Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Parade set for March 10th
BY GENE DEFRANCIS
Imagine getting a knock
on your door. It’s a friend
who is asking to come inside.
You invite them in and they
spend their time telling how
they could do a much better
job taking care of your home.
They remove your furniture
and order new furniture.
They cancel your cable and
order satellite TV. They even
knock down walls and open
up the rooms. They do more
remodeling to the point you
don’t recognize it.
Maybe they do a great
job and raise your property
value. Or maybe they destroyed
your home and left
you with a big mess. Let’s explore
both of these hypothetical
scenarios.
If they raise your value
and you decide to sell your
friend will say he is the one
who increased the value and
is entitled to the entire profi t.
And if they left you with
nothing. Well now you have
nothing. They destroyed
your home.
But let’s come back to reality
and to the point... no
one would every let a friend,
neighbor, a stranger walk
into their home and make
changes or dictate how you
should run you home. It is
crazy to even suggest. When
you go to someone’s house
you are a guest. You respect
the house rules.
Now a community organization
is a similar concept
however many people live
within and share the same
home. Yet neighbors and government
departments come
in and offer ‘help’. Sometimes
they go as far as telling
you how you’re doing
everything wrong and need
to ‘trust them’. Even though
you visited their neighborhood
and know your operation
is better managed. In
fact, the only problem you encounter
is when ‘friends’ are
in your way.
Politics play a part. If
you’re not controlled by certain
powers they try these
strategies and send these
friends to infi ltrate. They
threaten and bully friends
and allies. They do this especially
when they can’t buy
your support.
We tell those in power we
will not accept your money
if you expect favors that will
hurt our community. And
none have offered to support
our organization. We know
how the game is played. We
don’t like it. You do good because
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, F 22 EBRUARY 1-7, 2019 BTR
it’s the right thing to
do.
Then you have the hints
dropped. How can you continue
to volunteer to help the
community? I’d rather volunteer
and help my community
than volunteer my time
watching TV. I’d rather bring
my friends and family along
doing neighborhood clean
ups than going to a movie. I’d
rather create memories and
stories than watch others tell
stories.
If you don’t get paid to
watch tv then maybe you
should consider spending
that time improving your
community.
But you won’t buy our support.
You will earn our respect
and we will work with
you. If we fi nd members who
have been compromised they
will be expelled from our organization.
If anyone in our
organization acts inappropriately
we want to know.
If you don’t like one of our
ideas share your thoughts respectfully
with us. If you live
in this community we value
you opinion. You can email
us (AllertonMerchants@
gmail.com) or join our Facebook
page (Allerton International
Merchants Association
Inc). You may disagree
with our choices. You may
think we are wrong. But we
will do what we feel is best
for our community and we
will never sell out our community.
We are not for sale.
We can have nice things.
You deserve excellent shops
and clean streets. That is
why we are dedicated to increase
the quality of life and
protect homeowners and tenants
from getting priced out
of their home.
We have some big battles
this year. We will need to
keep you engaged and educated
about what is happening
in our community. Our
next meeting is Tuesday,
February 5 at the beautiful
Sanz Banquet Hall. Doors
will open at 7 p.m. Bring your
question. Leave your negativity
behind. The future is
bright in Allerton and you’re
welcome to be apart of history.
We thank everyone for
their support and keep posted
on Facebook and this newspaper
when our Anniversary
date is confi rmed. We can’t
wait to share with you our
2019 Holiday Lights design
as we will begin talks shortly
with the lighting designers.
Need a job or an apartment
or know someone who
does? Want to start your own
business in Allerton? Send
us an email and we will enter
you into our database and wil
do our best to help make that
happen. If you don’t ask, we
can’t try.
We also want to know if
you don’t feel safe in your
community. There is help for
Domestic Violence, Landlord
harassment, and inconsiderate
neighbors.
Finally if we ever get hit
with heavy snowfall there is
help available for that too.
All this and more email us.
Together we will improve the
quality of life in Allerton.
Making it safer and cleaner
for families to live.
Your community is your
business.
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
A festive community tradition is
back.
The 21st Annual Throggs Neck St.
Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled to
step off at noon on Sunday, March 10
on East Tremont Avenue at Lafayette
Avenue in celebration of Irish-
American heritage and of community
pride.
This year’s grand marshals are
former Congressman Joseph Crowley
and Margaret ‘Peggy’ McKeegan.
McKeegan was a longtime aide to
the late-Senator Guy Velella through
2004 and she’s been a very active
member of St. Frances de Chantal
parish for decades, according to the
parade committee.
The parade will also have a religious
honoree this year: Sr. Teresa
Barton, the principal of Villa Maria
Academy.
The parade committee, stated, “It
is excited to bring an amazing celebration
of Irish pride and Bronx
pride to the streets of Throggs Neck
on March 10.”
“Mr. Crowley, Mrs. McKeegan and
Sr. Teresa Barton are all beacons of
light for our community and we are
delighted that they will lead the 21st
Annual Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s
Day Parade,” stated the parade committee.
Crowley, who left U.S. Congress
at the start of this year, said he was
moved and touched by the honor and
that the Irish experience in America
is one of “grit, toil and trial.”
They are among the many ethnic
and racial groups that have contributed
mightily to the borough and to
New York City, he said.
“It is not just a great day for the
Irish in New York, it is a great day for
Bronxites in general,” said Crowley
of parade day.
Crowley said that his Irish heritage
is very important to him and he
can trace his ancestry back to County
Armagh and County Laois.
He said that he believes part of his
success in the U.S. Congress was due
to his respect for other cultures and
that this grew out of respect for his
own ancestors.
Crowley added he recently took a
trip to Ireland where he took part in
a centennial celebration of the Irish
parliament.
He has attended the parade pretty
much every year of its existence, he
said, both because of his Irish roots
and as a representative of the community.
McKeegan has called Throggs
Neck home since 1966 and raised four
children in the community, three of
which chose to remain and call it
home as well.
She said she attended some of the
fi rst planning committee meetings
for the parade after it was launched
21 years ago as part of her work with
the NYS Senate.
McKeegan said that she “was
very shocked” when she heard that
she was chosen as a grand marshal,
adding that she believed at fi rst they
were calling about another family
member.
She expects that her extended
family, which she said includes
ten grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren,
will make quite a
showing in the parade.
“I think there will be a little crowd
around me in the parade,” she said,
adding that her family is talking
about creating banners and T-shirts
for the festive occasion.
Joseph Crowley
Margaret “Peggy” McKeegan
Photo courtesy of Margaret McKeegan
/gmail.com