New Pelham Parkway dog run opens at Bronx Park East  
 BY PATRICK ROCCHIO 
 A long-awaited dog run  
 was dedicated with great joy  
 and excitement.  
 The Pelham Parkway community  
 saw a fi ve-year  goal  
 realized as the NYC Parks  
 Department cut a ribbon on a  
 long-awaited dog run in Bronx  
 Park East just south of the  
 parkway near Boston Road on  
 Tuesday, July 9.  
 The Bronx River Park Dog  
 Run will give pooches both  
 large and small a chance to  
 run, stretch their legs and exercise. 
 Please join us for our 
  
  
 6:30 - 10:30 PM 
 oin s for an eening of good food, msic and fn to benet PCC  
 Honorees 
 AnaMarie Murphy – dministratie ssistant, Hman esorces fcer, PHS  
 For her faithful leadership, friendship and untiring dedication and service to the Sisters of Divine Compassion, PCC, and PHS for over 13 years. 
 obert Crafa 	 Waterfront 
irector, S Maritime College  
 For his extraordinary commitment to Preston Center of Compassion Summer Recreational Program and the Bronx community for over 12 years. 
 Throggs eck Commnity ction Partnership (TCP)   
 Under the auspices of   
 rchdiocese of  
rg bse Preention Program (
PP)  
 For CPs strong memership support and dedication to the hroggs ec community since 1	. 
  
  
  
  
  
 Sponsored in part by: 
 Bronx 
  
 BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 8     ULY 12-18, 2019 BTR 
   
 Name ______________________________________________ 
 Address _______________________Email ___________________ 
  
   I am purchasing ____ dinner reservations at $50 each. (BEFORE July 8th) 
   I am purchasing ____ dinner reservations at $60 each. (AFTER July 9th) 
   
 am purchasing  rafe ticets at 2 each. 
 Rafes ill e dran hursday, ugust 1, 21 at fundraiser. 
 Winner need not be present. 
  
  
 
 ould lie to mae a donation in the amount of  
 ____________________ to Preston Center of Compassion. 
 Make checks payable to  
 2780 Schurz Ave, Bronx, NY 10465 
 or 
 visit our e site at .prestoncenterofcompassion.org to mae an online donation 
 Preston Center of Compassion a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion is a elcoming community 
 that addresses critical community needs y providing counseling, mentoring, leadership, empoerment, spirituality, 
 and educational support services and programs for omen, children and families ho are most in need.  
 PCC is a 501(c)(3) organization separate from Preston High School. 
 Please support our 
  
  
  
 Prizes 
 1st Prize $5,000* 
 2nd Prize  2 Tickets to Hamilton on Broadway 
 3rd Prize Manhattan Getaway  
   One night accommodation to Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 
   Two tickets to Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Plaza 
   and Dinner for o at Rosie radys imes Suare Restaurant. 
 4th Prize iPad, Donated y Fitgeral alde,   
   Manager of Citibank, Throggs Neck Branch 
 5th Prize  Sports Mania Package 
   Four  anee icets AND Four  ets icets,  
                
 afe will be drawn Thrsday, gst 1st, 201 
 Winner need not be present. 
  
  
 Space has been donated by SCHUYLER HILL FUNERAL HOME 
   
 It  features  separate  exercise  
 areas to accommodate  
 size  animals,  and  natural  
 boulders as dog play elements,  
 according to Parks.  
 The  Pelham  Parkway  
 Neighborhood Association  
 had lobbied then Councilman  
 James Vacca some years back  
 for funding for the project after  
 association  members had to  
 travel a great distance to other  
 dog runs, such as the one in  
 Pelham Bay Park, said Edith  
 Blitzer, PPNA president.  
 Blitzer said that aside from  
 the benefi ts the new park amenity  
 will bring to dog owners, 
  the dog run could serve  
 (l-r)  Romina  Enea,  representing  Councilman  Ritchie  Torres;  Debby  Kawalick  of  the  PPNA;  Councilman  Mark  
 Gjonaj;  Marisol  Halpern,  representing  Borough  President  Ruben  Diaz  Jr.;  NYC  Parks  Commissioner  Mitchell  
 Silver; former Councilman Jimmy Vacca; PPNA President Edith Blitzer; Andrea Siegel of PPNA; Assemblywoman  
 Nathalia Fernandez, and NYC Parks Bronx Commissioner Iris Rodriquez Rosa cut ribbon on Pelham Parkway’s  
 long-anticipated dog run on Thursday, July 9 at Bronx Park East.  Photo by Silvio Pacifi co 
 to bring neighbors closer together  
 in other ways. 
 “We wanted this dog run  
 for another specifi c  reason:  
 because the people in the community  
 could get to know each  
 other while watching their  
 dogs,” said Blitzer.  
 Andrea Siegel, a PPPA  
 board member, said that facilities  
 like the dog run bring  
 people closer together and indicated  
 the opening of the run  
 can give community activists  
 encouragement to advocate  
 for further improvements.  
 Blitzer said after a PPPA  
 member suggested the construction  
 of a dog run for the  
 Pelham  Parkway  community, 
  she met over coffee with  
 former Councilman James  
 Vacca, who attended the ribbon  
 cutting and said he was  
 able to start the process and  
 get the ball rolling for the project  
 before he left offi ce.  
 The $592,000 project was  
 funded by Councilman Ritchie  
 Torres’  $300,000  in  capital  
 funding,  $238,000  from  Borough  
 President Ruben Diaz,  
 Jr., and $54,000 from Mayor de  
 Blasio.  
 Councilman Mark Gjonaj  
 took care of the water supply  
 and made sure the run was  
 placed where there was adequate  
 shade.  
 “I  think  that  the  dog  run  
 is great, you can see there is  
 so  much  enthusiasm,”  said  
 Gjonaj, adding “Immediately,  
 the fi rst thing that was brought  
 to my attention was the lack of  
 water supply, and we are going  
 to address that quickly.” 
 One of the dog run’s inaugural  
 users,  Gene  DeFrancis  
 of Allerton, attended the  
 ribbon  cutting  with  his  pets  
 Ronin and Peppa.  
 Prior to the opening of  
 this dog run, he said he would  
 sometimes drive with his dogs  
 to a beach, or even to parks in  
 other counties for them to exercise. 
   
 “There was nothing  
 nearby,”  he  said  of  the  situation  
 prior  to July 9. “You can  
 have a big dog (like these) in  
 the city, but you have to exercise  
 them because it is important  
 for their health.”  
 Additional  dignitaries  
 and community members attending  
 the ribbon cutting included  
 Assemblywoman Nathalia  
 Fernandez;  Mitchell  
 Silver, NYC Parks commissioner  
 Iris Rodriguez-Rosa,  
 NYC Parks Bronx commissioner, 
  and Community Board  
 11 members.  
 
				
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