I think we can make it down from here tomorrow." As Shepard, Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa circled the lifeless moon, they were struck by its desolate beauty, describing it as "wild," "fantastic," "stark" and "incredible." Shepard and Mitchell could hardly wait to become the fifth and sixth humans to set foot on the surface to further explore this new but ancient world. The stage was set for another great lunar adventure when the astronauts triggered the command ship Kitty Hawk's engine on the backside of the moon at 2 a.m.

EST to zip into an initial orbit 67 to 195 miles high. Four hours later, they again fired the engine to shift into a path 11 to 68 miles above the surface, the closest approach yet by an Apollo command ship. The lunar module Antares still was hooked to its nose. On Apollos 11 and 12, the lunar ships were released at altitudes above 65 miles. Antares will be cast off late tonight at the 11-mile altitude in a maneuver intended to improve landing accuracy and to give the astronauts extra fuel to use in the search for a smooth touchdown site.

Shepard and Mitchell said before the flight they expected to experience the sensation of a roller coaster ride as they hurtled downward in the low orbit, with the rugged features of the moon seemingly rushing up to meet them. The astronauts were exuberant after attaining the initial orbit. As they passed over the Fra Mauro landing site, Mitchell said: "It sure looks rough down there. As interesting as this is from orbit, it just whets your appetite to get down there." "Fantastic! You're not going to believe this. It looks just like the map," said Roosa.

As Apollo 14 swooped to the 11-mile altitude on the front side of the moon, Mitchell reported the features were much sharper close up. The rocket burst that shot them into the first orbit occurred behind the dark side of the moon, out of radio contact. It was not until 20 minutes later when K.S. Moore To Head United Fund In 1971 Kenneth S. Moore, vice president cashier, and trust officer of the Piqua National Bank Trust will head Piquarea United Fund, Inc.

in 1971 as president. Moore, U.F. vice president in 1970 and a former campaign treasurer, succeeds J. Richard Harris, 1970i president. Other new officers are Joseph E.

Smith, vice president; Carl Johns, second vice president and Robert M. Davis, treasurer. Mrs. Ward Ditmer will continue as United Fund executive secretary. Ten new directors, who will serve three-year terms expiring in 1973, were also elected at Wednesday night's annual meeting, attended by 80 persons.

They are Kenneth S. Moore, Carl John, Peter R. Thompson, Tom Ward, Walter Keiger, the Rev. Mark Moore, Mrs. Earl Shaffer, Robert Arbogast, George Crosby, and Mrs.

Walteri Schumacher. Carl John, chairman of the 1970 U.F. campaign, which surpassed its $125,000 goal, and U.F. President Harris both paid tribute to agency and campaign workers, and "many, many persons who worked behind the scenes to put the drive over the top." Representatives of all 11 United Fund Agencies Miami Co. Unit, American Cancer Society; Red Cross, Boy and KENNETH S.

MOORE Girl Scouts, Family Childrens Service Association, Miami Co. Mental Health Association, Salvation Army, United Service Organizations, YMCA, and the YWCA, gave brief reports on their activities. United Fund Outstanding Citizenship Awards were presented 67 employe groups who contributed with 80 per cent participation or more to the 1970 fund campaign. Major Vietnam Drive Begun SAIGON (AP) The U.S. Command, ending a six-day news blackout on the northwest sector of South Vietnam, disclosed today that 20,000 Saigon troops are engaged in a major operation in that area.

They were poised for a possible thrust into Laos. One of the biggest pushes of the war was developing. American forces totaling 9,000 were sweeping the jungles in the northern quarter of South Vietnam. Adding a second front to the operation, 20,000 South Vietnamese troops had moved across the border into Cambodia. That raised to nearly 50,000 the over-all total of ground troops involved.

Lt. Col. Tran Van An, chief spokesman for the South Viet namese military command denied reports sweeping world capitals that South Vietnamese forces had already crossed into Laos. But he would make no forecasts. Asked if South Vietnamese troops planned to cross the border, An replied: "We do not discuss future operations." U.S.

officials here said no American ground troops were in either Cambodia or Laos. Electric Wires May Have Caused Blaze Preliminary checking by Fire Chief Louis Mikolajewski indicates that the disastrous fire which wiped out five businesses in downtown Piqua Tuesday afternoon, "started inside a wall between Jack's Drugs on Main and the Piqua Office Supply Co. on High," the chief said today. "What started it, however, may be hard to establish because the wall was completely consumed by flames." He ventured an unofficial opinion that electric wiring that may have been between the walls could have started the fire, but quickly added that his was a mere conjucture, and, at the moment, he has no proof to substantiate this theory. Chief Mikolajewski was frank to admit that "we have nothing much left to investigate, except talk to people." In the meantime, representatives of the Underwriter's Salvage Columbus, were in Piqua checking out how much of the contents of the office supply company and the drug store is salvageable and can be removed from the burned out buildings.

Firemen made three runs to the old Montgomery Ward building at Water and Wayne Wednesday, now being used for warehousing by the Atlas Underwear Co. The first run was shortly after 2 p.m. when a steam pipe broke on the top floor causing considerable smoke, but no fire. Shortly after 4:15 p.m. firemen returned to find that a broken sprinkler pipe had set off an automatic alarm.

The third run, shortly after 5:20 p.m., was caused by another broken steam pipe, which, as in the first instance emitted considerable smoke like clouds of steam. Firemen were also called to Sperry's Jewelry Store, 207 N. Main, across the street from the burned-out buildings at Main and High, when an electric cable burned out. There was no fire damage, however. Apollo 14 reappeared around the edge of the moon that orbit was confirmed.

Shepard's voice broke the silence with a subdued, "We had an extremely fine, burn." But then the commander, who ha.s waited nearly 10 years for a crack at the moon since he became America's first spaceman, could not contain himself, and burst out with, "This is really a wild place." His crewmates, who had been relatively silent on the mission, joined in Shepard's enthusiasm as Apollo 14 raced across the face of the moon and they gazed down on a desolate, wondrous scene of craters, rugged mountains and flat plains. Each man had his own impression. Shepard: "It has all the grays and browns and whites and dark craters that everybody's talked about before." Mitchell: "I think the best descriptor! that comes to my mind is that it looks like a plaster mold that somebody has dusted with grays and browns. But if, looks like it's been molded out of plaster of Paris. It's really rugged." Roosa: "I can see off to my right the crater Humboldt and it's just as impressive as the pictures.

The thing that strikes me about it is the dark areas aren't quite as dark as I It's really easy to follow the landmarks." Mission Control communicator Fred W. Raise interrupted their sightseeing with, "I hate to pull you away from the window, but I've got a flight plan update." Incinerator Bonds Sold By Miami Co. TROY--Miami County Commissioners Wednesday afternoon opened bids and gave a contract for $1,050,000 in general obligation county incinerator bonds to The Ohio Company of Columbus in association with W. E. Button Co.

and Roose, Wade Co. to bear per cent interest. The issue, to be retired over a period of 20 years, will replace one year notes in the same amount, originally issued to finance the incinerator construction and twice renewed since then. The Ohio Company offered the lowest interest rate of six bidders. The bid also included a premium of $1,987.

Other bidders were J. A. White Cincinnati, 4.75 interest and a premium of McDonald Cleveland, 4.75 interest rate and a premium of Seasongood-Mayer Cincinnati, four and five-eights percent, $4,431 premium; Ball Burge Kraus, Cleveland, bidding through the Troy First National Bank Trust four and seven-eighth per cent, $14,269.50 premium; Northern trust Chicago, 4.875 interest rate, $13,755 premium. Cease-Fire Is Extended UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (AP) Egypt has informed Secretary-General Thant of a decision to extend the cease-fire in the Suez Canal Zone by one month, authoritative sources said today.

The sources said that the word was relayed on the understanding that Thant'would issue another report on the status of the Arab-Israeli peace talks within the next 30 days. The six-month-old cease-fire is due to expire at midnight Friday. Israel has already agreed to accept an extension. Thant issued a report Monday in which he expressed guarded optimism over progress of the talks being conducted by his special envoy, Gunnar V. Jarring.

Trojans Back Branch University Over Community College Concept A citizens group, headed by prominent Troy businessmen, made a strong pitch to retain the Wright Stale Academic Center located here, favoring a possible branch university, as opposed to the proposed Miami, Shelby and Darke two-year community college. The request, in the form of a two-page petition, was -directed to community college board of trustee members at Wednesday night's first of two public hearings in the Piqua Central High School cafeteria. Tonight, a second hearing will be held at the same location, beginning at 8 o'clock. Public opinions gleaned from these hearings, which are required by state law, will be incorporated into the feasibility survey that is almost (Feasibility report on page 14) completed under the direction of Dr. Oliver Laine.

The survey will be acted upon at next week's trustee meeting, Feb. 11, at the Border City and lyoan Building. Wednesday's "sounding board" meeting turned into confrontation that matched the branch campus against the two-year community college plan. After hearing a preliminary report on Dr. fine's study, Glenn B.

Jeffers, retired superintendent of Troy schools took a stand in favor of the Academic Center. Reading the prepared statement, Jeffers, in part read: "Specifically, we believe it would be a disservice to this area if only the community college is recommended as worthy of consideration to fulfill the determined needs, since other proposed institutions are deserving of consideration, particularly the branch university. (Concluded on page 14) CITIZEN'S VIEWPOINT-Holman Sawyer, a lifelong Piquad, offered "a working man's viewpoint" at Wed- public hearing in the Central High nesday night's Community College School cafeteria. (Wright Photo).