as stated BTR letters & comments
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, SEPTEMBER 2 BTR 7-OCTOBER 3, 2019 13
‘Cuban Al’
was ‘all in’
Dear editor,
Throggs Neck lost one of
its most beloved residents this
past week. Cuban Al Vazquez
passed away on September 11,
2019. Al was a fi xture in our
neighborhood since he moved
here in the early 1970s.
Al was born in Havana
in 1932. He originally settled
in Long Island but eventually
found his way to Throggs
Neck. Al embraced the neighborhood
with great gusto and
in turn Throggs Neck embraced
Al with all it had to
offer. Al joined most of the
beach clubs, and various organizations
in Throggs Neck
as his way of letting the neighborhood
know that he was ‘all
in’ as both a resident and civic
minded businessman.
Al opened his bookkeeping
business on East Tremont
Avenue and prepared income
tax forms for a great majority
of businesses and residents of
the area.
Two of Al’s greatest passions
were following Notre
Dame football (Al had a tattoo
of the ‘Fighting Irish Leprechaun
on the side of his calf)
and marching with the NYCT
Pipes & Drums. Our band
would march in parades far
and wide. Whether we were
marching up 5th Avenue, East
Tremont Avenue, McLean Avenue.,
Pearl River and even
Savannah, GA, you could always
fi nd a group calling out
“Hey Cuban Al!” He was the
only person I knew with his
own cheering section at each
parade. Al loved the band
so much, he got his wife, Eileen
involved too. Somewhere
through all this, he received a
second nick name of Irish Al.
He had a great zest for life
and always had a smile on his
face. Our band also included
sons and daughters of some
of our members. Al would
embrace the young ones and
make sure all of them knew
how to march in step. He got
along with all ages from teenagers
to those who were close
to his age. (Al was the patriarch
of the band).
We got word of his passing
just after we completed the annual
Throggs Neck Memorial
Service. It was as if he waited
for us to fi nish and he knew it
was his time. He will be missed
by all in the band and by his
many neighborhood friends
and business associates along
East Tremont Avenue.
Throughout history, many
great men have come and gone.
Most are not mentioned in history
books, but when the history
of Throggs Neck is written,
there will be a chapter
entitled ‘Cuban Al.’ Farewell
my friend, you will be missed.
I was honored to have you as
a friend.
Brian Elliott
Business Agent
NYCT Pipes & Drums
Stop the antipolice
behaviour
(The following letter was
sent to elected offi cials in support
of NYPD)
The blatant disrespect
of our fi ne men and woman
of the NYPD has reached a
point of community crisis.
The overall disregard for the
law in this dynamic is partially
tethered to past legislative
changes and current
political inactions. The Climate
Change that should be
feared is the ‘Anti-Police’
political climate that fosters
heinously disrespectful
behaviors, and criminal activities.
Our environment is
now painted with a tainted
brush stroke that harnesses
those fi ne men and woman
of NYPD that proudly serve
our communities and want
to protect our rights to a fi ne
quality of life.
We need textbook enforcements
of all existing laws including
sub areas of penal
code 120.00 that are in part
designed to protect our law
enforcement.
Penal code 120.05 stipulates
it is assault in the second
degree to intentionally
assault any peace offi cer or
transit operator with the intent
to prevent them from
performing their duties. Penal
code 120.18 (Menacing a
Police offi cer) invokes strong,
long lasting punitive damages
to any individual that
assaults a police offi cer or
member of law enforcement.
A conviction under this law,
a class D felony, carries a
maximum 15-year prison
sentence and a mandatory
3-½ year prison term without
prior convictions. Going forward,
perhaps amendments
to these laws, in cases where
member of law enforcement
or their agents are physically
impeded or attacked, should
include mandated no bail
clauses.
The Spencer Estate Civic
Association in concert with
our fellow community civic
associations need to know
what plan of action will be
forthcoming to curtail these
egregious occurrences and
show our police offi cers the
respect and support they unequivocally
deserve.
I thank you in advance for
your anticipated efforts and
personal response to this
appallingly dispirited situation.
George Havranek
vice-president, Spencer
Estate Civic Association
Don’t start any
new projects
Dear editor,
The challenge facing the
MTA is how to come up with
$51 billion to pay for the next
2020 - 2024 Five Year Capital
Plan without going to debtors
prison.
A signifi cant portion is
dependent upon a number of
taxes and fees including Real
Estate Transfer and Internet
Sales Tax along with Congestion
Price Tolling which combined
equal $25 billion plus
$10.7 billion in anticipated
Federal Transit Administration
funding.
The MTA must stop wasting
millions on transportation
feasibility studies for
future system expansion
projects that will never happen
in our lifetime.
Do not initiate any new
system expansion projects
until each operating agency,
NYC Transit bus and subway,
MTA bus, Long Island
Rail Road and Metro North
Rail Road have reached a
state of good repair for existing
fl eet, stations, elevators,
escalators, signals, interlockings,
track, power, yards
and shops.
This should also include
insuring a majority of subway
and commuter rail stations
are in compliance with
the Americans With Disabilities
(ADA) Act.
Ensure that maintenance
programs for all operating
agencies assets are fully
funded and completed on
time to ensure riders safe uninterrupted
reliable service.
Has adequate funding
been provided to support all
of the above in the $51 billion
MTA Five Year 2020 - 2024
Capital Plan?
If we are lucky, perhaps a
down payment.
Larry Penner
This week’s As Stated contains
statements on the MTA
2020-2024 budget, the MTA’s decision
to install elevators, the
NYC Climate Strike and the
pornography scandal at Salanter
Akiba Riverdale Academy
(SAR).
Assemblyman Victor M.
Pichardo comments on the
MTA’s Proposed 2020-2024 Capital
Plan..... “The MTA proposed
2020-2024 Capital Plan exhibits
a lack of focus of the whole borough
of the Bronx, specifi cally
the west Bronx, where access
to public transportation is a
very pertinent issue that members
of my community face every
single day.
“While I applaud the MTA’s
effort to expand accessibility
throughout major transit hubs
across New York City Transit
stations, and for funding the
Tremont B/D station in my district,
I am concerned at the lack
of consideration of other major
stations in the west Bronx.”
Councilman Andrew Cohen’s
statement on the MTA
agreement to install elevators
throughout west Bronx train
stations..... “I’m glad the MTA
is fulfi lling their commitment
to ensure that our public transit
system is compliant with
the ADA. The W. 242nd Street
station serves thousands of riders
each day and it is important
that it is accessible to all.
“I would like to thank all
those who worked diligently to
see this happen, and a special
thank you to NYCT President
Andy Byford and MTA Chair
Pat Foye for their leadership.”
Assemblyman Jeffrey
Dinowitz’s statement on the
signifi cant improvements announced
for west Bronx train
stations..... “This announcement
from the MTA is incredible
news for people all over
the northwest Bronx who rely
on our transit system to get
around and I applaud their
commitment to bring 70 stations
citywide into compliance
with ADA requirements.
“It is particularly impactful
for people with disabilities,
new parents, and others
for whom climbing long staircases
is an impediment to their
free movement throughout the
city.”
ASSEMBLYMAN
JEFFREY DINOWTIZ
State Senator Alessandra
Biaggi issues statement
in solidarity of NYC climate
strike..... “I am deeply moved
by the work of global youth activists
leading the charge to
hold our leaders accountable
for addressing climate change.
I stand fi rmly with the Climate
Strike and demand bold, justice
oriented action from the
United Nations that will mitigate
the environmental threats
against humanity and protect
our sacred planet.
“Every nation, including
the United States, has a responsibility
to take ownership
of this crisis. What we choose
to do now will quite literally
determine the future of our
planet and every generation to
come – for better or for worse.”
State Senator Alessandra
Biaggi issues statement on the
allegations of child pornography
and sexual exploitations
of minors by staff member at
SAR.....“I am deeply disturbed
and saddened to hear of the
allegations of production of
child pornography and the
sexual exploitation of minors
by a staff member at Salanter
Akiba Riverdale Academy, including
the potential abuse of
students at SAR.
“I am glad that SAR took
immediate action and fi red the
staffer, and has been proactive
in supporting students and
families as they process this
diffi cult situation.”
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
Letters to the editor are welcome from all readers. They
should be addressed care of this newspaper to Laura Guerriero,
Publisher, the Bronx Times Reporter, 3604 E. Tremont
Ave., Bronx, NY 10465, or e-mail to bronxtimes@cnglocal.
com.
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