The tables were set. Perfectly folded white napkins… Elegant crystal stemware… Exquisite centerpieces, place settings, and table cloths… These immaculate arrangements would have been identical to those at the Selma, Alabama Country Club in 1962… But this evening, at the Medallion Club in Westerville, Ohio, was different. Seated at the pristine tables, discussing the impending presidential administration, were spectacularly dressed African-Americans… Waiting to serve them, dressed in aprons and servant attire, were three Caucasians.
“A Celebration of Change Inaugural Ball,” conceived and hosted by Linda Evans, was more than a gala tribute to President-Elect Obama… It was a national history lesson for this nation. A lot has been made of the history of Tuesday. So much has been made that the distinction “first black president” has almost become a cliché… But, sitting among these two dozen on Saturday, one quickly understood how much this moment means. One quickly understood history, at its core, is not an overall distinction; it is the personal experience of those living it…
The most intriguing aspect of this evening was the firm grasp of reality the people I spoke with had… Jokes were made throughout the campaign about “hope” and “change.” There has been an almost utopian belief by some that President-Elect Obama will step into the Oval Office on Tuesday and the world will heal… And there has been the insular view of some, who have quickly shrugged off the opportunity that this moment gives America for a national dialogue on the various problems facing the African-American community…
As I sat and spoke with individuals, one could truly see them grappling with, what their chosen and elected candidate had previously called “the fierce urgency of now.” They aren’t wide-eyed or zealous… They are optimistic. They understand that this job wont be done overnight. They understand that failure is a possibility. They concede the fact that this is the moment that the tough conversations, on single parents and violence, should happen… But, they are empowered by a renewed sense of promise… The realization that they our nation’s citizens are not inadequate… They are powerful beyond measure…
Only hours before his assassination, Martin Luther King stood before a church audience in Memphis and said, “I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen the promise land…I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!”
After two hours and a dozen conversations, the mindset of the people I had spoken with was evident… They are, at this moment, in the Promised Land… America may not be and they may not see America there again… But one day, because of this moment, America will return as a promised land.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
It’s Basketball Season… And Michigan Still Sucks
Given the fact that this game took place at 8:00 on a Saturday… I’m guessing not a lot of people were watching… Still, it’s a victory over Michigan…
Ohio State's youthful regulars grew up a little Saturday night, just in time to help the Buckeyes upset their Big Ten rivals Sophomore Evan Turner scored 19 points and freshmen William Buford and B.J. Mullens each added 15 to help the Buckeyes beat Michigan (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) 65-58, spoiling the Wolverines' celebration of their 1988-89 national championship team. Each of the trio scored during a 10-0 run in the final five minutes that broke a 47-all tie and gave Ohio State (13-3, 3-2) the lead for good.
Ohio State's youthful regulars grew up a little Saturday night, just in time to help the Buckeyes upset their Big Ten rivals Sophomore Evan Turner scored 19 points and freshmen William Buford and B.J. Mullens each added 15 to help the Buckeyes beat Michigan (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) 65-58, spoiling the Wolverines' celebration of their 1988-89 national championship team. Each of the trio scored during a 10-0 run in the final five minutes that broke a 47-all tie and gave Ohio State (13-3, 3-2) the lead for good.
It’s What We Call the News
NBC 4: Columbus police were quickly on the scene of a sidewalk in the 700 block of Bryden avenue Saturday afternoon after a call alerted them to a man described as shot in the chest. They found the man lying on the walk with a wound from a small caliber handgun on the left side of his chest. He was whisked to Grant by ambulance in stable condition.
Number twenty-six epitomizes the decline of this city…. Its not even safe to walk down the street…
10 TV: Expect snow showers early Sunday morning… we could see an inch of accumulation by early Sunday. Snow showers will move out by Sunday afternoon. Temperatures peak shy of 30 degrees… it could snow again Sunday night. There is another chance for light snow showers on Monday. Expect partly cloudy skies for most of the work week. Temperatures gradually climb back to highs in the 30s by weeks end. The next chance for snow arrives on Friday.
The bad news, roads will be terrible tomorrow… The good news, it’s championship Sunday, so no one will be on them anyway…
Number twenty-six epitomizes the decline of this city…. Its not even safe to walk down the street…
10 TV: Expect snow showers early Sunday morning… we could see an inch of accumulation by early Sunday. Snow showers will move out by Sunday afternoon. Temperatures peak shy of 30 degrees… it could snow again Sunday night. There is another chance for light snow showers on Monday. Expect partly cloudy skies for most of the work week. Temperatures gradually climb back to highs in the 30s by weeks end. The next chance for snow arrives on Friday.
The bad news, roads will be terrible tomorrow… The good news, it’s championship Sunday, so no one will be on them anyway…
Quick Read
As I scanned an anemic Saturday front page, my eyes were drawn to one piece… “Bird Strikes Common at Airports in Columbus.” This piece was enterprising, well written… It was the perfect sidebar piece… FOR THURSDAY, the day the U.S. Airways crash happened…
The sluggish edition went from bad to worse, with metro featuring a story on the Short North robber, which gave me nothing more than I already knew… Newspapers, if you’re going to insist on covering the same stories we do, you could at least do some reporting… You have more time…
The Dispatch’s lone bright spots were Life and Arts excellent pictorial of the previous two days winter weather and an interesting metro section front-page column on fire hydrant procedures… Never has a potentially boring subject been made so readable…
Finally, I want to take a moment and personally address a commenter to this blog, who (besides ranting about the Columbus Crew), said that dissecting a newspaper and posting about it has to be a new level of lame… Some people love this feature; some people hate this feature (and I have the e-mails to prove both)… The point of this section isn’t to please anyone, its to provide analysis of what we are reading and hopefully make those typing the columns more attune to what we want.
The sluggish edition went from bad to worse, with metro featuring a story on the Short North robber, which gave me nothing more than I already knew… Newspapers, if you’re going to insist on covering the same stories we do, you could at least do some reporting… You have more time…
The Dispatch’s lone bright spots were Life and Arts excellent pictorial of the previous two days winter weather and an interesting metro section front-page column on fire hydrant procedures… Never has a potentially boring subject been made so readable…
Finally, I want to take a moment and personally address a commenter to this blog, who (besides ranting about the Columbus Crew), said that dissecting a newspaper and posting about it has to be a new level of lame… Some people love this feature; some people hate this feature (and I have the e-mails to prove both)… The point of this section isn’t to please anyone, its to provide analysis of what we are reading and hopefully make those typing the columns more attune to what we want.
Friday, January 16, 2009
INVITE: St. Practice Day
“Think You’re Ready For St. Patrick’s Day? Let’s Practice”Commencement: 9:00
Venue: McFadden’s (South Campus)
Drinks (Available All Night)
$3 Green Beers (20 ounces)
$3 Little Green Men Shots
Snow, Snow Go Away
10 TV: The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory until 10 a.m. Saturday for Franklin county… clear and bitterly cold conditions on Friday night. Lows will reach 4 below zero. Saturday will be cloudy with light snow. We should see less than 1 inch accumulation. High temperatures will rise to 23 degrees. Look for more snow on Sunday. It won't be as cold, with highs reaching 27 degrees…
Quick Read
Whereas most newspapers gratify themselves as “local institutions dedicated to local stories,” the Dispatch never has… They underscored their brilliant versatility again this morning, providing excellent news and photo coverage of the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
The front page also featured an outstanding piece on the raise freeze that is affecting both Columbus and Ohio… Unfortunately, this great work was offset by a potentially brilliant, but pathetically brittle piece on Barack and Michelle Obama as “A New Model for African-American families.” I agree with the premise… the Obama’s are an example which minority families should follow…
However, tell me something I don’t know! The single parent parade in the black community is a conversation worth having… but this piece didn’t have the conversation… It was as if the reporter was afraid to offend someone, so he provided bland context… The story deserved to be buried on page C8 (Instead, James Nash’s excellent piece on the sale of hard liquor to individuals and not restaurants was buried there)…
Metro started disappointing with a story about “Hot Spots” that read more like an advertisement for the Franklin Conservatory… Thankfully, Ann Fisher’s piece on post-election volunteerism and an exquisite column on churches and the impact the inauguration will have on them salvaged the section…
Life and Arts featured three thorough reviews of much hyped movies that will open in the city this weekend… Apparently, the Wrestler is worth watching and Notorious and Revolutionary Road are worth skipping… (The section also had a great piece on upcoming movies)…
Tim May led sports with a solid endeavor on Donald Washington’s decision to skip his senior season… However, his skilled work was offset by Jim Massie and Shaun Mitchell’s sleep inducing reads about Ohio State women’s basketball and the Columbus Crew’s draft selections… Guys, the OSU Women and the Crew are two subjects no one cares about… If you want us to care, you need to give us a reason…
The front page also featured an outstanding piece on the raise freeze that is affecting both Columbus and Ohio… Unfortunately, this great work was offset by a potentially brilliant, but pathetically brittle piece on Barack and Michelle Obama as “A New Model for African-American families.” I agree with the premise… the Obama’s are an example which minority families should follow…
However, tell me something I don’t know! The single parent parade in the black community is a conversation worth having… but this piece didn’t have the conversation… It was as if the reporter was afraid to offend someone, so he provided bland context… The story deserved to be buried on page C8 (Instead, James Nash’s excellent piece on the sale of hard liquor to individuals and not restaurants was buried there)…
Metro started disappointing with a story about “Hot Spots” that read more like an advertisement for the Franklin Conservatory… Thankfully, Ann Fisher’s piece on post-election volunteerism and an exquisite column on churches and the impact the inauguration will have on them salvaged the section…
Life and Arts featured three thorough reviews of much hyped movies that will open in the city this weekend… Apparently, the Wrestler is worth watching and Notorious and Revolutionary Road are worth skipping… (The section also had a great piece on upcoming movies)…
Tim May led sports with a solid endeavor on Donald Washington’s decision to skip his senior season… However, his skilled work was offset by Jim Massie and Shaun Mitchell’s sleep inducing reads about Ohio State women’s basketball and the Columbus Crew’s draft selections… Guys, the OSU Women and the Crew are two subjects no one cares about… If you want us to care, you need to give us a reason…
Thursday, January 15, 2009
BREAKING: Eddie George’s Set For Relocation
Eddie George’s Grille will take over Skye Bar’s former venue, Gossip CBUS has learned. Late Thursday night, a source familiar with the situation said, “Celebrity Ventures is exploring other management opportunities in the South Campus Gateway.”
Opened in 2006 and billed as a key piece of the South Campus Gateway revitalization, Eddie George’s Grille has proven to be one of the project’s few successes. On Sunday, Gossip CBUS reported that at least half of South Campus Gateway is receiving relaxed treatment. Eddie George’s Grille has not required relaxed treatment, according to our previous column’s sources.
Located on the corner of High & Chittenden, Eddie George’s Grille was developed by George, Bob McCarthy, and Howard Shiller. McCarthy and Shiller’s other ventures include Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 (Pittsburgh).
Opened in 2006 and billed as a key piece of the South Campus Gateway revitalization, Eddie George’s Grille has proven to be one of the project’s few successes. On Sunday, Gossip CBUS reported that at least half of South Campus Gateway is receiving relaxed treatment. Eddie George’s Grille has not required relaxed treatment, according to our previous column’s sources.
Located on the corner of High & Chittenden, Eddie George’s Grille was developed by George, Bob McCarthy, and Howard Shiller. McCarthy and Shiller’s other ventures include Jerome Bettis' Grille 36 (Pittsburgh).
BREAKING: The Skye Has Fallen
As Gossip CBUS first reported, Skye Bar has closed. While the venue had remained operational under sale and salvage conditions, Owners Tom Selvaggio and David Allsbrooks submitted under, what was previously labeled, “an unsustainable financial pattern.” Skye Bar’s cable, rent, and utilities were months overdue, according to one source familiar with the situation.
On Sunday, Gossip Cbus reported that Skye Bar was one of several South Campus Gateway locations still alive due to a combination of owner’s assets and development assistance. While South Campus Gateway was prepared to maintain this arrangement indefinitely, our source stated that Selvaggio and Allsbrooks decided to cut their losses.
Since January 1, promoters were under orders not to book further events. Speculation among staff had been rampant as to when the exact closing would occur. The 10,055 square foot Skye Bar opened in February 2005.
On Sunday, Gossip Cbus reported that Skye Bar was one of several South Campus Gateway locations still alive due to a combination of owner’s assets and development assistance. While South Campus Gateway was prepared to maintain this arrangement indefinitely, our source stated that Selvaggio and Allsbrooks decided to cut their losses.
Since January 1, promoters were under orders not to book further events. Speculation among staff had been rampant as to when the exact closing would occur. The 10,055 square foot Skye Bar opened in February 2005.
INVITE: A Celebration of Change Inaugural Ball
Commencement: 6:00
Conclusion: 11:00
Venue: Medallion Club (5000 Club Drive - Westerville)
Cost: $85
Reservations: 890-6497 (Linda Evans)
Opening
Reception
National Anthem
Invocation
Dinner
Feature Presentation
President-Elect Obama’s Victory Speech
America the Beautiful
Closing
Raffle (Gift basket includes both books)
Dance
Conclusion
Conclusion: 11:00
Venue: Medallion Club (5000 Club Drive - Westerville)
Cost: $85
Reservations: 890-6497 (Linda Evans)
Opening
Reception
National Anthem
Invocation
Dinner
Feature Presentation
President-Elect Obama’s Victory Speech
America the Beautiful
Closing
Raffle (Gift basket includes both books)
Dance
Conclusion
INVITE: The Saga Continues
Commencement: 9:00Venue: Skullys (1151 North High Street)
Age Range: 18 and over
Cover: $7 (18 and over); $5 (21 and over)
Fashion Showcase
Hammer & Pistol Clothier
Saga Outerwear
Performances
Roxy Cottontail
Adulture
Dave Espionage
The Steez
Portman Enlists Internet Operative
Odyssey New Media Co-Owner Parker Novak is working on behalf of Rob Portman, Gossip CBUS has learned. Previously, Novak consulted for Phil Heimlich, Kirk Schuring, and Mike Turner’s congressional campaigns.
Robber Scouring Short North
10 TV: Police said on Thursday that a man has committed at least six robberies in the Short North neighborhood since Dec. 28 by holding a knife to his victims' throats… the man has robbed an ice cream parlor, smoothie shop and a neighborhood tavern. Police said that the robber is targeting businesses at all hours. He is described as white with scruffy facial hair. Witnesses said that he wore a black-hooded coat and has the distinctive tattoos…
Quick Read
Featuring Linda Evans (she also planned the Inaugural Ball we are spotlighting), the Dispatch’s “Obama Fans Plan Their Parties” feature is excellent. The front page also features thorough reporting on two major stories, the Batelle expansion and the request (unions would say demand) by Mayor Coleman that unions do not give raises.
The front page should have featured a story about the sex chat room bust of Eric McFadden, Governor Strickland’s former faith based office overseer… Unfortunately, the news was buried on the metro front, just above a story on chimneys that would have well on B5.
Speaking of columns that should have been buried, Tim May’s disguise of an article about Brian Hartline, as an article about the revamping of OSU was infuriating. The story should have been packaged into a notebook for the back of the section; instead it was center of the sports front page with a bold headline and graphics… The only way the story deserved this treatment is if it were an examination of why Hartline, who may be a third round pick at best, made such a stupid decision…
Life and Arts was also featured nothing noteworthy, lacing their front with a story on fashion trends, that featured no fashion trends and a photo lead about what to do with non-digital televisions… The story featured solid information…. Unfortunately, the information wasn’t anything I hadn’t already heard…
The front page should have featured a story about the sex chat room bust of Eric McFadden, Governor Strickland’s former faith based office overseer… Unfortunately, the news was buried on the metro front, just above a story on chimneys that would have well on B5.
Speaking of columns that should have been buried, Tim May’s disguise of an article about Brian Hartline, as an article about the revamping of OSU was infuriating. The story should have been packaged into a notebook for the back of the section; instead it was center of the sports front page with a bold headline and graphics… The only way the story deserved this treatment is if it were an examination of why Hartline, who may be a third round pick at best, made such a stupid decision…
Life and Arts was also featured nothing noteworthy, lacing their front with a story on fashion trends, that featured no fashion trends and a photo lead about what to do with non-digital televisions… The story featured solid information…. Unfortunately, the information wasn’t anything I hadn’t already heard…
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