Indiana Gazette (Newspaper) - February 6, 2002, Indiana, Pennsylvania Countryside Inn a student run restaurant with a mean carrot cake Page 24 24 pages 2 sections is 740 Ashley Burkholtz sets school record for most points in a career Page 13 50 cents WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY Vol 98 165 Whos in the news There is good news today in The Indiana Gazette about the following area people Ramona Belgie Ellen Stilz Chuck Kelly Cory Ferguson James Martin Ashley Kendrick Andrea Sickenberger Duane Bougher Amanda Lydic Staci Heberling INSIDE Honor rolls Blairsville Middle School and Middle School PageS Tax record probe The School District is investigating the records of a former tax col lector who died last year dis officials confirmed but they not comment on a report that the investigation in volves the possible loss of in tax money Page 4 Elsewhere A fresh batch of subpoenas is on its way from the Sen ate to Enron executives forces admit they caught the wrong people in a raid last month The government in bail hearings today is using emails written by John Walker Lindh to his mother as evidence of his anger at the United States A Los Angeles TV crew helped fight a reallife fire Tues day but couldnt save three chil dren inside a burning house Page 7 Deaths Obituaries on page 4 GRATZMILLER Edith 99 of Zelienople SYLVES Nellie Mary 79 of In diana formerly of Pittsburgh WISE John Jack Ronald 69 of Homer City Forecast Mostly cloudy tonight with a chance of sprin kles or flurries toward morn ing Overnight low 28 Thurs day will be mostly cloudy with a chance of sprinkles or flurries and a high of 43 Page 2 Index Dear Ab Eye on Lottery Today in Teddy I think there is one smashing rule Never face the Ruth Gordon American actress and playwright 18961985 This newspaper is printed on recyclable paper Please recycle Newspaper contents copyright 2002 Indiana Printing and Publishing Indiana Pa Brown Hotel Wings And Shrimp Firefighters had no chance to prevent John Bylers harness shop from burning to the ground Blaze destroys harness shop Gazette photos by Tom Pee By MARY ANN SLATER Gazette Staff Writer SMICKSBURG A 77yearold Amish man watched the roadside harness and shoe shop that he had owned for more man 30 years burn to the ground Tuesday Bylers Harness Shop is located along Rummel Roan by its intersec tion with Route 954 As crews from several fire depart ments doused the final hot spots in the building John A Byler said he wasnt quite sure what he would do in the days and weeks ahead I dont know whether I will rebuild or not My boys and my neighbors tell me I should Maybe I Byler said the only insurance he carried on his ruined business was what lie called Amish Thats my insurance my neigh bor Theyll help me if I need Barry Keener fire chief from the Dayton Fire Department said esti mated losses from the fire total The fire began in the upstairs part of the shop and then spread throughout the building In the end the fire destroyed the whole store where Byler sold all types of shoes boots harnesses ropes leashes and horse supplies The blaze also destroyed a small building next to the shop Another small building remained charred but intact after the fire was extinguished Fire also left un touched a nearby greenhouse Also untouched was a small storage unit which rested upon wooden stilts and stood only about 2 or 3 feet from Bylers store Augie Santini second assistant chief of the Plumville Volunteer Fire Department said the shed con gallons of lamp oil often used in Amish homes Tuesday morning crews continually watered down the storage space to prevent fiames from igniting the oil Continued on page 12 A group of Amish women watched as firefighters from eight companies battled the fire Homer City names new mayor By CHAUNCEY ROSS Gazette Staff Writer HOMER CITY A Homer City man has returned to public service for a third time as his towns mayor and a political newcomer has received an interim appoint ment to the Homer City Borough Council At their regular monthly meeting Tuesday council members unani named John Pulliam to be the mayor a job that Kenneth Cec coni rejected when he was elected in November to be both a council man and mayor The council also chose Michael Gaydosh from among four people who applied to fill the council seat that John Darnley vacated by mov ing out of the borough after the election Pulliam served on council in the early 1970s and again from 1990 to 1992 when he filled a vacancy and served as council president He said he is retiring next month from his job as a salesman for In Rubber Products Co of Pittsburgh Im going to have some time available and I know many of the Pulliam said as he ac the appointment As mayor Pulliam will be in charge of Homer Citys police department It will be a Gaydosh is a salesman for Indus trial Chemical and Supply Co of In diana He said he sought the appoint John Pulliam fills the vacated position of mayor in Homer City Gazette photo by Tom Peel Related story page 3 mem without a particular agenda in mind Ive had people tell me for many years that I ought to run for school board or do this or do Gaydosh said When my buddy Dave got on council when he ran 1 decided to give it a whirl submitted my letter and here I Borough residents Beth Gazza Terry Riley and Terri George also applied for the council vacancy After ihe council voted on the ap District Justice Suzanne Steffee administered the oath of office to and Gay dosh They must run for election in 2003 if they want to continue to serve Judge to rule on lize of Clymers By TIMOTHY SHOCK Gazette Staff Writer The fate of two Clymer Borough Council seats is in the hands of an Indiana County judge Both sides in the debate re ducing the council from seven seats to five presented their cases Tuesday to judge William Martin He said he will consider the arguments and an a decision hut did not say when Mayor Joanne Shedlock and others opposed to the reduction told Mar tin it would limit the publics voice A lot of people in our real ly fee that a reduction in the number cf people on council reduces their voice in Shedlock said To back that up she handed the judge a petition she said was signed by 168 Clymer residents Shedlock presented the main argu ments against the reduction after In diana attorney Robert Dougherty Clymer Boroughs solicitor made the case for it He told the judge it has been cult to find council members com mitted enough to attend meetings As evidence he pointed out that two monthly meetings last year had to be rescheduled because the council did not have a quorum a majority of members present that is required for votes to be legal Its not only difficult to attain quo rum for of the meetings its also difficult to get people to Dougherty said Continued on page 12 Land wont be rezoned By RANDY WELLS Gazette Staff Writer A wedge of land in Indi ana Boroughs Third Ward nestled against the west side of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus will remain a residential zone and will not be for lated or commercial use Some members of Indiana Bor ough Council cited concerns about zone creep and sprawl of the uni versity zone in their reasons for denying the change Also influencing their decision were the comments of some of the residents living there who spoke out against the rezoning Indiana Borough Mapf story on page 12 during a public hearing before Tues day evenings council meeting The area in question is bounded by 12th Street on the east Oakland Av enue on the south South 13th Street on the west and Locust Street on the north The area has been under study by the Indiana Borough Planning Com mission for possible rezoning for some time The commission and the Continued on page 12
