The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 2002-10-02

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WFDNIiSDAY, October 2, 20(12
AMHIRST, OHIO
o
X
a
WWII vet gets his diploma
final
Amherst school board president Sandy Freedman presents
World War II veteran Paul Mannion with a high school diploma at
the Sept. 24 school board meeting. The presentation came as the
result of a law passed last year by the Ohio General Assembly
allowing veterans who had left high school to serve in the military
during World War II to receive their diplomas. Mannion served in
the 4th Signal Battalion during the war, and was honorably discharged June 30,1946, having attained the rank of private first
class.
Paul Mannion, 76, finally
graduated from high school.
The Amherst school board
awarded Mannion an honorary
diploma last Tuesday night at
a special ceremony.
Mannion applied to receive
his diploma under the provisions of the state legislature's
House Bill 77, passed in
2001, which allows boards of
education to award diplomas
to any World War II veteran
who served the United States
between Sept 16, 1940 and
Dec. 31. 1946.
Service personnel who qualify left school during the war
effort to serve in the military,
and were honorably
discharged.
Although Private First Class
Mannion originally signed up
to be an Army cook, he
found himself on the front
lines of the European Theater
in Germany as a rifleman. He
served from 1944 to 1946 before returning home.
"I always liked the idea of
getting my diploma," he said.
"I even tried it once during
the war. I wrote a letter and
called to get my credits. I
was going to finish up school
while I was still in the Army,
but I never got a reply back
from the school."
But Mannion didn't have
time to get his diploma when
he returned to the U.S. He
entered the job force right
away, working as a machinist
at Bendix, Inc., in Elyria for
33 years before the business
moved out of the area. He
then served for 10 years as a
security guard at Lorain Products. He was also a volunteer firefighter for 25 years.
Marmion's daughter, Polly
Bratton of Wellington, was on
hand at the occasion with
other family members to
celebrate.
"It meant the world to him.
He was so proud and emotional," she said of her father.
"He said he thought he would
never get to receive his diploma, but he was finally
honored."
But that's not the end of it
for Paul Mannion.
"People are sending him
graduation cards, and of
course, everyone is teasing
him about going on to college," said Bratton.
ii
J
LASER
pointing
r
at firm
by JASON HAWK
News-Times reporter
A watchdog group called Legal
and Safety Employer Research, Inc.,
(LASER) voiced concerns last week
in a letter to Amherst school superintendent Bob Boynton over the hiring of an electrical contractor for
school projects.
"In an effort to improve safety,
productivity and honesty in the construction industry, LASER has
started a research program involving
R J. Martin Electrical Contracting,"
wrote LASER president James L.
Wilson.
According to the letter, LASER
members are concerned that RJ.
Martin Electrical may be providing
services in the new high school and
junior high facilities currently under
construction.
"You should not utilize the services of contractors such as RJ.
Martin Electrical that have a history
of violating local, state, and federal
laws," wrote Wilson. "RJ. Martin
Electrical also has a history of
safety problems, inexperienced
workers, and accidents,"
"You should exercise added scrutiny of RJ. Martin Electrical's quality of work and safety practices
while on your property," he wrote.
LASER publications reported 23
OSHA violations by the contractor,
including IS serious violations, for a
total of $14300 in fines. Charges
mate by LASER against RJ. Martin
Electrical include life-threatening
practice on multiple jobs, unsafe
electrical wiring methods, designs
and protections, and inadequate
mining and work practices.
Over a six-year period. LASER
reports RJ. Martin Electrical committed serious violations in Rocky
River, Bedford, Aurora, Brunswick.
Mentor, and Macedonia.
LASER also accused RJ. Martin
of m attaints that ftntfif the failure
of the national air traffic controller
system over five stales.
The air traffic controller system
over five Midwestern stales waa left
with blank radar screens for seven
minutes, after an RJ. Martin Electrical ernpj«p mistakenly cut off
It's easier on the hardwood
Tim Faunt of Amherst, a carpentry student at the Lorain County pick up a ban and drop it Into a barrel. Other events in the competi-
Joint Vocational School, tries his hand at basketball in a backhoe tton included driving nails, soldering copper pipe, and sawing a 4x4
during the Lorain County Building Industries Association competi- post with a crosscut saw.
tion last week. The object of this event was to use the backhoe to
City may
prosper
with CIC
guidance
by JASON HAWK
News-Times reporter
When the city needs it the most,
mayor John Higgins is working to
bring some economic prosperity to
AmhersL
With the help of consulting firm
Poggemeyer Design Group, the
mayor is planning to institute a
community improvement corporation to seek out developers and investors and bring new revenue and
jobs into the community.
The project is currently in the information gathering and planning
stage, but Higgins expects his proposal to be ratified by city council
within the next two months.
Higgins, who began researching a
CIC formation last year, said that
because of priorities, it wasn't developed as a full-blown pursuit until
about a month ago.
"The purpose of the corporation
would be to improve the economic
future of the city, including eventual
CONTINUED on page 16
Girl Scouts here
make bicentennial
effort at learning
Local Girl Scouts from throughout Lorain County turned out Saturday morning to have their picture taken in front of the Lorain County
Bicentennial Bam located on RL 58
in Amherst Township.
Following the picture-taking,
Amherst scouts of the Sandstone
Service Unit went to the former Post
Office building in downtown to
complete the requireinents to earn
their Bicentennial patch. Six Ttatrrmt
were set up al the Post Office which
were visited by half the giris, while
the other half participated in a waking tour of Amherst, looking for historical sites, io earn their Hometown
blue triangles of the flag represent
Ihe hills and valleys, the stars represent the 13 colonies of the union
with Ohio becoming the 17th state.
The white circle on the flag stands
for the Northwest Territory; the red
circle forms the "O" in Onto, the
Buckeye stale, and the white "O" is
for the rands and waterways. After
learning all the details, the scouts
made a state flag.
The second station had the girls
making handprints, which will be
sewn together by Gloria Dodson's
Senior Troop #855. and made into
troop quilts.
At the third station, scouts
The first station was all about the as the Wright brothers. Neal Aims-
Ohio flag, or Burgee, which has an trooft. John Glow, Bob Hope, Paul
original swallow tailed design, lie CONTINUED on pone 11
Hunt*k^<*«<sn18ooutotom
am County Q*ht*rnd 8tttwdty at tl»BkT*-ri**tiv
Bnm on Rt.58 for a photo.
I