Don Cassetori, right, along with myself at the Credit One Charleston Open this past week. Cassetori, a former native and resident of Exeter has moved to Charleston to love closer to his daughter Dominique.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Former Wyoming Area grad, Mike Saia, was spotted in the bleachers of the Credit One Charleston Open this past week. Saia, a former employee of the tennis venue, current works for the Charleston Water System as a Public Information Administrator.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
CHARLESTON, SC – It seems no matter where you travel in the United States, you eventually run into people that either live in Northeastern PA or used to live in Northeastern PA.
Charleston is a great city with flair of the old south but with a modern feel.
The city is at the ocean’s edge with some great beaches, great restaurants and shops. If you’re looking for an education, the College of Charleston would be a good choice and if you’re a future physician, you can attend the Medical College of Charleston or if the military is more your liking, you can attend The Citadel Military College.
If you are an outdoorsy person, you can find plenty of walking trails, the beaches as mentioned or if you like boating, you’d be in heaven.
You can take in plenty of college sporting events or professional soccer, rugby or catch a Charleston RiverDogs baseball game to attend.
There are plenty of venues for concerts including the newly renovated Credit One Stadium at Daniel Island, also the home of the Charleston Open, the oldest women-only professional tennis tournament.
The Charleston Open has been my home away from home since 2007 when I was invited to work for the venue during the then Family Circle Cup tennis tournament held every April.
The tournament has taken on a few identities in the last few years prior to the Credit One Charleston Open. Volvo built a huge assembly plant in the Charleston area so they sponsored the tournament calling it The Volvo Car Open for a few years.
No matter what you call the tournament, it hosts the world’s top tennis players each year with a long illustrious list of winners including Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf and many more.
For me, being in Charleston is like having a home away from home; in fact, I know plenty of people that have relocated to Charleston over the years.
My old neighbor, Mike Saia, who was responsible for hiring me at my first Family Circle Cup tournament, has been here since the early to mid-2000s. His wife Danielle is also a native of Wyoming Valley.
Don Cassetori, a great tennis player, coach and teacher, a lifelong resident of Exeter, sold his home and relocated to the Charleston area where is daughter Dominique has been living and working as a chiropractor for many years.
Don is a retired Wyoming Area schoolteacher with deep lines to Greater Pittston.
Mike’s father and mother still reside in Greater Pittston as well as Mike’s wife’s family.
While working at the Charleston Open this past week, I was exiting the Media Center when I turned and saw Cassetori sitting on the base of one of the stadium’s bleacher posts.
It was a surreal moment for me and maybe him too, but the coincidence of running in to him at such a random moment, was crazy.
I decided to get back out to cover a court match and he just decided to take a rest at the very same time.
Saia, on the other hand, was just as happenstance. I entered the venue after going through security and began to walk to the Media Center. A few hundred people were milling around the open space at the entrance when there he was, just standing talking to a friend of his.
Running into both men felt like we all see each other on a daily basis. It’s hard to explain, but I was certainly glad to see familiar faces from back home.
When in Charleston or at the tournament, I’m always keeping my eyes peeled to see if I could find someone from back home.
The world, indeed, is getting smaller and smaller by the day.
