Betty LaRosa (left), Diana Pishner Walker

Mange! Clarksburg’s at it again

Author Diana Pishner Walker (“I Don’t Want to Sit in the Front Row Any More”), a 1977 graduate of Clarksburg Notre Dame High School who works for the Marion County Board of Education, will be riding in Saturday’s (Aug. 30) West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival parade with author Betty Larosa (The “Creighton” family saga novels).

The 36^th Italian festival in the most Italian city in West Virginia runs from Friday (Aug. 29) through Sunday (Aug. 31). It has been labeled among the "Top 100 Events in North America" by the ABA, a "Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society" & one of the "Top 4 Italian Festivals" in the nation by the National Sons of Italy.

Mama mia, that’s some spicy rankings!

Since its beginning in 1979, the 3-day street festival’s attendance has grown to 100,000 annually.

Regina Maria XXXVI (Regina meaning "Queen" and Maria the name of the first queen of Italy) this year is Kasandra Theresa Ruscitto of Vienna, West Virginia.

In previous years such celebrities as Tony Danza, Kathy Mattea, Jo Dee Messina, Steve Augeri, Joey Dee and the Starliters and Frankie Avalon performed.

Honored this year:

Italian Man of the Year, Anthony Bellotte

Italian Woman of the Year, Angela Bellotte

Honorary Italian Man of the Year, Dr. Joseph Momen

Honorary Italian Woman of the Year, Sarah Carr Parsons

Excellence in Education, Mary Randolph

Mother of the Year, Lucie Romano

Events – with nearly every name participating ending in a vowel – include the Festival Chorus, Authors Forum, 5K Race, golf tournament, pasta cookoff, car and bike show, home-made wine contest and – naturally – a bocce tournament (that brings visions of the voices and laughter under the lights at the bocce court next to Monzo’s Grocery in Monongah, across the street from P.P. Shenasky Grocery).  This brings back memories of my trip to Mione, Italy where my Nona was born and Pellizzano, Italy where my mother, aunt, uncle and grandfather were born. I can still see the Alps in the distance and Lake Cumo in my mind. Italy and West Virginia have been entertwined inextricably since the 1907 Monongah mines explosions when there were more Italians than any other nationality among the 362 (official Consol count) to 500+ (Father Briggs and gravediggers count) dead miners.