Amherst News-Times, 1999-04-21

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Amherst News-Time
WoclnosdrTy.   April   ?1.   1999
Amherst. Ohio
Downtown revitalization to take money, plar
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times raporter
Hie Amherst Downtown
Business Association will
meet in two weeks to discuss
how to hire a coordinator to
oversee implementation of the
Ohio Main Street Program in
the city.
The meeting was among
the outcomes of an April 14
conference with representatives
of Downtown Ohio, Inc.
(DOI), a statewide non-profit
group that administers the revitalization program.
More than 30 people
gathered at the old post office
to hear DOI representatives
explain the program and how
it can be started in Amherst.
Main Street is a comprehensive revitalization program eyed by mayor John
Higgins and other city officials as a way to build historic and economic redevelopment in downtown. Parts of it
have been adopted by Oberlin, which plans to hire a di
rector who will be jointly responsible for chamber of
commerce activities in that
community.
Kevin Kuchenbecker, DOI
executive director, said communities must have a long-
term commitment to the program in order for it to be effective. Those which are committed have hired a coordinator and have been willing to
spend between $40,000 and
$80,000 a year to implement
a revitalization plan, which
includes retail marketing and
promotion.
The decision to seek a
coordinator came after a poll
of the participants revealed
they unanimously approved of
the idea. They also agreed the
mayor does not have the time
to devote to the function and
still carry out his other duties.
Higgins said any program
undertaken in Amherst probably will involve a "hybrid"
of funding sources, including
the city, merchants, federal
community development block
grants (CDBG), and founda
tion grants.
The need for a full-time or
part-time coordinator was the
top recommendation of participants, who were divided
into small groups by
Kuchenbecker.
Others were:
• Additional signs directing
people to downtown. It was
felt existing signs erected by
the city are insufficient or
need to be placed in locations
where they can be seen
easier.
If he were blindfolded and
taken to Rt. 58 , Kuchenbecker said he would have no
idea how to get to downtown
or that he was in AmhersL
• Put vacant land to use.
The group pointed out a large
parcel of land bordering parts
of Church Street and Tenney
and Park avenues.
Last year, the city aban-j
doned plans to build a perking lot on it after it learned
it would be responsible for
the expensive removal of any
CONTINUED on page 2
Lots of on-the-job
experience to aid
city's new cable
TV studio leader
The desire to put her skills and
creativity in journalism and television to work persuaded Charlenc
Duncan to become the new manager
for Amherst City Cable.
An ambitious woman, Duncan,
36, divides her time between her
new part-time cable TV job, working full-time as a news assignment
editor for WJW-TV in Cleveland
and attending graduate school in
communications at Case Western
Reserve University.
Until recently, she also worked
part-time as a reporter for WEOL
radio in Elyria, although she is leav
ing it to join WACC-TV, the unofficial designation given the city's
cable channels.
"You name it and I've probably
done it in this business," said Duncan, of North Olmsted.
Many years ago, she even worked
as a reporter for a Cleveland area
weekly newspaper and previously
was employed by a Cleveland area
cable company and low-power
Cleveland and Akron TV two-
station network.
"But I want to do more. I have a
CONTINUED on page 16
rst City Cable manager Chartene Duncan checks out a studio control pane, at Marion L. Steele High School.
Residents, local club, earn enhancement nod
Six individuals and a local
motorcycle club were presented with the city's 1998
Community Enhancement
Awards during the April 12
city council meeting.
More awards were presented this year than in the
past because of a higher level
of community involvement in
projects during previous years,
according to mayor John
Higgins.
The awards were presented
by the mayor to:
• William Betka for clearing and maintaining Maple
Street by the Conrail Railroad
tracks.
• Dan Brown for chairing
and overseeing the beautifica-
tion projects at the routes 2
and 58 southeast quadrant.
Brown also thanked more
than a dozen volunteers who
helped as well as companies
that contributed time, materials or equipment
• Dennis Bender, who donated stones, dirt and equipment for   the construction of
new park at Tenney Avenue
and Church Street, and the
routes 2 and 58 beautification
project.
• Freedom Nation Motorcycle Club. The motorcyclists
helped in the construction of
small park at Tenney Avenue
and Church Street.
• Ben Criss. The Amherst
businessman built a decorative
stone wall in the Tenney Avenue park.
• David Moore, president
of Crystal Mortgage Company
for renovation of the old Eagle's Club on Milan Avenue.
It is now a restaurant and
banquet facility called the
Veranda.
• Jay Murray for improvements to buildings at the intersection of Tenney Avenue
and Church Street The buildings were the Church Street
Bar & Grill and a house be
hind it
"These people have put a
tremendous amount of time
into these projects and the
most important thing was the
sacrifice of their own time
and, in some cases, money to
make the projects work," Higgins said. "It's really encouraging and it says a lot about
our community and its
people."
Young fundraisers
earn enough cash
to buy firefighters
high techno gear
by OLEN MLLER
Newa-Timaa reporter
Thanks to Brittany Gerena, Garrett Knoll aad a lot of donations.
Amherst firefighters soon will have
a high-tech thermal tff.agi11t camera
to help battle fires aad save lives.
About nine months ago, Gerena,
the daughter of firefighter Rick
Gerena, aad Knoll, the aoa of cap-
lain Greg Knoll, embarked oa the
task to raJse$25,000 te the purch-
aae of an IRIS Thermal Imaging
System. The device wiU enable their
tact heat and victims through walls
needed by the fire department from
FTRAR. lac.
It was a $4,000 gnat from the
Stocker foundation that put them
over the top aad was more than
needed. Only about $3,700 oa the
grant is needed, ao the rest will be
returned, according to the girl's
mother, Julienne Gerena.
The two Nord Junior High School
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