Page 98

1 RONALD GEORGE

2 a witness herein, having been first duly sworn, was

3 examined and testified as follows:

4 DIRECT EXAMINATION

5 BY MR. BAXTER:

6 Q. Would you state your name for the record,

7 please?

8 A. Ronald George.

9 Q. And are you currently employed?

10 A. No. I'm retired from the Public Works

11 Department, West View Borough.

12 Q. And how long have you worked in the Public

13 Works Department of West View?

14 A. Since 1953 till 1996. 1 had to quit for

15 health reasons.

16 Q. And currently, you're an elected official

17 in the Borough. Are you not?

18 A. Borough Councilman.

19 Q. In addition to working for the Borough and

20 being a Borough Councilman currently, do you serve

21 any other function with West View Borough over the

22 time that you've lived here?

23 A. I was the Fire Chief for 12 years.

24 Q. And being the Fire Chief, would you have

25 anything to do with the No. 3 Fire Hall?

Page 99

1 A. I was in charge of all three fire halls,

2 No. 1, 2, and 3.

3 Q. Incidentally, how long have you lived in

4 the Borough?

5 A. I was born on Ashford Avenue 64 years ago.

6 Q. So you've been in the Borough for 64 years.

7 Have you had the opportunity during the course of

8 your life time in the Borough to make any

9 observations of the property that we've been talking

10 about this evening at 479 Perry Highway?

11 A. When I would be at the fire hall and that,

12 you know, they're right next-door.

13 Q. And during the course of the time of

14 working for the Borough, did you have the opportunity

15 to observe it?

16 A. I'd pass it, yes. I didn't observe it, you

17 know, look at it specially.

18 Q. Would you have noticed or made an

19 observation as to whether any vehicles were parked on

20 the front portion that we've been referring to as the

21 sidewalk?

22 MR. CLEMENT: I object. He's already

23 answered that question. He said that he did not

24 observe it.

25 MR. WATSON: Overruled.

Page 100

1 Q. Do you understand my question, Ron?

2 A. Yes. Really and truthfully, the only time

3 1 can say I remember seeing a car parked there was

4 this past Memorial Day. I believe it could have been

5 a little red car just parked out in front of the

6 building. Other than that, I've never really paid

7 that much attention to it.

8 Q. Would a car parked there have drawn your

9 attention?

10 MR. CLEMENT: Objection. Calling for

11 speculation.

12 MR. WATSON: Overruled.

13 A. Do you want me to answer?

14 Q. Yes.

15 A. Probably not, no.

16 Q. So when you were operating the fire hall

17 there, did you ever make any observations of anyone

18 parked in front of that property?

19 A. No. This gentleman here (indicating), he

20 usually parked over by the hedges in front of the

21 fire hall or back by the door on the side of the fire

22 hall. There was cars in the alleyway. Some of them

23 were run, and some of them just sat there.

24 Q. And you observed Mr. Ballon park, then, in

25 the public parking lot there? Is that what you're

Page 101

1 saying?

2 A. Yes. By the hedges on the side of the

3 driveway or back by the side door where you go into

4 the fire hall. Then he parked in the alleyway

5 between the fire hall and his building.

6 MR. BAXTER: I have no other

7 questions.

8 MR. CLEMENT: No questions.

9 MR. BAXTER: Does the Board have any

10 questions?

11 MR. WATSON: No.

 

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