BOBBY CAMARLINGHI - REMEMBERED

IVANO SAYS: The below Remembrance on Bobby was first published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/




Robert "Bobby" Camarlinghi
Santa Cruz will be saying goodbye to the patriarch of the Camarlinghi clan on Thursday April 29, 2010. Robert "Bobby" Arthur Camarlinghi, 78, was born October 21, 1931 and died April 25, 2010, and will be missed by all who knew him. He is affectionately remembered by his children as a man you looked up to, as he personified a true father figure. Best known to the community as owner of Adolph's Italian Family-style Restaurant, a landmark in Santa Cruz for over 50 years.
In the large family of animated and sometimes cantankerous personalities, Bobby was always the calm and gentle soul who warmed your heart and brought a smile to your face. Always a pillar of fashion he was admired and adored by the family and they will all miss his smile, his hugs, and the loving kiss on his shiny head. Everyone enjoyed spending time with Bobby at the family functions.

Part of the Italian heritage spread throughout the heart of Santa Cruz community, Bobby was true to his family, community and church, which he attended regularly. Bobby's copious generosity touched the lives of many whether it was working in a soup kitchen, or volunteering to drive those in need, or simply taking up collections at mass. He enjoyed giving. Truly an exceptional individual Bobby Camarlinghi was a giving soul and he embodied characteristics that are rarely seen in this world.

Bobby took pleasure in family above all, and then golfing, dancing, traveling, and volunteering. He enjoyed his yearly fishing trips with close friends and family. He loved and talked often of his travels across the country with his lifelong friends.

The large and loving Camarlinghi clan extends throughout Santa Cruz and various other locations in California. Bobby is survived by his wife Ardilla and daughter Marina, son Michael, son Mathew and grandson Luke; son Marc and daughter-in-law Diana and two granddaughters Madison and Ashley; nieces Barbara Aluffi and Cindy Famularo and husband Chuck; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Adolph and Georgia Camarlinghi; brother Rudolph and wife Norma, brother Gilbert Camarlinghi and nephew Mark Camarlinghi.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 435 Monterey Ave., Capitola, Ca. on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. Friends are invited to call at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga St. Santa Cruz, Ca. on Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Volunteer Center Transportation Department, 1010 Emeline Ave. Santa Cruz, Ca. 95060.

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IVANO SAYS (CONT'D): In "La Nostra Costa" (P.68) I mention Adolph's Restaurant and on page 75 I have two extended end notes about the history of the Restaurant, the Camarlinghi family and also 'Smitty'(Grover Smith) the ever faithful bartender. When I think of Bobby, I always think of 'Smitty' . For a long, long time, the two together made Adolph's the place to be in Santa Cruz. Addio Bobby, and please say hello for me when you meet 'Smitty' "Across IL Ultimo Ponte".

ALBANO (AL) DEGANO - FURLAN REMEMBERED

DEGANO, ALBANO (AL)After a long fought battle Albano Degano has crossed over the last bridge. Quietly and peacefully with his loving wife Allegra his sons Doriano, Paul and daughter Joanne by his side. Albano was born in Pasian di Prato, Udine, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Italy on January 26th, 1924 amongst a large family of six brothers and five sisters. Predeceased by Enrica(Adelchi), Rosa(Egidio), Pasquale (Augusta), Maria, Natalina, Fortunato, Ugo, Ettore and Giuliano. Albano is survived by his wife of 58 years Allegra (Zuliani) and his sons Doriano (Suzanne) Paul (Tracey), daughter Joanne (Robert) Caruso and sister Rita. Albano is also survived and adored by his grandchildren Celina (Mike), Genna, Olivia, Quentin, Anthony and Elio. Albano will be missed by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins in Canada and Friuli. Albano arrived in Welland from Italy in 1952 as a licensed Auto Body Repairman, applying his trade for 45 years at local businesses such as Storey and Rose, Patterson Motors, Len McGee, Maclean Motors, George's Auto Body. A proud Canadian, Albano loved his new country while retaining his Furlan Heritage, as one of the founding members of the Fogolar Furlan Niagara Club; member of the Club Roma Seniors and a life long Alpino of the 3rd Battalion Artillery Company. Family will receive family and friends at the GEORGE DARTE FUNERAL CHAPEL 585, Carlton St., St. Catharines on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Vigil prayers will be recited at 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Funeral Liturgy will be held on Friday, April 23, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary's of the Assumption Church, 169 St. Paul Crescent, St. Catharines. Rite of Committal to follow Mass at Pleasantview Memorial Gardens, Fonthill. If desired, donations may be made on behalf of Albano to the Hamilton General Hospital Cardiac Unit or to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
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IVANO SAYS: Doriano our hearts and prayers go out to you and your family.
And yes your father has crossed the last bridge (Il Ultimo Ponte), but as the "Old Rancere"
finds out -- there we will all re-unite, young, strong and without any kind of sickness.

"Oh, my dear, sweet wife! How can this be? I was old and sick, shadowy death constantly by my side. Now by you I stand, young and able, so glad to be alive!"

His young wife smiled and looked up at the rancere.

"O rancere mi," she replied in a soft and gentle voice. "Don't you know? Now you are in Heaven"

-LA NOSTRA COSTA - Il ULTIMO PONTE-
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METAL BATS

GUNNER SANDBERG AGE 16


IVANO SAYS: ON MARCH 11, 2010, GUNNER SANDBERG WAS HIT IN THE LEFT TEMPLE AND ALMOST KILLED BY A BATTED BALL OFF A METAL BAT. THE ARTICLE BELOW WRITTEN BY SPORTSWRITER TED SILLANPAA FOR THE NAPAVALLEY REGISTER http://www.napavalleyregister.com/

GIVES GOOD REASONS WHY EVERY PARENT AND EVERY GRANDPARENT SHOULD BE FOR THE BANNING OF METAL BATS.

Home / Sports / Columnists / Ted-sillanpaa
Wood bats better than helmets for pitchers
StoryDiscussionBy Ted Sillanpaa Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:00 am (7) Comments

It’s impossible to understand the controversy over the use of metal softball and baseball bats in upper age groups until you have a family member pitching in game where the high-tech hitting sticks are being used.

My youngest son, now 14, pitches for elite-level baseball teams. It became clear from watching him pitch from high school distance (60 feet, 6 inches from home plate) that a well struck ball off a metal bat leaves a pitcher virtually no time to react to a rocket back to the mound.

I knew that metal bats that cost hundreds of dollars enable players to hit the ball harder and further than their respective physical gifts should allow. So, we quietly waited and hoped my son would be an elusive target on the mound. It’s hard to hide a 6-foot-1, 165-pound eighth-grader, you know?

A Marin Catholic High School pitcher remains hospitalized after being hit in the head with a line drive hit with a metal bat. The result is that Marin County Athletic League baseball teams, including Justin-Siena, will use only wood bats for the remainder of this season.

It was only a matter of time before a tragedy forced leagues to really consider the safety of metal bats. Somebody had to suffer a life-threatening injury before everybody paid attention.

Look, I’m an old-school baseball guy. The idea of wearing safety helmets to pitch seems silly. If too much protective gear is required, the game’s just not right. I’m absolutely in favor of using wooden bats.

My kids and their buddies starting using those lightweight metal bats to hit balls to the moon in the 1990s.

My older sons played at the same huge ball park that I played at during my early teen years. It’s 335 feet down the left field line, 345-ish in the gap in left field. The center field fence is 410 feet from the plate. It’s a cavernous yard.

Using wooden bats, I had a reputation as a bit of a power hitter in 1972. I hit four balls off of the green wall in left and hit a one-hopper off the 410-mark in center. Nobody hit balls over those fences with wood bats.

By the time my older sons hit their teens, kids were pounding balls over that wall all the time. When a nondescript 13-year-old hit three home runs in one game — I knew the game was forever changed.

Two springs ago, I saw 12-year-old boys hitting home runs more than 300 feet over softball field fences. The typical 12-year-old plays on a Little League field with fences 200 feet from home plate. Metal bats makes Little League parks nearly too small by half.

And, sure, the metal bats made my sons better hitters. It didn’t matter, though, because they were all pitchers and the risk outweighed the reward. A long home run versus a line drive between the eyes? An easy call for a dad.

Everything changed when the family welcomed the youngest brother to the fraternity of pitchers. His fastball was clocked at over 80 mph — last year at age 13. The taller a pitcher is, the closer he is to home plate when he releases the ball. My youngest appears to be on top of home plate at the point of release.

My kid pitched in a 13-under league with teams from throughout the region. League games were played on high school fields where he pitched from 60 feet, 6 inches. Tournaments were played on softball fields where the pitching distance was 54 feet or so.

One weekend in San Jose, my son struck out the first six hitters he faced. Then, he got a fastball up to a tiny kid at the bottom of the batting order. The kid reached up and hit a line drive off the barrel that smashed off my son’s left kneecap and sent him sprawling into the dirt.

After leaving that game and spending a week watching deep bruise slowly subside, my son pitched again. Three innings into that game, he was decked by another shot up the middle. This one hit just below the right kneecap, at the top of the shin. By the time coaches helped him to a spot behind the dugout, he had a baseball-sized lump and couldn’t put any weight on what we were sure was a seriously damaged leg.

Only blind luck keep those line drives from hitting him in the head. We still made two trips to hospital emergency rooms in successive weeks. It was sobering to know that, even being a fairly gifted pitcher who doesn’t get hit hard often, my son was helpless against a well struck ball off of a metal bat.

We bought a clear, hard plastic mask for my son to try. No kid wants to be riding that first wave of safety-first gear. I almost had him convinced that the bench jockeys who heckled the mask would be quiet after four scoreless innings. Then, maybe, other kids would wear masks.

My son didn’t go for it. Too bad.

There’s no good reason to keep putting kids at risk by allowing bat manufacturers to make a fortune of metal bats that give hitters more pop than they need. Those bats can cost $400 — and kids can buy three, four quality wood bats for less than that.

Those safety tests are meaningless. I saw my kid, a skilled pitcher, hit by line drives in successive weeks. After two trips to the hospital, I promise, the bats aren’t safe enough.

Register Sports Writer Ted Sillanpaa can be reached at 256-2220 or tsillanpaa@napanews.com.

Posted in Ted-sillanpaa on Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:00 am Updated: 10:48 pm.

IVANO SAYS (CONT'D): So why am I posting this on the LNOSTRA-COSTA Blog: It so happens that I have a 12 year old Grandson, who plays in the Morgan Hill Pony Baseball League and who, on occasions, takes the mound and pitches. I worry that what happened to Gunner might happen to Kristian (my grandson). And I'm sure many of you readers of this blog have sons or grandsons (or perhaps even daughters - granddaughters) who pitch for Little League Teams and have the same concerns that I do. If so, I urge you to let your concerns be known to League Administrators, both at the local and the national level. It's only through your vocal efforts that things will change. Remember, our concern must not be how well our sons or grandsons pitch or how hard they hit the ball. As parents and Grandparents it is their safety that must be our primary concern.

'THE LARK' WRITES ABOUT RAMANDOLO AND POLENTA

Dipping Ramandolo Straws (like biscotti)in Ramandolo Wine

hospitality at the Ramadolo Club. (Ferruccio Dri and wife to the left;

Derrill and Kathy Kerrick to the right - 2008)

Ivano, I must get some words off to you, so many things happening.

We did make the trip to Ramandolo, very successful and very worthwhile. We did not get to visit your family nor a planned luncheon with the Mayor of Tarcento. We did stay at the Ramandolo Club http://www.ramandoloclub.it/ under the care of your cousin Ferruccio Dri, even in January it was truly delightful, we finished our trip early Saturday morning with a visit to the Church of Ramandolo, has a beautiful small Osteria( I had an expresso with 100 ml of grappa, a good way to get started and I was not driving).
Concerning polenta: I am truly shocked that there are people making polenta without stirring, but no more so than being served pollo Visentin with polenta that was bought in the market in a small block, sliced and browned with butter. A beautiful meal served by a favorite niece in Manzano, this is the heart of Furlan, the niece is of the same family of my wife. The Mother of my wife, mio suocera, family name of Visentin, came from a family of Farmers. During the thirties and early forties, they lived in a very large farm house, four families including 4 wives, 3 husbands, perhaps 16-22 children, one kitchen, and other similar singularly facilities, including a polenta making machine. This machine required manpower to rotate same, this came from the kids. My wife has some arm scars to prove that she did her turn and did not live there as a resident. Her Father, mio suocero, had decided long before that he was not going to be a farmer. Polenta was made once each day, in a quantity to meet the needs of this household for 3 meals. My wife remembers this as about a 2 hour project and everybody who has made really good FRESH polenta, knows there is a bubbling, or popping period when hot little balls of polenta pop out and if they land on fresh young skin, they will be remembered. By the time I arrived in 1947 the family had gotten down to 2 wives, one husband, and 4-8 kids. No polenta machine as polenta was being made 4-6 times a week, having been replaced with good white rolls.

I do not remember the Fieste de Patrie dal Furlan, this would be asking a lot, I am sure they celebrate at least 50 holidays each year.

Do any of the Americanized Furlani recall any talk about polenta machines??

Happy Easter e sempre avanti,

Lark

CANADIAN FURLAN ANNOUNCES A DEGANO FAMILY MILESTONE, ETC.

Allegra and Albano Degano


Ivano "Mio Caro Amico"
Just wanted to share a little something with you. The photo above is of my parents Albano and Allegra during their 58th wedding anniversary celebrations on 26Feb2010. My Father Albano is 86 and my Mother Allegra 82. This joyeous event was celebrated just a few weekends ago.
Well my Father has not been doing well these past few months and yesterday after many weeks of demands and pushing the doctors I finally received some not so great news. My father will require surgery to repair a bad heart valve. He has been steadily retaining water since Christmas in his stomach and legs ... the medical team took a few weeks to determine what the root cause was. Well yesterday we were told. My father is presently in Hospital and somewhat resting. He hates the food. He asked my last night to bring some Proscuitto and some wine!! I said sure thing here you are weeks away from major surgery on your heart and you want Proscuitto and wine!! Typical Furlan !!
Any way I said to my Dad sempre avanti ... We carry on no matter what. This operation is necessary and it will be done and you will be back on your feet. My father is a tough person he still drives and is in good health otherwise. Now the big task is the preparation for surgery and most importantly the post surgery.


Ciao e Sempre Avanti
Doriano

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CONGRATULATIONS ALLEGRA AND ALBANO. OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. AS DORIANO SAYS, SEMPRE AVANTI. IVANO

JIM ALIGO REMEMBERED BY JAIMI SALDIVAR

OFFICER JIM ALIGO - SAN FRANCISCO POLICE TAC SQUAD 1968-69

FAMOUS FRONT COVER PHOTO SEEN AROUND THE WORLD

IVANO SAYS: I received the below e-mail from Camille Brent, Jim Aligo's daughter, regarding her father along with a remembrance by retired San Jose Police Officer Jaime Saldivar. After leaving the San Francisco Police Department, circa 1970, Jim Aligo joined the San Jose Police Department.
......
Hi all. I discontinued the virtual memorials (or I thought I did) some time ago. This entry just popped up today. Since I cancelled the service I'm not sure if it will post when I approve it for entry so I thought I'd forward it on. It's a long post about dad but brought laughter and tears at the same time. But it's so dad! Enjoy the memory. -Camille

.....
I was a rookie officer in the early months of 1976 and spent one week with Jim as my FTO as he was filling in for my regular FTO. I knew who he was by name, but I sure as hell didn't know who he was. After I loaded up the car before shift, he came out . " You got everything you need kid"? "Yes." I said. " Lemme see your soft hat". So I gave him my brand knew, crisp soft hat. He turned it over and over in his hands and said," lemme fix it for ya". He then reached into the hat and pulled out the plastic forming coil and threw it in the garbage can. As I watched in disbelief, he walked towards the front of the car and placed my hat right in front of the tire. He started the car and drove forward and backward over the hat a few times all the while being careful to miss the hat piece. He then picked up my hat and with great care and masking tape rolled over his hand, he cleaned it and formed it into a shape closely similar to his own that was placed atop his head. " Here," he said handing it back to me," that's a real policeman's hat now". Not uttering a word I took it back. " You don't mind if I drive do ya?" " No, I don't mind." I replied. " Let's see if we can pinch a crook tonight." " Sure," I again replied. Wow! What the hell else is he going to do to me tonight? I excitedly thought.
Later on that night we were cruising on one of the main streets with nothing and nobody in front of us. Jim was mostly silent during the shift . His silence was only broken by the occassional cough, piss break or his one or two questions regarding my personal history or upbringing. I never thought he was mean and I didn't feel intimidated by his demeanor. On the contrary, I felt comfortable and somewhat at ease, something not usually felt as a recruit being evaluated. My attention was brought back to the emptiness of the streets ahead of us as Jim calmly broke the silence. " Hey kid, you wanna make a pinch?" "Yea! sure... " My head rapidly pivoted side to side trying to see what the hell I missed. He smoothly tapped the brakes which slowed us to about 25mph and a car on my right passed us gradually. Now I'm still wondering who or what he is talking about. " Do you know how to use the radio?" he asked. I said I did and he told me to use it on the car that just passed us. So we stopped the car according to all the academy proper protocal. Jim got out, put on his hat and calmly walked up to the drivers side. I was also out of the car and was keeping a nervous eye on the two males in the car ahead of us. Halfway up to the car Jim pulled out his revolver and held it alongside of his leg, keeping it there as he was talking to the driver. I had seen this before with other officers so it didn't surprise me to much. What did surprise me was when he pointed the gun at the men and told them to put their hands up which they did. Now he was very calm and speaking softly so my brain became even more confused. Keeping the gun trained on both of them he told the passenger to get out and " talk to that kid back there", motioning towards me. I was fumbling with my gun at this time and the passenger did what he was told. I searched this guy when Jim told me to hook him up. My mind was racing and heart was ready to burst. " What is going on!!!!!" I thought. Keeping his gun trained on the driver, Jim told him also to " go talk to that kid over there." Now I did the same thing to the driver. Jim was still standing by the drivers door of the crook car and asked if I had them both. I said I did. He then holstered his revolver and started looking inside the car without actually going in. He then hesitated for a second, bent down reaching under the drivers seat. He then pulled out a loaded 1911 pistol with the biggest shit-eatin-grin on his face. My jaw dropped. I was stunned. After we booked the guys I stopped him and looked him straight in the eyes. " How in the hell did you know that was there?????" I demanded. He just grinned with his teeth clenched and gave me a husky laugh. " Aw, you'll figure it out" and walked away as he kept laughing.
The next night, he did the same identical thing with two hippie girls in a VW bug. He pulled a pound a marijuana out of that one. When that bug drove in front of us and he turned again to me and uttered those words, " hey kid, you wanna make a pinch?" I couldn't believe it. Again after the booking I asked how did he know. He told me the same thing that I will figure it out.
My friend Jim was one of , if not the best policeman I have ever known. Over the years I learned much from watching him as he never really told how he did something. Maybe he really didn't know himself or if he did he couldn't explain it. But his sixth sense was uncanny and his ability and methods were passed on through me to my recruits as well. I am very proud and honored to have known him and to have been his friend. I think of him often and am grateful for the experience of learning from this man. I was saddened when I was notified of his passing and funeral service long after it was held. I wanted to be there to bid my friend goodbye. To his children I hope that this gives you a little insight as to how your father impacted guys like me. He always ruled by the adage " good people get a break, bad guys go to jail." He is a great street cop; I think that is all he ever wanted to be. About a week before he retired, I heard him go out on a foot patrol at a pool hall. I rolled up to say hi and see what he was doing. He showed me a picture of a burglar and got a line that the guy frequents this pool hall. A week before he retires, at his age, and he is still looking for crooks. Amazing.
God, take care of my friend in heaven, because he sure spent his time in hell.
Jaime Saldivar #1805 SJPD ( Ret)

THE GREAT POLENTA CONTROVERSY

(Ivano says: We have quite a few comments to this article. Here's a tip. To view the "Polenta" article along with all the comments "clicca" on the title of the article above. The comments will appear at the end of the "Polenta Story". )




DORIANO THE 'CANADIAN FURLAN' (2nd from left) WITH
FURLAN FRIENDS AT A 'SCRUPLES' POLENTA PARTY.

"CANADIAN FURLAN'S" OLD WOOD BURNING STOVE (OPTIONAL) USED TO COOK POLENTA.POLENTALOGIST OLG GROSSUTTI SHOWS US HOW TO MAKE 'SCRUPLES' POLENTA. WOOD BURNING STOVE NOT NECESSARY.

NO 'SCRUPLES' POLENTA

AHHHHA -- MOLTO BUONO. NO 'SCRUPLES' POLENTA AT CESARE E ANNA MARIA COMELLI'S
CASA IN NIMIS-RAMANDOLO, FRIULI, ITALY.


IVANO SAYS: Last week, Donna Maurillo's column in the Santa Cruz Sentinel http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
had a few suggestion on how to shorten the time to prepare polenta. In this week's column she published some of the responses she received. Very interesting.

Donna Maurillo: Column on quick-and-easy polenta stirs up quite a response
By Donna Maurillo
Posted: 03/03/2010 08:02:12 AM PST


Last week’s column about polenta generated much more response than I’d anticipated. A lot of you must love polenta, and you have your own favorite ways for preparing it in a snap — or at least without much stirring. Here are a few comments. Gail Levy says, “I’ve been making cold water polenta for years, and it has never failed. Stir the grain into cold stock or water, then stir as it comes to the boil. Add more boiling liquid as needed and stir in the butter at the last — perfect lump free creamy polenta in under 30 minutes.”

Ivano Franco Comelli wrote, “Making polenta the traditional way was almost a ritual — no additives or shortcuts please.

Imagine my chagrin when I received a photo from my cousins in Italy making polenta in a large electric cake mixer.

Nobody has any scruples anymore.”

To that, Richard Smith of Aptos wrote, “I don’t need any stinking scruples! Is there any way my bread machine can make polenta? Now that sounds cool.”

A reader with the screen name Polenta Casserole Junkie said, “I whisk in two cups of polenta to four cups boiling water, turn the heat down low, and I only stir it twice in 15 minutes of cooking.

I turn off the flame and let it sit for five more minutes. I do not cover it with a lid. It is always great.”

Ken Clark, an impressive 99 years old and still cooking, says, “Have you
ever cooked polenta in the microwave?

In a Pyrex large bowl, mix polenta with three times as much water. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook for 5 minutes. Add sour cream, butter and cheese, stir well. If too thick, add some milk. If not hot enough, just microwave for 1 or 2 minutes more.

No splatters from the hot stuff.”

Keith and Barb, no last name, wrote, “Another way to make polenta without stirring is to start with cold water.

Add pinch of salt and two tablespoons butter to cold water. Stir in polenta.

Turn on low heat and bring to a slow boil. Stir occasionally. Polenta is cooked shortly after coming to a boil. Add cheese before removing from the stove.”

Marianne Plastina says, “In an ovenproof pot, add salt to 5 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil on the stove. Melt butter in a skillet and stir in 1 cup polenta to coat, toasting it slightly.

Whisk toasted polenta into the boiling water.

Place the pot in a 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Whisk until smooth.”

NOT THE SAME

Whenever people ask what my favorite restaurant is, I have the same response. My mother’s dining room table. There’s just nothing like the food you can get at home.

A few days ago, I was having an alarm system installed in my home, and Saul the installation guy was talking about the fine Mexican food his mother and grandmother could make. “No matter what restaurant I go to in Watsonville,” he said, “it just isn’t the same.”

We thought maybe it was the ingredients.

But no. Restaurants can access the same ingredients your family can find — and sometimes even better.

Or maybe we just happen to like the cooking we’ve grown accustomed to as children. But I think the real secret is the love that goes into it. You just can’t get Mom’s love at a restaurant.

BE NICE

If there’s one thing that annoys party organizers more than anything, it’s the increasing lack of responses from invited guests. The season is coming up for graduations, weddings and other milestones.

Please remember to respond to your invitations, and do it before the requested time.

Your host and hostess are depending on an accurate count to ensure enough seating and refreshments. And please do not ask if you can bring a guest of your own. Many party budgets are limited, especially in this economy.
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IVANO SAYS (CONT'D): Sempre Avanti, Donna and keep stirring the pot.

SANTA CRUZ HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OR 1955 REUNION

HEY, HEY, HEY!! THE GANGS ALL HERE!
Photo above (l-r): Jim Ceragiol, Marvin Del Chiaro, Muriel Prolo, Ivan "Zorch" Comelli, Jerry Mungai.

IVANO SAYS: RECEIVED THE BELOW NOTIFICATION FROM MURIEL (McPHERSON)PROLO REGARDING THE SCHS CLASS OF '55 REUNION. NOTICE TO ALL SCHS'55ERS :MARK OCTOBER 16 AS
THE DATE TO BE IN SANTA CRUZ. IF I STILL CAN COUNT THE YEARS CORRECTLY THIS WILL BE OUR 55TH YEAR REUNION. SEMPRE AVANTI


Dear Classmates,

Our reunion committee (David Hara, Ivan Dodson, Marvin Del Chiaro, Josephine
Hart, Esther Wilson, Lois Esposito, and I) planned all for October 16th,
2010 at the MacKenzie Bar and Grill at Pasatiempo from 5:30 - 11:00. All
further info will be sent to you (including lodging suggestions etc.)
during the week of February 9th. We had fun planning it all; in fact we
even recognized one another!!!! Muriel
Posted by Ivano Franco Comelli at 1:57 PM
Labels: la nostra costa - santa cruz
5 COMMENTS:

LEN K. SCHS '54 said...
Ivan,
Ceragioli, Comelli, Del Chiaro, Frizza-Wilson, Mungai, Van Orterendorp-Esposito -- That's quite a reunion committee lineup.
What did you have to do to get on the committee? Grow up on the West Side or up the Coast?
But the real reason I'm writing: What is Josephine Hart's maiden name? I posted the reunion committee picture to the Class of '54 web site, but I have no idea who Josephine Hart was? I could find only one Josephine in the '55 yearbook: Josephine Tinetti. Is it she? Another Italian?
Len
9:06 AM

ZORCH said...
Len: I don't know Josephine's maiden name. Perhaps someone on the committee could answer your query.
BTW: The four "boys" in the photo -
Ceragioli,Del Chiaro,Comelli and Mungai, are also graduates of Laurel School and were members of the award winning "Traffic Boys" Squad. Also, I do believe Muriel attended Kindergarten at Laurel. I'm sure if she would have continued on she would have been selected by the principal(Miss Edith King) for the equally prestigious Traffic Girls' Squad that monitored the traffic in the hallways. Sempre Avanti ivn

Saratoga Sam said...
Hey there "Zorch". Seems that the four guys in the photo are also from the Coast. Am I right? SS
9:26 AM

IVANO said...
Right you are Sam. Jim Ceragioli,
Marvin Del Chiaro, Jerry Mungai and I, are "Figli della Costa" (Sons of the Coast). Muriel was born and raised in Santa Cruz. As an aside, she married Stan Prolo the son of Eugene Prolo who owned the Prolo Chevrolet Company in Santa Cruz. In 1949, my father and mother bought a brand new Chevrolet from him. This was a major event in our family and is properly recorded in "La Nostra Costa. ivn0

CHILD ABUSE FURLAN STYLE/ ANON FURLANA

ANON'S MOUNTAIN TOP IN FRIULI ?

What ever possessed my parents to send a 12-year-old girl (alone) up a winding, narrow and sometimes icy mountain road, leading two oxen attached to a big carriage to load firewood?

The round trip was about 40 miles and many times I had to make the trip in the snow and rain with temperatures sometimes hitting 20 and 40 below zero . During my childhood in Friuli this type of work was common and I didn’t mind the work, but I did mind very much the responsibility that they placed on my shoulders. Thinking about it today, I still can’t forgive my parents for putting me in such a dangerous situation. The carriage itself was unstable and the old brakes kept failing as it moved down the mountain side. On top of that, the road was so narrow that you could look over the side, 40 to 50 feet below to where a river ran through the rocks. A little mistake on my part guiding the animals would have sent the carriage and all of us with it over the side to our doom. To this day, I can not forgive my parents for putting me in such a dangerous situation. Was this not a form of child abuse? Read on.

The fear of falling has stayed with me all my life. I still dream of falling off a cliff into a deep hole. In my dreams I’m on top of a mountain, either leading that old Ox cart, or driving a car. The ending is always the same – off the side I go and down into the abyss below. The only thing that saves me is that I wake up shaking with fright.

I have many fond memories about growing up in Friuli, but this is not one of them.

Anon Furlana

A CHORUS LINE WITH ANDREW ROUBAL AS "MARK"

ANDREW ROUBAL IN THE ROLE OF "MARK" IN "A CHORUS LINE" IS COMING TO THE SACRAMENTO COMMUNITY CENTER THEATRE - MAY 19 TO MAY 30.

Ivano says: Andrew (above) is the Great-Grandson of my parents, Bronco and Valentina, Grandson to my brother Giovanni Primo (John) and his wife Donna, and son of my niece Christine Roubal and her husband Louie. Therefore (if you are able to figure all this out), I am proud to announce that he his my Great-Nephew. This is quite an accomplishment for this young man who just was graduated from University of California - Fullerton in June 2009.

Congratulations , Andrew. Your Aunt Mildred and I are planning to come see you and the rest of the cast 0n May 29. Maybe we can sneak back stage to see you. Sempre Avanti, your GREAT Uncle Ivan.

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Ticket information: Sacramento Convention Center Box Office (916) 808-5181, press "O"

California Musical Theatre Box Office (916) 557-1999

Website http://www.sacramentoconventioncenter.com/

Also if you wish further information on the Broadway National Touring Company and "A Chorus Line", go to: http://www.achorusline.com/ . Their Website carries the complete cast with bios and photos, plus history of the musical. You also can order tickets thru their website.

FALLEN LAKEWOOD POLICE OFFICERS - CHILLING DETAILS OF KILLINGS

IVANO SAYS: Almost, two months ago, four Officers of the Lakewood, Wn., Police Department were gun-down by a ruthless, vicious killer. Figlio Della Costa Marvin Del Chiaro has sent me a report on this tragic event, which he received from a confidential law enforcement source. I have edited some of the words and phrases for clarification, however the details as received have not been altered.

(Photo above of Officers' Funeral taken by the San Diego Police Department, William Landsdowne, Chief and was first published in the 'Farsider' a Bill Mattos -Leroy Pyle Publication)

The details of the shooting are as follows:

The coffee shop was owned by a retired Tacoma Police Officer.
It (the coffee shop)was considered a "safe" hangout for cops
waiting to go on duty, or stopping by for a break.

Lakewood Pd is a new Department recently formed. Almost all of the
Officers (including the officers that were killed) were hired from the Pierce County
Sheriffs Office. The Deputies were hired from the jail.

The four (Officers)were drinking coffee before shift and working on
laptops with their heads down. The table was approximately 15 feet from the counter/check out register.

Shooter came in and smiled and acknowledge the two Officers facing the doorway/entrance. They (the two officers) return the greeting. Shooter goes
up to the counter like he (was)going to order. After stepping up to counter, he
pulls a semi-automatic pistol from under his coat. Shooter takes a couple of
steps toward (the) table, where the deputies are seated. (His) distance is now approximately 12 feet.

(The)shooter shoots first (Officer), who is facing him across the table. He (first Officer) is shot
in (the) head. He is killed instantly. Shooter then shoots nearest Officer, who is seated away from him, in the back of the head. He is killed instantly.

Shooter then shoots across the table at third Officer, who is facing him, and misses. (He fires a) fourth shot and strikes the third Officer in the face, killing him instantly.

Last Officer is a Sergeant. He stands, draws his weapon and charges the Shooter. The table is knocked over in the process. The Police Sergeant grabs the Shooter by his coat and engages him with his weapon. First round strikes the Shooter in his mid-section and goes on through. (Sergeant) fires second round. The bullet strikes the Shooter in the front pocket. The round hits keys inside the pocket, but penetrates through --about 1.5 inches into Shooters thigh. (Officers carry 180 grain gold dot ammunition. unknown at this time what kind of pistol).

The Shooter raises his gun and shoots the Sergeant in the face. The Sergeant falls to the ground. The Shooter kneels and bends over the fallen Sergeant. He fires a CONTACT shot to the right eye. The Shooter then shoots the Sergeant in his other eye. Once again this is a CONTACT shot.
The Shooter then takes the Sergeant's wallet and steals his credit cards and his duty weapon.
The Shooter does not rob the store or hurt or threaten anyone else. The shooting of the first three Officer lasted approximately 3-5 seconds. The Sergeants encounter lasted another 5-7 seconds.Shooter has an accomplice waiting outside in a car. He gets into car and they leave the area. (The accomplice is a former cell mate of the Shooter when he did time in Arkansas prison.

Federal agents track Shooter by cellphone "pinging" to locate phone/area. Five more additional accomplices help shooter with medical issues, food, money etc. . Federal agents find driver accomplice and get the name of the Shooter. All accomplices are arrested and general area where
Shooter is headed for is found out.

Tuesday approximately 3:00 a.m. Shooter turns off phone and takes battery out, so he can no longer be tracked by the "pinging". A short time later, Pierce County Deputy checks an abandoned car with engine running, headlights on and driver door open.

As the Deputy walks back to his patrol car he sees movement from behind the car. Once he clears his headlights, which were blinding him, he clearly sees a person crouched behind the squad car. He recognizes him as the Shooter.

The Deputy orders him to ground and issues other commands. Shooter attempts to draw his weapon and starts to run. Deputy fires five rounds. Three bullets strike the Shooter, who falls to the ground. Deputy covers Shooter with his weapon until backup arrives. (Unknown how long it took for backup to arrive). Once backup units arrive, the Shooter is handcuffed. At this point he is already dead. Deputies find slain Sergeant's duty weapon on the Shooter.

Later, one of the bullets found in the Shooter' body is traced to the Sergeant's weapon, confirming that the deceased Sergeant had shot the Shooter.

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IVANO SAYS (CONT'D)

The names of the Fallen Officers follows:

Tina Griswald

Ron Owens

Mark Renninger

Greg Richards

Addio mi belli Figli. Until we meet, hopefully in uniform, across "Il Ultimo Ponte.

RESTORATION OF "CASA DELLA FAMIGLIA LOSK" AND A FURLAN 'EPIPHANY'

IVANO SAYS: Out of the ashes (so to speak) rises the ancestral home of the LOSKS. (My grandfather GIOVANNI COMELLI, was also know in Friuli as GIOVAN DEL LOSK). Located in Nimis, Italy (Friuli), the photo at the bottom depicts the condition of the home prior to renovation. The top photo shows the house as it nears completion in 2010.

The renovation is being done by my cousin, LUCIA (daughter of ANNA MARIA and CESARE COMELLI, grand daughter of GIOVANNI AND LAURA COMELLI, and great-grand daughter of Giovan del Losk and his wife CAROLINA) and her husband GIANNI SCHENA. As you can see this renovation took a great deal of time and money. And, I would think, a lot of patience.

For those of you who have read “La Nostra Costa”, you will know that I write about my father ‘Bronco” and my visit to the “old house” in 1977 (P.370- 371). This was just after the death of my mother Valentina. The following is from my book “La Nostra Costa”:*

“Although the Friuli region had just been hit with a major earthquake a year earlier, in 1976, the house of my grandfather (Bronco’s father), although damaged, was still standing. Bronco’s brother, Giovanni, and his wife Laura, were living there now. Also standing, and still in reasonably good condition, was the second-story addition Bronco had built way back in 1931 with his hard-earned American dollars. Bronco was able to use it as his sleeping quarters during our stay. “Isn’t it amazing, Ivano?” Bronco said to me in Italian. “After all those years su per la costa, I am once again back here in Nimis, sleeping in the very same room where your mother and I spent our wedding night.” He added, in a very sad tone of voice, “But this time, I will be alone.”

Well done Lucia and Gianni. I think many LOSKS are smiling their approval from above.

Sempre Avanti. Ivn0

*La Nostra Costa (Our Coast), A Family's Journey To And From The North Coast of Santa Cruz, by Ivano Franco Comelli, published by Authorhouse (2006): http://www.authorhouse.com/

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Speaking of 'restoration', Doriano "The Canadian Furlan" sends this ancient Furlan New Year Tradition.

Ivano Mio Caro Amico

Just a quick summary of the 6th of January, The Epiphany as celebrated in Friuli ... "Il Pignarul"
This ancient pagan ritual takes place throughout Friuli but most effectively in Tarcento!!

This event takes place on the mysterious Twelfth night – Epiphany - the last one of the Christmas season. The celebrations for this night have ancient Celtic origins and can be traced back to rites for the pagan god of fire and light.
Not just one bonfire but tens of them can be admired in every village in the foothills and central plains of Friuli. The main one is in Tarcento . Here people walk up Coja hill where a huge bonfire, made of branches of pine, sheaves of corn, is set up. The Venerable Old Man (Vecchio Venerando) then lights the bonfire - Pignarûl Grant, or Great Bonfire - which is the signal for all the other minor bonfires around the area to be lit as well. From the direction the smoke takes, predictions are made about the fortunes of the region in the coming year: smoke blowing east predicts a year of abundance while smoke blowing west is a bad omen for the crops:
(Old saying in the Friulian language).
"Se il fum al va a soreli a mont, cjape il sac e va pal mont", - translation: "if the smoke goes towards where the sun sets grab your sack and go away immigrate throughout the world"
"Se il fum invezit al va de bande di soreli jevât,cjape il sac e va al marcjât» - translation "if the smoke goes where the sun rises grab your sack and go to the market".
Refer to the following site for more detailed information www.epifaniainfriuli.com/tarcento/index_tar_uk.htm


Ciao e Mandi e Sempre Avanti. Doriano

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FRIULI

IVANO SAYS: Remember my cousin Ferruccio Dri - proprietor and your genial host at the famous Ramandolo Club in Friuli:
http://www.ramandoloclub.it/ Well he sent me the top photo above and wanted me to post his Happy New Year message on the 'blagga.


Oggetto: AUGURI DI BUON ANNO 2010

Carissimi amici de la Nostra Costa

Vi faccio i miei più caldi Auguri di Buon Anno

Spero che il prossimo sia migliore di quello passato

Colgo l’occasione di inviarVi una mia foto fatta a Caserta prima della inaugurazione della Reggia di Caserta 28 Nov 2009

E del Gran Ballo dei Borboni che ho partecipato

Inoltre Mi Auguro di incontraVi personalmente in California

Auguroni a Tutti

Ferruccio e famiglia

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IVANO SAYS (CONT'D): Loosely translated Ferruccio says "Happy New Year- 2010.

Dear friends of La Nostra Costa. I send you my warmest wishes for a most Happy New Year.

Let's all hope that the New Year will be better then the past year. I am sending you a photo that was taken at Casereta before the inauguration of the Royal Palace (?). There I participated in the Gran Dance of the Bourbons. (French Royal Family). Hopefully, I will meet all of you personally in California. Best wishes to all. Ferruccio and Family".

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AND I JOIN IN WITH FERRUCCIO AND MY WIFE, MILDRED, IN WISHING ALL YOU LNOSTRA-COSTA 'BLAGGATORI' A HAPPY NEW YEAR. SEMPRE AVANTI. Ivn0

AMICA DELLA COSTA - EDITH KING REMEMBERED

Edith I. King*

Edith I. King passed away peacefully at home, Sunday December 6. She was 100 years old. She was born in the city of Santa Cruz on July 7, 1909, to Harry W. and Margaret M. King, who had immigrated to Santa Cruz from Toronto, Canada. Her father died when she was 8 years old, and her mother remarried Harry A Baker. They moved to the ranch in Aptos, where she lived for 67 years. In 1986 she moved from the ranch to Rio Del Mar, where she resided until her death.

Edith was an educator who worked in Santa Cruz county schools for 39 years. She graduated from San Jose State in 1932, and began her teaching career in Watsonville. She soon moved to the Santa Cruz city schools where she taught at Grant, was principal at Gault from 1949 until 1966, and finished her career as principal at Laurel, instituting the first Title One program in Santa Cruz county. She retired in 1971.

Edith loved horses and raised Arabians and ponies at the ranch as well as cattle, and had many pet dogs and cats over the years. She enjoyed the outdoors and hunted and fished for most of her life. She loved to travel, and her most recent trip was a cruise through the Panama canal at age 92, which fulfilled a lifetime goal. She was an avid gardener and was known for her beautiful dahlias and roses.

Edith is survived by her loving nephews and nieces, Timothy Matthews and wife Heather, of Capitola, Ann Matthews Atlas and her husband Larry. of Millbrook, New York, Martin Matthews of Honolulu, Hawaii, and grand nephew Julian Matthews of Aptos. She was preceded in death by her sister, Dorothy Baker Matthews. The family also wishes to thank Dolores M. Austria, her loving caregiver for over 6 years.

No services will be held at her request, but the family would welcome any stories or memories be sent to P.O.Box 36, Aptos, CA 95003 or to tim@heatherglass.com. Memorial donations can made to Hospice of Santa Cruz, 940 Disc Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
____

IVANO SAYS: Edith King was the principal and teacher (Sixth Grade) when I graduated from Laurel School. She was instrumental in selecting five "Figli della Costa", Jerry Mungai, Jim Ceragioli, Marvin Del Chiaro, Mario Rodoni and me (Ivan Comelli) to serve with the famous "Traffic Boys" of 1948-49 (LNC: P.275). Thanks Miss King. Until we meet again across "Il Ultimo Ponte"

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*The above Remembrance was first published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY MARTIN

NICK FAITOS -CYD CHARISSE-TONY MARTIN -2OO7
('Clicca' on photo for enlarged image)
On Christmas Day in 1913, Tony Martin one of our most famous singers and entertainers was born in San Francisco. In 1948, Tony married the famous and beautiful dancer (and actor), Cyd Charisse. Nick Faitos of Santa Cruz , sent me the photo above, taken at the Martin home in Los Angeles (Sept 2007). Sadly, in 2008, Tony (and all of us) lost Cyd to an apparent heart attack. Cyd Charisse starred and danced in some of the most memorable movies of all time, such as “Silk Stockings”, and "Bandwagon" (below) with Fred Astaire, and “Singing in the Rain” with Gene Kelly. Who could ever forget those lovely legs?

CYD CHARISSE AND FRED ASTAIRE

And here are some of my favorite Tony Martin big hit records: “To Each His Own”, “There’s No Tomorrow”, “I’ll Take Manhattan”, “I’ll See You In My Dreams” and “I Hear A Rhapsody”.

Happy Birthday, Tony. And thanks to you and Cyd for the all those wonderful memories.
Sempre Avanti! Ivano

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Below is the letter by Nick Faito sent with the photos.


Dear Ivan:

Enjoy these photos of the Martins and me. I don’t know if Ill ever take any more. You wouldn’t believe how much we miss Cyd. She was just about the most adorable person I’ve ever known.

Merry Christmas, Nick

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Thanks Nick. And a very Merry Christmas to you and your family. And here is an added note from Len " SCHS Class of '54:

Hi, Ivan,
I thought you might be interested in reading a column about Cyd Charisse written by Ron Miller, Santa Cruz High Class of 1956. Ron, as you probably know, was the TV critic for the San Jose Mercury for many years and later became a movie critic for the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain, which owned the Mercury.
Ron's piece on Charisse appears on a web site called "The Columnists" and is at:
www.thecolumnists.com/millers681.hml

Thanks Len. I found the excellent article on Cyd by going to the homepage: http://www.thecolumnists.com/
then clicking on Ron Miller's photo and then going to his 2008 archives. The article on Cyd was first posted in June 23, 2008

COAST ROAD BLOG

LA NOSTRA COSTA BEACH - GULCH RANCH - OFF THE COAST ROAD - 3 MILES N. OF SANTA CRUZ -(PHOTO TAKEN BY GINO CAMPIONI)

IVANO SAYS: Surfing the net I came across this book review posted on The Coast Road Blogsite: www.coastroad.wordpress.com This blog has many beautiful photos of the Coast Road along with interesting articles. I invite my "blaggatori" to take a look. Sempre Avanti.


La Nostra Costa, Santa Cruz North CoastIvano Franco Comelli’s La Nostra Costa (our coast) sticks an Italian flag in the coast north of Santa Cruz. Ivano Comelli is “un figlio della costa (son of the coast), born and raised on a brussel sprouts rancio.”

Ivano’s family lived on the Coast Road from 1937 to 1953 amongst other ranceri and amici della costa. “Italians who lived on or near the Coast Road would often say that they lived su per la costa, up the coast.” The family home was located on The Gulch Ranch, Il Golce.

“Our single-story batten and board-house had only about 1,200 square feet of actual living space and was separated from the Coast Road by a small patch of lawn, which in turn was surrounded by three sides by a hedge of tall juniper plants. These thick, woody plants shielded the house, somewhat, from the dusty wind, but did little to mitigate the constant noise that was generated by passing vehicles. There were far fewer vehicles on the road in those days; however, it still had a significant amount of traffic.”

Southbound cement trucks traveling the Coast Road to Santa Cruz from Davenport’s Portland Cement Plant would “descend into the gulch and climb a steep grade on the other side. Our house was located right at the top of the grade where the trucks completed their climb. Many times a truck going by was so noisy that our single wall house literally shook on its foundation. Mercifully, when the highway was rebuilt in the latter part of the 1950s, this particular portion of the gulch was mostly filled with rock and sand. The present roadway has a slight dip, but no longer does it have that steep descent.”

La Nostra Costa provides old photos and tells stories of daily life along the coast ranches and in old Davenport. Some things change, some things remain the same: access to beaches bordered by privately-owned land, nudism and sex on the beach while being spied upon from above by boys on the bluff, automobile accidents on the Coast Road, good food and Localism.

Many of the Italianos along this stretch of coast came to America, before World War II, from the northeastern region of Friuli. During World War II, being immigrants without U.S. Citizenship, these Italians were not allowed west of the Coast Road. “The entire coast from the Oregon border to just below Santa Barbara was declared off-limits to enemy aliens effective February 24, 1942.”

La Nostra Costa may be found at Bookshop Santa Cruz and via a few other venues. Ivano also maintains a blog.

2 Comments

Posted in History, Literature Tags: Cabrillo Highway, Davenport, Dimeo Lane, Laguna Curve, Pescadero-Santa Cruz Road, Respini Creek, Santa Cruz County, Serafina's, Yellowbank Curve
Posted by: coastroad October 19, 2009 Rincon Causeway – 1912
http://www.coastroad.wordpress.com/

HOOVER'S CHILDREN - NICK FAITOS

'CLICCA' ON PHOTO FOR ENLARGED IMAGE

A VERY SPECIAL CHIRSTMAS GIFT FROM 'ST. NICK'

IVANO SAYS: I met Nick Faitos at one of my presentations. Last week he called me up and said that he had a special photo of the 1940 graduating class of Laurel School. (I graduated from Laurel School in 1949.) He was wondering if I wanted a copy. "Of course", I told him. Nick was gracious enought to send me a copy. Nick has entitled this class as "Hoover's Children" All were born durning the Great Depression. Some of the above names appear in "La Nostra Costa". I hope you all enjoy the photo as much as I did. (BTW: The teacher for the class was Viola Meints, who was also the principal.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY E SEMPRE AVANTI

LA COSTA MEMORIES FROM GINO CAMPIONI

***************'BAFFI' CAMPIONI ************************(Top)GINO 'BABI' CAMPIONI

**************VANDA DEGLI ESPOSTI AND ADA CAMPIONI

*******'BAFFI' CAMPIONI FISHING OFF THE SANTA CRUZ WARF

IVANO SAYS: Gino has sent me some of his memories of "La Costa". Above I have included some of his family photos. Thanks Gino.

Il Gioco è Bello Quando è Corto (1.)

As I partook of my modest Thanksgiving dinner alone, memories came of happier times. Some of the better ones were the few times we all enjoyed a much nicer dinner than my current one.

This was in the old cookhouse on the Gulch Ranch. Valentina Comelli had prepared a sumptuous feast of turkey, ham, or pork roast, with the usual contorni. (2.) There were also various desserts and the ever present coffee with its alcoholic additives, taken with or without the coffee. The entire crew of the ranch was there, along with their families. The exceptions were the non Italian workers who had their own cookhouse.

The title of this piece suggests that things we expected to go on forever, only happened once or twice, at least for me. That makes the memories of them more precious than if they had been more commonplace.

There is, for instance, the time Ivano and I went “hunting” with our air rifles. It was a bright and chilly morning. The sun glittered on the newly formed dew drops on all the leaves of the carcioffi (3.) and sprout plants, forming tiny rainbows of color. Some of the carcioffi plants had been covered with burlap, thus preventing sunlight from reaching them as they grew. The resulting stalks were pure white, and were called, “cardoni”. When picked, they would be cut into lengths of about 3 inches, dipped in egg batter and fried, along with the normal artichokes, which were cut into quarter inch slices. Most delicious along with chicken, cooked in the same way.

As we marched around this scene of tranquility, looking for “game” to shoot, we could smell the odor of Brussells Sprouts, mingled with that of other farm substances. It was exhilarating to breathe in that odor of cleanness. As we passed sprout plants that looked inviting, we would snap off a sprout and eat it raw. This went on for several minutes, at which point our mouths started to suffer the effects of the natural chemical content of the sprouts. Four or five small sprouts was about the limit for us. For all our “hunting” and “stalking”, we never shot anything. Indeed, we never even saw something to shoot. This makes that memory even better for me.

As most young boys do, I was eager to be able to help my father with farm work. Finally, after much begging, I was allowed to accompany him one morning, and was taught how to pick sprouts. I only lasted a few minutes, before I was told to just get out of the way, as I was too slow. So much for my career in farming! Actually, I think my dad was trying to give me a more valuable lesson. He always felt that I should be able to do something more rewarding that farm work. He told me that if I ever went into farming, he would “break my legs.” Of course, I knew he did not mean that literally. He did not live long enough to find out that the Rodoni boys did much better with farming and their other pursuits, than I ever did in my entire career.

Another memorable moment came one morning when I was playing around the area of the barn. Dante Ramacciotti fired up the Caterpillar tractor, and started it moving toward an area in which he was going to plow. He stopped, and motioned for me to come to him. He helped me climb into the seat of the tractor, and started it moving forward. I was allowed to pull on the left turn lever a couple of times and keep the tractor in the proper direction. Though this was a very short ride, perhaps less that 50 yards, it still is unforgettable to me. Tractors were always things of great fascination for me. I still have a tiny hard rubber toy of an Auburn tractor, which was given to me when I was about 2 years old. It still carries a bit of Gulch Ranch dirt on its tiny wheels.

It was on the Gulch Ranch that I learned to drive a car. I was about 9 years old when Costantino Gemignani showed me how to drive the old Ford. I think it was about a 1938 model, and had been heavily used by a previous owner. Constantino (aka Augie) had painted it an ugly brown color, using a brush. My driving was limited to the area between the cookhouse, the barns, and the highway. I never got it past 2nd gear.

Other precious memories are of evenings à veglia (4.) with the Rodoni family. After supper, Dante would set up his movie projector and show home movies of his family.
There were even some shots of my people. I remember the short film of Mario and me, riding toward the camera in pedal operated sidewalk cars, while Andreina and my parents watched. One was a “Nash” painted green with white trim. The other was a “fire engine”, all white with red trim and a chrome bell on the hood.

Those wonderful evenings in which families visited each other were delightful. Unfortunately, the arrival of available television in 1954 put an end to those events. Though I finally decided on a career in TV repair, I soon realized that I was supporting something that was not good for families in general. I think it has done more harm to society that the little good it was able to do. By 1984 television was considered by some people to be no more than a “talking lamp”. With a few exceptions, I agree.

I am thankful for Ivano Comelli, not only for the fine book he has written, (5.) but for his continuing friendship.

Gino 'Babi' Campioni

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1. The game is best when it is short.
2. Additional food items.
3. Artichokes.
4. Literally a “wake”,n this case meaning “time spent together”.
5. La Nostra Costa

'PANE AMARO' (BITTER BREAD) FOR THANKSGIVING

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a showing of the documentary film 'Pane Amaro' (Bitter Bread) at the Italian American Heritage Foundation in San Jose. There I was honored to have met Gianfranco Norelli and Suma Kurien the co-producers of the film. They did an extra-ordinary job in making this historical documentary. I congratulate them in this endeavor and also on their continuing effort to bring the true story of the Italian immigration to this country, to the English speaking audience. ('Pane Amaro' was originally done in Italian, however, this version was done in English.)

As described in the IAHF Newsletter, "The film is hard hitting" and takes an intense and ultimately inspiring look at the Italian immigrant experience from about the 1880' through the post WWII years. Covered too (is) the era known in US history as the "great migration" of

millions of Eastern and Southern Europeans to America's shore. "

Although the experiences described in the film were not unique to the Italian migration (the Irish, Germans, Poles, etc., had to endure similar difficulties), it set my mind to thinking as to what the first Thanksgiving in a Foreign Land must have been for these immigrants. Away from family and friends, not knowing the language and with little money in their pockets, and facing deep seated prejudices against them, these brave souls set out to establish a new life for themselves and their families. I wonder if they even celebrated their first Thanksgiving. As the film depicts, these new 'Americanos' had to eat many slices of 'Bitter Bread' before they could be thankful for the 'better' life that they eventually realized.

For us, the first, second, third, etc., generations of these immigrants, we give thanks today for their courage, tenacity, inspiration and love. It is because of them that we do not have to eat "Pane Amaro" this Thanksgiving.

Ivano Franco Comelli

"Major funding for PANE AMARO was provided by the National Italian American Foundation and the Foreign Ministry of Italy"

MICHAEL NANNA REMEMBERS SANTA CRUZ - 2ND EDITION WITH PHOTOS

Ivano:
I've included a 'new' revised text below. In addition I've attached three pictures I would apprecaite that you would post on the same blog two of my grandfather Herman and one of my geat grandfather Gustavo. Two of the pictures di mio caro Nonno, Herman the poiliceman and the navy master at arms chief along with the picture of 'il mio bisnonno' Gustavo Nanna and his brother taken in Italy.

Here is the Edited version below:



I just received your book 'La Nostra Costa (Our Coast) Wednesday (a paperback copy). Now I am looking forward to getting a hardback copy of this book. I'm still digesting much of what you say (and don't say). I will write a comprehensive sketch sometime in the future. I will say this….. your book speaks straight to my heart.

Please note that my wife Tania (of 20-years this April), and I left California over 10-years ago. The last time I visited the Santa Cruz area was in 1997, to see my maternal Grandmother, Ruby Violet Strong (only weeks before her death). She was born in San Francisco in 1906. Needless to say, I've been out of the area for quite a spell now. Your book, however, does bring back sweet memories.

A little about me, I was born at Santa Cruz Hospital in 1956. Of course this is the same hospital that you were born in (only 19-1/2 years apart). I am the grandson of Ermano Vincenzo Nanna (Herman Vincent Nanna Sr.) who was born in 1909 in (Comune di Fivizzanno, provincia di Massa e Carrara, Italia.) I am the second son of Herman Vincent Nanna Jr. who was born 1932 in Hollister California. My Grandfather was a Santa Cruz Police Officer. My Great-Grandfather, Gustavo Nanna worked at the Pacific Cement and Aggregates Inc. plant in Davenport and lived with his wife Maria off of Chestnut St., Santa Cruz in the 1930's to 60's.

Gusatvo was also from Fivizanno, however; (for some unknown reason) although an Italian citizen and not originally from the Fivizzanno area and I'm told possibly from another country? Of course, this is a matter of interest to me and I am still investigating, through Nanna family members living in Fivizzanno. A possibility is that Nanna was not his real surname, rather a Catholic name given to him or his father as a newly converted immigrant to Italy. Gustavo did later immigrate to the US.
Today, my wife and I live in Louisiana near the center of the State. My wife is from Brazil (Brasileira, della estado de Parana, a cidade de Curitiba) and speaks fluent Portuguese. I do enjoy the colloquial Italian expressions in your book -che bello- they are so much like Portuguese from the south of Brazil. By the way, it was a nice touch with the off-color Italian expressions. I think that you are making a statement here, sure wished I had grown up in a household that spoke Italian.


Tchau,

Michael E. Nanna