Our Town
Food Committee extraordinaire gals Eileen Prinslow and Sofia Gallina
by Joanne A. Calitri
Joanne is a professional international photographer and journalist. Contact her at: jcalitri_internationalphoto@yahoo.com
La Festa Di Ferragosto 2014
The 2014 La Festa Ferragosto at Manning Park in Montecito, taking time out from the kids soccer match are, from left: Dick Prato, Gabriella Schooley, Los Angeles Italian Consulate commercial attaché, Elena Marinelli, and event chair Dr. Jim Barbabella
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joint effort of the three ItalianAmerican organizations of Santa Barbara, the Italian American Boot Club (IABC), ICHF/ Circolo Italiano and UNICO (Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, Opportunity) Santa Barbara, the annual La Festa di Ferragosto was celebrated August 17 at Manning Park in Montecito. Event chair Dr. Jim Barbabella explains, “La Festa di Ferragosto is an ancient Italian tradition decreed by Emperor Augustus after the harvest. Gabriella Schooley, president of the Italian Cultural Heritage Foundation introduced it to Santa Barbara. Our plan was to return the Italian Festival to Santa Barbara next year if we had a successful Ferragosto. All the proceeds will go to establishing the teaching of the Italian language at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Ducati’s owner Carlin Dunne and his nephew, Rylan Boyle, with your sporting Our Town correspondent Joanne Calitri
High School. I would like to thank the presidents of the three organizations for their assistance, and especially thank my subcommittee chairs and the many volunteers for their diligence and hard work. It would not have been a success without them.” Gabriella adds, “Yes, we now have again Italian classes for the SB students! The classes are dual enrollment with SB City College and will carry university credit. It is a huge achievement of the Italian Cultural Heritage Foundation of SB; it is something I have been working on for years and finally the conditions were right! Needless to say, we are delighted.” The sunny mid-day celebration provided a three-course Italian “pranzo” (midday meal) of “antipasti” (appetizers), main courses, and desserts along with wines, beer, water, soft La Festa Ferragosto at Manning Park, stomping white grapes for wine are Daniel Panizzon’s children, Maya and Gabriel
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drinks, and coffee. Everything was prepared from scratch by the member volunteers. Renato Moiso, of Via Maestra 42, who is a member of the three organizations and past president of the IABC, brought in his Italian gelato cart just for fun. There was live Italian music, a bocce championship and other games – such as soccer for the kids – and oh, yes, the stomping of the grapes in wood buckets by barefooted teens. Special guests at the event included Elena Marinelli, commercial attaché with the Italian Consulate of L.A., and Carlin Dunne, second-generation owner of Ducati Vespa SB, brought in two new motorcycles on display. Carlin’s dad, Trevor, a professional motorcycle racer from South Africa, started the business in Santa Barbara 35 years ago, and it’s now located • The Voice of the Village •
in the building that housed the first motorcycle shop in SB in the 1930s. Guest members of the organizations attending were Sophia Gallina and Eileen Prinslow (Food Committee); Finance Committee’s Gabriella Schooley (Italian Cultural Heritage Foundation of SB); Dick Prato (Italian American Boot Club) and Jeff Vitucci (Italian Cultural Heritage Foundation of SB and UNICO SB). Set Up and serving the food were Barbara Hill Vollero and Linda Jordan, both members of the ICHF Board and members of UNICO SB; the Games Committee’s Frank Umanzio, past president of ICHF and member of all three organizations; the Bar Committee’s Roland Messori (ICHF) and Tony Ruggieri (IABC); the Entertainment Committee’s Dick Prato, past president of IABC and member of the board of both IABC and ICHF; and Marilyn Acquistapace, Anna Brusutti, Victoria De Maio, Silvio Di Loreto, Angela Ellis, Gilda Parodi, Christy Swider, Jeff Vitucci, and Daniel Panizzon, who started the Boot Club with his kids, Maya and Gabriel. Buona estate!
The Italian Cultural Heritage Foundation of Santa Barbara
italianheritagesb.org ICHFSB is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The purpose of the ICHFSB is to foster greater understanding of the culture, history, language, and arts of Italy, past and present, by providing funds for scholarships, awards, education, worthy institutions, and sponsoring cultural programs and events. •MJ 21 – 28 August 2014