Group seeks protection of New London’s Columbus statue
A divisive national debate about public statues of historical figures has reached New London. A group led by local conservative talk show host Lori Hopkins-Cavanagh is seeking protection of the Christopher Columbus statue off Bank Street despite the fact city officials said there have been no serious calls for its removal. Hopkins-Cavanagh organize...
Brunswick designates Indigenous Peoples’ Day
After nearly an hour of public comment, Brunswick Town Council voted 8 – 1 to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which would occur the same day as Columbus Day. The decision, coming soon after the City of Portland’s Monday decision, makes it the fifth municipality in Maine to recognize indigenous people on that day,...
Portland will mark Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Columbus Day
The state’s largest city will now mark the second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day — joining a growing list of cities and towns to recognize native cultures on Columbus Day. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to use the date of the federal holiday as a day to honor the native peoples, including those who lived in North America lo...
Exchange students head home after successful visit
Johnston State Rep. Stephen Ucci sat at a small table inside the packed Young Pannese Society Club last Wednesday evening with a satisfied smile on his face. The Johnston native exchanged pleasantries with Msgr. Carlo Montecalvo of St. Sebastian’s in Providence and Don Mimmo Guida, the Pastor from Panni Foggia, Italy and raised his wine glass as a...
'Ciao Italia' visits Fortuna's in Manchester
Patti Fortuna-Stannard was just a little bit nervous. She kept checking her phone as the hours ticked past 10 a.m. on Tuesday, wondering when public television Italian cooking icon Mary Ann Esposito would be arriving at her family's business, Fortuna's Sausage & Italian Market, to film an episode of PBS' "Ciao Italia," the longest-running cooking s...
Echoes. The legacy of Father Joseph Finotti
Sept. 21, 2017 will mark 200 years since the birth of Father Joseph Maria Finotti, who served in the Archdiocese of Boston from 1852 to 1876. Father Finotti was born in Ferrara, Italy, on Sept. 21, 1817. He entered the Society of Jesus at age 16, and in 1845 arrived in the United States to continue his studies at Georgetown College in Maryland. Whi...
Columbus statue placed in front of Southington town offices draws criticism
A monument to Christopher Columbus erected in front of the John Weichsel Municipal Center this week has drawn criticism from some residents. Town councilors unanimously approved the plinth and bust honoring the Italian explorer two years ago and said it would be unfair to the groups that paid for the monument to remove it now. Erica Roggeveen Byrne...
Mangia Mangia prepares to re-open in Billerica
There’s new equipment and a new look inside, but the same classic food Billerica residents have come to love will remain when Mangia Mangia Italian Kitchen reopens later this month. Mangia Mangia Italian Kitchen, located at 430 Boston Rd. in Billerica, has been closed since May 2, when an electrical fire in the kitchen burned overnight. The reopeni...
Joe DeNucci a champ in political ring
He was once the world’s fifth-ranked middleweight, having beaten Denny Moyer, and battled Joey Giardello to a draw, and dropped a highly contested decision to Emile Griffith. Indeed, he was so immersed in the Sweet Science that at the closing ceremonies of fabled Boston Garden he was saluted for having fought more bouts and racked up more wins ther...
Luisa DeLauro, Pioneer Pol, Dies At 103
It’s not by accident that Luisa DeLauro made it well past her 100th birthday. She was both a pioneer in emergence of women as a force in local politics and a reminder of the Democratic Party’s survival-minded working-class past. DeLauro, who died Saturday evening at the age of 103, succeeded her husband Ted as Wooster Square’s representative on the...
Durham may be celebrating two holidays on Columbus Day
People in the town of Durham may be celebrating The Age of Exploration and Indigenous Peoples’ Day in addition to Columbus Day on the second Monday in October. The town council is expected to take up a resolution tonight that if passed would double-name the day. According to Town Administrator Todd Selig, this will encourage people to learn more ab...
One Dish: A family affair at new Moody Street Italian eatery
It’s only one dish, but the Sicilian cannoli pizza at Raffaele’s is as good as any to describe the new upstart Waltham eatery along Restaurant Row. For starters, it’s undoubtedly Italian, using an eclectic blend of ingredients from the Mediterranean nation. But it’s also the brainchild of Lory D’Agostino, the owner and operator of the restaurant. T...