Amherst News-Times, 1997-04-23

              REM marks 30th anniversary — Page 2    Street repairs fall behind — Page '
Amherst News-Times
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Wednesday. April 23. 1997
Amherst, Ohio
Citations issued
after neighbor's
dog attacks MRR
woman Saturday
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by BILL ROSS
News-Times reporter
An Amhersl woman is lucky to
be alive, after the left side of her
face was nearly torn off by a chow/
boxer mix, as he mauled her in the
yard of her parent's home on
Middle Ridge Road last Saturday
evening.
Jennifer Syrowski, 28, who lives
on Park Avenue, was visiting with
her parents at about 6:45 p.m.,iwhen
she was attacked as she attempted to
help a 15-year-old neighbor girl
round up her family's three dogs,
who were running loose in the Syrowski's yard.
The woman's grandfather, John
Faron, lives next door to Syrowski's
parents and witnessed the attack
along with his wife, Elizabeth.
Faron said that Syrowski was
concerned for the welfare of her parent's two dogs, who were tied up
outside, because the neighbor's dogs
had threatened them before.
As Syrowski attempted to pick up
one of the neighbor's smaller dogs,
she was knocked down and attacked
by Brutus, the chow/boxer mix.
"She came over to help the girl,
but she didn't have a chance," Faron
said. "He knocked her to the ground
and tore into her. She was able to
get back up and started running for
the house screaming, but he jumped
on her back and knocked her down
again."
Syrowski's screams alerted her
father, John Syrowski, who attempted to stop the dog from attacking by swinging a baseball bat at
him.
"He took a swing at him and the
dog backed off," Janice Syrowski,
Jennifer's mother, said. 'The dog
just circled around, growled and attacked her again."
Finally, the 15-year-old girl was
able lo grab Brutus by his collar and
drag him into her home. The girl's
parents, David and Joanne Mitchell,
were not at home al the time of the
attack.
Syrowski was rushed to Amherst
Hospital, where she underwent three
and a half hours of surgery, some of
which was microscopic, according
to her doctor, Rcnato Querubin.
Qucrubin told the News-Times
that he had treated dog bite injuries
in the past, but had never seen "any
so extensive."
George Bclinsky, Lorain County
Dog Warden, was called to the
scene shortly after the attack, and
found that the Mitchell girl was hysterical and had locked Brutus in a
bathroom.
"Because she is a minor, I had lo
CONTINUED on page 3
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The county dog warden carefully leads the     to its cage. Following quarantine, the dog will be
dog which attacked an Amherst woman Saturday     destroyed.
Top court's ruling
will have no affect
on school building
by GLEN MILLER
Final salute
A funeral procession for Michael Lee Huffman
is led by his fellow motorcycle enthusiasts as it
heads down Park Avenue heading to Crownhill
Cemetery on April 15. Huffman. 41, who died after being injured in a motorcycle accident the
previous week, was a longtime Amherst resident
who had moved to Wakeman with his wife and
three children several years ago. Services were
held al Hempel Funeral Home, and seating for
175 people was filled to capacity, with people
standing in the aisles to pay tribute to their fallen
friend.
News-Times reporter
Amherst school officials say a
3.954 mill bond issue sought for
school renovations and additions is
the only way to ease school district
overcrowding without eventually
implementing half-day sessions.
"There is absolutely no money for
expansion because we have none.
This is our only hope," superintendent of schools Howard Dulmage
said. "Without this (bond issue), we
would have to seriously look at half-
day sessions. We think that would
affect education and academic
performance."
There is a direct correlation between what and how children learn
and the number of students in a
classroom or school, he added.
One of Ihe jobs of the Citizens for
Amherst Schools, a community
group formed to help pass the bond
issue, will be to dispel misconceptions about the availability of school
district permanent improvement (PI)
funds for the projecL
Dulmage said some people believe the PI fund can be used to help
finance the $16.7 million projecL
But the $500,000 the schools annually receive for permanent improvements is reserved for repairs to the
schools and the purchase of new
equipment
So far this year, more than a third
of the money has been spent;
$105,000 for two new school buses
and $100,000 lo replace two Harris
Elementary School roof top heating
units. More will eventually be used
for parking lot paving and olher improvements, he added.
"We use this money lo keep
school buildings and equipment in
good shape, and they are in good
shape," he added. "We cannot afford lo let them get in bad
condition."
Tbe other issue that must be overcome is a 3.9 mill school operating
fund approved two years ago. It cannot be used for anything more than
providing about $1.4 million a year
lo keep the schools operating and
pay teachers' salaries.
Moreover, state financial help is
out of the question, despite the recent Ohio Supreme Court ruling that
found government funding to be inadequate. The Supreme Court decision only relates to operating funds.
Two seniors
reach top
test level
Two Amherst seniors —
Douglas Walled and Heather
Skeeles — have scored at the
honors level on all five sections
of the twelfth grade proficiency
tests, according to school
officials.
The senior proficiency test —
not to be confused with the
ninth grade proficiency test required for graduation — is used
as a benchmark for educators
and students. Taken in February, the test results were released April 10 showing Amherst students scoring in ihe top
percentages compared to the
rest of the county's schools.
Of the five categories —
writing, reading, mathematics,
citizenship and science — Amherst seniors recorded the top
score in three — reading,
mathematics and science.
Overall, 54 percent of the
Comet students passed the senior proficiency tests, the highest in the county. The state average is 39 percenL
CONTINUED on page 11
not the expansion needed by the
school districL
Slate representatives William
Taylor, Daniel Metelsky and John
Bender have informed Dulmage not
lo expect any help from the state department of education or legislature.
All three legislators, who represent
parts of the Amherst school district,
CONTINUED on page 11
City si
five-y^
deal for
roadway
by BILL ROSS
News-Times reporter
The city has signed a five-
year lease agreement to build a
temporary asphalt access road
to N. Quarry Road, after a coo*
necting bridge that crosses the
Conrail tracks was closed due
to structural problems.
Florence Leslie, of 1030 N.
Quarry Road, will be paid
$7,500 to allow the city to use
her property for the five-year
period to connect N. Quarry
Road to W. Martin Street
Costs for the 800-foot access
road are estimated at $56,000,
according to city engineer Mite
Pommeranz, who said he is
hoping to start construction
sometime this week.
"1 am waiting for a response
for the Ohio Public Works
Commission on emergency
funds that may be available for
the project" Pommeranz said.
"However, that should not affect the starting date by much.*
The three and a ha if-inch
asphalt road will lay on top of
an eight-inch stone base, which
Pommeranz said will be suitable
for school buses, propane trucks
and emergency vehicles. It will
be very simitar to what yoo
would find ir, a residential area»
only it will be only 24-feet wide
and will have no curb."
Two large trees will need to
be removed, and the steep grate
at the end of W. Martin will
need to be altered, but Pommer- I
anz does not view it as a majnf'j
logistical problem.
At the end of the five-year
period, the road may remain as
a private access road to the Le-1
slie property, or must be
moved if the owner of the
erty desires.
At an April 14 city co
meeting, mayor John Hi,
was given emergency powers Ii
seek "any and all grants" that
can be used to repair or rebuild
the N. Quarry Road bridge.
However, more damage was
discovered after a recent inspec-
tion, which means that the
bridge could be irreparable.
"We had several residents
port to us that they had
stake truck and a van on
bridge after it had been closed,'
Higgins saftL That means they
had to move the heavy concrete
barriers we had hi place.*
If the bridge is condemned*
as suggested by several engineers, a new bridge could sUS
be built if emergency funds can
be acquired to offset the estimated 1.2 million cost for ends
a project
Emergency fluids could cow
up to 75 percent of that amount
leaving ihe city to cover the as*
maining $300,(X)0-$400,000, according to Pommcranx.
He displayed a map at the
council meeting showing that a
new bridge would need to be
built west of where the existing
one is, and would be angled fat
safety, rather than running perpendicular to the railroad track-.
Pommeranz said after going I
through the gram application J
process and dealing with other
matters of red tape, such a
bridge would probably take
three years tu complete. ^^^
Another attentats would he
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build a less-expensive type
bridge with all private
which woald only take
months and would cost
maiely $400,000. It
galvanized structure with
asphalt deck. F
. After ihe existing bridge
determined lo be ita-tiHg
traffic and closed three
ago, tbe city had to
for an alternate, as the
COCTtNUED on nag*