Amherst News-Times, 1998-07-15

              New pastor settles at Old Stone — Page 5 I Rini puts money in soccer — Page 11
imherst News-Times
July 15,  1998
i
<     imissioners
Amherst, Ohio
50 cents
(
for Rt. 58
L....pike exit
to be underway
by QLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Area developers, businessmen
and the Lorain County commissioners are hoping the Ohio Turnpike
Commission will decide to end a
five-year delay in building a turnpike interchange on Rt 58 at its July
20 meeting.
In the commission's hands will be
a letter from the county commissioners echoing a motion adopted by
them July 9. It supports construction of the interchange "without
further delay."
In adopting the motion, the commissioners may have pulled die rails
out from under plans by the Lake
Shore Railroad Association to build
a portion of an historic railroad in
the same area.
Commissioners president Michael
Ross said that decision rests with
turnpike officials, although he favors any effort that would allow the
interchange to "move forward immediately" regardless of the railroad's plans.
Ross said he initially wanted the
interchange and railroad to "coexist" but has since changed his mind
because of the delays it has caused.
"We've given this our best shot
and now we have to look at getting
this turnpike exchange moving forward," he added.
At issue is an abandoned railroad
underpass built beneath the turnpike
about 1,000 feet east of Rl 58.
Turnpike officials originally wanted
to use it as part of the interchange
until the railroad group received the
support of governor George
Voinovich.
Shortly afterward, turnpike officials agreed to a more expensive interchange plan if the railroad would
pay for a redesign costing about
$1.8 million.
Commissioner Mary Jo Vasi referred to use of the underpass as
"Plan A" and a more expensive redesigned interchange as "Plan B."
The railroad is having financial
difficulties despite a loan for that
amount from the Ohio Rail Development Authority. It reportedly has
a $480,000 shortfall.
CONTINUED on page 6
Doggone it; he
won't let city, ■--
new ordinance
control his life
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
You might say Ronald Westmoreland was doggedly upset about
possible changes to the city's vicious dog ordinance when he stepped
before city council's ordinance
committee June' 6.
Not only did he criticize the proposed changes, but councilman Steve
P'Simer, the chief proponent of
them, most of city council, city officials, and the entire police department as well.
He called most council members
"stupid" and inferred that most
council members had failed to read
the current ordinance. It's entirely
satisfactory and doesn't need to be
changed, according to
Westmoreland.
During the meeting, Westmoreland said council should be devoting
money and time to more important
city needs, including what he said is
inadequate ambulance service and
insufficient fire hydrants.
That led to a heated discussion
between him and councilman David
Kukucka over the response time of
city ambulances. It finally ended
when chairman Ed Cowger banged
his gavel to bring the discussion
back to order.
The mayor told council he had
previously spoken with Westmoreland about die ongoing effort to update the vicious dog law.
Mayor John Higgins said Westmoreland allegedly called the police
department "a bunch of donut eating
cops" and had called council members "stupid."
Westmoreland admitted making
the comments, which drew an angry
response from Higgins, P'Simer,
and several council members.
The reason we have these meetings is so everybody can have respectable input, not to come up here
CONTINUED on page 2
City must sell its part
of Hill's store stocks
Until two weeks, ago, the city
was unaware it was a small player
ia die stock market because it held
interest in Hill's Department Stores.
Employees in the city auditor's
office discovered stock worth more
than $776 that they must get rid of
ia order to comply wilh state law.
The 99 shares of stock ware given to the city several years ago by
Hill's.
Because state law. prohibits the
eity from owning stock, auditor
Diane Eswine told city council's finance committee July 6 it must be
sold. Initially, employees found 44
shares of preferred stock and SS
shares of common stock tocked in a
safe -tout two weeks ago.
> Since then. Eswine has contacted
the Hill's corporate controller aad
learned the city owns at least a half
dozen additional shares, bringing
the city's unknown investment to
more than 100 shares.
The stock apparently was given
to the city in 1993 by Hill's in lieu
of paying fees for some kind of water and sewer improvements made
by the store. According to a letter
found with the stock, the department store was in bankruptcy during that tee.
Former city auditor Jim Gammons apparendy accepted the stock
certificates aot raaliziag it was illegal for the city to hold slock, ac-
r nritiag to —yor Joha Htggins.
With the approval of city coun-
cU. Eswine said the more than $776
will be paid into the water and
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They tied
the knot
at annual
Jamboree
by QLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
You might say Jerry and
Michelle Windgard took the
place of a band July 10 when
they were married by mayor
John Higgins.
They enchanged vows atop
the bandstand in front of city
hall minutes after the official
start of Amherst's Olde Time
Jamboree at 6 p.m.
The mayor said he has
married couples on the bandstand before, but not during
the Jamboree. In that respect,
it was a unique and different
way to start the annual
festivities.
The Windgaids had decided
on July 10 as their wedding
date several weeks ago and
knew they wanted a simple
wedding officiated by the
mayor.
It was she, the former Michelle Migra, who called city
hall when Jamboree director
Eric Long just happened to
be present. He suggested the
Jamboree wedding. They
thought it over and agreed.
The rest is history.
"We just figured it would
be something different," Jerry
Windgard said. "We might
not get a chance to do something like this again, so figured we'd take it."
Their road to matrimony
began ia the spring of 1995
at an Avon Lake car show. It
was instant attraction for her,
but not him.
Both drive Ford Mustangs,
so she thought a good way
of getting to know her husband would be to drop a
subtle hint for him to put
stripes on her's.
"Either he was oblivious to
everything or he couldn't take
hints very well," she
explained.
But she did leam where he
lived in Lorain — at least
the general area. So for the
next two years, she drove around the Lorain Catholic
High School neighborhood
hoping to see him. Occasionally, she peaked in a few
garages here and there but
failed to spot him or his
Mustang.
Then fate smiled on her.
She was driving along Cooper
Foster Park Road one day
and she saw him drive by
and her heart began to go
thumpety thump.
"I was like thinking, 'Oh
my God, Oh my God. There
HE is."
She turned around and followed him. She kept honking
and waving at him until he
stopped.
Alas, it was little more
than a brief meeting with and
sighting of her dream man.
She kept thinking and talking
about him even though
friends didn't see him and
began wondering if he was a
product of her imagination.
Her answer was to keep a
throwaway camera in her car
just in case of a chance encounter. Luckily, she happened to see and talk to him
at an area drag stare a few
days later.
Bat one thing tod to
another. Then, aftor two yean
of looking and hoping —
bingo, they went out for the
first time after amber encounter at aa area restaurant.
She waaiM to take aim for
a ride in her hot Iftling.
de oae she occMtanaBy likes
to run at a Norwadt drag
•rip.
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