Amherst News-Times, 1997-11-05

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Wednesday, November 5, 1997
Amherst, Ohio
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Squires attorney rebuts
Anderson's comments
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
A slonc laced Alan Anderson
wasn't happy with the way cily
council members decided to rebut
his comments about their long time
Cleveland bond counsel, Squires,
Sanders and Dempsey.
Dean Barry, a senior partner in
the law firm, appeared before council Oct. 27 lo answer any questions
aboul its management, and bond
Counseling experience.
His appearance was billed as a
regular update of the firm's activities, although Anderson didn't sec it
lhat way.
"The mayor staged the entire
thing," said Anderson following lhe
meeting.
Council member Nancy Brown,
cily treasurer Kathleen Lilkovitz,
safely service director Shcrrill
McLoda and mayor John Higgins
asked Barry questions concerning
Squires, Sanders and Dcmpsey's
function, lhe services provided and
the experience of ils staff.
Following the meeting, Anderson
noted lhal few people on council
asked questions. Most were asked
by members of Higgins administrative staff, who were allegedly directed to do so by the mayor.
"And, ihey asked questions ihey
already knew the answers to," Anderson added. "It was all staged."
The law director said lhe event
was staged because of the election.
Following, the meeting, Higgins
said Barry was contacted because
council members wanted lo clarify
inaccurate statements aboul lhe law
firm made by Anderson in mid-July.
In July, Anderson filed a law suit
over council's decision to appoint
Squire, Sanders and Dempsey bond
counsel for the sale of $5(X),(XK) in
city hall renovation oonds.
Anderson claimed state law gives
him the authority to appoint a bond
counsel. He preferred lhe Cleveland
law firm of Calfce, Haller and Griswold. through which Anderson said
lhe city could save an estimated 20
percent.
During a heated discussion with
council, he also questioned the experience of Squires, Sanders and
Dempsey attorneys who handle
bond counseling matters, according
to Higgins.
"There were a number of inaccuracies he voiced in his effort to have
things his way lhat council wanted
io clear up," the mayor added.
Council member John Mishak
said there was nothing unusual aboul having Barry appear before
council. The firm has reported to
council in previous years, he added.
Barry said his linn docs business
wilh virtually every city and village
in Lorain Counly as public law
clients. Il also serves as bond
counsel for many others.
A perturbed Anderson asked
Barry who had asked him lo appear
before council.
"Council. I was contacted by the
mayor," he replied.
The law director also wanted to
know the cost of Barry's
appearance.
"Nothing," he answered. "This is
far too important to me lo even
think about charging the city."
As for its legal fees, Barry said
they "arc in no way shape or form
out of line" with those charged by
most law firms in the area.
City forced to do
temporary fix-up
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
City officials are preceding with
plans to hall deterioration of cily
hall until the law suit filed against
[hem by law director Alan Anderson
is .settled in a state court.
Residential building inspector
Ron Konowals has been asked to
oversee work lhat involves making
temporary repairs to lhe roof and
scaling lhe 113-year-old building's
bell tower.
"We've got to do something to
prevent further damage to ihis grand
old lady," said mayor John Higgins.
"I hale spending lhe money because
I'd raihcr spend it lo make permanent repairs lhal will put il back into
shape and full use."
Plans to spend up to $500,000 to
make permanent repairs have been
put on hold by Anderson's suit challenging city council's July decision
to name a bond counsel. The law director contends slate law give him
lhe sole authority.
Il seeks an injunction thai makes
an ordinance naming the Cleveland
law firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey bond counsel invalid. It also
prohibits the expenditure of any money for the permanent repairs.
Anderson is appealing a Lorain
Counly Common Pleas Court's ruling in council's favor to lhe Ninth
District Court of Appeals in Akron.
Should he lose, Anderson has said
he will appeal to the Ohio Supreme
Court.
No permanent repairs can be
made until a final court decision is
reached. Higgins said both he and
council pould be criminally liable if
they sign bond documents for permanent repairs.
Temporary repairs are the city's
only alternative and musl be made
before winter sets in to prevent
further leaks and damage lo lhe bell
lower and interior of the unused second door, he added.
Make-do repairs also have been
made lo a 50-ycar-old furnace lhat
was io have been part of the
8900,000 repair project.
Severe roof leaks have developed
in the roof valleys where old Hashing has become badly deteriorated.
A temporary sealant needs to be
placed over the valleys and the outside arches to the bell tower sealed
wilh wood or plastic to prevent
moisture from seeping inside and
causing further damage.   '
Konowals is determining the
work lhat needs io be done, seeking
possible contractors and getting cost
estimates.
Higgins said-he hopes lhe work
can be done for under $10,000.
Otherwise, it will require emergency
council action and a lengthy public
bidding process.
II lhe temporary repairs cannot be
made soon, Higgins said he fears the
cily may have to rent office space al
various locations should the building become uninhabitable.
Shirley Young, one ot several volunteer teachers at Amherst's
one room schoolhouse, dressed in 1890's clothing, prepares to call
on a student during a special history day for Harris Elementary students. Young is a retired Powers Elementary School teacher.
Volunteers are bringing Amherst's
old one room schoolhouse to life
Valeric Gerstenberger used to
teach third graders at the Quigley
Museum's century-old one-room
school house by herself. These days,
she is gelling some much needed
help from some retirees like herself.
A former Amherst school district
librarian, Gerstenberger has enlisted
the help of five women to help her
teach the way life was during lhe
I890i io more than 400 children
from Amherst, Soulh Amherst, Wellington and Olmsted Falls. The
school house is the historic grange
hall on Milan Avenue.
Four arc retired school teachers
like her. The fifth, Vivienne Bickley, is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about history. Bul that comes natural for her. She is the former president of the Amherst Historical
Society.
The retired teachers are Shirley
Young, Mary Ranck, Jeanne Smith
and Elaine Breen. Swift and Young
laughi at Powers Elementary
School, Ranck at Harris Elementary
School and Breen in Lorain.
Gerstenberger has been leaching
third graders from Harris since the
special hislory lessons about life in
1890s began in irte uue-room saiooi
house six years ago. *   ,.
But lhal was before she started
getting calls from teachers in Wcl-"
lington, Soulh Amherst and Olmsted
Falls aboul lhe special history classes. Fifty students from these school
districts arc enrolled in this year's
program. They pay a S3 tuition fee.
It is free to Amherst sludents.
These days, it's gelling a bit too
much lor her. She's 84 and wants to
enjoy life. So, she trained the five
new teachers to replace her in the
classroom. The classes arc held
throughout October. Each has about
25 children.
She hasn't given up teaching
though. She slill teaches home
schooled children from anywhere in
Lorain Counly.
"Jusi because ihey arc taught al
home, there's no reason for them
nol to have the opportunity lo learn
what school was like back in the
1890*8," Gerstenberger said.
Gerstenberger laughi at Clear-
view High School between 1942
and 1957 before becoming director
of libraries for the Amhcrsl School
District from 1957 lo 1980.
"r didn't think this would get as
big' and as popular as they (classes)
arc_now. I can't possibly handle it
all myself," she explained. "I used
lo leach five days a week but that
really lixik a big bite out of my time
during October. I have other things I
wani to do."
Bickley comes every day whether
she teaches or not just to help oul.
There arc slates lo clean, a water
bucket io Illl and a classroom to
clean.
Gerstenberger has passed on everything she knows about education
in a one-room school house to the
volunteer teachers. She learned the
trade from her mother, the laic Ethel
Eppley, who laughi in one room
school   houses   throughout   Lorain
Count)' from many years.
"It was different then. You didn't
have one grade like wc do here, but
the first through eighth grade," she
added. "And, she did everything
herself. Wc have help here."
Like all Amhcrsl students, some
children lour the Quigley Museum,
although most outside of Amhcrsl
just come to experience education in
the 1890s in a one room school, she
added.
The sludents also get a short tour
of the Cleveland Quarries.
The old  school  was built  118
years ago bul was extensively remodeled several years ago by the ■
Amhcrsl Historical Society.
I
Reading program having
a big impact at Shupe
by ANITA OFFINEER
News-Times correspondent
Ezra Pound, a United States poet
and critic born in 1885 once said,
"With one day's reading a man may
have the key in his hands." J.R.
Lowell also said, "Have you ever
rightly considered what the mere
ability io read means? That is die
key which admits us to the whole
world of lhat of fancy and imagination? ...Thai il enables us to see with
. the keenest eyes, hear wilh die finest
ears, and listen lo the sweetest
voices of all times?"
With all of our modern technology, television, computers, VCR's
and more, the art of reading may
have deceased, bul its' importance
has nol. To be able to read, as Arnold Bcnncll said, "is not lo amuse
the hours of leisure; it is to ajvake
oneself, ...to be alive, lo intensify
one's capacity for pleasure, for sympathy, and for comprehension...It is
lo change utterly one's relations
with ihe world."
Reading is a skill. The more it is
done, the belter it becomes. Lack of
reading practice is a major cause of
low reading standards. The ability to
read and comprehend is the fundamental skill for learning all subjects
laughi in school. To promote reading for students who may not be
high-inicnsity readers, and even for
those who are, two Amhersl school
icachcrs collaborated lo institute the
Accelerated Reader Program for
lilill and sixth grade Shupc Middle
School students.
Janis Trunzo, a Special Education
teacher, and Diana Bcetler, a fifth
grade teacher, worked on a grant
proposal to fund the Accelerated
Reader program. Beeder taught at a
school in Georgia thai was just aboul to implement lhe program.
Though Bcetler did not have an opportunity io work with lhe program
in Georgia, she said all of the teachers using the program now just love
il.
The Accelerated Reader program
utili/es the best in children's literature with the use of computers to
promote a love of reading. Students
chixisc books from a list of thousands of tides, read the book cover-
lo-covcr, and then answer a
muliiplc-choicc lest using the computer. The student earns poinis
basal on factors such as length of
the book, reading level, and number
of correct answers.
Books arc read al the student's
own pace, and because the book list
is so extensive, hesitant readers to
the most voracious readers' needs
can be satisfied. The Accelerated
Reader program is nationally'recog-
nized, and has been endorsed by the
Institute for Academic Excellence.
Several studies have proven ils effectiveness in promoting a love for
reading. Studies have also shown
that those who enjoy reading improve their ability to develop critical
thinking skills such as evaluation,
synthesis, analysis and application,
important for every school subject.
Shupe Middle School's Accelerated Reader can be networked, has
CONTINUED on page 5
Joe Teets, a student at Shupe Middle School, works with the
Accelerated Reading Program. The computer program is designed
to encourage children to develop a love ot reading.
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