The Daily Item from Sunbury, Pennsylvania • 3

The Daily Item Sunbury, Pa. Thursday, August 6, 1992 nasQimielhainioiia flew Page 3 Authorities seek identity of bank robbery suspect LOCALS GOVERNMENT Police hope photograph brings lead to help solve Turbotville crime TOR By David Hilliard Staff reporter 11 jt? 1 Board awards contract for road materials TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS -The Union Township supervisors awarded a $274,700 contract Tuesday for road materials tb Eastern Industrie's of Winfield. The money will be used on an needed basis to purchase supplies for road maintenance and repairs. their cash drawers, collected the money in a bank bag and ordered the four tellers into the vault, where he scooped up more cash. The suspect then fired a dozen shots at bank cameras and fled, police Said.

Based on a'description of the gun and the way the robber fired at the cameras, investigators believe the same suspect may have committed similar bank robberies in Dauphin County in 1977 and 1985 and a robbery at the Jersey Shore National Bank in Montgomery two years ago, Thompson said- The suspect is a tall and slender white man, 35-45 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, 155-175 pounds. At the time of the robbery, he had light sandy brownish red hair, but that may have been a hair piece or wig, and bright blue eyes, which may have been tinted with contact lenses. He was wearing blue slacks, a white shirt, blue tie with metal tie bar and chain and a blue-on-blue plaid jacket. crime scene, and found an additional piece of evidence in a video surveillance camera at the bank a blurred image of the suspect at the bank service counter. Thfe FBI enlarged and enhanced the image and this week released the photo to the publici Anyone with information on the identity of he suspect is asked contact the State police at Milton and Montoursville or the FBI office in Williamsport.

State police at Milton reported that the robber entered the bank at about 1 p.m. March 26, and asked for a loan manager. He walked to the bank office, pulled out a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and ordered the manager to accompany him to the front of the building. He then ordered tellers to empty TURBOTVILLE Federal investigators arc taking some photographic evidence to the public, hoping that someone can help them identify a man who pointed a pistol inside the Turbotville National Bank last March, fired a dozen shots at bank cameras and fled with cash. "We're looking at a number of suspects and we've ruled out a number of suspects," said Richard Thompson, special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Wil-liamsport.

Investigators talked with witnesses, collected shell casings and fingerprints at the 1 The FBI released this enlarged and enhanced image of the man who robbed the Turbotville National Bank on March 26. 1 I'JWWI 1 Zoning hearing board approves church request ZONING HEARING BOARD White Deer Township's zoning hearing board approved a request Wednesday to build a church near Ridge and Yonkin roads. The board's approval means that officials from God's Missionary Church can submit building plans to the township's planning commission and supervisors for approval. Through a donation, the church received nearly five acres to build a church and parsonage. Nearby residents testified Wednesday that they favored the plans.

Construction, yard sale clash Limestone Road will be paved 4 i '1 i 1 1 i m- By Bill Labovitz Staff reporter LIMESTONEV1LLE When folks head over to Limestoneville for the fourth annual community yard sale Saturday, they may encounter more than they bargained for. In a case of bad timing, crews will be paving a mile-long stretch of Limestone Road while hundreds of bargain hunters are driving, walking and riding bicycles to the Montour County village of about 30 homes. "It's a little upsetting, but what can you do about it?" asked Kathleen Shuler, a 21-year village resident who helped organize the event. "I think it's too late to 1 AT Rate hike proposal draws opposition BOROUGH COUNCIL The council went oh record opposing Pennsylvania-American Water request for a rate increase. Councilman Harry Sees said Tuesday that the water is brown in some areas of the borough.

Sees suggested, and the council agreed, to require the water company to resurface portions of Fifth and Seventh streets, which the company must dig up to repair lines. Sees said the borough had recently resurfaced the streets. Borough secretary Jane Sanders said the company is requesting a rate increase ttiat would increase residential customers' rates by 10 cents per day and the borough's bill for hydrants from $200 ft. Or- SXM! do anything about it. It's just one of those things." The one-day paving project won't affect the 12 to 15 families who are expected to have items for sale in their garages and yards, but orga-.

nizers fear that the workers and their trucks will cause traffic problems on the road leading to the village. Shuler and fellow organizer Sandie Hoffman said it will probably be more of a headache for the crews from Eastern Industries Win-field, than for the browsers, and buyers who come from the Danville, Bloomsburg, "It's a little upsetting, but what can you do about it? I think it's too late to do anything about it. It's just one of those things." Kathleen Shuler, a resident who helped organize the event 1 i i i Meeting planned on signal request BOROUGH COUNCIL State transportation officials plan to meet here Tuesday to discuss a request by the Borough Council for the state to install a turn signal at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Routes M-15. The signal is needed to assist southbound drivers who want to turn left at the busy intersection, Borough Manager Thomas McBryan said. Also, a portion of 1 1th Avenue was widened in the past to accommodate additional traffic.

Vehicles traveling north along the Old Trail are directed to use 1 1th Avenue to get to Routes 1 1-15. 3 r' 2S i Milton and Northumberland areas. Eastern Industries, which is bringing in two crews for the $49,000 project, is scheduled to begin work at 7 a.m., the same time people will begin flocking to the yard sales spread over three streets in the village. Residents will be selling everything from books to dishes to toys from 8 a.m. to 3 p.nL Some homeowners also may sell crafts as well as hot dogs, baked goods and other food.

"It's a lot of fun for the whole community. I think everybody sort of looks forward to it," said Shuler, who added that the suggestion' for a giant yard sale was made at one of the village's annual picnics. Limestone Township Secretary Alice Laidecker said the paving company only told the supervisors Friday that the job would be done on Saturday, The contract was awarded June 25 by the Montour County Council of Governments. The- supervisors could have requested another date, but didn't want to risk delaying the road improvements, Laidecker said. "The road needs to be done," Hoffman agreed.

"'Hiey have to do their work when they can do it." The township has spent thousands of dollars replacing stones that have washed away on the road because of water runoff problems, Laidecker said. The road has experienced increased traffic because Tjf the development of Limestone Estates. NEWS'. IN BRIEF Daily Item photo by Kevin Mingora STEEP TRIP: Klmberly Mann, 5, daughter of Chris Mann of Weikert, slides down the Super Slide at the Union County West End Fair in Laurelton. The annual fair continues through Saturday.

Board delays townhouse decision Union County gets state grant Union County plans to use a new $432,147 state development grant for a number of community improvement projects. The money will be used to revamp the New Columbia Civic Center, replace fire equipment at West End and Allcnwood fire companies, restore Union Church, build a sanitary sewer system in Kelly Township and improve St. Anthony Street and Buffalo Road in Lewisburg. White Deer Township plan draws protests "Everything is going to fall back on the township," Hertz warned, citing a failed homeowners' association at Millheim Estates in Kelly Township as an example. Resident Gary Gill was concerned about the potential tax impact of the development.

Families who move in would bring children to an already crowded school, he said. Taxes from those families, Gill said, wouldn't cover By Lance Helgeson Staff reporter 1 NEW COLUMBIA A decision on whether developer Nelson Styers can build townhouses at Rolling Hills Estate won't be made for another two weeks. 1 1 the added expense for teachers and classrooms to house "miteTJeerirownshipTzbmnpea a decision Wednesday until Aug. 20 to give members Clubs schedule "annual Augustfest The Turbotville Area Lions and Lioness clubs will stage their fifth annual Augustfest Aug. 19-22.

The event will begin Wednesday with a dog and puppy show at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening will feature a pet parade at 6:30. There will be a chicken barbecue at 5. p.m. Friday.

On Saturday, breakfast will be served at the community pavilion, from 7-1 1 a.m. There will also be yard sales and "craft sales at the community grounds from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The tug-of-war competition will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ani at 2 p.m.

Saturday. "It's the duty of the township to help keep taxes as low as possible, as long as possible," he said. Styers and his engineer, William Sidler of Buchart-Horn Inc. of Lewisburg, said deed restrictions would help ensure that the homeowners paid maintenance expenses. And, on the water runoff issue, the plan's protections would control flooding for most they said.

"There will be more water, but it won't be flowing as fast," Sidler said. The two also testified that the value of the town-houses and homes would range from $75,000 to and that they had made a verbal agreement with the Kelly Township Sewer Authority to provide the development with sewers. The sewer issue is important to the development. Without it, as the township's zoning law stipulates, the development could not be built. Wilson said the board would seek written confirmation of the agreement before its Aug.

20 meeting. time to consider two meetings' worth of testimony and a packet of paperwork. "There are some issues here we need to discuss to see if the townhouse concept will work," said Mike Wilson, board chairman. The board is considering whether Styers can build 36 townhouses as part of an 86-unit subdivision on 28 acres of land just west of West Milton. like a meeting in mid-July, the issue of Styers' building plans brought more than a dozen neighbors to the meeting with questions about the effects the development would have on their neighborhood.

Robert Hertz, who owns farmland next io the development site, questioned whether provisions for retention ponds would adequately handle the water runoff generated by roads and homes in the development. The area is known for poor drainage. He also questioned whether Styers' proposal for a homeowners' association would succeed in covering future costs for road and building maintenance. Dy pnoto by Kn Mmgor EARLY ARRIVAL: Five-year-old Jeremiah Smeltzer of Danville visits with Santa Claus Wednesday evening at the Washies Playground in Danville. Jeremiah is a son of Chris and Mark Smeltzer.

MORE VALLEY NEWS Pages 4, 5 and 27.