1. Lorain Commuter rail line may get a chance By MICHELE M. MELENDEZ PLAIN DEALER REPORTER A Norfolk Southern Corp. plan could ease fears in northern Lorain County about more freight train traffic through neighborhoods. It also could resurrect dreams of a commuter rail line between Lorain and Cleveland.
Instead of tripling the traffic on the northern line through lakeshore communities, the railroad would keep the current level by diverting the traffic to another line. "That may give us the opporturail nity to things do the we've kinds of talked commuter, said Lorain Safety-Service Director George I. Koury. The city and port authority have hoped that NEW RAIL ROUTE PROPOSED Avon Lake Lake Erie Sheffield Lake Norfolk Southern Lorain Corp. line 90 Avon Vermilion Sheffield Conrail Inc.
90 line I North Amherst Elyria Ridgeville 80 and Vermilion, which runs through Cuyahoga and Lorain County shore communities. Residents in those areas said they feared more noise and accidents. Officials added that the increase would hurt the possibility of a commuter line because the tracks would be too crowded. In the new plan, submitted to the federal board last month, Norfolk Southern says it would divert the additional trains south to Berea, to tracks now owned by Conrail. Those tracks come into Lorain County through North Ridgeville and slice up to Vermilion through Elyria, Elyria Township, Amherst, Amherst Town- Two-alarm fire commuter rail could be tied to plans to develop downtown and the banks of the Black River.
Koury added that the tracks would be safer without the additional freight traffic. A question remains, however, about who would pay for Norfolk Southern's $47 million plan to change the traffic pattern. Norfolk Southern. and CSX Corp. are awaiting a decision from the federal Surface Transportation Board to allow the railroads to split up the tracks of Conrail Inc.
The board is expected to rule in July. As part of that deal, Norfolk Southern announced it would nearly triple the daily freight train traffic from 13 to 34 along a line connecting Cleveland ship and along the shared border of Lorain and Brownhelm Township. Susan Terpay, Norfolk Southern spokeswoman, said residents of those communities would see only two additional trains over three years. She said Conrail now runs 48 trains on those tracks. She said that even though Norfolk Southern would divert several trains from the northern tracks to the line farther south, there would be an increase of only, two trains because CSX would take some of the traffic that runs on the southern line now.
SEE TRACKS 2-B 17 RAMON MENA OWENS PLAIN DEALER PHOTOGRAPHER Employees of Gehrke Son Manufacturing examine what is left of their workplace after a nine-hour, twoalarm fire caused $750,000 damage to the machine shop. The fire, on W. 1 11th St. in Lorain, began about 3:30 a.m., when no one was working at the plant, which employed 25 people to make screw-machine products. Forty firefighters from Lorain and Elyria were called in, and two were treated for minor injuries.
A Lorain Fire Department spokesman said the cause was under investigation. TUESDAY DECEMBER 16, 1997 I. THE PLAIN DEALER Joe Dirck Safety director polices visitors Lorain Safety Director George Koury doesn't make a habit of eavesdropping on the mayor's conversations, and he wasn't doing so on Friday. He just happened to be in the office, talking with a secretary on the other of the room, when a citizen walked in to see Mayor Joseph Koziura. Something about the man's "didn't sound quite right to me," so Koury paused and listened more intently.
"It still didn't sound right, so I started walking towards them." Consequently, when the man suddenly started swinging wildly at the mayor, he only had time get in a brief flurry of blows. Koury, already in motion, was the attacker in a flash, grabbing him from behind and pinning arms in a bear hug, much as he used to do with -enthusiastic patrons at his dad's tavern. Looking back on the incident, Koziura wonders why he didn't pay more attention to the alarm bells that went off in his head as soon as the man entered. He wasn't uncertain and tentative the way people walking into the mayor's office for the first time tend to be. Instead, his body language screamed hostility.
He strode angrily to the desk and stood over Koziura. He began cursing, in such a fierce, vehement tone that Koziura for a second thought it was joke of some kind. 'Then the man said, "If I had a gun I'd shoot you," and Koziura knew it was laughing matter. As the mayor rose to his feet, the man began swinging. Koziura was able to fend off most of the blows but was struck twice near the left eye and on his left arm and shoulder.
Then Koury had arms around the man, struggling with him for perhaps a minute until police arrived. Koziura remembers Koury asking the man if he knew the name of the person he had just tacked, and the assailant clearly had no idea. "I was just a symbol," Koziura said. Police arrested Rogelio Mitchell, 50, of Lorain, and charged him with assault, aggravated menacing and assaulting a police officer. The assaulting an officer charge, an automatic felony under Ohio law, was filed because Mitchell allegedly kicked an officer after his arrest.
Whew. Just another day at the office. After the adrenaline rush had faded and after the relieved laughter had died down, however, Koziura realized some changes would have to be made at City Hall. After experimenting with setting aside a few hours each week for the public, he had settled on more informal policy of simply meeting with anyone who stopped by his office, time permitting. These unscheduled visitors "walk-ins" to his staff were asked their names or their business.
If Koziura had a free moment, they were sent right in. That has ended. The threat of gun could just as easily be the reality of one the next time. Friday's incident underscored how suddenly danger can appear. admirable as the democratic impulses that led Koziura to meet with unscreened visitors might be, he realizes now the policy exposed both him and those around him to an unacceptable risk.
So from now on, questions will be asked. Appointments will have to be made. Office doors will be locked from the outside. There will be no dramatic, visible changes: no metal detectors, no police guards, no heightened air of security. City Hall will not be turned into Fortress Lorain.
But things will be different nonetheless. After what happened Friday, it will never be quite as easy for a citizen of Lorain to go downtown and look the mayor in the eye. "It's sad. I believe so strongly that this is the people's house, I can't put the whole staff at risk," Koziura said. He's right.
lIe can't. And it is sad. Messages for Dirck may be left at (216) 999-4818. side tone to on a no his in ata not a As but, Railway group saves day for line Offers $1 million to relocate exit 1 By HOLLACE SILBIGER PLAIN DEALER REPORTER PLAIN DEALER 17 his PLAIN DEALER REPORTER The major obstacle to a rail line from Wellington to Lorain may soon be gone. The Lake Shore Railway Association Inc.
has come up with a source for the more than $1 million needed to. relocate a proposed Ohio Turnpike interchange at Ohio 58, Marc Chappo, Lake Shore's executive vice president, said yesterday. The interchange would inter-. sect the 20-mile line, the former Lorain West Virginia Railway. that Lake Shore wants to restore and operate.
for tourists and. freight hauling. Lake Shore plans to pay for moving the interchange with a loan from the Rail Development Commission, Chappo said. Commissioners still must vote on the loan on Jan. 8, executive director Thomas O'Leary said.
But they have been supportive of the request, O'Leary said in a letter Friday to G. Alan Plain, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike Commission. The rail line will help development in the county, O'Leary said. Redesigning the interchange so it does not interfere with the rail line will cost about $1.7 million, Plain said. The Turnpike Commission will have to move the toll plaza south and buy additional right of way, he said.
The Turnpike Commission has said it would move the interchange but would not pay for it. The Turnpike Commission had given Lake Shore until yesterday to find funding. It will not proceed with the project until after the rail commission decides on the loan, Plain said. The interchange. first announced in 1993 could be open by the end of 1999, Plain said.
1. "Finally we are getting this thing moving," Plain said. Since the interchange was announced, Lake Shore has been trying to find ways for its project to be built as well. The Ohio Rail Development Commission began studying the matter last year at the request of Gov. George Voinovich.
The governor intervened on behalf of Lake Shore at the request of Steel Co. The steelmaker and other Lorain County companies have expressed interest in using the line. Lake Shore now runs excursions in the fall on four miles of the line starting in Wellington; Chappo said. Plain 1 Dealer reporter Michael K. McIntyre contributed to this report.
Crackdown on deadbeat parents called success By JAMES F. SWEENEY PLAIN DEALER REPORTER A crackdown last week that resulted in the arrest of more than 200 deadbeat parents statewide was a success, according to the Ohio Department of Human Services. "Most everyone who participated went out and got some results and was pretty happy," said department spokesman Jon Allen. Sheriff's departments and child support agencies in 39 of Ohio's 88 counties teamed up to serve civil warrants on parents who owed child support or were in vio.I lation of a judge's order in connection with a support case. In all, 219 people owing $2.2 million in child support were arrested, Allen said.
Alerted by the publicity and, in some cases, a letter left by a sheriff's deputy, an unknown number of parents called child support and court officials to arrange hearings. Others have arranged to pay what they owe, officials said. Lorain County was one of the most active in the state. Its task force of 35 deputies and auxiliary officers arrested 33 people Wednesday. "Our sheriff's department really did a job for us.
It was said Anthony Bond, the county's child support enforcement administrator. Those arrested in Lorain County owed more than $266,000 in child support. Bond said that $1,000 was paid that day, but he did not know how much more might have been paid later. In Cuyahoga County, 19 people were arrested and another 13 came in after learning that sheriff's deputies were looking for them, said Sandra Walker, director of the child support enforcement division in the county prose- Oak Point Rd. pact hits new rut Board member found to have tie to property By KAREN HENDERSON PLAIN DEALER REPORTER LORAIN The proposed $3.5 million improvement of deeply rutted Oak Point Rd.
has hit another snag. A compromise agreement reached by the city's assessment equalization board with Oak Point residents was thrown out last night after it was learned that a member of the board had a personal interest in the proceedings. Vorel "Butch" Suki, one of the three board members, is an investor in Lorain Country Club, which owns land on Oak Point Law cutor's office. Another 11 have called to schedule hearings before the end of the year. Four people have been sentenced to jail and one was ordered to perform community service after the sweep, she said.
Summit County began its push in November and has arrested 12 people. The pressure will continue, said Terry Metcalf, administrator for the county Child Support Enforcement Agency. Of the 14 people targeted by Geauga County, nine were arrested or' turned themselves in. Two more have made arrangements to come in, said Paul Re- iman, county administrator of child support services. Two have received jail sentences, he said.
Lake County deputies last week picked up two parents for delinquent payment of child support. One was ordered to serve 10 days in jail. The state plans to conduct another crackdown next year, Allen said. "The publicity generated by this should send a strong message out that the state and county are going to do whatever it takes and use all their tools," he said. Plain Dealer reporters Molly Kavanaugh and Mark Vosburgh contributed to this article.
Inside Director Michael Scherach He said that represents a conflict of interest. Scherach said the board should be dissolved and reconvened with new members and begin new hearings to establish what residents should be assessed for the project. Despite the condition of, Oak Point, many residents oppose; paying for repairs. Council agreed to appoint al new board in January. Councilwoman Kathy Tavenner, said members of the board had, taken an oath that they had no interest in Oak Point Rd.
"Why didn't he say something! then? He swore an oath," said. "Now we have to start all over again." Suki said he did not realize that the golf course bordered the road until he was in the hearings. He said he told Assistant Law Director Bob Gargasz of his investment interest last week. On Dec. 5, the city-appointed assessment board recommended that residents not be charged for installing storm sewers or for engineering and legal fees associated with the work.
Part of the cost was to be paid for with state and federal funding. The board's decision, which was expected to be approved by City Council last night, have reduced the $123-a-foot assessment that residents had expected to pay. The total savings were to be determined later. lifeguard admits sex offenses A man arrested for raping a child and spying on women and girls at the Cleveland Heights YMCA has pleaded guilty to charges. 3-B Lorain 2-B Obituaries Metro.
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