Newspaper: The Evening Sentinel
Date: April 2, 1979
Title: Most Residents in Carlisle Area are Staying Put
Author: Bill Weary

Most Carlisle area residents, considering themselves out of danger from Three Mile Island radiation are staying home.

Many of the 50,000 residents in the Cumberland, Dauphin, York and Lancaster County area who have left are from the Harrisburg-West Shore area.

But for Carlisle residents, a random telephone survey conducted by The Sentinel indicates, as one resident put it, “it would have to get pretty serious before we’d leave.”

Nonetheless, Charles Klotz, 34, 120 Garland Dr., said some of his friends with young children are leaving.

AND ONE BOROUGH woman, who lives in East North Street, said she and her family are concerned enough to leave today for her parents’ home in Arkansas.

She asked her name and exact address be concealed to prevent possible burglary of her home. Four other persons on her street are also leaving, she said.

“There are going to be a lot of people staying but I don’t feel it’s safe and my husband doesn’t feel it’s safe,” she said.

“I don’t want to risk my kids’ lives, that 40 years from now they may suffer some illness,” she said. “We probably should have left three or four days ago.”

The woman said one of their three children is a one-year old girl.

Fred A Schwarz, 32, 23 N. High St., Newville, said he had heard of some families between Plainfield and Newville leaving. Such cases, however, seem the exception rather than the rule.

“I’m going to stay until they give word,” Schwarz said, “Right now I’m not worried.”

IN FACT, Schwarz said he is currently hosting inlaws who live in the Harrisburg area. “They might stay with us until this is all over,” he said.

“I’m going to sit tight until something develops,” Daniel Raudabaugh, RDI Boiling Springs said.

“According to the current news, there’s no major cause for concern.” That, he said, is the consensus of his friends and neighbors.

“I’m not frightened at this point,” Margaret McBride, 324 S. Pitt St., said. “People seem to feel we’re far enough away.”

Frank Burkholder, 88, 84 Broad St., Newville, hasn’t considered leaving either. “Here’s my home, where I am,” he said. “It’s the only place I have to go…”

Some area residents may be staying for now-but with an eye toward quick departure if need be.

“We have packed our clothes and we’re getting ready,” Grace Miller, 68, RD Bonny Brook said. “If the warning comes, I hope we have time to get out.”