Akron Becoming a Biking City Article:
I am willing to promote anything to lower pollution levels in Akron! I get an awful sensation in my mouth and nose downtown from the gross pollution. Biking also promotes healthier living.
I am willing to promote anything to lower pollution levels in Akron! I get an awful sensation in my mouth and nose downtown from the gross pollution. Biking also promotes healthier living.
Crime in N.Y. Article:
I feel Akron Police do a great job at keeping us safe, but there is always room for improvement. Extracting tips from N.Y. Police such as getting to know the community as a freindly, and authoritative figure is effective.
I feel Akron Police do a great job at keeping us safe, but there is always room for improvement. Extracting tips from N.Y. Police such as getting to know the community as a freindly, and authoritative figure is effective.
Mom's Thanksgiving: A Taste of Heritage
I interviewed my mom regarding her favorite aspects of Thanksgiving, her past traditions with her family growing up, etc. I really enjoyed talking with my mom. It has never really crossed my mind to ask her about how she grew up celebrating the holiday season. My mom talked about growing up and celebrating Thanksgiving with her family of 8, including herself, plus a grandmother. She shared about the kids' tradition of playing their own football tournament, their own "Turkeybowl", throughout the day along with other outdoor/sporty fun. Then, each of the kids (this was non-negotiable) had to sit down with Nana and discuss various topics. however, this mandatory act proved rewarding as the kids received information and tips about life. My mom loved walking into the house and smelling the sensational dishes which were long-awaited. Each child went around, said what they were thankful for, and dug in. It seems like such a relaxing, simple way to celebrate. One would surely hold these memories close to their heart. Listening to my mom's memories excites me to create new traditions and ways to celebrate the holidays for my family as well.
Back in September for cross country we ran in Peninsula, where I captured some images of the various locks in Akron
Locktoberfest
Ventured over to Locktoberfest and absorbed the thick German culture, hanging around the Mustle Store. Also wached the German Dancing and even saw a familiar Hoban face performing: Junior, and my friend, Emily Armbrust who runs cross country with me.
Innerbelt 59:
It was very cool to be able to propose our own ideas for what to do with the soon to be abandoned Innerbelt 59.
Katie Petit and Joe Brode
Mr. Milo
Hometown Histories
11/5/15
Innerbelt 59
The Innerbelt 59 freeway was demised in the early 1960s by Akron traffic planner Byron Sturm. The plan, first published in 1963, was that the freeway would connect the core of Akron’s downtown to the interstate highway and expressway system flourishing on the outskirts of the city. Streets in downtown Akron were packed and the existing street networks were unable to keep up with ever growing numbers entering the city everyday. The Innerbelt was conceived by the city’s Urban Planning and Renewal office as a six-lane, highway across Akron’s urban core. The Innerbelt would connect U.S. route 224 in Barberton to downtown Akron and then continue past Ohio Route 8 in Cuyahoga Falls. Construction began in 1970.
The Innerbelt project was originally to be funded largely out of state pockets, with 75% being financed by out of state highway coffers, and the remaining 25% being taken care of by the city. However, this plan did not work out, and construction on the Innerbelt was stalled while the city asked the federal government for help. From 1970-1973, construction crews built only three-quarters of a mile of the five-mile freeway. The cost of that progress? 50 million dollars. This cost was far too expensive and upset the locals. The project slowly lost its political support. The freeway failed to attract any more retail businesses and shoppers than it already had previously attracted. As residents continued to flee from the path of the Innerbelt, business continued to suffer. The Innerbelt was never completed. With a downtown hungry for developmental changes, the city’s engineering bureau has devised a new plan: restitch the neighborhood which was left behind.
Akron is the home of many beautiful park systems. However, downtown Akron lacks such lovely green space. With so much concrete taking up the city’s core, a park would be the perfect solution. 30 acres is more than enough for a vast recreational, environmental and family-friendly space. Citizens agree that our town does not need an additional concret jungle such as the previously known Rolling Acres mall.
Back in 2008, a project called Project Evergreen culminated the massive renovation of a public green space in Akron, which is now home to bocce ball courts, cornhole, and many other fun activities. Project Evergreen combined with local Akron contractors to make this possible. Not only would this greenspace be pretty to look at, but research has proven that green spaces provide a plethora of environmental, economical, and lifestyle benefits. This renovation would build Akron a more unified, and healthier community.
The leftovers of the Innerbelt could be stripped of concrete, and replaced with green grass, flowers, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a baseball field, a playground, and picnic areas. With these new installations, families could feel safe and welcome to bring their children, relax, have dinner in the park, get some exercise, and so much more.
A weekly farmers’ market would be a great addition as well. We could even develop sports teams such as basketball, baseball, kickball, volleyball, football teams and so much more for all ages. Also, instilling this park into the heart of downtown could attract many of the children who have parents who work etc., providing them with a safe place to roam free and play. The positives of this plan bring hope for what could otherwise be desolate concrete.
Our proposal aims to help Akron make this a long term thing for the city. We want to create something that the whole entire city would want to be a part of. Akron needs something to bring the community back together, therefore developing this green space and organizing sports teams in Akron would help bring the community closer.
In Detroit, they have developed an organization called Social Sports Detroit which reaches the goal of what we are trying to reach. The organization has a city wide tournament of all sorts of sports such as volleyball, soccer, dodgeball, corn hole and also bar games for people 21 and over. Akron needs to add the social atmosphere of young people, and a sense of community and unity back into the equation. If Akron were to use the Innerbelt for something similar to what Detroit is doing, the city would be viewed as special and unique and revered for this brilliant ideas and integrations. These teams and social events would attract people from surrounding areas and cities as well. Some of the major statistics, according to Detroit’s results of doing this, include 96% of people participating would meet someone new through these events. 98% of people in this Detroit program are participating in some type of local sports event. Also, 97% percent of the Detroit program help sponsor the events. We could obtain sponsors such as Project Evergreen, local farmers’ markets, local sports teams such as the Akron Rubber Ducks, Cleveland Gladiators football, etc. Akron has a shot at something spectacular, and this would also bring in money for the community, helping better Akron for the future. The Akron community would participate not only in these sporting events, but also in building a community for the future, while having a blast doing so.
Works Cited
John Harper, (2014, December 25). Retrieved from www.cleveland.com
Stephanie Warsmith, (2014, December 5). www.ohio.com
(2013). Retrieved from www.projectevergreen.org
(2015). Retrieved from www.socialsportsdetroit.com
Mr. Milo
Hometown Histories
11/5/15
Innerbelt 59
The Innerbelt 59 freeway was demised in the early 1960s by Akron traffic planner Byron Sturm. The plan, first published in 1963, was that the freeway would connect the core of Akron’s downtown to the interstate highway and expressway system flourishing on the outskirts of the city. Streets in downtown Akron were packed and the existing street networks were unable to keep up with ever growing numbers entering the city everyday. The Innerbelt was conceived by the city’s Urban Planning and Renewal office as a six-lane, highway across Akron’s urban core. The Innerbelt would connect U.S. route 224 in Barberton to downtown Akron and then continue past Ohio Route 8 in Cuyahoga Falls. Construction began in 1970.
The Innerbelt project was originally to be funded largely out of state pockets, with 75% being financed by out of state highway coffers, and the remaining 25% being taken care of by the city. However, this plan did not work out, and construction on the Innerbelt was stalled while the city asked the federal government for help. From 1970-1973, construction crews built only three-quarters of a mile of the five-mile freeway. The cost of that progress? 50 million dollars. This cost was far too expensive and upset the locals. The project slowly lost its political support. The freeway failed to attract any more retail businesses and shoppers than it already had previously attracted. As residents continued to flee from the path of the Innerbelt, business continued to suffer. The Innerbelt was never completed. With a downtown hungry for developmental changes, the city’s engineering bureau has devised a new plan: restitch the neighborhood which was left behind.
Akron is the home of many beautiful park systems. However, downtown Akron lacks such lovely green space. With so much concrete taking up the city’s core, a park would be the perfect solution. 30 acres is more than enough for a vast recreational, environmental and family-friendly space. Citizens agree that our town does not need an additional concret jungle such as the previously known Rolling Acres mall.
Back in 2008, a project called Project Evergreen culminated the massive renovation of a public green space in Akron, which is now home to bocce ball courts, cornhole, and many other fun activities. Project Evergreen combined with local Akron contractors to make this possible. Not only would this greenspace be pretty to look at, but research has proven that green spaces provide a plethora of environmental, economical, and lifestyle benefits. This renovation would build Akron a more unified, and healthier community.
The leftovers of the Innerbelt could be stripped of concrete, and replaced with green grass, flowers, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a baseball field, a playground, and picnic areas. With these new installations, families could feel safe and welcome to bring their children, relax, have dinner in the park, get some exercise, and so much more.
A weekly farmers’ market would be a great addition as well. We could even develop sports teams such as basketball, baseball, kickball, volleyball, football teams and so much more for all ages. Also, instilling this park into the heart of downtown could attract many of the children who have parents who work etc., providing them with a safe place to roam free and play. The positives of this plan bring hope for what could otherwise be desolate concrete.
Our proposal aims to help Akron make this a long term thing for the city. We want to create something that the whole entire city would want to be a part of. Akron needs something to bring the community back together, therefore developing this green space and organizing sports teams in Akron would help bring the community closer.
In Detroit, they have developed an organization called Social Sports Detroit which reaches the goal of what we are trying to reach. The organization has a city wide tournament of all sorts of sports such as volleyball, soccer, dodgeball, corn hole and also bar games for people 21 and over. Akron needs to add the social atmosphere of young people, and a sense of community and unity back into the equation. If Akron were to use the Innerbelt for something similar to what Detroit is doing, the city would be viewed as special and unique and revered for this brilliant ideas and integrations. These teams and social events would attract people from surrounding areas and cities as well. Some of the major statistics, according to Detroit’s results of doing this, include 96% of people participating would meet someone new through these events. 98% of people in this Detroit program are participating in some type of local sports event. Also, 97% percent of the Detroit program help sponsor the events. We could obtain sponsors such as Project Evergreen, local farmers’ markets, local sports teams such as the Akron Rubber Ducks, Cleveland Gladiators football, etc. Akron has a shot at something spectacular, and this would also bring in money for the community, helping better Akron for the future. The Akron community would participate not only in these sporting events, but also in building a community for the future, while having a blast doing so.
Works Cited
John Harper, (2014, December 25). Retrieved from www.cleveland.com
Stephanie Warsmith, (2014, December 5). www.ohio.com
(2013). Retrieved from www.projectevergreen.org
(2015). Retrieved from www.socialsportsdetroit.com