TN St. Partrick’s Parade remembers 28
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
When the 2019 Throggs
Neck St. Patrick’s Day Parade
steps off this year, people who
were once part of the community
will be remembered.
The 21st Annual Throggs
Neck St. Patrick’s Parade
steps off at noon on Sunday,
March 10 from Lafayette Avenue
and East Tremont Avenue.
It marches on East Tremont
Avenue to Harding Avenue,
where there will be a reviewing
stand.
In addition to grand marshals
Peggy McKeegan and
former Congressman Joseph
Crowley, and religious honoree
and Villa Maria Academy
principal Sr. Teresa Barton,
28 individuals will be posthumously
remembered as honorary
grand marshals.
These recently deceased
individuals were selected by
the parade committee for their
outstanding contributions to
Throggs Neck and to other
nearby communities.
A statement from the parade
committee said that they
were excited to bring this annual
celebration of Irish and
civic pride back for another
year, and to remember the
honorary grand marshals.
“The committee is fi lled
with gratitude for the chance
Barbara Archambault
Michelle Schaefer
Elizabeth Roche
to celebrate the honorary
grand marshals,” stated the
committee. “These individuals
are sorely missed and we
hope their families and our
community gain some solace
while we refl ect on their
lives.”
The committee added:
“It’s going to be a wonderful
day for Throggs Neck and the
Bronx!”
They honorary grand marshals
for this year’s parade
are Barbara Archambault,
Lee Baumann, Eugene Callan,
William Corbett, Kevin Curran,
Kevin Delaney, John Donovan,
Miriam Donovan, John
Geideman, Carolyn Gross-
Kreidemaker, William Johnson,
Matthew Kuhl, Terence
‘Terry’ Lorino, Michael Lynch,
Diane ‘Dee’ McSwigin, Elizabeth
‘Lily’ Mullane, Michael
Nash, Thomas O’Donnell,
John O’Gara, Barbara Powers,
John Powers, Arthur Reilly,
Joseph Riordan, Elizabeth
Roche, Lyn Scheuring, David
Sheehan, Margaret Sullivan
and Michael Sullivan.
Mike Sullivan’s parents
Margaret Sullivan and Michael
Sullivan will be honored
during the parade. He
told the Bronx Times that his
mom and dad would attend
the parade every year, then
afterwards continue the festivities
at one of their children’s
houses or at Jimmy
Ryan’s, where Mike is the
proprietor, for a celebration.
The Sullivans, including
eight children and their
wives and husbands, more
than 20 grandchildren and
great-grandchildren of Margaret
and Michael will be
marching in the parade to
remember their loved ones,
said Mike Sullivan.
Michelle Schaefer, the
daughter of honoree Barbara
Archambault, said that if her
mother knew she was being
honored, she would be proud
because she loved her community,
but wouldn’t have
wanted anyone to make a fuss
over her.
She loved growing up in
Throggs Neck and (living
in) Edgewater Park and she
never would have left there,”
said Schaefer.
John Roche, the brother
of honorary grand marshal
Elizabeth Roche, said that his
sister really enjoyed attending
the Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s
Day Parade and photographing
it every year, as she
was an avid amateur photographer.
“She would be delighted
she was being honored posthumously,
but she wasn’t one
for the spotlight,” said Roche.
Her family will be marching
with buttons that celebrate
Liz’s spirit and love
of photography, said Roche.
Playing on her passion for
photography, he said they
will read: “capture each moment.”
BRONX WEEKLY F www.BXTimes.com ebruary 17, 2019 12
Each WWI medal, helmet, uniform, weapon and memorabilia had a
story to tell. Photo by Silvio Pacifi co
Fordham musician Vero
G. pens autobiography
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A Bronx musician’s
message of perseverance
is bound to resonanate
with many Bronx literary
lovers.
Artist, model, actress,
poet and screenwriter
Veronica Ivette Gonzalez
has released her selfpublished
autobiography
‘Trials & Tribulations: An
Autobiography of Vero G.’
The 34-year-old Fordham
resident’s book describes
her background
and the many obstacles
she has overcame.
From being a rape victim,
domestic violence
survivor, a single mother,
homeless and pregnant,
Gonzalez persevered
through it all thanks to
her love of music, faith
and family.
The JM Empire Media
managed musician is
best known by her moniker
‘Vero G.’ and her music
which is a harmonic
blend of R&B and hip
hop.
Gonzalez began singing
at 7-years-old and
was part of the J.H.S. 22
School Choir and The
Change Choir with Al
Sharpton.
The Monroe College
alumna cites Mary J.
Blige, Alicia Keys, Selena
and Mariah Carey as her
musical inspirations.
Music has remained as
one of the few constants
in her ever-changing life.
“Music has been my
rock and my motivation
while I was going through
these traumatic experiences,”
she explained.
Her music’s refreshing,
upbeat sound inspires
in her listeners a
sense of confi dence and a
positive outlook on life.
Speaking to her accomplishments
as an
emerging artist, Gonzalez’s
fi rst-ever song ‘Tear-
Drops’ earned her recognition
by Beth Abraham
Hospital Music Therapy
Department in 2002.
She is best known for
her singles ‘Addicted and
‘Clueless’ and her R&B/
hip hop remix of the classic
Lana Del Rey tune
Bronx musician Vero G. has released her autobiography.
Photo courtesy of Veronica Gonzalez
‘Summertime Sadness.’
Gonzalez has given
crowd-pleasing performances
at such venues
as the Nuyorican Poet’s
Café, Village Underground
and BronxNet’s
‘Open’ hosted by Rhina
Valentin.
As part of the music industry,
Gonzalez encourages
everyone to open
themselves up, fulfi ll
their dreams and goals
and explore their true talent
as a gift for others to
enjoy.
From an early age,
Gonzalez’s parents have
always inspired her to
work hard and love what
you do for a living.
She hopes that her
autobiography, which
is named after one of
her songs, will inspire
readers to believe in
themselves and face any
challenges their lives
present.
Gonzalez’s passion
for poetry is the driving
force behind her lyrics.
A self-published poet,
Gonzalez has previously
released several poetry
collections which include
‘My Life Stories,’ ‘All of
Me,’ ‘Deep Thoughts,’
‘Inside the Mind of Vero
G.,’ ‘We Rise,’ ‘Starting
All Over,’ ‘What’s Left of
Me,’ ‘Speaking My Mind,’
‘Soapbox Memories,’
‘Collections,’ ‘Keeping It
Real,’ ‘Springtime Confessions’
and ‘Hood Concepts.’
In her spare time, she
models and has acted in
several fi lms including
‘The Interrogators’ by
Milton Greene and ‘Sensory
Deprivation’ and
‘Coincidental Killer’ by
Shawn Raynor and the
web series ‘Respect the
Come Up’ by Brad ‘Bizzy’
Beauge.
Gonzalez’s music can
be heard on her Facebook
page Vero G., her Soundcloud
Veronica Gonzalez
11 and her YouTube channel
vero2884.
To purchase her autobiography,
visit www.
amazon.com/Trials-Tribulations
autobiography-
Vero-G/dp/1983966126.
/1983966126
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/1983966126
/www.BXTimes.com
/1983966126
/1983966126
/1983966126
/www.BXTimes.com