Dublin Life October/November 2011

Kathleen

Dave

Christa Smothers

Duane

Garth Bishop

Thailyr Scrivner

Devan Toncler

Mary Hottenrott

Gianna Barrett

Molly Pensyl

Pam Henricks

Emily Steel

Lynn Leitch

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Volume

13

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011

News and information from the City of Dublin

Rotary members give to those in need in the Dominican

On

Wallace Maurer is instantly recognizable at city

Dublin Arts Council Gallery exhibit aims to change views on those with Down syndrome

Dublin’s annual Halloween celebration brings out the whole city for a night of ghosts and ghouls

Baby Boomers Redefined

Dublin shows increase in activity with age

Illuminated

Exterior lighting can make a huge difference in home appearance

26 what’s cookin’

Old World Italy — Modern Day Italian

Everyone’s buzzing about Dublin’s new Italian restaurant, Mezzo Ristorante and Bar

28 write next door

Glam-Mas

A group of Dublin grandmas redefine being a grandparent

30 bookmarks

CommunityCalendar

Oct. 3

Walk for Wishes

8 a.m.-noon, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Rd., www.colszoo.org

Help raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and participate in the 1.5mile walk through the zoo. At the end of the walk, there will be a Wish Reunion Celebration with food, games and entertainment for the whole family.

Oct. 7

Dublin Jerome High School

Homecoming Parade

4-5:30 p.m., Indian Run United Methodist Church parking lot, 6305 Brand Rd., www.dublin.oh.us

Parade starts at the United Methodist Church parking lot and ends at Dublin Jerome High School.

Oct. 9

Canine Companions Dogfest

Noon-4 p.m., Coffman Park Pavilion, 5200 Emerald Pkwy., www.dublin.oh.us

Take part in this pet-friendly walk-a-thon that the whole family can enjoy. Features a 2-mile pledged walk, trick-or-treat stops, a raffle and a costume contest for dogs and humans right after the walk. Proceeds help provide the necessary funds to continue the placement of assistance dogs.

Nov. 10

Board Wine Tasting Fundraiser

6-10 p.m., Dublin Arts Council, 7125 Riverside Dr., www.dublinarts.org

Support the Dublin arts at this event. Tickets are $50.

Nov. 11

Veterans Day

City of Dublin, www.dublin.oh.us

City of Dublin offices will be closed as the nation remembers our veterans and everything they have done for our country.

Nov. 15- Dec. 16

Juliellen Byrne: Oh Rats!

Dublin Arts Council, 7125 Riverside Dr., www.dublinarts.org

Ceramic artist Juliellen Byrne brings her thought-provoking sculptures to Dublin.

Oct. 21-23 and 28-30

Boo at the Zoo

Mark your calendar for these community events

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Rd., www.colszoo.org

Watch Captain America and SpiderMan in a live-action show, meet Casper and his friends, and take a stroll through Creepy Hollow and more.

Oct. 23

Healthy Dublin Free Movie

Screening: Forks Over Knives

2-4 p.m., Dublin Community Recreation Center, www.healthydublin.org

Forks Over Knives presents evidence that an entirely plant-based diet can prevent and possibly reverse degenerative diseases.

Oct. 27

Spooktacular (see page 18)

3:30-8:30 p.m., Dublin Community Recreation Center, 5600 Post Rd., www.dublin. oh.us

Oct. 30

Healthy Dublin Speaker Series presents: “The Plant-Based Diet” with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

2-4 p.m., Dublin Community Recreation Center, www.healthydublin.org

Join Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn as he talks about his four decades of research on the American diet and how extraordinary medical results can come from switching from an animal-based diet to a plantbased diet.

Oct. 31

Beggars’ Night

6-8 p.m., City of Dublin, www.dublin.oh.us

Nov. 18- Jan. 1

Wildlights

Columbus Zoo and Aquariums, 4850 W. Powell Rd., www.colszoo.org

Come see the zoo decked out in its famous lights for the holiday season.

Nov. 24

Flying Feather 4-Miler

9 a.m., Glacier Ridge Metro Park, 9801 Hyland Croy Rd., www.theflyingfeather.com

Celebrate Turkey Day with an exhilarating 4-mile run through Glacier Ridge Metro Park.

Nov. 25

COSI Family Friday Night

5 p.m., COSI, 333 W. Broad St., www.cosi.org

Exjoy Extended hours and reduced

family admission and watch a movie on the seven-story Giant Screen theatre!

SAVE THE DATE!

Dec. 1

Christmas Tree Lighting

TBA, Historic Dublin, www.dublin.oh.us

The City of Dublin will kick off the holiday season with the annual tree lighting ceremony. The event is free and open to the public and includes photos with Santa, live reindeer, elves, musical and dance performances, hot chocolate and more.

city news & information insidedublin

‘Healthy Dublin’ offers unique fitness, health opportunities for residents

A program offered free-of-charge to residents thanks to the relaunch of a community partnership is taking the City’s commitment to community health and fitness to a new level.

“Healthy Dublin,” a visionary, goal-oriented initiative formed through a partnership with area business and community groups, relaunches Oct. 2 with a community health fair from noon to 4 p.m. at the Dublin Community Recreation Center (DCRC). The program provides health screenings, wellness education, health events and resources to establish or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“What makes ‘Healthy Dublin’ different from other community fitness programs is our interactive website. Developed through the 411Fit wellness program, it allows participants to enter biometrics and health information and determine an activity program tailored to their needs and interests,” said Matt Earman, director of recreation services.

Through the www. healthydublin.org website, residents and Dublin employees can enter data and track progress while engaging in a wide variety of activities, events and challenges.

Earman added that, with voluntary data provided by “Healthy

Dublin” participants, the City can develop an aggregate benchmark of health and wellness and identify the community’s greatest programmatic needs and wants to improve and refine the program.

Another innovative aspect of “Healthy Dublin” is the integration of the HealthSpot Care4 Station, a highdefinition, live interactive video that allows individuals to speak with a physician about health issues and get pharmacy, wellness and other health management information (see sidebar article).

Several years ago, driven by the goals of Dublin City Council to provide a healthy environment with opportunities for fitness and wellness for residents, the City began creating a health awareness program, Earman said.

John Reiner, Dublin City Council member, added that Dublin has been an innovator in community fitness with the first community recreation center in the area and as a

“Healthy Dublin” - continued

pioneer in developing community bike trails. He sees “Healthy Dublin” as another example of leadership in community health and wellness.

The original wellness partnership had financial support from Medical Mutual of Ohio patterned after similar programs they had supported in the state. When the company’s business model changed earlier this year due to federal health care legislation and regulatory issues, Medical Mutual offered the funds - $125,000 - to Dublin and its partners to continue developing the initiative.

“We spent the first half of 2011 working with the other ‘Healthy Dublin’ partners and building the program to be

more goal-oriented and measurable with a focus on residents and Dublin businesses and their employees,” Earman said.

Community partners working closely with the City include Dublin Methodist Hospital, the Dublin Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Dublin City Schools, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Washington Township.

“Small to mediumsized businesses often have a difficult time developing wellness programs, but having one in place can reduce the cost of health insurance and related expenses. Dublin businesses may use this program to keep employees healthy and to cut the costs of health care,” he said.

“To be effective, ‘Healthy Dublin’ takes a level of commitment and time, but it will give participants what they need to manage and improve their health,” Earman added.

Participation in “Healthy Dublin” is open to all Dublin School District residents and corporate residents; membership in the DCRC is not required. For more information about “Healthy Dublin,” visit www.healthydublin.org

If you go, here’s what you need to know:

Location: Dublin Community Recreation Center, 5600 Post Rd., Dublin, OH 43017

Date and times: Sunday, Oct. 2, noon to 4 p.m.

What to wear: Casual attire, workout clothes – just be comfortable!

Admission fee: Free

Learn more about how “Healthy Dublin” can help start or advance individual fitness programs and try out the innovative HealthSpot Care4 Station at the Oct. 2 community Health Fair - the official launch of “Healthy Dublin” at the DCRC.

Activities and events: Free health screenings, activities for children, Dublin Farmer’s Market, raffles, free health and fitness demonstrations including Reiki massages and relaxation, personal trainers and weight loss management and more.

For more information, visit: www.healthydublin.org

“Healthy Dublin” unveiled at community health fair

“Nothing is more important for government to do than to be sure its citizens understand how to stay fit and have a long and healthy life. Dublin offers many opportunities for people to exercise and be outdoors with a variety of activities including our rec center, parks and hundreds of miles of bike trails.”

John Reiner, Dublin City Council member

Personal style is key to fitness success

Starting a personal fitness and wellness regimen may appear to be a daunting task, but designing a program based on your available time and what you enjoy doing will contribute greatly to your success, according to Dr. Megan Amaya, wellness coordinator for the City.

With Dublin’s hundreds of miles of bike trails, more than 40 parks, community swimming pools and the Dublin Community Recreation Center with its wide variety of programs, developing a program that meets individual needs and exercise preferences is less challenging.

“Wellness is much more than simply physical health, exercise or nutrition. It includes social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical aspects. The ‘Healthy Dublin’ program is based on these seven dimensions of wellness, and tailoring individual fitness programs to address each dimension is important to creating programs that contribute to individual quality of life,”

Dr. Megan Amaya, wellness coordinator

“We are fortunate that our community is designed in a way that incorporates and embraces exercise and fitness opportunities,” Amaya said.

For individuals starting a fitness program for the first time, reengaging in fitness after a break, or having health concerns, she encourages consulting a physician and developing a program that meets medical guidelines.

Important considerations for a fitness program include:

• Setting short- and long-term goals for everything health-related;

• Designing the program for enjoyment;

• Enlisting social support from friends and family – even the family dog can be a partner in the fitness program; and

• Identifying and overcoming barriers, such as time constraints, competing priorities (work, family, social commitments) and motivation and developing strategies for overcoming those barriers.

Programs and events focus on health, wellness

“Healthy Dublin” features special programs and presentations by experts to help participants achieve and maintain health goals. Here are a few upcoming events. For a complete schedule of future programs, locations and times visit www.healthydublin.org

Group classes and personal trainers are good ways to begin a fitness program because they offer an education element of proper technique to perform specific exercises. In addition, group classes and trainers provide social support, have a regular schedule to help with time commitments, and focus on benefits for the entire body, she added.

“Exercise doesn’t have to involve a significant expense or be vigorous to be effective. Gardening, house work, yard work, playing with children, taking a walk and even climbing stairs are all easy, accessible forms of exercise. The important thing is to get out regularly and do something you can enjoy,” she said.

For more information about community fitness and wellness opportunities and the “Healthy Dublin” program, visit www.healthydublin.org

Healthy Dublin Speaker Series

• The Autism Spectrum, Dr. Jacquie Wynn, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. at the Dublin Branch Library

• The Plant-Based Diet, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, author and physician at the Cleveland Clinic, Oct. 30, 2 to 4 p.m. at the DCRC

• Adolescent Eating Disorders, Dr. Terrill Bravender, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. at the Dublin Branch Library

Free movie screening

• “Forks Over Knives” presents evidence that a whole food plant-based diet can prevent, and in many cases, reverse degenerative diseases, Oct. 23, 2 to 4 p.m. at the DCRC. Visit www.forksoverknives.com.

Holiday Maintain Don’t Gain program, Nov. – Dec.

HealthSpot offers innovative health management for residents

As one of “Healthy Dublin’s” partners, a new Dublin-based healthcare startup is bringing doctor’s house calls into the digital age – and radically changing the delivery of healthcare in the process.

HealthSpot is moving healthcare services into convenient locations for consumers, doing away with the frustration of long office waits while keeping patients’ trusted medical providers. The innovative solution is the HealthSpot Care4 Station, a walk-in kiosk equipped with advanced medical devices that combine cutting-edge technology and consumer usability.

The Care4 Station has high definition video conferencing, a secure Internet connection and immediate access to healthcare professionals. HealthSpot’s software and medical tools allow patients to schedule health appointments, receive video consultations and make the most of specialized follow-up care.

“Our mission is to increase access to high quality, convenient and affordable healthcare services for everyone. We have to find ways to bring efficiency to healthcare that increases the quality of people’s lives and empowers the medical community.”

Steve Cashman, HealthSpot’s founder and president

HealthSpot’s Care4 Station realigns the healthcare system to increase positive outcomes for everyone. Patients can stop in for expert care without the hassles that usually precede it. And healthcare professionals can remotely deliver personalized care in an exciting new setting.

HealthSpot is partnering with the City of Dublin to launch the Care4 Dublin pilot program. As a Dublin-based company, HealthSpot is interested in adding value to the community and using the community’s feedback to help shape the new care platform nationally. For additional information, visit www.healthydublin.org

Front row (l-r): Mayor Timothy A. Lecklider and Vice Mayor Amy J. Salay.

Back row: Richard S. Gerber, Cathy A. Boring, John G. Reiner, Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher and Michael H. Keenan.

City Manager Marsha Grigsby

Trip of a Lifetime

Rotary members give to those in need

in the

By Gail Martineau

Dominican

Republic

Ten Dublin AM Rotary Club members gave a helping hand to the needy in the Dominican Republic earlier this summer. Actually, they gave several hands. Literally.

The rotary team traveled to communities near Santo Domingo as part of the LN-4 hand project to help fit individuals who were left without arms and hands, due to accidents or birth defects, with new prosthetic limbs.

LN-4 prosthetics are provided courtesy of the Ellen Meadows Prosthetic Hand Foundation – founded after Ernie and Marj Meadows lost their 18-year-old daughter in a car accident – for the purposes of offering free prosthetics to people in need throughout the world. The prosthetics are delivered pre-packaged, and training is provided for those who, like the Dublin Rotarians, help to fit locals.

According to the LN-4 website, more than 7,500 people in 56 countries have received the prostheses.

Rotary members were trained on putting the hands together via Skype video conferencing software, says club member Jim Burness.

“I was a little bit worried because we’ve never done this before,” Burness

says. “When the first person walked through the door, I felt they all could be fitted.”

The experience was incredibly moving, he says.

“It was just unbelievable,” Burness says, noting that one man who received a new arm was “smiling and beaming ear to ear.”

The Dublin Rotarians fitted about 75 people for prostheses over the course of two days.

“There was this desire to help and make it work,” Burness says.

Rotary members also helped build wheelchair ramps at a few homes around Santo Domingo.

Harvey Hook, executive director of The Gathering and husband of Dublin AM Rotary member Rita Hook, participated in the trip as part of Mission Emanuel, an organization that sends Americans to the Dominican Republic to help those in need. Hook has been part of the organization for six years.

“We were creating walks to lay concrete down for ramps,” says Hook, who travels to the Dominican Republic about three times a year as part of Mission Emanuel.

High school senior Emily Sharick is a member of the Rotary Interact Club at Coffman and traveled to the Dominican Republic as part of the Rotary group, along with fellow Coffman senior Kyle Ritterbeck.

The trip was completely life-changing, she says.

“You don’t realize how many things you take for granted, like clean water and air conditioning,” Sharick says.

Bonnie Coley-Malir, who served as photographer for much of the trip, always wanted to be part of such a trip, she says.

“I felt like I had missed out (because I was taking pictures), but everyone said, ‘I wish I was you because you got to see everything,’” she says.

The hardest part of the entire trip was not being able to do more, she says.

“You can only do so much,” she says. “I would like to do something like this again.”

Gail Martineau is editor of Dublin Life. Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

(Left) Rotary member Sue Burness helps fit a local with a new prosthetic arm. (Right) The Dublin AM Rotary team during its trip to the Dominican Republic.

City Counsel Man

Wallace Maurer is instantly recognizable at city meetings

Sometimes he’s there to question city decisions, sometimes to add new perspective, sometimes to make suggestions. Sometimes, the former Ohio State University English professor is just there to question the placement of a comma. But every time, he’s there to closely examine the business of the city and see if there are any opportunities for improvement.

Maurer has lived in Dublin since 1975. He has two grown children, Randall and Jeffrey.

For many years, Maurer did not speak at council – out of respect for his then-wife, Barbara Avery, who spent several years on council. But in 1993, after Avery left council, he began to speak up.

“I guess I wanted to be at the other end of American government” as an involved citizen, he says.

On the day of a council meeting, Maurer studies the agenda at City Hall, and in the evening, he signs up for public comment wherever he deems necessary. Though council members do not always see things his way – and, he suspects, “get annoyed every so often” – they have always answered his questions.

precedented in politics: admitting error.

Maurer argued passionately for the city to consider building a theater dedicated to Irish drama instead of a planned golf course, and suggested two possible highconcept art pieces for development at the corner of Bridge and High streets. The theater concept is one that stood out to city Director of Parks and Open Spaces Fred Hahn as an example of how creative Maurer’s mind is, Hahn says.

Maurer often brings up points city officials might not have considered, and he also routinely points out any writing errors he might spot with his finely tuned English skills.

“Sometimes, what your brain tells you is just routine business that doesn’t really necessarily warrant any questions, lo and behold, he has lots,” says Hahn.

But his greatest victory was the water situation.

At one meeting, Maurer pointed out the inconsistency of the city professing faith in its water system while all city officials and council members were drinking bottled water.

One issue Maurer frequently addressed was a personnel decision with which he did not agree. He protested the decision for years, achieving some level of redemption when a motion to stop him from talking about the issue was rescinded. Maurer subsequently lauded City Council for doing something un-

“They did shift to Dublin water … up there,” Maurer says. “That is my major triumph after all these years at council.”

“We all looked at each other and said, ‘He’s got a point,’ and we stopped doing it,” says former mayor and current Councilwoman Marilee Chinnici-Zuercher.

Elected officials have come and gone, but for the past 18 years, Dublin City Council meetings have had one constant: Wallace Maurer.

“A community is well served by having a Mr. Maurer keep an eye on it.”

- Fred Hahn

Having someone like Maurer paying such close attention to the workings of the city is encouraging to see, Hahn says.

“A community is well served by having a Mr. Maurer keep an eye on it,” says Hahn.

Though he has never had a desire to serve on council, Maurer has great respect for the people who do and the positive work they have done, especially when it comes to conservation design.

Outside of council chambers, Maurer has spent many years involved in the Dublin Irish Festival. He occupies a seat on the founders’ committee, and has for many years been known as someone who can bring in major Irish literary figures for the festival.

Much of Maurer’s time is spent taking care of his four-acre property on Dublin Road. One year, out of curiosity, he decided to let the grass grow rather than mow it all down, and was astonished by the fruit and wildflowers that popped up. Now, he takes care to mow paths and let parts of the lawn grow.

“I’ve tried to protect it like a tigress protecting a cub,” he says.

Lately, Maurer has focused on music. He spent an entire year preparing a piano concert and performed the end result in January 2010 at the Graves Organ and Piano Company Recital Hall in north Columbus.

“True modesty and false modesty don’t prevent me from telling you I got a standing ovation,” Maurer says.

The popularity of the first concert led Maurer to begin work on a second one, which he will perform Oct. 9 at the Abbey Theater. The concert begins at 3 p.m.

Garth Bishop is a contributing editor. Feedback and comments welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com

A New Perspective

Photo by Richard Bailey

Dublin Arts Council Gallery exhibit aims to change views on those with Down syndrome

The latest exhibit at the Dublin Arts Council Gallery is an exploration of identity.

The U.S. debut of Shifting Perspectives, a photography exhibit by Richard Bailey, explores this idea with contemporary photographs of people with Down syndrome. The exhibit runs through Nov. 4.

Bailey’s daughter, Billie-Jo, was born with Down syndrome. In the course of researching his daughter’s condition 12 years ago, he became discouraged at the photographs he found.

“We found no images that showed daily life, no images of families having fun with their children or of young adults going about their daily life, and these were the images that we dearly wanted to see,” Bailey says.

In 2003, Bailey was part of a group of professional photographers in the United Kingdom who set out to create new, contemporary images. Like Bailey, the photographers were all parents of children with Down syndrome. Since that time, the exhibition has grown and traveled all over the U.K., as well as to Canada, Turkey and Colombia.

The Dublin Arts Council Gallery is the perfect place to welcome the exhibit to the U.S. because of its intimacy, says council Executive Director David Guion.

“The arts center, once a family residence, encourages conversation and interaction,” Guion says. “We have the prospect of experiencing photography, looking at images that prompt us to explore our own identity and that of the greater community.”

Lito Ramirez – founder and CEO of DownSyndrome Achieves (DSA), a Dublin-based national advocacy organization that supports individuals and families living with Down syndrome, along with advancing research, legislation and education – approached Guion more

than a year ago about bringing Shifting Perspectives to Dublin.

“He came to us and thought it would be an appropriate exhibit for a small, intimate space,” Guion says. “The logistics of it just work here.”

Because of the intimacy the Dublin Arts Council Gallery provides, the Arts Council decided to host two public workshops to help further explore the idea of identity in Dublin.

The Exploring Identity workshop, for ages 13-18, will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 and 11.

Those participating will work with Abdi Roble, a local documentary photographer who deals mostly with the Somali community in central Ohio.

“(Roble) has a clear sense of identity and shows a diverse community,” Guion says. “We thought he would be an appropriate person to teach the workshop.”

The Express Yourself workshop, for ages 10 and up, will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 8.

Marcella Hackbardt, an associate professor of studio art at Kenyon College, will help students explore their own identities through photography.

Pre-registration is required for both workshops.

“I just think that, for some people, coming to the gallery and seeing the work is not enough. (They want to) interact with and understand the work completely,” Guion says. “Part of the process of viewing and experience is to really build awareness and understanding of people with this particular condition.”

The themes in Shifting Perspectives are relevant and challenging, with images ranging from personal ambition to sexual identity. All point to a rich internal life that society has, for the most part, ignored.

“In 2005, I photographed 365 children with Down syndrome,” Bailey says. “This was to represent the statistic that one to two children, on average, are born with Down syndrome every day in England alone.”

Photo by Richard Bailey

Photo by Richard Bailey

Photo by Fiona Yaron-Field

Most people find that statistic astonishing, he says.

As part of the project, Bailey also photographed his daughter every day for a year.

“I wanted to show her vitality and sense of fun. I wanted to show that sometimes she was sad and sometimes she cried,” Bailey says. “Most of all, though, I wanted to say, ‘Look, here is a child who has Down syndrome, she has not been forgotten about or put in a corner. She is my daughter, the beautiful Billie-Jo Bailey.’”

Twenty years ago, parents thought cleaning offices and bagging grocer-

ies were the best career options for their Down syndrome children, says Ramirez, himself the father of a child with Down syndrome. Younger parents are much more hopeful, and the photographs reflect that.

Individuals with Down syndrome “learn to drive, go to college, fall in love, get married,” Ramirez says. They have careers and want families.

Bailey agrees.

“We hope the general public will be able to see that people with Down syndrome have dreams, aspirations, wants, needs, likes and dislikes, just like anyone

else,” he says. “I hope that the images will ask people to see the person and not the condition.”

The exhibition can be seen free of charge at the Dublin Arts Council Gallery. For more information on the gallery and to register for a workshop, call (614) 889-7444 or visit www.dublinarts.org.

Cindy Gaillard is the Executive Producer of WOSU Public Media’s Emmy Award-winning ArtZine. Find new episodes on Facebook. Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

Photo by Richard Bailey

Photo by Fiona Yaron-Field

Photo by Richard Bailey

By Devan Toncler

Dublin’s

Dublin is putting together a thrilling and chilling evening of fun for the families of the community.

Spooktacular will be held from 3:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 at the Dublin Community Recreation Center, 5600 Post Rd. Admission and parking are free, and all ages are welcome to come enjoy the Halloween celebration.

This year’s event will feature all the annual favorites, as well as some new activities.

There will be a professional pumpkin carver displaying his expert craftsmanship, as well as a Trick or Treat Trail where businesses will be passing out candy and other goodies, fortune-tellers, and lots of food vendors.

There will also be a haunted trail.

“The trail is not terribly scary; it is more fun and eerie,” says Mary Jo DiSalvo, events administrator for the City of Dublin. “it is always very popular, especially when it starts to get dark.”

New this year, COSi will be coming to Spooktacular, bringing with it lots of scientific spooky fun.

The science center will feature the Science Spot, where children can come and build their very own miniature science projects. Along with Flubber, an oozing green substance, there will be the Barfing Pumpkin Science Experiment, which should prove to be equally gross and

gooey. Ratio the giant Rat, COSi’s mascot, will be in attendance to hang out and take pictures with kids.

“There is something special about Halloween that brings out the kid in everyone,” says DiSalvo.

Everyone who comes is encouraged to dress up in his or her best and most creative Halloween costume.

“Every year, we have everyone from babies to seniors dressing up and enjoying the day,” DiSalvo says.

For more information or to volunteer, visit www.dublin.oh.us.

Devan Toncler is a contributing writer. Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

Spooktacular!

annual Halloween celebration brings out the whole city for a night of ghosts and ghouls

Baby Boomers Redefined

Baby boomers in Dublin are changing stereotypes of what it means to get older.

An increase in aging adults is bringing with it an increase in demand for physical activities in Dublin.

teer administrator for the city of Dublin. “They redefined it as they knew it then, and they’re redefining it as we now know it.”

By Thailyr Scrivner

The Dublin Community Recreation Center organizes events, activities and trips through its senior citizen group, the Dublin Community Senior Citizens. Although this group is for the older segment of the baby boomer population – ages 55 and up – the center’s staff is listening to the wish lists of what members call the “40-plus group” of baby boomers, who will be joining in years to come.

“We want to provide services and programming that will keep them healthy, active and involved in their community,” says Wanda Kamler, senior adult program supervisor at the center.

There hasn’t necessarily been a growth in the number of programs, but rather a shift in programming, Kamler says. And that shift is toward fitness.

These ideas didn’t come from the center’s efforts to promote health, but from a 2010 survey of residents ages 47 to 65.

“I think first of all, we’re dealing with a generation (of people) who changed so much culture throughout their entire lives,” says Christine Nardecchia, volun-

The many events designed by boomers include a golf scramble in the fall and different nature hikes and walks through Dublin parks. The various fitness classes available Monday through Saturday each week at the center are the most popular activities for the estimated 900 members.

“We’re just in the development stage,” says Kamler. “We’ve gathered the information, we’ve been listening to the boomer and we’re going to continue listening to the boomer. We’re putting out programming that hopefully is the answer to what they’re asking us.”

What those boomers are asking for is the opportunity to be active, she says.

Many boomers are also interested in mental health through volunteer work, says Nardecchia.

The Bicycle Ambassador Program –which she expects will consist mainly of baby boomer volunteers to maintain safety and maintenance for the soon-tobe bike lanes and paths – will launch in the spring of 2012.

A focus group in the spring for baby

Cap Clegg at the Independence Day Celebration

boomers, hosted by AARP, solidified the notion that Dublin residents weren’t sacrificing activity with age.

“…All we heard about was active, active, active; they wanted active parks, things that will bring the community together more,” says Nardecchia.

The city is starting to think about people not only starting families in Dublin, but also those moving here for their retirement years and beyond, Nardecchia says. From what she hears boomers saying they want in years to come, she’s not sure what we can expect senior centers to look like 15 years from now.

“People are living longer, they’re healthier,” she says. “People in their 60s are not the people in their 60s 30 years ago. We don’t necessarily see them as seniors; we see them as adults who are interested in maintaining active and healthy lifestyles.”

For more information about programs and activities available through the Dublin Community Recreation Center, visit www.dublin.oh.us/recreation.

Thailyr Scrivner is a contributing writer. Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

(Page Left - Top) Clay and Lynn Rose at the 2011 Dublin Irish Festival. (Above) Former Green Team member Vreni Jones.

Transformation.

It can happen immediately with exterior lighting – a popular home improvement in Dublin, where architecture and landscaping lend themselves to taking that impressive step.

Matt Brewer, owner of Softscape Outdoor Lighting, says that in his nine years in the business, he has done “hundreds of homes,” many of them in Dublin neighborhoods such as Tartan Fields.

Homeowners have various reasons for taking the lighting step, the most common being “aesthetics,” Brewer says.

Beyond that, the lighting adds a safety factor, improves security and, in many instances, increases property value.

Lighting provides obvious curb appeal for a home,

but that’s not all – Brewer has seen sections of neighborhoods transformed as several owners have installed lights, following the lead of their neighbors, he says. He notes a court in Tartan Fields east of Concord Road near the golf course that has five or six lighted homes, several of them his own handiwork.

Exterior lighting can be as limited or as extensive as owners want, and Brewer strives to meet their expectations through live demonstrations – he strings up strands of lights mounted on rolls of long rubber to show how the end result would look.

While there is no ideal or fixed number of lights, Brewer says the average installation is about 14 fixtures.

Usually, fixtures, which are watertight, have halogen bulbs that use about five volts of electricity and

produce 35 watts of light. Less popular are 50-watt halogen bulbs. The cost of a complete installation averages $160 to $180 per light, Brewer says.

While LED bulbs have been developed for uses beyond decorative lighting, such as holiday displays, “They’re kind of expensive (for general lighting). They can pay for themselves over time, but it would take seven or eight years,” he says.

Because incandescent bulbs are more expensive to burn and have shorter lives, they’re seldom used.

Besides lighting the house, a project likely will include some walkway and perhaps tree or shrubbery illumination as well as driveway lighting. Some owners want

to do decks and patios, too.

Lighting trees along with the house adds depth to the appearance, Brewer says. He plans the completed appearance based on the outside lights, not the look with interior lights burning, too. They’re not on consistently or in the same rooms at night, so they’re immaterial.

Upkeep is a minor problem, though, as bulbs can last two years or more and can be easily replaced by homeowners, Brewer says.

Controls range from timers that can be set for precise times to solar-controlled timers, or a combination of both so lights come on at dusk and go off at a pre-set time.

It doesn’t seem to be an optional homeowner expense that’s going away. Brewer hasn’t felt the economic crunch much, given that he keeps busy doing tune-ups for many of his 700 customers, he says. And it’s looking better. “This year is going to be my biggest,” says Brewer.

Duane St. Clair is a contributing writer. Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

Strategic lighting can completely change the look of a home.

Dr. Susan Wright

Dr. Kathleen Murphy Emerald Eyecare, LLC

Old WOrld Italy –Modern Day italian

Mezzo strives to strike a balance between casual and sophisticated, between food and wine, between old world tradition and modern cuisine.

Mezzo, which opened in July at BriHi Square in Historic Dublin, already had one location at Gahanna’s Creekside development. The new restaurant in Dublin features patio dining; private, semi-private and banquet dining; a full bar; and a carryout service. The dining room is open weekdays from 4-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 4-11 p.m., and Sundays from 4-9 p.m.

Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. each day and features dining and drink discounts and specials. Weekly favorites include wine tastings on Mondays from 5:30-8 p.m., retailpriced bottles of wine on Tuesdays, live acoustic music from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and family night specials on Sundays.

When it comes to food, Mezzo’s philosophy is to maintain a delicate balance of Italian spirit and vibrant local flavor.

Executive Chef Ben Geltzer has put together a sizeable array of appetizers, sal-

ads, pasta, pizza and wine combinations, paying homage to time-honored Italian cuisine, and he works to use local foods when possible. But the menu is the collaborative effort of the entire Mezzo culinary team.

“The meatballs (a combination of braised veal, beef and pork) have always been a hit in both locations,” says General Manager Jon Cohen. “Our meat lasagna is regarded as one of the best in town, and the pan seared sea scallops with a sweet corn and bacon risotto is the best!”

First-timers are encouraged to make reservations or arrive early, as the crowd has been large every night since the restaurant opened its doors.

“The turnout and support has exceeded our expectations,” says Cohen. “Whether it is happy hour, a business meeting, family dinner or a nightcap, the traffic has been fantastic.”

Visit www.mezzoitalian.com for more information.

Devan Toncler is a contributing writer. Feedback and comments welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com

Everyone’s buzzing about Dublin’s new italian restaurant, Mezzo Ristorante and Bar

Executive Chef Ben Geltzer

Ossobuco Milanese

INGREDIENTS:

For the ossobuco:

• 4 14-16 oz. veal shanks, tied in both directions

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• ½ stalk celery, finely chopped

• ½ carrot, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• ²/3 cup dry red wine

• 2 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1½ cup veal stock

• 4 tbsp. butter

• Flour for dusting

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the gremolata:

• Zest of 1 lemon

• ½ clove garlic, finely minced

• ½ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Dust the veal shanks in flour and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven or a pan with a tightlyfitting lid, sear the shanks until all sides are nicely browned, set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp. butter, onion, celery, carrot and garlic, season lightly, and sauté until tender. Do not allow onions to brown. Add tomato paste and cook briefly just to caramelize. De-glaze pan with red wine and reduce by half. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a light simmer and add shanks so that they fit in a single layer. Cover pan and cook 1½ to 2 hours, or until meat starts to separate from the bone. Remove shanks and keep warm. Whisk remaining butter into sauce. If the sauce is not thick enough, before adding the butter, turn up the heat and reduce to proper consistency. Remove string from shanks and spoon the sauce over. Sprinkle with gremolata. Ossobuco is traditionally served with saffron risotto, but any starch will do.

The Forum at Knightsbridge is honored to be a longstanding and respected member of the Columbus community. We offer an uncompromising, high standard of living with all the warmth and hospitality of home, right here on our beautifully landscaped campus.

Experience the lifestyle you deserve…don’t wait a moment longer! Call for lunch and a tour to see why life at The Forum is better than ever!

Farmers Dr, Columbus, OH 43235 dublindance.com

Glam-Mas

A group of Dublin grandmas redefine being a grandparent

The sun beats down on the colorful Dublin playground as two women chase their preschool-aged charges down slides, through tunnels and onto the purple teeter-totter. Two other ladies place little ones in baby swings, smiling and chatting as they offer gentle pushes.

I am visiting a play group run by four grandmothers, who regularly take care of their grandchildren while their own children are working.

When I first learned about this group, my running title for my column was “Granny Nannies.” But having met them, I now find that term too dated for these attractive, stylish women in their mid-50s. They deserve to be called “GlamMas.”

Grandparenting has changed. Today’s older generation lives longer and experiences a greater duration of grandparenthood than ever before. As young adults try to hold onto their jobs in a tough economy, many also have turned to their parents for assistance.

Tami Smith’s daughter, Jamie Ottery, works part-time for Muirfield Energy and has two sons, 3-year-old Weston and 17-month-old Thomas. Tami watches her grandchildren one day a week, and their paternal grandparents sit one day a week.

In spring 2010, Tami started a play group with her close friends Carole Neale, Janet Sturgeon and Dorothy Jayjack, all of whom had recently become grandparents.

“We’ve known each other since our daughters were 8 and played soccer together,” says Tami. “We always relied on get-togethers when our girls were young, so I figured, why not bring back the play group with the next generation?”

The women are like sisters, says Janet, whose daughter, Jessie McFadden, works full-time at Grange Insurance and has 14-month-old Kelsey.

“It’s so much fun being a grandparent and having friends to share it with,” she says.

Carole’s daughter, Annie Lange, works 50-60 hours each week at Cardinal Health and is mother to Nash, 3, and Emerson, 17 months.

Dorothy’s daughter, Lindsey Sobc -

zak, is an accountant for the federal government and mom to 4-year old Ella, 2-year old Blake and 10-month-old Bryn. Dorothy watches her grandchildren five days a week.

The four Glam-Mas meet every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with eight grandchildren, from birth to 4 years, between them. Occasionally, their friends Nancy Pimm, Fee Hoy and Lori Montgomery join in with their little ones, though they are not regulars.

They rotate houses in the cold weather and visit parks, pools or the zoo when it’s warm. Sometimes, they set up small plastic pools in the back yard so the kids can splash from one to another and then enjoy a picnic.

“It’s better if we can keep the mess outside,” says Tami.

The women have all baby-proofed their homes for safety. The gates are up, the white latches are back on the cabinets and the plastic covers are on the doorknobs. The grandparents have their own cribs, high chairs and toys set up at their houses. Carole just bought a huge dollhouse at a church bazaar, and her young ones love it.

“That’s nothing,” Dorothy says. “We now have an enormous bounce house filling up our basement.”

The ladies agree that watching children is harder this time around and seems more chaotic.

Climbing in and around the jungle gym, the Glam-Mas look pretty nimble to me, but they claim to have less energy than they once did.

“I rolled around on the floor like Kelsey, and I pulled a chest muscle,” says Janet. “I tried a somersault to entertain Weston, and I nearly broke my neck,” says Tami.

The grandparent-grandchild relationship is a unique giveand-take.

Staying close keeps grandparents in touch with changing values and trends, and helps them feel young again. Of course, that could have its drawbacks as well. Carole says she can’t wait for more grandchildren, but if her daughter has a third child, she will need to get a different car to fit three car seats when she babysits. Tami agrees.

“What I really want is a convertible, but I’m going to buy a minivan,” she

(From Left to Right) Thomas Ottery, Weston Ottery, Tami Smith, Nash Lange, Carole Neale, Emerson Lange, Ella Sobczak, Janet Sturgeon, Kelsey McFadden and Blake Sobczak

says. “On the upside, it will be great for tailgating!”

This group of “Glam-Mas” says grandparents are a good solution to the child care issue because they have a vested interest in looking after the children and saving money. Some good advice is to not make the grandparents feel like employees by giving orders and constantly checking up on them. And grandparents should abide by parents’ rules and respect their choices.

The Glam-Mas manage this well, and enjoy the fellowship and using each other as sounding boards.

“It’s cheaper than therapy and a lot more fun,” says Tami. -CD

Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

Fall Field Days

The LEAD Program has everything a working adult in pursuit of a business degree could ever want.

Including a Dublin campus.

Since Ohio Dominican has a Blazer Parkway address, you won’t have to go far to go further in your career. All you need is one night a week to work toward the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree that can take you where you want to go. Start learning now, please visit ohiodominican.edu today.

Above - Tami Smith with her grandsons Weston (right) and Thomas. Below - Carole Neale with grandchildren Nash and Emerson.

Children’s Books

Brooms Are For Flying

By Michael Rex

One Halloween, a little witch joins a group of young trick-or-treaters, and all participate in a wonderful foot-stomping, hand-clapping dance. But when the children take off their masks, they get a big surprise!

Adult Titles

And Then Comes Halloween

By Tom Brenner

A whimsical book that captures the joy of Halloween for both children and adults. It follows a little boy as he dreams about what he wants to be for Halloween, makes his costume and then goes out trick-or-treating.

Pumpkin Jack

By Will Hubbell

The first pumpkin Tim carved was fierce and funny, and he named it Jack. When Halloween was over and the pumpkin was beginning to rot, Tim set it out in the garden, and throughout the weeks, he watched it change. Spring brings a surprise.

Skeleton Hiccups

By Margery Cuyler

This is a fun look at the lengths to which a skeleton will go to cure his hiccups. For anyone who likes Halloween or just a good laugh.

The Graveyard Book

By Neil gaiman

This Newberry Award

winner is the tale of a young boy whose family is murdered. He ends up living in the local graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him and keep him safe.

Unbroken

By Laura Hillenbrand

The story of Louis Zamperini, a Depressionera juvenile delinquent who became an Olympic runner and, later, a World War II Army hero. Zamperini was captured by Japanese forces and spent the next several years as a prisoner of war. An inspirational true story of a man whose spirit did, indeed, remain unbroken.

Teacher Man

By Frank McCourt

In part three of the beautiful trilogy (preceded by Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis), McCourt discusses his 30 years spent teaching in the New York City schools. Filled with warmth and fun, the memoir is full of creative examples of teaching assignments such as “write an excuse from Adam and Eve to God.”

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

Young, white and newly-graduated, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan returns to her early 1960s home in Mississippi and quickly becomes immersed in the lives of “The Help,” the African-American women who clean the houses and raise the children of the privileged white families.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

A delightful epistolary novel set in World War II, Guernsey tells the story of how the inhabitants of a tiny island off England’s coast gather hope from a most unlikely source – books – while under Nazi occupation.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

By Helen Simonson

Proper widower British

Major Pettigrew is trying to convince his relatives not to sell family heirlooms, but his arguments fall on deaf ears. Enter some romantic relief from an unlikely source: widowed Pakistani food shop owner Jasmina Ali.

When your child needs urgent care, everything matters.

And what matters most is pediatric expertise. at’s why our Close To HomeSM Centers are sta ed by medical professionals who have received additional training to care exclusively for children. Physicians, nurses, technicians, everybody at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a pediatric specialist.

is higher level of expertise enables us to see things others may not. We know when a simple fever could be something more serious. We know how to set a broken bone so it grows properly to its adult size. We know the correct dosage of medications for children of all ages.

Our suture techs even practice putting stitches in the soft skin of a peach, because it helps us minimize scarring on the soft skin of a child.

Every piece of equipment is also specialized. Why? Try tting an adult-sized blood pressure cu on the arm of a two-year-old. Or giving an injection to a ve-year-old with an adultsized needle.

Urgent care should be expert care. So always call your child’s doctor rst and remember we’re here when you need us. For directions, hours and location speci c information, visit www.NationwideChildrens.org/UrgentCare.