ThisWeek Northland 7/21

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July 21, 2011

More I-71 ramp cleanups possible By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Revamp the Ramp has grown an “s.” It’s now Revamp the Ramps, plural. And more and more civic organizations are signing on to help. Separately, Northland Community Council vice president Emmanuel V. Remy and James R. Blazer II of the Clin-

tonville Area Commission envisioned a cleanup effort at one Interstate 71 interchange that led to both neighborhoods. Together, they have forged an effort that could lead to the cleanup and possible total landscaping makeover of the I71 ramps stretching from downtown to East Dublin-Granville Road. Even before the first ramp cleanup, at Cooke Road, took place on June 25, the

North Linden Area Commission had jumped on the bandwagon. Now that a second one has been scheduled, this one at the North Broadway interchange on Saturday, July 30, starting at 9 a.m., the Milo Grogan Area Commission’s members have voted unanimously to join in and add the Fifth Avenue ramp to the mix, according to Remy. “We’ve also approached South Linden

and the University District (area commissions), and we’re just basically waiting for their meetings to take place to get them on board,” Remy said. “Now we’ve got a broad coalition of the north area commissions and the Northland Community Council. “If we’re successful, all of a sudden we can say every ramp from downtown out to I-270 is redone. It’s pretty excit-

ing. It seems to be taking on a life of its own.” “It’s picked up that kind of popularity and it’s been a very nice opportunity to meet a lot of other commissioners and other commissions and have a joint effort working with ODOT,” Blazer said. “It’s a very popular project.” See MORE 1-71 RAMP, page A2

Weekly stops by Veggie Van to begin July 28 By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Eric George/ThisWeek

Strawberry Farm residents Ryan McMillen, 17, left, and Drey Meine, 18, right, are helping plan the Aug. 2 National Night Out event for the neighborhood with some help from officer Chris Riley.

Strawberry Farms

The Veggie Van is coming! The Veggie Van is coming! That might not hold the same excitement for children as the bells and music of an ice cream truck, but for Northland residents seeking an affordable, healthier diet, it might be nearly as welcome. Similar to a bookmobile, only with locally grown fresh produce instead of romances, mysteries and bestsellers, the Veggie Van is a program of the Columbus nonprofit group, Local Matters. It offers those who place advance orders a grocery sack of produce for $12. That same amount of produce sold at the Greener Grocer store in the North Market would retail for around $30. The first appearance of the Veg-

A closer look Similar to a bookmobile, only with locally grown fresh produce instead, the Veggie Van is a program of the Columbus nonprofit group, Local Matters. It offers those who place advance orders a grocery sack of produce for $12.

gie Van in the Northland area will be on Thursday, July 28, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Heritage Day Health Center, 1700 E. Dublin Granville Road. Orders for the first stop in a seven-week trial needed to be in by Wednesday, July 20. See WEEKLY STOPS, page A2

Teens plan Aug. 2 National Night Out Sharon Woods By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Good neighbors are supposed to look out for one another. Two young residents of Strawberry Farms are hoping to help all who live in the area to be good neighbors. High school seniors-to-be Drey Meine and Ryan McMillen have taken on the responsibility of planning the Strawberry Farms Block Watch National Night Out observance on Tuesday, Aug. 2. The two volunteered during a block party put on in June by Block Watch coordinator Theresa VanDavis. VanDavis, who also serves as the Strawberry Farms representative to the Northland Community Council, was delighted that two so young — both were 17 at the time; Meine has since celebrated his 18th birthday — should be willing to step forward. “This gives young people an opportuni-

ty for leadership and to become involved in a community effort,” she said last week. “I’m so proud to know these young men.” Meine, the son of Kristi and Frederick Meine, will be entering his senior year at Thomas Worthington High School. His partner in planning, Ryan McMillen, is the son of Annette and Patrick McMillen. He will be a senior at Westerville North High School. The duo has taken total leadership of the project, according to VanDavis. “They had some great ideas,” she said. “They’re willing to do the footwork and all of the planning.” And, wisely, they’re willing to accept help when it’s offered: Drey Meine’s mom, Kris, designed the flyer the two young men will be distributing to get people to participate on Aug. 2. National Night Out in Strawberry Farms will involved a cookout to bring neighbors together, activities for children and, of course,

an appearance by McGruff the Crime Dog. “She offered it to me at one of our block parties and I volunteered,” Meine said last week. “When she asked us, we just said we’d help out,” commented McMillen. Meine added that he’s been living in Strawberry Farms since he was 3 or 4 years old and doesn’t want to see the neighborhood go downhill. It’s already had its problems, he conceded. “Everybody just kind of keeps to themselves and I’d like to change that, if possible,” Meine said. “It surprised me, but I’m proud he took on this effort,” Kris Meine said. “Not a lot of young people would want to do it. A lot of older people don’t want to do it.” “I was surprised at first, but I think it’s good,” Patrick McMillen said. “I think good See STRAWBERRY, page A2

area prepares for National Night Out By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

the civic association, with an option to opt out. “Nobody did that,” Wood said. Regardless, she is pleased to have that many of her neighbors be part of a program that urges people to look out for one another. “I’m not sure how it happened,” Wood said. “It is phenomenal. There are terrific people in this neighborhood who care.” Those “terrific people” are invited to turn out for the annual Sharon Woods National Night

In the four years since Pat Wood became Block Watch coordinator for the Sharon Woods Civic Association, membership in the neighborhood’s crime-prevention effort has grown from 15 “captains” to 292 “members.” “And really more than that, but that’s OK,” Wood said last week, citing condo associations. In part, she admitted, that dramatic inflation in Block Watch membership is because she added everyone who is on the rolls of See SHARON WOODS, page A4

Artists form group to have studio, with lots of extras By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

“It seemed to me like it was a supportive community of creative people,” offered Seth Josephson, one of the newest to join the group. Here’s how the itlookslikeitsopen members describe themselves on their website: “We are a group of artists and designers working to make art and experiences happen.” And that, in all its glorious ambiguity, is the long and the short of it. Not a lot of limits there and these definitely aren’t your grandparents’ artists, either. At almost assuredly no point in their lengthy discussions did Manet turn to Renoir and Cezanne and Gauguin and By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek Monet and say, “Did you guys see the sauerkraut thing that he did?” Ryan Agnew (left), Aimee Sones, Mike Shiflet, Seth Josephson, Herb Vincent Peterson and Jessica Larva are all

It doesn’t look like it’s open. But it is, a lot, and has been for around two years at 13 E. Tulane Road, just up from Cup o’ Joe. First of all, itlookslikeitsopen — that’s the name, not a typo, although SpellCheck hates it — is not a studio. All of the relatively youthful artists who have come together to operate out of the space agree on that. What it is gets a whole lot more complicated. It’s not so much a source of disagreement among the itlookslikeitsopen members. It’s just that what their group is all about is difficult to describe. “It’s an artists’ studio space,” offered member Aimee Sones. “A studio with expanded use,” put in artists whose work will be shown in itlookslikeitsopen, a new studio and exhibition space at 13 E. Tulane Road. Mike Shiflet. See ARTISTS FORM GROUP, page A4 Not pictured is Jesse Hemminger.

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