Road to be named after late dentist

By KIRK SWAUGER
The Tribune-Democrat

SOMERSET June 24, 2008 10:58 pm

— Dr. Frederick Smith may be gone, but his contributions to Somerset County won’t be forgotten.
The county commissioners said Tuesday the main road at the proposed Laurel Highlands Business Park will be named after Smith, the longtime chairman of the county’s General Authority who died last week at age 80 after a battle with lung cancer.
“There aren’t too many men who have their hands on nearly $200 million worth of projects,” county Solicitor Dan Rullo said.
The exact name of the road has not been determined, though Rullo said it may be “Doc” Smith Drive.
“All the businesses that move into the park will have Doc Smith’s name as their address,” he said.
An original member of the authority since its formation 16 years ago, Smith was instrumental in helping secure funding and construction of SCI-Somerset, county office buildings, senior centers, the Quemahoning Pipeline and the Laurel Highlands Business Park.
He was chairman of the General Authority for about half the time he spent on the board.
“He was a great guy,” Rullo said.
Smith practiced dentistry in his Confluence home for 47 years. A World War II veteran, he served six years as Confluence mayor and was a life member of the borough’s fire department.
The Laurel Highlands Business Park is being developed on 108 acres across Route 31 from SCI-Laurel Highlands near Route 219.
In other business at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting:
• Officials said construction of the Quemahoning Pipeline is about 50 percent complete. The county continues to have talks with municipalities about buying water from the system. So far, Somerset Borough and Somerset, Lincoln and Conemaugh townships have agreed to purchase supplies from the pipeline.
“We have to wrap it up by the end of the year to have water flowing,” Commissioner John Vatavuk said.
• Commissioner Jimmy Marker said the county has refurbished computers available for nonprofit agencies.