Beachcomber

The Irish Circle is now closed for good. Reveler’s reactions this weekend were a mixed bag as they came to mark the very last call. Some reminisced, some took it in stride. Everybody had a drink.

This is news. Cross Bay Boulevard in Broad Channel is set to be completely repaved. Work is set to start very soon. Plan your morning commute accordingly.

By name and nature: A suspect has been arrested in a series of attacks in Brooklyn. He allegedly hit his victims, including a pregnant woman, in the back of the head with a hammer. Then he robbed them. The suspect’s first initial and last name? “A. Coward.” You can’t make this up.

A longtime resident and tenant in the apartment building on Beach 129th Street wants to know: what’s happening with the No Parking in the area from May to September? How can you have guests over during the summer, the best part of Rockaway, if there’s no place to park? If you don’t have a driveway, you’re out of luck.

On Friday, May 23, the Broad Channel VFW Post will host “Rocking N’ Rolling for a Soldier and His Dog,” starting at 7 p.m. The VFW is on Shad Creek Road, just off Cross Bay Boulevard. There will be live music, food, beverages and fun. All proceeds will go to have a dog trained for a New York veteran in need. Help out someone who has served and have a good time.

From Pete Stubbens: “On the (ferry) boat this morning two German tourists told me they had to stop in Rockaway first for a few days before going to Manhattan. They stayed at The Playland (where else?). Loved Rockaway, and so now these Berliners are heading to midtown for the rest of their NYC holiday.”

Reverend Father Thomas Doyle and the St. Francis de Sales Support Group are inviting anyone who has recently lost a loved one to join a Memorial Prayer Service on Sunday, June 7, at 11 a.m. in the Sacred Heart Chapel at St. Francis, on Beach 129st Street.

With all the new culinary curiosity centered on Rockaway, McDonalds may have to up the ante. Last Wednesday the ice cream choices were vanilla and …. well, vanilla.

Have you seen the Rockaway Theatre Company’s hilarious production of “Moon Over Buffalo’? It’s running until May 24 at Fort Tilden. Buy a ticket and be prepared to laugh your behind off. (You’ll look great for summer!)

A new Call-A-Head portable john was spotted at the corner of Beach Channel Drive and Beach 91st Street. Either this is a holdover from the road construction there, or movement is expected soon on the old Courthouse.

A recent Sunday New York Times Style Section on Klaus Biesenbach dropped these well-known Rockaway names: David Selig, Patti Smith and the Rockaway Artists Alliance. All in one article!

A staffer at The Wave, after applying for Build It Back in June and giving up on it by February, just got a call from the program. Out of the blue. They say he ‘might’ be eligible for up to two years in renters assistance. He says, for now, he’ll wait and see.

Be there and be heard. Scott Stringer will be holding a Sandy Oversight town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 20, at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 348 Beach 71st Street, from 7-9 p.m. Residents are invited to speak up about their specific issues dealing with recovery programs.

Architecture fans, take note. Stroll down almost any street in Rockaway and you will find a wealth of different styles and designs of buildings and houses. From humble bungalows to grand rambling houses, they are here. From modern day designs to structures standing for more than a hundred years, it’s one more thing that makes this place special.

Jenni Drain and Brent Birnbaum stopped by The Wave last month, checking into possible places to open an art gallery. Glad to hear they now have a space and are working hard for a ‘just in time for summer’ opening day.