Stories along the Olentangy and Franklinton

Note: Not to brag, but the Professor said that she thought this was a very adventurous and evocative interpretation of the landscape. The student reviewing this interpretation, jumped onto his bicycle and cycled along the Olentangy River with the intention of visiting Franklinton. He got annoyed with the Olentangy trail mid way because he found it very ugly, thought what the hell, and turned right back again. He's from Austin, and therefore, weird in the most awesome way. I hope you have as good a time as I had reading this very landscape with very strange intertwined narratives.

My research deals with studying watershed programs with an aim to alleviate poverty, and further economic development in rural India and the Appalachian region in the U.S. Specifically, I am interested in studying issues of participation, equity in the distribution of benefits, and sustainability of such programs to improve the health of the environment. For this assignment, I decided to study the Olentangy River, and the flooding phenomenon in Franklinton. I zeroed in on Franklinton because it is an impoverished neighborhood, and plans are underway to stimulate investment in this area with the participation of the people.  I was curious to understand the reasons behind Franklinton being treated like an unwanted part of Columbus. Previous readings had shown that Franklinton has a strong Appalachian presence, and is predominantly occupied by poor whites. Franklinton also has high rates of poverty, with more than a third of its population living below the poverty line in 2000, with low socio-economic status (Bratt, 2007).

For this assignment, I walked along the Olentangy River Trail on 22^nd April, starting from Veterinary Sciences Building. It took me 2 hours to reach downtown, after I which I took the number 10 bus to Franklinton. I visited Franklinton again on 25^th April. This time, I took the number 3 bus to downtown, and then the number 10 bus again.

Rivers have always interested me. The banks of the rivers are the foundations of cities, and are a major reason for the building and breaking of civilizations. The existence and functioning of cities depends on water. This is one reason why I chose to study practices of water management. Though I study water management in rural areas, I am increasingly drawn towards water management in urban areas. I decided to walk along the river was to understand the drainage pattern of the river, to view the neighborhoods that have sprung up along the river, and find out the uses of the river. I had previously read that flooding on the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers was a common phenomenon, and a floodwall built in 2004, around 10 years back, has now contained the waters.

The river seems to be cleaner near campus, and then progressively gets murkier as one reaches the Kings Avenue Bridge. The flow of the river also reduces, and the river becomes narrower. Walking along the Olentangy Trail, I saw people fishing in the water. The river becomes wider near its confluence with the Scioto, and the water looks cleaner.

The bridges across the river have interesting bits of historical information. Both the bridges make a reference to the 1913 floods, which destroyed many bridges in Columbus.

  

Confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto

I decided to venture into Franklinton because it has an interesting history of being located on a floodplain, which has resulted in its impoverished status. It is also known as the “The Bottoms” because it is low in elevation, and it is a name for a place which houses poor people, or is the poor part of a town/city.

Franklinton is 15 years older than Columbus, and was founded by Lucas Sullivant in 1797. I walked along West Broad Street, and historical markers and signs are present throughout the street marking this fact. However, there were no signs marking the 1913 flood, which killed 90 people in Franklinton.

The floods along the Scioto and the Olentangy Rivers are one of the major reasons for the lack of development in this part of the city. The frequent occurrence of floods created a policy that disallowed insurance to homes that were inundated.

Veteran's Memorial  

From Downtown, Franklinton is hidden behind COSI and the Veterans Memorial. COSI was built to spur economic development in Franklinton, but it does not seem to have accomplished that objective. I was unable to comprehend that another neighborhood exists just across the river from the busy downtown district. This was because, I felt, COSI visually obstructs view of Franklinton, and being surrounded by the tall buildings, it is difficult to even begin to imagine that there exists a neighborhood, in dire need of attention. The contrast is startling as one enters Franklinton. I took the Number 10 bus from downtown, and as it crossed the river, it was as if the river was marking a boundary in time; between the old and the new. Franklinton, then, seems as if it has been intentionally left behind, and the various government buildings coming up are being built to remove any glimpses of Franklinton from downtown.

A view of downtown from Franklinton 

There are a range of landscapes to observe in Franklinton. There are historical markers, boarded apartments, abandoned homes, well maintained churches on one side of the street, and the sprawling Mount Carmel Hospital on the Southern part of the neighborhood. The landscape looks deteriorated, and urges one to think whether it has always been as run down, or whether it has seen happier times. Franklinton is rectangular shape, and is bounded by natural and manmade barriers from all sides. I walked along West Broad Street, which runs east to west. Three other streets run west to east, but most of the traffic is concentrated on West Broad Street, which is easily accessible from downtown. The first thing that hit me was the sense of emptiness in Franklinton. On the first day that I was there, I hardly spotted anyone on the streets. The second day that I was there, I decided to keep count, and spotted 17 people in all.

Some of Franklinton's claims to fame

Most of the buildings had graffiti and art on them. It added color to the, otherwise, crumbling landscape. Historical markers proudly proclaim the fact that it is the first settlement in the Scioto Valley. Franklinton has other claims to fame too: it has the oldest active Fire Service in Columbus, and it is a well-maintained building. It is also the only LEED certified fire station in Columbus. While I was there, a school tour seemed to be in progress.

Art on the walls

The street was otherwise, lined with shops and businesses that had closed down, or relocated elsewhere.

Deserted streets, but for a curious goose

I tried to get in, but it was boarded

An abandoned pub/restaurant

Diamonds are really forever

I also tried to get in touch with a couple of organizations in Franklinton; The Franklinton Development Association (FDA), which is responsible for rehabilitation of houses, and the Franklinton Historical Society (FHS). I called them up on 24^th April, the day before I was going to visit Franklinton, and hit the voice mail for both. FDA guided me through a series of automated messages before ending my call. I, therefore, decided to visit their offices. FDA was on West Broad Street, but, unfortunately, it was shut. While their website said that they are open through out the week, that did not seem to be the case. The streets were deserted, and so I could not find someone to ask about it.

A walk along the street reveals that in a previous time, shops did make brave attempts to do business. Some of them are still open, but they still seem to be out of place here. It made me wonder about whether Franklinton had seen prosperous times in the past.

Some businesses seem to have relocated recently, and have signs saying that have moved, or the premises are for rent.

The Franklinton Historical Society (FHS) was in a very interesting neighborhood. The address given was 192 S Princeton Avenue. The second I entered into this neighborhood, I felt unwelcome, unsafe, and frightened. I had an eerie feeling, while walking in a neighborhood. Most of the houses are broken down. The houses were boarded, abandoned, had broken windows, with junk lying all across the yards. Sometimes loud voices would erupt from some of the houses, which would be answered by barking dogs, suggesting that not all of the houses were abandoned. Rusty and unused cars were parked along the street. There was loud music blasting out of one of the cars, which on closer inspection was occupied by a couple of people who were watching me.  I reached the address, and found no sign of the FHS. The house was locked.

Some houses taken over by the City of Columbus for Redevelopment

Though Franklinton on the surface seems to be abandoned, there are signs of an active community. Businesses are open, and cafes had their patrons.

As I headed back towards downtown, the landscape transformed dramatically. The sense of urgency and busyness is palpable in the air of downtown. There were people once again on the road, a TV crew was stationed in front of City Hall, and a group of cyclists had halted for some refreshments. Franklinton is, once again relegated to a far corner of the mind, to be forgotten.

Resident’s Perspective- Shoshanah Inwood

Shoshanah has been living in Franklinton since the past three years. Her husband is the chairperson of the Franklinton Homeowner’s Association. They moved into Franklinton because of low home prices and the excitement of living in a neighborhood that was being redeveloped.  In addition, there is are strong peer networks of church groups, the Nazarene group, which encourage people to move in to Franklinton. She said that religious groups are playing a big role in motivating the community to come together. However, she reckons that some of the groups are just about ‘a lot of talk, and no action’.

Franklinton Gardens has been playing a major role in undertaking community development projects. They are revitalizing the neighborhood by promoting urban gardens, which also helps to utilize the open spaces in Franklinton. However, a conflict has been brewing between the Franklinton Development Association (FDA), and Franklinton Gardens regarding the use of the open spaces. FDA wanted to use the open spaces for development, while Franklinton Gardens wanted to use the open spaces for urban gardens.

The Franklinton Board of Trade has initiated a number of economic development projects such as the Cornerstone Improvement Area to bring in fresh fruits, and vegetables in to Franklinton. Franklinton does not have a grocery store, and this has received a lot of support from the community. Bicycle coops have also come up in the area.

Urban Sprawl, and Go West are some the festivals in Franklinton that promote urban art. There is also the Creative Arts Community in Franklinton. One of the graffiti pictures above is on a restaurant, which is going to be taken over and remade.

I was also curious about the kind of residents who are responding to these community led programs- that is whether they are old timers, or people who are just moving into Franklinton. Shoshanah said that it is a mix of both. Old residents of Franklinton are very keen to see that the neighborhood is transformed. People who participate in these projects are in their mid twenties.

There has also been some talk about redeveloping the Cooper Stadium. It was a baseball stadium previously, and now plans are underway to develop it into a racing track to spur investment in the area, and create jobs. The residents are not very happy with the new development because they are not sure what kind of jobs will be created (whether they will be part time, full time), and they do not want to live near the racing tracks with the sounds of the cars.

Another problem is of property owners who operate like slumlords. They purchase a bunch of houses, which results in land speculation. It also becomes difficult to track them, as the houses are registered under different names.

Franklinton also has a lot of old people. Being poor, they are not able to access healthcare. The Mount Carmel hospital has not done much for the neighborhood, and is currently being sued by the residents of Franklinton for not providing timely healthcare. This is a larger issue because poverty is causing some people to stay or move in to Franklinton, and being poor, they cannot get health insurance. They are some groups who are organizing to campaign for social justice, and responsibility on the part of the institutions that are present in Franklinton.

COSI, which was built to promote economic development in Franklinton was previously a high school. The high school gave way to COSI, and this led to school drop out rates shooting up in Franklinton. Most of those students do not go to school now.

The crime in Franklinton is mostly between people who know each other. Prostitution is common, and there are gangs of kids. At night gunshots ring through the neighborhood, but people are unconcerned because fights are between relatives, and they know that it will not affect them. There are a lot of teem moms in Franklinton.

Dogs for the Blind, Columbus Buddhist Center, and organizations for Somali refugees are present in Franklinton.

Tommy’s Diner and Milos are some the places that get in a lot of customers. (I walked past Tommy’s Diner at 10 am in the morning, and it was close to full).

Now, Franklinton is being seen as a cool place to live in according to an article in the Columbus Dispatch. Shoshanah  says that it is cool because the danger levels have gone down now. She also feels that there is a sense of adventure because of the community rebuilding projects.

I also mentioned previously that I tried to get in touch with the Franklinton Historical Society (FHS). Shoshanah told me that the president of the FHS, Carol Stewart, had just passed away on 27^th April, and while I was trying to get in touch with her she had been admitted into the hospital.

While I was in Franklinton, I also visited Franklinton Gardens, and the Bicycle coop. Unfortunately, both were shut.

Stories from the Landscape- Part 1

Last Sunday, I went walking along the Olentangy river trail. I walked for two hours, roughly for around 9 kms. I met a couple of rabbits along the way, and some geese who hissed at me. The river was dirty grey in colour. I saw some people fishing in the river, and I assumed they were doing it for recreation. Later on, I was informed that people use the fish in their river for their consumption. Unfortunately, the river is anything but clean. It looks diseased, and it seems to be totally uncared for. And this is the state of most of the rivers everywhere too.

The Olentagy Trail

Rivers have always interested me. The banks of the rivers are the foundations of cities, and are a major reason for the building and breaking of civilizations. The existence and functioning of cities depends on water. This is one reason why I chose to study practices of water management. Though I study water management in rural areas, I am increasingly drawn towards water management in urban areas. I decided to walk along the river was to understand the drainage pattern of the river, to view the neighbourhoods that have sprung up along the river, and find out the uses of the river. I'd previously read that flooding was a common phenomenon, and a flood wall built around 10 years back has now contained the wild waters.

I began my trail from here- King Avenue and Olentangy River Road

Along the way, I came across historical markers that I used to look at from the bus, and was always curious to find out what they said, and what they marked. This is what I found:

The first road way along the Olentangy River

A steel truss was constructed across the river in 1863, and was the first roadway across the Olentangy River. In 1912 arches were built across the river, which were later to become into a bridge. 1913 saw the most devastating floods in the Olentangy and the Sciota Rivers, which destroyed the false arches built across the river. (At this point, I hadn't any clue that floods were going to become a larger part of what I was studying!) In 1999, The King Avenue bridge was rebuilt, and was the first precast-post-tensioned, field spliced, segmented arch bridge with an integral post-tensioned, high performance concrete deck. Now, I don't know what all that means, but it sure sounds impressive. 

First Modern Streamflow Measurement in Ohio 1892-1893

This was another first that I came across just a few steps away from the King Avenue Bridge Marker. Engineering students from the Ohio State University, in 1892 and 1893, were the first to make streamflow measurements in Ohio.

Dirtty Water!

There is an organization called FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy) who undertake river clean up programs to improve the quality of the water. Sadly, the water is still murky and grey.

Stand-up Canoe Paddling

I can't make out whether he is fishing or just contemplating about life

I discovered this hidden trail

And then suddenly, from being a grey and green murky stream, the river turned wide and bigger at the confluence. The Olentangy and the Sciota Rivers meet at Downtown, and turn into a big river. I saw a lot of people fishing here, despite the water being unclean. Initially, I thought that they were indulging in some simple recreation, but on second thoughts, I realized that they were actually fishing for food. A conversation with my advisor corroborated this fact. 

The Confluence of the Olentangy and the Sciota

The Santa Maria (the most authentic replica of Christopher Columbus' Ship) is also anchored here.

The Santa Maria

About the Santa Maria

This is where the story of reading landscapes begins. After this trail, I discovered a very interesting link to the floods and a neighbourhood called Franklinton, just across the river from Downtown. Stay tuned for more!

Proposal Reviewing

I am supposed to be reviewing proposals by Masters and Doctoral students as a reviewer for a panel of graduate students. Despite of the fact that the proposals are all from the hard sciences, I am finding the process deeply rewarding, albeit momentarily punched with instances of sheer boredom. And there are a couple of proposals that are playing the truant. Well, to be truthful, its not really their fault. These proposals are entrenched in big fat genetic engineering jargon, which sees me looking at the proposal with a murderous look in my eye (when I'd rather be playing on Twitter). Because I don't understand what they are proposing in their study, I am unable to provide correct feedback, which is a pity for those students.

I have to submit these proposals by the end of this week. With 6 proposals to review, I'm keeping up a pace of 2 per day. This is great experience for when I will write my own proposal and submit it for a grant. I'm looking at it as a process of learning, but I cannot stop wishing for it to all get magically done.

What I do in Graduate School

I like my vacation. It's been a nice break from the daily 7.00 am to 1.00 am routine of the past Winter Quarter. Winter Quarter was one of the most hectic schedules that I've ever had in my life. At the outset, I thought that I wouldn't survive. I was miserable in the cold, and I was struggling with the course load. Over the quarter, I realized that I was doing a great job of juggling the coursework. Of course, it also meant that my social life was zilch. But, I'm getting used to this part of being a graduate student. However, when the grades for the assignments started coming in, my first thought was, "Whoa! This cannot be me." I wasn't sure if I was getting the right grades because they were all really good. I started hanging up the assignments on the wall above my desk to remind me that I am capable of turning in good stuff.

The time when I really struggled was during the first take-home examination. It was for a course titled 'Theory Building in Human Dimensions in the Social Sciences'. This was a very tough course taught by 3 professors, and we were 6 students in the class. The student-teacher ratio was perfect. This turned out to be the most fulfilling course in the end. The exam tested our knowledge of science, theory, trade-offs in research, designing proposals, surveys, experiments, and case studies. Answering each question was very, very traumatic. I felt that a part of me was dying after every answer. The end of every answer would see me holding my head in the deep recesses of my bed, shivering under my quilt (no exaggeration). I felt that I had turned in a very shoddily done exam, and was feeling like Gollum. At the end of the class, when we received our scores for the paper, I was in for a pleasant surprise. My score was superb, and the paper was littered with 'well dones', 'great jobs', and 'goods'. I was thrilled that day. I will always cherish that feeling because it tells me that I have the potential to do good work.

Now, I am turning in some tables for my advisor's research. I conducted around 30 interviews throughout December and January, and now we are writing up a report for our Lab. The interviews were about stakeholder perceptions of watershed planning in three watersheds in Ohio, and what they think they learned from it. Having studied watershed development in India, the differences between the planning processes in India and the U.S. are of course vast. This is one of the themes that I will be researching for my dissertation. Topics of participation, equity, and sustainability are what catches my eye these days. I have just finished the first draft of my proposal, and have to begin the second draft incorporating the tremendous amount of feedback that I have received from my professors. I hope to finalize my proposal during the Spring Quarter, and then in the Summer I hope to hunt for interesting cases in India to study. There is a lot of work to be done. However, through the last two quarters, I now know that I can do it :)

Surprises- Some Observations

Since the time I been in the U.S., my life has taken a completely new direction and turn. The first few months were like unwrapping a gift box everyday. Each day brought with it a new set of wonders and surprises. The first day that I landed in the U.S., I was taken out by my roommates for some Mexican food. They were very nice to me, but I only remember being enthralled with the fact that in spite it being past 8.30 in the night, it was still as bright as afternoon. I couldn't stop marveling at the sun setting so late for days. It did turn my sleeping cycle upside down for the first few nights. My body refused to co-operate when I would feed it dinner at 8.00. "No!", it protested. It was still too light outside to have dinner. Finally, after a couple of weeks, my body learned to adjust.

The next surprising thing that I encountered was when I got lost. On my 3rd day, I was to attend an orientation for new students. Given a bike, and some vague directions, I decided to make my way to the campus. I pride myself on being rather good with directions, and so cleverly I took a wrong turn only to land up around 8 miles away from my destination. Still smarting at my cleverness, I asked a passerby for directions. He was also kind enough to offer me a drive, but I refused (I have been taught never to accept ride from strangers, no matter what!).  So I huffed and puffed and made my uphill way to the campus. It was a hot September day and my muscles screamed in protest. But I figured that getting lost is one of the best ways to learn about a place.

And then of course came the 'how you doing/how are you?' part. I was well-prepared for it, but it really hit me the first time it was thrown out at me. This was the first cultural difference that I experienced. Weird was the thought in my head then. I still don't feel comfortable with it, but now I have made my peace with it.

I also learned a lot about independence here. I had to do everything alone. I took my first flight all alone. I started to go buy my groceries all alone. I ventured to the scary downtown area all alone. From being used to do things in groups back home, this alone thing was daunting. But I persisted.

Also this alone thing was translated in the courses that I took. Only difference is that they call it individualism. The courses at first were very frightening. I felt awkward and out of place. I didn't know when to make a suitable comment and when to inject my opinion (and I still don't!, but I'm learning). I couldn't muster my thoughts to put it into words. Now it is slowly becoming routine in all the classes. A word here, a sentence there. It made me think how different it was back in school and college in India- It was instilled in us that talking is bad, and me being the ever-obedient student, I was eager to comply with those stupid rules (Yeah I was goody-two shoes back then!). And now here, if you refrain from talking, points are docked off from your grade. Well!

But the most curious thing that surprises me is that I don't miss home at all. I occasionally miss my friends and family, but nothing about the past makes me yearn for it again. Probably, it is the excitement of a new place. It does make me feel very hollow at times, as if I have lost the capacity to feel. I realized that I neither miss the old times nor the old moments . I just miss the familiar faces and the sound of their comforting laughter.