Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Numbers game
Season 3 of Tasty Talks rocks Yangming with a standing ovation for Sue Serio
The famous faces of Fox 29 News – Mike Jerrick, Karen Hepp, Bob Kelly, and Tom Drayton – lit up the Yangming banquet room on Wednesday, September 25 to hear their colleague Sue Serio wow the sold-out audience. Tasty Talks host Michelle Leonard welcomed a star-studded guest list, including Tasty Talks alumni and WXTU radio host Nicole Michalik, legendary WIP sports radio host Paul “Jolly” Jolovitz, 8-time Emmy award-winning journalist LuAnn Cahn, former White House correspondent Ronica Cleary, and celebrated former Fox 29 sports anchor - and Sue’s husband - Bill Vargus.
Sue described meeting Bill at a bad time in his life. His marriage had ended, he was downsized out of his sports reporter job at TV12, and he was living with his mother. As he stood in his bank after just learning that his wife had cleared out his account, he heard a voice on the radio: “Hi, I’m Sue Serio. Do you have varicose veins?” Bill called me that day and we met that night for a drink. It was our first date… all because of varicose veins. After he proposed, I confessed to him that as I was lying in my lonely bed at night, I never did say “Oh dear Lord, please bring me a married, unemployed black man.”
Sue distilled her life into a witty set of significant numbers. Here are a few highlights:
On motherhood. “Three was my daughter’s age, she was three months old when we left Buffalo. My daughter grew up on Good Day Philadelphia. Mike Jerrick was anchoring on her first day of school. She’s out of college now, but to this day, people still stop her on the street and say, “I remember your first day.”
On long hours. “Three was also the number of hours Good Day Philadelphia was on the air when I started in 1997. Six is the number of hours that we’re on the air today - from 4 am until ten. Which may explain why we’re really punchy now. I think the only reason I’m still there after 22 years is because I still laugh at Mike Jerrick’s jokes.”
On looking good: “And eight thousand is the number of times I’ve been told: “You look sooo much better in person.”
On supporting the Alzheimer’s Association. “Five is the number of general managers I’ve had at Fox 29. Seven is the number of Fox 29 news directors I’ve had. Even so, twenty is the number of years that Fox 29 has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association. On Sunday, November 10 at Citizens Bank Park, we’re the presenting sponsor of the nation’s biggest Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Every year when I stand on that stage and look out at that sea of people, it fills me with hope that one day I will be at that microphone saying, “Guess what? We have a cure.” I can’t wait.”
Tasty Talks host Michelle Leonard was delighted with her choice of Serio, who clearly enchanted the audience with her sparkling personality and humorous stories of the ups and downs of weather reporting. “Sue is a real high-quality speaker,” added Realtor Leonard.
On Wednesday, October 30th at 12:30 pm. PHL17 Morning News anchor Nick Foley will share his story of a career that took him from covering sports in Florida and Altoona PA to advocating for local communities on WAFB in Baton Rouge and anchoring Good Day Cleveland. For his Tasty Talk charity beneficiary, Nick has chosen the Foundation Fighting Blindness.
The event is only $25 a person ($30 at the door, if seats are available) which covers hors d’oeuvres, a wonderful family-style lunch, dessert, tax and tip, and your charity donation. Hors d’oeuvres begin at 12:30 pm, followed by lunch and Nick’s Tasty Talk.
Yangming is located at the corner of County Line and Conestoga Roads. Please reserve your seats via credit card by calling 610-527-3200, or reserve via PayPal at yangmingrestaurant.com.