Ohio Passes Issue 3 (finally!)

Ohio's gonna be getting some casinos!

This is an GREAT thing...and I'll tell you why:


5th time’s a charm for casinos - Business First of Columbus:

C Magazine

Wow, sorry guys, I've been busy lately. I know that's everyone's story, so I promised I'd never use that as an excuse not to blog. They'll just end up being fewer in between for a while. Hey, times are tough so you gotta stay on your hustle.

Also, there's been some family issues I've had going on. My little sister was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes (juvenile). She'll have a strict regimen of four shots daily plus multiple sugar-level checks...yeah, you never realize how much diabetic people have to go through until you are close to someone who has this condition. Anyway, I've gotten lots of well wishes from friends and family. My sister is in a much better condition now, she's back to her smiley self.

On a completely separate and happy note:

C Magazine finally made a workable website that's pretty good so far. And it will only get better and more comprehensive since this is the Beta version.

I've been waiting for this moment for awhile.

You need to check it out.

www.columbusmag.com

You might even see pictures of yourself on there! That's my favorite part...the Paparazzi pictures. They have pictures loaded all the way back from 2007 so you can browse and see if you can spot any of your fellow Columbus Must Knows.

And BTW, you can pick up a monthly copy of C Magazine, FOR FREE, wherever you see a distribution stand. (For example, you can get 'em at WG Grinders in Grandview or a Bodega restaurant on High St. in Short North).

Share

2009 Columbus Concert Schedule

Back when I couldn't decide what I wanted for Christmas...something I still haven't decided, I had the brief idea to ask for some concert tickets. 

That led me to check and see which musical acts that I liked, if any, would making their way to Columbus this year. Typically, we see big acts, such as Jay-Z (just as an example) will go to either Cincinnati or Cleveland, but they'll skip right past Cbus. They figure we'll want to drive four hours to see a concert if we really call ourselves a true fan.

Well now at least many of the concert schedules are set, at least up until the summer begins, I can see who'll be here. Though I opted not for concert tickets.

I give you a condensed (and to-be-updated throughout the year) schedule of the best music acts coming to our city in 2009.

Hells Bells

January 16, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

George Clinton & the Parliament Funkadelic

January 16, 7:30 pm

@ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (The LC)

Lil' Wayne (with T. Paine, Keyshia Coles and others)

January 17, 7 pm

@ Schottenstein Center/Value City Arena

Girl Talk

January 17, 7 pm

@Newport Music Hall

Ballas Hough Band

January 18, 8 pm

@ The Basement

Disco Biscuits

January 21, 8 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

Cursive

January 21, 8 pm

@ The Summit

Les Yeux Noirs

January 22, 8 pm

@ The Fawcett Center

David Allan Coe

January 23, 5:30 pm

@ Screamin' Willies Saloon

Band members from Thrice, Saves the Day and the Get Up Kids and more

January 23, 7 pm

@ The Basement

The Wailers

January 24, 7:30 pm

@ The LC

Lambchop

January 25, 8 pm

@ The Wexner Center for the Arts

Kings of Leon

January 27, 7 pm

@ The LC

Jewel

January 28, 8 pm

@ Midland Theater (in Newark)

Old Crow Medicine Show

January 29, 7:30 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

T.I. (with Trey Songz)

January 30, 6:30 pm

@ Veteran's Memorial Auditorium

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

February 2, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

Antony and the Johnsons

February 4, 8 pm

@ Southern Theater

Jon Hassell and Maarifa Street

February 5, 8 pm

@ The Wexner Center

Ludo

February 7, 7 pm

@ The Basement

Bob Marley Tribute

February 7, 9 pm

@King Arts Complex

Los Campesinos

February 11, 9 pm

@ Mershon Auditorium

DJ Benny Bennasi

February 11, 9 pm

@ BoMA

Marah

February 11, 9 pm

@ Circus

Katie Reider

February 14, 6 pm

@ The LC

Matt Wertz

February 14, 7 pm

@ The Basement

Times New Viking

February 14, 9 pm

@ Mershon Auditorium

Brett Dennen

February 20, 8 pm

@ The Basement

Ben Folds

February 21, 7 pm

@ The LC

Zoso

February 21, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

Tapes 'N' Tapes

February 21, 7 pm

The Basement

Jesse McCartney

February 23, 7 pm

@ The LC

Cross Canadian Ragweed

February 24, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

Yonder Mountain String Band

February 26, 8 pm

@ The LC

Duncan Sheik

March 7, 8 pm

@ Southern Theater

Joan Baez

March 9, 8 pm

@ Southern Theater

The Whigs

March 9, 7 pm

@ The Basement

Nickleback (with Seether and Saving Abel)

March 11, 7 pm

@ Nationwide Arena

Kathleen Edwards and Clare Burson

March 14, 7 pm

@ The Basement

Kottonmouth Kings

March 15, 6:30 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

A Tribute to Sublime

March 17, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

Mindless Self Indulgence

March 19, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

The Eagles

March 29, 8 pm

@ Schottenstein Center

Morrissey

April 1, 7:30 pm

@ Palace Theater

Yanni

April 15, 8 pm

@ Germain Amphitheater

Neko Case

April 23, 7 pm

@ Newport Music Hall

Britney Spears

April 30, 8 pm

@ Schottenstein Center

I Heart CBUS

Just saw this!

Dr. Mojoe is selling awesome T-shirts that have things on them like: I ♥ Cbus, CBUS, and an outline of the state of Ohio with a star where Columbus is!

They are grey jersey cotton shirts and are $32. They have them for men and women. I've not seen anything like it and I am thrilled people are representing our city via clothing. Get one today...I am.

Dr. Mojoe is a gnarly little boutique chain, btw, that's home-grown--it was founded here. There's three locations: Easton, Polaris and the Short North.

(this is not the shirt I was speaking of, though this is one of their options for guys. they don't have any pictures on their website but this give you a general idea)

New Ideas for Giving Back

I am all about giving back.

Here is a ton of easy ways to do that, both nationally and in Columbus.

(Many of the items on here come from Glamour magazine).

Mid-Ohio Foodbank

Go to this website (one of my favorites)...www.thehungersite.com. 

It's awesome because all you have to do is click the button in the middle of the page and that instantly donates 1.1 cups of food to starving people in the world. No money, no signing up...just click. That's it! I try to go to this site every day. And from this site you can go to the other tabs which lead you to several other sites that are similar but with different causes...but the same thing...all you gotta do is click. There's Breast Cancer Research Site (one click provides free mammograms to women in need), the Rainforest Site (where one click saves a certain amount of acres of rainforest), there's the Literacy Site (one click provides books to kids all over the world who can't read), there's the Children's Health Site (one click provides health care to sick children all over the world), and there's the Animal Rescue Site (where one click allows for pet food to go towards rescued animals). Sponsors are the ones who pay for the various causes, but clicks are what get the necessary help to each org. And 100% of the sponsor money goes to charity!!!!

Drink a lot of water? Well think about all the people in the world who don't have clean water to drink...and here we complain about tap water tasting bad. Just $20 donated to www.charitywater.org gives one person clean drinking water for 20 years!!!

As I spoke of in my other blog post, human trafficking is getting to be a baaaaad problem. Why not buy jewelry made by survivors of sex slavery instead of heading to Polaris for some earrings next time? Just go to www.madebysurvivors.com and shop away.

Ever thought about donating a cow or a goat to a rural family in need? Villages full of people who's main source of income is from their animals like cows, goats, sheep, water buffalo etc. can be found throughout the world. Some families could really benefit from having a beehive to make honey they can sell, chickens for their eggs and meat or a llama for it's fur...www.heifer.org is the genius organization that gives third-world families gifts they can really use!

Entertaining? Go to www.womensbeanproject.org and buy dips from there to serve at your next holiday party. The org employs and teaches homeless women life skills.

In the market for a new dress for that black tie event? Or are you searching around for celebrity collectibles such as guitars or clothing signed by your favorite tinsletown star? Go to www.clothesoffourback.org and bid on celebrity-worn or -donated items, where the money goes to charity. I've always wanted to wear a gown that Jessica Alba has worn to the Golden Globes or some fancy place like that or get get that signed Dwayne Wade basketball for my dad!

(This Pamella Roland cocktail dress that Eva Longoria Parker wore to a recent event was auctioned off for the winning bid of $900)

You just spent $35 eating out at your favorite restaurant. But for that exact amount, you could be providing bedding, clothing, school supplies, and other necessities to a child in need! You'd basically be making their day! Go to www.scaw.org instead of eating out next time.

Do you know how to garden or farm? Has anyone ever taught you? Probably not. And it's not something people are born knowing how to do. It's a skill, and sometimes, depending on where you live and the climate etc. it can be a daunting task, but one that's necessary for your life and the life of your family. $70 provides seeds, farming tools, and training for two impoverished families in Uganda. Just go to www.mercycorps.org and check it out. This will make a difference that will last for generations. (There's other locations to donate to as well such as Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Iraq etc.)

For just $10...that's about the cost of two movie rentals at someplace like Blockbuster, you can give an insecticide treated mosquito net to a child in a malaria-stricken country to protect them from malaria for up to five years! www.malarianomore.org is the site.

Think about those commercials urging people to donate money so that people with horrible illnesses around the world can get medical help they desperately need...well how do you suppose the volunteer medics and nurses get to the remote locations where some of the sickest people must sit and suffer? They can get to those people using bikes! It's as simple as that. Just $35 (the price of one or two nice neck-ties from Macy's) buys a bike for a health aid worker at inspiredgifts.unicefusa.org.

If you're thinking about getting someone you love a pet this holiday season...say a kitten or a puppy, ADOPT! Adopt, adopt, adopt. Rescue one (or more) of the hundred-thousands of homeless and abandoned animals today and give a furry friend another chance at life! Check out iams.com (Home 4 the Holidays campaign) or petfinder.com to find your perfect pet companion. How can you resist?!

And who knew giving back could be as easy as helping a fellow Central-Ohian family who's struggling to make ends meet right now (we all know 2008 hasn't been too kind) by paying something like their heating bill. Go to www.modestneeds.org to make a simple thing like a heating bill really warm up the holidays for a local family. (Listed by zip codes)

I shouldn't have thrown that old printer of mine away. I didn't know there was a way to donate it. A website called www.dogoodchannel.com has listing of non-profit orgs that are in need of all kinds of items like TVs, phones, furniture and such.

Donate to Mother Earth! She could use some extra money to help her combat our human damage and global warming. Terrapass.com allows you to put your money towards offsetting the carbon produced by vehicles, planes etc. this holiday season. Reduce your carbon footprint!

Next time you buy a bottle of wine, don't go to the store! Buy from www.hopewine.com. Hope Wine proceeds help right Autism and AIDS. Similarly, gals, when you go to buy makeup next...head over to the Mac counter at Nordstrom or Macy's and buy from the Viva Glam line. Viva Glam helps combat AIDS by funding research to help cure it!

Whether you know a teacher her in Columbus or not, go to www.adoptaclassroom.org and sponsor a classroom where you can buy needed supplies for the teacher/students. Sadly, too many schools go without the proper tools, books, supplies, and more that are needed to successfully teach kids, while other schools, particularly those in the suburban, ritzy areas get all the resources they need and then some. It's quite unfair, especially when you hear of teachers using their own money to buy things for their classrooms. Last week there was a story in the news about a teacher who was selling advertising space on his homework and tests to fund things in his classroom, such as supplies. Why? Because the school/district was cutting funding. Can you imagine? Seeing ads on your kids' homework assignments. There's enough of that on TV already! But desperate times call for desperate measures. It shouldn't be that way. YOU can change that!

And lastly, donate your un-used frequent-flier miles! 2009 is right around the corner so just give those sky miles away to someone who really needs to get somewhere...a mom who just found out her child is sick and needs to fly cross-country to the hospital, or American soldiers who want to come home from Iraq or Afghanistan and could use a free ride at Operation Hero Miles.

More organizations to Google...

One Acre At A Time

Yellow Ribbon Fund

Room To Read

Caring Bridge

In 2 Books

Save The Children

Care

Critical Exposure

iGive

We-Care

Music Maker

Puppies Behind Bars

Rainn

bogolight.com

Chapter One Organics

Share

I'm a modern-day Abolitionist, are you?

Every holiday season we look towards charities and non-profits to find ways to give back to the community, to a cause and to those in need.

My charity of choice this year (and forever more) is Love 146.

It was through my church that I became aware of this group, Pastor Rich at Vineyard Church off of Cooper Road in Westerville played this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IJiWCHpFRs

If you do nothing else, please just watch this video.

All I had to do was watch this video and it became clear to me the absolute and utter need we have in this world at this time to reinstate abolitionism. Ironically, other news tidbits, reports, non-profits etc. keep popping up lately about the issue of human trafficking and sex slavery in my life. It's like every week I hear something new about this issue, an issue I was aware of in the past but wasn't as compelled to do something about/didn't see the direness in the situation. I really believe someone is trying to tell me something--they're trying to tell me this is the cause I should be supporting, and after watching that clip, visiting their website, and checking out their Blogger blog, I know this is what I want to devote my time to.

I am a modern-day abolitionist. I am going to do my part to make sure the atrocities of enslavement, particularly of women and children, is removed from the world. We worked too hard to rid our nation from slavery, and so I feel I can do my part by promoting slavery be abolished in other areas of the world.

ab·o·li·tion·ist n.
A reformer who advances the abolition of slavery

Child Sex Trafficking & Exploitation demands a movement of modern day Abolitionists.
Abolitionists work toward the abolition of Child Sex Trafficking & Exploitation - they become a voice for children unable to speak for themselves

• Abolitionists Use Their Voices
• Abolitionists Take Action

Abolitionists work toward the abolition of Child Sex Trafficking & Exploitation - they become a voice for children unable to speak for themselves

• Abolitionists Use Their Voices
• Abolitionists Take Action

There is a Facebook group dedicated to this organization, under the Causes section. You should join it and see what is on the message boards on there and chat with others about how we can begin to mend this problem. On there, I signed up for the cause and there was a petition that's being sent to President Obama to urge him to put pressure on governments that allow human trafficking to go unchecked in their countries to get them to stop it, and also, to work on the problem of it in our own country (tons of young women are sold into sex slavery in San Francisco and they're forced to live in and work at "massage" parlors and give "massages" when really they are being bought for sex).

Also, look up the name of a woman named Somali Mam. I first heard of her through Glamour magazine. She rescues young girls, some as young as 5, who've been sold into slavery and prostitution and puts them in safe homes...she escaped and is a former victim herself.

Deck the Halls, for real. The best holiday lights in Cbus!

Maybe this was a tradition in your family, like it was mine...we'd drive around the neighborhood division that had the best holiday light set-up each year. No matter what city you live in, there's always a neighborhood you can pin-point where families raise the bar and go all-out on their Christmas decorations. It's like that movie from a few years ago where two men, who were neighbors, were in perpetual competition to have the brightest, most exciting, spectacularly decorated house during Christmas time. I imagine this sort of thing actually happens.

(courtesy of Getty)

We always drove through this neighborhood when I was a kid, where many of the houses were decorated so well, the families entered competitions and without a doubt, each year, this particular house always won. Their decorations actually moved! They used motors to propel ice-skating penguin and reindeer figurines up and down their roof! Cut-outs made from what was probably wood inhabited the entire front and side yards; even the driveway. At this time, we lived in a state that didn't really have cold weather. Snow was a foreign concept to the people of this town, so getting to see or actually play in snow only came by manufacturing it. This particular family must have bought yards and yards of that fake, fluffly, white fabric that looks like cotton balls and covered every inch of their property with it. That, or they used that fake, spray snow. They took this holiday very seriously. Plus, dozens of people would do drive-bys each day just to see the marvel that was this home turned mini-winter wonderland.

Since then, I have yet to see any holiday home decorating come close, though it is always fun to take an evening drive in search of a house that comes close...

So where in Columbus are some fun holiday-light sightings?

• Upper Arlington (between Tremont and Yorkshire on Gilford Rd.) has some pretty awesome lights

• One street (18 houses) in Pickerington is completely decorated. This is THE street to head over to. Hall Ridge Dr. is the name of the street.

• The Columbus Zoo: this is not a residential example, but the zoo has some of the most amazing lights each year! Typically called ZooLights or WildLights, or something to that effect, the zoo always has intricate lighting exhibits, ice skating and hot-cocoa. The event goes on til Jan. 3rd.  starting at 5 pm and it's free with zoo admission which is $10 for adults and $7 for kids and seniors. (Deal alert: Wendy's is doing coupons for the event so go grab a burger and get yourself a coupon to WildLights while you're at it!)
  


• There's German Villiage's light celebration with carolers, real roasted chestnuts, and more and you can walk or drive around the town to see people's decorations.


• Easton Town Centre, as you could already guess, has beautifuly decorated christmas trees and then too, horse-drawn carriage rides each year.


• In Gahanna, there's Creekside, where all along the creek's edge are lights and lit figurines that are great for the little ones to view. Be aware, you'll have to actually walk around outside to get the full effect so dress warmly and try to go on a warmer evening


• Alum Creek State Park (in Delaware) does a huge light festival that you can drive through so as not to freeze your buns off. It costs $10 Mon. - Thurs., and $15 on weekends. And it goes all the way through to the end of the December!

• The neighborhood of Clifton Mill in Clifton, OH, is lit and decorated from head to toe. This is one not to be missed.

Got more tips on the best neighborhoods for viewing Christmas decorations/lights? Tell me about it!

Black Friday and Beyond: Holiday Shopping 2008 Deals and Steals

There is an entire slew of websites devoted to the main event that is Black Friday (a.k.a. After Thanksgiving Day Sales). Pretty much every store has sales this day and is open for ultra-extended hours. These sites have lists and lists of the sales and steals for 2008.

http://bfads.net/

http://blackfridayads.com/

http://www.mahalo.com/Best_Day_After_Thanksgiving_Sale

http://blackfriday.dealsofamerica.com/

http://www.theblackfriday.com/

http://www.walletpop.com/specials/black-friday-deals?icid=100214839x1214099612x1200890479

And you know what?! Something else I figured out is that stores now have sales because of sales. For instance, there's tons of stores having Pre-Thanksgiving Sales to usher in the Day After Thanksgiving Sales. Let's hope the economy doesn't put too much on a damper on your holiday shopping plans or wishlists. Bargain shopping is tres chic.

(Above: An example of the mayhem on Black Friday at what looks like a Target store or Circuit City)

Print out coupons before you go out to the stores on Friday and Saturday. Printable Coupons is a blogspot blog I subscribe to (see right-hand sidebar). I always get great money-savers on there. Also, check the paper, check the paper, check the paper. Wednesday's edition will have all the booklets of coupons for the great sales to come.

(Or you can skip the sales as Forbes magazine suggests and shop online, because remember, all the sales, and then some, apply to online shopping, so you can accomplish holiday shopping leaps and bounds from the comfort of your own couch)

http://www.forbes.com/style/2008/11/24/shopping-holiday-sales-forbeslife-cx_ls_1124cyber.html

Here's some good things to remember on this day:

http://www.wisebread.com/share-your-black-friday-stories-thoughts-and-strategies

Brave the masses! Just arm yourself with a plan of what store's you're hitting up before Friday.

In this economy, I seriously don't mind waiting in long lines, camping out or even throwing a few 'bows so that I can get the items I need to get at a price I'm willing to pay (which is a small price). So, to me, the time spent waiting is worth the money I will be able to save. Back in the 1990s, lots of us would have said hell-no to the lines out the door and around the corner, because we could just go somewhere where the lines were shorter but the prices were a bit higher and it was no big deal. Back then, people used to avoid sales like this for the reasons of crowds and battles over toys. But now, everyone's looking to save some dough so people are going to go that extra mile so they won't have to sacrafice quality or getting the perfect gift but at a much nicer price.

Stores that I'll be hitting up for some of the best deals are:

Victoria's Secret

Kohls - markdowns from 40% to 75%! 50% off on toys and 60% on fine jewelry; they're giving $10 for every $50 spent in the store/online

WalMart-$10 toys and $200 X Box consoles, LeapFrog Leapster kids learning toys for $30

Best Buy - $60 digital cameras, $300 laptops and $900 LCD 50'' flat screen TVs, all in one Brothers printer for $40!

Macy's- for things like 5-piece luggage sets for $50, Men's sweaters for $20, 3-stone white gold and diamond ring for $400, 50% off home decor, get $10 to spend on a $25 purchase. Printable coupon for this store. Extra 20% off pretty much all merchandise

Circuit City-$2 DVDs and CDs, perfect stocking stuffers, and there's $700 Samsung LCD flat screen 42'' for sale!

Toys r Us-BOGOs and tons of other deals are already in effect, you get a $10 gift card for spending $75 or more.

Sears-in an effort to boost their performance, is pulling out the stops. 40 to 60% off on most of their merch, $10 off for every $50 spent on top of that, they'res 0% financing and price guarantees.

Ikea-since their prices are always great, they don't do too many major sales. But they are for BF, with bed frames for $99 instead of $199 and comforters/comforter covers for only $40

Old Navy-I guess it's 50% off everything on Friday only, with other deals specific to Saturday or Sunday as well. Plus they're giving away Samsung mp3 players for spending a certain amount.

Sam's Club-Samsung video camera for $180, Philips 42'' LCD HDtv (1080p) for only $798! $200 for Nintendo DS package and $425 for Wii package they're offering.

P.S. 30 days 'til Christmas...

Take Out Turkey

Over the course of time someone got the genius idea to package up Thanksgiving Dinner into a convenient take-out meal (isn't everything packaged, pre-made, carry-out etc. these days!?!?).

I have seen a few places, nationally and locally, that make it easy on us no-so-good-at-cooking folks who still like to entertain and/or have, perhaps, the best residence for family/friends gathering. Everything you need is ready-made and bagged up for you to pass off as your own, like you made it from scratch. Even something as sacramental as a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast has been turned into a matter of "fast food" in one way or another.

For example, with the Bob Evans meal, you get an entire slow-roasted turkey; stuffing; mashed potatoes with gravy; sweet corn; cranberry sauce; green beans with ham in it; a dozen rolls; a loaf of their signature pumpkin bread and lastly an entire pumpkin pie with whipped cream...all ready made. To order you can call them or go online. This whole turkey day shebang costs only $74.99 and serves 6-8 people. You must put your order in early. There's a downloadable order form on their site that you can call in or bring in to the store (link below). Let's face it, sometimes the holidays can be more stressful than relaxing. According to testimonials, many were impressed with the size and taste of the dinner and most of all, were praising this concept for being so "stress free."

Farmhouse Feast To Go

As you know, there's Bob Evans all over this state (the company started and is headquartered here I believe) Mimi's Cafe is up at Polaris and their take-out dinner is a bit more gourmet. I've actually tried both...they are actually really good. It's just like eating at the restaurant, but you can do it at home with all your loved ones, and get the same Thanksgiving feeling without losing the flavors and smells of the season.

Mimi's Cafe Holiday Meal To Go

And, I won't knock you or say you're lazy if you do go this route...I have a friend who had been waiting on her house to finish being built (they always give such an unreasonable estimate on the time it takes to build a home) and so it wasn't until a week or two before Thanksgiving that she finally got to move in. She had boxes piled up, organizing and everything to do, but the holiday was fast approaching. It was too late to go out of town, and she wouldn't dare have a large group over to her new place, as it was still being moved into, so she had a couple close friends over who weren't doing anything, and ordered one of these Holiday Feast To Go meal deals.

Other restaurants/markets around Columbus that have something similar are:

Boston Market

The Honey Baked Ham Store

Whole Foods

Or you could head out with a group to a restaurant for Thanksgiving--hey, nowhere is it written that a holiday dinner HAS to be eaten at home. Here's a few places that will be serving full-menu dinners or buffets around Cbus:

Latitude 41

J. Gilberts

Hyatt (Capitol Square)

Olde Summit Towne Restaurant

Shaw's

Plaza Inn

Golden Corral

Handke's Cusine

Smith & Wollensky

Ted's Montana Grill

The Round Bar (Best Western)

Salvi's Bistro

McCormick & Schmidt

The Worthington Inn

Surly Girl Saloon

Ashley's

The Clarmont

Heather Pick (1970-2008) May She Rest in Peace

The legendary WBNS TV 10 News Anchor Heather Pick lost her long-term battle with cancer, on Friday, November 7, 2008.

Our deep and solemn condolences go out to her family and friends who are, no doubt, hurting very much.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/station/stories/2008/11/07/heather_pick.html?sid=102

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/07/Heather_Pick_.html

Heather, age 38, was such a great women, a true role model and trooper. She is a wife to Joe and the mother of two small children: Julia aged 7, and Jack aged 4.

Miraculously, she birthed Jack when she was in remission from her stage-4 cancer, despite doctor's warnings, as pregnancy during cancer, cancer treatment and even in remission is highly risky. Yet, she did it, because she was a fighter!

She never had a bad attitude. She always had spirit! She always looked on the bright side or made a sad situation humorous. She kept going...working, being a mom, being a loving wife, staying active in the community, helping others out. Any women should strive to be like Heather.

WE WILL MISS YOU HEATHER! You'll always remain in our hearts and memories!

I'll update as soon as I find out when and where the public memorial services will take place. You can leave special and comforting comments to Heather's friends and family on either the WBNS 10 TV website or on The Columbus Dispatch's website.

Please donate to the Heather Pick Spirit Fund!