3 Days of Boricua Pride

By Charles Hack / The Jersey Journal
August 24, 2009 

 Starting with a banquet Friday night and ending with a festival of music, dancing and good food last night, the 49th Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Parade and Festival was punctuated yesterday by a parade of 30 floats from Lincoln Park to City Hall.

Thousands converged in Jersey City over the three days to celebrate Boricua pride.

"It gives us a chance to see friends," said Ivette Ruiz, 35, who marched with the Jersey City-based Metropolitan Family Health Care network. "It is a sense of pride I feel about Puerto Rico and it makes me feel happy."

Yesterday’s parade attracted a gaggle of politicians, including the two leading contenders in this year’s governor’s race, Gov. Jon Corzine and his Republican rival, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

Before he boarded his float with his lieutenant governor running mate, Mommouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno, Christie reflected on being in Hudson County, ground zero for last month’s corruption arrests.

"I am proud of the work that my office did and it all began under me," Christie said. "But it was executed by professionals in the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI and IRS and those folks deserve the credit."

Corzine arrived after the parade departed Lincoln Park at 1:15 p.m. and ran a few blocks with his security guards to catch up with the Democratic headliners, which included Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, state Sen. and Union City mayor Brian Stack, state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham, Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop and Freeholder Jeff Dublin.

"I think everyone wants to celebrate the Puerto Rican community in our great state," Corzine said as he marched along Kennedy Boulevard.

Sires, who is a Cuban native, took particular pride in a Puerto Rican Latina being placed on the highest court of the land.

"It’s a great day. Everybody today is Puerto Rican," said Sires. "Especially now that Justice Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court."

The weather held out with the first few drops of a downpour coming just after the last group passed the reviewing stand.