Riley hosts annual Fun in
the Son Festival
From left, Clarence “Mugsy” Leggett, founder of Wiz Kids Basketball, NYC Councilwoman
Vanessa Gibson, New York State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, and Councilman Kevin
Riley at the Fun in the Son Festival. Photo courtesy Amanda Medina
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,62 AUG. 20-26, 2021 BTR
13-year-old dies from Orchard
Beach lightning strike
A 13-year-old succumbed to injuries he suffered in a lightning strike on Aug. 12, 2021, at
Orchard Beach. Photo Alex Mitchell
A 13-year old has died from injuries
sustained from a lightning strike
that wounded six others at Orchard
Beach on Thursday, Aug. 12.
According to the FDNY, a group of
beachgoers, which included children,
were injured in an apparent lightning
strike at Orchard Beach around 5:30
p.m. The beachgoers were taken to Jacobi
Medical Center.
Carlos Ramos, 13, a Bronx resident
had been in critical condition at Jacobi
Medical Center before succumbing
to his injuries on Aug. 13.
A 13-year-old girl; a 41-year-old
man; a 33-year-old woman; a 14-yearold
boy; a 12-year-old girl; and a
5-year-old boy were also struck on
Thursday, but are all expected to survive.
The city Parks Department said
that before the beachgoers were injured,
lifeguards had “cleared all
swimmers from the water, and Parks
staff made announcements over the
public address system instructing patrons
to clear the beach.”
While lightning strikes are generally
a rare occurrence, they are most
frequent during the summer months.
Climatologists in recent years
have uncovered that the prevalence
of lightning strikes are linked to climate
change, with lightning strikes
becoming 300% more common in the
last 11 years, according to a study in
Geophysical Research Letters.
-Robbie Sequeira
There was a whole lot of fun in
the north Bronx on Aug. 7, as the annual
Fun in the Son Festival kicked
off.
NYC Councilman Kevin Riley, in
partnership with Good Neighbors
Community Outreach Agency (GNCOA)
and Rev. Paul Peart of the New
Testament Temple Church of God,
hosted a day of community engagement
and service on the Evander
Childs High School football fi eld.
The festivities ran from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
The family friendly event is centered
on bringing the community together
for music, youth activities and
supporting local businesses.
The festival features faith-based
music and positive inspiring messages.
The festive environment also
includes vendors showcasing their
businesses, special activities for children,
youth and the elderly.
-Bronx Times