Published: October 27, 2009 11:51 pm      

Fire issue stokes Shade supervisor race

CAIRNBROOK — A controversial decision to end ties with Central City Volunteer Fire Company has raised the stakes in the race for a six-year Shade Township supervisor’s seat in Tuesday's election.

First-term incumbent Democrat Henry Zubek, 55, defends his vote to accept a five-year contract with Richland Township’s volunteer fire company, while Republican challenger Robert Frisbie Jr., 41, says Central City should have been given more time.

Zubek would not say he is “happy” with the Richland agreement.

“We are satisfied with the way it went,” Zubek said. “We had to do something.”

Central City discontinued emergency responses in Shade last month, leaving the calls to Windber and other nearby volunteer fire companies. Windber, Scalp Level and Shanksville said they will end service to Shade as of Sunday, citing manpower and other issues.

“We’ve been working with (Central City Volunteer Fire Company) for two years,” Zubek said. “You make an agreement with them; it goes for a month or two, and then they are not going to provide service anymore.

“We had to do it because our backs were against the wall,” he said.

Central City firefighters asked supervisors to delay last week’s decision by 48 hours, Frisbie said.

“If I was in that chair, I’d want to sit down and talk again,” Frisbie said at his Charles Street home. “How do you say ‘No’?”

Central City has served Shade Township since 1921, Frisbie said.

Zubek believes the majority of township residents support the supervisors’ decision.

“In the long run, these fire departments are going to have to come together and consolidate,” Zubek said.

The fire service dispute is just the latest in a growing mountain of issues where Frisbie sees the current supervisors as being out of touch with the community.

“The decision was made before the public had a chance to talk about it,” Frisbie said. “I want to give the residents their voices back.”

A former investigator with the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Frisbie moved six years ago to his mother’s childhood home off of Statler Street. He has worked in several sales positions, most recently with Kenny Ross Chevrolet Cadillac.

He is engaged to Portage native Susan Lucas.

Zubek is a former excavation contractor completing his first term as supervisor. He would like to continue projects to extend water and sewage service into the township.

“It will bring up the value of the homes,” Zubek said. “I want to keep trying to do what’s right for the people here.”

He and his wife, Margie, live on Yania Road and have three children in Shade-Central City School District – Zachary, Marlee and Dmitry.

Signs erected along Route 160 in the township show Joseph Fleegle, former owner of Sunshine Family Diner in Central City, apparently is running a write-in campaign. Fleegle could not be reached for an interview.