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Building code violations
delay Laurel Glen permit
By DAVID VanHORN
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The management of Laurel Glen
Apartments has been cited for 980
building code violatiOns, according to
Centre Region Code Enforcement
Director David . Reitz, creating a.
question of whether the rental license for
the apartment complex will be renewed.
The violations stem from inspection of
the property done last March and April.
The violations range from storage of
combustionable materials in vacant
apartments to water damage, Beitz said.
A wiring problem exists because interior
wiring was used for exterior work, he
said. Light fixtures and doors need to be
fixed, he said, and painting needs to be
done.
Laurel Glen Property Manager Scott
Anderson said he was aware of the
problem. A contractor has been called in
and is on the job, he said. The work
should be done by the end of next week,
Anderson said.
• Phase I had 503 violations, 51.3 percent
of the total, followed by 344 violations in
Phase II (35.1 percent) and 133 (13.5
percent) in Phase 111. The sections of the
Trustee explains PIRG refusal
By DENISE LAFFAN
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Student Trustee David Hickton said yesterday he
refused the Students for the Pennsylvania Public
Interest Research Group's request to bring the
PennPIRG proposal before the May Board of
Trustees meeting because he was given only one
day to decide whether or not he. supported the
proposal.
"I have to talk to other students and get their
opinion before I decide (whether to support Penn-
PIRG) ," Hickton said.
Hickton also said he was unsure whether the
Local weekend gas sales may end
By TRACY WALL
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
It might be a good idea to fill up those
gas tanks before the weekend, since oil
allocations are causing many local gas
stations to close shop onweekends.
"Up until a couple weeks ago, we've
been open regularly on weekends, but
recently, within the last month, we've
been running out of gas during the
week," Don Graham, owner of
Graham's Sunoco, 502 E. College Ave.,
said.
Graham's Sunoco, as well as most
other State College stations, have begun
to feel the pinch of the oil shortage.
Area growth may be hurt by population stabilization
By BRUCE BECKER
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
There's an old adage that says a good
thing only lasts so long, and nobody
knows it better than the people who must
plan for the growth of the Centre Region.
The area has grown rapidly since
World War 11, as Penn State has ex
panded, but it faces new problems now
that the University's population is
stabilizing. The region must expand its
population and try to find new sources of
income in order to prevent the kind of
stagnation that has infected nearby
towns such as Bellefonte and Tyrone.
University stabilization is already
taking its toll on plans for the region's
growth. Population dropped last year for
the first time, according to Regional
Planning Director Ron Short, and is
running behind the lowest projections of
the region's Comprehensive Planning
Document. Most of the projections for
the area's future until the year 2000 are
based on the document, which predicts
population will grow to 72,500 by the end
of the century. But Short says physical
growth in the region is proceeding well:
"This year we lost population for the
first time. However, physically, our
development has been very rapid. The
year before last we developed over 200
houses; in the past year, we developed
170 houses in the area. Our commercial
development has been fairly rapid. In
the past year we built about 160 multi
family units; in the previous year, about
60 multi-family units."
Fortunately for the area, University
enrollment is not expected to decrease.
Robert Patterson, the University's
senior vice president for finance and
operations, says enrollmeht at
University Park will not decrease
although it won't increase either.
A report prepared for the steering
committee for Penn State's plan for the
4 5 COPIES
the
daily
apartment complex are called Phases.
Nineteen apartments were unfit for
habitability, 135 were "okay," 74 were
not entered and 78 units were vacant.
Old violations already cited totaled 220,
or 22.4 percnet of the total.
A special cleanup order was placed on
one uninhabited apartment, Beitz said,
due to a sewage backup. The toilet was'
pulled out, he said, and the sewage
opening was not capped, which allowed
raw sewage, including feces, to spread.
over the apartment floor. The apartment,
must be cleaned soon, Beitz said, and the
wall board, permeated with moisture,
should be repaired.
Anderson, said the toilet was removed
to fix the sewer system, and a cap was
put onthe opening. At some point the cap
was removed, he said. Only water, no
raw sewage, was on the floor, Anderson
said: The mildew on the walls and the
floor was cleaned, he said, and the wall
board was removed and replaced. The
unit was cleaned "some time ago," he
said.
Laurel Glen management has until
Aug. 15 to fix the repairs before charges
will be filed, although they can appeal
PennPIRG issue had student support. "I don't think
PennPIRG lost the referendum but I also don't
think they have a right to say they won."
"I have been supportive of the PennPIRG since
its first effort," Hickton said. Now, however, he is
"re-evaluating" this support because, "I want to be
damn convinced that students want to open up the
bill and support PennPIRG."
Hickton said he feels the low turnout for the PIRG
referendum may indicate decreasing student
support. He added, "I want more information on
PennPIRG. I want to be more prepared than I am
now if I bring this before the board."
"To keep up with customer demand,
we should be receiving about 10 percent
more gasoline than last year, but in
stead, were getting about 15 percent
less of regular gasoline and about 20
percent less of unleaded, Graham said.
Regular gasoline at Graham's is
selling for about 76.9 cents a gallon,
which is about 10 cents increase over last.
year's price at this time.
John Martha, owner of Martha's Arco,
W. College Avenue and Atherton Street,
is "debating" whether or not he'll be
open on weekends.
"We used to be open 24 hours, but now
we can't operate," he said.
"We're getting less gas, since our
'Bos, which studied prospects for growth
in the next decade, states there will be a
34 percent decline in Pennsylvania high
school graduates between 1975 and 1990.
There has been a drop in the number of
school-aged children in the State College
area. The State College Area School
Districts's census figures show a decline
in enrollment in the district from a high
of 7,984 in 1970 to 6,781 in 1978.
The figures show a further decline to
4,785 is expected by 1984, but census
coordinator Terri Bolt says five-year
projections are not too accurate.
The report says the decline "does not
necessarily mean that college
enrollments will fall in like proportion.
Such a drop will occur, however, if
participation rates, i.e., the proportion
of high school graduates who go on to
higher education, remain stable."
The report states that the Penn
sylvania Department of Education is
projecting a slight decline in the par
ticipation rate from 48.3 percent in 1978
to 47.5 percent in 1986.
Short agrees with Patterson's and the
Comprehensive Plan's estimates that
Penn State enrollment will stabilize at
31,500. Short says even though the
number of high school graduates in the
nation is decreasing each year, "it is felt
that because there is such a high degree
of interest in the University Park
campus the enrollment will be main
tained."
Short adds that the area is not looking
at the possibility that enrollment will
fall. If this did occur, he says, "We'd
•hatie to look at our assumptions and our
goals and policies and revise the plan.
But I just don't forsee that happening."
But Robert Shirk, president of the
State College Downtown Businessmen's
Association, says the DBA is considering
the possibility of falling enrollment. The
DBA is looking mainly for light industry
()Ile •: ian
the time limit, Beitz said. He said he
would rather see money go into repairs
than to pay for violations.
"Fines and citations do not get the
property fixed," he said, "but we've got
to get that place in top shape."
Anderson said there will be no
problem fixing the repairs this summer.
Beitz said the decision to renew the
rental permit will be delayed from July 1
to Aug. 15 to allow repairs to be made.
Apartments may be rented on a unit by
unit basis, he said, but he is not sure how
the Code Enforcement Agency will
handle the situation because there are so
many violations.
"There's a heck of a lot of work out
there that has to be done," Beitz said.
"It's not impossible to do."
Some electrical wiring is unsafe and
should be unhooked and rewired
properly, but overall conditions do not
constitute any immediate danger, he
said.
"If I felt it was unsafe and, anyone was
in danger, we would have them out of
there," he said.
Vice President Daniel Melnick of the'
Continued on Page 12.
allotments keep getting cut," Martha
said.
Regular gasoline at Martha's Arco is
selling for about 79.1 cents a gallon, and
has risen about 1 1 / 2 to 2 cents weekly.
"If we have gas, we're open on
Saturdays," Allen Larson said, owner of
Larson's Citgo Service.
Regular gasoline at Larsons's is about
73.9 cents a gallon.
Don's Gulf, College and Atherton, is
open from "week to week." Regular gas
is selling there for about 74.9 cents a
gallon.
John's Texaco, N. Atherton, is not
open on Sundays.
Bob Michael of Michael's Exxon, 212
and research and development firms to
move into the area.
Shirk says the association is hoping to
counteract dropping enrollment by
bringing in light industry, "and that's
one reason why we're starting to push it
now. I think we'll see a definite drop in
enrollment at the University either
that or the closing of marginal schools in
the state."
Retail sales in State College increased
385 percent between 1950 and 1970, ac
cording to the Comprehensive Plan, and
population must be maintained to keep
. . .must come down, like Jeff Doane (6th-biology), who skateboards up the ramp he and a friend made from plywood boards
they found under the steps of Chambers.
One difficulty the proposal could run into at the
board • meeting is University President, John
Oswald's opposition to PIRG. Oswald's opposition
"will hurt PennPIRG and limit its opportunity for
success," Hickton said.
The PennPIRG proposal originally was to be
presented to the trustees at their May meeting, but
Students for PennPIRG have decided to postpone
their presentation until the July meeting. Penn-
PIRG coordinator Jeff Goldsmith said the reason
for postponement was to make sure all She trustees
who supported PIRG would be at the meeting.
S. Atherton St., said, "We're open on the
weekend depending on how far the gas
will go, during the week." Regular gas
sells for 75.9 cents a gallon.
Ellis' Mobil Station, 913 W. College
Ave. is open on the weekend, both
Saturday's and Sunday's.
"There was a time when I was out of
unleaded gasoline for three days,"
George Ellis, owner said.
"We're receiving an allocation of 15
percent less than normal," he said.
"Business has not tapered off," he
said. "People have been filling their
tanks up." Regular gasoline sells for 77.9
cents a gallon.
sales volumes from decreasing. Light
industry and research and development
firms could stabilize the population.
Al Martin, chairman of the Area
Development Committee of the State
College Chamber of Commerce, says,
"This is an excellent place for research
and development." It is situated near
the University, and these types of firms
usually look for quiet, secluded areas in
order to avoid industrial espionage.
But if the isolation of the area is an
advantage, it presents problems as well
notably transportation problems.
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MEE
Tentative budget gets
school board approval
By PATRICK CHAPMAN
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The State College Area School Board
last night approved the 1979-80 tentative
budget, totaling $15,021,600, with no tax
increase.
The tentative budget, which is 5.8
percent ($830,000) larger than last
year's, is the first in many years not to
include a tax increase.
"I believe this is the first budget in
about a dozen years not to include a tax
increase," Business Administrator
Ralph Moyer said.
School Superintendent William E.
Babcock said one of the reasons taxes
will not be increased is a projected
capital outlay loan of $200,000.
"The loan will be taken out for the
possible purchase of two new buses and
for repairs to the roof of the Westerly
Parkway Junior High School," Babcock
said.
Other revenues helping to provide the
$830,000 increase include a reduction of
$226,000 through the refinancing of the
school board. Another increased
revenue source is the projected ad
ditional tax receipts, totaling $371,000,
from local and federal sources.
Babcock also said the low increase in
expenditures in the budget was a factor
in deciding against a tax increase. "The
increase of 5.8 percent is about half that
of the current inflation rate."
The tentative budget is also assuming
"The isolation we have is certainly an
attractive thing to some of the research
and development firms except for the
need for a high degree of mobility for
their consultants," Short says.
The area is very accessible by road
with Route 322 and Interstate 80 passing
through. But according to State College
Borough Council member Ronald Abler,
adequate airport facilities to attract
business are lacking.
"We're certainly accessible enough by
road," Abler says. "There just aren't
that many people in the area who really
want to fly on any given day. The
airlines just can't afford to fly planes
that are empty."
"You have to have good air tran
sportation," Martin says. "And that has
always been one of the stumbling
blocks" to bringingin more industry.
"I don't think there'll be a great deal
of expansion because not everybody is
going to move their plant here," he says.
"Anybody who's in a highly competitive
market can't afford to move here
because of transportation. I know if I
were in a highly competitive market you
would really put yourself in a bad
position up here."
But while inadequate transportation
may discourage light industry from
moving into the area, it discourages
heavy industry even more. And that's
not a bad thing, according to Short, who
says:
"It's certainly a deterrent to heavy
industry, and heavy industry the
community does not want."
Shirk says the quality specialty shops
in State College are what make the
borough unique. "There's always room
downtown for another good specialty
shop. In fact, that's probably what
makes our town unique to a lot of towns
is that we are growing instead of
regressing. One of our greatest assets is
Tuesday, May 8,1979
Vol. 79, No. 171 28 pages University Park, Pa. 18802
Published by Students of The Pennsylvania State University
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no new state subsidy, even though there
is a chance the school district may
receive one, Babcock said.
"If the Thornburgh budget is passed,
the district could receive anywhere from
zero to a little less than $900,000,"
Babcock said. "In that case we wouldn't
need the loan. We could pay the bills in
cash."
The largest cost of the $830,000 in
crease is for personnel and related costs
at $437,300. Most of this is taken up by
personnel salaries, totaling $360,000.
This is lower than last year, however,
because of a reduction of 13.5 teachers,
nine elementary and 4.5 secondary.
Babcock said the student-teacher ratio
would remain about the same.
Instructional and capital outlay costs
totaled $207,850 more than last year. In
capital outlay costs, $56,500 was ap
propriated to meet the new Federal
Handicapped Law. Forty thousand
dollars of this went into construction of a
new elevator at the senior high school.
One new expenditure in the budget is
$34,000 for the leasing of a pool and
swimming instructor for third and
fourth graders. The pool will be leased
from State College contractor David
Corneal.
The board will conduct a budget
hearing May 21 and will meet on either
June 11 or 18 to vote on a final version of
the budget, which must be approved by
June 20.
the fact that we're getting so many
professional offices."
Shirk says many people shop in State
College while their relatives see a
doctor. "I think that's one of the biggest
assets, backhandedly, we can have. The
more of those professional offices we can
attract downtown, the better off we're
going to be."
One thing State College is trying to do
is attract more blue collar workers to
live closer to the borough. "Right now
today, 75 percent of what you would call
the blue collar workers come from
outside the State College area; outside,
in other words, of the State College
borough, Patton Township, this part of
Ferguson Township," Martin says.
Short says this situation occurs
because workers perceive the area "as a
large urban area, which is somewhat
frightening." He adds that the cost of
housing "is also a deterrent."
Martin adds, "There's a report I
don't know how true this is, there's a
reverse of this that managers that
work in Tyrone and Huntingdon and
Bellefonte locate their homes here in
State College. And that kind of thing
makes it tough if you're going to open up
a plant that's say going to be staffed 95
percent by production workers. And
you're not going to get the people to live
in town. Because the cost of apartments
and the cost of real estate in this town
Continued on Page 11.
The warm weather will continue, with
plenty of bright sunshine today and a
high of 85. Tonight will be clear and
summer-like with a balmy low of 61.
Tomorrow will be hot, and a bit more
humid, with hazy sunshine and a muggy
high of 87 degrees.
Photo by Joe Tori
The heat is on