GOOD LUCK, GLORIA!
SUSO
Vol. 76 No. 23 June 9. 1976
| “Darlene Williams
Laurance Barnhart
UEHAN +:
Hat .
N 7 \
Susquehanna Times & The Mount Joy Builetin
MARIETTA & MOUNT JOY, PA.
PUC orders bridge repair plans
Raymond Gordner
Maytown residents voice opinions
on school’s future, higher taxes
Would the citizens of
Maytown be prepared to
accept higher taxes in
order to keep Maytown
Elementary School open?
The Donegal school board
has stated that the school
will definitely be open for
the 1976-77 school year,
but some citizens are
concerned about the follow-
ing year. To find out how
citizens felt about closing
the school the Susquehanna
Times interviewed people
around Maytown last Sat-
urday.
Out of ten people we
spoke with, about half
wanted the school kept
open despite higher costs.
Only one favored closing
the school. The rest were
undecided.
Darlene Williams was
typical of those who favor-
ed a local school. She said,
*“The school should be kept
open, even though taxes
are already high. It’s good
Sewage plant cost may
A Harrisburg consultant,
after analyzing Mount
Joy’s proposed $7.6 million
sewer renovation, offered a
plan Tuesday to cut it by
62 per cent-to only $2.8
million.
Unless the DER approves
one of the new plans the
borough will not be able to
take advantage of the
lower estimates.
The borough authority,
upon presentation, voted to
delay the project for six
months to study the pro-
posal.
In a resolution, the
authority ordered borough
engineers Gannett, Flem-
ing, Corddry & Carpenter,
Inc., original designers,
back to the drawing board.
to have a community school
one the kids can walk to.”
Most of the people we
spoke with expressed dis-
satisfaction with the way
the school system spends
money. They felt that
Maytown Elementary
School could be kept open
on it’s present budget with
different fiscal priorities.
Two people said that
supervisory personnel
should be laid off before
teachers (so far, two teach-
ing positions have officially
been cancelled for next
year). They felt that
teachers do the most
essential job in a school.
Laurence Barnhart, who
has lived in Maytown for
61 years, thought that
“Donegal High School gets
too. much, especially for
extra-curricular activities.”
Mr. and Mrs. Alan
Johnson also expressed a
preference for ‘‘no frills”
They’ll now evaluate
three cost-cut plans for-
warded by Vartan Associ-
ates, the Harrisburg engin-
eering consultant, and re-
port back-hopefully with
reductions-on June 24.
Borough engineers, re-
presented by Gerald Voeg-
ler, had planned a new
activated sludge treatment
plant on the Chickies
Creek. It would convey
wasterwaters along a 27-
inch, six-mile-long concrete
pipe to the Susquehanna
River.
“With the figures we
saw in his (Vartan’s) re-
port,”’ said authority chair-
man C. Bernerd Grissinger,
“it is certainly worthwhile
looking into.
education as a possible
solution to the money
crunch.
Many of those interview-
ed felt that closing the
school would not save
money in the long run. A
typical reaction was that of
Harold Derr, who said, “If
they don’t keep it open,
they’ll raise taxes anyway.
The kids have to go some-
where.” Others mentioned
the costs of busing children
and possibly razing the
unused Maytown building.
Raymond Gordner felt
that persons who rent
apartments should pay a
higher proportion of the
school taxes. While he
would regret seeing May-
town’s elementary school
closed, he said that the
school should be closed to
show the inequitable
burden on property owners.
“You've got to draw the
line somewhere.’’ he said.
be cut 62% .%...
a (left) presents plaque to Dr. Michael Gratch (right) at the surprise
Sunday.
“We wish to give the
people of the borough the
best service at the least
cost.”’
Capacity was figured at
1.7 million gallons per day
(mgd). Renovations includ-
ed a new pumping station,
aeration facilities, more
sedimentation basins and
out-buildings.
Construction cost: $5.6
millions, which rose to a
total $7.56 million project
expense.
Vartan, represented by
president Vartan O. Keo-
sheyan, proposed three
cheaper alternatives. All
maintained the present
pumping station; two elim-
inated the pipeline to the
(continued on page 11)
ders
The Public Utilities
Commission has issued or-
which indicate that
Penn-DOT, the borough of
Mount Joy, and ConRail
will all have to pay part of
the cost of repairing Mount
Joy’s railway bridges.
The Pennsylvania Dept.
of Transportation (Penn-
DOT) has been ordered to
prepare detailed plans and
cost estimates to upgrade
the New Haven and Mar-
ietta Ave. Crossings to a 20
ton load capacity.
The borough of Mount
Joy has been ordered to
prepare plans and cost
estimates to upgrade the
Barbara St. Crossing to an
18 ton load capacity.
ConRail has been order-
ed to prepare plans and
cost estimates to tear down
Shydor
Rg
the Comfort St. and Lumb-
er Ave. Crossings. :
The Public Utilities
Commission has not yet
ordered any work to begin.
However, it seems likely
that the parties ordered
ordered to plan the work
will also be ordered to pay
for the work.
A rough estimate of the
price the borough will have
to pay to repair the
Barbara St. Bridge is
$25,000.
The PUC has also order-
ed the borough to erect
permanent barricades on
the Lumber and Comfort
St. bridges by Aug. 25 The
Borough must also erect
signs limiting the Jacob
and Market St. crossings to
4 tons, and the Barbara St.
crossing to 10 tons, until
IES
FIFTEEN CENTS
the Market and Barbara St.
Bridges are upgraded.
The bridges were built
by the Pennsylvania Rail-
road when tracks were laid
in a trench through Mount
Joy. The railroad agreed to
maintain the bridges when
they were built: The rail-
road lost money, couldn’t
maintain the bridges, and
finally went broke.
The Public Utilities
Commission has been eval-
uating the conflicting
claims of ConRail, Penn-
DOT, and the borough of
Mount Joy. The PUC’s
final deciaion will be made
after the cost estimates are
submitted, 9 months from
now.
The deciaion can be
appealed to the courts.
[50 attend dinner for Dr. Gratch
testimonial dinner last
Lewis Sperla served as
Master of Ceremonies at a
surprise testimonial dinner
honoring Dr. Michael
Gratch, a general practi-
tioner who served in the
Maytown area for 30 years.
The event was held at Mr.
Lacy’s Lounge, Marietta,
Sunday night where more
than 150 friends, relatives,
and patients paid homage
to their doctor and friend.
Among guests present
was Michael Gratch, son of
Dr. and Mrs. Gratch who
recently acquired his MD
Degree. Jack Frank, Jr.
Maytown, one of the first
babies delivered by the
Doctor when he began his
local practice, was also
present.
Representatives of local
organizations with which
Dr. Gratch is affiliated
locally attended the dinner.
A plaque listing Dr.
Gratch’s various services to
his community was pre-
sented by Lewis Sperla, on
behalf of the residents of
East Donegal and friends;
Patrick Kenney, Jr., made
a similar presentation on
behalf of the Marietta
Lion’s Club, Lloyd Fuhr-
man, East Donegal Town-
ship Supervisor, presented
a stringless tennis racquet
‘to hold down the score’’
of the honored guest. Ken
Brandt, a member of the
House of Representatives
of PA, presented a citation
prepared by that Govern-
mental body.
Telegrams and letters
were read from persons
unable to attend. Mrs.
Hazel Crankshaw gave the
biography of Dr. Gratch.
Father Joseph Gotwalt,
pastor emeritus of St.
Mary’s Catholic Church,
Marietta, offered the Invo-
cation while Father Michael,
current pastor, repeated the
Benediction.
Dr. Gratch was born in
Russia, grew up and was
educated in Italy and came
to Chicago in 1919 with his
family. He served a three
year residency at St.
Joseph’s Hospital, Lancas-
ter, where he met his wife,
Eleanor.
(continue on page 14)