The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-09-02 |
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o i-» C O 3 X i Fall sports teams featured — Pages 6-8 Company to move offices here — Page 14 Amherst News-Times o r~> Soptombor 2 rm Amherst Ohio 50 rents ' ii ;idents put ^raising talents in gear for ventures by OLEN MILLER Newe-Times reporter Wanted: money, about $395,000 for three good civic causes that no one seems to have hidden away in a big cookie jar. It's a plea Amherst residents began hearing and reading about three weeks ago and will continue to over the coming weeks and months. Civic groups have launched or will soon begin campaigns to raise money for die fire department, a new west side park and renovations to part of the historic, but badly deteriorated city hall. Out in front of the pack is a campaign started in July for a $25300 infrared helmet that will allow firefighters to spot victims and hot spots through dark and smoke. So far, the young fundraisers, 12-year-olds Brittany Gerena and Garrett Knoll, have collected $2,700 for the helmet, an IRIS Thermal Imaging System. It allows firefighters to see things during extreme heat and fire. One worn by a Lorain fire fighter recently helped save the life of small boy trapped in a basement during a fire. The fire department had no plans to buy one until Gerena read about it in a children's magazine and learned Letters keeking donations were sou to area businesses and a booth was set up at the Olde Time Jamboree this summer. The effort is expected to take at least a year. In the meantime, groups are heading projects to build a 34-acre west side park and the restoration of the second floor of city ball. The city does not have money budgeted for either. ' The proposed park is a joint venture of the Lorain County Metro- Parks and the city. The goal is to provide a new park to serve the growing population without raising taxes. It will be built on land behind the Amherst Police Department between N. Lake and N. Main streets. The city and the MetroParks have already agreed to kick in about two- thirds of the $1.8 million cost, but the remainder is to be raised from public contributions. So far, the park has no name. Until one comes along, mayor John Higgins said it will called the West Side Park. Four residents have volunteered to serve as a capital campaign committee in addition to the mayor and safety service director Sherrill McLoda. They are Donel and Tony Sprenger, William Starbuck and Sandra Bitar. Some money already has been raised during a special party for corporate and business leaders, but the bulk of it is being sought from residents — the people who will use it the most A fundraising campaign is expected to kick off in early October and conclude later in the fall. A brochure outlining the project has been created and paid for by the Metro- Parks. Envelopes for donations are enclosed in the brochures. The city hall fixup drive originally was created earlier this year a small group of residents to raise money for the replacement of the building's roof. Since then, the city has been able lo hire a bond underwriting firm. In turn, it will hire a bond legal counsel to sell bonds for about $4.1 million in city capital improvement projects, including the roof. David Williams, campaign chairman, could not be reached for com- CONTINUED on page 9 Back to work Sandy Kozar, first grade teacher at Powers Elementary School, gives her class a tour of the school's habitat. Turtles and other animals kept the students interested on their first day back to class. A copper top's best for city hall roof The new roof that will be placed on city hall is likely to start out as a bright gold color before eventually turning a shade of green sometime in the future. That's because the roof, which was supposed to be slate, probably will be made of copper instead. City council authorized safety services director Sherrill McLoda to advertise for bids for construction of a copper roof during a special Aug. 17 meeting. Council also hired Construction Resources of Solon to prepare plans and specifications for the project. Mayor John Higgins has asked the Ohio Historical Society for permission to use copper to replace the deteriorated shale roof. The organization's approval is necessary in order for the building to retain its designation as a national historical landmark. In approving the change, city council also asked the mayor to explore the cost of slate and shingles for a cost comparison if the state historical society denies the request The city cannot find any evidence the original roof was made with slate, although some tin has been found. "So, we feel it (copper) is keeping with the tin that may have been on the roof and is a material of the period it (city hall) was built," Bud Griffith, president of Construction Resources explained. Not only is copper easier to install, it is the most economical now that the price has declined by about a third. In addition, copper is lighter, will weigh less on the wood roof and can be installed for $400,000. Neighbors rally to help woman by KRISTIN WEBBER News-Times intern Amherat neighbors stick whether they ere the city, state or VidrJ Zbrezny Robbies, a 1982 Marion L. Steele High School graduate was diagnosed with schleroderma last September. Since then, several Amherst residents and organizations have taken up Rob- bins's cause through fundraisers and benefits. At the head of many of these projects is Robbins's lifelong friend, college roommate and godmother of her children, Stacey Bierfeldt Bierfeldt, 819 Willow Hollow Court, is a 1981 graduate of Marion L. Steele High School. Merfeidt remembered when Bobbins first showed Symplons after having her twins, Kelsey and Taylor. Robbies Ant dismissed her fatigue and striatal Hrabe as the stress of eerryfag and delivering twins. Tut Bobbins famly InrJudad (lop) Sarah and Taytor. and Katie, Dave and Vtoki and twins Keeeey Bierfeldt recalled Bobbins I don't is, bet that be the body to k is often fatal to ie npjjraj ft is referred as the he vie- There iS BO effects tynjfffr II to bias, 34, was Of 1997. Rob- Street paving slows to help pay for bridge The dry may not be able to re- pave more than a dozen streets in need of repair next year because of the cost of rebuilding the two-lane Jackson Street bridge. The cost, estimated at $750,000 or more, is expected to be among the topics discussed when city council takes on the issue of renewing a .5 mill income tax levy far street maintenance this fall or early this winter. The levy will expire on Dec. 31, 2000 and is likdy to be placed on the November 1999 ballot for renewal, according to mayor John Higgins. About 36 more streets remain on a list of those scheduled to be done before the end of 2000. Traditionally, the dty has been able to do about a dozen a year depending on the extent of repairs that need to be done. This mesas about a doaen will not be uniteed as hoped before th^ levy wiphrs. The nMid»-oeeded repair of the bridge iahkaty to aaamaatawtswa of funds available and may force the city to eat back on repaying oalessk qualifies for state bene II ftstdiag for capital decking also are of concern to city officials. "This is something I hadn't counted on four years ago, but you can't ignore it because its widely used," Higgins said. Without the bridge, traffic would have to be detoured either west or east along Park Avenue to S. Main and Church streets or N. Leavitt Road. The receipt of $200,000 in Issue II this year did save the dry money in the repair of the Cooper Foster Park Road bridge. The city only will spend $154,000 for paving. The city also saved money by locating good steel beams removed from other bridges by the state. The work will begin Sept 15 and oc compMtOQ oy nno"DoocfliDcr* Renewal of the levy is needed to complete streets not finished by the end of 2000 and "start over again on what is a continuous upgrading aad fixing of what we did yean ago," the mayor said die city's tax pic- "So, we don't have a'choiee. The bridge is ant going to wait far aa use tome of the streets eaa." the can't wait ajMfl we corns ay ■ajM* ■aMaasaMa ■■sate eatsamf. levy was eight yean ago. They include K- " aauHer I «s- <*m* HHHsl • HHHfll Qaa fern mat. Robbies is ^aWa\\wa^eMamamsanW^ *aWa oaagaaBBBe a}taa *ei**ma*mm*m*easd(m W^Sf^jjW ^0"aWjT S^aHseftj.HP to fee 88- h08Mhl*8 This hQgsdhllj wii be byitewcoounartdc*!*. mm* late the Amherst piMsPjoca* in a fcs. th veaejssssVeto em dtttta .ataaae to aa, pa}S8BJBl a/a sl .S i* ■HI ■ H H &; Mk&if&i &*2&<$. A aaawa ■M.
Object Description
Title | The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-09-02 |
Place |
Amherst (Ohio) Lorain County (Ohio) |
Date of Original | 02-SEP-1998 |
Searchable Date | 1998-09-02 |
Collection | Amherst News-Times |
Submitting Institution | Amherst Public Library |
Rights | Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Type | Text |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn84028333 |
Description
Title | The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-09-02 |
Place |
Amherst (Ohio) Lorain County (Ohio) |
Date of Original | 02-SEP-1998 |
Searchable Date | 1998-09-02 |
Submitting Institution | Amherst Public Library |
Rights | Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Full Text | o i-» C O 3 X i Fall sports teams featured — Pages 6-8 Company to move offices here — Page 14 Amherst News-Times o r~> Soptombor 2 rm Amherst Ohio 50 rents ' ii ;idents put ^raising talents in gear for ventures by OLEN MILLER Newe-Times reporter Wanted: money, about $395,000 for three good civic causes that no one seems to have hidden away in a big cookie jar. It's a plea Amherst residents began hearing and reading about three weeks ago and will continue to over the coming weeks and months. Civic groups have launched or will soon begin campaigns to raise money for die fire department, a new west side park and renovations to part of the historic, but badly deteriorated city hall. Out in front of the pack is a campaign started in July for a $25300 infrared helmet that will allow firefighters to spot victims and hot spots through dark and smoke. So far, the young fundraisers, 12-year-olds Brittany Gerena and Garrett Knoll, have collected $2,700 for the helmet, an IRIS Thermal Imaging System. It allows firefighters to see things during extreme heat and fire. One worn by a Lorain fire fighter recently helped save the life of small boy trapped in a basement during a fire. The fire department had no plans to buy one until Gerena read about it in a children's magazine and learned Letters keeking donations were sou to area businesses and a booth was set up at the Olde Time Jamboree this summer. The effort is expected to take at least a year. In the meantime, groups are heading projects to build a 34-acre west side park and the restoration of the second floor of city ball. The city does not have money budgeted for either. ' The proposed park is a joint venture of the Lorain County Metro- Parks and the city. The goal is to provide a new park to serve the growing population without raising taxes. It will be built on land behind the Amherst Police Department between N. Lake and N. Main streets. The city and the MetroParks have already agreed to kick in about two- thirds of the $1.8 million cost, but the remainder is to be raised from public contributions. So far, the park has no name. Until one comes along, mayor John Higgins said it will called the West Side Park. Four residents have volunteered to serve as a capital campaign committee in addition to the mayor and safety service director Sherrill McLoda. They are Donel and Tony Sprenger, William Starbuck and Sandra Bitar. Some money already has been raised during a special party for corporate and business leaders, but the bulk of it is being sought from residents — the people who will use it the most A fundraising campaign is expected to kick off in early October and conclude later in the fall. A brochure outlining the project has been created and paid for by the Metro- Parks. Envelopes for donations are enclosed in the brochures. The city hall fixup drive originally was created earlier this year a small group of residents to raise money for the replacement of the building's roof. Since then, the city has been able lo hire a bond underwriting firm. In turn, it will hire a bond legal counsel to sell bonds for about $4.1 million in city capital improvement projects, including the roof. David Williams, campaign chairman, could not be reached for com- CONTINUED on page 9 Back to work Sandy Kozar, first grade teacher at Powers Elementary School, gives her class a tour of the school's habitat. Turtles and other animals kept the students interested on their first day back to class. A copper top's best for city hall roof The new roof that will be placed on city hall is likely to start out as a bright gold color before eventually turning a shade of green sometime in the future. That's because the roof, which was supposed to be slate, probably will be made of copper instead. City council authorized safety services director Sherrill McLoda to advertise for bids for construction of a copper roof during a special Aug. 17 meeting. Council also hired Construction Resources of Solon to prepare plans and specifications for the project. Mayor John Higgins has asked the Ohio Historical Society for permission to use copper to replace the deteriorated shale roof. The organization's approval is necessary in order for the building to retain its designation as a national historical landmark. In approving the change, city council also asked the mayor to explore the cost of slate and shingles for a cost comparison if the state historical society denies the request The city cannot find any evidence the original roof was made with slate, although some tin has been found. "So, we feel it (copper) is keeping with the tin that may have been on the roof and is a material of the period it (city hall) was built," Bud Griffith, president of Construction Resources explained. Not only is copper easier to install, it is the most economical now that the price has declined by about a third. In addition, copper is lighter, will weigh less on the wood roof and can be installed for $400,000. Neighbors rally to help woman by KRISTIN WEBBER News-Times intern Amherat neighbors stick whether they ere the city, state or VidrJ Zbrezny Robbies, a 1982 Marion L. Steele High School graduate was diagnosed with schleroderma last September. Since then, several Amherst residents and organizations have taken up Rob- bins's cause through fundraisers and benefits. At the head of many of these projects is Robbins's lifelong friend, college roommate and godmother of her children, Stacey Bierfeldt Bierfeldt, 819 Willow Hollow Court, is a 1981 graduate of Marion L. Steele High School. Merfeidt remembered when Bobbins first showed Symplons after having her twins, Kelsey and Taylor. Robbies Ant dismissed her fatigue and striatal Hrabe as the stress of eerryfag and delivering twins. Tut Bobbins famly InrJudad (lop) Sarah and Taytor. and Katie, Dave and Vtoki and twins Keeeey Bierfeldt recalled Bobbins I don't is, bet that be the body to k is often fatal to ie npjjraj ft is referred as the he vie- There iS BO effects tynjfffr II to bias, 34, was Of 1997. Rob- Street paving slows to help pay for bridge The dry may not be able to re- pave more than a dozen streets in need of repair next year because of the cost of rebuilding the two-lane Jackson Street bridge. The cost, estimated at $750,000 or more, is expected to be among the topics discussed when city council takes on the issue of renewing a .5 mill income tax levy far street maintenance this fall or early this winter. The levy will expire on Dec. 31, 2000 and is likdy to be placed on the November 1999 ballot for renewal, according to mayor John Higgins. About 36 more streets remain on a list of those scheduled to be done before the end of 2000. Traditionally, the dty has been able to do about a dozen a year depending on the extent of repairs that need to be done. This mesas about a doaen will not be uniteed as hoped before th^ levy wiphrs. The nMid»-oeeded repair of the bridge iahkaty to aaamaatawtswa of funds available and may force the city to eat back on repaying oalessk qualifies for state bene II ftstdiag for capital decking also are of concern to city officials. "This is something I hadn't counted on four years ago, but you can't ignore it because its widely used," Higgins said. Without the bridge, traffic would have to be detoured either west or east along Park Avenue to S. Main and Church streets or N. Leavitt Road. The receipt of $200,000 in Issue II this year did save the dry money in the repair of the Cooper Foster Park Road bridge. The city only will spend $154,000 for paving. The city also saved money by locating good steel beams removed from other bridges by the state. The work will begin Sept 15 and oc compMtOQ oy nno"DoocfliDcr* Renewal of the levy is needed to complete streets not finished by the end of 2000 and "start over again on what is a continuous upgrading aad fixing of what we did yean ago," the mayor said die city's tax pic- "So, we don't have a'choiee. The bridge is ant going to wait far aa use tome of the streets eaa." the can't wait ajMfl we corns ay ■ajM* ■aMaasaMa ■■sate eatsamf. levy was eight yean ago. They include K- " aauHer I «s- <*m* HHHsl • HHHfll Qaa fern mat. Robbies is ^aWa\\wa^eMamamsanW^ *aWa oaagaaBBBe a}taa *ei**ma*mm*m*easd(m W^Sf^jjW ^0"aWjT S^aHseftj.HP to fee 88- h08Mhl*8 This hQgsdhllj wii be byitewcoounartdc*!*. mm* late the Amherst piMsPjoca* in a fcs. th veaejssssVeto em dtttta .ataaae to aa, pa}S8BJBl a/a sl .S i* ■HI ■ H H &; Mk&if&i &*2&<$. A aaawa ■M. |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn84028333 |
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