On October 2, Oddmall is taking over the boulevard with a block party that celebrates our very own cryptozoological marvel – The Kenmore Grassman!

Oddmall is one of Ohio’s largest and most unique exhibitions of art and artifice, and features hundreds of artists, crafters, entertainers, cosplayers, artisans, and purveyors of games, toys, comics and collectibles.

Part art fair, part craft show, part comic con, part gaming festival, part cosplay extravaganza, part toy show, part antique show, part vintage fashion show, part geeksplosion, part music fest, part magic show, and part various undefinable othernesses – Oddmall is Ohio’s definitive emporium of the weird.

From 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., The Kenmore Boulevard will be lined dozens of vendor booths – both inside and outside – showcasing the works and wonders of an abundance of artists, crafters, entertainers, and purveyors of games, toys, comics, and all things geeky, awesome, amazing, amazingly amazing, and amazingly amazingly amazing.

Live entertainment, costume contests, and a variety of interesting diversions are guaranteed to fascinate even the most jaded of curmudgeons.

Oddmall is FREE and open to everyone, though a $5 donation is suggested. For more information, visit www.oddmall.info.

And be sure join us on October 1, 6-9 p.m. for a very special Oddmall preview during our final Kenmore First Friday of 2021. Our October First Friday will feature vendors, food trucks, and live music from Hey Mavis, Daveferatu & the Highland Squares, Madison Cummins, Samantha Grace, and many more! Don’t forget to stop in the Rialto Theatre for a drink and to test your musical chops at the Akorn Jammers Open Mic with Ralph Obert and friends. RSVP and see the full schedule here.

One year ago, Jeewaka Costa and his wife Manik opened ManiKitchen Tea Shop, filling the space at 978 Kenmore Boulevard with the aroma of their 120 varieties of loose tea. On Thursday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m., they invite you to celebrate with them.

Since opening a year ago, Jeewaka and his wife Manik (who is also the namesake of ManiKitchen) have educated curious shoppers on how to brew the perfect cup of loose leaf tea – ultimately building a strong base of loyal, repeat customers in the process.

“Customers have come back and told us they feel more energized and healthy since they began drinking our tea regularly,” Manik commented.

Jeewaka’s family has a rich history with tea. His grandmother used herbal remedies, traditional ingredients, and natural resources to heal people, and explained to him that it takes time to boost immunization in your body. “There is not any magical word or works (that will) do it within one or two days,” he said.

In Sri Lanka, his mother would make a steaming glass of herbal tea and tell Jeewaka it was a glass of secret medicine that would boost immunity to protect against bacteria, viruses, and infections.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Jeewaka was laid off from his aircraft maintenance job in spring of 2020. He decided it was time to activate the space he had owned on Kenmore Boulevard since 2016. Jeewaka had always planned to do something entrepreneurial with the building, and as the world became more focused on health and immunity, he felt a calling apply his family’s generations of work refining the art of blending ancient Sri Lankan herbal medicine with infused Ceylon teas and open a tea shop in the space.

“People all over the world know the importance of a strong immune system, especially with the spread of COVID-19 infecting millions. A strong immune system, which our unique teas support, will help protect you and your loved ones,” Jeewaka notes.

About two months ago, ManiKitchen expanded its offerings and began selling its own line of 100 percent local raw honey in five varieties: Wildflower, Lavender, Cinnamon, Clover, and Sweet & Spicy.

In addition to the physical location on the BLVD, ManiKitchen offers its teas, honeys, and accessories online at manikitchen.com and at some local farmers markets.

Join us in stopping into ManiKitchen Thursday, September 9, 5-6 p.m. and congratulate Jeewaka and Manik on a successful first year. Buy a tea, honey or accessory and be included in a drawing to win one of four tea sets. Online purchases made before 5 p.m. will also be included.

ManiKitchen Tea Shop is located at 978 Kenmore Boulevard and is open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit manikitchen.com.

Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance is pleased announce the addition of Corey Jenkins, promoter and experience manager, to our professional team. Corey is a musician and artist, as well as a creative marketing, branding and business development professional with a decade of experience. He most recently served as the corporate marketing manager for a Massillon-based industrial company. As co-chair of KNA’s Promotions Committee, he is responsible for the colorful new Kenmore First Friday logo and t-shirts.

Corey has strong life-long connections to Kenmore: His grandmother spent nearly her entire life in Kenmore, both his parents grew up here, and he spent his first three years of life on the corner of Clearview Ave. and Overlook Dr. In his early 20s, Corey worked for Virgil Lay at SIT Strings, a company originally established in the basement of Lay’s Guitar Shop.

Listeners to 91.3 The Summit FM and regular concert goers may also know Corey from his solo work, as a member of the new super group Big Pop, or with acts such as Fancy Legs, PIN 2 HOT, Sons of Midori, Samantha Grace, and Time Cat.

As promoter and experience manager, Corey will work to help residents and the greater Akron community view and experience the Kenmore in positive ways through avenues like Kenmore First Friday, media and public relations, and advertising. He will also serve as a branding and business development advisor to the district’s small businesses.

As KNA grows, Corey will compose strategic initiatives that are in tune with the vision of growing Kenmore Boulevard as a destination for Northeast Ohio musicians. He plans to use his 20 years of experience as a writing and performing artist to connect fellow musicians with the resources he has grown to love that are already here in our community.

“Personal and family connections aside, Kenmore has long been an amazing resource for me as a musician,” Corey noted. “My favorite guitar shop is right next door to a storied guitar repair and luthier operation, and I’ve had some very positive and memorable on-stage experiences at The Rialto Theatre. I’ve even enjoyed just hopping up on the Bank Lounge stage during an open mic night, not to mention the recording studios and instrument builders who don’t necessarily have a public-facing presence, but are all musical resources. I can’t wait to support and connect them,” he explained, “and it’s particularly nice to work within walking distance of Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza & Deli, which just happens to be home to my favorite pizza in the universe.”

Tina Boyes, executive director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance said of Corey, “He is the right person at the right time to help us engineer the next phase of our growth. We are excited to bring him to the Boulevard to build an environment that supports the growth of our businesses, musicians and community.”

Corey is plugged in, amped and eager to continue revitalizing the Boulevard. So when you see him at Kenmore First Friday, be sure to offer him a warm hello or rock fist.

Kenmore lost a one of its most eclectic and dedicated hobbyists on Aug. 22 with the passing of Howard Evans, owner of E&S Hobbies & Trains.

According to his family and friends, Howard – or “Hutch,” as they called him – was a lifelong tinkerer and lover of all things electronic. Even before graduating from Kenmore High School in 1965, Howard got his hands on an amateur radio license, and – as they say – the rest was history.

Before retiring from the City of Akron’s Communications Division in 2004, Howard opened E&S Hobbies & Trains at 980 Kenmore Blvd, enabling him to share his deep knowledge and love of model trains, remote-control airplanes and more with the families and hobbyists of Kenmore and the greater Akron community for 30 years. It was a fitting transition for the former McDowell Pharmacy building, which drew children to the Boulevard for penny candy and sodas for decades.

E&S Hobbies & Trains will remain open on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and evening and weekend hours as family is available. They are also available for appointments, pricing and inventory availability by calling 330-745-0785. For visitation and funeral details, or to leave a note for Howard’s family and loved ones, visit www.schermesserfh.com.

By Diane Kilivris for The Devil Strip

Yoga is an ancient Indian practice of self-realization that has provided great exercise for many—particularly those among us who are lean and flexible. But for others, it can feel like an exercise in futility.

Intimidating poses with Sanskrit names scare many a beginner away, resigned to the idea that they’re just not built for the practice.

But there’s a new yoga in town. Melissa Lyons of Kenmore was awarded a Rubber City Match Level II Space Award, a grant from the city of Akron that will help her acquire studio space and expand her new venture, All Walks Yoga.

The goal of All Walks is to provide classes that make yoga accessible to everyone, with individualized modifications taught for those with physical limitations or differently-shaped bodies.

Lyons began studying the new concept of “accessible yoga” after her own practice had to change due to major back surgery. After falling in love with yoga in 2016, Lyons needed a spinal fusion, her third surgery due to scoliosis.

“It knocked me out of the yoga game for a while… My spine can’t do the things a normal person can,” she says. When she got back into yoga right before the pandemic, she knew she wanted to not only teach, but to bring accessible yoga to Akron, and specifically Kenmore. She got busy and wrote her business plan while at a yoga training retreat in April.

“I started doing teacher training and I really felt drawn to bringing yoga to people who might not find it very accessible, like people who have differently-shaped bodies or ailments or other things going on. They might need different poses or props or things like that. And I knew that the studios in this area didn’t offer that,” she says.

“Yoga doesn’t have to be 60-minute, 100-degree Vinyasa powering through the poses. You can get the same benefit… It’s movement linked to breath and you can do that in so many different ways,” Lyons says.

According to the Accessible Yoga Association, accessible yoga serves people with disabilities, disease and illnesses, LGBTQ people and ethnic and racial groups.

Accessible Yoga is a concept that began about three years ago. Several books have been written and become popular in the industry, and new certifications are becoming available through the Yoga Alliance.

Currently Lyons teaches a weekly Sunday morning class in borrowed space at the Rialto Theatre in Kenmore. While applying for the Rubber City Space Grant and scouting locations for her own studio, she and her fiancé, Matthew Hirschfelt, have been attending community events, doing chair yoga demonstrations to generate interest.

Observing Lyons at her Sunday class at the Rialto, it becomes apparent that teaching is her passion — her full-time job is teaching third grade at Harris-Jackson CLC in Akron — and she has the kind of patient demeanor that wins the respect of 9-year-olds as well as yoga beginners.

“We’re going to do something a little different this week,” Lyons tells her yogis. “We’re going to hold each pose for 3 minutes, so I want you to hold it at only 75%. If you need to come out of the pose, it’s fine to take a break and come back in,” she adds assuringly.

One of Lyons’s regular Sunday students, Rebecca Rak, said she had dabbled in yoga before but never on a regular basis.

“A lot of the normal yoga classes seem very intimidating. I was always unsure if I was doing the pose right. My body is a little larger than the stereotypical yogi, I would think, so I had issues reaching some of the poses, and then also just feeling comfortable in that space,” Rak says. But she’s been a regular at Lyons’s Sunday morning class since May.

“She (Lyons) very much encourages people to listen to their own bodies and take modifications. She really makes people feel comfortable and still encourages movement in a way that’s going to be healthy for them,” says Rak.

And Rak says the class has made an impact in her daily life. “I play softball and broomball and I’ve noticed that I’m much more flexible and less sore throughout the day because I’m stretching and moving in a focused way.” She has also found that regular yoga has helped in reducing what used to be chronic back pain.

Lyons is back in her third-grade classroom at Jackson-Harris now but dreams of operating her own yoga studio full-time.

“I love teaching, and it’s still a form of giving back to the community. We are very honored to have been chosen by RCM and excited about the road ahead.”

All Walks Yoga can be found online at www.allwalks.yoga.

Diane Kilivris is a freelance writer living in West Akron. When not working, she can be found on the tennis court or obsessively knitting in a cozy chair.

Once again, Block by Block and Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance are seeking a paid Cleaning Ambassador to clean up litter, pull weeds, report safety and infrastructure issues, and offer courteous assistance to businesses, visitors and community members in the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District.

To apply, visit blockbyblock.com, from Choose Locations select Akron, Ohio, then choose Downtown Akron Partnership. Or, for more information about the position, or for help applying, contact lmobley@blockbyblock.com or 330-374-7612.

Since she was 11 years old, Markesha Lawson has been providing expert styling to friends, family and clients. At her new salon, Beauty by Law Salon and Spa, located 930 Kenmore Blvd., she’ll offer hair and nail services with massages, esthetician services and boutique forthcoming.

“I love servicing the public and making people happy,” Markesha said. “I was referred with great recommendation to Kenmore and I look forward to becoming part of the Kenmore community.”

Beauty by Law Salon and Spa is open every other Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. To make an appointment, visit styleseat.com/beautybylawsalonspa or call 234-817-6192.

Photo and article by Jennifer Conn, Spectrum News

AKRON, Ohio – A once declining Akron neighborhood has welcomed its 10th new business since the start of the pandemic.

On Monday, Mayor Dan Horrigan and Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance Executive Director Tina Boyes helped cut a bright red ribbon at the entrance of the new law offices of New York-based attorney Marc Scolnick at 1014 Kenmore Blvd.

The Akron Law Office of Marc Scolnick is the second office for the University of Akron Law School graduate. The office will be managed in the day-to-day by John D. Hoffman, also a UA Law School graduate.

Scolnick returned to New York after graduating with his law degree, but always intended to come back to Akron, which he considers his second home, he told those gathered at the event.

“We see a lot of potential here and we’re looking forward to helping grow the Boulevard and be part of the community,” he said. “I see so much more opportunity than almost anywhere else. You can find warm, gracious people, a working-class mentality, but still having a high-quality product across all industries. And so, we’re going to be doing the same thing here. And be a part of making this place better than it was when I got here.”

Horrigan pointed out that his grandparents once operated a grocery store across the Boulevard from the new law offices.

He credited Boyes and City Councilman Mike Freemen with the momentum that’s been evident on the Boulevard over the past couple years, as darkened storefronts have steadily filled.

“It’s easy for me to get behind great ideas,” Horrigan said. “We’re going to make a big investment in the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance and those initiatives, and as you can see we’re back on the Boulevard again. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve opened new businesses here. Small business is important.”

Kenmore is one of Akron’s 10 Great Streets communities, an initiative Horrigan announced in 2018. Great Streets integrates economic development, urban planning and engineering to make improvements aimed at revitalizing ailing business districts like the Boulevard, to draw more families to live in the city.

Since then, zoning updates and infrastructure improvements have been underway, all with an eye toward maintaining the character of the Boulevard, while making it more attractive for businesses and residents.

Making properties in the district eligible for historic tax credits, in 2019, the National Park Service added the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District to its National Register of Historic Places.

Boyes, who has shepherded commercial revitalization of the Boulevard, said Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance’s role is to be a connector.

“With Mark and with the other businesses here, we like to connect them to the city services, because there are so many right now, through the Great Streets program,” she said. “We’re here to connect them to fellow business owners. There’s so many businesses that could be using their services and likewise, and we want to connect them to the residents, too, by doing things, like our Kenmore First Fridays, bringing people down to the district activating the space again, showing people that there’s vibrancy here.”

Boyes’ group launched Kenmore First Fridays in 2017, hosting a block party-style monthly outdoor event, featuring food, live music, vendors and games.

Among the business drawn to open in the Boulevard’s historic buildings are Beauty by Law Salon and Spa, which opened its doors last week at 930 Kenmore Blvd.

In May, Kenmore native Terrence Bailey fulfilled a lifelong dream, opening Ethicrace Clothing Co. at 971 Kenmore Blvd. Also, in May, Not Just October, a nonprofit offering resources to breast cancer patients, survivors and their supporters hosted a grand opening for its Kim Jacobs Breast Resource Center.

BrightStart Early Preschool opened in June at 1069 Kenmore Boulevard was started by former Kenmore High School student Aletha Harris.

Marigold Sol at 962 Kenmore boulevard opened while the world was shut down last March, offering new and vintage furniture, home décor, gifts and jewelry, as well as classes in custom furniture refinishing.

Also in March, Just a Dad From Akron opened a store at 937 Kenmore Blvd., featuring owner Kenny Lambert’s specially designed clothing that aims to inspire young families.

Also opening were ManiKitchen Tea Shop opened at 979 Kenmore Boulevard; My Love Health Care at 983 Kenmore Boulevard and ThaiSoul Fusion Grill at 992 Kenmore Boulevard.

Kenmore also draws every caliber of musician to the Boulevard with its growing music industry. The Rialto Theatre, a live-music venue and studio, the Guitar Department, a new and used consignment shop that offers music lessons, are all mainstays on the Boulevard.

Also on the strip, Lays Guitar Shop has been known since the ’60s for quality repairs and restoration, and is frequented by Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach and Cleveland native Joe Walsh.

SRINA Tea House on 975 Kenmore Blvd., a full-service restaurant, is expected to open in the near future through a city of Akron Rubber City Match grant for new businesses.

More information about the Law Office of Marc Scolnick can be found by visiting the website.