BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 106 ARCH 15-21, 2019 BTR
1915 Eddie Grant NY Giants. Photo courtesy of East Bronx History Forum
East Bronx History Forum highlights
BY THOMAS X. CASEY
The Huntington Free Library
and Reading Room announces
the East Bronx History
Forum will hold its 137th
meeting on Wednesday, March
20 at 7:30 p.m. at the City Island
Historical Society and
Museum.
All meetings are free and
open to the public. We will
meet at City Island at 190 Fordham
Street (left turn from
City Island Avenue). Call the
City Island museum, call (718)
885-0008 for additional information.
After every Super Bowl
Sunday, the last football game
of the season, our thoughts refl
ect on the words ‘Play Ball’.
That is the start of baseball
spring training. It is a little
easier to root for your favorite
NYC team these days with
only the Yankees and Mets.
There were many fi ghts
when the New York Giants
and Brooklyn Dodgers were
still in NYC. The History Forum
will recognize both early
NYC baseball and the 100th
anniversary of the U.S. entering
World World I with a special
presentation by Dr. Karen
Markoe ‘Eddie Grant: Baseball
Player and Unsung Hero
of WWI’. Two years after Eddie
Grant retired from the
New York Giants, he enlisted
with the army in 1917 and became
the fi rst sports fi gure
to die fi ghting while trying
to rescue The Lost Battalion
in the fi nal battle of the war.
The New York Giants honored
Edward L. Grant with a
center fi eld plaque at the Polo
Grounds, until stolen when
the Giants moved in 1957.
Karen Markoe, from the
Bronx, was a Yankees fan
from birth. She attended local
public schools, graduated from
Hunter College, and received
a masters and PhD from Columbia
University, all in history.
She teaches at the State
University of New York Maritime
College at Fort Schuyler
where she is chair of the Humanities
Department. Her interest
in Edward L. Grant began
with a reference to him at
the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, New York and
her grandparents had lived on
Edward L. Grant Highway in
the Bronx.
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
The countdown has commenced.
The Spencer Estate
Civic Association’s inaugural
meeting of 2019 is Wednesday,
March 20, 7:30 p.m. at the
Knights of Columbus, corner
of Ampere and Research
avenues. Councilman Mark
Gjonaj will address our association
and fi eld questions
about community related issues.
The councilman has
been a valued friend to the
Spencer Estate community. A
large attendance will display
both our gratitude to the councilman
and the sincere resolve
of our fi ne community.
In addition, we are expecting
representation from the
offi ce of Senator Alessandra
Biaggi. Our association is excited
to host a staff member of
Senator Biaggi and looks forward
to the development of a
rock solid relationship with
the senator and her staff.
Community reactions to
a specifi c occurrence can result
in short-term galvanization.
This after the fact unifi
cation lacks the effi ciency
and effectiveness of proactive
unity. A proactive community
is interested, organized,
unifi ed and prepared
to endure long-term battles.
However, there are times
when a unifi ed, proactive
community must rely on political
support to champion
their cause.
In past years, the Spencer
Estate Civic Association has
reached out to reliable political
leaders to stave off adversity
or fulfi ll community
needs. The following list is a
reminder of some past occurrences:
• Park Gate Access Project
called for an access gate
to Pelham Bay Park on Watt
Avenue. In addition, benchgathering
areas in the vicinity
of Bayshore and Watt avenues
were included in the
original plans - Denied
• Multiple attempts to open
a liquor store on Ampere Avenue
with hours of operation
that were incongruent with
our neighborhoods characteristic
and lifestyle - Denied
• Brazen attempts to rezone
portions of our community
that would encourage
over-development and alter
the landscape of our neighborhood
- Denied
• The placement of speed
bumps on Middletown Road
and the non-bus route sections
of Ampere Avenue - Accepted
The common thread in
these situations is that multiple
levels of political infl uence
were required to meet
community needs. In these
circumstances Community
Board 10, the offi ces of our
councilman, assemblyman,
congressman, and senator
staunchly supported and
heartily fought for our community.
Today, our community
needs reassurance that
current political leaderships
can be depended upon to
stave off the unwanted and
help our community secure
what is needed.
Political leaders to gauge
a community’s interest and
fortitude use the attendances
at local civic association
meetings. A good turnout
is mandatory to send a clear
message to our politicians. In
response, we hope to receive
messages that bring the sunshine
needed to eradicate any
lingering clouds of doubt.
The Spencer Estate Civic Association
looks forward to
building bridges of friendships
that tightly links the
community with our elected
offi cials and public servants.
Community Footnotes
Mark your calendar.
Please join CB 10, Zoodohos
Peghe Church/Greek American
Institute, and the NYC
Department of Environmental
Protection for a free shredding/
rain barrel event on
Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m., at 3573 Bruckner
Boulevard, the parking lot
of Zoodohos Peghe Church/
Greek American Institute.
Registration is required
at CB10, 3165 E. Tremont Avenue
or call (718) 892-1161
Shred up to three 13-gallon
bags of documents (paper
only), and pick up a free DEP
rain barrel. This event will
be held rain or shine.
Three young men connected
to the recent neighborhood
vehicle vandalisms
were apprehended by police
offi cers of the 45th Precinct.
Historically, our neighborhood
has been a prime target
for this type of crime. Always
lock your car, take all valuables
and most importantly,
if you see something, say
something.
Once again, our initial
meeting of 2019 is on Wednesday,
March 20, 7:30 p.m. at the
Knights of Columbus.
Any area homeowner or
renter interested in membership
to the all inclusive Spencer
Estate Civic Association
in box George Havranek on
Facebook or send-email with
subject matter Spencer Estate
to gghh55@aol.com. If
we want to ‘keep and reap the
blessings’ of our fi ne quality
of life ‘we must undergo the
fatigue of supporting it’.
Remember: ‘Inclusion
brings solutions’
BY LYNN GERBINO
Our next meeting will be
held on Tuesday, March 26, at
7:30 p.m. at the Villa Barone
Manor.
Our guest speakers will
be the MTA Bridges and Tunnels
staff to who will give us
the 411 on what is going on
with the construction on the
Throgs Neck and Whitestone
bridges.
All community associations
are asked to send representatives,
so we are all on
the same page when reconstruction
starts. Also speaking
at the meeting will be
Chrys Napolitano on the CSA
in Locust Point and Matt
Cruz, the district manager of
Community Board 10, will be
there. All are welcome to attend.
Our April meeting will be
held on Tuesday, April 30 at
7:30 p.m. at the Villa Barone
Manor and the guest speaker
will be Councilman Mark
Gjonaj who will bring representatives
to speak about
the ferry proposed for Ferry
Point Park. Please join us
and learn about what is going
on in your community.
If you need us, call us (718)
823-0327 or check out our Facebook
page where we post
timely notices about what
is happening in the community.
You can also message us
on FB. Peace out.
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