Public libraries are a democracy’s best-kept promise and the Columbus Metropolitan Library has boasted that it is “open to all” since its founding in 1873. Chief Executive Officer Patrick Losinski talks this week about the challenges and opportunities facing libraries today, how the system has grown and evolved during his tenure, and how they continue to meet their customers where they are. 

Shownotes

• Columbus Metropolitan Library
• Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation
• Friends of the Library
• Columbus Foundation
• Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition
• Smart Columbus
• Batelle
• The Big Table

The Confluence Cast is sponsored by The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC’s transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth of the region.

Full transcript on page 2

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Sours, IPAs, and stouts, oh my! Dan Whalen, a reporter for Columbus Underground, has quickly become well-versed in the local brewery and beer scene, despite only living in Columbus for two years. We talked about the high quality, diverse selection, and unpretentious atmosphere of the beer scene in Columbus, as well as ways for people to expand their taste preferences and the current trends in the city.

Shownotes

• The Food in My Beard
• Land Grant Brewing Company
• Seventh Son Brewing Co.
• Wolf’s Ridge Brewing
• Perfect Pour Beverage Company
• Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery
• DankHouse Brewing Co.
• Hoof Hearted Brewing
• Nocterra Brewing Co.
• Gemüt Biergarten
• Chapman’s Eat Market
• Dan Whalen bio and social profiles

Full transcript on page 2

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The children of our community need advocates in order to ensure that they are safe, stable, and able to thrive. When it comes to homes and families, that is the role of Franklin County Children Services. They are tasked with making sure that children are safe in their homes, providing families with resources if they are needed, and providing support to the community in general.

Shownotes

• Holiday Wish Campaign
• Franklin County Children Services
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The Confluence Cast is sponsored by The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC’s transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth of the region.

Full transcript on page 2

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At the risk of sounding like a broken record that you’ve heard before: Voting is important. On the occasion of next week’s midterm election, David DeWitt, the editor-in-chief of the Ohio Capital Journal, sat down with the Confluence Cast this week to discuss how the political landscape has changed in the last two years, the Ohio Supreme Court races and the issues that will be decided as a result of them, the Ohio governor’s race, of course, the US senate race, and why it is so important to vote.

Shownotes

• Ohio Capital Journal
• Ohio Supreme Court
• State redistricting
• Mike DeWine
• Nan Whaley
• Tim Ryan
• JD Vance

Full transcript on page 2

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The role of our elected officials is largely known to us. That is less true for our county commissioners. Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley joins the Confluence Cast this week to discuss what the commissioners’ office does, her background, and how she translates advocacy into her role on the board for the largest county in the state.

Shownotes

• Franklin County Commissioners
• Commissioner Erica Crawley
• Columbus Clippers
• Court Appointed Special Advocates
• Franklin County Rise

The Confluence Cast is sponsored by The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC’s transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth of the region.

Full transcript on page 2

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It has been said that festivals are one of the best things about our community. By extension, the folks who conceive and orchestrate them are making the city measurably better. This week, on the occasion of the upcoming Hot Times Festival, organizer Candy Watkins discusses the origins of Comfest, why Hot Times Community Festival is the friendliest festival in town, and the importance of leaning in to ensure that these festivals continue to thrive.

Shownotes

• Goodale Park
• Comfest
• Hot Times Community Festival

The Confluence Cast is sponsored this week by the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival. The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival has celebrated and shared the arts with the community and region for over 50 years.  This event features fine art and fine crafts from over 120 artists, live performances, food trucks, and art activities. Join the fun at Northam Park on Monday, September 5, from 10 am-4 pm. 

Full transcript on page 2

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Columbus has a lot of character to it. From Comfest to COSI, there are a myriad of topics, issues, inside jokes, and even memes that every Columbusite should be aware of. 614 enthusiast Doug Powhida, the man behind the satirical twitter account Fake Dispatch, graces us this week with a high-level survey of what makes the city great, and sometimes not so great.

Shownotes

• Fake Dispatch on Twitter
• COSI
• AM 820
• CD 92.9
• Columbus Ale Trail
• Columbus Crew
• Arnold Sports Festival
• Comfest
• South Campus Gateway
• Columbus on Reddit

The Confluence Cast is sponsored this week by the Gateway Film Center. Gateway Film Center is a nonprofit cinema committed to supporting storytellers and amplifying the impact of their work in our community. Join them at the Film Center this season as they celebrate these artists with a retrospective of unique stories from their partners at A24 and new independent stories premiering this summer. To plan your next visit, visit gatewayfilmcenter.org.

Full transcript on page 2

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As the Assistant Director of Housing Strategies for the City of Columbus, Erin Prosser wakes up every day thinking about housing in the city. In today’s episode, we discuss strategies for combatting NIMBYism, the importance of non-commercial partners when we think about housing, why housing should be thought of as infrastructure, and how we can right-size our systems in order to align them to our priorities.

As a bonus this week, we have an additional conversation with entrepreneur David Hunegnaw about one possible micro solution to density: Lease the Lawn.

Shownotes

• Erin Prosser
• MKSK
• Campus Partners
• 3CDC
• Community Properties of Ohio
• LinkUS
• Lease The Lawn
• Loud Capital

The Confluence Cast is sponsored by The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC’s transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth of the region.

Full transcript on page 2

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As a growing city, we have growing city problems. No one knows that better than Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. With the influx of new residents and new jobs, President Hardin discusses transit as an equity issue, the importance of continuing conversations around race and policing, why we have to do big things now, and the big changes coming to how the city council will be elected, starting next year.

Shownotes

• Council President Shannon Hardin
• Columbus City Council
• 311 Call Center

The Confluence Cast is sponsored by The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC’s transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth of the region.

Full transcript on page 2

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At a time when the city seems close to a boom in terms of economic development, it also faces challenges with that growth. This week, Columbus’s Director of Development Michael Stevens discusses the portfolio of the Department of Development, how the department works to improve the lives of Columbus residents, evaluating investments at a neighborhood level, and how tax abatements happen in the city.

Shownotes

• Department of Development
• Director of Development Michael Stevens
• Steve Schoeny episode
• Homeport episode
• One Linden
• Columbus Land Bank
• One Columbus

The Confluence Cast is sponsored by The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission featuring stories about local and regional partners that envision and embrace innovative directions in economic prosperity, transportation, sustainability, and an inclusive Central Ohio. MORPC’s transformative programming, innovative services, and public policy initiatives are designed to promote and support the vitality and growth of the region.

Full transcript on page 2

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