(upbeat music) - Hey out there, Akronites!

Welcome once again to "Around Akron with Blue Green," and do we have a lot of cool things to visit today.

I'm gonna talk to an Akron-centric photographer, who loves to take pictures of the city of Akron.

I'm gonna learn all about the elegance of tea with The Tea Lady in downtown Akron.

I'm gonna head up to Highland Square to the new restaurant, Irie Jamaican Kitchen.

And I'm gonna visit and learn the history of West Hill Hardware and capture its last closing days.

Now to kick this show off today, I'm gonna meet up with an amazing photographer.

And he loves the city of Akron more than me, more than just about anybody I know, and his photographs prove it.

Let's go see what Thomas Skala's photography is all about.

- As long as humans have been able to speak, they've been telling each other stories, right?

Even back then there's art telling stories on cave walls.

You know, it's like, "This is the time "we took down the mastodon!"

So I mean, it draws communities together.

And also what I like to do with photography, sometimes with comedy or storytelling is that you could give people a different viewpoint, but you know, in a really inoffensive way.

It's not a debate, you're just sort of like, "Oh, this is the way I see things."

Be it like with my eye or with my mind.

You know, and it's just like, I think it increases understanding.

When people give me feedback, that also helps me too.

It's not just a one-way thing.

It feels good to share, share pieces of the way you see the world with other people and they can share back with you.

And it just makes your world bigger.

It's freeing in a sense to kind of like, open yourself up to even strangers.

It's also, it feels, it feels very human.

(smooth hip-hop music) Sometimes if I'm feeling like I'm stagnating a little bit, I'll give myself little homework assignments for a day or two.

So like, one day I'll go out and like, I'm gonna pay attention to how like, reflections work in windows or in chrome.

Or another day, like there was one time I went out, I'm gonna, I just try to find ugly things that are beautiful or I'm gonna find ugly things and photograph them in a beautiful way.

And it's sort of like a little scavenger hunt, you know, sometimes.

I like to find places and present them in a way that nobody's seen them before.

And I mean, there's like, there's tricks that I often do with that, being like shooting straight down at something or shooting straight up.

Even like, getting on a parking decks when the sun is at the right level and shooting straight down.

So all you see is the top of a person, but then like you see what looks like an actual person.

So like, rather than people casting shadows, it looks like shadows casting people.

And it's just things like that, where so many things you walk by on a daily basis that you never even take a second look at.

But if you look carefully, there's a lot there.

You could present it in an artistic way, even if it's just something simple, just like a torn newspaper stuck in a fence or something.

(mellow guitar music) I would say if you're gonna, don't jump into it, wade into it.

Learn how to compose a photo first.

Don't worry about editing right off the bat.

Don't worry about like, putting filters on to make it look good.

Just learn, learn how to compose a photo.

Like, how to balance things.

Always make sure what's in the background.

'Cause if you're looking at something five feet away, you may not be paying attention that 20 feet away or whatever, something else going on.

Make sure that everything's balanced.

When I first started doing photography, I was doing black and white on film and doing my own processing of the film.

And because I was looking at the negative on the 35 millimeter film strip, you know, black is white, white is black.

So like, that already made the picture look a little foreign to me.

And then I would like, look at it backwards and turn it upside down just to make sure that like, from an abstract point that it's still balanced.

Once you learn how to frame a photo and make sure that it's well balanced, I mean, then you could teach yourself editing.

Like, I wished that I had focused on that more rather than trying to do both at the same time.

(peaceful music) We all have great cameras in our pockets at all times.

And like, kids growing up today could just end up being the best photographers of any generation.

Except they'll only be good at taking photos of themselves and food.

And if you like really think about it, if you just take a photo of anything that ever catches your eye and you know, if everyone's using their cell phones, which now have two or three or four lenses, I mean you could just, it just takes a few minutes out of every hour if something catches your eye, and you could really incorporate it into your life.

And it's just like, maybe you'll enjoy it, maybe you won't, but you can always try out.

And the availability of quality digital photography to everyone is amazing.

And I mean, it's just, it's such a great and easy way to get into it as a hobby or just, you know, like a way to see things, a different way to yourself.

Like it's just, I mean, I recommend it to anyone.

And besides, when the pandemic started last year, and everyone's like, "Oh, I'm stuck at home."

I'm like, I was still out hiking with my camera, you know, avoiding people, but you know, not a lot changed.

I missed seeing friends, but you know, I could still do something that brought me peace and happiness.

And you know, it's just, it's always there.

If you have a cell phone, you could do it if you want.

- Next up, I'm gonna meet up with Renea Woods-Baylor, also known as The Tea Lady.

And she's gonna teach me all about fine tea and the elegance that goes with it.

- I did throw tea parties with my sisters.

I have two sisters and one brother.

And of course, I'm the oldest and the other ones are all younger than me.

So, it was easy to coerce them into coming to my tea parties.

My parents had, for Christmas would give us this really nice room with furniture in it and with our teapots and everything like that.

And I would just do tea parties when we were little.

(peaceful music) This is the only time you'll have in the middle of the day to play with china.

And I just give them that opportunity to relax around it and experience.

It brings back then the nostalgia of, "Oh, I remember my grandma or my great auntie "or my mom," and just everyone comes here; when they see the settings, it brings back memories.

And it's so amazing because they come together and they share that.

So, they're sitting at the table, not just talking about what's going on in their day.

They're talking about their mom, their grandma, just because of what I have on the table.

It just brings back memories.

It's a great time to not have to invest thousands of dollars like I did.

And you could just come here and have that experience with the fine china, the crystal, and the flatware.

It's gold, it's silver.

I mean, it's just amazing.

And it's like, I did it, I had fun, I got to enjoy myself and bring back that touch of memory of a family member that's lost or gone.

(peaceful piano music) The tea that we have is fine tea.

It's very rare; it's not where you can just go into the grocery store and purchase this type of tea that we have.

We have tea from wellness to hemp tea to CBD, to herbal to white tea, green tea and black tea.

It's a total different type of taste because normally people that drink, you know, teas from the grocery store, let's say Lipton or any other tea, they're pouring in the sugar, they're pouring in all kind of stuff.

And what we ask is that you first try the tea.

First take a sip, because you may not need as much sugar or sugar at all based on the tea that we serve.

And you know, the majority of people don't put no sugar.

They're used to putting half a gallon of sugar in their tea, and they don't.

They may put one scoop in, and we have all types of different sugars too.

And some of those sugars are handmade for us and we have them shipped in.

So, you know, we try to make it where it's a mixture of different things.

We have where you can put a lemon in there or honey or orange slices and things of that nature just to enhance what you're already tasting.

But the difference between that tea and buying it from the grocery store is like night and day.

It is so fine.

The teas are the best that you can find around the world.

(peaceful music) I do give tea etiquette.

I give etiquette around tea time: what things are used for, what's at your table.

Because there's so many different things at your table that really you're not used to seeing.

And so I do point those things out.

I do share how you sit, when you sit.

I share how you unfold that napkin.

It's just so many intricacies about tea time that a lot of people are just, they're not used to.

It's like taking the tea and just going like this with the bag.

That's not how you steep the tea.

Or even the terminology, steeping.

That's just usually putting that tea in a cup or a pot and letting it steep, letting it sit so that the herbs and everything that comes out of that tea that you actually get to taste.

But I usually tell people to make sure it's covered.

Because if it's just, the hot air is going out, you're not really gonna get the full flavor.

So, make sure you use something that you can cover or a teapot and let your tea to steep.

That means to let it sit and marinate for three, four minutes, or however long the tea requires you to let it steep, to get all the flavors you want out of it.

(peaceful music) Study your craft.

If it's something that you really, really love and you want to do it, put your whole heart in it.

Don't do anything haphazardly or okay, I'll just try to do it and expect perfection, expect for it to go to the next level without really 200% of your involvement and your engagement, and you putting the time in.

I personally believe if you don't write it down, it doesn't move anywhere, it doesn't go anywhere.

My personal motto is if it's not written, it's not done.

And I truly believe in it.

Not only just thinking about it or dreaming about it, write it down.

Sometimes when you put something in writing, it forces you to do something with it, to ignite it, to put some purpose behind it.

So, you know, I would say to anybody, young and old, it doesn't matter, I mean, you can be a kid and own a company.

You don't have to be an adult.

You don't have to wait till you're 21.

There's no set age to creating your dream of your life.

I did it when I was a kid.

And I just kept on doing it till I'm here now today.

Living in my dream in my latter years.

This is my second chapter.

I'm retiring from my old job and this is my new retirement.

And I'm loving it and I'm looking forward to it.

- Next up, I'm gonna go over to Highland Square and learn about a new restaurant with Chef Omar.

His new restaurant is Irie Jamaican Kitchen.

Let's go see what Chef Omar and Irie Jamaican Kitchen's all about.

- The word is Irie.

A lot of people say airy, or you know, but it's Irie.

You know, it means feeling good.

It's a feel-good word.

If you're having an Irie day, this food is Irie, you know?

Life is Irie, you know?

I'm after the Irie life, you know, a good life, you know, friendly, just meeting different people, having fun, just enjoying life.

What drove me to create Irie Jamaican Kitchen, I pretty much see a void in Jamaican food.

I've always been in the culinary business, working in different restaurants.

And I feel that I couldn't showcase my talent.

So, I feel there was a need for Jamaican food.

So that's how I created Irie Jamaican Kitchen.

(upbeat music) I'm from Trelawny.

It's a little small town, you know, in Jamaica.

It's in the countryside.

A beautiful place, but not a lot of job opportunities.

Most people are like, you know, farming, you know?

Small town where everybody know each other.

You know, just small setting.

Pretty much the same setting, you know, you're not gonna get the roadside but you're gonna get the roadside cooking.

You know, you're gonna get the authentic Jamaican food which is freshness, with a lot of creativity.

You're getting it without the bone, you know?

So you're getting it straight from the heart from a Jamaican, you know?

I know the audience here in Akron worrying about the build out looking so very good, the whole setting, so they're wondering if it's the real Jamaican food.

I would say, yes it is.

You know, it's the best they gonna have.

I mean, it's the best they gonna get and they're gonna get it the ways they've never seen 'em before.

You know, this is the new level.

You know, people always fear what they don't understand.

You know, this is the new, new era, you know, I think I'm creating a new era of Jamaican food, a new wave.

You know, fast casual, fast friendly, a clean environment, friendly customer service.

And just you know, just a lot of love.

It feels great, you know?

I'm happy that people are allowing me to share a part of me, you know, with them.

I enjoy cooking.

Jamaican culture is a beautiful culture.

So I show my love through the food.

I'm giving them from the heart, just like a real Jamaican would.

(upbeat music) I started out at Richmond Mall a couple of years ago.

My restaurant name was Irie Jamaican Kitchen, so I was doing authentic Jamaican food all the way to the bone.

It was good for a couple of years, but you know, I think people wasn't aware of what Jamaican food was.

So, the business didn't take off.

So I decided to recreate the concept.

Where I go, I started doing bowls, boxes, boneless Jamaican food.

And it seems to, it was a better niche, you know?

'Cause I don't think people was aware of what Jamaican food was; they were little scared to try it.

You know, it was not very familiar in their eating habits.

I decided to take a different approach and recreate the brand.

So what I did was I created four unique styles.

We have the regular Jamaican style.

We have the mac and cheese.

And we got the seafood and the vegan style.

So then the guests can move on to the protein where we have the lamb, we have the oxtail, we got the jerk chicken, and we got the filet mignon.

Then we can move on to the seafood.

And we got baby lobster and jerk shrimp.

We also got the vegan style where you can have vegan dishes.

To top inside, I created some very fresh salsa.

So we got the mango, mango salsa.

Homemade, we have the cucumber salad.

We have the pineapple cole slaw.

And we have the fresh jerk salsa.

I have some very highly flavored sauces.

I create a very unique cilantro lime.

We got mango chili with a little of spice.

You also got the fiery hot sauce if you're looking for more heat.

We got the sweet and spicy if you're looking for a little bit mellow.

(mellow music) I would say that it's the combination of different nationalities.

You know, like Jamaica, the culture and the food is like, you know, it's Spanish, African, and a little bit of British.

So, it's a combination of a lot of spices coming together.

That's what Jamaica is.

Like, a whole bunch of different nationalities, different people, you know, that's their motto.

You know, out of many, one people.

That means there's people from all over the world, you know?

It's to bring that, that whole, I would say that uniqueness to the island.

(mellow music) I promise when you walk into the door, Irie Jamaican Kitchen will be selling authentic Jamaican food.

I 100% Jamaican.

I'm gonna bring you to the culture.

I'm gonna bring you the food.

I'm gonna bring you the ambiance.

And I'm gonna bring you to the love.

There's a lot of good Jamaican food out there, but it's, they're not Irie.

You know, Irie is the next level.

You know, we're giving you the freshness, a beautiful ambiance, friendly Jamaican, you know?

What more can you want?

You know, you're getting the whole package.

It's kind of like going on a vacation, you know?

- Now to wrap this show up today, we're here at West Hill Hardware, and learn about their 90-plus-year run, three generations.

I'm gonna sit down with Richard Tschantz and learn all about West Hill Hardware.

- Well, my very first memory I suppose, was being carried by my mother in her arms through the one front door that we haven't used in years.

And I remember her carrying me in and they had big glass display cases that had oh, I don't know, displays.

I remember they had a waterproofing foundation paint display that had little floating ducks in it.

And so I was a little kid, obviously I remember that.

But that's probably one of the first memories I have.

(peaceful music) My grandfather started the business in 1930.

And it was his third hardware.

He had had two others before this one.

One was at Five Points called Five Points Hardware.

And then he had one further up Copley Road on the corner of Madison Avenue that was Community Hardware.

And then he sold those consecutively, and then 1930 opened this one, West Hill Hardware.

It was a build-to-suit tenant option.

And so he leased this building for several years until he eventually bought it.

Originally it was two storefronts.

One was a pool hall bar and grill sort of operation called the Val-Mar Valley Market Grill.

And then West Hill Hardware was in the largest of the two storefronts.

Well, it was there until somewhere in the forties.

I believe probably during the war period when there was a fire that broke out in it.

After that, I guess my grandfather, he'd either bought the building before that or after that, but it was never reopened, the bar part of it.

And they eventually tore the wall down between the two storefronts and made it one big, one big operation.

(peaceful music) I first started working here in 1967.

I was about 13 or so.

But that was just like, you know, after school, summer vacations kind of thing.

And worked here all through you know, junior high, high school, college.

But full-time I started in '77, 1977.

Probably took over really management maybe somewhere in the eighties, like the later eighties, I believe.

'Cause dad was, you know, he did a lot of the bill pay.

Well actually, grandpa did a lot of the paperwork and bill paying, writing checks and all that early on.

And then dad did, you know, the bill paying and so on.

My aunt and uncle, my Uncle Chick or Charles, he and his wife Kitty did the billing.

We used to have a lot of charge accounts.

It was before the day of credit cards.

And so there was a lot of, you know, like the home billing kind of situation.

And Chick and Kitty did all that.

(peaceful music) Well, that's not a mural, it's a sign.

Akron Enlarging Arts made it.

And that was a blow up from an image that was originally on a neon sign that was out front of the store in the sidewalk.

There was a pole with a double-sided, it was an enameled sign that had neon lighting on it.

And it said West Hill Hardware.

And so, I had photographed the image of one of the signs that was left.

It was just a piece of the big sign board.

And we graphically reduced it and worked with it to get down to that image kind of.

And then Akron Enlarging Arts made up that big sign.

(peaceful piano music) Yeah, well, we listed the building, first the property, the physical property for sale about three or four years ago.

And there's been, you know, several people interested in it as a space, but nobody, you know, was really interested in it as a hardware.

You know, financially it would be a marginal situation to get involved in unless you were really hooked up maybe on a corporate level or something, and really managed it totally different than the way we ran this operation.

You know, this worked because it had existed and already been here for so long.

But at any rate, somebody finally did buy the building.

And so we have to liquidate the interior now.

And so there's gonna be an online auction with the Kiko Auction Company.

(peaceful music) Just sort of a general thanks to Vern, my friend Vern, who works here, for all his help.

And a general thanks too to the community in general for supporting us for so long.

And all the people that have worked here through the years.

Thank you, and sorry if I didn't mention you specifically.

I'd like to have a timeline with the names of everyone that worked here and when they worked here.

And there's really been so many that I can't really put 'em all together at once or I forget, oh, that guy was here for a while or this person was here for a while.

People that have all brought something, either good or bad maybe to the table.

So, I want to thank those people, too.

Just a thank you, I suppose, you know?

- Thank you, once again, for watching this episode of "Around Akron with Blue Green."

Now, if you have any questions, comments, or just want to drop me an email, you can go to www.AroundAkronWithBlueGreen.co, or you can catch me on Instagram, on Facebook, on Twitter and on TikTok.

Thank you and have an amazing day!

Two, three, recording for you and me on "Around Akron with Blue Green."

All right, here we go.

(sighs) - [Director] Good.

- Hands out of my pocket.

Hey, I've got my hands in my pocket.

You can only see about right here, right?

Somewhere.

- [Director] Yeah.

- "Around Akron with Blue Green," and once again, blah-blah.

(upbeat music)