aroundKent Magazine Vol 16 2018 by aroundKent Magazine

Dreaming, Believing, Achieving Without Limits

LIMITLESS AMBITION

THE LAST DREAMER

THE MARKET OF KASHI

Frances Mae Resek Rottman

Samuel Salsbury and Mike Hovancsek

Re co w

www.aroundkent.net publisher/photographer Matt Keffer 330.221.1274 info@aroundkent.net

art director

content volume 16 2018 6 Dreaming • Believing • Achieving Without Limits

11 The Market of Kashi

Susan Mackle

contributing writers Don Abbott Mark Allender David Badagnani Elliott Ingersoll, Ph.D. Mark Keffer Danielle Kelner Dr. Patrick O’Connor Paul S. Wang

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content of any manner is prohibited without written permission. aroundkent accepts no responsibility for solicited materials.

15 The Market of Kashi Review 16 Jun Kaneko: Blurred Lines

18 Visual Art Showcase 26 The American Dream Part II 32 The Snarky Gardener

16 32

36 The Road Less Traveled 42 University Hospitals 45 Home Sweet Homepage 52 Local Music Releases

36 45 52

Cover: Plenty of Sharks by Omida Tavakoli

Dreaming Believing Achieving

Without Limits Written by Danielle Kelner

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It is extraordinarily difficult to be a young woman in today’s world; a place where teenage years are filled with feelings of inadequacy, questions of self-worth, and an abundance of societal pressures. Mass media implies that a female’s true value lies in her appearance, not in her words or actions. The looming pressure to be perfect often lingers as young women exit their adolescence years and enter the workforce as professionals.

inward and find strength from within to overcome these hardships. “Somewhere along the line, I learned to use all of these things to make me a more ambitious me”, she recalls. Luckily, she did not have to face all of this alone. Alicia was fortunate enough to be a part of college preparatory programs, such as Upward Bound, that helped her overcome adversity and achieve academic success. As a result of her experiences, Alicia became passionate about helping adolescent girls and young women overcome obstacles that prevent them from pursuing the lives they desire.

Limitless Ambition is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2013 with the purpose of empowering young women through career coaching, academic assistance, and emotional guidance. “Dream, Believe, Achieve” isn’t just their motto; it’s the mindset that fuels Limitless Ambition’s Founder and Executive Director, Alicia Robinson. For as long as she can remember, Alicia has wanted to help young women become the best version of themselves. Despite many roadblocks standing in her way, Alicia has been able to build her career around this passion. Alicia is a two time graduate of Kent State University, and also works full-time at Kent State University as the Assistant Director of the Women’s Center. In this role, she is responsible for developing strategies and identifying resources for programs, services, and advocacy to secure equity of experience and resources for female identifying faculty, staff, and students on campus.

Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Limitless Ambition aims to preserve, protect, and promote the vision of young girls and women who may have been discouraged from pursuing their long-term goals. Through their Purposely Chosen Women leadership program, their Purposely Chosen Teens adolescent program, as well as a variety of group workshops, Limitless Ambition provides the resources and support women need to realize and maximize their potential.

Growing up in Warren, Ohio, Alicia recalls the challenges she faced as a teenager, including low self-esteem, a series of unhealthy relationships, and witnessing the effects of drugs and gun violence on her family and community. At some point, Alicia realized she had to turn

Purposely Chosen Women, Limitless Ambition’s signature program, focuses on overcoming the pressure points that may block women from building positive networks, fulfilling their purpose, and solidifying their prosperity. Using experiential learning, organizational development, and group collaboration, Limitless Ambition helps women find ways to wield their current networks, resources, and tools to continue to pursue their passions. Participants receive one-on-one coaching, mentorship, and the skillset needed to set measurable goals, monitor progress, and achieve their desired outcome. As a recent program participant states, “This program has helped me to turn my thoughts and feelings into an action! This

lets me know that my goal is something that I can achieve. Being around supportive women helps me to be open and establish trust.” A crucial component of Purposely Chosen Women is the participation in a group setting to build relationships that result in a vast professional network. As these relationships develop and trust is established, they blossom into a dynamic system of support and lifelong friendship. Each Purposely Chosen Women program lasts for approximately 12 months, with participants meeting at least once a month. During each program session, participants hear from a guest speaker on a specific topic, participate in relevant discussions and activities, and network with other women in the program. Session topics vary based on the needs of participants, as program sessions are personalized as much as possible. Some examples of monthly topics include: personal branding leading to the creation of an online professional profile; creating and delivering presentations to gain traction on professional goals; and analyzing personal and professional finances with a wealth management professional to identify strategies to maintain and increase assets. Participants are provided with all relevant course materials and activities, and are also partnered with program mentors who check-in with them periodically in between monthly meet-ups. Purposely Chosen Women participants even have homework assignments they are required to complete for the next session in order to ensure they are applying the skills presented in program sessions to their professional lives. The program goals of Purposely Chosen Women include: educating and spreading awareness on roadblocks that women face in today’s society; equipping women with tools Continued on page 8

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Continued from page 7 and practices needed to evaluate root limitations to their success and identify methods to overcome them; and establishing a network of support and mentorship for women to continue growing professionally. Limitless Ambition facilitates their teen enrichment program, Purposely Chosen Teens, in economically deprived areas all across Northeast Ohio. This leadership program for female adolescents ages 13 to 18 provides participants with the tools they need to be their best self. Teen participants meet once or twice a month in a group setting with a panel of mentors to explore various topics such as: passion discovery; goal-setting; self-esteem; personal branding; career and academic goalsetting; and civic engagement. Participants are also partnered with a mentor to provide ad-

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ditional support throughout the course of the program. One of Limitless Ambition’s greatest accomplishments is that 100 percent of their Purposely Chosen Teens participants graduated from high school, and 90 percent enrolled in postsecondary education. This is a huge accomplishment, when considering that Ohio’s high school graduation rate hovers below the national average at approximately 80 percent. During one of the sessions in the Purposely Chosen Teens program, participants are tasked with creating a personalized Legacy Statement, which serves as a reminder of their true value. A high school senior wrote the following as her Legacy Statement: “Don’t let the dramas and pain around you determine who you are destined to be! Instead, overcome and conquer those goals!” By providing these young women

with a safe space to grow and realize their self-worth, Limitless Ambition can combat the societal pressures placed on adolescents and help them overcome barriers to their success and happiness. In addition to Purposely Chosen Women and Purposely Chosen Teens, Limitless Ambition also offers customizable workshops and retreats, which are ideal for schools, churches and community organizations. These workshops typically span the length of an afternoon, but can be tailored as a partnering organization sees fit. Some adolescent workshops in the past have included topics such as: Passion Discovery and Goal-Setting; Self Love and Body Image; Self-Esteem and Confidence; and Academic and Career Goal-Setting. Women’s workshops focus on professional growth and

development. Their past workshops have included: Pushing Past Pain to Pursue Passion (Women Empowerment); Vision Mapping: Bring your Vision to Life!; Entrepreneurial Goal-Setting; and Academic Coaching and Career Planning. Limitless Ambition recognizes the advantages of establishing and fostering partnerships with other community organizations. They have recently formed a partnership with Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority to bring Purposely Chosen Women to female residents who desire economic self-sufficiency. They have previously partnered with Akron Public Schools, Warren City School District, and Cleveland Metropolitan School District to bring our Purposely Chosen Teen program to both middle schools and high schools in these districts. In addition, they have facilitated a wide variety of workshops with Kent State University. In addition to educational institutions, Limitless Ambition also has a history of collaborating with various community organizations such as Upward Bound, Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio, the YWCA of Summit County, and Akron Public Libraries.

their board members provide the stewardship needed to ensure that every step forward is strategic and meaningful. Limitless Ambition’s staff are highly proficient development specialists, and their volunteers are dedicated to serving teens and women of all ages from economically disadvantaged areas across Northeast Ohio. What sets Limitless Ambition apart from other similar organizations is their unwavering commitment to serving the women and teenagers who are at risk of falling below the poverty line. By promoting career readiness and providing mentorship through adolescent programs, Limitless Ambition prepares these young women to become career-oriented leaders and role models for others. With Limitless Ambition’s commitment to serving both teens and adults with a holistic approach

to career programming, the result is a comprehensive and unique service to the Akron community. Alicia Robinson founded her inspirational organization to follow her own passion for helping others discover their professional potential and self-worth. Her path to success has led her to understand the value in this cause and the amazing potential Limitless Ambition has to benefit women of all ages. Alicia selflessly reflects that the work she does “is all about giving back” to the generations of women who come after her. To the adolescents and young women who question their own value and face barriers to success, Limitless Ambition is your answer. It is your community, network, and safe space. To learn more about Limitless Ambition and how you can support their mission, please visit www.LimitlessAmbition.org.

Limitless Ambition is not supported by Alicia Robinson’s efforts alone; its board of directors, staff, and volunteers are focused on driving the organization’s mission while fueling their vision for the future. With combined backgrounds in budget management, event planning, community outreach, curriculum development, fundraising, donor relations and operations,

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Mark Allender

Mark Allender: So Mike, how did the collaboration with Samuel come together exactly?

The Market of Kashi AN ALBUM OF NEW MUSIC BY SAMUEL SALSBURY AND MIKE HOVANCSEK

o this particular track I’m listening to is called “Beyond Existence,” and Mike’s bowed zither playing is chilling. Then Samuel’s lilting violin enters with a haunting melody, making the starkness of this track even more intense. It’s a gorgeous little nugget of musical goodness, like so many other tunes on this record. I have been collaborating with Mike in one way or another for nearly 25 years. In the summer of 1994, my band and his band shared a member, and Mike came to check us out. By the end of the night, we made an agreement to start

working together, and in the years since, he has become one of my closest friends. He has been sharing tracks with me on his collaboration with Samuel, and it has been wonderful watching these rough tracks develop into the finished album. Mike has told me that this is the recording he is most proud of, where he really achieved what he set out to do. And when the opportunity arose to do an article about the project, I jumped at the chance – this is some great music.

Mike Hovancsek: A few years ago, Samuel came to me and suggested that we record a full album together. I said, “Sure!,” thinking that it was a project that we could get done right away. Then, years passed. We are both insanely busy people and every time one of us was available the other was unavailable. We were each involved with a wide variety of our own projects, including recording sessions, concerts, and rehearsals. In that time, my wife and I had a few kids and Samuel started traveling to India to study the sarangi*. After a while, it started to feel as if we were never going to get around to recording an album together. Finally, I contacted Samuel to propose an unusual strategy for recording the album. I told him that I could lay down some hand drumming parts and other rough sketches for the project while he was in Varanasi. I explained that when he returned I could show up at his house with portable equipment and we could finish off the pieces in his living room. I was confident that we would get an album together in four short sessions. Samuel was actually skeptical of this plan. He wasn’t at all sure that we could get an entire Continued on page 12 *an Indian bowed musical instrument

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Continued from page 11 album recorded in just four sessions. He was also concerned about the quality of the portable recording equipment. Four sessions later, however, we had a finished album and we were both really happy with the results. Mark: You two captured some amazing sounds. How did you and Samuel start working together? Mike: Samuel and I first met when we were both members of Anand Naad, which was a group that combined classical Indian music,

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Hindu chant, jazz harmonies, and Japanese music. That group didn’t last very long because it was made up of a lot of soughtafter musicians who had a wide variety of other musical commitments to manage. After that group broke up, I started inviting Samuel to be a guest member on some of my solo recordings. One of the things we found was that every time Samuel and I walked into a room with musical

instruments, something really nice happened. The music just seemed to emerge fully formed. So … It’s called The Market of Kashi. Market. That’s a word that evokes so many images. And none of those images have anything to do with the context in which we usually hear it; financial markets. No, with that word “market”, you immediately have a world

where the textiles are in one area, the fresh fruit is in another, the glass and jewelry are in yet another. You can almost hear the sizzle of sautéing garlic or the clink of coins being passed from hand to hand. Parents calling after children to not touch anything. Customers telling stories of their families to the vendors, who are often interested, but just as often endure the stories in the interest of the sale. It’s a rural word. It’s a cash-only enterprise. It’s a word that invokes community, tradition, and a vague sense of disorder. There’s an element of risk here at this market. You get

the impression that the finest produce you’ll see all year can be found here. Or you could get dysentery from the kebabs. They have the best deals you’ve ever seen. There are treasures here that you can’t find anywhere else. And the vendors may just cheat you blind and stupid. But above all, you are here for the pure sensuality of the place. The sounds, the aromas, the dirt, the open air. Samuel falls into that class of artists like Franz Schubert or Elvis Costello who have an instinctual ear for melody. Even with his

throwaway improvs, you will find yourself humming them to yourself afterward. In whichever idiom he is playing, he’ll find that inner melody. So when you’re doing an event with him, whatever you are doing: blocking your transitions; soundchecking the 500 pounds of Philippine gongs Mike told you to bring; or working out the changes to the setlist – goddamn if there isn’t Samuel off in the far corner warming up, tossing off another intoxicating melody that begs for your Continued on page 14

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Th to our stage shows. He always shows up with racks and racks of gongs from around the world and a huge collection of singing bowls. Mark: And frankly, what is a live show without a collection of singing bowls? Mike: Exactly! Samuel is currently heading back to India to continue his study of the sarangi. When he gets back in the Spring, we will be performing a few more gigs, including one on May 12th at The Silk Mill in Kent (145 South River Street, Suite 5 in Kent, Ohio 44240). In those gigs, we will be performing with Joe Culley, who is a local legend for his tabla** playing.

Continued from page 13 attention while you attend to your own preparation. That is the hazard of working with Samuel! It was 1994 when I went to my first rehearsal with Mike Hovancsek. I showed up at his apartment, and the first thing I noticed was that there was nothing in the main living area. No furniture. No art on the walls. No rug on the floor. What’s going on here? Did he just recently move in? So, we started hauling the several dozen fragile, cumbersome, temperature sensitive musical instruments into his place and I caught a glimpse of his well-stocked, wellfurnished kitchen. He had clearly been here awhile. He wasn’t destitute. He had decorating sense. So for whatever reason, this living room looks this way on purpose. And in the past almost-25 years of hauling all those cumbersome instruments in the service of

things Hovancsekian, I have come to appreciate the way Mike can create an environment. And that is what this album gives you; thirteen distinct environments, each with their own aesthetic and their own laws of physics. All while Samuel steals you away ala Pied Piper.

Catch these guys out in concert, if you can. Live shows include a vast array of exotic sounds and instruments from around the world, exciting improvisational exchanges between the musicians, projected video collages by Mike Hovancsek, and often a market experience, with food and hand crafted items for sale. This isn't just a concert; It is a multi-sensory experience. The new album The Market of Kashi is available thru Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, or at local music stores in northeast Ohio.

Mark: I hope to hear this live. Are there any performances planned? Mike: We just did two performances with Paul Stranahan. Paul is a wonderful percussionist who plays in a wide variety of jazz and experimental projects around Cleveland. Paul has the tough job of imitating the drum and gong style that I played on the album. In the recordings, I recorded percussion parts and then played koto* or flute, or whatever, on top of them. Since I can’t play all those instruments at once on stage, Paul has been an excellent addition * a Japanese zither about six feet long

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** a pair of small hand drums used in Indian music

The Market of Kashi

REVIEW David Badagnani

As a longtime associate and former bandmate of fellow Kentite Mike Hovancsek, playing and recording with him in the eclectic ensemble known as Pointless Orchestra from 1993 to 2005, it was with great interest that I approached listening to his newest release, recorded in collaboration with Akronite Samuel Salsbury. All in all, this is an impressive album with a lot of soul and spirit, as well as some welcome surprises for the ears (and mind). Mike has always had a singular vision for his music and visual art, with skills to match. Having started out on guitar – the most ubiquitous of instruments – while in high school, he soon developed an interest in more unusual sounds, building original musical instruments of his own design and experimenting with recording technology. While studying for his psychology degree in the early 1990s, he took advantage of the opportunity to learn both the traditional Chinese guzheng and Japanese koto zithers in Kent State University’s ethnomusicology division (from which I also graduated with a specialization in Asian music), and also got to know and eventually work with the great Egyptian-born musical wizard/sage Halim El-Dabh, restoring many of the master’s pioneering electronic tape compositions and later issuing them on CD. Around this time, he also started a record label which he called Pointless Music, and his releases included collaborations with many prominent names in

The piece in the background of this article is a colored pencil drawing by Mike Hovancsek titled “Congestion.”

the world of experimental music such as Z’EV, Amy Denio, and Anna Homler. Although the chamber music traditions of East Asia remain a significant influence on the style of his work, Mike has used the traditional music instruction he received at Kent State as more of a springboard to creating something new, synthesizing them into a distinctive and compelling style in his original compositions and improvisations. Although his work was formerly more experimental, over the past decade he has been more concerned with sculpting sounds with an eye toward greater structure and meaning. The exquisite attention to detail across Mike’s entire body of work bears comparison with his unique style of visual art using photography and video, usually manipulated using advanced digital techniques, producing work that is equally colorful, intriguing, and captivating. Throughout, as is typical of Mike’s releases (he generally records and mixes everything himself in his home studio), the recording quality is impeccable, every phrase and sound meticulously placed and arranged, making the music sound like an aural version of a colorful mosaic or jewel box. I think this quality allows his music to appeal to listeners who like good music, regardless of label or genre. On The Market of Kashi, Mike curates sounds originating from no fewer than three different continents, though the prevalence of tambura drones and raga-style improvisation lends an overarching Indian feel. Most tracks feature Samuel Salsbury’s sensitive impromptu violin playing, and, for several selections, the tabla of Joe Culley, another longtime Kent resident who has immersed himself in the music of India. Although there is technically no voice on the album, Salsbury’s bowed strings truly sing, supported by Mike’s plucked and hammered

zithers, percussion, and various other instruments. When Salsbury really lets loose on his century-old sarangi (an ancient Indian instrument he has been studying intensively with a guru in Varanasi, India for the past few years), the music is lifted to a truly spiritual height, supported by the ringing out of the instrument’s three dozen sympathetic strings. For me, one of the highlights of the CD is the opening track, “Joyful Flight,” which features a rich pan-cultural instrumentation that includes an African kalimba and balafon (xylophone with gourd resonators). This one really grooves, causing a delightful confusion on the part of the listener due to its unpredictable periodic rhythmic stops and starts. On “Floating on the Wind,” chiming sounds, widely spaced like pillars in a vast cathedral, create a feeling of stilled time as effective as anything by Somei Satoh or Lou Harrison. On “Beyond Existence,” Mike shows off some unique cello playing, this lower-pitched bowed instrument lending welcome variety to the album’s musical offerings. And in the meditative but emotive “Reflection,” extraordinary ultra-deep sustained tones, seemingly lower than the range of hearing, are felt more than heard, in a way that is subtly but pleasantly disorienting. Mike Hovancsek’s previous releases are all beautifully produced and worth seeking out – and he plans on issuing at least one more new release for 2018.

Mike Hovancsek discography (as leader or co-leader): • Temporal Angels (2003) • Turbulent Calm (2011) • Ascend (2011) • Outlier Protocols (2016) • Samadhi (2016) – with Margot Milcetich • Gayatri (2016) – with Margot Milcetich and Brad Bolton • The Market of Kashi (2017) – with Samuel Salsbury

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Jun Kaneko: Blurred Lines A

mong the most acclaimed artists working in contemporary ceramics today, Jun Kaneko has spent decades pushing the boundaries of ceramics, sculpture, and painting, repeatedly blurring the lines that have traditionally separated the world of fine art and craft. Jun Kaneko: Blurred Lines, opening February 17, 2018, presents an impressive array of the artist’s monumental works while providing insight into his thinking and artistic process. Blurred Lines features Kaneko’s signature ceramic “dangos”, drawings, paintings, several large-scale ceramic heads, and a site-specific installation of his 65 foot-long painting, Mirage. The exhibition features atypical works by Kaneko that highlight the artist’s ability to create monumental monochromatic sculptures that define space and volume. These works were chosen for their powerful yet contemplative presence. Informed by early experiences in a Zen Garden at Ryōan-ji, Kaneko’s work contains ongoing

Akron Art Museum February 17 – June 3, 2018

references to rhythm and pattern and sound and silence. His artworks are often covered with stripes, simple geometric shapes, and spirals and dots, suggesting themes of light and darkness, mass and space, and present and past. Central to Kaneko’s artistic exploration is a sense of play and experimentation, which drives his restless creativity. His large-scale hand-built ceramic sculptures—both dangos and heads—often exceed seven feet in height and weigh thousands of pounds, representing feats of innovative engineering in and of themselves. Many of the works in Blurred Lines are drawn from the artist’s private collection and represent transformational works in his over 50-year career. Jun Kaneko: Blurred Lines is organized by the Akron Art Museum and supported by funds from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. Media sponsorship by ideastream®.

Jun Kaneko: Blurred Lines Opening Party Friday, February 16, 2018 • 6 pm Be the first to experience the groundbreaking, monumental works of internationally renowned artist Jun Kaneko at the Akron Art Museum. Chosen for their powerful yet contemplative presence, many works featured in Blurred Lines are drawn from the artist’s private collection and represent transformational moments in his career. See how Kaneko pushes the boundaries of ceramics, sculpture and painting, all the while melding influences from the East and West. Members-Only Preview at 6:30 pm Exhibition open to all at 7:00 pm. Museum members receive special offers and discounts throughout the night.

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Yutaka 2010, glazed ceramic, 84 x 28 1/2 x 18 in. Courtesy of the Artist Photography by Dirk Bakker Splitting Red 1996, 60 x 46 3/4 x 13 1/2 in. Courtesy of the Artist

Untitled 2009, acrylic on canvas 114 x 86 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. Courtesy of the Artist Photography by Takashi Hatakeyama

Bouquet 1998, acrylic on canvas 66 1/2 x 85 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. Courtesy of the Artist

Untitled, Heads 2013, hand built and glazed ceramics Left 103 x 55 x 48 in. Right 104 x 59 x 48 in. Collection of John Novak Photography by Colin Conces

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Visual Art

S H O W C A S E

The contemporary art of our region is reflective of the pluralistic nature of the art world at large. Numerous directions and intentions are possible at this time, seemingly without a singular, overarching movement dictating artistic expression. The artists featured here address esthetic, expressive qualities as we might traditionally understand them, but also push their work into exciting areas dealing with sociopolitical issues

Mark Keffer KSU Class of ‘88

and new technologies. An engaging vitality results that enriches viewers’ connection to the world around us.

N A N E T T E The work of Nanette Yannuzzi explores several different directions, all of which display a keen sense of awareness regarding the state of contemporary society. She creates work in video, drawing, textiles, installation and

Y A N N U Z Z I

performance, and also works collaboratively with a group known as Home Affairs, focusing on creative projects that address a range of issues impacting women’s lives. The social consciousness and sense of responsibility that

drives her work is conveyed in various series; one example being The Whistleblower Napkin Series (an extension of a larger body of work called Textiles Redux). This work is an effort to highlight individuals who risk great

Oil Rig Doily screenprint on textile, 2014

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personal consequences when speaking out about government or corporate wrongdoing. Figures such as Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and Anita Hill are featured. Yannuzzi describes the Textiles Redux series: This series began in 2014 during an art residency at the Women’s Studio Workshop in New York. Cochlea with Spider and Oil Rig Doily comment on the enormous environmental challenges we face, challenges that have become significantly more acute in the few short years since this series began. The cochlea is a tiny sensory organ located inside the ear. It absorbs sound vibrations which are sent to the brain to be interpreted. It’s also important in our ability to balance. I find it to be a beautiful and mysterious shape and am using it as a metaphor for the dire ecological precipice standing before us and our struggle to comprehend how to effect change when so much of what is happening seems out of our control. Even when Yannuzzi’s art draws from more traditional aspects of esthetics and form, as in many of her lesser known works on paper, it does so in a way that remains contemporary and displays at least a residue of thought regarding social realities. Often, these concerns are the primary focus. Nanette Yannuzzi was born in El Paso, Texas and currently lives and works in Oberlin, Ohio. She received a BFA degree from Cooper Union in New York City and an MFA from University of California at San Diego, and has been Professor of Art at Oberlin College since 1993. In 2017, she participated in projects at Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto; Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, New York; Kent State

Cochlea with Spider screenprint on linen placemat, 2014

Downtown Gallery; SPACES Gallery, Cleveland; and Zygote Press, Cleveland. In 2016, she participated in the Feminist Art Festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Other recent projects have taken place in venues including EFA Project Space, New York City; Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania; Art Produce Gallery, San Diego; ODTU Kultur ve Kongre Merkezi, Ankara, Turkey; among many others. She is the recipient of a number of artist grants including the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council. www.nymacias.com

Anita Hill Embroidered sceenprint on textile, 2017

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Visual Art

S H O W C A S E

/ / B E N I T E Z _ V O G L epidermis retains the negative imprint of the prosthesis, mimicking the look of serpent skin. The dermis reestablishes the smooth form of the human skin as it heals itself within the hour, erasing the ephemeral imprint, symbolically representing rebirth and renewal. versus 0:02 [gridiron] VS:0.02 [gridiron] interprets the game data of all 51 Super Bowl games, visually in sculptural form, from the years 1967–2017. The sculptures analyze the game play by play and visualize the distance the ball traveled regardless of type of play. Our 3D software then builds arcs based on the distance the ball travels. In order to keep the flow of the game recognizable, the teams are assigned a side. i<3 (i heart)

skin d.e.e.p. – digital ephemeral epidermal patterns 2014

//benitez_vogl – the artist duo Margarita Benitez and Markus Vogl – redefine what it means to be an artist today. Their efforts point to new potentials of creative endeavors while linking areas of inquiry that might once have been seen as independent paths. They employ a rigorous practice of combining highly innovative materials and methods toward unexpected and varied ends. Featured here are three of their many projects, as described by the artists.

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skin d.e.e.p. – digital ephemeral epidermal patterns Temporary biomimetic skin patterns via wearable 3D printed exoskeletons. The aim is to mimic the patterns and textures of snakeskin via ephemeral impressions onto human skin. Taking inspiration from shedding snakeskin, we shed the outer layer by removing the superficial prosthesis. The

i<3 is a site specific interactive installation that behaviorally changes based on twitter hashtags that have been published. The hearts light up based on the amount of human current and flow. Each 1/2 of a heart lights up once a certain number of tweets has been reached. i<3 can be adapted to any hashtag chosen and can therefore continue to be shown at different venues. This particular documentation of the installation counted the number of Ingenuityfest tweets based on the hashtag #ingenuityfest as it was installed at the 2011 Ingenuityfest in Cleveland.

Margarita Benitez is the Fashion Technologist and an Associate Professor at The Fashion School at Kent State University. She received her MFA in Art + Technology Studies through a Trustee Scholarship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition to working with fashion technology and e-textiles, versus 0:02 [gridiron] 2016 her current research explores digital fabrication in an art and design context. Her work has been exhibited nationally, internationally, and is part of museum and private collections. Markus Vogl is an Associate Professor in Graphic Design at the Myers School of Art at the University of Akron and a Northeast Ohio based multimedia artist experimenting in multiple sensory experiences combining sound, environments, and interactive installation. He holds a Masters of Fine Art degree in New Media from Donau Universitaet Krems/transart institute and has 25 years of experience in the field. www.benitezvogl.com

i<3 (i heart) 2011

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Visual Art O M I D A

S H O W C A S E

T A V A K O L I

evidence of movement and display. A delicate balance is struck here between the effort to create beautiful photographs and the impulse to comment on the way in which women are viewed and often objectified in our society. As Tavakoli delves into his subjects, he fully commits to exploring, through many striking examples, both the formal construction and the complex content of the images. Another major body of work – the Dress Series – is described by Tavakoli: The dress is a symbolic rite of passage for women. Its feminine form marks significant events throughout a woman’s life. From communion at age of seven, to school dances like Homecoming and Prom, to formal engagements, all the way to the ultimate white dress, the dress is omnipresent. The dress itself signifies gender, femininity, sexuality, and maternity. Women are conditioned to present themselves as masquerade, a performative display. Women have been subordinated throughout many cultures throughout time. The “damsel in distress” may evoke our empathy; both men and woman feel consumed, but we are socially constructed to make women feel even more confined.

Atomic photographic print on metallic paper, 44 x 44”, 2014

The work of Omid Tavakoli touches on aspects of commercial and fashion photography but ultimately serves as a collection of meaningful statements in the realm of fine art; maybe a distinction need not be made. Through a creative, skillful, and knowledgeable handling

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of his medium, he explores issues of traditional gender roles and contemporary views of societal norms. Birds of Paradise is a series that features woman in elaborate dress and makeup, and employs a long-exposure technique. The resulting images capture ghostlike

I photographed the female subjects in dazzling dresses. I then deconstruct the dress by photographing it in sections, manually manipulating the fabric. I then digitally reconstruct the dress using Photoshop® to transform it into provocative forms. The color evokes a visceral sensation. The resulting effect suggests being trapped, suffocated, limited, insignificant, and invisible in our patriarchal society.

Unreachable photographic print on metallic paper, 83 x 24”, 2013

Omid Tavakoli, born in Atlanta, Georgia, is currently a graduate student in the Kent State University Master of Fine Art Print Media program, with a focus on photography. He graduated from Cleveland State University with a major in art history and did post-baccalaureate work at the Cleveland Institute of Art. He has received numerous grants for community work, particularly in connection with the Waterloo Sculpture Garden, in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood, which he oper-

ates. He is also director of PopEye Gallery in Cleveland. His own work has been shown regionally at the Sandusky Cultural Center, The Cleveland Print Room, Cleveland State University, The Valley Art Center, Lakeland Community College, Harris Stanton Gallery, and the Slavic Village Rooms to Let installation series, among others. www.omidtavakoli.com

Plenty of Sharks photographic print on metallic paper, 44 x 44”

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AMERICAN DREAM

The

Elliott Ingersoll, Ph.D.

Part II

his is the second of my two-part article on the American Dream. If you missed part I in Around Kent Volume 15, I introduced three graduate students with very different backgrounds and images of the American Dream. Karwana, a Ph.D. student from Uganda majoring in policy studies, was living his American Dream of a graduate degree and now teaching International Politics. Ingrid, a first-generation Latino-American, is pursuing her American dream of the freedom to choose and not be tied to Hispanic culture out of

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obligation but choice as an instructor of Adult Learners. Finally, Janine, an AfricanAmerican graduate is pursuing her American dream of counseling clients who suffer from opioid addiction. I also shared that my mind/brain, for better or worse, is infected with an American dream. It is a dream of meritocracy I chase by earning a Ph.D. and working a position as a professor in university. I also have a psychological

consulting business I work at on evenings and weekends. Even though I am taxed at a rate of 40% on my consulting, I still do it because it allows me to provide better for loved ones, purchase luxury items like books, and pay for the seemingly endless physical repairs mandated by middle-aged mileage (disintegrating spinal discs), pig-headed choices (running on bad knees), and previously unknown insults like receding gums (not all recessions are financial). I had some thoughtful responses to part I of the American dream article and the ideas presented in it. Two friends, one from Canada and the other from the United Kingdom noted that I am writing a human – not just American – dream, yearning for a life guided by the richest values of humanity. Human beings gravitate toward freedom like plants toward sunlight – “freeliotopism”, my one friend calls it. I accept their point, but in true American fashion, we Americans have “branded” the idea of a life dream – the American dream – in ways ranging from passionate promises to petty propaganda. Another reader noted I had specifically addressed “baby-boomers” and the “greatest generation” and asked about “millenials’ ” American dream. To clarify, both Janine and Ingrid are “millenials”. Their generation (born between 1980 and mid-2000s) is the largest generation in our country (one-third of the population), and has the largest percentage of immigrants and children of immigrants, so their unique perspective is vital in our understanding of the topic. In this article, we will explore what Janine, Ingrid, and Karwana see as the best ways to facilitate the American dream, and the greatest threats to it.

Access to Education Without a doubt, all three students note that access to education is the greatest way to

pursue one’s American dream. Much research exists that hard work plus education are both necessary for achieving the American dream. The education level of household heads is increasingly correlated with their education level. The income gap between well educated and less educated people has grown steadily over the past fifty years. Single-parent households have increased thirty percent since 1970 and on average, earn one-third the income of dual-parent households. Given this, the American Enterprise/Brookings Working Group

“In my heart, I am American, and I believe I have a free will and can take charge of my own destiny.” RUTH OZEKI

on Poverty recommend that Americans should have access to education, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. They also assert that Americans are entitled to security from things like economic fluctuations beyond their control, and a baseline of material well-being (paired with the responsibility to provide for themselves to the best of their ability). College graduation rates have soared for students from wealthier families but, despite this, only 38% of Americans hold some form of associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Only about 8% hold a master’s degree. Although the

“sticker price” of college has also soared, the actual price has remained steady for lower or middle-income students. We need to clarify this when the costs of education are discussed. We also need to discuss innovations in student aid such as simplifying the financial aid process for low and middle income students. This costs about $100 per student, but increases college enrollments significantly. Also, at the cost of $6 per student, mailing or emailing personalized information on college options to students raises their application and enrollment rates. Although there are innovative alternatives to federal and state funding for universities, such funding is still crucial. Unfortunately, Ohio received a grade of “F” on support for public universities. Ohio legislators cut funding by 27% over the past five years. Many legislators believe, shortsightedly, that since only a minority of voters attend university, it is better for their political futures to shortchange the social mobility of all Ohioans. Such legislators need to be called out on their ignorance.

Social Mobility Intricately related to educational access is social mobility. This is the ability to increase one’s earnings to move from a lower economic stratum to a higher one. Such mobility is associated with longevity, better mental and physical health, and better options for one’s children. Intimately tied to social mobility is autonomy – independence and freedom to exercise one’s will through one’s actions. This, more than proverbial riches, is what all my students valued the most. Autonomy, in turn, is tempered by the cost of living. A Pew Charitable Trust survey found that 83% of those surveyed earned more than their parents, Continued from page 29

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Continued from page 27

Coming Together

but were not necessarily making gains. One of the ironies of the American dream is that we have a high tolerance for income inequality. The classic story is a penniless immigrant lands in America and works her way up. As she earns more, her economic situation improves. If she earns enough, she can move into a higher economic stratum. If the rules of the game are the same for everyone, this tolerance could be seen as a virtue. If, however, the rules are weighted in favor of the wealthiest, then this tolerance becomes an intolerable delusion.

In terms of solutions, all three of my students felt that people needed forums for real dialogue; non-electronic, person-to-person, safe spaces to try to understand each other. Such understanding, they said, is critical to recognizing the value of the common good; our common humanity. Karwana is the most outspoken about how Americans need to reclaim their governing representatives and come together to understand each other. He admits this is a challenge because of the influence of the “big money” given to politicians by donors and lobbyists. He believes though, that an awakening is under way. He told me that regardless of what I think about President Trump, he was elected by a disgruntled group of voters who in the past had not voted. Karwana says our best bet is to get to know these people; form relationships so that we can use that relationship to effect changes. Ingrid says that bringing more Trump voters into higher education could also work toward such understanding. Janine is most dubious. She admitted that as an African-American woman, she tends to stereotype Trump voters as misogynistic bigots and the idea of a dialogue with them seems unthinkable. She admits that her mind/brain is fueling these images, but they are also rooted in experiences of prejudice and poverty. She also says though, that if it would help, she is willing to try. Perhaps that is the type of willingness we could all emulate. The willingness, in the face of strongly held convictions, to try to understand each other. A willingness to understand each other across our financial, educational, ethnic, and racial diversity; the diversity that can be a strength or a barrier.

Erin Currier, director of the Economic Mobility Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts says that on the spectrum of economic strata, there is a lot of “stickiness” at the ends. Those born poor may do significantly better than their parents, but still be “stuck” in a low-income life. Those in the oft-mentioned 1% are more likely to stay wealthy. That “stickiness” challenges the idea of the American dream and leads many to question the reality of equal opportunity. For example, none of my federal representatives has ever been able to explain to me why my consulting earnings are taxed at 40% while someone else trading stocks in their spare time is taxed at about 25%. For that matter, I write to my “representatives” at least six times a year and pretty much get the same form letter back, no matter the content of my letters. Perhaps that tells me more than I wish to know. All three of the students described in this series stated that they recognized the need to pay taxes for the common good. They described the common good as a safety net – the protection from the economic fluctuations that are out of their control. They also felt that legisla-

“If wealth was the inevitable result of hard work and enterprise, every woman in Africa would be a millionaire.” GEORGE MONIBOT

tors have lost sight of the common person’s connection to the common good. Karwana likes to tell his students that one of the most adaptable qualities that evolved in human beings is their ability to work together. Even in an individualist culture, no person is an island, and even someone wealthy enough to own an island usually does not grow their own food or clean their own bathroom. Janine sees the loss of community as one of many variables that can drive addiction. This is why 12-step groups have always been a useful complement to therapy for many people. Ingrid described her own aggravation at the idea that under the most recent proposed tax changes, graduate students would pay taxes on tuition awards while the wealthiest among us would enjoy even more tax cuts they clearly do not need. All three agree that opportunity in their American dream is increasingly being impeded by rules weighted to favor the wealthiest.

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Don Abbott

the Snarky Gardener

FOR THE GARDENER, SEEDS ARE EVERYTHING.

They are the beginning and the end. Seeds hold infinite possibilities and endless hope. They are simultaneously fresh and ancient. Seeds are stored energy waiting for release. A solitary bean seed can produce a hundred more. All you need is sunlight, soil, and water to bring about this potential. So why do we treat them like other commodities where price is king and who produces them doesn’t matter? Much like everything else in the world, people appreciate the things they create and depreciate the items that magically appear at the store. This gardening off-season, you might pass the rack of commercially packaged seeds at the local big-box store and pick out a few packets of your favorite vegetables. Do you know where they came from? It might not seem like that is important, but seeds are different from light bulbs or T-shirts. They are living, breathing things held in stasis. Where and how they were grown will determine how they will flourish in your backyard. Back in the day, people saved their seeds year after year, observing their plants and keeping

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the best specimens. These cream-of-the-crop seeds were traded with other nearby growers to keep the genetics robust. People also passed down these special family varieties to their children and grandchildren. These “heirloom” seeds usually have a story behind them which makes them not only something to grow, but a history lesson, too. “So what’s your point to all this?” you might be asking yourself. I’m getting to it, already. Even as a novice, you can save seeds. Like many things in life, you should begin small with maybe only a single variety to start. It wasn’t too many seasons ago that I started my seed saving journey. My recommendation is to save bean seeds, especially dry bush varieties. Dry beans are eaten in soup or chili. Bush beans grow only to a height of a foot or so while pole beans grow constantly throughout the season. I obtained my first dry bush bean at the indoor Haymakers’ Farmers Market. On Breakneck Acres’ table sat several one-pound bags of Jacobs Cattle beans. Looking upon the bright, mottled burgundy and white beans, an inspirational flash hit me. Instead of eating

them, I could plant them! I knew their parents had grown up locally, as Breakneck Acres was only a mile or two away from my house. Their clay soil was my clay soil. Their winters were my winters. Their rain was my rain. And now, their beans are my beans. Here are my reasons I advise dry bush beans as your first saved seed:

The finished product can either be eaten or planted. You let the bean plants go until the bean pods turn brown and brittle, and then collect your seeds. B eans are easy to grow. Just pop them in the ground and water good, if the weather is droughty. ou can eat some of the immature beans Y green, though they may have strings. eans are self-pollinating. This means they B won’t cross easily with other bean varieties. By definition, a hybrid can’t be an heirloom. ush beans don’t need poles or other B supports.

Seeds are stored energy waiting for release. A solitary bean seed can produce a hundred more.

So, you are probably thinking, “Where can I obtain these heirloom seeds you speak of?” I’m glad you asked. Kent just happens to have its very own seed library, The Kent Free Library. With the help of the Portage County Master Gardeners and Kent Ohio Food Not Lawns (my little old chapter), it opened in the spring of 2016. The idea is to have a central place to store our community’s seeds. These are seeds donated by either local gardeners or organizations, like the Cleveland Seed Bank and the Seed Savers Exchange. Next, volunteers (like yours snarky) split them out into small packets (usually coin envelopes). A repurposed card catalog at the library is then filled with the labeled packets and organized by type (tomato, bean, lettuce, etc.) so people can check them out like a book. The hope is some of those checked out seeds are planted, saved, and returned to the library so the cycle can continue. I’ve personally donated the aforementioned Jacob’s Cattle beans, plus turnip, mustard, tomato, and pepper seeds. Continued on page 34

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to raise them properly, they must be started indoors under grow lights during February and March. The expense of all the necessary equipment, though not extreme, is still money best spent elsewhere until you are ready to make the commitment of time and resources. Starting plants is like raising infants. They need constant care (especially daily watering and artificial light). There are many sad seed starting stories out there, my friends. For the beginner, I recommend purchasing your starts from a local greenhouse (my favorite is the Garden Spot on Route 14 in Ravenna).

Continued from page 33

Back in the day, people saved their seeds year after year, observing their plants and keeping the best specimens.

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Of course, instead of using the Kent Free Library’s Seed Library, you can also purchase seeds. Believe it or not, there are regional seed companies to take advantage of the local angle I mentioned earlier. One such grower is Fruition Seeds of Naples, New York, which is just under 300 miles from Kent. Even if you can’t find local seeds, you can make them yours by saving seeds at the end of the season. Many of the seeds I purchase come from seed companies, including Johnny’s Selected Seed (of Maine) and Burpee’s. Obviously, these seeds are not Ohio-based, but after the first season, they magically are. You might have noticed I didn’t discuss saving other types of seeds. This is because when starting out gardening, it’s best to take it slow. Tomato and pepper seed are easy to save, but

So, have I convinced you to save your own seeds? I hope so, as our seed library can only get better with your support (thus my reason for writing this article). Remember, I didn’t save seeds until several years into my gardening career, and since then I’ve been selective. In order, my favorites to save are: beans; turnips (though you must leave turnip roots in the ground over the winter); garlic (which is really just planting cloves); tomatoes; peppers; mustard; lettuce; and peas. Also, if you are more experienced and are already saving seeds, the Seed Library would love your saved seed donations. The more the merrier. http://thesnarkygardener.com/2014/09/22/ how-to-save-bean-seeds/ http://thesnarkygardener.com/2015/08/27/ the-seed-library-of-the-kent-free-library/ https://www.motherearthnews.com/organicgardening/have-seed-libraries-gone-mainstream-zbcz1605 https://www.fruitionseeds.com/ http://thegardenspot-ravenna.com/

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The Last Dreamer Dr. Patrick O’Connor

The Road Less Traveled is a recurring feature that describes the path creative, interesting people took to get to where they are in life. Most creative people have traveled very interesting paths to get to where they are … usually zig-zagging a lot, shifting artistic gears, retracing steps, exploring

This Road Less Traveled is about a woman who is the last of a group of seven women who were friends, confidants, and support for each other for some 60 years. They called themselves the Dreamers, forming a bond in high school in the mid 1940s. They were “there for each other”, from high school to weddings to baptisms to funerals and everything in between. Frances Mae Resek Rottman is the last living member of the group. She is the Last Dreamer. Her Road Less Traveled is a story of friendship that was once common, but has since become so rare. It is also a story of a place and time that were once very common. It’s a story of jobs, people, families, and communities that were homogeneous and

new passions, revisiting previous works, failing a whole bunch, and generally bouncing back often. All these experiences are part of their creative profile and serve to motivate and inspire them. This feature tells that story. This issue of The Road Less Traveled explains the path of Frances Mae Resek Rottman, the last living member of the group The Dreamers.

Author note: If a reader would like to suggest someone to be considered as the subject of a future Road, e-mail the publisher at info@aroundkent.net.

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where churches, playgrounds, and schools were full. Where people were members of unions, ethnic clubs, and service groups and looked out for each other; a place and time when men worked and women managed the home; a time when mom saw kids to the bus in the morning and waited for them when the bus dropped them off; a time when there was no day care and families gathered around a radio in the evening to listen to programs such as the Lone Ranger, Fibber McGee and Molly and The Shadow, or, maybe a few families had a small black and white television and watched programs the parents wanted to watch. I t was a time when parents were in charge and kids did what they were told. A time when phrases

“

I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. — Robert Frost

”

l uck for the coming year. Family reunions and union picnics were common. Life was good. “We had no idea what would have been better,” Fran once commented for an article on the Dreamers. The Dreamers were a microcosm of their community.

like “wait ‘til your father gets home”; “children should be seen and not heard”; “no whispering at the dinner table”; “because I said so”; and “a woman’s work is never done” were common. This is the story of the Last Dreamer and of the time and place where she lived.

The Dreamers The story begins in 1943 when four high school girls in Lorain, Ohio formed a social club called the Dreamers. In the next few years, they would add a few more members, but kept the group small. They created a constitution and by-laws for the club and even a “club creed” which was recited at the first club meeting each January and at the initiation of new members. They supported each other over the years … community, home, church, and families. Weddings, baptisms, showers, birthdays, graduations, first communions, funerals, and going away parties were all celebrated together.

“Do small things with great love.” —MOTHER THERESA OF CALCUTTA

The Last Dreamer and her Great Grand-dog Daisy in June of 2017

They all grew up in the Depression and WWII, so they were used to saving and getting by with little. Hand-me-down clothes were common and stretching the budget was an art form. All were Catholic. It didn’t take a lot to make them happy … just good health for all, a nice home, and friends and family to share life together. Cooking, cleaning, and sewing were a constant. Baking was a special art to be enjoyed by all. Literally dozens of nut rolls,

cookies, fresh-baked bread, cakes, and pies were prepared to share with all family and friends, especially on holidays. Every dinner meal concluded with a dessert of some sort … always made from scratch. Every birthday was celebrated with a special birthday cake for the child, parent, relative, or friend. All religious holidays were respectfully observed; no meat was eaten on Fridays, and pork with sauerkraut was served on New Year’s Day to ensure good

I nitially, all members were called “Miss”, including new member “Miss Franny Resek”, welcomed in May of 1946. In just a few years, all would become “Mrs”. Six of the seven were married between 1947 and 1948. Miss Franny would become Mrs. Robert Rottman in May of 1948. She served as Dreamers club president in 1950. Some 50 years after they formed their club, a newspaper story chronicled their friendship. This touched a nerve with many, many people. In fact, the Dreamers became somewhat of a national story. They received quite a bit of attention, and there was talk of a possible television movie to be made about them. Some organizations wanted to acknowledge their story, so they were invited to a number Continued on page 38

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migrated in the early 1900s, e mostly from Eastern Europe.

Frances Resek and Robert Rottman Wed in May, 1948.

Continued from page 37 of special luncheons, programs, and events. They were a bit uneasy with all the attention as they just preferred to go about their daily lives with little fanfare.

Her City

and Anna Resek were typical Joe of the people living and working in Lorain. There were many ethnic social centers, such as the American Slovak Club, the Polish Club, the Italian American Society, the Croatian Club, and others. There were also many churches (29) of all denominations. The world of the working class people of Lorain revolved around family and friends, their work, their church, their ethnicity (though all fiercely loyal Americans), and their community. Most of the families were large and all lived near each other. A 1956 photo from the extended Resek family is a good indication of the size and closeness of the families of this era.

Disappearing Small Downtown America When Frances Resek was a teenager, the downtown stores of Lorain were full and people shopped them. National chain stores,

Resek Family Reunion; Approximately 1956: The Last Dreamer is Seated in the First Row, Second from the Left.

Lorain, Ohio was like other working class towns in America, up to and after WWII. Places like Flint, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Erie and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and others shared the same story. Men came home from the war, went to work, and started families. Women left the workplace, returned home, and became homemakers. The people of Lorain, like many similar towns in the Great Lakes region, made their living and livelihood from manufacturing. Thousands of men worked in steel mills, factories, and other plants. Many were first generation Americans with parents who

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After WWII, many immigrants came from Mexico and Puerto Rico and were joined by workers from Pennsylvania and West Virginia to work in auto factories. They followed the pattern set by the first wave of workers in Lorain and organized ethnic clubs, joined churches, raised their families, and celebrated their heritage in America. As such, Lorain has always been a city of many nationalities. There are approximately 55 different cultures living there. Even today, Lorain celebrates its ethnic roots with an annual International Festival (68 years in 2018) each summer. The population of Lorain was about 50, 000 in 1950 and peeked to 81,000 in 1975. At one time, there were as many as four high schools (Frances graduated from Lorain St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in 1946). Today, the population is about 65,000 and there is one high school.

Downtown Lorain, circa 1950s.

such as JC Penney, Sears and Roebuck, W.W. Woolworth, and S.S. Kresge (later K-Mart) anchored both sides of Broadway. Mixed in between them was a hearty assortment of independent stores. Small local chains like Neisners, Hough Bakery, Sutter’s Shops, and Fanny Farmer candies were there. Men and women’s clothing stores, shoe stores, restaurants, and repair shops were common. And movie theatres were a primary part of any downtown entertainment district, attracting hundreds to see the latest movies Hollywood created. In 1944, Lorain had eight movie theaters: Palace; Ohio; Tivoli; Dreamland; Lorain; Pearl; Grove; and Elvira. The Palace is the only remaining theatre, offering a limited entertainment schedule. Next to three of those theatres were the small shops owned by Mr. John Sutter.

Sutter’s Shops John and Janet Sutter had five small stores in downtown Lorain. Mostly, they were snack shops offering nuts, candies, and ice cream. They catered to movie goers as well as teenagers looking to meet up with their friends. Oddly enough, the Last Dreamer worked at the store next to the Dreamland theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1947 and reopened in the spring of 1948. Mr. Sutter and his shops would play an important part in the life of the Last Dreamer. Frances and her sister Agnes (WWII Navy veteran) worked the counter for Mr. Sutter. She and her sisters, Josephine (WWII Navy veteran) and Beatrice actually met their husbands (Bob, Leo, and Eddie) at Sutter’s snack shops. The Kent State University Fashion Museum recently had an exhibit on the clothing fashions of the 1940s. During a visit, Frances saw the women’s military uniforms from WWII, commenting “those are the exact uniforms my sisters wore!”

Mr. Sutter was well respected and revered by all employees, including Frances. He took good care of his employees and was wellknown for it. In fact, if any of the employees (mostly high school girls) needed a ride home after a late shift, he would take them home. Even though it may have only been a few city blocks and trouble was nowhere

Frances with Cleveland Indian Shortstop Omar Vizquel

ear what it is today, he would take no chances n with their safety. r. Sutter and his wife were known for their M generosity. They hosted all of their employees and their families to an annual company picnic. And, on July 25, 1948 John Sutter gave free candy to over 2,000 children attending “Kids Day” at Cleveland Stadium. The Indians won the World Series that year. Fran and all her family and friends have been life-long Indians fans … maybe this is where it all started? Fran’s love of the Indians really soared when she got to meet the Indians in the mid-1990s. It turns out, one of her special Dreamer events was lunch with the Cleveland Indians. She and the Dreamers had a wonderful time, and she got to meet her favorite player, Omar Visquel. Continued on page 40

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Continued from page 39 After high school, Frances worked at the Lorain Telephone Company until she married. Some years later, she worked both inside and outside the home as a supervisor for girls at the Lorain County Detention Center for 11 years.

“Courage is the presence of faith rather than the absence of fear” — WWII VETERAN

The Dream Continues Change was rampant in the 1960s. From bobby sox to bra-less, from the optimism of the Camelot White House to the despair of dead and wounded college students in Ohio and Mississippi (one of the students shot at Kent State University was an Eagle Scout and ROTC member from Lorain). The dream starts to erode with the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, followed by race riots across the country. Later in the 1960s, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King were assassinated. The Vietnam War was raging, and Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in 1974. It must have been difficult to be a Dreamer in the 60s and 70s. The world they knew and loved was quickly fading away. But they remained loyal friends and supported each other through these turbulent times, just as they had through other life events.

The downtown is nothing like it once was, but there are glimmers of economic opportunity. The Palace Theatre remains a centerpiece for downtown entertainment. Clubs like the American Slovak Club and others continue to thrive and the fish fry of wonderful Lake Erie yellow perch is always available … especially during Lent. Some churches and schools have closed, but many remain.

her family and friends together as possible. She has four children, eight grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Most will be able to join her. Perhaps they will all celebrate Mass together at St. Anthony of Padua Church on the east side of Lorain; her home parish for almost 70 years, where her children went to grade school and her daughters were married (including Sue and I).

Happy Birthday

She will still be in the kitchen, though in a more supportive, supervisory role. As she has for all her life, she will cherish those around her and celebrate the good times family and friends are blessed to share. She will also fondly recall the many birthday celebrations she had with her Dreamer friends and the Lorain they all loved. Most likely, they will remember her, as well. She will probably feel the same way she always has, “We had no idea what would have been better.”

The essence of the Dreamers is also still alive, although like everything, it has adjusted. Frances will be 91 years in January, 2018 and will begin her 72nd year as a Dreamer. In addition to being the Last Dreamer, she is the last of the six “Resek girls”. Her beloved “baby sister” Bea passed away in 2016. She will miss her husband, Bob, of 63 years. She will spend her birthday as she has for pretty much all of her life … with as many of

Assorted Memorabilia from the Dreamers Scrapbook Starting in 1946

Though many people have moved away, those who remain in Lorain are hopeful the city can regain its vitality. The waterfront along the Black River and Lakeview Park (on the Lake Erie shore) are once again popular gathering places for families. The historic Lorain Lighthouse remains a beacon, both literally and figuratively.

volume 16 | 2018 • www.aroundkent.net

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

New Portage Physicians

A bdelle Ferdinand Cheres, MD

is an endocrinologist specializing in adrenal disorders, types 1 and 2 diabetes, pituitary disorders, adrenal disorders, thyroid disorders, and other diseases and problems ABDELLE FERDINAND of the endocrine system. CHERES, MD She is board certified in UH Portage internal medicine. Endocrinology

Dr. Cheres completed her undergraduate studies Streetsboro, Ohio 44241 in 2005 at Oakwood Appointments: University, Huntsville, 330-422-7722 AL, and earned her medical degree from St. George’s School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies in 2009. She completed her residency in internal medicine at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, an affiliate of Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland. She served her fellowship in Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. She joined the UH Portage Medical Center staff in 2017. 9318 State Rt.14

“Patient care is a joint partnership,” Dr. Cheres says. “Working together with patients to accomplish a desired goal is of paramount importance.” Her main goal is to provide patients with accurate information about their condition or diagnosis using evidencebased medicine. In her leisure time, Dr. Cheres loves spending time with her family. She also enjoys reading John Grisham books, playing the piano and clarinet, doing various types of puzzles, and singing.

James

O gechi

Walter II, DO

JAMES WALTER II, DO

UH Portage Medical Center Orthopaedics

is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery for adult patients who have suffered a traumatic injury or a disease that interferes with finger and hand strength, function, and flexibility.

Dr. Walter earned his medical degree Ravenna, Ohio 44266 from the West UH Streetsboro Virginia School Health Center of Osteopathic 9318 State Route 14 Medicine, Streetsboro, Ohio 44241 Lewisburg, WV in Appointments: 2011. Dr. Walter 330-297-6030 completed his residency in surgery at South Pointe Hospital, Warrensville Heights, OH in 2016, followed by an orthopedic surgery fellowship at Grandview Hospital, Dayton, OH. Dr. Walter joined the UH Portage Medical Center staff in 2017. 6847 N Chestnut St

“For most medical issues, there are a spectrum of treatments, from giving it time to performing surgery,” Dr. Walter says. “Our goal is to get you better. We will work our way through the options together, trying to be the least invasive, while still getting you back to optimal health.” In his time away from work, Dr. Walter enjoys playing pickup basketball, golfing, and working out. He and his wife like trying out new local restaurants and following all the Cleveland sports teams.

Muoh, DO

OGECHI MUOH, DO

Department of

is an internal medicine physician who specializes in rheumatology, treating diseases and conditions of the muscles, bones and joints as well as certain autoimmune diseases.

A northeast Ohio native, Dr. Muoh is UH Streetsboro a 2004 graduate Health Center of Kent State 9318 State Route 14 University. She Streetsboro, Ohio 44241 earned her medical (Additional office degree from the locations offered) Ohio University Appointments: College of 440-743-8178 Osteopathic Medicine in 2008 and served her internship and residency with Summa Health System, Akron, OH. She completed her specialty training in rheumatology as a fellow at UH Cleveland Medical Center in 2014 and joined the UH Portage Medical Center staff in 2017. Rheumatology

Dr. Muoh is board certified in internal medicine. “I believe in a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating arthritis, connective tissue disease, and conditions,” Dr. Muoh says. During her time away from the office, Dr. Muoh loves to read, travel, try different foods, and spend time with her family.

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Help and Hope for Opioid Addiction Sufferers

FROM UH PORTAGE ADDICTION SERVICES IT COULD BE YOU, YOUR SPOUSE, A FRIEND. Opioid addiction crosses age, gender, and financial barriers to ensnare at-risk people from every walk and stage of life. Consider Jerry, a 46-year-old mechanic from Ravenna. A few years ago, his internal medicine physician prescribed Vicodin for Jerry to manage his arthritis pain. The active ingredient in this commonly used painkiller is the opioid, hydrocodone. This was the beginning of Jerry’s battle with opioid addiction. At the time, neither Jerry nor his doctor had any inkling his brain was prewired for addiction. Not surprising, since the concept of a physical basis for addiction still is not widely recognized, according to Renee Klaric,

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Manager, University Hospitals Addiction Services. “Although many programs continue to treat addiction as a behavior, there is extensive scientific evidence that some people’s biological makeup leaves them susceptible to opioid addiction,” she explains. “If such a person is prescribed opioids for pain relief, he or she may have a higher risk of developing chronic addiction.” With support from his family, physician, and minister, Jerry eventually was able to admit his addiction and entered UH Portage Medical Center’s Addiction Services. The service has been treating patients for drug and alcohol addiction since November, 2016. Today, Jerry is one of hundreds of patients who are managing their chronic disease

of addiction as a result of the innovative treatment the service offers. Ninety percent of patients with opioid addiction who have been treated in the hospital attend their follow-up appointment after discharge to continue their treatment. Addiction as a Chronic Disease Addiction Services’ success rests in its medical approach to addiction, Klaric says. “Based on the evidence that addiction has a physiologic basis, we recognize it as a chronic disease that requires longitudinal medical treatment,” she stresses. “Opioid addiction is not something that can be cured with behavioral therapy alone.” Treatment begins with a three- to five-day hospital stay at UH Portage Medical Center for

“Our goal is to help patients maintain the progress achieved during medical stabilization and to prevent relapse,” RENEE KLARIC MANAGER UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS ADDICTION SERVICES

medical stabilization. During this period, the patient is started on Suboxone, a prescription medication approved in 2002 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that treats withdrawal symptoms and reduces the craving for opioids.

progress achieved during medical stabilization and to prevent relapse,” Klaric says. She compares opioid addiction to other chronic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes that are managed with medication. “Opioid addiction, unlike abuse or dependence, is a chronic disease, not a behavioral choice,” she notes. “As with other chronic diseases, you don’t cure it, but the patient can successfully manage it by taking medications as prescribed, under supervision of a primary care physician.” She also is sensitive to the myriad of other issues that people with opioid addiction

often experience such as family problems, depression, employment and financial issues, and other drug and alcohol abuse. “To help individuals with these problems and increase their chances for the best possible outcomes, we refer them to the appropriate behavioral health counseling and other community resources for support as needed,” Klaric notes. For more information about Addiction Services at UH Portage Medical Center, visit http://uhportage.org, click "A" under browse services and click on "Addiction Services." or call 844-541-2087.

Addiction Services eliminates fragmented treatment and ensures continuity of care. Before being discharged from the hospital, the patient is scheduled for an appointment with a UH primary care physician who will supervise his or her long-term Suboxone treatment. To be successful, the patient must commit to taking the medication as prescribed and work with his or her physician for medication management and monitoring of any physical problems caused by long-term drug abuse. Addicts have an average of 70plus co-occurring medical conditions that require monitoring and potentially treatment. Lifelong Disease Management “Our goal is to help patients maintain the

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THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES

Paul S. Wang

Home Sweet Homepage :-) Introduction “Hello Mary, it is nice to meet you. Please (producing a business card) visit our homepage and find out all about me or my company.” Or, in an email, “Can you believe this? See it here.” Or, “Look at their menu, I am very much looking forward to our dinner together.” These days we rely on the Web every single day and it seems a computer (or smartphone) is simply a ticket to the Web. Yet, what is the Web? Where is it? Who owns it? Is it another name for the Internet? Why is it called the Web? What makes it tick? How come it is so important? Why should I care? In this 4th article of our Computational Thinking (CT) series (Vol. 13 to 15, aroundkent. net), we turn our attention to answering these questions and to ways we can make the Web work for us.

What is the Web? It’s full name is The World Wide Web (WWW) and it is just one of the services available on the Internet, along with other Internet services such as email, video chat, file transfer, and so on. Each computer connected to the Internet is called a host. The Web is part of the Internet, even though sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. Like most Internet services, the Web uses the client and server model to perform its duties. Continued on page 46

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Continued from page 45 Perhaps the easiest way to understand client and server is to look at an everyday example. We are all familiar with the retail banking service where a customer (the banking client) would visit a bank office (banking host) and seek service from a teller (the banking server). The customer transacts business with the teller using a well-defined language. This customerteller interface language (a banking protocol) involves account number, balance, deposit, withdraw, and so on. Any customer using the banking protocol can work with any teller at any bank. On the Web, the Web client is a program, known as a Web Browser (or browser for short), running on a person’s computer. And the Web server is another program running on a host computer that serves up Web contents. A person uses a browser to access the Web. Well-known browsers include Google Chrome®, Firefox®. Microsoft Edge®, Apple Safari®, and Opera®. Using a browser, you can visit any website where Web server programs are ready and waiting to render services. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the precisely defined common language spoken between a Web browser and a Web server. Like our banking protocol, HTTP enables any browser to interact with any server in a standard way. HTTPS encrypts HTTP traffic for security. Fortunately, human users don’t have to speak HTTP; using a browser, all we do is point and click plus a few occasional keystrokes and the browser does the rest.

Where is the Web? The modern Web is indeed of the people, by the people, for the people of the world. The Web exists in the form of a wide collection

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of Web server hosts located all over the world. Each server host is a computer placed on the Internet that stores contents and programming ready to handle requests from any browser (Web client) that may come along. Usually, a Web host can serve up many websites, each identified by a Web address known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Examples are:

It’s A Brand New World!

• http://amazon.com

• http://weather.com

• http://my.clevelandclinic.org

The Web bridges the gap between countries and civilizations, empowers people in cities and rural areas alike, enables individual entrepreneurship, as well as encourages free sharing of information. When is the last time you drove to different stores to find products or to compare prices, visit the library, rent a movie from a store, or buy a plane ticket from a local travel agency? Where can you find yellow pages or white pages phone books?

• http://www.kent.edu

• https://chase.com

•a nd http://aroundkent.net, the website of this magazine

The speed of the Internet makes the actual physical location of a server host less important. Still, a close-by server would deliver contents to you a bit faster than one that is on the other side of the globe. Webpages are coded in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) that uses markup tags to organize page contents such as headings, sections, paragraphs, pictures, videos, tables, and hyperlinks. Hyperlinks use URLs to connect parts of the webpage to other webpages, as well as other data/services, anywhere in the world. The hyperlinks form an extensive web structure of interconnected webpages and hence the name World Wide Web. Links to different contents such as pictures, audio, video, PDF, and other formats allow the Web to deliver any information to any visitor 24/7. What’s more, URLs can also link to services such as file download, email, phone, skype, GPS coordinates, etc. for one-click/one-tap access. How wonderful is that?

The Web brings the whole world to our fingertips and is changing our lives and the way we go about doing things in profound ways. Firing up a browser, we can shop, learn, socialize, listen to music, watch video, play games, invest, and work immediately, from anywhere at any time.

The Web is a medium for sharing. People share their pictures, funny videos, plumbing knowhow, recipes, gardening tips, DIY instructions, and so forth on the Web. Individuals sell their crafts, artistic creations, and used books, computers, and cellphones on the Web. Looking for information? Find it on the Web.

•Y ou can find images and pictures fitting your description.

•Y ou can find videos and movies to watch.

•Y ou can find products and see reviews from actual consumers who had used them.

•Y ou can find directions to any address, its GPS coordinates and navigate to that location.

•Y ou can find translations between over 100 languages and listen to their pronunciation.

•Y ou can find academic and scientific research articles/books in all fields.

Of course, you can purchase all kinds of products and services, many made available only on the Web. You can attend video conferences, do banking, get health insurance, and pay taxes (!) too. What’s more, you can even do mathematics, including algebra, trigonometry, and calculus, on the Web. See these live demos at the Institute for Computational Mathematics (Kent State University): icm.mcs.kent.edu/research/demo.html Indeed, it seems you can find anything and everything on the Web.

The Answer Is … Human beings are always curious and thirsty for information. Not so long ago, people with means displayed their prize possession, the Encyclopædia Britannica in their homes. But now, Wikipedia, created and maintained by volunteers all over the world, is free for all on the Web. No matter what questions you have or what information you are seeking, more than likely, the answers are on the Web. All you have to do is to look for it. Web search engines are built precisely for that purpose. A search engine automatically and continuously visits all parts of the Web and stores its findings in huge indexing databases, organized for fast retrieval. Just ask the right question and a search engine can find the answers for you instantly. In this new environment, good Web search skills can be very handy.

or more keywords for the search. The search engine looks for webpages containing the given keywords.

(holding down the CONTROL key and press +) and CONTROL -. On a touchscreen use the pinch/unpinch gesture.

When doing a search it is important to provide the intended context. For example, if you enter subway as the keyword, you may get info on the Subway restaurant instead of a transportation system. If you enter Indians, you may get a baseball team instead of a people.

Bookmarks bar—By placing bookmarks on the bookmarks bar, you make it easy to go to oftenused sites. Just select the URL in the Location field and drag it to the bookmarks bar. Often, the title of the bookmark is way too long. You can edit the title by right-clicking the bookmark and edit the title property.

It also helps to add year, time, location, and other qualifiers to your search to make it more specific. With a precise and unambiguous search phrase, you often can get good leads immediately. If not, looking at the search results will give you ideas to refine your search. For further information, why not look up Google search tips?

Web Browser Tips We all use Web browsers extensively whenever we get online. So it pays to know how to use browsers effectively. Here are a few pointers. Homepage—Every time a browser starts, it automatically loads a designated homepage. Why not make it the most useful site for yourself? Go to your browser control menu (usually three lines or three dots on the top right) and choose preferences to set your startup homepage.

Search Engine Tips

Sizing the browser window—Press and hold the left mouse button on the browser title bar (the topmost bar) and drag it to reposition your browser window. Drag a window border to expand or shrink the window. Right click on the title bar to maximize, unmaximize, or minimize the window.

The most popular and widely used search engine is Google®. But all Web search engines are used in entirely similar ways: You enter one

Zoom in and out—From the View menu, you can zoom in/out for a better view of page contents. From the keyboard, use control +

Links—In a webpage, text and images can be links. Hovering the mouse over a link usually shows the tooltip text telling you more about the link before you click it. Click a link to load it into the current tab. Middle-click it to open it in a new tab, right-click it to perform other operations on the link, including saving the linked-to document on your computer. Sharing—See a webpage of interest and want to share it with someone? Simply use the file menu and select email. You can also print a hardcopy or into a file. Page scrolling—The arrow keys make it simple to scroll page contents up/down left/right. Your mouse middle wheel button can scroll up/ down, too. On a touchscreen, a finger swipe achieves scrolling. When enjoying a video in full-screen mode, you can exit fullscreen with the ESC (escape) key or tapping the touchscreen. Tabs—Click on a tab to switch to it. Middleclick a tab to close it. Right-click the tab to perform other operations. Browser plugins and extensions—Go to the browser control menu and select add-ons or extensions. Finding something you like, you Continued on page 48

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Continued from page 47 can install the plugin or extension to your browser right away.

HTML for Dummies in 24 Hours and “do this yourself” is usually a mistake.

your business. This includes encouraging and responding to online feedback from your site.

In this digital age, we all want maximum functionality for our tools and gadgets. But then, many of us won’t bother reading the owner’s manual. So we end up paying a lot for a very smart device and then use it as a very dumb one. So who is cheating who? Here is a CT rule:

Make sure that your site works for both regular and mobile browsers. A 2016 The Guardian article reported:

Be Careful

CT: Learn to use your device or app, configure it to your liking, and enjoy.

Your Own Website The Web is a two-way street. You obtain info and services from it and you provide info and services to it. To do the latter, many choose to set up their own website. In planning your website, pay attention to

• What are the goals and functions you want your website to achieve?

• Who are the intended audiences?

• What contents (words, pictures, videos) will the site display?

• What operations will the site perform?

• Do you have/want a logo for your site?

• What visual feel/effect do you wish the site to convey? Warm, cool, funny, serious, friendly, official, allbusiness, or funky?

A website can easily do many things: advertising, information dissemination, selling, collecting donations, recruiting, and providing customer service. Website owners need to provide the site requirements and the contents. But then you need help from a Web developer who can do the visual design, layout, navigation scheme, and just as importantly, the programming, for you. Attempting to read

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“ Mobile devices are used more than traditional computers for web browsing, as smartphone and tablet use overtook desktop for the first time, October figures show.”

To place your website on the Web, you first need to register a domain name; something_ nice.com or another_thing.org, for example. Go to a domain name registrar to find what’s available and register. There is a small yearly registration fee (usually $15 to $30). Then you need Web hosting by a service provider such as GoDaddy.com® or Webtong.com® where you pay around $10/month for hosting services which can include email accounts for your organization, as well. Faculty and students in colleges often can place their homepages up on a school Web server for free. Remember, a website is the new front office for your organization or business. You need to make sure it gives a good impression and is always informative and up-to-date. Any inquiries from the site are received and processed quickly. Any changes in business practices, such as business hours, pricing, contact information, procedures, and so on are also reflected immediately on your website. Misinformation on your site can be a disaster and managing the website must be folded into regular routines of

Because the Web is open and world-wide, not everything you read on it is accurate or even true. Hackers can put up a fake website with little difficulty. Therefore, we must be careful when accessing the Web, when entering login information, when purchasing, and performing financial transactions. A previous article in this CT series talking about cyber security can be a good read: aroundkent.net/cyber-security--how-not-tobe-a-fish.html Teachers should worry about students copyand-pasting information in their homework or term papers. Guess what? You can find free tools, just search for “best tools to check for plagiarism”. Pictures and videos can be altered digitally. News can even be based on rumors. When in doubt, do a Web search and you can soon find the truth.

Summary In summary, the Web is part of the Internet where Web hosts store and provide information and programming. The Web has these important technological ingredients: Web browsers—The user agents for the Web functioning as a Web client Web servers—Programs running on Web hosts that deliver Web contents and services HTTP—The hypertext transfer protocol is the language between Web servers and clients.

HTML—The hypertext markup language is used to code webpages. URL—The Uniform Resource Locator is used to link to all kinds of content and services. Domain names—Registered Web addresses belonging to individuals and organizations. Yet, the most important part of the Web is human contributions: We all do our part to make the Web useful and beneficial for everyone. That is sweet, indeed. I hope you find this article useful and please feel free to give your feedback to me at pwang@cs.kent.edu. I look forward to continuing this series of articles on CT. The book From Computing to Computational Thinking can be ordered at: computize.org

A Ph.D. and faculty member from MIT, Paul Wang became a Computer Science professor (Kent State University) in 1981, and served as a Director at the Institute for Computational Mathematics at Kent from 1986 to 2011. He retired in 2012 and is now professor emeritus at Kent State University.

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LOCAL MUSIC RELEASES BOBBY SELVAGGIO Bobby Selvaggio’s Transcendental Orchestra project was conceived a few years ago with a performance at Severance Hall as a preconcert event before the Cleveland Orchestra. Bobby composed Jazz music that incorporated his Jazz Quartet with a String Quintet that was an eclectic mix of the stylings of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Funk, and Indian/Middle Eastern music. For his Quantum Man recording project, Bobby added Jamey Haddad on percussion and his wife Chelsea on voice to round out the colors and sounds he was hearing. One of his goals was to integrate the String Quintet in such a way that the compositions only work with every element playing, which makes the Transcendental Orchestra a truly unique experience. Bobby was signed by Dot Time Records. www.bobbyselvaggio.com

THE SPEEDBUMPS MO’ MOJO Mo’ Mojo is a hard driving, high energy, Zydeco-based “Party-Gras” Band. The female fronted group features three-part harmonies, accordion, fiddle, guitar, rubboard, sax, trumpet, harp, bass, percussion, and drums. The band visited 8 countries in 2014 – 15 (from Central America to Central Asia), spreading the Zydeco gospel as “Cultural Ambassadors” for the U.S. State Department. The new album has a dozen songs: nine originals; two Zydeco standards meant to pay homage to the musical tradition; and one part cover/part original medley based off of Bob Marley’s, “Stir It Up.” It features a Zydeco-base that blends in reggae, Cajun, blues, instrumental, and indie sounds.

The new album from the Speedbumps “When The Darkness Comes” is a true reflection of the band’s progression from friends writing songs together on the Kent State University campus to an award-winning, nationally touring artist. Unlike any of their previous work, “When The Darkness Comes” uses haunting vocals and electric guitars to build tension within the songs. It's the first album with drummer Danny Jenkins and vocalist Bethany Svoboda both who add a new perspective to the band’s unique style. Written during 2016, there’s a political undertone to the record without it feeling preachy. The Speedbumps look to attain a new group of fans from this release while satisfying its passionate fanbase that has kept the group together for the better part of a decade. www.thespeedbumps.com

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SHIVERING TIMBERS SAMUEL SALSBURY AND MIKE HOVANCSEK The Market of Kashi is a tribute to the human spirit, blending traditional Indian and East Asian influences into an experience that is both lively and meditative. Featuring a diverse array of instruments from around the world – including violin, guitar, sarangi, koto, and sitar – this acoustic collaboration moves from joy to reflection to celebration, reflecting the sacred journey toward self-realization. The collaboration between Mike and Samuel was born from their shared interest in experiential, multicultural music and instruments. Together they mine elements of music from around the world to find, not only common ground, but the sacred essence within. Plan for a journey into the unexpected, one that could shift and flow with your interaction. You may find yourself drawn into deep meditation – or exploding into a tribal dance. Regardless, it will be an exotic, rich and lovely journey. More details on “The Market of Kashi” can be found here: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ samuelsalsburyandmikehov

is Sarah Benn, Jayson Benn, joined by Daniel Kshywonis, musicians who call Akron, Ohio home. Our story developed when we — Sarah and Jayson Benn — started singing and crafting songs for our then-infant daughter. As she grew, the music began to take shape and a band was born. Our music was discovered by our friend Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) when we were invited to perform at his birthday party. The first album was subsequently recorded at Auerbach’s Akron studio, a collection of home-spun dark folk songs and fractured fairy tales called “We All Started in the Same Place”.

JACK KIDNEY

MIKE HOVANCSEK, MARGOT MILCETICH AND BRAD BOLTON Gayatri by Margot Milcetich, Mike Hovancsek, and Brad Bolton. Gayatri is a traditional Sanskrit chant, recorded on the CD with an original arrangement. The piece was recorded for use in yoga, meditation, and other deep listening experiences. Margot Milcetich performed vocals, harmonium, and chime. Mike Hovancsek performed classical guitar, slide guitar, koto (plucked, hammered, and bowed), sitar, cello, waterphone, water drum, and ragini. Brad Bolton played guitar, bass, and DingDrum.

Jack Kidney’s first solo effort. All songs and compositions by Jack Kidney. He also plays all the instruments on this recording. Players: Jack Kidney – guitar, vocals, keyboards, harmonica, tenor sax Track List: Without You, Take It In Stride, Borders End, Footprints On The Moon, First Take, Circus Work, Callin for Rain, Sealin Up The Past

Continued on page 54

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Continued from page 53

THE OUTSIDE VOICES HEY MAVIS Americana-folk band “Hey Mavis” was born in 2009 as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park artist-in-residence program. Producer Don Dixon (REM/Smithereens/Red Clay Ramblers) “discovered” the group on a Michael Stanley Christmas compilation CD and immediately agreed to produce their debut album, Red Wine. The CD quickly climbed the national Folk DJ-L radio charts, peaking at #5 for overall artist while the songs “Red Light” and “Red Wine” peaked at #5 and #9. The CD finished the year at #13 in Folk Alley’s “Top CD’s of 2010” alongside new releases by Tim O’Brien, Peter Rowan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Chieftains, and Bob Dylan.

The Outside Voices’ Big, Big EP is the 4-song follow up to the band’s 2017 debut, Hound Dogs. The songs were recorded last summer at Amish Electric Chair Studios in Athens, Ohio, working with producer and engineer Neil Tuuri for the second time. Each song is uniquely different from the next. The five-piece outfit from Kent made a concerted effort to branch out creatively from their previous release, introducing elements of pop, grunge, and psychadelia to their 70s inspired sound. www.theoutsidevoicesband.com

Jackleg is Robert’s first solo effort. All songs and compositions were written and performed by Robert on acoustic guitar, with only two edits. Tony Maimone recorded and produced the album. It is released by Exit Stencil Records on both the CD and LP formats. Players: Robert Kidney – guitar, vocals

MIKE HOVANCSEK AND MARGOT MILCETICH Samadhi is an album of music for meditation, yoga, and other kinds of deep listening. It includes abstract, multicultural music and traditional Sanskrit chants. On this CD Mike Hovancsek played sitar, cigar box guitar, koto, gongs, chimes, plucked piano, classical guitar, e-bow guitar, water glasses, bells, zils, Native American flute, drone vocals, waterphone, water drum, frame drum, and balafon. Margot Milcetich performed vocals and harmonium.

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ROBERT KIDNEY

Track List: Big Paradise, Wolf, Back to Disaster, Red Stick, Empty Blues, Blue Collar, No Lock No Key, Rosalee, You Know Me, Heaven’s Day. Listen to the album on Spotify, Download from itunes or Buy on Square

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