Black Face vs. Drag queens

Odd isn't it. Democrats get all exorcised if someone performs in black face or wears a colonialist costume and carries a "Don't tread on me" flag or reenacts the Boston Tea Party, but are OK with grown men beclowning themselves like 19th century ladies of the night and performing for little children. A local downtown church, St. John Church of Christ, had a drag queen perform during worship Sunday (I think that's the date, but I'm not a Columbus Dispatch subscriber). The Dispatch sensitivities were all ruffled because a few protesters gathered across the street. Their performance was not OK with the liberal media although it is protected speech. But drag queens performing burlesque in God's House? That was just fine.

September 11, 1960 and 2020

Today is our 60th wedding anniversary. We're having a much smaller celebration than we had in 2010 for our 50th--a few Lakeside friends and neighbors for wine and chocolate in our neighbor's yard which is big enough for outdoor social spacing and lawn chairs. I've purchased individually wrapped desserts in a variety of chocolate flavors--peppermint, raspberry, peanut butter, etc., and some soda for the kids. We hope the weather will hold--it's turned a little nippy here in Lakeside.

Last night Bob asked me what was our best year out of the 60, and I think it's not an actual calendar year, but 1967-1968. Definitely. As in 2019-2020, our lives changed dramatically. We moved from Champaign-Urbana, IL to Columbus, OH, to new career directions, an adorable, gorgeous baby girl to ease the pain of our losses, an exciting church with a ready made group of couples friends who welcomed us warmly, the purchase of our home of the next 34 years on Abington Rd., and all the wonderful things about a vibrant Columbus and scenic Ohio which continue to amaze us after all this time.

 

  

  

  

 

Where are the names and public funerals for these black lives?

I'm waiting to see the names and funerals of the 3 teens killed in Columbus, OH, week-end of July 14 announced nationally, because, their black lives mattered too. Will white liberals show up to show compassion and support for their families? In fact, one 15 year old (the only name I could find) was the son of someone killed in gun violence when he was a baby. Our mayor Ginther is verbally suggesting less violence is the answer, yet in actions, supporting the looting and burning by having police stand down. Such a wimp. Look at this sweet face. Probably wouldn't put a toddler in a time out chair. 

Columbus mayor fails to protect the citizens

Although we don't live in the city of Columbus, those of us in the suburbs feel their pain. The mayor, like many in major cities, is dismantling the protection and security of the residents. BLM and ANTIFA have made the downtown a mess. The protests have nothing to do with George Floyd, and the mayor has simply rolled over and is playing dead. White virtue signalers from the 'burbs prop him up. The Democrats steal and borrow votes to get in and then abandon the people who elected them. It's that way in all large cities. Population: 922,000, metro: 2,200,000, growth in last decade, 17% (expect that to drop under this mayor). 59% white, 28% black, 13% other, with the majority of new residents foreign born. I wonder why most of the black lives in Columbus don't matter to the mayor? 116,000 residents are foreign born, and probably left their homelands to escape the chaos the mayor is now offering in order to please his radical base. https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200713/teenrsquos-death-becomes-fourth-homicide-over-weekend?

Four dead (3 teens) and many others wounded this past week-end. Why don't their lives matter? Where are their televised funerals--they probably didn't even have any prison terms to glamorize like Floyd did.

Columbus abandoned by city council and mayor

BLM and ANTIFA have made Columbus, Ohio, unsafe by demeaning police and promoting destruction in downtown. The Democrat party leadership has done nothing, and the Republicans are wimps. Churches play with technology and academics look for grants to publish articles about racism. Who will save our cities?

https://ohiostatehousenews.com/2020/07/dark-and-dangerous-times-ahead-for-city-of-columbus-said-cpd-veteran/?

“[James ] Scanlon recently called out Ginther and city council members at a council meeting on June 29 for waging an “on-going assault” on Columbus police by “demonizing officers and misinforming the public.”

“It is shameful how you and other city officials have demonized these officers and misinformed the public into believing they are a group of ‘rogue, racist cops.’ All of you have relentlessly and falsely accused the Columbus Division of Police, and its officers, of being complicit in a culture of systematic racism. Due to my 42-year involvement with the Columbus Division of Police, I know that you are spreading falsehoods,” Scanlon told them.”

I blogged about this on June 30. https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2020/06/facts-matter-in-current-racism-debate.html

Are you a coward or just a racist?

Have you seen the hand lettered signs "Silence is violence?" It's the opposite of what it says. That means you aren't allowed to speak your truth at all, you can only bow and scrape. In fact, your silence is compliance and acceptance of the racism myth and that as a white person you are evil. "Silence is compliance." A Catholic priest in Carmel, Indiana, is the Bonhoeffer of our times. He's telling it like it is. He's not being silent. He actually called out the rioters and looters. Called them names! Melted a few snowflakes. Support him by not being silent about this insanity.

I realize you may not be retired like I am, you don’t have a monthly pension, so you're afraid to speak out--might loose your job. Or friends. It doesn't matter if my pastor sees my criticism of the church--he has no idea who I am. You tell me on the QT that you support everything I write but, . . you must be silent. I do understand, really, and thanks for the private messages. I'm not posting for glory or likes. I post the truth. But please stop being cowards. You are letting them destroy Columbus (or whatever city you live in). You know they won't stop with the removal of the Columbus statue, or the stand down order of the police, don't you? That just encourages them. It's like whacking a hornets nest--they won't go away. And NO, you are not safe in UA or Worthington or Hilliard.

When OSU or your high school says we need more staff for IED (Inclusion, equity, diversity) classes and more reprograming of your kids' minds, JUST SAY NO! Pull them out. Don't pay ridiculous tuition and fees. Do not let the Controllers of BLM/ANTIFA turn your children's minds to mush. Your life matters, too. Learn from history. How do you think a few overseers were able to control 50 slaves in the fields of the plantation if not through fear and intimidation? How were the Nazis able to round up thousands of Jews and keep them compliant?

No country in the world has offered hundreds of nationalities and religions and ethnic groups the opportunity to live side by side under a Constitution that says they rule the government, not the other way around. Stand up and be proud.

This isn't about slavery in the 17th century. It isn't about microaggression or unconscious bias. This isn't about Police. Those are tools they use against you. Don't let them reprogram you.

Silence is compliance. Don’t be a coward.

Facts matter in the current racism debate, guest blogger Sonja

The mayor of Columbus, Ohio is lying to the citizens who elected him. We have a friend on the police force, and one CPD friend retired.  We heard about the stand down orders directly that is allowing the downtown to be smashed and looted, making it unsafe to drive there. He is a Democrat. Sonja posted the following on Facebook.
“Facts, facts, facts. They are our only defense to emotion, manipulation and systematic media and SJW misinformation and fraud. Mr. Scanlon is a St. Catherine and Bishop Hartley graduate and expert in police training and tactics.”
James J. Scanlon Columbus Division of Police – Retired
Columbus Ohio City Council Meeting June 29, 2020:
“Good Evening Council members. My name is James J. Scanlon. I am a retired Columbus Police officer. Between 1978 and 2011, I primarily worked night shifts, protecting the good citizens who live in our inner-city precincts. I loved being there and they loved having me there. Like thousands of other CPD Officers, I protected them against the criminal gangs, robbers and other predators. Now – criminals and their families didn’t like me being there. But, as cops, we are more concerned about what good and decent people think about us than the thugs that hurt and intimidate those good people.
Mayor Ginther and members of City Council have waged an on-going assault upon the fine men and women of the Columbus Division of Police. It is shameful how you and other city officials have demonized these officers and misinformed the public into believing they are a group of “rogue, racist cops”. All of you have relentlessly and falsely accused the Columbus Division of Police, and its officers, of being complicit in a culture of systematic racism. Due to my 42 year involvement with the Columbus Division of Police, I know that you are spreading falsehoods.
Mayor Ginther has stated that “countless black men and women have died at the hands of police officers”. That statement was both false and dangerously inflammatory. There have not been “countless” police-involved shooting deaths.
Here are some facts:
· There are 600,000 – 800,000 Columbus Police encounters with individuals per year.
· There were 7 black suspects fatally shot by CPD Officers in 2016
· 4 in 2017
· 5 in 2018
· 1 in 2019
In every single case, the suspects were armed and threatening.
Facts matter! Each of these incidents has been thoroughly investigated and presented to the ultimate “citizen review board” – a grand jury.
Mayor Ginther, you will be pleased to learn that, in those four years, if you were not armed and threatening, the odds of a black suspect being fatally shot by a Columbus Police Officer was exactly zero. You have every reason to be proud of the police officers you have been tasked to lead.
But, at last week’s City Council news conference, Council members falsely vilified CPD Officers for racist, systematic abuse and murder of African-American men and women. No facts or statistics were used to support their lame accusations. Instead, Council President pro-tem Brown went so far as to condemn a specific CPD police-involved shooting, citing a “skewed system that resulted in the death of Henry Green”.
Many of you have spread a great deal of misinformation concerning the Henry Green Case, leaving many Columbus citizens to believe that officers gunned down Mr. Green for no reason. In reality, Mr. Green was shot by police officers after he fired 6 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition at the officers from a distance of 14 feet or less. Those rounds came within inches of striking officers, lodging in the car door that one officer was behind and a headrest the other had been in front of seconds earlier. Mr. Green was carrying a stolen Glock .45 caliber handgun loaded with those 6 rounds. I believe these to be relevant facts in the case. It’s too bad the public never heard these facts from their City of Columbus elected officials. By the way, under the new “reforms”, how many rounds need to be fired at an officer before that officer may fire back?!
By not addressing specifics, Mayor Ginther and City Council members have purposely misled the public into believing Columbus Police Officers are routinely killing innocent black men. Their false narrative has greatly damaged the public’s opinion of this amazing agency and created the most dangerous situation I have ever witnessed in this city.
Facts matter! You should be ashamed of yourselves for misrepresenting the facts, misinforming the public and driving a wedge between the citizens of Columbus and their fine police department.”

News from the frontline in Columbus, Ohio

Here is information from last night from a friend on the front line downtown. Again, you are NOT seeing the truth in the news or from anyone in government. This has not been about George Floyd for a long time!  Bonnie (a retired Columbus police officer)

“I am typically a very patient, understanding person especially at work, but what I witnessed tonight in downtown Columbus was intolerable and they should all be ashamed of themselves. I am writing this post so you can all understand what is truly going on. These people are absolutely not peaceful. Tonight this group stole construction equipment and blocked the streets so cars could not pass. This group broke into businesses and stole property. This group physically blocked vehicles from traveling around downtown by stopping cars in the middle of the street. This group screams profanities constantly and threatens to kill officers and their families. I am so proud of the officers I work with. I nearly lost my temper on so many occasions tonight, and we have been dealing with this "group" for a month now. Things are not getting better. I promise you. These are paid agitators who could care less about equality and justice. They are rude, violent, and destructive. Please, pray for something to change soon. This has to stop. They are destroying the city.”

What did Mayor Ginther of Columbus mean?

David Keck’s summary:

“Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther is just finishing his address on policing policy change (June 24). He said a lot of things that, on the surface, are true. He also neglected to say a lot of things that are also true that are key, and said some things that sound good, but do not stand any kind of below surface, or even surface scrutiny.

In distancing himself from the FOP, HE chose to use the word "many" (not most) in describing how many current police are in it for the right reason. Does he not believe that MOST policemen are responsible and dedicated servants? Because he deliberately did not say so. Do you not think he carefully chose every word? He said what he meant.

What does he mean when he says "You are with us or you are against us?" Is that a not-so-veiled threat? Does this leave any room for disagreement on the merits, or are you just going to publicly threaten?

Mayor Ginther, you, yes you, just now pitted your own police department against your city deliberately and clearly for your own political benefit.

Mayor Ginther, you falsely state that the citizens of Columbus are on board with your proposals. This is not at all established. Were they on board when you let them tear down public statuary? Is that why you were not proactive in preventing what was obviously predictable? Is it the citizenry of Columbus who is on board, or the protestors? Do protestors represent the whole city?

In your discussion of what you are going to guarantee those in African-American neighborhoods, what does "equity" mean to you? Equality of what? Opportunity or results? By being vague about that deliberately are you left-handedly promising results, and thereby setting up more frustration? Or will you say what our Declaration of Independence says and Constitution guarantees legally - which is pursuing happiness, not having it?

When you say that minority children should be guaranteed life past the first year, did you mean the unborn? Because, as you know, the number of African-American children aborted is also much out of proportion to the rest of the population.

In throwing money that presumably either comes from higher taxes, driving those who can afford to pay, further into the suburbs, or from other places where it is needed also, did you make any mention at all of stable neighborhoods, and, toward that, stable families? Addressing families with no fathers? You know those statistics.

You made not one mention of those things. Mayor Ginther, you were not honest, and what you propose, if you get all of it, will not do what you hold out as a promise. You are no leader.”

BLM and ANTIFA attack Democrat controlled cities

It's a no brainer why the anarchists (BLM and ANTIFA) began their rages in Democrat controlled cities. They attacked the very people most likely to support their movement. Why? They knew they'd get the least resistance, the weakest mayors, and the highest crime rates where the people have the greatest encounters with police. With a victim rate 6x that of whites, the blacks in Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, and other major cities it would be easy to encourage disaffected, recently unemployed youth to loot and riot, while virtue signaling white liberals would just stand around and wave signs.

The mayor of Columbus asked for (June 1) photos or videos of Columbus police over reacting to the rioters when they attacked the police.  Has he asked for videos of the rioters and looters destroying businesses and vandalizing public property so they can be arrested? Has he thought of a plan to protect residents and business owners when he doesn't have support of the police?  He ran unopposed for his 2nd term on "justice, change and reform," so why so late to the gate?

Google employees are demanding that Google drop police as clients of its technology. Now, what percentage of Google employees do you suppose is minority? Two, maybe three?  Well, the trick is with H1B1 visas, a lot of corporations and universities get to "count" internationals as minorities (for some odd reason we're taught to look at skin color), therefore skipping right over any responsibility to bring up American born minorities in house.  Nice trick.  Then turn on American police with minority citizens on staff who are the protectors of black and brown neighborhoods?  Seems like a strange demand from "employees," doesn't it?

BLM is lavishly well funded by white, left wing extremists, and they are infiltrating iconic American corporations--who by the way, also have global interests. Capitalists and Marxists cooperating. Big Tech has been using its profits to "promote" racial justice, except in hiring American blacks.

Don’t let the BLM scam you

Black Lives Matter website https://blacklivesmatter.com describes its goals and mission to destroy our country and culture. The family structure is part of that, as is destroying the church. So I suppose if a researcher points out the lack of fathers could account for high crime  rates, or the high single parent homes create poverty, he will be considered racist since the 2 parent family is part of a racist society model invented by white supremacists.

Don’t take it from me—read their own words. They are very transparent.  They aren’t keeping it a secret, just renaming a few things like “justice.” This isn’t about “systemic racism” no matter what they call it, anymore than the Russian Revolution was about the Romanovs. That’s the hook to drag you in to participating. Don’t bother with the signs in the yard, especially if you live in a suburb 99% white.

If you believe we live in a racist society, then describe what you’ve personally done that is racist in your own words, not theirs. Don’t fall for that, “implicit bias.”  Be specific.  And then change. Our Democrat Mayor here in Columbus has been a real push over, bowing and showing support, telling police to stand down and allowing rioters to tear up downtown and now BLM is demanding he step down.

Democrats just don’t know their history or world history.

Phil's house is in contract

But I won't hold my breath.

Nothing has gone well for us in the last 9 months; why should it start now?

We actually didn't take the highest bid--and I say bid because it was $15,500 above our asking price. Many people wanted this house, and for similar reasons why Phil wanted it.  One floor, easy to care for, in good condition, light and bright and airy, a city lot big enough for a garden, but not too big to take care of, 2 car garage with good storage and accessible for shopping and free-way. It included all the appliances, so that is a cost savings for the buyer. However, we went in contract for less.  We accepted the offer of a man with limited vision, foreign born, who lives alone.  It's perfect for him.  Plus it was a cash offer. The highest bidder had to get financing. But it could still fall through so our realtor will be prepared with a 2nd offer.  The buyer has some time to have it inspected and withdraw his offer, even though it was sold as is. We spent a lot (to me) just to have it clean and ready--spent about $2,000 for power wash, repainting trim, and having the inside cleaned and staged. Repainting the inside would have probably been over $5,000 (high ceilings).  Since we had 2 offers the first day on the market, we probably wouldn't have needed to do even that or the minor repairs we'd done in May. It's expensive to sell a house--pay 2019 taxes and pro-rate 2020; pay realtor fees; pay the cleaning costs; pay the fees, pay the warranty charges, our lawyer's fees, and my goodness, if we added in our family's time, it's definitely not cheap.

I like thinking about someone as neat and tidy as Phil, who also had limited vision after his stroke, sitting on the deck, watching the geese in the pond, or growing tomatoes in the garden. I hope he'll have some parties for the neighbors like Phil did, or maybe have a dog he loves as much as Phil loved Rosa.  Perhaps he'll attend GRCC, which has quite an international congregation.  Maybe I'm a sucker for a good story, but I'd like to see a happy ending to this nightmare.

Defund the Columbus police?

I don’t know how many cities are going to take the demand to defund the police seriously. I just glanced at one TV channel’s report for June and found these stories. None of these stories deal with racism or race, and one story is an unsolved killing and all are at 10TV. https://www.10tv.com/article/police-17-year-old-shot-inside-vehicle-southeast-columbus-2020-jun

Do protestors and BLM activists really want no police in their neighborhood?

• Police are investigating after a man, 39-year-old Dale Kendig, was killed in a shooting that happened Sunday morning in southwest Columbus.
• Officers responded around 7:50 p.m. to the 5500 block of Chatterton Road on a reported shooting of a 17 year old boy.
• Reward money renewed: James Stennies was killed on April 17, 2017 at the Miracle Car Wash in Reynoldsburg. He was shot several times. Police believe it may have been an attempted robbery, although when Stennies’ body was found in the parking lot, his wallet and cell phone weren’t taken. His car was still in the wash bay with the keys inside.
• Three men are now facing felony charges after being accused of aiming laser pointers at Ohio State Highway Patrol aircraft. According to court records, 31-year-old Brynt Gunn aimed a laser into the cockpit of an OSHP helicopter while in his vehicle.

Let’s check with Minneapolis

In the wake of rioting and looting in Columbus the last 2 days during peaceful protests, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin says we need to confront structural racism with police reforms in Columbus. (Columbus Business First)

Hmm. Has he looked at the black Attorney General, Black police chief, black officers in the incident, Jew hater Ilhan Omar, battling Somali gang warfare and far left mayor of Minneapolis for guidance in that reform? How about Amy Klobuchar who ignored the problem for years?

Misreporting, not reporting, and fudging the Corona virus statistics

That's interesting. There were 13,276 diagnosed Covid19 cases in Ohio by April 22. "Not everyone who is diagnosed is being admitted to the hospital, about 25 percent are." Stephen Markovich, President and CEO, Ohio Health, "Caretaker in Chief," Columbus CEO, May 2020, pp. 8-13. When you hear the number of cases reported on the news or on social media, have you ever heard that? 75% don't get admitted?

We have four enormous hospital systems in Columbus: Ohio Health, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel Health System and Nationwide Children's Hospital. In March the CEOs of these behemoths were even considering turning our Greater Columbus Convention Center into a field hospital. That was the size of the panic, fear and inaccurate models. But as of yesterday during the entire pandemic there have been less than 3,000 confirmed cases in this county (the majority of which didn't required hospitalization), and only about 3,800 hospitalized in the entire state! We're a state of 11.75 million with a number of major cities.

Why are we judging the entire country and its needs by what happened in the New York metropolitan area with a Democrat governor who kept inviting people to come and ignore the fear even on March 2? There was an Italian film playing at Lincoln Center. He urged people to see it. In a month NYC was the epicenter of the pandemic and the rest of us have had to suffer from his carelessness.

479 Eldridge, 43203

When things get too crazy I just browse through the rental and sale prices for real estate on Marketplace. It's a super time waster, and mind relaxer since I'm not in the market to rent or buy.

Just looked at a nice little ca. 1920 2 story with 2 baths with 1038 sf for $875/month.. Yard is small, but dogs OK. Backyard storage unit. Don't see a garage, but there's a drive-way slab behind it. That's good for our weather. I see an AC unit outside that looks new. Wiring updated based on the conduit I see. Wonderful front porch, a bit of a climb from the sidewalk, but the steps look like new concrete. My guess is people enter from the ally in the back rather than park on the street. Has a back porch with extra security enclosure. I think I can see security lighting in the back which has a privacy fence.

First floor looks like hardwood floors, bedrooms carpeted. We used to own a house built in this era, and closets are always small. The photo doesn't show a lot of the kitchen, but the black appliances all match, so it's not copper tone or pink.  Arched doorways on first floor.  The neighborhood doesn't look the best based on school district--it's a clue when they don't list the high school district, but Columbus has some great private and Catholic schools. The owner has put some thought and effort into keeping it up--or maybe it's a recent flip. You'd need a car because the public transportation isn't the best (it rarely is in Columbus).

Oh, and there's a basement, but if you've ever lived in a home built in the early 20th c., you probably won't use it for anything except storage, although when I was a kid, they were great to play in. My brother and I used to roller skate in the basement of the home we had in Forreston.

We go to the polls tomorrow

Usually, I don't pay attention to party for local political races, but because of the bad behavior of the Democrat national leadership and because a lot of politicians begin with school board or city council before running for state and national office, I'll have to change that. In Upper Arlington, there seems to be only one Republican for City Council, Angela M. Lanctot, so Republicans you know what to do.

We've had many flyers and ads dropped off or mailed, with no information on party--just handsome, slick photo-cards with smiling family and very general phrases. We've heard from one candidate, even had a personal visit, so often, I'm sure he's a very aggressive Democrat--great hair, smile.

What is happening in our country?

Driving to the fitness center today I heard a caller to a local radio (610 a.m.) show say she'd hired a teen to do some work (didn't say what--I assume yard work or repair) and discovered he didn't know how to use a ruler. She showed him a ruler and a tape measure, and he didn't know what to do with the numbers. She also said Columbus, OH school board had removed all American flags from classrooms. I'm not in the Columbus district so I’ve never heard.  She said the American Legion and VFW were planning to replace them because no one knew where they had been stored. Her final comment on public education supported by citizens in Columbus was that during the 2016 election cycle neighborhood children told her she shouldn't vote for Trump because their teacher told them they would lose their welfare. I asked about this on Facebook, and one Columbus teacher said she had a flag in her classroom, but another friend had this shocking comment.

Brian responded:  “I posted 57 educational videos to YouTube last month, all videos are for my business and all open with and have thumbnails that have the American Flag on them. We had zero copyright violations, and broke no community standards with content. Our account was shut down permanently they cited the fact the videos all have the American flag on them as hate speech. I appealed the ruling and lost. This is your country in 2019.”

The American flag is hate speech?

Thurberville--March book club selection

Although I haven't ordered it yet (library computer system seems to be locked up) the selection for our book club on March 4 is Thurberville, by Bob Hunter. (Ohio State University Press, 2017)

"James Thurber’s Columbus was not today’s Columbus—or even yesterday’s. It was a Columbus he both knew and created, a place perched on the fringe of reality and the fringe of his imagination. It is the place Bob Hunter revisits in Thurberville, a book where the author separates truth from fiction and identifies what parts of the famous humorist’s hometown of 180,000 exist in the burgeoning metro area of more than two million today.

Thurber’s Columbus was a wild and crazy place, a city full of fascinating and sometimes peculiar characters, many in his own family. Because of the widespread popularity of his stories, that was also the Columbus that many of his readers around the world came to know.

Thurberville chronicles those characters and explores that world. But it also examines the real city where Thurber struggled and then blossomed as a college student, worked as a newspaper reporter and a press agent, and achieved international fame as a humorist and cartoonist after he left town, in part by writing about the subjects he left behind." 

https://ohiostatepress.org/books/titles/9780814213377.html

Upcoming Conestoga event on February 7

Conestoga is the "Friends" group of the Ohio History Center, and we do interesting tours within the state, and  also do a Spring fund raiser each year to support the Center.  Sometimes to beat the winter blahs, we have an inside Columbus tour.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, our program will be tours of the Judicial Center and the LeVeque building that we just heard about at the Columbus AIA program 2 weeks ago. It begins at 1 p.m. at the Thomas J. Moyer* Judicial Center/Ohio Supreme Court Building at 65 S. Front St. in downtown Columbus. Our newsletter reports:

"The renowned art and architecture of the Judicial Center creates a building that, while functional, also proudly depicts Ohio history. Its inscriptions and symbols, along with its many murals, celebrate all who shaped the state: the native peoples, explorers, soldiers, presidents, jurists and artists.

The first stop on the tour will be the Kingsley A. Taft Map Room, featuring a well-preserved collection of 16 original, historically significant maps donated by Conestoga member Sheldon A. Taft, son of the late Chief Justice. This collection, which is not usually available for viewing without an appointment, is the product of nearly 25 years of research by Sheldon Taft. Sheldon will be there to share the history of the collection, which dates back to the mid-17th century. In addition, Conestoga Steering Committee member Marilyn Goodman will serve as a tour guide for the Center visit that will also include the court chambers, hearing rooms and Law Library.

After leaving the Judicial Center, program participants will walk to the Hotel LeVeque for a guided tour of its newly renovated spaces. We’ll hear a presentation on the history of the iconic tower, view the original architectural model and visit one of the luxury suites. The tour will end at The Keep Kitchen and Bar."

A personal note: *Moyer, for whom the Center was named, was the longest serving state Supreme Court Justice in the U.S.  and he died suddenly in April, 2010. We moved to Ohio in June, 1967 and were invited to attend First Community Church. Since we weren't members we joined the fall 1967 membership class at FCC.  In our class and sitting at our table was Tom Moyer, who would later become the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. He was my age (28), so I don't recall what his position was then, but he had only received his law degree in 1964, so he probably wasn't famous. The only reason I remember him as one of the two people in that class I remember from 50 years ago is because our best man's name was Tom Moir, pronounced the same. Also in the new members class was a woman named Joanne.  She and her husband were in Couples Circle 50, but she wasn't a member of the church, so she was also taking the class.  Through them, we were invited to join their small group of about 8 couples, through which we then met our lawyer and our dentist, found a babysitter in the neighborhood where we later bought a house, and  many lovely couples we socialized with once a month for 8 years until we joined Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in the mid-1970s.