BLAIRSVILLE--The year 2001 was steadily trudging along, presumably destined to be a nearly forgotten year in the history books.
Our national news could barely hold our interest with tabloid headlines of congressional scandals and shark attacks.
Late-night talk show hosts amused us with the awkwardness of our new president--who seemed more at home in a cowboy hat, than shaking hands with heads of state.
Locally, we were thinking about the battles about to take place on the high school football fields, and on the election-day ballots for district justice (as well as the other numerous local offices up for grabs).
But on a clear day in September, the year 2001 became one of the most important our country and our communities would ever endure.
In the March 23rd edition of The Dispatch, John Jennings wrote of a trip to Dallas and the site where President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
He wrote that that day in 1963 was to his generation what December 7, 1941 (the bombing of Pearl Harbor) was to his parents' generation.
And so September 11, 2001 will be a defining moment for a new generation of Americans whose closest contact with the horrors of war, until that day, was watching the video-game-like bombings of Iraq on CNN in 1991--and for the younger still who had not even experienced that.
This year, our communities became stronger by uniting in a common cause and we began to understand once again the true meanings of words like freedom and liberty.
We became better people, trying to help our neighbors--whether they were down the street or in New York City--by donating blood, money, food and time.
We renewed our faith--be it our faith in God, in our country, in our families or in our own strength. And we found a way to move on.
We understood that time did not stop on September 11th, and the months before it were not wiped away.
What follows are the highlights of our year--the good, the bad and the things we never thought we'd see (like the symptoms of anthrax printed in The Dispatch):
January 5--Burrell Township discontinued its voluntary recycling for residents, calling the drop-off shed a fire hazard and nuisance...After 2000 census, Pennsylvania learned it will lose two congressional seats...Twenty-five-year-old Republican Jeff Coleman, the youngest member of the state legislature, was sworn in as the the 60th district's state representative.
January 12--Kathy Dunlap resigned as Blairsville Borough's tax collector after what she deemed as "unwarranted harassment and constant criticism"...Richard Thomas was appointed to manage the Derry Municipal Authority after the death of Ted Shomo who had held the post for 34 years...Twenty-four Laurel Valley students were in a school bus accident, with no injuries reported...Pine Grove, the first prison in the nation built to incarcerate teens sentenced as adults, finally opened after numerous delays.
January 19--President Bill Clinton left office and George W. Bush was inaugurated after a long-debated election win...Derry Area School District bus driver Cindy Jean Hill was stopped by state police during her route and failed a field sobriety test. Hill claimed to be under the influence of barbiturates which she had taken for a migraine headache ...Blairsville-Saltsburg School District won a $20,000 grant to purchase two eight-inch robots to be incorporated into math, science and technology curriculums.
January 26--Indiana County Humane Society raised the cost of pet adoption to cover fees for spaying/neutering, blood tests, immunizations and the new identification procedure of microchipping...Thirty-one of 49 Derry junior wrestlers brought home trophies from an Indiana tournament.
February 2--Indiana County courthouse began operation of its new $84,000 security system designed to stop weapons and explosives from entering the building...Motorists found new delays on Route 22 in New Alexandria with the beginning of a two-year project to widen the highway to four lanes, starting with the replacement of a bridge over Loyalhanna Creek...The newly formed Heritage Conference committed to academics as well sports for area high-schoolers by announcing the advent of the Heritage Conference Academic Competition.
February 9--An intense Groundhog Day snow storm claimed two lives in separate automobile accidents--Arthur Sipos of Homer City and high school student Kimberly Cecchini of New Alexandria...Four men were burned at the Ebensburg Power Company co-generation plant in Cambria Township. One man, Dave Banko of Seward, died as a result of injuries from the incident...Nichole Riddle, now a senior at Blairsville High School, became the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball with a 32-point game against Marion-Center in which she closed in on 1,500 points.
February 16--Betty Mabon of New Florence, a long-time news correspondent for The Dispatch, passed away...Derry Borough temporarily suspended the issuance of five-dollar fines for parking against the flow of traffic after residents complained...Indiana County's Emergency Management Agency moved into spacious new offices in White Township.
February 23--Burrell Township supervisors approved an ordinance designating an 82-acre section of the industrial park as a tax-free zone through the end of 2010 in an effort to promote development...The 10-year anniversary of the scud missile attack in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War that killed 13 local soldiers (28 soldiers total) from Hempfield Township's 14th Quartermaster Detachment was marked by a memorial service at Greensburg Central Catholic High School.
March 2--Latrobe Area Hospital's nurses voted down union representation by the Pennsylvania State Education Association...Homer-Center's school board officially announced they would not renew head football coach Bill Gazza's contract...Indiana's New Century Club, a reading club founded in 1901, celebrated its centennial. The original reading room of the club eventually evolved into the Indiana Free Library.
March 9--Black Lick-based Lower Indiana County Municipal Authority obtained a viable well in Strangford and announced plans to build a treatment plant to provide water to customers, reducing the amount of water purchased from authorities...Postal delivery driver Raymond Gundy of White Township joined the Million-Mile Club in recognition of 30 years of accident-free driving for the Indiana post office...William Shane Stein, accused of stabbing his son Shayne in July of 2000, was allowed to return home to be with his wife, daughter and mother.
March 16--Census figures show Indiana County's population was nearly unchanged since 1990...Derry Borough Council approved the closing of the community swimming pool for the summers season so that it could undergo renovations...After a long battle with illness Senator Patrick Stapleton passed away...Nine 12-foot high Norway Spruce pine trees, grown in Indiana County, were planted at the new PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
March 23--Reliant Energy of Houston announced plans to build a new coal-burning generating station in Seward, which would create 400 new jobs...1997 Derry graduate and University of Pittsburgh junior, Jamie Penich, was found murdered in South Korea while studying in that country for a semester.
March 30--Nearly 100 homes were evacuated in Derry because of a gas main break. No explosions or injuries were reported.
April 6--Indiana Hospital announced a $9.7 million capital campaign in a bid to keep the hospital independent while University of Pittsburgh Medical Center continued buying numerous hospitals and practices...Homer-Center hosted two educators from Worcester, England in an exchange program that would send Superintendent Joseph Marcoline and first-grade teacher Betty Ann Pavlick to England in June.
April 13--Blue Spruce Park expanded its grounds by more than half with the purchase of 230 acres owned by Consolidated Energy...Homer-Center reinstated its driver's education course, which had been cut along with the budget. The driver's program, and others, were expected to be funded by the $600,000 of taxes the district would collect resulting from the privatization of the power plant.
April 20--A railway bridge tumbled into Crooked Creek, about a half-mile downstream from Creekside, causing three hopper cars to derail and dump 150 tons of coal into the creek...Indiana County hired a Boulder, Colorado consulting firm to look into the possibility of constructing a new, larger jail to deal with overcrowded, cramped conditions in the current county jail.
April 27--Construction began on a new $3.5 million armory for the Blairsville and Latrobe National Guard units on a 13.7-acre lot at the grounds of the former Torrance State Hospital...As a result of a phone survey about smoking in public restaurants organized by the Indiana County Office of Penn State Extension, Betty Skirboll, owner of Pie Cucina restaurant in Blairsville, agreed to designate her eating establishment as a smoke-free facility...Blairsville's Bret McKinney, attending Waynesburg College, was one of five players named to the Verizon Academic All-American District II men's basketball team.
May 4--Paul and Judy Carter of Blairsville, who have provided care and shelter for over 30 foster children, were named Pennsylvania State Foster Parents of the Year...Burrell Township dropped a 15-year-old tax abatement program, called PROSPER, due to its disappointing performance in drawing businesses to the area and
creating jobs for local residents...Former Homer-Center quarterback Ed Kowchuck was named the new head football coach for that team.
May 11--Local communities geared up for primary elections with the spotlight on the races for District Justice and County Coroner...Indiana County Community Action Program received nearly $150,000 in grant money for improvements such as new phones and computers...Derry Area High School Principal Dr. Charles Shirley retired after 29 years on the job. Rod Bisi, who had been serving as interim principal was hired to take on the position.
May 18--Considered an integral part of the hiking and biking trail, the pedestrian underpass of the Hoodlebug Trail-- beneath Old Rt. 119 south of Indiana--was dedicated...After moving out of the basement of the community center in town, Blairsville's community senior center opened the doors of its new facility at Old Rt. 22 and Heybert Drive.
May 25--Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Robertson, a 1980 graduate of Homer-Center High School and NASA astronaut, suffered critical burns during the crash of her small plane near Houston. She passed away two days later...Derry Borough Council set the process in motion to collect over $360,000 in back taxes from Industrial Ceramics, Inc. which closed its Derry facility in 1995.
June 1--Remember summer gas prices⢠Local residents sounded off about prices as high as $1.63 a gallon...Donna Lee Buco of Blairsville was arrested on charges of stealing over $80,000 from the Sokol Club while serving as steward for the Blairsville club...Aeptec Microsystems, an engineering company, opened its office at the Interchange Center in Burrell Township, bringing 17 new jobs to the area.
June 8--Contractor bids were opened in Harrisburg for the Rt. 22/119 interchange project. Dick Corp. came out the winner with the lowest bid, which neared $29 million...Barbara Ann Auen of Derry Township was arrested for trying to hire John Wayne Hewitt of Torrance to kill her husband Barry Auen in an attempt to collect on his $250,000 life insurance policy...Lacy Weimer from Saltsburg High School was named the Dispatch Student of the Year, in recognition of her accomplishments.
June 15--Instead of increasing residents' taxes, United School District decided to make up its $1.6 million deficit by drawing upon its own reserve funds...Derry's semi-annual blood drive saw a low turnout with 43 donors and 37 pints of blood collected. Their goal was 75 pints...The Indiana County Chapter of the American Red Cross held simultaneous fundraisers for themselves and the national organization. Trying to raise $29,000, they had at that time collected only $14,600 to replenish the dwindling disaster relief fund.
June 22--The Dispatch ran an Associated Press story that stated Representative John Murtha's 12th Congressional District would be "secure" under the Republican redistricting proposal in Harrisburg...Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new Seward Clean-Coal Power Plant which will replace the 80-year-old Seward Power Plant. It's expected to be completed in 2004...A lightning strike injured four and killed one at a Boy Scout camp in Fairfield Township.
June 29--Despite a petition with 162 signatures, United's school board voted to discontinue its Junior Army ROTC program which had been in place for eight years. They cited waning student interest for their decision...It was a bear of a Monday when three of them were discovered in a tree on Roland and Evelyn Levesque's property on Snyder Lane.
July 6--Saltsburg's Borough Manager Jack Maguire submitted his letter of resignation after serving in the position for two years, so that he could pursue other projects...A new war memorial was dedicated in downtown Indiana to honor the nearly 1,500 local men and women who died while serving our country in the military...Three 16-foot-wide concrete structures were shipped by Blairsville's A.C. Miller Concrete Products to PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where they were used in the construction of a waterfall fountain.
July 13--Homer City's Hoodlebug Summerfest drew large crowds to the firemen's grounds for the one-day celebration...In an effort to keep the folks crossing busy streets safe, downtown Indiana introduced bright yellow "Yield to Pedestrians" signs at crosswalks on Philadelphia Street.
July 20--State Representative Sara Steelman was at the Armagh Fire Hall. She denounced the raw deal volunteer firefighters got from (then) Governor Tom Ridge and the Republican majority's budget. Steelman's colleague, Tim Solobay, announced his intentions of re-introducing to the legislature a package that called for $45 million in funding for volunteer fire companies.
July 27--Premium Molding Inc. in Derry Township was evacuated for nearly three hours after receiving two bomb threats by phone...Indiana County commissioners declared August Native American Awareness Month in the county...The Winsheimer farm in Center Township, owned by Burton and Eleanor Winsheimer, was given the Pennsylvania Century Farm Award, which is reserved for farms in current production and own by the same family for 100 years.
August 3--Several county organizations, including the Blacklick Creek Watershed Association and the Blackleggs Creek Watershed Association, received $445,000 in Growing Greener grants from the state to improve local watersheds and address acid mine drainage...S.S. Simon and Jude Church in Blairsville held its annual bazaar drawing large crowds for food, games and music...The Latrobe-Derry Old-Timers League, with all of its players required to be over the age of 40, began its second season of baseball.
August 10--Daniel Delaney of Indiana, a disbarred lawyer, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft after reportedly stealing over $750,000 from clients over a period of seven years...The Derry Firemen's Museum, with 2,000 pieces of vintage apparatus on display, celebrated it 30th year...Homer-Center Football Parents received approval from borough council to paint paw prints on Harrison and Spring Streets leading to the Wildcats' football field--with the stipulation that they gather the signatures of property owners on those streets indicating their approval.
August 17--Dr. Andrew Bagby, who would later in the year be found murdered at Keystone State Park, was welcomed by Latrobe Area Hospital as one of six new Family Practice residents...United School District, in addition to launching its new web site, announced plans to donate its older computer equipment to area residents...Blairsville Little League celebrated its golden anniversary.
August 24--Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Rt. 22/119 interchange project were held...Glenda Shirley of Blairsville was jailed on several charges relating the disappearance of over $118,000 from Vale Technical Institute where she was employed...Blairsville residents were winding down from a successful and fun-filled (The Dispatch had the pictures to prove it) Diamond Days celebration.
August 31--High-school footballers kicked off their 2001 season...And Nikki Prevenslik, a former reporter with The Dispatch attended the first-ever Pittsburgh Steelers Women's Training Camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, with 150 other women.
September 7--Burrell Township supervisors spoke out against plans to open a new deep coal mine near Palmerton and Fairfield Heights after expressed concern about traffic and safety...Touch of Class restaurant in Brenizer fell victim to a faulty ice machine which sparked a fire and closed the business.
September 14--This week, while everyone struggled to comprehend the terrorist attacks on our country, The Dispatch reported on the reactions of students, teachers, local residents and elected officials to the disastrous events of September 11th...Congressmen John Murtha and Frank Mascara painted a picture of the devastation in Washington, D.C....Security was tightened at the Homer City power plant and special services were announced at many of the local churches...Mail delivery was halted in the county and IUP sent its students home...While everyone was still hoping that there would be a great need for blood to assist survivors pulled from the disaster sites, the Red Cross announced a revised blood drive schedule to respond to the flood of phone calls from willing donors.
September 21--Blood drives, memorial services and disbelief continue in the wake of the events of September 11th...The Special Medical Response Team, headquartered near Homer City, sent three of its members, Danny Sacco, Dr. Jim Dickson and Bill Hamilton, to Ground Zero in New York City to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts...George Sulkosky passed Pennsylvania's district justice exam and prepared to take up his post as District Justice, replacing the retiring Dodie DeGruttola.
September 28--Blairsville Volunteer Fire Department held a firemen's memorial to honor the firefighters killed at the World Trade Center, and once again raised their flags to full mast...Pat Twincheck of Blairsville was sent to New Jersey as one of eight members of Pennsylvania's Keystone Crisis Intervention Team to help survivors of the disaster...Homer City police lieutenant and officer in charge, Louis Sacco, was injured after being dragged by a fleeing vehicle...Indiana began planning for a six-month bicentennial celebration in 2003.
October 5--The Dispatch announced that Blairsville resident Cleo Free would be an Olympic torch-bearer as the flame wound its way to Salt Lake City for the 2002 winter games...American Red Cross Regional Blood Center in Johnstown reported that since September 11th they had been receiving about 2,000 units of blood per day...Muslims at IUP related stories of fear and discrimination...Anita Campbell of Latrobe was arrested after collecting money from neighbors and claiming (falsely) that it was for disaster relief.
October 12--Dr. Cyril Wecht, who had been given power of attorney by the Penich family in order to investigate their daughter Jamie's death in South Korea, said the investigation was being "stonewalled" by the South Korean government...In a letter which was well-timed to coincide with a new spirit of bi-partisanship, Lance Alexander, former chairman of the Indiana County Republican Party, urged citizens to evaluate candidates in the upcoming election based on their qualifications, not their party.
October 19--Blairsville High School followed the lead of other area schools and awarded diplomas to those who were not able to finish their schooling because they were called to action during World War II...Indiana County's United Way reported that while donations are coming in earmarked for the Sept. 11th Fund, their capital campaign which funds local programs, is only at 15 percent of their $777,777 goal...The Dispatch teamed with Adelphia Cable and Indiana radio station U-92 for Operation Evergreen in a drive to collect toys, clothes and non-perishable food items to be shipped to New York City...Elaine Gower, the humane society police officer for Action for Animals in Derry was voted the Pennsylvania Humane Society Police Officer of the Year in recognition of her dedication and service.
October 26--Preform Specialties, Inc. in Brenizer took only about 30 minutes to burn to the ground in a fast-moving blaze fueled by hazardous chemicals. Amazingly, no one was severely injured in the multi-alarm fire...Judge Gregory Olson refused to dismiss charges in the case of William Shane Stein.
November 2--Campaigning continued in the days leading up to the election, as voters scrutinized the candidates, who included Thomas Streams and Kelly McDivitt Corridoni in the race for County Coroner and George Sulkosky and Jennifer Johnston Rega who were both vying for the six-year term as district justice...A new trend was seen in local Halloween parades--popular costumes were patriotic and heroic in theme, ranging from the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam to police and firefighters....The Homer-Center Wildcats football team earned its first playoff spot since 1994.
November 9--The voters made their decision with Streams and Johnston Rega coming out on top in the election...But those weren't the only seats decided; many other council and school board positions changed hands as well...Readers got a look at the New Alexandria Library's new quarters, which included more space for books...A farming family, the Borks of Neal Road, donated one million dollars to Indiana Hospital's capital campaign, pushing it past the $10 million mark...Indiana's Red Cross chapter reported that, once again, goals for units collected at blood drives were falling short.
November 16--Residents in Burrell Township attended a meeting to voice their concerns about a new deep mine in Palmerton to state environmental officials...After dealing with the fear following the events of September 11th, residents were provided with information in The Dispatch about the new threat of anthrax infection...Derry council prepared a new ordinance which would eliminate all open burning periods by the middle of 2002...Westmoreland County Community College opened the new Indiana County Community College Center to provide classes for local residents and out-of-work coal miners.
November 23--Local hiking and biking trail advocates presented their case before U.S. Senator Arlen Specter in the hopes that Specter would help secure a preferred trail route linking Blairsville with the Hoodlebug Trail...Blairsville-Saltsburg School District and its teachers secured a new three-year contract, but were reluctant to reveal the details...Blairsville's Historical Society announced that they are hoping to gain ownership of the armory building in Blairsville after the Pennsylvania National Guard moves to their new quarters.
November 30--Blairsville's Chief of Police, Joe Caugherty, retired after 30 years on the town's police force...The Derry Rod and Gun Club was robbed by two men who took nearly $5,000. Lawrence Walters, who was working at the club, said at first he thought it was a joke...John Murtha's 12th Congressional District, becomes a target in the state's redistricting proposal, making Indiana County part of one of the largest districts in the state...Blairsville High School's cheerleaders were crowned the 2001 Tri-County Cheerleader Champions.
December 7--Wyoming Technical Institute announced that, in a move that could make it one of Blairsville's largest employers, it will open classes April 1st at the Vale Technical Institute campus...Many local school districts, including Blairsville-Saltsburg, became involved with suits aimed at fighting charges the state imposes on the school districts for having students enrolled in internet-based "cyber schools"...Saltsburg Borough Council President John Hanna announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the year, citing a "stagnant council" and personal reasons...Derry Municipal Authority asked its customers to voluntarily cut their water consumption by 10 percent while droughts remain a threat in the region...The high school basketball season started with the Homer-Center boys and the Blairsville girls winning the season-opening tip-off tournament.
December 14--Penny Perman was honored with the Citizen of the Year award in Homer City during their Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration...Blairsville Cemetery's board voted to eliminate the position of superintendent which Robert Thompson had held for over two decades. The board cited financial difficulties for their decision...Canadian police arrested Dr. Shirley J. Turner of Iowa for the murder of Latrobe Area Hospital's Dr. Andrew Bagby...The Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers Association donated $8,000 worth of Christmas trees to families in New York City.
December 21--Residents of Buffington Township held a community meeting to educate themselves about the sewage sludge Johnstown's Redevelopment Authority planned to spread on fields in the area...Blairsville council voted to fire veteran police officer Janelle Schultz, for what they called "continued insubordination." Schultz refuted the charges...Delaney Chevrolet in Indiana agreed to pay $10,000 in civil penalties to put an end to claims that it used false and deceptive advertising...Representative John Murtha said (unofficially) that he would resign if forced to run against fellow Democrat Frank Mascara for control of the new, and much larger, redistricted 12th Congressional District.
December 28--Governor Mark Schweiker announced that beginning next August, Pennsylvania residents will have the chance to play Powerball, the multi-state lottery with a reputation for huge jackpots...Burrell Township supervisors adopted their final 2002 budget, once again avoiding a tax hike, as they have done for nearly a decade...The 2001 Dispatch All-Star football team was announced, along with a wrap-up of the fall stats for local teams.
