When was the last time you actually gave a thought about taking a shower or dipping your toes into a steamy warm tub? If you are like the vast majority of peeps reading this, it probably doesn’t cross your mind unless you’re counting the hours until you take the plunge.
“The downtown shelters anticipate record numbers of homeless this year and winter is right around the corner,” said Lisa Defendiefer, Downtown Safety Coordinator for Capital Crossroad SID. “Providing toiletries will go a long way to help the shelters meet at least some of the basic needs of every client they serve.”
So, gather up your new, unopened toiletries (sample sizes are the grooviest) as well as other personal hygiene items like soap, shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, shaving cream, disposable razors, combs, socks, underwear or feminine hygiene products and drop them off at the SID office, 23 N. Fourth Street. If that isn’t convenient, we’ve got drop boxes located at the Capitol Square office building, Seneca Apartments, Tiano and Associates, Bricker and Eckler, One Columbus, State Auto, Ohio Education Association, Catholic Foundation, Ruggery Building, Midland Building, LeVeque Tower, Department of Insurance and Chamber of Commerce. Whew, that’s a lot of places helping out so you won’t have to walk far.
If you you’re short on time and can’t rummage through your linen closet or make it to the store to pick up a few things, take a break from the virtual stacks of e-mail and drop off a check to the SID or any of the Capital Crossroads Ambassadors – you know who they are – the men and women in the blue and fluorescent green jackets who keep our sidewalks sparkly clean and always have a smile to share. Please make your tax-deductible donation payable to Faith Mission, Friends of the Homeless or Maryhaven, and SID staff will get it to the right folks.
The toiletry drive runs through November 19 so feel free to replenish the bins as often as possible. Good deeds really do come in small packages.
It’s getting cold at the Market! With just one week left for this season’s Pearl Market, I’m trying to fit in all the things I kept telling myself I would try/buy/eat later. I know that quite a few vendors will be at the Winter Pearl Market, but at this point, I don’t know who and I don’t want to miss anyone.
I don’t want to miss getting a last box of Aboxa Fudge. I might need a couple more tubes of water beads to get me through the winter. If I don’t buy that necklace from Salon D’art, I’m going to regret it. If I don’t buy another bag of kettle corn, where else can I get it fresh? And all this produce! I know there won’t be this type of selection in the winter. I definitely need some more green peppers and hot peppers. And cucumbers to make cucumber water. And apples picked from trees not bins. And on and on and on. So, before I start to get excited about the Winter Market, I’ve got one week left to make sure I get everything I need. And so do you. See you there!
A chill is finally in the air, and the leaves, they are a turnin’. Think apple cider, bowls of soup the size of your head and jack-o-lanterns.
If you didn’t get signed up for the Haunted Statehouse tours, you missed your chance – tickets went fast, but we have a few more suggestions to get you in the mood to celebrate with goblins and ghouls, and no, we aren’t referring to your in-laws.
Columbus Landmarks Foundation promises to connect you with some lonely spirits and frosty asters when you join a historic walking tour of Columbus. Led by experts in architecture, tour guides will fill your mind with ghost stories to share with your peeps later around the camp fire, perhaps as your roast a few marshmallows. Each tour is two hours long and be sure to bring your sneakers ’cause you’ll be hoofin’ it a couple miles, but it will be a ghastly good time.
On October 30, the group will head to Fort Hayes. Did you know this land was used as a military installation as far back as the Civil War and the Spanish American War? And, rumor has it there is a ghost in the old laundry facility. Maybe he’s cranky about the lack of appreciation for his tireless effort to keep up with piles of white socks and saggy grunders.
OSU is the back drop of the scary stories on the afternoon of Halloween. You’ll walk across where bodies are buried – for real – and hear the true stories about the darker side of the University District. Oh yeah, and you’ll hear about the cool architecture from Hayes Hall to Orton Hall, Page Hall and even the Wex. For more information about any of these great tours, visit columbuslandmarks.org or call 614.221.4508.
It all promises to be a bone-chillin’ good time, but what if you just want to kick back and bounce down a Halloween Highball? You’re covered for that too, if you head to the Short North for Highball Halloween on Saturday, October 30. Before you go through, dig around your closet to assemble your most creative alter ego – everyone is going in costume. If you ante up a little cash to get into the VIP Tent during the celebration, you will even land a front row seat for the Couture Fashion Show and see the designs featuring couture, pet and public contests.
Let us know how you’re going to spend a ghoulish good time.
Why do I write about the book $20 Gasoline in my blog called “In Search of a City?” There is a silver lining in high energy costs. Cities and traditional town center will benefit.
Author Christopher Steiner in Chapter $12 maintains that high energy prices will correct the development mistakes made over many decades in the U.S. They will make cities more orderly and dense as developers scramble to build housing and commercial buildings near bus lines and emerging rail lines. U.S. cities will begin to look and function more like European cities.
Gasoline priced at $12 per gallon will drive households to seek neighborhoods where people can walk, bicycle and take public transportation. Neighborhoods furthest from the urban core will crash first and hardest, not only because of high transportation costs, but because skyrocketing home energy costs will make 3,000 plus square foot homes too expensive for many people to maintain.
All cities will benefit, but older cities such as Cleveland will benefit the most. Newer cities will struggle because they grew with bad or non-existent planning and helter skelter development patterns.
Adjusting to high energy will be a painful process, but according to Steiner, the results will be more interesting and sustainable cities.
Last week at the Market we were treated to the musical stylings of The Shaw Brothers. Those boys can sing! Andy and Chris each play a number of instruments quite well, like guitar, violin, ukulele and djembes. They both would switch instruments so seamlessly that it seemed there were many more people playing. It was great music for a day at the Market!
Last week was also a Taste of Fall at the Market. That means it was a sample day, everyone’s favorite. Sweet potato bread pudding was amazing, especially with the praline sauce. I must have the wrong idea about bread pudding because I expected it to be, well, pudding-like. It was more like a bit of cake or donut and it was delicious. The maple apple ginger cake was just as good as it sounds. And the one I was very intrigued with was pumpkin dip. Fabulous, and perfect for fall or Halloween parties. For the recipes, just click here.
There are only two weeks left of the summer Market. Make sure you come visit us before it’s over and get the lowdown on the upcoming winter Pearl Market!
The Winter Pearl Market is coming! And one of our favorite summer market vendors, New Orleans Pralines, will be joining us indoors. Check out this video where Chandra Noble talks about her passion for baking and what she likes about being a Pearl Market vendor.
Capital Crossroads SID is in the process of preparing for the fall and winter months. Each season brings its own set of duties for the Clean and Safe Team of Ambassadors. The teams have wrapped up summer power washing and flower watering. But as the leaves begin to fall throughout the downtown, the ambassadors will employ two leaf vacuums along with two ATLV ride on refuse collectors to ensure that the sidewalks are clear of leaves and debris. The leaf matter will be transported to a local point so that it can be repurposed as mulch rather than end up in plastic bags in the landfill.
The Clean and Safe Teams have also been training on a new Rapid Response Vehicle, which will be used to tow equipment around the SID in response to urgent requests or planned duties. And they have begun utilizing a new small machine trailer to help transport equipment and gear to pinpoint locations downtown where they are needed. The Rapid Response Vehicle will also be used to address graffiti and other issues in critical areas.
Additional staff has been added to the Discovery District team and a third shift has been established as a clean and special projects team that will work on COTA bus shelters and with power washing trouble spots during the overnight hours. This will also help in the winter months as staff will be on hand and ready to go when snow falls during the night. The third shift team will be able to begin snow clearing and salting before pedestrians arrive in the morning.
Finally, the Clean and Safe Teams are undergoing new training programs for several different divisions, including Radios, Graffiti, Bike Patrol and Life Safety. The Capital Crossroad SID continues to improve operations through the use of improved equipment and training of staff. As always, if you have any issues or concerns or a specific service request, you may call 614-228-5718 or complete an online Service Request Form http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/SIDservicerequest .
Do you ever feel a little guilty leaving Fido in his crate when you leave the house for a day of fun on the weekend? Sure, The Dog Whisperer says our furry friends are cozy in their little metal dens, but come on… there are plenty of other places they’d rather sniff, right?
How about the OSU Urban Arts Space? You heard us. Give your dog a little culture during Pup-a-Palooza on Saturday, October 16 from 1 – 4 p.m. OSU Urban Arts Space is opening its doors to canines and their masters. It’s a great way to check out what’s been going on in the historic Lazarus Building at 50 W. Town Street, Suite 130. We might just party like it’s 1999.
Your pet will have a tail-wagging good time while you both check out caricatures, photography booth portraits, local vendors and treats. Wanna teach your old dog a new trick or maybe Fido has a feisty streak? Training experts from Sit Means Sit will be on hand with tips and demos to help you take the upper hand with your drooling buddy.
What? You don’t have a dog? Well, you’re even in luck there because October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, and the Franklin County Dog Shelter will be there too with all kinds of information about the pets available for adoption.
So, grab the leash or your desire to meet a new furry friend and head to the OSU Urban Arts Space for a barkin’ good time, but drop them a line first to RSVP so they know how many dog biscuits to have on hand.
For those of you who missed the opportunity to purchase AOL stock in 1990, Chapter $10 of the book, $20 Per Gallon, is a must-read. Even Bart may invite me to a party to talk about Chapter $10.
Gasoline prices of $10 will drive huge changes in technology. Like the dot com era in the 1990s, hundreds of companies will emerge. Many will become hugely profitable. Some existing companies will be winners as well. UPS, for example, is preparing for $10 gasoline by experimenting with all-electric and “hydraulic hybrid drive train” vehicles and is banking on the collapse of big box retailing to generate online sales deliveries.
Plug-in hybrid cars that cost $40,000 will become cost-effective for consumers when gasoline remains above $6. All-electric vehicles will become common, and various more exotic propulsion systems will emerge for personal vehicles. The new technologies will, however, be beyond the financial reach of many Americans.
There will be other casualties as well. Shipping by truck will become prohibitively expensive for most products. Road usage will drop dramatically. The burden of maintaining a road system will be shifted to people who actually use it, further diminishing highway use.
Our roadway investments in 2010 may look pretty foolish in 2020.
The Market is getting a wee bit smaller as the weather turns cold, but there is still plenty to do and see. Many vendors are adjusting their businesses accordingly. One of the food carts is serving piping hot pea soup. Delicious! One of our favorite musicians, Bob Piascik, strolled the alley a bit as he played, encouraging a dance party among vendors and visitors alike. Cupcake Susie made perfect fall cupcakes this week, spiced apple cider and pumpkin honey almond! Café Brioso always brings plenty of hot coffee that smells so enticing you can’t pass it up.
If you have been down to enjoy the Market this season, then you have probably noticed our fantastic Market staff. They are always on hand to help and have done a marvelous job with everything from directing traffic when a car has to pass to tents flying away in the wind to capturing it all in pictures. They are also the reason the Market is continuing. The Winter Pearl Market has found a location (33 N. Third Street) and is set to begin after the summer Market is over, but we need everyone to come and support it! Hope to see you soon!
RUB A DUB, DUB
It’s getting cold at the Market! With just one week left for this season’s Pearl Market, I’m trying to fit in all the things I kept telling myself I would try/buy/eat later. I know that quite a few vendors will be at the Winter Pearl Market, but at this point, I don’t know who and I don’t want to miss anyone.
HALLOWEEN ON THE HIGH FIVE
Why do I write about the book $20 Gasoline in my blog called “In Search of a City?” There is a silver lining in high energy costs. Cities and traditional town center will benefit.
Last week at the Market we were treated to the musical stylings of 
Capital Crossroads SID is in the process of preparing for the fall and winter months. Each season brings its own set of duties for the Clean and Safe Team of Ambassadors. The teams have wrapped up summer power washing and flower watering. But as the leaves begin to fall throughout the downtown, the ambassadors will employ two leaf vacuums along with two ATLV ride on refuse collectors to ensure that the sidewalks are clear of leaves and debris. The leaf matter will be transported to a local point so that it can be repurposed as mulch rather than end up in plastic bags in the landfill.
CULTURE FOR CANINES
For those of you who missed the opportunity to purchase AOL stock in 1990, Chapter $10 of the book, $20 Per Gallon, is a must-read. Even Bart may invite me to a party to talk about Chapter $10.
The Market is getting a wee bit smaller as the weather turns cold, but there is still plenty to do and see. Many vendors are adjusting their businesses accordingly. One of the food carts is serving piping hot pea soup. Delicious! One of our favorite musicians,