The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 2002-06-05

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Period costumes examined — Page 2
Local twirler is winner — Page 12
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WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2002
AMHI RST, OHIO
I  i
Amherst  High School graduates  Kathryn
Primm, Holly Sleasman, Heather Stay and Kristin
Jacovetti wait to receive their diplomas at Sunday's graduation ceremony.
Brian Baker addresses his class before they leave high school forever.
i
Adel Rivera crosses in front of her classmates after accepting her diploma.
Graduates bid fond farewell
at final school gathering
by AMY PERSMOER
News-Tims* rsportsr
Parents and teachers have nurtured another crop of young Americana who were sent oat into the
world to make their mad*, on Amhem and ihe world Saturday at Marion L. Steele High School's 2002
commencement ceremony.
The ceremony was held at the
Palace Theater in Lorain. Students
abet in their green and gold for the
last time as they prepared for ths
new life that awaits them.
The weather was warm from the
bright sua while the parents and
students filed into the theater built
before many of the grandparents
were even born. Staid tradition snd
exciting newness mingled as the order of the day.
Superintendent of Amherst
Schools Robert Boynton spoke to
the students, the parents and the
•sachers that made up the class of
2002, including his own son.
. His speech was poignant as he
said good-bye to the class and acknowledged the strengths of the
group of students be was graduating. He gave them advice for continued success and recognized that
this would be the last high school
cwnmenfemwu he would attend as
WWII veteran accep
as Class of '02 men
W
a parent of one of the graduates.
To the graduates, this is an important day because it is the celebration of a 13-year journey completed." he told the students,
"mixed in with the emotions of
leaving the known for the anxiety
and adventure of the unknown."
He said they had been an excellent class.
"You have demonstrated strong
leadership, excellent scholarship
and you have established new standards ia athletics," he told the
proud students.
He addressed the parents and
families as one of them. Families
CONTINUED on page 11
by PAUL MORTON
Associate editor
When U.S. Navy veteran Norman
Sanders of Amherst attended Oberlin High School, it wasn't even in
the same building where OHS is located now.
But Sanders, a World War II veteran, will receive his high school
diploma on Friday along with the
rest of the Oberlin High School
Class of 2002.
Sanders left Oberlin High School
during his junior year in 1943 to enlist in the Navy. Having had typhoid
fever during the first grade, he was a
year behind his classmates and
would have turned 18 during his junior year.
"If I had been a senior, I would
have graduated in 1944 and would
have been able to graduate," he said.
"Back then, when you turned 18,
they took you."
During the war, he was first stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station
in Jacksonville, Fla., then served on
a troop transport ship.
"I served there the rest of the war,
taking troops to and from all
points," Sanders said. "We made
five or six trips to Calcutta, Karachi,
Manila, Hawaii, Panama All over.
CONTINUED on page 12
Norm Sandere In 1944.
Nordson lays off 18 workers
With the city already feeling the
brunt of last year's layoffs, the layoff of 18 more salaried employees at
Nordson Corp. doesn't give the city
treasurer much encouragement.
Nordson makes precision dispensing systems for adhesives, epo-
xies, sealants and coatings. The
company, which is headquartered in
Westlake, announced last week that
May 30 would be the last day for
employees.
Amherst's treasurer, Kathleen
Litkovitz, said the city wouldn't feel
the effect of the layoffs right away
because the severance pay that each
employee -will receive is paid out
over several months.
"As far as these 18, we won't see
the effects of this for about four
months." She said next quarter's tax
receipts will be lower.
The city is already under pressure
from the last round of layoffs at the
company.
"Coupled with those furloughed
last year, it definitely will impact
the city," she
She said it's important that the
city limit spending while under the
financial contstraints they're seeing
right now.
"When the income tax and all
other revenue is down we have to
tighten our bells until we're out of
the woods."
Nordson said the layoffs are due
to current levels of business activity.
They will offer outplacement assistance in addition to severance pay.
Mayor's car in minor crash
It is unlikely that anyone in Amherst is more anxious to get the construction on Milan Avenue completed than the mayor, who had a
run-in with a construction scoop resting just off the shoulder of the
road last month.
Mayor John Higgins was travelling east on Milan Avenue just before 1 a.m. on May 10 when he said
he hit a large bump in the road. He
said he was travelling the speed
limit but the tires of his 2002 Dodge
Stratus went off ihe road because of
the bump. He said the shoulder was
muddy and his tires got stuck in the
mud and slag.
Higgins said that because of the
mud he could not get the tires back
on the road.
"It was dumb." he said, smiling.
He said he planned on letting the car
coast off the roadway since he could
not get it back under control and
then he would call a tow truck to
retrieve it.
But he didn't see the scbop.
When the Stratus connected with the
construction equipment Higgins's
airbag deployed and the crash report,
indicates damage to the front and
passenger sides of the car.
Higgins walked the rest of the
CONTINUED on page 2
Miniature miniature
A new foal rests in the bam with her mother.
Ryan McMillan, a Nord Junior High student, received the miniature horse ea a git from his pa-
rente, Doug end 8ue. They weren't sure H the
horse waa pregnant when they got it, but their
dog Buttons announced the arrival of the foal at
5:46 am. May 8.
S