Vol. XIV No. 3

Recycling Report

3.47		tons of various paper through the "ABITIBI Paper Retriever" program
3.13		tons of aluminum cans
15.75		tons of bi-metal cans
29.79		tons of glass
8.55		tons of HDPE plastics
6.84		tons of PETE plastics
67.25		tons of newspapers
30.00		tons of yard waste
413.00		tons of concrete
3.29		tons of scrap metal through the dumpster program

Dumpster Days

Drop-Off Hours for Yard Waste!! 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 No Plastic Bags - place bags in 55 gal drum

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.

The Amherst Township Hall and Highway Maintenance facility was constructed at 7530 Oberlin Road in the early 1970s. The western portion of the facility served as the highway maintenance area, and the eastern portion served as the public meeting and office area. The attic was used for storage of township records. The approximately 5,000 square foot pole barn construction facility has served Amherst Township over the past 35+ years, but improvements were necessary.

As the township has grown, and regulations have changed, the Board of Trustees recognized the need to upgrade the township facilities.

• Township equipment was exposed to the outdoor weather conditions, vandalism and theft, as there was not enough internal shelter.
• Records were stored in an attic without adequate environmental controls, resulting in damage from temperature cycling and insects.
• The public meeting area also served as the office area for the Zoning Inspector and the Trustees, exposing records, PCs and other sensitive electronic equipment.
• Diesel fumes and other VOC emissions cross-contaminated the office and public meeting areas.
• The limited paved area prevented adequate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding parking facilities.
• Public meetings with high interest required clearing of the highway garage to provide adequate room, but resulted in public safety concerns.

The difficulty was finding adequate funding within the current revenue sources. In 2007, an estate settlement of a prominent township family resulted in the largest estate tax ever received by Amherst Township. The trustees agreed that the funds should be used for long-term capital improvements, versus general operating expenses, and thus set aside the funds for future improvement of the township facilities. In 2008, an estate settlement of another prominent township family resulted in possibly the second largest estate settlement in township history. The 2007 and 2008 estate tax settlements provided approximately $470,000 to the residents of Amherst Township. To put this into perspective, less than

Marcie Jaworski is our featured employee. Marcie has been on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the past four years, the first 2 years serving as an alternate. She is currently secretary to the board for the ZBA.

As a member of the ZBA, some of her duties include building and land use regulations. Marcie and the other four members work closely together to maintain our small town appeal, yet keep up with economic growth within our community. They accomplish this by conserving and protecting property and their values, securing the most appropriate use of land and facilitating adequate but economic provisions of public improvements according to the Township zoning rules. Some of the harder decisions are those projects that would negatively affect the community.

As Secretary to the board, Marcie takes notes at each meeting, prepares copies for the board, and reads them at the next meeting. Marcie would like to see more citizens at the ZBA meetings to actually view what the board is trying to do.

Marcie was born and raised in a rural town called Painesville Township where her father also served on the Zoning Board of Appeals. After graduation, Marcie attended Bowling Green State University, where she met her husband Mark. Later she obtained a Masters Degree in Curriculum from Ashland University. She has been a teacher with the Vermillion Board of Education for 32 years and is looking forward to retiring in the next 2 years. Marcie and her family have lived in Amherst Township for 21 years.

Marcie and her husband Mark celebrated their 33rd anniversary in August. Mark is a 9th grade Biology teacher in the Lorain School system. Their son Bryan is a graduate of Miami University with a degree in business and currently lives in Cincinnati. Their

daughter Erin graduated from Ohio State University, majoring in meteorology. She now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband whom she met when they were both doing an internship for NASA in Cleveland.

For the past 15 years, Marcie has been a member of the Amherst Women's Club, known as the "Twigbenders". The club is a branch of an Ohio group whose affiliation began 52 years ago by our own Amherstonian, Elaine Harlan.

In her spare time, mostly during the summer, Marcie enjoys kayaking, walking, gardening, reading, and golf. She also enjoys artistic projects. Her current hobby is painting lighthouses.

Thank you Marcie for your devotion to the ZBA and Amherst Township.

The Lorain County General Health District is currently in the planning process of establishing the dates for both "Seasonal" and "H1N1" Flu Shot Clinics. The information on flu and flu immunizations is changing frequently this season. Please be sure to check their website at www.loraincountyhealth.com for the most up to date details. The following is some general information provided by the LCGHD.

Take action daily

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Stay Healthy. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.

Zoning Commission Mary Torma was elected chairman for the remainder of 2009. Glenn Thome was promoted from an alternate to full commission member, and serves as the secretary to the Zoning Commission. Thank you for your interest in serving your community.

	Attention! Hidden Valley Residents Please do not rake leaves onto the street as it restricts water flow into the catch basins when it rains, causing drainage problems for you and your neighbors! The township does not pick up leaves. However, you can bring leaves and other yard waste to the Township Garage for disposal.

REMEMBER TO VOTE!

This year's general election will be on Tuesday, November 3rd. Polls will be open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Remember to bring your identification with you to the polls. Please exercise your right to vote. New registrations and change of addresses need to be completed by October 5th. Absentee voting begins on September 29th.

The Lorain County Board of Elections is located at 1985 North Ridge Road East, in Lorain. For more information about voting and other registration locations, you can call them at 326-5900 or visit the Lorain County Board of Elections website at: http://loraincountyelections.com

SIGNS

Political Signs. Amherst Township limits the size of these signs to 8 square feet. No permit is required for Political Signs, but the permission of the property owner is required. These signs may be placed 30 days prior to Election Day and must be removed 10 days after the election.

Garage Sale Signs. If a fall garage sale is in your plans, remember that if you place signs on near-by corners or on property other than your own, you are required to have that property owner's permission. Your signs are limited to a maximum of 8 square feet. Also help keep the Township litter free by removing and properly disposing of the signs when your sale is over.

Prepairing for Winter

• As a safety issue, please do not pile snow around fire hydrants. It is best to keep hydrants clear of any snow, excess mounding of soil, or plants.
• Also, when cleaning your driveways, do not plow or shovel snow onto the streets after the Township/County has plowed.
• Mailboxes should be inspected to make sure the posts are in good condition before the winter snowplowing begins.
• Be aware that the bridge decks freeze before the pavement does, causing them to be slippery even when the roads are clear.

Burning Prohibited

The burning of leaves, grass clippings, brush, and limbs is prohibited in the township. Unnecessary tax dollars are spent when the fire department responds to a fire call that is not a true emergency.

If you have any questions, please call Fire Inspector, Wayne Eppley, at 324-3921, or contact one of your township trustees. Yard waste may be brought to the Amherst Township Garage for disposal. For drop-off times, days, and location, see "Your Yard Waste" and the front page of this newsletter.

Recycling Incentive Contest