Amherst News-Times, 1998-10-14

              Ill
City must decide mayor's new pay — Page 5      |
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mherst News-Times
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14,   1998
Amher.l    Ohio
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iandates to hit residents' pocketbooks
News-
Amherst residents can expect to
see their sewer bills increase at least
$2 to $3 in the future to help pay for
a SS million upgrade to the city's
wastewater treatment plant
The improvements have been
mandated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA),
which contends ammonia discharge
into the Beaver Creek is endanger
ing its aquatic life.
More than $300,000 in the sale of
municipal bonds for improvements
to the plant's electrical system were
authorized by council Sept 28.
The electrical changes will enable
the city to eventually install a new
generator and other improvements
needed to operate new filtration
equipment It will be installed in the
next five to seven years, according
to utilities superintendent Don
Woodings.
Other expenses will follow in the
coming years. They
for the construction of
tion ditch to filter the
a new laboratory to test
ness of the discharged affluent
"These things are just about itam-
lcss they come up with new rales,
and they're constantly doing that,"
Woodings said.
The rules can be changed within
five years, the length of an agency
operating permit
The city faces the ammonia requirement because it discharges into
a creek, a water source that has flat-
head minnows and other small fish
or wildlife protected by federal
guidelines.
Woodings said the OEPA tests
usually are conducted at the discharge point, where ammonia is the
highest It will not check further
down stream, where the ammonia
has dissipated and poses no threat
"You don't see any dead minnows, but you can't argue with the
OEPA," he added. "We don't have
any other choice. It would mean
wasting money to fight them."
The new lab also hat been mandated by the OPEA, which alleges
the existing one is inadequate,
Woodings said the 16-year-old facility does not have the up-the-date
testing facilities required by the
OEPA.
He said failure to comply with the
OEPA would result in a fine from*
the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
The city has been on the agency's
"hit list" since it was fined $250,000
in the early '80s for failing lo meet
state agency wastewater require-!
menu. The fine was cut to $15,000,
by a Lorain County Common Pleas:
Court judge.
The city's failure to meet state
EPA requirements have been ongo-j
ing for several years, although not
fines have been levied recently.)
Woodings said he and the admi-j
nistration receive monthly violation
kttefs.
That changed following a yearly
CONTINUED on page 2
Appetites, and souls
to get ministering here
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
Jeannie Pogorelc plans to minister to her customers' souls while
Matt Schmidt plans to take care of
their palettes and stomachs when
they open their respective businesses in the coming weeks.
Both soon will join Park Avenue
merchants in trying to make downtown Amherst the thriving business
community it once was.
A born again Christian, Pogorelc
will begin selling Bibles, religious
publications and gifts Oct. 26, the
day her Three Crosses Bible and
Gift Shop opens for business.
Schmidt moved from Flint, Mich,
to operate The Grapevine, a new diner that will occupy Dad's Rainbow
Restaurant, which closed its doors
about three weeks ago.
The longtime eatery went out of
business after owner John Glorioso
took over as chief chef and manager
of The Veranda, a new banquet hall
and restaurant set to open soon in
the former Eagles Club on Milan
Avenue.
Schmidt, who formerly operated
or managed restaurants in Atlanta,
Ga. and Tampa, Fla., was persuaded
to take over and renovate the old restaurant by longtime friend Dave
Moore, the owner of Crystal Mortgage Co. and The Veranda.
A lifelong friend of Moore's,
Schmidt initially asked his old
buddy to help finance a restaurant in
Michigan.
Moore had other ideas. Regardless of The Veranda's opening,
Schmidt said Moore thinks there is a
need for an inexpensive eatery to
serve the breakfast, lunch and supper crowd.
So, he quit a manufacturing job in
Michigan to take a chance on Amherst when Moore said he would finance the restaurant
He sees it as meeting two needs,
filling the stomachs of Amhersto-
nians and a place where they can exchange gossip, jokes and stories about day to day life in the Sandstone
Center of the World.
Hence, the new name — The
Grapevine — Schmidt explained.
Among his potential customers is
Pogorelc, whose shop is located just
across the street
She is also not a business novice.
She managed a gift shop and snick
bar in the Ohio Turnpike service
plaza off Middle Ridge Road for
CONTINUED on page 6
Grapevine owner Matt Schmidt gets help cut-    server hired early to help get the diner in shape,
ting a piece of wall board from Robin Walker, a
Couple share their love,
but not their team loyalty
by GLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
Jennifer Godfrey woke up Saturday morning to find dozens of flowers, hearts, white swans and a four-
foot sign saying "Jen, Will You
Marry Me?" stuck in her front yard.
It had to be the biggest surprise of
her life. Not only was it a big way
for her boyfriend, Ken Keilman, to
pop the question, but everyone on
York Imperial Drive knew about it
"It was a surprise, but then again
it wasn't," Keilman explained.
"We'd talked about it. but she
thought I was going to wait until
Christmas or around New Year's."
The idea wasn't his, rather that of
his future mom-in-law, Charlene
Godfrey. It was a smaller substitute
for a really big idea that fell through
because neither he nor his future inlaws wanted to spend $200 to get
tickets to the Indians' and Yankees'
Saturday playoff game.
Had less expensive tickets been
available, he had intended to arrange for Jacobs Field officials to
have the big question suddenly pop
up on the Indians' huge electronic
bulletin board.
Thousands of people probably
would have seen it, maybe even the
national audience watching the
game on TV.
Needless to say, that would have
been a bigger shock. Regardless, it
probably would have suited the
22-year-old bride-to-be just fine,
much to the consternation of her future husband.
She's an avid Indians fan and
he's bean a Mg Yankees Ian since
he was a youngster. After all, Keilman is from Rochester, N.Y.. the
middle of Yankee territory, while
she's been raised on Chief Wahoo.
KeOman thought the timing was
perfect It was Jennifer's 22nd birthday weekend, and the two sewn to
be caught up in the Indians aad
Yankee* rivalry.
Therein b the only sore spot be-
iwese the two toveWrds. He lost a
bet last year aad paid it off by baying bis future teher-iaJew, Joe
Godfrey, a esse of beer.
They have the same bat this;
:^>t
Ken Keilman and his finance, Jennifer Godfrey, are aur-
rounded by his signs, flowers and other creative proposal mater*
lata posted In front of the Godfreys' home. i
afford much. Much of What he has iats and Creative Cutouts.       f
tucked away from a new job ia     The companies watted until early
Solon was spent to have diamonds Saturday morning to deliver thing*.
set in an engagement ring. The ring The set up work was done by Keil-
i a given to him, bat not the man and the Oodfteyt.
" •  - at
Stoglcntedl^y rug* after are <
Indians' 6-1 victory and he on Sa- offheyanlset
tucday and Sunday, especia&y after planned, loo. Ha
the Bronx Bombers took the series Mday.
kept her out baa
"We have flan with ana. Who     The door ban
taows?It's likely to goon and on am .aonang. Shews*
long after they're ■named," Char- o^ anntt bar aatieW s
leno Godfrey ainiained. had ceane to tea bar.
leno Godfrey explained.
He also bought the flowers, *^_.
mtmrnmrnlmtmyitC ***-
Scouts plan to bring better
message to underpass wall
A group of youngsters is
planning to paint graffiti on
the wall along the Conrail
tracks on Tenney Avenue.
But there's no need to call
the police department or the
mayor. In fact, the cops are
in cahoots with the kids.
The youngsters are members of Cub Scout Pack 427,
and they are working with
the police on * project as a
requirement for their Crime
Prevention Award. On Saturday, Oct 24, the scouts will
paint over the existing graffiti
along the wall, so that the
wall can then be used for positive messages.
Pack leader Howard Akins
said the scouts are working
toward the merit badge, which
requires them to participate in
a crime prevention project
with a local law enforcement
agency. He said he contacted
Amherst Drug Abuse Resis
tance Education (DARE) officer Les Carrender for suggestions. Carrender said he
had had the idea of a positive graffiti wall for a long
lime.
"I'm originally from Vermilion, and in Vermilion they
had a wall where everyone
painted positive graffiti," Car-
render said. "Like the high
school cheerleaders would
come out and paint things
like 'Go Team', or someone
else would paint 'Happy
Birthday' to a friend."
Carrender said he contacted
mayor John Higgins to get       a
approval from the city for the \
project He said Higgins contacted Conrail, since the wall
is Conrail property, to make
. sure they had no objections.
Akin said the scouts have
been enthusiastic about the
project, especially Michael
Lock, James Englehardt, and
Bradley Akin. He said the scouts are checking with the
schools for permission to use
a "Comet's Tale" theme for
the wall.
"We want to make it a
place where if people wanted
to paint something positive,
they could do that" Akin
said. "If someone paints
something negative, we'U
paint over that"
Work will begin at 10 ajn.
on Saturday, Oct 24. Akins
said if the whole pack shows
up there will be around 45
scouts.
"We'U probably have about
25." he said. "And I hope a*
many moms and dads.'*
He added that anyone who
would like to help out is
welcome. The pack is also
seeking corporate sponsorship
to pay for tools and materials.
Parking's
got to aid
the buyers 3
A proposal to add three-
hour and unlimited parking to
parts of downtown Amherst is
being considered by city
council to make things
clients.
As Brouoeod by
vice director SberriU McLoda
and mayor John rUggins, it
tfpnridag ia
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