Broad Channel Bits

By Dan Guarino

“Spring is here and it will be good to see everyone out and about again after a cold winter where spotting your neighbor outside was not a common occurrence.” –Dan Mundy Jr., BC Civic Association president.

By the way, did anybody else see the magic snow that fell and kept falling over Friday afternoon and evening, and then completely disappeared by Saturday night?

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Dan also notes, “As we all finally get a chance to spend some time outside, the Civic Association is encouraging all residents to try to help beautify our neighborhood by sweeping up the street in front of their home, and maybe their neighbors, homes.”

Hopefully the chill will soon be out of the air (hopefully) and we’ll all be out and about. And while you’re out and about this weekend, it stands to reason that you’ll want someplace to go.

Well, this Saturday, March 28, Brian’s Buddies are sponsoring a Penny Social Relay For Life Benefit at Christ Presbyterian By The Sea Church, 104 Noel Road. Come down and enjoy great DJ music, 50/50s, raffles and more for a good cause. BYOB. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The next day, March 29, the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary is doing their Palm Sunday Brunch between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will be eggs in any style, omelets, pancakes, sausage, ham, bacon, drinks, coffee, tea and homemade desserts. Everything is cooked to order and served up fresh for you.

Palm Sunday services will be on Saturday at St. Virgilius at 4 p.m. and on Sunday at 10 a.m. On Monday night, March 30, confession will be heard from 7 to 8 p.m.

Holy Thursday services will be held at St. Camillus at 7:30 p.m. On Good Friday, April 3, the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be at noon at St. Virgilius. The Stations of the Cross will be at 7 p.m.

Next week Sunday, April 5, the kids are in for a real treat. Christ Presbyterian by the Sea Church will be hosting Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. That’s Sunday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church hall on Church Road just off Noel Road.

There will be pictures with the Easter Bunny and fun stuff for the kids.

There will be also fresh from the kitchen eggs, pancakes, hash browns, sausages, bacon, drinks, coffee, tea and juice, plus 50/50s and raffles. Admission for adults is $10 and children are $6.

Say, I might have mentioned that the Rockaway Artists Alliance is presenting

“An Irish Afternoon of Music, Stories, Humor and More…” this Sunday afternoon, March 29. That starts at 1 p.m. at the T- 7 Gallery building at Fort Tilden, across from the Rockaway Little League field. It’s a show for the whole family. Free admission and free parking. Come and enjoy!

Mark your calendars now: the BCVFD is having an Open House on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26. More details to come. Their annual fund drive will be starting in May. Find out about volunteer opportunities by calling 718-474-6888 now.

This week Broad Channel says goodbye to Arlene Nix, who passed away this week. She will be missed by her family, many neighbors and friends, and our BC community.

The BCAC Shamrocks travel football teams are signing up now. They play in the Nassau Suffolk Football League.

The team groups break into Peanuts (ages 5-6), Pee Wee (age 7-8), Midget (9-10), Pony (11-12) and Senior (13-14). League ages are determined by how old each player will be on November 30 of this year.

Registration is on Saturdays and Sundays on March 28, April 18, 19, 25, 26, May 9, 30, 31 and June 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. On Wednesday evenings, May 13 and 20, registration will be from 6 to 8 p.m.

Sign up is at the BCAC Memorial Field just off Cross Bay Boulevard at 1st Road.

The registration fee of $200 covers a certified helmet and shoulder pads for use during the season, a game jersey with the player’s last name on it, a practice jersey and things like insurance, field lights, concessions, etc. Also all coaches are USAFOOTBALL Heads Up certified.

If you have questions contact coach Mike Malsy at 516-410-0978 or michaelmalsy@aol.com. Sponsors are also needed!

The Jamaica Bay Task Force, headed up by Don Riepe and Dan Mundy Sr., hosted a meeting at theJamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, March 19, at which the Army Corp of Engineers began to talk about the long awaited Rockaway Reformulation Study. They covered possible future storm protections for Jamaica Bay. This ranged from sea gates to building embankments to house raising. Dan Falt of the AOE, who lives in Rockaway, stressed these are potential solutions. Also details of plans for the protections along the ocean side of Rockaway were not covered. More details will come out in April.

Hope you caught all the great music Broad Channel was making last weekend. BC band Poor House rocked the VFW last Saturday night at a great friend in need benefit featuring Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape and Ethoscope. Everyone there had a great time. Poor House, led by the Mason and Frank Poretto, no longer use a lead singer and are handling the vocals even better on their own.

BC was represented over the bridge the same night at the Playland

Motel. The Channel’s own Mike Benedetto and his group Rattrap Bumpkin held a release party for their new CD, and invited Mr. Big Deal (another BC connection) and also White Rabbit and other special guests.

If you think you saw me at both events- on the same night- you were right!

Got Broad Channel news, events, organization or community info? Send it to workingstories @aol.com.

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