Wellsboro Gazette (Newspaper) - September 15, 1999, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Local quitter goes national Pages Marketplace The Wellsboro 754 per copy GAZETTE an edition of Tioga Publishing Co NO 48 PA SEPTEMBER Residents critical of Wellsboro school survey by Clarke Three residents of the boro Area School District on day criticized as a the district last week to gauge public opinion regarding proposals to rebuild or make renovations to two district schools Donald Thompson and Virgil both of Middlebury and William Butler of all criticized the survey at the Sept school board calling it and The the brainchild of district Superintendent Dr Donna was devised to poll school district residents about a proposed multi-million dollar building project recommended by the district's feasibility committee last June The survey was included as an insert in Saturday's Dollar Saver Responses to the survey are requested by Sept 21 and will be discussed at a public meeting Sept 27 at 7 p.m at the boro High School Auditorium Mettler said surveys can also be obtained at the district tration office during business hours During the public comment Thompson said the board needed to ask whether or not people feel they can afford the building not if they think it's a good idea people will say it is a good he said can they afford The answer is Kirkendall said the real tions on the survey should be you want your taxes raised by at least 50 know I can't afford a plus increase per year on my he said He also wanted to know why there is only one cost estimate presented for renovation and building on the survey Of the figures presented in the board president Jeffrey Eaton told was not a formal bid it was just basic He also said that the Sept 27 school board meeting would vide Kirkendall and the public with the opportunity to discuss the but that he was not going to discuss the questionnaire during Tuesday's meeting Kirkendall abruptly left the saying if he couldn't get answers he would leave Morris resident William Butler then stood and said that the points brought forth by both and Kirkendall were and challenged the board to find out how your con- feel by putting the ter to a referendum Eaton responded by saying that the matter was open for and throughout the mer residents have had the chance to make their opinions Please see SURVEY page 16 HSA administrators clarify St golf expenses photo by CHRIS McGANN FIREFIGHTERS REMOVE INSULATION from Lake Country Marine after a fire broke out in the business showroom this at around 10 Mansfield and Wellsboro fire departments extinguished the which apparently started in the roof and destroyed the showroom of the which is located along Route 6 between Mansfield and Wellsboro As of press firefighters could not state the cause of the blaze or provide an estimate of which sells and personal is owned by Bob Bolt of Mansfield Threatening letter to Barnes prompts citizen concerns by Chris McGann Once the county board of commissioners had to field questions related to income and expenses at the county Human Services Agency Commissioners Walter Barnes and Erick Coolidge could not im- mediately answer questions re- garding agency expenditures ing their regular meeting Sept 9 Commissioner Hall was attending a conference and not at the meeting Meeting regular Wayne Singer provided the commissioners with a one typed list of concerns The main questions centered around a proposed nine-hole golf course at the agency in ton Township Future plans call for the course to house a youth program known as Fairways to Success Singer wanted to know if the course has been funded how much the funding is whether there is a letter confirming and the projected cost of the course and maintenance He also asked for the responses in writing On Sept Hall said that he would not provide thing of the sort in writing During a telephone interview on John agency once again con- firmed that HSA has secured in funding from three sources That is in addition to a grant that was secured for the project last year think we could probably use another Kravas bringing the total project cost to about An golf course in Sharon that operates a program similar to Fairways to Success costs in annual maintenance Kravas said he expects the posed course planned by the agency to cost about a year for maintenance Singer also requested a copy of current operating including costs to each program only reason we have raised this Singer's ter states curiosity was aroused by Commissioner Hall's and Coolidge's frequent references to the fiscal contribution to the economy of Tioga Another meeting George DeFrain asked again who collects rent money from the St James ments in Mansfield and if the money is deposited in the county treasury a county owned building and you are supposed to be ing out for our he told the commissioners Barnes said the money does not come to into county a statement which Treasurer Annette Kreger confirmed Barnes went on to say he did not know why deposits are not re- by the treasurer Six apartments are rented to agency employees Kravas has indicated that having employees living there reduces problems in the buildings In St James houses the clinical services department of the Human vices Agency rentals to other social service agencies and the bridge housing program take up the re- mainder of the space at the St James complex Coolidge replied to comments by saying the Please see HSA page 16 by Chris McGann A letter sent to the chairman of the county board of by a former Tioga County solicitor has some attendees of commissioners meetings ing exactly what they may and may not say during the weekly sessions Such concerns surfaced during a commissioners meeting Sept on the heels of a ter Wellsboro attorney William a former solicitor for the had sent to commissioner Walter G Barnes on behalf of Tioga County Human Services Agency Administrator John Kravas That dated Sept 1 was addressed to Barnes in his ity as chairman of the Board of Commissioners It warned of sible litigation if Kravas continued to be during meetings The letter also states that tions concerning directed to the chairman of the board of seem The letter also defines a civil con- and maintains that sive investigation is likely to un- cover such conduct Barnes continues to serves as a commissioner but resigned from the post following re- of the letter Erick Coolidge is serving as interim chairman really took away our ity to speak out about said Charleston Township dent George DeFrain of the letter from Hebe somebody's name and go to Following routine personnel meeting regular Roland Delmotte of Tioga Township asked if the public would be allowed to comment on each item on the as Barnes had allowed Coolidge noted the state's Open Meeting Law says public has a right to comment on official but does not state when Delmotte then provided Coolidge with an updated which states the public has a right to comment prior to a vote on the action Coolidge saying he stood corrected further we will allow debate on each and every he said He also noted that the law lows the board to hold public com- ment prior to official place time limits on public comment and require members of the lic to be placed on the agenda Currently the commissioners allow the public to comment on each action item before the board votes on it They also allow for public comment on any piece of county business following the meeting When the public comment pe- riod of the meeting did roll Delmotte commented Please see LETTER page 16 Wellsboro council drafts horse ordinance changes by Clarke Wellsboro Borough Council on Monday night agreed to advertise to make a change to its animal ordinance and vote on the matter at next month's council meeting The proposal to change the mal ordinance came as a result of a borough resident's questioning of the fairness of the existing which prohibits farm animals on property located within the borough Dr Donald Sweeney of West Avenue asked about progress on changing the animal ordinance at the Sept 13 council meeting Sweeney owns 18 acres of land on West that he chased from Robert who had kept horses on the property Last month Sweeney requested that a variance be granted to low him to board horses on the property Borough Solicitor Robert Cox Jr said last month that issuing a variance was not in- a change in the ordinance would be required Cox told Sweeney at Monday night's meeting that a draft nance had been proposed by a council committee that would low horses to be housed within the borough provided the property owner owns 10 acres or more way it reads is if they own ten they can keep three and if they own 15 or more they can keep four Cox said The draft also provides that the horses must be owned by the erty owner and enclosed by a he said The fence must be at least 100 feet from an adjacent property owners land The new ordinance would re- peal previous ordinances dealing with horses Other animals are also owned by borough councilman Please see HORSE page 16 Collision claims two county women by Chris McGann Two Tioga County women were killed when their cars collided Tuesday morning on Route 328 west of Millerton Katrina of ton and Elaine of Tioga were both pronounced dead lowing the which took place at just across the Bradford County according to state police at Towanda Police said Barnes was ing west in Wells ford and Deery was bound Barnes apparently crossed the center line and hit the Deery hicle head police said Barnes was wearing a seat but Deery was not Neither car carried other passengers Police are still investigating the accident Conditions were rainy and overcast at the time of the said Millerton Fire Chief Russ who assisted at the scene Barnes was taken to Arnot Ogden Medical Center by where she was later pronounced dead Deery was pronounced dead at the accident scene Route 328 was closed from until 3 p.m due to the sion Also assisting at the scene were Big Elm Fire Company from Daggett and Pine City Fire De- According to their which appear on page both women worked as nurses Deery was as a nurse at St Joseph's Hospital recovery room for more than 30 years She was also past proprietor of sonal Care Home in Millerton She was the wife of Phillip Deery for 34 years Barnes worked as a registered nurse at Robert Packer Memorial Hospital in Sayre since January She was married to Jeffery G Barnes of whose Walter G is a Tioga County commissioner She was a member of the erton and Daggett fire ments Funeral arrangements for both women are being handled by Olthof Funeral Home in Elmira A BRIDGE a slug of water while atop a huge concrete peer 100 feet above Lower Arnot Road on Friday The pier will bo one of photo by LARKE several supporting the Johnson Creek Bridge when it is an interchange for Blossburg and Arnot
