[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE CENTENNIAL OF THE BOROUGH OF ROSETO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the centennial of the 
incorporation of the Borough of Roseto, Pennsylvania, and to recognize 
the many contributions its residents have made to the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania and the United States.
  Roseto, nestled in the rolling hills of Northampton County, was 
founded by Italian immigrants, who came to America in the late 19th 
Century to work in Pennsylvania's busy slate quarries. In 1887, Nicola 
Rosato, Lorenzo Falcone, Giovanni Policelli, and Angelo Tedesco 
purchased tracts of land and built a thriving community, originally 
known simply as ``Little Italy.'' In just ten years, the little town 
had grown large enough to earn its own post office.
  Residents named their fledging community Roseto, after the Italian 
village of Roseto Valfortore, which many of the borough's founders had 
called home before immigrating to the United States. Today, Roseto 
maintains a strong sister city relationship with its Italian namesake. 
On 2 January 1912, Roseto was formally incorporated at the Roseto 
Borough Hall and became America's first 100% Italian borough.
  By the early 20th Century, civic organizations, such as the Sons of 
Italy, the Order of Red Men, and the Roseto Macaroni Club flourished, 
as citizens sought to maintain their Italian identity while promoting 
their patriotism as Americans. Around the time of World War II, the 
gradual recession of the local slate industry led to fewer jobs for the 
quarrymen who called the borough home. However, around this time, 
sewing factories were simultaneously growing in large numbers in the 
area and began providing work for both young men and women.
  In 1913, the Columbus Public School was built to provide education 
for the borough's children in grades 1 through 8, after which, students 
would continue their studies as a different kind of Slater at nearby 
Bangor High School. Columbus School served Roseto's children until 
1978, when the school district moved classes to a newer facility. 
Briefly abandoned, the historic building was reopened just two years 
later and continues to house Faith Christian School.
  Today, Roseto is a much more diverse borough than it was at the time 
of its founding, but the traditional Italian values of family and 
community remain strong in all residents. Family businesses and busy 
old churches still line the streets of Roseto, just as they did over 
one hundred years ago. The health effects of this lifestyle have not 
gone unnoticed and were documented in a medical study called ``The 
Roseto Effect,'' an experiment which sought to determine why mortality 
rates in the borough were so much lower than other communities. The 
research concluded that the simple community lifestyle embraced by 
Roseto's inhabitants is the key to their remarkable longevity. The 
sense of togetherness and family that exists throughout the town does 
more than just make life more enjoyable, it actually promotes better 
health!
  This year, Roseto celebrated its centennial, or ``cent'anni'' in 
Italian, with a weekend full of live music, delicious food, 
entertainment and even a parade. The borough also welcomed a visiting 
delegation from Italy's Roseto Valfortore, including the sister city's 
mayor.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to honor the 100th 
anniversary of Roseto's incorporation. I would ask all my colleagues to 
join me in wishing its residents a very festive cent'anni!

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