editorial
What has Junior’s tragedy taught us a year later?
FOUNDED IN 1981 BY: Michael Benedetto and John Collazzi
PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER
CEO AND CO-PUBLISHER
BRONX TIMES PUBLISHER
EDITOR
ASSIGNMENT EDITOR/REPORTER
PHOTO EDITOR/REPORTER
REPORTER
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
PRODUCTION
Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Joshua Schneps
Laura Guerriero
John Collazzi
Patrick Rocchio
Rob Wirsing
Alex Mitchell
Leonard Vigliotti, Donna Marzi
Mauro DeLuca
SCHNEPS MEDIA • 38-15 Bell Blvd, Bayside, NY 11361
PH: 718-224-5863
Subscribing Community Groups
• Throggs Neck Home Owners Association • Pelham Bay Taxpayers Community Association
• Schuyler Hill Civic Association • Ferry Point Civic Association
• Ferry Point Community Advocates • Chippewa Democratic Club
• Throggs Neck Merchants Association • Bronx Chamber of Commerce
• Korony American Legion Post 253 • Locust Point Civic Association
• Spencer Estate Civic Association • Country Club Civic Association
• Waterbury/LaSalle Community Association • Samuel Young American Legion Post 620
• Westchester Square/Zerega Improvement Organization
• Morris Park Community Association • Bronx Park East Neighborhood Association
• Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance • Chester Civic Improvement Association
• Bronx Chamber of Commerce • Liberty Democratic Association
• Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association
Display Advertising Rates & Deadlines: A copy of The Bronx Times Reporter Advertising Rates is available on request. Display
deadline is the Friday prior to publication. Camera ready copy deadline is the Monday preceding publication.
Classifi ed Deadlines: To place a Classifi ed Ad call (718) 260-2555 or email classifi ed@schnepsmedia.com. Deadline: 3 p.m. Tuesday prior
to publication.
Legal Notice Deadlines: For Legal Advertising call (718) 260-3977 or email dwilson@schnepsmedia.com. Deadline: 12 p.m. Monday
prior to publication.
Letters To The Editor: Readers are encouraged to send us their viewpoints. Name and address must be included, but will be withheld
upon request. Letters should be as brief as possible, not exceeding 200 words.
News Items: Readers are welcome to suggest news items of interest. Call the Editorial Department at (718) 260-4597 or e-mail to
bronx times@schnepsmedia.com.
Around Town: Announcements of birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc. will gladly be published. All announcements must be
mailed to the Bronx Times Reporter 3604 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465, before the Friday preceding publication. No
phone calls please.
Community Calendar: Civic organizations, churches, synagogues and special interest groups can have their special event dates announced
free of charge. Mail should be addressed to Community Calendar and received no later than the Friday preceding publication.
Subscription Rates: Yearly subscriptions are $26.00; 2 years for $40.00, within Bronx county. Out of county subscriptions are $50.00
per year.
Change Of Address: Any problems or inquiries regarding a present subscription must be accompanied by the mailing label from your
newspaper showing complete name, address and subscription number (top left corner).
Copyright © 2019 by Bronx CNG LLC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied
or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfi lming, recording or by an information retrieval
system without the express written permission of the publisher. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements.
Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of Bronx Times Reporter, Inc.
is strictly prohibited.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 12 UNE 21-27, 2019 BTR
Junior’s memorial on Monday, June 25, 2018. File Photo
BY ALEX MITCHELL
As we pass the one-year anniversary
of the tragedy that
took 15-year-old Lesandro ‘Junior’
Guzman-Feliz’ life on
Wednesday, June 20, it’s time
to call on the Bronx to refl ect
on what Justice For Junior
has taught us.
The time following his
tragic passing showed a borough
that remained united in
the wake of the tragedy. Those
days at the corner of Bathgate
Avenue and East 183rd Street
were overfl owing with memorial
candles and messages
of support. Some were even
written on cardboard boxes,
expressing nothing but love,
appreciation and communal
sorrow for the senseless act
of violence. People from Pennsylvania
and New Jersey even
visited the borough to pay
their respects to the innocent
teen that spent free time as
an NYPD Explorer in the 45th
Precinct.
Mothers were weeping,
friends were left speechless
and it was one of few instances
when a mass of people simply
paused to think and refl ect on
life and their loved ones.
In that time, race wasn’t
relevant and neither was the
level of income or any other
social factors, it was a community
united against violence,
looking to support Junior’s
family.
From massive donations to
the NYPD Explorer Program
to similar ones to Junior’s
mother and family with condolences
and offerings from
celebrities like Carmelo and
La La Anthony, the face of
tragedy was met by a beating
and sonic Bronx heartbeat.
Not to mention Borough
President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
opening and dedicating Camp
Junior upstate to serve any
Bronx youth wishing to go to
a sleep away camp.
One year later, it’s time to
think back to what happened.
It’s time to think about where
you were when you read or
heard the news of Junior and
that plummeting feeling of
your heart dropping in sorrow.
For so many it meant
calling a loved one just to express
the gratitude that they
are well and healthy For others
it put what we think of as
challenges into perspective.
Things may not always be
ideal in life, but that doesn’t
mean there isn’t room to be
grateful and generous. Everyone,
including this reporter is
guilty of getting carried away
with the daily challenges of
the world, but at times such as
this, it’s important to refl ect,
breathe, and appreciate what
and who we have in life.
To the late Junior Guzman-
Feliz and his family, the Bronx
Times Reporter thanks you all
for what you have shown, not
just in the Bronx, but everywhere:
what it means to rally
and be strong in the face of an
unimaginable and unforeseen
tragedy. You give all of us inspiration
to be courageous in
our own challenges and diffi
culties. You give new defi nition
to the term resiliency and
exemplify what it means to be
the Bronx’ best.
!"
#$%&'
!!"#$%
!''"
((
! ((! )("
)*)!+!,!
(
**%++
+,-#+
. " / 01
( 2(
on or before 0 !
1 "
" -.
0"/0123
3" )! 45( /426/0
" /6766!**
! 1!1 2
0 ( (
1 ! 1 1! 02
( !(
! 0 No bids shall be received after the time designated in the advertisement0
! 4% 5( 0
!8 , 8!(( , !9! , ! , ,4 !8: 8. + 8. !
9! !,(8;!
8!
8(4+9</6=>+8!
+8!(,48-4;?264666*66*
)*)!+!,!
(
link
link
link
link
link
link