Women's Volleyball
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Vol. 98, No. 34 30 Pages ©1997 Collegian Inc
By AIMEE HARRIS
Collegian Staff Writer
It was the strictest state inspection of an
abortion facility Eric Harrah said he had ever
been through. But the results were in his favor.
After three months of battling local resis
tance, Harrah received word yesterday from
the Pennsylvania Department of Health that his
facility, State College Medical Services, 477 E.
Beaver Ave., has permission to perform abor
tions.
Harrah, director of administration at the
facility, said he has gone through about 12 state
inspections before for other health facilities.
"I've never seen the scrutiny I did with this
one," he said. "But I didn't mind the position
they were in. (The inspectors) were under a lot
of public pressure."
Inspection of the State College facility was
more detailed, Harrah said, from inspection of
equipment to measurements of doorways for
the handicapped.
Now it's time to readjust to life out of the
public eye, Harrah said.
"I feel relief," he said. "I'm very happy. I'm
patting myself on the back."
But Harrah also feels slightly disappointed,
Jeff Price (freshman-golf management) attempts to start a washing
machine in Hamilton Hall by using the new laundry card system. The
Laundry cards clean up washing process
New laundry cards,
washers and dryers make
cleaning clothes on
campus a high-tech
process.
By VICTORIA FREILE
Collegian Staff Writer
The new ID cards are not the
only new type of plastic surfacing
at the University this fall the
Student may contest rejection from council ballot
By DARREN ROBERTSON
Collegian Staff Writer
A University student who was rejected from
the ballot for the State College Borough Council
elections said he may be taking the county
Board of Elections to court.
Former Undergraduate Student Government
presidential candidate Jason Covener was
denied a space on the ballot in the borough
council elections by the Centre County Board of
Elections earlier this month. Covener (senior
international politics) announced his intention
to seek a place on the council as an independent
candidate in July.
. His bid was rejected, however, because he is
actually a registered Republican, said Joyce
McKinley, director of elections, Office of Elec
tions and Voter Registration.
"Pennsylvania state law requires the candi
date to be a registered independent before the
primary," McKinley said. "Mr. Covener is still a
registered Republican. His petition was reject
ed."
The primary elections were held May 20, and
the
daily
clinic approved
"For the past three months my
whole life revolved around this
process and now I'm asking
myself, 'What's next?' "
he said. "It's sad for the past three months
my whole life revolved around this process and
now I'm asking myself, 'What's next?' " he said.
Next, Harrah has an eviction hearing.
Sue Rogacs of Centre County Citizens Con
cerned for Human Life is quick to remember
that the Friendly Corp., which owns State Col
lege Medical Services, still has to appear in
court on Sept. 9.
"There is still another obstacle regarding the
validity of the lease," Rogacs said.
Rogacs was not surprised State College Med
ical Services passed its inspection, she said.
"Harrah and (Dr. Steven C. Brigham, Har
rah's partner executives of the Friendly
Corp.) are involved in abortion clinics. They
new laundry card is also sweeping
across the campus.
These new laundry cards have a
specialized computer chip that
allows students to use the card like
a debit card, said Fred Fotis, direc
tor of housing.
"The students put an amount on
the card, insert the card into the
reader in the laundry room and the
money is deducted off the card,"
Fotis said.
Laundry cards can be purchased
in the campus commons areas at
"There are things going on that
should not be. I believe this is all
because they know I am a
student."
rejected from borough council ballot
Covener would have had to have been regis
tered non-partisan 30 days prior to that date.
Covener said he was misinformed by the
Board of Elections and plans to appeal his
rejection.
"I am going to be speaking to a lawyer tomor:
row," he said. "I am planning to take this to
court if I have to."
Covener said he believes the Board of Elec
tions may not have followed proper procedures
when dealing with his petition to be placed on
the ballot for the Nov. 4 elections.
"I think the elections commission is making
decisions against the election code," he said.
, i Film
fr -i ' Gangster movies make
. Intervals of sunshine and a
few clouds today. High 75. Clear
*, )1. to partly cloudy tonight. Low 53.
night -- w r offer you can't refuse
~ v Mainly sunny and a bit warmer
Highs in the upper
t 4 44lk
Page 23, Arts this weekend
70s to lower 80s.
, I, 1 4 416 ..914n
by Chris Patti
tge 13, Sports it V
ian 30 C
Colleg
www.collegian.psu.edu
Eric Harrah
medical clinic director
card machines, along with new washers and dryers, replaced old
laundry equipment all over campus.
Features of new
laundry card
the new cash value centers, Fotis
said. The cards are available in $lO
and $5O amounts, he added.
The $lO card supplies $7.50
worth of washes, Fotis said. The
card itself costs $2.50, he added.
When a student purchases the
Jason Covener
Friday, Aug. 29, 1997
know how to open them and how to meet the
laws," Rogacs said.
Harrah also has concerns about the facility as
a crime target. He is currently arranging to
have armed guards at the facility and has a
team of attorneys gathered if legal action needs
to be taken.
"I'm not going to stand by and watch myself
and my employees be intimidated," Harrah
said. "We're going to be very, very tough on
people who harm or cause problems."
The facility is scheduled to open the week of
Sept. 8. and has already received mixed reac
tions from students and residents.
"I think it's upsetting because the point is
that girls can go right next door and get an
abortion," said Kellie Weiss (junior-secondary
education).
Weiss is concerned that women will act too
hastily if there is an abortion clinic so close to
them.
Michael Hancharik (sophomore-political sci
ence), however, thinks an abortion clinic in
State College is necessary to a free society.
"This (clinic) is allowing for due process of
human rights to flow in a democratic society,"
he said.
$5O card, the full $5O of washes are
included with no cost for the actual
card. Money can be added onto the
card in $5 increments, he said.
Although Tom Powell (sopho
more-telecommunications) said the
$5O card was too expensive, he did
say the system is more convenient.
"Instead of having to walk to the
dining commons, purchase a ticket
and possibly lose (it), you can just
punch in the card and you're done,"
he said.
Page 2
"There are things going on that should not be. I
believe this is all because they know I am a stu
dent."
Although his name has not been placed on the
ballot, Covener could still seek a write-in vote,
McKinley said.
"If he wants to do a write-in campaign, that
would be allowed," she said. "He talked about
it."
Covener said he will campaign as a write-in
candidate if he is not granted his appeal.
"I am prepared to do a write-in and win it if I
have to," Covener said. "So students will still
have the option , of voting for me."
There are five candidates vying for three
open seats on the borough's seven-member
council, McKinley said. Currently, there no Uni
versity students on the ballot.
"We make up 70 percent of State College,"
Covener said. "There should be at least three or
four students as councilmen."
The foremost issue on his platform is the
reform of the borough's housing ordinance,
Covener said.
Please see LAUNDRY, Page 2
Please see COVENER, Page 2
Published independently by students at Penn State
Citizens' group to
protest clinic
By PAULA K. KNUDSEN
Collegian Staff Writer
Local pro-life activists will
march through State College
Sunday afternoon to protest a
Beaver Avenue medical clinic
that administrators said will
offer abortions.
The walk, sponsored by repre
sentatives of State College and
Penn State religious communi
ties and Centre County Citizens
Concerned •for Human Life
(CCHL), will begin at 2 p.m. on
the corner of Hetzel Street and
Beaver Avenue.
The march will end on the
HUB lawn with a solemn prayer
assembly, said Susan Rogacs,
CCHL political education direc
tor.
Megan's Law
finds way into
Centre County
A Rockview inmate,
previously convicted of
sexual crimes, refused to
register his address with
police and now faces
felony charges.
By ELISA SCHEMENT
Collegian Staff Writer
Before his arraignment Wednes
day, Miroslaw Piktas, 41, asked to
register his planned address in
accordance with Megan's Law,
Rockview state police Trooper
Warren Sasserman said.
"He told me it was between him
and the judge now and he would
sign the papers," Sasserman said.
"I advised him it was too late. He
had already violated the law."
Piktas' case is the first violation
of Megan's Law in Centre County.
He finishes his 10-year sentence
for deviant sexual intercourse
today. Pennsylvania state law says
sex offenders must register their
future addresses 10 days before
their scheduled release from
prison.
Piktas refused to give his intend
ed address twice, said prison offi
cials at the State Correctional Insti
tute at Rockview.
Refusal•to register is a third
degree felony punishable by up to
seven years in prison, Centre Coun
ty District Attorney Ray Gricar
said.
District Justice Brad Lunsford
set Piktas' bail at $lOO.OOO.
"It's a requirement that persons
who are convicted of child molesta
tion charges must registe'r (their
addresses) within 10 days prior to
release," Lunsford said. "He was
asked on two occasions, but
refused to do so."
After the much-publicized sexual
assault and murder of 7-year-old
Megan Kanka, of Hamilton Town
ship, New Jersey, President Clin
ton signed a federal law requiring
community notification of a sex
offender's intended residence. The
1996 law was created to protect
children from convicted sex
offenders.
Because of failure to meet bail
and an Immigration and Natural
ization Services detainer, Piktas
will remain in custody tomorrow.
Piktas, who is not an American
citizen, speaks broken English,
Sasserman said. The Polish immi
grant asked for a translator for his
arraignment, he added.
"I believe he would understand
what's-going on a little better if he
was being spoken to in his native
The prayer walk is protesting
State College Medical Services,
Suite 210 of the Uni-Mart Build
ing, 477 E. Beaver Ave., and
director of administration Eric
Harrah's pledge to provide
abortion services, Rogacs said.
A traffic detour has been
planned by the State College
Police Department to steer traf
fic away from the march by
temporarily halting westbound
vehicles on East College
Avenue.
"It's going to be a large
crowd, Rogacs said, adding
that she expects 1,000 or more
walkers.
The walk was advertised in
area churches and through word
of mouth, Rogacs said.
Please see CLINIC, Page 2.
tongue," Sasserman said, adding
that no interpreter was available
for his arraignment.
Prison officials said they made
the two previous address requests
in English.
INS Special Agent Michele
Kennedy said Piktas may be affect
ed by the stronger criminal depor
tation laws Congress passed in
April. He will not enter INS cus
tody until all state and federal
charges are completed, she said.
"I think (he's withholding his
intended address) mainly because
of his immigration detainer," said a
prison official, who refused to be
identified. "He may be trying to
avoid deportation."
If Piktas' officially releases his
intended address, it will not alter
the charge, Gricar said.
"He can't say, 'Oh, I changed my
mind,' and we have to drop the
charges," Gricar said. "Sex offend
ers should be required to register
so that the people are protected....
It's a very important law. It's a
very serious matter and we intend
to enforce the law."
An article in The Daily
Collegian yesterday incor
rectly stated that area Wal-
Mart stores reserved Penn
State Barbie. Wal-Mart does
not take reservations for the
doll. Also, in the same arti
cle, the Collegian incorrectly
identified the Lion's Den, 118
S. Garner St., as a store that
sells the Penn State Barbie.