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Jcnn Codeluppi / Mon Valley Independent Charleroi Elementary Center third-graders celebrated the 100th day of the school year Thursday. Students Armani Staub, Caleigh Solidai, Naomi Snyder, Alexandria Helinski,Jaelyn Caruso, Jaxson Klinger and Luke Henderson all wore 100-day shirts while Briella i/Vells dressed like a 100-year-old lady while reading a book marking the day.Donora hears bike trail updateCouncil will announce the openings or its two steering committees 3/ next week's meeting.By ERIC SEIVERLINGeseiverling @yourmvi. comResidents in Donora may soon see a lew bicycle and pedestrian recreation-il trail travel through the borough.At Thursday’s work session, council nembers were given an update on the rail from Dennis Martinak, owner of Martinak Planning and Consulting, JLC, and Thomas Rebar, manager of ■nvironment services of Compliance Management International.According to Martinak, the project vill consist of three parts: a trail thathead at Cokeburg Dam.Funding for the trail will come from $50,000 each through Department of Community and Economic Development and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grants that were awarded to Donora.Plans for the project were originally brought forth to council last year when Martinak and Rebar asked commissioners to start forming two steering committees for the trail and Palmer Park phases.Martinak said the trail committee should consist of two to three people, including residents and council members, to oversee the project’s development through all 11 communities.Martinak said the steering committeeAlong with Martinak Planning and Consulting and CMI, other companies involved in the project include landscape architects the Wallace Pancher Group, K2 Engineering Inc. to perform structure analysis, T3 Global Strategies to complete mapping, and members of Greensburg’s Trail Town Program.“Our team has a lot of experience doing trail projects,” Martinak said. “Our next step now is to get out into the field for on-the-ground analysis to environmental to structures. We’ll come back and determine the feasibility of it.‘That’s what Norfolk and Southern is going to be waiting on. They’re open to selling the property, but they want to-.11 *1,Pagans, trooper at assault trialClosing arguments in the case are set for today.By KRISTIE LINDENklitiden @ yourmvi. comLt. Terry Katz, a retired Maryland state trooper who spent two and a half years undercover as an associate member of the Pagans, testified Thursday that two “one-percenter” clubs can’t exist in the same territory.Katz testified as an expert witness in Washington County Court in the trial of two Pagans — Matthew Vasquez, 31, of Monessen and Joseph Olinsky III, 46, of McKeesport, who also took the stand Thursday.They are being tried on charges of attempted homicide and aggravated assault in the April 18 beating of former Pagan Troy Harris at the Slovak Club in Charleroi.Harris left the Pagans and joined the Sutars Soldiers. Katz, a federally certified expert, testified that the Sutars Soldiers, based in Western Pennsylvania, were created by Dennis “Rooster” Kata-no, a former Pagan, as the ultimate disrespect to the Pagans, who wear a patch with Sutar, a fire god, in the center. The Pagans have other rivals, but Sutars Soldiers are the enemy, Katz explained.Vasquez and Olinsky admitted to being two of seven Pagans who went to the Slovak Club that night, but they testified Thursday that they didn’t go there because of“Pm not saying he’s a liar, but times have changed; motorcycle clubs are not like that. People have jobs and families.”MATTHEW VASQUEZFour of the other men have accepted plea deals, and the seventh is a cooperating witness whose case will be resolved after the trial.Katz watched surveillance video of the seven men entering the bar in a single line toward Harris, knocking him from his stool, surrounding him on the floor and appearing to kick and stomp on him. Harris’ injuries have left him with permanent disabilities, cognitively and physically.Katz pointed out that Jason Huff, the first person through the door and then-president of the McKeesport chapter of the Pagans, wore a diamond design on his back indicating he is a president and all the men were wearing their colors, which was significant.“They’re wearing insignia because they want people to know it’s them and it’s club business,” Katz testified.Stephen Colafella, Vasquez’ defense attorney, asked Katz if making a move on a rival club member was a big deal.“No, it’s what you do,” Katz said. “It’s part of being in a motorcycle gang.”Colafella asked if it would
Newspaper Details
The Mon Valley Independent
Monessen, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Feb 07, 2020
Page 1
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Clipped by
Claude J.
USA 07 Mar 2025
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