Link Ahead with the City of Dublin, Ohio

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A 678-pound pumpkin shows up on a quiet Dublin porch, and suddenly the whole neighborhood turns into a walking and driving tour. Lindsay and guest co-host, Scott Light, are joined by Jeanette Paras, the creator of Paras Pumpkins, to tell the story behind “pumpkinizing” celebrity faces on giant pumpkins.   This reveal is such a guarded secret every single October and Jeanette spills the scoop on those first few years;  from the very first painted pumpkins in 1988 to today’s forklift-sized spectacle.   Jeanette shares the behind-the-scenes reality of making a face read from the street, down to sketches, measurements, lighting, and the surprisingly important smell test.

We also get into how she picks the celebrity of the year, what it’s like when the internet has opinions, and the moments when famous people actually notice.   Then we finally share the 2026 character: 'Dolly PartKin'!    Jeanette goes on to talk about the 'Dolly' accessory nobody thinks about until you’re trying to scale hair to a pumpkin that weighs more than a vending machine.

The heart of this conversation is also bigger than pop culture. Jeanette is a two-time breast cancer thriver, and she explains how 'pumpkinizing' became part of her recovery and a way to push early detection, mammograms, and self-exams. She’s also raised tens of thousands of dollars for The Stephanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research.   If you enjoy local traditions, public art, and stories that mix humor with purpose, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find Link Ahead.

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Central Ohio is booming, and that sounds exciting until you ask the everyday question: how do we keep life easy, affordable and connected as hundreds of thousands more people arrive? Lindsay and Bruce welcome William Murdock, Executive Director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), to talk honestly about what regional planning looks like on the ground for Dublin and our neighboring communities.

We dig into the data behind population projections and why those numbers shape everything from highway congestion to where transit should go next. William breaks down the “20-minute town” idea and the uncomfortable truth that it often only works if you can drive. From there, we get into big mobility moves: the LinkUS initiative, infrastructure like sidewalks and shared use paths, and the push to bring passenger rail back to Central Ohio with proposed routes that connect Columbus, Dublin and major Midwest cities.

Growth also raises the stakes on quality of life. We talk about housing costs, regional economic development, and why “growing better” has to mean more people benefiting from prosperity. We also cover MORPC’s sustainability agenda with air and water quality planning, and a practical program many people miss: free home weatherization that can lower energy bills. And yes, we tackle the legendary Central Ohio trick-or-treat “algorithm.”

If you care about transportation, sustainability, housing, and smart growth in Dublin, Ohio and the broader Central Ohio region, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a neighbor, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Tourism can sound like a “nice extra” until you see the scoreboard: jobs created, restaurants sustained, hotel nights booked and community events funded without tapping resident wallets. Lindsay and Bruce are joined by Scott Dring, President and CEO of Visit Dublin, to explain how destination marketing quietly powers our quality of life.

We explain the hotel bed tax and how visitor spending helps fund amenities residents love, from signature celebrations to arts and experiences. Scott also connects the dots between tourism and economic development: most people meet a city first as visitors, and that first impression can turn into a future move, a new business, or a long-term investment. Along the way, we look back at what Dublin was like in the early 2000s, then track how Bridge Park and The Dublin Link changed the story completely.

This conversation is so timely too, as Visit Dublin has launched the Where Buckeyes Begin campaign built around Dublin’s uniquely high number of Ohio State student-athletes. Scott shares why youth sports travel stays strong in any economy and what it could mean for hotels, restaurants and Dublin’s national reputation over the next five to ten years.

Visit Dublin's work goes far beyond attracting visitors. It's about helping our community thrive. If you enjoyed today's conversation, subscribe for future episodes, share it with someone who loves Dublin, and leave a review

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A military child can move six to nine times before high school graduation, and every move can quietly erase a piece of learning. Lindsay and Bruce wanted to understand what happens after the boxes are unpacked and the new school year starts, when the curriculum doesn’t match, the gaps pile up, and families are expected to “just adjust.”

We’re joined by Dr. Gretchen McIntosh, CEO of Children of Valor, and Jamie Bando, Director of Valor Tutoring, to talk through a simple, powerful idea: in-person tutoring that moves with the student. Children of Valor is a national nonprofit headquartered in Dublin and they support military-connected students across the country with individualized, one-on-one help. We dig into how military moves create missed building blocks and why having an expert in your corner can change the whole tone of a school partnership.

Jamie also breaks down what makes Valor Tutoring different: starting with a formative assessment, targeting specific standards, and embedding executive functioning skills and financial literacy into every session.

It is a new school year after all, so we had to ask some questions, for any family, about the best and most practical ways to start a new year in the right direction.

If you care about military families, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this conversation with a parent or educator, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.

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Deer are part of what makes Dublin beautiful, peaceful and ultimately connect us to the outdoors in myriad ways.  That is, until the herd gets large enough that issues stop being rare and start feeling routine. We sit down with Barbara Ray, Dublin’s Nature Education Coordinator, and Greg Hitzhusen, an Ohio State University expert in human values and wildlife management.  Both help to explain why so many Ohio communities are now talking about deer population control, deer aggression, and the health of local ecosystems.

First, it's important to understand how we got here with deer becoming more habituated to people: increased property damage, deer vehicle collisions, and a growing risk of defensive encounters during fawning season, especially dog walkers. Barbara shares what residents can do immediately from no feeding the animals to deer-resistant gardening and simple hazing. We also clear up a common myth: feeding deer can actively harm them, because corn and other high-starch foods don’t match their natural diet.

Greg zooms out to the broader story of urban deer overpopulation, including why predators and hunting pressure don’t function the same way in suburbs.   We also walk through the hard questions communities ask next: why relocation and sterilization usually fail in open suburban landscapes, and why targeted removal has become a widely used tool.   A tool, in fact, over the course of hundreds of cumulative years in communities across Ohio, has never led to a single human injury.  Not one.  

If you care about humane wildlife management, public safety, and healthy parks, this conversation will give you clearer language, better facts, and practical next steps. Subscribe for more City of Dublin updates and share this with a neighbor to ensure they're informed on this important issue.