Akron Today Magazine

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Annual Penalty For Non-Action

Every year, in the United States, we have to file and pay federal, state and local taxes, and we have to do them because there is a due date and penalties if we failed to file. Filing taxes are chores that MUST be done every year regardless of whether you want to or have the time to do them.

In a household, there are other chores that we MUST do, but neglect to do because those chores don’t incur penalties nor do they have a due date. One of the many drawbacks to neglecting to do our household chores is the fact that we are losing money. 

Here is a short list of the household expenses you must look at every year and reevaluate to see if everything is as it should be.

  1. Homeowners Insurance – Every year, your insurance company sends you the renewal papers to find out whether anything has changed.  From the coverage of your home to other structures in your property, the coverage you have for the home has to make sense to you. If you have a $1,000 deductible, consider all the $1,000 additional coverage charges your insurance company is charging you every year.  Your deductible comes first to pay for these losses. Why pay for them every single year if at the end you will be paying out of pocket anyway?  You must have home insurance to protect your home, but you have to be vigilant about what your insurance company is charging you. If you need more information or want to find more about home insurance follow this link. https://www.usa.gov/property-insurance
  2. Car Insurance – Nowadays, many insurance companies offer accident forgiveness or accident credits if you haven’t had an accident for the last twelve months. They offer a good student credit if you have teenagers in your policy, and they can offer you great rates if you bundle your home and car insurance.  Give them a call and talk to their agents, they want your business and they will find very competitive rates to lure you over.  Those TV advertisements are not all phony gimmicks, they do want your business, and shopping around for insurance coverage can save you money. For more information about car, homeowners, renters and flood insurance follow this link to this government site. https://www.usa.gov/property-insurance#item-34897
  3. Life Insurance – According to  2017 statistics,  almost half of Americans do not have any life insurance coverage and the other half has only the basic group policy.  If you have children under the age of eighteen living at home and do not have life insurance policy, we recommend to shop around and buy a policy right away. It is very scary to think of the consequences if something bad should happen to you, but it is very irresponsible to leave children financially unprotected.  Many Americans that do not have a life insurance policy believe the price of having one is much more expensive than it is.  With too much information at your disposal, it is easy to shop for insurance and find the best possible rates.  Talk to your partner or spouse and decide what insurance policy makes sense for you and your loved ones.

On top of these, there are other things that go up frequently and you should shop around when they do.  Utilities, mobile phone and television are just some other examples.

Beginners Guide to Yoga Types

The practice of yoga has been developed for thousands of years and is more attainable than ever before. Yoga studios are in every town, and Youtube channels like Yoga with Adriene ensure than there’s a practice for everyone out there. Yoga is about challenging yourself to become better and it’s an exciting journey. Here are seven common types of yoga with the benefits and differences to help you get started.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga is a branch of yoga that focuses heavily on proper alignment and relaxation. This style of practice is heavily modified with props such as straps, blocks and chairs. This method is perfect for those with aching bodies or handicaps and beginners. The tempo in this practice is slow and gentle, allowing you to reach full relaxation, with proper alignment in a number of poses. Iyengar increases stamina, flexibility and strength while promoting inward reflection and developing focus. By focusing on alignment, this practice will bring new strength to less used areas of the body.

Hatha Yoga

This is a more traditional practice of yogic poses and breath work meant to cultivate the body, mind and spirit. Any yoga practice that leads one through poses is considered Hatha and has been used to describe many Western practices of yoga. A typical Hatha practice will guide you through an asana, yoga postures and sequences, and pranayama, breathing techniques. A class described as Hatha won’t leave you feeling sore, but more flexible and calm.

Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga is a practice containing 26 postures that are performed in a studio that is heated to temperatures over 90°F. This yoga practice has become the basis for hot yoga classes, which differ through postures taught during practices. These special poses are shown to work every part of the body and give attention to the internal organs, muscles and ligaments. These positions are meant to work together with the heat to release every benefit possible from the practice.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga’s purpose is to release tension in the body to allow energy to flow more freely. Poses are held for 45 seconds to 3 minutes typically, soothing joints and allowing moments of deep focus and meditation. This branch of yoga is slow paced, and deeply relaxing. Beginners, those with limited mobility and highly stressed persons will appreciate this class that promotes patience and is a great way to get started on a yoga journey.

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini is a practice for those who are looking for a deeper, more spiritual connection through yoga. Besides yoga poses and flows, Kundalini incorporates chanting and meditation throughout the routine. This style’s purpose is to awaken the energy at the base of the spine to flow into all seven chakras. The yogic devotion allows the mind to become clear and feel more in tune with oneself. Some yogis describe having a sort of awakening through this style of practice that allows them to see their potential and purpose in life.

Vinyasa Yoga

This is one of the more common types of practice, especially in the West. Vinyasa flows yoga postures together, by moving with the breath. The practices are usually never the same and move through asanas at a faster pace than Yin yoga. Breath is the driving force of this practice and leads you to your intentions and movements. While moving through a flow, you might find yourself beginning on your hands and knees and then transitioning into down dog. Ujjayi breath is encouraged during this practice, a rhythmic breath through the nose, which increases relaxation.

Sivananda Yoga

Sivananda is another style for those looking to grow a deeper connection through yoga. This practice follows five principles, designed to improve mind, body and spirit. Sivananda uses exercise, breath work, relaxation, a vegetarian diet and meditation as a way to live a more full, healthy life. Beginning in this practice is fairly easy, as it begins with 12 basic poses to master before moving on. This is slow, mindful work that will promote a balanced way of living.  

Yoga is meant to create discipline and higher relaxation in life and has numerous benefits for mental and physical health. Connecting to the breath is an important step, and accepting your body where it’s at that day is vital. Some days might be more difficult than others, or some styles of yoga might not be for you, but don’t give up on the process.

LynAnne Vucovich is a journalist who studied at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. She has a passion for culture, community and cats.

How to keep kids learning all summer long

Summer is a cataclysmic change for many families.  Kids go from being busy with school and homework and activities to suddenly having a bunch of free time and complaining they are bored.  In the meantime, parents still need to go to work and have more tasks than ever as the outside needs cared for as much as the inside.

So how can you keep your kids learning, active and engaged once they are out of school?

This is going to depend on the age of your kids first and foremost.  But here are some great ideas.

1.      Chores – Once upon a time kids did chores.  Put in a garden and ask them to weed and water it every day.  Same with the flower beds.  Kids any age can do this.  The little kids will think it is fun in most cases.

2.      Camps – There are two kinds of camps which are great for keeping kids active in the summer.  One is sports camps where kids get introduced to a sport or sharpen their skill in a sport. 

3.      The second type of camp is more academic.  More and more places run computer camps, robotics camps, coding camps, etc.  These can teach your kids valuable skills that the schools more traditional curriculum is most likely not covering enough.

4.      Want to save money on those camps?  You can ditch the group activity and buy online courses and get your kids to learn via the computer.  Udemy is one such place where for as little as $10 you can get an online course that will teach programming, game design or many other types of skills.

5.      Summer sports – some sports are played in the summer but not run by the school system.  One example is tennis, which has USTA events year-round where you do tournaments on the weekends and find people to practice with during the week.  If your child cares about being good, they need to practice regularly in the sport.

6.      Summer Jobs – Is your child 16 or older?  Get them out to find a summer job.  Kids need some exposure to working because it helps with being more responsible as well as having more appreciation for work and workers later on when they are older.  Many seasonal businesses will be looking for young people to work in the summer.

7.      Summer projects – decide on a project your family is going to do this summer and work on it regularly, making sure the kids have a lot of the responsibility.  Maybe it is cleaning the basement, or it might be building a shed or a picnic table.

These are just some ideas for you to keep those kids engaged, busy and learning throughout the summer months.

Best Akron Marketing Agency

Akron, Ohio is home to a number of fine marketing agencies. And which marketing agency you pick depends on what your main objective is. If you want to produce mail and print pieces, then you need to look for those older Akron marketing agencies who have specialized in that for many years. If you are more interested in growing quickly, then you need to find an Akron marketing agency that specializes in digital marketing, including pay per click and SEO.

Most businesses want to generate leads and awareness from online marketing. Lead generation via AdWords and SEO is the best way to attract new customers locally and nationally. Buzzoodle Digital Marketing Agency is the best Akron marketing agency with over 15 years of experience doing only that.

The reason this is your best bet is simple. SEO takes time, but over time attracts very high-quality buyers to your business and the cost of the click is zero, although there is an investment of time and money in advance, to attract them in the first place.

But if you need leads fast, you also want to mix in PPC. Adwords is the most common PPC 9pay per click) ad engine and it will allow you to start attracting targeted, high quality leads within 24 hours in most cases. The cost of each click is higher, but you are also getting leads quickly as well.

The combination of using Adwords for quick lead generation and SEO for longer-term, lower-cost lead generation is the best way to meet your short term and long term needs for your Akron business.

Buzzoodle has helped companies navigate this maze of opportunities for many years and grown people’s businesses. They combine Akron SEO expertise as well as Adwords management to optimize your ad campaign to test and generate the best leads for your business.

Additional services include Akron website design and development, social media marketing, native advertising and custom application development. Buzzoodle ia an Akron Marketing Agency that can provide the full scope of digital services to clients.

To reach Buzzoodle visit their Akron Marketing Agency website today and see what they can do for you.

Don’t Let Your Lifestyle Choose You

One of the most common things that make me think about moving to a different location from the Akron area is the idea of being in a place where the healthy lifestyle of people is more prevalent.  It is a legitimate thought as the healthy lifestyle indexes for Ohio are middling at best.

However, just because the averages are not where someone would like it does not mean you need to let the lifestyle of where you live pick you. 

One excuse I often think about is the seasonality of Ohio.  You cannot always do the same things year-round.  We love hiking as a family but not into Winter hiking.  So I tend to do less in Winter.

However, if you look at some of the best places for active lifestyles in the nation, some of the top cities have the same seasons.  Wisconsin, Colorado and Idaho all have highly ranked health indexes based on lifestyles.

So, what can you do to not fall into the trap of a less healthy lifestyle in Akron Ohio?

1.      It is critical to have a year-round plan.  You can choose activities that you can do year-round, such as a gym, indoor tennis, racket ball, basketball, working out on equipment you own, etc.

2.      You can also tough out an activity year-round even if it is not traditional.  One person I know who is very fit runs every day year-round with a group except for thunder storms.  All other conditions she goes out, no matter the temperature or condition.

3.      Not planning to do the same thing year-round, know what you can do in each season and have a backup plan for when the weather is not cooperating.

A healthy lifestyle is not just about the excursive.  It is also about diet and let’s face it, we have less healthy places to eat and more easy but bad places to eat.  But this is a matter of planning and doing a bit of research as well.  Places like Chipotle have healthy options for something fast and most places will have healthy options.  If you are looking for a breakfast or lunch, First Watch is a great option that is healthy and sprinkled around the Akron area.

We are not going to have all the options of a big city on the West coast any time soon but they do exist.  Plan ahead and you will be able to not just default to a bad option when you are famished. 

Plus, you can always start preparing some more things in advance and not needing to grab a meal out as often.  If you are taking care of  more meals at home and taking advantage of outdoor activities such as the wealth of walking paths and hiking trails in Akron you can save a lot of money, improve your fitness and choose the lifestyle you want, instead of defaulting to the one most common near you.

 

Exploring Nature Spots Near Akron

Akron, Ohio is home to some amazing bike, hike, and walk trails in Ohio. A short distance from
the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and housing a few of its own lengthy hiking trails, there are
plenty of opportunities, and gorgeous hidden nature spots in, and around Akron.

1. Portage Lakes State Park — Wingfoot Lake State Park —993 Goodyear Park Blvd. Suffield,
OH 44260

If you’re looking to do it all, kayaking, boating, swimming, hiking, and having a large group of
people, Portage Lakes State Park will be able to accommodate all of your needs. It features
many different lakes as well as a wetlands area that attracts many different species to the
surrounding area. There are also events that take place in the park which showcase the multipurpose
use of the park.

2. Cascade Valley Metro Park

Located in south Akron, this metro park offers a large range of different trails for you to explore.
The Overlook area offers amazing views and a relatively easy trail which is great for children or
beginners. More experienced hikers might enjoy the moderately challenging Highbridge Trail
which has some beautiful views of the Cuyahoga river.

3. F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm —1828 Smith Rd. Akron, OH 44313

As well as having three walking/hiking trails, this park and nature realm is a great place for
children or adults who want to learn while they hike. There includes seasonal exhibits as well as
a great kids adrea and a on-site naturalist who is happy to answer any kinds of questions about
the area and wildlife. This area houses many beautiful observation decks, ponds, and even a
large ravine. This is a perfect place to take the whole family to enjoy and learn about the
outdoors.

4. Treaty Line Area in Sand Run Metro Park —995 Treaty Line Rd. Akron, OH 44313

For those wanting to work up a sweat, the Treaty Line Area inside the Sand Run Metro Park
might be right for you. It features several challenging hills and workout stations that can further
challenge you during your walk. This trail is also pet-friendly and features restrooms and a
picnic area which makes it well suited for groups.

About Those Memberships

Today we are going to explore all those membership offers you need to decide about.  Are they a good value for your family?

Is a Consumer Reports membership worth the money?

Depends.

Americans buy billions of dollars worth of merchandise every year. From clothing, toys, and electronics to the most unnecessary items on their lists. If you are a person who likes shopping or buy things online, a membership like this can give you an extensive list of options while comparing quality and prices all from one place.

If you are buying electronics, appliances, or big ticket items, it is a good idea to buy a Consumer Reports membership and find out whether the item you are buying is worth the money. They have ratings for over 8,000 items to help consumers like you and I make a better decision when buying something for our home. The membership by itself can save you money the first time you buy a big ticket item.  You can get your membership fee back in the first year if, for example, you buy the best-rated lawnmower which should last longer, have  fewer problems, and minimize maintenance expenses.

Amazon Prime membership?

The Amazon Prime membership is not worth it if you don’t buy many things at Amazon.

But if you are like the average American, then with the Amazon Prime membership you will save money on shipping and it can pay for itself.  Plus you get Amazon Prime video and free returns on many items you buy.  The video by itself can make worth having the membership to Amazon if you use that and reduce your cable bill.

Is a Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s membership worth it?  

How about those wholesale clubs?  For many families, it is worth it.  You can get four different membership options depending on what kind of membership you need, and the fee is more than worth it for many families. They can buy many items in bulk to save money, or they can store them when they find them on sale for future use.

One issue is they have so many items on sale and in bulk.  This makes the impulse to buy them hard to resist, and that is one of the major drawbacks of having a wholesale membership like this. Items that are on sale and the price is too good to pass is one of the reasons this membership is not worth the money.  A family might end up with too much stuff in their home and things they do not really need, like a box of muffins or a case of soap.  If you are not saving a lot, or if you are taking too long to use these items, remember there is interest on charge card debt or your money could be used to invest and earn more money, instead of buying enough product to last two years.

Impulse buying is a big thing when entering stores like these, and like it or not, we all love to get a good deal. Knowing what you need and what you will use is a must.  Also, avoiding bulk items that are unhealthy, no matter how good the deal is, will save you money and improve your health.  If you cannot resist these temptations, then these memberships are a bad deal for you.

 

12 Fun Historic Preservation Month Ideas

  1. Learn more about your home. The vast majority of homes in America are historic in age, even those ranch and split-level houses you grew up in. Visit your local historical society, library, and public records office to get started. George Washington probably didn’t get a chance to sleep there, but who else had the chance to crash on the couch in 1968?
  2. Participate in a downtown cleanup day. Sure, this might stretch the boundaries of the definition of fun, but those old buildings in your downtown need love too. Pick up trash on the sidewalk and street, clean off graffiti, and add a fresh coat of paint to downtown buildings to keep their majestic charm going for another year.
  3. Take some photos. Architectural photography can become an addicting hobby. Think we’re joking? There are hundreds of Instagram accounts like Old House Love, dedicated to the beauty of historic buildings. You can also enter Heritage Ohio’s awesome Historic Preservation Month Photo Contest and land your photo on the cover of the next issue of Revitalize Ohio. You’ll be Insta-famous!
  4. Take a tour. There are lots of unique historic structures dotting Ohio. Many of them are privately-owned, but some open up to the public throughout the year. Be on the lookout for historic home tours, Main Street tours, and the Ohio History Connection’s Open Doors.
  5. Participate in an Architectural Scavenger Hunt. If you want to work for your entertainment, try an architectural scavenger hunt. Many local preservation organizations and historical societies have these for a low cost or for free. Pick one up and start the hunt.
  6. Nomination your favorite preservationist for an award. Many Ohioans work diligently to ensure historic preservation is a priority in their community and their hard work should be recognized by everyone. If you know someone who has worked tirelessly for historic preservation, nominate them to be honored at Heritage Ohio’s Annual Awards.
  7. Do things the right way. Contrary to the vinyl replacement window sales pitch, you can maintain and repair historic windows, and any other part of your historic home, with a little bit of know-how and elbow grease. From windows to plaster to flooring, workshops like LakewoodAlive’s Knowing Your Home are taking place each and every month in Ohio. Sign up for one today.
  8. Donate your time. Most preservation organizations are lean operations. They need your support and knowhow. Volunteering can take many forms and let them know what you are interested in and how you would like to help. They will certainly appreciate it.
  9. Listen to a Preservation Month Webinar. Throughout the month of May, Heritage Ohio hosts a preservation-related webinars each Wednesday afternoon. Sign up for one today.
  10. Plan a trip. Ohio has many historic communities, both large and small, including 23 Ohio Main Street communities. They are one of a kind and full of interesting shops and restaurants in historic buildings. Need some help with your road trip? We’ve put together lists our favorite cinemas, theatres, breweries, and most important, ice creams.
  11. Stand up for historic preservation. When was the last time you chained yourself to a building or laid down in front of a bulldozer? Sound a little risky? Well, that’s your opinion, but there are a lot of things you can do to become an advocate for historic preservation in your community before you take the drastic steps. Support your local Main Street and preservation organization, speak with your elected officials, and let others know why historic preservation is an important part of your community.
  12. Become a member. The support from preservationists like you gets things done in Ohio. Heritage Ohio is the state’s official historic preservation and downtown revitalization organization. We want to save the places that matter to you, but we need your help to do it. Being a member is much more than a financial investment in Ohio’s preservation movement, it means you are standing up for what you believe in with all other Ohioans who want to make a difference. Become a member today!

Home Renovation Priority List

When it comes to renovating your home, you probably have a long list of things that can be updated, fixed or improved.  Chances are, like many people, you do projects one or two at a time, and do not fully gut your home and renovate it all at once like on those great home shows. 

We want to help you prioritize your list of projects which will help you be safer, save money and get more bang for your buck.

Address Safety Issues First – The last thing you want to do is not address serious safety concerns.  This could be safety for you and your family’s health, or it could be safety of the home.  It might not be sexy, but if your fuse box needs updated, do that before you have a fire.  If your basement is flooding and your basement walls are bowed, get a basement waterproofing company in there.  A new roof can prevent water damage to parts of the home as well.  If these things need done, do not put them off to do less important projects.

Some safety issues are expensive, and some are much cheaper.  Tree trimming can protect your home from damage and maybe you from injury.  Also, having outdoor heated mats that melt ice and reduce the danger of slipping can be an inexpensive safety fix.

Once your safety projects are done, you can move to the more cosmetic renovations that still make sense.  Investing in updates should add value to your home and add joy to your life.

Things like windows, a new kitchen or adding a garage can all make your home more enjoyable, add value to the home (assuming you are not pricing yourself out of your neighborhood) and make it easier to sell your home.  I have heard the same story many times, that people trying to sell their home do updates like a new kitchen right when they were going to put it on the market, and they regret not having done it sooner when they would have been able to enjoy the kitchen more themselves.

With that said, do not believe someone selling you an update or renovation when they tell you it will increase the value of your home or save you a lot in utilities and pay for itself.  These things might be true but do your homework and get information from independent sources.  Updates might make it easier to sell your home, but you will not always get the full investment back.

Lastly, be careful when considering non-traditional items.  For example, it is well documented that a pool makes it harder to sell a home in many parts of the country.  If you are going to use it every day for years, maybe it is a good investment for you. This might also be true for a basement theater, multiple garages and other things that will appeal to some but will be a negative for someone looking to buy a home and not needing that feature.  Again, if it brings you joy for many years, and selling your home is a long way off, maybe it is fine.  But consider those purchases carefully.

Celebrating 200 Homes Built in Akron, Ohio area

Recently Habitat For Humanity Summit County completed their 200th home in the Akron area.  Akron Today Magazine interviewed Habitat For Humanity Summit County CEO and President, Rochelle Sibbio. Here is the Q&A.

1) In 2018, Habitat For Humanity Summit County is building it’s 200th home. How does that feel and what are the goals for the next five years?

It feels amazing to know that we have helped 200 families become homeowners in our community! From the beginnings of the Summit County Habitat affiliate to today I don’t know that the founding board members thought we would get this far in our history. Our very first project was a rehab of a home on Sylvan Avenue and Dorothy Connelly is still the owner of that home today. In the next five years aggressively we would like to build 10 new homes a year, repair 20 homes a year and continue our deconstruction program as a leader in the industry and with Habitat around the US. We are projected to grow our ReStore to $2 million in gross revenue in the next five years and we started that this April by opening an additional day a week.

2) How has your mission changed over the years and what is the primary focus now?

Habitat’s mission has been steadfast for 42 years since it was founded in Americus, GA in 1977; to eliminate substandard housing and a vision where everyone has a decent place to live. While the language and sentencing may have changed over the years the mission and vision remain rooted in homeownership. In the last several years, many affiliates, including ours, began an exterior home repair program. Our goal is to keep families warm, safe, and dry in their homes which many times can lessen the utility bills and maintain the home as an affordable place to live and raise a family. The Summit County affiliate was more of an in-fill builder (one home here one home there) and over the last five years we have focused more on specific neighborhoods where we can do Neighborhood Revitalization which can mean building new construction homes, home repair and deconstruction/demolition work to make way for development once the blight is removed. With the opening of the Summit County ReStore in 2007 the community has supported this venture to provide the necessary funding to continue our mission and expand our mission to do more. But there is always more to do!

3) What does your organization need most? Money? Volunteers? Donated Items?

I would say all of those are highly needed by our affiliate. The funding is needed to build each home, repair each home in advance of the project completion. Habitat is not made whole at the closing of a mortgage since we act as the developer, general contractor, and mortgage holder and servicer. Our families pay us back over the 30 year life of the zero interest mortgage but our building materials have to be paid for as the home is built. Volunteers build nearly 80% of each home from raising walls, hanging siding, installing insulation, putting up drywall – mudding it and finishing it, prime and paint walls, to installing windows and doors and completing the landscaping. It’s a heavy lift! Approximately 2,500 hours to build a home with volunteers and generally over 300 volunteers per project. The donated items that aren’t geared for new construction are placed in our ReStore for sale to the general public. Those dollars fill our gaps in construction and keep the lights on and a roof over the head of the staff that work side by side with families.

4) How do your homes help the greater neighborhoods they are in?

Habitat homes raise property values, especially when we are blessed to build more than one or two homes on a street or in a particular neighborhood. For example, we recently completed two homes side by side in Cuyahoga Falls on Magnolia Street. They were the first two new construction homes on the street since 1987 and prior to that one house built the housing stock on the street dated into the 1940’s and 1950’s. The homes appraised at $145,000 each and will help to increase property values of the neighboring homes. We inspire in neighborhoods as well especially when we do Neighborhood Reborn projects which are our exterior home repair which takes place in specific neighborhoods. We are highly focused with this work in Akron’s Middlebury area and will be doing NRVII in May and moving up to the University Park Neighborhood for the August and October NRVIII and NRIX. While we may be able to complete upwards of 10 home repair projects for homeowners we work with the tenant occupied properties to install solar powered security lights, plant flowers and flower bulbs, and some other general landscape and empower all residents of the street whether homeowners or renters to come together for the betterment of their neighborhood.

5) How can people find out more about you and get involved?

Our website is a wealth of information on being a volunteer on the job site or in the ReStore. We also have a weekly electronic newsletter that is pushed out to our subscribers every Tuesday afternoon that is filled with information about what’s coming up and items that are new in the ReStore. We are also happy to come to workplace, church, service club or community meeting and tell our story and offer ways that people can sign up to join our efforts in making sure that everyone has a decent place to live.