Italian immigrant grows roots in Northeast to have a taste of home
Making your way up the driveway to the garage door of Tony Liotta’s house on North Quincy on a chilly September afternoon, you can already smell his latest labor of love. Like any good Italian, within minutes of stepping into his kitchen, whether an old friend or a stranger, he’s served you homemade olive oil and bread, and his dish of the day, hot...
Misunderstanding, ignorance in discussion of Columbus
The recent controversy surrounding the taking down of varied statuary around the country in the climate of hyper-political correctness is developing a nasty tone. What is troublesome is the mob rule mentality and its vandalic approach. Rather than differentiating between right and wrong, the debate has become about ending all monuments to the past...
Oct. 12 is still Columbus Day in Hartford for now, but city leaders foresee renaming the controversial holiday
The celebration of Columbus Day next month could be Hartford’s last, as a community task force is taking shape to address growing concerns about memorializing the Italian explorer. Two city councilors had sought to rename Oct. 12 as Indigenous Peoples' Day, as Bridgeport, West Hartford and other U.S. cities have done in recent years in recognitio...
Columbus Day Compromise Misses Mark In Melrose, Advocates Say
One step forward, two steps back. That's how many advocating for the replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day viewed the Melrose School Committee's recent decision to observe both this October. Instead of following the growing number of communities that have eradicated Columbus Day, the committee took the unusual step of co-branding...
Ideas Being Sought for Monument Pedestal in Wooster Square Park
The statue of Christopher Columbus stood in Wooster Square Park for more than 100 years as a symbol of the Italian-American presence in New Haven. After its removal on June 24, a decision was made to replace it with an appropriate memorial to the Italian-American experience. Mayor Justin Flicker appointed a Wooster Square Monument Committee to deci...
Behind the scenes with the man restoring Waterbury’s beheaded Christopher Columbus statue
The man restoring Waterbury’s beheaded Christopher Columbus statue gave News 8 an exclusive behind the scenes look at his workshop and the process Thursday. Randall Nelson has restored many statues and monuments across the country over the last 30 years. He tells News 8 he has never been involved in a project that carried so much controversy and po...
Columbus Statue Restoration Faces Obstacles
Curators reported that the statue of Christopher Columbus from the namesake park can be repaired, but cannot be fully restored to its original state. The news was released at a meeting of the Boston Arts Commission (BAC) on September 8th. The statue’s head was severed from the neck and would leave visible marks upon repair, according to the restora...
Rededication of Norwich Italian heritage monument delayed
The rededication of the Italian heritage monument near Chelsea Parade and Norwich Free Academy originally planned for Saturday will be delayed, because a key new piece, sculpted in Italy, is stuck in transit due to coronavirus restrictions. The Norwich Italian Heritage & Cultural Committee in June removed or covered all references to Christopher Co...
New North End Mural Highlights Streets Of The Neighborhood
Artist Silvia López Chavez recently completely a mural on the brick exterior of Ducali’s on the corner of Prince and Commercial Streets in Boston’s North End. The painting is a map of the North End, the winding, narrow streets emerging from a steaming cup of coffee. A heart and arrow in the colors of the Italian flag point visitors down Prince Stre...
Help repair the Christopher Columbus Statue in Waterbury
Support the efforts of the Italian-American Community Organizations to repair the Christopher Columbus Statue located in front of City Hall in Waterbury. Damaged from a criminal act of vandalism on July 4th, an architectural restoration artist has been commissioned to facilitate the restoration. Estimated costs are just under $10,000 with the proje...
Former Pittsfield Mayor Remo Del Gallo dies at 94
Former Pittsfield Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who chaired the city's Democratic Party Committee for almost half a century and who ran a restaurant that served as a popular watering hole and political hangout for even longer, died Tuesday, according to family members. He was 94. Del Gallo, who had been living at Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center in Lenox,...
Controversial Columbus statue will stay in Westerly park
The town council and Westerly Public Library, which owns the land where the Christopher Columbus statue stands, put off taking action until researchers could determine who the monument belongs to. The library now says it owns the statue and wants to keep it, according to Councilor Suzanne Giorno, who said the library’s board of trustees voted on th...