Broad Channel Bits
As the weather gets (a little bit) nicer, it’s hard to be in so many places at once. We do keep trying though.
This Saturday it’s Hats And Horses Day At The VFW! Prince-Wynn Post 260 is celebrating the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby from noon to 7 p.m. They invite you to stroll the paddock, i.e. the Post’s lush backyard at 713 Shad Creek Road, peruse your tout sheets and enjoy a good cigar.
As they say “Ladies, keep in mind this is the Kentucky Derby we’re talking about. So remember to wear a hat, the more ostentatious the better!”
Post time is 6:24 p.m. and everyone can enjoy the race on several flat screen TVs in the Canteen. Take yourself to the races and have a great time. All proceeds benefit the VFW’s services for our disabled vets.
On Thursday, May 7, the BC Library hosts “How To Speak To Your Physician” from 4 to 5 p.m. Learn how to advocate for yourself and your family in the doctor’s office in this open discussion about doctor-patient communication.
Next Saturday morning, May 9, is BC’s 25th annual Spring Planting and Adopt-A-Tree Event starting at 10 a.m.
Bring gloves and gardening tools to the median on Cross Bay Boulevard to clean, spruce up, dig, weed, garden, plant and beautify the tree pits. As Judy Zack says, “Tell a friend, bring a neighbor, get your grandchildren involved. The more the merrier.”
If people could avoid parking along the east side of the boulevard for that morning that would really help. It’ll make it a lot easier for people who are planting or distributing flowers. Thanks.
The overnight Relay For Life event at the BCAC Field starts on Saturday, May 16. If you’ve never been to one of these events, they can be a lot of fun and also very moving. Come to be part of it, contribute and/or to cheer on those who will be walking to raise funds to fight cancer. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
As of April 17, the Broad Channel, Breezy Point and Rockaway Relay For Life teams collectively raised $26,000. Nobody puts more heart into everything than our combined communities.
Reverend Deborah Mahaney is now “on the marquee” at Christ Presbyterian by the Sea Church. Services are every Sunday at 9:15 a.m. Stop in sometime. The doors are open to all.
Parents, go to www.stcstv.com to find out about free full day universal prekindergarten at St. Camillus.
Over on the west side, Steve Hawk and his family have installed solar roof panels on their home. It’s their “contribution to Earth Day.” They estimate they will be generating 92 percent of their own electricity. They also received many questions from neighbors who would like to do this for themselves. Besides being a successful business owner, Steve is also an accomplished musician. I had the pleasure of catching him as part of the Breezy Grass Trio, along with Vic Lamora and Matt Lyons, at a crowded pub in Long Beach last week.
Congratulations to Anna O’Connor. For three years you have fought the good fight against cancer—and you are winning! Wishing you and your family many, many more happy years.
Pat McGovern on Channel Road pointed out a dangerous situation. Especially with the kind of nicer weather coming along, there are more people out on bicycles. Both adults and kids, Pat has noted, are more often riding against traffic. True, you can see oncoming cars, and maybe you are in the bike lane. But drivers pulling out of the side streets are also looking at oncoming traffic, and are not expecting to see you rapidly coming from the other direction. Several near accidents have happened already. Enjoy the fresh air, the exercise and the fun. But be mindful of where others are coming from, and be safe. Go with traffic. Pat and all your other neighbors would appreciate it.
Thanks to everyone who turned out for the Friend In Need night hosted by Liz McCarthy last Saturday. The bands that came rocked the event at Grassy’s well into the night.
Kids got to work the fire hoses, wear fire hats enjoy bouncy rides. Adults got to talk to the Volies officers at the BCVFD Open House last weekend, ask questions and find out about volunteering. Everybody enjoyed the car rescue and equipment demonstration. Dan McIntyre was a good sport about being the rescue victim. There were a few moments of wondering about whether they were going to unstrap him from the backboard or just leave him on the side for a while.
The event, held at the firehouse on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26, brought a pretty good size crowd. Sunday was particularly sunny, and Chief Robert Leonard and the Volies were excellent hosts. Former Chief Ed Wilmarth III expertly narrated the demonstrations. A big part of this open house was to bring in more volunteers. Ed Wilmarth Jr., who’s been a part of the department for 40 plus years, told me “The Volies are a reflection of the community. The strength of it comes from the people that volunteer. But we can only be as good as the people in town who step forward to be part of it.” Call 718-474-8888 or drop by the firehouse. Find out how you can make our town safer.
Note: More than one person mentioned to me that it would be a great idea to have bouncy house rides for adults.
Finally, I came across a letter from a couple of years ago in The Wave archives. In it, Patrick Tubridy wrote in part, “Whether you agree with them or not, all of the (Wave) writers are PRO ROCKAWAY. They are our advocates and I thank them for that.”
I treasure this as one of the proudest things I will ever be called. And I tell you now, in whatever I do, to the best of my ability, I will always proudly be pro-Rockaway and pro-Broad Channel.
Got BC news? Send it to workingstories@aol.com.
Thanks for reading.
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