Well, it’s pitch dark outside and the wind is blowing hard enough to dance the chairs around the deck. Sounds like it would rip the roof off.
But on better days, nearly every morning I look out my window and see boats, mostly fishing, headed out onto the bay. Last week I saw the police boat come gliding through the early morning sun.
It’s only a week away. That’s right, next Saturday, May 10, is the Broad Channel Civic Association Beautification Committee’s Adopt-A-Tree and Spring Planting. It starts at 10 a.m. on the Cross Bay Boulevard median.
Make Broad Channel beautiful. Enjoy some time outdoors, get some fresh air and come along with family, friends and neighbors.
There will be cleaning, sprucing, digging, gardening and planting, and beautifying the tree pits.
Later let me personally invite you across the bridge to the T-7 Gallery at Fort Tilden. At 2 p.m. The Quintet of the Americas will be giving a special concert performance as Rockaway Artists Alliance’s special guests.
It’s free, there’s plenty of parking and everyone is invited.
I see the former Traza Insurance office on the boulevard has an interesting paper in the window. It’s a State Liquor Authority notice of application for an offpremises liquor license. The applicant is Broad Channel Wine and Liquor Incorporated. Let’s sit back and see what ferments.
There’s a buzz around town about a new pizza place, Rocco’s, getting ready to open right next door to All American Channel Market.
Also Tommy’s Pizza is still open for business just down the block.
Do your part, Broad Channel. Buy local, eat more pizza and encourage others to order take out!
Thanks to Gary Kenny on Noel Road for buying two copies of our book, “Image of America: Broad Channel.”
Just so you know, the book is still very much on sale. You can go to Amazon or contact me.
On Easter Sunday Father Ahlmeyer mentioned that St. Virgilius once again has bathroom facilities, courtesy of a portable toilet in back.
The St. Virgilius school building, and its bathrooms, were heavily damaged in the storm. The old lunchroom building, completely renovated not long before Sandy, was damaged, too.
In the church bulletin in mid-March, Father Ahlmeyer noted, “Two weeks ago, four representatives from FEMA came to inspect the buildings ... The hope is that they might be able to offer assistance to rebuild. After spending an hour and a half, they agreed that demolition was probably the best option. Last week I met with the Diocesan Building Office and gave them a copy of the City Survey of the Lots. They are going to get an opinion on what size building we can build.”
At Easter he mentioned it looks like the two older buildings, being in bad shape, will be replaced by one new one.
If you are donating to the BC Volunteer Fire Department, you can make your dollars go even further. For every $75 per household, $10 will go to the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure. The money will keep up the good fight against breast cancer.
The Vollies are doing Mardi Gras this year. Interested in being part of the Mardi Gras Committee? Contact BCVFD at their business line at 718- 474-6888.
Note: For emergencies only, call the BCVFD hotline at 718-474-8888.
Here’s another mystery solved. After 19 years in business, the Bay Gull Store closed suddenly just around Christmas.
A Daily News article last week explained why. Reported by Melissa Chan, it explained that owner Patrick Williams’ store, inventory and all his equipment were ruined by the storm. He “pulled teeth, she wrote “just to receive a scant $5,000 grant from the city. But in an ambitious move to save the store he bought from prior owners four years ago, Williams shelled out $40,000 of his own money to gut and clean it, redo the walls and buy more equipment to reopen one month later.”
All Williams’ hard work and sacrifice unfortunately was not enough to save the business, especially with the lack of substantial help. The Bay Gull Store closed its doors. Now we know why.
The BCAC opening day parade and ceremonies were great! Congrats to all our Shamrocks, coaches and supporters. Special congrats to my neighbor Marty Feeney’s grandson Jack, Brian Ethan Padilla and all the other players celebrating their first game ever. Ethan was also celebrating his seventh birthday!
I was very proud to stand beside Councilman Eric Ulrich and Eugene Shvartsman, Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder’s Director of Constituent Services, and be part of the ceremonies.
Even though it rained all through the night, just around 8:30 a.m. the skies magically cleared. And they stayed clear for the parade, opening day and all the games that afternoon.
By late afternoon it was raining again. Guess the sun really was shining for the BCAC and Broad Channel’s kids that day.
As I said then, “As long as the Shamrocks and BCAC are on the field, I know Broad Channel is in good hands.”
All the best, too, to the Rockaway Little League, whose big opening day was also Saturday.
Try the Taste of Rockaway event this Sunday, May 4th 12-6 p.m. A $10 card gets you a selected sample at each of 11 eateries. See the ad in this newspaper.
Don’t forget the Shad Creek Association 2014 Golf Outing on Friday, June 13, 3 p.m., $75 per golfer, which includes an awards party and dinner at the Shad Creek Association. There’ll also be prizes and raffles. Or you can enjoy the party for $30. Contact Mike Kelly 917-868- 4453 or email michael_ p_ kelly @yahoo.com to register.
Got a good place for the Broad Channel Historical Society to safely stow its collection? Contact them atwww.broadchannelhistoricalsociety.org.
BC Historical calendars are still on sale. Great to always know the tide times.
Got BC news? Send it to workingstories@aol.com.
Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment