Local
Matthew Davis of Upper Arlington is a die-hard mountain biker and dirt biker. He also considers himself a Scioto River preservationist. Especially for the areas near his home which are cratered by several expansive and deep limestone quarries, and considered by some to be awe-inspiring when standing on their precipices.
Long before Quarry Trails Metro Park opened in 2021, Davis raced through here on bike trails he helped build with a shovel and hard work. Little did he know back then that Quarry Trails Metro Park would be paired (so to speak) with a mixed-use development.
Quarry Trails is just west of the Scioto River in Grandview becoming Columbus’s 20th metro park. But also emerging from the sandy rubble off Trabue Road is “Project QT.” A $650-million dollar mix of condos, office space and retail.
When the Project QT’s foundations and basic structures first appeared, some fans of Columbus Metro Parks took pause, some mockingly laughed in disgust. The newest metro park would be different from the others. Dominated by $1,800-a-month single bedrooms and a possibly a Marshalls.
I’m old-fashioned. I think you can only learn so much about a candidate by reading about him and watching him on video.
I believe you must experience a candidate up close and personal by seeing him speak, watching him interact with voters, and by having a face-to-face conversation.
Enter Jeff Crossman, the Democratic running for state attorney general. On paper and on video, he came across as a good candidate, but I wanted that real life contact.
I got it three weeks ago when the Parma-based state representative appeared before the Third Friday Democrat group in Columbus. I was not disappointed. The 50-year-old lawyer wowed me and the crowd with a straight up speech that Ohio has been poorly served by the current AG and his Republican cronies, that corruption has been running rampant in the Buckeye State, and that he had the backbone necessary to clean up the mess.
Crossman told the group that his opponent was sometimes careless with the truth and the public has a right to be angry at AG David Yost for inaction and obfuscation.
Saturday, October 15, 2022
12noon
East North Broadway and High Streets
Peace vigil until 1pm. Medea will join us!
Presentation about book
6:30 PM
Kafé Kerouac, 2250 N. High St., Columbus, 43201.
Facebook Event
Join us for a discussion and book signing by Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK and co-author of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict. “This careful, informed, judicious study is an invaluable guide to understanding Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine, and most crucially, how we can act to help bring this terrible tragedy to an end.” – Noam Chomsky.
Sponsored by the Central Ohio Peace Network, Progressive Peace Coalition and others.
Questions? Contact cmhammond11@att.net.
The game may be almost over.
Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S.Davies put it this way:
“The irresolvable dilemma facing Western leaders is that this is a no-win situation. How can they militarily defeat Russia, when it possesses 6,000 nuclear warheads and its military doctrine explicitly states that it will use them before it will accept an existential military defeat?”
Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 4:00 PM
We have a chance to both hold and gain ground on civil liberties this election season – but it's going to take all of us to make that happen.
Join the townhall to hear from ACLU leaders who will outline our strategy for mobilizing people to vote their values – and how dedicated supporters like you can help in your communities.
The Free Press community gathered Saturday, October 8 for the Second Saturday Salon. But it was a special salon event, as it doubled as the annual awards ceremony. This year, the Free Press honored Joe Motil with the 2022 "Libby" award for Lifetime Achievement in Community Activism.
The Free Press is published by the nonprofit Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (CICJ). Mark Stansbery, board member, emceed the event, held in the lovely party room at Mozart's Cafe in Clintonville.
Mark introduced Esther Flores, the 2021 Free Press Libby award honoree, spoke about Libby Gregory, former Free Press editor and namesake of the annual award. Libby was a tireless activist and advocate for human rights, as is Esther, who manages 1DivineLine2Health, a local nonprofit that works with "street sisters."
Tuesday, October 11, 6pm, this on-line event requires advance registration
Your health matters; learn how fossil fuels, that are the feedstock for plastics, are impacting the health of our children and our own physical and mental health.
With this latest report from the Physicians for Social Responsibility out about how PFAS [Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances] have been used in the fracking industry in Ohio, it is more important than ever that Ohioans and everyone in the Ohio River Valley and beyond understand the impacts of petrochemicals on their health. Use this link to view this report.
Many people don’t know that fracked gas is mostly used to make single use plastics.
Join us on October 11 at 6pm; please share this event widely!
RSVP for this event by using this link.
From AFSC: Our immigration system should strengthen our communities, not tear them apart. But today, almost 11 million immigrants face threats of detention, deportation, and racial profiling every day. Temporary protections, like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and TPS (Temporary Protected Status), are not enough.
These programs are vulnerable to the courts and do not provide stability for our communities and families. That has been demonstrated by the Fifth Circuit’s recent ruling against DACA—as well as multiple attempts to end both DACA and TPS over the years.
It’s time that we recognize immigrants as vital members of our community—and create a pathway to citizenship for all. Tell your elected officials: Support a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants!
(The following is a fictitious memo from Gov. Mike DeWine’s campaign manager to the governor. It is make-believe, but it contains much truth.)
Good morning, Governor!
It is another lovely fall day in Ohio. The leaves are turning. I am sure there is lots to be done on your farm, but it will have to wait until after Nov. 8.
Things are looking very good, governor, as you have lengthened your lead in the public opinion polls over you know who since the primary.
Your opponent and her advisers apparently had no plan beyond winning the May 3 primary over the upstart John Cranley, and they had to turn to Sen. Sherrod Brown to do a million dollars’ worth of TV ads to defeat Cranley.
While your foe was figuring out what to do next, you were quietly mending fences with the misguided Republicans who did not vote for you in the primary. That effort was advanced when you had to make that inconvenient trip to Youngstown airport to receive the blessing of none other than Donald J. Trump. How you managed to keep him from endorsing one of your opponents in the primary is a secret that I am happy to let you keep!
Sunday, October 9, 2022, 4:00 PM
When a news publisher in Arkansas, an attorney in Arizona, and a speech therapist in Texas are told they must choose between their jobs and their political beliefs, they launch legal battles that expose an attack on freedom of speech across 33 states in America.
BOYCOTT traces the impact of state legislation designed to penalize individuals and companies that choose to boycott Israel due to its human rights record. A legal thriller with “accidental plaintiffs” at the center of the story, Boycott is a bracing look at the far-reaching implications of anti-boycott legislation and an inspiring tale of everyday Americans standing up to protect our rights in an age of shifting politics and threats to freedom of speech.