The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1997-08-13

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Amherst News-Time
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Wednesday, August 13, 1997
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Amherst, Ohio
Bells ring from church tower again
St. Joe's
members
finance
project
ate-msa
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
For die first time in 27
years, the bells of St. Joseph
Catholic Church rang out on
Sunday thanks lo the dedication of dozens of parishioners.
Until last week, the church
had the bells but people were
not able to hear them chime.
They couldn't. The bells —
one 136 years old and
another 137 years old —
were stored away on church
grounds waiting for completion of a 30-foot bell tower.
Started in mid June, the
tower was completed in early
July after nearly 300 parishioners donated money to
help build the tower on the
west side of the church, according to church maintenance
man Don Somogyi.
The tower cost between
S 15,000 and $20,000 to build
and originally was going to
be located on the east side of
the church. It was moved to
the opposite side after church
officials learned it would have
been built directly over a
sewer, Somogyi said.
Embedded, in near the bottom of the tower is the original church cornerstone, laid in
1865. The names of about 50
donors are carved into red
brinks surrounding the comer-
stone. About 250 more will
be placed around its base and
the church, according to
Somogyi.
All that remained was finding a way to raise the two
historic bells lo their place in
the free-standing tower. That's
where the city came in. The
electric department donated
use of one of its line crews
and crane-equipped trucks to
place a large 1891 and a
smaller 1892 bell into the
tower, one below the other.
Pending completion of electrical hookups, a timer will
make them chime daily at 6
a.m., noon and 6 p.m.
"It's been a long time
since people have heard
them," said Pat Malley.
"They'll be music to the ears
of people, a welcome start
and end of the day."
Malley has been an usher
al the church for 58 years,
long before it was moved
from Tcnny Avenue to just
north of Cleveland Avenue.
The old church on Tenney
was sold and used by other
denominations for several
years. It was demolished last
I "i
mm
iNchard Smith inspects one of two historic     A. Joseph Catholic Church. The bells will ring
'■His installed in a newly-built bell tower next to   ,nr the first time in 27 years.
spring to make way for an
expanded parking lot for the
Amhersl Public Library, according to Malley.
For nearly 15 years, parishioners worshiped in the St.
Joseph school gym until the
new church was completed in
1970. Over the years, the
bells were stored in several
places. They were last rung
in the old church in 1955, he
added.
The bell tower was constructed by Amherst resident
Jay Cobb and a friend; both
men quit their jobs with a
Cleveland area contractor to
build it.
Cobb had a good reason to
quit. His late grandfather,
Howard Jay Cobb Jr., was
one of the bricklayers who
built the church aboul.
Cobb could not be reached
for commeni, but according »o
his mother, Elaine Hall, he
wanted to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather.
"He usually works way on
the east side of Cleveland,
but this had special meaning
for him," she explained. "It
gave him a chance to work
where his grandfather did and
a chance to come back home
to work."
Players to m;
50th anniven
by staging some
favorite shows
The Workshop Players, Inc., a
local theatrical troupe, will make its
50th anniversary this season of producing community theatre.
To commemorate the event, the
Players will present six favorite
shows from the first 50 years of
performances.
Audience members can now order their season tickets for $37.50,
which represents a savings of $7.50
for six tickets. They can be used as
individual tickets to the six productions or any combination of up to
six tickets throughout the season.
Season tickets are available through
Nov. 23.
There are also special group rales
available for groups of 20 or more
or clubs may also buy a night at the
theatre — 100 seats — for a fundraiser or special program. All tickets are available through the box office at 988-5613.
Season ticket subscribers who see
all six shows are also eligible for
judging the annual season awards
which will be presented during an
awards banquet, in August, 1998.
Those who would like to provide
additional support to the theatre in
the form of a donation can do so in
the following categories:
Bronze star for gifts of $10 to
$49; silver star for gifts of $50 to
$99; gold star for gifts of $100 to
$249; or platinum star for gifts of
$250 or more. Patron names will be
printed in a list in each show program and patrons will receive a letter
of receipt for tax purposes.
This year's production schedule
includes the following:
• "Cheaper by the Dozen," by
Christopher Serquel, Sept. 11-28.
Originally directed by Valerie
Jenkins in February, 1956, "Cheaper
by the Dozen" is the autobiographical story of the Gilbreth family. Dad
is an efficiency expert who uses his
career expertise to teach his wife
and 12 children the value of saving
time. Director for the 1997 version
will be Teresa Jenkins.
• "Cotton Patch Gospel," by Russell Treyz and Tom Key with music
by Harry Chapin, Nov. 6-23.
Also directed by Valerie Jenkins,
with John Russell as music director,
"Cotton Patch Gospel" was presented in November and December
of 1988 with a reprisal in March of
1990. Audience members may remember the country music songs in
this story of the Gospel of Matthew
as it might be if it had taken place in
Georgia. This production will be directed by Wade Hubbard, with Bev
Sperry as music director.
• "The Lion in Winter," by James
Goldman, Jan. 29-Feb. 15.
First produced at Workshop in
February of 1970 and directed by
Evelyn Witham, "The Lion in
Winter" is the story of how the fiery
relationship between King Henry II
of England and his queen, Eleanor
Aquitaine, is dissected as they plot,
love, cheat, connive and try to polit-
Thespians
needed for
November
Workshop Players have announced auditions for the
second show of its gala 50lh
season, "Cotton Patch Gospel,"
by Russ Treyz and Tom Key,
with music by Harry Chapin.
Director Wade Hubbard and
musical director Bev Sperry
need four men and four women
of any age.
Also needed arc a guitar
player and a banjo player, or
two. Those interested should
come with a prepared piece and
dressed to move.
Auditions will be held at the
theater, located on Middle
Ridge Road, between Rts. 2 and
58, on Sunday, Aug. 24 from
2-5 p.m. Production dates are
Nov. 6-23.
For further information, call
the director at 988-8768.
ically devour each other.
Sweetened with comic moments,
"Lion in Winter" is a powerful
drama of fierce ambition and family
honor. Dave Colton will direct this
reprisal.
' "Critic's Choice," by Ira Levin,
March 19-April 5.
Francis McDonough first directed
this show in November of 1963.
What happens when a drama critic's
wife writes a play? Problems
abound with the first wife, the son
and the wife's understanding director. Caron Kelley will direct this
comedy.
• "Love Rides the Rails or Will
the Mail Train Run Tonight," by
Morland Cary, May 28-June 14.
Valerie Jenkins first directed this
show for Workshop in August of
1950 and again in April of 1971
with a reprisal in January of 1972.
This is an old-fashioned melodrama featuring the villainous Simon
Darkway, the beauteous Prudence
Hopewell, the gallant Truman Pen-
dennis and many other characters.
Director this time around will be
Bill Reising.
• "Our Town," by Thorton Wilder, July 9-July 26.
Another classic directed by Valerie Jenkins, "Our Town" was first
produced at Workshop in November, 1969.
The play is set in Gravers Corners in the early 1900s and as the
stage manager tells the audience, is
the "way we were in our growing up
and in our marrying and in our doctoring and in our living and in our
dying." Chas Deremer will direct
this version.
Former MLS basketball star to shine in Malta
by KATHLEEN KOSHAR
News-Times editor
A former Marion L. Steele
High School basketball star is
packing her bags for a stint
with a professional women's
team on the Island of Malta.
Shcri Horvath, 23, once a
star player for the Lady Comets, is going lo be a star on
the courts of the Malta Basketball Association, and
throughout Europe.
Horvath was a Comet
standout, graduating in 1992,
and still holds some school
records for scoring and rebounding. While here, she
was Miss Basketball Lorain
County and First Team All-
Ohio, as well as all-county
and all-district as well as
conference Player of ihe Year.
And al Robert Morris College in Pennsylvania, where
she studied communications
on a basketball scholarship,
Horvath continued to score
points and honors.
There she was the team
captain, most valuable player,
First Team All-Conference in
the Northeast Conference and
the conference's leading
scorer.
Not too shabby for a
hometown girl who hoped lo
one day play professional women's basketball. Now, she's
goi her chance.
About two weeks ago, Horvath said she got a call from
EuroSport Enterprises, a Montreal agency which recruits
American players lo play in
the European women's
leagues, once the only place
lor women to continue basketball careers following
college.
She had hooked up with
the Canadian agency in hopes
of hearing of an opening one
day. Last April, she heard
there was a chance for an
opening on the Malta team
for a forward.
When she got the call,
Horvath said she "about fell
over in my chair."
Until last week, she was
living in Vermilion and keeping her skills in shape in
case (he call came. While a
college student, there had
been plenty of interest from
stouts and she held out hope
that she would be getting the
nod eventually.
Horvath had only nine days
from the day she got the call
from her agent that her services were needed in Malta.
She quit her job and was
able to talk with the team's
general manager by phone
only once.
She had already researched
the country on the Internet
when she heard of the opening, learning it is an island
nation, about 120 square
miles in size, located 60
miles south of Sicily.
It is also where die
wealthy of Europe often go
to vacation; she has no re-'-
grets aboul being picked up\
by a country that caters to
vacationers and loves its women's basketball.
She'll be a member of ihe
Pembrookc Basketball Club
and play against teams from
throughout Europe, giving her
the chance to travel.
The club manager told her
residents on the Island speak
Maltese as well as English.
"We're furnished with a
place to live so I'll probably
bo' living with a teammate,"
she explained.
Horvath was scheduled to
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