All of that will make downtown Akron more vibrant to retain and attract people, organizers said.

The grant awarded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will give the Downtown Akron Partnership a boost to test and implement improvements to public spaces in key areas of downtown over the next two years.

“It feels like we’re hitting this tipping point in downtown Akron,” said Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation program director for Akron.

As part of the collective work of the foundation, Downtown Akron Partnership and other partners, including the city of Akron, three main public focus areas have been determined for the grant. They are:

• The Link: Identifying and promoting an east-to-west, 1-mile connector dubbed “The Link” that runs from the University of Akron’s University Avenue and Broadway Street area (near the Akron Public Schools’ National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM school and the UA schools of law and business) to the Akron Children’s Hospital campus.

• Cascade Plaza: Enhancing a key public park adjacent to Huntington Bank’s campus and as well as a proposed residential development.

• Night Out at North High Street: Improving and bringing more activity to the sidewalks around the North High business district to attract new activity and pedestrian traffic to the area.

‘Where is everybody?’

The idea behind the grant is to work with various partners throughout the key areas to encourage more people to be out and about on the streets.

“It’s a game of hide-and-seek in downtown Akron,” said Kutuchief. “Where is everybody?”

Thousands of workers drive in to Akron and enter office buildings via underground parking decks. Many don’t venture out for lunch or don’t leave until they get back in their cars to go home, Kutuchief said.

In a recent study completed by Gehl Studio, a firm specializing in urban design, 60 volunteers — including downtown small business owners — spent 190 hours watching how people used spaces downtown in two-hour blocks.

They saw people were either not coming out onto streets or they were using skywalks connected to parking decks to traverse through downtown.

At the corner of University Avenue and Broadway, about 1,000 students stay within the buildings and eat quick lunches or walk through the skywalks — often going down two levels through unattractive areas and parking decks — to make their way down to the Polsky Building on South Main instead of walking on the streets, said Suzie Graham, Downtown Akron Partnership president and CEO.

“We want to make it more attractive and inviting to have those folks out in our streets and being part of our network,” she said.

Part of that means encouraging more street-level eateries, instead of ones hidden within buildings, or public spaces with areas to eat lunch or walk in at night, she said.

‘East-west connection’

“The Link is an opportunity to build a strong east-west connection that goes right through the heart of downtown to both bring students into the downtown area and to bring patient families and employees of Akron Children’s Hospital into the downtown area,” Graham said.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said it’s essential to connect the tens of thousands of UA students, educators and employers to the urban center.

“We continue to focus on connectivity between the nodes of activity downtown and look forward to working with [Downtown Akron Partnership] to sprinkle ‘bread crumbs’ between the University, Lock 3, Akron Children’s Hospital and Cascade Plaza to make it easy and attractive for people to further explore and discover their city,” Horrigan said. “As we prepare to invest $5 million in TIGER [Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery] grant funds in a more accessible, livable Main Street, we must ensure that all our major employers and assets are linked through cycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets and infrastructure.”

Cascade, North High

Two other large areas that need some “icing,” Kutuchief and Graham said, are Cascade Plaza and the shops on North High Street.

The city has spent $4.2 million to improve Cascade Plaza and has recently pledged more upgrades. The top of the plaza now needs a welcoming green space for Huntington Bank and other area employees, residents of proposed downtown apartments and future guests at a redeveloped Akron City Center Hotel, Kutuchief said.

Some improvements could be as simple as temporary projects for seating or sidewalk cafe areas on North High Street.

Kutuchief and Graham said a survey done of the lighting around downtown showed many areas where there are dark blocks that discourage people from exploring. Adding lighting will make a big impact, they said.

Some improvements, including those to North High Street, could happen as soon as this fall and Cascade Plaza upgrades by next summer, they said.

A vibrant downtown complements the major upgrades Akron Children’s Hospital has been making to its campus near downtown, hospital President and CEO Bill Considine said.

“If you look at what’s being done with that corridor, that’s only going to add to the excitement for everybody and not only for our workforce but the families that are here,” said Considine, who is also a Knight Foundation trustee.

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ  on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty

Pope Francis named Bishop Nelson J. Perez, auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre, N.Y., to the position Tuesday.

Perez, who displayed an affable personality and sense of humor during his introductory news conference in Cleveland, will be installed as the 11th bishop in the history of the diocese at a Mass on Sept. 5 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland.

He admitted that he never imagined becoming an auxiliary bishop, let alone a bishop when he was ordained a priest in 1989 in Philadelphia.

“God’s ways and thoughts are not ours, but I know, I know, and I trust his ways are always better and deeper than our own comprehension,” Perez said. “I thank God for this awesome, incredible privilege to embark on this journey with you, the wonderful people of Cleveland.”

Perez, 56, said he was humbled by the opportunity. He joked that he received numerous texts, phone calls and emails congratulating him and assuring him that “Cleveland rocks.”

Perez, the first Hispanic bishop in the diocese, also used a portion of his news conference to speak in Spanish.

After he was introduced to the local community, he celebrated Mass at the Cathedral.

The Rev. Paul Rosing, pastor at Holy Family Parish in Stow, attended the news conference, celebrated Mass with Perez and had lunch with him along with other diocesan priests.

“He lights up the room when he walks in,” he said. “There’s a lot of energy there.”

During lunch, the new bishop picked up on the “frustrations and joys” shared by the priests. Rosing also was impressed with Perez’s self-effacing sense of humor and that he asked the priests to share stories about themselves.

“The biggest thing is he’s hopeful and joyful,” Rosing said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

The Rev. Mike Williamson, pastor at St. Matthew Parish in Akron’s Ellet neighborhood, watched the announcement Tuesday online with excitement.

Williamson, who has not met the new bishop, is looking forward to working with Perez.

“He seems very personable with a strong pastoral background,” Williamson said. “Those are great traits to have in a shepherd.”

St. Matthew has a growing Hispanic community and it’s also exciting to have a leader who has worked with Hispanic groups before, he added.

Perez succeeds Bishop Richard Lennon who retired in December after being diagnosed with vascular dementia. Diocese of Toledo Bishop Daniel E. Thomas has been overseeing the Cleveland Diocese on an interim basis and will continue until Perez is installed.

“In Bishop Nelson Perez, the Diocese of Cleveland is receiving a faithful, enthusiastic and joyful shepherd for Christ and his church,” Thomas said. “With his warm personality, Bishop Perez will quickly endear himself to all who meet him.”

Perez’s strong faith was instilled by his parents, David and Emma Perez. They emigrated to Miami while Emma Perez was pregnant.

“I was made in Cuba and unpackaged here in Miami,” Perez said, with a laugh.

“I’ve been so blessed to be raised in a faith-filled family; one that nurtured my faith and ultimately my vocation to the priesthood,” he added. “Without them, I simply would not be here today.”

Before entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Perez received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Montclair State University in 1983 and taught at Colegio la Piedad, a Catholic elementary school in Puerto Rico. He also has master’s degrees in divinity and theology.

In 1998, he was named a Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope John Paul II and Prelate of Honor in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI.

In June 2012, Perez was named auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and received episcopal ordination on July 25, 2012.

He previously has served as a parish pastor, was the founding director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization and serves as chair of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Subcommittee for Hispanic Affairs. He also has taught courses in religion and psychology at La Salle University.

The Diocese of Cleveland is the 23rd-largest diocese in the U.S., overseeing 677,000 Catholics in Cuyahoga, Summit, Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Medina, Wayne and Ashland counties.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

The world’s largest retailer notified township leaders in a letter this week that the company “does not desire to move forward with the development …” and is withdrawing its zoning application.

Walmart had considered moving its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores from the Rosemont Commons plaza in Fairlawn to neighboring Copley for at least a decade. The company had been interested in opening a supercenter with a full grocery and fuel station on Rothrock — about a mile from its current site.

But the retail market has changed dramatically since then, with many national retailers, including Walmart, shuttering stores. Walmart also recently began testing a delivery service using its own store employees to compete with online giant Amazon.

“As you can imagine, so many things have changed,” Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield said Tuesday.

She said the retailer has renewed its Walmart lease at its current location. She didn’t know for how long. The future of the Sam’s Club, though, is still up in the air.

“We’re still determining that,” she said when asked if the Sam’s Club could be relocated.

She added that the company plans to sell the property it owns on Roth­rock.

Copley, which had been at a stalemate in negotiations for a new development agreement with Walmart, is happy that the ongoing “will Walmart, won’t Walmart” soap opera is coming to an end.

“The Copley Township trustees are pleased that Walmart has finally made a decision about the Rothrock Road site,” township attorney Irv Sugerman said. “Now that Walmart has abandoned the project, the trustees plan to initiate discussions about the future of that property and engage our neighbors in Fairlawn about dealing with the traffic issues in the Montrose area.”

Stark Enterprises, which manages the Rosemont Commons, also couldn’t be reached for comment.

Walmart has faced stiff opposition to the relocation from Fairlawn officials and the potential move created friction between city and township leaders.

In response to the company’s plans, Fairlawn closed a portion of Rothrock to through traffic. The decision, which prompted a lawsuit that the city won, made it more difficult for many motorists to reach the site.

The potential relocation also spawned two lawsuits against Summit County by developers who sought a traffic impact study in the busy Montrose shopping area, where Fairlawn, Copley and Bath meet. Those lawsuits, which have since been combined, are still pending in Summit County Common Pleas Court but may be dismissed based on Walmart’s decision.

Fairlawn Mayor Bill Roth was unaware Tuesday that Walmart had withdrawn its zoning application.

“We did what we had to do to protect the residential integrity of Fairlawn,” he said about the city’s opposition to the move.

He added that there are no plans to reopen Rothrock, saying that the closure wasn’t about stopping Walmart but more about the potential for commercial development along the road.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .

Now Cavaliers coach Lue, a former Celtics assistant, and Green have been reunited, with Green’s signing officially announced Tuesday.

Green, 30, agreed to terms of a one-year, $2.3 million deal on Friday night. LeBron James reportedly spoke with Green, who should add a defensive presence to the Cavs’ second unit.

Standing 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, Green has played for four teams in the past three seasons. He spent 2016-17 with the Orlando Magic, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 22.2 minutes. He also shot a career-high 86.3 percent from the free-throw line and scored in double figures in 35 of his 69 games.

Green carries career averages of 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 31.1 minutes. In the playoffs (38 games, 15 starts), those numbers are 11 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 29.3 minutes. The fifth overall pick of the Celtics in the 2007 draft who was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics on draft night, Green has averaged in double figures in eight of his nine seasons.

Nuggets waive veteran

The Denver Nuggets waived shooting guard Mike Miller.

Miller, 37, played only 20 games last season as he served more of a coaching role from the bench for a Nuggets team that missed out on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Over his career, Miller also played for the Cavs, Memphis Grizziles, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timber­wolves and Orlando Magic. He suited up in 1,032 games and averaged 10.6 points.

Miller was the sixth man of the year in 2005-06 while with the Grizzlies. He averaged 13.7 points that season and made 138 3-pointers.

In addition, Miller was named to the All-Rookie team in 2000-01 after being taken with the fifth overall pick by the Magic.

Pelicans sign guard

The New Orleans Pelicans signed former Duke guard Frank Jackson, who was the first selection during the second round of last month’s NBA Draft.

The contract spans three years at the NBA minimum salary with the first two years guaranteed, meaning a minimum of more than $2 million.

The Pelicans made a draft-night trade with the Charlotte Hornets to acquire Jackson, taken by the Hornets 31st overall. The Pelicans sent draft rights to the 40th overall pick, Dwayne Bacon, and cash to the Hornets in the deal.

The 6-foot-4 Jackson spent one season at Duke, averaging 10.9 points.

He found them at the Sons of Italy Lodge 685, a fun-loving group of immigrants and their descendants that celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.

“That’s how we got to know everyone and make good friends,” Ferrante said.

And that’s exactly why the Akron chapter was formed in 1917, a dozen years after the national order was founded.

“When people came over to this country, they were looking for paisans,” said club member Toni Ross of Cuyahoga Falls, using the Italian word for “fellow countrymen.” “They were looking for neighbors and people they might have known over there.”

Italy had only been unified half a century earlier, so the country’s regions still retained their unique flavors, customs and loyalties.

As a result, each region was represented by a different club in Akron, with members required to demonstrate geographic ties. There were societies and lodges specific to the Sicilians, the Carovillese, the Cassanese and the Abruzzi, to name a few.

The Akron area once boasted 30 or more Italian clubs. Today, about half remain.

The Sons of Italy — one of the oldest Italian clubs in the Akron area — was different than most. It accepted anyone of Italian descent.

And, common in most club charters, if one spouse was Italian, the other spouse was automatically Italian.

That’s why Lodge 685 overlooks the ethnicity of its president, Pat Puhak — Slovak by birth, Italian by marriage.

Helping others

In addition to being a social community, the clubs offered life and accident insurance. That was a huge deal for people who had moved thousands of miles away from their network of support, a time before Social Security or government welfare programs existed.

Over the decades, as generations distanced themselves from those early immigrant needs and challenges, the clubs started setting their sights on helping other charities.

Today, Lodge 685 donates annually to Cooley’s Anemia Foundation, Alz­heimer’s Foundation and Doug Flutie’s Foundation for Autism.

They also hand out three or four scholarships each year to the children of members. That’s where the profits from their booth at this week’s Summit County Italian American Festival will go.

The festival is celebrating its 70th year and is an annual tradition put on by 14 of Summit County’s Italian clubs, including Sons of Italy.

It will be held Thursday through Saturday at Lock 3 Park, 200 S. Main St. in downtown Akron.

At the Sons of Italy festival booth, Andrea Conti and her team will be serving up meatball subs with homemade sauce and sausage sandwiches cooked on-site.

“We try to be as authentic as we can,” said Conti, who was born 50 years ago in Akron’s Italian North Hill neighborhood.

The festival evolved from an old tradition in which each club held its own individual picnic. With many people belonging to more than one club, the practice of squeezing 30 or more Italian picnics into a few warm weather weeks was too unwieldy.

The Council of Italian American Societies of Summit County was formed, and the clubs agreed to throw their weight behind a single festival that would not only reach members, but draw in the greater community in a celebration of Italian heritage, music and food.

The Sons of Italy have been involved every year while also managing to organize numerous activities for its 183 members.

A look at its 2017 calendar is a good example: reverse raffle in April, a fashion show in June, a card party in September, a wine tasting in October.

Other activities are devoted to helping other nonprofits with their goals: assisting Rolling Thunder to raise funds for vets in October, wrapping toys for needy Akron children; and volunteering at the Akron Children’s Hospital Tree Festival in November.

“When I was first asked to join the group, I thought, ‘Oh my God, these people are so fun, so welcoming,’ ” Conti said.

Promoting membership

As with all ethnic groups and civic clubs, keeping membership up is the biggest challenge.

The Sons of Italy has seen its own ranks dwindle from a peak of about 250, but Conti is confident the club will still be around in 50 years.

The key is to promote the group to empty nesters who are young enough to be active but old enough to understand the special bonds that come from shared ancestry.

“People reach an age where they appreciate it,” Conti said. “Then they join the lodge and change it to reflect themselves.”

The one thing that doesn’t change is the result, she said. “There’s a sense of camaraderie and caring. But the one thing I would tell people about this group is they are all about having fun.”

To learn more about the Sons of Italy’s Akron Lodge 685, visit www.sonsofitalyakron.org.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.

Christopher Hendon, 26, was arraigned on the new charges in Summit County Common Pleas Court by visiting Judge John Enlow, sitting in for Judge Christine Croce. Hendon, who was dressed in a striped polo shirt and black dress pants, is free on a $2,500 bond.

Hendon faces 60 charges, a combination of felonies and misdemeanors, including assault, kidnapping, abduction and endangering children.

Prosecutors say Hendon, dressed as an officer, attempted to enter the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center and the Summit County Jail and went to two schools with children in handcuffs between March 29 and April 6.

Hendon is not a certified peace officer in Ohio, but has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Hendon was arrested April 6 after he attempted to enter the juvenile detention center with a firearm and a child in handcuffs. He claimed to be a resource officer working as part of a Scared Straight program. He had a security badge with the word “security” covered with a band, investigators said.

Hendon was originally charged with 13 offenses. A supplemental indictment by a Summit County grand jury in late June added 47 more charges. He will next be in court Aug. 1.

Donald Malarcik, Hendon’s attorney, said his client is accused of taking kids who had gotten into trouble from their school and bringing them to the juvenile detention center, where youth offenders are housed, taking them on a tour, and then returning them to school or their parents. He said Hendon’s aim was to “instill a respect for authority” in these young people and some parents were grateful for his help.

“Drugs and violence are consuming a generation of children in Akron,” Malarcik said. “Chris Hendon tried to reach these kids to save them from a life far worse than a ride to juvenile court.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj  and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.