Beachcomber

Help the Secret Sandy Claus Project/ We Care New York’s mission of bringing as many toys and smiles to as many kids in need as possible each holiday season. Registration is open to all kids in need throughout the five boroughs of New York City, ages 0-14. The registration period will close at midnight on Thanksgiving, Nov. 24. To register your child, visit www.sscpny.org/ register- fortoyswww.sscpny.org/register-fortoys. To volunteer as Santa or an Elf, please sign up at www.sscpny.org/volunteerwww.sscpny.org/volunteer. To donate, please visitwww.sscpny.org/donatewww.sscpny.org/donate.

Next week is National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9-15), and safety tips remain a hot topic with fire rescue personnel. The theme for many fire depatments this year is “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years.” Great advice!

REMINDER: If you wish to vote on Election Day on Nov. 8, all applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 14 and received by a board of elections no later than Oct. 19 to be eligible to vote in the General Election. You may register at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year but, to be eligible to vote in the General Election, your application must be made no later than Oct. 14. For all information about registration, visit www.elections. ny.gov/VotingRegister. html.

NewYorkers for Parks will be offering free daffodil bulbs for any Rockaway community groups or individuals interested in hosting projects at their schools, businesses or neighborhood blocks, so check out the Daffodil Giveaway on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m at the RISE Center, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

New Yorkers of all kinds have their favorite parks – and the memories to go with them. Now, during the month of October, NYC Parks invites New Yorkers – and all those who love the city – to share their #nycparksmemories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Users across platforms can use the #nycparksmemories hashtag to share photos and stories of favorite memories of New York City’s parks. NYC Parks will feature the best stories on its social media channels. Follow @nycparks on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to see highlights. #nycparksmemories comes ahead of the October 20 opening of the NYC Parks Arsenal Gallery exhibit, My Father’s Son: Photographs by Irwin Silverand Mitchell J. Silver, an exhibition in which Commissioner Silver shares his own memories of NYC Parks.

Save the date! On Oct. 28, Ross Barbera and The Wave’s Thomas Kerr will be opening an exhibition of their landscape work at Cuisine by Claudette on Beach 116th Street. Kerr says, “I’ll be featuring many of the small landscape studies I made this summer (About 40 of ‘em) and Ross has a selection of watercolor and acrylic paintings.” Can’t wait!

REMINDER: The Broad Channel American Legion Auxiliary’s 4th Annual Halloween Party will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 8 p.m. to midnight. Start planning your costumes! $25 per person includes a hot buffet and music by DJs @ Work. Cash prizes for 1st & 2nd place costumes. Cash Bar. Order your table now! They ask that you please try to get your tickets ASAP so they’ll have an idea of how many to cook for.

Join “Wildman” Steve Brill,America’s go-to guy for foraging, as he leads the way on one of his world-famous foraging expeditions of the Far Rockaway seashore. The two-hour walking tour starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the RISE Center, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd. The tour will focus on edible plants, preservation, and rebuilding our ecological riches. After, join RWA educator Heather Kramer, who will be teaching you how to make your own jam out of autumn olives. Advanced registration is suggested as space is limited. Fall Foraging Tour w/ Steve Brill.

Celebrate the 2nd Annual Oktoberfest at the Riis Park Beach Bazaar on Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16, from noon - 5 p.m. Each day features specialty menus by Riis Point and Whit’s End, live musical performances by Walker & the Brotherhood of the Grape and theSunnyside Social Club.

Mark Broad Channel Historical Day on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 1 – 4 p.m. at the VFW Hall, Shad Creek Rd. in Broad Channel. Take a look at Broad Channel’s unique history through artifacts, pictures, newspaper articles, documents and letters. There will even be an audio/visual component and copies of the 2017 historical calendar for sale.

Join the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance for its 5th annual Hip-Hop Halloweencelebration on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 1 – 4 p.m. at the RISE Center, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd. There will be face-painting and pumpkin decorating activities for kids and festive fall foods
!