Annual fi reworks on the beach saved; music series snuffed
The legendary Chubby Checker, one of the best know recording artists of the 1960s, gets up
close and personal with fans in Loreto Park at a ‘Summertime Symphony’ in 2015. The free
concerts were sponsored by former Senator Jeff Klein. File Photo
BP Diaz conducts stakeholders’ hearing on Mott Haven jail plan
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR UNE 28-JULY 4, 2019 3
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
Elections have consequences and
the recent ouster of a seasoned pol is
giving that claim very local implications.
The election of a new state senator,
Alessandra Biaggi, in the 34th Senatorial
District, that covers Throggs
Neck, Pelham Bay, City Island, Morris
Park and parts of lower Westchester,
nearly jeopardized one popular boroughwide
event and signaled the death
of another.
Bronx residents were happy to learn
that despite Biaggi’s lack of interest in
continuing the borough’s annual homage
to American independence at Orchard
Beach, it still went off on Thursday,
June 27 to the delight of thousands
of Bronxites.
The Bronx Tourism Council
stepped up to the plate and produced
the event, continuing the Grucci-provided
fi reworks display tradition.
Senator Jeff Klein had initiated the
fi reworks show in 2005 and until recently
partnered with Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr., to present the
spectacular evening.
When he lost his primary race to
the political novice there were concerns
the funding would fall short
since Biaggi did not consider it one of
her priorities.
Councilman Mark Gjonaj, rejecting
the possibility of the event being
cancelled, was able to kick in the necessary
funding to keep the extravaganza
alive.
“I think it is an incredible event,”
said Gjonaj, “I am looking forward to
sponsoring this event and improving
it each year.”
“We are all proud of our country’s
independence, but in particular this
allows all Bronxites to come together
in our ‘Rivera,’ Orchard Beach, for a
fun day at the beach and evening of
fi reworks,” said the councilman.
Borough President Diaz said that
the Orchard Beach fi reworks shows
are one of his favorite summer traditions
and called them “truly an iconic
Bronx experience.”
“There is nothing that compares to
the energy of our community coming
together and our fi reworks display is
perfect for the whole family to enjoy
together as we celebrate the birth of
America,” said Diaz. “Thank you to
Councilman Mark Gjonaj for partnering
with me this year to continue this
annual tradition.”
Other sponsors of the explosive
beach celebration included the
Westchester Square Business Improvement
District, the City Island
Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan
Beer, Con Edison, Gjonaj Group, Atlantic
Development Group, CAMBA
Housing and Mullaney & Gjelaj.
A number of City Island restaurants
also participated.
Another Klein tradition, the summer
concert series known as ‘Summertime
Symphonies’ won’t be funded
this year either.
Al D’Angelo, Morris Park Community
Association president, said that
Klein’s concerts, which mainly drew
a 50-year-old plus crowd and featured
popular acts from 60s, would be missed
because they unifi ed the community.
“People over here in Morris Park
loved the concerts,” said D’Angelo.
“They would fi ll (Loreto Park). Every
time we had a concert, the place was
packed.”
With just six months under her
belt, Biaggi said in a statement that
her focus “has been to transform our
Continued on page 77
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Just about every stakeholder in the
ongoing battle to stop the Mott Haven
jail showed up to Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s hearing at the Bronx
County Building on Tuesday, June 25.
Currently the site is a NYPD tow
pound at 320 Concord Avenue, which
the city intends to clean up to construct
a 24-story, roughly $2 billion jail
as part of the planned replacement of
Rikers Island with smaller prisons in
four out of the fi ve boroughs, which are
expected to be ready by 2026, the Mayor’s
Offi ce of Criminal Justice deputy
director Dana Kaplan explained at the
hearing.
Besides the anticipated 4,000 to
5,000 jail population decrease at city
prisons, most facets of the updated
borough-based jails Uniform Land Use
Review Procedure, which includes
community amenities like affordable
housing for the Bronx site, hasn’t
changed since it was fi rst introduced
to the public on Thursday, April 25.
Diaz’ fi rst question to Kaplan and
staff asked why his site recommendation
next to the Bronx Hall of Justice
on East 161st Street has been ignored
Diaz criticizes the Mayor’s jail plan at the Bronx County Building on Tuesday, June 25. Mike Carlo
Continued on page 77
by the city.
Specifi cally, he wanted to utilize the
underused portions of the Bronx Family
Court annex to build the prison facility.
Kaplan said that doing so would
require the structure to be built even
taller and in an awkward ‘zig zag’
like confi guration that would create a
whole slew of site issues.
Diaz criticized other components
of the city’s plan, stating that the Mott
Haven location’s massive size is uncharacteristic
of the neighborhood,
which consists of 3-story row houses,
low lying manufacturing plants and