Amherst News-Times, 1998-04-29

              e artist wins award - Page 3 43rd Comet Relays held - Page 8
Amherst News-Times
April 29, 1998
Amherst, Ohio
5Ck cents
Police contract
remains unsigned
by QLEN MILLER
"W
Creative kid
Maximo Meggitt, 4, gets help Irom his mother, Ann Meggitt, and art instructor Peggy Hibber (standing) of the Firelands Association for the Visual
Arts (FAVA) while making a mask out of a paper plate and colorful feath
ers during Mask Mania at the Amherst Public Library. Sponsored by the
Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA), the event was made as
part of the Week of the Young Child.
News-Times reporter
A new contract for Amherst patrolman and sergeants remains unsigned seven weeks after a factfinder's report was unanimously approved by cily council as the basis
for a new three-year agreement.
The contract was approved by
council March 16 but has not been
signed by the Amherst branch of the
Ohio Patrolman's Benevolent Association (OPBA) because of a disagreement over what benefits will
be retroactive to Jan. 1.
"Wc seem to have a heck of a
problem here and it looks like it will
have to be settled by the state," local
OPBA director Wjilter Gould said.
Under the contact, the city contends only regular pay for full-time
patrolman and sergeants is retroactive. According to the contract, they
will receive a four percent increase
retroactive to Jan. 1 and a 3.5 percent raise in 1999 and 2000.
The union contends that pay and
benefits for court-time, call-in pay,
sick leave and other contract points
also are retroactive.
Pending a last-minute resolution,
Gould and OPBA business agent
Nick Codrea said the matter is ex-
Librarians today are information gatekeepers
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Webster's dictionary defines a librarian its a person who is in charge
of a library who helps people locate
books in it
That's a simple definition, too
simple. Chances are you would get a
much longer and more complex one
from Amherst librarians Don Do-
vala, Jan Turner and their boss, Judy
Dworkin, library director.
Dovala, Turner and about a half
dozen full and part-time cohorts are
the people who staff the library's
second floor children's reference
section, probably the most widely
used part of the library.
It's not that patrons don't browse
through the first floor where fiction,
magazines, newspapers and video
tapes are kepL They do.
At one time, the sales of paperback books were the biggest single
factor for decline in library use, not
TV, movies, video games or
computers.
Based on circulation studies, the
library still is the main source of
"recreational reading" and probably
will remain so in the future,
Dworkin said.
More people are finding their way
back to it as the price of books and
paperbacks have increased, she
added.
It's just that the children's and reference section has received a larger
influx of curious patrons since the
introduction of computers accessible
to the Internet a litde more than 18
months ago.
There are three, all of which are
widely used — so much Dworkin
plans to add two more before July as
part of an effort to digitize more of
the library's reference materials.
"Can I use an Internet computer?"
is a question Turner, Dovala, children's librarian Paula Shadle and
other librarians are constantly asked.
These days, librarians, especially
those working in reference, are researchers, computer experts, and the
guides and gate keepers of all kinds
of information.
If they're not looking something
up on the Internet for a patron, Turner said they're showing others how
to find books using the Dewey Decimal System.
And then there are the reports
Marion L. Steele students have to
do, many of whom wait until the
last minute.
Hot topics in the last few weeks
have been the Titanic, famous
mathematicians, scientists and
artists.
It's not uncommon to see a panic-
stricken young face when they leam
classmates have beaten them to the
reference materials that can be taken
out.
When that happens, the solution
is a browse into the Internet or one
of several encyclopedias and lots of
climes for the copy machine or information printed out by a computer. It's 10 cents a page, so it not
uncommon for someone to spent $4
or $5 or more.
"We get every kind of imaginable
question. You name it, we get it,"
Turner said.
What kind of food was served on
the doomed ocean liner? Was Leonardo Da Vinci a painter, inventor
or scientist? Who was Walt Disney
and what did he draw? What's the
meaning of E=mc2?
Dovala said patrons are encouraged to call for a reservation. Some
do, although dozens of others walk
in and often wait, sometimes as long
as 90 minutes.
These days, the library has become a source of consumer information about the value of new and used
cars, antiques, coins and sports trading cards.
And then there arc kids. Until recently, Tuesday night was a
storytelling and creative night for
youngsters. While waiting for the
session to begin, some frequently
used computers into which CD
Roms with educational stories and
games can be loaded.
Franklin the turtle is the most
poplar.
One busy night, a part-time librarian saw a two-year-old fiddling
with the CD Rom drive reject button
on a computer. The bored child had
found a new use for a compact disc.
As he walked toward the child,
the librarian saw the disc zoom
through the air like a frisbee.
He caught "Franklin's Reading
Race" in mid air. It was preserved
for others to use, but the child's
mother showed the boy what it
means to tan someone's hide.
But having the reference and
childrens' library on the same floor
has its pluses, too.
"I emphasize that a child is as
valid a patron as is any adult," Turner said. "Their questions carry the
same weight."
Busy times are after school until
dinner time and 7 p.m. lo 8:30 p.m.,
closing lime. Saturdays and Sundays
have become more popular, especially among families who usually
come to help their children with
school reports. They end up brows-
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Library director Judy Dworkin checks a computerized catalog in search of book for a patron.
Citizen's group wants to raise
$75,000 for city hall renovation
A small group of citizens has offered to help retain city hall as an
historical landmark by raising
$75,000 for its renovation.
Lead by Amherst resident David
Williams, the group stepped forward
last week just as mayor John Higgins was considering asking for private donations to help the city defray the $200,000 plus price of roofing the 114-year-old building.
Higgins made the announcement
March 20 as city council's finance
committee was being briefed on various roofing alternatives by construction consultant Bud Griffith.
Williams, an Amherst resident for
nearly six years, said city hall is the
"icon" of the city, similar to Lorain's lighthouse, and needs to be
historically preserved for future
generations. As such, the group
feels a new slate roof should be installed to preserve the building's
status as an historical landmark, he
added.
The government relations director
for Invacare Corp., Williams he and
other interested residents are in the
process of creating a fundraising
plan that will involve at least 20
civic, service and other clubs in the
city.
"We want to involve as much of
the community as we possibly can,"
he added. "It's a way people can
feel they own part of it. I think this
will lead to a sense of community
pride."
Based on existing material costs,
Griffith, president of Construction
Resources, Inc., said the city only
will save about $30,000 if it opts to
use asphalt shingles rather than the
slate it needs lo retain the building's
historical status.
The extensive re-roofing work using shingles will cost $220,000 and
slate aboul $250,000. Despite the
additional cost, the slate will survive
nearly a century while the jjsphalt
shingles only have a 25-to-30-yestr
lifespan.
The city had originally estimated
re-roofing at nearly $180,000, leaving about $270,000 left over for interior renovations to the first floor
and basement.
But both estimates were low. The
interior work jumped to $330,000,
pushing the total project cost to
$550,000, $100,000 more than the
city has set aside.
Higgins said he hopes the ad hoc
civic group will be able k> help raise
a sizable chunk of the extra
$100,000. If it can, the city may be
able to fix Ihe roof with slate, retain
the building's historical status, and
still remodel the first floor and basement to relieve office overcrowding.
Additional room is needed because there is little privacy in city
hall for confidential meetings or discussions, especially in the auditor's
or treasurer's offices.
Two weeks ago, city council
agreed to advertise for bids for the
slate and shingle roofing.
pected to be referred to the State Labor Relations Board (SERB) for settlement this week.
Gould, a veteran patrolman, said
the union found a "number of discrepancies" in the contract language
as it was submitted for a signature to
the union by James Wilkens, the
city's chief negotiator.
The language dealing with retroactivity differs from thsit approved by the factfinder earlier this
year. Only shift differential is not in
dispute.
Gould and Codrea said Wilkens
and the OPBA agreed lo abide by
the terms of the factfinder's report
before both sides agreed to factfinding earlier this year in an effort to
setde the stalled negotiations.
Council voted to accept the report
rather than reject it and seek arbitration as recommended by the mayor.
In doing so, it became a contract, a
stipulation of federal labor law.
Gould said he and the OPBA
were surprised to see benefits were
not retroactive when they received
the actual contract for approval.
"These issues are very important
to us and they're what we think he
(the factfinder) approved," he
added. "Until these things are clarified, we can't and won't sign."
Wilkens has not agreed to seek
clarification from the factfinder.
Once the report has been accepted
by both sides, he contends state law
does not allow the factfinder to
issue clarifications.
Both sides were aware of what
was in the factfinder's report and
agreed to it. Therefore, the OPBA is
obligated to it by federal law as is
the city, he added.
The report did not address economic issues other than to make the
pay increase retroactive.
"It was silent on making anything
else retroactive," he explained. "In
the city's view, they were very
generous to the OPBA and it would
be irresponsible at this point to be
even more generous. It would be fiscally irresponsible."
Unless the language is clarified,
the OPBA will be forced to seek o
review and determination on it from
the SERB, Codrea added.
"This is unusual. You seldom
have a problem like this when you
go through a factfinder and it is approved by one side," he said.
Leavitt
rezoning
awaiting
approval
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Eight Leavitt Road homeowners
who want to rezone their properties
for commercial use have been given
three thumbs up by city officials and
are waiting for an all-important and
final fourth from city council.
City council's buildings and lands
committee gave its approval on the
rezoning March 20. It previously
was approved by zoning and planning officials.
Pending council's final approval,
the property owners living between
Spruce Tree Lane and Discount
Drug Mart will be able to sell their
land for commercial development
rather than continue to be engulfed
by h.
The request involves 15 pieces of
property on the east side of the road,
including the Discount Drug Mart
The drug store was granted a zoning
variance, according to mayor John
Higgins.
The land south of Drug Man is
zoned C-2, a general business designation. Office buildings, a Convenient Food Mart and Tuffy Muffler
are. located on it.
The residential property is 298
feet deep and more than a 1,000 feet
in width. Because it abuts residential property on High Meadow Road
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