Between the Bridges in Broad Channel

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Peter Mahon

Shortly after Sandy’s storm surge which left Rob McCarthy’s home on West 12^th Road uninhabitable, the line to the water meter on the property froze and burst.  The broken line was cut and capped that same day by a helpful neighbor which eliminated the serious water waste but, unfortunately, over the next several years Rob continually received quarterly water bills from DEP estimating his usage bill at $250 despite the fact that his property's water usage was zero!  

Repeated requests by Rob to for DEP to meet with him at the property in order to sort out this billing problem went unheeded until only last week when a DEP staff member finally arrived on the block to survey the problem. The DEP representative listened attentively to Rob’s factual explanation as to what had been transpiring for the past several years with his “quarterly $250 estimated bill” and, after surveying the property, called his supervisor and explained that this was a longstanding Sandy related issue and requested guidance as to how to proceed. Unfortunately, that was when this entire issue took a very unexpected detour into the Twilight Zone.  

The DEP supervisor's sole response to his field technician was that “Sandy happened 3 years ago….” followed by explicit directions to issue a violation to the property owner for an “unauthorized disconnect from the water meter.” DEP’s response to this homeowner’s problem brings to mind the words of Laurence J. Peter, author of the Peter Principle who stated…..“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”   Personally, I go with the second option!

On Sunday, September 13^th, members of the Broad Channel VFW Prince-Wynn Post #260 family woke up early, packed several cars with food and other supplies and then headed out to St. Albans Hospital to provide a BBQ and other activities for the disabled veterans who are residents at the hospital. Today, because less than one percent of our population serves in the military too many of us are not attuned to the everyday needs of our nation's veterans.  Thankfully, our small town of Broad Channel has long been a community possessed with a much greater concern for and understanding of the sacrifices made by service members and their families who are members of our families, our neighbors, our friends, our fellow citizens.  The men and women of our local VFW are a shining understanding of that concern and understanding.

Speaking of the VFW, stop by the Broad Channel VFW Flea Market this weekend (Sat and Sun) between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm and explore the many tables filled with all manner of wonderful and eclectic items you never knew you needed!

Don’t forget this coming Sunday evening (September 27^th) our town will have a front row seat to a rare supermoon lunar eclipse combo. The last time we got to experience such a phenomenon was in 1982 and this one will be clearly visible from our area in Broad Channel providing it is not a cloudy night.  This rare celestial event will start right around the time of Sunday evening’s 8:30 pm high tide.  Keep in mind that if you miss this one, you won't get another chance until 2033!

Broad Channel – Why would anyone want to live anywhere else?