Category Archives: New York City Government
With Apologies to Gordon Lightfoot…
Jill Weber, administrator of Rockaway Parks, recently retired from that position, to work for Hempstead, Long Island parks. She will be greatly missed. The timing of her departure is somewhat unfortunate. In my opinion, Jill ranked very near the top … Continue reading
A Ferry Nice World, Long Ago
I often try to imagine a world without cars, and vintage maps are helpful. This week, I am gazing at two examples–(1) the Beers 1886 map of Central Rockaway Beach, New York and (2) a sepia drawing of Staten Island as it appeared from … Continue reading
Remember the Ouija Board?
Here’s undoubtedly THE biggest news since Superstorm Sandy hit on October 29, 2012: The first new FEMA flood maps in 25 years were issued yesterday. For a summary on the new maps and stunning photos, check out the Jan. 28, … Continue reading
Floor Space Only, as Beach Rebuild Plans Aired at CB 14
I bet that former New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (a fitness maven himself) would have enjoyed the scene. It resembled a gym class at the still-closed Beach Channel High School, except that there were adults in the floor … Continue reading
Should We Stick Our Heads in the Sand?
We just lived through “the big one.” Hurricane Sandy was a more dangerous and destructive storm than 1962’s Hurricane Donna, and in terms of property damage, it far eclipsed the deadly 1938 Long Island Express, which catapulted a 30-foot-high wave … Continue reading
Are You Better Off Than You Were in 1974?
Things have changed a lot in the past eight years. In October, 2004, I stood in front of my class of sixth graders at Channel View School for Research to teach a lesson on the skill of persuasive speaking–the literacy … Continue reading
Celebrate Book Month by Rattling the Skeletons in Rockaway’s Closet!
The Rockaway Peninsula is a land of mystery. Did you ever wonder why we have a yacht club without a dock, and a graffiti-covered concrete box perched on a deserted stretch of bay front beach? And why there is a … Continue reading
Happy Earth Day, Jamaica Bay!
It’s more than just a body of water or a marsh ecosystem–Jamaica Bay is an integral part of the environment in the Rockaways. No matter how you enter or leave the peninsula, or spend your days here, you see the … Continue reading
Wisdom and Folly in Action
James A. Garfield, who served as U.S. President for six months in 1881, once said: “all free governments are managed by the combined wisdom and folly of the people.” This week’s vote on Participatory Budgeting projects in the 32nd Council … Continue reading
It’s Showtime!
Well, we’ve been talking about it and preparing ever since Mayor Bloomberg decided to devote millions of dollars to his plaNYC initiatives in 2007. An actual serious emergency that could require evacuation of millions from low-lying areas of New York … Continue reading
Oy Vey Rockaway 