This Was Doylestown, 1967

Pettine named Central Bucks football coach -

Mike Pettine, former Villanova football star and assistant coach under John Kracsun, was named grid coach at Central Bucks High School on Monday night by the Central Bucks School Board.

He succeeds Kracsun, who resigned recently to accept the head coaching job at Munhall High School, near Pittsburgh.

Pettine, who was the sentimental choice of many Central Bucks fans and players, will have as his assistants the other two holdovers from Kracsun's staff--Art Davies, center and end coach; and Tom Stricker, backfield coach. A line coach will be named later.

Pettine plans, as he puts it, "to carry on the outstanding features of Kracsun's system," namely, emphasis on fundamentals, conditioning and organization. But he naturally plans to add a few wrinkles of his own.

"I hope we'll have a balanced attack," says Pettine, "with a good passing game, as well as running. My blocking assignments won't change from end to end, but my backfield assignments will. I'll run a flanker. I'll run a pro-type offense. I'll run anything I think will exploit another team's weakness.

How does he feel about taking over a team many rate as contenders?

"I like it," says Pettine. "We'll be okay as long as they don't start reading their press clippings in August."

The 27-year-old Pettine, a lean, 6-foot, 170-pounder, was graduated from Conshohocken High School in 1958. He was a three-sport athlete there, playing halfback in football during the 1955, '56 and '57 seasons. He won the Jock Sutherland Memorial Trophy his final season as the most outstanding player in the Ches-Mont League. He was a pitcher on the baseball team and won second team All-Ches-Mont in basketball.

At Villanova, he played only football and won three letters from 1958 through 1962. As a junior, Pettine was named Most Consistent Player and the best junior athlete in football. He was mentioned two or three times on the All-East weekly teams.

Leaving the Main Line campus, Pettine was jayvee and backfield coach one year and line coach two years under Jim Mich at St. Pius X in Pottstown. Pettine coached ends and defensive backs at Central Bucks one year under John Maskas and one year under Kracsun. Both seasons the Bucs finished 6-4.

Editor's note - Mike Pettine coached football for two years at Central Bucks High School, which became Central Bucks West in 1969. He then was head coach at West through the 1999 season, compiling an overall record of 326 wins, 42 losses and four ties. Pettine's teams won the state championship in 1991, 1997, 1998 and 1999; won 23 league championships, had 16 undefeated seasons, never had a losing season, and held the state's longest winning streak of 53 games from 1984 to 1988.

Huber appointed Central Bucks superintendent -

Dr. H. Ronald Huber, 37-year-old superintendent of Huntingdon Area School District [in central Pennsylvania], was appointed superintendent of Central Bucks School District at Monday night's Central Bucks Shool Board meeting. His salary will be $22,000 a year.

Dr. Huber succeeds Dr. B. Anton Hess, who was appointed the first Commissioner of Basic Education for Pennsylvania. Dr. Huber assumes his new post July 1.

The new superintendent is a native of Ridgway [Elk County] and a graduate of Indiana State College in 1952. His majors or areas of specialization were mathematics, science and English. Following a two-year tour in the Army as a tank commander, he attended Pennsylvania State University and received his master's degree in 1955.

In 1959, he received his doctorate in educational administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. He began teaching in 1955 as a mathematics teacher in Mt. Kisco, New York, where he also served as assistant football coach. From 1959 to 1961, he was a mathematics teacher and assistant principal at Radnor Junior High School, Wayne.

Dr. Huber was appointed assistant superintendent of Huntingdon Area School District in 1961 and superintendent in 1962. In his tenure in Huntingdon, he successfully coordinated a complex merger of 16 different school districts, all with a great disparity in economic levels and tax rates.

The professional regard for him at the state level is evidenced by his membership on important statewide committees of chief school administrators, and his frequent participation as a speaker and panelist at state meetings.

Dr. Huber is a member of many educational organizations, including the educational fraternity, Phi Delta Kappa. In 1965, he was listed in "Who's Who in the East."

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Borough council discusses damage to War Memorial Field -

Doylestown Borough Council on Monday night discussed the need for better supervision when War Memorial Field is rented for purposes other than athletics.

The Bucks County Kennel Club, which held its dog show during two days of rain, damaged the field considerably by driving cars inside the fence and making deep ruts and tearing up the grass so that it must be regraded and replanted, it was reported.

Mayor Daniel D. Atkinson, warning that both the dog show and the Village Fair spread out too much over the field and make playing areas unfit again for athletics, said, "The primary purpose of the War Memorial Field is for sports and athletics. Athletics should come first. I don't object to having other groups use it if they take care of the field, but I don't want to see it abused."

Mayor Atkinson said when animals are allowed to get on the field, the playing areas are left unfit for sports and athletics.

John F. Mason, council president, put the blame on the exhibitors and not on the Bucks County Kennel Club.

"I was there," said Mason, "and when some of those exhibitors were told not to drive their cars on the field they weren't about to listen. In fact, they acted as if they would run you down.

"The kennel club has contributed much more money towards the support of the field than it costs to repair the damages. Their gifts have far exceeded the damages done by making deep ruts and tearing up the sod," Mason said.

Council decided to draw up new rental schedules, lease agreements and also require extra policing.

Dinner honors founder of Boys' Brigade -

Editor's note - George C. Murray (1866-1932) founded the Boys' Brigade of Doylestown in 1907. Murray bought a building on Donaldson Street in 1917 for the brigade's Social Center, where boys drilled and played basketball. The boys, who wore uniforms, put on a minstrel show each spring and camped along the Delaware River each summer. In 1954, former brigade members formed the George C. Murray Memorial, Inc. to hold annual dinners honoring the founder.

A nationally known real estate counselor lauded George C. Murray, founder of the Boys' Brigade, at the 14th annual dinner of the George C. Murray Memorial, Inc. on Sunday night at the Doylestown Fire House. Forty-four persons, most of whom were former members of the Boys' Brigade, attended the dinner.

Roland Rodrock Randall, whose hometown is Doylestown, described the founder as "a humble but yet a great man. Mr. Murray was one of the greatest men I've ever known. I think it's wonderful that after so many years so many of us still get together to honor him. I think of him every day because I have his picture in my study and I see it every morning before I begin my day's work."

Harold R. Long, now of Willow Grove, said, "Mr. Murray taught us what was right and what was wrong, and that made our characters."

Jacob Frater, a Doylestown Borough councilman and president of the memorial association, presided at the dinner. The Rev. Dr. Thomas S. Goslin II, minister of Doylestown Presbyterian Church, was host to the brigaders at his Sunday morning service.

James Barlow, who designed the first program in 1954, was honored. Three "old timers," Howard G. Hahl, Horace Robinson and Walter M. Reiff, were presented special gifts in recognition of their services.

Miller Carhart, chairman of the memorial association, reported how Secretary-Treasurer Eugene Larlick and several others visited the founder's grave in Mount Moriah Cemetery, in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia, to check on the condition of his burial plot and found it satisfactory.

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Doylestown police host schoolchildren -

This has been the week for the small fry to visit Doylestown Borough Police Chief Kenneth Tutt and the police headquarters at 18 North Main St. [then borough hall, now Team Capital Bank].

Chief Tutt and his officers have been greeting sixth graders, third graders and second graders from Linden Elementary School. In observance of National Police Week, the Doylestown police have arranged various exhibits for anyone who wishes to visit the police department. Guests are welcome between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Dangerous toys include a skateboard, firecrackers, pep pills, and BB, pellet and other types of firearms. Tools of violence include knives, revolvers, an assortment of weapons and also whiskey.

There is a large board with photographs of various crimes that have occurred in Doylestown, including safe-cracking, accidents, burglaries and "other jobs." The riot control exhibit includes helmets, riot sticks, tear gas and other equipment.

Under the caption, "Police Helpers," there is a picture of the department's police dog, Lana.

Patrolman James F. Dayton, fingerprint expert, gives the youngsters a talk on fingerprinting and how it is used to solve crimes. The children are given as souvenirs fingerprint cards.

Teenagers to demonstrate driving skills -

Doylestown teenagers will have an opportunity to demonstrate their all-around driving knowledge and ability in an Auto Road-E-O to determine the town's safest and most skillful young drivers.

The contest will be conducted Saturday, May 27 by Doylestown Jaycees and Foss-Hughes Lincoln-Mercury, Doylestown. Competition will begin at 9 a.m. at Central Bucks High School.

The highest-scoring boy and girl drivers will win the right to compete against other local contest winners at the state Road-E-O in Harrisburg.

At stake will be $14,000 in college scholarships, the use of six 1968 Mercury Cougars for one year, and the opportunity to tour the United States as a Youth Safety Spokesman for Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company. The Auto Road-E-O is sponsored by Lincoln-Mercury dealers who provide cars, donate prizes and underwrite costs of the national championship.

Any boy or girl who has a driver's license and will not be 19 years old before August 1 is eligible to participate. Contestants must not have been convicted of a traffic violation during the preceding six months or have an offense pending.

All contests consist of comprehensive written examinations on rules of the road (given Tuesday, May 23) and a series of behind-the-wheel tests over a difficult obstacle course.

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of May 14-20, 1967