Columbus considers changing food trucks, cart hours

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus food cart and truck owners are unhappy about proposed legislation being considered by the city which, if approved, would change the hours mobile food vendors can operate.

Police and city leaders said the change was about safety, but food cart owners said they were not the problem.

“Because of a small population of people making poor choices and choosing to handle themselves poorly, the city has chosen to shift blame on parties that really do come in peace,” said Adam Wallace, owner of Adam’s Eden and Feed the Need LLC.

The proposed legislation would largely affect the food carts that operate in the Short North. On Tuesday, the city held its second public hearing on the topic, with at least one more planned.

“This is life-changing. The cost of the equipment, the whole business would be worthless if they approved this legislation to close at 2 am,” Wallace said.

Wallace owns two food trucks and four food carts. The carts can be found in the Short North on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Right now, mobile food vendors need to be closed by 3 am The proposed legislation being considered by the city would change that to 2 am

“I think there’s more to the discussion,” said Columbus Council member Emmanuel Remy, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee. “This isn’t the final hour we’re going to consider at this point. We need to look at other things,

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Where to find a holiday pop-up bar in the Charlotte, NC area

Billy Sunday Charlotte's Tinseltown pop-up bar will run through Jan.  2, but is closed Dec.  24-25, and Dec.  31.

Billy Sunday Charlotte’s Tinseltown pop-up bar will run through Jan. 2, but is closed Dec. 24-25, and Dec. 31.

Seasonal pop-up bars have arrived in the Charlotte area, providing another festive way to celebrate the holidays.

Expect lights, decor galore and, of course, themed cocktails you won’t find the rest of the year. (Don’t forget to put on your best ugly Christmas sweater to set the tone for the evening.)

Ring in the holiday season with good cheer and a seasonal cocktail at one of these Charlotte-area pop-up bars:

158 on Main’s Miracle on Main

Location: 158 N Main St., Mooresville, NC 28115

The vibe: This Mooresville spot transformed with festive yet kitschy, holiday decorations.

The drinks: The menu includes a cocktail list with drinks like vodka Christmapolitan and cognac Jingle Balls Nog. Beer and wine are available, too.

What to know: Entries are first-come, first-served. Tables are limited to two hours.

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Try a Grandma Got Run Over By A T-Rex at the Miracle on Main pop-up Christmas bar. Tracy Glantz [email protected]

BackStage Lounge’s Miracle

Location: 2433 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203

The vibes: The halls are decked out Griswold-style, and there’s a slate of inventive drinks.

The drinks: Offerings include the Bad Santa, served hot with aged rum, velvet falernum, mixed spiced butter, oat milk and nutmeg, and the Elfing Around, with prosecco, gin, mulled wine reduction, grapefruit shrub, aromatic bitters and orange bitters.

What to know: Unlike last year, there are no reservations.

Sippin’

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Opinion: In every Ukrainian kitchen, a secret weapon against Putin

Editor’s Note: Oleksandra Gaidai is Head of Academic Programs at the Ukrainian Institute. She is also a history lecturer at Ukraine’s National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Kristina Hook is a Ukraine-Russia specialist and Assistant Professor of Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University’s School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development. She is a former Fulbright scholar to Ukraine. The views expressed in this commentary are their own. Read more opinions on CNN.



CNN

After long days working in offices dotting Kyiv’s downtown, a small group of women head to their kitchens. Their evening job is just beginning.

Co-authors Oleksandra Gaidai and Kristina Hook.

Before the night is over, platters of meatballs, fish, traditional salads, cabbage rolls, homemade apple cakes and poppy seed pastries will overflow from the countertops.

As Christmas approaches, seasonal treats like “kutia,” a sweet wheat-based porridge, will appear – one of the 12 dishes traditionally found on every Ukrainian table.

But these nightly banquets are part of a special mission. They are being lovingly prepared for wounded soldiers in Kyiv’s military hospital.

As Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities prevents relatives from visiting wounded loved ones, homemade meals from strangers are weaving new surrogate family ties.

This will be Ukraine’s first Christmas since Russia’s full-on invasion in February. And in those intervening months, Moscow has weaponized food against Ukrainians, reviving a dark historical tradition that goes back at least a century.

The targets, across Ukraine, have been many. Citizens have been shot while waiting in breadlines in Chernihiv. A water truck was struck

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