Monday, June 9, 2014

Pols come out for Puerto Rican Day Parade

By Amber Sutherland

It was a mayoral merengue for Bill de Blasio and his salsa partner, US Rep. Nydia Velázquez, at the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue on Sunday.
Although the two politicians appeared to be in perfect step at times, they could have still used a few pointers from actress and choreographer Rosie Perez, who served as parade queen.
Velázquez (D-NY) was the parade’s grand marshal along with City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the city’s first Puerto Rican speaker.
The parade’s tinier participants included a chihuahua that rode along the route atop a mini-luxury SUV.
“It’s like they brought Puerto Rico over to Fifth Avenue,’’ said National Guardsman Orlando Perez, 24, of Albany.
“It brings everybody together. You’ve got to share the culture. It’s alive. It’s exciting.”
The parade kicked off with a hitch when a cop on a motorcycle was struck by a cab just minutes after the march was scheduled to start, officials said. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

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