During most of the year, the square tends to cater to the downtown lunch crowds with occasional…read moremusic and a so-so market during the noon hour. La de da.. For me, the square is best at christmas time. The weekend after thanksgiving is the tree lighting ceremony. Local celebrities (aka annoying news anchors) show up, we all sing jingle bells, and we light our tree. It's not quite a Seuss-esque Whos-down-in-Whoville gathering, but it's close. While you're there, ride some horse-drawn carriages, try to get a sneak-taste of the gingerbread houses, and check out the old Rike's display. For a very long time tubas accompanied the jingle bells sing along. This was always a great trainwreck of a performance and a helluva a lot of fun. I wonder what has happened to our tubas...

Alright, I'm not knocking Dayton, but I wasn't expecting this! Courthouse Square was the start of…read morethe recent Dayton Urban Nights (http://www.yelp.com/biz/dayton-urban-nights-dayton#hrid:JvRwKxVmhjS1sT_n2FTobg) and I was briefly taken aback when I saw it. Its large and spacious and is wonderfully suited as an event space as it was being used that evening. There is plaza space, a fountain, and plenty of access to the street-front. The Courthouse itself is neat looking! Old fashioned and the cannon out front added a great deal of local charm. From all the people taking pictures at the cannon, it must be a great photo op! The water in the fountain was abnormally green, however. Made me wonder what they put in the water in Dayton!!

This is a very pretty building. It house various different county agencies. The out side has a…read morememorial to Miami county law enforcement officers. The water fountain outside is nice and has art in the middle. When we were there the fountain was dry. You probably have to come here to do vehicle registration and court stuff... we were just walking by! No business here thankfully!

Kenton is a small town about an hour from Columbus and the downtown area still has that old Main…read moreStreet America, Leave It To Beaver look. The historic county Courthouse, built in the Classical Revival style, is well maintained. It was dedicated in 1915 and is still in active use. I can't remember too much about it except that I thought it was quite nice for a small town and had a nice skylight. Plus it was free and open to the public. Sadly, the downtown area seemed like it was dying and has been for a long time.

Yeah jury duty! Don't be a baby, it's everybody's responsibility to help out sometimes. The new…read morebuilding is extremely nice with tons on natural light and interesting views of downtown. The Columbus Commons parking garage is the best place to park. There's a Subway and Dempsey's restaurant right across High Street. In the jurors waiting area there are lockers and vending machines and private bathrooms. There's also a coffee shop on the first floor. When I went I got put on a case right away. It was a criminal case and it was fascinating. I wound up being jury foreman and it was fun to handle a little more responsibility. The clerks and bailiffs and stuff were all patient and helpful. We spent one day just doing juror interviews and hearing from the attorneys. The next two days we heard arguments from both sides. We finished up late Wednesday and I was done! A couple weeks later I got a check for like $21. I don't understand why people hate jury duty so much. I think we believe we're supposed to not like it because there are so many instances of characters in popular culture trying to avoid jury duty at any cost. It's fine people, go down there and be grateful you live in a civilized country where you can get a jury trial.

Most of us are not too keen on being summoned for jury duty. It's my turn this week. I am very…read moreproud and consider us very fortunate to live in a society where we do have a trial by peers process. With that and in spite of how untimely it may be, I am thankful for the opportunity. And, it is quite educational & interesting. They have done as much as possible to minimize the disruption this presents in one's life. If your summoned date has conflicts with life, you can request a one-time rescheduling, but must be served within three months. As I needed to take advantage of this option, I am grateful it was available and was pretty easy to do. The new courthouse is quite comfortable. Everyone strives to make your service easy and painless. The jury pool room is a large room where they have free wifi. It is sectioned off with a quiet area where you get some work done or read a book. If you have a tablet and digital movies, bring your own headphones and relax. They also show a movie of the day on a big screen to entertain you while you wait. Free coffee and tea are also available. Parking has not been an issue for me. It's been $5 a day for me. Tip: if you are not familiar with the downtown area, check out the parking options beforehand or allow yourself enough time to locate the area garages and navigate your way around. A little planning on your part can make your experience go much smoother. Another tip: the cafeteria is located on the 16th floor in the old courthouse. I suggest going out for lunch to a local restaurant, especially if the weather is nice, or bring your own. The cafeteria food was okay. There was a long line at the deli counter (which was not the option I choose). They offer a salad bar, too. You get an hour and a half lunch hour! A couple microwaves and a small refrigerator are available for storing your lunch, if you pack. All in all, the new courthouse is quite modern and comfortable. The staff do every thing possible to make your service as comfortable as possible. Performing your civic duty can be very educational and leave you with a civic pride.

This is probably the one place in the courthouse you actually wouldn't mind being in. It's actually…read morenicely decorated. :)

Went back to get marriage abstracts (certified proof, for insurance, etc.) Once again, no wait…read more Once again, friendly and helpful service. This time I remembered to take metal stuff out of my pockets, so breezed through security. It's so nice to have pleasant, efficient experiences at government offices. I set aside far more time for this than I needed to, so when things went smoothly I had time for other errands.

I spent some time at the courthouse this month. It's a pretty worn building that could use some…read moreaesthetic updates like the entry doors and flooring. The staff was nice though and helped me navigate when I got lost. There's a LOT going in there! People were everywhere but things seem to run pretty smoothly.

After living in Columbus for about 8 years, I was finally summoned for jury duty, here at the…read moreFranklin County Municipal Court. I got a letter in the mail about a month in advance that included very detailed instructions, everything from how to get there and where to park, to what to wear and how much I'd get paid ($25 a day). When the day officially arrived, it was pretty easy to report. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. They've done really good work in regards to making the process as painless as possible. Everyone from security to the parking attendants made me feel like I was a VIP. Everyone knew I was there to fulfill my civic duty thanks to the badges we were asked to wear. A few other tidbits... The cafe was solid with a lot of food options and the view of the city up there was beautiful. I had no problem at all with the wifi and was able to get some work done while I was there. They kept the room we were in stocked with free water and coffee and played movies all day long. They even had guest speakers come in and talk to us about the court process. While I didn't end up getting selected to serve on a jury, it was really cool to see the inner workings of things. Whenever I get summoned again, I won't be as disgruntled about it now that I know what to expect.

Cute town. 2020 celebrated its Bicentennial year! We drove by the iconic Logan County courthouse…read morewhich is rather stately. On Court Avenue looking East from south Main Street is a sign proclaiming proudly "America's first concrete road" which ushered in the ability to build high-ways faster. We stopped for food and drove by on our way to Ohio's highest point, Campbell Hill.

A small town with some big entertainment. It takes a minute to get there but there is something for…read moreeveryone. Be sure to hit the highest point in Ohio and in the winter time, do a little local skiing! Enjoy!

Much nicer than the Ohio Statehouse…read more Must see if you love great architecture. Must see if you are a fan of artwork. Must see if you love history. Must see if you're a lawyer. Do pick up a map in the lobby on the ground floor; the maps were not near the entrance or security. Do visit the law library on the top floor. Peek into all the open rooms on the ground floor. Some have very special artwork. This building was closed on the weekend; visit on a weekday. Pay for parking in a nearby parking garage.

"Education and Morality Constitute the Force and Majesty of Free Government"…read more This phrase is carved into one of the sitting areas out front of the building, and it is a message that resonates thematically in the rest of the space itself. One of the three bastions of our democratic society, embodied in stone and marble, gilded brass and pigments of every shade. The outside facade is what people are most familiar with, especially after it's 2003 restoration for the relocation of the state court apparatus to this location. Inside, however, is where the building shines as a pseudo-shrine to justice and the proud legacy of the interpretation of law for the betterment of society. For those who have never stepped inside before, take note that this is the people's house, and through tours offered by the building trust and local municipal groups, you can visit whenever you want to learn more about it's structure and history as a place of prominence in the evolution of downtown Columbus and the State of Ohio itself. Morever, hearings are open to the public as well. Simply put, you don't need to be obliged to view the historic innards of the building, nor should you be impeded from visiting as a citizen. It's a wonderful historical testimony to our evolution as a frontier backwater into the industrialized contemporaneous member of Union, replete with metal visages of our dignitary justices stretching back to foundation. Give it a visit and experience something rare in this current climate of divisiveness and derision: pride, if only at the capability of taking the idea of justice and liberty and giving it some measure of tangible form.

This place is impressive for a city the size of London, Ohio. There was a lot more here than I had…read moreimagined. Frankly, I figured I'd be in and out in about 15 to 20 minutes, but I was there about an hour. A few qualms first: A few of the displays were pretty messy and didn't look as professionally done as you would typically see in a museum. Some parts of the museum had the feel of an antiques mall as it looked a little disheveled. I'd rather see less but have it displayed better for a better effect. One last thing, they need more signage and descriptions for what these items are. The good and the great: In the main museum, there are different scenes, a parlor, a dentist's office, wartime, Indian artifacts, sports, quilting, general history and a library. The Society's President, Ned DeCamp, greeted me and offered to give me the grand tour which I accepted. His great grandfather by the way, was the dentist who's artifacts were on display. Ned told me he actually had dental work done in the chair on display and had x-rays done with that very x-ray machine. Very cool to have a personal connection to history. Also impressive is the fact that there are two real store fronts and the insides of the business are in the museum. These are real, not reproductions folks. The bank from Sedalia and the Tobacco shop from the corner of High and Main in London are on display for all to see how life was in the late 1800's to early 1900's One thing on display I certainly did no expect to see was the cupola from the Madison County Courthouse which was damaged during the 1974 tornado ( the same one that devastated Xenia Ohio ). The second building contains the above mentioned bank, a 1920's touring car, farm equipment, a cool prototype of an unmanned helicopter and other miscellaneous stuff. On the grounds are a couple log cabins, Ned was gracious enough to show me the top floor (closed to the public) of the two story one. There's also Jonathan Alder's cabin on site. You will also find, a caboose, a late 1800's train station, a blacksmith's shop and a one room school house. All of which are on display and have been saved from being forever lost. If you are a history buff and are in the area, it's worth checking out. It's free by the way, but feel free to leave a little something in the donation box as you leave. You got your money's worth. TIP: They are open limited hours so call ahead to make sure they are open.

I had heard this place was nice, but seriously, for a fairly small local historical society this is…read moreas good as it gets. They were in the midst of decorating for Christmas but eagerly answered my questions and showed me around. There is a main building with rooms organized into "scenes," another large building with farm equipment, etc., a schoolhouse, a couple of cabins, a train depot... Each seem well-preserved and organized, and there is lots of information about all aspects of local history. Pretty impressive.