Altoona Mirror (Newspaper) - October 20, 1981, Altoona, Pennsylvania VOL 109 of our year PHONE Altoona Pa Tuesday Oct 20 1981 Final Edition 25 COPY We're 1 and Penn State Pitt Top Grid Poll Eastern football fans Pennsylvanians in particular are bursting with pride today Penn State is ranked No 1 and Pitt is No 2 in the latest UPI poll The Nittany Lions received 36 votes while the Panthers garnered six The Eastern powers meet Saturday Nov 28 in burgh and if all goes well the national championship could be at stake Story on Page 12 City to Request Local Hearing on Redistrict Plan By DON HOPEY Staff Writer Mayor Allan G Hancock will ask the state to hold hearings on proposed con- gressional district reapportionment plans in Altoona Mayor Hancock with council in ment said today he will ask Sen Frank O'Connell chairman of a member joint committee formed Monday to redraw congressional district boundary lines to schedule ings in the city If the committee which already has scheduled hearings Nov 4 in Valley Forge and Nov 6 in Pittsburgh's Allegheny County Courthouse refuses the request the mayor and possibly Councilman Leonard L Bettwy will attend the Nov 6 hearing in Pittsburgh I think it is very important to keep Cambria and district Some revised plans still lump a portion of the two counties Mayor Hancock said he is opposed to any combination of Cambria and Blair in one congressional district especially plans putting Altoona in the same district with either Johnstown or Ebensburg the Cambria County seat Sen Robert C Jubelier intends to submit an alternative plan but no details are available on that Sen Jubelier has a proposal but I haven't seen any Mayor Hancock said I hope it separates the two ties If the two are combined it dilutes our strength and strengthens the position of Cambria County which would in effect be represented by two congressmen The mayor said he would for that reason oppose any plan to combine toona with Ebensburg Councilman Byrne refused Blair Tells Architect To Draw Jail Plans By PHIL RAY Staff Writer The architectural firm of L Robert Kimball Associates was given the go-ahead today by the county com- missioners to proceed with Phase 2 of the design for the new county prison The unanimous vote of the commissioners means that the general design and concept for the prison has been accepted Under that concept the county will remodel the present jail on Mulberry Street and build a three-story addition that will extend beyond what is now the rear wall of the county facility The total impact of the project will be to triple the capacity of the jail to 150 prisoners with a capability to house many more Also under the new concept the prison will be able to classify prisoners Instead of all the prisoners being placed in one large block they will be separated into small groups according to their status and to the crimes with which they are charged At present the estimated cost of the new jail will be million and the action today signifies that approximately 15 percent of the project has been completed The commissioners gave the go-ahead to the architect to develop the final plans that will be used in asking bids for construction The com- missioners also approved a payment of to the architectural firm bringing the total payment so far to Kimball to While the new prison is a project at the county level the commissioners said they realize that it could be almost two years before they actually complete the project See PRISON Page 3 the mayor said at today's council work to support Mayor Hancock's plan to session If a hearing isn't scheduled for here I will attend the one in Pittsburgh and testify along with Mr Bettwy I hope this shows support for the separation idea An original reapportionment plan put Altoona and Johnstown in the same con- In the Mirror School Battle The Spring Cove School Board and the Education Association have reached a two-year pact that stirred the ire of at least one incoming board I MR A Bucks County Republican has called for an investigation into the state Office of Mental Retardation citing lapses that resulted in 7 Benson Update From Altoona High hero to another guy in the Pitt grid It's a role Troy Benson is learning to cept Jim Lane 12 Diet Ban A public interest group warns of a diet pill ingredient that may cause anything from psychotic behavior to brain 19 INDEX Area WEATHER Cloudy low of 40 Showers high 57 Details pollution It Today's Press fy in Pittsburgh but said he does support the request for a hearing in Altoona I think if you want to testify In Pittsburgh that's your Mr Byrne said Council members Bettwy Richard L McEldowney and Julia Laura supported the hearing proposal and the mayor's desire to testify in Pittsburgh Let's face Mr McEldowney said someone has to get redistricted It's inevitable The only question is do we share in the compromise or just sit back and let it I don't think going in with Johnstown See COUNCIL Page S GOV THORNBURGH admires the birthday cake for the state Capitol's 75th dedication anniversary Monday The building was dedicated by Theodore Roosevelt In ISM UPI County OKs City's Idea By PHIL KAY Staff Writer HOLLIDAYSBURG The Blair ty commissioners this morning accepted the concept of a tax deferral program that would be used to encourage re- habilitation of blighted homes and tually commercial property in the city Commissioner William C Stouffer had high praise for the city's efforts to develop a tax deferral program Commissioner C Richard Logan also deferrals should not stop at the city line but instead could be used outside the city to encourage the rehabilitation of ly County Commissioner John W Gardner who is chairman of the Board of Commissioners summarized the feelings of the commissioners today by saying the board agrees with the concept of tax deferrals but Mr Gardner suggested that the Board of Commissioners review in depth the proposed program as outlined by supported the idea but said that the city and that county Solicitor Merle Evey and City Solicitor N John Casanave work out an agreement for tax deferrals that would go beyond the present Board of Commissioners and City Council Under the proposal the city would present to the county a district or certain areas in which blighted properties are located The City Redevelopment ity then would obtain the properties and the properties would be rehabilitated Under the concept of the new program real estate property taxes on the ments to the properties would be deferred for five or ten years Although the concept of the program as now designed specifies tax deferral for blighted homes all three commissioners readily agreed today the concept could be used 10 rehabilitate commercial ties such as those in downtown Altoona and industrial properties It's an encouragement to keep the properties on the tax said Com- missioner Gardner Under the deferral program the owner See BLAIR Page 3 Drivers Violate Law by Tinting Windows By MARSHA MOONEY Staff Writer There is a little-known state law that a group of area motorists are unknowingly breaking and one city businessman in- tends to fight it The regulation is part of the vania Motor Vehicle Code and among the drivers breaking it are those who have responded to an advertisement which en- courages motorists to ride cool save fuel These motorists have purchased a film applied to the windows on buildings and vehicles to reduce the amount of heat build-up and glare caused by sunlight is ad- as window tinting for all cles But Tom Zamboni manager of DOT safety inspection division said solar glaze and tape aren't legal for all vehicles in this state and the law is backed by fines for those who choose to ignore it We see it as a major problem right Mr Zamboni said Dealers who install the tint aren't aware that it isn't legal under certain and once purchased by the car owner the legal responsibilities fall on this shoulders Mr Zamboni explained that any type of window tinting isn't permitted on ger cars unless it has been installed by the vehicle's manufacturer Citing various sections of the motor vehicle code Mr Zamboni said car owners who have a tint installed on any window of their vehicle are violating a law which prohibits materials on any vehicle window and another section of the code that prohibits unlawful Each violation is subject to a fine plus in costs In addition a police officer may im- pound the vehicle if he considers it to be extremely unsafe Mr Zamboni said The owner would have to replace the window before the car could be moved Chuck Gensamer owner of Chuck's Auto Body Shop at 618 8th Ave is the only businessman in the city who offers dow tinting for vehicles I have never been advised it's against the law I'll fight Mr Gensamer said Explaining his product Mr Gensamer said it will keep 79 percent of the sun's rays outside of the vehicle It's offered from neutral shades to black Displaying the neutral shade he asked What's wrong with Mr Gensamer said he began selling the product in August to supplement his auto body business I won't put it on a he said but he will install it on the side and back of a vehicle Three people customers called the state police barracks and they said it was he added Trooper William Laskey of the state police in Hollidaysburg said that he would cite a motorist it he saw the tint on the vehicle The tint is prohibited due to safety factors Trooper Laskey explained For the driver it impairs night vision and could lead to an accident For the officer it prevents him from being able to see what he is facing when he pulls a motorist off the road Mr Zamboni said the issue goes beyond that The biggest problem is he explained After a od of time the product will start to discolor and wear and will obstruct vision he added Under certain circumstances the tint is legal on multipurpose vehicles trucks and buses Mr Zamboni said On these vehicles the front window may be tinted up to Inches around the edge It can also be installed on the rear passenger See TINT Fife 1 i Mirror by WHAT'S WRONG WITH Chuck Gensamer owner of Chuck's Auto Body Shop asked this question when told it is illegal to drive a passenger car if tint or solar glaze has been applied to the windows Reagan Budget Cuts Could Stifle Local Industrial Development By TOM GIBB Staff Writer Reagan administration attempts to whip the federal budget into line could end up choking off some money for local Industrial development The problem was aired Monday before the Blair County Industrial Development Authority as It considered a slate of projects that Included at least one purchase proposal that Is being hurried along to avoid any impending fund crunch J Projects approved include Allegheny International Trucks proposed purchase of the Peterman Garage in Greenwood a tentative approval for an in-company sale of the Pen Furniture Co building and conditional approval of a Patton shopping center project The conditions that may spark an Industrial development fund crunch item from toe Reagan administration's at- tempt to Increase while cutting spending One target of that push Is the tax-free industrial development loans and bonds that are used to finance ment The loans are offered by banks at only 60 to 75 percent of the prime interest rates a setup banks can afford because they don't have to pay tax on the Interest they collect The revenue bonds which are used to finance larger projects are ened for potential buyers because the Interest they bear is tax-free Projects to be financed that way have V to first get approval of a local Industrial development authority like the Blair County Industrial Development Authority and then are passed on to the vania Department of Commerce for final approval We've been told a would be Introduced to eliminate tax-free revenue Robert A Halloran executive director of said But we don't know what's In the The same rumblings have been heard across the state prompting industrial development groups to move quickly on projects before any funding ax drops A lot of that has been going on perhaps because of the talk in a state Department of Commerce spokesman said today But we haven't been Inundated with applications yet The proposed cuts would not hit the low-Interest loans made by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development the funding tool often used in conjunction with low-interest bank loans lo fund industrial projects PIDA money can be used only to buy land fund renovations or pay for tion while the low-Interest loans through the commerce department are most often to fund projects like machinery purchases Mr Halloran said If the Reagan Administration does away with the tax free status that allows the low-Interest bank loans See INDUSTRY
