BRONX WEEKLY S www.BXTimes.com eptember 1, 2019 2
Patterson Playground gets $4.5M upgrade
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Ground was offi cially broken
on a renovation project for
Patterson Playground in Mott
Haven on Tuesday, August 13.
When completed, the park
off of East 148th Street will
feature refurbished basketball
courts, a new playground, and
handball courts in addition to
crew paths, chain link fences,
concrete curbs, asphalt, concrete
pavements and safety surfacing
will also be added to the
play area.
The reconstructed playground
will provide play units
and swings for children of all
ages, and feature a decorative
concrete pavement area with
spray showers.
A new community garden
will also be built, featuring
raised beds, trees, shrubs, and
groundcovers, according to the
NYC Parks Department.
Patterson Playground received
$4.53 million for the revamp
project with $2.3 million
coming from the mayor’s offi ce
and $2.2 million from Councilwoman
Diana Ayala.
Bronx Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa; Cedric Loftin, Community Board 1 district manager; Patterson
Houses Tenant Association president Pat Simpson; Councilwoman Diana Ayala, former council speaker Melissa
Mark-Viverito and NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver. Photo by Jewel Webber
“This project is a testament
to our city’s commitment to improving
local parks and I am
proud to have offered my support,”
Ayala said while mentioning
all the benefi ts her community
will be receiving from
the renovation.
The playground is also located
near P.S. 18, and it boasts
a junior baseball fi eld, basketball,
tennis and volleyball
courts, and even a straight running
track for those who feel
the need for speed
Currently, Patterson Playground
has swings for young
children, and is surrounded by
decorative fl owers and plantbeds.
It was named to honor Lester
W. Patterson, a former
Bronx County Judge who was
appointed by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt to become
chairman of the National War
Fund.
Vets’ Day Parade Committee raising funds to replace fl ags
BY STEVEN GOODSTEIN
A veterans organization is
seeking funds so it can appropriately
honor veterans in an
upcoming parade.
The United Veterans’ Day
Parade Committee of Greater
New York is looking for sponsorships
from the community
to purchase new fl ags for this
year’s Veterans’ Day Parade in
Throggs Neck.
The organization’s goal for
the next two months is to raise
enough funds to purchase a total
of 100 fl ags. The fl ags will
consist of a mix of American
and service fl ags to represent
the Army, Marine Corps,
Navy, Air Force and Coast
Guard, as well as a ‘Prisoner of
War/Missing In Action’ fl ags
which will be used during the
march and throughout the parade
route.
Each fl ag will cost about
$50, which includes the pole,
bracket and hardware. The
committee encourages that donations
for fl ag sponsors are
made in honor of a loved one, a
family member or even just to
show patriotism.
“It’s very important that
The conclusion of the 2015 parade at Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park. Silvio Pacifi co / File photo
we recognize all that veterans
have done for us - and for
the parade we need the fl ags to
be in pristine condition,” said
Carolyn Engeldrum, president
of the United Veterans’ Day
Parade Committee of Greater
New York, which organizes
and conducts the annual parade
in Throggs Neck. “This is
a very patriotic neighborhood
and the parade is a great way
to give back to our veterans
and show how much we appreciate
them.”
According to Engeldrum,
fl ags along the Veterans’ Day
Parade route are replaced every
few years due to wear and
tear from the weather. However,
due to the severity of
rainstorms in the past year,
many of the fl ags need to be
replaced for the parade.
Engeldrum also stated that
once a fl ag is ripped, torn or
otherwise damaged, it must
be retired, which is done during
a separate ceremony.
This year’s Veterans’ Day
Parade, which will celebrate
its 35th year as well as the 100-
year anniversary of the American
Legion, will be held on
Sunday, November 10 at noon
and will begin at Lafayette
and East Tremont avenues.
The parade will continue
along East Tremont Avenue to
Randall Avenue and conclude
with the annual ceremony at
Bicentennial Veterans’ Memorial
Park.
Chartered and incorporated
by Congress in 1919, the
American Legion is the largest
wartime veterans service
organization in the country.
To support the cause and
make a contribution, which
will be tax deductible, make
all checks payable to United
Veterans’ Day Parade Committee
of Greater New York, Inc.,
P.O. Box 835, Bronx, NY 10465.
Checks should be mailed no
later than Friday, October 25.
Contributors names and/or
businesses will be recognized
in the Bronx Times-Reporter.
Pre-construction photos of Patterson Playground. Photo by Jewel Webber
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