April 7, 2008
We won a NY Emmy!
My group, News 12 Interactive, pulled out a New York Emmy last night at the New York Marriott Marquis in the category of Advanced Media. It was for our Island Vote 2006 initiative, in which people put in their ZIP codes to find out who their elected officials were, and then they could view election debates that were aired on News 12.
January 3, 2008
Susan Berland’s induction in Huntington
At the Huntington Town induction ceremony, Jan. 3, 2004
December 27, 2007
Walt Whitman Mall, the day after Xmas
Shoppers expecting backed-up traffic and long lines were instead greeted with an unexpectedly low turnout at the Walt Whitman Mall Wednesday morning.
December 17, 2007
Did the pecorino pass?
I can’t tell you whether we got the cheese into the country. We may have simply shipped it over. We may have left it for Dino and the family. We may have even left it for Nino’s consumption.
I CAN share a could-have-happened, might-have-happened, would-have-been-nice fictional story that the U.S. Customs office would probably object to — if it were true, of course.
After another 10-hour trip to Rome — this time getting view of the majestic Amalfi Coast — we spent time with Dino and got a quick tour of Rome. Then we spent another 10 hours on a flight from Rome to JFK.
In Italy, the lights from buildings below were generally sparse. Ditto over Nova Scotia and New England. That made arriving over the skies of New York, whose lights beamed as the sun in comparison, all the more impressive. It was obvious that many people on the flight had never been to New York before. The cabin erupted into applause at the sight of Long Island, which looked as if it were covered with an intensely thick patch of white Christmas lights.
Wait until they got a view of the city, I thought.
Uncle Bruno and I spent about 45 minutes waiting for our luggage by the turnstile. It was amazing to think our adventure was over. We did it. We saw and experienced so much in so little time. We reunited with family, tasted every aspect of Sant’Andrea that we could and dug up some amazing family history. We dipped into the Ionian Sea, and had an amazing tour guide in Nino – and Frine, of course.
Now we only had one mission left to complete: Get the cheese into the country. We had come so far, it would just stink as bad as the cheese itself if it was taken from us.
As if to drag out the drama, the bag that MAY have held the cheese was the last item off the turnstile. We spent the 45 minutes thinking that the bag was somehow confiscated right off the plane. But it was safe.
Now we had to go through the imposing Customs officers. If we got caught, we really didn’t know what to expect. A fine? Confiscation? Jail? We expected the worst situation. We wound up sailing through.
The Customs guy didn’t even ask to look at the bag that MIGHT have had the cheese in it, and we walked through to the good ol’ USA without a problem.
Mission accomplished!
December 17, 2007
We got the cheese!
It was the night before our departure for Rome and there were two things on our minds:
1. We’re going to sorely miss our Sant’Andrea family. The took such great care of us, and we shared many laughs. It was heartbreaking to know we wouldn’t be able to see them often. It seemed 
as if we had never been apart at all.
2. If in fact we do get the cheese, will U.S. Customs allow us into the country? Some had warned us that cheese was among the unwelcome items from abroad.
We prepared for the worst.
Remembering what Uncle Al said about his ruined luggage the last time a packaged the pecorino for Poppy, Uncle Bru set aside a whole bag for the cheese. He planned to pack each one twice before even allowing a chunk into his bag.
This process, we thought, would both save his bag and reduce the odor. Maybe, just maybe, the Customs gods would shine brightly on us.
The next morning we said our so-longs to Uncle Al, Aunt Nuzza and Daniela and head out to meet Nino. We were finally going to see the cheese guy.
The Soverato Market, open each Friday, has just about every fresh food available — from produce, to meat, to fish, to beans. And yes, cheese, too.
Take a look
But we were here for one reason and one reason only: THE cheese. And not 50 feet from the entrance, there he was — Mimo Pirritano and his truck-full of stuff.
I was overjoyed. I hadn’t planned on it, but I got a half-chunk. Angela had to get a taste. (Thank you, Uncle Bruno.) I was almost surprised that Mimo, whose family has been goat herders for hundreds of years, sold more than pecorino. He mozzarella, ricotta, privola, mixed cheese, you name it. I was also expecting an older guy who was weathered by time and the elements. Yet Mimo was a modern entrepreneur who happened to sell cheese.
At long last, we got it. And
we got everyone their share.
Sadly, we also had to say good-bye to Nino. He was an adventure, and as much as I kid, I am deeply appreciative of his time and effort.
We said good-bye and he said good-bye.
Or at least I think that’s what he said.
Next: The cheese saga finale.
