The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1997-07-30 |
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—— Donor program nets award — Page 5 School reform masks low cash — Pi Amherst News-Time < 3 T < X 3> M r Wodnosday. July 30. 1997 Amherst. Ohio City council hires lawyers to fight own law director in court hearing by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter City council members and administrators have hired three law firms to represent them in the lawsuit filed against them by city law director Alan Anderson. Anderson is seeking an injunction against council, mayor John Hig- gins, treasurer Kathleen Litkovitz and auditor John Dunn to prevent them from contracting with the Cleveland law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey as bond counsel. Because Amherst is a statutory city, Anderson contends only he has the authority to select a bond counsel to handle the sale Of $500,000 in bonds for renovation of city hall. Council and city officials claim they have the right because Anderson has no experience in dealing with bond counselors. In addition, the city previously has contracted with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey for bond counsel services. With the exception of council member Bob Sisler and Dunn, city officials have hired the Elyria law firm of McCray, Muzilla, Smith and Betleski to represent them during an Aug. 22 hearing in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. Sisler has hired Elyria attorney Chris Rothgery and Dunn has retained assistant city law director Steven List Council members formally approved hiring McCray, Muzilla, Smith and Betleski during Monday night's finance and council meetings. As approved on emergency, the ordinance allows it to spend up to $10,000. Any further expense will require additional council action, Higgins explained. Anderson surprised council Monday when he announced he is suing council as a group, not as individuals as he originally had intended. A hearing originally was to be held before judge Kosma Glavas July 25 but was rescheduled because city officials .were not served with copies of the suit until July 23, according to Higgins. The city officials' respective attorneys requested the delay because they want more time to review the suit and plan their cases, he explained. CONTINUED on page 3 Schools to skip expansion levy and ask voters for PI approval by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter School district voters won't sec a second attempt to raise money for school expansion and renovation on the November ballot. Instead, they will vote on the school district's two-mill permanent improvement levy on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. Voters earlier this year re- jectcda request for approval of a 3.954 bond issue for additional classrooms and renovations. The school board decided Monday to delay a second attempt to pass the bond issue until sometime in 1998. Based on discussions with the board, superintendent Howard Dulmage said it is more important to renew a two-mill permanent improvement levy. Passed in 1992, the five-year levy generates $450,000 a year needed to maintain the school district's five schools and fleet of school buses. Despite a booming national economy, Dulmage said the board doesn't think voters are likely to be receptive to two school issues on the same ballot. The bond issue was defeated during the May primary by nearly a 3-to-l margin. It would have raised $16.7 million for the construction of new classrooms and other facilities needed to eliminate overcrowding in the schools. "We feel putting two issues on the ballot just wouldn't be justified or prudent at this time," Dulmage explained. "The time is just not right given what's happening with the local economy." The September closing of a portion of the Ford Motor Com pany assembly plant in Lorain is likely to have a detrimental effect on the economy and the opinions of voters, he added. 'There's a lot of questions and uncertainty in people's minds about what is going to happen," Dulmage said. "The van plant (in Avon Lake) is not affected, but questions remain about it, too." Dulmage said the board has not decided when it will make a second attempt to pass the bond issue, although it will be in 1998. Dulmage said renewal of the two-mill levy will not increase taxes but will provide enough money to buy at least two new school buses yearly and finish the replacement of heating and air conditioning units at Harris Elementary and Nord Junior High schools. Five units need to be replaced. In addition, federal environmental regulations require an 8,000 gallon gas tank for school buses at the Washington Street bus garage to be replaced with a new tank. "It's an expensive replacement, but the EPA says we have to meet new regulations," Dulmage said. None of the funds can be used for administrative or teacher salaries. "We have a good record of maintaining the buildings we have. We cannot let our buildings deteriorate," he added. In the meantime, Dulmage said school administrators will closely watch increasing school enrollment and class size. Nearly 3.700 students were enrolled last year and at least 115 additional students are expected to enter the school district in late August. Hot dog singers They look tentative about the whole thing but either of these young ladies could someday have a $20,000 college scho larship based on their ability to sing the Oscar Mayer wiener song or bologna jingle. About 50 kids turned out in the parking lot of the Rini Rego store to try their hand at the microphone. The wienermobile has been traveling throughout the United States this summer in hopes of finding the next star to grace the Oscar Mayer commercial. Some read of it,-others live history A good skirmish in old-time outfits is what they look for by NITA OFFINEER Matt Maple Competition in , 36, is involved in the Camp Sherman Skirmish Chillicothe last year News-Times correspondent Some people read, study and watch movies about history; others live it. While not giving up the comforts and luxuries of modern-day conveniences such as grocery stores and penicillin, some Amherst residents practice the art of preserving history in an unusual way. These people target-shoot in local and national competitions using original and reproduction guns from the Civil War era. They include Matt Maple, 36, an engineer at the Cleveland Engine Plant, and Craig Sutorius, a history teacher at Nord Junior High School. Maple and Sutorius are members of the 110th Ohio Voluntary Infantry Group based out of Dayton, which is part ot the North-South Skinnish Association. As participants, they are required to wear authentic-looking uniforms, some with original items, and with clothing and equipment which they made themselves, including leather goods and hats. "Many guys reveal hidden talents of designing and sewing parts of their uniforms," Maple explained adding, "Many are Civil War buffs and collectors of the equipment, as well." Maple has been with the North- South Skirmish Association for almost six years. His father was a "skirmisher" in the late 1950s to 1964, which was how Maple was introduced to the shooting of Civil War era guns. "Wc went camping with and were taken all over the place with my dad. I wanted to sec why my dad did it (shooting)," Maple said. "The whole thing originally got started in 1950," Maple continued. 'At the last Confederate Veterans reunion, two men decided to do a demonstration with Civil War rifles. Two teams with five guys each shot at breakable targets. It was so much fun, it just caught on." Now, most events have teams of eight people that shoot at 16 targets from either 50 or 100 yards away. Sutorius explained that from 300 yards a man is the same size as a clay pigeon is from 50 yards. The winner is the individual or team that completely shoots out their designated targets in the shortest amount of time. Different types of guns are used, some authentic, some reproduced, such as muskets and carbines. Breech-loading, which is frohi the back of a gun, and front muzzle-loading techniques are used at different times during the competitions. CONTINUED on page 3 I
Object Description
Title | The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1997-07-30 |
Place |
Amherst (Ohio) Lorain County (Ohio) |
Date of Original | 30-JUL-1997 |
Searchable Date | 1997-07-30 |
Collection | Amherst News-Times |
Submitting Institution | Amherst Public Library |
Rights | Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Type | Text |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn84028333 |
Description
Title | The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1997-07-30 |
Place |
Amherst (Ohio) Lorain County (Ohio) |
Date of Original | 30-JUL-1997 |
Searchable Date | 1997-07-30 |
Submitting Institution | Amherst Public Library |
Rights | Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Full Text | —— Donor program nets award — Page 5 School reform masks low cash — Pi Amherst News-Time < 3 T < X 3> M r Wodnosday. July 30. 1997 Amherst. Ohio City council hires lawyers to fight own law director in court hearing by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter City council members and administrators have hired three law firms to represent them in the lawsuit filed against them by city law director Alan Anderson. Anderson is seeking an injunction against council, mayor John Hig- gins, treasurer Kathleen Litkovitz and auditor John Dunn to prevent them from contracting with the Cleveland law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey as bond counsel. Because Amherst is a statutory city, Anderson contends only he has the authority to select a bond counsel to handle the sale Of $500,000 in bonds for renovation of city hall. Council and city officials claim they have the right because Anderson has no experience in dealing with bond counselors. In addition, the city previously has contracted with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey for bond counsel services. With the exception of council member Bob Sisler and Dunn, city officials have hired the Elyria law firm of McCray, Muzilla, Smith and Betleski to represent them during an Aug. 22 hearing in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. Sisler has hired Elyria attorney Chris Rothgery and Dunn has retained assistant city law director Steven List Council members formally approved hiring McCray, Muzilla, Smith and Betleski during Monday night's finance and council meetings. As approved on emergency, the ordinance allows it to spend up to $10,000. Any further expense will require additional council action, Higgins explained. Anderson surprised council Monday when he announced he is suing council as a group, not as individuals as he originally had intended. A hearing originally was to be held before judge Kosma Glavas July 25 but was rescheduled because city officials .were not served with copies of the suit until July 23, according to Higgins. The city officials' respective attorneys requested the delay because they want more time to review the suit and plan their cases, he explained. CONTINUED on page 3 Schools to skip expansion levy and ask voters for PI approval by GLEN MILLER News-Times reporter School district voters won't sec a second attempt to raise money for school expansion and renovation on the November ballot. Instead, they will vote on the school district's two-mill permanent improvement levy on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. Voters earlier this year re- jectcda request for approval of a 3.954 bond issue for additional classrooms and renovations. The school board decided Monday to delay a second attempt to pass the bond issue until sometime in 1998. Based on discussions with the board, superintendent Howard Dulmage said it is more important to renew a two-mill permanent improvement levy. Passed in 1992, the five-year levy generates $450,000 a year needed to maintain the school district's five schools and fleet of school buses. Despite a booming national economy, Dulmage said the board doesn't think voters are likely to be receptive to two school issues on the same ballot. The bond issue was defeated during the May primary by nearly a 3-to-l margin. It would have raised $16.7 million for the construction of new classrooms and other facilities needed to eliminate overcrowding in the schools. "We feel putting two issues on the ballot just wouldn't be justified or prudent at this time," Dulmage explained. "The time is just not right given what's happening with the local economy." The September closing of a portion of the Ford Motor Com pany assembly plant in Lorain is likely to have a detrimental effect on the economy and the opinions of voters, he added. 'There's a lot of questions and uncertainty in people's minds about what is going to happen," Dulmage said. "The van plant (in Avon Lake) is not affected, but questions remain about it, too." Dulmage said the board has not decided when it will make a second attempt to pass the bond issue, although it will be in 1998. Dulmage said renewal of the two-mill levy will not increase taxes but will provide enough money to buy at least two new school buses yearly and finish the replacement of heating and air conditioning units at Harris Elementary and Nord Junior High schools. Five units need to be replaced. In addition, federal environmental regulations require an 8,000 gallon gas tank for school buses at the Washington Street bus garage to be replaced with a new tank. "It's an expensive replacement, but the EPA says we have to meet new regulations," Dulmage said. None of the funds can be used for administrative or teacher salaries. "We have a good record of maintaining the buildings we have. We cannot let our buildings deteriorate," he added. In the meantime, Dulmage said school administrators will closely watch increasing school enrollment and class size. Nearly 3.700 students were enrolled last year and at least 115 additional students are expected to enter the school district in late August. Hot dog singers They look tentative about the whole thing but either of these young ladies could someday have a $20,000 college scho larship based on their ability to sing the Oscar Mayer wiener song or bologna jingle. About 50 kids turned out in the parking lot of the Rini Rego store to try their hand at the microphone. The wienermobile has been traveling throughout the United States this summer in hopes of finding the next star to grace the Oscar Mayer commercial. Some read of it,-others live history A good skirmish in old-time outfits is what they look for by NITA OFFINEER Matt Maple Competition in , 36, is involved in the Camp Sherman Skirmish Chillicothe last year News-Times correspondent Some people read, study and watch movies about history; others live it. While not giving up the comforts and luxuries of modern-day conveniences such as grocery stores and penicillin, some Amherst residents practice the art of preserving history in an unusual way. These people target-shoot in local and national competitions using original and reproduction guns from the Civil War era. They include Matt Maple, 36, an engineer at the Cleveland Engine Plant, and Craig Sutorius, a history teacher at Nord Junior High School. Maple and Sutorius are members of the 110th Ohio Voluntary Infantry Group based out of Dayton, which is part ot the North-South Skinnish Association. As participants, they are required to wear authentic-looking uniforms, some with original items, and with clothing and equipment which they made themselves, including leather goods and hats. "Many guys reveal hidden talents of designing and sewing parts of their uniforms," Maple explained adding, "Many are Civil War buffs and collectors of the equipment, as well." Maple has been with the North- South Skirmish Association for almost six years. His father was a "skirmisher" in the late 1950s to 1964, which was how Maple was introduced to the shooting of Civil War era guns. "Wc went camping with and were taken all over the place with my dad. I wanted to sec why my dad did it (shooting)," Maple said. "The whole thing originally got started in 1950," Maple continued. 'At the last Confederate Veterans reunion, two men decided to do a demonstration with Civil War rifles. Two teams with five guys each shot at breakable targets. It was so much fun, it just caught on." Now, most events have teams of eight people that shoot at 16 targets from either 50 or 100 yards away. Sutorius explained that from 300 yards a man is the same size as a clay pigeon is from 50 yards. The winner is the individual or team that completely shoots out their designated targets in the shortest amount of time. Different types of guns are used, some authentic, some reproduced, such as muskets and carbines. Breech-loading, which is frohi the back of a gun, and front muzzle-loading techniques are used at different times during the competitions. CONTINUED on page 3 I |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn84028333 |
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