Amherst News-Times, 2001-05-09

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ittle Eds are big on bats — Page 10
Tastes of the Local debuts — Page
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Wednesday, May 9, 2001
Amherst, Ohio
Blacksmith Town Fair to debut Harris hous
i
by YVONNE GAY
Nsws-Times reporter
After walking through the front
door of the Harris house, located inside the Sandstone Museum Center,
be prepared to do plenty of "ooh-
ing" and "ahhing."
The house will be open for public
viewing Saturday, May 19, as part
of the Blacksmith Town Fair.
On that day, visitors will have a
chance to see what today's blacks-
mithing is all about as they watch
demonstrators pound crafts in the
Blacksmith's Shop located in back
of the Harris house. The shop is an
enlarged reproduction of a blacksmith's shop in Vermont and is typical of the utilitarian type buildings
in Amhem about 1870.
To add to the festivities, volunteers dressed in their late 19th-
century best will encourage guests
to take part in several activities. A
quilt and stain glass display, vintage
baseball game, antique plow unveiling, and ground breaking ceremony
are just some of the events highlighting the day. Visitors will also
be encouraged to stop by the Qui-
gley Museum for "The Dry Goods
Store" display. And the boys from
36 O.V.I, group will also be on
hand, reenacting life as it was during the Civil War. Food and beverages will be available in the school
house.
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Throughout the day, visitors will
have the opportunity to step inside
the octagonal barn circa 1903, St
George's Chapel circa 1882, Grange
Hall circa 1868, and the Harris
house.
The Harris house was built in
1843, by the Harris family who are
believed to be distant relatives of
the founder of Amherst. The home
was later sold to the Dute family,
who occupied it until the early
1970s.
According to Jane Scheel, Amherst Historical Society committee
member, Bill Starbuck, owner of
Star Builders bought the property
the house was on several years ago,
but when Bill Harlan, a former historical society member spotted it, he
knew the house was a gem. After
some nudging, Starbuck eventually
allowed  Harlan  to purchase  the
house for $1, who in turn turned it
over to the Amherst Historical Society. It would take the society seven
years to restore    " its
original luster.
Historical Society committee
members Jane Scheel, president
Ruth Haff, Elaine Harlan, Larry
Fuhrman and Ron Sauer donated
countless hours, pouring over every
detail of the Harris house project
"Every board had to be marked
and put back in its place," Scheel
said, standing in the doorway of the
newly completed home. "The walls
CONTINUED on page 11
Meeting at town hall
Members of the community and pastors from
the Church of Christ, Family Fellowship, Good
Shepherd Church, South Amherst United
Methodist Church and Trinity Evangelical Free
Church acknowledge National Prayer Day last
Wednesday, in front ot Townwffln^isioTS took
turns, praying for Individual famines and the community, before reciting a prayer, written by Rev.
Billy Graham, specifically for the occasion.
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According to Gerald Forbush, assistant
manager of Amherst Stone at Cleveland
Quarries, is outside the company's new
showroom.
New showroom shows off
the beauty of area history
by YVONNE GAY
Newt-Time* reporter
An Amherat beauty written
in stone is making a
comeback
The demand it back," assistant manager Gerald
Forbush of Amherst Stone at
Cleveland Quarries, said. The
seven-year-old company ia located in beck a what used to
be Cleveland Quarries, and ia
now referred to as American
Slots Quany. located in
According to Fortwsh, the
once forgotten time is resurfacing for several reasons, and
two of those are directly
linked to the past
"Buildings that were made
years ago now need to be replaced, and a lot of '9th-
century homes that were
made out of sandstone need
to be repaired as r. *J1," Forbush explained. However, the
third reason is directly related
to the average homcownc,.
"We do a lot of busint**
with homeowners who want
to remodel their homes," be
said, stepping outside Ua office and into the company's
hanger-sized ihowroom.
"There are many benefits to
sandstone, one is that it lasts
longer than poured concrete."
Amherst's appreciation for
the abrasive stone began in
1847, when local quarries
shipped its first stonr. Years
later in 1868, Cleveland Quarries followed the time-honored
tradition by quarrying and fabricating Berea sandstone tor
several properties around Amherst Residents were awed by
the beauty end durability of
the stone and chose to take
CONTINUED on page IS
As he prepares to go,
Border sings praises
of student performers
by YVONNE GAY
News-Tribune editor
On Tuesday, June 5, Randy
Border will lead the Marion
L. Steele High School band
through a chorus of selected
movements for the very last
time.
"It's going to be a little
strange because you never really stop at the end of the
school year. You're always
preparing for next year,
throughout the summer
months," 30-year-old Border
said, sitting in an empty
Steele music room as he
spoke about his retirement at
the end of the school year.
Bonier, a Strongsville resident, has made the 40-minute
trek to Amherst for 26 years.
He graduated from
Baldwin-Wallace College's
master's program in 1988,
and later did some graduate
work at Kent State University
and Akron University. He
taught brass at the University
of Illinois, and went on to
teach vocal and instrumental
in Columbus, before eventually landing in Amherst,
where he was a band director
for Nord Junior High School
and Shupe Middle School. He
assisted band at Marion L.
Steele High School for several years and was prcnoted
after the school's music director retired. He still assists at
Nord and Shupe.
"I had fantastic students.
Some of them are children of
children I had when I started
teaching in 1975," Border
said with a smile.
As a teacher in Amherst,
Border said he keeps a long,
but rewarding schedule.
Everyday begins at 5:30 a.m.,
and ends 11 to 12 hours later. His day starts with morning music classes at the high
school, then he goes over to
Shupe and assists the music
director. Later that same
morning he drives back to the
high school and finishes out
his day, which normally consists of band practices that
last well into the evening. On
the day of this interview,
Border had to audition 40
students who were trying out
for flag corp, and he probably
wouldn't get home until 5:30
or 6 p.ir.
"I'll miss the excitement of
a student performance...but I'll
get to see my own ran, Donald, play tuba for the first
time," Border said, com renting on how his long days
sometimes mean sacrifices in
his own personal life. "But
you have to put the band
first, that's just the way it is.
However, I am fortunate to
have a very understanding
family."
According to Bade*, the
suck e auppqrtive community
Amherst school music teacher Randy Border will retire after
26 years this June.
also makes the long days
bearable.
"It's an incredible experience when (the students)
work all week, and end up
putting on their best show
Friday night," Border said.
"This is such a great community because everybody
works together, that's why I
stayed here for 26 years."
Border, a music enthusiast
and professional trumpet
player, said teaching music is
the best job in the world, because he not only gets to
pique a student's interest with
an instrument when they are
young, but he also plays a
role in fostering that interest
when they advance to the
high school level.
"When I have a student
that can't get something and
when they finally do, it
makes all the effort worth it.
Too many give up when they
can't get it the first time, but
you have to develop that talent," .Border sailed, proudly
pointing at pioures of former
marching band members outside his music room.
Border's appreciation for
music wil! continue well after
his days as a public school
teacher have ended After returning from a one-week family vacation to Florida's Disney WaM and Universal Studios, with wile Cnnie and
sons Donald and Michael,
Border plans to become even
more involved in what he refers to as "the beautiful art
form."
"I hope to begin private
teaching lessons...! also plan
on playing more brass which
was difficult to do when
you're teaching so much. I
miss that."
Border, a member of the
Blossom Band in Cleveland
and the Lakeshore Brass
Quartet, said he is looking
forward to getting jobs
through the Musician's Union,
and hopes to start another
band of his own.
But Border's days as a
music teacher aren't over yet.
His schedule is filled with
concerts and practices which
will take him on an instrumental roller coaster ride up
until die very last day of the
school year. Currently, he is
gearing up his students for a
May 12, band pop show at
the Lorain Palace Community
Center. The shr>w is scheduled to begin a 7 pan. and
will feature u. era! high
school bands and quartets.
"I want students to remember that I 'ive music." Border
smiled. "Am. ._M I was in-
.tnimenul ia helping them
develop an appreciation for
music.