NEW RESTAURANT!

I don't know its name yet but, Jason and Samia Rajeh have opened a Lebanese restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Union Square Plaza.

They serve some of the following: Baba ghanouj, hummos, kibbee, grape leaves, spinach pies, meat pies. They also have lamb, chicken, kafta, falafel and gyro sandwiches. They also have dinners (kebobs, shish ta wook) and salads. Rumor has it that the baklawa is unbelievable.

Their phone number is 330-743-5777.

Worthington Farmer's Market

What a Saturday. It's just past two o'clock and I feel like I've already accomplished so much. I slept in, made coffee, ate a healthy breakfast of oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts and I spent hours walking through downtown Worthington perusing the locally grown goods at the farmer's market. I highly recommend anything from Gillogy Orchard. (I'm eating toast with their pumpkin butter as I type.) I also bought some chicken brats, lettuce, and a Locavore (: n. one who eats locally grown food) mug. There's also a woman who sells homemade jams. I wish I could remember her name, but just look for Raspberry Champagne Jam and Apricot Chai Perserves. They were gone in 2 weeks last time I bought them. So good.

And of course I bought some Maple Syrup lollipops. My name is Jemimah afterall...


Next time you're in Columbus on a Saturday be sure to swing by Worthington from nine til noon. You won't be disappointed!





They have tote bags too.



Little League Kids at Graeters Ice Cream



They were out of potatoes by the time I got back. :(



2+ blocks of stands along either side of High St

Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes!!!!!



Flowers for Sale



Plants for Sale



The Activist Spirit doesn't age

Aminah's World

Check out the Columbus Musuem of Art's new Website, Aminah's World, where you can see some of the work of Aminah Brnda Lynn Robinson, a Columbus-born artist who has been making art for over sixty years. Her works are grounded in African-American heritage and stories from her childhood. More importantly you can create your own Aminah style piece of artwork online using virtual found objects. Try it out. It's fun!

Here's mine:

Yom HaShoah

Please Join

The Honorable Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio
And
The Board of Trustees of
Ohio Jewish Communities

For the
GOVERNOR’S TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL
Holocaust Commemoration

Observing the Days of Remembrance 2008

Remarks by Holocaust Speaker Renate Frydman, Dayton
Benediction by Rabbi Hillel Fox, Beth Jacob Congregation, Dayton

Presentations of Resolutions by:
Governor Ted Strickland
Honorable Bill Harris, President, Ohio Senate
Honorable Jon Husted, Speaker, Ohio House
Senator Shirley Smith, President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus

Also Participating:
Honorable Lee Fisher, Lt. Governor & Director, Ohio Department of Development
Honorable Eric Fingerhut, Chancellor, Ohio Board of Regents
Chairman Alan Schriber, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
Senator David Goodman
Representative Armond Budish
Representative Stephen Slesnick
Greg Landsman, Director, Governors Office of Faith-Based & Community Initiatives
Hon. Uriel Palti, Consul General of Israel to the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States


Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Statehouse, Rotunda

Sustainable Worthington

Check them out:

http://www.sustainableworthington.org/

finally!

I'm finally doing what I have been waiting for: drinking a morning cup of coffee on the patio. The neighbors are working in their yard, the cat is hunting sparrows, the tulips are about to burst and I'm getting a pretty strong wireless signal.

Why is this matzo different from all other matzo?

With Passover fast approaching, I thought a post to ease the consumption of all that matzoh would be appropriate.

Check out this interesting podcast from the great folks at NextBook.org.

Healing Garden Event

Healing Garden Event: In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and National Crime Victim's Rights Week, the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO) offers an annual event, “Healing Garden" which will be held on April 17 from 6-8p.m. at North Bank Park Pavilion near Scioto River in downtown Columbus. This event is designed for survivors/co-survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence in central Ohio as a forum to honor their strength and courage.

The Healing Garden event is a safe space where survivors can celebrate their healing process and remember that they are not silent by taking back the control and power over their lives.

The Clothesline Project will be displayed. Survivors, co-survivors, and community supporters are invited. For more information, please contact Stephanie Smith-Bowman, Central Ohio Sexual Assault Taskforce Coordinator at sbowman@ohiohealth.com or via 614/566.3933.

fianchetto!

Ever Saturday morning through the early afternoon in my neighborhood coffee shop, while I take advantage of free wifi and bottomless cups of coffee, Worthington's young and old gather to play chess. I love it.



This photo was snapped long after most of the crowd dissipated, but you get the idea.

Similarly, one evening each week, a dozen or so gente gather here to practice their Italian and sip cappuccinos.

I wish there were more things like that back home in Youngstown. Developing sense of community is so vital in reviving our city. Informal gatherings like these are such an easy way to cultivate it, too. Maybe we can all get together for a little Scrabble the next time I'm home...

bad blogger

I'm a bad blogger. It's been a month since I've updated. I don't know how these other bloggers do it. At any rate, guilt has got the best of me so here a tiny update until this weekend when I tackle the mountain of information I've collected for you. (I apologize for the errors in grammar and spelling and typos, etc. I am blogging via phone on the bus in to work)

Last week the Ohio Departmentof Natural Resources released the receipients of their spring litter clean up grants. Mahoning County organizations(including the city of Youngstown) received 6 grants out of the 50 total awarded. Each organization received the full amount requested. The only county that received mre grants was Columiana with 7. The Valley is gonna get her clean on.

The local clean up efforts that these grants fund are required to take place in April and May and must involve the work of volunteers. Does anyone have the dates or details of these local projects?

1075 Billion Dollars

I have a hard time comprehending 1075 Billion Dollars, but whether my tiny mind can grasp it or not that's the size of The United States of America 2008 Federal Discretionary Budget.

To make things easier, Jess Bachman designed the super cool DEATH & TAXES poster. Mine is on its way.

Click here to see the online zoomable(if that's a word) version.

HEROES

Are Unions Destroying American Education?

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute and the John Glenn School of Public Policy, as part of the Cicero's Podium: Great Issues Debate series, will be discussing whether or not Unions are destroying American Education.

Do teacher unions create more harm than good in the American education system? Peter Brimelow and Richard D. Kahlenberg will explore this topic at a public debate moderated by Chad Kifer on the Ohio State University campus in February. This debate is co-sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and the John Glenn School of Public Affairs.

Feb 12 2008, 5:30pm
free and open to the public
Faculty Club Grand Lounge
181 South Oval
Columbus

more info here

legislators luncheon

I may come home for this event, especially if Tim Ryan is going to be there.

League of Women Voters
Annual Luncheon with Legislators
Saturday, January 19
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
At The Youngstown Club
$10.00 per person
reservations required
Call 330-788-4646

new columbus visitor center

The brand new Downtown Visitor's Information Center in Columbus will have its grand opening January 10 at 4pm. I have no idea if it's open to the public, but they are asking for RSVP's. I'm excited to see what they are doing and if any of it can be applied to Youngstown. I'll be heading over after work so expecting to get there around 4:30ish. Anyone else going?

recovering vacant property

Steve Ferrell of United Way and Chester Jourdan of MORPC* lobbied hard for the passage of HB 138 and it passed, 90-2. From Greater Ohio

Vacant and abandoned properties, a growing problem throughout the state of Ohio, are increasingly havens of crime and vandalism, as well as perpetuating the decline in adjacent property values. HB 138’s provisions will help begin to turn the tide against those vacant property owners who are difficult, if not impossible, to locate due to improperly or unfiled deeds.

“HB 138 provides a crucial tool to expedite vacant property redevelopment in our communities—although additional tools are needed. ReBuild Ohio is thrilled to have played a role in educating policymakers about the need for new legislation to address the vacancy and abandonment problem throughout the state and will continue to do so,” said Greater Ohio Co-Director Lavea Brachman, who also co-chairs ReBuild Ohio, a statewide consortium concerned with the vacancy and abandonment issue.

I really hope that this bill makes it through the Senate. Organizations like Lien Forward Ohio have already done to help citizen reclaim vacant properties and this will continue that effort.

The Southside is one vacant property after another. Anything that can be done to get this land into the hands of responsible citizens gets my vote. My parents are considering buying the two vacant properties adjacent to theirs. They are worried about it increasing their property value and then their property taxes being more than they can afford. Does anyone know anything the taxable worth of a lot in Youngstown? I hope it's not much because I just found out that I can't grow tomatoes here in Worthington due to my neighbor's giant Black Walnut tree and I'm thinking my Dad would grow way more tomatoes if he suddenly had 3x as much land.

Also, Steve Ferrell told me about a United Way program that pays for roof replacements and repairs for low income households. I had looked at the United Way website before and found the information but now I can't find it. Anyone know where I can find information about it? I'd like to post a link.


*Does NE Ohio have a Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission equivalent?

Youngstown ≠ sedate... Thank God!

There's a story in the New York Post by writer David Landsel who counted his trip to Columbus among "five of the most memorable trips I took" in 2007. He calls my new hometown, Worthington, "sedate". I wonder when the last time someone called Youngstown sedate was...


He also called Graeter's Ice Cream "legendary"(the one just blocks from my house). He's obviously never had Handel's.