SILVER (SLUGGER) ANNIVERSARY

Swings-N-Things celebrates 25 years of selling amusement in Olmsted Falls

By Lauren Sable Freiman
Photo by Thomas Skernivitz

As a local college baseball coach in the early 1980s, Tim Sorge looked forward to annual training trips to Tucson, Ariz. It was during those trips that he began to notice batting cages, housed under a net resembling a circus tent. The cages were unlike anything he had seen in a cold-weather climate like Ohio or anywhere in the eastern half of

BUCKEYE BOUNTY

Warrensville Heights native LaMont “Showboat” Robinson bringing Ohio Sports Hall of Fame to Sandusky

By Nina Polien Light
Photos by McKinley Wiley

No one could have foreseen the effect a chance high-five from legendary Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon would have on a 7-year-old boy attending a comedy basketball game.

“Little did I know I would one day be living with him and learning the art form of comedy basketball from him,” says LaMont “Showboat” Robinson, a pr
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AVIATION ATTRACTION

International Women’s Air and Space Museum aims to influence girls

By Lauren Caggiano
Photos by Don Bensman

The International Women’s Air and Space Museum brings local girls’ awareness about women in aerospace and related careers to new heights.
Located at Burke Lakefront Airport, the museum is a repository of information about women in aviation and space. Fitting, the museum was first opened in the home of the Wright Brothers, in Dayton, in 1986. In 1999 the collectio

THE AKRON OBJECTIVE

Summit County stacked with summer activity possibilities

By Stephanie Davis

A quick visit to the Akron/Summit county visitors’ website and you’ll discover the region bills itself as “a pioneering center of industry and innovation.” Here, you’ll encounter some of the region’s ingenious innovative contributions that can be experienced at a handful of familiar destination points.

The Akron Zoo, home to more than 700 animals across 50 acres, delivers a new exhibit

Uniform Decision — Why Organizations Dress the Way They Do

By Traci McBride

Q: What is the role of uniforms in a place like the new Horseshoe Casino?

A: I was recently quoted in The Plain Dealer http://www.cleveland.com/style/index.ssf/2012/05/selection_of_uniforms_for_hors.html after being sent photos of three employee uniforms within the new Horseshoe Casino.

When any organization invests in uniforms, much thought needs to go into the process, such as:

• Role that the employee is playin
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Energize Your Email

By Phil Stella

Every time you send an email to a customer, colleague or manager, it projects an image of your professionalism, competency, and courtesy. That image should be positive whenever possible, or at least neutral, but never negative.

Christine Zust is a communications expert, author, trainer, speaker … and a long-time friend and colleague. She regularly shares her concept that "everything you do positions you!" Therefore, every email you send at work positions you.
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U. of Akron’s Bowden, Tressel to Speak Simultaneously in Akron, Cleveland

While its College World Series-qualify baseball team is earning Kent State University some deserved recognition this month, its rival school in the Mid-American Conference will certainly dominate the local spotlight on Friday, June 29.

The University of Akron’s new football coach, Terry Bowden, will headline the June 29 luncheon of the Cleveland Sports and Business Alliance. Bowden, formerly the coach of the Auburn
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Graduation Party Protocol: Don’t Request a Gift

By Colleen Harding

Graduation season is upon us. It is a special time when young people are transitioning into the next phase whether it is high school, college or the professional world. It is a time to celebrate many accomplishments and look forward to a future opportunity.

When planning your celebrations and parties, be aware of protocol. Today many of the large retailers are marketing the new concept of “registering” for graduation g
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in touch with | lynde vespoli, discovery tours

Photo by Jean Schnell

Living in Cleveland for 10 years has given Lynde Vespoli enough time to discover the ins and outs of the city and surrounding Northeast Ohio. As a newcomer, she marveled at the architecture, friendly atmosphere, and accessibility of the area. That fresh-eyed approach makes her a logical fit as the new director of destination management at Discovery Tours.

Q: What is a destination management company?
A: They are the “go to�

THE RETREAT TO BEAT

Aurora-based Walden invites corporate crowd to do business at its spa and inn

When professional services firm Meaden & Moore hosts its biannual partners retreat, vice president Barry Thoman says it is important to select a place in which the company’s employees can “let their hair down and be themselves.”

They had found that spot at various hotels throughout Florida. This year, however, they decided upon 1,200 acres of lush land a little closer to home — Walde