Special guest Orman Hall, director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, discusses resolving Ohio’s opiate and prescription drug epidemic.

The physicians of the Center for Pain Medicine at Summa Western Reserve Hospital continue to re-envision the treatment of chronic pain, and to promote awareness of and provide education about this vital initiative, the Center recently hosted a one-day conference for more than 100 healthcare professionals. Physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, nurses, pharmacists and students attended "Chronic Pain Management: Improving the Patient’s Quality of Life," a special seminar led by Dr. Samer Narouze and aimed at elevating the use of less invasive, multidisciplinary pain treatment approaches.

“There are many things today that we can throw at the problem in the form of prescription medications, but the only way to truly approach pain treatment is through a comprehensive approach that can alleviate the problem on all levels,” said Narouze. “There is more value and safety in a multidisciplinary approach in that we surround the problem on all sides to more effectively ease the suffering of the patient and restore a better quality of life.”

(The following is an installment of a weekly radio broadcast by Civic Commons, which brings communities together through conversation and technology.)

Dan and Noelle sit down at the altar of food this week and break bread with three of Cleveland’s most gifted chefs: Douglas Katz (Fire Food and Drink), Karen Small (Flying Fig) and Ben Bebenroth (Spice of Life). They talk about the grace and beauty found in wholesome, local food and the fact that you ain’t tasted nothin’ till Farmer Jay lays one of his spiritual tomatoes on you.

When thinking of thriving, exciting cities to live in, New York City, Chicago or Las Vegas may come to mind for most. But many are unaware of the vast array of hidden treasures to be found right here in Akron. There is a rich, vibrant community life that is just waiting to be discovered. And that is the purpose of Leadership Akron, to bring light to the many opportunities right outside our front door.

Leadership Akron opens local leaders' eyes to a world of possibility in Akron, educating and connecting them with others to advance the community, creating a life-changing experience.

Lindsay Griffin, marketing and communications director for Leadership Akron, is fairly new to the area, but excited about the possibilities and potential that she has seen here.

"Collider4: Spectacle," an array of events presented by The University of Akron's Myers School of Art, invites visitors to participate in, play with and ponder new media artworks. The events include exhibitions, lectures, workshops, receptions and Kinect Cube interactive artworks.

Running through April 14, all “Spectacle" events are free and open to the public in three UA campus locations: the Myers School of Art and Emily Davis Gallery in Folk Hall,150 E. Exchange St.; Bierce Library, 302 East Buchtel Ave.; and the Honors College Complex, 180 South College St. Also free are receptions on March 20 and April 13 from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Françoise Mouly, the New Yorker art editor who is responsible for the magazine’s provocative covers, will present “Covers Uncovered,” a free public lecture April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Stage Door of E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill St., on the campus of The University of Akron.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Open seating is available on a first-come basis. For more information call the Thomas Hall Ticket Office at (330) 972-7570 or visit www.uaevents.com.

Presented by UA’s Mary Schiller Myers Lecture Series, Mouly will take the audience behind the scenes at the New Yorker and demonstrate how the magazine that exemplifies journalistic excellence in America also dares to cultivate a sense of humor when grappling with complex moral and political issues.

With the first signs of spring and early sun shining down on the endeavors of one local woman, daring to make a difference, it was a good day. Julie Costell, owner of Ms. Julie's Kitchen -- a local, organic vegan restaurant -- is turning her dreams into a reality.

Costell started her newest endeavor this past Saturday, which left many passersby scratching their heads and doing double takes. It’s not every day that you see two large horses plowing the ground in the city. It didn’t take long for the word to spread and neighborhood children to come running out of their houses, watching from their porch steps, and shouting to others to take a look at what was going on.

Vehicles pulled over to the side of the road, and some even parked for the rare sight. One young boy was climbing a tree in his backyard, setting a leprechaun trap (it was St. Patrick’s Day after all), when he noticed the horses and came running over to take photos.

(Editor's note: the following is from Mark's Leaderlog, a blog written by Leadership Akron Executive Director Mark Scheffler.)

Last week brought the opportunity to attend the Seeds for Growth workshop co-hosted by Akron Community Foundation and its counterparts in Stark and Portage, and sponsored by Huntington Bank. I really enjoyed the leadership perspectives during the session Strategic Alliances: Mergers and Collaborations, moderated by the Red Cross’ Toby Weber. Here are some key observations:

A communitywide Action Forum will take place in the cafeteria at Buchtel High School, 1040 Copley Road, March 29, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. At this forum, the results of community discussion circles will be shared, and citizens will be asked to join research/action teams to help implement the action ideas that came out of the discussion circles.

The group will also seek input on how well Project Ujima is doing and what the community can do to make it better.

(Editor's note: The Fairlawn Heights Crime Trends Report is part of the Akronist's new Digital Block Watch program, a free resource for residents to schedule meetings and discuss community safety. To enroll your neighborhood in the program, contact Diane Evans at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. '; document.write(''); document.write(addy_text22146); document.write('<\/a>'); //-->\n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)

Have a great idea for a business but don’t know where to start? Akron SCORE will host a Business Basics Workshop March 28 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing.

According to the Akron SCORE website, the free workshop is a primer on how to start and market a business, focusing primarily on entrepreneurs planning a startup or for businesses that have recently started and need general advice. Subject matter will include how to set up a business enterprise with emphasis on licensing, registration and zoning. Participants will understand the requirements for planning and starting a business, the effort required to run a business, researching competitors, capturing operating costs and startup cash and costs.