January 20, 2011
GOP taps Ferris as candidate for city council By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Morgan Croak coaxes his 8-year-old border collie, Cailin, to climb the teeter-totter at the dog park at Scioto Audubon Metro Park Jan. 14. The park recently opened the 2-acre enclosure near the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, 505 W. Whittier St.
Scioto Audubon Metro Park
Section of park goes to the dogs By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers Cavorting canines in the German Village area have new digs to call their own. Franklin County Metro Parks has opened a new dog park at the Scioto Audubon Metro Park near the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, 505 W. Whittier St. The 2-acre dog park is past the climbing wall on the north side of the property. The fencedin area includes two sections, one for large dogs and another for small ones, each with agility courses. The entire area cost $42,000 to build. “I’m sure when spring comes, it’s going to
tem to have a dedicated area for leash-free activity, she said. A closer look “We’re kind of getting into dogs having more amenities,” Hanley said, adding that 12 parks The 2-acre dog park is past the climbing have dedicated pet trails. wall on the north side of the property. She said the dog park is one more amenity The fenced-in area includes two secfor the park, which has a climbing wall, sand tions, one for large dogs and another for volleyball courts, fishing spots, bird-observasmall ones, each with agility courses. tion decks and areas for water recreation. Heather Starck, director of the Audubon be a mecca for all the dogs and dog owners,” Center, said the leash-free dog area helps the said Peg Hanley, spokeswoman for the Metro organization fulfill its mission of sustainability. Parks. “The reason we support the dog park idea Dogs not in the designated area must be on a leash, she said. Scioto Audubon is the third park in the sysSee DOG PARK, page A2
Charitable Pharmacy to expand this year By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio will head into its second year of operation serving 50 percent more people and filling twice as many prescriptions. Allan Zaenger, executive director and pharmacist for the organization, located inside the Livingston United Methodist Church, 200 E. Livingston Ave. in German Village, said the increase in patients is understandable, given the economy and cost of medication. “After you get past food, clothing and shelter, one of the biggest gaps people have is related to health care,” he said. “And one of the most expensive things related to health care is the medicine they take.” The Columbus Foundation is helping the pharmacy grow with a $115,000 grant. The foundation was one of the original donors to the Charitable Pharmacy, which is a joint project of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, Access Health Columbus and several other groups. The $115,000 will go toward additional staffing and targetSee PHARMACY, page A3
See FERRIS, page A3
Council president
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Tian Yao, a third-year pharmacy student at The Ohio State University, reshelves medicines at the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio on Jan. 14. The pharmacy, located inside the Livingston United Methodist Church, 200 E. Livingston Ave. in German Village, recently received a $115,000 grant from the Columbus Foundation.
Downtown magic show to highlight art of illusion By GARY SEMAN JR. ThisWeek Community Newspapers Ron Spangler remembers the trip to his first Magi-Fest well. He didn’t make it. In 1978, he was headed there with a friend but a terrible snowstorm forced his mom to turn the car around and go home. Three years later, he successfully
attended what he says is one of the biggest and oldest magic conventions in the country, and he hasn’t missed once since. Spangler, an Upper Arlington resident, has been named director of the 79-year-old convention, to be held Jan. 27-29 at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel. The Columbus convention, established in January 1932, is expected
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German Village resident Matthew Ferris again will run for a seat on Columbus City Council. Ferris, a financial adviser whose office is in the Brewery District, was one of four council candidates endorsed by the Franklin County Republican Central Committee last week. “I am so excited to finally show the people of Columbus what it would be like to get somebody on council with a different perspective,” he said. The others were Alicia Healy, her husband, Joseph Healy, and Daryl Hennessy. They will square Matthew Ferris off against Democratic council incumbents Andrew Ginther, Hearcel Craig, Zachary Klein and Michelle Mills. The latter two recently were appointed. Earl W. Smith, a retired Columbus police sergeant, is the Republican nominee for mayor. He will face incumbent Democrat Michael B. Coleman, who is seeking a fourth term. Ferris, 31, is a self-described conservative but said he is open-minded. “I don’t care where we get new ideas from — Republican, Democrat, independent — that doesn’t matter to me as long as we get new ideas,” he said. “That’s the important thing.” Ferris and Healy, who both lost in the 2009 council race, were strong opponents of the 0.5-percent city income-tax increase, which was passed in August of that year. Ferris was particularly critical of Coleman’s budget, which is under review by council. The mayor is asking for a $706-million budget, which represents a 7.5-percent increase over 2010. Ferris said the budget adds more layers of bureaucracy and oversight. “So the dollars aren’t getting to the end user,” he said. “It’s creating more government jobs.” With three council seats open in 2009, Ferris had the fourth-highest vote total, losing by about 1,100 votes. Despite the outcome, he said, he likes his chances and those of his Republican colleagues. “I think if you don’t feel confident, why are you running?” he said. “I feel confident we will win
to draw about 600 people from across the country. “Every magician convention has a different angle,” said Spangler, a mechanical engineer. “One of our particular angles is we want to be a family-friendly convention. We want to be known for that.” While the convention is generally for practitioners and devotees of magic, the general public is invited
to attend the convention’s annual magic show at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at Veterans Memorial. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. They are available online at www.magifest.com or will be on sale at the box office the night of the show. The headliner is Greg Frewin, who has his own theater in Niagara Falls.
Ginther cites teacher as inspiration By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers When the late Ruth Colleen Saddler-Hale retired from a 25-year career with Columbus City Schools, then-Superintendent James G. Hyre told her: “We are sure that you have been a great inspiration to many boys and girls who have attended our schools.” She most definitely was to one of them. A boy no longer, but still boyish-looking at age 35, new council President Andrew J. Ginther says the woman who taught him in the fourth grade was “the best teacher I ever had.” See GINTHER, page A3
See MAGIC SHOW, page A2
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