Amherst News-Times, 1998-04-22

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Lmherst News-Times
i
April  2?    19^«
Amherst, Ohio
e's much ado
ivilS troupe's
latest production
The Marion L. Steele
Theatre Company will be performing William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, "Much Ado About
Nothing," on April 23, 24, 25
and May 1, and 2.
A strange and interesting
twist is being put on the
classic play. It will be done
in 1930s Italian mafia rendition style.
The play is set in Messina,
Sicily. Mafia leader Don
Pedro (Chris Bednar) and his
henchmen have just finished a
war and come to stay in Lco-
nato's (Dustin Jasinski) home.
There the love stories begin.
FirsL one of the henchmen,
Count Claudio (Mark Mears),
falls in love with Leonato's
daughter, Hero (Evelyn Escan-
don). Also, another love story
is happening at the same
time. Benedick (Matt Stipe)
and Beatrice (Jaymee Mcintosh) deny that they will ever
love anyone. All of these two
plot to get these two to love
each other.
Don John (Leon Offengen-
den), the evil brother of Don
Pedro, tries to ruin all plans
of love and marriage, to spite
his brother. A wedding ceremony gone wrong, a drunken
constable, Dogberry (Nick
Trelka), and much more make
this story one of the great,
. classic love stories.
Chas Deremer directs; Doug
Northeim has designed the
set, which includes a running
water fountain.
Other cast members include
Clarissa Flippo, Sara Nemcc,
Tim Mitchell, Ryan Stipe,
Adam Miller, Nathan Berry,
Josh McNary, Nikita Poposki,
Jon Finney and Jared
Johnson.
The play will be staged at
8 p.m. in the Powers Elementary School gymnasium. Tickets are $4 for adults, $3 for
students, $2 for thespians and
senior citizens are free. Tickets arc available at the door.
Mark Mears, Chris Bednar, Ryan Stipe, Dustin Jasinski and
Matt Stipe rehearse a scene from the high school theatre department's latest work.
Parks agreement first of its kind
Beaver Creek
area will be
nature haven
by GLEN MILLER
 ^    •
News-Times reporter
The 57-acre park to be built on
Amherst's northwest side will be the-
first joint venture between a county
tnctroparks system and a municipality in the state.
The rectangular facility is the first
joint park effort "to be built from
Ncraich" and has prompted other cities in the area to consider a similar
arrangement wilh the county's met-
ropark system, Lorain County Met-
ropark director Dan Martin said.
It is also the first time donations
have been sought from the public
for a park, he added.
The counly park system was first
asked to build a park in Amherst about three or four years ago. Il was.
forced to say no for financial reasons and because of the unavailability of land at the time, Martin
explained.
He credited mayor John Higgins
and council members with bringing
the idea for a joint venture to Metro-
parks officials.
"It's certainly not.a novel idea,
but it is for us around here," Martin
added. "Il shows that different government entities can work together
lor the common good of people."
It is a concept the mayor and city
council said could be repeated in the
future if more park land is needed lo
satisfy area residents' appetite for
recreation.
"But I think that's far in the future because we're are going to have
our hands full just doing things to
pul this park in shape and keeping it
that way," Higgins added.
A  six-page  agreement on  the
i
park's construction and use was endorsed by city council's building
and lands committee March 16 and
presented to council March 23.
If all goes as planned, work on
ihe park will begin this summer and
is expected to be complete in the fall
of 1999, when walkers, bikers and
joggers can start trekking along a
mile-long looped path.
Plans call for the Metroparks to
offer lectures and nature tours at the
facility.
Higgins met wilh Miutin March
IS to finalize plans for the park,
which will extend from behind the
cily police station on N. Lake Street
cast to N. Main Street.
Higgins and Martin said the first
step in construction will he the de-
'Postage stamp' lots useless plots
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
City officials are in the midst of
trying to discover how much land
the city owns but doesn't need or
wanl.
They know how much park land
ihe cily owns, but not several small
parcels or where they are all located,.
Until about five years ago, cily officials occasionally accepted the majority of the land from home developers in lieu of their payment of
impact fees. The fees help pay for
the services and utilities the city
provides   to   new   residential
developments.
About $250,000 paid in impaci
fees over the last few years recendy
was used to help purchase land between N. Lake and N. Main streets.
It will become a park jointly operated by Lorain County Metroparks
and the city.
The practice was stopped when
50 cents
Finally, stoplight
puts halt to city's
wait for direction
After four jtnd a half years of
planning, engineering work and lots
of frustration, a traffic light finally
has been installed at Rl. 58 and
Kresge Drive.
Usually the installation of a
traffic light isn't a big deal, but city
officials said this one is long overdue and has been a source of consternation for the city and drivers.
The light became operational today on a flashing mode and will begin functioning as a stop light April
27. The changeover is due to construction of a northbound turn lane
on Kresge Drive and also will allow
the light lo be properly timed with
others on Rt. 58, according to Amherst safety service director Sherrill
McLoda.
The city's effort to get a traffic
light installed at the busy intersection beg<in four and a half years ago
under the administration of former
mayor John Jaworski.
At first, Ohio Department of
Transportation (ODOT) officials,
didn't think one was necessary, but
the city remained persistent and finally won its case after a traffic
study was conducted.
velopment of engineering plans. The
second slep includes construction of
the 12-foot-wide trail, two picnic
pavilions, a soccer field, children's
playground and a parking lot.
It is possible up to six acres of
land south of the park property may
be donated to the cily, although Hig-
CONTINUED on page 3
cily officials decided the impact fees
were needed more lhan the land,
sonic of which is land locked and
inaca'ssible, according to mayor
John Higgins.
The  practice  was  started  and
topped   before   Higgins   became
CONTINUED on page 3
A number of serious accidents
prompted the need for the stop light.
Until now, mayor John Higgins said
the city has helped cut down on
crashes by prohibiting left hand
(southbound) turns onto Leavitt
Road from Kresge Drive.
He said the restriction sometimes
is ignored by aggressive drivers and
also contributed to traffic congestion on Cooper Foster Park Road,
the main exit route from Amherst
Plaza for most Amherst drivers.
Once ODOT agreed to the traffic
signal, it took another year to place
it on its work schedule and time to
bid it out for construction.
Time even had to be allowed for
an environmental impact study on
the installation of a bridged pole
from which the light is hung and the
widening of Kresge Drive for the
northbound turn lane.
When construction bids finely
were let early last year, the agency
turned them down because they
were too high and started the bidding process over.
CONTINUED on page 2
Inside, outside:
This project's
an expensive one
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
City officials have begun to
look at alternatives for the exterior and interior renovation of
city hall because of the higltcost
of the project.
The remoderf% of the first'
floor and basement, and replacement of the plumbing and
electric wiring will cost an estimated $330,000, according to
mayor John Higgins.
A decision on the remodeling
is expected to be made in the future so that the work can be
done in conjunction with the replacement of a deteriorating roof
and repair of the historic bell
lower.
City council agreed to advertise for bids for the re-roofing at
itSaVVpril 13 meeting. Bids will
be sought on both the installation of slate roofing and less
cosdy shingles, Higgins said.
Based on estimates, the slate
re-roofing will cost $270,000,
roughly $90,000 more than originally thought
The mayor said council still
has the option of switching to
less costly singles. This could
make more money available for
interior changes that are needed
to relieve overcrowding but
cgujd cause the building to lose
u^ status as an historic
landmark.
If shingles are installed, he
said the city will have to make
other roofing changes that only
will result in a 20 percent savings — roughly $54,000.
After the roof repairs are finalized, city officials had hoped
enough of the $450,000 set aside
for building work would remain
for interior renovation.
Bolh the roofing and interior
upgrades bring the total cost repairs to $600,000, $150,000
more than is available.
Additional room is needed because there is little privacy in
city hall for confidential meetings or discussions, especially in
the auditor's or treasurer's
offices.
Following the meeting, Higgins said the alternatives that
need to be considered by council
CONTINUED on page 3
Merchants fear little
parking space used
by downtown workers
by GI.EN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Some Park Avenue business owners say they are having a problem
with their employees and want the
city to help.
It's not that they're not good
workers, it's just that too many of
them are using parking spaces intended for customers and the money
they spend.
City councilmember Nancy
Brown brought up the parking issue
at the April 20 council meeting only
io be told there is little that can be
done.
Employees use some of the available spaces because they can't find
a place to park, according to mayor
John Higgins.
The answer, he said, rests in finding the money needed to build additional parking spaces in the downtown area. It also involves purchasing or leasing land for additional
cily parking and a plan devised by
first ward council member Terry
Traster.
CONTINUED on page 2
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