Rockaway Times 31016

8/19/2019 Rockaway Times 31016

1/48

VOL. 2, NO. 38 - THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

Mayor Says It’s ComingMayor Says It’s Coming

nd StayingAnd Staying

PERM NENT FERRY

PERMANENT FERRY

See Page 6

See Pages 11, 38, 39

lsoAlso: Jetties and Sea Gate Coming 2 18Jetties and Sea Gate Coming 2018

Photo by Laura Deckelman

Photo by Paul Lurrie


2/48

Page 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 The Rockaway Times

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Page 3THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016The Rockaway Times

Continued on Page 28

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Community Board Recap Jetties And Huge Gate in 2018

By Dylan Watton

An eventful Community Board14 meeting featured a mostly

well-received presentation from

the Army Corps of Engineers, a varied and voluminous publicspeaking section, and two im-portant committee updates, in-cluding more spirited talks aboutsurng beaches and a long-de-layed skate park. Prior to the ACEpresentation several audiencemembers held up signs withphrases saying “We’re Ready forOur Jetties,” “Don’t Be Late withOur Flood Gate,” and “Te PipingPlover Has Better Protection thanHumans on the Peninsula!”Te Army Corps of Engineers

(ACE), represented by Dan Falt,provided an update on their re-formulation study regarding theRockaway peninsula’s protectionfrom future natural disasters. Faltsaid that they have completedpreliminary tasks and identied aplan for the beach and bay which

will be taken to Washington D.C.

in two weeks to receive offi cial ap-proval. Te ACE has spoken withthe public, an alphabet soup offederal, state, and city agencies,and engineering experts in com-

ing up with their plans.Te study will not be released to the publicuntil June 2016, at which pointthere will be a 30-day period forpublic and government com-ments. Despite not being able togive full details Falt was able toprovide some information on the

ACE’s plans.

Falt said that the targeted con-struction date is 2018 for reinforc-ing the entire length of RockawayBeach with 12 new stone groins(jetties), from Beach 90th to Beach

121st Street and extending some inthe Beach 30s and 40s. In JamaicaBay a series of gates are proposedto be installed as a hurricane pre-

vention measure, with one bignavigational gate and 10 smallerlift gates scheduled to be built. Faltsaid that this type of technology isused around the world. It would

take “only a matter of minutes”to raise the gates in the event ofa major weather event, Falt said.Falt did warn that the gates willnot neccssarily prevent low-level

ooding events, such as the rush of water Rockaway experienced sev-eral weeks ago following abnormalhigh tides. He said it was “too earlyto tell” how long the project wouldtake and what would be builtrst.

Falt said the main gate would like-ly be built at the Marine Park Bridge.In that case, Breezy Point would beprotected by greener infrastructure

which usually consists of such thingsas dunes, sea grass, oyster beds andother natural remedies.

From Beach 127th to 149thStreets a barrier wall will put upthat is made of stone and steel

with several feet of sand on topcreating a reinforced dune. BoardMember Hank Iori said that theyshould focus their beginning ef-forts in that area since there isno boardwalk and therefore noprotection. Falt said this was “a


4/48


Kevin BoylePUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Pat McVeighMANAGING DIRECTOR

Katie McFaddenASST EDITOR

Dylan WattonREPORTER

Fred Marino Frank ChimeraSALES

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67-12 Rockaway Beach BoulevardArverne, NY 11692Phone: (347) 230-4032

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder214 Beach 96th Street

Rockaway Beach, NY 11693718-945-9550

City Councilman Eric Ulrich114-12 Beach Channel Drive, suite #1

Rockaway Park, NY 11694 718-318-6411

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.88-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd Room 311

Rockaway Beach, NY 11693718-318-0702

City Councilman Donovan Richards1931 Mott Avenue, Suite 410

Far Rockaway, NY 11691718-471-7014

Assemblywoman Michele Titus1931 Mott Avenue,

Far Rockaway, NY 11691718- 327-1845

Community Board 141931 Mott Ave

Far Rockaway, NY 11691

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Last week’s parade remindedme of another trait that’s ingrainedamong the Irish – the need to begood at delivering a put down.

And be just as good as taking one.To insult is to love. Tough I guessit extends well beyond the Irish(who’ve just perfected it).

Comedian Mike Birbigliasays, “I don’t smoke a lot of potanymore. No one wants to hangaround a guy who ends everysentence with, ‘Do you guyshate me?’”

It’d be just as awful havingsomebody say, “Do you guyslike me?” Tere’d be only tworeactions if someone droppedthis on a group of guys. Every-one would laugh because theygured the guy was doing someSally Field impression (you likeme, you really, really like me) orit was a trick question.

If you actually said yes, I like you, you’d be ambushed withridicule. Instead, you laugh off the question.Te other reaction? Well, if

the guy asking “Do you guys

like me?” was sincere, everyone would be creeped out. Eww, why are you asking?

Of course, I’m only speakingfor the male side of the popula-tion. I don’t know how womentake it if one of them needs toask if their friends like them ornot. From a guy’s point of view,if you’ve got to ask friends ifthey like you ….well, a couple ofthings. If you have to ask, they’renot your friends. And if you’re

weird enough to ask you’d prob-ably lose them as friends.

Guys are born to bust balls.Tat’s as close to showing aff ec-tion as they can get. But thereare exceptions. Oddly enoughthere are some guys who areknown as really nice guys butthey don’t have close friends.Tey’re too damn nice. No onesays a bad word about them

because, well, because they’rereally nice guys. But hangingout with really nice guys getsboring fast. Nice guys don’tbreak your shoes at all. Whatkind of friend doesn’t bust you

once in a while? If he doesn’tbust yours, how are you gonnabust his? How do you have aconversation?Te language we use is a tip.

Tere’s a diff erence betweengood and nice.

If somebody says so-an-sois a good guy that means he’sgonna give you the businessonce in a while and expect it inreturn. But if somebody saysso-and-so is a really nice guy,that’s it. Tere’s no more there,there. After you talk about the

weather and ask about the fam-ily, it’s over.

But things are not alwaysclear cut. Some friend mightcompliment your suit or tie but

you can’t be sure he’s beingsincere. You pause before yousay “thanks.” See, he mightsay, “Nice suit” but hold on.

And as soon as you say thankshe might add, “Where’d you getit, Alexander’s?”

A lot of guys deect a compli-ment because they don’t knowhow take them.

Somebody says “Nice suit”and the other guys will say“Yeah, I got it out of the Good-

will box” or “Yeah, but my jack-et’s buttoned because I can’tclose my pants.”

Nicknames – there’s a whole‘nother column -- often areborn out of brotherly love andinsult. Sometimes nicknamesare limited to just two people.I’ve got a friend who’s whitebut since high school I’ve beencalling him Sammy because hebears a resemblance to Sam-my Davis, Junior. Tat’s aff ec-tion. Some guys want to losetheir nicknames as they age andfriends will respect that but theykeep the old nickname in thechamber if need be.

I guess if you’re a guy and no-body’s making fun of you, well,

you’re too damn nice.

Not Too Nice


6/48


ADVERTISE

IN THE

ROCKAWAY

TIMES

718 634-3030

Mayor Says Ferry To Be PermanentThe boos and heckling

were lou d and stead y asMayor de Blasio marchedthrough Belle Harbor andRockaway Park at the St. Pat-rick’s Day Parade on Satur-

day, March 5th. The cantan-kerous reception didn’t stopthe Mayor from deliveringnews that brought cheersat the end of the parade.From the reviewing stand onBeach 105th Street, the May-or praised the long history ofIrish contributions to New

York and the n ann ouncedplans for the ferry.

“There will be a ferry stopin the Rockaways,” the May-or began. “There will be ashuttle bus in the Rockawayto the ferry stop. A ferry ride

will costs the same as a sub- way ride. The same as youpay when you get your Met-rocard. It will not just go toone place in the City it willgo to multiple stops. It willbe a whole citywide system.So the people in the Rocka-

way swill be connected m oredeeply than ever in the city.

“And this is the most im-portant part. This is not tem-porary ferry service. Thisis permanent ferry service

starting next spring, 2017.”The ferry will launch from

Beach 108th Street, effec-tively the mid-point of theRockaway peninsula. Theshuttle bus routes have yet tobe finalized and announcedthough preliminary planssuggested a stop in the Beach60s on the east and Riis Parkon the west.

The dock structure, andamenities and parklandnearby are still on the draw-ing board. As is the use of theNational Grid site which waspreviously used for parking

whe n the temporary fer-ry service was started afterHurricane Sandy.

Alt hou gh news of the per-manent service was joyouslyreceived, the ferry boat itselfis a concern. Longtime ferry

advocate Joe Hartigan, has warne d the Economic Devel-opment Corporation (EDC,the agency spearheadingthe ferry system) and CityHall that boats must be big

enough to carry enoughtravelers and fast enough tomake the trip worthwhile forcommuters. Hartigan alsourged city officials to taketest runs on proposed fer-ries before committing toany ferry operator. “Would

you lea se a car without testdriving it? Would you marrysomeone without getting toknow them?” he’s asked.

Hartigan’s concerns risefrom the fact that Seastreak,the company that operat-ed the popular service fromlate 2012 through October2013, might not be the bid

winner for the new service. Alt hough no official an-nouncement has been made,Crain’s New York said Horn-blower, a San Franciso-bas-es company will be awarded

the city contract.Hartigan’s concerns aside,

the Mayor’s announcementthat that ferry would be per-manent is significant. De-

veloper s, commuters, and

tourists are among those who may take a new look atRockaway. Local merchants,particularly those nearby,are certain to benefit fromthe new service.

Whe n The Rockaway Timesposted the Mayor’s an-nouncement on Facebookthe first comment from areader captured the poten-tial: I’m moving back !


7/48


***** We’re increasing Te Rock-

away Times circulation andlooking to expand our door-to-door delivery. And we can use

your help. We don’t want to beconsidered junk mail so pleaserequest delivery. Tere’s aform on this page. See below.

You can mail that in. Or youmight be getting a postcard on

your door soon, too – pleasesend it in. We’ve even includ-ed postage. Please ll it out andmail it back. You’ve all donesuch a remarkable job helping

Te Rockaway Times grow. Bigthanks!*****

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder wants St. Patrick’s Day declared aholiday. Well, Jesus, Mary and Jo-seph, everyone else has a holiday.How about one for the Irish? Youknow, the ones who built New

York!

*****Te Mayor may have been

booed like nobody’s business but we send him a belated cheer for themessage he delivered at the endof the parade. AND WE QUOTE:“Tis is the most important point,this is not temporary ferry service.Tis is permanent ferry servicestarting next spring, 2017.”

*****Te Mayor said “spring” though

at a recent meeting, according to areport on DNAInfo, Deputy Mayor

Alicia Glen said “We will be readyto launch the service in June of2017.” I guess right up until Juneit’s technically spring.

*****Te Rockaway motto should be:

2017 is our year. We’ve got a fer-ry coming. Te boardwalk will bebrand new from one end to the

other; the Harbor Light will beopen again; a new medical centerat the old Key Food will off er topight medical care; and we’ll bethat much closer to having a newhotel at Beach 109th. 2016 is Rock-away’s Christmas Eve.

*****Congratulations to lmmaker

Tom Brookins who recently had

his lm, Fire And Water, acceptedinto the Newport Beach Film Fes-tival. We got to see some roughcuts as he was putting the lmtogether and we are…what’s theexpression?....we are STOKED tosee the nished product on thebig screen. Te lm’s got surfers,reghters, and old clips from Ha-

waii and Rockaway that you won’tbelieve.

*****Don Antonio Carbone is such

a Facebook fan of ours we haveto give him a shout out. Donshares and likes our stuff so of-ten we gotta give him a thumbsup here.

*****Speaking of Facebook. Katie

McFadden snapped a video ofthe O’Malley Irish dancers at theRockaway St. Patrick’s Parade and

posted it on Facebook. Since post-ing it on Saturday, the video hasreached more than 78,000 people!Te post got more than 1500 likes!Te 30 second video was greatbecause the dancers were great !Bravo O’Malley dancers!

*****Before we know it, it’ll be sum-

mer. Again, we’ll be producing a

Summer /Community Guide. If you’re an advertiser, you’ll want tobe in this publication that provedto be a real keeper last year. Callus at 718-634-3030 or shoot us anemail: [email protected]

***** We’re a little slow catching up

on TV shows so we just cameacross Bar Rescue’s Back To TeBar episode which aired in De-cember. Te Tubridy brothers ofthe Bungalow Bar made anoth-er appearance on the popularshow in which host John Taff -er attempts to save strugglingbars. Taff er assisted the Tubridysas they rebuilt after HurricaneSandy. In the December episodethe Tubridys were asked to checkin on how another bar was do-ing. Lots of laughs as usual and

we were surprised by the appear-

ance of DJ Teddy who went alongfor the trip. Check it out on rerunson Spike TV.

*****Patients (and their parents!)

of Dr. Monique Hanono of Is-land Pediatrics were saddenedto hear the much-loved doctor

will be leaving. She’ll be missedfor sure.

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8/48


Includes Appetizers, Dinner and Drinks

To purchase a table or tickets,

Please email [email protected]

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$75 PER PERSON IF RSVP AND

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Brooklyn, New York

Te Lazer SpeaksTHE FIRST SURGERY

By Lou Pastina

Well I made it 58 years without surgery but all that

changed on Friday when I hadknee surgery. I have torn theligaments in both my anklestwice to the point that they

were black and blue all over; Ihave torn the meniscus in myright knee twice but opted notto have surgery, but this lasttime proved that age catchesup to you in the healing de-partment, and opted for sur-gery.

I guess I always felt like if Igot surgery once it would be anunending string of surgeriesafter that, so I thought, “Don’tdo the rst one.” Te pre-op visit could not have gonesmoother. Te primary doctorokayed me, and everything

was set for the big day. I got tothe hospital as directed by 5:45a.m., and I was number twoin the line-up. I didn’t realize

today’s surgeries are like bodyand fender shops, you linethem up and bang them out.I gured the number two slot

was a good position, as anymistakes made by the surgeonon number one due to drows-iness would be straightenedout by patient number two.

I was encouraged by the ef-ciency of the productionline, as everyone asked me myname and date of birth, andthe surgeon did the same andmarked the correct knee tooperate on. Tese actions allbuilt up my courage as I was

wheeled into the operatingroom. I couldn’t help but no-tice that there were at least tenof those rooms; this really wasa production plant. And the 30seconds of small talk evaporat-ed with the sounds of the an-esthesiologist saying, “Ok howdoes that feel?”

I woke up in the recoveryroom, apparently twenty min-

utes later with my knee band-aged. Tere was little pain asI was still very much medi-cated. My driver for the ride

home was escorted in and sheasked me as many questionsas possible while I was underthe inuence of the truth se-rum. Apparently answeringthe questions correctly, themermaid drove me back toRockaway, while I dreamt hap-py thoughts in the back seat. Irecalled feeling that perhapsI should always be medicated

while others are driving, be-cause I didn’t fear for my lifeonce, as I am so often accus-tomed to.

Ice and elevation were inmy future, but not much pain,and a friend asked, “Do youthink they actually did any-thing?” Tat was an unsettlingthought because I had notunwrapped the knee yet andfrankly couldn’t tell much dif-ference. However two days lat-

er I did unwrap the knee, andthere were two small incisionsstitched ever so nely. If theydid fake it, they did a good job.

I guess the true test will comein the weeks ahead when Istart to test drive the surgeon’s

work. I have heard stories inmany directions – some sayingthey were playing tennis three

weeks later, some still limp-ing six months later. Only time

will tell, but if this works out well, maybe its time to get oth-er things operated on. I meanif it’s this easy, I probably canstart to rebuild this body tolast another 58 years. I still feel

young in my mind, but a friendis quick to remind me, you areprobably faking it, it’s all in

your head. Maybe, but at leastit’s March and the sun is be-ginning to shine, and I shouldbe walking well soon. What’snext, a nose job? I heard hairtransplants are getting bettertoo!


9/48


The attorneys are currently members of: The New York State Bar Association’s Elderlaw, Trust & Estates & Real Estate Sections; NAELA (National Academy of Elderlaw Attorneys)

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Sanders Hosts Flooding DiscussionBy Katie McFadden

It was standing room onlyat a meeting held at Peninsu-la Nursing and Rehabilitationon Tursday, March 3, regard-ing the recent ooding issues

throughout the peninsula. Sen-ator James Sanders hosted themeeting, which featured sever-al representatives from variouscity and state agencies.

A few weeks ago, residents were caught by surprise whenthe streets suddenly ooded.Steve Zahn, Deputy Director ofthe New York State Departmentof Environmental Conserva-tion, explained that the tide wascaused due to a combinationof off shore storms, a low pres-sure zone and high tides duringa new moon. “Te water justpiled up,” Zahn said, “and thatis something that is relativelydiffi cult to predict.”

Some residents believed theoverow was due to cloggedcatch basins and complainedthat the city hasn’t addressedthis issue. Mario Bruno, the

Assistant Commissioner forthe NYC Department of Envi-ronmental Protection, said thatmore action is taking place in re-gards to catch basins that before.Starting this year, the DEP hasadopted a policy of inspecting

and cleaning catch basins oncea year and repairs will be madeas needed. Previously, the city’s148,000 catch basins were onlyinspected every three years.Te NYC Department of De-

sign and Construction was onhand to discuss some of theprojects that are and will be tak-ing place in Rockaway, whichmay alleviate ooding issues.Tere are 25 projects slated forthe area according to MariaCenteno, Director of the DDC’sOffi ce of Community Outreachand Notication. Many of theseprojects include sewer and wa-ter main work and others arefull reconstruction projects thatinclude street and subsurface

work. Tirteen of these projects are currently underwayand another three are expectedto begin before the end of the

scal year. Other projects arestill in the design and compli-ance stages. Nicole Garcia of theDepartment of Transportationalso said the agency has recon-struction and sewer projectsplanned. Te DOT has resur-

faced about 20 lane miles thisscal year and will be complet-ing 20 more in June and July.Garcia also said that the DOThas been able to address pot-hole complaints within three-and-a-half days and has lled130,000 potholes throughoutQueens in the past year.

Zahn touched on the largersubject of coastal protectionbeing conducted by the ArmyCorps of Engineers along thebeach and bay. While protec-tion eff orts have been visible onthe beach side, the Army Corps’reformulation study is still inthe works and they are expect-ed to come up with a detailedplan for mass protection. Manyexpressed concern about what

will be done on the bayside.Zahn explained that the ArmyCorps has come up with two al-

ternatives so far which includedinstalling a large gate at the inletto keep water from coming in,or raising the elevation of thebay walls and berms.

Some residents brought upthe issue of increasing ood in-

surance costs. Margaret Becker,Director of Disaster Recovery

with the Flood Division of Legalservices said that the rates willrise since Congress is phasingout most subsidies that exist forood insurance costs and oncethe new FEMA ood maps takeaff ect, much of the peninsula

will be considered an A-E zone,or high risk zone, or V-Zone,

which is extremely hazardousTose with a mortgage will beforced to pay ood insuranceand premiums will be added tomonthly payments to a lender ifthe homeowner doesn’t comply.

Sanders said a follow upmeeting would occur on April 7.Te time and location are to bedetermined. “Tis is not a quicktrip,” Senator Sanders said.“Tis is a struggle for the life ofthe Rockaways.”


11/48


Cheers and Jeers on Parade Day By Katie McFadden

Irish eyes were smiling at the41st Annual Queens County SaintPatrick’s Day Parade on Saturday.Tousands came out for one ofthe largest parades on March 5.

Saturday’s parade, brought tous by Parade Committee Presi-dent Michael Benn, the paradecommittee and local sponsors,

was a big hit once again. WithJohn J. Murphy, business man-ager of Plumbers Local Union 1as this year’s Grand Marshal, oneof the largest groups of the pa-rade was the workers, family andfriends from Local 1. Althoughabsent from last year’s paradedue to a required work day aftera large snowstorm, the Depart-ment of Sanitation was back this

year. Tere were bagpipe bandsaplenty, Irish dancers, re de-partments, antique cars, schoolgroups and more.Te reviewing stand was lo-

cated at Beach 105th Street andthe parade came to an end at St.Camillus where marchers gath-ered for the award ceremony.

Tis year, Breezy Point Catho-lic Club Pipes and Drums tookrst for Best Band. Te ShannonGaels Athletic Club won for theBest Youth Group. Cork Pipes andDrums wonrst for best marchingunit. Best Fire Department went

to Rockaway Point Volunteer FireDepartment. First place school

went to St. Camillus Catholic Academy. County Tyrone Pipesand Drums took rst place pipeband.Te Most Spirit award wentto Plumbers Local 1. First placecommunity group was Scholars’

Academy. O’Malley’s Irish Dance Academy won rst place danceschool. Channel View was the besthigh school. First Place college

was Manhattan College and theMary Rooney Failte award went tothe Ladies Ancient Order of Hiber-nians 25. Awards were also givento this year’s honorees.

Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived ontime for this year’s parade andmarched the whole way, despitegetting booed throughout. Hehad a more positive receptiononce he reached the reviewingstand, where he reminded peo-

ple that the ferry will return toRockaway as part of a citywideservice in 2017. He said, “Tere

will be a stop in the Rockaways.Tere will be a shuttle bus in theRockaways to the ferry stop. Teferry ride will cost the same as asubway ride, the same as what

you pay when you get your Met-rocard. It will not just go to oneplace in the city; it will go to mul-tiple stops in Brooklyn, Queensand Manhattan. It will be a wholecitywide system. So the people in

the Rockaways will be connectedmore deeply than ever to the cityand this is the most importanpoint; this is not temporary ferryservice, this is permanent ferryservice starting next spring 2017

We look forward to kicking it off inthe Rockaways.Tank you every-one and happy St. Patrick’s Day toall.” Te Mayor’s announcementhat the ferry will be a permanentservice was met with cheers.

(See Parade photos on Pages38-39)

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OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!Rockaway’s Only Office With Three Board Certified MD’sPracticing Complete Medical And Surgical Eye Care

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Rockaway’s oldest established ophthalmology practice with the expertise, integrity and care you know and trust, now with:

Expanded hours - the office is open 7 days a week, Saturday and Sunday appointments are now available, as well as early morning and later evening hours.

Expanded services - thorough medical eye exams performed by highly trained MD’s,cataracts, glaucoma, newly expanded retina, macular degeneration and diabeticin-office laser treatment, comprehensive children’s exams, accurate glasses prescrip- tions - and much more! In-office emergency care is available at all times.

We give you compassionate state-of-the-art eyecare at the highest quality available anywhere. We have nothing to sell except our expertise.

There is quick scheduling for routine office appointments and much shorter waiting times in the office.

We look forward to serving your complete eye care needs for many years to come!

RWA Off ersSummers Jobs

Rockaway Waterfront Al-liance’s (RWA) paid ShoreCorps summer leadership

program is now open forregistration.

Shore Corps is a paidservice-learning pro-gram focused on envi-ronmental stewardshipand community develop-ment. It is an opportunityfor high school and col-lege students to earn in-come during the summer

whi le lear ning le ade rs hi pskills and creating positivechange in the Rockaways.

Young peop le ag es 14-20 are eligible to apply.Participants will work 9a.m. -5 p.m. three days per

wee k fro m Ju ly 5th to Au -gust 13th.

Shore Corps takes placeat the RISE Center/Fire-house 59 located at 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd,

Rockaway, NY 11692. Ap-plicants are encouragedto apply early, as space is

limited on a first come firstserve basis. All parti cipantsmust register by April 15,2016 at: www.rwalliance.org.

Priority will be given tothose who also apply forNew York City’s Summer

You th Em pl oy me nt (SY EP )through DYCD; all ShoreCorps applicants must se-lect Brooklyn based Catho-lic Charities as their pro-

vi de r. Ap pl ic an ts ca n ap pl yat: www.nyc.gov/dycd.

Af ter submitting app li -cations, students will becontacted for interviews.

For more informationplease contact Program As-sistant Daniel Borrero at:programs@rwall iance.orgor call (718) 327-5919

Town Hall Ferry

Meeting onTursday If you’re reading the Rocka-

way Times on Tursday thereis a town hall-style ferry meet-ing being held tonight, March10th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00p.m. at Challenge Preparatory

School, located on 710 Hart-man Lane in Far Rockaway.It is organized by Congress-man Gregory Meeks and willinclude appearances from anumber of elected offi cials, in-cluding State Senator Joseph

Addabbo, Assembly MembersMichelle Titus and Phil Gold-feder, and City Council Mem-bers Eric Ulrich and DonovanRichards. Te meeting will alsoinclude a presentation by thecity’s Economic DevelopmentCorporation, which has been

visiting Rockaway frequentlyin the past few weeks to giveupdates on the ferry. Te townhall comes days after MayorBill de Blasio announced at theRockaway St. Patrick’s Day Pa-rade that citywide ferry service

will become permanent once itbegins next year.

Goldfeder:Fix Parking

Meters You nally nd a spot on

Beach 116th Street, you get outof your car, scrounge up a quar-

ter or two, head to the meter topay the city and—wait, that ma-chine’s broken. And so is thenext one. And the next one. Bythe time you nd a working ma-chine you realize it may have justbeen easier to risk a ticket.

In a letter to the Departmentof Transportation AssemblymanPhil Goldfeder pleaded withthe agency to repair the MuniMeters. “Broken parking me-ters aren’t just a blight on Beach116th Street, they also discour-age people from shopping at ourgreat local, family owned busi-nesses on the block,” he wrote.Goldfeder especially called onthe agency to x the metersbefore beach season starts, asparking will be at a premiumand visitors may not want to

waste time trying to nd a func-tioning machine.


14/48


S e

r v

i n g

O ur C o m

m u n

i t y

For

Over

60

Years

H A P P Y

S t . P A T

R I C K ' S

D A Y

H A P P Y

S t . P A T

R I C K ' S

D A Y

Republican Presidential Reps

Come to RockawayRockaway Republicans Pres-

ident Alan Zwirn announcedthat his organization, one ofthe major Republican clubs inSouth Queens and a stalwart

on the Rockaway political scenesince 2003, will host a presiden-tial primary forum on Mon-day, March 14, 2016 at the BelleHarbor Yacht Club, located onBeach Channel Drive betweenBeach 126th and Beach 127thStreets, at 7:30 PM.

According to Club President Alan Zwirn, arrangements havebeen made for representativesof three of the four campaignsto present their candidate’spolicies and outlooks and takea round of questions from theaudience. Community residentsinterested in hearing the casefor the candidates are welcometo join club members for this in-formative event being held pri-or to the New York primary on

April 14th.Candidates represented, Zwirn

notes, will include New York

businessman Donald Trump,Florida Senator Marco Rubio,and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Teclub has an open invitation forOhio Governor John Kasich to

send a representative as well.“We’re pleased these cam-

paigns have taken note ofour community, and of southQueens in general,” Zwirn said,“because strong Republican

voter registration in QueensCounty makes us an ideal ven-ue for reaching prospective pri-mary voters. If you want to talk

with New Yorkers, going into what may be the most criticalgeneral election in our lifetimes,the Rockaway Republicans are agreat place to start.

“I believe we’re the rst Re-publican club in our borough,and maybe citywide,” Zwirn add-ed, “to plan and host a pre-pri-mary presidential candidates fo-rum like this.”

For further information con-tact: Margaret Wagner 347 236-2018

Smoke

Detector

Giveaway at

Ulrich’s Offi ceNo house or apartment

is complete with a workingsmoke and carbon monoxidedetector. With this in mind,Councilman Eric Ulrich willhost a free smoke alarm giveaway at his Rockaway officeon Friday, March 11th, from11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. inpartnership with the FDNY.

At the event, residents wil lalso have the opportunityto submit a request to havetheir smoke/carbon monox-ide alarm installed into theirhome. Please note alarms willbe distributed on a first-comefirst-served basis. Ulrich’soffice is located at 114-12Beach Channel Drive, Suite 1,

just down the block from theRockaway Times building.

It’s Back ! NO U-TURNSign Returns

Ok whose bright idea wasto bring back the No U-Turnsign at Beach 113th and BeachChannel Drive? Is this anoth-er attempt by the City to makemoney (it won’t be long beforedrivers get nabbed making theU). Unintended consequence:drivers will make the left intoDunkin Donuts and come outof the almost hidden drive-

way (beware pedestrians onthe sidewalk!). And more peo-ple will try to make the turn bygoing into the Stop And Shopparking lot which will back uptraffi c on Beach Channel Drive.Contact your representatives(see Page 4) if this sign bugs

you as much as it does us!

Why?


15/48


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Te word March does not haveto do from the homonym,

which means to walkdeliberately. Instead, the nameof the month dates back the

Roman calendar. March wasnamed for Mars, the Romangod of war.

March is the third month of the year. However, it was the rstmonth and named Martiusin the early Roman calendar.Later, the ancient Romansmade January to be the rstmonth so March became thethird month, which always had31 days.

John Kasich ran for presidentin 1999 but ended up droppingout before the primaries dueto overwhelming nancialsupport given to Bush. Tis

was his only failed election.

Babies are born without kneecaps. Tey don’t appear untilthe child reaches 2-6 years ofage.

Leonardo Da Vinci inventedthe scissors.

Te Boston University Bridge(on Commonwealth Avenue,

Boston, Massachusetts) is oneof the few places in the world where a boat can sail undera train driving under a cardriving under an airplane.

China has more English spe-akers than the United States.

Te name of all the continentsend with the same letter thatthey start with, if you countNorth and South America as“America.”

Early Spanish missionaries inTexas hoped to encourage thespread of European values byoff ering annel underwear toNative Americans.

There are 33.7 million U.S. re-sidents who are of Irish ancestry.That number is almost nine timesthe population of Ireland itself.

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Is Yoga for Men?What Men Need to Know About The Rise of BRO-GA

By Bridget Scala

Most group exercise classes

are predominantly filled with women. Yoga was no excep-tion. Now however, men arestarting to become more andmore likely to show up on themat. Statistics are showingthat as yoga gains in overallpopularity, men are begin-ning to change their mindsabout yoga.

A company literally brand-ed the name BroYoga, and hasclasses and teacher trainingsto teach specifically to men!

While I am for any growth inpopularity of yoga, I don’tthink men need their ownseparate classes to be able topractice yoga.

So what do men who want todo yoga need to know?

Yoga isn’t just about beingflexible, it’s about buildingstrength, improving posture,

improving breathing andoverall well-being.

Yoga can be intimidating as

images of perfect bodies inseemingly impossible poseshave become the face of yogain the world of magazine cov-ers and social media But atthe heart of yoga is the ideathat yoga is not a competition,but rather a practice, whereone pays mindful attention totheir bodies and respects thebody’s limitations at that mo-ment in time. Yoga is aboutexperiencing your body in theposes, not about how yourpose looks.

Men should know that mostpeople struggle when theystart to practice yoga. When

you are in class, focus yourawareness on your mat, trynot to look around to com-pare yourself to others. Eventhe simple act of breathing in

yoga can cause some people

to feel frustrated with their“performance.” Keep in mindit isn’t about perfection but

practice.Men should also know that

there are lots of variety in yoga styles and classes. Manystudios will offer workshopsfor beginners, and even haveprivate lessons for those whomay want to dive in deep orneed special attention for aninjury or illness. There is Vin-

yasa, Hatha, Gentle, Restora-tive and Hot Yoga, and that’s

just to name a few!Don’t be hard on yourself,

and don’t put limitations on your practice. If you thinkinversions are impossible atfirst, you can practice a gentleinversion like legs up the walluntil you build up to shoul-der-stand. But in yoga as inlife, its best to avoid thinking

you could never do some-thing!

One trend I have noticed isthat I see more men practicingHot Yoga. Anita Ruderman,

owner of Hot Yoga RockawayBeach, said her students are15-20% men, a higher per-centage than other local yogaclasses. Hot Yoga is practicedin a hot room and is a series of26 poses. Unlike other stylesof yoga it is the same 26 pos-es, practiced in the same se-quence every class, with ex-cellent cueing, which can behelpful for beginners to real-ly learn those poses. I thinkmen like the straightforwardapproach of the repeated se-quence, the heat that helpsexibility, the sweat, and thechallenge of the class.

Most important thing menneed to know is to nd a yogaclass and go bro! For more in-formation on classes contactBridget at [email protected]


17/48


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MARCH 10John Dwinell was born.Jo Anne Alessi was born.

1864U. S. Grant became commander of theUnion armies during the Civil War.1969James Earl Ray was sentenced in

Memphis, Tennessee to 99 years inprison for the murder of Martin LutherKing, Jr., in April 1968.

MARCH 11Jeanne Ferriola was born.Joe Miller Sr. was born.

1861Te Confederate States of Americaadopted its constitution.1942General Douglas MacArthur leavesthe Philippines saying, “I shall return.”

MARCH 12Peter Brady was born.Mitch Coutu was born.Taylor Searing was born.

1912

Juliette Gordon Low founded the GirlScouts.1994Te Church of England ordained

women priests for the rst time in 460 years.

MARCH 13Teresa Kohler-Estes was born.

1852“Uncle Sam” cartoon appeared for therst time in N.Y. Lantern weekly.

2012Te Encyclopaedia Britannica discon-tinued its print edition after 244 years.

MARCH 141794Te cotton gin was patented by Eli

Whitney.1950

Te FBI’s “Ten Most WantedFugitives” list made its debut.1964Jack Ruby was found guilty of themurder of Lee Harvey Oswald, allegedassassin of President John F. Kennedy.

MARCH 15Tom Murphy was born.

44 B.C.On the “Ides of March,” Julius Caesar

was stabbed to death in the senatehouse by a group of conspirators.1965President Lyndon Johnson askedCongress for legislation guaranteeingevery American the right to vote.

MARCH 16

Edward Sullivan was born.Jason Gibbons was born.

1850Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel TeScarlet Letter was published.1988Lieutenant Colonel Oliver L. Northand Vice Admiral John M. Poindexterof the National Security Council areindicted on charges of conspiracy todefraud the United States for theirrole in the Iran-Contra aff air.

Tis Week in History


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cited to see what they come up with,” Brennan said.

As one of the event sponsors,Riis Park Beach Bazaar willhave food for sale during theevent. Tere will also be spon-sor tables where goodies will

be given away. Some of theminclude Ridgewood SavingsBank, Liberty Tax, Nesquik hotchocolate, 92.3 Amp and more.Some of the other sponsors in-clude Robin Shapiro Realty,Local 3 Union Motorcycle Cluband In Good Company Hospi-tality (Bungalow Bar). Tere

will be a polar bear mascot run-ning around for people to takephotos with. Tere will even bea section for those who wantto watch and are too chickento take the plunge. “We havea chicken coop for those whoare scared to plunge,” Brennansaid. Te Special Olympiansare no chickens, though. Tere

will be a few Special Olympi-ans taking the plunge them-selves, including teams fromSt. Camillus, Cross Island andManhattan. Local re depart-ments and police precincts

will be on hand with their ownplunge teams and the Rocka-

way Point Fire Department willhave divers in the water to en-

sure everyone is safe during theevent. “Safety is our main pri-ority,” Brennan said.

During Saturday’s event,Brennan says registration is ex-pected to pick up at around 11a.m. and it will close at 11:45a.m. “When we do the plunge,

we lead people with our torch,

which represents the Flameof Hope. We begin all athleticcompetitions with the Flameof Hope. We’ll lead everyone indiff erent costumes and bath-ing suits into the water like aparade. Everyone takes theplunge quickly and by 12:15p.m., everything is cleared aspeople head to the after party,”

she said.T

e party will be at the

Bungalow Bar on Beach 92ndStreet. At this event, from 12:30p.m. to 2 pm., there will be a DJ,plungers will get a free drinkpass and there will be an awardceremony.

Brennan is hoping this year’sevent will be a bit warmer thanlast year. “It was freezing last

year. I made it the last possible weekend in March and there was snow, wind and freezingtemperatures. It was the coldestplunge I ever went to,” Brennansaid. Fortunately, it is expectedto be in the 50s this weekend.Despite last year’s chilly weather,Brennan said it turned out well.“It was fantastic. People had somuch fun. I couldn’t believehow many brave souls came outand plunged even through it wassnowing. Tat shows you howdedicated and committed thesefolks are,” she said.

According to Brennan, ear-ly registration has been off to

a slow start, but she hopes it will pick up by plunge time. As an incentive, any studentthat participates can receive 10community service hours, soschools are encouraged to getinvolved.

Besides raising money forSpecial Olympics, Brennanhopes the event will also raiseawareness and eliminate thestigma surround Special Ath-letes. “A few weeks ago was Na-tional Spread the Word Day in

which people around the coun-try took the pledge to end the R

word (retarded). Tis word hasa negative connotation and ourathletes are not that. We wantto replace that R word with Re-spect. People take this plungeto check it off their bucket list,but they’re also doing so muchmore by being out there andsupporting the athletes,” Bren-nan said.

To pre-register for the event,or to sponsor a plunger, headto www.polarplungeny.kintera.

org/rockaways.

FREEZIN’Continued from Page 18


20/48


By Dylan Watton

Periodically Rockaway Times reporter Dylan Watton will ven-ture out to the boardwalk and get the opinions of Rockaway res-idents on a random question. Instead going on the boardwalkthis week we asked folks lined up at the St. Paddy’s Day Parade

around Beach 108th Street and the Boulevard. Tis week’s ques-tion is: What’s the best thing about Parade Day for you?

Te crowds that watch the parade, there are all diff erent kinds ofpeople. It recognizes Rockaway. It brings a sense of communi-ty and proudness. Everybody feels happy. I’ve always loved thebagpipes. And it’s a good excuse to have a Guinness.

— Larry Watton and Geri Watton

I’ve been coming here for ten years straight from New Haven. Ihave a great time but I’m working. I look forward to when theparade is over when I can have some fun for myself, relax anddrink a few beers.

—Peter Burwell and Friends

I’m here 28 years. It’s a proud day to be Irish.It’s a chance to hand out with my friends and family all day.Te parade keeps our traditions alive and brings up our spirits.

—Meaghan Grogan, Heidi Thomson, Katherine Ragazzino,and Family

We’re summer bungalow owners. I get to see all of my friends inthe winter. We all come out in force. It’s a great for Rockaway andit’s my [Mary’s] birthday!

—Bill and Mary Turner

I’m from East New York, Brooklyn. Mymom came from Bel-fast and my dad camefrom County Longford.I have been comingdown here for aroundten years. I love all thepeople and seeing thefun they have.— Trooper Farrell, 7th

Army

My favorite part of the day isthe community coming to-gether, celebrating Rockaway,and showing off their Irishheritage!

— Joe Flores

A lot of old friends come back tothe neighborhood. No matter

what ethnicity you are you’reIrish today. And we have thebest corned beef on the beach.

— Mike Dalton


21/48


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Spotted:RockingTe Rockaway Times Tee

Last time we heard from RoryBoyle he was wearing a Rock-away Times t-shirt at the pyra-mids in Egypt. Now the worldtraveler sends us this pic from

Hong Kong near the famousBuddha statue on Lantau Is-land. He looks better this timebecause he’s accompanied byhis beautiful wife, Vane.


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PRICE REDUCED - $790,000

Investment opportunity Solid brick legal 3family, 6 BR’s , 3 full baths and 2 half baths.Private parking and outdoor shower.

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BEACH BLOCK 140’S. All Brick, large 4BR, 2 bath. Private parking and garage.Motivated seller. Present all off ers.

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Large open LR/DR room withbeautiful HW flooring, brand newkitcen with granite counters, 3BR’s, 3 baths and private parking.

$870,000

ALL BRICK legal 2 family home sits ona lovely 50’x100’ corner property on abeautiful quiet block with HUGE back and

side yard. $699,000

With over 5,000sq ft. of living space thisgorgeous corner property has 4 large BR’s,enormus sunken LR, large DR, fireplace,1

BR rental. $1,380,000

Spacious 4 BR, 3 bath split level.Gorgeous 60’x100’ corner propertywith patio, private parking and garage.

$1,125,000

SPACIOUS LEGAL 2 Fam, 3 BR, 2 bath over3 BR, 2 bath with 2 car garage and privatedrive. Gleaming HW floors, EIK with

granite counters. $775,000

Spacious rooms with HW floors, large LRwith fireplace, updated EIK with granitecounters, Sub zero and 3 large BR’s.

$899,000

2BR rented for $1200, 4BR, 2.5 bathrented for $2200, and $1400 for1st floor. Private parking and large

back yard. $725,000

Impeccably maintained 4BR brick home.Italian tile floors and open oak staircase.Large EIK with granite counters and

private parking. $859,000

Newly renovated 2BR walk in. Main apthas 3BR 1.5 bath, private balcony andbackyard. Rockaway Beach is on the rise,come be a part of the wave. $435,000

417 Beach 129th St • (718) 634-3134 • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

Lic. Broker-Owner: Lisa JacksonLic. Associate Brokers: Barbara Ferguson • Nia Casilla • Gail Opromalla

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OPEN HOUSE10 E 7th Road, Sat, 3/12, 12-1:30pm

ROCKAWAY BEACHOceanfront Condo

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ROCKAWAY BEACHBrand New To Market

Beautiful 2BR/1.5 bath home. Quartzcounter tops and Hand Made Cabinets,HW thru and CAC! Large backyard.

$379,000

Don’t miss your chance to own a piece ofRockaway Beach with this swanky 2 BR,2 bath oceanfront. Parking included!

$580,000

This 2BR, 2 bath condo has gleaming HWfloors, ample closet space, SS appliancesplus W/D. Comes with parking and two

balconies. $435,000

The Hottest Block In Rock! Only 10Years Young, spacious 3BR’s, 2.5Bath, private drive & backyard.Being Sold Under Market Value.

$275,000

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BELLE HARBORBrand New Exclusive

Newly renovated 2BR 1 bath with aspacious NEW kitchen, granite counters.Basement has a 2BR, 1 bath with family

room. Large backyard. $324,900

Luxurious Beach Living at it’s Best!Spacious 2 BR, 2 bath with huge rooftop terrace with ocean views and private

parking. $475,000

Beautiful 2BR, 2 bath with laundry inunit and private indoor parking. 24hour concierge and so much more.

$425,000

Updated L-shaped studio in a verydesirable location in Belle Harborand close to all. Hardwood floors,new kitchen and new bathroomm.

$179,000

• 80th: Summer rental! 3BR condo with open oor plan, W&D, private parking (BF) $10,000

• 135th: 5BR home rental, CAC, private parking, private deck and terrace (MC) . . . . $4,750

• 129th: Year round gated parking on Newport Ave! (LJ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,500

• 101st: 3BR, 2.5BA duplex with SS appliances and rooftop terrace (MC) . . . . . . . . $3,000

• 137th: 3BR, 2BA 1st oor apt with HW oors, deck and private drive (BF) . . . . . . . $2,700

• 117th: 3BR, 2BA house rental with W&D, open oor plan, attic and yard! (CB) . . . . $2,500

• 101st: 2BR, 2BA condo for rent! SS appliances, W&D, pet friendly! (MC) . . . . . . . . $2,500

• 118th: Large 3BR, rst oor apt, with yard access, porch and parking. (MC) . . . . . $2,300

• 90th: Newly renovated 4BR, 1.5BA apt with HW oors! (AD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,200

• 131st: Beach Block! Spacious 1BR, 1BA. Completely renovated! (BF) . . . . . . . . . . $2,100

• 63rd: Brand new 2BR, 1BA apt with CAC, W&D, dishwasher. (MC) . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,900

• 129th: Spacious 2BR, 1BA second oor apartment for rent (NC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,850

• 73rd: Sunny 2BR, 1BA apt with W&D and dishwasher in unit (AD) . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,800

• 122nd: Large second oor apt with HW oors, private deck and parking (MC) . . . $1,800

• 79th: Spacious 2BR unit in ABTS. Large rooms, HW oors, W&D, CAC (NC,JD) . . . . $1,750

• 89th: Redone second oor 2BR apartment. Heat and hot water included (NC) . . . $1,525

•

118th: Newly renovated 1BR apt, SS appliances,, dishwasher and W&D (MC) . . . . $1,475• 120th: Unique 1BR duplex in private home on beach block(MC) . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,400

• 118th: Ground oor 1BR apt with W&D, new kitchen and bath (CB) . . . . . . . . . . $1,400

• 133rd: Second oor 1BR apt with HW oors, new bathroom and parking (BF) . . . . $1,300

• 119th: Beach block 1BR apt on rst oor, parking available. (BF) . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200

• Arverne: Rare Find, 3 lots 125’x115’ 2 Factories And 1 Warehouse . . . . . . . . $2,200,000

• Rockaway Beach: Commercial rental! 800sq ft and newly renovated! . . . . . . . . . $4,300

• 102nd: Office space with over 1250 sq. ft with exam rooms and consult room . . . $3,300

• 112th: 900sq ft walk in great for retail or office space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,700

• 91st: Endless possibilities for this commercial space in Rockaway Beach . . . . . . . $1,500

• Belle Harbor: Oceanfront land, build your own getaway! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,850,000

• Arverne: 5 Vacant lots being sold as a package! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $599,000

• Arverne: Build your dream home on waterfront 120x105 lot. . . . . . . . . . . . . $399,000

• Broad Channel: Build a 1-3 family, boat yard, yacht club or marina . . . . . . . . $189,000

• Broad Channel: Approved for 2 story house! 37x75 lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $125,000

417 Beach 129th St • (718) 634-3134 • Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

Lic. Broker-Owner: Lisa JacksonLic. Associate Brokers: Barbara Ferguson • Nia Casilla • Gail Opromalla

Lic. RE Agents: Melissa Carrington • Ariana David • Colleen Brady • Alla Pankevich • Jenny Dantone • Joe Opromalla

B R O O K L Y N M E M B E R

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Mary O’LearyGlen DiRestoLorraine TomMarie VillanuevaDominick Maiorano

Beach 102 Street$3000-$4000

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BELLE HARBORNewly renovated available March 1st

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Open house Sunday March 13, 2016 1:00-3:00pm Open house Sunday March 13, 2016 1:00-3:00pm

Asking $185,000

New Exclusive. Upper Belle Harbor.All brick cape, 4BR, 3 full bath, 2kitchens, full fin bsmt, new heatingand elect system, front porch, 2 reardecks, beautifully landscaped,private drive on 40x100 lot. Asking

$785,000 neg

Neponsit Beach Block New To Market

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balconies plus 3 addl bedrooms, 4 and 1/2 baths. Large living room w/wood

burning fp, formal DR, large EIK completely renovated Full fin bsmt with new

EIK and bath hardwood floors through out. So many more amenities. Trulyone to see! Asking$1,999,000

Ocean Front Condoin Heart of RockawayBch. 2BR/2BA unitwith gourmet kitchen,stainless steel app.,granite counters,hardwood floors, surfboard storage rooftop lounge accessplus more!

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perfectly reasonable approach.”John Cori asked how contrac-tors will be selected and was toldthat, as per usual, it would go tothe lowest bidder. He was also as-sured by Falt that the project has“a lot of funding” to be completed

properly. Falt said he was unsure whether or not adding groins willaff ect waves, adding that “Tereare no guarantees when it comesto ocean engineering.”

Some members of public andthe board were dismayed to hearthat until the project begins thereare no current plans to add moresand to any of the existing dunes,prompting scattered shouting.Board Member Jose Velez notedthat current plans end at Beach9th Street and do not serve resi-dents living below those areas, to

which Falt said he hoped that theplan could include those beach-es as well. Falt ended his pres-entation by saying that the ACE is

working with FEMA to potentiallyrevise ood insurance require-ments once the project begins.

During public speaking one per-son said the ACE was not going far

enough and more sand was neededimmediately. Elsewhere in this sec-tion Joe Hartigan and Lew Simonexpressed concerns about the exist-ing Rockaway Ferry proposals andencouraged all to attend GregoryMeek’s ferry town hall on Thurs-day in Far Rockaway. A few surf-ers spoke in protest of the recently

amended surfing beach plan. Rep-resentatives from the RockawayDevelopment and RevitalizationCorporation rebuffed a commentmade by Board Member NoreenEllis (who wasn’t present) criticizingthe organization. Two people spokeout in favor of continuing with theproposed skate park in the Beach90s, asserting that it was indeed safedespite recent claims otherwise.Other issues brought up includedconcessions on the boardwalk, ananti-bullying initiative, and clean-ing up dog poop.

A few important issues werediscussed in the Parks and Pub-lic Safety Committee’s report. Atthat committee’s February 18thmeeting the 101 Precinct saidshootings were up so far this year,dollar vans are being reported asa nuisance, and at least one-thirdof crimes reported are domestic

violence related. Concessions arein the process of being added tonew boardwalk locations comesummer, with popular merchantLola Star renting out some standsand planning to have roller-skat-ing available at the Beach 108thStreet hockey rink. It was said thatCouncilman Donovan Richard

has allocated over $2 million torehab a park on Beach 57th Street.

Two motions were put forth afterthe report was completed. First-ly, the board passed a motion toaccept the surng beach amend-ments and revisit the issue at theend of the season.Te new surngbeaches will be between Beach68th—71st Streets and Beach110th and 111th Streets, with thesurng beaches in the 90s remain-ing intact. Surng schools will op-erate out of the former locationsand Beach 59th—67th Streets willbe exclusively for swimmers. Sec-ondly the board voted to move on

with the current skate park propos-al to put an end to the years-longdelay in construction. A recentcomplaint raised safety issues butseveral community activists andboard members found that to havelittle merit.

Te Economic DevelopmentCommittee mostly talked aboutRobert Schwach’s presentation totheir meeting on February 10th.Schwach and committee co-chairKeith Sullivan recommendedthat the board draft a letter to theEconomic Development Corpo-ration instructing them to notify

the board of grants or programsthat Rockaway businesses maynd useful as a result of the fer-ry. Board Member Edwin Wil-liams also suggested during thistime that a Rockaway Chamber ofCommerce be revived to ensurebetter representation for smallbusinesses and was supported byhis colleagues.

Friends of Rockaway gave anextremely brief presentation say-ing that they are available to helppeople in Rockaway, Brooklyn,and other areas hit hard by Hurri-cane Sandy. In her remarks Chair-person Delores Orr asked peopleto keep the 100th Precinct in theirprayers as it has endured a pair ofrecent tragedies. Board MemberDan Brown was also commend-ed for serving as a Deputy GrandMarshall in this past Saturday’s St.Patrick’s Day Parade.

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114-04

RAA Hosts Celebration of Irish Music and CultureBy Dylan Watton

Te pungent aroma of cornedbeef and cabbage overtook FortTilden’s sTudio 7 as dozens ofRockaway residents came tothe Rockaway Artists Alliance’s

(RAA) Afternoon of Irish Sto-ries, Humor, and Song on Sun-day, March 6. Te event, takingplace the day after the parade,

was a sort of Irish-themed va-riety show, with a number ofdiff erent mediums and per-formers showcased. Amongthose who participated in theafternoon-long show were RAAPresident Dan Guarino; An-nemarie Acosta-Williams andstudents from her eponymousschool teaching Irish music anddance; Shelia and Julia Cassidy;guitarist Walter Ensor; storytell-er David Roff e; musician JohnGilleece; and the day’s prima-ry organizer John Simmonelli,

who also runs the RAA’s Sum-mer Sunday Music Series.

Simmonelli said this is thefth year of the event. “It’s IrishMonth in March for Rocka-

way,” he said. “Tere’s such alarge demographic here that

we wanted to a celebration ofIrish songs and culture.” Sim-monelli partnered with Guari-no and former RAA PresidentTony Curcio to make the day areality (Guarino also creditedSusan Bach for coming up withthe idea). “I love traditionalIrish music,” Simmonelli said.“It’s happy and sad at the same

time. It always hits you rightin the heart. And I’m Italian.”Playing guitar since he was inrst grade, Simmonelli statedthat one of his primary musicalinuences over the years hasbeen Te Pogues, a Celtic rockband from London led by Irish-man Shane McGowan. For theoccasion, Simmonelli arrivedearly in the morning and boiledthe corned beef and cabbage

“like any other God-fearingIrishman,” which was enjoyedby performers and audiencemembers at intermission. “Tesecret ingredient was a pinch ofParmesan cheese,” he joked.

“In Rockaway, St. Paddy’s Day

is not one day, it’s a season,”Guarino said as he began thefestivities. He added that theevent served as the offi cial 2016opening of the RAA’s Fort Tildengalleries, which are traditionallyshut during the winter months,and that sTudio 7’s currentlybarren walls will soon be pop-ulated by artwork once exhibi-tions begin next weekend. “Tisis a busy time for Irish-themedentertainers so I thank them for

volunteering their time for per-forming today,” Guarino said.

Irish music is often charac-terized by a strong sense ofmelody, powerfully emotionalthemes, and a balance of fast-er jig and slower melancholytempos. A number of famousmusicians and bands have

Continued on page 32

It’s Irish season in Rockaway


30/48


By Helen Kilgallen

Every day I learn some-thing new and inspiring. Lifehas been very good to me. Iam grateful to share the loveI feel for all beings. Some ofmy readers half joke with measking who is the phantom

writer. Where do you comeup with this stuff ? I laugh andsay somehow it comes to meand I just write from my innersource. I do not brainstorm tohave a topic, it has to come tome via the universe. I have tofeel it in my heart

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