When crossing the threshold at The Market Path in Highland Square, it’s like stepping into a global marketplace, a pleasing mix of the exotic combined with vicarious travel and discovery. Beautifully handcrafted earrings from Ecuador and Uganda adorn a wall. Soapstone carvings from Kenya, nesting baskets from Bangladesh, and brilliantly colored handwoven bags from … [Read more...]
Fine arts print shop offers hands-on experience for local artists, residents
Rubber City Prints opens doors in Akron Nov. 1 -- What happened to Pamela Testa back in 2012 would make just about any start-up business owner giddy. The Akron native applied for a business grant through a partnership between Charter One Bank and a local community development nonprofit. “Basically, I entered the competition just for the experience, because I’m afraid … [Read more...]
Singer-songwriter pursues tireless work through peace, compassion (Article and Video)
Peace Week kicks off Oct. 1, and includes workshops, concerts, meditation, healthy eating -- At just 15 or 16 years old, most teens are still deciding, if at all, which career path they may want to take. Highland Square resident, Zach Freidhof, did have the good fortune to figure out his path; however, the journey to get there was quite a harried one — “and it just about … [Read more...]
Local business owner is force for positive change in the community
There’s a bundle of energy sitting on a contemporary sofa inside Hazel Tree Interiors near downtown Akron. Her name is Karen Starr, an Akron resident whose effervescence at times would make a flute of champagne blush. Along with her husband, Jon Haidet, Starr owns Hazel Tree Interiors, a studio store and custom picture-framing outfit that features art, furniture and … [Read more...]
Nancy Holland finds science, art in yoga studies
Stepping into a Highland Square home, weathered brick and comfy front porch, shoes and sandals line a small entry way. “We take off our shoes in here because it’s a sacred space,” says Nancy Holland. A former living room and dining room are cast with dark walls and even darker woodwork, making the Blue Hen Yoga studio a calming, almost womblike environment. An afternoon … [Read more...]
Gay Games 9 Athlete Profile: NE Ohio man cycles in team trials in August
At a nightclub called The Quest, formerly a Montgomery Wards located at a strip mall at Arlington and Waterloo roads, two men in their early 20s were perhaps jiggling on the dance floor, sipping a drink ... likely having fun, and met for the first time. “Quest was THE place then; it had three dance floors, and was pretty cool,” says Chris Hawks. The other gentleman that … [Read more...]
GG9 Athlete Profile: Akron man competes in uniquely Akron sport
Phil Montgomery, Akron’s Deputy Director of Public Service, has a dizzying schedule of work and civic involvement. The Akron resident has also signed up to compete in the Gay Games 9 (GG9) that will play out during the week of Aug. 9 through 16 in Akron and Cleveland. One might think after a quick glance at Montgomery that he’d be participating in flag football, bodybuilding … [Read more...]
Gay Games 9 provides international catalyst for change
In just a few months the streets of Akron and Cleveland will set an international stage in Northeast Ohio, Aug. 9 through 16, when visitors, athletes and allies from around the globe arrive for Gay Games 9. The impact from GG9 will play out on many levels. Although formulas can be tricky to determine exact revenue, from what organizers now know the region may bring in … [Read more...]
The Music of Bees: A look at Akron Honey Company (Article and Video)
A small grassy strip of land tucks neatly between two homes in West Akron. A well-crafted fence surrounds the area. Inside, two stacks each with three wooden hives house a queen bee holding court to thousands of workers. Brent Wesley walks across the grassy lot, citing, "A colony can get anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 bees; they're building out the combs, the queen's laying … [Read more...]
Wood carving takes flight: Tom Baldwin combines science, art
Birds perch on the living room mantel, on side tables and shelves, and in the dining room, where a tall cabinet holds even more of the two-legged creatures. Vibrant plumage and gracefully long legs, necks and beaks create a virtual aviary. The birds, however, are still. There are no cages, feeders or watering bowls. Tom Baldwin, a career commercial artist who's won … [Read more...]
