Generally Speaking: Independence Day Parade inspires patriotism

Despite repeated earlier predictions of heavy rains, weather prognosticators found out you can’t fool Mother Nature! When the 112th annual American Independence Day Parade stepped off at 11 a.m., bright, sunny skies bathed the parade route along Court Street from Bergen to Luquer Streets. Members of the parade group distributed American flags all along the line of march.

The 2017 grand marshal was NYPD Sergeant Conor McDonald who was joined by his mom Patricia Ann McDonald, wife of the late NYPD Detective Steven McDonald; New York State Knights of Columbus Secretary Kenneth Latham, Jr.; Jimmy Geritano, head of the Long Island Assembly of the Kof C; and along their trek by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. The parade chair was Rick Kenney.

At the pre-parade service and ceremonies in St. Paul’s Church at Congress Street, Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto, vicar general for the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese, conducted the mass and Latham presented the Pro-Patria (Patriot) Award posthumously to Detective McDonald with McDonald’s wife accepting.

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Officers and board members of the Bay Ridge AARP sat down for their annual brunch at Cafe Cappuccino on Third Avenue. Among the group were its recently re-elected President Peter Killen; Ed Savage, Vice President; Patricia Killen, treasurer; and newly elected Secretary Mary DiGennaro.

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National Park Ranger and Curator Daniel Prebutt gave an audio-visual presentation on President Teddy Roosevelt, at the June monthly meeting of the Bay Ridge Historical Society. The projected images included vintage movie film of Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders in San Juan, Cuba during the Spanish-American War.  Roosevelt’s horse was called “Little Texas.”

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