March 2009 Issue
Bending Nature
Karen McCoyKaren McCoy marvels at the earth’s constant state of transformation ––especially when it comes to plant materials. “When I work with a hard substance like brick or metal, my beginning project is basically my finished project,” she says. “That’s not the case with plant materials.” The trick in working with natural elements, she adds, is learning to adapt and embrace the changes that occur in them. The Columbus-based landscape architect and urban ... Cleveland Rocks
Detroit is known for the Motown sound, and Memphis sings the blues. But when it comes to the music that moved a generation, Cleveland’s claim is indisputable: The heart of rock ’n’ roll is here. It began beating in the summer of 1951, when disc jockey Alan Freed burst upon the Cleveland airwaves with his Saturday night “Moondog” show. Assuming the persona of a crazed hipster who howled and banged on a cowbell, the DJ urged his listeners to embrace the music he loved. Freed ... Movie Mania
Bill Guenztler remembers the first time he was hooked by a reel: It happened a decade or so ago, when his father introduced him to what was a new genre for him: foreign films, which included the German classic, “Das Boot.” “I just loved the subtitles,” recalls Guentzler, who’s been an avid moviegoer for as long as he can remember. “That was my favorite part of the movie: not what was going on, but how I was able to read what was going on.” Today, as artistic dir... Rockwell's
One hundred and fifty years ago, a visit to Toledo’s newly opened Oliver House would have been an exclusive experience. The premier hotel with a swank reputation is said to have attracted the likes of presidents Lincoln, Grant and Garfield as guests. The inn also briefly acted as an infirmary in the late 1800s, housing wounded soldiers during the Spanish-American War. Visit the Oliver House today and you will find that, while the purpose of the building has changed, hospitalities of years past ech... |
Chia Chefs
The pumpkin-walnut muffins look like any other homemade muffins, a dozen or so little round breads in yellow and blue paper cups, the faint, spicy scent of cinnamon wafting from the open plastic container in which they’ve been stored. But for Cleveland Clinic Administrative Executive Chef Jim Perko, they represent a whole new world of culinary exploration. The muffins contain chia, a staple grain of Peru and Costa Rica that once sustained Aztec warriors during conquests and southwestern U.S. India... Earth-Friendly Purchases
Amish-Inspired, Earth-Friendly Lehman’s , located in Kidron in Wayne County, believes in offering products that are “Great for the Environment, Good for You.” The family-owned company sells nonelectric goods, including push mowers, gardening tools, wood-burning stoves and old-fashioned toys. The business was founded in an attempt to continue the traditions of the local Amish community. “My father had a tremendous amount of respect for the Amish, and he saw that their way of life ... Smart Home
The kids are playing in the basement, inevitably grow bored with their activity and leave the room in a hurry. Hours later, mom or dad discovers that the basement lights, television and seemingly every other available form of electronics are still on, but the audience has long since disappeared. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, it’s only one of the many ways that energy is wasted in the home. Fortunately, it can easily be avoided. John and Kathy Scott made a decision to eliminate this problem and ot... |
Capturing History
At 28, artist Dirk Rozich has already made a lasting impression in Sebring. His recently completed 1,800-square-foot mural representing men, women and moments integral to the town’s history is a colorful complement to the natural landscape of Schreckengost Park. Commissioned by Paul Schreckengost, nephew of noted artist and favorite son Viktor Schreckengost, the mural took Rozich more than 700 hours to complete. In addition to members of the Schreckengost family, the work also depicts a variety of... Career Prep
Helen France, a 1971 graduate of Hathaway Brown School, still recalls the first day she entered the private school in Shaker Heights. She was five years old. “I remember looking at the headmistress, in her brown-and-white saddle shoes with stockings, and I thought she was 9 feet tall,” says France. “She looked at my father and said, ‘Your daughter has been accepted at Hathaway Brown, and by the way, she will be going to Smith [College].’” Twelve years later, during he... Fabric of Life
Butvin, a Strongsville native who was working in Washington, D.C., had accompanied a student group to Uganda to gather information about the brutal conflict and learn how young people could help build peace there. However, Butvin was unprepared for the scale of devastation she saw. Decades of horrific attacks by rebel forces had traumatized the people of northern Uganda. “Everyone I met had a family member who had been killed,” she recalls. “As I walked around, I noticed the vacant loo... For the Birds
For Dave Allen, being mindful of the environment is a personal mantra that dates back to his days as a child growing up in Washington Courthouse. “My parents lived through the Depression,” Allen, 60, explains, “so they taught us not to waste anything.” Over the past few years, as worldwide concern for our planet and its wildlife began to escalate, Allen decided he wanted to do his part to develop a product that would help protect it. But what could it be? The answer came, he says... Ohioan - Dr. Joseph Lavelle
MAPLE SYRUP ENTHUSIAST AGE: 87 PERSONAL: Dr. Lavelle lives in Troy with Mary Elaine, his wife of 64 years. The two have eight children, 18 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A retired veterinarian, Lavelle has turned his attention to making the perfect maple syrup. EVERY YEAR: When the sap starts to flow in mid to late winter, he and his lifelong friend Neal White and a group of friends and family head to Coonskin Sugar Bush, the Lavelle family farm in Amesville. They tap trees for sap, w... Picture Perfect
Here's how the story begins: A young guy with a film degree but no idea what to do with it leaves his home in Ohio and goes to Texas to talk his way into a low-end job on a movie set, runs out of money, hears about a couple of vaguely eccentric brothers who are making a movie in Phoenix called “Raising Arizona” and heads there to see if, what-the-heck, they'll hire him. It sounds like the set-up for a movie; as the story unfolds, the young man gets the job, and 20 years later is still workin... |
A Place in the Sun
After a long winter inside, it’s time to get away. Whether you’re looking to flee to the hills or splash around in the surf, a quick escape to Virginia and the Carolinas is sure to cure your wintertime blahs. These three Atlantic coast states are blessed with some of Mother Nature’s best work. Virginia Beach offers miles of sandy shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are breathtaking in Asheville, North Carolina, and the ... Bridges of the National Road
In what seems like only minutes, you pass from the neck-arching heights of downtown Columbus office buildings and the Greek Revival splendor of the Ohio Statehouse, into the picturesque hill country of eastern Ohio. There is something effortless and free about following the contours of its rivers and valleys, like riding gentle ocean waves on a raft. Here, the National Road is all about bridges — from Zanesville’s famous Y-Bridge to the nearby 1830 John Carnahen Stone Bridge , the only old s... Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery
There is perhaps no one place on the National Road that invites more introspection than Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery in Columbus. In the midst of a bustling residential and commercial district, behind a low stone wall, are the graves of 2,260 prisoners who died at this former 165-acre Civil War camp. What was once the entrance of the camp is identified by a historical marker east of Binns Boulevard. The cemetery itself is located just a few blocks south of U.S. Rte. 40. Rows of white military grave m... Chain Reaction Ride Shop
In Englewood, northwest of Dayton, native Brian Verburg turns the bike wrenches at Chain Reaction Ride Shop, located just behind a historical downtown mural. It feels as if you could step right into the picture, and into another time. Six years ago, a bicyclist traveling the length of the National Road had the good fortune of irreparably damaging a bike wheel in Englewood. The cyclist stayed in a hotel and Verburg stayed in his workshop, lacing up a new wheel overnight. From downtown, follow U.S. Rte. 4... Fort Tecumseh Old Fashioned General Store
For almost 30 years, Shirley Kinzer has greeted travelers from behind the counter at Fort Tecumseh Old Fashioned General Store. A former gas station and 1920s tourist camp, Kinzer’s Clark County shop has everything from grocery items and gifts to National Road postcards. Kinzer will ring up your purchase on a hand-crank 1941 Dayton cash register. Best of all, penny candy still costs... only a penny. Fort Tecumseh Old Fashioned General Store, 5520 W. National Rd., Springfield, 937/882-6202 F... Great Western Schoolhouse
It’s eastern Ohio to us, but to 19th-century America, it was the West. A reminder of this is the Great Western Schoolhouse on the Ohio University Eastern Campus in Belmont County. The one-room school, built in 1870 with bricks made of clay from a nearby pond, remained in continuous use until 1952. Restored in 1976, the little red schoolhouse is outfitted with inkwell desks, McGuffey Readers and a potbelly stove. This National Register of Historic Places site does not keep regular hours, but is ope... Hope for the Hills
Barb O’Conner and her husband John don’t consider themselves hard-core eco-travelers. “We don’t sleep in organic hemp tents or anything like that,” jokes Barb. When they plan a vacation, the Columbus couple prefers to patronize hotels and restaurants whose business practices mesh with their own green sensibilities. “We’ve been everywhere from Costa Rica to California, and it’s always been pretty easy to find hotels or tour groups that are at least trying t... Johnson's Restaurant
Since the 1950s, Johnson’s Restaurant in New Concord has been a place where locals and travelers sit side-by-side at the diner counter to talk politics and John Glenn High School sports over coffee and homemade pie. One of the specialties here is Brumbleberry Pie — a mix of locally grown apples, blueberries, dark sweet cherries and black raspberries. Johnson’s Restaurant, 41 E. Main St., New Concord, 740/826-4979 For more Ohio stops along the Historic National Road, click ... Northern Cincinnati
Northern Cincinnati is a place of excitement and nonstop action, where families can find the perfect weekend getaway — from attractions that boast world-famous thrill rides to engaging educational entertainment and upscale shopping — without traveling far from home. Sports fanatics, outdoor adventurers, animal lovers and retail enthusiasts will all find fun and fond memories in Cincy. Adventurous Outings Cincinnati may be the Queen City, but one of its hottest attractions is Kings Island. Th... Road to History
As the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, Kentucky is celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial 1809–2009 in a big way. Events, exhibitions and special programs are planned along the Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail that links National Park Historic Sites, Kentucky state parks and a variety of locations that have strong connections to Abraham Lincoln, his family and his Kentucky friends and political supporters. To encourage visitors to stop at all of the sites along the trail, Kentucky organizations have j... The Carriage House of Lafayette
You’re following in the footsteps of six U.S. presidents when you step through the mahogany door of The Red Brick Tavern, built in 1837. The former Madison County stagecoach stop once boasted 24 rooms for wayfarers. Nineteenth-century students learned reading, writing and arithmetic on its third floor, which served as the neighborhood school. Today, the Red Brick no longer offers overnight accommodations, but its traditional American cuisine caters to just about every taste — from hand-cut s... The Future Energy & Conservation Center
Between the earth and the sky, on the tabletop farmland of Montgomery County, the past and future meet at the Dull Family Farm. There, above 2,800 acres of corn and soybeans, six wind turbines turn silently in the breeze atop 120-foot-tall towers. In the shadow of the windmills is The Future Energy and Conservation Center, with educational exhibits on biomass and hydrogen power, backyard conservation and “green” building design. Many of the technologies — not to mention the electricity... Trip Back in Time
The Historic National Road stretches across Ohio’s midsection like a belt, and Columbus is the buckle. Called “The Road that Helped Build America,” it’s grown up with us — evolving from frontier trail, to the National Road, to its modern successor, U.S. Rte. 40, twining over and under Interstate 70 all along the way. Spanning 227 miles and 10 counties, cities and small towns, rich farmland and Appalachian foothills, it’s a journey not just into the heart of Ohi... Where Spring Begins
This is actually a county-funded time machine. The modern world stops at the garden’s edge. But not envy, or pride. I could do this, thinks anyone who has ever hefted a trowel, just looking at Schoepfle Garden. Then come rows of rhododendrons, daffodils, daylilies, roses — and humility. No, you couldn’t. Or, then again, maybe you could, over a lifetime. Located along the Vermilion River, Schoepfle Garden — 70 acres of carefully cultivated beauty set in a rugged woodland fr... |
Ohio, Naturally
Remember when Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the White House roof? It was, incredibly, 30 years ago. Carter wanted to make both a practical and symbolic gesture of environmental responsibility. Back in 1979, the environmental movement in America was, in a word, “hot.” And, happily, it is again. Given what seems to be an ever-increasing polarization of Americans on social issues, the widespread acceptance of the so-called “green movement” is as heartening as it is amaz... |
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