Latrobe BulletinLatrobe BulletinVolume 106 - No. 238 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 50¢ Newsstand/35¢ Home Delivery

—Sports—

—Index—

—Weather—

—Editorial—

68°/51°

66°/57°

Partly sunny and cooler with highs in the upper 60s.Becoming cloudytonight with a 50

percent chance of rain.

Rain likely in themorning with highs

in the 60s. 50 percentchance of rain

continues through the evening.

Today

Tomorrow

Political Cartoons; Off the Wall;

Letters to the Editor.

See Page 4

What’sInside

Classified . . . . . . . . . 17-18Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Crossword . . . . . . . . . . 16Entertainment . . . . . . . . 8Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Local News . . . . . . . . 1,3,5Lottery Results . . . . . . . . 3Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . 2Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Disciplined, assign-ment defensive foot-ball Greater Latrobe

key to containing McKeesport Area’s‘flexbone’ offense

while Derry Area hop-ing to prevent bigplays and get first conference victory

over winless South-moreland; Rams look

for first win over Mounties in four years

as they renew Heritage Conferencerivalry; GL clinchessection girls’ tennis

title; GL, DA get sec-tion girls’ soccer wins.

See Pages 11, 13

Photo by Steve KitteyFire destroyed this Wood Street mobile home Wednesday morning.

Derry Township mobilehome destroyed by fire

BY MARIE MCCANDLESSBulletin News Editor

A fire Wednesday destroyeda mobile home at 2143 WoodSt., Latrobe (Derry Township).

A state police fire marshal isinvestigating the 11 a.m. blaze,but it is not believed to be sus-

picious, said Bradenville firechief Mark Piantine.

A man living in the trailer,identified as John Dailey, wastaken to Excela Health LatrobeHospital for treatment. He wasthe sole occupant at the timethe fire broke out.

Assisting Bradenville at thescene were companies 5 and 6from Latrobe, Lloydsville,Derry and Eastern Derry Town-ship volunteer fire departments

as well as the county’s RapidIntervention Team.

About 8 p.m. Wednesday,Youngstown Volunteer FireDepartment was called to analarm at Latrobe RegionalHealth and Rehabilitation Cen-ter, Youngstown, where a firedrill was in progress.

Youngstown fire chief BarryBanker said the nursing homedid not notify the fire companyof the planned drill.

JOC hears update oncommunity project

BY DAN SCIFOBulletin Staff Writer

Eastern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center (EWCTC)Joint Operating Committee (JOC) members last night heard an updateon a community service project to help a local family with two childrenwith advanced muscular dystrophy.

Students from the Home Builders Association are working on thecommunity project to assist the Weller family, whose two sons — Bran-don and Travis — are affected by the progressive disease known asDuchenne muscular dystrophy.

They plan to raise funds and build a 16- by 26-foot addition onto thefirst floor of the Wellers’ two-story frame house. The addition wouldhouse a bedroom, two small study areas, and a bathroom with a roll-inshower and handicap facilities. To assist in moving Brandon and Travis,who are confined to wheelchairs, an overhead track and hoist systemwould be incorporated into the room and a handicap-accessible rampbuilt on the outside of the structure. Parents of the boys are Shelly andKen Weller.

The foundation has been completed, the project is under roof and theweatherproofing stage has started, the JOC was told.

EWCTC instructor Ed Capets noted that the group has put an esti-mated $4,500 toward the project and will need approximately $1,500more. The difficult part, Capets said, will be raising the estimated$20,000 to complete the project, including $15,000 needed for the hoistsystem.

The group — which already has received considerable donationsfrom EWCTC students, past graduates and numerous local businesses— is looking toward additional fundraising, sponsorship and possiblegrants to raise the money needed to complete the project.

The Tree of Life Church in Latrobe has set up an official account forthe project. Any checks donated should be made payable to “Tree ofLife,” with a note indicating, “to be used for the Brandon and Travisproject.”

Kennametal, PEEI get defense funding Westmoreland County businesses are among the recipients of the

U.S. House-approved defense appropriations bill.Kennametal will receive $1.6 million to continue work on advanced

materials and medium-caliber armor-piercing penetrators for theDepartment of Defense.

In addition, $1 million is provided for the National Center forDefense Manufacturing and Machining, located at Kennametal Inc.’sWorld Headquarters in Unity Township. The center’s work with manu-facturing processes to enhance the quality, affordability and maintain-ability of defense systems and the center has provided the U.S. govern-ment with more than $478 million in cost savings and cost avoidance.

Pittsburgh Electric Engines Inc. (PEEI) in Mount Pleasant willreceive $2.5 million to continue development of a turbo fuel cell enginefor transportation and mobile power applications. The U.S. Departmentof Defense is particularly interested in developing alternative enginesfor heavy trucks, and the PEEI turbo fuel cell engine uses 40 percentless fuel than current diesel engines.

Red Devil Brakes, also in Mount Pleasant, has been allocated $1.6million to develop specialty titanium parts made entirely from U.S.-sup-plied titanium powder. Newer military vehicles are designed to increasesoldier protection. This means added weight, which impacts vehicleperformance, especially braking. Titanium cast brake rotors havereduced rotor weight by 300 percent, improved stopping distance by 25percent and expedited repair times. This program will develop titaniumforming and casting technologies that use pressed and sintered titaniumpowder parts and advanced forging technology to manufacture vehiclecomponents.

U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of the House AppropriationsSubcommittee on Defense, announced that the House of Representa-tives voted 370-58 to pass the annual $487.7 billion defense appropria-tions bill.

Speaking of the local companies, he said, “The partnerships createdby local companies and organizations with the Department of Defensehave resulted in reduced costs for weapons programs, savings to theAmerican taxpayers, and have provided our troops with quality equip-ment, technology and healthcare.”

He added, “This bill supports our troops and their families; investsin equipment needed to support the force; imposes fiscal discipline nec-

Biden appearstoday in county

Democratic vice presidentialcandidate Sen. Joe Biden wasscheduled to speak at a “com-munity event” 8:30 a.m. todayat Greensburg Salem SeniorHigh School.

According to his campaignstaff, Biden was to discuss howan administration with him andhis running mate, Sen. BarackObama, would “jump-start theeconomy and fight for middle-class families.”

Biden, a native of Scranton,was to visit Wilkes-Barre afterhis local appearance.

BY MARIE MCCANDLESSBulletin News Editor

The annual Railroad Days celebration of Derry Borough’s heritagebegins with the return of the Hobo Picnic 6 p.m. today near the cabooses indowntown Derry.

The public is welcome. There is no charge for the food, but donations —no matter how small — help defray the cost.

The menu features Hobo Stew, a dirt cookie and a beverage. Bring a lawnchair and picnic dinnerware (or the authentic hobo dinnerware of a tin canand a spoon).

A hobo king and queen will be chosen from among those dressed ashoboes. There will be a campfire and live music by Jerry Rodebaugh.

Derry Railroad Days Committee Inc. plans the annual festival, whichkicks off with a parade 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, beginning at Derry Com-munity Center, West Second Street.

Marching units will line up beginning at 9:30 a.m. The parade will headup North Chestnut Street and Owens Avenue, cross over the Route 217bridge and proceed onto East Third Avenue, terminating at Hays Street.

Among the units in the parade are the Diamond Dolls Baton TwirlingTeam, Mason-Dixon Brass Band and Civil War Reenactment Team, Amer-ican Legion Riders and Bikers Against Child Abuse, Valley Dairy’s “IceCream Joe,” the Oscar Mayer WeinerMobile, Young Brothers Tai Kwon Dogroup, Jaffa Li’l Vettes, Chestnut Ridge Primary Care Relay for Life Team,Derry Area High School Marching Band and football team, local Boy andGirl Scout groups, Action for Animals, and several fire departments andantique cars.

As the parade disbands, more than 50 vendors will be set up along SouthChestnut Street and East Second Avenue to provide jewelry, clothing,stained glass, pottery and more. Festival food such as funnel cakes, kettlecorn, sausage, pork and roast beef sandwiches, haluski, curly fries, fruitbowls, chocolate pretzels and ice cream will satisfy the biggest appetite.

Derry RR Days begins with Hobo Picnic today

Photo by Marie McCandlessPlanning this weekend’s Railroad Days activities in Derry are Chuck DeNunzio,Fred Goodman, Chris Johnston, 2-year-old Vincent Dudzinski, Cheryl Reinard,Judy Johnston, Peggy Ressler, Vernon Ressler and Lori Dudzinski. Goodman’sBoy Scout troop is going to refurbish the baggage cart in the photo.

Abigail Cox, 11, of Latrobe accepts donations Jim Colaianne collected at Dainty PastryShoppe in Latrobe for the Walk to Cure Diabetes that was held Saturday at Universityof Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Cox was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes four years ago.

BY MARIE MCCANDLESSBulletin News Editor

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) Walk to Cure Dia-betes had its largest crowd ever last weekend at University of Pittsburghat Greensburg.

Sandie Spear, special events coordinator for the Western Pennsylva-nia Chapter of JDRF, said 1,800 walkers raised $160,000 on Saturday.

“We had $162,000 in the bank before Walk day. Last year, $80,000came in after Walk so we are hoping to raise $98,000 after Walk to reachour goal of $420,000.”

Scott Kroh, president of Robindale Energy Services, was 2008 cor-porate chair for the Walk, and he and his family team, Abby's Hope, ledthe Walk.

Trina Orlando from KDKA was emcee. Starbucks donated coffee,Panera Bread donated bagels, Eat'n Park donated smiley face cookies,Rita's ice donated ice. Chartwells at Pitt donated the cream cheese forthe bagels and Giant Eagle donated the bottled water. Consumers Pro-duce donated the apples. Chips were donated by Calvin and JulieMcCutcheon.

Walk to Cure Diabeteshas largest crowd ever

( See Derry on Page 3)

( See JOC on Page 3)

( See Walk on Page 3)

( See Kennametal on Page 3)