Amherst News-Times, 1997-12-31

              Auditor sworn in early — Page 3
Scouts earn awards — Page
Amherst News-Time
O   1X3
r-   00   <->   t-i
C   UlOo
CO   <   X   hi
C     m     r-"
IV)  p-  V)
3   -I
3>   O
7)
}
3>    M
<   O
Wednesday, December 31, 1997
Amherst, Ohio
Mayor will look to council for renovation
ii
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Cily council is expected to be
asked for a 5250,000 "internal loan"
to stop accelerating deterioration of
city hall and its historic bell tower.
With the help of city treasurer
Kathleen   Litkovitz,   mayor  John
Higgins spent much of last week going through the city finances to determine where the money can be
borrowed.
Pending council approval, Higgins plans to borrow a total of about
$250,000 from various city accounts
to repair the deteriorating roof of
city hall and its bell tower.
The plan is a preventive measure
brought about by law director Alan
Anderson's decision lo appeal a suit
against council to a state appellate
court in Akron. It questions council's authority to appoint a bond
counsel to oversee the sale of
S5Q0.000 in bonds needed for the
bi'ilding's renovation and
restoration.
Anderson claims stale law gives
him the appointment authority. Although the Lorain County Common
Pleas Court has ruled in council's
favor, Anderson has appealed the
case.
The bonds needed for restoration
and preservation work cannot be
issued until the case is settled. In the
meantime, inspections by a structural engineer have revealed conti
nuous deterioration of the bell
tower, according to Higgins.
They have found the tower's
wooden frame support is badly
warped and twisted, a condition that
could lead to the tower's complete
collapse unless it is repaired.
Higgins wants lo borrow the
needed money from the budget and
then repay it with a loan once the
lawsuit is settled. The internal loan
will come from surpluses in various
city accounts.
"It's an extreme measure, but it's
the only quick fix we can make," he
added. "They (the engineers) say we
could have a structural catastrophe
on our hands soon if we don't do
CONTINUED on page 3
Grandma's
holiday houses
look fine; taste
even better
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Dancsc Antonopoulos stayed up until 4 a.m. two days last week
building and baking what has become a family tradition for her
grandchildren and family.
She is what could be called the general contractor responsible
for three gingerbread houses covered with all sorts of chocolates
and other Christmas goodies.
But alas, the yummy structures were likely to become fond memories of holidays past thanks to the appetites of five of her seven
grandkids.
Nikko Antonopoulos, five, the rambunctious one, started picking
jelly beans off the roof before Santa even appeared on Christmas.
His twin sister, Ashley, also picked away here and mere.
Two other granddaughters, Arianna and Alexia Antonopoulos,
six and three, respectively, look their's home, They arc the children of Teresa Antonopoulos, a second daughter-in-law. They and
their friends were expected to employ their demolition skills and
satisfy their sweet tooths.
CONTINUED on  page  5
The grandchildren of Danese Antonopoulos crowd around her
aiCstJElSspfoys the results oi this year's gingerbread hobsa.can-
struction. From left are Alexia and Nikko Antonopoulos, chief con
tractor and grandmother Danese, Ariana Antonopoulos, Kassie
Pijor and Ashley Antonopoulos.
Shoplifters, thieves help themselves to goods
It was ihe week before Christmas
and all was not well in Amherst
when several people decided it was
bcllcr lo lake rather than give.
Amherst police reported four prc-
holiday robberies, one involving a
Lorain woman and her 16-year-old
daughter, and another involving two
men who apparently carried a big
slick.
The first incident occurred Dec.
14 shortly after 1:30 a.m.
According to reports, a clerk from
Dairy Mart on Cleveland Street reported a male subject was in the
store and stole two 12 packs of beer.
Officers responded and checked the
area but were unable to locale the
suspect. They said the ihicf dropped
one of the 12 packs in the parking
lot as he fled.
On Dec. 17, a Lorain woman reported someone had stolen money
orders totaling more than S600 from
her while she was at Discount Drug
Mart on N. Leavitt Road. The incident occurred about 11:08 a.m.
Police obtained the name of the
person who cashed the money orders and referred the theft to the detective bureau.
Laicr that day, a woman and her
16-year-old daughter were arrested
while trying to steal shoes from ihe
Payless Shoe Store about 2:11 p.m.
The  manager  apparently   had
caught one of them and detained
both until police arjived. Both were
charged with petty theft.
The mother will appear in Oberlin
Municipal Court and the daughter in
juvenile court.
Then on Dec. 20 at about 10 p.m.,
an employee of the Junction Beverage Drive Thru reported two men
wilh stocking caps came into ihe
store waving a large stick and demanded money.
He complied. The robbers quickly
left the store wilh the cash drawer in
hand and ran toward (he back of die
building, police said.
The amount taken was not
disclosed.
Firefighters earn higher rank
Veterans find 24-hour-a-day
jobs are enjoyable ventures
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Neither Wayne Northeim nor
Greg Knoll had a desire lo climb
the Amherst Fire Department's
promotional ladder when they
became novice firefighters back
in the early '90s and late '80s.
But on Dec. 10, both became
captains, ranks neither thought
they would reach. Both thought
they would be happy being volunteer firefighters who were
ready and willing lo respond lo
alarms when their pagers went
off.
Knoll, 33, fell in love with the
job aflcr responding to an ad for
firefighters in ihe News-Times
in 1988. There was no looking
back.
It was different for Northeim,
4T. A former Marine, he had
never wanted to become a firelighter. The thought of joining
the volunteer force never
crossed his mind. It was. repeated arm twisting and motivation by now retired firefighter
Jerry Wilhclm that persuaded
him to "take a look"
"I kind of liked what 1 saw. It
sparked some interest, sp I put in
an application and here I "am,"
he explained.
Aflcr a short lime on the job.
he began to wonder why he
didn't respond to Wilhelm's persistence earlier and join sooner.
"It's hard to explain the feeling of satisfaction, but I kind of
kick myself in the rearend lor
not doing it sooner," he added.
Both said becoming lieutenants several years ago was a big
enough step. Becoming captains
was a move neither man had
thought about until two longtime
double stripers, Ken Rosenbusch
and Scott Dunlap, decided it was
time to retire.
In addition to supervising fellow volunteers at fires and rescue calls, each has administrative duties.
Nor die im, who operates his
own painting and wallpapering
business, is in charge of
preplanning.
He is responsible for checking
businesses to gather information
aboul theni should the city's fire
volunteers be called to battle a
blaze in them. He also has to
check fire hydrants throughout
Amhersi to made sure they
work.
Knoll is procurement officer,
the man in' charge of inventory
and the.purchase of new equipment. He is employed by Bencher Industries in Birmingham.
CONTINUED on page 2
New Amherst Fire Department captains Wayne Northeim (left)
and Greg Knoll say they take their new responsibilities seriously.
Rail group could
loan Lakeshore
needed money to
alter interchange
by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
Jan. 8 may be the day of reckoning for the Lake Shore Railway Association's efforts to modify an
Ohio Turnpike interchange planned
for Rt. 58.
That's the day'the Ohio. Rail Development Commission in Columbus, will decide if it will loan the
non-profit railroad group an estimated $1.7 million to pay for the interchange's redesign.
It's also, the final time the Ohio
Turnpike Commission will agree to
delay the nearly three-year-old con
suuciion project.
The turnpike has agreed to redesign the interchange but will not pay
for the. additional cost. Barnett said
the railway association agreed
nearly two years ago to pay for the
redesign so it can complete its plans
to build a 20-mile long, historic
railroad.
If the loan is declined, the Turnpike Commission will go ahead with
its original plans to spend about $7
.million on the interchange, according to director of information and
research Bob Barneu.
Much of the turnpike commission's frustration has resulted from
the railway association's inability to
find funds to pay for the redesign.
The commission had given the association until Dec. 15 to find funds,
but agreed to wait until the rail development commission meets before
proceeding. ■.    .
"We have been patient and tried
to work things out with them lony
enough," Barnett said. "We'd like to •
be able to start work in the spring
and finish by the end of '99."
The change will allow the association to boild the railroad between
Wellington and northwest Elyria. In .
turn, Barnett said Ihe turnpike commission will have to relocate the toll
plaza and purchase additional land
for the right of way. The design will
cost a total of $1.7 million.
Railway association spokesman
Alan Shaffstall said the group
understands the turnpike commission's frustration caused by the. delay and its decision not to delay the
pVoject beyond Jan. 8.
Based on a "favorable" letter
from the Ohio Rail Development
Authority, he said he expects a lo;;n
to be made.
"We'd both like to move ahead
on.this and leave the past behind,"
Shaffstall said.
CONTINUED on page 2