East Bronx History Forum
upcoming meeting, Wed., May 15th
The Huntington Free Library
Nathan Straus Jr. Photo courtesy of the East Bronx History Forum
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR AY 10-16, 2019 89
and Reading Room
announces the East Bronx
History Forum will hold its
139th meeting on Wednesday,
May 15 at 7:30 p.m. All
meetings are free and open to
the public, at the Huntington
Free Library, 9 Westchester
Square.
If you are old enough, you
know the formal names R. H.
Macy & Company and Abraham
& Straus which fl ourished
under Nathan Straus.
His son, Nathan Straus, Jr.
was instrumental in many
diverse endeavors that included
Hillside Homes, one of
the fi rst subsidized housing
projects in the United States.
Not to be missed, our presenter,
Joan Adler is the executive
director of the Straus
Historical Society. She will
discuss Nathan Straus, Jr.
and his role in the creation of
Hillside Homes.
Adler will discuss the political
factors of the day that
delayed the project and stymied
the proposed Burke
Avenue subway extension to
Boston Road.
Adler will give her audience
a brief glimpse into the
lives of Nathan Jr.’s famous
fore-bearers before leading
us through the years in
which he was a newspaperman,
bought a magazine and
served in the NYS Senate.
Her talk will be augmented
by a slide presentation with
photographs, articles and letters
to illustrate her points.
Joan Adler in 1986 was
asked to secure the family’s
personal papers, which were
locked within the Macy’s
store. Adler wound up with
more than 100,000 documents
that had to be read, translated,
transcribed and organized.
Thus began the Straus
Family Project at straushistoricalsociety.
org.
View the East Bronx History
Forum web page at
BronxNYC.com for details,
or follow us on Facebook.
BY JOANN SOHMERS
On Tuesday, April 30 we
held our meeting along with
the Throggs Neck Homeowners
Association. The topic
was the ferry that is coming
to our community. I wish to
thank Radhy Miranda and
Megan Quirk, assistant vice
presidents of NYC Economic
Development Corporation for
their presentation and for
reaching out to me so that I
was able to have them come to
our meeting and give us the
information they provided.
I’d also like to thank Farrah
Kule-Rubin from Councilman
Mark Gjonaj’s offi ce for
taking the time to also come
to our meeting. Councilman
Gjonaj was invited but had
another appointment he could
not change and she expressed
his regret he could not be
there. Councilman Gjonaj
and Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto were instrumental
in getting the mayor to say
“yes” to Ferry Point Park as
the location for the ferry.
This is what I learned
from this meeting. The ferry
will be located at the southwest
tip of Ferry Point Park.
The reason for this is that a
12-foot depth is needed for
the ferry and this location
provides that. It will take
approximately two years to
complete. It will be up and
running by 2021. The parking
lot which is now a mostly
empty pot hole-fi lled dirt lot
is where they intend to have
people park their vehicles.
The location is at the left
hand side of the entrance to
the park. From this lot there
will be at least a third of a
mile walk to the ferry which
I am told is an eight to ten
minute walk. The ferry will
run on a 30-minute schedule.
The stops will be Ferry Point
Park to Soundview then 90th
Street, 34th Street and Wall
Street as the fi nal destination
and vice versa. The fee
to ride the ferry will be $2.75.
Discounts for monthly passes
will be made available. Of
course they mentioned public
hearings in the future.
We in the Ferry Point community
know of the heavy
traffi c on Brush Avenue we
already have and so it was expected
that our member was
very concerned about adding
to it. Getting out of our area
takes a frustrating amount
of time sitting in traffi c during
the work week. With the
ferry in operation, the two
local roads would be Brush
Avenue and the Hutchinson
River Parkway service road
- south to enter the park and
the parking lot.
Of course those taking the
Hutchinson River Parkway
towards the Bronx/Whitestone
Bridge can exit right before
the bridge and enter the
park, however, I am sure people
from areas like Throggs
Neck would take the side
roads, not the parkway. The
buses that go to Queens do not
stop anywhere near the park.
They use the bridge entrance
located at Rohr Place to gain
access to the bridge roadway,
and stop before Rohr Place,
approximately another third
of a mile from the park.
All of the above concerns
will have to be addressed in
order for our community to
feel at ease with what is to
come. The pros : A ferry for
our area means that there is
a nicer, better way to travel
to NYC for us as well as all
others, instead of the trains
and buses currently available;
homes within a mile of
the ferry increase in value.
The cons: More traffi c, more
walking. Suggestions: Put
your best walking shoes on,
bring water to help you stay
hydrated. For the Parks Department,
pave the parking
lot, upgrade security, lighting,
benches along the way,
possibly a covered trolly from
the parking lot to the ferry especially
in rainy and snowy
weather and EMS on standby.
For the community board:
Please let me know whatever
might affect the Ferry Point
community as soon as it happens
and not months later by
someone else. Also, clear up
this traffi c congestion.
It is that time of year when
I have to apply for our block
party. I’m asking all Rohr
Place residents to let me know
individually if they want a
block party. Please email me
at JSohmers@gmail.com,
drop a note in my mailbox, or
go to our Facebook account
Ferry Point Civic Association
and let me know ASAP.
If you have any other suggestions
or concerns about the
ferry, please contact me.
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Here is list of upcoming
events:
Sunday, May 12 is Mothers
Day; Friday, May 17at
6:30 p.m., Support the Troops
Bingo at Sam Young Post 620;
Saturday, May 18 is Armed
Forces Day, started by Harry
S. Truman; Sunday, May 19
at 10:30 a.m. is the post’s regular
Meeting, Korony Post,
with fi nal nominations and
election of offi cers at American
Turners; Sunday, May 19
at 11 a.m. Blessing of the Colors,
City Island, Star of the
Sea Church;
Wednesday, May 22 to
Tuesday, May 28 is Fleet Week
throughout the city, USN,
USCG, USMC; Friday, May
24 is National Poppy Day, buy
one to support our programs,
teach others the meaning;
Saturday, May 25, at 10:30
a.m. memorial at Woodlawn
Cemetery remembering Post
19’s John Frasier Bryan;
Sunday, May 26, Silver
Beach annual memorial ceremony,
early morning; Edgewater
Park annual memorial
event at 11 a.m., March down
from the EPVFD to their
monument circle, traditional
gathering afterwards at the
fi rehouse, fi rst home of the
Korony Post;
Monday, May 27, at 10:30
a.m. at Bicentennial Veterans
Memorial Park, then around
the corner to TN Memorial
Post 1456 for their annual
ceremony. at 12:15 p.m. for
the grand reopening of the
Van Nest Monument. (thanks
Rich V., one of our SAL members,
for waiting for us); then
off to the Hawkins Post, City
Island for a ride to their annual
parade, step off point at
2 p.m.., traditional hot dogs
at 156 after marching back;
and Friday, June 7 at 7 p.m.
Bronx County Convention
and elections at Post 620. 6:30
p.m. registration.
Until next time: Please
try to make as many events
as possible, fl y our fl ag, wear
our poppies.
/BronxNYC.com
link