Second Visit To Remove Explosives. Apple Pie Reviews Not Fruitful, Yet. Green Grapes Good To Go.
It wasn’t the first time a bomb disposal squad removed an explosive device from the home on Illinois Ave. in Westerville.
When Margaret Fruth's granddaughter, who had recently lived in the house across the street from Westerville South, opened a cardboard box while cleaning her grandmother’s basement and saw the strange yellow object, she almost immediately knew what it was. She had seen one before on her father’s phone, just before it was removed for detonation by Columbus.
The house was previously owned by her great aunts and then passed down to her grandmother, who recently died at age 98. The family was cleaning the house before selling it.
A routine response by Westerville police and fire departments for a suspicious package changed when the Battalion Chief reported that “We’ve got a cluster bomb in a bucket.” The Columbus Bomb Squad was called, and police closed Illinois Ave. at both ends and removed people from the nearby houses.
Stragglers from baseball games and practices at Westerville South, along with theater-goers in the school’s auditorium enjoying a production of “Les Misérables,” remained in place as the bomb squad twice x-rayed the bucket with the bomb before transferring it to a safe container and loading it into their truck for disposal.
Jeff Fruth, the son of Margaret Fruth, who lives two houses away, said his aunt, who previously owned the house, had worked at Columbus Milpar & Manufacturing, a weapons manufacturer during the Vietnam War. He suspected the devices came from Milpar, but the company’s contracts with the military were for bayonets and knives, not explosives.
Eventually, neighbors went back to their homes, musical theater fans were dismissed, and Illinois Ave. reopened to traffic.
My search for apple pie in Westerville hasn’t been very fruitful. Few restaurants offer it on their menus, and the ones I’ve tried aren’t very good. Today’s sample from Bob Evans is apple pie in name only.
Restaurant pies aren’t your grandmother’s pies. They’re not your Aunt Millie’s either. They’re microwaved, stripped of texture, and missing the care that makes pie something more than dessert.
This one was no exception.
The crust was soft. The apples were soft. The caramel was thin and tasteless, seemingly added just to give the small slice some extra flavor, depth, and appearance. It failed in all three aspects. The bottom crust was gummy, the filling overly sweet and strangely gelatinous. Every bite tasted like it had been sitting under plastic wrap in the fridge until someone asked for it—and even then, only reluctantly warmed.
But it got me thinking: maybe the best apple pie in town isn’t in a restaurant at all.
Maybe it’s in someone’s kitchen. Maybe it’s cooling on a rack next to a window right now. Maybe the real pies—the ones worth writing about—are baked from memory, not menus.
So here’s what I’m doing.
Starting next week, I’ll be reviewing your pies. Your family recipes. Your stories. If you’ve got an apple pie that means something to you—one you’ve been perfecting for years or just learned from someone who mattered—I want to try it. Tell me where it came from. Who makes it? Why it matters. Then let’s put it to the test.
Offer me a slice. Send me the story of your apple pie. I’ll feature one each week and tell your pie’s story the way I’ve been telling everyone else’s.
Apple pie might be hard to find on menus, but I don’t think it’s gone. I think it’s just gone home.
The Green Grape Report
Food Review by Gary Gardiner
Market District – North State Street
Brand – Market District Green Grapes
Price – $1.49 per pound
PLU Code – 4483 (More about this later)
The Review
These are the tastiest grapes in the bunch. Big, crisp, and juicy, each one weighs 11 grams and measures 32x24mm. Sweet enough to feel like you’re sneaking dessert, with sugar at 20.59%. Their bright, vivid green makes everything else in the fruit bowl look dull and off color. No fuss, no misses—just grapes that truly understand and are appreciated.
Grape Season Is Here — Here’s What You Need to Know
Right now is peak season for green grapes, making shopping easy. Most of the grapes in stores today come from California’s top growing regions, known for producing consistent, high-quality fruit.
That means the grapes you’re seeing are grown in ideal conditions by experienced farmers, using varieties developed to provide excellent texture, flavor, and shelf life. These hybrids have been crafted through years of careful breeding, resulting in firm, juicy, and well-balanced fruits. Not too sweet, not too tart. Just right.
The items we’re highlighting have a PLU of 4483. This isn’t a standard code set by the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS), but a number assigned by the retailer. PLU codes are voluntary and help make it easier for consumers and cashiers to identify produce at checkout. So while 4483 might not provide all the details, it’s a useful way to quickly find the right fruit.
In short, now is a great time to buy. The grapes are at their peak, and the main factor to consider is price. Everything else is already working in your favor, including flavor.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
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