The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1999-03-24

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Amherst News-Time
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Wednesday,  March  24.  1999
No deal;
services
for elders
may end
by OLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
More than 250 Amherst
Township senior citizens may
lose services provided by the
Sandstone Office on Aging
April 1 unless the township
trustees agree to negotiate a
three-year contract with the
agency.
Clients living in the township have been notified that
services provided to them will
cease after March 31 unless
the township trustees agree to
pay $38,791 over the next
three years. The proposed
contract calls for a 34 percent
increase per year beginning
with $9380 sought for this
year.
"Stopping services is something we don't want to do
because the people involved
are those who need the services, yet we can't do it for
free," agency coordinator Nina
Lorandeau said.
With the exception of the
township, the two other communities served by the agency
— South Amherst and
Brownhelm Township — have
or tentatively have agreed to
pay a "fair share'' for the services provided township
seniors.
Only the Amherst Township
trustees have failed lo discuss
a contract with Lorandeau and
mayor John Higgins, although
trustee Denny Abraham has
spoken individually with the
mayor.
Abraham said he is
strongly in favor of negotiating a contract with the
agency.
"It should be one of our
priorities, but I'm only one
vote," he stud.
All three trustees were to
discuss a proposed contract at
a special meeting to be held
sometimor this week.
A letter asking the village
and townships to begin negotiations was mailed in December. Amherst Township tailed
to respond until Lorandeau
called trustee chairman Ron
Leoni about three weeks ago.
Because the agency is a
city department, Amherst pays
the agency money for seniors
living in the chy as needed.
Last year, this amounted to
$42,165. It paid an additional
$13,000 to help cover the
cost of services not paid by
the three other communities.
"We can't let them operate
in the red and we can't continue to subsidize them (the
other communities) at the
same rate   because we have
to pay more and more each
year," Higgins said.
Each community's fair
share was determined by Lorandeau based on the amount
of services elderly people in.
each community receive and
the agency's $144,644 budget
The agency receives more
than $75,000 in funding from
federal and state sources each
year. The remainder comes
from contracts with the communities it services.
Elderly people in Amhent
Township receive the second
largest percentage of services,
including Meals on Wheels.
Amhent has the largest,
roughly about 64 percem.
Overall, the township received 20 invent of the
agency's services ia 1998 but
only contrOwled $7j000, leas
than half the $16,519 in aer-
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CONTMUEO en page •
Amherst, Ohio
Trotting on Tangle
Paul Livelsberger enjoys a trot along Park Avenue on his horse
Tangle during a break in last week's winter weather. The Amherst
area resident said it's not surprising for motorists to slow down and
ogle his ride, especially it he happens to be in town.
Two new columnists join N-T .staff
Suzanne Traster and Pam
Mitchell will soon be gracing
the pages of the News-Times
with their words of wisdom,
story telling and humor.
The two Amherst women
are the newest additions to
the newspaper's columnists.
Traster, the mother of city
councilman Terry Traster, will
author "Suzy's View," a
thoughtful yet humorous look
at the world in which she
and we live.
Mitchell, an Amherst resident for seven months, will
write "Ad lib," a column about anything that happens lo
strike her fancy.
Much of it may deal with
common everyday life or
something in the news.
Pam Mitchell
Suzanne Traster
The author of several short
stories and two plays, Traster
began writing about 20 years
ago and wants to inform and
entertain readers in a way
that will make them smile,
snicker and laugh.
"It won't be anything that's
too political or serious. We
get enough of that now and
sometimes people want to
read something that will make
them smile," she explained.
A lot of her articles will
deal with experiences in her
life. She's had a lot when
you consider the trials, tribu- .
lations and smiles she has ex
perienced raising seven children and 14 grandchildren.
She hasn't been able to de-
CONHNUEO on page 5
City
rep;        )
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complete
With the $323,000 replacement Of
its roof complete, city hall will soon
undergo the final phase of its exterior renovation and the start of some
interior work.
The upcoming remodeling includes mortaring outside cracks between sandstone blocks, new windows and window sills, and minor
interior changes in the layout of
offices.
The city sold $400,000 in municipal bonds last year to pay for the
entire project. Depending on city
council's approval, a $77,000 balance is likely to be used to complete the exterior work. The cost of
the interior office changes has not
been determined, but probably will
be paid for out of the city's general
fund, according to mayor John
Higgins.
Several changes will be made to
offices once the treasurer's, auditor's and building inspector's offices are moved to the San Spring
Building on Park Avenue this summer. The changes will result in separate offices for the mayor, safety
service director, their shared secretary, city council and the council
clerk.
In addition, Higgins said he eventually may ask council to consider
developing a long-range plan for the
interior restoration of the 1884
building.
"But this is down the road. We
don't have the money set side for
this now because we have other
CONTINUED on pege 9
Market's
lotto lady
sells big
winner
Many people come to Jamie's
Flea Market hoping to find hidden
treasures, but recently someone
came away with a lottery ticket
worth $12 million.
Ohio Lottery Commission officials said the owner of the one winning ticket in Saturday's drawing
had not come forward as of Monday
afternoon, but they could identify
the seller as Betty Cianciola. of
DAB Enterprises Variety Shoppe at
Jamie's Flea MarkeL
Cianciola said the lottery commission contacted her with the news
Monday morning.
"I'm on cloud nine," she said. 1
was very busy on Saturday. In two
days time last week I sold over
1,100 tickets.*'
Her shop is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays when the flea
market is open, malting her what
lottery officials call a "non*.
traditional" sales agent
Cianciola said she only started
selling tickets for the multi-million
dollar games the last week of January this year. Before that she only
sold instant scratch-off tickets, and
those only since 1993, although she
opened the shop more than 10 yean.
ago.
Since then, she says, lottery tickets are the biggest part of het\
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