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.
Open Door Missionary Baptist Church
Open Door Missionary Baptist Church, located at 8215 Woodland Ave., has been a cornerstone of faith and community for over a century. Founded 101 years ago, the church originally began at Woodland and East 71st Street and has been part of Cleveland’s Baptist tradition ever since.
Today, Pastor Joseph Hopkins III, a lifelong Clevelander, leads the congregation. He first joined Open Door in 1981 and was appointed pastor in 2002, serving faithfully for over 23 years. The church remains active in outreach, including its well-known Drive-Thru Prayer ministry.
During my visit, I met several long-time parishioners. Alicia Wilson of Willoughby has been part of the church since she was four, Jeanetta Brooks of Warrensville Heights joined in 1978, and Denese Boddy of Cleveland has been a member for 20 years. I had a nice moment when this kind group all prayed over me, including prayers for my family, the library, and the city of Cleveland. Open Door Missionary Baptist Church is more than a building; it is a living part of Cleveland’s history, rooted in tradition and carried forward by its congregation.
Greg Harris
It was great to see Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, during his recent visit to the Cleveland Public Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Branch. Harris has led the Rock Hall since 2013, following a distinguished career in museum leadership. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in history from Temple University in 1989 and a Master’s in history and museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program at SUNY Oneonta. Before coming to Cleveland, he spent 14 years at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, advancing from curating the broadcast media collection to serving as Vice President of Development.
During his visit, Harris collaborated with the Cleveland Public Library to bring rock icons Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo to the MLK Jr. Branch, where they discussed their new children’s book, My Grandma and Grandpa Rock. Greg’s leadership at the Rock Hall has focused on innovation and community engagement, expanding programming, digital content, and partnerships with institutions in Cleveland and across the nation. He is currently overseeing a $150 million museum expansion to create more immersive and experiential exhibits.
Lawrence Daniel Caswell
I first heard Lawrence Daniel Caswell in the mid-1990s on WCSB. That voice, rich, full, unmistakable, stuck with me. He has been a fixture in the Cleveland scene for as long as I can remember, always creating, always making art, always lifting up the people around him. A Bedford Heights native, he has woven himself into the city through music, journalism and community work.
Caswell spent time at Ideastream and now serves as Managing Editor for Signal Cleveland and the Cleveland Documenters. He has been at the heart of telling Cleveland’s stories on its own terms, connecting neighborhoods, ideas and people, and making sure voices that often go unheard are heard. In 2022, he was named a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford in recognition of his commitment to innovation in community-focused media.
Outside the newsroom, Caswell is a musician. On bass with the remarkable band This Moment in Black History, he uses sound to challenge, inspire, and document the world around him. Across decades and disciplines, Caswell has been more than a creator. He is a connector, someone who makes Cleveland itself feel more alive and more human.
Cleveland Flag
I met with local Kristen Fragassi, the great-granddaughter of Susan Hepburn, who at just 18 years old conceived the design that became Cleveland’s city flag. In 1895, The Plain Dealer ran a contest, more than two dozen entries came in, and hers, simple and powerful, was the one they picked. Fragassi brought the original design that won to our meeting, a family treasure, and it was so cool to see it up close. She also shared stories that gave it flesh and blood. One of the best was how Robert Beach, a Plain Dealer reporter, carried the prize money of fifty silver dollars to Hepburn, spilled them by accident across her living room floor, and later fell for her. They married not long after. What comes through is not only civic symbolism, the flag standing for progress, prosperity and the industries that built the town, but also the human thread. A young woman beat a field of established men, many trained artists and claimed her place in history. Talking with Fragassi, you felt it: the flag as both a civic emblem and a quiet, enduring act of women’s empowerment.
Victor A. Ruiz
Victor A. Ruiz is a seasoned executive coach, consultant, and community advocate based in Cleveland. Originally from Puerto Rico, he moved to Cleveland at the age of five and has dedicated decades to public service, focusing on education, equity, and Latino representation. In June 2024, after nearly 15 years as President and CEO of Esperanza, Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to empowering Latino youth and families, Ruiz transitioned to founding Victor A. Ruiz & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in executive coaching, strategic planning, and organizational development.
Under Ruiz's leadership, Esperanza experienced significant growth, positively impacting thousands of lives in Northeast Ohio. His tenure was marked by a commitment to educational equity and community empowerment, earning him recognition from local organizations for his transformative leadership.
Ruiz holds a Master of Education from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin-Wallace College. He has completed executive education at Harvard Business School and is a Certified Professional Diversity Coach. It was great to take a photo of him in front of the Woodland Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, a modern facility that reflects the city’s commitment to learning, technology, and community engagement.
St. Rocco Grease Pole Climb
It was great to get a photo of the team at the St. Rocco Festival before the grease pole climb, a tradition that has drawn crowds since 1915. Each year, teams gather, families cheer, and the climb becomes more than a contest; it is a celebration of community and perseverance.
As I watched, older men from the church observed intently and shared stories of their battles to the top in decades past. I loved hearing about the blood, heartbreak, ruined clothes and hard-won victories that marked this day for so many over the years.
This year, I witnessed Team Plum in action. The group has claimed the championship twice in recent years, in 2019 and 2023. Its members include Lee Plum, Alejandro Brown, Brandon Samples, Chano Boulding, and Chris Guzay. It was amazing to watch them climb as they came close to the top, but alas, in 2025, no team was crowned the winner. The pole won this time. I am already looking forward to next year’s challenge.
R.A. Washington
R.A. Washington is a Cleveland-based artist whose work moves through poetry, music and community life. Born in El Paso, Texas, he came to Cleveland in 1989 and found a home in the city’s creative scene. Over the years, I’ve seen Washington many times, always creating and supporting art and artists. His words and rhythms reflect the streets, the people, the everyday stories that make Cleveland unique.
He has collaborated with musicians and performance artists, blending sound and verse to create performances that feel alive, and raw. He is also a key member of the dynamic band Mourning [A] BLKstar, where his poetry and voice weaves seamlessly with the music to create something unforgettable. His work has earned recognition, including a Creative Workforce Fellowship from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, a nod to the impact he has had on Cleveland’s cultural life.
One afternoon, I saw him sitting on West 29th Street in Ohio City with a vintage typewriter, offering to write poems for anyone who walked by. I took a photo of him there, capturing that simple, brilliant act of bringing poetry to Clevelanders, making art something you could take and carry with you.
Pinzone's Market Fresh Meats
Pinzone's Market Fresh Meats is one of those places you just know belongs to Cleveland. Tony Pinzone started young, at thirteen years old, working in the vegetable arcade at the West Side Market with his uncle. By 1976, he was ready, ready to carve his own path, and he opened Pinzone Meats right there at the market. People noticed. The meat was great, the service was great, and over time, he became a trusted presence, a familiar face in the market.
In 1995, Tony expanded to Parma, opening the Market Fresh Meats on Broadview Road. More space, more people, but the same care, the same attention to every cut of meat, every customer. After forty-four years at the West Side Market, he decided in 2020 to focus on Parma. This move made sense for him and his family while keeping the business strong.
Now the Parma shop hums with energy. Tony works alongside his team, which includes Krissy Kubena, Jack Howard, Connor Ulas, Katie Phillips, and Sarah Rutkowsky — a group that knows the meaning of quality. For generations of Clevelanders, it’s more than a meat market. It’s a place that carries the city’s history of family butchers who put their customers first.
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