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County of Union, UNICO District X to hold Seventh Annual Columbus Day Flag Raising on Friday, October 9th at Union County Courthouse featuring Keynote Speech from Summit Author Paula Maida Mooney

Event Scheduled for 1 p.m. features speakers from County of Union, UNICO District X, and Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition

Columbus 1Elizabeth—The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders today announced the County’s seventh Annual Columbus Day Flag Raising event is set for Friday, October 9th, at 1 p.m. on the steps of the historic Union County Courthouse.

The keynote speaker/guest of honor is  Paula Maida Mooney, an Italian American author from Summit, who also works with HomeTowne Television, a local community TV media and production company based in Summit.

Her non-fiction book, “My Father’s Last Meatballs: A Heavenly Entrée,” is a compelling story, replete with moxie, humor and food. It deftly mixes an Italian immigrant family, the Second World War, Brooklyn in the 40s and 50s, the inevitable moves to the suburbs and a batch of relatives who grew up and grow old along the way. Finally, it pays tribute to an enduring parental relationship and the extraordinary journey the author took to Italy where memorable events happened. 

Mooney has a unique connection through her ancestry to the founding of Columbus Day.  Her paternal great grand-father, the Honorable Rocco M. Marasco, a prominent businessman and political figure in New York City during the earlier part of the century, led the lobby to have  Columbus Day made a Holiday in New York state.

Scheduled speakers at the flag raising include: members of the Union County Freeholder Board including Al Mirabella, who is emceeing the event this year, County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, UNICO National President Ann Walko, Plainfields’ UNICO President Santi Buscemi; Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition President Manny Alfano; and UNICO District X Govenor Bill Hearon. UNICO is the nation’s largest Italian American service organization whose chapters and members engage in promoting and defending Italian culture and heritage, as well as providing scholarships, engaging in community service and other philanthropic endeavors.

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 in doors to the County Courthouse Rotunda.

UNICO District X and Plainfields’ UNICO work to organize and co-sponsor the event.

Italian-style refreshments will be served after the program in the historic Union County Courthouse.

Parking (pay) is available in the Midtown area at the J. Christian Bollwage Parking deck at Elizabethtown Plaza and Caldwell Place. A second deck is Elizabeth’s Parking Deck #6 on Jefferson Avenue and Dickinson Street—the entrance is on Dickinson Street.