Volume 13 Issue 3

Fall-Sept ember 2011

The VIC Board Members

Contact these people for information or help about any VIC

activities:

President Adele Dienno 802-862-2595

Vice-Presidents Don Catalano: 802 660-8914/Barbara

Guiduli 802-862-4200

Secretary Carol Usher 802-863-2487

Treasurer Audry Rini 802-878-0990

Board Julie Bonanno, Adrienne Donohue, Marge Oppold,

Barbra Marden, Nancy Specht, David Tomasi, David Usher

Il Messaggio Publication Dates

Quarterly, Mar 1, June 1, Sept. 1, Dec. 1

Deadlines for submissions:

15 days prior to publication.

Submit content to editor: causher@gmail.com

Membership

Anyone wanting to join the VIC can do so by contacting Carol Usher at 802 863-2487 or causher@gmail.com for an

application or online at website below. Membership is $25. annually for individuals, $35. for families, and $15. for full-

time students.

VIC Website: www.vermontitalianclub.org

Vermont Italian Club

P.O. Box 3155

Burlington VT 05408

I l M e s s agg i o

Inside this issue:

Win a trip to Tuscany!! 2

Club Information:List/Logo 3

VIC Members: Art/Language 4

VIC Member News cont. 5

Italy:Travel/Book Review 6

Italian Finances/Calendar 7

Who We Are – Julia Ely 8

We are dedicated to promot-ing and preserving Italian

culture in Vermont

You can choose an electronic or a paper copy of Il Messaggio by con-

tacting the editor:

causher@gmail.com

Dedication and Celebration

of Burlington’s "Little Italy"

October 8th, 2011

Many people today have no

idea that the area from Battery to

Church and Pearl to College was

once the home of a thriving com-

munity of immigrants mostly from

Italy. Their community consisted

of 140 homes, lush gardens, thriv-

ing businesses, community social

centers, and Catholic schools and

churches. In the 1960‟s this area

became the center of Vermont‟s

largest urban renewal project. The

last home was razed in 1968.

Families were scattered from their

community as room was made for

our downtown district.

As Italian-Americans who

love their heritage and culture, the

Vermont Italian Club is planning a

celebration to commemorate this

once vital community and recog-

nize the families connected to that

history. In doing so, we will fulfill

the wishes of the club‟s founding

president, Dr. Ken Ciongoli.

We cordially invite all club

members and the community to

join with us Saturday, October 8th.

The day will begin at 1 PM with

the unveiling of an official state

historic marker on the corner of

Battery and College streets. Sena-

tor Patrick Leahy and others will

be honored guests. Our program

will then move to the Main Street

Landing were we will have a

showing of the film, "Champlain

Street Urban Renewal Project" by

Continued on page 3...

I l M e s s a g g i o Page 2

Win a trip to Tuscany!!!!

Special 2012 Membership Option for VIC Members!!!

As part of a membership campaign associated with the Historic Marker Celebration in Downtown Burling-

ton in October, you have the option to upgrade your membership for 2012 now and be included in a chance

to win a trip to Tuscany in 2012!!!

Details:

Your early 2012 membership with an additional $10 upgrade will automatically include you in a chance to

win an all-expense-paid bike or walking trip to Tuscany, Italy in 2012, generously donated by Vermont Bi-

cycle Tours, an award-winning tour company . The drawing will be in mid-December so upgrade as soon as

possible. The winner gets to pick the date of travel in 2012! For more information on the tours, go to: http://

www.vbt.com/

The $10 upgrade for CURRENT VIC MEMBERS is reflected in these prices...

$45 Family, $35 Single, $25 Full-time Student

Pay online at

vermontitalianclub.org

or

See attachment for CURRENT MEMBERS UPGRADE and send with a check to...

VIC, P.O. Box 3155, Burlington, VT 05408

Encourage New 2012 VIC Memberships, too!!

Be proactive!!! Enlist new members before the December drawing for 2012 membership in VIC at regular

rates ($35 Family, $25 Single, $15 Student) and they will be included in the draw for the 2012 free VBT

trip to Tuscany, too!! See attachment for NEW MEMBERS.

Remember, no one has to be Italian to join or to win! We welcome everyone

to become a member of Vermont's Italian Club.

Photo by Dave Matteson

I l M e s s a g g i o

(continued from page 1)

Patrick Farrington, followed by a heart-felt presenta-

tion by Joe Maietta, who was “born on the steps of

the Hilton”. A panel discussion with others from the

old neighborhood will follow.

At the same time, in the lobby area, we will

have a mini Italian Festival. Our committee mem-

bers are busy planning events for the entire family

such as art activities for children, live music, pasta

demonstrations, and... oh, yes, food! We cannot

have an Italian gathering without food. There will

be home-made pastries, freshly-baked pizza, Italian

hot chocolate and more.

We want to encourage the community-at-

large to come, so spread the word to your friends

and families. Also, see our membership drive infor-

mation on page 2 and learn how you or a new mem-

ber can win a free trip to Tuscany with VBT, Bicy-

cle and Walking Vacations!

(submitted by Adele Dienno)

2011 VIC Membership List Available

To promote a stronger connectedness among the

VIC members, we are including a list of current

(2011) members with names and towns so you can

see who participates, supports and encourages our

efforts to preserve the Italian culture in our Greater

Burlington Area. If you receive an electronic version

of Il Messaggio, it is one of the attachments for you

to print out. If you receive a hard copy of Il Messag-

gio, find it as an insert in your newsletter.

Hope you enjoy this and make new contacts with

"paesani!"

Page 3

Thanks for New Logo Work

You've probably noticed our new logo. For our

final selection, our thanks go to web designer Annie

Follett who works for the Kaiserdicken graphic de-

sign studio in Shelburne, Vermont. She is also en-

gaged in the creation of a new website for us which

will be launched soon.

But In the harrowing pursuit of a new logo to

reflect the change of name from the Vermont Italian

Cultural Association to the more simplified name of

the Vermont Italian Club, there were several wonder-

ful submissions from artists that we would like to ac-

knowledge.

Michael Manoogian, a logo artist in Holly-

wood, California, not only provided us with our last

VICA logo but also contributed wonderful artistry to

choose from for our second logo. He has such out-

standing clients as ABC Records, IBM, Elton John,

Tom Cruise, Denny's Restaurant, the Las Vegas Hil-

ton, and the list goes on. Thank you, Michael, for al-

lowing us to consider some of your gems! You can see

h i s v o l u m i n o u s d e s i g n s a t h t t p : / /

www.michaelmanoogian.com/site/

Toni-Lee Sangastiano, a VIC member and As-

sistant Professor of Graphic Design and Digital Media

at Champlain College worked hard at submitting art-

work for consideration. Toni has studied art with an

emphasis on graphic design and illustration in state-

side universities and most recently spent time studying

in Florence, Italy. You may remember Toni-Lee's

40'x15' banner of circus posters that were displayed

last year at the Shelburne Museum as part of its Circus

Day in America exhibit. We were privileged to re-

ceive some wonderful logo submissions from her.

Thank you, Toni-Lee! You can connect with her art-

work at http://www.sideshowbanners.com/

David Tomasi Exhibits in Verona

Along with exhibits and shows all over

Italy from March to November this year celebrat-

ing the 150th year anniversary of the Unification

(Risorgimento) of Italy in 1861, the city of Ve-

rona is celebrating with a special exhibit spon-

sored by the city government and its Academy of

Arts (AccademiadiBelleArti di Verona). Chosen

from among the Academy's best six graduates and

professors was David Tomasi from the Vermont

Italian Club. He is displaying photographs he

took in the cemeteries of Barre, Vermont because,

he says, "I love Vermont and I wanted to remem-

ber my Italian homeland with a homage to the

first settlers (and artists!)" here.

Our compliments to David for the won-

derfully artistic rendition of one of his entries,

pictured below, entitled “ Up in the Sky our Fore-

fathers Watch Over Us”…

P a g e 4 I l M e s s a g g i o

VIC Member News

Italiano per Bambini

(Editor‟s Note: The “Italian for Kids” program at Middlebury

College this summer was run by VIC member Nicole Librandi

with assistants associated with the college. Her report, in Italian,

is here…)

Sai cantare “Bella Bimba”? Sai contare da 1 a

100 in italiano? Hai mai scritto e illustrato il tuo pro-

prio dizionario e raccontino in italiano?

Le bambine del programma “Italiano per bam-

bini” alla Scuola Italiana di Middlebury College,

sì .. .ed ancora di più!! Per esempio, sono andate a pranzo, dove si sentono a casa e usano l’itali-ano anche fuori dalla lezione!

Quest‟estate, sette bambine (da 8 a 12 anni)

cantano, giocano, scrivono, leggono, ascoltano, diseg-

nano, parlano e si divertono in italiano.

Si divertono anche le maestre - che sono Nicole

Librandi e Caterina Pierattini, con l‟assistenza di Chris-

ten Viseglie e Elena D‟Amanda. Nicole è una socia del

VIC, Caterina è una ex-studentessa di Nicole che ha

continuato gli studi d‟italiano sin dal liceo fino all‟uni-

versità, Christen è una studentessa alla Scuola e Elena

è la figlia di una professoressa della Scuola.

Grazie all‟apoggio di Antonio Vitti, il Direttore

della Scuola Italiana, questo programma era aperto a

tutti; ci siamo riuniti a Middlebury College lunedì a

giovedì, due ore ogni giorno, dall‟11 luglio al 10

agosto, ad una cifra di $50. Speriamo bene di offrirlo

a n c o r a l ‟ e s t a t e p r o s s i m o .

Se volete saperne di più sul programma, man-

date un‟email a Nicole ntl3@cornell.edu Photo by David Tomasi

Catherine Pierattini con i bambini...

P a g e 5 I l M e s s a g g i o

Amici Celebrate: Peggy Citarella Turns 90

The Amici gathered at the Lakeview Bar & Grill in

Shelburne for their June luncheon and celebrated

together the 90th Birthday of Peggy Citarella, one of

the Amici regulars, who attended with her husband

Armand. Sitting in the cool breeze of the veranda of

the Ice House for the July luncheon, Peggy‟s grati-

tude reached out to each one who was there for her

birthday. She wrote…

Anne Arms, always first to make a move with support; Bar-

bara Ciongoli, what a lovely surprise to see Barbara...hope

she's around for a while so we can see more of her and maybe

get together; Catherine Coggio, my crutch and friend of so

many years I've lost count; Mike Galatola, everyone should

have a Michael in his life, so I feel privileged (this privilege

goes back almost fifty years); Celeste Hahn, whose thoughtful-

ness and generosity with her friendship is unmatched; Nancy

Specht, my refuge on many a Sunday...we'll catch up soon;

Omer Villemaire, I believe, has perfect attendance (I'm con-

vinced he has a drop of sangue italiano in him some-

where)...and if the occasion is happy, he makes it better; Carol

Usher, I'm sure she was the major force in the planning so I

send special thanks to her. The cake was beautiful and the

flowers and balloons always add so much to the atmosphere.

To those who were not present but sent cards, a great big thank

you. To all of you,"Mille grazie e tanti baci." Con amore,

Peggy

Recent VIC Member Dies

Patricia Halverson, a long-standing mem-

ber of the Vermont Italian Club (known then as

the Vermont Italian Cultural Association), passed

away on May 11, 2011 at the age of 72. Even

though Pat was Canadian by birth, those of us in

the club knew her by her intense interest in the

Italian language and the Italian culture. She be-

came a well-known student in our Italian conver-

sation classes, eager to learn the language.

Pat's passion for the language stemmed

from the birth in Italy of a granddaughter, whose

father is Italian and whose mother, Pat's daughter,

predeceased her. Johanna, whom we all got to

know because of the many summer vacations she

spent away from Rome with Pat here in Burling-

ton, was an obvious joy to Pat. Johanna became a

joy to all of us who got to know her as well. Di-

minutive yet quite loquacious, she helped many

of us with our stumbling attempts at communicat-

ing with our limited Italian. We will always re-

member the smiles with which Pat watched

Johanna interact with all of us "grown-ups" with a

confidence that belied her young age.

Pat's enthusiasm, her verve for life, her

winsome personality, and her engagement in pur-

suing new and exciting things among us will all

be missed. Our condolences go to her whole fam-

ily.

Noi non potemo avere perfetta vita senza amici -

We cannot have a perfect life without friends

(Dante).

VIC Member News continued...

Peggy Citarella at Lakeview Restaurant

Page 6 I l M e s s a g g i o

Travel

The Dolomite region of northeastern Italy, as rich in history

as Italy itself, holds exceptional travel opportunities for the

tourist. David Tomasi hails from the region and tells us

about it....

Viaggiare lungo le Alpi Dolomitiche è

come viaggiare nel tempo. Il naturalista francese

Déodat de Dolomieu (1750-1801) studiò il

particolare tipo di roccia predominante nella

regione, battezzata in suo onore Dolomia.

Le Dolomiti rappresentano la frontiera

italiana settentrionale, e da sempre sono culla di

culture vicine e variegate, a metà tra il mondo

latino e quello gallo-germanico. Dichiarate

Patrimonio Mondiale dell‟Umanità dall‟UNESCO,

queste montagne tra Tirolo, Trentino e Veneto

nacquero circa 250 milioni d‟anni fa. Per chi vi

abita, ma non solo, sono semplicemente le più

belle montagne del mondo.

Alle Dolomiti è legato il patrimonio di tra-

dizioni mitologiche e letterarie locali, le cosiddette

Dolomitensagen, in particolare la Þiðrekssaga. Vi

si narra di Laurin, il Re degli Gnomi che si scontrò

con il Re dei Goti Teoderico da Verona a causa

della sua infatuazione per la bella Similda, figlia di

Teoderico.

Rocce impervie, fiori profumati e cieli di

un intenso blu sono tutti elementi propri di questa

meravigliosa terra alpina. Numerosi sono i parchi

naturali, che tutelano l‟incredibile fauna e flora

locale, con boschi rigogliosi di conifere, cirmoli e

betulle.

Visitare queste alpi è un‟esperienza moz-

zafiato, condivisa da turisti ed artisti. Uno dei

maggiori esempi sono i paesaggi all‟acquerello del

tedesco Albrecht Dürer, realizzati durante i suoi

due viaggi in Italia a cavallo tra XV e XVI secolo.

David Tomasi

Book Review

Reading a memoir diverts our attention

from headline news stories and puts us in touch

with the human drama behind those stories. Such

is the case of the compelling story of a six year old

boy from the region of Abruzzo in Italy who was

part of the great Italian hope of building a new na-

tion under the Mussolini regime. From boyhood to

young manhood, this book is about the author's

transition of his young years during World War II

and his perception of the changes forced upon Ital-

ian families by the war.

From Mussolini's attempts to colonize

Libya, to the indoctrination of children on the

mainland in military schools apart from parents, to

the inevitable suffering of the small villages under

the German occupation, readers of this memoir can

begin to feel what life was like for Italians when

their only options were self-reliance and courage.

Vittorio's memory of those years is

keen...carefully kept inside him for years. As he

said, "Some things you take with you. Some you

leave behind. Others you come back for." Reading

his story allows us to journey with him through

those choices.

He eventually emigrated to America and

pursued his life-long love to become a tailor. He

married one of my Italian cousins from Abruzzo

and lives with his family in the Massachusetts town

where I grew up. (Reviewed by Carol Usher)

Italy

Italian Days, Arabian

Nights: Coming of Age in

the Shadow of Mussolini

by Vittorio Palumbo

Publisher Story Trust Publishing

Publication Date 05/2011 Format Paperback

ISBN 9781937228002

To purchase the book($15.96), go to...

http://www.harvard.com/...click on Best Sellers or

Browse Our Shelves for the title

I l M e s s a g g i o Page 7

Calendar of Events: Fall-2011

Upcoming VIC Events (mark your calendars!)

Sat Oct 8, 2011: Dedication and Celebration of Burlington’s "Little Italy," 1pm, Intersection of Battery and College streets, Unveiling of Historic Marker. 1:30-5pm ,Main Street

Landing Building, "Mini" Italian Festival with film, food, music, and fun.

(contact Adele 802-862-2595)

On-going VIC events

Italian Conversation Classes: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, St. Michael‟s College, St. Edmonds Hall, Room 101, 7

-9 pm (contact Franco 802-899-3869)

Italian Movie Night: On a TBA schedule (contact Franco 802-899-3869)

Amici Luncheons: Members and friends meeting monthly at various venues. Make reservations.

(contact Joyce 802-862-6055)

Italy in the News

Italy’s Financial Woes

Italy‟s financial pain has increased recently

as its debt ballooned to 118% of Gross Domestic

Product ( by comparison, the U.S. ratio is 93% and

Greece is 136%) making bondholders nervous and

demanding higher interest rates to balance the

higher risk of default. The European Central Bank

then stepped in, as they have in Greece, to buy It-

aly‟s bonds to minimize the likelihood of default

and to protect the value of the Euro.

In response, Italy‟s government has agreed

to several austerity and restructuring measures to

balance the budget in 2013 rather than years later.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “The pack-

age—a mix of spending cuts and tax increases,

including a "solidarity tax" for high-earners—

aims to calm market turmoil and make sure Italy

isn't the next victim of Europe's debt crisis.”

A prime target of spending cuts will be reducing

the number of national lawmakers, now approxi-

mately 1,000, by half and eliminating several

provincial governments. These cuts will elimi-

nate 5,000 elected jobs plus several thousand

related jobs said Cabinet Minister Roberto Cal-

deroli on August 13, 2011. The measures are

planned to take effect at the next local elections.

The Italian public has been critical that in

this time of economic weakness, political and

government jobs had been spared and, as in the

U.S., many believe that high income earners

should pay more taxes. Prime Minister Berlus-

coni, the richest Italian, proposed a „solidarity

tax,‟ an extra 5% of income tax on gross salaries

above €90,000 (~US$ 128,000), rising to10% for

salaries above €150,000 (~US$250,000).

Perhaps Italian voters will agree to whit-

tle down these local and regional/provincial po-

sitions, but eliminating the 500 or so national

lawmakers will require changes to Italy‟s consti-

tution, not an easy process. (Submitted by

David Usher)

V e r m o n t I t a l i a n C l u b

P . O . B o x 3 1 5 5

B u r l i n g t o n V T 0 5 4 0 8

on day 1 there!) This started

our cooking careers. I

worked my way up from pas-

try cook at a Four Season‟s

Hotel in Houston to assistant

at the Boston Ritz to Pastry

Chef at the Meridien Hotel

(the first woman to hold that

position). My art background

enhanced my culinary career,

and I made hundreds of show-

pieces, chocolate sculptures,

edible paintings and sugar

pieces. I won a number of

culinary art awards. It was a

delicious career.

During those busy

years of cooking, Italy was on

the back burner, so to speak.

Retirement 1 ½ years ago

Cyprus, Lebanon, Malawi

Africa, Turkey. While

living in Lahore, West

Pakistan I studied art at

Panjab University where

the life drawing models

were the homeless from

the streets outside.

My awakening to

the beauty of Italy started

when my family was able

to visit there twice during

our travels in the 1960‟s

while overseas. When I

returned to the US, I stud-

ied art at Pratt Institute and

later attended the Culinary

Institute of America

(where I fell for Stephen

Baietti, my future husband,

changed that. We have

been studying the Italian

language, the most beautiful

of languages, passionately.

We have been able to visit

Italy twice in the last 1 ½

years, backpacking, travel-

ing by rail and bus. And

when home in Vermont,

working on my pastel land-

scapes of Italy and being an

active member of VICA,

Italy does not seem very

far. Of course, everyone is

always planning their next

trip to Italy. This fall, our

plan is living on rural farms

in a working capacity with

the organization known as

WWOOFer!

I was born in

Washington DC and,

from an early age, was

captivated by coloring,

drawing and painting.

Because of my father‟s

work in the government,

my teenage years were

spent overseas in a num-

ber of countries—

WHO WE ARE: To better acquaint you with who we are on a personal level, this featured section of Il Messaggio is reserved for a

short autobiographical “portrait” of a VIC member or a place in Italy from which a member’s family emigrated. This issue features

Julia Ely.