Gusciora to hold discussion about Columbus statue
Tossed into the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and beheaded in Waterbury, Conn., Christopher Columbus had a rough Independence Day.
The fate of a Trenton statue honoring Genoa, Italy’s infamous explorer gets discussed on Monday as Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora hosts a 3 p.m. discussion at City Hall.
Gusciora has invited several local community members for a meeting that likely will determine the fate of the Columbus Park memorial.
Gilda Rorro, a Hamilton Twp. resident and former Italian Honorary Vice Consul, New Jersey
Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission member, and acclaimed author requested a discussion to determine the fate of Trenton’s Columbus statue, expressed gratitude.
“I believe it will be advantageous to hear the varying points of view. Whatever becomes the prevailing consensus, the outcome should be respected by all,” Rorro expressed via email.
The city’s Columbus memorial received another attack in midJune as vandals spray-painted the statue.
That event, one of several over the past five years, moved city officials to wrap the statue with a tarp and board up the base.
Columbus’ voyage pursuits have received a national and global reexamination as dissenters acknowledge his bravery and sailing skills but note the explorer’s trail of genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.
In 1959, the Italian American Civic League unveiled the statue of Columbus standing on the bow of a ship. Columbus became a popular fixture in the then predominantly Italian enclave.
Most Italians have exited the city section of Chambersburg for suburban safety and better education.
A Columbus departure seems imminent as Mayor Gusciora will have final say in the statue’s future.