Re/Dress, a popular clothing store catering to sizes 14 and up, is re-opening under new ownership after a five-month hiatus. Cleveland-based clothing designer Rachel Kacenjar purchased the company after a successful crowdfunding campaign in March. Previously located in Brooklyn, N.Y., Kacenjar plans to keep the company in Northeast Ohio with a storefront location set to open later this year.

Kacenjar, formerly head of independent plus-size labels Cupcake & Cuddlebunny and Sweetooth Couture, was employed by Re/Dress for just under two years before purchasing the company. Due to the lack of stylish yet affordable clothing options available to plus-size women, she felt she could not allow there to be one less option when the previous owner announced plans to sell the company.

Kacenjar started a 21-day crowdfunding campaign, during which she exceeded her goal of $25,000, collecting more than $27,000 from friends and fans to put toward the purchase of the company and start-up costs. “I am so thrilled that the plus size community sees the need for a store like Re/Dress and was willing to contribute their money to make it happen," said Kacenjar. "My goal is to exceed the expectations of every donor and shopper, as well as make them feel like they have some ownership in what we do. This isn’t just a store -- it’s a revolution, as far as I’m concerned."

Today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday), city of Akron attorneys will be at different Akron community centers to talk to residents about what they can do if they are on the list of people whose information was compromised by the cyber-attack that occurred last week.

These attorneys will be able to look up whether citizens are on the list of people whose information was stolen, and they will be able to explain what a person should do to secure their accounts and credit.

The following community centers will have help available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Lawton Street Community Center, 1225 Lawton St.
Patterson Park Community Center, 800 Patterson Ave.
Firestone Park Community Center, 1480 Girard St.
Kenmore Community Center, 880 Kenmore Blvd.
Ellet Community Center, 2449 Wedgewood Dr.
Reservoir Park Community Center, 1735 Hillside Terrace

Caribbean and calypso music by The University of Akron Steel Drum Band airs on Western Reserve Public Media (formerly PBS 45 & 49) at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.

"Hammer on Steel: Steel Band Paradise" features highlights from the UA Steel Drum Band's April 2013 concert at E.J. Thomas Hall, including guest artists Calypso singer Keet Styla, master pan player Ray Holman of Trinidad, and percussionist Tom Miller, a 1984 alumnus of the UA Steel Drum Band.

"Steel Band Paradise" was produced by students from Z-TV at the UA School of Communication under the guidance of Z-TV general manager and Wadsworth resident Phil Hoffman, an award-winning documentary producer.

Buchtel Community Learning Center will host a public event featuring two survivors of historical atrocities as part of its history and English students’ Promise Project. El Fadel Arbab, a Darfur genocide survivor, and Leo Silberman, a Holocaust survivor, will appear May 23 at 6 p.m.

The event is free and also will feature displays and artwork by the students involved in The Promise Project. 

The Promise Project is under the direction of Kristy Nelson and Drew Hoisington, English and history teachers, respectively. The two instructors co-teach a class called American Studies, with the goal of engaging their students with community-based projects. The Buchtel PTA is a sponsor of this event.

The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation Gallery will host a reception for the artists of "Collage & Assemblage" May 22 at 10 W. Streetsboro St., in Hudson, from 3 to 6 p.m. The exhibition features work by 11 signature members of the National Collage Society and continues through May 27.
 
To learn more about the National Collage Society, visit www.nationalcollage.com.
 
The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation Gallery hosts several art exhibitions each year and is free and open to the public during most weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and additional hours as advertised.

Tallmadge Middle School was visited last month by Shannon Anicas, an American who, thanks to a scholarship, was able to live in China for a year. For more on the speaker visit  https://www.facebook.com/shannon.anicas?ref=tn_tnmn.
Here is her interview.

Do Chinese people use chopsticks for every meal?
Yes, they use them to cook with, too. By the time I left China, I was able to even eat ice cream with them.

Why is studying in China your passion?
I have always been fascinated with Asian culture because of my Grandfather. In 2008, because of the Olympics being in Beijing, there were many shows on television about China and I wanted to know more. When I returned to school that fall to get my degree, I chose to take as many classes as I could on China and Chinese culture.

A class project in The University of Akron’s distance learning program has shown students just how much education can impact the world around them, leading to a $2,000 grant for the Akron Rotary Camp for children with special needs.

The funds will help the camp make improvements to its sensory room, including beanbag chairs, a replacement light projector, a balance board and a contoured relaxation chair, among other items. As part of the Pay It Forward project series, students of visiting English lecturer Lauren Garcia-DuPlain produced videos for local nonprofits expressing their funding needs, and the three finalists competed for the grants via online voting at Akronist.com (watch the finalists’ videos here). The winning team hails from Coventry High School.

“The Pay it Forward project gives students an opportunity to take their classroom learning to a professional level – in this case, students see how research, observation, interviewing and other writing skills come together to persuade an authentic audience to take action,” said Garcia-DuPlain. All in all, 52 English Composition II students helped advocate for funds for local nonprofits, and the three organizations featured in the online poll were Mobile Meals, Akron Rotary Camp and RePlay for Kids.

Submissions accepted through May 17

Ohio’s neighbor to the northwest, Detroit, proved a catalyst for area professionals with the city’s Emerging Leaders to launch the My Akron initiative.

Kimberly Beckett, director of business relations for the Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP), says of My Akron, “It’s a way to engage the younger demographic to get involved in downtown.”

Still in its infancy and founded in March 2013, My Akron allows participants to weigh in with, “What would you like to see downtown?” by submitting small project proposals to enhance downtown, Beckett says.