Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 32

C-2 PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE 0 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1W5 Till niGlO'J To avoid SlUDCr fire. Team Snrn fie Pittsburgh Sister Cities Association tournament. 77m may 6e edge soccer team Bosnian has one goal in mind winning J3y David Lefer Pes-Gazece San vVnter Members of Team Sarajevo, a bovs soccer club, have become experts in indoor soccer. Sniper fire and constant shelling in the Bosnian capital during that country's civil war have allowed the bovs to practice outside only twice over the past four years That expertise could give the Bosnian players an edge today when they compete in a Pittsburgh Sister Cities Association tournament that has drawn teams from Pittsburgh's sister cities in Russia, Japan and other countries. The boys, ages 11 to 14, are the first group of Sarajevans to leave the city without refugee status since Bosnia's civil war began.

The team will stay 10 days, visiting Pitts burgh attractions and possibly Washington, D.C. Members are staying with families in the Twin-Boro Soccer Association. "To bring children out of hell is something magnificent," said the team's coach, Janjos Mehmed through an interpreter yesterday. "I say, Thank to Pittsburgh." One parent of each of four of the boys have been killed in the fighting, and all of them have had friends or relatives killed. Until 10 days ago, Sarajevo had no electricity, water or gas, he said.

With the recent cease-fire agreement, electricity has been restored and water now comes "for a few hours every second day thanks to U.S. and NATO air power." The boys, who arrived Thursday, said they found it strange to have as much water as they wanted in their host families' homes, but most of them were fascinated by another fixture in many American homes: computer video games. Team Sarajevo will play the Western Pennsylvania Olympic Development Team at Sewickley Academy at 10 a.m. today and against Team Pittsburgh at the Sportrak Indoor Arena in Sewickley at 7 p.m. "We'll show the Pittsburgh kids how to play soccer," said Aldin Janjos, 14, a Team Sarajevo player.

The Sarajevan team is made up of Muslim, Serb and Croat players representing the three factions that have been fighting in the civil war. But Mehmed said all are good friends. The Pittsburgh Sister Cities Association held fund-raisers to help finance the Sarajevans' trip. USAir and British Air donated airplane tickets and also contributed money. Communicating with the team was one of the most difficult parts of getting it out of Sarajevo, said Larry Evans, director of the Pittsburgh associatioa Sarajevo gets no mail, and faxes rarely get through.

But with the help of Mirsada Begovich, a Bosnian doctor who practices in Pittsburgh, Evans managed to arrange the team's departure. "I think it's a step forward in the Sarajevo-Pittsburgh sister city relationship," Evans told the group. He added that his own son would be playing against them this evening on Team Pittsburgh, which has less experience playing indoors. "He's scared to death of you guys." IIIYS DIGEST Odd duo fights graffiti battle File this one under "strange bedfellows." City Council President Jim Ferlo, a critic of billboard prolif er-" ation, led a successful drive two years ago for tougher billboard standards in Pittsburgh. But he hates graffiti more.

So -he's teaming up with Martin Me- dia in a campaign that would use-billboard space donated by the company to advertise rewards for graffiti snitches. Details of the partnership will be announced at noon Monday during a news conference at Mar tin Media's offices in Oakland. Ba. sically, billboards throughout the city will advertise the availability of city reward money of up to $500 for information leading to the ar-: rest of a graffiti vandal, Ferlo said. "The billboards are here anyway, so we might as well use some of them in a productive fashion to nab some criminals" he said.

Martin Media proposed the same idea earlier this year. City Council liked it, but Mayor Murphy's administration rejected it Deputy Mayor Sal Sirabella called billboards a form of pollution. Ferlo said he believed that more graffiti vandals could be caught if more people were aware of the reward money available. Ferlo led the legislative charge to regulate the number and placement of billboards in Pittsburgh. But earlier this year, he criticized the Murphy administration's rejection of Martin Media's offer of free billboard space for the same use.

The billboards in the coming campaign will give the council- man's phone number. Ferlo will turn over information to police. Robber is sentenced A Westgate Village man was sentenced to five years in federal prison yesterday for committing three bank robberies in which ore work planned for Blvd. of Allies v. PennDOT plans to replace the Boulevard of the Allies bridge and off-ramp nating a zig-zag traffic pattern from Oakland to Downtown via the Boulevard, whereby drivers on Fifth Avenue make a left turn onto Craft Avenue near Carlow College, then a right onto a special lane of Forbes Avenue that runs a short distance to the boulevard on-ramp.

If residents agree, PennDQT will eliminate the juggernaut, keeping inbound traffic on Fifth and building a new ramp from Fifth to the Boulevard of Allies. "By making the ramp from Fifth Current repair job to be finished soon; new one starts in By Joe Grata Post-Gazette Staff Writer The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says the $1.5 million repair job on the Boulevard of the Allies between Downtown and Oakland will be finished and all four lanes will be reopened to traffic "within weeks," but there's another project in the works at the Oakland end. The new project, scheduled to start in 1998, involves three key bridges that carry the Boulevard over Forbes Avenue and ramps connecting with Forbes. A public open house meeting on the plans will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Point Park Playhouse, Craft Avenue at Hamlet Street, Oakland.

It will include presentations at 2, 4 and 6 p.m., and question-and-answer sessions with PennDOT, its consultants and officials helping plan for traffic congestion that they say will be caused by the work. "With its unusual geography, Pittsburgh is liable for a lot of disruption when bridges and ramps are closed," said Ann Winkelsteui, executive director of the Oakland Transportation Management Association, a sponsor of the Monday meeting. "I don't think there's an option, because engineers say the bridges are in such bad condition." One bridge is actually an overpass, carrying four lanes of the Boulevard of Allies over Forbes. One bridge is part of the one-lane off-ramp for outbound boulevard users to reach Forbes Avenue. The third bridge is part of a one-lane ramp leading from Forbes Avenue to the boulevard inbound.

The bridges are close together. Sean Henderson, a PennDOT design liaison engineer, said the department was seeking public input on design alternatives and on how traffic should be routed during the No -show jurors sent to county jail by judge JURORS FROM PAGE C-l burgh, telephoned the sheriffs office and was told to report Monday. Deputies said they knew the whereabouts of another man and planned to go out for him. Dauer lifted warrants for two jurors who turned themselves in and offered excuses that he found acceptable. They were Robert T.

Ruberto of Pleasant Hills and John Malesnick Jr. of McKees Rocks. Attorney Joseph Kanfoush, who accompanied Malesnick to Dauers office in the Frick Building yesterday morning, said Malesnick told the judge he didn't report for jury duty Sept. 11 because he was with his ailing father in a local hospital. Dauer said he accepted Males-nick's excuse, but would see that he is called for jury duty at some future date.

Kanfoush said he warned Malesnick not to forget again. "I told him to paint it on the calendar in red," Kanfoush said. Ruberto could not be reached last night. Sheriff Eugene Coon said those who were arrested would not be fingerprinted or have mug shots taken because they are being brought in on civil, hot criminal, contempt citations. "I don't want them to carry around a criminal record," Coon said.

County records show that Fulmer received a health deferment from jury duty and missed jury duty Sept. said Karen Stebbins, Vuono-Dawida raise more than $8,900 was stolen. Clifton E. Johnson, 43, pleaded eApril21totheNov.28rob-)f the Parkvale Savings Bank branch on Fifth Avenue, Downtown, the Nov. 19 robbery of the Fidelity Savines Bank hranrh on Brighton Road, Woods Run, ana me Jan.

roDDery of the Mellon Bank branch on Noble Street in Swissvale. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shatin E. Sweeney said Johnson had an accomplice in the Swissvale roh-' berv. Macarthur J.

Wheeler. 43 nf McKeesport, was convicted earlier this month. Johnson testified against him. City schools evacuated A bomb threat forced the tern- porary evacuation of every school in the Pittsburgh school district around lunchtune yesterday. No eXDlosives were fnnnH and classes resumed after each build ing was examined by police experts.

The threat was called in ahont 8:20 a.m. The caller said a device would explode at 12:45 D.m.. hut no specific target was given, scnooi omciais said. At 12:35 all school hnilH. ings were evacuated.

Students returned to class about 1:30 p.m. 7 face drug charges Detectives and state rinm agents yesterday arrested seven men ai-cusea oi aeaiing cocaine in Beaver County. "This is not the lamest Hmo trafficking organization that we've ever taken down, hut fnr Renwr County, we've taken some signifi- cani ueaiers on ine street," said Kevin Harlev. a SDokesman fnr the state attorney general's office. The men were rharooH uritVi drug law violations and conspiracy.

One Of the SUSneets rieanHm Moon, 21, is serving a 22-year sentence at the state prison in Albion for shooting two state narcotics agents during the investigation, which began 2 years ago. Another suspect, David Robinson, 26, is at the same nrisnn nn unrelated charges. Criminal complaints charge that Paul Mollett, 26, of Pittsburgh suDDlied Cocaine and rrarlr to Moon, Robinson and Anthony ivuumson, za, oi iew Brighton. In turn, the men sold the dnins tii street-level dealers. Maurice James and Shawn Henslev.

both 27 and fmm New Brighton, and Chauncy Watson, 21, of Beaver Falls, were accomplices in the deals, the eomnlaints said. Train-car wreck fatal A Harmar woman riieH lacr night, nine hours after her car was struck by a train yesterday morning. Sarah Covne. 82. was drivinp across the tracks on Wenzel Drive in Harmar, heading away from her home, which sits between the railroad tracks and the river.

Police said thev did not Imnw why her car stopped on the tracks. i ne uacK oi tne car, on the dnv-; er's side, was struck at 8:56 a.m. by a Conrail freight train. Coyne was pronounced dead at Presbyterian University Hospital at 6:19 p.m. Darrell SappPost-Gazette Repaying is also finished, leaving installation oi iignts as tne last item ot work.

"Traffic restrictions are slowly beine lifted, and all fnnr lanPQ should be open within the next several weeks," PennDOT spokesman Dick Skrinjar said. The project that has restricted boulevard traffic to one lane in each direction since August includes construction of an emergency left-turn lane, serving Mercy Hospital. $1 million tional. Paw the Dpnifwrats 9fino But he hedged his bet with $5,600 in donations to the Dunn-Cranmer ticket. Medure was not alone in working both sides of the Dolitical street Benito Mosciatello, president of Anjo construction gave $5,000 to rjotn teams, as did Richard P.

Simmons, the Allegheny Ludlum executive. The Downtown law firm Thorp Reed Armstrong gave $7,500 to Dawida-Vuono and $4,000 to Dunn-Cranmer. Kimball, the jail architect, also gave $2,500 to the Republicans. ADOStolou. one of the hippest Dawida-Vuono donors, gave $1,000 to tne uur side.

Developer Joe Massaro Jr. gave $5,000 to the Democrats to the Republicans. Queenan also showed up on both reports, with a $300 donation to me uuf Members of the Stabile family, wnicn operates Aico arkmg Pittsburgh's biggest parking business, gave $9,000 to Dawida and Vuono and $1,000 to Dunn and cranmer. The biggest Dunn-Cranmer donor, aside from the candidates themselves, was Robert Eberly, a Uniontown businessman in Fayette County, who gave $10,000. Samuel Anthony of Anthony Crane Rental Inc.

of West Mifflin gave $10,000 to Dunn's committee. for district justice comment. Pristas could not be reached. Her husband, Donald, said his wife was disappointed with the decision and went out last night to research constitutional law on vot- ers' rights. over Forbes Avenue in Oakland.

Avenue directly to the boulevard, we also improve traffic flow on Forbes Avenue into Oakland," Henderson said. He said PennDOT has been working "with a long list of Oakland groups and interests" to develop plans. PennDOT has finished installing most of the concrete median barriers, sidewalk barriers and sidewalks along a stretch of the boulevard between Oakland and Downtown. Ross of Shadyside, president of Kenny Ross Chevrolet, who cave $25,000. The Democrats reaped several big donations from registered Republicans, including $20,000 from David Minnotte of Fox Chapel, who owns a manufacturing company, $10,000 from architect Paul C.

Apos-tolou of Upper St, Clair, $5,500 from Harry Henninger, chief executive officer of Kennywood Park; and $5,000 from attorney Charles Queenan of Mt Lebanon. The political committee of former Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Mas-loff gave $5,000 to Dawida and Vuono. Developer Tom Mistick gave $14,750 to Dawida and Vuono. Robert Wholey, the Strip District fish purveyor, gave them $10,000. Evidently unfazed by Dawida's and Vuono's outspoken criticism of the new county jail his firm designed, architect Robert Kimball gave them $5,500.

Publisher Linda Dickerson, who lost a bid for the GOP nomination in May and then endorsed Dawida and Vuono, gave them $100. At least two people with a possible stake in legalized gambling made big donations to Dawida and Vuono. John E. Connelly, owner of the Gateway Clipper fleet and several floating casinos in other states, donated $5,500. Angelo Medure of Elhvood City, who owns Gaming World Interna "My faith in the election process was pretty much shattered, but this has restored my faith in the process," he said.

County Elections Director Mark Wolosik, who was named as a defendant in the case, declined to work. Traffic counts show 2,415 vehicles an hour crossing the main Boulevard of Allies bridge into Oakland during the morning rush. Those drivers, along with drivers headed Downtown, will have to find alternate routes when the bridge is razed and rebuilt The project carries an estimated cost of $8.2 million, including right-of-way acquisition and engineering. PennDOT is scheduled to let bids Dec. 1, 1997.

One design option calls for elimi county jury coordinator. Records indicate that he did not respond to a follow-up letter from Dauer demanding an explanation for his failure to appear and did not appear at a hearing before Dauer on Thursday. "He is not too bad of a citizen, but he kind of blew it and I think he regrets it now," Stebbins said. County records could not be obtained on Heinzl. In a crackdown on jurors who ignore their notices to appear, Dauer had ordered 18 jurors who were listed as no-shows to appear in his courtroom Thursday.

Ten showed up, and Dauer dismissed six who offered excuses. Four were cited for contempt and will have to appear before the judge Nov. 6. At that time, they probably will be fined. Dauer said he believed that his campaign had an immediate impact He said Judge Bernard J.

"I told him to paint it on the calendar in red. McGowan told him that 183 of 280 jurors who were called for civil jury duty yesterday showed up. "That's 100 percent better than what they have been getting on the civil side," Dauer said. Milko said it cost the courts money when jurors fail to show. She said Dauer, who is both president judge and a member of the Commission for the Selection of Jurors, had been threatening to crack down on people who don't take jury duty seriously.

"People should understand that it is their duty and they should thank God that we have the system we have," Milko said. And for those who don't understand, Dauer said he was planning to start Railing more no-show jurors to explain their absences. MONEY FROM PAGE C-l "What they have raised just goes to show you that it doesn't matter how much money you have if you don't have anything to say," he said. John O'Leary, a strategist for the Democratic team, said Dawida and Vuono expected to have spent $400,000 on television advertising by the time the campaign ends. Barton said the GOP hoped to muster as much as $275,000 in television spending.

O'Leary said the Democrats had spent about $75,000 on direct mail These spending reports were filed as each of the campaigns, with the balloting less than two weeks away, began to launch more aggressive television ads. The Republicans, are increasingly concentrating their fire on Vuono, with claims that she was not qualified for the position she held in the coroner's office. Dawida dismissed those attacks yesterday as a reflection of last-minute desperation by candidates behind in the polls and at a 2.4-to-l registration disadvantage. The Democrats, whose more extensive advertising had comprised mainly positive spots, unveiled a new ad this week attacking Dunn for voting more than 90 percent of the time with Flaherty and Foerster. Dawida and Vuono's biggest donor was automobile dealer Kenneth Olasz to get 2nd chance in primary OLASZ FROM PAGE C-l "It's a little late to get anything like a mailing out.

We'll probably just do some door-to-door campaigning to get the message out," he said..