THE BOOK SIGNING EVENT AT THE SWANTON BERRY FARM IN DAVENPORT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO JOINED ME IN THE FESTIVITIES. THE EVENT WAS TAPED BY PETER McGETTIGINE OF SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY TV FOR AIRING LATER THIS YEAR OR EARLY NEXT. I HAVE POSTED BELOW A FEW OF THE E-MAILS I RECEIVED REGARDING THE BOOK AND THE EVENT:
Hi Ivan:
What a great success! It warmed my heart to see so many wonderful people re-connecting with their history. Your work has borne great fruit and many warm feelings for the history of the Italian families of the coast. Thanks again, to you and all.
Jim (Cochran) Swanton Berry Farm
Note from Mr. Larry Arnerich - San Jose:
Dear Ivano,
The highlight of my 92nd birthday was receiving your excellent book Thanks.
It was most descriptive and reflected your sincerity and love towards your family, friends and the Santa Cruz community. I hope others will treasure this rare book and that it will receive a much deserved exposure.
You are to be highly commended for your time and work. Best wishes, love, Larry Arnerich
Gioavanni Biondi said...
Ivano: You did a great job on the book.(It) should be a must read for all Italians in Santa Cruz.
IVANO FRANCO COMELLI: Can't tell you how great everything was. To begin with the place you chose to have the signing ,(where your DAD had worked at one time) was a great choice. Thepeople who came were all very SPECIAL people in your life. It must have made it extra special . Again congratulations on a great event . RENO (Cantarutti)
LNC: Reno, Having you there with your wife Franca and son Gary made it very special. And then your sister Norma and her family show up. What a surprise to have you all there at one time. I hope Gary got to see the location of that wind-blown "shack" that "hung near the edge of that cliff", were it all began for the Cantarutti Family.
I appreciate very much you saying those emotional words about my mother Valentina. At times, with all the "hoopla" surrounding the 'Old Rancere' he forgets to mention her enough. You are correct, she was often at the forefront and often lead the way for my father and others 'su per la costa' . Ivano
Hello, Ivano....
I really enjoyed the get together at the "Big Ranch". It was wonderful! Also, your family is beautiful.......they clearly love their Papa.
Norma and I kick ourselves that we didn't say more when you called us up front. She loves to tell the story about our living next door to one another in New Town, and how she tried to shut me up as a crying infant by stuffing a banana in my mouth.......If she's told that story once, she's told it 40 times.....then we get up in front of a fresh crowd and she clams up! Mah! We're quite a pair.......both pretty tongue-tied, too.
Thanks again for a good time. I am sending the book off to my Auntie this week. Next week I go to Italy and Greece for 2 weeks. Lucky, huh?
Ciao for niao.
Patty (Morelli)
Ivano:
That was a nice picture, and thank you for putting Joe [Brovia] right up front with you and your grand son. Someone must have taken that with the wide view, as the second time I looked at it, I kept moving the screen over and saw the whole front of the cookhouse. very nice picture.... a nice action picture of you....
I just loved that food, especially the brocolli salad....just wonder what kind of dressing the person used.... would sure love to have her receipe... All the food was excellant, and please pass along my thanks to those good cooks...
Thanks for inviting me to the book signing.... My son in Thailand, said to say he was sorry he could not make it...(I always forward stuff to him, he was wondering who the young boy was.) Cathy Brovia
[Cathy: The young boy was Kristian my grandson. He is quite a baseball player himself. ivn0]
Ivano,> Your day was superb. You have a wonderful ability to make people feel good. There was a feeling of joy throughout the room. I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for including me.> Donaldo (Binsacca)
Caro Ivano:
Che bella festa che era Sabato. Tutto molto bello!!
It truly was a beautiful gathering Saturday. Everyone
Had such a wonderful time. It was so good of you to
Acknowledge so many people.
The food was delicious and we ended up buying quite a
Few things as well. We will definitely go up there more
Often.
Thanks for signing the book for my cousin Laura – am
Sending it out today. Need to buy a few more of your
Books – have been giving them as gifts and everyone really
Enjoying them.
Again thanks for a beautiful day – so good to see you and your
Family and so many old dear friends.
Forwarding some fotos taken – also have the video – the fotos are
Untouched – just so you can see them – if you want touched up
Ones or more let us know.
Grazie per ora – tu amici Norma (Dinelli-Wilson) and Al
Ivan,We're so glad that you had a great turn out!! it was so nice for Bob to see many people that he'd not seen for many,many years. For me it was fun visiting with Patty Morelli and catching up on what Mac is doing and of course visit with dear Norma. Glad also to see your brother, even for just a few minutes that he was there.Hope that your happy in how things went on Saturday, the food looked great,but like Bob told you, we'd had a big lunch down on the wharf.Guess that's it for this time,again, Bob's happy that we did come down.Deanna & Roberto (Degli-Esposti)
Ivano:
It was most appropriate for you to have the book signing at "Il Rancho Grande". Your writings in the book described the ranches and cookhouses and cooks and so this was certainly appropriate. I thought you had a wonderful turnout and had the feeling everyone enjoyed themselves so much. To see some of the old timers was great. I can't help think how pleased you must be to have such an outpouring of appreciation and approval.
As it turned out, and I think I mentioned it to you, my husband went to school with Roger Princevalle's brother and had a wonderful visit with him. John had a close friendship with Bob Princevalle while at Cal Poly and after graduation he lost track of him.
Thank you again, Ivano, for such a great time on Saturday. Where is the next book signing going to be, maybe the Davenport Cash Store?
Did Theresa Darling tell you that the next Davenport Reunion is going to be Sept. 29, 2007.
Con un bacin d'Amor.
Thelma (Micossi-Gill)
Ivano,Felicitazioni! Congratulations again on your book and thank you for a great afternoon.Thank you for letting me tell my little story and doing the same for the others.I enjoyed seeing Jerry and Don and meeting many other now "famous" people from your book.I like the singing too. My grandmother used to sing "Quel mazzolin' di fiori" all the time.Un abbraccio, Florence (Bianco-Bell)
Norma: It was so nice to see you again. And your daughter and grand-daughter were the greatest. All a product of "La Costa" so long ago. I am so glad you and your family came. And Reno and Franca and Gary too. That was more than I expected, but oh so great to see them there. (Gary had certain facial expressions that reminded me of Guido, your father.) BTW: The presentation which you missed was video taped for Santa Cruz Community TV. It probably will be broadcast later this year or early next.
You can't miss Reno and I singing "Faccetta Nera" and "Cara Virginia" . (Unless they edit it out.)
As for the Cauliflower dish, I didn't get a chance to taste the food, however, I heard that it was delicious.
If you call the Farm at 831-425-8919, and talk to Lisa, I bet she can get it for you. They are very friendly and helpful people. Ivano
Original Message -----
Ivano,
I am wondering if by chance you would know how to get the recipe for the cauliflower dish served in the very large bowl.
My daughter would LOVE the recipe.
norma (Cantarutti) reiter
P.S. We so enjoyed the GATHERING!!!
Hi Ivan
Just want to tell you what a great time I had yesterday. It was truly the social event of the season. Again, thanks for such a great afternoon.
Alverda (Orlando)
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8 comments:
Yes, Ivan, a good time was had by all. On the way back I checked out
> our old house; what a disaster; it's all boarded up, the beautiful
> flower and vegetable gardens my mom so tenderly cultivated are
> gone--what a sad state of affairs. I wish the state would just tear the
> place down rather than to let it die a slow death.
>
> Anyway, it was great to re-connect with the past on La Costa.
>
> Jerry (Mungai)
>
Thanks Jerry: I didn't realize that your family home was still standing.
> One of the things I learned about the doings up the Coast: the Coastal
> Commission will allow you to remodel a house if it is still standing (no
> matter what condition), however, once it is torn down they will not allow
> you to re-build. I was sad when we had to move our family home from the
> Coast to Bulb Ave in Capitola; however; given that it is still standing and
> in good condition, I am rather happy how things turned out. BTW: I met the
> Davenports at the Book Signing. After reading the book they discovered that
> they had lived in our old family home. They had rented it for a while from
> my Aunt and Uncle.
> Small world. Ivan
Ivan: darn it I was not able to come to the book signing.
I have purchased your book tho and am enjoying it. Maybe I'll see yu at the all class picnic next summer and get it signed .
I hope to see you there,
Loye (Bentley) Cochran
Hello, Ivano....
I really enjoyed the get together at the "Big Ranch". It was wonderful! Also, your family is beautiful.......they clearly love their Papa.
Norma and I kick ourselves that we didn't say more when you called us up front. She loves to tell the story about our living next door to one another in New Town, and how she tried to shut me up as a crying infant by stuffing a banana in my mouth.......If she's told that story once, she's told it 40 times.....then we get up in front of a fresh crowd and she clams up! Mah! We're quite a pair.......both pretty tongue-tied, too.
Thanks again for a good time. I am sending the book off to my Auntie this week. Next week I go to Italy and Greece for 2 weeks. Lucky, huh?
Ciao for niao.
Patty
LNC: Thanks Patty. I am glad you had a good time. I am sure you will enjoy yourself on your trip.
Bon Viagio! ivn0
Hi - yesterday was fun. You did a great job, it was nice to meet your
>> family and greet lots of old friends,
>>
>> >> Good wishes from all of us..
>> Lea
>>
Hi Ivano,
I just have to tell you that I really enjoyed your presentation/book signing last Sat. It was so nice to see old friends I hadn't seen in many years. And, even a new friend which was a total surprise and she is not even Italian!
Even though I was not raised "Up The Coast", and my dad did not raise Brussel Sprouts, all his implements and ways of gardening were still the same. He used his shovel watering his crops until he retired. He never did get around to using sprinklers. He did move up from a horse and plow to a tractor!
Your young grandson was so cute and seems to just adore his grandpa. I will think of the two of you every time I go past a cow barn and the "Pattume" That is too funny.
Ann (Petroni)
Ivano,
I'll pass on a yarn I heard from my dad about Pete Pianavilla, back in the 60s. I believe Pete at the time was farming west of the highway and north of Davenport, pretty close to where your Swanton Berry Farms book signing took place.
At any rate, one morning he found some urban adventurers camped out in one of his fields, and read them the riot act about respecting private property. One of them argued back something like private ownership was wrong and he had a right to sleep anywhere he wanted, and maybe some other remarks offensive to Pete. But he made this argument without leaving his sleeping bag. Big mistake. Pete grabbed the head end of the bag and jerked it upright, and now the argumentative fellow was trapped by gravity in the foot end. All Pete had to do was thump the bag up and down against the ground until sufficient apologies were heard from inside the bag.
I didn't know Pete well myself, but always enjoyed talking with him, usually a very warm and humorous fellow.
Cheers,
Hank
LNC: Great Story Hank. I speak of Pete and his 'booming' voice in the Book (Chapter 21 "Serafina's" page 223). I will always associate him with that 'booming' voice and his stories of Forrest McDermott, the game Warden. I am sure that you remember him. ivno
And as a participant in the various modes of hunting up the coast (mostly legal, for the record) I shared with my fellow hunters that dislike of Mr. McDermott. Probably he was just a guy trying to do his job, like any law enforcement - you would certainly know this. But he certainly had a bum rap with almost all the locals. I knew him only by reputation, never met him or heard any details of his evil deeds. Maybe we all just had bad consciences.
Cheers,
Hank
LNC: Thanks again Hank. BTW: I heard through the LNC Grapevine that Pete Pianavilla and Forrest McDermott became great friends after McDermott retired as
Game Warden. ivno
Ivan,
Enjoyed the two stories posted by Henry/Hank Bradley, one of my SCHS
'57 classmates.
--
Only met Forrest McDermott, who died here in SC in Mar 1979 at age
81, one time -- and that was on Pacific Ave in front of the old Santa
Cruz Bowling Alley. I used to practice there since "lines" were cheap
even though I bowled in league at the Surf Bowl.
Ed Varozza, our longtime next-door neighbor who worked the front
counter at the United Cigar Store for many years, often went with me
when I bowled, for it gave him a chance to smoke a few more of the
500,000 cigars someone estimated he had smoked during his 92 years.
As we left the bowling lanes we met Forrest McDermott, who had the
ever-present cigar stub in the left side of his mouth, on Pacific Ave.
He clapped Ed on the back and told me, "Best damn quail shot in the state!"
Though I only went hunting with Ed once and he missed the one pass
shot he made at a band-tail pigeon, I hunted many times with my late
father and mother's father. It was clear that Forrest was right: Ed
Varozza knew how to handle a shotgun.
Bob L Jr
>
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