Category Archives: Planet Earth
A Paean to Irene
That Hurricane Irene was some bi-polar storm! Carefree teens tubing down the Saw Mill River Parkway on Sunday afternoon contrasted with kayakers in distress pulled from the Hudson River on Saturday night. The mood of the city swung like a … 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
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
I couldn’t resist featuring the stunning hydrangeas of Rockaway Park in the header photo this week. These bushes are located in the gardens that surround the apartment building at the north end of Memorial Circle (Rock. Beach Blvd. between Beach … Continue reading
Is Independence a Fiction in Bloombergville?
Independence Day is one of those American holidays celebrated with disparate emotions among the populace. Are you part of the investor class or a wage earner? Wage earners live for the weekends, particularly the three-day ones. Those of us who … Continue reading
Got Activism? Clearwater Festival 2011 Breaks Records
They say that rot is rampant in the social fabric, and all the heroes have died. A decade ago, columnist Russell Baker commented aptly that the few American heroes left in sports, politics and business all “came down with terminal … Continue reading
“The Long Gray Weather Has Ended…”
God our creator and redeemer, we marvel at the beauty that surrounds us. The long gray weather has ended. The sky is blue now, the sand is golden and the ocean is a sparkling green. The faces here today are … Continue reading
Lilacs and Forgotten Homesites
Sadly, the lilac season is coming to a close. In her 1959 book, Plants That Changed the World, author Bertha S. Dodge cited the lilac as an example of plants that serve as place markers for people. She noted that … Continue reading
The Greening of Rockaway Beach
The first really warm and sunny weekend of the year brought folks of all ages out for some great activities in Rockaway Beach on Saturday, May 7. It started at 8 a.m., with a “topsoil fest” at the Beach 91 … Continue reading
The Next Decade–Down the Staircase
We’ve completed the mission to remove Osama Bin Laden from atop the world’s terrorist watch list. The hatred and cruelty of his Al Qaeda followers who orchestrated the terrifying events of September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten. I will … Continue reading
A House of Cards Faces Into the Winds of Jamaica Bay
Our elected officials are waiting. They are watching. I firmly believe they are looking to hear and see us at all of these meetings. Some just don’t seem to care, but it behooves us to express our opinions to those who do. The Jamaica … Continue reading
Oy Vey Rockaway 