Columbus Monthly May 2020

COLUMBUS MONTHLY

This is the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.

And everything each of us does Matters.

—Dr. Amy Acton

The Coronavirus Issue

May 2020

$5.99 | columbusmonthly.com May 2020

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Contents

On the cover: Photo by Tim Johnson

may 2020

A closed playground in Grandview

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Features 52

photo: tim johnson

Amy Acton Was Born for This Crisis

In the midst of a global emergency, Ohio’s health director has risen from obscurity to widespread acclaim, providing strength, intellect and candor for an isolated and anxious state.

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When Everything Changed

Ohio’s dine-in ban signaled a crisis for bars and restaurants, and major changes to our way of life amid the new coronavirus. Photo editor Tim Johnson documents an industry in flux.

The Pandemic Hits Home

The COVID-19 outbreak has upended life in Columbus, leaving in its path economic wreckage, traumatized populations and statemandated isolation. What do these changes mean for Central Ohio?

And how do we navigate this new reality today and in the future?

MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Contents may 2020

108

124

30

Arch City

Home & Style

Dining

16 Wildlife

106 Q&A

122 Industry

22 Arts

107 Products

124 ChefS

30 Perspective

108 Home

128 Drink

The coyotes next door Keny Galleries turns 40.

Quarantined with triplets

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An influencer’s passion for fashion Spoil your mom.

Muirfield’s exclusive enclave

Restaurants in crisis What will become of Veritas?

A distillery’s pandemic pivot

in every issue

10 FROM THE EDITOR 12 Small Talk 26 Datebook 27 PEOPLE 114 TOP 25 real estate transactions 136 City quotient

photos: left and middle right, tim johnson; top right, rob hardin; bottom right, tessa berg

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Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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photos: left and middle right, tim johnson; top right, rob hardin; bottom right, tessa berg

Your love.

Our passion.

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Special Advertising Sections special advertising section

Grandview Heights A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

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65 S uburban Spotlight: Grandview Heights

Though small in area, this inner-ring suburb packs a mighty punch.

89 P ink Moments

Four women share why they’re among the thousands who Race for the Cure each year.

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Learn how you can take advantage of advanced degree options in Central Ohio.

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Volume 46 / Number 5 Columbus Monthly (ISSN 2333-4150) is published monthly by Gannett. All contents of this magazine are copyrighted © Gannett Co., Inc. 2020, all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials. Known office of publication is 62 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio 43215. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Columbus Monthly, 62 E. Broad St., P.O. Box 1289, Columbus, OH 43216.

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Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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WITH A

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Columbus Site Manager Alan Miller publisher/general manager Ray Paprocki ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/Advertising Director Rheta Gallagher

EDITORIAL

AM MONTHLY O N T H L Y CCONVERSATION ONVERSATION W WITH I T H LLOCAL O C A L CCAREER AREER & CCOMMUNITY O M M U N I T Y LLEADERS EADERS

Editor Dave Ghose Senior Editors Chris Gaitten, Suzanne Goldsmith Home & Style Editor Sherry Beck Paprocki Dining Editor Erin Edwards Special Sections Editor Emma Frankart Henterly

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Production/Design Director Craig Rusnak Art director Betsy Becker Associate Art Director Alyse Pasternak

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editor Julanne Hohbach Assistant Digital Editor Brittany Moseley

TOGETHER, WE’LL MAKE IT THROUGH TO SEPT. 5

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Photo Editor Tim Johnson Associate Photo Editor Rob Hardin

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Editorial/Advertising Offices 62 E. Broad St. P.O. Box 1289 Columbus, OH 43216 614-888-4567

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From the Editor

The Virus and Us

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This is a “defining moment,” the Columbus Partnership’s Alex Fischer told me in a recent interview, and I agree with him. I’m immensely proud of the Columbus Monthly staff for rising to the occasion, pivoting to an ambitious cover topic at the last minute and adapting our intensely collaborative work processes into a work-from-home environment. I find myself thinking of the quote from Ohio’s health director, Dr. Amy Acton, on the cover of this magazine: “This is the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. And everything each of us does matters.”

With this issue, I think we’ve done our part. *** Columbus Monthly is a finalist for two national City and Regional Magazine Association Awards.

For the fourth consecutive year, the magazine is up for a prestigious general excellence honor for its circulation size, while senior editor Suzanne Goldsmith is also a finalist for profile writing (circulation less than 60,000). The winners will be announced in May.

Dave Ghose dghose@columbusmonthly.com

Steve Wartenberg

contributed to our feature package on the new coronavirus (Page 34).

He’s a freelance writer, blogger, podcaster and former Columbus Dispatch business reporter.

Jill Moorhead

worked in the Columbus food scene for 14 years before shifting to higher education marketing. She wrote about COVID-19’s impact on the dining industry (Page 122).

Daniel Garcia

created the illustration of urban coyotes on Page 16. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, GQ, Newsweek and other publications.

photos: clockwise from left, rob hardin; courtesy steve wartenberg; courtesy jill moorhead; courtesy daniel garcia

I’m writing this column from my basement, where I’ve staked out a corner for my temporary office. With its bugs, cobwebs and cracked concrete, it’s not a perfect environment.

But it gets the job done, and I prefer it to my wife’s workspace in the dining room on the floor above me. She’s got sunlight and easy kitchen access, but she also has to listen to our kids play “Animal Crossing” on the Nintendo Switch all day what we long. Down here, I have nothing learned this but peace and quiet, as well as a month few eight-legged friends to keep me company.

There is a stuffed pigeon This issue, as you can gather named Pete in the Statehouse from the above paragraph, cupola (Page 18). wasn’t put together under Traffic declined 42 percent on the most ideal circumstances. the state’s highways on March In early March, the Columbus 24, the first day of the stay-at-home Monthly staff and I began to realorder (Page 34). ize that the COVID-19 outbreak Columbus State’s campus is might force us to reconsider built on a pre-Civil War graveour planned May cover story, a yard once known as the Catholic package of travel pieces. At first, Cemetery (Page 136). we kicked around a few lighthearted replacement ideas, but within a week, it became clear that none of those fit anymore. With schools closed, sports canceled, businesses shutting down and the city on a stay-at-home order, there was just one story for us to cover.

We’ve dedicated the May issue to documenting the local impact of the pandemic, including three features on the topic. From Arch City in the front of the book to the dining section in the back, you’ll find stories that describe how the new coronavirus is affecting Columbus.

In my nearly 25 years as a journalist, I’ve never encountered a story that has so dramatically altered life in this country. It’s also been unusually personal for us at Columbus Monthly. We’re not war correspondents. We’re not used to finding ourselves caught in the middle of a chaotic story that we’re also covering. Just like so many others, our offices are closed, we’re isolated in our homes, we’re scared for our families and friends, and we’re worried about our jobs. Because of lost revenue as a result of the crisis, our staff will need to take three weeks of unpaid furlough—one week each in April, May and June.

Contributors

Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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We are a finalist for two national awards Recognized for general excellence and profile writing

photos: clockwise from left, rob hardin; courtesy steve wartenberg; courtesy jill moorhead; courtesy daniel garcia

Columbus Monthly is up for two national City and Regional Magazine Association Awards, including the fourth consecutive nomination for its prestigious general excellence award for our circulation size. In 2018, Columbus Monthly took home first-place honors for this award.

Columbus Monthly senior editor Suzanne Goldsmith is also a finalist for the profile writing category.

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Spotlight on Shadowbox Reaction to “Out of the Shadows,” our March feature by editor Dave Ghose and freelancer D.A. Steward about a #MeToo reckoning at Shadowbox Live, was divided between support for the women who shared their stories and dissatisfaction from former employees who thought the article was not critical enough of the current Shadowbox administration. “Reducing the experiences of these women down to bullet points and spending the rest of this article glorifying an organization and a management team that allowed [the late Shadowbox co-founder] Stev Guyer to prey upon his employees is reprehensible,” wrote Erin Karla on Facebook. “Aw, man, this is really sad,” wrote Katie Knostman on Twitter. “I’ve been a big supporter of the organization. I hope they can focus on the safety of their performers and other staff moving forward.”

A Home With Soul Subscriber Jennifer Nelson loved Laurie Allen’s feature depicting the art-filled Delaware home of Ike Okafor-Newsum and Connie Richards, a renovated cottage and studio (“Powerful Living”). “I was so

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thrilled to open the March issue and read about a home that is not a cookie-cutter house with little soul,” Nelson wrote in an email. “Please continue to feature more homes like these—beautiful, interesting tucked-away gems!”

We want to hear from you.

Send to: Editor, Columbus Monthly, 62 E. Broad St., P.O. Box 1289, Columbus, OH 43216. Or email: letters@columbusmonthly.com. A letter must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Letters will be edited for length and clarity. All letters sent to Columbus Monthly are considered for publication, either in print or online.

FOLLOW US! web: ColumbusMonthly.com email: letters@columbusmonthly.com Columbus Monthly @ColumbusMonthly

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ArchCity Wildlife p. 16 | Books P. 18 | Comedy p. 20 | people P. 27

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Masterful milestone

Prints by artist Mary Jane Ward at Keny Galleries, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary

Photo by Tim johnson

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Keeping Up with the Coyotes Columbus has had an influx of canine citizens in recent years, and residents must learn how to live with their wild new neighbors.

By Chris Gaitten

Even before the intruder arrived, Suzanne Kloss was alarmed. Earlier in the month, a dog had been carried off from its owner and killed a few streets away. Then, on Jan. 16, Kloss was in her home in Berwick when she heard her pet barking up a storm in the back yard.

“So I went out, and right smack dab on the other side of the chain-link fence was a coyote, nose-to-nose with her,” she recalls.

“If the chain-link fence weren’t there, and I hadn’t gotten out in time, there’s a good likelihood the coyote would have gotten my dog.”

The previous pet attack had worried Kloss, and she’d been researching coyotes before her brush with one. She wanted to alert her neighbors and give them advice, so she posted a warning on Nextdoor, a social networking website. That same evening, 16

only a couple of miles away, a coyote bit a Columbus police officer on an I-70 exit ramp near Hamilton Road. To Kloss, the message was clear: Coyotes on the East Side were becoming brazen because they were habituated to people. She formed the Berwick Area Coyote Coalition to share information online with residents.

Such groups are crucial in dealing with coyotes because they can communicate sightings among members and report incidents to officials, says Stanley Gehrt, an Ohio State professor. Gehrt has been studying coyotes in cities for two decades, ever since they began appearing in Chicago, where he’s a wildlife expert. His Urban Coyote Research Project investigated the phenomenon as the animals proliferated in the Windy City and elsewhere, including Columbus.

The reason for their metropolitan migration is still something of a mystery. Gehrt says the best guess is that a severe drop in hunting and trapping rural populations caused their numbers to grow; because they’re territorial, some were pushed toward cities. Coyotes, at about 4 feet long and averaging 25 to 35 pounds, thrived in urban areas. Their diet is broad—rodents, deer, fruit—and they’re opportunistic, so they sometimes take advantage of human sources, like wasted food or the occasional small family pet. They’re quick to adapt, and Gehrt’s research has documented them crossing roads—the most challenging city problem for terrestrial animals—by learning traffic patterns.

Now that coyotes have staked a claim, people are unlikely to force them out. If a solitary coyote is killed, another fills its territory in short order. They can increase litter sizes dramatically, so relocating a group will just have a temporary effect. “The only option would be to somehow introduce wolves and get them established, and I don’t think that’s a viable option for cities,” Gehrt says with a laugh. “So we can’t change their numbers, but what we can do is we can change their behavior.”

illustration: Triline Studio

Arch City wildlife

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photo: Grayson Cahal

illustration: Triline Studio

His research has focused on ways to reduce conflicts, which are very rare, he says, and even sightings aren’t frequent despite the coyotes’ growing presence. The most common cause of conflict is humans providing food. Some people feed coyotes directly, but it’s unintentional for many homeowners. They leave pet food out or set up bird feeders, which also attract squirrels and small rodents, bringing coyotes into proximity with people and pets when they come looking for a meal.

Kloss believes a neighbor’s compost pile— stocked with leftover fruit from the person’s catering business—may have attracted the coyote to her fence. She has been using the Berwick Area Coyote Coalition’s social media accounts to provide tips for deterring them and to warn others about providing food sources. As she realized early on, the underlying problem is that some urban coyotes have become comfortable, undaunted by their human neighbors. She made her back yard inhospitable, removing the type of brush where they sometimes like to make dens and adding blue strobe lights, which she moves periodically to keep them uneasy, as well as motion-sensor sprinklers and lights.

If coyotes are spotted near homes, Gehrt recommends yelling and making noise—a coffee can filled with coins works well—to scare them away. To live in close quarters without conflict, they need to be afraid of people, he says. In other words, the most neighborly gesture is to be (mildly) menacing.

“Coyotes are here to stay,” Kloss says, and her coalition aims for peaceful coexistence.

She notes that the interlopers do provide some benefits, like keeping rodent populations in check. “They’re not bad animals, and they can’t help that they’re coyotes.” ◆

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mccn.edu A video capture of a coyote in a Columbus Metro Park MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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4/9/20 6:27 PM

The Columbus Book Boom Local authors are cranking out collections about the city’s history, attractions, identity and more.

At some point civic pride became a cottage industry, and the local love has extended into literature, with new Columbus-centric books hitting shelves regularly. The five highlighted here have been released in just the past year (occasional Columbus Monthly contributors produced three of them: “111 Places in Columbus,” “Columbus Noir” and “The Columbus Anthology”). With the coronavirus forcing many of us to hole up indoors, and only so many hours one can spend watching Netflix, it’s the perfect time to catch up on reading.

—Heather Barr

“Columbus Uncovered”

By John Clark If you’re spending self-isolation preparing for off-the-wall questions at bar trivia, this book—subtitled “Fascinating, RealLife Stories About Unusual People, Places & Things in Ohio’s Capital City”—is the one for you. Learn about odd attractions, like a 1903 stage play with eight galloping horses, and scandals, like a 19th-century pharmacist who loved to sunbathe atop his castle in the nude.

“Columbus Noir” Edited by Andrew Welsh-Huggins This collection of fiction by a group of 13 local writers, including Lee Martin, Nancy Zafris and Chris Bournea, is perfect for fans of crime novels and mysteries. The book tells stories of Columbus’ dark doppelganger, where greed and pride have run rampant. Although they’re fictional, they delve into aspects of the city that are all too real: the opioid epidemic, murder and corruption.

“LGBTQ Columbus”

By Ken Schneck and Shane McClelland The images and extended captions in this photojournalistic retrospective give an intersectional look at 50 years of Columbus’ LGBTQ history. It offers details on everything from the underground Berwick Ball in the ’60s to the city’s first Pride parade in the ’80s to the protestors in the 2017 parade who became known as the Black Pride 4. In addition to the historic photos, newspaper headlines and other artifacts underscore the strength of the Columbus LGBTQ community through the decades.

“111 Places in Columbus That You Must Not Miss”

By Sandra Gurvis This compilation of short articles serves as a wide-ranging primer on the city’s quintessential places to eat, drink and explore.

From professional and amateur sports to the lively arts community, Gurvis examines hidden gems and Columbus staples in this insider’s guide. The book’s 111 full-page color photographs by Mitch Geiser provide a portrait of the city’s historic landmarks, modern attractions and obscure eccentricities, like a stuffed pigeon named Pete in the Statehouse cupola.

“The Columbus Anthology” Edited by Amanda Page Unlike Cleveland and Cincinnati, Columbus has always seemed prone to identity crises. This collection features local writers, artists and musicians sharing their perspectives on what, exactly, the city was, is and could become. Poet Maggie Smith wrestles with the ugly legacy of the city’s namesake, essayist Hanif Abdurraqib offers his take on the unifying power of the Crew, and Anyway Records founder Bela Koe-Krompecher reflects on the rise and eventual dissolution of the city’s 1990s-era rock scene.

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Book covers, clockwise from top: courtesy Gatekeeper Press; Coley & Co. Photography (photo) and Aaron Petrovich (design); courtesy Arcadia Publishing; courtesy Emons Verlang; art by Noah Van Sciver, courtesy The Ohio State University Press

Arch City books

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Arch City HIGHER EDUCATION

Maybe John Kasich will get his shot at being president after all.

When Michael Drake announced his pending retirement from Ohio State’s top job, the former governor’s name quickly emerged as a possible hire. It wouldn’t be unprecedented. In 2012, Bill Funk’s search firm helped Purdue hire Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Funk also conducted the search that lured Drake away from UC Irvine in 2014, and he says that year’s board was keen on hiring a sitting president. Though OSU chose another firm to run its 2020 search, Funk’s impression from talking to board members this time was they were interested in looking outside academia as well.

He says there’s a growing appetite for nontraditional options.

Otterbein had discussions about that in 2018, says Cheryl Herbert, who led the board’s presidential search committee that year. But the school eventually opted for John Comerford after focusing on eight higher ed semifinalists, including some provosts and vice presidents, the ranks where Funk looks for rising talent.

So when Drake steps down this summer, who will step up? ­—Chris Gaitten

Photos: Dispatch File

Book covers, clockwise from top: courtesy Gatekeeper Press; Coley & Co. Photography (photo) and Aaron Petrovich (design); courtesy Arcadia Publishing; courtesy Emons Verlang; art by Noah Van Sciver, courtesy The Ohio State University Press

Buckeye Search Party

The Insiders Executive VP and provost Bruce McPheron is an alum who knows the culture, and he oversees 15 OSU colleges and five campuses. In contrast, Dr. Harold “Hal” Paz is a newcomer, but the June 2019 arrival already oversees the $4 billion Wexner Medical Center’s moneymaking machine.

The Jilted

The Academics

Gordon Gee has never suffered from lack of charm, but why not give the current West Virginia president a third time at the helm anyway? Jim Tressel’s tenure as football coach ended too early for many OSU fans, and now he has the requisite academic experience as the president of Youngstown State.

Alum Nancy Zimpher was the dean of OSU’s professional colleges before leading three schools, including the University of Cincinnati. After poaching Wolverine football coaches Greg Mattison and Al Washington, the ultimate insult to Michigan would be enticing president Dr. Mark Schlissel into a scarlet-and-gray suit.

The Cabinet

The Mavericks

Funk says he’d look at ex-cabinet members, and who better than Condoleezza Rice—the former secretary of state, Stanford provost and College Football Playoff committee member? Or OSU could go the medical route with Kathleen Sebelius, Obama’s secretary of Health and Human Services and the daughter of former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan.

John Kasich has name recognition, experience leading a complex organization, and—as was the case with Mitch Daniels—he appointed nearly every board member. But no one has the influence of Les Wexner, who may decide to spend his new free time running OSU, as some have long suspected anyway.

MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Arch City comedy

Funny Business Hashtag’s new digs highlight the growth of Columbus’ comedy scene.

By Brooke Preston

Barbara Allen, co-founder of Columbus Unscripted, introduces a comedian at the Stand Up for Stand Up open mic night at Wild Goose Creative.

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Hashtag’s new venue is just the latest sign of the city’s ever-growing scene, proof that there’s no better time to be a Columbus comedy fan. Here’s a closer look at a few other local groups aiming to delight.

Story Club Columbus Harmony Cox hosts this live monthly storytelling showcase at Rambling House (310 E. Hudson St.), a folky gem of a bar/ performance space. Every first Tuesday, performers are given eight minutes each to regale the crowd with a true tale loosely related to a monthly theme. “Story Club is not a stuffy recitation or a serious lecture

series,” says Cox. “It’s lively and funny, full of laughs and surprises.”

MadLab The nonprofit MadLab Theatre (227 N. Third St.) is a performer’s laboratory. In addition to full-length original productions and a young writer’s program, MadLab is also home to some of the city’s greatest comedy troupe shows, from the long-running and always funny FFN to monthly live performances of It’s All Been Done Radio Hour (a PG-13 twist on the radio serial), created by producer Jerome Wetzel.

The Nest After a few moves, this multiformat comedy and theater operation co-owned by Tara DeFrancisco and Rance Rizzuto settled in a permanent home at 894 W. Broad St. in Franklinton. Among other shows, The Nest is home to ComedySportz Columbus and “Here the Musical,” a two-person improvised play. One of the first Central Ohio improv training centers, it also offers corporate workshops and classes for hobbyists and aspiring professionals alike.

Wild Goose Creative Wild Goose is a nonprofit arts organization with a community space (2491 Summit St.) that hosts Columbus Unscripted’s stand-up show every fourth Monday, as well as Sassy Do, the city’s longest-running all-female improv group. As Sassy Do co-founder Barbara Allen explains, the performers focus on improv “through the lens of the female perspective. … The heart of our work is demonstrating the power of female friendship to change the world.”

rendering: Kenny Greer; Photo: brooke lavalley

Over the past eight years, Hashtag Comedy has built a reputation as one of the city’s finest improv teams, growing from a single troupe into an organization boasting five different shows and casts. Still, there’s one thing Hashtag hasn’t had until now: a venue of its own. “As we grew over the years, we asked, ‘Is this something that we can execute? Is Columbus ready for something like this? Are we?’” says Hashtag’s artistic director Sarah Storer.

The answer is a resounding yes (or, more aptly, yes and …). The Hashtag Comedy theater is currently slated to open this summer at 346 E. Long St. in the Discovery District, with capacity for up to 99, though Storer says the adaptable venue will largely host intimate shows for around half that number, as well as space for classes, a bar and possibly food.

It won’t strictly feature improv, welcoming styles from stand-up to sketch and beyond.

“We will still have those tried-and-true shows that feel familiar. But we also want to have shows when audiences say, ‘Wow, I don’t ever get to see anything like this anywhere else.’”

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Christine Horvath started performing on comedy stages in 2012, after a breakup. “It was a bad time that comedy made a little better,” she says. Despite its uplifting qualities, the experience opened her eyes.

“When I started in comedy, a ‘diverse’ lineup looked like four white guys and one white woman, or four white guys and one person of color.

“I got out of mainstream clubs. I made a deliberate decision to take myself out of places like the Funny Bone and make spaces for me and the audiences I want to serve. I wasn’t making the audiences I wanted to make laugh, laugh.”

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That’s why Horvath created Babe Roar, an organization dedicated to “celebrating and uplifting marginalized comedians,” per the website. When it comes to the work that needs to be done to foster more inclusive stages, Horvath is proud of Columbus.

photo: courtesy CC Pictures LTD

rendering: Kenny Greer; Photo: brooke lavalley

“Nationally, we have a ways to go,” she says. “Locally, we’re doing great. A lot of people have told me that hearing the idea [for Babe Roar] encouraged them to book more female headliners because they’d never thought of it before. I’ve also been doing a lot of work toward diversifying lineups because people should see lineups that look like them. Anyone who wants to come to a comedy show should feel represented by the lineup.

“Every second Saturday, I run Go Big or Go Home: A Big Babe Variety Show with Fat Babes of Columbus and The Big Girl Burlesque that is specifically catered toward fat babes.”

Despite her advocacy and optimism, there’s still a ways to go.

“There are lots of people who are not being seen or respected,” Horvath says, “and it’s important to represent everyone.”

—Amanda Page MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Arch City arts

Durin hear COV team and for yo We a

Brothers Jim (left) and Tim Keny with a George Bellows print that will be part of their 40th anniversary exhibition.

Keny Galleries’ milestone marks a career devoted to timeless art.

By Peter Tonguette

In February of 1980, James and Tim Keny found a home for their new art gallery. The fraternal twins decided a 19th-century brick building tucked away in German Village would be the perfect place to showcase their artistic treasures. Plus, if the gallery failed, the building could serve other purposes.

“We thought, ‘Well, the worst that could happen would be, if the business doesn’t work out, we’ll have a place to live,’” says James Keny.

Four decades later, Keny Galleries is not only still in operation at 300 E. Beck St. but has carved out a distinctive niche in the Columbus arts community. While many galleries are focused on the latest contemporary art, the Keny brothers, 64, take the long view, keeping one eye on the present and another on the past.

During any given year, the gallery might display works by its roster of current artists alongside masters of years gone by, including such iconic figures as Mary Cassatt 22

and Edward Hopper. A 40th-anniversary exhibition—An American Album: 150 Years of Masterworks on Paper: 1870–2020, planned for May 1 to July 1—will highlight the full range of the gallery’s offerings.

“It’s a wonderful community of gallerists here, but much of that is contemporary,” says Nannette Maciejunes, the executive director of the Columbus Museum of Art, which has both acquired works from and made works available to the brothers.

“One of the things that distinguishes the Keny Galleries is that they do have that piece that goes back to the early 20th century, even at times into the 19th century,” Maciejunes says.

Two of six children born to Gebhard and Julianne Keny, the twins were raised in a household with art in the air. The renowned Alice Schille, a former CCAD teacher, painted the boys’ maternal grandmother. “We grew up surrounded by some pretty amazing things,” James says.

T photo: tim johnson

Forty Years with the Masters

Deviating from their initial professional paths—James was studying law and Tim was pursuing a career in business—they used family funds to purchase works of art and began to place some major pieces, mostly with art dealers. Assessing the local artistic landscape, the brothers judged there was room for a new gallery. “We only felt there were two significant scholarly galleries in the state, which was pretty amazing to us given the wealth in Ohio,” says Tim Keny.

The gallery, which also functions as a brokerage arranging sales of art between clients and collectors, beat the drum for the works they considered undervalued, including works on paper by past masters. The brothers describe several areas of focus, including not just historic American art but female artists, folk artists and Ohioans past and present; local artists featured in the new exhibition include Schille and George Bellows.

They also praise the advancement of the local visual arts scene, noting the emergence of the Wexner Center and numerous commercial galleries since they opened.

Forty years in, the brothers continue to follow their own muse, as James describes: “It is important to create a niche of expertise and stick with it.” ◆

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During this difficult and trying time, our hearts go out to everyone affected by COVID-19. The Alexanders Jewelers team hopes that everyone stays healthy and keeps in mind that we are still here for you and your needs.

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photo: tim johnson

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Arch City image

Gabby Theiles waves at Lucas and Benjamin Reiner in the front yard of their Bexley home as she and other friends hold a drive-by birthday celebration for the twins. Their bowling party was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Photo by Tim Johnson

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Arch City editors’ picks

Datebook Things to See and Do

For more ways to help , see Pg. 44

Riverboxes

Geocachers, environmentalists and art lovers should enjoy the challenge presented by the Dublin Arts Council’s Riverboxes do-it-yourself outdoor art exhibition. Online clues and GPS coordinates will guide you to 13 commissioned works of art in natural settings near the banks of the Scioto or its tributaries. To comply with social distancing guidelines, bring your own stamp and journal to track your finds, or download and print a passport booklet from the council’s website. dublinarts.org/visual-arts/riverboxes

Columbus Zoo onlinE

Online Art

With art lovers stuck at home, museums are showing off their exhibitions virtually. The Columbus Museum of Art’s show Art After Stonewall, 1969–1989 opened just nine days before the museum closed, but CMA is posting discussions of the works on its YouTube channel weekly, as well as videos previewing an upcoming Aminah Robinson show (above: “Life Along Water Street, 2003–2007”), pushed back from its originally announced July opening. Ohio Wesleyan’s Ross Museum of Art offers a 3D virtual tour of its biennial faculty show (find it on Facebook), and CCAD’s senior exhibition will be online at ccad.edu/ bfathesis. You can also browse the permanent collections at CMA, Ross and other local museums online—check their websites.

Virtual Gallery Hop May 2

#COSIConnects

COSI president and CEO Frederic Bertley’s inaugural Big Science Festival took place over four days across Franklin County last year and included more than 100 hands-on experiments, demonstrations and activities, from stargazing to tagging migratory birds. This year’s festival can’t go on in person May 6–9 as planned, but COSI continues to bring science to the community with daily video demonstrations, including twice-a-week science challenges. Kids and families are invited to post their outcomes to COSI’s social channels. cosiconnects.org

Gallery Hop, a Short North tradition on the first Saturday of every month, continues at a social distance on Instagram. The event includes brief concerts by local performers and video tours of shops and galleries. Order a carryout bite from a neighborhood eatery and join the fun. May’s Hop will include a Stay Away From Each Other Car Parade—check the website for updates. shortnorth.org

Give Back Donate supplies

OSU’s Wexner Medical Center is accepting donations of certain unopened medical supplies, including masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, gowns, sanitizing wipes and goggles, at 610 Ackerman Rd. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Call 614-366-8000 for details.

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Contribute funds

The Columbus Foundation has established an emergency response fund to help out nonprofit organizations as they mobilize to meet the extraordinary challenges posed by the spread of the coronavirus, as well as hardships due to the governor’s stay-at-home order. Make a donation at columbusfoundation.org/coronavirus-emergency-response-fund.

Volunteer

Opportunities to help out in the current crisis arise daily, and organizations with a track record of mobilizing volunteers are helping match people with needs. Brainstorm ways to help at cantstopcolumbus.com.

Specific opportunities are posted at givebesa.org, volunteerunitedcbus. org and on the Point smartphone app (pointapp.org).

photos: clockwise from top, Courtesy Columbus Museum of Art; tim johnson; FRED SQUILLANTE; Tom Dodge

Visit the animals at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium without leaving home through the magic of livestreaming, strategically placed webcams. You wouldn’t stand all day watching the bonobos at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (or would you?), but you can keep them on your digital desktop and wait for shenanigans. And if you tune into the zoo’s Discovery Reef live feed on Tuesdays, you just might see the batfish and bonnethead sharks joined by a diver, who occasionally writes messages on an underwater whiteboard. columbuszoo.org/home/cameras

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Arch City People

ProMusica Soirée Singer and actor Renée Elise Goldsberry was the featured artist at ProMusica Chamber Orchestra’s annual benefit and concert, held Feb. 1. More than 400 guests enjoyed a cocktail party at The Westin Great Southern Columbus, followed by a concert at the adjoining Southern Theatre, which was attended by an additional 400 patrons. Funds raised at the event will go to the orchestra’s artistic and education programs.

Photos: Rick Buchanan

photos: clockwise from top, Courtesy Columbus Museum of Art; tim johnson; FRED SQUILLANTE; Tom Dodge

1 Bob Restrepo, Amy Bonitatibus, Ryan Crowley, Mary Frances Restrepo 2 Alison Barret, Robin Hoffman 3 Laura MacDonald, Barbara Fergus, Lee Ann Brentlinger, Megan Kilgore 4 John Lowe, Cathy Strauss, Terri and Steve Ifeduba 5 Jonathan Rondinelli, Mariana Szalaj, Zack Weese 6 Janet Chen, Renée Elise Goldsberry, David Danzmayr 7 Beth Jackson, Ruth and Mark Lomax, Bruce Garfield 8 Andy Boy, Kristen Forbriger, Jonathan and Montra Moody 9 Monica Kridler, Lex Kridler, Emma Frair 10 Mary Auch, Tom and Mary Katzenmeyer, Andy Auch

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Arch City People

Big Wheels About 470 guests gathered for a dinner gala at L.A. Catering Event Center on Feb. 1, raising more than $520,000 to support the clients of LifeCare Alliance. The nonprofit agency provides health and nutrition services throughout Central Ohio, including serving as one of the five largest Meals-on-Wheels providers in the U.S.

Photos: Anthony Clemente

1 Barb and Mike Berichon, Matt and Leah Berichon 2 Karen Cookston, Kellie Green 3 Patricia and John Ammendola 4 John Gregory, Andy and Denise Nowlin, Bill Shimp 5 Mildred and Fred Gain 6 Dan Corbo, Kris and Chuck Gehring, Lou Ann Kress 7 Stephanie and Kent Hess 8 Tom and Joan Welch, Sue and Bob Hackett 9 Mikelle and Michael Copella 10 Denise and Milton Robinson

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Arch City perspective

Pandemic Parenting

The author paints at home with her triplets in this 2019 photo.

Self-isolation for working parents with 5-year-old triplets is exhausting— and precious.

Funny memes have been circulating recently as families isolate together during the COVID-19 pandemic. My favorite is “The 16 Stages of Pandemic,” by novelist and podcast host Brandy Ferner, a play on the stages of grief, listing as normal such phases as “heavy snacking” and “abject terror.” When I saw the meme, I laughed out loud, then kept laughing in a high-pitched squeal I didn’t recognize. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I couldn’t speak. My 5-year-old triplets watched me, concerned. They asked what was wrong. They rested their little hands on my forearm. Until then, I’d presented a cool, calm front, but inside, I was a twisted mess of nerves.

When schools announced they’d be closed—perhaps for the year—the teacher in me wasn’t afraid. I’d teach life skills, like 21st-century pioneers. We’d thread needles, darn blankets, plant root vegetables and boil chicken bones for noodle soup. I considered making a schedule and sticking to it, rotating between guided, researched activities and free play. I told myself our time in self-isolation would be fine, maybe even fun, and that our lives wouldn’t change much. My children would only be home two extra hours a day, after all, and my husband, Chad, had already begun working from home as a consultant a few months before.

Like most good intentions, isolation started smoothly. After reading a book about salt in the ocean, we dissolved salt into water and set it on the counter, waiting for the water to evaporate. We streamed yoga from YouTube, mirrored it to our basement television and named poses: tree pose, up dog, down dog, savasana. Chad and the kids did Insanity workouts together, the four of them lined up in front of the television wearing athletic shorts and no tops, lifting 30

knees higher and higher still. We tuned in to the Cincinnati Zoo’s live animal lessons and created bird art out of feathers from the couch cushions. The time ahead didn’t seem so terrible. My children were learning organically, staying positive, getting involved. I could almost pretend we were on summer break. I had only taken a few deep breaths since shutting our doors, had only dreamt of going out for the proverbial milk once or twice.

It wasn’t long, though, before my children started asking if they needed to get dressed in the morning. We had already stopped

brushing hair. They began complaining about foods we didn’t have, like Nutella, because the grocery store was out. It rained, a lot. Friends’ houses flooded, and we left fans and a Shop-Vac on our driveway for them to retrieve. Once, alone in the shower, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the silence, until I was interrupted by three little girls who joined me, and then I wondered if I should stop showering. Our salt-water experiment didn’t evaporate in a reasonable time, and the kids cried.

Keeping the house clean felt like brushing teeth while eating Oreos. As usual, I

photo: tessa berg

By Jody Gerbig Todd

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employed my children in chores, like dusting, which they did with reckless abandon, leaving their brooms, mops and dirty rags all over the house for me to pick up. They began boredom eating, dirtying every dish, pan and utensil so we never had enough. They brought up the Lego box from the basement and dumped it in the living room, stray pieces scattering everywhere we walked. I couldn’t keep up with the upkeep.

Then, insomnia set in. The children stayed up late, squirming in their beds, and woke from nightmares. Likely, they weren’t getting enough stimulation and exercise; perhaps they, too, suffered from anxiety. We all looked ragged, listless, our clothes mismatched, our hair tangled and matted, our eyes bloodshot and heavy. Our lives seemed on repeat, my words like mantras: No, you can’t have friends over. Sorry, you won’t be going back to that school. Yes, tomorrow will be the same.

Chad continued to work normal hours and conduct regular phone meetings, but instead of leaving the house to give him quiet, we stayed insufferably loud and incredibly close. He rearranged his schedule

to allow me work time in my own office—a half-hour here, 20 minutes there—but by the time I was able to clear my head and focus, by the time my computer had updated and synced and opened the relevant documents, Chad was called back to work.

Mostly, I tried to write among my children, sitting on the couch with my laptop, producing a disjointed thought or two before fielding requests for snacks or covering boo-boos with Band-Aids. Once, while I was on a business call, my children decided to chase one another around the house, screaming after the leader who had a toy the other two wanted. I wandered from room to room trying to find a quiet spot, but it was no use; my colleague’s children were just as loud. We gave up and rescheduled. Neither of us could hear the other speak.

It was then I realized I couldn’t keep the professional pace I’d established since the triplets started school. I knew I’d need to pause my writing career like I had my teaching one five years before; only this time I didn’t feel confident about the change. Fulltime parent once again, I remembered how taxing it had been caring for three infants,

arranged assembly-line style, sucking on bottles propped with rolled-up blankets, crying out of hunger, pain or boredom.

My children were no longer infants. They had grown into school-aged people with intellectual needs, and I had been called to become their mother-teacher, leading a three-child, 24-hour preschool class without a lesson plan or supplies.

Perhaps the most difficult part of us being together constantly, though, was that I missed my husband, only feet away. He felt out of reach, the children always—often literally—on top of us, our conversations reduced to fragmented snippets interrupted by burning preschool questions, fighting or yelling. I knew Chad was stressed, too, locked away in our bedroom office, unable to help parent, without the space or the quiet to talk about it. I considered giving my children unlimited screen time, thinking I might call this new stage of the pandemic “marathon cartooning.”

But then one night, all three girls started playing, each laughing and squealing and piling on one another, the din of the coronavirus news in the background, my husband and I sitting quietly on the couch,

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Arch City perspective absorbing the noise and chaos. One child said to another, “I don’t like you. I love you!” and it was as though nothing in the world existed but us. I thought, if we had to be stuck, at least we were with our best friends.

That night, after the triplets finally fell asleep (now in the same bedroom, not wanting to sleep alone), Chad and I sat and talked, not about the end of the world, but about podcasts we’d discovered while waiting for kids to fall asleep, interesting articles we’d read while making coffee and how it was technically spring. No cars sped down our streets. The television sat blank.

We were home, not surrounded by loud restaurant patrons or interrupting waiters. We had nowhere to be, no invitations to accept, no calendars to sync, no to-do lists to create. Life felt slower and more present. Suddenly, we weren’t mourning our old lives, full of date nights and parties, gymnastics and swim lessons, excess toilet paper and invitations. We weren’t even worrying about the lives we still might lose. We were just being. I could’ve stayed there forever.

I was right about the hours of our days not changing much during isolation. But

“

Suddenly, we weren’t mourning our old lives, full of date nights and parties, gymnastics and swim lessons. … We weren’t even worrying about the lives we still might lose. We were just being.

I was wrong to think our lives wouldn’t change. My preschool-aged children now know what a novel virus is and how it is different from other viruses; they know that a community needs to work together when faced with a crisis and that those who can provide should; they understand rationing and why it’s sometimes needed, and that going without sliced bread is not the same as going without. I’d not planned on teaching my 5-year-olds these lessons so soon, but I’m glad they learned them from me.

Someday, when the government announces school and business openings, we will collectively breathe and celebrate. New

”

memes will circulate, and other subjects will consume us. But many of us will secretly miss having this time with our families. The house will seem too quiet; the drive to work will feel too tedious. We will become busy and rushed. These days have been both lovely and heartbreaking, the downtime and togetherness so rare.

And, after it’s over, we will go back to passing one another on our way through the house, having felt like we endured something significant together, even if that something was one another, the people we love most—the people we couldn’t bear living without—for a short time. ◆

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4/9/20 6:46 PM

• The Coronavirus Issue •

The COVID-19 epidemic has upended life in the city, and in the following pages, we explore what that means: an uncertain future, economic wreckage, scenes from our strange new reality, vulnerable populations (and ways to help them), a guide to staying calm and more moments that capture our extraordinary times.

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The Pandemic hits home • Photo by Tim Johnson

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How Will the COVID-19 Epidemic Change Columbus?

By Dave Ghose

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Many see this period as reinforcing technological trends already underway. Staley says society has been moving toward what he calls “the new mobility”—bringing “the world to me rather than move me in the world,” as exemplified by Amazon shopping, Uber Eats and Peloton exercise bikes. With schools closed, offices shut down and a stay-at-home order in place through May 1 (as of press time), many Columbus residents have been forced to embrace this way of living even more, via videoconferencing, online classes, telemedicine and other forms of modern communication.

“I wonder how much of this pattern is going to linger after the COVID-19 crisis has calmed,” Staley says.

Fischer says most members of the Columbus Partnership, which includes almost all of the city’s largest and most important companies and institutions, were early adopters of working from home. After the pandemic ends, Fischer expects those companies to reevaluate their workplaces, perhaps allowing more employees to continue to work remotely, as well as change other practices, such as travel expenses. “It’ll just be a real practical question,” Fischer says. “Do we need to spend that money when we’ve all learned how to do Zoom and WebEx and all the other technologies that are out there?” Adds Don DePerro, the head of the Columbus Chamber: “What I think this may do is give many of us, especially veteran managers, a higher level of comfort that we can trust that work is still getting done even if people aren’t seeing each other.”

Extraordinary circumstances have made unfathomable ideas fathomable. The federal government

Top, social distancing is encouraged near the new bridge and development in Dublin; above, David Staley

photos: top, tim johnson; bottom, courtesy david staley

Two years ago, on the centennial of the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, the deadliest pandemic in history, David Staley wrote an article imagining what a similar global health crisis might look like today.

The Ohio State University historian and futurist envisioned quarantined cities, travel restrictions, closed schools (supplemented with online learning), increased telecommuting and conflicting political and cultural forces.

“Would our nation come together to meet the challenge?” wondered Staley in his article, published on the Columbus Underground website. “Or would today’s fractious political environment exacerbate the epidemiological threat, with each side blaming the other, with one side seeking action from government authorities while the other descends into a ‘pandemic survivalist’ mode?”

Now, with those scenarios playing out in real time as the COVID-19 epidemic grips Columbus and the rest of the world, Staley and many others in the city are going through a new exercise. They’re exploring how the crisis could change Central Ohio in the long term— and the ramifications could be profound, affecting health care, politics, culture and technology. With its mounting death tolls, grim economic statistics and extreme social-distancing measures, this period could reshape society just as the Great Depression, the Vietnam War and the 9/11 terrorist attacks did before it.

“It’s interesting to think about this moment in time,” says Alex Fischer, the CEO of the Columbus Partnership, the city’s most powerful civic organization. “It’s unprecedented in our lifetime. I think history will show that it’s a defining moment.”

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was expected to send out $1,200 checks to citizens beginning in April to boost the economy, a stimulus that sounds suspiciously like the “freedom dividend” advocated by former fringe Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Meanwhile, the Central Ohio Transit Authority has suspended bus fares, an idea that civic and public leaders have long rejected despite the pleadings of a small but vocal group led by Columbus developer and former COTA board member Bob Weiler. The fare elimination, done for safety reasons rather than economic ones, is temporary, but Weiler predicts it will be difficult for COTA to go back once the epidemic ends. “It’s easier to give somebody something than to take it away,” he says.

Perhaps the biggest unresolved question is a cultural one: Will this moment divide or bring us together?

Staley sees both encouraging and troubling signs: wise leaders rallying communities against a common health threat and inspiring a community-minded spirit of sacrifice and good deeds, while others denounce the epidemic as a hoax and ignore the scientific consensus. “It’s possible that this crisis levels us, that it will dampen some of the vicious polarization that we’ve been experiencing,” Staley says. “It’s also possible that it will increase the polarization, fueling or accelerating what the country already is feeling.”

For a younger generation, it could ingrain ideas and practices that last a lifetime, like the frugality of those who lived through the Great Depression and the skepticism and individualism of the baby boomers influenced by the Vietnam War. Staley says sacrifice, altruism and respect for science could manifest as long-lasting habits and ideals for this new generation—as could scapegoating, isolationism and distrust of others if things go in another direction. “I hope I’m wrong about that,” Staley says of the latter possibility.

“I really hope I’m wrong.”

Michael Bolen disinfects a COTA bus.

A note reminding guests to avoid touching sits beside the entrance to Columbus City Council chambers in March.

The Corona Crystal Ball

photos: top, Doral Chenoweth III; bottom, Adam Cairns

photos: top, tim johnson; bottom, courtesy david staley

Here are four other ways the pandemic could change Columbus.

Public Health When asked at one of his daily press briefings in midMarch about the long-term impact of the new coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine predicted a greater recognition of the importance of public health. “When I look at the problems we face in Ohio, so many of them have to do with health issues,” DeWine said.

The Handshake It’s hard not to wonder if we’ll ever shake hands again—and Columbus etiquette expert Cathi Fallon has begun to prepare her clients for this new reality. She suggests doing a “virtual handshake” (a subtle head bow, with a bright smile, strong eye contact and a slight wave or hands clasped together) as an alternative greeting.

Social Capital David Staley, an Ohio State

historian and futurist, worries that our current isolation will become a habit. “That has particular implications for the city of Columbus, which I think is an incredibly accessible city,” Staley says. “It’s one of the great things about the city, and I wonder if that mood of accessibility is going to survive COVID-19.”

Leadership In the face of the COVID-19 threat, local and state leaders have shined. DeWine

has earned the most praise for his consistent and forceful leadership, but kudos also have gone to Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther, who backed the governor’s decision to ban spectators from the Arnold Sport Festival early in the crisis. “I wonder if this isn’t a moment where [local and state] leaders are forever grabbing the power and influence from Washington,” says Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer.

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What is our new reality? In these personal vignettes, it’s longing for literary sustenance, bonding with a four-legged co-worker, worrying about a sick daughter and confronting a strange world with guilt, grace and humor.

Roman Holiday My 13-year-old daughter used the F-word on FaceTime with a friend the other day, and I didn’t even flinch. Under normal circumstances, I would have at least uttered a halfhearted, “Watch your language.” But I didn’t even bother with a raised-eyebrow glance.

Among the many casualties of COVID19 is good parenting. At least in our home.

Most of the things we used to badger our kids to do—interact with friends, participate in extracurricular activities, join sports teams— are now universally prohibited. We’ve decided the best way for them, and, frankly, us, to get through this time is to replace the activities we used to allow with those we’ve always forbidden.

Bad words are the least of it. Excessive screen time is where we’re truly failing our children. We used to allow them an hour or two per week playing Minecraft or whatever other games they like. Now they’re on it pretty much all the time. Social media was another swift compromise. It was only in February we denied our daughter’s request for a TikTok account. We gave in on that by Day 2 of the quarantine. As for family entertainment, the question wasn’t about whether to drop our rule against R-rated movies, but which one to show them first. My vote was for “Fargo,” but my wife advocated for “Gladiator.” I was outvoted, and my 9-year-old son declared it the finest film he’d ever seen.

We could use this time to lean into parenting. I’m sure there are moms and dads out there teaching their kids to crochet or speak Mandarin, and they’ll be better off in the long run. But I’m worried about how to get my kids through today. If watching Russell Crowe slaughter Romans makes the time pass more quickly, I’m all for it.

—Dan Williamson Creatures of the Ravine The Walhalla Ravine is alive, filled with cats, dogs, dinosaurs and pixies.

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Dinosaurs and pixies? Yes, along with lots of other trinkets, toys and tchotchkes, carefully placed among the rocks and trees of the ancient ravine and creek in Clintonville. All this bric-a-brac and open-air art has popped up and proliferated in recent days, left by someone, or a growing number of someones, determined to bring a little joy to those of us who live nearby and need a few minutes of sun, exercise and connection with humanity.

Who left them?

Good question. My wife, for one. “Did you find the ones I left?” Susan texted back, after I sent her photos of a dinosaur, pixie and some sort of jubilant insect.

“No, I’ll keep looking.”

“Look, over there!” someone shouts, and several of us glance where she’s pointing, into the craggy slate across the creek, where someone’s left a vase and fake flowers.

“There’s an owl,” someone else says a few minutes later, as I continue down the ravine.

“Have you found them all?” someone asks as I snap a photo.

“Not yet, but I’ll keep looking,” I answer, from a safe distance. —Steve Wartenberg

A trinket found in the Walhalla Ravine

photos: top, dispatch file; bottom, courtesy steve wartenberg

Scenes from the Crisis

Guilt Trip I’m not an anxious person. But I am an avid news junkie. So in January, the quarantining of an entire Chinese city of 11 million piqued my interest.

My wife and I were supposed to go on an overseas trip in mid-March, shortly after St. Patrick’s Day. The plan: surprise my mother-in-law on her 60th birthday with the trip of a lifetime to Ireland, planned by my father-in-law.

Two months out, as we were booking reservations and other things to do, I began voicing concern: Is it refundable? Mostly, I was worried about getting stuck at an airport. I can’t explain it, but something just felt different about what was happening in China.

In early March, when cases began piling up in Europe but flights were still happening and events still scheduled, I suggested we delay the trip.

Still, my wife hung on, fearing we’d regret canceling it: What if the virus is contained? What if the airports stay open? What if we’re overreacting?

What if?

Soon enough, that decision wasn’t ours to make: Flights were canceled, the Guinness brewery shut down, the Jameson distillery shuttered, the castle closed its doors. Emails came flying in from places we planned to see and experience.

The lead-up to the Ireland cancellation was a slow drip until, suddenly, it seemed downright foolish to think it wouldn’t happen. And now I feel silly to even be disappointed over something like a trip, as I stare at my out-of-date calendar describing my Irish itinerary (falconry at the castle, a side trip to London) and compare it to what I’m actually doing (watching Tiger King, obsessively walking my basset hound).

I still have my job and got back much of the money put down for the trip. People my mom’s age are dying; people my age are becoming bedridden.

This entire moment is something none of us will forget, and I wonder if, 40 years from now, I’ll even think of Ireland. —Tom Knox

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photo: tim johnson

photos: top, dispatch file; bottom, courtesy steve wartenberg

Georgia Buddendeck and her brother Henry jump in a puddle in Bexley as they play after a spring rain. The Buddendecks promoted a Get Out a Scream event on Facebook to encourage people to let off some frustrations from being stuck at home.

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Above, writer Jeff Long’s daughter

The Office Pack My 2-year-old rescue dog, Nala, is an expert at social distancing.

Though she adores humans, our Labrador mix is “dog reactive.” If she sees a dog while on a leash, she goes crazy—barking, pulling, growling. She lasted a few months in doggy daycare—an amazing solution for working pooch parents without a yard—only to get kicked out for acting “like she owned the place.”

Fast-forward to the COVID19 crisis. While my fiancé and I have struggled to adapt to our work-from-home routine, Nala has been living her best

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before I settled down) so we were cool with her decision to move to the Sierras and run a restaurant that’s part of my brother’s mountain biking business. It was supposed to be a temporary deal, but my wife knew better: “She’ll end up living there, you’ll see.”

So she met a guy and went to work in his family’s business after her other gig ended, got a roommate and set up housekeeping with her dog, a stray she brought home from Hawaii, making extra cash tending plants at a marijuana farm her boyfriend’s mother owns (it’s fully legal out there). As for my daughter working on a pot farm, all I can say is the bud doesn’t fall far from the plant. My only problem is that she’s 3,000 miles away, and the country is going to hell in a handbasket. In an apocalypse you want your people close.

Anyway, by April the news was encouraging: Erin was feeling better and was even contemplating a road trip to Oregon in her new camper. “Erin, your mom told me you were planning this trip. I’m not so sure it’s a good idea. Just stay home.”

“I already went. We just got back.”

My daughter. I love her, I miss her, and I’m going to kill her. —Jeff Long Literary Love (and Longing) To get to the children’s section of the Old Worthington Library, you walk through the trunk of a giant tree.

life. We’re a pack, not just for a few hours a day—but all day, every day. In the morning, we move her bed into the office and place it between our desks. Work breaks now mean spontaneous games of fetchthe-tennis-ball. Sometimes, she curls up on our slippered feet, keeping them warm during conference calls while co-workers are none the wiser.

Other times, Nala and other quarantined canines are the stars of Google Hangouts meetings, providing comic relief in an anxious time.

One suspicion has been confirmed: Nala is useless as an assistant, unable to transcribe interviews (for me)

or make investment recommendations (for him). Despite being a high-energy dog, she’s incredibly lazy and snores most of the day.

Some families have found this the perfect time to welcome a new pup or foster one. One friend adopted a puppy while sequestered at home with energetic twin boys. Smart. Meanwhile, the Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center has expanded its fostering program during the pandemic.

Cats may be ready for humans to return to the daily commute, but dogs—I suspect—are thinking one thing: Stay. —Erin Edwards

photos: top, courtesy jeff long; bottom, courtesy erin edwards

What, Me Worry?

“Erin’s sick.”

“What do you mean, Erin’s sick?”

“She thinks she has it.”

Damn. We all know now what “it” is, and it’s not good. The first person we know with the virus is our own daughter. My wife runs down the symptoms: fever, a hacking cough, shortness of breath. We share a look of dread: What can we do? And the answer is: nothing.

Just the day before I’d seen a map showing virus hotspots around the country and sure enough, there was one out in California west of Reno in the Sierra Nevada, where Erin lives.

How a hotspot could pop up there is beyond me—it’s rugged, mountainous, sparsely populated country; you have to drive for hours to get anywhere near a city of any size (or anywhere near a hospital for that matter). Not optimal for someone with a potentially lethal virus. This was mid-March when testing was scarce, and doctors were advising people with mild symptoms to avoid stressing the health system. So we told her: just stay home. She’s 25, healthy—a little caution, a little prudence, a good chance she’d be OK. Caution and prudence are not the first words that come to mind with Erin. Since leaving home she’s lived in a commune in Virginia, on a farm in Vermont, on the road in Hawaii and in a dicey neighborhood in downtown Cleveland. We’ve made our peace with her lifestyle (I first left home at 16, and it was a while

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photos: left, courtesy laura arenschield; dispatch file (9); bats, igam ogam/unsplash

photos: top, courtesy jeff long; bottom, courtesy erin edwards

Name That Corona Tweet Social distancing has had one positive effect: It’s made the hellscape of Twitter slightly more bearable. Can you match the following tweets with the correct Central Ohio notable?

A. Fran DeWine, Ohio first lady

1.

“Pandemic realization: Yeah, maybe I’m not an introvert.”

2.

“Social distancing is real when your wife is 6 feet away trolling you on Twitter.”

F. Morgan Hughes, SaveTheCrew leader

3.

“Don’t forget to stock up on weed and booze.”

B. Saeed Jones, writer

C. Dispatch Bats, workplace vermin

D. Chris Spielman, OSU football great

E. Lydia Loveless, singer

4.

“I’m going to cut my own hair today. This should be fine.”

5.

“Currently reading the screenplay for The Boy Next Door but can’t find the actual movie to watch so please suggest TRASH ASS EROTIC THRILLERS as they are my favorite in times of anxiety.”

6.

“I asked Jesus to ‘take the wheel’ and he said, ‘Ok, but do you mind if I wipe it down first?’ Stay healthy, friends.”

7.

“My granddaughter Jeanie and I had fun making play dough this morning! It’s a simple recipe using pantry staples. I’ll share fun activities you can do with your kids while we’re #TogetherAtHome. Stay healthy & don’t forget to wash your hands! #FlattenThe Curve #COVID19OhioReady” 8.

“I miss everyone.”

9.

“Soooo Hobby Lobby wasn’t a problem when they were denying contraception to its employees but since they are violating public health orders y’all mad? Oh ok. #TrustWomen #WeAlreadyWarnedYou” 10.

“I am three rolls away from becoming intimately familiar with the Dispatch print edition.”

G. Randy Ludlow, Columbus Dispatch reporter

H. Emilia Sykes, Ohio House minority leader

I. Maggie Smith, writer

J. Dino Tripodis, former radio DJ

Answers: 1. I; 2. D; 3. B; 4. F; 5. E; 6. J; 7. A; 8. C; 9. H; 10. G

Tigger and Owl, from the original “Winnie the Pooh” storybooks, perch in the branches, and my son, who’s almost 4, likes to wave at them when we pick out new books on our almostweekly visits to the library.

That tree has always felt to me like a metaphor for libraries as a whole: Come inside this story, it seems to say. So many new worlds await you. There’s magic past this tree. What, I wonder, will my kid think when I tell him we can’t go to the library for a little while?

Is there any greater social experiment than a library? It is open to everyone—regardless of wealth, education, family, age. Some Central Ohio libraries loan out vinyl records, guitars and art. Ours has a playroom where my son sometimes spends a happy hour on the weekends, building train tracks and constructing with Magna-Tiles. You can learn about anything at the library—and, I’ve marveled since childhood, they’ll let you take the books home for free. Our library offers the option of a printed receipt at checkout, listing at the bottom the amount of money you would have spent if you’d purchased all those materials at the store. Last year, our total was in the thousands.

Maybe that’s why it felt so strange—like a scene from a dystopian novel—to know that the library was closing. Maybe that’s why I choked up when the librarian offered me a stack of Mo Willems books for my son.

One day, when we’ve seen ourselves out of this crisis, the library doors will open. It will be a different life, to be sure. But I do know that whatever happens next, some answers will come from our libraries, where stories flow, information is free, and people are equal. —Laura Arenschield

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Keeping the Vulnerable Safe The new coronavirus creates huge challenges for the elderly, the homeless and others who are already isolated or in need.

By Suzanne Goldsmith

At Wesley Glen retirement community, some residents, starved for company, have begun eating dinner just inside the doors of their rooms so they can talk to—or at least see—their neighbors. At All People’s Fresh Market on Columbus’ South Side, those in need of free food who once came inside to “shop” and mingle with volunteers must now wait behind the wheel of a car while a gloved staffer or volunteer loads fresh produce and staples into their trunk. In rural Perry County, school buses are following their usual routes, filled not with students but with meals that the drivers leave at the homes of children who normally depend on the federal school lunch program for a well-balanced meal.

And there are stories from the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis that are more heartbreaking. To decrease density, Huckleberry House, a shelter and independent living program for homeless teens and young adults in crisis, has had to send some who were staying in its shelter back to families or households that are anything but stable. At Goodwill Columbus, some developmentally disabled adults accustomed to spending their days together in habilitation centers are being asked to stay away, for reasons some may not understand. And at the overcrowded Marion Correctional Institution, some inmates—many of them older and with health issues—are reportedly sleeping with pillows over their faces to protect themselves from what could be a deadly illness.

Fear of the coronavirus and the isolation imposed by social distancing are hard on even the most affluent or comfortable among us. But for those who are already living in poverty or crisis, who because of age or disability require help to carry out basic tasks, or whose lives are already harsh and prone to isolation, 42

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Volunteers carry donated bedding to the Downtown YMCA gymnasium.

the measures needed to control the pandemic are taking a tremendous toll.

photos: clockwise from top left, tim johnson; rob hardin; Joshua A. Bickel

Above, Alice Dickerson with a friend (who asked not to be identified) at the All People’s Fresh Market; left, Alexus Benvenutti, a cook at Columbus South High School, hands a lunch to Amata Combs-Fuller during a meal pickup for school children.

Window Visits With 2.8 million older residents, Ohio has the sixth-largest elderly population in the nation, says Ursel McElroy, director of the Ohio Department of Aging. The impact of the virus itself is greatest on those 65 and older, who are at higher risk for severe illness or even death. But for many elderly Ohioans, the impact of social distancing is also severe. With nursing homes and assisted living facilities closed to visitors, other than in end-of-life cases, and with residents generally barred from leaving the buildings, family members now conduct “window visits,” waving at their loved ones through a glass barrier.

Inside such facilities, group activities and congregate meals have been replaced by in-room eating and oneto-one or small-group activities, but agencies are having difficulty keeping up with staffing needs, says Pete Van Runkle, executive director of the Ohio Health Care Association. Many nursing home employees and home health aides must stay home to care for children during school closures; others are taking extra precautions and self-isolating after worrisome symptoms, for fear of infecting the elderly.

“There’s this kind of lurking danger all over the place, and our members and their employees are really grappling with that mentally,” he says. “We’ve had members who have had to increase pay in order to get people to come to work.”

Meanwhile, at-home elderly can no longer visit senior centers for group

meals and socialization. After closing 40 dining centers, LifeCare Alliance has beefed up its Meals-on-Wheels program to bring food to the homes of seniors, developmentally disabled adults and people with HIV or AIDS. Tight Quarters On April 4, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in an Ohio prison inmate was reported at the overcrowded Marion Correctional, and the number quickly began to grow. The difficulty of social distancing in prison is so great that on April 7, Gov. Mike DeWine announced plans to begin releasing certain nonviolent offenders who were close to their release dates or were aged and in poor health, in order to relieve crowding.

Prior to the pandemic, homeless shelters in Columbus were at peak capacity, in part because of the region’s lack of affordable housing. Staff are now bracing for an increase in the population due to job losses, even as they seek ways to spread out their clientele to prevent infection. At the Downtown YMCA, mats spaced 6 feet apart on the floor of a gym accommodate men who have been moved there in order to create room for families to spread out at the Van Buren shelter on the West Side.

At the end of March, a coalition of homelessness organizations took over a North Side hotel with plans to use it as a quarantine site for homeless individuals with the virus. Community Shelter Board executive director Michelle Heritage says she expects quarantine space will ultimately be needed for nearly 400 homeless households.

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How to help With time on their hands and a crisis all around, many people want to help. “People feel good about giving,” says the Rev. John Edgar of Community Development for All People.

“If we simply stay home in an atmosphere of fear and wall ourselves off, that’s not good for any of us.”

Yet volunteering during a pandemic presents a problem: How do you help out while staying safe? The agencies referenced in the accompanying story shared some ideas.

At LifeCare Alliance, a big increase in home meal delivery has increased the need for volunteers, who are now being permitted to knock and leave meals at the door rather than entering homes. lifecarealliance.org Tony Collins, president and CEO of the YMCA, says that while volunteers are welcomed, cash donations and continued membership dues— even from those who can’t access the gyms and daycare programs their dues normally pay for—are desperately needed. “Nonprofits are struggling,” he says. ymcacolumbus.org Other nonprofit leaders echo Collins’ plea. An infusion of 100 National Guard members, detailed to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank in late 44

March, allowed the agency to pause volunteer programming for a week, but opportunities to help, with social distancing, are again available. Cash donations are also critically needed, says Matt Habash, president of the food bank. midohiofoodbank.org Goodwill Columbus is funded in part through the sale of donated clothing and goods, and while the stores are currently closed, the agency is still accepting donations during business hours only, through drop-off bins at staffed locations. goodwillcolumbus.org/ donate Huckleberry House is in need of hand sanitizer and other hygiene and cleaning supplies, as well as cash donations.

For a personal touch, young people in crisis appreciate letters of support, says Sonya Thesing. Send a card to the address on the agency’s website and mark it “Attention: Youth.” huckhouse.org The United Way of Central Ohio is seeking donations to help address critical gaps in resources at more than 80 local nonprofits during the COVID-19 crisis. Make a contribution at liveunitedcentral ohio.org/responsefund.

For more ways to help, see Datebook on Page 26.

Needing a Hug When Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the closure of day facilities serving developmentally or intellectually disabled adults in settings of more than 10 on March 21, Goodwill Columbus was forced to find a new way to support 500 clients who come to their four centers daily, in addition to another 130 for whom the agency provides recreation by taking them on excursions in the community. Many of Goodwill’s clients have underlying health issues and could be more vulnerable to bad outcomes if they contract the virus.

“The three words we have really focused on have been ‘agile,’ ‘pivot’ and ‘innovative,’” says Margie Pizzuti, the organization’s president and CEO. Staff members are visiting clients in their homes, especially in cases where their caregivers work during the day, as well as reorganizing clients into small groups.

It’s been hard on the people they serve, Pizzuti says, pointing out that understanding change is often a challenge for those with developmental disabilities—and that separation is also hard. “They want to hug each other, they want to hug our staff,” she says. “We place them in separate rooms of maybe three or four or five, but they all want to get back together again.”

photo: rob hardin

Sue Darby unloads donated food from the Southside Roots Cafe at the downtown YMCA

Fighting Isolation Sonya Thesing, director of Huckleberry House, says the 50-year-old organization has never before had to turn away a teen in crisis, but is now sending away those who have access to any alternative place to sleep in order to keep safe those already in their care. She worries about those teens, as well as the young adults in the agency’s transitional living program who are housed in single apartments—including two new mothers with infants—who are no longer able to meet in person with counselors and social workers. “That is really heartbreaking, because we know that the key to success is human relationship.”

Thesing also points out that teens who are living on the streets often do not have cell service and depend on libraries and Wi-Fi service at fast food restaurants—now closed due to the virus—for internet access.

Lack of internet access is also a concern in rural counties, says Misty Harmon, an educator with the OSU Extension in Perry County. Many of the people she works with have unreliable cell service and can’t afford the internet at home. “When we’re telling everybody to Skype and FaceTime your relatives and all of that, and you don’t have that ability, it compounds that sense of isolation,” she says. Reduced bus routes and restrictions on the number of people on a bus similar to those COTA has imposed are also making it more difficult for rural residents to get to grocery stores. While some school districts are distributing federally funded school lunches via school bus, others are handing them out in a drive-thru setting in public parks.

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photos: eric albrecht

photo: rob hardin

Top, Procopio Solorzano goes to the Lutheran Social Services food bank; bottom, Adam Householder of All People’s Fresh Market takes the temperature of first-time volunteer Kurt Kinney.

Food and Hygiene Hunger is a need that cuts across demographic groups. Mid-Ohio Foodbank president and CEO Matt Habash says the agency, which provides 70 million pounds of food to needy residents each year, saw a 20 percent increase in demand during the first week of Gov. DeWine’s stay-home order, and a 52 percent increase in visits to the food bank’s central pantry in Grove City. Habash pointed out that during a financial crisis, accessing free food can allow people to avoid falling into poverty or homelessness. “We know there’s a real stigma in trying to ask for help,” he says, “so we’re encouraging people, if you’ve lost your income source, whatever dollars you have, keep your mortgage or rent and pay those kind of things as opposed to spending dollars on food.”

On a recent Thursday, All People’s Fresh Market on Parsons Avenue, the food bank’s highest-volume food distribution site, was handing out personal hygiene supplies along with fresh produce. “You say, ‘Wash your hands more frequently and use disinfectants,’ but you cannot buy any of those items with food stamps or SNAP benefits,” says the Rev. John Edgar, executive director of Community Development for All People, which runs the free store. “For a whole lot of low-income people, this is a necessity that they cannot afford.”

Jequita Miller, 40, of the West Side, was waiting in her car for food for herself and her 11-year-old daughter. An employee of Columbus City Schools, Miller had found stores in her neighborhood running out of staples she needed.

“Yes, I’m worried,” she said. “I’m grateful that they are providing for us.”

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Top, a person walks outside the closed Nationwide Arena; bottom left, Arnold Schwarzenegger photographs athletes during the Arnold Sports Festival, which was closed to spectators due to the coronavirus; bottom right, a florist wraps flowers at the North Market.

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The Cost of the Coronavirus From arts to airports, Columbus’ diverse economy is feeling the dire consequences of the outbreak.

top and bottom left, Doral Chenoweth III; bottom right, Rob Hardin

By Steve Wartenberg

They’re called WARN notices, and these statemandated layoff notifications provide insight into the depth and breadth of the local economic devastation wreaked by the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, providing a flashing-red warning of a looming recession.

Ohio companies filed six Worker Adjustment Retraining Notifications with the state in all of November and December, totaling 538 layoffs. In comparison, there were 69 filings, resulting in 13,991 job losses from March 17 to March 31 as the state closed schools and restaurants, banned large gatherings and ordered residents to stay in their homes to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Only companies with 50 or more employees are required to file these notices, which means those figures don’t include thousands more workers let go by small businesses.

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants filed a WARN notice on March 20 affecting 1,390 Ohio employees, including bartenders, managers, cooks, chefs, home office employees and executives. On the same day, the Rusty Bucket chain of restaurants, a sister company of CMR, filed a notice cutting 910 jobs. Car dealerships have been hit hard, too. The Roush Automotive March 20 notice said the company would lay off 200 area workers; Ricart Automotive filed five days later and cut 121 employees at its dealerships in Central Ohio.

“Nobody knows how bad it will get,” says Bill LaFayette, owner of Regionomics, a local economic consulting firm. “It all depends on how long this lasts, and nobody knows that.”

Almost 85 million jobs nationally are at a high or moderate risk, according to Moody Analytics. Other experts and economists have said the unemployment rate could reach 20 percent, as a record 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment during the work week of March 16 to March 20. LaFayette says the biggest losses among the 1.12 million workers in the Columbus metropolitan area will be “at restaurants and hotels and everything travel- and tourism-related, and all the businesses that supply them. A lot of retail is going to shut down, if it hasn’t already, because people can’t get out.” A survey by the Ohio Restaurant Association found that 47 percent of the 308 respondents had closed restaurant locations. (See Page 122 for more about the dining sector’s coronavirus struggles.)

The $2 trillion federal stimulus package could help, but it’s hard to know how much. “Uncertainty will

dominate and make the recession more severe,” says Ned Hill, a professor of economic development in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University. Making the economic situation worse, he says, is the weakness in the economy previously masked or hidden by robust consumer spending and low unemployment. Even with the $2 trillion bailout, reluctant consumers may hold off spending what they have, especially on big-ticket items. “And a lot of people in the lower-income levels were already spending everything they made on basic necessities,” Hill says.

Hill hopes the country will benefit from lessons learned during the Great Recession of the late 2000s.

“The first lesson was to get the stimulus money out as quickly as possible,” he says. “The second lesson was, Obama wanted a second trillion-dollar stimulus package, but the Senate blocked it, and the recession was prolonged, and it delayed the recovery. I think [public officials] learned their lesson.”

The local economic impact began in earnest with the Arnold Sports Festival in early March, which was closed to spectators, while many of the bodybuilding and athletic competitions were still held in empty venues. The annual event brings in more than 200,000 people from around the country and world, with visitor spending in excess of $50 million. The loss of all those fans hurt restaurants, bars, shops and hotels in a wide radius around the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

“That was the beginning of the devastation, the first time those of us in this industry started wrapping our arms around what COVID-19 was and the effect it was going to have,” says Brian Ross, president and CEO of Experience Columbus, the city’s visitor and convention bureau. “We’ve basically had to cancel everything from March 17 through the end of April. … We’re losing 50,000 hotel room nights and $47 million in visitor spending, and that’s not including the $50 million plus [typically spent at] the Arnold.”

(Ross says it’s too soon to tabulate the lost revenue from this year’s Arnold.) If the lockdown and cancellations continue into May, that would mean the loss of two large conventions that Ross says are expected to attract 100,000 attendees and $14 million in visitor spending.

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Feel the pain An economic crisis, by the numbers

$53 million $

spent by visitors annually at the Arnold Sports Festival, which was closed to spectators this year

78,000 jobs supported

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ers with inventory they’ll be unable to sell, and the region’s massive system of distribution centers will slow to a standstill, though grocery stores and Amazon (which has a huge presence in Central Ohio) are thriving. Smaller community hospitals will be hit hard, as elective surgeries are canceled, while colleges and universities, especially smaller, private schools, also will suffer. “Many were already having trouble and were making budget cuts,” Hill says of smaller universities. “How many new freshmen will they get, how many parents will be willing to let their children go and live in dorms?

We need stable educational institutions.

That’s our future workforce.”

Home sales could also decline sharply.

“Nobody is going to want to have an open house and have a bunch of strangers traipsing through their house,” LaFayette says.

Meanwhile, the John Glenn and Rickenbacker airports are quiet. “Half our flights are cancelled, and we’re seeing even more cancellations every day,” Joseph Nardone, president and CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority said in late March. Load factor, the percentage of occupied seats, is down from above 80 percent into the teens, Nardone says. “We had one aircraft with 149 seats and four folks on it.”

The authority estimates the region’s airports generate $12.9 billion in annual economic activity and 59,000 jobs. The airports set a record of 8.9 million passengers in 2019. “It may take a year or two longer to get past the 2019 levels, but it’s coming, and we’re ready for it,” Nardone says. “This is an incredible city and region with great leadership, and we’ll get through this.”

by conventions, sports events and leisure trips—all of which have been devasted by the epidemic

585,000

workers employed

by Ohio restaurants, which state officials closed for on-site dining in March

$11 million in lost visitor spending from the canceled Ohio High School Athletic Association state championship tournaments for wrestling and boys and girls basketball at the Schottenstein Center and St. John Arena

140,000 unemployment claims with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for the week ending March 20, compared to 5,000 the week before.

$49.7 million

in local bed taxes collected in 2019, an all-time high. These funds support Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, as well as cultural and arts programs, social services, affordable housing programs and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority.

42 Percent decline in traffic on the state’s highways on March 24, the first day of the state’s stay-athome order Sources: Experience Columbus, Ohio Restaurant Association, Ohio Department of Transportation, Greater Columbus Sports Commission

photo: Eric Albrecht

finding out who’s open, who’s selling gift cards, doing carryout, online retail,” Ross says. “We’re trying to get those businesses in front of people to help them bring in some revenue.”

Visitor spending has a tremendous multiplier effect, LaFayette explains.

“Employees get their wages and salary and go out and spend their money here, on goods and services, at restaurants and so on. And then there’s all the lost [city and state] tax revenue.” The typical oneday visitor spends $130, and the average overnight visitor stays three nights and spends $250, not including any hotel costs, he says.

The arts industry has also been hit hard, as theaters, museums, music venues and other artistic outlets have gone dark. A 2018 study by Ohio Citizens for the Arts found that the arts generate $41 billion in annual economic activity and support 290,000 jobs.

“We’re finding this crisis underscores how vulnerable our arts and cultural infrastructure is,” says Angela Meleca, executive director of Ohio Citizens for the Arts. “This has been devastating, and it’s too soon to know what the end result will be.” Self-employed artists who’ve lost work don’t usually qualify for unemployment compensation, but the $2 trillion stimulus package does extend unemployment insurance to freelancers. “We’re in survival mode, trying to keep as many individual artists afloat [as we can],” Meleca says.

The irony is that now, more than ever, the arts are necessary. “We enrich people’s lives and add so much culturally,” Meleca says.

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Studio 35 in Clintonville is closed because of coronavirus restrictions.

The View from Clintonville How the pandemic is affecting a small business hub

photo: tim johnson

photo: Eric Albrecht

By Steve Wartenberg

It began with the loss of the cat café. Then the movies, tattoos, jiu-jitsu classes and yoga sessions went away, and the “closed” signs blossomed throughout the Clintonville commercial strip. Now, all that remains open are the pizza shop, the dry cleaner (with greatly reduced hours) and the beer and wine store, three businesses deemed essential by the state.

From Studio 35 on the south end to the Savor Growl beer and wine store on the north, the 17 shops on this stretch of Indianola Avenue are a hub of small business in a neighborhood known for unique boutiques, mom-and-pop retailers and other modest economic enterprises.

In the Indianola shopping district, you can find a barber, a frame shop, a record store, an upholstery business and a bowling supply shop. “Boy That Escalated Quickly … Wash Your Hands!” read the marquee at Studio 35 in March, a bit of laughter through the tears in the midst of an economic disaster. Owner Eric Brembeck says he employs 20 people at Studio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse and its sister cinema, the Grandview Theater and Drafthouse, all of whom are laid off and considering whether to file for unemployment. “My guess is we’ll have three to five months of no revenue,” Brembeck estimates.

At a March press conference to address the coronavirus, Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther said: “Our small business community has been particularly hit hard. They’re such a vital part of our community; 80 percent of our workers work for small businesses.”

One Indianola Avenue shop has benefited from the crisis. The manager of Savor Growl says business is up 25 percent, as residents on lockdown are forced to drink at home rather than at bars. But mostly the news is depressing. “We can weather the storm, for a month or two maybe,” says Dave Tabron, one of the three coowners of United Art Jiu-Jitsu, all three of whom have other full-time jobs. Tabron and his partners are creating online meetups and social events for their members.

“I believe the community understands the importance of supporting each other and the small, local businesses,” says Tabron, who works for Nationwide.

The Eat Purr Love nonprofit cat rescue café has found homes for more than 560 felines since opening in 2016. “We made the decision to send any cats without a pending adoption back to the shelter at Columbus Humane,” says Emma Walsh, manager of the café. “If we have all our animals in one space, there’s easier access for caring for them and medical treatment.”

Business is down about 50 percent at Clintonville Pizza Primo, says owner Eric Rummel, while the drop has been about 80 percent at Imperial Cleaners, one of the seven shops owned by Hazem Tleimat. About 35 employees have been laid off, and Tleimat, his wife and their three sons are keeping Imperial and the other shops open with limited hours, cleaning laboratory coats for hospitals and uniforms for first responders. “So many small businesses are on the edge of bankruptcy,” Tleimat says.

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Stress Test How to mitigate anxiety during a pandemic

By Emma Frankart Henterly

With so much focus on physical health as the new coronavirus sweeps across the globe, another vital component of a person’s well-being could easily fall by the wayside: mental health.

“Right now, what we’re experiencing in the world is … a lack of structure, a lack of consistency and reliability and access to know what’s next,” says Carly Mesnick, program manager of Mount Carmel’s Crime and Trauma Assistance Program. “This is a trauma, and we have to recognize it as such.” With safety measures to reduce cases of COVID-19 upending virtually every aspect of life as we’ve known it, Mesnick is seeing in her clients an uptick in anxiety and its counterpart, depression, as well as issues surrounding grief and loss—whether that’s loss of a job, of physical health or even face-to-face social interactions.

“I’m sure all of our anxiety, at the baseline, is raised,” says Harry Warner, a counselor and associate director of outreach with Ohio State Univer50

Web Extra Looking for more stress-reducing tips?

Learn about breathing exercises, grounding practices and other ideas from local experts at columbusmonthly. com/mentalhealth.

sity’s Counseling and Consultation Service. All this anxiety is normal, adds Maryanna Klatt, a professor with OSU’s Wexner Medical Center who researches stress, its effects and ways to mitigate it. “It would almost be abnormal if you didn’t have some amount of increased anxiety over a pandemic that’s happening in the world,” she says.

There are many ways to help mitigate this increased anxiety (see “Anxiety Busters,” opposite page), but ultimately, Warner says, “It’s about maintaining wellness and routines in a different world.”

While it’s difficult to maintain routines, including a normal sleep pattern, with standard school and work schedules on hiatus, structuring each day similarly is about more than productivity. “Structure really helps people,” Klatt says. “Having a schedule so you don’t have to make daily decisions of how you’re going to structure your day—I think that’s a stress-reliever.”

From structuring your day to incorporating effective anxiety-busting techniques, protecting your mental health takes work. “The stress reduction is not going to happen on its own,” Klatt says. “But I’m viewing this as a huge opportunity for people who, up to this point, knew they should be doing it but haven’t done it.”

photo: tim johnson

A family walks the spillway at Hargus Lake outside of Circleville.

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Anxiety busters

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine at a daily press conference

Mental health experts suggest the following self-care strategies to help support mental wellness, now and any time your anxiety starts to get the best of you. › Make something: Follow a YouTube painting tutorial, assemble a puzzle, reupholster that ugly chair, write a poem, play an instrument, cook a delicious meal—anything that gets creative juices flowing. › Call or videochat with a loved one, especially someone you haven’t connected with in a while.

› Practice mindfulness to avoid spiraling into anxiety overload. Apps like Insight Timer and Headspace can help. ove your body, wheth›M er through a specific practice like yoga or just taking a walk around the block.

photo: Doral Chenoweth III

photo: tim johnson

› S pend time in nature, whether that’s outdoors or caring for houseplants from the comfort of your home.

Rating the Press Conferences Husted’s puffy vest, Acton’s baby boom, the first lady’s chicken and noodles and other big moments from #WineWithDeWine Somehow, Mike DeWine’s daily media briefings have turned into must-see television, even without slick production values, showstopping musical numbers or a single eccentric tiger owner.

Since the press conferences began in early March, Ohioans have tuned into the live coronavirus updates in droves as the isolated populace looks to the grandfatherly governor and his white-coated sidekick, Dr. Amy Acton, for the latest news on our unprecedented crisis, inspiring memes, T-shirts and a boozy hashtag. Here are a few big televised moments, ranked according to Columbus Monthly’s five-point #WineWithDeWine Scale of Awesomeness. —Dave Ghose

› Avoid spending too much time on the internet. Limit social media use to specific times of the day, and follow just one or two trusted news sources to stay informed.

Acton in Action (March 14) The health director’s performance on this day was one of her best, charming viewers with her warmth, intelligence, frankness and colorful analogies. She even drew a chuckle from the usually stone-faced DeWine when she predicted quarantining couples could result in a baby boom in nine months.

› If all else fails, reach out to a professional. Many are still taking new clients via telehealth; sites like psychologytoday.com and mhanational.org can help you find a counselor or therapist who meets your needs and is covered by your insurance.

The Lumberjack (March 15) Lt. Gov. Jon Husted usually lets his boss and Acton take center stage, as any good supporting player should, but when you’re dressed for chopping wood (jeans, flannel shirt, puffy vest) while everyone else is wearing their usual business attire, it’s distracting.

Cooking with Fran (March 18) Fran DeWine, who writes a food column for the

Xenia Daily Gazette, suggested making chicken and noodles as an activity for families in isolation.

Nice idea, except for the first lady’s bland recipe, later posted on her Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Spice isn’t a bad thing.

Marla Has Left the Room (March 20) It was an understandable social-distancing decision, but it was still a shock to see the sign language interpreters—especially the exuberant, bespectacled Marla Berkowitz—projected onto a split screen rather than in their usual place standing beside the speakers.

Dodge City (March 21) Both DeWine and Acton refused to offer direct answers to questions from reporters asking whether abortions are allowed under an order banning nonessential surgeries and medical procedures.

The Bully Pulpit (March 29) When DeWine found himself in a dispute with the Food and Drug Administration, he used his newfound popularity—and the power of his televised soapbox—to forcefully urge the federal government to lift restrictions on a machine that sterilizes used protective medical masks. By the end of the day, the feds had relented, giving medical professionals wider access to a potentially game-changing technology developed by Columbus-based Battelle. “We owe this to Ohioans,” DeWine said. “We owe this to people across the country.”

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• The Coronavirus Issue •

Amy Acton Was Born for This Crisis In the midst of a global emergency, Ohio’s health director has risen from obscurity to widespread acclaim, providing strength, intellect and candor for an isolated and anxious state.

• By Chris Gaitten

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Photo: Joshua A. Bickel

This pandemic is not a war, nor a wildfire, nor a violent storm. It’s quiet, invisible—a poisonous secret. Until recently, life still seemed normal, even as it burrowed into people’s lungs. The novel coronavirus is now defined by absence: the sounds of beeping machinery as hospitals prepare empty beds for the surge, the whoosh of buses along vacant Downtown streets.

We work away from workplaces, and far too many people can’t work at all. Schools are closed. Sports are gone. Restaurants are empty, and the bars, salons and gyms are dark. People don’t leave their houses for days on end, and everyone is waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And sometime around 2 each afternoon, Dr. Amy Acton comes on.

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Above, Dr. Amy Acton explains the “flatten the curve” diagram; top right, artist Hilary Frambes works on chalk art of Acton drawn on her driveway; bottom right, Acton speaks at the daily coronavirus press conference.

path for Ohio, and repeated the message she’d been telling her staff.

“Would you like a big monster or a small monster?” she asked. “There’s no scenario now where there is no monster.”

••••• A few years before this crisis began, Acton applied for her dream job as a community research and grants management officer with the Columbus Foundation.

In her 2017 application, she wrote a letter that resonated with CEO Doug Kridler, who read passages to me over the phone. “As a young child, I didn’t have a voice,” Acton wrote. “Growing up in poverty in Ohio, too often adults in systems look the other way.

I realize now that my life’s work has been dedicated to ensuring that no one is invisible, that everyone has a chance to be heard.”

She landed the job and loved it, focusing many of her efforts on addressing youth homelessness, and Kridler says she planned to spend the rest of her career with the foundation. But, unknown to Acton, her work with one of the foundation’s supporting nonprofits had impressed longtime DeWine adviser Ann O’Donnell. DeWine had been searching for a new Ohio Department of Health director, but he was coming up empty. “I knew what

photo: Doral Chenoweth III

The Statehouse’s daily briefings are the only collective respite for the newly disconnected population, and though Gov. Mike DeWine has been lauded for his leadership, Acton has emerged as the voice of Ohio. The state health director has become the soother of a nervous public through her calm delivery, candor, compassion and unwavering resilience and hope. Her style blends stark warnings with impromptu asides—she once demonstrated proper form for setting a pick in basketball—often to the delight of DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who look on with a mixture of amusement and wonder.

Government press conferences—the blandest of all broadcasts—are now appointment TV for people who are restless and scared and confused and angry and holding their breath.

Acton has also guided the administration’s policymaking for an outbreak with few answers. While other states struggled against disbelief and inertia, Acton was an early proponent of “flattening the curve” through physical distancing. During the March 12 press conference, at a time when Ohio had only five confirmed cases of COVID-19, she walked over to her chart of epidemiological curves to explain the radical notion that the state should basically shut down. She pointed to a severe yellow arc, representing China’s trajectory, next to a gentler blue curve, her hopeful Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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kind of person I wanted, I just didn’t know who it was,” DeWine says.

In February 2019, when O’Donnell arranged for Acton to meet with DeWine and his inner circle, his first question was about her childhood, Acton says.

She told him about her traumatic upbringing in Youngstown, then grew more excited as she began talking about the problems facing kids today and how the systems to help them were falling short. She got so animated that she reached out and touched DeWine’s arm, then froze, turned to everyone in the room and said, “Don’t touch the governor”—her note-to-self spoken aloud. She laughs about her faux pas now, and it clearly didn’t affect DeWine’s decision. He’d found his director.

His certainty didn’t ease her decision. She discussed the governor’s offer with Kridler and Dr. Kelly Kelleher of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, who had worked with Acton at the hospital’s Center for Injury Research and Policy. They both recall the same concerns: She wasn’t a political animal—her trusting tendencies could be a problem in that environment—and she was worried about being able to lead a department of 1,100 people. Her state agency experience was limited to a brief stint at ODH in the mid-1990s while completing her master’s degree in public health at Ohio State.

But DeWine’s proposal held plenty of appeal. He envisioned an elevated role, part health director, part state surgeon general, an expert who could talk directly with people about all manner of concerns.

Acton had previously taught global public health at OSU and understood that it had been neglected a long time, in Ohio and beyond. She accepted the job, with considerable trepidation, and became the final member of DeWine’s cabinet.

In late February of 2019, she began the task of modernizing Ohio’s system, focusing on the social determinants of health—poverty, food access, housing—which she’d been working on with Kelleher for years. Ten months later, she heard the first reports of a strange disease circulating in China.

photos: top, tim johnson; bottom, Doral Chenoweth III

photo: Doral Chenoweth III

••••• Todd Franko had been the editor for The Vindicator in Youngstown for a dozen years by summer 2019, when he found out the newspaper was being sold and the last issue would go to print Aug. 31. For his final article, he wanted to feature one more local hero, his niche during a three-decade career. Someone told him about a woman from Youngstown with a “magical” backstory who’d recently been named health director.

Franko contacted Acton’s office to see about getting a phone interview. Instead, she told him she’d drive there from Columbus. He believes she wanted to talk in person because of “her genuine need to connect in the most human way possible.” continued on Page 132 MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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When Everything Changed

• The Coronavirus Issue •

March 15, 2020. That’s when Ohio’s ban on dining in at restaurants and bars began, signaling a crisis for the food service industry and major changes to our way of life amid the coronavirus outbreak. In the following pages, photo editor Tim Johnson documents an industry in flux.

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• Photos by Tim Johnson

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After switching to carryout, Coffee Connections in Hilliard started placing sticky notes with positive messages on its to-go coffee cups. “We’ve had a lot of customers say that it’s the best part of their day, having a piece of encouragement from us to them,” says co-owner Nate Grenier.

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Customer Giovanni Santiago (left) takes a selfie with Omar D’Angelo after ordering takeout from D’Angelo’s Downtown restaurant, Barroluco Argentine Comfort Food.

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A “No Dine-In” sign stands apart from handwritten customer notes at the venerable Bexley spot Anthony’s Pizzeria; below, Secil Cekic, co-owner of Café Istanbul in Bexley, hands off a takeout order to Patrick Ambrosius.

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Left, Stauf’s Coffee Roasters in Grandview shifted to an online ordering system for carryout coffee beans, bulk prepared foods and even toilet paper; above, Joseph Swain, owner of Swainway Urban Farm, bags mushrooms that he sells to many restaurants that are now struggling to stay open; below, an employee tapes a sign to the door at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in the Short North as the homegrown brand prepared to go delivery-only.

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Café Phenix Bistro co-owner Gary McConnell says he’s determined to keep his Gay Street business open during the coronavirus crisis; below, Donatos’ Black Brick in the Short North is one of the city’s many watering holes forced to close by the pandemic.

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“ Probably every day I think of somebody that I haven’t seen in two weeks. … Just regular customers that pop into your head, and oh my gosh, it would be so good to see them again.”

— Starliner Diner owner Molly Mahoney, on missing the liveliness of a full restaurant

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Grandview Heights A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

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Last Saturday of the month, June through September

live music and entertainment!

Stroll, shop, sip and dine along Grandview Avenue • Saturday, June 27, 2020 • Saturday, July 25, 2020 • Saturday, August 29, 2020 • Saturday, September 26, 2020

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Welcome Grandview Heights is the place to be.

If I had to choose one word to describe Grandview Heights, that would be flourishing. From charming tree-lined streets to the bustling districts of entertainment, shops and restaurants, our community is a place residents are proud to call home. Whether you are strolling along lively Grandview Avenue, savoring a bite to eat at one of the many top-rated restaurants or enjoying the sounds of summer at Grandview Yard, the welcoming nature of our community is evident. Our quality of life is spectacular not only because of things to do and the front porch culture that is quintessential Grandview Heights, but for our commitment to education as well. Grandview Heights Schools is one of the oldest school districts in the area, with a proven track record of success.

Bordering Downtown Columbus, the Village of Marble Cliff to the west and Upper Arlington to the north, the proximity of Grandview Heights to the Central Ohio region allows residents and visitors access to various entertainment districts and hubs around Columbus within minutes. Our location also allows for participation in regional initiatives, transportation loops and to play an active part in significant changes happening along the northwest corridor of the city.

The revitalization of Grandview Heights, including the mixed-use development of Grandview Yard, has opened doors to new businesses and industries. The former 100acre brownfield with large industrial warehouses is now home to 1.2 million square feet of commercial space with offices, res-

taurants, hotels, an event center and fitness centers. In addition, the development has added over 1,000 residential units including apartments, condominiums and single-family homes. Another significant addition to the community is the development of the Dublin Road/Grandview Avenue area. We look forward to the construction of Grandview Crossing. The site of a former landfill, this cross-jurisdictional project is slated to yield a new hotel and commercial activity on approximately 53 acres.

Visitors initially come to play, but many find it is a desirable place to stay. Our community comprises lifelong residents, newer residents we’ve welcomed recently and many in between.

Our housing styles suit needs for every life cycle stage. We represent many voices uniting and have something for all ages.

I hope you will come discover the tremendous amenities Grandview Heights has to offer or attend our many events planned throughout the year. One of my favorite events is Tour de Grandview, a bike race showcasing our neighborhoods, that will be held June 12. We invite you to explore Grandview Avenue at one of our Grandview Hops on the last Saturday of June, July, August and September. For a full activity list, visit grandviewheights.org/Special-Events.

See you soon,

A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section

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Inside

Editorial/Advertising Offices

4 10 12 16 20 Small Scale, Big Impact There’s a long list of activities, retail and dining in the Heights.

Senior Portraits

Local seniors keep themselves and their city thriving.

Refreshed and Ready

Grandview Yard’s transformation has revitalized the city.

A Place to Call Home

The city’s housing market is hot, with no signs of cooling.

Building the Future

Learn what’s in store for Grandview Heights Schools.

ON THE COVER: Grandview Heights Municipal Pool | Photo courtesy City of Grandview Heights

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Lifestyle

Small Scale, Big Impact This compact city shines with jumbo-sized entertainment, recreational and cultural activities.

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The community of Grandview Heights has long had a reputation as a center of activity—and yes, coolness—even with its roots as a working-class neighborhood anchored by gritty industrial activity. The Grandview Avenue commercial and entertainment district draws patrons from throughout the region for a movie and beer at the Grandview Theatre, fine dining at the upscale Spagio restaurant or a cup of joe at Stauf’s Coffee Roasters, as well as lifestyle options that have joined the fray over the years.

The revitalization of the city’s industrial district, east of Northwest Boulevard between Goodale Boulevard and West First Avenue, over the last decade has created a second concentration of lifestyle, dining and retail opportunities, anchored by the burgeoning employment and residential development dubbed Grandview Yard.

Center of Attention Brian Cheek, executive director of nonprofit travel-and-tourism promoter Destination Grandview, says Grandview Avenue has done well in providing a walkable, urban entertainment and retail experience in the 30-plus years since it emerged as a trendy hotspot in the region. “There’s a really nice mix of restaurants and retail,” he says. “We still have that local flavor.”

Among those added to that entertainment and retail corridor over the years have been the Columbus market’s second Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams scoop shop, DIY crafts experiences at The Candle Lab, children’s clothier Cub Shrub, restaurateur Cameron Mitchell’s The Avenue Steak Tavern and the recently renovated Balboa Mexican Restaurant, which shares common ownership with the long-standing Grandview Café at Grandview and Third avenues, across the alley from the formal city boundaries.

Grandview Avenue also serves as the setting for two signature events: the annual Tour de Grandview bike race in June and the Grandview Hop, a street party and sidewalk market that takes place during late afternoon to mid-evening the last Saturday of June, July, August and September.

The Grandview Hop began as a sidewalk market with outside vendors and various bands joining the local businesses about 15 years ago. In the last few years, the City has allowed the closure of Grandview Avenue to traffic, allowing more leisurely strolling and the addition of several food trucks, kid-focused activities and artists such as Grandview Heights-based sculptor Dustin Weatherby of Sculptdecor.

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Derek Grosso, CEO of the Columbus Young Professionals Club, which presents the Hop, says the community block party attracts a crowd estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 from throughout the region. “It’s a chance to get out and meet your neighbors and others, just enjoy the coolness of what Grandview offers,” says Grosso, whose nonprofit has organized the events with the City and support from Destination Grandview since 2015.

Grandview Avenue also serves as one leg of the annual Tour de Grandview, a series of races through the community’s streets for hundreds of professional cyclists from throughout the state and nation, as well as amateur cycling athletes competing for purses. Pathways Credit Union sponsors sprints for kids along the West First Avenue section of the course. Capping off the festivities is, of course, a street party along Grandview Avenue’s commercial district.

Grandview Heights Parks & Recreation director Mike Patterson says he marvels at how residents along the course set up picnic tables and banners welcoming the racers during the event. “There’s a sense of community with the interaction of neighbors, with so many homes having an activity,” he says.

“The cycling is the draw, but it’s about the community gathering for one night.”

Expanding Amenities Cheek says Grandview Yard also has created a solid collection of retail, entertainment and lifestyle businesses that support not only the community’s residential and commercial base, but also the travel and tourism/conference and wedding hospitality sectors, anchored by the Courtyard by Marriott Columbus OSU and Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU hotels and affiliate The Grand Event Center.

Lifestyle businesses include the Winans Chocolates + Coffee + Wine bar that Marble Cliff resident and Ohio State University alum Matt Finkes opened in April 2019 on the ground level of a medical office building at 1125 Yard St. That followed the opening of the Club Pilates fitness franchise and My Salon Suite salon nearby in the Manchester Building.

Residents and businesses also patronize the Yard’s Brekkie Shack breakfast and lunch venue and Jason’s Deli, while Eddie George’s Grill, the Hofbräuhaus Columbus brewpub/restaurant and, just a few blocks away, the High Bank Distillery Co. and its highly regarded food menu bring in visitors outside the immediate market. L.A. Fitness and Massage Envy also serve as lifestyle options in the mixed-use development, which

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Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Getting Around Grandview Heights City Council President Emily Keeler has walked, biked and ridden COTA buses to get to her Ohio State University job. It’s a part of the connectivity she believes makes the urban community she serves so attractive.

“If it’s nice out and I’m running behind, I can ride a bike to work,” rather than walk, she says. And if the weather’s not cooperative, taking the bus works fine—Grandview Heights residents have four routes running through their streets, plus another nearby along Fifth Avenue. “It gives us options,” Keeler notes.

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The City has focused on mobility after endorsing a bike plan a few years back to promote bicycling.

Part of that has been a drive to install sidewalks in the few areas without them.

The City also has expanded the network of combined pedestrian/bike paths, such as one created in 2019 along the east edge of Grandview Avenue from the Municipal Building, 1016 Grandview Ave., downhill to Goodale Boulevard.

Roadwork nearing completion along West First Avenue between Bobcat Avenue and Olentangy River Road will provide safer cyclist and pedestrian access to the Olentangy Trail and the rest of the Central Ohio Greenways network.

Photo: Dispatch file/Courtney Hergesheimer

And in 2018, the City financially supported the expansion of the CoGo bike-sharing network in and around Grandview Heights. The community now has CoGo stations at West Third Avenue and Northwest Boulevard; West Third and Grandview avenues; Pierce Field; West First Avenue at the Grandview Heights Public Library overflow lot; and at Burr Avenue and Yard Street within Grandview Yard, in addition to an older station at the Giant Eagle Market District plaza just north of city limits.

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Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Grandview Hop

is anchored by a Nationwide Insurance office campus. To put it mildly, “there’s more and more happening in the Yard,” Cheek says.

Along West First Avenue between Grandview Avenue and Grandview Yard stands a neighborhood strip center that has long hosted Marshall’s Restaurant & Bar, which remains popular for local residents and outside patrons.

The center also boasts the Luck Bros’ Coffee House, The Old Spot restaurant that took over the former Old Bag of Nails location, and The Butcher & Grocer, a whole-animal butcher that supplies numerous top-notch Columbus restaurants and retail customers with high-grade meats. It also offers a variety of cheeses, wine and select grocery products.

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ers. “We provide unique educational and cultural opportunities for the entire community.”

The library also serves its community outside of its four walls. The library and its foundation, for instance, provide Wi-Fi service at all Grandview Heights city parks.

Its mobile, pop-up library appears at many Parks & Recreation events to offer select books to those attending. “We work hard to collaborate with our strategic partners,” McDonnell says.

That same broad vision directs the recreational offerings of the Parks & Recreation Department. The City opened a completely revamped pool along Goodale Boulevard in recent years, offering more of a resort feel to the tired pool it had maintained for decades.

The community’s Memorial Park has been upgraded with a statue of a soldier and, on Veterans Day 2018, the city unveiled a plaza featuring stone columns that honor each of the five military branches.

Even the Grandview Yard development presented an opportunity to create a wedge-

shaped passive park that the City activated in August 2019 for three Thursday afternoon concerts. Dubbed Ray DeGraw Park, the greenspace honors former Mayor and City Council Member Ray DeGraw, who was an integral part of Grandview Heights’ development for more than 30 years.

Parks & Recreation also puts on sports leagues and craft activities for residents in preschool through senior citizens. It has in recent years started seasonal after-school activities for students and has long sponsored the Christmas tree lighting event that has become a mini-fair, complete with ice skating on a portable rink. It also hosts the long-running Great Pumpkin Run each October and, since 2018, the Tri-The-Heights Youth Triathlon that attracts participants from across Ohio. “We try to be well-rounded in our programming,” says Mike Patterson, who has worked for Parks & Rec since 2005 and became its director in September 2017.

“It’s all about the quality of life,” he adds, “and what people are interested in doing.”

Photos: Courtesy City of Grandview Heights

Wyman Woods Park

Beyond Business Grandview Heights has more than commercial ventures contributing to the foundation of its livability. Grandview Heights Schools has long earned the community praise for its high performance educating those residing inside its compact territory. (Read more about Grandview Heights Schools on Page 20.)

But those who live outside of Grandview Heights and its immediate area may be less aware of the high-quality public library and the level of activities the City’s Parks & Recreation Department sponsors.

The Grandview Heights Public Library remains one of a handful of Central Ohio community libraries independent of the Columbus Metropolitan Library network.

The library at 1685 W. First Ave. has been recognized for 12 years as a 5-Star Library by the Library Journal for its operations and creative programming, setting it apart from most would-be competitors. It also has more than 19,000 active borrowers and a reported circulation of 645,383 items in a recent year.

Its 886 events—including Howlin’ Halloween, the summer Music on the Lawn series, indoor music programming, and film viewing and discussions—attracted a combined 46,757 attendees last year.

The library hosts various authors, including one in 2019 featuring PBS travelogue presenter Rick Steves.

“We do a little bit of everything in our programming,” beyond summer reading and preschool story times, says director Ryan McDonnell, who came to Grandview Heights in 2013 after 10 years with the Marysville library. The library staff, he adds, listen to patrons’ ideas and collaborate with the City, the school district, local businesses and oth-

Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Grandview Heights is the place to be.

It is tough to find a city with a sense of community like Grandview Heights. From our partners at Grandview Heights Schools and the Grandview Heights Public Library to the many private business owners whose establishments draw crowds on a routine basis, together we are Grandview Heights. We are many voices coming together as one, and we can’t wait for you to join us.

The hospitality of Grandview Heights is unmatched, evident in our businesses and on our front porches as our residents greet neighbors and new visitors alike.

From our shops and restaurants to year-round events and prisitine amenitites such as our parks and Municipal Pool, there truly is something for all ages. We sincerely hope you love Grandview Heights as much as we do.

For more information, visit www.grandviewheights.org.

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Marta Durban

Recreation supervisor for Grandview Heights Parks & Recreation

Senior Portraits Grandview Heights seniors keep themselves and their community thriving.

For many, the term “senior center” might call to mind frail grandparents, quietly quilting or playing bingo in buildings and programs separated from the community around them. Marta Durban has a very different vision. The recreation supervisor for Grandview Heights Parks & Recreation oversees senior programming and a loyal, engaged army of lively volunteers.

The Grandview Center at 1515 Goodale Blvd. not only offers friends and fellowship to its members, its staff manage a staggering number of classes and workshops, from fitness to finance, while also coordinating or providing volunteer teams for dozens of community events. Stepping into the Center,

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it’s impossible to miss the joy and bustling energy that permeates each person and activity. Members share hot coffee, lunch and animated conversation before Durban ticks through an impressively long and detailed agenda of coming events and calls for volunteers. Notably, many events are intentionally intergenerational, from races to plays and beyond. In Grandview Heights, all residents take their civic responsibility seriously, from children to seniors.

We chatted with Durban and a few of her many active instructors, volunteers and members, to share in their own words how Grandview Heights and its seniors create a unique symbiosis. —Brooke Preston

Photos: Brooke Preston

Case Study

Durban began working with seniors in Grandview Heights just after college, in 1978. “You develop over time, seeing where the needs are for the community,” she explains. “Now, we really focus on what we can do as a senior community to help with our residents.”

As she speaks, she quickly hops from one lily pad of heartfelt gratitude to the next, praising the City leadership, school district and business partners. None of what she does would be possible without them, she emphasizes.

However, she reserves her most enthusiastic cheers for her members, instructors and volunteers: “I think we all love each other, and that’s something really rare. Every individual that comes in, they all have gifts and talents.

I have brilliant men and women in here.”

The Center’s membership includes former pilots, police officers, business professionals and even World War II concentration camp survivors. Durban describes her main job as ensuring each person feels welcome.

“We try to make this like a second home.

When people come in, we sit down, have a cup of coffee, have a cookie, let’s meet, let’s visit. And now we’re going to go in and stretch a little bit. And by the way, I got a race coming up and I need your help—and then they’re ready to go!” Every step of the way, Durban is there, working right beside them. This seems to be so much of the reason Center members adore her and keep coming back.

“We want them to enjoy each other, make friendships. When you’re willing to work alongside a person, they see that you’re working with them, they appreciate that. They’re always looking for ways they can help or be a blessing,” Durban says.

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Laura Lewis

Sandy Wilson

Volunteer and member

Instructor and volunteer Laura Lewis, an active member and volunteer for the past 12 years, isn’t a Grandview Heights resident. She makes a daily trek from her home in Grove City, and she isn’t the only such case—members come from Canal Winchester, West Jefferson and beyond. Over the years, she tried out other senior centers closer to home, but found a second home at Grandview Heights’ Center.

“When I walked in here, it was like, ‘Wow!’ I was greeted. There was friendly chat. Now, all my friends here—they’re family. We see each other every day.”

She adds that her friends at the Center rallied around her during a recent bout with bronchitis.

Lewis also liked that, unlike other centers, Grandview Heights doesn’t charge individually for fitness classes (her personal favorite part of membership), but rather a very modest annual fee.

Because she visits often, each class she takes works out to cost roughly a quarter.

“That’s a pretty good value, I’d say,” she laughs. In addition to the fun and fitness, Lewis points out that the classes teach balance that, at her age of 75, is vital.

Lewis volunteers for events throughout the year and credits Durban’s energy

and leadership with the Center’s success. “She is the glue that holds this place together. She’s always welcoming.

There’s nobody like her.”

Lewis feels so at home at the Center, in fact, she’s already made arrangements with her family: If she’s eventually unable to drive, they have agreed to help ensure she can take an Uber or Lyft to keep her daily involvement going. “I just love this place.

I don’t know what I’d do without it. It’s special in my heart.”

Charlotte Mohr

Photos: Brooke Preston

Volunteer and member

One of the newer members, Mohr began coming to the Center about a year and a half ago after retiring and moving from her home in Milton, West Virginia. Her daughter encouraged her to find a place to connect and get involved. “I had a background at Cabell Huntington Hospital, and I worked in an office throughout most of my life. So I started with Marta and organized about 400 of the Center’s files,” Mohr recalls. “Now I keep all of her records, anything in her filing cabinets and whatever needs to be done.”

Not one to miss out on the fun, she also uses her background in decorating and flower arranging for the Center’s seasonal events, making table centerpieces.

Mohr reflects that each volunteer uses their own strengths and passions, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. “We vol-

Wilson first joined the Center 31 years ago, and it’s safe to say she’s done it all.

From teaching dance and weight training to helping with set-up, decorations and tear-downs for major events, she is always on the move. “It changes constantly. We have to adapt to change quickly,” she says.

“Sometimes it’s heavier work where we lift tables and chairs and set up; other days it’s just decorating tables. But whatever it is, it’s fun. I’ve never felt like it was a hardship. It is fun to be here and to help out!”

Wilson points to Durban’s leadership and the active volunteers as keys to the Center’s can-do attitude. “She has a wonderful personality. Her mind is so quick! She’s got four or five major things going on right now. She’s very compassionate, she encourages us to surround people, help them,” Wilson says. “She’s so energetic and happy. I’ve never seen her down or disappointed; she just makes everybody feel so much happier. That is what draws me here. I’ve learned so much from her.”

Like the other Center members, Wilson describes the group as a close-knit family.

“We care for each other. We look after each other. We have little celebrations for birthdays or whatever that might be, or if someone’s going through a bad time, we surround them, we help them. We have some older ones here in their 90s, so anything that I can do to help them out, to make them feel comfortable, to make them come in and be able to exercise. I’ll get their coffee or whatever little thing it might be.”

unteers here pull together. One might have computer skills; another one will bring the muscle. That’s what makes this all work.”

Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Business

Refreshed and Ready Grandview Yard injects new life into a city once troubled by the closure of a major tax base provider.

Photo: Courtesy City of Grandview Heights

By Peter Tonguette

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Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Call it multi-stop shopping: If you swing

by The Candle Lab in Grandview Heights, you can expect to make your own candles, lotions or soaps, but how do you pass the time while the various fragrant concoctions set?

Well, if you saunter down Grandview Avenue—where the establishment is located— you can participate in a wine tasting at the Spagio Wine Lounge, or you can drop into a class at GoYoga or another of the area’s many fitness studios. Want to paint your own pottery? Head on down to Clay Café on Fifth Avenue. How about making your own jewelry?

There’s always The Smithery, just across the street from The Candle Lab. That’s a lot of commerce stuffed into about 1.3 square miles and the streets surrounding Grandview Heights’ official borders, and it’s just a small sampling of all that’s available to be enjoyed.

There are no two ways about it: The city boasts an incredible assortment of businesses. “A majority of them are not chains—they’re independently owned,” says Brian Cheek, the executive director of Destination Grandview, the city’s tourism promoter. “A lot are owned by residents of Grandview, and there’s a lot of pride that comes up from those businesses.”

The diversity of destinations for consumers is what drew Candle Lab founder Steve Weaver to Grandview Heights as the site of his second store in May 2007; a few months earlier, the original Candle Lab had opened in Worthington.

After all, Weaver had to consider how to keep his customers occupied while they wait.

“Our business model is uniquely reliant upon filling that hour while you wait,” Weaver says.

For that all-important second store, the small business owner and his wife asked themselves which Columbus suburb they found themselves frequenting without planning a specific destination. “[Grandview] felt like the part of town where that was the most true,” he recalls.

With a plethora of businesses eager to set up shop in a city that is a stone’s throw from Columbus and its suburbs, Grandview Heights finds itself in the midst of something of a boom. “It’s centrally located,” says Frank Schirtzinger, whose family has owned Star Beacon Products Co., a wholesale distributor for school, office and art supplies on Goodale Boulevard, since the 1930s.

“That gives us a huge boost, I think,” says Schirtzinger, whose company has called Grandview Heights home since 1954. “It’s close enough to Downtown and Nationwide and everything else, but, at the same time, it’s not as busy and crazy as those areas get.”

But, not too many years ago, the business climate in the city was not quite as rosy.

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In the early 2000s, the grocery store chain Big Bear went belly-up. Collateral damage was a Big Bear warehouse on Goodale Avenue that had long been an engine for Grandview Heights’ tax base. “That was the catalyst for sending the city into economic distress,” says Mayor Greta Kearns. “We’re a tiny city, so to survive you need a viable tax base. … It disproportionately affected us.

[The area that was left] was really no trees, no infrastructure—an industrial yard. A hundred acres is a lot of space in a town that’s small.”

Out of the ashes of the defunct Big Bear warehouse, however, came something bigger—and better. An $800 million, 125-acre project led by Nationwide Realty Investors (NRI) converted the site into Grandview Yard, a multiuse development that introduced new housing options (including both single-family homes and multiunit dwellings), Hyatt Place and Courtyard by Marriott hotels, The Grand Event Center and an abundance of greenspace—3 acres’ worth, in fact. The numbers are impressive: According to NRI, Grandview Yard is estimated to generate more than $17 million in annual taxes this year.

“Creating a great neighborhood isn’t just about the construction of individual buildings,” says NRI president and COO Brian J. Ellis. “It’s about generating a vision that brings complementary elements together where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. As Grandview Yard continues to grow, we’re able to provide an even more engaging mixed-use environment for our office tenants and residents, and deliver a thriving development for this community.”

Also springing up in Grandview Yard are dining establishments ranging from Hofbräuhaus Columbus to Winans Chocolates + Coffee + Wine and numerous health and wellness amenities, including Club Pilates, the Grandview Vision Center and several dental practices.

Some longtime business owners were initially leery of the influx of new economic activity, but most have come to see the benefits. “There was a lot of concern from the merchants when that was coming online: ‘Is the center of gravity going to leave [Grandview] Avenue and move down the Yard?’” Weaver says. “But I think it’s been nothing but a help.”

From couples who return home to have weddings in Grandview Heights to corporations seeking space for meetings, out-oftowners have helped propel the success of Grandview Yard’s hotels and event center.

“That’s definitely been a big turning point,” Cheek says. “Those visitors are obviously

Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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LAUBIE, DOTSON, RYAN LLC going to spend their dollars in the Grandview Heights area.”

It helps that vehicular transportation is not a prerequisite to spending an evening shopping or dining in the area. “It’s walkable,” Cheek says. “When you’re traveling, how great is it to just go outside of your hotel and find these local places within steps?”

The evolution of the old Big Bear site into Grandview Yard is part of a citywide shift. In decades past, Goodale Boulevard in general was dominated by light industrial businesses— but Kearns points to an increase in “modern uses for those spaces,” including the High Bank Distillery Co. and the title company Search2Close. And the currently underway Grandview Crossing project, at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Dublin Road, will take a location that had once been an unregulated landfill and turn it into a mixed-use development on the order of Grandview Yard.

Such redevelopment is described as critical to the continued viability of the city.

“Before Grandview Yard redeveloped, we had very little class A commercial space in town,” Kearns says. “Getting some was a major priority in order for the city to survive. … We’re full-service: We have fire, police, EMS; we do everything here.”

Longtime observers applaud the changes.

“I feel like the street has always been vibrant,” Schirtzinger says of Goodale Boulevard. “It’s just it was a lot more wholesale 20 years ago—where it was all trucks and stuff going on behind the scenes. Now you’ve got people walking up and down the street from shop to shop.”

And what about the business owner who made that fateful decision to locate The Candle Lab on Grandview Avenue? He has no regrets.

Says Weaver: “I’m just incredibly grateful to have been here and see this growth over time.”

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Housing

A Place to Call Home Why the Grandview Heights housing market is so hot

By Peter Tonguette

Recently completed townhomes at Grandview Yard

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accepted a friend’s offer to take care of her house in Worthington Hills (her friend lives overseas). All the while, though, Grandview Heights occupied her thoughts and dreams.

“At no point did I ever consider that permanent or that I would never come back,” she says. “I knew when that time was done, I was coming back here.”

Indeed, her break from living in Grandview Heights did not last forever. “I just woke up one day and I’m like, ‘It’s time,’ ” says Kayla, who found an affordable apartment in a historic complex and moved last November.

“I like older places with charm that have history, and there are a ton of places around

Photo: Dispatch file/ Adam Cairns

Rachel Kayla spent the better part of the 2010s living in the city of Grandview Heights; she spent the balance of the decade hoping to return there.

Kayla, a real estate agent, moved to an apartment in Grandview Heights in 2009 after discovering the area and its abundance of shopping and dining options. After a friend moved to the area, though, she discovered its more profound assets, like walkability and overall vibe. “I realized I really liked the neighborhood,” Kayla says. “This is a way to kind of be in the city without fully being in the city.”

Six years later, though, plans took Kayla away from Grandview Heights. In 2015, she

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Grandview—single-family homes or rentals— that have that charm,” she says. “They have the hardwood floors and brick exteriors and arched doorways.”

Such loyalty to Grandview Heights is far from unique. Entranced by its neighborly atmosphere, easily accessible amenities and closeness to Columbus and surrounding suburbs, many individuals who relocate to the city plan to stay for the long haul.

“City planners love this community because it is walkable and you’ve got amenities within walking distance in your little community,” says Mayor Greta Kearns, herself a resident of the area since the late 1990s.

“People move to Grandview Heights on purpose,” says real estate agent Anthony Panzera, a lifelong resident of the city. “It is an actual physical destination for investing in a home, for renting an apartment and for being part of the dynamic social fabric and community fabric that we have here.”

And, drawn by new, high-density housing available at Grandview Yard—comprising single-family homes by M/I Homes, attached and detached homes by Thrive Communities (formerly Wagenbrenner Development), plus condominiums and apartments—a new generation of Grandview Heights transplants are discovering the area’s appeal.

“It was a phenomenal task to be able to increase the population and the vibrancy and the economic base of a landlocked city by properly developing, and aggressively pursuing, just 105 acres of land,” Panzera says, referring to the Grandview Yard project, in which Nationwide Realty Investors took a site that had once housed a Big Bear warehouse and reimagined it as a multiuse development.

Grandview Yard soaks up much of the attention as an entry point for newcomers to Grandview Heights, but City leaders point to a variety of housing stock. In addition to multiunit dwellings—including doubles and quads—there are homes that date back decades or even a century.

“We have a lot of highly sought styles of housing as far as single-family homes that reflect the character and the planning design that was present in the ’20s and ’30s,” Panzera says. “That was when a lot of the core of the community was established.”

Sidewalks stretch as far as the eye can see, garages are often entered from a rear alleyway, and there are more front porches than you can shake a stick at. “Those things … lead to a more interactive social fabric that is a result of seeing your neighbor every day,” Panzera says.

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Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Full-service amenities Despite its tiny size, Grandview Heights is notable for employing its own Police and Fire departments. The City’s commitment to providing full-service amenities to its citizens doesn’t end there—in fact, it continues all the way up to your driveway.

Grandview Heights’ trash service includes workers who will collect trash at residents’ garages. And from October through Christmas, the City offers curbside leaf removal.

Bagging is not necessary; just rake and place by the curb. Recycling is also available.

Best of all: None of the services come at an additional cost. “That all is included in the people’s property taxes,” says Darryl Hughes, director of the Service Department. The residents, he adds, appreciate what he calls “nice little extras,” often offering lunch to workers around the holidays. “They really do get to know the guys,” he says.

After all, those who move to the city have no plans to go anywhere.

“I’m spoiled,” Kayla says. “People who live outside the [I-270] outerbelt come into Grandview … all the time for food, for entertainment, for shopping, and it’s no big deal. It’s 20 minutes.” But, she adds, “If you ask those of us who live here to leave and drive 20 minutes north or west or east to do something, we’re like, ‘OK, that’s too far!’”

Photo: Devon Albeit Photography

Proudly serving Grandview

Home-buyers wanting old-school charm with new-school updates have caught on.

Charles Boshane, director of the Department of Building and Zoning, says that he has seen a sharp increase in building permits since he joined the City in 2015. “We’re seeing a lot of reinvestment into the exiting housing stock,” Boshane says. “We’re adding garages where they were missing in the alleys. … People are investing and improving their property.”

When houses are torn down and replaced, an aesthetic review process is undertaken to preserve the look of the community. “They try to get into the character of what’s around it,” Boshane says. “There’s a character that we try to maintain for it.”

Naturally, the attributes of Grandview Heights have not gone unnoticed in a local real-estate market that seems to be perpetually hot. According to Panzera, around 89 homes in Grandview Heights or Marble Cliff came onto the market and were sold last year.

“It’s such a small marketplace—a micro market,” he says. “Last year, our median days on market for single-family homes was 11 days.”

Yet the city strives to make itself available to as many potential residents as possible; the upcoming Grandview Crossing development, at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Dublin Road, will include apartments, condos and senior-living housing. Grandview Heights aims to be a city for all seasons—just ask the mayor.

When Kearns moved to the area, she first rented and then bought a condo. “Then we bought a home, and now we’re kind of middle-aged and we have three children,” she says. “We’re into the school district and we’re in that part of life.”

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Education

Building the Future The next phase of Grandview Heights Schools builds on its firm foundation of student engagement and achievement.

By Brooke Preston

is actually an independent city, with its own Police and Fire departments—and its own school district.

Made up of only three schools—Stevenson Elementary (K–3), Edison Intermediate & Larson Middle School (EILMS, 4–8) and Grandview Heights High School (9–12)—

Photo: Courtesy City of Grandview Heights

In a growing metropolitan area where entire neighborhoods seem to pop up overnight, Grandview Heights stands in stark relief. Nestled so close to the heart of Downtown Columbus that one could be forgiven for assuming the suburb was part of the capital city itself, Grandview Heights

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the Grandview Heights Schools district is one of the oldest and smallest public school systems in the greater Columbus area. Yet since its founding in 1906, the district has built a reputation for student excellence and engagement. According to the district’s website, its story can be distilled into six key words: historic, open, engaged, rigorous, intimate and curious.

Grandview Heights Welcomes The Goddard School At Grandview Yard, Grandview Heights’ modern, 125-acre, mixed-use development, residents can eat, shop, exercise, live, work and play. Now, children can also learn there: The Goddard School opened its first Grandview Heights location (1175 Bobcat Ave.) in 2019. The acclaimed private preschool and daycare franchise serves ages 6 weeks to 6 years old, with infant, toddler, preschool and pre-kindergarten programs. Janie Patterson is the local on-site owner.

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A Small Place to Dream Big Though Grandview Heights is growing (its population increased from 6,518 in 2010 to an estimated 7,778 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), school and community leaders strive to keep the district’s small-town feel and advantages. For instance, as Grandview Heights principal Rob Brown points out, the 1.8-square-mile district does not bus. “We are small, so we can build relationships with all students and create an experience that personalizes education. This is a very friendly, safe, walkable community with an emphasis on wellness,” explains Brown.

Once at school, students experience a personalized and creative approach to learning. “Class sizes are small; teachers get to know all students,” Brown says. “Our size also allows for creativity. For example, in larger districts with multiple middle and high

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The Goddard School of Grandview Heights is now enrolling for 2020 programs.

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Honoring Tradition, Building Excellence Grandview Heights continues to refresh and innovate its approach to learning even after 114 years, which includes updating buildings and learning spaces to support the unique needs of today’s students. In January, the district broke ground on its multiphase Facilities Master Plan, which includes construction of a new middle school building for grades 4 through 8 (which will be attached to the existing high school building) and renovations to the existing high school building, along with accessibility and safety upgrades.

True to Grandview Heights form, even the construction project has a mission statement: “Honoring Tradition. Building Excellence.”

This mission includes a careful timeline of planned milestones and goals focused on

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completing work on time and on budget: all accessibility and safety upgrades by summer 2022, and opening the new and renovated school buildings by winter 2023. The new middle school building will be built first and will serve as the temporary high school while renovations on that building take place. Once the high school students return to the renovated high school building, the old middle school building will be demolished.

“We’re really excited about the facilities project. [Outdated] facilities can be limiting; kids are learning in spite of the facilities.

So now we are working to think about and develop space to create and foster creativity, innovation and collaboration with our students, to support high levels of student learning,” says Jamie Lusher, the district’s assistant superintendent and chief academic officer.

Lusher emphasizes that the plan’s organizers have been intentional and strategic to ensure that student disruption during construction is minimized, and that each stage keeps its laser focus on maintaining and improving learning environments for students.

While Grandview Heights school staff agree that new buildings are nice, the emphasis on building strong relationships with students, parents and the community is the real magic ingredient for their district.

“We’re really all in this together to provide the best experience for our students,” Lusher says. “When you see our outcomes in terms of the success that we’ve had academically, it’s directly correlated with relationships and building those strong relationships to help support students to achieve their potential and their passion.”

All Science Day at Stevenson Elementary

Photo: Marc Alter/Courtesy City of Grandview Heights

OUR MISSION:

schools, new ideas and initiatives have to work for all schools. In our district, we have more freedom to create and take risks.”

Students are highly engaged in and out of the classroom by the 30-plus athletics, arts, community service opportunities and extracurricular clubs and teams with a focus on inclusion and connection.

“We strive to ensure every single high school student is connected to a sport, activity or club beyond academics. This brings students closer, connects them to school, and improves culture and climate and morale,” Brown says.

“Additionally, when we hire coaches, we look for professionals who not only know their sport, they understand child development and school policy. I tell coaches all the time, ‘I likely don’t know your record, but I absolutely know how you are treating kids.’ ”

Grandview Heights: A Columbus Monthly Suburban Section May 2020

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Pink Moments

The capital city is home to the largest Race for the Cure® in the country, drawing more than 21,000 walkers and runners to the Downtown 5K event last year. In addition to raising awareness about researching, treating and curing breast cancer, it also raises funds: 100 percent of the race’s net proceeds—$1.6 million in 2019 alone—go back to Komen Columbus and the Susan G. Komen program. Originally scheduled for May 16, this year’s Race for the Cure has been rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic. You can visit komencolumbus.org for updates, to participate in the virtual “The Race Never Ends” experience on May 16 and to gain entry for the rescheduled event. Read on to meet four women who are involved with the Columbus race and learn why they dedicate their time.

Stories as told to Emma Frankart Henterly Photos by Tim Johnson

photo: thinkstock

Brought to you by

MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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DEMETRA MUTCHLER RESIDENCE: New Albany BIO: Franklin County Board of Elections employee and retired Ohio Department of Mental Health employee; mom of three, grandmother of seven, married 43 years VITALS: Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995; cancer-free for 25 years WHY I RACE: My mother and grandmother both died of breast cancer, so I was not surprised to get my diagnosis—just two years after my mother passed. The common thing then was lumpectomy and chemo.

A second opinion recommended a mastectomy, and it just made more sense to me. Everybody has to make their own choices as to what the best course of action is for them, and I think I made the right choice.

I don’t think a person has breast cancer. I think it has her—forever. I will be a cancer survivor until I die.

But I got through it, and I’m enjoying as many days as I can get now.

At Race for the Cure, the feeling of solidarity is wonderful. All those people there for the same reason— even if it’s not for you personally, it’s for the same reason, and their energy and concern spills over to you. They often hand out paddles that you can carry, and I started putting my survivorship status on mine at around 10 years. Women started telling me, “I want to live another 10, 15, 20 years like you.” That makes me feel good—giving them hope and showing that cancer is not always a death sentence. It can be another reason to be happy to be living.

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There is no routine breast cancer.

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They apply their collective thinking toward discovering the most effective therapies, and delivering them at exactly the right time, for you — which means you can count on comprehensive breast cancer care that’s far beyond routine.

To learn more, visit cancer.osu.edu/breast.

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STASI TROUT RESIDENCE: Hilliard BIO: Nutrition and fitness coach, Stasi Trout Fitness Training LLC at the Energy Lab; instructor at Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club; mom of two, married 20 years VITALS: Diagnosed with Stage IIA breast cancer in 2011; cancer-free since late 2011 WHY I RACE: I ran my first Race for the Cure with my running buddy back in 2000, and I’ve done it most years since. We had never done an official race before, and she wanted to support a cause, so we chose Komen. Neither one of us had known anybody that had had breast cancer, at that point. Who would have thought that it would happen to me?

My mom was diagnosed with noninvasive breast cancer just a few years later, in 2004, when she was 77. She opted for a mastectomy and didn’t need any other treatments. My husband’s mother died from breast cancer in 2006; it was very aggressive by the time they determined she had it. Then in 2011, I went to my OB-GYN for a regular checkup and she noticed something that felt suspicious.

They did a biopsy and then we knew—it was cancer.

My doctor immediately recommended a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. I was like, “Take them! I don’t need them.” When they did my surgery, they found that the lymph nodes were affected too, so they took out almost all my lymph nodes on one side and recommended chemotherapy. The hardest part of that wasn’t the actual chemo—I did great with it, I was never sick—but the anxiety of knowing that I was going to lose my hair was horrible.

Once I got through those first couple of months, my husband and I both felt we had to do a Race for the Cure team, because we’re both runners. I’ve had over 100 people on my team and since then, we’ve raised close to $57,000. I think that planning my first team in 2012 helped me heal. It gave me a purpose for what was happening to me and how I can reach out to others. I had such wonderful support through my journey, and I want to carry it forward.

W M yo se

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ALYNCIA MASON RESIDENCE: Columbus BIO: Student pursuing a master’s degree in public health from East Tennessee State University; care coordinator at Komen Columbus VITALS: Mother is a nine-year survivor of breast cancer WHY I RACE: I was a junior in high school when my mom was diagnosed in 2011. She was very private about it; she came home one day with surgical tape on and just said that she’d had a little procedure. It turns out, it was a biopsy; about three weeks later, she told me she had breast cancer.

She had a double mastectomy with reconstruction—a pretty invasive process—but didn’t need radiation or anything like that. I would say she was pretty blessed; she has a lot of African American friends who were diagnosed with breast cancer and didn’t have the same treatment options. She’s lost a few friends to breast cancer.

When I started working for Komen, I learned that African Americans are 40 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, and in those cases, they’re diagnosed at younger ages with more advanced cases. The fact that people in my community are at a higher risk of developing and dying from breast cancer definitely puts some fuel on the fire for me. It pushes me to continue to work to raise awareness.

At Race for the Cure, the thing I appreciate most is the community. To meet people who have been touched by breast cancer—whether they’ve lost a family member, they’re by someone’s side who’s going through it or they’re still going through the journey themselves—I just appreciate that we’re all there. It’s a space where we can find comfort or support to just keep going.

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SERA KITCHEN RESIDENCE: Columbus BIO: Senior at Ohio State University studying biological engineering VITALS: Lost her mom to breast cancer in January 2020 WHY I RACE: My mom was diagnosed in November 2017 with Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer. It had metastasized to her lungs, but her treatments were really focused on her breast. She had a mastectomy on that breast in the summer of 2018. We were really positive because they thought they got all of it. We thought it was over.

But a couple of weeks later, we found out it had metastasized to her brain. She went through chemo, radiation, all of that— she would do rounds of treatment on her breast, rounds of treatment on her brain, back and forth, for the entire two years.

She would have been 54 this June.

She had gotten annual mammograms from the time she was in her early 20s, when the mobile mammogram vehicle came to her office, but she stopped going probably five years before she was diagnosed. The first sign that something was wrong was a rash on her breast, which she didn’t think much of. People get random spots on their skin all the time, you know? She initially went to her doctor for hip pain, which they eventually found out was caused by fluid retention in her stomach from the cancer.

When she was first diagnosed, my roommate suggested making a Race for the Cure team for her. We called it Team Trinka—she was named Trinka Gail, in an homage to Tinkerbell—and everyone joined: family, coworkers, friends she and my dad had had for 30 years. She was so important to so many people. At her celebration of life, it was so crowded the entire time that you couldn’t walk around.

More than 300 people signed her guest book, but so many more couldn’t even find it in the crowd.

That first year, Team Trinka raised around $6,000. The next, another $4,000.

This year I want to raise $10,000 in her memory. At Race for the Cure, it’s really crazy to see the sea of pink—thousands of people, all there for the same reason.

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Taryn

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LIFTING OUR COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME. Our children thank you for your support and care.

You wanted to help so we are launching The Joining Hands Fund: Helping Kids and Families Face Coronavirus. This fund allows each of us to join hands, pitch in, and help in whatever manner we can. The Joining Hands Fund will harness the strengths of people helping other people, while offering a symbolic hug and a virtual human touch.

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Back to School A comprehensive guide for adults who want to boost—or change—their careers through an advanced degree

photo: istock.com/MATJAZ SLANIC

By Shelley Mann

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Working a full-time job and pursuing a graduate degree may sound like mutually exclusive endeavors, but they don’t have to be. Several colleges and universities in Central Ohio have programs tailored specifically to the needs of adult students, who often have to balance school with the demands of family life and sometimes even a full-time job.

Here’s a look at Central Ohio colleges and universities offering class schedules and other benefits designed to fit into a busy life.

Franklin University Sherry Mercurio, spokeswoman for Franklin University, has a great perspective on how graduate school can fit into the picture for someone in midcareer. She lived it. Mercurio worked for the Columbus Division of Police as a spokesperson for many years before heading to Franklin for a graduate degree.

She calls herself the poster child for students who are looking to make a career change after working for years in one industry. Other Franklin students are content in their career but pursuing an advanced degree in hopes of a promotion. Or, sometimes, they’re in an industry that’s no longer relevant and need to retool their expertise.

Franklin University offers 19 master’s programs and four doctoral degrees. From the start, the university has been focused on serving working adult students with an understanding that these students have very specific needs.

“Unlike a traditional student focusing only on an education,” Mercurio says, “the vast majority of our students are balancing family, a full-time job and now trying to slide in earning a degree or finishing a degree.”

For these students, Franklin offers the option to attend classes in person or online, or to work out a hybrid schedule. It’s all about flexibility, Mercurio says.

“We understand your life is hectic,” she says, “and we will meet you on your terms.”

Last fall, the university announced it would freeze master’s and doctoral-level tuition rates, acknowledging the fact that a college degree is a necessity because of competitiveness in the workplace.

The institution also makes a number of resources available for adult students, such as math tutoring or help with formatting academic papers, with the understanding that students may have been out of school for some time. Resources offered include

online workshops, face-to-face workshops and recorded videos.

“Recorded videos are perfect for someone who works all day and won’t be able to work on this until 1 a.m., or who has a sick child and needs something that can work on their schedule,” Mercurio says.

At Franklin University, adjunct faculty members who are full-time working professionals in their respective industries help keep programs changing with the times. By working with experts in each field, Mercurio says, the university is able to identify workforce needs and create a curriculum to help solve them.

Franklin also maintains education partnerships with a number of employers throughout Central Ohio, such as OhioHealth and state agencies, which offer tuition discounts and other benefits.

“The city is recognizing that we have a diverse population and we need to have a well-trained workforce,” Mercurio says. “We have a responsibility to help with economic growth—helping employers not only attract but also retain.”

Ohio State University At Ohio State, a handful of colleges are

photo: courtesy ohio state university

photo: istock.com/MATJAZ SLANIC

Ohio State University

MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Mount Carmel College of Nursing

of Arts in Public Policy and Management, specifically geared toward those who have been in the workforce. The flexible program offers classes during evening hours, as well as an option to attend full time and complete a degree in just one year.

Mount Carmel College of Nursing At Mount Carmel College of Nursing, work-life balance remains top of mind as the college continues to develop programming that fits

individual adults. Mount Carmel has seen a steady influx of students as the demand for nurses continues to grow nationally.

“Nursing is a great opportunity, with many jobs not just here in Columbus but nationally,” says academic dean Kathleen Williamson.

“There’s such a demand for nurses, and it’s hard for nursing programs to keep up with the interest that’s out there.”

While Mount Carmel sees a lot of students come in at the baccalaure-

photos: courtesy mount carmel college of nursing

offering new incentives to make it easier for students to earn their master’s degrees.

Fisher College of Business offers a relatively new MBA program for working professionals.

At Fisher, the most popular degree offerings for executive-level students are the Executive MBA, an 18-month program, and the Master of Business Operational Excellence, a 13-month program, says Aravind Chandrasekaran, academic director of the Master of Business Operational Excellence program and associate director of the Center for Operational Excellence at Fisher College of Business.

“The opportunities for growth from earning an Executive MBA at Fisher are limitless, as you share perspectives and grow your network with an elite group of professionals,” says Chandrasekaran.

He adds that the Executive MBA experience allows students to explore new types of opportunities as they move into leadership roles, change industries or start new business ventures. The insights taught in an MBA program can be applied in any industry, he says, so quite a few Fisher students change career fields after they graduate, moving from one industry to another.

These executive programs are designed to accommodate the demands of a hectic schedule, with faculty delivering comprehensive curriculum face-to-face during on-campus sessions. For the Executive MBA program, students complete 14 monthly residencies, typically scheduled for Thursday morning through Saturday afternoon, while Master of Business Operational Excellence students complete a total of eight in-class sessions. Students enrolled in the executive programs receive personalized support from Fisher staff, from one-on-one executive coaching to handling course enrollment and providing supplies and transportation for students.

For students who want to take a professional sabbatical for a few years to return to school, retool and earn graduate degree credentials, Fisher College’s highly ranked, full-time MBA program is attractive, says Paul North, executive director of graduate programs at Fisher.

The full-time, two-year program caters to two types of students: the career-switcher— for instance, an engineer interested in making a move into marketing—and the careerenhancer, who is interested in bolstering their skills in their current industry.

Additionally, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs offers an online Master of Public Administration and Leadership program and an in-career master’s degree, the Master Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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ate level, a number of students pursue advanced degrees to further their careers, acquire more well-rounded proficiencies and develop leadership skills. It’s common for the college to see students earn their undergraduate degree and then return years later as alumni to complete a master’s degree or doctorate.

Mount Carmel offers three master’s programs designed for nursing professionals who want to advance their careers: an Advanced Practice degree for those looking to become a nurse practitioner, a nursing leadership program with a focus on clinical operations and a master’s degree in adult gerontology. Each 18-month hybrid program includes both online and face-toface coursework, and each is designed for those who want to keep part-time (or even full-time) employment as they work toward a degree.

Mount Carmel offers 24/7 online access to the library, as well as a collaborative education model that encourages students to work together collectively to offer resources and support to each other.

“You’re not just in a stand-alone program,” Williamson says. “We really focus on a jour-

ney that encourages student success and student engagement.”

A Doctor of Nursing Practice program offers the highest level of education in the field of nursing and can really set apart a nurse as a leader in the health care industry.

The online program is designed to meet the needs of busy professionals with coaching and support; it can be completed in just 18 months.

“A lot of times, we’re lifelong learners as nurses,” Williamson says. “An advanced degree gives a different way of thinking and using evidence-based practices and an opportunity to develop your role as a nurse leader in the nursing field.”

Indiana Wesleyan University Indiana Wesleyan University’s Columbus Education Center has master’s degrees that cater to the working adult. The Columbus Education Center offers an opportunity to earn master’s degrees in 10 areas, including business, criminal justice, communication, education, general studies, health sciences, nursing, psychology, social work, and religious and theological studies.

Students take one class at a time to ensure they are never spread too thin with multiple subject matters, but classes are shortened so students can work through requirements quickly. Indiana Wesleyan offers flexibility in course structure, as well, with students attending class on campus one night a week and completing the remainder of work online.

“It’s more flexible for the working adult,” says Emily Wolf, enrollment representative for the Columbus Education Center.

Students have access to off-campus library services—books can be mailed from the library, and students can talk to librarians on the phone—as well as free, online tutoring 24/7.

“That’s especially helpful for, say, nurses who are working third shift. They can reach out even in the middle of the night,” Wolf says.

She adds that the school’s nurse practitioner programs rank among the most popular for graduate students, as well as a recently revamped MBA program that has drawn a lot of attention. A master’s of social work program has seen increased interest in recent years as well.

ONLINE GRADUATE PROGRAMS FOR REAL-LIFE NURSES. Ready to take your career to the next level? Look into Mount Carmel College of Nursing’s online graduate programs, today. They can get you to where you want to be tomorrow.

Master of Science Nursing Leadership - Clinical Operations • Complete in 18-months • Curriculum supports working professionals interested in enhancing leadership competencies

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Post-Graduate Certificate Adult Gerontology-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner • Complete in two semesters • Customized for FNPs or ANPs currently working in high-acuity settings Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) • Complete in 18-months • Earn Evidence-based Practice (EBP) certification eligibility • Established specifically for working professionals Learn more about these and other graduate programs.

Visit www.mccn.edu/academics or call 800.556.6942. mccn.edu

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Special advertising opportunities coming in Columbus Monthly

JULY BEST OF COLUMBUS Celebrate the best that Columbus has to offer, from our restaurant scene and nightlife to arts, entertainment and everything in between. The Columbus Monthly editorial staff and readers will select their favorite people, places and events and the results will publish in our July issue, which is one of our biggest newsstand sellers! In fact, Columbus Monthly published the city’s original Best of Columbus contest in 1983. Readers view the Columbus Monthly Best of Columbus winner list as a very credible resource! It’s the perfect time for you to advertise!

HOMETOWN STORY Local communities play an important role in why Central Ohio receives national attention as a thriving region. But is everyone aware of the valuable cultural, economic, historical and recreational assets many of these communities offer?

Hometown Story will feature villages, townships and cities in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. Our readers love history, culture, concerts, art, farmers’ markets, museums and so much more. These affluent and active consumers frequently dine out and shop and enjoy exploring new things to see and places to visit. Make sure your community story is represented in this special magazine section.

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Get Schooled Compiled by Shelley Mann

An overview of the graduate and doctoral programs available in Central Ohio; tuition rates are in-state for the 2020–21 academic year and do not include room and board or fees, unless otherwise noted.

Ashland University Columbus Center 1900 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Columbus; 614-794-0803; ashland.edu Status: Private Religious affiliation: Brethren Church Advanced degrees offered: Standard and one-year international MBA, one-year online sport management MBA, health care MBA, master of education, executive doctorate in leadership studies Program length: One to five years Tuition: All-inclusive tuition, one-year international MBA and online accelerated programs, $33,900; all other MBA programs, $860/credit hour; master of education, $570/credit hour; executive doctorate in leadership studies, $1,030/credit hour Accreditation: Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

Capital University 1 College and Main, Columbus; 614-2366011; capital.edu Capital University Law School 303 E. Broad St., Columbus; 614-2366500; law.capital.edu Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University 2199 E. Main St., Columbus; 614-2366856; capital.edu/trinity Status: Private Religious affiliation: Lutheran Advanced degrees offered: Doctor of nursing practice and master’s degrees in education, music education, business administration, nursing via main campus; juris doctor and master’s degrees in taxation, legal studies via CULS; master’s degrees in divinity, theological studies, youth and family ministry, sacred theology via Trinity Lutheran Seminary Program length: Varies Tuition: Master’s programs (including Trinity Lutheran Seminary), $624–$676/credit hour; doctoral programs, $950–$1,300/ credit hour Accreditation: Capital University, Higher Learning Commission; Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Commission on Accrediting of the

Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada

Columbus College of Art & Design 60 Cleveland Ave., Columbus; 614-2249101; ccad.edu Status: Private Religious affiliation: None Advanced degrees offered: Master’s programs in innovation design strategies, visual arts: new projects Program length: Two years Tuition: $36,500/year Accreditation: The National Association of Schools of Art and Design, The Higher Learning Commission

Franklin University 201 S. Grant Ave., Columbus; 614-7974700; franklin.edu Status: Private Religious affiliation: None Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in accounting, business analytics, business psychology, computer science, criminal justice administration, cybersecurity, data analytics, health informatics, health care administration, human resource management, informational technology, instructional design and learning technology, marketing and communication, nursing (including MSN-FNP), public administration, business administration; doctorates in business administration, organizational leadership, health care administration, instructional design leadership Program length: 14–20 months (master’s programs) Tuition: Master’s programs, $670/credit hour; doctoral programs, $748/credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission

Indiana Wesleyan University Columbus Education Center 3455 Mill Run Drive, Ste. 550, Hilliard; 614-529-7550; indwes.edu Status: Private

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special advertising section

Religious affiliation: Evangelical Christian Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in business, criminal justice, communication, education, general studies, health sciences, nursing, psychology, religious and theological studies, social work Program length: Typically two to three years Tuition: $470–$617/credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Methodist Theological School in Ohio 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware; 740-3631146; mtso.edu Status: Private Religious affiliation: United Methodist Church Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in divinity, theological studies, counseling ministries, practical theology, social justice; doctor of ministry Program length: Two to three years (master’s programs); four years (doctorate) Tuition: Master’s programs, $804/credit hour; doctorate, $19,500 if completed in four years Accreditation: Commission on Accrediting

of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada

Mount Carmel College of Nursing 127 S. Davis Ave., Columbus; 614-2344266; mccn.edu Religious affiliation: Catholic Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, nursing leadership: clinical operations; doctor of nursing practice Program length: 18 months (master’s programs) Tuition: $565/credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission

Ohio Christian University 1476 Lancaster Pike, Circleville; additional locations in Chillicothe, Columbus, Grove City and Lancaster; 855-628-4723; ohiochristian.edu/adult-degree-programs Status: Private Religious affiliation: Wesleyan tradition Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in leadership, ministry, business administration; dual MBA/MA in ministry degree

Program length: Two years Tuition: $338–$530/credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission, Teacher Education Accreditation Council, Ohio Department of Higher Education

Ohio State University 250 University Hall, 230 N. Oval Mall, Columbus; 614-292-6031; gradsch.osu.edu Status: Public Religious affiliation: None Advanced degrees offered: 119 master’s degree programs and 94 doctoral programs in nearly 150 subject areas Program length: Varies Tuition, 2019-20: $805–$3,580/ credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission

Ohio Dominican University 1216 Sunbury Road, Columbus; 614-2514615; ohiodominican.edu Status: Private Religious affiliation: Catholic in the Dominican tradition Advanced degrees offered: Master’s

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IWU TO 58052 FOR MORE INFORMATION 866.498.4968 | IWUEDUCATION.COM MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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TOGETHER, WE’LL Start your MAKE IT THROUGH COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION TODAY TO SEPT. 5 at columbusceo.com.

degrees in English, TESOL, theology, busi­ ness administration, education, health care administration, physician assistant studies, sport management Program length: 16–18 months (most programs) Tuition: $538–$823/credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission; Ohio Department of Higher Education

Ohio University Dublin Integrated Education Center 6805 Bobcat Way, Dublin; 614-367-9371; ohio.edu/dublin Status: Public Religious affiliation: None Advanced degrees offered: Combined master of science and dietetic internship, executive master of public administration, master of physician assistant practice, pro­ fessional MBA, master of athletic training, professional master accountancy; doctor of osteopathic medicine Program length: Varies Tuition: $505/credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission

Otterbein University

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1 S. Grove St., Westerville; 614-823-3210; otterbein.edu/gradschool Status: Private Religious affiliation: United Methodist Church Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in allied health, business administra­ tion, education, educational mathematics, teaching, nursing; doctor of nursing practice Program length: Two years (most master’s programs) Tuition: Most programs, $559–$650/credit hour; nursing programs, $630–$1,052/ credit hour Accreditation: The Higher Learning Com­ mission, North Central Association of Col­ leges and Schools

Pontifical College Josephinum

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7625 N. High St., Columbus; 614-8855585; pcj.edu/theology Status: Private Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic Advanced degrees offered: Master’s degrees in divinity and theology Program length: Four years Tuition: $38,380 (including room and board) Accreditation: Association of Theological Schools, The Higher Learning Commission, Ohio Board of Regents

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Home&Style Q&A p. 106 | Products P. 107 | Home p. 108 | top 25 P. 114

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Mansions at Muirfield

The gated Estates of Muirfield Village is where Jack Nicklaus and a few other luminaries have homes.

Photo by New Horizon Media Group

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Home & Style Q&A

Influencer A passion for fashion drives Candace Read.

Instagram influencer Candace Read idolizes the style of Kerry Washington and other fashion icons. Read more about her at columbusmonthly.com.

By Chelsea Savage Moss

Candace Read has become one of Central Ohio’s most popular Instagram influencers with more than 22,000 followers. She describes herself as a “style influencer bringing you all things lovely, Parisian & style with a touch of color.”

What inspired you to take your love of fashion to blogging and social media? In the fall of 2012, I moved to New York City to pursue a graduate degree at New York University and started a blog to keep my hometown family and friends up to date on my adventures in the city. During my time there, I found myself inspired by the heartbeat of the city, its many fashion influences and the beauty of its various art forms. My content shifted from just sharing about my day-to-day adventures and evolved into a fashion-focused space.

Do you have any advice for people who are looking to start their own fashion blog or 106

build their social media following? The most important thing to identify before starting a blog or developing a social media brand is knowing what your end goal is. Is it to be a well of inspiration for others? A creative outlet? Perhaps it’s a stepping stone to get you to your next career goal? Or maybe you feel strongly that you have a unique perspective that warrants the monetization?

By identifying your end goal, you will set proper expectations and standards to build upon. Also, you will have an understanding of how you are adding value to the influencer sphere and knowing your worth (value) is key. It allows you to say “yes” to the right things and “no” to the things that aren’t right for you.

How do you handle any negativity you may receive from internet trolls or cyber bullies?

On the few occasions I’ve experienced, I take

a moment to acknowledge that someone has something negative towards me and then move forward. I’ve learned when you lean into that negatively it destroys you mentally.

When you are mentally distracted and cluttered by negativity, you have no room to give to yourself and be your best creative self.

Where do you see the future of the influencer industry in five or 10 years? I think the influencer space will be thriving for sure, but I know it will look vastly different than it does today. We are currently going through a huge shift in influencer marketing right now. …

The game is changing as the space gains more players, they understand their worth and brands’ budgets increase for influencer marketing. What I am most interested to see is what the next big social media platform is by then, and to see if I’m still cool enough to be in the influencer game. ◆

photo: courtesy Candace Read/Jenna Powers

You currently have more than 22,000 followers on Instagram. What has it been like to be an influencer with that large audience? Has this become your full-time job? I still can’t believe that I have a community of over 20k. There are so many choices when it comes to the internet and who you are following, so I consider it a huge honor to have that many eyes tuned in at @candacemread. In understanding that there is a range of choices out there, I make it a top priority to create content that is well curated, thoughtful, stylish and honest to who I am. What I have learned in this journey of influence is that your community often feels a connection with you personally in a unique way. You want to keep feeding and deepening that meaningful connection and the only true way to do so is to continue being you.

I pursued being a full-time influencer for a short while after completing graduate school. While I loved it, I also realized that I wanted and deeply longed for community in life. Additionally, I wanted to hone and express my personal styling skills. So, I have two jobs: a full-time wardrobe stylist with Wardrobe Therapy by day and an influencer by night at candacemread.com.

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Home & Style products

Around the House

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Spoil your mom this month with all things that look and feel good around the house, from earrings to casual bracelets that look great on Zoom calls to ultracomfortable slip-on sandals and bathrobes. May 10 is the day to indulge her with little comforts that she’ll appreciate throughout this year. —Ana Piper

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photos: 1 and 2, courtesy kendra scott; 3 and 5, courtesy nordstrom; 4, courtesy Yves Delorme; 6, courtesy josephine alexander; 7, courtesy Mer-Sea & Co.

photo: courtesy Candace Read/Jenna Powers

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1 Macrame Danielle gold statement earings, $88 at Kendra Scott 2 Kenzie aqua cord friendship bracelet, $58 at Kendra Scott 3 Tory Burch leather wallet on a chain, $298 at Nordstrom 4 Eolie bathrobe, $250 at Yves Delorme 5 Jack Rogers Demi wedge in white and gold leather, $127.95 at Nordstrom 6 Fabiolo Straw Bucket Bag, $65 at Josephine Alexander Collective 7 Sun-kissed diffuser, $32 at Mer-Sea & Co.

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Home & Style home

An Exclusive Enclave The Estates at Muirfield Village is a plot of land that Jack Nicklaus saved for himself and a few others.

By Brian Ball

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photo: New Horizon Media Group

Muirfield resident Lance Schneier and his wife, Sue, have lived in a 22,000-square-foot house in the exclusive, gated area for more than two decades. It’s priced at $3.95 million.

When people make the pilgrimage to the Muirfield Village Golf Club in most springs, they often walk past an enclave of homes along the front nine holes, unaware of their exclusivity. There are 22 homes within the gated Estates at Muirfield Village, and this is where Memorial Tournament founder, golf course designer and legendary pro Jack Nicklaus—and other luminaries—have massive houses.

“My vision was that I would have a home there in Muirfield Village, and that I would provide lots to three key gentlemen who worked with me on the project—Pandel Savic, Bob Hoag and Ivor Young—and that they could choose what they wanted to do with the lots,” explains Nicklaus recently via email.

“Pandel Savic built on his and Ivor (Young) and Bob Hoag sold theirs.”

Notable homeowners in years past have included auto racing magnate Bobby Rahal, the late Sun TV and Appliances founder Macy Block, and the late car dealer Len Immke. The list of current residents includes Urban Meyer, former Ohio State University football coach and current assistant athletic director; Brandon Dubinsky, Blue Jackets center; and Ed Bacome, CEO and co-founder of the Dublin-based Epcon Communities.

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The Estates is a unique collection of luxury residences where the homes start at 6,574 square feet and the smallest lot is 1.3 acres. Most have multiple fireplaces and full baths to accommodate family members and guests. The community also has several condos just inside the gate, but they are not integrated into the rolling land that houses the far-flung mansions.

The largest single-family home is 22,830 square feet, and sits on the largest lot, which is 2.7 acres. “It is very exclusive,” says Alli Close, who heads the Close Connection sales team at the Keller Williams Consultants brokerage. “And everything’s on acreage. … You just can’t get in there for under seven figures.”

Close has worked on four transactions “inside the gate” over the years, either on the listing side or as the buyer’s agent. Most recently, she represented the buyer in the sale of a four-bedroom ranch on Muirfield Court listed on the Delaware county Auditor’s website at nearly 6,600 square feet for $1.2 million. “There are only a few areas [in Greater Columbus] where you have so many million-dollar estate homes together,” she says. Among them are the gated New Albany Farms and Highgrove, where homes are still being built, also in New Albany.

The Memorial Golf Tournament teed off in 1976, two years after the championship course opened. Marketing for the first 17 lots on the 33 acres in the Estates yielded its first homes in the early 1980s. The last home construction was in 2009 among wooded lots on an additional 17 acres behind a second gate at the end of Muirfield Court. This is where Nicklaus built his home. Two more lots carved out of that wooded area in recent years have remained vacant.

While several of the lots have exposure to the course, many of those on Muirfield Court covet the privacy within the middle of the enclave. Count retired energy industry executive Lance Schneier among those finding solace along the nearby course where thousands have wandered during tournament weeks. The founder of natural gas marketer 110

photos: New Horizon Media Group

The Schneier home sits adjacent to a pond that is on the Muirfield golf course.

Below, the home’s two-story theater is one of many spaces that the family has used through the years.

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photo: top right, rob hardin

photos: New Horizon Media Group

Yankee Resources in the early 1980s said he began looking at the Muirfield Village residential market as he relocated the company to Metro Center. “Muirfield was getting welldeveloped [as a residential community] at that time,” he recalls. But the homes were a bit close together, so the option of building on two lots came under consideration.

Finally, a lot in the Estates section caught his fancy with its blocked views of the course during golf season. An irrigation pond for the golf course is adjacent to his backyard— this is where he would jump into a boat and fish for bluegill and catfish out of view of golfers during the tournament week or during busy summer weekends when club members were on the course. “It was a unique opportunity to have a lot of property [2.7 acres] with privacy but still close to every amenity,” he explains.

Schneier has also participated in the revelry of tournament week. For several years, he shuttled business clients to his home from the Metro Center offices of the energy company. (He later rebranded his company Access Energy after he bought out his part-

ners.) He also hosted golf pros playing the tournament at times. “It’s a very exciting time during tournament week,” he says, as Muirfield Estates neighbors have gatherings with family members and friends.

During tournament week, the Estates remains private. “Nobody rents out their houses here,” Schneier says, unlike many of the other homes along the perimeter of the course. “It’s a different form, style of entertaining. It’s an energized environment during the tournament,” he says. “And then it’s gone.”

Narrow Market When a home in the Estates goes on the market, it often gets a lot of attention. With many happy memories, Schneier and his wife, Sue, have their home up for sale as they prepare to downsize to a smaller place in Old Dublin. The couple expanded their home in the Estates after their marriage to accommodate the blended family—each brought children from previous marriages when they moved in 1995.

The home has eight bedrooms, 10 full baths, an extensive weight room and a MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Home & Style home

two-story home theater. A room Schneier formally used as a place to practice his golf swings is now used as a Pilates studio. A wing built for the couple’s sons has a kitchenette, while an interior gym sports a mini basketball court flanked by two climbing walls and a painted hopscotch court.

Listing agent Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre of HER Realtors’ Raines Group said the resort-style home, priced at $3.95 million, has gained some attention from prospective buyers. “We’ve had some inquiries from out of town,” Grand-Pierre said. While located within a high-end section of Muirfield Golf Village, he says the gated community has its charm. “It’s not pretentious despite its price points,” he says. “It’s private, yet it’s still a 112

friendly neighborhood. You don’t always see that in a high-end neighborhood.”

Another home in the neighborhood sold in 2019. The smaller place—a five-bedroom English manor offering 6,746 square feet of living space for $1 million—closed in December. The Street Sotheby International Realty brokerage, meantime, has another home currently listed. Just 1,000 square feet smaller than the Schneiers’ home, it features 21,573 square feet for $5.5 million.

Street Sotheby President Scott Street says the luxury community attracts among the wealthiest in the market, with top-notch doctors and lawyers as well as C-suite executives among residents there. “It’s not just

people who are golf fanatics,” says Street.

It’s people who want privacy and quiet.

While several of the homes are exposed to the course, few of those walking by understand the exclusive residential community they are passing.

“In my mind, it’s an amazing spot … and an amazing little gift” from Nicklaus to the region’s executive housing stock, he adds.

Marketing an Estates property is not like selling a home anywhere else in Muirfield or Dublin. “You don’t do open houses that big unless it’s vacant,” says Close. The home’s amenities can assist in the marketing, such as a swimming pool or a wood oven for baking pizzas and salmon planks. As in any residential sale, pricing is important and

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photos: clockwise from top left, rob hardin (2); New Horizon Media Group (2)

Left, located behind the exclusive gate is the home of Ed Bacome, CEO of Epcon Communities. Top, Urban Meyer’s residence.

Below, the gym in the Schneier home

renovation will likely occur. “Once you’re north of $1 million, everyone comes in to make the house their own,” Close adds.

Ready to move on “It was a good decision to live here,” says Schneier. “We’ve enjoyed it here.” Then he reflects on the decades his family spent playing “Turkey Bowl” games of football on Thanksgiving and such. He also has appreciated his friendships with interesting neighbors.

“We’ll miss a lot of this: the home, the neighbors and the views,” he adds. With children now grown up and living on their own, the house no longer fits their lives. “It’s just the two of us. It’s just too much for just two people.” ◆ MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Home & Style real estate

Top 25

real estate transactions feb. 1–feb. 28, 2020

7301 Landon Lane $1,150,000

7433 Lambton Park $995,000

7518 Ogden Woods Blvd $988,000

PRICE

ADDRESS

BUYER/SELLER

$1,950,000

9528 Riverway Run, Powell

Brown, Douglas Cory from Davidson, John A. & Diana

$1,635,000

250 W. Spring St., Unit 1121, Columbus

Foster, Stephen & Suzanne from Thompson, Kimberly & Badizadegan, Kamran

$1,475,000

7708 Roxton Ct., New Albany

Wasserman, Zachary J. & Marmori from Ca, Vanessa & Samuel Milroy J.

$1,250,000

17 Hays Town, New Albany

Fee, Sherry L., trustee, from Curley, Edward T. & Elizabeth R.

$1,205,000

8333 West Shore Dr., Westerville

Wade-Hairston, Tina A. from Puglisi, Michael A.

$1,200,000

134 Ashbourne Rd., Bexley

Moneme, Obinna Ifeanyichukwu & Allison Marie from Jobes, Weston L. & Kathlene E.

$1,093,852

8070 Harriott Rd., Dublin

Johnson, John Joseph III & Kelly K. from Mobley, Randy A. & Judith L.

$1,079,900

6960 Clivdon Mews, Columbus

Wolinetz, Barry H., trustee, from Newman, Jeffrey & Lisa

$970,000

2338 Abington Rd., Upper Arlington

Heinze, Kari L. from Neville, Diane K. & Christopher R.

$876,900

11289 Cedar Crest Dr., Plain City

Waite, Kenneth B. & Stephanie J. from Romanelli & Hughes Building Company Inc.

$875,000

8010 Balmoral Ct., Dublin

Abaza, Ronney & Wahida from Bartholomew, Dennis W. & Deborah A.

$829,900

7507 Phelps Close, New Albany

Holbert, Shannon Adams & Brent Lee from York, Brian R. & Teresa L.

$810,000

5455 Via Alvito Dr., Westerville

Tajer, Richard III & Karen from Lothes, Julie E.

$800,000

4642 Goodheart Ct., New Albany

Von Bargen, Matthew E. & Jessica L. from Moulin, Gregoire & Darcy

$775,000

6765 Fall Brook Trail, Delaware

Cush, Andrew & Kelly from Schlegel, Michael A. & Janice N.

$770,000

4850 Oldbridge Dr., Upper Arlington

Davis, Dawn M., trustee, from Hawley, Miles & Lauren T.

$765,000

596 S. Sixth St., Columbus

Lewter, Matthew E. & Daugherty, Mary C. from Conrad, Christopher M. & Lynch, Chrystie A.

$760,000

544 S. Sixth St., Columbus

Monk, Martha Denise & Ralph, Todd from Nardella, Barnaby & Alexander Katharine

$740,000

250 W. Spring St., Unit 1122, Columbus

Charbonneau, Gary & Sheila from Coe, Gabriel

$740,000

5574 Johnstown-Alexandria Rd., Johnstown

Lyons, Matthew & Jade N. from Henson, Terry L. Jr. & Leslie J.

$737,000

410 W. South St., Worthington

Hunter, Jack E. & Lorenz, Linda L. from Stevens, Jesica

$730,000

6765 Baronet Blvd., Dublin

Henry, William L. and Pollock, Stacy V. from Sailors, Brandon & Kio, Morimoto

$725,000

9818 Cape Ct., Dublin

Betkerur, Suneel & Preeti from Shafer, Charles E. II & Sandra F.

$725,000

2434 Lewis Center Rd., Lewis Center

Sri Sai Baba Temple Society of Ohio from Favret, Laura A., trustee

$715,000

7696 Silver Lake Ct., Westerville

Smith, Larry James & Cattern, Lori Marie, trustees, from Resseger, Adam

As provided by The Columbus Dispatch researcher Julie Fulton. Statistics are gathered from the greater Columbus area, including Franklin and parts of other surrounding counties.

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Coldwell Banker King Thompson MikeCarruthers.com (614) 324-4321

Keller Williams Consultants Realty TheCloseConnection.com (614) 726-9070

Amy Conley

Cutler Real Estate ConleyandPartners.com (614) 792-7500

Bruce Dooley

Keller Williams Classic Properties DooleyCo.com (614) 297-8600

CENTRAL OHIO

LUXURY HOME

Jean Ann Conley

Cutler Real Estate ConleyandPartners.com (614) 792-7500

Sarah Eagleson

Keller Williams Classic Properties Columbus614.com (614) 804-8470

NETWORK

Kathy Faust

Phil Giessler

Keller Williams Consultants Realty Fausts.com (614) 402-4107

Cam Taylor Company CamTaylor.com (614) 888-0307

Cheryl Godard

Keller Williams Classic Properties CherylGodard.com (614) 353-8711

Traci Kaniaris

New Albany Realty NewAlbanyRealty.com (614) 286-2590

WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOU HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VERY BEST! Our team of certified luxury home specialists formed the Central Ohio Luxury Home Network to bring you the most qualified Realtors to serve you better. While we are competitors, we understand the importance of co-operation and with this in mind, we joined forces to bring the most exposure for your home to this elite group. Each month we tour our listings of luxury homes, share ideas on marketing and network our buyer leads to bring the most qualified prospects to your home!

Doug Green

Cutler Real Estate DougGreenRealtor.com (614) 893-8772

Brian Kemp

Keller Williams Capital Partners RelocateColumbus.com (614) 825-0288

Call one of us and begin working with all of us-today!

Jon Kirk

Jane Kessler Lennox

ReMax Premier Choice CalltheKirks.com (614) 791-2011

New Albany Realty NewAlbanyRealty.com (614) 939-8938

Stacy McVey

Jill Rudler

Jeff Ruff

Penny Smith

Marilyn Vutech

Keller Williams Classic Properties TheMcveyTeam.com (614) 206-3003

Keller Williams Excel Realty AllAboutColumbusOhio.com (614) 939-7400

HER Realtors Vutech-Ruff.com (614) 255-0660

NextHome Real Estate (614) 805-9162

HER Realtors Vutech-Ruff.com (614) 255-0600

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ELEGANT, QUALITY HOME IN OLENTANGY SCHOOLS

4220 BAUGHMAN GRANT, NEW ALBANY Fabulous location and NACC golf course views. Beautifully renovated in 2019, this stately brick home site features 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and over 4900 square feet of living space, finished basement, and 4 car garage.

Neutral throughout, 2 story Great Room and an abundance of natural light.

Large corner lot. Easy access to bike/walking path to NACC and downtown New Albany. $799,000.

Custom Romanelli and Hughes quality home -4200 sq. ft + 1590 sq ft of living space in lower level. Likenew condition, huge gourmet kitchen with Wolf and Sub Zero appls, 2-story great room overlooking two-tier paver patio and exquisite, landscaped private backyard.

4/5 BR, 4.5 baths. $699,900.

JAN BENADUM

JILL BECKETT-HILL

Janbenadum@gmail.com • 614.206.3373

jill@becketteam.com • 614.563.9819

COLDWELL BANKER KING THOMPSON

REALTY EXECUTIVES DECISION 8101 TARTAN FIELDS DR, DUBLIN

EXCEPTIONAL UA HOME

Southern Low Country style residence just steps from Tartan Fields Golf Club. Over 7,000 SF of living space, 5 BRs & 5 Baths, 1st floor Owner’s Ste, grand formal rooms, cherry wood flooring, white molding & trim, gourmet Kitchen, Huge walk-out Lower Level with 16’ long Bar, Full Bath & Workout Rm. Screened Porch, Patio areas, Gazebo, 4-level pond & waterfall. 3-car Garage & a separate, heated, single car Garage with finished upper level. $1,163,000

BERRIEN FAUST GROUP

todd@columbusarearealtors.com • 614.477.3077

KELLER WILLIAMS CONSULTANTS

295 S DAWSON AVE.

Great Street Presence! – Beautifully Renovated Central Bexley Stone 2 ½ Sty – 5 Bdrms – 3 ½ Baths – Approx 3,518 Sq Ft – Formal Entry – Lrg Liv Rm w/Wood Burning & French Doors to Screened Porch – Formal Din Rm – New Chef’s Kit 2011 w/High End Appls & Large Island Open to Breakfast Rm & Fam Rm – 1st Flr Lndry Rm/Mud Rm – Lrg Mstr Bdrm – 4th & 5th Bdrm on Fin 3rd Flr – Fin LL – 2 Car Att Side Load Gar – New Concrete Driveway 2012 – Extensive Landscaping 2012 – Private Fenced Rear Yard 2017 w/ Screened Porch – Dog Run – Excellent Condition – A+ Central Bexley Location! $885,000

RA NT

CO

MIKE CARRUTHERS

mike.carruthers@kingthompson.com • 614.620.2640

COLDWELL BANKER KING THOMPSON

TARTAN FIELDS Stunning New England style beauty on the 7th fairway of Tartan Fields golf club! New roof just installed!

Hardwood floors carry throughout most of the first floor. The first floor owner suite has beautiful golf course views along with a spa like retreat and large closet. The best room in the home rests off the island kitchen and hearth room. The octagon shaped morning room has a floor to ceiling stone fireplace and views from every direction. It’s your slice of heaven any day of the week!

Need more space? Relax in the lower level bar with daylight windows-or get away to one of the 3 upstairs bedroom suites. $1,099,000

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KELLY CANTWELL

kelly@columbus614.com • 614.256.1670

KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC PROPERTIES REALTY

TARTAN FIELDS

CT

IN

An impressive blend of indoor & outdoor space create a perfect place to call home. Close to Thompson Park, this exceptional property features a spacious great room addition with artful kitchen design & a dining room with fireplace. There are 5 bedrooms including a desirable 1st floor owner’s suite, 4 full & 2 half baths plus expansive finished lower level. Multiple outdoor entertaining spaces surround a beautiful backyard pool with waterfall that provide a relaxing touch. Superb quality throughout!

Stunning New England style beauty on the 7th fairway of Tartan Fields golf club! New roof just installed!

Hardwood floors carry throughout most of the first floor. The first floor owner suite has beautiful golf course views along with a spa like retreat and large closet. The best room in the home rests off the island kitchen and hearth room. The octagon shaped morning room has a floor to ceiling stone fireplace and views from every direction. It’s your slice of heaven any day of the week!

Need more space? Relax in the lower level bar with daylight windows-or get away to one of the 3 upstairs bedroom suites. $1,099,000

ALLI CLOSE

thecloseconnection.com • 614.726.9070

KELLER WILLIAMS CONSULTANTS

6755 MERCHANT RD, DELAWARE

Secluded at the Northern edge of Dublin on 27 acres sits a custom built four bedroom 3 1/2 bath cape cod with views of mature trees, pond and acres of green space. Idyllic for pets, 10 of the 27 acres are fenced. $1,660,000.

ALLI CLOSE

thecloseconnection.com • 614.726.9070

KELLER WILLIAMS CONSULTANTS

CONLEY & PARTNERS

amy@conleyandpartners.com • 614.792.7500

CUTLER REAL ESTATE

4/9/20 12:04 PM

“THE PARSONAGE”

BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN VILLAGE HOME!

Fantastic renovation that blends modern convenience w/ original character. Over 4100 sq ft! 1st fl den, spacious dining & living rm w/built in cabinetry & pocket doors. Huge kitchen w/SS appl, granite counters, island, heated floor, & bar/beverage area. 4BRs on the 2nd fl. Owner’s suite has large walk-in closet & full BA w/ heated floor. Finished 3rd fl w/full BA, wet bar & huge main rm. Fin. basement area w/home theater, additional den/office, & half BA. $975K

Built in 1853 as the Parsonage for St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, this historically significant 2 story home is enriched with plank pine hardwood, original trim, tall ceilings and gracious rooms.

Thoughtful restorations and updates reflect the original features of timeless design.

Steps to downtown Delaware. $486,900

Seagleson@kw.com • 614.804.8470

KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC PROPERTIES REALTY

KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC PROPERTIES 8694 DUNSINANE, DUBLIN

2630 CLARION COURT

One of the most admired homes in UA and first time on the market. Gorgeous Stock & Stone designed 4 BR includes 1st floor owners’ suite, 3.2 BA, 6,100+ sq ft, walk-out LL situated on 1.2 acre lot on private cul-desac. Floor to ceiling windows look out to a ravine lot with running creek & mature trees.

Large rooms with high ceilings include Great Room, DR, den/ library and spacious white kitchen with hearth room. Lower level features 3 bdrms, 2nd great room w/ kitchen/bar, and flex room for hobbies or exercise. One of a kind!

SARAH EAGLESON

BRUCE DOOLEY

bruce@dooleyco.com • 614.297.8600

CHERYL GODARD

cherylgodard@kw.com • 614.353.8711

KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC PROPERTIES

LANSDOWNE

TRACI KANIARIS

tracikaniaris@hotmail.com • 614.286.2590

NEW ALBANY REALTY 8553 TARTAN FIELDS DRIVE

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DOUG GREEN

dgreen@cutlerhomes.com • 614.893-8772

CUTLER REAL ESTATE

3704 SOUTH BANK NE - BUCKEYE LAKE

Fabulous 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath home just a short walk to the New Albany CC. Over 4,700 Square Feet including finished Lower Level. Offered at $669,000

View the virtual tour at https://my.matterport.com/ show/?m=fucLmUF7RTY&brand=0.

1/2 acre private wooded lot. Five bedrooms, 4.5 baths plus a bonus room. Palatial great rm w/ 12’ ceilings and wall of windows overlooking your private rear yard.

Vaulted kitchen, breakfast bar w/ granite counters, bayed dinette area.

Master suite w/ hardwood floors, fireplace, walk-in closet w/ custom shelving, updated master bath w/ built in dressers. Remodeled lower level w/ bar, stone accents & 800 bottle wine cellar. $985,000

Nestled on the 7th Green of the Muirfield Village Golf Club, this exceptional cluster home is located in Birnam Woods which is part of the gated community known as Estates of Muirfield, Dublin. Wonderful details throughout this beautiful home including an updated kitchen, master bath and finished lower level spaces. 4 Bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 4 fireplaces. Paneled library, hand crafted cabinetry and woodwork. For additional photos: www.DougGreenRealtor. com $640,000.00

You are just in time for spending spring and summer at the lake!

Unique lakefront property maintains its original charm while being updated with all of today’s modern amenities. Enchanting guest house, complete with all living amenities, features glass ceiling for endless star gazing and water views out the front. Outdoor kitchen, salt water pool, and multiple outdoor lounging areas make this lake house an entertainer’s dream.

Updated board walk and boat house. Room to build on additional lot with permit and plans included.

KEMP GROUP

office@relocatecolumbus.com • 614.450.0082

KELLER WILLIAMS CAPITAL PARTNERS

1129 BROOKHOUSE LANE, GAHANNA

JON & PAM KIRK

www.callthekirks.com • 614.791.2011

RE/MAX PREMIER CHOICE

This stunning 11,000+sqft, 6 BR grand estate is built on 2.69 acres for ultimate privacy in the Villages of Rocky Fork.

The mature trees and circular driveway provide a dramatic first impression of the formal entry. The impressive open floor plan features a breathtaking 24’ high foyer & great room. Huge island kit, casual & formal dining, a carriage apt & a 3000sqft walkout LL w/home theater. Location offers a non-recallable NACC membership opportunity and is perfect for entertaining or relaxing w/ family. A must see if you’re considering Gahanna/New Albany area. $1,249,000

JANE KESSLER LENNOX

janel@newalbanyrealty.com • 614.939.8938

NEW ALBANY REALTY

4/9/20 1:57 PM

61880 WHISPERING PINES, CAMBRIDGE

DAVENTRY PARK

Custom build by Trueberry Homes, this beautifully designed 2-story is perfectly placed on a peaceful street with mature trees. Flexible floor plan featuring beautiful hdwd floors, gourmet kitchen, SS appls, abundance of counter space with a lg island w/breakfast bar & maplewood cabinets. 1st floor master w/ private en-suite with an adjoining den or 2nd bdrm! Spectacular great room includes vaulted ceilings, stone raised hearth see-through fireplace located between great room & MBR! Fin. walkout lower level, great for entertaining, includes family rm w/ gas fireplace & wet bar, a 2nd den & craft room with sink, Slider to exterior, and 2 BRs w/ 2 full baths. Great for an in-law! $650,000

One owner custom home on pristine acreage. Many upgrades including a fully finished walk out lower level, deluxe kitchen and more. $549,900

pnnysmt@aol.com • 614.805.9162

NEXT HOME EXPERIENCE

KELLER WILLAMS EXCEL REALTY

227 E SYCAMORE STREET, GERMAN VILLAGE

609 S 9TH STREET, THE TOWNHAUS

Fabulous executive home in the heart of GV was a complete renovation in ‘16 & featured on the ‘17 Haus und Garten Tour. Architectural highlights include vaulted, wood beamed ceilings, rich wood floors, exposed brick walls, and top quality finishes throughout, including the Chef’s kitchen.

Add’l amenities include a finished LL with guest suite and an oversized 3-car garage. $1,385,000

MARILYN VUTECH AND JEFF RUFF realtors@vutech-ruff.com • 614.255.0600

HER REALTORS

15-YEAR 100% TAX ABATED! One of only two remaining Townhaus units!

Designed by Jonathan Barnes, this newly constructed townhouse features hardwood floors, 10’ ceilings on the first floor, open kitchen with quartz, custom wood cabinets and SS appliances.

Luxury finished baths. Walk in closets. Large upper level deck. BUYER CREDITS toward furniture and closing costs. $734,500

MARILYN VUTECH AND JEFF RUFF realtors@vutech-ruff.com • 614.255.0600

HER REALTORS

19920 COMMERCIAL POINT, CIRCLEVILLE

MEDALLION DR, WESTERVILLE

Experience the best of Medallion County Club on the 6th fairway of the Meadows course!

Unobstructed views from the back of the house overlooking the course! Most of this home has been lovingly updated-including fresh paint & flooring throughout much of the house. Walk in to hardwood floors & a two story entry.

Huge kitchen overlooking the eating space/ hearth room & the spacious great room w/a wall of windows! Office overlooks the course & has plenty of built ins. Upstairs, the views continue in the beautiful owner suite complete with a large bath & closet. Plus, three other large bedrooms & the laundry room. The lower level has two separate rec spaces plus a media room. $800,000

ALLI CLOSE

thecloseconnection.com • 614.726.9070

KELLER WILLIAMS CONSULTANTS

If you love Country Estate living and Historic Homes, you will appreciate this very special place! Built in the early 1900s this Pickaway County landmark is a true gem. Wonderful original details showcase true craftsmanship.

Hand carved fireplace mantles each with it’s own story. A third floor gathering space used early on for social dances. Stately wood pocket doors connecting many of the first floor rooms. A large banquet sized dinning room. Beautiful leaded glass entry and transoms. Rich wood paneling and staircase. Generously sized bedrooms and much more! $799,000

DOUG GREEN

dgreen@cutlerhomes.com • 614.893-8772

CUTLER REAL ESTATE

2561 SHERWIN

2430 ONANDAGA

Mike Edwards complete 2012 renovation/addition on Onandaga Drive! Fabulous 4BR-each w/bath, 4900+ sq’ on .4 acres. Sprawling 1st floor features gourmet kitchen open to great room, spacious office/living room, DR, + second large family room-perfect for game room, pool table, bar. Large yard, blue stone patio w/fireplace all surrounded by mature trees and gorgeous landscaping. Steps to restaurants, shops, schools, park and library!

PENNY SMITH

JILL RUDLER

www.allaboutcolumbusohio.com • 614.939.7400

CHERYL GODARD

cherylgodard@kw.com • 614.353.8711

KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC PROPERTIES

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Looking for a large, flat back yard to build an amazing pool, outdoor living space or extra garages? This is it!

Sitting on .5+ acres, this 4BR, 3.5 BA is surrounded by $2M homes and features 4400 sq.’ of total living space including a large newly remodeled lower level. LR, DR, newer white kitchen, FR, 3 season room and attached 2 car garage. Great as is or perfect opportunity to make your own!

CHERYL GODARD

cherylgodard@kw.com • 614.353.8711

KELLER WILLIAMS CLASSIC PROPERTIES

4/9/20 12:05 PM

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Dining industry p. 122 | chefs P. 124 | SCOVILLE SCALE P. 127 | Let’s eat P. 129

128 Calling All Rum Fans

Echo Spirits’ new Grandview tasting room is (virtually) ready to go.

Photo by tim johnson

MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Dining industry

Fighting for Survival What the pandemic means for our local restaurants and bars, as well as the people that make them run

By Jill Moorhead

A Daily Roller Coaster Bermudez is unsure about his future. He 122

Harvest Pizzeria in Bexley has closed indefinitely.

and the mother of his children are living separately, but he acknowledges that if things get desperate enough, they may be forced to cohabitate. “I’m betting that I have to find a new vocation. [My situation] changes hour by hour. I don’t know what day it is. Sundays are Thursdays.”

Time is off for Christine Deye, the head of brand integrity at A&R Creative Group, as well. “The last 14 days have been two-anda-half years,” she says. Deye spent two weeks creating daily plans, only to abandon them every time.

A&R felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic early, after Ohio State University president Michael Drake’s March 12 announcement that the university would extend spring break and move to online

learning. The restaurant group also runs Trism, Ethyl & Tank and Midway on High, all located near the Ohio Union. “Our Campus business was down 75 percent,” Deye says.

“We started thinking about what it would look like if we had to reduce staff and hours.

I was building a cash flow model.” In the period immediately following DeWine’s March 15 announcement, the restaurant group tried to make takeout and delivery work.

“It was really weighing on [owners] Ali and Abed [Alshahal] that we were putting the safety of our team at risk. [Carryout] was a lot of work for only a little money. We were covering the costs, but not much more.”

On March 21, A&R shut all of its restaurants down. (The Market Italian Village has since regrouped to offer Market Boxes, containing

photo: tim johnson

Carlos Bermudez, a bartender at The Light of Seven Matchsticks, was at work listening to Mike DeWine’s March 15 press conference when the governor made the announcement: In order to flatten the COVID-19 curve, all bars and restaurants must close as of 9 p.m. that evening, with exceptions for food delivery and carryout. Bermudez wasn’t surprised but describes the aftermath of Ohio’s dine-in ban in one word: “brutal.”

Bermudez, a single father of two boys, has since been laid off, losing 80 percent of his income when the bar closed indefinitely.

He’s helped the speakeasy’s sister business in Worthington, Natalie’s Coal-Fired Pizza & Live Music, with takeout and delivery, but it’s not enough. “With a couple of mouths to feed, it’s serious business every day,” he says. “[The kids have] have seen me break down a couple times.”

The day of DeWine’s announcement, roughly 4,045 Franklin County restaurants (representing 83,373 employees, according to a 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics report) had less than seven hours to make a decision: switch to carryout and delivery or shut their doors for the foreseeable future.

Four days later, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants closed all 36 of its restaurants across 12 states, furloughing 4,500 workers plus another 1,300 from Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern’s 23 locations. The next day, Grow Restaurants closed six eateries, displacing 180 associates. And the following day, A&R Creative Group shuttered 11 restaurants, laying off 320 employees.

According to a statewide poll of members from March 22 to 24, the Ohio Restaurant Association found that 47 percent of Ohio restaurants had closed their doors indefinitely, making the difficult decision to wait out the pandemic rather than give carryout and delivery a go.

Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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photos: tim johnson

photo: tim johnson

reheatable meals, wine, produce and other goods.) “It was the hardest day in Ali’s life,” says Deye. The three remaining employees discussed whether to give team members a choice to stay open, but they were concerned that workers wouldn’t put their own health first. “We needed to be their parent,” Deye says, thinking of conversations with her own daughters. “We needed to make the decisions for them to be safe.”

On March 22, Deye made a new plan: She fired herself.

Relief Gets off to a Rocky Start A state-mandated shutdown is having an immediate effect on the businesses. And DeWine’s announcement came without assurances of financial relief from Ohio, beyond a liquor buyback program and changes to the state’s unemployment law.

Most restaurants and bars don’t have months of cash reserves because they’re expanding and growing their businesses, says Steven Fireman, the president and general counsel at the Economic and Community Development Institute, a nonprofit that provides loans, training and other support to small businesses.

“To have your entire livelihood in the hands of the … government is scary,” says Chris Crader, founder of Grow Restaurants, which runs Harvest, The Sycamore and Cosecha Cocina. “If you’re going to mandate a shutdown, make sure that there is relief there the minute the doors are shut. [The state is] being proactive, but we are subject to their decisions.”

While the waiting period to file for unemployment in Ohio has been waived, the website has experienced significant delays, a big barrier for people who need to file weekly; payouts have also been delayed. And even though the Ohio Restaurant Association advocated for a sales tax holiday, restaurants were still responsible for paying March taxes.

Meanwhile, it was 12 days after DeWine’s mandate—an eternity for cash-strapped members of the food service industry—that Congress passed the CARES Act, a stimulus package that includes $349 billion dollars in loans for small businesses administered through the Small Business Administration.

Think Like a Startup The best way to survive, according to the

The Market Italian Village is offering boxes of produce and prepared meals for carryout; inset, Lisa Gutierrez, co-owner of Dos Hermanos, is still operating her food truck.

ORA, is for restaurants to reduce expenses. The association suggests that restaurant owners work with vendors, utilities, lenders and landlords to get expenses deferred, followed by “tightening the workforce,” or mass layoffs.

Restaurants can also learn to think like a startup again, says Fireman. “We’re back to how we started the business,” says Lisa Gutierrez, owner of Dos Hermanos, which until recently operated two food trucks, a taco cart, a stall in the North Market and two concession stands. “We’re inside one food truck now, and our North Market hours are reduced,” she says. Gutierrez believes she and her husband have lost 90 percent of their business. Weddings and graduation parties have asked for refunds; deliveries are down.

The situation has prompted Gutierrez to get creative. Dos Hermanos added online ordering and started parking in neighborhoods.

Fireman believes that to salvage restaurants, it will take a community effort. He says ECDI is doing rent deferrals at its commissaries. “We hope and expect landlords to do the same. It is the Columbus way, and we’re expecting [landlords] to step up,” he says.

While some developers and landlords are offering deferrals, others aren’t. A representative at the Pizzuti Cos., which leases spaces to several Short North restaurants, says that it’s making decisions on a case-by-case basis.

John Barker, president and CEO of the ORA, hears promising stories from developers and larger businesses in Columbus.

“They want their tenants to be there after this is all over. We’re hearing about lease holidays. We’re hearing Huntington Bank saying, ‘Let’s work together.’”

A Murky Future Columbus is known for collaboration. Plus, the restaurant community is already showing its ingenuity.

Kathleen Day, owner of Katalina’s, started a Change.org petition that has around 2,000 signatures advocating for grants and other relief. Other initiatives are popping up weekly, from virtual happy hours that encourage tips for bartenders to efforts designed to feed restaurant workers and their families.

“We’re not done,” says Deye, who is writing a blog to help other small businesses learn from her experiences at A&R. “It’s just a pause. When we come back online, it will look different.”

As of early April, it’s not clear when restaurants and bars will reopen, but Barker agrees the future of the industry is going to look different. “We still have a place for dine-in restaurants,” he says. “But people will get more comfortable with delivered and carryout food. Delivery last year was 3 percent of all customer traffic, but it’s the fastest growing arena, and you’re going to see more rapid growth.”

Bermudez remains committed to The Light of Seven Matchsticks. He moved to Columbus from New York City, and he views restaurants and nightlife as essential. “When I got here, I went digging into the arts and food culture right away,” he says. “And when this is over, I absolutely want to go back.” ◆ MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Dining chefs

What Will Become of Veritas?

How Josh Dalton is navigating the pandemic and planning for what comes next

By Erin Edwards

Restaurants aren’t meant to be empty. If you’ve ever been the sole diner in a barren restaurant, the place feels off, no matter how beautiful the food and impeccable the service.

Chef Josh Dalton’s Veritas, Columbus Monthly’s No. 1 restaurant last year, with its neutral colors and low ceilings, is a subdued setting even when full, but there’s still a vitality and elegance that emanates from each server interaction and from the activity in its open kitchen, encased in glass.

On Friday, March 20, five days after the restaurant was forced to close to dine-in customers, it felt like its soul was on pause. Dalton was cleaning instead of prepping food for what should have been one of Veritas’ busiest 124

days of the week. The restaurant’s GM and sommelier, Gregory Stokes, was collecting wine bottles for delivery instead of planning the night’s wine pairings.

Veritas had changed, perhaps forever.

“Zero Spend” It all happened so fast. One afternoon in early March, I was at Veritas’ subterranean bar having a glass of wine. With news of the COVID-19 pandemic creeping toward Ohio, the bartender was telling me about the new Lysol cans in the bathroom—placed there by Dalton, a self-described germaphobe—and how they were subsequently stolen. At the time, it was funny. We laughed.

Just a week later, on Thursday, March 12, I visited Veritas’ sister cocktail bar, The Citizens Trust, upstairs from the restaurant in The Citizens building at Gay and High streets. The mood had changed. Two days earlier, Dalton had texted his general manager with a simple directive that applied to all three of his restaurants and the cocktail bar: “zero spend.” In other words, no wine orders, no beer, no liquor. “I told the kitchens, order what you have to so we can sell food, but I was even OK eighty-sixing items throughout the week,” Dalton says.

Even in normal times, Dalton is a known brooder, his language … colorful. But on that particular Thursday, Dalton’s agoniz-

Columbus Monthly MAY 2020

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American Bistro—tried to soldier on, offering carryout and curbside pickup. But Dalton decided to shut it all down on March 20 for the safety of his employees. Instead, Veritas made its wine cellar available for delivery, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Dalton’s staff.

photos: tim johnson

Packing up the Veritas bar; right, Josh Dalton inside the restaurant’s kitchen on March 20

ing was worse and specific: How was he going to retrofit one of the city’s top restaurants—one known for its exacting and expensive tasting menus, exemplary service and wine pairings—into a curbside carryout spot? How was he going to continue to pay the rent in this pricey Downtown location with carryout profits alone, especially when all restaurants would be shifting to takeout?

Stokes says there were 12 dining parties on the books for the following day—Friday, March 13—instead of the typical 60 to 70 reservations plus walk-ins. The situation was already serious. And then it got worse.

On Sunday, March 15, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of

Health was ordering all bars and restaurants to close indefinitely for dine-in service starting at 9 p.m. that night. Carryout and delivery would still be permitted. “It was just a matter of time,” Dalton says, adding that he agreed with the state’s decision “100 percent.”

Though some high-end restaurants, like Service Bar and The Refectory Restaurant & Wine Shop, revamped their menus completely for carryout, Dalton ruled it out and says he doesn’t regret the decision. The volume just isn’t there to be sustainable, he argues.

“If there’s essential food that you need, it just isn’t fine dining,” Dalton says. “I can guarantee you that I’ll have a much stronger carryout game once we’re allowed to reopen.”

The Monday after DeWine’s announcement, Dalton laid off his entire Veritas staff as well as his bar staff at The Citizens Trust so they could file for unemployment.

With the leftover food he had, Dalton made soup for the staff and as a donation to the Andrews House, a charity in Delaware, where Dalton lives.

“When you are in a small mom-and-pop restaurant, you work side-by-side with these people, they become family,” Dalton says about laying off his staff. “When it’s a bigger corporation, usually the CEO doesn’t know the dishwasher and what they’re going through—like one of my dishwashers bought a car, and four days later it got stolen—and I know those stories, and I talked to him about it. You get a more one-on-one relationship with your staff when you are working constantly next to them. It just touches closer to home.”

Dalton’s more casual restaurants up north in Delaware—Speck Italian Eatery and 1808

“A Different Veritas” During the interim, the chef muses about getting a job in an Amazon warehouse, and he has a Peloton bike that he wants to dust off. As a small business owner in Ohio, Dalton’s ineligible for unemployment. He is spending a lot of his time on paperwork— applying for loans so that he can reopen his restaurants. “That’s exactly what I did not want to do, is take a loan,” he says.

Dalton believes one thing is imperative: that he start charting the course for Veritas’ reopening in a down economy. “If we’re the same Veritas as when we opened, I think it’s doomsday,” he says. “I think we have to start planning for a different Veritas, a lot more affordable Veritas.”

Dalton counts himself lucky. He says his Downtown landlord, the developer Jeff Edwards, is being flexible with the chef on rent (though not forgiving it) and is committed to seeing the restaurant stay put.

Also, Dalton now has a state-of-the-art test kitchen in Veritas, where he and a few other cooks can experiment—though he can’t afford to pay them.

The chef has already started spitballing about Veritas’ future, guaranteeing that he’ll reopen with a strong vegan component. He’s also imagining a tasting menu of Mexican food. “I have a love affair with that place, and I think it’s a perfect background for vegan and doing some amazing dishes that are just really flavorful but also flavors that everybody knows,” Dalton says. “I want it to be extravagant for the price.”

The chef is confident he’ll reopen his businesses one way or another. It’s what comes after that scares him. Like many restaurateurs around the country, he’s discovered that his insurance policy doesn’t cover losses related to a pandemic. Loans will need to be repaid, rent will come due, plus there’s the estimated $10,000 in inventory he’ll need to reopen.

“Until there’s a [COVID-19] vaccine, people are going to be cautious,” he says.

“They’re not going to let us open up at 100 percent occupancy. So, I think things are going to get really tough then. The tough part hasn’t even started.” ◆ MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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Dining copy & Taste

Sangeeta Lakhani, co-owner of The Table, is part of a new effort that seeks to feed displaced service industry workers.

By Erin Edwards

Food & Drink News In early April, the Ohio Liquor Control Commission passed an emergency rule allowing restaurants with a liquor license to sell and deliver alcoholic drinks for consumption off premises. Customers may purchase two pre-packaged drinks per meal. Other states such as New York and Texas have made similar rule changes to their liquor laws during the coronavirus crisis. The action is meant to ease the financial damage done to small businesses since dine-in service was banned in mid-March.

Several local food service industry veterans have launched a new nonprofit venture called Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers, which seeks to feed unemployed workers in the industry and families in Franklin County. Service! is a collaboration between The Table’s Sangeeta Lakhani and Muse Hos126

The James Beard Foundation has postponed the 2020 James Beard Awards nominee announcement because of the COVID-19 crisis. It was originally scheduled for March 25. Two Columbus chefs, James Anderson of Ray Ray’s Hog Pit and Spencer Budros of Pistacia Vera, are waiting to learn whether they will move on as finalists to the annual James Beard Awards ceremony, which will also be rescheduled.

Fox in the Snow owners Jeff Excell and Lauren Culley made the difficult decision to cease operations temporarily in mid-March in response to the coronavirus. Recently, the bakery/coffee shop did something it’s never done before: share one of its secret recipes. You can find the recipe for Fox in the Snow’s multilayered biscuits—the same biscuits Columbus Month-

ly featured on our Best Breakfasts cover in March—at ColumbusMonthly.com.

Echo Spirits Distilling Co., 451 Spirits, High Bank Distillery Co., Middle West Spirits and Watershed Distillery have all shifted gears to produce sanitizer for medical professionals, first responders and consumers in response to the pandemic. Call for availability.

Closings Crafted Drafts, a craft beer retail shop, has shuttered permanently because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Its two locations in Gahanna and Hilliard closed their doors in mid-March.

Max & Erma’s has closed permanently at 4279 Cemetery Road in Hilliard. The burger chain, which was founded in Columbus, has seen many closures in recent years.

To keep up with the latest restaurant/bar openings and closings, check out The Scoop at ColumbusMonthly.com or go online to subscribe to the weekly Copy & Taste newsletter.

photo: Fred Squillante

The Scoop

pitality’s Matthew Heaggans, Letha Pugh, Catie Randazzo and Reed Woogerd. (Preston’s: A Burger Joint and Ambrose and Eve are part of the Muse restaurant group.) The venture’s goal is to provide 2,000 meals a week for displaced workers. Visit servicerelief.org for more information.

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photos: clockwise from top left, courtesy high bank distillery; Fred Squillante; courtesy yellow brick pizza; tim johnson

Dining SCOVILLE SCALE

HOT

What’s hot (or not) on the Central Ohio food and drink scene right now

Free kids’ meals provided by local restaurants such as Legacy Smokehouse and Smoked on High Barbeque Co.

Local distilleries producing sanitizer for first responders and medical professionals Beer and wine delivery from local breweries, restaurants and wine shops

In a message posted from her home “R&D” kitchen, Jeni Britton Bauer invited fans to send in ice cream flavor ideas. Some of them may show up in Jeni’s 2021 lineup.

Daniel (Dan the Baker) Riesenberger’s Instagram videos of himself deftly portioning out dough to Paul Simon and The Beatles tunes are the mesmerizing, calming antidotes we need right now.

The term ghost kitchen, meant to denote deliveryonly restaurants, seems very unfortunate these days.

The Small Business Association Disaster Assistance website was riddled with delays in mid-March as small business owners rushed to apply for much-needed relief.

Thieves kicking restaurants when they’re down; Indian Oven and Yellow Brick Pizza (above) were both burglarized in March.

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Dining drink

Echo of Spirits Past A new Grandview distillery was “this close” to opening its tasting room when bars were forced to close. The founders are making the best of it.

By Erin Edwards

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Owners Nikhil Sharoff and Joe Bidinger

The distillery’s first two products—a white rum and a forthcoming genever (what Bidinger describes as “a hybrid between gin and malt whiskey”)—are spirits that deliberately hark back (or in this case, echo back) to olden days, specifically the pre-Prohibition era.

Instead of whiskey or vodka, the founders chose to enter the market with spirits not being produced by the two bigger distilleries in town: Middle West Spirits and Watershed Distillery.

“A lot of it was just a desire to do something different,” says Bidinger. “If we’re going to build this company, the last thing I need to do is start out by trying to compete with the products from the two other distilleries in the area that I love.”

The distillery’s rum, which is available for sale at Echo Spirits’ on-site bottle shop, is bound to challenge what people think about light rums. Often used in cocktails, they tend to be stripped down and neutral in flavor. “We went out intentionally trying to design a rum that’s very flavor-forward,” says Bidinger.

It’s uncertain when customers will be able to visit Echo Spirits’ new bar, which features cocktails developed by beverage director Derek Reno, a veteran Columbus bartender. In the meantime, the team plans to continue connecting to people virtually through its series of cocktail classes. Get those shakers ready. echospirits.com

Echo Spirits Cocktail Sneak Peek “Uncharted Settlements” This straw-colored libation comes served in a Nick and Nora glass with a clipped eucalyptus leaf.

• 1 1/4 ounces eucalyptus-infused Echo Spirits rum • 3/4 ounce pisco • 3/4 ounce vermouth blanc • 3/4 ounce Lillet Blanc • 3/4 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur • Expressed lemon peel

photos: tim johnson

One evening in mid-March, I settled in front of my laptop to watch a cocktail class livestreamed from a distillery in Grandview.

Then, as instructed, I went to my kitchen, dusted off a cocktail shaker, made some simple syrup, squeezed several limes and opened a new bottle of white rum from Echo Spirits Distilling Co. Voila! A traditional daiquiri.

This new way to engage with customers in a stay-at-home environment was concocted on the fly by Echo Spirits, a nascent operation on West Sixth Avenue that was within a few weeks of opening its new bar to the public when Ohio’s dine-in ban began.

“We’re a distillery [that] was gearing up to open up our bar, and it seems like just about every day we’re kind of pivoting on what exactly our business is and what it does,” says co-founder Joe Bidinger.

Bidinger and fellow co-founder Nikhil Sharoff, two high school buddies from Bishop Watterson High School, are becoming experts in the art of the sharp turn.

In 2008, Bidinger graduated from college with a finance degree and a penchant for good craft beer, but jobs (and cash) were sparse because of the Great Recession. It was cheaper to make his own beer.

He and Sharoff started homebrewing, and their interest in the practice grew from there.

“We made mead, we made wine, we made sake,” Bidinger says. “We kind of made all the different fermented beverages just for fun.

We just think it’s a really cool process.” The pair started putting together plans to open a brewery when the white-hot craft beer revolution took off. Reticent about the growing competition in brewing, they shifted their business plan to distilling and moved into their production facility last year.

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let’s eat our guide to the best restaurants in columbus

Editor’s Note: Columbus Monthly is abbreviating our restaurant listings this month as Ohio’s dine-in ban continues in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At press time, all restaurants listed were offering carryout, delivery or both. This is not a comprehensive list. Please call restaurants to check hours and availability.

3 Brothers Diner Mexian/American | 3090 Southwest Blvd., Grove City, 614-317-7798. This family-friendly spot combines American, Mexican and Cuban diner fare on one menu. You’ll find a variety of omelets, egg scrambles, breakfast burritos, French toast and pancakes, plus entrées like Cuban roasted chicken, jambalaya and more. BLD $ 6-1-Pho Vietnamese | 4386 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-7064903. A fast-casual restaurant where diners can build their own noodle soups, sandwiches and noodle salads—all of which pull flavors from classic Vietnamese cuisine. LD $ 101 Beer Kitchen Gastropub | 7509 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 614-210-1010; 397 Stoneridge Ln., Gahanna, 614-934-5501; 817 Polaris Pkwy., Westerville, 614-776-4775. At this expertly executed gastropub (its owners could school others in the art of developing a restaurant), craft brews are paired with made-from-scratch, seasonal dishes. BRLD $$ Bake Me Happy Café & Bakery | 106 E. Moler St., Merion Village, 614477-3642. This 100-percent gluten-free coffee shop and retail bakery is an extension of Bake Me Happy’s growing wholesale business. The cheerful café offers coffee from local roasters, nostalgic treats and some savory offerings. BL $ Bamboo Thai Kitchen Thai | 774 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-326-1950.

This bright spot in a drab strip mall offers well-executed Thai staples like som tum (green papaya salad), flavorful green and red curries and pad thai, plus some Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese dishes. LD $$ Bangkok Grocery & Restaurant Thai | 3277 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614-231-8787.

A family-owned grocery and eatery specializing in authentic Thai fare for more than 30 years. Go for some of the city’s best pad thai, tom yum soup, nam tok and Thai curries. LD $

photos: tim johnson

Barley’s Brewing Co. Brewpub | 467 N. High St., Arena District, 614-2282537. The microbrewery offers an expansive selection of brews, which can be enjoyed at the hand-carved,

century-old mahogany bar alongside American bar favorites like nachos and burgers. LD $$ Bexley Pizza Plus Pizza | 2651 E. Main St., Bexley, 614-237-3305. With 22 specialty pizzas and 41 toppings, the options are endless at this Bexley pizzeria. LD $ Borgata Pizza Café Italian | 5701 Parkville St., North Side, 614-891-2345; 2285 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Northwest Side, 614396-8758. A neighborhood Italian eatery specializing in New York-style pizza, scratch-made pastas, calzones and panini. Try the ricotta cavatelli with marinara or spicy stuffed peppers—tender Cubanelle peppers with marinara and gooey mozzarella cheese.

LD $$ Brassica Mediterranean/Middle Eastern | 2212 E. Main St., Bexley, 614-929-9990; 680 N. High St., Short North, 614-867-5885; 1442 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-929-9997. From the owners of Northstar Café comes this build-it-yourself eatery with a focus on fresh vegetables and proteins spiked with bold Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spices. LD $$ Brekkie Shack American | 1060 Yard St., Grandview, 614-208-7766.

Staying true to its name, this cheerful Grandview Yard spot focuses on breakfast, with scratch-baked goods, savory breakfast sandwiches, pancakes and coffee from Crimson Cup. Beer and cocktails are also available. BBRL $ Brown Bag Deli Deli | 898 Mohawk St., German Village, 614-4434214. The longtime German Village sandwich shop keeps it simple yet tasty with crave-worthy sandwiches like the turkey-and-cranberry-mayo-topped Village Addiction, plus daily soups, salads and sides on display under the counter. LD $ Buckeye Donuts Bakery | 1998 N. High St., Campus, 614-2913923. A Campus legend since 1969, Buckeye Donuts is open 24 hours to satisfy cravings for classic doughnuts and diner-style cuisine at all hours of the day.

BLD $

Buckeye Pho Vietnamese | 761 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-4512828. Venture to this strip mall eatery for high-quality Vietnamese fare with modern décor. LD $ Cravings Café Soup & Sandwiches | 114 N. Front St., Downtown, 614670–4439. This café from Matt and Lindsey Tewanger offers sandwiches made with locally sourced ingredients, house-baked brioche and roasted meats. Also featuring small-batch coffee and breakfast pastries.

BL $ Creole Kitchen Cajun & Creole | 1052 Mount Vernon Ave., East Side, 614-372-3333. Chef Henry Butcher serves up authentic, savory Creole food—po’boys, alligator, gumbo—in hearty portions. BLD $ DK Diner American | 1715 W. Third Ave., Grandview, 614-4885160. The DK stands for doughnut kitchen at this off-the-beaten-path diner with a cozy atmosphere and local flavor. Enjoy breakfast all day. BLD $ Dosa Corner Indian | 1077 Old Henderson Rd., Upper Arlington, 614-459-5515. A family-owned, Southern Indian “fast food” spot that specializes in thin, pancake-like dosas made with rice and lentil flour batter with a choice of vegetarian fillings. LD $ Fukuryu Ramen Japanese | 4540 Bridge Park Ave., Dublin, 614-5537392; 1600 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-9295910. Jeff Tsao, whose family owned the Kahiki Supper Club, brings his Melbourne, Australia, ramen shop stateside. It’s quick, modern, bustling and adds a little rock ’n’ roll to traditional Japanese fare. The Signature Tonkotsu and Red Dragon ramens are standouts. LD $$ G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar Low Country | 595 S. Third St., German Village, 614-464-0575. This historic German Village eatery promises fine dining with a low country influence.

Expect bold flavors in dishes layered with components and exceptional sauces. Preparations and ingredients change with the seasons. D $$$

Let’s Eat comprises Columbus Monthly editors’ picks and is updated monthly based on available space. If you notice an error, please email eedwards@columbusmonthly.com.

$$$$ Average entrée $26 and higher $$$ Average entrée $16–$25 $$ Average entrée $11–$15 $ Average entrée under $10

- Valet Available - Kitchen Open Late Outdoor Patio Seating

B Breakfast BR Brunch L Lunch D Dinner

Critics’ Choice Columbus Classic

NEW! Restaurant has opened within the last few months.

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Gallo’s Tap Room Pub Grub | 5019 Olentangy River Rd., Northwest Side, 614-457-2394; 240 N. Liberty St., Powell, 614-396-7309.

A dark, modern sports bar brimming with top-notch beers and an updated pub grub menu featuring burgers, wings and pizza. LD $ Geordie’s Restaurant Irish & British Pubs | 1586 S. High St., Merion Village, 614-674-6004. Chef-owner Glen Hall-Jones brings the flavors of his native northeast England to Columbus. At dinner, pair a pint with Cornish pasties or the fish and chips. Weekends bring brunch, featuring a full English breakfast, and Newcastle United on the TV. BRD $$ Giuseppe’s Ritrovo Italian | 2268 E. Main St., Bexley, 614-235-4300.This unfussy Bexley restaurant is the place to go for classic Italian pasta dishes, such as Gamberi Diavola and Fettucine Calabrese. Italy plays just as big a role behind the bar with a lengthy wine list, a solid amaro selection and outstanding craft cocktails. LD $$ Huong Vietnamese Restaurant Vietnamese | 1270 Morse Rd., North Side, 614-8250303. Housed in a Northland-area strip mall, this bright and simply decorated restaurant turns out great Vietnamese fare with pho, Bun Nem Nuong and Asian-style barbecue pork. LD $

Indochine Café Vietnamese | 561 S. Hamilton Rd., Whitehall, 614-231-7357.

Classic Vietnamese and Laotian fare is presented in a colorful, photo-filled menu at this traditional momand-pop eatery. LD $$ Jiu Thai Asian Café Chinese | 787 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-7325939. Located in the Olentangy Plaza shopping center, this restaurant specializes in flavorful, authentic cuisine from northern China. Go for the tofu skewers, lamb dumplings and handmade noodles in generous portions at low prices. LD $ Jonys Sushi Japanese | 195 Thurman Ave., German Village, 614-706-4979. The owners of South Village Grille opened this takeout sushi shop right next door. The colorful shop offers appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, classic sushi rolls and a variety of interesting specialty rolls.

LD $$$

Lalibela Ethiopian | 1111 S. Hamilton Rd., Whitehall, 614-2355355. One of the best places for Ethiopian food in the city is Lalibela, a strip-mall restaurant that’s modest on the outside and welcoming on the inside. Request to be seated at a mesob, a colorful woven communal table, and start off with some Ethiopian beer or honey wine. LD $ Lávash Café Middle Eastern | 2985 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-2637777. This quick-service Middle Eastern eatery serves a mix of Mediterranean food, coffee and desserts. LD $$ The Light of Seven Matchsticks Small Plates | 5601 N. High Street, Worthington, 614436-2625. The owners of Natalie’s Coal-Fired Pizza and Live Music celebrate Prohibition-era Columbus with this charming basement speakeasy offering snacks, small plates and excellent cocktails. Open Wednesday through Sunday only. D $ Lindey’s American | 169 E. Beck St., German Village, 614-228-4343. A Columbus institution, this upscale German Village restaurant with Upper East Side New York flair is a diner favorite, no doubt due to its classic and consistently good fine-dining fare and lush patio.

BRLD $$$

Kabob Shack Afghan | 4568 Cemetery Rd., Hilliard, 614-742-7054.

Owner Sakeena Bary’s casual eatery offers a cuisine rarely found in Central Ohio. Kabob Shack’s menu includes mantu (Afghan dumplings), lamb chops, kofta kebab, daal, samosas, falooda (an Afghan dessert) and more. LD $$

The Lox Bagel Shop Café & Bakery | 772 N. High St., Short North, 614-8244005. Kevin Crowley’s cute Short North shop offers handmade bagels that are boiled and then baked over a live fire. The shop’s namesake sandwich and pastrami sandwich are standouts. BL $

Katalina’s Latin American | 3481 N. High St., Clintonville, 614689-8896; 1105 Pennsylvania Ave., Harrison West, 614294-2233. Expect an eclectic menu of Latin-leaning items at this café known for its chalkboard walls, scratch-made salads and sandwiches and killer patio in the warmer months. BLD $

Lupo Spanish | 2124 Arlington Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-9145455. From La Tavola’s Rick and Krista Lopez, this tapas spot offers a menu of seasonal small plates combining Spanish and Italian influences. The full bar focuses on aperitivo-inspired cocktails and a curated list featuring Spanish and Portuguese wines. LD $$

130

McCarthy’s Wildflower Café American | 3420 Indianola Ave., Clintonville, 614-2622233. A cozy neighborhood restaurant serving madefrom-scratch comfort food, with pot roast, meatloaf, Southern fried chicken and Sunday brunch. BBRLD $ Melt Bar & Grilled Pub Grub | 840 N. High St., Short North, 614-4531150; 4206 Worth Ave., Easton, 614-934-6020. The Cleveland-based, kitschy bar is all about one thing: grilled cheese. Here, you’ll get the expected plain cheese as well as odd variations, like two slices of Texas-style toast stuffed with pierogi, sauerkraut and cheese. LD $$ Mi Li Café Vietnamese | 5858 Emporium Sq., North Side, 614899-9202. The tucked-away North Side eatery is famous for its authentic, made-from-scratch banh mi, the first and one of the only remaining items from the original menu. It’s since expanded, offering a heartier list of Vietnamese classics. LD $ Min Ga Korean Restaurant Korean | 800 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-4577331. This friendly strip-mall spot serves Korean specialities like kimchi, bibimbap, bulgogi and gopchang. LD $$ Northstar Café American | 951 N. High St., Short North, 614-298-9999; 4241 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-784-2233; 4015 Townsfair Way, Easton, 614-532-5444; 109 S. State St., Westerville, 614-394-8992. Northstar’s imaginative menu has a healthful emphasis on organic ingredients served in a casual, order-at-the-counter café setting.

At peak times, it’s common to see diners lined up for the beet-laden veggie burger, pizzas, salads, rice-andveggie bowls and oversized cookies. BBRLD $$ Olde Towne Tavern Pub Grub | 889 E. Oak St., Olde Towne East, 614-2522955. Olde Towne East’s convivial bar brings beer to a once-thirsty neighborhood, as well as gourmet grilled

photo: tim johnson

Indian Oven Indian | 427 E. Main St., Downtown, 614-220-9390.

Friendly and chic eatery serving Northern Indian and Bengali meals. The menu includes palak paneer, tandoori chicken, biryani and roasted lamb shank. LD $$

Kabob Shack

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cheese and pizza in the style of Youngstown’s beloved Brier Hill. BRLD $$ Pablo’s Havana Café Latin American | 9685 Sawmill Rd., Powell, 614-3894302. This Cuban café serves authentic recipes made primarily with locally sourced ingredients. Be sure to try its signature El Cubano sandwich. LD $ Pasqualone’s Ristorante Italian | 5766 Emporium Square, North Side, 614-8902070. This hidden gem in Columbus Square Shopping Center serves Italian classics in a dining room where kitsch and fine dining collide. The veal dishes are the big star here. D $$$$ Pat and Gracie’s Burgers | 138 Graceland Blvd., Clintonville, 614-9875147; 340 E. Gay St., Downtown, 614-914-8484. This friendly tavern serves up solid smash-cooked burgers, hand cut fries and craft beer. Also keep an eye out for specials like Yankee Pot Roast. BRLD $$ Paulie Gee’s Short North Pizza | 1195 N. High St., Short North, 614-808-0112.

A Brooklyn-based pizzeria with Neapolitan-style pies and craft beer. Offers traditional and eclectic pizza toppings with names like the Hog Pit Brisket, the Greenpointer and the Ricotta Be Kiddin’ Me. D $$$

spot in a Victorian-style house in the Brewery District.

Head there for craft beer and four standard meat options—chicken drumsticks, pulled pork, brisket and pork spareribs, plus sauces and sides. LD $$

231-8238. For 60 years, this Bexley palace of beef has offered award-winning, high-end cuisine (filet mignon, pork and lamb chops and seafood) in a dimly lit, vintage, 1960s-looking haunt. D $$$

Starliner Diner Diner | 4121 Main St., Hilliard, 614-529-1198. After 21 years in its Cemetery Road location, Starliner moved into a former post office in Old Hilliard. This funky diner serves giant helpings of zesty, Latin-leaning comfort food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. BLD $

The Whitney House American | 666 High St., Worthington, 614-396-7846.

Casual enough for the whole family yet upscale enough for date night, the sleek Whitney House takes familiar American classics up a notch. The Daily Plates specials rise above the standard fare, and a solid cocktail and wine list make this Olde Worthington spot a good stop any night of the week.

BRLD $$$

Tommy’s Diner Diners | 914 W. Broad St., West Side, 614-2242422. A longstanding, classic 1950s-style diner serving breakfast (a popular choice among the Downtown business crowd), lunch and some Greek dishes. BL $ Tony’s Italian Ristorante Italian | 16 W. Beck St., Brewery District, 614224-8669. In business since 1982, this white-tablecloth Brewery District stalwart offers a blend of traditional and modern Italian-American food, with lasagne, shrimp scampi, veal saltimbocca and Tony’s Own Fettuccini. LD $$$ The Top Steak House Steakhouse | 2891 E. Main St., Bexley, 614-

Xi Xia Western Chinese Cuisine Chinese | 1140 Kenny Centre Mall, Northwest Side, 614-670-7736. Xi Xia offers an authentic tour of flavors from the Ningxia autonomous region in northcentral China. Highlights include the chewy stirred noodles and rice pilaf with cubed lamb. LD $$ Yellow Brick Pizza Pizza | 892 Oak St., Olde Towne East, 614-725-5482; 245 King Ave., Campus, 614-429-0750. This pizzeria has the feel of a beloved neighborhood haunt while offering a fresh take on the classic ’za, with specialty pies and appetizers. LD $

Plank’s Café & Pizzeria Pizza | 743 Parsons Ave., South Side, 614-4457221. Plank’s bakes some of the finest pies in the city with a notoriously sweet sauce and thin crust.

BLD $ Poong Mei Asian Bistro Asian | 4720 Reed Rd., Upper Arlington, 614-273-9998.

This popular spot boasts a sprawling menu showcasing Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Korean-Chinese dishes, plus plenty of sushi and soju to choose from.

Check out the fresh noodle dishes and spicy beef hot pot. LD $$ Portia’s Café Vegan | 4428 Indianola Ave., Clintonville, 614-9283252. This Clintonville café serves only vegan and gluten-free options with an emphasis on raw foods.

The menu includes dips like hummus and guacamole, falafel, soups, salads, wraps, smoothies and veganfriendly Cheezecake. BRLD $

photo: tim johnson

photo: tim johnson

Service Bar Contemporary American | 1230 Courtland Ave., Short North, 614-947-1231. From Middle West Spirits comes this fine restaurant run by executive chef Avishar Barua. Excellent seasonal cocktails (often featuring the distillery’s OYO spirits) are served at a gorgeous antique bar. Barua’s playful menu offers a mix of shareable plates and entrées that express his command of modern techniques and sense of nostalgia. D $$$ Skillet American | 410 E. Whittier St., Schumacher Pl., 614443-2266. Chef Kevin Caskey has developed a huge following for his creative comfort food, served out of a cozy, no-reservations Schumacher Place space. The menu changes nearly daily to reflect whatever local ingredients the chef can source. BBRL $$ Smoked on High Barbeque Co. Barbecue | 755 S. High St., Brewery District, 614-7549711. Max McGarity runs this quick-service barbecue

Paulie Gee’s Short North

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• THE CORONAVIRUS ISSUE •

THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT A WAR, nor a wildfire, nor a violent storm. It’s quiet, invisible—a poisonous secret. Until recently, life still seemed normal, even as it burrowed into people’s lungs. The novel coronavirus is now defined by absence: the sounds of beeping machinery as hospitals prepare empty beds for the surge, the whoosh of buses along vacant Downtown streets.

We work away from workplaces, and far too many people can’t work at all. Schools are closed. Sports are gone. Restaurants are empty, and the bars, salons and gyms are dark. People don’t leave their houses for days on end, and everyone is waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And sometime around 2 each afternoon, Dr. Amy Acton comes on.

AMY ACTON WAS BORN FOR THIS CRISIS In the midst of a global emergency, Ohio’s health director has risen from obscurity to widespread acclaim, providing strength, intellect and candor for an isolated and anxious state.

PHOTO: JOSHUA A. BICKEL

• BY CHRIS GAITTEN

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Over about an hour and a half, she told him the harrowing story of her early life.

As detailed in his article, Acton’s parents divorced shortly after her brother was born, when she was 3, and her mom got custody. They bounced around Youngstown—18 homes in a dozen years, she estimated—including one that was just a bed in a basement. Her mom eventually remarried, to a man who abused Acton.

The family was living in a tent in a campground when officials took the kids away, awarding custody to their father. The last time Acton saw her mom was in a courthouse, shortly before she and her husband skipped bail. But Acton’s life finally began to stabilize. She eventually earned her medical degree from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, fulfilling a childhood desire.

Franko thinks Acton was so open with him because she sensed her story could be a beacon for others. He wrote it as the coda for his journalism career, and the last copies of The Vindicator hit the presses on Aug. 30. The final edition went out the next morning, and the article was posted to the publication’s website for just one day, until the paper officially went dark at midnight. An archival website was set up some time later, but Acton’s story was buried in 20 years of articles. It would have remained in obscurity if not for the public’s embrace of her.

••••• When the COVID-19 press conferences began on March 7, there were no major updates or confirmed cases in Ohio, yet there was a briefing on a Saturday. Acton’s opening statement explained why. “We know, once again, that there’s a lot of fear, a lot of confusion out there, so we thought if we shared with you a little more about the testing process and what we know now, it might help your viewers, the people out there watching this, have a better understanding.”

DeWine, Acton, Husted and a rotating cast of other officials have gone to great 132

lengths to explain the data and the guidance they hear from experts. They talk about why they’ve made their decisions and preview the ones to come. “I’m one of those people [who likes] to know the ground I’m standing on, and I sort of have assumed that other people feel that way too,” Acton tells me.

Her portion of the daily briefing often resembles a condensed college seminar— she has 11.7 million students now, DeWine says. The former professor teaches about virology, logarithmic spread or whatever subject may be relevant that day (to make a symbolic point about challenging times, she invoked the mythological writings of Joseph Campbell). She uses relatable, offbeat analogies, once comparing the state’s imperfect but progressively effective measures to stacked layers of Swiss cheese. At that first presser, she beamed and said how great it was to have a governor who “wants to go to all these wonderful places with you,” by which she meant indulging her fantastic geekiness in explaining the state’s testing capacity for communicable disease.

These are not the kinds of lessons the general public tends to consume with any sort of fervor, or even mild interest. But the stakes are so high and the uncertainty so great, her statewide audience is rapt.

She has further endeared herself by offering personal details about her husband Eric—a middle school teacher in Bexley, where the couple lives—her six children, her rough childhood. Acton can be emotional. She laughs a lot—especially for a bureaucrat, even a green one—and isn’t afraid to show sadness and worry. She also provides rallying cries, as she did on March 22, a day when the state was shutting down nonessential businesses and her mood seemed bleak, though resolute: “I don’t want you to be afraid. I am not afraid. I am determined.”

As the press conferences grew in popularity—dubbed “Wine with DeWine” and “Snackin’ with Acton” sessions—someone in the governor’s office found Franko’s story about her troubled childhood and tweeted it out, where it fed the public’s appetite for all things Acton. Franko, now working for the nonprofit Report for America, told me on March 20 that he’d been receiving a handful of emails every day about his final story. Supporters have honored her with driveway chalk art, saintly renderings on snack bags, a Lego diorama and several locally produced T-shirt designs. In mid-March, the Dr. Amy Acton Fan Club popped up on Facebook. By early April, it had more than 125,000 members.

At the March 30 press conference, Acton responded to a fan letter from 9-year-old Ruby Owens of New Lebanon, part of which mentioned that the young girl was happy to see a woman in charge. In the age of the Women’s March, Acton’s presence has tapped into the same sentiments among others. For those who longed for Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren to ascend to the presidency, Acton represents a fullthroated rebuke to the notion that a woman can’t lead as well as a man in times of crisis. Through the early phases of the worst pandemic in a century, she has been steady, graceful, humble and strong.

••••• Susan Shapiro became friends with Acton during a different sort of crisis.

Hurricane Katrina had just ravaged New Orleans, and the two women volunteered to prep donated homes in Bexley for the survivors who would move to Central Ohio. Shapiro says Acton was one of the primary organizers. “Just from a personality standpoint, I think Amy is perhaps the most empathetic person I know,” says Steve Shapiro, Susan’s husband. “She really feels things very deeply.”

Acton’s friends and acquaintances describe someone who is dedicated to helping however she can. She was a founding board member of the Columbus Jewish Day School, and she served as the president of CISV Columbus, the local chapter of an allvolunteer international organization that brings kids together to share their cultures in summer camps called villages. Acton was in charge in 2010 when local members hosted their first monthlong camp, attended by 11-year-olds from a dozen countries.

Lynn Vottero, the chapter’s co-founder, and Scott Jones, another CISV volunteer, both describe Acton as a calming presence, echoing the praise of her current role.

“You know that person you see on TV every day? That’s her. She is real, and she always has been,” says June Gutterman, the former CEO of Jewish Family Services, who met Acton through the day school.

Many people laud her authenticity and lack of political aspirations, but her world is increasingly political. After all, it’s her name on the orders that have upended public life, and though she and DeWine have been widely hailed, the chaos around the late cancellation of in-person voting for the March primary caused some consternation. The administration has also taken heat for failing to clarify the rules for abortion clinics during the ban on nonessential surgical procedures.

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Kridler says Acton has focused on “the business of helping others.” That is her strong suit, and she’s particularly attuned to those in precarious situations, Kelleher says. Her concern for the most vulnerable motivates her pleas for compliance with Ohio’s restrictive measures, so resources can go to the elderly, immunocompromised patients and health care workers. She rooted her work in youth homelessness in that same concern, perhaps stemming from her tumultuous childhood looking out for herself and her younger brother as they struggled on the margins.

Her past has made her tough, says Gordon Hecker, whose children went to the day school alongside Acton’s. “There’s a fierceness there,” adds his wife, Donna. Acton’s life experience, caring nature and intellect have prepared her for the direst circumstances, says Susan Couden, a founding teacher at the school. “Sometimes you almost think a person is born to be in a place, you know?

That all the sum total of all their experience makes them particularly capable in this important moment.”

••••• Her days begin before the sun rises, between 4 and 5. Acton likes time to think and read, and she keeps a stack of books by her bedside. Once others are awake, she begins texting and calling, trying to squeeze in a few extra meetings. There’s a daily call with DeWine and others at 7:30 a.m., another at 8, and on it goes. Around 2 p.m., they go in front of the cameras for the daily update.

The day Acton and I spoke, DeWine ended the press conference with a video compilation of young girls pretending to be like her. (She says she had no idea it was coming and spent the duration of the clip bawling, relieved the cameras weren’t on her.) She’s honored to receive those reactions from people, though she finds it somewhat scary to have this much influence, and she attributes her popularity to a craving for transparency in society right now. In the press conferences, she often points out that she’s just the public face of thousands who are working around the clock statewide to control the spread.

DeWine praises the behind-the-scenes work the public doesn’t see—her long hours to stay on top of a crisis in constant flux and to run a health department with 113 local branches. “She carries that burden with her,” he says. “But she has remained cool, and she makes the decisions.”

The critical decisions to cancel civic life and close businesses were driven by the

“

My biggest worry is that, in the quiet before the storm, we forget how important every one of our choices is and how many lives we’re impacting by what we’re doing.

”

—Dr. Amy Acton realization that, just like the 1918 influenza pandemic, the sooner the administration acted the more it would alter the virus’ trajectory. In the absence of a vaccine or cure, that meant throwing the economy into a deep freeze, which comes with its own set of “cascading consequences,” as Acton puts it. When unemployment numbers and poverty surge, they increase the potential for long-term public health problems, especially for those already on the fault lines. The viral response will need its own response.

As part of her public health system modernization, she’d already planned to invest in prevention related to social determinants—factors like employment and economic status. That effort will be even more critical now, and she has an unexpected opportunity to sell her vision. To spur the action—or lack thereof—needed to flatten the curve, she has hammered home that two-thirds of everyone’s health happens at the collective level: The 30-year gain in life expectancy in the last century is largely thanks to child labor laws, universal education, clean water, immunizations and other policies. That message dovetails with her long-term goals for the system.

Acton’s challenge is daunting: Ohio ranks 47th in public health funding, according to a study cited in a recent Columbus Dispatch article. But the governor is on her side, and if the state manages to avoid the outbreak’s full fury, Acton and her boss could earn political capital for their vision of a more preventative system.

But that’s a big if. Although Ohio appeared to be having success flattening the curve in early April, the world has been aware of the virus for all of five

months, and even the experts are still learning. Acton often talks about tolerance for ambiguity—there are few answers and no guarantees. At the March 13 press conference, the day after she caused a stir by announcing her estimate that 100,000 Ohioans were already carrying the virus, she talked about the pitfalls of her work.

“On the front end of a pandemic, you look a little bit like an alarmist. You look a little bit like a Chicken Little—the sky is falling.

And on the back end of a pandemic, you didn’t do enough.”

••••• The first Saturday in April is idyllic—pale blue skies, sunshine, birds chirping. People are in their yards, the parks and the streets, desperate to get outside after days or weeks of isolation indoors. Some are still complying with the orders, some not.

The virus has laid bare our interconnectedness, and how difficult it is to sever those ties, even temporarily. Even as New York struggles under its weight, with reports of people dying in hospital hallways while waiting for ventilators, only to wait for space in overcrowded funeral homes. Even as the virus shows itself in Ohio, with confirmed cases racing above 5,500 and deaths climbing over 200 by the second week in April.

Acton has talked about the differences between Bergamo and Lodi in Italy, and St. Louis and Philadelphia in 1918, and the comparisons between the cities that acted early or late. Timing is everything, and she has concerns about fatigue. Starting restrictive measures too late can be catastrophic, but enacting them too early can exhaust the public will. At a press conference in early April, she talked about how there are still empty hospital beds, and we’re just waiting. “But my biggest worry is that, in the quiet before the storm, we forget how important every one of our choices is and how many lives we’re impacting by what we’re doing.”

When we spoke at the end of March, she mentioned a conversation she had with the people at Homage about the T-shirt they were making in her honor, which benefits Huckleberry House’s youth homeless support services. The shirt reads, “Not all heroes wear capes.” She said she told Homage, “I’ll come and go in this storyline, but there will be a million more stories.” Yet hers is at the center of the response, and people are embracing who she is, especially her concern for others. She said she has always felt like a catalyst for collective action—that is her urgent challenge now.

Timing is everything. ◆ MAY 2020 Columbus Monthly

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City Quotient

A Building with Bite

The story behind the Huntington Center’s “sawtooth” design

BY JEFF DARBEE

When I was younger and we were coming into Columbus on I-70 from the west, I always wondered why the Huntington Center looked like Godzilla had taken a bite out of it. Why was this particular design chosen? Agreed, that building is unusual. It was designed by architects from Chicago’s Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and stands on the former site of the Neil House Hotel. Completed in 1984, the Huntington Center brought a daring new building form to Capitol Square. Containing 1 million square feet on 37 floors, it’s clad in imperial red granite and bronze-toned glass, and it has atriums on the first, 12th, 20th and 28th floors. In addition to all its offices, the building has 27,000 square feet of retail space, a 1,000-car garage, a large athletic club and is connected to a DoubleTree hotel. A $16 million refurbishment in 2019 introduced a 2,400-square-foot living wall in the lobby.

But what about those Godzilla bites? Project records at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill shed some light. They cite the high quality of the building materials, the relationship 136

to the river and its thoughtful connection to the adjacent 1926 bank. They also refer to the “sawtooth” design that is so distinctive.

But there may be an additional reason the sawtooth design is important, and it has to do with marketing the office space. If the building were a standard high-rise box, it would have only four corner offices on each floor. Instead, as the SOM records point out, the design gives it 16 per floor. And who wouldn’t like to have a corner office?

Someone told me that Columbus State Community College and the park next to Nationwide Children’s Hospital were both built on top of graveyards. Is that true? True in both cases. Not long after a community of any size is established, it unfortunately needs a cemetery. Columbus was no exception and had several by the middle of the pre-Civil War era, typically located well outside the settled area of town.

The first was the North Graveyard, now the North Market’s parking lot. There were

others, among them Green Lawn, opened in 1849, and two more, one northeast of Downtown and one southeast. The northeast one was the Catholic Cemetery. It dated from around the same time as Green Lawn and was on the south side of Mount Vernon Avenue between Washington Avenue and North 11th Street. That whole area has been remade, and today the site of the cemetery is the heart of the Columbus State campus.

The 1856 atlas shows a “Gr. Yd.” (graveyard) at what is now Livingston Park, next to Children’s. By 1872, a much smaller “Jewish cemetery” had been appended along the north side, but by the 1920s it was gone and its land was being developed. By this time, Livingston Park had been established on the site of the larger cemetery.

When cemetery lands are converted to new uses, burials are respectfully removed and reburied elsewhere. Or at least, they’re supposed to be. We haven’t found any written descriptions of what became of the burials at Livingston Park or Columbus State. But archaeological studies have confirmed that graves remain at the former North Graveyard.

Jeff Darbee is a preservationist, historian and author in Columbus. Send your questions to cityquotient@ columbusmonthly.com, and the answer might appear in a future column.

ILLUSTRATION: BRETT AFFRUNTI

Sources: “The AIA Guide to Columbus”; hines.com; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill archives; atlases at Columbus Metropolitan Library; census.gov; 10tv.com; wosu.org

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