Matt Monta has been playing music in Columbus for a long time -- he used to play at the old High Street BW3 if your memory goes that far back. For the last several years he’s been playing with Righteous Buck and the Skull Scorchers and fronting The Smoking Guns, and as a result I’ve had a tendency to lump him in with the outlaw country scene that puts on the Johnny Cash tribute every year. Those guys play great music, but it’s not exactly a fountain of introspection and self-doubt.

Strongwater located in East Franklinton as part of the 400 W. Rich St. renaissances transforming the industrial historical into the artisanal hip. Among their progressive innovations, they include some exciting vegan and gluten-free options for those promoting peace, seeking optimal health and supporting sustainable practices with their food purchases. If you have not adventured into the palatal pleasure that is jackfruit, Strongwater is a brave mainstream restaurant pioneer in Columbus whose menu offers this remarkable whole food plant that mimics “pulled pork”! Try the jackfruit tacos or buns; not only will your gut thank you, the animals and the environment will too since no one will have to die and since plants (compared to animals) use not a fraction of the precious water, nor pollute what is left of it with “effluence” (Hello again, contagion recalls and recurring toxic algae blooms).

Amid the smell of donated bread inside the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center, I sought advice from fellow canvassers, working on the Columbus Community Bill of Rights, which aims to bring democracy to the decision of whether toxic fracking waste is allowed to be put into areas where it can negatively affect the health of Columbus residents.

This year’s crop of Columbus School Board candidates may be the most distinguished in the city’s history. Those running include Eric Brown – former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and 15-year school board member at Mayfield City Schools; Mary Jo Hudson – former Columbus City Council member and former Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance; Jim Hunter – a Harvard graduate; Bernadine Kent, former Columbus City Schools vice principal, teacher and the key whistleblower on two of the school district’s recent scandals; Tina Pierce – former college professor and administrator, and current educational consultant; Ben Tyson – Senior Manager of Community Relations at Easton Town Center; Robert Sharrah – internal auditor and fraud investigator; and the two incumbents Gary Baker and Shawna Gibbs.