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Unwrap library’s online resources

By
Staff Reports
-

Holiday shopping? The library can help you with that.

When it comes to shopping for Christmas presents, I’m a procrastinator. Being able to browse and shop completely online, and get one- or two-day shipping for less than the cost of a latte, enables my procrastination to a ridiculous level.

Plus, the fact that I can read almost endless reviews about any product out there makes shopping for gifts a more informed experience as well as a more difficult one. Is saving $5 on that coffeemaker worth the fact that it’s rated a half-star lower than the slightly more expensive one with seemingly the same features?

It’s a small dilemma, I know, but it’s one of those decisions that when multiplied over all of your holiday gift-giving decisions, adds up. You want to get high-quality gifts, but you also want to save money when possible.

Here’s where the Bartholomew County Public Library can help. Yes, you heard that right — the library.

If you visit our website, mybcpl.org, you will see a link along the top, “Resources.” If you click on that, you’ll see an icon on the lower right side of the page for Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports gives you scores on a variety of products such as appliances, electronics, home and garden items, and much more.

Its scoring system is based upon its testing of the items. Since they do not sell any of the items listed, you have the reassurance that the scores that appear there are more unbiased than those you would see on a retailer’s site. In addition to giving the item a numerical score, the items are organized and clearly color-coded by best to worst score, with a description of each item, the “highs” (thumbs up) and “lows” (thumbs down) for each item, and the price range.

You can easily add any items to a comparison chart, so that the features of each item are laid out side by side in an easy-to-compare format.

For those of you who don’t have a specific gift in mind, and are in search of ideas, Consumer Reports can help you with that, too. The publication offer a 2016 Holiday Gift Guide, which gives a different gift idea for each day until Christmas. This makes Consumer Reports great, not only for the savvy shopper who already has a gift in mind, but also for the people who detest shopping and desperately need gift ideas.

Consumer Reports is completely free for anyone with a local library card, and can be accessed anywhere you have a device with an internet connection. You don’t even have to make the trek to the library in order to browse this resource; you can snuggle up in your fuzzy pajamas and favorite slippers while sipping hot cocoa, and procrastinate in gift-giving to your heart’s content, knowing that when you do get those gifts, your decisions will be well-informed.

Angela Eck is the assistant director at the Bartholomew County Public Library and can be reached at aeck@barth.lib.in.us.

Marketplace – December 4

By
Staff Reports
-

Columbus Regional Health received recognition recently at a national healthcare conference for digital health care communications. The system’s website, crh.org, received a silver designation in the category of Best Site Design.

CRH was one of more than 225 health care organizations entered in the 2016 eHealthcare Leadership Awards program developed by Health Care Communications in Rye, New York.

Also, the Chest Pain Center has earned Cycle 5 accreditation, the highest designation level awarded by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. Hospitals that receive the accreditation are recognized for achieving a higher level of expertise  through efficient and effective evaluation and appropriate and rapid treatment of patients experiencing heart attack symptoms as well as supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care when heart attack is a medical possibility.

Jane A. Richardson has been appointed senior vice president, chief administration officer at Salin Bank & Trust Co. She will be based at the bank’s corporate headquarters in Indianapolis and will be responsible for all functions of the bank’s human resources management, marketing and corporate training.

She is a graduate of Indiana University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with high distinction, in political science, and a graduate of Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

She most recently served as vice president, client solutions and consultant with Career Consultants LLC.

Salin Bank has area locations at 655 Third St. and 3501 Central Ave., in Columbus, and at 100 W. Main Cross St. in Edinburgh.

The Indiana Historical Society recently honored Columbus-based Dell Brothers Inc. with the 2016 Centennial Business Award. The retail men’s clothing and accessories store was founded in 1916 and has been operated by three generations of the Dell family.

Viewpoint bestsellers – December 4

By
Staff Reports
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* Asterisk denotes a local author or Indiana connection

Children and Young Adult

1. * “Good Night, Indiana,” Adam Gamble

2. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Newt Scamander: A Movie Scrapbook,” Rick Barba

3. “This is Me: A Story of Who We Are and Where We Came From,” Jamie Lee Curtis

4. “If You Give a Mouse a Brownie,” Laura Numeroff

5. “Detective’s Assistant,” Kate Hannigan

6. “Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance,” Simone Biles

7. “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” Bill Martin

8. “Double Down: Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” Jeff Kinney

9. “Grandma’s Christmas Wish,” Helen Foster James

10. “If I Could Keep You Little,” Marianne Richmond

11. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay,” J.K. Rowling

12. “Dinosaur Dance,” Sandra Boynton

13. “Owl Diaries 5: Warm Hearts,” Rebecca Elliott

14. “Goodnight Moon,” Margaret Wise Brown

15. “365 Days of Wonder,” R.J. Palacio

Adult Non-Fiction (H for hard cover, P for paperback)

1. * “Move Your Chair,” Rick Weinheimer (P)

2. * “The Cathedral Builder,” Charles E. Mitchell Rentschler (H and P)

3. “Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished WWII Japan,” Bill O’Reilly (H)

4. “Color Your Campus: Indiana University,” Melissa Mueller (P)

5. “The Quiet Mind: Sayings of White Eagle,” White Eagle (P)

6. “Pope Francis Among the Wolves: The Inside Story of a Revolution,” Marco Politi

7. “Stories,” Arnold Palmer (H)

8. “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now,” Meg Jay (P)

9. “Lonely Planet’s Wild World,” Lonely Planet Publishing (H)

10. “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” Susan Cain (P)

11. “Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living,” Shauna Niequist (H)

12. “Young Frankenstein: The Story of the Making of the Film,” Mel Brooks (H)

13. “Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate,” Gary Chapman (P)

14. “Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake,” Anna Quindlen (P)

15. “When Breath Becomes Air,” Paul Kalanithi (H)

Adult Fiction (H for hard cover, P for paperback)

1. “Uncle John’s Uncanny 29th Bathroom Reader,” Portable Press (P)

2. “Commonwealth,” Ann Patchett (H)

3. “Whistler,” John Grisham (H)

4. “The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto,” Mitch Albom (P)

5. “The New Indians,” Joe Jessup (P)

6. “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry,” Fredrik Backman (P)

7. “Girl on the Train,” Paula Hawkins (P)

8. “The Homesman,” Glen Swarthout (P)

9. “Secret Chord,” Geraldine Brooks (P)

10. “Little Paris Bookshop,” Nina George (P)

11. “The Paris Winter,” Imogen Robertson (P)

12. “Marriage of Opposites”, Alice Hoffman (P)

13. “Two by Two,” Nicholas Sparks (H)

14. “Sarah’s Key,” Tatiana De Rosnay (P)

15. “Underground Railroad,” Colson Whitehead (H)

Letter: Get out and march in support of women

By
Staff Reports
-

From: Rhonda Fischer

Columbus

It’s time to stand up and march for women. We elected a leader who derided a woman competitor on how her face looks. He divorced the mother of his children to marry someone 24 years younger than himself and 11 years older than his daughter. Our president-elect defends victimizing and belittling women as long as only men hear about it. And, his wife publicly agrees.

His backup used Hoosiers’ love of God and life as justification to take away women’s legal rights with Indiana’s HEA 1337. He leads efforts to make it difficult, maybe impossible, for a woman to receive any kind of affordable, safe reproductive health care.

Everyday we depend on women’s strength to feed, clothe and educate our children. We see it in our factories, churches, hospitals and boardrooms. It’s our responsibility to ensure our leaders acknowledge and nurture women’s strength.

Because our leaders clearly and consistently respect power, it’s critical for women of all colors, ages and abilities to stand up for our human rights.

Joining the Women’s March on Washington from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House on Jan. 21 is a positive way to make your voice heard. Buses are being organized locally (rallybus.net). Let’s get out of our armchairs and be the future we want to see!

Strides made by Speidel show dreams are in reach

By
Staff Reports
-

Columbus North graduate Josh Speidel is an inspiration for anyone who has been faced with long odds in pursuit of their dream.

The standout basketball player and University of Vermont recruit was off to a fine senior season when he suffered a severe brain injury on Feb. 1, 2015, in an auto accident.

His journey to learn to walk and talk and take care of himself has been difficult, requiring many months of hard work with therapists. To the observer, the idea of playing competitive basketball again may have seemed unlikely.

But this summer Speidel took another big step toward his dream of playing college basketball when he left for Vermont to begin his freshman year, a year later than originally planned. The university, to its great credit, has honored his athletics scholarship despite the injury.

Speidel has been taking classes and working out with the team. Although he is not ready for game action, Speidel has taken incremental steps in regaining the basketball skills that led to him being chosen as an Indiana All-Star his final year of high school.

The NCAA, to its credit, allowed Speidel a waiver to be around the team without sacrificing any of his playing eligibility. That gives him extra time to work at an appropriate pace to make greater strides toward his goal of playing. His team, by the way, will be in central Indiana Dec. 21 when Vermont plays Butler in Indianapolis.

Some may have thought Speidel’s dream of playing college basketball had been dashed by the auto accident, but he is proving every day that a burning determination makes anything possible. His efforts are a model for people facing challenges who may initially think their dreams have slipped out of reach. Speidel is determined to prove that assumption wrong.

Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.

Carefully weigh health insurance options

By
Staff Reports
-

Even though the election is over and Republicans are in a position to repeal and replace Obamacare as they’ve been vowing to do for several years, that doesn’t mean you should avoid signing up for 2017 insurance coverage.

If you’re eligible and need insurance, the state shopping exchanges are open for business even if options this year are limited in many counties, particularly in rural areas. More than 40 percent of the counties where residents can buy an Obamacare policy have just one insurer selling them. That’s not a lot of choice, and policies that are offered are likely to have high premiums and limited options for doctors and hospitals.

Still, some careful shopping is in order to minimize any surprise bills. After the election, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest urged Americans to sign up and announced “the vast majority” of eligible consumers would be able to buy insurance for a monthly premium of $75 or less, which has been the administration’s sales pitch.

Assuming the White House math is correct, that doesn’t mean the vast majority should automatically buy a policy with a $75 premium. That strategy can mean expensive trouble later on. Reviewing the basics before wading into the Obamacare marketplace this year is essential.

For starters, recall that platinum policies, generally the most costly, cover 90 percent of someone’s medical costs; gold plans cover 80 percent; silver plans pay 70 percent; and the bronze variety pays the least — only 60 percent of a patient’s health care expenses. Silver plans have been the most popular, largely because those who buy them and have family incomes below $60,750 get extra government subsidies to help pay their deductibles, copays and coinsurance.

Bronze policies are popular, too, because they have low premiums, but people buying those policies won’t get the extra subsidies, a point that’s worth remembering. Those subsidies can be a big help if you need a lot of medical services. Both bronze and silver policies generally come with lower monthly premiums, but that doesn’t mean they are cheaper in the long run.

Here’s where comparison-shopping gets tricky. It’s possible a bronze policy and maybe a silver one could end up costing more than a gold one with a higher premium if you get sick. That’s because of the relationship between the premium, copays, coinsurance and deductibles. Insurers mix and match these features to fit their marketing strategy.

In general, a lower premium means higher deductibles and higher other out-of-pocket expenses. A policy with a higher premium often means lower out-of-pocket costs.

For 2017, the maximum amount a family would have to pay out-of-pocket for copays, coinsurance and deductibles is $14,300. That’s a lot of money and enough to deter some people from signing up. Many people say paying that much before insurance pays isn’t really insurance. It’s also high enough to keep people from seeking medical care even when they need it. If people go to the doctor less, the country’s national health expenditures will drop _ at least that’s the rationale for the high out-of-pocket limit.

An Indiana couple I’ve written about before in this column recently sent an email updating me on the family’s insurance options for next year. Their carrier had increased their $836 monthly premium to about $1,300 — their cost even after an Obamacare tax subsidy was applied. What’s more, the reader said, the insurer had raised the amount of coinsurance for hospitalizations from 20 percent to 50 percent.

Given how much a hospital stay costs, they worried they’d be on the hook for a lot of money until they reached the $14,300 out-of-pocket maximum. It was a risk they weren’t willing to take, and they shopped until they found new coverage for only $700 a month with their subsidy.

Choosing an Obamacare policy or any other insurance coverage comes down to how much risk you want to assume. If you are reasonably certain you won’t need many medical services, you may want to take a chance and buy less expensive insurance that comes with high deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.

But if you’re like the Indiana couple, and afraid of high expenses for unexpected medical care, buy the best policy you can afford that reduces that risk.

Another thing to keep in mind, beware of policies with really low premiums, prices that seem too good to be true. Consumers who bought insurance from the Obamacare co-ops learned that.

Almost all of the 23 co-ops authorized to compete with the big carriers have gone out of business. They priced their policies too low, and too many sick people signed up. Government regulators closed them down, sending thousands of people scrambling for new coverage — an unwelcome chore for anyone.

Trudy Lieberman, a journalist for more than 40 years, is a contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review, where she blogs about health care and retirement at cjr.org. She can be reached at trudy.lieberman@gmail.com. This column was distributed by The Rural Health News Service.

A sight to behold

By
Brian Blair
-

Say this about the 26th Annual Festival of Lights Parade: It rolled through Third and Washington Streets as a grand procession of truth in advertising.

From fourth-grade grand marshal Bella Newman-Stump’s bright, reindeer-and-sleigh float to the Sound of North Marching Band’s blinking instruments, the event was lit as festively as a Christmas tree Saturday amid 36-degree temperatures downtown.

And the star of that tree, if you will, was Columbus native and retiring NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart, waving with light-tipped gloves from an Indy 500 special edition Chevrolet Camaro near the front of 98-entry gathering.

Only trouble was, in the early evening darkness, most in the crowd near Third and Washington streets, where onlookers were bunched 10 people deep, seemed not to recognize him until parade emcee Brittany Gray announced him.

A small shout rang out from a crowd — one that several people mentioned was at least slightly larger than last year’s estimated 5,000 people along the mile-long route.

“I’m kind of sad he’s retiring,” said LauRhona LaCroix, a NASCAR fan. “He’s been such an icon for years.”

At the Festival of Lights Christmas Village inside The Commons, organizers estimated the crowd of mostly parents, grandparents and children to be down slightly to 1,500 compared to last year’s 2,000 visitors.

But those on hand were plenty enthusiastic. Among those was 4-year-old Louis Reid, enthralled with the five toy locomotives chugging around small tracks on the venue’s first floor. Faces of the members of the Columbus Area Railroad Club were alight with as much enthusiasm watching the youngster as the child’s face lit up watching the electric trains.

“I’m very surprised,” said mom Natalie Reid, her eyes wide as she watched her son lean close to the kinetic displays. “I didn’t even think he would be interested. But I can’t even pull him away.”

Club members have seen such reactions each year they have placed the tracks at the event.

“I think it’s the novelty of it, in part, for kids today,” said club member Mike Knoll.

Upstairs, members of the kidscommons museum patiently helped children make small, three-dimensional Christmas trees.

Museum educator Jessica Norcross helped with the details of one youngster’s tiny tree.

“You just fold the paper around the edges to give your branches more shape,” Norcross said as she demonstrated.

Coleman Hartsook, 11, already had plans for his light blue piece of artwork before he even finished. At home, it will hang on the tree.

“I’m used to this,” Hartsook said, “because I used to do origami.”

Amid the surroundings, the sweet aroma of hot chocolate wafted from the Columbus Symphony Orchestra booth, where members also were raffling an oversized, stuffed bear.

Plus, an orchestra brass quintet performed Christmas carols to make a nice soundtrack for the afternoon. Passersby enjoyed it so much that the group earned applause for its first number of “Deck the Halls.”

Musician Chris Clerc hardly minded being in the background as people moved through the area.

“A formal concert is one thing,” Clerc said, mentioning today’s annual, free Christmas concert at 3:30 p.m. at The Commons. “But a casual environment like this is more like the way music performances were maybe 100 years ago.”

At the other end of The Commons, the aroma of handmade scented soaps dominated, not far from where Laura Daily sold what she playfully termed Reindeer Chow snacks for dogs. The small sack containers were designed to look like reindeer faces.

“It started kind of slow,” Daily said. “But it has picked up a little.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

3

Number of marching bands in the parade

20

Number of Christmas Village vendors

98

Number of parade entries

1,500

Estimated crowd at Christmas Village

[sc:pullout-text-end]

A sight to behold

By
Brian Blair
-

Say this about the 26th Annual Festival of Lights Parade: It rolled through Third and Washington Streets as a grand procession of truth in advertising.

From fourth-grade grand marshal Bella Newman-Stump’s bright, reindeer-and-sleigh float to the Sound of North Marching Band’s blinking instruments, the event was lit as festively as a Christmas tree Saturday amid 36-degree temperatures downtown.

And the star of that tree, if you will, was Columbus native and retiring NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart, waving with light-tipped gloves from an Indy 500 special edition Chevrolet Camaro near the front of 98-entry gathering.

Only trouble was, in the early evening darkness, most in the crowd near Third and Washington streets, where onlookers were bunched 10 people deep, seemed not to recognize him until parade emcee Brittany Gray announced him.

A small shout rang out from a crowd — one that several people mentioned was at least slightly larger than last year’s estimated 5,000 people along the mile-long route.

“I’m kind of sad he’s retiring,” said LauRhona LaCroix, a NASCAR fan. “He’s been such an icon for years.”

At the Festival of Lights Christmas Village inside The Commons, organizers estimated the crowd of mostly parents, grandparents and children to be down slightly to 1,500 compared to last year’s 2,000 visitors.

But those on hand were plenty enthusiastic. Among those was 4-year-old Louis Reid, enthralled with the five toy locomotives chugging around small tracks on the venue’s first floor. Faces of the members of the Columbus Area Railroad Club were alight with as much enthusiasm watching the youngster as the child’s face lit up watching the electric trains.

“I’m very surprised,” said mom Natalie Reid, her eyes wide as she watched her son lean close to the kinetic displays. “I didn’t even think he would be interested. But I can’t even pull him away.”

Club members have seen such reactions each year they have placed the tracks at the event.

“I think it’s the novelty of it, in part, for kids today,” said club member Mike Knoll.

Upstairs, members of the kidscommons museum patiently helped children make small, three-dimensional Christmas trees.

Museum educator Jessica Norcross helped with the details of one youngster’s tiny tree.

“You just fold the paper around the edges to give your branches more shape,” Norcross said as she demonstrated.

Coleman Hartsook, 11, already had plans for his light blue piece of artwork before he even finished. At home, it will hang on the tree.

“I’m used to this,” Hartsook said, “because I used to do origami.”

Amid the surroundings, the sweet aroma of hot chocolate wafted from the Columbus Symphony Orchestra booth, where members also were raffling an oversized, stuffed bear.

Plus, an orchestra brass quintet performed Christmas carols to make a nice soundtrack for the afternoon. Passersby enjoyed it so much that the group earned applause for its first number of “Deck the Halls.”

Musician Chris Clerc hardly minded being in the background as people moved through the area.

“A formal concert is one thing,” Clerc said, mentioning today’s annual, free Christmas concert at 3:30 p.m. at The Commons. “But a casual environment like this is more like the way music performances were maybe 100 years ago.”

At the other end of The Commons, the aroma of handmade scented soaps dominated, not far from where Laura Daily sold what she playfully termed Reindeer Chow snacks for dogs. The small sack containers were designed to look like reindeer faces.

“It started kind of slow,” Daily said. “But it has picked up a little.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

3

Number of marching bands in the parade

20

Number of Christmas Village vendors

98

Number of parade entries

1,500

Estimated crowd at Christmas Village

[sc:pullout-text-end]

TV chef cooking at local restaurant

By
Brian Blair
-

A top chef whose star power has sizzled on the Food Network will host an authentic Italian meal Monday at Henry Social Club restaurant in Columbus.

Mario Rizzotti, an Italian culinary expert and “Iron Chef America” judge, will prepare cuisine for a sold-out crowd of 75 guests, said Gethin Thomas, chef and owner if the restaurant at 423 Washington St.

This meal will be part of the Rome-born Rizzotti’s “4 the Love of Italian Food Tour” nationally to educate Americans on healthy eating — and learning the difference between ingredients such as actual healthy virgin olive oil and those loaded with artery-clogging trans-fats such as hydrogenated soybean oil.

Chef Adam Weisell, owner of Aurelia Osteria in Chicago, will accompany Rizzotti. Restaurant guests will be introduced to dishes they may have never heard of before and which include ingredients that are true products of Italy.

The Food Network recently contacted Henry Social Club after reading reviews of the restaurant online and also noting that Thomas has worked as a chef in Europe. It was booking Indiana restaurants for the tour.

“I thought it would be good for the community,” Thomas said. “And I thought it would be good for the staff to have someone else besides me tell them that they are a really good team.”

Rizotti has been promoting authentic, Italian food products since he moved to the U.S. more than 20 years ago. After starting in the U.S. as a dishwasher in restaurants, Rizzotti’s career in the culinary industry escalated.

In 2005, he joined Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” show where he has been called to judge meals prepared by celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and others.

The “4 the Love of Italian Food Tour” is targeted to smaller cities throughout the U.S.

The Columbus event sold out in 18 minutes at $95 per plate, Thomas said. Originally, 276 people responded on Facebook with a desire to attend.

“I started out helping people understand the difference between real Italian products and fake. Now my journey has new meaning,” Rizzotti said in a news release. “I love the United States but see a country that is eating themselves sick through poor food choices. Diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure are increasing even in our youth.”

Thomas will serve in an administrative role for the evening, making sure that all ingredients, recipes and plans are prepared for the meal.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About Mario Rizzotti” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

TV audiences know Mario Rizzotti best as the seasoned-yet-approachable judge on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” where he was called to judge Iron Chefs like Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Marc Forgione, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and others.

After leaving Rome, Italy, in his early 20s, he moved to the U.S. and has been educating food lovers everywhere about authentic Italian ingredients. As Italian Culinary Expert for Academia Barilla, Rizzotti helped consumers understand the differences in olive oils, balsamic vinegars, Italian cheeses and cured meats, and how to distinguish real Italian products.

He has been asked to emcee and judge at numerous culinary events including Chicago Gourmet, Gelato World Tour, Bellavita Expo and other gatherings.

And he is often sought after for advice when chefs open new restaurants and create new menus.

He resides outside of Chicago with his wife and three children.

[sc:pullout-text-end]

TV chef cooking at local restaurant

By
Brian Blair
-

A top chef whose star power has sizzled on the Food Network will host an authentic Italian meal Monday at Henry Social Club restaurant in Columbus.

Mario Rizzotti, an Italian culinary expert and “Iron Chef America” judge, will prepare cuisine for a sold-out crowd of 75 guests, said Gethin Thomas, chef and owner if the restaurant at 423 Washington St.

This meal will be part of the Rome-born Rizzotti’s “4 the Love of Italian Food Tour” nationally to educate Americans on healthy eating — and learning the difference between ingredients such as actual healthy virgin olive oil and those loaded with artery-clogging trans-fats such as hydrogenated soybean oil.

Chef Adam Weisell, owner of Aurelia Osteria in Chicago, will accompany Rizzotti. Restaurant guests will be introduced to dishes they may have never heard of before and which include ingredients that are true products of Italy.

The Food Network recently contacted Henry Social Club after reading reviews of the restaurant online and also noting that Thomas has worked as a chef in Europe. It was booking Indiana restaurants for the tour.

“I thought it would be good for the community,” Thomas said. “And I thought it would be good for the staff to have someone else besides me tell them that they are a really good team.”

Rizotti has been promoting authentic, Italian food products since he moved to the U.S. more than 20 years ago. After starting in the U.S. as a dishwasher in restaurants, Rizzotti’s career in the culinary industry escalated.

In 2005, he joined Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” show where he has been called to judge meals prepared by celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and others.

The “4 the Love of Italian Food Tour” is targeted to smaller cities throughout the U.S.

The Columbus event sold out in 18 minutes at $95 per plate, Thomas said. Originally, 276 people responded on Facebook with a desire to attend.

“I started out helping people understand the difference between real Italian products and fake. Now my journey has new meaning,” Rizzotti said in a news release. “I love the United States but see a country that is eating themselves sick through poor food choices. Diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure are increasing even in our youth.”

Thomas will serve in an administrative role for the evening, making sure that all ingredients, recipes and plans are prepared for the meal.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”About Mario Rizzotti” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

TV audiences know Mario Rizzotti best as the seasoned-yet-approachable judge on The Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” where he was called to judge Iron Chefs like Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Marc Forgione, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and others.

After leaving Rome, Italy, in his early 20s, he moved to the U.S. and has been educating food lovers everywhere about authentic Italian ingredients. As Italian Culinary Expert for Academia Barilla, Rizzotti helped consumers understand the differences in olive oils, balsamic vinegars, Italian cheeses and cured meats, and how to distinguish real Italian products.

He has been asked to emcee and judge at numerous culinary events including Chicago Gourmet, Gelato World Tour, Bellavita Expo and other gatherings.

And he is often sought after for advice when chefs open new restaurants and create new menus.

He resides outside of Chicago with his wife and three children.

[sc:pullout-text-end]

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