The Two Cooks in the Kitchen

Elbow to elbow. When Mariantonia and Guillermo Hung are working in the kitchen, that’s how it is. They say that they love it this way, but even if they wanted more breathing room, they wouldn’t have a choice. Their husband-and-wife fast-food restaurant, Pao & Cha-Cha, is the size of a one-man food cart. Mariantonia says laughter keeps them going. “We have a lot of fun working together,” Mariantonia says as she twirls around Guillermo like a ballet dancer. Mariantonia…

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The Eclectic Educator

On top of the office refrigerator there is a jar of Skippy peanut butter that is nearly empty. There doesn’t appear to be any jelly, but by the sofa, there are an acoustic guitar and a big rubber exercise ball that’s give-the-teacher-an-apple red. Steven is the director of the Open School Project. Steven Zimmerman, who has a conservative cap of gray hair and intense brown eyes, is taking his coffee at the yin-yang table. He designed it so it splits down the center in an S curve to become…

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The Silver-Lining Pal

It’s pouring cats and dogs. That’s why Jill Parshley Cardillo and her sunny yellow umbrella are out. Jill likes to walk in the water, saving the drops on her tongue for a rainy day. Jill became an adult when she was 9. But this soggy slog is serious: The front door of her apartment blew open during the downpour, and Storm, one of her four friendly felines, is missing. She found Pete wandering on the balcony. Pixie and Raisen are safe inside. But Storm appears to have gone out into the…

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The Priceless Pair

It would be flip to say that it was a toss of the coin that landed Jennifer and Frank Greco at Astoria Coins & Collectibles. Astoria Coins & Collectibles has been in business 65 years. But it wasn’t much more complicated than that. The owner was going to relocate to New Jersey after a 15-year-long home run, and Jennifer and Frank were newlyweds in search of jobs in a deep recession. “My father was a collector, and he used to take me to the shop when I was a little girl,”…

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