Grove City Messenger - March 24th, 2024

PAGE 6 - GROVE CITY MESSENGER - March 24, 2024
My
Legislative
Aide
The Legislature currently is on recess and will return
just after Easter. I have asked my Legislative Aide,
Teddy Smith, to introduce himself in this issue’s column
and let us know what his responsibilities are.
I am Teddy Smaith, the Legislative Aide for Representative
Dave Dobos. Although I now work for the
State of Ohio, I was born in downtown Chicago, Illinois
in 2001. I spent the first 18 years of my life in
the city and suburbs of Chicago, before deciding to
attend The Ohio State University, where I earned a
bachelor’s degree in political science with a focus
on American Politics. While at OSU, I fell in love with
the city of Columbus and knew I wanted to spend
the beginning of my post-grad career here. So, I applied
to be a Legislative Aide in the Ohio House of
Representatives. After interviewing with a few Representatives,
I was offered the position by Representative
Dobos and accepted without a second
thought.
I’ve now been working for Rep. Dobos and the
House since October 2023, and the position has
provided me with great experience in my field. My
responsibilities focus on helping the Representative
serve his constituents as best he can. Many are clerical
duties, such as following up on constituent requests,
setting up and preparing him for meetings,
communicating event invitations, and keeping track
of his schedule. I also assist him with the legislative
process. For example, when working on a new
piece of legislation, I am typically the main point of
contact for any organizations or constituents who
may be advising the Representative on the bill. I
also keep track of any changes the bill may need before
it can be sent to the Clerk’s office and placed in
a committee. In addition to legislative duties, Representative
Dobos’ position as Vice Chair of the
House Transportation Committee means I hold the
title of Vice Clerk. As Vice Clerk, I am responsible for
taking the minutes at every Transportation Committee
meeting, keeping a record of every bill and testimony
that passes through the committee, and
helping the Clerk (the legislative aide of the committee
chair) with any committee-related issues that
may arise. Being the Legislative Aide for Rep. Dobos
has been a rewarding challenge for me, and I could
not have asked for a more fulfilling opportunity so
quickly after graduating. If you ever have any questions,
insights, or concerns as a constituent of Rep.
Dobos, please don’t hesitate to e-mail the Representative
or me at rep10@ohiohouse.gov.
(Dave Dobos represents the 10th District in the Ohio
House of Representatives, which consists of parts of
West, Southwest, and South Columbus, Grove City, Urbancrest,
and portions of Franklin and Jackson Townships.
He reports regularly on his activities in this
position and his campaign has paid for this communication
with you.)
Paid Advertisement
Community Focus
Grove City residents will now have the tools to live a healthier lifestyle
with the debut of Clean Eatz, which is slated to open at 3621 Southwest
Blvd. in Grove City this spring. The healthy lifestyle restaurant specializes
in preparing properly-portioned meals and will give the community the
option to order meal plans, catering, Grab ‘N’ Go meals, and a full dine-in
menu at the wellness inspired café.
The new franchise location is owned by local entrepreneur Casey
Schroeder. Having grown up in Lima, Ohio, Schroeder decided to attend
Coastal Carolina University to play baseball. From there he went on to play
in the Chicago White Sox organization. During his time as a college and professional
athlete, Schroeder recognized the difficulty of maintaining a
healthy diet while on the road. As a student at Coastal Carolina, he often frequented
Clean Eatz, where he knew he could get something to eat that didn’t
jeopardize his health.
“At Clean Eatz, we do all the prep work for you,” says Schroeder. “You
know exactly what you’re getting in your meal and you don’t have to worry
www.columbusmessenger.com
Zonta Club aims to empower local women
By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
A new organization in Grove City is working to build a better
world for local women.
The Zonta Club of Grove City is part of a global organization of
experienced professionals who provide service and advocacy to
empower women and girls.
“Our local Zonta Club of Grove City is focused on empowering
local women with service projects and educational opportunities,”
said Joyce Combs, who lives in Grove City and serves on the Club
Creators Committee where she works to create new clubs in Ohio,
West Virginia, and Kentucky.
“I moved to Grove City two years ago and was so impressed
with the community that I thought this would be a great location
to start a new club,” she said.
Combs wants women in the Grove City area to know that there
are resources available to them if they’re looking for ways to
empower other women or need help themselves.
“We are a global organization of experienced professionals providing
service and advocacy to empower women and girls,” Combs
said.
The international Zonta organization approved the Grove City
club to begin forming and providing service projects to the community
last year. The local club should have its official charter status
in the next few weeks, Combs said.
In just under a year, volunteers with the organization have
served the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, donated Valentine gift bags
for children staying with their mothers at Amethyst, and collaborated
with the community to collect feminine hygiene items,
gloves and socks for women and girls at the Van Buren Homeless
Shelter.
The organization is also planning a “Spring Cleaning
Collection” to support various organizations that help vulnerable
women and girls.
“During the month of April we are asking friends and neighbors
for various items that can be donated to organizations in central
Ohio such as Sanctuary Night, a safe haven for sexually-exploited
women; Maryhaven, an addiction recovery center for women; and
Lighthouse, a domestic violence shelter,” Combs said.
Items of need include gently-used clothing for women returning
to the workforce, winter coats, scarves, gloves, bath towels, dish
towels, and gently-used coffee cups and drinking glasses.
Donations can be dropped off at Transcend Coffee and
Roastery, 4050 Broadway, or the Grove City Visitors Center, 3995
Broadway, Suite 100.
Donators can also message the club at
zontagrovecity@gmail.com.
“In the local community, we focus on three main points - providing
service, advocacy initiatives and scholarship/educational
Volunteers Karen and Melody put together Valentine Day’s gift
bags for children staying with their mothers at Amethyst.
opportunities for women and girls,” Combs said. “We also support
legislation to protect vulnerable women and girls, such as from
domestic violence or human trafficking.”
In recent years, Zonta clubs have worked with legislators to
encourage the passage of bills on human trafficking and domestic
violence. The Grove City club invited Laura Lanese, a former
State Representative and Grove City council woman, to speak
about Ohio’s Ending Child Marriage, an initiative to raise the
minimum age for marriage in Ohio.
“We encourage our members to be informed advocates and
work with legislators to change policies that benefit women and
girls,” Combs said.
Those who want to volunteer or donate to the Zonta Club of
Grove City can email at the address listed above or follow the
organization on Facebook to learn more about becoming a charter
member.
“Are you someone who wants to build a better world for women
in Grove City? Zonta Club Grove City is an excellent opportunity
to do just that,” Combs said. “Members build long-lasting friendships,
are well-informed on issues and belong to an empowered
network.”
PAID ADVERTISING
Former professional baseball player brings Clean Eatz to Grove City
about compromising your diet. Healthy eating has a huge impact on your
quality of life, and I’m excited to be able to bring such a beneficial food
option to my community, as we continue to expand our presence in Central
Ohio.”
With a mission to be the first step to living a healthy lifestyle, Clean Eatz
offers chef-prepared, nutritionist-approved meals at an affordable price. With
meals that perfectly balance protein, carbs and fats, people in Grove City will
be able to order meal plans every Tuesday through Sunday on the Clean Eatz
website to have healthy meals prepared and ready for pick up. There are also
thousands of ready to eat Grab’N’Go meals available for purchase every day.
Guests of all dietary restrictions, including those maintaining gluten-free,
vegetarian and vegan diets, can enjoy a number of delicious and healthy
menu items in the café, such as build-your-own bowls, salads, burgers,
wraps, flatbreads and more.
For more information on Clean Eatz, visit www.cleaneatz.com or call
614-505-8010.