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Short Northern
Exposure
by P. Susan Sharrock
July 1999 - September 2000
September 2000
Please join us in welcoming some new members to the Short North Business Association. Those attending the General Membership meetings on a regular basis have had the pleasure of meeting Kimberly Lee-Minor who will be opening her new boutique Kloth sometime in September, located in the former site of The Cookware Sorcerer, 658 North High Street. Kimberly describes her new venture as a contemporary lifestyle boutique featuring new designer collections for men and women. Shop hours will be Tues. thru Sat. 11am - 7 pm and Sun. 12 - 5 pm at start up. For the past few weeks, Kimberly has had her blue blinds closed, so I think many of us are eager to see this new addition when the doors swing open and blinds go up. If you'd like more info, call 614-251-0889 or e-mail klee@columbus.rr.com.As well, a long-time favorite in the neighborhood, Harrison House Bed & Breakfast has joined the Association. The lovely, comfy, nearly constantly booked B&B is owned by Sandy Davis. We had the opportunity to check out every single room while stopping by a few weeks ago to drop off the brand spanking new Short North Visitors Guide. I was too late to slide up to the breakfast table, but the aroma was still there. You can contact Sandy at 614-421-2202, drop by in person at 313 West Fifth Avenue (plenty of parking in the rear), or visit the Web at columbus-bed-breakfast.com. Chances are you can also set your sights on room availability at 50 Lincoln, our other home away from home for travelers or any of us just looking for someone else to make the breakfast and bed.
Dr. Daniel J. Koch has put the very last coat of paint, planted the last tall grass, and hung the final lighting fixture for his beautiful new Columbus Eyeworks. He makes the most of the corner site at 1127 North High Street @ Fourth Avenue in the old Caravan Bar. Walk by, drive by. If you can't see in and be tempted by all the very hottest and (no doubt) practical frames, then maybe you need to make an appointment. Contact Dan at 614-421-2020 (Great number, right?) or on his Web site, columbuseyeworks.com. Dandy new half glasses are about to arrive from Denmark! Get in line.
Concord Capital Charette
And, it was the cherry on a Great Sundae when we opened the mail just one week following Joseph Recchie's dynamic presentation at the August General Membership Meeting. We now can count Concorde Capital Corporation among our members. This full-service real estate developer has offices located at 1349 East Broad Street, but their presence is being dramatically felt very close by already as pre-charettes have begun.Larke Recchie sends along this message to our readers: "We want to stress our eagerness to get community input all during the development process. Concorde Capital Corporation wants to hear from you about the proposed new development of Jeffrey Place, east of Fourth Street at First Avenue. This 43-acre site, formerly the Jeffrey Mining Company, is currently vacant. Concorde is working on a charette process that actively seeks community input for the design team that will be forming the plans for this exciting new development. Many opportunities for input will be available including public meetings, live chat lines, and a Web site. Call Concorde Capital at 324-0829 or e-mail jeffreyplace@concorde-capital.com to give your thoughts about what would make a dynamic new neighborhood design. The public is welcome to the formal charette scheduled September 12 - 14. You will be hearing more from Concorde Capital as plans develop." There you go. Your chance to have a say and get up close and personal with a great new addition to the Near North-side. Again, thanks so much to Joe for his very informa-tive talk. And, thanks to Chuck Palmer of Feinknopf Macioce Schappa for bringing him to our attention.
Meet Members
Likewise, if you missed that meeting, you missed the chance to meet the entire new Short North Special Improvement District (SID) staff. Thanks to the many businesses who have offered relief to our SID workers. We appreciate your cooperation with this program. The SID workers are out there on the streets everyday. They don't have an office. So, any offer of coffee or a dry place during a rainstorm is always appreciated. Speaking of our cleanup program, Mark Krausz's litter squad has not yet hit the streets. Paperwork and summer interns at the Franklin County Municipal Court caused the program to drag on to a September start. Be on the lookout. You'll certainly recognize them. Mark will be right there with them.And, if you didn't get the chance to hear first-hand from Kent Rigsby, all SNBA members should be checking their mailboxes very soon for enticements and give-backs from one of the pioneers of the Short North. We simply can't give details. Perhaps this might entice you to join the Association and attend a membership meeting! Suffice to say that Rigsby's Cuisine Volatile will continue to be a landmark restaurant in the Short North for all of us for many years to come. Good luck to Kent and Tasi as they venture on to break newer ground at Miranova. We'll be just fine in the fabulous Short North with Rigsby's, K2U, and Eleni.
Stinger Sightings
Just a few days and counting second by second until the Blue Jackets hit the ice and gazillions of people hit our urban digs. Chances are you'll see all kinds of signs of Blue Jacket action in the Short North. Wendy Peterson will be the guest speaker at the September General Membership Meeting. And with that, count on hearing about all kinds of Stinger sightings: during Hops, in shops, enjoying just about anything blue he/she can get. There is a huge do-it-up Blue campaign going on. We've been encouraged to jump on the bandwagon with Blue drinks at the bar. Blue soaps, candles, cards, books. Blue mashed potatoes even. Who will have the courage to give that a try. But, you can bet Stinger and the Team will find it and spotlight it. Already, we hear from Mary Martineau at Transformations that she has an entire Blue window planned for the Labor Day Hop.Many thanks to Barbara Jennings, Tracy Moran, Pat Grosek, Jennifer McNally, and Denny Griffith for hosting a Columbus College Of Art and Design/SNBA mixer-that-wouldn't-end in August.
The hospitality was great, the company stimulating, the food ... (we all tried to take home what was left of the artichoke log), and of course, the brilliant exhibitions: 121st Annual Student Exhibition and Best of Senior Thesis Works at the Canzani Center. The evening was great, contacts were made, projects mulled, our community grew closer. The spirit of the evening was greatly enhanced by appetizers generously donated by Frezno, Dagwoodz, and Press Grille. You must order the artichoke log!
Coleman, Cake, California
Delicious pastries compliments of Piece Of Cake and a handful of our dynamic new Short North Visitor Guides flew directly into the hands of Michael Coleman as he attended the National Democratic Convention Monday, August 14. We tried to get the treats to the Coleman troupe before they jetted to California, but missed that flight by a day. A few hours after talking with his very on-the-ball receptionist Jeri Woodson and offering her the pastries, we received a call from her saying that there happened to be some materials that would be jetted out that day. One or two pastries shy, that box and bundle landed in LA so that Mayor Coleman has some extra incentives for the West Coast, Arnold, and the Disney folk to film right here in the fabulous Short North. We knew the Mayor was pitching Columbus; and we know very well, he loves his neighborhoods. Get in line for that first casting call! Thanks, Jeri for your hard work on our behalf!Paws in the Park
This just in from the Capital Area Humane Society: "Get ready for another exquisite night of din-ing, shop hopping, and bidding on one of Columbus' greatest silent auctions. September 15, the outstanding Paws In The Park event includes a shop hop in the Short North Arts District, a gourmet dinner, and silent auction at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The shop hop features all that the Short North's eclectic stores have to offer. Here you'll enjoy works of art at ACE Gallery, furniture unlike any other from Functional Furnish-ings, nick-knacks from your favorite stores such as LOOT and many others. Musical entertainment, mouthwatering appetizers and libations are offered in shops along the way. The diverse silent auction at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral following the shop hop will offer something for everyone. Bid on items such as leather furniture, weekend getaways, a hot-air balloon ride, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo, tasteful jewelry, and many unique items for the home from the Short North's own shops." So, if you are a shop owner that hasn't gotten in on the fabulous Paws In The Park, contact Kim Butters at Planet Pet, 297-6717 and if you live, work, play in the Short North, think about attending and give a call to Joanna at CAHS, 777-7387 ext 2211. Either way, it is an extremely fun, exciting, dynamic, impor-tant night in the Short North no matter if you've got a pet or not. See you there.
Kaline Carter
Get ready, get set, grab enough for a cup of java, get plenty of sleep the night before and then, at 12:01 am on September 19 have your debit card in hand for Madonna's Music at Midnight. Call Kaline Carter at An Open Book, 291-0080 for the details. This will be the very first chance in the City to listen to her first new album since 1998.
Luck to Dan Lui
We suppose that every now and then, you'll want to explore the City well beyond our Near Northside. Consider one of those expeditions to be out East, not far, maybe five miles to Su Lan, Dan Liu's newest adventure in dining. Somehow, you'll have to juggle your sure-to-be love affair with the sister to our very own, perfectly perfect Haiku. A few weeks ago, I heard Su Lan was slated to open in 60 days. Stop by Haiku for supper and check with the staff. They'll certainly have all the up-to-date information. Good luck to Dan and his crew.
N. Park Purchase
Congratulations to longtime SNBA member, Columbus Children's Theatre. In late July, Managing Director Patricia Shannon announced that 512 North Park Street would be purchased from the Kitsmiller Family of Canal Winchester thanks to a gracious gift from Olga and Doug Borror. The Borror family are huge fans of the theatre organization, private supports, and Olga has been on the board for several years. She stands to become President of the Board following Mike Doyle's current term. Many Short North residents will long remember the small 175-seat theatre as home to CATCO which moved to the Riffe Center four years ago. So happy for this!
Dynamic Duo
"Best Effort by a Merchant During the August Gallery Hop": Mary Martineau who spent well over two hours on her hands and knees making chalk art on the sidewalk to entice people just a little further north. It worked. Everyone was talking about it. Way to Go Mary! "Best Wait Staff in Town for an Early Morning Meeting": Union Station Video Cafe. They make magic happen every first Wednesday of the month. The lunch crowd that crowds in at 11 am would never know what they've been through. Thanks guys!
Phone Frenzy
In the fifteen months since we've been with the SNBA and sitting at the telephone that rang into 421-1030 (note below our new contact information), we've received hundreds of calls from people looking for something. We think it is exciting, gratifying, amazing, that nearly every single person was connected with what he/she wanted. Here is a sampling. Callers (and e-mailers) were asking for:
a place to start a business, a chance to model ties, bumper stickers, champagne glasses, vintage jewelry, opportunities, apartments, help, a place to have a wedding, rehearsal party, a wedding dress, Christmas Party, tarot readings, piercing places, reunion party, gargoyles, flags, a Smokey Brown painting, the recipe for a bumbleberry pie, a haircut. anything handmade in Ohio, a photographer, that Shabby Chic store, a hardware store, White Castles of course , replacement lights for building lights, secondhand furniture, futons, beads, directions, Chilhuly anything, Rainbow anything, handmade Italian furniture, a fifteen minute delicious meal, a place to hang out, hippos,any and every kind of music, how to get a hold of Tommy Thomson, where to find a Short North Gazette, knives, sushi, pasta, bologna sandwiches, a place to learn framing, breakfast at 7 am. olive oil, photography classes, an easel, that place that has the.... , Mona, the HOP
MEETINGS/EVENTS/DEADLINES
September 2: Gallery Hop, 6-10 pm or longer up and down High with CD101 broadcasting Live and In Person at Brian Boru's. Will you see Stinger? Also, Red Herring Theatre Company will celebrate its arrival in the Short North with An Open House Party from 6:00 to 11:00 pm at the newly christened Short North Playhouse at 736 North Pearl Street.
September 6: SNBA General Membership Meeting @ 9:30 am @ Union Station Video Cafe. TOPIC: Holiday Hop Low-Down
September 9 and 10: Tim McGraw & Faith Hill at the beautiful new Nationwide Arena. This is the kick-off show. Be prepared to greet and serve all the people that we hope will want to wine, dine, and shop while they're parked.
September 12: Italian Village Society, 7:30 pm at the Short Stop Teen Center.
September 14: Victorian Village Commis-sion Meeting, 6:00 pm at the Goodale Park Shelter House.
September 16: Paws in the Park, 6-10 pm, up and down High Street.
September 17: Victorian Village Tour of Homes & Gardens, 10 am - 6 pm.
September 19: Italian Village Commis-sion Meeting, 6:15 pm at 109 North Front Street.
September 20: Board of Trustees, 9:30 am at the SNBA Office, 120 West Goodale, 228-8050.
September 21: Victorian Village Society Meeting, 7:00 pm at the Goodale Park Shelter House.
September 29 - October 1: St. John's Italian Festival. Fri. 4 pm- 11 pm; Sat. Noon-11 pm; Sun. Noon - 8 pm. You've been there. You love it. Come again. For info, contact Margaret Panico at 846-9651.
September 30: 10th Annual ACME Art Auction @ RPA/Smith Bros Hardware.
October 4: SNBA General Membership Meeting @ 9:30 am @ Union Station Video Cafe.
October 5: Reality Theatre's season opener, Closer, at the Short North Playhouse, call 294-7541 for curtain times.
Parking Pointers
Enjoy comfortable, convenient parking in the Convention Center 200-space surface lot at Goodale Avenue East of High or the 900-space brand new parking garage on Vine Street West of High. Special Hop Flat Rate: $5! Or tune in to CD101 Saturday night for advice! Look for more and more parking garages to open up in the Arena District. Just a HOP, skip, and jump across 1-670 to the Arts District!
Transition Time
We moved! The Short North Business Association has at long last departed the address it's held for over seven years when, in February 1993, then executive director Cleve Ricksecker negotiated a generous lease with Doctors Hospital at 40 West Third Avenue. Very special thanks go to Lenny Zangardi and the staff of Strategic Mortgage, the current owner of 40 West Third, for their kind and generous offer of office space over the past ten months.
The SNBA office is now leasing space in the Goodale Park Residence House, managed by the Victorian Village Society in an agreement with the City of Columbus Department of Recreation and Parks. The Short North Special Improvement District (SID) office is also located in the Residence House. Both agencies are located on the second floor of the building. Please update your files accordingly. Than you for your patience and cooperation during this transition.
Please make note of our new contact information.
Short North Business Association, 120 West Goodale Street, 43215-2357, Telephone: (614) 228-8050, Fax: (614) 228-8035, E-Mail: snbacols@aol.com
August 2000 issueGoodale Park looked beautiful, pristine, green and clean on Monday, July 3. There is no way in the world anyone could have imagined the thousands of people that had converged there for music, art, community, fun, and naturally plenty of brew, just hours before. I don't usually travel to the SNBA basement office via Park Street, but made a point of taking this route to see for myself if the ComFest volunteers could possibly have kept their word of returning Goodale Park to its same glory (if not even better) than before the gargantuan set up began the Wednesday prior. They did it! No kidding. I was driving by at 8 am and not only did I not see a bit of debris that could have been linked to ComFest, I saw someone out there with a trash bag walking about the Park searching for trash. Her bag was darn near empty. Our beautiful park was beautiful.
I left the Fest the evening before after my shift announcing musical acts at the Poplar Street Stage (by the way thanks for all the support and assistance from the Orbit Design team and a hand from WCBE). The place was jamming, rocking, swinging, humming, grooving. And, somehow in the middle of the night it all went away. All the people, all the beer stands, the generators, the stages, the trash, all the left-behinds, all gone. Like magic. While I wasn't there for those final hours and can't shine a spotlight of thanks to all the people who bent over to pick up and clean up, I can acknowledge the efforts of Andy Klein who handled Neighborhood Relations, Candy Watkins who coordinated Street Fair (did you notice the wonderful Russell Street passage this year, so many people to thank for that effort), and Micki Pike who masterminded Volunteer Coordination. It was a huge weekend with Gallery Hop, the DooDah Parade, and Red White & Boom landing in the Short North district right on top of ComFest. Looks like everyone survived as well as the Park. Relax though. The next three year's ComFests have been booked in Goodale Park the weekend before Gallery Hop. If you'd like to communicate with anyone from ComFest, send an e.mail to me and I'll connect you. I know they all are interested in your feedback.
Street Sweep
Quick, grab a pencil and circle August 1 on the calendar. Sometime that day encourage every and anyone along High Street, merchants and residents alike, to a) move their cars and b) move any trash you can't pick up and dispose of appropriately to the street. August 2 is the second of only three street cleanings on High Street between Goodale and Fifth Avenue. After August 3, we should be able to boast that this one-mile strip is one of the very cleanest, most attractive, pedestrian worthy in the City. And, of course it is only getting better and better. Do your part and be ready for the street cleaners to do their work.
Wood Work
In addition to your efforts in bringing High Street to its glory, we can thank The Wood Companies for the many fresh coats of paint we've seen go up over the past month on their High Street properties. Loot simply gleams. All the merchants in the Carriage House sparkle. And, those urns beautifully planted with geraniums and petunias didn't just appear by magic. We can thank The Wood Companies for that too. Their wonderful, caring, generous signature can be spotted at Second Avenue too in front of the Lanning Gallery, Planet Pet, and Transforma-tions. Residents, visitors, merchants and Snappers clients can appreciate The Wood Companies efforts along Lincoln as they make their way to visit the perfectly lighted Mona on Pearl Street.
Cleanup Crusade
By now we trust many of you have noticed the dramatic difference in High Street from Goodale to King. Last month, I mentioned that Deb Rodenfels and Linda Lucks of Victorian Gate beat the clock by earning the first gardening callouses while cleaning up the "Welcome to the Short North" sign at Goodale and High. There were just hours ahead of the newest wave of improvements to hit High. Short North Special Improvement District Director Tim Wagner within a month assembled his staff of two bright orange tee-shirted "improvement specialist." You may have seen them and not known it. But you can meet them up close and personal at the August 2 General Membership Meeting. Tim hopes that in the next few months everyone will know Mary Miller and Steven Fox. Many of you might already know Mary, a brilliant ceramic artist whose most visible work (besides her recent petunia plantings along municipal parking lots these past weeks) is the public ceramic art at the Second Avenue School. We hope you'll come by the meeting on Wednesday. But, look for a profile on Mary in the next issue of the Gazette. Transformations' Mary Martineau has already signed on to take that task. With luck, I'll get her to profile Steven, who is a student of music (bass, cello, and mandolin at The OSU). When you see them out there working the streets, give them a thumbs up or a cup of coffee.
In addition to the enormous impact of the new SID staff, we have a member among us to thank profusely for putting his own elbow grease, time, talents and a bit of cash where it counts. Right up front. Mark Krausz, whose Russell Street business Falcon Paymaster is a continuing member of the Short North Business Association, decided his letter campaign to the City wasn't as effective as he'd hoped it would be in clearing rubbish and weeds from our municipal lots, alleyways, and the lost in-between parts of this urban landscape. So, he paid attention to what was appearing in the press and contacted Judge Richard Pfeiffer's Environmental Court. He got the attention of Chief Environmental Specialist Frank Gill and together, with the support of the Business Association, put together an aggressive, determined, specific, there-is-an-end-in-sight, bureaucracy-free "Envi-ronmental Court Littler Clean Up Program" to benefit all of us, including the participants from the court side.
In President Ray Brown's letter to SNBA members, he writes, "This program will provide us with people who have opted for community service to satisfy court-ordered punishment for environmental and other class III misdemeanors. They will be supervised with the objec-tive of systematically cleaning up litter, weeds, etc. on public and non-profit property in the entire Short North area. If Mark calls upon you with a request, we hope you will give him every courtesy in an effort to make this wonderful program a success." If you are interested in knowing more about this program, please contact me. I'm happy to put you in touch with Mark as well. With his efforts, the continuing work of the SID, and our own attentiveness to a clean, welcoming neighborhood, the Short North will certainly be a model for all other revitalized urban districts. In advance, thanks for everything Mark!
And thanks to Jeff Redfield and Stonewall Columbus for being the first to step up to plate in response to our request for a hand with the Litter Clean Up Program. He is offering the use of the Center for bathroom breaks and place to hang out if needed. We are looking for other businesses who can offer a glass of water or soda, maybe a pizza or plate of hot dogs from time to time. In addition, we hope to have a roster of businesses who will offer their dumpsters for a bag or two of trash. Call anytime and join in on the goodwill.
Playhouse Partners
Did you read in The Columbus Dispatch that Reality Theatre is partnering with Red Herring Theatre to produce a continuing schedule of plays in what will now be called The Mona Lisa Playhouse. For their schedule and volunteer information, contact Mollie Levin at info@realitytheatre.com.
Date Deadlines
The Columbus Dispatch runs a huge, wonderful reference to area fine and performance arts events. Kathy Fisher is the editor of "The Datebook" and she welcomes your submissions. Each and every week "The Datebook" is published in the Sunday Arts Ohio section and contributes to the Thursday Weekender. Kathy has a very critical deadline coming up and we hope many of you will be mindful of this opportunity to have your gallery opening, dance program, concert series, performance schedule listed in the Fall/Winter/Spring "New Season Guide." That deadline is August 14. You are asked to provide information via snail mail to Kathy at 35 South Third Street 43215, or Fax at 461-7571. If you just can't make that August 14 deadline, give her a call at 461-8891 and she may give you a brief extension.
And, once you've got that under control, you'll be set to get your event listed in the 2001 Spring/Summer Calendar of Events published by the State of Ohio Office of Travel & Tourism. That deadline is Friday, September 1. The 64-page, magazine-style publication will consist of events held from February 2001 - August 2001. You will need a User ID and Password in order to submit your event into the Division's database for inclusion in the 2001 Spring/Summer Calendar of Events. If you don't have a User ID and Password, contact Joy Doty at jdoty@odod.state.oh.us or fax a request (614-466-6744) including your name, phone/fax number, e-mail and a very brief description (a couple of sentences is fine) explaining how you fit into Ohio tourism. A record will be created for you and you will be sent your new User ID and Password along with the simple instructions for submitting your information. Let's get this information in circulation. The more we get the word out on all levels that this is THE arts district, the more people will hit High Street to support, buy, invest in our labors. If you have any questions about the event submission process, please contact Sandra Henderson at the Division at 466-8844. Remember, the deadline for event information to be included in the 2001 Spring/Summer Calendar of Events is Friday, September 1, 2000.
Tour Time
The Victorian Village Tour lives! There will be more details (like special events, tickets, prizes, etc.) in next month's Gazette, but we want to make sure you save the date! Sunday, September 17 from 10 am to 6 pm, lace up your walking shoes, pack up a bottle or two of H2O and hit the bricks and asphalt of the west side of our neighborhood. Ten houses have been selected. Most home are large Victorians, but you'll also explore a small cottage, an in-progress, and an ultra-modern plus their surrounding gardens in all their late summer glory. Last year Dooley & Company Realtors made sure tourists got around the site with added ease by providing a shuttle service. Stand by to learn more about that. But plan now to attend and factor in a break to shop the Short North shops and refresh yourself in our many cafes, restaurants, and pubs.
People Pleasers
Way to go Axis, Little Brother's, Union Station Video Cafe, Havana, Martini's, The Coffee Table, Goodale Park, Leaves Of Grass, Donatos, Haiku, Rigsby's, Curio-A-Gogo, and Short North Tavern! All are winners all the time, but specifically the last week of July (Vol 17, No 29) when they were named among the "Best of Columbus" in the Columbus Alive "Urban Village Guide 2000." Did you miss it? I'll lend you my file copy to read up on the great selection of Short North venues that scored big and, in some cases, more than once. Or, you can check out www.alivewired.com. Congratulations! Thanks to the readers for their votes and to Columbus Alive for the ink and the opportunity to spread the good news.
July Jugglers
Who were those jugglers getting all the attention and cheers in front of Victorian Gate during the July Gallery Hop!? Anyone know? We'd love to welcome them back. There's no finders fee, but we might mention your name if you can locate them.
Congratulations to DooDah Parade Chair Chick Deb Roberts on a lovely demonstration of Independence Day Pride on July 4. I could only witness the Parade from my perch in front of An Open Book, but reports are that darn near all of the parade route was lined with appreciative non-paraders. You regular readers of the Short North Gazette had the benefit of P. Maria Galloway's fun and funny story on the DooDah Parade. If you missed it last month, check out the archival copies of the paper on the Web site. It added so much to my appreciation of the annual event.
7 Buttles Sojourn
Once upon a short time ago, like less than a year, Paul Robinette took over 7 Buttles Avenue moments after Kris Worthington shuffled her watercolors and accoutrements for the home and garden to Joy Nesson's old gallery space on High. At first he said he was going to sell candles. Then, he decided to call his business a candle, coffee cup, and card shop. In the process of setting up shop, he decided to hang a few of his paintings on the wall. Business was doing very well with Paul busy pouring his own candle wax into perfectly simple medicine bottle-like brown and clear glass vessels (and the occasional vintage, flea market find bowl from his mom) with pure oils. He continued with a line of locally produced ceramic cups, candle holders, and complimented the store with his hand-made message cards. Paul decided then to change the name of the store to 7 Buttles, The Short North Candle Company.
Then, all of a sudden, his paintings started flying off the walls and into the hands of eager buyers. Paul decided to focus a bit more on his paintings, featuring them in the display windows right next to Curio-A-Gogo. They flew out even faster. Customers discovering his acrylic works were buying two and three at a time. Then, with the miniscule amount of free time he had, he decided to drag out his digital camera and take a few quick shots of flowers and porch stoops and perched the final product (unframed mind you) on the new baby grand piano he recently moved into the shop. Now they are flying out the window. So, will he be changing the name of 7 Buttles again? You'll have to ask him personally. I can't keep up. But, please take my advice and stop by his fascinating store and get a piece of his art before he decides to raise his affordable prices. He has asked to be considered a gallery now. What next? If you're lucky, you'll stop by during a lull and get him to play you one of his boogie woogies. Check out the daily menu posted under the awning.
Open Book Opens Wallet
An Open Book asked that I pass along the news about discounts! Yep, you don't have to jump in the car, spend time in traffic, and spend cash on gas to get a good deal on literature. Beginning just after Independence Day, the neighborhood bookstore began offering a 20% discount off publisher's list price on hardcover books and 10% discount on paperback books Every Single Day. No need to fret that you might not catch the "sale" on special "sale days." Every day. And, once finished with that tome, if you don't want to keep it to re-read and pass along to loved ones, you can sell it back 11 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday for their new used books section.
Want more information? Call 291-0080 or dial up their new Web site at www.anopenbook.com where you can access 2.4 million titles plus info on the free shipping for the month of August. Oh, and An Open Book has been nominated for the city's Best Bookstore on www.columbus.citysearch.com. The voting booths are open until September 13. Don't forget to vote! While you're there . . . nominate a whole bunch of other Short North businesses that you think deserve the praise!
SNAA
The Short North Arts Association was formed just a very few months ago in April 2000 in the pre-business hours at Studios On High. Judy Hoberg, Teda Theis, Todd Mauritz, Kris Worthington, and P. Maria Galloway got a ball rolling that has picked up some steam, we're happy to report. They talked and figured, and noodled, and brainstormed and came to the conclusion that it was certainly worth their time and effort to take a stab at evening hours in the Short North beyond the celebrated monthly Gallery Hops.
This seed group gathered together a growing group of Short North gallery owners and proprietors of arts-related businesses that shared a primary goal: to promote the arts in the Short North and the Short North as an arts district. Their first promotional campaign aimed to elevate awareness of the Short North arts scene within the community, statewide, regionally, and nationally and elected to keep late night hours on Thursday nights from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They have also been collaborating with the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus College of Art and Design, and the Wexner Center. We are nearing the end of that trial period and by next month at this time we might have some exciting news about a continuing Thursday efforts. So, stand by. And please encourage your friends, family, business associates, barber, insurance agent, doctor, cousin, fellow student, therapist to check out the Short North on Thursdays. Note the schedule below which takes us up to Labor Day. There just might be late night art life beyond Summer in the City. Thanks to the restaurants and retailers who have been so supportive of the work of the Short North Arts Association.
Congratulations to Pete and Chor Vitt on a very nice profile of their Lemongrass, An Asian Bistro in the July 20 issue of the Suburban News Publication. Not only did we learn a bit about Pete and his culinary background, we ended up with a recipe for Grill-baked Rainbow Trout. I kept that recipe, but don't cook, would much prefer to have Chor cook it up for me. But, if you're interested, give me a call. I'll pass it along.
In leafing through the August issue of The Ohio Magazine, I noticed a photo of our very own Howard Nusbaum in the "from the publisher" column. In the column, subtitled "Ohioans on Ohio," Nusbaum suggests that "understanding Ohio is much like the story of the three blind men who had hold of an elephant." I know you'll want to know how that plays out, so either ring up Howard at his office at 692 North High Street, Suite 212 in Carriage Place, where he is the director of the OHIO HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION. Or, pick up the issue at your favorite newsstand... in the Short North. You can reach Howard at 461.6462 for the rest of the story.
SOME MEETING DATES-TIMES
August 1: Street sweeping ALERT! Tomorrow, High Street from Goodale to Fifth Avenue will be swept. This is one of only three sweeps for this section of High Street. Next scheduled street sweep is not until November 1! Plus, 17th Annual National Night Out. First Step: Just decide to leave your porch lights on. When you see the glow of so many lights, you'll know that your neighbors, be they residential or commercial, are teaming together to make crime unwelcome. Thanks to all the merchants and property owners along the High Street corridor who have added architectural lighting. Second Step: Ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. Third Step: Call for more information on crime prevention. It won't cost you a thing, just your time. Your contact is Ted A. Oshodi, Crime Prevention Coordinator @.645-4956.
August 2: General Membership Meeting at 9:30 am at Union Station Video Cafe. TOPIC: Up Close and Personal with Joseph Recchie of Concorde Capital. Be among the very first to learn about the plans for the old Jeffrey Mining site and let the CEO know what you think about it. Also, Physical Improvements to the Short North have already begun. Meet the newest additions to the SID Staff. Meter parking in the side lot. Bring a guest. Coffee, juice and delicious pastries provided. And, The second of only three Street Cleanings in the Short North, High from Goodale to Fifth Avenue.
August 3: Summer in the City: Early evening gallery events until 9 pm every Thursday. Call Studios on High, 461-6487 for more info. Tonight: Events at Lanning Gallery, Mauritz Gallery, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, and Studios on High. TONIGHT: Dialogue fundraising event at select locations plus events at Rebecca Ibel Gallery with Genevieve Capitanio and Christopher Herren; Mauritz Gallery, "Summer Exhibition" with Damien Hirst, Garth Amundson, James Friedman, John Paul Caponigro, Kiki Smith, and Sheila M. Fagan; and Studios on High with Rachel Conner's fine jewelry and Sue Quelhorst's hand knit wearables.
August 5: Gallery Hop, 6 - 10 pm with CD101 broadcasting Live at Brian Boru's.
August 8: Italian Village Society Meeting at 7:30 pm at the Short Stop Teen Center, 1066 North High.
August 10: Summer in the City: TONIGHT: Events at Artistically Bent with Kris Worthington and Studios on High with Denise Romecki's sculpture.
August 10: Victorian Village Commission Meeting at 6:00 pm at the Goodale Park Shelter House, 120 West Goodale Street.
August 14: Dealine for The Columbus Dispatch Fall/Winter/Spring "New Season Guide" submissions. Provide your hard copy schedule to Kathy Fisher by mail, 35 South Third Street 43215, or by FAX, 461-7571. For more information, call Kathy at 461-8891.
August 17: Summer in the City. TONIGHT: Events at Studios on High with Carol Neff's watercolor paintings and Susan Bache's oil paintings.
August 17: Victorian Village Society Meeting at 7:00 pm at the Goodale Park Shelter House, 120 West Goodale Street. Plus the FirstLink Mixer at 6-8:30 pm at a place in the Short North yet to be determined. For information, call 221-6766. And, the COTA FastTrax meeting at 5:30-8:00 pm at the Methodist Church at 48 East North Broadway. This is your chance to get a word in edgewise about light rail in Columbus' near future. Be a part of the solution. Call SNBA member Jim Daley at 275-5823.
August 24: Summer in the City. TONIGHT: Events at Studios on High with Carol Hershey's polymer clay personality sculptures, 5 - 9 pm.
August 25: Roy G Biv Martini Party. Contact host Todd M. Rensi [tmrensi@excite.com] for more info. These fundraising events are always a blast and benefit the not-for-profit gallery.
August 31: Summer in the City. TONIGHT: Events at Studios on High with Carol Hershey's polymer clay personality sculptures and Katie Schmitt's tapestry weaving, 5 - 9 pm.
September 2: Gallery Hop, 6 - 10 pm up and down High with CD101 at Brian Boru's.
PARKING ADVICE
Pass it around! Enjoy comfortable, convenient parking in the Convention Center 200-space surface lot at Goodale Avenue East of High or the 900-space brand new parking garage on Vine Street West of High. SPECIAL HOP FLAT RATE: $5! Or tune in to CD101 Saturday night for advice!
SNBA MISSION STATEMENT
To support and promote its members and area businesses; to advocate the development and revitalization of this historic neighborhood; and to celebrate and encourage the diversity of the urban arts district
July 2000 issueAnother Shot at It. Maybe it was the computer, maybe it was AOL, or may-be it was operator failure, but my lead thoughts in the
June column didn't go as far as intended. So, I'm going to try again and hope you'll give me a second chance. Here goes:
Thursdays + comfortable shoes + sunset + maybe a friend or two + a little free time + some plastic in your pocket = a perfectly great time roaming the Short North Galleries during June, July, and August. Pass it around. Help get the word out to those folks who work all day and maybe don't prefer the crowds during Gallery Hop. Virtually every Short North gallery and arts-related business has come together over the past two months to form the Short North Arts Association. The organization's primary goal is to promote the arts in the Short North arts district. The Association plans a promotional campaign that will elevate awareness of the Short North arts scene within the community, statewide, regionally, and nationally.
Their first announcement includes a summer-long celebration with participating businesses extending regular hours every single Thursday evening until 9 pm beginning June 1 and running through August 31. Association spokesperson Judy Hoberg of Studios On High commented, "While the Gallery Hop continues to be very successful the first Saturday of each month, those interested specifically in what the Short North has to offer in terms of the arts can now plan a quiet summer evening with the galleries and restaurants." Special exhibitions, receptions, and related events, and a series of collaborative events with major local arts organizations and sponsors will be announced over the next few weeks. These new Thursday evening hours have been wished for by so many visitors, Columbus residents, and other Short North businesses who do observe evening hours. Now, on a Thursday, you can have dinner or cocktails and still enjoy a visit to any of the sixteen participating galleries. For more information, don't hesitate to call Judy or Teda Theis at Studios on High, 461-6487. Check out the end of this column for some special date announcements. There's more to come from this bunch of gallery owners who are determined to deliver the best arts experience to our unique mile-long arts district.
Gardeners' Gift
And, we've got the best in our midst. Deb Rosenfels and Linda Lucks &endash; God bless their hearts. In one minute the ladies can be dressed to nines and putting people in their place(s) at Victorian Gate, and the next, they are up to their a eyebrows with cedar mulch and thistles. When you zip past the Convention Center North into the Short North, try not to get whiplash as you check out their landscaping handiwork below the "Welcome to the Short North" sign. One very very hot Friday, they loaded up Linda's car with tools and mulch from Urban Gardener and headed to the site. In not much more
than two hours, they made a ragtag weed patch look very nicely groomed. They even found a couple of just-budding geraniums! Last I saw of them, they were heading into Union Station Video Cafe for refreshments. Come this Fall, we'll have the help of Christie and Ellen to get some perennials in that site. Till then, our groomed "Welcome" plot of ground is a blessing to all that pass by. There are more sites that need someone's tender touch. Want to get in on the fun? Call.
White Castle Waste
And, this is how I personally like them. Regular Castle with extra pickles and no other condiments or cheese messing up the classic works. Then, I condense/collapse the sweet little recyclable paper boxes that the square burgers come in and immediately put them somewhere to be ... RECYCLED! Natch. What is so hard about that? If you are not a recycler (first of all, tsk task) then put them in the right place which is the trash not the vestibule, streets, alleys, bushes, front stoops, and curb ways of the Short North. I've seen the blue and whites from Monkey's Retreat to Functional! What is that about? Are people tossing them out the window? Dropping them as they eat? Are they blowing that far? I would guess though that none of the readers of the Short North Gazette would be so disrespectful as to litter. Certainly, all are recyclers. Thanks always to The Coffee Table, where Angie recycles everything.
Grandy Andy
Anna Paolucci gave me the heads up that CD101 recently inducted AndyMan into the DooDah Hall of Shame. If that isn't enough of an honor for a man to carry, look for AndyMan greeting the masses as he cruises by the crowds as the Year 2000 Less Than Grand Marshall in the Doo Dah Parade! Give him a hand and while you're at it, shout out your love of everyone at CD101. They'll be doing double duty this Gallery Hop/ComFest weekend with broadcasts in the park and at their regular beat in the Brian Boru's patio.
COTA Counseling
Want to make a difference, hang out with a bunch of really in-touch transit folk and some normal neighborhood folk, have your opinion heard loud and clear, and have complementary refreshments? Join the efforts of the FAST TRAX Advisory Group. No dues. No committees. No hassle. No deadlines. Just show up, stand up and mouth off. Tell COTA where to go! Meetings: July 20, August 17, September 21, and October 19 &endash; all Thursdays from 5:30-8 pm at 48 East North Broadway. If you'd like more info, call Jim Daley at 275-5823. Yes, you can get us all rolling on the rail in Columbus within this decade.
Magazines Mentioned
Thanks very much to Edwin John Yang at Spotlight Magazine for a swell cover story this month. You can always pick up a copy of Spotlight at Union Station Video Cafe. Too bad if you missed the SNBA cover story featuring lovely Mona 'cause it is off the shelves already. The new issue is out already, in bright PINK celebrating Pride Holiday Weekend. Maybe you can find an archival copy around. If so, grab a few and hold one for me.
The June 2000 issue of Ohio Magazine mentioned our very own Phillip's & Sons Coney Island on their Hot Diggity Dog page. They tell us that we as a nation consume 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Each of us averages about 60 a year. How many of them consumed by you are cooked up at 747 North High?
Sunday Jazz Series
Coming from the Gazebo. Thanks very much to Ameritech and Doctors Hospital, the Short North Sunday Jazz Series starts cooking at 12 Noon. Here is the line-up. July 9: High Street Stompers playing Dixieland; July 16: Q.E.D. offering up Jazz Standards; July 30: The Rick Brunetto Big Band with Dwight Lenox playing Big Band and Swing Favorites; August 6: Hank Marr Sextet with Tom Carroll and Marie Walker doing Modern Jazz of the Fifties; August 13: Urban Jazz Coalition making sweet Smooth Jazz; and August 20: Drums of Steel with Derek DiCenzo with that wonderful Caribbean Steel Drum Combo. Need more information about this or any of the FREE summer programs, presented by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, call Mike Byrley at 645-7995, or check out Web site at www.musicintheair.org.
Printer Provides
Congratulations to Dave Ramirez at Insty Prints. His family got bigger by one this week. Ergo, Juli Rogers was wearing her fastest running shoes all the livelong day. Even though he could have had the whole week off to adjust to the new person at his house, we saw him working on Thursday. Glad to see the Insty jamming. I hope we can all cut them a little slack if our projects are maybe a half hour later than we expected. We really appreciate seeing the words "Short North" in print. Always. It is particularly nice to see the two words show up as proud locators for our businesses. Most recently, I noticed that Megan Swanson of Image Optical and Anita Leddy of Stephen Colitruglio included the Short North in their ads. Thanks Ladies. Now, let's encourage everyone else to jump on the wagon. In fact, for the first business to call Orbit Design requesting that their advertisement include the SNBA logo, there is a delightful gift waiting for them at An Open Book. Just prove it to Kaline Carter and he'll fulfill the promise.
Camera Contest
The Second Annual Columbus Alive Photo Contest is coming up. Thanks to Cord Camera for being the official sponsor. Check out the Alive for all the rules. A nice payoff comes in August when all entries will be on view at the Lanning Gallery Friday and Saturday, the 25 & 26. Winners will be announced during an exhibition reception from 7-9 on Friday. A selection of photos will be published in Alive's Fall Arts Guide on August 31. Categories: Black & White, Landscape/Wildlife, Portrait, Alternative Process, Documentary, and Humorous Shot. Don't dawdle. The Rockbottom Deadline is Monday, August 14 by 5pm. Call 221-2449 for more information.
Kaline Coughs Up Big Bucks
Tylar Bacome is the first celebrity winner in the new-release-news-group that Kaline Carter has going at An Open Book. His prize? $10 gift certificate! How did he do it? He was able to guess the right answer on a rap trivia question, something about Snoop Doggy Dog's "Doggystyle" from 1993. Want to get in on the guessing game and win prizes and the respect of your friends, sign up for the e.release.
Kleibacker Creation
Just a few more blessed hours are left in the brilliant exhibition at the Riffe Center "Reality and Interpretation: 20th Century Clothing and Illustration," curated by Charles Kleibacker. It is breathtaking. And, chances are if you show up on one of the few remaining Sundays, you'll get the chance to talk with Charles personally. He's been known to drop by and happily gives personal tours to anyone with a question or comment. I promise you, you'll regret it if you miss this one. Call 644-9624 for hours. The show closes at 4 pm Sunday, July 9. Hurry!
Baskets by Bonnie
Baskets by Bonnie has recently been expanding their selection of H2O Bath & Body products due to customer requests since the closing of the City Center H2O store at the beginning of the year. With each request, Bonnie Segel gets to try new products like mint shampoo, conditioner, body scrub and some of their skincare line. So, if you were a regular at H2O, look no further. Birthday coming up? Ask your friends to order up a whole basket of your favorites.
Can't Get Enough of the Funny ART CARS? Greg Phelps is more than happy to arrange a showing of the fun and funky vehicles just about anytime, just about anywhere. He welcomes your call at his work number, 898-7791, ext 567, to arrange an outing. On the schedule are appearances with the Short Stop Youth Center, Fort Hayes Career Center, Columbus College of Art & Design, ComFest, and, of course, a presence in the DooDah. The price is right. No price at all.
Firstlink Fete
FirstLink provides information, resources, services, and training to people in need and links volunteers to opportunities that serve their community. I attended a recent FirstLink happy hour event at new SNBA member, Club 504 a few weeks ago. Not only was I in search of some able-bodied, high-spirited, gregarious, fun-loving volunteers to help with Gallery Hops (Interested yourself? Just call me.), but was checking out the new Club as well. The last time I was there, it was packed to the rafters with developers, architects, commissioners, planners, and city officials getting the low-down on the new Danter Company study of Downtown housing. That night, there were passed hors 'd oeuvres. At the FirstLink fete, we were treated to huge, delicious burritos from Chipotle. I can't find my postcard that reports who is catering the next two open houses, but the dates are July 20 and August 17 (both Fast Trax nights in Clintonville). Call 221-6766 or dial up www.firstlink.org.
Handbill Hell
Never ever hesitate to contact your area Code Enforcement Officers. Both Sam Harachis and Vicky Hoffman have attended recent General Membership meetings and welcome your concerns and complaints. Most recently, we've all been hit very hard with excessive handbilling, specifically regarding someone's concern about the businesses at 848 North Pearl. As well, we see utility polls canvassed with flyers about concerts, nightclubs, and special events. Handbilling in the public right-of-way is against Columbus City Code. Sam and Vicky are here to help all of us prevent this activity. You can contact Sam at 645-5992 and Vicky at 645-2462. Just last week Vicky provided me with excerpts from the City's Zoning and Graphics Code along with a "Who to Call with Questions" chart. She wants to call to your attention to a Web site of Codes:
ordlink.com/codes/columbus/maintoc.htm
Take advantage of our supportive, knowledgeable, caring officers. Let them help us clean up our neighborhood. Like-wise, Officer Steve Smith and his crew of Short North Officers are always on hand if we need them. Contact Officer Smith at 645-1401. He is happy to stop by your store, gallery, office, home to discuss safety and security issues. And remember, if you are the victim of a crime, or see a crime, witness vandilism, or any suspicious behaviour, call 645-4545. The more we call, the more likely we'll get the police support we need to dissuade the criminals. And, again, remember to call Mary Funk in the Mayor's Action Center if you have anything you need passed on to the Mayor. Call 645-2489 or 645-6818.
Ohio Art League
Exhibition Entries
On the outside chance that people don't already know: The Call for Artists for Ohio Art League's Annual Fall Juried Exhibition is out. The prospectus is available and the drop-off time for two works (no size, media, or content restrictions) is July 21 and July 22 for jurying. Internationally renowned NY abstract painter and illustration artist David Reed is the juror. The exhibition is open to all Ohio Artists 18 years of age and older. Over $3,000 in awards is available including the prestigious Simson Purchase Award for the collection of the Columbus Museum of Art. For more information or to obtain a prospectus, call Linda Gall at the OAL, 299-8225 or e.mail oal@rrcol.com. This marvelous exhibition will be on display at the CMA, August 31 - October 15, 2000.
SOME MEETING DATES-TIMES
July 5: General Membership Meeting @ 9:30 am @ Union Station Video Cafe. Please note New Meeting Site. Meter parking in the lot on the South side of the building. Union Station, 630 North High Street, 228-3546. Bring a guest. Coffee and sweets provided. Bring a friend. You just never know what you might hear about, learn about, see, meet at a General Membership Meeting. Everyone is welcome to one free meeting, even if you aren't a member yet!
July 6: Summer in the City: Early evening gallery events until 9 pm every Thursday. Call Studios on High, 461-6487 for more info. Tonight: Events at Lanning Gallery, Mauritz Gallery, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, and Studios on High.
July 13: Summer in the City: Early evening gallery events until 9 pm every Thursday. Call Studios on High, 461-6487 for more info. Tonight: Events at Artistically Bent and Studios on High.
July 17: Deadline for August Gallery Hop listing submissions. Please call, FAX, or e.mail your information.
July 19: Board of Trustees Meeting @ 9:30 am @ SNBA Office
July 20: Summer in the City: Tonight: Events at Ohio Art League and Studios on High. Plus: FirstLink special event at Club 504, 6 - 8:30 pm. Spotlight on the Short North and Gallery Hops!
July 27: Summer in the City: Tonight: Events at Artistically Bent and Studios on High.
August 2: General Membership Meeting @ 9:30 am @ Union Station Video Cafe
August 3: Summer in the City: Tonight: Events at Mauritz Gallery, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, and Studios on High.
August 5: Gallery Hop: 6-10: pm up and down High with CD101 broadcasting Live and In Person at Brian Boru's.
Volker's Voice
Hello. Paul Volker here. Just wanted to let you know that the new and informative columbusart.community calendar is up and running full speed and now easier than ever to use. Simply type in your event and it will be posted within 24 hours! Also, if your Web site isn't one of the nearly 300 (soon to be 400 if I can keep the coffee going) Columbus area websites featured, there is no better time than now to add your URL at: www.columbusart.com. "Your Link To The Arts In Central Ohio."
Thanks to Paul for always running the Short North Gallery Hop Listings each and every month, and for including our Arts District logo!
PARKING ADVICE
Enjoy comfortable, convenient parking in the Convention Center 200-space surface lot at Goodale Avenue East of High or the 900-space brand new parking garage on Vine Street West of High. Special Hop Flat Rate $5! Or tune in to CD101 Saturday night for advice!
MISSION STATEMENT
To support and promote its members and area businesses; to advocate the development and revitalization of this historic neighborhood; and to celebrate and encourage the diversity of the urban arts district. All in the fabulous SHORT NORTH
June 2000 issueThursdays + comfortable shoes + sunset + maybe a friend or two + a little free time + some plastic in your pocket = a perfectly great time roaming the Short North Galleries during June, July, and August. Pass it around. Help get the word out to those folks who work all day and maybe don't prefer the crowds during Gallery Hop. Virtually every Short North gallery and arts related business has come together over the past two months to form the Short North Arts Association. The organization's primary goal is to promote the arts in the Short North arts district. The Association plans a promotional campaign that will elevate awareness of the Short North arts scene within the community, statewide, regionally, and nationally.
Their first announcement includes a summer-long celebration with participating businesses extending regular hours every single Thursday evening until 9 pm beginning June 1 and running through August 31. Association spokesperson Judy Hoberg of Studios On High commented, "While the Gallery Hop continues to be very successful the first Saturday of each month, those interested specifically in what the Short North has to offer in terms of the arts can now plan a quiet summer evening with the galleries and restaurants." Special exhibitions, receptions, and related events, and a series of collaborative events with major local arts organizations and sponsors will be announced over the next few weeks. These new Thursday evening hours have been wished for by so many visitors, Columbus residents, and other Short North businesses who do observe evening hours. Now, on a Thursday, you can have dinner or cocktails and still enjoy a visit to any of the sixteen participating galleries. For more information, don't hesitate to call Judy or Teda Theis at Studios on High, 461-6487. And, stand by for other efforts coming out of this bunch who are determined to deliver the best arts experience to our unique mile-long arts district.
MURAL MUST
Quick! Make a note to beat a path to Victorian Gate during the June Hop. Cram a buck or two in your pocket so you can cast your vote for the Excel Management building mural. Yup, because there were so many people who weren't able to squeeze into Norka Futon during their abbreviated store hours during the May Hop, the Powers That Be are giving you one more chance. Twelve entries will again be displayed for public consideration. After that, the comments are passed along to Curtis Jewell for his perusal. This is your opportunity to play a part in changing the view along High Street for everyone who shops, eats, drinks, lives, and Hops in the Short North, as well as every single COTA bus rider that cruises High Street. Any questions can be directed to Brian Higgins or Gavin Armstrong, your Victorian Village Society officers, at ShortNorthArt@aol.com or 470-2803.
GARDEN GRANT
Italian Village Community Garden is coming along beautifully this year, thanks in large part to a grant from the Columbus Compact and Urban Gardener which donated over $1,200 worth of fabulous perennials. The grant will provide for a massive installment of planting materials, including specialty lilac shrubs, drawf flowering almond trees, a Canadian Hemlock and a funky specimen tree called Henry Lauder's Walking Sticks. Enjoy it at 186 East Second Avenue. If you want to get involved, call Todd Spradlin at 299-1962 or e-mail him at toddercmh@earthlink.net.
WEB WALKING
Pia's got a website. Dial up: europiagourmet.com and take a stroll through her gourmet foods, wine, cigar, magazine, gift, good-times center. Now, so long as your computer is hooked up, you'll be able to check out Europia's hours, location &endash; and all the entertainment within a few miles of her store to boot! Pia is working with the gang at ColumbusCitySearch.com. You'll be hearing more and more about that operation as the summer moves along. Headquartered in the Brewery District, CitySearch.com is the leading on-line guide and publication in Columbus and 76 other cities across the US and abroad. General Manager Mike Stone and his staff work to provide user information on where to go and what to do in their city. They have the great benefit of having Tracy Zollinger Turner on staff who knows this city inside and out, with particular sensitivity to and knowledge of the local arts scene. Take a minute to jump on and check it out. You can start first with Pia's site and then see where the cursor and your appetite for information takes you. You can bet your bottom dollar that you'll feel well linked to the Short North surroundings and well beyond. And, while you're on the internet, dial up doodahparade.com. Then, get a pencil, your calendar and make a note to go right over to the Short North Tavern every single Wednesday until Independence Day. The disorganizers assemble about 6:30. DooDah Parade Chick Deb Roberts/Loutzenhiser apparently survived her kidney stone and her birthday just fine and is managing to corral Fidels and lawnmowers and whatever else finds its way to this, the first DooDah of the Century. Remember, the Parade is at noonish on July 4. Rain date: July 3.
FESTIVAL FALLOUT
Remember the mess of a weekend we endured as fallout from the Heritage Festival struck a path through the Short North? The SNBA office received a lot of phone calls. There were the "can't we stop this from happening again," to "what are you going to do about all the beer bottles" calls. And there were reports that businesses had to close early because the streets were simply locked up. Cars were going the wrong way down the only streets that were passable. And, here were stories reminding me of "if the van is a-rockin, don't come a-knockin." Thankfully the police were out in full force and there didn't seem to be any long-lasting, tangible damage. But the concerns needed to be voiced and the Mayor's Action Line was and still is listening.
That same week, I had several conversations with the patient, pleasant, and passionate Mary Funk who many of you might know as a resident of and officer for Harrison West who now sits at one of the busiest telephones in Columbus. She listened. She cared. And, she sent out city streetsweepers to do the best they could after a few days of wind took much of the High Street flotsam and jetsam into our surrounding neighborhoods. Then, she followed up with asking that city workers work through the debris trapped in the municipal parking lot bushes.
Certainly, litter is an on-going concern and we must all do our part. We must all bend over, pick up the bottle, even if it isn't ours, and toss it away. But, it is very refreshing to hear someone on the other end of the telephone line encouraging me to call again and to publish her number. Here is is: 645-2489. If you'd like to send your message electronically, that address is: mac@cmhmetro.net. And, if you like to do things the old-fashioned way, you can write Mayor Mike Coleman at City of Columbus, Office of the Mayor, 50 West Gay, Columbus 43215. The Mayor is listening. We can thank Mary for her part in getting our concerns straight to him on Heritage Festival or any civic concern.
GRUMPY GOURMET
The Grumpy Gourmet listed his Top 10 Fine Dining establishments in the May 4 issue of the Dispatch. Two of the ten were right here: L'Antibes and Rigsby's Cuisine Volatile. He went on to list his Top 10 Casual Dining haunts of which three were Short North addresses: R. J. Snappers, Strada World Cuisine, Tapatio, The Yard Club. And, he spotlighted Strada's Rosemary Chicken Pizza as a favorite! By now you've likely all heard that Snapper's Richard Stopper is negotiating with the Hampton Inn's folks to possibly operate their new restaurant. And, while enjoying a perfectly perfect lunch at Strada a few weeks ago with a group of concierge staffers from around and about the city, we heard from General Manager/ Partner Cheryl Roeheffer that Strada will be breaking out their west brick wall to expand their seating. I spent a few minutes before the salad was served to check out the art exhibition by Jason Janoski. A beautiful display in a beautiful restaurant that works hard to present an artful, tasteful, tasty experience to the savvy diner.
WINDOW WATCHING
Kimberly Lee-Minor will breathe some new life into Nancy Haitz's old digs at 658 North High Street. At a recent General Membership meeting, Kimberly told us she hopes to open her lifestyle boutique by July 1. Keep a lookout for the window to start taking shape. You can check in with her at klee8@columbus.rr.com. Store hours will be Tuesday thru Sunday.
TICKET TO TIPPER
Students and parents can get one for $100. Others have to shell out $160. But, the company, the meal, and the entertain-ment are so worth it. Bruce Dooley, Paul Cianelli, Jeff Jones, and Julia McDevitt have been working it to assure that the June 10th Human Rights Campaign Fundraiser is completely sold out. You too can have dinner with Bruce and his team as well as Al Franken and Tipper Gore at the Convention Center! Member-ship to HRC is included in the ticket. Call 800-494-TIXS or order online at Web site: boxofficetickets.com. If you read this and order before June 4, you can save some money.
CLUB CONNECTION
FirstLink's Connect Columbus organization, which tries to help young professionals find valuable ways to volunteer their time, have scheduled some groovy volunteer mixers this summer. Schedule for the third Thursday of June, July and August (you can attend before or after you've strolled the galleries which are open until 9 pm) at Club 504. Organi-zers are hoping they can get some interest from our Short North restaurants to add some zip to the mix. If you would like to attend or donate or in some way participate, contact Elizabeth Jewell, Director of Literary Programs at the Thurber House at 464-1032. I'm hoping we can harness some of the FirstLink power to maneuver crowds during our Gallery Hops and the Holiday Hop.
BARLEY'S BREWING
Make another must-do note on your calendars. Barley's Brewing Com-pany is having their Fifth Annual Homebrewers Festival on June 11 from 4-6 pm. Pat Bober tells me that between 150-200 entries come in from brewers near and far, but only a blessed and delicious few make it to the finalists. Astute, highly qualified judges will select one grand-prize winner. The winner gets to brew up a batch of beer at Barley's and have it served on tap for customers until it runs out - about ten barrels. While attendees don't get to taste every entry, there are plenty of sampling opportunities. And, in case you plan really far ahead, their Eighth Anni-versary party with free music is November 15. A high point of the Anniversary is the tapping of the Christmas Ale cooked up by Brewmaster Scott Francis. I'm hoping that a jug of holiday ale makes it way up the street during Holiday Hop. Call them at 228-2547 for details on just about anything relating to brews and fun.
ARTIST ASSEMBLAGE
I missed the very first Art Jam of the millennium, but there will be plenty more. In fact, there will be an Art Jam each and every first Saturday of the Month (just like Hops), at this point during summer months only. But, you can get the skinny on it directly from Mr. Paul Volker: columbusart.com/artscene/artjam.html. All you need is right there plus a little more.
What is an Art Jam? According to Paul, it is an event when many artists fill sidewalks, streetcorners, and vacant lots creating, displaying, and selling their works at the same time. It might include music, performance, and other activities. It is plain and simple, and the more folks who turn out to peddle their wares, the more people will show up to take a look and hopefully get in the good habit of buying regularly. Art Jam locations this year are on the East side of High between First and Second Avenues and between Fourth and Fifth Avenues.
ADVERTISING A-FRAMES
A year-old committee in the Columbus Building and Development Services office is getting back together to try to come up with some realistic solutions to the sidewalk advertising A-Frames. So many of our merchants use this practical and popular way to announce "we're open." And, we are seeing this convention used not only in the Short North but throughout the urban commercial areas of the city. Some are being cited. Some are being warned. Many are being ignored and overlooked. If you would like to voice your concerns about your manner of advertising, let me know.
ZONA CORAZON
Ramona Bletz has been very busy these days with Cinco de Mayo and now the Latino Festival. The Galeria is organizing a month-long exhibit this June at the Cultural Arts Center featuring Mexican masks used in the celebration of Danza la Tigre (Dance of the Tiger), Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) as well as Oaxacan woodcarvings, milagro art, and Huichol Indian ceremonial pieces. Stop by their colorful, fun gallery at 1198 North High or call 291-9453 (WILD) for more information on the Latino Festival.
PRIDE PLANS
This year, Stonewall is working quite closely with the Short North to make this stretch of High Street "the hub" for the Gay Pride festivities! Many of the business owners in the neighborhood have agreed to observe extended hours on Friday, June 23 for the Pride Shop Hop. The adver-tised hours are 5pm to 11pm. This event is considered the kick-off to a weekend filled with events all around town. Thousands of people come from very near and extremely far and raid the area for food, goodies, music, coffee, and fun!
On Saturday, June 24, the Pride Parade will kick off at 1 pm (lining up at noon) from the corner of Hubbard and High. Haiku is stocking up on bottled water for two bucks so participants and cheering sideline crowds can be refreshed. The parade route goes right down High Street through the Short North. Stonewall is expecting 20,000 marchers in this year's parade, from all over the midwest. Reminder: ComFest is not on the same weekend as Pride Holiday 2000, as it has been in the past. Following the parade, the Pride Festival will open at Bicentennial Park (with entrances at Town & Civic Center and Rich Street and Civic Center) from 2-7 pm. A suggested $5 donation will be collected at those entrances. On stage, will be Carol Burnett's daughter, Erin Hamilton, the voice behind "Dreamweaver," her 1999 club hit.
That evening, Axis will be taking over the entertainment circuit featuring Dancin' In The Streets where Jennifer Holiday will be performing. Doors open at 8 pm, with a $15 cover ($12 in advance) which can be purchased at Union Station, Torso, and Stonewall.
Keep your eyes open for Rainbow Bricks, a benefit for Stonewall, throughout the Short North. Participating businesses are selling the bricks for a one-dollar donation and will be posting them for hoppers to see! Help support your community and pick a few up!
An open house has been scheduled at Stonewall Community Center so people can stop by for a reception before they shop the Short North. Stonewall is located at 1160 N. High Street. A window
display competition for Gay Pride will be judged on Thursday, June 22, so make sure your storefront is registered with Stonewall to win fabulous prizes! We also are hoping for more volunteers to help out. Contact Stonewall via e-mail at stonewall@stonewall-columbus.org or call 299-7764. Ask to purchase a Pride 2000 T-shirt when you call!
¥ June 1: The first of three-month-long Summer in the City early evening gallery events. Until 9 pm every Thursday. Call Studios on High, 461-6487 for more
¥ June 3: Gallery Hop, 6-10 pm up and down High with CD101 broadcasting live and in-person at Brian Boru's. Take a second opportunity to vote for your favorite of 12 Mural Contest Submis-sions. Look for them at Victorian Gate right next to CD101! Info at 470-2803.
¥ June 7: General Membership @ 9:30 am @ An Open Book. "Everything you've ever wanted to ask about the High Street Arches and more" with Jeff Ungar, Functional Furnishings and SID Board Member; and Larry Brown, Italian Village resident and representative from the Short North Neighborhood Founda-tion. Plus the up-to-date information on Pride Holiday, ComFest, and DooDah! Coffee and sweets supplied.
¥ June 21: Short North Business Association Board of Trustees Meeting @ 9:30 am @ SNBA Office.
¥ June 23: Pride Shop Hop, 5-11 pm.
¥ June 24: Pride Parade, Step-off @ 1 pm @ haiku on Hubbard. Pride Festival in Bicentennial Park. Dancing in the Streets @ 8 pm @ AXIS.
¥ June 30-July 2: ComFest. Check the website. www.comfest.com for the most up-to-date information!
¥ July 1: Gallery Hop, 6-10 pm!
¥ July 4: DooDah Parade. Check the website: www.doodahparade.com.
¥ July 5: General Membership Meeting @ 9:30 am @ An Open Book.
May 2000 issueSpring is busting out all over the place. Evidence is everywhere. Trillions of daffodils return to trim Victorian Gate.
People are walking about the streets much later in the day, thanks to the extra daylight hours. Folks are flocking to outdoor seating at Frezno and haiku and people are jockeying for al fresco perches at The Coffee Table. Building is beginning between Starr and Third as the old American Business Equipment site begins its transformation from a forgotten building to a hub of excitement. Pansies are in the planters on Lincoln and on the racks at Urban Gardener. Joggers in fewer clothes are zipping up and down High. And hopefully we'll see more shopkeepers outside with broom and bags to collect all the trash left behind from the final snowfall. What fun - we still have another whole month before June starts busting out all over!
With better weather comes even more shoppers who stay longer. And, those shoppers are calling the SNBA office wondering why they see so much trash in such a great neighborhood. I'm stumped. North Market's Duncan Porter commented to me on a recent visit to the Market that she was extremely disappointed at the amount of trash she saw in the lot next to Union Station Video Cafe. Granted that is a city lot and the city should keep it clean, but if they don't, we can't just out of bull-headedness let it lie.
It won't go away. It will blow around. It will contaminate the entire community. So, we must grab the trash while we can and put it in its place. I can hope that by seeing the good example of those that do care about their property, more and more people will follow suit. To that end, seems to me we should salute and applaud those folks who, through the winter months, were observed shoving, salting, sweeping and caring about the community.
Next time you see them, please acknowledge and thank Pia Hiotis at Europia Gourmet Foods, Nancy Haitz at Cookware Sorcerer, Richard Distel at Benelava, Kris Worthington at Artistically Bent, Sherrie Riley and Tom Hawk at Riley Hawk Galleries, Patrick Meelick at Mac's Cafe, Todd Mauritz at The Mauritz Gallery, Mary Martineau at Transformations, Joan Schnee at On Paper, Michael Lindsey at An Open Book, and John Allen at Short North Tavern. Caring regulars also applaud Sandy Wood and his staff who see to it that once a month the curbs and sidewalks are swept and cleaned always in time for the Hops. Know of anyone else who is a good neighbor when it comes to keeping the place looking good? Call the SNBA office and we'll happily salute their efforts.
At our March General Membership meeting, Joe Stack from the Keep Columbus Beautiful program offered as many solutions as are needed to get a handle on unsightly trash. If you missed the meeting, I'd be happy to forward their material to you. Andy Klein didn't sit passively at the meeting. He offered the blood, sweat, and tears of the Italian Village Society to help. Anyone offering to "adopt an alley" in Italian
Village and keep it clear of rubbish gets not only the enormous satisfaction of having been a part of the solution and not of the problem, but in lieu of a plaque saluting their efforts have the chance to grab from the grab-bag of stuff some of our merchants tossed into the rewards coffer. Let's see, we have some delicious lunches at Union Station Video Cafe; a cut, wash, and style at Waldo's; a month's worth of USA Todays from An Open Book, a sensational candle from 7 Buttles, the Short North candle company, and a piece of cake from A Piece of Cake!
It is never too late to start a great habit. Start picking up bottles when you see them. Recycle if you can. Remember, if you don't want to add to the trash in the world, Angie Freeman of The Coffee Table is a recycler. I'll bet she'll accept an empty beer or juice bottle if it means getting it off the street. Saturday, April 1 (no foolin') in the midst of our Gallery Hop, is the Keep Columbus Beautiful Kickoff Day for the Great American Cleanup. By the time this issue of the Gazette breaks, we are hoping to have an alliance strongly in place with CD 101's Green Team. Be a part of this great effort. Be a part of getting the Short North cleaned up and keeping it clean and beautiful.
YOU ARE INVITED!
This won't cost you a penny. Nothing. In fact, there might be some Donatos or Pisa Pete's rewards along the way. Join the Holiday Hop committee! The Y2K Holiday Hop is only about 230 days away. And, by the looks of the still-in-the-development-stages Holiday Hop committee, this one will be a peach. It sure would be loads more fun if we had more fun and varied people involved.
Please know that you don't have to OWN a business or be the president of anything to be a significant part of this important fund and awareness raising event for the Short North. We are looking for the sales clerks from behind the counter. The administrative assistants on the second floors of service businesses. The wait staff at a
pub. The stylist at a salon. All are welcome; no one is excluded. Interested in just sitting in on a meeting? Call or e.mail the SNBA office and we'll tell you the next time and place. Last time the Holiday Hop brainstorm committee met, we were treated, and me really treated to the sights and sounds and tastes of haiku. Thanks so much to Paul Liu, Dan Reese and especially Scott Heimlich who not only hosted us but sat right there at the table, rolled up his sleeves and got involved with the planning.
HANGING WITH THE MAYOR!
You might want to get your roller skates out of storage for the April Hop so you can take in all the great things happening that day. From one end of the Short North to the other, there's something noteworthy. First off, mark your calendar for the 5 pm kickoff for the public art project being spearheaded by Victorian Village's Gavin Armstrong and Brian Higgins. Mayor Coleman and CD101 will join well-wishers and interested parties at 693 North High Street. The building, which houses Mac's Cafe and Excel Management Systems, Inc, is the newest canvas being offered up. This project is designed to breathe new life in the Central Ohio's premiere arts and entertainment district.
Interested parties will submit a conceptual rendering by April 22, 2000. All designs will be on display during the May Gallery Hop, and will be voted upon by the public. The top concepts will be presented to Curtis Jewel (the building owner, Excel President and SNBA Board member) and the Victorian Village Architectural Review Commission for approval. The winning artist and her/his design will be announced in late May. There are other buildings along High Street that are calling out for murals. Among them, properties owned by Ricky Day. So, get your ideas brewing, and take the opportunity to welcome our new Neighborhood-Friendly Mayor to this great area.
THANK YOU!
We've got to give a hand to our television anchor pals. On St. Patrick's Day, on my drive in to work, I heard Andrea Cambern on B97 chatting about living in and loving the Short North. On March 4, both Andrea on WBNS and Tylar Bacome on WCMH plugged the Hop almost to the point of embarrassment. And, it goes without saying that the gang at CD101 offer tons of encouragement to beat it on down to the arts district. Keep talking, folks. We love to meet and greet all your referrals. And, if you can still find a copy, the March issue of Ohio Magazine has, on page 5, a full page Greater Columbus Convention and Visi-tors Bureau image ad piece with a large photo of the Mona Lisa on the Reality Theatre building with the cut-line, "Show me the Mona!" I'll have a copy of it at the next General Membership meeting (May 3) if you'd like to see it.
MAN CANNOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE!
Nope, we need lots more. We need the arts, food, nature, and comedy and so much more. Good news for us regarding our diet. Bread and Circus Theatre Company is sharing the stage and make-up lights with Reality Theatre. Glass Menagerie will be performed May 18-27 in the signature Wood Companies building with the landmark Mona Lisa on her side. Opening night curtain is 7:30, with subsequent curtains at 8 pm. Seniors and Students can see the Tennessee Williams masterwork for only $10. General admission is $15. For more information, call them at 470-4895. Since 1998 Artistic Director David Hoehn and General Manager John Hutter operated the company out of the Buggyworks. Welcome them. How cozy can it be, within whistling distance of each other and a perfect array of eateries and drinkeries, we have Realty, Bread and Circus and 2Co's. No need to go anywhere else!
BRAVO!
You might never have seen a copy of Chain Store Age: The Newsmagazine for Retail Executives, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there is a copy of it at Benelava these days. Every year, the publication grants awards for outstanding retail design. In over 23 categories, awards were given for Retail Store of the Year Design Competition. Included: Specialty Foods where Caribou Coffee came in first and The Chippery of Vancouver came in second; Department Store where Macy's San Francisco came in first and La Maison Simons in Montreal came in second. And then, look! Single Unit category where The Cleveland Browns Store in Cleveland came in first and sharing second place with CAT Merchandise Centre in Peoria is our very own Benelava right here in Short North, Columbus OH. And, if that isn't nice enough, check out the Cash Wrap category where second to first-prize winner, Disney's Mouse Gear in Orlando is again &endash; Richard Distel's Benelava.
Congratulations to Richard for the recognition and the awards and to his staff for giving great service to each and every customer, for knowing their merchandise inside and out, for participating in the SNBA, and for being open seven days a week (M-SA 10-9; SU 12-6) so that they can give great service to so many
customers. I know Rick and his staff are hopeful that more and more retailers and gallery owners in the Short North will be able to extend their hours to serve our ever-growing public.
And, while we're patting people on the back, congratulations to Peter Avra-dopoulos of Short North Real Estate and board member of the Short North SID. Peter won the Victorian Village Commission Award for Outstanding Commercial Project for the work at 741 North High, the address for the distinguished Press Grille. Stop by, order some of those Billy Bob fries and give the folks your best.
HELP !
We're looking for a few good men and women who could volunteer a few hours on Hop nights. The chore is simple and could be tons of fun. Imagine it: standing along High Street between Goodale and Poplar with six or seven of your friends, decked in a Short North Volunteer t-shirt, and simply telling folks where they can park. The SNBA is happy to supply the shirts and the parking options. We just need the energized folks who aren't afraid to guide frustrated, traffic-bound potential Hoppers. Imagine how nice it would be if, when you were to drive smack dab into the heartbeat of Boston, someone greeted you and told you where to park so that you could enjoy yourself. That's what we want to do. Get the folks out of their cars and into the shops. Be a part of it!
OOOPS!
Ignore all those alerts I'd been sending forward that the May 2000 Hop was the 200th Gallery Hop. Wrong. Thanks to Maria Galloway at pm gallery, we now know with pretty good assurance that the 200th Hop will be May 2001. Whew. So, relax and give some thought to what you'd like to see in May of 2001 as a celebratory birthday party. While we can count on the likes of Maria and Nancy Haitz and John Allen to hold onto important historical information about the growth and development of the Short North, we desperately need someone to come forward to extract that information in a sensible way and get it recorded. Sure sounds like a great and exciting task. And, I'll bet when the Short North stories are written and illustrated with photos and paintings and drawings, that book will sell like hotcakes. Anyone interested?
NO EXCUSES
Joe Rotella, the Co-Chair of AIDSWalk 2000 Central Ohio leaves nothing to chance. He is determined to see 2,000 walkers raising $200,000 for Bernice Troy Homes, Camp Sunrise, Delaware County AIDS Task Force, FACES at Childrens Hospital, Licking County AIDS Task Force, the NAMES Project, Ohio AIDS Coalition, Pater Nos-ter House, Project Open Hand Columbus, and Union County AIDS Task Force.
We invited Joe to speak about the AIDSWalk during our March General Membership Meeting, initially just to give us information about when we should expect scores of compassionate, caring, loving, devoted, dedicated people to tromp through the Short North on their 4.5 mile walk from Bicentennial Park. We got more than just that hunk of information. We got an opportunity to get involved at darn near no expense or trouble to us. A great partnership is emerging, and I hope you will take the time to visit each and every gallery and business that is participating in this event.
Borrowing from Joe's press release, the Short North Gallery Hop on April 1, 2000 will begin a month of AIDS awareness leading up to AIDSWalk Central Ohio on Sunday, May 7. Dozens of shops and galleries will display panels from the NAMES Memorial Quilt, illustrating the enormity of the AIDS epidemic by showing the humanity behind the statistics. Each 3-by-6-foot memorial panel commemorates the life of someone who has died of AIDS and was sewn together by friends, lovers and family members. Volunteers from AIDSWalk Central Ohio will be at the Hop distributing temporary face tattoos of the AIDSWalk logo (red ribbon with sneakers) and pledge forms. Throughout April, pledge forms will be available in more than two dozen Short North shops and galleries.
Also new in 2000, an Awareness Festival precedes The Walk. From 11 am to 1:30 pm at Bicentennial Park, AIDS service organizations will staff an education tent to answer your questions about HIV/AIDS. Food vendors and entertainers will be available in the park, leading up to Opening Ceremonies at 1:30 pm and Step Off at 2 pm. If you aren't walking, consider showing up and cheering them on. And merchants, if you aren't normally open on Sunday, you might want to reconsider this one! Finally, if you are interested in participating in AIDSWalk 2000 by walking, forming a team of walkers, or volunteering, please visit the AIDSWalk Central Ohio Web site at http://www.aidswalkcentralohio.org or call for info at 614-447-5050.
SHAKE OUT YOUR WELCOME MAT!
The Ohio State University Transpor-tation and Parking Services is bringing loads of conventioneers to the Short North Monday, April 17. For more information, contact Doug Lape at 486-9598. Over 2000 registrations have been received for this three-day Big Ten and Midwestern Universities T+P Conference. Look to see more and more conventioneers walking the hop, skip and jump from the Convention Center to the Short North now that fair weather and longer days are here. Make them feel welcome, greet them with a smile, BE OPEN, and they will return and send their friends over and over again.
EXTRAS
You might think that Kaline Carter of An Open Book gets a little too much ink in this column, but gosh, he is calling and e.mailing with stuff he wants to share. More recently, he sent word that he is having a great response to his New Release Announcement Service. All new releases are put out on Tuesdays, bright and early. If you want to know what is hitting the shelves and listening stations in advance of your chance visit, just pass your e.mail address along.
There is new interest afoot about calming the traffic at Buttles and Park. A number of people have called the City office of Traffic, Engineering, and Parking to put their two cents in. If you have two or three cents to offer, give a call to William Knott at 645-6094. That office is looking at doing a survey of that intersection. They would like some input on what timeframes might be best surveyed. If you have something to offer, please do call.
Sparkspace is tossing an Open House during the April 1 Hop from 5-9 at 22 East Fourth, across the street from the Short North Post Office. Proprietor Mark Henson attended our March General
Membership Meeting and gave us a quick introduction. We might get to know his creative conference site up close and personal very soon. Mark has offered his space to the SNBA for a meeting here or there. You can access the company short of a visit, by dialing: www.sparkspace.com.
One of my long-time favorite artists has taken up studio digs in the Short North. The brilliant Michael McEwan is making magic with his pastels and oils at 1128-1130 North High Street above Eva and Melanie Mahaffey's Mary Cathe-rine's Antiques. He just had a show at the Keny Gallery in German Village and at the Schumacher