Columbus, Ohio USA
email Tom: publisher@shortnorth.com
Tom's Corner 2006
Commentary by publisher of Short North GazetteReturn to Homepage: www.shortnorth.com
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Short North Gazette publisher Tom Thomson (right) with the late Maynard E. "Jack" Sensenbrenner, Mayor of Columbus. His Honor the Mayor once said, "I guess what I'd like people to say about me later is, "Here was a guy who saw life and helped lift the level of the age he lived in. He didn't just eat, burp and go home."
APRIL 2006
The Sunshine Factor
There’s no denying we get a lot of cloudy weather here in Central Ohio. Sometimes it seems like all the clouds in the world have gathered here for a convention. Little wonder, then, that my spirits are lifted and I feel happier when the sun breaks through the clouds and changes a leaden gray day into one of shining gold. I call it the Sunshine Factor.Dis ‘n’ Data
Better than ever! That’s the Café Corner, recently purchased by Jon and Pete Nowak – both have been in and out of the restaurant business for years. The eatery, located at the corner of Pennsylvania and 3rd avenues in Harrison West, has the same cozy atmosphere as before, better menu than ever, including a hearty selection of sandwiches. Call 614-294-2233 (CAFE) and order one of their delicious box lunches. R.J. Snapper’s is being totally remodeled and should rank high on the city’s “must visit” attractions. They say this will be a huge change – even the bathrooms will be renovated. They’re opting for a clean, crisp, contemporary look with colorful artwork and a new sleek granite bar. A giant aquarium will be a beautiful addition with the existing aquarium moved to the mezzanine level – an aquarium on each floor. Opening is set for May 1. The Annual Spring Fair over at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in the Lausche Building is running this first weekend of April 1-2 from 10-6 on Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday. It’s a grand exhibition of designer crafts, prints, paintings, garden art and sculpture.Slangwich
Okay, give me the answers to these tired old sayings1 Old as the - 2 Loose as a - 3. Sly as a - 4. Bold as - 5. Good as - 6. Pretty as a - 7. Happy as a - 8. Light as a - 9. Poor as a - 10. Armed to the -
Do good, be happy, stay out of jail, and I’ll see you next month.
Quiz Answers
1. Hills 2. Goose 3. Fox 4. Brass 5. Gold 6. Picture 7. Lark 8. Feather 9. Church Mouse 10. Teeth
MARCH 2006
Name Game
My artist friend, the late Emerson Burkhart, had a neat little game he frequently played with friends and acquaintances. Sometimes, when I would meet him downtown for lunch, he would even get the bartender or waitress involved. He would look at these people with a big smile on his face and ask them the following question: “Of all the people who ever lived, which three would you have most wanted to know? He would tell them to take their time and think it over. Their answers made for a lot of enjoyable conversation. And, what better way to get to know someone?Dis ‘n’ Data
Starting in April, we will be welcoming aboard John Angelo, executive director of the Short North Business Association. He will be writing a monthly column for the Gazette. Personable Andrew DeLong is celebrating his 6th year as a server at the beautiful Lemongrass Asian Bistro, 641 N. High St. The slogan for this year’s DooDah Parade? No Intelligent Design Here!
Artist Craig Carlisle will be visiting Columbus for his 10th Solo exhibition at Sharon Weiss Gallery, 20 E. Lincoln St. The opening is Friday, March 31 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. His work will show there throughout April. One of Craig’s paintings will also be auctioned off in the Art For Life benefit on April 15. A preview, which includes one of his Big Head paintings, is scheduled for March 16 from 5 to 7 pm at the Columbus Museum of Art.
Slangwich
Okay, give me the answers to these tired old sayings
1 High as a - 2 Down in the - 3. Sharp as a - 4. Clean as a - 5. Fit as a - 6. Thin as a - 7. Fat as a - 8. Cold as - 9. Dumb as an - 10. Smart as a -Do good, be happy, stay out of jail, and I’ll see you next month.
Quiz Answers
1. Kite 2. Dumps 3. Tack 4. Whistle 5. Fiddle 6. Rail 7. Pig 8. Ice 9. Ox 10. WhipFEBRUARY 2006
Frequent Flyer
A couple months ago, a Cooper's Hawk, presumably one of the pair that next in Goodale Park, decided to visit the Short North. Joyfully, he zigzagged back and forth between Gallery V, Betty's, the Short North Tavern and Bank One, frequently flying head-first into their windows. Eventually, he knocked himself out, according to Bill McCrackin, and some kind-hearted souls took him to th ewildlife Center where he made a full recovery.
Dis 'n' Data
The recently opened Kathryn’s Gallery at the southeast corner of Russell and High is a joy to visit. It’s in the old Thomas Riley Glass Gallery location. Jewelry designer Karen Bader will be featured at Four Winds Furniture, 921 N. High, during the February Hop. There will also be a display of African beads. Later in the month, on Saturday, Feb. 25, Global Gallery, 682 N. High, is offering food and festivities, including a real live Alpaca on site, for those interested in learning about fair trade and what it can do for artisans in Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia, and Peru. Bruce Dooley was recently inducted as a Charter Member to the Columbus Board of Realtors, receiving the Lifetime Achieve-ment Award. The award was created last year to recognize members for their outstanding sales production and long-time commitment to the Board. Goodbye to Brian Boru’s Pub. Gone but not forgotten by its patrons. Every now and then I wonder how J. D. Salinger is getting along. He wrote The Catcher in the Rye, you know, and if I’m not mistaken, he is 87 years old. Hang in there, Jerry!
Presidential Clues
Okay, what I want are the last name of these U. S. Presidents
1 A floor wax 2. A car 3. A vacuum cleaner 4. Once a mountain 5. A local township 6. A western state 7. Another car 8. An apple 9. A football coach 10. A cat
Do good, be happy, stay out of jail, and I’ll see you next month.
Quiz Answers
1. Johnson 2. Lincoln 3. Hoover 4. McKinley 5. Clinton 6. Washington 7. Ford 8. Adams 9. Hayes 10. Garfield
JANUARY 2006
20th Anniversary
It hardly seems possible that the year 2006 marks the 20th anniversary of the Short North Gazette.
In the beginning it was a slick little magazine. A couple of years later the page size increased, and in the autumn of 1993 we went tabloid with 16 pages. It has been a great trip and I would like to thank all the many people who made it possible – and continue to make it possible through their support and enthusiasm.
Independently owned newspapers are rapidly becoming a thing of the past, as we’ve seen with the recent change in ownership at Columbus Alive.Dis ‘n’ Data
Don’t miss the clearance sale the first two weeks of January at Baskets by Bonnie, 721 N. High St. at the corner of Buttles. Bonnie Segel will be moving her store to Citygate Business Park near the Port Columbus airport at the end of the month. She opened her shop in the neighborhood over a decade ago – can you believe it! All kinds of neat and wonderful stuff will be up for grabs. After the move, her baskets and gift items can still be accessed through her Web site at www.basketsbybonnie.com.
Another business based in landlord Richard Bruggeman’s building there at Buttles and High has turned in the keys and closed up shop. Doug Fordyce and friends at Studio 16, 17 Buttles Ave., the former Curio-a-Go-Go location, quickly packed up their belongings and departed in December after an apparently unmanageable rent hike. You may recall the struggling artists co-op was previously located in Harrison West at 431 West Third Ave. until 2005.
Fordyce has worked tirelessly over the years to maintain the Studio 16 artists co-op, directing classes, shows, and eventually introducing retail merchandise. Even after a robbery in 2002 at the Harrison West location that resulted in a $10,000 loss of art and equipment (with no insurance), he persevered. Let’s hope he can pick up the pieces again and continue to support and nurture the art community with his talents as artist and teacher.
What a shame, 2Co’s Cabaret has reluctantly called it quits too and will no longer be in business at 790 N. High St. – or anywhere else – after their final production, The Best of 2Co’s and the Blues, which begins on Jan. 11 and ends Feb. 25. See the farewell article in this issue.
Shane Cartmill has left his desk as marketing specialist at the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery to serve as public information officer for the Ohio Fire Marshal’s office. We’ve enjoyed working with you, Shane - and all the best to you!
Good luck to Jeff Thompson who has moved on after 20 years at the Short North Tavern. And, good luck to Bryan Lowe, his replacement!
Studios on High is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Friday, Feb. 3 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.
Alexanders is the name decided on by the “Two Jewelers” at 689 N. High St.
I fell off the credit card wagon after a four month hiatus. Had to buy two new tires!Serious Studies
Okay, What I want are the academic or technical titles of the following studies: Enjoy!
1. Animals 2. Plants 3. Ancient man 4. Fossils 5. Plants and animals 6. Stars 7. Other heavenly bodies 8. Birds 9. Weather 10.Germs
Do good, be happy, stay out of jail, and I’ll see you next month.
Quiz Answers
1. Zoology 2. Botany 3. Anthropology 4. Paleontology 5. Biology 6. Astronomy 7. Pornography 8. Ornithology 9. Meteorology 10. Bacteriology
