37th annual Parade of Ships to cruise into New York Harbor

Fort Hamilton and Bay Ridge will be front and center for the start of New York City Fleet Week on Wednesday morning, May 21. When the parade of military ships passes Fort Hamilton and sails under the Narrows-Verrazzano Bridge into New York Harbor, Fort Hamilton will roll out its Howitzer cannons and position them  to fire a traditional 11-gun salute as soon as the amphibious transport dock, USS New York, arrives in the waters near the base. You may recall, the USS New York was partially constructed with steel beams recovered from the attack on the World Trade Center.

Among the other ships in the flotilla will be two large Coast Guard cutters, USCGC Calhoun and USCGC Sturgeon Bay, another Navy dock-landing ship, USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and five VP crafts from the U.S. Naval Academy.  The event also celebrates the 250th birthdays of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

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The sensational Atlantic City Boys, who have wowed crowds in Las Vegas, Walt Disney World, Atlantic City and on cruise ships, recently shook, rattled and rolled in a packed school auditorium at Our Lady of Angels Church, Fourth Avenue and 73rd Street. 

The rocking quartet performed a repertoire of top hits from popular groups like the Four Seasons, Beach Boys, the Monkees, Drifters, the Five Stains and even a  spot-on rendition of Neil Diamond’s famed “Sweet Caroline.” Interacting with the audience, the guys held a contest to name their backup band. The two top names proposed were The Brooklyn Boys and the concert attendees’ choice was The Bay Ridge Boys. These dynamic guys were so talented, you could close your eyes and think you were listening to the original performers in person!

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Prolific Bay Ridge author Michael Benson, who is an acclaimed writer of more than 60 books, some of which he has co-authored with Frank DiMatteo, will be the guest speaker at the May meeting of the Bay Ridge Historical Society on Wednesday, May 21, via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. His presentation will focus on material in his true-crime tome “Red Hook: Brooklyn Mafia, Ground Zero.”  It recounts “brutal mob hits, bullet storms and back stabbings of the most colorful cutthroats to ever terrorize the streets.”

The BRHS Zoom session is free and open to everyone.