Author: sancsoft

Meet Summit Artspace: Our September Kenmore First Friday Market Partner!

August 2023 • 3 minutes

In 2015, the one-time Akron Area Arts Alliance was reborn as Summit Artspace – an organization that connects artists and artist-serving organizations to the community and to the resources they need to thrive.

On Friday, September 1, Summit Artspace will bring a mini-market to Kenmore Blvd. featuring local artists showing and selling their art from 6 – 9 p.m. during Kenmore First Friday.

We caught up with Heather Meeker, Summit Artspace executive director, to learn more about the organization and what Kenmore First Friday attendees can expect.

What kinds of artists will Summit Artspace feature at its mini market on Sept. 1?

Our mini-market includes local artists that create artwork in all types of media! From painting to photography to ceramics to fiber arts – you’ll find all kinds of creatives at Kenmore First Friday, just as you would when you visit Summit Artspace.

What sparked your interest in bringing artists to Kenmore Blvd.?

This is a great chance to show Kenmore and Akron the wonderful local artist community we have in Summit County. Anytime we can spread the work outside of our historic downtown Akron building, we are thrilled! The stronger our local artist community is across all of our neighborhoods, the more vibrant our local community will become. We want to facilitate that vision.

Summit Artspace’s mission includes connecting artists and artist-serving organizations to the community and to the resources they need to thrive professionally, creatively, and financially. Can you expand a bit on how Summit Artspace does some of these things?

In addition to our 35 resident artist studios and arts organizations at 140 East Market Street, we provide five nonprofit galleries for visual artists and rehearsal and class space for small performing arts companies. We hold numerous community events at our building like our quarterly ArtWalks and Artists Sunday, a national event that takes place the Sunday after Thanksgiving every year. 2023 is the fourth annual and it is a great chance to support local artists while picking up one-of-a-kind gifts for friends, family, and yourself! We also provide artist-centered professional development for artists, who we believe are already highly successful entrepreneurs.

How does Summit Artspace select the artists it works with/showcases/supports? Can artists reach out?

If you are an artist in Summit and surrounding counties, we are here to help. Our programs and events are affordable and designed to help you grow your practice. While we have a wait list for our studios, our events and community are a true resource for creatives, and open to all genres, ages, and stages in your artistic journey. Just visit our website or social media – and contact us via email, phone or in-person. We always post our opportunities across lots of platforms.

What should visitors to Summit Artspace’s physical location in downtown Akron expect? What do you think makes Summit Artspace unique?

Just like Kenmore First Friday, our public hours on Fridays and Saturdays are always FREE, as is our parking! A significant difference between Summit Artspace and other institutions is that local artists come to Summit Artspace specifically to sell their artwork and make connections. Almost everything in our galleries and our studios is for sale, with prices that fit anyone who walks through the door. We are a hub for artists to meet other artists, and for the community to meet and support them as well.

Anything else people should know?

There is always something amazing to see and someone terrific to meet at Summit Artspace! Mark your calendars: our next downtown Akron ArtWalk is on Friday, September 8th, and Artists Sunday is on November 26. And each quarter we change out all the galleries and walls in our building: our summer exhibitions close September 16 and our Fall exhibitions open October 6.

Be sure to Summit Artspace’s mini market during the next Kenmore First Friday on Friday, September 1, from 6 – 9 p.m. RSVP and check out the full event lineup on Facebook!

Summit Artspace welcomes visitors to its historic art-deco building located at 140 E. Market St. in downtown Akron on Fridays from noon – 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, visit summitartspace.org.

Remembering Smith Elementary School

July 2023 • 3 minutes

By Corey Jenkins, Better Kenmore CDC

After standing tall at 941 Chester Avenue for 105 years, Smith Elementary School began to crumble to the ground last week. In the days that followed the wrecking ball arrived to take down what remained of the building and Kenmore said goodbye to a piece of neighborhood history.

Smith Elementary School was constructed in 1918 and named in honor of Fred E. Smith – a leader in the early development of Kenmore who donated the land where the school was built. There were few homes near the school when it opened and some members of the community never expected there would ever be enough children to fill it.

When the school opened it was surrounded by brush, trees, and rock piles and did not have a playground. So in 1923 principal Ralph Myers and some of the older school boys grabbed axes, picks, and mattocks and began clearing away the trees and brush. The clearings they made provided spaces for the children to play and slide down the hill during recess.

Houses began springing up like mushrooms around Smith Elementary and any doubts the community had about there ever being enough children to fill the school were laid to rest. By 1927 every available room in the school was in use and some classes even had to be taught in the basement. One teacher had 59 students in her classroom, while another was responsible for over 80 first graders.

Several improvements were made to the school over the years. WPA workers installed the stone wall around the playground during The Great Depression and in 1955 the building underwent an expansion just as enrollment was reaching 500 students.

Smith Elementary School would serve the Kenmore neighborhood for almost a century, and countless students and teachers made lifelong memories there throughout its history.

Former teacher Alta Williams wrote of an incident that occurred at the school one night during the 1920s. One of the other teachers had decided to stay late only to find herself locked inside when she tried to leave. Not willing to spend the night in the school, she went to the basement, broke a window, and crawled out. She made it home safe that night, but the fur coat she was wearing was damaged during her escape.

Matthew Hines was a student at Smith Elementary School from 1979 until 1986 and has many memories from his years at the school – including his experiences with teachers like Miss Mills who was the first person to ever encourage him to be himself.

He also remembers what lunch was like at Smith.

“We didn’t have a cafeteria, so for lunch we would go to the gym and purchase cartons of milk and frozen dinners that were then heated up in huge ovens on the stage,” Matthew recalled.

In the early 1990s, Gina Wilson (who now owns The Center Dance + Yoga Studio on Kenmore Blvd.) attended Smith Elementary and remembers loving Mrs. Delac’s art class.

“Art class was the best,” Gina said. “One year we made clay penguins and mine turned out so good that it wound up on display in the mayor’s office!”

News arrived in late 2015 that Akron Public Schools would close both Smith and Lawndale Elementary schools at the end of the school year. In September 2019, Smith Elementary School was auctioned off for $44,000. The purchaser never made use of the building and it quickly fell into disrepair.

On April 17, 2022, Smith caught on fire just three months after a multiple-alarm fire destroyed Lawndale Elementary School. It took firefighters about an hour to get the fire under control and no cause or injuries were ever reported. The school would remain standing for another 15 months until it suffered a partial structural collapse during a summer night in July 2023.

The Kenmore Historical Society will discuss Smith Elementary School at its next meeting on Monday, July 31, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Kenmore Branch Library and is open to all.

Ohio’s first cat café and wine bar is now open on Kenmore Boulevard

July 2023 • 2 minutes

On Saturday, July 15, Akron-native Nicole Farrell opened Whiskers & Wine Cat Lounge at 932 Kenmore Blvd. It’s the first cat café and wine bar to open in Ohio.

Nicole first had the idea for a cat café last summer and initially planned to open the Whiskers & Wine in Downtown Akron on South High Street earlier this year. When plans for the downtown location ultimately didn’t work out, members of the Better Kenmore CDC team were able to connect Nicole with a landlord who had a vacant storefront on Kenmore Blvd.

“We wanted to be in a community that needs the traffic. Where businesses have the opportunity to bring more people in and be lasting,” Nicole explained. “And our landlord here is phenomenal.”

Whiskers & Wine (as well as Nicole’s nonprofit organization Just Cats Rescue) is focused on finding senior, “bottle babies” and paralyzed cats forever homes. Recently, she rescued 20 cats from Central Arkansas that were on a euthanasia list.

Visitors to Whiskers & Wine have the opportunity to meet a number of adoptable cats, all of which have been spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed. There is a cover charge to visit with the cats – $10 for a half hour. The money goes to help Whiskers & Wine pay for the care of the animals.

But if you don’t feel like going into the cat room, Whiskers & Wine offers a café space for visitors to work, shop, enjoy free coffee, free tea, or purchase snacks and other beverages. Whiskers & Wine is awaiting its liquor permit and isn’t serving alcoholic beverages yet, but you can get one of Nicole’s signature mocktails in the meantime.

“Since we’re technically a bar you do have to be 18 or older to come to Whiskers & Wine, but we will have monthly kid’s days,” Nicole explained.

If you do find a cat you want to take home, Whiskers & Wine makes it easy and uses an adoption philosophy from the Humane Society of the United States called “Adopters Welcome.” The process requires you to answer a few simple questions through a conversation with staff to ensure you and your home are a good fit for the cat you are hoping to adopt.

“We’re trying to place cats from a more holistic perspective,” Nicole said. “A lot of our adoptions thus far have been people that have been denied elsewhere, and a majority are people who are neurodivergent, maybe autistic, LGBTQ, or BIPOC who just do not feel welcome at other shelters. We want to make sure that you have a good adoption experience.”

Whiskers & Wine is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon until 8:00 p.m., Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Whiskers & Wine will host special experiences including performances, paint and sip events, jewelry making workshops, and monthly kid’s days. Like Whiskers & Wine Cat Lounge on Facebook to stay up to date on all upcoming events and happenings.

Whiskers & Wine does not accept cats off the street or drop offs, however, Nicole hopes to create a local coalition with other rescues, like One of a Kind Pets, to advocate for cats and their well-being in the near future.

For more information, visit whiskersandwine.co and follow them on Instagram @whiskersandwineneo

New “movement” studio opens on Kenmore Blvd. in building with legacy of dance

June 2023 • 5 minutes

The building located at 1015 Kenmore Blvd. has been home to several different businesses over the past century. It was Pearson Used Car Company in its earliest days, and from 1934 until 1953 it was home to Walter J. Burkholder Dry Cleaning.

But it’s probably best known as the longtime home of Etta Mae Smith Studio of Dance, which occupied the space from 1964 through the Fall Dance Season in 2021.

Dancer Etta Mae Smith first opened her dance studio around 1950. The school trained thousands of dancers in ballet, tap, jazz acrobatics, and more on Kenmore Blvd. over the course of 70 years, including Etta Mae’s own children – her two daughters, who went on to become Radio City Rockettes, and her son, who went on to become a Broadway dancer and now co-owns Studio West Performing Arts Center with his wife.

Etta Mae Smith owned the studio for 64 years until passing away in 2014 at the age of 84. The studio was then sold to Judy Adams, one of Etta Mae’s students and teachers, who would then run the studio for the next eight years.

The COVID-19 pandemic was hard on the studio and in spring 2023, after over a year of inactivity, the building was listed for sale marking the end of Etta Mae Smith Studio of Dance.

But the sale was not the end of the building’s history as a dance studio.

Thanks to new property owners and a new business owner, the building will continue to operate as a dance, yoga, and “movement” studio for years to come, albeit under a new name –The Center Dance + Yoga Studio.

The Center, which quietly opened earlier this week, is operated by Gina Wilson – a Kenmore native and former Etta Mae Smith Studio of Dance student and teacher – and is already offering ballet, tap, meditation, and yoga classes.

When Etta Mae Smith Studio of Dance first stopped offering classes, Gina began hosting dance workshops at The Rialto Theatre to keep dance alive on Kenmore Blvd. and formed a group called “Dance on the Boulevard.”

“It was really just to get the dancers who remained [from Etta Mae Smith Studio of Dance] back to dancing and moving again,” Gina explained. “At the time I thought of it as a placeholder until Etta Mae Smith Studio of Dance opened back up again.”

But instead of opening back up, the building went up for sale this spring – that’s when friends of Gina’s stepped in to purchase the building so she could begin hosting her classes there and continue to build on the space’s legacy as a dance studio.

“I started dancing [at Etta Mae Studio of Dance] when I was five years old,” Gina said. “I met two of my best friends here, and one of them (Megan Kalil) is going to teach various yoga and meditation classes here. A dance school like this is such an important thing because it brings people in the community together.”

And now that she has the building, Gina is hitting the ground running. The Center is already hosting regular classes and hoping to bring a steady revenue stream in so she can begin remodeling, modernizing, and renovating the studio, as well as hiring additional teachers to offer more dance classes throughout the week.

“None of this would be possible without the amazing help of my friends and family, including Nate and Seth Vaill (owners of the Rialto Theatre), Megan Kalil, Marisa and Haley Jones, and my mother, Teri Wilson,” Gina said.

Gina hopes The Center will eventually evolve into a performing arts hub where performers can get all their needs met – potentially even including music lessons – but for now the focus is on movement.

“I’m also a cellist and a choir director, and with the potential of Miller South coming here I just really want to offer a center for performing artists, but the renovations will be ongoing for at least the first year so it’s not feasible to do everything just yet,” Gina explained.

Rather than operating on a recital or class season type of model, The Center operates on a “drop-in” model where anyone can drop-in and pay for a single class as they wish. While this model is not new to the yoga world, it is not as common to dance studios in our area. However, if you visit New York City, you can find a variety of drop-in classes and workshops at studios such as Steps or Broadway Dance Center that exclusively offer classes in this way.

This model not only affords dancers from other studios extra opportunities to come in, focus on technique and gain some additional practice, but it also helps accommodate busy schedules by allowing dancers to come when they can without the obligation of a whole year’s worth of classes or performing in a recital.

“There are some adults who grew up dancing, but they can’t come to classes all the time anymore.” Gina said, “But many still want to dance or maybe just want to dig out their tap shoes and come every now and then when they have free time on a weekend. I want them to be able to do that.”

For now, the age group allowed to attend classes is at the discretion of the individual teachers, but typically anyone age 12 and up is welcome to attend. Regular classes and workshops for children younger than 12 will be added later in the year as The Center continues to update the space and grow its clientele.

The Center is in the process of getting its website online, but for now you can check out the schedule of upcoming classes by joining The Center’s Facebook Group and and following the studio on Instagram. Prior registration is not required at this time, however if you’d prefer to register and pay in advance, you can do so through The Center’s page on the Vagaro Booking App. Introductory promotions will also be posted on Vagaro.

Gina says they plan to hold an official grand opening and fundraiser sometime later this summer or in early fall.

The Center Dance + Yoga Studio’s current schedule is:

Mondays:

5:30-6:30 pm Vinyasa Flow Yoga (with Samantha Grace Lindimore)

6:45-7:45 pm Yin Yoga (with Samantha Grace Lindimore)

Thursdays:

5:45-6:45pm Beginner’s Yoga (with Megan Kalil)

7-8pm Meditation & Movement (with Megan Kalil)

Fridays:

5:45-6:45pm Fun Friday Yoga (non-traditional yoga with Megan Kalil – *Beginning 7/14/2023*)

Saturdays:

9-10am Vinyasa Flow Yoga with (with Samantha Grace Lindimore)

10:15-11am Yin Yoga (with Samantha Grace Lindimore)

**All Yoga classes are currently 1 hour and $15 per class**

Sundays:

3-3:45pm Drop-In Tap Class

3:45-4:30pm Drop-In Dance Class (rotates between Jazz, Ballet, Musical Theatre, and Ballroom – check The Center Dance + Yoga Facebook Group for updates)

Teachers for Sunday drop-in dance classes include Gina Wilson, Michael Musarra, Isaah Henderson, and Denise Bryant.

**All Dance classes are currently 45 minutes and $12 per class**

The Center will also offer special free programming during Kenmore First Friday events, including a children’s yoga class from 6 – 6:45pm and beginners yoga from 7:15 – 8pm.

While the Etta Mae Smith name is now gone from the studio, her legacy will live on through students-turned teachers like Gina who are now passing on her lessons and sharing stories of what she was like as a person.

“She was always doing impressions and whenever we did something wrong she would scream this ear piercing scream and tell us we were making her teeth itch” Gina recalls. “Sometimes she would just stop and say to us ‘Do you know what’s going to happen if you dance like that on stage? Ladies will be sitting in the audience and one will turn to the other and say ‘Oh, Hazel look at her un-pointed toe,’ and then her friend will turn back and say ‘Oh Opal, I know. It’s so bad.” My friend and I actually still make references to Hazel and Opal to this day.”

For more information, join The Center Dance + Yoga Studio’s Facebook Group , check out the Vagaro Booking App, and follow The Center on Instagram.

Get to know our July Kenmore First Friday market partner: 720 Community Markets & Events

June 2023 • 3 minutes

720 Community Markets & Events was founded in 2015 by Lynn and Dave Shimko – lifetime North Cantonians and creative folks by nature. 720 specializes in creating unique, curated, vibrant market-style events at various venues in and around Stark County. Recently, they’ve expanded into hosting events in Summit County, and Kenmore First Friday will be 720’s first-ever night market.

We caught up with Lynn Shimko – one half of 720 and owner Shimko Design where she’s been creating award-winning marketing materials locally and nationally since 1994 to find out more about what 720 is bringing to The BLVD on July 7.

When did you and Dave start 720 Community Markets & Events? What inspired you to start it?

The idea for creating our dream artisan event began during a weekend visit to see our son in Cincinnati — Fall 2015. Our best brainstorming happens on road trips! Our inspiration was wanting to create and sell at arts & crafts events. We realized there was really nothing in our area that felt like what we might want to attend as a vendor and that’s when the concepts began! Once we returned home, we fine tuned the idea and started pitching it to our city.

You’ve hosted a number of events in Stark County – when did you start expanding into Summit County and how many events have you done in Akron? Do you have plans to keep expanding?

We are always open to expanding and trying new areas. There is a lot of interest in what we do and we are hearing from a lot of communities! We had a fun pop-up market in April 2019 at our vendor Whiskertin’s showroom to celebrate their anniversary (Saalfield Building/Akron). It was a hit and we loved it. We also dipped our toes into Summit County with holiday events (720 DEC MKT) at Akron/Canton Airport in 2020 and 2021. Most of our planning and venue selections come down to dates available and ability for a venue to support the amount of parking needed for a 720 Market event! (720 Markets are festival-like and feature 100+ vendors and food trucks!)

What types of vendors/makers should KFF attendees expect to find on July 7?

Because of the size available for Kenmore First Friday, we are bringing a “mini-market version” of the types of vendors we typically feature a.k.a. our “720 Makers Bakers Brewers and Growers.” Each event features a truly unique mix of these types of homemade and homegrown artisans. Look for foodies (wine infused jellies and fresh pickles!), bakers (cake pops!), plants, apparel and more! July 7 is your chance to sample 720 Market in your own neighborhood!

What makes 720’s market stand out from other maker-type market events?

The vibe and the venues! We always hear from vendors and attendees alike that the 720 is so much fun! With our excellent vendors, live music, Camp Creative (make your owns; demos) and craft brews as an integral part of the fun — its a great way to spend the day! 720 Market is fresh, unique and vibrant. Equally part of the fun is where we will go next! Keep watching!

What are you looking forward to the most about hosting an event on Kenmore Blvd?

As with all of our destinations, we love getting to know an area and find out what’s unique and special. We also love meeting new folks wherever we go! It will also be our first night market, so we are excited about that!

Anything else you want people to know?

Supporting small businesses, local artists and growers is a huge part of strengthening communities. We love what we do and how people have embraced and followed us along on our 720 Market journey. We meet the nicest people in our work! Keep up to date with all our events and happenings at eventsby720.com and on social @720market.

Don’t miss your chance to check all that 720 Community Markets & Events has to offer along with live music, standup comedy, food trucks, and more from 6-9 p.m. during our July 7 Kenmore First Friday on The BLVD!

Kenmore House Hits The Market and Goes Viral!

June 2023 • 2 minutes

By Abigail Stopka, Better Kenmore CDC

Chances are you’ve heard the buzz about the cape cod located at 757 Jason Ave. right here in Kenmore.

But just in case you missed it, here’s the scoop:

An 80-year old single family Kenmore home hit the market about two weeks ago. The exterior photos of the listing show a well kept, unassuming home, but a look inside shows walls and ceilings that have been covered in unique artwork that has captivated people around the world and become something of a viral sensation.

The exquisite, artful home belonged to Kenmore resident Donald Nichols who passed away in March 2022. It was a fairly typical home until Nichols befriended the late Barberton artist Ralph Herzog. Both Nichols and Herzog shared a passion for music, antiques, and art and before long Nichols was commissioning Herzog to adorn the walls of his home with mural after mural after mural.

Listing agent Eric Cooper, who is also a friend of the Nichols family, hopes the home will go to a buyer who will preserve the artwork.

“It would be a shame to paint over the works,” Cooper said. “This is a great house. Someone is going to love this house. It is so cool.”

Cooper isn’t the only one who thinks the house is cool – the artistic dwelling captured the hearts of aesthetes all over the world thanks to its extensive media coverage in New York Times, Bloomberg, Zillow Gone Wild, Realtor.com, Unique Homes, Akron Beacon Journal, Realtor.com, Money, Business Insider, Crane’s Business Cleveland, and Cleveland Scene Magazine. The house is also number one listing of all time on the website For the Love of Old Homes.

In addition to the artwork, the home features some stained glass doors, a walk-out balcony, and wooden floor Nichols salvaged from a church that was demolished near his childhood home in West Virginia.

Check out the listing here and keep an eye on the City of Akron Mayor’s Office TikTok account for a series of videos showcasing the home.

Oddmall returns to The BLVD to kick off Kenmore First Friday!

May 2023 • 2 minutes

Kenmore First Friday is back on The BLVD tomorrow, June 2, from 6 – 9 p.m. and returning to help us kick off the 2023 season is Oddmall to host “The Great Grassman Gathering” market – a block party celebrating Kenmore’s own cryptozoological marvel – The Kenmore Grassman.

Oddmall’s market features dozens of vendor booths showcasing the works and wonders of an abundance of artists, crafters, entertainers, and purveyors of games, toys, comics, and all things awesome and amazingly amazing to fascinate even the most jaded of curmudgeons.

June 2 marks Oddmall’s third appearance at Kenmore First Friday and the first of two appearances in 2023 (they’ll be back on The BLVD August 4 to host “The Rubber City Rumpus” market).

Oddmall began long ago in the ancient times of 2008 when Oddmall founder Andy Hopp and his wife attended Bizarre Bazaar in Cleveland – an event focusing on strange and unusual art.

“It was really, really cool,” Andy said, “but it was in a building that just wasn’t very family friendly. My wife and I thought we should do a similarly weird show, but wanted to make it more accessible for everybody.”

Oddmall hosted its first market in May 2009. It was a success, and they added a second show in November that year. Oddmall now hosts a dozen events throughout the year and has grown from an art show to a full blown market that includes people in costumes, reptile shows, dancers, live music, and other performers.

Andy says Oddmall wanted to host an event in Kenmore for a number of reasons, including the lore of the Kenmore Grassman – a bigfoot-like creature Kenmore residents first spotted inhabiting a swampy area off Manchester Road in the late 20th century.

“Kenmore’s a neat neighborhood,” Andy said. “It’s gotten a bad rap, but I think, especially because of the efforts of Better Kenmore CDC, that image is changing and there’s a lot of really interesting people and stores there. This is the third year [Oddmall has participated in First Friday] and the first year was our first show after quarantine so that was unique”

Kenmore First Friday and Oddmall’s Great Grassman Gathering kick off on The BLVD tomorrow, Friday, June 2, at 6 p.m. The event will feature over 40 vendors, speed dating, half a dozen live music stages – including performances by Detention and Funeral Proposals on the main stage –food trucks, a kid’s zone, the Magic City Brewing Company Beer Garden, and so much more!

And rumor has it that both the Kenmore Grassman and the Kenmore Cardinal will be in attendance.

For the complete lineup and more information, visit betterkenmore.org/first-friday and be sure to visit the Oddmall Outpost sometime!

Kenmore Boulevard’s Oldest Operating Organization Offers More Than You Think

May 2023 • 2 minutes

By Abigail Stopka, Better Kenmore CDC

At 1090 Kenmore Blvd, situated between The Bank Lounge and Todd Young State Farm, sits the oldest organization still in operation on Kenmore Blvd. –The American Legion Firestone Memorial #449.

“A lot of folks think that the American Legion is just a bar for old folks to go drink,” said John Life – immediate past Post Commander & Post Adjutant of the American Legion #449. “I’ve been a member since 2007 and am currently 38 years old. I barely drink anymore, but I enjoy going to our post. We have built a family there. My children are members and enjoy going to the post as well.”

The American Legion post filed for its Charter in 1934 and opened in what many people know as “the house with the two cannons out front” on Kenmore Blvd. in the spring of 1937.

For 86 years it’s been a place for generations of veterans, their families, and friends to make memories. It’s also home to “the canteen” where you’ll find a fully stocked bar, a kitchen, a pool table, memorabilia, darts, and friendly faces.

The best part? You don’t need to be a veteran to join.

“Most people think you have to be a veteran to come hang out here, but that is not the case,” explained Shannon Schaffer, Auxiliary President & Canteen Manager of the American Legion #449 “We have a variety memberships at varying prices for veterans, legionnaires (family of veterans), and social members.”

Shannon and the members are working hard to build a community at the American Legion #449 and host brunches, monthly Euchre tournaments, a weekly happy hour, game nights, pizza nights, corn hole tournaments, annual picnics, and Memorial Day services – which includes placing flags on the graves of the veterans buried at Greenlawn Cemetery. Flag placement will happen this Saturday, May 27, from 8:30 a.m. – noon (and they could use some volunteers if you have the time – more info here)

“We are more than a bar,” John said “and I hope to continue the work we do for our veterans and community.”

The American Legion #449 is currently recruiting new veteran, legionnaire, and social members.

For more information, stop by the canteen at 1090 Kenmore Blvd. and ring the buzzer to be admitted.

The American Legion is open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m.- 12 a.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. Follow the American Legion #449 on Facebook and stay up to date with all events and happenings.

The Financial Empowerment Center is here for you Kenmore!

May 2023 • 2 minutes

By Abigail Stopka, Better Kenmore CDC

Finances are an uncomfortable topic for many people. Budgeting can be confusing and sometimes it feels like you’re stuck. Luckily, The United Way’s Financial Empowerment Center, located at 1060 Kenmore Blvd, is ready and excited to help you get your finances on track.

The Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) opened in 2018 to help Summit and Medina County residents build financial stability by giving them the resources they need to budget and save, pay down debt and boost their credit scores.

Antoinette Dudley, the Director of The Financial Empowerment Center, explained that the FEC employs a team of professional financial coaches trained to help people navigate financial challenges and achieve financial goals. Coaches help FEC clients create budgets, set savings goals, improve credit scores, and reduce debt through free, one-on-one sessions.

Another program the FEC offers is “Bank On Rubber City”- a coalition led by United Way of Summit & Medina Counties and the City of Akron. Bank On educates and connects Summit County residents to safe and affordable banking products and solutions that are key to successful financial empowerment.

“We have a broad goal of financially empowering 11,000 people in Summit County and 2,500 people in Medina County by 2028,”Antoinette explained, adding “since we’ve been open, we have helped clients decrease their debt by $5,395,598 and increase their savings by 2.3 million. We have helped 2,682 clients since opening in 2018 and have done 10,084 sessions since opening.”

The FEC also offers free tax preparation services to those who qualify.

“I used [the FEC] to have my dad’s taxes done for his estate,” one FEC client explained. “The staff was very helpful and courteous! Having his taxes done for free and the quality of the service meant the world to me.”

If you or someone you know could benefit from the services offered by The Financial Empowerment Center, you can visit the office Monday- Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 1060 Kenmore Blvd. You can contact them at 330-762-7601 or you can schedule your one-on-one financial coaching session online here. Appointments are offered in person or virtually. FEC’s financial coaching sessions are free for all and have no income restrictions.