The Rose Hill Gymnasium had the atmosphere of a pep rally on the morning of Friday, Feb. 8 as Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion Jr. presided over his seventh and final State of the Borough Address.
Carrion, who is barred by term limitations from serving again as borough president, had previously announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for city controller in 2009. He used the event at Fordham to tout his achievements to roughly 1,000 local leaders and residents.
Carrion highlighted big issues, from lower crime and unemployment rates to 35,000 new housing units built in the borough in the last six years. He also gave smaller initiatives their due, such as a forthcoming Zagat guide focusing solely on the Bronx.
The panel charged with distributing $1.2 million annually from the New York Yankees—to offset the inconvenience of building the new Yankee Stadium—has been created, he said. He also thanked Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, who said in his introduction that Carrion’s biggest contribution has been a revival of the spirit of the Bronx.
“From the time I came to Fordham six years ago, our refrain has been in line with the philosophy and ethic of Vince Lombardi, who drew his ethic from the Jesuit tradition here—academic freedom; rigor; excellence; collaboration; and pragmatism,” Carrion said. “So Father McShane and friends, we as leaders hope to live up to this great tradition in our pursuit of a better Bronx.”
