Lititz Record Express

              T H E R E S S
S E R V I N G T H E W A R W I C K A R E A F O R N E A R L Y A C E N T U R Y
99th Year ESTABLISHED APRIL, 18 77. AS THE SUNBEAM
[CONSOLIDATED WITH THE LITITZ RECORD. 1937; iLititz, Lancaster County, PA 17543 Thursday, May 1,19755 10 CENTS A COPY; $4 00 PER YEAR BY MAIL
WITHIN LANCASTER COUNTY 24 PAGES — No. 6
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Members of the Lititz Area Jaycees and Boy Scout Troop 44 Brown from the Jaycees (standing in water), and members of
spent most of last Saturday working in Lititz Springs Park, Troop 44 (left to right) Todd Myers, Andy Heagy, Kevin Smith,
cleaning debris from the spring and the grounds, repairing and and Jeff Enck- rake debris from the stream. See other pictures on
setting up park benches and tables, and generally getting the Pa§e 10-
park ready for its spring and summer activities. Above, Roger
School Taxes May Increase 12 Mills School taxes will probably
be going up about 12 mills,
according to a tentative
budget for 1975-76 which
Warwick School Board will
be reviewing with the public
next week.
Ten mills of this, ac­cording
to superintendent,
H. Dale Winger, will be
necessary to cover the ap­proximate
$200,000 salary
increases promised to
teachers in collective
bargaining. It also includes a
projected $23,000 increase in
electric bills for next year.
School directors did not
mention levying a job tax to
meet rising costs during
their Committee of the
Whole meeting Tuesday
night. This method of raising
monies had been pointed out
to them several months ago,
and is being considered in a
few other school districts.
St. James
Interested in
Poster Tract
Dennis Craig, 28 S. Broad
St., urged Warwick School
Board to take sale of the
Doster tract “off the back
burner” Tuesday night and
open the way for possible
lifting of some of the deed
restrictions on the land.
Craig said some members
of St. James Catholic Church
are interested in the tract, as
a site for a future church,
and wanted a chance to work
with the School Board's
property committee on in­vestigating
this possibility.
The Board had decided
several weeks ago not to put
the land up for sale for six
months, after turning down
two bids because they were
not of market value.
Several directors said
other private parties,
besides the two which
submitted bids on the tract,
have also expressed an in­terest
in the land.
Henry Martin, Jr.,
chairman of the property
committee, said he would be
willing to talk to persons
from St. James, and any
other interested persons
about the land, but the Board
stressed that equal op­portunity
for such
discussions should be given
to all interested parties.
Craig said that had been his
intention in bringing the
matter before the Board, so
that interested parties could
start discussion on the land
before the six month
moratorium placed by the
Board.
The only hope which
directors noted could save
the public from a hike in real
estate taxes was possible
passage by the state of a bill
that would let school’
districts levy an additional
half percent of earned in­come
tax,
According to Dr. Winger, if
this bill is passed, and the
school district votes to levy
the additional tax, the
district would have “ a
balanced budget.” The real
estate tax is now at 78 mills.
The proposed budget in­cludes
a new $16,000 girls
sports program, an eight
percent increase for school
bus contractors, new
material for the revised
language arts curriculum
from kindergarten through
grade 12, addition of one
more guidance counselor for
the senior high school, ap­proximately
$5,000 for a new
math-science lab for the high
school, and a $1400 increase
in Rec Center subsidy.
The proposed budget also
provides for increased ar­chitects
fees to combine
phases two and three of the
Lititz Elementary building
renovations next year,
although a decision to do this
has not been firmed up.
It also provides for a
$23,000 increase in electric
bills. Electric bills are ex­pected
to increase 15.8
percent at Lititz Elemen­tary,
16 percent at John
Beck, 17.8 percent at Kissel
Hill, 17.2 percent at the high
school, 17.8 percent at the
middle school, and 17.4
percent at Rothsville School.
The budget is subject to
revision until its final
adoption in June, and is
expected to undergo
numerous changes in the
next two months. It will be
presented and explained to
the public at two special
sessions next week, one on
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at
Rothsville School, and one on
Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
at the middle school.
While school directors
stated Tuesday night they
had hoped to keep the tax
increase under 10 mills, set
costs and programs included
in the budget leave little
room for hope on this. The
district is “locked into” a
number of large ex­penditures,
such as salaries,
utility bills, etc. Areas that
could possibly be adjusted or
eliminated in the next few
months are the girls sports
program, bus contracts, the
math-science lab, the
athletic fund, the additional
guidance counselor, the Rec
Center subsidy, and some
series of textbooks.
These were most of the
areas on which school
directors were divided
Tuesday night, the first they
had viewed the budget as an
entity. Until now, the budget
has been prepared in sec­THIS
k FRIDAY
| MAY 2nd
STORES OPEN
TIL 11 P.M.
SAVINGS AT 20
PARTICIPATING STORES!
SHOP LITITZ THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
TIL 11P .M .
SPECIAL ADDED TREAT:
HOT DOG and DRINK ONLY 25*
At the Lititz Fire Hali From 4 to 10 P.M. This Friday
Only. Courtesy of Lititz Fire Co. Ladies Auxiliary and
Lititz Retailer's Assn.
DON'T FORGET - PARKING IS FREE AFTER 9 P.M.
Benner’s Pharmacy
Bingeman’s Clothing Store
Bingeman’s Restaurant
Bob’s Save Rite Market
D. E. Furlow 5 « 10
Dori Mae’s Dresr Shop
The Gladell Shop
20 PARTICIPATING MERCHANTS:
Hagy’s Western Auto
Hershey’s Shoe Store
Hess Men’s Wear
The Jewelry Shoppe
Kathryn’s .Flowers & Gifts
Lads & Lassies Children’s Apparel
Lippart’s of Lititz
Lititz Sewing Center
The Pewter Mug
Shoes ’n Things
Spacht’s Furniture Store
Trudi K Shop
White Shield Discount Center
Amidon Will Become
Asst. Boro Manager,
Resips Council Job
1 ►*»*—*»»»»—* * i
tions by committees of the
Board. Straw votes showed
that a majority of directors
favored leaving most of
these items in the budget, at
least until the public has a
chance to comment.
Issues that drew the
greatest uncertainty among
directors were adding the
entire proposed girls sports
program next year, rather
than phasing it in, and ad­ding
a senior high guidance
counselor next year. Some
directors felt the girls sports
should be adopted over a
period of years. Some also
felt that the Board should
hold off at least another year
before hiring an additional
guidance counselor, to give
the distrist time to shape up
its guidance department.
Bus contracts also aroused
comment frbm school
directors. Contractor Fred
Kauffman had requested a
five percent increase, and
contractor Ray Groff, a 14
percent increase. School
director Carl Reedy, who is
chairman of the Board’s
transportation committee,
said the only reasons his
committee could think of for
Groff’s higher request weije
the facts that Groff hap
newer buses and his drivers
have “ harder places to
travel.”
However, Barry Smith,
assistant to the superin­tendent,
stated he had
studied reimbursement
figures (from the state) and
rates being paid by other
school districts, and
recommended an eight
percent increase for all
contractors as a realistic
figure. This would raise the
per mile cost to about six
cents a mile, he said.
School Director Raymond
Groff, who is the father of
one of the bus contractors,
was the only School Board
member to support the 14
percent increase which his
son was asking, and walked
out of the meeting after the
Board set the eight percent
increase.
Cuts in the athletic fund
are also expected to
generate some comments
from the public, although
these are not expected to be
too serious. According to the
proposed budget, the district
will no longer be buying
sneakers, socks, athletic
supporters, etc. for school
athletes, but will be fur­nishing
only game uniforms
and special shoes for track
and football.
This is expected to save
about $3,000. Until now, the
school district has been
paying to outfit its athletes,
including buying their
sneakers and socks for them.
D. Curtis Amidon,
president of borough council
and council member of 19
years, presented a letter to
council Tuesday night in
which he outlined his plan for
reitrement from council in
June and his desire to fill the
new position of assistant
borough manager.
The new position, long a
subject of discussion in
council meetings since the
borough manager’s job has
been growing in complexity
and work hours over the
years, would be a part-time
position of 24 hours.
President Amidon told
council in the letter that his
retirement from Armstrong
would preceed his
retirement from council by
about a month and, if ap­proved
as new assistant
borough manager, he would
be free to take over the
position on June 25 of this
year.
Council was admittedly
surprised and sorry to hear
of his intended resignation as
president but were in
agreement that his presence
as assistant borough
manager would be filling a
vitally needed role in the
service of the borough, and
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In This Issue
Business Directory 20
Chprch News 18
Classified Ads 22,23
Editorial Page 4
Sports Section 6,,7-
Women’s I f , 17
Curt Amidon
would ease the work load of
the borough manager.
Said Councilman William
York, “I always said he had
a mind like a steel trap,” and
noted facetiously, “He
remembers minutes of
meetings from 15 years ago
verbatim while I have
trouble remembering what
happened at the last
meeting.
Council voted unanimously
to accept Amidon’s
resignation and hire him as
assistant borough manager
starting June 25, 1975.
The next step, advised
Councilman James Yerger,
is to seek a new appointment
to fill the seat vacated by
Amidon. Yerger, now vice
president of borough council,
will be acting as president
until council reorganization
is completed.
In other business, an­nouncement
was made by
Dr. Byron K. Horne,
chairman of the Lititz
Bicentennial Committee,
that an official acceptance
ceremony is being planned
on Saturday, May 24 at 10
a.m. for the presentation of
the Bicentennial Flag to the
community of Lititz.
Receiving the flag in the
name of Lititz residents will
be Mayor Raymond Reedy.
If arrangements are ap­proved,
the ceremony will
take place on the porch of the
Young Men’s Business
League on South Broad
Street near the square.
Dr. Horne told council and
citizens Tuesday night that
Lititz is the only community
in Lancaster County which
has been given the honor of
receiving the official
Bicentennial Flag.
Although the list of at­tending
officials and
dignitaries has yet to be
released, it promises to be
impressive.
Water-Agreement
The latest agreement
drawn up by the borough
solicitor, William Crosswell,
for the sale of water to
Warwick township was
accepted in its informal
form, revised from an
earlier agreement, during
Tuesday night’s meeting.
The general conditions of
the agreement with War­wick’s
Municipal Authority
were deemed acceptable by
council. The terms of the
new rates have not been
formally acted upon by
council, but a potential in­crease
of minor proportions
[Continued on Page 8]
The above photograph — taken
despite protest from an interested
party who told this photographer that
the owner did not want any pictures
taken of the house — shows an
abandoned, dilapidated building on
Owl Hill Road. The house has been
the subject of many heated
discussions in the past including
owner, neighbors and Warwick
Xiititz R e c o rd E x p r e s s P h o to
Township supervisors. Last fall, an
apparent agreement was reached
during which time the owner, Stanley
B. Mellinger, told the township of­ficials
he would demolish the house.
Neighbor Harry Huber brought in
another complaint at last week’s
supervisors meeting stating that the
promised demolition had never taken
place.
Abandoned House On Owl Hill
Draws Neighbor's Complaints
The Warwick Township
Supervisors meeting was
interrupted abruptly last
Thursday night by a
d is g ru n tle d Wa rwick
Township resident who held
the threat of lost votes in the
upcoming election over
supervisors’ heads if they
didn’t do something about a
n eig h b o r’s d ilap id a ted
building and property
disarray.
“You wouldn’t want to live
like that,” said Harry Huber,
615 Owl Hill Rd. to super­visors.
He was referring to
the fact that his neighbor,
Stanley B. Mellinger, 612
Owl Hill Rd., was informed
by Warwick Township last
fall that he would have to
clean up his property. Ac­cording
to Huber, he has yet
to comply although he was
told to get the area in order
by October 1 of last year.
Said Huber, “I want to
know when Mellinger has to
take that house down. It’s
been going on two years. The
dirt is two inches thick on the
floor and the windows are all
out. I want something done
or I’m going to get the State
Board of Health out here.”
After a few moments of
embarrassed silence, the
supervisors attempted to
explain to Huber that their
only recourse in situations of
this kind where a resident
refuses to comply with
township requests is to take
the offender to court, a
process which could lead to
at least two years of
protracted court procedures
during which time the
problem would remain
unsolved and the disputed
building would probably
remain standing.
Once again, Huber threw
the question in the faces of
the supervisors, “What are
you going to do about it. I‘m
living right in front of it all
these years.”
Once again they tried to
assuage Huber. Chairman
William Dussinger told him,
“The first thing to do is what
we did; he said he’d clean it
up but didn’t. It just doesn’t
[Continued on Page 8j