Westerville September/October 2011

Great leaders aren’t hard to find.

THEY’RE AT OTTERBEIN.

Graduate degrees

Master of Arts in Education

Master of Arts in Teaching

Master of Business Administration

NEW Concentrations: Information Technology Fraud Examination

Actuarial Science

Master of Science in Nursing/ Business Administration

Master of Science in Nursing

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Clinical nurse administrators

Entrepreneurs

Senior marketing managers

Master teachers

Community leaders

IT managers

Curriculum supervisors

Executive directors

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Westerville magazine

781 Northwest Blvd., Suite 202 Columbus, Ohio 43212 614-572-1240 • Fax 614-572-1241 www.cityscenecolumbus.com

Charles L. Stein

Kathleen K. Gill

Dave Prosser

Christa Smothers

Garth Bishop

Duane St. Clair

Gail Martineau

Thailyr Scrivner

Jessica Salerno

Devan Toncler

Gianna Barrett

Molly Pensyl

Mary Hottenrott

Pam Henricks

Lynn Leitch

Circulation:

Chief Executive Officer President/Publisher Chief Creative Officer Creative Director Editor

Contributing Editors

Contributing Writers Advertising Director Advertising Sales Controller 614-572-1240

Christa Dickey City of Westerville

Community Affairs Administrator

www. westervillemagazine .com

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Westerville Magazine is published bimonthly in January, March, May, July, September and November. For advertising information or bulk purchases, contact Gianna Barrett at 614572-1255.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. Westerville Magazine is a registered trademark of The Publishing Group Ltd. Printed in the U.S.A.

(Formerly called Animal Clinic of Westerville)

Westerville Community Calendar

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 3-25

Saturday Uptown Market

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, corner of East Home and North State streets, www.uptownmerchants. com

Sept. 4

Cool Cars Hot Stuff Festival

9 a.m.-7 p.m., CaJohn’s Flavor & Fire Factory, 816 Green Crest Dr., www.westervillesertomacarshow.com

The 2011 Westerville Sertoma Car Show will be part of the allnew Cool Cars Hot Stuff Festival. Highlights will include food vendors, a beer truck, a corn toss tournament, a pie-eating contest and more than 200 cars.

Sept. 7

Pancake Breakfast

7-10:30 a.m., Westerville Senior Center, 310 W. Main St., 614-901-6560

Sept. 7-28

Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market

3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, corner of East Home and North State streets, www.marketwednesday.com

Enjoy homegrown and homemade foods from Ohio.

Sept. 11 See page 10

Cops & Kids Festival

10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Hoff Woods Park, 556 McCorkle Blvd.

Sept. 11 See page 10

9/11 Remembrance Service

2 p.m., First Responders Park, 374 W. Main St.

Sept. 16

Sew a Pair of Jeans into a Recycled Sewn Pillow

3:30-4:30 p.m., Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., 614-882-7277

Turn that old, useless pair of jeans into something new. Bring in a pair of jeans to the teen room and turn them into a pillow for your room. Ages 12-18.

Sept. 18

The Singing Buckeyes

7:30 p.m., Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 100 E. Schrock Rd.

As part of its A Joyful Noise community concert series, the church presents the Singing Buckeyes, an a capella vocal quartet specializing in the barbershop style.

Sept. 22

Boy Soldiers of the Civil War

7 p.m., Meeting Room, Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., 614-882-7277

Author Dennis Keesee will share his stories of the 200,000 soldiers ages 17 and younger who served in the Union and Confederate armies.

Sept. 23

4th Friday: School Daze

6-9 p.m., Uptown

Showcasing students, staff and the academic excellence of the Westerville City Schools. Live music, food, children’s activities, street vendors and more.

Sept. 23

Ohio and the Underground Railroad

7:30 p.m., Meeting Room, Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., 614-882-7277

The library presents this program on Ohio’s role in the Underground Railroad during the Civil War.

Sept. 23

Studio Artists Fall Show

6-9 p.m., David Myers Art Studio & Galleries, 7 W. Main St., 614-882-2180, www.davidmyersart.com

Sept. 29-Oct. 8

August Osage County

Fritsch Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St., www.otterbein.edu, 614-823-1109

This exciting play follows the mysterious death of a family patriarch in a small town.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2

Westerville’s Freedom Trail Heritage Park, 60 N. Cleveland Ave., 614-901-6500

Re-enact the experience of a slave on the Underground Railroad, running from captivity.

Sponsored by the Westerville Visitors & Convention Bureau

OCTOBER

Oct. 1

Blendon Lodge #339 Breakfast

8:30-10 a.m., 130 S. State St., 614-392-2431

The Blendon Lodge hosts a breakfast the first Saturday of each month.

Oct. 5

Pancake Breakfast

7-10:30 a.m., Westerville Senior Center, 310 W. Main St., 614-901-6560

Oct. 5-26

Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market

3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, corner of East Home and North State streets, www.marketwednesday.com

Oct. 8

Columbus Fall Classic Rowing Regatta

8 a.m.-6 p.m., Hoover Reservoir (South and Middle bays), www.westervillecrew.org

Thirty high school, college and master teams from four states and two countries will bring 1,350 athletes to compete.

Oct. 9

Fire Prevention Week Open House

1-4 p.m., all Westerville fire stations, 614-901-6600

All are invited to visit their neighborhood fire stations for tours. At Station 111, 400 W. Main St., there will be kids’ activities and fire safety info.

Oct. 13

Sew a Sock Monkey

7-8:30 p.m., Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., 614-882-7277

Bring a pair of unwanted socks to the activity center in the library and make a sock monkey out of them. Ages 12-18.

Oct. 16

Ned Mosher Apple Butter Festival

1-4 p.m., Log Cabin, McVay Elementary School, 270 Hempstead Rd., 614-776-1409

Crafts, children’s games and apple productmaking demonstrations.

Oct. 16

QUBE String Quartet

7:30 p.m., Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 100 E. Schrock Rd.

Showcasing the art of music from music faculty members at Otterbein University. Part of the church’s A Joyful Noise free concert series.

For more events, visit www.visitwesterville.org

Oct. 21

No School – Game on!

2-5:30 p.m., Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., 614-882-7277

Children can enjoy their day off school with snacks and games at the activity center in honor of Teen Read Week. For ages 12-18.

Oct. 21

Halloween Party

6-8:30 p.m., Everal Barn, 60 N. Cleveland Ave., 614-901-6500

Ages 8 and under can enjoy carnival games, walk the Trick or Treat path and play Halloween Bingo. Don’t forget to wear your costume!

Oct. 22-23

Metro Parks Nature Print Contest

11 a.m.-4 p.m., Innis House, Inniswood Metro Gardens, 940 S. Hempstead Rd., 614-895-6241

The Innis House invites everyone to view all the entries in this year’s photo contest and vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Oct. 26

Edible Haunted Houses

6:30-8 p.m., Westerville Public Library, 126 S. State St., 614-882-7277

Create a tasty holiday centerpiece for any Halloween party. Supplies will be provided. Ages 18 and up.

Oct. 28

Midnight Madness

7 p.m.-midnight, Uptown, 614-794-0401

Enjoy extended shopping hours, kids’ activities, contests and the Celebrity Ghosts 5K, for which participants are asked to dress as deceased celebrities.

Oct. 30

Annual Halloween Party

2-4 p.m., Education Pavilion, Inniswood Metro Gardens, 940 S. Hempstead Rd., 614-8956241, www.inniswood.org

The spirits of Grace and Mary Innis invite visitors to the gardens to enjoy games and crafts.

Westerville Division of Fire Receives Grant from Firehouse Subs

Westerville Firefighter Nick Jones says a background and interest in writing helped him pursue an idea that eventually garnered an equipment grant valued at nearly $9,000 for the Westerville Division of Fire. Firehouse Subs, located at 2140 Polaris Pkwy., met with the Division and told staffers about its Foundation, and Jones decided to pick up the grant application and start writing.

“As a group, we decided there was something we wanted to go for, and replace equipment that was very necessary for us because it was just outdated,” said Jones. “I wanted to do this for the department and the public we serve.”

Firehouse Subs is known for its sandwiches, but its founders’ 200-year firefighting heritage inspired the formation of the Foundation, which provides support to public safety entities. Earlier this spring, the Foundation awarded the grant for personal flotation devices and marine rescue equipment.

Funding provided 27 High Visibility Inflatable PFDs (personal flotation devices) and 10 Stea rns Industrial and Rescue PFDs with marine whistles, dive knives and tether system. The inflatable PFDs automatically activate when immersed in water and the Stearns PFDs also act as flotation devices, both providing vital safety in the event of accidental immersion with injury, allowing for safer and more efficient water rescues.

Jones says the jackets are improvements in both design and function. “With Alum Creek and Hoover nearby, there are now enough jackets for every seat in every truck in the event we need to perform a water rescue,” he said.

“You never know when you or someone close to you will be personally impacted by the life-saving capabilities of a first responder,” said Julian Goodman, franchisee of the Columbus Firehouse Subs location. “These heroes deserve the best tools, training and technology, and our Foundation is here to help make that happen.”

In 2005, Firehouse Subs created the Foundation with the mission to provide funding, lifesaving equipment and educational opportunities to aid first responders. Through this organization, more than $2 million has been given to hometown heroes, including fire and police departments and EMS organizations.

For more information on Firehouse Subs or this donation, please visit www.firehousesubs.com or “Like” them at www. facebook.com/firehousesubs.

Westerville Division of Fire members (from left to right) Nick Jones, Todd Shepherd, Brian Miller and Jeff Stiver.

Westerville Retains AAA Bond Ratings

City Achieves Highest Rank in Long-Term Credit Rating Scale

Earlier this year, the City of Westerville again earned the AAA bond rating from Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investor Services. This is the second consecutive year the City has earned the Fitch ranking, representing “investment grade” organizations that are considered financially reliable and stable with low to moderate credit risk. The rating from Moody’s Investor Services joins a AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s, all of which represent the highest achievable bond ratings for municipalities, reserved for the highest quality public entities with the lowest credit risk.

In the most recent re-evaluation in June, Fitch Ratings said the current ranking (upgraded from AA+ in 2010) centers on:

• Sound financial management practices and positive operating results, contributing to larger than average reserve levels and significant financial flexibility;

• The City’s commitment to business development initiatives, creating a diverse, growing economic base;

• Rapid amortization of principal and manageable future capital plans balancing moderate debt levels.

Westerville Finance Director Lee Ann Shortland says the rankings provided by these independent agencies continue to recognize the City’s outstanding fiscal management and conservative approach to debt.

“Our strategic financial planning has emphasis on flexibility reserve levels aligned with conservative policies and management practices that produce positive operating results,” she said. “These are affirmations that communicate to potential investors and financial markets that Westerville is meeting the expectations of our industry and most importantly, our residents.”

The ratings also evaluate the City’s performance as it relates to the national economic climate. In comparison, Westerville receives consideration for lower unemployment rates. Additionally, the 2008 voter-approved income tax restructuring continues to be noted as a positive contributor to the local economic viability.

“Being a ‘AAA-community’ assures that Westerville will have access to lower interest rates on debt. For example, interest costsavings from a 2010 bond issue will realize more than $231,000 in interest savings over the 20 year life of the bond,” said David A. Collinsworth, Westerville’s City Manager. “Our objective is to meet and maintain Westerville’s expectation that the City is a good, responsible steward of public funds, and these repeat designations recognize those efforts.”

Mark Your Calendar:

Honor Flight Welcome Home Ceremony

Saturday, Sept. 10, 9 p.m.

Port Columbus International Airport, Southwest Baggage Claim

Join the community of Westerville at Port Columbus International Airport to give World War II veterans the “Welcome Home” they deserve. On this day, nearly 100 local veterans will take the Honor Flight, featuring a guided tour of the national World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Westerville community – including the City, schools, citizens, businesses, service clubs and others – organize several fundraisers throughout the year benefiting an annual community-sponsored flight. The annual Welcome Home ceremony is an emotional and patriotic close to their day of honor. Participants and spectators may gather in the Southwest Baggage Claim area beginning at 8:40 p.m. For more information, please visit www.honorflightcolumbus.org or check for updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/westervilleforhonorflight.

Cops & Kids Day

Sunday, Sept. 11, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Hoff Woods Park, 556 McCorkle Blvd.

Cops & Kids Day is a popular annual event that offers children of all ages the opportunity to interact with law enforcement officers and see, touch and learn about some of the equipment these agencies utilize, including helicopters, cruisers, K-9 units, mounted patrols, SWAT, bike patrol and DARE vehicles. Several competitions among the different agencies take place throughout the day, as well as the kid-favorite “Dunk-A-Cop” tank. P.A.L.S. safety puppets and all of the special police robots will also be on hand to entertain the children.The first 1,100 children will receive a special Cops & Kids Day item. Admission and refreshments are free.

September 11 Memorial

Sunday, Sept. 11, 2 p.m.

First Responders Park, 374 Main St.

The City of Westerville, in collaboration with the Police/Fire chaplains, Police and Fire first responders, 9-1-1 dispatchers and the Ohio Patriot Guard, will host the annual September 11 Memorial/

Calendar:

Remembrance. The community is invited to participate in the observance, “A Decade of Remembering, a Future of Hope.”

“The Crossing” Sculpture Dedication

Sunday, Oct. 9, 1 p.m.

First Responders Park, 374 Main St.

Safety Reminder from

Westerville Division of Police Avoid Thefts from Vehicles

“The Crossing” sculpture will be placed and dedicated at First Responders Park to serve as a tribute to past, present and future firefighters. Inspired by the likeness of a special firefighter who served in Westerville, The “Crossing” is the last major segment of the park that represents a site of remembrance and appreciation for the service of all first responders.

Fire Prevention Week Open House

Sunday, Oct. 9 - Saturday, Oct. 15

The theme for Fire Prevention Week 2011 is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” On average, 436 children die in home fires every year. Working smoke alarms are an essential piece of safety equipment and should be in every home. If your family lives in a home with working smoke alarms, the likelihood of dying in a fire is half that compared to a home without working alarms. Visit www.westerville.org for tips from the Westerville Division of Fire on smoke alarm safety, as well as ways you can recognize Fire Prevention Week. Open houses will take place at each Westerville fire station on Sunday, Oct. 9 from 1-4 p.m.

Thefts from vehicles primarily happen to unlocked vehicles. Locking your vehicle greatly reduces your chance of becoming a victim of theft.

Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips:

• Remove all valuable materials from the vehicle, or secure them in the trunk. Never leave property visible in the vehicle. Purses, laptop computers and electronic equipment are popular targets.

• Always keep the windows up and doors locked when parked.

• Always park in well-lit areas.

• Park your vehicle in your garage, or off the street and in your driveway.

• Report any suspicious activity to the police. It is very important to call immediately.

When reporting suspicious activity to the Westerville Division of Police:

• Call the non-emergency phone line (614) 882-7444.

• Identify yourself by name, address and phone number.

• Report the type of crime (burglary, assault, suspicious person or vehicle, etc.).

• State the location. Be specific as possible.

• Provide description of the suspect, whether armed, and how many suspects.

• Provide description of the vehicle, including license plate number.

• Provide the direction of travel of the suspect, if applicable.

• Stay on the phone with the dispatcher until he or she says you may hang up (unless you fear for your safety).

The Westerville Division of Police frequently responds to reports of thefts from vehicles throughout the community. This is a common crime, but most thefts can be prevented by taking a few precautions.

City of Westerville Staff Profile

: Sharon Lytle – Westerville Department of Public Service

Sharon Lytle thinks one aspect of her job – and, now, one of her personal hobbies – is historical interest, but she admits people have asked if it’s a bit morbid. She tells them “no,” and usually proceeds to mention one of many lost stories or historical legacies she has uncovered right here in Westerville’s cemeteries. As an administrative assistant in the Department of Public Service, Lytle has explored the cemeteries and created new programs that have offered honor and remembrance to families near and far.

How long have you worked for the City of Westerville?

I have worked for the City for 23 years. I was first hired in as a secretary, then promoted to administrative assistant. All of these years have been in the Service Department. I love it here and wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Chillicothe, and eventually took a job working for the Central Ohio YMCA on Karl Road. While looking for something better, I applied for the secretary position here and was lucky enough to get it.

What is a typical day for you in the Service Department?

There’s not really such a thing as a “typical” day for me. It changes on a regular basis. Every day, we answer the phones for the variety of service requests that come in, and I often troubleshoot problems. I also assist with the budget and fleet maintenance records and, of course, cemetery projects. I find that 95 percent of my job consists of the 5 percent “other” that you do.

How did you get involved in becoming a historianof-sorts for the local cemeteries?

When I started this project, I realized that a portion of the records we inherited had not survived. Pioneer (Cemetery) records were lost prior to 1935 due to a fire or flood. Otterbein (Cemetery) had sketchy information; sometimes just a last name was recorded. And in the case of Potter’s Field, no burials were recorded at all. So I learned as much about research techniques as I could and then started restoring these records, filling in the missing information.

Later, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) was just becoming something the City was using. The former department director, John Dean, and I came up with the idea and thought it would be great if you could take a virtual tour of the graves and find out more information about each site. I started showing him information sheets of everyone in the mausoleum, and we gained more support from that point. Since then, we developed the idea that allows you to click on the grave, and you could find a picture of the headstone as well as the obituary. It

basically started 15 years ago and grew. For me, the biggest thing to get and keep me involved was that someone from New Jersey took photos of my great-grandparents’ headstones and sent them to me. It’s something I may not ever see in person, so it was a very moving experience.

Tell us more about the cemetery project.

The project is fully accessible through the website (www.westerville.org >> City Departments >> Public Service Department >> Cemetery Interactive Map). The user can bring up the map and search for any portion of a name. For instance, if the name is “John,” it will pull everyone whose first name was John or whose last name was Johnston or Johnson. Once the name comes up, clicking on the link provides a picture of the headstone and links to personal information about that individual or their obituary.

To find the obituaries, we’ve searched records that were published in the Westerville News and Public Opinion and are accessible on the Westerville Public Library website. Also, The Columbus Dispatch has a searchable list dating back to 1932. We then created a template so that we could make them accessible in the mapping system and connect the information to the appropriate site.

What do you hope it will accomplish?

There seems to be interest in general of a maintaining a little remembrance of the past. Also, some of the more prominent people in Westerville – publishers or businesspeople – should be of interest to students. Older obituaries, for example, talk about the town and what they did for Westerville, and how the City has progressed since then. The main reason for me is to help people who cannot get here, especially the elderly who are intent on finding their roots and connecting with the past again. I’ve had people from as far away as Kansas and even Canada e-mail and ask for photos. This way, they can access it all online.

What have you learned from the project?

I think this project will be a great research tool. Just recently, I received a phone call from a lady in Boston hoping I could help her track down the cemetery where her grandparents were buried. She was hoping to bury her parents next to them, but all she knew was that they were somewhere in Westerville. She’s just one of quite a few people who have called looking for lost relatives.

Westerville prides itself on its history. I find that these activities are a reminder about the everyday struggles of the people who have died and been buried here. It has to do mainly with remembering those who have gone before us, and in doing so, we honor their struggles, their losses and their triumphs. They have amazing stories to tell.

What are your hobbies?

Cemeteries. I work with Operation Flag, where we go out and restore abandoned cemeteries where unmarked veterans may be buried. We’ve found several veterans who lie in unmarked graves, and by placing a flag there, it’s as if we say, “We know you’re here and we have you a headstone now.” We found William Milton, who served in the 54th Massachusetts Unit that the movie Glory was based on. He was one of the original members, and he left for the military from Westerville. He was eventually severely wounded in the attack, sent back to Westerville and later put to rest here.

Working on this outside of work has become my passion. Once or twice a year, my daughter and I travel to different places to admire old abandoned graveyards. There is beautiful stonework at most of these sites, and you can really focus on piecing together history from the times that people have died. In Clifton Union Cemetery, we came across six Revolutionary soldiers. We cleaned off their headstones so that people can read them and laid flowers there.

Finally, I also keep very active with my four grandsons, aging 4 years old to 15.

2011 Leaf Collection

Oct. 17- Dec. 23

Beginning mid-October, the 10-week process of leaf collection will begin in the City.

Starting Oct. 17 and running through Dec. 23, the Department of Public Service will pick up leaves in four zones throughout the city.

Please note: Leaves should be raked to the tree lawn (in between the sidewalk and the street), but not in the street or near gutters. For information on how to prepare leaves for collection, please see the website noted below.

To find your zone by street name or to see daily updates, please visit the City website at www.westerville.org: City Departments >> Public Service >> Leaf Collection or call (614) 901-6740.

Know Your Zone:

Oct. 17-21 Zones 1 & 2

Oct. 24-28 Zones 3 & 4

Oct. 31 - Nov. 4 Zone 1

Nov. 7-11 Zone 2

Nov. 14-18 Zone 3

Nov. 21-25 Zone 4

Nov. 28 - Dec. 2 Zone 1

Dec. 5-9 Zone 2

Dec. 12-16 Zone 3

Dec. 19-23 Zone 4

All area codes are 614 unless otherwise noted.

Westerville City Council (Back Left-Right) Jenifer French; Eric Busch, Vice Mayor; Larry Jenkins; Diane Fosselman (Front Left-Right) Mike Heyeck, Chair; Kathy Cocuzzi, Mayor; Craig Treneff, Vice Chair

City Manager Dave Collinsworth

Crime Does Pay

Career covering criminals inspires local writer’s first work of fiction

Robin Yocum, at 55, is a walking memory bank.

He recalls myriad details about growing up in eastern Ohio and his wide-ranging professional life as a journalist, publicist and public relations adviser. That background has served him well as an author, and recently helped him reach a personal milestone: the publication of his first fiction novel.

The Westerville father of three grown children saw his crime novel, Favorite Sons, hit the market June 1 in hardback. It was made available as an electronic book in late July.

Favorite Sons is a twisting story about four small-town teenagers and their confrontation with a 17-year-old bully who ends up dead. They vow to keep it a secret for a lifetime. One-Eyed Jack, a local lowlife in the town – itself similar to Yocum’s own hometown –ultimately goes to prison for the crime, and re-emerges after 33 years to confront one of the four, now a prosecutor running for state attorney general.

Yocum had two true-crime novels under his belt prior to the publication of Favorite Sons, but no works of fiction. His background includes eight years in public relations for Battelle Memorial Institute and another two and a half doing the same for BankOne. For 10 years, he has had his own home-based business, Yocum Communications, a public relations firm.

His writings tend to reflect his 11 years as police and investigative reporter for The Columbus Dispatch, which exposed him to all sorts of criminal elements on both sides of the good-and-bad separation between society and its underbelly.

He had been keeping an idea for the ending of Sons in cold storage ever since he visited the death chamber at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility years ago. There,

he saw the three buttons pushed by volunteer prison guards for executions – only one of three actually worked, thus allowing the guards ambiguity as to which of them was responsible for the condemned’s death.

Yocum imagined a friendship between a guard and the condemned. “I had to create a crime of which this guy was wrongfully convicted,” he says.

From that, he developed a working title, The Button Man, which he felt had a conclusion but no story to go with it. In his novel, the prosecutor, who serves as the story’s narrator, becomes the “button man.” His dilemma is that he was “sworn to uphold the law, but here is a guy in prison who was wrongfully convicted” and the prosecutor knows it.

“Some writers don’t know an ending,” says Yocum. “That would drive me crazy. I’d write thousands of words.”

Yocum’s first nonfiction book, Insured For Murder – published in 1993 and coauthored with fellow reporter Catherine Candisky – is an almost unbelievable tale of a deadly insurance scam perpetrated by two Columbus businessmen and a California doctor. The men owned Just Sweats, a local sports clothing chain. They devised a scheme to insure one man for $1 million, then fake his death so the other could collect the insurance.

tered. Some stories were readily assembled from notes, clips and memory, and some came from time spent scanning microfilms of the two front news pages in the paper.

With Favorite Sons now on bookshelves, Yocum has two additional books on the horizon. One is The Essay, about the life of a teenager who wins a high school writing contest. In 2008, talks with one publisher were nearly in the final stages when the economy crashed; the company did away with its novel publishing arm, and the book remains a manuscript. Yocum’s agent will start seeking another publisher in coming months.

The other is The Duke of Mingo Junction, its name a reference to another river town whose better days were during the heyday of steel manufacturing. For now, “I’ve kind of put that aside,” Yocum says.

Yocum – who grew up in Brilliant, Ohio, near Steubenville on the Ohio River – often relies on his roots as the basis for his books.

As he further develops his career as an author, Yocum remains engaged in the communications industry. His firm’s clients include the Society of American Engineers, Adena Health System, the Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington, Velvet Ice Cream and five developmental disability agencies.

The California doctor and one of the businessmen murdered a man of little renown, planted the other businessman’s identification on him and cremated the body shortly after it was identified. The supposedly dead business partner left town with all the company money he could carry, changed his name and had plastic surgery to conceal his identity.

The scheme ran into several pitfalls, and eventually the men were caught. The two Columbus schemers are still in prison in California; the doctor is dead.

Yocum made full use of his years in the news business for his second book, Dead Before Deadline. It’s a collection of short stories – “The longest story is six pages” – about co-workers, police, criminals, victims and assorted events he encoun-

He gets some assistance from his youngest daughter – Jaclynn, 25, a part-time volleyball coach at Columbus State Community College. She’s “my vice president for social networking,” he says.

Another daughter, Ashley, 27, is a thirdgrade teacher in Charlotte, N.C. Yocum’s son, Ryan, 30, is a producer for a Comcast sports network in Washington, D.C.

Yocum enjoys his writing career, but doesn’t see himself as a John Grisham type, churning out a continuous run of bestselling novels.

“Would I like to do it? Yes,” he says. For now though, “It’s a creative outlet.”

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Some writers don’t know an ending. That would drive me crazy. I’d write thousands of words.

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SHOWER, TUB AREA AND VANITIES

BONDS TO EXISTING

Home Tomes

Library’s Outreach Services helps homebound seniors

One day each month, Martha Gordon is visited in her home at the Ravine at Central College by a Westerville Public Library staff member.

The staffer brings her books, movies and other items as part of the library’s Outreach Services.

Gordon is one of about 400 homebound seniors the Westerville library serves through the program, which helps provide materials and support to this specific population.

The library makes deliveries once a month to each of the homebound seniors enrolled in the program, says Julie Kerns, outreach manager for the library.

“We call them a week ahead of time,” she says. “We try to make it as personalized as possible.”

Seniors also can call the library on the Outreach Services line and leave messages with book or movie requests, says Kerns.

In addition to visiting private homes, Outreach Services visits 19 senior facilities in the area, including Gordon’s.

“It makes it easy that I don’t have to ask somebody to take me to the library,” Gordon says. “I just call Julie up and ask them if they have the books and stuff.”

Outreach Services staffer Thomas Sharpe hands a book to homebound senior Martha Gordon

Fall 2011 Otterbein Exhibitions

Leslie H. and Ethyl Rose Miller Gallery

Art and Communication Building, 33 Collegeview Rd., Westerville, OH 43081 (614) 823-1792.

August 29 – October 7

The 9/11 Portfolio: Prints from the Manhattan Graphic Center

October 17 – December 9

The Distance From Oneself - Shelley Given

Fisher Gallery

Roush Hall, 27 S. Grove St., Westerville, OH 43081 (614) 823-1792.

August 29 – December 9

Cover Stories: the Art of the Book Jacket

The Frank Museum of Art

39 S. Vine Street, Westerville, OH 43081 (614) 818-9716.

August 31 – January 20, 2012

Poetic Vision: Ink Paintings by C. Y. Woo

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

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Gordon is a fan of mysteries, and because the library staff knows that, employees help suggest new titles.

“They don’t treat you like senior citizens,” she says. “They treat you like a person. And Julie is one of the best.”

The outreach program got its start back in the 1970s and was one of the first senior programs of its kind at central Ohio libraries.

“We’re here to serve the public, and these seniors are taxpayers,” says Kerns.

Seniors made up one of the biggest groups of supporters during the library’s last levy in 2007, she says.

In addition to delivering books and other materials to homebound seniors, the Outreach Services department also hosts a number of book clubs for the seniors and puts out a bimonthly newsletter, The Outreach, that shares information about local events and provides staff book and movie picks.

The library also hosts a special senior summer reading program for all Outreach Services patrons.

“We bring them information about programming in the area (like) tax forms and voter registration – any kind of reference information they need,” Kerns says.

But seniors are not the only ones who appreciate the Outreach Services program.

“It’s a wonderful experience for us,” Kerns says. “We get to know these people really well. You get emotionally attached to these people.”

Once every other month, Kerns picks one senior to treat to lunch to “get to know them better.”

“We are one of the few people that they see all month long. We bring them a little bit of the outside world. … We have one of the few jobs you can have that you are constantly being told how much they appreciate you.”

- Julie Kerns

“We are one of the few people that they see all month long,” Kerns says. “We bring them a little bit of the outside world. … We have one of the few jobs you can have that you are constantly being told how much they appreciate you.”

For more information on Outreach Services, visit www.westervillelibrary. org or call (614) 259-5034.

Gail Martineau is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ pubgroupltd.com

Top: From left, Thomas Sharpe, Ellyn Dinning and Heather Fisher load bags of books into the library’s van. Bottom: Fisher prepares to stock the van with books for area seniors.

Full of Grace

St. Ann’s plans major growth of facilities and services

By Garth Bishop

Amassive expansion project for Mount Carmel St. Ann’s will further the hospital’s transition to a regional medical center – the heart of medical care in Westerville.

And at the heart of the major project: a new patient tower that will vastly expand heart care and other services.

In late June, St. Ann’s broke ground on Project GRACE (Growing Regional Advanced Centers of Excellence), a $110 million project that will increase the size of the hospital campus by 20 percent, adding 117,000 square feet to its current size of 599,000 square feet. It will also add more than 200 full-time jobs.

“Project GRACE is about healing and hope, and that’s what we do here at St. Ann’s every single day,” says hospital President Janet Meeks.

The huge expansion represents the largest-scale project in Mount Carmel’s 125-year history, and is also the largest construction project in Westerville’s history. Hospital executives are optimistic the expansion will create a destination health care facility. The 113-year-old hospital, originally started by a Catholic order of nuns as a home for unwed mothers, relocated from the downtown Columbus area in 1984.

The work is projected to be finished in October 2013.

On the third and fourth floors will be a total of 60 new hospital

beds – 30 for cardiovascular patients and 30 for neurological patients. The new private rooms will be larger and more inviting than existing private rooms.

“The rooms are going to have this feeling of hospitality and home,” Meeks says.

The second floor will house electrophysiological and catheterization labs, while the ground floor will host the sterile processing department and non-invasive cardiovascular services.

The four-story patient tower is the biggest addition. It will be located adjacent to the hospital’s emergency services department – an important choice of placement, Meeks says, because when a patient comes in with a heart emergency, minutes count.

With the new patient tower will come more health care services.

Cardiovascular services will see a big expansion, including the addition of open-heart surgery, which “will be new to the Westerville area,” Meeks says. The hospital began moving in this direction in November 2009 by providing heart attack care, and since then, it has seen a huge increase in ambulance runs.

“We’re so blessed to have this great relationship with the area EMS and have earned their trust,” Meeks says.

Emergency services units can transmit electrocardiogram data directly to the hospital en route, so when the patient arrives, he or she can be taken straight to the cath labs. The general goal is for a heart patient to go from the door to stint placement in 90 minutes, but St. Ann’s average is much lower – sometimes the process takes 20 minutes or less – and the new tower will only make things faster.

An important emphasis in the heart department is on serving all cardiovascular patients’ potential needs. In many hospitals, vascular disease is treated in a different area than heart disease, which means less interplay between the two departments despite a wide variety of vascular issues, like smoking and hypertension, being common to those experiencing heart problems. St. Ann’s instead takes an interdisciplinary approach, says Martha Reigel, hospital vice president of medical affairs, addressing all possible issues.

“We will be the only hospital in central Ohio to have integrated cardiovascular services,” says Meeks.

The added space and facilities also will allow St. Ann’s to expand its cancer care services. The hospital is already the only one in central Ohio to use CyberKnife, a less time-intensive radiation therapy alternative.

Other service extensions will include neurology, maternal-fetal medicine, breast health and spine care. Orthopedics, which already draws patients from throughout Ohio and adjacent states, will be expanded, and the hospital is pursuing certification as a center for stroke treatment.

Also on the agenda are a new grand entrance, an expanded kitchen and dining area, and a parking garage.

The entrance will be oriented south toward Copeland Mill Road, with the existing entrance facing Cleveland Avenue becoming an exit.

“The main entrance today does not make a statement … that this is a destination hospital,” Meeks says.

That ambiguity will be removed, she says. Not only will signage very clearly direct incoming patients to it, it will also have inviting decorative elements – lots of natural light and natural materials, stained-glass crosses on the windows, scripture from a focal point in Matthew printed on a wall and a two-story fireplace with a stained-glass cross on it to anchor it all. The stained glass for the crosses comes from St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. The church is replacing most of its stained glass and is donating almost all of it to St. Ann’s, giving it a good home in a place of prominence.

“A lot of their parishioners are patients here,” says Erin Stitzel, senior development officer for the hospital.

Rounding things off will be LCD screens showing testimonials on how hospital employees and volunteers have gone the extra mile to help patients.

The kitchen is as old as the Westerville hospital and needs an update, says Meeks. The new kitchen will have several distinct dining rooms and a coffee shop area, and will also provide room service.

“We do not want just another cafeteria,” she says. “We’re tripling the (size of) the space, but we don’t want to just triple what we already have; we want a true dining experience.”

Garth Bishop is editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

A History of Mystery

For lovers of books, intrigue and cats, the best destination in Westerville is easy to deduce.

Foul Play, 27 E. College Ave., is Westerville’s own mystery novel-exclusive bookstore.

The darkly painted walls are lined with wooden bookshelves made by store owners Toni and John Cross. No matter which way you turn, you can find some of the 30,000 mystery books the Crosses have hunted down over the years for the benefit of their large volume of devoted customers and fellow mystery lovers.

The Crosses’ goal is to give people like them, who love reading and mysteries, a place to escape and to discuss the books they love.

Every second Wednesday of the month, the Crosses host a mystery book club. “Everyone is welcome,” says John, “and usually after our scheduled discussion, we all go out and have dinner and the book discussion continues.”

But why mystery novels?

“Well, it’s a lot less dangerous than my old job,” says John, a former nuclear power plant worker.

“We used to have to fly to places like Toronto, L.A. and

New York City to find our books. It was so hard to find books in Ohio,” he says. “There weren’t any Barnes and Nobles or Borders back then.”

To that end, the Crosses started their own bookstore and used it to import books to Ohio from all over.

There’s more to Foul Play than just mystery, though.

The history of the old house in which the bookstore is located lends to its spooky atmosphere. The Victorian brick house was built in the 1880s, and the Crosses – who live on the second floor, with the bookstore on the first – have worked very hard to keep its integrity intact without sacrificing safety and functionality.

The floors and the chandeliers are all original, and the woodwork has been kept intact as well to preserve the graffiti left there by members of the National Guard who were stationed in the house in the 1920s, when it was a Guard armory. But some changes needed to be made – for instance,

Fannie May

Desiree

Toni and John Cross

Photos by Christa Smothers

Couple’s haunted house hosts multitude of mystery novels – and cats

the heating system, which originally consisted of holes in the first-floor ceiling that allowed heat to rise to the second floor.

“The house is haunted, of course,” says John.

He has never seen a ghost in person, but he has seen signs of haunting, he says. Once, when a contractor was working on the house, the old 1930s phone in the back of the shop rang, and a woman named Susan was on the other line, asking for someone who didn’t live there anymore. When John came back, the contractor told him a woman named Susan had called – despite the fact, John realized, that the old phone was not connected to the phone wires.

Further setting itself apart from the average bookstore, Foul Play is also home to three cats who keep customers company. The Crosses’ feline roommates –Harriet, Fannie May and Desiree – live comfortably downstairs.

“There only have been a few problems with people being allergic to them,” says John, “but it is common knowledge that they are here.”

2011-12

• August: Osage County • Carnival

Each cat has its own distinct personality and interacts with guests differently. Harriet likes to pull books off the shelves, Fannie May likes to lie around and sleep, and Desiree is shy and seldom comes down from the second floor.

The store’s feline fancy is not limited to the real kind – the Crosses also draw in cat lovers with their large selection of cat knickknacks. They travel to cat shows and look in catalogues in search of anything cat-related they can sell in their shop.

“There used to be a lot of cat shows in Ohio, but ever since the gas prices rose, the shows have stopped or it’s harder to go out to them and look at what the vendors have,” says John.

Still, the collection remains impressive – cat plates, cat figurines, cat watches, cat stuffed animals and cat T-shirts.

For more information on Foul Play, visit www.foulplaybooks.com.

Devan Toncler is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Taco Grande

Don’t let the titular dish fool you. Yabo’s Tacos is not just another Mexican restaurant.

“I wouldn’t even call this Mexican,” says chef and owner Scott Boles. “Our goal is to have fresh, healthy food in kind of a sports bar atmosphere. The vehicle happens to be a tortilla, but the food could be as American as you’d ever find.”

A quick look at the menu shows it is unambiguously American – North Carolina pulled pork, Kansas City short rib and a Louisiana spice rub all make appearances.

The state-hopping nature of the menu is no coincidence; Boles has lived and worked in almost every region of the United States. Originally from Lima, Ohio, he moved to Boston in the 1970s to study under Chef Jim Berrini, President Kennedy’s former executive chef, and attend school at Northeastern University.

From there, Boles traveled to San Francisco, Colorado, North Carolina and, eventually, Florida, where he was responsible for the executive dining at several levels of the Disney Corporation. In 1997, he and his wife, Kris, decided to move the family back to Ohio to get out of food service.

“I wanted to be around for my kids,” he says.

But with both kids recently moved out, Boles, an Upper Arlington resident, found himself itching to get back into the food business. He partnered with Kris and old friends Brent King and Greg Debbe, and the group began to seek possible locations. The former Giammarco’s site on North State Street just outside Westerville was a perfect fit.

“It’s a little smaller than what we would’ve liked, so we’re busy all the time,” Boles says. “… We’re just so pleased with the turnout.”

Customers leave raving about the restaurant’s affordability –there isn’t an entrée over $10 – and the fresh taste, Boles says.

“Many folks come and they can taste the freshness, because it is prepared daily, if not hourly,” he says.

The baja style tacos – hard or soft tacos with lettuce, pico de gallo, feta cheese and your choice of meat, ranging from slow-roasted beef to tempura-fried fish, for only $2 – are the most popular, Boles says. Braver souls might be more interested in the Massive Yabo, a 12-inch taco with a half-pound of chicken, shredded beef and shredded pork, as well as grilled veggies, Monterey Jack and feta cheeses, cilantro, lettuce and pico de gallo.

The restaurant serves beer, wine, sangria and specialty margaritas. Eleven beers are available on tap, and Yabo’s also offers a “retro beer of the day” deal for only $1. Boles describes the beers, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz, as “the beer that I stole out of my dad’s fridge.”

Yabo’s Tacos has only been open for a few months, but there’s no slowing down for Boles. He plans to have another location open in Dublin by October. After that, he has high hopes for as many as eight locations in central Ohio, followed by an expansion to Cincinnati, Dayton and Cleveland.

“We expect in five years to quite possibly be between five and six stores and 20,” says Boles.

Jessica Salerno is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Scott Boles

Photos by Christa Smothers

SHREDDED PORK TACOS

Ingredients:

• 1 5-7 lb. pork shoulder

• 8 oz. Cajun or blackening spice

• 2 pts. water

• 8 plum tomatoes

• 1 small red onion

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 2 heads romaine lettuce

• 12 oz. crumbled feta cheese

• 60 white corn tortillas

• 1 bottle hot sauce

Directions:

Rub shoulder with all of the spice, coating all sides liberally.

Roast shoulder in a 9” by 11” baking pan – adding 2 pts. of water once it reaches 225 degrees –on outdoor grill or in the oven for approximately 10 to 12 hours, or until the meat falls apart and off of the bone. Then, shred the pork to fine strands of meat in a separate bowl and add any remaining juices back into the pork, after straining off any fat that has settled on top of the juices.

Dice tomatoes and red onions and mix together with ¼ cup of chopped cilantro. Shred romaine as thin as possible to make it easier to build tacos. Place crumbled feta into a serving bowl and place ½ cup chopped cilantro into a small dish for garnish. Heat up griddle or frying pan at medium high heat and grill both sides of corn tortillas until lightly browned.

Put out all of the ingredients for tacos and let everyone build their tacos.

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by Thailyr Scrivner

Cookie Monster

Cheryl’s Cookies have been a dominating force in Columbus for three decades

It’s been 30 years since Cheryl Krueger and her college roommate opened a storefront selling soda and six kinds of cookies based on her grandmother’s recipes.

Those six cookies must have been amazing, because now, Cheryl’s Cookies has enjoyed national success – and is a household name in and around central Ohio.

Now using the business name Cheryl&Co., Krueger has seen her company undergo enormous growth. In addition to the cookies – which, to say the least, now come in more than six varieties – the company now offers brownies, cakes and a vast assortment of gift packages.

Cheryl&Co. is headquartered

What Our Patients are Saying:

in Westerville, and although the idea of supporting a local business resonates with residents, it’s the consistently tasty treats that keep customers coming back, says Denise Meine-Graham, vice president of marketing for the company.

The company is celebrating its 30th anniversary in September with special in-store and online sales, as well as an in-store celebration. Coming at the same time as the celebrations will be the introduction of new fall flavors, including a salty chocolate caramel cookie.

“We work so hard, but we have so much fun,” says Meine-Graham. “A lot of it has to do with our passion for not just the product, but for each other.”

Meine-Graham’s personal favorite is the buttercream frosted cookie.

Last year, Cheryl&Co. opened a new store at Easton Town Center, which kicked off a plan to roll out additional stores,

Meine-Graham says. Those locations will not just be limited to central Ohio, she says; the company is enthusiastic about the idea of opening a storefront in Indianapolis and is working toward that end.

Thailyr Scrivner is a contributing writer. Feedback and comments welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

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Mount Carmel Medical Group Northside doctors pictured left to right: JEAN MCKEE, MD, KEITH BLAKELY, MD, LESLIE NOWELL, DO