Amherst News-Times, 2006-03-01

              garage fire destroys home - page 2 church starts signi ru is ro 5 x m s . aj to : cn "o tj h33c , w z r o 0) h n amherst news-tim ui ri 6j d i t public library r$ steele students mourn the loss of tha young sports fanatic died during preseason baseball drills at brooklyn high school athannsios "thanasl" filippou by jason hawk news-times reporter "do not stand my grave and forever weep. am there; do sleep." those words, penned poet mclinda sue pacho, were embraced handful heartbroken who attended funeral their friend athanasios on monday afternoon. 18-ycar-old senior, schools until 2004, collapsed last wednesday "he was one kids just always happy, especially when he talking about sports. that 99 percent time. it his element," said teacher mark kelley. a short time later parma community general hospital despite attempts coaches paramedics revive him. happy-go-lucky man had something good say. never heard anything bad come out mouth," guidance counselor david bragg, remembered "thanasi" roaming halls as freshman sophomore. bom with congenital heart defect, pacemaker installed regulate heartbeat small child. doctor reportedly gave him clean bill health in january delayed replacement surgery summer. vicki yunkcr news former student's death came shock faculty staff, knot three close friends still corresponded regularly e-mail school's media center. thursday night, hundreds classmates gathered outside for candlelight vigil, spreading flowers building memorial photos letters. inside, walls plastered photocopies filippou's cvcr-smiling face. wake sunday yurch parma, again services greek orthodox annunciation cleveland, grief counselors hand console family members they paid final respects. staff dozen requested permission miss classes attend funeral. there no mistaking continued pago 11 takes village get lucky how cherry valley residents saved lost black labrador tail tucked back, eyes arc wary, but knows day sought refuge drive porch day. now belly full und fur combed, tongue free loll happily. he's been rescued, wormed, vaccinated, dc-skunked. took save dog. an unseasonably warm spell hung over city four weeks ago shirley ron klein first noticed limping down sleepy street, looking meal place rest. furry, scared stray roamed up driveways, sidewalks, searching shelter few scraps chtw. passed old winter stirred. pup's luck began run out. "as got colder colder, we'd pile more blankets, we could find," shirley. "ron doesn't know this, even put coats out." then weather snapped hard freeze set in. kleins worry, grow desperate. catch stray. mailman tried help. draw cans soft food. whole neighborhood pal, too accept gives hearty hug kennels grafton, where rescued being nursed back awaiting adoption. lean $5.2 million budget will bind council hands may seem impossible task asking politicians tighten locks public's wallet new night leaving very little wriggle room pork projects. mayor taylor auditor kukucka handed 2006 financial proposal week calling $33.3 expenditures, which voted 7-0 adopt night. vote made under suspension rules, order meet april 1 deadline submit county state officials, chair ed cowgcr. "is this everything everybody wanted? no," told elected officials. "that means we're going have watch spending much, much carefully." operating fund, used finance police, fire, other critical services, has budgeted. fund scaled $61,000, 2.8 2.4 increases police departments. warned all thousand dollars account earmarked specific uses, asked carefully consider before dipping into additional projects year. fiduciary close-shave 12 many local voters say firelands levy cash hoping forestall quick slide deficit, board renew 3.07-mill third 10 years. "this basically staves us off year," treasurer barbara bcchtel. "we've cutting 15 teaching non-teaching positions past couple years keep black. make any cuts future. can't afford it." primary election, living south amherst, vermilion, henrietta, brownhelm, township district four, precinct 1-b (and some 2-a) decide whether continue $820,000 per year tax. bcchtel approved 1996 5.9 mills, okayed november 2000. without renewal, hit $200,000 deficit 2008, she said. passage, be $1.3 red 2009. "we're trying programs our curriculum levels they're at," president daniel pycraft. adding anything, 6 chefs-in-training are hungry victory national cook-off five want turn food culinary careers van gogh's paintings weren't splashes blue yellow. u learning craft cooking lorain joint vocational school, there's than bit beef brussels sprouts. untrained eye might sec hunk meat greenery, these see art. boursin cheese vegetable torte start, ribs, creamy polenta, sprouts, zucchini, pearl onions main course. finish, prepared vanilla bavarian cream raspberry sauce. mouths watering yet? should be. panel judges columbus certainly think so. weekend, amherst's matt evans, jessica krause, russell ashton, cait celik, andrea rick helped team 18 take top honors ohio's gordon service pro-start everywhere," student evans. "you can go anywhere world it. people eat, it's whatever built, like las vegas." competition. "with over, nervous," ashton. 'they knew so strict knife cuts. you block go." whipping sensuous three-course 60 minutes, only using two electric burners, jvs teams swept second awards both demonstration knowledge bowl divisions, earning juniors seniors trip charlotte, n.c., late compete honors. ohio participated competition years, state's first-place pride ech every represent again, giving shot $80,000 scholarship prize, chefs tim michitsch maurina driscoll. opportunity anchor rick, intend find full-time aspire open own eateries day; evans hopes high-scale, big-city restaurant. "that's money. lifestyle, fast-paced kitchens all, attractive," rick's dreams closer home. "i'd rather cafe somewhere town witli atmosphere," "just little, comfortable great food." driscoll believes kinds ambi- chef shows amanda mihalic apply layered frosting chocolate torte.