The Bronxville Post Office and the Greatest Beer Run Ever
John “Chickie” Donohue. Photo provided by K. Hesselbacher
By Kenneth Hesselbacher
Nov. 23, 2022: Recently I was at the Bronxville Post Office and was helped by Postal Worker Justin Rodriquez. Mr. Rodriquez, a most friendly, and competent young man happened to comment on my neat penmanship. I thanked him and explained that many many years ago I was fortunate to have been educated at the prestigious Good Shepherd Elementary School, located on the northern most tip of Manhattan in a tiny village known as Inwood.
Justin Rodriquez. Photo by K. Hesselbacher
Mr. Rodriquez exclaimed “You won’t believe this! I went to Good Shepherd. Well, I didn’t really go to Good Shepherd. I was born in 1980 and when I was four years old my mother wanted to enroll me in an early program at Good Shepherd" but "my family moved to the lower east side, and I attended a public school.”
“Well,” I replied, “I am Good Shepherd Graduate Class of 56, which I believe, was the best class in the history of the school. The reason was John “Chickie” Donohue and “The Greatest Beer Run Ever”. Chickie accomplished the Greatest Beer Run Ever during the Vietnam War, a truly amazing adventure! He was featured in the documentary the Greatest Beer Run Ever and then wrote the book, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” with Jo Anna Molloy.
The movie, directed by Peter Farrelly, was recently released by Apple to excellent reviews. Zac Efron plays Chickie. Russell Crowe and Bill Murray are in the movie. In my opinion Chickie, has more appeal than either Zac Efron or Peter Farrelly!
I highly recommend the documentary, the book and the movie. I think it reflects what is so great about our country.
In what is an ironic twist of fate, Justin Rodriquez now lives on Seaman Avenue in Inwood and Chickie Donahue grew up just off Seaman Ave and 207th Street!
Click here to see the movie trailer.
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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