Amherst News-Times, 2002-09-11

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by JASON HAWK
News-Times reporter
The Jackson Street Bridge issue
came to a head last Tuesday night
when 28 troubled residents made a
show of force at a special meeting to
address the project's flagging
progress.
Residents filled council chambers
and spilled out into the corridor at
City Hall, sitting in an assortment of
chairs pulled from city offices.
Alvin Miller, 638 Jackson St.
pointed a finger at project planners.
"Anyone who had anything to do
with the construction of the Jackson
Street Bridge as it is right now is to
blame for its condition," he said.
"This includes the contractors, subcontractors, engineer, administration, and city council."
He also claimed that the problem
was not limited to Jackson Street
"Every citizen of Amherst has paid
taxes for the construction of this
bridgc.if this is any indication of
the use of tax dollars, I hope we all
remember this bridge when casting
votes for city government" he said.
City engineer Milt Pommeranz
claimed that the major delays in
construction are the direct results of
the railroad over which the bridge is
built Because the city has an easement over the railway, permission to
build must be obtained and building
specifications must be approved by
the railroad company.
Railroad representatives and federal law, said Pommeranz, demanded that the bridge be raised
two feet to give proper clearance for
passing trains.
"Yes, it's taking a long time," he
said "But dealing with the railroad
is not an easy thing...a lot of times
they're hard to get a hold of. We
have records and certified letters
from five or six occasions where we
got our receipts back, but the railroad didn't reply to our requests to
cooperate," he said.
Citizens also voiced safety concerns, stating that they don't believe
the retaining wall will be sufficient
to stop accidents from damaging
neighboring property or endanger-
CONTINUED on page 10
I
Cops cruise the night with power, goals
by JASON HAWK
1
i
News-Times reporter
2:52 p.m.: I was astounded at my own cleverness when I
waltzed into the Amherst Police Department with a Dunkin
Donuts box in my hand. I'm not one to push a stereotype; I
just wanted to bring the boys in blue a thank you for letting
me ride along in a police cruiser for the evening. Honest
Sargent Brian Brancatelli just shook his head when he saw
me standing there, grinning like a fool and proffering an assortment of jelly-filled and glazed pastries.
3:10 p.m.: I found out just how much firepower a police
officer packs when Brancatelli ran through his shift checklist
While he started up his police cruiser and checked his equipment he showed me the virtual arsenal he keeps in car 108.
Brancatelli checked the ammunition in his standard issue
12-gauge shotgun that he keeps in the car. "You don't want
to go out on duty without knowing that everything's loaded
up the way it's supposed to be," he said. "In this case, it
could mean the difference between life and death if I didn't
have the shotgun loaded and ready to go.
I had to look twice at the semiautomatic weapon that he
checked next "Since Columbine and 9-11, more officers are
choosing to aim themselves with long range weapons," he
said, showing me the finer points of his high-point 9mm car-
. bine rifle. "If officers at Columbine had been able to get
f: closer, they might have been able to disable suspects before
all those kids got killed," he said.
.  I wouldn't want to mess with Sgt Brancatelli when he just
had his 9mm pistol bolstered on his hip. Knowing what was
* in his cruiser made me swear off any future illegal activity.
3:25 p.m.: I decided that there was another good reason to
avoid getting on the law's bad side as Brancatelli gave me a
thorough tour of the police station and its jail facilities.
Some might make cracks about Club Fed, but I sure aim
to stay out of those cells. For one thing, I doubt that the
room service in the detoxification cell is very good.
3:45 p.m.: I mulled over calling my wife to tell her I was
in a police car, but thought better of it Brancatelli and I hit
;.  the road as he started his patrol shift
While waiting for service calls to come in from the dispatcher, Brancatelli kept his eyes open for traffic violations.
We took a meandering, unplotted route through town.
"We're keeping visible," Brancatelli told me. "That's a big
part of my job. The more visible we are, the less likely
people are to commit a crime."
I took the opportunity to ask him about some urban
legends.
"No, there's no such thing as police quotas," he laughed at
me, although he added that there are some things that bother
Sgt. Brian Brancatelli and Fire Chief Ralph Zilch talk over the situation on Park St., where emergency personnel responded to a
him more than others. "My pet peeve is excessive noise," he
said. "The entire department also has a zero-tolerance policy
about seat belt use. If we pull you over and you're not
wearing your seat belt you will be cited."
4:30 p.m.: Our first stop of the afternoon was in the Giant
Eagle parking lot on Cooper Foster Park Road, where Brancatelli confronted a female juvenile who reportedly was involved in an incident of road rage on Route 2. She was
advised about her behavior.
4:39 p.m.: Minutes later, we pulled around the back of the
old Ames building on Cooper Foster Park Road, where two
call of smoke in the basement. Firefighters cleared the area and,
after an investigation, declared the residence safe.
juveniles in a red Cougar were parked. Brancatelli told the
two obviously embarrassed juveniles that they were trespassing and warned them to leave the property. They insisted
that they "were just talking."
5:15 p.m.: We answered a call to a Park Street residence
that reported smoke in the basement
Firefighters cleared the area without problem, though Brancatelli warned the house's inhabitants to clean up the inside
of the residence to avoid future problems with other government agencies. The head of household thanked city personnel
CONTINUED on page 12
fl
56th District
candidates spar
during cable TV
debates here
\
i
■
Candidates for the 56th District
State House of Representatives
squared off last Wednesday night in
the first of five debates that are part
of the WACC Cable Television series, "Your Choice, Your Voice:
The Amherst Election Debates."
Republican candidate Dan Williamson challenged Democratic incumbent Joseph Koziuraat the moderated debate's taping at Marion L.
Steele High School, where repor-
ten. iiicluding Jason Hawk of the
aVa-aberst News-Tunes, Angela Inge
ion the C*ronkle-Teaegram, and
Ism Sullivan from the Lorain Morning Journal, served as panel
members.
The reporters posed questions to
the two candidates, ranging in sub-
fact from fiscal policy aad school
i-nding to tax abatement proposals.
Williamson, an Amherst Town-
who works for the
Motor Company and is a mem-
of the united AinoWorkors.de-
Ui oDenfcK ttsatfaents fiat
stating that he believes Ohio is facing a crisis.
"First and foremost is the state
budget crunch that we have been experiencing,*' he said. "We are also
facing a steady loss of jobs in our
communities...we've got problems
with abandoned industrial sites and
pollution. We have problems preparing our work force for the.21st
century. These are all problems that
I wish to address."
Williamson claimed that he
would be able to address the problems of the constituency because he
has extensive experience in customer service.
Koziun, a Lorain resident with
extensive experience in gcvernment
began his opening statement by i
ing that the state is at a
The next few years win deter
or iw Ohio
oacea^awafirrt-ratr>ds*Jata%crsoes
back to being a second or third me
CONT***UfDonpage12
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