The Urbana Daily Citizen from Urbana, Ohio • 1

50 cents Urbana Ohio Thursday fOr Printed on recycled paper Champaign County's vJrbana Daily Citizen Serving Cable Christiansburg Mechanicsburg Mingo Mutual North Lewisburg Rosewood St Paris Terre Haute Urbana West Liberty Westville Woodstock October 22 1998 SPORTS ik See story WEATHER INDEX Navistar picket killed crossing US 68 Urbana Twp government of Ontario previ for the National ederal education aid front and center in 6th District race tower at Port International City charter change would drop chiefs from Civil Service Yankees sweep to Series title The New York Yankees shut out the San Diego Padres 3 0 Wednesday night to complete a sweep of their National League opponent and claim another World Series title See Page Taylor was admitted for treatment of injuries according to a hospital spokesperson Names of the victim and occupants of the vehicles involved in the accident were not available at 9:15 am according to a Springfield post dispatcher Pickets near the accident of the highway were coop erative and helpful according to Moser He said they were upset by the accident The victim was working a picket line of Local 402 United Auto Workers who went on strike at the Navistar truck customizing plant Oct 5 Officials at Navistar and Local 402 did not respond to telephone calls mid morning in Lake Erie $22 million to study com muter rail service linking Cleveland Akron and Canton $18 million to study light rail in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky $1 million for the Ohio and i Erie Canal Corridor Valley National Recreation Area $3 million for the Gateway to the uture Ohio partnership among NASA the US Geological Survey and univer sities in Ohio to make satellite data accessible to farm ers scientists and local plan ners $22 million to upgrade Victory Monument and votes support for new trail bills that already have been However he said the bill headed for the desk included several noteworthy items including assistance for local communities in need of body armor and bullet proof vests for their police forces Rep Sherrod Brown Ohio said he was glad to see Ohio getting about a $46 mil lion share of a program in the bill to help local districts hire and train new elementary school teachers employees including all divisions within city government in the unclassified service and exempt from the requirements for civil service Gil Weithman city law director said a change would not be retroactive to include the present chiefs Disciplinary actions are many parts of Ohio $1 to buy the version of the bill Howard arm near the Ottawa The other Republican National Wildlife Refuge on the committee Rep million to extend the Hobson had been closely Berea Red Line light rail sys involved with other spending tom1 51 million to study possible signed into law passenger rail service between downtown Dayton Wright Patterson Air orce Base and the west side of Dayton $750000 for a new air traf fic control Columbus Airport irst Library in Canton Rep Ralph Regula Ohio the senior member of the Appropriations Committee was instrumental in seeing many of those items through to the final A provision of the bill urges the White House to fight pro posals such as one being con sidered on appeal in Canada Ontario based Nova Group many parts of Ohio is asking Canada to approve a or the lakes the bill adopt permit for the sale of water The ed Wednesday renewed an government of Ontario previ $835 million appropriation for ously approved then revoked 1 rirant I oVpc Pichprv curb a nermiL Commission and increased Other parts of the legislation International Peace Memorial funding to $68 million for the provided: Great Lakes Environmental $12 million for transit agen Research Lab both which work cies around Ohio to replace on the thorny problem of for aging bus fleets eign species such as the zebra $5 million to expand the mussel that have invaded the Patent and Trademark lakes in recent years By KATHLEEN OX Assistant Editor The Urbana Township Board of Trustees unani mously voted Wednesday to support the Simon Kenton Pathfinders in their efforts to establish a recre ational trail in south Champaign County and Urbana The approximately nine mile trail would be estab lished on abandoned rail beds in Urbana Township and the city of Urbana Last week the Champaign County Commission passed a resolution in support of the trail The Urbana City Council has verbally supported the trail and is expected to consider a resolution in the near future in favor of Urbana Township Trustee Wayne Metzger said of the proposed trail assist in any way we can" he said adding that there are still details to be worked out Metzger said Pathfinders president Nancy Lokai Baldwin has attended several trustee meetings since the Pathfinders embarked on their quest about a year ago She also attended meeting excited the township unanimously voted for Lokai Baldwin said been very support She said pleased that officials from the town ship county and city all are showing support been an she admitted explaining that establishing a trail takes more than Pathfinders first believed it would take Support of government agencies is vital for Pathfinders to receive state and federal funding for a See on Page A 5 IvlIU VCIIIUIC WIUl 1HVCHIUIU No money was involved but Place in Akron the bill also put Congress on million for the Cuyahoga By BARBARA NOLTE path Senior Staff Writer Moser said the man whose identity was withheld A North Hampton man on strike at Navistar North pending notification of his family was thrown by the impact into the grass ot me median snip oi me uiviucu highway car stopped then was struck in the rear by a second car The Taylor car also was sideswiped by a third south bound car Moser said Taylor and occupants of the other vehi cles were taken bv the Moorefield Township Emergency Squad to Mercy Medical Center jg By BARBARA NOLTE Senior Staff Writer Voters in Urbana will decide Issue 12 a proposed charter amendment that would remove the positions of fire and police chief from classified service at the Nov 3 General Election Urbana City Council in 1997 voted unani mously (7 0) to place the amendment on the bal lot Section 503 of the present charter places all regular full time police and fire division person nel including the chiefs in the classified ser vice The local Civil Service Commission appointed by the mayor reviews and deter mines hiring and termination of classified employees according to the charter The three member commission applies an appeal process for classified employees who are disciplined reprimanded or terminated from their positions The proposed change would remove only the fire and police chiefs from classified ser vice but leave firefighters paramedics and police officers classified case of termination of chiefs of fire or police division the termination must be approved by a vote of the majority the proposed amendment states I City council would not under the 'amendment act on the hiring or termination of any other employee Those are adminis trative acts the charter indicates The proposal also places all other SPORTS UIIS volleyball team advances Culley Thompson (left) helped lead vol leyball team past Bellefontaine in two games Wednesday night in the sectional tournament Service Commission and 05 the process would be used 7 Cj for termination of a chief if that action occurred KSHM accordine to Weithman He said it is up to an indi vidual to pursue an appeal of suspension or termination through court action Urbana Director of Administration Bernie Ray said hiring and firing of division heads is under his jurisdiction acting on the behalf He said the Civil Service Commission a bipartisan group reviews and either upholds or denies dismissals of classified employees Joe Smith assistant city director of administration said that under the strong mayorcouncil form of the city charter the mayor appoints the director of administra tion the law director and the finance direc tor He said that city council confirms hiring of the law and finance directors but not the administration director or and against Urbana Mayor Thomas Crowley ire Chief Jim McIntosh Police Chief red Brown police officers and fire division per sonnel oppose the amendment Councilmen See on PageA 8 COMMUNITY Regional Planning annual meeting The Logan Union Champaign Regional Planning Commission will hold its annual dinner meeting on Nov 19 at 6:30 pm at Ohio Hi Point Career Center Tickets are $10 Call 666 3431 by Nov 12 Potluck at Concord Centfer Concord Community Center plans a potluck supper to mark its sixth anniversary The event is Nov 10 at 6 pm or information call 652 3360 or 652 3351 See on Page 3 for upcoming events UiS Route 68 Springfield died at 5:58 am today when he was struck by a car driven by an Urbana woman as he crossed US Route 68 to rejoin pickets Lt Rod Moser Springfield Post Ohio Highway Patrol said the man had crossed to the east side of the highway to use a restroom The man crossed the northbound lanes of the high way and attempted to cross the southbound lanes when ne was siiuck A nnr driven hv Wanda Tavlor 40 413 Storms Ave Urbana was southbound when the man stepped into its Springfield ederal spending bill touches By KATHERINE RIZZO record as opposing the sale of Associated Press Writer Great Lakes water WASHINGTON (AP) rom Great Lakes water to Cincinnati mass transit the catchall spending bill that Congress has approved touched manv narts or Ohio Trying to get their attentionWHK El lIHB' BIB Photo by Brenda Burns Urbana band member Jonathan Stewart has done his part to make sure no one misses the Chili Supper slated for tomorrow night at Urbana High School Although not a regular sousaphone player Stewart has been making the rounds to promote the fund raiser 1 La mm Lottery A 2 Lifestyle A 3 Opinion A 4 Sports 1 2 Classifieds B4 7 By DWIGHT CRUM Brown News Service Education is largely a state and local affair in Ohio with federal aid accounting for only a small fraction of total sjiending on schools But in southern Ohio home to some of the least wealthy school systems and oldest school build ings education has emerged as a top issue in the 6th District congressional race and one that also under scores a philosophical difference between US Rep Ted Strickland Lucasville and his Republican chal lenger Lt Gov Nancy Hollister While federal education funding in Ohio is not insignificant it generally amounts to roughly 6 percent of annual school spending According to Paul Marshall legislative liaison with the Ohio Department of Education federal funding will account for an estimated $900 million of the more than $125 billion in 12 spending this year in Ohio The largest single area of federal school aid in Ohio is the Chapter 1 or Title 1 program a $375 million undertaking designed to aid the children of low income families in such areas as reading Another major seg ment is funding for free or reduced priced lunches which will be nearly $170 million federal government is an important player in certain Marshall said Whether it should become a player in other programs as well is a source of debate between Hollister and Strickland While both feel decisions on educa tion policy and curricu lum are best left to local officials they disagree on creation of new feder al' education initiatives and how best to distrib ute federal education aid Strickland said he believes the primary responsibility for education rests at the local and state levels his torically the federal government has assisted schools in dealing with specific problems that require resources that many local schools The condition of southern Ohio school buildings is one such issue In recent debates Strickland has used a coal dust covered rag as a prop to illustrate the building needs and criticize the track record on education issues such as buildings He said the rag was used to wipe coal dust from desks and computers in one southern Ohio school Strickland has supported a multi billion reaerai senoot construction ptan to help address building needs While there is some precedent for feder al involvement in school construction some schools were built as part of jobs programs during the Great Depression school buildings have for the most part been a local affair in Ohio State involvement in school construction has increased this decade and since 1991 when a challenge to school funding system was filed in Perry County more than $1 billion has been appropriated for school construction and repair Much of that has come in the wake of last Ohio Supreme Court school funding decision in which building disrepair was a key issue School systems in the 6th District have been a major beneficiary of state aid for school construction in par ticular since lawmakers changed the program last year to give top priority to least wealthy districts Hollister said that in recent years $320 million in state aid has been earmarked or spent on school construction and repair in the 6th District Strickland also supports a federal program to hire 100000 teachers A modified version of this proposal was included a federal budget package approved this week but the construction proposal was absent Strickland feels the package is a good first step but more is needed in particular for school buildings Hollister though views the ideas as more govern ment programs with more government bureaucracy reality is a proverbial gift she said Hollister feels a better approach is to start downsiz ing the US Department of Education freeing up addi tional funding to be sent via block grants largely back to See on Page A 8 ttT I he reality is a proverbial gift Ohio Lt Gov Nancy Hollister candidate for Congress.