Amherst News-Times, 2000-08-23

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DARE Day planned at Drug Mart — Page 2
CROP walkers need help — Page 3
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Amherst News-Time
Wednesday, August 23, 2000
Amherst, Ohio
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9
New faces, fewer spaces greet studer
by KATHLEEN WILLBOND
News-Times editor
Ready or not, the school bell
rings Thursday, Aug. 24, for public
school students in AmhersL
Students at St. Joseph School
were back in class yesterday.
New programs, some new teachers and plenty of enthusiasm will
greet students when they return to
Marion L. Steele High, Nord Junior
High, Shupe Middle, Powers
Elementary and Harris Elementary
schools tomorrow.
Here is a rundown of information
parents, and students can use:
New reading
lab will put
kids in gear
At the high school, students are
led by three administrators: Fred
Holland, who returns for his third
year as principal, associate principal Tom Lehman and assistant prin
cipal Jeff Riesen.
During the summer months, the
high school doesn't slow down
much.
"With summer school here,
we're never closed," Holland said.
In the last month, hundreds of student athletes, participants of a
cheerleading camp, and marching
band squads have been filtering in
as practices and special events have
been held at MLS.
Classes start at 7:35 a.m. at the
high school and end at 2:40 p.m.
Holland said the overcrowded
school ended the 1999-2000 school
year with 1,234 students. He expects that number to swell but
won't have exact figures until the
school year officially starts.
New teachers at the high school
will include social studies instructor
Brian Kelley, science teacher Mitch
Gillam and network communications instructor Holger Penton.
Also, filling in for a maternity
leave is Lorraine Millhorn, English
teacher, who will be in the class for
first semester and possibly the entire school year.
Holland said a new cook — Jennifer Ryder — has also joined the
Jl
New principal Rhonda Neuhoff is in front of
the security doors that were installed at Harris
Elementary School.
staff at the sel
Over the si I was
improved wi      m 1 up
grades inctud in the
parking lot areas ana a track
resurfacing.
Inside the high school, Holland
said the building has been rewired
to accommodate present and future
technology improvements through a
Power-Up grant, which has been
granted to many Ohio school
districts.
"The needs of this building have
grown so much," he said. "This
puts our infrastructure in good
shape."
Also new to the school this year
will be a mobile writing lab.
During a five-year curriculum
update, Holland said the English
department called for a writing facility or lab.
But with every "nook and
cranny" in the building being used,
the only way to provide a writing
lab was to make it mobile. The cabinet will hold 30 laptop computers
which can be moved from room to
room, he explained.
CONTINUED on page 2
Cops honored
for courage,
job dedication
by VICKIE HAUFF
News-Times correspondent
Amherst police chief Lonnie Dillon presented several
of his department members
with awards Friday night in a
ceremony at the police station
with family members present,
Dillon started the program
in order to recognize and
show his appreciation to those
staff members who show extraordinary effort in their
work.
Patrolman Marc Zappa re-
cieved the Purple Heart for
being wounded in the line of
duty when he and a good Samaritan went over the Crosse
Street overpass on RL 2 last
February while tending to an
accident at which tune a
pickup truck raced through
the scene causing the two to
go over the bridge. The good
Samaritan was killed and
Zappa has been recovering
from injuries for several
months.
Along with the departmental purple heart, Zappa also
recieved the Law Enforcement
Purple Heart from the Ameri-
CONTINUED on page 2
At the awards ceremony last Friday night were patrolman
Marc Zappa, detective James McCann, sergeant Daniel Makru
ski, chief Lonnie Dillon, patrolman Jacob Perez and DARE officer Les Carrender.
MetroPark
project
showing
progress
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
News-Times reporter
What started as a Bender Construction schematic is gradually becoming a reality.
Bender is working feverishly to
make the area next to and around
the new police station on North
Lake Street look more like a park
every day.
Driving by the site one can see
that there is indeed work being
done, however, you can't really appreciate the magnitude of the project
unless you tour the entire site.
The project is the first of its kind
in the county, a city/Lorain County
MetroParks joint project, which will
result in a large park for use by the
public.
MetroParks director Dm Martin
granted the News-Times a tour of
the project last week.
The area of the park that is visible
from the street will be home to a
regulation size soccer field, playground, and picnic area. From there
the park stretches back with an eight
foot wide circular asphalt trail that
winds around the 72 acre property.
e mil will boast two bridges that
exceed 115 feet in length. There will
be a nice mixture of clear meadows
and covered wooded areas to make
New reconstructive
joint surgery center
to open at hospital
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MetroParks director Dan Martin ia excited ab-     and the city, the first of Ms kind,
out the joint venture between the park system
the park appealing to everyone.       and a rocking chair deck. The build- An additional $600,000 is coming
"Our goal is that when this is fin-   ing will be available for family from private (tavarions
ifhed.youw«i'tla^ifweputit   reunions, receptions and other such t* city tf .Amherst will be re-
there or nature did,   said Martin,    Auctions, .pon^ for the day to day cyera-
Tteceni-njiecetftlKpurkisthe      The $U million project is being fjoa aadmaie-Mmance c* the pmfc.
sheher. The mam building will be   funded by several institutions. J&***J2m ***** 7,^
equipped with indoor restroorm, an  $600,000 it being paid by both the Tim Msoni^wffl supply !l» nam
efficiency kitchen, gap fireplace,   city tf Amber* Md .he MeaoPirks. CONTINUED on page »
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
News-Times reporter
In early February, officials of
EMH Regional Healthcare System
announced that they would redesign
the mission of Amherst Hospital.
Over time, the general hospital
focus would shift to boutique offerings of specialty services. In April, a
new Pain Management Center
opened featuring a relatively new
and long lasting pain relief proce-
dure called radiofrequency
lesioning.
Now, after lengthy planning and a
major facility renovation, EMH has
announced the October opening of
tbe Center for Joint Reconstructive
Surgery at AmhersL
This comprehensive joint replacement program uvorporates the latest
in hip and knee replacement surgery
with extensive patient and family
education and a physical rehabilitation rjrogram aitned at restoring the
patient to their full potential in the
shortest time possible, according to
Amherst Hospital director Rob
Capretto.
The center will feature a six room
"residence" that will house the pa-
tienu. Each room will have a private
bath and room for family members.
Unlike moat hoapital-, the center
will provide me freedom to rent movies, order take oat, and check
books and periodicals oat of a
library.
"After all these people aren't really sick. They just have a bad part
that needs to be replaced," Capretto
explained.
Unlike other orthopedic institutions who work on one patient at a
time, the center will take six patients
at a time and put all six through the
program together.
They will all be admitted and receive the surgery on Monday, with
Tuesday set aside for recovery. The
rest of the week will see the patients
go through intensive physical therapy. Friday will see the patients discharged as a group.
The center will focus on specialty
services as opposed to working as a
general hospital.
"There will be a need in Amherst
for a medical facility like this,"
stated Capretto.
This new center will be located in
the long closed Family Birthing
Center area of the Amherst Hospital. The birthing rooms have been
convened into the residence rooms,
while the fanner nursery has become the physical therapy center.
THe center will also boast the
largest surgery suite ia Lorain
County. 620 square feet.
Capretto was also quick to acknowledge EMH and their involvement in mis project "EMH has
elected to ssake Amber* Hoapital a
viable resource to this <
he mid.