Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2023 ~ GUEST COMMENTARY ~ We Get To Choose Our Own Heros And Columbus Is One Of Them By Sal Giarratani T he month of October has been called Italian Heritage Month set aside to honor our Italian-American brothers and sisters and the accomplishments of this ethnic community. However, in the very recent past, September 15 to October 15 has been declared Hispanic Heritage Month. I recently saw a poster on Hispanic Heritage month in which was stated, “Remember your past and remember your future to come.” Sounds nice but when it comes to Italian-Americans, we are told to pick better heroes, better role models, etc. We are told our heroes did terrible things to others. As I read last week’s Revere Advocate (Human Rights Commission addresses the meaning of Columbus Day, October 12), I was disappointed in the very negative attitudes expressed by members of Revere’s Human Rights Commission. One member of the commission tears Columbus apart, “Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria” and then says he probably wasn’t even Italian. One Italian-American member of the commission said most of us would really care if we dumped Columbus Day for Italian Heritage Day. He can speak for himself but he doesn’t speak for me or my fellow Pisans. As far as who I honor as an Italian-American is the business of the Italian-American community at large. If most of us still like Columbus, then Columbus it is. Or perhaps, to make everyone happy, we could honor someone like Pat Cooper, who was a great comedian back in the day, or perhaps, we could choose Vito Corleone from the movies? How about Frank Sinatra or Vinny Barbarino from “Welcome Back, Kotter”? I’ll stick with Columbus, thank you very much. Things have gone pretty badly over the past 50 years; where once we seemed to honor Columbus, today, the City of Columbus, Ohio doesn’t even honor him anymore. Keep Columbus Day, Columbus Day. We can also honor the Indigenous Peoples by creating a holiday for them, too. Bottom Line, the Columbus Day holiday emanated from the largest mass lynching in this country back in 1891 when nine Sicilians acquitted at trial were taken out of their cells awaiting Revere High School Named to Prestigious AP School Honor Roll for 2023 RHS Recognized As A Leader in Equitable Access To Advanced Coursework REVERE, MA – Acting Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr. is proud to announce that College Board named Revere High School to the Advanced Placement® Program (AP) School Honor Roll, earning Bronze distinction. The AP® School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that refl ect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness. "We are immensely proud to receive the Bronze Distinction on the 2023 AP School Honor Roll. These achievements are a testament to the dedication of our students, teachers, and staff who continuously strive for excellence in education,” said Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe. “Our commitment to fostering a college-going culture and providing equitable access to AP coursework remains unwavering. We firmly believe in every student's potential for success, and we are committed to helping them achieve it here PURE WATER STORE of MALDEN .25 Cents per Gallon Fill your own container We purify our water using the process Reverse Osmosis guaranteeing the purest water available. In Business for over 25 Years 159 Highland Ave., Malden across from El Potro Restaurant Hours: 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma in Revere." At Revere High, 48% of students in the graduating class took at least one AP Course, and 27% of students in the graduating class scored 3+ on an AP Exam, earning college credit. Together with students who earned college credit through Dual Enrollment classes, that brings the total to 77% of the class of 2023 leaving high school with at least three college credits completed. Amazingly, 15% of the class of 2023 leaves with at least 15 college credits completed; saving the full cost on a semester of college tuition. In addition to achieving Bronze Distinction on the AP School Honor Roll, Revere High School has also received the 2023 AP Access Award. This award acknowledges the school's steadfast commitment to ensuring that AP coursework is accessible to all students, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances. The school fi rmly believes that every student deserves the opportunity to pursue advanced coursework and strives to make this vision a reality. "Revere High School's honor of the Bronze Distinction and AP Access Award is a remarkable achievement that reflects the exceptional education our students receive,” said Superintendent Dr. Dianne Kelly. “We are proud of the Revere Public School’s steadfast commitment to academic excellence and equal access to educational opportunities. These achievements will not only benefi t Revere today but also play a crucial role in fostering the next generation of leaders for a brighter future.” City of Revere issues reminders ahead of Preliminary Municipal Election T he Revere Election Department is reminding voters that the Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, for all City offi ces. In-person Early Voting In-person Early Voting will begin on Saturday, October 21, and run through Thursday, November 2. Early Voting provides the fl exibility to vote at City Hall in the City Council Chambers. Below is the schedule for Early Voting: • Saturday, October 21, 2023 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. • Sunday, October 22, 2023 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. • Monday, October 23, 2023 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. • Tuesday, October 24, 2023 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. • Wednesday, October 25, 2023 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. • Thursday, October 26, 2023 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. • Saturday, October 28, 2023 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. • Sunday, October 29, 2023 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. • Monday, October 30, 2023 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. • Tuesday, October 31, 2023 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. • Wednesday, November 1, 2023 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. • Thursday, November 2, 2023 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The Pleasant Street entrance to Revere City Hall is accessible for people with disabilities. Absentee Voting The deadline to request an application for an absentee ballot by mail is Tuesday, October 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The deadline to fi le an application for absentee voting in person is Monday, November 6, 2023, at noon. Voting on Election Day Polling locations open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. A list of Wards, Precincts and Polling Places can be found at https:// www.revere.org/departments/ election-commission/where-doi-vote or by visiting Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ website at https:// www.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/WhereDoIVote. You may also call the Election Department at 781-286-8200, and they will look up the information for you. Unoffi cial Results After polls close at 8:00 p.m., the Election Department will complete tabulating at City Hall and then will upload unoffi cial results on Revere.org. For more information or questions about elections, you may contact the Election Department at 781-286-8200 or visit https://www.revere.org/ departments/election-commission. their release by an angry mob of nativists who hung the men until they were dead. We almost went to war with Italy and paid them reparations. The following year, 1892, President William Harrison declared a Columbus Day holiday due to the 1891 lynchings. We as an ethnic community got our own holiday due to a lynching. Today, we still get bashed for honoring Columbus. Hey, at least they stopped lynching us, huh? Still to this day, it seems, Italian-American communities across this nation still get so little respect.
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