@skrticx.bsky.social
Met South Euclid’s Pete Morrow at the St. Clair Superior Festival, riding his lowrider bike. Pete has so many bikes he doesn’t name them. Kids and neighbors kept stopping him along St. Clair. He stopped every time with a smile. A beautiful bike bringing people together.
Met filmmaker Kate Bennis at the North Coast Women’s Sailing Association. Kate told me she discovered the group through a post I did about one of its sailors. Kate, a Lakewood native and Colorado State film graduate, is now documenting stories of her own. katebennis.com
Great meeting Andrew Ragan at Larder in Ohio City. Originally from Youngstown and now living in Cleveland Heights, Andrew has been at Larder for two months, working alongside his sister Ellie. We talked food, music and techno. Good luck to him in his new job. I’ll be back soon!
Great meeting Cleveland-born Phil Lawroski, now living in Richmond Heights. We met in line while grabbing lunch and talked fashion, shoes and Cleveland. Phil attends Mass daily at St. John’s Cathedral, then enjoys lunch downtown. We’re both big fans of Kabob House in the Arcade.
Great meeting Cleveland-born Phil Lawroski, now living in Richmond Heights. We met in line while grabbing lunch and talked fashion, shoes and Cleveland. Phil attends Mass daily at St. John’s Cathedral, then enjoys lunch downtown. We’re both big fans of Kabob House in the Arcade.
Stopped by Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood in July and caught Chris Chabek changing the marquee. Mahall’s was established in 1924, and Chris has been part of it since 1973. I first photographed him in 2024. Always great catching up with Chris and spending a few hours at Mahall’s.
Kristian Svitak went from a kid skating Garfield Hts. & Cleveland streets in the 1990's to a respected pro skateboarder known around the world. His journey is built on dedication, persistence, & a love for Cleveland skate culture. A great story of passion: youtu.be/qm5nWMS5NjI?...
Great meeting Ben and Sarah Morgenstein in Ohio City before dinner at ROSY. Both are professors at Tri-C, and the couple once ran a local food blog. We talked Cleveland restaurants, food and their honeymoon in New Orleans. Thanks to the cool couple for their time
Great meeting Ohio City resident Laurel Pilch at Edgewater Yacht Club. A 12-year sailor, Laurel found her community with North Coast Women’s Sailing Association after often being the only woman on a crew. Now she’s helping inspire the next generation of Cleveland sailors.
Met two of Cleveland's newest residents, Ryan Wakley and Maria Rollinger, at the July 29 City Stages concert. The medical residents recently moved here and are already library users! We talked Cleveland, Mason's, Mitchell's, and why this city is a great place to call home.
Faced two fears recently: heights & helicopters. Thanks to Niki Farahmand of Lay of the Land and Fly Heli pilot Keegan Gullifer for a flight over Cleveland. Keegan's calm, kindness, & made all the difference in making the flight excellent. Watch here: www.instagram.com/reel/DbrC8or...
Great meeting Mary Anne DeGrandis Baucco, a 6-year Little Italy GardenWalk volunteer, Elaine Ramos, a 1st-year volunteer, & Jonah Bae. Thanks for sharing your passion for GardenWalk and Little Italy! And if you haven't tried Mount Granita's Sicilian-style granita, it's worth it!
Katy Baumbach has sailed since childhood and now helps more women find confidence, community, and adventure on Lake Erie as Communications Chair of the North Coast Women's Sailing Association. Off the water, she's a communications leader, artist, and triathlete-in-training.
Great meeting the crew working the Market Garden Brewery tent at the City Stages Concert on West 29th. Pictured are Sammy Meyer, Devin Maler, Grace Prexta and Justin Epstein. Friendly, fast, and always smiling, they kept the crowd happy on a great summer night in Cleveland.
Amazing visit to American Greetings Headquarters in Westlake as a podcast guest. Loved meeting the team of Lynne Shlonsky, Laura Pohlman, Dan DeLagrange, and Mike Murray. Their creativity, passion, and pride in this Cleveland classic were inspiring. Thanks for the amazing tour!
Great meeting Rory Crute and Michelle Blauman at the Cleveland Market. We talked Cleveland history, libraries, and community. Rory hopes to donate a rare historic Cleveland newspaper to Cleveland Public Library while Michelle proudly represented her library in her CCPL T-shirt.
Great seeing Kimmy Johnson again during my visit to Lorain Brewing Company. A Shaker Heights native and self-proclaimed heavy metal beer maven, Kimmy has spent 33 years in the service industry, sharing her love of beer, people, and the culture of great bars.
Great meeting Andy Ilcin, Jinx Pile of Hudson, & Eliott & Susan Ross of Highland Hts. This kind group was representing Miceli Dairy Products at the Cleveland Food Bank and shared its story. Founded by John Miceli Sr. in 1949, the Cleveland family biz keeps the tradition going.
Great seeing Alison Guerin, Manager of CPL’s Jefferson Branch. Alison joined CPL in 2014 as a Page and advanced to Manager. A MLIS graduate, Harvest for Hunger chair, and Tremont community leader. Thank you, Alison, for sharing your story in front of this beautiful 1918 branch!
Sign up for my talk CLEVELAND BEFORE COUNTRY at the Landmark Centre Building at Case Western Reserve University on Friday August 14th - 10-11:30 AM. case.edu/lifelonglear...
Met Malcolm Miller and H. Mancuso creating their chalk art masterpiece on West 29th during the City Stages concert in Ohio City. Thanks for the great conversation about art and music, and for stopping for a photo. A wonderful day of live music, creativity, and community.
Cool meeting Shay and Brad Fishbaugh of Leona’s Custom Hats at Cleveland Market in AsiaTown. They are kind, talented makers creating one-of-a-kind hats in Lakewood. Love seeing local artists bring creativity, craftsmanship, and community together. Visit @leonas_custom_hats
Great night at City Stages on West 29th featuring Kaleta & Super Yamba Band. Great to see Ohio City resident Ciara Ahern again and meet Alex Lanese and Maddie McNulty from Chardon. Thanks for the photo outside the Market Garden Brewery tent and the great conversation and beer!
Stopped by St. Patrick Catholic Church in Ohio City and met the talented Whitney Stained Glass Studio team restoring glass on this historic landmark. Kate Varty, Cameron Harshorn, & Addam Whittenmire shared the story of their craft & this incredible studio.https://www.whitneystainedglass.com/
Great meeting CLE born & bred entrepreneur Taylor Smith and learning about her company, Auragen. Taylor created sophisticated alcohol-free botanical drinks designed for connection & celebration. Proud of her city and still calling CLE Heights home. drinkauragen.com
Ben Mirka connects brands, sports, & communities through thoughtful design. Born in Parma and now living in Olmsted Falls, Ben is Chief Creative Officer at Underdogs and founder of Mirka Studios. Great photographing him with his work in CPL’s Cavaliers exhibit through year’s end.
Always love stopping into one of my favorite Cleveland spots, Old 86 at 5304 Detroit Ave. Met the cool & kind Halley Longbottom, originally from Leetonia and now a Lakewoodite. She loves bartending there and says the family atmosphere, staff, and great customers make it special.
Great meeting Cleveland photographer Christopher Goodman, better known as “Goody.” Originally from Lorain and now living in Sheffield, he has spent 10 years capturing Northeast Ohio’s people, places, and events. Check out his work: photosbygoody.format.com
