Displaying items by tag: Jasen Sokol Show

 On the Banzai Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast:

Callers weighed in on Chapel Hill, impeachment, and how Trump could win re-election. 

We talked with Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters about the effect JC Penney's closure will have on the city.

On the Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast:

The final Democratic Debate before the Iowa Caucus is this evening. Jasen talked with Dr. Tom Sutton of Baldwin Wallace about the points the candidates must make.

Jeff Schudel of the Morning Journal and News Herald discussed the sign stealing scandal in the MLB.

On the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast for a Thursday:

Once again, the property at 15 Broad Street in Akron's Middlebury neighborhood is being given the "cease and desist" order by the City of Akron, after it was found that homeless people were sleeping there, against the previous orders of the city. 

Earlier this year, Sage Lewis with Akron's Homeless Charity and owner of the property at 15 Broad St., was ordered to close down the Tent City homeless encampment on his property, in spite of his efforts to rezone the property to operate within the law. 

Now, Lewis has once again been given a deadline for those living on the property to move out; this time he has until Friday, July 26th. 

Lewis tells the Jasen Sokol Show on 1590 WAKR and 93.5 FM that he made everyone aware of the rule that barred anyone from sleeping on his property and that he did not know that it was still happening. 

"Every single person that was sleeping in my building knew that was my mantra," Lewis said. "We knew it absolutely black and white. There was not one person that didn't know that that was the cold hard truth, but they did it anyways." 

Since the most recent notification from the City of Akron, Lewis says that basically all of the services the Homeless Charity was providing for Akron's homeless population have stalled at the Middlebury property, including the pantry and day community center. He's hopeful, though, that he and the Homeless Chairty will still be able to provide services going forward, including mobile services Lewis says he's looking into. 

On the Thursday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast:

On the Wednesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast:

 Dr Stacy Willett: UNC Charlotte shooting (14.8 seconds) 

Tony Brown, Voice of the Cleveland Monsters: playoff series (13:39) 

On the Thursday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast:

Dr. Tom Sutton Baldwin Wallace Professor on the Mueller Report (14.2 seconds) 

Jasen Sokol reads an excerpt from the Mueller Report (10:11) 

Joe Leenheer - PGA Pro with his  golf tip of the week (18:05) 

On this Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show live from Akron RubberDucks Media Day at Canal Park, Jasen spoke with RubberDucks general manager Jim Pfander (00:18) and promotions coordinator Kyle Hixenbaugh (10:01). Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan stopped by to talk on a variety of topics with Jasen (18:47), and Christopher Wilkins dropped in to talk about the Akron Symphony Orchestra's upcoming performance on April 6th (33:19).

Jasen Sokol, Sam Bourquin &  Brad Russell got everyone excited for Opening Day as the Cleveland Indians lift the curtain on another season at Progressive Field!

The Tribe will be taking on the Chicago White Sox at 4:10pm.

The fellas spoke with various people from the Indians such as Curtis Danburg, Jim Rosenhaus, and more.

The Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast!

 Show open with WAKR's Ryan Lang  (15.7 seconds) 

Leslie Rarick:joined from Akron Noir Alley to talk true crime and unsolved cases in studio (15:00) 

Judge Jack Durkin joined in to talk about  Governor DeWine providing resources to drug courts (30:35) 

Christopher Wilkins, from the Akron Symphony performs music associated with Space. (40:35) 

On this Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show live from Louisiana Fried Chicken in Akron, Jasen catches up with Pro Football Hall of Famer Dave Robinson (00:17), Takes calls about Otto Warmbier and young voters (13:31), chats with Clarence Drake of the Veterans Service Commission of Summit County (25:21), and reveals Friday's Dope of the Day (32:43).

On this episode of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen speaks with a caller about President Trump's visit to Hanoi (11:40), Leianne Heppner stops by to talk about the Rethinking Race Trolley Tour (15:35), Congressman Tim Ryan stops by to talk about the "national emergency," Ravenna, and Lordstown (23:25), and a local caller gives their response to congressman Ryan (34:02).

* Show Open (00:17)

On this Banzai Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen and Bobbi celebrate the show's 5th anniversary a little early (00:17). Local callers discuss state funding, the State of the City (9:22), and people who think they are above the law (29:52). Chris Wilkins stops by to talk about the Gospel Meets Symphony (19:13), and Akron Life is featured in the Weekend Preview (35:22).

On the Bonzai Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast:

On this Thursday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen has Pastor Greg Harrison (D, 00:18) and Josh Sine (R, 14:44) on to discuss the upcoming Akron mayoral primary. County Executive Ilene Shapiro stops by to talk road maintenance and the opioid lawsuit (24:26) and Chief Engineer of Firestone Racing Cara Adams stops by to talk about the new tire plant in Akron (29:04).

On this Wednesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen breaks down the State of the Union with Congressman Tim Ryan (00:18), Congressman Anthony Gonzalez (08:26), and Tom Sutton (12:55).

Jasen's Tuesday edition of the Podcast:

APD Deputy Chief Michael Caprez on the Police Department looking to hire more staff (20.7 seconds)

University of Toledo Professor Dr, Jeff Broxmeyer on tonight's State of the Union (9:49) 

Nicole Mullet from ArtsNow and Bill Behrendt of Ohio Citizens for the Arts  on the Economic impact of arts (19:05)

Jasen and Bobbi spoke with a variety of folks on the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast

One was former mayor of Akron  Don Plusquellic, the longest serving mayor in the city's history, speaking about the current condition of the city and that there's no bad blood between him and Dan Horrigan, the city's current mayor. (19 seconds in) 

Next up was Pat Scherer, Scout Executive and CEO spoke about girls now being able to join the Boy Scouts. (9:12) 

Barberton Judge Todd McKenney discussed license amnesty with the show as well. (18:23)

 On the Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen talks about the possibility of a government shutdown with Dr. Tom Sutton (00:15), The Cleveland Indians offseason moves with Zack Meisel (19:55), and the stock market with Richard Peterson (09:21). 

On the Monday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen spoke with Jeff Schudel to talk about the weekend in sports, Jim Renacci, and Ace Epps of Open M. 

Filling in for the vacationing Jasen Sokol, Dr. Toni Bisconti spoke with Jeff Schudel to talk Browns and Cavaliers, at 14;38 she spoke with Dr. David Cohen, and at 25:10 she spoke with the fine folks from the Ohio Shakespeare Festival. 

Jasen and Bobbi caught up with NFL.com's Nick Shook to talk Browns and Panthers and US Senator Sherrod Brown at 9:15 talked about Cleveland Indians great Larry Doby.

On the Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show podcast,  Ben Axlerod spoke with Jasen and Bobbi about the retirement of Urban Meyer after 7 seasons at the helm of the Ohio State football program.

Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro joined the program at 8:40 to talk about medical marijuana for Summit County employees.

Fimmaker Ariella Altchouler joined the progam at 26:54 

Christopher Wilkins from the Akron Symphony Orchestra joined the program to talk about Akron Symphony's Home for the Holidays at EJ Thomas. 

On the Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast, Jasen and Bobbi talked to Shammas Malik, Council Candidate for Ward 8 in the City of Akron right off the bat..

Nick Shook from NFL,com on the weekend and the Cleveland Browns around 9 minutes in

and Austin Ward from Lettermen Row on the Big 10 Championship Game between Ohio State and Northwestern around the 19 minute mark.

Jasen and Bobbi spoke with Terry Pluto about his new book on the Cleveland Browns (right off the bat) 

State Senator Joe Schiavoni spoke about the closing of the GM Plant in Lordstown at 15:47 

City Councilman Jeff Fusco also spoke about improvements to the Mayflower at 24:52.

On the Monday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast, 

Austin Ward talked about the Buckeyes' big win over Michigan last Saturday right off the bat,  Jeff Schudel talked about the weekend in sports (9:33), Larry Magid from CBS News talked about Cyber Monday (20:04), and Steven Portnoy also joined in the coversation to talk about what happened at the Southern border over the weekend (24:48). 

Jasen and Bobbi spoke with CBS tech expert Larry Magid to talk about robocalls right off the bat,

Perry Clark of TRY ministries joined in around 5:02.

Summit County Sheriff Steve Barry also joined the program at 18:33  to talk DUI Checkpoints

The folks from Weathervane Playhouse also joined the show to talk about Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at 22:04.

On the Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast,

Val Renner and Howard Parr discussed the new happenings at the Akron Civic Theatre, Next up, broadcaster Tony Brown of the Cleveland Monsters discussed what's going on with the hockey team, and Colin and Jess rounded out the podcast with the Weekend Preview presented by Jilly's Music Room.

On the Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show podcast Jasen and Bobbi spoke with Jon Hartz of Valiant Comics  to talk about the death of Stan Lee.

City of Akron Chief of Staff James Hardy also stopped by at 10:36 to talk about the new CitiCenter project 

and Dawn Spriggs discussed record expungement and related topics in the studio around 25:35. 

On the Thursday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast with Jeff Lynn guest hosting, 

Jeff and Bobbi spoke with  security expert Tim Dimoff of SACS Security to talk about the shooting in California (20 seconds in) . Denny Wilson on his book on recovering from addiction(15:05), and Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com food writer Katie Byard talking Akron Dish.(32:05) 

On the Tuesday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show, Jasen and Bobbi spoke with Doug Brattebo, professor of Political Science at Hiram College right off the bat, 

Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro joined the show at 11:56 to talk about the pipeline emergency fund.

24:20 Jasen got into today's Dope of the Day!

On the Friday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast, Jasen caught up with Senator Sherrod Brown,17 seconds in. 

Nick Shook from NFL.com to talk Browns at 12:17

Austin Ward from Lettermen Row on the Ohio State Buckeyes at 20:15

and Michael Beaven from the Akron Beacon Journal to talk Week 1 of the High School Football playoffs at 28:52.

During the Thursday edition of the Jasen Sokol Show Podcast, Jasen spoke with Jon Husted, GOP Candidate for Lieutenant Governor 23 seconds in.

He also spoke with Grace Wakulchik, new CEO of Akron Children's Hospital (12:59) 

And he also spoke with Robert Sprague, GOP Candidate for Ohio Treasurer. (19:27) 

Half Marathon Finisher.

When I began my training for the Akron Half Marathon, I wasn’t really sure that my name would be next to those words in less than seven months. After last week, it is.

About a week before race day I thought the run would be a great one. I came off my final 10-mile training run feeling good and running faster than I had been all summer. But then I started feeling pain in my right foot that wouldn’t go away.

Akron Marathon Race Director Brian Polen told me it was likely a result of tying my shoes too tight. I loosened my laces, but the pain persisted. I was able to get through my short training runs all week, though, so I figured that I could at least get through the 13.1 miles with some extra walking.

As it turned out, it wasn’t that big of an issue. It was smooth sailing as Brian, Akron Marathon Social Media Manager Lauren Toole, and I took off down High Street and over the Y Bridge into North Hill. It wasn’t until we were heading back toward Downtown on Gorge and Glenwood that I noticed that I had an issue. By the time we reached the halfway mark, it was bad enough that I needed to add more walking than I had hoped.

I can’t really explain what happened over the next few miles. As we made our way down Brown St. for miles 7 and 8 the pain went away and I was able to run faster. Miles 9 and 10 were some of the fastest we ran all day.

After mile 10, I was in uncharted territory. I had never run more than 10 miles in one workout. I’m used to my workouts going up in distance every week so I figured it wouldn’t be as bad as I thought it could be. But after 10 quick (for me) miles, I hit a wall. I knew I would be able to finish, but I also knew the final three miles would be ugly.

As we went through that last trip through Downtown Akron, I couldn’t help but think back.

To when I used to look skeptically upon runners.

To when I agreed to announce the Gay Games Marathon back in 2014, the first race I ever announced and the event that introduced me to the amazing people of the Akron Marathon.

To when I was asked to be the voice of the new Akron Marathon Race Series events in 2015.

To all those times when George McFly from 94.9 WQMX would needle me about how I should become a runner.

To last August, when I told Brian over beers that I would train for the race series.

To February, when I was winded after a 1 mile walk.

To all those mornings running around the neighborhood.

To all those Saturdays with the Blue Line Beginners.

We broke the tape (actually it was a roll of beer tickets) in 2:36:18, much faster than I expected. It was awesome to see my family there along with the Marathon staff and even some members of the Blue Line Beginners who stopped by. It wasn’t long after we left our post-race meal at Akron Family Restaurant that I started thinking about what race is next. And there will definitely be a next race!

I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repay the people who helped me along this journey: The Akron Marathon staff for setting all of this up; Brian Polen, Lauren Toole, and George McFly for running races with me (and congrats to Lauren on running her first half marathon!); The Blue Line Beginners for keeping me going on those long Saturday runs; Vertical Runner of Wooster for making sure I had the right gear; the team at 1590 WAKR for letting me do this; the Lake County Captains for putting up with me when I couldn't do normal on-field host things; and each and every one of you who has offered a word of encouragement along the way.

If you ran the Blue Line, it was awesome seeing you at the finish line. If you didn’t, don’t think for one second you can’t. It takes hard work, dedication, and some free time, but you can absolutely be an Akron Marathon Race Series finisher. Who knows, it may just change your life. It certainly changed mine.

Jasen's journey continues on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. For more information on next year's races, go to www.akronmarathon.org.

The University of Akron announced big changes Wednesday, revealing that it would cut around 80 degree programs while placing higher emphasis on programs such as polymer science that the university is best known for.

The plan, which calls for the hiring of new faculty members in several departments without laying off any current staff, will be phased in over a period of a few years so current students can complete their degrees.

Dr. John Green, interim president of The University of Akron, joined The Jasen Sokol Show to explain the changes and how the university plans to keep up with the changing landscape in higher education.

“You can’t change the weather. You can change your attitude.”

I found myself repeating that phrase over and over again Monday as I ran the Goodyear 10K course.

Over the last six months, the vast majority of my runs have either been in cool weather or in the shade. Monday, it was in the mid 70s and high humidity. Not exactly the ideal running conditions. But there’s nothing you can do about the weather, and it was pretty similar to the weather for some of the previous August races in the Akron Children’s Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series. So I got ready to run my first ever 10K in what felt like a swamp.

You could argue the weather was payback for June. Because I’m the Akron Marathon’s race announcer, I have to run my races on different days. This paid off at the National Interstate 8K as it was significantly cooler and more overcast for my run than the actual run. No such luck this time around.

To be honest, I was just happy that I made it to the start line. Right after I ran the 8K, I developed some pretty severe pain in my foot that knocked me out of commission for several weeks. I tried foam rolling, exercises, ice, and rest, but nothing seemed to make the pain stay away while I was running. It took changing from the support shoes I usually wear to more neutral shoes for the pain to finally go away.

New Challenges

The sticky weather wasn’t the only thing different about this run. Because the Goodyear Proving Grounds weren’t available for the Blue Line Beginners test run a few weeks ago, I ran the first mile of the actual course for the first time on race day. The proving grounds portion of the course resembles a NASCAR track. It’s fast and flat, so it’s a great way to start a race. It was great seeing several members of the Blue Line Beginners waiting for us when we exited the proving ground and headed for the street (sidewalk in my case) portion of the course.

I was hoping to match my pace from the 8K in the 10K, but I figured by the time we left the proving grounds that wasn’t going to happen. My running pace was slower than it was in June and I needed a walk break by the 1.5 mile mark, a bit earlier than I was anticipating. I was lucky to have Akron Marathon Race Director Brian Polen and Social Media Manager Lauren Toole running with me to keep me going.

The course itself helps too. It’s a fairly fast course that gives you a good tour of Goodyear’s facilities and the new East End development on E. Market St. before running uphill toward Akron Executive Airport. You get a good look at the Air Dock before the half marathon course heads for Ellet and the 10K course turns back toward the finish.

The Last Mile

After the turnaround, the course heads downhill for most of the last mile. Still, I was spent. I had also developed a blister on my foot. I knew I could still put in a decent result, though, so I pressed on.

As we entered the final half mile, Brian reminded me how far I’d come in the last five months and how few people actually finish a 10K. It was exactly what I needed to finish strong. I crossed the line in 1:11:48, only 13 seconds per mile slower than the 8K. I was happy with the result given the humid conditions and the amount of time off I had to take between the 8K and 10K.

What’s Next?

Now that I have one 10K under my belt, Brian suggested I run another before the half marathon to get some more experience under my belt. I’ll be running the Amish Country 10K in Berlin on September 8. The hillier course will be a challenge, but one that should help me get ready for the hills in the Akron Half Marathon. I’ll be announcing the Akron Marathon this year, so I’ll run my half marathon on Monday, September 24.

I’m also excited to be on the mic for the actual running of the sold out Goodyear Half Marathon and 10K this weekend. I get to spend a lot more time announcing the names of runners as they cross the finish line in this race than the others in the series. If you’re running, make sure to reach out to me or stop by the start line stage before the race so I know to be looking for you!

Follow Jasen's journey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. For more information or to register for the races, go to www.akronmarathon.org.

The race for governor is heating up, as both major party candidates have begun to unveil their policy proposals.

Democrat Richard Cordray and Republican Mike DeWine recently unveiled the children's services planks in their platforms. They both joined The Jasen Sokol Show on Thursday to talk about their ideas and answer questions submitted by listeners on how to improve education and the economy in smaller cities.

If you would have told me a year ago that I’d be at the start line of an 8K, I would have called you crazy. Yet that’s where I was on Monday morning.

As the race announcer for the Akron Children’s Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series, I can’t race the National Interstate 8K on race day. Instead, the Akron Marathon staff set up a “race” for me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I pulled into the Infocision Stadium parking lot, but I arrived to see not just the Marathon staff waiting for me, but a contingent of Blue Line Beginners who would serve as our cheering section and water stop crew throughout the run. There was even pump up music and an introduction like we’ll do for the runners on Saturday!

At 7:00 a.m., it was time. Akron Marathon Race Director Brian Polen, Social Media Manager Lauren Toole, and George McFly from 94.9 WQMX took off from the start line with me to start the 4.9 mile trek around the University of Akron campus and Downtown Akron.

I knew the first 1.5 miles would be important. In the Blue Line Beginners test run a few weeks ago, I walked the first half mile before running the next mile. I ended that run with gas in the tank, so I decided to try running the entire first 1.5 miles this time around. This challenge was compounded by the fact that there was still some lingering soreness from when I tweaked my leg a few weeks ago. Much to my surprise, the pain went away and we flew through it faster than I thought I could. Our cheering section was set up right where we were going to start walking, so we decided to keep running a bit longer.

After walking to the two mile mark, it was time to run down the hill to Main and Market and start the trip down King James Way. It was here where the advantages of run/walking came into play. My watch had been showing a sub-10:00/mile pace for much of our running, but there was no way I could keep that up for nearly five full miles. Instead, we walked a bit near Canal Park and again on the three major uphills on the back half of the course: Broadway near The Depot Apartments, the bridge on Exchange St., and the hill leading to the UA Student Union. It was around a half mile of walking in all, but it made all the difference in getting me through.

When you reach the UA Commons portion of the course around mile 4.3, you can see Infocision Stadium and you know the finish line is close. I was pretty spent by this point but I knew I had to keep pushing.

I thought back to the first training session I did in February when I found myself huffing and puffing after a mile of walking, a mile that happened to be the first mile of the 8K course. I thought back to a month ago when I suffered my first major setback when I tweaked my leg so badly that it hurt to walk. After coming all this way, I couldn’t stop now. With Brian, George, and Lauren cheering me on, we made it around the stadium and to the field.

Turning the corner onto the field at Infocision Stadium was a moment I’ll never forget. Seeing the Akron Marathon staff and the Blue Line Beginners crew waiting for us, getting my very first race medal, and downing some postrace Chick-Fil-A and root beer was awesome. We finished the 8K in 55:41, more than six minutes faster than the time I put up during the test run.

But the work is far from over. I’ll be back on the road later in the week getting ready for the Goodyear 10K and the Akron Half Marathon. I’ll also be on the mic this weekend, encouraging the runners at the National Interstate 8K and 1 Mile. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I can’t wait for what’s to come!

Follow Jasen's journey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. For more information or to register for the races, go to www.akronmarathon.org.

Ohio's richest thoroughbred horse race is at JACK Thistledown Racino in North Randall Saturday.

The 84th running of the Ohio Derby features a $500,000 purse, several horses that ran in Triple Crown races earlier this year, and one Akron area native looking to score in a race that he says would mean more for him to win than the Kentucky Derby.

Jasen caught up with Loooch Racing Stables owner and St. Vincent-St. Mary alum Ron Paolucci, JACK Thistledown Racino handicapper Rich Ruda, and track announcer Matt Hook to preview the big race during a live broadcast of the Jasen Sokol Show at Thistledown.

It seems like just yesterday that I started this journey toward the Akron Half Marathon, yet in less than three weeks I’ll take to the National Interstate 8k course to complete the first race of Akron’s summer trilogy.

With coaching from Akron Children’s Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series Race Director Brian Polen, I’ve gone from walking a mile to run/walking six miles. Earlier today, I put in a 5k workout in honor of Global Running Day.

Until today, I hadn’t run on two consecutive days, and my legs didn’t let me forget about it. The first half of the 3.1 mile workout went well, but I could tell that doing the whole thing without walking any of it was going to be a challenge. I wound up having to walk about a half mile in all.

While the workout didn’t quite go as I planned, I couldn’t help but think back to February when I did that very first mile walk. At that time, I would have called you crazy if you said I would be doing anything close to a 5k. It’s amazing how far you can come with a little time and a little effort.

Stick and Ball Sport

Yes, you read that right. Sticks and balls do have a place in running.

A few weeks ago after putting in my first six mile run, I noticed a sharp pain in my right lower leg that wouldn’t go away. When I was sitting or standing it didn’t hurt, but anytime I tried to walk it was painful. The issue didn’t go away as the days went on, so I wound up not running for nearly a week.

Eventually I met with Brian to talk through what was going on. He told me the pain in my shin was likely because the rest of my leg was tight. He suggested two pieces of recovery equipment that got me back running the very next day.

The Stick is exactly what the name suggests: A long, flexible stick with handles on each end. Eight plastic rings surround the stick and act as massagers. It's basically a rolling pin for tight, sore muscles. Along with a foam massaging ball called The Orb (apparently they don’t spend much time coming up with names for these things) and a plan to rotate shoes between the support shoes I was wearing with a more neutral pair, I was able to get back to my training program.

Three Weeks To Go

It seems like it has come up fast, but the National Interstate 8k and 1 Mile is three weeks from Saturday on June 30. Because I serve as the race announcer for that race, I’ll be running the course on Monday, June 25. For anyone looking to get a taste of the course before race day, the Blue Line Beginners are planning a test run on Saturday, June 16.

The organizer of the effort to place a crocheted mural of Sojourner Truth in Lock 3 is speaking out on the controversy over its unveiling.

Cindy Michael of Harps & Thistles Yarn Emporium worked to secure matching funds from the Knight Foundation for the mural and recruit people to crochet individual pieces of the mural. She says the unveiling held Monday, which was criticized for a lack of diversity, was to be for the people who helped make the mural and was not intended to be an event for the community at large. Michael says she reached out to African American groups to include them in the project, but was not able to reveal that the mural was to be of Sojourner Truth due to her agreement with the designer. A community event was held Wednesday evening at Lock 3.

Michael joined The Jasen Sokol Show on Wednesday to talk about the situation.

Two Akron City Councilwomen say not only were they not invited to the unveiling of a new crocheted mural of Sojourner Truth at Lock 3, but that few in Akron's African American community knew it was even happening.

The controversy erupted after pictures of the unveiling posted to social media appeared to have very few people of color in them. Truth, an African American woman, gave her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech in Akron on May 29, 1851.

Another event will be held at Lock 3 Wednesday from 5:15-6:15 to allow more people to take pictures with the new mural.

Samples and Sims joined the Jasen Sokol Show to talk about the situation.

The addition of girls to Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts was controversial when it was announced, and the controversy erupted again when it was announced last week that the Boy Scouting program for middle and high-school aged children would change its name to "Scouts BSA" starting in 2019.

The Great Trail Council, which oversees Boy Scout programs in Greater Akron and Greater Youngstown, will begin accepting girls into the Cub Scout program on June 1. Girls will be allowed into what is now known as the Boy Scouts next year. Scout Executive/CEO Pat Scherer joined The Jasen Sokol Show to talk about how they plan to keep boys and girls separate in the program and discuss whether the council is ready to have girls join the ranks. 

Several hundred runners from Ohio will be among the more than 30,000 taking part in this year's Boston Marathon. Jasen talked to second time Boston runner Scott Hinkle of Loudonville and first time Boston entrant Lindsey Beachy of Glenmont about what it takes to qualify for the big race, getting the official word from Boston, and their experience in getting ready to run one of the most famous races in the world.

The Cleveland Indians are getting ready for their Opening Day game against the Kansas City Royals  at the corner of Carneige and Ontario

 Communications Coordinator Curtis Danburg spoke with Jasen Sokol, Sam Bourquin, and Brad Russell about the promotions schedule and his views on Opening Day.

Chef Todd Brazile stopped by as well to talk about the latest ballpark food coming to Progressive Field this season.

Former Indians pitcher Chad Ogea also joined the program talking about his memories of Opening Day and his thoughts on the current Indians ballclub.

U.S. Senator and lifelong Tribe fan Sherrod Brown also spoke with the gentlemen in Booth 6 to talk about his memories of Opening Day and his thoughts on this year's team.

Voice of the Tribe Tom Hamilton spoke with the fellas as well about some of his favorite Opening Day memories.

Tribe writer Zack Meisel spoke as well about the team's start and the return of Michael Brantley to the lineup.

In what is believed to be the largest meth bust in Ohio history, authorities confiscated 140 pounds of methamphetamines last month from a warehouse in Boston Heights.

Three men, including one from Cleveland and two from Mexico, are in custody facing charges of conspiracy to posess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Keith Martin, Assistant Special Agent In Charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration, talked to Jasen about the bust, a recent large heroin bust on Route 8, their connections to Mexican drug cartels, and how the drugs continue to flow into our area.

"Slow down to go faster."

As a fan of auto racing, I've heard that phrase a lot. Don't be so aggressive on certain parts of the race track and your lap times will actually get faster. It turns out the same is true in running.

Over the last couple of weeks, Akron Marathon race director Brian Polen has been slowly adding more running to the run/walks in my training program. At first, I was running as fast as I could for the one minute at a time. Needless to say, "fast as I could" wasn't so fast by the end. For the first mile or so I felt fine, but after that I would notice my running pace falling off. By about the 1.5 mile marker, my walking pace was completely gone as well. As the two mile mark approached, I wasn't sure how I was going to get to the end of the workout.

It took a few times running myself into the ground to realize that I had better back off my pace a bit so I could make it as far as I was supposed to go. But once I did, not only did I feel better but I saw noticeable improvement in my overall pace.

Lt. Dan wasn't lying

In the film Forrest Gump, Lt. Dan reminds Forrest and Bubba about the importance of socks. He was talking about the Vietnam War, of course, but I've found that socks really do make a big difference in running too. When I was trying on shoes at Vertical Runner of Wooster, I couldn't get anything to fit right and not slide around too much until I had on compression socks. There are a bunch of different brands, but the best ones are designed to help people avoid blisters and wick away moisture. The ones I bought cost around $15 per pair, but it was worth it. 

Better with friends

In talking to people about my plan to run the Akron Half Marathon, I frequently hear things like "how can you run for that long by yourself? won't it get boring?"

I can't answer that question yet, but I can tell you it's a lot more fun when you get to run with other people. I did my longest workout yet (3.5 miles) with Brian Polen and Lauren Toole from the Marathon staff. Being able to talk with people during the run helped me forget how much work was ahead of me, and I actually felt better than I had at the end of most of my runs in spite of the distance.

Not too late to start

If you still want to get involved with this year's Akron Children's Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series but haven't started training yet, that's okay! This is week one of the Blue Line Beginners program for 2018, and the workouts consist only of 15-20 minute walks, run/walks, or runs. The group will be meeting Saturday at 8:00 a.m. at Botzum Trailhead, 2928 Riverview Road, Akron, for their weekly group run. Members of the Akron Marathon staff are usually in attendance, and there are frequent guest speakers to address various topics related to running.

Follow Jasen's journey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Strava. For more information or to register for the races, go to www.akronmarathon.org.

Did you miss 1590 WAKR's Opioid Roundtable? If so, you missed a great conversation featuring some of the people who are making a difference on the opioid epidemic in our area, including:

• Travis Bornstein - Hope Is Alive
• Denny Wilson - FI Community Housing
• Greg McNeil - Founder, Cover 2 Resource
• Deborah Foster-Koch - Executive Director IBH
• Jerry Craig - Summit County ADM Board
• Raynard Packard - Packard Institute
• Darryl Brake - Summit County Community Partnership
• Kelly MacMullin - Summa Health
• Barberton Police Chief Vincent Morber
• Elliot Kolkovich - Summit County Prosecutor’s Office

You can hear the entire roundtable, plus bonus interviews from the Jasen Sokol Show, in the playlist below.