Going the Distance
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Inside
MARCH/APRIL 2022
Repair Replacement Maintenance
06 community calendar 08 faces
Westerville Winner
Columbus Marathon victor is local dietitian
12 in focus
Westerville Side Story
Westerville grads find success in entertainment industry
12
16 (Not So) Big Fat Greek Life A look at Otterbein University’s local Greek life chapters
20 student spotlight
A Major Accomplishment
Westerville Honor Band highlights dedicated student musicians
22 living
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27 Luxury Living Real Estate Guide
20
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28 on the table Taste of Home
Pierogi startup recalls Cleveland roots and European heritage
30 Bookmarks CONNIE@ CONNIES ADOWSKI.COM
22 @westervillemagazine
On the Cover Sakiko Minagawa Photo courtesy of John Nixon See page 8
Read more online at WestervilleMagazine.com www.westervillemagazine.com
March/April 2022 5
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March 20 Otterbein Singers Concert
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March 28-April 1 Westerville City Schools Spring Break March 31-April 9 Otterbein Theatre presents Something Rotten!
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March/April 2022 7
faces
By Claire Miller Photos courtesy of Sakiko Minagawa and John Nixon
Westerville Winner Columbus Marathon victor is local dietitian 8 March/April 2022
www.westervillemagazine.com
WESTERVILLE -DENTAL HEALTH-
The Westerville resident won the 2021 Columbus Marathon with a time of 2:41:12.
R
unning is not an individual sport, according to Sakiko Minagawa: it takes teamwork. That includes working with your competitor, which she found herself doing for several miles on her way to a first-place female finish at the 2021 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon. “The way I am is you can’t do it alone, running is teamwork,” Minagawa says. “Yes, we’re not teammates, but it’s teamwork. Twenty-six-point-two miles is way too long to do it yourself, and so we were both very encouraging.” Minagawa is a Westerville resident and a registered dietitian for the division of sports medicine at Nationwide Children’s
Minagawa (left) and her identical twin Minori Minagawa ran side by side during the first half of the 2021 Columbus Marathon. www.westervillemagazine.com
Hospital. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Ohio State University, where she earned six varsity letters as a member of the Buckeye cross country and track and field teams. Competing for the Buckeyes from 201216, Minagawa assisted the women’s team in earning a 26th-place finish at the NCAA cross country championships. She still has the third fastest 10K time in school history. In 2018, her first marathon time qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, and she raced in the 2020 trials in Atlanta for her second marathon. In the Columbus Marathon, her third, she finished first out of 667 women with a personal best of 2:41:12. Yet what she really wants people to know about her is that she was a walk-on at OSU, a team player more than a standout. “I was an OK runner, OK enough to walk on, but I wasn’t like a state winner and all that,” says Minagawa, a graduate of Dublin Scioto High School. “Something that I really emphasized to my younger teammates that came on the team and to runners that I talk to now, I say that, ‘Hey, you can make a difference without being the fastest runner.’” Minagawa points out that even with a victory, she knows there are faster runners elsewhere in the U.S. and even faster throughout the world. Still, she says, it doesn’t take the best athlete to make a positive contribution. Minagawa says she was proud to represent Columbus Running Company’s elite team and to run in a race sponsored by her employer. All those hometown
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connections made running Columbus extra special. Going the Distance During the race, Minagawa knew it was time to pull definitively ahead when she saw Emma McCarron, the runner who would ultimately take second place, start to fall behind around mile 16. Minagawa’s coach, Columbus Running Company coowner Jim Jurcevich, had prepped her for the moment. “It wasn’t great timing because it was the biggest incline of the marathon,” she says. “I remember my coach saying, ‘Get after it.’ He actually was right there when the surge happened and it was really comforting to see him.”
After that, Minagawa didn’t look back. Even when Jurcevich told her to relax and enjoy herself for the final two miles, she took it all in, but she didn’t let up. “Anything can happen in the marathon,” she says. “I’m not going to slow down yet. … I will enjoy it, but I’m not relaxing yet.” The first half, Minagawa was conservative, pacing herself with the help of her identical twin sister, Minori, who signed up to run the half marathon, which followed the same path as the first 13 miles of the full marathon. Minori helped to monitor their pace and assure her twin that any female runners passing them were racing the half and not the full marathon.
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She considers her sister her favorite training partner to this day, even when they don’t get to run together nearly as much as they did as high school and college teammates. “While I was running straight towards the finish line,” Minagawa says, “I could see my twin sister on the other side and it was just amazing being able to cross that finish line and you have that moment of still going and then falling into my sister’s arms and hugging her and just being like, ‘Yay, we did it.’” Minagawa says she enjoys running for the joy of it as well as the competition. Another passion, and an area of professional expertise, is nutrition. With Nationwide, she works primarily with middle and high school athletes out of the hospital’s Westerville and Dublin offices. “Undergrad, when I was running competitively, is when I really saw the power of nutrition and how that can make a big difference in sports performance,” Minagawa says. “That’s what got me interested in becoming a dietitian.” Working with younger athletes also helps Minagawa to stick to her own advice. “It keeps me accountable,” she says. “That’s helped me reassess what I’m putting into my body and again ask the questions, ‘Am I eating adequately? Am I fueling my body with the right foods to help me fuel for my passion in running?’” Right now, Minagawa isn’t training for any race in particular, though she intends to go after the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time, which has become significantly faster than the previous standard of 2:45:00. She now will have to run under 2:37:00 for the opportunity to compete in the trials. “It’s going to be a challenge,” she says. “But I’m excited because it’s not impossible.” Minagawa treats preparation as a long game and doesn’t take any runs for granted. “I think running is consistency over time, so being patient and doing the little things that help, like, again, being a dietician, it plays such a big role just in terms of health,” she says. Most of all, Minagawa knows she’ll never fly solo if she wants to achieve her potential in the sport. “You can’t do running alone,” she says. “You need the support of your friends and your families to help you to be the best athlete you can be, because if you’re not happy, you’re not going to be able to perform.” Claire Miller is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at cmiller@cityscenemediagroup.com. www.westervillemagazine.com
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in focus
By Cameron Carr Photos courtesy of Philip Caruso, Bill Goldsmith, Phil O'Neil and Jason Stein
Westerville Side Story Westerville grads find success in entertainment industry
R
oss Heran started at Westerville North High School in 1997, the same year a media studies class launched. “The teachers were trying to figure it out as we were getting it going,” he says. “We kind of helped to figure out what was going on. I learned the cameras, I learned the editing systems along with the teachers.” Heran ended up taking the class twice. It would prove formative, and he found inspiration in the class to pursue a career as a cameraman for TV and film. He has now worked on projects includ-
Ross Heran working on Stuck. 12 March/April 2022
ing Stuck, The Con is On and a Beyonce concert film. The class was part of a cultural trend in the ’90s to incorporate more arts into education, Heran says. It helped to open opportunities for students like him who were less interested in more traditional subjects. “I really wasn’t benefiting much from the other educational side of things,” Heran says. “I didn’t want to go to college until the media program started, until I got into theater.” Heran is one of many Westerville graduates who have gone on to careers in the entertainment industry, from acting and writing to camera work and content creation. Jason Stein, who now works as a creative executive for Lucasfilm Ltd., says he grew up visiting Comic Town, formerly located on State Street, but it was AP classes in his junior and senior years at North that helped show him the possibility of a career in the entertainment industry. Those classes, which taught higher level analysis techniques, helped Stein understand the depth of films, he says. Imagining a place where he fit beyond the celebrity names most associated with movies was a challenge for him. “I think that’s the big hurdle to overcome,” he says. “There are a lot of other roles that can use various skillsets in this industry that don’t just fall in the bucket of writer, director, actor or producer.” Even in college, Stein kept his options at The Ohio State
University with a double major in molecular genetics and film. After graduating though, Stein set out for Los Angeles. Early on, he worked as an assistant in a talent agency, which he says proved vital in learning the many roles within the film industry. Eventually landing at Lucasfilm, Stein now works to guide the storytelling of different Star Wars related projects to ensure each project delivers the expected quality while staying true to the Star Wars universe. As a longtime Star Wars fan, he’s had the opportunity to work on dream projects including the announcement of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series reboot. He’s currently working on a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game remake and the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel planned for Walt Disney World Resort. For those interested in careers related to acting and film, school theater programs are often an early start. Steven Boyer, a Tony-nominated actor, recalls participating in every theater production during his time at North. He even held a role in a high school production as a middle school student. Boyer found other
Ross Heran working on a proposed 3D miniseries titled Legends of Prohibition. www.westervillemagazine.com
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early opportunities performing with Columbus Children’s Theatre, then known as Columbus Junior Theatre of the Arts. “There seemed to be a wealth of opportunities for young performers in central Ohio,” he says. “There were a lot of places to do stuff. You could find your tribe in a lot of little pockets of the city of Columbus.” Still, Boyer says frequent warnings against pursuing a career as an actor nearly Steven Boyer as the deterred him. Mayor of Munch“I was trying to find kinland in a Coa way to not make it my lumbus Children’s career,” he says. “It had Theatre production been drilled into my of The Wizard of Oz. head that if I became an actor I would starve to death. It was like, ‘You will die penniless and alone if you are an actor, so don’t do it.’” He chose to pursue acting anyways. After graduating from North in 1997, Boyer attended The Juilliard School for drama. In the elite class of 20-some students, he was one of two Westerville graduates alongside actor Michael Milligan. Finding success isn’t easy though. Boyer spent a decade making ends meet and taking small gigs in regional theater productions when he could. It wasn’t until a friend, Robert Askins, worked to develop a part for him in a new play called Hand to God that Boyer found major success. The play worked its way from a small developmental theater to a Broadway smash hit. Boyer says his passion for acting is what kept him going. He says focusing on the joy of the art will help young actors find fulfillment. “Just do it for its own sake – not because you want to be a movie star or anything else – just because it’s fun,” he says. “You don’t need to prepare, just show up and do it. You’re going to get something out of it.” And when that dedication leads to success, it’s just as rewarding. Stein, recalling a childhood spent pouring over Indiana Jones and Star Wars films, says his current position takes him full circle to early inspirations. “These movies were the reason I wanted to make movies and tell stories,” he says. “It’s really a dream come true. … They pay me to sit around and talk Star Wars.” Cameron Carr is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com. www.westervillemagazine.com
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(Not So)
Big Fat Greek Life A look at Otterbein University’s local Greek life chapters By Megan Roth
Photos courtesy of Matthew D'Oyly and Aidan Tansey
G
reek life organizations across the country are known for being boisterous, large and too often controversial. At Otterbein University though, local chapters with smaller group sizes on average create a much different experience. “Students wanted to be part of their small-knit community,” says Matthew D’Oyly, director of events and conferences at Otterbein and a Greek advisor to Sigma Delta Phi fraternity. “They wanted to follow that when it came to Greeks as well.”
When Greek life first appeared at Otterbein in 1908, D’Oyly says that students wanted to create their own societies to bond together without being associated with larger schools. Otterbein has six local sororities, six local fraternities, two national fraternities and three National Pan-Hellenic Council chapters. The local chapters exist solely at Otterbein, while the national chapters connect to larger organizations with chapters at colleges and universities across the country.
“If you ever see anyone around the country with your letters,” D’Oyly says, “they went to Otterbein. They were part of the chapter that you’re a part of.” The local chapters offer an experience distinct from national chapters through a naturally tighter-knit community due to their smaller size. D’Oyly also emphasizes how close the members remain from generation to generation due to the chapters’ small memberships. “Our entire alumni that has been through a chapter is maybe in the 700s,”
Members of Otterbein Greek life
16 March/April 2022
www.westervillemagazine.com
he says. “Where that might be only two years of a chapter at another institution.” History of the Greeks Greek organizations began appearing on American college campuses in the 1820s and grew rapidly after 1890. At Otterbein University, Greek life stems informally from the 1850s when students began forming literary societies to practice public speaking and debate skills. Literary societies dominated Otterbein’s campus until the early 1900s, when social relationships began to form outside of the societies. Fraternities first began to appear in 1908 before Otterbein’s first sorority, Sigma Alpha Tau, formed in 1911. These groups weren’t welcomed with open arms, though. Faculty members and trustees worried that, due to the exclusive and oftentimes secretive nature of fraternities and sororities, Greek life would undermine Otterbein’s values. The years after their founding left the chapters largely off the official record. While students grew increasingly interested in the groups, university trustees attempted to stifle the burgeoning Greek life community. In 1921, however, the board of trustees opened to arguments against that suppression. J.R. Howe, who would become Otterbein’s president from 1939-45, successfully spoke on behalf of students who favored Greek life. From there, Greek life at Otterbein flourished. It peaked in the ’50s and ’60s when 80-90 percent of all students belonged to a chapter. Student involvement in Greek life has fluctuated since then. Today, about 25 percent of students are involved. A Part of the Community Aidan Tansey, a senior at Otterbein and fourth-year member of local chapter Sigma Delta Phi, joined Greek life in search of the sense of camaraderie he felt playing high school sports. He says it’s been a great way to www.westervillemagazine.com
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Brothers of Sigma Delta Phi at a spring retreat.
get connected with people on campus both in his chapter and in Greek life as a whole. “I could pick something from every semester where I’ve had at least one memorable interaction, where I have this moment of realization about how close I am with one of the fraternity brothers,” Tansey says. He says it’s rewarding to watch the journey new members embark on when they join the chapter.
In addition to the social aspect, each Greek chapter supports a philanthropic organization. Many Greek life participants also volunteer with the Westerville Area Resource Ministry and other nonprofit organizations throughout Westerville, helping them to build stronger bonds not only with their Greek brothers and sisters, but with the community as well. “We work with a lot of different groups that are part of the Westerville community,”
Tansey says. “We really see ourselves as part of that Otterbein and Westerville community, so we like to give back.” The Sigma Alpha Tau sorority raises funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. Members have cooked and served food for families staying with the house while their children receive treatment at a hospital nearby. Kappa Phi Omega, a local sorority chapter founded in 1921, focuses on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. The sorority hosts different events across campus to raise awareness, provide free HIV tests and hand out red ribbons on World AIDS Day. Chapters volunteer in service projects throughout central Ohio including Adopt-AHighway, Relay for Life and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon. Because philanthropy is embedded in the culture of Greek life, students often see it as an opportunity for community engagement rather than as a box to check off. “We’re required to have a certain number of volunteer hours every semester,” Tansey says, “but most chapters go above and beyond that.” Megan Roth is a senior editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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student spotlight
By Cameron Carr Photos courtesy of John Laswell and Westerville North Bands
A Major Accomplishment Westerville Honor Band highlights dedicated student musicians
T
he student musicians of Westerville are dispersed across three schools, but one event brings together the best and most dedicated of the bunch. The Westerville Honor Band, started in the 2019-20 school year, recognizes top musicians from all three high schools. “It’s the best of the best out of the three (high schools) put together,” says John Laswell, Westerville South High School director of bands. Westerville’s three high school band directors come together to select the most deserving of their Westerville Honor Band performances are intended to be biennial; its last performance was in 2020. students for the honor. Then, in collaboration with Westerville Community This year, that performance, titled The More than just the challenge of working Bands, those students participate in a day Young Person’s Concert, will take place with advanced compositions, Honor Band of instruction and rehearsal followed by Sunday, March 6 at Westerville Central requires students to adapt to a new group a concert the next day with Westerville High School. Chris Hoch, director of of musicians and a different setting. Community Bands. The Ohio State University Marching and “A new environment is always challengAthletic Bands, will work with ing with a new listening environment,” says students as a clinician the day oboist Lydia Fyock, a senior at South. “It’s before the concert. an experience where it helps you grow as For students, participating a musician.” in the Westerville Honor Band Each Westerville high school has a is an opportunity to take on marching band, two concert bands and challenging music with much a jazz band. Honor Band, comprised of less rehearsal time than an en- around 60 musicians, is similar in size to semble typically offers. one of those concert band ensembles. Matthew Sliwinski, a seWith a roughly even split of members nior tuba player at Wester- from each of the high schools, Honor ville North, says that playing Band puts students beside musicians they in similar groups in the past may not be familiar with. At the same has helped improve his musi- time, it also gives students a chance to recal abilities. connect with friends from middle school “The music seems im- or childhood. possible when you first get “The No. 1 thing the kids look forward it but you practice it and to more than anything is getting to play you’re just playing it fine,” with their friends,” Laswell says. Students in Honor Band spend one day rehearsing and he says. “You learn how to Fyock, who also participated in the working with a clinician and Westerville Community do things quickly.” first Honor Band, says that playing with Bands members. 20 March/April 2022
www.westervillemagazine.com
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old friends and meeting new ones was a highlight of her experience. While those connections are important, working with the Westerville Community Bands can be similarly influential. Sam Weaver, a senior French horn player at Westerville South, says he’s particularly looking forward to hearing insights from music director Larry Klabunde. Working with Klabunde and the other musicians is a chance for students to see a path forward with music after high school, Laswell says. Some of the students may pursue a study of music in college but others may choose to pursue other career paths. Still, musical abilities can help students to receive scholarships and provide fulfillment beyond school. “(Westerville Honor Band’s) vision is a whole music-for-life type of message,” he says. “The community band has people from ages 19 to 85. Having the high school kids see that and participate helps them see that the valuable experiences they have now, they can have for the rest of their lives.” The Honor Band is intended to continue with a biennial selection and concert, Laswell says. The Young Person’s Concert will take place at 3 p.m. March 6 at Westerville Central High School, 7118 Mt. Royal Ave. Find more information on Westerville Community Bands at www.westervillebands.org. Cameron Carr is an editor at CityScene Media Group Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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Digital access is free and available on ANY device Access CityScene Magazine features, web exclusives and calendars at home or on the go with ANY device: tablet, smartphone, laptop or desktop Two ways to enjoy – on the website or the digital edition with pages that flip and magnify Create an online library of favorite issues and features
Sign up now, it’s FREE! Matthew Sliwinski, center, is one of the North students in Honor Band. www.westervillemagazine.com
www.CitySceneColumbus.com March/April 2022 21
living
By Megan Roth Photos courtesy of Heidi Kliewer
Bare Bones Turned Beautiful
Westerville home renovation earns attention from the Today Show
W
hen Heidi Kliewer found her Westerville home, she immediately saw the potential in its layout and structure. Heidi, her husband, Matt, and their two elementary school-aged children had been living in a Clintonville home that had been in the family for more than 50 years. The Kliewers had been planning renovations for the home and interviewing builders when Heidi happened to check the listings of homes for sale in Westerville. “I found a house by the Hoover Reservoir,” she says. “I was like ‘Ooh, that’s been on the market a while. It has great bones and it’s really ugly right now, but it has potential.’”
A former contractor, Matt was up for the task of carrying out Heidi’s renovation ideas. The wood paneling, natural light and floor plan of the Westerville home appealed to Heidi. She says she knew most of the forthcoming renovations would be cosmetic. Home design has always been present in Heidi’s life: Her grandmother was a buyer for a furniture store and her aunt owns a window treatment design business. “I was always dragged to art galleries as a young child,” she says. “Even though I didn’t appreciate it at a young age, that obviously had an impact on my life. I love a lot of colors and pops of color.”
Accordingly, Heidi says they used a lot of white paint and then incorporated colors, wallpapers and patterns afterward. The family also updated all the floors with new hardwood and renovated each of the three bathrooms. For the kitchen, the Kliewers used Ikea base cabinets and Semihandmade custom-designed cabinet door fronts. Semihandmade was so impressed with the design work that the company asked to share Heidi’s kitchen on the Today Show. “I’m not the type to go to a big box store and buy a set of something,” Heidi says. “I want to curate my items and make sure they mean something to me.”
The kitchen, entryway and bathroom before the renovation. 22 March/April 2022
www.westervillemagazine.com
The renovated kitchen, including the green island which adds the pop of color Kliewer loves.
www.westervillemagazine.com
March/April 2022 23
Heidi says she used a touch of vintage, some modern decor and things that have transitional value to her family in the renovations. Some of her favorite parts of the renovated home include the green island and marble picket backsplash in the kitchen, the mud room and the colorful vanities in the bathroom. After seeing her home featured on the Today Show and in major home decor blogs, Heidi started her own design consulting company, Heidi Noelle Designs, finding clients primarily through Instagram and Facebook. She is in the process of creating a business website, and looks forward to seeing where her business will take her and her family. Megan Roth is a senior editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
DAV E FOX DESIGN BUILD REMODELERS
Vnlock the potential in your home... www.davefox.com (614) 459-7211 24 March/April 2022
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The house’s mudroom, where Kliewer says everyone has their own space to drop off and grab their stuff as they go in and out. www.westervillemagazine.com
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For advertising information call 614.572.1240 www.westervillemagazine.com
Luxury Living
what’s your style? CT
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The Powell Buehler Group (614) 915-4588 5662 Silver Frost Rd. – Beautiful, ready to move into ranch condo with a 2+ car attached garage! A spacious Great Room and Dining Area with vaulted ceilings and new luxury vinyl plank flooring, large 3 season room off the Great Room, Kitchen with breakfast bar and lots of cabinet and pantry space, separate laundry room with w/closet, 2 car attached garage with extra storage. $320,000. COLDWELL BANKER REALTY ThePowellBuehlerGroup.com
Connie Sadowski (614) 943-0025 This home is located close to downtown Columbus and many local amenities, this home is great for an investor looking for a turn-key rental or an owner-occupant looking for a great priced home with an updated kitchen, dining area, living space, 2 nice sized bedrooms, and a large basement with laundry hook-ups.
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Top Homes Sold in Westerville
The Powell Buehler Group (614) 915-4588 329 Mary Ave. – Enjoy walking to uptown westerville to shop or go to one of the many uptown eateries; walk to the many parks, westerville pools, library or just enjoy relaxing in your private fenced in back yard! 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath! $349,900.
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY ThePowellBuehlerGroup.com
Don’t miss your opportunity to showcase your home listings to every homeowner in Westerville. Your listings will also appear in the digital edition of the magazine, hosted on the Westerville Magazine home page: westervillemagazine.com
Contact Dan Nase today for more information: 614-572-1243 dnase@cityscenemediagroup.com
624 Creek Ln. 3 beds 2.5 baths $626,000 Sold on 1/31/22
1190 N. Three Forks Dr. 3 beds 2.5 baths $420,000 Sold on 12/30/21
677 Bigham Ridge Blvd. 4 beds 2.5 baths $585,000 Sold on 12/15/21
974 Farrington Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $417,000 Sold on 12/21/21
945 Woodsedge Ln. 4 beds 4 baths $556,150 Sold on 12/29/21
592 Westbury Woods Ct. 4 beds 3.5 baths $405,000 Sold on 12/28/21
846 Waterton Dr. 4 beds 4.5 baths $505,000 Sold on 12/29/21
677 Bunker Hill Ct. 4 beds 2.5 baths $399,900 Sold on 12/21/21
206 Briarwood Ct. 3 beds 3.5 baths $435,000 Sold on 12/21/21
1045 Harbor View Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $370,050 Sold on 1/18/22
418 Washington Sq. 4 beds 2.5 baths $421,000 Sold on 12/16/21
889 Mike Ct. 4 beds 2.5 baths $365,000 Sold on 12/28/21
All information is collected from the Delaware and Franklin County Auditor offices. www.westervillemagazine.com
March/April 2022 27
on the table
By Chloe McGowan Photos courtesy of Lizz Szabo
Taste of Home
Pierogi startup recalls Cleveland roots and European heritage
M
any people used their time during the pandemic to learn a new hobby or rediscover an old one. For Lizz Szabo, that hobby is turning into a full-time gig. Szabo, owner of Sweet CLE’bus, started a pierogi business in her home kitchen in December 2020 after seeing others selling baked goods from their homes during the pandemic. Not wanting to get lost in the mix of cookies, cakes and cupcakes, Szabo decided to make her childhood favorite: pierogis. “I’m originally from Cleveland,” she says. “The one thing that I noticed (in Columbus) that always was kind of lacking was not being able to access traditional Eastern Euro goods.” After more than a decade in Columbus, Szabo is bringing that tradition to the capital city. Her business, currently run with
28 March/April 2022
pop-up hours, offers handmade pierogis with varying flavors each month. Sweet CLE-’bus isn’t her first foray into business ownership, however. Szabo also owns boutique hair salon My Hairlosophy, located inside of Sola Salon Studios Westerville, and was an instructor at the Salon Institute prior to the pandemic. However, when the world came to a halt, she found herself in need of a new plan. Spending most days at home, Szabo naturally found herself cooking more and recalled memories of working in the kitchen with her grandmother. “I kind of focused on those home-cooked memories,” Szabo says. “I nestled into that because who doesn’t love a pierogi?”
In early November 2021, Szabo opened a brick-and-mortar location for Sweet CLE-’bus at 447 Lazelle Rd. Because small-batch, handmade pierogis are labor intensive and Szabo is running the business as a one-person operation, she has had to keep the offerings limited for now. Pierogis remain the focus, though on Saturdays Szabo now adds kolączki – a Polish cookie made from butter and cream cheese folded over a sweet filling – to the menu. The community response makes all the work of running a business in the food industry worthwhile, Szabo says. “Every Saturday morning, I end up with a line kind of halfway around the parking lot and it lasts for the first hour and a half that we’re open, which is really cool,” she says. Find more information at www.sweet clebus.com. Chloe McGowan is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com. www.westervillemagazine.com
Get Noticed! Contact Dan today for special first-time advertising rates!
Dan Nase 614.572.1243 dnase@cityscenemediagroup.com www.westervillemagazine.com
March/April 2022 29
bookmarks
From the Westerville Public Library
Recommended Reads
Global Baby Playtime by Maya Ajmera (Board Book) Babies all around the world share the way they play in the newest addition to the Global Babies series. Super sweet for any young one!
Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold (Picture Book) Learn about overcoming challenges, facing big feelings and kindness in this diverse and bright book. A wonderful reminder that no one is alone.
Recommended Reads
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (Fiction)
ENROLL NOW! PRE K - 12TH CALL 740 - 965 - 5433
FOR A TOUR genoachristianacademy.org 30 March/April 2022
Parent Up: Inspire Your Child to Be Their Best Self by Kelly Rippon (Non-fiction)
For online library resources such as ebooks, digital magazines, kids activities and more, visit www.westervillelibrary.org
from Alexx Burris, Youth Services Librarian
Paper Girls
Kids Who Are Changing the World by Sheila Sweeny Higginson (Non-fiction) See how four kids who are just like you are changing the world around them through technology, activism and friendship.
by Brian K. Vaughan (Teen Graphic Novel) Stranger Things meets time travel in this ’80s-themed adventure about four newspaper delivery girls and their quest to save the world. Soon to be an Amazon series.
from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
The Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, BestEver) Cookbook
How to Tell Stories to Children by Silke Rose West & Joseph Sarosy (Non-fiction)
by Joanna Saltz A debut novel about (Non-fiction) A storytelling tool Kelly Rippon, mother a reform school for parents to help Brought to you of Olympic gold where inept parents create a stronger by the editors of are reeducated about medalist ice skater bond with their Adam Rippon, shares Delish magazine, parenting using children. This book 10 types of influence, peruse more than robot children with uses practical 100 easy-to-follow from optimism to artificial intelligence. advice, prompts recipes for young loyalty, that can help Thirty-nine-year-old and science to to be the best parent. cooks ages 8 to 12 mother Frida Liu enhance connections years old. Recipes Learn what this loses custody of between parents and include English mother of six did to her 18-month-old muffin pizzas, Perfect offspring. daughter and is sent raise her own super Fudgy Brownies and to this school for one achievers. zucchini tots. year. If one doesn’t pass all the school’s tests, parental The Westerville Public Library custody will be taken 126 S. State St. • Phone: 614-882-7277 • www.westervillelibrary.org away forever. Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. www.westervillemagazine.com
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See a doctor before seeing symptoms. If it feels like there is no time for a routine checkup when you’re healthy, it’ll feel like there’s even less time when you’re sick. At Mount Carmel Medical Group, we’ve made it quick and convenient to schedule a doctor’s appointment at one of our 29 locations. Because your safety is our greatest priority, know that we are taking the appropriate precautions for your visit today. To learn more or to make an appointment, visit mountcarmelprimarycare.com or call 614-627-2700.
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