Tuesdays With Ricki - week two / Franklinton and The Bottoms

Tuesdays With Ricki (with apologies to Mitch Albom) will run most Tuesdays as space permits and Ricki gets pieces submitted on time.  If readers have any ideas on topics they would like to see Ricki weigh in on, post below in Comments.

The West Side Is The Best Side

The Independents’ Day Festival will be held in Franklinton this Saturday & Sunday, September 17th & 18th.  (Click here for more info.)  It will be the second year the music & arts fest will take place in its West Side locale.  I grew up on the West Side, at the corner of Sullivant & Midland Avenues, just a couple of miles from Franklinton, right at the beginning of The Hilltop.  The Hilltop was the slightly classier part of the West Side.  (Although everything truly is relative: compared to Colin’s upbringing in Worthington, the Hilltop was definitely déclassé.)

What is now referred to as Franklinton was then called The Bottoms.  (As late as the 1950’s, the entire area between downtown and the beginning of the hill just west of Central Avenue that gives The Hilltop its name would wind up underwater due to periodic floods; thus the name, The Bottoms.)  The first band I was ever in – circa 1968, when I was 16 years old – rehearsed in a house in The Bottoms.  That house was on McDowell Avenue, catty-corner from where Veteran’s Memorial stood before its demolition last year.  Dennis, the bass player of the band, lived in that house with his family.  Actually, we didn’t exactly rehearse IN Dennis’ house, we rehearsed in the unoccupied other half of the double after his father kicked a teenager-sized hole in the dining room wall connecting the two sides of the house and ran extension cords over for us to power the amps and mics with.    

The first time I went there for rehearsal, as I stood surveying the “alterations” Dennis’ father had made to the dining room I said, “Your dad didn’t have a problem tearing up your house like this?”  “Oh, it’s not our house,” Dennis replied matter-of-factly, ”we’re just renting.”  I couldn’t even think of a reply.  I just stood there looking at Dennis, thinking, “This kind of vandalism wouldn’t fly at my house in a thousand million years.”  My dad might re-wire the World War II-vintage radio we had in our basement into an amplifier for my first electric guitar – one of the nicest things ANYBODY in my life has ever done for me – but he was not about to intentionally damage the drywall for the sake of rock & roll.  We lived on The Hilltop.

Anyway, I hope The Franklinton Hustle goes great.  I’d love to see The Bottoms area of my beloved West Side revitalized (I can’t bring myself to go as far as “gentrified”) into a nice area to live in.  I was one of the original doubters about The Short North project, back when I worked at a parking lot at Doctor’s North Hospital from 1970-1973 while I attended Ohio State University.  That entire stretch of High Street was a war zone of storefront churches, bars & derelict buildings, teeming with the homeless street-people masses, and look how nice it turned out.  

Kudos to the Independents’ Days organizers for utilizing the Franklinton space again, may all the angels bless the rebuilders.  – Ricki C. / September 10th, 2016    

Gene Wilder - by Johnny DiLoretto

OK, first of all, I hope to write something that will be distinguishable from every other Gene Wilder remembrance you’ll read online or hear in the news. And, secondly, I hope to figure out why I should write something that I know probably won’t be distinguishable and therefore won’t do the man the justice he deserves. In any event, I’ll try to keep it short and refrain from as much hyperbole and proselytizing as I possibly can ... Good luck to me.

As so often happens in a media-saturated culture, a decade or two passes, and, before you know it, the finest work of our greatest performers fades from our collective memories; so distracted are we with the antics of the Kardashians and other reality television morons, some of whom eventually wind up running for president. So, I just hope that you’ll read this and you’ll want to pay Gene Wilder a visit or two.

Singular. He was singular. Gene Wilder did not look like many movie stars. There was no one like him before or since – in looks or behavior on screen. I keep hearing this phrase “great comic actor” when people talk about him. That's true, but what made him a great comic actor was that, above all, he was simply a great actor. Certainly, he starred mostly in comedies because that’s where he excelled, but why he excelled was because his performances were all so rich, so deft and full of nuance and real feeling. Few comedic actors so deeply commit to their neuroses like Gene Wilder did. He doesn't act funny - it's simply that his behavior is funny. 

We think of the movie comedy greats and we think Groucho Marx, Abbott & Costello, Bob Hope, Jim Carrey, and even Will Ferrell. But these people were comedians first and if you ever got something lasting out of them, something that hit you as really humane, it was likely an accident or the result of really great directing. Now, I’m a big Jim Carrey fan, so just to head dissenters off at the pass: yes, he is a fine actor, but if you’re being honest you have to admit - especially in dramas - there’s always something a little labored about a Jim Carrey performance.

Gene Wilder never labored - even though he sometimes gave big, manic, over-the-top turns. But even his most outsized work was always rooted in human behavior.  He made humanity funny. Sometimes he made it hysterical. But he always made it human and, in making it human, he made it hilarious. Watch this scene from Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex but Were Afraid to Ask in which he denies being in love with a sheep. Oh, he's definitely in love with it and has been having sex with it, but watch these two reactions. The first is when his wife casually comments that he smells of lamb chops and the second is when he is actually busted in a hotel room with the animal. Skip ahead to the 2:29 mark and then stick through to 3:30 for the payoff.

Wilder started his film career in the '60s with a dramatic part in Bonnie and Clyde and then rocketed to comedic stardom in Mel Brooks' The Producers. You all know those movies he made with Brooks – The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. So many great films. And don't forget that great run of fun collaborations with Richard Pryor after those. But, let’s do this thing ... His performance as Willy Wonka In Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of the greatest gifts any artist gave to the world in the 20th century.  There, I said it. So much for refraining from hyperbole.

I loved that film as a kid, and I watched it a million times more with my oldest son when he was younger. I was worried that we would watch it too much, that we would watch the life out of it and I would risk ruining it for us, mostly myself really. But that's not what happened. In fact, every time we watched it, Gene Wilder bewildered me again and again. He lifted me. He charmed and challenged me. Mystified and delighted me. He gave me something new. Every damn time. And it was a lot of times, believe me. 

There are a few actors who, when you see them on screen, you instantly like them. Gene Wilder was that kind of actor, but he was something more than that. When we see Gene Wilder on the screen, not only are we instantly drawn to him, but we want him to like us. I don’t know if there’s anybody else in cinema like that. All I know is it’s a singular achievement. He was a singular achievement.

Now to be honest, I didn’t do a whole lot of research for this. But I did tool around the Internet a little bit and what I came across were some interviews with him. Of course, you should go back and see some of these films and you should certainly revisit Willy Wonka if only to hear him deliver the line, “So shines a good deed in a weary world.”; or to watch his entire segment in Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex. But, if you want to see what I mean about him being so absolutely, stark raving unique is to simply watch him in a few interviews talking to other human beings. I promise, you won't be able to take your eyes off him and all the while you'll be wishing you had known him. And that he had liked you.

Johnny DiLoretto writes and stars in the Not-So-Late Show at Shadowbox. The next performance is Thursday September 29th. Click here for ticket info and details.

Forget Facebook Posts, You Should Write for Pencilstorm - Colin Gawel

Are your Facebook posts always the best of the thread but soon disappear down the bottomless hole of the news feed? Well, we are always looking for new contributors at Pencilstorm. It's a great way to exercise your writing skills and reach a wider audience while doing it on your own schedule. If any of the areas below are of interest to you (or a friend) please inquire at pencilstormstory@gmail.com . If there is an idea not on the list we are open to any suggestions. At Pencilstorm, there are no deadlines, though we would prefer one story every couple of months if possible. Or if you get on a roll we can do a monthly feature. No pressure. Totally cool, totally cool.  Just make it good. Have fun. And, we are non-exclusive, so you can post anywhere & everywhere outside of Pencilstorm.  Hope to hear from you, Colin G. 

WWE Wrestling

Live Comedy 

Favorite Podcasts

Soccer or Hockey

Favorite Restaurants or Bars

New Album Reviews

Concert Previews or Reviews

Good reads

Business 

Television Shows

Craft beer or wine

Relationships

Comic Books

Travel - Favorite locations or things to do in different cities. Vacation Stories / Reviews 

Poetry

Serial Fiction

Parenting 

High School Sports

Copy Editing.

These are just some suggestions. Please pitch any idea you might have to pencilstormstory@gmail.com 

My Thoughts on the Upper Arlington Recall - by Colin Gawel

Author's note: This is just my two cents. I have friends on both sides of this issue. Please vote however you see fit. It's all cool with me. Have a nice day. - Colin

The question I have, my personal one million dollar question concerning the UA recall on August 23rd is the following: Why can't we just settle this brouhaha during our regular election in 2017? Isn't that the whole reason we have elections in the first place?

Best as I understand things, UA voters will be going to the polls this Tuesday for a special election to recall four sitting council members. If the recall succeeds, the current council members will then appoint four new members who will then have to run for election again next year during the regular election. Say what? Additionally, this is the first time in the one hundred year history of Upper Arlington that a recall such as this has been demanded. Why is this time so special? Why NOW? 

It's been well documented that the recall is costing the taxpayers a cool $65,000 and I am sort of wondering what I get for my money If i support it. Say it succeeds and the four council members are sacked: What improvements should I look forward to in the next 12 months before the "real" election? 

But I digress, back to my main question: "Why can't this wait?" Overturning elections is a slippery slope. If it succeeds, one must wonder if the "Recall the Recall" folks will be hitting the streets August 24th.

Forget the $65,000, what is true cost of this recall to the community?

I have seen things written by adults on Facebook pages that if I caught my son Owen writing the same about a student council election at Hastings, he would be grounded until he left for college and/or truck driving school. I know throwing Trump-style firebombs is the style of this current election cycle but these people aren't faceless bureaucrats buried away deep in the bowels of some government building in the suburbs of DC. No, the UA City Council members are your neighbors and part of the Upper Arlington community. They have friends that are your friends. You will see them at the store and at church. Your kids might know their kids. This recall vaguely implies they had criminal intent while serving the city. That's pretty rough stuff for a tough job that pays nothing, or next to nothing. Don't get me wrong, citizens are well served to engage in local politics, but when the tone turns nasty, long lasting damage can hinder compromise for years to come.

I've also seen people demonize city manager Ted Staton and I just don't get it. He has done a couple of Q & A sessions at Colin's Coffee and I came away impressed with both his demeanor and knowledge of the issues. I'm not asking you to be his biggest fan, but this idea that he is "ruining UA" rings hollow to me. We still had the parade. And the fireworks. And the kids all got laptops. And property values are at their highest point in decades. My little shop is doing OK.  The sky isn't falling. Not in UA anyway. It's OK to disagree, but why all the hate? Why so much negativity? I just don't feel it. 

At one point, it got so absurd that people were implying that the reason the UA City Council doesn't tape their meetings is because they want to keep their decisions secret from the community. Hmm... I guess that could be true though I think there is a better chance they don't tape every single meeting because NOT MUCH REALLY HAPPENS AT AN UPPER ARLINGTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

To clarify:

1) All the meetings are open to the public. So if you care, just attend. Easy-peasy.

2) If you can't attend, have a friend tape the meeting and post online so all the info is public. Just like a Grateful Dead bootleg. (And just as boring)

I challenge anybody to tape four city council meetings, listen to them all and then decide taping a fifth meeting is a good use of time. FREE Colin's Coffee drink of choice for winner.

But I digress...

To be fair, I've seen poison words from both sides and I don't like what I see. $65,000 is nothing to sneeze at, but you can't put a price on the ill will and negativity the recall has stirred up. Which brings me back to my original question,"Couldn't all this could have been avoided if we just waited for the regular election?" 

"Oh, that Colin sure can dish it out, but he can't take it."

Remember this summer when we were all driving the streets aimlessly, dropping F-bombs in front of our kids because we were late (again) trying to get across the construction on Tremont Road? I sure do. It seemed like every day I picked the wrong route and got stuck. I don't know what that whole project cost but it didn't look cheap. And as a UA citizen, I got very little out of it. To be honest,  I would have preferred the money to be spent on a rec center for the kids, fixing the pool or hanging some nets at Northam Park. (click here for that story)

But just because a city project doesn't meet my particular needs do I assume that city council is some branch of a shadow government imposing the tyranny of bike lanes on unsuspecting UA citizens like myself. I suspect I just disagree with the current leaders about the policies that are best for our community at this moment. That's called democracy, folks. That is why we have elections. And elections matter. And if you want to change things, you rally the troops and win the next one.

And to the recall supporters I propose that instead if simply trying to throw members out of office, why don't you run for office and show us how easy it is to please the voters in Upper Arlington. I'm sure it will be a breeze. 

I am voting "NO" on the recall.   

Colin Gawel owns Colin's Coffee in Upper Arlington and plays in the band Watershed. He isn't an expert on anything though he knows a lot about the band Cheap Trick.

Northam Park Masterplan Phase One: Hang Nets on Hoops

After a heated and sometimes contentious city council meeting Tuesday evening, Upper Arlington leaders decided to begin Phase One of the controversial "Masterplan" to renovate Northam Park: by a 4-3 vote, members hoped to hang nets on the hoops by the end of the fiscal year 2017. The five hoops will require 5 new nets, a ladder, and labor to install. Council members insist the project can be brought in under $75 but local conservative bloggers are convinced the project could exceed $100 in tax payer money, including benefits for the city worker who hangs the nets. 

Zeb Coulter - Upper Arlington resident and administrator on the Facebook Page "Let's Hang Together Before We Hang Those Nets"

"Just another example of big government wasting tax-payer money. The private sector could hang these nets for 1/3 the cost. That's assuming we even need them. My grandaddy didn't need no fancy nets, so I don't know why these kids need them now. He used to shoot a rotten tomato through a hollowed-out gunny bucket on a court of broken glass and rusty nails. And that was BEFORE the 3-point shot, mind you. The kids today are spoiled and soft," posted spokesman Zeb Coulter on his Facebook page, "Let's Hang Together Before We Hang Those Nets." 

Local coffee shop owner and UA parent Colin Gawel disagreed: "The way I see it, we have already built the courts and installed the baskets. It seems logical to finish the job by hanging the nets. This way kids who go to the library could walk over and play basketball too. Especially since the pool cracked in half and was closed last year. You know what, if money is the issue I'd be happy to buy the nets if a city employee would hang them. You fly, I'll buy. It's the American way."

"Sounds like socialism to me," countered Coulter. "I demand that the entire UA City Council be recalled and thrown out of office. At the very least, I would like to review a full recording of the meeting." 

When informed that UA Council meetings aren't taped due to lack of anything interesting ever happening, Coulter was incensed. "There you go, what are they afraid of? What special interest is behind this so-called Masterplan?"

"Maybe it's just me, but I think Northam Park is better without kids. Or dogs." - Dublin resident Sally Suth.

Rumors have been surfacing that the powerful Northam Park tennis lobby had been holding up Phase One for years, concerned that kids actually playing in the park would be noisy and a distraction to their matches. They feel that hanging nets would negate all the progress they made ridding the park of the pool in 2015. "It was so quiet last summer with no splashing or bouncing balls that I could finally concentrate on my serve," said Dublin resident Sally Suth, who travels to UA every other Thursday to play doubles tennis and have a late lunch at La Chatelaine.

In an article printed last November, the UA Council promised to move slower on renovations in Northam Park. (Click here to read the story)  Gawel found the headline curious. "I thought, what's slower than doing nothing?" Previous headlines show Gawel has a point: "Tremont Pool Needs Repairs" (5/17/13); "Tremont Pool Really Needs Repairs" (5/13/14); "Tremont Pool Broken and Closed Forever" (5/23/15).

Either way, plans remain in place to finally hang nets on the basketball hoops at Northam Park in the next 18 months. Councilman Stan Brody added, "They have nets at Target for $13.45 but we aren't exactly sure how to string them through the hoop. We have hired a consulting firm with the help of King Thompson to examine the project and help with their expertise in net hanging." City records show that the consulting fee will be $78,321.

Jeff Hassler covers local politics for Pencilstorm.com

Uploaded by Colin Gawel on 2016-06-06.

Back To School: Then vs. Now - by Andra Gillum

The first day of school is August 17th.  Seriously?  I double-checked to make sure there was no mistake.  What happened to the good old days when we started after Labor Day?  Who decided that mid-August was the new September?

I’ve gotten several explanations.  Someone suggested they want the school districts to follow the college schedule.  That makes no sense.  Who wants to be in Florida on Spring Break when the college students are there?  I have no desire to compete in a belly flop competition, or set sail on a fraternity booze cruise.

Our Superintendent said they took a survey, and the majority wanted an early start.  I know the kids and teachers don’t want this, so it must be the seniors.  They want the pool to themselves.  Can’t blame them.  They just want to do a little water aerobics in peace.…without the whistles blowing.  Plus, seniors are the only ones who took time to complete the survey.  The rest of us don’t bother to participate.  We prefer to complain about the results.

The most likely reason I’ve heard blames the early start on the standardized testing in the spring.  Schools need to pack in as much curriculum as they can before the testing period.  Common Core strikes again.

I’m glad school didn’t start this early when I was a kid.  I would have been awfully hot wearing the new Firenza sweater and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans that my mom bought me when we went school shopping.  My Member’s Only jacket would have been a little better, but still warm.  

My kids wear shorts for the first six weeks of school.  Actually, my son wears shorts for the entire year.  He’s a 7th grader now, and I gave up that battle years ago.

So many things about back to school have changed.  Now we buy school supplies through the PTO, and they’re delivered right to class.  That’s actually helpful.  No more running around searching for the box of crayons with the built in sharpener, the wide-ruled spiral notebook, or the newest Trapper Keeper.

What about textbooks?  We used to haul around an armful of them, all carefully covered with a brown grocery bag.  I could never figure out how to cut the bag right, but we managed.   Then, we added our best graffiti.  My older sister always had the Van Halen logo on her books.  I think mine had the MTV logo and probably something about Duran Duran.

Now kids get MacBooks and iPads instead of books.   Nobody is covering those in brown grocery bags.  First of all, grocery bags are plastic now.  Secondly, that paper wouldn’t provide much protection when kids drop their device on the ground.  I’m pretty sure the screen would still shatter.  The “optional” laptop insurance coverage is the new book cover. 

How about the lockers?  They still use those same old combination locks.  Is it left, right left, or right, left right?  Shouldn’t there be something digital by now?  After all, they now sell entire lines of designer locker accessories and supplies.  Who wouldn’t want a locker chandelier?  Can’t we all agree that is a little over the top, especially if dad has to stop by school to run the electricity.

Back to school has certainly changed since I was in school, but kids will always dread the start of early mornings, and especially homework!  If we want joyous faces, we’ll need to head to the local pool to watch the ladies group-walking their laps around the lazy river.

Welcome back to school to all students, teachers and staff.  Ready or not, here it comes!

Andra Gillum is a free-lance writer from Upper Arlington with kids heading back to school at Windermere Elementary and Hastings Middle School.  Send your comments and feedback to andra@doggydrama.com.  
 

Andra is also the author of the children’s books “Doggy Drama” and “Puppy Drama” (coming soon).  Learn more at www.doggydrama.com or at www.facebook.com/doggydrama.