L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014 L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 6 Ray Polani, Pioneer in Cycling and Mass Transit Tuscan Association of Oregon: broadening minds and tantalizing taste buds According to the Travel Channel website, Portland, Oregon ranked as the number two cycling city in the United States in 2013. Portland has long been a pioneer in cycling. In fact, no other city in the United States has more cyclists per capita. One of those cyclists, Ray Polani, is a pioneer himself. In 1961, after years of working behind a desk had taken their toll, Ray took to the roads on his bicycle. He rode nine miles daily, first only on dry days. Later he kept to his rides even when it rained. The native Italian found himself to be a major curiosity rather than an inspiration. "There were heads turning and occasionally there was some honking out of surprise and con- cern," says Ray, now 90. "Not many grownups rode their bikes then." In the early years of cycling, there were no bike lanes. In his years on the road, Ray was in two accidents: a car once turned left in front of him, sending him over the hood of the car; another time a speeding bicyclist ran into him on a Terwilliger Boulevard curve. "I was very lucky in all those years," Ray chuckles. Even so, he served on the Bicycle Task Force in the 1960's and was a proponent for the Terwilliger Bike Path. Born and raised in Trieste, the ravages of WWII interrupted Ray's youth; he graduated in 1942 just as the Nazi's were moving into his home city. He was coerced into building bunkers for the German army, but in 1944 slipped away to join the Yugoslav-sponsored resis- tance movement with other Italians. For a year, he fought with the brigade, Fratelli Fontanot, in a guerrilla war against the Nazis in the Julian Alps. Once, he and a group of men hiked for two days through snow to get fuel. Without proper clothing or boots, Ray suffered a leg injury that brought his fighting to an end. Combat, disease and priva- tion claimed a third of his unit. Italy awarded him a Meritorious Cross for his effort. "It was a tough time, very tough," he remembers. "But the fact that you survive and over- come gives you a zest for liv- ing." After the war, Ray worked as an English translator for the Allied Military Court in Venice while Marshal Josip Tito unlaw- fully occupied Trieste; he returned to Trieste only after the Allies forced Tito out of the city. He married his longtime sweetheart, Anita Crismanich in 1951, and two years later, they sailed to the U.S. where they first settled in Portland. In 1955, they rode a motorcycle to San Francisco, staying for three years before packing up their belongings and baby daughter, Julia, and returning to Portland. Shortly after he began cycling, Ray joined the Mazamas moun- taineering club. By 1974, he had climbed all the major peaks of the Cascades, including sev- eral ascents on Mount Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. St. Helens. He was awarded the coveted 16 Peaks Award. Ray hung up his bicycle in 2006 at the age of 82, but his passion for alternative modes of transportation remains high. The increase in auto traf- fic and bicycle traffic on the roads has led to a dangerous mix, often with fatal results. "We have an increased amount of cars and bicyclists on the roads but no increase in the amount of road space," he com- ments. "We need better options for people other than getting more cars. Mass transit works." Never one to stand on the side- lines, Ray saw his chance in 1969 when the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met) was created. He knew he could help by advocating for cleaner, more efficient mass transportation. He co-chaired the group Citizens for Better Transit, and attended monthly City Club meetings for over 40 years, bringing public transportation into the agenda at every meeting. He also helped establish the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA), still serv- ing as Director. "The auto has transformed the city," he explains. "It has sprawled it out. I am impatient with the attitude that if we change fuels pollution will stop and everything will be alright. It won't. It is what automobiles do to people and to the city that is the problem." Ray became one of the fore- bears of Portland's light rail rebirth. His plans, first met as noble ideas with a "snowball's chance" often prevailed. The proof is in Portland's cycling revolution and the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX). He also pushed for transit centers. The next step for Portland should be a north-south direct light rail connection on the Eastside. He also believes a subway under the Willamette River is essential. Light rail, ideal for connecting outlying areas, bogs down in the city center with its many intersec- tions and congestion. "The main problem is giving people a transportation alterna- tive that is as fast as the auto- mobile," Ray is adamant. "Reliable, frequent transit ser- vice with good connections is a must for assured good ridership. Our goal is less cars. Less cars means more rid- ers on mass transit; more riders means less crime on the transit system; less crime means more riders. The Government subsi- dizes construction but not rider- ship. That has to change." KERRy-LyNNE DEMARINIS BROwN KEN KANE Ray testified on behalf of the Citizens for Better Transit in 2002 They say you can't please everyone, but "they" haven't joined the Tuscan Association of Oregon. The Portland-based club offers a broad array of top- ics and programs from month to month, hoping to satisfy the curiosity, aesthetics or appetite of all of its members over the course of time. The club, known informally and online as the Oregon Tuscans, started in 1996 at the instigation of Carlo Ilio Mannocci. It is among dozens of Tuscan clubs worldwide that fall under the umbrella of Associazione Lucchesi nel Mondo. "My intentions in starting the club were two-fold," says Mannocci, who served as presi- dent for most of the club's first decade. "First, the idea of unit- ing Tuscans and sympathizers as a social entity, and second – but parallel to the first – the idea of preserving the cultural treasures, traditions and history of this beautiful part of Italy, with a special emphasis on future gen- erations." Since Mannocci, the Oregon Tuscans have had three other presidents, including the incum- bent, Audrey Perino. Each has put his or her own stamp on the organization. For Perino, it is all about inclusion. "Look at the numbers," says Perino, an economist by train- ing. "Portland has plenty of Italians, but not that many Tuscans. In order for our club to thrive we have to appeal beyond the small Tuscan community to people of Italian descent and even to people who simply like Tuscany and Italy." One way the club reaches out is by varying its monthly pro- grams. Recent gatherings have featured an opera singer and vio- list performing during a catered Tuscan Valentine's dinner; a screening of the historical docu- mentary Il Violino di Cervarolo; a tasting of Piedmont wines; and an exploration of the art of the Sistine Chapel. In conjunction with Portland's Amici d'Italia, the Oregon Tuscans put on La Festa della Befana each January to bring the Italian Epiphany tra- dition to a new generation of children. The April meeting featured a look at how Italy's World Cup soccer team reflects the coun- try's culture. In mid-May the group took a field trip to the Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge Farms, Oregon's only olive mill for a tour and oil tasting. History, cuisine, film, tradi- tions, music, even sports – when it comes to programming, the Oregon Tuscans cast a wide net. "To keep our membership happy and growing, and to keep our club viable, we have to offer a wide range of programs. They may not always hit the bull's- eye, but you can't say we don't try!" says Perino. Later this year a new presi- dent, Jimmie Moglia, will take the helm with a new initiative. "I have learned recently that there is quite a substantial community in Portland of non-Italian speak- ers who would like to learn the language," says Moglia. He plans to add a component to each monthly meeting devoted to the speaking and appreciation of the Italian language. The Tuscan Association of Oregon has evolved since its mid-1990s days when it met in a tile store, but its venerable founder, Carlo Mannocci, likes the arc of his Tuscan bambino. "The main purpose and mis- sion of the Oregon Tuscans remains the same, though our venues have changed over the years," Mannocci says. He wor- ries that these days simply main- taining associations among peo- ple of Tuscan and Italian heritage is a challenge with so many dis- tractions and competition for people's time. "There are more and more obstacles to maintain- ing the interest of the members. But the Association will remain alive and well in the years to come by virtue of adapting its programs to the changing times." Membership is open to anyone. The club meets monthly from fall through spring, typically on the third Sunday of the month at 3pm at Carvlin Hall at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Portland. To learn more about the club, go to www.Oregon Tuscans.com or the Oregon Tuscans Facebook page. Jimmie Moglia will take the helm as President of the Oregon Tuscans later this year

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