Highbridge News: Joel Osteen

Highbridge News: Joel Osteen: Joel and Victoria Osteen Host America’s Night of Hope at Yankee Stadium By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 6- On Saturday evening, ...

Joel Osteen

Joel and Victoria Osteen Host America’s Night of Hope at Yankee Stadium

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 6- On Saturday evening, June 7, Joel and Victoria Osteen are hosting their second “America’s Night of Hope” at Yankee Stadium. It is expected that the iconic venue in the Bronx will be filled to capacity to see and hear the very popular televangelist and his wife, their son and daughter and Joel’s mother share uplifting and encouraging words as well as listen to upbeat and modern musical selections from guest vocalists and musicians. 

The rally at the historic stadium is only the centerpiece of a concerted effort to bring help to people in need in New York City. Hundreds of volunteers, many from Houston where their Lakewood Church is located, will be joining the Osteens in New York to provide assistance to those with specific needs. 

Osteen explained the mission of the “Generation Hope Project”, “We don’t just come in word. Young people [who will be coming to provide assistance] have a heart to help. They will be here for most of the week, with a concentration of efforts for several days. We know we can’t do everything. It will be symbolic that we leave something with the community.”

The couple told of this year’s theme of assistance, which will be mentoring of young people. They want those not blessed to have family members that encourage and uplift them as children to be given hope for their lives in the future. The pastor said, “We all have a responsibility to the next generation.” His wife focused in words of how much those who help another gain by that effort, “The people who are serving are being blessed.” 

Saturday’s rally will be the sixth annual major event held at a huge athletic facility. It is neither accidental nor coincidental that the Osteens are returning to the site of their first event of this magnitude that took place on April 25, 2009 and was the first non-baseball event in the new Yankee Stadium. Osteen explained, “New Yorkers are great people. They respond to hope. We didn’t know if they would accept a message from the South.”

The large crowd that attended the pioneer event signified the acceptance they received from residents of “The Big Apple.” Looking back on that day led Osteen to recently proclaim, “Victoria and I love the people of New York. We’re excited to be at Yankee Stadium again, and we believe people will be uplifted and filled with an expectation that their best days are yet to come.”

The Osteens, unlike many representatives of religions , do not have a sectarian outlook or appeal. They have an outlook and manner that transcends barriers of age, politics, socioeconomic class and race. Their universal appeal has much to do with their positive message, “Our message is about empowering and uplifting. We have much in common. It is about a relationship with God. It’s not formal or religious. People come who may not attend church regularly.”

In addition to the Saturday rally at Yankee Stadium, the Osteens will be at the stadium on Friday afternoon to meet with clergy from all sections of the nation. At that meeting, Ray Negron, a Yankee executive, has been invited to testify regarding how the late owner of the Yankees, George M. Steinbrenner, changed his life. The extremely articulate Negron will be able to impact his listeners with an example the Osteens are trying to impart in all people. 

Tags: Joel Osteen, Yankee Stadium

Highbridge News: Shooting Near Yankee Stadium

Highbridge News: Shooting Near Yankee Stadium: Vendor Guilty in Shooting Near Yankee Stadium, Courthouse BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 6-  It was a midday double-shooting that took place not...

Shooting Near Yankee Stadium

Vendor Guilty in Shooting Near Yankee Stadium, Courthouse

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 6- It was a midday double-shooting that took place not only in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, but also the backyard of the very courthouse where defendant Horace Coleman was tried, and is now convicted, of murder and other charges.

Bronx County District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the verdicts in the five-week-long jury trial: guilty of murder in the second degree, guilty of attempted murder in the second degree, and guilty of two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

On August 23rd, 2012, the streets around E. 161st Street & Gerard Avenue were busy with lunch-hour crowds when street vendor Coleman, age 52 at the time of the incident, drew a fully-loaded Magnum .357 revolver and fired at Clarence Pearson, age 41 and Douglas Watkins, age 60, in a dispute over borrowed money.

Because of the location’s proximity to the Bronx courthouses, four court officers who were in the immediate area gave chase, surrounding Coleman, who had walked a block away across 161st Street. Coleman, dressed in a pinstriped suit and a white fedora, dropped his gun and surrendered.

Pearson succumbed to his injuries two days after the shooting; Watkins, who was also shot in the abdomen, survived and testified at trial

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Susanna Imbo of Trial Bureau A34.

Coleman faces a prison sentence of 25 years-to-life on the murder charge; 25 years on the attempted murder charge, and up to 15 years behind bars on each of the gun charges.

Coleman is being held without bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27th before State Supreme Court Justice William Mogulescu, Part H77.

Tags: Horace Coleman, shooting, Yankee Stadium, Bronx Courthouse

Highbridge News: Tanaka is Only Bright Spot for Yanks

Highbridge News: Tanaka is Only Bright Spot for Yanks: Tanaka is Only Bright Spot for Yanks By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 6- The Yankees ended their most recent homestand on Thu...

Tanaka is Only Bright Spot for Yanks

Tanaka is Only Bright Spot for Yanks

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 6- The Yankees ended their most recent homestand on Thursday afternoon with a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees have achieved a victory in 10 of the 12 games Masahiro Tanaka has started. The win ended a four-game losing streak for the club.

Tanaka is continuing in the month of June what he accomplished during May. Tanaka excelled during his six starts in May. He compiled a record of 5-1 with a miniscule ERA of 1.88. The 25 year-old kept his pinpoint control throughout the previous month by averaging one walk per appearance yet fanning one per inning. His achievements on the mound earned him the award as Pitcher of the Month in the American League. He is the first Yankee rookie hurler to achieve that distinction.

With one out in the first inning on Thursday, Oakland’s catcher John Jaso took the first pitch from Tanaka into the rightfield stands. The home run was the first yielded by the right-hander in more than one month (May 3).

The four bagger did not disturb the Japanese native as he retired the next 10 batters he faced.

With two out in the fourth, he gave up successive singles, but retired the last batter with a strikeout. The first Oakland batter in the next frame singled. With two out, Tanaka walked his only batter of the game. The inning ended with a pop out. In the sixth, Tanaka’s final inning, one batter singled but never reached second.

Tanaka was removed after six. Yankee manager Joe Girardi explained the reasoning, “I think he threw 50 pitches in the last two innings. We felt fatigue had set in and it was time to take him out.”

Although it was his shortest performance in number of innings, Girardi expressed great admiration for how well he pitched, “He never let up and got the big outs he needed. It was a gritty performance on his part. [it was] maybe his biggest performance for us.”

Although Girardi did not want to call Tanaka the ace of the staff, he did so in other words, “He stepped up and kind of assumed that role. He’s going to give you distance, shut down the other team and give you a chance to win.”

Catcher Brian McCann took no credit for the starter’s excellence, “Stuffwise it was all there. He pitched great.”

An example of how Tanaka impressed the opposing batters follows. Rightfielder Stephen Voigt commented, “He stays on the corners. He keeps us off balance. His stuff is so good. “ [Despite Tanaka’s talent] I thought we had good at bats all day.”

Tanka admitted the team he faced for the first time was very difficult, “It was a tough game. They [Athletics] were resilient. They don’t give in.”

The rookie pitcher remained with Steve Rogers of the Montreal Expos as the only two pitchers in more than a century to pitch at least six innings and give up three or fewer runs in their first 12 major league starts.

All Yankees fans eagerly await Tanaka’s next start.

Highbridge News: Flying Manhole Cover Kills Driver

Highbridge News: Flying Manhole Cover Kills Driver: Flying Manhole Cover Kills Driver (Photo by David Greene) By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 5- Police and fire officials ...