Community focused local news

Avenue of oak trees on Southampton Common, a public park in the city. Beautiful summer day with blue sky.

Akron Tree Commission Meeting in Brief: July 2023

Words by Sophie Franchi

The Akron Tree Commission met twice this July to work on the Public Education Strategy. The in-person working group session on July 07, 2023, was not live-streamed on YouTube, as the monthly virtual meetings are, and left unfinished business to be continued at the July 18 meeting. This meeting focused almost entirely on the strategy for raising awareness about Akron’s Urban Tree Canopy and about the Akron Tree Commission’s role in supporting the City of Akron in managing our tree canopy to provide a safe, healthy, and sustainable urban forest.

(more…)

0 Comments

August 16, 2023

Urban Tree Canopy

An Update on the Work of the Akron Tree Commission

Words By Sophie Franchi

Since January 2022, the Akron Tree Commission has been meeting monthly to work on the implementation of the City of Akron’s Master Tree Planting Plan. We’ll periodically summarize these meetings, which are publicly live-streamed on YouTube, to keep our readers up to date on the City’s progress toward its goals for the Urban Tree Canopy[1].

The past three months have been exciting for the Commission, with a heavy focus on a new grant application and developing a public education strategy. Here’s what’s new:

May 2023

New City Public Service Department Representative In May 2023, City of Akron Arborist Jon Malish was replaced as the City’s Public Service Department liaison at the monthly Commission meetings by Parks Maintenance Foreman John Hilkert.

(more…)

0 Comments

July 11, 2023

Health

“A Collaborative Backbone of Support”

How Summit Recovery Hub RCO is bridging the gaps in the path to Recovery

Words by Sophie Franchi

“We’re trying not to wait until someone is at the severe level of need for their mental health or substance use issue…”

Summit Recovery Hub RCO

Why don’t they just get help?

This question often runs through the hearts and minds of friends and relatives of people suffering from substance abuse and mental health disorders. The truth is, it’s not that easy. Recovery looks different for different people, and the support systems needed to recover are not always accessible. Sometimes there are major gaps in the supports available to people seeking a pathway to recovery. Sometimes people have a difficult time finding any path at all.

Summit Recovery Hub RCO is working to bridge some of those gaps for our community.

“We really want this to be a collaborative backbone of support to help,” says China Darrington, Board President of Summit Recovery Hub. “No one can do the work for you, but we can make sure you’re not alone and that you have someone who knows a little something about helping someone navigate that process of change.”

(more…)

0 Comments

February 6, 2023