Years back, Joe Testa searched for work, and his cousin Tony DeLuca guided his path into the carpentry business by offering him a job and teaching him the basics of carpentry. In 1972, Testa branched out with his own business, Joe Testa Carpentry. Forty years later, Testa, 64, is still busy building, but now alongside his son, Corey Testa. The Testas work on anything related to the home industry, from putting in foundations, building houses and additions, to home repairs. In a recent interview, Joe Testa reflected on how demand has changed over the decades, as well as experiences in dealing …

The lights went off at Charlie's Mini-Mart about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. They flickered, and then went. And Charlie Giokas, owner of the convenience store, knew he would go without for awhile. His wife, at home, listening to a police scanner, was telling him wires and trees were coming down all over Milford. "I heard, it's like a catastrophe out there," he said Tuesday, recalling Irene, who arrived in Milford as a tropical storm. Charlie's had the power back on by Wednesday morning, but for three days, Giokas kept his shop open by being resourceful. In an interview Tuesday, before the power came …

Selling vintage items on eBay since 2004, Kathy D'Amato acquired quite an inventory of unique pieces. She now sells antique, vintage, and new collectibles at D'Amato's Upscale Resale since May, when the store opened. Also busy performing estate sales with her husband and continuing her work on eBay, selling and pricing collectibles has become an enveloping lifestyle for D'Amato. The store has three dealers who rent out space, each with their own personal style and design. The pieces range from costume jewelry to bureaus from the 1800s.    How did you get into the business? I actually started …

Milford resident Maria C. Forte has been cooking traditional Italian cuisine since she was young. Born and raised in Castelvetere in Campania, Italy, she studied the trade there. She started her catering service Catering Con Classe in 1993, and operated that business and her four star restaurant Cafe Italiano from 1997 until 2009, when her businesses had to close due to the worsening economy. In 2010, Forte shifted focus and now tailors meals for customers at their houses or at special events as the Tailored Chef, delivering traditional Italian cooking to their plates. What inspired you to …

The sun comes out, and many people head to the pool to take a dip as an escape from the heat. At Fino Field Memorial Pool, Joshua Monica, 20, keeps tabs on residents as they wade and tread through the waters.   Can you describe a typical day lifeguarding at Fino Field Pool? We get here at 11 a.m. We set up the buoys and then we get the trash out. We just set it up for the public. An hour later we let the public in the pool. We go in shifts, 45-minute shifts. We guard for 45 minutes and then rest for 15. We do that until six o’clock, and then we close.  What are the pool’s rules that you have …

Nathan Dion, 35, classroom and driving instructor for Labonte’s Auto School, is often travelling the roads of Milford to teach students not only how to drive, but how to recognize the tricky spots. For the past nine years, Dion has taught students the fundamentals and techniques of driving. Labonte’s Auto School has offices in several towns in southeastern Massachusetts, including Milford.   What do you teach students in the first lessons? The first lesson, we go over the instrument controls, getting to know the vehicle. Also, a lot of kids don’t actually believe there are blind-spots. Blind-…

About seven years ago, April Liscombe listened to her grandson mention that his friend could not have a dog because his parents worked. The comment, along with her love for dogs, sparked an idea to start a day care business for dogs: Lucky Dogs Dog Daycare.  “I thought that wouldn’t it be ideal if people could have dogs, still have their jobs, and not have to worry about how they were cared for during the day?" Liscombe said. Now, Liscombe, 57, helps dogs stay active, while their owners are working at their jobs. The business is at 80 Sumner St. Are there challenges to keeping a lot of dogs …

After being raised as a child at Spallone & Son, Rosalie Morrison, 46, continues to thread together a business that originally started as a tailor shop. Her father, Umberto Spallone, began the business, and over the years expanded it into a full men’s clothing store. Her brother Joseph Spallone, 49, and their mother Velia Spallone, 75, also run the business.  How did the business start? 1965 is the year when I happened to be born. My parents came here. My father clearly didn’t have his license yet, so he would get a ride to Natick everyday and work at Sears Roebuck as a tailor. Then he …

Francis Iacovelli was just 19 years old when he established Francis Flowers in 1949.  His mother, who owned a small grocery store in Milford, helped set him up in the business. Over the years his wife, Tess, and many of their family have worked in the business. His daughter, Patrice, worked at Francis Flowers when she was growing up. After living the city life in Manhattan, she has returned full-time for the past eight years to help the family business continue to blossom.    When is your busiest season or holiday? I’d say the two busiest holidays are Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. …

Rochelle Thomson, 35, Milford's Animal Control Officer since 1995, has a passion for saving and working with animals. She rescued her two dogs, Frank and Bean. She saved Frank from a high-kill shelter in Mississippi. Bean was a stray she discovered off Asylum Street in Milford, who she nursed back from pneumonia, broken bones, and bites. While the office building has a kennel for dogs, Thomson tends to all kinds of animals as part of her job. What are your daily tasks? A variety of things: clean the dogs that we pick up, answer any of the calls that come in from the residents. It could be …

At the beginning of 2011, when many people were sifting through New Year’s resolutions they may or may not have ended up fulfilling, Bobby Capuzziello took a leap and opened up Cappy Cakes, an ice-cream cake business. Capuzziello looked back on his experiences with his brother in the mid-80s, operating Mondaes, an ice cream shop, in scoping out a plan for the business. Capuzziello, 54, runs the business exclusively from his home.   Is Cappy Cakes a new business?  How did you come up with the idea? I started at the beginning of the year. I was in the ice cream business prior to this back in …