The Devil Strip

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

Publisher: Chris Horne chris@thedevilstrip.com

Editor-in-Chief: Noor Hindi noor@thedevilstrip.com

Audience Development Director: Floco Torres floco@thedevilstrip.com

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

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

Distribution Manager: Derek Kreider derek@thedevilstrip.com

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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.

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5 MEET BALLET DANCER JONATHAN MCCRAY JUNIOR. 6 JASON BLAKELY OF POETRY IS LIFE PUBLISHING 8 NORTH HILL MARBLE & GRANITE 9 AKRON MARCH FOR OUR LIVES 10 AKRON ANTIQUES BRINGS HANDMADE VINTAGE PIECES 12 CHAIR-ITY FURNISHES HOMES FOR FOSTER YOUTH 14 AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE BROADBAND 16 VINIFERA WINE AND WHISKEY TASTING ROOM 18 ATOMIC HOUDINI 20 LOCK 3 REDESIGN PLANS 22 VEGAN MEAT AT PICKLED PROTEINS 24 AKRON HOPE TUTORING PROGRAM 27 FIBER ARTIST NATALIE GRIESHAMMER 28 THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON DODGEBALL TEAM 30 FREEDOM TRAIL

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Essays, Humor & Creativity:

33 SOBER CHRONICLES WITH MARC LEE SHANNON 34 AKRONISMS WITH JEFF DAVIS 36 MAY ASTROLOGY WITH ANGIE AGNONI 38 DEVIL STRIP DISPORT

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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

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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.

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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. 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. 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.