Editor’s note: As Nevada County prepares to celebrate the third annual Italian Festival at Western Gateway Park in Penn Valley, Valentina Parkman shares a bit of her own Italian heritage with The Union. On Aug. 8, 1920, Mama left her hometown of Piegaio (Lucca), arriving in the United States nearly a month later on Sept. 2, stopping at Ellis Island for three nights and a day. The trip was a difficult experience for many reasons. Mama had the responsibility of her 16-year-old sister and 18-year-old brother. In those days, 18-year-old men were to have served in the army, and this …