(614) February | 2023

JACK MCLAUGHLIN Editor-In-Chief

Sit Down, We Should Talk

It's not you, Columbus. It's me.

I know you’ve probably noticed I’ve been distant lately, and I apologize for that. But you can’t deny that things are different now, and that we’ve grown apart.

Sometimes, I look at you, and I look at myself in the mirror, and I feel like I can’t even remember the people we were when we first started seeing each other.

I’m terrified of change as it is, and all of this is just too much for me. I love you, but I need to let you go. It’s time for me to find myself again, but this is something I have to do without you. I’ve already booked four hours of extreme dehydration yoga and two sensory deprivation sessions for this weekend.

What’s that? No, you can’t come with. Are you even listening to what I’m saying? I’m breaking up with you.

See, that’s another thing, you just don’t listen. I keep thinking about how you screwed up my last birthday by not getting me that rare and ultra-dangerous miniature clouded

leopard I wanted in order to start my private zoo, or those matching camo onesie pajamas I asked you for the year before. I don’t know how much clearer I could have been letting you know I wanted those.

But anyway. Listen. No matter what I said about wanting to freeze your body in carbonite like Han Solo in that one “Star Wars” movie when we were fighting last night, I really do care about you. Because of that, I have something I wanted to leave you with: Eight original breakup stories submitted anonymously from around Columbus. I know you, and I think you’ll enjoy them. I mean, who doesn’t love a good breakup story from time to time, and if you can learn something from them too, even better.

I’ve always been bad at goodbye, so I’m not exactly sure how to do this, but I wish you the best. You were a really great person, sometimes.

Until we meet again.

P.S. I want my Ken Burns DVDs back

PUBLISHER

Wayne T. Lewis

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Lindsay Press

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jack McLaughlin

COPY EDITOR

Sarah Sole

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jen Brown, Aaron Massey, Sarah Pfeifer, Jordan Posner

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jack McLaughlin, Melinda Green, Sarah Sole, John Clark, Molly Hammond

CREATIVE DESIGNERS

Bryce Patterson

Victoria Smith

Atlas Biro

VIDEO PRODUCER / EDITOR

Austin Black

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Justynne Pride

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Julia Attanasio

Natalie Mastrantonio

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Meggin Weimerskirch

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Mindy Wilhite

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Paul VanHorn

Anna Gerhard

BRAND MANAGER, 614 LAGER

Lizzy Saunders

EVENTS COORDINATOR

Lizzy Saunders

� STAFF PICKS

Our staff picks

Love is great, but this year, our February cover section is dedicated to breakups: messy ones, funny ones, and even breakups that helped Columbusites become who they are today. We asked our staff how they deal with a split. Here’s what they said.

For me it was always true crime documentaries and every flavor of Doritos.

— Jack McLaughlin, Editor-In-Chief

I suspect my next break up would be followed by a party....Paul-a-Palooza '24.

— Paul VanHorn, Account Executive

A bottle of wine and sad movies.

— Anna Gerhard, Account Executive

My last breakup was more than 23 years ago, so I'd say I'm disqualified.

— Meggin Weimerskirch, Advertising Director

Having my best friends over for cringy movies, wine, and a whole lot of venting.

— Atlas Biro, Creative Designer

Thank you, next!

— Justynne Pride, Marketing Director

This last time I ordered a DIY tooth gems kit on amazon and gave myself some. Usually I cope with some kind of bad drastic change like a tattoo or hair color.

—

Lizzy Saunders,

Brand Manager, (614) Beer

ON the WEB

Do you check your news and entertainment updates on 614now.com? You should. Every day we’re posting Columbus’s top news, entertainment, and sports stories from throughout Central Ohio. Check out all the Columbus news online, including the new ones below at 614now.com and suscribe to our daily email!

→ Popular OSU gameday bar spared from demolition, for now

The popular campus spot known for its sizable gameday gatherings, in addition to the nearby University Baptist Church of Columbus, were planned to be demolished to make way for a pair of mixed-used buildings from a Texas developer.

→ New hot dog concept comes to Italian Village food hall

Junkyard Dogs, the recently-opened eatery from Ed Bisconti of Borgata Pizza Cafe and QFM96 host Jerry Elliot, has taken over the Hatch kitchen in Budd Dairy Food Hall, a rotating space for vendors.

→ The Mom Prom is coming to Columbus

Grab your best 80s attire and get ready to breakdance the night away, because The Mom Prom is coming to Columbus. The event, a fundraiser for the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, invites guests to an 80s-themed dance party at Lower.com Field.

614 VIDEO

Did you know that (614) launched a YouTube channel with some very shareable video content? It’s true. Keep an eye out for more on our (614) Columbus account and on social media. In the meantime, check out the newest videos on our channel:

now playing...

• Tasting Columbus—NEW episode!

Have you checked out our TV show “Tasting Columbus?” Join food scientist Matt Teegarden as he eats his way through Columbus’ food scene. Make sure to tune in at tastingcolumbus.com or scan the QR code above.

By John Clark

Story Design by

He was one of Columbus’ most successful Black industrialists. He employed 500 to 600 people to produce a decorative, aluminum trim that became popular in homes across the country. And in 1943, when the government came calling, he served a vital role in America’s race to invent the atom bomb and end World War II. Yet, chances are you’ve never even heard his name.

Lyman Beecher Kilgore was born in 1888, in Hillsboro, Ohio, about 65 miles southwest of Columbus. Life was hard. His mother died when he was only six years old. When his father left for the West Coast shortly afterward, he and a brother were left behind to be raised by a grandmother who could do little more than feed and clothe them. But at school, his teachers saw Kilgore for the bright, young man he was. In high school, he was a whiz at geometry, solving complicated mathematical problems in his head.

Not long after he graduated, Kilgore married Mabel, a neighbor, and moved to Columbus. In the early 1930s, Kilgore found his calling as a linoleum craftsman – first as a contractor for various stores in town, and then with B & T Floor Covering at Front and Long Streets. Always alert, he began to notice that the company never seemed to have enough raw materials on hand, slowing its output and putting valuable contracts at risk.

Kilgore devised a plan. He used his savings to buy the needed items at wholesale, kept plenty of them on hand and then sold them to the company at a nice profit. Later, when B&T found itself on the edge of bankruptcy, Kilgore stepped in and quietly bought the company. He kept all of the factory’s officers, preferring, instead, to work behind the scenes.

Kilgore eventually transformed B & T Floor Covering into B & T Metals and moved it to 435 West Town Street, in Franklinton, eventually adding on to the point that the factory commanded almost an entire city block. Under his leadership, B&T Metals became not only one of Columbus’ largest manufacturers, but also a model for racial harmony. He built a cafeteria for his employees and invited workers from nearby firms – those whose owners claimed Black and White workers couldn’t get along – to have lunch together. →

The fascinating story of how one of the city’s most successful Black industrialists unwittingly aided the Manhattan Project

Bryce Patterson

And when World War II came, Kilgore displayed his dedication to his workers’ welfare by buying a large farm and giving them their own space to grow crops. This helped ease the burdens brought on by rationing and food shortages.

It was also during this period that Kilgore, unwittingly, used his trained workforce and specialized factory equipment to help America win the race to build the first atomic bomb. It was a contribution toward ending World War II whose details continued to emerge long after his death in 1948. For much of 1943, a select group of Kilgore’s employees worked for a top-secret government program that became known as the Manhattan Project.

Leaders of the Poject had the know-how, but they lacked the manufacturing expertise and equipment. So, they contracted with the DuPont Company to convert chunks of uranium metal taken from mines in the Belgian Congo into usable rods. DuPont, in turn, called on the Battelle Memorial Institute, here in Columbus, for help. Battelle had already been doing scientific work for the government, and they had the technical expertise to do the job. However, they lacked the necessary equipment.

DuPont began a furious search for machine shops in the Midwest that had the capability to turn uranium “billets” into precisely milled rods. Within a short time, they set their sights on a handful of factories, including B&T Metals, barely five miles from Battelle offices. Training began; and by March 1943, 12 specialists at B&T were stretching uranium in a corner of the factory’s second floor.

The men were sworn to secrecy. But it probably wasn’t necessary. They, and even factory owner Kilgore, had no idea what this strange material was, much less how it was likely to be used. Over the next six months, they processed an estimated 50 tons of the rare material, which was then delivered under armed guard to the Hanford nuclear production site in Washington State.

Coincidentally, as the men who worked with uranium went about their top-secret work, other B&T employees were fulfilling their duty to Uncle Sam by creating and plating all sorts of metal parts for the armed services, much like many factories across the country were doing.

The government provided no special safety precautions for the uranium workers at B&T. Due to their precision work with such tools as micrometers, they couldn’t even wear gloves; they handled the highly radioactive materials with their bare hands. They were given weekly physical exams; and once a month they saw four doctors in one day.

One former employee later recalled that during this time he received a visit at his North Side home by federal agents investigating the disappearance of two of the mysterious rods. Victor Sharp, who continued to work for B&T until he was in his late ‘70s, said the disappearance was later determined to be a clerical error.

The men were sworn to secrecy. But it probably wasn’t necessary. They, and even factory owner Kilgore, had no idea what this strange material was, much less how it was likely to be used.

↑ Franklinton mural showing B&T Metals workers

↓ Small surviving portion of B&T Metals sits vacant at 435 W. Town St.

Another, Cecil W. Campbell, later told reporters how the uranium would emit strange waves, like heat rising from a highway. And if two rods should roll together, he said, it might create a spark or even a small fire.

Finally, the uranium billets stopped coming and the armed guards left. Government workers came to perform a cursory clean-up at the factory, and the B&T workers went back to their usual jobs. It wasn’t until the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 did Kilgore and his employees begin to understand the outcome of their work.

Kilgore died in 1948. But even then, so little was actually known about his Manhattan Project work that in a detailed article about the Black entrepreneur and human rights supporter in The Ohio State News, there was no mention of that connection. Manufacturing at B&T Metals continued after the war, with the presidency of the company being handed down to a son-in-law and then a grandson, David Tolbert.

As for the cleanup, inspectors for the Department of Energy returned in 1989 and, finding low levels of contamination, ordered additional remediation, which finally occurred in 1996. Since then, the property – the soil and the parts that have not been demolished – has been declared safe for all usual activities.

By 2005, B&T Metals employed only four workers, performing specialty work like creating metal frames for chalkboards, and it soon closed. Of the portions that remain standing, one is the Chromedge Art studios at 289 West Walnut Street – named for B&T’s signature product. It was added to the B&S Metals factory in 1940. Another part of the old factory, 435 West Town Street, referred to by today’s owners as “the Hulk,” was built in 1945. It sits vacant, but is being eyed by the Franklinton Arts District as a potential music venue. The portion of the building where uranium was extruded is long gone.

Seventy-five years after Lyman Kilgore died, some have been working quietly to preserve his story and celebrate his accomplishments. Rita Fuller-Yates represents an organization called Columbus Black History. Rita told (614), “Lyman Kilgore was one of the reasons Black entrepreneurship thrived in Columbus.” And she said he was always trying to help others succeed. To make ends meet, she said, “many of the Black men of Columbus would work for B&T Metals part-time after working their city jobs during the day.” But, she noted, the Kilgores and the Tolberts were private people who didn’t like to shout their accomplishments.

Perhaps the time has come for wider recognition and appreciation of this humble, African-American entrepreneur and business owner who brought racial harmony to his little corner of Franklinton all those decades ago … and, of course, contributed to ending World War II. ♦

To read more stories like this, check out John Clark's book, "Columbus Uncovered"

Sweet The

ife

↓ Cotton Sugar Co. owner Sarah Dougherty

How cotton candy coaxed Stephanie Dougherty out of the corporate world and into a business of her own

By Sarah Sole / Photos by Jen Brown

Story Design by Atlas Biro

Though Stephanie Dougherty spent nearly 17 years in a corporate career, deep down, she always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur.

“I always wanted to own my own business,” she said. “I just always felt like there was something else out there that I could do.”

Dougherty dreamed of joining the event industry or working with children. Scrolling through her Instagram feed one day in 2021, she discovered a way that she could do both: A cotton candy cart.

“The minute I saw it, I was like ‘oh my gosh, that’s it,’” Dougherty said.

Started in May of 2021, Dougherty’s Cotton Sugar Co. candy cart has proved to be extremely popular–so much so that the Grandview Heights entrepreneur wants to build a staff to allow her to cater multiple events simultaneously.

Her very first summer found Dougherty booked solid via Instagram and word of mouth. After just a year, she was able to resign from her corporate job and focus on Cotton Sugar Co. full time. →

“It feels really freeing,” she said. Though the flexibility entrepreneurship affords is a definite benefit of her line of work, Dougherty’s favorite part of her job is creating her cotton candy flavors from scratch. Working out of 1400 Food Lab, she hand mixes extracts, oils, and sugars the day before each event. Her personal favorite is key lime. Customers love blue raspberry and birthday cake, among others. Hot cocoa and lemonade are seasonal favorites, while champagne is popular at weddings and wedding showers.

Dougherty also recently began offering Glitter Puffs for purchase on her website, dome containers that can be dropped into a beverage to change its color and make it sparkle. →

↓ Dougherty hand mixing cotton candy

"I hand mix the sugar myself fresh for each event..."

↓ Dougherty with finished product

Customers can choose from over 30 flavors of cotton candy, and the number of flavors they can offer to their guests varies upon the event’s duration: For a one-hour event, customers can choose two flavors of unlimited cotton candy.

While Dougherty occasionally can be found at farmers markets and other community events, hourly bookings make up about 90% of her business. She can be found at birthday parties, high school and preschool graduations. This year, she’ll be attending her very first quinceanera. Her cotton candy cart is popular with adults as well: Cotton Sugar Co. caters plenty of weddings, baby showers, house warming parties, and more.

“I even did a combo 50th/70th party for a daughter and father this year,” she said. “For in-person events I spin fresh cotton candy, and I hand mix the sugar myself fresh for each event. I’m up to over 30 flavors and counting now.”

Now that she’s no longer in the corporate world and invested in Cotton Sugar full-time, Dougherty wants to build on her business with more events at schools and corporations to fill her weekdays as well as her weekends. And that’s a sweet thing for Columbus.

“I’m really proud of what we accomplished,” she said. “I’ve just felt really, really supported by the people who have helped me.” ♦

To book the Cotton Sugar Co. mobile cart for your next event, go to cottonsugarco.com

Hungry for more? Scan the QR code below to see the companion video for this story.

Think of an upscale night out or a romantic night in, and you think of…bottled cocktails? No? Italian Village resident Shannon Keeran and XXI Martinis are out to change that, with an espresso martini that’s turning heads across the country.

This Columbus product’s story actually starts in Las Vegas. Keeran spends enough time at the Bellagio resort that he’s gotten to know the staff pretty well over the years. One night about six years ago, exhausted and jetlagged after a late flight, he walked into the resort’s Club Privé and asked the head bartender, Angelo Botley, for a “pick-me-up” drink. →

The unlikely story of how central Ohio became home to a west-coast inspired craft booze brand

↓ XXI Martinis Espresso, courtesy of XXI Martinis

By Melinda Green / Story Design by Victoria Smith

What Keeran expected was vodka and Red Bull, or something similar. What Botley handed him was something completely different: A decadent, beautifully caffeinated espresso martini.

Keeran was struck by the gesture. “It was so good. I told him that night, ‘We’re going to bottle this one day,’” he recalled. And he intended to make good on that promise.

But for the time being, he kept that idea on the back burner. Then…well, we all know what happened three years ago. (Hint: It involves a pandemic.) And we all know how most American adults responded to the stress and isolation of being stuck at home: By drinking.

“Nobody was going out. In-home consumption was up something like 600 percent,” Keeran said. “I own six other businesses. They were on cruise control and weren’t requiring a lot of my time right then.” He realized the time was right to jump.

He called Botley and said “I want to bottle your recipe.” And, on New Year’s Eve 2020, at the resort, the pair launched a new company, XXI Martinis.

Creating a quality prebatched drink isn’t as easy as it sounds. First, even a “perfect” recipe has to be perfected, and then, there’s an even bigger challenge: changing a handcrafted cocktail into something that can be mass-produced with no loss of quality. →

↓ XXI Martinis Chocolate, Photo by Jordan Posner

Martinis Chocolate Peppermint, courtesy of XXI Martinis

“Developing all that took us twelve months,” Keeran said. Advisors told them it would cost the same to create one flavor or five, so they went with four, including chocolate and chocolate peppermint—but the espresso martini remains the flagship, outselling the other flavors 4 to 1.

The team signed a contract to distill at Middle West Spirits in Columbus, and in March 2022, distribution began in Nevada and Ohio, with Kentucky, Georgia, and Massachusetts not far behind. “We launched where we had great connections,” Keeran said. “It’s our goal in 2023 to be in 30 states.”

Around here, that means you can find XXI Martinis in about 45 different locations, in a mix of onpremise and retail shops.

Other than being a bottled cocktail made locally, what makes this martini special? For one, the company uses all-natural ingredients, including premium espresso and premium vodka. Plus, you get that pick-me-up feeling that originally caught Keeran’s attention. “If you were to go to Starbucks and get a tall coffee, you get about 78 mg of caffeine. If you drink one of our 4 oz espresso martinis, you would get just about the same amount,” he said.

So if you’re in the mood for something luxurious, to beat the chill of winter or celebrate Valentine’s Day in style, and you think it means an investment of time, money, or effort, think again. This bottled cocktail might be the way to go, after all. ♦

To learn more, visit xximartinis.com

Ray Ray's

FOR DAYS

Chef James Anderson’s Columbus barbecue empire charts new territory with Ray Ray’s close-quarters Supper Club

↓ Courses plated at Ray Rays Hog Pit in Granville

By Molly Hammond

Last year, Ray Ray’s Meats + 3 in Granville was converted to a Ray Ray’s Hog Pit location. While fans of the brand may have initially been disappointed to lose the dine-in focused Meats + 3 concept for the more casual, carry-out centered Hog Pit, Ray Ray’s head chef and founder James Anderson—as is usually the case— had a plan.

Anderson, the former James Beard Award semifinalist, created a new Supper Club concept at the Granville restaurant, a recurring multi-course dinner event that brings a uniquely elevated experience to food lovers and libation enthusiasts alike.

With its new Supper Club concept, Ray Ray’s hosts weekly dinners that see Anderson and the Ray Ray’s team partner with any number of local culinary entities to create small bite plates and perfectlypaired drinks.

In its six-month history, the Club has cooked alongside the likes of Wario’s Stephan Madias, Dan Varga of the Hungarian Butcher, the Yellow Springsbased Moonshine distillery called TuckN-Reds Spirits & Wine, Columbus Brewing Co. and many more.

“People get really excited when they see we’ve partnered with their favorite brewery or bar. We were really trying to elevate the experience of people going out for a casual meal and drink while demystifying fine dining,” said Adam Fleischer, a Columbus libations expert who now serves as Ray Ray’s Beverage Director. “We wanted to create beautiful food and drinks while still implementing a sense of relaxation and informality.” →

Story Design by Atlas Biro

Photos by Sarah Pfeifer

The Supper Club experience consists of a meal featuring six courses, each one carefully measured out to ensure diners savor each bite. Additionally, every course is rounded out with a drink pairing—alcoholic or nonalcoholic—that has been collaboratively selected with the help of pairing experts. Fleischer, Anderson and the Ray Ray’s team spend months preparing and brainstorming the perfect drink pairings for each dish.

For Anderson, a heritage hog farmer at Anderson Farms in Granville, and the operator of a handful of different Ray Ray’s locations, the Supper Club allows him to share a kind of closeness and creativity with diners that isn’t always possible in the day-to-day.

"I wanted a way to connect to the guests past the full-service restaurant scene..."

↓ Supper Club patrons at the Chefs Table

↓ Courses being prepared ↑

↑ James Anderson (left) with Aric DeAngelis (Right)

“I wanted a way to connect to the guests past the full-service restaurant scene where it’s harder to connect with them,” Chef Anderson explained. “I wanted a place to be able to flex the culinary muscle that you can’t necessarily do through the barbecue business. I have the opportunity to create other dishes besides barbecue.”

To this end, Supper Club guests are allowed to sit at the so-called Chef’s Table, a long, communal seating area directly in front of Ray Ray’s open kitchen, where they can chat up with Anderson and the other chefs about the dishes as they’re being prepared.

And while Ray Ray’s Supper Club diners are likely to experience a range of unique, chef-driven bites and pairings that might recall Michelin-starred eateries or the fact that Anderson was a semifinalist for one of the largest awards in American dining, the man behind Ray Ray’s never forgets where he—or his love for cooking— comes from.

“My mother was a barbecue genius. She was an amazing cook and growing up, I would see her create these amazing dishes,” he said. “I always knew I wanted to do that too.” ♦

Columbus Blue Jackets center and Dublin native Sean Kurlay has returned to Ohio to lead his hometown team into a new era.

↑ Blue Jackets center Sean Kurlay

By Jack McLaughlin

Story Design by Atlas Biro

For Blue Jackets center Sean Kurlay, it was never a question of if he was going to play hockey, it was just a matter of where. With a pro career that started in Boston, this native son of Columbus has made his way back to the Arch City to play for his home team.

Kurlay, who was born in Lewiston, New York, but relocated to Dublin, Ohio at the age of two, has hockey in his blood.

“My parents are from Toronto, Canada, and my dad played [collegiately] for Miami of Ohio, so hockey was always big in our house,” he said. “I grew up on skates.”

And his immersion in the sport from a young age paid off. When Kurlay was 18, he was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round–the 133rd player overall–in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Unlike the NFL or NBA Draft, many NHL draft picks don’t immediately become part of the professional teams that selected them. And while Kurlay knew he had a lot to prove before becoming a pro, the selection still felt like a huge validation to the Columbus-area product.

“Getting drafted is by no means a guarantee that you’ve made it, but it was still important. For me it was that nudge that kept telling me, ‘Stick to this,’” Kurlay said.

After following his father’s footsteps and heading to Miami University, Kurlay played college hockey for four seasons, racking up a pair of NCHC Academic All-Conference Team accolades, in addition to being named NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year for the 2015-2016 season.

While at Miami, Kurlay’s rights were traded from San Jose to Boston, and after finishing school, he signed his first professional contract with the Bruins in 2016. After some minor league play, Kurlay skated onto NHL ice for the first time in November of 2016, when Boston traveled to Tampa Bay. →

Photos by Sarah Pfeifer

“That first time I stepped on the ice for an NHL game, that’s something I’ll remember,” he said.

In 2020, after four solid years with the Bruins, Kurlay had the chance to come home. And he took it, inking a deal with the Blue Jackets. Last year, his first season on the team, Kurlay scored a career-high 14 goals.

The team’s veteran center attributed his signing to a mixture of circumstance plus his desire to play for his hometown team. And it’s an opportunity he’s not taking for granted.

“It’s a cool thing to be able to play for my hometown team; It’s such a unique opportunity,” he said. “Since I was 16, I’ve been traveling for hockey, and it’s so nice to have the chance to be around family and friends again.”

Columbus, which first received an NHL hockey team in 1997 when Kurlay was four years old, is in a unique position as a sports city. While the team is newer than most NHL franchises, Kurlay said the fan support in central Ohio is just as adamant as others.

And as Columbus is primed for major growth over the next decade, the hometown product Kurlay hopes to lead the city’s growth on the ice.

“Columbus has come a long way as a hockey town, it’s exciting to see,” he said. “We’re a young team right now, but the support we have is pretty amazing, especially seeing a sold-out crowd on New Year’s Eve. It’s like the city and the team are growing together.” ♦

Keep

your head in the game with Sean Kurlay and the Blue Jackets at nhl.com/bluejackets

"That first time I stepped on the ice for an NHL game, that’s something I’ll remember"

↑ Kurlay and teamates ↓

Professionals Splash

Let's face it, when you need a professional, whether it's a doctor, a Real Estate agent, or some other service-related field, you want to know what services they offer, but you also want to know who they are and what they're about. (614) is going to help you with that!

Every quarter, we will feature some of Columbus' top professionals in this special advertising section that helps you learn not just what they do, but how they do it and what their story is. From social enterprises that work to better their communities to highly skilled medical professionals who can better your health, we've got the story behind the storefront—and we're excited for you to meet them. Columbus, meet The Professionals. →

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Aaron Massey

You no doubt want to be the boss of your big day, and having another boss in your corner—Boss Gal Beauty Bar—is one way to make that happen.

The popular and locally owned boutique beauty bars (Boss Gal now operates four locations after opening just four years ago), now offers multiple bridal package deals that contain extensive–and personalized– care that starts months in advance and leads all the way up to the day before your wedding.

The top of Boss Gal packages is The Fairtytale, which contains nine months’ worth of beauty work for you before your big day. This deluxe package includes 3 BBL laser facials, 50u of Wrinkle Relaxer, 3 Microneedling sessions, 4 Deluxe HydraFacials and a ZO Skin Health Peel slotted for the week before your wedding to truly unlock your natural beauty.

Other packages include The Boss Bride, which provides four months of services, and The Shotgun (get it?), which is best for parties with limited time (two months) before their big day. If you do happen to have leftover services after a package, you can just as easily bank them for another day as well.

According to Boss Gal owner and registered nurse Kathy Keeney, each bridal package shines for its ability to swap certain services and provide customized care over a longer duration.

“It’s really exciting when someone chooses us to be a part of their big day." We get to transform their skin, and we get to follow through with their care over a long period of time,” she said. “It doesn't matter which package, everyone is really excited at the end.”

And while Boss Gal’s packages are ideal beauty regimens for brides-to-be, you don’t have to be walking down the aisle anytime soon to purchase one: They’re available to anyone, and the Boss Gal team will work with you to get you the best long-term care possible.

Boss Gal Beauty Bar is offering comprehensive, medical-grade beauty treatments geared toward your big day

The treatment Boss Gal customers receive isn’t just personalized either: It’s medical quality

“We’re not your typical spa, we’re medical,” Keeney said. “ These packages include medical services, like microneedling that’s performed by nurses.”

In fact, Keeney also serves as a national trainer for Allergan Medical Institute, for which she travels to practices across the country to teach medical providers how to skillfully and safely use cosmetic injectables. Boss Gal is also number one HydraFacial provider in Ohio and a top-ten retailer of ZO Skin Health in the country, meaning you’re quite literally in the best hands possible for many treatments at Boss Gal Beauty Bar.

In addition to top-quality products and professionals, Boss Gal also provides a uniquely social salon experience, one that’s lively and perfect for a larger group like a wedding party.

Brides-to-be and others who are interested can get started by booking a wedding consultation with one of Boss Gal’s senior skin bosses, in order to determine which package is best-suited for them.

Multiple Locations

For more information about Boss Gal Beauty Bar and to schedule your anti-aging services, visit bossgalbeautybar.com, follow them on Instagram @BossGalBeautyBar, or send an email to booking@bossgalbeautybar.com.

Reshaping the Industry

Dr. Brian K. Dorner and his team at Dorner Plastic Surgery have taken the steps to make aesthetic medicine more widely accessible to central Ohio patients.

Recently, Dorner Plastic Surgery officially launched its new Better Breast Center, a program that allows those seeking breast implants to opt for a group educational seminar, in order to save a significant amount on their procedures.

we’re not hiding that,” Dr. Dorner said, “It allows us to improve efficiency to offer the best deal in town for breast augmentation, making it a win-win.”

Better Breast Center patients can schedule procedures starting at $4,999, with financing options as low as $120 per month for qualified patients.

Clients will participate in one of Dorner Plastic Surgery’s recurring seminars that will educate patients with explanations of various enhancement methods and more.

The approximately hour-long seminar will be followed by a physical examination to ensure patients are suitable candidates for their choice of procedure. Patients will then be able to book a surgery date, and will receive an additional consultation two weeks before their surgery to determine the implant size they desire.

According to Dr. Dorner, throughout the process, a focus will remain on allowing patients to personalize their surgeries in order to optimize results, something the Dublin surgery center holds as a core value.

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Sarah Pfeifer

“We’re helping to make it more affordable for our patients by being part of a group consult, and

“We find that a lot of surgeons try to push their favorite operations on people, but we want to give patients all of their options,” he said.

Dorner Plastic Surgery’s innovative approach to breast augmentation makes the procedure much more affordable, and just as personalized

Dr. Dorner, who has operated his own practice since 2004, draws inspiration from both his father, who was a plastic surgeon, and his mother, an artist. Believing that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits all approach to breast augmentation, technical skill and operating room-experience is carefully balanced with a holistic, artistic approach that considers the patient’s needs first.

“In plastic surgery, the body is essentially a canvas. You have to understand where things start and how the patient wants them to end up. My work is the process of getting there,” Dr. Dorner said.

Patients can opt for a more natural look with teardrop implants, or a fuller breast with round implants; they can also select between under the muscle and over the muscles procedures, and more.

Regardless of which direction patients chose, all procedures at Dorner Plastic Surgery will be performed by Dr. Dorner himself. Unlike many other surgery centers that provide consultations onsite before sending patients to a separate facility for their surgeries, all Dorner procedures are performed at the practice’s in-house surgery center. This not only creates an easier and more convenient patient experience, it also allows Dr. Dorner and staff to oversee every step in the process themselves.

While Dorner Plastic Surgery is making breast augmentation more affordable, a wide variety of other aesthetic medicine treatments are also offered.

With non-invasive options becoming more popular in recent years, Dorner offers everything from restorative laser work on the skin that promotes new collagen growth, Emsculpt NEO treatments that are able to target problem areas of fat across the body (Dr. Dorner notes the process yields results similar to performing 24,000 sit-ups in a single 30-minute session), a wide variety of fillers, hair restoration, hair removal, and even a highly effective, non-invasive treatment that typically eliminates underarm sweat in just a single session.

These come in addition to Dorner Plastic Surgery’s range of full cosmetic procedures. In addition to breast implants, buttocks, arm and leg implants are offered, in addition to tummy tucks, and even an innovative rib-removal procedure performed by Dr. Dorner. This procedure, which reduces the size of the waistline for a slimmer figure, sees patients travel across the globe to receive it.

To learn more information on Dorner Plastic Surgery’s Better Breast Center, visit www.betterbreastatdps.com; for more information about all of their offerings, visit dornerplasticsurgery.com.

Counting on Cannabis

While it took Dr. David Whitt more than 20 years into an accomplished internal medicine career to take a serious look at the benefits of CBD, once he finally did, it didn’t take long at all for him to be all-in.

Through Dr. Whitt’s research, he learned that the human body has specialized receptors for cannabis compounds, and it even produces its own cannabinoids that play an important role in a variety of functions.

Dr. Whitt eventually tried CBD first himself, alongside a small group of friends and family. The results, he noted, spoke for themselves.

“It worked really well for all of us,” he said.

Today, to make sure patients can receive the same CBD benefits Dr. Whitt experienced first-hand, he oversees the creation of a specialized line of CBD sold through DIley Medical Group. Formulated for use among the general public, Dr. Whitt’s Premium CBD is used by patients to treat everything from anxiety, sleep and depression to chronic pain and skin conditions.

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Sarah Pfeifer

“Prior to marijuana becoming medicinally legal in 2016, I really didn't know much about cannabis. It’s not something you learn about in medical school,” Dr. Whitt said. “At that point I started checking in with my patients, and I quickly came to see that it has a lot of medical properties.”

Not all brands are created equal, however. According to Dr. Whitt’s experiences, as most CBD is not federally regulated, the quality of less-reputable brands can vary greatly.

“Back in 2016, I knew people who were buying CBD from their gas station, or even tanning salons. Who knows what’s in those bottles,” he said. “We’ve met people making it in their garage.”

The story of Dr. Whitt’s Premium CBD, the physician-created brand helping patients in central Ohio and beyond

All of Dr. Whitt’s Premium CBD starts with Kentucky-grown hemp that’s processed at an FDAregistered facility (also in Kentucky), one Dr. Whitt visits multiple times a year. Not only is the product overseen by the doctor himself, each batch is also tested by a third party laboratory to ensure quality and transparency.

Don’t take our word for it, though: The U.S. Hemp Authority has awarded Dr. Whitt’s Premium CBD with its Certification Seal, a distinction reserved for an exclusive group of companies.

For those who prefer medical marijuana, Diley has what you need to get started as a new patient, and as someone continuing their care. The Columbus-based company offers multiple options to help you get the treatment you need. Patients can opt for in-person or telehealth visits, where 25 different conditions –including chronic pain, PTSD and more–can qualify them for medical marijuana in Ohio.

For first-time patients who qualify, a new medical marijuana card will cost $200, in addition to an annual $50 fee that’s paid to the state of Ohio. For patients renewing their cards, an appointment with Diley will cost $150, in addition to the annual $50 state fee. In both cases, veterans can also receive a 25 percent discount.

And whether it's internal medicine, medical marijuana, or CBD, with Diley Medical Group you’re not just getting a product or service, you’re also receiving a network of help, meaning patients can direct questions to a live human being, not the back of a bottle.

“CBD is different for everyone, and different people might need different amounts,” Dr. Whitt said. “Instead of following a set of instructions from a bottle when you want advice, we give you someone to talk to.”

www.drwhittscbd.com

You can order Dr. Whitt’s Premium CBD at www.drwhittscbd. com. Orders typically ship the day after an order is placed, and are sent from central Ohio.

AA collection of anonymouslysubmitted breakup stories from around Columbus

Whether it leaves us huddled around a pint of ice cream by the TV, or imbibing in anonymous dive bars until the early hours of the morning, we all deal with breakups differently. And while in the moment just about all of them feel terrible, looking back, in a whole lot of cases, we can’t help but laugh.

That’s what our cover section this month is here for: Highlighting the triumph and humor in the (oftentimes hilarious) breakup stories submitted anonymously by (614) readers; Finding good and finding laughter in the types of stories most of us, whether we like to admit it or not, have in our back pockets.

While we’re not trying to say every breakup is funny, it’s never a bad thing to be able to laugh at yourself. Plus, this way we can see our past splits not as the terrible endings we sometimes consider them, but instead a passageway into the next phase of our life.

Thank you, next!

Story Design by Bryce Patterson

Because there’s nothing like some good, old-fashioned middle school dating drama, here’s a terrible story from my 12th birthday party.

A bit before I turned the big onetwo, I started dating a boy in my grade at school. In this context, “dating” might be a generous term, but you get it.

My family began planning a backyard birthday party for all of my friends, and I of course made sure my boyfriend was invited.

To be honest, I’ve blocked out a chunk of this day for reasons that will soon become apparent, but I do remember him breaking up with me, on my parents’ back deck, and in front of all my family and friends. Happy birthday!

Afterwards, since he lived in the same neighborhood as I did, he just casually walked through our yard and headed back to his house. I think my friends chased him, at least. ♦

Iwas really nervous to break up with this person. We had only been dating a few months and they were SUPER into me. I really, really cared about them and really wanted to be friends, I just didn’t want to be in a romantic relationship.

I spent several days working up the courage and running through ideas with some friends. This person and I decided to meet to go on a walk (something that we would regularly do together). We ended up walking down a set of railroad tracks to find this back entrance to a cemetery.

Because the cemetery had just cleaned its gravesites, there was a truly MASSIVE—like, bigger than an elephant—pile of fake flowers that we wanted to look at. I wasn’t even thinking of where we were at, and I just blurted out that I wanted to transition our romantic relationship into a friendship at the exact moment that he was bending down to pick up a bunch of the fake flowers to give to me. We both just kind of wide-eyed looked at each other for a while then moved out of the cemetery. Eventually, we had a longer talk and things ended well, though. ♦

So I got my first boyfriend when I was 23. I really thought he was the one because we had so much in common, but also unique differences that I thought complemented each other. Things were going absolutely fine and there was no indication that he wasn't interested.

One night, we were watching "Stranger Things" and I thought it was a very sweet, romantic evening.

Until then he looked over at me and said he wanted to break up.

When I asked why, his answer was:

"Well...umm...well....you like Mr. Bean." That was it. That was all he said.

I left and SOBBED in my car while calling my brother to cry to him. It took me a few months to get over him, but I look back on that now and die laughing that I was so hung up on a guy whose reason for not being interested in me was all because of Mr. Bean. ♦

ROUND IS ON ME

T his (L iterally)

I’ll start this by saying that, especially at parties, I’m a little bit loud, and very outgoing. For a few years, I had been dating someone who in most cases, was the exact opposite: reserved, and not super talkative without good reason.

A lot of times this type of relationship works through balance, with both sides bringing complimentary values and ideas to the table. And for a while, ours did. But slowly, as we realized we wanted different things at that time, those traits opposite our own became grating instead of endearing.

Fast forward to when things were

really on the rocks–and the relationship was pretty clearly headed for its end–to a Fourth of July party at my parents’ house. My parents would throw this event nearly every year, and between 40-50 people would show up: friends, family, neighbors.

We had been drinking a little bit, and for one reason or another I started dancing and singing. It was a little obnoxious, but it seemed like most people thought it was funny.

My girlfriend at the time did not.

While my uncle was recording a video of the party on his phone, she walked up to me with a full solo cup of beer and, without saying a word, dumped it over my head. And then she walked away.

That was formally the end of our relationship, but the awkwardness doesn’t end there. Since we made the more than 12-hour car ride to the party together, we had the distinct pleasure of making the same drive back, just broken up this time around. ♦

We had been drinking a little bit, and for one reason or another I started dancing and singing. It was a little obnoxious, but it seemed like most people thought it was

Back in the early 1990s, I met a man in Germany as a pen pal, and we became attracted to each other after writing back and forth a few times,

In the summer of 1992, we met for the first time, and the following Christmas I flew to Germany where the relationship officially began. I went home, packed everything I had and permanently moved to Germany in February of 1993. In March of 1993, we got married in Esbjerg, Denmark, and our son came in October of the same year.

Fast forward 20 years, my husband was forced to retire early due to medical reasons, which meant I took a part-time job while he stayed at home and played on his computer all day. At the time I was going through menopause and wasn’t fittest.

Then, a few days after returning to Germany from a trip we took to America in 2013, he told me that he wanted a divorce, and that he had met a woman over the internet in the Philippeans. He left me a few weeks later for the Philippeans to meet this woman, and filed for divorce on his way.

By the next fall, our divorce had gone through, and I returned to the United States. He, on the other hand, broke up with the Filipino woman he had met, who was his fiance at the time. He has now completely moved to the Philippines and has broken up with his third engaged girlfriend.

I am doing great in the US by myself and family, and have lots of contact with our two sons (who still live in Germany) through Facetime, or through in-person visits. ♦

Ihad been seeing this person, very casually, for about a year when I finally decided that I just wasn’t into them (romantically, sexually, whatever).

We scheduled a relationship check-in where I thought that I clearly said that I didn’t want to be dating anymore. She was super understanding and sweet and we ended up having a really nice night together after the chat! I was like:

“Awesome, that went great!”

That is, until the next time we hung out (we met for drinks at the local cidery) and she immediately greeted me with a full-on kiss on the mouth.

I was like, “Uh oh.”

I was so taken aback that I didn’t say anything then, but we had a clarifying conversation shortly after. She again took it super well, and we’re still friends too! With no kissing. ♦

Years ago, one of the local radio stations was doing a "We’ll call your boyfriend/girlfriend and break up with them for you" Valentine's Day stunt.

You may already know where this is going, but to clarify, I had gone on a single date with a guy a while back. There was no followup, and no talk about titles. We were not dating.

So you can probably imagine my confusion when I got a call from the radio show. The FJ was like: “He’s breaking up with you!"

And I go: "Well, we went out once, so…”

This guy and I had mutual friends, and apparently he thought there was more to it than I did. I’m still unsure about why he chose to do it over the radio, though

While this happened a long time ago, my friends still don’t let me forget about it. ♦

ON E END Sapp y Th e AT THE

When I was 16, I had my first serious relationship.

The person I was dating lived an hour away from me, so from the jump, it was pretty dumb. While I have a lot of respect for the girl I dated to this day, and we’re still friends, I believe at that hormone-fueled age, almost everything is off-kilter, and we were just plain bad for each other.

I was in an emo band (you can laugh now), and not really into the party scene, while she was very buttoned-up, and loved everything social, especially house parties.

This, plus the fact that our values and political beliefs were totally opposite, made it a dumpster fire waiting to happen.

I don’t have a super funny moment, in fact, things ended really poorly: I got toxic and possessive, and she cheated on me.

I want to tell this story because after talking to her throughout the years, we’ve both realized that those things happened because we were letting our attraction and our love try to overcome the fact that we were a terrible, terrible match. And that’s just not how it works.

We were both (I think, I hope) fundamentally good people too. Even good people in really bad situations can end up doing things they’re not at all proud of.

Even more importantly, looking back together and realizing what went wrong and why armed us both with important knowledge as we started to date in the future. These lessons are truly invaluable, both for the quality of what they teach, and for the fact that there’s no way outside of living them—outside of going through the agonizing high school heartbreak yourself—to figure these things out. ♦

Five Columbus couples share their big day

By Jack McLaughlin / Section Design by Victoria Smith

hile breakups are painful in the short-term, they're also a necessary part of the process. Ask the Columbus couples who shared their recent nuptials with us, and they'd probably tell you the same thing: Without leaving an old relationship, you wouldnever have landed in the one you're currently a part of. So with a season of growth and renewal right around the corner in central Ohio, let's cherish break-ups for what they are in so many cases, a doorway to a better place, and let's also cherish the Columbus couples who have gathered here today to share their big days in the following pages.→

↑ Detail shot of Meghan & Nana's rings, photo by Amy Ann Photography

↑ Brides Kara and Kayla, photo by Amy Ann Photography

eghan and Nana met through a mutual friend in undergrad at Ohio State University when our friend suggested we all live together for our senior year (yes, we were roommates). Our friend has joked that when she suggested we live together, she thought we would be great friends, but she didn’t expect us to fall in love.

After seven years of dating, we decided to get married. We actually booked our wedding venue, Strongwater Columbus, and our photographer, Amy Tannenbaum, before we were engaged!

That made for some interesting conversations.

We did get engaged shortly after, with Nana proposing first and Meghan proposing second.

Our wedding took place this past September on a rainy day at Strongwater that couldn’t have been more perfect.

PHOTOS BY VENUE

Amy Ann Photography Strongwater Columbus

↓ Beasy and Chip, photo by Amy Ann Photography

↑ Beasy and Chip, photo by Amy Ann Photography

hip and I met and started dating in 2014 at The Ohio State University while he was studying Computer Science Engineering and she was obtaining a degree in Sustainable Business. We met through a dear childhood best friend (who was a groomsman at the wedding) when Chip and he became roommates . Being two very nerdy people, we immediately learned that we're both huge Star Wars fans. In December of 2015, to celebrate our first year of dating, we went to Orlando, FL for the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, which became a bit of a tradition for us.

During a December 2019 trip to Orlando to watch “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, we went to Disney's newly opened Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge where Chip proposed, while he was dressed as Han Solo and I was wearing my Princess Leia bun mouse ears.

On that trip we made custom droids that acted as ring bearers during the wedding ceremony on September 10th, 2022, along with custom lightsabers that we used for our entrance. Honestly, we're just a couple of dorky nerds that accidentally found our soulmate in one another. The force is strong in our new little family and we cherish every single day with eachother.

PHOTOS BY VENUE

Amy Ann Photography

Columbus Zoo

ayla noticed Kara on a dating app, and not wanting to leave anything up to fate, she casually slid into her DMs with the exhilarating question: “Do I know you?”

After this, and weeks of playful banter, we developed a fast friendship. We then grew apart over time, with Kara finishing graduate school at Ohio State and Kayla spending those years caring for her Mom until she lost her courageous eight-year battle with colon cancer.

In May 2019 we eventually reconnected at a time that was perfect for us both, and we’ve been inseparable since.

It meant so much to us to have Goodale Park as the backdrop of our wedding photos because it reminds us of one of our most memorable dates. After finishing dinner at Lemongrass in the Short North we walked over to sit on a bench at Goodale Park and for hours shared intimate stories about ourselves to one another. It was that night that we knew this was something that was going to last.

Our wedding took place on Oct. 26 at WaterEdge.

PHOTOS BY VENUE

Amy Ann Photography WatersEdge

↑ Brianna and Javon, photo by Amy Ann Photography

e met on Tinder on May 2, 2013.

Javon's friend told him about a new app where he could meet new people in Columbus (Javon was relatively new to the area at the time). That evening, we both swiped right and we were each other's first match.

We began talking on the app that night, and met for the first time in person 10 days later. The rest, as they say, is history!

We dated for nine years before getting married, while dealing with four years of long distance. As Brianna completed her graduate studies in Washington, we supported each other through crises, and celebrated all of the bright moments in our lives together for the last nine years.

Javon proposed to Brianna on her birthday, a week before she began medical school. We planned our wedding in less than a year and celebrated the most beautiful day with our family and friends at 1883 Locale in Reynoldsburg on Sept. 16., 2022.

PHOTOS BY VENUE

Amy Ann Photography

1883 Locale

Photo: Kismet Visuals | kismetvisuals com

↓ Hannah & Kristin, photo by Style & Story

e met in the spring of 2017 while we were neighbors in the Short North, and quickly found that we had a lot in common!

We were both collegiate athletes and shared a love of travel, food, and the outdoors. The two of us spent a lot of time traveling to new places together–hiking the W Trek in Chilean Patagonia, island-hopping in Greece, and exploring Croatia’s Plitvička Jezera. At the same time, we both value our time staying close to home and enjoying local spots like Basi, Curio, and Goodale Park.

Fast forward to October of 2020. We planned a fun weekend getaway to Healdsburg, California to celebrate Hannah’s 30th birthday. With a beautiful backdrop and surrounded by Hannah’s closest friends, Kristin proposed at a winery, ironically enough, called Hanna. And the rest is history! We got married on June 4, 2022 and could not have imagined a more perfect day. Celebrating alongside our closest friends and family made for memories that we will cherish for a lifetime.

PHOTOS

The Grand Event Center Ballroom Jessica Miller Photography

Photo 243

Fast Facts for Online Love

A quick-hitting compilation of online facts, tricks and tips to put your best foot forward

By Jack McLaughlin

Story Design by Bryce Patterson

Mariana Trench? I don’t think so. The internet is the real last great frontier of humankind. While this means that internet and app-based dating can be incredibly exciting and rewarding, it also means you never know what you’re going to run into. We’ve put together a collection of fast facts for the online dating novice and guru alike.

1 2

The United States is the clear leader in the number of online daters per country worldwide.

According to Pew Research Center, women are roughly 20 percent more likely than men to prioritize information listed in a potential date’s online profile

(for example: making sure a date‘s profile says they are looking for something long-term).

Don’t be discouraged about getting back into the online dating scene if you have kids. Match.com reported that over 40 percent of its users have children. Plus, a recent poll of single parents showed that 92 percent of single parents prefer to date other parents.

3 4

Relationships formed via apps or the internet are just as, if not more, susceptible to breakups as those that start elsewhere. According to a series of “love averages” published by Lisa Daily, most breakups occur between 3 and 5 months.

If you’re trans or non-binary and looking for a more hospitable space to date online, there are plenty of reliable dating websites and apps specifically for the trans community.

7 8

5 6 9

First impressions matter when you end up meeting: A University of Pennsylvania study showed that the majority of people make up their minds about their date’s attractiveness within the first three seconds they meet.

While this varies significantly by age and sexual orientation, only 3 in 10 American adults say they have never used a dating app.

Can’t decide what to wear for the first time you meet IRL? According to a pair of studies published in “The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology” and “The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,” both men and women are more attracted to potential partners who wear red (although for different reasons).

Wondering when a kiss is right?

According to Dailey’s averages report, most couples who kiss end up doing so on their second date.