Centre Daily Times from State College, Pennsylvania • 11

CENTRE DAILY TIMES THURSDAY JUNE 30 1988 0 Police Deaths Health Economy dips slightly in May 6 City Editor Ptill Glenda 231-4616 Night City Editor Doug Stanfield 231-4621 of fires ignited by fireworks Dry weather worsens danger firefighters say And the continuing drought makes fireworks even more of a fire hazard than usual Weather forecasters offer little hope of rain between now and the Fourth of July weekend dry as it is even a small firecracker or even your bottle rockets could set off a fire as slick as anything" said Alpha Fire Co Chief Robert Kauffman A couple of years ago people setting off their own fireworks ended up setting a field on fire he said conditions like they are there would be a high risk of starting a fire" according to Grant Kline a fireman with the Port Matilda Fire Co Fireworks except for sparklers are illegal in Pennsylvania Buying or selling them or setting them off is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $100 Last year 10000 people nationwide were injured by fireworks according to Pennsylvania state police Most of the victims were children who suffered injuries including burns lacerations and fractures and permanent injuries such as blindness Sparklers too can be dangerous because the steel core can reach temperatures as high as 1800 degrees according to the association A fireworks show will be held at the fire company on July 9 The rain date is July 11 Logan Fire Co in Bellefonte is planning its own show too for July 7 The rain date is July 9 Few amateurs are prepared to take the kind of precautions Logan has The company has taken out an insurance policy for almost $1 million according to fireman Rob Garner said And before the fireworks are set off firemen will water the ground where sparks might fall A brush fire truck and crew will be on standby during the show Garner said By KAREN KEENEY Times Staff Writer They can hurt you They can start fires And they're illegal When it cranes to fireworks even the most determined do-it-yourselfer should leave things to the experts This year several professional fireworks shows have been planned for the Fourth of July weekend So there really is no reason fra: amateurs to take chances Sparks falling onto dry grass can easily start a fire Black students report no progress CONTRADICTIONS: Penn State President Bryce Jordan right left after meeting with black Penn State students University officials and black students gave contradicting assessments of progress made in addressing the concerns Other university officials attending the meeting included from left: Delbert McQuaide an attorney for Penn State Carol Herrmann vice president for administration Richard Grubb senior vice president for administration William Richardson executive vice president and provost and Steve Garban senior vice president for finance and operations Lemont boil water order ends By BOB KEMPER Times Staff Writer Lemont Water Co customers no -longer have to boil their water The water company was told yesterday that its lines were dear of perchloroethylene or PCE company President Jack Mitchell said Customers have had to boil water for the last week because the company in need of more water began taking sane water from the contaminated Bathgate Springs The springs last year were found to contain PCE a potentially cancer-causing element The springs had been out of service since December when the company began to buy water from the State College Borough Water Authority and began to develop a new well Water now-in the system is craning from well and from the State College authority Mitchell said Lemont Water Co had actually stopped using the springs over the weekend but had to wait until it was sure the PCE-tainted water had cleared the lines before lifting the boil-water notice Mitchell said he heard from the state Department of Environmental Resources yesterday morning The DER's tests showed that the lines had been purged he said The DER had given Mitchell permission to switch on the springs The company was thrown into a water emergency last weds by a series of errors It tried to install a pump at one of its wells and was given the wrong parts by the manufacturer When an old pump was restarted the wrong switch was thrown damaging it TOO NEED TO KNOW WATER RESTRICTIONS! Water providers In several Centre County communities have urged users to conserve water because of the dry weather Users In Harris Township Spring Township Port Matilda ami State College are asked to voluntarily restrict all nonessential uses such as washing cars and watering lawns Mandatory restrictions on all nonessential uses are in place in Milesburg In Millheim restrictions are in place during all hours except between mid-night and 6 am Bellefonte residents may water lawns between 8 and 10 pm only Residents are asked to limit voluntarily all other nonessential water use BKLLSFONTBi Because of the July Fourth holiday refuse normally picked up on Monday will be picked up Wednesday July 6 By LISA HAWKINS Times Staff Writer A group of black Penn State students who have been meeting with top university administrators said yesterday that the university is insincere in its attempts to address their concerns and there will be no more meetings University President Bryce Jordan meanwhile said that the meetings are resulting in slow but steady progress and that the administration will be getting back to the students with more information The contradictory remarks were made yesterday afternoon after a three-hour meeting at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center on campus It was the second closed meeting this month between administrators and black students concerned with the climate for minorities at Penn State The meetings are intended to continue discussions begun at a five-hour public meeting between the groups on April 18 That meeting was scheduled after a student sit-in at Jordan's office on April 3 and a 15-hour student occupation of the campus Telecommunications Building on April 8 and 9 again the university has given another demonstration of how insincere its attempts are to embrace people of African-American and pan-African student spokesman Kevin Parker said yesterday after a brief student State College area teachers By WENDY A HESTER Times Staff Writer At midnight tonight the State College teachers' contract expires No settlement has been reached on a new contract we were told they will extend the contract We're just waiting fra it in writing Fra now things are status quo" said Randy Bitner president of the State College Area Education Association Representatives of the collective bargaining unit met with the district's negotiating team for about hours yesterday working out the agreement Negotiations fra a new contract were also discussed during the meeting Bitner said Superintendent Seldon Whitaker Jr said last night that any decision to extend the teachers' contract will have to be made by the entire school board The board's next meeting is Monday July 11 The board would probably make any decision to extend the current contract retroactive he said Bitner who has taught in the district since 1977 said that in the past when a contract has expired before a new settlement was reached the board has extended the agreement just going to go on as he said "To us (the contract expiring) is not spectacu Court rejects request to cut bail COT photoPat Little bail remains at $250000 spoken to his wife since her return They agreed she could live at home if released on bail he said The couple married 28 years next month had been married almost 26 years when Diane Brodbeck helped Yount escape from prison During her two years of hiding she did not contact her husband her two daughters (ages 24 and 26 years) or her grandchild he said Diane Brodbeck would work at the beauty salon where she worked for five years before disappearing with Yount her husband said Please see BRODBECK page B-2 said to -all i of our demands They use good English but what it ji token Qarrett caucus that followed the meeting About 25 students stood in agreement behind Parker as he concluded are very unsatisfied with the attempts at progress made The students said they would issue a more detailed statement today or tomorrow Jordan was reluctant to comment on the meeting but said certainly want to consider every request We make a little progress each Jordan said the university will definitely create a top administrative position to oversee issues related to minorities and concerns noting that the university is not committed to title the position as the black students have suggested Provost William Richardson who attended the meeting yesterday had said last week that Penn State will create a position of vice provost for equal opportunity Jordan said yesterday that the university is consulting campus groups on a description of the new Please see MEETING page B-2 pact to expire boards talking lar" Whitaker would not comment on the ongoing negotiations except to say are continuing to meet and as far as the board is concerned the collective bargaining process is proceeding on Higher salaries and a salary schedule that allows a teacher to reach top pay in fewer years are the major bargaining items judging from research presented by teachers to the board A document obtained by the Centre Daily Times shows that teachers have done extensive research to back up their negotiating position The document is approximately 75 pages long and contains ex ten-sive charts and data comparing salaries in State College to the state average and to other districts How administrative salaries in State College compare to the state average how taxation here compares to other districts and articles portraying a rosy outlook fra the Centre Region economy are also included Teachers' specific salary requests are not included in the black notebook According to an association newsletter included in one section the notebook was presented to the board on Feb 10 early in the negotiating process Monday teachers took out their Please see TEACHERS page B-2 COT pen ton fore the escape in 1986 among other reasons District Attorney Ray Gricar argued against the bail reduction labeling Diane Brodbeck an unstable unpredictable Brodbeck formerly of Wellsville and Yount 50 formerly of Clearfield were returned to the Centre Region last Thursday They were apprehended in Coeur d'Alene Idaho which is 45 miles east of Spokane Washington Yount escaped from the State Correctional Institution at Rock-view April 5 1986 after serving 20 years of a life sentence for the 1966 rape and murder of 18-year-old Pamela Sue Rimer erf Luthers-burg She was a student in Yount's advanced high school math class Brodbeck and Yount who met through a religious group that ministered to inmates were captured after a Boise Idaho resident recognized Brodbeck's photograph on a television show in May titled Mysteries" The resident told FBI agents Brodbeck had worked for a lawn care service in Boise During his testimony yesterday Chester Brodbeck said he has By BRAD GIBSON For the Times Bail was left at $250000 yesterday for the woman police say helped convicted murderer Jon Yount escape from the State Correctional Institution at Rockview District Justice Ronald Horner denied a request that bail be lowered to $100000 or less for Diane rod beck saying there is to grab ahold of to say this person will stay in this area (to face Brodbeck 45 faces charges of escape criminal conspiracy hindering the apprehension and prosecution (of a fugitive) and aiding in the consummation of a crime During the bail reduction hearing defense attorney Terrence McGowen called upon husband Chester Brodbeck of Wellsville York County to testify on his wife's behalf As her husband spoke Brodbeck in handcuffs and wearing a light blue jacket and skirt stared at the long wooden courtroom table with an occasional glance at the witness stand McGowen said bail should be reduced because of rod beck's age and her be a huge amount of wastewater they treat every day and there is seriously improper disposal going Doug Cheater Township BoHeltoc Knisely a lawyer fra the company said it would be to comment now In the meantime Potter Township's attorney said this week that the municipality is in the process of filing its own lawsuit against Hanover Brands Township Solicitor Doug Chester of Spring Mills said he is working on the suit and expects to file it before the next supervisors' meeting on July 11 definitely got a problem there tat Hanover Brands Chester said in a telephone interview Tuesday a huge amount of Hanover faces civil penalties Potter Township plans lawsuit over wastewater disposal wastewater they treat every day and there is seriously improper disposal gang Ten years ago Hanover Brands and DER signed an agreement whereby the food processing plant paid a $15000 civil penalty for five water pollution violations that DER said occurred in 1977 and 1978 That agreement consummated in January 1979 spelled out ways in which the plant near Centre Hall could avoid future pollution problems linked to a malfunctioning wastewater treatment plant At that time DER found the malfunction had resulted in discharges of excessive phosphate industrial waste into nearby Sinking Creek and that Hanover Brands had illegally dumped about 150UM gallons of waste sludge into a sinkhole While DER called the S150UO a fine" Hanover spokesmen said the company considered it a one that did not constitute an admission of guilt in the matter By BARBARA BRUEGGEBORS Times County Editor Alleged water pollution violations discovered at Hanover Brands Inc Old Fort during a state Department of Environmental Resources inspection last month are under review fra possible civil penalties Richard Bittle head of DER's regional solid waste bureau said last week that an inspection conducted at the Potter Township food processing company in May turned up two types of violations Both types were connected with the mismanagement of waste sludge from the on-site wastewater treatment plant he added While declining to go into specifics about what was found Bittle said the violations involved both the land application of waste sludge and a stream discharge from the wastewater treatment plant itself The plant also was found to be operating its sludge disposal pro gram without the proper state permits Bittle said Contacted at corporate headquarters in Hanover yesterday Gary POLLUTION PROBLEMS: This on-site wastewater disposal facility top left at Hanover's food processing plant along Route 45 in Potter Township is the subject of a DER review after alleged water pollution violations were discovered there during a DER inspection last month.