Amherst News-Times, 2002-04-17

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City's tax office adds hours — Page 12
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Amherst News-Time*
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WIDNrSDAY, April 17, 2002
AMHIRST, OHIO
Back to
drawing
board:
CC confused
over contract
for APD jobs
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
Confusion persists as city council
members attempt to understand a
contract presented to them for the
police dispatchers/computer technical operator unit.
The job in question is a new administrative position which involves
maintaining the police department's
computer systems, their files, payroll, supplies and ordering and
maintaining records. Council had 30
days from the time the legislative
body received a copy of the contract
to accept or reject the contract as negotiated; if they did not act within
the time frame allotted, the contract
would be in force without their
approval.
Although most council members
and administrators agreed they were
one day past the deadline for approving or rejecting the contract,
councilman Ed Cowger argued that
the 30 days the council had to review the contract might have started
when it was first read in committee
meeting.
After a great deal of discussion
and *tpeechmaking and even an attempt to suspend council rules and
reject the contract without sending it
through the customary three readings, council voted 4-3 to send it
back to committee for more
discussion.
No members of the police department were present at the council
meeting, but law director Kenneth
Stumphauzer and mayor John Higgins attempted to answer some of
the questions presented to them.
Council president John Dietrich
said that although councilmembers
have indicated previously that they
would like to be kept up-to-date
throughout the bargaining process
so they have some understanding of
a contract before it is presented to
them, they could not get any response to their requests far information concerning this contract.
Both Dietrich and David Williams said they feel the contract negotiation was kept too quiet and
councilmembers were in the dark.
Stumphauzer told Dietrich that if
council had contacted Michael
Laughlin, the city's negotiator from
Baumgartner A O'Toole, he would
have been more than forthcoming
with information.
Stumphauzer went on to suggest
that the city draft an ordinance making it clear that they need lo be informed whenever contract negotiations are underway within the city
and the progress being made in
those negotiations.
Williams stated that he was in
support of the position, but would
like to see guidelines in place far the
creation of job descriptions within
toe city. He also said that he would
prefer to see personnel other than
peace officers doing the administrative work.
Cowger also argued that council
should be the body creating jobs and
that this situation opened the door
far other departments in the city lo
create their own positions without
council approval.
Sieve P'Simer said that council
has no need lo create this position
since both assistant law directors,
Scott Serazin and Abraham Leiberman, have fold the council at previ-
ous meetings that stale law provides
that if die administration and the
bargaining untt negotiate a contract
the position is therefore created.
Kenneth Stumphauzer verified this
for council a third time.
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A nig..i
of dreams
At left, students rehearse a
scene from the Steele High
School Theatre Company production of "A Midsummer
Night's Dream," which will be*
staged April 19 and 20,26 and
27 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee
performance on April 21 at 2
p.m.
It will be on the Powers
Elementary School stage and a
renaissance fair, complete with
music and entertainers, takes
place 45 minutes prior to each
show.
Tickets are $4 general admission, $3 for students and free to
senior citizens.
Scout collects hundreds of books
by AMY PERSINGER
News-Times reporter
It doesn't matter where they come
from or what kind of environment
they live in, children and adults
need access to books. It isn't always
easy for people to get their hands on
books when they are homeless or
living in a battered women's shelter.
Shannon McVey, a local Girl Scout, did her part to bring the books
to those who might not be Ale to
get out to get books themselves.
McVey, who is 16 and a sophomore at Steele High School, was
trying to choose a project to tackle
to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award
when her church, St. Peter's
Catholic Church in Lorain, began
running information in their bulletin
about the FAITH house.
The Catholic Action Committee
was involved with helping get the
FAITH house underway and kept
members of the church informed
through the church bulletin.
FAITH house is a new transitional housing unit for families who
are homeless and are beginning to
rebuild their lives after time in a
shelter.
McVey said she decided to collect books for future residents of the
FAITH house after completing the
preliminary steps to earning the gold
award.
She said that her youth group at
church used money they earned to
purchase two bookcases for the
community room at the housing
facility.
While being a counselor at Girl
Scout Day Camp, McVey sent letters home with the girls to their parents to let them know what she was
doing. She collected novels and
non-fiction books for adults and
books for children from the camp
kids.
She also sent letters to members
of her family who collected all
kinds of books and sent them to her.
Her mother, who is an exercise instructor at the Lorain County Family
Y on Tower Boulevard, let her students know what her daughter was
up to and they brought books to
class for her.
McVey also used $142 she earned
to buy an atlas, the Lord of the
Rings series and book ends for the
FAITH house.
When she totaled the number of
CONTINUED on page 2
Senior Girt Scout Shannon McVey poses with
the books she collected for the FAITH house in
South Lorain and the Genesis House.
Services approach readers' needs
Cheryl Ashton has been named
the new youlh services manager for
the Amherst Public Library.
"We already have a great program established here and with the
wonderful staff and community support we have, there's no limit lo the
things we can accomplish," Ashton
said.
One new service aimed at introducing kids to a variety of books is
the Animated Book Reviews that
Ashton recently added to the library's website.
"We're the first library in Ohio to
offer this service," she said. "It's a
great way to get ideas on books you
want to read and kids can even write
their own comments and book reviews and I'll get them posted on
the web for others to see."
To access the new Animated
Book Reviews, visit the Amhent
Public Library's web page at
www.amherst.lib.oh.us. Click on
"departments" and visit the site
through either the children's or
young adults' sections. Listening to
the animated 3-D reviews may require patrons to download a program called RealOne Player. Click on
"help" for instructions.
But even without the download,
patrons can browse through the different books, reserve a book, or
send in a book review.
I'll be adding books to the web
site as we get new ones on the shelf
so check back often," Ashton said.
"I've been working with the company's creative consultant to include
reviews that will carry through the
summer reading club circus theme
of 'Your Library: The Greatest
Show in Town!'"
Ashton has worked part-time at
the library for six years, first working at the circulation desk, then going to wok at the reference desk,
and also serving as the library's
public relations coordinator. She
lives in Amherst with her husband.
Rick, and three children, Claire,
CONTINUED on page 2
Kay Koler
Cheryl Ashton
Student adds travel to repertoire
Christina King, an eighth grade
student at Nord Junior High School,
has a deep kwe for music, an avocation her parents, Tim and Pamela
King, fully support.
In third grade. King secured a
solo st Harris Elementary School to
sing "You're Never Pally Dreesed
Without A Smile," from the musical
"Annie." Following that performance, her interest in music
exploded,
But her exposure to musk started
when she was just a six-month-old
baby, when she started watching
aw** with her mother, who has a
profound interest in musk as wclL
King received a slip from her
her
for entry lo a local choral organization, the Oberiin Choristers. Her
mother immediately registered her
in hopes of broadening her horizons.
In the faU of 1997, during King's
fourth grade year of school, she
joined Ihe Choristers' intermediate
choir for youth in grades three and
four, at die New Union Center for
the Arts in downtown Oberlin. In
her fifth grade year, she continued
with the Choristers, and auditioned
for alio saxophone in the Shupe Be-
Choristets' touring choir and was
accepted. This group rehearses
twice a week, and travels nationally
and internationally. This group also
performs a more difficult repertoire.
That year. King traveled to Italy
far almost two weeks with the Choristers and guest conductor Henry
Leek. Last year, the group traveled
to Kentucky and Pittsburgh.
Last year. King also received a
letter from her touring choir director, Katherine Flank, who is also
land Opera's production of "La
HoUy-
That summer. King became involved with *e Suashiae Summer
Theater, playing Princess Pea-Green
in "The Pale Pink Dragon."
Ia 1999. King auditioned far the
the primary, concert
choirs, asking her to
one of the 16 Bohemian
the dtildren's chorus ia the
cfcikk-eeie
King was ecstatic
That
the
Maria Bradky ia "Hotel
wood Has-Beem
King recently
American Chorak Directors
atioa Conference ■
children from all over the
United States auditioned for
in Boys' Honor Choir. GMs'
Choir, Men's Honor
Goapel Honors Choir.
King was dnaea to
the GMs' Honor Chok by
CONTINUED on
a spot
far
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