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What happened
Where it happened
- Belleville, Essex County.
Belleville raised the Italian flag at Town Hall for its annual Italian Flag Raising Ceremony, bringing residents, township leaders and community groups together to celebrate the township's Italian-American heritage.
Video shared by Belleville Mayor Frank Vélez shows the tricolore going up the Town Hall flagpole under umbrellas on a rainy day, followed by remarks in the council chambers and group photos with honorees in Italian-flag sashes, members of the Belleville Police Department and families holding the flag.
In his post, Vélez said the ceremony celebrated "the rich heritage, culture, and lasting contributions" of Belleville's Italian-American community, noting that generations of Italian-American families have helped shape the township.
He thanked Belleville Recreation & Cultural Affairs, the Department of Public Works, the Police and Fire departments, the Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day Parade Committee, this year's honorees, his fellow council members and township employees for making the event happen.
The ceremony comes during October, Italian American Heritage Month.
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Video: Frank Vélez (frankvelez4belleville) on Instagram. See the original post.
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