Roundup: Citizens’ Police Academy, Big Y, Good Humor Woman …

Posted on August 14, 2024 | 12 comments

The Citizens’ Police Academy is one of the best — and most unpublicized, and underrated — programs in town.

25 Westport residents participate in classes that cover many aspects of law enforcement.

They learn about specialized units in the Westport Police Department, as well as how it operates and its role in the criminal justice system.

Participants observe demonstrations, and get hands-on experience with equipment the police use every day.

Instructors include experienced officers, and attorneys from Stamford Court.

In addition to classes, students experience a ride-along with a patrol officer.

They also receive Stop the Bleed training.

The next Westport Citizens’ Police Academy begins September 19. Classes run from 7 to 9:30 p.m. for 8 weeks, on select Tuesdays and Thursdays (September 19 and 26; October 1, 10, 17, 24, and November 7 and 14).

The academy is open to Westport residents 21 and older. Applications are available at police headquarters or by email from Officer Jill Cabana (jcabana@westportct.gov), and are due by August 27.

Residents can learn about this vehicle — and many other aspects of policing — at the upcoming Citizens’ Academy. (Photo/Dennis Wong)

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Big Y is hiring.

The supermarket — which plans a soft launch starting October 24, in the Post Road East shopping plaza best known now for Angelina’s — begins interviews on August 26.

The hiring site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, through October 19.

Positions are open in the bakery; meat and seafood; in-store deli and kitchen; produce and floral, and center store. Big Y is also hiring cashiers, overnight stock clerks, and managers and assistant managers.

For more information, click here.

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Staples High School Class of 1971 graduate Jon Diamond writes:

I was at Compo Beach the other day, and there it was: the Good Humor Truck.

It looked exactly like it did when I was 10 years old. (I think then we flagged it down at Burying Hill Beach.).

I learned that the Good Humor “man” is a woman. Kathryn has been doing this for 25 years, throughout Fairfield County.

The truck is an original — circa 1968 — and still running strong.

As I stopped to talk to Kathryn, other 70-somethings did too.  We were all dazzled.

Kathryn, the Good Humor woman. (Photo/Jon Diamond)

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Speaking of Compo Beach: The extended Mickune family was there yesterday, celebrating patriarch Derm Mickune’s 90th birthday.

His sons and daughters came from as far as Arizona, for the birthday, bringing spouses and grandkids too.

The Mickune “kids” were well known during their time at Staples High School. They enjoyed their time back in their hometown.

And their dad was — as you can see below — all smiles.

Derm Mickune (Photo/Dan Woog)

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The demise of WCBS 880 AM took Westporters by surprise.

New York’s all-news station will end its programming this month. It went on the air nearly 6 decades ago: August 28, 1967.

It will be renamed the very unmemorable WHSQ says its owner, the oddly named Audacy.

The Philadelphia company owns more than 230 radio stations in the US, including WFAN and WINS in New York.

The new station will launch as sports radio ESPN — joining WFAN in that space.

WINS, meanwhile, becomes the only all-news station in the market.

This being Westport, we’re sure there are readers who have a connection to WCBS NewsRadio 88. If you’ve worked with or for it — or have a memorable story to tell, as a listener — click “Comments” below.

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In 2023, “06880” introduced Jay Babina to the world.

The Westporter is the founder, curator and mastermind of the Westport Tech Museum — an astonishing repository for over 400 computers, video games, calculators, cameras, radios and more.

Much more.

It’s a spectacular museum.

It’s private, though: in Jay’s attic.

And he’s only 18 years old.

This spring, we visited him again.

Now WSHU has joined the Jay Babina fan club.

Yesterday, the NPR station aired a feature on one of Westport’s most interesting teenagers.

Or most interesting residents of any age, period. Click here to listen.

(PS: NPR posted it on their national Facebook page. And at least for a while, Jay’s story was on the home page of the national network’s website. Very cool — and very well deserved.)

Jay Babina channels Steve Jobs, with Apple’s groundbreaking Macintosh.

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This summer we’ve seen — among other animals — bears and coyotes on the roads and in the woods of Westport.

(Spotted lanternflies too. But let’s not go there.)

Now there is at least one pig. And a bison.

(Photo/Mary Lou Roels)

At least they’re confined to the Furniture on Consignment II store on Post Road East.

Perhaps they eat lanternflies?

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Tickets for the Woodside Bash — the great Earthplace fundraiser (Saturday, October 5, 7 to 10 p.m.) featuring great food, live music and a woodsy fall evening — are available now, at a special price.

They’re $100 each through Labor Day. They’re $125 from then on. Click here to purchase.

The fun continues the next day (Sunday, October 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), with the annual Fall Festival. The family fun includes food trucks, a climbing wall, corn pool, apple slingshot, donut on a string, nature exploration, animal encounters and more. Click here for tickets.

Outdoor fun, at the Woodside Bash.

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It’s still mid-August. But it’s already pumpkin time.

At least, pumpkin blossom time.

Matt Murray spotted the flower yesterday, on Compo Road South. It’s our first fall-themed “Westport … Naturally” photo of the year.

Yikes!

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … in honor of the first pumpkin (blossom) of the season (story above):

(WCBS is signing off. But your local news source — “06880” — is still here. Please help us stay strong. Please click here for a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)

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“Mitch & Lisa 4Ever”: The Sequel

Posted on August 14, 2024 | 4 comments

Back in 2017, “06880” published a story headlined “Mitch & Lisa 4Ever.”

It noted that back in the day, the Parent Child Center on Hillspoint Road was Hillspoint Elementary School.

Children’s Community Development Center director Eileen Ward had just found a decades-old love note, scrawled on an art room closet metal plate:

Who, “06880” wondered, were Mitch and Lisa?

And did their love really endure, 4ever?

Seven years later, we know.

The other day, I received this email: “Earlier today, my brother Phil and I were reminiscing about our childhood in Westport. We got on the subject of the wonderful field trips we had at Hillspoint Elementary.

“Somehow, someway, as I searched Hillspoint Elementary school and our names, I stumbled upon your post. I considered adding a comment to the original story, then thought it best to email you directly.

“I am Mitch Freshour, co-author of the clandestine graffiti, along with Lisa Rafter.

“We were childhood sweethearts, and I have fond memories of those young days. I can’t recall the exact year, but we would’ve been in 5th or 6th grade, around 1973 or ’74.

Hillspoint Elementary School (Photo copyright/Paul Ehrismann)

“We were cast members in a play, and I remember there being a couple of large refrigerator sized cardboard boxes. During down times between rehearsing and building sets, a few of the ‘couples’ would gather backstage and take turns going into the boxes together to sneak a kiss!

“I’m guessing it was probably during this period that we wrote on the cover.

“I lived at 4 Turtleback Lane, and Lisa lived directly behind our house at 5 Peaceful Lane. One of several enduring memories of that time was hanging out in her basement in the afternoon with the lights out, listening to a Beach Boys LP.

“My family moved to Ohio before I could finish my first year at Long Lots Junior High, so unfortunately I lost track of Lisa. However, I’m 99% sure I found her on Facebook, living in Colorado with her husband and family.”

Mitch is still in Ohio. He’s retired, after a 25-year career as a mechanical career with with Honda Research & Development.

He plans to reached out to Lisa. “It was sooo long ago,” he notes.

He also wonders what became of the wall plate.

Let’s hope we won’t wait 7 more years for that answer.

(Where else but “06880” could you read this story? If you enjoy our coverage of Westport — past, present and future — please click here to support our work. Thank you!) 

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Pics Of The Day #2674

Posted on August 13, 2024 | Comments Off on Pics Of The Day #2674

Endless summer (Photo/Patricia Auber)

(Photo/Ken Schwarz)

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Roundup: Downtown Plan, Lifeguards, Land Trust …

Posted on August 13, 2024 | 2 comments

The Downtown Plan Implementation Committee holds a public meeting this Thursday (August 15, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall Room 201).

The agenda includes

  • Strategic Priority Review
  • Parking Lots Reinvention
  • Downtown Lots Design Master Plan: Reconnecting the Riverfront
  • Jesup and Imperial (police station) planning and public engagement.

Remote and in-person comments from the public will be received as time is available. and via email (DPIC-comments@westportct.gov).

Discussions continue about changes to the Taylor (Jesup Green) parking lot.

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This Sunday (August 19) is the last day for lifeguards at Burying Hill Beach.

Compo Beach lifeguards will be on their regular 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule through September 2.

Beach stickers are required through September 30.

You won’t see this scene after Sunday. (Photo/Ed Simek)

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Aspetuck Land Trust has received a $521,300 Connecticut grant, to preserve 20.76 acres of land in Weston.

The property is located on Wampum Hill Road, and is part of ALT’s effort to create a 705-acre Weston-Wilton Forest Reserve. It will provide hiking opportunities, and connect with other greenway and open spaces owned by the Wilton Land Trust, Norwalk River Valley Trail, and The Nature Conservancy.

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Two new members have joined the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities board.

Westport native Prill Boyle is a summa cum laude graduate of Georgetown. She recently retired after many years of teaching English, but continues to tutor at the Mercy Learning Center. After publishing her book “Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Blooming Women” in 2004, she spoke across the country including the United Nations) about finding passion and purpose at any age,  Prill is a grandmother of 4, a fitness enthusiast and a fledgling painter.

Dublin, Ireland native Anne Banks has lived in Westport since 2001. She came to the US to lead the international marketing team of a European investment manager, but in 2006 took a leap of faith and became an independent marketing consultant to the industry. When she retired in 2022, she upped her volunteering for Homes with Hope and started volunteering twice a week at the Senior Center. She exerciser daily at the Westport Weston Family YMCA.

Prill Boyle (left) and Anne Banks.

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This Thursday (August 15, 5:30 p.m., Paul Lane Field), the Staples High School football team will run “the Murph.” The public is invited.

The annual exercise — honoring fallen Navy SEAL Michael Murphy — culminates the Wreckers’ fundraising effort. 50% of what they raise goes to their program; the other 50% supports the Catch a Lift Fund, which helps post-9/11 wounded veterans rehabilitate physically and mentally.

Every year, a Catch a Lift veteran speaks to the team — and spectators in the stands — before the workout.

This year’s guest is Jason Smith. The retired Army sergeant lost both legs, and suffered extensive damage to his right hand, when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan.

Three months before retiring he met the woman who became his wife. They now have 2 children.

Sgt. Smith earned 8 gold medals at the 202 Invictus Games in Germany. The event uses sports as a tool for competitor recovery and rehabilitation.

Click here for a video from the ESPY awards, honoring Sgt. Smith and other heroic veterans.

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Speaking of sports: Congratulations to the CT Wolfpack 12U baseball team!

The club — based at The Batting Cage in Fairfield, with a couple of Westport stars — won the Cooperstown Dream Park Tournament of Champions this past weekend.

Wolfpack earned the #1 seed (out of 104 teams from around the country) by winning all their pool play games, and having the best run differential in them.

The 06880 connection come via 2 of the best players: Brooks Podolec and Jack Jaramillo.

Brooks led the team with 11 home runs during the tourney (along with stellar pitching), while Jack patrolled centerfield, pitched, hit leadoff and added 3 homers of his own.

Meanwhile, Weston’s Ryan Schnider won the King of Swat trophy, as homerun derby champ.

After winning 3 games Sunday, Wolfpack qualified for the championship against a team from California. It was scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. Sunday — yep, 4 games in one day! — but was delayed due to weather.

Wolfpack were down most of the game. But thanks in large part to a late 3-run, game-tying homer from Ryan, the boys won 8-7 in walk-off fashion — around midnight.

It was a great showing in Cooperstown.

Who knows? Decades from now, one or two of our guys might be enshrined there. (Hat tip: Chuck Haberstroh)

Jack Jaramillo and Brooks Podolec

Ryan Schnider, with his very large trophy.

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There was no rain yesterday at Compo Beach.

But there was a very cool rainbow.

Here are 2 views:

(Photo/Dinkin Fotografix)

(Photo/Sunil Hirani)

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Uri Caine learned to play jazz piano on the streets of inner-city Philadelphia.

This Thursday, he brings his magic to Jazz at the Post (VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399). He’s joined by bassist Yuriy Galkin, drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall.

There are 2 shows: 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. Dinner service begins at 7. Reservations are highly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

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This big, beautiful flower at the Westport Weston Family YMCA intrigued Johanna Keyser Rossi.

It stands alone. And today it’s our “Westport … Naturally” featured photo.

(Photo/Johanna Keyser Rossi)

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And finally … on this date in 1889, William Gray of Hartford received a patent for a “coin-controlled apparatus for telephones.”

(Like pay phones of yore, “06880” needs money to keep working. If you enjoy this hyper-local blog, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Grant Theisinger And Friends Wiff For The Win

Posted on August 13, 2024 | 12 comments

The youth-industrial sports complex roars on, sucking up everything in its path.

Do any kids know how to create their own fun these days?

Grant Theisinger does.

Grant Theisinger

In 2 weeks, he’ll be a Staples High School freshman. He’s also a Wiffle ball fanatic. His friends love the game too.

Two summers ago Grant, and Harlan and Hayes Bauer, decided to develop a league, with organized teams.

That was fun. But they wanted more.

Last year, they took it to the next level. Grant saved up money from holidays and birthdays. He bought bases, a pitching mound and home plate turf.

2023 players. 

They followed Major League Wiffleball regulations for length and width of the field.

The boys made foul posts out of PVC pipes. Grant’s mom Kristy painted lines. She and his dad Marc installed a chain link fence in their yard — a major upgrade from the previous plastic fence.

Grant and the Bauers enlisted 5 other captains. Each drafted a team. Captains were responsible for finding subs whenever players had conflicts.

Nagly’s Nuggets. Their name and shirts were inspired by one boy’s grandmother.

Their 3-page document of rules includes being respectful to each other, keeping the grounds clean, and more.

Some teams made jerseys. Some wore eye black. Some brought family members, dressed up as mascots. 

Games are played in blazing sun, chilly temperatures, and during rain. 

Some of the 2024 players.

Over the past 2 seasons, they’ve played more than 200 games. There was a home run derby, All-American game, playoffs and World Series.

Grant kept track of stats. Trophies were awarded at the World Series, in a formal ceremony.

“High Heat” brings the heat. From left: Justin, Grant, Nolan, Dylan.

Parental involvement was minimal. Marc and Kristy welcomed all the boys each game, whether they were there to play or watch.

The yard was filled with 20 to 40 youngsters each time. They ate hot dogs and hamburgers, and snacks sent by players’ parents.

Signage posted around the Cavalry Road neighborhood on game days encouraged spectators to come, grab some food and watch the action.

It’s not a game without burgers and dogs.

It was (almost) like the big leagues. Madison Furniture Barn sponsored the boys, and sent banners to hang on the fence.

Anderson Septic Service provided bats and balls. Owner Brian Anderson played a few innings, and learned pitches from Grant.

Official sign, courtesy of Anderson Septic.

At the end of the season the parents donated two 8-foot benches for the sidelines. from Westport Woodworks.

“Official” benches

But make no mistake: This was the kids’ league.

There was no parent coaching. The boys learned as the league evolved. They made changes when they had to.

Opening day: the national anthem.

Always, they kept their eye on the prize: Having fun.

And of course, winning the World Series.

2024 champs: Cameron, Finn (on phone), Ian, Dean and Grady.

Independence, camaraderie, decision-making, managing their own schedules — and all without any adult telling them what they “should” do: It sounds like Grant Theisinger are already champions.

EXTRA INNINGS: This weekend, Grant takes his love for the game to another level. He’ll represent Westport at the MLW Long Island Wiffs Tournament at Lasorda Legacy Park in Yaphank. Best of luck in the 13-15 age division to Grant, Finn, Dean and Kyle!

FUN FACT: According to Wikipedia, the ball most commonly used in Wiffle ball was invented by David Mullany at his home in Fairfield in 1953, when he designed one that curved easily for his 12-year-old son. The game was named when his son and friends called a strikeout as a “whiff.”

(“06880” celebrates Westport’s youth whenever we can. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

2023 champs (from left):  Brody, Mateo, Henry, Patrick, Gabe, Kyle. (All photos/Kristy Theisinger)

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Pic Of The Day #2673

Posted on August 12, 2024 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #2673

Compo Beach lockers (Photo/JD Dworkow)

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“06880” Podcast: Westport Moms

Posted on August 12, 2024 | Comments Off on “06880” Podcast: Westport Moms

There are thousands of Westport moms. But only Megan Rutstein and Melissa Post are Westport Moms, with a capital “W” and “M.”

They’re the founders of Westport Moms, a multi-platform site for anything and everything involving Westport kids, and their moms.

Oh, yeah: Westport dads too.

Westport Moms is followed avidly by nearly every Westport mom. Plenty of others too — including me, and I am definitely not a Westport mom.

The other day, Megan and Melissa took time from their very busy lives to chat with me, for the “06880” post. Here’s what we talked about, on the Westport Library stage:

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Roundup: Osprey Rescue, Addario Photos, “Showman” Show …

Posted on August 12, 2024 | 3 comments

Westport loves its ospreys.

One osprey loves Westport back.

Julie Loparo of Westport Animal Shelter Advocates posted a video on social media of yesterday’s team rescue.

An osprey became snared in a braided cotton line, on top of a piling off Saugatuck Shores.

A Fire Department crew from Engine Company 4 arrived, with a ladder. Lieutenant Joe Arnson held it, as Animal Control Officer Peter Reid climbed up to cut the line off the raptor’s talons.

Arnson then released the handsome bird, who flew off, once again free.

After the rescue, the line was removed from the piling.

Osprey rescue underway. (Screenshot courtesy of Julie Loparo)

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The September issue of The Atlantic features a compelling story.

“Seventy Miles in Hell” recounts the harrowing 70-mile journey that nearly a million people have made in the past several years through the Darién Gap, from Colombia into Panama.

Men women and children come from Haiti, Ethiopia, India, Congo, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela, heading north across the only strip of land that connects South America to Central America, hoping they live long enough to reach the US.

Writer Caitlin Dickerson made the trek herself, accompanied by photographer Lynsey Addario.

Those photos — from the 1991 Staples High School graduate who has won both Pulitzer Prizes and a MacArthur “genius” grant — add immeasurably to Dickerson’s powerful prose.

Click here for the story. (Hat tip: Rosalie Wolf)

Migrants wait to board canoes, the next step in their journey. (Photo/Lynsey Addario, for The Atlantic)

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“The Greatest Showman” is being adapted for the stage.

The latest news from the songwriting team of Pasek & Paul — which includes Justin Paul, a 2003 Staples High School graduate — was highlighted at the D:23 fan festival in Anaheim.

The event included this video:

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Since COVID, many Westporters have discovered Sherwood Island.

(For those who haven’t: Connecticut’s first state park sits smack in the middle of our shoreline. It’s 238 acres of beaches, wetlands, woods, walking paths, a Nature Center — even a model airplane runway.)

Many Westporters also help keep the park shipshape, as volunteers with Friends of Sherwood Island.

They raise money in part through a great annual fundraiser. This year’s Shorefest is September 6 (6 to 9 p.m., Sherwood Island pavilion). It features dinner and a silent auction.

Dinner options include lobster, tenderloin, salmon or vegetarian, plus steamers, corn, salad and dessert ($100 before September 1; $120 after). A children’s menu ($15) includes hot dog or hamburger, corn, salad and dessert.

Click here for tickets, or send a check to Friends of Sherwood Island State Park, PO Box 544, Westport, CT 06881.

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Yesterday’s “Question Box” included this from David Squires: Where is the highest elevation in Westport?

I had always heard it’s Tower Ridge, next to the Aspetuck Health District and Westport Astronomical Society observatory on Bayberry Lane.

Nope.

Alert “06880” reader Chris Grimm found a website called “Peakbagger.” Its page of Connecticut Town High Points cites Westport’s “West Catamount Hill.”

For the record, it’s 284 feet (87 meters) above sea level.

West Catamount Hill (Topographical map courtesy of Peakbagger)

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“Remi’s Run for Parker’s Cure” is a colorful community event, for a great cause.

The morning of fun, fitness and philanthropy is set for Sunday, August 25 (10 a.m. to noon, PJ Romano Field track).

The color run is part of Remi Rutstein’s bat mitzvah project. It’s dedicated to her cousin Parker, who is battling a rare genetic brain disorder known as HIST1H1E.

Participants — grouped by age — will run or walk around the track, while being splashed with colorful, non-toxic powders. By the end of the run, everyone is a living rainbow.

The fun also includes breakfast from Lyfe Café, a candy truck, sports and games, tattoos, a DJ, and plenty of surprises.

Remi says the event is a way for Westporters to come together and celebrate Parker, raise awareness, and contribute to the search for a cure.

The event is free, but donations are welcome.  Click here to register, and for more information and contributions.

PS: Volunteers are welcome (and needed!). To help, email megan@westportmoms.com.

Remi Rutstein (right) and Parker.

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Pigeons are well known for living all over New York City.

But they like the suburbs too.

At the Westport Library a few days before leaving for college (in New York state), Jay Babina snapped today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo.

It looks almost majestic.

(Photo/Jay Babina)

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And finally … in honor of the definitive answer to Westport’s highest point (story above):

(“06880” kicks off a new week, with another Roundup chock full of events, news you can use, and random factoids. If you enjoy this daily feature, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Mitchell Gilbertie Elevates Physical Therapy

Posted on August 12, 2024 | 1 comment

If you’re a competitive athlete, you’ll get injured.

Mitchell Gilbertie was, and did.

A 4-year Staples High School baseball player, he graduated in 2010 and went on to play at Western Connecticut State University.

But he tore his labrum. Despite grueling physical therapy, Gilbertie fell in love with the process.

He changed his major from public relations to physical therapy. He went on to earn a doctorate at the University of Hartford.

His goal: to help people do whatever they can to avoid surgery.

Mitchell Gilbertie, at work.

Gilbertie spent the past 5 years with Elevate Physical Therapy, a clinician-owned group with offices in Fairfield, Darien, Stamford and Trumbull.

In March they opened in Westport at 276 Post Road West, opposite Via Sforza restaurant. Gilbertie heads up the practice.

It’s a homecoming of sorts — and his roots are deep. His great-grandfather started Gilbertie’s construction and excavation company. His grandfather still lives here.

Gilbertie deals with a wide array of patients — not just athletes. They range in age from 7 to 95.

They suffer from athletic injuries, back pain, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. Some are recovering from strokes. He’s also seen new mothers with post-partum back pain.

“Every person is so different,” Gilbertie says. “I need to have a different mindset for each one.”

But Gilbertie manages to build a relationship with every patient.

A 79-year-old woman with a degenerative nerve disease had a knee replacement. When the muscles did not recover, Gilbertie taught her how to walk again.

Last week, she came in without a cane for the first time in 3 months. “She was so excited,” he says. “That made my day.”

Gilbertie also worked with a high school baseball player, whose Tommy John elbow surgery was followed by an infection. After missing an entire season, the physical therapist helped him get his confidence back — including going to the field, and throwing with him.

In both his professional and personal lives, Gilbertie knows many area orthopedists. He’s also networking with high school athletic directors, letting them know how he can help their teams.

“Pre-conditioning can help prevent injuries like ACLs, especially in girls sports,” Gilbertie says.

Elevate’s new Westport office includes another physical therapist, Erin Redding. A third will be added soon. Westporter Ernie Grever is a familiar face, at the front desk.

From left: Mitchell Gilbertie, Ernie Grever, Erin Redding.

“The field changes every year,” Gilbertie notes. “I always try to learn and grow.”

He speaks with doctors, to learn the latest surgical innovations. He also studies functional dry needling, cupping and headache management, among others.

In other words: Mitchell Gilbertie always tries to elevate his game.

(Elevate Physical Therapy takes nearly all major insurance providers. Click here for their website.)

(“06880” highlights new businesses in town — along with everything else we do. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Pic Of The Day #2672

Posted on August 11, 2024 | Comments Off on Pic Of The Day #2672

John Leone celebrated his 91st birthday with dinner in Westport, and a stroll through Miggs Burroughs’ downtown “Tunnel of Love & Community” with his wife Virginia. “68 years married, and they still hold hands,” Susan Leone said of her parents. (Photo/Susan Leone)

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