Amherst News-Times, 2001-04-25

              Cop stops one-man theft ring — Page 2     Safety City moves to new park — I
Amherst News-Time
rt - Or
a c r
- x  -  -
S / _) 9
S I
T <    C    -
»    _,
K
V
r  e
»   e
Wednesday, April 25. 2001
Amherst, Ohio
Council names enhancement winners
Building,
scout,
historians
get nod
by YVONNE QAY
N..ws-T.mes reporter
The finalists for the Year 2000
Community Enhancement Awards
represent a cross section of Amherst; from a local artist, to a professional building and even a group of
young Civil War enthusiasts, the finalists represent the community's
pride in accomplishment
Neal B. Jenne
Each blade of grass, every brick,
each strand of hair is painstakingly
drawn with complete detail. Sure a
little longer and the tiger starts to
breathe, the fields begin to move
and flags begin to sway.
It's hard to believe anyone with
this much talent and attention to detail could have gone cold turkey for
32 years. But it's true.
Neal Jenne, 61, of Amherst said
he stopped drawing for 32 years after serving three years in the military as an illustrator and working for
Hallmark in the 1960s.
"After Hallmark, I got a good job
at Ford and retired from there in
1992,'* Jenne explained from his
South Lake Street home. "I went
back to college and took some refresher courses in drawing. It was
like riding a bike, it all came back."
. WMle attending college, Jenne
said he was encouraged by his
teachers to enter several juried an
shows and lo his surprise he placed
first in his first two shows out of a
field of 40.
''That got me inspired. I enjoy sitting down with a blank piece of
paper and making something out of
it," Jenne said. The walls of his
ranch style home are proof of that
Stepping inside is almost like visiting an art gallery. Ink drawings
hang proudly in every room, and a
slightly disheveled home studio has
seen plenty of use.
Although Jenne devotes in 8 to 10
hours a day to his craft, he said
many of his drawings are given as
gifts to local institutions, libraries
and clubs.
"I don't have any children and I
started asking myself, what I was
going to leave behind?"
Art was the answer. Besides,
Jenne said after retirement he,
"wasn't ready to have a beer in one
hand and a bag of pretzels in the
other." A piece of paper and a bottle
of ink were more like iL
Jenne was nominated for the
Community Enhancement Award
for his art work of all the city's historical buildings.
Amhent Historical Society
QuJgley Museum
The building on the corner of Milan Avenue is the place that time
forgot It's a place where a woman
can go to the beauty salon, and buy
a dress for a night out on the town
all for under $20. Where Amherst
daredevil Clem Rice is always preparing for his next death defying parachute jump.
It's also the place where Vivienne
Bickley. June Eweld. Lilly Krebs,
Arlene Ruth and curator Ron Sauer
educate visitors with snap shots of
local history.
"We do it for the comradely,'*
Bickley said; Eweld, Krebs and
Ruth smiled in agreement.
"Somebody wilt bring something
in and it will take us days to figure it
but," Eweld laughed, describing the
Uttle mysteries that are all in a day's
work of preserving bits of Amherst
history.
Much of the museum's pieces are
donated by Amhent residents who
go back generations, and all of it
finds a home at tha Quigfey or one
OT five historical buildings nearby.
' Along with educating the general
liMfc, the museum am
to educate young
Members of the 36 O.V.I. Group reenact life   during the Civil War.
Neal B. Jenne was nominated for a Community
Enhancement Award for his artwork of the city's
historical buildings.
. —      •   . "\_L
Eagle Scout Kevin Buns rests in the sealing park on Mian Avenue.
each year. This year third-grade stu- dress up in old fashioned late 19th
dents  from  Harris Elementary century attire and attond class at the
School and St Joseph School parti- historical one room schoolhouse k>-
cipated in a program which allowed cated across the street from the Qui-
them to go back in time. gby. There, students become a part
•The program is in its 10th yesr. <* history as they experience a day
and it's very popular. They realty of teaming coaapfots with ao ma*
gat into Hi? Saner said. Students, afeg water or afocttfeity. lb prepare
teachers and museum volunteers for the day, teachers are mafled co
pies of "The Sandstone Story." ao
Itudaett will know what lo expect
ahead of time.
Gurendy, the Qt-gfoy is gearing
up for its May 6 opening, baa-ring
"The Amharet Dry Goods Store," a
jj*^MAtoewi!^ 1* hi the
The Amhent Haute* Society
was founded in 1973 by Valerie
Gerstenberger. The Sandstone Museum Center is a six-acre living museum that recreates life in Amherst
in the last half of the 19th Century.
The Quigley Museum was nominated for its continuous efforts in
the education and improvement of
the community.
3d O.VX Group
With smoke from a campfire
drifting in the distance, members of
the 36 O.V.I. Group marched
proudly in full uniform, die American flag waving high overhead.
Down the field, Pvt Josh Jasinski
sat outside one of two tents, canteens and other pieces of history
hanging in full sight If it weren't
for the passing cars one might think
they were visiting the camp grounds
of soldiers during the Civil War.
But these boys were local soldiers, and their campsite was the
vacant lot inside the Sandstone Museum Center.
This living tribute to life in the
Civil War got its start eight years
ago by 16-year-old Cpl. Jason
Jasinski.
According to Jasinski, the group
not only pays homage to ancestors
who fought during the Civil War,
but is also a way fellow history
buffs can share their interests in the
period.
Throughout ihe year, members of
the group participate in numerous
Civil War reenactments, parades,
ceremonies and historical events.
And during each event, each member wears an authentic Civil War
uniform, complete with cap, rifle
and boots costing about $5,000 per
person.
Members of the 36 O.VJ. Group
attend Marion L. Steele High
School, Firelands High School, and
Lorain County JVS and include Ptv.
Stephen Loony, 16, Ptv. Jodi Jasinski, 17. Ptv. Gared Pullins, 17.
Ptv. Ken Collins, 16. Ptv. Nicholas
Lonuy, 17. Cpl. Joshua Pullins, 17.
and Cpl. Jason Jasinski, 16.
Although the 36 infantry is young
in age, the group lakes itself and itt
interests in the Civil War very seriously. Still, according to Jari-tati. it
look some pec-pie a little more time
to realtae dm group's dedication
"We used to be criticized for doing this by older (groups)," Jam
said. "But we eventually pre-
vailed...We plan on doing this as
long as we enjoy it"
The group is currently preparing
for ha pardcipatiou in the Blacksmith Town Fair on May 19.
Tie 36 O.VJL Groat «•* BanV
-teed for their involvement fo Veteran's Day u-mnoniea. Jaaaboiea
parades aad Historical Society
a
Cop  :
slogan
contest
for bikers
by YVONNE GAY
News-Times reporter
The Amherst Police Department and a local shop are
picking up where council
members left off.
The police department's
new Bicycle Helmet Program,
announced last week, will encourage children to wear
safety helmets while riding
bicycles, scooters or in-line
skates.
According to bicycle patrolman, Sgt Dan Jasinski, the
program only came into existence a little over a week ago
when Impressions, a screen
printing shop, said it would
donate T-shirts to the department if officers could come
up with a slogan for the bike
program.
"Impressions gave us the
idea," Jasinski said. "They
had a picture of a young girl
and boy, and their logo of a
frog on   the front of a shirt
and said they would give us
100 of them if we could
think up a slogan."
That's when Jasinski and
dispatcher Teresa Antonopou-
los came up with a program
that would help educate child-
Ten on the importance of
bicycle safety.
Currendy, while on bicycle
patrol, if J__4m_d mm a chid
wearing a safety helmet while
he or she is riding a bike or
scooter, he gives the child a
coupon for a free ice cream
cone at Hastee Tastee, located
on Cleveland Avenue. Under
the new Bicycle Helmet Program, children spotted wearing
safety helmets will be given a
coupon for a free T-shirt as
an added incentive.
To help launch the program, Jasinski and Antonopou-
los thought it would be a
good idea to have students
between the ages of five and
10 come up with a slogan for
the donated T-shirts themselves. Forms for the slogan
contest were scheduled to be
given to teachers after students returned from spring
break this week.
Students participating in the
contest are asked to think of
one five-to-eight-word slogan
to accompany the shirt's picture. Slogans should be turned
in to homeroom teachers no
later than May 4, and the
winner will be notified before
May 9.
Prizes will be given to
first, second and third place
winners. A new bicycle will
be given to the winning
entry.
Impressions has made many
donations to local children's
programs since the shop
opened on Tower Boulevard
five years ago. Owners Barb
and Dave Kilgor, spearhead a
Thanksgiving Day food drive
and CT-ristmaa present drive
each year. They are also involved in Operation Open
Heart and the Children's Services of Lorain County. This
year dm Kilgore donated $500
to Safety Ciy, a DARE program sponsored by dm Am-
hent Mice Department __»
money was donated to hdp
purchase 70 safety hairnets,
"When they told us about
the contest we thought it was
a great idea." Bart) arid "It
mm it's going to be a
We'i
100
CONTINUBDon
11
Aa
ewpeaet
**&-*&***-'
I