Fire leaves Franklinton family homeless

By Jill Riepenhoff

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday December 12, 2013 6:00 AM

With the furnace on the fritz and a no-show by the repairman, Gaby and Adan Quintanilla decided to camp out in front of their fireplace on Tuesday night.

The couple and their three children roasted marshmallows, then snuggled up for the night in front of the hearth in their freshly renovated home at 68 S. Princeton Ave. in Franklinton.

For Mrs. Quintanilla, it seemed like such a perfect evening to spend with her family in the glow of a cozy fire and their Christmas tree. She loved this house, this moment.

Remodeling the house was a gift my husband gave us last year. It has new everything, Mrs. Quintanilla said. Everything in the house was remodeled.

The couple bought the house for $2,500 last year, fixed it up and moved in last February.

They talked about buying the vacant, boarded-up property next door and tearing it down to make a nice play area for their kids.

All the neighbors were so excited because that house had been like that for so long, Mrs. Quintanilla said.

The Quintanillas were a ray of hope for a neighborhood overwhelmed by blight, boarded-up properties and slumlords. A neighborhood that is mere blocks from the iconic towers of Downtown success but miles away financially. A neighborhood that Mayor Michael B. Coleman has targeted for renewal and rebirth.

Excerpt from:
Fire leaves Franklinton family homeless