DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1993 LO TE Police 2 Business USAir seeks Deaths 3 City Editor Michael Caruso, 231-4621 concessions, 4 Stocks 5,6 Outside vendors considered ed for PSU bookstore system A private firm is being considered after two former officials pleaded guilty to embezzlement. By JILL ROSEN Times Staff Writer Penn State is asking outside vendors for proposals to manage the university's bookstore system, which was scandalized last year when its top two officials pleaded guilty to embezzlement. STRETCHING: Members of the Pennsylvania Forest Elementary School what they wanted Dance instructor The dance theater residency ends with a performance from students tonight. By JENNIFER WEINER Times Staff Writer In the all-purpose room of Park Forest Elementary, fifth- and sixth-graders were shaking and shimmying, dipping and ducking to a new beat. Jill A.
Brighton, a dancer with the Pennsylvania Dance Theatre, put the students through their paces. As a synthesized drum beat thumped out of a portable stereo, students moved from a human bridge and froze in their "personal shapes." Some their arms raised, some were frozen in slumped positions, or with one leg in the Then, as Brighton counted out six beats. students moved back into the bridge. hands, sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. Six businesses have been approached for the job, Penn State officials said Tuesday.
They include: Student Book Store of State College, Barnes Noble Bookstore Inc. of New York City, Follett Corp. of Chicago, Nebraska Book Co. of Management Concepts of Washington, D.C., and Wallace Bookstore, of Lexington, Ky. "It's not certain that we will contract for an external vendor to manage the Penn State Bookstore system, but we need to look first at proposals from these people so that we can make an informed decision either way," James M.
Wagner, vice president for business and operations, said in a news release. Penn State staff and bookstore officials have mulled bringing in a private firm to run the bookstore for the past few months, Wagner said. The deadline for proposals is March 31. Officials expect to announce a decision in early May and to award a contract. if there is one, on July 1.
The final decision will be based on Dance Theatre Kathleen Hurley, on floor, and Jill Brighton demonstrated for them to try during a workshop Tuesday. puts kids through tional after-school workshops, IF YOU GO on "Dance for Athletes" a and WHAT: Pennsylvania Dance Theatre performance. WHERE: State College Area High School's north building auditorium. WHEN: Today, 7 p.m. "Try not to connect by stepping on anyone," Brighton cautioned.
Brighton and other dancers from the theater have been conducting a two week residency in the State College schools. The residency kicked off with a two weeks ago, so that all students got a taste of what dance looks like. Then, dancers fanned out to the area's 11 elementary schools to work with teachers and to conduct at least one gym class with all of the fifth- and sixth-graders in the district. Dancers have also been conducting op- Buffalo Run advisory panel hears budget plans By SCOTT ANDRON Times Staff Writer It was the battle of the budgets Tuesday night as the Buffalo Run Borough Advisory Committee examined two contrasting visions of what the proposed borough's budget would look like. If the borough is ever going to become a reality, its proponents must persuade the court ed advisory committee that the borough would be financially feasible and could provide basic services such as police and road maintenance to residents.
The committee heard testimony Tuesday night from College Township Manager Thomas Lechner, who also is a resident of the proposed borough, and one of his neighbors. Rick Gray of the Buffalo Run Citizens Council. Lechner said the borough would have to levy taxes at a rate higher than that now levied by Patton Township in order to provide comparable government services, whereas Gray said the borough could provide adequate services and operate with a surplus. Lechner showed the committee STATE COLLEGE a prospective budget with a deficit of at least $59.000. Since state law forbids municipalities from running up a deficit, the borough council would have to raise taxes, he added.
A property tax increase of 1 mill in the new borough would generate about $1.000 in revenue, Lechner said, so a $59,000 deficit would necessitate a 59-mill tax increase. Patton Township's current property tax rate is 37 mills. A mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. Lechner's budget shows the new municipality with between $97.011 and in revenues and between $156,232 and $257,037 in expenses. That leaves a deficit of between $59.221 and $157.466.
That's in contrast to a budget Gray presented to the committee at a previous meeting. Gray had estimated that the new borough would have $92.107 in revenue and $62,800 in expenses, leaving a surplus of $29.307. Please see BUFFALO RUN page 2B No agreement for teachers By JENNIFER WEINER Times Staff Writer Teachers and administrators in the State College Area School District met for more than two hours and looked at three new contract proposals Tuesday but failed to reach agreement. School board President William Moyer and teachers union President Randy Bitner said that health-care costs continue to be the sticking point. how the vendor's proposed operations "compare with what we can do for ourselves as an institutional store," Wagner said.
Bookstore employees would become employees of whatever firm is awarded the contract. The firm's selection will be based on employee compensation packages, quality of service to students and faculty, price, availability of merchandise, management philosophy and personnel training. John Bischoff, the former director of auxiliary services at Penn State, and William McVicker, the former director of the bookstore, resigned from the university in July. Penn State police filed charges against them in August after a five-month investigation into financial irregularities at the bookstore re between 1988 and 1992. Bischoff was sentenced to in-house detention for three months for stealing nearly $30,000 over five years.
McVicker was sentenced to three months' probation after pleading guilty to stealing $8,377. HARRIS TOWNSHIP Fire company upgrade may cost $664,000 Supervisors will get a request for a referendum seeking a 3-mill property tax. By BEN FELLER Times Staff Writer A group of Harris Township residents is proposing up to $664,000 in renovations to the Boalsburg Fire Company's overcrowded facilities. Members of the fire company's community committee will ask the township supervisors today to place a referendum on the May 18 primary ballot asking residents to support a 3-mill property tax to help finance the renovations. The project would be jointly funded by the tax and contributions by the fire company, including a $100.000 000 00 down payment.
0 The supervisors' meeting is at 3:30 p.m. at the township building, 224 E. Main Boalsburg. The 18-member citizens' group was formed last September to discuss funding alternatives for renovations to the fire hall, located at 117 E. Pine St.
The fire company outgrew its facilities at least five years ago and needs to expand its truck room and meeting space, among other areas, to serve the growing township's needs, according to Fire Chief Joe Davidson. "We asked several community leaders to help us out with the project." he said. "What they've come up with is a great compromise, a way of sharing the burden of To pay for one of two options for the proposed renovations -one costing $562.181 and the other $664.342 the fire company ment annually over would contribute, the down paythe life of a 25-year loan. The rest of the loan, including interest. would be paid with the $34.800 raised each year by the 3- mill tax, which would add $21.75 AP photo FASNACHT DAY: Sharon Burnside of Burnside Doughnuts in Lancaster put out a tray of fasnachts in an effort to keep up with Tuesday morning's rush of buyers.
The lard and sugar doughnuts are an annual Fat Tuesday treat for the Pennsylvania Dutch. Folks fill up on Fat Tuesday fasnachts The doughnuts are a Central Pennsylvania tradition. By AMY WESTFELDT The Associated Press "Jazz and MTV-style dancing. The residency will end with a performance at the State College Area High School's north building auditorium today at 7 p.m. Company dancers will present four dances, including a work performed with 40 elementary students.
Sipping from a gigantic cup of coffee as the class members shook out their arms and legs. Brighton said the residency has been a success so far. "The kids are really eager. They're sometimes a little bit inhibited by peer pressure, but by the end of class they're really into it, and it's great to see," she said. The residency is funded by State College's learning enrichment department and by Central Intermediate Unit 10's Arts in Education program.
Additional funding comes from Pennsylvania's Council on the Arts. Tickets for tonight's show cost $2 for adults and $1 for students. CDT photo Dick Brown students of Park paces including one another on ple lined up at farmers' markets and churches to buy the fasnachts and eat them before sundown. The fasnacht, German for "fast night" or "night before fasting." falls on Fat Tuesday. The fasnacht is the product of the tradition of using all the fats and sugars in a house before the sixweek observance of Lent, the period of penance from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday.
the day before Easter. Or. as the Rev. Stanley Kanavel of York County puts it, "Become gluttons the day before Kanavel said St. Paul's Red Run Church in East Berlin had made IF YOU GO WHAT: Harris Township supervisors hear proposal to renovate the Boalsburg Fire Company's facilities.
WHERE: Township building, 224 E. Main Boalsburg. WHEN: Today, 3:30 p.m. to the average Harris Township property owner's annual bill. according to Bob Potter, chairman of the community committee.
A mill equals $1 of tax for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. The township now charges 20 mills a year. If the supervisors agree to hold a referendum, the matter will be forwarded to the Centre County Board of Elections for review. said Larry Bickford, county director of administrative services. Since the township already designates 3 mills of its tax revenue for fire protection.
an additional tax to support the fire company would need to be approved by the voters of the township, according to the Second Class Township Code. The fire company comprises 80 volunteer members, 50 of whom are active firefighters, Davidson said. The company serves all of Harris Township, or about 4,200 residents. The last renovation to the fire hall was in 1976, when the truck room and the public meeting room were upgraded. Davidson said the fire company now squeezes five trucks into a room built for four.
One of those trucks. a 1966 model, will be replaced in June, and new model will not fit into the room at current capacity, he said. The fire company's other needs include more meeting space and a the had air. the joining "Basically we're still in disagreement over whether employees should contribute to the payment of their health-care costs," Moyer said. Bitner said he was disappointed that no agreement was reached.
"We should've walked out of there with an agreement," he said. Please see TEACHERS page 2B Please see RENOVATIONS page 2B CAMPAIGN '93 Nelson seeks a place on State College school board By JENNIFER WEINER Times Staff Writer A Penn State professor announced Tuesday that he will seek a seat on the State College Area School Board. "I've worked in schools for all of my professional said Murry Nelson, 45, a professor of education. "It's difficult to criticize and not be willing to do Nelson said his top priorities would be to improve communication between teachers, par- NELSON ents and staff and to ensure that district schools get the money they need to succeed. "State College is still an excel- 200 dozen fasnachts for his congregation.
"I couldn't even guess" how many fasnachts were produced Tuesday at Burnside Doughnuts in Lancaster, said owner Frank still making them. People are lined up out the door and down the sidewalk." Tuesday is Burnside's biggest business day of the year. He said he had slept less than six hours in two days and spent the rest of his time frying the square, dense pastries in hot oil. The traditional recipe for fasnachts calls for sugar. flour, salt, Please see DOUGHNUTS page 2B lent district, but it's not a happy district." he said.
"There's been a breakdown in communication and a breakdown in funding, and that's led to stress among teachers and staff." Nelson is a past president of Citizens for Education, a non-partisan watchdog group that for many years sent its members to board meetings and interviewed and endorsed board candidates. The group was formed in the 1970s and has been dormant since 1990. Nelson is also a past president of the Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies and has Central Pennsylvanians gorged on heavy, starchy doughnuts drowned in powdered sugar and molasses Tuesday to celebrate Fasnacht Day, an annual tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch country marked on the eve of Lent. Bakers stayed up overnight to make dozens of the rich pastries drenched in oil and lard as peo- Please see CANDIDATE page 2B.
