Healthy New Albany January/February 2023

Confidence

Market volatility is easier to bear when you have a sound financial plan and the support of an experienced team

Charles

Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

Kevin

Amy Baker

Client Associate

Romeo

New Albany Wealth Partners

UBS Financial Services Inc.

180 Market Street, Suite 200 New Albany, OH 43054 614-939-2202 newalbanywealthpartners@ubs.com

Patrick

Josh Young, CFP®, CEPA® Senior Vice President–Wealth Management

Courtney Storer Client Associate

advisors.ubs.com/newalbanywealthpartners

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Jillian’s MOST TRUSTED

Orthopedic Practice

“I’m a mom to busy and active kids. I met some friends for dinner after work. Heading home, I was hit head-on by a drunk driver and su ered multiple injuries. I ended up deciding it was best to go through with amputating my right leg. The physicians and sta at Orthopedic ONE were with me from the very beginning and every step of the way. It felt good that everyone had me in their best interest. They gave me my life back.“

- Jillian Kerr, Survivor

Meet the newest provider to join our Westerville o ce:

Watch Jillian’s story here or visit orthopedicONE.com.

Kelvin Luu, MD Fellowship-Trained Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon

MAGAZINE

www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com

Phil Heit Executive Editor

1335 Dublin Rd. Suite 101C Columbus, OH 43215 614.572.1240 www.cityscenecolumbus.com

Kathleen K. Gill

Dave Prosser

Gianna Barrett

Jamie Armistead

Gary Hoffman

Claire Miller, Rachel Karas Tyler Kirkendall

Garth Bishop, Amanda DePerro

Lindsey Capritta, Angela Douglas, Maisie Fitzmaurice, Scott McAfee, Molly Scott, Dianna Spencer

Carson Hutton

Brandon Klein

Dan Nase, Laura Pappas

President/CEO

Chief Creative Officer

Vice President, Sales

Vice President, Operations

Creative Director Editors

Contributing Editors

Contributing Writers

Editorial Assistant Digital Editor Advertising Sales

Healthy New Albany Magazine Advisory Board

Healthy New Albany Magazine is the Official Publication of Healthy New Albany, Inc., convened by The New Albany Community Foundation.

Jamie Allen, M.D.

Darrin Bright, M.D.

Michael Sawyers

Lisa Hinson

Benita Jackson, M.D., M.P.H.

Craig Mohre

David Sabgir, M.D. Amy Sternstein, M.D.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

OhioHealth

New Albany-Plain Local Schools

Hinson Ltd. Public Relations Medical Mutual

New Albany Community Foundation

Mount Carmel Health System Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The Publisher welcomes contributions in the form of manuscripts, drawings, photographs or story ideas to consider for possible publication. Enclose a SASE with each submission or email cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com. Publisher does not assume responsibility for loss or damage.

The appearance of advertising in Healthy New Albany Magazine does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s product or service by the City of New Albany or Healthy New Albany, Inc.

Healthy New Albany Magazine is published in January, March, May, July, September and November. Subscriptions are free for households within New Albany-Plain Local Schools. For advertising information or bulk purchases, contact Gianna Barrett at 614-572-1255 or gbarrett@cityscenemediagroup.com.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. Healthy New Albany Magazine is a registered trademark of CityScene Media Group. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2023

www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com

Dr. Arthur Laffer Economist, Medal of Freedom Recipient, Reagan Advisor

Robert Reich Former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Economist and Bestselling Author

Moderated by Rana Foroohar Global Economic Analyst and Financial Times Columnist

General John F. Kelly U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) Secretary of Homeland Security and White House Advisor

Adm. James Stavridis USN (Ret.) 16th Supreme Allied Commander, NATO, Bestselling Author, NBC News Analyst

Moderated by Jim Sciutto CNN’s Chief National Security Correspondent & Co-Anchor of “CNN Newsroom”

Deepak Chopra, MD Pioneer in Integrative Medicine and Personal Transformation, Bestselling Author

Interviewed by Andrew Thomas, MD Interim Co-Leader and Wolfe Foundation Chief Clinical Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Get Winterized W

ith the heart of winter in full swing, our daily routines will require us to adapt to the challenges cold weather poses to our health. As I reviewed the articles appearing in this issue, I was reminded that this is the time of year that resolutions are made, especially to begin an exercise regimen.

How many of us are deterred from exercising outdoors during the winter months because we don’t enjoy being greeted by the burst of frigid temperatures and howling winds as soon as we emerge from our indoor shelters? Fear not. I will share some useful tips for you and, perhaps in some cases, not the prototypical advice you may expect to hear so that you might be motivated to attack the frigid elements.

Dress for success. I have always found that focusing on keeping dry in cold weather is more important than keeping warm. Starting a run or walk with a little chill is preferable to starting with a feeling of comfort. I always share the mantra that if you are warm when you start, you will overheat not long after your workout begins. Losing body heat occurs most rapidly when you get wet. Moisture is a conductor that moves heat away from your body and will increase your risk of developing hypothermia. I always refer back to my observations of neophytes on the starting line at local races. They often don a heavy jacket so they are warm at the start. Rather, success for a workout in cold weather should focus on the three-layer rule. The first layer is a thin wicking layer followed by a polar-like fleece (do not wear cotton) topped with a lightweight windbreaker. Keep in mind that the more water-repellent your shell, the less moisture from your body will be able to escape.

Be dynamic. A dynamic warm-up is important before any exercise in cold weather. I like to use the analogy of a cooked piece of spaghetti versus an uncooked one. A cooked spaghetti is pliable but if you try to bend an uncooked spaghetti, it will snap. Think of your muscles as spaghetti. They need to be pli able to adapt to cold weather. In simple terms, a dynamic warm-up is moving while you stretch so that you don’t “pull” a muscle. If you are prepar ing for a run or walk, you can do lunges, squats and arm swings to help prevent injury and muscle soreness.

Be creative. Being a lifetime outdoor exercise enthusiast, I have discovered ways to keep warm, albeit sometimes unorthodox. You can spend tens of dollars for a quality pair of mittens (not finger gloves that do not keep you as warm) or you can practice the Phil Heit method that not only is practical but will save you money. That is, slip your hands into wool sweat socks as they can be also be pulled up a good part of your arm.

You might notice from the photo, I diverged from my clean-cut look so that I might protect my face from the winter elements. Yes, facial hair does help me deal with the cold. And for extra measure, you can join me in the Chilly Chili Mile (chillychilimile.com) and get an event hat like mine to keep your head warm.

Healthfully, Phil Heit Executive Director Emeritus Healthy New Albany

What's happening in and out of New Albany in & out

Sunday, Jan. 1

OhioHealth First On The First 5K 11 a.m., Otterbein University, 180 Center St., Westerville www.m3ssports.com

Fridays, Jan. 6-27

Mom Meditation (Mini Series) 11:30 a.m., virtual webinar www.yp4h.osu.edu

Saturday, Jan. 7

Healthy New Albany Indoor Farmers Market 9 a.m.-noon

Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, 150 W. Main St. www.healthynewalbany.org

Saturdays, Jan. 7-Feb. 25 Art of Yoga

10-11 a.m., Wild Goose, 188 McDowell St., Columbus www.wildgoosecreative.com

Sunday, Jan. 15

TRI McConnell - A 60 Minute Indoor Triathlon

8 a.m., OhioHealth, 3773 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus www.trisignup.com

Sunday, Jan. 1

Sunday, Feb. 5

Monday, Jan. 23

Monday, Jan. 16

Monday, Jan. 23

The New Albany Lecture Series: Maria Ressa

7-8 p.m., The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts www.newalbanyfoundation.org

Friday, Feb. 3

Live at the McCoy: Jay Leno 8 p.m., The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts www.mccoycenter.org

Martin Luther King Jr. Day No school for NAPLS

New Albany Walking Club meets Sundays at 7:30 a.m. inside the Philip Heit Center www.newalbanywalkingclub.com

The Columbus Blue Jackets 5th Line 5K

The New Albany Lecture Series: Maria Ressa

Getty Images

Photo courtesy of Brent Lalonde of M3ssports

OhioHealth First On The First 5K

Photo by Robb McCormick Photography

Saturday, Feb. 4

Healthy New Albany Indoor Farmers Market 9 a.m.-noon

Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, 150 W. Main St. www.healthynewalbany.org

Sunday, Feb. 5

Warm Up Columbus 8 a.m., Metro Fitness, 655 Metro Pl. S., Dublin www.sciotomiles.com

Sunday, Feb. 5

The Columbus Blue Jackets 5th Line 5K 10 a.m., Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus www.the5thline5k.com

Feb. 9-18

Our Town: Directed by Lenny Leibowitz Times vary, Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville www.otterbein.edu

Thursday, Feb. 16

The New Albany Lecture Series: Bret Baier 7-8 p.m., The Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts www.newalbanyfoundation.org

Monday, Feb. 20 Presidents’ Day No school for NAPLS

Saturday, Feb. 25

Fight for Air Climb 8 a.m., Rhodes Tower, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus www.newalbanyfoundation.org

Sunday, Feb. 26

Chilly Chili Mile 9 a.m., Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany, 150 W. Main St. www.chillychilimile.com

to cmiller@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com

story By Claire Miller

Editor’s Note: “My Story” is a first-person column or a Q&A feature of a New Albany community member that centers on health. Have a story to share? Email cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com. Submissions should be no more than 1,200 words.

Voice for Knowledge

Local mom raises awareness about RSV following personal experience

After 10 years as a television broadcaster, Shanisty Ireland decided she wanted to return to her hometown of New Albany with her husband Jeff.

“The schools and the community — we just love it. I mean, it’s interesting because I’ve definitely seen the old New Albany and the new and it’s just a wonderful place to be with our family,” Ireland says.

The Irelands now have five children: Luke, 9; Eden, 8; Adam, 6; Jude, 3 and Asa, 5 months.

Ireland has spoken about her experience with RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, with national news media including the TODAY Show and Yahoo, as well as locally with 10TV and the Columbus Dispatch. She has also written about

the experience, on her autobiographical blog, She’s Becoming Domestic. She also discussed her eldest children’s RSV experience in the May/June 2018 edition of Healthy New Albany, and following a recent surge of the virus, we decided to revisit the conversation.

Healthy New Albany Magazine: Before one of your children was diagnosed with RSV, how did you address health challenges in your kids? How have you changed since?

Shanisty Ireland: Adam was my third child and he was diagnosed with RSV at 6 weeks old. And I was at the pediatrician’s office and they told me, “Your baby has RSV. Take him home, watch him, it could potentially be dangerous.” I was like, “What is RSV? I’ve never in my life heard of it.”

Asa was hospitalized with RSV at eight weeks old.

And it was during Christmas time. It was very busy. I wasn’t even seeing my actual pediatrician. They were like, “Hey, you know, we can go get the pediatri-

Photos courtesy of Shanisty Ireland

Shanisty Ireland and her youngest son, Asa

cian to come back and talk to you.” I said, “Just forget it, I’ll just go home. I’ll Google it, I’ll figure it out,” because I was very frustrated. I would say before Adam was diagnosed with RSV, I was just a typical mom with little kids who get sick all the time. So it’s just inevitable. Kids are kind of like Petri dishes, they’re germy, they’re gonna pick up everything. And that’s just the way it is.

And so I think I was just pretty casual and laid back about it. And then, when Adam was diagnosed with RSV and ended up at the hospital, I think things changed for me in terms of just the awareness of viruses in general. Growing up as a kid, I don’t remember ever hearing, “Oh, you just have a virus, go home and hydrate,” and now I just feel like all we do is hear about virus after virus, and so I think that I kind of took it in my own hands to become more educated about them and to be more educated about what RSV is. And when he made a full recovery and left the hospital, I made it my mission to try to educate as many parents as I possibly could about it and to talk about it. I think that it’s come so far because Adam is now 6, and when he had RSV I remember telling a lot of people, “Hey, say prayers for Adam, he has RSV. He’s in the hospital.” And so many people shared the same sentiment I did: “What is it? I’ve never heard that before.”

But now, just thanks to different media outlets and reporters and people talking about in articles like the one you’re publishing, I think it’s more common knowledge as to what it is now. So I think it’s come a long way in just the last six years since I had first heard of what it was.

HNA: What was it like having a child with RSV the first time versus the second time?

SI: The first time when Adam had RSV, we did exactly what the pediatrician’s office said and I took him home and I was watching him. I didn’t know what I was watching for. But I just figured,

OK, well, we’re just going to go home and try to get healthy. And eventually his labored breathing got to a point where he needed to be rushed to the emergency room and he was very gravely ill. He had RSV, bronchiolitis, rhinovirus, double ear infection. So he was very, very sick. And I think that if we would have waited, and if I would have “watched” him any longer, we would have had a very different outcome with him.

Fast forward to October of (2022), and Asa, who’s our fifth child. I knew when one of my kids came home from school and they started coughing, I knew immediately it was just, you know, game over, ’tis the season, right? Everyone’s going to get sick this year. And when Asa started to kind of show signs of a cold, I even told my children, I said, “Hey guys, I just want you to know, he’s sick. He’s not extremely sick, but there might be a situation where I have to take him to the hospital.” I just don’t know how this is going to go. It was a Sunday. We went out and we did normal family errands. And Asa was with me the whole time. I went for a 30-minute jog here in the neighborhood and my husband

was watching Asa, and when I came back, he was like, “Hey Shanisty, you need to come upstairs and look at his breathing. It doesn’t look right.”

And I swear within that 30 minutes he went from I could tell he had a little congestion to, oh my gosh, it’s labored breathing. We’re packing our suitcases and we’re going to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. So it happened very rapidly. And I did not hesitate at all this time. I didn’t call my pediatrician. I didn’t mess around with anything. We went straight down there because I knew where it was going.

And I’m really thankful we did. When we arrived at Nationwide Children’s, they didn’t make us sit in the waiting room which was wonderful. They triaged him, they took him straight back, they hooked him up to all the machines. The doctors and the nurses were wonderful and they were trying to explain to me everything that was going on, and I was kind of saying, I know, I’ve been here before. Which, you know, is a very emotional thing for me because I felt very thankful that I knew what was going to go on, but then I also had a lot of embarrassment in a sense because I feel like I should’ve known better. I should have known these signs were coming, but that’s just the way it goes. We just really don’t have any control over how our kids are going to get sick. The only thing we can really control are the actions we take.

Adam was 6 weeks. Asa was 8 weeks, so about the same age.

HNA: How did having your children hospitalized affect you as a mother and as a family?

SI: I’m incredibly grateful that we live in this wonderful city. I couldn’t imagine if I lived in a different location or maybe even perhaps out further in the country without the resources. I mean, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I cannot rave enough about them in general. The staff, the respiratory, the infectious disease department – everybody there is just phenomenal and they are the best, the best of the best. So I knew we were at the right place. I knew we were exactly

Asa suffered from respiratory distress, a symptom of RSV.

where we needed to be. I didn’t necessarily want to be there. But if you have to be anywhere, that’s where you want to be. And so I guess just as a parent when your child is hospitalized, it’s kind of one of those situations where you hate it for them. You hate that you’re there, but at the same time you’re so happy you’re there because they’re getting the best care and they’re going to be taken care of and they’re going to come out of it on top.

HNA: Why do you think it’s important to talk about it from a first-person point of view?

SI: I think first and foremost, there are still so many people that have never heard of it before. I think that it gets overshadowed by cold and flu and now COVID season. Everybody talks about COVID. Everyone talks about the cold and the flu and hey, you know, those are all really horrible, terrible viruses as well. But RSV is out there too. The reason why RSV I think sometimes it’s overlooked is because, for someone like you or I or even my older children, if they were to get RSV tomorrow, it’s just a cough, it’s just a cold, it’s nothing gravely, seriously dangerous.

It’s the No. 1 hospitalization for children under the age of 2 in the United States. And I think that people need to know that 99 percent of children at some point in time before they’re 2 years old will get RSV, and if you’ve never heard of it, then that’s a problem. Because it’s just so, so incredibly common. And the fact that it was the No. 1 cause of hospitalizations in the United States for children under 2 and I had never heard of it, that was scary to me. And that just really was a wake-up call when I started hearing some of the statistics. I think it’s the second most common cause of death for children worldwide behind malaria. And I still had never heard of it. And so when you hear stuff like that, the chances are everyone that you know has had it before but they don’t know what it is. That’s something we need to talk about. Now

I share my story. I talked to you, I talked to all these media outlets and I also want to say that there is a line between raising awareness and scaring people.

I don’t share my story to terrify everyone and I have so many people reach out on social media saying, oh my gosh, my 9-month-old was just diagnosed with RSV and they’re terrified. OK, now, the chances are your 9-month-old, if that child is healthy, normally, they’re going to be fine. It’s scary, yes, it’s terrible. It’s a horrible cough. It’s really bad respiratory infection, but they’re probably going to be fine.

Why two of my children ended up in the hospital with the same exact thing? Researchers and doctors don’t know. There’s so much still that they’ve got to figure out about this virus because both of my babies were born full-term, almost

Editor’s note: Respiratory distress for a newborn is considered more than 60 breaths per minute and more than 40 breaths per minute for ages 1-5.

10 pounds. They don’t have any kind of compromised immune system whatsoever. But they both ended up on ventilators for five days at Nationwide Children’s Hospital because of RSV. So I just think it’s very important that people know what it is. Don’t be terrified of it. And understand that even if your child does get RSV, it does not mean you are going to be spending a week in the hospital.

HNA: What are the important signs to look for when you have a baby during RSV season or at any point?

SI: Adam had a fever but Asa never actually even developed a fever. But a fever is one. And, congestion in the nose is another. You’ll be able to tell if they’re starting to refuse to take a bottle or breast milk, or if they can’t hold it down. The labored breathing, it’s called belly breathing. You can tell when you see their ribs exposed. It’s extreme like suction in and suction out. That’s the best way I can describe it. There’ll be a V underneath their neck and they’ll have a little bit of a head bob as they’re trying to breathe. Those are the three signs of labored breathing.

Also, if they haven’t had a wet diaper, if they have like a bluish tint to their lips, and if you do think that they are struggling from labored breathing, go ahead and start counting their breaths because anything over 60 breaths per minute is labored, and Asa was at like 78. So counting the breaths as well, and then also advocate for your child’s health. When you go into the pediatrician’s office and they say, well we’re going to test for X, Y and Z, and if they come back negative and if you want an RSV test, you have to advocate for it. You have to push for it and say I want them tested for this. I want you to know, because there’s no better advocate for your child than you.

Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.

The Ireland children (front, from left) Asa, Jude; (back) Eden, Adam and Luke

Photo by Ray LaVoie

YOUR ELEVATED HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE IS NOW OPEN

At the New Albany Medical Campus, we’ve reimagined what it should be like to receive healthcare by putting you at the center of everything we do. Find out how we’ve reimagined healthcare at OhioHealth.com/NewAlbany

By Claire Miller personalities

Writing Truth to Power

Nobel Peace Prize winner set to lecture at McCoy Center

In January, Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa will take to the stage in New Albany. In 2021, she became the first journalist to win the prize, jointly with Russia’s Dmitry Muratov, since 1935.

Ressa is the co-founder, executive editor and CEO of Rappler, a top onlineonly news site in the Philippines known for its in-depth reporting.

Her fight for truth has come with a price in her home country of the Philippines, where her work covering corruption and malicious acts by an autocratic regime has landed her in legal trouble with the government that could see her jailed for many years, despite the shaky ground from which the charges were constructed. If she is jailed, Ressa has warned it would be a harbinger of the end of freedom of the press in the Philippines.

She released her third book, How to Stand Up to a Dictator, in November.

Ressa’s run-ins with the government and anti-journalist attackers escalated in 2016, she explains in How to Stand Up to a Dictator, when Rappler published a series of stories about Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte regime’s weaponization of the internet against citizens, how it silenced those seeking to hold him accountable, and how those actions cleared the way for the support of the drug war and illegal killings of Filipino people.

“In the moment, we were caught in a cycle that went like this: My team would publish information about the corruption of the Duterte administration; the administration would launch unabated attacks and targeted harassment against us; those attacks would be amplified across the social web to tear down our reputation and confuse the public; and platforms like Facebook

would cash in on the confusion,” Ressa writes in an excerpt of her new book published in The Atlantic. Ressa founded Rappler following a highprofile journalism career in the United States. A dual U.S.-Filipino citizen, she first moved to New Jersey at age 9.

She attended Princeton University and earned a degree in English. After winning a Fulbright Fellowship, she attended graduate school at the University of the Philippines and taught courses there from 1986 to 1991. She was vice president of a postproduction company in Manila and an

executive producer for governmental station PTV 4 before joining CNN in 1988.

At CNN, she was the Manila Bureau Chief until 1995, Jakarta Bureau Chief 1995-2005 and lead investigative reporter for Asia.

During that time, she reported on critical events and interviewed heads of state from many different countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Malaysia and the Philippines.

In 2004, she reported on crucial elections in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, tying their impact to the region and the global war on terror. Investigating terrorism in Southeast Asia was a long-time focus for her. She also headed the news division of ABS-CBN, the largest media conglomerate in the

Photos courtesy of Rappler

Maria Ressa

Philippines, while still writing for CNN and The Wall Street Journal

In 2012, Ressa and three other female journalists started Rappler. They were set to break even in 2016 but targeted harassment decimated their numbers, credibility and readership.

“I often tell people that what happened to me, and what happened to Rappler, is an early-warning system for the rest of the world,” Ressa writes in an excerpt of her new book published in The Atlantic.

“Maria’s struggle is one that defines our times,” wrote her lawyer, Amal Clooney, in a piece for The Guardian Rappler reached out to Facebook for help curbing the harassment. De-

spite Facebook’s strong hold on the Phillipines and its institutions, their pleas were ignored because the outlet was outside the U.S. In 2017, 97 percent of Filipinos were on Facebook, according to Ressa.

“The Philippines is ground zero for the terrible effects that social media can have on a nation’s institutions, its culture, and the minds of its populace,” Ressa says in an excerpt of her book published in The Guardian. “Every development that happens in my country eventually happens in the rest of the world – if not tomorrow, then a year or two later.”

Ressa will speak during the Social Justice lecture of the New Albany Lec-

ture Series on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts.

“I think it’s always wonderful to have a former Nobel Prize winner,” Craig Mohre, president of the New Albany Community Foundation, says. “I watched her acceptance speech in Oslo and it was very powerful. I think people are going to find her program very insightful and inspiring.”

Reads by Ressa

Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda’s Newest

Center (2003)

During her time at CNN, Ressa broke story after story about alQaeda’s ties to Southeast Asia, with every major attack from the group since 1993 having a link to the Philippines. She reports on the little-known post-9/11 generation of al-Qaeda planning and training grounds in the Philippines and Indonesia.

From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism (2013)

Terrorism’s new battleground is on the internet and social media. Ressa follows the spread of terrorism and terrorist networks on and off the web over a decade.

How to Stand Up to a Dictator (2022)

Ressa tells her own story of how tracking disinformation from her own government made her a target of the country’s most powerful man, now former President Rodrigo Duterte. Fighting for her life with multiple arrest warrants against her, Ressa speaks on how democracy dies gradually through small action after action if we’re not paying attention.

But her work tracking disinformation networks seeded by her own government, spreading lies to its own citizens laced with anger and hate, has landed her in trouble with the most powerful man in the country: President Duterte.

Ressa looks at a pile of documents during a 2016 interview with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Ressa meets with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in April 2022.

Photo by Ning Rodriguez State Department

photo by Ron Przysucha

Her program will be the first lecture in 2023 of the 10th anniversary season of the New Albany Lecture Series.

“If you look around the world, a free and open media is not common in all of the world and certainly in other countries right now,” Mohre says. “In fact, I think a lot of the free press is under assault around the world. And I think her message about the importance that free media plays in democracy is timely and important.”

Beyond the Nobel Peace Prize, Ressa has earned many awards and honors for her work including being named Time Magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year and one of Time’s Most Influential Women of the Century. She’s received numerous journalistic awards including the Golden Pen of Freedom Award from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.

Her story and struggle to report on disinformation, Duterte’s presidency and the subversive power of social media is the subject of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival documentary A Thousand Cuts.

She’s leading the International Fund for Public Interest Media, which finds solutions for drops in advertising revenues of news organizations.

The Filipino government has brought 23 cases against Ressa and Rappler since 2018. Ressa plans to appeal her current case in the Supreme Court of the Phillipines. She faces a sixyear sentence if convicted.

“Looking back today, I can see what I missed at the time,” Ressa writes in an excerpt of her new book published in The Atlantic. “In my case, dangerous individuals seeded the narrative that

would unravel democracy. Propagandists across the web chanted ‘Journalist equals criminal’ and ‘Arrest Maria Ressa’ years before my first arrest; in doing so, they softened public acceptance for legal cases that later became a reality. Let me say this to you as clearly as I pos-

10 Years of Lectures

The New Albany Community Foundation has presented over 60 speakers through the New Albany Lecture Series.

More than 27,000 students representing over 50 central Ohio high schools have participated in the foundation’s student lectures, and over 45,000 community members have attended its evening lectures.

Through benchmarking by The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and the New Albany Community Foundation, the New Albany Lecture Series is believed to be among the best in the country.

sibly can: This happened to me. It can happen to you.”

Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Coming up in the 10th anniversary season

Feb. 16 – History

Bret Baier

March 8 – Civil Discourse and Debate

Dr. Arthur Laffer

Robert Reich

Moderated by Rana Foroohar

June 6 – National Security General John F. Kelly

Adm. James Stavridis

Moderated by Jim Sciutto

Ressa asks then president of the Philippines, Benigno S. Aquino III, questions in 2016.

Ressa is interviewed at the Tully Center for Free Spech as recipient of the 2018 Free Speech Award.

Photo by Joseph Vidal

Photo by Siemialexis95

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Home Work

Staying connected while working from home

Many people are still adjusting to a new work environment, one that requires a much shorter commute. Since the start of the pandemic, going to work might mean never leaving home.

But working remotely doesn’t mean you have to keep your distance. There are ways of staying connected to your work life, your social life and to your own peace of mind.

Working from home is a practicality that businesses have been adopting for themselves at increasing rates, particularly since the onset of the pandemic. This is the case for Emily DouglasMcNab and her company, Experience Management Institute, an HR management firm which has employees and clients all over the country.

McNab-Douglas co-founded the business with her work partner Kate Heynoski right as the pandemic hit and they incorporated remote work as a necessity. McNab-Douglas had already been interested in remote work as she felt she needed flexible time to be with her children. She quickly realized the benefits remote work was bringing to their business.

“COVID has really allowed our organization to be remote, because all of our clients are remote,” McNab-Douglas says. “What that means is less travel, so our expenses are lower. Our costs to our customers are way better. We don’t have an office, so overhead is minimal. All of those things allow us to really focus on the services we deliver and making them much more cost effective.”

In addition to accessibility for clients, remote work has allowed more options for the types of people they are able to hire.

Benita Jackson-Smoot found herself in a similar situation when she started working remotely. She works as medical director for Humana but needed to remain in the New Albany area with her family.

“If you’re limited to only people that want to relocate to where you’re offering employment, then that limits your talent pool,” Jackson-Smoot says.

McNab-Douglas likes to ensure that new employees feel welcome early on, so they’re not isolated and can avoid feeling like it’s “us vs. them.”

The weekly Experience Management Institute team meeting turns into a costume party.

Experience Management Institute

“We were very clear with people when we hired them as to what the expectations were about what remote work is and what remote work isn’t,” McNabDouglas says.

In addition to working remotely, the firm has been advising clients on how to run their own remote working environments.

“To have a successful remote work environment, you have to be able to make a decision about what level of control you need,” McNab-Douglas says. “Not just over your business but over people. You have to decide, am I OK? Can I trust people? If the answer is no, then remote work is probably not for you.”

For their own employees, McNabDouglas says they have freedom but touch base consistently. They get together for weekly team meetings, meet at work conferences and have a yearly retreat that allows them to meet in person and go to dinner together.

“We intentionally plan time together,” McNab-Douglas says. “I try and check in with everybody to know what’s going on. Everybody else has also formed those friendships, to know when to check in with other people. It’s a lot of communication.”

Communication is also important for Jackson-Smoot.

“I feel connected to people that I work with, just like everything else. We do it electronically, but we still feel connected,” she says.

Jackson-Smoot also keeps up a social life by spending time with her

Designer Tip:

Kate Heynoski, co-founder Experience Management Institute.

Experience Management Institute

Samantha Magee, CMKBD Interior Designer

Dave Fox Design|Build

neighbors, many of whom also work from home. She regularly meets up with people while walking her dog around her neighborhood, Hampsted Heath.

“You find people (who) work from home have a schedule, so they kind of schedule their breaks. Whether it’s to walk the dog or to do whatever they need to do,” Jackson-Smoot says.

This break time is a chance to recreate the social environment of a workplace.

“For my neighbors that work from home, I had organized once a month for us to get together and have lunch,” Jackson-Smoot says. “(We) bring our own bag lunch so that we had almost like a break room in different people’s houses.”

Experience Management Institute utilizes similar way to socialize. Employees are welcome to join a virtual alcoholfree happy hour for anyone who wants to hang out and unwind.

“Most of the people on our team will talk about how they’re introverts,” McNab-Douglas says. “A lot of times people who are introverts like interaction with people, but then they need time by themselves. So it just so happens that for remote work that’s perfect.”

Lindsey Capritta is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

Staying connected when working from home

As people transition to remote work, they have to adjust to new customs.

“Something that you have to be able to understand is flexibility is great, but it’s dangerous,” McNab-Douglas says. “You’ve got to become very good at managing work and life.”

Here are some ideas to help you stay on top of your work.

Keep home life separate from work life

“Is one of the positives of remote work that your world is more flexible? Yes. Is one of the negatives that it’s more flexible? Yes,” McNab-Douglas says. “Those lines get blurred very quickly.”

One way to do this is to keep a designated office space separate from the rest of your home if you have the space.

Stick to a routine

“Having some form of routine, you don’t have to be regimented, but having some form of routine and being able to separate home from work, that is important,” Jackson-Smoot says.

Plan out what you need to do that day and try to keep designated hours to work, which will help keep you productive.

Break time

Just like how you need to keep to a time when you are working, you have to ensure a time when you are on a break. You don’t want to exhaust yourself or feel overwhelmed. Plus, this break time is a great chance to connect with local friends.

Communication is key

A business cannot work unless everyone is on the same page professionally and socially. Keeping up with your fellow workers is important. Always ask for clarification if you need it and always be ready to talk if someone needs information from you.

Take care of yourself

Your work is an extension of you. If you aren’t feeling your best, then your work won’t be its best. Don’t let yourself fall into bad habits; keep active and stay fresh.

Emily McNab-Douglas, co-founder Experience Management Institute.

Experience Management Institute

Kate Heynoski speaks at a conference where the staff has meet-ups. Experience

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By Scott McAfee, Chief

2022 – A Year of Accomplishment

Economic development leads city’s achievements in past year

January 2022 started off with a bang when Intel announced its intention to invest up to $100 billion in the New Albany International Business Park (more information is available at newalbanysiliconheartland. com). This project is being celebrated throughout Ohio because Intel is creating an entirely new business sector for our state. Intel has also committed more than $50 million in state education grants to help prepare Ohio’s first generation of workers for the state’s emerging semiconductor industry.

Intel’s announcement was followed by other companies that committed to either build or expand operations in New Albany, including:

• Van Trust, which has developed eight different projects in our business park representing more than $350 million in investment;

• AmplifyBio, a biotechnology company focusing on cell and gene therapy products, is investing $150 million and creating 130 jobs;

• Amazon.com, which opened its $250 million fulfillment center this past summer, creating 1,000 jobs;

• Pharmavite, a popular vitamin brand, chose New Albany among more than 70 sites across the country to invest $200 million and create 225 jobs; and

• Meta and Google continue to expand their data center operations,

and multiple other data center

builders announced projects here in New Albany.

These projects followed the big news in 2021 that Amgen was building its $375 million facility, creating 400 jobs. That project is still on schedule to open in 2023.

The New Albany International Business Park now represents more than $29 billion in private investment, 21 million square feet of commercial space and 24,000 employees. These jobs generate local income tax revenues which pay for approximately 85 percent of municipal services like police protection, road maintenance and leisure trails, without increasing the tax burden on our residents.

Photos courtesy of City of New Albany

Hinson Amphitheater

Our newest community treasure, the Hinson Amphitheater, played host to its first full season of events in 2022, from local concerts and movies to nationally known acts sponsored by the New Albany Community Foundation coming to entertain our community.

Resident Survey

Saperstein Associates conducted our resident survey this summer. Feedback showed that nearly 90 percent of respondents believe that New Albany is headed in the right direction and the city also received high marks for police protection, snow removal, trash collection, maintaining architectural standards, managing growth, keeping residents apprised of important issues, and developing park lands and leisure trails. More information is available at newalbanyohio. org/answers/survey.

Parks & Trails

Speaking of park development, your City Council’s commitment to new

parks and playgrounds is paying off. The Sumption Park and James River’s playgrounds are now complete, the Byington and North of Woods playgrounds

should be complete by the time you read this column, and Lambton and Planter’s Grove playgrounds are scheduled for completion by Summer 2023.

Taylor Farm Park saw lots of upgrades throughout 2022 and is expected to be open in Spring 2023; construction should begin on our Veterans Memorial in late 2023, and we replaced about 3.5 miles of our 55-plus-mile leisure trail network.

Sustainability

The City of New Albany, through the recommendation of the Sustainability Advisory Board, implemented a food composting program with three drop-off locations throughout town that is now used by more than 10 percent of the community, resulting in nearly 20,000 pounds of food being diverted from the landfill (for more information about this service, please visit newalbanyohio.org/answers/waste-andrecycling.) New Albany also hosted an electronic waste drive, which generated four box truck and trailer loads worth of electronic waste

to be recycled. In October, New Albany achieved a silver-tiered certification from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Sustainable2050 program.

NAPD/School Partnership

One last note of interest: The New Albany-Plain Local School District is now funding an additional school resource officer (SRO) to supplement the two SRO positions on campus that have been funded by the city for many years. This brings the total number of SROs on campus to three. City Council appreciates this important partnership with school leadership. Our most important community asset is our students, and we value our strong working relationship with our school district to help create a safe learning environment in which our children can thrive.

Scott McAfee is the chief communications and marketing officer for the City of New Albany.

Photos courtesy of City of New Albany

First Impressions

New Albany Early Learning Center prepares students for academic success

By Tyler Kirkendall

Starting school can be a daunting experience for children who have never spent the day away from their parents.

However, at New Albany-Plain Local Schools’ Early Learning Center (ELC), Principal Michelle Levero aims to mitigate the stress of beginning school for kindergarten and pre-K students by helping them build a strong foundation for learning.

She believes that the ELC is a great way for young students to acclimate to a school schedule and become comfortable outside of the home before they start primary school.

“It’s a constant building of that stamina, the social-emotional piece of preschool. How to play cooperatively with others, how to follow rules, understand-

ing consequences. There’s all of the social aspects of preschool that’s just as impactful as the academics,” Levero says.

Melinda Whitehead-Moran began her career in education 21 years ago as a teacher and has since become an academic coach at the ELC. It’s her job to work closely with teachers, kids, parents and administrators to ensure that every student at the ELC is getting the best education possible and is prepared for the academic road that lies ahead.

She says that in her decade with this district, she has seen the benefits of keeping pre-K and kindergarten in their own building. After an “awkward” period of K-5 sharing a building, WhiteheadMoran and Levero agree that it is best for preschool and kindergarten to share a space separate from older students.

The ELC begins classes a week later than the rest of the district. During this week, every family gets 20-30 minutes to sit down personally with their student’s teacher to build trust and set expectations for the months ahead.

Having a trusted adult in the building before their first day of school helps students feel comfortable and more at home in their new environment, Levero says.

Levero (pictured) says that social aspects of preschool can be as impactful as the academics.

Students at the ELC learn foundational social-emotional skills such as following rules and cooperating.

Photos courtesy of Patrick Galloway

It is equally important for the teacher, as this screening gives them the chance to get a glimpse at students’ skill sets and tailor the year to come.

Levero and Whitehead-Moran assert that preschool is an extremely valuable learning period in all aspects.

“Our first six weeks of school are really a lot of small groups and getting kids used to the routines of the building but also setting the expectations,” Levero says. “It’s that first six weeks that is pivotal to the success of the rest of the school year.”

A common misconception that Levero and Whitehead-Moran hope to dispel is that preschool is just organized playtime.

“Everything a preschool teacher does is intentional and purposeful. Even just while the kids are in the center and playing, that facilitated playing has value. The teacher knows how to extend their conversation, add detail to what they’re saying, to give them ideas to make them think a little differently,” Levero says.

Levero emphasizes the importance of good communication between teach-

ers and students and says that developing the foundational skill of curiosity and asking questions translates to greater success down the line.

The ELC teaches kids at a pace that works best for them. Whitehead-Moran says that if a child is progressing and shows signs that they are ready for more

Teachers at the ELC closely track students’ progress to ensure they’re learning at the right pace.

difficult reading or mathematics practice, their teachers can tailor their learning plan to challenge them more appropriately.

“Every moment is a teachable moment,” Levero says. “Here at the Early Learning Center, that’s kind of the motto.”

But the teachers aren’t the only educators at the ELC – one of its key features is that pre-K students learn from kindergartners, both directly and by example.

Pre-K students learn certain behaviors from kindergartners, such as being quiet in the hallway and waiting their turn at lunch.

Kindergarten students also read to preschoolers, developing their reading skills and showing preschoolers what they have to look forward to in their second and final year at the ELC.

The spirit of camaraderie is powerful at the ELC, as kindergartners participate in pre-K activities, such as cheering on parades that the younger classes host.

At the end of the year, kindergartners write letters to the upcoming class detailing their favorite lessons and activities from the year. Whitehead-Moran says this is a great opportunity for setting goals and getting kids excited about learning.

Though every student has different needs, they all leave the ELC with the same skills that make them ready for moving on to first grade.

“Our biggest challenge in this building is making sure that every student that leaves this building (is) foundationally ready to have these strong literacy skills and mathematical skills and social-emo-

Collaboration and camaraderie are important features of the ELC.

Photos courtesy of Patrick Galloway

tional skills so that they can progress and have a love of learning,” WhiteheadMoran says.

And while students get a few months of free time once the school year is complete, teachers are always hard at work. Staff are busy preparing for the coming year and improving the curriculum for the next group of malleable young minds.

“We believe in our program because we believe in the collaborative work between pre-K and kindergarten teachers,” Levero says. “We’re always reviewing our curriculum and how we’re serving students.”

Whitehead-Moran says that it was always her goal in life to be an impactful and memorable teacher for young students. She is thrilled that her position allows her to go to higher grade-level schools and see the progress that her former students have made since they left the ELC.

“Students I haven’t seen in years, I’m able to see whole writing pieces that they’re creating and recalling what they were like when you were teaching them how to decode words and create simple

sentences, and now, they’re writing stories about their thoughts and their feelings,” she says, “and it’s just amazing as a teacher to get to see the progression.”

Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

Levero (left) and Whitehead-Moran (right) work together closely to make the ELC the best it can be.

Sincerely Helpful

Longtime New Albany resident releases second book on women’s health

By Maisie Fitzmaurice

Seasoned OB-GYN, Ngozi Osuagwu, provides women with insightful, candid and often humorous advice on women’s health issues without ever seeing them in her office.

Her new literary work, Sincerely, Your Gynecologist, tackles common and sometimes taboo issues regarding women’s health including sexually transmitted diseases, menopause, contraceptives and pregnancy in the form of letters written by Osuagwu to her patients.

Sincerely, Your Gynecologist, published in November 2022, is an unofficial sequel to her first published collection of letters, Letters To My Sisters, published 16 years ago. Osuagwu says the new book builds upon Letters To My Sisters, covering more women’s health topics and expanding on others.

Osuagwu currently works with OhioHealth, runs a private practice, serves as the clinical director of the Women’s Health Center at Doctors Hospital and is a clinical professor at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

From Nigeria to New York

One might argue Osuagwu was destined to become an accomplished medical professional even at an early age.

Born in Nigeria, she moved to Brooklyn when she was 2 years old. Growing up, her parents pushed her to excel in academics and hoped that one day she would become a doctor.

After graduating high school, Osuagwu moved to Baltimore and began her undergraduate education at Johns Hopkins University, originally majoring in engineering. After changing her major four times, she eventually graduated with a degree in biology and was on track to attend medical school and fulfill her parents’ dreams.

Osuagwu was planning to attend SUNY Buffalo’s medical school when

her father passed away. She told her mother that she wanted to move home and support her family, but her mother convinced her to stay the course.

“She simply said, ‘He’s dead. He knows that you were going to be a doctor. Not going to medical school, it’s not going to bring him back, so you need to go,’” she says.

Osuagwu’s unrelenting drive and focus carried her through the first two

Ngozi Osuagwu

Photo courtesy of Ngozi Osuagwu

years of medical school. During her third year she became especially close to one of her patients, whose health suddenly took a turn for the worse. For Osuagwu, the death of this patient solidified her desire to become a physician.

“That was the first time I really cried, but it was a turning point, because I think I realized that I wasn’t really doing it anymore for my parents. I now wanted to be a doctor for me,” she says.

Though she originally considered specializing in neuroscience, Osuagwu eventually decided to go into gynecology for two reasons. The first was that, during her time on mission trips, she realized there would always be a need for health care for pregnant women. The second and more personal reason was that she wanted to learn more about her own body and eventually educate others on theirs.

“When you’re in the field, then you really learn about your body, right? And I really did it to learn and because I did not know as much as I know now,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that young people knew a lot. So I laugh because my kids are quick to say, ‘Oh, Mom, you’re having a hot flash,’ or, ‘Mom you have PMS,’ but then a lot of other people might not even know what that means.”

New Beginnings in New Albany

After graduation, Osuagwu moved to New Albany and began working at a medical office downtown. Osuagwu and her husband Chukwuemeka have lived in their New Albany home since the late ’90s, and have three children, Chiedu, 28; Chidi, 26 and Chinenye, 24.

Osuagwu said though she was nervous to move to a new area, New Albany quickly became a pleasant home for her and her family.

“I didn’t want a situation where I would be in a neighborhood where I would not be welcomed. At the time, there weren’t a lot of Black families, so it was really important that wherever we were, we were the first people to our subdivision,” she says. “And

we have a wonderful neighborhood. We’re like the old folks now.”

Dear Sister

When Osuagwu started treating patients at her small private practice in Columbus, she decided to write letters offering her patients advice and support for the health issues they were facing. It was these letters that eventually became Letters To My Sisters. She said she wanted to publish the letters so that readers could be more informed about women’s health.

“A lot of us don’t talk to each other. I was amazed, I was listening one

time to an NPR (story) where they said that there were 30-year-olds that don’t even know the meaning of menopause,” she says.

When writing Sincerely, Your Gynecologist, Osuagwu decided to add facts and statistics as well as quotes from other health care professionals to help give readers an idea of how common many women’s health issues can be.

“I actually provide statistical information, mostly for people when they read it to understand that there are other women that also have issues, the same issues, that no one is alone. No one’s unique in the health issues

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ITZHAK film screening Sunday, April 2, 2023

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Itzhak Perlman

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that they have. It might affect them a little differently, but they’re not alone,” she says.

Alive and Healthy

In addition to her two books, Osuagwu has written hundreds of blog posts on her website covering not only gynecological health topics but also topics such as diabetes, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and stress management.

Osuagwu’s passion for health and fitness began in part with her battle with sarcoidosis, a rare condition that causes granulomas to grow on the organs and lymph nodes. Thanks to her commitment to a healthy diet and exercise, she had an easier recovery from the condition.

“(The doctor) said to me, ‘The only reason you’re alive today is because you came into this illness healthy.’ So if I were obese, if I had other things happening, I don’t know what would have happened,” she says. “Our goal, yes, it’s health prevention, but can we get you into an ideal state so that if you’re diagnosed with something, you’re capable of dealing with that disease.”

614-469-0939

Maisie Fitzmaurice is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

Photo courtesy of Ngozi Osuagwu

By Kobe Collins

(Net)Working Hard

NAHS senior places second in the nation in the SkillsUSA Internetworking Competition

In July, Liam Otten, a senior at New Albany High School, placed second in the nation in the SkillsUSA Internetworking Competition.

“It was a validation of everything I’ve been working towards to improve myself. It signified that I’m on the right path,” Otten says.

This is all thanks to the New Albany High School cyber security program that is run through Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools. A series of four courses are required for the cyber security program; networking, network management, network security, and cyber security defense and reinforcement. With the program being connected with SkillsUSA, students also have the opportunity to compete at the state and national level in their respective subjects.

The cyber security program allows New Albany students to learn practical skills in a hands-on environment. Otten’s interest in computer science and programming made taking part in the cyber security program a no-brainer.

“Going into cyber security was more of a supplemental thing. … Then I turned out to be really good at it,” Otten says.

After winning the state competition, Otten proceeded to nationals in the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. More than 19,000 students, teachers, advisors and business partners attended the SkillsUSA National competition. The SkillsUSA National competition covers topics from masonry and digital cinema production to firefighting and culinary arts, totaling more than 100 specialties.

“It was really about pushing myself to keep moving forward. A lot of that was helped by my teacher,” Otten says. “We have some programs where I can do some independent study, and I cranked through all of those then kept going forward.”

After 18 years of teaching cyber security at New Albany, Ty James knows the program better than anyone. As a teacher with such a unique teaching opportunity, James reflects on the programs in the SkillsUSA partnership.

“On a day-to-day basis they are working with programs and equipment they are going to see out in business and industry,” James says. “They’re using hands-on skills and technical abilities. Once they are out of the classroom, they are able to use those skills in the real world.”

Otten has taken multiple classes as part of the cyber security program taught by James. During their time together, James recognizes the passion and capabilities of all of his students. Otten, in James’ eyes, has exactly what it takes to work

Photos courtey of Liam Otten

Otten at the SkillsUSA national competition

Liam Otten

is rowing.

in the challenging field that is networking and programming.

“Liam is a great student. He’s self-motivated and that’s what this career field takes. … You have to be able to adapt. If you’re not self-motivated like Liam, you don’t have what it takes to be in this field,” he says.

Otten excels in the right brain as much as the left. As a longtime musician, Otten plays trombone with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra and the violin with the New Albany High School orchestra. Otten also rows with the Westerville Crew, and plans to continue rowing in college.

“I like to do a little bit of everything, it’s always been that way,” Otten says. “A big passion of mine is rowing so I’m trying to row in college. … I’ve been talking to coaches to find the right fit for me.”

Otten’s dream college is Brown University, but in order to pursue his passion, he knows opportunities might lead him elsewhere. Talking to coaches throughout the rowing season will dictate a large part of Otten’s college decision. However, his recent SkillsUSA accomplishment takes some of the weight off of his shoulders.

“Sometimes it’s hard to tell if I’m progressing or doing the right thing,” he says. “(Winning second) inspired me to keep going.”

Kobe Collins is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

One of Otten’s passions

Otten plays trombone with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra.

impact by Angela Douglas

Community-based addiction recovery is not something new. As we become more aware and open to discussing difficult topics like mental health and addiction and recognize the value of shared experience, programs like the one created by Lori Bower, the director of Integrative Wellness at Healthy New Albany,

have become more mainstream and visible.

Compassionate Addiction Recovery Experience (CARE) is a communitybased program to assist and facilitate recovery for those facing addiction – either directly or indirectly – and to provide and promote self-care for anyone seeking techniques to manage daily

stresses. The program was developed by Bower in 2017 in response to the opioid epidemic.

“Throughout my years of training and experience, I began to see a disconnect in addressing our society’s opioid epidemic. It is affecting so many people in our world, and I was trying to make sense of this crisis. I’m passionate about holistic treatment modalities to heal the effects of stress on the mind, body and spirit,” Bower says.

CARE is designed for those seeking an alternative approach for overcoming self-destructive and addictive behaviors. The program is ideal for anyone suffering from addictive behaviors, including family members and others requiring tools to cope with loved ones experiencing addiction. CARE allows participants to develop a unique and individualized plan to attain optimal

outcomes for recovery whether it be for themselves or for those for whom they are providing care or treatment.

Through her experience working with major medical facilities and treatment centers, Bower recognizes the value of clinical care, combined with holistic, community-based support in treating addiction. She is an instructor at The Ohio State University Center for Integrative Medicine, and an instructor with Mindfulness in Motion, a mindfulness-based intervention that was developed, researched and validated at the OSU College of Medicine. Bower is a presenter at the Addiction Studies Institute at OSU and has implemented Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) Programs for Columbus Springs Dublin and Columbus Springs East Hospitals – two hospitals focused on mental health and addiction – as well as at Heartland High School, the first recovery high school in Ohio.

“The need for community-based care, provided during and after clinical treatment is life changing. Recovery is not a ‘one size fits all approach.’ I don’t

think we should underestimate the importance of the mind-body connection for healing,” Bower says.

CARE promotes a deeper sense of awareness, thus returning the body and mind to its natural state of balance. Through compassionately and consciously caring for ourselves, we become empowered to manage stress. Participants learn gentle and compassionate approaches such as movement, breathing, stillness, aromatherapy and other healing energy modalities. After CARE sessions, students often experience feelings of calmness, stability and relaxation.

The goal of the CARE program is to raise awareness of the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction issues, and through this guiding principle, become part of the solution.

“It is my belief that, when we reconnect with this feeling of enough, not only can we heal ourselves, we can heal our community and our world,” Bower says.

Angela Douglas is the executive director of Healthy New Albany.

Exceptional

food By Carson Hutton

Serving Up Safety

Plain Township Fire Department shares firehouse favorite recipe

Firefighters are like a second family to each other. They share the duties of the job, to be sure, but more than that they share living quarters, plenty of time together and, of course, meals.

The Plain Township Fire Department, which serves New Albany as well as Plain Township, had a big say in the addition of the New Albany Safety Town, which launched in 2004 in the form of a mini town built to teach children about staying safe.

New Albany Safety Town has grown to host camps every year, and the mini town is open to the public in an effort to educate parents and children.

This is just one step toward a safer community, and Plain Township firefighter Travis Dudley offers safety wisdom for the coldest months of the year.

“We are striking into the winter season which is when the heating and cooling kicks in, so make sure you are using secondary sources of heat to properly install or use them and do so as the manufacturer recommends,” Dudley says. “Obviously, getting things like your furnace and stove checked too.”

Regularly checking and repairing your appliances is vital to their longev-

RECIPE

Instructions

•

•

•

•

•

• Cajun seasoning

• Black Pepper

• Two 32 oz. cartons of chicken stock

• 2.5 lbs chunked chicken breast or chicken thighs

• Three 14 oz. packages andouille/ smoked sausage sliced

• 2 lbs. uncooked shrimp, deveined and tail removed

• Bay leaves

• Tabasco sauce (if desired)

• Sauté onions, green peppers and celery in extra virgin olive oil until softened.

• Add minced garlic, canned tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a light boil.

• Add Cajun seasoning, (Tabasco sauce if you’re brave) and black pepper to taste.

• Add chicken, sausage and bay leaves and simmer covered for approximately 30 min, stirring occasionally.

• Add thawed shrimp and continue to simmer approximately 5 min. Serve, over rice if desired.

ity, safety and efficacy. It is hard to know when something could go wrong, and the more precaution that can be taken, the better.

“One of the bigger ones is obviously to check and make sure your smoke detectors are working,” Dudley says. “We try to recommend that, with the time changes, checking those, changing batteries, and making sure that all are operational and working correctly too.”

Being a firefighter comes with a lot of responsibility, but having people next to you that love the job as much as you do helps, Dudley says.

“Well, obviously, we spend a third of our lives here working one day then off for two days, so this is like a second family to us,” Dudley says. “We are all here doing the same career and we love doing the job that we do, and there are so many good things to say about it.”

To be a firefighter requires adaptability. It’s not your typical nine-to-five,

Firefighters from the Plain Township Fire Department

Photo courtesy of Patrick Connor

Presented by

Thursday, May 18, 2023 • 6 PM Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Join us for a memorable evening with St. Jude friends, entertainment and wonderful food – while immersed in the world of the majestic animals of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Hear an inspirational story from a St. Jude patient celebrating a cancer-free milestone.

Cocktails | Plated Dinner | Live & Silent Auctions

after all, and at any moment the firefighters could be called upon for an emergency. That means longer shifts and an alert mentality.

“The schedule is good, too; we work a lot of hours but we have days off, too, so it is nice to have that availability,” Dudley said. “We don’t work a normal work week. We work 24 hours a day, then off for 48 hours, then work for 24 more hours.”

The Plain Township Fire Department is a close-knit group that enjoys helping, caring for and teaching New Albany residents and beyond.

In addition to fire and EMS services, the Plain Township Fire Department team also educates the community on fire safety and prevention, enforces fire codes, and provides community outreach, among other initiatives.

Firefighter Jason Bates, one of Plain Township’s finest firehouse cooks according to Fire Chief Patrick Connor, shares his recipe for Jumbalaya.

Carson Hutton is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com

Plain Township firefighters

Photos courtesy of Patrick Connor

ebruary 26, 2023 ✻ New Albany, Ohio

Deep Sleep Impact

OSU sleep specialist talks about sleep and how it affects your day

Adults generally need seven to nine hours of sleep every night. But millions of people across the country struggle with sleep disorders that keep them up all night.

“Sleep is when our body repairs everything from the day and it helps process,” Dr. Aneesa Das says. “So we process our memories, we do some of our complex problem solving and emotional repair during our sleep, we put short-term memories into long-term memories. Sleep helps us to feel refueled during the day.”

Das is a professor of medicine at The Ohio State University and an assistant director of its sleep program. With a background in pulmonary critical care, Das’ expertise covers all sleep medicine.

“Sleep medicine is one of the few fields that you can make just a massive impact on somebody’s quality of life,” Das says. “You’re invited into somebody’s most personal aspects of their life. So, your sleep is very intimate with your life and so it’s a lovely relationship that you end up getting to form with the patients as well.”

Patients usually struggle with either their quantity or quality of sleep. People who have trouble with their sleeping patterns usually have trouble falling asleep and difficulty staying asleep.

If your sleep issues persist for three months or more, it can begin to impact your quality of life. If you are having difficulty sleeping, Das says, you should begin with a visit to your primary care physician, who will be able to see how the whole body is affected.

“Sometimes I think that we underestimate the power of sleep in our whole well-being,” Das says. “A good night’s sleep affects our mood, it affects our health, it affects our immunity, our ability to fight infection and it can make somebody feel miserable.”

Sleep is important for the body to manage glucose levels and build

up its natural immunity. Sleep insufficiency is when lack of sleep can affect your body’s ability to function. Sleep deprivation makes you more likely to catch a virus or a cold, and it can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disorders like high blood pressure, strokes and heart failure.

The five most common issues people have affecting their ability to sleep are insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements.

Many people have behaviorally induced insufficient sleep syndrome, where their daily practices can be the cause. There are simple habits a person can change to help. This includes keep-

ing up with exercise and ensuring you have a healthy body mass index.

People who have trouble sleeping often try to go to bed earlier and earlier or decide to sleep in to catch up on sleep.

“Ironically, that tends to be one of the worst things you can do for insomnia, because what happens is you end up spending more time in bed and less time asleep,” Das says. “One of the best things you can do for your sleep is pick your wake time and get up no matter what. Whether you had a great night’s sleep or you had a bad night’s sleep, that is the time to get out of bed.”

Das recommends you try not to go to bed until you’re tired at night, try to be in bed and stick with the amount of

Das with a patient

Photos by Mary Fiorino, OSU Wexner Medical Center

Dr. Aneesa Das

time you actually want to be sleeping as opposed to trying to force it.

Additionally, you should keep out of your bedroom as much as possible when it’s not bedtime so your body can associate the room with sleeping.

“Your sleep should be in a sanctuary area, it should be where you look forward to actually going to sleep and the time for sleep and intimacy only,” Das says.

Another tip is to avoid artificial blue light as much as possible once the sun sets, helping to align your body’s sleep clock with the natural, solar clock.

Steps like this can be helpful to patients who may have more than one symptom of disordered sleep.

“Sometimes we’ll treat them at the same time, but we need to recognize that one might be exacerbating the other. We do have to be thoughtful about that,” Das says.

Increased stressors in life can affect our ability to sleep as well. Das says she and other sleep specialists have noticed an uptick in referrals for insomnia since the pandemic. This can be related to people’s moods as well as anxiety and depression.

Depression affects your behaviors by decreasing your motivation and making you feel tired. Anxiety can cause you to fret and keep you up –even over sleep itself. One type of insomnia is psychophysiological insomnia, where you cannot sleep because you’re worried about sleep.

“Part of it is identifying things that aren’t necessarily sleep disorders, so (people with) anxiety and depression absolutely lean towards insomnia,” Das says. “It might be worth seeing somebody about some of your other stressors so you can process those in a healthy way to allow you to sleep.”

Lindsey Capritta is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

By Molly Scott

Winter Wellness

Tips for thriving in the coldest months of the year

Here we are again in the depths of winter. Surviving, or better yet thriving, in winter is a mindset. As winter returns each year, it is a good reminder to explore what keeps us well in the winter.

The Big 5 of Winter Wellness

1. Sleep: Go for it! With darker and colder days, this is the time to sleep or grab a nap when you can. Sleeping seven to 10 hours a day can help fight illness, regulate appetite and help counteract the winter blues.

The key is to feel refreshed after sleeping or a nap.

2. Hydrate: Winter often brings dryness whether indoors or out, and staying hydrated can help. This is the season to try new teas, coffee or warm water with lemon. We all have a collection of reusable water bottles and cups, let’s use them.

Drinking more fluids can boost immunity and help you to stay warm all winter.

3. Eat well: Sunlight triggers the release of the serotonin hormone that boosts our mood. Carbohydrates also release serotonin. In winter there always seems to be more carbohydrates and less sunlight. It is important to be aware of this. Some suggestions for winter eating include soups, citrus foods, cruci-

ferous foods (like broccoli and Brussels sprouts), salmon and dark chocolate. Listen to what your body needs in the winter.

4. Move your body: The key with movement is to find what works for you. Bundle up for a sunrise or sunset walk. The combination of fresh air and sun rays will warm your body, improve your immune system, get your blood and heart pumping, release more serotonin for that mood boost, and increase energy levels.

Make a plan and get moving.

5. Socialize: Most people struggle with winter in various ways. Isolation seems natural, but it can make us feel sad or depressed. Moving out of our

comfort zone and planning time to get together with others boosts our mood. Often the simplest ways of socializing are work, a walk, coffee, lunch – the options are endless.

Connecting with others makes us feel better.

Winter is the season to reflect and find clarity in the calm. Rethinking our relationship with this cold, often gray season can offer us ways to reconnect with our mind, body, heart and spirit. Being aware and intentional will help our winter wellness.

Molly Scott is the Nature Program Coordinator for Healthy New Albany.

Photos courtesy of Healthy New Albnay

Healthy New Albany Community Programs

January & February, 2023

NATURE

Toddlers in Nature

Tuesdays

• 10:00 - 11:15 am

January 10 - Winter Trees

February 7 - Winter Birds

Philip Heit Center + Outdoor Areas

Ages: 18 - 36 months

World of Wonder (WOW)

Tuesdays

• 10:00 - 11:15 am

January 17 - Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

February 14 - Sassafras: Skunks are Sweet

Philip Heit Center + Outdoor Areas

Ages: 3 - 5 years

INTEGRATIVE

CARE

(Compassionate Addiction Recovery Experience)

Thursdays (1st & 3rd) • 6:00 - 7:00 pm

January 5, January 19

February 2, February 16

Philip Heit Center

Yoga Foundations

Mondays • 10:00 - 11:00 am

January 9 - March 13 (8-week series)

Philip Heit Center or Virtual

Chair Yoga

Tuesdays

• 10:00 - 11:00 am

January 10 - March 14 (9-week series)

Philip Heit Center or Virtual

Urban Zen

Tuesdays

• 6:00 - 7:00 pm

January 10 - February 7 (5-week series)

February 28 - April 18 (8-week series)

Philip Heit Center

NOURISH

What Does Cooking with "Whole Food" Mean?

Thursday January 12 • 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Philip Heit Center - Demo Kitchen

Building Tasty Bowls

Sunday January 29 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Philip Heit Center - Demo Kitchen

SENIOR CONNECTIONS

Senior

Card Play Tuesdays

Tuesdays (weekly)

• 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Wednesday Clubs

2nd & 4th Wednesdays - Mexican Train

Dominoes

• 12:30 - 3:30pm

3rd Wednesdays - Book Club

• 12:00 pm

Seasoning:

A Fun & Useful Core Skill

Thursday February 9

• 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Philip Heit Center - Demo Kitchen

Decorated Cut-Out Cookies

Sunday February 12 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm

Philip Heit Center - Demo Kitchen

MOVEMENT

Lift Like a Girl

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Jan 17 - Feb 28 (6-week series)

6th - 7th graders

• 3:30 - 4:15 pm

8th - 10th graders • 2:45 - 3:30 pm

Philip Heit Center - OSU Fitness Center

Music, Movement, & Drinks from Around the World

Saturdays

• 8:30 - 9:30 am

January 21 - February 25 (5-week series)

Philip Heit Center

Thursday Connections

Thursdays (weekly)

• 10:00 - 11:30 am

Tech Tutorials

First Fridays (monthly)

• 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Brunch & Bingo

Sundays

• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

January 22

February 26

SC at Night

Wednesday February 1

Men's Club

3rd Wednesdays

January 18 February 15

• 5:30 - 7:00 pm

• 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Register for programs online at healthynewalbany.org

Questions? Email us at programs@healthynewalbany.org

Connections is a partnership between the City of New Albany and Healthy New Albany

By Dianna Spencer, Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library New Albany Branch

Healthy New Albany Bookshelf Reviews

Why Do I Feel So Worried? A Kid’s Guide to Coping with Big Emotions

by Tammi Kirkness, 2022

We’ve all seen the headlines – anxiety and depression rates are increasing in young people. By 2020, over 5 million children between the ages of 3-17 were diagnosed with anxiety problems. Knowing your child is dealing with anxiety can feel overwhelming, but one way to feel less helpless is to have tools in your arsenal. This book can be a great starting point when you notice your child is spiraling into their worries. Written for kids 7-12 years old, it features easy-tofollow questions and flowcharts to help kids identify what they’re feeling, figure out the source, and strategies to calm and self-soothe. Filled with realistic kid-based worries and advice, parents can use this book to help calmly work with their child through whatever emotion is overpowering them. Starting and ending with an emotional check-in, this book is full of simple exercises and affirmations for kids and helpful tips for caregivers. Friendly and supportive, Why Do I Feel So Worried will help kids – and parents – feel a little calmer and more in control.

How to Eat More Plants

by Dr. Megan Rossi, 2022

Does the phrase “plant-based diet” bring to mind the most joyless versions of restrictive eating? Megan Rossi’s latest book is here to dispel that thinking and help you find more ways to lay a plant-based foundation to your diet. Also known as “the Gut Health Doctor,” Rossi is a champion of adding more diversity into our diets through plants, and with that, more of the nutrients our gut microbes need. If our gut microbes are happy, a healthy cascade of effects will follow. This inclusive book offers a simple plan to add 30 different plants per week to your diet, with fruits, veggies, nuts, herbs and more. Reminding us that we’re aiming for “plant-based,” not “plants-only,” readers are encouraged to apply what works with their needs. Including delicious recipes, realistic meal plans and small, practical changes, How to Eat More Plants is sure to inspire you to find more room for plants in every meal you eat.

Wired for Music: A Search for Health and Joy Through the Science of Sound by Adriana Barton, 2022

After 17 years of intensive training in the cello, Adriana Barton developed severe soft tissue damage that forced her to give the instrument up. When she later became a health

journalist, a longing to reconnect to music led her on the journey of writing this book. Told through science and story, Wired for Music is a look at the neuroscience of why humans make and enjoy music, as well as how music can support our health and wellness. From neuroscience labs to villages in Zimbabwe, Barton met with musicians, therapists, traditional healers and scientists to learn how music impacts our bodies and bonds us as humans. Studies have shown that music activates important parts of our brains, and as a result can provide pain relief and mitigate anxiety – drugfree. Beyond the fascinating scientific findings, this book is a great reminder of how music is intrinsic to humans and why it makes us feel so good.

15-Minute Stretch by Suzanne Martin, 2022 Written by doctor of physical therapy and Pilates expert Suzanne Martin, 15-Minute Stretch gives us a quick way to include more movement into our daily routines. This new title includes four stretching routines that can be completed in just 15 minutes, helping you to wake up your body, improve posture, and gain flexibility and strength. Each routine is detailed with photos and descriptions, followed by a summary spread for quick reference while stretching. Readers can find a troubleshooting FAQ after each summary for clarification and reassurance with each routine. Martin offers simple mobility checks to help you notice what might need work, as well as helpful pointers and “feel it here” notes to help you get the most out of your stretching.

Brain Power: Everything You Need to Know for a Healthy, Happy Brain

by Catherine de Lange, 2022

This accessible and engaging new title from science journalist Catherine de Lange takes readers through groundbreaking research to find simple changes that help you get the most out of your most complex and important organ –your brain. Despite the fact that humans are only beginning to understand how our own brains work, current research is revealing what we can do to help our brains work better for longer. Keeping the body healthy is increasingly linked to keeping the brain healthy, and our environment may have a stronger impact than genetics on our cognitive health as we

age. Knowing this puts us more in control of our brain health. De Lange breaks down the latest research into things we should and shouldn’t do to keep your brains running smoothly and your whole body feeling good. From diet, sleep, social interaction, exercise and more, each section features easy habit changes that will benefit your brain health. On top of being easy, most of these changes are free and might even improve the quality of your overall life.

Running That Doesn’t Suck: How to Love Running (Even If You Think You Hate It)

by Lisa Jhung, 2019 Running is such an appealing form of exercise – very little equipment needed, you can do it when and where you want to, with friends or alone.

For a lot people though, the list of downsides is a bit longer. Even people who run regularly will sometimes admit to hating it. Fitness writer and committed runner Lisa Jhung knows this, and wants to help anyone who hates running to run find the method that works with their distinct personality. Starting with her Know Thyself To Become a Runner quiz, Jhung focuses on 10 key areas you can tailor to make running work for you. With a sense of humor, each section breaks down a common running complaint and troubleshoots it to fit your needs. What are your preferences? What gear is right for you? Does your knee hurt or your shins? This fun and informative book will help you figure out how to make running suck less – and maybe even kind of fun.

Top homes sold in New Albany

In October 2022, New Albany home prices were up 14.6% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $608K. On average, homes in New Albany sell after 41 days on the market, equal to 41 days last year. There were 21 homes sold in October this year, down from 24 last year. (Data from Redfin)

8955 Ebrington Rd.

4 beds, 3.5 baths $2,096,727 Sold on 10/19/22

7593 Fenway Rd. 5 beds, 5.5 baths $1,885,000 Sold on 10/3/22

7727 Sudbrook Sq. 4 beds, 5.5 baths $1,350,480 Sold on 10/18/22

4945 Yantis Dr. 5 beds, 5 baths $1,300,000 Sold on 11/2/22

9260 Pamplin Way 5 beds, 5.5 baths $915,000 Sold on 11/23/22

5012 Straits Link 3 beds, 3.5 baths $875,000 Sold on 11/14/22

7941 N. Straits Farm

4 beds, 3.5 baths $800,000 Sold on 11/10/22

4490 Ackerly Farm Rd.

4 beds, 4.5 baths $745,000 Sold on 10/12/22

5005 Straits Link 4 beds, 4 baths $730,000 Sold on 11/14/22

5024 Straits Link 3 beds, 3.5 baths $725,000 Sold on 11/10/22

38 Pickett Pl. 3 beds, 3.5 baths $715,000 Sold on 10/11/22

8446 Leisner Ave. 4 beds, 4 baths $683,000 Sold on 10/13/22

NTH

Scene in New Albany Thanks

For Giving 4-Miler

Photo by Josh Poland

Among The Nation’s TOP HOSPITALS

Mount Carmel New Albany is a proud recipient of the Leapfrog Group’s Top Hospital 2022 Award.

Mount Carmel New Albany is a specialty hospital focused on inpatient and outpatient orthopedic, neurologic and musculoskeletal care. The hospital features technologically advanced treatments combined with a unique caring and service philosophy tailored for each patient to bring our community the best of care.

Discover our services at mountcarmelhealth.com

A Member of Trinity Health