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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Better Kenmore CDC, in partnership with Kenmore Chamber of Commerce and the County of Summit ADM Board, is excited to announce the return of Kenmore First Friday to the historic Kenmore Boulevard business district (aka The BLVD). The events will kick off June 2 with live music from Akron favorite Detention – an energetic band who have been receiving airplay on Sirius XM and played three showcases at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas this March.

Joining Detention on the main stage will be up and comers Funeral Proposals who have just finished tracking their first record with Chris Butler of Waitresses and Tin Huey fame. Emerging Akron bands FourShadow and Duplain will perform in the McCutchan Courtyard and additional live music will be programmed by Buzzbin Art & Music Shop, Juju Bonz Records, Akorn Jammers Open Mic, and the Kenmore Branch Library will host an indoor stage featuring hip hop and urban expression artists presented by First Glance, Glory In The Beat Radio, and Akron Dream Center.

Oddmall will also return in June with its “Great Grassman Gathering” market which will feature over 40 purveyors of art, games, toys, comics, and collectibles, while The Rialto Theatre hosts a Speed Dating event followed by live music from Jim Ballard & the Strangs.

Kenmore First Fridays will take place every first Friday of the month beginning June 2 and will continue through Sept. 1. The free events will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature live music, vendors, family activities, food trucks and the Magic City Brewing Company outdoor beer garden. See the full schedule below:

June 2: Detention with Funeral Proposals, plus Oddmall: The Great Grassman Gathering

July 7: Yankee Bravo with Long Tall Deb & Colin John, plus 720 Market

August 4: The Labra Brothers with Anya Van Rose, plus Oddmall: Rubber City Rumpus, and filmmaker/comic book artist Ted Sikora

September 1: Church of Starry Wisdom with Glenn Lazear, plus Art On The BLVD featuring Trillium Schools of Music. Gum-Dip Theatre, Summit Artspace, Innes CLC, Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Akron Art Museum Keith Haring Chalk Party, and more!

“Our staff, partners, and volunteers strive to consistently bring the best live music, vendors, and food trucks to Kenmore First Fridays,” said Corey Jenkins, Marketing and Events Director for Better Kenmore CDC, “and no two months are ever the same, so we really encourage the community to come down each month to see what’s happening!”

Kenmore First Fridays are FREE and presented by Better Kenmore CDC, Kenmore Chamber of Commerce and County of Summit ADM Board, with additional support from Akron Civic Commons, Peg’s Foundation, Apollo Supply Co., City of Akron, Kenmore Komics & Games, United Way, The Summit FM, Akron Dream Center, Akron Promise, Akron RubberDucks, Bi-02-Tek Services, Big Love Network, First Glance, Glory in the Beat, Innes CLC, Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza & Deli, Primo’s Deli, Portage Path Behavioral Health, Regina’s Pizza, Rocco’s Pizza, Showcase Meats,Thomas C. Loepp Law Offices, and Trillium Schools of Music.

RSVP to the June 2 Kenmore First Friday on Facebook!

Event information will be posted as it becomes available at betterkenmore.org/first-friday.