The Sun. (North Canton, Stark County, Ohio), 1997-09-04

              North Canton, Lake Township and Plain Township
VOL. 75 NO. 45
NORTH EDITION
SEPTEMBER 4-10,1997
2 Sections 20 Pages
50 GENTS
A capsuled look at the week...
FRONT LINES
COMPUTERS READY
You may not yet be thinking
about Christmas, but the city
of North Canton is already eyeing the next century.
City Council approved
$16,800 to hire GBS of North
Canton to modify the city's
computer software to recognize
theyear2000.
"Its better to do the work
now before we are pushed for
time," said City Finance
Director Margaret Loretto.
' Loretto said hiring an outside computer programmer is
more cost effective because the
city does not make enough
modifications to its customized
software to warrant the cost of
an on-staff programmer
'Without the modifications,
the aty computer system
would confuse the year 2000
with the year 1900
Part ofthe problem is the
way the computer decodes the
date For example, the current
system decodes Aug 29,1997
in six digits as 082997 But the
computer has to be reprogrammed to read Jan 1,2000
m eight digits In computer
language, the first day ofthe
next century would be
01012000
Date-sensitive computerized
aty services mchide, among others, utility billing and collection,
the budget, income tax account-
ing, fixed assets Ttitffiflgemept
iT^TKe computer modifications
should be completed by tjie.end
of Apnl 1908, Loretto said.' "' <
LAKE UMI TO DISCUSS ZONE CHANGES   \
The Lake Township Zoning Commission will conduct a public
hearing and a regular work session to follow on Sept 16at7pm
at 12360 Market Avenue N, Hartville
r The hearing will include text changes to the current Zoning
Resolution including, but not limited to Wireless telecommunication faolibes, definitions, Definitions, Section 30713 Land Use
Categories, Section 802 Conditional Use conditions, and Sections
^401,402,403,406, the addition of wireless commumcabon text to
rJie Residential Districts; Section 409 name change ofthe Admin-
. isrrabve Biifier District; Fee structure ibr wireless commumca-
? tion uses; Text changes in Section 404, Manufactured Home Park
'Districts. Others are Section 420 3 yard requirements Ibr industrial districts, Text changes for Planned Industrial and
i« Commercial complexes ' ^
WINNERS
Brandon Good, 16, won 25
gallons of gas and Anne Gi-
chevaki won 75 gallons of gas
in The Sun JournaTa drawing
at the Jackson Community
Festival Good plans to fill up
the Jeep he shares with his
brothers, while Gichevski will
use the gas to chauffeur her
three children
fi~\ <   SuNJcMt^a^faroSarrPATBuiw
V:
IAKECOMlOirTEE
* i The economic development
^siib^nmiittee will meet at
v8":30 fim. on Saturday, Sept
■*20.-5 The meeting will beheld at
Sub-
1:80 p.m.
GOLF BENEFIT .
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host ammiatoegolfcvfang^, \,
froinnixinto^pJiL on Skit IB^t-
at Rolling C*Br^Miniature'Galfs '
j Course, Uhicnipwn,Aticket»&' jfe
indurJesiS&V-^M
dm«ata$l,a)piii^lOTa^>m5
hole in one. Tickets ccet$5 ($5,50V'J
($4 attbe i^Jtbr.cmlmwages^l
5to li^mWjfflffim
Lake burner Center antfRolliiur t
Greens golf course Eur details?. .*■
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Roads draw high marks
Survey shows residents
pleased with services
Cheerleading competition
Sun Journal photo by Pat Burk
GlenOak cheerleader Andrea Colopy, a Junior, performs with the Golden Eagles cheerleaders
during the Stark County Fair cheerleading competition Thursday.
By LARRY SOPER
The Sun Journal
PLAIN TWP. - The township's roadways have
drawn high praise from an independent company which
compared the community's roads and their maintenence
to other subdivision roadways across the nation.
A study, completed by Government Management
Associates of Massachusetts at the request ofthe township's three trustees', said "almost everyone associated
with Plain Township is satisfied with tlie services provided by the Plain Township Road Department"
The trustees said they wanted the study taken to:
determine if the township roads were being maintained'
and financially provided for with tlie highest standards.
The study rated the township's policies, procedures, facilities, equipment, road administration,
maintenance operations, and made a recommenda-;
tion on how it can improve its roads.
The study said tlie township is one ofthe quickest
subdivisions in the nation as far as responding to
roadway needs.
More importantly, the study gave the township
high marks in resident satisfaction.
"Based on public safety and current conditions,
routine service requests are responded to immediately during the same day or the next business day,"
the study said. "The equipment (used by the township road department) is relatively new, serviceable
and adequate for the work performed,"
The study was also quick to point out that the
township's plans to remedy several storm sewer and
drainage problems are second to none.
"Long range drainage and improvement projects
have been developed and are being implemented in
an orderly manner," the study said.
That is good news, the township's three trustees
said, because storm sewer improvement projects
and road drainage have been among top concerns of
township residents in recent years.
"Township residents register comparatively few
complaints regarding road maintenance service in contrast to our experience with other communities," the
study said. "The rapidity in which officials were able to
respond to several service requests andthe general
pride in the work performed by the township maintenance crew, confirm this very positive condition."
The company applauded the township for asking
for a study.
The township trustees, township administrator
(Vince Marion), road adiriinistration, road foreman
See ROADS, page A2
Unclaimed, discarded
items will be auctioned
By DOTTIl! McGREW
The Sun Joumal
NORTH CANTON - Believe it
or not, a 1987 four-door Chevy
sedan, a prosthetic left leg and a
black Zippo lighter with stars and
stripes have something in common.
The sedan, the leg and the
lighter are among an eclectic lot
of more thanlOO items to be auctioned by the city at 5 p.m. on
Sept. 1.7 in the City Service Center on Freedom Avenue.
Some ofthe auction items, such
as an old orange roller trailer and a
chalk board with frame and wheels,
are no longer needed by the city.
Other pieces - 13 bicycles, 1
tricycie and 1 scooter - are unclaimed property.
All items not gaveled-off by ffiko
Auctioneers will be discarded, said
City Administrator John Boyajian.
Proceeds will go to the city general fund.
The city has auctioned unnecessary items and unclaimed property for the past five years. Last
year, more than 100 bidders,
some from as far away as Columbus, paid about $7,500 for auction
items, Boyajian said.
Kiko Auctioneers advertises
the auction across the state. The
See ITEMS, page A2
Coalition membership
okayed over opposition
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INSIDE TODAY
Center Stage ........ Page B10
Classified Pages B5-B9
Impact Page AS
Nine to (tve  PageA6
Obituaries.   Page B4 ,
Our Backyard    Page A9
Religion ..............Page B4
Senior Lifestyles....... Page A8
Soldi  ,....,.;..Page AS
Sports .Pages B1-B3
Stork Report ...'.    ... .PageB4
Viewpoint ......'.,... .Page A4
By MELISSA HOSTETLER
The Sun Journal
LAKE TWP. - The Lake school
board has opted to continue its
membership in the Ohio Coalition
for Equity and Adequacy for School
Funding, but not without opposition.
The coalition, a lobbying group
based in Columbus, claimed that
school funding in Ohio was unfair
and originated the equity and
adequacy lawsuit against the
state. As a result, the Ohio Supreme Court declared the method
of school funding to be unconstitutional and gave the istate legislature one year to develop a more
fair and equitable program.
, Lake superintendent William
Stetler believes this group will keep
pressure on the state legislature to
provide a plan for competent and
simpler funding for Ohio schools.
"Students do not vote and
often times, we look to those who
vote for support," Stetler said. "I
think this group is looking out for
the best of our children."
Stetler believes there is no potential for growth in the current funding and is concerned that schools are
frjroed to heavily rely on taxes which
became a burden to residents.
School board member Dennis
Mihaly, who has consistently
voted against membership in this
group, believes the $1,500 membership fee (50 cents per enrolled
See COALITION, page A2
'Mehnding' a hand
Sun Journal aa«jro sn Pat Burac
Tribal designs are the latest fashion In mehndl, a painless, temporary form
of tattoo art. For story, see page A9.
FOR A COMPLETE ROUNDUP OF LAST WEEK'S AND UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS, SEE PA GES J11-B3