Amherst News-Times, 2001-08-15

              Fifth grade orientation set — Page 2        Bus routes listed — Pages 3, 5, at
Amherst News-Time
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Wednesday, August 15, 2001
Amherst, Ohio
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Residents say plaza is poor neighbo
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by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
Amherst residents who live near
the Ohio Turnpike Plaza, currently
under construction, sounded off
Monday night in front of turnpike
officials and the media. In a special
public hearing held before city
council, neighbors of the turnpike
plaza voiced their concerns and their
anger over many issues pertaining to
their quality of life.
The meeting began with Ward
Two councilman Ed Cowger outlining a list of concerns. Among the
concerns are possible health risks
resulting from diesel fumes from
semi-trucks idling in the plaza,
noise pollution from the loud air-
compressed brakes used by truckers
and home security.
The Ohio Turnpike Commission
sent two representatives to the hearing, general counsel Thomas Amato
and community liaison Reggie Williams. Instead of answering concerns of the turnpike neighbors, the
turnpike representatives announced
that they would be taking notes and
giving those notes to the Turnpike
Commission, who would then make
decisions concerning the Amherst
residents.
"We're really not here to address
the problems,'' Amato said.
There was no shortage of turnpike
neighbors who were willing to
speak up.
"Our houses vibrate, that's what
we're living with," said Ann Lehman of the noises produced from
trucks at the turnpike plaza.
Another important issue brought
up by many at the hearing was security. According to Marlene Ward
of Middle Ridge Road, people from
the plaza have trespassed onto her
property. Ward said that she knows
of people stealing batteries out of
neighborhood vehicle? and that she
even saw someone on her property
petting her horse.
Keith Riley, assistant district
chief of the Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency was also on
hand, but offered the turnpike
neighbors little in the way of EPA
assistance. Riley outlined what the
turnpike coulu icguuue, saunas certain kinds of standing water'(another
concern of the residents), but suit
that the EPA could not regulate
noise nor stop 'he fumes from the
idling trucks.
Councilman-.-targe David Williams addressed the turnpike rep
resentatives saying that the Turn
pike Commission has failed the citizens of Amherst
CONTINUED on page 2
In case you're
wondering...
School starts
here Aug. 23
With the first day of school fast approaching, some Amherst
residents may be confused about when that first day is.
Due to a misprint, the Amherst school calendar for the
2000-2001 school year shows the first day of the 2001-02 school
year to be Thursday, Aug. 30. Students should be warned that if
they show up for the first time on that day they will be one week
late. i
The first day of school is Thursday, Aug. 23.
According to Amherst's director of educational services Judy
Alexander, the school works on the internal calendar's every year
and the calendar is adopted in January. The first day of school
mix-up is the result of a missed update to the adopted calendar.
Alexander said that die Amherst school district discovered the
problem last September. The district has taken multiple steps to
inform the public of the mistake, Alexander said. Those steps include publishing die correction both in the school newsletters as
well as in a March edition of die Amherst News-Times.
Nonetheless, said Alexander, school offices have been receiving two to three calls a day asking when the first day of school is.
"Communication for a school is always challenging," Alexander said.
Alexander said that the district is confident that most people
are conscious of the correct first day. But some problems may arise involving families who have been out of town for the summer.
If a family has any special problems like this, Alexander said that
they should contact their school's principal.
The calendars for the upcoming school year should be mailed
on or around Friday, Aug. 17, Alexander said. According to Alexander the new calendars have been double-checked, but that
does not mean it will be mistake tree.
If a parent or student has any calendar-related questions, they
can log on to the school website and find what they need, Alexander said. That website is: www.amherstkl2.oh.us.
"If anybody's still confused they can always call one of the
schools," Alexander said.
Out of the box
Brett Litchkowski, 5, emerges from the top of the covered slide
on the Beaver Creek Reservation playground. Brett had fun explor
ing the new park with his two sisters.
Vintage baseball highlights picnic
Amherst's biggest ever vintage baseball tournament will
highlight the Amherst Historical Society's fourth annual
Community Picnic and Ice
Cream Social to be held on
Sunday, Aug. 19. The picnic
will take place on the
grounds of the historical
society.
According lo Greg Balbierz,
executive director of the historical society, five vintage
baseball teams from across
the state will participate in
the tournament called the
Aces at Amherst Tourney. Involved in the tournament will
be the local Amherst Sandstone Masons.
Rounding out the tournament will be another special
feature of the community
picnic. The 8th unit of the
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, •
group of Civil War recrea-
tionists, will be present during
the festivities and have challenged the vintage baseball
learns. To compliment the
Union recreationists. an Abraham Lincoln reenactor will be
present to interact with the
troops and to provide photo
opportunities.
The picnic will begin at 1
p.m., Balbierz said. The vintage baseball games will start
at 2 pjn. and 4 p.m. with
games running concurrently.
While -My traditional
foods, such at hot dogs, are
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Above, blacksmith Ky Green uses his metalurgical skills to create vintage houshoU items and, below, vintage baseball players
line up tor the National Anthem.
on the menu to be served at
the picnic, Balbierz said that
this year the historical society
will also be roasting a pig.
Balbierz advises those interested in the pig roast to call
for reservations, but one does
not need reservations lo enjoy
the roast
All of the buildings on the
grounds of the historical society will be open to the
public, Balbierz said. The
grange hall, Harris-Dute house
and the SL George Chapel
are all air conditioned, Balbierz said.
Some buildings such as the
St George Chapel and Octagonal Bam will house exhibits. There will be handmade
quilts in the chapel and the
barn will house other nineteenth century tarns.
Old style hla.km.iiht will
also be on hand at the picnic.
One blacksmith, Ky Green,
personally made the metal
roaster that will be used in
the pig roast
Gaines inspired by the
1800i will also be available
to play. Among the fames
will be apple bobbing, a he-
man bell ringing game and
horseshoes. People are also
welcome to ring die church
and school bell at St George
Chapel, aa well as get
"locked up" ■ the original
CONTINUED on page 3
Drug Mart is site
of DARE day fun
Saturday, Aug. 25 is Amherst's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance
Education) Day 2001. There will be a special event held at the
Discount Drug Mart at 300 N. Leavitt Road that will include a
car show. It will begin at 11 a.m. and wrap up at 4 p.m.
There will be dash plaques for the first 120 cars registered in
the show. There is a $5 registration fee.
Other attractions include door prizes, a SO/SO raffle, free food,
music and entertainment
Performing live at the event will be Rudy and the Illusions.
There will also be games with prizes awarded to the winners.
Another popular attraction will be the dunking booth, with
DARE Officer Les Carrender sitting in the booth from 1-1:30
p.m.
Donations are welcome and all proceeds will go to benefit the
Amherst Police Department's DARE Program. The program is
aimed at keeping kids off drugs by talking to them in the schools
about the dangers of drug abuse.
The event is sponsored by Discount Drug Mart and Spitzer
Auto World.
Get a good fare to the fair
It's fair time again and you can
ride with Lorain County Transit
(LCT) to all the festivities. A bus
will be going to the fairgrounds 16
times a day, running approximately
once every hour.
The first bus arrives at the Lorain
County Fair at 6:30 a.m. Monday
through Friday by using LCT's
Route 21 (Oberlin/Welliiigton bus).
The last bus departs the fairgrounds
at 9:30 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the first bus arrives at the Lorain County Fair at 8:30 a.m. The
last bus departs the fairgrounds at
6:30 p.m. Service to sod from the
fairgrounds tuns Aug. 20-26.
On Monday. Aug. 20, LCT is
working in conjunction with the
Western Reserve Area Agency on
Aging to sponsor the Senior Half
Fare Day. On this day seniors can
ride to the fairgrounds for 30 cents
each way.
On Wedneeday. Aug. 22. LCT is
working ia conjunction with the
Second Harvest Foodbank of North
Central Ohio with a "Ride Against
Hunger" food drive. Anyone can
ride the fixed route service for free
by donating a non-perishable food
item upon boarding the bus.
For snore information on LCT's
fair service call customer service at
233-7868 (Lorain) or 329-5545
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