Amherst News-Times, 2001-02-07

              Local bachelors are auctioned — Page 3   Comets enjoy win over Rockets — Page 6|
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Amherst News-Time
;sday, February 7, 2001
Amherst, Ohio
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'Armed robbery' inside job with BB
Two Lorain residents were
arrested last week and
charged with the robbery of
the BP gas station on Leavitt
Road in AmhersL
Nineteen-year-old April
Williams and her boyfriend
Tony Hamilton both confessed
to taking part in the heist
that occurred on Jan. 19.
The robbery took place around 7 p.m. when Hamilton
burst into the gas station
wearing a ski mask and
brandishing what, according to
Amherst detective Alex Molnar said, looked like an automatic pistol.
Hamilton then ordered one
of the two employees to the
ground and told the remaining
employee — April Williams
— to empty the registers or
he would "kill" the woman
on the ground. Williams then
put the money from both registers into several garbage
bags and handed them to Hamilton who fled from the
scene.
According to detective Molnar, several tips told him to
look into the employee who
emptied the registers.
"We got several tips saying
that Ms. Williams should be
looked at," stated Molnar.
"We ran a check and found
that she did have some priors.
So I called her in to talk about it and she confessed to
being in on the crime."
It was one day later that
Amherst police arrested her
30-year-old boyfriend,
"She gave us his address
and we then called the Lorain
police," stated Molnar. "Anytime we are going to serve a
warrant in another city we
contact that department to let
them know what is going on.
When we arrived he was
cooperative and surrendered
himself without incident"
It was during the arrest of
Hamilton that police discovered the weapon. What the
employee thought was an
automatic pistol was actually
a BB gun made to look like
a real gun.
"Because it was a BB gun,
we could only charge him
with robbery," explained Molnar. "We checked with the
procesecutor just to make sure
before charging him."
Williams was charged with
Tiling a false police report
and may also face charges of
conspiracy and obstruction of
justice. According lo Molnar,
because Williams was on parole at the time it is unlikely
that she will get out on bond.
While both suspects confessed to their roles in the
crime, Molnar stated that they
differed on one key point
"He said that it was her
idea, and she said it was his
idea," explained Molnar. "But
that is not uncommon in a si
tuation like this."
Both are awaiting trial.
April Williams
Family business
is making others
look good on top
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
News-Times reporter
For some people cutting hair is
simply a job. For the Mittler family
it is a way of life.
For nearly 50 yean Ron Mittler
has owned and operated Ron's Barber Shop on Park Avenue in downtown Amherst What makes his establishment unique is that everyone
who works there is a Mittler.
Ron's two daughters Nancy and
Paula, along with his son John, are
all certified barbers working for
their dad.
"It's great working here," stated
Nancy. "It's like hanging out in
your living room all day." Paula
concurred, "We get along so well, it
makes work a lot easier."
Amherst residents may remember
Smitty's Barber Shop. That is where
Ron first started to cut hair.
"I worked for Smitty's a long
time ago," explained Mittler. "But
he died around 1957 and I bought
the place."
It would be another 26 years before the first of his children would
pick up razor and sissor.
"John first came on in 1983,"
stated Mittler. John would be followed 16 years later by Ms sister
Nancy. Paula, the latest addition to
the family business only recendy
graduated from the All State Barber
College in Cleveland. She has been
cutting hair for several weeks.
Both sisters agreed that when
they were younger they entertained
CONTINUED from page 9
Ron Mittler (center) is surrounded by his children from left to right:
Nancy, John, and Paula. Ron's grandson Aaron may be the third
Reality TV
is a reality
at cable's
TV station
by JASON TOMASZEWSKI
News-Times reporter
Get ready Amherst, reality
TV is coming to a station
near you.
WACC, Amherst city cable,
has premiered a new show
that will show people just
what it is like to live in Amherst It will be sort of like
"Survivor," only no one will
be on an island.
According to the show's
host Mark Kernohan, the goal
is- to show people just what it
is like to live in Amherst
"We want people to get a
taste of Amherst," stated Kernohan. "We feel like there
are a lot of great stories
here."
The new show centers around the great common denominator, the party. Amherst
residents will call the station
and tell them when and
where they will be having a
party.
Once things get going Ker-
: nohan shows up with a camera crew and the fun starts.
"Basically, I just go around
talking with the party goers,"
> explained Kernohan. "I walk
\ around and see what people
have to say."
According to the host, Ihe
Idea tor the new show just
came to him one day. "I
thought it would be great to
see what people were like at
parties," staled Kerewhan "I
Mark Kernohan dances up a storm with a woman attending a bachelor auction while his
camera man shoots the action. Kernohan is
the host of a new reality based television
show in Amherst that shows Amherst residents and their parties.
kept thinking it would be
great to do a five-year-old's
birthday party. Have this
older guy playing pin the tail
on the donkey with all of the
little kids. It would be great."
WACC has already ran two
episodes of the show! and
taped a third this weekend.
"One of our first shows
was from the political parties
on election night," explained
Kernohan. "We were there at
Congressman Brown's office
and then with the county
commusio-ters. It was great
because the commissioner race
wu so close and no one
knew who had won. There
was a lot of energy at that
party."
f
While the show is not
shown live, Kernohan said
that he tries to make k as
live as possible by limiting
the editing. "We edit out as
tittle as possible." stated Ker-
nohsn. "We just want to
show people having a food
time. The only things that we
would edit out are things that
people would be embarrassed
about later. We also don't
want to show someone who
is obviously -McorofortsMe."
Kcmohao also said that the
film crew tends to stay away
Cram people who are heatvtty
intoxicated. "You can get into
a lot of trouble showing
something like that," explained Kernohan. "People do
things that they might regret
later, so we'll just find someone else to shoot"
Kernohan hopes to get a
wide range of people volunteering for the snow. "My
goal is to have a graduation
party, a 50-year wedding anniversary, and maybe a party
for a college studem coming
borne," stated Kenmhon. "We
warn people from all ages to
generation of Mittler barbers in Amherst.
Another local attorney
will run for judgeship
The retirement of Oberlin Municipal Court Judge Martin M. Heberling has opened the door for several
candidates to vie for his soon-to-be-
vacant seat.
Amherst residents Thomas Januzzi and Susan Ward have already
announced that they will attempt to
fill the void left by Heberling.
Last week another Amherst resident, Martin J. Conry, has announced his plans to run for the office. Conry is running as a Democrat in the primary.
Corny brings 26 years of experience in the private sector as an attorney to the race. Since 1993 Conry
has served as a magistrate to the
Oberlin Municipal Court on a part-
time basis.
Along with Januzzi, Conry has
served as an acting judge to the
court.
Corey feels that his work in the
Oberlin Municipal Court combined
with his extensive experience in the
private sector make him an ideal
candidate for judge.
"I wm appointed the magistrate
by Judge Heberling in 1993 and remain in that part-time position,"
State of the city good
according to Higgins
Martin Conry
stated Conry. "I have also had the
opportunity to sit as an acting judge
on numerous occasions since 1990.
Acting judges are appointed on an
as needed basis by Judge
Heberling."
The new judge will be voted into
office in November.
Right now kernohan said
CONTINUED from papa 9
Mayor John Higgins dttivcrod his
annual "State of the City" address to
council last week.
And Higgins reported he is
pleased with the __x>c-mpli-__rnenu
of the year 2000, but wem on to my
that there are many chat-eagre that
await the cJti-gnt of Amherst in
2001.
Higgins staled that -be
n_sta_t_c-.'s asmroach to
the city bed
Pint, ha P-MS ie ona-haae to j_p-
grade the city's utilities to enable
them to be efficient, --spendable
systems that deliver service, not
problems.
Higgins believes that work needs
to be done on the city's infrastructure ao that the daily needs of i_e
community are not interfered with,
while {providing mfoty.
Aad Higgins warns to improve
the tad amsta of the ctty. The
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