You made it to Friday!

☀️ Today's weather: Gorgeous — sunny and around 80.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Tony Florentino and happy early birthday to Robert Viggiano!

Today's newsletter is 1,039 words — a 4-minute read.

A Columbus carpet kingpin's memorabilia collection is up for auction, with a selection of dazzling showpieces set to fetch tens of thousands of dollars.

Why it matters: The collection belonged to Michael Goldberg, who owned Columbus-based Rite Rug and died in December.

• Founded in 1934 by Goldberg's father and uncle, the flooring company is a local fixture.

Driving the news: Goldberg's collection is up for auction through Columbus' own Fleischer's Auctions.

• The live auction begins Sept. 9, but values are rising fast in pre-bidding.
• "Taken as a whole, the catalog offers a revealing portrait of a man of broad interests and boundless curiosity," Fleischer's president Adam Fleischer writes in an introduction to the catalog.

What's inside: The auction includes more than 240 items, like historic military antiques, fine art, rare and unique sports memorabilia, film posters and a wide variety of items related to Jewish culture and history.

Highlights include:

• A Babe Ruth card valued at upward of $15,000.
• A Civil War sword and revolver belonging to a New York colonel.
• A "King Kong" movie poster from France that has fetched up to $30,000 before.
• A baseball signed by Jackie Robinson with a "get well soon" message.
• An original "I Want You for U.S. Army" recruitment poster from World War I.

Goldberg ran Rite Rug for more than 35 years after his father died in 1989.

• The company grew from its original downtown Columbus store to 60 locations across 20 states.
• He and his wife, Anita, gave frequently to causes at Ohio State and beyond, establishing endowment funds for cancer research and arts and giving a $5 million gift supporting leadership and women's programs.
• His son, Mickey, now owns the business.

Between the lines: Goldberg had varying, eclectic tastes, and his purchases weren't financially driven.

• Fleischer, who got to know the enthusiastic collector over the years, tells Axios that Goldberg was a "purebred collector."
• "There's no such thing as market value to somebody who wants it regardless of what the price might be. … Other people are looking at their collections like an investment portfolio, but he was not."

The bottom line: "If an object had a story to tell, he was interested in acquiring it," Fleischer says.

• Now, those stories — and Columbus' largest flooring company — are starting a new chapter.

Earlier this week we asked for your thoughts on Ohio education leaders exploring the possibility of three-year bachelor's degrees.

The intrigue: Your replies suggest the conversation needs more nuance.

What you're saying:

🤔 Many of you said the proposal should have a new, different name.

• "Let's just not call a 90-credit program the same thing as a 120-credit program — because it's not — and let the market decide if that's what is best. In some cases, it might be," Tom F. said.
• Scott S. asked, "Isn't this just a modern repackaging of the two-year associate degree, except now you pay for three?"

🤔 Van. Y. suggested using the fourth year to expand job-related experiences, similar to student teaching.

• "I think industry would support that, and it would help offset the cost of that last year."

🎓 Cynthia B. noted a three-year bachelor's degree can be done now.

• "Back in the 1970s I completed a four-year degree in three years ... I gave up on some 'fun' time but I saved quite a bit of money."

💸 Amber S. supports the effort because current costs are "unsustainable."

• "Speedier degrees won't solve ALL the problems, but it's a start."

👎 Juliet K. said reducing electives is a "disservice" because they encourage problem-solving and exploration.

• "I wouldn't have ended up in my degree path if I didn't take an elective in micro economics. I thought it would be the most boring thing in the world and it ended up being my favorite subject!"

💭 Alissa's thought bubble: As a 35-year-old still paying off my student loans, any cost-reduction effort sounds great. I even graduated a semester early, thanks to high school College Credit Plus courses.

• 🤦‍♀️ Yes, but: I could have graduated in three years — but 20-year-old me thought I'd miss the "college experience" and didn't do it.
• That mindset may make this concept hard to sell to teens and 20-somethings, no matter how practical it may be.

More responses

💰 Amid data center backlash, developers have donated millions to Neighbor to Neighbor, a program that helps people cover utility bills. (Ohio Capital Journal)

💧 Thousands of customers have reported double-billing and other issues amid Columbus Water & Power's changed billing cycle. (Dispatch)

🚒 Freeman's Farm in Genoa Township is closed until further notice after a fire. (614 Magazine)

Summer nights are dwindling — make the most of them at one of the zoo's marquee after-dark events.

🏮 Our pick: Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival.

The intrigue: The zoo lights up with 70 sets of Asian lanterns in "beautiful wildlife scenes from around the world."

• LED animal lanterns light up their own sections of the zoo, including new dinosaur lanterns in the prehistoric section.
• Note: Many are asleep by the evening, but "select animals" will be visible.

🎟️ If you go: The festival runs 7:30-10:30pm Thursday-Sunday through Oct. 25.

• Non-member tickets start at $29 for adults and $26 for kids.
• Lantern Festival tickets do not include daytime zoo admission.

What else is happening:

🎶 Bop to the Top celebrates 20 years of "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical" at the Newport Friday night.

🤣 The Columbus Comedy Festival brings a variety of stand-up, improv and more events to locations around town all weekend.

🎤 2x2 Hip-Hop Festival returns to Land-Grant Brewing Saturday.

🎸 Columbus' own CAAMP plays the Schottenstein Center Saturday night.

• Music Columbus hosts a free pre-show tailgate with local acts from 2-6pm.

💃 Alcohol-free social club company ERA Club hosts its first "Wellness Gone Wild" party outside of Florida at Pickle & Chill Saturday night.

⚽️ The Crew host the New England Revolution Sunday afternoon.

Thanks to Tyler Buchanan for editing today's newsletter.

Our picks:

👋 Alissa and Tyler enjoyed meeting the Axios Cincinnati team in person.

🖼️ Andrew loved browsing the Goldberg collection.