Between the Bridges in Broad Channel

Between the Bridges

by Peter Mahon

January 14th, 2016

It is said that without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.  So it was no surprise that this past weekend’s fundraiser for Minnie Horan up at the Broad Channel VFW was a resounding success as the hall resonated with the sound of music accompanied by throngs of people enjoying the bands and each other’s company.

In last week’s Rockaway Times Letters to the Editor, Andrew Rohman (USMC 1963-1969) of Belle Harbor rightfully stuck it to me for referring to myself as an “ex-Marine” in a previous column. “There is no such thing as an ex-Marine!  You should know that from the day you graduate boot camp until the day you die you are a Marine.”  My sincere apologies to both you and the Corps Andrew.  You are absolutely right and I give you my word it will not happen again.  I have taken to task the editor of this otherwise grand weekly newspaper who was directly responsible for this goof and soundly chastised him for his faulty proof reading skills.

With the Christmas and New Year holidays now behind us now all we have left to do is to settle in and wait out the remaining 67 days until the arrival of spring on Sunday, March 20^th, 2016.  Yes, I know there are a few minor “almost holiday events” sprinkled in between now and the arrival of the vernal equinox.  Mardi Gras carnival celebrations have already commenced and will continue until “Fat Tuesday”, February 9^th but a month long party is something I couldn’t handle even back in my younger days.  The celebration of Robert E. Lee’s birthday is an event that political correctness now causes me to shy away from after all the ruckus that was raised last year about the Confederate flag.  Valentine’s Day is really nothing more than an economic stimulus package for the greeting card and flower industries.  I find Ground Hog Day to be somewhat creepy after viewing the Bill Murray film and watching Staten Island Chuck attack our own Mayor De Blasio two years ago. Unless you are actually viewing or marching in a parade, St. Patrick’s Day remains just another day of winter. Presidents Day is a holiday that continues to confuse me as I am still not sure what happened to Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays.  Finally Employee Appreciation Day is an observance that, as long as I can remember, was never celebrated by any of my past employers.  Spring can’t arrive fast enough for me!

As I was pecking away at this column Grace and the girls were reading over my shoulder and being generally annoying when someone remarked, “For God’s sake, now he’s complaining about holidays…” at which point they pulled me aside and told me I was getting old and boring.  “Enough with the crotchety old man act, start moving and let’s all go out and do something exciting…” they said.  I quickly replied, “OK, we’ll all go out and have dinner at Chipolte tonight with a little norovirus on the side…exciting enough for all of you?”

Congratulations to our local Assemblyman, Phil Goldfeder, who recently made it on to New York attorney, lobbyist, and fashion-enthusiast Brad Gerstman's list of best dressed politicians in 2015.  I used to refer to Phil as the “Energizer Bunny” because of his ability to seemingly be in a myriad different places at once but, henceforth, I will simply refer to him as “Assemblyman GQ!”

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