August 2008 Issue
A Stitch in Time
The quilt as love. It’s an easy metaphor for Carolyn Mazloomi. Comfort, safety, security –– whether offered as solace or celebration, few things so aptly symbolize fond feelings the way that a handmade quilt does, capturing heartfelt sentiments with every stitch and literally blanketing someone with affection. “There’s a reason why people are drawn to quilts: The first thing we’re swathed in from birth is a piece of fabric,” says Mazloomi, a West Chester residen... Eye on the '60s
While his older brother Paul was co-writing the music that would help put the Beatles at the forefront of rock ’n’ roll, Mike McCartney was making a lasting impression of his own. His compositions, however, were photographic ones, giving glimpses of life in his native Liverpool, England, during the 1960s. Through September 21, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is presenting “Mike McCartney’s Liverpool Life,” an exhibition comprising 65 black-and-white images he shot... Faces of the Sculpture
Sculptor George Carruth wants to make you smile. For more than two decades, the Waterville stone carver has fashioned quirky cats, fanciful suns and moons and other funny faces in his Northwest Ohio studio. “Everything I do is lighthearted,” he says. “They are feel-good stones.” Carruth first became captivated with his craft in 1983, while he was a sculptor working at American Greetings and charged with bringing the company’s Care Bears to life for use on figurines. During ... La Chatelaine
Every year, as a treat, my high school French teacher, Mrs. Baker, would plan a field trip to La Chatelaine French Bakery and Bistro, a popular lunch spot that, while nearby, seemed a world away from the confines of our little school in Upper Arlington. One by one, we’d line up, cafeteria style, and nervously place our orders with French-speaking servers. Not much has changed about La Chatelaine (French for “lady of the castle”) since I graduated from high school. It’s grown in s... |
Americana on the Lake
When Columbus attorney John McDonald and his wife, interior designer Sally McDonald, built their Lake Erie summer cottage in 2006, they knew they wanted a cozy retreat for family and friends. They even considered calling it the Friendship Inn, for all the company they planned to host there on weekends. Though they decided the name was too cheesy, their wish of having a full house has been fulfilled. Summer weekends find the couple kicking back with friends on the home’s screened-in porch with its ... How the Garden Grows
Imagine a greenhouse that’s never too hot or too cold. One where light intensity and wavelength are controlled with a simple computer. An energy-efficient place in which lilies bloom earlier than normal and tomato plants are always hearty. The Cleveland Botanical Garden and Kent State University have joined forces in an attempt to make that happen. The institutions are studying the growth of plants inside two separate 8-by-10-foot greenhouses installed at the CBG. One is made with typical single-l... King of Creole
It’s five minutes to 3 p.m. on a steamy June afternoon, and chef Henry Butcher’s takeout restaurant, the Creole Kitchen in Columbus, still has lunch customers trickling in. It’s hot outside, but the heat in his narrow, back-door-less kitchen borders on sauna-like. Butcher, who got here at 5 a.m. and has been on his feet and in the heat for nearly 10 hours, seems completely unfazed. “My grandmother gave me love for the kitchen,” he says, a trait, as anyone who has ever worke... |
Fantastic Flyers
Legend tells that an oriental dragonfly so pleased the emperor by eating a bothersome horsefly that the grateful “heaven ruler” bestowed the name Akitsushima, or Isle of the Dragonfly, upon Japan. A southwestern American Indian myth tells of the dragonfly being created by a boy who fashioned a toy out of cornhusks to brighten the spirits of his sister after she and he were abandoned by their parents. The toy eventually came to life as a dragonfly and became a messenger between gods and men. ... Four-Wheel First
Tom Smith isn’t really certain how he came to be so caught up in the story of C.R. Patterson, but thinks it has to do with the fact that they shared the same business. “My dad was in the car business, and I grew up in the car business,” he muses. “I guess it was interesting to me. I’ve been searching for stuff on the guy since the mid-’80s.” Today, he has a large collection. Henry May, on the other hand, is quite sure how he became attracted to Patterson’s... Kernels of Truth
People say corn is a vegetable. They are partly right. Corn in Millersport means tractor pulls and hog races. Corn in Wilmington is an antiques show on the county fairgrounds. Sweet corn sparks a bicycle sprint up hills as unforgiving as the cyclists’ Spandex uniforms in Richfield, while Strasburg stages a basketball tournament. Ohioans are a hardworking people, but all we need to throw a party is enough time to line up the marching band. In the weeks between the harvest and the first fall chill, ... Ohioan - Jason Aikens
Age: 36 Hometown: Canton Claim to Fame: Aikens is the collections curator at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He coordinates all donations and verifies their authenticity. He also goes to the Super Bowl every year to help with the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s display at the “NFL Experience” exhibit. Favorite Athlete Growing Up : Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams. Aikens met Dickerson when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. “It was kind of overwhelming,&... Right on Track
When U.S. track and field team members lace up their shoes at the Olympic Games in Beijing this month, two Ohioans will be helping them keep things tied together. Criss and Rita Somerlot, retired high school teachers from Powell, are volunteer assistant coaches for USA Track & Field, which is sending 130 athletes to the Summer Games. The Somerlots are the first high school track coaches to be part of the Olympic team’s coaching staff. Criss, 61, serves as an assistant coach for 12 competitors in t... Step by Step
You know you need some exercise, but you’re having trouble getting off the couch? What if we told you that you could talk to a physician at the same time you’re working out? The Walk with a Doc program is just the ticket for those looking for a fitness incentive. On designated Saturdays throughout the year, approximately 200 people congregate at Highbanks Metro Park in Lewis Center to get their blood pumping the good, old-fashioned way: They go for a walk.The concept was created three years ... |
A Road Trip to the Past
Gas prices got you down? Fear not. An Ohio road trip is just what you need to satisfy a yen for And if history is what you're looking for, the state is chock-full of heritage destinations. Each is guaranteed to provide you with a glimpse into an area’s culture, traditions and customs. We’ll help you uncover some of the best heritage attractions in the state — many you already know and others you’ve never encountered. Ohio has it all, from canal boats to submarines, rolling hills ... Appalachian Adventure
All the rage these days, girlfriend getaways typically center on spa treatments and pink drinks. The trips are a customized way for groups of women to get together and have a good time. Lifelong outdoorswoman Mimi Morrison was ahead of the curve –– she’s been taking groups of women on hiking, cycling and kayaking adventures for more than 16 years as part of her business, Touch the Earth Adventures. A petite and fun-loving guide (she’s been known to make a meal out of beer and che... Doors to History
Ladies First Their husbands may have occupied the Oval Office, but that doesn’t mean our first ladies didn’t leave a lasting impression –– whether it was Martha Washington campaigning on behalf of better benefits for Revolutionary War veterans or Eleanor Roosevelt’s commitment to social reform. These women are among the former first ladies showcased at the National First Ladies Library Education and Research Center, where life stories are told through photos, diaries, lette... Food for Thought
Dale Hawkins is used to the litany of questions that accompany the presentation of his signature appetizer: an egg roll with peanut sauce. The dish, which would raise nary an eyebrow at the neighborhood Thai restaurant, always causes a buzz here at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia. It’s just one of many culinary creations Executive Chef Hawkins has concocted at the resort’s Stillwaters Restaurant in a mission to introduce diners to what he calls New Appalachian Cuisine –̵... Great Grapes
A new crop of wineries brings interesting vintages and more vines. On the Menu
No, my new fave is down the hall, past the pastry kitchen, tucked among the classrooms of the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College. The Summit, which opened in late May, is the showcase for professional chef and Midwest Culinary grad Matt Winterrowd and the learning lab for culinary students. It tracks the latest taste trends for its seasonal menus, so your roasted pork might come with chipotle ice cream, your seared arctic char with a foam of saffron and fennel. ... |
Staff Notes
One of the most gratifying aspects of this business is the opportunity to continually discover new talent. It is always a pleasure to celebrate the people who give the state its unique blend of beauty, adventure and fun. Telling their stories is very much a team effort, and it is an additional pleasure to work with an outstanding group of individuals who love the state with a spirit of enthusiasm matching that of the personalities we feature on these pages each month. Which brings us back to the subject... |
|
|