Friday, April 4, 2003
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Police Chief Victor Cubellis will spend Wednesday, the first full day of his retirement, en route to Charlotte, N.C., for a car show.
Cubellis, 52, retires today after 29 years with the New Castle Police Department, the last four as chief.
He said he and his brother have a collection of 37 classic Oldsmobile "muscle cars" from the 1960s and '70s. Cubellis said he had the week of vacation planned for the car show, but recently decided now would be a good time to retire.
Cubellis said he doesn't have any definite plans for retirement, beyond taking life easy for a while.
"There's definitely life after the New Castle Police Department," Cubellis said. "Now I can go to car shows anytime." He also enjoys working out at the gym and lifts weights daily.
Cubellis said Lt. John Kindel will serve as acting chief. The police chief is appointed by the mayor.
"I thank the mayor for giving me the opportunity to serve as chief," he said. "A lot of people work a whole career and never have a chance to reach the top. I've been blessed.
"I thank the people of New Castle for their cooperation in helping us make New Castle a better place to live," Cubellis concluded.
His wife, Vicki Lynn, is a teacher in the New Castle Area Schools. They have two children: Victor, 25, a sports management major at Slippery Rock University, and Stephanie, 20, an aerospace engineering major at Penn State University.