PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETT-
E H SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2001
CITY
SOUTH SIDE
Homeless man dies
The man who was found injured
lying next to the railroad tracks un-
der the Liberty Bridge on the South
Side Sunday evening died on Tues-
day.
The Allegheny County coroner's
office identified the man as Gary Stu-
art, 39. Stuart was apparently home-
less, the coroner's office said. He
was found by the railroad tracks at
about 7 p.m. and taken to Mercy
Hospital.
An autopsy determined he died of
blunt force trauma to the head.
DOWNTOWN
Mellon Bank robbed
Mellon Bank at Two Gateway
Center was robbed shortly before
noon yesterday, said FBI
spokesman Bill Crowley.
A white man, 25 to 35 years old, 5
feet 9 inches tall, with a thin to
medium build, sandy brown hair
and a thin mustache, wearing a
dark ball cap, a black leather jacket
and blue jeans, told a bank teller he
had an explosive, and demanded
cash, Crowley said. He ran from the
bank with an undetermined amount
of cash.
Crowley said that more than 20
Pittsburgh banks have been robbed
this year.
LAWRENCEVILLE
Threat empties bank
A bomb threat yesterday forced
the evacuation of a bank and
blocked traffic, police said.
At about 1:30 p.m., a man called
the Allegheny Valley Bank adjacent
to St. Francis Medical Center and
said a sports bag located under-
neath a chair contained a bomb.
The bank was evacuated and the
block surrounding it was blocked off
until about 3 p.m., police said. The
bag was detonated.
DOWNTOWN
Prisoner hangs himself
A federal prisoner who was being
held without bond at the Allegheny
County Jail yesterday killed himself
in his jail cell, according to Alleghe-
ny County police.
Paul Schuenemann, 19, of Harris-bur-
was arrested on March 21
g,
near Cincinnati for robbing the Na-
tional City Bank in Clarion County
in February, county officials said.
Police believe Schuenemann was
- on parole when he was arrested,
and learned at court Thursday that
he was being held without bond.
At about 4 p.m. yesterday, prison-
ers were locked in their cells for a
head count. Correctional officers
found Schuenemann hanging by a
bedsheet, county officials said.
County police will investigate his
death.
DOWNTOWN
YMCA looks for funds
The YMCA of Pittsburgh yester-
day kicked off the public portion of
its $25 million capital fund-raisin- g
campaign at its annual meeting. To
date, the organization has raised
$17 million in private donations
since beginning that portion of the
campaign in 1999.
Improvements are proposed for
all branches. Among the branches
scheduled for new construction are
Centre Avenue, Homewood-Brush-to-
North Hills, North Boroughs,
Deer Valley and Camp
DOWNTOWN
Erin Brockovich
speech
tomorrow
will see
Hollywood
night if "Erin Brockovich" wins
Best Picture at the Academy
Awards.
Pittsburgh will have to wait until
October to see the real Erin Brock-
ovich in the Celebration of Women
lecture series.
Brockovich, who championed the
cause of hundreds of people ex-
posed to a toxic chemical leaking
from a compressor, leading to a $333
million judgment against Pacific
Gas & Electric Co., will tell her tale
as the keynote speaker for Magee-Wome-
Hospital's 12th annual Cel-
ebration of Women lecture series on
Oct. 24 at the Westin Convention
Center Hotel Pittsburgh.
CRAFTON HEIGHTS
Boxing benefit
IBF lightweight boxing champion
and Sheraden native Paul Spadafora
will make an appearance at the
Golden Gloves quarterfinal boxing
tournament at 7:30 tonight in St.
Martin's Activity Center of Guardian
Angels Parish, 1030 Logue St.
During a break in the boxing
matches, awards will be presented
to recognize individuals who have
made great contributions to the
community.
The proceeds will benefit the
Langley American Legion Post 496.
OAKLAND
WQED drive going well
WQED Pittsburgh's "Festival
D-- 3
LOCAL NEWS
Water taxi service prepares for expansion
Jones or 4 p.m. Port Authority buses will pick peo- trail, said Heller. The l'rmile trail winds
By Diana Nelson taxi service, and the bulk of its runs have
Staff Writer ple up at the Alco parking lot that runs aiong through Millvale and ends in Shaler. been to and from the North Shore for base-
Smallman Street just west of the 16th Street Some commuters may be able to avoid ball and football games and to nearby
Within a month, some commuters to Bridge. Route 28 congestion by winding through the tourist attractions. Those runs will continue,
Downtown jobs will be able to go by water "We will save them a on their
r half-hou-
North Hills to get to Millvale's landing, said resuming in time for the Pirates' first game,
taxi. commute," he predicted. The run from Heller, but her goal was for a longer-ter- an exhibition against the New York Mets
Waterways Inc., the older of two services Sharpsburg to the Strip will take 10 to 15 solution. next Saturday.
in the city, is ironing out final details with minutes and from Millvale, five minutes, he "We are catering to people who cannot Commuting by water, said Dean, "was
Millvale borough and Silky's Crow's Nest said. find parking Downtown and don't want the part of the original concept when we got into
restaurant and marina in Sharpsburg to Silky's Crow's Nest is on River Road at hassle of it." the business." He has been identifying po-
haul up to 1,000 passengers daily from river- 19th Street in Sharpsburg. Al Lampenfeld, Millvale received $1.3 million from vari- tential landing sites for three years, he said.
front landings to the Strip District, with link- the owner, said he can park about 100 cars. ous sources, including the Regional Asset More recently, the Port of Pittsburgh Com-
ing bus service into Downtown. The Millvale taxi stand will be at the bor- District and the Southwestern Pennsylvania mission has gotten grant money to study
Several issues, including prices and exact ough's riverfront trail property north of Commission, to develop the riverfront and the same thing and to develop landing sites
schedules, need to be worked out, but Wa- Washington's Landing, where there is space trail. for expanded water taxi service.
terways President Wayne Dean said he will for 200 cars, said borough Manager Virginia Waterways has been working for several Dean maintains that his service "hasn't
keep his normal $4 round-tri- fare as part of
p Heller. Besides serving commuters, Water- years to expand its service beyond runs cost the taxpayer a dime. Once we get these
a e
park-n-rid-
package that people can buy ways will also give boat tours, starting on from the Stnp to the Point and North Shore, two going, there are other locations along
as weekly or monthly passes. weekends and expanding if the service is said Dean. By midsummer, it will have six the river. I'm talking to parking companies
Dean said the runs will probably begin at popular. Waterways has also lined up bicycle, pontoons, three with capacity for 44 passen- who can lease the property, and we would
7 a.m. and continue on the r from half-hou-
canoe and kayak rental businesses as a com- gers each, three with capacity for 80 each. put landings in and pick people up.
both sites to the Boardwalk, where Water- ponent of the riverfront trail development. The bigger three pontoons will join the fleet "I want this to be convenient and a er
ways has maintained a docking presence for Millvale is planning to repair a bridge that by midsummer. for people," he said. "All we're doing
three years. Afternoon runs will begin at 3 will connect Washington's Landing to the Waterways is entering its fourth year of is what they were doing in the 1800s."
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near Phila.
By Jane Elizabeth
Education Writer
One of the most troubled
school districts in Pennsylvania
will be run next year by three it
companies, making it the
only school district in Pennsylva-
nia and one of only a few in the
nation to be privately operated.
The Chester-Uplan- d School
District near Philadelphia is one
of the state's 12 "empowerment"
districts, meaning that it has
among the lowest test scores in
the state. In addition, along with
Duquesne City School District, it
' was put under a financial board of
illr '"' . S, control by the state last summer.
After months of debate, that
board decided Thursday to di-
vide the district's schools be-
tween three privately managed
iinliiiiiin.Mii, 'a,tSt jtuMy companies: Edison Schools Inc.,
LearnNow Inc. and Mosaica Ed-
ucation Inc.
"We had to look, obviously, at
J ,. the experience that they had and
how well they would be able to
Tony TyePost-Gazett- e
manage these schools," said
Tom Persing, chairman of the
Delivering some shade
board of control.
In effect, the three will com-
Brad Gerano, left, and Brian Lookhart, both of Apollo, install an awning yesterday at Magoo's Bar & Bistro along Route 19 in McCandless.
pete with each other.
The two men work for Awnings By Shuster in Vandergrift. Edison will manage three ele-
mentary schools, two middle
schools and one combined ele-
mentary and middle school.
LearnNow will manage
REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS Chester High School; Second
Chance, an alternative school for
students with discipline and tru-
Medal winners in the 62nd an- High School; 2nd: Jonathan Miller, Biology 1st: Megan C. Con- Middle School; 3rd: Babur Khwaja,
Franklin Regional Middle School. ancy problems; The Academy, a
nual Pittsburgh Regional Science Cambria Heights Middle School. roy, home schooled; 2nd: Mered-
college preparatory school; one
and Engineering Fair were an- EarthSpaceEnvironment ith Sabol, St. Joseph Regional Medicine & HealthMicrobiolo-
elementary school; and a middle
nounced yesterday. 1st: Christina Rivera, Keystone School; 3rd: Sabrina Allen, gy 1st: Michael Lin, Dorseyville school. Mosaica will manage one
The competition involves stu- Oaks High School; 2nd: Scott Beaver Area Middle School. Middle School; 2nd: Kelsey Pitini,
elementary school.
dents in grades six through 12 Anderson, Central Catholic High Chemistry 1st: Lekha Ambridge Junior High School; "Internally there will be a
from 22 Western Pennsylvania School; 3rd: Stacey Ivol, Bethel Dorseyville Middle 3rd: Emily Damron, Carlow Col- sense of competition for innova-
counties and three in West Vir- Park High School. School; 2nd: Faustin Shea, Frick lege School. tion and performance," said Al
ginia, and this year's event drew EngineeringRobotics 1st: International Studies Academy; Physics 1st: Robert Bowman, spokesman for the
620 entries from 74 schools. Here Gail Siewiorek, Allderdice High 3rd: Katie Hovan, Ambridge Ju- Moeslein, St. Elizabeth School; state Department of Education.
are those who won first, second School; 2nd: Joanna Armstrong, nior High School. 2nd: Josiah Kovac, Ambridge Ju- About a dozen plans were sub-
and third-plac- e honors: nior High School; 3rd: Nathan mitted to Chester-Uplan- d late
Bethel Park High School; 3rd: Computer ScienceMath
Hannah Kaczka, South Allegheny 1st: Kendal Fowler, Dorseyville Kline, Cambria Heights Middle last year, including one that
SENIOR DIVISION:
High School. Middle School; 2nd: Christopher School. would have allowed Edison,
Behavior and Social Science
Medicine & HealthMicrobiology Brennan, Mount St. Peter School; JUNIOR DIVISION: school district labor unions and
1st: Todd Feiler, Fox Chapel
Area High School; 2nd: Amanda 1st: Shelly Wang, Mt. Lebanon 3rd: Thomas Pike, Franklin Re- Consumer Science 1 st: a community board to run the
Senior High School; 2nd: Robert gional Middle School. school district.
Borowski, Beaver Area High Cory D. Lotis, St. Elizabeth
School; 3rd: Santella Smarra, Powell, Westinghouse High Consumer Science 1 st: School; 2nd: Kathryn E. Fowler, Bob Brown, a field director for
School; 3rd: Matthew Slafka, Serra Jenna Schmidt, Gateway Middle the Pennsylvania State Education
Norwin Senior High School. Dorseyville Middle School; 3rd:
Catholic High School. School; 2nd: Ashley Sambol, Nicholas Fleming, St. Agnes Ele- Association, said the union was
Biology 1st: Dennis Monks,
Physics 1st: Jason Gateway Middle School; 3rd: mentary School. "disappointed" that its plan was
Keystone Oaks High School;
2nd: Avery Clarke Capone, Cen- Zeleznik, South Allegheny High Kristine Brandenstein, Moon Mid- Life Science 1st: Philip Du-la- c, rejected. However, he said, the
unions will meet with the three
tral Catholic High School; 3rd: School; 2nd: Julia Thrower, But- dle School. St. Maurice School; 2nd:
Amanda McMillan, Westmore- ler Area Senior High School; 3rd: EarthSpaceEnvironment Greg Salopek, Highland Elemen- companies in the next few weeks
Alex Lesnick, Seton-L- a Salle to work out contract details.
land Honors Co-O- 1st: Sarah Lynn Smith, Spring tary School; 3rd: Joseph Plaks,
"We want to form a relation-
Chemistry 1st: Samantha A. High School. Cove Middle School; 2nd: Gray St. Elizabeth School.
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION: Horwitz, Frick International Stud- ship with all the vendors, as we
Conroy, home schooled; 2nd: Physical Science 1st: have with Edison," he said. The
Nimish Bakshi, Gateway Senior Behavioral & Social Science ies Academy; 3rd: Anthony Ross, Nathan Sudie, St. Joseph Re- teachers' current contract does-
High School; 3rd: Kwalin McCray, 1st: Erin Albert, St. Thomas More Frazier Middle School. gional School; 2nd: Rishi n't expire until 2003, but changes
Westinghouse High School. School; 2nd: Laura Ettedgui, Car-lo- w
EngineeringRobotics 1st: Mohnot, Franklin Regional Middle
likely will need to be made in the
Computer ScienceMath 1st: College School; 3rd: Katie Dan Guild, Frazier Middle School; School; 3rd: Christen Rittiger, St teachers' work hours and specif-
2nd: Jennifer Cross, Mount Nittany Elizabeth School.
Paul Puskavich, Fox Chapel Area Calano, home schooled. ic duties.
More than 500 teachers and
125 support staff now work in the
district, and Brown said no lay-
offs were expected because staff
2001" spring pledge drive has raised with "breaks" in the facade, so it World Peace Contest sponsored by Liberty Elementary; Tariq turnover traditionally has been
more than toward its
$500,000 blends in with the existing South the district attorney's office. Stephens, Phillips Elementary; high.
Side historic district of smaller Zach Appman and Matthew "I don't know how it's going to
$615,000 goal, which the station ex- Students were asked to write or
pects to exceed, President George stores along Carson. The new struc- Mangis, Sterrett Classical Acade- turn out," said Brown, "but it's
depict an answer for: "What can
Miles said. ture would have stores on the first each of us do to promote peace on my; Claire Galpern and Kristin important that we get started."
level and 73 residential units on the earth in our community?" First- - and Hughes, Frick International Studies The new management begins in
SOUTH SIDE upper two floors. second-plac- e winners were award- Academy; Indya Franklin, September.
A second building, either two or Duquesne Catholic; Laura Semon, Edison already runs three
ed a $50 U.S. Savings Bond.
three stories, is planned a block St. Elizabeth, Pleasant Hills; Victo- charter schools in Pennsylvania.
Winners in the essay category ria Duerr, Canevin Nationwide, the
New buildings proposed away, between 28th Street and an- Catholic, eight-year-ol- d
other new office structure being were: Kathryn Bouvy, Concord Ele- Crafton. company manages 113 public
A developer called the Softer Or- constructed by Soffer. mentary; Ashley Green, Weil Tech- schools, and took over operation
In the creative writing catego-
ganization wants to build two new This new building would have nology Institute; Brittany McNeill of the1,750-stude-
Inkster, Mich.,
and Benjamin Pyles, Linden Ele- ry: Marylu Adriatico, Banksville
buildings on the South Side that stores on the ground floor with of- public school district this falL
would combine retail on the ground mentary; Keith Simon-Warnek- Elementary; Riki Connors, Clay- Mosaica has tried unsuccess-
fices above. The planning commis- ton Tamara
level with housing or offices on the Schaeffer Elementary; Amanda Elementary; fully to open charter schools in
sion is expected to act on the pro- Matthews, Minadeo Elementary;
upper levels. Geisler, St. Bartholomew, Penn Western Pennsylvania, most re-
posal in two weeks. Hills; John Reed, Divine Mercy Amber Lesko, James L. Lavelle
The city Planning Department cently in Penn Hills School Dis-
Academy, Beaver Falls; Tiffany School; Jodi Spraicar, St.
last week heard plans for a three-stor- y t,
trict, where the board last month
building along East Carson
CITYWIDE North Catholic High School; Joseph's, Penn Hills; Cnristopher rejected a Mosaica-ru- n school for
R Rossi, Central Catholic High
Street between 26th and 27th Laura Dwyer, Maureen Erickson, the third time in as many years.
Kana Hatakeyama and Erin Speck, School; Robin Jones, Schiller
streets. The latter street will Peace contest winners Classical Academy.
Chester-Uplan- which has
stretch from Carson to the river- Sterrett Classical Academy; and 6,500 students, received a $1.03
front and is to be renamed Marina Several students from the city's Katclynn Henry, Arsenal Middle The winner in the special catego- million improvement grant this
Boulevard. public and Catholic schools have School.
ry was Eric Sinagra, Brookline Re- school year through the state
The building would be designed been named winners in the recent In the art category: Ian Dermon, gional School. Education Empowerment Act.