The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-07-08

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kmherst News-Times
uly 8,  1998
Amhorst. Ohio
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S     ioIs to deal
wiui additional
modular units
as classrooms
by APRIL MILLER
News-Times reporter
With last week's arrival of three
new modular units, each housing
two classrooms, the Amherst school
district now has modular units at every building.
Marion L. Steele High School,
Powers Elementary School and
Shupe Middle School were the recipients of the three new units. Shupe
already had one unit, as well as Harris Elementary School and Nord Junior High School.
The units, which were purchased
from a company in Indiana, are estimated to cost between $190,000 and
$200,000 after all of the electricity,
fire alarms and communication systems have been installed, explained
assistant superintendent Tim Logar.
The money comes from the district's permanent improvement
fund.
"This is not a permanent solution,
only a temporary solution to our
overcrowding problem," Logar said.
The need for space is going to continue to grow for the next five to
seven years."
As the housing market has grown,
the district has continued to experience growth. In addition to modular
classrooms, all-day kindergarten
was eliminated for the 1998-1999
school year to help alleviate the
overcrowding problem.
The decision to buy modulars was
made at a special board meeting
held in January. The board said they
thought the community would not
support the cost of building more
classrooms.
An emergency situation was dec
lared at the February board meeting
and the board directed superintendent Howard Dulmage and supervisor of facilities Ken Glowacki to
take the necessary steps to purchase
and install three units.
Building principals decide which
classes will use the units, by determining what their particular building needs are. Logar said the modular unit at MLS was placed on the
front lawn, near the music department, because the units will house
the music classes. Parking is not affected at any of the buildings by the
modulars.
After a teacher's desk, cabinets
and shelves have been installed, Logar said 24 students fit comfortably
in each modular classroom.
Robert Boynton, who takes over
as superintendent Aug. 1, said
growth and transition will be his
two biggest issues in the next five to
seven years.
Boynton said he plans to reconvene the future planning committee
to look closely at growth and
facilities.
"In October, I will have a better
idea of the numbers of students,"
Boynton said. "We will need to sit
down, look at the issue and see
where it takes us. We need to find a
solution that's acceptable to the majority of people in the community."
Both Boynton and Logar said the
modulars wil} be in place as
they are needed. However. Logar
said in order to put up a permanent
structure in the future a bond issue
will be needed.
"We want to make our program
as excellent as it has been and can
be and continue to improve on that,"
Logar said.
■ j
r I
Garrett Knoll and Brittany Gerena look through some paperwork
as they plan their strategy to raise thousands of dollars for special
firefighting equipment that could help save lives.
Youngsters to raise gear cash
by QLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Brittany Gerena and Garrett
Knoll have taken on a big task for
their young ages.
The 12-year-olds have launched
an effort to raise $25365 for the
purchase of an IRIS Thermal Imau-
ig System, a hi-tech helmet device
that will help their lathers battle
fires and save lives.
Brittany's father. Rick Gerena, is
a firefighter and Garrett's dad, Greg
Knoll, is a captain with the Amherst
Fire Department.
The IRIS helmet is a new space
age device that will allow them to
Firefighters' children start
fundraisers for new helmet
detect heat, and thus fire, through
walls and other dense factors. One
worn by a Lorain firefighter recently
helped save the life of a small boy
trapped irua 8—eHCnt during a
blaze.  *'■«"•
Their idea was not initiated by the
fire department and took fire chief
Ralph Zilch by surprise. He knew
nothing about their fundraising campaign until he heard about it from
some "well placed sources" in the
fire department and city hall.
He got the full scoop about the
childrens' effort during a meeti ng
with them June 23.
The fire chief had no plans to buy
one of the helmets.
"It's a wonderful piece of equipment but, give* the price, I just
couldn't see spending taxpayers'
money," he explained. "It's something you'd like to have, but it's awfully expensive for just one."
Zilch said he cannot recall an incident in Amherst when the helmet,
which is equipped with special infrared red goggles, would have been
helpful. Regardless, he said there's
always a future risk of people being
trapped and not found during a fire.
The IRIS could prevent such a
disaster.
Soon to be seventh graders at
Nord Junior High School, Gerena
and Knoll got the idea while doing a
social studies reading project several weeks ago while they wen
sixth graders at Shupe Middle
School.
Brittany learned about the device
while reading an article on it in a
Time for Kids magazine and, because Knoll's father also is a firefighter, recruited him to help her.
CONTINUED on page S
Campers challenge
their imaginations here
by KRISTIN WEBBER
News-Times intern
Eighty-eight children from
northern Ohio worked together
to escape the Planet Zak last
week.
The escape from Zak was
one of the five stations at
Camp Invention, which was
held at Shupe Middle School.
Campers were stranded on
the planet (a classroom filled
with Mack lights and glow-in-
the-dark materials) and had to
build spacesuits. search for
food, cross poisonous swamps
without touching the water,
and finally build rocket ships
to get home.
At another station, children
built a rollercoaster out of
garden hose and cardboard
tabes to learn about the laws
of motion. They also hunted
for and buried their own treasure, learned about electronics
and came up with inventions
of their own.
Second through sixth grade
studenu from Amherst, Firelands. Wakeman, Vermilion.
Avon, Lorain and the eaat
aids of Cleveland came to the
camp which was held from 9
tun. to 3:30 pjn., June 29
through July 3.
Kathy Stark, Camp Invention's director, said the camp
She said it tat helped studenU mike aew friends, over-
to a*
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