ACROSS AMERICA — We can all hope to retire with the same legacy as Stanley Pasko, who carries the well wishes of anyone who ever encountered him in 33 years at a Long Island neighborhood grocery store as he returns to his native Poland.
Pasko’s square in the community quilt of Southold, New York, is stitched with kindness. Pasko hasn’t merely been the manager of the dairy department who made sure the milk is fresh and the cottage cheese hasn’t soured.
“He gives his heart in everything he does,” Pasko’s wife, Danuta, told Patch of the Southold IGA grocery store’s longtime dairy manager. “He loves his customers.”
And they love him. When the Paskos’ 26-year-old son was killed in an accidental shooting in 2010, the people of Southold were at their side. “It was the worst tragedy parents can have,” Danuta Pasko said, adding “thanks to all of you, we are alive. We are survivors. We can smile again. …” » By Lisa Finn for Northfork, New York, Patch
‘They’ve Saved Us’
Kevin and Jane Sebesky’s neighbors around Doylestown, Pennsylvania, are helping dig them out from under a mountain of medical debt. Kevin spent months in a hospital battling four infections that would paralyze him from the waist down. Jane, a physical therapist who’s hardly naive about the expenses ahead to make their home wheelchair accessible, has been working as much as possible so they can keep their health insurance. They needed help. “People say, you should move,” Jane told Patch as donations mounted up on GoFundMe. “You should sell your house, you should downsize, you should move onto one floor — but I wouldn’t have made it through any of this without my neighbors. And the thought of not having that support is just not an option.” Kevin agreed. “They’ve saved us,” he said. » By Kate Fishman for Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Patch
Why This Business Is Called Sacred
Throughout her life, Katie McDonald has spun around the notion of a boutique or some other kind of specialty business that would bring together people who like doing the same thing. This weekend, the Herndon, Virginia, woman is unlocking the door of Sacred Roller Skate Supply. The name is deliberate, a reminder of that sacred moment when doubts disappear, McDonald told Patch, but it also “embodies everything like the strength, the fearlessness, the power the community, and how all of that comes together. …” » By Michael O’Connell for Herndon, Virginia, Patch
Clients ‘Fled’; He Pivoted
Like millions of other Americans, Widchard Jilus lost his job when the coronavirus pandemic began. A trainer at a corporate gym in New York City, at the time the epicenter of the growing COVID-19 emergency, he watched as his clients “fled” the city to other states or countries. He nearly abandoned his long-range plan to open his own gym, but accelerated it instead. Less than two years later, he cut the ribbon on his new gym across the Hudson River. » By Eric Kiefer for Newark, New Jersey, Patch
Jets Help Girls Play Football
Some high school girls in New Jersey who wanted to play flag football got an assist from the New York Jets. Funding from the NFL team means Wayne Valley High School will have its first-ever girls flag football team. Jets President Hymie Elhai said the club’s aim with the $8,000 grant is to “inspire and encourage young women to grow and reach their full potential by providing an opportunity to play the game we all love.” » By Josh Bakan for Wayne, New Jersey, Patch
End In Sight For Portland Pickle Puns?
You can thank your sweet gherkins this appears to be over. Dillon T. Pickle — the mascot for the collegiate baseball team, the Portland Pickles — has been found, and the team can stop throwing out puns about pilfered pickle that kept the city groaning and gossiping about whether the Pickles set the whole thing up. “Just to clarify for the 33rd time,” the Pickles tweeted, “this is not a joke.” » By Colin Miner for Portland, Oregon, Patch
A Valentine For Ducks
There’s a happy ending to the story of a guy who walked into what he thought was a Waterbury, Connecticut, deli but in fact was a slaughterhouse where 80 ducks were about ready to lose their lives. He “freaked out” when he saw the condition of the ducks, said the director of a shelter finding them new homes after the man spared their lives by buying them. “It was his Valentine’s Day gift to himself,” the shelter director told Patch. “He didn’t want any recognition or anything. He just wanted them safe.” » By Ellyn Santiago for Branford, Connecticut, Patch
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Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
