December 2009 Issue
Canvas of White
Winter is the king of showmen Turning tree stumps into snowmen And houses into birthday cakes And spreading sugar over lakes Smooth and clean and frosty white The world looks good enough to bite That’s the season to be young Catching snowflakes on your tongue Snow is snowy when it’s snowing I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going — Ogden Nash, “Winter Morning” Nash had it right, didn’t he? Especially the part about slush. We know all about slush in Ohi... |
Jolly Good Fellowship
Tis the season to have a Dickens of a time. It’s December, so that means the celebrated British author’s redemptive holiday fable, A Christmas Carol , is everywhere: Ebenezer Scrooge is taking center stage in community theater productions across the country. Classic adaptations starring Reginald Owen, Alastair Sim, George C. Scott, Bill Murray and Mr. Magoo fill cable television screens. And a new animated 3-D movie, featuring the voice of Jim Carrey, recently opened at the neighborho... Piano Man
When it came time to come up with a title for his new CD, Jim Brickman knew exactly what he wanted to give his listeners: An antidote for these difficult times. So he called it “Beautiful World.” “Hopefully, the recording provides an escape, a relief, a journey, a fantasy — all those positive [messages] we need right now,” the 47-year-old pianist/composer says by phone from Los Angeles, prior to embarking on a concert tour that will take him to Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwa... |
All the Trimmings
It’s tree-trimming night at the Turner home in New Albany, a suburb of Columbus, and the family’s treasured glass ornaments are carefully unwrapped and spread across a large kitchen table. Jillian, the youngest, goes first, choosing a candy corn ornament like her memorable Halloween costume. She hangs it on the tree in the adjoining gathering room. Kyle, her 15-year-old brother, can’t decide between his prized shark ornament and the family’s cherished soldier one. Merideth, their... Eat, Drink & Be Merry
As Ohio Magazine editors, we travel the state in search of the people, places and things that make our big cities and quaint villages unique. Not surprisingly, many of our favorite finds come straight from the local kitchens in these destinations. Here, our picks for some of the best Ohio-made products for food and wine fans, transplants and anyone else hungry for a taste of home. No Two are Alike Wendy Kromer is a master of sugar, spice and everything delicious, and her perfectly crafted confections ha... |
A Bridge, a Rock and a Heron
On foggy mornings, the disintegrating Ohio Electric Bridge hovers over the Maumee River near Toledo like the spirits of Ottawa natives haunting their legendary rock outcropping below. The once very prominent geologic formation, Roche de Boeuf (also known as Buffalo Rock), served as a rendezvous point for Ottawa traders, but a third of the rock was blasted away in 1907 to make way for the construction of the trolley bridge’s massive Roman arches. Now, both the vaulted bridge and the vener-ated rock... A New Leaf
As Margaret Danziger, deputy director of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, sat in the audience at an American Library Association conference three years ago, she couldn’t help but ponder one of the topics that had been discussed that afternoon: 78 million baby boomers, on the brink of turning 60, were eager to embrace this stage of their lives. And the library was the ideal place to help them begin that journey. “Toledo is a great grandparent city,” Danziger says. “We have ... Beautiful Ohio
Photo by Carl Stimac Mentor Marsh Photo by Carl Stimac A barred owl in the Cleveland Metroparks Photo by Jim Noelker A great blue heron on Gregory Creek in Liberty Township Photo by Randall L Schieber Hocking Hills forrest Photo by Doyle Yoder Amish settlement in Wayne County Photo by Doyle Yoder Scene near Mt. Hope Photo by Carl Stimac Ice patterns in Sandusky Photo by David Fitzsimmons Red-tailed hawk wing beats in Richland County Photo by Carl Stimac A tufted titmouse in the Lorain County Photo by Ro... Education on Demand
Not long ago, virtual classrooms and online degrees were seen as the lesser of two options, a definite second to coursework completed in a traditional classroom setting. Today, that idea seems as ancient as separate classes for men and women. Last August, the U.S. Department of Education released the findings of a report on online education conducted by SRI International, an independent research company in California. The report, which reviewed data comparing online education with traditional classroom ... Excellence in Education 2009
William Ackerman, Ph.D. The Ohio State University at Lima Geography Barbara Andreas, Ph.D. Kent State University Biological Sciences Heidi Ballard, Ph.D. Otterbein College Sociology William M. Bauer, Ph.D. Marietta College Education Christopher Bays, M.A. Clark State Community College English, Developmental Writing Cameron Bennett, D.M.A. Ohio Wesleyan University Music Carolyn Berg, M.A. Lakeland Community College Sociology Brenda Beyer, M.S.N., R.N. Moun... Ohioan - Clifford Murphy
AGE: 77 HOME: Waterville GIG: Every Monday through Saturday night, Murphy and his bass take the stage at his jazz club, Murphy’s Place, in downtown Toledo (murphysplace-jazz.com). MUSICAL ROOTS: “I always wanted to play bass,” says Murphy. “My father was a preacher and I used to sing in church with my brothers and sisters. I would sing bass, but instead of singing words I’d go, ‘ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.’ ” HIS OWN STRINGS: Until he was ... Outreach 101
Every fall, a new crop of students heads off to college in search of the education they need to cultivate a career after graduation. But in the blur of applications and entrance exams, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that colleges and universities are designed to teach kids more than just a marketable skill. “Every institution has the mission to educate students to be engaged citizens,” says Richard Kinsley, the executive director of Ohio Campus Compact, a nonprofit coalition of th... Sheer Illumination
It didn’t take long for Steve and Katesha Weaver to see the light. Three years ago, the couple decided to combine his joy of cooking and her love of scented tapers. They opened The Candle Lab, an emporium offering customers the chance to make soy candles that are all their own. Patrons create a customized fragrance from among 110 scented oils, blend it, pour it and … voila! An hour later, the candle is ready to take home. “We wanted to create a place where people could come in, play wi... |
Small-Town Celebrations
Head out of downtown Akron in almost any direction, and you’re bound to discover one of the area’s greatest assets: its small towns. Nestled in the rolling, wooded landscape are hamlets that look like scenes from a postcard, complete with red brick schoolhouses, white-steepled churches, beautiful old homes and main streets lined with mom-and-pop establishments. And at no time are these small towns’ charms more evident than during the holidays. Following are four great places to ring in... Sounds of the Season
Ah, the musical sounds of the season: the jingle of sleigh bells, the angelic choirs, the oom-pah-pah of 500 tubas performing “Silent Night.” The end of Thanksgiving leftovers and the beginning of December means there’s a wealth of holiday concert offerings in Ohio — well worth hopping in the car to enjoy an evening or weekend musical getaway. And there are performances for every taste and every budget (including free!). Kenny G: The Holiday Show Grammy-winning Kenny GR... |
|
|