What: Sons of Italy in America Italian lessons.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
Where: Felida Fire Station, 11600 N.W. Lake Shore Ave., Vancouver.
Cost: None.
Vancouver resident Barbara Blair, 61, grew up in the San Jose, Calif., area surrounded by Italians and Italian-Americans who loved to play bocce ball and then argue over points with animated gesticulations.
So, when Blair watched a match of the age-old game at the Sons of Italy in America Labor Day picnic Monday at Lewisville Park north of Battle Ground, it reminded her of the Italian family and community she left when she moved to Vancouver in the mid-1990s.
“It reminds me of family gatherings when I was growing up,” Blair said. “We used to go on big picnics to Calistoga (California), and there was singing in Italian and everything.”
Blair founded the Vancouver chapter of Sons of Italy in 1995, about 18 months after she moved to the city for her husband’s job. Since then, the club has grown from 24 to about 60 members. At its pinnacle, it had 100 members. They include Italian-Americans and people who are interested in Italian culture.