On a Friday evening, Feb. 25, five years ago I stood by a bed in a hospital. My wife Liz was losing her battle with cancer. In a matter of hours she would be gone.
The BC Volies were most kind when they brought her from the house on Noel Road. They brought her coat and made sure she was warm on the ride there. She would remark on that in the short time she was still able to speak.
We came to the Channel about 20 years before. She loved it here. We often talked about how we would want to grow old here. We were welcomed by the community and gradually became part of it.
Liz was very delighted to be part of Channel life. She loved the friends she made here and the organizations she belonged to. She was very proud of this column, the last of which came out on the day she died.
She was also proud of the book we wrote, Images Of America: Broad Channel. One of the biggest thrills she had was when we did a presentation on it for the whole school at PS/MS 47.
Life, as we found out, was not going to be what we thought it was. But if there was any place she would want to be right now it would be here, in the Channel. And if there was anything she would to say, I think it would be ‘Thank You’ to everyone for making this a special place, and making her a special part of it.
This Saturday night, Feb. 27, the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department will be having their Installation Dinner Dance. It starts at 8 p.m. at the American Legion Hall. Admission includes food, drinks, entertainment and lots of fun and goes to support the Volies in a big way.
Contact Dan McIntyre at dmcintyre@broadchannelvfd.com or call/text 347-678-5857 for tickets or contact Jill Spinelli at jspinelli@broadchannelvd.com or call/text 917-995- 2390 today for tickets. They are going fast!
Don’t miss the big BCVFD Raffle. As Chief McIntyre says, “Once again this year’s raffle is for a couples’ getaway weekend in Manhattan. Included in the prize is a gift card to the Marriott Marquis for a two night stay. A Tele-charge gift card allowing the winner to choose any show they want to see. And finally a gift card to a top of the line restaurant in the theater district. Tickets are $10 each and the value of this prize is $1,500.”
Speaking of getting 10 percent off your car insurance for the next three years and removing four points off your license…
You can sign up now for the 6 Hour Defensive Driving Class which will be given over Wednesday, April 6 and 13, from 7 to 10 p.m.
There is no test and refreshments will be served. You must attend both nights. Call Helen at 917- 553-2409 or 718-945-4648 to reserve your seat. Proceeds benefit St. Camillus Catholic Academy.
The last date to register for BCAC Little League is this Saturday, Feb. 20 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the BCAC Clubhouse at Memorial Field.
Next Saturday, March 5; expect to see our BC Volies and others in the big St. Patrick’s Day Parade inRockaway. It steps off at 1 p.m.
There will be a St. Virgilius-St. Camillus Parish St. Patrick’s Dance on Sunday, March 6, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Springman Hall with a sit-down corned beef and cabbage supper, with beer, soda and set ups. Jim Crowley and the Summer Wind Band will bring the music. Call 718-634-8229 for info/tickets.
Over at Fort Tilden I am running the Rockaway Artists Alliance Afternoon of Irish Stories, Humor and Songs musical variety show from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 6. We’ll be welcoming Sheila Cassidy, John Gilleece of the Rockaway Theatre Company, Annmarie Acosta-Williams and the Acosta School of Irish Music and Dance, Walter Ensor, David Roffe, John Simonelli and others to the stage at the T-7 Gallery. And there’ll be homemade corned beef. The event is free and open to the public. Come by!
Want to join in the St. Virgilius Choir? Contact Doris Dady at dorisd459@gmail.com. Practice is on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. No musical experience necessary!
Ready for brunch? American Legion Auxiliary will be holding the Annual Jane Fuller Cancer Brunch on Sunday, March 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and enjoy a delicious fresh cooked breakfast and help out a good cause.
Mark your calendars now for the Legion’s big Doo-Wop Show on Saturday, April 2. Enjoy a great pasta buffet dinner and two top live groups. The Devotions and The Tribunes will be performing all your favorite oldies but goodies from the ‘50s and ‘60s! There’ll be a dance contest, cash bar and more.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is from 7 to 8 and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Reserve your table early for a great night out. Call Carol at 917-930-0546, Janet at 718-483-3811 or Margaret at 917-751-3698. No doubt tickets will be going fast. All proceeds help to support our Legion veterans programs and also help to keep the doors open and the light on for future events.
Finally, Dan Mundy Jr., pointing to the recent severe Nor’easter flooding, notes in the BC Civic Association newsletter, “The Civic Association has been in communication with the Army Corps of Engineers as they finish their study which will determine the “preferred alternative” for what action to identify for protecting those communities that are located around Jamaica Bay.”
The Civic is advocating for a “surge barrier located adjacent to the Marine Parkway Bridge. While the plan is not out yet, it most likely would include two jetty-like structures protruding from the Queens andBrooklyn sides and then an opening in between them that would have an operable gate.”
Pick up a copy of the newsletter to read some well-reasoned reasons why this approach makes sense. Thanks for reading
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