German Village Magazine August 2020

MayJune 20202020

Columbus Museum of Art Reopens

August 2020

Friends of Schiller Jeffrey ForesterPark Tobin EP Sally McDonald’s Release The Red Stable Sculpture Warehouse to Novelty & Fundraiser House

Creative Goods

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ContentMayAugust 2020

Friends of Schiller Park

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FAMILY

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CREATIVE

Emily, Craig & Emerson joy of urban living!

Jeff Tobin’s new album.

Sale of the EP will go to The Sato Project, a wonderful dog rescue organization in Puerto Rico.

35 PET Meet Maggie, Nellie & Gertie of 911 City Park

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48 Cover Photo Credit Mark and Shelly Photography

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Editor’s Letter

11 GIVE Columbus Museum of Art Reopens!

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Double Cottage

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Brooklyn, NY

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48 HOUSE Muncie & Delia Construction’s latest brick cottage expansion and renovation

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A fabulous day in Napa Valley Wine Country

69 GARDEN

Clever Miniature Schwein Park in Schiller Park!

29 41 WHO Brittany and Jeffrey’s love of German Village, fostering dogs and cats, building renovations and events.

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team GVM

Kyle Haines Publisher kyle@germanvillagemagazine.com

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John M. Clark Editor john@germanvillagemagazine.com

Mark Thomas Photographer Mark and Shelly Photography

Jordanne Renner Sales Associate jordanne@germanvillagemagazine.com

Roth Dehlendorf Sales Associate roth@germanvillagemaazine.com

Robert Caplin Photographer www.robertcaplin.com

Editor’s Letter By: John M. Clark

An avid reader recently asked me, “In addition to the features and photos you publish, how about including some good news about German Village?” I took her suggestion to heart. And so, let’s start with some short items that should make you feel a little more optimistic about our neighborhood at a time when COVID-19 continues to drag so many of us down.

Helen Winnemore’s has new owners! Just a few months after longtime proprietor Sarah Kellenberger Harpham announced her retirement from the business, we get word that a brother and sister will take over the iconic crafts and gifts store. Julie and John Jenkins, both originally from the area, say they plan to operate Winnemore’s pretty much the way it has been run for the past 23 years by Harpham. Except John, a Seattle resident, intends to beef up the store’s online presence and work to further the store’s brand.

Golden Hobby is gone. And yes, that is sad news.

The city-owned consignment store for senior citizens had operated Bout of the former “Third Street German-English” school building for the past 49 years. ut on July 1, the deed passed to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus for eventual use as a middle school for nearby St. Mary.

The Recreation and Parks Department will relocate Golden Hobby. But no site has yet been identified. This means the old South Third building will once again be filled with students, just as it was intended when it was built, back in 1866.

The non-profit Friends of Schiller Park (F.O.S.P.) recently teamed with St. Mary Elementary School to sponsor a blood drive – hosting 36 donors and collecting enough blood to help 108 patients. F.O.S.P. Chairwoman Katharine Moore said plans for the drive resulted in part from residents’ wishes to make a difference following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hurt and killed so many.

If you’re a fan of Schiller Park’s magnificent “balancing” sculptures by Polish artist Jerzy Kedziora, you’ll be happy to know that a few new sculptures by Kedziora are expected to replace the temporary exhibit that will soon be shipped back to Poland. Friends of Schiller Park has been collecting donations to commission five new works by the beloved sculptor. The pieces currently on display – whose exhibit has been extended – should remain here until September.

Finally… Elsewhere in this issue you’ll find an article on a “pop up” karaoke event my wife Jan and I recently held outside our home on City Park Avenue. Since then, other residents have expressed an interest in doing the same. And now, you can. To the first five German Village residents who write to express an interest in a safe, socially-distanced karaoke event, I will set it up for you and run the show. I will bring a small P.A. system, wireless microphones and all the cables. You will need to supply a laptop computer with wi-fi, subscribe to an online karaoke service (about $6.00 for two days and 36,000 songs) and supply eight AA batteries for the microphones (about $9). And that’s it. For an investment of only $15, you can host your own gathering.

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Hurray - the Columbus Museum of Art is open!

Let's start at the Museum Store featuring great jewelry, books and other delightful and creative pieces. The store is run by nearby German Villager Pamela Edwards!

What is the Museum Store mission?

CREATIVE GOODS + GOOD DESIGN The Museum Store at CMA offers products carefully chosen to capture the essence of creativity and excellent design. Our goal is to enhance your museum visit by providing an exciting shopping experience that reflects the dynamics of the collection, exhibitions and programs presented. Our wide range of objects are handmade locally or well made from around the world to inspire, engage and delight. We are the shopping destination for all life’s special occasions – fun and functional gifts, jewelry and personal accessories, toys designed for imaginative play and a diverse mix of books on art and design.

FREE TO SHOP. People who come to CMA just to shop in the Museum Store do not pay for parking or general admission. Ask a member of our Museum Store team to validate your parking when you make your purchase.

Art after Stonewall is the largest art museum exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in North America. Called one of the best and most important exhibitions of the decade by ARTnews, this groundbreaking survey features more than 250 works of art and related visual materials that explore the profound impact of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) Civil-Rights movement on the art world. Art after Stonewall is organized by the Columbus Museum of Art and curated by artist and art historian Jonathan Weinberg, currently a critic at the Yale School of Art, in concert with Tyler Cann, CMA’s Pizzuti Family Curator of Contemporary Art, and Drew Sawyer, the Phillip Leonian and Edith Rosenbaum Leonian Curator of Photography at the Brooklyn Museum (formerly Associate Curator of Photography at CMA).

(The Other Paper, Columbus Monthly) before going to corporate J.P. Morgan for 5 years and finally I went selfemployed as DesignSmith, doing marketing, advertising and branding since 2005. I just moved to my 3rd studio from Mohawk St. down to Merion Village. I do all the marketing for the shop including the website. I also design and make a full line of German Village

Art after Stonewall presents a diverse group of artists and activists who lived and worked at the intersections of avant-garde art worlds, radical political movements, and profound social change. The exhibition focuses on both the work of openly LGBTQ artists as well as the practices of straight-identified artists seeking engagement with queer subcultures. Art after Stonewall highlights a wide array of conceptual, performance, film, and video art, as well as photography, painting, sculpture, and music, along with historical documents and images taken from magazines, newspapers and television. Major support for the exhibition is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation.

Catalogue: The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated 300-page catalogue with essays by more than 20 established and emerging scholars as well as entries by artists, including Andrew Durbin, Harmony Hammond, Lyle Ashton- Harris, William E. Jones, Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt, Richard Meyer, Flavia Rando, Alpesh Patel, Christopher zines, newspapers and television. Major support for the exhibition is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation.

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Coming soon: Columbus-based artist Aminah Robinson’s work called Raggin On

Raggin’ On presents six decades of Aminah Robinson’s art and writing. The exhibition invites visitors to experience the artist’s home and creative processes and to better understand her intention “to celebrate the everyday lives and culture of Black people and their endurance through centuries of injustice.” In addition to Robinson’s art, this exhibition includes furnishings she made for her house; books from her impressive library; collections of buttons, fabrics, canes, dolls, and thimbles; art she traded with other artists; and photo enlargements of her living spaces and studios. Complementing the visceral experience reflective of the artist’s home, visitors will explore their own stories, understand Robinson’s process by creating their own art, and peruse Robinson’s journals through interactive technology.

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I live German Village. I love German Village I buy and sell German Village

340 Oakland Park Ave $426,500 - SOLD 333 S. Ardmore Rd $640,000 - SOLD 568 S. Grant Ave - IN CONTRACT

5 Stars are not enough - there should be at least 6 or 7. Right from the start, Edward helped us understand the difficult Columbus market and really listened to what we wanted. We've bought and sold several houses in several states and have worked with some great realtors. Edward, though, is in a class by himself. - Zillow review 06/09/2020

614.949.0145

edward.searle@herrealtors.com @edwardtheenglishagent

Emily, Craig and Emerson (6 months) South Sixth Street What do you do career/hobbies/interests?

Craig is a Tax Partner with PwC. He loves hiking and Bourbon. Emily is a Fifth Third Bank Finance Manager My passions are cooking, gardening and wine.

Why did you choose German Village for your home?

We relocated for Craig’s job from Cincinnati. We had dinner in the spring at Lindey’s and after an amazing dinner was walking to our car and the sun was going down and the bricks were glowing. It was so beautiful and we knew we had found our new home.

Do you have any pets?

Clifton, Dog, Golden Retriever Mix DJ, Naomi, Bronny, Nela – cats. Emily used to foster for the local animal shelter and now we have a cat problem.

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Tell us about your dog.

Rinny - Pit Bull/Jack Russell mix. We adopted her in NYC almost 8 years ago after she was found living on the street with a metal chain embedded in her neck. We were not in the market for a dog, but Rob was immediately smitten when he crouched down to say hello and Rinny (named Freckles at the time) stood on her back legs to give him a hug. Two weeks later we brought her home and still consider her our first-born. She is named Rinny after a professional triathlete who is equally cute and just as energetic. You will often see us walking around the village with Rinny - the most friendly, off-leash pooch you will ever meet. Always looking for some love pats and ready to share a smile & a tail wag.

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Are you planning to stay in German Village as a family?

It would be very hard to leave at this point. I think we will stay in our current house for the next several years and then look for a larger home in GV if we decide to expand our family. Having guest rooms available is very important to us as both of our families live about 2 hours away.

What are the advantages of being a family in an urban neighborhood?

We are only about a 5 minute drive to our downtown offices. This short commute leaves more time for family.

There is also a lot of family resources I am finding in the village. For instance, I recently joined the Village Mom’s group and already feel much more connected.

If your child is in school, please tell us where.

Not yet but recently requested information from CSG (Columbus School for Girls) regarding the 3 year olds program If your child hasn’t started school do you have daycare or other help?

Grandpa travels from Cincinnati to help out once a week. We reward him with Katzingers

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Would you like to add anything?

We have the best neighbor. During the stay at home order, Anthony offered to get our groceries, dropped off toilet paper, gave us an entire bag of masks, and just offered a ton of support. We feel so fortunate to live next to such a great guy!

Is there a stay-at-home mom or dad in the family?

I never knew it was possible until Covid, but right now I am a stay-at-home mom as well as working full time. I love when work is stressful and Emerson gives me a smile or giggle. Instant stress relief! We were planning to attend Bright Horizon’s downtown and recently decided to explore a potential nanny share with another mom in the village. I just really want Emerson to be around other little ones during the day.

FAMILY

Jeff, please tell us about your family and where you lived previously.

My wife Jeani (formerly with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra) and I have grown children. We previously lived in Cincinnati and moved here in 2007. It’s the longest we’ve ever lived in one house – probably because of our wonderful, urban neighborhood.

Editor’s Note: Jeff offered to share with us several of his more-recent watercolors. Thank you, Jeff!

HI Jeff - Tell us about you!

I am Jeff Tobin, but when I’m when I perform as a musician, I use my full name — Jeffrey Forrester Tobin.

I have a new EP coming out mid-August that's a lot of fun. I recorded it during the Covid quarantine, and it's my first as a solo performer. To bring it to life I enlisted the help of some super-talented musicians in Columbus, Nashville and New York. It'll be available for streaming on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, and on CD. How and when did you get involved with music: I can remember the day--February 9, 1964. That was the night I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Like millions of other American kids, I immediately hounded my parents for a guitar and lessons. Music became my passion. I played in several bands throughout high-school and early college. None were very good, but I learned a lot about the creative process and group dynamics, and that girls liked bass players.

By college, I’d become a pretty proficient bassist and considered leaving school to pursue a life as a professional musician. My parents weren’t too keen on that idea and convinced me to a least finish college. Good call. By graduation, my interests had shifted away from music towards television production. It took 30 years for me to find my way back to music.

Did you have any influences? I’ve always been drawn to melody. Songwriters like Paul McCartney, Paul Simon and CSN&Y created the template, I’m just trying to draw inside their lines. And I adore irreverent comedy. In the early years I was a sponge for Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Saturday Night Live and more obscure acts like Firesign Theater and the Bonzo Dog Band. Other musicians that rank high in my book for great songwriting and interesting lyrics are Randy Newman, Aimee Mann, Carsie Blanton and Wilco.

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What more can you tell us about your craft? Do you do this professionally? Or more as a hobby? I’m now in my second incarnation as a musician. After college, I put aside music to focus on my career. For nearly 30 years I worked at ad agencies as a writer and creative director. Then, several years ago, just for fun, I picked up a guitar laying around the house and wrote a song. It felt good, so I wrote a few more.

Soon after, a friend introduced me to the Columbus open mic scene, and it didn’t take long for me to jump back into music with both feet. Since then, I’ve played in a number of local bands, led my own band (The Jeffs), performed as a solo singer-songwriter at clubs and festivals in the area, and I’ve recorded three CDs. It’s still just for fun; I work very hard at songwriting, but it’s just a hobby, and I plan to keep it that way. My current day job is co-owner of Metro Village Realty with my wife Regina Acosta Tobin.

Interestingly, I find my motivation for playing music these days is different when I was younger. I see myself as a flagbearer for older singer-songwriters. I’m doing my part to show the world there’s no expiration date on creativity. If you have something interesting to say and say it well, you can usually find an audience willing to listen. And your audience may not even be your peers. When I started playing clubs, I thought I’d encounter lot of ageism, especially among 20-something musicians and fans who’d see me as an old man. I was wrong. I’ve been welcomed into the local music community by people of all ages. Columbus is great that way. Sure, I’m judged when I play, but I’m being judged on my music and talent, not my age. I’m ok with that.

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Please tell us about living in German Village.

Regina and I cherish living and working in German Village. We’ve been here over 15 years and have a large network of friends, all within walking distance! We especially love the patio at Barcelona, warming up at The Old Mohawk on a snowy night.. Living here, we feel like we’re a part of a special community, so we give back as much as we can. Regina volunteers at the Meeting Haus Visitor’s Center every week (before Covid, of course), I’m on the Art Crawl committee, and over the years we’ve helped out with countless Village events through participation and sponsorships.

Where can we see or hear your work?

The best place is my. website, jeffreyforrestertobin.com. There, you’ll music, videos and photos. You’ll also find links to my social media sites and sites like YouTube, Soundcloud and Bandcamp that have more of my work.

Life's Hard So I write songs that make me smile. Often, I play ’em for friends and audiences, and they smile, too. It doesn’t get any better than that. I began writing and performing around 10 years ago. I was the classic 9-to5’er, and my life had become pretty one dimensional. So, for fun, I wrote a few songs, and friends said they were good.

Then I started playing open mics and people I didn’t know said the songs were good…quirky, but good. Then, a song I wrote was a winner in the Columbus Bicentennial Song contest. Soon after, I picked up a first-place award in the songwriting category at the Ohio Music Awards, and that was very good.

With my band, The Jeffs, we released three records and played lots of shows. But now I'm now flying solo, performing at clubs and festivals throughout central Ohio. And while I love sharing my songs with audiences, my main passion still lies in songwriting. I’ve posted a few favorites here. I hope they make you smile.

Meet Maggie, Gertie and Nelly of City Park Avenue Editor’s Note: The next time you’re on a walk near City Park Ave. & East Whittier, do yourself a favor and make a small detour to 911 City Park. That’s where you’re likely to spot our “Pets of the Month” for August: Maggie, a 13-year-old “ragdoll.” Color - seal cream point tortie Gertie, a 5-year-old “ragdoll.” Color - blue point bi-color Nellie, a 10-month-old “American shorthair.” Color - Buff

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Owners Scott and Michael Horning-Rambo pick up the story…

Being at home all day during the recent quarantine we started to notice things we hadn’t noticed before.

The first thing (obviously) was how small our store-fronted cottage really is when you have two people and three cats living and working out of 1,500 square feet.

The second thing we noticed was both unexpected and charming. Working from home gave us the opportunity to see how many people paused in front of our house every day to look at our three cats relaxing in the front window. We could hear surprised voices when they spotted all three (bonus!) or the note of disappointment in a little boy’s voice when the cat beds were empty.

Since our cats have a fan club of sorts we added a little sign in the window with their names and photos.

It has been fun to see how many people pause to read the sign and chuckle as they learn more about each of their ‘hobbies.’

Stop by 911 City Park the next time you are out for a walk to see if Maggie, Gertie and Nellie are in the window!

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Editor’s Addendum: Over the years, 911 City Park Avenue has served as a general store and quilt shop. But, apparently, it started as a shoe store. Scott and Michael have an antique lady’s shoe that was found when the building was converted into a house five years ago.

Do you have any children or pets living with you?

Standard 7yr old Poodles! “Ozzie” - a Poodle (not like any other poodle!!!) and his partner in crime and brother “Henry”.

Sara, at All About Dogs grooming connected me with these incredible Rescues!

I’m very blessed with two adult children- both married-who now have 5 young kiddies between them age 3 to 8; my basement is the Toy House and I carry a big toy bag for house visits! Life is very good!

Favorite spot for people watching or to meet neighbors?

Has to be Schiller Park! Outside the front door! I’m there most mornings with a walk or bike ride starter. No way to get around without a spirited Hello or fun conversation!

What attracted you to this neighborhood?

Jeffrey was initially attracted to GV by a financial (property investment) opportunity.

Jeffrey attracted me to GV. I always loved visiting the area, but always thought if myself as a suburban girl.

Living downtown was an adjustment, but now I couldn’t see it any other way. -Britt How long have you lived in German Village?

Jeffrey since 2003. Brittany moved in with Jeffrey from New Albany when we started dating in 2015.

Address?

606 City Park Avenue (we own the duplex, as well as the 4-unit across the street).

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Any children or pets living with you?

No bi-ped children... yet. But we do have a ton of fur kids: 4 rescue kitties and 3 pups. Yikes!

They are as follows: Pensyl: male, canine, chi/pug mix, almost 12 years old Payper: male, canine, chi/pug mix, brother of Pensyl, almost 11 years old

DeeDee (DeeDeeDeeDeeDeeeee): female, canine, chi/dachshund/unknown mix, 2(ish) years old , rescued from an industrial area at 1 week old, now 2 years old. Daddy’s girl 100% Lou: male, feline, gray fluff ball, 10 years old Beeb n’ Keet: male, feline, sleek black weirdie, 3 years old Fanny: male, feline, poofball, rescued from near starvation in an abandoned groundhog hole last winter, about 5 years old Angel-Honey: (yes, really) female, feline, tuxedo

What hobbies and/or volunteer activities do you enjoy in your free time?

We foster cats and dogs.... not by choice. They just FIND US. Our friends and family joke that we should take the hint and open a rescue already. In 2019, we found a triplet set of kittens (August 2019) and our Fanny Cat nearly hairless and sooooo scared and skinny, living in an old groundhog hole (December 2019).

This year so far, a stray cat at our warehouse had 4 kittens on Easter. Kittens all went to their forever homes (June 2020). In late May 2020, we found 3 abandoned dogs near our warehouse. One went two a rescue, and the other two are currently still with us. And last week, Jeff spotted 4 more tiny kittens that I’ll need to find homes for shortly.

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Your occupations or how do you spend your time?

We’re both self-employed. Jeffrey is an accomplished commercial audio/visual designer and installer for bars, restaurants, nightclubs, fitness studios (Britt’s fave!), houses of worship, etc.

We also do live-event production (mobile stage owner/certified stage engineers, live sound, video, lighting).

Our favorite events are Varsity Club tailgate parties and Pride Events.

We’re also commercial and residential property owners, landlords with 11 residential rentals, one flip house, and one giant historic commercial building.

Britt is a licensed real estate agent, but is not afraid to get her hands dirty. If something needs done, she’ll do it... from sanding hardwood floors, to painting, to landscaping. She takes pride in every piece of her job. We enjoy taking on historic renovation projects and have done several full renovations in German Village.

Jeffrey, we believe, is the only person to have ever had more than one house on the House Und Garten Tour in the same year (he had three houses on at the same time!). We’re currently in the process of listing our flip project house in Franklinton, while simultaneously working through renovations on a 1907 former brewery on S High Street in Marion Village.

We stay pretty busy with work, fur kids, fur-fosters. But in our limited free time, we enjoy top-down drives in the Porsche to hunt down the latest and greatest vegan restaurant or to join our Porsche Club friends at the gun range for target practice. Ducati/motorcycle rides to visit family, to attend car shows, or to take in a race at Mid Ohio Raceway.

Now that mandatory shut downs have forced us to take the time to step back and evaluate, we hope to use our production business to help raise funds for charities that we’ve gained so much respect for.... including Canine Collective What have you found to be the best part of living in the Village?

The charm of the village is unbeatable. It’s an atmosphere of character that you can only find here. We love hosting friends and family because we get a renewed perspective of the magic of the neighborhood when we see it through other’s perspectives.

Favorite German Village event?

We love Village Valuables. So fun to walk the sidewalks and meet new friends.

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Favorite restaurant or coffee shop?

We’re Starbucks drinkers, but you can’t beat the smell of Stauf’s beans roasting in the morning. They’re practically in our backyard.

Favorite spot for people watching or to meet neighbors?

We can’t go into Starbucks without running into at least a handful of friends, not to mention our favorite baristas.

Do you have any special German Village “moments” you’d care to share?

Two of our German Village units used to be Airbnb’s, which was fun, but too time consuming. But one of the best memories was getting engaged in the brand new bnb next door. Hosting Christmases with family are always special memories.

Address?

1000 Jaeger on Schiller Park across from the sledding hill! I recently completed a 1500 sf addition and 3 car garage with Muncie & Delia construction!

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house Interior Designer

Sally McDonald Muncie D’Elia Development’s latest housing transformation on Mohawk Street

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Nero Marquina (Black Marble) Polished Marble Tile

The Spread

Clever use of space for the two detached garages.

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go A Day in Napa Valley Wine Country

Destination Napa Valley with Kyle on East Beck Street!

I am from Northern California, originally Atherton in Silicon Valley. My mother who lived in California was dying and I went with my older son, Roth in June 2020 to see her during her final days despite Covid 19 risks. The wineries had just reopened and we decided to spend a day in nearby fabulous Napa Valley with my bestie Rachel and goddaugher Riley who live in the Bay Area.

We started at Raymond Vineyard in St. Helena which is owned by Jean-Charles Boisset who is from a winery family in Burgundy, France. He decided to expand the family owned French wine operation to California and "bring the old world, to the new world, to create one world". He is very entertaining and married to Gina Gallo (the Gallo family are the largest family owned wine company in the world). He works with highly awarded winemakers to make excellent wine.

Raymond has a whimsical look and feel.

Raymond’s 90-acre estate vineyards in Rutherford and 90-acre estate vineyards in Rutherford and St. Helena are certified organic and Biodynamic®, holistic farming methods that are hallmarks of Boisset family properties worldwide, including DeLoach Vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. In addition to CCOF and Demeter Biodynamic, the Raymond vineyards are also certified by Napa Green, Fish Friendly Farming and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

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Roth and Riley having fun with the dangling picture frames at Raymond Vineyard.

Rachel enjoying the 2018 Chardonnay Estate Collection.

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Next stop Duckhorn Wine Company Vineyard.

Co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has spent forty years establishing itself as one of North America’s premier producers of Napa Valley wines. From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today.

What’s his (or her) favorite activities?

She really enjoys her training sessions and has learned to come, sit and heel already. She’s having a great time exploring her first-ever house and immediately claimed her outside grounds with vigor! I look forward to the completion of her boosters and then introducing her to our two and four legged German Village friends. And soon we will be spending long afternoons together at my art studio.

Why is having a pet important to you?

I don’t remember being without pets! Growing up, I had indoor and outdoor cats, dogs, turtles, birds …. and very patient parents! The longest time I was without a dog was while at college.

Would you like to add anything?

I would like to extend my respect, appreciation and gratitude to the staffs of all animal shelters and rescue organizations. They work tirelessly and passionately for animals to receive the safety and love they deserve.

We enjoyed our Duckhorn wine tasting on the side porch.

The wineries had reopened, but few people knew about it, so each tasting felt like a private wine event just for us.

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Caymus Vineyards was our final tasting.

Caymus Vineyards produces two Cabernets Sauvignons – a “Napa Valley” and the venerable “Special Selection”. Both Cabernet bottlings have aromas and flavors which can only be achieved through “hang time” – a technique which chances the loss of crop if early winter sets in. Leaving the fruit to “hang” on the vine unusually long develops suppleness, increases color, and matures the tannins of the grapes. The wines are abundant in textural tannins yet soft as velvet. Crop thinning, allowing measured sunlight to reach the vine’s fruit zone, and waiting for increased ripeness are all part of our viticultural practices. Caymus Cabernets offer a wide array of aromas and flavors including cocoa, cassis and vanilla.

Caymus Special Selection is the flagship wine of the Wagner family and is comprised of the very best barrels of the vintage. This wine is not produced in difficult years. Caymus Napa Valley is more representative of a standard Cabernet of Napa Valley, as it is a bit less precocious than the Special Selection, but still delivers big.

Caymus prides itself on producing wines that are as approachable in youth as well at maturity. Both the “Napa Valley” and “Special Selection” Cabernets are produced under the winemaking hand of Chuck Wagner.

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We met Rachel;s husband, Bill and son, Will for dinner at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena.

What a fabulous restaurant, farm and winery!

FARMSTEAD Farmstead includes our restaurant, cafe, general store and farmer's market. Located in scenic St. Helena, we offer our estate-grown wines, organic produce, grass-fed beef and lamb, extra virgin olive oil and more. Enjoy our seasonal, ingredient-driven American farmhouse cooking or shop for ingredients to go MAYACAMAS ESTATE Nestled in the mountains high above the Rutherford Bench, this rugged land is home to world-class vineyards, historic olive groves, horses, and the edible gardens the Hall brothers planted as children on the ranch.

RUTHERFORD ESTATE Once a riverbed on the floor of the Napa Valley, you’ll pass by our Rutherford Estate on the well-traveled Hwy. 29 heading North to Farmstead. Its rich minerally soils are home to vineyards, fruits and vegetables, beehives, and our flock of egg-laying chickens

German Village Schwein Park (German Village Magazine – August 2020)

By John M. Clark How often have you thought to yourself, “I wonder what Schiller Park would look like if it were reimagined for pigs?” Yeah, same here. But we don’t have to speculate any more, thanks to the whimsical artistry of Carol Schar.

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Carol, as you may know, is much more at home in her studio with paints and canvas … or creating watercolors of homes featured on the annual Haus und Garten Tour. But a few months ago, she was confronted by Bert Stevens. The grande dame of Schiller Park gardens wanted to create a destination for the park’s many younger visitors in the space occupied the past two summers by a “mouse village.” Few people have lived to say “no” to Bert. And so, she went to work on a theme.

As an avid thrift store customer, Carol had already amassed a large collection of miniature pigs in plastic and ceramic. And so, the idea for a German Village “Schwein Park” was born. Much of the initial work took place in the artist’s South Florida vacation home. There, she created the individual pieces that would eventually comprise the “park within a park.” Then, returning to her Mohawk Street home just a few weeks ago, Carol began laying out her garden behind the tiny wrought iron fence just east of Schiller Park’s City Park Avenue entrance.

A surprisingly large number of individual scenes will challenge both young and old to find all of the similarities between “Schwein Park” and Schiller Park. The Schiller monument is represented by one proud porcine, leaning against an overturned trash can. Nearby, a “plein air” pig (perhaps meant to portray artist Jeff Stahler?) paints a portrait of – who else? – Miss Piggy.

Then, there’s the Umbrella piglet in her own, elevated fountain. The late Fred Holdridge and Howard Burns, two of the neighborhood’s biggest boosters for more than 40 years, are portrayed by two pink flamingos. Fred’s, of course, even sports the late shopkeeper’s signature captain’s hat. And there are many more surprises, all of which are best discovered on your own.

Creating “Scwein Garden” has been a bittersweet project for Carol. After 33 years in German Village, she will be moving in the coming weeks to Virginia, to be closer to her two adult dauthters. So, she has made sure that every lamppost … every bench … every piece of “brick” sidewalk has been placed with a visitor’s overall experience in mind. As a “farewell” gift to German Village, “Schwein Park” should no doubt fulfill Carol’s desire to leave a bit of her artistry behind for others to enjoy.

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CONNECT - Kovid Karaoke at Clark Cottage

It was an unusual sight – even in these times when “unusual” has become the norm. Twelve to 15 neighbors socially distancing between themselves on one side of City Park Avenue while watching and listening to karaoke singers across the street. But, as event co-sponsor John Clark explained, “Why not?”

Clark and his wife Jan had set up a small karaoke outfit with laptop computer, small public address system and wireless microphones. Anyone who walked by was encouraged to step behind the wrought iron fence and belt one out from a catalog of 36,000 tunes. As an extra incentive, anyone brave enough to sing was given a novelty coronavirus-themed t-shirt.

Invitations were sent to only a few people from the area. Jessica Kapustra, Bryan Smith and Pam Gillum, for instance, were quick to step up to the microphone and sing their favorites. And that helped draw in the curious bystanders. One young woman who stopped happened to be a professionally trained vocalist. She and her friend mesmerized the gathering with songs from Broadway musicals.

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Each singer was assured of a loud round of applause, despite his or her true talents. That’s because this wasn’t really about entertaining people with song. This was simply a celebration of our neighborhood – of the great times we have when we come together for a little quirky fun. You could also call it a collective “thumbing of the nose” to the virus that has wrecked so many lives since the start of the year.

Years ago, Village boosters Fred Holdridge and Howard Burns, who owned Hausfrau Haven, conjured up bed races on Beck Street, promoted neighborhood participation in the annual Doo Dah Parade and sponsored an annual, mail-in, international postcard art show. They knew how to have fun with fellow Villagers. According to cosponsor Jan Clark, “We hope they would have approved.”

Interested in hosting your own, “pop up” karaoke event? Please see this months Editor’s Letter for details.

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