New! “MyYonkers Conversations”

Hey guys, this post is an inquiry that I am throwing out to the community of Yonkers and beyond. 

In 2014 or sooner, I will begin a series of Posts titled “MyYonkers Conversations”, where I will be spotlighting members of the Yonkers community either through video or transcription and showcasing some of the more amazing and inspiring life stories that exist in our great city.

I have a few conversations lined up later this fall and will be running them by the end of the year but was curious if you knew someone in Yonkers who you would like to see spotlighted on here?  Some examples may include but are not limited to:

• A 50, 60. 70 or even 80 year resident of Yonkers (The Yonkers Leprechaun)
• School teachers (Mr. Brown)
• Public Works/ Law Enforcement/ Fire/ EMS
• Perhaps someone who has served the community for generations as a business owner, or simply a worker.  ( R.I.P. Jimmy Reagan)

There are obviously many many more examples I could give but I think you get the jist.

My goal is to utilize the following that we have garnered on MyYonkers.org to give light and deserving recognition to those individuals that help do their part to make Yonkers a place that not only is still a vibrant city but also those who forever live in our minds as staples and familiar faces of our childhood growing up in the city.

One can only imagine the litany of individuals who could have been spotlighted on here but sadly have passed away so this may be an excellent way to recognize some amazing Yonkers residents in the living years.

If you have someone in mind, please feel free to email me at MyYonkers@gmail.com and let me know the details.  Thanks guys!

–Josh

“Yonkers! Yonkers! Yonkers!!!”

Who doesn’t love the Twilight Zone and Rod Serling and in this particular case, the episode titled “What’s in the Box?” that aired in Season 5 of the series and immortalized our beloved city into the perils of the Twilight Zone.

Actress Joan Blondell gives a stirring and shivering recurrence of the name “Yonkers”, taunting her cheating husband with the geographic location of his alleged mistress; giving our city a distinct character and designating us as the official cheating side of town.

As she confronts her husband Joe about his affairs and grows increasingly suspicious about his late night cab runs up from Harlem to Yonkers, she begins to taunt him and with a maniacal laugh repeating over and over…”Gotta go up to Yonkers for a fare Joe?”  “Need to take someone to Yonkers Joe?”  “Why don’t you head up to Yonkers…Yonkers Yonkers Yonkers Yonkers Yonkers Yonk….”

The very next moment, Joe snaps and pushes his wife out the window of their apartment building where she falls to her death.

This whole exchange was of course witnessed by Joe a few minutes earlier when his television set takes on a paranormal quality and instead of Ed Sullivan or other programming of 1964, it begins broadcasting Joe’s life, his future life and events he can expect to experience in a matter of minutes.

This apparently has been the handy work of the creepy TV repairman played by Sterling Holloway and boy did the casting director do an excellent job for this episode!

Surprisingly, this episode was not written or directed by Serling, but by a guy named Martin Goldsmith, who had produced other Twilight Zone’s in the past and by Season 5, Serling was not writing many of his episodes, but still having major input in regard to storylines and ideas.

Many a few have travelled across the 5 boroughs and tri-state area to slip off into the night with their alleged lovers and perhaps there is some poetic imagery to be drawn from a no-good cabby named Joe who high-tails it to Yonkers in the evenings to be with his mistress.

Maybe they sought the romance and peacefulness of an evening by the Hudson as they held each other tightly.

Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure…Yonkers without a doubt, is a city of many many secrets.

To view the entire episode, click here!

–Josh