Amherst News-Times, 2000-09-06

              DARE Day was good time — Page 3
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Wednesday, September 6, 2000
Amherst, Ohio
Party time
It was time for students — and administrators
and teachers — at Marion L. Steele High School
to let down their hair and enjoy some role rever
sal. Administrators served up the food for students, while students danced and partied, all as
part of a picnic to kick off the school year.
Masons to mark 125th
anniversary in October
i
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
News-Times reporter
In 187S. before this country was
even 100 years old, 13 master masons of the Vermilion Masonic
Lodge gathered in the office of the
Worthing Stone Company and decided to petition the Grand Lodge of
Ohio for a dispensation to form a
Masonic lodge in Amherst
On Oct 17 the Stonington Lodge,
as it would be named, will celebrate
its 125th anniversary. More than a
century is a long time for any civic
organization to remain active, but to
see an organization survive for this
long is really special.
Bill Spangler, secretary of the
Masonic lodge the past 22 years,
credits the longevity to the type of
people that have been involved with
the group.
"We do a lot for the community."
stated Spangler. "Keeping active
keeps the lodge going."
For those who are not quite familiar with the masons, they are a fraternal group that has its roots in England. Historians believe that the
group first surfaced in 926 A.D.
Masonry, or freemasonry is not a
religion, however, it does have roots,
in monotheism. It is a charitable organization that teaches "the golden
rule" as it seeks to make good men
better through a firm belief in the
fatherhood of God, the brotherhood
of man, and the immortality of the
soul.
They operate on a state to state
basis, with the grand lodge in each
slate overseeing .what the other
lodges are doing. Spangler estimates
that there is a freemason in every
country in the world making it one
of the largest organizations in the.
world.
Throughout the years the Amherst lodge has made numerous contributions lo Uie community. Every
year the group sponsors a graduating senior with a scholarship for
college. "We started it at $100,"
stated Spangler. "Now its up to
$300. We hope to get it up to $500."
They also sponsor the Special
Olympics. litis year each lodge sent
their contributions to the grand
CONTINUED on page 2
At right is the Lutheran Church property purchased by the Masons and then renovated for their present facility, above.
Firefighter's job
never solo effort,
lieutenant says
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
i
News-Times reporter
The typical stereotype of a volunteer fire department is a group of
gays banging out, playing cards, and
wishing the trucks. Just don't tell
that io Craig Camp.
Camp is a lieutenant in the Am-
hdrst Fire Department where he has
served for die past 10 yean. He is
alio a full-time firefighter in Elyria
and a part-time Lorain County Sheriff's Deputy.
"I like to keep busy," said Camp.
Busy is an understatement.
Camp graduated from Marion L.
Steele High School in 1986. then
enlisted in the United States Army,
(imp was a military policeman stationed in West Germany from 1986
to 1989.
"Thai wu one of the best limes of
my life," Camp staled. Although he
was still in Germany during the fall
Cf the Berlin Wall. Camp said that
he misled seeing it come down by a
matter of days. "I was gone about a
week before they took the wall
down," Camp said.
Upon returning home Camp, who
is a lifelong resident of Amherst,
met a young woman at a friend's
house while playing a pickup game
of basketball. That woman's name
was Charlene.
Charlene and Camp would later
marry and are now parents to one
daughter, Caitlyn. The Camps have
been married for eight years.
While holding down jobs in both
the police department and the fire
department. Camp has had some
strange encounters, on of which
took place on his first fire.
"It was when the Amherst Party
Shop caught fire," Camp said. "We
went in to check for people when all
of a Hidden the bottles began exploding all around us. Here we were
going into this fire and these bottles
are flying right past our heads."
Another time Camp recalls a high
CONTINUED on
Craig Camp
Grant aid
could help
downtown
The revitalization of downtown
look another step forward last week
as members of the Amherst Downtown Business Association (ADBA)
noted they will apply for a federal
revitalization grant.
The grant would allow business
owners to improve store fronts and
beautify the streets.
The application must be submitted by Oct 13. However, there are
several steps that the city most go
through before it can receive the
$400,000 gram.
City council must first designate a
rem vestment area. The land in question would stretch from hkwdaon
Depot to the Sandstone Historical
Center. The council mutt also create
an architectural leview board.
The grant also requires a financial
match by the city of $1.2 aulBon.
Last, a public hearing must be held
before the city can receive the
money.
The ADBA will hold a meeting
on Thursday Sept. 7. A tnirincna
lundieonwillbeheUfritowinidHi
meeting for property i
ctMS the prana for tl
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