Amherst News-Times, 1997-07-16

              I Area girl wins pageant title — Page 5  Top crooner wins quartet test — Paqe 2
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Amherst News-Time
Wednesday, July 16. 1997
Amherst, Ohio
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Ham in the family?
Kids to compete
for commerical,
scholarship cash
by KATHLEEN KOSHAR
News-Times editor
If you're a little ham, you
could win a college scholarship
worth $20,000, all for the price
of a song.
Youngsters from three to 12
who think they've got some talent arc eligible lo try out in
front of the cameras tomorrow
(Thursday, July 17) morning for
a chance at a nationwide com
mercial for Oscar Mayer hot-
dogs or bologna.
This is the third year in a row
that the company's patented
Wiencrmobilc will be canvassing the countryside in a talent
search for the perfect hot dog
willing to ham it up in front of
the cameras.
The Wiencrmobilc will be at
the Rini Rcgo store on Krcsge
Drive from 9 a.m. to noon.
Matthew Drane of Bozell
Public Relations said the atmo
sphere will be casual. A section
of the store's parking lot will be
roped off and the first 150 kids,
three to 12, who arrive on the
scene will be able to sign up for
the audition.
Parents must accompany all
youngsters to the audition in order to sign a form in case the
child happens to win.
Each youngster will be asked
to sing the "Bologna Song" or
the "Wiener Jingle" that are so
often heard on national televi
ew
i
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sion commercials
Drane said kid;
ever talents they
their chances of
Last year's
winner sang an
style rendition
songs. In the past, he said, kids
have played the accordion, sung
in duels with friends or siblings,
or performed with their twin.
Each performance will be vid-
CONTINUED on page 2
No money means
business trouble
for local chamber
Legal decision plagues efforts
The Amherst Chamber of Commerce is suffering financially and is
essentially on a standby mode, hoping the city will approve an upcoming service contract that will allow
the chamber to continue to provide
support for Amhersl businesses and
citizens.
According to chamber president
Judy Dworkin, the financial problems stem from a legal opinion rendered by city law director Alan
Anderson, who has ruled that it is
illegal under Ohio law for the city to
use public funds to pay for private
enterprise.
"Amherst is not a charter city and
since it has a statutory government
it has different rules to follow,"
Dworkin explained. "The law director has ruled lhat the city may not
spend any money on economic development other than through the
state agency established for that purpose, and that is where (he conflict
arises."
Since chamber members are area
businesses, it is considered a private
enterprise by Anderson.
Mayor John Higgins describes the
current status of the chamber as "inactive," and agrees that if Anderson
had nol ruled it illegal for the city lo
contribute money to the chamber,
ihc city would have continued to
support it financially.
He added that the S4.000 given to
the chamber by the city late last year
has already been used to pay bills.
The $4,000 was approved by the
cily prior to Anderson's legal opinion, and Dworkin said al ihc time
the chamber had also been expecting to receive $19,(XX) from the cily
this year.
"One thing is that we have severe
financial problems right now," said
Dworkin. "In the past we have had
to put so much energy into keeping
il (the chamber) open. Wc would
like to gel beyond lhat and concentrate on benefiting the community."
Bul ihc chamber is not giving up
and is currently drafting a proposal
CONTINUED on page 2
Big buy
PJaaty-aLjpeople turned out to enjoy the sights, sounds and
tastwtJftlre Jamboree over the weekend, including this woman
who considers purchasing a rubberband gun. The purveyor insists
it is the perfect husband
turn to Pages 6-7. (Photos
motivator. For more Jamboree photos,
by Diana Hougland)
Winner Judy Alexander
Mayor John Higgins digs into a big hat filled with "House of
Fame" entries as he draws the name of $1,000 Early Bird contest
winner Judy Alexander. With Higgins are (from left) Dave Moore
and Jennifer and Bob Perritt of the Amherst Childrens' Basball
Foundation.
Woman is first winner in ballfield fundraiser
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Judy Alexander said "Give
me the money" July 5 when given a choice between $1,000 or
a trip to the Bahamas.
Alexander, the media coordinator for the Amherst schools,
was the winner of an Early Bird
drawing created by the Amhersl
Children's Baseball Foundation
to raise funds for Ute construction of additional baseball
diamonds.
Alexander chose the money
because she was unsure if she
could take the vacation before
the Christmas deadline. Besides,
she can always use the money
for something else.
On presenting her a check,
David Moore, one of the founders of the non-profit foundation,
jokingly reminded Alexander
she could always buy more tickets for the House of Fame raffle.
The big prize is a new $228,000
condominium in Birmingham or
$180,000 in cash to be given
away Sept. 7.
If everything goes as planned,
the federation hopes to help the
Amherst Athletic Association
build additional baseball facilities. Initially, money will be
used lo add four diamonds, a
concession stand and other facilities to those that now exist at
Harris Elementary School.
The tickets cost $125; there
are 4,300 tickets available for
salc until the drawing. If all the
tickets are sold, the grand prize
will be the condo or cash. But
more fundraising projects are in
the works in order to pay for
more baseball facilities in the
future.
"We are trying to generate
enough excitement through this
so we can make this a 10-year
project or until we get enough
funds lo develop what we want,"
Moore said.
The   foundation  eventually
wants to buy 50 to 60 acres in
the Amhersl area on which to
build eight to 12 baseball diamonds and a possible indoor facility large enough for winter
baseball.
"It wouldn't be strictly used
for baseball because you could
have sports like gymnastics, tennis or whatever," he explained.
Alexander is still eligible for
the condo as will be the winner
of another drawing lo be held in
mid-August That drawing still
is in the planning stages and
may involve a giveaway, according to foundation president
Bob Perriu.
"We're looking at tying it in
with baseball, like maybe an Indians getaway weekend," he
explained.
The goal is to provide Amherst area children with first
class facilities on which to play
baseball and other sports, Perritt
said.
If not enough House of Fame
tickets are sold, the raffle will
become a 50/50 drawing, wilh
half going to the federation's
baseball projects.
But Moore and Perritt don't
think that's likely to happen because the raffle ticket sales are
better than expected.
Moore sold 10 tickets alone
on July 5 and a steady flow of
contestants have been coming to
Crystal Mortgage and the seven
other sponsoring businesses.
They are the American Sign
Shop, Cohen & Co. and Turton
& Co. Advertising and Marketing in Elyria; Bayside Title Co.,
Spiegleberg Insurance and Estate Planning and Bert R. Wine,
Inc. in Amherst.
The 2,100 square-foot grand
prize is located at The Villas of
Whispering Winds in Birmingham, aboul six miles south of
Vermilion.
Interested area residents wanting to become involved in the
foundation's fundraising efforts
can call it at 985-1015, Perriu at
984-2867 or Moore at 985-2290.
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