Highbridge News: ARod Celebration In the Street

Highbridge News: ARod Celebration In the Street: ARod Celebration In the Street (Photos by Gary Quintal) Excitement on 161st Street and River Avenue, inside and outside Yankee Sta...

ARod Celebration In the Street

ARod Celebration In the Street

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

Excitement on 161st Street and River Avenue, inside and outside Yankee Stadium 

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Saturday was a day of great excitement on 161st Street and River Avenue in the Bronx. Inside Yankee Stadium, very large crowds were attending a rare single admission daytime doubleheader between the two teams on top of the standings in the American League East, the Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.

There were thousands of residents and visitors happily walking along the streets in the vicinity of Yankee Stadium. The 161st Business Improvement District (161 BID), under the direction of its very able and proactive executive director Dr. Cary Goodman, organized its fifth street fair on River Avenue. Street Fair V began three hours earlier than the 1 p.m. game began in Yankee Stadium. It was very wise planning and scheduling as a street fair encourages visitors to the neighborhood. Thus, not only do customers patronize those businesses at the fair, but the fair’s presence also allows stores in the area to increase their patronage through the many new customers in the vicinity. It was also intelligent to plan all five fairs on days in which the Yankees have scheduled high profile games or other notable sporting events have been scheduled at the stadium. Saturday’s timing was also perfect as the rains over the Bronx did not begin until the fair ended.

Since many families attend a street fair, Goodman offered pleasurable activities for children. The Bronx Museum and Bronx Children’s Museum taught button making to participating youngsters.

A wide variety of foods, including free samples of Bigelow Tea, and other merchandise were offered at the large number of stands set up on River Avenue. In addition to the usual street fair offerings, the fair attendees were treated to the opportunity to watch a professional artist paint a mural of Alex Rodriguez on a store gate.

The artist, Andre Trenier, is a Bronx native, who had previously painted three baseball murals on 161st Street, Mickey Mantle, Satchel Paige and Roberto Clemente. The talented artist who is also a personable individual was happy to speak with fair‐goers and receive immediate feedback, which were overwhelmingly words of praise. He was also curious to determine how Rodriguez is viewed by most baseball fans. Not surprisingly, he assessed the relationship as “love‐hate”. Interestingly, while Trenier was painting, the cheers could be heard from inside the stadium as Rodriguez belted his 31st home run of the season.

The mural is the 11th baseball painting that has been sponsored by the 161 BID to appropriately beautify the neighborhood. Plans are being made to add painting of Joe DiMaggio and Thurman Munson to those already completed.

Unlike the people in the street, most fans in the ballpark, especially rooters of the Yankees, were exceptionally disappointed to see their favorite team drop a very crucial doubleheader to the Toronto Blue Jays and drop to 4 1⁄2 games behind the leaders of the American League East.

Highbridge News: Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium

Highbridge News: Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium: Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium 100 PERCENT By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The headline refers to...

Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium

Bronx BP on the Mound at Yankee Stadium

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- The headline refers to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. not pitching for the Yankees (although he probably would be a perfect fit in the current Yankee pitching rotation), but BP Diaz throwing out the first pitch of the BP Little League Championship Cup play at Yankee Stadium last week.

It was the Kingsbridge Knights vs. the Grand Slam All Stars, and to me it looked like the bigger and stronger Grand Slam team would be the winners of this game. As the game went on it was the pitching, defense, and speed of the Kingsbridge Knights that would make them the winners by a score of 4 – 2 when the game was over.

You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to see photos of BP Diaz on the mound at Yankee Stadium throwing out the first pitch of the game, and we may just see BP Diaz sometime in the future throwing out the first pitch of a real Yankee game. Also there are photos of the Little League Baseball players coming on to the field from the dugouts just as their favorite baseball players do. It was a thrill for each and everyone who played in the game to be on the field where legends are made. Who knows, maybe one of those who played in the BP's Cup will return to Yankee Stadium as a Yankee.

This past week has been a busy one for many elected officials who have made sure that many children are sent off to school with the needed supplies in the free backpacks they were given. State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. was on hand at the Boyton Avenue Aguliar Inc. backpack giveaway last week. The 43^rd Precinct was also on hand to help fill the backpacks with the needed supplies for the children. One thing however the children will be missing will be the much needed after school programs to help them in areas where they need help to succeed in school.

Unfortunately many Bronx students score in the lower or lowest of the four performance levels. That being level one which is failing, or in the lower half of level 2 which is also failing, hence the term failing school. However, to avoid using the term failing school, the elected officials have rewritten the education law to replace the word 'Failing' with 'Struggling'. So if you see or hear the term 'Struggling School', it means that the school is failing the students, mush as many Bronx schools have failed students year after year.

Speaking of failing the city, Comptroller Scott Stringer has come out saying that Mayor Bill de Blasio has mismanaged the shelter system, and has rejected several contracts for shelters some more than once when they were resubmitted by the mayor's office. This surely sounds like a candidate for mayor in 2017 speaking, and it is looking like there will be a primary in 2017 for the current mayor, but the question is whom will it be? Here in the Bronx this year the question is, just who is the Bronx Democratic County Leader? With the Daily News and the Post saying that current DA Robert Johnson will become a judge either after he is reelected or during the election process so that the committee of vacancies on his petition can choose his replacement (the Bronx Democratic County organization). Could it be that the real county leader is still Assemblyman Carl Heastie, as it looks like Heastie wants to pick the replacement for State Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson, as Heastie is trying to clear the way for one of his staffers.

This Saturday September 12^th at 11 AMthe corner of Esat 229^th Street and White Plains Road by the Community Board 12 office will be renamed Carmen Rosa Way for the former longtime CB 12 District Manager. Councilman Andy Cohen will officiate the ceremony, and present the family with a City Council proclamation.

Also don't forget to check my blog for the upcoming listing of events by the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, such as the Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Thursday September 17^th at Scavello's Restaurant located at 101 City Island Avenue, beginning at 5:30 PM. Check my blog for more details in the archive section on the left under the heading BCC 2015 Hispanic Heritage or call the BCC at718-828-3900 or visit the BCC website at www.bronxchamber.org

If you have any political information that you want to share or have checked out, any comments about this column, or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

BRONX NEWS: Pitbull Attack Caught on Tape

BRONX NEWS: Pitbull Attack Caught on Tape

AROUND TOWN NY: Job Fair

AROUND TOWN NY: Job Fair

BRONX NEWS: Murderous Crack Gangs Busted

BRONX NEWS: Murderous Crack Gangs Busted: Murderous Crack Gangs Busted Bing Images BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Residents are relieved that members of two rival gangs who battled ...