Central Ohio

To some it is sprawl. To others it’s just “the suburbs.” In the Columbus Dispatch Sunday’s Outward urge article Central Ohio developers say today’s high gas prices are not going to keep the Columbus from expanding outward… or sprawling as some call it in the future. The neighborhoods of tomorrow [...]

Golfing is everywhere in Central Ohio. Some say there are more greens per capita in the Columbus area than in any other non resort community in the United States. Jack Nicklaus’ designed Muirfield Golf Club gains most of the attention as the location of the annual Memorial Tournament which is considered a near Major on the PGA Tour. If a giant golf course community is not your choice, there

What “bias” does the Central Ohio media have? … and more importantly how is the local media “evil” …?   I am asking just about TV and print publications… because a TV newsroom blog is what has made me wonder if people in Central Ohio believe local news is evil and /or biased.   From Twitter Ryan Squire [...]

Golfing is everywhere in Central Ohio. Some say there are more greens per capita in the Columbus area than in any other non resort community in the United States. Jack Nicklaus’ designed Muirfield Golf Club gains most of the attention as the location of the annual Memorial Tournament which is considered a near Major on the PGA Tour. If a giant golf course community is not your choice, there

When you hear the term Central Ohio, we’re talking about a 12 county region that, in 20 years, is expected to grow to about 2 million people—an increase of about 440,000 in the next dozen years.  Make no mistake, Franklin County and Columbus are at the heart of that 12 county Central Ohio Region, but [...]

 A Twit tweet from Cinci? Or Dayton? @DanielJohnsonjr lives in Cinci works in Dayton and may have been commuting this morning when he tweeted: Good morning, Cincinnati! Who’s taking off for Opening Day? Reds vs Diamondbacks 2 PM EDT In response to my question about the weather outlook for  southwest Ohio today @DanielJohnson tweeted: @MaureenMcCabe spotty showers this afternoon, high [...]

This is a Real Living eCard. Why is Easter so early in 2008? How is the date of Easter set? We started talking about it late last night. I know I have looked it up before but couldn’t explain it coming home from Easter vigil last night. It was midnight, I was tired, I know I [...]

Got cabin fever? Can hardly wait until warm weather and the spring season usher in the pleasure of growing a garden? Well, the time is just right for the Home and Garden show here in Central Ohio. The outside may be bleak , but once you walk through the doors of the Expo Center you are greeted with the blooms and fragrance of springtime. All sorts of exhibits are eye candy for D-I-Yourself homeowners and gardeners alike.The dates are Saturday, Feb. 24 through Sunday March 4, 2008 The place is Ohio Expo Center on the North side (17th Avenue) of the Ohio State Fairgrounds area. Tickets are $8/adults; $2/children. Advance tickets available @ National City Bank branches. Special days are Senior Day, Wednesday, February 27, with discount admission, special events and programs. Kids Day, Saturda

Central Ohio schools in the news…   Columbus Schools - “Novel idea or ’slap in face’? Plan to eliminate middle school gets mixed reception”   Powell - High School Project Spawns Internet Frenzy from WOSU Radio   Worthington Schools - “School officials puzzled by dip in state ranking”     “red is the lowest ranking a district can earn on the new “value-added” rating system reported by the Ohio Department of Education last week. Worthington was the only school district in Franklin County to be slapped with a red label. It says that the students in grades four through eight are, in general, not learning at the rate expected by the state.” Columbus Dispatch on the new Ohio Department of Education Ratings “School ratings get richer with new data”   Ohio Department of Education   Information about some Central Ohio schools:   Central Ohio Public Schools   Central

Central Ohio’s cornstalks are put to use to save money according to this article in Columbus Business First.  Franklin County Farmers are paid to leave the cornstalks in the field.  I wonder if  surrounding Central Ohio counties use a similar plan.  There have got to be a lot more cornstalks in other Central Ohio counties. If you notice corn stalks in the fields the farmers are being industrious by not clearing the fields.  The county is being “green” by not using as much salt and chemicals on the roads.  Hopefully the white will stay in the cornfields and not drift onto county roads.

I went on two nature hikes in the Metro Parks this weekend. Columbus Metro Park Hikes The first Friday I forgot to take a camera… it was a moonlight hike…in Sharon Woods Metro Park… how much picture taking could there have been? There were great shots of the full moon at Sharon Woods Metro Park on Friday evening. We saw a great horned owl too thanks to volunteers who knew what we were looking for. I saw it fly away… what a wing span. Would have made a great photo… oh well we did not bring a camera. We took the camera to a moonlight walk at Battelle Darby Park on Saturday evening… we were ready. In the ranger station prior to the hike we talked about what animals we could see, deer, flying squirrels, owls, coyotes. We looked at the taxidermied (stuffed… spell check is unsure about the spelling of the word I am grasping for animals who have had taxidermy done to ‘em) animals at the ranger station. The natuaralist said there

 If you relocate to Central Ohio where will you shop? Lots of choices, Kroger, Giant Eagle, Meijer, Costco (Only one in the Polaris Area, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart Super Centers. Healthier? More natural? Whole Foods Market on the northwest side (just east of Dublin.)  The map makes it look like two… only one, now. Sunflower Markets  three Central Ohio locations now,  Bethel Rd, in Dublin on Dublin Granville Rd. (161 ) or near campus Wild Oats in Upper Arlington Then there’s the North Market downtown, Weiland’s Market in Clintonville, The Clintonville Food Co-Op, Fresh Markets, Marcs, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, GFS… etc. etc. etc. Lots of choices. The photo is the Giant Eagle on W. Powell Rd. in Liberty Township, the site that was Big Bear Farms. Big Bear was the local Columbus grocery chain that went out of business.  The store pictured was built as a Big Bear store in the late 90’s.

Beggar’s night (trick or treat) is on Halloween this year… In the City of Columbus - Trick or Treat 2007 and many of the suburbs, Dublin, Powell, Westerville, Worthington. A couple of years ago the Columbus Dispatch said of the history of Beggar’s Night in Columbus: “Beggars Night, which could fall as many as four days before Halloween, was started in Columbus at least 90 years ago, originally because a Downtown community party was held on Oct. 31. But the party got too rowdy, according to newspaper accounts, and Columbus police halted it in 1954.” Channel 10 has a list of many Central Ohio Communities! Halloween in Central Ohio is not just for little kids! Although the website says “Boys and Ghouls” the website and the real live site are definitely not for young children… or mature adults who don’t enjoy gore. Dead Acres - Haunted Hoochie is scary. It is one of the top 10 haunted houses in the US. Terror Park at Co

I can’t help but notice as I drive around Columbus showing houses how much the color has really popped out the last couple day or so.  We’re going to Hocking Hills with some friends next weekend and I think it’ll be just barely past prime there so I’m excited and hoping the weather stays fair. Here is an update from the ODNR: COLUMBUS, OH – Fall Color is near peak in almost every part of the state this week, with maple and hickory trees adding their traditional reds and russets to the landscape, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). “The color change appeared to accelerate statewide last weekend,” said Casey Munchel, fall color specialist for the ODNR Division of Forestry. “Maples with their reds and oranges are really becoming noticeable – as are the russets and golds of hickories.” Munchel noted that color conditions north of Interstate 70 (across the state’s midsection) are generally near

The Outdoor Lighting Professionals of NiteLites of Columbus, will be on hand to demonstrate the latest products and techniques in architectural and landscape lighting at the Central Ohio Home and Garden Show.  All of their lighting systems are energy efficient and use only safe low voltage.  The show will be held February 24- March 4, [...]