Sewickley Herald

              The Herald
The Sewickley Valley’s Home-News Weekly
VOL. 52 NO. 4
SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 26. 1958
Price Ten Cents
Three Burglaries Over The Week-End
Council Advertisss For Bids On $700,000 Bond Issue To Pay For Sewage Plant
Tentative Budget Provides For 11 Mills On Real Estate And Wage Taxes of %%
Sewickley council, at its regular meeting on Monday, January 16tli, authorized advertisement of bids for the $700,000 bond issue to pay for the sewage interceotors and disposal olant; an-proved tentatively a budget of $293,553 based on an eleven mill real estate tax and %% wage tax, an increase of %% in the wage tax; asked the borough secretary to put the budget on public view in the borough manager’s office for ten days; passed an ■ ordinance prohibiting parking on the southerly side of Frederick Avenue, between' Walnut and Broad; received bid? on a new police car; heard that the new Elgin street sweeper arrived on Mondav; received bids for gasoline to be dispensed from the borough’s nump; heard that the borough was being sued for $12,-000; heard a report that the contracts for sewage disposal plans had been let to Morris Knowles, Inc., and the contract signed with Osborne Borough and received with regret notice of resignation of the District Nurse.
$2,825 In Cash Stolen From The Safe At Gourley Chevrolet Garage
Sewickley and Leetsdale High Schools Broken Into Friday and Saturday Nights
Thieves made a big haul over the week-end, stealing $2,825 in cash from the office safe at the Gourley Chevrolet Company, 409 Broad Street, early Saturday morning; taking between $2,50 and $5.00 in change from the Sewickley High School on Friday night, and $26 and a portable CD radio from the Leetsdale High School on Saturday night. Entrance was gained to Gourley’s by breaking a window on the Thom Street side and to Sewickley High School by unlocking the Health Room door by reaching through a pane of glass broken Friday night by ah enthusiastic student celebrating the victory over Leetsdale. At Leetsdale High School, entrance was gained by breaking the window out of a door and crawling in. Reports have been heard in the Valley of someone breaking into West Allegheny High School on Thursday night
The ordinance concerning the sale of the sewer bonds, printed in full in another part of this week’s Herald, provides that sealed bids Will ‘ be received on Monday, February 20th for the purchase of $700,000 par value general obligation bonds of the borough maturing at the rate of $25,000 a year from 1958 to 1985 inclusive. The bids shall specify in multiples of one;eighth of one percent the single rate of interest the bonds shall bear and shall be accompanied by a check for $14,000 as security for performance.
Sdlicitor Rose pointed out that it would not be possible to increase the amount due and payable each year as the issue gets older, without paying a higher interest rate. The bonds are sold in multiples of five, by perference of bond buyers, so "they are being amortized fin groups of five. The first interest will be due this September, but the proceeds can be invested in government bonds until needed, so the difference in interest rates will not be much, if any. Sewickley is like a ipan who always pays cash, it has no credit' rating, Since it hasn’t borrowed any money since the bond issue of $339,000 borrowed in 1928' and since paid off. The cost of the election to approve the bond issue was $270.89, compared with $6,000 for a special election.
The budget of $293,553 was tentatively approved and will be on display in the borough secretary’s office in the borough building for ten days, excluding Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The budget is based on a real estate levy of 11 mills and ajn in< rease of Vi% in the wage tax rate to %%. Estimated income under the new budget will fall short of expenditure's even with the increase in the wage tax and the diffrence will be taken- out of the bank balance, which was $51,789 on December 31st, Last year, the bank balance was reduced about $3,000. New expenses this year include full pay-
ment for the street sweeper; a general pay increase granted to borough employees late last year and the installation of storm sewers to partially eliminate flooded cellars in times of heavy rains. The borough this year will launch a program of storm sewer , construction ' lasting severaj years. At the end of the year, the bank balance is expected to be about $40,000, barring emergencies.
The basis of the decision to place the increase on the wage earners irather than the owners of real estate was explained in figures from the tax office. Those figures indicated that about 20% of Sewickley real estate is owned by persons living outside the borough; that about 40% of the families in the borough pay real estate taxes and 'Over 50% do not pay real estate taxes directly. The tax rate will be set . at the February meeting of council.
An ordinance, prohibiting parking on the southerly side of Frederick Avenue, between Walnut and Broad Streets, Was passed and advertised in full .in the Herald on page 20 of the January 19th issue. In order to add that one short stretch of street, it was legally necessary to. repeat all the other streets on which parking is prohibited in the borough.
One of the reasons the borough can purchase new police cars so much more cheaply than citizens, is the fact that the -borough is relieved of paying Federal taxes, which average about $150 on a car. Two of the manufacturers, Ford and Chrysler, now make special cars for police work and taxis with the taxis making up for the lack of volume in police car field. The net bids were: 205 hp. Chevrolet, $1,654,50; 215 hp. Ford ‘Interceptor’, special police car, $1,-878.73 and Dodge pursuit car, 230 hp. special police car, $1,183.00. The bids were referred to the police committee and the contract will be awarded at the next meeting of council, February 20th.
(Continued on Page 20)
5 District Jointure
V
'On'Again
LEET TOWNSHIP BOARD TAKES NO ACTION ON WITHDRAWAL
The Leet Township School Board, which on Sunday, January 15th at an informal conference with representatives of the other four school districts in the proposed five district jointure, notified the others that they would withdraw from the jointure, took no such action at the meeting on Wednesday, January 18th. A letter from C. Von Gunten, secretary, stated, “The Leet Township School Board, at its meeting on Wednesday, January 18th, discussed the advisability of .withdrawing from the proposed Quaker Valley (5 district) Joint School System, but no action was taken. Therefore our approval of the Agreement signed on June 29, 1955, still stands.”
The letter was addressed to R. L. Stacey, temporary secretary of the proposed Quaker Valley Joint Schools and copies were sent to A. W. Beattie, County Superintendent of Schools; J. E. Burton, J. K. Foster, W. J. Hutchison and L. B. Rainey, presidents of the other four school boards; L. C. Morehouse, Secretary of the County Board and the Sewickley Herald.
That leaves the question of approving or disapproving of the Quaker Valley Joint School district to the County Board of School Directors, who asked for an answer by February 1st on prospects for forming a 10 district jointure in the Valley. The ten district jointure was voted down 6-4 at a meeting January 11th in the Leetsdale High School Library.
Sewickley police were summoned to the Gourley Chevrolet at 9 a., m on Saturday and Chief Thomas Pren-dergast and Officer Bertil/Neely investigated. They found that someone had broken a pane of glass in the side window of the office on the Thom Street side of the garage, after first cutting it with a glass cutter. The safe cracker knew what , he was doing, knocking off the combination with a 4 pound sledge hammer and then using a push rod to knock out the rod which had held the combination. A bolt had been used first on the pin, but it bent, so the push rod of hardened steel was used. A lock spring spreader tool and chisel also were used to open the safe, which contained approximately $2,825 in cash phis checks. Some of the checks and also some cash were left lying on the floor by the burglar or buglars. County Detective Joseph Start was
notified and brought down the County fingerprint expert to dust the safe and office for fingerprints.
A neighbor reported being awakened by hearing pounding in the garage at 4:30 a. m. and looked out the window. She didn’t see anything unusual looking down at the ground between the house and garage, but did see a stocky figure in a short coat and a peaked cap in the garage, by tlie reflection of the neon signs which are left on all night at the front of the building.
The neighbor did not call police, -having heard noises in the garage before this and thinking that anyone who made that much noise must be in the garage on legitimate business. She told officers that she thought it was a night watchman. However, there were no lights on inside the garage. At 4 a. m. a towing firm opened the big doors at the side of the garage and put in a wrecked car and later came back and hauled it to Baden, where the owner wanted it repaired. At 5 a. m. the Sewickley police car went by the garaee, sweeping the beam of the search light over the cars parked in the Thorn Street lot.
In the future no money will be left in the safe which will be used only for protection of papers against fire.
The window in the door of the Health Room in Sewicklev High School was broken about If» p. m.
(Continued on Page 20)
What's Doin!
DESSERT CARD PARTY sponsored by Young Women’s Civic Club of Sewickley
8 p. m., Monday, February 13, 1956 American Legion Hall Benefit of Scholarship Fund
Valentine Luncheon & Card Party, Tuesday, February 14 at 1 o’clock at St. James School Hall. Sponsored by St. James Women Catholic Guild. Luncheon will be served by Miss Gladys Wholey.
Donation $1.25. For Reservation Call Mrs. Martin Doyle, Sew. 2581. Reservations must be in by Feb. 9.
The Wesley Brotherhood of the Sewickley Methodist Church are sponsoring their annual Turkey Dinner at the church from 5 p, m. to 8 p. m. February 16th.
COOKING SCHOOL, sponsored by Group 2, Woman’s Civic Club of Glenfield, given by Mfg. Light & Heat Co. on Tues., February 28th, at 8 p.m. in the Fire Hall, Refreshments served. Prizes. Tickets oan ba bought from committee members who will eanvass homes, or at the door,
Tonight's The Night! For PTA Pops!
Earl Hogue
' P.T.A. PROGRAM CHAIRMAN PREPARES FOR FOP’S NIGHT
Mr, Earl Hogue is not only Program Chairman, he’s ft FOP, a teacher and acting principal of the Sewickley Grade School... and that makes him high man on the entertainment list for the P.T.A. Square Dance at the Sewickley High School tonight at 8:00 p. m.	(Photo by MeGandle«)
Edgeworth School Board To Hold Public Meeting
All Residents Urged To Attend
The Edgeworth School Board has asked the School Club to hold a public meeting for discussion of Edgeworth’s participation in plans for consolidation of the local school systems. Members of the Board will discuss various aspects of the situation after which there will be a question period. All residents' are strongly urged to attend this meeting which will be held on Wednesday, February 1st in the school auditorium at SilS pm.