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(Indicate page, name of PAGE / newspaper, city and slate} THE Tih UueE Diter 0 CF JeHes Forte, PA Date: FTDA Pag) oe Eoin: ” / / Jone Fa oAF ME Ban oF tebhesS wasn, De. 7 Character Vit Tem . Glass! fication COS Cp ue. + TA var 7 ROGER YoaELFOR THE TRIBUNE- 3) Gity Councilman Te Rastall brought a gun to council’s meeting fi ‘ hearing a man convicted of threatening Rep. John Murtha would be there. L _ ‘fm rot paranoi City coun cilman a pistol-packer gy JASON OREEN 1 Worried that something might hap- “THE FRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT | . i pen, Rastall said he wanted tobe pre- Saying he feared for bil: safety, John- { pared. i stown City Couneiiman 1 odd Rastall i “The city can’t pratect me. If they're | was prepared to take mati ars into his ot going to protect council and me, Pm , own hands. joing to exercise my Second Amend- ' No shots were fired, ment rights,” he added in a telephone | Rastall, who has a gun perncit and-car- ! Interview from his store. | vies a handgun, packed srevolyer “There are graveyards filled with peo- _ before heading to Wednes Hay night’s le who weren't considered a threat. I'm city council meeting. ; : not paranoid, but I'm careful,” the cov: He knew that Donald Finton, who was j ¢ibnan said. ' convicted ofthreatening oiat'u: S.Rep.: But federal John Murtha, D-Johnstov n, was likely officials do not consider | * to be in the audience. —=——O PISTOL Continued from At Fenton, who wears a monitoring device, dangerous and council can do to keep him out of the public session. “They gave him permission to come out,” Kilduff said from his office. “In their opin- Kilduff said. Because te decision, there is nothing in a telephone intervie’ ion, he’s safe.” Reached at his hom, Fenton “Pm trying to do {he right thing,” he said in a {alephone | to destroy me but a. complete and utter attempt : | ogize to Rastall and anvone else - , whom he has made afraid. “Everyone's walking around scared that I’m going to kill somebody,” he addefl. “I’m not about that.” As a convicted felon§ he’s given up his rights and should not be permitted fo attend meetings, Rastall said. “It's a total breach oftsecurity,” he added, citing the Capitol shooting last mgnth in Washington as an exam- ple of what could have gone wrong. “It’s not like all of a sUdden he came up. We knew he’d be there.” Fellow Councilman Ron Stevens said he has no prob- Please see PISTOL, Ad lem with Rastall having a gun at the ‘meeting ifhe has a permit. “T guess he has a license to carry if ” Stevens added in a’telephone interview from his horhe. “Tt isn’t a prob- Jem.” Kilduff said it’s Rastall’s prerogative to arm himself and didn’t have a problem with the councilman packing heat, “He has a right to carry it,” Kilduff added. “We'd like to think these sessions don’t warrant carrying a gun.” . At Wednesday’s meeting, after Fenton said his peace and left without incident, council discussed safety issues. Mayor Don Zucco said the city shouldn’t exclude peo- - ple from meetings, but must enstire they have a salient point to make and stick to it. “It’s a delicate balance. We . .| opportunity to speak to jhe body. “Pm trying to do the right ‘want to treat everyone who comes with courtesy,” he said called Rastall’s reactiim “irra- ° thing. This is nothing but a ; toward the end of the one-hour i cornplete and utter attempt | meeting. “I also don’t want that F 4, s podium to become a platform.” ~ “ Everyone $ During his address to council, interview. “This thing is nothing . walking around scared that“ Fenton rambled about a plan, which he called “perfect and flaw- to destroy me.” . I m going to kill somebody. . , Jess in every way” and “not pie- Fenton said he’s not(trying to: [’m not about thai.” . in-the-sky” for Johnstown’s pros- Donald Fenton | Petty. : But Fenton was unable to cite ~ specific steps that should he tak- en or present his proposal in writing. When he previously addressed council, Fenton was asked to submit his ideas in writing. He never has. Fenton, 41, of Geistown was convicted of threatening to kill a federal official in July. No sentencing date has been set. A trial also is scheduled in Cambria County Court, as Fenton allegedly threatened Murtha’ S aide and an insur- ance agent. Jury selection is slated next week.