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VII Hills Hall of Fame
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2020 RESIDENTS OF THE MONTH
Len Muni has been a resident of Seven Hills for 27 years. He has been a long time supporter of the Seven Hills Fire Department (his brother is a retired fireman) and has been a strong supporter of the Seven Hills Hall of Fame since its inception. Being an avid environmentalist, Len can often be seen riding his bicycle around Seven Hills making sure the beautiful pockets of nature in our city are preserved.
Len attended St. Peter and Paul School (now named St. Josephat) in nearby Parma, Ohio, for grades K-8. He attended Byzantine Catholic High School and graduated in 1967. From there, Len earned his Bachelors of Science degree from John Carroll University in 1971 and later earned his Masters in School Administration from John Carroll in 1980.
Initially after graduating from John Carroll, Len taught for the 1971-72 school year at his alma mater, St. Josephat. He then showed his versatility by working at two local television stations as an engineer from 1972-1973.
However, Len’s passion was, and is, education. He secured a teaching position with the Berea City School District and taught at all levels, elementary, middle, and high school, for 35 years.
In addition to his regular teaching responsibilities, Len became the Director of Berea’s highly regarded Camp Mi-Bro-Be Outdoor Education Program in 1992. Berea School District alums surveyed often sight their Camp-Mi-Bro-Be experience as a sixth grader attending and/or as a high school aged counselor, as a highlight of their school experience, largely because of Len’s leadership directing the program. Len is still the Director of Camp Mi-Bro-Be, 10 years after his retirement as a teacher.
In addition, Len became the Director of the Berea City School District’s Planetarium, located in Berea-Midpark Middle School (formerly Midpark High School). Len has taught classes and maintained the unique astronomy based site since 1997, and again, is still the Director 10 years after his retirement as a teacher.
As if that were not enough, Len has spent his Summers satisfying his love for the environment by working with Oglebay Institute’s Junior Mountain Nature Camp in West Virginia since 1976 as the Counselor in Training Director. Since 2007, Len added working with Oglebay Institute’s Mountain Nature Camp as the Astronomy Instructor and Campfire Leader, showing off his skills as a singer/song writer/ and guitar player. He has also visited one of the world’s wonders of nature, the one and only Grand Canyon, numerous times over the years and has participated in no less than eight hikes to the bottom where his clear view of the stars was spectacular.
Recently, Len was named President of the Cleveland Astronomical Society in 2017, a position he still holds, and indicates the respect he holds as an Astronomer. Finally, in the Spring of 2019, Len was honored by being named to the Berea City School District Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.
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JANUARY 2020 - LEN MUNI
FEBRUARY 2020 - PHYLLIS GLAESER
MARCH 2020 - BILL DODD
Bill became a resident of Seven Hills in June, 1956. His family members included parents Betty and Harry and his sisters, Annette and Jeanne. While growing up, he participated in the city’s Little League program. As a student at Hillside Junior High (1970-1972), he was involved with Cross Country, Wrestling and Track. Bill continued running Cross Country and Track when he attended Normandy (1973-1975).
After graduating from high school, Bill assisted Mr. Kalin with the Cross Country and Track teams. After Mr. Kalin retired, Bill applied for and received the coaching position for both teams. This was in addition to his full-time postal carrier job, which he held for 30 years.
Bill coached track at Hillside and Normandy for 17 years and currently volunteers with Hillside’s track program. While coaching at Normandy, he had a Track Invitational named after him, which is held at Byers Field annually.
Bill has coached Cross Country at Normandy for 32 years and continues coaching. During this time, he coached the teams to 6 League Titles, had 5 runners qualify for State, and 2 runners qualify for All State. He was voted Coach of the Year six times.
Bill has run 18 Boston Marathons. His best finish was 268th and his best time was 2:36. He has run several Columbus, Marine Corps., Cleveland/Revco and Akron Towpath Marathons, as well. He placed 11th in the first Phoenix Marathon with a time of 2:42:33. One of his most memorable marathons was in Athens, Greece, where he was the second American to cross the finish line and placed 15th overall. He has run numerous 10ks, with his best time being 33:29. He has run many 5ks in numerous cities.
After residing in Garfield Heights for several years, Bill returned to Seven Hills in November, 2015 when he purchased his dad’s home. Bill is well known in the community. Many of the kids he coached are still in touch with him. He gets excited when he hears of the positions they have gone into since graduation, and is happy he was a small part of their development. Bill encourages his runners and has even had a few go into marathon running. When they run in Boston, Bill likes to meet them after the race to congratulate them and share their excitement with them. Whenever I am out with Bill, someone is always stopping him to talk, whether it is current or past runners, parents or even people who have watched him run throughout the city over the years. Last year on his Spring Training trip to Phoenix, I was surprised to hear someone call out his name as we were walking to our seats. It was a retired teacher/coach from Normandy. Bill made time to meet with him and his wife and took them to his favorite Mexican Restaurant.
Bill made his races a family affair. We would all meet in Boston and spend the week together. Bill and I continue our trips to Boston, only now he joins me in handing out water at the 2.2 mile hydration station and cheers on the runners.
Bill loves working with the kids and helping them become well-rounded and disciplined young men. He is a good role model and I am proud to be his sister.
APRIL 2020 - GALE CONNOR
Gale is inspirational in every way please take a moment to read about another talented Resident of Seven Hills!
In 2001, at age 44, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time, I had a lot of bad habits and wasn’t living the best life. I stopped smoking, became a vegetarian, and started running. I did decide to keep this one habit, drinking. I figured that I was making enough changes that I could keep one little habit.
I got through many surgeries during the next year. I never had chemotherapy or radiation. I had no insurance at the time because I was a server and in those days, we never had any benefits including health insurance. A year after my initial diagnosis, I found out that I was supposed to have radiation but fell through the cracks. I did, however, take Tamoxifen for five years.
During the next 5 years, I went from a somewhat unhealthy individual to running half marathons, but in 2006, after a nasty DUI, I knew I had to quit drinking. I stopped cold-turkey (just like I quit smoking). During 2007, I started running a lot. I was getting faster and faster and to date, that was my fastest running year ever.
A year later, through a strange turn of events, I met the race director of an “ultra-marathon”. I really had no idea what that was. I did know about this weird 100 mile race held here in the Cleveland area and one down at Mohican State Forest but I didn’t know any details. Later, I found out that I actually knew other runners that had done these strange races. He tried to talk me into doing his new race in Titusville, PA. Not the 100 mile run, but a shorter distance. Ultra runs are any distance longer than the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. The shortest, common distance is a 50K, or 31 miles. I did not sign up for the race that year but the following spring the race director reared his ugly head, once again. After much consideration, I decided to sign up for the race and the rest is history. I found I loved the trails (most ultras are held on trails rather on roads), and the slower pace. The camaraderie among ultra-runners is second to none because of the inherent danger, between the distance and the terrain.
That was 12 years ago and I’ve never looked back. I am now 61 years old and not nearly done! The furthest I have run is 3 – 100Ks, which is 62 miles. My slowest 100k was just under 21 hours and my fastest was just under 19 hours. I have attempted a handful of 100 milers but have yet to complete one. I am currently training for one, down in Virginia, in September. The cut-off time is 30 hours. We do stop for food and a little rest, but we move around the clock. With COVID-19, I’m not sure if it will happen but I’m not giving up; it will happen!
MAY 2020 - BRIAN KELLY
I grew up in Cleveland and Parma, I graduated from Valley Forge High School in 1993. I went into the Army right after High School, and I was in the 1st Infantry Division out of Ft. Riley Kansas. In 1995 I was home on leave at a buddy's pool party when I met my soon to be wife "again". We went to High School together, and we were friends, but she was 2yrs older than I was, so you know how that goes in High School. We started a long distance relationship, while I was still in the Army, that continued after I got out. We bought a house together in Parma in 1999, and got married in 2001. We bought our current house in Seven Hills in 2005, where I plan on being for the rest of my life. We had our two boys in 2006 and 2008, the greatest thing I have ever done in my life. I'm a self employed general contractor with my own business that I have been doing since 1998. In my free time I love working on our Home, and playing ball with my boys. I've coached both of the boys since they were old enough in baseball and basketball. I'm currently the President of the 7 Hills Baseball Federation. I also love building things in my free time, like life size palm trees, giant floating coolers that look like Daffy Duck, large duct tape floats and ballparks. My twin brother and I, with our two families are 2 time Avon Duck Tape Festival winners, with a second place, only losing by 2 points. We as a family are very creative, always building something. My plans for the future is to continue down the path I'm going, help people when they need it, try to be the best Dad I can, and to be a better Husband.
Brian put together a team and volunteered his services at Calvin Park on the fields!
JUNE 2020 - GABRIELLE SHIPTA
Mike Binder was born and raised in Parma, Ohio. He moved to Seven Hills in 2000, and has lived there ever since.
Mike coached youth softball for 16 years, initially his eldest daughter’s team at Our Lady of Good Council Parish. He coached with the father of his eldest daughter’s best friend and they have stayed friends to this day. They also coached together for several years a varsity team from Old Brooklyn in the Emerald Necklace Girls Fast Pitch League.
After Mike moved to Seven Hills, his daughters played fast and slow pitch softball in the Seven Hills Baseball Federation leagues. Mike coached throughout, and even spent four years as President of the Federation.
Working with computers for a living allowed Mike to create websites for both the Seven Hills Baseball Federation and Emerald Necklace leagues. The websites are both still in operation 19 years later.
In addition to his community work with youth sports, Mike has been a life long musician. His mother taught him to play the piano when he was eight, and his love of music was born. He learned to play the violin at the age of nine through the Parma School System and learned how to play the guitar at the age of 11.
Mike’s first band was formed in high school. It was called, “Sinner’s Fate.” The band stayed together even after high school and morphed into a band named, “Archer.” The band eventually disbanded in 1984, so Mike began performing solo acoustic guitar shows. He earned a living through college as a solo entertainer playing venues from the wineries of Geneva on the Lake, to establishments in the Flats of downtown Cleveland, to gathering places on the Lake Erie Islands.
Today, Mike is one of the busiest professional musicians in the Cleveland area. He sings and plays guitar in several groups. One is, “The KingBees,” a Blues/Jazz group that originated in 1993. His most recent group is a popular Pop/Rock group called, “The Jam Machine.” He also often performs acoustic duo shows with lead vocalist Priscilla from, “The Jam Machine.”
Mike is looking forward to performing with, “The Jam Machine,” at this year’s Seven Hills Home Days festival. The group will hit the main stage at 8 pm, on the night of Saturday, July 27.
JULY 2020 - JOSEPH BURDICK
I joined the Navy out of high school, I wanted to serve our country. I served proudly as an Aviation Ordnanceman in VFA-113 out of NAS Lemoore, California. I loved my job in the Navy, we worked very hard and we were proud. As a crew leader I tried to be the best I could be at everything I did. I was following in my Grandfathers footsteps in the Navy and I wanted him to be proud.
On a cruise, onboard the USS Constellation, in 1988, on Christmas Day, I was pretty down. I had not received a Christmas card and I started to wonder if people cared that we were there, if people cared about what we were doing. As I was walking through the hangar bay, past the ships post office, I heard, “hey sailor, do you want a Christmas card?” I walked over and he handed me two cards, both addressed to “Dear Service Member”. The USO had a Christmas card campaign that year and thousands of people submitted cards and they were sent all over the world. The two that made it to be buoyed my spirits and made me realize that indeed, people do care. I have never forgotten that feeling.
After September, 11, 2001 I was deeply effected by what happened to our country. I reached out to a navy recruiter about getting back in, I wanted to help. I was 32 at the time and felt I could help. As the paperwork we being processed, I broke my leg playing hockey, the recruiter told me that I needed to give up the idea of getting back in. He suggested I figure out a new way to help.
Remembering that feeling I had back in 1988, I decided to start collecting cards to be sent to the troops. The Red Cross had something called Holiday mail for Heroes, they collected the cards and distributed them throughout the country. I did this for years until I found out the cards weren’t making it overseas, so I decided to send them myself. With the help of local schools, churches, family and friends I would accumulate as many as 3000 cards and would send them through care packages to units overseas, including my old squadron on its last deployment onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
A few years ago I decided to reach out to the Louis Stokes VA medical Center, and see if I could pass out cards and pizza to the vets that were stuck in the hospital at Christmastime, they agreed. My son and I started doing it and it made us feel amazing to meet those veterans, shake their hands and tell them we cared. Last year, I asked for volunteers to go with us, a dozen people went with us. My friend that owns a Dominoes Pizza donated all of the pizza and to say it was an amazing experience would not be doing it justice.
In 2015 I started Burdick Custom Flags as a way to promote patriotism, show appreciation to first responders, the military and to the country. I make custom wooden flags.
My flags are symbolic to many different things. They celebrate how far we have come as a country, the “imperfections” we have as a country and as individuals, they represent the struggles of our service members, first responders, our country and us as well. “Our country isn’t perfect, we are not perfect, we have flaws and defects, but we are “imperfectly perfect, just like our country,” that’s how I make my flags. Which is also why I don’t use white stain on my flags, I want them to represent that the flag has seen a lot, both good and bad.
We are in a rough time right now, but I like talking to people, it’s ok to be patriotic, it’s not a bad thing to love our country, it’s a good thing to appreciate our men and women serving for us and we can celebrate how far we have come as a country!
Through my flags, I feel as though I am still serving. I probably donate as many as I sell. To date, I have donated over $15,000.00 worth of flags to various charities, wounded warriors, first responders and patriots all over the country. I am proud to say I work with some amazing charities like Coats for kids, NEOPAT, the Chris Kyle frog Foundation and CAVA to name a few. My flags have help raise tens of thousands of dollars for not only those charities but for fallen officers, wounded warriors and fire fighter charities.
My flags are shipped all over the country and I couldn’t be more proud. I’ve donated them to places like the World Trade Center Fire department, my old squadron, which took it on the Roosevelt with them, and through the months of the Covid lockdown, I created a special flag for hospital workers and donated them to several local hospitals and also hospitals in Pittsburgh and Wisconsin. I wanted the hospital workers to know someone cares about what they’re doing. The may not know my name but every time they see their flag, hopefully they remember why it was made for them.
Celebrities like Jenny McCarthy purchased several of my flags, as well as professional athletes and politicians. I even have one hanging in the office of Rep Anthony Gonzalez in the House of Representatives. Four Cleveland Indians became US Citizens last year and each of them have one of my flags, which I presented to them on the field. I even have flags hanging in several area restaurants. All of those are nice to talk about but what makes me the happiest is being able to say that I have made hundreds of flags to regular people like us. Proud patriots, proud children wanting to honor a parents service, that is what I really love. When someone says, “I’ve seen your flags, I love them, or “it made them cry” or just “thank you,” that is why I do it. This isn’t just about being a business for me, this is about giving back. This is about showing my children why our country is so great, showing them why our military ad first responders deserve respect. I always say, “I like getting paid, but I LOVE when I get a letter or email”. But like I said, this isn’t about money, I will never get rich doing this, I donate as many as I sell and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When someone gets one of my flags, my goal is for that person to feel like I did when I got that Christmas card, I want them to feel like
Wolf grew up in Seven Hills, Ohio and comes from a very large family, having five brothers and sisters. During his sophomore year at Normandy High School he attended an acting convention in Los Angeles called IMTA in 2014. There he signed with HRI Talent Agency and Unified Management with the help from his mother agency Pro Model and Talent Management. A few months after the convention, Frankie made the move from Ohio to California. He currently lives in Glendale, California. He has worked on many projects including films such as We Still Say Grace, Monsters and Men, and Chance. He has also worked on television shows such as Nickelodeon’s, Henry Danger. He is now enrolled at Studio School studying acting and filmmaking. His goal is to write and direct his own films. Frankie tries to come home for a few weeks every summer to stay connected with the Seven Hills community. He also stays active with Pro Model and Talent, based in Akron, Ohio, where he helps instruct classes for people who are looking to start in the entertainment industry.
AUGUST 2020 - GEORGIA KOSTYACK
I have always dreamed in song, the lyrics, the music, and the happiness it brings to people has always moved me. Ten years ago I started to write my own music and realized how my music could impact the lives of others whilst empowering my own life. I started the Wildflower project three years ago. The wildflower project is a program that teaches others to simply treat people with kindness. Many people often don’t realize the impact of their words and through music, my personal life experience and listening to others, I explain how those words can leave scars and how we can heal others with the kindness we bring to them. I have had to the opportunity to sing all over the United States, including in Nashville, California, New York and many other places and it has truly been the honor of my life. I have sang the National Anthem for Several professional sporting events and city events including, Seven hills Memorial Day parade, The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays and The Detroit Tigers. have shot 3 music videos and released 2 singles. The latest single I have released is titled Tonight and it is co-written by Dougie Manross and produced by American Noises’s George Sipl. My single can be found on all streaming platforms! Being the resident of the month in my hometown is one of my greatest accomplishments and I am so grateful to the Hall Of Fame for this amazing award!
SEPTEMBER 2020 - ROBIN KEENAN
If you’re close to her she’ll tell you she’s done expanding, and that she’s finally gonna take a breather. A vacation. A vow of silence. One look at the enchanting smirk on her face – and I know she’s lying. The next minute she’ll divulge with excitement a “secret”... and it’s always a brand new, all consuming (albeit simply genius) new concept that is sure to push her brand further and keep the momentum going.
You simply can’t shake her conviction to further herself. She embodies what it takes to hustle at any cost – and to lift others up while she climbs to the top. She has a vision, and you can feel that every cell in her body is dedicated to seeing it come to fruition. It’s absolutely inspiring.
~ A quote from her endlessly proud husband Sean
biography
If you haven’t heard about ‘The Little Birdie Wine Nest’ – you’ve been living under a rock.
People from all over Cleveland (and surprisingly far beyond!) have been flocking to this tiny treasure in Parma to experience the joy that guests can’t stop raving about. Owner, Robin Schulze coined this catchy brand as a direct connection to her own moniker. Awarded best wine shop in Parma, and recently Best of Cleveland too – this whimsical wine store, coffee bar, yoga studio, and sip & create playground has completely transformed within its first few years of hatching and is capturing palates and hearts like wildfire.
No stranger to education, or hard work – Robin is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University where she earned degrees in both Biochemistry and Paleoanthropology – graduating Summa Cum Laude, at the top of her class. During her senior year, she spent half the year abroad. Not in Italy, France or Spain as one might imagine a wine lover to take flight to – but in the Afar Desert of Ethiopia. It was here that she spent six months sleeping in a tent located 3 days driving distance from any semblance of civilization, immersed in the culture of a nomadic tribe, hunting for hominid fossils alongside famous paleoanthropologist Yohannes Haile-Selassie. You can see her published work and findings on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, or on the Discovery Channel special “Discovering Ardi”.
During college and post-graduation - Robin has become entwined and in love with the fine dining restaurant industry - since before she was old enough to consume the beverages that now inspire her career. She has had the pleasure of working for some of Cleveland’s greatest – The Baricelli Inn, Dante, Rockefeller’s, Mapleside Farms, and Red, The Steakhouse as their cellar curator and sommelier. Throughout her restaurant journeys, wine was the constant force that propelled her forward and kept her thirst for knowledge quenched.
In 2016, Robin set her sights on starting her own business to reclaim her family life and spend more time with her pride & joy – her son Aiden. Lovingly addicted to caffeine, yoga and Pinterest – she wanted to combine her love for wine with her favorite hobbies and creative soil. She aimed to open a space where people could come to learn about and taste wine, in a casual and fun environment. (Let’s face it – wine can be an intimidating subject!). She wanted people to feel secure that they don’t need to know a lot about wine to start enjoying it, and to create an atmosphere where people felt comfortable and at home.
The Birdie, as it’s affectionately known by fans, opened in the Keystone Plaza in northern Parma in 2017. Robin chose to land in Parma, because it is her beloved hometown and believes it deserves to be spotlighted for the great neighborhood that it is. With a village of excited family and friends behind her, she filled her nest with local art and hosted weekly wine tastings.
Never one to slow down, Robin has kept her hometown on her mind with every step she takes. She knew there was a need for a small, local coffee shop in Parma – and she had the space and the vision. Sip & Paint classes were becoming more popular, and requests for more regular yoga classes were through the roof ... So, she picked up a sledgehammer (not kidding), and started remodeling her space the first week of 2018 not resting for even a moment after the holiday rush.
She had made a decision to expand her flock.
The Morning Owl Coffee Bar, Crafty Canary Creativity Corner and Balancing Flamingo Yoga Lounge all took flight in early 2018 bringing a plethora of new & exciting concepts to the original brand. 2020 brought a series of unexpected challenges, but Robin and her team rose to the occasion pivoting to create a thriving to-go kit business alongside a variety socially distanced events. In early July she and Sean welcomed a beautiful baby boy named Cash Thomas, but didn’t let that stop her from also launching The Purple Penguin Frozen Treats in mid-August – partnering with the mega-brand Jeni’s Ice Cream and Buzz Pops frozen cocktails to offer a new array of experiences to her guests! The Little Birdie has truly become a “social sanctuary” for people of all ages, abilities and interests ... a place where you can relax, and get away from your daily stress, and enjoy life’s little pleasures surrounded by your flock.
And to think ... It’s only just the beginning...
OCTOBER 2020 - RILEY PERRY
I’m a sixth grader at Cuyahoga Heights Middle School and a lifelong Seven Hills resident. I started singing at School of Rock in August 2019, after a local 80s band put me on stage when they noticed I knew all of the songs, and I’ve been singing ever since! At School of Rock we are put into bands and perform locally, with a different theme each season. When everything shut down in March, I had just watched the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” and thought how fun playing the piano looked. I didn’t want to waste all of my new free time, so I started teaching myself “Bohemian Rhapsody” the next day and had it down in the first three weeks of quarantine. Since then, I have covered a lot of my favorite classic rock songs, learning a different song each week, from Journey to ELO to Genesis. Learning to play piano and putting on mini concerts at home gave me a goal to work on and kept me busy. I’ve made some pretty amazing connections putting my music out there, like Lou Gramm of Foreigner and Billy Joel’s guitarist! I recently started taking additional vocal lessons with Bucky Heard, who has been performing with Bill Medley as The Righteous Brothers. Bill even sat in on my virtual vocal lesson and I was able to meet him! I am thrilled to be the Resident of the Month and will continue to work hard on my music!
