The Devil Strip November 2020 Digital Issue by Sonia Potter

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11 · thedevilstrip.com

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Whatever Happens, We’re here for Akron

PAGE 7: Akron chefs help feed Akron’s restaurant industry

PAGE 8: Main Street is finally open. What’s next for businesses?

PAGE 27: Creating more green space in University Park

WE CAN’T SHOW YOU any more of

THIS PAINTING. IT HASN’T BEEN EXHIBITED FOR SEVERAL DECADES. You can only see it until March 7. When you do, you’ll never forget it. Dancing in the Light is an original exhibition of outstanding American Impressionist oil and watercolor paintings, capturing the brilliant effects of light and color in everyday scenes. Many of these paintings are rarely exhibited anywhere — because they’re in private collections. See renowned masters such as Robert Blum, Ralph Curtis, Childe Hassam, Edward Potthast, John Singer Sargent and more. All too vivid … too spirited … too important to try to describe.

On the Sands, c. 1915 by Edward Potthast. One of America's finest Impressionists, this Potthast work hasn't been seen by the public in several decades.

C A N T O NA R T. O R G

T h i s e x h i b i t i o n i s p r e s e n t e d w i t h g e n e r o u s s u p p o r t i n p a r t f r o m ...

SEE DOWNTOWN CANTON IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT! An animated, immersive light show exhibition presented by ArtsinStark and Visit Canton Coming this January – February 2021 • GET ENLIGHTENED AT CANTONLIGHTFESTIVAL.COM

O N L Y A T C M A and O N L Y I F Y O U GET TIMED-ENTRY TICK ETS

In This Issue

Summit Artspace 140 East Market Street Akron, Ohio 44308

Akron News, Art & Culture:

Board of Directors: Philathia Bolton, April Couch, Emily Dressler, Sharetta Howze, Rita Kelly Madick, Dominic Moore-Dunson, Bhakta Rizal, Hillary Stewart, Audrey Worthington directors@thedevilstrip.com

Publisher: Chris Horne chris@thedevilstrip.com Editor-in-Chief: Rosalie Murphy rosalie@thedevilstrip.com Reporters: Public Health: H.L. Comeriato HL@thedevilstrip.com Equity and Inclusion: Noor Hindi noor@thedevilstrip.com Economic Development: Abbey Marshall abbey@thedevilstrip.com

Art Director: Chris Harvey harvey@thedevilstrip.com Community Outreach Director: Floco Torres floco@thedevilstrip.com Membership Director: Jessica Goldbourn jessica@thedevilstrip.com

Client Solutions Manager: Anna Adelman anna@thedevilstrip.com

Essays, Humor & Creativity:

Digital Manager: Sonia Potter sonia@thedevilstrip.com Distribution Manager: Derek Kreider derek@thedevilstrip.com Family Editor: Megan Combs family@thedevilstrip.com

5 CRAFTY MART GOES VIRTUAL 6 DONOVAN HARRIS ON REENTRY AND COMMUNITY BUILDING 7 CHEFS HELP FEED THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 8 MAIN STREET IS OPEN AGAIN. WHAT’S NEXT? 10 VINTAGE STRUCTURES: THE HAZEL TREE BUILDING 11 GARDENIAS AND GRACE 12 CUSTODIANS ADAPT TO THE PANDEMIC TO KEEP AKRON’S SCHOOLS CLEAN 14 LEON HENDERSON LEADS OUTDOOR TRIPS 16 AKRON’S POLICE AUDITOR NEEDS MORE POWER, SOME SAY 18 VIETNAMESE COFFEE AND BANH MI IN DOWNTOWN AKRON 19 REELY SCARED 20 AKRON’S PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES NEEDS MORE HELP FROM BANKS, CITY SAYS 22 DOOR #2 STUDIO 24 BLACK LGBTQ+ AKRONITES SHARE THEIR STORIES 27 REBUILDING BOSS PARK 29 THE TEA LADY

30 LOVE LETTERS FROM THE 1930S, PART FOUR 35 SOBER CHRONICLES 36 CROOKED RIVER REFLECTIONS 37 UNENCRYPTED

Copy Editors: Megan Combs, Dave Daly, Emily Dressler, Shannon Farrell

Our Mission:

Freelance Contributors: Emily Anderson, Angie Agnoni, Nahla Bendefaa, Debra Calhoun, Julie Ciotola, Kyle Cochrun, Lauren Dangel, Zaïré Talon Daniels, Nic deCourville, Ace Epps, Ken Evans, Charlotte Gintert, Aja Hannah, Charlee Harris, Matthew Hogan, Jillian Holness, Todd Jakubisin, Jamie Keaton, Laura Lakins, Ted Lehr, Marissa Marangoni, Sandy Maxwell, Brandon Meola, Vanessa Michelle, Yoly Miller, Brittany Nader, John Nicholas, Brynne Olsen, Susan Pappas, Ilenia Pezzaniti, Arrye Rosser, Mark Schweitzer, Marc Lee Shannon, Allyson Smith, Karla Tipton, Paul Treen, Steve Van Auken, Pat Worden.

The Devil Strip connects Akronites to their neighbors, our city and a stronger sense of purpose by sharing stories about the people who make this place unique.

The Devil Strip is published monthly by Random Family LLC. Distribution: The Devil Strip is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Copyright: The entire contents of The Devil Strip are copyright 2020 by Random Family LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials or other content. All editorial, advertising and business correspondence should be sent to the addresses listed above.

Want to help make The Devil Strip? Write to rosalie@thedevilstrip.com!

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

Find us online: www.thedevilstrip.com Facebook: facebook.com/thedevilstrip Twitter: @akrondevilstrip Instagram: @thedevilstrip

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

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EDITOR’S NOTE T he Devil Strip team is here for Akron. So if 2020 has left you needing a little boost, we want you to know that no matter what, we are still here, doing the work, shedding light on important things in our community, and working toward a more equitable, happier city. This is where you come in, friends. Maybe you didn’t know but The Devil Strip is a co-op! What this means for you is that, for as little as $12 a year, you can work towards becoming a co-owner of the magazine and participate in doing the “good trouble” that Akron needs right now. The great news for us is when you join the co-op in November or December your dollars are matched by NewsMatch, a national fundraising campaign for nonprofit newsrooms. That doubles your impact on the work we can do in the coming year, all while supporting a free, independent press and, on a

more personal scale, your neighbors. Simply put, our community is better when there are more people from all parts of the city getting involved. We can help you be heard. Join our coop and show the world that we take care of each other here. We care about our neighbors. If we don’t like what we see, then we work together to make it better. It all starts with you. If you haven’t been sure where to start in the past, our co-op is here to help! Join us this November and December by going to our website, thedevilstrip.com, to help us grow and make a difference in your community.

OUR WORK IS FOR AKRON. This is our reason for existing, not merely our editorial angle for stories. We are advocates for the city of Akron and allies to its people, so we may be cheerleaders, but that won’t keep us from challenging the city’s flaws. What’s the point of being part of the community if we can’t help make it a better place to live?

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THEDEVILSTRIP.COM/CO-OP

We look forward to hearing from you, and hopefully meeting you in person sometime in the near future. For the love of Akron, Jessica Goldbourn Director of Membership

What we believe:

STORIES MATTER. We believe the most important stories are the ones we tell ourselves about ourselves, and that this is as true for cities as it is for individuals. For better or worse, every city’s chief storyteller is its media. We take responsibility for our work because we know it shapes the way Akronites see each other, and the way we see each other influences how we treat one another.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CITY. FIND YOUR PEOPLE. JOIN THE CO-OP.

OUR WORK SHOULD BE DONE WITH AKRON. We would rather build trust through cooperation and collaboration than authority. Our place in the community is alongside it, not standing outside looking in or standing above it looking down.

WE CARE ABOUT YOU, NOT JUST YOUR EYEBALLS. Sometimes, we love a good fight with the status quo. But conflict and antagonism will never be a way of life for us, especially not to boost clicks, views, comments, shares and “eyeballs.” We are watchdogs to hold our leaders accountable, not to keep the neighbors up all night with our barking. WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS. Our stories humanize the people in our city. We not only want to counter sensationalized

and alarmist reporting but to eventually render it obsolete. We advocate for justice, freedom and equality because those qualities make this city, and our lives, better. JOURNALISM SHOULD LIVE BEYOND THE PAGE. Information without context or connection is inert. We believe journalism can connect people to each other, our city and even a sense of purpose. Though our work begins on the page, both printed and web, we promote and plan events so people can meet faceto-face where real life still happens. PEOPLE OVER PROFITS. The local businesses, nonprofits and civic organizations who support The Devil Strip are part of our community and are as vital to our culture as our artists and musicians. That’s why we don’t accept ads for national chains, things in large metros outside Summit County or businesses that profit from the exploitation of women. We are not a coat hanger for advertising.

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WE GET ONE SHOT AT LIFE, SO LET’S HAVE FUN. We want our readers to fall in love with Akron (again and again and again), to buck the temptation to only live vicariously through the people they follow online. One thing that makes art, dance, theatre, music, film, food, civic engagement, biking, hiking, and public space so great is that all these things can bring us together, helping us find new friends and have fun with the ones we already have. That makes us all a little happier. That’s what it’s all about.

What is a devil strip? The “devil strip” is the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. The precise origins of the term are unknown, but it’s only used in Akron. Today, the devil strip is what connects residents to the city — its public space, its people and its challenges. The Devil Strip seeks to do the same thing.

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News, ARTS & Culture Crafty Mart gets creative to help local makers through the pandemic REPORTING AND WRITING BY SUSAN PAPPAS

hen you’re in the business of promoting creative people and the things they make, in-person interaction between artists and potential customers is key. That’s why Akron’s Crafty Mart typically relies on fairs and special events to get the word out about makers and to bring in business for these independent business owners. That was until 2020 threw the organization (and the rest of the world) into a tailspin with the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person events were canceled in a matter of weeks, and Crafty Mart staff was left with no choice but to come up with a Plan B — and fast. Luckily, creativity is Crafty Mart’s forté. “This year looked very different for us,” says Marissa McClellan, Crafty Mart’s executive director. “Our job is to serve [makers], and if there is no one to serve, then we are done, too. We had to do the best we could, and that meant pivoting and making sure we were carrying out our mission.” Established in 2008, Crafty Mart has been creating and hosting handmade markets throughout Akron and also supports local artists, makers and artisans by providing educational opportunities for these small business owners. The non-profit organization, which has offices and soon-to-be exhibit space at Bounce Innovation Hub, gets its funding through a variety of grants and is run by a nine-member board of directors, McClellan and Social Media & Marketing Director Cheryl Hopkins. It boasts about 250 local small businesses that it supports in various ways, with an emphasis on educational programming. “Even before COVID, we had cut

way back on our in-person markets,” McClellan says. “We are more focused on education and resources for sharing. Creative people are good at making things, but what they don’t have is the business experience or knowledge to make sure they are not getting hammered with taxes, for example.” When the pandemic hit, Google Classroom and other platforms made transitioning educational programs into virtual formats fairly straightforward. Replacing the more than 10 in-person crafting events scheduled for this year proved challenging but not impossible. McClellan spoke excitedly about the alternatives planned for makers until the pandemic and its limitations are a thing of the past. Among them is the Maker Box program, which Crafty Mart launched in May as a way for artists to get their products in front of the public. Five makers provided five pieces of their work for inclusion in a themed box each month. These boxes were advertised on Crafty Mart’s website and also on the website of Cleveland Bazaar, another non-profit maker’s organization with which Crafty Mart collaborates. “We used our platform and acted like the wholesaler,” McClellan says. “We have the connection to the community and we would offer up the boxes and say, ‘buy this.’ This helped the makers who were not getting in front of shoppers like they normally would. We wanted to make sure they were staying relevant and that people are purchasing from them.”

virtually. This year’s sessions were launched in September. The Beginner and Master tracks each offered artists and makers a six-week course covering topics relevant to starting or maintaining a small business: financial plans, establishing your audience, selling your products, taking professional product shots, marketing your business and legal matters. Master Makers who have gone through these sessions then can become part of Creative Catapult. Creative Catapult participants offer up business ideas to be judged and voted on. This year, makers created their pitches via video for the event, which was streamed on-demand on Vimeo. As an added incentive, ticket-holders for this year’s Catapult received a Maker Box ahead of the event that contained handmade items from competitors so they could familiarize themselves with the products before voting took place. Crafty Mart offered local food and drink discounts to ticket-holders as well. “Creative Catapult is like Shark Tank with a handmade, hometown flair,” McClellan says. “This event is the culmination of many hours of hard work and creative energy and offers an incredible opportunity for these artists and makers to take their business to the next level. We are so thankful to have found a way to preserve this unique experience during an uncertain year.”

The program was a success, but McClellan said they have temporarily suspended it in order to plan for how best to carry out Maker Boxes in 2021.

Crafty Mart’s biggest annual event of the year, the in-person holiday show, has also been transformed to a virtual shopping experience, Shop Holiday Handmade, which will be held on Nov. 28 and 29.

Maker Sessions, which have long been a Crafty Mart offering, continued this year but were done

In an effort to build interest ahead of the event, Crafty Mart organizers are hosting “12 Days of Crafty Mart,”

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November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

Journalism about Akron, by Akronties

which begins on Nov. 18 and will include different offerings each day, including a virtual DIY workshop and a swag bag designed by local artist Leandra Drumm that will be on sale. For Shop Holiday Handmade, Crafty Mart will collaborate with Cleveland Bazaar and Pittsburgh-based I Made it! Market, according to McClellan. The virtual show will support more than 150 makers from Akron, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Customers will be able to view a virtual PDF catalog that will showcase each participating maker on their own interactive page, much like an oldschool Sears or Toys “R” Us Holiday catalog, says McClellan. To attend the 12 Days of Crafty Mart, RSVP here at bit. ly/12DaysofCrafty. If you are interested in attending the Shop Holiday Handmade event, RSVP at shoplocal2020.com/RSVPnow. For general information about Crafty Mart, go to www.craftymart.org. // Susan Pappas is a writer, editor and longtime Akron-area resident. She loves meeting interesting people and bringing them to life with her words and photographs. In her spare time, she dreams of new ways to be creative, and one of her next projects will focus on turning the hilarity and hijinks of her two wiener dogs, Kiki and Carly, into a children’s book series. Image: A work of art by Leandra Drumm for Crafty Mart. Used with permission from Crafty Mart.

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Profile:

Donovan Harris REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY NAHLA BENDEFAA

f you make your way to 1010 Hammel St. in South Akron, you will find a retail building with signs for Mrs. Dianne’s Shop & Save and Fresh Cuts Barber Shop. Inside the convenience store, you might find Donovan Harris behind the counter. Donovan is the owner of the building, the store manager, and a pillar in the Akron community. Donovan Harris has been involved with local reentry coordination programs since 2014. First, he was leading weekly support meetings held by the Summit County Reentry Network. Next, he became the Reentry Program Coordinator with South Street Ministries in 2018. In addition to the convenience store and barbershop, the building also has space for a forthcoming neighborhood grill. “To truly help me when I returned from incarceration, it had to be somebody there who had been through it. It had to be somebody that had walked that walk before I

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walked it,” Donovan says. Donovan tries to model his mentor, Perry Clark of Truly Reaching You, in his own work. He strongly believes in the importance of having the people closest to his mentees be part of the solution. Donovan describes his work as a “safety net” for people coming back to Akron from jail or prison: He aims to make sure people who were formerly incarcerated have their needs met as soon as they return. “The moment you are sentenced, that’s when your reentry to society starts. You are responsible for what you do while you are incarcerated to facilitate that change for when you get out,” Donovan says. “In between reentry, going to prison, the ultimate goal is restoration, is to be a restored citizen. It’s to show society that I deserve everything that I obtained by paying taxes, by taking care of my own responsibilities, by being a good neighbor.” South Street Ministries is a local nonprofit organization that is committed to the physical, socioeconomic and spiritual well-being of the

South Akron and Summit Lake neighborhoods. They offer programming ranging from summer camps and after-school programs for children to reentry programs for people who were previously incarcerated. South Street Ministries’ reentry program services include weekly support meetings as well as administrative services, such as resume building and ID reinstatement, in order to help remove the barriers to employment that returning citizens face. The approach to reentry is built around the three Rs: Reentry, Redirection and Restoration.

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“In between reentry, which is when you are sentenced and go to prison, [and] restoration, where you are back in a position in society that you are meant to hold, is the redirection process,” says Donovan. “Where I work is to redirect people. So it’s to help people to see something different than your former way of dealing with situations [...] and redirect you towards a different way of thinking or executing the things you are trying to accomplish.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Donovan would go to prisons and build relationships with people who would be returning to life in Summit County — their needs, their plans, what they wanted to do when they got out. Then, Donovan says, “we thedevilstrip.com

would be there on their front porch to catch them when they came home. That’s kind of that safety net. So now that we’ve removed some of these barriers, let’s see where we can get you to next.” One of the main themes throughout Donovan’s work is sustainability, whether that is in regards to reentry or his business or teaching others financial literacy. The important thing, he says, is to make sure that people are given the tools to carry on the work on their own. “What I do with South Street [Ministries] is my calling, while the store, that’s my legacy. That’s what I leave my family.” Mrs. Dianne’s Shop & Save is named after Donovan’s own mother. It is an example of what running a business in a community-minded approach that goes beyond profit could look like. “This is about being a social enterprise with a dual bottom line. So our bottom line is the money and the people. For us, the people come first,” Donovan says. “I want them to feel that they trust us… [like] ‘I can go and say, hey Donovan, I’m hungry, and Donovan will bring us some food to feed my family.’ That’s the social aspect of what I do. If we see people as people, and not dollar signs, the money will come because the people will keep returning.” Donovan also uses his position as a business owner to highlight the importance of economic opportunity and financial literacy. Donovan’s mentorship of community members covers everything from being a good business owner to managing property in a sustainable way. The driving factor is helping community members in achieving their own goals. “I truly believe people are supposed to succeed, whatever success means to them,” Donovan says. “And those who don’t succeed, who may fail — I just see that we keep a system in place for them when they come back.” // Nahla Bendefaa is a writer, photographer and content creator from Akron, Ohio by way of Kenitra, Morocco. She enjoys re-watching Friday Night Lights, painting and confusing Spotify’s algorithm while making her way through a seemingly never-ending tea collection.

Akron chefs put food on the table for other restaurant workers REPORTING AND WRITING BY EMILY ANDERSON

hen restaurants were ordered to close their doors in March to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Chef John Taylor of Lock 15 Brewing Co. knew he had to use his resources to help the families who were suddenly unemployed. He, together with a small team of industry pros, started Feed Your Neighbors. Their goal is to keep hope and humanity alive in Akron, one hot pan of food at a time. Feeding people is what Chef John lives for. He loves it and he’s good at it. It was instinct for him to try and put food on tables when he saw many people in his industry lose their jobs. People were out of work and out of money, and many had families to feed.

lost their jobs.

this alone.

After a few weeks, they realized that a lot of these bartenders and cooks were picking up food not for themselves, but for their families and neighbors. This is when they decided they needed to reach out to the Akron community at large.

Their team has formed a bond that they all expect to last for a lifetime. Chef John’s own kids have also been affected — his 16-year-old wrote an essay on the project from which they get their slogan: “A Heartful of Hope and a Handful of Humanity.”

Since then, Feed Your Neighbors has prepared enough food to feed 20,000 people. They’ve handed out meals at schools, churches and the Akron Zoo. They’ve collaborated with organizations like the I Promise School and Stepping Stone Community Services to connect with local families. One month, they prepared and gave away 1,000 pounds of pasta and 48 gallons of cheese sauce.

The Feed Your Neighbors team works on a volunteer basis. They are supported by private individuals and sponsors, including Lock 15 Brewing Company, Riley Hotel Group, Atlantic Food Distributors and Pride One Construction Company.

They try to keep the dinners that they prepare simple, family-friendly and hearty.

You can follow them on social media to see where the next food drop or event will be. They’re currently working on a fundraising event at the beginning of November and they plan on having big giveaways for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

Their first food giveaway was to Lock 15 employees. “Everything just stopped,” John remembers. “We had to do something to help.”

“The meals are heavy on starch and protein and always include veggies. They’re designed to fill up everyone’s bellies,” John says.

Feed Your Neighbors began when Chef John, along with a small team including Frank Zifer, Amy Ayers, and Ari Vandendriessch, decided to prepare and give away 300 fourperson meals on the corner of Main and Market Streets every week in April. They were targeting the service industry workers downtown who had

Feed Your Neighbors doesn’t just want to give you some food. They want to give you a home-cooked meal that you can share with your family. They want to offer you a moment of human interaction — a smile, a high-five, a laugh. They want you to know that someone cares about you. You matter. You’re not in

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As for the future of FYN, Chef John says, “there is no end game.” As long as they have volunteers and support, they will continue cooking for Akron.

Come pick up some food, and grab some for your neighbor! // Emily Anderson thought about Lock 15’s chicken wings the entire time she was writing this article. Photos: Used with permission from Feed Your Neighbors.

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Main Street reopens to car traffic DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES MOURN LOST BUSINESS BUT HOLD OUT HOPE FOR THE FUTURE REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY ABBEY MARSHALL

fter more than two years, Main Street is finally fully open to car and foot traffic.

But for the businesses that remain, the removal of construction cones may not be enough. They’re also trying to weather a pandemic that has sent most of the downtown workforce home. Phase 1 of the $31 million construction project at the heart of Downtown Akron was completed at the end of September. The Main Street Corridor Project, which began in July 2018, required years of work for infrastructure improvements including new pavement, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, a roundabout at the intersection of Mill and Main Streets and more. Those two years of Akronites weaving through fenced-off sidewalks, dodging potholes and, according to one business owner, occasionally climbing over “road closed” signs to reach their favorite lunch spots put a huge dent in small businesses’ revenues.

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“It’s been really rough,” says Adria Buzek, owner of Chameleon Cafe at 23 S. Main St. Buzek said construction alone knocked down sales by about 25% over the past two years. “People climbed over road closed signs to get to us, used the back entrance that comes from the parking deck by the library,” she continues. “We had people that would send us private messages and say they would try to get to us for lunch and couldn’t find a way.” Cilantro owner Charlie Somtrakool says business at his Thai and sushi restaurant dropped about 20% over the past two years. “Two years!” Somtrakool says. “The road in front of us was closed down with people unable to drive. That’s a long time.” Then COVID-19 swept across the nation, and downtown businesses felt a second punch to the gut. “It’s impossible to articulate how difficult it has been to be a Main Street business downtown,” says James Hardy, Akron’s Deputy Mayor for Integrated Development. “The

city needs to own that construction that impacts Main Street businesses in a large way, but with COVID, that was the double whammy for them.” As people fled their downtown offices and businesses implemented stay-at-home protocols, the Main Street restaurants that rely on lunch traffic felt the effects immediately. “The people working downtown who were trying to reach us before aren’t even here anymore,” Buzek says. “First Energy employees make up a huge percentage of downtown employees and our customers, and they’re working from home through at least the end of this year.” On top of the 25% revenue loss Buzek attributes to construction, Chameleon Cafe lost an additional two-thirds of its sales due to the pandemic. When a gubernatorial order shut down dining options and forced take-out-only options in March, Buzek closed up shop for five months until, financially, she could not stay closed anymore. Chameleon Cafe reopened in August with safety protocols and new measures to bring in business, including delivery to a small downtown radius.

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The silver lining of the pandemic, Hardy says, is the city and county’s ability to provide more relief funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Summit County, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, was able to allocate some of that federal funding to small businesses. To date, Hardy says, Summit County and the Chamber have dispersed more than $11 million in small business grants countywide, not just on Main Street. Summit County Council has approved a third round of small business grants. And prior to the pandemic, the city rolled out a downtown relief program for businesses affected by construction — meaning either on Main Street or adjacent to it. Through that program, the city dispersed $210,000 in the form of $10,000 grants that could be used for a multitude of purposes from rent to subsidizing employee pay. But for some, that assistance isn’t enough. Several businesses have already shuttered, and others are on the precipice. “We’re downtown, but with not only thedevilstrip.com

Left: Adria Buzek, owner of Chameleon Cafe. (Photo: Abbey Marshall)

so few people working downtown, there’s also no reason to come here compared to summers past without concerts, baseball games, stuff like that,” says Aaron Hervey, owner of Crave at 57 E. Market St. After Hervey told staff members he would have to make some “very hard decisions” following several months of little business, his general manager launched a GoFundMe page to #SaveCrave. It’s garnered support from over 110 people, raising nearly $9,000. Since launching the GoFundMe, Hervey says there’s been a small spike in business, though he isn’t sure if it’s because of the attention Crave has received from the fundraising site or because more people are deciding to go out. He’s hoping it’s the latter, because while those funds help pay the rent, they need more business to sustain their restaurant. While some contemplate closing, other businesses are beginning to open their doors now that construction is complete. Marge Klein, owner of the Peanut Shoppe of Akron, reopened on Oct. 13 after being closed for nearly 7 months. Marge says while business suffered during construction, she was usually able to make it up during summer events and concerts at Lock 3 just across the street, but she knew that was impossible this year. Fortunately, she says, the reopening was a huge success. “I was worried, but today was a good day,” she said on Oct. 13. “I really have a lot of faith that things will turn around down here now that people can come down Main Street.” A vibrant downtown, but ‘out of what?’ When Ryan Pritt, co-founder and president of Pritt Entertainment Group at 201 S. Main St., moved his company into a new building, he wanted to remain downtown. He believes in the vision the city has for downtown: a hub of dining, residential living and retail. “We love downtown enough that we chose to invest in it by purchasing and renovating a building,” he says. “The idea that [our building’s renovation] and the Main Street

construction project are getting wrapped up at the same time is exciting.” Pritt — as well as many other downtown workers employed at larger firms such as First Energy or banks — doesn’t rely very heavily on foot traffic. The only real inconvenience construction imposed was loud noise and the occasional confused client trying to find the entrance in a sea of traffic cones. He says he’s excited to see the street he’s working on fill up with places he and his employees can enjoy outside work. “We were attracted to downtown because we wanted that liveliness and vibrancy,” he says. “We wanted people to go out to lunch, bike on breaks, go to a baseball game after work; whatever they wanted to do. “There are some short-term frustrations,” he continues, “but in the big picture, we’re very excited by the progress and it’s setting up the city and downtown in a really nice way that long term.” But the current situation is a far cry from Pritt’s vision for what downtown will become. The Main Street project was described as a stepping stone toward that goal. But between the years of construction and months of coronavirus, many businesses are wondering if they’ll make it to the finish line.

“Business was killed.” She says the city didn’t do anything to help her, and she was never notified about the construction project or kept up to date on its schedule. “We were doing well, and it broke my heart. We were this close,” she says, squeezing her thumb and pointer finger together, “but we had to close.” The city’s mission is to achieve a vibrant downtown, but White wonders, “out of what?” Hardy says while the residential aspect of the downtown plan — which includes converting high-rises like the Bowery and Law Building into apartments — is continuing as scheduled during the pandemic, the vision for a commercial area is temporarily on pause. “The retail and commercial piece is a large, large question mark,” Hardy says. “We have to be honest with ourselves that it’s going to be incredibly difficult. We need to focus on keeping what we have.”

For some, it’s already too late. Claire White opened Apotheclaire, a salon geared toward high-end natural and organic products, at 70 E. Mill St. in 2016. She says her corner of downtown was once a bustling block, as pedestrians drifted down Mill Street through Sweet Mary’s Bakery, Rubber City Comics and Nuevo Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar, which was also a casualty of the construction. “It was like it filled up like magic,” she recalls. But that magic dissipated quickly once Main Street construction started. “The streets downtown became a maze,” she says, saying her shop lost all foot traffic when the city closed the intersection on Mill Street. “It made no sense. It took out any incentive for downtown employees to go somewhere for lunch, and then, by extension, they wouldn’t pass by my salon.

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Downtown Akron also has other projects in the pipeline to drive people downtown, such as the Knight Foundation’s recent announcement of $2 million to redesign and rebuild Lock 3, new murals at the Civic Theatre in Lock 4 and the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), a new zone that allows Akronites to take alcoholic drinks outdoors in Locks 2, 3 and 4. All these projects aim to get people downtown and patronizing businesses, though, as Hardy notes, the pandemic poses a unique challenge: “Creating all of that in the heart of downtown will hopefully drive people there when we open things up, but should we really be drawing people downtown in large numbers right now?”

have to navigate a few lingering traffic cones. “I’m just kind of mad about how they managed the whole construction [project] and left it as an unfinished mess for two years now, and it’s still not done yet,” Somtrakool says. And businesses are bracing for another round of closures. Phase 2 is coming. With the help of $13.5 million in federal, state and private funding, construction will ramp back up on Main Street to continue improvements from Mill Street to State Route 59, including additional turn lanes, a cycle track connecting to the Towpath trail, parking spots, room for sidewalk cafes and more. For now, the city says Phase 2 will be limited to sidewalk closures for the remainder of 2020, but roadway closures will begin early next year and stretch into 2022. Even still, sidewalk construction harms businesses that were hoping to recoup pedestrian traffic that had been lost. “I totally see their views for the future: it’ll be absolutely stunning and will attract more business, restaurants, stores. People will want to live down here,” says Buzek, who says the street and sidewalk in front of Chameleon Cafe will be torn up during Phase 2. “We don’t want to leave downtown,” she continues. “We love the people down here and the customers. Once it’s done, it’s going to be absolutely beautiful and attract a lot of new companies. We’re going to see restaurants, grocery stores. It’s going to be trendy. It’s just trying to stay above water until that happens.”

Construction isn’t over yet Although Main Street is open to traffic, construction isn’t over. Some sidewalks are still blocked and cars

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

// Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com. The Devil Strip

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HAZEL TREE INTERIORS

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLOTTE GINTERT

he building at 143 W. Market St. must have a guardian angel. While all its neighbors have been demolished, it is still standing. Records indicate that a multi-family dwelling may have been built on the property around 1875. But a January 16, 1889 Summit County Beacon article states that T.H. Farrand was building a new “brick storeroom” at the location. It is unclear if the current building was a remodel of the original or if the previous construction was demolished and this one replaced it. Either way, from 1890 until 1960, it housed a store on the first floor and the owner’s apartments on the second. The first major renovation to the building took place around 1910. The steepness of the hill on this section of West Market Street had

10 | The Devil Strip

always been a challenge, even for horses, but it was almost impossible for the early automobile. So the city adjusted several of Akron’s steeper grades, including Market Street, to accommodate the new form of transportation. In order for the entrance of the grocery store to remain at ground level, the Farrands dug the basement to a lower depth and then lowered the first floor floorboards by about 3 feet. Today, the original floor height is indicated by a noticeable ledge on the interior east wall. After the Farrand family vacated the space, it was home to a Great A&P Tea Co. store, and then the Mastruzo family, immigrants from Italy, opened another grocery. In 1960, the building was purchased by John P. Mazzola. Mazzola was an entrepreneur and an early advocate for historic building reuse, as well as the founder of the Wally Waffle restaurant chain. Mazzola also owned the neo-gothic Historic Arts

District anchor now home to Crave and the recently demolished Werner Publishing Office. In 1965, Mazzola went about transforming 143 W. Market St. from its 19th-century appearance into something more contemporary for his Mazzola Interiors studio. He almost completely removed the front of the building, replacing it with glass. He added stairs and a “floating” loft between the first and second floors, plus an exterior balcony overlooking West Market Street. Some of Mazzola’s quirkier additions included a fountain under the showroom stairs, a wall made of sewer pipe and a hidden shower in the upstairs bathroom. Akron artist Don Drumm added some personal touches to the redesign. Some of those touches remain there to this day, including hardware on closet doors and a sculpture in a cement patch for the basement floor. While Mazzola occupied the building,

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the neighborhood began to change. All the row buildings between Bates and Walnut Streets. were demolished, becoming surplus parking for Dave Towell Cadillac. The houses along Walnut Street fell too. In 1991, Mazzola sold the building to Kevin Royer and his business partners, founders of Norka Futon. He told Royer that getting involved with this building was one of the best things he ever did because it launched him into historic preservation. Royer told me that the building’s position on the road made it a natural billboard and it drew the eye no matter which direction you traveled on West Market Street. “We just liked the fact that it stood out. It felt like it worked,” he said. Norka Futon closed in 2010. A few months later, the building became home to Karen Starr and Jon Haidet’s Hazel Tree Design Studio, due to a chance meeting in a parking lot between Royer, Starr and Haidet. thedevilstrip.com

Ellet’s Gardenias & Grace sells local goods by artists of all ages REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY LAURA LAKINS

his year more than ever, small businesses and local artists need our support. Gardenias & Grace, a gallery of art and handcrafted goods, gives us the opportunity to contribute to both.

Royer was looking for a new tenant for the building and the Hazel Tree team had just decided to move their business out of their home and into a studio space. Hazel Tree has become a favorite landmark of West Hill. The west side of the building supports a tree sculpture and the east side of the building hosts a mural. Although murals are becoming more and more common in Akron, this was one of the first. For 10 years, Kelly Tighe’s tree with “Akron” spelled in the roots greeted passersby as they climbed the hill out of downtown. After some brick retucking work was completed this year, Starr wanted to have a new mural installed instead of refreshing the old one. Thanks to a Great Streets Akron Facade Grant, the building received a new entrance awning and a new mural in October: Matt Miller’s version of a tree spells “West Hill” in the branches. Starr hopes to have a new tree painted every decade. While Hazel Tree has made other changes to the building, many of

Mazzola’s modifications remain. His original lights hang in the first floor showroom and the zig-zag awnings and lighting still line the west exterior of the building. Hazel Tree is also carrying on Mazzola’s passion for preservation and reuse. Many of the pieces in the showroom are created by local artists from repurposed objects. Salvaged remnants from buildings lost to the wrecking ball, such as West Hill’s Studebaker building and the Werner building, are also on display. They are labeled “priceless” and are not for sale. The Hazel Tree building is one of the last survivors of West Hill’s 19thcentury commercial district, standing tall and bright against Cadillacs and St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. For now, all signs indicate that it will be with us for many years to come. // Charlotte Gintert is an archaeologist and a photographer.You can check out her photos at www. capturedglimpses.com. Follow her on Instagram at @capturedglimpses for more old Akron building content. She encourages everyone to keep on wearing masks and washing hands!

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October. The series allows for various artists to come in and host classes geared towards the holidays. Each class is limited to 4-6 guests to allow for social distancing, and the ability to make the class a private event for you and your guests is also an option. The series will run through December.

Located at 654 Canton Rd. in Ellet, Gardenias & Grace offers a wide variety of items from artists and crafters in the greater Akron area. From jewelry to soaps to pottery and more, they have a little something for everyone.

“I hope this can be a place where people feel comfortable. People can come and bring their friends to hang out. I like to say, ‘gather at the gallery.’ I’d love to see kids come after school, bring their art supplies and meet with likeminded people,” Kathy said.

“The idea to have it here on a corner in Ellet comes from me living here,” owner Kathy Strasser says. “Being from Ellet, I know this community has a ton of good people and great things going on, and I wanted to contribute to that.”

As the business continues to grow, Kathy has plans to host more community-oriented events. She hopes to have meet-and-greet nights that feature local artists from the gallery, family craft nights, art classes, and more.

Kathy opened the shop in February. Her appreciation for artists combined with her love for handmade work was all the inspiration she needed to open Gardenias & Grace. Each artist and crafter are given their own display area, where you can read about each person as you browse through their work. The gallery also features a “Blooming Artist” section, which is an area devoted to up-andcoming high school artists.

For the time being, Kathy recommends grabbing a cup of coffee from Artisan, which is located right across the street, and heading over to browse the boutique — an opportunity to support two local businesses in one trip!

“My thing is to assure the art is local. That’s what I’m about. We have artists in here from all over Akron, Tallmadge, Springfield, Mogadore, the list goes on and on,” Kathy said. Kathy wants the community to have a chance to learn from local artists as well. She kicked off the “Homecrafted Holiday Class” series in

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To find information on the “Homecrafted Holiday Series,” see their hours of operations, and to keep up with the gallery, check out their Instagram @ gardeniasgrace, their Facebook at Gardenias&Grace, or call the boutique at 330-292-3992. Any artist looking to display their work in Gardenias & Grace can stop in the boutique and chat with Kathy. // Laura Lakins is an educator and freelance writer from Akron, Ohio. The Devil Strip

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Left: Coordinator of custodial services Matt Frame stands at the loading dock of the APS maintenance services building on Grant Street. Right: John Carter stands beneath ceiling tiles painted with students’ artwork at Betty Jane CLC. (Photos: H.L. Comeriato)

choice,” Frame says, especially people with medical conditions that put them at high risk. For the first 18 years of his career, Frame was a custodian himself. He says he understands the challenges custodial staff face and tries to respond to their needs quickly and efficiently.

Custodians adapt to pandemic guidelines to keep Akron’s schools safe REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY H.L. COMERIATO

very morning, John Carter looks out over the field behind Betty Jane Community Learning Center and counts the deer. “It’s pretty amazing,” he says, holding his arms out. “I know there’s no place else in the city that has this.” Betty Jane’s playground borders Goodyear Heights Metro Park. A foot trail connects the playground to Newton Street, and each morning Carter walks the path to check for trash. “I think I’ll stay here for a pretty long time just because of the backyard,” he says, smiling beneath his face covering. Betty Jane CLC closed its doors on March 11, the day before Ohio Governor Mike DeWine officially ordered all K-12 schools in the state of Ohio to send students home for three weeks — hoping to slow the spread of COVID-19. Carter says he was already on his way to work when he received the call that Betty Jane would close indefinitely. Later, he learned that a teacher had come in contact with a family member who tested positive for the virus, and administrators had opted to close Betty Jane as a precaution.

12 | The Devil Strip

Over the next several weeks, before face coverings were mandated, Betty Jane students filed into the building to retrieve their school supplies, waving to Carter from afar. Akron Public Schools support staff, like child nutrition workers and custodians, returned to work on site within a week of the district’s initial closure. While students are learning remotely for the first nine weeks of the fall semester, custodians have remained hard at work — keeping APS buildings safe both for the teachers who use the buildings to teach virtually, and the support staff who run the district’s food distribution program. While Carter is more comfortable with the district’s guidelines and safety precautions than he was back in March, he still worries about COVID-19. “I got babies at home,” Carter says, who was promoted to head custodian at Betty Jane in 2019. “And my wife is high risk, Type 1 diabetic. So for myself, it’s not that much of a worry, it’s more about taking it home.” Matt Frame, coordinator of custodial services, says the abrupt change was jarring for his employees. “It’s been difficult,” Frame says. “A lot of people — and I don’t want to sound negative — a lot of people, when it first hit, a lot of people were refusing to come to work, they felt...

they just didn’t feel safe. And it is scary for a lot of people. Especially if you’re immunosuppressed. That’s a big concern.” “We have guys that are cancer survivors. We have guys that have sick people [in their families],” Frame adds. “I think people don’t realize that if you have to work and you have a child or a spouse at home, or a significant other, you might make them sick bringing something home.” At the Akron Public Schools Maintenance Services building on Grant Street, Matt Frame is sitting at his desk. Frame is surrounded by baseball figurines and nods to his time in the marines. On a shelf behind his computer, a handwritten note reads: “Remember that I love you.” In February, Frame’s doctor told him to stay home for the duration of the pandemic. He has had pulmonary embolisms twice, including one that burst in his chest in 2005. He says he will be on blood thinners for the rest of his life as a result. Should he contract the virus, Frame’s history of blood clots could make him more vulnerable to COVID-19 related strokes.

“If we’re expecting somebody to do their work, then we need to get them the proper tools to do it in the smartest, most efficient way,” says Frame. But that’s been a challenge. Beginning in March, Frame says even the most basic supplies and personal protective equipment were hard to come by — and extremely expensive. “[In terms of] logistics, it’s been a nightmare. From March until probably June, we couldn’t even get masks. So what we were asking people to do is bring in something from home. Even disinfectant has been a struggle to get,” says Frame. “It’s about a month out [on backorder].” When Frame ordered a pair of electrostatic sprayers for the district, they took nearly five months to arrive. Electrostatic sprayers allow custodial staff to disinfect large spaces quickly and efficiently, slowing the spread of a virus. But as they’ve gained popularity, they’ve also gotten more expensive, like hand soap, disinfectant and paper towels. Randy Lockhart, head custodian at Firestone-Litchfield Community Learning Center, has been a custodian with Akron Public Schools for 39 years. He said he’s never experienced anything quite like this.

But the district doesn’t offer full-time custodial staff paid leave, vacation, or sick days outside of the pre-allocated amount.

“We never really stopped working,” says Lockhart. “It didn’t really register at first because it was all new. But as time went on, and as we reported back to work, that’s when we started realizing how serious the problem really was — and with the news reports and everything, you kind of start learning how to take care of yourself.”

“I think a lot of people are being forced to work because they have no

In the beginning, Lockhart says his employees were concerned for their

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own safety. APS employs 210 people on the custodial staff, 50 of whom are temporary, part-time employees, meaning they do not receive health care benefits through the district. “I’m trying to be the voice of calm with my staff,” Lockhart says. “Because in the beginning I was getting a lot of texts from my staff: ‘Well, how are they going to protect us? Are they going to get us masks?’” “They had the option of either staying or going home, but it counted against their sick days. So they just couldn’t go home without being charged for it,” adds Lockhart. “A couple of them went home and then that following week came back. They were still skeptical, but as time went on, the entire staff got comfortable with it.” So far, Lockhart says he’s been happy with the district’s response to the virus. He says he appreciates the department’s commitment to making sure custodial staff have the equipment they need to keep people safe and healthy, even when

it’s difficult to get. And he says he’s pleased with the APS decision to keep kids at home, at least until further safety measures could be put in place. Lockhart says he’s proud of the way his staff has adapted, and proud of the work they’ve done to keep the educational process in motion throughout the pandemic. “I think that our guys are heroes,” says Frame. “Essential workers, we’re risking our health every single day by being here. But being smart and wise, I think a lot of the initial fright and worry has kind of gone away.” Carter, too, says he feels more safe now than he did back in March. For now, he says the cleaning and disinfecting guidelines are manageable. “[We’re] paying a lot more attention to the door handles, railings — which, before, those things were, like, ‘get them when you can because there’s a lot of other things going on.’ Now, that’s priority number one,” Carter says. Plus, custodial staff clean and disinfect restrooms every two hours, a task normally completed by

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the night crew.

has.”

“Right now,” says Carter, “with the minimum amount of people we have [in the building], it’s not that bad. But when the kids come back, that’s going to be a whole other animal.”

When Carter joined the custodial staff part-time nearly a decade ago, his dad — himself a former head custodian — gave him a bit of advice: “He told me that this job, as a custodian, it reflects you as a person. The amount of work you put in, the quality of the work you put in, ultimately reflects who you are as a person. So that’s always kind of been my driver.”

Walking across the empty lunchroom, Carter says he’s been thinking about how to arrange the lunch tables in compliance with social distancing standards should students return for on site learning after the first nine weeks of the semester. “The whole reason for the job is the kids,” he says. Without them, Carter says it’s sometimes been tough to stay positive. “At the end of the day, I do still need to maintain the building, make sure the heat’s running, the yard care and all that. But when it comes down to it, it’s [about] the little ones.” “I always tell my guys, you’re an important part of the educational process,” Frame says. ”Take pride in that. I tell people, ‘You have to realize that you could be the only positive role model a child sees,’ — especially the men. [They] might be the only positive male role model that child

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When kids do return to on-site learning, Frame says masks and handwashing will be the district’s most important mode of defense. And while APS has no set date for when students can expect to return, Frame says custodial staff will be ready to welcome them back — no matter what it takes. // H.L. Comeriato covers public health at The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach them at HL@ thedevilstrip.com.

The Devil Strip

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Left: Business partners Henderson (left) and Wilkins (right) share a love for travel and exploration. Below: An Epic Life group poses in front of the Eiffel Tower. (Photos: Used with permission from Leon Henderson.)

be a traveler and just go out and see the world.” After his military service was completed, Henderson returned to his roots and studied electrical engineering at the University of Akron. He then went on to work for the City of Akron as a clerk before becoming a firefighter, where he’s worked for more than two decades and now serves as Chief Officer for Safety Communications.

Epic Life co-founder finds passion, community in the outdoors AKRONITE BUILDS COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN OUTDOOR VENTURES REPORTING AND WRITING BY JULIE CIOTOLA

eon Henderson has never been a stranger to adventure.

“When I was a boy, I was always running around, doing something adventurous,” Henderson says. “I mean, when I was 7 years old, I literally got hit by a car, flipped all the way over and didn’t have a scratch on me. It’s crazy to think about now, but I guess I had a hard head even then.” Henderson spent his formative childhood years in Akron and attended Garfield High School. As a senior, he decided to join the Army upon graduation, and soon after moved to Fort Knox, Ky. for training.

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Alongside his budding career in public service, Henderson continued to seek adventure. In the early 1990s, he connected with a friend who introduced him to the National Brotherhood of Skiers, a nonprofit focused on establishing a prominent voice and necessary space in the skiing industry for people of color. For years Henderson entertained the idea of skiing. In 1998, opportunity struck.

He transitioned to snowboarding and built a reputation as a talented boarder, and soon began embarking on large trips with 30, sometimes 40 other people. Right before his eyes, people of color came together to share their love for outdoor experiences. “We really started to build a culture,” Henderson says. In 2012, at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort, Henderson met his business partner, Fanon Che Wilkins. Wilkins — a professor, outdoorsman, runner and traveler — instantly connected with Henderson over their shared insatiable appetite for travel and sport. Two years later, in 2014, the two organized their first trip to Niseko, Japan for skiers and snowboarders and quickly welcomed success. “We had, I think, 115 people,” Henderson says. “That was our very first trip and we were the largest group of that type to ever travel to Niseko. I mean, not just people of color, like any group ever, we were the largest up to that point.”

Henderson hoped his commanding officers would send him overseas to Germany, where he fantasized about driving around in a Mercedes and immersing himself in the culture.

“A fellow fireman came up to me and said he wanted to teach me how to ski,” he says. “So he took me to Boston Mills Brandywine. I literally had a pair of jeans on, I had no idea what to wear.”

Since that first trip, the group has traveled around the globe to destinations like Thailand, the French Alps and Paris. In 2018, Henderson and Wilkins trademarked the name Epic Life. As they grow through social media and word of mouth, there is no shortage of participants eager to experience the world with Epic Life.

“Well, that didn’t happen,” he says. “Instead, they sent me to Fort Polk, La. I mean, I literally had a tear running down my face when the colonel told me.”

Despite a few falls, the following week Henderson accompanied his friend to Holiday Valley Resort in western New York. After that, Henderson says he “caught the bug.”

“The more places you travel, the bigger the world seems,” Henderson says. “There’s so many places I’ve been but so many more I need to see.”

Instead of dwelling on the unexpected change of plans, Henderson found himself engrossed in life down South. He and other soldiers took weekend trips to cities like Waco and Tempe and traveled to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Henderson says he was invigorated by the new sights and sounds.

“I found myself really enjoying skiing and after a couple years took a trip to Aspen by myself,” he says. “I got really sick from the altitude sickness, but fortunately I was able to make some friends because I’ve always been outgoing. I just met some really great people and I think that’s what pulled me in -- not only loving the sport but feeling like I could connect with and lead people.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Epic Life’s trips are on hold until travel is safe again. Henderson says he looks forward to that day, but for now his goal is to stay safe and continue fulfilling his duties as a public servant in Akron.

“It was just a ball,” he says. “I really got to travel and see new places. I think that was really important for me in terms of finding my independence and realizing how much I wanted to

The more invested Henderson became in the community, the more seamlessly his plans fell into place.

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

// Julie Ciotola (she/her) is a journalist, runner and obsessive reader. She was born and raised in Akron and is eager to share stories about the people and places she cherishes most. thedevilstrip.com

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Does Akron’s police auditor need more power? SOME CITIZENS AND COUNCILMEMBERS ARE CALLING FOR EXPANDED POWERS AND RESOURCES FOR THE POLICE AUDITOR, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE AKRON POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTING AND WRITING BY NOOR HINDI

lmost 18 years ago, before the last decade of protests against police brutality, Marco Sommerville, a former Akron City Council president, was frustrated about the process by which citizens could file complaints about the Akron Police Department. At the time, he says, there was “no documentation of complaints” on APD’s end. What Sommerville wanted was a citizen review board, which would investigate alleged misconduct by APD officers. Instead, Akron hired Philip Young as a police auditor in 2007, five years after conversations began. Young’s position was created to strengthen community connections to APD, monitor and audit APD complaints, review investigations of officer-involved shootings and make policy and procedural recommendations based on his findings. Now, 13 years later, some are

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questioning whether Young’s position has actually worked for citizens. At a public committee meeting on Sept. 30, Young said his ability to provide oversight has been limited because of shortened hours, lack of staff and lack of access to critical software and information. Councilmembers and citizens alike argue Young’s lack of authority has led to an absence of oversight for APD. The murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a police officer in Minneapolis in May, inflamed many of these conversations as community members lamented past efforts at creating a stronger civilian oversight entity. “There are still problems,” Sommerville says now. “It’s been a fight all along. He needs to be given more power. And he needs to be given more staff. And he needs to be given more money. And he needs to be given more hours.” Originally, Akron’s police auditor position was supposed to mimic the power and structure of Tucson, AZ’s, oversight agency. Liana Perez, former Tucson Police Auditor, told The Devil Strip during an interview

that she remembers visiting Akron in 2002. Perez says the effort received pushback from Akron’s police chief, the police union and some elected officials at the time. Still, by the time she left, it was her understanding that the Akron police auditor would be able to review completed investigations, to monitor ongoing investigations and to recommend changes based on their findings. Though Young can review completed investigations and recommend changes to APD’s, Perez says his level of authority has been “watered down” from the original vision, as he is unable to monitor ongoing investigations, does not have access to body camera footage early in an investigation and does not have access to software programs that identify patterns in officer misconduct. Rev. Gregory Harrison, who worked with the Akron Police Department for 14 years and retired in 2004, says APD faces “the same issues generating every seven or eight years.” He argues the police auditor, who is accountable to the public, is supposed to be the public’s “eyes

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and ears” within APD so the public feels they can trust the investigation process during cases of alleged officer misconduct. “He’s just a figurehead,” argues Ray Greene, executive director of Akron’s Freedom BLOC. “When we say we need a police auditor and a civilian review board with subpoena power, and they come back to say, ‘well, we have a police auditor,’ people don’t understand the rest of the parts, and that he has virtually no power. He can’t do anything.’” What is the role of a police auditor? This summer, calls to the National Associations for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) have dramatically increased as cities across the country attempt to either create oversight structures or improve current oversight structures in their communities. Perez, who is now director of operations at NACOLE, says in order for a police auditor to be able to adequately do their job, they must be able to accept and investigate all complaints and instances of force and must be properly staffed. thedevilstrip.com

• Procedural justice and legitimacy within the organization

because he’s not brought into the process from the beginning, he said.

Captured Glimpses)

Right now, the Akron police auditor position meets few of these principles.

Young says complaints about APD have “gone down dramatically” over the years.

Complaints about APD officers can be made directly to Young or to the Office of Professional Standards and Accountability (OPSA), which functions as APD’s internal affairs department. The OSPA investigates the complaints and Young reviews the completed findings, explained Young during a Reimagining Public Safety conversation with Akron City Council member Shammas Malik on Sept. 30.

Currently, punishments for APD officers who violate protocol are at the discretion of the police chief. If an officer violates a minor or informal violation, APD’s contract with the Fraternal Order of the Police allows those violations to be dismissed after two years. Major violations and suspensions from duty are also at the discretion of the chief. Young does not have the power to review suspensions or punishments or to make recommendations.

Left: Demonstrators gather at Hardesty Park in June 2020 to call for racial equity and an end to police brutality. (Photo: Charlotte Gintert/

In 2008, Young remembers the number of use-of-force cases and citizen complaints being around 600. Today, he estimates they’ve gone down to about 300. “That can be related to a few things. Number one, the officers are doing a better job; number two, we have body cameras; or number three, people have given up on the process,” he says. Young says people often ask him, “is it worth me filing a complaint?” He tells them, “File your complaint. If nothing else, it starts a paper trail to see if that officer has had these issues in the past.” Complaints Young receives are broad, he says. They can include anything from citizens feeling that an officer was “rude” to them to wrongful arrest allegations. Young doesn’t have the powers or tools recommended by NACOLE for successful oversight. This August, NACOLE released a study that identifies a set of 13 essential principles for oversight: • Independence, which is defined as the ability of the oversight entity to work without the influence of law enforcement and politics • Clearly defined authority • Complete access to records and facilities in a timely manner • Sustained communication between the oversight agency and internal affairs • Full cooperation from the police department • Support from stakeholders, such as politicians and city governments • Adequate funding and operations resources • Public reporting and transparency to ensure the public trusts and understands the roles of police and is provided with at least one written report each year • The ability to identify patterns in data to make recommendations • Community outreach • Community involvement • Confidentiality and protection from retaliation

Young said this process prevents him from monitoring ongoing investigations in order to ensure all evidence is properly considered before a decision is made. Additionally, Young does not have access to the software programs police departments use to track data surrounding complaints, use-of-force instances, and critical instances, which are cases where serious injury or death occurs while in the custody of police. The software is needed to identify trends and patterns in officer misconduct and adequately make recommendations for policy changes within APD, Malik says. Young says he’s asked multiple times for access to relevant software but has “gotten different answers” each time he’s asked, he said during the Sept. 30 meeting. He says this software would be “tremendously helpful” and would cut down on the time it takes him to wait on APD to provide him with relevant information. Young does not have access to body camera footage at the beginning of an investigation. He receives footage at the same time as the general public, which is when an investigation has ended. Young can ask for footage before the conclusions, but APD can choose whether or not to provide that footage. “Sometimes I don’t see them for months after they’ve been filed. It’s very difficult to have input on something you don’t know anything about until later,” Young said. Young’s role, in short, should be to “monitor and audit APD complaint investigations,” and make policy recommendations, according to a job description on the City of Akron’s website. But he is unable to do so

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But even if Young were to be given oversight power during ongoing police investigations, access to body camera footage and relevant software, he only works 30 hours a week. Prior to March, Young worked 20 hours a week. “He’s one person for a department of over 450 officers,” Malik says. “One person cannot effectively oversee 450 people or audit 450 people. In my mind, what we ought to have is at least three people.” With these limitations considered, Perez says she’s unsure about Young’s “effectiveness as an auditor.” “One of the biggest ways to cripple an oversight mechanism is to not resource it appropriately,” she says. “It needs to be appropriately staffed. If you want to do data analysis, you need a data person. You need somebody to crunch those numbers and do some analysis based on those numbers.” In the past, all law enforcement had to rely on for investigations was officer statements, bystander testimony and police reports. Today, with body camera footage and sometimes cellphone footage, an auditor is examining hours of recordings. Young’s shortened hours also hinder his community outreach abilities. Right now, Young does not release an annual report of his findings to the public each year, which is critical to an oversight system’s success, according to NACOLE. “There’s no way I can do an annual report with just myself here and no help to do that. No matter what I do, it takes a long time when you’re by yourself… it’s very, very difficult. Even at 30 hours, it’s very difficult,” Young says.

together a Special Committee on Reimagining Public Safety to begin conversations about APD’s practices. This committee’s meetings are designed for councilmembers and the public to learn more about APD’s policies and procedures. Each council member is part of a working group, one of which is “accountability and transparency,” addressing APD policies and procedures, the role of the police auditor and accessibility of policingrelated data. The first meeting, which took place on Sept. 14, was testy, with Chief Kenneth Ball denying there was any need for this process. “This organization has always been one that examined ourselves, that has constantly looked out to try and figure out if there are things we can do better, things that were necessary to improve, things that we shouldn’t be doing,” he said. “I appreciate some of the sentiment that is accepting and supporting of that. But I haven’t heard a lot of that in any of these conversations, which is a great frustration. And I would say I’m thankful to be here, but I’m not. I’m frustrated.” Malik, who sits on the accountability and transparency committee, plans to introduce legislation this fall to give the auditor more power. “Community oversight is about protecting civilian rights, but it’s also about creating trust. And to me, you need independent oversight to have effective trust because of historic injustices, because of national breaches of trust, but also because of local breaches of trust,” Malik says. Malik’s legislation will require Young to have greater access to information early in investigations; a staff of at least three people, including a deputy auditor and a communications assistant; and a civilian review board that Young reports to. Young currently reports to Mayor Horrigan, Malik says. Over the next few months, council will continue meeting, researching better practices and learning more about procedures within APD. By Dec. 7, each working group will publish a report on its findings and recommendations to Mayor Horrigan. // Noor Hindi covers equity and inclusion for The Devil Strip. Reach her at noor@thedevilstrip.com.

In July, Akron City Council brought The Devil Strip

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Above: Vietnamese coffees lined up on Evelyn’s serving counter. Left: Evelyn’s offers both Vietnamese traditional fare and American coffee shop staples like fresh pastries. (Photso: H.L. Comeriato)

‘The coffee shop kind of describes how our family is’ AKRONITES BRING VIETNAMESE COFFEE AND BANH MI DOWNTOWN

WRITING, REPORTING AND PHOTOS BY H.L. COMERIATO

s a kid, Vinh Nguyen grew up eating his mother’s recipes — Vietnamese dishes that inspired him to explore cultures and cuisines all over the world. “Growing up, whenever my mom cooked, for instance, a Vietnamese noodle dish, the broth would take all night. It’d have to simmer through,” says Nguyen. “I felt like there’s definitely time involved in that. You’re going to have a product that you feel proud of.” Nguyen says he’s always had an idea for a coffee shop — a place where students and young people could come to connect, share ideas and build meaningful relationships. Evelyn’s Coffee & Banh Mi, which opened at 11 E Exchange St. in July, is the realization of a lifelong vision of community, family and food. Named after Nguyen’s 2-year-old daughter, Evelyn’s serves Vietnamese drip coffee and what Nguyen calls “just a very small sampling” of Vietnamese and Korean cuisine. Evelyn’s serves Vietnamese coffee the traditional way: one cup at a time, brewed through a metal drip filter. Once the drip is finished, the hot coffee is poured over ice — a splash of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom. For Nguyen and his wife, Francesca,

18 | The Devil Strip

who is Korean, deciding what to serve and how to serve it has been part of a long, adventurous process. The pair have traveled the world together, seeking out dishes that inspire and delight, combining and infusing Vietnmanese and Koren cuisines and cultural traditions. “We plan our trips around where we’re going to eat,” Nguyen says, laughing. “The location is secondary to the food.” When the pair honeymooned in Vietnam, Nguyen was surprised by the vast expanse of Vietnamense cuisine: “What strikes me is that I had quite a bit of Vietnamese food growing up, but we went to Vietnam for our honeymoon and I was just blown away by the number of dishes I haven’t had before.” Vietnam’s culinary traditions vary by region. In southern Vietnam, hot climates let farmers grow vegetables year-round, and dishes tend to be sweeter than in other parts of Vietnam, where the availability of spices and other ingredients produce bold and complex flavor profiles. From the liver pate traditionally served with banh mi to the coffee introduced by French colonizers in the mid-19th century, Vietnamese cuisine is heavily influenced by the French, Nguyen explains. The French colonized and occupied Vietnam, along with neighboring Cambodia and Laos, for nearly seven

decades. By the time French rule came to an end in 1954, Southeast Asian cuisine was full of ingredients and flavor profiles typically associated with French food. For example, Vietnamese cooks adapted the baguette, baking them with rice flour instead of the wheat flour commonly used by the French. This rice flour baguette is the base for banh mi, which is perhaps the country’s most popular culinary export. Banh mi traditionally includes a toasted, rice flour Vietnamese baguette, layered with crisp, pickled carrots and daikon, and a pate made from chicken, pork or duck liver. At Evelyn’s, Nguyen serves banh mi with a variety of marinated meats: lemongrass chicken or beef, meatball, dac biet, a combination of chicken and pork, and Korean Beef — a nod to Nguyen’s wife, and the Korean dishes she loved growing up. The coffee-sandwich combination suits Evelyn’s young customers well, says Nguyen, and it gives them a good idea of the many different incarnations of banh mi. For Nguyen, serving banh mi at Evelyn’s is, at least in part, an effort to introduce young American students to a slice of Vietnamese cuisine in a space designed to spark conversation and build community. Food — and the time we spend cooking and eating it — should be a shared

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experience, says Nguyen. “Especially coming from a culture where [food] is very communal,” Nguyen says. “And I think it’s like that with the majority of places.” Nguyen says that young people, students in particular, need spaces that encourage conversation and connection over food and drink. Nguyen imagined Evelyn’s with those connections in mind. “The coffee shop kind of describes how our family is. Like, mixed culture — we really love the coffee, young [people], the community. We’re trying to do the best we can to kind of provide a product that is definitely affordable for students, but also give them something that is made from scratch,” says Nguyen. “I really hope that the place will... provide an environment where people can come and read and grab a drink, get a sandwich, and they know that there was some work involved in creating that,” says Nguyen. “I take pride in that.” Visit Evelyn’s Coffee & Banh Mi at 11 E. Exchange St. in Akron. Monday-Friday 8 am-4 pm Saturday 9 am-4 pm // H.L. Comeriato covers public health at The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach them at HL@ thedevilstrip.com.

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How the pandemic shaped ‘Reely Scared,’ a podcast for horror film buffs REPORTING AND WRITING BY BRANDON MEOLA

rom a young age, Taylor Cleek was an avid reader and writer of fiction.

Conner Breedlove, a fellow student who shared the same passion for film. The two quickly became close friends and, before long, shot a short film together. It was an easy decision to have Conner join Reely Scared as his co-host.

“It’s the only thing I’ve ever been especially interested in doing,” he says.

“It’s been an absolute blast doing it together,” Taylor says. “We get to bounce ideas and jokes and energy But it wasn’t until Taylor was 12 or 13 off of each other all the time.” that he’d realized his true love was narrative through film. He specifically Together, they created a plan for the credits his awakening to the 1999 podcast that’s remote, yet much more film Fight Club. “I feel like Fight Club interactive with the audience. Taylor is kind of a film buff cliché, but it’s and Conner record the podcast from true,” Taylor says. “Catching that for the comfort of their own homes via the first time, middle of the night, webcams in order to abide by social edge of my seat because the twist distancing. In many ways, the remote hadn’t been spoiled for me. That’s format has opened doors for Reely when the real magic of storytelling Scared that otherwise would have and cinema became clear to me.” been much harder to achieve, Taylor says. Over the years, Taylor’s love for the big screen has only grown. He loves “The greatest watching and talking about movies example of this was and hopes to someday write films for our very first episode a living. In 2019, he created an outlet of Reely Scared,” for his passion: a podcast he named Taylor says. “We were Reely Scared. Each week, the podcast talking about this new discusses everything horror-related film 1BR. We used the going on in the film industry. right hashtags and tagged it in posts and But perhaps the most frightening the film’s producer, thing of all is that the podcast would Alok Mishra, ended have never come to be if it wasn’t for up in our chat room. the pandemic. A few minutes later, we managed to When Taylor began recording Reely actually pull him up Scared in 2019, it was hard for him on the screen so he was on the show to enjoy it enough to be consistent. with us. You could never do that preHe recorded episodes alone and they recorded in a studio.” were fairly short. They’ve also had the pleasure of “There just wasn’t the right energy welcoming Naomi Grossman, best to keep me interested,” Taylor says. known for her role as Pepper from “I figured if I wasn’t interested, why American Horror Story, onto the would any listeners be?” podcast. After a few episodes, the show went on hiatus. But when the pandemic struck, Taylor decided to give Reely Scared another try — with a co-host.

“Even in a world where we don’t need to social distance, I think we’ll continue doing the show this way,” Taylor says.

When Taylor was in college, he met

Audience interaction is something

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

Taylor Cleek, left, and Conner Breedlove, right. (Photo: Used with permission from Taylor and Conner)

both Taylor and Conner strive for, so they’ve come up with a few different ways Reely Scared fans can join in on the podcast. To start, on social media they’ll announce what movie or show they’ll be discussing on that week’s episode. They encourage the audience to watch the same programs so that when the podcast goes live later that week, they can take part in the discussion in the chat. There’s a book club in which they announce a spooky book at the beginning of the month and then review it during the last episode of the same month. And if that’s not enough, they even have watchalongs in which the audience can tune into the stream and watch the same film, at the same time, with live commentary. “We want Reely Scared to be in the top 10 for horror podcasts on our streaming platforms by next summer,” Conner says. “It’s an ambitious goal but we’ve started working towards it.” If horror isn’t your thing, don’t fret, because Reely Scared is just one show on an entire network of podcasts called Who Are They? Reel Entertainment. There’s Reel Talk, which addresses movies on a much broader scale, and Saber Reels, which examines and reviews everything Star Wars related. They’ve even begun to branch out into sports with a weekly

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Cleveland Browns aftershow called Dawg Check. Founder Matt Thomas created the Who Are They? Reel Entertainment network in November 2018 to shine light on local filmmakers and actors alike. Matt credits his father, George Thomas, for his adoration of film. George used to write movie reviews for the News-Herald in greater Cleveland and is currently a movie reviewer and sportswriter for the Akron Beacon Journal. “I was going to preview screenings with him as long as I could remember, and that turned into me being a movie critic,” Matt says. “Naturally, being around that environment rubs off on you in ways like wanting to cover and make movies.” Reely Scared has been lucky enough to have local talent, such as Cleveland director Scott E. Brosius and Westlake b-horror actor, Roger Conners, on the show to discuss their upcoming primers. If you’re interested in listening to the Reely Scared podcast or any other show on the network, you can find them on Twitter @WATReelEnt or Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/WhoAreTheyMovies. Shows go live on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch. Audio versions are uploaded the following day to podcast apps. // Brandon Meola is a freelance writer from Kent.

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Akron wants to help small business owners grow, but officials say they need more help from banks REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY ABBEY MARSHALL

ubber City Match — an entrepreneurial development program that, city officials say, is designed to give historically marginalized business owners a boost to help them get lending from banks — has so far had a big problem: Getting lending from banks. Rubber City Match offers business coaching to new and expanding small businesses, then helps connect them to vacant retail spaces. It is based on a successful program in Detroit in which participants were mentored and created business plans to pitch to a board of lenders in pursuit of funding, as well as pairing them with vacant retail space. At the end of the first cohort’s programming, the city is providing $100,000, meaning only two participating businesses will receive $50,000 grants. In a program of 17 people, up to 12 of whom are eligible to apply for the cash award, that means stiff competition for funding. The cohort is 75% Black and 60% female.

20 | The Devil Strip

The $100,000 was an investment in the program and its mission, but Deputy Mayor for the Office of Integrated Development James Hardy said the department cannot afford much more than that. That’s where they were hoping banks would help: After aiding the business owners, the city’s role is theoretically to connect them with lenders. “The city will never be able to lend the capital needed to move the needle on this issue,” Hardy says. “It’s really important that we have equitable lending from our finance institutions, because they have more resources to lend than we ever will as a city.” Akron banks respond to the ask — and some sign on after request for comment By the end of the program, all the business plans will be vetted and the owners will be thoroughly trained: the makings of a low-risk investment, the city says, citing as evidence the capital it put toward the program itself.

Still, Hardy says, “I was in the room with local representatives of every bank with a presence in Akron,” including both collaborative and oneon-one meetings with representatives from each of the banks in 2019. “All of them declined to participate.” As a result, instead of all participants getting a chance to present to a lending committee made up of banks, only two will receive those $50,000 grants from the city with support from nonprofit lenders. That is, until The Devil Strip reached out for comment in September. Three of the five banks contacted — Huntington, PNC and Fifth Third — then scheduled meetings with the city to discuss how to participate in the program. • Huntington reached out to the city to support the program after The Devil Strip requested comment, with spokesperson Emily Smith saying: “We always appreciate the opportunity to learn from our communities and do our part to support them. We’ll continue the conversation directly with the city to learn more about how we can help.” • PNC said they were approached

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in September 2019 for support, but could not consider it because the 2019 budget was already appropriated. PNC needed time to consider the request and did not reconnect to confirm or deny support due to the pandemic, says PNC regional president for Akron Joe Luckring, but they plan to meet with city officials in early October to discuss participation. • Fifth Third Bank said the representative in those meetings retired earlier this year. After request for comment, bank representatives said they will reach out to the city to establish a new point of contact and review the program. • The city met with the U.S. Bank district manager and team members on two occasions in 2019. The city said U.S. Bank declined to participate. U.S. Bank declined to comment on the program, stating, “U.S. Bank is not in a position to comment about a program that we are not currently involved in, but we remain committed to supporting the Akron community and are always open to opportunities to invest in our shared future,” citing other financial commitments to other local nonprofits such as the East Akron Neighborhood Development thedevilstrip.com

is to lend to projects that contribute to community development.” Akron has been successful in onboarding nontraditional lenders with similar visions.

Corporation. • A city official said they met with a KeyBank representative in 2019 who declined to participate. KeyBank declined to comment about the program, but told The Devil Strip they have provided more than $110 million in small business loans to businesses in “low-tomoderate income urban and rural communities” in Northeast Ohio. “We invite anyone interested in learning more about grant funding through the KeyBank Foundation, and the formal process through which organizations can apply, to contact us,” says KeyBank spokesperson Matthew Pitts. Hardy did note that KeyBank was instrumental in a new small business revolving loan being launched at Western Reserve Community Fund next month that otherwise would not be able to get off the ground. Hardy thinks the banks’ reactions reflect a systemic problem, however. “There is a huge problem in Akron of POC- and womenowned businesses trying to secure traditional lending at the same success rate as their white male counterparts,” Hardy says. “It seems like with the banks, there’s no recognition of the structural racism that has played a huge role in Akron and places like Akron that dictated your credit score or being able to lean into friends and family for equity — all the things we as the majority take for granted.” What can Akron learn from Detroit? Work with nontraditional lenders, that city’s leaders say Motor City Match, the model on which Akron based its program, has been wildly successful, fronting $2 million in grants for about 40

businesses a year and connecting award recipients to retail space and lenders. Launched in 2015, the program sought to solve two problems common in the Rust Belt: too much vacant retail space in the city and a lack of capital access for small business owners. In addition to cash grants, businesses can apply for assistance with business planning, space and design. “The premise of our program is that there are very talented entrepreneurs in Detroit that lack access to capital,” says Drew Lucco, small business development manager at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, which runs Motor City Match. “We know that one of the reasons is because it is generally harder for minority entrepreneurs to get loans,” he says. (Detroit’s population is 79% Black; Akron’s population is 30% Black.) “It’s generally harder for any first-time entrepreneurs to get a loan from traditional banks, really. We came into the program with that as one of the premises. The idea was, if we can offer some capital, that would allow people to complete projects without a loan or make it easier to get loans.” Lucco said he did not find it surprising that Akron had difficulties with securing banks’ participation. They haven’t had much luck with traditional lenders either. “Very few of our projects get funding from traditional banks,” Lucco says, though he did note that they’ve worked with a few over the years for other programming. “We are very blessed in Detroit to have a community of nontraditional lenders… They think of themselves as character-based lenders rather than credit-based lenders. Their goal

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

“We’re a nonprofit for a reason,” says Chris Faircloth, the lending manager of Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) Akron, a nonprofit that provides training, technical assistance and loan capital to entrepreneurs who do not qualify for traditional bank loans. “We spend more time with clients than would be financially feasible on a lending process to turn a profit on it with interest,” he says. “[With banks,] there’s just no time to really sit down and evaluate if your credit is low, are you irresponsible with credit or did you have a bad life circumstance? It’s a numbers game. To lend to small businesses at a profitable level, you can’t really spend an inordinate amount of time doing those things.” A majority of ECDI’s clients are referred by larger regional banks, such as the ones mentioned in this story that partner with nonprofit lenders. The ECDI then makes a closer, character-based determination. Lucco emphasizes the importance of that approach when it comes to small business funding in Motor City Match, particularly for minority business owners. First-time business owners have less credit and less experience, and it’s difficult for startups to get loans without a significant amount of collateral. “It’s a Catch-22,” Faircloth says. “You can’t get a loan because you don’t have cash, and you need a loan because you don’t have cash.” Detroit’s Motor City Match supports about 10 businesses per quarter, doling out $500,000 in grants ranging between $5,000 to $100,000 to each of its winners. In some cases, the grant will not cover all the costs associated with a startup, especially because the retail space had been vacant for years and might need significant rehab. That’s when the lenders come in at the end of the program to provide a loan. Lenders view the $50,000 grant as equity, so it changes the underwriting, allowing

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entrepreneurs to secure a loan more easily. What does this mean for the Rubber City Match program? But Akron’s story is different from Detroit’s. The city cannot yet afford to front $2 million each year. In a program where 75% of the businesses of the first cohort are Black-owned and 60% are female-owned, Hardy says the lack of participation from banks leads to questions about systematic oppression that has kept certain groups out of economic development. “I have heard the term ‘unbankable’ more times in those meetings than I’ve ever heard in the last five years,” Hardy says. “It makes you wonder that really means. No one could seem to give me a definition.” All of the major banks in Akron The Devil Strip contacted for comment — Huntington, PNC, KeyBank, U.S. Bank and Fifth Third — received the highest rating awarded by the Community Reinvestment Act, which monitors how well banking institutions meet the credit needs of the areas they serve. That doesn’t eliminate Hardy’s questions, however. “Through my conversations with constituents, it’s just not happening. There’s just a fundamental disconnect between what banks are saying happens and what people are saying happens.” While some banks are not participating as traditional lenders, many in the list above, including PNC, Fifth Third and U.S. Bank, have provided funding and grants for nontraditional lenders participating in the program, including the ECDI and Western Reserve Community Fund. Hardy says there’s an open invitation from the city to the banks to participate in the Rubber City Match program or any future initiative to include entrepreneurs of color. “We’re not giving up,” Hardy says. “The invitation [to the banks] is always there. We think we’re going to have very bankable businesses in our program, but there are very bankable businesses right now that are not successful in the traditional lending market.” // Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com.

The Devil Strip

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Door #2 brings color to Lock 2 REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY SUSAN PAPPAS

o a casual passerby, the vibrant colors on the steps at Lock 2 Park in downtown Akron might seem like superficial coats of paint designed to spruce up the weathered cement. But the real story behind those colorful steps and the people who painted them runs deep. In August, a group of 15 high school and college students gathered to paint the steps for a community arts project sponsored by Door #2, a Hudson-based collaborative studio with an altruistic mission. Adriana Caso, a professional artist who studied in Florence, Italy, and at the Cleveland Institute of Art, believes strongly in the power of art to heal, inspire and build bridges. It’s why she’s been director of Door #2 for 15 years. “Our mission is to use art to inspire beauty and hope in a world that is so divided by hate,” Caso says. “Everything is so polarized right now by one extreme or the other. We want to bring love through beauty, love and hope. We have seen so much hopelessness, even before COVID, but now it’s more magnified. Art can transcend boundaries that other things can’t.” Caso says that the Lock 2 steppainting project brought a lot of joy to those who participated because it gave students a chance to gather outdoors safely and work together on something they could stand back, admire and be proud of. “It was nice to make a connection over something that was fun to do and see the results right away,” Caso says. “We were very excited about the steps and it was so much fun to be together. We knew that the Downtown Akron Partnership needed someone to refresh steps. It was a COVID-friendly activity and we loved it because anyone could do it. Also, it was an opportunity to just love Akron and show them that love.”

of the Reimagining the Civic Commons project. Using art for community outreach is one of the main focuses of Door #2. Caso credits her involvement with the City of Akron’s nowdefunct Summer Arts Program a few years ago for inspiration, after helping high school students create murals at Lock 3, Luigi’s and in Akron City Hall. “A lot of public art you see in Akron today was done through that program,” Caso says. Door #2’s first public art project came in summer 2019 at the Firestone Park Community Center, where colorful murallike banners were painted to help residents find their way around the area. Sara Hughes, studio assistant at Door #2, says the project drew students who lived in the area and could easily get to the painting site. “We asked Firestone Park what they needed and they said people often needed help with directions since there are so many things all in one block, “ Hughes says. “So we made them some banner signs. The students painted three canvases and we tied it to the fence of the playground right outside of the community center. We called it Art in the Park.” Door #2 planned on more outdoor community projects for summer 2020, but the pandemic postponed them until hopefully next summer. In spite of that, plans were still in place for two outdoor projects: a community paint day to create a mural outside of a church in Goodyear Heights and a project called The Brushes.

Lock 2, which is adjacent to the Towpath Trail, was revamped in 2017 with lighting, tables and chairs as part “We are going to have a big painting

22 | The Devil Strip

of an Akron cityscape and everyone will paint themselves into the scene by painting their likeness on an old paintbrush. And the brushes will then be placed onto the painting. The idea is they are part of the city and part of the exchange.” Caso also hopes to continue hosting open studios every Thursday from 4 to 8 pm, as the pandemic situation permits. Inclusiveness and connection are common themes at Door #2, which is based in a renovated warehouse that is now a satellite building of Hudson’s Christ Community Chapel on Darrow Road. Funded solely by the church, the studio offers supplies and work space for all types of art, from sculpture to oil painting and photography. Though it initially began as a student outreach, Caso says anyone high school age or older is welcome to use the facility. She’s quick to emphasize that though the studio is affiliated with a church, Door #2 ascribes to no other agenda than to bring people together to

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create art and forge connections. “Most importantly, we want to bring hope where there isn’t any, love where there is hate and inspire where there is no inspiration,” Caso says. “Everybody has inestimable worth and dignity, and because of that, everybody deserves love and respect regardless of their status in this world.” To get involved or find out more about Door#2, contact Caso at Adriana.caso@ccchapel.com or follow them on Instagram @ door2art or Facebook @door2art. // Susan Pappas is a writer, editor and longtime Akron-area resident. She loves meeting interesting people and bringing them to life with words and photographs. In her spare time, she dreams of new ways to be creative and one of her next projects will focus on turning the hilarity and hijinks of her two wiener dogs, Kiki and Carly, into a children’s book series.

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Five Akronites on what it’s like to be Black and LGBTQ+ INTERVIEWS BY NOOR HINDI; PHOTOS BY ILENIA PEZZANITI

lack LGBTQ+ people, living at the intersection of homophobia and racism, are often forced to navigate racism as well as discrimination based on their sexual orientation.

Below: Courtney Calhoun sits on his couch in front of a self-portrait he painted. (Photo: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

For years, Black LGBTQ+ Akronites have said they aren’t fully included in LGBTQ+ spaces and have been fighting for greater equity. The murder of Brian Powers, a Black LGBTQ+ person whose body was found by the University of Akron on June 13, brought these frustrations to the surface again. Courtney Calhoun, founder of Akron AIDS Collaborative, feels that Black LGBTQ+ issues have long been swept under the rug and that the Akron community has yet to recognize “very stark differences” among members of its LGBTQ+ community. “For me, living in Akron as an African-American gay man has been a struggle,” Calhoun says. “The struggle is different because the dollars are different. The education is different. Healthcare is different. Housing is different. Our people have been dying and have been beat to death by the police for years. All of this has been part of our history. That impacts how we go out and deal and club.” The Devil Strip talked to five Black LGBTQ+ people in Akron to learn more about these inequities, which existed long before Powers’ murder brought them bubbling to the surface. Many we spoke to highlighted a lack of safe places in Akron for Black LGBTQ+ people, a feeling of loneliness stemming from the need for a close-knit community, as well as a general feeling of being excluded from advocacy organizations. Some of the people we interviewed have changed their names to match their identity. A deadname is often the name given to a person at birth. Trans and gender non-conforming people should always be referred to using the names, pronouns, and identifiers they have claimed for themselves.

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November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

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Below: Hertistine Price thinks of a moment that made her proud of herself. Hertistine has a

Below: Jo’Von D. Cheatham identifies as both male and female. Jo’Von runs a family-oriented nonprofit

bachelor’s degree and is a veteran and a business owner. (Photo: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

that specializes in fine arts, music, entertainment and legal advocacy. (Photo: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

“I have a bachelor’s degree. I’m a veteran. I’m a business owner. I’m in recovery. And I’m another person trying to make a difference. I’m glad I went through what I went through because I truly appreciate life today. It has opened my eyes to the beauty of life. And, so, please don’t let my sexuality interfere with you looking at me as another citizen in the city of Akron and as a human being.” — Hertistine Price

“I’d like to see a community of like-minded individuals who are not afraid to be themselves. We’re having the same issues and fighting for the same cause. This isn’t a trend, this isn’t a fad, this isn’t a sickness or mental illness. This is in fact who we are. We have a couple of places that are cool. We have the Interbelt [Night Club] that’s been a phenomenal place for people to be themselves and be open. We have Highland Square. Highland Square has become like the new LGBTQ+ community, but it’s not for us, it’s not for people of color. It’s for the white LGBTQ+ community and for college students. I guess I’m saying it’s hard to be who you are in a community that doesn’t really represent or understand the challenges we face. Being gay in this city is quite difficult because you don’t have a community. We don’t have a close-knit LGBTQ+ community like I’d like to have.” — Jo’Von D. Cheatham

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

The Devil Strip

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Below: Tree Hugger Mariah Carey Reincarnated Eternally 12 Full Lane Cyclist +

Below: Melvin Lightner sits in his plant room, a favorite for him in his home.

at a summer 2020 demonstration in support of trans and gender nonconforming

(Photo: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

people. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

Tree Hugger Mariah Carey Reincarnated Eternally 12 Full Lane Cyclist + at a summer 2020 demonstration in support of trans and gender nonconforming people. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

“I am nonconforming. It would be nice if people who are not allies, people who are not connected to the queer community in general, would stop viewing us as pedophiles or sexual predators. It’s very disempowering when people see me and are disgusted and cover up their children’s eyes like I’m some type of thing that’s not to be seen.” — Tree Hugger Mariah Carey Reincarnated Eternally 12 Full Lane Cyclist +

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“I wish people accepted me for who I am. And for them to love me, not just my gay life, but loving Melvin first. When you see me, that’s not the first thing I want you to see. I want you to see Melvin and who I am as a person. Me being gay is a part of it, but that’s not my whole personality. I have my gay ways, but that’s not the whole story. I’m outgoing, I’m fun, I’m passionate for people. And I enjoy life.” — Melvin Lightner

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

thedevilstrip.com

Habitat for Humanity ReStore volunteer Juhard Carter clears overgrown foliage from the vacant lot next to Boss Park. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

‘An experiment of community’ REBUILDING BOSS PARK WITH EDIBLE LANDSCAPING, SPACE TO RELAX

REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS BY H.L. COMERIATO

community-centered effort to build and adapt available natural spaces to fit residents’ needs and build community.

arissa Little’s crew finally takes a well-earned break. They lean against a low chain In 2018, Neighborhood Network link fence, shedding their coats in the received a block grant from sun. the Community Development Corporation that allowed them The group of volunteers from the to pursue Boss Park as a site for Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore spent revitalization. the morning clearing debris from a vacant lot next to Boss Park in Currently, the space is a flat, grassy University Park. The lot is overgrown, field with a few brightly colored dotted by loose trash and packed benches and trash cans. A sidewalk with unhealthy fill dirt. Permaculturist sporting hand-painted hopscotch and longtime community organizer squares cuts through the park, Beth Vild says the soil at this site will connecting Sumner and Allyn streets. need help for more than a year to become healthy and nutrient-rich. Leggett Community Learning Center is just next door. As Little’s crew At the moment, the city-owned lot works to clear the brush, a pair of doesn’t look like much. But Little and middle schoolers drag their scooters Vild have big plans. around the edge of the lot on their way to pick up lunch at Leggett’s This effort to grow and revitalize food distribution site. Boss Park is part of Neighborhood Network’s University Park Boss Park is in a unique position, Neighborhood Plan, says Little, who says Little, both historically and is a neighborhood revitalization geographically — part of the reason coordinator with Neighborhood its revitalization is so important. Network, a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Summit County Working to combat ‘mistrust and with “a focus on revitalizing the distrust’ in University Park University Park and Middlebury neighborhoods.” Formerly known as Goosetown, University Park was home to the Little describes the University Park majority of Akron’s German-American Neighborhood Plan as a collaborative, immigrants until the 1950s. By the

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

end of World War II, Italian, Slovak and Croatian immigrants also called Goosetown home. Since then, Akron-based archaeologist and photographer Charlotte Gintert says the neighborhood endured decades of inequitable urban planning decisions. By the time construction began on I-76/I-77 in the late 1960s, slicing the neighborhood in half, residents had already been excluded from important decisions about planning and infrastructure in their own neighborhood. In the early 1970s, the City of Akron acquired Pleasant Park, a 5-acre natural space south of Thornton Street donated by Samuel Thornton himself, and built the city’s main post office. Gintert says the loss of the park was a particularly devastating blow, creating mistrust in the neighborhood that still exists today. Now, the neighborhood is made up mostly of University of Akron students living in rental properties. On Allyn Street, a giant, vinyl ‘For Rent’ banner is pinned to the exterior of a two-story home. In 2001, a nonprofit organization called University Park Alliance was established in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood. Over the next

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

decade, UPA announced big plans and bought 66 properties in the area. By 2013, the organization had spiraled, both legally and financially. After the John S. Knight Foundation canceled a $6 million grant and a nearly $2 million loan given to UPA, University Park residents were left only with UPA’s empty promises. Little and Vild say some longtime residents remain skeptical. “There were things promised that never happened,” says Little. “So there’s some mistrust and distrust in the neighborhood.” In the shadow of such skepticism, Vild’s participatory design process has allowed residents to vote on everything from the plants included in the park’s edible landscaping to artistic elements like archways that mimic the entrances to the Mon Buddist Temple just a few blocks away. Little says providing a way for residents and community stakeholders to vote on the more artistic elements of the park helps build community in the neighborhood. “We can engage neighbors more and get people involved in the process and not rush it,” Little says. “I’d love The Devil Strip

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Erin Skipper, right, plants the mounds and swails designed and installed by Vild. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

Leggett teachers voted on the park design.

Permaculturist and community organizer Beth Vild plants edible landscaping in the vacant lot between Leggett CLC and Boss Park. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

to see this as an anchor public space. It’s an experiment of community.” ‘Participatory design makes all the difference’ On the crest of a hill, at the west end of the lot, Vild directs a group of volunteers.They move carefully around the recently installed mounds and swails — a means of retaining healthy soil and diverting water runoff. Mary Shepard, who worked for Habitat for Humanity of Summit County for eight years before retiring, dips the roots of a plant in mushroom inoculate. A few feet away, Habitat volunteer Bill Carter digs a hole with his hands. Vild, who has several certifications in permaculture, says its design principles mimic patterns that already exist in natural ecosystems, and encourage residents to explore their own connections to and participation in those ecosystems. “The ultimate built environment show of democracy is public space,” says Vild. “So that participatory design makes all the difference. I think it makes a huge difference in development that is not about gentrification but about creating a better quality of life for the residents in a neighborhood.” “There’s the community hope of bringing more people together, of having people re-invest and connect with the earth of their own backyards

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in their own neighborhoods,” Vild adds. “But it has to be done with people, not for them.”

insecurity, but also university students grappling with food and housing instability.

To be sure residents, businesses and community stakeholders were involved in the process from the very beginning, Vild produced three “base designs” of the park — each with its own unique features — and asked the community to choose which they liked best.

South of Thornton Street, where student housing becomes more scarce, food instability becomes more common. Just five blocks from InfoCision Stadium, nearly half of all residents receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

After residents voted on a base design and gave individual feedback, Vild says she combined elements of all three base designs to meet residents’ needs. She and a team of volunteers will build gabion cages — mesh wire filled with rocks — to help stabilize the park’s soil along the edge of a small cliff. Volunteers will also build a slide and rock climbing wall into the hillside, and plant edible foliage among the mounds and swails.

In addition to providing edible landscaping to bolster access to fresh fruits and vegetables in University Park, Vild and Little say they hope this shared natural space will offer residents a “mental health oasis,” where both University of Akron and Leggett CLC students can come to de-stress and recharge.

“The green space feedback that we got was that people wanted more, like, chill nature places to sit outside, not ones that are active-focused. This park is very active-focused,” says Vild. “You can walk your dog around, play in the field, throw a Frisbee. So there’s a lot of active park space, but not a lot of just ‘sit and chill and enjoy nature’ type of space that’s even in walking distance around here.” The other thing residents agreed on was a need for edible landscaping, says Vild, which would help not only long-term residents facing food

According to a 2017 report from the Center for American Progress, 70% of people living in low-income communities don’t have access to safe, natural spaces where they can relax and recreate — which means they’re more likely to miss out on the mental and physical health benefits of spending time outside, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, improvements in cognitive function and relief from chronic stress and anxiety. Overcoming skepticism Little says teachers at Leggett CLC have seen their students struggle to connect with and enjoy natural spaces where they live. Throughout the planning process, Vild says 15

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Shannon Morgan and Teresa Morrisson, both teachers at Leggett CLC, say they’ve tried to use Boss Park and the adjacent lot as handson learning spaces for their students, but they have struggled to keep both Leggett’s playground and the neighboring lots clean, safe and free from vandalism. “We’ve heard a lot of talk over the years [about improvements],” says Morrisson. “There was never any follow through.” “It would be great to have a place to teach kids about the life cycle. Not just from pictures, but from real life experience,” says Morrison. “It’s getting rid of technology and taking learning out into the environment,” adds Morgan. “It would be super great to be able to do that.” Little hopes including both residents and Leggett educators in the park design process might help the community overcome that doubt and work toward a common goal: creating a safe, healthy shared natural space, where students, educators and residents can find joy and tranquility among their neighbors. In 10 years, Little and Vild hope the space will be almost entirely selfsustaining. Instead of mowing a vacant lot, residents will be able to harvest fresh fruit and enjoy picnics and playdates in a space they helped design and build themselves. And that, says Little, is a pretty big win. // H.L. Comeriato covers public health for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach them at HL@ thedevilstrip.com. thedevilstrip.com

Lady Renea Woods-Bayor invites you to tea INTERVIEW BY BRYNNE OLSEN

ould you love to host your next special event in an elegant tea room? How about perusing a premium boutique or renting a beautiful tablescape to wow your guests for the holidays? Renea Woods-Baylor, owner of The Tea Lady Inc./Ohio Tea Lady, sat down with me to share her love of tea. Her business specializes in event hosting in elegant tea rooms at their location on King James Way, with customizable options like ambiance enhancements, pastries including vegan options and private rooms. “There’s tea for everything. A tea when you’re not feeling well, a tea when you want to rest,” Renea says. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Brynne Olsen: So I have to know: What is the secret to making a great cup of tea? Renea Woods-Baylor: Oh gosh. Well, it really starts with the water. A lot of people don’t think that that matters, but water is what brings out everything in the tea. Get the best water you can afford, then the right temperature according to the type of tea. Then whatever compliments you like -- a slice of orange, lemon, sugar

or honey. BO: Tell me about your childhood growing up in West Akron. RWB: I had an interesting childhood growing up in West Akron, in an entrepreneurship family. My parents purchased a home in West Akron. My parents owned and operated two stores in Akron and two in Cleveland. The two in Akron were on Copley Road, by Mr. Pantry and the other by Roslyn Avenue. As a child I did everything, from cheerleading [to] playing with kids in school, and being a little business owner at the same time. BO: Who inspires you? RWB: My mom, other business people, great writers, people that have done great things. I was inspired years ago by Oprah. Some amazing women in the church. I pull jewels from different people that I see that would be good for me. There is no one person that inspires me -- I take little pearls and diamonds from each one of them. BO: How did it feel to launch your business and fulfill your personal motto of “Make it Happen”? RWB: Oh, I was nervous! I was able to start living that part of my dream through my late husband. He was an

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

executive chef out of Baltimore and Washington D.C., with over 30 years of experience. I started doing tea parties once or twice a year through him because he could prepare all the food. Sadly, three and a half ago years ago, he had kidney cancer and passed away. Before he passed, he asked me, “what are we going to do with all the china and crystal?” I said, “I’m going to use it.”

RWB: The hurdle was being shut down. We were booked all the way to July of this year, so that put an immediate halt on my business. ut it allowed me to really look at what direction I want to go into, what I want to do, what is going to be our new COVID-19 before-and-after look. It gave me a lot of time to really concentrate on my company and marketing.

It took me a couple of years to go through mourning and figure out what I wanted to do. And I said well, I might as well open a tea room. I put out on Facebook. I asked all my friends on Facebook what should be the name of my business. My hair stylist said, “You’re the tea lady.” I was so super excited, but I was very nervous because this was me out here on my own, without the support of my husband.

BO: What do you like to do for fun?

I just said, “If I don’t order business cards, then I’m not going do it. You made an investment, put your name on it.” When my husband passed away, I wanted to do something that’s not stressful, something I really enjoy doing every day. This was it and I love it. I always did it anyway, so it was just a natural transition.”

The Tea Lady is located at 137 S. Main St. #208 in Akron. Reach Renea at ladybaylor@ohiotealady. com or make a reservation at 330645-9382. Learn more at www.ohiotealady.com.

BO: What were some unexpected hurdles, especially with the pandemic?

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RWB: I have eight grandchildren. Oh yeah, that’s enough to keep being busy. I enjoy hanging out with them. I love traveling, going for walks. I like to just get out and experience new places and venues and do a little shopping here and there. That’s what relaxes me. And of course I love flowers. I pick flowers as often as someone buys water.

// Brynne Olsen is a wanderer who enjoys eating dessert first, writing, photography and meeting the demands of her fur children. Photos: Used with permission from Renea Woods-Baylor. The Devil Strip

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AN AKRON LOVE STORY

WRITNG BY JAMI MEEKER Editor’s note: This is the fourth chapter in a shortened version of a much longer work by Jami Meeker, which the writer hopes to publish in the future. It is appearing in the print edition of The Devil Strip in five chapters between August and December 2020. For previous chapters, visit thedevilstrip.com and search for “Margaret” or “Eddie.” Margaret and Eddie were married on Thursday, Sept. 6, 1934 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Akron. Margaret’s parents hosted the reception in their home on Kenyon Street, the same home where Margaret sat up late at the dining room table writing letters to Eddie while music played on the radio in the unlit living room; where Mr. Willmott had pie with his daughter on a Saturday night in the kitchen; where Leo became king of the pingpong table in the basement; and where Eddie sang “My Wild Irish Rose” and talked with Margaret one summer evening on the porch. From a manila envelope, my mother handed a black and white photo to me of her parents’ wedding party standing in front of the house. A crowd of 25 friends and family,

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cascading down the front porch steps and trickling onto the clipped grass of the front lawn, surrounds the newlyweds. Margaret’s smile is the grandest. She later told her daughter Mary Ann that she wanted to be buried in her wedding dress because that autumn day in 1934 was the happiest of her life. By this time Eddie had found full-time employment with J. Gordon Gaines, Inc., a Building and Manufacturers Mutual Casualty Company, according to his business card. Its offices were located at the corner of Main and Bowery Streets in downtown Akron. But during the first couple of years of their marriage, Margaret probably spent more time in that office than Eddie, when she dropped in to pick up his paycheck. Eddie spent much of his time on the road during 1935 and 1936. He traveled throughout the Midwest, driving the back roads and blue highways from Detroit to St. Louis and along the eastern seaboard. For Mr. J. Gordon Gaines, Eddie and his colleagues performed what he called “road checking,” which required as many as six weeks at a stretch away from Margaret and their apartment in Cuyahoga Falls. What’s more,

as his schedule could change from one day to the next, Margaret never knew for certain how long Eddie would be gone and on which weekend he might return home. While on the road, Eddie spent his mornings and afternoons interviewing truck drivers at depots and yard foremen on job sites. In the evening, he and a traveling colleague wrote detailed reports to send back to the home office in the Akron Savings and Loan Building. His workday often started before 9 am and ended after 10 pm. Eddie wrote more than once about hoping for a reward for his good work in the form of a raise or promotion. Eddie often sent plain, 5-½“ x 3-¼“, pre-stamped, one-cent postcards on which he scribbled a short note with an update on when he might return home or a promise to write a longer letter in the next day or two. He wrote his letters almost always on hotel stationery and posted them in matching envelopes. A threecent stamp covered the upper right corner. The post office cancellation mark often included a bygone public service message such as, “Notify your correspondents of change of address,” or “Buy U.S. Savings Bonds. Ask Your Post Master.”

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PART IV

We have omitted some letters from this section for brevity. *** Eddie to Mrs. Margaret Beeman from Lima, OH – Tuesday, 5/7/35 Dear Margaret, Am sorry I could not have written sooner. Have been pretty busy since I got to Williamstown & Lima. Expect to finish up my work in a couple of days. Will be seeing you soon (Thurs. evening). Don’t work too hard. Love Eddie *** Eddie to Mrs. E.J. Beeman from Detroit, MI – Wednesday, 5/8/35 Dear Margaret, How are things going. I hope to see you Thurs. evening. Had kind of a wet trip up. It rained all the way. Today it’s beautiful & warm. Will be seeing you soon. All my love thedevilstrip.com

Eddie *** Eddie to Mrs. Margaret Beeman from Elkhart, IN – Tuesday, 5/15/35 Dear Marg. We’re going into South Bend this evening. Right now expect to be home Saturday. Will write later. Love Eddie

curious chain mail letters. They reveal a less sophisticated but more rambunctious side of his sense of humor. Both are typewritten and neither is on hotel stationary. One is on plain white paper with holes in the left margin for a three-ring binder; the other, oddly, is on onionskin tracing paper. As such, Eddie may not have composed the letters but received them and decided to pass them along to Margaret to put a smile on her face. The first reads as follows:

*** Eddie to Mrs. Margaret Beeman from Chicago, IL – Tuesday, 5/21/35 Dear Margaret— Well here we are in Chicago, & I’d much sooner be back in Akron. Was right across from the stockyards yesterday for about four hours. They drive steers, hogs, & all kinds of animals thru the streets in this district. And do they drive crazy. Was going down Outer Drive that skirts the shores of Lake Michigan at 40 & 45 miles per hour. Saw a woman get hit by an automobile & a newspaper truck get smashed up. When the cops go to a call they take cameras to get pictures. Passed the World’s Fair Grounds. Most of the buildings have been torn down they tell me, but there are still a few left. Went to Trianon last nite with Geo. Hankey, his girl friend, & Mr. & Mrs. Wakefield. It was St. Brendan’s parish party & there must have been at least 10,000 people there. On the back of this card I’m sending you is Wayne King’s autograph. He just wrote his first name & you can barely make out the K in his last name. We all got one. An old Irish woman adopted me for the night. I was sitting on the side of the dance floor when she planted herself alongside of me & talked for about 2 hrs. steady. She was talking all about Wayne King when he looked over and said “Hello Katy,” she looked back and said “Hello Wayne” then turned to me & said “He’s a fine bye.” Will have more to tell you when I get home & that can’t be too soon. I’m awful lonesome for you honey & I’ll never stop loving you when I get home. I’ve got to go to work now so will write you later. All my Love Eddie Eddie includes with this letter two

KICK—IN—THE—ASS—CHAIN THIS CHAIN WAS STARTED TO PUNISH THOSE WHO STARTED THE DAMN CHAIN LETTER NUISANCE. FIND FIVE OF THESE PESTS AND GIVE THEM A COUPLE OF KICKS IN THE ASS AS A CHARITABLE DONATION. NEXT, MAKE FIVE COPIES OF THIS LETTER AND PASS OUT TO YOUR FRIENDS WHOM YOU KNOW WOULD LIKE A LITTLE PUNTING PRACTICE. IF THIS CHAIN IS NOT BROKEN, THERE WILL BE 1,526 PEOPLE WITH SORE ASSES IN THREE DAYS. The second reads: CHISELERS CLUB FAITH GREED SELFISHNESS I.B. Promoter J.V. Skinner R.M. Sucker C.B. Scavenger I.P. Freeley This crap was started with the idea it would be a swell method of screwing the public. Make and mail copy of this letter to five of your worst enemies advising them to leave town, omitting the top name. In omitting the top name go to that persons home every night for three nights at 12:00 o’clock and crap on his porch. The only catch in it is that unless you leave town before your name reaches the top of the list you get the shitty end of the deal, Because in three days your porch will be crapped on by 23,792 people. Now that is a lot of crap. Don’t break this chain and the town will be free of chiselers.

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

As I write to you I am listening to the “Lullaby of Broadway.” Horns, street cars, buses, sirens & all kinds of noise. There goes a trolley over a switch. While in the lobby this evening I met a friend from Yo. Ask Mary Louise if she remembers Martin (Deggy) Arundel. His sister Sally is living in New York & he is here doing reportorial work for the United Press. I had on my light suit & he tho’t I was playing in the orchestra here. There is also a radio station on the same floor with us—14th. It has been pretty warm here but now it is raining & it is welcome. How are you feeling, my dear? You sure are married to a “Traveling Salesman.”

Hope Horse-Shit Hilarity *** Eddie to Mrs. Margaret Beeman from Chicago, IL – Sunday, 5/26/35 Dear Margaret How are you. I suppose you are beginning to think you are single again. Well to start off with, I expected to be home this weekend, but got called back here. Would have written sooner but didn’t know where I was going to be. Was glad to hear from you last Mon. I expected to leave here last Wed. morning but did not finish up until Wed. nite. Left here Thurs. noon headed for home eventually. Got to Dyer, Ind. then went onto Kentland, Ind & from there to Otterbein, Ind. road checking all the way. In bed at 3A.M. at a tourist camp then back to Kentland to leave some supplies where we got word to check the Chicago-St. Louis run & get in Chicago Saturday. Here we got orders to road-check between South Bend and Chicago and be in Akron for Decoration Day. We will be leaving here early Wed. morning & expect to get in Akron around 6 or 7 o’clock in the evening & will be glad. We are going to have a Safety Campaign & all the men are to be in. That means I will be home Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. & I don’t know where after that. Well now to answer your letter. I went to Mass last Sun. in Toledo

32 | The Devil Strip

at St. Patrick’s at 9:00 & I just now returned from St. Philip Neri where I heard mass at 10:00 & is it a big church. I would like to have been home when Easke’s were there and I’m glad to hear that they liked our place. I wonder what it looks like. I got a note from Helen Jacobs saying Eddie Callahan was having a party for Leo Riegler Mon. nite & she wanted to know if I would be home in time. Will you call her & tell her that I won’t be home until the middle of the week & Honey Darling (I’m getting goofy) when I do, you & I are going to make up for lost time. That guy was right when he said, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I believe I could even write poetry. Don’t write me because I might not get your letter, so I’ll close for now until Wed. P.M. & so my dear until then All my love Eddie

*** Eddie to Mrs. Edw. J. Beeman from New York, NY – Monday, 7/08/35

*** Eddie to Mrs. E. J. Beeman from Central City, PA – Friday, 7/04/35 Dear Marg, I’m looking over these mountains now. You can see for a good distance. It’s kind of hazy but the view is beautiful. Love Eddie

Eddie sent Margaret a picture postcard of the H. Paulson, Grand View Point Hotel located in Central City, Pennsylvania. It is a colorized black and white photograph looking down on the roof and façade of the hotel with trees and hills rolling into a valley in the distance. Deliberately designed to look like an ocean liner, the building later earned the nickname The Ship Hotel. “Captain” Herbert Paulson built the Grand View Point Hotel. His Dutch heritage inspired him to design the original structure as a castle. According to his granddaughter, Mr. Paulson loved the ocean, and the sight of the summits of the low Allegheny Mountains peeking through the fog reminded her grandfather so much of a morning at sea that he decided to add a ship’s bow to one end of the castle and a stern to the other. Upon completion, he prefixed the hotel’s name with “S.S.” and held a dedication ceremony on May 29, 1932.

Dear Marg. Am I getting good—3 days—3 letters. We sure are keeping plenty busy. Have been going since 8 A.M. this morning & finished around 6 P.M. We started to write out our reports & found that we have so much to write of technically that after 4 pages apiece we have decided to finish them in the morning.

November 2020 · Vol 7 · Issue #11

I wrote last night of the hideous way the people in New York dress. I saw a platinum blonde in Radio City with a hat on that resembled very much our toilet seat at home & that is no exaggeration. I’ll write to you from day to day of my experiences while here. McIntyre & Winchell will have nothing on me. So you take them to the Beacon Journal & demand a high price. Will have more news for you tomorrow. Have been away only 3 days & am feeling a poetic mood coming on. So if, in a few days I dash off a few sonnets, you’ll know it’s you I’m thinking of & wanting. All my love, my dear Eddie Here Eddie mentions two famous names of the day. McIntyre is likely Oscar Odd McIntyre who wrote a daily newspaper column titled “New York Day By Day” that appeared in more than 500 newspapers throughout the United States in the 1920’s. It was through his column that most Americans living outside of New York learned anything about life in their country’s largest city. Winchell is likely Walter Winchell, “the country’s best-known and most widely read journalist as well as among its most influential” from 1930 to 1950. His daily column, “On Broadway” was syndicated across the United States. It’s doubtful Eddie fancies himself as good as McIntyre and Winchell but he jokingly advises Margaret to earn some extra cash by selling his letters to The Beacon Journal, which was and still is Akron’s daily newspaper. thedevilstrip.com

*** Margaret to Mr. Edw J. Beeman from Akron, OH – Wednesday, 7/10/35 Dear Eddie How are you today? I’m fine but terribly lonesome. Gee! you haven’t been gone a week yet. I went up to our apartment last nite to water my ivies and found the little blue book in the mail box (Rhythm). So get ready honey for the big moment, although your friend will be locked up when you are scheduled to come home. I helped Mrs. Fisher last Tuesday 7/2 with her work so she could have the next day off. She thanked me with a very pretty handkerchief that was also in the mail, also our O’Neil bill. Gee Honey we will only owe $99.18 on our furniture after July 15th payment. Forgive me dear for writing your letters in pencil but it’s so easy to make my pencil move with my thoughts. I read your letter three times today. Oh! would I like to see those mountains and New York. Maybe you will have your picture taken and I will see you on the screen at Lowe’s. Have you had time to visit Radio City? I thought of you when I listened to Major Bowes Sunday. Enclosed card shows you how my name is spelled at the Goodrich. I’m writing this part of your letter at work. I look very busy to the people in the office. What you don’t know won’t hurt them. I’m so proud of you my dear. It thrills me so to tell Al Nolan about your trip. Everyone is jealous of you even me, but I’m so happy for you. Everything will go alright because I’m praying for you to make this trip a success and all your other trips. How’s the new car working? I suppose you’re not using it much this week. At Mother’s Oh my darling you don’t know how happy you make me with your letters. Truly I didn’t expect a letter to-day. I’m so glad you’re enjoying New York but then who wouldn’t. Golly people are so sorry for me that I have to stay home but that my job as much as it’s your job to be away. Just don’t let those letters stop coming. Dad thinks he did a big thing by talking to you to write. Adelaide, Harold & Marie were at Annabelle’s Sunday. Mary Louise saw them for about ½ hour. They are all well. I bought Helen & Francis a lamp for a wedding present at a sale $2.00.

Dad’s painting the bathroom. Gee! are they slow getting anything down around here. I’ll be glad when you get home. I went to bed last night at 9:00 o’clock. I’m thinking of going down to Walter & Helen’s tonight. What time did you get my first letter. The Mail man comes past the house at 7:15. I’ll be giving him a letter for you each night. I’m going to help get dinner so Good-night my dear. I’ll hurry home tomorrow for your letter. Take good care of my boy friend and tell him I love him. Oceans & Seas of Love Margaret As a good and proper married Catholic woman, Margaret is nudging Eddie toward fatherhood. The little blue book she found in the mailbox and describes with a parenthetical “Rhythm” is likely “The Rhythm,” authored by a Catholic physician named Leo J. Katz, M.D. The 1932 edition is bound between blue covers, just as Margaret describes the copy she found in the mailbox. The book’s full title is “The Rhythm of Sterility and Fertility in Women” and it instructs Catholic couples in the rhythm method of conception to both plan and avoid a pregnancy. Margaret’s charming euphemism about Eddie’s friend being “locked up” makes it clear that rhythm and timing will not be on their side when he returns from New York at the end of the month. Between the good doctor’s book and the handkerchief from Mrs. Fisher, Margaret also found their bill from O’Neil’s Department Store in the mailbox. The $99.18 left to pay on the furniture for their new apartment is $1,786.96 in today’s dollars. It may yet be some time before they pay it off. Margaret may mention it simply because the next payment brings the total under the $100 benchmark. Asking Eddie about visiting Radio City prompts Margaret to mention Major Bowes, who hosted a talent contest radio show from 1934 to 1946. The Depression-era show became an instant hit and made him a wealthy man while leaving hundreds of others destitute. Contestants were given $10 and an all-you-can-eat pass to a cafeteria across the street from the studio. Each contestant had to sign a contract stating that they would not use Bowes [sic] name to gain them further appearances. If they

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did happen to get work as a result of being on his show, they were to pay Bowes 15% of their profits. The unlucky ones who didn’t make it this far were put on relief. Some returned home penniless. *** Eddie to Mrs. Edw. J. Beeman from New York, NY – Friday, 7/12/35 Dear Marg. Well you’re as good as I am. We had a fairly busy day. Was down around the Battery today. Also had lunch in Greenwich Village & was not far from Wall St. After finishing our business we came to the hotel & scouted for a place to eat. It was right across from Radio City. After eating we passed R.C. on the 6th Ave. side down to Central Park. All the big wigs were out. There are still some old hacks around with the driver in a silk hat & the big wigs sitting in all their splendor. Came up 5th Ave. past St. Patrick’s Cathedral (where Pat Devlin was offered the job playing organ) & the people were going in for Holy hour. Came past R.C. & R.C.A. Bldg. on the 5th Ave side. The buildings are beautiful with 4 small fountains leading up to the large one at Rockefeller Center. Got in touch with Mr. Raskob’s secretary yesterday. John Raskob is out of town & will not be home for a month. Am going to his office tomorrow on the 53rd floor of the Empire State Bldg. I might even drop in on Al Smith. My dear did you shut off the gas under the tank & pull the plug on the icebox? I’m saving all your letters for reference when I get home. Don’t write me anymore at New York as we expect to pull out either Mon. or Tues. But my dear I hope to write to you every day & give you some address where I can hear from you. Again & forever I send All my love Eddie *** Margaret to Mr. Edw J. Beeman from Akron, OH – Tuesday, 7/16/35 – Friday, 7/19/35

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Tues nite Dear Eddie When day is done my lonely heart keeps singing with a sigh & though I miss your tender kiss the whole day through, I miss you most of all when day is done. Thrills and joys of all kinds when I got home Monday nite (10:30) to find 3 letters waiting for me. The one you wrote Thursday didn’t get in Akron in time for the Sat. morning delivery (there’s only one delivery on Sat.). Mary Louise called me Sat. afternoon about Uncle Billy’s death. I ask Helen & Walter to take me over to Guila & Jack. Gee! Honey they been swell to me. Send them a card if you find time (784 Kenyon St). They took me up to the apartment one night, riding another, out to Agnes Horen Hauffman. By the way I haven’t stayed all night at our home since Sat. nite July 6th. But I will be glad to get back home. I’m thinking of going back next week as it’s a mad house here. Agnes telling everyone what to do. I try to help as much as I can. Agnes is always busy but it’s stuff for herself. Oh, darling to go to bed with you and Ozzie that’s all I wish. I can’t get used to the bed here. I get shoved around like an old shoe. Had to sleep with Agnes last nite because Ruthmary had a girlfriend staying with her. Mrs. Freeman is going to the hospital tomorrow for a tumor operation. To get on with the week I took Ruthmary swimming Sun. (Crystal Pool) got a little sunburnt. I was laying on my back on the sun deck when some bold guy came and laid down beside me. I got up of course and walked away so you will have to hurry home dear, and protect me. I got up at 5:00 o’clock Monday morning to go to work till 8:30 as that’s the time that Guila set to meet me in front of the Goodrich. Annabelle and Jimmie went to Yo. Sunday. Annabelle, also went with Guila & Jack Monday. We went directly to the funeral home (Shriver & Allison) a beautiful place. You can be glad dear that you didn’t see Uncle Billy because he didn’t look like himself it was so hard to believe that the body was Uncle Billy’s. Myron said he lost about 27 lbs in the last few weeks. He wasn’t sick till last Monday then he thought he had a bad attack of

indigestion he went to the doctor then Tuesday he had another attack and the doctor ordered him to the hospital. Aunt Blanche said he was bad from then on. He died about 3 o’clock Friday afternoon. Aunt Blanche said he knew he was going to die but didn’t say much. She said he died very easy. She named Myron administrator. You have to sign some kind of paper. I told Myron to sent the paper here and I’d forward it to you. From the funeral home we went to Aunt Blanche house on Cliff Park. I like her very much also her husband Henry. He wanted me to stay for a visit. We were there for dinner. About one o’clock Muriel and his wife came from Warren. The funeral was at 2:00 o’clock. Very nice services but stiff compared to ours. There were quite a few people there. All the Beemans etc. I rode in the fourth car and was I proud when the undertaker called for Mrs. Edward Beeman. Uncle Billy was buried at Belmont next to Aunt Lottie. Isabella sang two songs. We all gathered around and talked for almost a hour at the cemetery. We were at Marrion’s (Aunt Blanche’s daughter) for a lunch in the evening. We left Yo. about 9 o’clock. Guila & Jack brought me home first. That was about 10:30. So you can imagine how tired I was and what a comfort your letters were. I read each one twice before I went to bed. You are a darling the sweetest husband in all the world and oh! I love you. If you were here I break every bone in your body I’d hug you so hard. I’m expecting a visitor next Sat so think of me in my misery. I’m terribly tired so Good-night for now. Friday Morning I went to the show last night with Helen R. and I called for her at the office. Kalb gave me your address. I thought it best to send this letter Special because he told me you were leaving Washington Sunday. I’m disappointed Honey that you haven’t send me some money I had to borrow money from Mother to pay Morris Plan Bank . I got $43.00 and spent— 12.50—Associated Investment 15.00—Furniture 13.44—Your life insurance 40.94 3.00—To Mother for Board 43.94

$10.00 if you can because I don’t want to owe Mother. Don’t get the idea that I’m mad at you because I’m not. I love you more every minute of the day & I know you are terribly busy. Is it so very hot in W.? How is your cold? Don’t get sick dear or I’ll quit work and come to you. Went to show and dinner (Beanery) with Mary Louise Wednesday night & stayed all night with her. Stayed at our apartment last night. I got there at 10:30 and Roby’s were going out. They came home the wee hours this morning laughing and yelling. I stopped and said “Hello” to Ray & Bert. They weren’t with Robys. They seem sort of fed up on them. Our home looked good to me, you were there. I thought how nice it would be to have you in bed with me. Ho-Hum how many more days do I have to wait? I’m writing this during office hours so Good-bye and write soon. Always all my love Margaret P.S. I’d love to hear you say, “Yes my Love.” M. Separation from her husband is beginning to wear on Margaret. Caught in the limbo between a home that belongs to her mother and an apartment deprived of Eddie, she rightly describes herself as “shoved around like an old shoe.” Between the odd night spent at Mary Louise’s place or alone in the apartment, Margaret is finding some respite from her mother’s “mad house” and “Agnes telling everyone what to do.” In important ways her life is on hold while she waits for Eddie to return. All the while, she lives day to day. She eats out with Mary Louise at The Beanery, a popular Akron restaurant located at 54 W. Market St. and famous for its quick service. A sign inside the door displayed the restaurant’s slogan: “The Beanery, A Meal A Minute.” She takes her younger sister Ruthmary to the Crystal Pool, the largest mosaic tile pool in the country, at Summit Beach Park. Imagining her whisking her towel off the sand and huffing away when “some bold guy” had the gall to lie down next to her on the sun deck brings a smile to my face. Her spirit remains undimmed.

So you see dear I’m broke. Send me

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Essays & Humor

First-person essays and columns plus horoscopes, comics & games

love unconditionally, and do the next right thing, always,” Chrissy says.

WHERE ARE YOU?

Meet Chrissy Strong. Single mom, and at this point in the story, addict, t was Saturday, the day of a planned and alcoholic. But this is not how the party with her family and friends. story ends. Everyone was around. While getting dressed, Chrissy Strong reached into Time passes slowly when you are in a pair of long-unworn jeans and the prison of addiction. In the grips found $10. of active use, you measure moments in the crashes, highlights of faint That familiar unwelcome urge came memories, and by what you escaped over her and then took her over. Go! or what almost could have happened. Get that shit, forget everything, turn Others pass the time on birthdays your back NOW and leave and do it. and anniversaries, work promotions. Normal life stuff. It’s not like that Chrissy recently shared that scene for those of us who lived on the with me over coffee at a familiar dependence treadmill. There is no Highland Square meeting place. She time. Only the next bottle, the next told me how her brother argued with hit, the next fix, or the next awful her, then shouted and pleaded with waking moment of anguish. The plan her. It was too late. She was already to somehow get what we need today gone, and there was no defense is as far as we can see after we throw against that enemy. And then, as she up or piss blood. was finally outside, she described how she turned back and saw her Sobriety for Chrissy finally came, son’s face, his eyes locked on hers starting in the trailer with the curtains and his hand pressed against the stapled to the windows. While sitting bay window as he was watching his on a couch that smelled of urine mommy leave. and the remains of nights sleeping it off and waking up sick, and after It was and is a moment that still to watching another woman getting this day brings tears to her eyes, pistol-whipped, pick herself up calmly sends her heart spinning, and her and sit down on that same couch soul dropping to its knees. to smoke more, she finally said to herself, “What am I doing here?” All of us in recovery have that kind of story. Inside each one of us is that “I need help,” Chrissy said. The voice ugly moment of shame indelibly on the other side of the phone asked: inscribed involving a loved one — “Where are you?” guilt and despair, knowing there is no magic eraser that will ever scratch That day, the beginning of her away the unbearable pain of what breakaway, started with a call and we did. It never leaves us. When I rescue pickup from that sober sister’s think of my own distinct and unique teenage son and then, some safety. memory, there is no way that my After a bowl of warm soup, some heart can ever offload it, and my eyes cold hard reality talk from that friend, still flush, wishing it could disappear. and calls to treatment centers, the journey finally and mercifully was on Little did Chrissy know, that moment its way. would become the instrument she would call on as her defense against Surrender, step one on the road to using in the years to come. The hope. memory of that despair would always live on as the protective steel-like armor against the next drink. Later, Ghost Note Comic is a series by Nick Muffet. View she would tell me when we sat down more works at ghostcomics.limitedrun.com. Nick is for this interview: “What I did to my donating all proceeds from prints purchased to the kid that day, man. What I did.” Movement for Black Lives.

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Fast forward to a day at Glenbeigh. By now, Chrissy is in long-term recovery and takes a revived music career into the places where she course-corrected. She shares songs and stories of her life with others like her, determined to make a difference. I watched her eyes fill up as she told me about a girl with eyes frozen on the floor, barely acknowledging her handshake greeting. That same girl that waited after the presentation with tears and a hug of gratitude for telling HER story in a song. They had never met before, but they became family in that moment—a part of a broader community that stands together and holds each other in the solidarity of sobriety. “I don’t have a ton of shame, more now, just an awareness,” Chrissy says. “I don’t want to erase all the memories. They help me remember how I got here, except for that stuff with my kid. I hear that voice tell me, remember what I did with my kid? That’s the voice that drives the music and movement to help others.”

If a time-travel Uber were to pull up and offer her a ride back in time to meet her active addict-alcoholic previous self today, Chrissy says she would say: “When did I lose you? If I knew you were so broken, I would have asked you to stay. I would not have let you go.” Most of us who have long-term abstinence can feel this way. We struggle to remember what it felt like to be so out of control and ashamed. What it felt like to be alone staring in the mirror at a stranger we should have recognized but didn’t know anymore. And then, through the healing miracle of surrender and an active community of support, we are offered the salvation of a redemptive gift. We get to see ourselves again in the frightened eyes of a newcomer asking for help. We get to close our eyes and remember that lost and full-of-fear self, gather our experience strength and hope, put our heavy armor on, and reach out to help that person in despair. We say the words we wanted most to hear when we needed help: “Where are you?” Steady on.

It’s what we do to stay in the lines. It’s what we do to make it through another 24. “I am a spiritual being having a human experience, who desires nothing but to grow in the moments, share what has been freely given,

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// Reach Marc Lee Shannon at marcleeshannon@gmail.com. Listen to “Recovery Talks: The Podcast” from 91.3 The Summit at www. rockandrecovery.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

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NORTHEAST OHIO’S PALEOINDIAN PEOPLE

e examine the past through the eyes of the present. Over time, our understanding changes as we gather more information — and, if we are honest, challenge our preconceptions. Still, it is hard to escape our personal and cultural biases. How can we ever truly understand people whose lives were so different from our own? Lately, I have been pondering the Paleoindian people. Up until now, I am guessing you have not. With October being Ohio Archeology Month, a small team of park staff began updating our online content about American Indians in Cuyahoga Valley. We knew we had work to do to bring in new research from scholars and Native perspectives. We started at the very far end of the timeline: 13,000 to 10,000 years ago. When it comes to humanity, the Paleoindians — not Christopher Columbus — are the ones who discovered North America. They came to the new continent from Asia at the end of the last Ice Age. From studying their earliest flint tools, archeologists believe that the first people to arrive in northeast Ohio traveled here from southern Indiana. Later tools were made from local materials, preferably flint from what are now Coshocton and Licking counties. In Cuyahoga Valley, evidence from

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this era is sparse: just a few spear points and waste flakes. The Paleo Crossing site in Sharon Township, excavated by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, has yielded most of what we know about this time. To help you imagine this period, let’s compare two illustrations. The first was created for a valley timeline exhibit in Canal Visitor Center when it opened in 1989. (The national park replaced these exhibits in 2014 when the facility became Canal Exploration Center.) The second is part of a 2003 series commissioned by Ohio History Connection. What do you notice? Who are the actors? What are they doing? What is the setting? The first scene, by artist Ken Townsend, features what appears to be eight men violently trying to take down a mastodon using simple tools. The landscape is a patchwork of grassy wetlands and fir trees, what archeologists call a “spruce parkland.” This covered the area south of the newly formed Lake Erie. If Paleoindians lived nomadically in small groups, how many hunters might there have been? Were they only men? We did not know. The second scene, by artist Susan Walton, had the benefit of 14 more years of scholarship. It interprets a Paleo camp along the subarctic lakeshore in western Ohio. We see a multigenerational family working together to butcher caribou, their main food source — not mastodons.

The group is shown talking sociably, wearing more complex clothing and using a variety of tools.

a c u i i t b F d

Of course, both scenes are speculative, but they help us discuss the distant past. What might have helped the Paleoindians survive in an environment without a lot of food choices? Does how we portray past people say more about us than about them? Learn more at Paleoindians at https://www.nps.gov/ articles/000/discover-thepaleoindian-people.htm.

B t c i i

T a s s u f h

Top: In this painting from 1989, a small group of Paleoindians throw spears and rocks at a mastodon in subarctic habitat called a “spruce parkland.” (Image: National Park Service.) Bottom: This 2003 painting depicts a Paleoindian

// Arrye Rosser is an interpretive and education specialist at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

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family dressing caribou hides at their camp in western

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DO I NEED TO INSTALL THESE UPDATES?

he short answer is yes.

It is common these days to see an alert on your phone, tablet or computer that informs you that an update is ready to download and install. These updates can cause some inconvenience, depending on when the alert comes. In the middle of a busy day or when you are not on WiFi, updating at the moment can be difficult if not impossible. But there are different levels and types of updates that require different considerations. Sometimes updates include security patches that address immediate threats. The most common types of updates are operating systems updates, security software updates, application software updates and firmware updates. All of these are important for your cybersecurity, but each one has unique importance.

The operating system (OS) on your machine is software that provides an interface between you and computer hardware. Every computer must have at least one OS to run other programs. The most common operating systems on the market are Windows, Mac OS, Apple iOS, Android and Linux. An operating system update keeps you up to date with the latest drivers, system utilities and security software.

now. The most popular brands are Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, but there are many options available.

Hackers are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in the source code of operating systems. OS updates address these vulnerabilities and often close the door to hackers. Set your operating system to automatically update as soon as the updates are available. These may come at inconvenient times, but they should be updated as soon as possible.

The application software on your devices, often just called “apps,” are vulnerable also. They’re just another type of software.

The security software on your machine is anti-virus software, antimalware software and the like. If you do not have antivirus or antimalware protection on your devices, download and install something right

This software should also be set to automatically update. New viruses and malware are released every hour of every day, and your software cannot protect you against new threats if you do not keep this up to date.

If the option to automatically update your apps is available, take advantage of it. If that option is not available, then you have a few options. The first is to routinely check each app for an update each time you start it, or set aside time every week to do so. That is time-consuming and tedious. The other option is to download an Updater program such as Patch My PC, OUTDATEfighter or UCheck. All of them will update most, if not all, of your software for you.

The firmware on your devices are small software packages that reside inside of your hardware devices. Firmware is software for hardware. It’s how the hardware “talks” to the operating system, drivers and other programs on your machine. While this is the least common type of update, it is as important as the other updates and should be performed as soon as possible. Not all updates are critical for security. Some updates contain bug fixes that simply make software or hardware work better. But they are all important. When you see any kind of update, you should perform it as soon as you can — even if it is an inconvenience at the time. I would like to hear your questions and concerns for future articles. You can reach me at jbnicholasphd@ gmail.com. // Dr. John B. Nicholas is a Professor of Computer Information Systems and Co-Founder of the Cybersecurity Degree Track at The University of Akron. Dr. Nicholas has over 30 years experience in the technology field in both the private sector and higher education.

NOVEMBER LUNAR READING ‘Certain truths may come to you’

ovember is no exception to the intense year we’ve all experienced. We closed out October with a rare Blue Halloween Full Moon in the sign of Taurus. This event may have brought something a bit shocking to the surface of your awareness because of the moon’s close alignment to the planet of unpredictability, Uranus.

there are disruptions such as technology mishaps, interpersonal misunderstandings and transportation delays. Mercury will be a dynamic player when it shifts from retrograde to direct on voting day. We will all have to stay tuned to see how it plays out.

This erratic energy carries into November in preparation for Election Day on Nov. 3. The deal with this date astrologically is: On Nov. 3, the planet Mercury will turn direct in its motion, after being in retrograde since mid-October.

Mercury isn’t the only planet turning direct in its motion this month. The planet Mars has been in retrograde since Sept. 9 and will be shifting forward on Nov. 14. Plans that you have been working on may get the green light to move forward. Your momentum in life may seem to return.

When Mercury is in retrograde,

We have a new moon in Scorpio on

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Nov. 15, which is a good time to set new intentions. Scorpio is a sign associated with surrendering all that is old and worn out — a shedding process so you can transform into a new, more authentic and empowered version of yourself. On Nov. 22, we shift the focus from examining depths of our emotional selves during the energy of Scorpio to finding belief in ourselves in the optimistic sign of Sagittarius. Sagittarius is a sign of good luck in our personal quests for finding higher wisdom and truth in our lives. The month ends with celebrating Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, leading up to a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in the

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communicative sign of Gemini on Nov. 30. Certain truths may come to your attention at this time. You may hear that juicy bit of information that opens your eyes to a bigger picture, which could ultimately help you align spiritually by shifting your thoughts of fear to thoughts of love. // Angie Agnoni is a local astrologer and graduate of the International Academy of Astrology. She is Vice President of Lake County Astrological Association, which is one of the longest-running astrology groups in the country. Angie can be reached and booked for personal astrology consultation at www.calendly.com/ angieagnoni.

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November tarot reading SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21): IX OF CUPS REVERSED

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21): V OF SWORDS REVERSED

Great things may be coming your way, but you may not be allowing yourself to enjoy them. You may fall prey to imposter syndrome or believe that they’re going to be taken from you as soon as you let your guard down. You may feel as though you don’t deserve these things — but you absolutely do. Allow yourself to love and be loved. Let joy and happiness in this month. — Allyson Smith

Don’t play games with people right now, Sagittarius. You might get caught and it could have a negative impact on your reputation and relationships with others. Conflict may be a major theme for you this month. Try to play nice. You don’t have to be against everyone and everything just to feel alive. — Allyson Smith

TAROT CARDS: These cards are from the Rust Belt Arcana tarot deck, released in 2018 by Belt Publishing. Each card in the deck features a creature from Northeast Ohio, illustrated by David Wilson. To purchase a copy of the deck and its companion book, Rust Belt Arcana: Tarot and Natural History in the Exburban Wilds by Matt Stansberry, visit beltpublishing.com.

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Same fact-based content,

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