July 2024

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Community News

7/23//24

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The City of Akron's 41st annual National Night Out is on Tuesday, August 6th in every ward across the city! The goal of National Night Out is to strengthen participation in local programs that prevent and deter crime, in an effort to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

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We're counting down the days until Free Concerts In Parks with all of our wonderful Akronite friends and their families, thanks to the support from City of Akron, Ohio - Mayor's Office! Lawn chairs, blankets, and even a picnic are all encouraged!

Our first outing is at Forrest Lodge Park (1586 Jefferson Ave.

Akron, OH 44313) THIS SUNDAY, starting at 7:30 PM, with the instrument petting zoo making a return beforehand. 

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The 11th Annual West Akron 5K Walk/Run is next Saturday, August 3rd at Buchtel CLC (1040 Copley Rd.) starting at 9am! Register and learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/4t2wj3ap

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Community News

7/15//24

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Join Alice under the pavilion at the Summit Lake Farmers Market on Tuesday, July 16th from 4-6 pm and create a watercolor painting of a painted turtle.

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We appreciate and thank our SILVER SPONSORS for this year's Golf Tournament, August 23rd to benefit the YES Fund. https://4th-annual-yes-golf-outing.eventlify.com/

The Youth Empowerment Scholarship (YES) fund was established provide fun, safe, and affordable opportunities to enhance quality of life and encourage deeper connections within our community. The City of Akron believes that Akron’s kids should not be denied the benefits of public recreation. Financially challenged families with children 18 years and younger can apply for YES funds for any fee-based program offered through Akron Recreation & Parks. If eligibility requirements are met, YES funds will assist with a portion of the cost of the program.

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Join us for July’s Full Moon Walk at the Memorial Parkway Trail on July 22nd! We will be meeting at 8:00pm and beginning the walk at 8:15pm!

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What’s better than free music in the parks?! Bring your chair or blankets and enjoy the free entertainment from 7-9pm. For full summer schedule https://www.akronohio.gov/.../recreation_and.../events.php

Firestone Park CC

1480 Girad St

Tuesday July 9, Murfies Law

Shadyside Park

1240 Kenmore Blvd

Wednesday July 10, One Fine Day

Lawton Street CC

1225 Lawton St

Thursday, July 11, Realiztik Soul

Ellet Community Center

2449 Wedgewood Dr

Friday, July 12, Silk Band

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Community News

7/9//24

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We are excited to announce that Perkins Woods Pool will be open today Tuesday, July 9 from 1-7p. Come swim with us! We do anticipate needing to close the pool again for future dates for further maintenance so please continue to check our website for updates.

And make sure that you have your Open Swim membership on Akron.RecDesk.com. Thank you for your patience!

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Lunch is now available at House Three Thirty!

The community has asked, and we’re delivering! Due to popular demand, House Three Thirty’s housemade specialty, Secret Pizza, is now available daily from 11am-2pm. Come grab a hot and fresh slice for lunch, served up by our Heart of the House!

Come join us every Tuesday for TACCCOOO TUEEESSDAAAYYY to get your weekly taco fix beginning on July 9th with our first official Taco Tuesday kickoff event for the entire community. Tacos, Nachos, & Burritos will be available every Tuesday from 11am-2pm.

We look forward to serving you soon at House Three Thirty where #wearefamily is a way of life.

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One of Northeast Ohio’s most popular cover bands, The Unit Band, is bringing their high-energy performance and soulful sounds to the LeBron James Family Foundation’s House Three Thirty. The dynamic band’s incredibly talented musicians deliver some of your favorite hits across Jazz, Rock, R&B, Funk and NeoSoul in an experience designed to have you on your feet and singing along. The Unit Band creates an irresistible vibe and energy everywhere they perform, leaving audiences wowed night after night.

While at House Three Thirty, guests are welcome to enjoy all of the venue’s unique offerings that will be available for purchase. Visit Akron’s first community model Starbucks, grab a bite to eat in Secret Pizza, enjoy a scoop or sundae from The Sweet Shop featuring Mitchell’s Ice Cream and local favorites, and experience the world’s only LeBron James’ Home Court museum.

This is a ticketed, general admission event. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Free parking is available on site. 

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Community News

7/1//24

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City Of Akron And Akron Parks Collaborative Announce The Akron Parks Challenge 2024 Park Recipients

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 The City of Akron and Akron Parks Collaborative are thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2024 Akron Parks Challenge are Sherbondy Hill Park (Ward 3) and Prentiss Park (Ward 9), each to receive $150,000 in city-funded capital improvements with community engagement and design support from Akron Parks Collaborative.

This sixth installment of the Akron Parks Challenge, which launched on April 1, 2024, invited residents to pitch their vision for how to improve their favorite Akron park by collaborating with their neighborhood to support design, implementation and upkeep.

“The Akron Parks Challenge process puts community engagement at the beginning of the process, so that neighborhood residents themselves decide how to use their own park and also provide input on how they want it to look and feel,” said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik. “It’s essential to neighborhood health and safety to have engaged and active groups involved in solutions toward a more vibrant Akron.”

At Sherbondy Hill Park, the Akron Bengals Youth Football organization use the park now for programming and practice for 150+ youth and their families. The park currently has a parking lot and a mowed lawn surrounded by a wooded area. Their vision is to enhance the park with seating, a walking path, a pavilion and a small play space to promote a family atmosphere for both the organization and the neighborhood.

“By having a common space, the community would consider the park to build rapport and strengthen relationships,” Donte Swain, Sr. stated in the Akron Parks Challenge application.  They plan to engage local businesses, churches and neighbors in the process of designing the park.

“Congratulations to Sherbondy Hill Park on winning the 2024 Akron Parks Challenge,” said City Council President Margo Sommerville.  “We are so excited about the investment of resources, the construction of a pavilion, and the enhancement to community well-being that having such a gathering space will bring to the residents of Ward 3.”

The award to Prentiss Park comes on the heels of the Innes CLC 8th grade Changemaker Challenge team being awarded top place and $4,000 to make improvements to their park. These students plan to remain involved as they enter High School and continue to work with their teachers and other community members. First Glance, South Street Ministries, Better Kenmore and Councilwoman Tina Boyes were all part of the application to work together, “to reimagine Prentiss Park in a way that leverages Kenmore’s assets and programming partners to make it more of the intergenerational meeting space that Kenmore wants and so desperately needs,” according to their application.

Tina Boyes, Ward 9 Councilwoman, said, “For years, Prentiss Park was the recreational center of Kenmore but it has since fallen into disrepair. With this funding and the creative ideas of neighborhood students, residents and nonprofit leaders, we look forward to once again making it the fun and inclusive central gathering place our community has long needed. We are grateful to the Akron Parks Collaborative board for their confidence and support.”

The goal of the Challenge is to engage communities around neighborhood parks to create active and vibrant public spaces. The Challenge requires interested neighborhood residents and organizations to show how they will help engage their community around the process.

Submissions were reviewed by the Akron Parks Collaborative and were judged based on measures of community engagement, feasibility, equity and impact on the neighborhood.

"Both recipients this year have a strong focus on providing safe and vibrant places for our youth to play and interact,” stated Bridget Ambrisco, executive director of the Akron Parks Collaborative. “It is so important for our neighborhoods and our city at large to have active, welcoming, inclusive and safe places where kids and adults alike can go for recreation and relaxation. Our board and reviewers were impressed by the levels of enthusiasm and engagement around both these parks.”

The City of Akron and the Akron Parks Collaborative will begin working with the two core teams for each park to develop a plan for community engagement activities over the next several months—including public meetings, events, surveys and discussion with neighborhood stakeholders. Neighborhood designed capital improvements could begin as quickly as a year from now.

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Community News

6/24/24

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As a reminder, personal fireworks displays are not permitted under ordinance in the City of Akron. Please enjoy one of the three professional fireworks displays from the City!

Learn more about the City's Fourth of July events here On the front page.

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Crack Sealing is underway! Wards 1 and 8 have been completed. Ward 4 is currently in progress, and Ward 3 will start on Monday. You can see the list of streets slated for crack sealing or rejuvenation beginning on page 11 via the link provided here: https://tinyurl.com/59zbnsvk

 

An additional site has been added for the Summer Food Service Program! Beginning 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟰, @Wingfoot Church (1690 Hillside Terr.) in Goodyear Heights will now be a site where eligible youth can pick up a free lunch at noon, Monday through Friday. Learn more about the program and see all sites via the link provided here: https://tinyurl.com/nfrfr5xh

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