September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9 · thedevilstrip.com
Porchrokr in pictures PAGE 10
FREE
Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
At rest in nature PAGE 17
geting creative at akron glass works PAGE 22
evicted during covid-19 PAGE 25
IN THIS ISSUE 6 THERE’S NOTHING TO DO IN AKRON Summit Artspace 140 East Market Street Akron, Ohio 44308
VITAL Vax and Go
Board of Directors: Rita Kelly Madick, Sharetta Howze, Emily Dressler, Michael Gintert, Richelle Wardell, Marc Lee Shannon, Katie Robbins, Frank Varca, Kally Mavromatis directors@thedevilstrip.com
Summa Health is committed to providing accessible care no matter where you live. That includes keeping our community safe and healthy from the COVID-19 virus by providing vaccines. Our Vital Vax and Go is heading to a neighborhood near you!
Date
Location
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Time
Sept. 1, 2021
Summa Health Akron Campus – Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sept. 2, 2021
Stark State College
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sept. 3, 2021
Summa Health System – Barberton Campus
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Sept. 3, 2021
Summa Health Hudson Medical Center
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sept. 3, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Highland Square
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 9, 2021
Summa Health Corporate Office
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 9, 2021
SummaCare
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 9, 2021
Summa Health White Pond Medical Center
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sept. 9, 2021
Summa Health System – St. Thomas Campus
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sept. 10, 2021
SummaCare - East End
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sept. 10, 2021
Summa Health Corporate Office – Indoor Conference Room
12:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 13, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Kenmore
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m
Sept. 13, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Tallmadge
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m
Sept. 13, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Springfield-Lakemore
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 13, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Ellet
12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Sept. 13, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Goodyear
2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Sept. 15, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Firestone Park
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m
Sept. 15, 2021
Summa Health Hudson Medical Center
11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 15, 2021
Farmer’s Market - North Hill
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 20, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Main
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m
Sept. 20, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Green
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m
Sept. 20, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Richfield
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m
Sept. 20, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Fairlawn/Bath
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m
Sept. 20, 2021
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Norton
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m
Sept. 21, 2021
Heart to Heart
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m
Sept. 22, 2021
Summa Health Akron Campus – Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sept. 23, 2021
Summa Health White Pond Medical Center
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 23, 2021
Summa Health System – St. Thomas Campus
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sept. 27, 2021
Summa Health Wadsworth-Rittman Medical Center
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Sept. 27, 2021
Summa Health System – Barberton Campus
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 27, 2021
Summa Health Hudson Medical Center
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sept. 28, 2021
Summa Health Wadsworth-Rittman Medical Center
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sept. 28, 2021
Summa Health System – Barberton Campus
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sept. 29, 2021
Summa Health Akron Campus – Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
9 AKRON ZOO IS SQUEAKY CLEAN 10 SPOTTED AT PORCHROKR 13 GORGEOUS GORGE 14 MEET CHRISTINE FOWLER-MACK 15 ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE BOOKS 17 F INDING PEACE IN BLACKBERRY BRIARS
President: Chris Horne chris@thedevilstrip.com
Get your COVID-19 vaccination. Check out where we will be next:
6 DEVIL’S DISPORT
17
Editor-in-Chief: Jessica Holbrook holbrook@thedevilstrip.com Membership Director: Jessica Goldbourn jessica@thedevilstrip.com Client Services Director: Anna Adelman anna@thedevilstrip.com Public Health Reporter: H.L. Comeriato HL@thedevilstrip.com Economic Development Reporter: Abbey Marshall abbey@thedevilstrip.com Digital Audience Manager: Sonia Potter sonia@thedevilstrip.com
22 T HE EXCITING ART OF GLASS BLOWING 23 M EMBER SPOTLIGHT: BARBARA MINNEY
34 AKRON INVENTOR INSPIRES 35 H APPY ANNIVERSARY, KENT NATURAL FOODS 36 THE WOMEN OF AFD
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Layout & Design: Jenn Shaw Copy Editors: Megan Combs, Dave Daly, Emily Dressler
Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
21 YOGA FOR ALL BODIES
32 THE FLOCK ON MUTTON HILL
22
Distribution Manager: Derek Kreider derek@thedevilstrip.com
For more information, scan the QR code, call 234.867.7110 or visit summahealth.org/vitalvax
19 BIG PLANS AT CATC
25 M ORATORIUM DIDN’T STOP AKRON EVICTIONS
Client Services Assistant: Allyson Smith allyson@thedevilstrip.com
Freelance Contributors: Emily Anderson, Angie Agnoni, Abbey Bashor, Martha Belden, Nahla Bendefaa, Julie Ciotola, Kyle Cochrun, Jeff Davis, Nic deCourville, Megan Delong, Emily Dressler, Ken Evans, Charlotte Gintert, Aja Hannah, Charlee Harris, Zinga Hart, Jillian Holness, Todd Jakubisin, Dani Jauk, 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 and Jim Woods
18 RFEN GIVING AKRON A VOICE
38 LOCAL VENUES REQUIRING VAX 39 BUFFALO RYDERS ARE BACK 41 HEAD BANG TO HELL VAN 43 MARC SEARCHES FOR HIS MUSE 44 CROOKED RIVER REFLECTIONS 45 WHAT’S IN THE CARDS? 46 U RINE LUCK: AFFIRMATIONS AT IRIE Want to help make The Devil Strip? Write to holbrook@thedevilstrip.com. Find us online: www.thedevilstrip.com Facebook: facebook.com/thedevilstrip Twitter: @akrondevilstrip Instagram: @thedevilstrip
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Our Mission
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September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
The Devil Strip exists to help more people care more about Akron and all its residents. That’s why we’re building a community of Akronites committed to making this a better place to live by connecting you to your neighbors, our city and a stronger sense of shared purpose through stories and meet-ups that showcase the folks who make this place so unique. The Devil Strip is published monthly by the Board of Directors of The Devil Strip Local News Cooperative. Distribution: The Devil Strip is available free of charge. Copyright: The entire contents of The Devil Strip are copyright 2021 by The Devil Strip Local News Cooperative. 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.
The Devil Strip
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Journalism about akron By AKronites
Editors Note
It’s back, and better than ever! Friday
Hi, Akron!
Friday
September 10, 2021
December 10, 2021
Friday
Friday
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
I hope we’re all enjoying these final sweltering days of summer and early days of fall. I don’t enjoy sweating, so by late August I’m more than ready to embrace crispy leaves and cozy sweaters.
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
March 11, 2022
June 10, 2022
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
ArtWalk has transformed into a quarterly celebration of the arts and local artists in downtown Akron. Every three months on Friday nights from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., community members are invited to the Historic Arts District to enjoy food, music, art, and more! Visit the Akron Art Museum, the Nightlight Cinema, and all of the wonderful restaurants and venues that downtown Akron has to offer!
THIS ADVERTISEMENT HAS BEEN PURCHASED THROUGH A GENEROUS GIFT FROM THE REPUBLIC SERVICES FOUNDATION
EMILY DAVIS GALLERY
As much as I dislike the weather, this time of year does bring some of my favorite days in Akron. I look forward to PorchRokr all summer and it’s always worth the wait. It’s one of those events that brings out some of the best of Akron — people from all over coming together to celebrate local music, eat local food and support local artists and artisans. Keep turning the pages of this month’s Devil Strip to see amazing festival photos from reporter and photographer H.L. Comeriato.
Open to the public weekdays from 10am–5:00pm
FACULTY EXHIBITION POINTS OF DISTINCTION: • Integrated Art+Design undergraduate school where students and faculty work across disciplines.
Reception: Wed. September 1, 2021, 5:00pm–7:00pm August 30‒October 1, 2021
• High job and grad school placement rates.
Featuring the work of Rina Dweck, Sheila Pepe, Jamele Wright Sr., and Lauren Yeager. Reception: Thurs. October 14, 2021, 5:00pm–7:00pm October 11‒November 26, 2021
• 12:1 average class size. • Stellar visiting artists, residencies and lecture series. OFFERING DEGREES IN: BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS (BFA)
• Ceramics • Graphic Design • Jewelry & Metalsmithing
• Painting/Drawing • Photography • Printmaking • Sculpture
BACHELOR OF ARTS (BA)
• Art Education • Studio Art
MADE AT MYERS SHOP • Located inside the Emily Davis Gallery, featuring works of students, alumni, and faculty. Open to the public weekdays from 10am–5:00pm. PORTFOLIO DAY & OPEN HOUSE • Scholarships available for incoming students through our Portfolio Day & Open House. • High School Juniors & Seniors are invited to sign up for a portfolio review on Saturday, November 6 or Saturday, February 26 from 12:00-3:00pm. • Learn more and register: uakron.edu/art/portfolioday.
MATERIAL RECKONING
PUBLIC LECTURES
CAROLINA DE BARTOLO
Noted Typographer, Author, Publisher and Design Educator from Academy of Art University San Francisco. September 2, 2021 | 5:30pm | Folk Hall, room 165
SHEILA PEPE
Pepe’s large-scale ephemeral installations and sculpture made from domestic and industrial materials use feminist and craft traditions to challenge how we see the production of art and the role of institutions. October 5, 2021 | 6:00pm | Folk Hall, room 165
STACY LEVY
Using sculpture as a vehicle for translating the patterns and processes of the natural world, Levy reveals the ecological story of our built environment. November 4, 2021 | 6:00pm | Folk Hall, room 165
FOLK HALL | 150 E. EXCHANGE STREET | AKRON, OH 44325-7801 330.972.6030 | UA.ART@UAKRON.EDU | WWW.UAKRON.EDU/ART @MYERSSCHOOLOFART
@MYERSSCHOOLOFART
September brings the start of the annual Summit MetroParks Fall Hiking Spree. Last fall, the parks were one of the few places it felt safe to bring my newborn daughter, so she earned her first hiking stick and shield at about four months old. We’re planning on making it a family tradition and I’m eager to hit the trails again. You can learn more about Gorge MetroPark, one of the parks featured in this year’s spree, later in this issue. This month, don’t skip a phenomenal investigative piece from Noor Hindi about how a federal eviction moratorium didn’t prevent Akron renters from losing their homes. The article — produced with Reveal, from the Center of Investigative Reporting, as part of the “At Home in Akron” collaboration — is vital for understanding Akron’s housing crisis and the barriers facing so many folks as they try to secure, and keep, a safe place to live.
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 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
Also in this issue: a fascinating, beautiful look at natural burials and how some families are finding peace by returning their loved ones to nature; an interview with Akron Public Schools’ first female superintendent Christine FowlerMack; a feature on Akron Glass Works and the art of glassblowing; and a dive into how women firefighters in the Akron Fire Department are getting the job done in a male-dominated field.
If you aren’t able to be vaccinated, or you’re just unwilling, please wear a mask. Take the precautions necessary to protect yourself and others.It could save someone you love. My dad died of COVID-19 in March 2020. I miss him terribly. I don’t want someone to miss you, too.
As we exit patio season for coveredand-heated patio season, I want to make a personal plea. Please, if you’re able, get the COVID-19 vaccine. Cases in Summit County are skyrocketing. Folks, including children who cannot yet be vaccinated, are being hospitalized. People are dying.
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.
THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON IS AN EQUAL EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT INSTITUTION UAKRON.EDU/EEO
Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
The Devil Strip
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there’s nothing to do in akron
SEPTEMBER 5, 12, 19, 26
SEPTEMBER 8, 15, 22, 29
SEPTEMBER 16
Downtown Line Dancing with Just Us Line Dancing Crew
HAPI Fresh Farmers’ Market
Downtown Akron Scooter Tour
Akron Cooperative Farm, 381 Ontario Street // 4 – 7 pm // Visit the farmers’ market every week for fresh produce and local goods. This market is accessible by metro and accepts SNAP/EBT.
Lock 3 // 6 – 7 pm // Meet at Lock 3 for a guided scooter tour of Downtown’s public spaces, art, businesses and more. This event is free, but you can register ahead of time online at devilst.rip/3mxTH8X.
Lock 3 // 4 – 5 pm // Enjoy this free, hour-long line dancing class every Sunday through September 26. Preregistration is encouraged, as space is limited. Register online at devilst. rip/3kmCzQB.
SEPTEMBER 17
The Royal Reading Castle Open House
SEPTEMBER 7, 14, 21, 28
Summit Lake Neighborhood Farmers’ Market
The Devil Strip’s comprehensive monthly argument that there’s plenty of fun to be had in Akron SEPTEMBER 1 – NOVEMBER 30
SEPTEMBER 3
SEPTEMBER 4
58th Annual Fall Hiking Spree
3rd Annual Promises in the Park
Rhythm on the River: Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band
Goodyear Heights Metro Park, 2077 Newton Street // 12:30 pm // Summit County Probate Court and Summit Metro Parks are partnering to offer a free outdoor wedding ceremony or vow renewal for Summit County residents. Couples are welcome to invite up to 10 guests and are encouraged to take photos of their nuptials. This event is free, but couples must obtain a marriage license from the Summit County Probate Court prior to their ceremony. Register online at devilst. rip/3Bb6BO3 ahead of time.
Howe Meadow, 4040 Riverview Rd., Peninsula // 4 – 6 pm // Head to Howe Meadow with your lawn chairs or picnic blanket to enjoy a late afternoon of family-friendly music. This event is free and open to the public, but attendees should register ahead of time online at devilst. rip/3BbSZC9.
Summit Metro Parks // The Metro Parks’ annual hiking spree returns! Visit www.summitmetroparks. org to sign up and download your participation form, and then complete at least eight trails to receive your reward. This event is free and open to the public.
SEPTEMBER 4 & 18
Downtown Zumba with Christy Leenheer
Gorge Metro Park (Susan Pappas)
Cascade Plaza // 9:30 – 10:30 am // Dance and get fit during this free hour-long Zumba class. Preregistration is encouraged, as space is limited. Register online at devilst. rip/3gyHKvF.
SEPTEMBER 4
Voices in the 330, second edition The Rialto Theatre, 1000 Kenmore Boulevard // 7 – 10 pm // Be part of the audience as contestants from all over Akron participate in this singing competition to highlight undiscovered vocal talent in the area. Doors open at 6 pm, and there will be light snacks and a cash bar. Tickets cost $5 ahead of time online at devilst. rip/3gxKFFb or $10 at the door.
Summit Lake Community Center // 4 – 7 pm // Visit Summit Lake every Tuesday evening for locally grown SEPTEMBER 4 produce at affordable prices. Cash, 80s Night Dance Party credit, debit, EBT and WIC vouchers Mr. Zub’s Deli, 795 W. Market Street are all acceptable as payment. Be sure to take a free canoe ride, too! // 8 pm // Head to Mr. Zub’s for an 80s-themed dance party, complete with cool lights, a great sound system and all your favorite musical hits from the 80s. This event is free and open to the public.
HungryDog: The Canine Peanut Butter Eating Competition HAPI Fresh Farmers’ Market (Chris Harvey)
The Well, 647 E. Market Street // 5 – 7 pm // Celebrate the Well’s 5th year as Middlebury’s community development corporation. This is an in-person outdoor event. RSVP online at devilst.rip/38fwzU4.
Barberton Labor Day BBQ & Music Festival Cornhole Tournament
SEPTEMBER 9
SEPTEMBER 11
Ignite Brewing Company, 600 West Tuscarawas Avenue // 1 – 9 pm // Join a cornhole tournament this Labor Day weekend! Time slots begin at 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, and 7 pm, with a championship at 9 pm. There will be a $500+ cash prize for the champion team. The cost to participate in Summit Lake Neighborhood Farmers Market (TDS file photo) this event is $50 per team. Tickets can be purchased online at devilst. SEPTEMBER 7, 14, 21, 28 rip/3gsXArR
Mucky Duck Brewery, 4019 South Main Street // 6 – 8 pm // Get into the autumn spirit at this paint & sip class to paint pumpkins. Tickets to this event cost $39 and can be purchased online at devilst.rip/38gZFCJ
SEPTEMBER 5
Downtown Yoga with Yoga Squared Lock 3 // 5:30 – 6:30 pm // Yoga Squared hosts free, hour-long yoga classes every Tuesday evening until the end of September. Preregistration is encouraged, as space is limited. Register online at devilst. rip/3jh1TZ9.
Native Planting Drop In Peninsula // 1 – 3:30 pm // Make a difference in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park by helping plant various species of grass, flowers, trees and shrubs. Anyone age 10+ is welcome to attend, but volunteers who are 10 – 15 years old must have parent/ guardian supervision. Register ahead of time online at devilst.rip/3jiCr5C and an address will be sent via email.
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
SEPTEMBER 11
One of a Kind Pet Rescue, 1929 W. Market Street // 12 – 4 pm // Each of the 16 waves of this competition will feature six dogs having five minutes to lick as much peanut butter off a window as they can. The dog with the cleanest window after five minutes will receive a prize! Enter your dog for a $15 to One of a Kind Pet Rescue. Purchase a ticket online at devilst.rip/2WlFWPu.
SEPTEMBER 8
6 | The Devil Strip
Chalk Fest (Summit Art Space)
SEPTEMBER 9
The Well CDC’s 5th Anniversary Celebration
Gather Together Pumpkin Canvas with Light Paint & Sip Art Class
Switch with special guests Willie B. & Friends and Floco Torres Lock 3 // 6 – 10:30 pm // Get outside to listen to the music of American R&B/funk band Switch, with openers Willie B. & Friends and Floco Torres. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased online at devilst. rip/3zmkDfs
SEPTEMBER 10
Akron ArtWalk
SEPTEMBER 12
Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market Street // 4 – 8 pm // Join Summit Artspace and its neighbors in the Historic Arts District for a celebration of local art, complete with music, food and vendors. This event is free and open to the public.
Akron Charity Ball: Spa Party Edition
SEPTEMBER 11
Chalk Fest Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market Street //11 am - 5 pm // This familyfriendly free event will feature chalk drawings, pop-up vendors, music, food trucks, and more. More details at summitartspace.org.
thedevilstrip.com Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
Gavin Scott Salon & Spa, 4960 Darrow Road // 11 am – 2 pm // Treat yourself or a loved one to brunch, mimosas and salon services, while benefiting local charities Limitless Ambition and Crafty Mart at the same time. Tickets cost $60 and include a bouquet of flowers, a swag bag, chair massage, waxing services and a manicure. Purchase tickets ahead of time online at devilst. rip/2WtESJC SEPTEMBER 14, 28
Bike Ride from Downtown to Summit Lake Farmers Market Lock 3 // 5:30 – 7 pm // Meet at Lock 3 to embark on a bike ride to the Summit Lake Farmers Market for fresh produce and locally made goods. This event is free and open to the public.
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
ACCESS Shelter, 230 W. Market Street // 11 am – 1 pm // This weeklong celebration kicks off with an open house of the castle-themed space. ACCESS will be providing light refreshments to attendees. Register ahead of time for this event online at devilst.rip/3gxZrLZ. SEPTEMBER 18
7th Annual Metropolis Popcorn Eating Contest Metropolis Popcorn, 2164 Front Street // 3 – 3:30 pm // Contestants must try to eat one gallon of popcorn in 10 minutes to compete for $100, free popcorn for a year, and a Championship Belt. The cost to join is $20, all of which goes directly to the Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest scholarship fund. Purchase tickets online at devilst.rip/3yi0XaY. SEPTEMBER 19
Sweet Sounds of Equality Concert Grounds of the John Brown House, 514 Diagonal Rd. // 2 – 5 pm // For the first time in history, the grounds of the John Brown House will rock for equality, freedom, voting rights and progress at a special fundraising outdoor concert sponsored by the Summit County Historical Society. Tickets cost $18.59 (for the year of Harpers Ferry) and can be found online at devilst.rip/3sMS9J0. Headliner is Anne E. DeChant. SEPTEMBER 19
Kirby Day and ‘Kirby’s Marble-ous Mill’ Richfield Heritage Preserve, 4374 Broadview Road // 1-5 p.m. // The Friends of Crowell Hilaka are partnering with the Richfield Joint Recreation District and The American Toy Marble Museum for a day of intergenerational fun and games including a tutorial on how to play marbles, a marble run and a notouch treasure hunt. More details at friendsofcrowellhilaka.org.
The Devil Strip
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SEPTEMBER 22
SEPTEMBER 24
Free Coworking Day
Meet the Artists: Including But Not Limited To
Bounce Innovation Hub, 526 South Main Street // 8 am – 5 pm // Every fourth Wednesday of the month is Free Coworking Day. See what Bounce has to offer, and get to know the community in the process. This event is free and open to the public. SEPTEMBER 22
Curtains! Mystery Dinner Theatre | Bye, Bye Bucca Firehouse Tavern, 1442 South Cleveland Massillon Road // 6 – 8:30 pm // If you love the roaring ‘20s, this live-action comic mystery performance is for you. The meal includes an Italian Feast Dinner, salad, rolls and dessert. Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased online at devilst. rip/3gwZSpZ. Be sure to book your entire party’s tickets at once to ensure you all sit together.
Summit Artspace’s 2nd floor gallery // 5:30 – 6:30 pm // Join several of the artists from this group exhibition from 5:30-6:30 p.m. to chat with them about their works on view while they are in the gallery. “Included But Not Limited To” celebrates the diversity of ceramics as a material and unifies aesthetics and concepts that play with expectations of craft within the fine arts. SEPTEMBER 25
Canal Cleanup at Summit Lake Park Summit Lake Trailhead, 380 West Crosier Street // 9 am – 12 pm // Join the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition in helping clean the public space along the Towpath Trail. All tools will be provided. Register for this event ahead of time online at devilst. rip/3DgVHIy
SEPTEMBER 25
SEPTEMBER 26
Annual Goat Derby
Pawpaw Appreciation Night
The Winery at Wolf Creek, 2637 Cleveland Massillon Road // 12 – 4 pm // Visit the Winery at Wolf Creek to enjoy a glass of wine or mint julep and watch a bunch of goats “race” for the benefit of various animal charities. This event is free, but attendees can register ahead of time online at devilst.rip/3sJFHde.
Liberty Park Nature Center, 9999 Liberty Road // 6 – 7 pm // Learn more about Ohio’s native fruit, the pawpaw, with Summit Metro Parks! Attendees will get to know the benefits of the fruit and how to grow it, and will get to take home recipes and sample the fruit while supplies last. Register in advance by calling (330) 865-8065.
Akron Zoo is Clean Akron Zoo receives the rare “clean” accreditation from the AZA BY AJA HANNAH FOR TDS
SEPTEMBER 25
A
Halloween Mini Mart
fter a rigorous inspection, Akron Zoo has received a “clean” accreditation report from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Accreditation Commission, something achieved by only two other zoos in the last 50 years of AZA inspections. The AZA inspects 240 zoos and aquariums in the United States and 12 other countries.
Bounce Innovation Hub, 526 South Main Street // 4 – 9 pm // In partnership with Akron Charity Ball, Crafty Mart will be hosting this Halloween Mini Mart, which is sure to provide an evening filled with shopping, costume making, trick or treating and more. This event is free and open to the public.
Pawpaw fruit (TDS file photo)
“Akron Zoo is rightfully proud of this extremely rare accomplishment,” said AZA President Dan Ashe in a news release. Clean means the inspection team found no concerns when they viewed the zoo on site. The inspectors had no suggestions for improvement or recommendations for changes before the zoo’s full accreditation is renewed. “I’ve been in this profession for 33 years and I haven’t seen one. I’m very proud of my team. I’m still amazed by the work of my staff,” said Akron Zoo CEO Doug Piekarz. This year, four inspectors visited the zoo and the team for the bulk of a week. The inspectors are experts in their fields and they hail from other AZA-accredited zoos or aquariums. The team visited every habitat at the Akron Zoo and they were able to interview any staff member they wanted. At the end, Akron Zoo met or exceeded every standard from the AZA inspection team, which reviewed animal care, visitor safety, veterinary care, conservation efforts, facility conditions, guest services and the financial health of the zoo. “The chair of the inspection team, who had been a past leader of the National Zoo at the Smithsonian, came and told me that we had a perfect report. I thought he was joking,” Piekarz laughed as he recalled the story. “I said I had to bring my senior team in to hear this
8 | The Devil Strip
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
because of everything we have gone through with COVID.” Piekarz said this clean report is proof to the Akron community that “their investment at the Akron Zoo has been put to good use. [The clean report] speaks to the level of care and attention that the Akron staff pays to both the animals.” As of today, Akron Zoo can say they have maintained their accreditation through the AZA since 1989 — that’s over 30 years. Ashe did note that the AZA’s independent Accreditation Commission will hear Akron Zoo’s case in October to officially renew their accreditation. Accreditation requires a written component and a zoo/aquarium must complete this process every five years in order to stay accredited. They started this renewal process in February of 2020 but their inspection was delayed due to COVID-19. Another highlight of Akron Zoo’s last year is that they did not lay off a single employee during the pandemic, even during the shutdown. Piekarz said that it helped that the shutdown happened in March before they hired any seasonal staff for the summer. There was no need to worry about expenditures of events either. During the pandemic, Akron Zoo took on the goal to create an economy of grace and to be kind “to each other and ourselves and our community. This really manifested to ensure that no one and nothing suffered in any way that we could help,” said Peikarz. Aja Hannah is a writer, traveler, and mama. She believes in the Oxford comma, cheap flights, and a daily dose of chocolate.
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PorchRokr 2021 PHOTOS BY H.L. COMERIATO
10 | The Devil Strip
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
thedevilstrip.com Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
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It’s Pumpkin Season! You can make a glass pumpkin right here in Akron. No experience needed Must be at least 15 years old Sign up on our website www.akronglassworks.com
Gorge Metro Park Offers Visitors a Unique Geological Sanctuary Hot Glass Studio and Gallery 421 Spicer St. Akron 330.253.5888
www.akronglassworks.com
BY SUSAN PAPPAS FOR TDS
T
hough the entrance to Gorge Metro Park sits just off a bustling Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls, a short walk from the parking lot transports you into a peaceful and uniquely picturesque sanctuary bordered by towering rock formations with a cave carved into one side and dam with a cascading waterfall on the other. This unique beauty makes this park one of the standouts on the list of Summit County Metro Parks, and well worth a visit, if you haven’t been there already. Mike Johnson, chief of conservation at Summit Metro Parks, said the rock formations and rich history make the gorge a must-see destination. “The cool thing about Gorge is that it is one of this area’s original parks,” he said. “It was established in 1930 but has been a recreational area for this community way before that. It used to have an amusement park and a dance hall.” Indeed, the area boasted not one but two amusement parks dating as far back as 1879, said Megan Shaeffer, Ph.D., cultural resource coordinator at the Metro Parks. High Bridge Glens and Caves Park, located off of Front Street at Prospect and the High Bridge, boasted a roller coaster, dining room and grand promenade until it closed in 1895.
There was also River View Amusement Park and Roseland Dance Hall, located west of Front Street, on the north side of the river (near where the Gorge Shelter and skating rink are now), which was in operation from 1919 until 1932, according to Shaeffer. This park also had a roller coaster, a circle swing, an alligator pit, concession stands, a restaurant, walking trails, and a roller skating rink. It was badly damaged by two fires in 1927. In 1929, the land was donated to the Akron Metropolitan Park District (which would eventually become Summit County Metro Parks). Today’s park features two walking trails. Glen’s Trail, which spans 1.8 miles, is known for the springs that flow from the ledges that create a “crystal palace” on the gorge walls in the winter. Gorge Trail, also 1.8 miles, offers access to the cave and features some rugged hiking through unique rock formations. “The geology is amazing,” Johnson says. “It’s a very deep gorge and is carved into sandstone that is 300 million years old. It’s very old, strikingly beautiful and moss-covered. “ While many of the park’s features remain untouched, Metro Parks officials are currently in the process of making some improvements that Johnson said are designed to mitigate erosion and prevent further damage to the environment.
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One of the projects involves removing the existing dam from the Cuyahoga River to make the river free-flowing again and also uncovering a littleknown historical feature. “It’s a very tall dam and one that has been there for over 100 years,” says Johnson. “It was originally built for hydropower but now it serves no purpose and could impact the water quality. It’s also hiding a geological feature that is the original waterfall that Cuyahoga Falls was named after. So, we are working with stakeholders to remove the dam.” Exposing the original waterfall will also create an entirely new section of white water on the river that will be a boon to kayakers, Johnson added. “When this dam comes down, it will give a rebirth to a section of the river that is really the most spectacular part of the Cuyahoga,” he says. “Underneath it is not only a beautiful waterfall but also Class Five rapids that are a mile long. If you are an avid kayaker, you will have white water conditions from the Burntwood Tavern areas and into Cascade Valley Metro Park.” The dam project is a coordinated effort between several entities, including the Metro Parks, the City of Cuyahoga Falls, City of Akron, federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies, Summit County and First Energy Corp. “Before the dam comes down, sediment at the bottom of the river that has accumulated over the last 100 years must be removed, which is
an effort being designed and funded by the EPA,” Johnson explains, adding that the hope is for this part of the project to begin by 2025. The cave, now known as Mary Campbell Cave, was named for a female settler that was believed to have been captured by native people and kept in the cave in the early 1900s. But because the historical record on Mary Campbell is unclear, the park district is currently in the process of renaming the cave Old Maid's Kitchen, a common name in the 1800s for such rock shelters. In addition to upgraded restrooms and a revamped, ADA-compliant parking lot area, Johnson said extensive forestry work is happening in the park to revitalize the ecosystem. “All the trees we are cutting down are invasive species and harmful to the ecosystem,” Johnson says. “The biggest concern is the Norway Maple, which is terrible for the ecosystem. They push out other native trees and wildlife. We’ve been cutting them up and leaving them in our parking lots for the public to take for free. It makes good firewood and wood chips.” Gorge Metro Park is located at 1159 Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls. To learn more about it, go to summitmetroparks.org. Susan Pappas is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about the people and places that make Akron unique.
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First female Akron Public superintendent takes office ahead of a year recovering from and adapting to the pandemic BY ABBEY MARSHALL, TDS STAFF REPORTER
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eturning to Akron Public Schools was a full circle moment for incoming superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack, who was schooled and first taught in the district 25 years ago. Not only does the moment feel momentous for Fowler-Mack, a Goodyear Heights native and graduate of East High School and the University of Akron, but it is also a historic moment for the district. Not only is she the first female superintendent, she is also the first woman of color to hold the superintendent position in Akron Public’s 174-year history. “I’m so excited to be stepping into this position, and it’s so important that everyone — all the students — can see themselves and people who look like them in every capacity,” she said. Fowler-Mack, 55, started her teaching career instructing sixth
graders at Robinson Academy (now Robinson CLC). After earning her administration credentials, she moved into administrative roles at Kent City Schools, Cleveland HeightsUniversity Heights City School District and Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Her most recent post before being named APS superintendent in April was Chief of Portfolio Planning, Growth & Management in Cleveland. Now, 25 years later, she is back, replacing David James who led APS for 13 years before leaving the district to serve as Columbus Public Schools’ deputy superintendent for operations. “I feel indebted to Akron, not only because I feel like I got a great start in my educational experience, but coming back in my initial years as a teacher, Akron was just one of those places that not only developed me, but I felt cared for, included, like I belonged,” Fowler-Mack said. “The opportunity to do work here with this community was very attractive to me.” Following a tumultuous year of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic that forced students out of traditional classroom spaces, Fowler-Mack is stepping in at a critical time in education. “Our number one challenge is figuring how to best reopen and recover from the last year and a half of the pandemic where things were disrupted not only in our space but every space,” she said. “It’s about reopening, recovering and leveraging this moment to reimagine because of things we learned from the pandemic about the need to personalize the education for students and ensure
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wraparound support.” In a district that faces challenges such as student housing insecurity and a lack of broadband access, bridging the gap of inequity that became increasingly apparent during the pandemic is going to be an arduous task that takes creative solutions, Fowler-Mack said. A heavy focus will be on technology and hybrid learning, especially as students have the option for remote online learning this year as COVID-19 cases in Summit county continue to increase with the spread of the Delta variant. Masks are required for inperson classes. “We’re not going to force education to be online every single day, but we are embracing the use of (technology) more substantially than we have in the past,” she said. “We are continuing to train educators along with that and continuing to really utilize ways of learning that appeal to our students.” She was attracted to the district because of its approach to postsecondary readiness through its academy programs, which allow students to specialize in specific college and career readiness programs in partnerships with local organizations. “I believe in that model of ensuring that kids are prepared for life beyond K-12, whether that’s going to college or directly into careers or enlisting,” she said. “What works for one student isn’t always going to work for another, so we need to assess how to further personalize the learning experience so that every student can be successful.” Fowler-Mack says another focus of her tenure will be to change harmful and untrue perceptions of the district that may prompt parents to opt out of public schooling. She wants to
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
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Shelf Life strives to make reading accessible, affordable BY JIM WOODS FOR TDS
everyone.”
anielle Sawat loves books.
On the other side of the store, you’ll find a table dedicated to books that have been self-published by local authors.
D
She loves books so much that it was her own book collection that led to the creation of Shelf Life bookstore in downtown Cuyahoga Falls.
On her 40th birthday, Sawat purchased an estate library of more than 1,000 books. She kept the books she wanted and decided to sell the rest. She ran an online ad for “a dollar a book” and the response was fantastic. Then, Sawat started doing focus on widespread messaging and meetups where she would sell books. personal connections with parents, Surprisingly, other readers would often bring her more. as she herself is a mother to two children. “I quickly outgrew the space in my house,” Sawat says. “I always wanted “Being a mom, what I’m looking forward to is connecting with families to have a bookstore, but I never thought it would happen so quickly.” as well. I'm not only leading, but I'm living it,” she said. “I can relate The solution: Shelf Life. When you to families who want the best for their children and are also trying to step into Shelf Life, located on 2115 survive in this uncertainty right now. Front St. Ste L, Cuyahoga Falls, you'll find yourself in a bookstore like no Sometimes people seem to have a other. You’ll first notice how you are perception of who our kids are or what our district is, so I want to see surrounded by books. Then you’ll see walls painted in deep purple, how we can enhance the range of ways in which we can communicate sunset orange and forest green. You’ll hear the jazz playing softly in the as a school system so parents can think of their home district as a viable background. You might even notice option because there are wonderful the ceiling beam that is decorated things happening and great people in with love letters, recipes and other items Sawat has found inside of our system.” books. As she prepares for the daunting task When you browse the shelves, of starting the 2021-2022 school year on August 30, she also considers you’ll find most non-fiction such as history, science, biographies and the simpler joys of coming back to her hometown: like flicking on her memoirs. If you’re a fan of fiction, headlights at Swenson’s for a burger, you’ll discover sci-fi, fantasy, mixed historical, romance, humor and an picking up a cake from West Side Bakery or watching a track meet at entire bookshelf with books-turnedsilverscreen. Ellet Community Learning Center with her daughter. On the right side of the store you’ll “Something that makes Akron special find one of the most important is it’s still one of those bigger cities areas: the children's and young adult with the hometown feel,” she said. section. “We have some unique communities “Children make up half of the in Akron, and there’s a place for everyone. I’m happy to be a part of it customers of Shelf Life,” Sawat says. “And that’s really important to again.” me. Reading has a profound effect on what a person does in their life. Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Reading should start at a young age, and I want to do all I can to Report for America. Reach her at make reading easily accessible to abbey@thedevilstrip.com.
*while supplies last
“I know it’s easy for books to go unnoticed. I want readers and writers to engage with each other in Shelf Life,” Sawat says. As far as prices go, most books are $1. The only exceptions are a small bookcase with sets of books, a few higher value books and books written by local authors. You can donate or trade in your own gently used books for store credit too. Most books have a trade value of 25 cents a book. There is also a “Page It Forward” card program where you can buy books for others or you can snag a card off the wall for yourself. Shelf Life also accepts donations.
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Sawat also has book raffles for local nonprofits that focus on diversity and inclusion, and groups that promote childhood and adult literacy. For example, the store is a donation collection point for Bright Star Books, a nonprofit that brings books into the homes of limited-resource children in the Akron area. The heart of Shelf Life is focused on bringing the community together through accessible reading. “It's my passion to bridge the gap between accessibility and affordability when it comes to reading,” Sawat says. “The value of printed words cannot be overstated in a time of digital dependency, and I want to do whatever I can to make sure people have the books they want.“ Shelf Life is a treasure for book lovers. For more information, including directions and store hours, visit facebook.com/ ShelfLifeBookstore Jim Woods is a local author and writer in Akron.
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TU
RNIN
BY H.L. COMERIATO, TDS STAFF REPORTER
G
J
eremy Ferrato loved blackberries.
TH
RE
How one Ohio family found peace in natural burial
I S FA
Now, they grow rampant near his grave at Foxfield Preserve. “Right around his birthday, it’s just covered in briars,” says Melissa Ferrato, Jeremy’s older sister. “There are so many little coincidences like that. They just let me rest my head a bit more easy.”
of fresh earth dot the landscape. Eventually, the prairie swallows every grave at Foxfield, where cement vaults, metal caskets and traditional chemical embalmings are forbidden. Over time, the mounds flatten, and the human bodies, tucked lovingly in graves beneath them, begin to decompose — nourishing the earth as part of a delicate, protected ecosystem.
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‘That’s what I want.’ At conservation burial grounds across the country, Americans are increasingly embracing natural burials like Jeremy’s. The process — which is often deeply personalized — ties the loved ones of the deceased to a vibrant ecological community, and returns the dead to the earth.
C H E C K O U R W E BS I T E FO R O U R C U R R E N T H O U R S & O F F E R I N GS S P OT T E D OW L BA R .COM/A K RO N
The summer before he died, Jeremy sat at the kitchen table with his mother and sisters. “The four of us were just talking about how we would want our bodies to be treated [when we die],” says Ferrato.
At the Preserve’s conservation burial ground, the lower prairie brims with life.
Someone mentioned a UK-based company that specializes in pressing cremains into custom 12-inch vinyl records.
A handful of butterflies float against a bright, cloudless sky. Native prairie grasses sway in the wind. Mounds
Another person mentioned tree burials — where cremains are deposited into biodegradable urns
Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
or pods that also contain the seeds of a tree. “As your body decomposes, it feeds the tree,” says Ferrato. “My brother was like, ‘God, I think that's amazing. That's what I want.’” When Jeremy died in 2014, Ferrato and her family were upended by grief. He was just 35 years old, and his death felt unfair and unexpected. In the days afterward, Jeremy’s family gathered to discuss his wishes. It was then they recalled the kitchen-table conversation from a few months earlier. After a serendipitous encounter with a friend who had just attended a burial at Foxfield, the family made arrangements to visit.
Volunteers lower Persis Yoder into an open grave during an educational mock burial at Foxfield Preserve.
Ferrato says. “It feels like a divine coincidence.” What is Foxfield Preserve? When Foxfield Preserve was established in 2008 as a subsidiary of The Wilderness Center — a nonprofit nature center and land conservancy in Wilmot, Ohio — it was the state’s first conservation burial ground.
Sara Brink, who manages Foxfield, says Ohio is now home to nine natural or hybrid burial grounds, which the Green Burial Council certifies based on a set of distinct criteria.
Hybrid cemeteries, such as Calvary Cemetery in Dayton and Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, offer specific
“It’s really meaningful to me when stuff like that happens,” The sweeping lower prairie at Foxfield Preserve, where plots are tracked using buried magnets.
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sections for green burials. Natural burial grounds, such as the Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary in Cincinnati and the Canton Cemetery Association, occupy the second tier of green burial classifications. These cemeteries meet all the requirements for a natural burial as outlined by the Green Burial Council: no chemical embalming or concrete vaults are permitted, and burial containers and shrounds must be fully biodegradable. But conservation burial grounds like Foxfield take that philosophy one step further, Brink says, by including an ecological relationship and conservation plans that embrace human burials as part of the natural lifecycle. Unlike the modern funeral industry — worth an estimated $20 billion in 2014 — Foxfield doesn’t profit from funerals or burials. Because the Wilderness Center is a nonprofit organization, burial costs are utilized to bolster the Center’s conservation and education efforts. The financial, social and environmental benefits of natural burials According to the National Funeral Directors Association, modern burials — including cement vaults, caskets, embalming, transportation and other funeral services — can cost between $7,000 and $10,000 on average. Without the added costs of
embalming and expensive containers, natural burials at Foxfield are typically priced between $1,800 and $6,500. The relatively low cost of natural burials could be a major benefit for many families across the United States, where crowdfunding funeral costs has become commonplace. In terms of conservation, Brink says social and financial partnerships between cemeteries and land trusts and conservancies just make sense: “This is a way for conservation organizations to preserve more land, to bring more people into the actual conservation of a property. It's a multi-use approach and it brings this intimate connection to a place that you're trying to conserve.” “There’s no other way that you can really get people to care this deeply about a parcel of land that you are trying to protect,” Brink adds. “From a social conservation standpoint, we just think this is absolutely something that the conservation organizations across the country should be pursuing and embracing.” Often, people who bury loved ones at Foxfield continue to visit and support the cemetery and Wilderness Center. Seven years later, Ferrato still trudges through the briars to reach her brother’s grave. Since he died, Ferrato has built lasting community with the people she met while planning her brother’s internment at Foxfield — including Brink. “Having Jeremy’s body buried there has created so much support, and continues to create a lot of support for me specifically, and my whole family,” Ferrato says. “I have [fewer] questions like ‘Why did this happen?’ I am more surrendered to [the idea] that there's a divine plan and that it's okay.” Natural burials are often both emotionally intense and cathartic The act of participating in a natural burial — the wrapping or shrouding Barbara Yoder touches Persis Yoder, who is wrapped in a death shroud during a mock burial at Foxfield.
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Under new leadership, CATAC will support alternative and experimental Akron theater scene with upcoming season BY ABBEY MARSHALL, TDS STAFF REPORTER PHOTOS BY ABBEY MARSHALL
A
s Katie Beck, Neema Bal, Tessa Gaffney and Josy Jones sit in the administrative office just outside Balch Street Theater, their energy and excitement is palpable.
of the body, the closing of the grave by hand — is an act of deep care, Brink says.
A mound of earth, boughs and native flora sits next to an open grave. While closing the grave, the boughs The and flowers are placed on top of the body.
It rained the day they buried Jeremy. Though the intimacy of the burial process may be intense for those closest to the deceased, it often allows families and loved ones to remain more spiritually and psychologically present during and after the funeral ceremony and burial. Often, people are encouraged to toss earth over a shrouded body or casket as part of the burial ceremony — an ancient custom among many different cultures and religions. “When you’re there and you’re grieving this, it feels like there’s nothing you can do,” Ferrato says. “But being able to pick up a shovel — there was an action involved.” “So much of [the modern burial] experience is so far outside of your control,” Brink says. “As hard as it is to place that first shovel full of dirt — and it is hard — the finality of that, I think, really does help [people] process [a loved one’s death]. For centuries, death care was considered domestic work, and was most often performed by women within their own families and communities. Brink says returning to similar traditions and death rituals can be beneficial both for the environment, and for people mourning the death of a loved one. “That is so powerful to be able to give somebody that experience,” Brink says. “To give them one final thing that they could do for the person that they love.” What does a natural burial look like?
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His family held an ordinary funeral with an open casket, where Ferrato held her brother’s hand, and came to accept that her best friend had truly left his body. Jeremy was never embalmed. At the cemetery, his pine box lay in an open grave, his friends and family huddled at the edges.
four performance artists have big visions for Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture, a nonprofit organization that supports the alternative theater scene in Akron. The quartet took the administrative reins of the organization on July 1, and with the passage of leadership comes an expanded vision and new season, titled “Uncover, Discover, Recover,” after most live theater was forced to a halt for more than a year during the pandemic.
CATAC was founded in 2004 to serve as the umbrella nonprofit “We mostly had people take turns telling stories about [him],” Ferrato organization for New World says. “That was really special to me.” Performance Lab, James Slowiak and Jairo Cuesta’s theater troupe based at Balch Street Theater. After “It didn't feel — it wasn't casual,” she says. “That's not the right word. nearly 30 years of performing in Akron, the couple moved New World But there was something that felt Performance Lab to Paris, France, more like we [were] returning his body back to the earth in a real way.” where their daughter and grandson live. Like many who bury a loved one at Foxfield, Jeremy’s family and friends The pair tapped Beck and Bal of closed his grave themselves, passing a Gum-Dip Theatre and Jones and Gaffney of Chameleon Village single shovel back and forth. Theater Collective to take their place, knighting both organizations as new “My mother, God bless her heart, residents of Balch Street Theater. The she put a shovel full in,” Ferrato says. “And then we just took turns. mission of CATAC is to serve as a The winds picked up just as we were home base for emerging local artists, creatively nurturing and financially finishing. It started to rain.” supporting their experimental work. Back at the Wilderness Center, Jeremy’s family and friends ate fancy “We’ve really landed on the value of collectivism and being able to jams and jellies in his honor. welcome smaller alternative theater companies to develop their work, “It was a treat. It was like a picnic. We were so close to nature — it felt build their audience within our like you could feel that love and that space and help to navigate business care. It just felt really good,” Ferrato acumen and financial support,” Beck says. “To me, it was just perfect for said. my brother.” Beck, who also serves as the executive H.L. Comeriato covers public health atdirector of North Hill Community The Devil Strip via Report for America.Development Corporation, and Reach them at HL@thedevilstrip.com. Bal, a Bhutanese refugee born in Nepal and living in North Hill, root Gum-Dip performances in their
home neighborhood. Many of their performances deal with topics of identity and culture pulled from story circles and interviews of residents living in the neighborhood, which has a large community of immigrants and refugees. “With Gum-Dip, there’s a lot of experimental work and mostly we have been working with immigrant communities in North Hill with how we can focus or uplift or represent stories there in bigger platforms,” Bal said. “I’ve always been a lover of theater. I did theater back at the refugee camp (in Nepal). When I came here, I started working with Katie at Gum-Dip. With the future work and expanding the company, I see us going to different communities and listening to their stories like ours. How can we bring these individual voices so people can see themselves on stage?” Chameleon Village, founded by Jones in 2015, focuses on site-specific theater aimed to connect residents to public spaces through art. Much of her work is informed by this process of interviewing and collaborating with the people living in the areas she is producing work about. “When I was living in Macon, (Georgia,) I recognized there was a disconnect between people and public space and businesses,” Jones said. “Just the way people engaged in space was very strange to me and wasn’t happening in a way I thought it could. I didn’t have any money to have a theater space, so I was like, ‘I can make site-specific theater that really connects people to the places around them.’”
the physical infrastructure of the neighborhood and the social effects following its collapse, performed at Firestone Park’s community center. Prior to their companies’ residencies at Balch Street Theater, Gum-Dip was mainly performing at NACDC’s Exchange House and Backyard in North Hill, and Chameleon Village was performing at locations around the city relevant to the subject matter. While they still plan to have a presence in their usual spaces and perform outside the theater, a physical space will be useful for certain performances and rehearsals. “One of the things I realized early on is that if you’re going to do things outside, it is hard on the actors. Sunburn and exhaustion is a thing,” Jones said. “It’s going to be great to actually have a physical space because one of the hardest things about rehearsal is rehearsal takes a lot longer. I don’t know if it’ll change the work a lot, but it will be nice to have a home base.” Beyond their desire to foster experimental art, the four administrators want to tinker with what it means to lead an organization non hierarchically. “A lot of times boards of directors are pay-to-play and have major influence or power over how the organization runs,” Beck says. “For CATAC, our board is more of a sounding board, and our administrative leadership positions operate like horizontal
leadership. What I’m excited about with CATAC and our work is embracing the idea of a solidarity economy in terms of not distributing wealth or money or power because of someone’s position, but instead coming together to build each other up. The more each of us succeeds, we all succeed.” CATAC’s upcoming season, “Uncover, Discover, Recover” will feature 10 productions and events. Season tickets can be purchased at www.catac-akron.com. • Sept. 10-12, 2021: “HOME” by Chameleon Village Theatre Collective • October 9, 2021: CATAC Fundraiser • Nov 12-21, 2021: Brokers Without Borders by Gum-Dip Theatre • January 21-22: Work-In-Progress Three Countries, One Mother by Gum-Dip Theatre • February 21-March 13, 2022: Residency and Performance with Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards • March 5, 2022: Tedx Balch Street • Apr 21-May 1, 2022: Obnoxiously Unconstitutional by Akoben, Inc and Gum-Dip Theatre • Summer 2022: Untitled Community-Inspired Performance by QuTheatr • June 2022: Untitled Show by former members of New World Performance Lab • July 22 - August 14, 2022: Three Countries, One Mother by GumDip Theatre
Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com.
Though their companies are separate entities with distinct identities, all four note the importance of collaboration and support within Akron’s robust alternative theater scene. The artists have worked together on projects previously, such as a sitespecific performance rooted in Firestone Park titled “Into the Mold” about how the rubber industry shaped
thedevilstrip.com Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
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Left: Melissa Lyons looks forward to opening All Walks Yoga studio after receiving a Rubber City Match grant. Right: Lyons teaches Sunday morning class at the Rialto Theatre in Kenmore.
pose for 3 minutes, so I want you to hold it at only 75%. If you need to come out of the pose, it’s fine to take a break and come back in,” she adds assuringly. One of Lyons’s regular Sunday students, Rebecca Rak, said she had dabbled in yoga before but never on a regular basis. “A lot of the normal yoga classes seem very intimidating. I was always unsure if I was doing the pose right. My body is a little larger than the stereotypical yogi, I would think, so I had issues reaching some of the poses, and then also just feeling comfortable in that space,” Rak says. But she’s been a regular at Lyons’s Sunday morning class since May.
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100-degree Vinyasa powering through the poses. You can get the same benefit… It’s movement linked to breath and you can do that in so many different ways,” Lyons says. According to the Accessible Yoga Association, accessible yoga serves people with disabilities, disease and illnesses, LGBTQ people and ethnic and racial groups.
concept of “accessible yoga” after her own practice had to change due to major back surgery. After falling in love with yoga in 2016, Lyons needed a spinal fusion, her third surgery due to scoliosis.
Accessible Yoga is a concept that began about three years ago. Several books have been written and become popular in the industry, and new certifications are becoming available through the Yoga Alliance.
“It knocked me out of the yoga game for a while… My spine can’t do the things a normal person can,” she says. When she got back into yoga right before the pandemic, she knew she wanted to not only teach, but to bring accessible yoga to Akron, and specifically Kenmore. She got busy and wrote her business plan while at a yoga training retreat in April.
Currently Lyons teaches a weekly Sunday morning class in borrowed space at the Rialto Theatre in Kenmore. While applying for the Rubber City Space Grant and scouting locations for her own studio, she and her fiancé, Matthew Hirschfelt, have been attending community events, doing chair yoga demonstrations to generate interest.
The goal of All Walks is to provide classes that make yoga accessible to everyone, with individualized modifications taught for those with physical limitations or differentlyshaped bodies.
“I started doing teacher training and I really felt drawn to bringing yoga to people who might not find it very accessible, like people who have differently-shaped bodies or ailments or other things going on. They might need different poses or props or things like that. And I knew that the studios in this area didn’t offer that,” she says.
Observing Lyons at her Sunday class at the Rialto, it becomes apparent that teaching is her passion — her full-time job is teaching third grade at Harris-Jackson CLC in Akron — and she has the kind of patient demeanor that wins the respect of 9-year-olds as well as yoga beginners.
Lyons began studying the new
“Yoga doesn’t have to be 60-minute,
Y
oga is an ancient Indian practice of self-realization that has provided great exercise for many—particularly those among us who are lean and flexible. But for others, it can feel like an exercise in futility. Intimidating poses with Sanskrit names scare many a beginner away, resigned to the idea that they’re just not built for the practice. But there’s a new yoga in town. Melissa Lyons of Kenmore was awarded a Rubber City Match Level II Space Award, a grant from the city of Akron that will help her acquire studio space and expand her new venture, All Walks Yoga.
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“She (Lyons) very much encourages people to listen to their own bodies and take modifications. She really makes people feel comfortable and still encourages movement in a way that’s going to be healthy for them,” says Rak. And Rak says the class has made an impact in her daily life. “I play softball and broomball and I’ve noticed that I’m much more flexible and less sore throughout the day because I’m stretching and moving in a focused way.” She has also found that regular yoga has helped in reducing what used to be chronic back pain. Lyons is back in her third-grade classroom at Jackson-Harris now but dreams of operating her own yoga studio full-time. “I love teaching, and it’s still a form of giving back to the community. We are very honored to have been chosen by RCM and excited about the road ahead.” All Walks Yoga can be found online at www.allwalks.yoga. Diane Kilivris is a freelance writer living in West Akron. When not working, she can be found on the tennis court or obsessively knitting in a cozy chair.
“We’re going to do something a little different this week,” Lyons tells her yogis. “We’re going to hold each
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Member Spotlight
The Devil Strip is co-owned by more than 900 Akronites! To join, visit https://thedevilstrip.com/be-a-member.
Barbara Minney BY ALLYSON SMITH, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER “A wife, a poet, a writer, a public speaker, and a quiet activist,” is how Barbara Minney describes herself. Barbara transitioned at 63 years old and has been married to her wife for almost 40 years. A few years ago, they presented a workshop on transitioning while married.
Akron Glass Works provides creativity and thrills. BY KEN EVANS FOR TDS PHOTOS BY H.L. COMERIATO
I
n an old stone church just behind The University of Akron is the city’s only public hot glass studio, Akron Glass Works. Founded in 1998 by Jack Baker, the studio showcases the practical and ethereal artistry of glass as well as a retail space, hands-on classes, and one of the more unique event venues in the area. Inspired by seeing an exhibition of world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly at the Akron Art Museum, Jack became deeply interested in the medium, going as far as traveling to Seattle to visit Dale Chihuly’s main studio. The artistry of Chihuly affected Jack on an almost spiritual level. “[I] emotionally got carried away with it, and I knew I wanted to bring it back home Akron.” Already the owner of Architectural Greenery, a company that places and maintains plants in professional settings, Jack first approached glass art as a hobby. To learn the basics, Jack signed up for a glassblowing course at Canada’s Rudolf Steiner College. He developed the skills and knowledge he needed to open a studio in Akron and teach others about the art. Expanding out of his space for Architectural Greenery in the Northside area near Luigis, he grew Akron Glass Works into a premiere hot glass studio. Over course the of 20 years, the studio came to be a business equal to
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his plant business and it became increasingly clear that he needed to expand. Jack left his Northside studio and secured the old church at 421 Spicer Street, tripling his available space, and created a new use for one of Akron’s beautiful old churches. The Spicer Street location offers multiple glass workshops, gallery space, a retail shop focused on work by local artists, and even room for weddings or other events. Today, Akron Glass Works supports six trained glassblowers and full-time administrative staff. Jack says he likes to tell people who visit the glassworks, “the glass blowers are really lucky that I'm here and I'm really lucky that they are.” Visitors can watch the artists through large windows and experience the swiftness and precision needed to sculpt molten glass confidently. With only a few specialized tools, bits of colored glass, and thick wet cloths, these artists can create everything from beautifully colored glassware to intricately detailed chandeliers. And while it is wonderful to watch the glassworking firsthand, few things are as unforgettable as actually shaping the glass yourself. Akron Glass Works classes are thrilling and creatively satisfying. Few artistic endeavors feel less safe than glasswork. The heat of the furnace alone is the type of heat you can
feel deep in your chest and instantly inspires caution. But once the molten glass is removed, you are guided through steps to shape the glass, effortlessly moving and shaping a material generally thought of as the very definition of fragile. Akron Glass Works offers classes for those 15 and older in glass blowing, glass fusing, and even private events for groups. They plan to open a space to do glass beadwork and the creation of glass lamp covers. September is the start of their glass pumpkin season, where students can learn how to make a decorative pumpkin. It’s Akron Glass Works’ most popular class, with almost every weekend September through November booking quickly. “It's not really all about how pretty of an item you're going to get. It’s the experience of the different steps involved that a glassblower would go to though to make something,” he says, adding with a smile that the instructors are mandated to make sure the pieces do come out looking nice.
Akron Glass Work Team transitioned to TikTok, a popular platform that focuses on short creative videos, with a page that now boasts 1.2 million followers, over 19 million likes, and hundreds of millions of views. “It's been, you know, quite a win-win situation for us... and keeps us really current to young people,“ Jack says. You can visit Akron Glass Works, Tuesday through Friday: 10 am to 6 pm or Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm. The studio is located at 421 Spicer Street. More information can be found by calling 330.253.5888 or going to their website https:// www.akronglassworks.com. You can also find them on social media @akronglassworks and you can find their TikTok page here https://www.tiktok.com/@ akronglassworks.
Barbara is also an accomplished poet. “Simultaneously, with my transition, I began writing my first collection of poetry, which was entitled, ‘If There’s No Heaven’, and it was the winner of the 2020 Poetry Is Life book award and was
published in May of 2020 by Poetry Is Life publishing — which is a local, Akron-based publishing company. It was also selected as one of the best Northeast Ohio Books in 2020 by the Akron Beacon Journal, so that kind of began my poetry career,” she explains. She was also interviewed by The Devil Strip in 2019.
“We did a lot of things, met a lot of new people, made a lot of new friends in the art and poetry community, and Akron gave us the opportunity to do that,” she says. “It’s a large enough community that we can have access to those things but it’s not so large that we feel intimidated like when we go to Cleveland.”
Barbara calls herself a “quiet activist”. “I don’t presume to advocate for all transgender women, but I certainly advocate for myself by the way I present myself in the communtiy and try to assimilate myself as a transgender woman and a speaker and a writer and a poet,” she says. Barbara and her wife have lived in Tallmadge for more than 25 years and her wife grew up in Akron. About a year before the pandemic, they made a resolution to experience more in the community and get out of their comfort zones.
When she’s not writing poetry or speaking publicly, Barbara has some unique hobbies. One of her favorite musical artists is Roswell Rudd, an avant-garde jazz trombonist. “[It] that drives my wife crazy, which might add to his appeal,” she laughs. Becoming a member of the co-op was important for Barbara. “I think it’s important to have a community-based newspaper like The Devil Strip and I’m happy to support it in any way that I can…
I love the contributions that The Devil Strip makes and I want to contribute to it in any way that I can. As a contributor, as a supporter, as a member, and also as a writer, an artist, a poet,” she says.
Summer Fun with TDS The Devil Strip gave away Rubber Ducks tickets to its members all summer. Here's a few pictures they shared with us. Stephanie Leonardi of the Summit Build Corp snapped these pics of kids having fun at the game. Want to join the fun? Become a member of the Devil Strip co-op here. https://thedevilstrip.com/be-a-member/
Ken Evans finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home.
While working with glass can be dangerous, Jack emphasizes that they take precautions to ensure students are safe and that anyone can do it. They keep the classes small and the instructors are always nearby. “I would just look at people and say, we're doing a slow dance, I got the lead,” he says. In an unexpected turn for Jack, Akron Glass Works has also found some viral social media success. Starting with live videos on Facebook, the
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
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Eviction moratoriums didn’t stop judges in one Ohio city from ousting hundreds from their homes
BY NOOR HINDI
A
mber Moreland wasn’t supposed to be getting evicted from her Akron home.
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For one thing, the federal government issued a pair of moratoriums on evictions during the pandemic. For another, the Akron Municipal Court adopted a rule early last year saying it would no longer allow landlords whose properties weren’t registered with the city and the county to give renters the boot. But there was Moreland one morning this spring, her face pressed close to her phone, logging onto a Zoom hearing in which the judge, Magistrate Kani Hightower, would decide whether she would stay or go. The property manager, Gary Thomas, who was also the landlord’s father, was in the Zoom hearing, too, along with the Thomases’ attorney. Last year, Moreland, a nursing assistant juggling part-time jobs at various care facilities in the area, had been forced to make a difficult choice that threatened her family’s fragile stability just as the pandemic hit. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 between nursing homes, her employers said she could work at
only one location, effectively slashing her hours. She chose the one where her mother was in hospice care, dying from a heart condition. By August 2020, Moreland stopped paying her full rent of $800 a month. An eviction summons followed in February. Moreland was exactly the kind of person whom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was trying to help when it ordered a stop to evictions last fall, a policy the Biden administration has extended until October in much of the country. She was an essential worker reeling from the economic and emotional traumas of the pandemic. Akron exemplified the kind of community that needed the moratoriums most; even before COVID-19 arrived, it had the worst eviction rate among Ohio’s large cities and one of the highest rates among big cities in the U.S., according to Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. But for Moreland and hundreds of other Akron-area tenants during the pandemic, the federal moratoriums provided little protection. Unlike the landlord, Moreland didn’t have a lawyer to defend her rights. In her Zoom hearing, her phone screen
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and audio weren’t working, which made it hard to explain her situation and understand what others were saying.
The hearing lasted 9 minutes, 53 seconds.
Hightower, the magistrate, didn’t ask how the pandemic had affected Moreland’s earnings, a key question that would have shown she was eligible for the CDC reprieve. Hightower also didn’t ask any questions about the elder Thomas, whose frequent battles with tenants and housing authorities the Akron Beacon Journal has extensively chronicled.
Throughout the pandemic, some variation of this story played out every week in the Akron Municipal Court and around the state. As COVID-19 swept through Ohio, sickening more than 1.1 million people, shuttering businesses and schools, and decimating livelihoods, the federal moratoriums and local rules designed to hold Akron-area landlords accountable failed to protect tenants from eviction and its life-altering consequences.
There’s another reason Moreland should have been protected: The house she was renting wasn't properly registered with the city and county. But the Akron court wasn't enforcing the rule against landlords the way it had said it would. Still, Moreland stayed calm, believing the CDC moratorium would protect her. Then the magistrate issued her ruling: The Thomases had prevailed. In a few days, an eviction notice would be posted on Moreland’s front door. If she didn’t vacate the property on her own, Hightower said, her belongings could end up “on the curb.”
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***
The Devil Strip and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting spent six months attending public eviction hearings at the Akron Municipal Court – which serves the cities of Akron and Fairlawn and several other towns in Summit County – to understand how landlords and the courts treated tenants during the pandemic. We observed a dizzyingly complex and opaque system that often led to a confounding result: Magistrate judges granted landlords the right to evict tenants, even when landlords didn’t follow the publicly stated rules and even when renters like Moreland The Devil Strip
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were the exact people the federal government was trying to prevent from being kicked onto the streets. In the Akron court, judges granted at least 665 evictions from April 2020 through this past March, not including cases filed before the pandemic, according to municipal court data. That’s an average of almost two tenants and families evicted a day in the midst of the biggest public health emergency in a century. In all, judges granted at least 42% of the nearly 1,600 evictions that landlords filed over that 12-month period. The first moratorium, passed by Congress in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, applied to tenants and landlords who received federal aid, such as government-subsidized rent or mortgages; it lasted about four months. The second one, ordered by the CDC in September out of fear that forcing large numbers of Americans from their homes would be catastrophic for public health, was much broader, though still not as sweeping as it seemed. There’s no question the federal measures had a big impact in the Akron area: Eviction filings fell steeply from 2019, when 2,147 petitions were filed, according to the court. But the pandemic-era numbers still dismayed James Hardy, who until recently was Akron’s deputy mayor for integrated development. He criticized the court for not doing more to help vulnerable tenants stay in their homes while giving landlords the benefit of the doubt. “The Akron Municipal Court doesn’t take the eviction problem seriously,” he said. “They’re more concerned about not making anyone angry than they are about really being partners on addressing this issue.” Hardy said city officials had assumed
the CDC moratorium in particular was “ironclad.” “With everything going on,” he admitted, “we dropped the ball.” The Devil Strip and Reveal emailed detailed questions to the Akron Municipal Court and reached out numerous times to discuss our findings. The court’s spokesperson, Nicole Hagy, did not respond. The court had adopted a regulation, known as Rule 29, just before the pandemic that should have helped tenants such as Moreland. Under the rule, landlords seeking to evict a tenant in Akron are required to provide proof that the property is registered with both the city and Summit County; if the property is outside the city, it must be registered with the county. If a rental isn’t registered, landlords must submit proof they’re exempt. “Noncompliance … shall result in the dismissal of the complaint,” the rule states. The rental registries are meant to help housing officials keep tabs on landlords. But landlords often failed to register with little or no consequence. The court’s new policy was announced in a press release March 9, 2020, a few days before COVID-19 sent the country into lockdown. Then magistrates decided not to follow the rule once the pandemic hit. But The Devil Strip and Reveal could find no public statement announcing the change of plan. Our analysis found that during the pandemic, magistrates granted evictions in at least 148 cases in which landlords did not submit the proper registration documentation, according to hearing records. One of those cases was Moreland’s. During the hearing, the magistrate
A woman holds up a poster at a rally for housing reform in Columbus, Ohio, in June. (Photo credit: Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
confirmed that the run-down home she was renting was on the city registry. The court’s paperwork also said the landlord was registered with the county. But according to the Summit County Fiscal Office, that wasn’t true. Three Akron Municipal Court magistrates spoke last fall with The Devil Strip and Reveal in a joint interview and acknowledged that they hadn’t been following their own rule. Magistrate Angela Hardway said landlords had a hard time registering because government offices were closed, while city officials “were not prepared for how many people were going to suddenly start contacting them.” Instead, magistrates said, they were using the rental registries as part of the “weight of evidence” to determine a case’s outcome. “There’s a lot of weighing of credibility,” said Magistrate Thomas Bown, “you know, who’s telling the truth and who do you not believe.” Failure to register is often a red flag pointing to other problems with a landlord, magistrates said. Hardway also drew a distinction between the court’s rules and statutory law. For example, she said, the law clearly says tenants can’t be evicted if they haven’t received proper notice of the eviction. By contrast, Rule 29 isn’t the same type of legal mandate, she said. “There’s a requirement for them to be registered. There’s nothing in the law that says, because they’re not registered, we have to dismiss their case.” ***
Amber Moreland’s son helps move a mattress out of their Akron rental house. (Photo credit: Noor Hindi for Reveal)
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Want to fight your eviction? Here’s what you can do
before the pandemic.”
Tens of thousands of renters elsewhere in Ohio have also faced the threat of eviction during the pandemic, with more than 68,000 filings in 2020.
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Akron-area residents feel the housing instability acutely. In community dialogues sponsored by a local media collaborative in 2019 and 2021, residents said safe, affordable housing is essential to improving quality of life – but there was a growing perception that Akron was moving in the wrong direction. They told reporters of tension among homeowners, renters and unseen landlords and a belief that too many landlords didn’t care about building a stable community. So the collaborative – comprising the Akron Beacon Journal and The That’s down 36% from 2019, Devil Strip newspapers, WKSU public according to data from the Ohio Supreme Court. However, it’s unclear radio, News Channel 5, the Kent how many have actually been evicted, State University Collaborative News as neither the court nor the Eviction Lab, Reveal and the Your Voice Ohio statewide media partnership – is Lab track that data. working with residents and advocacy groups to explore what’s wrong and Housing advocates say the state’s historically landlord-friendly laws have what can be done. always tipped the scales in favor of As part of that effort, The Devil Strip landlords. and Reveal attended more than 130 online eviction hearings during the In Ohio, for example, property pandemic. We discovered that Akron owners are required to give only three days’ notice to evict a tenant tenants like Moreland didn’t just slip through the cracks in eviction court. for nonpayment of rent, whereas They encountered a system that was in neighboring Indiana and fundamentally unequal. Pennsylvania, the minimum notice is 10 days. Some states mandate as Most landlords in the hearings had much as 30 days. lawyers, but Ohio – along with almost every other state – doesn’t There was also resistance among give tenants the right to counsel paid Ohio lawmakers, businesses and for by taxpayers. In the proceedings some courts against strengthening we observed, fewer than 5% of protections for renters affected by COVID-19 or clarifying the inevitable tenants had an attorney. conflicts between the CDC order and state law. Ohio was among just seven Tenants also suffered from a lack states that didn’t pass some version of access to technology. Unstable of its own moratorium, according to Wi-Fi connections sometimes pushed a recent study. And real estate groups renters out of their own hearings. in the state aggressively fought the In one proceeding last fall, a tenant got through most of his testimony, CDC edict, arguing that the public but when the time came for followhealth agency had overstepped its authority. A Cleveland federal judge up questions, his Zoom crashed and ruled in their favor in March, further he couldn’t figure out how to log on again. In her virtual courtroom, undermining the moratorium’s Magistrate Jennifer Towell tried impact. to keep the proceedings moving, Just getting reliable court data about attempting to ask the man if he’d paid his rent until she realized she’d the number of evictions in Ohio’s major metro areas is difficult to nearly “lost him.” Seconds later, she asked impossible, our investigation found – her bailiff whether the tenant had hampered by inconsistencies in record called back into the courtroom before stating, “I do think I have enough keeping and official resistance to testimony.” Then she granted the public scrutiny. eviction. The upshot, said Emily Benfer, a That rushed pace was not an housing law expert and visiting exception. By their own estimate, professor of law and public health at Wake Forest University: Ohio “has Akron magistrates heard as many as made it very easy for tenants to be 15 to 20 cases per two-hour session, evicted throughout the pandemic and allotting an average of six to eight
WRITTEN BY GRACE OLDHAM, ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NOOR HINDI Akron Municipal Court magistrates granted hundreds of evictions throughout the pandemic. The Biden administration’s latest eviction order gives renters in areas where COVID-19 infections are at “substantial” or “high” levels another reprieve until October 3. As of this writing, Summit County is experiencing substantial community transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But it’s unclear how this new extension will be implemented, and many more people could lose their homes in the coming months. As part of our Home in Akron reporting collaboration on housing instability in Akron, we’ve spoken with housing experts, tenant advocates, attorneys and magistrates about the problems renters encounter during the eviction process. Here are some strategies that experts say can help. Seek legal representation. Ohio law doesn’t require that tenants have a lawyer, nor does it make any provision for helping pay for one. But consulting an attorney is the most important thing a tenant can do to avoid eviction, said Andrew Neuhauser, a managing attorney at Community Legal Aid. National and local data is clear, he said: Tenants with a lawyer are much more likely to have a successful outcome or work something out with their landlord. Early analysis of a new right-tocounsel program in Cleveland found that 93% of tenants with legal representation in court were able to avoid eviction. And it’s important to act early. Contact a private attorney or a local legal aid organization (list here) as soon as you receive notice of your eviction. Even if you don’t end up having a lawyer at your hearing, reaching out can help you get access to vital information and resources and facilitate communications with your landlord. Contact your landlord. It’s important to communicate early
thedevilstrip.com Akron’s Community-Owned Magazine
and often throughout the eviction process, advocates say. Notify your landlord when you apply for rental assistance, and discuss any changes in your ability to pay rent as soon as you can. Are you borrowing money from your family or returning to work soon? Tell your landlord. In the best-case scenario, you may be able to come to an agreement and avoid having to take the case to court. Apply for rental assistance and submit a CDC declaration. If your landlord is evicting you for nonpayment of rent and you’ve been financially harmed by COVID-19, apply for rental assistance as quickly as possible. Emergency programs such as Summit County Cares can assist with rent or utility payments and, in some cases, evidence of your application alone can help your case in court. Although it’s still unclear how the new CDC order will be applied in Summit County, also be sure to submit a signed declaration form to the court stating that you qualify for coverage. Send in all your documentation ahead of time. This includes copies of your lease, canceled checks, written communication with your landlord, the CDC declaration and proof that you’ve applied for rental assistance. You can mail this information to the Clerk of Courts at 217 S. High Street, Room 837, Akron, Ohio 44308, or email it to smallclaims@akronohio. gov . Either way, be sure to include your full name, case number, hearing date, and the fact that yours is an eviction case. Show up to your hearing. Regardless of whether you are able to secure legal representation, it’s important not to skip your court appearance. Tenants who don’t show up forfeit their ability to plead their case. Without the tenant present, key elements of the case — such as whether the landlord properly served the three-day eviction notice — are based on the landlord’s word. “You have nobody to dispute [whether]
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what the landlord is stating [is] factual,” Magistrate Angela Hardway said last fall. In the more than 130 hearings we observed, whether or not a tenant was present made a significant difference in the outcome. When the renter was in attendance, magistrates granted roughly half of the evictions. Among tenants who didn’t show, 88% lost their home. Make sure you have access to a reliable phone or computer and Wi-Fi. If you don’t have the necessary technology, call the small claims/ evictions office at 330-375-2285 as soon as you receive your hearing notice to see if you can use a courtprovided laptop at the courthouse. (You should call at least three days before your hearing; don’t be deterred if you have to leave a message.) The notice will include instructions on how to access Zoom as well as the meeting ID and passcode. Test your internet connection ahead of time and practice logging on. If you lose connection during the proceedings, immediately call the court (also at 330-375-2285 and tell the bailiff what happened. Know what to expect from the process. Magistrates may schedule 20 cases in a two-hour period, so you won’t have much time. The landlord’s side goes first, then the tenant. Be ready to give your testimony as clearly and concisely as possible, leading with the most important points. Did your landlord properly serve the three-day eviction notice? Are you aware that the property is not registered with the city and county? Have you applied for rental assistance? Do you have a lease? Keep digital and physical copies of important documents close at hand — even if you already submitted them to the court. When it’s your turn to speak, don’t hold back any information that you think could be relevant. What you say now might make all the difference in whether the judge grants or dismisses your case.
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WE’VE GOT BOLD GOALS. HELP US GET BIG RESULTS.
minutes per case. “It’s not so much a court as it is like a massive cattle call,” said Graham Bowman, an attorney at the Ohio Poverty Law Center, which advocates for lowincome residents at the state and federal level.
We’ve got Bold Goals for our community. We’re working to boost third grade reading, raise high school graduation and college/ career readiness rates, financially empower residents and fight the addiction crisis. Improving our community isn’t easy. It takes hard work, courage and commitment. It takes people like you.
To learn how you can turn Bold Goals into Big Results with your United Way, visit
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And like Moreland, many of those sent to eviction court were Black women. It’s a phenomenon researchers have noted around the country. “Evictions are to Black women what mass incarceration is to Black men,” said Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, a social epidemiologist at The Ohio State University who is studying the health effects of evictions on families. “Black men are locked up, Black women are locked out of their housing.” In their joint interview, magistrates acknowledged the difficulties many tenants faced during the pandemic and pointed to steps they took to make the process less daunting – for example, having a bailiff on hand to act as tech support during hearings and allowing people, under special circumstances, to either call in for their hearing or come to the courthouse to use a court-supplied laptop. The online hearings actually made it easier for tenants to show up and defend their interests, Hardway said. Andrew Neuhauser, a managing attorney at Community Legal Aid who handles cases throughout the region, said the Akron court showed flexibility toward renters in ways that some other local jurisdictions didn’t. “The judges and magistrates have been very willing to give tenants an opportunity to access rental assistance funds and to stay in their house using the CDC moratorium,” he said. “There are other jurisdictions nearby – it could just be on the other side of the street for some people – where they don’t have those same protections and the judges and magistrates are less willing to work with them.” But the municipal court also sometimes changed plans without informing the public – and not just about Rule 29. In November, for example, a COVID-19 exposure in the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center prompted the municipal court to declare via press release that all eviction hearings would be postponed until after Jan. 1, 2021. The new rule would have halted dozens of scheduled hearings.
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But a few days after the announcement, the court quietly resumed virtual eviction hearings, without issuing a new press release or other public notice. Magistrates allowed cases to proceed, but only if both the tenant and the landlord appeared – again, without explaining the revised temporary policy. As a result, some tenants who showed up to their hearings were inadvertently punished, while renters who stayed away got a reprieve. Akron magistrates did not respond to follow-up questions about why evictions resumed but the public wasn’t informed. *** Amber Moreland has been to eviction court at least four times in recent years. A native of Canton now in her late 30s, she’s endured many other struggles as well, including bouts of homelessness and battles to regain custody of her kids. But she never gave up. “At times, it felt like I did, because (I was running) into a brick wall,” she said. “Sometimes, it felt like it (wasn’t) moving. But I was really moving that wall the whole time.” Moreland thought she’d finally cleared the wall in the winter of 2019. Her nursing assistant jobs provided her with steady income. The custody fights had quieted down. The three-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood not far from Akron’s downtown was another fresh start. She fell in love with the big backyard, imagining family barbecues and long summer nights around the firepit. As she surveyed the expanse of grass from her porch, the “clear, open view” gave her hope.
“If it rained, it rained inside my room,” Moreland recalled a few days after her March eviction hearing. “Not even drips. It was, like, literally water coming in my room.” Other parts of the house weren’t much better. “The bathroom walls would sweat, like they were crying.”
the coronavirus arrived, upending Moreland’s job along with so much of her life. The financial and emotional stresses of caring for her parents, her kids and her patients – COVID-19 was spreading through the nursing home where she worked – often felt overwhelming.
According to court documents, the property owner was Lee Thomas. But the person who took Moreland’s rent and responded to her requests for help was Lee’s father and property manager, Gary. Over the years, the elder Thomas has had many run-ins with local housing agencies over the poor condition of his rental properties, and he listed nearly $800,000 in unpaid property taxes when he filed multiple bankruptcy cases in 2018. Housing code enforcers and county tax collectors have filed numerous actions against him and his properties, and he was the target of Ohio’s first-ever joint effort by a county auditor, land bank and prosecutor to collect a public debt.
As money became tighter and tighter, the choices grew harder and harder: Pay her rent, fall behind on gas and electricity and risk losing her kids again, or keep the lights on and make partial payments to Thomas whenever she could.
Almost all of Thomas’ tenants in Akron were low-income, the Beacon Journal reported, and they often complained about the conditions in which they were forced to live. Moreland said she contacted Gary Thomas about the leaks numerous times, but after waiting in vain, she called city officials. After that, Moreland said, Thomas patched the roof, though she still had a hole in her bedroom ceiling from the water damage. By February 2020, Moreland began running up against the brick wall again. First, her mother’s deteriorating health pushed her into a long-term care facility; Moreland’s father was ailing as well. Then
“As much as I could, I made sure if I got any piece of change, I gave it to Mr. Gary,” she said. “I’m going to feed my kids, I’m going to make sure lights, gas and electric is on in here before I give you something. But Mr. Gary didn’t see it like that. It was more or less like, ‘Well, you paid gas and electric and bought food. You couldn’t give me rent?’ ‘No, because I don’t have any rent to give you. If I’m telling you the only thing I got is $300 to give you, take the $300. At least I’m giving you something and not nothing.’ ” The Devil Strip and Reveal contacted Gary Thomas three times by phone. He declined to be interviewed, saying he’d had enough trouble with the city. “I think I’ll pass,” he said when pressed for comment. After six months of not paying her full rent, Moreland received the notice she’d been dreading: Her landlord had filed a court petition to have her removed from the house. *** When the CDC halted evictions last year, the federal government didn’t
But it didn’t take long for Moreland to realize that her new home was not the haven she’d been longing for. There was the broken screen door that wouldn’t open, the sunk-in bathroom floor, the tub that wouldn’t drain. Worst of all were the leaks that forced her to set up buckets around her bedroom.
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issue a lot of guidelines about how the moratorium should be enforced; many of the details were left to states to work out. “Local courts and even different judges within those courts were coming to wildly different conclusions about what things mean,” said Bowman of the Ohio Poverty Law Center. The Akron court required tenants who hoped to benefit from the moratorium to do one of two things before their hearing: Either sign a declaration stating that they’d lost income because of the pandemic or apply for rental assistance under the CARES Act. But tenants who didn’t have lawyers or computers frequently didn’t know the rules or understand which approach might be best for someone in their circumstances. In Moreland’s case, a signed declaration could have been enough to stop the eviction. But she didn’t submit one to the court. Instead, she focused on trying to get CARES Act money. And that’s when she encountered an especially frustrating Catch-22. The problem was that in order to benefit from CARES Act assistance for tenants, properties had to be listed as a rental unit on the county rental registry. Because Moreland’s house wasn’t registered with Summit County, she wasn’t eligible. Still, through it all, Moreland said she kept being reassured that she couldn’t be evicted.
When she called a lawyer for advice, he told her not to worry, she said: Not only was she clearly covered by the CDC moratorium, but because the property wasn’t properly registered, she was also protected under the court’s Rule 29. When she called 211, a hotline that provides information and referrals for things like rental assistance, the reasoning was similar, she said: They couldn’t find the property’s rental registration and thus couldn’t help her, but because she couldn’t be evicted, there was no reason to panic. Moreland panicked anyway, calling a homeless shelter to try to line up a place to stay in case everyone was wrong. When she showed up to her hearing, she was without an attorney, CARES Act rental assistance or a signed declaration. It turned out Moreland’s instinct to prepare for the worst had been correct. Yet even the social services providers and advocates who were helping her navigate the system couldn’t believe it. She called back one of those providers, and the woman who answered the phone was astonished. She went to get her supervisors. “I heard the supervisor, like – ‘Amber, you mean to tell me right now, you just got out of court and they told you that you were evicted?’ ” Moreland responded, “Yes.” They were both stunned.
U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., stands outside the U.S. Capitol on July 31 to call on President Joe Biden and Congress to renew the expiring CDC eviction moratorium. Biden ordered a two-month extension Aug. 3. (Photo credit: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)
Anne E. DeChant Featuring:
*** Since Moreland’s hearing in late March, Akron eviction proceedings have continued over Zoom, with at least 100 additional tenants and families ordered from their homes. As the end of the CDC moratorium loomed in July, housing advocates were expecting the numbers to soar. Their fears eased somewhat after the Biden administration reinstated the ban in parts of the U.S. experiencing “substantial or high levels of community transmission of COVID-19,” but the details of the new policy are fuzzy and legal challenges are expected. As of this writing, Summit County is experiencing substantial community transmission, according to the CDC, but it’s still unclear how the new order will be implemented. Meanwhile, the Akron City Council has passed two bills that could give renters facing eviction a reprieve. The first prohibits housing discrimination based on a tenant’s source of income. The other, known as “pay to stay,” will require landlords to accept any back rent they’re owed if the tenant provides the money before the eviction is finalized with the court. The good news for Moreland is that she wasn’t completely unprepared – while trying to figure out how to stop her eviction,
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JT’s Electrik Blackout Serrin Joy, American Idol contestant The Rhondas
she had already done the legwork required to find a new place to live. And the new house is properly registered, so the landlord is eligible to receive rental assistance from the government, should Moreland ever again need to access those emergency funds. She and her family were ready to move on.
2 p.m. on the grounds of the John Brown House Come rock for equality, freedom, voting rights and progress at a special fund-raising concert!
It was the evening before the deadline she’d been dreading, April 19. Between working, taking classes at Stark State College and caring for her kids, she’d struggled to find time to pack. A nationwide outage on the U-Haul website presented another unexpected crisis. But Moreland got through it. “It’s just staying focused and taking everything one day at a time,” she said, watching her youngest son wrestle a mattress three times his size into a truck. “What happened yesterday happened yesterday. I don’t wake up the next morning with what happened yesterday. I just wake up, and today is Monday. We are going to keep Monday as Monday.” Reveal fellow Grace Oldham and data reporter Mohamed Al Elew contributed to this story. It was edited by Nina Martin, Soo Oh and Andrew Donohue and copy edited by Nikki Frick. Noor Hindi can be reached at noor@ thedevilstrip.com Follow her on Twitter: @MyNrhindi. Editor’s Note: This story was produced with Reveal, from the Center of Investigative Reporting, as part of the “At Home in Akron” collaboration with Your Voice Ohio, the Beacon Journal, WKSU and WEWS-TV. This is the last piece for TDS by Noor Hindi, who joined us as a college student in April 2015, before she moved to Detroit for a new job.
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check on them after storms...I make sure they have clean water. I make sure they’re healthy, just like he did,” Steiner says.
In addition, the sheep and herding demonstrations can be seen at the historical society’s Family Fun Day. The history of Mutton Hill is discussed during tours of the mansion and the John Brown house.
Steiner’s husband, Christopher, and two historical society volunteers, Gina and Emily, also help care for the flock. The historical society hosted a few There are also a few people who live camps this year. One in particular is across the street from the mansion the Legacy Leader Camp with middle in Saferstein Towers that look out for school students from Akron Public the sheep and visit them often. Schools. Steiner uses the sheep and the dogs to teach qualities of The first four years of the sheep leadership in a creative yet thoughtful program, the historical society kept way. Dorset sheep. This breed looks like a typical sheep and shares ancestry New groups of people, both those with the Merino-Saxony breeds that who love the sheep and those who were originally cared for on Mutton adore the working dogs, have been Hill. attracted to the historical society.
The sheep of Mutton Hill being herded by Lincoln the border collie
Flock of sheep on Mutton Hill continue to tell the story of Akron BY MELANIE MOHLER FOR TDS PHOTOS BY MELANIE MOHLER
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riving down Copley Road as it turns into South Maple Street, you may notice the sign for the Simon Perkins Stone Mansion and wonder why it has a sheep on it. If you look closer in the summer months, you may even see a small flock beyond the property’s stone fence. Why are there sheep outside a historic mansion managed by the Summit County Historical Society? You could say it’s history repeating itself.
nicknamed the area Mutton Hill. Perkins and Brown’s business became quite successful and produced awardwinning wool, which was recognized worldwide. Within the first two years, Brown was traveling extensively to the East Coast and Europe to sell their wool. “It’s been said that [Perkins and Brown] had the best wool East of the Mississippi River,” Neff Heppner says. The business venture ended in the early 1850s, as Brown wanted to move to New York to continue his abolition work.
Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, Colonel Simon Perkins and abolitionist John Brown were business partners in the wool industry. Between 1,300 to 1,500 MerinoSaxony sheep were kept on land owned by Perkins and were cared for by Brown, says Leianne Neff Heppner, President and CEO of the Summit County Historical Society.
More than 150 years later, sheep have returned to Mutton Hill thanks to the work of the historical society’s former board chair Dave Lieberth.
Perkins’ land, which included parts of what are today the Akron Zoo and Perkins Park, was rocky, hilly and not ideal for growing crops, but perfect for keeping sheep. Neighbors
The project was a success and sheep returned to Mutton Hill during the summer months in 2016. The historical society partnered with The Spicy Lamb Farm to borrow lambs for
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The sheep first reappeared at a popup event during PorchRokr in 2014. Lieberth wanted to see how people would respond to sheep on the property.
the summer. The farm also connected the historical society to Edie Steiner, who is now the volunteer Shepherdess of Mutton Hill. Steiner, a music therapist for Akron Public Schools, was introduced to the world of sheep and herding several years ago through her first border collie Modibo. She says that the dog wanted to be an “urban herder,” meaning he would chase after cars. After taking Modibo to obedience classes, Steiner learned that giving him access to herding livestock could curb that dangerous behavior. Steiner connected with a local farmer who trained working dogs, such as border collies, which have thousands of years of instincts and natural ability to herd livestock. Brown likely used dogs to care for such a large flock on Mutton Hill, a tradition now carried on by Steiner. Today, Steiner has four border collies that regularly herd the sheep at Mutton Hill: Rudy, Luke, Lincoln, and Owen. Rudy is the oldest, having just turned 14 in August. Owen is the youngest of the group and is the namesake of John Brown’s father and also one of his sons. But Steiner does more than just conduct herding demonstrations with the sheep. “I go there every day, just like John Brown did, and I care for the sheep. I
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Last year, Steiner connected with a new farm and brought in a different breed of sheep, the Katahdin. Katahdin are hair sheep, meaning they do not produce wool and do not need to be sheared. This breed can come in many different colors, something that Steiner particularly liked about the breed. “We picked sheep that we thought were representative of the many different colors that represent the people of the city of Akron,” Steiner says.
teach about the flock, but also about John Brown, Neff Heppner says. Brown took great care of his flock in ways that were considered unusual at the time but are common practice today, such as keeping the sheep clean and caring for them if they were injured instead of letting them fend for themselves. She also notes that Brown supposedly knew all of his sheep by their faces and treated them as if they were his own children. Steiner reminds herself of Brown’s philosophy of animal husbandry when caring for the current sheep. “John Brown was really passionate about sheep that were happy and
healthy... So I think that it's my duty to make sure our sheep are well cared for,” Steiner says. Ultimately, the historical society hopes to keep Merino-Saxony sheep at Mutton Hill again as Perkins and Brown did. They would like to be able to keep a flock year-round, but that would require a barn during the winter months. Both Steiner and Neff Heppner would like to conduct more workshops and educational programming revolving around the sheep, not only for children but for adults as well. “[The sheep are] a fantastic
opportunity to bring history to the present, Neff Heppner says. You can learn more about the history and current events at Mutton Hill on the Summit County Historical Society’s website, summithistory.org and on their Facebook page. Goodbye to Ewe, the final event with the sheep at Mutton Hill for the season, will be held in late September or early October. Until then, you can visit the sheep for free during daylight hours. Melanie Mohler is a West Hill resident with a love for baking, cross-stitch and local history.
The historical society plans on hosting a special program where each of the ten sheep can be "adopted" for a fee which includes a small party with herding demonstrations, being able to name the sheep, a photo with the sheep and two Zeber-Martell ornaments that depict a border collie and a sheep in front of the Perkins mansion. The ornaments are also available for purchase in the historical society’s gift shop. Proceeds from the ornaments benefit programming on Mutton Hill.
This year, the historical society has tenThe sheep are a way to not only male Katahdin sheep. They were born between February and March earlier this year.
The sign for the Perkins Stone Mansion, located at the corner of Copley Road and South Portage Path
Neff Heppner says that one of Steiner’s goals is to educate people about the diversity of sheep. And there are many opportunities to do so with the Mutton Hill programming that the historical society offers. Mutton Hill Mondays and Working Dog Wednesdays are monthly events. The former program discusses the history of Mutton Hill while the latter talks more about herding dogs, with a focus on border collies. Farm Fridays, offered every week, are geared toward younger children and cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to the history of Summit county. The historical society has also partnered with the Akron-Summit County Public Library for “Stories with the Sheep,” another program aimed toward preschool through first grade students. “The sheep program...has allowed the historical society’s age range to drop dramatically,” says Neff Heppner.
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train station he slept at. That earlyin-life perseverance and ingenuity, he said, is what ultimately led to his career as an inventor.
Akron inventor seeks to inspire Black youth with his story BY ABBEY MARSHALL, DEVIL STRIP STAFF REPORTER
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hen Sonny Sneed was only six months away from graduating high school, he dropped out. That was in 1962: decades before he became an inventor in the late 1980s. But even then, he was no stranger to hard work. Growing up in what he describes as a “shack” without running water, he was used to working from a young age to provide for himself and his family. At only six years old, he started picking cotton in the fields of Montezuma, Georgia, a town so small at the time it wasn’t even listed on a map. What followed his dropout was a slew of restaurant jobs washing dishes. He could make a dollar an hour at most Akron-area restaurants, far more than the time it took to make $2.50 per 100 pounds of cotton in Georgia. Besides, his father didn’t send him to school in the nice clothes he wanted to wear, so he figured if he dropped out, he could make money to better dress himself. “You will never catch me dead in tennis shoes and blue jeans,” Sneed said. “You never know who you’re going to meet. That was something we learned down South: you may not have much, but how you carry yourself is everything.” Sneed is like that. His friends and colleagues all describe him the same
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way: “a character” who is passionate, driven and “has an opinion about everything.” Sneed first moved to Akron when he was 13 to live with his dad, who had left the South as part of the great migration to Akron to feed the rubber industry. He recalls the train ride north as his first time ever interacting with white people. His stint in Ohio didn’t last long before he returned to his mother’s home. “First of all, it was cold as hell,” he said with a laugh. “But I couldn’t stand all the fighting.” Growing up in a southern, predominantly Black town during the Jim Crow era, Sneed said he never before experienced prejudice before attending the integrated Akron middle school his father sent him to. “Down there, nobody was worried about ‘you Black, you white.’ I never experienced anything like it,” Sneed recalled. “The whites stayed on their side and we stayed on ours. Nobody bothered anybody. I didn’t — and still today don’t — understand what’s going on with people in this country. Why hate me?” So he returned to Georgia, picking cotton until he was 17, when he decided to return to Akron for his senior year at South High School. This time, he stayed for good. After he dropped out, his father kicked him out. He said he simply “wouldn’t give up,” maintaining several jobs and shining shoes at the
Though he said he never intended to be an inventor, his drive and problem solving accidentally brought him to it. In 1986, while working at a nut manufacturing company in Kent he had worked for since 1964, he conceived an idea to create a more durable and efficient tool to punch holes in metal: a method that is used in nearly any metal-produced product, from fences to cars to lamps to planes. The tool his company had used a conventional single tip that would precisely cut a clean hole in metal, but Sneed thought he could make it better. He worked with an engineer to create a prototype of a dual-tip punch, so when one head wore out, another one would be present to keep the job going. He patented the dual-tip punch in 1988, but he had difficulty securing financial backing and lacked the engineering expertise to produce the product more widely. Each tool he produced on his own cost him about $1,000. But he persevered, launching his company MOM tools. And though he worked with several companies that used his tool, he never achieved widespread success in the industry. “Regardless of success, he has done the journey and overcome it,” says Michael Kormushoff, Sneed’s longtime friend and former director of the Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at the University of Akron. Kormushoff, one of the founders of the local production company Moonlight Pictures, worked to create a trailer for a documentary about Sneed’s life they are working to pitch to executive producers. They hope to complete and distribute the project nationally. “Nothing is going to stop him from living, being positive, influencing young people. There’s tangible money thing, but there’s intangible things in life,” Kormushoff continued. “Sonny is an intangible success to living your life daily and the journey. It gave him the motivation every day to get up and go after it.” But Sneed does have one regret: not continuing his education. “I’m embarrassed by it, but I never
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even finished high school,” Sneed said. “In my opinion, education is the key to the Black race. Without education, we are not going anywhere.”
born before briefly transitioning to a for-profit organization. When the venture began to fail in 1991, Hal Walker, one of the workers at the store, urged a restructuring of the store back to a co-op before it was too late. They took his advice and by the following year transitioned back to the original model.
Now, Sneed seeks to inspire students to continue with their education, not only through traditional schooling, but alternative programs like trade schools and career-readiness programs. “I want to be a model to young Black kids. I want to show that you can be successful in something other than being an athlete or musician. Because for a lot of them, they see that as the only way to get out.” He works with Akron Public Schools, which has a 46.5% Black population, in whatever capacity he can: from speaking to classes to working with students. “For many of the students, seeing someone that looked like them and listening to his story and how he really stuck to his guns over many years and not giving up is a very relevant story for our youth today,” said David James, Akron Public Schools’ superintendent from 20082021. James attributes much of his career-readiness focus during his tenure as superintendent to working with Sneed.
Fifty years of food: Kent Co-op feeds the community BY DEREK KREIDER, TDS GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER PHOTOS BY DEREK KREIDER
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ifty years since their inception, Kent Natural Foods is still supplying Tree City residents with affordable, locally sourced food. Long time co-op member and volunteer Jeff Ingram is excited to be celebrating the store’s 50th anniversary.
“We sat down and had conversations about how we could retool our career“It’s super exciting because the store technical programs and he had some has grown [in] those 50 years,” ideas on how to get more students says Ingram, who’s been with the interested not just in strict career co-op since 1992, “and we’re still programming but this whole piece able to provide healthy food for the about entrepreneurship,” James community.” said. “Having those conversations with Sonny helped me solidify my Opened in 1971 as a part of the thoughts around what we could Kent Community Project— a reaction offer our kids and really focus on the to the murder of four Kent State creativity piece. They could actually students by the National Guard, create ideas and products.” according to Ingram — the co-op Sneed talks about founding his own trade school for adults looking for a career change or training in a specific field or the possibility of the Moonlight Pictures documentary sharing his story to inspire potential Black entrepreneurs like him. He believes that after being molded by a lifetime of hard work, triumph, hardships and success, anything is possible. Just not in a pair of jeans or tennis shoes. Abbey Marshall covers economic development for The Devil Strip via Report for America. Reach her at abbey@thedevilstrip.com.
used to be a much smaller operation. What’s now Kent Natural Foods co-op received help from the dozen people running a separately organized community store, though both the store and the co-op belonged to the Kent Community Project, according to a 1971 article by Bill Lazarus in the Daily Kent Stater. In lieu of selling from their own location, they distributed their goods at a coffee shop across from campus called the Needle’s Eye for no more than they paid for it. Now, in 2021, the co-op has its own location and a much larger
membership base. Ingram says there are currently around 2,000 members. Only some of them work at Kent Natural Foods. “Volunteer-wise,” Ingram says, “it ranges between 10 and 20.” Ingram sees this era of the co-op as a time rife with possibility. “In this day and age,” he says, “there’s so many more opportunities to expand into the community coming online.” Local farmers shifting to sustainable farming practices gives them options, for example. “We have a list of like five or six just local organic farmers that we can deal with, and that’s just great as far as creating a local economy,” says Ingram. In the beginning, the operation was more like a buying club, Ingram says. The workers at the store would take orders from people and fill them. “They would run up to the produce terminal in Cleveland on a weekly basis...and go pick up produce and bring it back here for distribution in Kent,” Ingram says. In a stark contrast to the past, the coop can now obtain speciality products on behalf of their shoppers. “If they have a special dietary need...we can get it for you,” says Ingram. In 1979, a group of workers got together with the idea of incorporating, and the modern version of Kent Natural Foods was
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“The people that were taking it over,” Ingram says, “were meeting right next door to where I was living on Lake Street, and we started to have regular meetings at their house.”Tracy Park Staam discovered the co-op while she was a student at Kent State University in the ’70s. Curiosity got her in the door, and when the co-op moved to its current location, she discovered something to keep her coming back. “I found out that they have great spices and grains,” Park Staam says “I always come back for those.” Kathy Wilen, another long time member, remembers the early days of the co-op as being much more disorganized. “It wasn’t consistent as to what they would have for sale,” she says. “It started out as kind of a real ’70s hippy dive at first,” Park Staam says, describing it as “grungy.” She’s enjoyed watching the store grow and change over the years. “It’s gotten larger, and it’s gotten neater and more organized,” with a greater selection of products, she says. “I’m glad it’s around. I’d feel sad if it ever left town.” Both Wilen and Park Staam recommend the store to others.
everything in the store. Bulk purchases are available for wholesale cost plus 25%, “so it’s really a great deal if you’re buying bulk or volume,” Ingram says. Combining membership with volunteer work nets even better deals. Every hour spent working at the co-op equals another 2% discount, up to 25% per month. Ingram has a number of things he hopes to see developed in the next 50 years of the co-op. For one, it’s been a dream to incorporate a vegetarian “healthy kitchen” into Kent Natural Food’s model. Despite local restaurants offering health conscious options, there isn’t one dedicated to serving locally sourced produce, according to Ingram. He hopes that one day the co-op’s healthy kitchen will fill that need in Kent. More community potlucks, cooking classes and additional involvement from local farmers with the co-op are on Ingram’s wishlist as well. “Maybe even a co-operative farm,” Ingram says, “where we’re able to get enough volunteers to work the farm,” stocking the store with the produce they harvest. The spirit of collaboration that carried the co-op through its first 50 years will need to echo through its next 50 years if it’s to continue, and Ingram encourages anyone who’s interested to get involved. “We’re always open to new ideas, and meeting new producers and farmers, even if it’s just a local greenhouse,” Ingram says. “Love to meet you, and get you to participate in our community as well.”
“I always find something interesting that I really needed when I go in there,” Park Staam says. Wilen appreciates the environmentally friendly options at Kent Natural Foods, as well as the knowledge that the food she’s buying is fresh. Membership comes with significant benefits. A 5% discount is automatically applied to
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Women Firefighters Get the Job Done at Akron Fire Department BY ABBEY BASHOR
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hen many people think of what it means to be a firefighter, words like strength, determination and masculinity often come to mind.
a private ambulance company that served AFD. She was interested in becoming a paramedic when she learned that working for the fire department, which requires full-time firefighters to be certified paramedics, was one of the highest-paid paramedic jobs in the area.
The idea that firefighting exists solely as a career for men is one that is not surprising to those within the field. Lt. Sierjie Lash has worked for the Akron Fire Department since 2003 and says that even in recent years, students and community members have told her that they’ve never met a female firefighter. In her role as AFD’s public information officer, Lash tries to bring visibility to the women who work throughout Akron’s 13 stations.
Lash joined Akron’s Station 9, where she worked for eight years. She was assigned to the ladder truck, though lieutenants often gave a rotation to crew members as long as staffing allowed. Lash says that having a rotation between working on the ladder truck, fire engine and medical unit ensures that everyone learns to do the job well.
“It will be a great day when you don’t hear that [women aren’t seen as firefighters],” says Lash. “Not because we want people to be quiet about it, but because it shouldn’t be true.”
In 2015, Lash and Danielle Michel became the first women promoted at AFD when they became lieutenants. At the time, Lash and many of her female colleagues were inspired by leaders like Brenda Chapman, the first woman and Black woman to be hired by AFD in 1985.
Lash first became interested in firefighting after working as an emergency medical technician for
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Lash says it’s important to highlight what women bring to firefighting.
“We can do anything the guys can do,” she explains. “We get the same training. We work the same 24-hour shifts. We have to do the same thing. There’s not a different set of rules.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 4% of career firefighters in the U.S. are women. When Lash was hired, she was one of six women in Akron’s department. Today, AFD has 18 female firefighters out of more than 350 employees — its highest number to date — and hopes to hire more women moving forward. While volunteer firefighters make up the largest group of firefighters in the country, AFD consists of career crew only. Like Lash, Janai Tony began her journey in firefighting as a local EMT. Over the past 10 years, she has completed her paramedic certification and written and physical testing to join AFD full-time. On a typical 24-hour shift, Tony will arrive at her station around 6:45 am. As the youngest person at her location, she is primarily responsible for starting the day by getting the newspaper and putting up the flag. Depending on whether she is working the med unit or the engine, she and her colleagues will take inventory of supplies and set up gear.
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They’ll also do radio checks and clean Wright is an EMT and studying each unit. to become a paramedic. She says that her work and study schedule is time-consuming, though worth “The goal of the day should be getting everyone on the same page every minute. When she’s not at the station or hitting the books, Wright and ready to work,” says Tony. is coaching a local club volleyball Tony’s station will average about 12 team where she hopes to inspire more young women to pursue their incoming calls per day. Once a call interests. comes in overhead, the clock will start and the crew sets in motion “I try to talk to my kids about joining putting on gear and assessing the emergency report. Upon arriving at a the department even though it might site, the team will evaluate the level seem like such a male-dominated of emergency and handle it according field,” she says. “I think that if more young girls are introduced to to protocol. [firefighting] and shown that women Tony says that in dealing with people are doing it, they would be more in critical situations, it’s important to inclined to pursue it as a career. I’ve be firm yet understanding. “A lot of always told them that if they think times, they think they are in the worstthey want to do something, go possible situation, so we also have to volunteer to check it out that way.” look at it from their standpoint,” she With the number of women says. firefighters in Akron gradually increasing, the need to maintain and In both handling emergency feature a diverse workforce remains situations and finding success in necessary. firefighting, Tony believes that women should not be afraid to give Lash hopes that as COVID-19 begins their all. to subside, AFD will be able to reintegrate back into classrooms “Do not underestimate yourself in the strength that you have,” she says. and the community to continue its “The more that women are out on education and outreach programs. calls, the more people realize that we are firefighters as well. Don’t be afraid of the hard work.” Aireka Wright is embracing this challenge as she trains to become a full-time firefighter. After earning a college degree and working for Akron’s recreation department, Wright saw a listing to take the AFD test and was immediately interested. After her family experienced a house fire in Akron a few years ago, Wright saw the listing as an opportunity to be part of a workforce that saves lives. She has also been an athlete throughout her life, and the commitment to lifelong physical training was a transferrable quality she could bring to AFD. “I definitely pushed myself when it came to getting ready for this job,” says Wright. “Coming in, you might not naturally be able to lift or throw a ladder, so you have to find the techniques that enable you to do that skill.” Wright trains almost daily with her male colleagues, who she says are like brothers helping her to push further. “They’ve always been helpful in making me better and teaching me new skills. Hopefully, I can teach others in the future,” she says.
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Along the way, it will be important to expand gender and cultural inclusivity. “The career of firefighting, I think, is an exploration of diversity,” says Lash. “It hasn’t quite arrived yet, but
it is opening up. Especially as Akron has become more of a welcoming community to our immigrant and refugee populations, our safety forces have to see the value of having a diverse workforce so that all of our community feels comfortable calling
on the resources they need.” Abbey Bashor is a freelance writer who enjoys community news, pop culture and a cup of tea rather than coffee.
The Buffalo Ryders are back with a new album BY EMILY ANDERSON FOR TDS PHOTOS BY ISAAC BIXEL / ALBUM ART BY JOE RISDON
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oe Risdon was still in high school in 2012 when he first put The Buffalo Ryders — name inspired by Niel Young’s band Buffalo Springfield — together with some friends. They wrote and recorded a sixsong album called Beefstock on his computer. It’s a solid album and sets a high bar for the rest of Risdon’s career.
NE Ohio Venues join together to require proof of vaccination at the door BY DEREK KREIDER, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER PHOTOS BY DEREK KREIDER
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ourteen locations across the region have banded together to announce that they will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for entry into events The group announced the policy on Aug. 18, and it goes into effect for all the venues involved no later than Sept. 7. Included in the announcement are Akron’s own Jilly’s Music Room, Musica, The Rialto Theater and arthouse cinema The Nightlight. A wave of announcements like these have recently swept through the entertainment industry, says Jilly’s Music Room owner Jill Bacon Madden. “A group about this same size in Nashville came out a week before us, the city of New Orleans came out, the entire bar alliance of San Francisco — which is about 500-plus bars — came out with one,” she says. “We
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were able to do some fairly decent benchmarking with other policies that had just been put into place to craft ours.” Though exact specifics will differ from venue to venue, each policy will follow the same basic template. “Basically, you walk in and you show either your proof of a negative test within either 48 or 72 hours of opening… Or you show your proof of vaccination,” says Bacon Madden. Proof may be provided physically or digitally. Photos of tests must be time stamped and vaccination cards must match the information on attendees’ government issued identification, she says. When the restrictions go into effect, or shortly thereafter, Bacon Madden says they’re going to begin using an app by Bindle that allows users to safely store their vaccination and test records on their phones. Andrew Wells, manager of Musica, says his decision to join the coalition in their announcement is driven by a concern for his audience. “The cases
are on the rise,” he says, “and we want to keep people safe.” “But I think it’ll make people feel confident that people are at least caring about their safety,” says Wells. “Some people who might not have come to a show because there’s so many people cramped together in a small room, maybe now they’ll feel a little more at ease to venture out of the house.” The Nighlight’s manager Jenn Kidd said that even with the facility’s new air purification system, the proof-ofvaccination or negative test for entry is necessary to keep their audience safe. “I know for a fact [our air is clean]”, says Kidd, “But even with that, I want to do whatever I can to mitigate risk.” Not everyone has received this news with grace. “We’ve had some really crappy social media comments,” Bacon Madden says. “Some of us have been threatened.” Despite the backlash, there has been an outpouring of positivity following the news. “There are probably 75% of the people, maybe 80, maybe even 85% of the people are really appreciative and are glad that we’re doing things like this to help keep people safe, and
September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
Risdon grew up with a love for blues and guitar and studied under local guitar legend Mike Lenz. He’s been the one constant member of The Buffalo Ryders — playing guitar, to help keep our venues safe,” Bacon singing, and writing the songs. He met his current bandmates, drummer Madden says. Mike Lupica and singer-bassist Kevin If another shutdown should happen, Bacon Madden says, there would be dire results “emotionally and psychologically” for communities if they lose what they’ve only just gotten back after over a year long drought. “We believe that we’re doing the right thing,” she says, “We believe that vaccinations are the way out of this pandemic.” The full list includes Cleveland’s Agora, Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Bop Stop, The Foundry, Grog Shop, Happy Dog, Music Box Supper Club; Lakewood’s Mahall’s, and The Winchester Music Tavern; Akron’s Jilly’s Music Room, Musica, The Nightlight, and The Rialto Theater; and the West Side Bowl in Youngstown.
McManus, through mutual friends in the local music scene. The trio released music they’ve been working on all year this summer with the album Where the Liars Go. It’s their first studio-produced album and the first album that features McManus. It’s also the first thing they’ve released since before COVID. While some of The Buffalo Ryders’ earlier albums have a mellow, almost beachy vibe, their later albums have a heavier metal influence. Where the Liars Go is the heaviest yet, with lyrics about the year 2020 to match the mood of the music. Risdon wrote the album with Lupica while cooped up at home in spring 2020. He finished the lyrics while camping with friends over the summer. He calls the album a reflection on the events of that year, observed from the outside. They didn’t move forward with it until they brought McManus on as a member of the band in December. McManus, who was a member of The Outside Voices and Nick WIlkinson & The Featured Players, brought with him a relationship with Neil Tuuri from Amish Electric Chair
Where the Liars Go is a heavy, methodical, lineup of grounded songs that sound best when played loudly. The music is nofrills — straightforward guitar, bass and drums — with relatable, sobering lyrics about life, love, and the state of the world. It has a bluesy rhythm and persistent bass lines, sprinkled with ambient, expansive moments of clarity, rest, and stadiumworthy guitar solos. Classic Rustbelt Rock, if you will. Risdon describes his newest album as “kind of like a rollercoaster.” His favorite song to perform is Ghost because it offers a release from the intensity of the rest of the songs, and the audience sings along with the catchy lyrics.
The Buffalo Ryders had a record release show for Where the Liars Go at Musica in July 2021. Risdon says, “It was amazing. It felt more like it was for everyone than just us.” To see their upcoming shows, find The Buffalo Ryders on social media or go to their website www. thebuffaloryders.com. Listen to Where the Liars Go and the full discography on Bandcamp and Spotify. Emily Anderson has plants in every room of her house.
Main Event: Film Critic
Leonard Maltin Movies @Main
Leonard Maltin will reflect on the RAFF featured film Hal and Minter in addition to living — and thriving — with Parkinson’s disease.
In a call back to last year, Bacon Madden reminds us of the original plan: “We need to flatten that curve again,” she says. “We haven’t heard it in awhile, but we need to flatten the damn curve.” //Derek Kreider is distribution manager and general assignment reporter for The Devil Strip
Studios in Athens, Ohio. McManus, Risdon and Lupica spent a weekend in Athens tracking Where the Liars Go with Tuuri in February 2021. Risdon describes the experience, his first time recording in a studio, as “the best weekend of my life.”
September 30 6:30 pm Main Library Auditorium bit.ly/ascpl-maltin
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2021 AKRON RUBBERDUCKS SCHEDULE
Hell Van: The Motion Picture Soundtrack review: local artists bring back horror soundtrack BY MICHAEL ROBERTS FOR TDS PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROBERTS
P
ut on your Return of The Living Dead t-shirt and get ready to bang your head, the horror movie soundtrack is making a comeback! Kent multimedia collective The Slow Mutants and their leader Jorge Delarosa are putting the finishing touches on their latest movie, Hell Van, “about a van from hell and it’s in the vein of late 80’s action horror with some grindhouse elements,” Jorge says. To whet the appetites of their fans, they have unleashed Hell Van: The Motion Picture Soundtrack When the movie initially started coming together, the idea was to have a soundtrack of industrial music. As production started and local bands were being used as temp tracks, Delarosa quickly realized that the songs they were using were capturing the feel he wanted to achieve. His plan for a full-fledged soundtrack of new music by local artists was born. “Let’s record new songs by our friend’s bands and see if we can get them to write material for it,” Jorge says. Rather than having everyone record at different studios and send music
in, Jorge, producer Louis DelBene and engineer Bryan Wolbert built a full recording studio in his basement. The studio, now named The Spider Pit, is where most of the bands recorded their tracks in a brief period of time. “In one week, we recorded nine of the bands,” says Jorge. During the recording process, there was a camera crew on hand to film recording sessions and interviews with the bands. That footage will be edited into a documentary to be released alongside the film. “I think because we pretty much recorded everything here and had this cool party vibe going on as we recorded it, it really flows in an incredible way.” Jorge says. The soundtrack opens with an introduction to literal DJ from Hell, DJ Eve. Jorge explains that DJ Eve is his homage to 70’s classics The Warriors and Vanishing Point. Like in those films, she is “kind of narrating the film and what is happening.” After the opening track, the album slams into gear with “Doomsday Device” from Akron’s own powertrio Cheap Heat. The song is a sonic assault that sets the tone for the rest of the album. From there the album ventures into the psychedelic with False Positive’s “Rise of the Demon Dogs”. A
southwestern flavored interlude follows by The Hell Van House Band “Dark Side of the Saloon.” The song would fit in nicely in a Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino film. “The Providence'' by Book of Death brings a Bay area punk feel and “Good Friday'' by Feckweed imbues the album with their stoner rock style. Side one ends with one of three selections from the film score that are also on the soundtrack. Hardcore act Nervous Aggression kick off side two with their fittingly titled “Woke Up Raging” before Not This Body slows things down (temporarily) with the instrumental “Dust Wind Dude”. Akron hardcore band Wallcreeper provide the blistering “Hesitation Kills.” The track is followed by another of the selections from the film score. Next up is one of the standouts of the album. “Burning of the Last Pharaoh'' by progrock band The Horning Warning. It is a complex track with a haunting female vocal that brings another dimension to the soundtrack.
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The album roars along with “Who Drives the Hell Van?” by The Apocalyptic Fist of the Black Death. An incredibly layered song that has elements of Coheed & Cambria and King Diamond. After the last interlude from the film score, the soundtrack comes to a close with the song “Prologue” by the band ALBUM. Jorge says “That’s the only thing that wasn’t recorded specifically for Hell Van. It’s off of their EP Zepheniah. I fell in love with it.” Alongside the soundtrack is the film’s score by Sean Carlin and Billy Farkas. Carlin was part of Kent altrock legends DINK. In 2014, Jorge had produced a documentary about the band (Gangrene: The DINK Documentary) and remained friends with Carlin. Jorge convinced him and Farkas to score the film. The result is a score that ranges from serene to ghostly to cosmic. Listening to it, it is easy to imagine how it will help bring the movie’s terrifying visuals to life. The score is set to be released alongside the movie. As of this writing Hell Van is scheduled to premier at Halloween of this year. Hell Van: The Motion Picture Soundtrack is available now at theslowmutants.bandcamp.com Michael (he/him) is a lifelong resident of Highland Square, a performance artist, a traveler, a writer and a parttime mad scientist.
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Celebrating 10 years! The money work.
The Muse BY MARC LEE SHANNON FOR TDS HEADSHOT BY ANGELO MERENDINO
M
ost days, I get up very early. I make the usual pot of strong coffee in my french press, Martin the dog warming up to my side, letting me know his urgent need, and together we get another one started.
MUSIC + MESSAGES
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Never knowing what the day will bring, we both trust that there will be some inspiration. Something. Please and thank you to that magical, mysterious force of the creative person’s life—the Muse. The Lego blocks of our creative intuition and guidance brought to us by some unknown force that meets the blank canvas, the empty page, the new Protools session, and says: “Let’s begin; you won’t suck.” First, I set my intentions and start my pre-dawn meditations centered on reading trusted spiritual teachings. My well-worn books and journals include a few longtime favorites and a very special well-worn “libre” I have highlighted so often that the unmarked text stands out like a poorly dressed stranger in a gated community. I bow my head to a Higher Power, The Universe, God or Mother Earth, or whatever is in my conscious mindset, and I give thanks for another sunrise. I’m alive and sober for another day. Amen, and thank you. Then, as with every day, I begin my daily patient waiting for the Muse.
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In Greek and Roman mythology, the Muse were the 12 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne that presided over the arts and sciences. (And yes, I just looked that up to confirm spellings). The muse is that magical, out of nowhere inspiration that flows through us when we sit down to create. When we’re hoping for brilliance but settle for something that doesn’t embarrass us too much. That moment -- when creative mojo comes through, not from us -- makes it all worthwhile. After meditations, I get to work planning my day. In my Moleskin journal, I write the date with a Pentel Twist-Erase pencil. I love the feel of the graphite scratching the page. I first fell in love with that brand during my trips to the far East. Oh man, the joy of spending an hour in the massive section in that department store in Machida, Japan testing writing utensils. Yes, I’m a Pentel person, end of story. After capturing the date on-page, I always circle it with a blue highlighter to remind me that this is the only time I will live this particular moment in time and that I should pay attention. Those of us in the recovery community make a big deal of oneday-at-a-time living. It doesn’t suck to celebrate the moment and not miss things. Being here now and not living in the small rearview mirror is a practice I struggle with and must always remember not to forget. Next, I write two columns in that black hardbound graph paper-lined journal, two task-centered planning columns of intentions and purpose for this 24 hours. Life Work - The things that are important to my life. Family, exercise, social and emotional connections, learning and studying, and all the things that make this drive down life’s lane meaningful. Work Life - Stuff that is urgent in my freelance artist life that pays the bills. Practicing, writing, gigs, recording, podcasting, social media management and teaching schedules.
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And then, I get to work on the phone calls, emails, spreadsheets, Google Docs, lesson plans, gear prep, etc… you get the picture. I understate the time I sit with a guitar in hand or digits poised above the keyboard with my head cocked, staring off into space waiting for the moment of delivery of that lick, lyric, or laugh delivered in written line. Come on, Muse, right about now would be a good time... I get it done most days and when the pillows are calling is the time when I reflect and genuflect once again. The Muse shows up. That’s what happens when we let go and let life flow. When I learn, again, to get out of the way and float downstream in the ever-flowing current of creative joy. This much I know. The songs, the columns, the lessons with my students, the podcasts, and the gigs come and go. Beautifully formed and perfect with all the proper imperfections. I, and every other writer, know that it’s ass in the chair and shitty first drafts that make us. (Thanks, Anne Lamott)
satisfaction and tens of dollars if we are lucky (Ha). Most of us would not have it any other way. Why? Because when it’s the end of the night and I’m lying in bed, and the sound of the notes and the whispering words are still in my head, I am grateful. For one more day, one more chord, one more line of the verse. One more “I didn’t think I could do it, but I did” moment. I drift off to dream, and as I close my eyes, my last thought is of the morning and the hope for another day and another visit from the Muse. The song and the poetry of another day upright, another day saved by the sanity that comes to this journey of recovery by grace, and allows me the endless searching for the rhyme, the rhythm and the meter of life. Delivered just in time and with one more moment sublime by, The Muse. Steady on mls Reach Marc Lee Shannon at marcleeshannon@gmail.com. Listen to “Recovery Talks: The Podcast” from 91.3 The Summit at: www.recoverytalks.org, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Find his music on bandcamp.com.
The work and the art that the Muse sparks in me is never finished; rather it is gently abandoned and handed over to you all: the readers, the listeners, and the audience. Once it is in your hands, I no longer have any say. When you are thanking me for the work, I am thanking the Muse and maybe the Moleskin for keeping me on purpose. But, mostly, the angels of redemptive mercy that bring the notes to my hands and the words to the paper. They always show up. In the end, for most of us in the creative pursuit, the payoff for all this effort ends up earning tons of
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A national park teams learns how to use orange bathyscopes to study whether the Cuyahoga can support young lake sturgeon. (Photo credit: NPS / Ryan Grzybowski )
Scientists sort rare freshwater mussels collected on the Grand River for reintroduction on the Cuyahoga. (Photo credit: NPS / Ryan Grzybowski )
September Tarotscope BY ALLYSON SMITH, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER
I
n September, it’s going to feel like we’re heading back to school, whether we work from home, in an office, or simply haven’t been in school for years. This month, we’re here to learn. While we may think we’re living on a stable foundation, learning experiences may make you question whether this foundation is where you still need to be.
Beyond Our Wildest Dreams BY ARRYE ROSSER FOR TDS
I
magine the river in Cuyahoga Valley back in the 1970s. Detergent bubbles clogged the bend in Peninsula. Catching a carp near Station Road was considered lucky. On bad days, a funk hung in the air from Akron’s water treatment plant. Fast forward to today when bald eagles, otters, and great blue herons are regularly seen raising their young. Kayakers paddle the Cuyahoga River Water Trail past the site of former dams in Brecksville. Could it get any better? It just might. This year the national park and its partners began two projects that were unimaginable back in those early days. Both explore whether the river can now support some of Ohio’s rarest forms of aquatic life. The first is looking at freshwater mussels and the second at lake sturgeon. It’s easy to mistake our native mussels for rocks. However, their unassuming looks bely their importance—they are actually rock STARS. According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy, North America has the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world. The largest concentration is here in the Midwest. Unfortunately, mussels are also our most imperiled group of animals. The adults are
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sedentary filter feeders. Most cluster in communities called mussel beds that can support 30 or more species. Mussels can live for decades, and sometimes a century or more. This makes them vulnerable to long-term changes in our waterways. Because of a quirk in their reproduction, freshwater mussels are also good indicators of how healthy certain fish populations are. Female mussels protect their fertilized eggs in a special gill pouch. When the time is right, she uses a specialized lure to attract a host fish and then squirts the unsuspecting babysitter with tiny larvae. The larvae hitchhike for a few weeks in the fish’s gills or fins and then drop off in a new territory. Mussels are out of luck if the right fish aren’t around, or the water is too polluted, or rapid flows wash away the riverbed where the larvae would attach. In late July, a team of scientists led by the US Army Corps of Engineers collected a small number of fatmuckets (mussels have the coolest names) from the Grand River and relocated them to the Cuyahoga. The mussels are protected within tethered underwater cages. We’re watching to see how they fare. If you come across a cage, please don’t disturb it. Should this pilot be successful, the partners will move forward with a more extensive research project to guide a larger reintroduction program in the coming years. A second team led by the US Fish
& Wildlife Service is mapping the riverbed to see if the Cuyahoga has the right habitats to support lake sturgeon. They are looking at the entire lower half, from the Gorge Dam to the mouth in Cleveland. These unusual fish are uncommon in Lake Erie. The most striking thing about them is that they have rows of heavy, bony plates instead of scales. And they can live to be 150 years old and reach up to 300 pounds! Recent research has confirmed that lake sturgeon travelled up the Cuyahoga to spawn in the past. These fish need places with a pebbly bottom where females can lay their eggs, as well as sandier spots where young hatchlings can find food. In early spring, US Fish & Wildlife Service staff floated downriver with a side scan sonar. This technology is being used to create a threedimensional image of the Cuyahoga’s riverbed. Over the summer, they trained national park staff and volunteers on how to “ground truth” the sonar model. Basically, we’re helping with
Our first card, IV of Pentacles, shows our foundation. It’s stable and secure, we have what we need right now, but is it possible that we may be clinging to it and not letting new things in?
the field work to see if the sonar accurately identified underwater patches of sand, gravel, pebble, or Sure, you may have what you need bedrock. To do this, team members right now, but are you allowing new use an underwater viewer called a energy, new thoughts, new people, bathyscope—think orange safety and ideas in too? How often do you cone meets snorkeling mask. If the say no to something? Cuyahoga has what sturgeon need, we hope to start a reintroduction program. This would build on projects in the Maumee River near Toledo and in the Big Darby Creek near Columbus. Whether you get excited about wildlife or not, consider what this means for our region. Greening the Rust Belt is a heavy lift. Each success shows our strength and commitment to a better future for all forms of life, including people. An underwater cage protects the transplanted mussels. (Photo credit: NPS / Ryan Trimbath)
Consider saying yes to everything for a day and see how that shifts the energy around you. Allow it to come in rather than making it sit outside. This is going to allow you to explore new thoughts, ideas, and feelings, as represented by the Seer of Cups and Seer of Swords. They are here to remind us that no matter how old we are, no matter how many degrees or what kind of job we have, we are never done learning about life and the world around us.
The Seer of Cups specifically encourages us to approach new creative ideas and opportunities with a sense of curiosity. Give yourself time and space to explore your emotions; these new experiences may catch you off guard. The Seer of Swords is all about new ways of thinking and interacting with the world around us. Allow room for new perspectives. If you find yourself in a rut during the last stretch of summer, consider flipping your daily
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routine around if you can. Indulge in child-like wonder and curiosity this month. Explore, learn, and question everything you see, think, and believe. You may be surprised by what comes up! A stable foundation can be a great source of contentment, but you never know what you may be missing out on. This reading is for entertainment purposes only.
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URINE LUCK WITH EMILY DRESSLER Jamaican me crazy, Irie Kitchen BY EMILY DRESSLER
U
pon first walking into Irie Kitchen a few months ago, I knew I would love their bathrooms (and their jerk chicken. And jerk salsa. And everything). The restaurant is vibrant and practically pulsing. I can’t wait to come on a dreary day during the month of NovDecMarch or whatever we call winter to spring in Ohio. The colors, though they are bright and maybe even aggressive, will soothe my soul and warm me up. If you walk in the back door, you will get to the bathrooms before you get to the dining area. They are on the left. If you’re coming from the front door, the bathrooms will be past the dining area on the right, obviously. The women’s room is actually the wo-mon’s room, which sounds much cooler than women’s. The men’s is the mon’s. I bet you could use whichever one you wanted and no one would care. I didn’t use the mon’s room, but I am assuming it has a changing table like the wo-mon’s
room does because changing diapers is a responsibility shared by both sexes. If there’s one thing I love, it’s words of affirmation in a public bathroom. I effing love it. I need it. On the wall opposite the door in the wo-mon’s room, there’s a neon light that says “Hello gorgeous”. I love it but if I could add one thing, I would add a comma after “Hello” because this is a direct address. Can you do commas on neon lights? On the bright yellow door, a big painted message reads, “Beautiful and strong Shine your light on the world.” Yes, yes, I will, thank you for the reminder. There are probably some competing or clashing colors in this bathroom, but I don’t care. I love it just the way it is. The walls look lovely and hand-painted with large leaves and flowers. There are six lizard wall-art items, which might sound like a lot for such a small space but shut up if that bothers you.
The water pressure and temperature in the automatic sink was perfect. Soap: perfect. Hand dryer: okay. Maybe all the bright colors are tricking me into happiness, but I don’t think that’s it exactly. I think I just love this bathroom and that’s why I am giving it 5/5 toilets. Congrats, guys, it’s a pandemic first! Emily Dressler writes about toilets and bathrooms for the Devil Strip. She is also a copy editor. She is also on the Board of Directors at the Devil Strip.
The sink had a QR code on it, but I didn’t scan it because sometimes I think we are inundated with QR codes and data (and data mining) and I realized that I didn’t need to know everything about this sink. But now I’m worried that the QR code would have sent me to some cool trivia site or maybe some bathroom gamification thing, but I think I just have FOMO about QR codes now. Cool. I do hope that the mon’s room also has some positive affirmations or maybe just some reminders for men to be tolerant and cool people. Someone please let me know.
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September 2021 · Vol 9 · Issue #9
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