BRIGHTON BOX 336 BINDERY (CO Ta Vol. 91 No. 13 by Tom Mooney Enforce existing gun laws, avoid any further ‘‘gun control” legislation, and make it clear that people who shoot and kill will be given the death penalty. That was the consensus among several Back Mountain police chiefs this week when asked their views on whether or not ‘there should be any additional controls on private ownership of guns and on whether or not the.death penalty would have any deterrent value in gun-connected crimes. At present, Pennsylvania law allows private ownership of vir- tually any kind of gun, with the principal restriction being a requirement of several days wait while the seller has the buyer’s record checked and registers the gun. As far as punishment is con- cerned, the state suspended capital punishment some years ago, leaving convicted gun-murderers in prison. said Kingston Twp. Chief of Police Paul Sabol of present gun-control laws. He said he does not see the need for any additional regulations, with the key being strict enforce- ment of rules that try to keep guns out of the hands of those likely to misuse them Chief Sabol expressed strong views, however, on the value of the death penalty as a deterrent in crime situations. ‘“‘I believe in strong punishment for serious crimes,” said the chief, explaining that, as he sees it, the sureness of punishment will make would-be wrongdoers stop and think about whether or not what they're about to do is worth it. Can the state justifiably kill someone, though, because he himself has killed? ‘‘He forfeits his life,”’ said Chief Sabol, repeating his statement for emphasis, on the “rights” of the convicted. ‘When you take another’s life, you forfeit your own.” Dallas Borough Chief of Police Ed Lyons agreed entirely with Sabol. “Let's put some teeth into the gun laws that exist today,” he said, claiming that the present protective laws are apparently just not being enforced. Chief Lyons also agreed that the death penalty is important, serving as both a deterrent to crime. and a symbol that ‘violent crime will simply not be tolerated by society. “I’m a complete advocate of the death penalty in cases justified by the competent level of authority,” said Chief Lyons. ‘It should never have been stricken from the books. The problem is in a lot of the big cities, where you have people who have no respect for the law. Once the penalties are more severe, I think you’ll see things start to cool down.” Lyons, would be violation of rights and privileges of people who use guns properly. ‘‘In rural and suburban areas like this,’ he ex- plained, “‘young people are taught to use guns properly and to respect them. You would be penalizing the wrong people if you make it illegal to own guns privately. Why should we pay the penalty?” Chief Lyons blamed ‘‘namby- pambies”’ and ‘‘do-goodniks” for and for what he called ‘‘laws that do too much to protect the suspect.” He cited the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of ‘‘the right to keep and bear arms’’ as a basic American concept and said that he and other sportsmen-hunters consistently support publicity and lobbying efforts to fight what is considered restrictive and unconstitutional gun control. Dallas Twp. Chief of Police Carl Miers was unavailable for com- court cases for a period of time. Kingston Township will be starting a two week spring clean-up beginning Monday, May 4. The clean-up will run for two weeks only; there will be no second round made on any street. The following is the schedule: Monday, May 4-Highland Avenue, Terrace Avenue, Skyline Drive, Hillside Street, Spring Garden Street, Clearview Avenue and Westmoreland Hills. Tuesday, May 5-Staub Road, Carverton Road from the Checker- board to Route 309, Hill Street, Hickory Street, Maple Street, Elm Terrace, Cliffside, Post Road, Holly Street, all of Midway Manor, Manor Drive, Crane Road. Wednesday, May 6-Oak Street, Lewis Avenue, Heller’s Grove, Grove Street, Orchard Street, Rice Street, Lehigh including Division Street, Echo Valley Trailer Park. Thursday, May 7-Youngblood Avenue, Cedar Avenue, Wood Street, Hillcrest Street, Goeringer Avenue, Beech Street, - Franklin Street, Chestnut Street, Elinore Street, Longdale Avenue, James Street, Ridge Street, Summit Street, Layou Street, Inman Avenue, Glenview Avenue. Monday, May 11-Ferguson Avenue, Spring Street, Brook Street, West Center Street, Druid Hills, Harford Avenue, Lawn Street, North Lehigh Street (dirt section), Evergreen Street. Tuesday, = May 12-Pioneer Avenue, Roushey Street, Perrin Avenue, East Mt. Airy, School Street, West Mt. Airy. Wednesday, May 13-Rose Village, Armstrong Drive, Village Drive, Collins Avenue, Mary Street, Williams Avenue, Lincoln Street, Melrose Avenue, Grace Avenue, Holcomb Road, Wellington Avenue, Kenilworth Avenue. Thursday, May 14-Davis Street, Stafford Street, Zinn Street, Von. derheid Street, Johnson Street, Warden Avenue, Sutton Road, Church Road (Trucksville), Knob Hill. Friday, May 15-Bunker Hill Road, Dug Road, Atherholt Drive, Car- verton Road from Checkerboardto Eighth Street, Brown Manor, Carverton Heights, Mt. Olivet Road, Krispin Road, Church Road (Carverton), Sickler Road, Eighth Street. Property owners should not wait until’ the day their street is being picked up. Please place the items on the curb before the scheduled day because the crew may be ahead of schedule. Weather conditions may affect the schedule. Crews will not pick up the following: washers, dryers, refrigerators, television sets, hot water heaters, furnaces, stoves, or large appliances. No tree stumps, mattresses, bed springs, tires, or household garbage. Crews will take small appliances, ie. toasters, can openers, irons, radios, etc., any yard cleanup and brush (no trees, please). This is a limited pick-up due to the West Side Landfill not being able to accept our clean-up items and the distance it must be hauled to the East Side Landfill. TR by Tom Mooney The dispute between Jackson Twp. and the American Asphalt Co. will probably not be settled for a long time yet, according to town- ship solicitor Atty. Blythe Evans. Speaking at a meeting of the Jackson Twp. supervisors last week, Atty. Evans reported that American Asphalt’s challenge to the township’s 1979 zoning ordi- nance was still before the township zoning hearing board, with further testimony for both sides expected on May 4 and 5. But even if the testimony stage concludes shortly, said Atty: Evans, the losing side will probably appeal through the court ‘system. That procedure could take several years. Basically, American Asphalt is contending that the township’s 1979 zoning ordinance threatens to drive about 40 percent of the acreage allowed before the new zoning law was adopted. The township, for its part, con- tends that American Asphalt has sufficient land for up to 80 years of mining and is unjustified in con- tinuing to mine in land since re- zoned for other purposes. American Asphalt is asking the zoning hearing board to grant it ‘‘non-conforming use’ for its mining operataions on the land since re-zoned. Company president Bernard Banks said the procedure is essentially that of a business or structure being allowed to remain in an area where it no longer meets the zoning laws because it pre-dates those zoning laws. The dispute centers upon some 100 acres which American Asphalt calls its ‘‘reserve’”’ land and which the township now classifies as agricultural or residential. The original Jackson Twp. zoning law, drawn up in 1965, classed more than 170 acres as ‘“M-1"’ or mining. Amendments to’ the ordinance, and the 1979 ordinance reduced it to about 75 acres. American Asphait continues to conduct mining and quarrying on some of the 100 or so acres re-zoned and believes itself entitled to the non-conforming use rights to continue to do so. Atty. Evans both at the hearing and at last week’s supervisor meeting argued that American Asphalt has mined an average of 150,000 tons of material per year since the early 1950’s and, at that rate, has enough land remaining in its 75 zoned acres to supply 80 years of mining. Banks took issue with Evans, contending that the 150,000 figure is unreasonably low, since the small mining operations of the 1950’s drag the average down. At the com- pany’s present mining rate of about 350,000 tons per year, he continued, American Asphalt has only a few more years before the land gives out and the company has to cease “I’m very much in favor of the space shuttle. I believe it is about time the government spent money on something worthwhile,” Liz “It is a great step forward for the for it,” Ron Van Why, “I’m in faver of the Columbian— everytime we do something like this it means progress. We learn something new such as in medical advances,” Merle Staff. “I think it is a good idea to try another venture into space,” Ron Bonsick. Back Mountain residents sur- veyed by a Dallas Post reporter echoed the same tone of pride and optimism as President Reagan in his message to the astronauts of the Columbia space shuttle. Most believed the long wait and the $9.6 billion is well worth the 541% hour, 36-orbit flight the space shuttle will open a new frontier for industry, science, astronomy and national defense. Those who were willing to comment voiced their approval of the Columbia’s flight into space, America’s first manned space launch in almost six years. Like NASA, local residents are hopeful that the success of the Columbia will overtake Russia's lead in space development. -
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers