Sewickley Herald

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The Sewickley Valley’s Home Weekly Newspaper
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VOL. 51 NO. 52
SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, ,1954
Price Ten Cents
Retiring Hospital Administrator Honored By Medical Staff jSewickley Council Authorizes The
(Appointment Of A Five-Man ¡Planning Commission


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, .	Photo by Ambridge Citizen
Miss Helen Pratt, who is retiring tomorrow after twenty year’s service as administrator of Sewickley Valley Hospital, has been honored by several groups at the hospital. On Wednesday of last week, the medical staff honored the retiring administrator at luncheon in the Edgeworth Club. In the photo, left,to right, Dr. Robert Nix, master of ceremonies; Miss Pratt; Miss Marguerite Ducker, who will assume Miss Pratt’s duties on January 1st and Dr. P. W. Lane, president of the medical staff, Who presented Miss Pratt with a purse and gloves from the staff.
Two Fire Alarms At Same Time
Sewickley firemen had a busy late afternoon on Monday, when two fire alarms came in within 11 minutes of each other. The new radio on the fire truck came in handy, as the firemen radioed headquarters when the fire siren sounded for the second alarm and one of the trucks left the scene to put out the second blazel
The first alarm was at the home of Mrs. Frank Hawkins, 630 Cliarette Place, at 5:07 p. m. Monday. Mrs, Hawkins smelled smoke all through the house, but especially in the first floor den. She called headquarters and Fire Chief Wade Baltz investigated. There was a definite smell of smoke in the house and it smelled like insulation burning. The electrical wiring was thoroughly checked and finally die source of trouble was found—a shorted motor Which operated the fan in the gas furnace. Smoke from the motor was being spread all through the house through the warm air duets. However, since the fan was only on part Of the time, it was difficult to locate the source of the smoke.
While firemen Were checking the electrical wiring, the fire siren sounded again, at 5:18 p, m, Radioing headquarters, tho firemen were informed that a oar was on fire near the postoffice, so <mo of the trucks and half the firemen
went to that fire. They found flames burning under the dash and under the hood of a car driven by Charles Scott, R. D. No. 1, Sewickley. Mrs. Scott had noticed flames 'under the floor board as they were driving down Broad Street, Mr. Scott stopped and lifted the hood to find flames shooting from the wiring. A flexible cable had set fire to the wiring and all die wires, botli under the hood and under the dasli were burned before firemen extinguished the blaze.
Another fuinace had caused a fire alarm at 1:09 p. m. on Thursday, Dec. 23, at the home of Alister Soutar, 526 Grimes Street. Appareptly gas had accumulated irt the furnace when the pilot light went out and spread to the water heater, where the gas Was ignited. The fire was extinguished with little damage by the firemen.
Christmas Tree Burns In Edgeworth
What might have been a disastrous fire had it happened a few days later When the tree was dry, Occurred at 5:30 p. m. on Sunday, December 26th, at the homo of Mr. and Mrs. J. II, Childs, Jr,, 217 Edgeworth Lane, One of the children placed a lighted candle under the center of the tree The flames spread to the evergreen and burned out the center of tho tree, but didn’t spread out
the branches, due to the fact that the tree was still fresh and green.
The center of the tree was destroyed and the paint on the ceiling was scorched, but otherwise, there was no damage and no one was hurt.
Meters To Be Removed On Thorn Street
TWO HOUR PARKING SIGNS TO BE ENFORCED
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The 5c an hour parking meters on Thorn Street, between Broad and Chestnut, will be removed, by order of council for a 30-day trial period, and 2-hour parking limit signs erected. The heads will be taken off and the posts left in so that the meters might be easily replaced if the new system doesn’t work, After a few days’ trial, police will begin enforcing the two-hour limit which carries a fine of $1,00 for each violation, There is no 25c fine within the hour for violation of the two-hour parking limit, Council acted after the police committee reported that the meters Were not being used at a rate to justify their remaining on that block,
Meters will remain on Thorn between Broad and Walnut, as they are used oftener in that block and on Centennial, where their primary purpose is to keep parked cars off the Orange Belt and open Centennial to traffic.
Parking Meters To Be Kemoved From Thorn Street Between Chestnut and Broad
Sewickley council, at its regular meeting Monday, December 20, referred a request for a building permit for a dentist’s office on Broad Street to the Board of Adjustment for a ruling; referred a request to take over Grove Street Extension to the street committee; reduced the requested four inspection trips to oversee the parking lots to one a year; referred an application for a sub-division on Bank Street to the planning committee; received for further consideration a request of the fire company for an increase in their contract of $500 annually; heard the wage tax netted $65,585.19, including the school board’s percentage, so far this year; exonerated $1,452.82 in per capita and occupational taxes; heard a report that the county was ready to foreclose on property for delinquent taxes; made three appointments ; authorized $5,000 paid on parking lot bonds and interest; discussed machine bookkeeping, new office equipment, enlarging the police chief’s office, re-furnishing the council room, converting to gas heat and smiliar items without taking action at this time.
An ordinance was passed finally authorizing a traffic light at Blackburn and Centennial accuated by either cars or pedestrians. Another was passed finally making Broad Street, Centennial and Thorn Streets through streets, with certain exceptions. Another was passed finally authorizing the appointment of a five-man Planning-Commission. A fourth ordinance was passed one reading prohibiting one-side parking on Grove Street and held over until the police committee could decide on one-side parking for Dickson Road and Crescent Avenue. The police committee recommended that no 35-mile speed signs should be erected; that a flashing light at the borough line at Blackburn might slow speeders and that the parking meters be taken off Thorn from Broad to Chestnut and 2-hour parking signs substituted. Council also acted to have the drainage situation studied on upper Broad Street; to set aside $15,000 out of parking meter receipts to help pay off the bonds on the parking lots in 1958 and gave some merit raises.
Dr. Glenn W. Peiffer, whose office is j take over tlie street, so the matter was on the second floor of the Mellon Bank! referred to the street committee. Building, presented plans for the use of (, A request from Don McNeil for four a house owned by his mother at 324 engineering inspection trips a year to Broad Street, for a dental office. He in,- oversee tlie parking lots at a fee of $300 formed council that be must leave his|was reduced to die minimum required present offices by March first and that I by the leaseback, one trip a year at $50, the bouse in question is now a 2-fmnily Samuel Lanzarotta, who appeared at apartment. Under the building code, ]ast month’s meeting requesting a per-only 25 per cent of the first floor may mit to build an apartment garage at 264
be used for office purposes, but he needs it all. No external changes are needed, nor must any partitions be removed, just some additions to the plumbing for dental equipment. The bouse was partially remodeled by Dr. Peiffer’s father for dental offices before the war. Dr. Peiffer said there was a driveway for off-street parking. He was advised to appeal the refusal of the building inspector to grant a permit to the Board of Adjustment, which has power to grant an exception, The hearing on the application will be held Tuesday, January 4.
Metro Melonic, who has been seeking to persuade council to take over Grove Street extension, was again present, Mr. Ague stated that a road expert had inspected the road and stated that the catch basins were too small, but the road met FHA requirements despite not a Very good seal coat. It has a good base and is passable. The expert made no estimate on the amount needed for maintenance for the next two years, but did say that it would probably require a seal coat in two years, like most other borough streets. Solicitor Rose ruled that an Ordinance would bo needed to
Bank Street, gave council plans for a sub-division of the property, dividing the house and front of the lot from the rear of the lot. The lot is large enough to satisfy the zoning requirements, but only two car garages are permitted in that district and Mr. Lanzarotta was planning a garage large enough for four vehicles Mr. Ague stated that the ordinance should define the two-car garage by space instead of the number of cars. Mr. Lanzarotto stated that he wasn’t intending to move his business there and that he needed one garage stall for the occupant of the apartment above the garage. Mr. Atwood stated that approval of the sub-division ordinance did not imply approval of the use of the building under the zoning ordinance. The entire matter was referred to council’s planning committee of five members.
The fire company lias requested $500 more to raise the firemen’s pay for each fire from $4.00 to $5.00 to help pay the increased costs of cleaning clothing. The $2.50 for each of the two monthly practices would remain the same. Also the fire chief requested council to purchase (Continued on Page 15)