The 40th-annual Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day Parade & Italian Heritage Month festivities commemorating Columbus’ historic voyage to the New World will be celebrated Sunday, Oct. 9. The parade steps off at Belleville High School at 1:30 p.m., travels along Joralemon Street, turns at Franklin Avenue and continues to the Nutley Park Oval.
“We are excited to work together once again with our neighbors to celebrate Columbus Day and Italian Heritage Month,” Nutley Mayor Joseph P. Scarpelli said. “The Parade Committee does an outstanding job every year and we are proud to participate in this great event.”
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham is as excited as his Nutley counterpart.
“This event is so special, it takes two villages — or municipalities — to bring it to fruition,” Melham said. “I’m always amazed at the high level of cooperation between these two towns linked by a passion to celebrate the Italian heritage of many of their residents. I invite all of Belleville to join us!”
The parade’s Grand Marshal is Nutley’s own seven-time New York Emmy Award Winner Tina Cervasio, one of the most versatile and popular sports broadcasters and personalities on television. She works for WNYW, Channel 5, in New York.
The 2022 committee’s annual honoree dinner took place last month at Nanina’s in the Park in Belleville. Nutley native Jason P. Zinna was honored as Nutley’s Italian Man of the Year at the ceremony.
“Both Nutley and Belleville have a long tradition of honoring our Italian American culture,” Mauro G. Tucci, Nutley commissioner of Parks and Recreation, said. “Every year, we are delighted to celebrate and salute those who have enhanced the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a long and sustained commitment to honoring and preserving their culture.”
Others who were honored include: Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, DeLores Del Deo Kirk; the Italian Heritage Award recipient, Michael V. Calabro, Esq.; Belleville Italian Woman of the Year, Patricia Ferrara Wells; Belleville Italian Man of the Year, Dr. James A. Corino; Nutley Italian Woman of the Year, Roseann Biasi Vazquez; Renaissance Woman of the Year, Jerri Custode; Renaissance Man of the Year, Nicholas F. Cozzarelli; Business Leader, John Monaco; and Community Excellence Award recipient, Frank Dauksis.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.