The City of Akron Recreation Bureau is participating in the Summer Food Service Program by providing meals to all eligible youth (18 years and under) and summer day camp programs that meet the income guidelines for reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program.

Children who are part of households that receive foods stamps or benefits under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are automatically eligible to receive free meals. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

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Have you ever dreamt of having your own farm? How about your very own garden? Maybe you live in an apartment and it’s just a matter of not having the space... Well, a solution to that problem may be right around the block.

Your garden dream can become a reality through Akron Grows, a community gardening program managed by the city of Akron. Before you know it, you can grow your very own fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and/or colorful flowers.

The program uses vacant city lots to provide an opportunity for Akron residents, and residents in any of the surrounding communities, to grow their own food.

Summit Lake Community Center has reopened this week, a full six to eight weeks ahead of previous estimates.

Summit Lake Community Center was closed for almost two weeks due to a one car hit-skip accident at the corner of Lakeshore and Kenmore boulevards that caused Akron’s transformers to fail, leaving the Community Center with no heat or electricity.

Since the accident occurred, First Energy employees and city of Akron employees have worked to find a replacement transformer to serve the Community Center. The usual lead time for purchasing a large transformer such as the one at serving the Community Center is eight to 10 weeks, but First Energy was able to find a similar sized transformer in their inventory in Cleveland.

The city plans to construct senior citizen housing units at the location of a former elementary school on Kenmore Boulevard. Proposals were recently approved by City Council and the Akron Public Schools Board of Education for a land swap agreement at the location of the former Heminger Elementary School in Kenmore.

The city will apply to the Ohio Housing Financing Agency to build the proposed 40-unit complex. Once the property is transferred, the city plans to partner with Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, a nonprofit affordable housing development organization, to construct the three-story building, of which half will be one-bedroom units and the remaining will include two-bedroom units.

Amenities may include an activity room, computers and exercise equipment and a courtyard and garden, according to a city news release. There also are plans for educational and recreational programs, which will make use of the adjacent Kenmore Community Center, owned by the city.

A number of medical advances have arisen from clinical trials. Sometimes, they can even revolutionize medicine. For example, a clinical study in Pittsburgh determined that the lumpectomy (known as a “breast-conserving” procedure) is as effective in breast cancer treatment as a mastectomy, or full breast removal, said Karen Snyder, a manager at Akron’s Austen BioInnovation Institute.

A series of informational meetings about the benefits of medical health research kicked off last week at the Akron-Summit County Public Library’s main library in downtown Akron.

Although there sometimes are risks involved with medical studies, it’s a chance to make a difference and help discover new treatments. “We want to increase the amount of research in the area, but to do that we need volunteers, and we need informed volunteers,” she added.

Akron has its fair share of burger joints. Dilly’s, Skyway and Swensons have made their mark with sweet sauces and stacks of caramelized beef.

Hamburger Station takes burgers in a different direction. Their tiny slider-like sandwitches are big on the bun and heavy(!) on the raw Spanish onions. Oh, and don’t even think about adding ketchup. The restaurant’s founder, Jim Lowe, wouldn’t stand for it.

Lowe was only 14 when he ran away from his Nashville home in 1938 and hitched a ride with a rubber salesman.
 Little did he know that his car ride would end here in Akron, where he quickly found a job slinging burgers at Thaker’s, a restaurant in close proximity to Goodyear.

Little infielders, outfielders, pitchers and catchers will be lined up on South Main Street this Saturday for the annual All American Baseball and Softball Parade in downtown Akron.

Leagues from around the city -- Goodyear Heights, North Akron, Ellet, Kenmore, West Akron Little League and West Akron Baseball League -- will send a total of 1,200 youngsters to parade down Main Street and be cheered on by family and fans Saturday morning beginning at 11 a.m..

The route begins at Cedar and Main streets, heads north on Main to Bowery and then west on Bowery to finish at Lock 4.

Neighbors who know one another better tend to build safer overall neighborhoods, according to the city of Akron, which encourages each area to promote their own event for the fifth annual Neighbors Day. The celebration takes place May 28, Memorial Day weekend, and centers around residents getting to know their neighbors better.

This year's theme is Living Together Better: 5 Years of Strengthening Neighborhoods. Once residents decide their preferred activity,  city officials encourage organizers to choose a location, adding they may want to host it on their porch, front yard or driveway. Neighbors Day Akron is designed to help residents get to know one another, especially those in closest proximity.

The Manchester Road bridge over Kenmore Boulevard will be closed all week beginning today.

The bridge will close each day at 8:30 a.m. and reopen at 3:30 p.m., according to a city of Akron news release, which adds the work includes patching concrete on parapet walls and bridge maintenance.

The traffic on southbound Manchester Road will be detoured to the Fourth Street ramp, then across Kenmore and back to Manchester Road.

Education In Action program finishes house No. 17

The Education in Action program has been around since 1997, and every year it produces another home for another Akron family.

This year's is on Florida Avenue and is now on the market.

Education in Action is a partnership of the Akron Public Schools, the city, the Home Builders Association and the Urban Neighborhood Development Corporation.