Amherst News-Times, 2002-02-06

              Student musicians get top rating — Page 7  I Bowling club advances  — Page 9
Amherst News-Time
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WIDNiSDAY, I I HRUARY (», 2(102
AMHI-KST, OHIO
■
State of the city: 'good' mayor sa\
D
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
The city of Amherst made great
strides last year with more accomplishments to come, mayor John
Higgins told city council last week.
In his State of the City address,
Higgins said 2001 was an exciting
year for the city of Amherst
"Our community is growing," he
told councilmcmbcrs. "We as leaders of the city are at a point in the
progress of our community where if
we invest wisely, plan carefully and
put the community ahead of self-
interests, the city we live in will
grow correctly and will continue to
be the secure, friendly and quality
place that we now enjoy."
He then stressed the importance
of recognizing the city's accomplishments first.
'These accomplishments are the
result of a team effort," he said, and
thanked council and clerk, elected
officials and their staffs, utilities,
fire and police chiefs, and their officers, department heads, employees, and the members of boards,
committees and volunteer projects.
"These people are the best explanation for Amherst's position as one
of the finest places in America to
live," Higgins said.
He also told council that he plans
Workers
rally
to help
victim
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
In an effort to ease the suffering of one of their own, city
employees have enlisted a lot of
help to host a fundraiser this
month.
Bob Jones spent 18 years
working for the Amherst Wastewater Treatment plant He'd
just bought his house in Vermilion a couple of years before.
But on Nov. 14 Jones was
caught in a house fire. His front
room was engulfed in flames.
His neighbor, David Woods,
thought it was another foggy
November morning. It wasn't
fog, though, it was smoke coming from Jones's house that
darkened the neighborhood.
Woods told his wife Debbie
to call the fire department and
he and his 13-year-old son, Dy-
lon, rushed to Jones's house to
see what they could do to help.
Jones was lying on his front
room floor, trying to call out to
them. Woods and his son pulled
Jones into the yard. Vermilion
fire chief Eugene Kropf said
there has been no ruling yet on
the cause of the fire.
"We can't prove it" he said.
Jones suffered severe burns
on the upper half of his body,
especially his face, forearms,
and his hands. He's had to have
his fingertips amputated. Mayor
John Higgins said he might be
released from the hospital in
March, but the bills are piling
up for the Amhem city worker.
In addition to the mounting
medical costs Jones will have to
contend with the coat of repairing his Vermilion home.
That's whore the fundrasier
comes in. Higgins said that Amherst's American Federation of
.State and Municipal Employees
chapter has been garnering sup-
port from other local groups to
host the Feb. 23 event Higgins
said the Amhem Veterans of
Foreign Wars post and the Lorain AFSME chapter are buying
ingredients for a spaghetti
dinner.
The mayor said that council,
the administration, the fire de-
CONTINUED on page a
u
Early last month workers began assembling the iron framework of
the new bridge on Jackson St. near the Nordson Corp. offices. Amherst residents are anxious to see the new bridge completed. Mayor
Higgins listed the bridge
pleted this year in his
as one of the projects that he will see corn-
State of the City address.
to continue to to
enable them to de
pendable. The iimyui aauu utility
costs in Amherst are among the
lowest in the area.
The mayor said in his address that
there were 59 new houses built at a
value of $12,773,900 and two duplexes at a value of $225,000, in the
city last year.
There were also seven commercial additions at a value of
$2,255,000 and 19 residential additions at a value of $465300. The
city saw four new commercial construction projects blossom last year
as well. The Pinnacle Building cost
$526,595, the American Legion cost
$300,000, Donatos cost $110,000
and the new school, including additions to the high school, cost
$12,172,800.
In addition, the mayor told council, the city passed a property maintenance code, received a $400,000
Community Development Block
Grant for the revitalization of downtown, increased parking fines downtown from $5 to $25, purchased the
property on the southeast comer of
Church Street and Tenney Aveenue
for $285,000 and received a grant
from the county that paid for ADA
improvements of two restrooms,
drinking fountains and a new ramp
at the old Post Office.
CONTINUED on page 5
'Shadow'
for a day
offers up
her report
by ASHLEY COSTIQAN
News-Times cub reporter
I am a seventh grader at
Langston Middle School in
Oberlin, and for my shadow
day experience I chose to
shadow Amy Persinger, an
Amhem News-Times reporter.
My experience with Amy has
been moat delightful. When I
first met Amy I knew she
was a person with humor.
My first mission as sha-
dower was to head out witi*
Amy to explore Amhem and
its people. She took me to
City Hall, Rich's Auto
Shop^nd the Amhem Police
Station. All of those places
really made me think about
bow this town has such a
history and really is full of
excitement
After exploring Amhem,
Amy and I left to pick up
her oldest, daughter Jordan far
lunch. I met Amy's parents
CONTINUED en paga 7
Repairs and Upgrades
Rod Pinter, left, an employee at Rich's Autobody works on an
Amherst police cruiser that sustained approximately $11,000 worth
of damage when a Marine home on leave from boot camp rear-
ended it. It is alleged that he was drinking.
The police also received a new prisoner transport vehicle,
above, last month. The van, which had been used by the water department was improved by donations from Rich's Autobody. Lakeland Enterprises and Fireside Auto Wrecking.
Weather turns nice,
for ice skating, that is
Ashley Costigan, Obertin, shadowed Amy Perstogsr last Friday at
she performed her duties as the Amherst reporter. AsMey Is Interested in beoomlna a witter.
~e~*m*awmam **•■ WWV<*w^| Va ■vv-a-f**
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
Along with the bitter cold, ice
skating has returned to Amherst
Last month Ed Cornwell and the
city parks department constructed
an ice skating rink on the corner of
Tenney and Church streets. The
property was purchased last year by
the city to construct a parking lot
Since construction hasn't started on
the lot it was seen as a good place
to erect the rink quickly.
"We're going to move it to one of
the parks next year," mayor John
Higgins said. "We took advantage
of the open space this year to cut
down on set up time.''
Sally Cornwell, the mayor's secretary, said the rink will be moved
to Maude Neiding Park next year.
The rink was constructed by Ed
Cornwell and other city employees
from a Irk Cornwell took the idea to
council, who approved tha parhatf
of the kit and its construction in the
empty lot It has a wooden frame, a
vinyl liner and foam bumpers around the edges to help prevent
injuries.
It is 60 feet by 150 feet and few
deep. The An department
a hydrant to fill it Lonan
County Transit donated four
benches for use at the rink.
Sally Cornwell said it had only
been frozen for one afternoon since
it had been erected so no children
had been able to skate on it
"Ed's thinking about stocking it
with fish," Mrs. Cornwell said on a
warm day last week.
Temperatures dropped Sunday
and are expected to stay low enough
to keep the ice frozen this week.
Bike committee
meets Thursday
Police chief Lonnie Dillon
wants a ftiD house at the police
station Thursday night
He ia inviting all rerideeta to
join him Feb. 7 for a meeting ra
the rtftntw to discuss the rorm^** *
tion of a BicycWPedeatrian
Safety Advisory Committee.
The fearing oow-toa will
1_ H____ aa*l <____ _M_W>T
stop, goals and objectives of the
advisory conuninrta.
The committee b being
formed to move"
the Bicycle
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