Letters: Jim Lorimer made city a bigger place. Delivery bad in wealthier neighborhoods, too

Movie star and body-building god Arnold Schwarzenegger raises the hand of Jim Lorimer after surprising him at the Columbus Convention and Visitor's Bureau annual meeting Wednesday Feb. 4, 1998. Lorimer was receiving the bureau's annual hospitality award and Arnold flew in from L.A. to honor his friend. Photo by Jeff Hinckley
Movie star and body-building god Arnold Schwarzenegger raises the hand of Jim Lorimer after surprising him at the Columbus Convention and Visitor's Bureau annual meeting Wednesday Feb. 4, 1998. Lorimer was receiving the bureau's annual hospitality award and Arnold flew in from L.A. to honor his friend. Photo by Jeff Hinckley

Jim Lorimer's vision changed Columbus

I wish to join leaders in central Ohio and around the world in noting the passing of Jim Lorimer, a man whose vision, energy and skill left our community with a bigger place on the world stage.

The importance of the Arnold Classic, later the Arnold Sports Festival, to Columbus’ stature as a visitor destination for sporting events, trade shows, and tourism cannot be overstated, and The Arnold came about solely due to the 33-year partnership between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer.

Jim Lorimer, co-founder of the Arnold Sports Festival
Jim Lorimer, co-founder of the Arnold Sports Festival

The success of The Arnold undoubtedly showed event organizers that Columbus not only can host major events but can make them dazzling.

Jim Lorimer’s vision created a direct path to the world-class events we host today at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and beyond.

The phenomenon that is The Arnold helped make so much possible: expanding the convention center, building the Hilton Columbus Downtown hotel in 2012 and, just last month, opening the new Hilton tower expansion to give Columbus its only 1,000-key hotel.

More:Arnold Sports Festival co-founder Jim Lorimer dies

It was absolutely in character that, as soon as we announced the Hilton’s expansion in 2017, Jim was the first to call us to book all 1,000 rooms for the 2023 Arnold event.

On top of all that, Jim gave a lifetime of public service to his home community of Worthington and to all of central Ohio.

I offer condolences to his family and friends and thanks for Jim’s many contributions to our community.

Don Brown, executive director, Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority

Stand against the powers of big tobacco

This guest column is available free: Support the exchange of local and state ideas by subscribing to the Columbus Dispatch.

I am a representative of Columbus Public Health and I write today to shed light on the impact of Targeted Tobacco Advertising in our Community.

According to the Center for Disease Control, tobacco smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death worldwide.

Additionally, smoking related diseases remain the number one leading cause of death in the African American community; however, large tobacco companies continue to excessively target this population.

A Kool Mixx special edition cigarette package featuring a rap artist.
A Kool Mixx special edition cigarette package featuring a rap artist.

To understand the influence and prevalence smoking related billboards have, a study conducted by the Truth Initiative concluded that there were up to 10 times more tobacco advertisements in predominantly Black neighborhoods than areas with fewer Black residents.

As a result of larger tobacco companies heavily targeting vulnerable African American communities, we have continued to see a disproportionate decline in health outcomes among this population.

More:'I let the fear go, but I kept smoking for years.' LGBTQ women targeted by big tobacco| Opinion

As a resident of the Columbus area for over 25 years, I implore our community to take a stance against the powers of big tobacco companies and their targeted advertisements.

This can be done by contacting our city council members and representatives to voice our concerns and ask for support against the powers of big tobacco. In 2018 alone, healthcare costs for smoking related injury totaled nearly $240 Billion.

If we can make an effort to decrease smoking rates, we can reduce preventable deaths and we can also alleviate some of the stress being put on our healthcare system from cigarette usage.

Together as a community, we can advocate for better health and improve the quality of our lives in this great city.

Andrew Maughan, program manager, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Columbus Public Health

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor

More:How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

The postal service is bad in all kinds of neighborhoods

Mail carrier Tony Sobony, 43, loads his delivery truck with mail and packages on the loading dock behind the South Columbus branch of the United States Postal Service on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Sobony, whose route covers the Alum Creek Drive stretch of South Side, has been a mail carrier for 21 years.
Mail carrier Tony Sobony, 43, loads his delivery truck with mail and packages on the loading dock behind the South Columbus branch of the United States Postal Service on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Sobony, whose route covers the Alum Creek Drive stretch of South Side, has been a mail carrier for 21 years.

Re Julie Carpenter-Hubin's letter "Some neighborhoods matter more than others," Nov. 30: I’m not sure who she talked to about mail delivery in “wealthier neighborhoods," but I know that Bexley has had long-time mail delivery issues, including delivery often only three or four days a week.

Letters:Some neighborhoods matter more than others

I believe many neighborhoods have the same problem, and the United States Postal Service delivery is spotty at best.

I wish I knew the remedy.

Carol Luper, Bexley

I feel your pain, but 'wah, wah, wah'

I feel a need to respond to Brooke Smith’s Nov. 30 column "OSU owes me for not getting what I paid for during COVID" and related lawsuit over “not getting what she paid for” from Ohio State University during the pandemic.

Wah, wah, wah.

A lot of people didn’t get what they wanted during COVID. And a LOT lost more than just a few bucks.

Brooke Smith
Brooke Smith

Don’t get me wrong, I do feel Smith’s pain as well as all other students trying to attend classes and pursue a career. My daughter was one of them.

More:Latest COVID-19 news

But pandemics and other acts of nature will happen, and ultimately it is our choice how we will respond: whine, complain and sue, or take responsibility and make the best of a bad situation.

I call that “adulting” or maturity.

Ann MacDonald, Dublin

It is not about AR-15s

The Second Amendment is not about hunting.

It is about the ability of citizens to take up arms against a potentially tyrannical government. I believe the national focus on gun control is centered on the AR-15 platform. 

Jack D'Aurora: Gun fetish making America more dangerous than war zones

This firearm has been available since the early 1960s. A critical question no one has asked is why 50 years ago we did not see these mass murders taking place.

What has happened to society? In all sincerity, we do not want to research the question because we really do not want to hear the answer.

Our View: 'Everyone has a gun.' State stymying Columbus' fight to protect people from guns

As a result of the "Rust" gun tragedy involving actor Alec Baldwin, the movie industry discussed and could not reach an agreement on the possibility of limiting gun violence on television and in movies.

As a result, we will continue to see real weapons being used. The entertainment industry, in spite of leanings towards gun control, recognizes that Americans love to watch gun violence on TV.

Cop shows are extremely popular.

The center of the episodes relies heavily on the use of guns. It has been estimated that children as youngsters and into their teen years are exposed to over 250,000 acts of violence.

Columbus on mass shootings: Shame on home of the brave. Our children are being slaughtered

The intent of the shooter is more important than the weapon chosen to inflict mass murder.

I cannot believe some deranged individual intent on mass killing will simply turn away and do nothing because an AR-15 was not available to him.

Richard Caster, Westerville

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: What was Jim Lorimer impact on Columbus, Ohio?