International Christmas Tree display at COSI on E Broad St downtown debuted in December 1967, featuring trees and decorations of Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Victorian England, traditional US, and modern US. In later years, futuristic neon and aluminum trees joined the ranks.

December 2024 finds renovation in full-swing at the former Indianola Middle School a decade after the school board decided to close it. New, clear, floor-to-ceiling windows flood the interior with light. Erwin Frey sculptures have been cleaned, repaired, and restored. Grounds being improved while retaining the ancient trees--some of which date back to the site's original use as Indianaola Park amusement park. Now owned by Ohio State, building became home to the STEM-focused Metro Middle and High Schools in January 2025.

Kinda loving the crazy-wild-and-crazy decorations on this campus residence. Gotta admire the enthusiasm. Traffic cone's a nice touch too.

Lane Ave Bridge all seasonal this morning! (Looks like the color LED lights work after all.)

Beloved Columbus personality Frederick "Fritz" Perenboom turns 90 this December 27th! As Fritz the Nite Owl, he presided over the late night airwaves of Central Ohio from 1974-91, hosting films on WBNS, Channel 10, nightly. Fritz is most fondly remembered for hosting Friday night horror movies on Double Chiller Theater. Fritz also performed a variety of other hosting and announcing duties at WBNS and presented jazz radio programs on CD101 and other stations. Beginning in 2010, Fritz began a monthly series of hosted movies at area theaters, including The Gateway, Studio 35, The Grandview, and the Ohio Theater downtown. Happy Birthday Fritz!!

A rare sight these days. Pretty, snowy, very early, January morning on the Oval in 2025.

On Jan 20, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 34-23 to win the National College Football Championship. The Ohio State squad was an absolute marvel in the playoffs, completely dominating its rivals in game after game. In the days after, the trophy made the rounds of different venues in the city. Your pal got to hang with the trophy when it was on-display at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

Food delivery robots waiting to cross the street around dinertime on a February night.

Signs of the times cropping up in street graffiti, stickers, and flyers.

About 1,000 people gathered for an anti-S.B. 1 protest on The Oval on March 4, 2025. Warming weather, the nakedly authoritarian turn of the administration, and daily horrors from the White House have lead to growing protests around the nation. Earlier that day, Trump threatened to defund universities that tolerated "illegal protests" and warned students of expulsions, arrest, and deportation.

The campus community has plenty to be angry abouit. The first months of the Trump Administration have seen relentless attacks on universities, education, immigrants, law, science, and medicine. February 28th's shocking betrayal of Ukraine in a horrifying and unprecedented press conference appalled almost everybody. Voters 18-29 opposed Trump and women 18-29 overwhelmingly opposed Trump. Trump's attacks on diversity, equality, and inclusion have also angered young voters.

Over 110-year-old entranceway that has amazingly survived decades of weather and students and landlords on this Indianola Ave home.

45 years ago this weekend was Shuttlecon II, a Central Ohio convention for Star Trek fans held in one of the buildings at the State Fairgrounds. Campus in the late 1970s and early 1980s was a hotbed of science fiction fandom. James Doohan (Scotty), Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Rand), Walter Koenig (Chekov), and Star Trek: The Motion Picture scribe Alan Dean Foster were the guests of honor.

Researching it, I discovered a program from the 1980 event on eBay for $3. Delighted when it got here to discover it was autographed by all four of the Star Trek notables attending the convention!! For $3!!!

Charmed by the sponsoring ads for long-gone Columbus businesses, like University Flick, Monkey’s Retreat, Deibel’s, and Bonanza (“Trek on in!”)

The convention notes were so full of hope and optimism, a certainty that we were at the dawn of a better age, that the humanistic ideals of Star Trek were about to become the guiding lights of a new world. They could have never imagined what our world of 2025 would look like.

Anyway, live long and prosper. Maybe we’ll get there yet.