Amherst News-Times, 2002-09-18

              Eagles nest busted by state — Page 3
Get ready to run for your life — Page 8
Amherst News-Time
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WEDNESDAY, September IK, 2002
AMHI.RST, OHIO
In Memorium
Members of many groups, including the city
administration, VFW, American Legion, and police and fire departments, take part in the September 11 commemoration ceremony on City
Hall grounds. They gathered to pay homage to
soldiers and emergency peronnel who have given their lives in defense of the United States.
Mayor's son, 36, killed in car crash
j ■
by JASON HAWK
News-Times reporter
City staff were shocked last week
when they learned the son of mayor
John Higgins died Monday, Sept 9,
of complications resulting from an
Possible
auditors
debate
issues
It was perhaps the mellowest debate in history when candidates for
Lorain County auditor sounded off
in front of cameras at the WACC
cable station at Marion L. Steele
High School
Democratic incumbent Mark
Stewart faced Republican challenger
John Prajzner last Wednesday night
at part of the "Amherst Debates:
Your Choice, Your Voice" debate
•tries.
L The candidates were reluctant to
/join in ad hominem attacks on their
'opponent, relying instead on the
Merits of their accomrjlisrimenu and
experience to woo voters.
■ Prajzner delivered his opening
statements first, telling the debate's
panel of reporters that one of his
stain planks involves the auditor's
office web site.
I've talked to many people and
showed them their home on the Internet. Many of the people were surprised that the photos were even on
■ere," he said.
^ Prajzner claimed that the Internet
fliotos provided potential risks to
automobile crash.
Thomas J. Higgins, 36, was evacuated by helicopter to Grant Medical Center in Columbus early Sunday morning, where doctors were
unable to repair his auto-related
injuries.
According to Sgt Dick Miller of
the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Higgins was traveling north on Interstate 71 at an unsafe speed in excess
of 65 mph when his vehicle swerved
off the road. At 2:47 a.m., his rented
2001 Chevrolet Cavalier went up an
embankment, rolled several times
and struck a fence before finally
coming to a rest.
Because he was not wearing a
safety belt when the crash occurred,
Higgins was completely ejected
from the vehicle, Miller said.
State Highway Patrol officers arrived on the scene at 2:57 a.m. and
immediately called  for medical
assistance.
"It's hard to tell what would have
happened if he'd been wearing his
seat belt," said Miller. "The car
rolled several times. Under those
conditions, he might have sustained
heavy injuries or very few."
Higgins, who graduated from
Elyria Catholic High School before
going on to receive a marketing degree from Ohio State University and
a law degree from DePaul University, was staying with his parents
while recovering from serious head
CONTINUED on page 5
Cop grievance
filed, withdrawn
when overtime
pay questioned
by JASON HAWK
Lorain County Auditor candidates John Prajzner (R) (left) and Mark Stewart (D) (right) shake
hands at the WACC cable television studios but
week before the taping of the "Amherst Debates:
Your Choice, Your Voice" series.
residents, including security issues
and the threat of theft. He said that
only those pictures approved by residents should appear on the department's web page.
He said bis other main issue regarded the unionization of city
auditors.
"It should be up to employees
whether they want to unionize or
not, and no one should stand in their
way. And I believe that is also ac
cording to the Ohio Revised Code,"
hesskL
Stewart in his opening statements
appealed to viewers to consider his
accomplishments since assuming
the auditor's position in 1994. in-
cluding ntoderaisntion of the office,
of new software snd
, sit years of comprehensive annual financial awards, new
county lyattwns, sad an interactive
for
"It's been a blistering eight yean
in the county auditor's office."
Stewart said. "We have been at a
torrid pace."
He also pointed to his bad-ground
as an advantage, recounting bis e»-
perience as a t*u*ie-certified teatden-
tinl appraiser, bis education in real
estate Isw, and community
involvement.
CONTINUED on page 2
Newt-Times reporter
The refusal of councilmembers to
authorize overtime wages for Amherst police resulted last week in a
class action grievance against the
city.
The grievance was filed on Sept
9, by the Amherst Ohio Patrolmen's
Benevolent Association, the union
that represents local law
enforcement.
It is the solid position of the union that (the) lights, benefits, and
provisions have been removed for
lice chief Lonnie Dillon placed an
agenda request at the Sept 4 finance
committee meeting, asking council-
members to vote to transfer funds
between police accounts.
Dillon asked that: $30,000 from
regular salary accounts be transferred to salary overtime accounts;
$11,000 from regular salary accounts be transferred to part-time
salary accounts; and $4,000 from
regular salary accounts be transferred   to   uniform   allowance
and irresponsible reasons," wrote Amherst OPBA director Brian Brancatelli ia a letter to
the mayor. "Thus, because of the
-dtoiisifhfed actioas of the finance
coawaioee's vote, the ag-feenient between the -anion and the city has
been violated."
The difficulties began what po-
There is s $130,000 surplus in the
regular salary accounts due to personnel leaving the police force, retiring, or being called to military
service, chief Dillon told council-
members in a Sept S letter..
However, without council action,
these funds can sot be used to pay
part-time aad overtime wages to of-
ficers who spend extra houra cover-
lag shifts that lack adequate
CONTINUED on paga •
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