Lititz Record Express

              • f HAPPy THANKSGIVING
T H E B E S S
SERU\<; THE WARWICK AREA FOR MORE THA X A CEMTTRY
108th Year ESTABLISHED APRIL 1877 AS THE SUNBEAM
CONSOLIDATED WITH THE LITITZ RECORD 1937 Lititz, Lancaster County, PA. 17543, Thursday, November 22,1984 25 CENTS ACOPY: $7.00 PER YEAR BY MAIL
WITHIN LANCASTER COUNTY 26 Pages-No. 34
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A Sunday afternoon fire, which caused an
estimated $30,000 damage and hospitalized a 15-
year-old Lititz youth, was apparently started when
gasoline was mistakenly used in a kerosene
heater, according to fire officials,
damage to the living room, a hours,” Neidermyer said.
bedroom and elsewhere in
the two-story frame house,
f ir e o ff ic ia ls s a id .
Firefighters were able to
stop the blaze before it
spread to neighboring
buildings.
Neidermyer said about 30
firefighters from the Lititz
and Manheim fire com­panies
responded to the 3
p.m. fire call. Firemen were
on the scene “for a good two
The Rothsville Fire Com­pany
stood-by at the Lititz
station.
The Warwick Ambulance
was also on the scene, and
“one or two firemen took
oxygen,” Neidermyer said.
Fire officials said one of
the children apparently
purchased gasoline instead
of kerosene and Pietsch,
unaware of the mix-up, used
it in the kerosene heater.
Warwick Township To Hold
Line On Taxes In 1985
*^■1
Record Express Photos/Stan Hall
About 30 firefighters from the Lititz and Manheim fire companies responded
to a 3 p.m. blaze Sunday at 107 N. Cedar St. According to fire officials, the blaze
apparently started when gasoline was mistakenly used in a kerosene heater.
Lititz Youth Hospitalized
Gasoline In Kerosene Heater
Causes $30,000 Fire In Boro
A 15-year-old Lititz youth
is recovering from smoke
inhalation in a Lancaster
Hospital this week following
a Sunday afternoon fire
which caused an estimated
$30,000 damage to his
family’s home.
Rodney Kririer, 15, of 107
N, Cedar St., was listed in
fair condition Monday af­ternoon
at St. Joseph
Hospital, according to a
hospital spokesman.
Lititz Fire Chief H.
Richard Neidermyer said
the 3 p.m. blaze which forced
Edwin Pietsch Sr., Janice
Kriner and six of their seven
children to flee their home
Sunday was apparently
caused by the mistaken use
of gasoline in a kerosene
heater.
According to Neidermyer,
Pietsch apparently poured
gasoline into the partially
full heater Saturday night,
thinking the fuel was
kerosene. The heater ran all
night with the kerosene and
gasoline mixture, Neider­myer
said, but when Pietsch
filled the heater again on
Sunday morning it then
contained pure gasoline.
Gasoline fumes ap ­parently
accumulated and
reached an ignition point,
Neidermyer said.
Neidermyer said Pietsch
apparently attempted to put
a blanket on the fire, but the
blanket caught fire. Before
he was able to extinguish the
fire, the whole room was on
fire, Neidermyer said.
All but one of the family
members were home at the
time of the fire, Neidermyer
said.
Neidermyer said he was
told by the family that the 15-
year-old youth, who is deaf,
was playing video games in
the basement and was not
immediatley aware that a
fire had broken out upstairs.
Pietsch made several
attempts to rescue the
teenage boy who eventually
b e c am e aw a re th a t
something was wrong and
was able to escape from the
building, Neidermyer said.
Escaping from the home
without injury, in addition to
Pietsch and Kriner, were the
following children: Edwin
Pietsch Jr., 22; Scott Piet­sch,
20; Shawn Pietsch, 16;
Eric Pietsch, 3; and Luke
Pietsch, 19 months. A
daugher, Kathy Kriner, was
not home at the time of the
fire.
Neidermyer said the fire
caused an estimated $25,000
damage to the house which is
owned by Nevin Boll, 1056
Clay Road, and about $5,000
damage to its contents.
The fire and smoke caused
In spite of an increase in
general fund expenditures
by about nine percent in the
1985 Warwick Township
budget, taxes will remain
the same in the township
next year, the township
supervisors have an­nounced.
Because of a change in
property assessment in the
county from the current 25
percent to 100 percent in
1985, the tax millage in
Warwick Township will
change from 4 mills to .75
mills, but the end result in
taxes will be the same for
property owners.
The largest expense on the
$897,770 budget is $238,628 for
public safety, which includes
the salaries of the police
officers, police secretary,
zoning and sewage officers,
as well as equipment,
vehicles and training. This
figure is up approximately
17 percent over the 1984
budget.
Highways, roads and
streets is the next largest
category listed in the budget
- $223,725, or about 3.7 per­cent
more than in 1984.
According to the proposed
budget, general govern­ment,
which includes the
costs of administering the
township, with legal and
engineering fees, costs of tax
collection, and maintenance
of township building, shows
a decrease of 11 percent in
1985 to $95,727 from $107,570
in last year’s budget.
One item which was not on
last year’s budget is a
payment of an additional
$50,000 on the municipal
building mortgage. In 1981
the municipal authority
loaned the township $117,000
in the form of a mortgage for
upgrading of the township
building. The township
annually pays $18,140 on the
loan, which now has a
balance of $90,035.
The township’s con­tributions
to the library will
remain the same in 1985 -
$1,000, according to the
proposed budget. Its con­tributions
to the recreation
center will increase slightly,
from $5,120 in 1984 to $5,376
in 1985.
The budget indicates that
expenses for insurance for
the township, which includes
health and life insurance and
social security benefits for
employees, as well as auto
and liability insurance for
the township will increase
slightly form $79,100 in 1984
to $79,450 in 1985.
The township will also
transfer $35,000 to the capital
reserve fund, $20,000 to be
earmarked for future
highway equipment and
$15,000 for a computer to be
purchased in 1985.
On the income side of the
ledger, tax revenues will
increase in the township
because of an increasing
population, even though all
the taxes will remain at 1984
levels.
Taxes are projected to
bring in $381,250 in 1985, a six
percent increase over 1984,
according to the budget.
The real estate tax (.75
mills) will be bringing in
$39,250, compared to $38,000
in 1984, the budget projects.
The $10 per capita tax is
projected to bring in $57,000,
and the earned income tax
Police, Supervisors Reach
Tentative Contract Agreement
Warwick Township police
officers and the Township
Board of Supervisors have
re a c h e d a te n ta tiv e
agreement on a new police
contract, according to
Howard Knisely, attorney
for the police officers.
Knisely said the terms
would be submitted to each
of the parties in writing and
then reviewed before a final
agreement would be signed.
Neither Knisely nor the
supervisors would comment
on the terms of the proposed
contract, adding that details
would be available after the
contract is signed.
(14 of 1 percent) is expected
to bring in $205,000.
Realty transfer taxes at V2
or 1 percent are projected to
bring in $70,000 and street
light taxes in Rothsville and
Brunnerville will net $10,000,
according to the proposed
budget.
Other income sources are
licenses and permits, $1,015;
fines and forfeitures,
$18,000; interest, royalties
and rents, $23,392.
The township will have
$188,562 in aid available
from other governmental
sources including: $111,848
in highway aid and $30,604 in
Federal Revenue Sharing
funds, according to the
proposed 1985 budget.
Of the $897,770 available
revenues, the township
(Turn to Page 3)
Motorists Escape Injury
In Township Traffic Accidents
An 18-year-old Lititz
woman was cited for failing
to yield the right of way at a
stop sign when the vehicle
she was operating collided
with another at the in­tersection
of Route 501 and
Owl Hill Road on Nov. 14 at 1
p.m., Warwick Township
police reported.
Lisa M. Berry, 18, of 115
Rothsville Station Road,
Lititz, and a passenger, one-year-
old Davy Gardner,
were traveling west on Owl
Hill Road, in a vehicle owned
by Betty J. Gardner and
stopped at the intersection of
Route 501 before attempting
a southbound turn onto
Route 501, police reported.
After pulling out of Owl Hill
Road the Berry car struck
the left front portion of a
vehicle driven by Ivan H.
Snyder, 80, 506 Woodcrest
Ave., Lititz, police said
Berry receive«
abrasions to her hern ¿one
said, but she refused
treatment. There were no
other injuries reported ana
both vehicles were towed
from the scene.
Three separate accidents
occurred Sunday in the
township in which two of the
drivers were cited for failing
to drive at a safe speed,
police said.
Thomas M. Siegrist, 20, of
303 Front St., Liitz, came out
of a turn traveling east on
West Woods Drive at 1:45
a.m. and told police he saw a
westbound vehicle partially
Annual Community Thanksgiving Services Set
Community Thanksgiving
eve services will be held in
Lititz and Rothsville Wed­nesday
evening.
In Lititz, the annual
Community Thanksgiving
Service which is arranged by
the Warwick Association of
Churches will be held at 7:30
p.m. in the Lititz United
Methodist Church.
The speaker for this year’s
service will be the Rev.
Donald E. Fulton, pastor of
th e L ititz M o rav ian
Congregation, and one of the
more recent arrivals among
the Lititz area clergy.
Sharing the service in an
honorary capacity will be
the Mayor of Lititz, the
Honorable Raymond Reedy,
as he reads the annual
Thanksgiving proclamation.
Also participating in the
Lititz service will be the
Rev. Larry D. Leister, Lititz
United Methodist Church;
the Rev. Jimmy Ross, Lititz
Church of the Brethren; and
the Rev. Rick McKinney,
Lititz Baptist Church.
Music will be provided by
the Methodist Church choir.
The offering will be used
for the Lititz Community
Chest (75 percent) and the
CROP Program (25 per­cent)
.
Rothsville’s community
Thanksgiving service will be
held a t St. P a u l’s
Evangelical Congregational
Church at 7:30 p.m.
Pastor Peter W.F. Nodyne
of th e J e r u s a lem
Evan g e lic al Lutheran
Church will bring the
message.
A combined choir will
present special music.
I n T h is Is s u e
Editorial
Sports Section
Social
Church
4
6,7,8,9
10
24
Business Directory 25
in the eastbound lane. He
steered his vehicle to the
right and went partially off
~f the roaaway. losing
control of Ms cai fro ~i (g
t ne roadway a id "inking ai
em u a n km e n t. p o lice
reported. The abandoned
Vchide was diouuveieu uy
Officer Richard Groff just
before 6 a.m. Monday and
the operator was im­mediately
notified, police
said. Siegrist was cited for
failing to drive at a safe
speed. Police said the
vehicle had been left at the
scene of the accident, and
that later it had been towed
by Garman’s Garage.,
A driver, who police say
lost control of his vehicle due
to wet road conditions,
struck a cement curb
damaging the u nder­carriage
of his car at 6:45
p.m. Sunday.
Nathan Paul Dennis, 21,
1610 Rothsville Road, Lititz,
the driver of the car, and a
passenger, Deborah Ann
Anderson, 17, of 802 S. Cedar
St., Lititz, were not injured
in the incident which oc­curred
near the intersection
of Route 501 and West Woods
Drive. No injuries were
reported and Dennis was
cited for failing to drive at a
safe speed, police said.
The veMcle is owned by
Richard Dennis of 1608
Rothsville Road.
In another incident Sun­day,
Joan Myers, 32, of 40
Main St,, Landisville, was
cited for failing to yield the
right of way to an oncoming
vehicle driven by David
Ralph Shupp, 31, 15 W.
Lincoln Ave., Lititz, police
said.
The accident occurred at
the intersection of Brun­nerville
and Pine Hill roads,
where Myers had stopped
before pulling out into the
Shupp vehicle, police
reported.
The accident happened at
3:30 p.m.
Officer Edward Tobin
responded to a vehicle fire
call at the residence of Jay
Wilmer Weaver, 18 Snyder
Hill Road Monday morning
at about 8:30.
Police said Weaver’s 1974
Chevrolet Malibu was
destroyed by the fire which
was extinguished by the
Brunnerville Fire Co.
In a separate incident, a
veMcle driven by Martha
Allison Dodd, 24, 4024 St.
Martins Place, Cincinnati,
OMo, was destroyed by fire,
wMch police said, may have
been caused by S gasoline
leak in the engine com­partment.
Dodd, who was traveling
east on Newport Road at
(Turn to Page 3)
Jury Convicts Groff Of Arson,
Recklessly Endangering Persons
A jury convicted Daniel M.
Groff, 53, of 1651 Furnace
Hills Pike, of arson and
recklessly endangering
other persons after less than
an hour’s deliberation
Friday afternoon.
Groff was found guilty of
setting fire to two junked
cars on Ms property on Aug.
16 when an Elizabeth
TownsMp solicitor and a
Lancaster photographer
arrived to take pictures of
Ms property in connection
with a zoning dispute.
Groff, who testified on Ms
own behalf during the two-day
trial, denied the
charges. His attorney said
the verdict would be ap­pealed.
Groff’s bail was continued
at $25,000.
Testifying during the trial
were David L. Williams, a
township solicitor, and
Larry E. Nixdorf, a Lan­caster
photographer, who
said a junk car that was
blocking a driveway at the
Groff property exploded
when they walked past it.
Williams testified that he
heard what he thought to be
shells exploding after the
imtial explosion. A state
police fire marshal testified
that he found spent shotgun
casings inside the car.
Nixdorf also testified that
a telephone pole fell near
him when he was taking
photographs of the property
after the explosion. A state
trooper testified that he saw
Groff push the telephone
pole shortly before it fell.
Groff has been involved in
ongoing dispute with the
(Turn to Page 14)
Santa To Arrive By Fire Engine This Saturday
NORTH POLE - The
Record Express learned
this week that Santa
Claus has once again
contacted the Lititz Fire
Company and requested
that the firemen provide
transportation for him
when he comes to his
castle in Lititz this
Saturday morning, Nov.
24.
According to our
reports, Santa has
asked that a fire engine
take him around the
streets of Lititz -
beginmng at 9 a.m. so
that he may greet and
wave to all his friends.
Following his tour of
Lititz, Santa will arrive
at his castle, located on
Sturgis Lane Mall, just
off East Main Street, at
10:30 a.m.
Watch for Santa on
Saturday morning and
be on hand to greet him
as he arrives at Ms
castle at 10:30.
All visitors to Santa’s
Castle will receive a
free “Santa” balloon.
Santa’s castle hours
are : Thursdays and
Fridays 5 to 8 p.m.,
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. (this Saturday
10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
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Santa Claus will arrive at his castle at Sturgis Lane Mall via a Lititz truck
this Saturday, Nov. 24.