The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will hold its 9th Annual Columbus Day Flag Raising on Friday, October 6th at 1:00 pm, on the steps of the Union County Courthouse. The event will feature speeches by Catiana Celentano, founder and owner of Let’s Play in Italian Language and Cultural Center in Scotch Plains; Nick Netta, owner of Netta Architects In Mountainside and Dr. William Connell, Seton Hall University professor and Italian Studies historian.
“This year, we have a very diverse group of speakers who will address the audience on some interesting cultural topics,” said Freeholder Alexander Mirabella, who is emceeing the event. “Italian Americans continue to make extraordinary contributions to the rich, diverse fabric of America, a country we all love and who our ancestors helped discover and build.”
“Let’s Play in Italian” language and cultural center presents a fun and an educational way for young children, adults, parents or caregivers to learn the Italian language and the Italian culture. The school is the only state-licensed Italian educational school serving pre-K and kindergarten in New Jersey.
Since its founding in 1993, under Mr. Netta’s leadership and creative direction, Netta Architects have become a leading public sector design firm in northern New Jersey and has received numerous design awards. The company has also left a significant footprint of its work in Union County, completing many major projects, including the Union County Family Courthouse (Cherry Street Annex), the Warinanco Park Sports and Skating Center, the Galloping Hill Clubhouse, Vo Tech West Hall and Union County College expansion at Cranford.
Dr. Connell is the holder of the Joseph M. and Geraldine C. La Motta Chair in Italian studies at Seton Hall and a leading specialist in the history of Italy and an authority on Renaissance Florence and Machiavelli.
Other scheduled speakers include County Manager Al Faella; Plainfields’ UNICO founder Renato Biribin; Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition president Manny Alfano and UNICO National Membership and Retention director Anthony Bengivenga.
The courthouse is located at 2 Broad Street in Elizabeth, at the corner of Rahway Avenue. In the event of rain, the program will be moved indoors to the County Courthouse Rotunda. Italian-style refreshments will be served following the program in the historic Union County Courthouse.
