April 2021 Digital Issue of The Devil Strip

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4 · thedevilstrip.com

PAGE 6: Not Just October opens breast cancer resource center

PAGE 22: Elaine Chin on the family business and beloved family garden

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PAGE 26: ‘Just A Dad from Akron’ on sobriety and community

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IN THIS ISSUE Akron News, Art & Culture:

Summit Artspace 140 East Market Street Akron, Ohio 44308 Board of Directors: Philathia Bolton, April Couch, Emily Dressler, Sharetta Howze, Rita Kelly Madick, Dominic Moore-Dunson, Bhakta Rizal, Audrey Worthington directors@thedevilstrip.com

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Publisher: Chris Horne chris@thedevilstrip.com Editor-in-Chief: Rosalie Murphy rosalie@thedevilstrip.com Audience Development Director: Floco Torres floco@thedevilstrip.com

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Membership Director: Jessica Goldbourn jessica@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

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Digital Manager: Sonia Potter sonia@thedevilstrip.com Art Director: Chris Harvey harvey@thedevilstrip.com

Essays, Humor & Creativity:

Client Solutions: Director: Anna Adelman anna@thedevilstrip.com Assistant: Allyson Smith allyson@thedevilstrip.com

35 CROOKED RIVER REFLECTIONS 36 UNENCRYPTED 36 HOROSCOPE 30 DEVIL STRIP DISPORT

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Distribution Manager: Derek Kreider derek@thedevilstrip.com

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Family Editor: Megan Combs family@thedevilstrip.com

Want to help make The Devil Strip?

Write to rosalie@thedevilstrip.com.

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

Copy Editors: Megan Combs, Dave Daly, Emily Dressler, Shannon Farrell Freelance Contributors: Emily Anderson, Angie Agnoni, Abbey Bashor, Martha Belden, Nahla Bendefaa, Julie Ciotola, Kyle Cochrun, Jeff Davis, Nic deCourville, Megan Delong, Ace Epps, Ken Evans, Charlotte Gintert, Charlee Harris, Zinga Hart, Jillian Holness, Todd Jakubisin, Dani Jauk, Josy Jones, Jamie Keaton, Diane Pitz Kilivris, Laura Lakins, Marissa Marangoni, Sandy Maxwell, Brandon Meola, Vanessa Michelle, Yoly Miller, Melanie Mohler, Brittany Nader, John Nicholas, Brynne Olsen, Susan Pappas, Ilenia Pezzaniti, Michael Roberts, Arrye Rosser, Mark Schweitzer, Marc Lee Shannon, Teresa Sroka, Karla Tipton, Paul Treen, Steve Van Auken.

5 ART INSTALLATION LIGHTS UP DOWNTOWN AKRON 6 NOT JUST OCTOBER OPENS GATHERING SPACE IN KENMORE 8 WHAT MERRIMAN VALLEY RESIDENTS WANT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD MASTER PLAN 12 VINTAGE STRUCTURES: HUNTINGTON TOWER 14 THIEVES OF JOY 15 THE BROOKLANDS 16 OGARTH’S KITCHEN 18 HOME IN AKRON: A COLLABORATIVE REPORTING PROJECT ON AKRON’S HOUSING CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS 22 ELAINE CHIN 24 THE WORKZ 26 JUST A DAD FROM AKRON INSPIRES HOPE 27 EMPTY COATS 28 ‘CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM’ FOR A REVITALIZED ROMIG ROAD 30 THE AKRON HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE CAN HELP YOU GROW YOUR OWN FOOD 32 REMEMBERING O’NEIL’S, “AKRON’S GREATEST STORE” 33 TOMMY LEHMAN

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Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

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Our Mission 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.

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

The Devil Strip |

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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.

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?

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

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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.

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.

On the Cover: THIS PHOTO

BY JENN KIDD CAPTURES THE “BAND” INSTALLATION IN DOWNTOWN AKRON. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARTWORK ON THE NEXT PAGE.

Free tax preparation services are just a phone call away.

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at uwsummit.org/donate April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

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News, Arts & Culture

Journalism about Akron,

by Akronites

‘Band’ LED installation at Akron City Center Hotel lights up Downtown

Left: The artwork at sunset. (Photo: Jenn Kidd. Used here and on the cover with permisison.) Right: The ‘Band’ installation at the City Center Hotel, which is being converted into apartments.

(Photo: Courtney Cable. Used with permission.)

REPORTING AND WRITING

BY ABBEY MARSHALL

T

he Akron City Center Hotel has been permanently closed since 2017, but the 20,000 LED lights in mesmerizing hues swirling, bouncing and shimmying across the protruding rectangular top give the building a breath of life it hadn’t felt in years.

“There’s a sense of wonderment and curiosity about what is going on,” artist Ian Brill says. “We’re cynical, and we’re used to that. To be able to create a situation where somebody sees something that makes them stop and have a critical moment, even if it’s not necessarily positive, but just stop and be… I think that’s wonderful.”

Brill, a Pittsburgh-based performative installation and sound artist, wants people to look up at the 2,250 square feet of LED panels and gawk at the brutalist building they might’ve not appreciated for years.

Brill was commissioned in the fall by Curated Storefront, a nonprofit born out of the Knight Arts Challenge that promotes creative exhibitions in empty or underutilized Downtown Akron storefronts. The project was significantly funded by Downtown Akron Partnership. From conception to creation, the installation took around five months to complete. It is the largest space he has filled with an installation.

“This project was a negotiation

between what was available in the physical space and what would have the greatest impact,” he says of the 19th floor space, which previously served as the private Akron City Club, with 360-degree views of Downtown Akron. “It was about trying to create spectacle and use of the scale. In this particular space, it was about public impact and trying to create a sensorial experience that was going to have a positive effect on the Downtown Akron landscape.”

Brill found himself expressing his artwork through this medium because of his need for continuous creative flow. He distinguishes his pieces from traditional LED artwork by using generative code to create unexpected and flowing movement.

“I like the idea of being able to automate all these different emotional responses and sit there and look at it and see how it affects me and others,” he says.

If someone were to watch “Band” for hours on end, it would never quite be the same. The program doesn’t loop: instead, thousands of pieces of code written by Brill generate patterns and behaviors to act out in an algorithm.

“There’s more or less endless change as different behaviors inherit properties from previous behaviors, but there’s also endless opportunities for it to become destabilized and refreshed,” he says of the installation’s patterns guided by his code. He has even gone back to reprogram new patterns after seeing

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

people’s social media posts or drone footage from various angles, and he says he will likely do it again while the installation is up.

Curated Storefront commissioned Brill after a 2018 Akron installation called “Reverie,” which was on display on North Main Street for a year.

Unlike other pieces in galleries or art museums, “Reverie” was his first outward-facing project.

“I used to dream about doing installations in an office building and you walk around the corner and you’re like ‘What?’,” he says of “Reverie.” “It was spectacularly massive. I wanted people driving by to say, ‘Did that just happen or was that a daydream?’ I wanted them to be taken aback and look at things with a different sense of scale.”

Curated Storefront brought Brill back to Akron after the success of his previous project and the desire to display an even bigger spectacle downtown.

“We wanted to bring attention to a space that’s been dark,” says Courtney Cable, the creative director of Curated Storefront. “It helps lift the eye up. You might not know what it is, and you might not care, but you can’t miss it. That has really added to the beautiful complexity of the downtown lightscape.”

For now, the project is up for an undetermined amount of time based on the construction timeline for the building. The hotel will soon

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

be converted into Ascend, a Testa Companies residential project of 146 modern units, a rooftop container bar where the old helipad once sat, a 20th-floor pool, and luxury lofts on the 19th floor in the space currently occupied by the “Band” installation.

On April 23 from 6:30 to 10 pm, Curated Storefront and Downtown Akron Partnership will host a live event at Cascade Plaza to celebrate the installation. Brill, who is also a performance artist, will return to Akron and program his installation in real time alongside music pumped out into the plaza that will transition from jazz to electronic dance music throughout the evening. The event will also be livestreamed on Curated Storefront’s website.

“This will be a cool interactive experience because his artwork is meant to be experienced over time,” Cable says. “We want to bring people downtown and bring attention to this space. People can reminisce as this space is revived and dredge up positive memories of things that have happened here because it has been such an event space.”

View Brill’s art installations at ianbrill.org. // Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com.

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Turning loss into hope NOT JUST OCTOBER OPENS BREAST CANCER RESOURCE CENTER IN KENMORE REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY H.L. COMERIATO

L

avar Jacobs is a man on a mission.

On a bright afternoon in March, he sits at the head of a long conference table, a few dozen T-shirts, hats, hoodies and baby bibs piled in front of him. Across the hall, canned foods line the shelves of a small kitchen.

For more than a decade, this space at 937 Kenmore Blvd. has been part of Jacobs’s vision.

In 2009, Jacobs’ mother, Kim, died of breast cancer. Every day since, he’s worked to honor her life and memory by serving and supporting women through cancer treatment and beyond.

“After she passed away, I used to go to the American Cancer Society walks every year, which is very nice and they’re doing amazing things. But I’ve always had an entrepreneur spirit,” Jacobs says. “I felt like I could do more work if I really locked in and did something on my own.”

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In 2014, Jacobs founded Not Just October, a nonprofit designed to raise awareness, encourage education and offer wraparound services for women and their families from the moment they receive a breast cancer diagnosis.

On May 1, the Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Resource Center will hold its grand opening. Jacobs says the space will be open to women facing a breast cancer diagnosis and in need of anything from counseling and financial advice to a massage or a wig fitting.

“It’s hard to explain,” Jacobs says.

“And some people might wonder why I put so much of my time and my finances into the community and what I do. But I just know that every single moment I invest into this I invest into my mom.”

What do families facing a breast cancer diagnosis really need?

When it comes to services and resources, Jacobs says it’s often the simple things families need most.

So he uses local businesses to make

sure women facing a breast cancer diagnosis can have their lawns mowed, their carpet cleaned or their snow shoveled.

“I just remember every little thing we might have had an issue with when my mom was going through it,” Jacobs says, “and that helps me know what people want.”

When a woman who received a recent cancer diagnosis called Jacobs about getting a new pair of glasses, Not Just October was able to cover the cost of her prescription and deliver a new pair right to her door.

“Her prescription was like $300, so we got her glasses and delivered them. It’s just small things,” Jacobs says. “In the grand scheme of life, it may seem small. But to a woman who’s going through the hardest battle of her life, it’s huge.”

Jacobs also plans to host financial and health insurance consultations, counseling, group meetings and therapy for women and their families.

“I plan on having one family night

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Above: Lavar Jacobs stands outside the Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Resource Center on Kenmore Boulevard. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

per week. It’ll be one family and we’ll feed them and they can come and we’ll probably play a movie,” Jacobs says. “There’ll be a nurse on site if they have questions. There’ll be a doctor on site. It’ll be appointment based. So there will be days when the doctor is here, and you’ll be able to schedule a time to talk with the doctor.”

According to a 2019 report published by the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among Black women in the United States.

Between 2012 and 2016, breast cancer death rates were about 40% higher among Black women than they were among white women, largely due to late-stage detection.

That’s why producing educational content is a big part of Jacobs’s vision for the resource center.

“It’s not uncommon to find a lump,” says Jacobs. “We should encourage women not to be afraid. Sometimes they’ll find a lump and say, ‘Oh, that wasn’t a lump. I’ll just go about my life.’ But it’s important, because early detection is key. If you find a lump, thedevilstrip.com

Left: Jacobs with the Awareness Mobile, one of the many ways Not Just October spreads breast cancer awareness and information about self-testing. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

Opening the center in her honor has helped Jacobs feel close to his mom, even more than a decade after her death.

But arriving at this moment hasn’t been an easy journey.

go to your doctor immediately. They might find it early, get it all taken care of, and you might never have to go through chemotherapy or radiation.”

Encouraging Black women to administer self-tests — and helping them find access to mammograms and other preventative care — is something Jacobs says he’s proud of, and hopes to continue.

‘She was always there for me’ Jacobs was just 20 years old when his mom, Kim, received a breast cancer diagnosis.

“We had a really close relationship,” Jacobs says. “We used to lay around and watch soap operas. She loved All My Children and General Hospital.

She could cook. She cooked really good lasagna. She was always there for me,” Jacobs says, smiling. “She’ll defend me until the end, even if I’m wrong.”

Jacobs says his mom passed along her creativity, kindness and grit. “She also had an entrepreneur spirit. She had a little [craft] store where she [made and] sold jewelry. She did cross stitch and quilts and things like that.”

With the grand opening of the Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Resource Center quickly approaching, Jacobs says he expects the moment to be an emotional one.

“It’s very bittersweet,” Jacobs says.

“There’s certain things that I wish my mom could take part in. The fact that she never met my wife and she’ll never meet my kids? That’s very difficult. But I know she’s around.”

When Jacobs’s wife left for California in December to work on COVID-19 assignment as a registered nurse, Jacobs took on parenting their two sons. By day, he drives a bus for the Akron METRO Regional Transit Authority. By night, he works on building out the center’s resources — whether that’s packaging hoodies and T-shirts or answering calls from families with new cancer diagnoses.

In between, he picks up his 1-yearold son from daycare, and meets his 12-year-old at the bus stop.

“It’s not for everybody,” he says.

“And it’s hard. I’m so busy. I’m tired.”

But Jacobs says those busy days are a small sacrifice — especially in the weeks ahead of the resource center’s grand opening.

Jacobs says he hopes the Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Resource Center will help bring something good to Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood, and act as an example of service and community — for his own sons, the neighborhood and beyond.

“That’s what powers me every day,” Jacobs says. “That’s what energizes me, when I know I can do something good for someone.”

“I took a huge risk to do this, so I don’t minimize this moment,” Jacobs says. “We’re at the mountaintop. But there’s another mountain over there, and we’re about to climb that one too.”

To make a donation to Not Just October, visit notjustoctober.org.

If you or someone you know have been diagnosed with breast cancer, contact Lavar Jacobs at (330) 760-9956 to learn more about the Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Resource Center. // H.L. Comeriato covers public health at The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach them at HL@ thedevilstrip.com.

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

‘There’s so much potential’

Photo: Merriman Valley residents rally to oppose housing development on Theiss Road on Nov. 7, 2020. (Photo: Abbey Marshall)

WHAT DO MERRIMAN VALLEY RESIDENTS WANT TO SEE FROM THE UPCOMING MASTER PLAN FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD? REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY ABBEY MARSHALL

B

etween Akron and Cuyahoga Falls sit the Merriman Valley’s rolling hills, flowing river, and shared sense of pride over the neighborhood’s natural beauty and resources.

The Devil Strip spoke to homeowners, renters and business owners to learn about their wishlist and expectations from the upcoming master plan.

A neighborhood across two cities

Parts of the Merriman Valley used to be Northampton Township, a rural farming community in the valley along the Cuyahoga River. In the But the valley is at a crossroads 1970s, Akron and Cuyahoga Falls when it comes to its future. It’s a neighborhood of contrasts: the recent began annexing parcels of its land before merging the remainder of site of several large development proposals, which have received public the township with Cuyahoga Falls in 1986. backlash from homeowners who want to preserve the unused green Today, the Merriman Valley is space; some of the city’s highest split between the two cities. That home values as well as some of its arrangement complicated things largest apartment complexes; and a distinctly suburban feel despite when it came to planning and residents and business owners’ visions development in the neighborhood. of a recreational economy.

“It’s an area that sprung up at the intersection between Akron, The cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn and Falls are convening to begin a yearlong process to develop a master the [Cuyahoga Valley] national park,” says Shammas Malik, who plan for the area, which will be represents Ward 8, including parts implemented over decades to come. of the Merriman Valley, on Akron Cuyahoga Falls City Council will vote this month to choose a consultant City Council. “It never really had for the project. If approved, both a comprehensive plan, in some ways because the Akron and cities will commit $100,000 to the Cuyahoga Falls governments haven’t planning process. communicated well until recent years.

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They’re communicating now, and the master plan is the product of those discussions. ” Cuyahoga Falls City Council approved legislation on March 22 to hire Farr Associates as a consultant for the master planning process following a months-long search. Akron and Cuyahoga Falls are budgeting $100,000 each for the planning process. The implementation of the recommendations are not included in that figure.

Farr Associates is a Chicago-based architecture and planning firm that specializes in planning, urban design, sustainable architecture and environmentally sensitive design.

Cuyahoga Falls will serve as the fiscal agent of the project contracting with the firm. Akron will contract with Cuyahoga Falls to reimburse that city for half the cost.

The planning project is expected to begin this spring and conclude in early 2022.

Many Valley homeowners have vocally opposed further housing development While the rest of Akron developed in the early and mid-1900s to accommodate a population boom, the Merriman Valley did not begin to fully develop until the 1970s when

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its land was annexed by Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.

About 6,000 residents lived within Akron’s limits of the Merriman Valley in 2010, according to the city’s neighborhood profile that pulled from 2010 census data. The neighborhood’s housing stock is newer and more expensive than the rest of Akron, with a median sale price of $159,000 in December compared to $116,000 citywide, according to Redfin data. It also has the lowest vacancy rate of any Akron neighborhood.

“Looking to grow our own population, this is an area that could be desirable for people to live in,” Segedy says, citing the neighborhood’s proximity to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Blossom Music Center and other amenities. “In our overall plans to grow this city, we want to create many different environments for people to live in, whether that’s in an apartment downtown or living in a subdivision on the edge of the city in an area like this.”

In recent months, the most contentious debate in the neighborhood has been about what to do with undeveloped green space.

Proponents of residential development note how an increased population in the community could enhance the neighborhood, from thedevilstrip.com

walk to local businesses nearby.”

Left: The Merriman Valley. The regions highlighted in color is part of the City of Akron, and the yellow region is what the city defines as the Merriman Valley neighborhood.

White sections of the map are parts of Cuyahoga Falls.

(Photo: City of Akron neighborhood map.)

Some in the area argue it’s not one or the other: both development and conservation can exist in the Valley.

“It’s a great untapped resource as far as a residential neighborhood is concerned,” Starr says. “I’m definitely somebody that loves the metro parks but also owns a business down there.

I think there’s enough land down there for additional housing, enough resources to get new recreation, more tourism. I think everything can be served, and I don’t think there’s any downside.”

Fred Guerra, Cuyahoga Falls’ Planning Director, says the goal of the master plan is to balance those interests.

“There are a lot of natural assets that need to be protected, and we plan to do that, but we also allow for appropriate growth with the plan,” he says.

increased patronage to businesses to amenities they complain are missing from the Valley, such as a grocery store and post office.

“There are some wonderful things happening here already, but there’s so much potential,”says Eric Starr, who owns Arkham Tattoo at 1562 AkronPeninsula Rd. “If more people move here, that’s more visibility on our storefronts, more patrons of our bars and restaurants. I think a little more diversity as far as new businesses down there would be great.”

But the members of the Preserve the Valley citizen action group are staunchly opposed to new residential construction — at least while they await a master plan. From protests alongside the heavily trafficked Merriman Road to scores of public comments from city councilmembers in recent months, they’re determined to be heard.

Months after Preserve the Valley’s efforts encouraging the city not to sell 45 acres of public green space at Theiss Road for residential development, the city reopened bids specifically for conservation efforts to be considered alongside the five development proposals.

“I really wasn’t expecting to organize a group,” says Shelley Pearsall, a resident of Merriman Valley who started a petition that has garnered over 15,000 signatures in opposition to development. “One day, I just went and stood on the property with my sign that said ‘Save these woods,’ and I was really stunned by how many people honked or pulled over

to speak to me in support of what I was doing. It made me realize how passionate everyone here is about green space and the identity of our neighborhood.”

Residents fought a similar battle against rezoning residential development at plots of land at Sourek Trail and the former Sycamore Valley Golf Course in Cuyahoga Falls.

They ultimately lost that fight when proposals for housing development, including more than 140 townhomes on each site, were approved in 2018 and 2019. The Villages at Sycamore are now on sale, with prices starting in the mid-$200,000 range.

A proposal for residential development at the former Riverwood Golf Course was approved

by Akron City Council on Feb. 1.

Petros Development Group plans to build 190 housing units (35% of which will be rentals) on 78 acres of land 100 feet from the Cuyahoga River, even after officials say they received “literally thousands” of emails from Northeast Ohioans in opposition, citing concerns ranging from income inequality to environmental issues to school funding.

Most Valley residents are renters Even as the city plans to attract new homeowners to the area, renters make up 74% of Valley residents on Akron’s side, according to the City of Akron’s neighborhood profile.

Thousands of tenants like Betts live in apartment complexes such as Cedarwood Village and Timber Top Apartments, which offer lower rents than many other complexes in the city. Akron’s 2019 median gross rent, a metric that includes rent and utilities, was $830. Timber Top currently lists one-bedroom apartments for as little as $650.

Cedarwood’s one-bedroom options range from $700 to $760.

“I would want to see (the cities) focus on the housing that exists first,” adds Carley Yontz, a resident at Timber Top Apartments. Timber Top, a complex with more than 1,800 units, filed around one eviction per month from 2017 to 2019, according to Summit County records. “A lot of people who live here are lower income, and I don’t want them to be ignored to build brand expensive new housing. I would love for them to help with infrastructure issues here to create affordable housing with good conditions.”

In the short term, Betts hopes to see a grocery store and increased walkability. Besides walking his dog in the parks, he says he has to leave the neighborhood for almost everything else.

Kyle Herman, a resident living at Cedarwood Village, believes housing could be a key to economic sustainability for the area.

“I’d like to see how development could happen in a more sustainable way,” Herman says. Originally from Stow, he left Washington, D.C. and moved to the Valley for affordable rent close to home when the pandemic began. “Both environmentally sustainable, but also economically sustainable so that there is tax revenue going to fix the problems that exist. All of the other services that they’re proposing depend on that revenue.

“There are some inconveniences. I would really like to see more stores in the area,” he says. “I mostly have to drive, and I’d really like the option to

“As a renter, I don’t see a problem with more housing stock,” he continues. “I don’t think anyone else should not be allowed to live here

Though Damien Betts, a renter at Timberland Village Apartments, wants to eventually leave Ohio, the 22-year-old says he and his neighbors have input for the cities’ consideration — even if their stay in the area may be temporary.

Rich Swirsky, whose Ward 1 includes part of the Valley, opposed the vote.

Malik, the other council member representing the neighborhood, abstained due to a conflict of interest with a former employer.

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

Right: Merriman Valley residents rally to oppose housing development on Theiss Road on Nov. 7, 2020. (Photo: Abbey Marshall)

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

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Left: Most businesses in the Merriman Valley are located in strip mall-style buildings.

(Photo: Abbey Marshall)

Meeker says, noting that customers have difficulty accessing his businesses in traffic without turn lanes. “The idea of people being able to access our businesses freely is a nightmare for most of us. It gets to be irritating.”

Segedy says a major part of the master plan will focus on coordinating transportation improvement, not only for streets, but for pedestrians and bikers. Parts of the neighborhood could be rezoned, he says. when we do. We shouldn’t destroy entire forests or entire ecosystems to do that. There has to be a balance.”

Commercial development and zoning to be reimagined While residential development is contentious, nearly every resident The Devil Strip spoke to agreed that Merriman Road needs to be reimagined.

At present, retail and restaurants along Merriman Road are clustered into strip mall-like structures that line the street. Those strip malls include dining options, gyms, bars and shops, but residents have to leave the neighborhood for basic necessities, such as a grocery store or a post office.

Some residents and city officials believe more housing options would bring those resources to the area.

“If you separate all the neighborhoods [in Akron], they all are all just basically little townships with grocery stores, post offices, et cetera,” Starr, the owner of Arkham Tattoo, says. “The Valley doesn’t have either of those.”

With poor street lighting in some areas, a lack of crosswalks, and sidewalks that start and end where the cities’ jurisdictions switch, the neighborhood is not currently very walkable.

“When a lot of the development in the area was happening in the ‘70s and into the early ‘80s, it wasn’t on the radar as much to function more like a walkable town,” city planner Segedy says. “There wasn’t as much consciousness about how that would

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interface with the rest of the area.”

The city hopes to attract more pedestrians and bikers to the area when a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad depot opens on Merriman Road in 2023. The station is planned for 1762 Merriman Rd., between Happy Tails Thrift Shop and Valley Mart.

But business owners worry that lack of walkability will stop potential customers from reaching them.

“We’re all excited about that and think that’ll be a good attraction,” says Michael Meeker, owner of Big Tree Fitness at 1698 Merriman Rd. “Let’s say a family wants to go to Quarter Up to play pinball, or a couple wants to grab a drink.

Until they put in crosswalks and meaningful, thought-through changes, it’s nearly impossible for them to do it.”

“I know there’s a lot of residents that are calling to preserve the valley and don’t want to see changes, but I think we can make changes to where bringing more tourism in and bringing more residents will force the city to address things like the lack of sidewalks, which will benefit us all,” Starr adds. “It’s not a walking neighborhood, but it’d be simple to turn it into a walking neighborhood.”

In addition, residents are asking city officials to reconfigure the layout of roads. Business owners complain that, due to heavy traffic and speeding on Merriman Road, customers are sometimes unable to access their storefronts.

“You’ll see several wrecks a year down here because of that problem,”

Ideally, Segedy would like to see Merriman Valley’s hub of retail and restaurants transform from its current strip mall appearance into an area that looks and functions like a “small, quaint village” similar to Peninsula.

That could be done by implementing codes requiring buildings to be constructed closer to the sidewalk and limiting parking or requiring lots behind businesses instead of in front of them.

At the same time, he wants residents to be realistic about the city’s limitations.

“We couldn’t impose or do this all overnight, but we can take a look at development patterns and zoning issues,” Segedy says. “The residents are rightfully so eager for a plan to take place, but local government, we’re still going to have limited ability to dictate what is built and how it’s built. Our zoning codes can limit factories and Walmarts from popping up, but we can’t micromanage every single detail of how something’s built.”

Residents envision a “recreational economy” for the area If not residential development, what would Akronites like to see happen to land in the Valley?

A simple answer some give is: Nothing.

“We need a master plan, but I would prefer no development. We’ve maxed out. We’ve peaked in the valley,” says Jodie Grasgreen, a member of Preserve the Valley. “We really have to realize that the environment is not an extra amenity. It’s something we need to cherish and preserve.”

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

Others think the land can attract tourists, and that future development can be catered to that goal.

“The city of Akron deems us a recreation destination, and yet our recreation is being taken away with these developments,” says Karen Zampelli, president of Merriman Valley Neighborhood Association, about recent housing developments on closed golf courses and undeveloped land. “We should focus on drawing people to this area for tourism and activate existing structures within the city to accommodate those tourists.”

Many residents The Devil Strip spoke to believe with proper zoning for outdoor recreational activists, the neighborhood could enjoy an economic boost. Suggestions included canoe liveries, fishing depots, mountain biking trails, whitewater rafting and more.

The seeds of that desired recreational economy are already blooming in the area. Between its close proximity to the national park, the 101-mile Towpath, Sand Run Metro Park, Hampton Hills Metro Park and businesses such as Second Sole and Blimp City Bike and Hike, the valley is already a destination for local runners, hikers and bikers.

“Once the final dam at Gorge [Metro Park] is removed from the Cuyahoga River, the entire river will be connected from Merriman Valley through Downtown Cuyahoga Falls,” says Andrew Holland, a Cuyahoga Falls resident. “Imagine how unique it will be to have those opportunities here, and bringing in those tourists will help businesses not only in the valley but across both our cities.”

All residents and business owners say they expect to be included in the planning process and implementation as the plan progresses.

“There’s a lot to be done. We should take our time and follow the master planning process,” Malik says. “Everyone needs to be heard here: residents, conservationists, developers, planners, and more. It needs to be a participatory process.

This is a really unique area with people who all have a vision for the identity of the valley.” // Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com. thedevilstrip.com

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Above: The Huntington Tower is located at the southwest corner of King James Way and West Mill Street in downtown Akron. Opposite page top: The Huntington Tower viewed from Cascade Plaza. Right: The Art Deco detailing above the King James Way entrance to the Huntington Tower features a female figure titled “Security.” Far right: Huntington Tower viewed from the West Mill Street skywalk. (Photos: Charlotte Gintert)

HUNTINGTON TOWER REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY CHARLOTTE GINTERT

I

f you think of an Akron landmark, odds are the Huntington Tower comes to mind. Akron’s first skyscraper remains the focal point of the downtown skyline 90 years after its completion. When it was built, it was the pinnacle of modern construction. Today, it represents a time when Akron was at its peak.

The tower replaced the Hamilton Building, the original home of the Central Savings and Trust, which was built in 1900. The Hamilton Building did not have the panache the owners felt their business and Akron needed.

The city was booming financially and had become known as a home for innovation and progress. During that decade, Akron was the fastest-

12 | The Devil Strip

growing city in the United States.

The bank organized a separate Akron Central Tower Company to oversee the project and they hired Cleveland architects Walker & Weeks in 1929 to design the new structure.

Walker & Weeks was one of the most important architectural firms in the Midwest. They also designed the original Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company headquarters building, now known as the East End and Goodyear Hall.

Carmichael Construction was chosen to erect the skyscraper for $2 million.

Shortly after the firm was hired, the old Hamilton Building was razed.

Construction began in July 1930 and was completed in July 1931.

The building was designed in the popular Art Deco style. Art Deco elements can be easily seen on the Huntingtown Tower in the floral

parapets, the eagles above the entrances and wavy zigzag details about the plate glass windows on the street level.

during the construction of the plaza.

The eagle was moved from over the door of the old entrance to above the new one on the plaza.

The female figure above the Main Street entrance is holding a chest and is known as “Security.” Inside, the aluminum and glass entrance to the safe deposit vault two male figures pulling a rope around another chest. This is also meant to represent security.

The main tower is constructed in “setbacks” or tiers. The main street facade is one continuous face without any setbacks until the 24th floor, to make it look more imposing.

The setbacks are intended to make the building look taller as it tapers up.

It was faced in limestone up to the fourth floor. From there, it is faced in white glazed brick. The decorative parapets are terra-cotta.

The building is composed of two main elements: The 28-story tower and an eight-story structure known as the west annex at the rear of the building. This annex was originally constructed as an office space for the bank while the rest of the tower was built. The construction of Cascade Plaza in 1967 significantly altered this portion of the building. It originally had an entrance on South Howard Street, which was covered over

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When completed, the tower was twice as tall as any other building in the city. The banking area was on the first floor, which also had a modernized design and open floor plan. The upper floors were available as office space, and an arcade of shops was located at the basement level. This area was accessed from thedevilstrip.com

South Howard Street before the construction of Cascade Plaza. A restaurant was located at street level.

The tower opened to great fanfare on July 23, 1931 with a celebratory lunch at the Mayflower Hotel and musical performances. Thousands of people attended the opening, mostly to gain access to the roof and its magnificent view. .

In the 1950s, a large broadcasting antenna was installed on the roof. For a time it was used to broadcast for WAKR. For most of its history, the building was known as the First National Tower. In 1997 it was purchased

by FirstMerit Bank and the name was changed to FirstMerit Tower. It was added to the National Register of Historic places that same year.

According to the application, “the construction of the Tower was vital

in establishing Akron not just as a manufacturing center, but a financial one as well.” The name changed yet again in 2017 when FirstMerit was acquired by Huntington Bank.

In 2019, Huntington announced they were planning to sell the tower. As of yet, no asking price has been listed.

The old WAKR antenna came down that same year.

Despite a possible sale, the tower is still home to Huntington Bank, a barbershop, a newsstand and other offices. // 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.

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Thieves of Joy wrap thoughtful lyrics in eclectic melodies REPORTING AND WRITING

BY KARLA TIPTON

T

hieves of Joy take an unconventional approach to songwriting. Time signatures change in songs with an electric backdrop and acoustic embellishments featuring mandolin and meandering sax lines.

“We kind of got pushback from some folks who said like, ‘You can’t break these kinds of norms and conventions,’” says Dan Socha, who is one-half of the Akron-based band’s songwriting team, along with his partner in life and music, Bethany Joy.

Additional musicians featured on the record are Dan Desantis (bass), Eran Karanouh-Schuler (drums), David Mayfield (mandolin), as well as Justin Tibbs (saxophone) of Akron’s Acid Cats fame.

“We’re really good friends,” says Bethany, who credits Akron’s music scene for its inclusiveness. “You can collaborate with people who make different music. I love the Akron community.”

The resulting sound is an ethereal mix of five songs that perfectly suits a nocturnal listen or kicking back on a rainy afternoon.

“That’s what I appreciate about this record,” he says. “It was like, we’re just going to make the music we want to make and that’s all that matters.”

Bethany cites influences of Radiohead and A Perfect Circle, a side project of Tool’s Maynard James Keenan. Socha says he’s been inspired by some of the “weirder Beatles albums.”

Bethany describes the songs on the band’s self-titled EP, released in February, as “progressive, but with old style banjo and mandolin, but not quite world music,” finally settling on “indie rock, I guess.”

For a while, this Fab Four appreciation manifested in Dig a Pony, a Beatles tribute band Dan and Bethany played in with friend B.C. Hudson. During that time, Bethany also sang with the Speedbumps, a Kent-based band currently on hiatus following the departure of the lead vocalist.

The duo started singing together about five years ago and realized immediately their vocal styles harmonized well.

On the EP, they share lead vocals, while Bethany also contributes on piano and Dan plays guitar.

14 | The Devil Strip

“I learned a ton about collaborating and songwriting from being in the Speedbumps,” Bethany says.

“I definitely learned how to make music that was dynamic from them.

It prompted me to want to start my own band and try writing songs with

a group of people.”

Bethany laughs when asked about the current band’s name. “Some people don’t like it (saying) that it’s a negative thing.” But after months of trying to come up with a name, she and Dan heard a friend refer to children as “thieves of joy.”

“We said, that’s cool, we’ll call it that!” That it contains her stage name is a bonus. “I liked that it had the word joy in it.” (Bethany uses “Joy” when performing “because my last name is too complicated.”)

Thieves of Joy recorded the album in 2019 at David Mayfield’s Canton studio, Sweetside Recording Company.

“I learned a lot from making this record,” Bethany says. “We sang those songs two years ago. It was where I was vocally in 2019 and now it’s 2021. I’m really proud of it, but I wish I could re-sing some of that.”

With the pandemic’s impact on the live music scene, Thieves of Joy are looking for different ways to promote the album.

“The goal is to have it out in the world,” Dan says. “There will be some shows with Thieves of Joy, but I don’t know what that’s going to look like or who’s going to be involved.

We are going to be playing out in some way.”

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While waiting for the end of the pandemic, they are working on new music.

“I recorded another album last year during the quarantine,” Bethany says. “It’s five of my own songs, and Dan is on that album. I’m going to be releasing that under my name Bethany Joy.”

When the time comes, the challenge is fitting diverse musical styles into a live format. “That’s always been my conundrum,” Bethany says. “I can play a lot of different types of music.”

The result may be “a hybrid band with Thieves of Joy.”

In the midst of the live music hiatus, Dan says, “We’re both really fortunate that we both have day jobs.

We definitely miss music and it’s this big hole in our hearts.”

Thieves of Joy’s music is available on digital platforms. // A native of Barberton, Karla Tipton earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and spent 14 years as a staff reporter and editor at the Antelope Valley Press in California before returning home. She is the author of two time travel romantic fantasy novels.

She keeps busy writing, working in the IT field, playing rock guitar, photographing urban settings and enjoying the local arts and music scene. thedevilstrip.com

One-time Goodyear Heights speakeasy still draws a crowd REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY EMILY ANDERSON

I

t’s hard to drive through Goodyear Heights and not feel a little haunted by the bustle that existed long ago. Overlooking the Goodyear campus and downtown, the entire neighborhood was developed as a place to house, feed and entertain ” rubber workers and their families in the early 20th century.

One member of the Heights community, Craig Sipe, is determined to bring new life into his block of . the neighborhood. He bought The Brooklands Bar seven years ago and has since been buying and restoring the surrounding properties as well.

Sipe was attracted to The Brooklands for its history. Named after the street it’s on, which is named after a racetrack in England, the industriallooking brick building was built in 1927, in the middle of Prohibition.

With such a high concentration of blue-collar workers in the area, it’s no wonder the building was soon a fullyfunctioning speakeasy, complete with a false entrance.

I stopped by The Brooklands Bar on a cold, cloudless afternoon in March.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust

to the darkness inside. Although this building has changed hands many times over the last century, it remains surprisingly unchanged — almost like a time capsule.

The Brooklands Bar looks like a speakeasy from the ’20s — not the fancy cocktail bars we think of today when we hear “speakeasy.”

Just like the neighborhood outside, you can imagine this room filled up with old-timey whiskey drinkers and cigarette smoke. The walls are dark grey and dotted with historic Akron memorabilia, all pieces from Sipe’s extensive personal collection.

Once my vision adjusted, I found myself standing at the bar already — it’s directly in front of the entrance.

At the far end, I can make out a handful of white-haired drinkers. One woman was behind the bar, smiling at me with a look that said, “Funny seeing you here.”

I tell the bartender who I am and I’m directed to the office upstairs where Sipe is waiting for me. He has two huge TVs on the walls of his office feeding him footage from the many security cameras on the property, along with a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. I make a note to myself not to tread on him during this interview.

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

Sipe gave me a walking tour of The Brooklands and his surrounding properties. Despite the drab, historical vibes inside the bar, Sipe has a much more modern vision for the rest of the block.

Right now, his main project is a large building a few doors down that he’s converting into a banquet hall. The inside is quite beautiful — the walls are covered in reclaimed barn wood, and there’s a long bar that once lived in the basement of St. Bernard’s church.

Sipe shows me the dog-friendly patio area outside of The Brooklands, pointing out where the new pavilion will go for live music, and we both decide it’s too cold to stay out any longer. He’s excited to go back inside and show me what seems to be his favorite addition to the bar: the Thackerburger.

Thacker’s was a burger joint that operated from 1921-1980. They moved once — from East Exchange and Bowery to East Market and Kelly Avenue, but were always hugely popular among rubber workers and students.

My grandfather, who went to East High School in the 1950s, remembers

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going to Thacker’s to hang out after school and eat 15-cent burgers. The slider-style Thackerburger was served with onions, pickles, mustard and a “secret sauce.” No ketchup allowed.

Sipe now owns the Thacker’s trademark and believes he has successfully replicated the secret Thacker sauce. He even uses the same buns from Massoli’s that Thacker’s used.

I can’t tell you how closely they match up to the original, but I can tell you they’re delicious — and the perfect greasy food to be washed down by a light beer.

Sipe still has a lot of work ahead of him, but his optimism and energy are strong. After spending most of his life in the tire industry, like his parents and grandparents before him, he’s on a mission to leave his mark on the neighborhood. “My goal is to let people know about this place,” he tells me. “Not to make it only a neighborhood bar, but a destination.” // Emily Anderson is really into bars and beers. Check out all her adventures on Instagram @ ladybeerdrinker

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Ogarth’s Kitchen brings Jamaican street food culture to South Akron REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY CHARLEE HARRIS

O

garth Thompson was born to cook, and after over 20 years in the hospitality industry, he’s made it his goal to advance the Akron culinary scene.

Ogarth Thompson is from Discovery Bay, a town in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. Discovery Bay is believed to have been discovered by Christopher Columbus, hence the name Discovery.

“As a kid growing up, I used to wake up in the morning [to] go to the ocean just before the sun hits the water. That’s when you get the most vitamins and everything from the ocean before the sun hits the water,” Ogarth says. “I used to get up and go swimming in the ocean, take a shower in the ocean, then get ready for school.”

Ogarth started cooking at the age of 7. By the time he started high school, he was selling freshly prepared fish to his classmates.

“I used to go scuba diving and I used to go spearfishing,” Ogarth says. “I would... catch fish, clean them up to fry, then get ready and go to school and take my fish with me and sell fish.”

At the age of 18, Ogarth was recruited by a job placement program, which sent him to work

16 | The Devil Strip

at the Homestead Resort in Virginia.

What started off as a nine-month contract at the luxury resort turned into a 10-year career serving many celebrities and political figures.

“I started washing dishes, cleaning floors, emptying trash, you know,” Ogarth says. “I did all that for years, but because of my work ethic... other chefs see how hard I work. Next thing you know I’m starting prep for them and been prepping for them.

Next thing you know I start cooking alongside them and they start teaching me.”

While working for the Homestead Resort, Ogarth met his wife, pastry chef, and Akron native Chanell.

After the birth of their two children, they relocated to Akron to be closer to family. Soon after, Ogarth began working as a Senior Chef at Beau’s on the River at the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls. After working there for 8 years, he was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So he began cooking for family and friends.

“I got friends and family that I always been cooking for,” Ogarth says. “It starts to become family who got friends who say, ‘can I get some of that food?’ because nobody’s going out, so I end up start cooking for them. Then I find out I have a group of people who, every week, I end up start cooking for. Plus I’m a personal chef so I go to people’s homes and prepare meals.”

Soon Ogarth began to look into a food truck. Then a friend at the Akron Urban League suggested a local lounge that had a vacancy.

Ogarth began operating out of the kitchen, and Ogarth’s Kitchen was born.

His location on Cole Avenue, right off Main Street, is not like the fine dining restaurants Ogarth has spent most of his career in. But it is an ode to his Jamaican roots.

“In Jamaica, street food is a huge deal because not everyone can go to the hotels and the expensive restaurants on a day-to-day basis, so they solely rely on street food — local, you know, corner shops.”

There is no glitz or gimmicks at Ogarth’s Kitchen. Just a modest Jamaican flag marks the location on the outside of the building, and after being buzzed in, you are directed to Ogarth’s Kitchen by the bar patrons (the location is shared with a social club). Upon turning the corner, you see a small ordering window and behind it, the chef and sole employee, Ogarth. There is a dryerase board with a list of traditional Jamaican dishes.

Don’t let the one-man show fool you. Ogarth’s years of experience and skill truly shine because there are no lines. Orders come out quick and hot. I order the giant king crab legs with seafood sauce and slaw. The

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

crab pieces are thick and juicy. The Jamaican spices complement the dish perfectly. I also order a beef patty for the road and it too is delicious. The crust is flakey and the meat filling just melts in your mouth.

An authentic Jamaican experience from a fine-dining chef in South Akron. Had I not tried it for myself I would not have believed it. Much of Ogarth’s business is by word of mouth and his Facebook page. His place is truly a hidden treasure Ogarth hopes to get a food truck soon and looks forward to the growing Jamaican scene in Akron.

“It doesn’t matter who for me — I’m happy when I see somebody trying to advance the culture of cooking. I just want you to know what it takes to do that.”

Ogarth’s Kitchen 145 Cole Ave. Open 4-9 pm Monday-Saturday 330-962-6412 or Ogarth’s Kitchen on Facebook // Charlee Harris was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. She loves her family, her community and has a passion for creative expression. As an avid arts advocate, she is the creative director for the East Ave. Flea Market and an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance.

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Rebuilding the neighborhood MIDDLEBURY’S DEMOLITION RATES ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE CITY, BUT BUILDING NEW HOMES IN THEIR PLACE ISN’T EASY REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY ABBEY MARSHALL AND H.L. COMERIATO Editor’s note: This story is part of Home In Akron, a collaborative reporting project from The Akron Beacon Journal, The Devil Strip, News 5 Cleveland, Your Voice Ohio and WKSU. It is part of Reveal’s Local Labs initiative, which supports lasting, sustainable investigative collaborations across the country. To read more pieces from the series, visit thedevilstrip.com/category/housing.

O

n Oct. 12, 2020, a family still lived at 426 McGowan St.

In its final weeks, the house loomed empty, every window an empty socket. On the second floor, a thin curtain waved in the wind, pulled outward through a crack in the glass.

Upstairs, cigarette butts and crayons littered the floor. A note taped to a door ripped from its hinges acted as a reminder: “No friends over until after the weekend — Mom.” On Jan. 12, the house was gone. A layer of straw covered a muddy lot in its place.

18 | The Devil Strip

“It is sad,” one resident says in passing as he looks over his shoulder at the lot across the street and walks inside his home. “But you’re used to seeing it in Akron.”

This block on McGowan Street is only about a tenth of a mile long. Yet the block between Clark and Johnston Streets in Middlebury, south of Mason Community Learning Center, has seen at least seven houses torn or burnt down in the past decade.

The Summit County Land Bank demolished 322 housing units in Middlebury between January 2010 and September 2020. That’s 12.8 demolitions per 100 homes, the second highest rate in the city, behind Summit Lake.

The houses that are still standing are often in need of serious repairs and renovations. But with property values struggling accordingly, neighborhood advocates and nonprofit developers say it is very difficult to attract new construction to fill vacant lots in the neighborhood.

And today, more than two-thirds of Middlebury homes are rentals, meaning many residents have limited

control over the safety and health hazards that often accompany aging housing stock.

‘Lost cause:’ Foreclosures hit Middlebury homeowners hard Middlebury, which stretches from Grace Park in the north to I-76 in the south, was the city’s first neighborhood.

In the early 1900s, an uptick in industry along East Exchange Street spurred a housing boom. According to the City of Akron, 70% of all homes in Middlebury were built before 1940. But the 1970s brought an economic downturn that left Middlebury residents struggling to find employment and cut off from the rest of the city by freeway construction.

By 2018, Middlebury’s unemployment rate was nearly double the City of Akron’s unemployment rate, and the neighborhood’s median household income was among the lowest in the city.

Land Bank executive director Patrick Bravo says Middlebury, like many Akron neighborhoods, was

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

devastated by foreclosures during the Great Recession.

“At the end of the foreclosure crisis in 2008, there were an estimated 100,000 abandoned or blighted structures throughout Ohio, and we knew that number was severely underreported at the time,” Bravo says.

Between 2000 and 2014, there were at least 13 tax and mortgage foreclosures on McGowan Street between Clark and Gage Streets — a three-block stretch with just 37 total residential lots.

By 2020, the city estimated 68% of 2,668 housing units in Middlebury were rental properties.

Today, grass lots dot McGowan Street. Homes still standing from the housing boom more than a century ago sit crooked, sinking into muddy lawns, many of them in need of serious repairs. Near the corner of McGowan and Corley Streets, one yard is littered with scrap metal. A thin blue tarp covers a hole in the roof.

But it wasn’t always this way, says thedevilstrip.com

Left: Summit County Land Bank program director Jim Davis and staff attorney Drew Reilly secure plywood over the front door at 426 McGowan St. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

Pam Vaughan. She’s lived in this area for about 30 years, 16 of them in the home she owns on McGowan Street.

She watched the neighborhood change as people left for one reason or another, until landlords leasing properties outnumbered homeowners and properties fell into disrepair.

The way Vaughan sees it, the area is a “lost cause.”

“I wish they would just tear them all down,” she says.

When asked if she’d move given she had the time and money to do so, Vaughan shrugs.

“This bulls--- happens everywhere here.”

Hundreds of homes have been demolished in the last decade In 2012, the Summit County Land Bank received federal funding to begin demolishing the county’s more than 5,000 blighted and abandoned structures. By 2014, the agency

had demolished more than 900 properties, and it planned to raze an additional 600 via its Neighborhood Initiative Program through 2019.

Drew Reilly, a staff attorney at the Land Bank, says deteriorating properties aren’t just dangerous for the people living or working near them, but also for unhoused people who sometimes use them for shelter.

Without regulations, repairs or access to utilities, these homes often become ongoing safety and health hazards.

“It’s like going to the dentist,” Bravo says. “You have to remove the bad before you can start rebuilding the good. You have to take care of the cavity that’s sort of left behind for these abandoned and blighted properties.”

After a dangerous structure is demolished, the Land Bank and other agencies turn their focus to other parts of the housing puzzle, like building new properties, renovating existing homes or selling properties to other organizations who will help renovate them.

‘He won’t fix it’ Of the 16 remaining homes on the

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

Right: Larry Carter.

(Photo: Abbey Marshall)

400 block of McGowan Street, 12 are renteroccupied. Several tenants told The Devil Strip their landlords do not complete adequate repairs.

“I got cracks in the foundation, the water leaking through the hole in the roof, creatures in between the ceiling and floors,” says Larry Carter, a tenant on McGowan Street. “[My landlord] says ‘oh, you’re just missing shingles,’ but no, there’s a hole in my roof. He won’t fix it.”

Carter’s property is owned by Gary Thomas. Thomas also owned 426 McGowan St. before it was torn down by the Summit County Land Bank, a reutilization corporation that aims to strengthen neighborhoods and communities hit hard by abandonment, blight and foreclosures.

Bravo says landlords like Thomas are all too common in neighborhoods like Middlebury.

“Those landlords are a problem,”

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

Bravo says. “We’ve had problems in some of the properties Mr. Thomas owns where we’ve had stoves heating up by themselves. Properties with no front door or no windows on the second floor.”

“The folks who were living in [that] housing don’t oftentimes have a lot of options,” Bravo adds. “They don’t have great credit scores to just be able to quickly move to another apartment. They’re in those properties and putting up with that for a reason, and they’re being taken advantage of.”

In 2018, the Land Bank acquired scores of Thomas’ properties, with a collective tax delinquency approaching $1 million.

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Top: 426 McGowan St. was acquired by the Summit County Land Bank from owner Gary Thomas. Bottom: This home on McGowan Street, built in 1916, is in need of repairs after suffering damage from a fire. (Photos: H.L. Comeriato)

Akron’s rental registry in 2019.

But a second database of rental properties maintained by the city lists an owner identification number for Simmons’ property that names Eco Realty Investments, LLC as the owner.

Ohio business filings identify Sarah Melton as the incorporator of Grandesco Real Estate. The Devil Strip reached someone by that name who denied any affiliation with the company. Zac Hoyt, who is listed as the owner of Eco Realty Investments, LLC, did not reply to requests for comment.

Many landlords work with property managers, who deal with tenants directly, adding a layer of friction between tenants and landlords. At times, prospective landlords invest with companies that offer to help them purchase properties as well as manage them.

Even when state and local agencies know about landlords like Thomas, Bravo says there are few legal options to keep landlords like him from acquiring more properties.

Thomas could not be reached for comment.

Carter is at a loss. He thinks his rental could eventually be torn down — but he doesn’t care to stick around and find out.

“I just need to move to a better neighborhood,” he says.

Ebony Simmons, who lives a few doors down from Carter, agrees.

She’s been at her home for about two years — “two years too long,” she says.

She was happy to see 426 McGowan St. go. As the mother of a 9-yearold boy, she was anxious about the dangers the dilapidated house posed to her child.

“It’s better because I can see my son walk to the store [across the lot].

It’s better that way,” Simmons says.

20 | The Devil Strip

“I don’t know if people was inside there doing meth. I didn’t let my son go down that way. There’s no telling what a kid could get into.”

The safety concerns about surrounding houses mount on top of health concerns in her own rental property: Mice have eaten through her son’s new school clothes.

Simmons says when she complained about the rodents, she was told they were her responsibility.

“I’d rather just move,” Simmons says.

The home Simmons rents was built in 1889. According to Summit County property tax records, the property is owned by Grandesco Real Estate, LLC. The company acquired Simmons’s home in 2018 and has been charged a $100 penalty for failing to register the two-unit property as a rental with the county every year since.

According to the Summit County Fiscal Office, Simmons’s home still isn’t registered with the county — though it was registered in the City of

Further, property investors can bury their identities beneath LLCs, making it difficult to untangle who owns a given home.

For tenants, multiple layers of ownership and management can make it difficult to know who should be responsible for addressing health or safety hazards in their homes.

What will it take to bring housing back to Middlebury?

Areas where teardowns are concentrated are at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting new development. For-profit developers typically pass over neighborhoods like Middlebury and opt for investments in neighborhoods where home values are already stable.

Nonprofit developers such as Habitat for Humanity can subsidize construction with federal funds and volunteer builders. But if a for-profit developer can build the same home in another neighborhood or suburb and turn a profit, they will do so, says Rochelle Sibbio, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Summit County.

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

“I’m at a loss from the time I put a shovel in the ground and dig that hole,” Sibbio says. “I know I’m losing money. A for-profit builder is not going to come into neighborhoods like that because they know they’ll go bankrupt.”

Habitat for Humanity of Summit County, has built five new homes in Middlebury since 1986 and completed 27 home repairs since 2010, when they started their renovation program. Sibbio says Habitat loses at least $20,000 with every house it builds.

“A lot of these neighborhoods are at a tipping point,” Sibbio says. “A lot of demolition and blight took place, but they aren’t quite ready to be redeveloped.”

Further, she says, many families buying homes through Habitat choose to leave the neighborhood.

“Habitat families are eligible to select a piece of property, and if we own land outside the city of Akron — in Twinsburg, Stow, Copley, other parts of Summit County — those lots get picked first over lots in Akron,” she says. “The biggest reason is they want to raise their kids in a safe neighborhood with a yard and good schools.”

Akron is attempting to slow flight to the suburbs through housing initiatives like a 15-year tax abatement. That policy dismisses property taxes on new construction and significant renovations.

In Middlebury, the nonprofit East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation applied for a tax abatement on the Middlebury Commons, a 40-unit apartment complex for older adults. During a 2020 interview with The Devil Strip, the developer called the tax abatement “incredibly helpful.”

Generally, though, new home construction that qualifies for the tax abatement has been concentrated in neighborhoods where housing markets are more stable.

Although certain major home renovations qualify for the tax abatement, most basic home repair projects like new roofs or siding do not. The city does, however, offer the City of Akron Minor Home Repair Program, which targets low-income, elderly homeowners or homeowners with disabilities to assist with repairs such as new roofs, new furnaces and plumbing and electrical updates. thedevilstrip.com

Nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and The Well Community Development Corporation are trying to help stabilize Middlebury’s housing o market by helping homeowners repair their aging homes or rehabilitating existing properties themselves.

The Well is in the midst of renovating 60 homes in 60 months, an initiative they plan to complete later this year.

They rent out 35 of those units and have sold two of the completed homes at cost of the projects.

“One of our arguments is to rehab first,” says Reuben Auck, The Well’s housing manager. “With our rehabs, we believe that, for the most part, we could sell and recoup those funds, then put that back into the next project.”

The Well will break ground in a few months on a duplex, their first new build in the neighborhood. The project is heavily funded by federal dollars. Auck does not believe it would be likely that new homes would be built without government support.

Of the duplex project, Auck says, “we’re trying to maintain the identity of the neighborhood… We want to make it feel like it belongs there. A lot of times in low-income neighborhoods, you can go by and pick out who built what at a reduced cost. We didn’t want the neighbors to feel like it didn’t belong on the street.”

Auck, who lives in Middlebury with his wife, acknowledges his neighbors can’t help but feel hopeless about housing conditions in their neighborhood. But through his work, he wants to bring hope back.

“We view everything as being very much intertwined and linked.

Housing is just one of our three initiatives: restoring housing, creating economy, supporting place,” he says, citing other programs like working in schools, supporting food entrepreneurs and more. “We try to do all three of those things for our neighborhood, and we think that’s the only way to restore the hope.” // Abbey Marshall and H.L. Comeriato cover economic development and public health, respectively, at The Devil Strip via Report for America.

Reach them at abbey@thedevilstrip. com and hl@thedevilstrip.com.

Need help with housing? Here’s who to call The journalists collaborating on the Home In Akron project pulled together these resources for people who are facing common housing challenges: Falling behind on rent, facing eviction, or fighting to get repairs made. Seek help if you need it.

If you are behind on your rent Lots of rental assistance is available right now due to federal CARES Act funding. To get access to rental assistance, call 211 or call Akron Summit Community Action at 330376-7730.

You may need to provide a lot of information about your income and living situation, so it can be helpful to have pay stubs or tax returns nearby when you call.

If you have fallen behind on your rent, reach out to your landlord to explain your situation. Your landlord may be willing to accept a partial payment, even if you can’t afford to pay rent in full. Communicate using emails or text messages if possible so you have written records of your correspondence.

For help with utility bills, call 211. The City of Akron is also offering utility assistance to qualifying residents through its Akron Cares program.

If your landlord is not making repairs If your landlord is not making necessary repairs to your home, you may be able to place your rent in escrow, a legal arrangement where the clerk of courts holds your rent until your landlord makes the necessary repairs to your rental property.

When you place your rent in escrow, you’re still required to make full, on-time rent payments to the clerk of courts. If you are not up to date on your rent or if you have received a letter or notice asking you to vacate the property, you may not be eligible to take this step.

To learn more about how to place your rent in escrow, visit Fair Housing Contact Service or call 330-376-6191 to talk to a Fair Housing Contact Service housing counselor.

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

You can request that your rental property be inspected for Environmental Health Housing Code violations. To request an inspection, call the City of Akron Housing Division at 330-375-2366.

If you are facing rodent or pest infestations, structural issues like unstable porches, walls, stairs or ceilings, electrical, plumbing or fire safety concerns, you can call Summit County Public Health at 330-9265600 or email hhv@schd.org to submit a complaint.

If you’re facing eviction The eviction process typically lasts weeks, and the process doesn’t always end in tenants having to move out. There are lots of opportunities for resolution along the way. If you are facing eviction, seek legal help and keep communicating with your landlord.

The first step in the eviction process is a three-day eviction notice, which is typically left on a tenant’s door.

This does not mean you have to leave your home within three days — it means your landlord can file an eviction in court after those three days pass.

If you receive an eviction notice, seek legal help. Contact Community Legal Aid at www.communitylegalaid.org/ apply or 330-983-2528.

You can try to pay your rent within the three-day period, but your landlord is not required to accept it.

An attorney can help you negotiate with your landlord.

If you have a written lease agreement, double-check its terms and share it with your attorney. If it includes a grace period for late payments, or if your landlord has routinely accepted late payments in the past, that may strengthen your case.

If your landlord files an eviction in court, you will receive notice of a court date in the mail at your current address.

If you are being evicted due to nonpayment of rent and you have lost income due to COVID-19, you might be eligible for protection under the Centers for Disease Control’s

eviction moratorium. Talk to an attorney about whether you qualify.

If you do, make sure to print and sign this declaration before your hearing.

You do not have to leave your home until the court has granted the eviction. If you choose to leave your home sooner, document the moveout process, including taking photos of the home before you leave and texting or emailing your landlord when you have returned your keys.

Moving out does not resolve an eviction case in court, though.

Continue to work with an attorney as your court date approaches to see if the case can be resolved. If the court grants the eviction, unfortunately, future landlords may be less willing to rent to you.

On your court date, bring your signed CDC declaration form.

If the court grants the eviction, you will typically have around a week to move out of your home.

If you need shelter

If you are in need of shelter, call 211 to be connected with resources that may be available to you through the Summit County Continuum of Care, which houses 31 nonprofit and government partner agencies working within the county to quickly rehouse people and minimize the trauma associated with homelessness.

The operator will ask you screening questions about your situation.

To contact shelters directly, call Haven of Rest Ministries at 330-535-1563 (for men) or 330-434-1149 (for women and children) or 330-4340110 for Access Shelter (women and children).

If you are fleeing domestic violence, the 211 operator will pass you along to the Battered Women’s Shelter, which has a 24-hour emergency hotline at 330-374-1111.

In order to be eligible for Continuum of Care services, you often must be sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation, such as a car or tent. This does not include couchsurfing or staying with a friend or family member.

Call 211 for additional information.

The Devil Strip

| 21

Left: Elaine Chin, who has worked for her family’s restaurant since she was 14, stands in the entrance of the restaurant garden, surrounded by bamboo.

Below: Elaine Chin started an annual plant exchange about a decade ago using the garden started by her father. (Photos: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

‘You can grow something beautiful with very little, just community and commitment’ ELAINE CHIN ON MAINTAINING THE FAMILY BUSINESS — AND THE FAMILY GARDEN REPORTING AND WRITING BY DANI JAUK, PHOTOS BY ILENIA PEZZANITI

E

very year when I visit the annual spring plant exchange at Chin’s Place on West Market Street, I enjoy seeing the large restaurant parking lot filled with little and large pots, tiny cups with and without neat labels, pans, trays and greens in all sizes and shapes. There’s loud chatter across the lot, people aged one month to 80+, talking God, the world and gardening.

In the middle of it all a woman with a huge smile offering bags and gardening advice who has become an Akron icon: Elaine Chin.

Chin’s Place is a magnet in Akron,

22 | The Devil Strip

and not only for the delicious and original Cantonese take-out food.

Co-owner Elaine Chin has helped her father grow a luscious flower and vegetable garden for decades, and she grows community and nurtures the neighborhood with her kindness.

Elaine and her parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1980, when she was 7 years old. She remembers the wonder of her first snow that year.

Elaine’s parents were already the third generation of Chins to live and work in the U.S. Yet each set of parents moved back to China, so their children always were “new immigrants,” Elaine points out.

The family started from scratch in Akron with $200 Elaine’s mother had gotten for selling her jewelry.

The parents worked in restaurants to care for Elaine and her three brothers. Saving every penny, Elaine’s father built the first Chin’s takeout restaurant on Copley Road in 1988 with his own hands from pieces of wood.

The family “pulled together” and persisted through Anti-Asian racism of that time. Elaine shares how her grandfather came to the children’s defense: “I remember one day my grandfather walked us to school with a broom because kids would throw snowballs at us and yell at us. I am happy Akron is more diversified now.

It was crazy as a child.”

Elaine has developed a huge heart and compassion for people less fortunate. Elaine is the kind of person who will go out in the garden and pick you a bouquet to go with your lunch if you have a bad day, because she is invested in “little things people could do,” she says. “That’s how we can change the world. You want to believe in the goodness of the world.

You have to notice the small joys in life. And you want to be a small joy in someone else’s life.”

In Elaine’s cosmos every individual is like a flower: “Each person has their own individual beauty in their own

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

color shade and shines in their own season.”

In 2000 Chin’s moved to its current location on West Market Street, where they have cooked their original Cantonese dishes from Monday to Saturday since. All dishes are made from scratch after original recipes.

Elaine’s brother is the chef and was sent back to China to be trained in original techniques.

“Chinese cooking is really secretive,” says Elaine, “they don’t share recipes because it stays within a clan or a village. It’s a secret art.”

The family honors this tradition and the old-world recipes for their menu and herbal tonics for the family are not written down anywhere. The Chins carry them in their heads and hearts and learn them by observation.

“We still trim our own meat. We still roll our own egg rolls. We still cut the cabbage. Some restaurants will buy buckets of duck sauce. We still make thedevilstrip.com

Above: Elaine Chin stands in front of Chin’s Place garden, a plot started by her father. The garden will bloom in May. (Photo: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

it by hand where we grind the ginger and all the spices. My brother still grinds his own ‘five spice,’ and that makes our food a little bit different,” Elaine says.

Elaine has a college education and dreams of traveling, but her life has always been the business. Her parents were never fluent in English.

Elaine was their voice from a young age, doing paperwork and business dealings from the time she was 14.

Chin’s in Akron is more than a restaurant. It has become an urban respite and a symbol of neighborly loving kindness. Behind the parking lot, an ornamental Chinese portal opens into a luscious and colorful flower and food oasis. Long Chinese beans hang down onto yellow raspberries to meet pink peonies and chives.

In his later years, Mr. Chin spent six hours in the garden every day, Elaine says. He manicured every inch and continued to share vegetables and flowers freely. Few neighbors ever heard him speak, yet many saw his earthy hands reach them a bag of produce with a shy smile.

Elaine took her father’s garden a step further and started her annual neighborhood plant exchange about 10 years ago. The plant sale usually

“You can grow something beautiful with very little; just community and commitment,” Elaine says. “It’s very therapeutic for a lot of people with challenges in their life. And gardening is — I think it’s a beautiful thing because it transforms your yard, but then you are also nurturing something within you. That is amazing.”

Elaine is blossoming when she shares how now everybody in the neighborhood is helping with the plant exchange. In some years, 200 people in a day have traded plants and phone numbers in Chin’s lot.

“The beautiful people in this world make the pain and suffering bearable when you are down. Spring is around the corner and rebirth comes around again,” Elaine says. “The gardens give me so much joy and the beauty of the flowers are each unique. I love the anticipation of blooms during garden season. It brings me so much joy… I see lost souls taking a respite in the gardens and just hiding in the back to leave the sounds of the city.

This year, I am going to try to make it beautiful, and like the way my dad had it.” // Dani Jauk is an exiled Austrian and Akron lover, assistant professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Akron, proud mama of Amani (7) and a coffee fiend. She digs gender diversity and equality, social justice and gardens, sometimes literally.

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“In China, we were farmers. We’ve grown peanuts and I played in the shade of sugar cane. You had to take care of yourself. There’s no extras under communism, so you want to grow fruit trees and food. It was automatic for my parents to change an empty space into a garden,” explains Elaine.

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| 23

get. Seating is currently limited to 24 in the Speakeazy.)

The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation team, historical society in Columbus and the Riverfront and Cuyahoga Falls historic design review board worked to resurrect original design elements. Some include the coral and teal crown moulding, Art Deco light fixtures, stained glass windows and vintage style furniture.

“We had to keep it kind of the same because that’s what the building wants,” Frankish said.

The theater is most fondly remembered by locals in their 50s and 60s as the venue for the cult classic Rocky Horror Picture show in the 1980s.

Mark Fetterman was one of those Rocky Horror moviegoers, and now his grandson works at The Workz. He visited for lunch on a recent Saturday with his family.

The Workz brings former Falls Theater back to life on Front Street REPORTING AND WRITING

BY DIANE PITZ KILIVRIS

T

he home of the old Falls Theater on Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls has come back to life after lying dormant for almost 30 years.

It took two-and-a-half years and a team of historical architects, craftsmen and a family with a dream to turn the 15,000-square-foot space into a new restaurant, bar, and family entertainment center called The Workz. And despite pandemic and economic crisis, eager customers have been flocking in and 63 employees have been hired to meet their needs.

Architects Alan and Lauren Burge of Akron, who specialize in historic reconstruction, purchased the historic theater from the city of Cuyahoga Falls five years ago. Originally built in the 1920s, it had evolved from a venue for stage plays to a silent movie theater and then to a modern movie house (at one point named Leow’s Theater.) It was closed in the early ’90s after falling into disrepair.

The Burges began stabilizing the structure, but they needed tenants.

Few could envision making it work for their businesses.

Meanwhile, in a Starbucks on Portage Trail, Tim Frankish and his sister-in-

24 | The Devil Strip

law Kim Green were brainstorming about starting a new business. “We were just thinking of finding a way to put some money into retirement and help with our kids’ college funds. We were going to buy a house and flip it, or do rentals,” Frankish said. “And then we thought it would be kind of cool if we could create some jobs.”

That’s when they decided to create a fun space for children’s birthday parties and family entertainment.

As the idea grew, other family members wanted to get on board.

“Before you knew it, there were four of us talking it over and we’re doing it,” Frankish said. The Workz’s team consists of three siblings: Kim Green, Chris Carpenter, Melissa Barnes, and Frankish, their brother-in-law.

Then, of course, they needed a location. Frankish messaged Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters to ask if he knew of a space on Front Street that might be suitable. “[The mayor] responded that I should look into the old theater, and I thought, ‘What theater?’ I didn’t know what he was talking about.” Frankish is too young to remember when the theater was still operating.

Upon seeing the space, the foursome was sure it wouldn’t work: “We walked in and said ‘There’s just no

way.’” The space was long and narrow and they couldn’t envision what they wanted. But after meeting with the Brunswick company for the duckpin bowling lanes and consulting with the Burges, they came up with a layout that worked.

“I like what they’ve done with it. It’s nostalgic,” Fetterman said. He added that in the Rocky Horror days, the theater wasn’t very well taken care of. “The seats were ripped; the place was in disrepair. It’s exciting to see it’s nice now.”

The Workz is aptly named. Three floors of renovated space mean there’s something for everyone.

The main attractions are the games and restaurant on the main floor.

The three major gaming categories are duckpin bowling (like regular bowling, but on a smaller scale), arcade, and virtual reality area. It is a cacophony of lights and sounds while a full bar welcomes parents on the way in. Two smaller rooms are available for private parties.

Sampson said a lot of former employees of the old theater come in just to see the place. “Then you look over five minutes later and they’re at the end of the bar just talking about the good ol’ days.” One gentleman recalled the story of how he met his wife at the theater back when he worked the ticket booth and she worked the snack counter.

“Weekends are absolutely insane,” said Dale Sampson, The Workz general manager.

Frankish and Sampson get a thrill out of talking to former patrons and employees of the old theater. “Yeah, it’s crazy. It gives me goosebumps every time somebody says, ‘Oh, I remember standing right there, taking tickets’ or ‘I was an usher.’”

But wait, there’s more.

Something is hidden in the basement.

Something totally different than what’s upstairs. It’s The Speakeazy at The Workz: designer cocktails, hard-to-find mocktails, even servers in flapper dresses. The upscale menu includes things like smoked salmon deviled eggs and a charcuterie board.

Drinks are named for classic movies.

“It’s a totally different experience down here,” said Frankish. The theme preserves the era in which the theater was built, the Roaring ’20s.

(Reservations are required and hard to

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

Today, a new generation begins creating fond memories in a new incarnation of the old Falls Theater.

The Workz follows strict COVID-19 guidelines including mask requirements. For reservations and to find out more, visit playattheworkz.com. // Diane Pitz Kilivris is a freelance writer and podcast producer from West Akron. When not working, she can be found on the tennis court or happily knitting in a comfy chair. thedevilstrip.com

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Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

The Devil Strip

| 25

Photo: Kenny Lambert sits outside his newly opened storefront at 937 Kenmore Blvd. (Photo: H.L. Comeriato)

Just a Dad From Akron founder Kenny Lambert talks parenthood, sobriety and building community in the face of loss REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY H.L. COMERIATO

K

enny Lambert didn’t always know who he was.

Now, he’s absolutely sure of it.

At his storefront at 937 Kenmore Blvd., Lambert has an open-door policy. Behind him, a full-wall mural by 16-year-old Lillian Stover depicts a green alien on the surface of Mars, wearing a shirt stamped with the Just a Dad From Akron logo.

Lambert is the founder and CEO of Just a Dad From Akron, a clothing brand designed to build safe, supportive community spaces around parenthood, sobriety and positivity.

Lambert, who was born and raised in Kenmore, spent years in active addiction. Now, three years into recovery, he hopes to inspire other parents to set positive examples — not just for their own kids, but for other parents and young people across the city.

Lambert always knew he’d base the company in the neighborhood, even when friends and acquaintances encouraged him to take his daughter to the suburbs.

That never felt right to Lambert.

26 | The Devil Strip

And it didn’t align with the brand’s mission: to uplift and inspire parents to show up for their kids, for themselves and for young people in their communities who might not have the guidance or encouragement they need to thrive.

grandparents kind of [helped raise] us because my mom and dad both worked so much,” Lambert says. “My dad, he worked like three jobs. We were poor as hell growing up. He worked nonstop just to make sure we had everything we needed.”

“The way I looked at it, everyone that I grew up with here, they don’t have that chance to get out,” he says. “So why not [keep the business] right here where the problem is and make the community a better place all around for the people who can’t get out?”

When he was 15, Lambert got his first skateboard, and then fell in with a crowd of older kids who made drinking and using seem cool.

Eventually, he began selling drugs himself, then using harder drugs more and more frequently.

Lambert says the company isn’t just a brand with a slogan attached.

“It’s a movement,” he says. “And that’s what’s so powerful. All these people are like, ‘Well, how can I join?

How can I be part of it?’ And it’s like, just show up. Just show up.”

But four years ago, Lambert couldn’t show up for his family, his community or himself in the ways he knew he wanted to. Born and raised in Kenmore, he says his parents and grandparents tried to shelter him from drugs and violence — which only became more difficult as he got older.

“Of all the kids I grew up with, I was the only kid that had a dad. My

“I was drinking like a fifth a day for years, just partying, blackout drunk every day. [My mom] told me, ‘My worst fear ever is the police knocking on the door and asking me to identify your body.’

At the time, Lambert dismissed his mom’s worries. But in hindsight, he says her fear strikes an emotional chord.

“There was plenty of times I should’ve been dead,” he says.

“And this is the reason that I’m not.

Because there’s bigger plans. This company is bigger than I know or can see at this moment — or anybody in the community can see.”

‘That was the sign’

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

When Lambert’s daughter, Amelia, was born in 2018, he was still grappling with active addiction.

“I was at the hospital and all my friends are calling me like, ‘Congratulations!’ They were like, ‘Can I come see her?’ And I was like, ‘Not unless you bring drugs,’” Lambert says. “I made it about me because I was so [messed] up.”

When his daughter was around 7 months old, her mother asked Lambert to leave the home they shared. “I just remember looking into my daughter’s crib and crying as I was getting kicked out, but no tears were coming out,” Lambert says. “I’m just like, ‘I’m sorry. Daddy’s going to get help.’

After that, Lambert lived out of his car for a month, sleeping on friends’ couches until they kicked him out too.

“I was so miserable,” he says. “I just kept praying: ‘God, give me the courage to kill myself or put me in jail.’ I prayed that for like a week and I ended up in jail. I got arrested for an OVI. That was the sign that I was looking for that [I could] turn my life around.”

In May 2018, Lambert went to treatment and got sober. After that, thedevilstrip.com

everything changed.

“It was a whole learning process for the first year of being sober,” he says.

“I tell people it was literally like I had to learn how to walk again. I literally had to learn what I like to wear, what I like to eat, what I like to do for fun, what kind of music I like. I had to learn who I was.”

As he found his footing again, Lambert grew more comfortable in his role as a dad. That summer, he took Amelia to carnivals, baseball games and parks, playgrounds and swimming pools all over the city.

Friends told him that seeing him show up for his daughter inspired them to show up for their own children, or made them want to have children of their own someday. At the time, Lambert says he had no idea how powerful that sentiment was or how many parents needed supportive communities to help them along the way.

“I had my daughter literally every day when I first got sober,” Lambert says. “That is literally what built the foundation of Just a Dad From Akron.”

Before he launched the company in March 2020, Lambert spent months creating a business plan that would incorporate safe, positive spaces and events for kids and parents. Since then, Just a Dad From Akron has held dozens of community events, including a Christmas giveaway that helped provide families with hundreds of presents at no cost.

Just a Dad From Akron actively seeks out partnerships with local businesses and has collaborated with young entrepreneurs across the city, like Strangers Club and 4 Bros & A Sis Lemonade, to host community events and giveaways.

‘I remember what it was like having nothing’ Now, with three years of sobriety, Lambert says he hopes to save other young people from the pain and heartache he experienced by building a safe and supportive community of parents and families interested in seeing young people thrive, grow and succeed.

In June 2020, just four months after launching the company, Lambert met Sebastian Spencer — a bright, energetic 19-year-old struggling to find peace and purpose. Lambert and Spencer clicked, and Spencer

stepped up to help Lambert build and represent the brand.

“He was literally a spitting image of me at 19,” Lambert says. “And I wish I would’ve had somebody or something like this going on when I was a kid that I could’ve gotten involved in, and not went through all the pain and the struggle that I went through.”

Above: Photo used with permission from

On Feb. 21, Spencer died suddenly in an accident, leaving behind his 3-month-old son.

empty coats.

empty coats’ new EP shows maturity in songwriting

On March 6, at Just a Dad From Akron’s grand opening, Lambert honored Spencer with the Dad of the Month award.

Now, he hopes to honor Spencer’s life by chasing the vision in spite of his death, and building a supportive community for his young son to grow up in.

For Lambert, the drive and ambition he saw in Spencer will always remain central to the company’s message: Be who you needed when you were younger.

Over the last year, Lambert says Just a Dad From Akron has met every goal detailed in his original business plan, including a storefront, which he originally planned to open in 2023.

Next, he’s working on a podcast, and considering a community center for young people, where they can go to be involved in a positive, drug-free community.

For now, Lambert just wants people to know that ordinary people can change their own neighborhoods and communities in extraordinary ways.

“I remember what it was like having nothing,” he says. “I remember two years ago, walking up and down [Kenmore] Boulevard, sleeping in my car when I didn’t have one person. I burnt every bridge with everybody.

“I didn’t have one person by my side, and now the company has 10,000 people following it and a whole community behind it. That alone goes to show that [you can] turn your life around, no matter what your past is, what you look like.”

“I’m no different than you,” Lambert adds. “I just found my purpose.” // H.L. Comeriato covers public health at The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach them at HL@ thedevilstrip.com.

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

REPORTING AND WRITING BY MICHAEL ROBERTS

F

rom the opening longing chords of “mercy” to the final complex notes of “cooler,” empty coats deliver an EP, hathor, that exhibits both technical prowess and emotional weight. The Akron-based band’s second release features a guitar-heavy sound balanced with vocal harmonies reminiscent of early’90s college rock bands. empty coats include Jim Curtis (guitars/vocals/lyrics), Andy Flanagan (drums), Keegan Byrnes (guitars/ vocals), Scott Golightly (bass/vocals) and Tommy Sprung (guitars).

Following up 2019’s full-length debut, the fool, proved to be a challenge during the pandemic. Jim cleared out his living room so the band could practice together safely.

When it came time to record, Jim was able to pull in a favor from a talented friend.

“I’ve had a friend (producer) Tim Norris, and he just did all of it,” Jim says. “I just did a lot of listening and thumbs up thumbs down.” In addition to producing the album, Tim also plays slide guitar on it.

The band formed two years ago when Jim reached out to friends to help bring some of the songs he had been writing to life. “I was humbled by it,” Jim says. “I didn’t know Tommy very well. He approached me in a coffee shop, and he just said, ‘If you are ever starting something, let me know.’”

The five-piece came together and recorded their debut the fall. The first album consisted of songs Jim had already written and brought to the band. Their new EP was an opportunity for the band to write

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together.

“This album I only had the guitar part along with the vocals,” Jim says.

“A lot more stripped down. A lot of room for these guys to just do their own thing.”

With influences ranging from Elliot Smith to Coheed and Cambria to Bright Eyes, empty coats fully utilize the contrasting styles of the three guitarists. Combined with their harmonies, they are bolstered by the strength of their rhythm section.

Album standout “god knows” exhibits a maturity in songwriting that bands who have been together for significantly longer strive for. “oh wow” feels like it was written for a summer afternoon driving through the country.

With live shows still unsure, the band is certainly looking forward to playing out again.

“Yeah, I think we’re gonna be aiming for shows. We don’t necessarily miss hauling gear, but it’s totally worth it,” Jim says.

Until that time, the band is keeping themselves busy writing. Jim says they’ve already written three new songs.

With the growth exhibited in just two years since forming, empty coats’ hathor is a step forward for a band that was already impressive at their inception.

The album is available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and at emptycoats.bandcamp.com. // Michael (he/him) is a life-long resident of Highland Square, a performance artist, a traveler, a writer and a part-time mad scientist.

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Photo: A flag waves outside Beanhead Brothers, a new coffee shop on Romig Road across from the Amazon fulfillment center. (Photo: Abbey Marshall)

‘Cautiously optimistic’ for a revitalized Romig Road REPORTING, WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY ABBEY MARSHALL

W

hen Kevin Tyler and Derek Fromby heard the city approved plans to convert the site of the long-vacant Rolling Acres Mall into an Amazon fulfillment center, they thought it was the perfect opportunity to start a coffee shop on Romig Road.

It didn’t matter that “for lease” signs plague storefronts that had closed after the mall was vacated or that half-empty strip malls litter the road.

In their minds, Amazon would turn the area into a destination once again.

“When we heard Amazon was coming up at Romig Road, I wanted to open a coffee house,” Tyler says.

“We heard they were looking to revitalize Romig Road with these employment opportunities and wanted to be a part of that.”

From Beanhead Brothers’ front window, patrons sipping their coffee on the burnt orange velvet couch can’t help but gawk at the 1.3 million square foot Amazon warehouse with its fleet of bright blue delivery trucks

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lined along the side of the building.

But those customers enjoying their lattes aren’t the Amazon employees the owners were expecting when the warehouse opened in November.

“They don’t come here,” Fromby says. “They’re speeding out of that parking lot as soon as they clock out.”

While the company boasts an “Amazon effect,” or positive, secondary economic impact of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs generated for local businesses, the struggle to capture business from the 1,500 employees filtering in and out of the Romig Road area each day is harder than anticipated. With such a large complex and short breaks, many employees don’t leave campus, business owners on Romig told The Devil Strip.

A 2018 Economic Policy Institute study found that when an Amazon fulfillment center opens, the host county gains 30% more warehousing and storage jobs, but no new net jobs overall. In other words, the jobs Amazon offers do not appear to translate into employment gains across the entire local economy.

Still, some entrepreneurs are jumping on the opportunity to set up shop on a street that will experience more traffic than it has seen in years, thanks to Amazon and a yearlong $12.8 million road reconstruction project that reconfigured traffic patterns and made the street more accessible from I-76 and I-77.

“We need to take advantage of that fact that Amazon is bringing in so many people and hiring people in the Akron area. Hopefully it will bring businesses back here,” says Joe Salem, who is opening another location of Hibachi Express at 2200 Romig Rd. in hopes of capturing Amazon and highway traffic.

“I don’t think that there are enough businesses anymore to accommodate the numbers of people that are there now,” says Salem, who will open his restaurant once his permits clear. “I really believe the area has a lot of potential. I’d like to see more retail, entertainment and restaurants. It’s been dead for a long time but I think it can come back with the right businesses.”

Tina Boyes, the executive director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, says

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she is “cautiously optimistic” about what the fulfillment center could do for the neighborhood. While some entrepreneurs think the area needs more businesses to capture the new traffic, Boyes doesn’t think it’s quite that simple.

“Yes, there are lots of people up there, but I think it’s going to be challenging for neighborhoods like ours to engage in a way that isn’t fast food or quick pickup from a store before they go back to whatever location they came from,” she says.

After Rolling Acres Mall closed in 2008, the businesses with the most staying power were the ones that did not rely on foot or car traffic. Instead, destinations where people come regardless of location, such as salons, offices and medical services, tended to stay longer. Other mainstays include Habitat for Humanity Restore, Social Security Administration and Vantage Aging.

Sam Zulia, the property manager at Zulia Development Inc. and owner of Romig Square since 2007, says he now fields requests from all sorts of businesses interested in moving into the area, such as daycare centers for parents working at Amazon or thedevilstrip.com

eateries.

opening.

“After the closing of the mall, we did see a decline in the interest for people who want to be up here on the road,” says Zulia, whose plaza houses businesses such as Aldi and Beyond Expectations Barber College.

Tawon and Patricia Burton, who own Thai Soul Fusion, reached their boiling point when the road reconstruction project stomped out much of their business. For over a year, a 1.5 mile stretch of road was under construction. With roads torn up in front of their restaurant, they lost business from irritated customers or tricky navigation across the plaza.

“Once [Rolling Acres] was removed and replaced, that was a big turning point,” he adds. “People saw that as a big step on the possibilities of what could become revitalized space.

Certainly, I think the opportunity to be around Amazon or capture some of the employees coming in and out or vendors coming in and out is something potential tenants are excited about.”

The real challenge, Boyes and business owners say, will be engaging the Amazon employees that are currently slipping through the fingers of hopeful business owners like Fromby and Tyler.

“It’s not built right now as a spot to go to a bar next door after work.

That’s probably two, three, four years down the road, but it could happen,” says Jennifer Herrick, who owned Twisted Treats in Zulia’s Romig Plaza for three years. Her business closed up shop in 2013, before the 2015 announcement that Amazon was going to enter the area, and she is considering returning to her old location to start a new business.

Boyes says a freshly paved road and a new building is a good first step.

“It was a total empty crater of a mall sitting there blighting the neighborhood,” she says. “Someone came in to reinvest in there, put in new infrastructure, that’s a good thing.”

Amazon says they seek out “robust public infrastructure,” such as the Rolling Acres site, when determining where to place a fulfillment center.

“We are responding to customer demands and want to make sure our fulfillment centers are close to customers, but we also strategically look for robust public infrastructure, workforce and great local support,” says Andre Woodson, an Amazon spokesperson. Woodson does not live in Akron or Ohio. “We’ve found all those factors in Akron. We’re excited to join the Akron community and provide full-time, full-benefit jobs and continue to be a good neighbor.”

But not every business on the street made it to the fulfillment center’s

They decided it wasn’t worth it to wait it out for the possibility of Amazon traffic and moved to 992 Kenmore Blvd. in September.

Tawon calls the move a “blessing in disguise,” as they are worried about what Amazon will do to local businesses.

ME T RO I S P ROV I DI NG

FREE RIDES TO/FROM COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

with digital or printed proof of a sameday, scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Learn more at akronmetro.org.

“That Amazon plant didn’t do anything for the city other than they put up a new street on Romig Road, but that hurt us,” Tawon says.

“They’re not for the small business.

I don’t want to be pessimistic, but they’re a greedy company. Over here, it’s a lot more family-oriented and small businesses. There’s a lot of foot traffic and nice people.”

Ultimately, Boyes says, Romig Road may not be populated by small business. The southwest corner of Akron needs other resources, too, she says, including big-box stores.

A 2019 retail revitalization study commissioned by Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance analyzed categories of net demand in the primary local market area, which includes Romig Road. The study by KM Date Community Planning found a yearly unmet demand of $3.4 million for clothing and shoes, $7.9 million for general merchandise and $1.6 million for home furnishings within a 5-minute drive of 1017 Kenmore Blvd. This need has been identified separately from Amazon, and Tina thinks all those vacant storefronts on Romig Road could help meet it.

“These are dollars Akron could be capturing, but they don’t exist here,” Boyes says. “Those are exactly the kind of businesses Akron residents tend to leave Akron to find in places like Fairlawn and Green. If connected, these opportunities like Amazon could create a nice ecosystem of services and support and community if we don’t view them in a vacuum.” // Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com.

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High Tunnel Initiative aims to ‘bring people together’ to grow food REPORTING AND WRITING BY DIANE PITZ KILIVRIS, PHOTOS BY ILENIA PEZZANITI

U

pon learning that Akron has a “High Tunnel System Initiative,” one might envision high speed trains jetting through tubes from city to suburb. Nope. Not even close.

These high tunnels are structures designed to serve urban farmers in growing high-quality produce nearly year-round.

And the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering grants to Akron residents who have a bit of land and the desire to grow food. Those in urban food deserts — areas more than a mile away from grocery stores with fresh produce — are especially encouraged to apply.

A high tunnel, or “hoop house,”

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is a metal-framed arched structure covered with heavy polyethylene.

They significantly extend the normal growing season by allowing for natural climate control and protection from harsh weather and pests. High tunnels are taller than greenhouses and significantly less expensive. Plus, they are moveable to allow for farming rotation. Fruits and vegetables in high tunnels are typically planted in the ground as opposed to structures such as raised beds.

by the USDA initiative. It was later donated to Akron Cooperative Farms, where it is currently in use.

Cleveland began a high tunnel initiative in 2012 as a pilot project introduced by Congresswoman Marcia Fudge to bring quality produce to food deserts in urban areas.

In 2018, Kashava Holt took a job as an outreach specialist with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, also partnering with the NRCS, and began actively promoting the High Tunnel Initiative in Akron. Holt was a University of Akron student, founder of the school’s Urban Agriculture Program, a lifelong vegetarian and an impassioned advocate for bringing the Akron community together through growing healthy food.

Let’s Grow Akron has been using high and low tunnels for the better part of a decade. In 2014 Trinity United Church of Christ in North Akron received the first hoop house funded

In 2018 the Akron Urban League set up a high tunnel via the initiative, which is used for educational programs for youth. Let’s Grow Akron currently cares for it.

Presently, there are roughly 200 high tunnels in operation in the Akron area, including those funded by the High Tunnel Initiative.

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He developed online information sessions and actively helps applicants through the process. He has even helped physically set up the high tunnels once they arrive.

While Holt’s mission started at the University of Akron with the desire to improve the quality of healthy food options available on campus, his passion grew.

“I wanted to have a bigger impact throughout the city, beyond the university,” Holt says.

Last May, Holt started the nonprofit Akron Urban Agriculture. Its mission is to advocate and promote anything agriculture-related in the Akron area, including the high tunnel initiative.

Now with an active presence on social media, the nonprofit is focused on reaching out to anyone who would like to become involved in Akron’s agriculture scene. thedevilstrip.com

Far left: Kashava Holt, founder of the University

together,” Holt says.

of Akron’s Urban Agriculture Program, stands inside the second high tunnel at Akron Cooperative Farms on Feb. 23, 2021. Left: Dew forms on the polyethylene that locks in the heat at the Akron Cooperative Farm’s High Tunnel in North Hill. Top: The second high tunnel at Akron Cooperative Farms implemented by the Akron Urban Agriculture Program measures 30 feet wide by 72 feet long. (Photos: Ilenia Pezzaniti)

“We’re giving students the opportunity to volunteer with AHTI, learn more about the different existing gardeners and farmers promoting farming and new gardening techniques, and farm to table,” Holt says. They also plan to advocate for better-quality food in Akron’s public schools.

Holt is currently a senior in the fire protection technology program while also majoring in construction engineering. Although his interests seem broad, his focus is clear: to create new, healthier standards of living in Akron.

“We really need to have something that is going to bring people together. And think about it — food is the main thing that brings people

Much of Akron Urban Agriculture’s startup initiatives have been put on hold by COVID-19, including getting a high tunnel for the university. But Holt says they’re working on making connections in the community, getting the word out, building capital, hiring more students and acquiring land. He would like to see the university claim a high tunnel of its own, but space is an issue. The group is encouraging landowners to donate space for farming, both for the University and for residents, especially those living in food deserts.

One area high tunnel obtained through the program belongs to Akron Cooperative Farms in North Hill. The farm consists of 4.5 acres of land in the area that was Patterson Park and Sammis Park, the baseball fields across from North High School.

Founder Doug Wurtz obtained the land for community farming in 2019.

the spring,” Wurtz says. The farm’s new 30-foot by 72-foot hoop house will go into use this spring and Wurtz is preparing the soil inside.

Holt says that there are few limits on who can obtain a high tunnel, but they do come with a fiveyear contract and some growing restrictions. After the contract has ended, the grower owns the hoop house. Funding comes from the NRCS through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Akron residents can put them in their backyards given they meet certain soil test requirements and get a city permit.

Rented or leased properties are eligible with permission of the owner.

And no one is left on their own to learn high tunnel farming. Once a hoop house is acquired, the High Tunnel Initiative also provides workshops to help new farmers learn how to use the structures, as they’re different from regular outdoor growing.

At Akron Cooperative Farms, local residents, mostly Nepali and Bhutanese immigrants, have access to 20-foot by 20-foot plots where they can plant whatever they wish.

Lisa Nunn of Let’s Grow Akron, which currently uses three high tunnels and has been gardening in them for years, says they take some trial and error.

“They grow food for their families and to sell at our farmers’ market in

“It is its own little microclimate,” Nunn says. “I would encourage

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

anyone who gets one to attend the workshops.”

Once proficient, gardeners can dramatically extend the growing season. Nunn says they can get up to three rotations on certain crops, growing 10 months a year. Summer crops can be planted as early as late March and early April as opposed to May or June.

“It’s important we preserve our ecosystem and the people who depend on it,” Holt says. “The high tunnel practice gives cities and individuals an opportunity to regenerate the soil and air, and we can make our city a model city so other places can learn how it’s done.”

For information about the Akron High Tunnel Initiative or Akron Urban Agriculture, visit akronurbanagriculture.com or email akronurbanagriculture@ gmail.com. // Diane Pitz Kilivris is a freelance writer and podcaster living in West Akron. When not working, she can be found on the tennis court or happily knitting in a comfy chair.

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before actually buying them. For the home, one could find furniture, major appliances, kitchen appliances, draperies (which could be installed for you), carpet, linen, fine china and glassware, cutlery, lighting and an interior decorating department.

Handy? Have a hobby? The store had a camera department, pianos and other musical instruments, with music lessons if you wanted them.

It sold fabric and patterns, sewing machines. They could teach you to sew. There were art supplies, paint and wallpaper, a stationary shop, and automobile accessories. It even had plumbing and heating supplies.

Every department had a sales desk where a shopper could pay via the store’s revolving credit plan. If an item wasn’t available in a customer’s preferred size or color, the clerk would phone the customer at home when the item was back in stock. If a shopper didn’t care to carry his or her package, it would be delivered within a day or two at no charge by a fleet of the store’s trucks.

They proclaimed it ‘Akron’s Greatest Store’ WRITING AND PHOTOS

BY JEFF DAVIS

...A

nd they weren’t kidding.

It had more floor space than Summit Mall. More than the John S. Knight Center, the downtown library, the West Market Target and the South Arlington Wal-Mart SuperCenter combined. It was the M. O’Neil Company — O’Neil’s — offering anything and everything a shopper ever wanted under one South Main Street roof. It had class, it had charm, and wonderful public transportation dropped you off right at the front door.

As the story goes, Michael M. O’Neil and Isaac J. Dyas, a couple of Irishborn 20-somethings, pooled their relatively short dry-goods business experience in 1877 and opened the O’Neil & Dyas store on East Market Street, in the general vicinity of Summit Art Space — this newspaper’s world headquarters. Audaciously, it was also several blocks from Howard Street, Akron’s retail district at the time. They figured people would find them if their merchandise was cool enough.

People surely did, allowing the

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partners to soon build a larger store at Main and Mill. After Dyas died, O’Neil carried on as the M. O’Neil Company, finally selling the business to the St. Louis-based May Company in 1912, because his son, William, didn’t want to take over.

While Michael was busy selling suits and hats, son William was busy founding the General Tire Corporation. Dad actually sold the store so he could become president of General Tire.

May Company leaders knew that Grand Department Stores — emphasizing not only quality goods but quality, even luxurious shopping experiences — had become extremely successful in Paris. They brought the idea to Ohio in 1914, in the form of a giant May Co. store situated on Public Square in Cleveland. In 1928, they built an even larger store at the corner of Main and State streets in Akron for their O’Neil’s brand.

When shoppers entered the Akron store, they were in awe. It was bigger than any store they could have imagined. Those few who had been to Paris said it was like the real thing. It had 700,000 square feet of floor space, roughly equivalent to 16 football fields.

Its white terra cotta exterior shone brilliantly in the sun. The expansive sales floor on the first floor absolutely glistened with art deco ornamentation. As one traveled higher in the six-story building (not including the two basement levels) the various departments were designed to be small and intimate, affording each customer a lesshurried experience.

And the store had almost anything you could want.

Fine jewelry and watches near the front door lured shoppers deep into the store where they would find separate departments for ladies’ lingerie, hosiery, shoes, ready-to-wear clothing, sportswear, formal wear and coats and hats.

There were departments for men’s suits, furnishings, shoes, and boys and girls clothing. There were fur coats, with summer storage available, a bridal shop, and dedicated areas for Boy Scout and Girl Scout uniforms and supplies and nurse’s uniforms.

There were huge toy and sporting goods departments. The store sold sheet music and records, with sound-proof listening rooms so shoppers could preview recordings

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The store had a florist, a beauty salon, an optometry department, a bookstore, and a candy shop, as well as a children’s barbershop, shoe repair shop and photo studio.

Shoppers could extend their days with lunch in the white-tablecloth Georgian Room restaurant upstairs or the Oak Grill downstairs. The store’s auditorium was used for civic events.

Elevators and wooden escalators transported shoppers between floors.

There was a parking deck in back and bus stops at both the Main Street and State Street doors. It is said that people often had to wait for the second or even third bus at busy times of the day because downtown had so many shoppers. Most didn’t mind the congestion because they had left their homes that morning with every intention of making a day of it. Perhaps an escape for a one-car family member left home alone every day.

Bob Parks of Stow, who retired from O’Neil’s as VP of merchandising for men’s clothing, remembers the inner workings of the store: a pneumatic tube system that allowed paperwork to travel between the selling floors and the back office, an employee cafeteria and quiet rooms where employees could relax or even take a nap on their lunch break.

That seems weird, but May probably borrowed the idea from the world’s thedevilstrip.com

oldest department store, Le Bon Marché in Paris, which had a dormitory on its uppermost floor so single ladies working as clerks could arrive at work promptly.

Left: Tommy Lehman. (Photo: Meranda Middleton.

Used with permission.)

The lowest level of O’Neil’s housed one of the largest print shops in the city, creating everything from signs to mailers to newspaper advertising inserts, Parks remembers.

musicians. He has an upcoming collaboration with Akron’s Floco Torres and SmokeFace. He has worked with Cleveland’s Peachcurls and Theron Brown as well, to name a few.

At one point, the store served as a receiving hub for eight other O’Neil’s stores in the area. Merchandise arrived via truck or the two rail sidings in the rear of the building.

“Northeast Ohio has some of the best musicians in the world,” Tommy says.

“We say it all the time because we truly believe that about each other.

Everyone is so humble here.”

“I had five buyers and many times I would take them down to the docks to unpack cartons of shirts and either send them up the freight elevator to the men’s department or send them out to the other stores in our area,” Parks says.

Tommy made it clear that the local music scene is like a family. They help each other out on albums, perform together and constantly support one another.

“For a while, downtown Akron was May Co.’s flagship store. The president worked in Akron because he didn’t want to move to St. Louis,” he says. “But then downtown changed.”

Indeed it did. In the mid-1950s, it was a 5-minute walk from O’Neil’s to two other large department stores, a dozen shoe stores, nine jewelers, eight banks, seven restaurants, six women’s wear stores, five bars, five men’s clothiers, four theaters, three furniture stores, three drug stores, two newsstands, Scott’s dime store, a butcher shop, Sears & Roebuck and more.

Many of these places, of course, eventually moved to the malls. Some gave up and went out of business.

Two-thirds of the O’Neil’s building was demolished and replaced with a parking lot.

Cue Joni Mitchell.

Sadly, no one will remember the good times they had shopping online last month, or wax nostalgic about a trip to a big box store. But the memories of O’Neil’s and South Main Street shopping are still with us. And there are still big department stores in Paris. // Jeff Davis is a lifelong resident of the Akron area and is a retired writer, editor, and teacher. Like most Akronites of a certain age, he remembers riding the wooden escalators at O’Neil’s.

Trumpeter Tommy Lehman expresses love for Akron through his jazz REPORTING AND WRITING

BY LAURA LAKINS

“W

hat I create is a direct reflection of what I see and experience every day here in Akron. I hope to inspire anyone who hears my music to live with more love and on a higher vibration day-to-day,” jazz musician and trumpeter Tommy Lehman says.

Born and raised in Akron, Tommy has been surrounded by music for as long as he can remember. From his musically inclined family to his experiences in Akron’s finest visual performing arts programs, Tommy was destined to play.

He credits his teachers at Miller South School and Firestone High School for helping him cultivate a passion for creating. When asked if there were any musicians that made an impact on him, he paid homage to the album Oscar Peterson Trio + One by The Oscar Peterson Trio and Clark Terry, a 1964 jazz album he discovered his junior year of high school.

“This album sparked a deep curiosity within me. After I heard it, I focused all of my time on replicating the solos,” Tommy says.

Despite his newfound curiosity, Tommy had no plans to make a career out of music. During the spring of his senior year high school, he enrolled at The University of Akron as an accounting major. Only because of a field trip to Cuyahoga Community College shortly after did his path

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

change entirely.

“Our high school jazz band had the chance to be adjudicated by Dominick Farinacci’s band from New York,” Tommy says. “During the trip, the director of the music program came up to me and asked what my plans were after high school. He offered me a scholarship to come here and study music,” Tommy says.

It didn’t take much to convince Tommy to make the switch, and that fall he went on to study music at Tri-C. After two years there, he finished his undergraduate degree at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. Both schools gave Tommy the opportunity to learn from professional jazz musicians, and they all left a lasting impression on him.

“Being around faculty members at Tri-C and the Hartt School who were so serious about music and carried themselves with integrity made me want to hold myself to the same standard,” Tommy says. “I had the best role models ever.”

After his time at Hartt, Tommy returned home to Akron and began settling into his professional music career as a trumpeter, vocalist and keys player. He is currently a member of the Tommy Lehman Squadtet, Acid Cats, Nathan Paul & the Admirables, Alla Boara, Alba Trio and Nine Lives Project.

In addition to his groups, he continually works on his solo work and contributes to a wide variety of projects with Northeast Ohio

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“What can I say other than I am so thankful to even be in the conversation with these people. They are real life heroes,” Tommy says.

Though the past year made collaborations and performances more difficult, Tommy was able to put some music from the vaults into the world, as well as focus on who he is as a creator.

“The pandemic gave me the time and mental space to reset my creative process. When the world stopped, I had to ask myself ‘Why do I create?’ and ‘Why do I play?’” Tommy says.

Feeling creatively rejuvenated, Tommy took to working on his first full length studio album that he plans to release later this year. Tommy hopes this summer offers opportunities to perform on stage in his element once again.

“I can’t wait to get back to Musica.

That venue always brings something special out of our performances. I also can’t wait to be back at Blu Jazz and the Bop Stop in Cleveland. Until then, I’m just looking forward to the new live opportunities that come about this summer outdoors and on patios,” Tommy says.

While we wait for Tommy to hit the stage again, you can find his music on Bandcamp and all other major streaming platforms. You can also keep up with him on Instagram, @TommyLehhman, as well as his website, www. tommylehmanmusic.com // Laura Lakins is an educator and freelance writer from Akron, Ohio.

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thedevilstrip.com

Essays & Humor

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

Left: Leaking barrels at Krejci Dump, circa 1985. (Photo: NPS Collection.) Right: Native vegetation

CLEANING UP THE KREJCI DUMP

B

uyer beware! When Cuyahoga Valley National Park purchased the Krejci Dump in 1985, park officials had no idea what would be involved in restoring the property as parkland.

As we celebrate Earth Day 2021 this month, we are also celebrating the end of a cleanup effort that has taken more than 30 years. The former salvage yard and waste disposal facility in Boston Township was so contaminated with industrial waste

planted on the former dump site was established by 2015. (Photo: NPS/Chris Davis.)

that it qualified under the Superfund law. It was one of the most polluted sites in the National Park Service. And now it is one of the cleanest.

The other amazing fact is that the government lawyers working on this Cuyahoga Valley case set a legal precedent that impacts similar sites nationwide. The responsible parties — not U.S. taxpayers — paid more than $50 million to remove the toxins, re-sculpt the landscape and plant native species. The Ford Motor Company led the work.

The first photo was probably taken

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

in about 1985, before the young Environmental Protection Agency removed about 1,000 drums of paint. Is that what that blue liquid is? Getting rid of leaking barrels was only the start. After our legal victory in 2001, more than 375,000 tons of contaminated materials were dug up and trucked away to a licensed disposal facility in Michigan. In some spots, Ford excavated 25 feet below the surface before reaching clean soil.

That phase ended in 2012.

The second photo shows Ohio plants thriving on what was once a bare

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moonscape. Now wetland pools and sedge meadows are surrounded by native grasses and wildflowers.

This 40-acre miracle is located on either side of West Hines Hill Road, near the bridge over I-271.

To learn more and to explore our photo essay, visit www.nps.gov/ articles/000/removing-toxins-at-krejcidump.htm. // Arrye Rosser is an interpretive and education specialist at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

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APRIL LUNAR READING: Who is it you are becoming?

M

y March-born Aries Aunt would remind me as a child that “April showers bring May flowers.” I want to share that with you this month, because any adversity we encounter is often followed by good fortune. April is a time to put blood, sweat and tears into our growth, ideas and projects.

All the planets are in direct motion, meaning the energy in the world is helping us to advance forward. The sun’s location will occupy Aries, then Taurus.

On April 5, Akron can remember the Aries pioneering energy of one our greats, Judith Resnik. This date would be her 72nd birthday. Judith, who one of the first women in space and who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger, exhibited the Aries archetypal energy by her “intellectual brilliance.” I think of this one quick quote by President Ronald Reagan: “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted. It belongs to the brave.

The Challenger Crew was pulling us

into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.” In memory.

Our new moon this month is located in the sign of Aries and happens in the evening on April 11. A new moon during the first sign of the zodiac is a huge time to plant seeds of new beginnings and new starts in life. The motto here for Aries is, “I am.” So who is it you are becoming? We’ve entered a new paradigm. The game has changed. Stake your claim to your own authenticity and the many facets of your own being under this singular new moon in Aries, in harmonious alignment with its ruler Mars, in the dualistic sign of Gemini.

On April 19, the sun moves into the abundant sign of Taurus, whose motto is, “I have,” Here, we’re able to appreciate our own value, given the hard work we contributed to ourselves over the last month.

We close out the April with a bit of an uptick in intensity, as we’ll

encounter a full moon in Scorpio the day before Pluto begins its retrograde motion in the sign of Capricorn. The last week of April may shake us up a little bit, especially if it closely aspects planets in your own personal birth chart.

American Poet, Allen Ginsberg, a Gemini, whose passing date was also April 5, hits the nail on the head with this snippet out of his poem “Song:” “The weight of the world is love. / Under the burden of solitude, / under the burden of dissatisfaction / the weight, the weight we carry / is 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.

April tarot reading

A

ce of Cups. The Devil reversed.

Queen of Cups reversed. What a seemingly contradictory message.

First things first, I want to say that pulling The Devil is not a “bad omen” or an “evil card.” This kind of energy can actually be quite transformative if you let it. It represents banishment and detaching yourself from the things that are holding you back, which is a message that keeps coming up for us this year. Take this as a sign to examine the “devils” in your life and how they impact you.

But backing up a little bit, let’s start with the Ace of Cups. New beginnings are on the horizon, which makes sense for spring time.

New life, growth, adventures, relationships, and ideas are all yours for the taking. This may represent the

The devil strip is on a mission to keep akron local If you want your organization to become a Community Partner, call or text Anna Adelman at 330-992-4AKR or by email at anna@thedevilstrip.com.

For more info, visit https://devilst.rip/CPP

36 | The Devil Strip

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first steps into a new world and new way of thinking as we venture into an unknown future. Collectively, it feels like we’re about to take steps into something very new.

Taking the optimism that comes with the Ace of Cups and combining with the detachment of The Devil, we have the tools and mindset to make this fresh start whatever we want it to be. Have a new idea? Now is the time to pursue it. Want to quit a bad habit? This is the time to let it go.

Curiosity and fearlessness are the mindsets to explore right now.

Our reversed Queen of Cups can throw a little wrench in that, though.

We may find ourselves pulling back

when we get scared or getting in our heads a little too much.

This doesn’t mean ignore your emotions and power through, but again, explore them with curiosity and fearlessness. Ask yourself: Why am I feeling this way? What scares me and why?

How can I let that go?

How can I let go of the chains that are holding me back? April is the month to explore, ignite, and create change. — 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.

Member Spotlight The Devil Strip is co-owned by more than 900 Akronites! To join, visit https://thedevilstrip.com/be-amember.

D

erek Stone started working for a car dealership on East Market Street when he was 16 years old. Back then, he didn’t know Goodyear Heights would become his home.

After graduating from college, Derek, along with some friends, decided to buy a house together instead of renting it because of the cost difference.

“I sort of knew this area from working here, and that’s how I wound up in Goodyear Heights. And I’ve really fallen in love with it. I got to know a lot of people here,” he says.

WHAT IS SOLARWINDS? ARE UPDATES STILL SAFE?

I

n December 2020, the cyber world was shaken with the announcement of the hack of SolarWinds. The Texas-based technology company provides one of the most widely used network monitoring software called “Orion.” Essentially, this software watches the network for problems ranging from hardware and software issues to network traffic

admit, probably,” Derek jokes.

After moving to the neighborhood, Derek became acquainted with council member Sharon Connor, whose Ward 10 represents Goodyear Heights.

“I’ve known her for several years.

And she’s really gotten me involved in a lot, just as far as volunteerism, accomplishment for a community, that sort of thing. She had talked me into applying for the Akron Parks Challenge a couple years ago,” he explains.

Derek, along with a small team, designed a plan for Reservoir Park and received funding from the Akron Parks Challenge. Now he serves on the board, representing Ward 10.

“I don’t have kids, but I know more about playgrounds now than I care to

flow concerns, to name a few. It is estimated that 33,000 companies use SolarWinds worldwide, including the United States government.

SolarWinds is the gold standard for network monitoring software.

About a year ago, hackers broke into SolarWinds’s systems and added malicious code into the company’s software system. As a result, SolarWinds unwittingly sent out software updates to its customers that included the hacked code. The

Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine

When Derek isn’t investing his time and energy in Goodyear Heights, he enjoys working on and driving his cars and motorcycles, photography, gardening with his wife and exploring the different parts of Akron.

“I love the neighborhood-centric focus of the city. You go to Highland Square, and it’s completely different from Goodyear Heights, which is completely different from Firestone Park, which is completely different from Wallhaven. You’ve got little cities within a city, and I think that’s really fun. You can be on two different sides of town on the same day, and it doesn’t feel like you’re in the same place, but everybody knows each other.”

— Allyson Smith U.S. government and Microsoft were included in those who installed the hacked update. This left many, including myself, wondering: if a security based company can have their updates hacked, is anything safe?

I have spent a lot of time researching what happened with the SolarWinds hack, how it happened and its potential impact on our day-today lives. Make no mistake: the SolarWinds hack is a big deal. But the effort that it took to accomplish this hack was huge. In fact, it was the biggest targeted hack to date.

All of the evidence gathered by both federal investigators and cybersecurity

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

experts say that Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, known as the SVR, is probably responsible for the attack.

After the attack, Microsoft dedicated 500 engineers to determine how the hack occurred. They determined the hack used more than 1,000 software engineers. The cost and effort to coordinate such an attack points toward a nation-state. The evidence found in the compromised code was similar to the code found in the Russian government’s Ukraine hack.

While this was the biggest attack to Continued on page 38 The Devil Strip

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Unencrypted Continued from page 37 date and worrisome to say the least, it does not mean gloom and doom for the rest of us.

The SolarWinds attack put all software developers and our government on high alert. Further, it took a coordinated effort of over 1,000 highly trained software engineers to pull it off. It was a huge coordinated effort that will be hard to duplicate.

It is safe and necessary to update your devices each and every time an update is available. But there is a caveat to that rule: you must pay attention to the news about cybersecurity as much as you pay attention to the weather reports.

All software and technology companies are doing their part to keep their products safe from hackers. The hackers are continuously looking for weakness in all areas of technology to gain an advantage.

Occasionally, the hackers will win a battle.

When they do, the technology companies react as quickly as possible to counter the

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effects of the hack. This results in newer updates that you must install.

Our part in this global cyberwar is to do our part and keep current. Beware of quick fixes and boisterous claims in pop-up ads.

There is no one solution nor is there a quick fix to some problems.

They key to your personal and corporate cybersecurity is diligence. Be suspicious of internet posts claiming hacks and/or solutions to cyber and technology concerns.

When in doubt about the accuracy of an internet story, verify it through the Associated Press (AP), Reuters and other true journalistic resources.

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 CoFounder 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 in higher education.

April 2021 · Vol 8 · Issue #4

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