Tri-Village May/June 2024

History in Plain Sight

Retired scientist and architectural photographer Dick Burry

Fighting local hunger Grandview Fire Dept. turns 100 Mediterranean food for all

New Albany Walking Classic®

Celebrating 20 Years

September 15, 2024

• 8:00 am

Distance: 5k (3.1 miles) or 10k (6.2 Miles)

Location: New Albany, Ohio newalbanywalkingclassic.com

BENEFITS GALORE!

● Specially designed high end fleece hoodie

● One-of-a-kind soft as silk tee shirt

● An over-the-top medal you’ll be proud to display

● Post-race party featuring music and event-logoed craft beer

● Plenty of food!

Hosted by Phil and Sheryl Heit

May Spring2Cabaret

7 p.m.

GHHS Auditorium

1587 W. 3rd Ave.

www.ghschools.org

May 2

Music in the Atrium: Chief Johnny Lonesome

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Grandview Heights Public Library

1685 W. 1st Ave.

www.ghpl.org

May 3

Sip of UA

9 a.m.-3 p.m.

St. Agatha Parish Hall

1860 Northam Rd.

www.ua-so.org

May 4

Great Garage Sale

9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Grandview Heights

www.grandviewheights.gov

May Culture4and Artisans’ Fair

10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church

2151 Dorset Rd.

www.grandviewheights.gov

May Mother’s6-12Day Take & Make Craft

Grandview Heights Public Library

1685 W. 1st Ave.

www.ghpl.libnet.info

May Grand8Night for Music ft. Jim Shaw and Abby Dorn

6 p.m.

Wyman Woods 1520 Goodale Blvd.

www.grandviewcivicwelfareclub.com

May Spring11Fling

11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sunny 95 Park 4395 Carriage Hill Ln.

www.upperarlingtonoh.gov

May 16

Writers’ Group 6-7:30 p.m.

Lane Road Library 1495 Lane Rd. ualibrary.libnet.info

May 18

Urban Jazz Coalition 8:00 p.m.

Natalie’s Grandview 945 King Ave.

www.nataliesgrandview.com

May 22

UA Commission on Aging: Caregiver Support Group 1-2 p.m.

Tremont Road Branch 2800 Tremont Rd.

www.aginginua.org

May 23

Last day of school

Upper Arlington City Schools

www.uaschools.org

Grandview Heights Schools

www.ghschools.org

Photo courtesy of City of Upper Arlington

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Please note: This year’s Tour de Grandview has been canceled due to road construction on First Ave.

May Memorial23 Service

7:30 p.m.

Memorial Park

1135 W. Second Ave.

www.grandviewheights.gov

May Memorial25 Day Parade

10:00 a.m.

Grandview Heights

www.grandviewheights.gov

May 25

All Upper Arlington Pools Open

www.upperarlingtonoh.gov

May 25

Grandview Heights Municipal Pool

Opens

1-9 p.m.

1350 Goodale Blvd.

www.grandviewheights.gov

May 27

UACA Memorial Day Run (Registration Required)

9 a.m.

Reed Road Shelter

3855 Reed Rd.

www.upperarlingtonoh.gov

June 9

Rainbow UA’s Pride 2024

1-5 p.m.

Sunny 95 Park

4395 Carriage Hill Ln.

www.rainbowua.org

Culture and Artisans’ Fair

In partnership with Community Refugee and Immigration Services, Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church is hosting its annual Artisans’ Fair on Saturday, May 5. Artists from all over the world are selling their handmade works from 10 a.m.3 p.m. on the front lawn of the church, rain or shine.

June 12

American Red Cross Blood Drive

12-6 p.m.

Grandview Heights Public Library

1685 W. 1st Ave.

www.ghpl.libnet.info

June 13

Arts on Arlington 6-9 p.m.

Mallway Park

2096 Arlington Ave.

www.upperarlingtonoh.gov

June 14

Movie in the Park: Wonka 7 p.m.

Thompson Park

4250 Woodbridge Rd.

www.upperarlingtonoh.gov

June 15

Movie in the Park: Ed

9:00 p.m.

C. Ray Buck Park 1280 Goodale Blvd.

www.grandviewheights.gov

June 20

Goat Yoga

6:00 p.m.

Wyman Woods Park 1520 Goodale Blvd.

www.grandviewheights.gov

June 29

Grandview Hop

5-9 p.m.

Grandview Avenue

www.grandviewhop.com

Always check websites for updated information.

To submit your event for next issue’s calendar, contact tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.

A Picture’s Worth 100 Years

Retired scientist documents art and history of Columbus architecture

When Dick Burry first walked into the Thomas J. Moyer Judicial Center downtown on Front Street, he knew he had discovered a true gem. He marveled at the gold detailing, Art Deco style and historic murals chronicling Ohio’s past.

“I totaled up the number of images that are in there. There are over 220 pieces of public art in that building,” Burry says. “I think I’ve gone to all the Ohio public buildings and that’s more than any other building.”

He asked himself, “Why don’t more people know this art is here? Why aren’t there any books detailing the beauty and history of this building?”

Realizing no one had created a comprehensive publication focused on the architectural feat, he decided to be the one to do it.

From neurology to nostalgia

Burry spent his career studying brain and spinal cord functions as a neuroscientist at The Ohio State University while raising two children, Jon and Daniel, with his wife, Yvonne, in Upper Arlington.

Photography has been one of Burry’s hobbies since he was 12 years old and he loved developing film in a dark room under his staircase. This fascination came to fruition in his career since he was often taking pictures under the microscope for his research.

When he and his wife travel, he enjoys taking photos of tourist sites, especially the historical hotspots and hidden gems. His photography has been showcased in more than 20 galleries.

Once he retired in 2011, he got involved with multiple historical preservation nonprofits including Ohio History Connection, Columbus Landmarks and Heritage Ohio. Alongside these organizations, he volunteers to take photos and advocate for the conservation of historic buildings and landmarks in Columbus.

For one of these photography projects, Burry spent several months shooting at the Ohio Statehouse. At one point, he went as far as crawling on top of the building’s cupola to get the perfect shot (right). Those photos are now some of the only outside pieces of art displayed on Statehouse walls.

One day, a friend recommended he photograph in and around the Moyer Judicial Center, which started what would become a seven-year journey developing his book, Art and History in the Ohio Judicial Center.

“The big surprise is that everybody’s been by the building with the big gavel outside, but not many people have been inside like me,” Burry says. “And until you go in there and you understand it, and then you look on the outside and see all the reliefs that were there that you never paid attention to, you can understand some of the history associated with those reliefs. I mean, it taught me Ohio history.”

Looking beyond the lens

Though Burry previously published a textbook documenting his medical research titled Immunocytochemistry: A Practical Guide for Biomedical Research, he doesn’t consider himself a writer and had originally recruited a friend to do the editorial for the book while he focused on the photographs.

“I think in pictures,” Burry says. “In fact, I didn’t learn to read ‘til I was in eighth grade because I don’t look at words as letters, I look at them as shapes.”

Faces By Maisie Fitzmaurice

Burry’s book captures the astonishing art within the underappreciated Moyer Judicial Center downtown.

Photo by Ray LaVoie

Burry’s friend ultimately pulled out of the project, so Burry spent a year studying Ohio history. With the help of his wife, who spent her career as an editor, he crafted the editorial himself.

Burry’s next challenge was to get his work published. Kent State University Press eventually agreed, but he first needed to raise the funds to have it printed on high-quality paper.

“(Kent State University Press said) ‘We’re going to require from you some subvention’ and I had to run to a dictionary and look up that means,” Burry says. “It’s a grant given to an institution to support a goal, so I raised money to support the publishing of that book. … My goal was to raise $20,000. In all, I raised 15, which was acceptable to them.”

In November 2023, Art and History in the Ohio Judicial Center: A Visual Tour was released, and received praise from former Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, esteemed local architect Robert D. Loversidge and other notable figures familiar with the space.

Golden Bears care

Burry and his wife have lived in Upper Arlington for almost 40 years. He says their children, now adults, had a great experience attending Upper Arlington schools. Burry enjoys talking with the abundance of like-minded community members who share his interests.

“I have been able to talk to (community members) a lot about older historic buildings and historic homes, and that kind of thing,” Burry says. “I think it’s something that the community is really interested in.”

Another interest of Burry’s is classical music, a hobby he and his wife share. The couple volunteers and donates to various music-based nonprofits in the area including ProMusica and Chamber Music Columbus. They frequently attend shows from local groups such as Carpe Diem String Quartet and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

“My wife played the violin and I only played a CD player,” Burry says.

As for the future, Burry isn’t sure what his next big endeavor will be, as he isn’t much of a planner. However, he says if an idea or opportunity arrives, he won’t hesitate to pursue it.

Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Burry’s Photography Pro Tip:

Sometimes to get the best shot you need to move around, try standing on a chair, lying on the ground, or simply taking a few steps to the left or right.

“I’d say 99% of the photographs I see that people take are not framed properly,” he says. “You have to think about framing when you take a picture.

Photo by Ray LaVoie

Burry’s Art and History in the Ohio Judicial Center was released in November 2023.

Bag Lunch Benevolence

Tri-Village bands together to fight childhood hunger

“It’s really hard to say no to a hungry kid.”

This has been a rallying cry from Tri-Village Lions Club Service Coordinator Jane Jarrow as the Lions have worked on a continuous service project that has gotten all of Tri-Village involved.

Countless organizations including the Lions, Northwest Kiwanis, the school districts, parks departments, the UA Community Foundation, and more, are committed to making sure families within the area don’t have to worry about food during Thanksgiving and Spring breaks.

years, and in 2023 it began to focus more locally.

For the Lions’ pancake breakfast this past year, people could buy tickets to donate to a local family at the Heart to Heart Food Pantry, a mission of First Community Church on West First Avenue.

“The public was very generous,” Jarrow says. “We had two mothers who came and found the people in charge and one of them said, ‘My kids would not have had anything to eat this weekend if not for this.’ Needless to say, they left with take-home boxes and more stuff.”

lunch in the Grandview Schools,” Jarrow says. “These were kids from families that had issues with food insufficiency and so that’s where we were going to focus.”

Inspired by other service organizations’ backpack programs, which send kids home with backpacks full of food, the Lions decided to target Thanksgiving Break as a time to offer families food when the kids are off school.

With nearly 100 volunteers and thousands of dollars being donated by local individuals and organizations, the Tri-Village Packers project really shows what the community is capable of achieving.

Founding the Packers

One of the pillars of Lions Clubs nationally is relieving hunger. The Tri-Village Lions Club has been completing service projects on the east side of Columbus for

One mother who attended the pancake breakfast told Jarrow that her kids had never before been served a meal. Jarrow says many locals are surprised that there are people in Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff struggle with food insecurity.

“When we did some investigating, (we found) there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 240 children on free school lunch in the Upper Arlington schools, and another 80 or so on free

Photos courtesy of Jane Jarrow and Tyler Kirkendall

Jarrow brought the seedlings of the project to a Network UA meeting last August, where she would find more support than she’d hoped.

Jessica Grisez, executive director of the Upper Arlington Community Foundation, quickly offered a grant application to Jarrow to get funding for the project. The foundation offered $5,000 and, along with the City of UA, helped open the project up to public donations and added $4,200 to the total. Now, a team was needed to coordinate the use of these funds.

“There were three other people who stepped forward on the spot,” Jarrow says. “Kristyn Anderson from UA schools, Craig Smith from the Northwest Kiwanis Club and Emma Speight from the City of Upper Arlington said, ‘We’ll work with you on that. We want to be a part of this.’”

With the addition of new Lion, Leslie Howard, this five-person committee was set to lead and coordinate the ambitious project.

Putting together packs

The committee quickly found that once the train left the station, it would pick up steam.

Kyle Mahan from Grandview Heights Schools joined early in the process, and did outreach to find families in need in the

Tim and Gloria Huffman join the volunteering efforts.

Photos courtesy of Jane Jarrow and Tyler Kirkendall

district. Both Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights schools kept the families anonymous at the request of the Lions.

A big part of coordinating this project, however, involved accommodating each specific family’s needs due to dietary restrictions. Of the 93 kids they served, 37 had dietary restrictions.

Leslie Howard took charge ensuring restrictions were met and each bag packed was compliant.

“That was the part that I think I’m most proud of (is) making sure that what we were providing was not only useful, but safe and appropriate to the individual kids,” Jarrow says.

Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation got on board, offering space at the UA Senior Center to prepare for packing day. The Grandview Heights parks department was ready to offer a pickup spot for local families.

Grandview’s Rotary Club and city council, as well as the Marble Cliff Village Administration, got involved. The Interact Club, partnering with UA Rotary, brought student volunteers to help pack. Once everyone was on board – including countless other organizations and groups that could not fit into this article – Craig Smith was managing almost 100 eager volunteers.

Preliminary packing happened on Nov. 17, and the following few days were spent packing and delivering everything to local pick-up sites.

The events, led by Smith and Jarrow, felt like a “who’s who” of volunteering in Tri-Village, with many volunteers having crossed paths during past service projects. At the end of the afternoon on Nov. 17, Smith and Jarrow were speechless that everything had been accomplished so swiftly.

93 kids had breakfast, lunch and a snack each day over Thanksgiving break thanks to the efforts of countless organizations and individuals from Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff.

“We had a couple people who showed up three days in a row and put in hours of time and said, ‘You know, I volunteer all over the city. I’ve been doing it for ages and I never knew there was a need in our community,’” Jarrow says.

A food-secure future

Since the project has picked up so much traction, Jarrow says the Lions are looking to keep the hunger-fighting train

rolling. Tri-Village service organizations repeated and expanded the effort for Spring Break, packing around 4,000 food items to feed 107 kids.

Jarrow was excited to finally clear out her garage, which has served as a climatecontrolled storage locker for much of the non-perishable food the Packers have

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Upper Arlington recognizes the Tri-Village Lions with a Community Enrichment Award.

collected. There are extra funds left from the project, as well, which the Packers have plans for.

“Some of the money that we have left over from this time because of all of the generous contributions, we are also arranging to put tubs into each of the schools in Grandview and Upper Arlington with grab-and-go food,” Jarrow says. “We’ve already taken one down to the Grandview schools … and (the nurse) burst into tears. She said that she and one of the teachers and the secretaries have been buying food out of pocket to have available for kids that they know are hungry.”

The City of Upper Arlington recognized the TriVillage Lions this year with a Community Enrichment Award for its efforts on the Packers project.

“I think that’s the most important thing about the Tri-Village Packers is that all the people from the community who have gotten involved are doing something for the community,” Jarrow says. “This is for us, and this is by us, and that is what the award was for that we got from the City of Upper Arlington.” Tyler

cityscenemediagroup.com.

Volunteers of all ages helped fight hunger in Tri-Village.

, M.D. Jarred Burkart, M.D.

Shabana Dewani, M.D. Andrew Grainger, M.D. Joseph Hofmeister, M.D.

Elizabeth Kander, M.D. Peter Kourlas, M.D. Kavya Krishna, M.D. Augustine Hong, M.D.

Emily Saul, D.O. Thomas Sweeney, M.D. Joy Tang, M. D.

Shylaja Mani, M.D. Nse Ntukidem, M.D. Anish Parikh, M.D.

Erin Macrae, M.D.

Old Flames

By Ava Huelskamp

August marks 100 years of the Grandview Heights Fire Department (GHFD) saving cats, fighting fires and making memories. Since 1924, the staff has shown its affinity for the people it works with and those in their community, and they are excited to celebrate this milestone together.

The department had humble beginnings with its first Fire Chief, Merle Klingensmith, who lived with his family at the fire station and raised his children in the room that is now the police detectives’ office.

Looking back

All firefighters in 1924 were volunteers and the only employee on the payroll was the chief. The GHFD was created by Mayor Ryder in August after Columbus cut Grandview out of its area of service.

The original structure lives on in the heart of the current fire station, which over the years has grown around the 100-year-old foundation. Fire Medic and Historian Josh Harris still maintains one of the department’s first trucks, which is

used in parades and community events.

Fire department celebrates centennial

The crew has held onto the department’s first fire log from 1924-1928, which holds only a handful of pages reporting incidents –mostly grass fires. Today, Grandview firefighters complete 2,700 rounds a year, including paramedic services.

Battalion 50, led by Chief John Hovermale, started Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coverage in 1963. Fullservice EMS began after Hovermale’s son, Todd, took over as chief and sent the first official medic truck into service in 1972.

“There was a delineation at that point between firefighters and paramedics. There were firefighters and paramedics. Today, we all have to be both,” Harris says.

While the relationship between firefighters and paramedics has changed throughout time, Harris says when it comes down to it, a lot about the relationships in the station remains the same.

“If you talk to the retirees that are 80, 90 years old, they have the same problems. … Every time somebody leaves here a

vacuum is created, and somebody takes that person’s place. It’s invariable, you know, and it’s always, always been the same,” Harris says.

“We still put water on fire.”

A new era

The nature of the job continues to go through ups and downs – Captain Jason Kay notes the addition of bulletproof vests to the firefighters’ arsenal of gear, a significant change in his 22 years of service.

“I would have never thought in my wildest dreams that in 2023, that I myself, as a firefighter, would be issued a bulletproof vest of my own. In 2000 and 2001 that just wasn’t a thing, and now it’s just commonplace,” Kay says.

Harris’ father, who was a firefighter from 1979-2001, shares in Kay’s shock.

“I came home one night, and it was a rough night, and I had worn my bulletproof vest seven times,” Harris says. “He could not wrap his mind around that.”

Harris says the team has experienced shootings, stabbings and assault. While

Photo by Ava Huelskamp and Josh Harris

With a new station on the way, GHFD is still carefully preserving its history.

they might have bragged about their craziest calls early in their careers, Harris says they have a different perspective now.

“You do carry stuff with you – if you have a bad run it carries with you forever. You’ll remember it all of a sudden sometime. You don’t want to give that to somebody else,” he says.

While the current firehouse holds a lot of history, ground broke in early October 2023 for a new facility to house the fire de-

Jobs are a hot commodity

The department’s impact spreads far and wide, making it a popular career spot for aspiring firefighters.

“We mean a lot to not only the city but this county,” Harris says. “To be around that long, and to still be going as strong as we are. People are jumping at the chance to come here and work from other departments – we get lateral transfers all the time.”

The department returns its community’s sentiment – after 100 years of service, Eisenacher is proud that the team is still going full steam ahead.

“When people call, we go out and help,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve heard any of our personnel say no when our community calls for something. We find a way to get it done or we get someone to do it if we can’t.” Thinking

partment along with the police department, city administration and city council.

According to Chief Greg Eisenacher, there will be a space in the lobby of the new firehouse to display the 1924 fire truck with a “museum-type layout.”

Although there’s much anticipation for the new facility, there have been updates to the original building over the years to improve the quality of life and health standards for the firefighters.

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Photo by Ava Huelskamp and Josh Harris

“When we pull back in the firehouse after a fire, we’re dirty. We have the products of fire on us. We used to just go in the firehouse and sit down and eat dinner, maybe wash your hands, back in the day,” Eisenacher says. “Now we’ve realized that if you carry that around on your clothes and uniforms, that’s bad. So immediately off the firehouse is a room where you can change your clothes, take a shower, use a sauna if you want to get all these contaminants out of you, put on clean clothes.”

Great

Unit Four

The old truck serves as a pillar of education for students during Fire Safety Month in October. The department often partners with Grandview Heights Schools and the Grandview Heights Public Library to show kids its origins.

“We have kids from the school look at the 1924 and then look at our newest truck, so it’s cool to see the perspective of an 8 or 9-year-old,” Kay says.

A group of retirees called Unit Four attended the groundbreaking for the new space. The group of 70-80-year-old men actively hold monthly lunches to catch up and relive their glory days.

“You just can’t turn that light switch off when you retire. You build those relationships because you work together for 24 hours a day, every third day. You spend a third of your life, and it becomes part of your DNA,” Eisenacher says.

The retirees of Unit Four are proud of their legacy, making this anniversary a special one. Even though Eisenacher has only been with the station since 2020, he says it’s a big deal to him.

“It’s been amazing to see (the department) reaching the 100-year anniversary, getting a new firehouse, getting a new fire truck, getting a new ambulance, it’s very well deserved and this is a special place. It really is,” Eisenacher says.

Ava Huelskamp is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

Photos by Ava Huelskamp and Josh Harris

ANGELA PERLEY

The new station will feature the famous 1924 fire truck in its lobby.

By Ava Huelskamp

Students Leading Change

Reflecting together for a better learning environment

Five years ago, Upper Arlington resident Jason Blair realized that while all teachers participate in professional development, they rarely see how other teachers implement new practices.

From this thought, the Agents of Change Festival was born in 2019. Blair, an art teacher at Dublin City Schools’ Abraham Depp Elementary School, created an annual festival where educators and their students could come together to showcase and reflect on what students and teachers explored in the classroom throughout the year.

“We wanted to break down the walls of districts and get passionate educators who were willing to challenge the status quo to work together and showcase their learning,” Blair says. “The ultimate goal was to create conversations around what innovative practice could look, sound and feel like.”

The first year saw five to six different school districts and teachers come together at the Columbus Museum of Art to “showcase student agency.” The most recent festival included 15-18 teachers from eight different districts, with an attendance of 450 people. This year’s festival is being held at the Emerald Campus in Dublin on May 18.

Planting seeds

Amanda Schaeffer, art and ecology teacher at Hilliard City Schools, has attended the festival each year.

“It’s a really cool way to showcase student learning but also to advocate, inspire and educate others on steps that they can take themselves within their own sphere of influence,” Schaeffer says.

One of the first projects Schaeffer did with her students and shared at the festival was learning how farmers can grow crops with less resources.

She says the students learned about how to improve agricultural practices while keeping food production local and reducing farmers’ carbon footprints. They ended up pitching their ideas to a panel of agriculture experts and were able to get feedback.

Schaffer, who hopes her students carry what they learn into adulthood and change the world for the better, has learned a lot about the impact her novel lessons can have on students.

“These kids are still doing the same work on their own in high school and college. One tiny seed grew into this much bigger thing,” Schaeffer says.

Photos courtesy of Jason Blair

Students share what they have learned and have a dialogue with educators at the Agents of Change Festival.

“We wanted to break down the walls of the districts and get passionate educators … to work together and showcase their learning.” – Jason Blair

From art to agriculture, teachers are offering innovative new lessons.

Connecting cultures

This year, Schaeffer and her students are working on the Global Comic Project with 143 schools from 37 countries. Kids attending participating schools can submit a comic or drawing to a virtual library, which will be compiled into a large collective comic book at this year’s Agents of Change.

“The big idea was to try to break down as many barriers as we could, like time, space, geographical locations and language. So it’s pretty cool because through these comics we’re able to break down those proverbial school walls, those barriers,” Schaeffer says.

Schaeffer hopes this project will result in empathetic, global citizens who are better able to understand people from across the world.

“It’s a really powerful, profound thing to understand that what’s affecting you is also affecting somebody in Serbia, or Turkey, or Palestine or France,” Schaeffer says. “So that’s been really powerful for my students, and my own children, just to see how closely connected we truly are.”

Tomorrow’s leaders

Blair has seen first hand how this event affects both students and teachers. He’s noticed that teachers will attend to see what it’s all about, and then want to return the next year with their own students and projects.

“I think that’s the power of the change. It ultimately benefits the students because

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it’s putting more agency in learning and letting students have more of a role in creating their learning environment,” Blair says.

Blair and Schaeffer have enjoyed getting to see their students take more initiative and engage in creative thinking over the years, and are excited to see them continue to grow.

“When students can see that people are listening to them and their ideas matter, they’re more likely to continue to believe in themselves or the possibility of the average person to create change,” Schaeffer says. “And to see collectively that even the smallest of us can make the biggest difference.”

Ava Huelskamp is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com

courtesy of Jason Blair

Students share projects from Agents of Change-inspired lessons.

Take a (Historic) Hike

Walking tour app brings community landmarks to life

“What a grand view!” Alice Urlin exclaimed to her husband George Cambridge Urlin in 1890 as they stood in the tower of their new home on Urlin Avenue – a spot that is better known today as home of Summit Chase Condominiums.

The sentiment stuck and came to be the name of the town. This story is one that not many people have heard, unless they’ve discovered the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society’s History Walks.

The history walks are immersive walking tours created by the historical society in collaboration with the Grandview Heights Public Library (GHPL). Canaan Faulkner, GHPL public relations manager, says the walking tours launched in 2020 and were a huge hit with the community when they came out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(The walking tours are) a safe, easy way for people to continue to be able to engage with primarily the historical society (but also) with their community in a safe way,” Faulkner says.

Tech-forward tours

Karen Riggs, vice president of the historical society, says she wanted to come up with a learning opportunity for residents that was more “technology forward,” since most of the historical society’s record is written and archived in print.

“I wanted to get something in the hands of people and (get them) walking around town enjoying history,” she says.

Once Riggs came up with the idea for the tours, she collaborated with Faulkner and the GHPL to build the first tours

The History Walks app offers insight into Grandview’s most important and storied structures.

Photos courtesy of Canaan Faulkner

UA Historic Homes Tour

The Upper Arlington Historical Society hosts a Homes of History event, which is a monthlong celebration of homes in Upper Arlington that are at least a century old.

During the month, homeowners are given signs to place in their yards indicating that their home is a “century home.” In the 2023 Homes of History celebration, 230 homeowners in Upper Arlington proudly displayed their signs.

These homes are an important historical artifact, as many of them retain much of the original exterior facade. Read more about historical Upper Arlington homes in the November/December 2023 issue of Tri-Village Magazine online at www.cityscenecolumbus.com.

and concept an app. About a year after inspiration struck, the app was in the hands of Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff residents.

In the app, residents can browse nine walking tours on a range of different topics. Topics cover highlights of history in both Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff, including the recently released Italian Connection, which offers a glimpse into the lives of Italian immigrants in the area in the early 1900s.

Each one-to-three-mile-long tour provides a description in the “About the Tour” section, a tour map, and a list of stops complete with addresses, pictures and directions of how to get there.

Past to present

One of the tours Riggs is most passionate about is Eclectic Abodes, a highlight of historical architectural trends embraced by home developers in Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff. The walk features two loops – each two miles long – of estates demonstrating the progression of local architectural styles.

“When I first bought my home in Grandview Heights, I didn’t have an ap preciation for the style of architecture that the home had. It was a beautiful home,” Riggs says. “My original plan

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Jim Redinger

CRB, GRI, ABR, PSA, SRES, SRS, MRP, AHWD, C-RETS, RENE Realtor / O ce Manager

614.679.2274 jredinger@in nityliving.org www.in nityliving.org

-Responsive to Your Needs

-Focused on Acheiving Your Objectives

-Committed to Saving You Time, E ort & Money

We Are Ready To Help

CRB- Certi ed Real Estate Brokerage Manager

CRS- Certi ed Residential Specialist

GRI- Graduate, REALTOR® Institute

ABR- Accredited Buyer Representative

PSA- Pricing Strategy Advisor

CSD- Commercial Specialist Designation

SRES- Seniors Real Estate Specialist

SRS- Seller Representation Specialist

AHWD- At Home with Diversity

C-RETS- Certi ed Real Estate Team Specialist

RENE- Real Estate Negotiations Expert

MRP- Military Relocation Professional

FSIM- Feng Shui Certi cation

was to tear everything out, all of these unique features and replace them with something that was current for the day. Fortunately, I didn’t.”

Educational exercise

Faulkner says architectural inspiration is not the only thing the app offers.

“The app encourages people to enjoy the outdoors together, and that’s a positive. At the same time, you get to learn about the library’s, or the community’s fascinating history,” he says. “You can take

runs (along the walking tour), you could even drive it, jog it, walk it, make an evening of it, do it with your family or with your friends.”

Riggs received glowing feedback about the tours when connecting with a former colleague when he and his wife moved to Grandview Heights from Upper Arlington.

“She said it’s just been great for us even though we thought we knew Grandview Heights living right next door. To get this information and to be able to find out

the details and to get a little exercise along with the history has been great,” Riggs said.

After 1,500 downloads, it’s safe to say History Walks is beloved by Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff residents. Riggs encourages users to keep an eye out for future tours.

By Maisie Fitzmaurice

Tri-Village Treasures: Mazah’s Mediterranean Magic

Mediterranean crowd-pleasers for all diets

Those who follow a restrictive diet know that it can be very hard, and sometimes impossible to eat out. Here in TriVillage, we are fortunate to have a variety of options, including Mazah Mediterranean Eatery.

Plant power

lively, and the lentils were cooked perfectly – not so soft that they were mushy, but not hard and undercooked either. A filling meal, but not one that makes you feel bloated.

Mazah is open for lunch Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Stop by and try the lunch sampler!

Mediterranean food is often a go-to for those following vegan/vegetarian, low-fat or low-carb diets because of its emphasis on using whole foods such as beans and legumes, nuts, leafy greens, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Mazah is owned by Maggie Ailabouni and her family. Her daughter, Katy Ailabouni, says in many parts of the Middle East meat is usually reserved for special occasions, holidays and celebrations.

Gluten sensitivities are also taken seriously at Mazah. A member of the Ailabouni family has Celiac disease, so the family understands the severity of gluten allergies and will not cross-contaminate when a guest needs to be accommodated. Gluten-free substitutes are almost always available.

Healthful medley of flavors

I visited Mazah myself and tried its baba ganouj and hummus. Both were smooth and garlicky, and the baba ganouj impressed me the most. The smoked eggplant tasted authentically fiery – not like a liquid smoke additive.

Superfood-heavy sides such as threebean and cabbage salads work perfectly to balance out the heavy flavors of the hummus and baba.

The mujadara salad tasted just as fresh. The cucumbers were crisp, the oilbased roasted red pepper dressing was

The real star of the show is the falafel. Growing up in a vegetarian household, I’ve had dozens of falafel variations. The salty, savory flavor of Mazah’s falafel stands above the rest – perfectly crispy on the outside, moist on the inside.

The food served at Mazah’s is authentic to its core; its founder’s recipes come from growing up in Lebanon and Israel.

Spring into Summer Style Show

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Featuring Fairy Hair & Mukha Spa Come

May 9th

Lite Bites and Refreshments

Giveaways in-store!

1657 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington

https://fabtique.clothing

Get your camera ready. It’s time for

Send us your photos for the annual Shutterbugs issue of Tri-Village Magazine

Images should be of:

People/Pets in Tri-Village area

Places in Tri-Village area

Events in Tri-Village area

Images can be in color or black and white.

The top photos will be featured in the August/September issue of Tri-Village Magazine.

Up to 10 images may be submitted per person. All images must be submitted as digital, high resolution photos.

Deadline: June 19

Email hi-res digital files to tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com

Focus on family

Maggie Ailabouni is originally from Lebanon but spent significant time living in Nazareth, Israel before she moved to the States. Because of this, her cooking has multiple influences.

“It’s like getting pizza from different places, it’s all different. So for us, (flavors come from) whatever village my grandparents came from,” Katy says.

She says that patrons have raved about the authentic flavor, only to find out that they are from the same specific region as her family.

If a customer wants a traditional Middle Eastern dish that isn’t on the menu, Maggie will most likely make it happen. She also hosts Lebanese Nights on the first Monday of every month, where she cooks off-menu items beloved by many from Middle Eastern backgrounds.

“That’s almost like a shared memory that you can recreate with the food,” she says. “Second, third generations that want to re-experience what they remember when they were kids at family holidays and gatherings. They’ll come here and they’ll do that.”

Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

Fattoush Lebanese Salad

Recipe (yields six servings):

• 2 pieces of pita bread

• 2 heads chopped Romaine lettuce

• ½ cup sliced green onion

• 1 cup drained diced tomatoes

• 1 cup diced cucumber

• ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

• ½ cup chopped parsley leaves

Dressing:

• 1 tsp. chopped garlic (2-4 cloves)

• 1 tsp. salt

• ½ cup lemon juice (2 large lemons)

• 1 tsp. powdered Sumac

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F

Cut pita into strips about 3/4 inch wide and arrange on baking sheet

Bake until pita strips are crisp, barely starting to brown, (less than 10 minutes). Watch carefully, they can burn quickly. Let pita bread strips cool, then crumble into bitesized pieces.

For dressing, mash together the garlic and salt using a mortar and pestle, or the side of a knife or spoon. Put garlic-salt paste in a small bowl, add lemon juice and Sumac. Whisk in olive oil and set aside.

Remove outer leaves from Romaine stem then wash and dry. Put chopped Romaine into a salad bowl large enough to toss all ingredients.

Add tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint and green onions to bowl.

Add about half of the dressing and toss, then add crumbled pita and toss again with more dressing.

Let salad sit for a few minutes (or longer) to let flavors blend and pita chips absorb some of the dressing.

Recipe Courtesy of Kalyn Denny. www.kalynskitchen.com. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Mazah sits on the corner of Grandview Avenue and Ida Avenue.

Top homes sold in the Tri-Village area

In February 2024, Upper Arlington home prices followed last year’s prices, staying at a median price of $494,000. On average, homes sold four days faster than last year’s 38 days on the market. More homes sold this year in February in Upper Arlington – 30 homes compared to last year’s 16.

Grandview Heights saw a substantial increase in home prices in February 2024, as the median home price of $682,000 was a 225.4 percent increase from last year. On average, homes were on the market longer, selling after 314 days compared to last year’s average of 65 days. More homes in Grandview Heights were sold this February, up from 2 homes last year to 15 this year. (Data from Redfin)

All sales information is collected from the Franklin County Auditor’s Office.

2396 Lane Ave.

4 beds, 5.5 baths

$2,280,000

Sold 3/27/24

2531 Sherwin Rd.

4 beds, 4 baths

$2,130,000

Sold 3/20/24

4193 Fairfax Dr. 4 beds, 3 baths

$2,126,400

Sold 3/19/24

2856 Oxford Rd. 4 beds, 3.5 baths

$2,000,000

Sold 2/6/24

1242 Lincoln Rd. 4 beds, 4.5 baths

$1,680,000

Sold 3/18/24

1373 Fountaine Dr.

4 beds, 4.5 baths

$1,600,000

Sold 3/1/24

2858 Eastcleft Dr.

5 beds, 4.5 baths

$1,460,000

Sold 2/13/24

2087 Lower Chelsea Rd.

3 beds, 2.5 baths

$1,426,000

Sold 2/29/24

2130 N. Parkway Dr.

4 beds, 3.5 baths

$1,375,000

Sold 3/12/24

2520 Stonehaven Pl.

3 beds, 4.5 baths

$1,350,000

Sold 3/7/24

2166 N. Parkway Dr.

5 beds, 3.5 baths

$1,225,000

Sold 2/5/24

2545 Sandover Rd.

5 beds, 2.5 baths

$1,200,000

Sold 4/1/24

MARYSVILLE – Relax & Enjoy this Dreamy 1 Story Home, Corner Lot with Manicured Lawn & Private Patio. Spacious Sunlit Interior, New Flowing Laminant Flooring, Great Kitchen Appliances, LR, DR, 3 BR 2.5BA/2 Updated Baths, Finished Lower Level/Full Basement $299,900.

Carolyn Redinger credinger@infinityliving.org (614) 679-1274

2705 LEEDS ROAD, UPPER ARLINGTON Character and charm abound in this fabu-

3429 River Seine Street | Beautifully UPDATED 3 bedroom, 4.5 bath home! Renovated Wolf/SubZero kitchen features almost 10’ island opens to cozy, vaulted/beamed hearth room w/gas fireplace. Two story Great Room, first floor primary suite with new spa bath. Two large guest rooms w/new baths up. Newly finished lower level boasts kitchen w/wine fridge, full bath, media & exercise area. Patio + fenced yard! Keller Williams Classic Properties Realty cherylgodard.com

Cheryl Godard cherylgodard@kw.com (614) 353-8711

Cheryl Godard cherylgodard@kw.com (614) 353-8711

Submitted

The Light Between Oceans

by M.L. Stedman

An Australian lighthouse keeper’s wife who is struggling with infertility hears a baby’s cry in the distance. When she discovers a boat washed up on the shore with a dead man and a living baby, things get complicated. This book presented a very intense quandary that was gripping throughout. A definite page-turner!

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands

by Kate Beaton

What are the impacts of moving away from your home to take a faraway job in an unfamiliar field? This graphic novel covers a period in the author’s life when she left her home in Nova Scotia to work in the oil sands of Alberta. Beaton lived in labor

camps, experiencing some dark times but also learned a lot about her fellow workers. She also learns that what others think about the oil sands is not the whole story.

The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World’s Greatest City

by Sam Roberts

This work by a veteran New York journalist takes the reader through time, twists and turns of fate, and territory one never could imagine existed before today’s concrete and steel of New York City. The people, the places, the antics, the mayhem. Packed with interesting characters, events, deals and drama, this book is rich with information and vocabulary to rival any college history class.

Holly

by Stephen

King

Holly Gibney, a favorite (yet awkward) character from the Bill Hodges Trilogy

and several short stories, is back as the main character in this new book by Stephen King. Holly is hesitant to take this “missing daughter” case amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but she opts to help. A welltold story as Holly methodically pieces the clues together.

A Heart That Works

by Rob Delaney

Comedian Rob Delaney is best known for his comedy specials, funny tweets, and the TV show Catastrophe. This memoir focuses on his struggle of having a terminally ill child while balancing responsibilities for his healthy children. Fiercely funny while navigating a heavy topic, we see his resiliency and love. He embraces the topic of death and what it means to lose a child while showing how not to get lost in grief.

Then She Was Gone

by Lisa Jewell

Ellie is a young woman of 15 when she mysteriously disappears. After 10 years, her mother Laurel, still struggling to put her life back together, is caught by surprise when she meets a charming man. As their relationship matures, Laurel meets her new boyfriend’s children. In a frightful twist to a possible new beginning, Laurel meets Poppy, his youngest daughter, who is the spitting image of her lost Ellie.

Grandview Heights Public Library www.ghpl.org

Upper Arlington Public Libraries

Tremont Road Branch, Lane and Miller Park www.ualibrary.org

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