Amherst News-Times, 1998-08-26

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Dur vote for favorite books — Page 4      Comets rally for football — Page 7
imherst News-Times
August  26,   1998
Amhorst    Ohio
SO cont;
.). eyes own
volunteer fire
department;
sponsors levy
by QUEN MLLER
Nawa-Timas reporter
Amherst Township may have its
own volunteer fire department if
voters approve a two-mill, five-year
operating levy sought by township
trustees.
The levy was approved by the
trustees Aug. 14 trustees to determine if residents want a volunteer
fire department rather than continue
contracting for fire service with the
City of Amherst It will appear on
the Nov. 3 balloL
"We are trying to determine if
people think this is feasible and a
viable alternative to what we are
now doing," trustee David Urig
said. "We want to have more than
one option."
The levy would generate an estimated $184,959 a year in addition to
about $65,016 already raised by a
one null continuing fire levy, according to the Lorain County Auditor's Office.
The township also has a .50-mill
continuing ambulance levy that
raises $32,226 yearly.
The creation of the two-mill fire
, levy was disclosed during a special
city council work session held Aug.
17 lo resolve difference! between
the city and township over a joint
economic development agreement,
utility sendee and fire protection.
Following the meeting, Amherst
mayor John Higgins said the money
($249,975) generated by the two levies is not enough to start a fire department let alone purchase fire
equipment
He noted that the trustees' deci
sion occurred the same week they
were sent a letter asking them to begin negotiations on a new fire contract with the city.
The existing agreement expires
Ocl 1. Under it, Higgins contends
the township has been "under
charged" by the city based on the
percentage of fire calls answered in
the township.
Last year, for example, the Amherst Fire Department responded to
a total of 202 calls, 29 percent (or
60 calls) of which were in the township. It was charged $46344, only
10.5 percent of the $438344 it cost
to operate the fire department
"So, in effect, Amherst residents
have been paying for a sizable
chunk of their (township) fire service based on our costs," he said.
"The township's been getting a bargain, but that's going to stop because it's not fair."
A proposed contract was discussed by Higgins and fire chief
Ralph Zilch Aug. 19. Fees have not
been finalized, although the mayor
said he expects the total amount
paid by the township will be
doubled in an attempt to bring costs
more in line with services provided.
PfganHfei. ho widths nhat mob
ably will be $100,000 or less a year.
much less than the cost of starring
and operating a township fire
department
Other surrounding townships,
such as New Russia and Vermilion,
pay at least double what Amherst
Township is charged. In addition.
New Russia recently purchased a
3,000 gallon pumper-tanker that is
CONTINUED on page 3
Linda Petkovsek and two of her children with some of their own dogs.
Project's a doggone good idea
by GLEN MLLER
News-Timea reporter
More than 50 pooches owe
their lives to a dedicated
group of Amherst children
and their adviser who took on
thutf •ateaaasan and placement
in good homes as a 4—H
project.
Between March and early
June, a dozen members of the
Amherst Insiders and their advisor, Linda Petkovsek, visited
the county dog pound in
Elyria two or three times
weekly to select dogs and
prevent them from being,
euthanized.
"Our goal was to save at
•least one dog a week, have
them checked over by a veterinarian and place them in a
good home," Petkovsek explained. "We are very happy.
We did better than that."
A little more than 30 were
chosen.       * "   mm^,-'"
The project was her idea.
An animal lover since a
child, Petkovsek, 41, and her
husband, Brace, have four
dogs, three cats, five small
and harmless Com snakes and
more than a dozen mice.
Add to that their seven
children, four of whom participated in the project They
are Arnold, 15, Laura, 13,
Meredith, 16, and Anne, 18.
The others are Murray, 6,
Alex, 17, and Marigold, 3.
Most of the rescued dogs
were kept at the Petkovseks'
Cleveland Avenue home until
they were adopted by families
and individuals who spotted
one of the numerous classified advertisements placed in
area newspapers.
"Needless to say, our house
was a little crowded at times,
but then it usually is," Petkovsek said.
The ads also attracted dog
lovers who, for one reason or
another, wanted to find good
homes for their dogs. Some
were strays found by people
while others were animals
people no longer wanted because of moving plans or
other reasons.
As a result, the club took
on the task of finding tomes
for 20 additional pooches during the four-month project,
which Petkovsek said probably will resume early next
spring.
"We had to work within
what we could afford and it's
usually harder to place dogs
in the middle of summer anyway," she explained.
None of the dogs were
from the Amherst area. Most
came from Lorain, Elyria and
CtriTlNUED on page S
He lends
his tale
of Lyme
to others
by GLEN MLLER     ,
News-Times reporter
Little did Ron Bartosch
know that skinning a deer
eight years ago would change
his life and cause Urn physical and emotional misery for
the rest of his life.
Bartosch, the former owner
of the Specialty Seafood and
Meat Market on Park Avenue,
is a victim of Lyme Disease,
an ailment that partially has
disabled the 44-year-old Amherst man.
Once a strong man with
bundles of energy, he saw the
deer's hide was covered with
ticks as he skinned it for a
customer in 1990. He didn't
realize one of them jumped
on him and chose to feed on
his Mood, infecting him with
sijual-snaoeu oactertuo. called
Borrelia burgdoru.
If it is not discovered im-
ovediately, the bacteria eventually wotts its way into the
body tissue and can causa a
wide variety of medical problems, including a tare form of
The disease is a malady for
which (here is no cure unless
his caught in its early
la hit case, it wasn't
ou>
QONTMUID en page  S
M     III      I
Disagreements
end JEDD idea
as owner plans
to annex to city
and a JEDD expert It would hem
avoided future aniiexaoon aad allowed the city and township to
Rice
by QLEN MLLER
Nawa-Timas reporter
The city's efforts to create a Joint •&«*■» ttx*rt°nL      ,
Economic Development District      B*™}j~_**• mm_m
(JEDD) on 60 acres of Amherst J"J" ■• *£*__[ ____:
Township land adjacent to Rt 58 ^_Z^e^ia^^ta!!i
gig jagsj ute fsominiatratson is that we had a
Amherst excavator KM. Rice, the «ood egjeenient to begin with aad
property owner, has decided to an- *• data t see say reason for
nex the land into the city because of cn^?'
a 12-word change in a JEDD agree- , AtK?u_*w® ^ __
mentrnade^yttotownshiptrusW T«^!atdas\ss\l^esaaaa^^
He plans to petition for annexation » prevent tne ossuw s expstssion to
in the ccmiiiginonths. othcr commercially or
"I just think it is in my best in- _eA mm____mM_l
tent," Rice said.'The JEDD is not ■* *■» «W*»ous lo the
redly wetting the way I aad the ■"^f^L.
city hoped it would, aad I can't af- Jr^f^T
ford to watt any tougrv. Besides, the c«y s luwwleagB or
city has more to offer Ob providing Jf*™*"1* ■**
utilities) anyway." "^T"
Ttta tttjsth as? das fsMMiMati Maswici    The mayor and *
by taayor Join Hig-
eaaad amammmmm, "♦»» aaaaf ama^mamammMmsM "eaaawasfaVf*    jM_ ^   ^ew^^^^.,,.   a —    a*   ^g—,
was revealed by mayor Jean Wg- ■* change becauseIt m
gins following an Aag. 17 weak ass- *v?»l P0*"* ****
pon Ijatweencfcy council sad town- *~ f[7 —?Sfcai
sup mm itw i«aa>. u waa saw*      —._   ._ _. _ _     ^^ »^»^
to discuss dautoreaces shat have     ia* "ayur. wan .won
<xcanaibataK^ Sta cay aad aywa- jhweU-O^nrecngfr
ship within the lest several tncashs. __m__V?_mtt
eacaatw* *» change to toe JEDD 2? JJ°J ^1*D
'.. .   .       .. ..- -• -i     GoaacntoaB Joha<IlfeiBhsh wan'
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ft aoaeamammL_% t^^*H.9*mmm
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