For former Auburn mayor Melina Carnicelli, being the honoree of this year’s Christopher Columbus Day dinner was “thrilling” for multiple reasons. The first and only female mayor of Auburn, who served in that position from 1996 to 2003, said early in the evening that she was excited to be recognized in her hometown for her heritage and as a woman in leadership.

“For those reasons it’s really quite wonderful, and my remarks tonight are about the women who have come before me and formulated really who I am today,” she said. For the last six years, the Cayuga County Cultural Italian American Organization holds its Columbus Day event to celebrate Italian heritage and recognize a person in the local community with a dinner and proclamations by guest speakers.