May 2021 Akron Life Magazine

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 5

ON A

MISSION

Locals persist against the odds

MAY 2021

POWER MOVES A DANCE CENTER SHAKES UP THE NATIONAL MODEL PLAY GROUND ENTERTAIN KIDS WITH FUN SUMMER CAMPS

SPRING GLOW REVIVE SKIN AT A MED SPA

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MAY 2021 $3.95

Meet KIMMY HENDERSON of the Bipolar Butterfly Project photo by Tylar Sutton

Spree

All

FITNESS and FUN for EVERYONE!

visit spreeforall.summitmetroparks.org 330-867-5511 | # SMPspree

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MAY 2021 | VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 5

Pages start here

On The Cover

| 22 Personalities | photo by Tylar Sutton

[ FEATURE ]

22 ON A MISSION It takes strength to persist against the odds. These locals have thrived in the face of danger, illness and displacement. Read their stories of hope, community and purpose.

Kimmy Henderson photo by Tylar Sutton

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AROUND TOWN

AGENDA

UNTAPPED

National Center for Choreography Akron

[ the essential social digest ]

Grapefruit Goggle Fogger

[ DEPARTMENTS ]

08 MAIL BONDING

12 AROUND TOWN An Akron dance center shakes up the national model.

09 FROM THE PUBLISHER Start Your Engines

14 AGENDA [ the essential social digest ] 15 Entertainment listings

10 RADAR

+ Calendar of events

48 GOOD EATS

Brave Face

28 FOREVER YOUNG Build strength at any age with these exercises and tips.

34 EDUCATION Entertain kids with fun summer camps.

[ seen + heard ]

11 UPFRONT

Special Sections

[ notable food + drink ] 48 Restaurant listings 49 Uncorked: Knotty Vines 50 Untapped: Fat Head’s Brewery’s Grapefruit

40 HOME & GARDEN Maintain your lawn with this seasonal checklist.

Goggle Fogger

51 PARTING SHOT Happy Days Lodge

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44 BEAUTY GUIDE Revive dull skin at a med spa.

PAGES MAIL BONDING

Tell us what's on your mind.

The Pets Issue

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 4

APRIL 2021

SOAK UP FRESH FOOD AND ART IN

CUYAHOGA FALLS

Comments? Got something to say about an article you read in Akron Life?

Or maybe you want to tell us about something great happening in the area.

Send comments and suggestions to: Akron Life, 1653 Merriman Road, Suite 116, Akron, OH 44313, and please include your name and address.

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ENJOY OUTDOOR FUN IN

AMISH COUNTRY CAVS STAR

LARRY NANCE JR. ON GIVING & RESILIENCE

By My Side 5 pet companions that bring joy & healing

Meet THEO and his mom, MEGHAN, on page 22.

We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity.

photo by Tylar Sutton

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akronlife is published monthly by Baker Media Group, LLC, 1653 Merriman Road, Suite 116, Akron, OH 44313. Copyright 2021© by Baker Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permission. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by an addressed envelope and sufficient postage.

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PAGES FROM THE PUBLISHER

[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Start Your Engines May revs up memories of adventure and fun.

To most people, spring prompts the excitement of the garden beginning to grow and the kids getting anxious for summer break.

Yes, I do enjoy spring, and there is no doubt that the sun coming out after a long gray winter is incredible. But for me, May has always been about motor sports.

The Indy 500 is a monthlong event, with the race usually the last Sunday of May. Despite growing up in a racing family, I have never actually been to the Indy 500. I never really wanted to get stuck in all those hours of gridlock and traffic from getting 500,000 people through Indianapolis. You also get a better view on TV. My dad raced Formula Ford at Nelson Ledges Road Course in Garrettsville and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington. We spent most of our weekends at a racetrack. When my brother and I were old enough, we started racing quarter midgets, which are go-karts with a roll cage, at the Akron Quarter Midget Club on Eastwood Avenue next to the old East Drive-In in Tallmadge.

I first drove a quarter midget when I was 4 years old. My brother, who is two years older than me, would race on Sunday afternoons, and afterward, I would have a chance to drive. I was told that I would run into the walls because I got distracted watching the drive-in movie when it started in the early evening.

With my brother and I both racing, we spent a lot of time at the Akron Quarter

Midget Club, which had a 1/20 of a mile oval track. There is a strip mall there now, but that plot of land is sacred to me.

When my dad would get off work in the evening, we would load up the midgets, fill the tanks with gas and drive until we either ran it dry or it was too dark to see.

I fell in love with racing then, and my brother and I would dream about racing in the Indy 500 one day.

Even though the Akron Quarter Midget Club is long gone, I still have those memories of joy and excitement as a child.

To learn about some fun opportunities for your child this summer, check out our camps guide on pg. 34, for a chance to

immerse them in nature, science or magic, or even build their own Soap Box Derby race car.

I never did make it as a driver in the Indy 500. I went the sports car and endurance racing routes, and I got to live out a childhood dream.

Now every May is a magical time that takes me back to that little oval racetrack on Eastwood Avenue.

[

Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead.

]

Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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PAGES RADAR

[ by Alexandra Sobczak ] seen + heard

Wonders by Women Female creators and entrepreneurs now have a creative space just for them at Market House in North Hill. The complex has professional equipment in the makerspaces in the attic and basement, a gathering space, day care and two offices open for community use. The North Akron Community Development Corporation is behind the women’s empowerment program that launched in March, as well as NoHi, the Exchange House and NoTique, which serves as a retail space for unique items crafted in the Market House, like children’s clothing made

by Heather Waltz. northakroncdc.org

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Zip Along Hop on an orange-and-gray electric scooter to explore downtown and move quicker than your own feet can take you. Find Spin scooters, which cost $1 to rent and between 29 and 39 cents per minute, around Main Street and on The University of Akron’s campus. Zip from the Akron-Summit County Public Library to Luigi’s Restaurant and other urban locales. spin.app Breeze Way As the sun shines and the trees turn green, more art breezes into the open air. The Akron Art Museum’s newest outdoor exhibition, “The 10,000 Things” by Cleveland artist Jordan Wong, pops up amongst the native grasses and flowers in the Bud and Susie Rogers Garden starting May 27.

“The 10,000 Things” melds inspiration from Asian art with graphic design, iconographies and the artist’s musings on triumph and growth. It features brightly colored large-scale vinyl print works by Wong, whose mural in Cleveland Public Square included robots and animal deities. Look for a companion indoor Akron exhibit opening Sept. 6. akronartmuseum.org

PAGES UPFRONT

[ Managing Editor | Kelly Petryszyn | kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com ]

Brave Face We can beat fear. whether it be because of a job, environment or inequality. On pg. 22, our personality stories feature people who have triumphed through struggle.

I spoke to Tim Dimoff, a former Akron cop who now trains the public on safety through his company, SACS Consulting & Investigative Services. He helped me challenge the notion that we are powerless in the face of fear. He explains that training can reduce the harm of a situation, giving the example of creating a distraction by throwing objects at a nearby shooter.

“Fifty-four percent of the active shooter events are over in five minutes or less,” Dimoff says. “So we’re buying time. If we can delay just a few minutes, we can save a lot of lives.”

It started with a simple problem. My friend was leaving my Lakewood apartment years ago and called to tell me that her car wouldn’t start.

It took me a minute to put on shoes and walk down the dark street to her car.

But I was too late — she was robbed at gunpoint. Panic and terror overcame me as she recounted what happened and that the suspects fled with her things. We sobbed as multiple police cruisers flashing red and blue pulled up. Utterly shook up, my friend, myself and my roommate gathered in the living room until the wee morning hours as officers took a report. Our hopes of getting justice were high, but the suspects were never found.

When trauma happens to us, we hear about it from a friend or we see it in the news, it makes us feel powerless.

This past year, many have felt their safety threatened and perhaps for the first time, many have lived in a state of trauma. While it will pass for most, the reckonings have taught us that for some, challenges persist,

He adds that educating yourself is so important because you can’t think clearly during chaos.

I know that’s true. On the night of the robbery, I was shaking and crying so much that it felt like a blur. Afterward, I was on edge, always looking over my shoulder when I parked my car on the street. And then there was the blame. I felt so guilty that one of my close friends underwent such a frightening situation while visiting me. I kept thinking, If I got there faster, maybe I could have stopped them or she wouldn’t have had to endure that trauma alone. But then my mind would flip, If I intervened, would they have shot me?

I used to work in downtown Cleveland, and my car was broken into twice. Both times, I felt violated. Someone had been in my personal space and had rifled through all my belongings. Same as my street, as I walked to my parking lot, I kept looking around, expecting them to come back. The thoughts were constantly pulsing through my mind: I’m not safe. I’m scared.

As Dimoff recounted stories of how training saves lives during the interview, I was rendered speechless. Fear doesn’t have to own our lives, and action, when possible, can squash it.

“I have found out that the people that are scared are the ones that have no clue on what they would do,” Dimoff says.

“Knowledge is king.”

Fear has taken over during the pandemic.

There’s the fear we could get COVID19, fear for the safety of our family and friends, fear our lives will never be the same. Dimoff made me see that we do have power — the power to social distance, follow safety guidelines and wear masks, and power to get vaccinated and be protected.

In last year’s personality issue, an intensive care unit nurse told Akron Life what helped her was her department’s mantra of “Faith over fear.” We still need that. We have to have faith that if we take these measures, we will make it.

That perseverance can be seen in the other people in this year’s personality feature — an artist who has bipolar disorder but has channeled it into public art that raises mental health awareness and a former Bhutanese refugee who is helping new Americans learn about farming and sharing their culture.

So I hope these stories inspire you and remind you that we don’t have to be defeated in our fear. We have the strength and power to prevail.

[

Managing Editor Kelly Petryszyn is an adventure seeker, forever a dreamer and an avid supporter of #TeamFiona.

]

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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AROUND TOWN

[ by Kelly Petryszyn and photos by Dale Dong Photography ]

Power Moves The National Center for Choreography Akron shakes up the industry standard.

As choreographer Dominic MooreDunson was finishing a residency at the acclaimed Jacob’s Pillow dance center in Massachusetts, the Akron native returned home and needed a space to continue his work. He got a research residency with the National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron — one of only two in the country — in August 2019 and has since collaborated with the center to elevate dance as an art form.

“Having NCCAkron as an asset is major for me as a creator because it’s the only space I can get my hands on,” he says.

“We’re coming together to say, What can we do with dance in this city to make a real big impact artistically?”

With seven state-of-the-art studios in Guzzetta Hall on campus, NCCAkron has been working since 2015 to develop a thriving, more equitable dance ecosystem, both locally and nationally. It has worked with over 200 artists through programs that offer them time, resources or space, including residencies and Dancing Labs, which provide opportunities for diverse artists to explore important issues or ideas together.

A.I.M in rehearsal at NCCAkron in August 2019

2023. NCCAkron is publishing its findings in University of Akron Press books, which come out in 2023.

“Going into COVID-19, 80 percent of the dancing field was operating on a project basis. That meant they didn’t have full-time employment,” Bolingbroke says.

“Our very first Dancing Lab was about elevat- After NCCAkron surveyed artists, a focus of ing female choreographers and female voices,” the project became developing a model for says Christy Bolingbroke, executive and artis- dance to become a sustainable career path. tic director of NCCAkron. “Women are the “This is a hard life,” she says. “We need to majority of the workforce in dance, but we’re disrupt the starving artist archetype.” actually the minority of the story.”

Moore-Dunson can attest that it’s tough, as As NCCAkron celebrated its fifth his family of three recently got outbid on anniversary in December 2020, it launched a fourth house in five weeks. But it helps its biggest challenge to the status quo yet: that Moore-Dunson, who is one of the only the three-year Creative Administration Black choreographers in Akron, has found Research project, a national think tank a support system through NCCAkron’s allowing 20 dance artist teams to investigate current Dancing Lab, called BLKmenMoves, and brainstorm new administrative models. in which choreographers virtually discuss Funded by a $750,000 Andrew W. Mellon their positions as one of few Black male Foundation award, it culminates with choreographers in their midsized cities. national summits in Akron in 2022 and 12

akronlife.com | MAY 2021

“There’s these questions, like, Are we getting these opportunities because we are good at what we do or because as a presenter institution, you want to make sure you look woke?” says Moore-Dunson, who is also a co-founder of the Akron Black Artist Guild.

Listen in on a virtual Dancing Conversation June 17 with the BLKmenMoves artists, as well as one May 20 with choreographer Liz Lerman on a piece she’s creating about the demonization and invisibility of aging women. The Dancing Conversations series builds upon NCCAkron’s Dance Club format, in which people see and discuss performances, to increase accessibility and understand how much goes into creating a dance.

“Dance needs audiences,” says Bolingbroke, adding that every estimated minute performed onstage takes at least eight hours in the studio. “We’ve been really working to advocate for that by inviting people to be curious and to be open-minded to the possibility of movement.”

AROUND TOWN

below: Dominic Moore-Dunson Inside the Dancer’s Studio in 2020

above: Creating the film, “But First,” in collaboration with Mike Esperanza and Erin Brown Thomas in 2018

Rehearsal with Alanna Morris-Van Tassel and Ashwini Ramaswamy at NCCAkron in 2019 photo by W. Tanner Young

Tigre Bailando and Micah “Just Jamz” Abbrey creating the film, “Chrysalis,” in 2018

Moore-Dunson keeps impact in mind as he is using his residency and two days of studio time a week to develop two big projects: a newer two-year project about law enforcement and their relationship with the Black community in Akron and the second installment of a six-year-long work, titled “Artie & the Black Card,” created with Kevin Parker.

“It has been a result of my personal story about growing up in Akron and being a Black boy who loves to play soccer and loves to dance but was told at lunchtime one day that that wasn’t Black enough,” he says of the latter project.

Authenticity is important to him, so he’s planning to meet with community members to discuss Black identity.

“I start asking people questions about specific experiences and kind of let what they’re saying help me understand what I’m doing in the studio,” he says.

He’s proud that the projects can allow him to hire about 20 Black musicians, dancers and playwrights for the works that have potential premiere dates in 2023. “Artie & the Black Card” already has national venues lining up, and Moore-Dunson is readying to get his important message out through dance.

“I’m going to embark on the two biggest projects of my young career,” he says. “I can spend years researching, thinking, messing with choreography, so when I’m presenting it to someone, this is my most thought-out letter to the audience.”

[

Managing Editor Kelly Petryszyn is an adventure seeker, forever a dreamer and an avid supporter of #TeamFiona.

]

Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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AGENDA

MAY 2021 | VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 5

Agenda the essential social digest

5/8-6/16 “Rebecca Cross: Suspended Animations” This exhibit features large-scale drawings and installations portraying the current state of the environment. A podcast interview with Cross is at noon May 18. Massillon Museum, Studio M Gallery, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon. Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m. Free. massillonmuseum.com

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AGENDA

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS on akronlife.com or email asobczak@bakermediagroup.com. children’s librarians or various book talks via videos on its Facebook page. Books are available inside or for curbside pickup. facebook.com/akronlibrary

NOTE: Dates, events, locations, times and prices are subject to change. Please call ahead.

Akron Zoo Visit the zoo via Zoom to enjoy live keeper talks, animal encounters and presentations from local experts. akronzoo.org

REMOTE

The Americana Roundup

Akron Art Museum Explore the museum’s collections online. Kiddos and those wanting to get creative can craft via video lessons. akronartmuseum.org/at-home

Akron Civic Theatre The Civic has an assortment of live performances from all over with its Live Virtually portal. Check its Facebook every week for local musicians’ streams, events, stage shows and other performances. facebook.com/akroncivic

Akron musician Ryan Humbert launched an online radio station, The Americana Roundup, which plays more than 3,000 songs he handpicked. The station plays all day and focuses on rock, country, folk and more. americanaroundup.com ArtsInStark Check Facebook for videos with fun things to do at home including crafts and dance lessons, music performances and book readings. facebook.com/ artsinstark

Akron Soul Train

Apollo’s Fire

View video profiles from past, current and future Soul Train artists-inresidence. facebook.com/akronsoultrain

Indulge in music, art and literature with the Music for the Soul video series from the Cleveland Baroque orchestra.

The group posts past concert videos, interviews with people like the Grammy Award-winning conductor Jeannette Sorrell and related readings. See shows through a digital portal or socially distanced in person. apollosfire.org

Akron-Summit County Public Library Sit the kids down for regular storytimes with

Blu Jazz Jazz enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite tunes through livestreams on Blu’s Facebook page and support local artists. facebook.com/blujazzakron

Canton History Canton museums got together to regularly provide online content via social media. Engage with the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum on Mondays, the Paul Brown Museum at the Massillon Museum on Tuesdays, the National First Ladies’ Library on Thursdays, the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Fridays and the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum on Saturdays.

Visit each museum’s Facebook page for updates.

Canton Symphony Orchestra The orchestra is offering fun ways to connect virtually. Watch mini concerts and learn about the issue of diversity in classical music during the “Orchestrating Change” podcast. cantonsymphony. org

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MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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AGENDA

Cleveland Orchestra Connect with the orchestra via the streaming platform Adella to access new performances recorded in Severance Hall through the In Focus series, as well as the “On a Personal Note” podcast that’s about classical music. clevelandorchestra.com

Gage House Sessions Grab your favorite drink and enjoy an evening with local musicians via Gage House’s live sessions.

Check out previous shows from artists including Madison Cummins and Ben Gage, who both make for evenings of soothing tunes. facebook.com/ gagehousesessions

Jilly’s Music Room The Akron music venue is hosting select Streaming Saturdays on its YouTube channel. Watch the livestreams and visit the online store to order dinner, tip the band, make a donation and buy merchandise. jillysmusicroom.com Magical Theatre Co. The Barberton theater company is offering game nights and educational videos. Children can also enjoy stories read by local theater veterans during Magical Storytime. magicaltheatre.org

Summit County Historical Society of Akron, OH Learn about historical figures on their birthdays, join virtual book talks, view artifacts and more on the Summit County Historical Society’s Facebook page. facebook.com/ summitcountyhistoricalsociety Summit Metro Parks Explore many different topics, including animals, plants, different habitats and more, through virtual events. summitmetroparks.org

Up Front Art Space This Cuyahoga Falls gallery is sharing photos and videos of artwork for sale to support local creatives. facebook. com/upfrontartspace

Virtual Jukebox Dance and sing along to videos made by local artists.

You may have heard some of these 330 artists, like Jim Ballard, Shelby Olive and Adrian Labra on 90.7 and 91.3 Summit FM radio waves in the past. Check out the 50plus videos to enjoy your favorites and discover new sounds. the330.net/virtual-jukebox

Wandering Aesthetics Theatre

Nightlight Cinema Purchase tickets to rent movies online through the Akron art house cinema’s virtual screening room — you’ll have access to the films at nightlightcinema. com/virtual-screening-room.

Ohio Shakespeare Festival Check out its new venture, Ohio Shakespeare Festival Radio Plays, in which the troupe adapts plays and short stories for livestreaming. facebook. com/ohioshakespeare

Go on this Akron troupe’s Facebook page for performance videos from members and fans — it could be play readings, poetry, comedy, puppets, dance or whatever else artists submit. facebook.com/ watheatre

Weathervane Playhouse Sign up for virtual workshops and classes for all ages that focus on dancing, acting and more. Also check out short films on the theater’s YouTube channel. weathervaneplayhouse.com

Radio on the Lake Theatre The Shaker Heights-based organization utilizes modern technology to connect with actors, directors and artists from throughout the country to perform and record radio plays. radioonthelaketheatre.org

Rubber City Theatre Dive into the world of online theater with its Shakespeare in the Living Room series in which professional actors perform Shakespearean works using props they found lying around their homes. facebook.com/rubbercitytheatre

Standing Rock Cultural Arts Enjoy a podcast of “Arcade Cheezy Town,” a play written and performed by students in the New World Children’s Theatre based in Kent. standingrock. podbean.com

OPEN INS TITUTIONS Akron Art Museum

The museum has reopened, allowing you to view art safely. 1 S. High St., Akron.

Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., second Friday of each month 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. akronartmuseum.org

Akron Zoo Visit the zoo to see your favorite animals while social distancing. 505 Euclid Ave., Akron. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free members, $8 adults. akronzoo.org

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Get outside, breathe fresh air and explore one of the many areas of the park. Check out its social media and website for up-to-date info before visiting. nps.gov/cuva/ index.htm

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Take a ride through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park while enjoying a drink, a special program or simply taking in the sights of the park. cvsr.org Hale Farm & Village Explore our area’s history by purchasing required timed tickets in advance. Masks are required. Additional guidelines are available online. 2686 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free members, $12 adults. halefarm.org

Kent State University Museum View collections of historic fashion and textiles, and view work from modern designers and artists. Timed tickets are available on the museum website. 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent. Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-4 p.m. Free, students, staff and all on Sundays, $6 general public. kent.edu/museum Massillon Museum The museum provides a comfortable and safe venue for visitors. See exhibits like “Women of Resilience,” “Rebecca Cross: Suspended Animations,” “Accessible Expressions Ohio” and “Massillon’s Pro and Semi-Pro Teams, 1890-1926.” Masks and social distancing are required. 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon. TuesdaySaturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m. Free. massillonmuseum.org

McKinley Presidential Library & Museum The museum is open with limited hours.

Each day between noon and 1 p.m., the building is closed to disinfect public spaces.

Visitors can choose a morning or afternoon time to help maintain proper social distancing. Guests are not permitted to leave in the morning and come back in the afternoon. 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton. Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. $10 adults. mckinleymuseum.org

The National First Ladies’ Library The site’s Education Center is open Wednesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Saxton House remains closed. 205 S. Market Ave., Canton. Free. firstladies.org

Canton Museum of Art Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens The North American Reciprocal Museum Association is offering virtual tours of the first floor of the Manor House at Stan Hywet. Guests can tour the most impressive floor without leaving their homes. stanhywet.org

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With limited capacity and shorter hours, the museum welcomes visitors. The extra off-hours allow plenty of time for cleaning areas before, during and after opening.

Timed tickets are available on the museum website.

1001 Market Ave. N, Canton. Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday 1-5 p.m.

Free members, for all on Thursdays and the first Friday, otherwise $8 nonmembers. cantonart.org.

Portage Parks Get some fresh air by exploring 14 miles of hike and bike paths. Visit the website for a suggested calendar of remote outdoor activities to keep the kiddos engaged. portagecounty-oh.gov/portage-park-district

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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AGENDA

Pro Football Hall of Fame Explore Canton’s roots as the birthplace of the NFL. There are social distancing measures and occupancy restrictions.

The museum is giving out masks. 2121 George Halas Drive NW, Canton. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free members, $28 adults. profootballhof.com

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens The Manor House tours are self-guided, while there are guided outdoor tours.

Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As with the entire estate, Molly’s Shop and Cafe is open with procedures in place to ensure social distancing. 714 N. Portage Path, Akron.

Free members, $15 nonmembers. stanhywet.org

Stark Parks Get outside and explore more than 25 park locations. Get info on activities for you or the kids on the website. starkparks.com

Summit Artspace Head to the galleries to view exhibits or shop. 140 E. Market St., Akron. Saturdays 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. summitartspace.org

Summit County Historical Society of Akron, OH Visit the Summit County Historical Society grounds for free during the day. 550 Copley Road, Akron. summithistory.org

University Museum features an exhibit by award-winning designer and associate professor Vincent Quevedo that references the goddess of luck and fate. Tickets must be purchased in advance online. Kent State University Museum, Higbee Gallery, 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent. Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., Sunday noon-4 p.m. Free, students, staff and all on Sundays, $6 general public. kent.edu/museum Through 5/23 “Women of Resilience” This exhibit features the work of 25 female artists in various mediums, focusing on ideas such as personal empowerment, overcoming barriers and more. Massillon Museum, Aultman Health Foundation Gallery, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon. Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m. Free. massillonmuseum.com

Through 6/26 “The Art of Y” The Akron Area YMCA celebrates its 150th anniversary by partnering with Summit Artspace for an exhibit in which community members created pieces of art that include the letter “Y” to tell their own stories. View virtually or in person. Summit Artspace, Main Gallery, 140 E. Market St., Akron. Saturdays 11 a.m.5 p.m. Free. summitartspace.org Through 6/30 Charge Community Scavenger Hunt Download the Charge app to participate in this community-wide scavenger hunt hosted by the Canton Charge. Scan QR codes at local businesses on the list and receive prizes for hitting certain milestones. Canton. gleague.nba.com

Summit Metro Parks

Through 7/3 “Collection Gems: Celebrating 85 Years of CMA” For this

Head outdoors and soak up some natural vitamin D by exploring several scenic parks. Go to the website to find activities, including the yearlong Centennial Tour in which you visit all 20 parks for a prize to commemorate the park district’s centennial anniversary. summitmetroparks.org

anniversary exhibit, the Canton Museum of Art’s Volunteer Angels and staff have chosen their favorite pieces from the museum’s collection. Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave., Canton. Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday 1-5 p.m. Free members, $8 adult nonmembers. cantonart.org

E VENT S Through 5/2 All City Art Walk Stroll through downtown Cuyahoga Falls to explore the student art on display during the sixth annual event presented by the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center. See 10 digitally printed banners that make up a quilt, search for pinwheels in business window displays, check out the studentmade Bipolar Butterfly Project display at Up Front Art Space and pick up takeand-make kits to craft on your own. Free. cfallsartwalk.weebly.com 18

Through 5/16 “Fortuna: Designs

by Vincent Quevedo” The Kent State

akronlife.com | MAY 2021

Through 7/3 “Massillon’s Pro and Semi-Pro Teams, 1890-1926” Visit the Paul Brown Museum within the Massillon Museum to see photos and learn info about various local football teams throughout the years. Massillon Museum, Paul Brown Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon.

Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m. Free. massillonmuseum.com Through 7/3 “Mort Künstler: ‘The Godfather’ Of Pulp Fiction Illustrators” This exhibit features more than 70 original drawings and paintings first seen on magazines and paperbacks in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave., Canton.

Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday 1-5 p.m. Free members, $8 adult nonmembers. cantonart.org

Through 7/3 “Play Like a Girl: Massillon Women’s Tiger Teams from Gym Class to Title IX” Head to the Paul Brown Museum at the Massillon Museum to see this new exhibit about Massillon’s history of women’s sports.

Massillon Museum, Paul Brown Museum, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon. TuesdaySaturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m. Free. massillonmuseum.com Through 7/3 “Tomorrow… An Unknown Quantity: The Work of Lee Kessler” View the work of this Canton native in this exhibit that’s a collaboration between the Canton Museum of Art, the Maps Air Museum and the Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Kessler created drawings and painted on planes during WWII. Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave., Canton. Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday 1-5 p.m. Free members, $8 adult nonmembers. cantonart.org

Through 7/3 “We’ve Got Issues: Myra Schuetter Watercolors” View these large watercolor paintings based on realism and complex still life. Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Ave., Canton. Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., FridaySaturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday 1-5 p.m. Free members, $8 nonmembers. cantonart.org

Through 8/8 “What’s New: Recent Acquisitions” This exhibit focuses on new pieces in the Kent State University Museum from groups that previously weren’t represented or had little representation, such as the Naga from northeastern India, the Karen from southeastern Myanmar and the Miao of southern China. Kent State University Museum, 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent. Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-4 p.m. Free, students, staff and all on Sundays, $6 general public. kent.edu/museum Through 12/19 “Stitched: Regional Dress Across Europe” The Kent State University Museum features an exhibit that showcases regional costumes throughout Europe, highlighting what the pieces have in common rather than the original context, which marked social differences. Purchase tickets in advance online. Kent State University Museum, Stager and Blum Galleries, 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent. Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-4 p.m. Free, students, staff and all on Sundays, $6 general public. kent.edu/museum

5/1 & 5/2 The Akron Home & Garden Show This year, the Akron Home & Garden Show hosted by the HBA Serving Portage & Summit Counties is at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Find ideas and products for your next project. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free members, $15 nonmembers. akronhomeandgardenshow.com

AGENDA

5/1-5/9 Spring Picnic Days on the Farm Pack a picnic and spend the day at Hale Farm & Village, enjoying crafts, nature and trade demonstrations. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula. May 1-8 10 a.m.-2 p.m., May 9 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free members, $6 nonmembers. halefarm.org

5/1-5/31 Virtual Mother’s Day 5K You can run or walk the Summit Metro Parks race at your own pace, any time during the month. Registration is free, with optional donations going to the Summit Metro Parks Foundation. summitmetroparks.org 5/2-5/30 Live Music at the Still House Listen to live artists five nights a week at the Still House, where you can enjoy coffee, cocktails and food.

Gervasi Vineyard, the Still House, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton. Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 7-10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 8-11 p.m. gervasivineyard.com

5/4 Anthony McGill & Pacifica Award-winning Pacifica performs with clarinetist Anthony McGill, the first Black principal player of the New York Philharmonic.

E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill St., Akron. 7:30 p.m. Fiveconcert premium pass $184. tuesdaymusical.org

5/8 Distance Hike Explore more than 4 miles

5/6-5/22 Golden Ticket Campaign

5/8-6/16 “Rebecca Cross: Suspended Animations” This exhibit features large-scale

Visit the Akron Zoo on select dates to complete an activity like a scavenger hunt, animal trivia and more for a chance to win a private tour of the new Lehner Family Foundation Wild Asia area and an exclusive experience. Akron Zoo, 505 Euclid Ave., Akron. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $13 adults. akronzoo.org 5/7-5/28 Lunchtime Yoga In-person yoga classes resume on Fridays, led by Leslie Schneider. All skill levels are welcome. Massillon Museum, 21 Lincoln Way E, Massillon. 12:30-1:15 p.m. $6 per class or $15 for three classes. massillonmuseum.org

of a maple-beech forest during this group hike.

Munroe Falls Metro Park, Tallmadge Meadows Area, 1088 North Ave., Tallmadge. 8-10 a.m. summitmetroparks.org

drawings and installations portraying the current state of the environment. A podcast interview with Cross is at noon May 18. Massillon Museum, Studio M Gallery, 121 Lincoln Way E, Massillon. TuesdaySaturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 2-5 p.m. Free. massillonmuseum.com

5/9 Mother’s Day Go to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens on Mother’s Day, when all moms get in for free, and browse jewelry, apparel and more at Molly’s Shop. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free mothers, $15 other adults. stanhywet.org

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Akron Monument & Granite Co. Creates a Personal Lasting Legacy

AGENDA

5/11 Film Discussion: “She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry”

5/15-10/16 Medina Square Farmers Market Shop local

Join this virtual event hosted by the National First Ladies’ Library to discuss the film about the women who founded the modern women’s movement from 1966 to 1971. Noon1 p.m. Free. firstladies.org

produce, baked goods, breads, sauces, prepared foods, flowers and more at this weekly market. Public Square, Medina. Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. medinafarmersmarket.com

5/12-10/13 South Town Cruise-In Head over to Habitat A monument is a personal reminder of someone who is loved and dearly missed.

Families deserve personal service, and that’s what owner and president Jim Leone offers at Akron Monument & Granite Co. With 48 years of industry experience, Leone carefully works with each family to select a unique monument that truly honors their loved one.

“I like taking care of one customer at a time,” he says. “I like helping people.”

Akron Monument & Granite Co. opened in 2005 in a building that Leone’s grandfather, an Italian immigrant, built. From its first customer, Akron Monument & Granite Co. has maintained its oldfashioned values by staying small with a single showroom, sales staff and the same secretary who’s been with Leone since 1975.

He also offers up-to-date cremation options like monuments that go on top of buried urns and upright monuments with cored-out cavities that fit an urn. And when uncertainty spiked during 2020, Akron Monument & Granite Co. rose to meet the rise in demand for pre-needed monuments, which means selecting and purchasing a monument before you die. “We had a lot of people in that older age bracket that were starting to think, What if they got sick? They didn’t want to put that burden on their children,” Leone says.

He works with each family on type, color, size, lettering and design, sketching it out and then sending it to Milano Monuments, a Cleveland-area partner. The Milano craftspeople etch, carve and engrave the design into granite monuments.

Making a lasting monument is important to Leone.

He offers the example of a request to redo the marker for Simeon Prior, the founder of the former Northampton Township. A descendant had noticed that Prior’s headstone was faded and unreadable.

So Akron Monument & Granite Co. redid it.

“We reproduced a monument with all the same lettering. We added more lettering on the back, a genealogy,” Leone recalls.

Now the Prior family legacy will endure. Let Leone handle your legacy with the dignity and care you deserve.

590 E. Tallmadge Ave., Akron, 330-252-1746, akronmonumentgranite.com 20

akronlife.com | MAY 2021

5/20 AAM After Work: Art and Meditation Practice meditation during

for Humanity in Medina for a weekly show of antique, classic and muscle cars through Main Street Medina. Habitat for Humanity Medina County, 233 Lafayette Road, Medina. Wednesdays 4-8 p.m. Free. mainstreetmedina.com

this session based on the Akron Art Museum’s Bud and Susie Roger’s Garden, with a yoga session led by Akron’s Yoga Squared studio and a stroll through the garden and galleries. Akron Art Museum, 1 S. High St., Akron. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free members, $5 nonmembers. akronartmuseum.org

5/13 Coffee with the Collection: AfterImages Join

5/20 Dancing Conversations: Wicked Women As a part of National

this virtual discussion to learn about art history, the science of vision and more. 10-11 a.m. Free members, $5 nonmembers. akronartmuseum.org

Center for Choreography Akron’s fifth anniversary, it is hosting virtual panel discussions, dance clubs and lunchtime conversations about current dance topics. At this conversation, guest speaker Liz Lerman provides insight on the demonization and invisibility of aging women. 7 p.m. Free. nccakron.org

5/13 Medina Ladies Night Out Stroll Medina’s historic district and shop for a Mother’s Day gift. Pick up an event guide at the Medina County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

32 Public Square, Medina. 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. mainstreetmedina.com

5/14 Hartville Night Flea Browse vintage and handmade goods at outdoor vendors and indoor shops.

Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market, 1289 Edison St. NW, Hartville. 5-9 p.m. Free. hartvillemarketplace.com

5/14 Trivia on the Train Test your trivia knowledge while on a twohour trip on Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Rockside Station, 7900 Old Rockside Road, Independence. 6:30 p.m. $80/group of four. cvsr.org 5/15 Hartville Sports Card Show Attend this show to see 30 vendors’ sports cards, autographs and more. Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market, 1289 Edison St. NW, Hartville. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. hartvillemarketplace.com

5/15 Mystery on the Farm Visit Hale Farm & Village to meet the characters of the imaginary 19thcentury town, gather clues and solve a whodunnit. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula. Noon3 p.m. or 5-8 p.m. $25 members, $30 nonmembers. halefarm.org

AGENDA

5/20 Italian Kitchen Container Garden Workshop Learn how to create your own Italian cooking herb garden. Also take home some recipes that use the herbs you grow. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula. 6-8 p.m. $45 members, $50 nonmembers. halefarm.org

5/20 & 5/21 Early Bird Plant Sale Purchase Northeast Ohio plants and herbs at the fifth annual Citizens of Hale Plant Sale, which focuses on pollinator plants this year. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula. May 20 4-7 p.m., May 21 9 a.m.-2 p.m. halefarm.org

5/21 Wine and Paint Create a colorful animal-themed painting at the Akron Zoo led by an instructor. Akron Zoo, 505 Euclid Ave., Akron. 6-8 p.m. $35 members, $40 nonmembers. akronzoo.org 5/22 Makers Market Browse vintage items, handmade goods and more unique pieces during this event with food trucks and live music. Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market, 1289 Edison St. NW, Hartville. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. hartvillemarketplace.com

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Fairlawn • Cuyahoga Falls • 330-867-4141 • www.billowfuneralhomes.com MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

21

ON A

It takes strength to persist against the odds. These locals have thrived in the face of danger, illness and displacement.

Read their stories of hope, community and purpose.

MISSION

by Kelly Petryszyn and Alexandra Sobczak, photos by Tylar Sutton

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

TIM DIMOFF When Tim Dimoff enters a restaurant, his mind is already on exiting.

“I walk immediately to the back of the restaurant, and I find out where the back door is,” says the founder and president of SACS Consulting and Investigative Services.

After he walks around to visualize all additional exits, he tells his family where they should go if a shooter enters. “If you have a game plan, your ability to survive skyrockets.”

Safety is always front of mind for the former Akron cop. “I’m very strong about fixing the wrong and making it right,” says Dimoff, who wanted to be a cop since he started watching “The Lone Ranger” as a kid.

He became a narcotics detective and trained to be the first SWAT team member to enter barricaded and armed subject confrontations.

“I had several close calls,” he says.

A drug raid gone wrong in 1990 was too close — Dimoff got knocked over under the weight of two fleeing officers and his 150-pound SWAT shield

and fell down steps. He had a broken jaw and an injured back, and doctors warned that he might be at risk of permanent disability if he got injured again.

He left law enforcement but set out to pass onto the public what helped him survive — the knowledge of how to protect yourself. So Dimoff started SACS 25 years ago to offer security, human resources, training and investigations surrounding high-risk issues like violence and substance abuse.

“I’ve been around chaos, problems, threats, pressure. It’s a wonderful feeling to really understand all those negative things,” Dimoff says. “But it’s an even better feeling to be able to … say, I’m excited to bring a solution to preventing, responding and diminishing it.”

Having faced over 100 confrontations as a cop and over 50 with SACS, Dimoff is an expert on defusing growing tensions.

SACS used to have about five issues a year with terminated employees making threats — yet

now it’s six to eight cases a month. Dimoff created a national aggressor violent profile system to determine a person’s threat level. If it’s high enough, his security team of ex-military members and ex-law enforcement officers provide protection and confront the aggressor.

And that tactic works — SACS hasn’t had anyone follow through on a threat after they defused them.

With recent mass shootings this spring, he’s been doing a lot of active shooter trainings and physical security analyses. With each training, he talks to workers, and bus drivers at Springfield schools in Akron expressed concern they weren’t involved. “Buses are very vulnerable,” Dimoff says.

So he developed active shooter training for bus drivers with his research team by analyzing real-life scenarios where an irate parent or deranged person breached a bus and identified what would have helped.

Bob Doherty Jr., the Akron regional consultant for Wolff Bros. Supply, had Dimoff do active shooter training at a

Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association meeting, and many members were so appreciative. “Some plumbing guys work in schools, targets for these,” Doherty says. “Now the guys know what their first moves should be.”

Trainings like that help reduce death and injuries, even as violence rises.

So, as Dimoff teaches, training might give you the power to save yourself.

He points to a mother who took a self-defense seminar in which he advised crashing your car during a carjacking so that the criminal will flee.

She called Dimoff and mentioned she shared the tips with her daughter.

“She said, Within a month, my daughter got hijacked at a shopping center. She wrecked the car, and the guy did get out and run,” he recalls.

The police later caught the suspect and discovered he had a record of rape, robbery and murder.

“My daughter’s alive because of you,” he recalls her saying. “She’s bawling away, thanking me. I’m crying right back telling her, I’m so happy.”

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

BHAKTA RIZAL When he was 16 years old, Bhakta Rizal spent his days in a Nepali refugee camp sitting under a tree that he and some friends had turned into a makeshift school for children between first and third grades in 1993. There was no education system in place within the camp, and he saw kids dying each day from malnutrition and other causes, so he stepped up to educate them on language and sanitary practices.

“I was very much happy,” says Rizal, who continued teaching until he was 17, “because I want to be a teacher.”

Now, Rizal stands in the middle of an urban farm in Akron, a group of teens listening to him teach how they’re going to create a brick fire ring that they can sit around this summer.

He’s been teaching young new Americans since he co-founded Shanti Community Farms, a training farm for immigrants and refugees, in 2017 after he moved to Akron in 2014 and connected with the local Nepali-Bhutanese community.

He told them that he went away to finish 10th grade in India, and when he returned to Bhutan, his

home was destroyed and his parents had become refugees in Nepal. “There wasn’t any home,” Rizal says. “I saw only ashes.”

Nepali government officials helped him reunite with his family, who eventually moved to Akron.

When he came here, Rizal encountered other former refugees who struggled with employment due to the language barrier. “I had a meeting with them. What you guys are really interested in doing? We want to do the agriculture,” he recalls.

Rizal began teaching them how to get a permit, test soil, neutralize soil and more. He met former Imagine Leadership Academy teacher Tom Crain, who wanted to help the refugee community.

Rizal shared with him that he grew up on a 50-acre farm in Bhutan, where his family tended to buffalo, goats, rice, wheat, barley and more. “Farming and gardening is kind of rooted in our blood,” he says.

Together, Rizal and Crain opened Shanti Farms, which partners with Akron Public Schools and has 35 kids involved in programs like after-school sessions where kids get tutoring and work on the farm, classes where they learn Nepali and African dance and

Yard Corps, where they work on local properties, mowing, watering plants and weeding.

The kids help grow produce native to Nepal, Congo and more on the farm, like hot round chiles called Dalle Khursani, African peanuts, African lettuce and snake gourds.

“My father actually grows [Dalle Khursani] in our home,” says eighth grader Ramesh Chherti, who is from Nepal and is in Yard Corps. “It’s really hot.”

The produce is sold at the Exchange House in North Hill during Thursday events starting in June called Golden Time picnics, in which the kids make global snacks and perform, and customers get bags of produce and crafts the kids made.

An appreciation for sharing elements of different cultures is a cornerstone of Shanti Farms. The kids, who sit around a picnic table, masks on and arms around each other, talk in Nepali, Congolese and Burmese.

“Since my dad was a farmer, I wanted to carry on,” Chherti says. “It’s really unique how we get to learn about each other.”

after Crain saw the kids dancing at school.

“They would be dancing and doing flipping. Like backflips,” he says. “I said ... I want to see you after school. Show me what you guys can do.”

The kids have a new YouTube channel, called Symbah Afro Boyz, where they post videos of the dances they’ve choreographed.

“You can learn new dances,” says Yoshua Fazili, one of the dancers who is from Tanzania.

The combination of dance and strong work ethic bring monetary tips at events and repeat invitations to the properties they’re working on with Yard Corps, in which they perform a dance after they finish the job. “All the clients and stuff go, We want these kids back,” Crain says.

Shanti Farms has made the community’s culture richer and has even taught a few lessons to the teacher, Rizal, who says he learns things like new cooking styles from the kids every day.

“We have people from 17 countries. It’s a diverse community,” he says. “Our goal is to mingle them.”

Dancing was incorporated in Shanti Farms’ programs MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

KIMMY HENDERSON Although Kimmy Henderson wasn’t sleeping enough and was experiencing delusions, she had an intense creative drive.

“I never painted a butterfly,” the Stow artist says. Yet in 2014, she dipped her paintbrush in blue paint and created a butterfly with contrasting wings — one clearly intact and the other crumbling away.

Afterward, the then-35year-old was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, which is characterized by depressive and manic episodes, and later with generalized anxiety disorder.

the fight to appear fine on the outside — and it became the symbol of her Bipolar Butterfly Project, a movement she started in 2019 to raise awareness and end the stigma on mental illness through public art featuring butterflies.

“I think the stigma is mostly about judgment and being ashamed,” Henderson says, “and worrying that people might treat you differently.”

She recalls experiencing that fear during an early depressive episode. “I remember we were at a lake once, and I was watching my kids swim.

Looking back, she … I didn’t want to be realizes that those sorts of alive,” says Henderson. creative bursts come on “I kind of knew not to while she’s experiencing talk about certain things energetic, euphoric mania. because I didn’t want “I have so many ideas … to be diagnosed with and I have confidence I suicidal ideology.” don’t normally have,” says But she realized how Henderson. But after serious these thoughts mania, low points often were after hearing an bring anxiety, depression NPR story on violence and lack of motivation to and mental health that create, and she manages stated the second leading that with medication and cause of death for people letting out her emotions 10 to 34 years old is to music. suicide and thought of To her, that blue butterfly her kids, ages 10 and felt like a perfect 13 at the time, who are representation of the genetically predisposed duality of mental illness to mental illness because — the inner struggles and

of family history. “That is literally what fueled the entire project — to change the future for them,” she says.

A goal of the project is to spur conversation about mental illness and make it OK to get help. “If it was normalized, and everybody had comfortable dialogue about it,” she says, “a lot more people that need help, would be willing to do it.”

Henderson also hopes the butterfly can metamorphize into an overarching symbol of the mental health awareness movement. “I just want to give people a visual, just like the pink ribbon,” she says.

She says more people have been recognizing the butterfly as the project has grown. The butterfly art has landed in places, such as sculptures at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens and the Akron Zoo, a painting on a planter in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and a large wall mural at Belden Village Mall, with several more on the horizon.

To engage youth, Henderson has worked with students. After hearing Henderson’s story, Sarah Dick, a sophomore at Cuyahoga Falls High

School, volunteered to collaborate on a butterfly mural at Up Front Art Space for the All City Art Walk. “Mental health is something that like, especially as high schoolers, we don’t want to talk about,” Dick says, adding that the project prompted her to start discussing it with the other artists. “We’re like, Oh, we go through the same thing. … I think that communicating with other people is something that it’s helped me do.”

Henderson has overcome her fear of voicing her depressive thoughts. “I’ve talked to my doctor since then,” she says. “It’s a lot more normal than I thought it was.”

She wants conversations like those to become more common. She says she is thankful the project moves people, but there is still more work to be done.

“I can’t tell you how many people have said it speaks to them and they’re so happy that I’m open about it,” Henderson says, “and how brave I am. And I’m like, This is exactly what I want to change. Because it should not be brave talking about mental health.”

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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FOREVER YOUNG

[ by Christopher Ramos and Alexandra Sobczak, photos provided by Full Scale Fitness ]

Goal Set Regain strength and confidence by finding creative ways to stay fit as you age.

Chair squat

After retiring two years ago, Terry Clark realized how much strength he had lost — strength he was used to having during his 45 years of construction work.

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

“I was never a big weightlifter or anything like that. I played high school football, different things,” the 67-year-old says.

“You’re always doing something with your buddies. And then all of a sudden, 20, 25, 30 years fly by. And it’s amazing — amazing how much strength you lose. I couldn’t believe it.”

Since then, Clark has made exercise a priority. Each day, he wakes up between 5:30 and 6 a.m., walks 4 to 5 miles

around his Portage Lakes neighborhood and goes to the gym to swim for an hour.

Twice a week, he also works out alone in the gym he put together in his garage, and on another two days, he meets with Andy Hanson, the owner of Full Scale Fitness in Akron.

“I feel fantastic,” Clark says. “[People] will say how good you look. It’s great motivation.”

Working fitness into your routine is important for

every adult, whether you are a new retiree or have grown grandchildren.

“It doesn’t matter your age,” Hanson says. “You will have the benefit by starting at any point. There’s always something we can do.”

We speak to them about how older adults can stay active and healthy this spring, whether it be at home, outside or virtually.

FOREVER YOUNG

STRENGTH TEST Especially during the pandemic, starting a new habit of exercising can be difficult.

But if you’re not comfortable attending a gym or an exercise class, there are still options to choose from, including in-home and virtual programs.

“Some people go to the gym, and they’re like, Hey, I love going to the gym. I just don’t know what to do,” Hanson says.

Trainers can guide you and can be especially helpful for exercises that involve balance.

Hanson and the other certified trainers at Full Scale Fitness can bring the necessary equipment to your home, which often includes bands, ropes, kettlebells, dumbbells and medicine balls, and can facilitate the upper- and lower-

body workouts customized for each client.

During Clark’s individualized training program, the first day of the week with Hanson is focused on the upper body and weight training. The next session is focused on lower body and cardio in the form of running, burpees, battle ropes and more.

“He’s got something for me all the time. And he’s pretty tough,” Clark says.

His workout schedule stays consistent. Even when he’s in Florida for two months a year, he still does his walks and swims every day.

“I look forward to it every day,” he says. “I don’t want to miss a day.”

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FOREVER YOUNG

If you’d rather ease in by working out on your own, there are things you can do both indoors and outdoors. At home, Hanson recommends starting as soon as you wake up.

“Even before their feet hit the floor, they’re doing stretches in the bed — rolling their ankles, doing leg extensions, turning their head left and right — just to slowly wake up and get the body warm,” he says. “That will kind of give them a kickstart.”

Once you’re up, you can try some simple movements like hip circles, marching in place, standing calf raises at the kitchen sink and modified jumping jacks that include a sidestep instead of a jump, he says.

Five or more days of aerobic exercise and two or more days of resistance and flexibility are recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Hanson advises being aware of

Leg extensions

what you’re feeling, so you can avoid injury. If you’re feeling the burn in your muscles during your workout, that’s OK. But if it turns into sharp pain, he says to stop immediately.

DINING WITH

And if you’re looking to get and how long they normally some fresh air, you can try take. He says 2 miles is a good walking or hiking in the park. goal, but exactly which trail is Hanson recommends using the up to what you feel like. app AllTrails, which contains information on many local trails, “Pick one that sounds good to you,” Hanson says. including how difficult they are

Danbury

Da E X P E R nbu I E ry D N C E i f fe T H ren E ce!

When you sit down in the dining room at Danbury Senior Living, we will meet you with a kind smile, friendly conversation, and a memorable dining experience. Dining is one of the most important times of the day for our residents. Not only are they sitting down to a delicious meal, but our residents also sit down to a conversation with friendly faces. Our residents get to know our team and each other, and our team gets to know them.

It's like going to your favorite restaurant and getting your favorite meal and talking to your favorite people every day. If a resident likes their meal a certain way, our chefs know that about them and make it unique to their liking. Our chefs are amazing. They cook with their hearts and genuinely love what they get to do every day. When you dine with Danbury, it's like coming home to eat with family.

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FOREVER YOUNG

CHIN UP For June Dobbins, the benefits of having her parents work with Hanson for four years were twofold — they remained in shape and somewhat independent, and she was informed and at ease. From Vermont, she was able to communicate with Hanson on how her parents were doing.

“When we had concerns about their health, he was able to provide a trained expert eye into whether there was a decline in some area,” she says.

“It brought me tremendous peace of mind.”

In addition to the physical side, Hanson’s visits provided mental benefits. She says her parents were fairly homebound at the time, so it was nice to have someone come socialize

with them, adding that the couple formed a friendship with Hanson over watching the birds at their feeders.

“Fitness is more than just physical fitness. It’s mental fitness,” Hanson says. “That social aspect really rejuvenates some individuals that we’ve met.”

Outdoor exercise is also beneficial for physical and mental health. “Getting outside is more than just cardiovascular health. It’s good for mental health, especially when everybody’s locked up through COVID[-19],” Hanson says. “[Hanson] was able to keep my parents, who were in their 90s, in their house for — I believe — extra years,” says Dobbins, whose mother now works with Hanson virtually and father

has died. “By keeping them fit, by keeping them motivated and challenged, they were able to achieve a lot more than they would have just through their own sheer willpower.”

Even though Clark enjoys exercising, he has some other motivators too, including a solid support system. He says his Apple Watch is paired with those of his fiancee, daughter and Hanson.

“It really gives you energy to get out there and do it,” he says.

“Everyone knows when you’re working out and when you’re not working out.”

Tangible changes can happen, too. Hanson says that he worked with a woman in her late 60s with osteoporosis. During the time she exercised with Full

Scale Fitness, she increased her bone mineral density by 7 percent and 9 percent in her hip and lumbar spine, respectively.

“If you’re increasing your bone mineral density at that age, you should have a glass of wine or steak dinner to celebrate,” Hanson says. “Because just keeping it flat and not actually decreasing is a celebration.”

For Clark, one of the biggest motivators to stay fit and keep exercising is to be able to keep celebrating life with his family.

“I owe it to myself and my family … because I want to be around,” Clark says. “I have one daughter and two grandsons, 2 and 4 years old. That’s a pretty good motivator.”

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MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

31

SPONSORED CONTENT

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Good Stretch

Danbury Senior Living serves up great food and friends Throughout our lives, food plays a large role in our happiness and contentment, regardless of age and stage of life. Danbury Senior Living knows that holds true for seniors, perhaps more than any other age. Having meals tailored to its residents’ palates, which can be made to order, makes Danbury’s dining experience unlike any other.

Imagine walking down the hall from your apartment to a dining experience you might expect in a favorite restaurant. Everyone knows your name. They know what you like to eat. They know just how you like it cooked. They are your chefs, your cooks, your servers, your caregivers, but more than that — they are your friends.

It’s a wonderful blend of a finedining experience coupled with a homestyle family feel.

Danbury offers this truly unique and coveted dining experience along with many other fivestar services and amenities at its locations that include Brunswick, Broadview Heights and Cuyahoga Falls. Services include 24-hour on-site licensed nurses and care companions, a state-of-the-art emergency call system, transportation services, beauty and barbershop services and many others. To learn more about the amenities, the services and the people that make up the Danbury Difference, visit danburyseniorliving.com.

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

Build strength with these at-home exercises from Full Scale Fitness.

Life Plan Communities focus on Health and Wellness

Do 10-15 repetitions and 1-3 sets of each.

As one of the region’s most respected life plan communities, Laurel Lake offers an intentional lifestyle of health and wellbeing that can boost vitality and longevity for older adults over 62.

The 150-acre community exercises wellness with spaces for health care, lifelong learning, healthy dining, social and spiritual engagement, cultural programs, fitness and more, while also offering top-rated skilled nursing and therapy on-site to help residents recuperate after illness or surgery and assisted and independent living options.

Shoulder press

Residents are actively enjoying the community’s recently revitalized Town Center, with its bistro, artist’s studio, state-of-the-art fitness and aquatic center and more. Laurel Lake modified services for the pandemic including daily delivery of meals, socially distanced and virtual activities and more.

Residents greatly appreciate the sense of safety, teamwork and caring community.

Laurel Lake 200 Laurel Lake Drive, Hudson 330-650-2100 laurellake.org

Modified push-ups

FOREVER YOUNG

SHOU LD ERS

Shoulder Press Sit on the edge of a chair, close fists and raise arms out to the sides, bending up at the elbows. Then straighten arms, raising them over your head. Make it more challenging by holding light dumbbells or water bottles.

BACK Banded Bended Rows Step on a resistance band and hold it in both hands at knee height, leaning your body forward with arms straight.

Bend at the elbows and pull bent arms back to shoulder height. Focus on squeezing shoulder blades together and maintaining a straight back.

C HES T Seated Chest Press Sit on the edge of a chair, make fists, raise arms up to shoulder height and bend so that fists are at armpits.

Extend arms straight out. Make it more challenging by holding a weight with both hands or threading a resistance band around the back of the chair.

Modified Push-ups Stand in front of a countertop or stable chair with palms on the edge, and lean forward, keeping arms straight. Bend arms at the elbows and press down, keeping legs straight and drawing face down. To make it easier, you can stand closer to the countertop or chair, or to add challenge, try it using a low chair or standing further back.

LEG S Chair Squat Stand in front of a couch, and extend arms straight to hold a chair back in front of you. Bend at the knees and lower bottom to lightly sit on the couch. Stand back up. Avoid letting your heels come off the ground.

Leg Extensions Sit at the edge of a chair, with arms at sides holding the edge of the cushion, legs slightly bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise right leg straight out in front of you. Repeat on left side.

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

33

EDUCATION

[ by Wyatt Loy, Kelly Petryszyn and Alexandra Sobczak ]

Let’s Play Entertain the kids with whimsical summer camps.

MAGIC QUEST Children who dream of getting invited to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ Camp Half-Blood have an opportunity to go there.

At YMCA Camp Y-Noah’s full immersion overnight camp for kids 10 to 16 years old, campers walk into literary and cinematic universes and stay there for six days.

“We’re living in that world,” says Camp Y-Noah executive director Carl “Rocky” Wargo. “We invent new challenges based 34

akronlife.com | MAY 2021

on, essentially, the lore from each of the respective universes.”

“Every staff member that they interact with is in character in costume,” Wargo says.

Kids take on the roles of a wizard or demigod, based on the fantasy books about magic and Greek mythology. At the Harry Potter camp, July 4 to 10, each participant gets a cloak and a wand to cast spells. At the Percy Jackson camp, June 20 to 26, kids get a T-shirt and foam weapon to fight mythical monsters. “That really helps fuel the story and the immersion of it,” says program director Joan Wilson.

The young wizards and demigods participate in typical activities, like canoeing and archery, with an imaginative spin. “We’re going to zip line with our Harry Potter kids. However, they’re playing Quidditch on the zip line,” says Wargo, explaining that children throw a ball called a quaffle through a goal post similar to in the wizard game.

And it isn’t just the kids — there is campwide magic.

The Percy Jackson kids play capture the flag, which is popular in the books, and they climb the rock wall as fun pool noodles rain down, instead of the books’ lava.

EDUCATION “You see the magic happening,” Wargo says. “They get so into it.”

Each year, the quests are different, but it’s always a grand adventure. “It’s usually based about coming together as a group to solve a problem and save the day,” he says.

All of the enchantment can even help boost kids’ confidence. “Full immersion itself is just such a creative playground … fueling their creative minds and pushing them to do something that maybe they wouldn’t have felt comfortable to do before,” Wilson says. “Like, Oh, I can do this because I spent the last week battling monsters.”

Register online, $610 YMCA members, $660 nonmembers, scholarships available, 815 Mount Pleasant Road, Green, 330-896-1964, gotcamp.org/campynoah

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35

EDUCATION

CREATIVITY UNLEASHED For many children, their pets are their worlds, and with the Pets Palooza camp, kids can run free with that idea.

“They are going to essentially open their own pet business and engineer their own kind of pet world, from playgrounds to grooming spas, to food and treat trucks, to housing, veterinarian offices,” says Lyndsey Heffern, youth program director for the Shaw Jewish Community Center of Akron, which hosts the camp.

Each day from July 6 to 9, kids from first through fifth grades immerse themselves in games and challenges around a different pet-centric theme. Activities include constructing a city with pet businesses, an avalanche rescue dog challenge and more. “[On] a pet island dog show day, they construct a dog show with [a] pet agility course,” Heffern says.

This camp is from the education company Challenge Island, so each activity is designed to build science, technology, engineering, art and math skills.

“The challenges have the campers using engineering processes and various STEM principles to complete their creation, and art comes into play with the design and the construction of each theme,” Heffern says.

For one activity, campers build a pet dream house, employing engineering and construction concepts, as well as having the freedom to make something unique like a hotel.

“It allows children another way to express their creativity,” she says.

While there aren’t real animals involved in the camp, the hands-on aspects mean kids get to see the results of their work, whether it’s taking home a pet house actualized from their imagination or collaborating to build a pet-themed game and playing it together.

“Their programs are very child-driven,” Heffern says. “Especially with the STEAM art aspect, it’s going to be really beneficial for kids that learn in a lot of different ways.”

Register online, $415 Shaw JCC member, $475 nonmember, 750 White Pond Drive, Akron, 330-835-0064, shawjcc.org

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

EDUCATION

FUN FORMULA Science is often regarded as a single subject in school, despite having so many different fields. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum’s science camp gives kids a hands-on look at that diversity.

“When people say science, they’re like Oh, chemistry or physics. We’re showing you geology. We’re showing you natural history.

A little bit of engineering. And space,” says museum science director Lynette Reiner, who has a background in zoology and archaeology.

The camp for first through fifth graders has a different theme for each 9 a.m. to noon session July 13 to 16: Native Americans, pirates, space and superheroes.

The sessions demonstrate how science is a part of everything around us. On superheroes day, kids can dress as superheroes and learn about the biomimicry that inspires them, including a Spider-Man lesson on how his webs support him and the strength of real spiderwebs. During the

Native American session, Reiner teaches about local tribes and shows arrowheads from the museum’s collection that archaeologists excavated from Nobles Pond in Stark County — one of the largest paleo Indian sites in North America.

Creative components help lessons resonate.

On space day, kids watch the museum’s planetarium show and experiment to make a mini Mars lander that can withstand a drop for an engineering and physics challenge.

It teaches them about cartography and geography, yet mostly, it provides boatloads of excitement. That formula goes with the whole camp, whether kids attend one session, some or all.

“It gives you a little bit of all the different sciences,” Reiner says. “But it’s also a fun camp. Kids love it.”

Register online, $20, 800 McKinley Monument Drive NW, Canton, 330-4557043, mckinleymuseum.org

“What will land safely? Do we use marshmallows? Can we use tissue paper?”

Reiner says. “They have to figure out how.”

Sessions are built around play. For the popular pirate one, kids dress as pirates, go on a treasure hunt and make maps to lead staffers on hunts.

“They’re like, We’re gonna make this hard,” Reiner says. “They love it because they pick the treasures. It’s almost like they’re running the camp.”

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MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Congrats to our State Champions!

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School congratulates its two 2020-21 winter sports state champions: the boys basketball team and senior wrestler Dierre Clayton.

On March 14, senior Dierre Clayton earned STVM’s 15th individual wrestling state title after defeating Lake Catholic High School’s Brendan McCrone in the 120-pound championship match. A week later, the STVM boys basketball team won an Ohio recordsetting ninth state championship after defeating St. Francis de Sales High School 72-50.

The school would also like to congratulate senior student athlete Malaki Branham for being named the 2021 Mr. Ohio Basketball, the state’s top honor for an individual male basketball player. STVM is home to four Mr. Basketball honorees (LeBron James, 2001, 2002, 2003 and Malaki Branham, 2021), which is the most for any school in Ohio.

STVM has brought home over 50 team and individual state championships in 10 different sports, as well as two national championships. The Fighting Irish are currently ranked eighth in Ohio for most team state championships (32).

This strong athletic tradition was built by the teams of the past and continues today.

St. Vincent-St. Mary High School 15 N. Maple St., Akron 330-253-9113 stvm.com

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

EDUCATION

[ by Wyatt Loy ]

CAMPS to CONSIDER G E NERAL IN TER EST Akron YMCA Get out of the house, explore the beauty of the nearby Summit Metro Parks and learn all about the natural world on trips to museums and nature centers with Akron YMCA summer camps from June through August. Options include the overnight Camp Y-Noah, day camps or a special needs Rotary Camp, with choices for kids from preschool age to 16 years old. Campers make new friends during classic activities like rock climbing, arts and crafts and swimming. akronymca.org

Camp Ledgewood All girls in kindergarten through 12th grade are welcome to enjoy day camp sessions, family camp and more. Some age groups can stay overnight in cabins, platform tents and more during Girl Scout camp in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, with sessions available from June to August. With activities like zip lining, swimming, rope climbing, archery, a discovery kitchen and more, there’s plenty of excitement. gsneo.org

Camp JCC With weekly themed camps, such as Harry Potter, Pets Palooza and Slimetopia, and traditional camps from June 7 to Aug. 13, Shaw Jewish Community Center of Akron has day camps to cover many interests for first through eighth graders. New for 2021 are camps in partnership with Challenge Island that offer science, tech, engineering, arts and mathbased lessons, so campers learn as they create. Kids with disabilities are welcome, and after-camp care is available with possible before-camp care options too. shawjcc.org

EDUCATI O N AL Akron ZooCamp Take a walk on the wild side with ZooCamp. Campers ages 3 to 15 tour the Akron Zoo, meet education animals up close, craft and do other activities in small groups during weeklong day camps, with sessions available from June to August.

The virtual Habitat Heroes camp for kids 6 to 10 is also available and includes access to themed livestreamed events and mailed boxes with a stuffed animal and craft supplies. akronzoo.org

Lawrence School Learning doesn’t have to mean boring lectures in dreary classrooms. It can be a fun and all-encompassing experience. Lawrence School offers educational day camps, including Lions Leap camp to improve reading, writing and math skills for rising first through sixth graders June 14 to July 9 at the Broadview Heights campus and Jump Start to build study and tech skills for rising sixth through eighth graders Aug. 2 to 6 and Aug. 9 to 13 at the Sagamore Hills campus. The Lions Leap camp is aimed at students with learning differences and incorporates a holistic and multisensory approach, and there are virtual options available. lawrenceschool.org

Old Trail School Each day, campers partake in something new, whether it be forts and tunnels or plein air landscape painting. Find morning, afternoon or full-day camps in June and July for kids 3 to 14. Fun lessons include music, nature, cooking and STEAM. Lunch, transportation, before-camp care and aftercamp care are available at the Bath school. oldtrail.org Soap Box Derby STEM Where you’re going, you won’t need engines — gravity’s on your side at the Soap Box Derby camp in Akron. Campers ages 8 to 13 make friends and use STEM principles and teamwork to design, build and race their own wooden car during this day camp June 7 to 11. soapboxderby.org

Spring Garden Waldorf School The Cyber Civics summer camp might have you picturing a room of children on screens all day — but not at the Waldorf School in Copley. Rising fifth to ninth graders spend most of the day outside, learning critical thinking and digital literacy skills through discussions and workshops at this day camp July 19-23. After-camp care is available. sgws.org Western Reserve Academy Whether your child is passionate about sports, arts or STEM, Western Reserve Academy has a ton of day or overnight camps for them to choose from. There’s also an adventure day camp that’s more traditional, with a mix of everything. Camps at the Hudson school cater to kids 7 to 18 years old. wra.net

AR TS Magical Theatre Co. All the world’s a stage, so encourage your child to get up there and take a bow!

Magical Theatre Co. in Barberton offers summer drama day camps in June, July and August, where kids in third to eighth grades can learn lines, rehearse and perform their own show. magicaltheatre.org The University of Akron Myers School of Art With the unique ArtsLift apprenticeship day program, high school students from Akron Public Schools can hone their craft and practice art at a topof-the-line university. Students create a piece of art in a public space, alongside college students and a professional artist over a few weeks. uakron.edu

Weathervane Playhouse If your child has a knack for the stage, check out these Akron camps that teach acting, singing, dancing, tech skills and more, with many that end with a show. With multiple sessions from June to August, kids ages 5 to 17 can learn all about the principles of performance at day camps, either in-person or from the comfort of home with a virtual camp. weathervaneplayhouse.com

SP O R TS Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy The friendships forged on the basketball court, soccer field, tennis court or football field last a lifetime. Children ages 7 to 16 can enjoy these opportunities at day camps in June and July at the Cuyahoga Falls school to stay fit and active this summer while building lasting bonds. cvcaroyals.org

I9 Sports Take summer fun the whole nine yards with sports day camps in June, July and August for children ages 3 to 14. With options of baseball, soccer, cheerleading, lacrosse and multi sports camps in Copley, Tallmadge, Northfield, Green, Macedonia, Medina, North Canton and more cities, there’s ample opportunity for all kids to enjoy their favorite game this summer. i9sports.com

EDUCATION CAMPS DIRECTORY

Camp Y-Noah Overnight, Day, Equestrian | June 6-Aug. 7 For over 90 years, we’ve kept the fires of friendship burning by creating memories and lifelong bonds for generations of families who appreciate the benefits of getting outside, learning new skills, challenging the odds and having the time of their lives in a safe and clean environment.

Camps are open to all, with financial assistance and scholarships available.

815 Mount Pleasant Road, Green, 330-896-1964, gotcamp.org/campynoah

Akron Rotary Camp Overnight, Day, Respite | June 6-Aug. 7 Living by the motto, “creating a world where there are only abilities,” our experienced staffers extend personal attention and care to campers ages 6 to 17 who may have physical or emotional challenges including, but not limited to, blindness, autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.

Adult day camp is also available for those 18 and older. Financial assistance is available.

4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, 330-644-4512, gotcamp.org/akron-rotary-camp

Akron Area YMCA Summer Day Camps June 7-Aug. 20 Giving kids a screen-free summer is the goal of school-age camps at our locations in Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Green and Wadsworth. Get peace of mind and a piece of the YMCA strong values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Camps are open to all, with financial assistance available. gotcamp.org/summer-day-camps

Beck Center for the Arts Summer Camps & Classes 2021 Various camps for ages 5-18 | June-August Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood offers theater, dance, music, and visual arts summer camps and classes, in addition to Creative Arts Therapies. Private music lessons are offered all year.

Enroll today at beckcenter.org/education-programs or 216-521-2540, ext. 10.

Spring Garden Waldorf School Cyber Civics July 19-23 Tweens and teens will benefit from this Nationally Acclaimed, Cyber Civics digital literacy and citizenship curriculum. The program emphasizes critical thinking, ethical discussion and decision making about digital media issues including the use of internet and social media, all through mostly offline role-play, hands-on projects and problem-solving tasks. Most of the experience will be faceto-face with plenty of in-person social time with peers. Students bring their own lunch and snack.

1791 S. Jacoby Road, Copley, 330-666-0574, sgws.org

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, OH June 4-Sept. 3

Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

See ewe on Mutton Hill! Farm Fridays are for preschool through middle school students each week this summer. Free programming begins at 10:30 a.m. on the grounds of the Perkins Stone Mansion and John Brown House. Join us for stories, songs and fun activities!

550 Copley Road, Akron, 330-535-1120, summithistory.org

Please confirm dates on website.

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

39

HOME & GARDEN

[ by Wyatt Loy ]

Lawn Service Take pride in your grass with these tips.

We’ve all seen it — patches or even full lawns of yellowishbrown blades of grass, dry and brittle to the touch.

Oftentimes, what looks to be a dead front lawn is starved of water, oxygen or minerals. A few tools and some elbow grease can revive that dreary lawn.

“Rarely do we have to rip up an old lawn and install a new lawn,” says Brian Flower, owner of Portage Turf Specialists, a lawn care service that’s headquartered in Portage County and serves surrounding areas. “Most of the time it just needs taken care of.” Flower walks us through the process of rejuvenating a lawn.

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

NOURISH IT Hot summers in Ohio can quickly dry out your grass. Trees in the shade can make it worse as they steal sunlight, nutrients, oxygen and water from the turf.

“Lawns in those conditions don’t really do well,” Flower says.

Moderation with watering is key. Watering too much or too frequently can cause your lawn to get disease issues such as dollar spot.

Set sprinklers on a schedule

so the lawn only gets about 1/2 to 1 inch of water a week, he recommends.

“The best time to water your lawn is during the early morning,” he says. “It keeps the grass dry for longer, so the water doesn’t sit.” Water in the morning, before the sun has fully risen, and every other day or third day to reduce disease pressure and so water doesn’t evaporate but rather it gets absorbed by the roots.

Weeds can cause voids of bare soil after they wither away if there is not a strong turf present, making your lawn in need of aeration and overseeding to fill in those areas in the fall.

Using weedkillers in the spring can help, according to Portage Turf ’s website, but avoid nonselective herbicides like RoundUp or generic brands that contain glyphosate, as they will do the opposite of what you want — kill the grass in and around the weeds.

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HOME & GARDEN

LET IT BREATHE It might seem that lawns get enough oxygen from the outside air, but it’s very easy for the soil under the lawn to get compacted, causing the roots to be starved of the air needed to thrive, Flower says. One way to fix that is aeration, which is a process of making thousands of holes in the turf. It breaks up compacted soil and thatch that can bring on grubs, weeds and diseases, and promotes deeper, healthier root systems and growth.

“Aeration is just loosening up the ground and preparing for better conditions,” Flower says. It helps water and nutrients readily soak into the soil, ensuring that your lawn grows the way it should. “It needs to be planned. In the fall, the days are shorter and cooler at night, so we see better results,” he says. During this time, there is regular dew, and the new seedlings have over 8 months to establish before the harsh summer heat sets in.

Leaving things like kiddie pools in the same place for long periods can also cause problems, according to Portage Turf. The pressure those items put on the soil, combined with the lack of sunlight, water and air can quickly cause your lawn to develop those pesky dead patches. Portage Turf recommends removing pools and similar items at night and putting them in a different location every day to keep your lawn lush all summer.

BOOST HEALTH The importance of good fertilizer for your lawn is paramount. Grass requires a variety of key nutrients and minerals to thrive, and those nutrients vary from lawn to lawn.

“What sets us apart from national providers is that we’re gonna pull a soil test, determine your underlying soil deficiencies,” Flower says, “and work with your lawn according to that.”

Portage Turf uses an organic-based fertilization program. “With an organicbased process, it promotes soil health rather than just

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feeding it with a standard fertilizer, leaving you with lasting results,” Flower says.

“Organic-based processes rejuvenate the soil.”

Fertilizer is applied in a fivestep process: twice in early and late spring, once in summer and twice in early and late fall.

If you prefer to do your fertilization yourself, carefully do your research, as Portage Turf says that applying the wrong kind of fertilizer, applying too much of the right kind or applying it during the wrong time of year can do

more to hurt your lawn than it will to help.

Whether you hire an expert or go the DIY route, a good-looking lawn increases property value, makes a good first impression and gives a place for quality time with family. A healthy lawn is something to take pride in.

[

Wyatt Loy is a junior journalism major and political science minor at Kent State University.

]

Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@ bakermediagroup.com].

HOME & GARDEN

[ by Wyatt Loy and photo provided by Portage Turf Specialists ]

Home Grown If you want to try your hand at lawn care this year, here are some seasonal do-it-yourself pointers from Portage Turf Specialists.

SPRING Clean Up. Remove remaining leaves and sticks to avoid dead patches.

Mow Regularly. Let grass grow to 3 to 4.5 inches to avoid clumping.

SUMMER Use Clippings. Grass clippings are a great fertilizer. Mulch your clippings atop the lawn to keep those nutrients in the ecosystem.

Don’t Mow Too Much. Keep cutting your lawn at 3 to 4.5 inches to reinforce root strength, help shade the soil surface and help prevent weeds. Flower gives this rule of thumb: Remove no more than 1/3 of the lawn’s height at one time. Avoid unnecessary mowing that further dries out the leaf blade and leads to stress.

FALL Seed. It’s best to overseed your grass in colder weather so that grass can take root.

Air it Out. The ideal time to aerate your lawn is in the fall when the temps are low, but the grass is still growing.

One of the many benefits of aeration is water penetration; the deeper the water gets into the soil, the deeper your grass can grow its roots.

Finish Strong. During the last mows of the season, begin to lower blades to as low as 2 inches to allow for some growth during the winter. If it’s left over 3 inches, grass grows long and can be more susceptible to harmful snow mold.

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

43

BEAUTY GUIDE

[ by Kelly Petryszyn and photos by Ryanne Locker ]

Get Glowing Try med spa treatments to rescue dry skin after months inside.

Sofie Burns performing a treatment at Skin Care Solutions.

Magnifying our faces on screens can be less than flattering — and can reveal imperfections we don’t want others to see.

“I’ve had a lot of clients, they were on a Zoom call, and they noticed more things about their skin than they were used to seeing,” says Sofie Burns, lead medical aesthetician at Skin Care Solutions in Green.

She’s seen several new customers, and in addition to unflattering screen time, Burns attributes the recent surge in visits to a renewed confidence and readiness to get out again.

“The last year and a half has been hard for everyone just being down and confused. They’re

44

akronlife.com | MAY 2021

starting to feel better and take care of themselves,” she says. “They want to start taking care of their skin and come to professionals that know how.”

A medical-grade spa like Skin Care Solutions is a good spot to take that step. It’s under the supervision of three staff internal medicine doctors, and products and treatments can be offered at higher strengths than drugstores or regular spas. A deeper-penetrating treatment offers much-needed repair after time off.

“I see dry skin buildup, which is common with newer people that don’t really know how to take care of their skin,” Burns says. “I have a lot of people that they’re already using great products and spend lots of money, but they feel these products aren’t helping. It’s because it’s such a buildup of dry skin that nothing will really help penetrate through unless you get it off.”

Burns guides us through some entry-level exfoliating facial rejuvenation treatments to shed dry, dull skin and put your best glowing face forward.

PROVIDING

Supportive Care FOR YOUR Skin Care NEEDS

ANGELA FUNOVITS, MD | JILL WARNER, CNP | STEFANIE SINGH, FNP | GINA BERARDINELLI, CNP | JAMES LIBECCO, MD ALLISON MOOSALLY, MD | JUSTIN WOODHOUSE, MD | LAUREN GUREN, MD | CHRISTINA CERNIK, MD | ANN KOOKEN, MD

AKRON/FAIRLAWN

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS

MENTOR

3624 W Market St Akron, OH 44333

5915 Landerbrook Dr, Suite 120 Mayfield Heights, OH 44124

9485 Mentor Ave, Suite 102 Mentor, OH 44060

(330) 665-0555

(216) 382-3806

(440) 266-5500

Visit us online at alliedderm.com

BEAUTY GUIDE

CHEMICAL PEEL

MICRODERMABRASION

Who It’s Great For: Those with acne and downtime to heal

Who It’s Great For: Those with tough dry or thick oily skin seeking intense exfoliation

How It Works: It uses a series of medical-grade chemical treatments to cause dry skin to peel off and reveal supple skin below. Your aesthetician selects a strength for you and applies the liquid or gel-based solution to your face. There are multiple layers, and between applications of each, aestheticians make you comfortable with fans or an ice globe as it exfoliates. “It’s essentially taking off dead, dry skin,” Burns says. During a medium to deep peel, skin starts peeling after three or four days and lasts up to six, and a lighter peel is less. Peels have been popular recently, as the peeling that occurs can easily be covered by a face mask. Burns assures this process of peeling is safe and normal. “Our skin naturally sheds itself,” she says. After two weeks, the results are luminous. “It’s going to be like fresh, new skin,” Burns says, who recommends a series of peels for top results.

Benefits: “Any chemical peel is going to have a benefit because it’s helping speed up cell turnover rate. That helps lop off all the dead skin, brighten the skin, go after pigments,” says Burns, adding that it also stimulates collagen to reduce wrinkles and hydrate skin. Those with acne can try peels with active ingredients such as salicylic acid, with medical-grade strengths up to 30 percent.

“Salicylic acid is great with combating the bacteria that cause acne,” says Burns, explaining that it breaks through oil to cleanse pores, reduce inflammation and resurface skin.

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

How It Works: A machine with a diamond-tip tool exfoliates off the top layer of skin. “It’s kind of like a sandpapery feeling but not in a bad way — like in a good way that you’re getting off all that dead skin,” Burns says, adding the rough tip means it’s not great for acne or sensitive skin and there is some redness afterward. At Skin Care Solutions, the microdermabrasion is part of a full-spa facial that includes an exfoliating and brightening enzyme treatment, a mask based on your skin concerns, a facial, arm and hand massage with hot towels and an LED light treatment that’s either red to help with collagen synthesis and cell repair, or blue to reduce inflammation.

Benefits: The diamond tip can tackle challenging skin issues. “If you’ve got thick dryness on the skin, it does help remove that. It helps clean the pores out. It helps brighten the skin,” Burns says.

Plus, the exfoliation has anti-aging benefits like stimulating wrinkle-busting collagen.

BEAUTY GUIDE

DERMAPLANING Who It’s Great For: Those with sensitive skin who want quick results How It Works: An aesthetician uses a medicalgrade scalpel that glides over your skin like a razor to remove peach fuzz called vellus hairs and dead skin. “It’s controlled exfoliation, so I can really control how much dead skin I’m getting off,” says Burns, who adds that it’s mild and good for sensitive skin. And not to worry, the vellus hairs it removes don’t grow back dark or coarse. It’s also a part of a full-spa treatment that includes an enzyme treatment, a mask, a massage and LED light therapy.

Benefits: Burns recommends the treatment to clients who have events because results are immediate, there is no redness and makeup glides on better without peach fuzz. “Your skin’s gonna look amazing,” she says. “It’s gonna be super glowy.

It’s gonna feel alive again.”

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MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

47

GOOD EATS

MAY 2021 | VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 5

Restaurants [ notable food & drink ]

B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner A Alcohol available T Takeout available V Valet parking W Wheelchair Accessible $ average entrees less than $6 $$ average entrees between $6-$10 $$$ average entrees between $11-$16 $$$$ average entrees are $17 or higher Information subject to change.

Please call ahead to verify location, hours and events.

Alexander Pierce Fine dining menu of steaks and house-made pastas includes calamari misto and cavatelli alla vodka in an intimate speakeasystyle atmosphere. 797 E. Market St., Akron, 330-529-2003 $$$ D, A Beau’s Grille Upscale, well-regarded, innovative menu at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn. 3180 W. Market St., Fairlawn, 330-867-5218 $$$$ B, L, D, A, T, W The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard Situated on a 55-acre estate in a renovated historic barn that overlooks a beautiful lake. Serving rustic Italian fare using only fresh and seasonal ingredients. 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330-497-1000 $$$ L, D, A Caston & Main Brew Yard This cozy, casual gastropub with a fireplace and two outdoor patios with fire features offers a large variety of craft beer including 32 taps, with wine, specialty cocktails and 140-plus bourbons, whiskeys and spirits including rare selections. The chefdriven menu offers house-made flatbreads, sandwiches and beer cheese, as well as Sunday brunch.

5010 S. Main St., Akron, 330-882CASK (2275) $$$ L, D, A The Crush House at Gervasi Vineyard A modern industrial building that houses a state-of-the-art winery facility, wine bar and eatery. Perfect for a fun lunch, casual dinner or late snack. 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330497-1000, ext. 5 $$ L, D, A D’Agnese’s Tomato Grill Wide array of entree choices. Sun. brunch. Catering available. 106 First St., Hudson, 330342-3771 $$$$ L, D, A, T D’Agnese’s at White Pond Contemporary 48

akronlife.com | MAY 2021

Italian food served in a classy yet casual setting. Live entertainment in the lounge. Full service catering. 566 White Pond Drive, Akron, 234-6783612 $$$ L, D, A, T Darby’s on Fifty-Nine Rustic dining with an assortment of dishes, including crispy calamari and filet mignon sliders, complemented by craft beer.

2764 state Route 59, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-922-7540 $$$ L, D, A, T D.B.A., Dante Boccuzzi Akron, Modern American food in a rock ‘n’ roll palace setting. Several menu items can be ordered in varied portion sizes, based on your appetite.

Vegetarian and vegan options available. Order a drink and relax on the restaurant’s spacious patio.

21 Furnace St., Akron, 330-375-5050 $$$$ D, A, T, V Fat Head’s Brewery A brewpub with wellknown beers, sandwiches as big as your head and hearty appetizers like fried pickles, pepper jack bites and Beasty BBQ wings. 3885 Everhard Road NW, Canton, 330-244-8601 $$$ L, D, W, A, T House of Hunan Common favorites to spicy specialties. Oriental decor. 2717 W. Market St., Fairlawn Town Centre, 330-864-8215; 18 Public Square, Medina, 330-722-1899 $$ L, D, A, T Hudson’s Restaurant Neighborhood restaurant and bar serving fresh, chef-driven dishes. Family-friendly atmosphere. 80 N. Main St., Hudson, 330-650-1955 $$$ B, L, D, A, T Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse New Yorkstyle upscale steakhouse. 4073 Medina Road, Montrose, 330-6706303 $$$$ D, A, T, V Ido Bar & Grill Home of the beloved Ido Burger. An Akron tradition since World War II. 1537 S. Main St., Akron, 330-773-1724 $$$ L, D, A, T Ivan’s Diner Menu includes sandwiches, burgers, subs and salads. 3925 Embassy Parkway, Fairlawn, 330-8363553 $$ L, T Jilly’s Music Room Creative American tapas in a sophisticated setting with live music, concerts and events Wed. through Sat. All gluten-free menu.

111 N. Main St., Akron, 330-576-3757 $$, D, A, T, W Jimmy’s Backyard BBQ A family-friendly restaurant known for award-winning

baby back ribs. 526 Graham Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-349-6949; 1338 N. Chapel St., Suite 1, Louisville, 330871-0006 $$ L, D, T Jimmy Bigg’s Grille Burgers, Italian subs, Reubens, wings, Philly cheesesteak, BLTs, salads, hand-breaded onion rings and more. 1927 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-2444 $$ L, D, A, T Kingfish A posh yet sleek interior features the freshest seafood of North Coast. Dress is business casual. Reservations recommended.

Happy Hour bar only weekdays 4-6 p.m.; Sun. 1-8 p.m. Dinner weekdays 4-10 p.m.; Fri and Sat 4-11 p.m.; Sunday 1-8 p.m. Closed major holidays and Super Bowl Sunday.

115 Montrose West Ave., Copley.

330-777-2005. kingfishakron.com. $$$$ D, A Kosar’s Wood-Fired Grill Award-winning steakhouse offering aged steaks, fresh chops and expertly prepared seafood tastefully in an upscale space decorated with beloved former Cleveland Browns player Bernie Kosar’s own authentic memorabilia.

At the MGM Northfield Park casino.

21 and over only. 10777 Northfield Road, Northfield, 330-908-7265 $$$$ D, A Kozmo’s Grille Stone-hearth pizzas, upscale pasta dishes, fresh seafood and steaks. 37 First St. SW, Massillon, 330-832-8807 $$$ L, D, A, T Lizardville Large selection of draft and bottled beers, whiskey and cigars to enjoy on site or take home. Try the Wild Western burger and a glass of Weller Antique Winking Lizard Edition. 21 and over only. 79 Springside Dr., Akron, 330-644-1782 $$ D, A, T The Lockview Traditional American favorites. Fresh menu with spotlight on gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. 207 S. Main St., Akron, 330-252-5128 $$ L, D, A, T Luca’s New York Style Pizza Pizza, calzones, stromboli, cheesesteaks and subs. 3451 Darrow Road, Stow, 330-688-9595 $$$ D, T Lucca Downtown Locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Italian-inspired menu. Call for reservations. 228 Fourth St. NW, Canton, 330-456-2534.

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$$$$ L, D, A, T Lucia’s Steakhouse Located at Belden Village. Fresh seafood, signature garlic butter-topped steaks, Italian favorites and Lucia classics, like house-made crab cakes or cubanella and long, hot peppers. Closed Sun. 4769 Belpar St. NW, Canton, 330-4929933 $$$$ D, A Luigi’s Restaurant An Akron icon. Open late. Serves superb Italian cuisine, salads and award-winning pizza.

Voted best pizza and best Italian restaurant by Akron Life readers.

Party trays and sheet-pan pizzas available with 24-hour notice. 105 N. Main St., Akron, 330-253-2999 $$ L, D, A, T No credit cards Lukity Country Inn Homestyle comfort food. 2697 Manchester Road, Akron, 330-753-5983 $$ B, L, D, T Magic City’s Remarkable Diner Chef-driven breakfast and lunch menu with surprising twists on diner classics, like the smoked salmon and Brie omelet. 451 Fairview Ave., Barberton, 330-983-9787 $$ B, L, T Maize Valley Winery & Craft Brewery Sample wine by bottle or glass, as well as craft beer. Taste 100-plus types of cheeses. Appetizers and sandwiches. 6193 Edison St. NE, Hartville, 330-877-8344 $$ L, D, A, T Mandarin House Chinese and South Asian entrees. 3201 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-8157 $$ L, D, A, T Mavis Winkle’s Irish Pub Large, eclectic menu, cozy atmosphere and live music. 8870 Darrow Road, Twinsburg, 330-405-3663 $$$ L, D, A, T Meet Me At Irene’s House favorites include chili, omelets and daily specials, such as Swiss steak, beef tips, meatloaf and tuna melts. 264 Kent Ave. NE, Hartville, 330-877-6477 $ B, L, T Melt Bar & Grilled This sandwich bar allows you to enjoy redesigned, gourmet versions of the grilled cheese sandwich, along with ice cold beers and a great atmosphere. Patio

Go to akronlife.com to view more area restaurants & events.

GOOD EATS UNCORKED

[ by Mike McKenney ]

Knotty Vines Healdsburg, California

Throughout the pandemic, shopping trips have often meant getting in and out of the store as quickly as possible. For many, searching for new wines was put on the backburner.

bottl

But those quick trips might have caused you to miss Knotty Vines, an emerging lifestyle brand from the family-owned Rodney Strong Wine Estates in Sonoma County, California, that came to local stores in September 2020.

e

9 $10.9

Considered an affordable luxury for the adventurous, these fruitdriven wines are a good pick for your next grocery run. bottl

e

9 $10.9

bottl

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$10.9

CABERNET SAUVIGNON A blend of cabernet, merlot, petit sirah and a touch of zinfandel produces a perfectly balanced medium-bodied wine.

The aromas you’ve come to love in a classic California cabernet, like blackberry, chocolate and earthiness, pop out of your glass. In the mouthfeel, you get some graphite and cassis with just the right tannins, leading to a soft, lasting finish.

9

CHARDONNAY bottl

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$10.9

9

This wine, made entirely of chardonnay grapes, is a must-try.

With a juicy aroma of stone fruit and green apple, it gives you the feeling of biting into tropical

fruit, creating a mouthwatering sensation that finishes with a creamy vanilla flavor.

PINOT NOIR Dark and luxurious are not your usual descriptors for this varietal, but Knotty Vines offers a black cherry and pomegranate flavor lighter than strawberry pinots. Aging it for 14 months in French oak barrels produces a velvety wine with smooth refined tannins.

RED BLEND Merlot and malbec grapes largely make up this wine, which is aged in new French oak barrels, and the result is what you would expect from a wine double the price. Aromas of dark caramel, brown sugar and cherry lead into a mouthfeel that is silky smooth. The elongated finish of caramelized oak is lusciously rich.

Get Knotty Vines at Giant Eagle, Heinen’s, Acme Fresh Market, Discount Drug Mart or independent wine shops.

[

Mike McKenney is a manager at Heidelberg Distributing Co.

]

Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

49

GOOD EATS UNTAPPED

[ by Aaron Fowler ]

Grapefruit Goggle Fogger Fat Head’s Brewery 15-pa

Local Fat Head’s Brewery had quite a win in 2020 — its Goggle Fogger was awarded a gold medal in the German-style wheat ale category at the Great American Beer Festival, one of the most prestigious accolades in the beer industry. The Goggle Fogger, which is highly influenced by traditional beers from Germany like Weihenstephaner’s hefeweizen, is also one of the best-selling wheat beers on the market in Ohio.

has an apt foggy appearance. It unleashes refreshing aromas of banana and bubblegum with a punch of grapefruit while creating a tartness on the finish.

Now, you can get a new take on the acclaimed brew for a limited time — the Grapefruit Goggle Fogger. The addition of grapefruit brings a life of its own to the beer, which is made through a traditional open fermentation process and

Find it in stores between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 15-pack cans, a format that has worked wonders for Fat Head’s Bumbleberry and Sunshine Daydream offerings. The beer, a collaboration with the Pink Boots Society, supports the not-for-profit organization that promotes female brewers. Also get it on draft in Fat Head’s taprooms in Canton, Middleburg Heights and North Olmsted.

Fat Head’s Grapefruit Goggle Fogger is available for a limited time in cans for $19.99 at select Giant Eagle, Acme Fresh Market, Fishers Foods and Mustard Seed Market & Cafe locations, as well as its taprooms and finer craft beer stops such as

dining is also available. 3921 Medina Road, Akron, 330-983-0015 $$ L, D, A, T Menches Bros. Restaurant Inventors of the hamburger and ice cream cone.

In Akron since 1901. 3700 Massillon Road, Green, 330-896-2288 $$ B, L, D, A, T Ms. Julie’s Kitchen Opened by Akron native and author of three vegan cookbooks. Specialties include salads, whole grain-foods and spelt flour waffles. 1809 S. Main St., Akron, 330-819-3834 $ B, L, D, T Mulligan’s Pub Local antique decor, award-winning barbecue ribs, extensive menu. 4118 Belden Village St. NW, Canton, 330-493-8239 $$$

L, D, A, T Stricklands Frozen Custard Founded in 1936. Run by the third generation of the Strickland family. 1809 Triplett Blvd., Akron; 2629 Bailey Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-929-8498; 3465 S. Arlington Road, Green, 330-899-9477; 9070 state Route 14, Streetsboro, 330-626-2750 $ T The West Side Bakery Specialties include cakes, pastries and cookies.

Breakfast items include scones, muffins and yogurt parfaits. All sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups are made from scratch. 2303 W. Market St., Akron, 330-836-4101 $ B, L, T

Whitey’s Booze N’ Burgers Famous chili, generous portions and live entertainment on the weekends.

3600 Brecksville Road, Richfield, 330659-3600 $$ D, A No credit cards Wild Goats Coffee & Cafe Offers light entrees, vegan and vegetarian soups, and exceptional coffee. 319 W. Main St., Kent, 330-677-2326 $$ B, L, D, T The Wine Mill Open daily for wine, craft beer, and bites made from fresh, local ingredients. The rustic Wine Mill serves salads, sliders and cheeseboards, along with Mason jar desserts. The Wine Mill is available for weddings and private events. 4964 Akron Cleveland Road,

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akronlife.com | MAY 2021

ck

9 $19.9

Lizardville and 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.

[

Aaron Fowler is a sales representative at Cavalier Distributing.

]

Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

Peninsula, 234-571-2594 $$$ L, D, A, V Yours Truly This award-winning restaurant is family-owned and operated, with an emphasis on customer service and family-friendly dining. Try the burger, chili and breakfast items. 36 S. Main St., Hudson, 330-656-2900; 3725 Medina Road, Medina, 330-722-5800 $$ B, L, D, A, T Please send any changes or corrections to kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com.

Go to akronlife.com to view more area restaurants & events.

PARTING SHOT

[ by Wyat t Loy, photo cour tesy of Summit Memory/Jewish Community Board of Akron Collection/Akron-Summit County Public Library ]

“

Bunk Assignment Akron, 1947

”

As the days get longer and the air gets warmer, some think back to the cool nights spent with friends at summer camp. Named after the song, “Happy Days Are Here Again,” Happy Days Camp was offered for children in the Akron Public Schools system and was built by the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps. In the dorm here, Joey and Hyman Sankel and Manny Mazur make a bed as Robert Freedson and Bill Kaufer enjoy a comic book. After the camp closed in the ‘40s, the building became Happy Days Lodge, the first visitor center for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in 1974. Today, it’s a facility you can rent to celebrate events and experience the charming, rustic space for yourself.

MAY 2021 | akronlife.com

51

UNITY HEALTH NETWORK IS YOUR SOURCE FOR PRIMARY CARE

Looking for a

Great Doctor in

Akron?

Unity Health Network is available for patients like you to provide local, high-quality care for life. Our doctors and care providers are ready to help – from annual wellness visits and the most common health needs to JOYVUPJ JVUKP[PVUZ <UP[` /LHS[O 5L[^VYR PZ `V\Y ÄYZ[ WVPU[ VM JVU[HJ[ MVY WLYZVUHSPaLK JVTWYLOLUZP]L JHYL Call us today – our primary care physicians and specialists are in your neighborhood.

Dr. Joshua Harbert, Family Medicine

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