Walk through a whale at First Night
Partygoers at First Night Akron this year can re-create the adventures of some great figures of biblical and literary history: Jonah. Pinocchio. Capt. Ahab — well, his leg, anyway. Like them, the...
View ArticleFirst Night details
Details Event: First Night Akron. When: 6 p.m. to midnight Monday, New Year’s Eve. Where: Downtown Akron. Admission: $10. First Night admission buttons are available in advance at sites throughout...
View ArticlePeople Helping People — Dec. 27
People Helping People is a list of charitable causes in our area that need donations or volunteers. The list ends New Year’s Day, but the charities’ needs do not. Please consider supporting the causes...
View ArticlePeople Helping People — Dec. 28
People Helping People is a list of charitable causes in our area that need donations or volunteers. The list ends New Year’s Day, but the charities’ needs do not. Please consider supporting the causes...
View ArticleMary Beth Breckenridge: Home resolutions
I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that I couldn’t stand some self-improvement. It’s just that it takes more than a calendar page to spur me on to meaningful change.Still, once the bustle...
View ArticleAsk Mary Beth: how to paint Styrofoam
Q: What can I use to paint Styrofoam? Won’t spray paint eat through it?— C.F., StowA: The website for Styrofoam brand foam crafts recommends using acrylic craft paint. Solvent-based paint may damage...
View ArticleBack to gardening basics for new year
The new year is a great time to take a slow, hard look at your landscape.Examine it like a potential buyer. There is really something to be said for curb appeal.As a buyer you probably discovered you...
View ArticlePlant lovers’ almanac: Bird watching and gardening go hand in hand
Thanks to my friends at Secrest Arboretum in Wooster, my kitchen garden is adorned with cut winterberry stems this holiday season. I’ve filled pots with evergreen branches and winterberry, and...
View ArticleHome and garden happenings — week of Dec. 29
Two luminaries in the local home and garden world have announced their retirements.Elaine Evans, a pioneer in the urban gardening movement, is stepping down as director of Let’s Grow Akron. And avid...
View ArticleBath woman dedicates life to keeping breeds pure, raising funds to help dogs
So you think purebred, AKC-registered dogs are only those elite canines that prance around the ring at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?You doubt that those of us who love a common cocker or a...
View ArticleBook suggests alternatives to problem plants
Garden designer and consultant Andrew Keys believes a lot of garden problems can be prevented just by choosing the right plants.That’s the premise of his new book, Why Grow That When You Can Grow...
View ArticleFelt can add texture, warmth, fun to winter days
It’s that time of year when texture, character and warmth define the most successful decor. The perfect time for felt.This season has seen a variety of creative, decorative felt items for table and...
View ArticlePlates help with portion control
The design on Slim & Sage plates is more than just decorative. It’s also meant to help users eat healthfully.The design subtly divides each plate into quarters to make it easier for the diner to...
View ArticleHmong embroidery is the thread that binds
MINNEAPOLIS: To the untrained eye, the boxes stuffed with embroidered tapestries, pillow covers and clothes stored at a St. Paul, Minn., archivist’s home may look like a pile of pretty things.But to...
View ArticlePeople Helping People — Dec. 29
People Helping People is a list of charitable causes in our area that need donations or volunteers. The list ends New Year’s Day, but the charities’ needs do not. Please consider supporting the causes...
View ArticleWhere to meet new friends
• Check your church or community center for friendship or discussion groups. • Join a book club.• Volunteering will put you in touch with new faces.• Visit www.newcomersclub.com for a worldwide...
View ArticleYou’ll want this oatmeal recipe Jan. 2
Two more days and we’re past all of the holiday hoopla.Life will settle back into its normal routine, kids will go back to school, we’ll un-decorate our houses, and the last vestiges of holiday food...
View ArticleThe To-Do List — Week of Dec. 30
On your plateThis is the week when lots of local folks will be ringing in the New Year by eating a traditional sauerkraut dinner.If a steaming pot of sauerkraut with pork roast and sausages doesn’t do...
View ArticleNews of the Weird: Artful dodgers
English pupils talk way out of troubleThe head of the Perse School in Cambridge, England, recently instituted a “10-Second Rule” for minor disciplinary infractions: Students could avoid punishment if...
View ArticleTop 10 features stories of 2012
1. The Black Keys — Akron natives Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney — had another banner year: a song featured during March Madness broadcasts, induction into the Firestone Hall of Fame, five Grammy...
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