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Yearly Archives: 2010
Santa Comes to Kent
Festival of Lights Thoroughly Delights!
With wellness seemingly nowhere on the horizon after already spending nearly eight days housebound with my fellow sickies, I headed out into the freezing weather near twilight with 18 pounds of selected gear strapped to my body and a cumbersome tripod hoisted over my shoulder.
Why??
Any reason to miss Santa’s arrival by train for Kent’s Festival of Lights was unfathomable. Not only does his visit cap off a very active year of community in Kent, but it was critical to gather images of him for reasons that may remain somewhat … secret!
With a light snow falling as if on cue, downtown was packed with well-bundled residents of all ages. While parents and children eager for a moment of face time with Santa queued around Home Savings Plaza, Roosevelt’s choir took the stage, intensifying the energy and anticipation with perfection.
By the time Santa’s train pulled up, the light snow had turned storybook pretty and the crowd was perfectly primed to greet this season’s favorite folk hero.
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After grabbing a few quick shots of the train, I spent the next little bit thoroughly taken in by Santa as he very lovingly greeted locals of all ages. Don’t think I’ve ever seen Santa give so many hugs at one sitting, but I can tell you that it was nothing be sheer joy to watch him embrace each visitor with warm words and actions.
I hear that member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce were the elves behind this effort, and I, for one, thank them wholeheartedly for doing such a wonderful job. In other notable thanks, appreciation goes to my new acquaintance (Jeff) and family for being kind enough to roll down their car window (twice!) to give my fingers a warm up when they threatened to go numb on me.
Finally, while it’s too late for me to even bother trying to pen my thoughts with any skill, I simply want to leave you with this:
1. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a more magical moment.
2. Being present at this activity truly cemented in me a feeling of community. I’ve lived in Kent for 20 years, and while I may be slow on the uptake, in truth, I never really felt a part of the town. Something is changing, though, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one who is noticing it. If what I’ve been seeing lately is a taste of what’s to come, I welcome it with open arms.
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Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot
When 7:30 a.m. rolled around on a rainy Thanksgiving morning, I snoozed the alarm and nearly convinced myself that it was too wet to haul my gear around on a holiday morning. After all, wouldn’t most of the runners who had signed up for Kent’s annual Turkey Trot be tempted to do the same thing? Should I manage to get going, I was sure to get there and photograph all of five people. I just KNEW it.
So, I silenced the snooze once or twice, but something convinced me to get up and take my chances despite every muscle in my body screaming for a few minutes more in a warm bed.
Arriving at Fred Fuller Park shortly before the event, I was pleasantly surprised to find what had to be a group of more than a 100 runners; altogether, this bunch looked like ornaments on a holiday tree – their brightly colored hats, jackets and gloves a stark contrast to the subdued tones of the season and the day. [What follows are a few images of the one-mile Fun Run for the little ones and the 5K adult race, where participants seemed to range in age from about 18 to 80.]
Sidling up to someone official looking, I asked about the turnout, discovering that only a small handful of participants had seemingly succumbed to the warm-bed syndrome.
Impressive.
Furthermore, I was told that the annual 5K Kent Turkey Trot leans a little to the postal side – neither rain nor sleet nor hail stops this hardy bunch. In fact, I was told that the weather was “pretty good” compared to past events, most especially a run in recent years that transpired in a total whiteout.
Finally, my laugh of the morning occurred at the beginning of the 5K race. With so many runners starting off up the same narrow road, those who did not have the advantage of leading the group were slowed by the mass of people ahead of them, making the pack look – if only for a moment – like a brightly plumed array of turkeys slowly trotting up the hill!
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Kent Yoga Center: No Need to be Shy!
As part of a larger project that I’m working on, I recently had the honor of photographing one of Kent Yoga Center’s drop-in classes.
Now, before I begin, let me say that I have – alone at home – done a little yoga over the years to Rodney Yee videos because:
- Yoga is such great and gentle exercise
- When you’re finished with a yoga session, you are not only NOT out of breath, but you feel like a million bucks!
- Yoga is an amazing practice to help with back issues
- Yoga really can shape you up, and for the most part, it’s so much fun that you don’t feel like you’re exercising
- Yoga is an excellent stress buster
- Yoga can be practiced by anyone of any gender at any age (from 1 to 100)
That said, I have NEVER attended a yoga class. I thought that I would feel ridiculous in a classroom setting because:
- I couldn’t pass as a yoga poster child by any stretch (ha-ha… get it?)
- I think I get how to do yoga, but surely I would end up looking “silly” in a group
- I’m not fanatical about anything except photography, so certainly I would not be emotionally supported in my casual approach
- Worse, the classroom would be filled with nothing but wealthy 30-year-olds who have little to do but to work on their bodies and minds
- …And of course, they would be far too beautiful and perfect, making me stick out like a sore thumb
Well, let me tell you something: When you first step into Kent Yoga Center, any lingering fears float away like gentle balloons at a wedding exodus.
Heidi Shaffer, the yoga guru who led this Wednesday morning’s class, was welcoming, gentle and full of good humor.
As I moved about, photographing the women who were participating that morning (normal, regular women… not women who looked obsessed with snagging the cover of Shape magazine), I was impressed with Heidi’s gentle humor in both leading and in instructing. Not that you’d expect a drill sergeant, of course, but, well, maybe I was anticipating an experience somewhat… stressful. And nothing could be further from the truth.
As for the center itself, the building is as lovely as those who inhabit it. Anyone looking for a great way to exercise, relax and de-stress in a safe, non-threatening environment will feel right at home.
I’m not certain if Kent Yoga offers gift certificates, but if they do, giving one would be a
At the very least, do stop in and take a look around.
Email info@kentyogacenter.com to find out what would be a good time to pop in, or find Kent Yoga Center on Facebook.
Information from Kent Yoga Center’s Website follows below:
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We have 12 weekly Core Classes that are a drop-in format (start anytime): mornings, evenings & weekends! See the 2010 Schedule. Just show up to these classes. If there is a holiday or a traveler’s advisory for weather, check the website for cancellations.
For more information see the 2010 Schedule, Class Descriptions or call (330) 677-8169.
Special classes:
Yoga Basics: Next 6-week series will be held in January 2011. If you are a beginner, you don’t have to wait until then to start practicing at Kent Yoga. If you choose the right level of intensity, you should be able to do a drop-in class practice. Yoga Basics describes breath, alignment and awareness in greater detail for a deeper knowledge foundation. It is a good idea to take it, but you don’t have to start with it! (That’s why we don’t call it “Beginner Yoga.” Many of our students are still beginners.)
Teen/Tween Yoga - ages 10-18 Mondays 4-5 pm Starting Oct. 18th (every other week) 6 sessions/$35 or $8 drop-in. Instructor: Margot
Parent/Child (babies & toddlers) Yoga - Tuesdays 3-4 pm Sept. 21st – Oct 26. 6 weeks/$40. $10 drop-in. Instructor: Nichole
Kid’s Yoga (ages 3-6 yr)- New 6-week series starting Sat. Oct. 23rd, 11-11:30 am. $30 ($25 in advance). Instructor: Cassie Pegg-Kirby Join the fun! Parents are welcome to participate or enjoy our quiet waiting room.
Prenatal Yoga – Next session will be held during Winter 2011. Please email if interested and keep checking the website for our start-date. 2nd or 3rd trimester only.
Gentle Chair Yoga - $10 drop-in or prorate for remaining classes in the series. Call or email before attending if you are new.
Possibly coming this Winter: Family Yoga for older kids (7+) and their families or other adults. Email if you want to encourage this class series TBA on weekends. Tell us whether Friday night, Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon would be best.
Parking: Weekdays before 5 – park anywhere at the Silk Mill; after 5 and on weekends – park in the lower lot or the neighboring public lot. Bicyclists: There is a bike rack behind the building, by the river.
For more information, visit Kent Yoga’s Center’s WEBSITE.
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Halloween in Kent, Part 1
Before posting some images from the infamous Halloween in Kent, I want to apologize for
being a bit behind in my posts. B
- Kent’ State’s Homecoming Parade and Football game
- Some middle school soccer and football images
- Some high school football game shots
- A post highlighting the Kent Yoga studio, beautifully located in the Silk Mill building across from the library
- Ravenna’s fastastic Balloon-A-Fair
- Some fun shots from Art in Park (love those “knights jousting” images!)
- A selection of pro bono work for Habitat for Humanity
- An upbeat selection of “out and about” in Kent images
- A mix of what I hope you’ll consider “fun surprises”
For those who are interested in local imagery, stay tuned!
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