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AMHERST TOWNSHIP NEWSLETTER
| Summer 2009 |
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Vol. XIV No. 2
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Recycling Report
Amherst Township recycled the following quantities in the 1st quarter of 2009.
| 0.77 |
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tons of various paper through the "ABITIBI Paper Retriever" program |
| 0.78 |
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tons of aluminum cans |
| 3.89 |
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tons of bi-metal cans |
| 7.37 |
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tons of glass |
| 2.11 |
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tons of HDPE plastics |
| 1.69 |
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tons of PETE plastics |
| 16.61 |
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tons of newspapers |
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There were no dumpster days in the first quarter, therefore no scrap metal.
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For questions concerning the "Curbside Recycling Program", contact Allied Waste Services at 458-5191.
Amherst Township has set the following dates for “Dumpster Days” in 2009:
July 9, 10, 11 *(Incentive Contest)
October 1, 2, 3
Hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Please note: NO TIRES WITH RIMS!
NO PROPANE TANKS!
Drop-Off Hours for Yard Waste!!
Please note Location Change!!
Brush, limbs, grass clippings, and leaves may be brought to the Amherst Township property located on the EAST side of Oberlin Road (directly across from the Township Garage which is located at 7530 Oberlin Road) at the following times:
- 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Mon – Fri
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Saturday
- Amherst Township Residents only
- I.D. may be checked
- No Commercial
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Compost & Wood Chips Available
Free compost and wood chips are available from the Township. If you are interested, contact John Szefcyk, Road Superintendent, at 988-5833.
Have a problem? Complaint forms are available at the Township Hall, inside the white bulletin board, or may be downloaded from the Township’s website.
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Township Hall & Garage
Fax......................................988-5877
Fiscal Officer ........................988-5894
Email: amhersttwpfo@oh.rr.com
Road Superintendent (garage)..988-5833
Email: amhersttwproads@oh.rr.com
Office (Zoning Inspector).........988-5866
Office Hours for Zoning Insp:
Mon., Wed. & Sat. – 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Voice Mail is checked daily
Email: amhersttwpzoning@oh.rr.com
Don Gargas, Zoning Inspector
Trustees
Dennis Abraham...................986-4555
(Ambulance, Cemetery, Park, Water, Roads,
Ditches, Buildings, Land, Enterprise Zones,
County Health Rep. Phase II Storm
Water/ Environmental Strategy)
Neil Lynch.............................988-7681
(Zoning, Sewer, Fire, Equipment,
Personnel, LORCO, Senior Services,
Lorain County Community Alliance Rep,
NIMS Primary Contact)
David C. Urig.........................988-8256
(Lighting, Solid Waste)
Fiscal Officer
Howard Akin.............................233-7624
Road Superintendent
John Szefcyk.............................988-7045
Amherst Twp Senior Services Office
Carol Schmitkons......................988-5822
Email: amhersttwpseniors@oh.rr.com
Office Hours – Mon thru Fri – 8am to 12 Noon
Fire Prevention Officer
Wayne Eppley...........................324-3921
LifeCare Ambulance, Inc.
Maude or Herb DeLa Porte........323-6111
Sheriff's Department................329-3710
Ohio Edison
Automated Outage Reporting Line
1-888-544-4877
TRUSTEE MEETINGS:
2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Amherst Township Trustee Meetings may be viewed on Amherst Cable Channel 12. They will air for 7 days, running Mon thru Mon, following the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. Air times are at 9 am, 4 pm, & 11 pm. Zoning Commission meetings will be shown 8 am, 3 pm & at the conclusion of the 11pm Trustee meetings. All airings are subject to change.
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Amherst Township Road Projects |
The streets of Hidden Valley are concrete construction, and some of the older streets were constructed in the 1970's with little to no street base or drainage. Because of the lower speed limits and traffic volumes in the Valley, street repair does not usually qualify for grant funding through the Ohio Public Works Commission. Over the years, your local tax dollars have been used to repair only the most severely damaged street sections in the Valley. These emergency repairs required saw cutting of the damaged sections, and replacement with new concrete. The very small sectional replacement of street did not allow for adequate improvement of the street base, nor the addition of necessary drainage. As a result, the repairs were generally short lived, heaving & settling during freeze-thaw cycles, resulting in damage from routine plowing and road use. In addition, this type of repair has a very large unit cost.
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In 2008, a different approach was taken for the Hidden Valley Subdivision street rehabilitation and safety improvement projects. The new method involved larger sectional replacement to allow for sub-base and drainage improvement. Funding of these larger street projects was made possible through interest free, 20-year term loans obtained from the Ohio Public Works Commission. The 2008 repairs were funded with a $90K grant, $110k loan, and $95K local funds. The 2009 repairs were funded with a $200K loan and $110K in local funds. 2010 will allow for one additional large road rehabilitation project in Hidden Valley, funded by a $200K loan and $100K local funds. After 2010, it is expected that the Valley streets can be maintained with routine patching and crack sealing, allowing time for the interest free loans to be repaid, at which point further rehabilitation projects will be required.
Also in 2010, resurfacing of Bechtel Road is planned. Funding of Bechtel Road will be a combination of OPWC grant funds and local township tax dollars.
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Amherst Township has lost a valuable employee, community activist and friend. Zoning Chairperson, Elaine Krieg, passed away on Friday, May 1, 2009 as a result of a sudden and unexpected illness. As the chairperson of the Amherst Township Zoning Commission, Elaine was responsible for running the meetings, organizing the agenda, preparing the "Public Hearing" notices, delivering "Public Hearing" information to the other commission members, the Lorain Journal, and the Lorain County Community Development Department. She also contacted the other commission members regarding special meetings as well as monthly meeting. As a Zoning Commission member, she made decisions on rezoning, handled special requests from individuals on rezoning, and reviewed "Site Plan Reviews", signs, and text changes to the Zoning Resolution.
Elaine enjoyed meeting new people in the township as well as working with the other commission members and the township elected officials. She said the difficult part of her job was when people were unhappy with the decisions made by the commission.
Recently, Elaine was trying to form a community block watch in the township to help prevent crime, and to strengthen the relationships among neighbors and with the Sheriff department.
Elaine's position as the Zoning Commission Chairperson, and her strong opinions for various causes
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and ideas that she supported, sometimes resulted in heated disagreements among residents and various township officials. At the same time, Elaine's passionate support for her position demonstrated her desire to continually improve the environment and quality of life in Amherst Township for current and future residents.
We will miss Elaine's debates, her passion and her laughter, and we would like to extend our sincerest sympathy to Elaine's husband, John, her children Allison and Mathew, her mother Lois, and the rest of Elaine's family.
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"Home for Hope Raffle"
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Time is running out to purchase your Ronald McDonald "Home for Hope" Raffle ticket. The drawing will be held on Friday, September 25, 2009, at the Home for Hope site in the Amherst Township Copper Creek development, during the Anniversary Street Party. Entries are $100 each and a maximum of 15,000 tickets will be sold. There are 30 eco-friendly prizes that will be reverse raffled, with the grand prize being "The Bradley II" green home built by R.J. Perritt Homes. If you are interested in seeing the house, it is now open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 pm. All proceeds support the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland. For more information visit either of the following websites:
www.clevelandrmh.org
www.rjperritthomes.com
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New Building for LifeCare
LifeCare Ambulance is proud to announce the purchase and remodeling of an under-utilized building in downtown Amherst. Thanks to help from the "Community Improvement Coalition" and support from the officials of the City of Amherst and Amherst Township, LifeCare will be serving the "Sandstone Joint Ambulance District" from the new building located on Park Avenue across the street from the old Post Office. The SJAD includes the City of Amherst, Amherst Township, and the Village of South Amherst.
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LifeCare began using the Eastern portion of the building in March and will soon have parking for three ambulances. Opening in May is a uniform supply store, and in June, the Perk Avenue Coffee Shop, both to be located on the West side of the building. When you drive by LifeCare be sure to admire the "Star of Life" emblem, donated by Tim Drost. Other local participation in the project came from the contractor, H. Fior General Contractors, Inc. and Mark Lesner, the architect.
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New Building for Amherst Township
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| Completed Construction of Township Hall and Garage expansions as of June 12, 2009. |
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Base for new Salt Shed
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July 9-10-11 Dumpster Event
The dumpsters will be located on the EAST side of Oberlin Road, directly across from the Township Garage. Yard Waste collection has also been moved to the east side of Oberlin Road. Please do not leave plastic bags in the yard waste pile.
Also, Goodwill Industries will have collection bins located at the township hall during the July Dumpster Event. They request the following items: clothing, house wares, collectibles, cell phones, stuffed animals, shoes, hats, books, belts, knick knack's, tools, totes, and purses. A tax deduction receipt will be available for your donations. During Pride Day 2009, 88 lbs. of clothing were collected at the Township Hall for Goodwill Industries. |
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2009 Allied Waste
Large Item
Curbside Pickup Weeks:
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July 13th
August 10th
September 14th |
October 12th
November 9th
December 14th |
Curbside "Recycling" Pickup
Recyclable material must be placed in the green container provided by Allied Waste. Seniors who have "bagged" rubbish collection must use the green container if they wish to participate in the curbside recycle program. Bagged recyclables will not be picked up.
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In April, Amherst Township held a raffle in conjunction with "Dumpster Days" as an incentive to encourage residents to recycle more. Residents brought a raffle form along with recyclables or yard waste to the dumpster event. The incentive program is an eligibility requirement of the "Solid Waste Grant" award received by Amherst Township.
Items that may be recycled are:
- "1" and "2" plastics (HDPE and PETE)
- Aluminum and Steel cans
- Glass beverage bottles & jars
- Cardboard boxes / Cereal boxes
- Newspapers / Magazines / Junk Mail
Please rinse all food and beverage containers before placing them in the recycle bin.
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Winners of the April "Incentive Contest" received a $50 Gas Card from "Law's Auto Service, Inc." located on Middle Ridge Road near the State Route 2 interchange.
The Winners were:
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Howard Akin
Keith Burrer
Liz Cupp
Steven Derifaj
Sandra Jewell
Gary N. Lamier
Charles R. Sapienza
Jerome Scheidler
Judy Szewczyk
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Jay Bardar
Dale & Ariene Cary
Allen W. Diedrick
William Freeman
Jeff Jones
Bill & Debbie Mann
Thom Scheidler
David Schmitkons
Ken Welton |
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RAFFLE ENTRY FORM
For "Recycling Incentive Contest"
Dumpster Days: July 9th, 10th, and 11th
(Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - Time: 7:00 am to 3:30 pm)
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number:____________________________________________________________________
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Permits Required
Residents are reminded that permits are needed for pools, decks, porches, patios, gazebos, fences, ponds, signs, garages, new construction, building additions, accessory buildings, and driveways. When a permit is obtained before the start of construction, the fee will be reduced by 50%. Be sure you or your contractor has obtained a permit. Payments must be made by check only. Cash is not accepted.
Please contact Don Gargas, Amherst Township Zoning Inspector for these permits. Office hours for the Zoning Inspector are from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. He can be reached at 988-5866. Voice Mail is checked daily.
"Building inspections" through the Lorain County Building Department may also be required. These building "inspections" are in addition to the building "permits" that are required from the Township. The Amherst Township Zoning Inspector can assist you for both of these requirements. A building "permit" from the township is required before applying for the building "inspection" from the county. Permits for both the township and the county may be viewed on the township's website under "zoning".
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LIFECARE
Amherst Township, as a member of the Sandstone Joint Ambulance District, has chosen “LifeCare” to be their ambulance provider. President Maude DeLa Porte and Vice-President Herb DeLa Porte own and operate LifeCare. They can be reached at 323-6111. To learn more about their services, visit their website at www.lifecareambulance.com.
Contact Sheriff’s Dept.
If residents know of, or see, any suspicious activity in the township or at the Amherst Township Park, please contact the Sheriff’s Dept. at 329-3710. To contact the sheriff’s dispatch from your cell phone without being charged, call 323-1212. These are not a “911” emergency lines.
Curfew
Please be aware that a curfew exists in Amherst Township for minors age 16 and under between the hours of Midnight and 5 a.m. This curfew will be enforced by the Lorain County Sheriff’s Dept.
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NOTE: Meeting Times:
Trustee Meetings at 7:00 p.m. – Zoning Commission Meetings at 6:30 p.m.
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