Amherst News-Times, 2002-10-09

              Girls tennis team undefeated — Page 8   Lady runners take SWC crown — Pr~~
Amherst News-Time
<~>   ►"• O   O
O   t/5 X   X
r-   00 M   M
C   tn o  o
3 X
C"   < X   M
<r m m
w r  w -j
■ H H
3>   O *»s
30   SE>
*»    H^
<   O -^
m j> ®
1
WEDNESDAY, October 9, 2002
AMHERST, OHIO
Ames out; new
food business
could move in
with jobs, taxes
by JASON HAWK
News-Times reporter
The closed Ames building on
Cooper Foster Park Road may be
vacant and lifeless now, but just
give Clovervale Foods president
Rick Cawrse a chance to turn it
around.
Cawrse has been in negotiations
for the past two months to purchase
the property for around one million
dollars, he said.
According to Cawrse, Clovervale
Foods will relocate its 100-130 employee corporate offices and north-
em operations to the old Ames
building from its current Lorain
facilities.
The business chose to pursue the
property acquisition because of its
availability and because it will allow
the company to expand.
This is a building that fits us appropriately for now," Cawrse said.
"We're a growing company, and
we're on too tight a piece of real
estate right now. The more I looked
at the building, the more I realized
its potential.'*
According to mayor John Higgins, the city is excited to bring the
new business into the area. The city
zoning board of appeals backed his
sentiments on Tuesday, Sept 24,
when members voted 4-0 to allow
food processing and distribution in
the C-2 district where the property
sits.
"It's a gift from the gods." said
Higgins. "Mr. Cawrse is a real business man and gentleman, and we're
glad to have someone of his caliber
in Amherst.
"We've had meetings with Mr.
Cawrse and discussions on what his
needs were, and I think we managed
to satisfy all of them,*' he said.
According lo the mayor, the city
granted Clovervale Foods the required variance to operate an industrial business in the proposed zone,
and also offered assistance from the
building department and electrical
price estimates, which will be
greatly reduced compared to Lorain
rates.
According to Higgins and city
treasurer Kathy Litkovitz, the relocation of Clovervale to Amherst will
also net the city an estimated
$50,000 per year in tax revenues.
Cawrse also said the city will
benefit from his company's growth,
which will mean more job openings
available to Amherst residents.
"With the expansion, I'd look to
grow the business and have more
employees," he said, although he
emphasized that at this time, he
doesn't know how many.
Any additional workers that
Clovervale eventually hires will
have a hand in producing the pre-
plated meals that the company ships
to schools, hospitals, and prisons nationwide, including buyers in the
Cleveland and Toledo markets.
Clovervale also produces and.
ships  sandwiches,  cookies,  ice
cream, and other frozen treats.
The business was originally
called East Side Dairy before becoming Clovervale* Creamery. According to Cawrse, his family got
out of the dairy business around
1970 and established the company's
present incarnation, Clovervale
Foods.
Moving from the location in Lorain where his family has run the
business for 56 years will be difficult, said Cawrse, who is an equal
CONTINUED on page 5
Courtly Comets
Football team members pile on their float, while Homecoming king
and queen (below, left) Todd Cocco and Jennifer Guerrieri are
crowned.
Treasurer announces candidacy
by JASON HAWK
News-Times reporter
Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen
of AmhersL The mayoral campaign
season officially began last week
with the announcement that city
treasurer Kathy Litkovitz will seek
election.
Although primaries aren't until
May, candidates are already constructing their platforms and building their support structures.
"I have been thinking about running for mayor for quite some time,
and with the overwhelming number
of individuals, businesses, and encouragement, I know that it is now
the right time for the city and the
right time for me," Litkovitz said in
a press release this week.
"I believe the city is si a cross
roads right now, and needs someone
who is responsible and accessible to
resolve the many ongoing and future
issues that Amherst faces," she
wrote.
Litkovitz, who served as a city
councilmember bom 1980-1985 and
has been city treasurer for the past
13 years, said she decided to run for
office after hearing rumors that she
had already declared her candidacy.
"I've always had the idea in the
back of my mind," she said, adding
that she was approached about running during the past three mayoral
elections. »
"I have had really strong feelings,
but always let hesitation stop me before," she said. "When running, you
have to think about whether you can
do it, and whether you want to do it
If you can answer 'yes' to both,
that's a good start."
Although her political platform
has not yet been fully developed,
Litkovitz indicated that economic
issues would be in the forefront of
her campaign.
"'I've always looked for ways to
do things more efficiently and economically," she said. "We knew
yean ago that Nordson was downsizing. We saw it coming. The economy is not going to turn around
this year. It's going to get a lot
worse before it gets better. We
should be beating the drum to get
businesses in here," she said.
In the primaries, Litkovitz will be
running against Democratic incumbent John Higgins, who is in his
seventh year as mayor.
"My policy has always been to
campaign for the office and not
against an opponent," Litkovitz
~****w -»             ^B
*** mST **!
• % v i
•****££
1
Kathy Litkovitz
-John Higgins
High school, Amherst host
four in student exchange
Three students from Germany and one from Mexico are studying
at Marlon L. Steele High School this year. They said that Amherit
is a "nice neighborhood with nice people who help wah everything."
From left to right, they are: Ricardo Gomez, Johannes Burger,
Yvonne Zahr, and Oliver Bike.
Four students at Marion L. Steele
High School are-learning with a different perspective than the rest
Johannes Burger, Oliver Euke,
and Yvonne Zahr, all from Germany, and Ricardo Gomez from
Mexico, are spending this school
year in the United States.
The four decided that they wanted
to be exchange students for some of
the same reasons: to learn the language, in learn about American culture, and most importantly, to have
fun and make new friends.
Yet the exchange students have
nfrrtcftd t**%\ aome of lite preconceptions they fostered about to United
States snd the Americans that live
here aren't accurate.
"I thought that people over here
would have false morals, but I was
wrong," said Johannes, who grew
up in the city of Oberhausen and
loves to play handbalL
"Everyone thinks this is a land
where you can do everything, but
the school is stricter than in Germany," said Yvonne, who grew up
ia Hanover and has played tennis
since she was five years old
The four also said that Americans
have some bad habits.
"I thought that all Americans ate
a lot of net food." said Oliver, who
lives ia Mhsabetg ia eastern Germany and plays the trombone. "I
have to confess that it's true."
But despite their criticism, they
admit that their favorite tetfood restaurants are Burger King. Denny's,
Hot Dog Heaven, Dunkia' Donuts,
and Wendy's.
The students also pointed out that
Americans go everywhere by car,
causing a lot of pollution.
But they also said that there are
many good things about Americans.
"They make everything easy snd
always have an easy solution," said
Ricardo, who lives in Tehuacan,
Puebla, Mexico, and has played soccer since he was three yean old
"Americans go the straight way
CONTINUED on page 3
Decorate
pumpkins
for library
A pumpkin decorating contest is being held by the Amherst Public Library, for Halloween buffs of all ages.
Anyone, aged four to 100
and beyond is invited to enter
the contest.
Age groups for judging will
be for 4-8 years old; 9-12
years old; 13-64 years old;
and 65 years and older.
Decorated pumpkins may
be brought to the library
starting Tuesday, Oct 22. All
pumpkins must be at the library by 5 pjn. on Saturday,
Oct 26, to be included in the
judging, which will be held
Sunday, Oct 27, with awards
given at 2 p.m.
All pumpkins will be on
view before the Amherst Halloween parade. Parade registration begins at 3 pjn.
with costume judging at 4
p.m., and the parade at 4:30
p.m.
Pumpkin contest categories
include best use of recycled
items, scariest pumpkin, funniest pumpkin, and most creative entry.
The rales am as follows:
one entry per individual (no
group entries), any material
may be used for decorating,
and judging will be baaed on
originality and creativity for
each age group.
Participants should register
their pumpkins at the library
reference desk. A limited
number of coupons are available at the children's desk to
CONTINUED on page It
•.^ssaTmts.
I
**W^