Former Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, a Marine Corps combat veteran and the longest serving police commissioner in city history, will lead the 95th annual Veterans Day Parade on November 11 as the 2014 grand marshal. The parade route is along Fifth Avenue from 26th to 52nd Street, starting at 11:15 a.m., with the reviewing grandstand in front of the New York Public Library at 41st Street.
This year, the parade theme is “Duty, Honor and Country” and the parade organizers, the United War Veterans Council, will also be commemorating the 200th anniversary of the writing of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
While all the U.S. Armed Forces will be participating, the featured service will be the Marine Corps. The patriotic march will also include four Medal of Honor recipients. Local participants will include the Fort Hamilton High School Army Junior ROTC cadets, known as the Tiger Battalion.
Bay Ridge was again in the forefront for the 44th annual New York City Marathon which has become the world’s largest marathon and New York’s biggest sporting event! As the 50,000 runners came off the Verrazano Bridge, the first community they trekked through was Bay Ridge.
As soon as the marathoners hit the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 92nd Street, there was lot of cheering, hearty applause, whistles, shouts and ringing cow bells. However, spectator attendance along Fourth Avenue was a lot smaller due the much colder weather and heavy winds.
Some of the signs we spotted to encourage their favorite runner were Let’s Go Happy, Run Brittany Run, Go Derick, Hurry up, I’m Freezing, and one guy with a large placard offering Free Hugs!
On the Avenue: Bay Ridge’s parade season in full swing 
On the Avenue: Kiwanis Club fetes ‘Finest’ with award named for late chief