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Buchtel/Perkins CLC
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Saving Buchtel practice field would cost Akron school district millions
By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer
Saving Buchtel High School's practice football field could cost the district an additional $11 million and add two years to a three-year project to build a new combined high school and middle school.
This is the sobering news the Akron school board will hear Thursday when it considers the costs and benefits of an alternative plan proposed by some community members.
Board members, over the objection of board President James Hardy, tabled a vote on the plans at the Oct. 26 meeting to consider concerns raised in the West Akron community about the elimination of the practice field.
The project is part of Akron's ongoing $800 million school construction program that will shut down, renovate or replace every Akron school. The schools will double as community centers after classes let out.
The state is paying for 59 percent of the basic cost of the projects, with a voter-approved city income tax hike covering the rest.
The joint board of city and school officials overseeing the program approved the Buchtel design for a 253,000-square-foot building at its Oct. 26 meeting, so now it's up to the school board to approve the plans or give the architects a new mission.
The current design means that Buchtel students can stay in the old Buchtel school while the new building is under construction behind the existing one.
However, it also means losing the school's existing practice football and softball fields forever.
Opponents want the new building constructed in the same location as the existing building.
The newly elected Ward 4 city councilman, Russel Neal, is leading the charge to save the practice field. He said he has support from the PTA, the alumni association and neighborhood block clubs.
Neal, a 1980 Buchtel graduate, understands as well as anyone how sports unite the West Akron neighborhood
''That's more than just an athletic field,'' Neal said. ''When the teams are up there practicing, man, you have a community that gathers there. You have kids who are just off the bottle there with their fathers, their grandfathers, alumni, a community of folks there.''
However, others in the community who are more focused on improving academics worry that too much hand-wringing about the fate of a football practice field will feed stereotypes that people care more about sports than learning at Buchtel.
Jacqueline Silas-Butler, the executive director of Project GRAD, a nonprofit educational reform organization focused on the Buchtel area schools, said she has represented the views of many residents and parents in the planning process for the new school.
''I go and I voice my opinion very loudly: they're student athletes, they're not athletes who happen to be students,'' she said. ''That to me is real simple. That's a quick decision.''
The planning for the new school has been in the works for some time.
In 2007, the school board voted to save Buchtel High School — which was at the top of the list for closure because of declining enrollment — by combining it with Perkins Middle School in the same way that East High School was spared by combining it with Goodyear Middle School.
The district has spent the last two years sorting through a host of competing athletic and academic concerns before settling on its current plan.
Neal has presented two solutions to the transportation problem if Buchtel's students have to be relocated during construction.
By keeping sixth-graders in elementary schools and ninth-graders in middle schools, the district could double up Buchtel students with East students at Central-Hower High School until East moves into its newly renovated building next summer.
Or the district could double up Rankin and Schumacher elementary schools and use the vacated Rankin school to house Perkins Middle School and Perkins Middle School to house the displaced high school students.
For a number of logistical reasons, it's not feasible to double up high schools at Central-Hower, which means Buchtel wouldn't be able to move into Central-Hower until next winter, Superintendent David James said.
He figures that Neal's proposal would add two years to a three-year project. Transporting students to Central-Hower for five years would cost about $5 million, which comes out of the district's general fund.
Perkins Middle School is not equipped to house a high school and Rankin Elementary School is not equipped to house a middle school.
Besides the logistical hassles of relocating the students, the change of plans would boost the construction cost from $46 million to $52 million, accounting for design changes and inflation of construction costs.
The city has sold enough bonds to pay for a $46 million school.
''We don't have any money to go higher because we have other buildings we have to do also,'' James said.
Relocating the building might also make it difficult to save the existing competition gym, which was built in 1984 and includes locker rooms and a wrestling and conditioning room.
The current design incorporates that gym into the new construction. The district could tear the old gym down and build a third competition gym in the new building, but the state wouldn't help pay for it.
''We can do that, but it's going to balloon the cost and then it may not give them everything that they need,'' James said. ''I haven't heard anyone talk about basketball and what they're going to need in terms of seating.''
No matter what the board decides, the school will lose the practice field while the new school is under construction.
The district is exploring options to have the junior varsity and varsity football teams practice at Old Forge Field at 500 E. North St., which is where Central-Hower used to hold its practices. The freshmen could practice at the city's Lane Field.
After the school is built, fields may be available at Perkins Middle School or the former Erie Island Elementary School. It may be possible to include a smaller practice field toward the front of the new Buchtel building close to Glendora Avenue.
But James wants to make sure the public understands what the district's priorities are for Buchtel.
''It's not disrespect to the athletic folks, but we're an educational institution, we're not a professional sports franchise,'' James said. ''Education of the kids has to be the priority.''
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 — Mathú Davis, a Buchtel High School senior, has been named a Gates Millennium Scholar. Davis, a Seniors to Sophomores student, will graduate this spring with both his high school diploma and 28 hours of college credit.
“I have been very impressed with Mathú. He is very focused and committed to excellence in all he pursues,” said Buchtel principal Deborah Houchins. “I am very proud of his accomplishment and happy that I have had the opportunity to work with him.”
Mathú plans to attend Howard University next fall to obtain his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in the field of electrical and mechanical engineering. Mathú says his career goal is “to help convert our country to a more environmental source of energy.”
“I plan to donate a percentage of my income to scholarships to help students be able to attend college and pursue their dreams,” Mathú wrote in his scholarship application. “I believe this is important because, without financial support, I will not be able to pursue my dreams. I will help contribute to the advancement of young people such as myself and hopefully see that they succeed as I plan to do.”
“Mathú Davis is a young man who possesses the perfect mix of ability and humility,” said school counselor Dan Richards. "Mathú will continue to have incredible personal, academic and professional success throughout his life. What will differentiate him from others is his humble, dignified style and sense of manhood.”
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is administrated by the United Negro College Fund. UNCF recently notified 1,000 students that they were selected as 2009 Gates Millennium Scholars. The students are from 48 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam and are enrolling for the fall semester in 346 colleges and universities. Eleven students are from Ohio. Davis is the only student selected in Akron.
About 5,000 current Gates Scholars attend over 900 schools, including Ivy League colleges, flagship state universities and minority-serving institutions including historically black colleges.
According to UNCF, Gates Millennium Scholar recipients have an average graduation rate of almost 80 percent, higher than the graduation rate for all college students and higher than the rate for high-income students.
As a Seniors to Sophomores student, Davis attends classes at The University of Akron where he also participated in Upward Bound and Project SEED, a science, technology, engineering and math-based program which assigned him to a chemical engineer mentor from The University of Akron.
“It has been my distinct pleasure to have been Mathú Davis’ Upward Bound academic adviser here at the university for the past four years," said Carolyn Felton, University of Akron Upward Bound adviser. “By being one of a thousand recipients to have been awarded this scholarship, out of 20,500 applicants, Mathú has proven what we knew all along – that his determination and hard work would pay off.”
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Felisha Cheatem
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The Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators select felisha cheatem principal of the year
Felisha Cheatem, principal of Perkins Middle School, was named as one of Metlife/NASSP Ohio Principals of the Year. Cheatem has been a school administrator for 12 years and served as principal of Perkins Middle School since 2004.
Under her leadership, a successful discipline committee was established at Perkins, lowering the amount of referrals for inappropriate behavior. Test scores have risen: sixth-grade reading scores rose 68%, seventh-grade math scores rose 72% and eighth-grade math scores rose 39%.
Each year, NASSP and MetLife co-sponsor awards for the National Middle Level Principal of the Year and National High School Principal of the Year. In conjunction with these awards, OASSA and MetLife sponsor an Ohio Middle Level Principal of the Year Award and an Ohio High School Principal of the Year Award. Applications are available from the OASSA office or the NASSP web page. Applications are to be returned to the OASSA office by the published deadline, and state winners are chosen by a panel of judges representing members of the educational community.
The successful candidates are guests of MetLife at a leadership symposium in Washington, D.C. in the fall, and at the NASSP Convention in the spring. Ohio Principals of the Year are honored at the OASSA Fall Conference and receive a signet ring from the Herff-Jones Company and a plaque from the Association. Applications of Ohio principals of the year are submitted to NASSP for the National Principal of the Year competition. For additional info about the OASSA**********************************************************************************************************
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Pages have been serving the House of Representatives for nearly two hundred years. Working as a team, Pages assist Members with their legislative duties, deliver correspondence and small packages within the congressional complex, answer phones in the Member cloakrooms, and prepare the House Floor for sessions.
High school juniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher in core academic subjects may apply to work as Pages in the U.S. House of Representatives for a fall or spring appointment. There is no GPA requirement for Pages who work during the summer semester. While serving the House, Pages live in Washington D.C., at the Page Residence Hall, a few blocks away from the Capitol. During the academic year, Pages attend classes at the House Page School. Pages must be sponsored by a Member of Congress and be at least sixteen years old on the date they begin their term. All communication regarding the Page program must be made through the applicant’s sponsoring Member.
Click For Details
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Finding New Solutions to Old Problems
During a loud and busy afternoon at Perkins Middle School, a group of deeply engaged young men are listening to an enchanting tale. The storyteller pauses … and the young men harmoniously pound on their drums. Then, they stop drumming and beginning talking.
This group of young, black, middle school students belongs to Alchemy, an afterschool program offered through Perkins Activities Central. The group meets twice a week, listens to a mythological story, drums in harmony and councils each other. Mythological stories are used to increase the use of the student’s imagination, creativity and critical-thinking skills. Through the dissection of characters and their universal dilemmas, the students begin to understand and relate their own life situations to the characters in the story. As they discuss how the story’s hero overcomes adversity, they learn how to transform their own lives.
“Our approach helps students understand that the rain doesn’t always fall on just one roof,” said Alchemy Inc. founder Kwame Scruggs. “This is their safe zone to talk about their problems.”
The mentoring program begins when the boys are in sixth grade. They analyze a myth by author Michael Meade called “Water of Life.” The tale is about three desperate sons who try to find a cure for their sick father who is the king. One by one, the young men learn they must admit when they need help in order to find what they are looking for.
“I stop and ask each student what resonates within the myth,” said Scruggs. “This one [myth] helps them understand that they need to stop and ask for help if they are having a problem.”
The program has been running for four years at Perkins and aims to mentor young boys through middle school. Once the students reach high school, they return to Perkins in a paid position to mentor their fifth-grade successors. Scruggs said the inspiration behind the program came from a series of life-changing mythological books and a desire to “follow your bliss.”
Scruggs and his program are currently receiving national recognition from Ashoka — a global association of social entrepreneurs. The organization would like to expand Scruggs’ program to other urban cities around the county including Los Angeles; New York; Oakland; and Washington, D.C.
“I have found that different cultures have the same troubles,” said Scruggs. “We’re just setting out to find new solutions to old problems.”
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Since the inception of Alchemy, standardized scores from the Ohio Achievement Reading and Math Tests, in- and out-of-school suspensions and school attendance data have been used to assess the impact of Alchemy on student behavior and learning. Key findings over a four-year period include:
Reduction in excused and unexcused absences
Reduction in tardiness
Reduction in both in- and out-of-school suspensions
Reading and math test scores were higher for Alchemy participants than non-participants
For more information, contact Carla Sibley at 330/761-3297.
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Planners are trying to find a way to combine Buchtel High School and Perkins Middle School in a way that will keep seventh- and eighth-graders apart from the older high school students. (Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal)
West Akron wants to keep its high school
Plans to combine Buchtel, Perkins to be ready by May
Architects instructed that older, younger students can't mix
By John Higgins and Katie Byard
Beacon Journal
Published on Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
The Akron school board should see the first plans for a new building combining Buchtel High School and Perkins Middle School in May.
Board members approved the concept last summer to avoid closing Buchtel, on Copley Road, because of declining enrollment, but they left the plans open to change, depending on public response.
Community meetings late last year confirmed two things: Parents didn't want the West Akron neighborhood to lose its high school, but they also wanted to ensure that seventh- and eighth-graders would be separated as much as possible from older students.
''People seem to be very aware of the economic situation and the enrollment situation,'' said Jacqueline A. Silas-Butler, executive director of Project GRAD Akron, a nonprofit educational reform organization focused on the Buchtel cluster. ''People have voiced concerns about the intermingling of the older and younger students.''
The same issue arose in the redesign of East High School, which will be renovated to accommodate seventh- and eighth-graders from Goodyear Middle School. Goodyear is to close when the new school opens in 2010.
After Perkins is closed, sixth-graders will attend elementary schools in the Buchtel Cluster.
That's the same plan for the east side: sixth-graders at Goodyear Middle School will be divided among the elementary schools in the East cluster.
The initial design for a combined East High School didn't pass muster with parents, who wanted better separation of the middle school students from the upperclassmen.
Revised designs for the additions to the high school building address those concerns. Officials hope the experience tackling the separation problem at East High will carry over when architects design the new Buchtel building.
''In some ways, it helps being a brand-new building, because they have more flexibility with the design to make that separation more distinct,'' said Paul Flesher, the district's director of facility planning.
Akron is about halfway through an $800 million construction project that will shut down, renovate or replace every school in the district.
The state is paying for 59 percent of the project, with the rest coming from a city income tax hike approved by voters. The schools will double as community centers after classes let out.
The Ohio State Facilities Commission, which oversees the project, evaluates enrollment trends every year and makes adjustments to the master plan for the project accordingly.
The compromise for East High School was reached in 2005 to prevent East from shutting down. The high school originally was on a list of nine buildings slated to close because of a state mandate that Akron cut its project in light of declining enrollment.
Buchtel faced a similar dilemma.
Middle and high schools in the Kenmore and North clusters also could be combined if enrollment continue to fall, but those design ideas are still in the study stage, Flesher said.
Meanwhile, East High students are currently housed in the former Central-Hower High School downtown while their new school is under construction. They're expected to move back in 2010.
When they move out, Buchtel students will move into Central-Hower. Their new school is expected to open in 2012.
Flesher said the estimated cost for the new Buchtel, including design and fixtures, is $47.8 million.
In May, the board should see initial plans, which basically establish how much classroom space is needed for each academic program.
Those plans are the first of four sets of increasingly detailed design documents that school, city and state officials must approve before the project is bid out to contractors.
Silas-Butler said the community meetings about combining Buchtel and Perkins are ongoing and have been productive.
''It may not be exactly how you would want it to be, but everyone realizes the need to keep the school,'' she said. ''People definitely don't want the school closed.''
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Turkey Day Flag Football Classic 2008
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Odd Alumni Earn Consecutive Decisive Victory
During the 13th Annual Alumni Turkey Day Flag Football Classic, the Odd Alumni defeated the Even Alumni by a score of 30 to 6. The Evens now lead the series 7 - 6 MVP goes to the Odd team O-LineThanks to all who participated in the Commuity Health Fair & Expo and Flag Football Classic. See you all again next year!
RIP Darryl A. Gard c/o 87 Turkey Day Flag Football Classic 2001 MVP
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Holiday hip-hop headliner
Kurtis Blow tops bill for Turkey Day Jam, along with Rayr Image, an Akron R&B band
Published on Thursday, Nov 22, 2007
Happy Turkey Day. Chances are you're reading this as you prepare for the joy and/or pain of gathering with relatives. You're most likely gorging yourself on turkey/goose/ham/tarted-up Tofu or some other foodstuff, or you've already enjoyed/endured dinner and are sitting somewhere breathing slowly and heavily with the top button of your pants/skirt unbuttoned in front of the TV trying not to look sleepy.
Either way, chances are I'm doing the same thing, so let's make this experience quick and painless so you can go ahead and nod off, OK?
Saturday at the John S. Knight Center will be the 12th annual Turkey Day Jam presented by the Buchtel High School Alumni Association. This year's musical guests are Akron-based R&B band Rayr Image and . . .
Wait.
Did I just type the words ''R&B band?''
Unfortunately, I have yet to have the pleasure of seeing Rayr Image perform, but they had me at ''R&B band.'' I'll wager they play a fair amount of covers, but, hopefully, they also have some original tunes in their set list.
Anyway, the evening's headliner will be hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow, who is best known for early rap classics such as the gold-selling The Breaks, Christmas Rap, Basketball and If I Ruled the World. He also was the first rapper signed to a major label.
His feats as an early hip-hop ambassador include opening for Bob Marley & the Wailers at Madison Square Garden in 1980 and The Clash in 1982, and he turned in one of the better acting jobs in the 1985 hip-hop movie Krush Groove.
Despite not being a chart presence for more than a decade, Blow has kept busy touring military bases in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman a few months after 9/11 and spreading The Word through hip-hop music.
More recently, the 48-year-old Blow has been working as a DJ for Sirius Satellite Radio on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin 43. He also has continued working as a Christian rapper and as part of a trio called Trinity, which also features Chris Flow and Ricky B. Blow.
Trinity has a single, Crunk Wit It. Sure, they are a few years behind on the whole ''crunk'' thing, but the songs on the single, which also include God, show that old-schooler Blow's rhyme flow has changed with the times.
This will actually be Blow's second appearance in Akron this year. He performed at a local church in the summer.
In an effort to ''redeem'' hip-hop from . . . well, you know . . . Blow has founded the hip-hop church. Check it out at http://trinityhiphop.com.
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Malcolm X Abram: Howard Hewett coming home
1974 Buchtel graduate will join other alumni at Turkey Day Jam in downtown Akron
By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer
POSTED: 02:54 p.m. EST, Nov 26, 2008
For 13 years, alumni of Akron's Buchtel High School have been gathering around the Thanksgiving holiday to commiserate with fellow Griffins past and present and boogie into the night at the annual Turkey Day Jam — All Class Reunion.
The Turkey Jam once again returns to the John S. Knight Center on Saturday, and this year's entertainment lineup will feature WZAK (93.1-FM) personality Kym Sellars, class of 1984, and actor Leland Jones, who has appeared in Tyler Perry's House of Payne. The music will be provided by two generations of home-grown smooth R&B crooners: Blake Carrington and Howard Hewett.
From his home in Harlem, N.Y., Carrington, class of 1988, has been building his career the old-fashioned way, independently releasing an album, Traveling Man, and a mix tape, The First R&B Street Soul Mix-Tape Vol. I. He has worked and recorded with artists such as Kid Capri and DJ Premier and has performed his contemporary R&B stylings as the opening act for Ne-Yo, Jagged Edge and Keyshia Cole.
Hewett, class of 1974, became a famous singer shortly after he left Akron for Los Angeles and hooked up with Shalamar, featuring Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. Shalamar had a string of R&B/disco hits in the late 1970s and early '80s including The Second Time Around, A Night to Remember, Make That Move and the Hewett co-written and ''Quiet Storm'' staple For the Lover in You.
Hewett went solo in 1986 and had a string of solo hits, including I'm for Real, Stay and Say Amen.
Hewett will be back in his hometown this weekend to perform for the first time in quite a while. It will also be rare that Hewett will be visiting Akron during cold weather.
''I hate coming back in the wintertime, man. It's just way too cold. That's one of the reasons I left. But Akron is always home,'' he said laughing while driving through the nonsnow-covered streets of Los Angeles where he lives with his wife, Angela, and 10-year-old daughter, Anissa (he also has three other children).
''The thing that has always been a plus for me is the fact that I get so much support,'' he said. ''I come home and I get crazy response and crazy, total support from everybody I went to school with to everybody I came in contact with growing up.
''The people that are still there in Akron like claiming me, and it's just a really cool thing.''
During his formative years, Hewett performed in a gospel group with his sisters called the Hewett Singers and played in a local R&B band called Lyfe (''We were funky, man. Real funky,'' he said) with area musicians he still counts as friends.
For the Turkey Jam, Hewett said his set will cover his entire career from early Shalamar hits to his early solo hits to his latest releases, 2007's If Only and the season-appropriate Christmas. Christmas, released last week, is Hewett's first holiday disc and features 11 Christmas songs including two originals, I Remember Christmas and That's Christmas.
Helping out Hewett on the project are Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Ralph Johnson, who produced several tracks featuring fellow EWF members, as well as longtime friends George Duke and Monty Seward. The classics include The Christmas Song, featuring a lovely harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder, a bilingual take on Baby It's Cold Outside with young singer Jasselle offering her half of the duet in Spanish, and Donny Hathaway's modern classic This Christmas.
While many artists fill their holiday albums with choirs, strings and elaborate arrangements, Howard and company purposely keep things simple with many songs featuring a basic quartet offering smooth R&B and jazz-inflected support. On a brief yet contemplative version of Silent Night, Hewett takes considerable liberty with the tune's familiar melody accompanied only by EWF member Myron McKinley's tinkling piano. It's one of Hewett's favorite tracks on the disc.
''We had talked about different string arrangements and things, but I just love the simplicity of it,'' he said. ''I love the jazz influence on some of the songs. And as I looked at everything before we went into the studio, I just decided I wanted to keep it as simple as I can, more straight to the point and more organic.''
Hewett laments that he will miss the official family Thanksgiving dinner (though he is hoping someone will save him a plate or two) and he won't have much time to hang out with friends, fans and family.
He has to return to Los Angeles to prepare for a quick holiday tour and for his duties as a national spokesman for the Defeat Diabetes organization, which focuses on bringing awareness to diabetes. The cause is close to his heart because his mother suffered from the disease and died from diabetic complications.
Although his stay will be short, he said he is very excited.
''It's an honor to come back and play for the Turkey Jam and, hopefully, we'll have a packed house in there and everybody will be happy and we'll have a good time.''
Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.
Posted to www.GoGriffs.net by Shawn L. Strode Thursday, November 27, 2008
Details
• What: The Buchtel High School Alumni 13th annual Turkey Day Jam — All Class Reunion
• When: 8 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday
• Where: John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St., Akron
• Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Information: 330-535-5532 or http://www.GoGriffs.net. Tickets are available at Henry's Acme (Hawkins Plaza) and Sidney Ryan Inc. at 2086 Romig Road, Akron, both of which will have presale tickets available until Friday.
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Turkey Day Flag Football Classic 2007
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BHS Alumni Earn Decisive Victory
During the 12th Annual Alumni Turkey Day Flag Football Classic, the Odd Alumni defeat the Even Alumni by a score of 30 to 8.
The Evens now lead the series 7-5
See you next year!!!
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Buchtel Alumni Association awards $4000 in scholarships to deserving students
The Buchtel High School Alumni Association Inc. (BHSAA) awarded four students $1,000 scholarships at the annual senior class awards banquet in May.
The 2007 BHSAA scholarship recipients are Norman Wolfe, Male Athlete (Kent State University); Chelsea James, Female Athlete (Ohio State University); Kimberly Miller, Four Year Program (Kent State University); and Liddia Shropshire, Two Year/Technical Degree (Kent State University).
Pictured above, from left, are BHSAA members Twila Taylor, Yvonne Brooks, Norman Wolfe, BHSAA Vice President Shawn Strode, Kimberly Miller, BHSAA member Barry McIver, Liddia Shropshire, BHSAA Past President and Founder Russel C. Neal, Jr., and Chelsea James.
The Buchtel High School senior class of 2007 received $1,110, 220.00 in scholarships, according to school officials.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Dougherty, an art teacher at Buchtel.
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Buchtel High School Alumni Association, Inc. Accepts Read Challenge
The Buchtel Alumni Association, Inc. will join the ranks of the Albrecht Foundation, Mrs. Eileen Burg, Children’s Services Board, Dr. James and Mrs. Claire D’Ianni, Mrs. Jacqueline Maly Gill, Terry and Jeannie Haines, Mr. Donald Kaufman, Norris and Mary Kelly, Nancy Murray, Diane and Herb Newman, Mr. Keith G. Cantine and Dr. Lois Margaret Nora, Dr. Sylvester Small, Mr. Glen Stephens and Mrs. Sandra Stubbs-Pitts as donors of the Read Challenge.
Roger and Judy Read, well-known, active members of the Greater Akron community and 1959 and 1958 Buchtel High School graduates, have extended their philanthropic spirit and support to Project GRAD Akron.
Last year, Roger and Judy Read issued a matching challenge grant to Project GRAD Akron. The couple agreed to match seven scholarship pledges that were a minimum of $4,000 and that paid within three years or less. The Reads’ generous challenge was met, thanks to the generosity of several people. Their matching grant of $28,000 will be designated to benefit those students who have met the Project GRAD Akron guidelines and wish to pursue a two- or four- year professional or technical degree program.
This year, Project GRAD Akron is looking to secure a total of 12 pledges or contributions to the PGA College Scholarship Fund. Eight pledges have been secured and four more are needed by the end of the year.
For more information about the Roger and Judy Read Challenge Grant, visit the Project GRAD Akron link on our website.
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Art Competition Award Winners
Art Teachers Patrick Dougherty & Michael Sinerth entered four Buchtel students in the Northeast Central Ohio Scholastic Art Competition. It was held at Kent State University with 3,513 entries. This year Marlon Fears won a Gold Key (the highest award given) for his art portfolio. Kimberly Miller won a Silver Key (second highest award) for a painting. She also received a Merit Award for another painting. Only 319 Gold or Silver Keys awards were given among the 3,513 entries.
In addition, Purchase Awards for Ruple's Art Supply Company were given to Marlon and Kimberly by the Akron/Summit County Women's Club. Marlon's award was $500 and Kimberly's was $100.
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Stow filmmaker catches Hudson in his Vue-finder
by Rachael Biasiotta
Associate Editor
Hudson - The city may already be a hot spot for historic homes, arts festivals and quaint shopping excursions, but could it become Hudsonwood?
Stow-based independent filmmaker James Hinton is now working on his newest short feature, “Irina,” in Vue Restaurant on Village Way in downtown Hudson. He said the unique setting of the restaurant has provided the perfect backdrop for his film, a suspense/drama that he wrote.
“Ambiance ... the place has that feel to it,” Hinton said of Vue, adding the restaurant has a “new” look, but with lots of classic charm.
He added that he didn’t have to change anything inside the restaurant, except moving a few tables.
“The more natural I can get it and keep it, the better,” Hinton said.
Hinton said he visited two other area restaurants, but Vue stood out because of its unique decor and charm. Vue’s signage and name will be prominently featured in the film, so Hudson residents will recognize it, he said.
However, the film doesn’t indicate Hudson as the setting, so those from out of town might not know where the film is supposed to take place.
When asked how well his project has been received in Hudson, he said everything has gone well, and neighboring businesses and passersby have been very supportive, as have Vue staffers.
Mike Tomascelli, Vue’s general manager, will even make a cameo appearance in the film, Hinton said, as owner of the restaurant. Though Tomascelli isn’t the real-life owner of Vue, he said the real owners are pleased and he’s excited about the interest the film could generate for Vue and Hudson.
“It’s great for the restaurant, it’s great for the city,” Tomascelli said.
He added that filming hasn’t disrupted the restaurant’s regular operations, adding Hinton and his crew usually come to the restaurant around 8 a.m. and are gone by the time Vue opens its doors for lunch at 11:30.
Hinton said that early morning filming hours also keep away interested onlookers whose faces in Vue’s windows might cause problems in the finished film.
Shooting at Vue has been taking place for about two weeks already, Hinton said, and he expects to wrap up by the first week in October.
The film has a “Hitchcockian” theme, Hinton explained, and hints that Vue, or at least the Vue in the film, is haunted. He said he doesn’t
doubt that people who visit the restaurant for the first time after seeing the film will be looking for ghosts.
The plot of the film is that people don’t leave the restaurant the same way they entered it, though he kept what changes the characters undergo and what secrets the restaurant holds to himself.
Hinton added that there is no real gun play or explosions in the film, which also will be without nudity or gore.
“If my wife, kids and grandma can’t watch it, I won’t make it,” Hinton said.
An Akron native, 41-year-old Hinton graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in psychology. He said he entered the film business about six years ago after a friend told him his writing was too good to let others make a profit from it. So Hinton left Arizona where he and his wife and two children were living and came home to Ohio.
He started his production company, Portrait in Black Films, in 2003 with the help of co-producer Myron Lewis, a Weathervane Playhouse trustee.
He said even though this area doesn’t have a reputation for film production, he has found businesses and communities have been very supportive of his efforts.
“It’s people like Mike that make me want to stay,” Hinton said. “You have select businesses that just embrace us.”
Support is something that’s very important, too, Hinton said, considering the funding for the films come from his and Lewis’s pockets and from the revenue from previous films.
Hinton said he expects to spend about $5,000 making “Irina,” and hopes to win the $50,000 prize at the Cleveland Film Festival in March. Of course, should Hollywood show an interest in making it into a feature film, Hinton said he would gladly scrap his plans to submit a short film to the Cleveland festival.
That’s a possibility, too, he said, as one of the lead actresses in the film, Giana LaMonica recently showed the script to filmmakers in Hollywood while filming an appearance for “The Drew Carey Show.” He said the script has generated some excitement already and he is eager to finish a feature length version.
Hinton said other cast members, all “seasoned actors,” include T’Keyah Keymh, who appeared on “Cosby” and “In Living Color;” Martha Vuscko, a local actress, model and owner of a day spa in Chagrin Falls; and Lewis.
E-mail: rbiasiotta@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146
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Press Release Attention: Program Directors
If you would like to contact Donzella Michele Malone please call Tina Mukwaya in the publicity department at 212-736-1767 or: alimahvantage@yahoo.com
Vantage Press, Inc. is proud to introduce REMEMBERING MARGO: A TRIUMPHANT LIFE, A TRAGIC DEATH AND LIFE’S GREATEST DECEPTION; by Donzella Michele Malone.
Dr. Margo Prade was an incredibly magnetic, intelligent and warm individual. At only forty one years old, her short life ended in tragedy on November 26, 1997 the day before Thanksgiving. This true story of Dr. Margo Prade has touched many and made national headlines. HBO, Arts & Entertainment Network, and Dateline MSNBC are among the leading networks that continue to air Dr. Margo Prade’s murder, the investigation and murder trial. Reminiscent of the O. J. and Nichole Simpson murder investigation, there are mysteries that remain intertwined in the murder of this remarkable woman.
At the tender age of seventeen, Margo Shamberger met twenty-seven-year old police officer Douglas Prade. Over the years, the marriage became tumultuous and laden with marital skew; while their careers loomed. Douglas Prade quickly rose to become a police captain, while Margo’s patient list grew to an astounding 7,000 patients. After eighteen years, Margo became fed up with Douglas' control and infidelity. Changes were inevitable…but at what cost?
Remembering Margo: A Triumphant Life, a Tragic Death, and Life's Greatest Deception, by Donzella Michele Malone is a heartfelt tribute to the life of an extraordinary and gifted physician, mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and colleague. Dr. Margo Prade was a community icon whose indelible, amazing life and story should never be forgotten.
DONZELLA MICHELE MALONE is a clinical counselor and adjunct university professor. She holds undergraduate degrees in both criminal justice technology and political science, and a graduate degree in clinical social work. Remembering Margo is the author's first published work.
REMEMBERING MARGO: A TRIUMPHANT LIFE, A TRAGIC DEATH, AND LIFE'S GREATEST DECEPTION
Author: Donzella Michele Malone
Price: $22.95
Hardback, 252 pages
Order Department: 1-800-882-3273, amazon.com, www.bn.com
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Buchtel alums hope to jump-start arts
`God's Trombones' an invitation for theater in school, community
Kerry Clawson
Beacon Journal
Reva Golden speaks with pride about the days she studied the performing arts at Buchtel High School under a government-funded program that ran through the early 1980s.
``We actually met Glenn Close before she was Glenn Close. We got to see her in Barnum on Broadway,'' Golden said of her high school fine arts focus.
For Golden, a 1982 Buchtel alumna and Ohio University graduate, participating in a strong arts program in high school led to a lifelong love of theater.
``Before Firestone High School, before Miller South (arts magnet programs), there was Buchtel. Buchtel had the best plays in that era,'' Golden said of the arts at the former John R. Buchtel University High School.
At the time, the school offered accelerated programs in not only the arts but also broadcast communications, environmental science, business, health and medicine, horticulture and law.
Now, the director's working to jump-start the arts again at Buchtel with her production of God's Trombones, an Evening of African American Folklore. She said the last Buchtel High School play was seven years ago.
``We want to raise fine arts awareness,'' Golden said of her current theatrical endeavor.
The play, billed as wholesome family entertainment, will be performed 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Buchtel High School Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Buchtel High School Alumni Association.
Part of the play stems from a series of short sermons written in verse by James Weldon Johnson. The rest draws upon poetry, gospel music, Negro spirituals, dance and folk tales, all written by African-Americans.
At a recent rehearsal, cast members from Buchtel High School as well as community actors worked on everything from a dance called The Eagles Who Thought They Were Chickens -- about the slaves' middle passage from Africa -- to a short poem called A Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes.
In the background, Kwame Williams, Phillip Fikes and Tahj Davis played jemba and junjun African drums.
Johnson's sermons that are woven through the show include Creation, Go Down, Death and The Prodigal Son. Comedic scenes include God Made Man and Woman, Brer Rabbit and The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play.
The piece also includes an excerpt from James Baldwin's The Amen Corner as well as historical stories of slavery by Millie Evans and Letice Boyer.
Golden originally directed a children's production of God's Trombones in 1997,when she was an Akron Parks and Recreation employee. She and musical director Clifton Mosely began crafting the piece 10 years ago.
In 2002, Golden revised the show for a staged reading of God's Trombones at Weathervane Community Playhouse, where nearly 200 guests packed the production in the theater lobby.
Now, they'll be able to seat 1,000 audience members in the Buchtel High School Auditorium, which features a proscenium stage. Weathervane is again lending its support with set pieces and props.
Show sponsors are the Buchtel High School Alumni Association, Omnova, Laborers' International Union of North America Local 894 and Stewart and Calhoun funeral home.
Also working on the Buchtel production are choreographer Everett Deck and costume designer Loren Mayer, a resident costume designer for Disney World.
Ultimately, the Buchtel High School Alumni Association would like to see a new, viable community theater housed at Buchtel as a nonprofit operation to enrich the whole community.
Russell Neal Jr., past president of the alumni association, said the group plans to continue networking with alumni who work in the arts to produce at least two community theater productions each year.
``As the alumni association, our goal is to work with them (arts professionals) and bring their skills back to Buchtel to create a community theater,'' Neal said. ``We look at it as a positive alternative to the overemphasis on sports right now.''
``We look at theater as being a way for kids to express themselves and get in touch with their feelings'' plus learn valuable presentational skills that will serve them in the work force, Neal said.
Tickets to God's Trombones, An Evening of African American Folklore are available at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 442 Bell St., Akron; and Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, 986 Copley Road, Akron.
Buchtel High School is at 1040 Copley Road, Akron. Tickets are $15 for adults, or $6 for students 12 and younger. A Portion of the play's proceeds will be donated to the Project GRAD Akron Scholarship Program.
Call 330-753-9527 for more information.
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Buchtel Alumni Association Present $4000 in Scholarships
Pictured from left to right are Marcus Clark, Vianna Matthews, Shawn Strode (Vice President BHS Alumni Association, Inc), Dominique Williams and Curtis Eaton. Alumni members not pictured include Shana Lee (President), Scholarship Committee Chairs Yvonne Jackson-Brooks and Crystal Dent-Conway, Russell C. Neal, Jr., Barry McIver and Ebony Williams.
Photo by Atty. Crystal Jones, Scholarship Coordinator Project GRAD Akron
The Buchtel High School Alumni Association, Inc. awarded four deserving students with $1000 scholarships at the annual senior class awards banquet held Thursday, May 11, 2006.
The 2006 BHSAA, Inc. Scholarship recipients are Curtis Eaton - Male Athlete (Kent State University), Vianna Matthews - Female Athlete (University of Cincinnati), Dominique Williams - Four Year Program (Spelman University) and Marcus Clark, Jr. - Two Year/Technical Degree (Stark State College).
The Buchtel High School Senior Class of 2006 received over $1,331,759 in scholarships.
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LaLisa Anthony
Regional Coordinator
Play It Smart
1441 Tenth Street NE
Canton, OH 44705
Phone: 330-268-9615
Email: lanthony@neo.rr.com
LaLisa is currently in her sixth year with the National Football Foundation. During her first four years, she was an Academic Coach at Akron Buchtel and Cleveland Glenville High Schools. She has worked with many student-athletes and has celebrated with them their successes into college. Namely, she was Academic Coach to former Buchtel standouts Charlton Keith (Kansas), Antonio Reynolds (Tennessee), Tim Murphy (Pittburgh) Anthony Lovelace (Bucknell) and Antonio Pittman (Ohio State) who are all currently attending college and playing football. Also, during her time at Cleveland Glenville, she worked with Donte Whitner (Ohio State), Mike Hearn (Pittsburgh), Ted Ginn, Jr. (Ohio State) and Curtis Terry (Ohio State). There were more student-athletes under her tutelage and she remains in contact with the majority of them.
Prior to Play it Smart, LaLisa earned a degree in communication sciences from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. After completing her degree, she was a Campaign Associate with the United Way of Central Stark County and joined the Canton (OH) Area YMCA as a Program Director working with middle and high school students. As a volunteer in her community, she spent five years as President of the Canton youth football league serving over 300 children.
LaLisa is currently working toward her Master of Science degree in Social Administration with a concentration in community development at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University.
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| Rev. Darryl A. Gard |
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Rev. Darryl A. Gard, 39, made his transition to his eternal rest on December 4, 2008.
He was a life time resident of this community and was employed at Summit Academy. He was Associate Pastor at Livingstone Baptist Church. He graduated from Buchtel High School, Class of 1987 and Blufton University, Class of 1991. Darryl was a track and football coach at Buchtel High School and was on the Raiders and the Fam Flag Football Teams, he also played on the basketball team for the teachers league and performed in many community plays.
Preceded in death by biological father, Anthony Johnson; grandfather, Rev. Robert J. Allen Sr. and grandmother, Roxie Johnson. He is survived by his wife, Deatra Askew-Gard; sons, DeRon Gard and Darius Askew, both of Akron; father, Patrick Gard of Cleveland, Ohio; mother, Christine Washington of Akron; brother, Nicholas Washington; and other siblings, Eric, Shellie, Princess and Sherita; grandmother, Argie Allen; best friend, Joe Cloud; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 1 p.m. at United Baptist Church, 1007 S. Hawkins Ave. Friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until time of service. Interment at Lakewood Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to 2171-10th Street SW 44314 and to 528 Sunset View Dr., 44320. SERVICES ENTRUSTED TO RHODEN MEMORIAL HOME, 330-724-1201.
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Buchtel rolls to easy win. Woodridge crushes Gilmour
Published on Sunday, Sep 06, 2009
Beacon Journal staff report
Buchtel showed the No. 1 team in West Virginia how Ohio football is played, blasting Wheeling Central Catholic 50-17 at the Wheeling Hospital Rally. The Griffins' offense was dominant, running for 312 of its 425 yards.
The Buchtel defense held the Maroon Knights, the top-rated team in West Virginia, to 224 yards in total offense.
''We were hitting on all cylinders. We played to our potential,'' said Buchtel coach Ricky Powers, whose team is 1-1. ''We could have done this last week against Massillon. The difference is we had no turnovers in this game and six last week.''
Senior back Demarquis Owens finished with a game-high 147 yards on 15 carries, with three touchdowns, including a 72-yard breakaway effort.
Fellow senior John Coleman had 96 yards and two rushing touchdowns and a back-breaking 70-yard interception return for a touchdown giving the Griffins a 31-17 lead at halftime.
Griffins quarterback Stephen Parker threw for 113 yards and ran for 42.
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