Gahanna Businesses: Grants Available

/in /by

Business Spotlight: Stella & Grace

/in , /by

Like many great business ideas, Stella & Grace (S&G)–Gahanna’s newest boutique clothes store, was born from a need. Owner Holly Garrison was desperately seeking cute, comfortable and convenient clothes to wear while on maternity leave with her second baby.

Stella & Grace Boutique began as an online store in June, 2017. Holly attended markets and pop-up events around Ohio and surrounding states to grow her online presence. On May 31, 2021, she opened her first bricks-and-mortar store at Creekside Gahanna.

“My girls were the motivation behind starting the business, and the reason why we landed on Stella & Grace as the name of the business,” Holly said. “I had always wanted to start a business, to create something from nothing, and to build something special. I wanted to help build and contribute to a community, and to leave a legacy for my family. I did not just want to tell my girls ‘anything is possible if you work hard’ — I wanted to show them.”

Holly strives to carry both trendy and staple pieces to keep customers’ wardrobes new and versatile. Because Stella & Grace is a boutique, she stocks a limited amount of each style to keep things fresh and new. Shoppers can find everything from tops, dresses, and outerwear to denim, shoes, and accessories.

“I really hope what sets S&G apart is the way we make people feel,” she said. “It’s always been our focus with online sales to make the process feel more personal by including a handwritten ‘thank-you’ with each purchase. I want my customers to understand that I am genuinely thankful for their order, and I hope that they enjoyed the entire experience from shopping our site to feeling great in their purchase. Now with a brick-and-mortar store, I want anyone who walks into the store to feel welcome, to love the atmosphere of the store, and to know they are our priority.”

Holly is looking forward to building partnerships with other local businesses. “I really want to create more than another retail clothing store,” she said. “I want to help create a fun Creekside destination experience.”

“We could not be happier to have found this community in Gahanna,” she said. “The atmosphere is laidback, with a strong sense of community, and the support has been fantastic. Everyone has been so kind. The surrounding businesses have been incredible and so helpful. We feel very fortunate that we found our location in Gahanna!”

To learn more, visit: ShopStellagrace.com /Facebook: @shopstellagraceboutique. / Instagram: @stellagraceboutique.

Gahanna PD Offers Defensive Tactics Course

/in /by
The Division of Police is offering our first Defensive Tactics course this year on Saturday, July 17, from 9 am to 12:00 pm at the Senior Center (460 Rocky Fork Blvd).
This offering is a coed course instructed by Lt.  Matt Kissel, which will cover multiple subjects. You will learn:
1. how victims are picked from a crowd,
2. situational awareness techniques, and
3. simple, easy to remember tactics to avoid grabs and holds by an attacker.
Comfortable clothing with athletic footwear is appropriate. Age requirement 18 years old and up.
Registration is required through the City website: https://webtrac.gahanna.gov/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html…

‘Recycle Right’ Tips from SWACO

/in /by

It’s no secret that recycling right can help you make a positive impact on your community. This effort reduces landfill emissions, protects local jobs and ensures the environment is healthy and clean for future generations.

The City of Gahanna has partnered with SWACO for Recycle Right, Make a Difference, a community-wide residential recycling education program throughout Franklin County that helps residents learn the best recycling practices so they can make a positive impact. While central Ohio’s rate of recycling exceeds the national average, residents still send over a million tons of material to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill each year and over half of that material could be diverted – meaning it could have been reused, recycled or even composted instead of being sent to the landfill.

To help the Franklin County community Recycle Right and make a difference, SWACO has compiled five tips for residents to keep in mind:

  • Never bag recyclables. Keep them loose in carts. One in four homes in Franklin County still puts their recyclables in bags which can become tangled in equipment at the sorting and processing facility. When this happens, bagged materials may end up in the landfill.
  • Plastic bags are 100% recyclable, but must be recycled correctly through a Plastic Film Recycling program. Do not put plastic bags in curbside recycling carts or drop off containers.
  • Avoid placing “tanglers” in recycling carts. Hoses, wires. hangers and cords are all considered tanglers, which can jam recycling sorting equipment and may lead to costly repairs and downtime at the facility. This could translate to a future increase in recycling costs, which we all strive to avoid.
  • All plastic bottles and tubs including fruit cups and yogurt containers can be recycled. Leaving lids and labels on these items is okay, but containers do need to be emptied (and given a quick rinse if necessary) before placed in your recycling.
  • Flatten cardboard. Many types of cardboard items are recyclable, including corrugated cardboard, mail-order boxes, cereal boxes, paper towel rolls, and other items. For curbside pickup, cardboard boxes should be emptied, flattened and placed in the cart, and it is okay to leave labels and tape on.

Every time you recycle correctly, you’re making an impact. You’re helping hundreds of businesses who depend on recycling, supporting thousands of jobs that those businesses create, keeping these valuable materials circulating throughout our economy and helping to keep central Ohio green by reducing our energy use, creating cleaner air and reducing our reliance on the landfill. Proper recycling takes only a few minutes, but the impact lasts for years.

If you come across questions about what is or is not recyclable, SWACO offers a convenient, user-friendly search tool that clearly outlines recycling practices for Franklin County. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Send them a note at info@swaco.org.

For additional information on resident recycling pickup programs or to find a recycling drop off program near you, visit www.RecycleRight.org.