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Thursday, May 19, 2016

Between the Bridges in Broad Channel


Weather And A Day To Remember

Stop by the Broad Channel VFW Flea Market this Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and explore the many tables filled with all manner of wonderful and eclectic items you never knew you needed - antiques, bath and body products, designer clothing, housewares, glassware, artwork, jewelry and accessories, crafts, toys and more! Presently, the weather forecast for Broad Channel is calling for a warm sunny weekend. That being said, the weekend flea market will be held rain or shine, inside or out.
As summer rapidly approaches most of us think of the Memorial Day holiday that accompanies the end of the month of May. Not much thought is given to Armed Forces Day, which is celebrated this Saturday, May 21.  President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country and on August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense. An excerpt from a New York Post article back in 1952 perhaps summed up this holiday best by stating, “It is our most earnest hope that those who are in positions of peril, that those who have made exceptional sacrifices, yes, and those who are afflicted with plain drudgery and boredom, may somehow know that we hold them in exceptional esteem. Perhaps if we are a little more conscious of our debt of honored affection they may be a little more aware of how much we think of them.”
June 1 and the start of the Atlantic Basin’s 2016 Hurricane is fast approaching and between now and then we will all be deluged with media accounts of extended range forecasts for this season’s storm activity. Why issue extended-range forecasts for seasonal hurricane activity? After Hurricane Irene back in 2011, and especially Sandy in 2012, people in our neck of the woods are extremely curious to know how active the upcoming season is likely to be. These forecasts are issued not only to satisfy the curiosity of the general public, but more importantly, to focus attention on the problems and damage that can accompany a strong Tropical Storm or Hurricane.  After Sandy (1,298 days ago but who’s counting?) I think those of us here in Broad Channel are already keenly aware of that little factoid. That being said, everyone should realize that it is impossible to precisely predict a specific season’s hurricane activity. Additionally, these forecasts do not specifically predict where within the Atlantic basin these storms will strike. The probability of landfall for any one location along the coast is very low and reflects the fact that, in any one season, most U.S. coastal areas will not feel the effects of a hurricane no matter how active the individual season is. Nevertheless, always keep in mind that it only takes one strong storm making landfall in our area to make it an “active” season for us here in the Channel.
Broad Channel, why would anyone want to live anywhere else?

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