BY MARY JANE MUSANO
The Bruckner upzoning
proposal has united this
community. We are holding
hands in solidarity like never
before. People of every background
from every community
are joining together for a
common purpose. We are determined
to save our community
from the greedy hands
of developers that seek to destroy
us. We are strong, we
are united and together we
will win!
At a time when there is
confl ict and chaos all over
the world, we are working together.
The world could take a
lesson from us. If we win, and
we will, we will have proved
that in our community, white,
Latino, Black and every other
ethnicity know how to join
hands for the benefi t of all.
Do you realize that Republicans
and Democrats both are
supporting us? That could be
described as miraculous. We
can agree. We can work together.
And, when we do miracles
can happen.
We have been working
hard. Soon we will announce
a website where you can get
information about the latest
news concerning the Bruckner
upzoning. You will be able
to sign letters to appropriate
city offi cials and politicians
and the letter will automatically
be sent. You can send
your comments and suggestions
as well as volunteer. It
will help us organize and stay
in touch with each other.
Local attorneys have offered
their support and advice
and we are so grateful
for their guidance. Even
with their help, it is imperative
that we get a land-use
attorney onboard and that
will require funding. To that
end, we are setting up a Go-
FundMe page. When it is up
and running we will need
your support. Please donate
whatever you can. Every dollar
will help.
On Aug. 28, we held another
rally, which was very
well attended. People came
with signs, t-shirts and an
unbelievable amount of enthusiasm.
Again, we had support
from community leaders,
including Bob Beider, a
community board member;
John Doyle, a Democratic district
BRONX TIMES R 38 EPORTER, SEPT. 3-9, 2021 BTR
leader; Sammy Ravelo,
candidate for Bronx borough
president; and Bill Pepitone,
who is running for mayor.
each one of them attended the
rally and spoke out against
the proposal. We thank them
all for their support, especially
because it was unsolicited.
Our rallies are organized
by the community. We
encourage all local leaders,
including current and those
who hope to be our leaders,
to attend our rallies and publicly
declare their full support.
Please know that you
are welcome.
We are planning to resume
civic association meetings as
long as there are no Covid
complications. Our meeting
date will be Sept. 28 at 7:30
p.m. at The First Lutheran
Church of Throggs Neck. We
rely on your dues as we do not
receive any funds from our local
elected offi cials. So many
of our wonderful members
have sent an extra gift with
their dues. Your generosity is
very much appreciated. If you
have not sent in your dues,
please consider doing it today.
You can send your $10 yearly
dues to Waterbury LaSalle
Community Association, 1145
Hobart Ave., Bronx NY 10461.
We are a 501c3, which means
that donations over and above
dues are tax deductible. If
you have signed petitions,
you may drop them off at the
above address or call (718)
792-6385 for pick up.
Please stay safe and stay
involved. Our community
needs you!
CIVIC CENTER
Waterbury LaSalle
Community
Association
Photo Adrian Childress
BY AL D’ANGELO
America’s shame is there
for all to see, created by the policy
makers. The president and
his advisors have allowed a terrorist
group to not only take
over a country but by leaving
sophisticated biometric data
allows them to track down the
men and woman who helped
America. We left behind fi ngerprints
as well as iris scans
used to identify our friends
which can now be used by the
Taliban.
To make matters worse, we
left behind 29 black hawk helicopters
($21 million each);
seven attack air craft with hellfi
re missiles and ant tank missiles;
PC-12 reconnaissance
airplanes that have the latest
technology ($5 million each);
night-vision goggles; Humvees;
trucks; artillery guns; tons of
munitions and assault weapons.
It is estimated we have left
behind more than $50 billion
worth of equipment. Guess who
paid for that equipment?
We have left trapped American
civilians and American allies
at the hands of the Taliban.
Some one needs to be held accountable.
I wonder how many
family members of our elected
offi cials were left behind. Who
advised the president and why
can’t we get a straight answer
at press conferences? Why
can’t the president answer
more than a few questions
which were submitted ahead
of time? Why didn’t we get our
people out before the soldiers?
Why didn’t we destroy sensitive
equipment? Why didn’t
we transfer prisoners to Gitmo
instead of leaving thousands
of prisoners who fought us behind
to be freed by the Taliban?
Many of these prisoners were
responsible for the murder and
maiming of American soldiers.
Speaking of the American
soldier, this country owes them
a debt of gratitude. From Valley
Forge to Afghanistan, they
served their nation with pride,
many buried with their coffi ns
draped with the fl ag they gave
their life to defend. Heroes who
came home from the jungles of
Vietnam only to be spit on and
called baby killers — while
others ran to Canada — they
heeded their countries call. For
those who ran, I hope you sleep
well knowing someone else had
to take your place. The solider
doesn’t make policy, they follow
orders, politicians make
policy. To the family of those
soldiers who lost their lives
this past week, they did their
duty. The shame of the nation
belongs at the feet of the policy
makers, not the loyal soldiers
that put themselves in harms
way so our way of life can be
preserved.
Remember this, the next
time you refuse to stand for the
National Anthem or refuse to
respect the fl ag these gallant
warriors died to defend.
CIVIC CENTER
The Morris Park
Community
Association
BY JOSEPH MONDELLO
Hello Post 620 members
and to all veterans out there.
By the time you read this,
the month of August is long
gone. Is it me, or is time going
by fast? But not so fast
that you haven’t missed the
Sam Young annual Labor
Day BBQ on Saturday, Sept.
4. A donation of $20 gets you a
full day of activities, food and
refreshments (children $10).
Make a family day out of it.
Horseshoe throwing,
cornhole tossing competition,
music and if we get
enough participation, even
a game of volleyball. And
when that’s all over, starting
around 8 p.m., you can
sit and relax to an outdoor
movie “Under the Stars and
Stripes” on our Great Lawn
for the premier showing of
“My Spy.” This is a series
of three family movies to be
shown at our Post. This is a
free community movie showing
and all are invited to join
us.
Congratulations to newly
elected National Cmdr.
James W. Oxford from North
Carolina. By the way, do you
know as a veteran, a wife or
child you can join the American
Legion. Stop by and ask
how you can be a member or
supporter.
On a sad note, Post member
Hector Cruz passed on.
We will remember Hector
with a ceremony on Friday
evening starting at 6 p.m.
Farewell goes out to past SAL
Cmdr. Pat Mahon and his
family as they have saddled
up and are heading out to a
new horizon. We wish you
the best of luck!
As we look around the
Sam Young Post, we see it
needs a bit (a lot) of TLC. We
will go over the plan at our
next special Joint Post meeting
on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 1
p.m.
Hope to see everyone this
weekend. In closing, American
Legion Past National
Cmdr. Denise Rohan was recently
appointed Wisconsin’s
Selective Service state director
– she is the fi rst woman
to hold that title. Rohan said
her role is to make sure the
Selective Service System
in Wisconsin is ready to
go in case the draft is ever
enacted. Currently, she is
readying Wisconsin’s Selective
Service for the possibility
of legislation passing that
would require women ages
18-26, like men, to register for
the Selective Service.
CIVIC CENTER
SAMUEL YOUNG
POST 620