THE PLAIN DEALER 4 Real estate METRO SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1990 BRENT LARKIN COMMENTARY 2 Final drive for casino under way he ante has been upped. fight For over the Issue next 3 two will weeks, be a the high-stakes game, with untold millions on the line for those on both sides of the ballot issue that would clear the way for casino gambling in Ohio. The proponents are led by Alan Spitzer, the Elyria developer and car dealer who wants to give Lorain voters the right to vote on a casino in their town and, eventually, seven other Ohio cities. Hoping the issue craps out is the group called Ohioans Against Casino Gambling. Its membership may be broad-based, but the money 4 filling its coffers is coming almost F.
exclusively from Ohio's horse-: racing interests. And what the horse folks are spending on this campaign surely ain't hay. Over the past day or so both sides. have begun airing television ads designed to win voter support, or opposition, for the casino issue. The Spitzer group, which hired a California-based firm to run its campaign, has two advertisem*nts.
One is a soft-sell pitch that stresses, only partially correctly, that Issue 3 is simply about giving voters in Lorain the right to vote on a casino. The other ad isn't at all subtle. It is a frontal assault on the horse-: racing industry, starring Lorain policeman Leonard Gerace, president of that city's Fraternal Order of Police. The advertisem*nt is effective because it tells the truth that horse racing folks don't want to share the legalized gambling pie with a casino. 1A One television ad produced by Ohioans Against Casino Gambling warns that casinos could pop up all over the state if Issue 3 passes.
The other plays on voter fears that, with casinos, come increases in crime' and uses Atlantic City as an example. These ads also are effective. In fact, anticipating the crime ad is what prompted the Spitzer group to cast policeman Gerace as its media star, to ward off fears that casinos breed crime. "What we're trying to show people is, these guys (the horseracing industry) have been out there for a year and a half, beating us up, saying, 'Crime, crime, crime," said Karen Kapler, manager of the Yes on Issue 3 campaign. "The horse-racing industry is trying to run a deceptive campaign trying to protect their They can wail all they want about crime and gangsters, but let's face it, these guys are in the gambling Tough stuff, but it's coming from both directions.
A "Ohioans aren't going to be fooled with this pot-of-gold kind of vision," shot back Karen Wilkins of. Columbus-based Cochran Public Relations, which is running the anti-casino campaign. "The Atlantic City comparison is a fair one. They were promised strict guidelines, were told that great care would be taken. Now we see casinos out of control in Atlantic City.
Yes, you're going to create jobs with a casino, but you're also going to create an unbelievable amount of expense to the community, both financially and socially." To pass, Issue 3 faces an uphill struggle. The horse racing industry will outspend the Spitzer group, and a poll commissioned by Las Vegas gaming interests last week showed that of the voters oppose casino gambling and support it. Actually, it's surprising to me that Issue 3 has come this far. When Spitzer first unveiled his casino plan a couple of years ago, most observers yours truly included laughed it off as a pipe dream. 3 But Spitzer wouldn't quit.
When the Ohio General Assembly refused to place his plan on the ballot, he went out and got enough signatures to force a vote. In 16 days, Ohioans will show their hands. For the Issue 3 proponents, it is a battle to alleviate voter confusion about the casino issue; for confusion on any ballot issue breeds "no" votes. Do they have enough time and particularly money to sell casinos to Ohioans? Two years ago, the answer would have been "No way." "Today it's, "Doubtful, but possible." Kind of like drawing to an inside straight. 4.
CHANDLER Wayne Jewitt of Mentor, with help from volunteers Pat Theriault, left, Pat Armetta and Holly Rosenberger, rides his way to a bronze medal in yesterday's Special Olympics equestrian event in Newbury. Disabled riders go for the gold By EVELYN THEISS "For my birthday, my brother made me: a big, long shelf, STAFF WRITER and I've got wooden horses all the way down it," she said. Bobbi Bergman said she had the best job cently Baughman's learned to jump instructor, her horse. reSusan Johnson, said Baughman Eight-year-old yesterday at the Special Olympics equestrian event in Kirt- "But not high," Baughman said quickly. "Just low ones." land.
Ann Baughman said her daughter's love of horses has "I got to put the medals on the winners," said the volunteer from Chagrin Falls. "They have such big smiles when you do that, and then you get a lot of hugs." Bobbi was accompanied her mother, KC; a staff member at Geauga County's Therapeutic Riding Center in Newbury and a volunteer yesterday at the Lake Metroparks Farm Park site of the only Special Olympics equestrian competition in Ohio. Gold, silver and bronze medals were given in 23 categories, including showmanship and trail courses, to the several dozen mentally or physically disabled athletes. The festivities began with the riders' energetic march around the ring. They paused for a solemn recitation of the Special Olympics oath: "Let me win.
But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." Janet Baughman of Akron was one of the gold-medal winners. Baughman, 20, who has been riding for three years at Pegasus Farms in Hartville, said she loves horses. Cub Scout to get heroism award for saving twin By SABRINA EATON STAFF WRITER Eight-year-old twins Charlie and Christopher Cheraso say they bicker constantly over which television program to watch and who gets the front seat in their mother's car. But the garrulous third-graders from Thompson Township stick together when it comes to life-or-death matters. When Christopher came within a heartbeat of drowning during a breath-holding contest a at East Branch Reservoir in July 1989, Charlie dragged him out of the water and flagged down lifeguards.
Today, the Boy Scouts of America is presenting Charlie with its Heroism Lifesaving Award in a ceremony at Leroy Community Chapel on Painesville-Warren Rd. in Leroy. Three hundred to 400 people are expected to watch as Christopher pins a medal to his brother's Cub Scout uniform. Both boys are members of Thompson Cub Scout Pack 100. Only four scouts from the BSA's Northeast Ohio Council have won the award in the past five years, said Lori Weaver, the council's senior district executive.
"The award means he demonstrated heroism and skill trying to save someone else at minimum risk to himself," said Weaver. More than a year after the rescue, Charlie is matterSEE Ruling gives TE women hope for clemency KAREN FARKAS WRITER A Kathey Thomas has every reason to be bitter and vindictive, she's not. Thomas was convicted of murder in 1978 after failing to per: courts to allow expert testimony on battered-woman syndrome. Then, in March, six months after her parole, the Ohio SuCourt ruled that it would allow such testimony. court's action has led 114 imprisoned women, not have been found guilty had they been allowed to battered-woman defense, to request a pardon or reduction sentence from Gov.
Richard F. Celeste. very pleased it happened, but it didn't happen to said: "I can never ever regain the years I spent in tE: Thomas, 36, shot and killed her common-law husband in Euduring a fight after he threatened to kill her. She became first woman in Ohio and one of the first in the nation to try use expert testimony on the syndrome, but the Supreme upheld her conviction, ruling that not enough scientific evidence existed to allow such testimony to support claims of 3 4 self-defense. the years after her conviction, other states began allowtestimony on battered-woman syndrome, the mental attiof women at the time of a violent act.
Experts say, women are so emotionally confused they do not realize consequences of their actions. Ohio was the last state to such testimony. Thomas, who now lives Lima, said she is not bitter. made a bad choice in the person who I chose to love, so, couldn't be angry at the system, angry at the judge or angry the jury," she said. "It wouldn't have accomplished any; because they didn't understand the problem." ta The imprisoned women, convicted of killing their mates, feassault and several other charges before the Supreme.
ruling, agree their problems were misunderstood and asked for clemency. Mary Helen Van Dyke, spokeswoman for the Ohio Departof Rehabilitation, said prison officials identified. 97 who might qualify for clemency. Most of those women others who have come forward are in the Ohio Reformafor Women Marysville, and a few are at prerelease in Cleveland and Columbus, Van Dyke said. Nearly all the women have appeared before the Ohio.
PaBoard, which made recommendations to Celeste. Heidi Findley, Celeste's press secretary, said 85 requests SEE Hospital special needs of aging patient DOUG LEFTON WRITER many as of patients over age 75 are worse off for spending time in the hospital, say two doctors at University Hospitals of Cleveland. The disease that brought them to the hospital might clear But during their hospital stay, these older patients lose ability to walk, bathe, dress themselves or perform other tasks of daily living. "The illness gets better, but the patient gets said Robert M. Palmer, a University Hospitals geriatrician.
Palmer and another University Hospitals geriatrician, Dr. Seth Landefeld, have received a $485,000 grant to find out how many elderly are affected by this phenomenon, Landefeld has named "dysfunctional The from the John A. Hartford Foundation, also is being to remodel a hospital floor to determine if a specially deunit, with specially trained hospital workers, can rethe incidence of dysfunctional syndrome. 73 Landefeld said to of people over age 75 lose some functional ability during their hospital stay for reasons that preventable. That estimate is based on articles in medieal literature and from the first part of his and Palmer's study, evaluated 80 elderly patients over the last year, he said.
About a quarter of University Hospitals' patients are over 75, he said. Dysfunctional syndrome is a new concern because patients 75 are a relatively new phenomenon, the doctors say. As numbers have grown, these elderly patients have been like younger hospital patients, even though they are frail and more likely to lose their ability to perform.evtasks, Landefeld said. The enfeebling of elderly patients "is not the result of bad medical care, but usual medical care," Palmer said. do he The 15-bed unit, which began operation in July, represents departure in the way doctors and hospitals look, after patients, the two doctors said.
SEE State runs out UT PD BUREAU allot COLUMBUS The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles knew nearly two months ago that its stock of study books for driver's license applicants was depleted, but it waited until this week to order new ones. Because so few of the Digest of Motor Vehicle books are available now, the bureau is asking people to return them and is seeking an emergency measure to have up to 10,000 printed within the next few weeks! The books are given to driver's license applicants to study for a written test on Ohio's driving laws, which they must pass to obtain an operator's permit. About 175,000 new licenses are issued each year to 16- and 17-year-old drivers, according to bureau statistics: Managers in several randomly polled Ohio deputy registrar's offices said yesterday that they have had no books since August. Several said that bureau field representatives told them then that stocks in the state's Columbus warehouse were depleted. Several speculated that the state would not print the books until after the Nov.
6 election, when a new governor whose name would be listed on the book's cover page is elected. "We've been out for two months, and we told out field representative, and he said the was out of them," said Jill Loftus, assistant manager. at SEE Th of study books for driver's test: By T.C. BROWN RCAs By STAFF but suade preme The might the of Thomas prison." clid the to Court In ing tude tered the allow really I at thing lonious Court have ment women and tory centers role By STAFF As up. some simple Dr.
C. just which grant, used signed duce helped her learn to read. "She started reading horse Ann Baughman said. Lida McCowan, the judge at the event and one of the founders of the Special Olympics equestrian competition, described how riding can help disabled people. "The socialization is a big thing," she said.
"It helps them with their motor skills, and it gives them a tremendous psychological boost that they can handle a horse. They then find there are a lot of other things they can do." Susan Johnson said riding provides a new perspective. "For those in a wheelchair, it's the closest feeling to walking they've ever had," she said. "And those who use wheelchairs or crutches are generally in a position where we physically look down on them. Now, for the first time, they're high up they can look down on us," she said.
"Instead of being controlled, they're controlling SEE University AirCare CHANDLER Charlie Cheraso, at left, will be honored today for saving his 8-year-old twin, Chris, from drowning a year are which age over their treated more eryday a 1 3 12.
