The World Ag Expo was started in Tulare, California in 1968 at the Tulare County Fair. The show was started with an idea of a few local farmers sitting around in a garage one day having a few adult beverages according to Charlie Pitigliano, past Roma Lodge President and WAE show chairman in 2016. The original show was called the Tulare Field and Row Crop Equipment Show. Each year the show grew in attendance and facilitated the move to the current site in 1982. The name was changed to the World Ag Expo, now with over 2 million square feet of show space, 1,200 volunteers and numerous permanent buildings with plenty of exhibitor space for indoor and outdoor displays. Attended by over 100,000 people and 1,200 exhibitors the show is the biggest in the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the WAE

Elizabeth Laval, a former producer at PBS TV, Fresno, and now in charge of the Kearny Museum, has now been assigned by the Fresno County Historical Museum to help plan an Italian Heritage section to the Fresno Museum at the fairgrounds. For anyone of Italian heritage, this is an especially important event. This museum display will be one of the few ways that we can demonstrate that we, as a contributor to the success of Fresno County, were here. If you have photos or stories that you would like to submit,

Columbia Lodge #1940
MAKES GOOD ON ITS TOYS FOR TOTS PROGRAM

A group of us met on December 20th at the main fire house in San Mateo at 10:00 AM, only to be told that none of the fire houses were not accepting toys in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. They are accepting gift cards to be distributed to the agency to purchase toys. They did recommend the Central County Fire Department

The Roma Lodge January article for the Il Leone normally would be filled with pictures of our annual Christmas party featuring a delicious ham and yam dinner, talent by our junior members, homemade pies for dessert made by members and a visit from Santa Claus. Each of our junior members would receive a Christmas stocking filled with candy and toys and everyone would have a great time.

Unfortunately, the year of 2020 has been anything but normal. We had a successful drive through polenta/stew dinner for over 125 of our members in November and scheduled a similar event for our annual holiday get-together. Unfortunately, just two days before the event the governor declared a shutdown for Tulare County and we had to notify over 110 members, who had RSVP to attend the event, we were forced to cancel it.

In 2020 we had also scheduled our 90th anniversary celebration for which we had a couple of local carpenters build a display case

Lou Catallo, Historian; (559) 299-2205 lcatallo@aol.com

Seeing the year 2020 in the rearview mirror is now a happy occasion; it was truly an eventful and trying period. Luckily, things are getting brighter for this new year. Our heroes today get their flu and Covid-19 shots and wear masks. For everyone that gets their shots, three to eight other people get protected, depending on where and how you live. As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, pray with us that it is not an oncoming train; and, remember: we are still in the tunnel; safety precautions are still advised.

Avere una famiglia significa che hai qualcuno da amare (Having family means you have someone to love).

If you are looking for something to do, the Clovis Farmers Market