Broad Channel Bits

January 17, 2014

By Dan Guarino

“We shivered through winter’s biting cold last week and this week too. The bitter cold made 30 degree days look like a heat wave! It would be great if the cold killed off some of the ‘bugs’ that people have been getting lately—it’s better to be outdoors shivering with cold than indoors shivering from fever!”

-Liz Guarino, Broad Channel Bits, January 16th, 2004

Starting this Sunday, January 19th, Christ Presbyterian by the Sea Church presents a series of workshops on “Dealing with Issues Involved in Emotional and Spiritual Recovery from Hurricane Sandy.”

They’ll be led by David Cook, director of the Hurricane Sandy Long Term Recovery Team from Ascension Church, Forest Hills.

Sessions will be at the church on January 19th and 26th and February 2nd and 9th. All start at 7 p.m., except for Sunday, February 2nd, which will start at 4:30 p.m.

The first is on “How to Deal with Stress, Worry and Depression.” They all look worthwhile.

It’s been a year, but honestly, among all the people I talk to I hear about days when you just get tired or down and it takes so much energy to just get up and keep going.

The BC Library will be closed this Monday, January 20th, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

They are, however, open all the other days. So feel free to drop in.

This Tuesday, January 21st, the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program and The Broad ChannelPlanning Committee are presenting some of the projects they’re working on to create a stronger, more resilient Broad Channel. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Hall at 209 Cross Bay Boulevard. It’ll feature a short presentation before opening up for discussion.

Some key Broad Channel people have been working very hard on this. It will be of interest to all of us to see what they have come up with.

Broad Channel is in the process of completing a recovery plan in order to be eligible to receive funds to put those plans and projects into action.

There’s more information on the NY Rising program at www.stormrecovery. ny.gov/.

This month’s BC Civic Association meeting will be this Wednesday January 22nd at 7 p.m.

There will be a presentation by DOT and DDC on the West 11th, 12th and 13th road street raising project. Dan Mundy Jr. explains, “This project has received the final approvals from the Office of Management and Budget which is the final step in seeing the project actually funded.”

“The second portion of the (meeting) will be devoted to the Participatory Budget program. This process allows for residents of Broad Channel to weigh in on how they would like to see up to one million dollars of Councilman Ulrich’s discretionary funding spent.”

“…We hope that our residents will again get involved and make their voices heard as to what projects they would like to see funded in Broad Channel.”

Many thanks to my neighbor across the Boulevard, Muriel Berry Stemmann, for sending a mini-treasure trove of vintage BC photos to The Wave. You will see them featured elsewhere in the paper.

The Broad Channel Athletic Club threw a great party on Saturday night, January 11th. It was their way of saying ‘Thank You’ to all the groups and people who helped BC after the storm. Many of them are still helping.

And by the way, THANK YOU, BCAC!

The fog was so thick last week; I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Fortunately I kept smacking into the windshield, so I knew it was there.

Our American Legion post has (still) received NO compensation from FEMA for the use of the hall after the hurricane.

If you recall, that agency and several others operated out of there for months on end, from early morning till late at night.

Update: The Bay Gull Store is still closed. Fixtures and other items are being moved out. Last week seagulls and other birds, no doubt along with other BC urban wildlife, were enjoying the dozens and dozens of bagels that had been thrown out. Black plastic bags were no obstacle to them.

I contacted Barbara Toborg, the head of our BC Historical Society. In the back area of the store there are a lot of vintage Broad Channel pictures. Possibly they are copies of shots already in the Society’s collection. But it would be good if we can find someone who can retrieve them and donate them to the Historical Society.

Good News: Dan Mundy Jr. tells us, “The Broad Channel Post Office will be moving to the All American Deli shortly.” You can now buy stamps there and within two months it will have all regular postal services.

Dan also thanks Congressman Gregory Meeks for helping to make this happen for BC.

Don’t forget those shiny still new red “No Parking Anytime” signs along Cross Bay Boulevard by the American Legion near the BCAC parking lot. They generate shiny orange parking tickets.

The St. Virgilius Golden Age Club meets every Thursday at 12:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall. Stop by.

The amazingly talented Rockaway Theatre Company is presenting “The Little Mermaid Jr.” on Friday and Saturday evenings, January 24th, 25th and February 1st at 7 p.m. and also on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, January 25th, 26th and February 1st, 2nd at 2 p.m.

Check www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org for ticket info. Go, enjoy yourself. Hey, bring the kids, too!

Over at the Rockaway Artists Alliance this is the last weekend to catch the “The Gifted” exhibition at RAA’s T-7 gallery at Fort Tilden. They’re open Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

RTC and RAA both count a lot of talented BC people among their members.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Donald Eckman, Jean Keller, Joanna Montana and Digna Safont, all of whom our community has recently lost.

Got BC News? Please send any details on fundraisers, events, programs, organizations, meetings, community happenings, and family’s moving back in to workingstories@aol.com. Or put my name on it and drop it in the mailbox at 1430 Cross Bay Boulevard.

Thanks for reading.