The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 2001-06-13

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Wednesday, June 13, 2001
Amherst, Ohio
Oaknoll man charged for molesting kit
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by YVONNE GAY
News-Times reporter
Many residents on Oaknoll Drive
in Amherst Township said they
were surprised lo team that their
neighbor had been charged with
several counts of child molestation.
According to the Lorain County
Sheriff's department, Richard
Armstrong, 34, was charged with IS
felonies on Friday, June 1. Charges
included four counts of rape, 10
counts of illegal use of a minor, and
one count of gross sexual imposition. After the Elyria businessman
was arrested on Friday, he posted
bond the following day and was
released.
However, police officials rearrested Armstrong last Wednesday,
after several more residents came
forwarding alleging incidents of
sexual abuse. According to detective
Sgi. Shawn Hadaway of the sher
iffs department, so far more than
five residents have filed additional
charges against Armstrong.
According to Hadaway, Armstrong was also placed back into custody for his own protection, fearing
some residents might decide to take
the law into their own hands.
"Many of the people are under 18
years of age, some of them are now
adults, and said they had something
happen to them when they were minors," Hadaway said.
According to Hadaway, detectives are currently in the process of
interviewing and re-interviewing
victims involved in the case.
"Some of them are remembering
more details," Hadaway said. "After
we're finished with the investigation, which will probably be some
time next week, we'll send the case
over to the county courts...(Not including the most recent charges
filed), he could get life in prison
with the felonies he already has
against him."
Hadaway said due to the nature of
the case investigators will act
quickly in order to get Armstrong
through the court system as soon as
possible.
If Armstrong is found guilty of
being a sex offender, like all offenders he would have to register with
the police department every 90 days
and let authorities knew where he is
residing. Neighbors in the area
would also rccievc a letter from
First-grade students from Cher McCann's class at St. Joseph cises first grade students performed last month. About 47 students
School demonstrate how birds (paper puppets), pick up worms from McCann's class and Julie Gargasz's class studied wind, seeds,
(toothpicks). The experiment was a part of a series of science exer-    bubbles and birds.
St. Joe's students shine at art fair
Sl Joseph School held its annual
Aits Fair recently, with a display of
class projects and musical
performances.
Art displays featured explorations
of many media such as watercolors
dragons, paper mosaics on religious
themes, pen and ink renditions of
ancient pottery, pastel colorings of
birds and mushrooms, crayon drawings in the Blue Willow tradition
and watered marker flowers.
Presentations were made by the
sixth-grade students, who displayed
science fair projects, and the fifth-
grade students who featured a jungle
of clay sculptures and drawings of
zoo animals. Other displays showed
models of Native American Indian
homes, posters depicting the social
trends of past decades, presidential
biographies and reports on insects.
During the music program, kin-
deigartners sang songs about things
they were learning, such as "The
Days of the Week," (which was also
sung in Spanish), "Big Of Storm
Comin\" and "ABC Rock."
First-grade students performed a
collection of songs about books and
reading, featuring Dr. Seuss and
Frog and Toad.
Second-grade students performed
songs about how they are like others
entitled, "We Speak the Same
Language."
Songs from the fifties were dramatized by fourth-grade students,
who sang, "Splish Splash," "Do
You Love Me?" "The Lion Sleeps
Tonight," and "Do Wah Diddy."
Students were directed by the
school's art and vocal teacher, Barb
Bialko.
Sterling is gold to Nascar's fans
by DIANA HOUGLAND
N-T sports reporter
Almost every Saturday night, the
Lorain County Speedway provides
thrills and excitement for racing
fans from all over. But this past Saturday night, the Nascar track produced even more excitement, a visit
by a Winston Cup driver.
Sterling Martin, one of several
driven who have helped bring
Dodge back lo Nascar racing, took a
little time off from the stress of
competing, to sign autographs and
give hugs to adoring Cans.
After completing qualifing on
Friday at Michigan International
Speedway in Brooklyn, Mi., ninning
a few practice laps early Saturday
morning and men attending a mandatory meeting. Martin hopped a
plane and made a quick trip to
was scheduled to sign
■»HH*t at the local track from
6:30 pm. to 8:30 pjn., but seeing
the number of fiaos waiting patiently
ia line to meet him, he quickly got
10 work even earlier, greeting even*
fen like a personal friend.
"1 go wherever the fens want me
m be." he said wuh his soft Tennessee dnrwL "I do this all the time."
Martin, who is driving tne number 40 Coon Light/Team SABCO
Dodge Intrepid, is competing in die
Nascar Winatoa C*q> Series for his
lMMlMMon.
White still attending high school
Nascar Winston Cup driver Sterling Martin
took time from his hectic schedule to Jump from
Michigan to Amherst last Saturday and sign
events as the Daytona 500 which he
it only one of three driven to win
local authorities, making them
aware that a sexual preditor lives in
their neighborhood.
According to sheriff department
reports, the incident was brought to
light after a deputy was dispatched
to Shupe Middle School when principal Gregory Ring received an
anonymous telephone call at the
school. The caller stated that during
a sleep over, Armstrong told the
girls if they wanted to spend the
CONTINUED on page 13
ball player and played in four high
school bowl games. Aa a senior
linebacker, he was also team captain. But things changed for the second generation driver when he filled
in for his injured father. Grand National legend Oifltvd Xoo Coo"
Martin, nek in 1976 at just it yean
of age.
And he hm been natrisc s
for
this race back-to hartr
This nana, aboard fee diver Intrepid. Martin km ben helping
Dodge reclaim feme after yean of
ma." Martta nil "Aad I an gted to
be part of Dodge'i man n
autographs for fans at Lorain County Speedway,
before returning to drive his car to a third place
finish in the Kmart 400.
Corning lo Lorain County Speedway may nave been just what Martin nowfed to help his chase for fee
2001 NnwdumpiOMhip. On Friday Martin qualified back te fee
field in 29th position. But when fee
checkered flag fell tale Sunday af-
tcmooa, Martin had worked his way
lo a solid mird pteee finteh behind
CONTWUID en page a
Council gives OK
to 'recommend'
bike safety rules
by YVONNE GAY
News-Times reporter
"Yes!" council-at-large member
David Williams said, as fellow
members voted to pass the revised
bicycle helmet ordinance Monday.
The safety helmet ordinance that
was defeated over one month ago by
council passed 6-0 after revisions to
the original ordinance were made.
In late March, council defeated
the proposed ordinance which
would have established safety standards for children under 16 yean of
age, requiring them to wear helmets
while riding bikes, scooters, skateboards and the like.
The ordinance was defeated 5-2
after several members of council
voiced objections. While some
members said they thought parents
were responsible enough to make
sure that their children wear helmets, others questioned council's
ability to mandate the ordinance.
Now, instead of "establishing"
safety standards, the revised ordinance is "recommending" them, and
will also allow for the placement of
signs throughout Amherst. The
signs will state:
"The City of Amherst strongly recommends the use of ANSI or
SNELL approved safety helmets
whenever operating tricycles, bicy
cles, scooters, skateboards, roller
skates or in-line skates."
For the past several weeks, members of the community and the
Safety Community Coalition expressed their support for the needy
revised ordinance to council.
Jan Endrai, originally from North
Carolina, said she moved to Amherst from a state where no helmet
law had been passed, and hoped
Amherst would decide to do
otherwise.
"I think kids should wear safety
helmets," Endrai said, and showed
her support by attending several
council meetings. "I tell my boys,
'it's to keep your brains in your
head.' Any city safety ordinance
they can come up with, I'm for."
Endrai said if the city were to
pass the ordinance, she would have
the law to back her when telling her
two boys why they should wear
their helmets.
"I was disappointed that they
didn't pass it (the first tune)," she
said.
Also in attendance to show support for the proposed ordinance
were Becky Opel, a member of fee
Parent-Teacher Organization, and
Marilyn Hill, a health educator with
the Lorain County Safe Community
Coalition, which is conducted
through the Lorain County General
CONTINUED on page 14
Recreation agenda
is packed with fun
School is over and fun is
on the way for students who
have just completed kindergarten up to the age of IS.
The Amherst summer
recreation staff ia eagerly
awaiting the start of this
year's summer recreation activities. Along with the many
new and exciting arts and
crafts projects, field trips will
take summer campen to
many distant and fen places.
The group will be traveling
to the Cleveland Zoo and the
new Australian Adventure Exhibit, the Rain Forest,
Swings-N-Things, Goodtimes
and Sports-N-Stuff for some
batting and golf practice.
For boat lovers, two new
bolting adventures will take
participants to Cleveland's
harbor Feat to aw fee Tall
Ships Challenge feat <~rt*fifff
14 historic sailing vessels
from around fee world. Also,
a trip will be taken to Sand-
suky Bay to sail fee ana n
a pirate on Captain Gundy's
Pirate Adventure. The summer
staff has also planed a vtatt
to NASA teCtewtlnd
eludes a visit to fee ifeny
London Ctacotetw Factory te
Nor* Canton and two trips
to Toft'i Ice
Great Lakes Science Center
and a larger than life adventure at the OmniMax Theater.
Baseball fens won't want to
miss a Cleveland Indians
game and the summer
wouldn't be complete without
several tripe to SkateworkL
bowling at Rebman's and
Chuck-E-Cheese's Pizza Time
Theater.
For video days, full run
movies will be show at Amherst Cinema.
The summer recreation
program is open to any Amherst student who has completed kindergarten up to fee
age of IS. Sign-ups will be
held at Steele High School
(north end) or the back of
Harris School on Wedneeday,
June 13 from 1-3 pjn. aad
on June 14 during the boon
of g am. to noon and 1-3
For feoae who
it to sign-ups during
bob arifl be
out fee summer. Al acJrivim
will begin oa Friday. June IS
end ran five days a week until Jury 25, fee day of the
a.aiUla  gf £»
te
to sl of fee
«d to gat ten tin
pink for free.
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