Amherst News-Times, 2002-02-13

              I Reserve bowlers take over top spot — Page 7 I Comets win two SWC titles
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VIDNISDAY. FEBRUARY  13, 2002
AMHI-RST, OHIO
Parents relieved to see son
by AMY PERSINGER
Naws-Times reporter
After leaving for the Middle East
just 10 days after the attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon, an Amherst native is glad to be
i back home and reunited with his
family.
Marion L. Steele High School
graduate, Airman 1st Class Jake
Kucbel, 22, can't say much about
• where his unit, the a\ir Force's 99th
Reconnaissance Squadron based at
Beale Air Force Base in California,
has been these past weeks. But he
did tell his father he'd seen enough
sand.
Kucbel arrived in Cleveland a
week ago Monday to a crowd of
family members anxious for his return. His mother, Carolyn Kucbel,
had the family's yard decorated with
dozens of flags and statues of Uncle
Sam. It is clear that this family is
not only glad to have their son home
safely, for a few weeks, but they are
also proud of who he is and what he
does.
Kucbel isn't the first military man
in his family. Kucbel's father, Jim
Kucbel, rattled off the wars and military branches represented by their
family while standing in their home
on Cobblestone Drive, a home that
Carolyn has filled with patriotic paraphernalia. Kucbel's grandfather
was in the Army, he has an uncle
that served in Marine Corps in Desert Storm, another in the .Army during Vietnam, and a third that served
in the Navy on board the USS
Eisenhower.
Kucbel has been in the U.S. Air
Force for two and a half years. He
took his basic training at Lackland
Air Force Base, and his advanced
training at Shcppard Air Force Base,
both in Texas. He is an electrical
flight systems specialist for the U-2
spy plane with the 99th.
"Specialists are on hand to fix
any problem at every launch and every recovery," Kucbel said. As opposed to working in a shop on instruments that mechanics have already removed from the aircraft, the
specialists in Kucbel's unit go out to
the ramp and fix any problems the
aircraft is having to gel it ready for a
mission.
CONTINUED on page 2
Jake Kucbel
i ■
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Funny Valentines? You bet, for 54 years
Love at first sight
lasts a lifetime...
by DIANA HOUGLAND
N-T sports reporter
Joe and Corkey Godfrey are
a little like yin and yang, and a
little like oil and water. But for
more than half a century, they
have been each other's
Valentine.
Many years ago, a young,
handsome Naval aviator swept
the beautiful hospital corpsman
off her feet, and ever since, the
Amherst couple have been like
two peas in a pod.
Now, after 54 years of wedded Miss, the husband and wife
are still as love-struck with each
other as they were back in
1947.
Both were stationed in Pensi-
cola, Fla. Joe was 24, and
Corkey was only 22. For him, it
was love at first sight, but for
her, well, she wasn't too sure.
"I was in the rec room of the
cadet barracks," Joe bragged. "I
saw Corkey and her friend
walking across the street and I
made a smart remark. I told my
friend 'I'm gonna marry that
blonde.'"
,    But it was another six weeks
[before Joe got to actually meet
[his future bride. His friend, Bar-
nie Bliefus, knew Corkey's
friend, Verna Dailey, and set up
a double date for the foursome.
Was it love at first sight?
"Yep,'* Joe answered.
"I guess it must have been,"
Corkey admitted. "I didn't
know at first because I had decided I was gonna be an old
maid. But he swept mc off my
feet"
The couple went out for the
first tone on Aug. IS, 1947,
which just happened to be Joe's
birthday. They were engaged, on
Sept. 6,1947, and married on
Nov. 27, of the same year.
Back then, once a woman in
the service was married, her enlistment was terminated. So, after the November wedding,
Corkey was discharged on Dec.
2, followed her young husband
to Jacksonville, and the rest is
history.
"I've been with him ever
since," she said fondly. "All
over the United States and
Japan."
The couple started a family,
two boys, and eventually, they
came back to Corkey's hometown, Amherst. Joe retired from
the NaYy in 1963, went to Kent
State to get his degree in education, and began teaching in the
Midview school district, as well
as coaching football at the junior high.
After giving up teaching, Joe
went lo work at Ford where he
retired in 1974.
Corkey raised their children
while working at Amherst Hospital as a practical nurse before
working at Bendix in Elyria.
Then she began to drive a
school bus from 1965 to 1970.
She was also a cheerleading
advisor at Marion L. Steele, and
is currently the new bowling
coach at the high school.
When asked if there was a
secret to a long, successful marriage, Joe quickly spoke up.
"I know the secret," he said.
"Never sleep alone."
And even after 54 years of
marriage, Joe still surprises his
wife every once in a while. He
recently sent her 54 red roses
on their anniversary, and just
two years ago he started sending her flowers on the first day
of each month.
"I don't know why I did it,"
he shrugged. "I just did."
"I know why," Corkey offered. "Because you love me."
"I thought she was rich and
After 54 years of marriage,
Corkey and Joe Godfrey can
start and finish each other's
sentences. They also enjoy
each other's company as
much as they did back in
1947. Above, the two pose
for wedding pictures along
with their attendents, Verna
Dailey and Barnie Bliefus.
Bliefus knew Dailey, so he
set the Godfreys up, proving
he was the best man for the
job. Left, Joe and Corkey enjoy a laugh in their living
room in Amherst. Both retired, Corkey spends her time
bowling and coaching while
Joe goes along to cheer for
his wife and her teams.
had a lot of money," he said
jokingly. "But I was wrong.
She's a great wife, though.'
Man wants promises fulfilled
by AMY PERSINQER
News-Times reporter
The one man with the answers to the questions coun-
cilmembers are asking isn't
around to answer them.
Joe Gambish said that Greg
Balbierz told him that he'd
be die first businessman in
Amhem to use the downtown
coordinator to receive grant
money for part of the renovation of the former Dunfee's
on Church Street Now,
Gambish is asking the city to
nuke good on Balbieiz's
failed promises.
Gambish had been looking
for • tavern to purchase
downtown for some time
when he bought the property
on Church Street. He wanted
to give it a new look, one
that fit the atmosphere he
was trying to convey. He
hoped a new image would attract more people to the new
Joe's Brewhouse.
Gambish could have left
the bar as it was and would
have been able to open for
business right away. But because the bar had withstood
many renovations over the
years and the front was
closed up, he wanted to take
the opportunity to work on it
before he opened. He wanted
to open up the front, add
windows, make it Jtewer.
He said he went to mayor
John Higgins to discuss a
grant program he'd heard about and the mayor referred
him to Balbierz. That's about
the time the facts get hazy.
Balbierz was relieved of his
responsibilities for the city
early last summer, snd inspection of his vacated office
made it clear that he was not
organized, nor did he keep
adequate records, according to
city officials.
The Design Review Board
was also becoming involved
with Gambish's renovation at
this time. Judy Rucknagel of
Ihe review board said that
Gambish told them that he
didn't want any grant money.
Gambish says that is partly
true. He said he told them he
didn't want the grant money
for the facade renovation,
which he was trying to get
the review board to approve.
a-Vgain, the facts are nearly
unverifiabfc since the review
board, a government entity,
claims they weren't taking
minutes of their meetings at
that time. The did have some
very scant notes of one of
their meetings with Gambish.
Gambish said he was frustrated at first with the runar-
ound he felt like he was getting from the review board.
He bad been granted building
permits and he felt his design
CONTINUED on
Democratic Party
to fill council seat
After serving the city of .Amherst
for 10 years, holding the seat for the
4th Ward and an at-large seat, David
Kukucka resigned his position on
city council.
At a regular council meeting Kukucka told councilmembers that
he'd recently been hired for a job
that required him to travel to North
Carolina during the week, therefore
he wouldn't he able to perform his
duties on council.
Council voted to accept his resignation and appoint Nancy Brown
President Pro-Tern in his place. That
was the last meeting mat Kukucka
attflndfd.
Many members of council expressed their sadness at seeing Kukucka go. Mayor John Htfgias
thanked Kukucka for Ms wot m
behalf of the city and praised Ku-
kucka's open-mindedness.
Now that council is short a member the Democratic Party precinct
president, former mayor John Jaworski, has 45 days from when he
leans of the opening to appoint a
replacement
Council clerk Olga SivinaU said
she sent a letter to the Bond of
Elections advising them of the opening on Amherst's council. Council
president John Dietrich said people
interested in dm council portion
sent letters of interest to Jsworrfri
and his committee will ant through
them, interview dm candidates snd
The replaoouMat wil serve <ai
the raurinder of Kukucfca's