aroundKent Magazine Vol 14 2017 by aroundKent Magazine

Vol 14 | 2017

Showcasing Kent and Northeastern Ohio

Where History Takes Flight MAPS Museum

Oak Tree Hydroponic Farms

21st Century Agriculture Technology

Keeping the Music Flowing Kent Music Festivals

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www.aroundkent.net

content volume 14 2017

publisher/photographer Matt Keffer 330.221.1274 info@aroundkent.net

6 Where History Takes Flight

art director Susan Mackle

12 The Road Less Traveled

illustrator Chuck Slonaker

contributing writers

Reed Kimball Stephen Brown Elizabeth M. Carney Lynn Novelli Don Abbott

Dr. Patrick Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Bob Burford Paul S. Wang Mark Keffer Beth Stoneking

Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content of any manner is prohibited without written permission. aroundkent accepts no responsibility for solicited materials.

18 Oak Tree Hydroponic Farms 24 Keeping the Music Flowing

30 Serial Intent: Akron Art Museum

32 Computational Thinking: Second in a Series

38 Visual Art Showcase Vol 14 | 2017

Showcasing Kent and Northeastern Ohio

45 UH Portage Medical Center 54 The Snarky Gardener

32 38

58 A Trip to a Craft Show

54 58

Cover: Fear of Speaking by Leslye Discont Arian

Where History Takes Flight Reed Kimball

HIDDEN NEAR THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF SUMMIT COUNTY IN THE CITY OF GREEN, is one of the best kept secrets in the Akron/ Canton area—a small museum officially known as the Military Aviation Preservation Society Air Museum, or MAPS for short. Located on the west side of the Akron Canton Regional Airport, the museum, founded by 14 aviation enthusiasts in 1990, has a stated mission of “educating people about the history of aviation and its impact upon society”. It accomplishes this mission by acquiring, restoring, preserving, studying, and displaying aircraft and then using these vintage aircraft and associated military artifacts to educate the community on how aviation history has shaped this world. The history of aviation, however, was not made by airplanes, but by the men and women who designed, built, and flew them. Many of the aircraft and most of the displays have a local connection—ties to local men and women. The stories of these connections is what makes MAPS a special place—where history takes flight. For those that have never visited the MAPS Air Museum, you feel it when you first step through the doors to the hangar. You are surrounded by aviation history—by

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extraordinary aircraft! Visitors can view a collection of almost 50 aircraft including one that was designed, built, and flown by a local farmer, Canton resident William Martin, in 1909. From a World War I era Sopwith Triplane to a World War II vintage C-47 Skytrain—from a Korean War era F-86 Sabre to a modern F-16 fighter, the aircraft are there to view and to touch. Central to any visit to the MAPS Air Museum is experiencing the Gallery of Heroes display room. Visitors often find themselves

entranced by the displays of artifacts and memorabilia and spend a majority of their visit time in this one area. The stories that visitors will be introduced to are not those that you will find in history books, but rather those of local men and women who served. It is those stories and the real pieces of history displayed that make history come to life. The Pearl Harbor display at the heart of the Gallery is one that should not be missed during a visit to MAPS. The focal point of the display is a single artifact. That artifact is a piece of the superstructure of the battleship U.S.S. Arizona—the same ship that was destroyed

on December 7, 1941 and one that still lies under the waters of Pearl Harbor today. View a Western Union telegraph sent to a World War II family that begins with the words “The Secretary of War desired me to express his deep regret that your son…”, read a letter sent home by an American POW and hear his comments about life in a German POW camp. These and more are the things that make MAPS a place “Where History Takes Flight”. With education being a central part of the MAPS mission statement, the museum focuses much of its efforts on providing a hands-on educational experience that forms the bridge between the classroom and a student’s understanding

of history. MAPS Educational programs are primarily, but not exclusively, focused on teaching the next generation about the role played by aviation and aviators on the culture and society that we currently enjoy. Scout programs include Cub Scout/Girl Scout days held twice per year that enable the attendees to reach out and touch (and in

some cases, sit in) real pieces of history. The annual Boy Scout campout allows participating scouts to not only spend a weekend among historical aircraft, but to complete all of the requirements of the Aviation Merit Badge in the process.

2,793 students and 122 teachers from 21 high schools in Stark, Summit and Wayne counties participated in this program.

For high school students, the museum offers a rare opportunity for United States history classes from local public schools to experience history from a practical perspective. MAPS receives grants from the John A. McAlonan Fund of the Akron Community Foundation, the Stark Community Foundation, the Timken Company and the J.M. Smucker Company to provide participating schools with a no-cost history field trip as the grants cover all school transportation and substitute teacher costs. During the 2015—2016 school year,

The local Career Center at Portage Lakes initiated an Aviation Technology program during the 2015—16 school year. MAPS has provided classroom and laboratory spaces within the museum to enable high school students to explore and train in the field of

Aviation Technology. From studies of aviation history, student’s progress into the areas of aircraft components, aerodynamics, air traffic control, airspace management, navigation, and weather. Additional program enhancements introduce students to the fields of aviation maintenance, aerospace engineering, and aircraft structures with practical Continued on page 8

P-51 Mustang Fighter Monument at the Entrance to the MAPS Air Museum

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Continued from page 7 hands-on experiences on MAPS aircraft built into the program. The MAPS Air Academy is a 10-week program designed for students ages 10 and up with a parent, grandparent or guardian. Conducted in two-hour blocks on Sundays during the summer months, the program covers a wide range of topics, from the history of aviation through rocket theory and pre-flight procedures to hands-on practice with flight simulators. As with any volunteer organization, it is the efforts and dedication of its members that makes that organization successful. Under the direction of the MAPS Executive Director and Board of Directors, the museum has grown from the original 14 volunteer members to over 1,100 volunteer members. These volunteers donated almost 54,000 volunteer hours during the 2016 calendar year, either working at the museum or working on museum projects.

This dedication and effort has paid off with the increased popularity of the venue. Over the past ten years, the number of guests has grown from 4,796 visitors in 2006 to 36,844 visitors in 2016. Many of the members are veterans who have served in this nation’s armed forces—some of whom worked with the aircraft similar to those that are displayed at the museum. Three MAPS members are World War II pilots who flew combat missions in Europe and in the Pacific. There are even a few of the volunteer members who flew, armed, serviced, or maintained the actual aircraft that ultimately ended up as part of the displayed collection! A large number of the members are retirees who have found that the overabundance of free time is not what they expected out of retirement and want to make a difference and find the time to volunteer. The volunteers serve in various capacities and work on their own schedules. Some volunteer as

World War II Martin B-26 Marauder Bomber

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Women’s Service Uniforms—Gallery of Heroes

tour guides, some work in the gift shop, canteen or library. Others volunteer in the restoration area, working on bringing vintage aircraft back to life. Still others catalog, prepare, maintain, and arrange the museum’s nonaircraft displays as part of the curator staff. MAPS has recently embarked on an expansion program that will ultimately open the second floor of the main hangar to the public. This expansion will enable MAPS to improve its ability to teach about the history of aviation as well as enhancing the support provided to the community and to the local area. This expansion started with installation of an elevator to take guests to the upper floor of the hangar and renovation of a display room that will house the collection of the former Massillon Military Museum. As the renovation continues, MAPS will renovate a space for a meeting/classroom on the second floor, as well as additional restrooms. Future plans call for the renovation

Display Area—Gallery of Heroes

of spaces for three additional display areas for the Ohio National Guard, an F-100 Super Sabre historical group “Friends of the Super Sabre”, and an extension of the museum’s own Gallery of Heroes. The final phase of the 2nd floor renovation program calls for construction of a kitchen and a 250-seat conference center with windows overlooking the Akron-Canton Regional Airport. This conference center, when completed, will be able to be divided into two smaller conference rooms. Group Tour—MAPS Air Museum

World War II Display—Gallery of Heroes

MAPS also hosts a number of events throughout the year including birthday parties, weddings and wedding receptions, retirement parties, corporate training sessions, trade shows, car shows, and other events. Perhaps the largest event that will be held during the 2017 calendar year is a visit by the Collings Foundation on August 11, 12 and 13. During

this three day weekend, the Collings group will be flying in four World War II vintage aircraft— a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, a B-24 Liberator bomber, a B-25 Mitchell bomber and a P-51 Mustang fighter. Visitors during this event will be able to view and to climb in these vintage aircraft and even purchase rides in them. The MAPS Air Museum is open throughout the year. The hours of operation are typically 9am to 4:30pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 11:30am to 4pm on Sundays. For additional information on the museum, hours of operation and on upcoming events, go to the MAPS website at www.mapsairmuseum.org. Reed Kimball is the Director of Education at the MAPS Air Museum.

Vultee BT-13 Valiant Undergoing Restoration

MAPS Gift Shop

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Marilyn Sessions Dr. Patrick O’Connor “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — WINSTON CHURCHILL

Most creative people have traveled very interesting paths to get to where they are…usually zig-zagging a lot, shifting artistic gears, retracing steps, exploring new passions, revisiting previous works, failing a whole bunch, and generally bouncing back often. All these experiences are part

Community Service is a Constant Sir Winston may have had Marilyn Sessions in mind when he said this. Her whole life has revolved around enhancing the lives of those around her. Successful in the business world, she is equally successful and well known for her contributions to the Kent community. The many people who benefit from her tireless generosity feel the impact of her contribution.

of their creative profile and serve to motivate and inspire them. This feature tells that story. This version of the Road Less Traveled features Marilyn Sessions, Human Resource and Training Officer at Hometown Bank.

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

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Marilyn and her pleasant demeanor are a constant in the Kent community. She is involved with numerous community service groups and activities. It is certainly evident in her visibility at most community activities. She is or has been involved with many groups and their activities, including Family and Community Services, Kiwanis (president), Lord’s Lunch, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Kent Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees), Kent Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Kent, Portage County Head Start, Dog Days of Summer, United Way, and Coleman Professional Services, to name a few. Her contributions have been recognized with many awards including the Key to the City, Volunteer of the Year for both

Other food related activities she is passionate about support the Lord’s Lunch program, involving many local churches, Kent Police Department, Family and Community Services, and the Newman Center Catholic Student Association.

Brian and Marilyn cooking at a grilling event at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Main Street Kent and United Way, and the W.W. Reed Medal for Public Service.

Passion Meets Service Marilyn merges her passion with the causes that interest her. She also inspires others to support these causes, especially her husband, Brian who is alongside her for most of her community service. Marilyn’s three major interests; cooking, animals (especially dogs,) and gardening, take up countless service hours. Marilyn loves to barbeque. This has led to a number of food-related projects that raise money for various organizations. She and Brian started Grill for Good which is now in the 8th year and has raised thousands for numerous causes and charities. The idea originated from

“

her participation in a barbeque grill-off in Atlanta about ten years ago. She and Brian finished second in a contest of about 400 grillers! The proceeds of that function went to support the needy in greater Atlanta. On the return trip to Kent, they formulated the idea and plans for Grill for Good. It began modestly with just Marilyn, Brian, and a handful of their many friends. They were joined shortly after by the Kent Jaycees who lent their support to grow the event. This June, they expect the function to draw about 1,000 people to downtown Kent with a goal of donating approximately $10,000.00 to those in need of food, shelter, and mental health services. To learn more about Grill for Good, go to www.kentjaycees.com/grillforgood.

Anyone who has met Marilyn knows of her love for pets, especially Golden Retrievers. She is often seen with Buddy and/or Clyde who were once referred to as “celebrity dogs”. Buddy and Clyde also serve as mascots for the University Parish Newman Center Catholic Student Association. Some years ago in a contest, she won a free original portrait by artist Sean M. O’Connor. Rather than have her own portrait drawn, she had it done of her Golden Retriever, Lucy. It still hangs proudly in her living room. Her love of dogs is also reflected in the Dog Days of Summer festival held each August and St. Pet’s Day. Both events raise money for the Portage County Animal Protective League and Rose’s Rescue. A popular notion is some pets and their owners have similar characteristics. It looks like this may be the case for Marilyn and her Golden Retriever dogs. The breed’s friendly, gentle, intelligent temperament means it is suited to Continued on page 14

I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. — Robert Frost 13

”

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Continued from page 13 being a disability assistance dog. It is popular as a guide dog for the blind and a hearing dog for the deaf. Also, according to the Golden Retriever Club of America, the Golden Retriever is a very versatile, cheerful dog that enjoys participating in many activities and events. Sounds familiar. A third love of Marilyn’s is gardening. She is a Portage County Master Gardener, as well as a member of Kent Garden Club and is active in the Adopt-a-Spot program to add flower gardens to open spaces in downtown Kent. She and Brian have tended the flower garden in front of the Kent Stage for eight years.

A Flow of Love “My community involvement is simply an act of love—almost like being on auto pilot—like a flow of love.” Marilyn is humbled and honored to contribute to her community. And like most communityoriented people, she prefers to give with

nother important person in her A formative years was her kindergarten teacher in Shalersville, Mrs. Carol MacLean. The popular phrase “I learned everything I need to know in life in kindergarten” applies here. In an odd random event, Marilyn was planting Bride Marilyn with her Grandmother and Maid of Honor Grace Ellis flower bulbs in her yard one day when Mrs. MacLean happened little fanfare or attention. Living intentionally is to drive by. Marilyn tracked her down and to serve from the heart, rather than the head. they have been sharing memories of that kindergarten class ever since. In recent years, the number of people performing community service and participating in Another major influence on Marilyn’s early service clubs in the United States has declined. development was the television show, The As a result, many states and communities are Flying Nun featuring actress, Sally Field. She requiring students to complete a minimum actually had aspirations of becoming a nun number of community service hours as a high because of the show. She liked that The Flying school graduation requirement. The logic is we Nun played with animals and sang songs all all need to be part of our communities if they the time. are to thrive and grow. Marilyn believes everyOn a bit more serious note, her father ensured one has a responsibility to see our communities that the family lived and learned a strong work grow. Young people in particular need to see ethic and great customer service skills. The the value of community service as they will vehicle for this was the family Save 4 Store in receive as much as they give. Shalersville where all family members worked. The Origin of it All—Growing up By age seven, Marilyn had mastered the fine with Community Values art of sorting pop bottles. She was also running the cash register and assisting customers! Her Marilyn grew up in Shalersville with rural “big brother” Sam Eisele (her rock) now runs values where community service is important. the store. She learned many things in that store Some key people in her formative years were about the importance of commitment and her parents, Chuck and Josie Eisele, her older service to others. In particular, she admires her brothers, Sam and Mark, and her Grandma Ellis brother Sam’s military commitment to Honor (who served as Maid of Honor at her wedding). Flight and the Ohio National Guard. In particular, her mom had a powerful effect on her development. In addition to being her best friend, Marilyn credits her mom with instilling in her a spirit of service to others. Her mom is a constant reminder to her as she performs her community service.

Mantua Potato Queen circa 1980

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Work Life Marilyn has spent most of her professional career in human resources and administrative positions. She has mostly worked as an

Goldens Clyde and Buddy Sessions

employee relations coordinator in the financial services industry. Much of her career emphasis is on assisting employees to enjoy quality work life. By the time she entered college at Kent State University, she had 11 years of retail experience under her belt. She began her formal college education in criminal justice, however, she changed her major to business administration after completing an internship as a juvenile probation officer. The internship experience confirmed for her that she could make a bigger contribution in the business world. Fresh out of college, she took a position at the Ravenna Arsenal, working on the Dragon Missile Team. She loved the work and the people. She also enjoyed feeding apples to the deer that roamed the Arsenal fields. She even named a few of the regulars. Her favorites were Jane Doe and Buck Rogers. After three years in this position, she decided to take on human resources work in the banking industry. Her first assignment would be a tough one.

With the Kent Jaycees Presenting a Check to Family & Community Services from Grill For Good

As an employee relations consultant for Bank One, she coordinated the employee separation program for Banc One Credit Company offices that were closing in the late 1980s. Her job was to counsel employees who were being displaced by the many office closings across the country. She learned very interesting lessons about change from the experience. For example, some of the employees welcomed the change as it motivated them to do something else in life. Others however, were quite devastated. She did her best to make an unpleasant experience as pleasant as possible. After the last office closed and the final employee was dismissed, she realized she had worked herself out of a job. Her break would be a short one. It was shortly thereafter she started at Hometown Bank in the main office in downtown Kent. In addition to her role as human resource director and training officer (15 years), she is heavily involved in the Hometown Bank Summer concert series. She is in a good place at Hometown, considering its 117-year history of service to Kent and the surrounding communities. Hometown donated the space for the plaza, which is the outdoor centerpiece of Kent. This initiative led to other outdoor venues following suit in Kent. These improvements have been an important component of the revitalization of Kent in recent years.

A Synergy of Service Synergy is the interaction of elements when combined, produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements. For example, flocks of birds fly in formation as they use less energy when working together. One strand of rope has a certain amount of strength. However, three strands of rope weaved together (a braid or cord) have more strength than the strands would have individually. The essence of community is that a group can accomplish more working together than individuals can separately. This synergy is evident in everything Marilyn Sessions does. She has demonstrated the importance of community service in many ways, over a long period. Her contributions have affected many people. She is an excellent role model for young people who want to see how they can support their communities. Marilyn’s life is really one of weaving three strands of passion and interest together. Her cord is really about raising: raising friends, raising funds and raising fun. The next time you are at a community function in Kent, Marilyn and Brian will probably be there. Stop and say, “Hello”. You will see synergy in action! Say, “Hi”, to Buddy and Clyde, too. They will also be happy to see you.

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Oak Tree Hydroponic Farms Brings 21st Century Agriculture Technology To Your Table 24/7/365

Stephen Brown

to Haymakers’ indoor market, located at the United Methodist Church on upper Main Street in Kent. Jan and Stephen sell their lettuces, except for the mixture bag containing four varieties, with roots still attached to retain freshness and flavor 10—14 days. “We harvest early Saturday mornings to assure freshness,” Jan says.

T H E Y C O M E T O K E N T ’ S FA M O U S H AY M A K E R FA R M E R S M A R K E T

“Any fresher and you’d have to slap it,” Stephen says, an easy smile across his face.

from Barberton. From Hudson. From Akron, Stow, and Ravenna. They come for apples and sweets, for breads and for cheeses, but the Markets’ “long-distance” buyers come for Oak Tree Farms Hydroponic lettuce which Akronbased owners Jan and Stephen Brown grow year ‘round.

Oak Tree has been providing locals with lettuce since 2015 following an extended search “to find a niche product we were both comfortable with accepting the business risk,” Jan, a Certified Public Accountant and lecturer at the University of Akron, says. “I grew up on a selfsustaining farm in Wayne County. You never forget how good fresh produce tastes.”

Even on the coldest winter Saturdays, Oak Tree brings Bibb, Romaine, Green Leafy, and specialty varieties of its superior-grade lettuces

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Stephen, a native Californian, flew singleengine aircraft before having a driver’s license.

A former naval officer (Vietnam) who spent ten years in commercial and international banking, he lectured in graduate-level economics and finance while studying for a PhD before turning to computer-related courses. He has been a lecturer, department chair, CEO for a multi-state post-secondary school, and director of education for a small college. An author with three books—’Sweeps, Track of the Treasure, and Wrath of the Eagle—published to date, he now devotes his time to Oak Tree and restoring his and Jan’s circa 1902 residence. After Jan and Stephen attended a lecture on aquaponics, the two put their heads together to explore hydroponics. “The word comes from Greek,” Jan says. “Hydro is ‘water,’ ponics is ‘work.’ Our research found evidence the Aztecs of Mexico having devised a system of floating gardens to utilize non-arable swamp land. The famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon proved another example of hydroponic culture.

Egyptian hieroglyphic records dating back several hundred years B.C. describe the growing of plants in water. World War II American forces grew vegetables on remote, rocky islands using hydroponic techniques. The 1942 movie, A Wing and A Prayer, shows off-duty carrier pilots growing tomatoes in buckets using readily obtainable chemicals.” “There is no ‘out-of-season’ calendar for growing hydroponic plants,” she says. “We provide great-tasting produce while maintaining more efficient energy uses and substantially less water consumption than field-grown crops, where a single watermelon may require up to 18 gallons of water to produce. We use an 1/8 of a gallon of water per plant. Do the math.” The benefits of hydroponics stand as impressive,” Stephen says. “Besides being water-wise, Oak Tree operates with a near zero environmental impact to deliver superior-quality produce without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.

Our plants thrive and grow in one body of water using a single infrastructure of consistent biomass. There are no herbicides, no pesticides, no pre-ripe harvests followed by gassing to accommodate consumer-expected colors, and no need to transport product, on average, 1,800 miles.

“Hydroponics also enjoys better product turnover,” he says. “Think 34 days, not 72 to grow lettuce; 45, not 62 for kale; and 45 days, not 80 for tomatoes.” “Our concept of ‘Field to Table’ is simple—Think four hours.” Twenty years ago, growers offered few lettuce varieties to the consumer beyond iceberg lettuce. With an increased interest by today’s consumer for nutritional value, dark green leaf lettuces are now as equally popular as is iceberg. Almost any upscale restaurant offers salads using a variety of leaf lettuce. Continued on page 20

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“We recycle our reservoirs of nutrient-enriched water to our gardens, even in winter,” Jan says. “Come summer and our plants will look like they’re all on steroids.” “The addition will also contribute to expand our commercial market,” Stephen says. “Leading local caterers and restaurants love our produce.” He adds, “We have had a pending contract with the Earth Fare grocery people but could not accommodate the demand for hundreds of lettuce heads per week. The new greenhouse allows our supply to meet increased demand.”

Continued from page 19 Since leaf produce is among the most popular and most frequently purchased produce items, Jan and Stephen recognized an opportunity to fill a significant need for quality, locally grown produce not being met. Hydroponics —the science of growing plants in soilless, inert media to which is added a water-soluble nutrient containing all essential elements needed by the plant for optimum growth and development—offers financial and production advantages. “Want to help solve hunger world issues anywhere?” Stephen adds. “Hydroponics is a reality for all climate regions. Large hydroponic greenhouse complexes exist throughout the world, including Holland, England, Germany, the Middle East, Spain, and Africa. Our principal supplier, CropKing out of nearby Lodi, recently built inside a very large cave near Vladivostok, Russia, a complete hydroponic system.”

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What’s next for Oak Tree? “We’ll continue participating in nearby farmers markets from Green to Medina to Kent’s Haymaker,” Jan says. “The addition of a 44-foot by 72-foot greenhouse later this spring will take capacity to just under 20,000 plants. “We control everything by hand now,” she says. “The new greenhouse will feature computerized environmental control systems, automated injector feed systems, and other technological innovations to allow increased efficiency in production, thereby reducing both capital and operational costs. Waste materials … minimal.”

Twenty-first century consumers demand not only high quality but also an assurance that their food is safe. Knowing that a local grower like Oak Tree meets both criteria remains important as opposed to having lettuce imported from another state or country which may or may not have acceptable food safety standards. “Since the day the truck delivered nearly three tons of materials so we could commence building our business, we have learned to recognize and appreciate each talents,” Stephen says. “Jan specializes on the plant production side; I am responsible for Oak Tree’s business development and marketing. In essence, she works the supply side of the equation. Me, I’m demand.” With demand soon meeting supply, Oak Tree appears well-poised for success.

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aroundKent Landmarks

Buy local, unique prints, and support the community and those in need of a little help. Now that’s a gift worth giving! • Quality Prints Available Online • They Make Great Gifts!

• Framing Available at McKay Bricker •A Portion of the Proceeds Goes to Help Feed our Community

Visit aroundkent.net to order prints.

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Keeping the Music Flowing FOUR ANNUAL KENT MUSIC FESTIVALS FUEL ARTS AND THE ECONOMY

Luther Trammell and John Sutton at the Loft

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Bob Burford

THE CITY OF KENT has a long and proud history as a music town. From the folk-filled 1960s and the start of the Kent State Folk Festival, to the glory days of the 1970s when music by the likes of Devo, the Numbers Band and the Measles (featuring a young Joe Walsh) blared out of downtown venues, Kent’s reputation has often been linked to happenings around the country, the events of May 4, 1970—and to music.

That tradition continues to this day, thanks to a revitalized downtown, a growing university, the diversity of artists presented by the Kent Stage, and the popular music festivals presented by the Crooked River Arts Council. In early 2009, I sat down with three of my friends to toss around the idea of putting together a music festival in Kent. Entrepreneur Mike Beder, then WNIR-FM sales manager Marty Student, Kent Stage owner Tom Simpson and I met to discuss the concept of a summer festival—when the weather was good, students were scarce and downtown businesses needed a boost. We decided on a blues festival, since it seemed like the perfect accompaniment to the heat of the season. The whole “blues and brews” idea seemed like a no brainer. Business sponsors were secured, media promotional partners came on board, and we started to pitch the idea to downtown establishments. The concept was, and remains

15 60 75 The Numbers Band at Venice Cafe

to this day, relatively simple. We asked the venues to host a band that would fit the event, and in turn, our group would deliver a multifaceted professional marketing campaign to bring out the people. In order to operate such an event, we formed the Crooked River Arts Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Seven downtown venues signed up, with a nice line-up of local and regional blues artists. But even though everything seemed to be in place for that first Kent Blues Fest on July 24, 2009, we still were nervous. “It really was a ‘if you build it, will they come?’ situation,” says Beder, who at the time operated one downtown bar—the Water Street Tavern. “We wanted to build on Kent’s music reputation, showcase the city, help the downtown economy during a slow time, and put on a good party.” Fortunately, the crowds came out and had a blast. The response to the inaugural offering

led to immediate talks of making the Blues Fest an annual event. The festival expanded over the years, adding venues and artists, garnering more sponsors, and boosting the marketing efforts. “From our perspective, the lack of parking in the city meant we were doing our job,” Beder adds with a laugh. Over the years, the Kent Blues Fest has presented a wide range of artists encompassing the many facets of the blues. Audiences flocked to see national artists such as legendary harmonica player James Cotton (who passed away earlier this year), Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Tab Benoit, Mitch Ryder and Roomful of Blues, as well as local and regional favorites including Wallace Coleman, the Armstrong Bearcat Band, Colin John and Long Tall Deb, the Juke Hounds, Jon Mosey, the Bluestones, and dozens of others. Continued on page 26

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Continued from page 25 The 9th Annual Kent Blues Fest continues the tradition on Friday, July 14, featuring live blues acts at more than 20 venues. “It’s our signature event, the one that started it all,” says Student. The council now presents four festivals annually—the Blues Fest in July, the ‘Round

step away when his other business interests made it impossible to continue. He literally had other fish to fry. Thomas happily agreed to let our group move it forward. The ‘Round Town Music Festival grew out of the long-running Kent State

Sam Rettman and Dale Galgozy

Town Music Festival in September, Kent BeatleFest in February, and the Kent Reggae Jam in April. Two of these festivals actually originated from previous efforts. The Kent Reggae Jam was the extension of a mini-festival spearheaded by Charlie Thomas, owner of the legendary Ray’s Place restaurant and bar. Thomas, a big fan of reggae music, successfully organized “Reggae Meltdown” for several years, but he had to

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Folk Festival, which got its start in 1966. The event, presented in association with Main Street Kent, now showcases all types of music at more than 30 venues on one night. This event goes beyond the city’s fine bars and restaurants to include coffeehouses, galleries and even yoga studios, as well as Acorn Alley Plaza and the Hometown Bank Plaza. The first Kent BeatleFest was held in 2014 to

mark the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four’s arrival in America. It was designed to just be a one time event, not an annual happening. Boosted by the barrage of publicity surrounding the Beatles anniversary, the response to the Kent BeatleFest was “yeah, yeah, yeah!” Fans immediately started asking about plans for the following year. We all agreed that the Beatles event would continue. Still, we were concerned about drawing people to downtown bars and restaurants in the heart of winter. The worries were unfounded. A couple of years ago, the temperature on the evening of the Beatles celebration was all of nine degrees, and downtown was hopping. The 2017 Kent BeatleFest was the biggest yet. It’s a tribute to the universal appeal of the music, and the resilience of the people of Kent and northeast Ohio. The Kent BeatleFest not only presents top tribute acts such as Hard Day’s Night, Revolution Pie, Abbey Road and Liverpool Lads—it also gives local acts of all music genres a chance to put their own spin on the classics. Student handles all of business and media sponsorships for the Crooked River Arts Council. “From the very beginning, we decided that all of the music had to be free,” he says. “No venues could charge a cover. That was key. But it also put the burden on us to fund the marketing and operation. That’s where our business sponsors come in. We simply could not operate without their support.” Sponsors receive recognition on all marketing materials—print and online advertising, social

county. This serves to introduce many new patrons to our wonderfully redeveloped downtown and leads to the promise of many return visits down the road. Bringing entertainment dollars in from outside the area is a boon for our many downtown entrepreneurs and allows them to maintain and expand their workforce, employing many Kent residents and Kent State University students.” Heather Malarcik, Executive Director of Main Street Kent, echoes Wilkes comments. Armstrong Bearcat at Water Street Tavern

media, festival web sites, radio spots, posters, and other collateral. The no cover charge policy adds immensely to the power of the marketing campaign.

“What we particularly appreciate about their efforts is how they strategically market their events to people outside the city and the

“These music festivals draw people from cities all around us to enjoy free, live music and explore our downtown at all times of the year,” says Malarcik. “The economic impact to our Continued on page 28

“We continually want to build on the idea that Kent is a destination for music and entertainment,” says Student. “’Free’ is a very popular price point, and it helps to draw folks from all over the region to see what the city has to offer.” The non-profit status of the Crooked River Arts Council meant that the group could apply to the city of Kent for funding assistance. The goals of the council align well with the city’s objectives. “The City of Kent is proud to provide support to the Crooked River Arts Council in the form of Celebrate Kent! Grants for each of their four annual music festivals,” says Tom Wilke, Kent Economic Development Director.

Blue Lunch at Ray’s Place

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Continued from page 27 downtown businesses is compelling, and each event provides a great opportunity for business owners to engage with the community and support the Kent music scene.” Over the years, the Crooked River Arts Council has distributed thousands of dollars to Grill For Good, Family And Community Services, Big Brothers & Sisters, an initiative providing refurbished musical instruments to veterans, music programs at Kent Roosevelt, Ravenna, and Streetsboro High Schools, and more.

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One of the newest initiatives of the council is the establishment of a high school senior music education grant program. The annual opportunity is targeted at seniors who reside in Portage or Summit counties, and who desire to pursue a music career after high school. The amount of the grant is $5,000 and will be paid to the institution providing the musical training. “This outreach is something we’ve been wanting to do for some time,” says Beder. “It’s a way for us to give back to the city.” T o keep up on the latest on all of the festivals, check out the individual web sites for each

event. Businesses interested in becoming involved and keeping the music alive and well in Kent should contact Student at 330-671-3476 or mstudent13@hotmail.com. Thanks to welcoming venues, amazingly talented artists, support from the city, generous sponsors and supportive music fans from Kent and throughout northeast Ohio (and beyond), these four events showcase the city’s arts and cultural scene and add to the economic vitality of the town we call home. It’s great when a plan comes together.

Serial Intent Elizabeth M. Carney

SERIAL INTENT features major serial works of art in large and impressive installations. Rarely seen large groupings and full series by Andy Warhol, Lorna Simpson, Jacob Lawrence, Barbara Kruger, Michael Loderstedt and Craig Lucas, Lori Kella, Karl Blossfeldt, and others fill the gallery walls. The exhibition highlights the serial format as an artist’s tool, both as a practical method of production and as a way to affect viewers’ understanding. The repetition of elements such as composition, subject or theme provides a structure to each series, while variation within that structure develops complexity or brings clarity to central ideas. The exhibition calls attention to the role of the series across a variety of styles, approaches, and subjects. Dozens of photogravures of botanical specimens from Karl Blossfeldt’s Wundegarten der Natur (Magic Garden of Nature) engage the impulse to compare and contrast individuals within a group. These black-and-white photographs emphasize the unique form of each seed pod, blossom or stem within a direct compositional format. Lorna Simpson’s Wigs (portfolio) also replicates the familiar format of the typological collection, using it to challenge deeper implications of stereotyping in the categorization of human physical traits such as hair color and style.

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Akron Art Museum Karl and Bertl Arnstein Galleries 6.3 – 9.10 2017 •

A single photograph records a moment, but serial artworks can visually chart the passage of time by allowing several moments to be seen at once or in sequence. Eadweard Muybridge made use of this capability to track quick animal and human movements in his 1884—1887 study Animal Locomotion. Using custom-designed cameras with multiple lenses, he produced hundreds of composite images of bodies in motion, including two examples in the exhibition. Two photographs from Richard Misrach’s Golden Gate series feature the Golden Gate Bridge at various times of day during different seasons, emphasizing the changing color, light, and weather patterns surrounding a fixed and static subject. Storytelling is an essential function of many serial artworks. The Legend of John Brown by Jacob Lawrence relates the narrative of the famous abolitionist in 22 graphic prints with descriptive, prose-like titles. Nicholas Africano’s sequence of eight lithographs with watercolor describes his friend Bill’s recovery from an invasive surgery, in which the artist saw parallels with his own healing after a painful divorce.

William Kentridge’s animated video Automatic Writing takes the form of charcoal drawings that are continually drawn and erased, bringing viewers into the artist’s subconscious through fragmentary scenes that never quite coalesce into a clear narrative. Serial Intent features a temporary wall installation of Jenny Holzer’s Inflammatory Essays. The wall will be covered floor-to-ceiling in Holzer’s multicolored posters, which were first posted in public spaces in New York City between 1979—1981. Each poster consists of 100 words on a square colored piece of paper, expressing extreme ideological statements meant to provoke viewers to question the expressed inflammatory message. Serial Intent features installations of major series in the museum’s collection that are rarely displayed in full. The role of the serial format in art-making and art-viewing is explored in the works described above, as well as serial investigations by artists including Vito Acconci, Dieter Appelt, Jennifer Bartlett, Bruce Checefsky, Robert Indiana, Sol LeWitt, Judith McMillan, Robert Rauschenberg, and Bryn Zellers. Elizabeth M. Carney is the Assistant Curator at the Akron Art Museum. This exhibition is organized by the Akron Art Museum and supported by the Ohio Arts Council.

Wundegarten Der Natur (Magic Garden of Nature) Karl Blossfeldt, 1932, photogravures, 11 x 8.5 in. (each), Collection of the Akron Art Museum. Museum Acquisition Fund. Individually titled, 60 on view. 1979.27.1-120

The Legend of John Brown Jacob Lawrence, 1978, screenprints on paper, 20 x 14 in. (each), Collection of the Akron Art Museum, Gift of David and Frances Cooper. Individually titled, 22 on view. 1979.35 a-v

Bestiary Michael Loderstedt and Craig Lucas, 1999-2000, screenprints and relief on paper, 20 x 26 in. (each), Collection of the Akron Art Museum. Gift of Michael Loderstedt in memory of Craig Lucas and in honor of Mitchell D. Kahan. 2012.94 a-x

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THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES

Everyday Computational Thinking

Paul S. Wang

It Can Save Lives

The great digital revolution is here and now. The Internet, the Web, and the computer in its many different forms, are providing instant communication across vast distances and changing nearly every aspect of our dayto-day living. In the March 2017 edition of AroundKent (Vol 13, online at aroundkent.net),we gave an overview of Computational Thinking (CT) and stated “CT is thinking inspired by an understanding of IT, its advantages, limitations, and potential problems” and understood that CT was a powerful way of thinking. We also defined a new verb computize: To apply computational thinking. To view, consider, analyze, design, plan, work, and solve problems from a computational perspective. When considering, analyzing, designing, formulating, or devising a solution/answer to some specific problem, computizing becomes an important additional dimension of deliberation. In this article, we will explain how CT can be applied by everyone in everyday situations and how it can make important differences and even save lives.

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What Is An Algorithm? Remember the hugely successful movie The Social Network (2010) It told the story of Mark Zuckerberg and how he created Facebook. The motion picture also introduced the term algorithm to much of the world for the first time. From the author’s book From Computing to Computational Thinking we understand an algorithm is a step-by-step procedure. The origin of the word “algorithm” traces back to the surname Al-Khwārizmī of a Persian mathematician (780–850 CE), who was well-known for his work on algebra and arithmetic with Indian numbers (now known as Arabic numbers). The modern-day meaning of algorithm in mathematics and computer science relates to an effective step-by-step procedure to solve a given class of problems or to perform certain tasks or computations. Specifically, a procedure becomes an algorithm if it satisfies all of the following criteria: Finiteness The procedure consists of a finite number of steps and will always terminate in finite time.

Definiteness Each step is precisely, rigorously, and unambiguously specified. Input The procedure receives certain data (or none) as input before it starts. Possible values for the data may vary within limitations. Output The procedure produces results as its output. Effectiveness Each operation in the procedure is basic and clearly doable. For a given problem, there usually are multiple algorithms for its solution. The design and analysis of algorithms are central to computer science and programming. What have algorithms to do with everyday computational thinking? Good question. Well, it has to do with setting goals, devising concrete steps to achieve them, anticipating problems, and arranging solutions in advance. That’s pretty important for everything everyday, right?

Flowcharts An algorithm is basically a procedure to achieve a certain goal.

A flowchart presents a procedure visually with words and diagrams. For any procedure, we can use a flowchart to plan the sequences of steps, to refine the solution logic, and to indicate how to handle different possibilities. Here is a simple flowchart for the task of “getting up in the morning.” We begin at the Start and follow the arrows to each next step. A diamond shape is used to indicate a fork in the path. Which way to turn depends on the conditions indicated. Obviously, we use diamond shapes to anticipate possibilities. The snooze option leads to a branch that repeats some steps. In programming, such a group of repeating steps is called a loop. The procedure ends when the person finally climbs out of bed. As another example, let’s look at a flowchart for troubleshooting a lamp. The very first step after Start is significant. Although the purpose of the procedure is to troubleshoot a lamp, we, nonetheless, make no implicit assumption that the lamp is not working. Without this step at Continued on page 34

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Continued from page 33 the beginning, the procedure would potentially troubleshoot a perfectly good lamp, and worse yet, would decide to replace it with a new lamp! Each of the next three steps tests for a particular problem and makes a fix. Then the same procedure is reiterated by going back to step one to determine if the lamp is now working. This flowchart is a bit more complicated. Yet, it is worth careful examination. That is also a good way to get into the head of a programmer. All you need is pencil and paper to start drawing your own flowcharts. Try it and you may find it not so difficult. To make nice looking flowcharts, you can find many tools on your computer as well as online. Correctly setting goals and anticipating potential problems are important aspects of devising a procedure. We all were, and still are, horrified and outraged by the United Airlines passenger dragging incident (April 2017). But if the airline had set “passenger service” truly as its goal, then it would have used a procedure that increased the incentives in case of not getting enough

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volunteers to give up their seats. One can’t help but wonder. Could this be the tip of an iceberg of problems caused by a wrongheaded culture? The incident unnecessarily inflicted much harm on the company, the victim, employees, shareholders and the police.

Everyday Applications For us, we want to avoid fussy, vague, confused, wishful, emotional, impulsive, optimistic, or pessimistic thinking. We want to practice CT anytime and anywhere we can. We want to set clear goals and have a sequence of steps to achieve them, anticipating problems and have solution plans. Take driving a car for example. What is the goal? It is to get to a destination safely. It is not enjoying the sound system, watching the scenery, or engaging in conversation, although we have nothing against any of that, as long as it

does not get in the way of safe driving. Texting and driving is never safe. Stopped at a traffic light, we wait for the light to turn green. But, we may need to run the red light if an 18-wheeler is about to crash into us from behind. That means we need to be checking our rear-view mirror while waiting for the green light. When the light turns green, do we blindly rush into the intersection? What if a car is running the tail end of the yellow light or the red light? Thus, the goal is not to obey traffic signals, but to make sure it is safe. In the United States, a car crash kills a person every 12 minutes on average. If you are thinking straight, is a car a fun machine or a dangerous one? CT can keep you focused on the goals, make you pay attention to details, plan for contingencies, and shield you from distractions. CT can save the day, and perhaps even your life!

The book From Computing to Computational Thinking can be ordered at: computize.org

Now let’s apply CT to the task of “getting ready to drive a car” and write down an algorithm-inspired predrive checklist. 1. A m I ready to leave? Forgot to bring anything? 2. Walk around the car, check windows, tires, lights, back seat, and any objects and activities near the car. 3. G et in the car, foot on brake, close and lock all doors. 4. A djust seat and steering column positions, as needed. Check positions of all rear-view mirrors, buckle up. 5. C heck the instrumentation panel, pay attention to the fuel level. 6. I f necessary, familiarize yourself with the controls for lights, turn signals, wipers, heat/ AC, and emergency signal. Make sure they are working properly.

7. Release the hand break, start the engine, shift gear. 8. Make sure the gear is in D or R as intended, then start driving. Airlines have developed rigorous preflight checklists for safety. Incidents, sometimes fatal, happen when pilots and crew, failing computational thinking, do not follow the exact procedure. The same goes for doctors and nurses in hospitals, especially in operating rooms.

You Can Do It! We have given a sampling of computational thinking in everyday situations. However, we have, by far, not exhausted the possibilities and will perhaps continue this series of articles on CT.

Some may say that humans don’t act or make decisions this way. True, research has shown that snap judgment based on intuitions and experience is the norm. But when it comes to things that really matter, snap judgments often would lead to the wrong path. By being creative, everyone can derive benefits from CT every single day. As a result, our community, even the entire society, will be better off by becoming more efficient and effective. A Ph.D. and faculty member from MIT, Paul Wang became a Computer Science professor (Kent State University) in 1981, and served as a Director at the Institute for Computational Mathematics at Kent from 1986 to 2011. He retired in 2012 and is now professor emeritus at Kent State University.

We hope you liked this article and please feel free to give your feedback directly to the author (pwang@cs.kent.edu).

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Visual Art

S H O W C A S E

Many artists use observed reality as a starting point in their work; others arrive at recognizable imagery through a process of invention and discovery. There can, of course, be a combination of these approaches and numerous variations, sometimes leading to complete abstraction. Of prime importance is the distinct creative statement of the individual artist and, as evidenced by the three artists featured here, the results can be meaningful, beautiful,

Mark Keffer KSU Class of ‘88

and compelling.

P A T R I C I A

Z I N S M E I S T E R

It might be said that among the subjects of Patricia Zinsmeister Parker’s paintings is the act of creative expression itself. Her work contains a remarkable degree of freedom and spontaneity and uses the form of painting—color, shape, line, paint handling, etc.—to create a kind of visual thinking and feeling. There is a strong presence of sheer exuberance in the act of making the work that is clearly conveyed to the viewer. The visual source of her inspiration is more specific in some paintings than in others and may only be discovered by her as the work is in progress. Often, there may only be hints of representational imagery in the final work, or even none at all. This reflects the degree of freedom that Parker allows herself in her approach to painting. Too often, an artist’s strict adherence to initial intentions can limit the possibilities of discovery; this is not the case here. As she describes it, simple observed realities can serve as a jumping off point for her explorations of beauty and painterly resolution. Many years ago, I came across a book written by the American sculptor, David Smith. The book was, in essence, a list of all the influences on his work and to my surprise, they were not earth-shaking or profound, but rather consisted of mundane minutia like the pattern The Library mixed media on canvas, 48 x 48”, 2016

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P A R K E R

Acrophobia mixed media on canvas, 69 x 64”, 2016

of leftover fish bones after a meal of cod and the way grass shimmers in the sun after a rain storm. I responded to his observations with a sense of simpatico because I share this same aesthetic, that beauty is pervasive and may be discovered in the most commonplace objects in the most unremarkable of places.

Pillow Talk acrylic on paper, 30 x 22”, 2012

among others. Her work is in the collections of The Akron Art Museum; The Canton Museum of Art; the Artist Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; and The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, and many corporate and private collections. In 1994, Parker was recognized by the Senate of the State of Ohio for Induction into the Hall of Fame for achievements and contributions to Art. In northeast Ohio, she is represented by the Bonfoey Gallery and Harris Stanton Gallery.

Zinsmeister Parker received three degrees from Kent State University, culminating in an MFA in 1981. From 1978—2000, she was Adjunct Professor at The University of Akron. She has exhibited her work extensively, including solo exhibitions at the Massillon Museum of Art, Massillon, Ohio; Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art; The University of Akron; Cleveland State University; The Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio; and Kent State University, Stark Campus,

www.pzparker.net

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Visual Art T I M O T H Y

S H O W C A S E

C A L L A G H A N

Timothy Callaghan is an artist who specifically begins his process from observed sources, and does so with a purpose. Continuing—and reinvigorating—a tradition nearly as long as art itself, he works in a manner that assesses the world around us and creatively interprets it to create meaning in terms of our relationship to it. This ultimately speaks to who we are and what art can communicate in terms of emotion, thinking, and the apprehension of beauty; it can also serve as a vehicle for unbridled imagination. One unique and complex example is First Mate, in which he has created a kind of scene-within-a-scene that appears to simply come from a label on a can. It’s difficult to hold the maritime scene and the overall still life in focus simultaneously. The presence of a flag as a backdrop adds another layer of intrigue. The dappled marking on the plant, can, and background has an almost dizzying visual effect while also serving as a unifying compositional element. Equally fascinating is Shipbuilding—another brilliant example of the potential of representational painting when handled with great talent and far-reaching imagination.

First Mate gouache on paper, 22 x 22”, 2016

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Shipbuilding gouache on paper, 22 x 22”, 2016

The importance of observation is clear in Callaghan’s work, regardless of subject: My practice is centered on an exploration of my environment through observational drawing and painting. I paint all kinds of things … places around my neighborhood or even my backyard. I don’t find it banal because when we look at something for a long time, it changes and we begin to see it differently. I suppose that’s what attracted me to painting in the first place. The paintings, they are about me looking at my immediate

Outlaw Woman gouache on paper, 22 x 22”, 2016

surroundings; the places, people, and things I see everyday. In my work, I am seeking a sense of place. Timothy Callaghan earned a BFA from The Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA in 2005 from Kent State University. His work has been exhibited extensively, including numerous solo shows at the William Busta Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio. Group shows include: Frederieke Taylor Gallery, New York City; Seraphin Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, Illinois; Cleveland State

University; and Heights Arts, Cleveland, among others. He has taught at Oberlin College, Cuyahoga Community College, The Cleveland Institute of Art, and Kent State University. Callaghan received an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in 2015 and is the author of One Painting a Day. A Six-Week Course in Observational Painting: Creating Extraordinary Paintings From Everyday Experiences, published by Quarry Books in 2013. www.timothycallaghan.com

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Visual Art L E S L Y E The intuitive explorations of Leslye Discont Arian come from a place that is fundamentally human and convey a kind of visual poetry that transcends verbal language. Her approach is classically Modernist and continues a deep, often expressionist, tradition. This impulse toward addressing inner realities has had an important impact on her life, which is often the case with artists.

S H O W C A S E

D I S C O N T

At an early age, I discovered a way to reduce confusion in my life. By creating art, I could release feelings of loss, anger, fear and desire, thus creating a sense of calmness. My creative process would open my heart, enabling me to miraculously deconstruct the chaos. I express vulnerability through mark making … I reference familiar forms (such as bones, vessels, body parts, houses), and lines and color blocks float

A R I A N then anchor on color fields. I feel gratitude when I achieve balance—allowing me complete freedom from the material world. Art is a spiritual place. I derive my knowledge from sensation and perception. The use of symbols are representations of the internal and external world. My subject matter is taken from memories, as well as guided imagery.

Fear of Speaking mixed media on Bristol, 11 x 17”, 2016

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rian’s journey has taken her A through many noteworthy stages. She was a student at Kent State University during the May 4, 1970 shootings by Ohio National Guardsmen, then moved on to The Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), where she studied under, among others, Ed Mieczkowski, a major figure in the history of northeast Ohio art. (She currently serves on the CIA alumni board.) After a career in the graphic art industry and non-profit development, she is now a community activist and arts advocate. Arian is on the gallery committee of HeightsArts (Cleveland Heights) and in 2016, she initiated a public art mural project with

the City of Shaker Heights. In 2017, she co-founded the Shaker Community Gallery in Shaker Heights to support local artists and the economic revitalization of the Van Aken District. Also this year, she was instrumental in securing one of the nationally significant Donald Trump sculptures for HeightsArts. The sculpture was auctioned to benefit public art in Cleveland Heights. Leslye Discont Arian received a BFA from The Cleveland Institute of Art. She has exhibited her work at the Cleveland Museum of Art; The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown; The Morgan Conservatory, Cleveland; ARTneo, with the Maria Neil Project, Cleveland; and Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, Ohio, among others. Her work is in the collections of Bialosky Architects, Equity Engineering Company and a number of private collections. Her next one woman show will open in September at Still Point Gallery in Little Italy, Cleveland.

Trust mixed media on Bristol, 22 x 18”, 2017

www.leslyearian.com Woman Warrior cone 10 stoneware with white slip and iron oxide, 13 x 4”, 2017

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UH HEART GROUP IS ON THE GROW

Written by Lynn Novelli

Myttle Mayuga, MD, is now accepting new patients University Hospitals Portage Medical Center has expanded cardiology services for the community with the addition of Myttle Mayuga, MD. Dr. Mayuga specializes in non-surgical treatment of coronary artery disease, structural heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease (disease of the arteries outside of the heart and brain).

Dr. Mayuga earned her medical degree from The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, in 2007. She completed her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at UH Cleveland Medical Center. She went on to complete a fellowship in interventional cardiology there, followed by an additional two-year fellowship in advanced interventional cardiology to focus on her subspecialty interests. Outside of her clinical practice, Dr. Mayuga is interested in research about the body’s immune response to heart and heart valve disease. In her leisure time, she enjoys activities with her husband and daughter.

Myttle Mayuga, MD Interventional Cardiology

Dr. Mayuga looks forward to welcoming new patients to her practice and to UH Portage Medical Center. She is part of the University Hospitals Heart Group, with offices in Suite 100 at UH Portage Medical Center. For an appointment, please call 330-297-6110.

SAVE THE DATE: UH PORTAGE MEDICAL CENTER’S FAMILY HEALTH & SAFETY DAY AND 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Saturday, July 22 | 9 am—1 pm UH Portage Medical Center 6847 North Chestnut Street Ravenna, Ohio 44266

This free community celebration offers family-friendly activities featuring the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Safety Squad—plus over a dozen wellness screenings, safety tips, health education and representatives from local organizations promoting wellness resources for people of all ages. Join us for a day full of fun and learning as we celebrate our 100th Anniversary! For more information, visit UHPortage.org or call (330) 297-2576.

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Written by Lynn Novelli

UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

Portage Medical Center Adds Urology Services University Hospitals Portage Medical Center is expanding servicesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;again. UH Portage recently added urologists Howard Minott, MD, and John Zhao, MD, to the medical staff to provide comprehensive urologic services for Portage County residents. Both Dr. Zhao and Dr. Minott have been in private practice in the area for many years and welcome their existing patients as well as new patients to UH Portage Medical Center. Here, they answer some of the most frequently asked questions they get about urologic problems.

What are some of the most common urologic problems you treat? For both sexes, kidney and bladder stones, difficulty urinating and urinary incontinence are among the most common problems that bring people to a urologist. Bladder, kidney and adrenal cancer is a major concern that can occur in men or women. We care for our cancer patients in collaboration with oncologists from UH Seidman Cancer Center.

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Additionally, men frequently come to us due to prostate enlargement, prostate cancer, or sexual dysfunction such as infertility or impotence. Women have unique urologic problems because of how close their urinary tract is to their genital area, which means women are more likely than men to get urinary tract infections. They also have more problems with incontinence due to pregnancyand menopause-related changes to the urinary tract.

solution. A number of newer medications are available to treat problems such as overactive bladder, non-cancerous prostate enlargement (BPH) and even some forms of urologic cancers. Usually, newer medications are more effective and have fewer side effects than older drugs. When surgery is necessary for problems such as cancer, kidney or bladder stones or stricture (narrowing of a part of the urinary system), minimally invasive surgery may be an option for some patients.

What is new in treatment for some of these problems?

What services do you offer patients with a urologic system cancer such as bladder, kidney or prostate?

Whenever possible, we treat the problem with medication first before considering a surgical

We are fortunate to have a satellite UH Seidman Cancer Center on-site at UH Portage Medical

Center. When we determine that a patient may have cancer, we coordinate with oncologists and pathologists at the cancer center to establish the diagnosis and the tumor stage— how advanced the disease is—and develop an individualized treatment plan for that patient. Treatment may include surgery alone or in combination with other forms of treatment. Patients with urologic cancers can have their surgery, chemotherapy and/or state-of-the-art radiation therapy, if needed, right here at UH Portage. After treatment, patients can come to the oncology clinic here for follow-up visits and a cancer rehabilitation program.

Are there good habits that can help maintain a healthy urologic system? The same guidelines for general good health apply to maintaining urologic health—eat a nutritious diet, exercise, maintain a health weight, and stop smoking. For urologic health, we add drink plenty of water and, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, follow your health care provider’s instructions for managing it. These conditions can seriously impact the health of your kidneys and bladder. If you do experience symptoms such as pain during urination, urination frequency or urgency or blood in the urine, make an appointment with a urologist at UH Portage Medical Center. Don’t let embarrassment or fear prevent you from taking care of yourself. Like most health problems, treatment is more successful when a urologic disorder is diagnosed and treated in its early stages.

Howard Minott, MD and John Zhao, MD

(330) 235-7070 Physicians Center for Urologic Health 3963 Loomis Pkwy. Ravenna, Ohio 44266 Learn more about urology at UH Portage Medical Center at UHPortage.org

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aroundKent Landmarks

Buy local, unique prints, and support the community and those in need of a little help. Now that’s a gift worth giving! • Quality Prints Available Online • They Make Great Gifts!

• Framing Available at McKay Bricker •A Portion of the Proceeds Goes to Help Feed our Community

Visit aroundkent.net to order prints.

Yours in a Hurry

by Ann Kathleen Otto

Join me in the 1910's. Be prepared for travel, romance, and some adventure as you experience famous people and events. Follow @AnnOttoAuthor on Twitter website http://www.ann-otto.com

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the Snarky Gardener The Snarky Gardener breaks up soil with his broadfork.

AH, SUMMER! This is the time when vegetable gardeners like me are in our glory. All the hard work is done. Plants are planted, seeds are seeded, weeds are weeded, and all’s right in the garden. We now sit back and reap what we’ve sown. Or do we? Actually, there’s plenty to do all throughout the summer, though it’s more maintenance than anything else: watering, weeding, pruning, and watching out for vegetable predators, both insect and mammalian (darn groundhogs!). Of course, if you weren’t able to prep and plant your May garden this year, then you are reading this while thinking, “Guess I’m out of luck. Maybe next year (sigh).” I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s never too late to plant a vegetable garden, except maybe past August, and even then there’s always garlic in October (yes, that’s when you plant it in northeastern Ohio). I’m always fascinated with how many people believe that vegetable gardening begins in mid-May and ends in October when the temperature drops below freezing. In truth, gardens can start in March and produce all the way until Christmas, if you plan correctly and use your imagination.

volume 14 | 2017 • www.aroundkent.net

Don Abbott

If you are reading this in June or July, I’m here to let you know you still have time, though the later in the summer, the more limits you will have, as some plants need the full season to grow to fruition. One piece of information I’ve used to determine my late started garden list is the “days to maturity” you see on seed packets. This gives one an idea of how long the plant needs to grow before you can eat it (which is why we have gardens, am I right?). The second criterion I utilize is frost tolerance. Believe it or not, some plants can tolerate cool or even cold weather. These are generally vegetables in one of four families: brassicas (cabbages, broccoli, kale, turnips, and radishes), spinaches (including Swiss chard and beets), carrots, and onions. So if you are game, here are some vegetables you can plant in June, July, or maybe even August: Bush Zucchini/Cucumbers Most garden vegetables come in two types: regular and bush. The regular ones (also called indeterminate, pole, or vining) keep producing until the cold kills them. Bush (or determinate when talking about tomatoes) grow for a while, produce for a month or so, then slow down

or stop completely. Because of your shortened season, the bush varieties are the way to go. Bush zucchini (and to a lesser extent cucumbers) are the best in terms of production. Plant these no later than mid-July to be on the safe side as squashes do not like the cold one bit. Beans Easiest of all the vegetables to grow (in my opinion), just plant the seeds and enjoy. Even if you want to grow those varieties that need to go 90 to 120 days to give you cooking beans (also known as “dry beans”), you should still be in good shape. If you are only interested in green beans, then you are in even better shape. Most bush green beans will produce within 60 days, meaning you could plant in early August and still be good to go.

cuttings in water, let them form roots in a week or so, and then plant away. Tomatoes will die in October with frost, but you can bring in any remaining green tomatoes to ripen inside. Swiss chard Think of Swiss chard as spinach on a celery stick. Unlike spinach, chard tolerates hot summers well and unlike the others mentioned here, chard will survive cold weather all the way into December, if the snow isn’t too bad. Sow seed to plant.

Snarky Gardener

Tomatoes If you can still get starts locally, then feel free to plant away. A good trick is to find a friend who will let you have a few stem and leaf trimmings off their plants. Stick these

Potatoes If you can still get seed potatoes at your local garden greenhouse or order them online, then you still have time. Potatoes will grow until they get hit with frost. Most varieties are ready in 90 days, so mid-July is the latest they should be planted. Most of the frost-tolerant plants I mentioned earlier don’t do well in the heat of the summer (the exception being Swiss chard). Once you

River “helps” dig planting holes.

get into August, you can start thinking about planting cool loving veggies for a fall harvest. My favorites (in order of preference and ease of growing) are radishes, turnips, lettuce, kale, carrots, onions, spinach, dill, parsley, and beets. All of these can be grown from seeds, though you will have to keep the soil moist until they germinate. The brassica family (radishes, turnips, and kale listed here) will sprout first, in only three or four days, while the carrot family (including dill and parsley) take over two weeks sometimes (SO slow). Just plant again if they don’t come up the first time. The heat of the summer will affect if or when your seeds will start growing. Some experienced gardeners will sow seed underneath beans or other plants they know will be removed soon to give the seeds some cooler shade before they need sunlight to grow. One last note on summer planting: remember to water if we are in a dry spell, especially if you have just sown seeds or planted tomato starts. For those of you who don’t want to (or can’t) garden (and you know who you are), here’s a way to get some local fresh vegetables for free. There’s an organization (which I’m the treasurer of ) called Edible Kent, whose whole mission is to grow food so it’s available to the general public. If you go to the Haymaker’s Farmers Market in Kent during the summer, you’ve probably passed our beds and didn’t realize what they were. There are two beds to the north of the market which flank the parking lot’s entrance. Continued on page 56

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Continued from page 55 We try to have signage to let people know it’s okay to take stuff, but even after several years, not everyone is comfortable with gathering what they need. Of course, since these beds are relatively small, we don’t have a whole bunch of produce. And because these beds are visible to the public, we are limited on the types of plants we can grow. Cherry tomatoes would be great since they produce like crazy, but tomato plants are anything but neat. Our designs tend to go with prettier plants, such as peppers, the aforementioned Swiss chard (which comes in a rainbow of colors), leeks (in the onion family) and herbs, such as oregano, sage, thyme, parsley, and dill. We don’t normally plant root vegetables (like beets or carrots) as they are harder for people to determine when they are ready to dig up. In summary, please feel free to take some vegetables if you happen to be down that way in Kent, either at the farmer’s market or if you just happen by. We want you to take it. Just leave some for others to have. Don’t be a selfish jerk.

If you are looking for more information about gardening this summer, the Snarky Gardener will be speaking on July 22nd from 9 am to 4 pm at the Wilderness Center in Wilmot, Ohio. At their Permaculture Symposium, I’ll be covering urban permaculture practices (lasagna mulching, hugelkultur, growing food in front yards, and seed saving). Topics covered by others include an introduction to permaculture, foraging, food forests, backyard poultry, and rotational grazing. There’s a registration fee of $30 which includes locally-sourced, sustainable lunch! Space is limited, so please register with the Wilderness Center by July 15. If you have any questions about the Permaculture Symposium or wish to register, please call 330.359.5235. If you are looking for more gardening information but don’t want to leave your house, please feel free to visit my blog— thesnarkygardener.com—or purchase my recently released book “The Snarky Gardener’s Veggie Growing Guide”, available on Amazon as an eBook or paperback.

Garlic in mid-spring

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A potato found from last season

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A TRIP TO A

CRAFT SHOW Beth Stoneking

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I LOVE THIS BUILDING was what I was thinking as we walked around the craft show at the Masonic Center in Kent last December. My sister asked me to go to the show and I couldn’t wait! It was the first time I had been to a craft show at the Center and I was so surprised to find out that they held shows there. I have been a crafter for years, making t-shirts and woodcrafts and doing the bigger craft shows in the area, so I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to have a booth here next year! My dad was a 60 year member of this Masonic Lodge and for quite a few years, he was the caretaker of the building. When we were kids, he would take me and my sister with him for company while he worked mowing grass and tidying up. We would play all over that grand home. We’d quietly (we didn’t want to get caught) run down the wide halls, exploring the rooms, peeking in all the closets. We’d play pool and sit in the spectator chairs in the pool room, feeling all high up and important. We might have slid down the long railing of the grand staircase, but I’m admitting to nothing. So, you could imagine my excitement at the thought of vending at a craft show, so I asked the coordinator about having a booth next year and she said they were not really taking other vendors. A little disappointed, I went into the

kitchen to find my dad’s friend, Barb Moore, the Lodge coordinator; the wife of Fred Moore who is the current caretaker of the building and a long time friend of my dad’s. I told her about the conversation with the lady and said I wished we could have our own craft show here, but in the warm months when we could have booths all over the beautiful lawn. She said we could and she loved the idea and said she would talk it over with Fred and we’d meet in January to discuss it.

The New Flea Movement When you hear about a Flea, it always has a designated city before the word. The Cleveland Flea, the Hudson Flea, and the Youngstown Flea, are the local ones. The term “flea market” is generally not used anymore to describe the new upscale events that are happening all over America. Also, the vendors and artisans selling at the Fleas are often referred to as Makers, not Crafters. The term “Maker” describes a whole host of things from antique up cyclers to furniture handcrafters to jewelers and artists, even creators of chocolate confections and cupcakes! They are all selling at the Makers Markets now. Across the country, there is actually a “Maker Movement” which is a term for independent crafters and creators. There are groups, magazines, and lots of online support for this DIY community. Continued on page 60

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the higher its price, but things are changing. Folks are enjoying shopping for handmade, one of a kind things for their homes; statement pieces that encourage conversation.

Reasons People Flock to a Flea You never know what you’ll find at a Flea. Also, what is found on the tables one month could be totally different than what you might find the next.

Continued from page 59 It’s challenging for these makers to stand out on sites like Etsy and eBay. Unless they have a product that nobody else can make, they are going to be one of a million trying to be noticed in a worldwide marketplace. Except for some that sell in small local gift shops, most lack a brick and mortar store to sell their products. But at a local Flea, they stand out from the crowd because most likely, nobody will have anything even remotely similar to theirs. No matter how big the venue, the maker has the opportunity to be seen. For those shopping at a flea, it’s a wonderful way to support these creative local small businesses

Who Shops at a Flea? With the changing attitude toward fleas, it has become “the” place to find unusual things for the home. As the younger crowd is discovering these fleas, their tastes are moving more toward mid century modern furniture, unusual appliances and vintage fashions from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It used to be the older the piece,

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“

I am so excited!!! I love the Masonic (Center) and the people who run it … This is going to be wonderful. I cannot wait. Thank you so much for planning this event. Kent needed something like this! — Renee I personally collect curate and sell vintage clothing accessories and other oddities. I have a large array of items that I’m sure Kent locals will love. —Ben My husband and I are retired Professors of Art. We have collected many things and still collect, but a few years ago we started letting go of it. There is quite a variety from Victorian Hair Jewelry to 1950s “Lady Lamps” to mid-century modern furniture. — Kathleen … We would love to be a part of all of your flea market events this year! … Thank you so much for hosting this amazing event! — Kelly

” 60

Antiques and collectibles. The Kent Flea will have vendors that attend auctions and search for unusual and hard to find things. A Yummy Food Truck. The Flea will have the most amazing food truck with some things you usually only see at the fair. Funnel cakes, ice cream, and always free popsicles for the kiddos. Meet and Greet. Most vendors and hand crafters love talking about their stuff; how it’s made, where they found it. You might also find them working on new pieces while they visit with shoppers. You might even see your neighbors, too. Demos. We will have classes and demos at the Kent Flea. You can take a mini painting class or try your hand at making pottery. You can also make your own truffles and design your own bracelet.

The Venue— The Marvin Kent Home One of the most exciting thing visitors will get to do is stroll through the grand home. A bit of history about the venue: Marvin Kent (1816—1908) was a railroad president, politician, and businessman man best known as the namesake of the city of Kent. He commissioned and built this private residence. Construction was begun in 1880 and expert woodcarvers were brought in from New York and Cleveland to fashion and craft this beautiful home from the finest woods, for which Kent is said to have searched far and wide. The craftsmen lived in Kent while work progressed on the home. Among the home’s remarkable features are walls and partitions of solid brick, cellar walls, and entrances of thick sandstone. When the home was completed in 1884, it provided 7,335 square feet of living space with 20 rooms, including a ballroom and 20

fireplaces. During the time the Kent family lived in the home, four U. S. presidents (Warren Harding, William Howard Taft, William McKinley, and Benjamin Harrison), either before or after their term, have been guests and slept in the southeast second floor bedroom of the stately Victorian showplace. A portion of the proceeds from the Kent Flea will go to the care and restoration of the home.

Come and Sell with Us The Kent Flea is always looking for vendors who have something original that they’d like to sell. If you think you’d like to take a

stab at selling your wares, please contact us at thekentflea@gmail.com or find us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/kentflea/ A special thanks goes out to my sisters, Diane Ludick and Amy Rose; Fred Moore, a Mason and long time caretaker of the Lodge: the building is very important to him; Barb, his wife; and another Mason, Dick Shoppelrey, and his wife Ida Mae Shoppelrey, who were both close friends of my dad’s. Thank you, also, to Nicole Hennicke who was instrumental in the planning part with me and my sisters.

THE KENT FLEA AND MAKER’S MARKET

Held at the beautiful, historic Mansion on the Hill in Kent, the Kent Flea is a unique market made up of local artisans and craftsman. We are proud to offer handpicked vendors that are the best in hand made jewelry, baked goods, repurposed furniture and decor, handcrafted soaps and candles and vintage/antique collectibles, along with other unique merchandise. For more info visit https://www.facebook.com/kentflea/

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