Tag Archives: community
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
Shifting Sands and Strong Foundations
Sometimes, I close my eyes and try to imagine what Rockaway must have been like in 1858. When there were less than a dozen homes on the peninsula, and land was valued only for the salt hay it produced. If … Continue reading
One 5K Race, One Parade, One Beer
In the category of “only in Rockaway,” St. Patrick’s Parade Day this year featured a 5k running race on the boardwalk, starting at 9:45 a.m., with an after-party at Connolly’s on Beach 95 Street. One free Guinness on tap was … Continue reading
Pioneers of Faith Celebrate 125 Years in Rockaway Beach
OK, so I’ve heard that it’s considered “not cool” to blog or tweet about religion. This post isn’t really about religion, as in–convert to mine! But it is a fascinating snippet about the founding of the oldest church in Rockaway Beach, and the surrounding community. In April, 1858, … Continue reading
I Love MY Gateway!
Happy Valentine’s Day to my friends, neighbors and family! These days, non-committed relationships are all the rage, and the terminology we use in our social interactions seems to be focused on mutual fulfillment, supporting one another, and every euphemism in the book as an alternative to … Continue reading
11th Plunge into Surf Racks Up Big Bucks for CF
It was cold. It was wet. Perfect weather for plunging. Hundreds joined on the shore at Beach 99th to “Take the Plunge for Cystic Fibrosis” on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. The charity fundraiser was started eleven years ago by locals John … Continue reading
City Luminaries Descend on Bayswater–for an Hour or So
Well, the Mayor and his entourage of city agency heads came—and went. An impressive array of bigwigs stretched across the dais—about 30 in all. Seeing these individuals in a group makes you realize that women are well-represented in the Mayor’s cabinet, but African-Americans … Continue reading
Oy Vey Rockaway 