Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 72

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE FRIDAY. MAY 28. 1999 1 6 8 9 10 11 D-7 REGION STATE Ohio court strikes down school voucher City, county seek peace in Penguins bankruptcy ByAnnBelser Post-Gazette Staff Writer Reuters News Service CLEVELAND The Ohio Supreme Court yesterday struck down a publicly funded scholarship program for low-income students in Cleveland to attend private schools. In a 5-2 decision, the state's highest court expressed support for the merits of the voucher initiative on a limited scale but rejected the provision on a legislative technicality. The ruling takes effect June 30.

The Legislature passed the voucher measure in 1995, but improperly tucked it into an appropriations bill, the court found. Ohio law prohibits leg not excessively entangle government withrreli-gion," wrote Justice Paul Pfeifer in the majority opinion. However, the justices said any Ohio school-voucher program expanded beyond Cleveland could harm public education and could possibly prompt a future court challenge. The program was adopted in 1995 during a time of heightened public concern about dropout rates at Cleveland public schools, '( 1 Ohio Gov. Bob Taft said the program, should not be terminated because of a "procedural flaw" and that he would support legislation to reinstate it.

islation from including more than one subject. The issue of taxpayer-funded vouchers as part of school choice initiatives has fueled debate nationwide. Critics charge that the concept violates the constitutional separation of church and state because many private schools are religion-based Opponents also say vouchers undermine public education by diverting tax money that could go to improving public schools. But the court did not dismiss the merits of the Cleveland-only pilot program. "We conclude that the school voucher program has a secular legislative purpose, does not have the primary effect of advancing religion and does Opponents tough on Ridge school voucher pmn VOUCHERS FROM PAGE D-l Sean Duffy, head of the Commonwealth Foundation, a Harrisburg-based think tank that supports school choice, said the opponents' were "growing desperate." "Good sense is just gone," said Duffy, a.fbrmer press secretary for the Ridge administration's Department of Education.

The stakes are high. The PSEA has, Issued what amounts to an all points bulletin f6r members to come to the Capitol for special lobby days, June 7 and 8 and June 14 and 15. i' PSEA will pay for meals, mileage and ptel rooms for any of its members who comeltb" the Capitol to lobby against the legislation. 'r' Most observers agree that Ridge has not lined up majorities in either chamber for the legislation. about something the Bucks County school administrators said and because PSEA quoted a Stanford economist who analyzed the Chilean voucher program, let me give you 35 cents, and you can call somebody who cares," said Keever.

Carolyn Dumaresq, executive director of the PSEA, called vouchers "a cruel hoax and a ticket to nowhere for most families. And it is relevant for PSEA and anyone else to point out the divisive effects such a scheme would have on our society." Jeffrey Trimbath, spokesman for the REACH Alliance, said the comparison to Kosovo was "unconscionable." "It's unbelievable, really, that the superintendents are exploiting this tragedy for their own vested interests," Trimbath said. "Contrary to the claims of pro-voucher advocates in the United States, the experience internationally suggests that voucher plans promise a lot but may actually be worse for children from low-income families, for whom the gains are supposed to be the greatest," the Carnoy article says. The union is not at all concerned about ruffling feathers. "This is certainly not a new sentiment that vouchers lead to a society stratified by race and income," said Wythe Keever, spokesman for the PSEA, who added that he was "not about to equate the voucher proposal to Kosovo." "If certain folks across the street are upset organization plan.

As of yesterday, objectors to the SMGFox plan were Lemieux; current Penguins co-owner Roger Marino; the team's secured and unsecured creditors; the NHL; and the NHL Players Association. Chief among the objections is that the SMGFox plan would pay the team's creditors significantly less than Lemieux's plan or the NHEs proposal to liquidate the franchise. The NHL has also objected to Fox holding an ownership stake in the Penguins because a Fox affiliate already owns another NHL team, the New York Rangers. The SMGFox plan calls for each party to put up $7.5 million to $10 million, with other investors providing at least $17 million, for a total capital infusion of up to $37 million. Lemieux's plan calls for him to put up $20 million from money he is owed by the team and raise another $65 million from other investors.

The NHL has proposed two options, both of which would terminate the franchise here. One plan would move it to another city; the other would disperse Penguins players to other existing teams through a draft. Bankruptcy Judge Bernard Markovitz will also hold hearings today on the NHL plan and on the Penguins' request that its arena lease with SMG be terminated. The Penguins and others in the case have said the team cannot operate profitably under the current lease, which calls for the team to pay SMG $6 million to $7 million per year. SMG has disputed the assertion, saying rising player salaries and cash withdrawals by the Penguins' owners are to blame.

The team will also ask Markovitz's permission to set up an escrow account for season ticket buyers, so they don't have to worry about refunds in case the team doesn't play here next season. The secured creditors, Principal Life Insurance Allstate Life Insurance TMG Life Insurance and Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, are owed a total of $42.5 million. In their filing, they approved putting the SMGFox plan up for a vote by creditors but said there was no way it could be approved. They said it called for SMG and Fox to get a large share of the ownership without adequately compensating them. The firms noted that the NHL plan to liquidate the franchise would repay them in full.

In the filing, Joseph McDonough, attorney for the lenders, was critical of recent competing efforts to save the team. "Staking out competing positions in multiple plans will not save hockey in Pittsburgh. What is necessary is a lot of hard work and a basic recognition that the assets being contended for have a very real value (i.e., at least $85 million per the NHL plan) and are not simply a fire sale opportunity for some creditor groups," he wrote. Surprise! Fathers urged to attend school on Tuesday FATHERS FROM PAGE D-l Mayor Murphy and Allegheny County Commissioners Mike Dawi-da and Bob Cranmer launched peace talks yesterday among competitors in the Penguins bankruptcy case. The meetings produced no immediate success, as the parties continued to lob legal grenades at one another in U.S.

Bankruptcy Court. But the lawyer tapped by Murphy to oversee the talks expressed optimism. "I did not intend that we could come to some type of resolution today," said William Newlin, who served as the city's legal adviser in the Pirates sale from 1994 to 1996. He said the session gave him an understanding of the complexity of the case and that he believed a compromise was possible. Three hours of meetings at the offices of Newlin's law firm, Buchanan Ingersoll, began with Murphy, Dawida and Cranmer briefly addressing the group and then giving way to Newlin, who has been the mayor's designated hitter in solving thorny problems with the city's professional sports teams.

Among those attending were representatives of SMG, the private management firm that operates the Civic Arena; Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, which holds the Penguins broadcast rights; and an investment group headed by Mario Lemieux. Lemieux has submitted a financial reorganization plan for the team. SMG and Fox have teamed up to submit a competing plan. The National Hockey League has offered a third plan, calling for termination of the franchise. Craig Kwiecinski, Murphy's spokesman, said the mayor was pleased that the parties had met yesterday.

"The mayor believes that all of the elements are on the table to put a deal together that would help pre-. serve the Penguins in the city of Pittsburgh for the long term for the benefit of the city and our region," he said. The session came on the eve of a series of hearings in Bankruptcy Court today on the continuing, A few cities have already instituted similar initiatives, and James Carmine, professor of ethics at Carlow College, advocates having Pittsburgh and Allegheny County lead the way. Carmine, who collaborated with Brentley to launch "Take a Father to School Day" and is president of his son's PTA at the Falk School in Oakland, came armed with statistics to show that even minimum involvement from fathers was beneficial to children. A recent survey from the National Center for Education Statistics found that for sixth- through 12th-graders, the chances of getting A's in school increased by 54 percent when fathers attended at least two school activities.

Crawford said the city district welcomed parent visits and observations, but that having uncles, stepfathers and other surrogate dads show up at the door unannounced could safety problems and breach security. "This is not well planned," said Crawfocd. She added that, if given notice, teachers could prepare lessons to involve fathers and make the day much more enriching. Brentley barely edged out school boarAPresi-dent Ron Suber in the primary election, but he may not be allowed to take the seat after the. fall election.

He works as a laborer for the.city.and there is rule prohibiting city from serving on the board. "A system as large as ours can't just snap and get things done." Her advice for fathers who want to go to school with their children next week: Phone the child's school today and speak with the principal. Brentley said "Take a Father to School Day" should extend beyond biological parents to include uncles, stepfathers and others who figure prominently in the child's life. Nationally, fathers' rights groups have sought more involvement by fathers in schools, with many seeing it as a step to finking noncustodial fathers to their children. 16 municipalities barred from Sanders housing case idents of the former Talbot Towers public housing complex in Brad-dock when they filed the lawsuit in 1988.

The plaintiffs charged that they and thousands of other blacks', were victims of a decades-long system of discriminatory practices in public housing in which black -families were placed in housing in particular communities. Many municipal officials criticized provisions of the lawsuit settlement in the past few ytfars, particularly a component that requires that 100 new units of.public housing be built or bought in mostly white suburbs to replace the, 210 units that were lost when Talbot Towers was demolished in 1990; or subsidized housing and is not on a waiting list for that housing. One of the requests Diamond also turned down for the community group and for Sanders was to allow them to be members of the Sanders task force. Eugene Berry, the attorney who filed the court action on behalf of Sanders and the community group, said yesterday that he expected that Sanders and other plaintiffs who had been critical of the task force would be unhappy with Diamond's ruling. "Based on my conversations with these folks, they're going to be very frustrated with the court system," Berry said.

Sanders and the others were res HOUSING FROM PAGE D-1 On May 3, the Housing Authority filed a lawsuit against the Fair Housing Partnership in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court for breach of contract. The same day, the Housing Authority sought to cancel the agency's contract to operate the Fair Housing Services Center, following two critical audits and the end of a 90-day period of probation. However, during a hearing last week, Diamond put the contract termination on hold pending completion of the HUD report and put an end to the breach-ot-contract suit. Diamond also ruled yesterday that two original plaintiffs in the 1988 lawsuit, Christians for a Better Community and Cheryl Sanders, were not entitled to a financial accounting of the task force set up to carry out the provisions of the lawsuit settlement. The judge ruled that neither had a right to the information because they were not part of the class of plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit.

Christians for a Better Community, a nonprofit organization, was never part of the plaintiff class, which includes 5,000 low-income blacks. Sanders, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit that now bears her name, is no longer part of the plaintiff class because she does not live in public mree-siueu cuniesi 10 resuive uie Penguins' financial woes by either reorganizing the team or putting it out of business. Continuing the paperwork blitz in the case, several parties yesterday filed objections to the SMGFox re Man convicted of East End crimes Man, 96, killed in hit-and-run in Shadyside intersection home. They searched his house and found the stolen class ring. Thornhill confessed.

He told police he had worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken on Penn Avenue in Wilkinsburg. He needed money and was upset with women in general because he had been hit with two child support orders, he told police. Defense attorney Robert A. Crisanti didn't dispute any of the evidence against Thornhill, but he said he planned to appeal the judge's ruling that allowed the use of Thornhill's confession. Thornhill contends it was not voluntary and said he wasn't thinking clearly when he spoke to police because he had missed an insulin shot for his diabetes.

Cercone set sentencing for July 20. CONVICTED FROM PAGE D-l She crawled, hands numb, to the front door, got it open and crawled to a neighbor's. One of the articles Thornhill took was a class ring. It turned out to be more evidence against him. He was also convicted of a Jan.

2, 1998 rape when he took the back door off a Wilkinsburg woman's home and went in. After raping her, he tied her up, ransacked the home for two hours, made a sandwich and pulled a phone out of the wall. He stole her TV videocassette recorder and jewelry. She crawled to the kitchen after he left and used a knife to free herself. Police arrested Thornhill three weeks later trying to burglarize a him until they died, and they did not think he, had been married.

"When I first got to Pittsburgh, he won numerous, numerous awards," said Neil Baughman, Avon's district manager, who would visi Dickson every two weeks to pick up his orders. Baughman said Dickson once told her Tie had graduated from culinary school as a yourig'man and worked as a chef at a local restaurant. Despite a lack of intimate knowledge "about Dickson, everyone had a kind word about him, from a deli clerk to the city worker who Sweeps the streets of the Hill District. "He was a nice guy," said Mike Nichols of the city's 'Public Works Department, as he' paused from pushing a broom on Mahon Street just down from Dickson's house. "God gave, him a beautiful life." "I tell you, the man got around better than me, and I'm 72," said Johnnie Grice, a deacon at Central Baptist Church, which owns a parking lot adjacent to Dickson's mint-green, two-story house.

"This year he did quite a bit of remodeling to it." For many residents of the Hill District, longdistance excursions to go grocery shopping are the norm, since the area lacks a large supermarket. John Clark, 64, who lives across the street from Dickson's house, said he would sometimes meet him at Centre and Kirkpatrick Street to help him carry groceries to his house. Neighbors on Mahon Street didn't know Dickson well, which is somewhat remarkable, since they said he had lived in the same house for at least 50 years. They said he used to work as a notary public out of his home. Acquaintances said they believed his mother and sister had lived with PEDESTRIAN FROM PAGE D-1 Two of the building managers described the intersection where Dickson was killed as dangerous and a site of frequent accidents.

"They ought to have a police car sit down here on this corner maybe Friday night, Saturday night," Wayne AueL manager of the Essex House, said from his office. "During the day, too," added Robert Bell, a building maintenance man who watched as emergency workers tended to Dickson. Back in Dickson's neighborhood, those who knew him were saddened by his death. They described him as a can-do senior citizen who took his dog on morning constitutionals, chatted amiably with his neighbors on Mahon Street and didn't hesitate to hop a bus to go shopping. OBITUARIES WYMARD DOROTHY MARIE Passed away in Los Angeles, Calif.

FuneraDVass will be held May Holy Cross Cemetery, Holy- Redeemer Chapel. In lieu of flowers donations to: Braddock Carnegie Public Library. CALLANAN MORTUARY DIRECTOR contributions may be made to Boy Scouts of America, Greater Pgh. Council, 1275 Bedford PA 15219. Mr.

Wohleber was a graduate of Duquesne University in 1953 and was active in the Red Masquers, a volunteer Scouter with Boy Scouts of America and a volunteer for the American Cancer Soc. Retired in 1985 after 20 years with the Federal Probation Office. ZARGAN MARCELLA A. Of Carnegie, on Wednesday, May 26, 1999, wife of the late beloved mother of James Jersey; grandmother of Emir and Jill. Friends may call at FRANK F.

DE BOR FUNERAL HOME, INC. 1065 Brookline 412-56J-0380 Owned Operated by the raBor Family since 1951 Saturday 12 noon until time of service af p.m. Interment will follow in MK -Lebanon Cemetery. Cont. from Page D-6 VALENTINE AUGUST On May 26, 1999, God saw fit to call his servant, August, home to be with his wife, Catherine; daughter, Mary Therese and son, Kevin.

In gratitude his family and friends return the gift begun in this world on January 10,1921, but forever existing in the heart of God. Born to August and Helen Valentine; brother to Helen and Jack and the late Albert and Victor. Marrying Catherine (Sis) Brawdy, they would share life with six children, Mark, Glenn, (Andrews) and the late Kevin and Mary Therese. Carol and Chester Andrews, Glenn and Maureen (Barr), Mark and Michele (Litzau) would grace his life with their love, ten grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Daniel, Presbyter for the Catholic Church of Pittsburgh, will be the celebrant for the Mass of Christian Burial.

Augie proudly served in the Marine Corps during World War 1 1, was employed by the Bell Telephone Company, member of the American Legion, and loved his sports and golf buddies to the end. Visitation 7-9 PM Thursday at the DAVID J. HEN-NEY FUNERAL HOME, 6364 Library Rd. (Rt. 88) Library.

Translation to Holy Spirit Church will be Friday with visitation from 2-4 7-9 PM with Evening Prayer beginning at 8 PM. Mass of Christian Burial WALSH PETER P. On May 26, 1999, Peter age 80, of Scott formerly of Mt. Washington, beloved brother of Rosemary Lageman the late Richard J. William J.

Walsh; also 16 nieces nephews. Friends received at the HERSHBERGER-STOVER FUNERAL HOME 170 Noble Crafton on FRIDAY 2-4 7-9 pm. Mass of Christian Burial in St. Philip Church, Crafton, Sat. 10 am WATTS BETSY L.

On Thursday, May 27, 1999, age 49, of Saxonburg; wife of James H. Watts; mother of Jason Wagner, Shelly Foster and Carey Domhoff-Martire; stepmother of Rhonda Wibel, Kelly Watts and the late Bryan Watts; sister of Greg and Deb Kristophel; grandmother of Michelle McGonigle. Friends received at McDONALD-AEBERLI FUNERAL HOME, INC. 238 Crowe Mars, Fri. 2-4 Sat.

2-4 7p.m. until time of Funeral Service at Memorials to the American Cancer Society. WIKTORZEWSKI REGIS C. (ZESKE) Age 65, of Bloomfield, on Wednesday, May 26, 1999 Mcved husband of Gretchen Wik-torzewski; sc jf Agnes and the late Sigmond ZesKe; father of Regis E. and Robert Z.

Wiktorzewski, Victoria Czolba and Daniel Wiktorzews- ki; also survived by eight grandchildren; brother of Rosemary Strohl, Richard Zeske, Audrey Bridge, Thomas, Kenneth and George Zeske and Dolores Burchell. Friends received at the WALTE J. ZALEWS-Kl FUNERAL HOME, 216 44th Lawrenceville, Thursday and Friday, 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Funeral Mass on Saturday, in St. Joseph Church (Bloomfield), at 10 AM.

WILLIAMS BESSIE MAE On Tuesday, May 25, 1999; devoted friend of the Mahan Family; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Mrs. Williams was an employee of the Highland Country Club for many years. WEST FUNERAL HOME I NC, 2215 Wylie Ave. Visitation Fri.

Funeral Service Sat. 1p.m. in the Chapel. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. WOHLEBER ROBERT F.

SR. Age 72, of Coraopolis, formerly of Bethel Park, on May 26, 1999; beloved husband of Nancy (Duncan) Wohleber; father of Robert F. Jr. and his wife Toni, Joan, Curt and his wife Linda Wohleber; brother of David L. Wohleber; stepson of Leona (Bergman) Wohleber; grandfather of Meleesa, Robert III, Emily, Micahel and Alex.

Visitation Friday 2-4 and 7-9 PM COPE-LAND'S CORAOPOLIS 867 Fifth Ave. Mass 12 Noon in St. Joseph Church in Coraopolis. Memorial 10:00 AM, Saturday, in Holy Spirit Catholic Church, West Mifflin. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation.

VIDT W. GLENN Age 67, of Wolcottville, IN, on Wednesday, May 26, 1999. Mr. Vidt was born in Etna, PA on October 25, 1931, son of the late William C. and Flora M.

(Fincke) Vidt. He is survived by his wife, Josephine F. (Ferrari) Vidt; his children, Mrs. Gary (Susan) Kostecki of Elmhurst, IL, Mrs. Steven (Lori) Caswell of Winfield, IL, Jeffrey W.

Vidt of Westmont, I Land Robert W. Vidt of Brownsburg, IN; his brother, James R. Vidt of Allison Park, PA; and eight grandchildren. Mr. Vidt retired as an Assistant Treasurer of Sears, Roebuck Co.

He was a member of the 1st United Methodist Church of LaGrange, IN where he was a Choir Member, a Lay Leader and a Sunday School Teacher and a member of the Masonic Lodge of Mars, PA, the Board of Directors of LaGrange County United Way, LaGrange County Habitat for Humanity and the LaGrange County Red Cross. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, 3pm, at the 1st United Methodist Church, LaGrange, IN with the Rev. Dale Linhart officiating. Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association. Arrangements by FRU RIP-MAY FUNERAL HOME, LaGrange, IN.

WOHLFARTH CHARLES ADAM A longtime resident of Vero Beach, FL; died at the age of 77 on May 21, 1999 at his home after a prolonged illness. Mr. Wohlfarth was born in Homestead, PA on July 19, 1921 and was a baker with the Wohlfarth Brothers Bakery; he was a veteran of WWII serving in the U.S. Marines; he was a life member of the VFW of Vero Beach and was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church in Vero Beach; he is survived by his wife Mary Louise Kramer Wohlfarth; daughter, Mary Jo Douglas of Dallas, TX, 3 brothers, 7 sisters and 2 grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held on June 5 at St. Helen Catholic Church in Vero Beach at 10:30 am. Memorial contributions may be made to the V.N.A.Hospiceof Indian River 1111 36th Vero Beach, FL 32960. ZEILER DOROTHY M. (FELTON) On May 25, wife of Raymond N.

Zeiler; mother of Raymond L. and George J. par-lene R. Romano; sister of Jack Jim and Bob Felton; 9 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildrertvVjsita-tion Thurs. and Fri.

2-4 and.W'PM at the ELMER L. HERMAN FUNERAL CHAPEL, 5204 Second Hazelwood. Service's. 10 AM. in the Funeral Home Chapel..