L
L’ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE ITALO-AMERICANA DELLA VIRGINIA, INC.
ITALIAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA, INC.
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2014
A
Sept
V
O
L
C
E
I
T
A
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A
N
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Oct.
10
11
21
27
28
8
9
12
(change) 18
Wed.
Thurs.
Sun.
Sat.
Sun.
Belle Donne Lunch
Board Meeting
IACA Social
[10th Annual
Street Festival]
11:30 a.m.
7:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
11-8 p.m.
11-6 p.m.
Azzurro Restaurant (time change)
St. Matthias Church
Providence United Methodist Church
17th Street Market Place
Wed.
Thurs.
Sun.
Sat.
Belle Donne Lunch
Board Meeting
Re-dedication
IACA Social
11:30 a.m.
7:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
Sedona Taphouse (time change)
St. Matthias Church
Byrd Park
5872 Leedstown Rd. Oak Grove, VA
President’s Message:
Buon Giorno mie amici! Welcome the days of Autumn. Spring is one of the happiest seasons of the
year...it presents us with myriads of beautiful flowers to welcome the end of the dreary months of
winter and gives us an opportunity to get our hands in the earth to prepare for a summer bounty of
homegrown veggies. But the beauty of FALL is so breathtaking, the air so crisp and fresh, that it
thrills us to be alive!
Due to the closing of the West End Community Center, we have had a wonderful array of
opportunities for other options for our monthly socials, beginning with our luncheon at La Cucina
Ristorante Italiano, where we were treated royally byVito and Marie Bellantuono. All members who
could make it filled the restaurant and enjoyed a variety of appetizers and a delicious selection of
entrees prepared especially for us. We are very happy that they agreed to open their restaurant on a
day when they are customarily closed…Fantastico!
Tangier Island was a novel experience. Getting up at 5 AM to make sure all was in readiness for a 7
AM bus trip to meet our boat at 9, tour the island, have lunch and return trip to Richmond at 6 PM
…. a very long day, but one filled with companionship with other members and guests. The tour was
a sellout with 30 on the waiting list! Fun was the name of the game during the bus/boat trips. The
learning experience was seeing a fishing village that pretty much remains the same as it has been for
a couple hundred years! About a week before our scheduled date, we learned that the restaurant we
were supposed to go for lunch had burned down….but since all the restaurants on the island (3 of
them) serve the same thing, it wasn’t too difficult to have an alternate chosen…all went well and I
can personally recommend the crab cakes.
A reminder that I.A.C.A. has a booth at this year’s 10th Annual Richmond’s Original Italian Street
Festival at the 17th Street Marketplace on the 27th and 28th of September. We are still seeking
members who will commit to baking cookies for our booth. One of the advantages is that you can do
it in the comfort of your own home and still contribute to the success of our booth. Also it’s the
time for “giving back” to the club that works so hard for you all year. Julia Kelley is again this year’s
chairperson for the booth and welcomes any and all contributions of time, of cookies, and assistance
in setting up our booth. She can be reached at (804) 543-4225 or email her at jjkpdk@verizon.net.
Our Italian lessons are progressing wonderfully. Alfredo Scimone, a returning member of I.A.C.A, is
from Rome and gives us some interesting stories as well as basic language study. Jumping in with
both feet, we are learning to speak, write and understand the language of our ancestors. It is also
helping to get the cobwebs out of our heads…how long has it been since we were in school? Don’t
ask!
The annual picnic is in the works for September, so please respond to your caller to make sure we
have enough for everyone. For our new members, this is a casual event where everyone brings
something (assigned later in the newsletter), and the club provides the sausage and peppers, hot
dogs, hamburgers and beverages. To respect the wishes of Providence Church, there are no
alcoholic beverages allowed. There is a $5 charge for both members and guests.
In October, we will again be venturing on a boat tour of Ingleside Winery…the last date available for
the tour is on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, so we will not be meeting on Sunday. This promises to
be a fun trip, all details below. Please remember to sign up early to ensure our group discount!
November will be an exciting trip to the historic Hanover Theater. Neil Simon’s witty play is
accompanied by Bert Bacharach’s score and will be enjoyed by many, but seats are limited and you
need to get your reservations in to make sure you don’t miss out.
We on the Board hope you are pleased with the variety of events planned for the rest of the year. Let
me hear from you if you have any suggestions for the future. Please remember to welcome and
include new members and guests into your circle at our meetings….we were all new once and are
still here because of the warmth extended to us at the beginning and during our tenure. Thanks for
being a part of the I.A.C.A. family.
Ciao for now, Elaine
Belle Donne Luncheons: The Belle Donne Luncheons are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the
Month. Please note that there is a new time for September and October luncheons. Our
Belle Donne luncheons have been starting at 12:30 p.m. However, since parking is often limited
and business lunch groups usually arrive around noon, we have moved the start time to 11:30 in
order to beat the rush. RSPV by contacting Barbara Bruckart by voice mail at 804.364.7001 or
e-mail at blbruckart@gmail.com not later than the Monday before the lunch so we can confirm
the reservation for our group. Remember to leave your name and the names of others in your
party. E-mail RSVPs will receive a confirmation e-mail. Voice mail RSVP messages will not
receive return calls, but if you wish to talk to Barbara, leave your name and number and she will
gladly call you. Following are the locations for September and October:
September 10 11:30 Azzuro Restaurant
6221 River Road
Henrico, VA 23229
804.282.1509 RSVP by September 8
October 8
11:30 Sedona Tap House
15732 WC Main Street
Westchester Commons
Midlothian, VA
804.379.0037 RSVP by October 6
IACA Social - September 21: Our annual picnic held at Providence United Methodist Church,
901 S. Providence Road begins at 1:00 p.m. As previously mentioned by our President, the club
will provide the meats and beverages at a cost of $5.00 for member and guests. Come prepared
to have fun, play bocce, and eat, of course! You are asked to bring a side according to the list
below:
A through C
desserts
D through F
appetizers, chips, cheese & crackers
G through L
fruits
M through RO
salads
RU through Z
vegetables/baked beans/casseroles
Tenth Annual Richmond’s Original Italian Street Festival: Can you believe we are in our
tenth year of having our Italian Festival. It will be held Saturday, September 27, from 11:00 a.m.
to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the 17th St. Marketplace.
We need everyone’s help, though, to make it a success.
Those of you who like to bake, please bake some Italian cookies for IACA’s booth. At this
writing we have only 9 volunteers, but would like to have 20. You can bake as little as 4 dozen
and place a dozen each on a 7” plastic or glass plate which you can pick up at the dollar store.
You could also buy a package of 24 7 ½” white plastic plates for $4.00 at Big Lots. Wrap each
plate in Saran Wrap and label with name of the cookie. You may bring them to the IACA booth
either Saturday or Sunday before noon. Call Julia Kelley if you cannot make it to the Festival.
Join IACA’s Sweet Treat Troup by calling Julia at 543.4225. Remember, the IACA booth at
the Festival is our club’s only fund raiser. It allows the club to grant scholarship money to
deserving high school students who have parents and grandparents in our club.
Also, Virginia Hudert is looking for objects for the cultural exhibit and volunteers to man it.
There are three shifts per day:
Saturday 10:45 a.m. –2 p.m. (help set up)
1:45 p.m. – 5 p.m.
4:45 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday 10:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
3:15 p.m. – 6:15 (help take down)
Please know that the items will be in a secure building with someone there at all times, and that
the building will be locked overnight.
To volunteer for any other position with the festival, please call our President, Elaine Quinby, at
814.2897. By the time you get this newsletter, you will have less than a month before the
festival. It’s so important that you make that call now.
Re-dedication of Columbus Statue – October 12 in Byrd Park, 11:00 a.m.: How exciting
is this? On December 9, 1927, a young teenager by the name of Anna Guarino
Gragnani was present to dedicate the very first statue of Christopher Columbus in
the South – and this was at our own, Byrd Park. The statue, sculpted by Ferruccio
Legnailoi, was the first monument in Richmond to have night illumination, and
it and its resting place were donated entirely by Virginians of Italian birth. The
big story here is that teenager is now 101 years old and will be present to rededicate the statue. We welcome any interested parties to attend the ceremony.
IACA Social - October 18: The Board has decided to experience a taste of Ingleside Wine for its
October social. In order to experience also some nautical activity as well as a tour of the winery, and
because the last day of the season for Rappahannock River Cruises to set sail for Ingleside is October 18,
the regularly scheduled date for October’s social has been changed to Saturday, October 18.
The Rappahannock River boat will depart from Tappahannock, VA (approximately 60 miles east of
Richmond) at 10:00 A.M. for its two-hour cruise to the Ingleside Winery located at 5872 Leedstown Road,
Oak Grove, VA 22443.
A group (25 or more) discount rate for the combined roundtrip boat ride and winery tour is $24.30 per
person. Catered lunches offered at Ingleside are an additional $13.00 per person. You may also elect to
bring your own lunch (and favorite spirits) to eat and drink at the winery and on the boat.
It is essential that members interested in participating in this activity send their checks (made payable to
IACA) in the amount of $24.30 (boat/winery tour only) or $37.30 (boat/winery tour with lunch) to Carl
Tarantino (1463 Robindale Road, N. Chesterfield, VA 23235) by October 1. Reservations will only be
considered final when checks are received. Phone and/or e-mail reservations will not be acceptable.
Folks who are interested in going to the winery and not partake of the boat tour would drive directly to
Ingelside. Directions may be obtained from their website at www.inglesidevineyards.com/index.php. You
should plan to arrive at Ingelside by 12:00. The boat will not be getting to Ingelside before this time.
Because October 18 is a Special Event day at Ingelside, Harvest Celebration, the cost of tickets is $15.00
per person and $10.00 if you purchase tickets in advance. Individuals electing to visit only Ingelside
need to make their own reservations, either on-line or by calling 804.224.8687.
Those planning to take the two (2)-hour boat ride can either drive on their own to Tappahannock or make
arrangements to car pool. The boat departs promptly at 10:00 a.m., so plan your trip from Richmond
(approximately 1 hour 15 minutes) accordingly to arrive at least by 9:45 a.m. The address where the boat
departs from is 1140 Tappahannock Blvd. (On Rt. 17, Tappahannock, VA 22560)
Members who have any questions regarding this event should contact Carl Tarantino at 804.840.9876 or email nuccarl@comcast.net.
IACA Social – November 16: As promised in the last newsletter, here is the information for the Special
Social Event. We will be going to the Historic Hanover Tavern Theatre for a 2 p.m. special matinee
performance of They’re Playing Our Song written by Neil Simon with music by Burt Bacharach. This is a
MUST SEE play at $30.00 per person. This play is sold out and Jan McPherson has only 48 seats
reserved. Make checks payable to IACA and send to Jan, 12000 Middlecoff Drive, Chester, VA 23836.
Your check is your reservation and is based on a first-received basis. She will assist with car pooling,
if needed. We can discuss and decide eating arrangements for either lunch or dinner at the Tavern at a
later date. Call Jan with any questions at 804.530.2836. Grazie Mille.
Our Italian Musical Heritage by Freddy C: With your kind permission, I would like to stray from my
usual musical path of yesteryear and focus on the vocalists, bands and orchestras performing Italian music today.
Musical icons of our generation are few and far between, and the recent passing of Jerry Vale and Steve Rossi only
prove that the music we grew up on and that highlighted our heritage is fading fast ----or is it! Here in America, we
really are unfamiliar with our Italian musicians from Italy unless their name is Bocelli or il Volo, but there are
numerous Italians today making beautiful music that we never get a chance to hear or see performed live. I have
compiled a list of such musicians that, with the aid of your computer, you can google or Youtube them and sit back
and know that our Italian musical heritage is alive and kicking --- and enjoying the trip: Renato Zero, Charles
Castronova, Renzo Arbore, Eddy Napoli, Aurelia Fiero, Luciano Tajoli, Claudio Villa, Gabriella Ferri, Alvaro Amici,
Nicola di Bari, Tony del Monaco, I Girasoli, le Mondene, Federica Cocco, Orq. Bugati, Matteo Bensi, Teo Lavanga,
Daniele Tarantino, Diego Zamboni, Orq. Mariana, Omar Codazzi, Annalisa d’Aloja.
IACA Scholarship: In our last newsletter, we told you of the five IACA Scholarship applicants and
announced the winner, Jasmine Zenobia, granddaughter of member, Richard Zenobia. We received a
lovely “thank you” from Jasmine:
Dear President Quinby: Thank you so much for the scholarship! It will help greatly in
relieving the financial burden of a higher education. Without donations like this, there
would not be much of an educated populace. Thank you for supporting me. Out of love
for learning and gratefulness for the scholarship, I will do my best to make the most
of my education.
Thanks again! Sincerely, Jasmine Zenobia
NOTES: U of R International Film Series: On Friday, September 12, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday,
September 14, 7:30 p.m., the film Miele (aka Honey) will be shown in the Ukrop Auditorium of the Robins School of
Business . Parking passes can be obtained by contacting the University Parking Services at 289-8703 or
parking@richmond.edu. Admission is free.
NEW MEMBERS:
Please add two more new members to your Directory and make them feel at home at our socials:
Helen Woychik
2425 Old Brick Road, Apt. 4419
Glen Allen, VA 23060
804.562.8160 (h)
215.870.2701 ©
h.woychik@icloud.com
Frank Zera
1917 Moonwind Place
Richmond, VA 23238
804.740.5528 (h)
804.314.9777 ©
fzera@verizon.net
Corrections: The e-mail address for Tony & Winnie Scalora is scaloraa@gmail.com (one l). Paul Bruckart is
actually Patrick Bruckart and his e-mail is pebruckart@gmail.com (not hotmail). We are sorry for the inconvenience
and ask you to make these corrections in your directory.