Latest news with #GrandConcourse
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
WWE wrestler Damian Priest honored on Bronx Walk of Fame
The Bronx Walk of Fame was created to highlight people who were raised in the borough and have accomplished big things, including stars like Luther Vandross and Regis Philbin. This year, WWE wrestler Damian Priest will join the historic lineup along the Grand Concourse. "'I've said it since I started in WWE that I just want my name to live forever. I just want to do something and do things that people remember me by and getting this honor, it's kind of like, wait, did I just achieve that?" he said. Wrestler Damian Priest's Bronx roots run deep CBS News New York spoke with Priest on City Island before Saturday's unveiling of his plaque. He said it is a place from his childhood. "My dad would bring me here. Bring me here all the time, and order a lot of fried shrimp. But that was my favorite food as a kid. So it's kind of cool being back here and everything looks exactly the same," said Priest. Priest said he grew up in different neighborhoods in the Bronx, including Parkchester and Castle Hill. "We didn't have much, but we didn't need much. We just needed family and love and our community. And I just all the all my memories from being here are happy," he said. He said he knew he wanted to be a WWE superstar from a young age, after going to wresting matches with his father. His impact in the WWE world has touched many in his home borough. "This is a guy who I sincerely admire because he really represents Latinos everywhere, and he's not shy about it. He talks to you in Spanish, and he wears his Puerto Rican flag in his tights. It shows you, like, you know what, if you dream hard, you dream big, you can make it, you know, and then you come back and you bring that back to the Bronx," said WWE fan Rigoberto Tomala. As his legacy lives along the Bronx Walk of Fame, Priest hopes his name will be an inspiration to others. "Being alongside other legends from here. It means the world to me. And I can't thank, you know, our city, our borough, our people enough. When it comes to having a dream, nobody's going to work for your dream but yourself. And you got to be honest with yourself and work as hard as you can to achieve what you want," he said. Other 2025 honorees for the Bronx Walk of Fame include artist DeVaughn Rodriguez, former NBA star Kemba Walker, freestyle legend Judy Torres and TV personality Gary Axelbank. You can email Erica with Bronx story ideas by CLICKING HERE.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Orange County Convention Center's $560M expansion to begin in 2026
Editor's note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is moving forward with a $560 million expansion of its North-South Building, known as the Grand Concourse expansion, with construction slated to begin in 2026 and conclude in 2029, according to a March 27 news release. Ninety-percent construction documents — considered a milestone in the development process — are anticipated by the end of July. Mayor Jerry Demings, in his opening remarks at a Feb. 27 OCCC Expansion Phase 5A Citizens Oversight Committee kickoff meeting, underscored the robust health of the local economy, noting Orange County welcomed 74 million visitors last year — generating approximately $359 million in tourist development tax receipts for Orange County... Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal's website. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
CBS News
22-02-2025
- General
- CBS News
Amazing Shake competition puts students' social skills to the test
We all want to make a good impression and have the best opportunities. Some ambitious kids are showing us we can reach those goals with something as simple as a handshake. Several middle schools in Pittsburgh are starting clubs and classes based on what's called the Amazing Shake. It's a program for students aimed at developing life skills and enhancing social interactions. There are also regional and national competitions where these skills are showcased. Students from Harvest Baptist Academy in Natrona Heights are the next generation of movers and shakers, do-ers and leaders. And they're engaging in a little competition based on simple communication. "Leaders need to be well-spoken. This is all about talking and thinking on your feet. People won't follow someone who's not able to talk and think on their feet," said seventh grader Kate Blakeslee. It's a program called the Amazing Shake, developed at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. It's now in Pittsburgh at a few schools that created clubs that incorporate the unique curriculum. "Most people, nowadays, are on their phone, their tablet, or whatever, texting, and when they get out there to the real world, they can't talk," said sixth grader Emmett Tang. So now it's devices down, eyes up and hands out. "We want them to understand you need to look somebody in the eye when you talk to them," said development manager and coordinator Linda Miller. "You need to have a firm handshake and you need to be able to have a conversation with them, right? Just day-to-day things." From the mechanics of a proper handshake to how to work the room, the competition consists of stations where fifth through eighth graders put their manners, respect, professionalism and personality to the test. "Last year, I came in, I could not present in front of anyone at all. But I have grown a lot since then, and I feel like I'm a lot more confident in myself now. I've seen my classmates come in really really shy and then come out just, like, new. They have this new confidence about them. They can do this. They can win this," said eighth grader Joviaunah Moore. We all navigate these things in the real world from a customer service encounter to a doctor's visit — and what if you get pulled over by the cops? They even elevate the experience with a mock TV appearance and a red carpet interview. When it comes to making change, the Amazing Shake hits its mark. Watch for these dynamic young leaders to make their mark in our communities, sooner than you think. The overall winner was Kate Blakeslee, who gets to have dinner at the Grand Concourse and a tour of Acrisure Stadium. They're all winning, in our book and can certainly inspire all of us adults too.
