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Ella Jay
Rachel Karas
Korrigan Craddock Editorial Assistants
Frances Denman
Maggie Fipps
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MarchApril
Otterbein Singers, March 23
March 1-31
Community Arts of Westerville 67th Annual Spring Show
Westerville Community Center 350 N. Cleveland Ave. www.communityartistsofwesterville.org
Sat., March 1
Uptown Cookie Walk Noon-4 p.m.
Uptown Westerville www.uptownwestervilleinc.com
Sun., March 2
On Your Marks – Concert with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra 3-4 p.m.
Westerville Public Library Uptown 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
Sun., March 9
Westerville Symphony Masterworks II Presents Holst’s The Planets
5 p.m.
Fritsche Theater at Cowan Hall
30 S. Grove St. www.westervillesymphony.org
Thurs., March 20
Quote on a Tote – Tote Bag Decorating for Women’s History Month 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Westerville Public Library Uptown 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
Thurs., March 20
Community Artists of Westerville –March Art Social 6-8 p.m.
Family Room Coffee & Bake Shop 545 S. Otterbein Ave. www.communityartistsofwesterville.org
Sun., March 23
Otterbein Singers Performance
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Battelle Fine Arts Center 170 W. Park St. www.otterbein.edu
March 24-28
No School K-12 – Spring Break Westerville City School District www.westerville.k12.oh.us
Tues., March 25
Women in Business Social –Cards & Cocktails
5:30-7:30 p.m.
The Old Bag of Nails Pub 24 N. State St. www.westervillechamber.com
Tues., March 25
Community Artists of Westerville Monthly Meeting
6-8 p.m.
Westerville Community Center 350 N. Cleveland Ave. www.communityartistsofwesterville.org
Wed., April 2
Power Up – Video Game Night
1:30-2:30 p.m., 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Westerville Public Library Uptown 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
April 3-12
Otterbein University Presents Footloose Fritsche Theater at Cowan Hall 30 S. Grove St. www.otterbein.edu
Fri., April 11
Chamber Ensemble Concert – Strings
7:30-9 p.m.
Battelle Fine Arts Center 170 W. Park St. www.otterbein.edu
Fri., April 18
No School K-12 – Good Friday Westerville City School District www.westerville.k12.oh.us
Sat., April 19
Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt 10:30 a.m.-noon
Westerville Community Center Gymnasium 350 N. Cleveland Ave. www.civitan.org/westerville
www.westervillemagazine.com
Fri., April 25
Jazz Ensemble Concert
7:30-8:30 p.m.
Battelle Fine Arts Center 170 W. Park St. www.otterbein.edu
Sat., April 26
Westerville Art Hop
Noon-4 p.m. Uptown Westerville www.uptownwestervilleinc.com
Sun., April 27
Westerville Symphony Masterworks III Presents Milhaud’s Creation of the World and Copland’s Appalachian Spring 5 p.m.
Fritsche Theater at Cowan Hall 30 S. Grove St. www.westervillesymphony.org
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Chamber Ensemble Concert, April 11
By Ella Jay
Local Roots, Global Impact
Ellen
Cathers and Rotary Club of Westerville support widows in Kenya
Longtime member and past President of the Rotary Club of Westerville, Ellen Cathers has had the chance to bring an incredible service opportunity to Westerville and its citizens – a nonprofit organization called Rise Up Now, or RUN, that provides assistance and support for widows in Kitale, Kenya.
“Rise Up Now was started in 2009. It came out of my passion as I traveled different places, whether it be in the community or around the world, to raise people up out of spiritual and economic poverty,” Cathers says.
Photos courtesy of Ellen Cathers
Over the years, RUN has given Cathers and her fellow Westerville Rotarians not just the chance to help women and families in East Africa, but also the chance to uplift their community right here at home.
A RUNning start
When she was in her 20s, Cathers never imagined that she would leave the country, despite having enthusiasm for travel. Now, four decades later, she has visited Kenya 23 times and counting.
“(Serving others) has given me a reason to go and see different places and meet new people,” Cathers says. “I think everyone needs to get out of their comfort zone and go see how other people live.”
During her travels, Cathers noticed a cultural pattern of African widows being ostracized from their late husbands’ families, left with little to no resources with which to raise their children. In an effort to help these women regain their voices within their communities, she partnered with an indigenous pastor in Kenya, Pastor Isaac, to form the RUN family. Today, that family consists of 11 widows as well as their 56 children, 54 grandchildren and over 12 great-grandchildren.
RUN assists these widows and their children in many ways, including by providing the following:
• Water well and latrine installations
• Mosquito nets and assistance with other home repairs
• Food staples and fertilizer for a successful planting season
• Health insurance and easier access to medical care
• Assistance with school fees
• Basic financial training
Perhaps most importantly, RUN provides the widows with basic business training. According to Cathers, many of the widows have successfully started their own small businesses thanks to the nonprofit’s business workshops and self-sustaining capital program.
The capital program helps the widows maintain and expand their businesses once established by teaching them how to properly invest their profits. Cathers says the program helps them eventually
move their businesses into bigger capital gain, while also allowing them to put more money in their pockets and build up emergency funds.
“We’re not just giving stuff away, we’re trying to create accountability and something that moves people a step forward,” Cathers says. “It’s not a handout, it’s a hand up.”
RUN meets Rotary
Though Cathers has always been involved with the Rotary Club of Westerville, the Club hasn’t always been involved with RUN.
“After COVID, I felt like God wanted me to live my faith out everywhere in my life, not just inside the church,” Cathers says. “I spend a lot of time in Rotary, and wanted to connect my faith to Rotary.”
In response, Cathers brought together a group of Rotarians to aid the efforts of RUN and occasionally travel to Kenya. This group works hand-in-hand with the Rotary Club that’s been established in Ki tale to assist those in need whenever there is drought, flood or famine. The Club also helps fund a dispensary there – a small infirmary – to ensure its pharmacy is kept stocked and is currently in the process of renovating the building.
During its most recent trip to Kenya last summer, the group ran small business seminars for men recovering from street life, widows and small-scale farmers; set up medical camps at two prisons and one dispensary; and spent valuable time with orphans. On this trip, Cathers visited each widow in their home and got to know them personally.
“It’s not about just giving money, it’s about building relationships,” Cathers says. “It’s the most important thing.”
Additionally, the Club is working on a second large initiative in Kenya, including installing a lab with over 70 computers in a local high school to encourage computer literacy. Surrounding high schools and community members will have access to the lab as well.
Cathers is thankful for the Club’s help.
“I love the Rotarians,” she says. “Everybody’s very active, just great people. We’re
(creating) a community where we lift each other up.”
A race to no end
Whether across the globe or in the Westerville area, Cathers is always looking for more opportunities to help others. Besides her work for RUN, she also works with at-risk youth at Star House, Columbus, a homeless shelter for youth.
Together, Cathers and the Rotary Club are in the process of launching a nonprofit for at-risk youth which will be called Westerville Youth Connection. According to Cathers, it will act as a respite and provide a safe place to get connected with resources, fix a meal, do homework, do laundry, or just relax.
“Instead of shipping off our at-risk youth to Columbus or someplace, let’s
keep these kids in our community,” Cathers says. “Let’s develop them so that they’re active, contributing citizens and bring them back into the positive mix so they can be a part of the good things we’ve got going on in Westerville.”
That’s not all, however. Cathers has many future visions for both here in Ohio, as well as overseas. Eventually, she wishes to put up a pickleball facility on the east side of Columbus, but sooner than that, she will be continuing her work in Kenya.
Cathers traveled in February with an organization called Transformational Leadership to assist medical students in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as in Vietnam and Indonesia. She also plans to visit Pastor Isaac in June and take Westerville Rotarians back to Kenya in 2026.
Cathers encourages everyone to seek ways in which they can serve others, no matter how small.
“Small contributions all add up,” she says. “The world gets people looking back. We (want) to get people looking forward.”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenedmediagroup.com.
Rotary members visiting Kenya in 2023.
By Megan Brokamp
Vuocolo
Bee a Leader
Teaching
second
graders valuable life skills
When volunteers from the I-CAN Program visit classrooms for weekly lessons, they come bearing gifts – plush bumblebees, to be specific. The bumblebee is the mascot for the I-CAN Program, an initiative between the Rotary Club of Westerville, Westerville Sunrise Rotary Club and Westerville City Schools to educate second graders about good character.
Volunteers begin each visit by picking a student to hold the bee during the class. Although awarding a child with any stuffed
animal is a great way to win their favor, there is a deeper meaning behind the mascot.
The bumblebee symbolizes hard work and a good attitude, and each week, a student who embodied the spirit of the mascot is awarded the bee. This is what the I-CAN Program is all about – using engaging lessons to build character.
“If you look at a bumblebee, the body is much bigger than the wings. For all essence, it should not be able to fly, but it does fly.” David Read, the chair of the program, says.
I-CAN origins
More than two decades ago, the I-CAN Program was introduced to Westerville City Schools’ elementary buildings. The Westerville Sunrise Rotary Club initiated the program, and the Rotary Club of Westerville joined to expand its reach.
Read moved to Columbus from Indiana in 2016 and taught in the I-CAN Program for a year, all the while noticing that the lessons were outdated.
“The literature was getting tired, and it lost momentum,” he says.
Photos courtesy of Kristie Koehler
Annehurst Elementary Second Grade Class
In 2019, he helped form a committee comprised of members from both Rotary clubs to revamp the program.
When crafting the new program, it was important that the initiative was a collaborative effort between the Rotary clubs and the school district.
“When we designed the program, we wanted to make sure that we were reinforcing the topics that (the teachers) wanted taught,” Read says. “Not inventing new concepts… to not supplant, but support.”
After ensuring that the program fit the district’s curriculum, the committee collaborated with the Westerville Public Library to select the right books for each topic.
The lessons also became more accessible. Previously, volunteers carried the curriculum in a binder, and now, lessons are found online, allowing access for teachers and parents and making it easier to update the curriculum.
After halting the program for two years during the pandemic, the I-CAN program, now new and improved, made its official return during the 2022-2023 school year.
Breaking it down
The I-CAN Program visits more than 800 second graders weekly, from the first week of October through the first week of May. Each session is 30 minutes long, fitting perfectly within the class schedule and complementing lessons taught by second-grade teachers and school counselors through the Position Action Through Holistic Education (PATH) Program.
The goal of the I-CAN Program is to strengthen six areas of character development: self-awareness, self-management,
The little second graders love the high schoolers. They’ll see them down the hallway, and they’ll hug them. “ ”
Although the books chosen for each lesson are catered towards kids, even adults relate to the books on this year’s reading list. Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, is the story of a boy born with one deformed leg who defied societal expectations and went on to ride four hundred miles on bike across Ghana in order to raise awareness for disabilities.
Read knew this story well, because, for years, he was an active participant in the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), an organization that helps people with physical challenges lead active lives and participate in sports. The CAF was the very foundation that provided Emmanuel with the bike used to travel across Ghana.
Lesson on tooth health
High school volunteer
personal responsibility, decision-making, relationship skills and social awareness.
“We wanted to start with talking about you as an individual,” Read says. “Then, if you look at all six concepts, it’s almost like expanding horizons, right? You’ll move out from yourself to taking personal responsibility to eventually the last unit of social awareness.”
Programs consist of both adult and student volunteers. Adult volunteers are a combination of Rotary Club participants, retired teachers and anyone interested in the mission of I-CAN. 66 high school students also volunteer with the program, coming from programs such as Interact and the National Honors Society.
With a short time period to teach and even shorter student attention spans, volunteers must be sure that their lessons are entertaining, and concise.
The program uses innovative activities to teach students without it feeling like a lesson.
One week, students are collaborating to build a sculpture out of spaghetti and straws. The next, they’re soaking hardboiled eggs in Gatorade to learn the importance of brushing your teeth and forming healthy habits.
Collective collaboration
Although there is a set curriculum, volunteers are encouraged to use their creativity to keep the program evolving.
“What we’ve found is that our volunteers are pretty creative, and so when they come up with an alternative activity, we can post it on the (school) website,” Read says.
Before each activity, the high school volunteers kick off the lesson by reading a story with relevance to the lesson topic.
“The little second graders love the high schoolers. They’ll see them down the hallway, and they’ll hug them,” Read says. “By the end of the year, they want to know who they’re dating and what their next plans are. They really develop a bond with the high schoolers.”
High school students offer support through the program, but they too grow as individuals. As weeks progress, students learn how to teach and interact with the kids, building their own leadership skills.
At the end of the school year, the program culminates with a graduation ceremony. Students are presented with medals, treats and a party to celebrate their growth. They are also given review cards of main concepts to take home.
I-CAN has been implemented in 80 percent of Westerville City Schools, and Read hopes it will one day be in every school to help more teachers make a positive impact on their students.
“We’re reinforcing what (educators) want taught, and it’s a different voice,” Read says. “I think they see the reaction of the second graders, right? All those things I think, make a difference.”
Megan Brokamp is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mbrokamp@cityscenemediagroup.com
Spaghetti tower marshmallow challenge
Friendly Faces
Westerville Elementary students connect with new student resource officers
By Frances Denman
Most on-duty police officers aren’t found on the playground at recess, reading children’s books or participating in P.E. class, but for Westerville Student Resource Officer (SRO) Ryan Schleve, these activities are common on the job.
As a neighborhood SRO, a position that the Westerville Division of Police and the Westerville City School District recently added to their SRO program, Schleve is responsible for keeping elementary school students and faculty safe while facilitating positive relationships and experiences with students.
With SROs being introduced to Westerville elementary schools for the first time this school year, Schleve says there are more opportunities for law enforcement to connect with younger kids and shape their perspectives of police officers from an earlier age on a more personal level.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s important just because of that added safety and security, but I also think it’s important to engage with these students as they go through all these different levels,” Schleve says.
As an SRO, Schleve is an accessible resource for students and teachers to speak with and learn from. Outside performing security and safety checks, Schleve assists teachers with safety tips, supports school staff and spends time bonding with students throughout the school day.
“I get to be a grown adult playing basketball and going to gym class,” Schleve laughs. “I think that’s the most rewarding time because you’re getting good quality time with those students and you’re able to answer those questions that they may have in a safe environment.”
Lifelong connections
Schleve says he’s lived in Westerville his whole life, attending Mark Twain Elementary – one of the schools he now serves as an SRO – as well as Walnut Springs Middle School. As a high school student, Schleve says he built close relationships with Westerville police officers by being involved in the Youth Public Safety Cadet Program where he participated in weekly meetings at the police station and learned about careers in law enforcement.
It was there he discovered his passion for police work and was later hired.
“When I came in, it was nice because I already had a relationship built with a lot of officers here,” Schleve says.
Police Lieutenant Greg Franey, who oversees Westerville SROs and other
Photos courtesy of Westerville City Schools
community resources, speaks to the close and cohesive dynamics of the Westerville SRO team and police force. Franey, for example, was once a mentor to Schleve in the Cadet Program.
“I’ve known him since he was 14,” Franey says. “So I feel like he’s been here longer.”
Another lifelong connection of Schleve’s resulting from an early interest in law enforcement is Aaron Dickison, a former SRO
at Westerville North High School, where Schleve attended. Dickison taught him how to write police reports and perform other office work at the police station.
The two bonded over their love for fishing and remain close friends and colleagues to this day.
“I got all my work done in English class, so I’d go to his office and talk to him,” Schleve says.
Day-to-day life for Schleve often involves teachers asking him to stop in their classrooms to demonstrate correct safety procedures, answer questions or introduce other activities.
Pointing to a bundle of hand-written cards, Schleve explains that he once had a particularly curious third-grade class.
“They wrote me a bunch of notes,” Schleve says. “I kind of read through them and I went back in there and started answering some of their questions.”
Walking the halls, Schleve says he encounters all kinds of funny questions. The students are at an age, he says, where they say whatever thought comes to mind.
“Some of the questions you get, you’re just like, where did that come from?” Schleve says, laughing. “Some kid was asking about the taser and if he could be tased and I was like, ‘That hurts, no, and I like my job.’”
After having such a positive experience with his SRO, and returning to the Cadet Program as a mentor to high schoolers, Schleve was eager to accept a neighborhood SRO position when it became available.
“Being able to engage at that younger age level and just develop the relationship and the kids seeing an officer at a younger age, really intrigued me,” Schleve says. “I was excited, I wanted to be a part of that.”
From the cruiser to the playground
Having originally worked as patrol officers and then transitioning to SRO work, both Franey and Schleve say their daily interactions are very different from their previous positions as patrol officers.
“That guard’s down because you have that rapport built with that student, you know that student and the history with them,” Schleve says. “And, if you’ve already built that good rapport with them, you might walk in and totally calm them down.”
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As a former field training officer, Schleve notes the importance of being open with students, not intimidating and distant the way patrol officers are trained to be.
“Here I am, as a school resource officer – I’ll plop down in a little chair, I’ll sit at the lunch tables that are tiny too, and you’re sitting there with all your gear on next to these kids,” Schleve says. “As a patrol officer, yes, in certain instances it’s serious – you got to be serious – but here you got to be able to smile and connect with the kids.”
Fostering change
Schleve says that because SROs are new to Westerville elementary schools, he’s excited to see the powerful community-wide changes in Westerville students’ trust and harmony with police officers due to early exposure to law enforcement. He’s already witnessed students interacting more confidently with himself and other officers at community events and heard rumors of young students approaching patrol officers to ask about him.
“Just the difference a couple of months has made of being split between nine buildings and still making that positive interaction has been awesome,” Schleve says. “I think just being in that role and having the students recognize you at other events outside the school has helped build those relationships and them being more comfortable coming up and talking to us police officers.”
Though student safety is the number one priority, Franey says that resource officers also have opportunities to impact kids’ lives before problems arise, whereas patrol officers typically address those problems after they arise. As a familiar face, an SRO can help students based on their individual needs.
“I think we need to have positive role models and mentors from the beginning,” Franey says. “The kids just say hi to us and it’s not like, ‘Hey, what’s wrong? The police are here,’ it’s, ‘Hey, the police are our friends, they’re here, there’s not a problem.’”
For Schleve, only time will tell how these positive connections will impact the students once they reach middle school and high school as they become accustomed to law enforcement from earlier ages.
“Just the interactions that I’ve had with these elementary school students, how positive they’ve been, leads me to think that this will continue to be positive as they move through the different levels,” Schleve says.
Frances Denman is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Build with Brava
student spotlight
By Rachel Karas
courtesy of Westerville Education Foundation
Learning Comes Alive
Westerville Education Foundation evolves funding focus to meet community needs
Whether you raised butterflies to learn about life circles or built an erupting volcano with baking soda and vinegar, there is a good chance you have had an educator who found a way to make learning fun.
For more than 30 years, the Westerville Education Foundation (WEF) has worked with Westerville City Schools and its teachers to help fund engaging educational projects to keep kids in love with learning.
In recent years, the focus and content of those projects have shifted to meet the needs of the students, and the Foundation is also working to highlight these projects through events and encourage student involvement.
Support in the schools
In recent years, WEF Executive Director and previous English teacher at Westerville Central H.S., Emma Nelson, says her team has received more applications involving S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and math) projects, and those looking to support cultural diversity.
“A key factor in our ability to adapt and to provide what is really needed is listening to teachers,” Nelson says. “We have a
Projects Galore!
strong relationship with the district, so we’re pretty in sync with what is happening in the district, and then teachers are able to tell us what their students need to learn and thrive, and then we can help make it happen.”
One of these projects, which has been ongoing for the past five years, is the African-American Read-In hosted at Blendon M.S.. Sixth-grade teacher, Lee Rutherford, who is in charge of the event, says that WEF’s funding has made it possible to bring in authors, poets and even a quilter.
“We have the youngest readers to the oldest joining us. It’s been exciting to see many community members joining the event, as well. I believe it has truly become a hallmark event for our community,” Rutherford says. “I’m often stopped and asked about what the theme is for this year and who our speaker will be. It’s awesome to see and hear that folks look forward to it each year.”
The focus of these projects has also shifted toward other facets of students’ lives, such as finding ways to address their social and emotional needs. This led to the
Although there have been some trends to note in recent years, WEF receives countless funding request applications each year and works to fund as many as possible. Here are just some of the projects that WEF has helped bring to life through its funding as well as other means such as the Dr. George Tombaugh (legacy) Fund and the Golden Butterfly (sponsorship-funded) Grant:
• A mock grocery store through the Best of Both Worlds Program
• The Arts Alive Arts Festival at Westerville Central H.S.
• American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters covering theatre performances at Westerville South H.S.A
• Fossil Garden at Genoa M.S.
• Moving Mustang’s Mileage Club at Hawthorne Elementary
• Culinary Club at Westerville Central H.S.
Check out the Westerville Education Foundation website at www.westervilleeducationfoundation.com to see more projects like these.
creation of a calming space at Genoa M.S., a yoga club at Minerva Park M.S. and a sensory space at Mark Twain Elementary. Spaces like these offer a quiet and often softly lit space where students can come when they are emotionally dysregulated to help them find coping skills with trusted staff nearby.
Furthering the impact
The WEF is always looking for ways to increase its reach and impact, which is why Nelson says she was so excited to host the very first Grow and Glow event.
Photos
Mock grocery store
Genoa Fossil Garden
At this February 2025 event, the community was invited to interact with various businesses and groups in and surrounding the area as well as student groups and previous WEF grant recipients, bringing together all the people connected with the Foundation.
“Grow & Glow was a fantastic success! We saw a great turnout, with an estimated 2,000+ attendees enjoying the performances, hands-on activities, and community resources. The energy was incredible, and it was wonderful to see so many families, students, and organizations come together,” Nelson says. “We hope that Grow & Glow strengthened connections between schools, families, and local organizations, creating a space for collaboration and celebration. One of our goals was also to increase awareness of the Westerville Education Foundation’s mission and impact, and we hope that many of our attendees left knowing a little bit more about WEF.”
Nelson is also excited to see the renewed interest from students in the Westerville Student Education Foundation.
Although it was established some time ago, the student version of the Foundation had to take a brief break during the pandemic. Since returning, Nelson says students have come back with renewed excitement and energy, focusing this year’s projects on the We are the ‘Ville sportsmanship campaign created by the district.
As WEF looks back on all its sponsors and supporters over the years, Nelson says the group hopes to continue increasing its reach for years to come.
“The teachers have no lack of great ideas,” Nelson says. “We just need the support to be able to help them make them happen.”
Rachel Karas is the lead editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Grow & Glow
living By Maggie Fipps
Building for Forever Kitchen renovation provides space for family gatherings
In her newly renovated kitchen, you can see what Kathie Cesa loves the most: family.
Positioned prominently behind a section of glass-doored cabinets are her grandmother’s crystal dishes. The 100-year-old antiques remind her of the past. Also on display is a tea towel that reads ‘YaYa’s kitchen,’ a reminder of her four grandsons who love to visit.
“They love the remodel too,” Cesa says. Cesa moved to Columbus from Coshocton, a small town east of the city. She chose to settle in Westerville because it reminded her of home.
“I like that Westerville had a little bit of a small-town feel,” Cesa says. “It’s just a friendly community, easily walkable, great restaurants.”
Due to the businesses she runs remotely, Cesa was looking for the perfect
house to act as an office and an oasis. She landed on a ranch-style home, but she had a few changes in mind to make it her own.
“That was when I started working with Kathy to modernize the kitchen,” Cesa says. “This was really more for me and my family when they come over. I hope this is my forever home, and so I tried to make this kind of a timeless look.”
Photos courtesy of Kathie Cesa
The four-month-long project was completed by Kathy Morgan and the Functional Living group. Contractors took out a portion of the wall to open up the kitchen. What once was a small window into the living room became a new bar with seating.
They also added new cabinets, backsplash, countertops and appliances. The cabinets transformed from generic neutrals to a new sage green.
“When I first moved in, everything was white and beige in the house, so I just
wanted a little more pop of something,” Cesa says. “I tried to bring in the greens and a nature feel.”
Cesa said the hardest part of the renovation process was picking out all the
“They don’t show you the myriad of decisions you have to make and the minutiae Before
little details in the design. She even had to decide which way the hardware would face on the cabinets.
This was really more for me and my family. I hope this is my forever home, and so I tried to make this kind of a timeless look.
“ ”
to make it turn out to the vision in your head,” Cesa says.
To help her achieve her vision, Morgan encouraged Cesa to create a Pinterest board with all of her ideas. This sparked a new idea for the upstairs bathroom, which they also renovated.
“We put in a sliding door to the bathroom with translucent panels rather than a regular door, I found that in a hotel,” Cesa says.
Aside from the kitchen renovation, the upstairs bathroom was taken down to the studs to create a spa-like experience. They also painted all the woodwork in the house and created a custom credenza, one of Cesa’s favorite parts of the house.
The transformation was not a quick change like in an HGTV show, but Cesa enjoyed going to her house every day to see the progress.
“I would come over every day just to check on the guys,” Cesa said. “And sometimes they would have suggestions or they would want to show me what was happening. So just being involved the whole way, I really liked that.”
Maggie Fipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Luxury Living
Top Homes Sold in Westerville
Westerville home prices were up 4.7 percent in December 2024 when compared to the previous year. Homes sold for a median price of $405K. On average, homes sold after 39 days on the market compared to 37 the previous year. In December 2024, 45 homes were sold compared to 28 the previous year. (Data from Redfin)
681 Southbluff Dr.
5 beds, 5 baths
$775,000
Sold 12/31/24
920 Memories Ln.
4 beds, 3.5 baths
$745,500
Sold 12/23/24
65 W. Ridge Ct. 4 beds, 3.5 baths
$625,000
Sold 1/30/25
1177 N. Three Forks Dr. 4 beds, 2.5 baths
$615,000
Sold 12/04/24
498 Deer Run Ct.
4 beds, 2.5 baths
$579,900
Sold 12/02/24
1092 E. College Ave.
5 beds, 2.5 baths
$575,000
Sold 1/03/25
706 Whithorn Ct.
5 beds, 2.5 baths
$560,000
Sold 12/23/24
713 Autumn Branch Rd. 4 beds, 2.5 baths
$540,000
Sold 12/10/24
58 E. Logan Ave. 3 beds, 2.5 baths
$538,000
Sold 12/24/24
535 Deer Run Ct. 4 beds, 2.5 baths
$525,000
Sold 12/23/24
1022 Vincent Ct. 4 beds, 2.5 baths
$499,500
Sold 12/23/24
631 Whilehaven Ct. 4 beds, 2.5 baths
$480,000
Sold 12/04/24
All information is collected from the Franklin County Auditor’s Office.
By Grace Heberling
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Kitchen Time
Forming children’s healthy habits through cooking
For those who grew up helping their parents in the kitchen, now is a great time to pass it on. Cooking with one’s kids enriches learning and teaches significant life lessons.
Kitchen involvement can start at any age. Even babies can get something out of it. As the parent goes from task to task, babies learn new smells and movements.
Once kids get a little older, they can put on an apron and join in. Cooking and baking involve many menial tasks that are monotonous for adults but exciting for kids. Stirring ingredients is a classic task that most kids love. Washing, counting and pouring ingredients are also good activities that improve math and motor skills. Even if they’re not interested in participating yet, encourage them to watch.
Cooking can be very involved, so it’s important to keep tasks age-appropriate. Overly challenging tasks will only discourage kids. The kitchen shouldn’t be a space for stress or risk; it should be fun!
The older that kids are, the more involved they can be. They’ll graduate to cracking
eggs, peeling vegetables, and eventually, cooking on their own.
In the kitchen, kids develop good habits like cleaning up after themselves and washing their hands well. The biggest outcome of kitchen time as a kid is building healthy habits. As they take on more responsibility in the kitchen, they learn responsible eating.
Parents know fruits and vegetables are important, but kids tend to be picky eaters. In a study published in 2020 by Dr. Fiona M. Asigbee, a researcher who focuses on children’s nutrition, Asigbee and her team found that cooking with family allows kids to see and work with vegetables and fruits often, which resulted in a higher vegetable and fruit intake.
Bingo Toast
A great way to get your kids excited about cooking is to find a recipe that relates to their interests. For kids who love the popular TV show Bluey, here’s a simple and healthy recipe that resembles Bluey’s little sister, Bingo.
• 2 pieces of white bread
• 3 blueberries
• 1 banana
• Peanut butter
Tear one of the slices of bread in half. Toast 1 1/2 slices. Use a plastic knife to cut two triangles from the toasted half for the ears.
Spread peanut butter on the edges of the toast. Cut two circles from the untoasted bread and add blueberries to make Bingo’s eyes.
Cut the banana into the shapes of her eyebrows and the light streak on her forehead. Stack a few slices on top of each other to make her snout, and then add a blueberry on top.
Now, it’s ready to eat!
Recipe adapted from www.bluey.tv
When in the kitchen, kids need to maintain safe cooking practices. If they’re eager to help with an unsafe task, see if it can be child-proofed before turning them down. For example, if a kid really wants to help by cutting vegetables, they can try out a plastic knife or even a crinkle cutter to practice. Or, if a recipe requires an electric mixer that a kid isn’t ready to operate, it’s okay to let them mix it with a fork for a while before a responsible adult switches to the electric mixer. It may feel redundant, but any opportunity to participate is worthwhile to them.
Kids are often curious about how the meals they love are made, so encouraging them to help cook their favorite dinners or family recipes is a good way to build engagement. You may also want to check out cooking classes and demonstrations at the Westerville Public Library and Westerville Community Center.
Grace Heberling is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
PERFORMANCES
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Ohio Women Vote
Exhibit on display through May 10 westervillelibrary.org/exhibits
From the Westerville Public Library
For
Recommended Youth Reads from Katie Ross, Youth Services Librarian
Game On! by Maria Le (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Kids around the world have many things in common, especially the need to have fun. Discover the familiar, and not-so-familiar, games that children play around the world.
My Extraordinary Face by Marissa Suchyta (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Children with facial differences such as port wine stain and cleft palate are given encouragement and strategies for dealing with questions or comments from others. The author provides further prompts and suggestions for adults.
Babies Around the World Eating by Puck (Board Book)
Babies and toddlers from around the world welcome you on a journey to explore some of the most popular foods from their countries. Basic phrases related to eating and greetings are included throughout the book.
Kitchen Explorers by America’s Test Kitchen Kids (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Over 8,000 kids contributed to the writing of this book. It is a tasty way for kids to learn about science and math from the comfort of their kitchen.
Recommended Adult Reads from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
Feeding Littles Lunches: 75+ No Stress Lunches Everyone Will Love by Megan McNamee (Non-fiction)
This book is the ultimate lunchbox resource to take the guesswork out of packing lunch whether you’re heading to school, going out for a picnic, or just brown bagging it on a trip. With vibrant photos of 75 real-life lunches, charts, and grocery lists for visual inspiration, this book helps parents break out of their lunchbox rut and feel confident creating healthy, balanced lunches.
Caring for Kids from Hard Places: How to Help Children and Teens with a Traumatic Past by David Schooler
Jayne and David Schooler discuss reasons why children and teens sometimes exhibit potentially disruptive behavior. Together, the authors offer practical strategies for training, equipping and resourcing staff and volunteers, to provide a responsive environment for children with behavioral challenges. Caring for Kids from Hard Places helps caregivers discover how to better love children from difficult backgrounds and pave their way for a better life.
50 Hikes with Kids: Illinois, Indiana and Ohio by Sharon Cox (Non-fiction)
Midwest kids live in a magnificent natural playground. Easy-to-read trail maps, intuitive directions, elevation and length details for each hike, restroom information and places to grab snacks are included. Plus, scavenger hunts make it fun for even the youngest trekkers to learn about local flora, fauna and geology. Hikes include the Leatherleaf Bog Trail in Moraine Hills State Park, the Bluffs of Beaver Bend, the Lodges Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and more.
