Amherst News-Times, 2001-08-01

              Foundation celebrates its 50th — Page 12     Class of 1951 meets again — P-^3
Amherst News-Time
Wednesday. August 1, 2001
Amherst. Ohio
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County keeps track of sex offender
'-■
by PAUL MORTON
Associate editor
They're here, all around us, and
most of them are not even required
to let us know.
There are nearly 200 of them in
Lorain County, with the number
growing all the time. Yet you
couldn't identify one on the street,
unless you happened to be one of a
select few to be notified.
These mysterious individuals are
persons who have been convicted of
or pleaded guilty to sexually-
oriented criminal offenses and have
been labeled by the courts as sexual
offenders.
Two await trials on kid crimes
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter'
Richard Armstrong and Andrew Bishop; one was a local
businessman, the other a former Amherst school bus
driver.
They have two perfectly
normal sounding names, but if
you are a parent, the Crimea
these men are accused of can
send shivers down your spine.
Both of these men are accused sex-offenders awaiting
criminal trials. Both men have
been indicted on charges of
allegedly raping children,
among other indictments.
Armstrong, whose home is
at 408 Oaknoll Drive in Amherst Township, awaits his
pre-trial to be held on Mon
day, Aug. 3. He is charged
with 11 counts of rape, two
counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material of performance, two
counts of pandering obscenity
involving a minor and one
count each of gross sexual
imposition and attempted rape.
Armstrong allegedly invited
girls into his home where he
allegedly videotaped and
photographed them taking
their clothes off or performing
sex acts. In one instance,
Armstrong allegedly took a
girl into his bedroom.
Prior to being arrested,
Armstrong was part-owner of
North Coast Multi Media Advertising Group, in Elyria. His
partner there, Ron Skolnik,
was stunned to hear of the
CONTINUED on page 6
In 1997,01 r Re
gistration and Notification law went
into effect, establishing a system for
convicted sex offenders to register
with their county sheriff or local police departments, and for authorities
to notify school officials and the offender's immediate neighbors. The
law, and others like it around the
country, is commonly known as
"Megan's Law", named for Megan
Kanka of Hamilton, NJ., who was
raped and murdered by a convicted
sex offender who lived in her
neighborhood.
Under the Ohio law, persons convicted of or pleading guilty to certain sex offenses may be designated
CONTINUED on page 6
Legion to build new post; forget its past
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
After three years without a place
to call their own, the Elmer Johnson
Post #118 of the American Legion
will soon have a new building.
The address of 921 N. Lake SL is
the future site of the Amherst post's
new building. According to Post
Commander Tom Hauck, the legion
hopes for construction on the new
building to begin in late August and
be complete by October.
"A dream that a lot of people
thought would never happen is finally coming true," Hauck said.
The Amherst post was forced to
sell their old building after their operating costs became too high. This
came after the suspension of their
liquor license by the state for gambling several years ago.
Hauck said that the post now
wishes to put the past behind them.
"We want everyone to know that
the post is active," Hauck said. They
currently hold meetings every Wednesday evening at 8 pjn. at the Amherst Veterans of Foreign Wars
post Hauck said that the VFW was
very nice to allow the American
Legion to share their space.
According to Hauck, Post #118
had been looking for a new construction site for some time. The
new building will be paid for by
proceeds left over from the sale of
the old building and donations.
Upon completion of the new
building, one of the two cannons
that used to sit outside Amherst City
Hall will be moved to the American
Legion post The other cannon now
sits at a newly built war memorial
near State Route 2.
The Amherst post, which has 418
members according to finance officer Steve Ference, will also establish the Sons of the American Legion. This group will \x open to the
families of those in the service.
Groundbreaking for the new
building should take place in August, Hauck said. After the building
has been completed, there will be a
grand opening.
Until then, current members are
encouraged to attend horseshoe
pitching sessions every Thursday at
the site of the new building.
Finance officer Steve Ference (left) and Commander Tom Hauck
stand at the site of what will be Amherst's new American Legion
Local teen
■ aids JVS
team in
skills test
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
Amherst resident Jesse Csincsak,
;' 19, was part of a team that took second place in the Vocational Indust-
| rial Clubs of America (VICA)
Skills-USA Teamworks Competition in Kansas City. Mo., last
Csincsak, a recent graduate of the
Lorain County Joint Vocational
School and Marion L. Steele High
School, was one of four people from
Lorain County who represented the
stale of Ohio at the competition,
The team was responsible far
building a fully operational kitchen
module. Each of the four students
had a specialty and Csincsak was in
charge of the electrical needs of the
post. Goal for completion of the post is October. At left is a model of
what the completed project will look like.
Sixth graders' scores
best in Shupe School
proficiency history
"He did really well on his part of
the competition, was really the glue
that held everything together," said
In Ramaex. head of the Industrial
Electricity program at the
County JVS.
Amherst resident Jesse <^lnce**, 19, was part Industrial Clubs of America (VICA) Skato-U
of a team that took second place Inthe Vocational Teamworks CompetWoin in Kansas Cly. Mo
-USA
The team won the right to
sent the state of Ohio after first
ticipating in a state competition
on *e Ohio "
"We weal to than with an atU-
tude to wta and we ended up taking
tot place," Catacaak said
By piactog tot to *a stale i
ate
to
City for As aa-
W^nV'VIVW epee  ^Ma^LV  w
Last school year, sixth graders at
Shupe Middle School did what no
other sixth grade class in Amherst
had done before.
The Ohio state standard for the
sixth grade proficiency test is met
when 75 percent of students pass a
section of the test For the first time,
Shupe sixth graders exceeded that
standard in all five sections of the
test
"The kids toe* the test seriously,"
said Shupe principal Greg Ring.
"They've done a great job."
According to Ring, not only did
the studffiti meet toe ifirifnf to
each section of the lest, bat 61 percent of students passed all five.
This year's teat results are a tege
improvement over the previous two
school years. In writing, students
passing mat section increased by 16
percentage points from SI percent
last year lo 97 percent this year.
In reading, students passing that
section tocwaaod by 17 percentage
points from 67 (below die standard)
last year lo 84 percent bus year.
They tocwamd by 17 percrnrnga
pones to the math section as waU.
with a below stsndard 68
last year compared to 85 percent
this year.
Seven percentage points were
gained in the citizenship section
from last year. Students went from
83 percent passing to 90 percent this
year.
The students increased by nine
percentage points from last year to
the science section. Last year's percentage of 69 was improved upon aa
78 percent of students passed it this
year.
Ring attributes this year's success
to a three-tier test preparation plan.
This year, the school placed responsibility on the lest scores on students, teachers and panels.
Students were encouraged by incentives like a party at toe Amherst
Cinema for those students who exceeded the 75 percent standard to
every section. There was also a lottery drawing for a new bicycle. A
student would have his or her sane
in the drawing up to five tunc*, once
for every section of the teattoattoey
■oared 73 percent or above to.
Tba teachers toeraaeivaa, Rtoc
said, focused on eto objectives of
CONTINUED on eaema i*