Amherst News-Times, 2002-01-30

              Library hosts art display — Page 5   News-Times welcomes new reporter — F
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Couple fight city hall on fix-it ordinanc
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by AMY PERSMQER
News-Times reporter
One local family found it is hat-
to fight city hall, but they aren't finished yet. They are trying to change
a city ordinance to protect other
Amherst residents from the expensive ordeal they went through.
George Walts of Blossom Drive
had been having more trouble than
They say law unfair to residents
usual with the plumbing at his rental
property on Autumn Drive. At a
meeting two weeks ago, he told
Amherst city council that he had to
call the plumber to the house five
times in the previous 18 months.
It was discovered that his sewer
line, a clay pipe dating back to when
the house was built, had collapsed
underneath the street. Walts assumed it was the responsibility of
the city to dig up the street and repair the broken line.
Members of the city's utilities department investigated the breakage
and agreed* that it was under the
street but located before the main
sewer line. The Waltses' house sits
on the east side of Autumn Drive
while the main runs down the west
side.
The Waltses were shocked to
learn that Amherst city ordinance
states that the homeowner is respon
sible for maintaining the sewer line
up to the main.
"I thought that's what we were
paying taxes for," Loretta Walts
said.
The Waltses made many phone
calls, getting estimates for a project
that they couldn't believe they had
to take on. He saio m<ui< contractors
were surprised the city wasn't tak-; •:
ing care of the problem.
"I called several other communities, such as Avon Lake, Avon, and
Lorain to determine if this was their
standard practice,'' the Waltses' son.
Cliff, stated in a letter to Fourth
Ward Councilwoman Jennifer
Wasilk.
"I was told that the city maintains
the road and everything under it::-:
CONTINUED on page 5
Prison to patrol:
His dream job's
serving force
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
Amherst's newest patrolman, Eric Layfield, wanted to
be a police officer since he
was 16 years old, and after
spending seven years working
for the state prison system,
his dream finally came true.
The son of a Vietnam veteran, Layfield grew up in
Youngstown. He lifted
weights and played baseball
in high school. And though
the idea passed through his
mind, he knew that going
into the military was never an
option in his family. His
father wanted his son to go
to college, and Layfield says
he's glad he went
While still in Youngstown,
Layfield he got to know
some police officers around
his neighborhood. He said he
especially admired the State
Highway Patrolmen with
which he came in contact
'They were always nice
and professional,'' Layfield
said. "They're all tall and
skinny, though,'' he said,
laughing.   "It's genetics. They
run a lot."
Layfield's football-player
build didn't seem to him to
fit the model. He also felt
that the State Highway Patrol
was a narrow field for his
interests.
"I wanted the whole picture," he said.
After graduating from Kent
Eric Layfield
State University, Layfield had
a hard time getting hired by
a police department, so he accepted a job as a corrections
officer with the Ohio Department of Corrections. He spent
seven years working in the
prisons before returning to his
original plan to become a
cop. He said, "I thought,
"This is not what I wanted to
do.'"
He began his training for
the Amherst Police Department in August at the Cleveland Heights Police Academy.
The training lasted 17 weeks
and he started as a Field
Training Officer under the direction of Sgt. Mark Cawthon
in early December.
While he's in the FTO
CONTINUED on page 8
Just hangin' around
Jared Persinger, 4, takes advantage of the nice weather last
weekend at Amherst Township Park on Middle Ridge Road. The
new playground there provided the perfect place to stretch hie
skills.
Three take step
to become first
police auxiliary
Drama troupe stages festival
The Marion L. Steele High
School Theatre Company will stage
a Winter Festival of Plays which
premieres Thursday, Jan. 31, and
runs through Feb. 2.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the
Powers Elementary School
gymnasium.
Under the guidance of assistant
drama sponsor Dave Anderson, se
nior thespians direct MLS students
in several one-act plays to be performed on stage with a comedy
troupe providing entertainment between each play. One play is an original piece written by senior Elaine
Muniga.
The Comedy Troupe will add humor and fun during scene changes.
It is directed by Jeff Lombardi and
Rueben Escandon. The cast includes
John Bednar, Chad Hill, Josh Am-
brosio, Katie Fowler, Jordan Murray, Grant Larson, Adrienne Bednar,
Tim Gilkerson, Kristen Bilewicz,
Adam Schneider, Josh Miranda,
Lindsey Gibb, Katie Primm, Nikki
Macy, Theresa P'Simer.
"The Still Alarm," by George S.
Kaufman, is a satirical comedy in
farce style. The play is set against
the danger of a hotel bedroom fire,:
whith the characters persisting in the '■
English, well-bred manners as if it's'
tea time. The play is directed by.
Dann Starrett and the cast includes:
Jake Wachholz, Adam Schneider,:
Ana Krupelak, Collin Lesko and;
CONTINUED on page 6      ■>
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
Three local men begin
training this week with the
Lorain County Sheriffs Auxiliary to become the first
members of Amherst's
auxiliary police department
when it's implemented.
Council was scheduled to
hear the recommendation for
the formation of the force at
Monday night's meeting and
they an expected to approve
the plan.
The clan is only offered
once a year so Rich Wolf,
Ron Yacobozzi and Ken
Bring began their mining
even though council hasn't
yet approved formation of the
new auxiliary.
Wolf, a Navy veteran.
own's Rich's Autobody Shop
on North Main Street Yacobozzi is a member of Am
herst's school board and is a
self-employed landscaper, and
Bring is employed by Lakeland Enterprises.
The school is provided by
the county at no charge to
the men or the city, but the
proposed plan provides new
officers with $1,250 toward
uniforms and equipment such
as vests, when they start with
Amherst. Most volunteer forces to not provide any startup money for its members.
Rich Wolf said the three-
and-a-half-month training is a
commitment but be knows
the men will enjoy it too.
The three men have been involved with police chief Lonnie Dillon's push to bring an
auxiliary police force to Amherst from the beginning.
Dillon said his plan is to
start with three officers, adding one or two a year. He
said he thinks 10 would be
CONTINUED on page •
/
Engineers at work
Engineers at Nordson Corp. last Wednesday demonstrate a prototype precision dispensing machine they developed for • cus
tomer to Obetln High School students
day organized by Nordson through the
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