THE EARLY YEARS

IN 1979 ARLENE IS WORKING FULL-TIME AS A RN; I'M WORKING FULL-TIME AS A MILLWRIGHT HELPER WITH LOTS OF OVERTIME; JUST GOT MARRIED, BOUGHT PROPERTY AND TRYING TO FIX IT UP TO OUR LIKING. I'M 21, AND OBVIOUSLY THINKING OF OTHER THINGS, DIDN'T PUT MUCH THOUGHT IN THE LOCATION OF OUR MAILBOX. I FOLLOWED THE LEAD OF THE PREVIOUS OWNERS AND PUT IT IN THE SAME LOCATION, ON THE SAME POST, IN THE PREVIOUS MENTIONED GRAVEL AREA  BEFORE THE ENTRANCE TO OUR DRIVEWAY. THIS WAS MY NEIGHBORS PROPERTY IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE. MY NEIGHBORS WERE A NICE SWEET GRANDMOTHER , A MOTHER, A SON AND A DAUGHTER. THE MAILBOX LOCATION LEAD TO MY FIRST CONTACT BY WAY OF A "DEAR NEIGHBOR" LETTER. THE LETTER-FROM THE MOTHER-SAID  THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LEAVE IT GO, BUT WHEN I LATER PUT MY NAME ABOVE THE MAILBOX IT WAS BLOCKING THEIR MAILBOX. NO PROBLEM, I JUST DUG A HOLE IN FRONT OF MY PROPERTY, SET A PIPE IN CONCRETE AND LATER SET MY MAILBOX. THIS MAILBOX LOCATION IS STILL THE SAME TODAY AND HAD SOME IMPORTANCE DURING THE TRAIL. THE GRANDMOTHER CAME TO OUR HOUSE AND APOLOGIZES. YEARS LATER   HER GRANDDAUGHTER [THE DAUGHTER] AND FUTURE HUSBAND FILE THE LAWSUIT. 

1994 PICTURE OUR DRIVEWAY AND EAST DONORA RD.

EAST DONORA RD.

EAST DONORA RD. IN ROSTRAVER TWP., BELLE VERNON, PA. IS A NICE DEAD END RD. IT'S SURROUNDED BY WOODS AND HAS ONLY A DOZEN OR SO HOUSES. WE ARE ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF PITTSBURGH. AS YOU ENTER EAST DONORA AND HEAD TOWARDS OUR PROPERTY YOU MAKE A SHARP LEFT AND THEN THE ROAD STRAIGHTENS OUT FOR 700 HUNDRED FEET OR SO. THE ROAD ITSELF IS FAIRLY LEVEL TO THIS POINT BUT THE SURROUNDING GROUND IS SOMEWHAT SLOPPED. AS YOU CAME TO OUR PROPERTY IN 1978 YOU WOULD NOTICE A GRAVEL PARKING AREA BEFORE OUR DRIVEWAY AND THEN AS YOU ENTER OUR DRIVEWAY YOU WOULD NOTICE, 8 FEET TO YOUR LEFT, A SMALL GARAGE WITH OUR ORIGINAL OWNERS NAME PAINTED ON THE GARAGE, WITH A ARROW POINTING IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR HOUSE. OUR HOUSE SITS ON THE BACK SET OF LOTS AS FAR AWAY FROM THE GARAGE AS IT COULD BE ON THE PROPERTY. EAST DONORA RD. STARTS TO GO UPHILL FROM OUR DRIVEWAY TO THE END OF OUR PROPERTY, THEN TURNS RIGHT BEFORE GOING DOWN A HILL.