Amherst News-Times, 1997-11-19

              Spikers help team win — Page 8
Amherst News-lime
Wednesday, November 19, 1997
Amherst, Ohio
Habant residents say they don't like lot's l<
by APRIL MILLER
News-Times reporter
Residents of Habant Drive don't
like what they see out their back
windows. And they showed up at
last week's council meeting to ask
for a buffer zone between their
property and Simian's Auto Body.
The body shop sits on commer
cial property, which is owned by
Pete Sliman. Sliman also owns a residential lot which abuts his commercial property; his residential
property abuts the Habant Drive residential property.
Residents whose property abuts
Simian's residential property can
see the auto body business from
their backyards and went to council
to question why a buffer zone is not
in place to separate Sliman's commercial property from his rcsideniial
property. They say it is required by
ordinance.
An ordinance passed Oct. 9,
1989, stales that a rear yard buffer is
required where a commercial property abuts a residential property. "A
30-foot buffer area across the rear
length of such property shall be pro
vided and shall consist of a barrier
of natural evergreen* with a minimum height of six feet at planting,
consisting of six rows staggered at
five fool centers," according to the
ordinance.
However, It the July 27, 1993,
Zoning Board of Appeals meeting,
the board voied three to one lo approve a motion made which said no
buffer was required in this case because Sliman owned both the com-
From the Amazon
to hot disco
nights; student
learned a lot
Sonya Rice, a 1996 graduate
of Marion L. Steele High
School, learned the differences
between her hometown of Amhcrsl and a foreign nation firsthand as lhe Rotary International's, exchange student.
Now a freshman at Ohio University, majoring in International Studies, Rice left for Brazil in August, 1996, feeling a
little timid about what to expect
during her adventure. She admits she didn't know anymore
about Brazil than the average
high school senior, yet she
strapped on her traveling shoes
and gave it her best.
She returned with a new outlook on life in a foreign nation.
"I became part of three different families; this was the best
part of the whole trip, being
adopted by new parents, sisters,
brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts
and grandmas," she explained.
Rice became a part of the
Itapcntininga Rotary Club, attending weekly meetings, and
became a student in a small private high school.
"I met new people everyday
and fell in love with the difference in the people and the culture," she added.
Rice describes Brazil as a fascinating culture, where two-
thirds of the residents are poor
and have trouble finding work
wilh lilllc or no chance for education. And while politics are
corrupt by U.S. standards, and
pollution is a big problem, Rice
said she learned lhal the heart of
the Brazilian people is nol concerned with poverty and
sickness.
They are concerned wilh living a good life and being happy.
"They have the strongest family values of any culture I have
yet heard of. There is no limit to
what they would do for each
other, they are in the world
togclhcr, leaning on each other
and helping each other out, unlike the feeling of independence
and individualism; they are all
about togetherness," Rice said.
Along wilh the family values.
Rice learned that Brazilians also
like to have fun, enjoying their
beaches and night life and
weekend forays.
Through the Roiary exchange.
Rice was able lo visit every major cily in Brazil, enjoying four
Roiary exchange trijjs throughout the year.
They included a trip to Pan-
tanal, in the interior of Brazil, to
enjoy nature, such as alligators,
piranhas, hiking and snorkeling.
A second trip in December
look Rice lo lhe Amazon Rainforest for two weeks. Thirty exchange students traveled the
Amazon by boat and plane, hiking through the jungle, eating
exotic fruits, seeing waterfalls,
bat caves at nighl, visiting Indian reserves and port cities
along the way.
For four nights, Rice slept on
the boats and one night even
slept in a hammock.
The sludents sang Christmas
carols along the way, and even
held a gift exchange.
And in contrast lo the beautiful sights she saw, Rice also saw
some startling sights as well including areas of the Rainforest
that were clear cul and burned.
At the top of Corsovado, "Hunchback Mountain," overlooking
Rio de Janeiro, with the statue of Christ the Redeemer, are
Sonya Rice, Darlene Rice and Sarah Rice Niehart.
and poor living conditions of the
local tree cutters.
"During one tropical storm,
all 30 of us encountered a tropical bacteria or disease that left
us in gut wrenching pain. I was
lhe one that became the most
strongly affected, for one solid
month I was eating plain rice
and water, yes, even on Christmas and New Year's," she said.
Following the trip to lhe
Amazon, Rice mei her first host
family;   together,   they   all
traveled to the family's beach
apartment to enjoy New Year's.
On Jan. 1, she started her one-
month Rotary trip to lhe northeast of Brazil with 150 exchange
students traveling by bus to Brasilia, the nation's capital.
"1 made friends wilh people
from all around Uie world; wc
sat on while sand beaches, swam
in aqua waters, went to raggac
concerts, and discos, ale incrcdi-
CONTINUED on page 2
mcrcial property and the abutting residential property.
"The zoning board overrode the
ordinance," Ron Konowal, building
inspector, said. "Why would someone put a buffer zone on his own
property?"
Habant residents present al the
council meeting staled their reasons
why they feci a buffer zone is necessary.  Steve  Bowers,   134  Habant
nd
lli-
Drivc, listed ihi
his neighbors I
man's property.
Safety is his ursi concern. Bowers said there is no fence or wall
blocking the body shop.
"There are 15 kids in the surrounding neighborhood and I am
concerned  about  safety,"   Bowers
CONTINUED on page 3
Football records
broken by young
MLS quarterback
despite bad year
by DIANA HOUGLAND
N-T sports reporter
Records arc meant to be broken.
And Scan Deegan, a juniot this year
at Marion L. Steele High School,
took lhal old addagc seriously this
rail.
This past season, as starting quarterback for the Comets varsity football team, Deegan did everything he
could to iry and lakc down several
school records. And he successfully
broke three.
Deegan, who shared quarterback
duties with senior Matt Yocabozzi,
crushed Iwo records lhat belong to
local hero Ricky Schneider, who is
now playing football for the Bowling Green Falcons. The ihird record
belonged lo Scou Wallace and was
set in 1988.
The record previously held by
Wallace was for completed passes
in one game. Wallace's record was
15 completed passes during a game
played against the Vermilion Sailors. Dcegan's new record is 19 completed passes during this year's
game against Avon Lake. Unfortunately, the Comets were unable to
use that to their advantage and lost
to the suite's top-ranked team 20-9.
The two of Schneider's records
thai fell litis season were completed
passes for the season and total yards
passing.
Deegan completed 107 passes
this season al 55.2 pass percentage,
breaking the old record of 91. His
total passing yards added up to
1,348 for the season and the oid record was for 1,209.yards in a single
season.
But young Deegan docs not take
all of lhe credit for his record breaking season. He gives credit lo his
coaches, especially head coach Jeff
Sean Deegan
Riesen for the excellent instruction
he received and for believing in him
even when "the chips were down."
He also thanks his teammates.
"I want my teammates to know
this," Deegan said. "I couldn't do it
without my linemen and receivers.
And the coaches helped a lot."
"It feels great to break these records," he added. "It gives me a lot
of confidence going inlo next year. I
will have to work hard in the off
season to get ready for next year."
And while the season looks good
for Deegan as far as stats go, he was-
a little disappointed in the season a,s
a whole.
"The season was not what I expected," he said. "I expected us to
be at least .500 or better. We had a
CONTINUED on page 3
New city
built for
kids' sake
More kids mean more safety
lessons.
The Amhersl Police Department
is taking on lhat role, along with
several individuals, groups and businesses within lhe cily who have
united lo build Amherst Safety City.
Safety Cily will be a permanent
structure, built just soulh of the police department on N. Lake Street.
While the cily structure is new, the
idea of teaching children safely
practices will stay much the same as
il has been for the more than 20
years lhal Safely Town has been in
existence.
Safely Town started more than
iwo decades ago al the former Central School and has grown along
wilh the size of lhe community.
Anyone who would like to make
a donation, contribute time or materials lo Safely Cily, should contact
DARE officer Les Carrender or dispatcher Teresa Antonopoulos ai
988-2625.
■sas
Work is progressing on the new Amherst Safety City as shown    nizers still need help and donations are being accepted
here this fall near the new police facility on S. Lake Street Orga-
One-room
classroom
gets honor
The Amherst Historical Society
recently received a commendation
award for its "Outstanding Oner
Room School Program" from the
Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Musuems.
Nomination for the award was
made by historical society secretary
Sally Van Nuys-Brown and accepted by Valerie Gerstenberger,
coordinator of the program.
The nomination consisted ol an
indexed notebook showing all of the
preparatory steps such as patterns
for desks, and clothing, suggested
lunch items and a detailed outline of
the purpose of the program.
It also included some of the children 's letters, drawings and thank
you notes reflecting their reactions
lo lhe activity.
Publicity used from local news
media and enlarged photographs
from ihe society's scrap book enhanced the notebook which con.
eluded with evaluation forms from"
local teachers whose students take;
CONTINUED on page 3
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