April 28, 2025 • 53 mins
What drives someone to walk away from a stable career to chase their dream? Joanne Harrop did exactly that, leaving behind a decade in office equipment sales to pursue her passion for sports writing. With remarkable determination, she offered to write for free for local publications until finally breaking through as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's first full-time female sports reporter in 1997.
Sitting at Burned by Rocky Patel (which she was the first to feature when it opened), Harrop captivates us with stories from her 28-year journalism career. Instantly recognizable by the stylish hats she wears daily—a tradition started 15 years ago while covering fashion—she's evolved from sports reporting to becoming a celebrated features writer covering everything from food to real estate. Along the way, she's interviewed legends like Michael Jordan and Billie Jean King, while never forgetting Jim Leyland's advice to "act like you've been there before."
The conversation takes a profound turn when Harrop shares the experience that led to her book, "A Daughter's Promise." When COVID-19 forced nursing homes to lock down in March 2020, Harrop faced an impossible choice regarding her 93-year-old mother: leave or stay indefinitely. Without hesitation, she moved in, honoring a promise made to her father years earlier. What began as a supposed two-week closure stretched into 84 days, during which her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and eventually passed away. Her journal entries from this period became a National Edward R. Murrow Award-winning article and ultimately her book.
Through laughter, tears, and Pittsburgh sports memories, Harrop reminds us of journalism's evolving nature and the profound connection between mother and daughter. Her simple explanation for staying when others couldn't—"She would have done the same for me"—encapsulates a love story that transcends circumstances. Pick up "A Daughter's Promise" to experience the full journey of a woman who found her voice by following her heart.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
here, just a few blocks away from pnc park burned
by rocky patel, and we've got avery special guest.
As always, we kick off, hold mycutter with the featured smoke
and it is the dark star, michaelmckenry.
Our guest, of course, joanneharrop.
There's a reason why she chosethe dark star.
Do you know why?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
it's the ship she came in on.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
She came in on the Dark Star.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yes, she did.
She parked it out in Allegheny.
I mean, you dress like this,you come in just absolutely in
your nines.
You came in on a ship.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
You got it.
She stunned.
She was not expecting that.
I don't think I was supposed toshare it?
No, maybe that was it.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
That was off the record.
That was off the record, sorry.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Rewind.
What a treat it is to haveJoanne Harrop here, who's
numerous awards, 28 years andgoing strong at the Trib, first
full-time female sports reporterfor the Trib, back in what
1997?
.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
The Freak Show year, yes, 1997.
October 14th 1997.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
But now you've done just about everything imaginable
at the Trib.
You haven't left sports,because I still see some
features regarding sports.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Correct.
I did sports for about 10 yearsfull-time.
It was really pretty much whatI covered and then I helped out
with the social scene.
So the parties and there are alot of events in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is there's a lot ofphilanthropy here in Pittsburgh
and there's some great events,so I was able to cover some of
(01:39):
those.
And then I transitioned to afeatures and fashion writer and
so currently I'm a featureswriter and I write about
everything.
I write about food, I writeabout real estate.
I do, as you said, sometimes mysports and features connect.
So I've written about thePittsburgh Steelers the annual
fashion show that they do Justcelebrated 50 years this past
(02:02):
year with that.
In terms of the Pirates, I'vecovered a lot of opening day,
where I roam the tailgates andtalk to people about you know
how they feel about the season.
I've written about some of thejust the new offerings at PNC
Park in terms of food and whatthey're going to be serving
there.
So it's kind of somethingdifferent every day and I love
(02:23):
it.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
By the way, speaking of fashion, no disrespect to any
other sports writer, but isthere a more fashionable sports
writer in Pittsburgh than JoanneHarrop?
And, by the way, our guestsreceived gift cards to David
Allen.
The showroom is right therenear you on Washington Road, so
you'll be swinging by.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
He may try to pick up that hat yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Wait, what are the hats?
Because you're known for yourhat.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Thank you.
I wear a hat every day.
I started doing it when I wascovering fashion See Bernie
every day.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I love it.
He does A lot of connectionshere.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
McKendree and Harrop, both catchers.
She was a catcher on the Tripssoftball team and manager,
anyway, so it started when.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
When I was covering uh fashion, so uh, about 15
years ago.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
How many different hats you think you have a hat
closet or hat room?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
No, Don't lie, I wish I did.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I actually have several hats in the backseat of
my car, just in case I need toswitch it up Throughout my house
, which is probably not the bestway.
I have a few hat boxes that Ikeep the most important hats in
A thing like a hat.
It completes the look.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's incredible, but not just the hat, what you
add to the hat, like that heartyou added.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Well, I have a lot of hat pins.
I did just add this heart forheart month.
We're in heart month.
We've got Valentine's Daycoming up on Friday, so I think
it just adds a little bit ofstyle and real.
In heart month, we gotValentine's day coming up on
Friday, so I think it just itjust adds a little bit of um
style and real quick about hats.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I mean, I don't know if you know this, Brownie, but
like you have to keep them incertain things to keep,
especially the hats you wear, my, my grandmother passed away and
we took all of her hats.
My wife looks phenomenal hats.
Love you, honey.
But you look great in hats.
How do you keep them pristine?
You keep the shape because youhave some really loud, cool hats
.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I do.
I mean, a lot of times you haveto sort of keep them by size
and you can stack them, you canhang them and some of them, yeah
, do get crushed if I don't takegood care of them.
But I try to find a place forthem to keep them looking good.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Michael, how do you do it?
How do you keep your?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
hat so pristine, I just crush them.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
He could wear a different hat just about every
day for about a week.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yes, I could, maybe a year.
Yeah, I kind of have obsessionHoarder, a little bit hat
hoarder whatever.
Yeah, love it, I love hathoarders yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
We are going to get to the book A Daughter's Promise
, but we're here.
At Burned by Rocky Patel.
You might have written thefirst featured story, I think,
about this place when it openedup.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I did back in 2018 because my story came out two
days before it officially opened, so there might have been some
other coverage of it.
But yes, I was in here beforeany customers were ever in here,
and it's.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Trendsetter.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Trendsetter.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Again, just saying Again, you said it.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
This was the second one in the country.
The first one is in Florida andyou know, when I walked in here
I hadn't really been in toomany cigar bars, but I've never
seen anything quite like this,and it's more.
My story was about yes, there'sbeautiful cigars here and
there's a wide range of cigars,but it's an experience when you
(05:56):
walk through the door and youknow Pittsburgh is lucky to have
something like this.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And why did they choose Pittsburgh?
You think Second City, they'rein Florida and Tampaa naples
naples is rocky's where hestarted at rocky patel, who
lives there, right, but thenhe's got one in indianapolis, uh
, oklahoma city, interestinglyenough and he opened at the
battery in atlanta, the newballpark, the braves a few years
ago when it opened up butwhat's your thoughts there?
(06:21):
Why pitts?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
When I was interviewing them, they said
that Pittsburgh is a smokingcity.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
It was known as the smoky city, smoking hot city.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
A smoking city.
Yeah, back in the US.
You know the steel days.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Leland probably made that famous right, probably yeah
.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Can I tell you something that Jim Leland told
me?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yes, you can Please, even if it's off the record.
Especially, we'd love that.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
This was one of my first years in sports and I was
at the Pirates and I can't evenremember what I was covering
because I didn't cover the teamas a beat reporter, but I've
done features and things aboutall of the major sports teams in
Pittsburgh and I had introducedmyself to him and I probably
told him you know, I'm new, Ihaven't done this before.
(07:08):
And he said to me you have toact like you've been there and
I've tried to remember that youknow, anytime I'm in a situation
where I haven't been before.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
What great advice.
What worked today?
Isn't that cool.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
That is cool she walked in like she owned the
place today, so I mean sheworked today.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And it looked like she had been here before.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
It turns out she had been I didn't realize she was
one of the first customers.
That's, miss.
Patel Nobody would have known.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I didn't know Miss Patel.
She's got a lot of hats.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Your folks loved the Pirates, didn't they?
They?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
did, and we used to come to games all the time.
There was a package that youcould get at Three River Stadium
and a lot of them were Sundaygames and my parents it was
great, they were getting olderand it was a good time to bring
them and they used to do thePizza Hut pop-up contest.
I don't know if you rememberthat, so we would be rooting for
.
They would just pull someoneout of the stands and if you
(08:09):
caught so many, I think therewere three pop-ups and if you
caught them, everyone got a freepizza hut personal pizza, so
that was something that, um, soyou'd love this michael, because
we'd set up out in shallow leftfield.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Randomly select one, and this is like usually, sund I
think, joanne, yes, it wasalways Sundays, so pretty big
crowds and they were alwaysfired up about this.
So you get the pitching machineand you'd hit these pop-ups and
you'd extend it.
Each first one was fairly easy.
Second one medium.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Just a normal fan, right.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Normal fan.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And to watch them.
Try to navigate these pop-upsway high.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
These are majorly pop-ups, but the fans went crazy
.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
If you caught it, they went nuts, Of course, if
you dropped it who the heck gotit, but it was great.
Anyway, so they love the PizzaHut pop-up.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
They love that, and my dad, well, they would watch
every game on television and mydad would watch any of the
afternoon games and then hewould watch the rerun at night
and I would come by and I'd belike Dad, you know what's going
to happen.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
But he loved it so much that he'd watch the same
game twice.
Can we bring back the pop-upLike Pizza Hut pop-up?
We can even do Pop-Tart, pop-up.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
David Cobb is saying we're going to.
Yeah, okay, good, good.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
That's going to be a new feature.
Got it.
I like that.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Actually, it would be unbelievable to bring that back
.
It would be tremendous.
I'm sure it's probablysomething to do with insurance
is why I'm guessing.
I don't know if any other teamdoes it.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I don't know.
They raced the Flash or Freezedown in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Oh, that's a good call.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I mean, you see guys?
Speaker 1 (09:36):
blow their hamstrings and everything else no.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I was like you know, go out there, try your best,
maybe catch it, maybe don't, butyou know I'm going to leave it
all out there.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
I bet the Savannah.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Bananas do that or something like that.
What if we had McHenry be theguy that caught the pop-ups but
we had to do some kind of ahandicap where you'd be
blindfolded until it was likehalfway up there?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Ooh, I like it.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I think we're into something I like it All right, I
want my cut of that.
Yeah, you will.
You got it, you got it Get apiece of pizza.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Joanne, have you thought about how many opening
days you've attended, either asa fan or for features and so on?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You know a lot.
I don't have a count on them,but a friend and I from the Trib
we went to the very first gameat PNC Park and we were scalping
tickets and it took us a whileto get two tickets into it.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Did you do the first regular season game or the
exhibition game?
It was a regular season game.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
yes.
And then I've covered the homeopener for several years in
terms of, like I said, walkingthrough the parking lot talking
to fans about because it'sreally it's a great atmosphere
and everyone's generally happyon that day, so it's a great
time to be a Pirates fan onopening day.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Is there a year that sticks out for you?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
opening day-wise Excitement was maybe a little
bit different.
Well, in terms of weather, itwas last year, because we had
everything we had snow, we hadsleet, we had rain, we had sun,
we had cold.
Yes, it just we had rain, wehad sun, we had cold.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yes, we just gave you the full experience in
Pittsburgh.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Yes, Exactly that one I definitely remember.
But you know, I think you know,walking through the tailgates,
people are just so happy on thehome opener.
It's just hard to.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
There's nothing like it in sports.
There's nothing like it insports.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
There's nothing like it in sports.
This year should be special.
It will be.
It could be kind of phenomenalif Garrett Cole pitches against
Paul Skeens Juggernaut versusjuggernaut First rounder versus
first rounder.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
You know, they're going to try and set that up.
I hope so.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
That would be the.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
That would be the ticket.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
You could write a story about that, couldn't you?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I could write a story about that you also write
stories, not about, you say, thefans, but you've written
stories about the pierogi races.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, because right after thepandemic they moved the pierogi
races to the Clemente Bridge.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
It's my dream to run in the pierogi race.
I want to be Hannah.
Personally, I want the bag.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
You need a purse In the ballpark, not on the bridge.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Either way, but that's when I first started
trying Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
And I've written about the Renegades Chris Miller
who leads that?
Group they're great.
I always say it's not openingday until the renegades have
arrived, so I think that's beenfun.
At the end of this season Iwrote about the pirates' partner
to donate any leftover foodafter every homestand.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Oh, that's nice.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Because you know a lot of times that you know it's
hard to know how many peopleyou're going to have for a
homestand and you can't.
Some of the stuff you can keepto the next homestand, but some
of it you can't.
So 412 Food Rescue.
They've donated thousands ofpounds of food.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
That's amazing, that's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
And a lot of people don't know that, and the other
sports teams do that as well.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
That's cool.
In addition to stuff around theballpark and regarding the
Pirates, you do special featureson things like the new
entertainment venue which shouldbe opening up sometime in 2025.
That's correct.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
And that's right.
That's close to PNC Park.
That's going to just give fansan extra place to stop, whether
it's before a game they're goingto have a big screen TV at some
point where they can watchgames there something sold out,
or they don't have a ticket forit and and after games, and even
when there's not a game goingon.
On the north side, I mean, Ifeel like the north shore is is
(13:38):
vibrant as ever.
I mean, there's so many thingscoming and I think something
like that gives you not just uh,food.
I mean there's an experience.
There's going to be a beergarden and there's going to be
some apartments there too.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
That big screen is going to be wild.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
It kind of makes me think about college game day
yeah Right, kind of thatexperience.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Can you imagine, though, joey, if the Pirates get
back in the postseason like thewatch parties, how cool those
are going to be?
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Another thing, Dave, it'd be cool to do the pregame
out there.
I'm just saying I mean, get thefans behind us.
A lot of ideas here.
Maybe we call McAfee as a guestand again make sure.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Dwayne gets a cut of it, whatever happens.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
He's a Pittsburgher.
Yeah, that's right.
That's right, he loves.
Hold my Cutter, by the way.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
McAfee does.
Oh yeah, I'm assuming whodoesn't?
Yeah right, I mean people.
People love that.
Uh, with game day, I'm a pennstate graduate, so anytime you
know, game day has been umcovering a penn state game and
they're there all day, so itgives the fans an entire day
experience right and you knowall about that, right.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I'm sure that's probably remarkable when you
think about how fun that is forfans.
I know the kids love it.
But like I mean, you're seeing40-, 50-, 60-year-old men and
women just going nuts on thosedays.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
I know, because it is all about the experience.
Well, I feel like sports isthat one thing that connects
people of all ages and it bringspeople back to when they were
in college or when they wereyounger.
And I think you know,especially with, there's a lot
of seriousness in the world, sosometimes it's nice to have
(15:14):
something that's not so serious,although I know we take our
sports seriously.
But it's a game, they're games.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Amen, Joanne.
You grew up in Greenfield,didn't you?
Speaker 3 (15:21):
I did Greenfield girl yes.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
So you're friends with the McCarthys, mike, didn't
you Greenfield girl?
Yes, so you're friends with the.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
McCarthy's Mike.
It's an amazing family.
Um, yeah, I went to gradeschool with Mike McCarthy and
you know Greenfield there's noother place like it, and um,
there's a little bar restaurantthere.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
It's called big gyms.
I don't know if you're familiarwith it, big gym.
I don't know Big gym, but yougot to get to Big Jim's.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yes, and it's just.
You know.
There's just something aboutgrowing up in a neighborhood in
Pittsburgh and you knowPittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods,
so everyone says theirneighborhood is like the best
neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Yes, it's so confusing.
It's such great competitionamongst neighborhoods.
It's so confusing, yeah, it'sso great.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I need an appendix yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Yeah, it's so great, I need an appendix.
Yeah, it's too much.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
It's like where am I now?
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Well, that's true, and it is sometimes hard to
understand.
There's so many neighborhoodsIf you didn't grow up here.
But if you did, you understandand you have.
Your neighborhood is theneighborhood.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I mean, in Tennessee counties were state-sized so you
could be like oh live inWilliamson County, that's it.
You drive and drive, you'restill in Williamson County.
Here you go four feet.
I'm in a township, I'm in asuburb, I don't know where I am,
but I'm in.
I know I'm in Pittsburgh.
So I just say that every time.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, when Mike McCarthy, he was with the Dallas
Cowboys, and before that who'swith the Green Bay Packers, and
when they would be playing ontelevision, my mother would be
like, oh, the Greenfield Packersare playing.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
That's great.
So you adopted them.
I love it.
That's great.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yes, and in a way she was right.
So Greenfield, then Penn State.
You mentioned that Writing,always something you wanted to
do, by the way.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Well, yes, but I was derailed a little bit.
So when I was in high school Iwent to an all girls catholic
high school, sacred heart whichis in east liberty and I was the
sports editor of the newspaperbecause there were no boys there
.
So when I went to penn state andtalked to my advisor about what
I wanted to do, I said I wantto be a sports writer and, um,
(17:25):
he kind of steered me away fromthat because you know that was
okay.
I'm going to tell you it was1982.
So it was a while ago and thereweren't a lot of female sports
reporters.
I think Leslie Visser, was um,probably one of the few at that
time.
And so he suggested I get abusiness degree.
And so he suggested I get abusiness degree.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
So I got a marketing degree Smart, smart.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
So I got a job in sales and I sold office
equipment and it was just not mypassion.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Where.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
It was called Frieden Elkettel, the competitor to
Pitney Bowes In PittsburghMailing machines.
Yes, Okay.
In Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
You did that, for how long?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I did that for 10 years and I.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
I said I never liked it for 10 years.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
No, but I, I tried to stick with it cause I liked it,
cause my parents taught me tostick with something and sales
pay well.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Sales pay well.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Well, at times it did .
Speaker 2 (18:31):
So I came home one night and I told my husband.
I said I'm going to leave thisjob and I'm going to become a
sports writer.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
No, and everyone that I told that to had that same
look.
Was it like this too?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
like yes immediate it was I mean, yeah, what did he
say when you said that?
Um, he was like well, that'slike total opposite of what
you're doing, because it was youknow, and um, but he supported
me through it and he eventuallydid a career which he said I
inspired him to do.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
So trendsetter, there we go again.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Here we go again.
He was an accountant and thenhe became a teacher, so now he's
doing what he loves.
But, yeah, it took me.
It took me a while.
It took me almost two years toget hired because I didn't have
a lot of experience.
I didn't have the journalismdegree.
So at the time the Trib wasexpanding into Pittsburgh
because there was a strikebetween the press and the
Post-Gazette.
(19:12):
The press folded.
The Trib was a WestmorelandCounty-based paper.
Our publisher started bringingpapers into Pittsburgh because
people wanted a newspaper.
They wanted to hold a newspaper, and so we opened an office in
Pittsburgh and Station Squareand I went to several places and
(19:32):
said I'll just write for free,let me give me something to
write.
And the sports editor at thetime at the Trib in the high
school sports, he gave me astory to write about a
basketball player from Upper StClair and so I wrote that story
and I said I'll do any otherstory, just give me an hour's
notice, I'll get to it.
So I covered a lot of thesports that the guys didn't want
(19:53):
to cover, you know, soccer,swimming, tennis For free.
Well, not for free, like I wasgetting paid per story.
Of course that's how shestarted.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
But where did you go?
You went to different spots andsaid I'll do your stories for
free.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Where One was the Greenfield Grapevine.
Oh, there you go.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Did you do any stories for the Greenfield
Grapevine?
Speaker 3 (20:14):
I did.
I wrote for months for theGrapevine, Really yes.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
I did.
She wrote about the Packers.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah yeah.
And then the Advertiser Almanac, which is a weekly paper, the
Green Tree Times.
There was a Craft and IngramTimes.
So smart you bounced aroundJoanne to all these spots, right
.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
And then you started compiling stories.
You got better.
Of course, you went along.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
She built her resume yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Ultimately.
So for a couple years you builtthese stories, and then that's
what got you into the Trib.
That's the door.
Correct Opens.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Correct opens yeah, correct.
And and the um managing editorat the trib called me in and
well, I had set up an interviewwith him saying I'm, I'm gonna
come in and I'm gonna convinceyou why you want to hire me.
So I go in and I, I, I'mtalking to him, I give him my
whole sales pitch, which I guessthere was an advantage to being
in sales, and he said and hesaid, well, I have a news
(21:02):
position if you want it.
And I said no.
I said no, I, I want sports,I've I've been.
And he said, well, can I have anews position if you want it?
And I said no.
I said I want sports, I've been.
And he said, well, can you waita few months?
There might be an opening.
I said I'll wait.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
So you knew exactly what you wanted.
You were locked in on thattarget.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
I was locked in right .
Speaker 3 (21:18):
That's awesome so about four months later he
called me in and he said he hada sports opening.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
That's what a great story to do it, to drop
everything and then to writeessentially for free for almost
two years.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Well, after having a job for 10 years.
By the way, she was a greatsaleswoman, there's no doubt
about it.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah, you're probably better than you say, but still
10 years in sales.
Did you dislike it from day onefor 10 years?
Speaker 3 (21:41):
No, I didn't dislike it from day one, but I just felt
like I wasn't passionate aboutit.
So that was because it was, youknow, when I sold someone a
piece of equipment.
It really helped them you know,make their job easier, like
there was some satisfaction inthat.
But I just you know deep in myheart this is what I wanted to
(22:02):
do.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
You seem like you probably love the people aspect
of it, but you probably love thestories that you got to hear
from them.
Oh sure, and you probablywanted to tell it.
Yes, because you just oozesomebody that wants to bring
things to light, so like that'sreally really neat.
I'm glad you followed yourpassion.
I'm glad you're here today.
Oh, thank you?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah, no problem.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Thank you for what's your favorite story that stands
out.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Well, people ask me this all the time, and it was a
story about my mother, so I hadwritten a story about living
with her in the nursing home forthose 85 days back in December
of 2020, and the story won aNational Edward R Murrow Award,
and so that will always be myfavorite story, and so that will
(22:50):
always be my favorite story,and the trib, our president
jennifer bertetto.
I don't know if you've ever mether.
I don't know if I have.
Uh, she was so invested in thestory that, um, she helped me
publish the book well to get tothat.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Uh, aside from this, we want to get into details
about a daughter's promise thebook.
But aside for, is there asports story that stands out,
maybe even?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Well, one of the first sports stories I covered
were the powerboat races.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Oh man.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Over on the regatta.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Now, Joanne, was this before they changed it because
somebody got?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
There was a bad crash into the bank.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
So I'm like, oh, i'll'll cover that, that'll be
fun.
These boats going around theriver, and so one of the editors
at the paper was like, okay,great, but they usually crash.
So if something happens, youknow you need to call the city
desk.
And and I'm just like I'm asports writer, like I'm writing
about the the boats going around, you know well, of course, the
the first or second lap theycrashed.
And there was a gentleman whothey had to perform CPR on him
(23:50):
and I actually interviewed himlater and I said, well, can you
talk about the experience?
And he was like I feel prettygood for someone who was dead.
I was like, oh my gosh, so thatwas fun.
I covered a lot of Mary LouMews golf tournaments, so I got
to interview Michael Jordan, notin a one-on-one, but to be in
(24:13):
the same space.
And then there was one time thatBillie Jean King was coming for
a tennis exhibition out ofMonroeville and I was at my desk
and I'm in the sportsdepartment with all the guys and
so I pick up my phone and ofcourse I say Billie Jean, so
nice to talk to you, and they'relike you're talking to Billie
Jean King, you're talking toBillie Jean, and I was like yes,
(24:34):
Quiet Act like you've been herebefore, right, exactly.
So, that was pretty cool, Icovered.
There was an ice skating eventat Civic Arena and there were
ice dancers there and one of thethey were couples and the male
(24:56):
had the female up in the air andhis toe got caught and he
dropped her on the ice and thatwas a.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Horrific injury.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, yeah, it was tough but she ended up being
okay.
We interviewed her the next dayand um, and, and she was okay.
Trying to think in terms, I'vegot to cover um, penn state
women's basketball when theywere really good and so they
were playing tennessee patsummit oh yeah, oh, it's the
number one coach yep yeah welland okay, so then you know, so
(25:30):
so I'm a signed ball by patsummit at home, you do casually
dropped that in there, I hadinterviewed her a couple times
and that, like the third time Isaw her, she remembered who I
was and I was like oh my goshthat's pretty neat, really cool
and umI was going into the, the arena
and there was I.
I was trying to see like wherethe entrance was and there was a
(25:51):
man who was walking out and andso I I was saying you know, I'm
with the trib, I'm covering thepenn state women against, uh,
tennessee, you know where's the?
And so you know whatever he'stelling me.
And and I was like, oh, thanksa lot, do you work here?
And he was like, yes, I'm themen's coach, he's telling me.
And I was like, oh, thanks alot, do you work here?
And he was like, yes, I'm themen's coach.
He's like, everyone knows, thewomen's coach.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
I was just, like everyone knows, the women's
coach.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
That's outstanding.
You know they're bringing aWNBA team to Nashville.
They're going to call it theSummits.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I heard that, yeah, isn't that cool, very cool.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
The Haslam family partnered with some people and
they're doing that.
It's awesome stuff.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Now you bring that up , Susie McConnell-Serio.
I covered her pretty muchthroughout her career as a coach
at Oakland Catholic when I wasat Penn State I was a senior,
she was a freshman, so I watchedher play there.
And then, when she went to theCleveland Rockers, I did a
feature story on her Rockers, Idid a feature story on her.
(26:45):
Pittsburgh has so many coolathletes both male and female.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
And writers.
I'm just saying it's been fun,it's been a blast to get to know
some of the people that havebeen around.
We've talked to some writers.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Joanne about what journalism is like these days.
You've all had to change withthe times.
Every writer has.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Explain that especially from your perspective
, because you came in as thefirst female reporter in sports
in Pittsburgh.
That was a while back.
You've done a lot of differentthings.
How has it changed for you?
That was a while back.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
You've done a lot of different things Like how has it
changed for you?
Well, I mean a lot of it is.
You know, we don't have thetrip still prints every day and
we have several weekly andmonthly publications as well.
But a lot of people don't gettheir news from the printed
paper, they get it online.
So, as reporters, we learn totake photos and a lot of times
(27:46):
it's just with our, with ourcell phone.
We shoot some video because youwant, when you get someone on to
a story, you want to engagethem and you want them to stay
on there.
So, uh, that's part of it.
And also shorter stories,because people are so used to
scrolling all day that they'regenerally not going to read a
really long story, unless it'slike the one maybe I wrote about
(28:08):
my mother.
But you know you need somethingthat's going to be succinct so
that people will get through it,and we have the ability to know
how many people have read astory and how long they've
stayed on the story.
So we get these analytics andyou can tell tell like what
stories people engage in.
(28:29):
And you know the sports storiesalways do well, because it's not
just people in Pittsburghreading the sports stories
they're.
You know, all over the worldPeople follow sports.
But I think that's part of it.
Another part of it is, you know, sometimes people don't want to
talk to the media, they don'twant to give their name, they
(28:49):
don't want to give their opinion, they don't want to tell you
what township, which of the 90neighborhoods they live in.
Why do you?
Speaker 2 (28:56):
think that is.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
I think just people are more and part of it.
I understand people don't wantall this information out there,
although it is easy to get a lotof information because, you
know, with the Internet.
I think that's part of it me,because most of the stories I do
(29:28):
are positive, nice stories.
I'm not doing a biginvestigative piece where I can
see where sometimes people mightbe a little bit less leery,
more leery about talking to themedia.
But you know, it's just youhave to.
You have to respect the personthat you're talking to.
So so if I'm interviewing youand you just say I'd rather not
use my name, okay, great, I, Irespect that, I appreciate it.
I move on Like you, can't youknow?
(29:49):
Before it used to be like comeon, craig, like you know.
But no, that's not the way todo it.
To build the trust, yeah, youhave to do that, of course.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Do you think that your job, though, has changed,
in terms of how you interviewsomeone, you present.
Interview someone, you presentthe story.
That's not changed because ofthe internet and the fact that
this newspaper is not printed.
Right, that, really hasn'tchanged much.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
No.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
You have to be more involved in social media, though
, don't you, than ever before.
That is correct.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Because that's how a lot of times, that's how we get
people for our stories, we putsomething out there or we
promote a story that way becausethat's where people are seeing
it.
So, yes, that, and you mentionedtrust, trust, a lot of it is
building trust with the personthat you're interviewing and, um
, the relationship.
I mean there are people that Ihave known, for it'll be 28
years in october, so they mightcall me with a tip or they might
(30:38):
be like, okay, I'll talk to herbecause I've talked to her
before and, um, you know she'squoted me the right way.
I mean that's, that's veryimportant and you know, I think
you know she's quoted me theright way.
I mean that's very importantand you know, I think you know
most journalists in this townare really professional and I
just think sometimes otherpeople create a situation where
it's not good for us journalists.
(30:59):
But you know, I thinkPittsburgh we have a lot of
really talented journalists whoappreciate the profession and do
it well.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
How do you decide what story to pursue, because
you've touched so many differentlanes?
I mean you're on a six-lanehighway changing lanes.
Which lane do you stay in andhow do you decide?
Speaker 3 (31:19):
That's a very good question.
Once a week I meet with myeditor and I give her some
suggestions of stories that Iwant to do.
She will offer up stories thatshe thinks you know might be
good to do.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
How do you find those stories by chance?
Well a little research research.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Like you say, social media I might see burned by
Rocky Patel is opening in twoyears or one year or six months
or whatever, and so I'll putthat on my list and and talk to
her about it.
We, um, there are our publicrelations people, media
relations people that will sendus, you know, an email come
tuesday afternoon.
This is what you're gonna learnabout what's new at pnc park
(31:58):
this year.
So some of the things peoplesend to us, some of them we find
and you know some of them.
I just think you know it wouldbe really cool to know a
particular thing, and so I justsay, hey, let's like do it, and
usually she's pretty open tothat, so I think that helps.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Do you or did you look up to any writer, or
writers in particular that youreally are fond of that, their
style, or because you started insales in so many years?
It's not like you grew upemulating these writers really.
You almost forged your ownstyle and so forth.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Did you write at all during those 10 years, like just
as a hobby?
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Yes, I like to keep a journal and things like that.
I think I recommend all peopleshould keep some type of journal
, just sort of writing downthoughts, which is how the book
came about, because I hadjournal entries that I had
written while I was in thenursing home.
But I'm trying to think, yeah,in terms of you know, the Trib
has always had really reallygood journalists when I was in
(33:05):
sports, Jerry Deerry depala Idon't know if you follow his
absolutely I mean, he's beenaround a long time and you know
I've I worked for him for awhile and when I was in high
school sports, and you know,just watching someone like him
and the way he handles himselflove that, I love.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
He's such a good man.
So down to earth he's a good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he sure is,yep.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
He is for sure.
And the photojournalists.
I mean we have had some greatphotojournalists over the year
and we still do, and I kind of,when I'm with them, I kind of
see how they shoot something,and so if I'm on my own.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
So intriguing to me, so intriguing that end with it.
I love that you call it whatphoto journalists?
Yeah, yeah, I love the factthat you said that, because
they're telling a story in adifferent way.
It's so cool.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
The thing is, if you have a picture and you know, I
know I'm a word person, but alot of times a picture tells the
story.
You don't need any words to gowith it.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Do.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Picture tells the story, you don't need any words
to go with it.
Do you pick the picture to yourstory?
Um, I do not, I mean, unless Itake my own photos, but um,
generally the photo journalistswill go through and edit I love
that and choose what they, youknow, what they think, you know
we'll have discussions about it,like, okay, I'm working on this
particular project and you knowwe'll meet about it.
I did um one of our journalists, uh, louis Rudiger, if you've
(34:26):
seen any of his.
We worked on this story.
We interviewed five people, whowere 100.
Don't look at me.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
I got a ways to go, bro.
Do you see him?
Look at me, Joanne he does allthe time.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
What do you think like?
Speaker 1 (34:41):
tomorrow.
I did see that Jeez.
Anyway, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I know it's like a couple weeks Anyway, Joanne.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
So you have five people that were turning 100.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Yeah, that were 100.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
That were 100.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
And were doing something Like the one was
working at McDonald's.
Wow, one does a-.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
The Century Club.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
It's a century club.
It's a century club.
One will jump on an onlinemeeting.
Another one was still drivingand we spent time with these
people who are amazing, but whenyou're talking to someone who's
100, they only have a smallerspan that you can interview them
(35:23):
or get a good photo.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Yeah, they don't have a lot of time Between naps and
right.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
yeah, I mean one of them's driving one's on, yeah,
on a zoom yeah, kidding me thatthat's true I know, I know, I
mean these, these.
They were, they were amazingyeah, that's cool.
The other one's writing code,no big deal wow, that's crazy,
but I mean, that was where.
So when we do projects likethat, we work, work together,
you know, with an editor, with aphotojournalist myself, and
(35:48):
that's really where you get thebest stories.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Do you need to know what is going to be published as
a picture?
Because you said sometimes youdon't need the words, a picture
tells the story.
Well, if there's a picture,don't you need to see the
picture first before you writethe story, because you don't
want to overdo it, or does itmatter?
No, there's a good, right,there's sort of a good
(36:14):
complimenting, like the photoshould compliment the story.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
So right, yes, a lot of times if you do the homework
ahead of time, then you're kindof both on the same page.
But sometimes you'll go to astory and you'll think
something's going to happen andthen something totally different
happens, and then it changesboth the photos and the story.
So you have to be open to thatas well.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Well, you mentioned, we've got the book A Daughter's
Promise.
It's a phenomenal book.
It's a phenomenal story, buthow it all came to be, let's go
back to 2020, covid-19.
How old was your mom at thetime?
Speaker 3 (36:46):
My mom was 93 at the time.
Yes, Evelyn, yes.
So she had been in this nursinghome for four years prior and I
had visited her every day.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Every day, every day.
For how many years?
For four years?
And how far do you live, or didyou?
Speaker 3 (37:01):
live.
I lived about 17 minutes away,so it wasn't that far.
Every day, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
The same time every day.
How long did you stay every day?
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Well, like if I was working after work and if it was
the weekends, any time duringthe weekend, and I stayed a lot
because when she first went inshe had broken her hip and so
she wasn't doing well and Iwasn't sure she was going to
make it.
So I stayed, and at the nursinghome they had these windowsills
that they had these like paddedpillows on.
(37:31):
I don't know if you've seenthat before.
So I was sleeping on thewindowsill and one of the nurses
came in and she's like youcan't sleep on the windowsill,
and I was like well, I'm notleaving her.
So they brought me a bed, so Ihad my own bed and um, so I'd
stayed several times duringthose four years.
Any siblings?
I have four siblings.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
They all live out of state uh-huh, so you took it
upon yourself.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Of course, the local one that you were gonna okay,
right and um, and I had you hadmentioned my dad.
Well, I also took care of mydad.
Who, who was 93, and I wouldtake him to.
Who was a veteran right.
World War II veteran World.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
War II.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
D-Day veteran.
How about that?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Some incredible pictures.
Man Kind of did some internetstalking.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yes, and he had been on dialysis two and a half years
and I took him every week fordialysis.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
How many years years prior to that, to to your mother
going into the nursing home,was this happening?
Speaker 1 (38:27):
well, 2004, my mom had a stroke so I've been caring
for her from 2004, so whatabout your dad?
Speaker 3 (38:32):
what years he um he?
2013, 2013 which is a big yeahum yeah, he's 30, went on
dialysis so I was kind of takingthey were living in an assisted
living facility so it was, Iwasn't there every day, then but
um, so the nursing home had ameeting, because everyone was
(38:52):
talking about we're going toshut down for two weeks, and at
this meeting, someone brought upI'm not sure who it was.
You know, what are we going todo with Joanne?
She's here every day, and sothe CEO.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
How many people in the nursing home?
I'm going to jump in thesequestions before I forget.
How many people do you think?
How many residents?
Speaker 3 (39:07):
We're living well, probably at the time, maybe
about 60 or 70.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Okay, and how much of a heads up.
Like they're saying they'reshutting down for two weeks.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Yeah, is it pretty immediate?
Yeah, well, I had about twoweeks notice so that the ceo of
the nursing home said we'll askher if she wants to stay, but if
she stays she can't leave.
So the director of nursing cameto me and said here's what
we're going to do.
We're going to be shutting downfor two weeks.
You can stay with evelyn, butyou can't leave.
And I said I'm in.
This is covid hits, so twoweeks yeah, so I moved in on
(39:39):
march 13 2020 two weeks later wewere still in there yeah,
that's the thing they said, twoweeks, but right, nobody knew
right.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Two weeks times, correct times, two times right,
I mean no, yeah, no one no oneknew and um, in April of that
year.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Um, my mom, I could tell like something wasn't right
with her.
We weren't really sure what itwas, and so one of her doctors
came in and they did allow for,um, uh, a test to be done in the
nursing home.
So they brought in, they did atest on her and she was
diagnosed with breast cancer andit was an aggressive form of
breast cancer and um, so I wasglad that I was there, because
(40:22):
she died on June 5th 2020.
So I was there 84 days.
That was the 84th day and thedirect the, the nurse who was in
charge, came in and said um,you can leave, but if you leave,
you can't take the stuff.
You can take the stuff, but Ihadn't packed anything up.
She said but you can't comeback and get it.
We'll pack it up for youbecause it was COVID, she said,
(40:44):
or you can stay.
So I stayed in the nursing homeone night by myself.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
The day after your mom died you stayed an extra day
.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
I slept in her bed.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
You mentioned you were keeping a daily diary.
At what point did you say no,this is a story.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Well, that comes back to being around journalists.
So my editor at the time, benSchmidt I don't know if you've
ever I don't think so.
I was telling it, it was likethe first week in there and I
was still writing some stories,just interviewing people on the
phone, and I said somethingabout something in the nursing
home and he said, are youwriting all this down?
(41:22):
And I was like like well, Iwasn't really.
I, I don't know, he's like youshould write this down.
So from that day I just wrotesomething every day and I took
pictures and videos because wewere, you know, because I'm a
journalist and I would be like,oh, that's a photo op right
there and, um, in regards to thepirates, opening day was, was,
obviously was.
There was no opening day thatyear, but we shot a video in the
(41:43):
nursing home of the residentsseeing Take Me Out to the
Ballgame.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
And it's gotten over 7,000 views.
Wow, you probably can find itsomewhere.
I can find it if you guys wantto see it.
Yeah, so we kind of celebratedopening day even though there
was no opening day.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
So it's in the book, julian.
What were those days like,though?
Because when they say we'reshutting down for two weeks, you
say, well, I'm here every dayanyway for a couple hours a day,
and I'm not leaving my momRight Now.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Three, four, five seven, eight, nine, ten, fifteen
days into it.
What are you thinking?
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Well, you know, when I think back, I wasn't I was
just doing it.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
You know, like when things happen in your life you
just do it, you just did thenext right thing Right, you just
did the next right thing.
You're like two weeks Got itRight, right and um.
So so my husband understood therelationship that I had with my
mom, so we would either talk ortext and um.
Also, for the pirates, theyshow the 79 world series, so so
we would like he would watch it.
Where he wasn't, we would watchit and you know, talk about
that and um, because that was a.
(42:48):
That's a core memory, you knowjust that's awesome in general,
but you know I I helped out.
So if there was um, there was afriend and and she's still
around.
She just turned 101 on fridayand she's in the book and so her
son and daughter-in-law hername's Rosie, and her son and
daughter-in-law knew I was goingto be in there, so I checked on
(43:10):
her every day and I would sendthem you know you had to be a
godsend for some people my gosh.
We'd play cards.
They would have bingo in thehallways, so I would be the one
paying the money to the bingo.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Oh my.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
God.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
So you're a bookie too?
Yeah, Hock-a-hock Card shark.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
Bingo, wow, wow.
And so Monday was bingo.
Tuesdays, there was a volunteerthat brought us snacks, like
she wasn't allowed in thebuilding but she would drop off
snacks to us, like donuts,cheesecake, whatever.
Wednesday they made frenchfries, so we had french fries on
(43:49):
wednesday.
Thursday, the nursing homewould buy lunch for the workers,
so they would bring me whatever.
It was, like pizza, hoagies,whatever.
And then friday was ice creamday and there was a woman who
lived next door to my mother and, um, I knew where all the
supplies were, so I her like hernightgown and some towels, and
she knew when I was coming byand I would just drop it off.
So, and I did some work while Iwas in there as well, you know,
(44:12):
taking care of my mother.
We talked about a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Was your mother aware that this was the plan by the
way when the two-week thinghappened, or were you just doing
it and kind of she didn'trealize?
No, she was aware.
I talked to her about it.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
I went in that first night, yeah, and you know,
partway through she was likethank you for being here.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Is that part of the daughter's promise?
Yes, that you promised her youweren't going to leave her.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
I promised my dad that I wasn't going to leave.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
You did yes.
You did yes when your dad wasdying my dad?
Speaker 3 (44:42):
yes.
So when my dad was um laid outin the funeral home, I wrote a
note to him and told him.
I promised him that I wouldtake care of her and, um, I
never thought about it at youknow, they never told anyone
about it.
And when I was writing the book, the editor who I was working
(45:02):
with, sue m McFarlane, said youknow where did this come from?
Like, why did you want to bethere with Evelyn?
And so I told her about thenote and she said can you share
what you said in that note?
And I was like no, that wasjust between myself and my dad.
And so I eventually shared whatwas in the note.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
So you put the note in the casket.
Speaker 3 (45:24):
Well, I handed it to the funeral director and my dad
was wearing he had a greenjacket from the Masters that we
had bought him.
Wow, the same manufacturer ofthat green jacket.
He was a golfer, so he waswearing his green jacket, oh my
gosh.
And so the funeral directortucked it in his pocket by his
heart.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Oh my gosh.
So you write this promise toyour dad that I'm not leaving
mom.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
And that was in 2015.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Yes, and then?
So it's five years later now.
Or are you of the Sibla of thefive, five kids, total of the
five kids?
Were you obviously the closestto your mom and dad?
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Yes, because I'm the youngest.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
So I spent the most time with them.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
She was a favorite too'm the youngest, so I spent
the most time with the favoritetoo definitely, yeah, definitely
.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
You spent the most time because you're but, you're
literally closest because theothers are out of town right,
but also they were older.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
So when they were all in school, I was with my
parents and then they all leftafter school and then I was with
my parents.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
So yes, wow, now how you said your mom is aware that
you're staying.
You said mom not leaving uh,the breast cancer diagnosis
happens.
How much was she throughoutthis process still, her mental
faculties was still with hermost of the time most of the
time, until probably the last,like two weeks really um yeah,
(46:42):
because she would say can we goout?
Speaker 3 (46:44):
And I would write on the board there was a whiteboard
there I would write you know,there's a pandemic, we can't go
out, and she would be like thismust be really bad.
So I mean, I think she sort ofunderstood it but didn't you
know, she would ask me like canwe go out?
And I'm like no, we.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
I mean, it was hard for me to understand.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
I mean just by those times it just couldn't
articulate it.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (47:08):
So I'm only certain that she was probably like what
is?
Speaker 1 (47:10):
happening.
She was 93.
Yeah, so you never left.
Speaker 3 (47:15):
No.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
From that day, you did not leave that nursing home.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
No, well, we went to one appointment at the hospital.
They let us go to a doctor'sappointment how far in was that?
Speaker 2 (47:29):
one time in mckee yeah, like what was that?
Like time wise, like 30 days,40 days in um, that was in april
, and what's well, I guessthere's there's a funny story to
this, anyway.
Speaker 3 (47:39):
So, uh, my husband came and picked us up and, um,
we were all masked, you know,all wearing masks, and so we
made him like, take us to biggyms and get take like we didn't
go in, but like we were likewell, I mean because it was a
nice day and so you're like justdrive around a little bit.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
You know, these people are out of here.
Yeah, wow, a little freedom,right.
What was that like to be outfor the one time?
That must have been a treat,really.
Yes, even though it was goingto a doctor's appointment.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
Right, yeah, you don't realize how much you miss
freedom when you don't have it.
You know, I mean because, evenyou know, I had a few friends
also that would bring us somemeals so I could go down.
I was on the second floor withher so I could go down and get
the meal from them and, likewhen the door would open, I'd be
like, oh my gosh, it's so nice,like the air feels so good Like
(48:33):
oh, my God.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
Right, joanne, you were there the whole, and during
this pandemic, I mean, let'sface it, there was a scare
throughout the country regardingnursing homes.
Yes, so wasn't it frighteningalmost to be in there, you know?
Speaker 3 (48:46):
what people have asked me that.
And there was only one time.
I thought that it's about 11o'clock at night and one of the
administrators shows up at thedoor and I'm thinking like, why
are you here?
And he said that one of theworkers had tested positive, but
they were great about it, likethey.
They got the worker you knowhome, they tested everyone.
(49:07):
It was on the other side of thebuilding where my mother was,
but that was the.
That was the only time.
I mean, they kept covet out thewhole time I was there, so I, I
didn't, I I don't why I wasn'tgonna leave, like I wasn't gonna
leave her.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
So I didn't it's amazing to me that you just
stayed.
It's so locked in on themoments.
It's easy to get outside andnot really focus on the presence
that you're in we want to focuson.
Well, how's the family at home?
How's my job going to be whenthis is all over with what's
going on?
I mean you're just locked in onjust hey, this is my mom.
I love her.
I made a promise, I'm going tokeep it.
(49:41):
Did that just keep you sonarrow focused?
I mean, cause that's not easyto do when you're locked in.
I mean I'd be running aroundlike crazy.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
Well, she would have done the same for me.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
So, yeah.
Well said.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
So you had a big, big , big why?
Wow?
Probably incredible, and it'sin the book each day.
But I remember reading thestory in the trib before the
book was published and it wasjust captivating just the fact
that no one else had done.
And to those of us who hadsimilar relationships with our
mom, there's nothing like amother daughter relationship.
That's over the top.
But still to appreciate so muchthe fact that that you kind of
(50:27):
made the promise to your fatherbut you weren't going to let
your mom be frightened like.
I'm going to be with you allthe time, mom.
That's my promise to you aswell.
Yeah, so there were some gooddays and bad days, I'm sure oh
sure, yeah, we, we laughed, yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Um, yeah, I mean, there was, you know, we watched
the golden girls that was ourfavorite show every day,
whatever was on.
We were watching it, yeah, and,like I said, the reruns of
pirates baseball.
Um, you know things like that.
Um, you know I could pusharound the hall a little bit
(50:59):
yeah you know, we didn't reallysee anyone else.
Um, um, yeah, I mean it.
It, it was a beautiful time.
Speaker 1 (51:07):
It's, it's it is so dying, being with a loved one
who's dying, that you're so torn, joanne, because it's it's this
feeling.
Like you, you can't get awayfrom all the emotions.
You want to be there, but thenyou don't.
You want them to passgracefully, but you don't,
because you want to keep themforever and to be there every
(51:28):
day and to watch it.
And did she progressively godown, or was it last couple of
days that she really wentdownhill.
Speaker 3 (51:36):
The last two weeks were really bad, but other than
that it wasn't.
I mean, she was still likegetting out of bed, getting
dressed.
We were, you know, going downthe hall or whatever.
Yeah, I would say probably thelast two weeks was where she was
mostly out of it.
But yeah, but she would.
I had there was a lounge chairthat I would, a recliner that I
(51:56):
pulled next to her bed Because Ihad my bed there but it wasn't
right next to her and she wouldreach for me Like she knew I was
there.
Speaker 1 (52:05):
It's comforting for her to know that you're there.
Wouldn't change anything forthe world, would you?
No, no, had to do it over again, you'd do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (52:11):
I would do the same thing and it's in the book, and
this is not my line, but I readit somewhere.
You know, she was there whenshe took her last Wow.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
A daughter's promise.
That's the way it should beReally neat.
What a story, Inspirational.
And you're a treat.
You're an absolute treat.
I know you said beforehand youwere trying to butter us up.
When you walked in here yousaid this is my favorite podcast
, even before.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
She did say it.
You don't have to say that.
She did say it.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
She was riding in on her boat and, by the way, she's
one of the few guests not sayingall of it, but she's one of the
few guests who got the doublemeaning Hold my cutter Nailed it
.
She said hold my cutter becauseof the device you cut the cigar
and the pitch.
She knew it Immediately.
That's the catcher in her.
Speaker 2 (52:55):
Yeah, absolutely Easy peasy.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Joanne, thank you so much.
Get the book A Daughter'sPromise, Jillian Harrop.
Read Heaven or On Hold myCutter.
here, just a few blocks away from pnc park burned
by rocky patel, and we've got avery special guest.
As always, we kick off, hold mycutter with the featured smoke
and it is the dark star, michaelmckenry.
Our guest, of course, joanneharrop.
There's a reason why she chosethe dark star.
Do you know why?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
it's the ship she came in on.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
She came in on the Dark Star.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yes, she did.
She parked it out in Allegheny.
I mean, you dress like this,you come in just absolutely in
your nines.
You came in on a ship.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
You got it.
She stunned.
She was not expecting that.
I don't think I was supposed toshare it?
No, maybe that was it.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
That was off the record.
That was off the record, sorry.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Rewind.
What a treat it is to haveJoanne Harrop here, who's
numerous awards, 28 years andgoing strong at the Trib, first
full-time female sports reporterfor the Trib, back in what
1997?
.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
The Freak Show year, yes, 1997.
October 14th 1997.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
But now you've done just about everything imaginable
at the Trib.
You haven't left sports,because I still see some
features regarding sports.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Correct.
I did sports for about 10 yearsfull-time.
It was really pretty much whatI covered and then I helped out
with the social scene.
So the parties and there are alot of events in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is there's a lot ofphilanthropy here in Pittsburgh
and there's some great events,so I was able to cover some of
(01:39):
those.
And then I transitioned to afeatures and fashion writer and
so currently I'm a featureswriter and I write about
everything.
I write about food, I writeabout real estate.
I do, as you said, sometimes mysports and features connect.
So I've written about thePittsburgh Steelers the annual
fashion show that they do Justcelebrated 50 years this past
(02:02):
year with that.
In terms of the Pirates, I'vecovered a lot of opening day,
where I roam the tailgates andtalk to people about you know
how they feel about the season.
I've written about some of thejust the new offerings at PNC
Park in terms of food and whatthey're going to be serving
there.
So it's kind of somethingdifferent every day and I love
(02:23):
it.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
By the way, speaking of fashion, no disrespect to any
other sports writer, but isthere a more fashionable sports
writer in Pittsburgh than JoanneHarrop?
And, by the way, our guestsreceived gift cards to David
Allen.
The showroom is right therenear you on Washington Road, so
you'll be swinging by.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
He may try to pick up that hat yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Wait, what are the hats?
Because you're known for yourhat.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Thank you.
I wear a hat every day.
I started doing it when I wascovering fashion See Bernie
every day.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
I love it.
He does A lot of connectionshere.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
McKendree and Harrop, both catchers.
She was a catcher on the Tripssoftball team and manager,
anyway, so it started when.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
When I was covering uh fashion, so uh, about 15
years ago.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
How many different hats you think you have a hat
closet or hat room?
Speaker 1 (03:26):
No, Don't lie, I wish I did.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
I actually have several hats in the backseat of
my car, just in case I need toswitch it up Throughout my house
, which is probably not the bestway.
I have a few hat boxes that Ikeep the most important hats in
A thing like a hat.
It completes the look.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's incredible, but not just the hat, what you
add to the hat, like that heartyou added.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Well, I have a lot of hat pins.
I did just add this heart forheart month.
We're in heart month.
We've got Valentine's Daycoming up on Friday, so I think
it just adds a little bit ofstyle and real.
In heart month, we gotValentine's day coming up on
Friday, so I think it just itjust adds a little bit of um
style and real quick about hats.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I mean, I don't know if you know this, Brownie, but
like you have to keep them incertain things to keep,
especially the hats you wear, my, my grandmother passed away and
we took all of her hats.
My wife looks phenomenal hats.
Love you, honey.
But you look great in hats.
How do you keep them pristine?
You keep the shape because youhave some really loud, cool hats
.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
I do.
I mean, a lot of times you haveto sort of keep them by size
and you can stack them, you canhang them and some of them, yeah
, do get crushed if I don't takegood care of them.
But I try to find a place forthem to keep them looking good.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Michael, how do you do it?
How do you keep your?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
hat so pristine, I just crush them.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
He could wear a different hat just about every
day for about a week.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yes, I could, maybe a year.
Yeah, I kind of have obsessionHoarder, a little bit hat
hoarder whatever.
Yeah, love it, I love hathoarders yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
We are going to get to the book A Daughter's Promise
, but we're here.
At Burned by Rocky Patel.
You might have written thefirst featured story, I think,
about this place when it openedup.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
I did back in 2018 because my story came out two
days before it officially opened, so there might have been some
other coverage of it.
But yes, I was in here beforeany customers were ever in here,
and it's.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Trendsetter.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Trendsetter.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Again, just saying Again, you said it.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
This was the second one in the country.
The first one is in Florida andyou know, when I walked in here
I hadn't really been in toomany cigar bars, but I've never
seen anything quite like this,and it's more.
My story was about yes, there'sbeautiful cigars here and
there's a wide range of cigars,but it's an experience when you
(05:56):
walk through the door and youknow Pittsburgh is lucky to have
something like this.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And why did they choose Pittsburgh?
You think Second City, they'rein Florida and Tampaa naples
naples is rocky's where hestarted at rocky patel, who
lives there, right, but thenhe's got one in indianapolis, uh
, oklahoma city, interestinglyenough and he opened at the
battery in atlanta, the newballpark, the braves a few years
ago when it opened up butwhat's your thoughts there?
(06:21):
Why pitts?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
When I was interviewing them, they said
that Pittsburgh is a smokingcity.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
It was known as the smoky city, smoking hot city.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
A smoking city.
Yeah, back in the US.
You know the steel days.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Leland probably made that famous right, probably yeah
.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Can I tell you something that Jim Leland told
me?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yes, you can Please, even if it's off the record.
Especially, we'd love that.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
This was one of my first years in sports and I was
at the Pirates and I can't evenremember what I was covering
because I didn't cover the teamas a beat reporter, but I've
done features and things aboutall of the major sports teams in
Pittsburgh and I had introducedmyself to him and I probably
told him you know, I'm new, Ihaven't done this before.
(07:08):
And he said to me you have toact like you've been there and
I've tried to remember that youknow, anytime I'm in a situation
where I haven't been before.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
What great advice.
What worked today?
Isn't that cool.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
That is cool she walked in like she owned the
place today, so I mean sheworked today.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And it looked like she had been here before.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
It turns out she had been I didn't realize she was
one of the first customers.
That's, miss.
Patel Nobody would have known.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I didn't know Miss Patel.
She's got a lot of hats.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Your folks loved the Pirates, didn't they?
They?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
did, and we used to come to games all the time.
There was a package that youcould get at Three River Stadium
and a lot of them were Sundaygames and my parents it was
great, they were getting olderand it was a good time to bring
them and they used to do thePizza Hut pop-up contest.
I don't know if you rememberthat, so we would be rooting for
.
They would just pull someoneout of the stands and if you
(08:09):
caught so many, I think therewere three pop-ups and if you
caught them, everyone got a freepizza hut personal pizza, so
that was something that, um, soyou'd love this michael, because
we'd set up out in shallow leftfield.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Randomly select one, and this is like usually, sund I
think, joanne, yes, it wasalways Sundays, so pretty big
crowds and they were alwaysfired up about this.
So you get the pitching machineand you'd hit these pop-ups and
you'd extend it.
Each first one was fairly easy.
Second one medium.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Just a normal fan, right.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Normal fan.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And to watch them.
Try to navigate these pop-upsway high.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
These are majorly pop-ups, but the fans went crazy
.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
If you caught it, they went nuts, Of course, if
you dropped it who the heck gotit, but it was great.
Anyway, so they love the PizzaHut pop-up.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
They love that, and my dad, well, they would watch
every game on television and mydad would watch any of the
afternoon games and then hewould watch the rerun at night
and I would come by and I'd belike Dad, you know what's going
to happen.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
But he loved it so much that he'd watch the same
game twice.
Can we bring back the pop-upLike Pizza Hut pop-up?
We can even do Pop-Tart, pop-up.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
David Cobb is saying we're going to.
Yeah, okay, good, good.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
That's going to be a new feature.
Got it.
I like that.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Actually, it would be unbelievable to bring that back
.
It would be tremendous.
I'm sure it's probablysomething to do with insurance
is why I'm guessing.
I don't know if any other teamdoes it.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
I don't know.
They raced the Flash or Freezedown in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Oh, that's a good call.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I mean, you see guys?
Speaker 1 (09:36):
blow their hamstrings and everything else no.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I was like you know, go out there, try your best,
maybe catch it, maybe don't, butyou know I'm going to leave it
all out there.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
I bet the Savannah.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Bananas do that or something like that.
What if we had McHenry be theguy that caught the pop-ups but
we had to do some kind of ahandicap where you'd be
blindfolded until it was likehalfway up there?
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Ooh, I like it.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I think we're into something I like it All right, I
want my cut of that.
Yeah, you will.
You got it, you got it Get apiece of pizza.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Joanne, have you thought about how many opening
days you've attended, either asa fan or for features and so on?
Speaker 3 (10:12):
You know a lot.
I don't have a count on them,but a friend and I from the Trib
we went to the very first gameat PNC Park and we were scalping
tickets and it took us a whileto get two tickets into it.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Did you do the first regular season game or the
exhibition game?
It was a regular season game.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
yes.
And then I've covered the homeopener for several years in
terms of, like I said, walkingthrough the parking lot talking
to fans about because it'sreally it's a great atmosphere
and everyone's generally happyon that day, so it's a great
time to be a Pirates fan onopening day.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Is there a year that sticks out for you?
Speaker 3 (10:52):
opening day-wise Excitement was maybe a little
bit different.
Well, in terms of weather, itwas last year, because we had
everything we had snow, we hadsleet, we had rain, we had sun,
we had cold.
Yes, it just we had rain, wehad sun, we had cold.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yes, we just gave you the full experience in
Pittsburgh.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Yes, Exactly that one I definitely remember.
But you know, I think you know,walking through the tailgates,
people are just so happy on thehome opener.
It's just hard to.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
There's nothing like it in sports.
There's nothing like it insports.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
There's nothing like it in sports.
This year should be special.
It will be.
It could be kind of phenomenalif Garrett Cole pitches against
Paul Skeens Juggernaut versusjuggernaut First rounder versus
first rounder.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
You know, they're going to try and set that up.
I hope so.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
That would be the.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
That would be the ticket.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
You could write a story about that, couldn't you?
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I could write a story about that you also write
stories, not about, you say, thefans, but you've written
stories about the pierogi races.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, because right after thepandemic they moved the pierogi
races to the Clemente Bridge.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
It's my dream to run in the pierogi race.
I want to be Hannah.
Personally, I want the bag.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
You need a purse In the ballpark, not on the bridge.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Either way, but that's when I first started
trying Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
And I've written about the Renegades Chris Miller
who leads that?
Group they're great.
I always say it's not openingday until the renegades have
arrived, so I think that's beenfun.
At the end of this season Iwrote about the pirates' partner
to donate any leftover foodafter every homestand.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Oh, that's nice.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Because you know a lot of times that you know it's
hard to know how many peopleyou're going to have for a
homestand and you can't.
Some of the stuff you can keepto the next homestand, but some
of it you can't.
So 412 Food Rescue.
They've donated thousands ofpounds of food.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
That's amazing, that's great, that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
And a lot of people don't know that, and the other
sports teams do that as well.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
That's cool.
In addition to stuff around theballpark and regarding the
Pirates, you do special featureson things like the new
entertainment venue which shouldbe opening up sometime in 2025.
That's correct.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
And that's right.
That's close to PNC Park.
That's going to just give fansan extra place to stop, whether
it's before a game they're goingto have a big screen TV at some
point where they can watchgames there something sold out,
or they don't have a ticket forit and and after games, and even
when there's not a game goingon.
On the north side, I mean, Ifeel like the north shore is is
(13:38):
vibrant as ever.
I mean, there's so many thingscoming and I think something
like that gives you not just uh,food.
I mean there's an experience.
There's going to be a beergarden and there's going to be
some apartments there too.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
That big screen is going to be wild.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
It kind of makes me think about college game day
yeah Right, kind of thatexperience.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Can you imagine, though, joey, if the Pirates get
back in the postseason like thewatch parties, how cool those
are going to be?
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Another thing, Dave, it'd be cool to do the pregame
out there.
I'm just saying I mean, get thefans behind us.
A lot of ideas here.
Maybe we call McAfee as a guestand again make sure.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Dwayne gets a cut of it, whatever happens.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
He's a Pittsburgher.
Yeah, that's right.
That's right, he loves.
Hold my Cutter, by the way.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
McAfee does.
Oh yeah, I'm assuming whodoesn't?
Yeah right, I mean people.
People love that.
Uh, with game day, I'm a pennstate graduate, so anytime you
know, game day has been umcovering a penn state game and
they're there all day, so itgives the fans an entire day
experience right and you knowall about that, right.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I'm sure that's probably remarkable when you
think about how fun that is forfans.
I know the kids love it.
But like I mean, you're seeing40-, 50-, 60-year-old men and
women just going nuts on thosedays.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
I know, because it is all about the experience.
Well, I feel like sports isthat one thing that connects
people of all ages and it bringspeople back to when they were
in college or when they wereyounger.
And I think you know,especially with, there's a lot
of seriousness in the world, sosometimes it's nice to have
(15:14):
something that's not so serious,although I know we take our
sports seriously.
But it's a game, they're games.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Amen, Joanne.
You grew up in Greenfield,didn't you?
Speaker 3 (15:21):
I did Greenfield girl yes.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
So you're friends with the McCarthys, mike, didn't
you Greenfield girl?
Yes, so you're friends with the.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
McCarthy's Mike.
It's an amazing family.
Um, yeah, I went to gradeschool with Mike McCarthy and
you know Greenfield there's noother place like it, and um,
there's a little bar restaurantthere.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
It's called big gyms.
I don't know if you're familiarwith it, big gym.
I don't know Big gym, but yougot to get to Big Jim's.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yes, and it's just.
You know.
There's just something aboutgrowing up in a neighborhood in
Pittsburgh and you knowPittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods,
so everyone says theirneighborhood is like the best
neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Yes, it's so confusing.
It's such great competitionamongst neighborhoods.
It's so confusing, yeah, it'sso great.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I need an appendix yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Yeah, it's so great, I need an appendix.
Yeah, it's too much.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
It's like where am I now?
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Well, that's true, and it is sometimes hard to
understand.
There's so many neighborhoodsIf you didn't grow up here.
But if you did, you understandand you have.
Your neighborhood is theneighborhood.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I mean, in Tennessee counties were state-sized so you
could be like oh live inWilliamson County, that's it.
You drive and drive, you'restill in Williamson County.
Here you go four feet.
I'm in a township, I'm in asuburb, I don't know where I am,
but I'm in.
I know I'm in Pittsburgh.
So I just say that every time.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, when Mike McCarthy, he was with the Dallas
Cowboys, and before that who'swith the Green Bay Packers, and
when they would be playing ontelevision, my mother would be
like, oh, the Greenfield Packersare playing.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
That's great.
So you adopted them.
I love it.
That's great.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yes, and in a way she was right.
So Greenfield, then Penn State.
You mentioned that Writing,always something you wanted to
do, by the way.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Well, yes, but I was derailed a little bit.
So when I was in high school Iwent to an all girls catholic
high school, sacred heart whichis in east liberty and I was the
sports editor of the newspaperbecause there were no boys there
.
So when I went to penn state andtalked to my advisor about what
I wanted to do, I said I wantto be a sports writer and, um,
(17:25):
he kind of steered me away fromthat because you know that was
okay.
I'm going to tell you it was1982.
So it was a while ago and thereweren't a lot of female sports
reporters.
I think Leslie Visser, was um,probably one of the few at that
time.
And so he suggested I get abusiness degree.
And so he suggested I get abusiness degree.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
So I got a marketing degree Smart, smart.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
So I got a job in sales and I sold office
equipment and it was just not mypassion.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Where.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
It was called Frieden Elkettel, the competitor to
Pitney Bowes In PittsburghMailing machines.
Yes, Okay.
In Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
You did that, for how long?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I did that for 10 years and I.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
I said I never liked it for 10 years.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
No, but I, I tried to stick with it cause I liked it,
cause my parents taught me tostick with something and sales
pay well.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Sales pay well.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Well, at times it did .
Speaker 2 (18:31):
So I came home one night and I told my husband.
I said I'm going to leave thisjob and I'm going to become a
sports writer.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
No, and everyone that I told that to had that same
look.
Was it like this too?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
like yes immediate it was I mean, yeah, what did he
say when you said that?
Um, he was like well, that'slike total opposite of what
you're doing, because it was youknow, and um, but he supported
me through it and he eventuallydid a career which he said I
inspired him to do.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
So trendsetter, there we go again.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Here we go again.
He was an accountant and thenhe became a teacher, so now he's
doing what he loves.
But, yeah, it took me.
It took me a while.
It took me almost two years toget hired because I didn't have
a lot of experience.
I didn't have the journalismdegree.
So at the time the Trib wasexpanding into Pittsburgh
because there was a strikebetween the press and the
Post-Gazette.
(19:12):
The press folded.
The Trib was a WestmorelandCounty-based paper.
Our publisher started bringingpapers into Pittsburgh because
people wanted a newspaper.
They wanted to hold a newspaper, and so we opened an office in
Pittsburgh and Station Squareand I went to several places and
(19:32):
said I'll just write for free,let me give me something to
write.
And the sports editor at thetime at the Trib in the high
school sports, he gave me astory to write about a
basketball player from Upper StClair and so I wrote that story
and I said I'll do any otherstory, just give me an hour's
notice, I'll get to it.
So I covered a lot of thesports that the guys didn't want
(19:53):
to cover, you know, soccer,swimming, tennis For free.
Well, not for free, like I wasgetting paid per story.
Of course that's how shestarted.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
But where did you go?
You went to different spots andsaid I'll do your stories for
free.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Where One was the Greenfield Grapevine.
Oh, there you go.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Did you do any stories for the Greenfield
Grapevine?
Speaker 3 (20:14):
I did.
I wrote for months for theGrapevine, Really yes.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
I did.
She wrote about the Packers.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Yeah yeah.
And then the Advertiser Almanac, which is a weekly paper, the
Green Tree Times.
There was a Craft and IngramTimes.
So smart you bounced aroundJoanne to all these spots, right
.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
And then you started compiling stories.
You got better.
Of course, you went along.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
She built her resume yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Ultimately.
So for a couple years you builtthese stories, and then that's
what got you into the Trib.
That's the door.
Correct Opens.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Correct opens yeah, correct.
And and the um managing editorat the trib called me in and
well, I had set up an interviewwith him saying I'm, I'm gonna
come in and I'm gonna convinceyou why you want to hire me.
So I go in and I, I, I'mtalking to him, I give him my
whole sales pitch, which I guessthere was an advantage to being
in sales, and he said and hesaid, well, I have a news
(21:02):
position if you want it.
And I said no.
I said no, I, I want sports,I've I've been.
And he said, well, can I have anews position if you want it?
And I said no.
I said I want sports, I've been.
And he said, well, can you waita few months?
There might be an opening.
I said I'll wait.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
So you knew exactly what you wanted.
You were locked in on thattarget.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
I was locked in right .
Speaker 3 (21:18):
That's awesome so about four months later he
called me in and he said he hada sports opening.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
That's what a great story to do it, to drop
everything and then to writeessentially for free for almost
two years.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Well, after having a job for 10 years.
By the way, she was a greatsaleswoman, there's no doubt
about it.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah, you're probably better than you say, but still
10 years in sales.
Did you dislike it from day onefor 10 years?
Speaker 3 (21:41):
No, I didn't dislike it from day one, but I just felt
like I wasn't passionate aboutit.
So that was because it was, youknow, when I sold someone a
piece of equipment.
It really helped them you know,make their job easier, like
there was some satisfaction inthat.
But I just you know deep in myheart this is what I wanted to
(22:02):
do.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
You seem like you probably love the people aspect
of it, but you probably love thestories that you got to hear
from them.
Oh sure, and you probablywanted to tell it.
Yes, because you just oozesomebody that wants to bring
things to light, so like that'sreally really neat.
I'm glad you followed yourpassion.
I'm glad you're here today.
Oh, thank you?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah, no problem.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Thank you for what's your favorite story that stands
out.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Well, people ask me this all the time, and it was a
story about my mother, so I hadwritten a story about living
with her in the nursing home forthose 85 days back in December
of 2020, and the story won aNational Edward R Murrow Award,
and so that will always be myfavorite story, and so that will
(22:50):
always be my favorite story,and the trib, our president
jennifer bertetto.
I don't know if you've ever mether.
I don't know if I have.
Uh, she was so invested in thestory that, um, she helped me
publish the book well to get tothat.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Uh, aside from this, we want to get into details
about a daughter's promise thebook.
But aside for, is there asports story that stands out,
maybe even?
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Well, one of the first sports stories I covered
were the powerboat races.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Oh man.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Over on the regatta.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Now, Joanne, was this before they changed it because
somebody got?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
There was a bad crash into the bank.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
So I'm like, oh, i'll'll cover that, that'll be
fun.
These boats going around theriver, and so one of the editors
at the paper was like, okay,great, but they usually crash.
So if something happens, youknow you need to call the city
desk.
And and I'm just like I'm asports writer, like I'm writing
about the the boats going around, you know well, of course, the
the first or second lap theycrashed.
And there was a gentleman whothey had to perform CPR on him
(23:50):
and I actually interviewed himlater and I said, well, can you
talk about the experience?
And he was like I feel prettygood for someone who was dead.
I was like, oh my gosh, so thatwas fun.
I covered a lot of Mary LouMews golf tournaments, so I got
to interview Michael Jordan, notin a one-on-one, but to be in
(24:13):
the same space.
And then there was one time thatBillie Jean King was coming for
a tennis exhibition out ofMonroeville and I was at my desk
and I'm in the sportsdepartment with all the guys and
so I pick up my phone and ofcourse I say Billie Jean, so
nice to talk to you, and they'relike you're talking to Billie
Jean King, you're talking toBillie Jean, and I was like yes,
(24:34):
Quiet Act like you've been herebefore, right, exactly.
So, that was pretty cool, Icovered.
There was an ice skating eventat Civic Arena and there were
ice dancers there and one of thethey were couples and the male
(24:56):
had the female up in the air andhis toe got caught and he
dropped her on the ice and thatwas a.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Horrific injury.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Yeah, yeah, it was tough but she ended up being
okay.
We interviewed her the next dayand um, and, and she was okay.
Trying to think in terms, I'vegot to cover um, penn state
women's basketball when theywere really good and so they
were playing tennessee patsummit oh yeah, oh, it's the
number one coach yep yeah welland okay, so then you know, so
(25:30):
so I'm a signed ball by patsummit at home, you do casually
dropped that in there, I hadinterviewed her a couple times
and that, like the third time Isaw her, she remembered who I
was and I was like oh my goshthat's pretty neat, really cool
and umI was going into the, the arena
and there was I.
I was trying to see like wherethe entrance was and there was a
(25:51):
man who was walking out and andso I I was saying you know, I'm
with the trib, I'm covering thepenn state women against, uh,
tennessee, you know where's the?
And so you know whatever he'stelling me.
And and I was like, oh, thanksa lot, do you work here?
And he was like, yes, I'm themen's coach, he's telling me.
And I was like, oh, thanks alot, do you work here?
And he was like, yes, I'm themen's coach.
He's like, everyone knows, thewomen's coach.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
I was just, like everyone knows, the women's
coach.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
That's outstanding.
You know they're bringing aWNBA team to Nashville.
They're going to call it theSummits.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I heard that, yeah, isn't that cool, very cool.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
The Haslam family partnered with some people and
they're doing that.
It's awesome stuff.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Now you bring that up , Susie McConnell-Serio.
I covered her pretty muchthroughout her career as a coach
at Oakland Catholic when I wasat Penn State I was a senior,
she was a freshman, so I watchedher play there.
And then, when she went to theCleveland Rockers, I did a
feature story on her Rockers, Idid a feature story on her.
(26:45):
Pittsburgh has so many coolathletes both male and female.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
And writers.
I'm just saying it's been fun,it's been a blast to get to know
some of the people that havebeen around.
We've talked to some writers.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Joanne about what journalism is like these days.
You've all had to change withthe times.
Every writer has.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Explain that especially from your perspective
, because you came in as thefirst female reporter in sports
in Pittsburgh.
That was a while back.
You've done a lot of differentthings.
How has it changed for you?
That was a while back.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
You've done a lot of different things Like how has it
changed for you?
Well, I mean a lot of it is.
You know, we don't have thetrip still prints every day and
we have several weekly andmonthly publications as well.
But a lot of people don't gettheir news from the printed
paper, they get it online.
So, as reporters, we learn totake photos and a lot of times
(27:46):
it's just with our, with ourcell phone.
We shoot some video because youwant, when you get someone on to
a story, you want to engagethem and you want them to stay
on there.
So, uh, that's part of it.
And also shorter stories,because people are so used to
scrolling all day that they'regenerally not going to read a
really long story, unless it'slike the one maybe I wrote about
(28:08):
my mother.
But you know you need somethingthat's going to be succinct so
that people will get through it,and we have the ability to know
how many people have read astory and how long they've
stayed on the story.
So we get these analytics andyou can tell tell like what
stories people engage in.
(28:29):
And you know the sports storiesalways do well, because it's not
just people in Pittsburghreading the sports stories
they're.
You know, all over the worldPeople follow sports.
But I think that's part of it.
Another part of it is, you know, sometimes people don't want to
talk to the media, they don'twant to give their name, they
(28:49):
don't want to give their opinion, they don't want to tell you
what township, which of the 90neighborhoods they live in.
Why do you?
Speaker 2 (28:56):
think that is.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
I think just people are more and part of it.
I understand people don't wantall this information out there,
although it is easy to get a lotof information because, you
know, with the Internet.
I think that's part of it me,because most of the stories I do
(29:28):
are positive, nice stories.
I'm not doing a biginvestigative piece where I can
see where sometimes people mightbe a little bit less leery,
more leery about talking to themedia.
But you know, it's just youhave to.
You have to respect the personthat you're talking to.
So so if I'm interviewing youand you just say I'd rather not
use my name, okay, great, I, Irespect that, I appreciate it.
I move on Like you, can't youknow?
(29:49):
Before it used to be like comeon, craig, like you know.
But no, that's not the way todo it.
To build the trust, yeah, youhave to do that, of course.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Do you think that your job, though, has changed,
in terms of how you interviewsomeone, you present.
Interview someone, you presentthe story.
That's not changed because ofthe internet and the fact that
this newspaper is not printed.
Right, that, really hasn'tchanged much.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
No.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
You have to be more involved in social media, though
, don't you, than ever before.
That is correct.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Because that's how a lot of times, that's how we get
people for our stories, we putsomething out there or we
promote a story that way becausethat's where people are seeing
it.
So, yes, that, and you mentionedtrust, trust, a lot of it is
building trust with the personthat you're interviewing and, um
, the relationship.
I mean there are people that Ihave known, for it'll be 28
years in october, so they mightcall me with a tip or they might
(30:38):
be like, okay, I'll talk to herbecause I've talked to her
before and, um, you know she'squoted me the right way.
I mean that's, that's veryimportant and you know, I think
you know she's quoted me theright way.
I mean that's very importantand you know, I think you know
most journalists in this townare really professional and I
just think sometimes otherpeople create a situation where
it's not good for us journalists.
(30:59):
But you know, I thinkPittsburgh we have a lot of
really talented journalists whoappreciate the profession and do
it well.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
How do you decide what story to pursue, because
you've touched so many differentlanes?
I mean you're on a six-lanehighway changing lanes.
Which lane do you stay in andhow do you decide?
Speaker 3 (31:19):
That's a very good question.
Once a week I meet with myeditor and I give her some
suggestions of stories that Iwant to do.
She will offer up stories thatshe thinks you know might be
good to do.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
How do you find those stories by chance?
Well a little research research.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Like you say, social media I might see burned by
Rocky Patel is opening in twoyears or one year or six months
or whatever, and so I'll putthat on my list and and talk to
her about it.
We, um, there are our publicrelations people, media
relations people that will sendus, you know, an email come
tuesday afternoon.
This is what you're gonna learnabout what's new at pnc park
(31:58):
this year.
So some of the things peoplesend to us, some of them we find
and you know some of them.
I just think you know it wouldbe really cool to know a
particular thing, and so I justsay, hey, let's like do it, and
usually she's pretty open tothat, so I think that helps.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Do you or did you look up to any writer, or
writers in particular that youreally are fond of that, their
style, or because you started insales in so many years?
It's not like you grew upemulating these writers really.
You almost forged your ownstyle and so forth.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Did you write at all during those 10 years, like just
as a hobby?
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Yes, I like to keep a journal and things like that.
I think I recommend all peopleshould keep some type of journal
, just sort of writing downthoughts, which is how the book
came about, because I hadjournal entries that I had
written while I was in thenursing home.
But I'm trying to think, yeah,in terms of you know, the Trib
has always had really reallygood journalists when I was in
(33:05):
sports, Jerry Deerry depala Idon't know if you follow his
absolutely I mean, he's beenaround a long time and you know
I've I worked for him for awhile and when I was in high
school sports, and you know,just watching someone like him
and the way he handles himselflove that, I love.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
He's such a good man.
So down to earth he's a good.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he sure is,yep.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
He is for sure.
And the photojournalists.
I mean we have had some greatphotojournalists over the year
and we still do, and I kind of,when I'm with them, I kind of
see how they shoot something,and so if I'm on my own.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
So intriguing to me, so intriguing that end with it.
I love that you call it whatphoto journalists?
Yeah, yeah, I love the factthat you said that, because
they're telling a story in adifferent way.
It's so cool.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
The thing is, if you have a picture and you know, I
know I'm a word person, but alot of times a picture tells the
story.
You don't need any words to gowith it.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Do.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Picture tells the story, you don't need any words
to go with it.
Do you pick the picture to yourstory?
Um, I do not, I mean, unless Itake my own photos, but um,
generally the photo journalistswill go through and edit I love
that and choose what they, youknow, what they think, you know
we'll have discussions about it,like, okay, I'm working on this
particular project and you knowwe'll meet about it.
I did um one of our journalists, uh, louis Rudiger, if you've
(34:26):
seen any of his.
We worked on this story.
We interviewed five people, whowere 100.
Don't look at me.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
I got a ways to go, bro.
Do you see him?
Look at me, Joanne he does allthe time.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
What do you think like?
Speaker 1 (34:41):
tomorrow.
I did see that Jeez.
Anyway, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I know it's like a couple weeks Anyway, Joanne.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
So you have five people that were turning 100.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Yeah, that were 100.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
That were 100.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
And were doing something Like the one was
working at McDonald's.
Wow, one does a-.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
The Century Club.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
It's a century club.
It's a century club.
One will jump on an onlinemeeting.
Another one was still drivingand we spent time with these
people who are amazing, but whenyou're talking to someone who's
100, they only have a smallerspan that you can interview them
(35:23):
or get a good photo.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Yeah, they don't have a lot of time Between naps and
right.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
yeah, I mean one of them's driving one's on, yeah,
on a zoom yeah, kidding me thatthat's true I know, I know, I
mean these, these.
They were, they were amazingyeah, that's cool.
The other one's writing code,no big deal wow, that's crazy,
but I mean, that was where.
So when we do projects likethat, we work, work together,
you know, with an editor, with aphotojournalist myself, and
(35:48):
that's really where you get thebest stories.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
Do you need to know what is going to be published as
a picture?
Because you said sometimes youdon't need the words, a picture
tells the story.
Well, if there's a picture,don't you need to see the
picture first before you writethe story, because you don't
want to overdo it, or does itmatter?
No, there's a good, right,there's sort of a good
(36:14):
complimenting, like the photoshould compliment the story.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
So right, yes, a lot of times if you do the homework
ahead of time, then you're kindof both on the same page.
But sometimes you'll go to astory and you'll think
something's going to happen andthen something totally different
happens, and then it changesboth the photos and the story.
So you have to be open to thatas well.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Well, you mentioned, we've got the book A Daughter's
Promise.
It's a phenomenal book.
It's a phenomenal story, buthow it all came to be, let's go
back to 2020, covid-19.
How old was your mom at thetime?
Speaker 3 (36:46):
My mom was 93 at the time.
Yes, Evelyn, yes.
So she had been in this nursinghome for four years prior and I
had visited her every day.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Every day, every day.
For how many years?
For four years?
And how far do you live, or didyou?
Speaker 3 (37:01):
live.
I lived about 17 minutes away,so it wasn't that far.
Every day, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
The same time every day.
How long did you stay every day?
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Well, like if I was working after work and if it was
the weekends, any time duringthe weekend, and I stayed a lot
because when she first went inshe had broken her hip and so
she wasn't doing well and Iwasn't sure she was going to
make it.
So I stayed, and at the nursinghome they had these windowsills
that they had these like paddedpillows on.
(37:31):
I don't know if you've seenthat before.
So I was sleeping on thewindowsill and one of the nurses
came in and she's like youcan't sleep on the windowsill,
and I was like well, I'm notleaving her.
So they brought me a bed, so Ihad my own bed and um, so I'd
stayed several times duringthose four years.
Any siblings?
I have four siblings.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
They all live out of state uh-huh, so you took it
upon yourself.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Of course, the local one that you were gonna okay,
right and um, and I had you hadmentioned my dad.
Well, I also took care of mydad.
Who, who was 93, and I wouldtake him to.
Who was a veteran right.
World War II veteran World.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
War II.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
D-Day veteran.
How about that?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Some incredible pictures.
Man Kind of did some internetstalking.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Yes, and he had been on dialysis two and a half years
and I took him every week fordialysis.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
How many years years prior to that, to to your mother
going into the nursing home,was this happening?
Speaker 1 (38:27):
well, 2004, my mom had a stroke so I've been caring
for her from 2004, so whatabout your dad?
Speaker 3 (38:32):
what years he um he?
2013, 2013 which is a big yeahum yeah, he's 30, went on
dialysis so I was kind of takingthey were living in an assisted
living facility so it was, Iwasn't there every day, then but
um, so the nursing home had ameeting, because everyone was
(38:52):
talking about we're going toshut down for two weeks, and at
this meeting, someone brought upI'm not sure who it was.
You know, what are we going todo with Joanne?
She's here every day, and sothe CEO.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
How many people in the nursing home?
I'm going to jump in thesequestions before I forget.
How many people do you think?
How many residents?
Speaker 3 (39:07):
We're living well, probably at the time, maybe
about 60 or 70.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Okay, and how much of a heads up.
Like they're saying they'reshutting down for two weeks.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Yeah, is it pretty immediate?
Yeah, well, I had about twoweeks notice so that the ceo of
the nursing home said we'll askher if she wants to stay, but if
she stays she can't leave.
So the director of nursing cameto me and said here's what
we're going to do.
We're going to be shutting downfor two weeks.
You can stay with evelyn, butyou can't leave.
And I said I'm in.
This is covid hits, so twoweeks yeah, so I moved in on
(39:39):
march 13 2020 two weeks later wewere still in there yeah,
that's the thing they said, twoweeks, but right, nobody knew
right.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Two weeks times, correct times, two times right,
I mean no, yeah, no one no oneknew and um, in April of that
year.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Um, my mom, I could tell like something wasn't right
with her.
We weren't really sure what itwas, and so one of her doctors
came in and they did allow for,um, uh, a test to be done in the
nursing home.
So they brought in, they did atest on her and she was
diagnosed with breast cancer andit was an aggressive form of
breast cancer and um, so I wasglad that I was there, because
(40:22):
she died on June 5th 2020.
So I was there 84 days.
That was the 84th day and thedirect the, the nurse who was in
charge, came in and said um,you can leave, but if you leave,
you can't take the stuff.
You can take the stuff, but Ihadn't packed anything up.
She said but you can't comeback and get it.
We'll pack it up for youbecause it was COVID, she said,
(40:44):
or you can stay.
So I stayed in the nursing homeone night by myself.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
The day after your mom died you stayed an extra day
.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
I slept in her bed.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
You mentioned you were keeping a daily diary.
At what point did you say no,this is a story.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Well, that comes back to being around journalists.
So my editor at the time, benSchmidt I don't know if you've
ever I don't think so.
I was telling it, it was likethe first week in there and I
was still writing some stories,just interviewing people on the
phone, and I said somethingabout something in the nursing
home and he said, are youwriting all this down?
(41:22):
And I was like like well, Iwasn't really.
I, I don't know, he's like youshould write this down.
So from that day I just wrotesomething every day and I took
pictures and videos because wewere, you know, because I'm a
journalist and I would be like,oh, that's a photo op right
there and, um, in regards to thepirates, opening day was, was,
obviously was.
There was no opening day thatyear, but we shot a video in the
(41:43):
nursing home of the residentsseeing Take Me Out to the
Ballgame.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
And it's gotten over 7,000 views.
Wow, you probably can find itsomewhere.
I can find it if you guys wantto see it.
Yeah, so we kind of celebratedopening day even though there
was no opening day.
Speaker 1 (41:58):
So it's in the book, julian.
What were those days like,though?
Because when they say we'reshutting down for two weeks, you
say, well, I'm here every dayanyway for a couple hours a day,
and I'm not leaving my momRight Now.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Three, four, five seven, eight, nine, ten, fifteen
days into it.
What are you thinking?
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Well, you know, when I think back, I wasn't I was
just doing it.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
You know, like when things happen in your life you
just do it, you just did thenext right thing Right, you just
did the next right thing.
You're like two weeks Got itRight, right and um.
So so my husband understood therelationship that I had with my
mom, so we would either talk ortext and um.
Also, for the pirates, theyshow the 79 world series, so so
we would like he would watch it.
Where he wasn't, we would watchit and you know, talk about
that and um, because that was a.
(42:48):
That's a core memory, you knowjust that's awesome in general,
but you know I I helped out.
So if there was um, there was afriend and and she's still
around.
She just turned 101 on fridayand she's in the book and so her
son and daughter-in-law hername's Rosie, and her son and
daughter-in-law knew I was goingto be in there, so I checked on
(43:10):
her every day and I would sendthem you know you had to be a
godsend for some people my gosh.
We'd play cards.
They would have bingo in thehallways, so I would be the one
paying the money to the bingo.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Oh my.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
God.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
So you're a bookie too?
Yeah, Hock-a-hock Card shark.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
Bingo, wow, wow.
And so Monday was bingo.
Tuesdays, there was a volunteerthat brought us snacks, like
she wasn't allowed in thebuilding but she would drop off
snacks to us, like donuts,cheesecake, whatever.
Wednesday they made frenchfries, so we had french fries on
(43:49):
wednesday.
Thursday, the nursing homewould buy lunch for the workers,
so they would bring me whatever.
It was, like pizza, hoagies,whatever.
And then friday was ice creamday and there was a woman who
lived next door to my mother and, um, I knew where all the
supplies were, so I her like hernightgown and some towels, and
she knew when I was coming byand I would just drop it off.
So, and I did some work while Iwas in there as well, you know,
(44:12):
taking care of my mother.
We talked about a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Was your mother aware that this was the plan by the
way when the two-week thinghappened, or were you just doing
it and kind of she didn'trealize?
No, she was aware.
I talked to her about it.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
I went in that first night, yeah, and you know,
partway through she was likethank you for being here.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
Is that part of the daughter's promise?
Yes, that you promised her youweren't going to leave her.
Speaker 3 (44:37):
I promised my dad that I wasn't going to leave.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
You did yes.
You did yes when your dad wasdying my dad?
Speaker 3 (44:42):
yes.
So when my dad was um laid outin the funeral home, I wrote a
note to him and told him.
I promised him that I wouldtake care of her and, um, I
never thought about it at youknow, they never told anyone
about it.
And when I was writing the book, the editor who I was working
(45:02):
with, sue m McFarlane, said youknow where did this come from?
Like, why did you want to bethere with Evelyn?
And so I told her about thenote and she said can you share
what you said in that note?
And I was like no, that wasjust between myself and my dad.
And so I eventually shared whatwas in the note.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
So you put the note in the casket.
Speaker 3 (45:24):
Well, I handed it to the funeral director and my dad
was wearing he had a greenjacket from the Masters that we
had bought him.
Wow, the same manufacturer ofthat green jacket.
He was a golfer, so he waswearing his green jacket, oh my
gosh.
And so the funeral directortucked it in his pocket by his
heart.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
Oh my gosh.
So you write this promise toyour dad that I'm not leaving
mom.
Speaker 3 (45:48):
And that was in 2015.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Yes, and then?
So it's five years later now.
Or are you of the Sibla of thefive, five kids, total of the
five kids?
Were you obviously the closestto your mom and dad?
Speaker 3 (46:00):
Yes, because I'm the youngest.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
So I spent the most time with them.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
She was a favorite too'm the youngest, so I spent
the most time with the favoritetoo definitely, yeah, definitely
.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
You spent the most time because you're but, you're
literally closest because theothers are out of town right,
but also they were older.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
So when they were all in school, I was with my
parents and then they all leftafter school and then I was with
my parents.
Speaker 1 (46:19):
So yes, wow, now how you said your mom is aware that
you're staying.
You said mom not leaving uh,the breast cancer diagnosis
happens.
How much was she throughoutthis process still, her mental
faculties was still with hermost of the time most of the
time, until probably the last,like two weeks really um yeah,
(46:42):
because she would say can we goout?
Speaker 3 (46:44):
And I would write on the board there was a whiteboard
there I would write you know,there's a pandemic, we can't go
out, and she would be like thismust be really bad.
So I mean, I think she sort ofunderstood it but didn't you
know, she would ask me like canwe go out?
And I'm like no, we.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
I mean, it was hard for me to understand.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
I mean just by those times it just couldn't
articulate it.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (47:08):
So I'm only certain that she was probably like what
is?
Speaker 1 (47:10):
happening.
She was 93.
Yeah, so you never left.
Speaker 3 (47:15):
No.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
From that day, you did not leave that nursing home.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
No, well, we went to one appointment at the hospital.
They let us go to a doctor'sappointment how far in was that?
Speaker 2 (47:29):
one time in mckee yeah, like what was that?
Like time wise, like 30 days,40 days in um, that was in april
, and what's well, I guessthere's there's a funny story to
this, anyway.
Speaker 3 (47:39):
So, uh, my husband came and picked us up and, um,
we were all masked, you know,all wearing masks, and so we
made him like, take us to biggyms and get take like we didn't
go in, but like we were likewell, I mean because it was a
nice day and so you're like justdrive around a little bit.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
You know, these people are out of here.
Yeah, wow, a little freedom,right.
What was that like to be outfor the one time?
That must have been a treat,really.
Yes, even though it was goingto a doctor's appointment.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
Right, yeah, you don't realize how much you miss
freedom when you don't have it.
You know, I mean because, evenyou know, I had a few friends
also that would bring us somemeals so I could go down.
I was on the second floor withher so I could go down and get
the meal from them and, likewhen the door would open, I'd be
like, oh my gosh, it's so nice,like the air feels so good Like
(48:33):
oh, my God.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
Right, joanne, you were there the whole, and during
this pandemic, I mean, let'sface it, there was a scare
throughout the country regardingnursing homes.
Yes, so wasn't it frighteningalmost to be in there, you know?
Speaker 3 (48:46):
what people have asked me that.
And there was only one time.
I thought that it's about 11o'clock at night and one of the
administrators shows up at thedoor and I'm thinking like, why
are you here?
And he said that one of theworkers had tested positive, but
they were great about it, likethey.
They got the worker you knowhome, they tested everyone.
(49:07):
It was on the other side of thebuilding where my mother was,
but that was the.
That was the only time.
I mean, they kept covet out thewhole time I was there, so I, I
didn't, I I don't why I wasn'tgonna leave, like I wasn't gonna
leave her.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
So I didn't it's amazing to me that you just
stayed.
It's so locked in on themoments.
It's easy to get outside andnot really focus on the presence
that you're in we want to focuson.
Well, how's the family at home?
How's my job going to be whenthis is all over with what's
going on?
I mean you're just locked in onjust hey, this is my mom.
I love her.
I made a promise, I'm going tokeep it.
(49:41):
Did that just keep you sonarrow focused?
I mean, cause that's not easyto do when you're locked in.
I mean I'd be running aroundlike crazy.
Speaker 3 (49:50):
Well, she would have done the same for me.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
So, yeah.
Well said.
Speaker 1 (50:01):
So you had a big, big , big why?
Wow?
Probably incredible, and it'sin the book each day.
But I remember reading thestory in the trib before the
book was published and it wasjust captivating just the fact
that no one else had done.
And to those of us who hadsimilar relationships with our
mom, there's nothing like amother daughter relationship.
That's over the top.
But still to appreciate so muchthe fact that that you kind of
(50:27):
made the promise to your fatherbut you weren't going to let
your mom be frightened like.
I'm going to be with you allthe time, mom.
That's my promise to you aswell.
Yeah, so there were some gooddays and bad days, I'm sure oh
sure, yeah, we, we laughed, yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Um, yeah, I mean, there was, you know, we watched
the golden girls that was ourfavorite show every day,
whatever was on.
We were watching it, yeah, and,like I said, the reruns of
pirates baseball.
Um, you know things like that.
Um, you know I could pusharound the hall a little bit
(50:59):
yeah you know, we didn't reallysee anyone else.
Um, um, yeah, I mean it.
It, it was a beautiful time.
Speaker 1 (51:07):
It's, it's it is so dying, being with a loved one
who's dying, that you're so torn, joanne, because it's it's this
feeling.
Like you, you can't get awayfrom all the emotions.
You want to be there, but thenyou don't.
You want them to passgracefully, but you don't,
because you want to keep themforever and to be there every
(51:28):
day and to watch it.
And did she progressively godown, or was it last couple of
days that she really wentdownhill.
Speaker 3 (51:36):
The last two weeks were really bad, but other than
that it wasn't.
I mean, she was still likegetting out of bed, getting
dressed.
We were, you know, going downthe hall or whatever.
Yeah, I would say probably thelast two weeks was where she was
mostly out of it.
But yeah, but she would.
I had there was a lounge chairthat I would, a recliner that I
(51:56):
pulled next to her bed Because Ihad my bed there but it wasn't
right next to her and she wouldreach for me Like she knew I was
there.
Speaker 1 (52:05):
It's comforting for her to know that you're there.
Wouldn't change anything forthe world, would you?
No, no, had to do it over again, you'd do the same thing.
Speaker 3 (52:11):
I would do the same thing and it's in the book, and
this is not my line, but I readit somewhere.
You know, she was there whenshe took her last Wow.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
A daughter's promise.
That's the way it should beReally neat.
What a story, Inspirational.
And you're a treat.
You're an absolute treat.
I know you said beforehand youwere trying to butter us up.
When you walked in here yousaid this is my favorite podcast
, even before.
Speaker 2 (52:36):
She did say it.
You don't have to say that.
She did say it.
Speaker 1 (52:38):
She was riding in on her boat and, by the way, she's
one of the few guests not sayingall of it, but she's one of the
few guests who got the doublemeaning Hold my cutter Nailed it
.
She said hold my cutter becauseof the device you cut the cigar
and the pitch.
She knew it Immediately.
That's the catcher in her.
Speaker 2 (52:55):
Yeah, absolutely Easy peasy.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Joanne, thank you so much.
Get the book A Daughter'sPromise, Jillian Harrop.
Read Heaven or On Hold myCutter.
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