UNION TOWNSHIP Residents question candidates running for supervisor job

One candidate said he wouldn't change the volunteer fire department to a full-time operation.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
UNION, Pa. -- The last regular township supervisors' meeting before the November election drew a capacity crowd, which appeared to be evenly divided between supporters of the two candidates running for the supervisor position.
Longtime supervisor Kevin Guinaugh will face write-in candidate Pat Angiolelli, whom he defeated in the primary.
Angiolelli is president of the Union Township Fire Company. Firefighters have often been at odds with Guinaugh and with supervisor chairman Ralph Nuzzo. Supervisor Steve Galizia, who supports Angiolelli, did not attend Thursday's meeting.
Those attending questioned both men on various issues for nearly an hour before Nuzzo and Guinaugh declared the meeting's public participation portion of the finished so they could go on with regular business.
Firefighters have criticized supervisors in past months for not giving enough financial support to the department.
Financial statement: Nuzzo responded by reading a statement listing the financial support supervisors have provided this year amounting to $13,993, some of it required by law, such as worker's compensation insurance.
He added that this year supervisors are giving an additional $25,000 of the township's Community Development Block Grant money toward the purchase of a new $287,000 fire truck. The fire department has taken out a loan and will raise money to pay off the rest of the vehicle by sponsoring bingo and other fund-raising events.
"There is no reason anyone should say we are not behind the fire department," Nuzzo said.
He then criticized the department for failing to provide supervisors with figures on how much they made on the recent Balloon Quest hot air balloon festival. Randy Conti, fire company treasurer, said that as soon as a double billing is corrected, he will make the figures available. Conti estimated the department made $10,000 to $11,000 on the event.
In response to a resident's question, Angiolelli, who was in the audience, denied a rumor that he plans, if elected, to convert the township's volunteer fire department to a full-time paid department.
"We have no intention of seeing taxes raised in Union Township," he said.
Bridge construction: In other business, Nuzzo announced construction will begin in March on the Covert's Crossing bridge. The old span will remain open for awhile, however. Traffic will be detoured through Mahoningtown or Bessemer.
Guinaugh announced that additional donations have been received from Ladbroke's, Shop and Save, Wal-Mart and the Westgate Theatre totaling $3,406 toward the township's share of bus service from New Castle to Union's commercial area.
Former supervisor Sally Byler provided figures showing that bus ridership to the Westgate Plaza dropped from 11,797 in 1998 to 5,661 in 1999 while ridership increased to the Wal-Mart Plaza from 36,178 to 38,706 during the same period. She said figures provided at the last meeting showed only 1998 ridership, making it appear unfair that Wal-Mart was paying a larger share.
Guinaugh said the Miller Avenue bridge reconstruction is completed and the structure has reopened. The $516,590 cost was paid by the state and county.