Columbus, OH

With pomp, pageantry and a lot of heart, the Licking County Visitor’s Bureau re-opened its doors this past weekend at its new home at the Moundbuilders State Park.

The ceremonies were to reopen the park museum, which now shares the space with the visitor’s bureau. A new 1000 square foot exhibit, which includes a timeline that stretches from modern times all the way back to the age of the Paleo-Indians, was also opened in the museum.

The highlight of the ceremonies was the presence of Aztec dancers, who were here from Mexico for the weekend conference, and agreed to do a blessing of the site. With an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe watching over them, they purified the area and the people with smoke, sang and danced, blessing the site.

The Moundbuilers State Park is on the list of nominated places to become a United Nations World Heritage site, which would be good for the preservation of the area and Licking County at large; but, I suggest you get there now and enjoy all the beauty and history (not to mention serenity) the park has to offer, before it becomes an official site and begins to draw real crowds.

The visitors’ center is a great place to find out about all the places to see and things to do in Licking County. You can stop by and plan an entire week’s worth of entertainment, or you can simply grab a single brochure and find a place to kill a few hours in the afternoon. While you are there, don’t miss the gorgeous Licking County quilt, which is a little bit hidden when you walk in.

Read more about the Great Circle and the other Newark Earthworks HERE.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Licking County, Newark, Heath, Moundbuilders, United Nations, World Heritage Site, Aztec dancers, Licking County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Ohio history, Ohio Historical Society

In the midst of the economic crash that is sending workers straight back home and back to their kitchen cabinets in an attempt to save both gas and food money, two of Columbus’ favorite, and most cherished restaurant chains, have been sold to out of state investors this week.

Yesterday Max & Erma’s, a chain that started with a single bar and grill in German Village, was sold to Pittsburgh firm G&R Aquisitions. The firm paid $4 a share, which is slightly higher than the most recent trading price, and is returning the restaurant to private ownership. This is the first time Max & Erma’s will not be publicly traded since 1982.

Looking at the purchase, the only negative here seems to be that G&R is not a local firm. G&R has expressed its intention to retain all the current employees, while remodeling most of the stores and rehashing the menu, which has all but lost its neighborhood bar & grill roots. G&R intends to refocus the menu, taking the burgers that Max & Erma’s was founded on back to the spotlight.

I say, I’m glad that Max & Erma’s will be returning to their roots. I just hope the promise to maintain the staff holds true and I hope in their quest to eliminate unnecessary menu items that they don’t take away my favorites, the tortilla soup & Laredo steak!

Earlier this week, in a move that must have Dave Thomas turning in his revered grave, Dublin based Wendy’s was also sold, in a multi billion dollar all stock deal, to Atlanta’s Triarc, a firm owned by billionaire Nelson Peltz. Triarc also owns Arby’s, which has locals talking about the Arby’s-Wendy’s merger or about how Arby’s swallowed Wendy’s. Wendy’s has had disappointing sales in recent years.

As far as I can see, Wendy’s has had trouble since Dave Thomas, who was seen as a local celebrity and one of Ohio’s “favorite sons,” passed away. Since Thomas passed away Wendy’s has messed around with the menu, including offering a vanilla Frosty, something Dave said he would never do, eliminated the Big Bacon Classic in favor of of the artery hardening Baconator, closed the original Broad St. Wendy’s. Wendy’s used to be one of the absolute favorite places for Central Ohioans of all ages to grab some great food. As they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. No wonder Wendy’s is in trouble.

CBS news reported Dave Thomas’ daughter Wendy, the restaurant chain’s namesake, was “devastated” along with the rest of her family. I don’t blame her for feeling that way. I just hope the sale winds up being for the benefit of the company and not a step toward its demise.

With some luck, strong guidance and hopefully a positive turn in the economy, these two local chains can return to their roots and serve up some great food (and hopefully profits) once again.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Dublin, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Triarc, Mac & Erma’s, G&R Aquisitions, Dave Thomas, Nelson Peltz

This weekend you could…

Enjoy the sounds of Salsa at BoMA during the Columbus Salsa Festival

April 24-27 2008
Bar of Modern Art
583 E. Broad St.
Thurs.-Sun. 8-11:45
$13-$70
614-487-9917

Get wild at the Party for the Planet at the Columbus Zoo

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
4850 W. Powell Rd.
Sun.-Sat. 9-5
Adults $10. Seniors/children 2-9 $7. Children under 2 free. Parking $5.
614-645-3550, 800-MONKEYS

Or join the Columbus Jazz Orchestra for New Orleans on Parade at the Southern Theater

April 23-27 2008
Southern Theatre
Address: 21 E. Main St.
Wed.-Sat. 8-10:30, Sun. 2-4:30 & 7:30-10
Tickets $35-$48
614-294-5200

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Columbus Zoo, Party for the Planet, Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Southern Theater, Southern Theatre, BoMA, Bar of Modern Art, Columbus Salsa Festival, salsa

Tomorrow, the Ohio Historical Center will open the new exhibit, It Happened in Ohio: The Kent State Shootings.

To tie into the Ohio Historical Center’s featured exhibit, Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs, the 1971 Pulitzer Prize winner Kent State Massacre by photographer John Paul Filo and the upcoming anniversary of the event, the Ohio Historical Center will feature It Happened in Ohio: The Kent State Shootings. Visitors will learn about the build up and reaction to the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970, through artifacts, photos and personal accounts.

I plan to take my teenager and his friend to see this. They learned about this event in school, but I find a good museum exhibit brings me and my family much closer to history than classroom insturction.

The exhibit runs April 25 through July 25.

Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday noon.-5 p.m.
Adults $8. Children 6-12 $4. Parking $4.
1982 Velma Ave.
614-297-2300, 800-686-6124

Columbus, OH, Ohio, Ohio Historical Society, Ohio Historical Center, Ohio Village, Kent State, national guard, Kent State Shootings

Celebrate Earth Day by learning about recycling options in Columbus.

Click HERE to be taken to the city’s official RECYCLING webpage.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Earth day, recycling

The Supreme Court has held up the constitutionality of the lethal injection process. This means Ohio will return to executing prisoners who have exhausted the appeals process. No executions have happened in Ohio since late last May, due to a challenge brought against the lethal injection process that claimed it violated 8th. amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The challenge claimed the condemned would feel horrible pain during the process, but would not be able to express it due to the paralytic effect of the drug cocktail used.

Approximately 22 executions have been stalled due to this challenge.

While I am personally against the death penalty (a discussion for another day), I find it interesting that there is such a concern over how a condemned inmate dies. If the state sees fit to kill people, then I think it should be done in the most expedient and cost effective way possible. This only because no one is going to agree to execute the condemned in the same way they killed their victims, which I think is the only truly just way to do it. But Ohio law requires a “quick and painless” death for the condemned–thus the basis for the challenge.

This situation has also caused a backlog of cases which will now be sent to the Governor to review for possible clemency. Granting clemency in any state is incredibly rare, but the process in Ohio requires the Governor’s office to at least consider each case.

The Governor’s office is the last hope of reprieve for inmates on death row.

Kentucky has also recently reinstated its death row procedures, following the same challenge.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, lethal injection, department of corrections, death row, clemency, Governor Ted Strickland

Don’t miss Riverdance, at the Palace Theater April 15-20th.

Palace Theater
34 W Broad St
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 469-1331

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Riverdance, tap dance, Palace Theater, CAPA

Last summer during my series on Ohio’s amusement parks I gave a long description of the fun to be had at Geauga Lake. Well, I hope you got your fun in last summer as Cedar Fair, the amusement park giant that currently owns the other two Ohio parks, Kings Island and Cedar Point, has decided that 2007 was to be Geauga Lake’s last season as an operational amusement park.

The major parts of the park, like the coasters, are scheduled to be auctioned off this June.

Cedar Fair is keeping Wildwater Kingdom open in this location.

. . . and so ends the legacy of an Ohio treasure.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Aurora, Geauga Lake, Wildwater Kingdom, Cedar Fair, Cedar Point, King’s Island, Sea World Ohio, amusement parks

Keeping it short and sweet today, here’s a few of today’s headlines, and of course, my commentary…

Columbus Teen Killed in Drive By Shooting

I used to be so pleased at what made the news in Columbus. Jack Hannah was on TV (what seemed like) every other day and human interest stories abounded. The occasional story of violence was one that truly rocked our central Ohio community and while they maintained their composure, you could see that the news anchors were shaken by this kind of news. No more.

It seems to me that a young person loses their life every time we turn around now. There must be something that can be done to stop the violence without trampling all over the second ammendment. I for one am sick of it, we are not Detroit, Washington DC, or New York City. We are Columbus, Ohio, one of the most tolerant communities in the country. But this, this we should not tolerate any more.

For the full story on the death of 18 year old Tiana Goins, click on the headline above to be taken to the channel 10 news website.

Skybus Claims over $100 Million in Debt

Yesterday Skybus filed for federal bankruptcy protection in Delaware. I am unsure why the Columbus, Ohio based airline filed in Delaware, but they did. On it’s list of over 200 creditors Skybus attorneys included the likes of World Fuel Management of Chicago, Airbus & the Columbus Airport Authority. It’s not Enron, but it’s not good.

The Columbus Zoo Set to Open Zoombeezi Bay

As I told you last year, the Columbus Zoo closed Wyandot Lake for the 2007 season and made some major renovations on the property. Well this May look out for Zoombeezi Bay, a bigger and (hopefully) better waterpark set to open Memorial Day weekend. Everything looks good and I promise to get out there as early as possible to give you a complete review.

While you are thinking about whether to buy a one-time pass or a season pass, keep in mind a season pass also gives you season long access to The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, one of the world’s finest zoos and a prized posession of central Ohio.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Tiana Goins, Skybus, bankruptcy, Columbus Zoo, Aquarium, Zoombeezi Bay

As I’ve feared, Skybus has given up the ghost and folded. The action came suddenly on Friday night, leaving many booked and paid for passengers stranded and about 350 central Ohioans jobless.

This really was no suprise to many who have followed the progress of the start up airline, which started out promising, but soon fell victim to its own business model. Skybus claims it fell mainly to rising fuel prices and a slowing economy . . . maybe, but I think there was more to it.

The airline did all its communication online, which frustrated travelers to no end. The all-digital communication model is fine in the modern age for the basics, but having no after sale service at all is not. It its brief tenure as an active airline, Skybus became known for stranding passengers without providing a food or lodging credit or even so much as a real person one could voice a complaint to.

The extremely low fares promised by the “budget carrier” were somewhat elusive too. While my flight to Ft. Lauderdale last October was truly a deal ($80 round trip), I often found that if you weren’t online within minutes of new flights being posted, the overall cost of your proposed trip was no lower than what you could find on Southwest, JetBlue, American or Delta.

In my most recent post about Skybus, I observed that with other carriers offering both decent fares and service that it was time for Skybus to either step up, or step aside. In a meeting of the minds Friday afternoon, Skybus executives chose to do the latter.

Today, Skybus is expected to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court. What will happen to the nearly new Skybus fleet is still up in the air, as is the fate of the approximately 450 former Skybus employees, most of whom found out they were out of a job at the same time passengers found out they needed to find another way to their destination.

Passengers holding Skybus tickets are urged to contact their credit card carrier to apply for a refund.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Skybus, air travel

April 3-5 and 11-12th at Longaberger Homestead.

Learn all about a weekend at Longaberger HERE.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Longaberger, Spring Fling

The downturn in the housing market has had a serious effect on everything from home values to the local economy. In these tough times it can be hard to see a bright spot on the horizon, but some local house hunters do see an opportunity . . . forclosed homes.

Forclosed homes and those on their way into forclosure can often be had at a bargain price. Banks don’t want to own them, neighbors don’t want them standing empty and sellers (if they are not yet forclosed) are motivated to get out from under them. But how do you find out about these homes and the deals to be had? Enter Coldwell Banker and columbusforclosurebustours.com. This group takes potential buyers on a bus tour of forclosed homes and homes that are close to forclosure. There are often snacks to be had and experts to give advise.

The tours are taking potential buyers into great suburban neighborhoods and trendy metropolitan hot spots. They show everything from one bedroom condos in town to 5 bed 3 bath mini-mansions in the ‘burbs.’ All you need to do is make sure you are boarding the right bus. If you are interested, simply choose your tour HERE and fill out the registration information.

This post is intended to be informational. No payment was received from Coldwell Banker or any other entity for the posting of this information. There may be other business/organizations also offering similar tours.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, forclosure, forclosure bus tour, Coldwell Banker

This weekend you could . . .

Watch the Crew’s Season opener featuring a concert by Saving Jane.

Columbus Crew Soccer vs. Toronto FC

Saturday, March 29 4PM concert to follow
Columbus Crew Stadium
One Black & Gold Boulevard, Columbus
614-447-CREW

Or you could take the kids to see a classic . . .

Columbus Children’s Theatre: The Magician’s Nephew
March 13-30 2008
Park Street Theatre–512 N. Park St.
Thursday-Friday 7:30 p.m. Saturday 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
$10-$20
614-224-6672, 614-224-6673

Or spend an evening with some Jazz . . .

Columbus Jazz Orchestra
March 26-30 2008
Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St.
Wednesday-Saturday 8-10:30 p.m. Sunday 2-4:30 p.m. and 7:30-10 p.m.
$35-$48
614-294-5200

Columbus, OH, Ohio, Columbus Crew, soccer, Saving Jane, Toronto FC, Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Southern Theatre, The Magician’s Nephew, Columbus Children’s Theater, Park Street Theater