Lighting up the boro for World Pride
The Bronx Chamber of
Commerce, in partnership
with the Offi ce of the Bronx
Borough President, Third
Avenue Business Improvement
District, Simone Metro
Properties, and the New York
City Department of Citywide
Administrative Services,
announced the lighting of
several major properties
throughout the Bronx in recognition
of NYC World Pride.
The Bronx will get a lot
more colorful this weekend:
In celebration of World Pride,
the massive LGBTQ celebration
happening throughout
the month of June.
Iconic buildings like the
Bronx Supreme Court, the
Hutchinson Metro Center,
and the HUB at 149th Street
will be lighted with a rainbow
fl ag colors.
“The Bronx is one of the
most diverse areas in New
York State,” noted Lisa Sorin,
president of the Bronx Chamber
of Commerce “The lighting
of these well-known
buildings, combined with his-
Simone Metro Properties lights up our borough. Photo courtesy of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce
toric turn-out for Bronx pride
events, and notable pride
crosswalk painting, sends a
clear message to the world
that the Bronx is diverse, inclusive,
and open for business
to all regardless of your
sexual orientation, identity,
or who you love,” continued
Sorin.
BRONX TIMES R 44 EPORTER, JULY 5-11, 2019 BTR
“Lighting our buildings
in the Bronx will remind LGBTQ
people around the world
that our city, our borough will
always be a beacon of hope
and a place to call home,” Joseph
Kelleher, president of Simone
Metro Properties, said
in a statement.
“The LGBTQ+ community
is central to our borough’s
essence.” stated Michael
Brady, CEO of the Third Avenue
Business Improvement
District and co-chair of the
Bronx LGBTQ Caucus “It is
with great pride that we have
been able to work together to
have these iconic buildings in
the Bronx lit for World Pride.
This is a clear message of celebration,
diversity and inclusion,
but also underscores
that we still must continue
our fi ght for LGBTQ equity,”
continued Brady.
The Throggs Neck Community
Action Partnership
praises Senator Alessandra
Biaggi and Assemblyman
Michael Benedetto for passing
the 8420A Legislation to
Decriminalize Marijuana.
The new law decriminalizes
possession of small
amounts of cannabis and
public burning.
It also creates a process
for those convicted in the
past for possessing cannabis
to have their convictions vacated
and records expunged.
Finally, it categorizes cannabis
with tobacco for purposes
of state restrictions on
smoking in public and other
designated areas.
The Throggs Neck Community
Action Partnersip
strongly supports the decriminalization
of marijuana and
social justice reform.
We applaud the State Senate
and the Assembly for voting
and implementing this
law to ensure the protection
of New Yorkers and our justice
system.
BY GENE DEFRANCIS
If you’re reading this in
time, Freedom Bingo is July
5th at Beth Abraham. For
more information check out
our Facebook page Allerton
International Merchants Association.
Tickets are $20
advance and $25 at the door.
Advanced tickets can be purchased
by emailing us at AllertonMerchants@
gmai l .
com or text/calling us at (917)
355-5445.
And Happy Independence
Day Allerton! We hope everyone
has a healthy and safe
4th of July weekend.
I love fi reworks but be
smart and respect the neighbors.
Get your permits in
order and fi re away from
buildings and trees. Protect
yourself as by well keep your
windows closed so a stray
fi recracker doesn’t fi nd itself
in your home. Police will
be out enforcing illegal fi reworks.
If you don’t have permits
and you took the chance
lighting them anyway, please
don’t argue with the offi cers.
You know you did wrong, you
got caught and accept the
penalty.
I know from all my years
here in Allerton some blocks
love fi reworks on their block.
Some don’t. So just be respectful
and responsible.
All we ask is that when the
fourth is over you clean up
and put them away. And
never under any circumstances
should they be fi red
past 11 p.m. Ever.
Respect your neighbors.
Keep their pets in mind
as well. It’s a stress no one
should have to live with and
we can all enjoy the fi reworks
and the fourth. Above
all be safe.
This week thanks in large
part to Community Board 11
and our Allerton neighbors,
especially Ness from Pay-
Ness Fruits and Stephanie
Raptis, we put up our fl ag.
The response, as always, has
been amazing.
Men and women, many
coming home late at night
from the train, stopped to
compliment and thank us for
the fl ags. It’s means a lot to us
and we appreciate your kind
words and support.
Many of you know me and
my style by now. I’ll always
keep it straightforward and
honest to the best of my ability.
Too many people had concerns
about us putting up the
fl ag. “We can’t put the fl ag
here it’s too low” and other
comments. Well, we appreciate
you thoughtfulness for
our fl ags but be assured... Allerton
is DIVERSE and Allerton
is patriotic.
We love this country and
we love this fl ag. Many of us
come from imperfect families.
Children who made
mistakes. Parents who made
mistakes. We even recognize
we make mistakes ourselves.
Through these imperfections
is beauty and humanity.
And as we raised the fl ag
at each block from Yates Avenue
to Bronx Park East the
response was the same. ‘God
Bless America’ and ‘Thank
you’.
Because they all recognize,
even though we don’t
have it easy most days, We
have it. We have some semblance
of security. We have
the pursuit of happiness.
America is not perfect.
But what makes us special is
that we strive to be. The reality
is we don’t know what a
perfect country looks likes.
To different people perfection
means something else. It
could be a busy city or a well
maintained farm. It could be
wild never ending parties or a
quiet intense dessert. It could
be a tropical island or even a
sheet of ice coating the lake.
Sunsets over the mountains
or sunrises over the Statue of
Liberty, Lincoln Memorial,
and Grand Canyon.
America is beautiful because
of it diversity and all it
has to offer.
That is why we are proud
to have the word International
as our middle name.
It’s the center of everything
we believe in. The food, the
music, the clothes. It is what
makes us special and it is
what makes Allerton special.
So keep up the great work
Allerton. We are looking good
and standing tall. Allerton is
the place to learn respect. To
learn tolerance. And to learn
what it means to be an American.
Out of many. ONE. Always
Allerton!
Food Festival August 17th.
Be sure to