Amherst News-Times, 2005-08-03

              sumfner ball season ends - pade 7 if amherst news-tim teens accused of kidnapping 10-year conspirators plead guilty page 2 the 10-ycar-old who was hog ticd and held at gunpoint by three neighborhood bullies during a visit to his grandmother's house last week scared but unhurt, according police. monday, boy dropped off in vicinity jackson street began playing with kidf.rigcs 15, i6,and 17. "i don't know it done torture kid mentally, bully him, or as joke. i what mindset kids was," said lt. joseph kucirek. when he followed one boys home play video games, bound telephone cord for police believe be several minutes, which shotgun pointed his' head threats were yelled alleged victim even tually released returned home, where related events. mother took him station on north lake following day file complaint. kucirek there evi dence that indicated had been tied up, though lie declined confirm news times bruising other marks. did not require medical attention, said. v' "it didn't happen voluntarily, 1 can say thti . n'tk " was." officers searched they incident occurred confiscated an unl6adcd sus pect phone cord, said, continued 6 amon jason hawk news-times reporter stepping into her back yard feel lot like tumbling through looking glass cathryn bacon. ''that's my magic mushroom," she told week, walking around 34-inch-widc behemoth sprouting base oak outside orchard hill home. standing 10 inches tall visi bly growing wider every day, cream-colored fungus looks enormous cabbage. "i'm old enough have seen lots mushrooms," bacon, 83, who's never spotted such mammoth since moving 1965. "what about this is edges ceramic, somebody formed it." killer humidity made july heat unbearable provided perfect environment mushroom, has swelled from its current size five, weeks. "you look th& morning then again night you see it's bigger," wonder will try tree." woman initial ly thought rooting out, intrigued coloring shape. now expects mush room collapse under own weight any day. get mushrooms, i'll steak," neighbor henry smarsh, five passes bacon's riding 12 mows yard, examines 34-lnch-wide mushroom hill. wild true... actually fruit produced fungus, designed release spores "seeds" grow fungi. only 100 mushrooms are fatal. people study rooms called mycologists. more than 2,000 varieties ohio. collect ing ohio starts late april runs september. all parasitical. fact, most beneficial, secrete hormones cause trees grow. ...and false myths how tell edible brooms , poisonous ones nonsense. these false: silver spoon blacken 'shrooms. peels, safe. animals eat them safely, so humans. white safe (some among ohio). parboiling, pickling, drying saps toxins. wood cow pastures meadows racing champ perishes park ave. garaae blaze william zakowskl dual 911 calls small girl next-door too save life 54-year-old villiam zakowski, died thursday after apparently lighting himself fire avenue garage. rushed 648 10:01 ajn., to. find zakowski already deceased sgt. dan jasinski. officer michael jrosebcck arrived scene first put out remaining flames extinguisher. male dialed heard screaming saw someone inside young female caller believed man trying light fire, lived across tried rescue attempting smother shirt, no avail. chief wayne northeim damage garage thaj poured accelerant over lit fire. jasinski investigating retailers' plight makes taylor brakes paving until '06 bv,jason -when,, asphalt niorc set fingers crossed. "if problems, i'm definitely waiting wil next year," mayor davlcl taylqr, downtown business' owners beca financial draught early june central route thchcait ofiljws pity ha? torn forcing sever al worry haying close "their doors. result, t6ld- ihe- 99 percent certain delay second rcpavjng initiative church spring 2006. that's good retailers move toward the? busy j.,, .r t. .i. xau saies season, ne wuua "we school starting holidays coming upwith sweetest the'wayand christmas really far off," taylor. want tq (businesses) thanwehuve'tb."' v recent months, city plan- ners nwestled whether unearth1 mid rcplqce sewers, electric ltney.and pavement mass effort throughout area. moshcr construction started process 40-work-day completion timeline. peri od expires tornorrow, rpad work still behind schedule. coat should down wjll reopened traffic while ers focus installing lights. 5 yjcpking wocld ?. : mlcah jiid0etl)ws,th dqg days, ifepmkjt tree fert boremssive thunder stqfrptswjsot area weijqqy. tmtwlfather built tortfastwmr, ami