Amherst News-Times, 2000-11-22

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Wednesday, November 22, 2000
Amherst, Ohio
Library will be housed
in temporary site while
renovations carried out
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
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news-1 nn*s raponer
i For die first time since 1976 the
Amhent Public Library will be
undergoing a massive remodeling
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project.
: The entire inside of the library
will be receiving a facelift Everything from new desks and shelves,
to new carpet and lights, will transform tiie library into a welcome
place for the people of Amhent
Library director Judy Dworkin
hopes that the renovations will "create a comfortable atmosphere that is
unique to the community."
_ This endeavor will cost the library $500,000.
Fortunately, the library board of
trustees has been preparing for the
project
"We were originally going to put
in another entrance on the parking
lot side," stated Dworkin. "But
when we saw what the cost was, we
decided we weren't getting our money's worth. So we decided to leave
the outside alone and concentrate on
the inside."
The project will completely
Change the look of the inside of the
facility. A new, bigger, front desk
will be installed along with new carpeting, lighting, and a new ceiling
on the first floor.
The designers have decided to
knock down the walls that make up
the public meeting room to create
more space. However, a smaller
meeting room will be left.
The library will boast more computer terminals, and audio/visual
facilities.
The original historic section of
the library will also see some work.
A lift will be installed to make the
area handicapped accessible. The
area will also be completely restored
to its original 1906 decor. This decor will also grace the rest of the
library with sandstone insets in the
woodwork throughout the facilities.
When everything is completed
there will be a 25 percent increase in
shelf space throughout the library.
With all of this work being done,
it begs the question, "What do we
do until then?" The library closed its
doors last week, and will not reopen them until the project is completed in March. However, there
will be a temporary library set up at
the old post office on Park Avenue.
Library workers will be moving
10,000 volumes, CDs, and videos to
the former post office so that the
community can still have access to
them. The temporary library will
open to the public on Nov. 27.
According to Dworkin there will
be some special treats to make the
transition a smooth one.
"There will be cookies and coffee
available to the public every day
that we are open there," stated
Dworkin. "We want to make the
new location as comfortable as
possible."
Along with the usual list of popular books and videos, the library will
be transporting a selection of
holiday-themed items to the post office. The library has also contacted
the local schools so that they will
have materials that the students will
need to complete their assignments.
The one thing the library will not
have during the transition is computers with internet access. "The library workers will have internet access on their computers and will
conduct any research that a customer requests," stated Dworkin.
"But people will not be able to
check e-mail, or anything like that"
Dworkin has also contacted other
local libraries and informed them of
the closure.
"We will be able to get materials
from the other libraries," stated
Dworkin. "We will also be sending
our overflow to those libraries."
While four and a half months
seems like a long time to be without
a library, the wait will be worth it
The citizens of Amherst will be
treated to a state of the art facility,
with a touch of historic Amherst as
well.
Library employees load a tuck with library supplies for transportation to the old post office on
Park. Avenue. The post office will be the library's
temporary home for the next tow months.
Active teen finds
time for the arts,
and friends, too
There is tn old saying about "all work and no play..."
Well for the most part that
saying holds true. Except in
the caw of Nick Saadipour.
This is a young man who
does nothing but work, and is
the farthest tiling from dull.
Saadipour is involved in
choir, concert choir, student
council, Leo club (a student
volunteer club), library aide,
theater, track, office aide, and
academic team. Oh yeah, he
also attends Lorain County
Community College for half a
day where he is earning college credit
1 love doing these types
of things," staled Saadipour.
"Some people do these types
of things to make their resumes look good. I do it because I genuinely enjoy it"
Saadipour, a senior at Marion L. Steele High School,
has been getting his resume
ready for when he decides on
which college he would like
to attend.
"I've already been to Bowling Green," explained Saadipour. "This weekend I'll be
going to Ohio University and
Cincinnati. Which ever campus I like best is where I'm
going to go."
Wherever he goes Saadipour is sure that he will continue to be involved in the
performing arts. "I love being
a art of tbe productions here,"
stated Saadipour. "I've been
involved in everything from
acting to tech work. I love it
all. You meet some really
great people."
Saadipour is also involved
in the theater group at Lorain
County Community College.
Once Saadipour decides
where he will continue his
education, he will have to decide what he will major in.
CONTINUED on page 6
Nick Saadipour hangs out with his friends
between classes at Marion L. Steele High
School. Saadipour keeps busy with numerous
extracurricular activities.
Mobile home
troyed
by blaze
-This mobile home at 186 Honey
Lane ia tbe Westwood Mobile
Borne Park on Quarry Road was
destroyed by a fire last week. According to tin chief Ralph Zilch
the blaze may have been started by
a malfunctioning furnace.
'-'
.•
Convicts
give kids
sobering
lesson
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
News-Times reporter
Under normal circumstances, kids and prison convicts do not mix.
There aren't many parents
in this world who would
relish the thought of a child
spending a few hours with a
convicted felon. However, that
is what the eighth grade students at Nord Junior High
were doing last Wednesday.
Inmates from the Grafton
Correctional Institution presented die program "Dope is
for Dopes" to the awe-struck
students. The inmates shared
stories of life "on the inside"
as well as discussed the life
that they are missing because
of the poor choices that they
have made.
There were three inmates
who addressed the students
during the program. Each
took a different road which
led to prison.
At times the speakers were
light hearted and evoked
laughter from the audience.
At other times the inmates
were deadly serious and the
students reacted to that as
well. < .
One inmate shared his story
of hard knocks growing up in
a poor Cleveland neighborhood. He told of how be
would sneak into his cousin's
house before school and put
on their clothes, then sneak
back and return them when
school was over.
He shared his stories about
selling drugs and how that
led him to rob several Cleveland area businesses. He also
showed the students a picture
of his seven-year-old son. The
picture was taken when the
boy was 2, but that is the
moat recent photograph that
be tea.
CONTINUED en pege I
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