The LocaL, July-Aug 2020

Art provided by Brittney Green @brittknak_arts

STUFF TO READ

PAWS Humane Society

Celebrating Our Foster Heroes

Access 2 Independence Virtual Fundraiser

The Comic Art of Brittney Green Creating Worlds by Hand

Smokey Eyes Entertainment Pushes Talent Forward in Columbus

Jennie Sardinas

How one Woman brought Columbus the best Sushi in town

FUN, FOOD & YOU

Vital Vittles 8 The Basics

AROUND TOWN

Beejou Kombucha & River Oak Boutique

Launching A Business During The Pandemic?

t’s easy to get lost in the darkness of the times we are in.

Just a reminder, even if the things that give us comfort seem harder to find, art and creativity are always YOURS. They reverberate within the very core of who you are no matter where you are. Take this time to rest, to heal and to nurture your soul.

You matter.

So does everyone else, so be good to others, even if they don’t speak your language. Or agree with your convictions. We are all walking this earth together, and at the end of the day, humanity is everyone’s responsibility.

Do it with grace.

We’ve found that as we navigate this city, we continue to find good in each day. We continue to find artists who are perpetuating our truth. We continue to find music that soothes our ears and cuisine that nurtures our spirits.

We are grateful to bring you a piece of that here in this magazine through the stories of the strong women, artists and entrepreneurs who continue to bring their passion to the streets of our city.

People like Jennie Sardinas with Lemongrass Thai and Sushi, Suhyoon Cho with Beejou Kombucha and Emma Ross and her adorable River Oak Boutique and local artists like Brittney Green. Entrepreneurs like Kelvin and Judy Smith are also here, promoting a variety of talent through their label Smokey Eye’s Entertainment.

There are a lot of people who continue to make this city great, and plenty of goodwill to be shared and supported: fundraisers like the Access 2 Independence show andirtual events and campaigns to help our gardens and our theatres. Look for more events and opportunities on our site: getlocatix.com

In the meantime, please stay safe, always hold the door open, and tip generously.

This too shall pass.

Continue to be brave. Speak for real unity and no matter what, never stop loving.

Thank you for reading,

Monica Jones

706 250 7777

thelocalcolumbus.com

facebook.com/thelocalcolumbusga issuu.com/thelocalcolumbus

What We Are All About.

The mission of the LocaL magazine is to bring you the best in art, music, food and fun from Columbus and the surrounding area. Locally owned and operated, we work to improve and expand community relationships through promoting positive events and stories. When good things are happening, we will be here to help you get involved. Our monthly print issues will feature stories and events that comprise and drive the ongoing surge toward a more beautiful community. This magazine exists because we who work on it believe in actively engaging with community improvement, and we invite you to join us, not only by reading these pages, but also by taking part in any of the many wonderful events we feature.

Monica Jones publisher@thelocalcolumbus.com

@brittknak_arts

Photo By MJ

Humane Society

By Tricia Montgomery

Celebrating Our Foster Heroes

Newfriends have been filling our homes since COVID. No, these friends aren’t the ones that ask you to help move furniture, they are the ones that bring a smile to your face every time they wag their tail, curl up in your lap or look at you with adoring eyes.

Over the last few months, the number of people fostering cats and dogs has risen dramatically

Fostering is important as it helps the animals to be more adoptable. Some animals aren’t accustomed to life in a home. They may not understand stairs or they may be frightened by unfamiliar sounds like vacuums and kitchen appliances.

Even when shelters make every effort to keep animals comfortable and happy, the environment can still be scary and overwhelming for some, causing them to “shut down” emotionally or display destructive behaviors. When this happens, the animals isolate themselves and fail to interact with people, resulting in them being passed up by potential adopters. Foster homes are also essential for special-needs pets or those who are recovering from an injury or surgical procedure.

compared to the same period last year. With an estimated 7.6 million animals in shelters, organizations such as Paws rely on keeping animals in foster homes until they are adopted.

When Paws temporarily shut down due to COVID, we depended on individuals and families to provide temporary homes, placing a record number of 198 pets in foster care, including 41 adult dogs. We are proud to report those 41 adult dogs are delightfully, what we like to call, “Foster Fails,” as foster families adopted many of the animals they were looking after. Those that were not were adopted by others after being provided valuable information from their foster families.

Fostering is important because you are saving two lives instead of one. It helps reduce overcrowding in Paws, provides space for our friends from Columbus Animal Care and Control, and opens up space for another animal to be saved. It also helps prepare animals for adoption by giving them a chance to live in a home where they can fully express their personality, work to overcome fears, or recover from trauma.

When animals are in a foster program, for many, they are in a home for the first time and are able to enjoy a more relaxing environment while getting the one-on-one attention they need. This can be especially helpful for very shy and fearful animals, or those who need a bit of extra help with socialization. They build confidence by learning how to trust people, how to play with toys and other animals, and by experiencing everyday activities. Foster homes can also help by using positive reinforcement training to teach basic obedience skills and tricks. Each and every one of these things plays an individual, yet critical role in helping animals find adoptive homes. Animals who were terrified in shelters often open up once they’re in the comfort of a home, helping them become happy, more well-adjusted animals.

Through the Paws foster program, thousands of animals have had a second chance at an amazing life, and foster care is a critical part of our ability to adopt out more than 1,900 animals annually. Fostering is an immensely rewarding experience you’ll never forget, and it changes animals’ lives in a very direct way.

Be a hero. Change a life.u

Adoption Hours: Mon-Fri•10am-6pm, Sat•10am-5pm, 4900 Milgen Road Columbus pawshumane.org office@pawshumane.org (706) 565-0035 Vet Clinic (706) 987-8380

Have A Laugh & Help A Great Cause With FUNDRAISER VIRTUAL Have A Laugh & Help A Great Cause With FUNDRAISER VIRTUAL

After all that’s happened this year, who isn’t looking forward to a little bit of laughter and good vibes? Thank goodness we’ve got a lot of local talent who are willing to come together to give Columbus a night of hilarity and good ol’ fashion entertainment, set for Wednesday, August 26, for the Access 2 Independence Comedy & Variety Show.

This years show will be hosted by Jerry Farber, a 55-year veteran of the Atlanta comedy scene who recently made Columbus his home, and will include original local music, comedy and theatre talent. With the exception that this will be a virtual experience that lets ticketholders watch from the luxury of their own space and at their convenience.

The event is a fundraiser for the local nonprofit “Access 2 Independence,” which provides services for the local community of people with disabilities. The organization is a non-residential program that serves nine counties in the region, and provides peer support, transition support, advocacy, independent life skills training, referrals and more to the community. It also advocates for the rights of all people with disabilities.

“This will be our third year doing the comedy fundraiser to benefit the disabled community of the Chattahoochee Valley,” said ORee Crittenden, assistant director of Access 2 Independence.

“We started this grassroots style, we’re looking forward to raising money that we can turn around

and use to benefit our friends in the Valley area.”

The event, normally held at the Loft (which is currently closed at 1032 Broadway), has been a success in the past, with each show selling to capacity or nearcapacity. “Folks have always been so supportive, we

By Scott Berson

really want to continue to give them a good show”, Crittenden said.

Jerry Farber will be the host this year, as he has been in past years. Farber has been involved in comedy for longer than many have been alive, he jokes. Jerry ran a popular comedy club in Atlanta for many years and taught stand-up to dozens of aspiring comics. He began as a piano player in the Atlanta clubs and hotspots, but found himself getting bored of playing the same songs every night. Not being a singer, he began to talk instead -- and gradually began telling jokes.

Decades later, he’s still doing it. (and doing it well).

“He gets what we do,” Crittenden said of Farber. “I like the unique blend of comedy and music, and the musings of a comedian with lots of years of experience. I love working with Jerry just as a human being.”

Farber stayed in Atlanta until his 80s, when he said he began getting ground down by the noise and traffic of Atlanta. That’s when he moved to Columbus and met ORee and began getting involved with Access 2 Independence.

“I’m excited to be in Columbus and bring people this event,” Farber said. “When I was young, someone said to me, try to leave the world a foot better when you leave than when you came into it. The easiest way for me to participate is to help by doing a worthwhile event and telling jokes.”

While the pandemic has brought so much to a halt, Crittenden and Farber are excited to present something extraordinary for the people of Columbus and the Valley, all to help a great cause.

“The show must go on,” he said. “I always say, come on out, let’s have some good laughs and an evening of comedy and support those who may need a little bit of extra help in our community. This year, he says “stay at home.”

This show will go on.

For updates and to purchase your donation tickets, go to getlocaltix.com and select the event on the listing page. Visit access2independence.com and check out new info as it becomes available on their facebook event page. For more information, call ORee Crittenden at 706-405-2393.u

Jerry Farber Performs For a2i at the Loft

The Comic Art of Brittney Green

By Scott Berson

Trying to find the words to describe Brittney Green’s work is its own exercise in creativity. Her characters vibrate with a frantic, living, jagged energy. I feel like one of them could physically reach out and punch me in the face, directly from the page. The colors and textures somehow succeed in marrying the blazing vibrance of 1950s pop art with a noir detective mood, a pairing that makes absolutely no sense but completely works.

Green, the comic artist and author, freelance illustrator and aspiring filmmaker behind this madcap creative style, had a fascination with art and illustration and storytelling ever since she was young, growing up in Columbus

“I’ve always had a knack for art. I knew that I couldn’t ignore my artistic passion. Even back then, I knew, I gotta keep working on this,” Green said. “I really fell in love with storytelling and character design. Watching movies, it was always the creative process behind it that fascinated me. I always wondered, how did they make this scene, what did they do, how did they create the characters, and I would imagine what I would do differently.”

She began thinking up ways to use her artistic skill to tell her own stories by combining deep research, hours and hours of practice, and the creation and fusing of a unique narrative and execution into something totally different.

“I want to tell my own

story and put my own spin about subjects and topics that are important to me,” she said. “You have the front story of what everyone sees, and there’s always that deeper story and meaning that is a little extra. That’s with all my stories and characters.”

She’s been developing her style for years, and its one-of-a-kindness is something she is very proud of. She studies other artists and practices different ways of making characters expressive and vivid. She cites her biggest influences as old cheesy 80s and 90s action movies, with the sometimes-mindless violence and mayhem replaced with a bit more nuance and characterization.

“My style is definitely something I want to stand out. I love the detail of realism that realistic art style can bring, whether it’s the tension in the face you can create with muscle lines in different positions, or other things, I love seeing that in art. At the same time, I love the exaggerated, super-stylized elements that cartoonishness can bring. Do I want to go super realistic and detailed or super exaggerated and stylized? Why not both? I try to push myself to have a good balance of believable realism, but also having fun exaggerations to the characters.”

Green does a lot of work on individual illustrations, paintings and drawings, but has also created two ongoing comics with original conceptions and characters. One, “DEAgents,” is a neo-punk-noir thriller about three roguish agents tackling crime and wrestling with morality in a gritty city. The other, “Quest for the Right Hand,” is her upcoming work that imagines a medieval world where dinosaurs never went extinct.

“There was this whole interesting way that people lived, this bright, beautiful, colorful medieval world. A lot of the way that era has been depicted is in greys and browns. I want to see some cool colors, with some cool, scientifically accurate dinosaurs. Some of them are scary monsters, some could maybe be used in the military. Some could be used as trades or marks of status. I just want to play with those ideas,”

research medieval culture in this time period. It’s really interesting, and I’m really excited to learn about it all.”

One of Green’s main goals for the future, however, is to break into film, the medium that inspired her when she was a child. She is about to graduate from the Georgia Film Academy and has hopes of being a director.

“I have done storyboarding for a short film and several commercials,” she said. “I know I can bring versatility to whatever job I need to do. I can do storyboarding, I can do costume and character design, I can do fabrication, I can do painting, I can do all those things. I’ve actually worked on a little short script, and I would like to finish my first short film one day. The comics, to some extent, are basically storyboarding for future movies or shows that I’d like to do.”

With Georgia’s skyrocketing film and television presence, it’s a dream that may very well come true, and Columbus is poised to reap the benefits. If it does, Brittney Green is ready for them.

People interested in getting in touch with Green about projects or commissions can find her on Instagram at @brittknack_arts.u

Duncan the Dunkleosteus

Orwell

Bobby The Blobfish

A Dude With His Pterosaurs

Pushes Talent Forward in Columbus Smokey Eyes Entertainment

By Scott Berson

Music has been a part of Kelvin Smith his whole life. From growing up around the southside of Columbus, through the Marines, to Texas, Atlanta and back to Columbus again, music has always been playing in his head. Now, back in town for good and accompanied by his wife Judy, they are building up talent and promoting their brand and record label, Smokey Eyes Entertainment.

The label boasts two artists – the rapid-fire, highenergy of Gizzle (pronounced “jizzle”) Badazz YBFR and the rich and thumping beats of Torrey Fortune. Both artists have released multiple tracks, with slicklyproduced music videos that showcase Columbus, including Broadway, the Riverwalk and more.

“Music has always been my thing, always been doing things with music,” Smith said. “I put out my first record with our group 1-5 Posse, back in the day while we were

one of the first rap groups in Atlanta, back when I was in the Marines. We got together and one of us DJ’d and we started off like that.”

Smith spent two decades in Texas after leaving the Marines, where he met and began a life with his soonto-be bride, Judy. When Smith’s mother moved back to Columbus and the couple would come to visit her, Smith said Judy fell in love with his old hometown.

“She loves the trees,” he said, laughing. As they like to tease, “There are no trees in Texas.” It was Judy who turned him on to the possibilities of producing music.

“One day she started singing along on the radio, song after song came on. One was by Dolly Parton, and a light went off, that blew my mind. I was like oh my God, I’m leaving out one major part.” The couple knew right away what they wanted to do and they decided to partner on

a new label called Smokey Eyes Entertainment. They quickly began making and producing music full on.

“We just thought, we’ve been doing this music thing for 10 years, let’s go ahead and just do it,” Smith recalled. Anyone in the business knows, promoting is hard work. Smokey Eyes Entertainment has two artists under their belt, both of whom have released new tracks recently, Gizzle YBFR released “Gotta get it” in May

and it’s #14 on the indie chart as of today and “From Da Bottom”, filmed in Columbus. Torrey Fortune’s first single was “Fa$t Lane” Released in October 2019 and then came “Fame or Reality”. Smith says he treats the business like family – literally, in Gizzle’s case, since she is his daughter. Torrey Fortune is like family too.

Fortune also currently works in medicine as a lead surgical technician in Texas, helping with emergency and elective surgeries.

“He’s very eclectic,” Smith said. “He’s been making music for years, and I told him, the world needs to hear what you’re doing. I just thought it was so cool. This dude operates on people, he works in medicine, and then he does this music too.”

Their music videos show the artists walking and rapping in familiar places all over the city. “I’ve always loved Broadway and the Chattahoochee River,” Smith said. “I just want to bring that to the forefront. It’s

Kelvin & Judy Smith of Smokey Eyes Ent.

like, when we stand at the podium for the music awards, i’m always gonna throw a shoutout to Columbus, Georgia. I’m trying to get the radio stations to acknowledge, you got a local boy here. I’m trying to get y’all to be the hometown, the home stadium, like the Atlanta Hawks. I’m

trying to make Columbus, the Smokey Eyes home stadium.”

Smith said that after Gizzle and Torrey Fortune’s singles and albums dropped over the last few months on Spotify and online, the hype began to build and they were set for a tour. Then the pandemic hit and they were forced to rethink things.

“Before, we had show listings, all the way up to July, then they all canceled. I’m worried about Torrey, on the front lines all day every day, sometimes,” Smith said. So far, everyone has stayed healthy.

Smith isn’t resting on his laurels, though. He has big plans for Smokey Eyes in the meantime, and is

working to launch an online streaming channel in September called SEEMA TV. People will be able to sign up and see a stream of music and other content managed and curated by Smokey Eyes, dedicated to highlighting local talent.

“We’re gonna be doing all kinds of eclectic stuff. From folk music to rock and everything in between, you won’t see people just rapping. I look for people with unique skills, unique thoughts on life, totally new to our listening audience,” Smith said.

The bottom line, he said, is “The world needs talent, and I just want to help get it out there.”

Find out more about Smokey Eyes Entertainment, Gizzle Y.B.F.R, Torrey Fortune and SEEMA TV @ SmokeyEyesEnt.com, or call 404-880-3381. Office located at 235 Peachtree Street NE Suite 432, Atlanta Ga, 30303. You can also find them on Instagram & Facebook. u

Torrey Fortune, CP da Great, Drew Thousand,Josh Grant & Cloak

By Natalie Downey

How One Woman Brought Columbus THE BEST SUSHI IN TOWN

Jennie Sardinas came to America from Thailand unable to speak a word of English. Within two hours of landing in the States, she was already working in her aunt’s Thai restaurant. With a family heavily composed of chefs and restaurant owners, she had a dream to join their ranks, and landing in American was only the beginning.

Jennie continued to work at her aunt’s sushi restaurant after she first arrived in America, but being

unable to speak English limited her in what she was able to do within the restaurant. Though she tried to take classes, circumstances like getting a ride prevented her, and in the end she was only able to go a few times. Determined to learn, Jennie offered to work for free one day a week for six months in the restaurant where she was employed. During these voluntary shifts, she would engage with customers and shadow servers to learn the restaurant’s “front of house” operations. This also gave her the opportunity to practice her new language.

Becoming a sushi chef can be a long process; becoming a sushi chef as a woman can seem nearly impossible. While things are changing and women are now able to secure almost any job a man can, the Asian

tradition often holds firmly to the belief that a sushi chef is a man’s job, Jennie said. She remembers being told by a male sushi chef, “Woman is dirty,” when she inquired about learning the trade from him. But Jennie wasn’t easily deterred. She traveled to Maine where she trained for six months to learn the art of sushi making. A job opportunity at a local sushi restaurant brought her to Columbus in 2011, where she continued to acquire experience and hone her skills. “When customers would see me making sushi,” Jennie says, “I think they’d kind of freak out and think, ‘Does she know what she’s doing?’” But once they were introduced to her work, they realized she knew exactly what she was doing and regular customers would come back time and time again to have the sushi Jennie crafted.

In 2015, after years of hard work, Jennie finally saw her dreams unfold when she was able to open her first restaurant, Lemongrass Thai and Sushi, (2435 Wynnton Road) in Columbus.

Thai food has been growing increasingly popular over the last few years here in Columbus, and Lemongrass is leading the pack by serving up the very dishes they’ve always made back home. With her family cooking in the Lemongrass kitchen, and bringing the colorful flavors of Thailand to our local community with them. Much of the Lemongrass success can be attributed to Jennie’s commitment to using only quality ingredients and being meticulous through every step of the process to prepare a plate of food. She says that at Lemongrass their customers are served the dishes the way they would serve it at home to their families. From which knife to use and how the fish is cut, to the flower the plate is adorned with, Jennie understands that the dining experience is about more than just the way the

Jennie Sardinas

food tastes. She has worked in the industry for so long that she has developed the instinct to know whether or not a dish has been properly prepared just by looking at it, and she demands each dish be top-quality.

much to be learned along the way in preparation, and Jennie encourages others to “Take advice, be wide open to criticism, be willing to change.”

Now with the covid pandemic increasing the cost of ingredients, Jennie has had to spend much time in search of the same quality she has always used in her restaurant at affordable prices. While she refuses to budge on quality, she knows her customers need prices to stay relatively consistent. Though almost any restaurant has had to raise prices to some degree during the past few months, Lemongrass has been able to keep prices within the same range and still keep the food as fresh and authentic as ever.

Jennie is living proof of her own belief that “Any woman can follow her dream.” Not only a woman in a traditionally man’s profession, but also a wife and mother to three small children, nothing has held Jennie back from chasing the dream that brought her here, and as she watches it come true, she continues to expand, hoping to see even more Lemongrass restaurants open in the future. “You have the goal of your life first, then you try. Try hard,” she says. With any dream there is

Always support local and when you want great Thai and Sushi, visit Lemongrass Thai & Sushi at either of their locations, 2435 Wynnton Road & 2979 North Lake Parkway, in Columbus. Look to celebrate their grand opening as well as their five year anniversary as soon as public gatherings are once again possible. u

Vital Vittles VIII THE BASICS

Over the years, cooking has brought me many places and back again. I have been blessed to cook in three different states and overseas. Whether I’m peeling potatoes on a U.S. Navy Destroyer in the Mediteranean, frying walleye in the Great White North of Minnesota, or simmering collard greens in the Peach State, there are a few techniques that have been essential no matter what kitchen I was working in.

It always amazes me when a new cook comes into the kitchen and has no idea how to do certain things. Certain techniques used in a kitchen are almost on par with tying one’s shoes. Pioneering chef Auguste Escoffier said, “The greatest dishes are very simple,” and I would like to share three of the most simple techniques that every cook, whether you cook professionally or at home, should know. Once you get them down, you’ll never forget them.

The first technique is: Making a vinaigrette. Vinaigrettes don’t have to be used only for salad dressings. You can use it as a dip. You can use it as a sauce. And when it’s really good you can just eat spoonfuls of it throughout the day like I do with my Red Eye Gravy Vinaigrette. To make a simple vinaigrette requires only two ingredients: oil and vinegar. The common ratio for a vinaigrette is 3:1, meaning there should be 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. If you’ve ever seen sandwich dressing on the shelves in the grocery store, all you’re seeing is a simple vinaigrette that has a few herbs mixed into it (for double the price!). An important tip to remember when making your vinaigrette is to remember that oil and vinegar don’t mix, so you’ll need to shake up the bottle right before you use it, or you can use an emulsifier. An emulsifier is an ingredient added to the vinaigrette that allows the oil and vinegar to combine. The most common emulsifier is mustard of any sort, or you can even use an egg yolk. So get out your mixing bowl and whisk and whip up a nice vinaigrette for your next salad or sandwich.

The next technique is: Using aromatics when cooking meats or fish. Aromatics, or aromats, are ingredients that you put in your pan or on your grill next to your meat to impart flavor. Whether that be a few twigs of rosemary tied together to brush butter on your steak, or some orange and lemon peels that you were going to trash anyway thrown into the pan

with your searing salmon, aromats are a must when cooking any protein. Typically the aromats are not to be consumed after use, but I love to continue using caramelized garlic cloves and shallots after I have infused the flavors into my steak. They make a great and tasty side for most proteins.

Aromatics can be anything that you want. Do you want your rack of lamb to taste like a French countryside? Throw some lavender in the pan and finish with a knob of butter. Baste that lavender-infused butter all over your rack of lamb. A little lemon flavor to your fish? Use the discarded lemon peels after you’ve used the juice to make your vinaigrette. The use of aromatics truly is a technique that separates a good cook from a great cook.

The final basic technique I’d like to share with you is one that many people, for whatever reason, find extremely difficult: How to poach an egg. The first step to the perfect poached egg is to boil a pot of water with a splash of vinegar. Crack the egg into a small bowl such as a ramekin. Once the water is boiling, lower the temperature to a simmer. Place

the bottom of the small bowl into the water to slightly start cooking the egg. I usually count to ten and then tilt the bowl to drop the egg into the water. Slowly stir the water that the egg is floating in. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon after approximately three minutes for soft poached or five minutes for a firmer yolk. Place the egg on a paper towel and season to your liking.

So there you have it. You’ve now made a vinaigrette, cooked a steak with infused flavors, and perfectly poached an egg like the pros. In fact, this would be considered a topnotch course in any restaurant on the planet and all of these techniques are so simple, Auguste Escoffier would probably consider this a great meal. Get out there and get cooking. And, as always, stay tuned and keep moving forward. #KMF u @adam.icard Adam Icard

Market Days on Broadway

Uptown Columbus’ Market Days on Broadway takes place year-round. You will find local vendors selling anything and everything that you can imagine. The Market features many local and organic farmers selling produce, along with soap vendors, home goods, jewelry vendors, and baked goods. Our friends from local shelters and animal rescue groups can be found in the median of Broadway. For questions, call the Uptown office at 706.596.0111. Every Saturday morning, 9am - Noon in the 900, 1000, 1100, & 1200 blocks of Broadway, Columbus

Saturday Morning

Breakfast @ the VFW

Join us for the most important meal of the day. Hosted by VFW Post 665 Moina Michael. Every Saturday, 7 –10 a.m. , VFW Post 665 Moina Michael, 1824 Victory Dr, Columbus

Sit on 6th

Every Saturday head on over to ReDesign Time, Chattabrewchee and Vintageville to shop, sip and dine with The Spankin’ Spoon Food truck there as well. Enjoy great furniture finds and tasty Chatabrewchee beer in their outdoor “Biergarten”. Every Saturday, noon - 8 p.m. , Sit on 6th, 1301 6th Ave, Columbus

TEACHaret 2020

Going online this year with an incredible lineup of teachers from the past five years and some exciting surprises! Make sure to tune in to our Facebook page to catch the show. Thursday, July 23, 7 – 10 p.m. , Live Video by Springer Theatre Academy

Next Plant Hustle Vegan Bakery Pop-Up Shop

Will be at Beejou Craft Kombucha, Saturday, July 25, 11 a.m. Beejou Craft Kombucha, 1204 1st Ave, Columbus

Virtual Language Cafe

Gather by phone (or video chat) to practice English or Spanish speaking skills through casual group conversation. Register thru the Mildred L. Terry public Library facebook event page to have the telephone number or video chat link emailed to you beforehand. Saturday, July 25, 3 – 3:30 p.m. , Online Event

Open Mic Nights

Bi-Weekly Open Mic night is happening! Play some music, read poetry, do some comedy, etc. Sign up sheet goes out at 6:30 and things usually kick off around 7. July 23, Aug 13 & 27, Sep 10 & 24, Oct 8 & 22, Nov 5 & 19, 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM. Fountain City Coffee, 1007 Broadway, Columbus

ADA 30th Anniversary Celebration

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be gathering at our location for a cookout with the community. There will be prize raffles during our event and auction leading up. We will talk about the ADA and its current state as well as how our community can help to keep our Civil Rights. Saturday, July 25, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m, Access 2 Independence, Columbus

Family Drive In Movie

Tickets on sale now, $20 - $30. Friday, July 31, 9 p.m. , Columbus Civic Center, 400 4th St, Columbus

2020 Columbus Georgia

LGBT Pride Festival

We are hoping to make this the best year yet. Of course, please look for updates on our facebook page. If all goes well we will celebrate on Aug 1st. Hosted by Colgay Pride. Saturday, August 1, 10 –11 p.m. , 1100 Broadway, Columbus

Lillian Smith:

Breaking the Silence Q&A

Hosted by The Columbus Museum. Session about Hal and Henry Jacobs’ film, Lillian Smith: Breaking the Silence, learn more about this outspoken civil rights activist in the Jim Crow South. Available for screening on August 8-15, 2020. Upon registering for this event, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for access to the online screening. Visit their facebook event page. Thursday, August 13, 4 –5 p.m. , The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Rd, Columbus

Access 2 Independence

Comedy Fundraiser Hosted by Jerry Farber

Who isn’t looking forward to a little bit of laughter and good vibes? Enjoy a night of hilarity and good ol’ fashion entertainment for the Access 2 Independence Comedy & Variety “Virtual” Show. Find updates and purchase your donation tickets, @ getlocaltix.com & access2independence. com. Wednesday, August 26 7- 9 p.m. , For more information, call ORee Crittenden at 706-405-2393

Chris McDaniel

Acoustic at Hideaway

Wednesday, August 26, 7:30 – 10 PM p.m. , Hideaway Lounge of Columbus, 7466 Blackmon Rd Suite C, Columbus

UNCF Mayor’s

Masked Ball 2020

Black tie gala and fundraiser of 2020the UNCF Columbus Mayor’s Masked Ball. We welcome American Idol winner and national R&B recording artist, Ruben Studdard, as our entertainment for the evening. Get your tickets and help local students fulfill their dreams of going to college. For more information, contact us at 404.302.8623 or Justine. Boyd@UNCF.org. Saturday, August 29, 7 – 10 p.m. , Columbus, Georgia Convention & Trade Center, 801 Front Ave, Columbus

Want to see your event listed here? Email:events@thelocalcolumbus.com

Launching A Business During The PANDEMIC?

By Natalie Downey

THEY DID IT -- BY HELPING EACH OTHER

The Story Of Beejou Kombucha & River Oak Boutique

Beejou Craft Kombucha and River Oak Boutique share a space on 1st Avenue in Uptown Columbus. The owners of these shops, Suhyoon Cho and Emma Ross, respectively, have come together not only to offer the community the goods they sell, but also to actively help other vendors introduce themselves and their products to the community.

When Suhyoon Cho first tasted kombucha, a fermented tea drink, she wasn’t impressed. After turning her back on it for several years, she finally

decided to give the beverage another try, and this time, she was intrigued.

After her interest in kombucha grew, Suhyoon decided to make her first batch on a whim when someone offered her the materials to make it for free. She experimented with different flavors and was hooked. With a background in dietetics and an interest in chemistry, Suhyoon became a self-taught kombucha expert, and soon found that friends and family loved her product, requesting it more and

more. Though she had never planned on opening a shop, when the opportunity presented itself, Suhyoon knew she had to take it. Today, known as the “Brew Witch,” Suhyoon brews and sells her own kombucha in her new shop, called Beejou Craft Kombucha, in

Uptown Columbus.

While kombucha has been around for hundreds of years, many people are unfamiliar with it. This fermented, effervescent tea is known to be full of health benefits. Suhyoon says she has been pleasantly surprised with the supportive response the local community has given her shop. “We had no idea what to expect,” she says.

Beejou Craft Kombucha offers a variety of kombucha flavors, including four flagship flavors

and two rotating flavors. Suhyoon collaborates with other local shops like Fountain City Coffee, Ride on Smoothies, and Maltitude to create kombucha flavors that give a nod to the local community. Beejou offers flights of four ounce pours, 12 ounce pours, 12 ounce bottles, and 64 ounce growlers, as well as any flavor on tap.

With an appreciation for all the help she received as she started her business, Suhyoon has a passion for helping other local vendor start ups. Her shop hosts a vendor pop-up every Saturday featuring different vendors who aren’t ready for or able to afford a brick and mortar shop. “It’s something we do to support the community,” says Suhyoon, adding, “For me, it took a community to get here...people helped me all along the way.”

Another passion Suhyoon has is for bringing glass bottle recycling back to Columbus. Because Columbus does not offer this service, she has to travel to Atlanta to recycle glass. She is currently gathering signatures on a petition for this cause, which can be

found on her instagram page @beejou.kombucha River Oak Boutique can be found right next to Beejou Craft Kombucha, separated by a partition, but sharing the same space. Owner Emma Ross also shares Suhyoon Cho’s passion for giving back to the community and helping other local vendors get the

word out about their products.

Emma began working in a boutique as a teen, managing it and essentially running it by time she was 20 when the owner was away. Knowing she wanted to eventually open her own boutique, Emma worked to save up the money.

She started out with an online shop and hosted trunk shows before opening her first storefront shop, River Oak, in Old Town in Columbus. In May of this year the opportunity arose for her to move the Boutique to Uptown Columbus, and she took it.

Although opening a shop during a worldwide pandemic doesn’t seem ideal, Emma and Suhyoon both are grateful for the support of the community. “The response has been great,” says Emma, “My customers are amazing.”

While the community’s response to the opening of these two new shops has been better than expected, some people still aren’t comfortable leaving their homes to shop in a boutique. For these people Emma offers her online shop, www.shopriveroak.com, which includes free shipping or free local delivery.

Since moving to Uptown Columbus, River Oak has expanded to meet an even larger customer base. Emma takes pride in her shop’s slogan, “A boutique for all women,” and carries a variety of styles from athletic, to date night, to formal during certain seasons. “I like getting pieces you can’t find anywhere else,” Emma says, adding that she only orders a select amount of each piece, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Along with Beejou Craft Kombucha, River Oak hosts vendor pop ups every Saturday. They also host vendor nights once a month to focus on

Suhyoon Cho

other small businesses that can’t yet afford a space of their own. On these nights they clear out the store and give the floor to the vendor being showcased.

Support for the local community is important to Emma, and in addition to the apparel she carries in her shop, she features locally made, handcrafted purses and

jewelry, and locally made candles and beauty products. “I try to stay as local as possible,” Emma explains. By carrying unique pieces made by people in the community, Emma is helping local entrepreneurs sell their items, and she’s also providing one-of-a-kind products to her customers.

Supporting one another, especially during the difficult and uncertain times this year has brought us, only makes our community stronger. Local entrepreneurs add their own unique and personal fibers to the tapestry of our community, and the more we help them succeed, the more rich in colorful contributions our community will become.

Beejou Craft Kombucha and River Oak Boutique are located at 1204 First Avenue in Columbus. u

Emma Ross - Owner Of River Oak Boutique