This is what 30 editorial awards looks like — a pile almost as tall as Crave editor Shelley Mann! Dispatch Magazines cleaned up at the Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards, presented June 15 by the Press Club of Cleveland. Our publications won 30 honors for writing, design and photography.
Columbus Parent was honored as runner-up in the Best Magazine in Ohio category! And Dispatch Magazines creative director Will Shilling, a frequent contributor to Columbus Parent, won the highest accolade of all — Best Photographer in Ohio, honoring his outstanding photography for Capital Style.
Here’s a list of all our awards:
Columbus Parent, Second Place,Best Magazine in Ohio
Columbus Parent, Second Place,General Photo-Multiple Images (photography): Alysia Burton, “A Life in the Day of a Labor and Delivery Nurse”
Capital Style, First Place, Best in Ohio-Photographer: Will Shilling
Capital Style, Second Place, Public Service/Investigative (general circulation magazines): Kristy Eckert and Rita Price, “The Fighter,” “A Moral Obligation,” “Speaking Out,” “A Mother's Strength”
Capital Style, Second Place, Portrait/Personality Photography (photography): Will Shilling
Columbus Alive, First Place,Community/Local Coverage (non-daily newspapers): John Ross, “Franklinton on the Verge”
Columbus Alive, First Place,Spread or Multiple Page Design-Tabs (print visuals): Michaela Schuett, “Pick the right gin for your cocktail”
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Spread or Multiple Page Design-Tabs (print visuals): Michaela Schuett, “Rap renaissance”
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Covers-General Circulation Magazines (print visuals): Michaela Schuett, “Spice it up”
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Studio Photography (non-daily photography): Jodi Miller, “Nina West”
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Food Writing (open print): G.A. Benton, “Hot stuff”
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Best in Ohio-Reviews/Criticism: Chris DeVille
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Best in Ohio-Illustration: Michaela Schuett
Columbus Alive, Second Place,Best Non-Daily Newspaper in Ohio-Alternatives
Columbus C.E.O., First Place,Features-General (business publications): Jennifer Wray, “Burger Biz”
Columbus C.E.O., First Place,General News-Single Story (business publications): Jennifer Wray, “Kill or Cure?”
Columbus C.E.O., First Place, Features-Personality Profile (business publications): Jennifer Wray, “The Legacy of Alton Doody”
Columbus C.E.O., First Place,Covers-Business Publications (print visuals): Craig Rusnak, “Cool Offices”
Columbus Crave, First Place,Departments or Columns (general circulation magazines): G.A. Benton and Jill Moorhead, “Strip Search”
Columbus Crave, First Place, Spread or Multiple Page Design-Magazines (print visuals): Yogesh Chaudhary, “The Crave 10”
Columbus Crave, First Place,General Photo-Multiple Images (photography): Jodi Miller, “Rockmill Brewery”
Columbus Crave, First Place,Portrait/Personality Photography (photography): Will Shilling, “On the Go: Coty Hildebrand”
Columbus Crave, First Place,General Photo-Single Image (photography): Will Shilling, “The Crave 10: Kihachi”
Columbus Crave, Second Place, General Photo-Single Image (photography): Jodi Miller, “Pour Over Coffee”
Columbus Crave, Second Place,Pictorial (photography): Alysia Burton, “Downtown Renaissance”
Columbus Monthly, First Place, Medical/Health Writing (open print): Sherry Beck Paprocki, "Addicted at birth"
Columbus Monthly, First Place, Analysis (open print): Molly Willow and Ray Paprocki, "Women and power: Trying to close the gap"
Columbus Monthly, Second Place, Travel Writing (open print): Rhonda Koulermos, "Beach dreams"
Columbus Monthly, Second Place, News (general circulation magazines): Dave Ghose, "Beggars without golden voices"
Columbus Monthly, Second Place, Features-Personality Profile (general circulation magazines): Rhonda Koulermos, "Super students"
Kids will have the chance to meet one of Ohio’s most exciting artists this month at Blendon Woods Nature Center in Westerville.
Tim George, otherwise known as “Mr. Etch A Sketch,” will teach kids how to create art on the mechanical drawing toy. George will focus on nature-related drawing during the program. He has received national attention for his etching skills. Loaner Etch A Sketch toys will be available for kids to draw on during the program.
The event takes place at 1 p.m., June 30. The nature center is located at 4265 E. Dublin-Granville Road. For more details, visit http://www.metroparks.net/parksblendonwoods.aspx.
—Melissa Kossler Dutton
Mark the calendar for some sun spotting: Perkins Observatory in Delaware has several July events that celebrate the largest star in our Solar System.
Visit Ohio Wesleyan University’s observatory on one of three Saturdays (July 14, 21 and 28) to use telescopes to check out the sun. Guests can also tour the observatory, partake in demonstrations and enjoy other activities.
Purchase tickets in advance for a discount — they cost $6 for children and senior citizens (60 and older), $8 for adults (ages 17-59). And don’t wait: These program sell out quickly. Find out more about other family-friendly programs at perkins-observatory.org.
—Heather Weekley
Next time you visit the Columbus Museum of Art, there’s an exhibit you won’t want to miss. It’s called “Making Faces” and it’s found in CMA’s thematic gallery.
On display now through the end of March 2013, Making Faces features works from the museum’s permanent collection along with hands-on elements for guests.
One of the popular interactive components is a photo booth, which helps visitors answer the question “What emotions do our expressions reveal?” After taking photos, you can have them e-mailed to you or upload it directly to your Facebook profile page. There also are puzzles and games, including a version of “Guess Who?” in which the faces are from CMA artwork.
Making Faces is included in normal gallery admission. Visit columbusmuseum.org for ticket prices and museum hours.
—Heather Weekley
Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson The IMMORTAL World Tour” was recently in Columbus, and we had the chance to check out the show before it makes a stop in Cleveland in July.
For being part of the Cirque du Soleil family of shows, The IMMORTAL World Tour featured more dancing and less acrobatics than expected, giving the show a concert feel. Nevertheless, the show certainly delivered with its upbeat Michael Jackson music, dazzling performances and remarkable tricks (How do they swing from those hoops without a harness? Impressive!). It didn’t have a clear storyline, but took the crowd through The King of Pop’s days as a Jackson 5 member well into his adult career. It featured popular favorites like “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “ABC.”
While highly entertaining, up for debate is the whether or not the show is kid appropriate. Although there were many children in attendance, some of the show elements might be a bit scary for little ones (like Jackson’s transformation into a wolf during the “Thriller” music video, which was broadcast on the stage’s huge background screens). Kids under the age of 12 or so might also not understand the heavy-duty humanitarian themes that were conveyed during an act featuring “Heal the World” and several other songs.
If you and your family are Jackson fans or want to experience the magic of a Cirque performance, The IMMORTAL World Tour is stopping at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 17 and 18. Both shows are at 8 p.m., and you can find tickets on cirquedusoleil.com.
—Heather Weekley
More reading fun from The Columbus Dispatch’s Nancy Gilson: Here’s a review of The False Prince (Scholastic, 352 pages, $17.99, age 12 and older) by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
Just in case there's room for another medieval adventure trilogy for young-adult readers, Jennifer A. Nielsen is happy to fill the bill.
The False Prince, the first installment in her promised "The Ascendance Trilogy," pays homage to Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper as it spins a tale of false identity, treason and deadly adventure in a mythical kingdom.
The conniving Sage is plucked from an orphanage, along with three other boys, by mysterious nobleman Conner. All the boys are about the same age and resemble one another -- and, they discover, the kingdom's young Prince Jaron, thought to have died at sea in a pirate attack.
Conner's plan is to pass off one of the boys as the prince, who, he will claim, didn't die after all and is the sole heir to the throne after the murder of the king, the queen and Jaron's older brother.
As Sage and the other orphans learn of the plan, they realize that only one of them can win -- and survive. The others must be killed for their knowledge of the conspiracy.
The story is told by Sage, who has no interest in becoming Prince Jaron but does have an interest in staying alive. Sage butts heads with Conner, not to mention the thuggish Cregan, who is charged with keeping the boys in line. But he is befriended by another of Conner's men as well as a mute girl he meets at the nobleman's manor.
The delight of Nielsen's story is the discovery of the true motivations of all the characters in a fast-paced plot with plenty of action, mystery and violence.
Of course, the tale ends with both some resolution and a promise of more intrigue to come. This is a trilogy, after all.
—Nancy Gilson
There’s plenty of free fun to be had at Columbus Commons this summer.
The park, located on the site of the former City Center, offers free activities for kids on Fridays through Aug. 31.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., kids can enjoy carousel rides and inflatable games. The Columbus Metropolitan Library hosts a story hour at 10:30.
The park has a wide array of family-oriented events planned for the summer, visit http://columbuscommons.org/ for more details.
—Melissa Kossler Dutton
Teach kids about fire safety at June 23’s State Fire Marshal’s Fire Safety Expo & Antique Fire Apparatus Muster (now that’s a mouthful!). It’s held at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
At the expo families can check out antique fire trucks, partake in safety demonstrations and take a closer look at fire equipment. Best of all, it’s free to attend! Parking for the event is also free.
Visit http://www.com.ohio.gov/_assets/images/fire/tweets/expo2012.pdf for more information.
—Heather Weekley
The Mid-Ohio Foodbank is giving you and your family a reason to eat out. Tomorrow, the organization is joining forces with the Central Ohio Restaurant Association to fight hunger with FOODFIGHT.
All day on Wednesday, head to one of more than 50 Columbus restaurants (including Jeni’s, Northstar Cafe and Bob Evans) for a meal. Five percent of the sales will be donated to the Operation Feed program to help those who are hungry in Central Ohio.
For a complete list of participating restaurants, visit foodfighthunger.com.
—Heather Weekley
Summer vacations are the perfect time to snap some photos and create memories. Those photos are also perfect to enter in Lakeshore Learning Material’s latest contest.
Throughout the month of June, Lakeshore is accepting entries for its Summer Learning photo Contest. It’s simple to enter: Take a photo of your children during vacation while partaking in a learning activity (for example, making a craft), “Like” the Lakeshore Facebook page and complete an online form. The public will vote for their favorite pictures, and the prize is pretty exciting—five winners will receive a $1,000 gift card to Lakeshore Learning!
Visit the Lakeshore Facebook page for more information and to enter.
—Heather Weekley
Celebrate the Fourth of July a few days early at Picnic with the Pops. On June 30, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents its Patriotic Pops, a collection of well-known tunes that embody the holiday. Peter Stafford Wilson will serve as the conductor.
This year, Picnic with the Pops is moving venues — they will perform their 2012 series at the new Columbus Bicentennial Pavilion in the Columbus Commons. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the concert will begin at 8 p.m.
Make sure to get your tickets in advance, as they go fast! Tickets are $23 for adults and $8 for children. Kids 2 and under are free. Learn more about the concert and see the rest of the summer lineup at picnicwiththepops.com.
—Heather Weekley
Cornerstone Speech Therapy is offering summer groups for parents and children. It’s a six-week program beginning June 28, and the interactive classes will help different age groups of kids work on language, articulation, phonology and more. The kids will enjoy interacting with each other and their family members!
The hour-long classes will be held on Thursday mornings (times to be determined), and the cost is $225. The program ends on Aug. 9, with no class for the July 4 holiday.
To learn more or register, e-mail info@cornerstonespeechtherapy.com or call 614-973-9755.
—Heather Weekley
Drive-in movie theaters may be hard to find, but families can still enjoy films under the stars this month courtesy of several area suburbs.
Fryer Park, 3899 Orders Road, serves as the outdoor movie theater in Grove City. The Parks and Recreation department is showing three movies this month. Attendees are welcome to bring snacks or they can purchase popcorn and ice cream. The June schedule is “Cars” on June 14; “Bed Time Stories” on June 21; and “Dolphin Tale” on June 28. Movies start at dusk.
Upper Arlington Parks & Recreation Department hosts movie nights at Thompson Park, 4250 Woodbridge Road, during the summer. “Sandlot” is scheduled for June 14. The movie starts at dusk.
—Melissa Kossler Dutton
Clayspace Gallery 831, a ceramics studio located in the Brewery District, has several exciting art programs for kids and teens this summer.
On Fridays, kids ages 7 and up can make a different clay project each week from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Each session is $30. And Friday afternoons cater to teens, with clay classes from 4 to 6 p.m. Cost is $35 each. Both programs allow kids to get creative and interact with the Clayspace artists.
Call Clayspace at 614-449-8144 to reserve spots for the classes. And if you’re interested in learning about additional offerings and exhibits, check out the Clayspace website: clayspace831.com.
—Heather Weekley
You’ve got one week left to enter a deserving child in our Ultimate Birthday Party contest! From now until noon on June 18, you can enter the name of any kid (ages 17 and under) that you (a relative or legal guardian who is at least 18 years of age) in the contest!
The prizes come from such fine purveyors as Pete DeLois’ Recreations Outlet www.recreationsoutlet.com, Bob Evans www.bobevans.com and Velvet Ice Cream www.velveticecream.com…to the tune of $600 of products and/or services from each!
We’ll draw the name of one entrant and announce the lucky winner in our July issue. Click here http://www.columbusparent.com/content/topic/2012/06/ultimate-birthday-contest.html to enter!
Join Nationwide Children’s this Sunday to celebrate the opening of their amazing new main hospital! We wrote all about it in our June issue http://www.columbusparent.com/content/topic/2012/06/nationwide-childrens.html, plus our editor Jane Hawes contributed another article about the project to our sister publication, Columbus Monthly www.columbusmonthly.com.
Nationwide Children’s Community Celebration Day takes place at the new hospital, located at the corner of Livingston and Parsons avenues, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be tours, hands-on educational activities for kids and you can take part in the beautiful Columbus Wishing Tree Project http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/wishing-tree.
For more information about this FREE public event, including parking maps, click here http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/grandopening.
Support breast-cancer research and awareness at this year’s Skate for Hope. Each year, local figure skaters (including kids!) join celebrity skating stars at Nationwide Arena to put on a show in honor of those affected by the disease.
This year’s performance is Saturday, June 16 at 5 p.m., and you’ll have the chance to see U.S. Olympians like Emily Hughes, Rachael Flatt and Jeremy Abbott. Tickets begin at $15.
Since its inception in 2004, Skate for Hope has raised more than $370,000 to benefit the Stefanie Spielman Fund. Visit skateforhope.org for more information on the show or to learn how to donate.
—Heather Weekley
Each month, little ones have the opportunity to learn about farms during the Stratford Ecological Center’s Story Time on the Farm program. The next story time is Tuesday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Kids will also have the opportunity to explore the farm or take part in fun activities at the Delaware center. The cost is $5 per family.
There are also a plethora of other fun programs offered at the Stratford Ecological Center throughout the summer months, including a preschool series and a kids’ nature club. Learn more online: strafordecologicalcenter.org.
—Heather Weekley
Families with and without dogs are likely to learn a bit about man’s best friend at the K-9 Carnival in Grove City.
The event brings together pet owners, potential pet owners, rescue organizations, pet-care groups and vendors. Dogs and their owners can participate in activities, socialize and meet new friends.
Pets will have places to interact both on and off the leash.
The event is from 1 to 4 p.m., June 6 at Fryer Park, 3899 Orders Road, Grove City 43123.
—Melissa Kossler Dutton
Years ago, dolls weren’t made in a factory — they were lovingly made by young girls at home. The Griswold Center and the Worthington Historical Society are presenting a fun event where kids can check out some of the collection from The Doll Museum.
Visit the Griswold Center on Wednesday, June 6 at 1:30 p.m. or Sunday, June 9 at 10:30 a.m. For $2, guests can view the dolls (you’ll be surprised at the materials used to make them!) and even make a clothespin doll to take with them! Visit worthingtonhistory.org for more information.
—Heather Weekley
This summer, catch a performance of “Robin Hood” at Schiller Park. Presented by the Actors’ Theatre of Columbus, the show began Memorial Day weekend and runs until June 24.
“Robin Hood” was written by Philip J. Hickman, and you can enjoy the area playwright’s adaptation each Thursday through Sunday at 8 p.m. Best of all, the shows are free! Bring blankets, chairs and the whole family to experience the plays in the park.
“Robin Hood” kicks off the 31st season of the Actors’ Theatre. Visit theactorstheatre.org for the full summer schedule.
—Heather Weekley