- Hi there.

I'm Stephanie Marie, and you have just tuned into a PBS Western Reserve special series called "City Centric".

(upbeat music) That's right, this is "Canton Centric".

I'm here at the Hall of Fame Village located in Canton, Ohio.

Being here, it's difficult to ignore just how ingrained football is in the DNA of the city, but as you'll come to find out, Canton is much more than just a sports town.

In the next half hour, we will hear from six people who are leading the charge in making Canton the best it can be.

These six guests are a fantastic representation of Canton's spirit of generosity, hope, and inspiration.

Our next guest is a motivational entertainer and former member of the critically acclaimed off-Broadway show, "Stomp", Elec Simon.

He believes that Canton is so much more than just a football town.

- My name is Elec Simon, and I am the motivational entertainer.

(mellow music) Motivational entertainer is, I'm gonna motivate you, but I'm also gonna entertain you while I'm motivating you.

(clapping) One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, right?

I've always been hungry to make my mark in this world.

So my job is to go into schools and let them kids know, who aren't popular, like, "Hey, it's okay to not be popular.

It's okay to be different."

Keep doing that.

Danielle, she reached out to me.

She knew I did master classes for schools and festivals and groups, and everything like that.

She said, "Hey, I wanna bring you in to teach buckets."

One, two, back to the beat.

(students rhythmically drumming and clapping) This time, they're standing up, audience is up.

I got some timing.

I only had two days.

I had two hours and one day.

I went in, I actually had three days.

I went in a day early and just got to know them and just say, "Hey, here's what we're gonna do.

Keep this with you.

And then when I come back next week, we're gonna go with this."

So I told her, "Keep working with them.

Just get this pattern down, and then I'll just handle the rest."

But I've been blessed to be able to teach something really, really fast.

I'm, I don't call myself a teacher, like lessons.

I just, I'm a masterclass teacher.

(students beating drums rhythmically) Lake, they did a wonder, wonderful, wonderful job.

And the piece was called "Never Give Up", and I was so proud of 'em.

And like I said, people didn't understand.

They thought I rehearsed with them for like months.

I'm like, "Nah."

It was literally maybe three hours total of rehearsal.

That was it.

And a lot of talking fast, screaming fast, you know what I'm saying?

It was just, it was just a lot of chaos.

But it all came together and it was, it was amazing.

The audience loved it.

And the feedback I got was, "Thank you."

I was like, "Why you thanking me?"

"Thank you."

The kids got to see something different.

They got to see somebody in front of them that doesn't look like them every day.

They got to, they got to take direction and try something.

They got to, they got to get out of their comfort zone and try something.

'Cause I wanted to have them kids be alive.

I was like, "You guys gotta be alive.

Being on stage with me, you gotta be alive."

But then, once we got it all together, they said, "Oh, brother Elec, we understand what you mean now."

But at first, it was like, I was like, "They ain't gonna get it."

And it was like this.

And then it all started coming together, man.

So it was great, man.

Thank you, Lake.

It was great.

- Only three hours of rehearsal?

Wow, that's incredible!

His passion for empowering Canton's youth to be themselves is truly what makes him a motivational entertainer.

Up next is an entrepreneur who transformed an old blood bank into a great downtown deli.

(mellow music) - My name is Ryan Miller.

I am an entrepreneur.

So, originally, the idea was move to Canton, start a restaurant, live happily ever after.

But in the process of launching Deli Ohio, I really got the itch to keep other dreams going, and, you know, keep kind of exploring different possibilities, and, you know, what else could be done here.

So Canton has a lot of potential, and has people that are ready for change, for things that are exciting, new, different.

And so Deli Ohio was that for a lot of people.

We weren't just a chain restaurant doing the same thing.

And so we were able to kind of start Deli, see that people got excited, and then kind of grow other vision.

We have Deli Ohio, we have the 405 Wellness Center, we have the Stark Fresh Food Justice Campus, and we have a 13,000 square foot warehouse that we're currently working on.

You know, with the properties, we've been lucky to be in an area where we keep reinvesting.

And so, because we're purchasing these buildings, we're also getting better appraisals, and so we're able to kind of use a little bit of equity that we have, instead of just going out and signing giant loans or, you know, taking on a huge risk in debt.

So that's been super helpful.

And then I think, really, there's a lot of people here that really care and really want to put their money where their mouth is.

So we've had some investors come, and, you know, have had great relationships with them.

You kinda need a little bit of everything.

You need to kinda bootstrap it for a while.

You need to be able to be smart with how you're positioning what you already have, and then also relying on other people, you know?

There's nothing wrong with that.

In Canton, what I've experienced is that the more you give of yourself, the more you try to see these ideas and dreams come to life, the more you can kinda actually launch other people.

And it's, in my opinion, been the kind of newcomers, or the younger vanguard of entrepreneurs coming in that are gonna see Canton change.

I think that a city like Canton could actually attract people from the bigger markets, because we're affordable, you can follow a dream and a passion, and, you know, kind of live in this place that's an hour-and-a-half, two hours from those major markets.

You can still do really cool things here, and the community is so grateful and so exciting, and like ready for something like this to happen.

Very exciting time to be in this side, kind of this side of downtown now we have the Centennial Plaza built and we have, you know, a neighbor of ours, John Strauss, his showroom.

He just invested in putting an art gallery into it.

And we have H2.

Kinda at this like really fun point where we're like, get to socialize and talk with our neighbors.

And we're not just, not just hanging on my shoulders or their shoulders.

We're kinda all like, "Yeah, when you do that, then I can do this, and we can all kinda like, this will become a great place to hang out and be a part of the community."

(mellow music continuing) - His passion for Canton hopes to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

And speaking of future generations, our next guest is an author and poet named Kevonne Wright, who believes that his work can be inspiring for others to chase their dreams.

(mellow music) - It's called "The Ghostly Night".

"Brushing the leaves from the windy night Pitch black sky and no stars in sight.

Strange luminant night Strange luminant night No birds calling, no dogs barking Only trees dancing and crickets singing Shadows lurking, creep, trying their best to be unseen But stuck in the grass of its caster, The shadow begins to run faster.

Cold and damp leaves in hollow dead trees Screaming in the night as if they were calling for me.

I glimpse in the puddle underneath me.

I witnessed the darkness buried inside of me.

Left in shock.

I wish that could have been unseen.

My demons, they're coming for me.

Depression and anxiety battles The hope and love left inside of me.

It's turning it into hate and fear, Watching as my shield is broke And I'm left with nothing but tears.

Trying to piece it all together, Thinking it's going to make it better.

The whispering wind speaks, The moon takes a blink, And a owl begins to hoot, But a different tune, One of grief and sorrow for the fallen soldiers.

A song that brings hope.

I will see your spirit tomorrow."

Hi, my name is Kevonne.

I'm a author and poet, and I am the future.

When I wrote that, I was just walking home and I was pretty, I was pretty down bad, 'cause I was thinking about like, "What's next now?

What am gonna do now?"

I start walking, and I was looking around, looking in the environment around me.

And I just started looking at things, and then I just caught a flow, and I just started writing all the way home, 45-minute walk.

It basically was just like a way to like realize like, "I mean, when tomorrow come, I got another chance at this, so."

I was trying to fix everything in one night, but I had to realize like, I'd get, I'd get another chance when I wake up tomorrow.

I tap into the creative side.

How can I make this different from from everybody's else's?

And how can I tie my experience and what I've seen around me into this piece?

So that's how I make my writing so heartfelt, because I want you to be able to relate to it and enjoy it.

That's really what I aim in everything I write.

Like, tap into your emotional side.

And I usually do, I'm usually able to do that.

So that's really like the whole process, just trying to figure out how I can make the reader look at life in my lens, or they look at their life different.

I feel like if we have more encouragement from everybody in the community and stuff like that, a lot of people could start coming out.

And Canton great, because everybody have hopes and dreams.

It's like a lot of talent here.

What stops them from going and being better is the encouragement and the lack of confidence that they don't get.

And the support, like at home too, that's really important.

Canton, it has the ability to grow in so many ways.

I feel like we have, this is a good place to start to change the world.

I feel like I can be a part of that change and have an influence on the change by me chasing my goals and showing people like, it's possible, and reminding people, like, you can't give up, because of one bad situation in your life.

So I feel like me writing books and stuff like that, people tell me all the time, like, "Kevonne, like this made me realize now I could write a book.

I'm gonna try to write a book now."

They just don't see people doing it enough to make them want to try it, and that's what's stopping 'em.

So I feel like when they see someone trying something new and someone succeeding at it, it make them want to like, "Maybe I could do it," you know what I'm saying?

You see a, you see a chicken flying, you might, "I'm like, start trying to fly too."

The only best ways to impact the future is like try to change what's going on today.

(mellow music) - "When they see someone trying something new and see someone succeeding at it, it makes them think, 'Maybe I can do it too.'"

Inspiring words from a young man who truly believes in Canton.

He has dedicated himself to being a role model for his peers, and the rest of the community, which is why Kevonne is an integral part of Canton's future.

Up next, Stark County prosecutor, Kyle Stone.

He is a man who has dedicated himself to making Canton a safe and enjoyable place to live.

How does he plan to go about this?

By reforming the criminal justice system and advocating for everyone in the Canton community.

(mellow music) - I am Kyle Stone.

I'm a politician.

I am the Stark County prosecuting attorney.

My office is responsible for all felony charges, felony cases, but we are also responsible, as the statutory counsel, for all of our county offices, all of our county judges, our commissioners, the recorder's office, the auditor's office.

We're responsible for providing counsel to those offices So a wide range of responsibility that rests on the shoulders of the county prosecutor's office.

So I, born and raised in Canton, Ohio.

I'm a product of a single-parent home.

I was raised on the southeast side of Canton.

I, a 2001 graduate of Canton McKinley High School.

You know, Canton is, you know, where my parents met, where the majority of my family has lived, and Canton is very important.

And so everyone, I don't care what side of the aisle you sit on, I don't care what your age is, your race, everyone wants to be safe in their community, in their homes, and that's a priority for everyone.

And because of that, it requires my office to keep that at the forefront when recommending sentences.

What we have with Stark County, a Crime Prevention Collaborative.

It's about 13 organizations, that we come together once a month, and we are creating a policy and a plan that we're able to try to address issues or concerns before certain individuals are exposed to crime, or the potential of crime.

And so we're trying to create a plan that puts us in elementary schools, how we can work with our local school districts in order to not only help potential individuals who could fall victim to a lifestyle of crime, but also how can we help their families, to put them in a better position.

And so those things are important, because if we can stop individuals from committing the crime before it happens, not only have we saved the individual from becoming a defendant, but we also have kept someone from becoming a victim.

You know, making sure that safety plays a part in what we do, in trying to ensure that individuals don't provide, or they're not provided the opportunity, to cause havoc within the community.

Because, once again, safety, and being secure in our communities is a priority for all of us.

And so all of that matters when we talk about the prosecutor's office as a whole, what we all do.

No, not one of our departments is more important than the other.

We all play a part in making sure that the prosecutor's office here in Stark County is doing what's right, what's fair, and what's equitable.

(mellow music continuing) - Kyle's ambition and determination to make Canton a safer place to live through criminal justice reform is what makes him a beacon of hope for the community.

He certainly seems like the perfect man for the job.

Up next, a real estate developer and self-described revitalizer, Steve Coon, who started at the incredibly young age of 15 years old, working with his father to restore the McKinley Monument.

He's a hard worker who believes that he can breathe new life into downtown by restoring its historic buildings.

- Hi, I'm Steve Coon, and I'm a revitalizer.

(mellow music) A developer here in Canton, Ohio, and actually develop all over Ohio, but Canton's my home.

I started developing probably 30 years ago, and, specifically, historic buildings.

I grew up in Stark County.

When I was 15 years old, the company my father worked for restored the McKinley Monument.

And at 15 years old, I get to work six days a week, 10 hours a day.

And, but I loved it, and I learned the trade, and I knew how to patch and mix and repel and, you know, all that cool stuff at 15 and 16 years of age.

I knew at a very young age I was gonna have my own business.

So when I was 21 years old, I quit a perfectly good job and started my own business, my wife and I.

And my father actually worked for that same company, and he quit and came over with me at the company.

And it worked out great for all of us.

We've got good bones here in Canton.

Everything's, we're in a grid system.

Everything runs north and south, east and west.

Our historic district's kind of in a nice, compact area, and there's a lot of great buildings to restore, and that's really where people wanna live, is these historic buildings.

So it was an easy decision.

And like I said, I'm from here, but you know, I get out into other areas.

I bought the Longaburger Basket building in Newark.

I mean, 185,000 square foot basket.

I think it's the third most iconic building in the world.

I don't know what I'm gonna do with it yet.

It's either gonna be a hotel or housing, but it's gonna be something cool.

But again, I just look for those cool buildings that tell a story.

You could be anywhere in the world and you could say, "Have you ever seen this?"

Everybody is, "Yeah, I've seen that."

And so that's what I want to connect with, is the buildings that tell a story.

And it's this historic rehabs that are bringing, you know, these downtown neighborhoods back to life.

And it's growing.

It's not getting less, it's getting more.

You know, this is the Event Center Park.

And actually, when we got this here, it was all offices, so it was just knocked down partitions and a dropped ceiling once we opened it up.

I mean, this was all carpeted.

We ripped the carpet off, and this is all solid mahogany.

And this is just mahogany, it's like two inches thick, so it's a really heavy duty mahogany floor.

And we stripped all the glue off and exposed it all.

These marble steps we didn't even know were here.

There was walls built, and they'd completely sealed that mezzanine level off, so I, since Frank died, so nobody was ever up there and they kind of forgot it was there.

So when we demoed all that, my guys called up, "Hey, we found steps!"

So again, that's just kind of part of the story, you know.

It just, you know, you never know what you're gonna find.

So it was a pleasant surprise.

But there's a cool mezzanine level here, and it goes out into this grand ballroom.

And they had events with 500 people in here.

It's about 12,000 square feet.

So they'd have events here every weekend.

But you can see, these are exact replicas of the chandeliers that used to be in here.

And this is the original dance floor.

We just sanded it down and refurbished it, and took some first growth wood of an old school when they tore down our new Philly High School.

I went in to cannibalize some of that wood, and we were able to use it here, and it matches perfect.

So again, it's just, this'll live for another hundred years.

My grandkids hopefully will restore it, you know.

And I know the next 20, 30 years, any of this vacant office space is eventually gonna become market rate housing, meaning people with disposable income living downtown.

I don't do senior housing or low income housing, because they really don't have the disposable income to help a downtown lift itself up.

And I really look to restore these buildings, and it creates a lot of energy.

And you start with one building on one block, and it grows to two buildings, eight buildings, 12 buildings.

And you know, you look now, our historic district is four blocks long and 20 blocks wide, and every building's either been restored or is being restored right now.

And it's really, it's brought new life into downtown Canton.

And it's just, it's the energy that it brings.

And you really gotta create that energy.

Without that energy, nobody's gonna wanna live here.

And so you want a cool, historic building that tells a story.

It's that energy and that excitement.

People love living in a historic building, way more than, way more than a building that you build from scratch.

Think about this.

The buildings you build from scratch don't tell a story.

The story's yet to be written.

As to an historic building, I hear all the time that, "Back when I was a kid I walked through these lobbies," and, "Back when I was a kid I attended a wedding down at the Event Center."

And it's just, this was like the iconic, this was like the Ritz Carlton of downtown Canton at the time, and we were able to bring all that back to life.

And now everybody that lives here now connects with the past, and they all tell that story.

But it's, that energy just keeps growing.

(mellow music continuing) - Historic buildings tell a story.

They have a charm and allure that new buildings just don't have.

Walking through these historic buildings in Canton, you can feel the stories that took place within their walls.

Steve's determination to respect and revitalize these historic spaces and create, as he says, new energy in the community is what makes him a "Canton Centric" person.

Our next guest is a humanitarian named Faith Barbato.

She is a senior manager of Institutional Giving at the Akron Canton Food Bank.

It's very clear that she's all in on making Canton a great place to live by helping residents in need.

(mellow music) - I am Faith Barbato, and I am a proud humanitarian.

(mellow music continuing) Humanitarians have one thing in common.

They've had an obstacle that they've had to work through, a mountain to climb, some type of adversity.

I've never meant a true humanitarian that hasn't had that in their lives.

You have to have the dark parts, the difficult parts, to appreciate the light, and to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

To really understand and have that compassion and kindness and empathy requires you to have walked at least a few steps in their shoes.

I tell people you need to have the dark in your life to appreciate the light.

If you've never had sadness, if you've never had difficulties, it's really difficult to engage and truly be present with someone that has.

So mine wasn't food deprivation.

There are a lot of people here at the food bank that will tell that story, and that's why they're so kind, that's why their heart's in the work.

They lived that level of poverty, maybe had food stamps, maybe went through a hiccup in their lives with their family.

Mine was losing, ha, (chuckling nervously) my dad when I was seven.

So, it changed our lives.

It just, the landscape, our narrative got shot down.

And he was an amazing person.

And my mom had a hard time.

So I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and my aunt Paula.

And again, that's where that kindness came from.

So I went from the dark and, and then I found the light.

So what my mom and my grandma gave me is if it lands on my plate, it's getting done, and it's gonna get done the best I can possibly do.

And I think that's the humanitarian side of me, wanting to give back because I had this dark place in my life, but also just this gumption that I have to do the best I can every day that I'm alive.

My passion just came from a profound appreciation for food.

Having that farming history in my family, seeing how my grandmother would go to her neighbors to help them during hardships, and seeing just farmers come together and collectively try to make an impact in the community.

It's always engraved in my brain to do whatever I can to help others.

But I did have a role model that showed me the right path, and how important and why I had to help other people.

I think, I think Canton reminds me of my mom and my grandma.

The people here are so resilient and so loving and caring.

Their generosity just blows my mind away.

They are the type of people that double down, whether it is their treasure and they give financially, or their time.

Our volunteer center, we saw 5500 volunteers in 2021.

We're just really blessed with people that share what they can when they can.

And sometimes, it's sharing ties.

Sometimes it's sharing your connections with other people that are connected to people that can help you get to a better place, either as an individual, or for the food bank as well.

I am Faith Barbato, and I am proud to be "Canton Centric".

(mellow music continuing) - "I have to do the best that I can every day that I am alive."

Such inspiring words from Faith, and a theme that weaves all of our "Canton Centric" guests together.

The people that you have just heard from believe in Canton.

They inspire the people around them.

They are hardworking, dedicated citizens who are incredibly optimistic about Canton's future as not just a football town but as a town valued for its art, history, culture, and humanitarian efforts.

What character do you play for the betterment of a place you call home?

Can you find a way to inspire, innovate, and energize?

(upbeat music) Are you "City Centric"?

That's all for now.

I hope you enjoyed "Canton Centric" and will join me next time for another episode of "City Centric".

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