Italian Americans, food and the Thanksgiving holiday
Those who enjoy reading this column seem to have dual goals: nostalgia, reminiscing about the days and times of youth, and also to gather information about the way things were when grandparents or parents lived in Wooster Square. You see, for some, family history remains fragmented or unknown. Those who are now seeking DNA-based documentation are a...
Norwich to rededicate former Columbus statue as Italian Heritage Monument in Saturday ceremony
The Italian Heritage Monument in Norwich is going to be rededicated during a ceremony on Saturday. Members of city’s the Italian community erected it 18 years ago and now made changes to it after an uproar over Christopher Columbus who was featured on it. Those visiting Norwich’s Chelsea Parade can get a little sneak peak at the changes made to the...
New London city council votes to celebrate Italian Heritage Day, no longer recognizing Columbus Day
Monday night, New London City Council unanimously passed a resolution to replace Columbus Day in the city with Italian Heritage Day. This comes only months after the Christopher Columbus statue that stood for more than 90 years in the city was removed amidst protests and vandalism that occurred during a Black Lives Matter protest. Since then, the w...
Dino Trubiano, 74, Soccer Coach in Natick
Dino Trubiano, 74, In Natick formerly of Castiglione a Casauria, Italy passed away on November 8, 2020. Beloved husband for over 45 years to the late Janet (Kaskon) Trubiano. Devoted father of Tara McDonald and her husband Timothy of Natick, Denise Caulfield and her husband Mark of Millis and the late Dino Trubiano and his late wife Susan (Heslin)...
Springfield’s Italian Cultural Center honors veterans with ceremony
A Veterans Day ceremony in Springfield honored the brave and dedicated veterans at the Italian-American Veterans Memorial Monument. It was a small ceremony with a big impact honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The ceremony was held at the Italian-American Veterans Memorial Monument located in the South End in Springfield...
Aldermen approve Indigenous Peoples’ Day for different day than Columbus Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is now an official holiday in Manchester, just not on the day that was expected. Following a compromise proposed by Daniel O’Neil (At-Large), Indigenous People’s Day will be recognized in Manchester on the first Monday in October, with the second Monday in October still being solely for Columbus Day. O’Neil got the idea for...
Connecticut Voters Support Restoration of Columbus Statue
Angelo Vivolo, president of the Christopher Heritage Coalition, hailed the voters of Waterbury, Conn., who voted overwhelmingly on Election Day to keep the statue of Christopher Columbus on the front lawn of Waterbury's City Hall. The referendum results showed that nearly 60% of 27,957 votes favored keeping the statue in place. "We know that Columb...
Work begins on changes to Norwich Italian Heritage Monument
Work started Tuesday to strip an image and references to Christopher Columbus from the Italian Heritage Monument at Chelsea Parade, in preparation for a rededication ceremony to be scheduled later this month. The Norwich Italian Heritage and Cultural Committee announced plans in June to remove the bust of Columbus engraved into the one side of the...
Columbus statue to stay put at Waterbury City Hall
A statue of Christopher Columbus won’t be venturing from the front lawn of Waterbury City Hall, as a majority of city voters in Tuesday’s election spoke out against a move. Preliminary results showed 59% of 27,957 votes going in favor of keeping the statue in place. Mayor Neil M. O’Leary said he wants to have a community conversation to try to addr...
Legendary Public Official Sen. JC DiCarlo Dies at 84
The City of Revere is mourning the loss of one its most iconic public officials, Joseph C. “JC” DiCarlo, who passed away on Oct. 22 following a courageous battle against cancer. He was 84. Mr. DiCarlo represented the City of Revere in the Mass. House of Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate. He was a charismatic and popular figure bel...
Columbus Animates Congressional Debate
The first and only Congressional debate this year took place in Woodbridge, but its spiritual center was Wooster Square. That began when a question about who truly represents the Italian American community transformed into three different views on history, culture, and the best ingredients for an equitable society. Those perspectives were offered b...
Westford Proposal To Change Columbus Day Fails
A citizens proposal to recognize Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples' Day failed to pass a vote in Town Meeting this weekend in Westford. "Westford believes that the culture of Native American people is one to be promoted, the history is rich, diverse, and worthy of celebration, and that the actions and policies of European colonizers of the Americ...