By Eric W. Schoen
Things are looking up
I’ve been looking the landscape over
And it’s covered with 4 leaf clover
Oh things are looking up!
As we prepare for our Thanksgiving feasts, what better tune to reflect what’s going on in our world than “Things Are Looking Up”, a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress. Many famous singers including Yonkers’ own Ella Fitzgerald have recorded versions of the song.
Yes friends, after 19 months of disturbances in our lives caused by the pandemic things are starting to look up. As we go to press New York Mayor Bill deBlasio announced that the ball will drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. As I have told you before, there is no better place to spend New Years Eve than in Times Square. It certainly is the safest place with all of the law enforcement in uniform and plain clothes.
Times Square will be particularly safe this year because you will need proof of full Covid vaccination, 2 shots of Pfizer or Moderna, one shot of Johnson and Johnson to get in. Hopefully by New Years Eve you will also get your booster dose which is now open to everyone 6 months after your last Pfizer or Moderna dose or 2 months after the Johnson and Johnson dose.
I got my booster at the very welcoming Value Plus Pharmacy on Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers administered by their pharmacist, and the whole experience was very pleasant. I wasn’t nervous as I was when I had my first two shots. After the first 2 doses of Pfizer I was tired the next day but I felt fine and had no arm discomfort after the booster.
There are many people all over the world who are not as fortunate as we are to get the Covid vaccines. You can get yours or your booster by either signing up with a provider over the internet or going to the Yonkers Armory, Westchester Medical Center, one of the vaccination pop-ups that have been set up or to your physician or medical groups offices.
Frankly I’m tired of preaching that you should get vaccinated. And no one who has been vaccinated has turned green yet! You won’t be welcome in Times Square, and make sure if you are celebrating the holidays with family (or friends) and you are not vaccinated that you have respect for your loved ones and tell them. This way they can make the decision as to whether or not they want you in their company.
The secret to the Times Square experience is to watch it from the mid 50’s and not try to go closer where you will be stuck in cages. After the ball drops you turn around and you can see the fireworks in Central Park. This way you really get a bang for your buck.
But before New Years Eve comes Thanksgiving. It will be so nice to spend Thanksgiving with your vaccinated friends and family. And of course watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The taped segments just didn’t cut it last year. This year the parade will be back to normal.
It’s nice to watch the parade on television but so much better to see it in person. Don’t think you are going to get a seat opposite Macy’s to watch the parade. Those seats which I am sure will require full vaccination are open to Macy’s execs and big shots. Your best bet is to find a place along the parade route on one of the side streets. As the parade passes the street you are on you can see the balloons, the floats and hear the bands from across the country. And hop into one of the coffee shops that will be open for a hot chocolate to warm you up.
Whether it be New Year’s Eve or Thanksgiving, pray for warm weather and no snow, rain or sleet. Unless you are like my friends from Florida or warm climates who so look forward to snow flakes. A touch of snow is nice but most New Yorkers I know pray for clear skies.
Many people go the movies Thanksgiving weekend. With most of the theaters in our area reopened (except for Bowtie Cinemas) it will be interesting to see if this tradition continues. We got word this week that Dine In Cinemas will be moving into the old iPic theater in Dobbs Ferry at Lawrence Street. They will open early December. $5 first show movies everyday and $5 all shows on Tuesday. Those are my kind of numbers.
The grocery stores seem pretty well stocked and I think the turkey shortage is just a publicity trick to get people to buy things early. And it’s working! The economists say spending is up in part due to the stimulus checks and also because people want what they want so they are buying it early. Don’t leave your grocery shopping to the last minute. Just like when the pandemic started people rushed out to get toilet paper, if you like whole cranberry sauce and not that funky looking jelly stuff, pick up the Ocean Spray cans when you see them. There will always be bread for stuffing, though who knows they may run out of packaged stuffing.
I’m also tired of hearing about the supply chain. There are people around the world who won’t have a quarter of what you have on your Thanksgiving table. Remember that.
In closing I must share with you a ceremony I went to last week at Gorton High School. A monument and garden was erected to honor Gorton High School graduates who served in the armed forces. My dad and my uncles Dave and Harry are Gorton graduates. Dad was in the Army, Uncle Harry was in the Navy and Uncle Dave was in the marines.
The Charles E. Gorton High School Alumni Association embarked on a project to honor all Gorton High School men and women who served in the military. Simultaneously, the Alumni Association committed to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its Never Forget Garden program https://tombguard.org/centennial/projects#never-forget-garden. Gorton is the only school in the United States to do so.
This garden is a living tribute to the past and the present and honors Gorton High School students serving in World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. A stone marker honoring the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will be permanently displayed in the garden, which was donated by the Azzaro family of Yonkers, whose son Richard served as a Tomb Guard during the 1960’s.
The Never Forget Garden will be managed and cared for by Gorton High School’s freshman class and the school’s Center for Learning students.
On behalf of my family, I want to thank William Tolany, President of the Gorton High School Alumni Association and the Yonkers Public Schools for this wonderful project. Contact Marilyn Rabadi at Gorton High School if you would like to make a monetary donation for this project.
The photo at the beginning of my column this week is my sister Carrie joining me with our favorite veteran and my second father, Adelmo ‘Chubby’ Costantini having our traditional Veteran’s Day Meal. We cherish this time together.
Last year, because of Covid we could not gather together for Veteran’s Day. This year we could.
Yes, things are looking up! Have a joyous, safe Thanksgiving celebrating with the ones you love!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
