Skrtic's Pics: Campy Russell, Thao Nguyen, Mama Santas

John Skrtic has been with the Cleveland Public Library for over 30 years. He now serves as the chief of special projects and collections, which makes him responsible for overseeing the 11 million items in the Library Collection. He holds a master's of library and information science from Kent State University and a master's of public administration from Cleveland State University. Skrtic grew up on East 41st Street in Downtown Cleveland and has lived in the city his entire life. He is father of two children and spends his free time archiving the people and places of Cleveland.

Campy Russell

Michael Campanella “Campy” Russell is a former professional basketball player whose name is closely tied to Cleveland’s basketball history. He starred at the University of Michigan, where he averaged 23.7 points and 11.1 rebounds in his junior season and earned unanimous acclaim as the Big Ten Player of the Year and All American. Drafted eighth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1974, Russell quickly became one of the team’s early stars. He played nine seasons in the NBA with the Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, was an NBA All Star in 1979, and was a key contributor to the Cavaliers’ “Miracle of Richfield” team that reached the playoffs in 1975‑76. Russell finished his career with averages of 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and remains recognized on the Cavs’ all-time team for his impact on the franchise.

I had the pleasure of meeting Russell at the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, where it was great to talk with him about his life in the area and his distinguished career. He spoke about his deep connection to Cleveland and the people who supported him during his basketball journey. Today, he remains involved with the Cavaliers organization, helping engage former players and celebrate the region’s basketball legacy. Meeting him highlighted both his athletic achievements and the lasting influence he has had on Cleveland’s sports community.

Cleveland Curiosities

I visited Cleveland Curiosities at 13375 Madison Ave. in Lakewood, a shop that feels like a corner of history anchored into the neighborhood. Inside, strange and wonderful things sit on shelves and in cases, calling out to anyone who wants to see something unusual and unforgettable. The owners, Hallie Wallace and Clement Kunkle, met at Fairview Park High School and bonded over a shared love of curios, oddities and objects that make people look twice. With them, I met Heather Rebel, the team manager who keeps everything running smoothly, and Rae Porach, a staff member whose knowledge and hospitality make the space feel alive. Since opening in August 2018 and celebrating its seventh anniversary in 2025, Cleveland Curiosities has grown into a place people return to, exploring antiques, taxidermy, vintage medical tools and rare collectibles that carry stories from the past.

The shop expanded on July 1, 2023, giving more room for the odd and the educational. Kunkle talks about bringing the unusual to Lakewood not just as a collection but as a way to spark wonder, to make people think about history, science and the stories objects hold. Wallace's care in preparing and arranging curios gives the shop a rhythm of its own, where every shelf holds a quiet mystery and every visitor finds something unexpected. In that space, with friends and neighbors chatting and discovering, you feel the energy that has quietly become part of Madison Avenue’s identity.

Food Stong

I met Sara Continenza on the East Side at the long-closed Lithuanian church, St. George’s. That church is quiet now, but she sees it differently. She sees a place where people can gather, learn, grow and share food with each other. It’s part of Food Strong’s Superior Farm site, nearly three acres in the St. Clair‑Superior neighborhood. Continenza has been at this work since 2018, building Food Strong from school gardens and the Care‑A‑Van wellness program into something bigger. Now there’s culinary education, youth programs, a mobile farm stand and vacant lot restoration. The farmhouse there will house offices and wellness programs, while the church will host markets, classes and neighborhood events. She talks about it not like a plan on paper but like a living neighborhood, with people shaping it, feeding it and taking care of it.

I took her picture outside St. George’s. She stood there in the cold Cleveland air, calm and focused, the kind of person who carries both the work and the hope. She’s also a councilwoman in South Euclid, bringing the same care and attention to local government that she brings to the food system. When she talks about Food Strong, it’s about neighbors, it’s about listening, it’s about connecting people through food, through education, through shared effort. She believes in small acts, repeated, that grow into strong neighborhoods. That’s what she’s doing, block by block, plate by plate, person by person.

China House

I stopped by China House Chinese Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge at 5238 St. Clair Ave, in Cleveland. Behind the bar was Leslie Tam, though everyone knows her as Betty. She got the nickname from a Betty Boop tattoo on her arm, which she likes to show off. Betty has lived in the neighborhood most of her life and has tended this bar for 28 of the 45 years the place has been open. She remembered me from long ago and told me I need to come in more often.

People in the neighborhood affectionately refer to the location as Betty at the Chinese Bar. She knows her regulars by name and remembers their stories. The food is Cantonese, and the specials include a $20 family meal. After Chung Wah on Superior Avenue and Chins and Shanghai closed, the neighborhood has been grateful that China House is still around. People keep coming back for both the cooking and the sense of home this spot provides. It is the kind of place you go before or after a show, to catch up, say hello, and enjoy one of Cleveland’s oldest and coolest bars without spending a fortune.

Thao Nguyen

Thao Nguyen is a Kansas City native who has been living and working in Cleveland for the past seven years. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, she has developed a creative practice that blends hand-drawn illustration with digital design. Her art is vivid and full of light and movement, often inspired by nature and wildlife, and she applies her talents across illustration, hand lettering, magazine covers, packaging and public art projects. Each piece carries a sense of story and emotion, inviting viewers to pause, look and feel something real.

I took this photo on Larchmere Boulevard in front of her first mural, which was commissioned by Destination Cleveland and went up in the summer of 2025. Nguyen is constantly creating, always exploring new ideas and ways to connect her work with people. Even with this first mural, her vision and skill bring neighborhoods to life, and her presence in Cleveland’s arts community has already been influential. Her work shows a restless curiosity, a generosity of spirit, and a commitment to keeping the city’s creative landscape vibrant and inspiring.

ICA-ART

The Intermuseum Conservation Association, now known as ICA-ART, has a conservation team in Cleveland where science meets artistry. Every brushstroke, every layer of paint, and every delicate material receives a level of attention that feels like care for a living thing. Led by Executive Director Holly Witchey, the team works to preserve artworks so they can speak to future generations just as they speak to us today. They study each piece, analyze it, and restore it with precision, all while honoring the artist’s original intent. The work is meticulous, but it is also deeply human, full of curiosity, patience and devotion.

I was fortunate to get a firsthand look at this remarkable space thanks to Kate Passannante, who gave me an incredible tour and introduced me to the talented Cleveland team. Pictured here are Holly Witchey, Sheila Brown-Prevo, Zoey Hasselbring, soon-to-be-retired Andrea Chevalier, who is known throughout the city for her exceptional expertise, Wendy Partridge, Claire Curran, Jordan Mesavage, Kate Montlack, and Passannante herself. Watching them work and seeing their skill and dedication up close, it is clear this is more than conservation. It is storytelling and a commitment to making sure every piece continues to speak, inspire and live.

Mama Santas

I stopped by Mama Santa’s Restaurant and Pizzeria at 2564 Mayfield Road in Cleveland to say hello to Anthony, or Antonio, Starvaggi. This place has been part of the neighborhood since 1961, started by Guido and Nancy Scaffidi. They named it after Nancy’s mother, Santa, who was the original chef. Mama Santa’s sits right in the heart of Little Italy and is all about homemade Sicilian pastas and pizza, the kind of food that sticks with you. I’ve eaten here over a hundred times in my life, and it’s amazing how this wonderful pie always tastes the same. Throughout the years it never lets me down, and when I was younger, always watching my pennies, this pizza was a savior for me and my friends. We could get a great meal for a great price, and it felt like a little piece of magic every time.

Starvaggi grew up here, helping his grandmother, and he even remembers coming in as a kid when it was called Joe’s Cafe. He started working at ten and by fourteen was making pizzas. Today he runs the restaurant with his wife, who does the cooking, and the rest of his family, keeping it all in the family. Over the years, taking thousands of pictures of Clevelanders, Starvaggi has one of the longest tenures of working at a single spot that I have ever come across. Watching him work, seeing his skill, dedication, and connection to the neighborhood, it is clear that this is more than just a restaurant. Thanks to Starvaggi for his service and for keeping this fantastic Cleveland spot alive.

It meant a lot to sit in on one of my all time favorite radio shows, Stone Cold Bikini on WRUW. The show is hosted by Christine Hahn, who started it at the college radio station in the spring of 2000. Christine co-hosts with Ed Zeitz, a retired IT professional who has also hosted the long running and much loved show Chasing Infinity on WRUW since 2004.

Stone Cold Bikini features a mix of rock and alternative tracks that reflect the station’s focus on eclectic, less mainstream music. It was incredible to watch them work, carefully curating songs for listeners who have been tuning in for years. Christine works full time as a graphic designer and still feels lucky to spin records every Saturday morning for so many of us who have been tuning in for years, as well as people like me who have been listening since the beginning.

Getting to talk on air with Hahn and Zeitz about the Cleveland Public Library, archiving local stories, and our shared love of local music was unforgettable. Both spoke about how being on air helped them find themselves and become part of a community, discovering who they were while connecting with others who shared the same curiosity and hunger for music.

That is exactly why so many of us were crushed when WCSB was taken off the air without warning. No one promotes local bands like college radio. Stations like WRUW were built around the Cleveland community, especially for those of us who grew up before the internet, when finding your people often meant finding the right station. College radio is still important and needs to be championed. Sitting in that studio with Hahn and Zeitz, hearing the music and conversation flow, reminded me that local music has always mattered here, and that having champions like Hahn and Zeitz still does.

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