The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-03-04 |
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►tiers send eight to district — Page 6 PUDs planned for area — Page 2 Vmherst News-Times March 4, 1998 Amherst, Ohio 50 cents / offices to move to Park Avenue building will be displaced for repairs by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter Cily offices temporarily will be located in the San Springs building on Park Avenue pending the completion of a lease agreement this week. Beginning in early May, the office building will house city offices for three or four months while city hall is repaired and remodeled, ac- Workers cording to mayor John Higgins. Under the lease, the city is expected to pay about $4,900 a month in rent. Higgins said he still is looking for a meeting facility where cily council and council committee meetings can be held in the interim. The San Springs building and the S. Main Street office building for merly occupied by convicted investment counselor Joseph Nemchik were both being considered as temporary city office sites. The latter was eliminated from consideration because it is for sale rather than rent, the mayor said. The San Springs building is owned by a group of doctors and in vestors, who have been cooperative and willing to rent it. It was the original site of St. Joseph Catholic School, he added. The city must temporarily relocate administrative offices for safety reasons while the more than century-old city hall is being fixed. Cily council has authorized spending up to $250,000 to repair a leaky roof and deteriorated bell tower. Plans also call for remodeling the first floor and the former police station in the basement if there is sufficient money. The work is expected to take three to four months and will begin in mid-May. The offices probably will be relocated to the San Springs building two weeks earlier to enable workmen to get set up and allow city workers to get organized in their temporary offices. Bul Higgins said he is worried the first floor and basement remodeling may be sidetracked by escalating roof repair costs. The most recent studies have revealed some wooden roof beams have begun to CONTINUED on page 2 BOE declares overcrowding emergency; to buy modulars by APRIL MILLER News-Times reporter More than one-third of ihe 1998-1999 board of education's permanent improvement money will be spent on modular classrooms to alleviate overcrowding, and new school buses. Three modular units which will houNC two classes each and three new buses will be purchased. The maximum cost of ihe units will be $170,000, superintendent Howard Dulmage said. The cost of the two transit buses and one special needs bus is $162,166. The entire PI budget totals $748,502. The board decided to use modular classrooms as one solution to the continuing overcrowding problem faced by the school district. All-day kindergarten was also eliminated for the 1998-1999 school year to help alleviate the problem. The decision was made after the board held a spe cial meeting in January to discuss ihe overcrowding issue. At the meeting the board said they thought the community would not support the cost of building more classrooms. Dulmage said he thought passing a bond with the unstable economy of Lorain Counly would be almost impossible. Board- member Sandy Freedman said she didn't think a bond issue would fail because people don't wanl to support the schools, but that it was a money issue. "When we know there won't be an economic downturn then., we can go io the public for a bond issue," Dulmage said. "Now we arc unsure of whal Ford will do, Nordson just announced ihey are letting people go and we don'i know what the state is going lo do about school funding." The cosl of modular units is about one-third the cosl of a real building, CONTINUED on page 3 Behind his work Amherst school bus mechanic Norm Miller is nearly hidden by a huge school bus engine on which he works. Miller said he occa sionally has to work on a step ladder to reach everything under the big hood. Improvements to be paid by higher water rate by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter Amherst residents shouldn't think the city is playing an April Fools Day joke when they get their April water bills. It's for real. Water bills for people within the cily limits will increase a mi nimum of 75 cents on April 1 to help the city pay for much- needed improvements lo the municipal water system. The new rates were announced by mayor John Higgins at a Feb. 23 cily council meeting. The additional income will be used to help finance improvements ranging from new fire hydrants to the installation of new water lines. The flat rale residents are charged for the first 3,000 gallons used will increase from S5.10 to $5.85 monthly, the minimum charge. Rates for an additional 1,000 gallons used over ihe minimum will be raised from $2.34 to $2.68. As they have in the past, Amherst Township residents will pay an average of 1.5 percent more, according to utilities superinlendenl Don Woodings. The minimum flat rate charged them for 3,000 gallons or less will increase from $7.65 to $8.90. The rate for each additional 1,000 gallons will be S4.03 more. They now pay S3.51. "Given the fact we haven't in creased rates in such a long time — and we need to, I think this is justified and long overdue," Higgins said. The additional funds partially will be used to help finance water line replacement and pay off more than $100,000 owed on previous water line projects. "One of the problems we have is we are always mortgaging fu ture generations quite heavily," he added. "This will give us a chance to pay our fair share as we go along wilh various projects," The increase, the first in the last 16 years, will help pay for a host of projects, including the installation of at least 80 new CONTINUED on page 2 APD patrol force increased by two with full-time, part-time officers You might say Gary Fernandez wears two hats, figuratively bul nol literally. Not only is he Amherst's newest patrolman, he also tries lo find lime to do some substitute teaching al Marion L. Steele High School. A full-lime or substitute teacher for seven years, Fernandez decided nearly a year and a half ago that becoming a cop would be a more fulfilling career. He also decided the best place to wear a badge would be in Amherst, his hometown. It might give him the chance to continue substitute leaching in the future and keep him near his family and friends. Last fall he became a part-time officer bul continued substituting. Little did he realize he would soon become a full-time addition to the department, an extra patrolman whose presence has been sought by chief William Hall for more lhan a year. Fernandez was in ihe midst of a 14-week on-the-job training program when Hall offered him the job. He was sworn in on Valentine's Day. Since then, his part-time officer's job has been filled by Manny Roman, 24, of LaGrange. "It's something I've dreamed of since I was a child " Roman said. "I don't like babysitting inmates, but it gives me a look into the other side of law enforcement" Ihe chance lo become a part-time officer hasn't been a drastic career change for him. He already wears a Manny Roman badge as a corrections otiicer at (he Lorain Correctional Institution, one of the three state prisons located near Grafton. Roman said he formerly served as a pan-lime patrolman on the La- Grange police department before "taking a step up" to Amheist. The decision to hire additional manpower came at a good lime. Three officers are recovering from CONTINUED on page 11 New patrolman Gary Fernandez checks out his patrol, police cruiser as he prepares to head out on
Object Description
Title | The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-03-04 |
Place |
Amherst (Ohio) Lorain County (Ohio) |
Date of Original | 04-MAR-1998 |
Searchable Date | 1998-03-04 |
Collection | Amherst News-Times |
Submitting Institution | Amherst Public Library |
Rights | Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Type | Text |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn84028333 |
Description
Title | The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-03-04 |
Place |
Amherst (Ohio) Lorain County (Ohio) |
Date of Original | 04-MAR-1998 |
Searchable Date | 1998-03-04 |
Submitting Institution | Amherst Public Library |
Rights | Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Full Text | ►tiers send eight to district — Page 6 PUDs planned for area — Page 2 Vmherst News-Times March 4, 1998 Amherst, Ohio 50 cents / offices to move to Park Avenue building will be displaced for repairs by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter Cily offices temporarily will be located in the San Springs building on Park Avenue pending the completion of a lease agreement this week. Beginning in early May, the office building will house city offices for three or four months while city hall is repaired and remodeled, ac- Workers cording to mayor John Higgins. Under the lease, the city is expected to pay about $4,900 a month in rent. Higgins said he still is looking for a meeting facility where cily council and council committee meetings can be held in the interim. The San Springs building and the S. Main Street office building for merly occupied by convicted investment counselor Joseph Nemchik were both being considered as temporary city office sites. The latter was eliminated from consideration because it is for sale rather than rent, the mayor said. The San Springs building is owned by a group of doctors and in vestors, who have been cooperative and willing to rent it. It was the original site of St. Joseph Catholic School, he added. The city must temporarily relocate administrative offices for safety reasons while the more than century-old city hall is being fixed. Cily council has authorized spending up to $250,000 to repair a leaky roof and deteriorated bell tower. Plans also call for remodeling the first floor and the former police station in the basement if there is sufficient money. The work is expected to take three to four months and will begin in mid-May. The offices probably will be relocated to the San Springs building two weeks earlier to enable workmen to get set up and allow city workers to get organized in their temporary offices. Bul Higgins said he is worried the first floor and basement remodeling may be sidetracked by escalating roof repair costs. The most recent studies have revealed some wooden roof beams have begun to CONTINUED on page 2 BOE declares overcrowding emergency; to buy modulars by APRIL MILLER News-Times reporter More than one-third of ihe 1998-1999 board of education's permanent improvement money will be spent on modular classrooms to alleviate overcrowding, and new school buses. Three modular units which will houNC two classes each and three new buses will be purchased. The maximum cost of ihe units will be $170,000, superintendent Howard Dulmage said. The cost of the two transit buses and one special needs bus is $162,166. The entire PI budget totals $748,502. The board decided to use modular classrooms as one solution to the continuing overcrowding problem faced by the school district. All-day kindergarten was also eliminated for the 1998-1999 school year to help alleviate the problem. The decision was made after the board held a spe cial meeting in January to discuss ihe overcrowding issue. At the meeting the board said they thought the community would not support the cost of building more classrooms. Dulmage said he thought passing a bond with the unstable economy of Lorain Counly would be almost impossible. Board- member Sandy Freedman said she didn't think a bond issue would fail because people don't wanl to support the schools, but that it was a money issue. "When we know there won't be an economic downturn then., we can go io the public for a bond issue," Dulmage said. "Now we arc unsure of whal Ford will do, Nordson just announced ihey are letting people go and we don'i know what the state is going lo do about school funding." The cosl of modular units is about one-third the cosl of a real building, CONTINUED on page 3 Behind his work Amherst school bus mechanic Norm Miller is nearly hidden by a huge school bus engine on which he works. Miller said he occa sionally has to work on a step ladder to reach everything under the big hood. Improvements to be paid by higher water rate by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter Amherst residents shouldn't think the city is playing an April Fools Day joke when they get their April water bills. It's for real. Water bills for people within the cily limits will increase a mi nimum of 75 cents on April 1 to help the city pay for much- needed improvements lo the municipal water system. The new rates were announced by mayor John Higgins at a Feb. 23 cily council meeting. The additional income will be used to help finance improvements ranging from new fire hydrants to the installation of new water lines. The flat rale residents are charged for the first 3,000 gallons used will increase from S5.10 to $5.85 monthly, the minimum charge. Rates for an additional 1,000 gallons used over ihe minimum will be raised from $2.34 to $2.68. As they have in the past, Amherst Township residents will pay an average of 1.5 percent more, according to utilities superinlendenl Don Woodings. The minimum flat rate charged them for 3,000 gallons or less will increase from $7.65 to $8.90. The rate for each additional 1,000 gallons will be S4.03 more. They now pay S3.51. "Given the fact we haven't in creased rates in such a long time — and we need to, I think this is justified and long overdue," Higgins said. The additional funds partially will be used to help finance water line replacement and pay off more than $100,000 owed on previous water line projects. "One of the problems we have is we are always mortgaging fu ture generations quite heavily," he added. "This will give us a chance to pay our fair share as we go along wilh various projects," The increase, the first in the last 16 years, will help pay for a host of projects, including the installation of at least 80 new CONTINUED on page 2 APD patrol force increased by two with full-time, part-time officers You might say Gary Fernandez wears two hats, figuratively bul nol literally. Not only is he Amherst's newest patrolman, he also tries lo find lime to do some substitute teaching al Marion L. Steele High School. A full-lime or substitute teacher for seven years, Fernandez decided nearly a year and a half ago that becoming a cop would be a more fulfilling career. He also decided the best place to wear a badge would be in Amherst, his hometown. It might give him the chance to continue substitute leaching in the future and keep him near his family and friends. Last fall he became a part-time officer bul continued substituting. Little did he realize he would soon become a full-time addition to the department, an extra patrolman whose presence has been sought by chief William Hall for more lhan a year. Fernandez was in ihe midst of a 14-week on-the-job training program when Hall offered him the job. He was sworn in on Valentine's Day. Since then, his part-time officer's job has been filled by Manny Roman, 24, of LaGrange. "It's something I've dreamed of since I was a child " Roman said. "I don't like babysitting inmates, but it gives me a look into the other side of law enforcement" Ihe chance lo become a part-time officer hasn't been a drastic career change for him. He already wears a Manny Roman badge as a corrections otiicer at (he Lorain Correctional Institution, one of the three state prisons located near Grafton. Roman said he formerly served as a pan-lime patrolman on the La- Grange police department before "taking a step up" to Amheist. The decision to hire additional manpower came at a good lime. Three officers are recovering from CONTINUED on page 11 New patrolman Gary Fernandez checks out his patrol, police cruiser as he prepares to head out on |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn84028333 |
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