Frank Nechvatal
Our American/Italian Club held its last meeting of this season on April 12; it was our baked potato buffet. We had potatoes with chili, cheese, butter, sour cream and onions. With the potato spread we had a great selection of desserts. Our meeting marked the end of the two year term for Bob Sciarette as President, Shirley Montanero as Vice President and Herb Zielke as Treasurer (19 years). Our thanks to them for their service. The new officers are Frank Nechvatal as President, Elissa Romero as Vice President, Emily Hardy returns as Secretary, and Pat Pacelli as Treasurer. They will begin their terms at the first meeting of the next season, Tuesday, October 11 at 6:00 p.m. in the Horizon Room.
The Italian Club is open to new members who are interested in the Italian culture and fun times. Come join us. We meet the second Tuesday each month from October through April at 6:00 p.m. in the Horizon Room.
We left off on our history of Italy with the end of WWII. After the war Italy established a democratic republic. The 1950s saw the Italian economy boom. By 1957 Italy was a founding member of the European Economic Community which later became the European Union. Italy’s economic boom was accompanied by a staggering rise in the standard of living for ordinary Italians. This Italian economic miracle lasted until the massive strikes and social unrest of 1969-70. This, along with the oil crisis in 1973, cooled the Italian economy to a point that it has yet to return to its heady post-war growth. The post war era saw terrific expansion in the rail system and highway system. Dams and power plants were built all over Italy often without regard for geological and environmental conditions. The strong urban growth at the same time led to uncontrolled urban sprawl. In the 1970s there was a lot of political instability as a result of social conflict and acts of terrorism. This became known as the Years of Lead. This during the 1980s was resolved and led up to the rise of the Second Republic.
Next time – The Rise of the Second Republic (1992 to present).
Ciao