Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 2

2-POST-GAZETTE: Aug. 21, 1978 School Bells and Cash Registers Ring Here v. i I ly like school, seemed pleased that the school year is about to begin. She has a full-time job, so it's not matter of having been cooped op In the house with three children all summer. "I think they're very bored," she said, "I'm happy for them to be going back." She echoed the thoughts of probably every parent in the country when she said that by this time of year the kids have begun fighting with each other, and complain that they just don't have much to do.

As Miss Thompson and her children were talking, the squak of coat hangers being moved over steel rods could be heard in the background as parents and children sorted over what the smart young child will be wearing this year. For Jeanine Cirilli, 5, and her mother Maureen, of Crafton Heights, it was a first-time effort at school shopping. Jeanine is about to enter kindergarten, and Mrs. Cirilli figures shopping for the big event will probably end up costing about $100. Mrs.

Cirilli, like mothers of kindergarteners everywhere, though, was preoccupied with thoughts of her baby" going off to school for the first time. As for Jeanine, she said she feels "good" about the prospect of going to school. She likes to draw, and kindergarten sounds like just the place to do plenty of that, she said. prospect, said Riker, "because last year was outstanding. We're very happy to be holding on." Riker said casual gear is moving well in his store-jeans, and especially what used to be called sneakers but what is now called canvas footwear.

Strangely, Kurtz, of Gimbels, reported that while jeans and corduroy items are moving well, so are items that are dressier than children's clothes have been. For girls, what are called "coordinates," with soft, brushed fabrics are the in things, and some of the "disco" look items for boys are moving. At Kaufmann a boys' department manager said matching trousers and shirts and even vests were in demand. Meanwhile, Miss Thompson offered a shopper's eye view of all this. "For Tanya, I just spent $55-for two outfits," she marveled, "and that's not even including socks, underwear and shoes and things." Some examples of Miss Thompson's purchases: Jennifer's shoes cost $21; a jumper-style dress was $14; two blouses to go with the jumper were $10 each; a pair of slacks was $15.

Daughter Tanya got three pair of slacks, which went for $15 each, and four blouses and a vest which averaged $12 each. Nonetheless, Miss Thompson, who protested when told of her daughter's ''pits" comments that her children real son, reckons it will cost her about $400 this year to get Jennifer, another daughter Tanya, 10, and a son, Jeffrey, 12, ready for school. "It is very expensive," Miss Thompson, who uses her maiden name, said yesterday. "I'm totally shocked. Last year it wasn't this bad.

The prices are just out of this world." A year ago, she recalled, she paid about $275 to outfit her children for school. Miss Thompson and her clan were in a Downtown department store, after having already visited what she called a less expensive shop. Despite at least a perception of higher prices, though, big area stores say sales of back-to-school items are doing generally well. Arnold Corey, division merchandise manager for children's wear for Joseph Home agrees that consumer this year are very price conscious. But, he said, basically, prices for children's wear are about the same as they were last yeara thought echoed by several department store executives.

Corey also noted what other store executives have observed the back-to-school rush is later this year than usual. The first couple of weeks of August were slower tha.n normal, but business is picking up fast now. Ed Kurtz, divisional merchandise manager for Gimbels, believes that the wORRrS BERAAANPosT'GaxeiT 5, try on a canvas shoe as Mrs. Harry H. Riker, general merchandise manager for area Sears, Roebuck and Co.

stores, says the back-to-school trade this year has been about the same as 1977 and that's a pleasing Sewickley Blast Suspect Retracts Part of Testimony contained in the bomb. But he said a friend, Frank Bailey, had expressed an interest in the blasting machine and that he had agreed to sell it. He left the detonator inside his basement steps the night of the explosion and noted later that it was gone, White said. Asked about Bailey's testimony Thursday that he had spoken about bombing Ronald Ford's car only days before the explosion occurred, White said that conversion had been in jest, and had concerned, not the Ford family car, but a Ford Motor Co. car.

The point of the joke, be explained, was that his father is a Chevrolet sales manager. Baxter School Chief Moved Autumn By DAVID WARNER Pott-Gut! SUrt Wrlttr Seven-year-old Jennifer Baronti squirmed in the shoe department chair, glanced at a pair of brushed suede shoes just placed on her feet and philosophized a bit about ber imminent return to the classroom. "Second grade," she said, "is the pits." The authority for her statement, she explained, is a neighborhood pal near her Neville Island home who went through the "pits" last year. But for the time being, at least, Jennifer, like thousands of other school-age children, spent yesterday roaming through children's wear departments with her mother, getting ready for the big day. For many in Allegheny County, the countdown to the end of the golden days of summer is getting down to the low numbers.

In most suburban districts, school opens Monday, and in the city it opens Sept. 5. What that means to the children, of course, is a presumed loss of freedom, an end to lazy days on-the front porch, of sleeping in, of vacation trips, and sunny days at a pool. What it means to parents, at least this week, is paying out a lot of hard earned cash for shirts, shoes, socks, trousers, skirts, blouses, jackets and coping with statements from offspring like, "But Mom, I like this one." Jennifer's mother, Barbara Thomp- LCB Strips Go-Go Bar Of License By JONATHAN WILLIAMS Strf Writer A Liberty Avenue go-go bar that became the center of a battle for control following the murder of vice lord George E. Lee has lost its liquor license because of the criminal record of some of its employees and charges filed against it.

The state Liquor Control Board stripped the bar, known as Stage 966 or Applause, at 966 Liberty of its cense, effective Sept. 6. But one of the owners, Raymond Osbop, said the charges are a bum rap and that the bar will go to court to re-, gain its license. The LCB threw the book at the bar, citing the criminal records of its acting manager, Ralph Maiette, and doorman, Lester Augustus Cross, selling to minors, allowing the go-go dancers to contact patrons and not being a real restaurant. The liquor agents said there was an inadequate supply of silverware, dishes and food on hand.

Maiette has a criminal record dating back to 1959. His convictions include rape, sodomy, robbery, aggravated as-' sauit and battery, auto theft and liquor law violations. Cross criminal record sheet is three pages long. The bar's license is in the name of New Sorento Inc. with the late George Lee's mistress, Carol Munshaw, as secretary and stockholder and Oshop as president, treasurer and stockholder.

Osbop installed Maiette as manager of Stage 966 in Jaunuary after the previous manager, Melvin H. Cummings, a close associate of Lee's, shut the Ear down because of bomb threats. Cummings, who narrowly escaped death when a sniper's bullet hit the rear window of his car in August 1977, said he was being muscled out of the bar, in which he said he had a 50 per- i cent interest. (While investigating the sniper at- tack, police found a handgun in Cummings possession. As a convicted federal felon he is not permitted to pos-' sess weapons and is now in jail because of it) Oshop said the board's action is un- fair.

Maiette acknowledged his criminal record on the employment application he filed with the liquor board, Oshop said. Cross has been fired. As for underage drinking, the bar is now putting young people on notice that they can be prosecuted for lying about their age. The dancers no longer consort with customers, and food is now available, Oshop said. He blamed all his troubles on Cummings, whose application for unemployment compensation Oshop bitterly contested in July, two days after Stage 966's liquor license hearing.

Steelworkers Set Coke Plant Training The United Steelworkers' Beaver County-based District 20 is planning a training session and conference next Tuesday and Wednesday for members employed in coke plants in Erie. Walter Bachowski, District 20 director, said the problems with cancer-causing agents in coke plants will be a major theme. Joseph Odorcich, USW vice president and chairman of the union's coke conference, will speak at the meetings at the Erie subdistrict office. Representatives from George Washington University will conduct the training sessions. i 2.

"Lil IS 3 Gladys Hull helps Jeanine Cerilli, Maureen Cerilli watches intently late shopping trend is clearly related to the economy. "They don't want to give up that dollar until the very last minute, is the way Kurtz put it. JOHN GEORGE about 400 years old in there that we won't be able to replace," he said. George said only the office in the warehouse was saved from the flames. When the fire hit, employees were evacuated from the McKean Oldsmo-bile Co.

tire department, located across the street from the warehouse, but that building was not damaged. Firemen sprayed the melted roof, twisted girders and smoldering rubble, which glowed from the intense heat, for more than an hour and a half to bring the fire under control. majors this year. The six other Pittsburgh colleges, however, report Students still are opting for less liberal arts and more business, engineering and computer science. Sanford Rivers, associate admissions director at Carneg ie-Mellon University, said engineering and business majors are drawing the largest numbers of freshmen, with freshmen engineering majors up from 315 to 415 and business majors up from 56 to 81.

"We are following the national trend. Everyone is becoming goal-oriented," Rivers said. "Parents are saying, 'Why am I going to spend $6,500 for you to learn to The pool of determined professional artists is dwindling." Business adminutration and communications remaiirpopular at Chathan College, while the largest program at Jt. rv a 1 N. sr HARRY COUGHANOURPost.G:ett Fireman cools off with a drink from his hat after flames subsided.

Warehouse Damaged By 1 Million Fire II The defendant denied he ever had any blasting caps or more than a small amount of C4, the military plastic explosive the prosecution claims was in the Sewickley bomb. White said be burned all his L4 while demonstrating its properties to Fritz Wasco and Fritz's brother Frank. Besides White himself, Dean put Ruth Ann Bridgen and her sister Deborah, White's wife, on the witness stand. Both testified that White was with them most of the day the bomb was left in front of the Ford house. Dean asked few questions about White's whereabouts during the evening.

the all-black Homewood middle school ordered closed by Common Pleas Judge John Flaherty. The kindergarten students will attend Belmar, Crescent or Homewood elementary schools. The board also formally ratified a reassignment plan and announced that Baxter's 296 seventh and eighth grade students have been reassigned to 14 other city schools. a dress to soften the way through those days ahead and easy and full of Reflecting all the new Fall that are soft to and easy to wear gathered shoulder line into billowing sleeves skirt that's slashed In shades of eggplant with mauve or black with sand. 16 56 hills village south hills village By HUGH CHRISTENSEN Bombing suspect Ralph William White Jr.

retracted one part of his testimony yesterday during a lengthy grilling by prosecutor Edward E. Fagan. The 22-year-old Sewickley Marine remained generally cool and consistent during examination by his attorney, Jack Dean, and cross examination by Fagan before a packed Criminal Division courtroom. But when Fagan asked when White had first learned of the explosion that had killed Terry Ford, 13, at his Sewickley home, the defendant said he had heard about it only several days later, after his return to his base in North Carolina. Fagan's response was to demand whether White had not learned of the explosion from a friend, Frederick "Fritz" Wasco, 627 Beaver Road, Edge-worth, 'only minutes after it happened.

"Yes, sir," White admitted. "So you knew about it then, didn't you?" Fagan persisted. "Yes, sir," the defendant replied. White, now 22 and a County Jail in mate, had ready answers for most of the questions put to him as be testified during the fifth day of his jury trial on first-degree murder and other charges. Asked whether he felt any hostility toward the Henry G.

Ford family of 7U Haroaugn st, sewickley, or toward son Ronald, then 20, White replied that he "didn't care for" young Ford but felt no animosity toward him or his family. The prosecution's contention is that hostility toward Ronald Ford led White to place in front of the family home a bomb that was found and set off by lerry rora. Wasco testified Friday that, after he told White of the bomb blast, the Ma rine replied that "by some strange miscalculation, his life was in my hands and my life in his." Asked by Dean to account for the remark. White said it concerned, not the bombing, but this sister-m-law, Ruth Ann Bridgen, 1514 Center St, Osborne Borough, who at the time was Wasco girllnend. Miss Bridgen was to accompany White and his wife on their return to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Wasco wanted to emphasize White's responsibility for her safety, the defend ant claimed.

White said he made a trip to bis family's home at 234 Graham St, Sewickley, the night of the bombing only to drop on an ammunition box be bad brought from his base and to pick up some Deer. The prosecution's contention is that the purpose of the trip was to pick up the bomb and take it to the Ford home less than 500 feet away. The defendant admitted that he had brought from Camp Lejeune a 10-cap blasting detonator like the one probably JJtrtBburnh JIitBt-Cftazrtlr Sun-Tclefrtpk Mn oVe SO 8ivd Alts P-nsbtxgh Penna 1 2 2 Bieu London 28 lvena Gns W8 Wavwigion NaiHjn P'ess 8kk) Cactoi Ntws Room be pe copy Hon dekverv 90c a Bv matiois 1 jnd 2 me is no one month $3 tniee months $8 one ve $30 t.ut postage to, othe rones Second Cass postage pa-d in P-nstuxgh Penn Phones: Home delivery 263-1121: mail subscription 263-1317: want ads 263-1201: other depts 263-IIOO. Carlow College still is nursing. Administration and management continue to draw students to Robert Morris and La-Roche colleges, according to the schools' admissions directors.

Students enrolled in business management and computer science also are increasing at Point Park College, where the dance and theater programs always have had the strongest reputations. Registration is not yet completed, but school officials expect the freshmen classes at LaRoche, Carlow and Carnegie-Mellon to be 15 to 20 percent larger than last year. The number of full-time freshmen expected at the city's colleges are: Car-low, 205; Chatham, 140, Carnegie-Mellon, Djiquesne, LaRoche, 160; Pitt 2.J; Point Park, 400, and Robert Morris, 650. I I II Free II I looks for ii The Pittsburgh Board of Education yesterday approved the transfer of Robert Cook from principal of Baxter Middle School to the same position at Lemington Elementary School. James Boyd, principal at Lemington, was named principal of Fulton Elementary School.

During a special legislative meeting yesterday, the board also voted to close the kindergarten program at Baxter, north I mWMW SA hi i iHltofl i mwmn mM Vi II I Vx I I It- ll.t You're looking good you're moving up you're ri downtown ii iooseiy II filing II iAVl II 1 and sashed Damage was estimated at more than $1 million in a three-alarm fire yesterday afternoon that destroyed the George Transportation Co. warehouse in Bloomfield. The fire started at about 3 p.m. in the back of the storage area and quickly spread through the one-story brick building located in a gully near the Conrail tracks at the bottom of Gross Street. Then the metal roof of the block-square structure collapsed, sending flames and smoke hundreds of feet above the warehouse, which was used to store commercial furniture and the firm's moving equipment.

All 15 employees in the building when the fire started escaped without injury. John George, owner of the storage and hauling company that is a division of North American Van Lines, said several employees who are volunteer firemen tried to contain the flames with fire extinguishers, "but once it got started, it came up real quick." George said damage would be "well over $1 million." He said furniture he stored for customers plus a lot of the firm's own moving equipment was inside the warehouse ana destroyed in the fire. The company's trucks, however, were outside. "There were some priceless antiques present with large numbers of students enrolled in engineering, pre-law and pre-medicine, but Merante said more students are taking writing and humanities courses. Duquesne's business and pharmacy programs, which have had an overwhelming number of applicants in the last few years, still are among the school's strongest according to Kevin Altomari, assistant admissions director.

"But now, a lot more students are considering an arts education," he said. "There seems to be a trend of going back to education because it's good, rather than with the end result of a job," Altomari said. He noted the number of students in liberal arts "Is in no way comparable to 10 or 15 years Duquesne, 500 freshmen, up from tf JO last year, will be enrolled in less career-directed Colleges Here See Swing to Liberal Arts I Vv I By SUSAN' MAJVNELLA Pott-GairfHi Stiff Wrtnr Admissions directors at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University report that more freshmen have signed up for liberal arts studies for this September, despite a trend on other campuses locally and nationally toward business and technical areas. "One of the surprising things is that students seem to have a renewed interest in liberal arts," said Joseph A. Me-rante, director of admissions at Pitt "They still are very conscious of job orientation, but it seems they have learned" they can benefit from a broader education.

During the late 1960s, liberal arts grew is popularity, but during the 1970s, students showed more interest in job preparation, Merante said. The emphasis on careers still is monroeville mall westmore and ma.