Broad Channel Bits

By Dan Guarino

This Memorial Day weekend the beach in Rockaway officially opens and all of us start unofficially tilting our thoughts toward summer.

This Memorial Day is also a time for us to honor and to remember. There are a number of remembrances you might want to take part in both here and just over the bridge.

On Sunday, May 25, the men and women of the American Legion will meet at Christ Presbyterian by The Sea Church for memorial services at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m. they will move over to St. Virgilius RC Church for a Mass there. There will be coffee and rolls back at the Legion Hall afterward.

The Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at the firehouse at 11 a.m. that morning. The firehouse and both churches are located at the corners of Noel and Church roads.

The VFW is hosting the Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, which will step off from 17th Road Park and march up Cross Bay Boulevard. Refreshments will be served at the VFW post after the parade.

On Monday, there will be a Memorial Day service at St. Francis de Sales and parade. Check the Happenings section elsewhere in the paper for times and places.

This month the flag at 17th Road Park flies for Robert (Emmet) Hobbs United States Army, WWII.

If you are reading this column on Friday morning, make plans to head to the BCVFD’s Mardi Gras 2014 Opening Night. It’s at the firehouse on Noel Road from 7 p.m. to midnight. There will be a DJ, food, beer, table games, fun and more. $10,000 raffle tickets will also go on sale. Pick up a few mugs and other merchandise, too.

Join the Vollies for a fun night and help get Mardi Gras started right!

Now, if you happen to be reading this on Saturday morning…well, just think of all the fun you could have had!

Put it in park and sign up for the new 6 hour defensive driving class. It can save you 10 percent on your liability, collision and no fault insurance for the next three years and knock 4 points off your license.

The two part class is coming up on Tuesday, June 3 and 10, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the St. Camillus Auditorium, 185 Beach 99th Street, Rockaway Park.

No test, and refreshments will be served. Proceeds go to the St. Camillus- St Virgilius’s religious instruction program (CCD). Your $45 payment guarantees you a seat. Turn down the radio and call Helen at 917-553-2409 or 718- 945-4648.

Don’t forget the Shad Creek Association’s 2014 Golf Outing is on for Friday, June 13. It’s $75 per golfer, which includes beverages and goodies on the green and the awards party/dinner at the Shad Creek Association clubhouse afterwards. There’ll also be prizes and raffles. Or you can enjoy the party for $30. Contact Mike Kelly contact 917- 868-4453 or email michael_ p_ kelly@- yahoo.com to register. And may the Course be with you.* Look for details about the Shad Creek Associations “It’s A Fluke” fishing contest hitting the water in July.

(*Thank you, Dorothy from BC.)

Hopefully you made it to the BC Civic meeting last Thursday. The scheduled main presentation was on the Build It Back Program, with the new director Amy Peterson on hand to talk about changes to the program and answer questions. “Amy Peterson has been extremely responsive,” BC Civic President Dan Mundy Jr. recently wrote, “and it is critical to have additional issues and problems identified. That is the purpose of having her come to this Civic meeting and listen to our residents and hopefully use this feedback to shape the policy of this program.”

According to the city’s Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the Cross Bay Boulevard repaving will be completed by July 1. There was concern about how the roadwork would stop up summer traffic. The Civic Association met with the DDC on this and was assured the project will be fast tracked to be completed by that date.

Very last minute the DDC decided to replace only 25 percent of the damaged curbs and sidewalks that were originally marked off. Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder arranged a meeting onsite with the Broad Channel Civic and DDC. DDC reversed course and crews are now in process of fully replacing all of them.

Still no ‘Left Turn Permitted On Red’ sign at 20th Road. Still waiting for it to appear.

Got a good place for the Broad Channel Historical Society to safely store its collection? Contact them atwww.broadchannelhistoricalsociety.org.

Don’t forget to donate to the Vollies when you can. They can also always use new members. Even if you can help out answering the phones for a few hours, you are needed. And there is a BCVFD program for younger people to learn and help with essential tasks. Stop by, visit their website or call and find out more.

You might notice something missing at the BC Library. The library’s Joe Partee, who has been with us since before the storm, has moved on to the Long Island City branch. We wish him the best of luck and thank him for being part of our community. You can still drop in though and say hi to Carol, Bill and Jo Marie. Hey, while you’re there check out some books, DVDs, CDs, audio books and more.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is debating big changes to the U.S. Postal Services’ delivery system. Over the next 10 years 15 million households could go from door to door mail delivery to the “less costly,” but also less convenient delivery at curbside boxes. When I was briefly inCanada last year a similar delivery service was being debated there. The Canadians didn’t like it either.

Got BC news? Please send me any information about what’s happening around the Channel or things that involve BC. Send it to workingstories- @aol.com. Thanks for reading!