Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 17

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1993 B-5 NAACP PoliceCourts criticizes 'injustice' in hiring Chapter officials target McKeesport school board for black-to-white ratio Wik I L1 rV tf'feUFiVv it A 1 ss srf- i iV A Js Testimony begins 2 inmates on trial in prison killing Seth Floyd's girlfriend testified yesterday that she spoke to him by phone and found him to be in good spirits shortly before he was found hanging in his cell at the Allegheny County Jail. Monica Ross was the first of about 20 prosecution witnesses expected to testify in the trial of two inmates accused of killing Floyd March 9. Charged are Shawn Burton, 25, of North-view Heights, and Melvin Goodwine, 27, of the North Side. Floyd, 25, of Westgate Village, was found hanging by his shoelaces in what jail authorities initially said was suicide. Assistant District Attorney Kim Berkeley Clark told the jury yesterday there were apparently no witnesses to his death.

The prosecution will use physical and circumstantial evidence to make its case, she said. 'Floyd, formerly of Los Angeles, had been in the jail on burglary charges and was being held for federal authorities, who wanted him on drug charges. Goodwine and Burton were in jail on drug-related charges. New investigation Police reopen case of missing girl Police in Butler County have created a task force and are conducting new interviews in the case of a 16-year-old retail clerk who was reported missing 12 years ago. Michelle Reidenbach left her job at an appliance store in Zelienople, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, to buy cough syrup because she was feeling sick on the afternoon of Sept.

12, 1981. walked two blocks to a Rite-Aid drugstore, bought the medicine and never returned to work. ''We have looked into this case, and we feel we have a high chance of positive resolution," Butler County District Attorney Sheryle Long said Monday. Authorities have new information in the case, but she would not say what it was. State troopers have recently conducted second interviews with people who were questioned immediately after Michelle was reported missing.

Fugitive arrested Man held in Fla. on drug charges A man who disappeared following his 1990 arrest in Allegheny County for possession of cocaine was arrested last week in Florida. Clyde Powell, 32, was charged Friday in Tampa with possession and possession with intent to deliver 22 pounds of cocaine. Powell was arrested Nov. 10, 1990, at Pittsburgh International Airport after he arrived on a flight from New York City.

While Powell was being held in the Allegheny County Jail, his bail was reduced from $250,000 to $25,000. He posted the bail and disappeared. Homewood man jailed Shootings draw long prison term A Homewood man was sentenced to 24 By Bohdan Hodiak Post-Gazette Staff Writer The NAACP accused the McKeesport'; school district yesterday of 12 years of. "stark injustice for having only 15 black', teachers among a staff of 324 for a student population that is nearly a quarter Spokesmen for the McKeesport of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said they were', especially concerned because during the past two months, the district hired 19 new teachers and only one is black. rt Henry Johnson, the chapter's first vice president, cited the example of Mary Jane Kirby, a black teacher.

She was willing to work at the bottom of the salary scalej $26,000, even though she had seven years of experience, and, according to teacher union-agreements, had to be paid $35,074. She was not hired. "It is our understanding that the union. never stated that the district must pay that candidate $35,000 The candidate could' be hired at approximately $2,500 to $2,700 higher than entry level. Clearly this would not have broken the back of the school district budget," Johnson said.

Pamela Bouchard, president of the Mc- Keesport Area Education Association, con firmed Johnson's statement in a letter dated Sept. 13. Bouchard wrote that the union would not have objected if the board had paid Kirby the minimum salary, plus about $2,700 more for the time Kirby had been a permanent substitute in McKeesport. "The only time we would want to justify is the permanent substitute time spent here," Bouchard wrote. That would put Kirby on'.

"Step 2" with a salary of $28,702, at tht --bachelor degree level. Solicitor William Andrews said the teach- ers union would not agree to drop out-of-district experience in setting pay "They may have that position now, but they didn't have it when we needed it. If they" had told us this then, things may have looked different. There's a lot of difference between paying someone $2,500 more and $9,000 more," Andrews said. Johnson also charged that the district koJ mnAa foohlo offnrt in rpfmit hlaHr Darrell SappPost-Gazette teachers.

Hi, Mister Russ Miller 4, of West Palm Beach, points to his favorite photograph of Mister Rogers, the children's television character in a new display at Pittsburgh International Airport. Mister Rogers Pittsburgh's Fred Rogers was at the airport yesterday for the dedication of the display, sponsored by PNC Bank. Russ was there waiting for a flight to Montreal. McKeesport school officials said the un-ion was unwilling to make such a statement a month ago. "I felt very bad we couldn't hire Mrs.

Kirby," said board member Barbara Oievensoil. it wuuiu nave mauc a u5 difference it we Knew we couia nire ner ar Step 2. 1 probably would have voted for her." ttitT. rlmfmnf rtffjrtinlo AaraA roPfi7- Beaver County unveils growth plan WC tUlUW Ulan ill uuiLiaio uviivi ing the applications of at least two African- American candidates, until omciais were approached, questioned and pressed as td former LTV plant in Aliquippa. The report also recommends various sewer and water improvements, an extension of the main runway at Beaver County Airport and a marketing and image program designed to recruit business to Beaver County.

Marketing will be concerned primarily with getting local businesses to expand rather than with "smokestack chasing," or recruiting national and international industry, said Jim Palmer, president of the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development, which helped to put together than plan. "We feel we can accomplish more true growth by focusing on our existing resource," he said. The plan is comparable to the Strategy 21 economic development package put together by Allegheny County leaders the mid-'80s. That plan focused priorities and led to the completion of the new $800 million terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport. Beaver County task force members will be in Harrisburg today to talk to state officials about their BIG plans.

Among the top priorities is construction of the expressway, which would link Route 65 in Beaver County and Interstate 79 near Cranberry, Butler County. The task force said the connector would create jobs, open new areas to development, and improve the potential for the reuse of abandoned sites and facilities, including the BIG initiative includes 17 development projects supported by 86 leaders Beaver County officials are hoping that a little planning will help in a BIG way. The planning takes the form of the Beaver Initiative for Growth, or BIG, the counts first comprehensive economic development plan, unveiled yesterday. Built around 17 economic development projects, from expansion of the Mid-Valley-Crow's Run Expressway to improved marketing, the plan represents the consensus of 86 government, business, labor, community and educational leaders who targeted county priorities. me SiaiUS 0I Uiusc reauinco anu tions," he said.

According to school administrators, the district advertised in national publications, sent letters to universities with large black enrollments, and advertised in the Pitts- burgh Courier. Board President David Donato has said that of some 800 applications the district received, there were no black candidates for Step 1 jobs with state certificates. The union's position on experience from other districts, however, won't help black; applicants this year. "We don't have an vacancies. We have people under contract, Andrews said.

EAST HLLCuncn I ounwuu wig i niv Permanent superintendent hired Around the Hivers News From Your Neighborhood After almost seven montns wnnoui a permanent super- -intendent, East Allegheny School Directors have hired John W. Hisiro as the district's new chief. Hisiro, director of elementary education in the Yough -School District, was the board's unanimous pick in a spe- tol70 years in prison for his role in two drive-by shootings Dec. 28, 1991. jOn Monday, Common Pleas Judge Donna Jo McDaniel told the defendant, 21-year-old Stanley Washington, that he must take responsibility for drive-by shootings, which have become "epidemic." The judge imposed the lengthy prison sentence for Washington's role in the slaying of Darryl Godbolt, 25, of Homewood, and in connection with another shooting.

Witnesses said Washington fired a shot into a crowd, killing Darius Hawkins, 21, of the Hill District, and wounding two other people outside the Aurora Club on Pride Street. He was acquitted in Hawkins' slaying but was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated assault for the wounding of the bystanders. He and two other men then drove to Tioga Street, where witnesses said he shot Godbolt. Washington was convicted of third-degree murder in Godbolt's death. Man killed girlfriend Life sentence imposed in Fayette A Fayette County jury convicted a man in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old woman whose body was left near a remote lake.

The panel deliberated for eight hours Monday before finding Joseph Mrozek guilty of killing his girlfriend, Dannette Ritz, July 3, 1990, in Redstone Township. Mrozek's attorney said he would appeal. Mrozek, 43, of Chestnut Ridge, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. Harassment claim fails Eat 'n Park cites EEOC report Eat 'n Park Restaurants Inc. yesterday said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had found "no evidence to substantiate" claims by two former employees that they were victims of sexual harassment.

Di a one-page news release from Eat Park corporate headquarters in Robinson, the company said EEOC investigators concluded the allegations were without substance after they visited the Dormont restaurant. Lisa Ann Howard, a former hostess, and Kristie Sorace, a former waitress, claimed in a federal lawsuit filed Monday that they were subjected to lewd comments, unwanted touching and sexual overtures as a condition of their employment at the Dormont 'Sat 'n Park. r' ciai meeting monuay nigiu. He has a doctorate in education administration from West Virginia University. The district had been looking for a permanent superin- 11 a.m.

to 4 p.m. Oct. 10 at Washington Elementary School on Meridian Road in Richland. Services available will include flu shots and screenings for cholesterol levels, vision and blood pressure. In addition, appointments will be taken for mammography examinations, which also will be provided for free.

A Life Flight helicopter will land at 1 p.m. and the township's police and fire departments will have displays. The event is being sponsored by Richland Emergency Medical Services, which provides emergency care and transportation. lenuclll SHlte eui ucu wmcii iuuim iiapuiiuui icit. n.

majority of the board had voted not to renew Napolitan's contract. Mount Washington Boggs Avenue to close for repairs Street reDairs will close Boees Avenue between Anon' West Mifflin Council to pay $220,000 for sewage violations West Mifflin Council last night agreed to pay $220,000 in fines for not complying with state guidelines on sewage treatment. The fines are part of a consent agreement council agreed to sign for sewage not being treated properly at the borough's Thompson Run and New England sewage-treatment plants dating to 1989. The consent agreement, being cosigned by the Allegheny County Health Department and the state Department of Environmental Resources, also requires West Mifflin to upgrade its sewage facilities and procedures. Council President C.L.

Jabbour said it may take more than $5 million in improvements to comply with the agreement. He said that is in addition to the $1.3 million in improvements the borough has made in the past couple of years since problems were discovered with the sewage system. Since June, council and other borough officials negotiated with county and state officials to reduce the fines, which could have been as much as $490,000 for violations of the Clean Streams Law and the Sewage Facilities Act. Once the borough, state and county all sign the consent agreement, the borough has 15 days to pay half of the fine to the state to be earmarked for the Clean Water Fund and the Environmental Health Fund. The rest will be due by September 1994.

Jabbour said the borough will have no problem coming up with the first $110,000 because council had been expecting the fine. Richland Community Health Fair to be held Oct. 10 The Richland Community Health Fair will be held from and Soffel streets in Mount Washington starting at 7 a.m. tomorrow. The work will continue for six weeks.

Kesi- dents may enter the construction site on a limited basis. Beaver Falls Bible sexuality speaker at Geneva College Amy Scheming, project coordinator of the Human Sex-' uality Alliance will speak at 10 a.m. today in the chapel at Geneva College in Beaver Falls. The alliance is a network Edgewood Council approves work at school for deaf Edgewood Council has approved plans for continued renovations at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. As part of the $238,000 project, the borough issued a building permit that will allow the upgrading of facilities at the school's Center on Deafness, an adult transition program that prepares deaf students for college and provides training for those planning to enter the job market.

The school's main building will receive exterior cleaning, and the drainage system will be overhauled. Over the summer, the institution built a new workshop, completed renovations of the girls' gym and showers and installed wheelchair ramps at the main entrance. The 17-acre facility on Swissvale Avenue serves 207 hearing-impaired people aged 2 to 21. of ministries that promotes a Biblical view of sexuality. Scheming was the founding director of the North Pitts burgh Pregnancy Care Center and created a program to educate young people about the benefits abstaining from'sex before marriage..