MCDONALD COUNCIL Officials apologize for Aug. 8 exchange

Two village policemen were commended for their actions in saving the life of a woman trapped in a house fire.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
McDONALD -- Mayor James W. Border and Councilman Thomas J. Hannon apologized, but the war does not appear to be over.
Council President Pro Tem Thomas B. Hart asked both men to apologize at Wednesday's village council meeting: Hannon for swearing at Border on council floor; Border for cutting Hannon short and ignoring Hart's call for a point of order, thereby breaking council rules.
The exchange between Hannon and Border occurred during a debate at the Aug. 8 council meeting over whether too much money had been spent to reconstruct McDonald financial records in 1998. Border believes it was necessary to hire Ohio Local Government Services to do the job. Hannon thinks it could have been done by village employees and community volunteers.
Apologies: Hannon apologized to the citizens, council and the mayor for calling him a "gutless son of a b..."
But Border said he did not break council rules and would not apologize for his actions. He said he ordered Hannon back to his seat after Hannon accused him of trying to ruin peoples lives. That was an inappropriate comment and a violation of council rules by Hannon, Border said.
"I'll apologize for all the childish behavior by all of us because I'm tired of it. But that's all," Border said.
Border said after the Aug. 23 meeting that he would ask council to discipline Hannon for his Aug. 8 comments. The mayor did not do that Wednesday, but when asked if he would pursue action against Hannon, he said, "No comment."
Heroic rescue: In other action at Wednesday's meeting, council passed a resolution in which council and the mayor commended Police Lt. Lou Ronghi and Patrolman Daniel O'Donnell for their "heroic" efforts Aug. 28 in rescuing an elderly woman from her smoke-filled burning home at 711 Pennsylvania Ave.
The police department received a call at 1:13 a.m. from Trumbull County 911 and 70 seconds later Ronghi and O'Donnell were on the scene and learned that Amelia Bodnar was still in the house. They entered the home without oxygen masks or protective equipment and found her in a bedroom. Ronghi stayed with her while O'Donnell went back outside and pulled her through a window. Police Chief Alan R. Deluga praised Ronghi and O'Donnell and said that because of their quick action no one was injured.
In other action, Border appointed Kenneth Suich to the planning commission and Dustin McCullough as a volunteer firefighter.
alcorn@vindy.com