Resident Mark Tedesco told the Mt. Vernon City Council that Columbus Day was founded in 1892 to recognize the struggles and contributions of all migrants to the Western Hemisphere.   “The possibility of discovery that drove Columbus was the same spirit of  exploration that drove the first peoples into the Americas,” he said....

Dear Friends, Early in August the City Council of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. moved to install an indigenous people holiday on Columbus Day. Members of the community reacted quickly to the ill-advised resolution, causing the Council to postpone a vote....