Amherst News-Times, 2001-10-10

              Teachers honored by ATA — Page 5 I Scouts enjoy camping weekends — Page 12
Amherst News-Times
Wednesday, October 10, 2001
Amherst, Ohio
Powers Elementary School students rush to get to seats in the
football stadium to watch the Steele High School marching band
New ordinance
to target homes
left to crumble
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
A dilapidated house at 27S Tenney Avenue in downtown was torn
|; down by the city in an effort to both
beautify the neighborhood and pro-
' vide additional downtown parking.
According to mayor John Higgins, the city purchased the land
from fanner owner Milad Abraham
who had been using it as a rental
property. Higgins said that the
house had been in a state of disrepair for many years.
Higgins said that before the house
could be torn down, the city had to
spend $57,000 in remedial work to
the house in order to satisfy the requirements of the Environmental
Protection Agency. The work included the removal of asbestos shingles and plaster.
Higgins said that the city has a
number of plans for the property.
"We are working on plans for a
parking lot right now which will
hold approximatedly 100 cars," Hig-
gins said. "We hope some day in the
future to have retail space in there."
The parking lot will provide free
community parking for the downtown area.
The Tenney Avenue property was
one of many in Amherst that have
fallen out of repair, said Higgins.
According to Higgins as well as
many members of city council,
many complaints are called in by residents concerned that blighted
homes will diminish their own property values.
"We have the same 10 or 12 people that, every year, ruin their neighborhoods," Higgins said. "These
people should be prosecuted if they
don't take care of their properties.
These people just do not care."
Amherst city administrators, city
council and the Amherst Police Department are currently working on
an ordinance that will allow the city
to prosecute property owners for
failing to maintain their properties.
The ordinance, a more strict property maintenance code based on one
adopted in Avon Lake, will give
Amherst's building inspector more
authority to cite homeowners for
failing to keep up their properties.
According to Lt Dennis Seger of
the Amherst Police Department, the
ordinance came about as a result of
frustration that little could be done
to homeowners who wouldn't main-
'Last of Red Hot Lovers'
auditions are Oct. 21, 23
Workshop Players has announced auditions for Neil Simon's
comedy "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," which will be staged by
the troupe.
Auditions will be held Sunday, Oct, 21, from 2-5 p.m., and
Tuesday, Oct 23 from 7-9:30 p.m. at the theater. Production
dates are Jaa 10-27,2002.
All rotes are available. The director needs one man in his mid-
forties to mid-fifties, and three women ranging in age from late-
twenties to mid-fifties.
Those who audition will be asked to read excerpts from the
script The show is a late sixties mid-life crisis comedy about one
man's attempted seduction of three very different women. A
small amount of strong language is used.
Contact director Don Wozniak at 440-244-3960 for further information. Actors should note that some rehearsal time will be
scheduled through the holiday season.
Cops get extra cash
to target local speeders
The Amherst Police Department will conduct a speed enforce-
ment program during the week of Oct. 14. The target areas will
be State Route 58 and Stale Route 2 within the Amherst city
limits.
This enforcement program is made available by a grant obtained bom the Governor's Office on Highway Safety. The grant
pays for overtime pay to the officers making it possible for them
to enforce Che traffic laws in an effort to change motorists' driv-
ing habits and reduce traffic crashes and deaths on Ohio
highways.
Get ready for the show
last Thursday. The band played a special show for the kindergarteners, first and second graders.
A blighted home on 275 Tenney Avenue is torn     downtown
down. The city of Amherst bought and destroyed     parking,
the delapkJated home in order to beautify the
area and provide for additional
tain their properties.
"It actually started by getting involved with the community policing
project," Seger said. He added that
both the police department and the
building inspector's office have received numerous complaints from
Sausage
king bids
farewell
to wagon
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
For 28 years, Amherst resident
Mario Lombardi has been taking his
special Italian sausage recipe to area
festivals. He has now sold the sausage wagon business he started to
fund his children's college educations, making this year's Woolly-
bear Festival in Vermilion hit last
According to Lombardi, the idea
first came as a result of eating some
festival food at the Festival of the
Fish in Vermilion. Lombardi raid
that he and his wife Carolyn had
stopped for sausage sandwiches at a
wagon vendor.
"It was the worst thing I ever
tasted," Lombardi said. He added
that a year later, they had their own
wagon. Since then, the wagon bas
been a mainstay at such festivals as
the Milan Melon Festival, the Vermilion Festival of the Fish, the
WooUybear Festival and the Amhem Old Town Jamboree. They are
neighbors  of certain  run-down
properties.
Seger said that if the ordinance is
passed, police will work to report
homes in violation, but that most citations would result from neighbor
complaints.
"We're not going to be the building department police," Seger said.
The ordinance is currently being
drawn up by the city's law department and will go back to city coucil
for review in their next committee
meeting.
Mario Lombardi sold his last saridwtch at tne Woohybear Festival
in Vermilion. Lombardi sold the business to a Lorain couple.
the longest running food vendors at
all of the festivals they attend.
In addition to Italian sausage,
they have sold hot dogs, corn dogs,
soda, lemonade and teed tea. They
also developed their own recipe of
hot sauce and have created their
own iced lea flavors.
Over the yean, Lombardi has
seen to it that all four of Us children, Mark, Tony, Lisa (now Kkk-
patrick) and Ride have worked with
him at the wagon.
"Oneofiheieasoiiswhyldtf this
is when I went to school, the kids
that worked far their degrees look it
more seriously," Lombardi said. "I
wanted my kids to work far their
Now that all of his children have
rftw**r)f] roWflpn or universities,
Lombardi said that the experience
they received at Ihe wagon has been
very valuable to them. He said that
CONTINUED on page 2
Amherst
works for
two new
landmarks
By the time the Ohio Bicentennial
rolls around in 2003, the city of
Amherst hopes to have two new
landmarks.
The city is currently raising funds
to refurbish an antique street clock
and if they can do that, Amherst will
also receive a bicentennial bell.
To commemorate the state's
bicentennial, Governor Bob Taft
commissioned 88 bells lo be made
for Ohio's 88 county seats. And although Amherst is not a county seat,
an extra bell will be made and given
to the city if they can complete the
downtown clock project
The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, will donate the bell as a tribute
to Dr. William Harlan and his wife
Elaine who found the antique downtown clock. The clock was previously mounted on Broadway Avenue in Lorain.
Higgins said the cost to have the
clock refurbished and retrofitted is
$17,539. He said that the fundrais-
ing has just begun and will be done
via letter and personal request Higgins said that those who make dona-
tions will be recognized on a plaque
near the clock.
"We would like lo have it done
sooner so we can have the bell in
place far the bicentennial," Higgins
Cartridges
mean cash
in school
fundraiser
Empty ink cartridges mean money at Powers Etemenosry School
Angelique Mohnickey, a member of
the Powers Parent Teacher Organi-
zation has spearheaded a project recycling used computer printer ink
cartridges.
The project started ia May. involves parents sending empty
primer cartridges with their children
to school. According to Mohnickey.
llyi    4*m—afm%f^a—aaaw—a)    SBSMl    g^MMfe   a1¥—\m\-*-f*a\-\Wa\    m——af
her and bought Ivy a company catted
Recycle Rewards Incorporated.
"It's growing/
of the project I've had
tfrrfffttt get Involved
According to Mrmasrkey. most of
the exposure to the protect has coats)
through word of month, pawn,
hearing about it front their cUttaC
Now, she aid. the PTO has pat a%
on the
i ia the hope of
White the project ia
CONTINUBon
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