Rockaway Times 10-13-22

A Spotlight Shines on 129

QueensLink Advocates Rally for the Rail Line

By Katie McFadden

Advocates for QueensLink have not given up hope. On Sunday, Oc tober 9, the organization fighting for the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach Branch rail line were joined by elected officials and supporters to advocate for the transportation option in wake of Mayor Eric Ad ams announcing a park would be designed for the area where the train could run.

On September 16, Mayor Ad ams announced a $35 million in vestment in the design and con struction of the Metropolitan Hub (Met Hub) in Queens, a park which would run along the area where advocates have spent dec ades fighting for the reactivation of the rail line connecting south ern Queens to northern Queens. The announcement came as a shocking blow for those fighting for the transportation option, as a park could potentially squash all dreams of reactivating the rail line. But activists for QueensLink, the proposed extension of the M Train from Rego Park to Rockaway along an old 3.5-mile LIRR line, are not giving up just yet. They’re fighting even harder.

A crowd gathered on the board walk at Beach 92nd Street on Sun day for a rally in support of Queen sLink. Attorney Mike Scala led the event, saying, “Why are we here? We need better transportation in the Rockaways and around New York City. Rockaway suffers from

the worst commute times in all of NYC and we’ve been fighting for this asset. Some people might know it as the Rockaway Beach Line, you might know it as Queens Rail, now it’s QueensLink. It would be a game changer for our entire city.”

Scala said that QueensLink had written a letter to the governor and mayor back in August, advocating for an Environmental Impact Study to be done for the feasibility of QueensLink, which was support ed by 15 council members and two community boards that would be impacted by QueensLink, includ ing Rockaway’s CB14. So the an nouncement of the funding for the park came as a disappointment.

pianos

Contact The Elected

Congressman Gregory Meeks

67-12 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Arverne, NY 11692

Phone: (347) 230-4032

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato

9516 Rockaway Beach Blvd

Rockaway Beach, NY 11693

Email: amatos@nyassembly.gov 718-945-9550

City Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers

1931 Mott Avenue, Suite 410

Far Rockaway, NY 11691 • 718-471-7014

City Councilwoman Joann Ariola 114-12 Beach Channel Drive, suite #1

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201 Beack 121 Street RockawayPark, NY 11694

QUEENSLINK

“Despite that, the mayor allocat ed money for QueensWay, which could threaten the Link. They’re telling us the land can be held for transit, but can we trust that? We have to fight. For those who think it’s over, it’s not,” Scala said.

Scala was followed by the many local supporters of QueensLink. Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato vowed to give her continu ous support for the rail line as she’s done since she was first elected. District 32’s Councilwoman Joann Ariola said the reactivation of this rail line is something she’s sup ported since 1994 and she’ll con tinue that fight. “Everything hap pens at an appointed time and I think this is the appointed time,” she said, adding that QueensLink would benefit all of Queens, and she is proud to fund QueensLink so they can continue their advo cacy efforts. “I’m happy to be in a position to fight for you and have discussions with the mayor, who

I know is going to listen, and un derstand that yes, we need green space, but here in Queens, we need better transportation,” Ariola said.

Dolores Orr, Chairwoman of CB14, also hopes Mayor Adams will reconsider. “When this announce ment was made, I was stunned. I believe the mayor made this deci sion without the input of the com munities it will impact the most. I want to believe he was not fully in formed and he’s going to think on this and open the conversation,” Orr said.

Paul King, president of the Belle Harbor Property Owner’s Asso ciation and a congressional can didate, spoke on behalf of Belle Harbor, saying the civic supports the effort to reactivate the rail line, as it’s a fight that even his father fought as president of BHPOA. “We are Rockaway, we don’t quit. You’ve been keeping up the fight for a long time and we need to keep it up until this is done right,” King said.

District 31 Councilwoman Sel vena Brooks-Powers, who serves as Chair of the NYC Council Com mittee on Transportation and In frastructure, stood in solidarity with QueensLink and suggested the EIS be done to show the fea sibility of this project. “If this is a feasible project, I’ll work closely with my partners in government to make sure we get everything we deserve which is access to af fordable, reliable transportation," Brooks-Powers said. Assembly man Khaleel Anderson said, “I’m hopeful that we reactivate this line so we no longer have to tell our constituents that they can ei

ther have this or that. We can have this and more.”

Senator James Sanders suggested bringing a big convention center to Aqueduct, which would be a big economic engine for Queens, and how that wouldn’t be possible if this rail line is replaced by a park.

Rockaway resident Joanathan Lazo, outreach coordinator for QueensLink spoke of Rocka way’s long commute times and how QueensLink would be a ga mechanger. Jenna Tipaldo of the Sunrise Movement NYC spoke of the ways QueensLink would help the environment and the local economy. Charlton D’souza of Pas sengers United said the organiza tion will be holding a virtual Town Hall on QueensLink on Thursdsay, October 13 at 7:30 p.m. The meet ing ID is: 841 0872 8947 and the Passcode is: 730260

The rally concluded with a chant among attendees, “What do we want? QueensLink!”

For more information on Queen sLink, see: https://thequeenslink. org/

Photos by QueensLink.

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ARVERNE EAST ROAD PLANS UNDER FIRE AT CB 14 MEETING

By Kami-Leigh Agard

“It's like the more money we come across, the more problems we see.” Last night, these Notorious B.I.G. “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems” lyrics came to mind when the development team and New York City Department of Transportation Deputy Commish Al Silvestri presented the first phase of Arverne East at Community Board 14’s meeting. With a price tag of $30.3M in financing just for the first phase of the megadevelopment of the sorely neglected ocean front, CB 14 was none-toopleased about the construction plan, which board members said will exacerbate traffic on the heavily-used Edgemere Avenue, which happens to be a main evacuation route on the peninsula. So, while Yankees fans were rejoicing, some even cashing in on their win over Cleveland, CB 14 was stuck on the dugout.

First, some announcements. The Knights of Columbus is collecting toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, razors, shaving cream, etc.) for the veterans at St. Alban’s Veteran’s Hospital through October 17. Items can be dropped off any day from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Knights’ tap room. NY midterm general elections are on November 8. Early voting is from October 29 to November 6.

Regarding QueensLink, a proposal to build a new transit line along the abandoned section of the former LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch line which runs northsouth from Rego Park to Ozone Park in Queens, CB 14 Chair Dolores Orr expressed her indignation at NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ support for the competing proposal, QueensWay.

“I was stunned when the mayor made the announcement that he's in favor of a park on the train tracks, which are actually in Forest Park. So, it’s $34 million for a study to build a park inside a park?

Rather than giving residents of southeast Queens a link along those train tracks to connect us

to a direct train to Midtown, instead of having to go through part of Queens, then through all of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. Hopefully, the mayor will look at all the information provided with the study and change his mind. By the way, the MTA supports QueensLink, which is rare for the MTA to think a community group’s idea is feasible,” Orr said.

Next up was a policing report from NYC Transit District 23’s new commanding officer, Captain Arsenio Camilo, who oversees all 12 train stations on the peninsula and Broad Channel, and 100th Precinct’s Neighborhood Community Officers (NCOs).

Captain Camilo said, “Currently, there are no transit crime trends to report. However, when you are taking that hour-and-a-half to two-hour commute to Manhattan, and you may close your eyes, please secure your property because somebody will grab it. In regards to the homeless situation, we have a daily night initiative at Mott Avenue. From midnight to 5:30 a.m. when the train arrives at Mott Avenue, we have DHS, EMS and our officers there to remove homeless individuals off the train, offer them services and make sure the train is clear for commuters.”

When a CB board member inquired how homeless individuals are removed and intense situations are deescalated, Camilo responded, “We have DHS and EMS professionals there to mitigate any problematic situations. When we wake up homeless individuals sleeping on the train, we ask them if they need any services, then we either transport them to a shelter or hospital.” When asked about the homeless at Beach 116th train station, Camilo answered, “There is not a homeless condition there. That's our home base. Nightly every half hour, 45 minutes to an hour, we test the trains.”

Next, 100th Precinct NCO Lieutenant Powell gave the following report: “For the last 28-day period

ARVERNE EAST ROAD PLANS

compared to 2021, there were zero murders, zero rapes, seven robber ies (up from two in 2021), eight fel onies (down from 10 in 2021), one burglary (up from zero in 2021), nine grand larcenies (down from 19 in 2021), and five grand larce nies auto (up from two in 2021). Crime is trending down, which is a good sign,” Powell said.

When asked what sector the rob beries are mostly concentrated in, P.O. Kalenko answered, “Sector Adams, which covers Beach 66th to Beach 73rd. There was only one incident, in which an individual was severely injured when he was attacked for his Rolex watch out side his home.”

With Halloween approaching, the officers cautioned to be mind ful with children trick-or-treating. P.O. Kalenko warned, “Fentanyl pills look very similar to candy. Make sure and check all the candy your children collect.”

Next, Councilwoman Joann Ariola’s office rep, Ciara Donley, shared some encouraging news regarding efforts to cleanup Beach 116th Street.

“Councilwoman Ariola has started a Beach 116th Street Task Force to address the community’s concerns. She has been meeting with the business owners, and this week, she invited the Queens Chamber of Commerce to a com munity meeting. She also secured a little bit of extra funding specifi cally for Beach 116th’s cleanup ini tiatives. In addition, she’s meeting with the NYPD commissioner's office and the deputy mayor to go over safety concerns and has set up a meeting with some of the adult homes and facilities that house the individuals who are contributing to the problems expressed by the community,” Donley shared.

Now for the uproar over Arverne East. When the civil engineer from L&M Development presented a series of slides showing the first phase of road construction from Beach 32nd Street to Beach 38th

Street, which would provide two lanes with parking on both sides, except for additional sidewalk space on the north side of “Shore Front Parkway,” immediately board members were confused.

Orr asked, “So you’re saying that Edgemere Avenue is now going to be Shore Front Parkway?” The an swer? “Well, that’s just a legal issue that we will work with D.O.T. on,” the engineer replied.

One board member questioned how traffic will be diverted due to the freeway already being blocked. Answer: “We have really taken that into consideration. There will be a lot of signage to keep everyone in the know. Also, construction will only take place 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.”

To this, one board member piped up, “So, you’re saying that construction will take place just when that road is filled with school buses transporting students to P.S. 106.” Answer: “Well yes, but we al ready met with the school princi pal to arrange an alternative route, where we’ll create a cul de sac for

the school buses to enter and exit safely.”

Another concern expressed by the board was how the construc tion will impact the route chang es on Seagirt Boulevard, which will soon have only left/right only lanes and a center lane.

DOT Deputy Commissioner Al Silvestri replied, “I think ultimately the desire is to weave those two to gether and to reconstruct the whole thing. Ideally that's what we want to do, and it will be a city priority.

One board member expressed his concerns that Edgemere Avenue is the only storm evacuation route for hundreds of residents. Silvestri said, “All traffic plans are shared with Office of Emergency Manage ment.” To which the board member responded, “So, you’re saying that this traffic plan was sent to OEM.” Silvestri fumbled, “Well no.”

With question after question piled up by CB 14, at the end, it was clear board members felt duped. Stay tuned for more developments in future editions of The Rockaway Times.

It's happened. Starbucks, for the first time in Rockaway, has opened its doors on Beach 73rd and Beach Channel Drive.

Meet Birds-of-Prey at Raptorama. This Saturday, October 15, the Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) invites the public to come and meet rehabilitated owls, hawks, and eagles upclose at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The event, Raptorama, is the final wildlife festival of the year. JBRPC is joined by partners, NYC Audubon, American Littoral Society, Gateway National Recreation Area, NYC Parks, and Marine Park Alliance. The fun runs from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The General Membership

meeting of the Rockaway Civic Association is set for Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m. at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club.

We were on our way down Rockaway Beach Blvd in Belle Harbor when we thought we saw smoke and maybe a fire from a corner house on Beach 133rd Street. We were pleased (then spooked!) to see it was just a mysterious fog coming from a haunted house. Some final touches were being added to this fun (and big) Halloween set-up. See @Manor_of_screams on Instagram for more spooktacular updates.

The Sandy anniversary is not the only noteworthy date coming up. Fifty years ago, Gateway National Recreation Area was founded on October 27, 1972. We wish it was something worth celebrating but it’s a fact that much of the park on the Rockaway Peninsula is in a state of disrepair (and hasn’t been im-

proved in those fifty years).

*****

Advocates for Queenslink turned out last Sunday to push for better transit for South Queens including Rockaway. Queenslink is ok with a park and say their proposal could accommodate a park and better transit. Nothing wrong with that!

*****

Marty Ingraham authored Flood, Fire and a Superstorm, the incredible and inspirational take of volunteer fire companies which fought fires and floods during the big storm ten years ago, and then helped in the long recovery in Breezy Point. Marty will have a book signing at The Rockaway Hotel on Thursday, October 27 from 5:00-9:00 pm. The book is available on Amazon and has garnered wonderful reviews.

*****

And Larry’s Sandy Diary (photographs from 2012 and 2022) by Larry Racioppo will be on display at RISE, 58-03 Rockaway

Beach Blvd October 14 through November 19, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. A reception will be held Saturday, October 22 from 1-3 p.m. For more information go to Larryracioppo.com or RiseRockaway. org

*****

Late reminder, the fundraiser for Brian Hanna (brother of Liz Hanna, last year named Person of the Year by The Rockaway Times) is tomorrow (Friday) at The Knights of Columbus, 333 Beach 90th Street, from 7-11 p.m. DJs at Work and Wine with Sue will provide the tunes. There’ll be food and beverages. Tickets are available at the door.

We got some great photos after asking readers to send in Sandy photos and we’re happy to accept more but, if you can, include the NOW photos as well. We’d like to show how far we’ve come. Please email us at Mail@ rockawaytimes.com and put Sandy in the subject line.

ROCK AWAY BE ACH BOULE VARD

BY T H E S E A C O

Th is Week in History

OCTOBER 13

1792 - The cornerstone of the White House was laid.

1943 - Italy declared war on Germany, its former Axis partner, during World War II.

OCTOBER 14

Michael Benedetto was born.

Fernando Pires was born.

Claire Weisz was born.

Mason Porretto was born.

1947 - U.S. Air Force Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager became the first person to travel faster than the speed of sound.

1964 - Martin Luther King, Jr., was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in civil rights.

OCTOBER 15

David Bernstein was born. Jake Sullivan was born.

1951 - I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, had its television debut.

1991 - Clarence Thomas got a narrow (52–48) Senate confirmation of his nomination to the Supreme Court.

OCTOBER 16

Laurice Keating was born. Robby Schwach was born. Buck Grottano was born.

1793 - French queen Marie Antoinette was guillotined for treason.

1978 - John Paul II was elected pope.

OCTOBER 17

Jessica Schulman was born.

1931 - Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

1989 - An earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude killed 67 and injured over 3,000 in San Francisco.

OCTOBER 18

Blanche Brady was born.

1867 - The United States took possession of Alaska from Russia.

OCTOBER 19

1960 - The United States imposes a partial embargo on goods exported to Cuba.

1987 - The stock market crashed on what came to be known as "Black Monday." Stocks dropped a record 508 points, or 22.6%, topping the drops on October 28 and 29 in 1929 that ushered in the Great Depression.

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PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY BREAKTHROUGH!

"My feet feel like they're on fire". "Each step feels like I'm walking through wet paint". "I live in constant fear that I'll fall". "I can’t sleep, my hands and feet tingle all night".

What do all of these people have in common? They suffer from Peripheral Neuropathy. It is estimated that more than 20 million people in the US have peripheral neuropathy. Unfortunately this figure may be significantly higher as the disease is often misdiagnosed because of its wide array of symptoms.

being 'the last resort with the best results'."

According to Frankie's test results, she has seen a 74% improvement in pain and functionality, which is on par with a majority of our patients.

"But more important than those test results is the joy she's expressed being here and hearing about all the amazing things she's able to do because she feels great!

PRESS RELEASES

Jennifer Beltrani, of Acupuncture and Wellness of Rockaway Beach shares this belief. "I've been treating neuropathy, in all its various forms, and so often my patients come to me because of symptoms, not because of the diagnosis.

Frankie M testified to this . " I remember my husband driving me to my consultation and I saw a woman running just outside our neighborhood. I was so envious-I just kept thinking 'I would give anything just to walk again. My primary care doctor told me my troubles with pain and balance were just symptoms of old age and gave me a prescription, I was so depressed."

"Almost all of our patients come to us with a similar story to Frankie's. They have been everywhere else. They've been told they have no hope. They have been told its just part of getting older". Jennifer stated, "It breaks my heart but I know how much I can help people like Frankie so I'm always so happy when they walk through the door".

Those diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy often face a very grim reality. Western medicine declares that there is no solution. Jennifer Beltrani at Rockaway Acupuncture and Wellness prides herself on

Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage to the nerves and this damage is commonly caused by lack of blood flow in the hands and feet. A lack of blood flow results in a lack of nutrients; the nerves then begin to degenerate and die which causes pain ranging from discomfort to debilitating. Because neuropathy is a degenerative condition, once those nerves begin to deteriorate they will continue to do so until they are completely expired, leaving those suffering with crippling balance issues. "In this case, the absence of pain is not necessarily a good thing, " shares Jennifer Beltrani, Licensed Acupuncturist. "This usually indicates that your nerves are hanging on by a fragile thread". So how exactly is Jennifer able to reverse the effects of this degenerative disease?

"Acupuncture has been used to increase blood flow for thousands of years which helps to get the necessary nutrients to the affected nerves. But the real magic happens when I integrate ATP Resonance BioTherapy(TM). This technology was originally developed by NASA to expediate recovery and healing."

By seamlessly blending the ancient science of acupuncture with modern medical solutions, Jennifer has a 88% success rate in reversing the effects of neuropathy. She starts each patient with an initial consultation during which a sensory exam is performed.

"This not only aids in making a proper diagnosis but helps to define just how much nerve damage has occurred". "This is important because if a patient has suffered more than 95% damage, there is little that I can do to help them. I'm familiar with the medical miracle but I know my limits as a practitioner and the limits of my medicine."

When it comes to treating peripheral neuropathy, regardless of its origin, early detection greatly improves your chances of a full recovery.

If you or someone you love are suffering with chronic pain that presents as burning, tingling or "pins and needles" or you've recently been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, it's important to know there are

There is hope!

schedule an initial consultation or visit Rockaw.com for more information.

Beach 129 to Celebrate with Fall Freedom Fest

By Katie McFadden

Beach 129th Street restaurants and bars are coming together to celebrate fall, fun and freedom.

On Saturday, October 22, the Harbor Light, Jamesons Pub, Pico and Callies are inviting everyone to enjoy a day full of good food, drinks and fine tunes for the first Fall Freedom Fest.

On Saturday, October 22, all are welcome to buy a bracelet for $20 that will give them access to special discounts on American and German cuisine and drink specials at each establishment, which will all be hosting various musical entertainment through out the day. Callies will kick off the day with Dueling Pianos at 12:30 p.m. Pico will follow with an acoustic jam sesh. The Knobs take the backyard of the Harbor Light at 4 p.m. and the party ends at Jamesons with DJ Poppa D spinning tunes.

And it’s all for a good cause. Proceeds from the bracelets will be donated to the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy. “A good percentage of our patrons’ kids at all four places go to St. Francis, and we know the school is look ing to do upgrades with security and stuff like that, so we’re look ing to help out as much as we can,” Harbor Light owner Sean Heeran said. “Whatever we can give, hopefully it helps a little.”

The Fall Freedom Fest was a long time in the making. “Myself, Eric from Jamesons, Terence and Tommy from Callies and Chris from Pico were talking back and forth and saying we should all do something together after what we went through with the pan demic to celebrate the whole 129th/130th area, so we started to come up with a plan,” Heer an said. “This is something we should’ve done years ago. We talked about doing a spring fest but Covid wasn’t quite done yet, so we pushed it to the fall.”

The owners decided to call the event the Fall Freedom Fest to

celebrate the country, and free dom from all of the Covid re strictions restaurants had to en dure during the peak of Covid. “Enough was enough. One amaz ing thing about this community is how they continued to support all of us throughout Covid and we want to thank them. And we don’t want people to forget how great this country is,” Heeran said. “This is a little celebration of people be ing out and about. We realize how much we took for granted during lockdowns, so how about we cel ebrate America a little bit? People are forgetting how awesome this country is and there’s a lot of divi sion in the country right now, but we want to bring people together for something fun.”

Also, in the spirit of Oktober fest season, the restaurants will be cooking up not just American dishes, but German as well. So ex pect brats, burgers and more on

the discount food menu for the day, plus German beers and other drink specials.

The organizers hope the festival brings a little attention back to the block, as Beach 129th is better than ever. “This is the most estab lishments we’ve had in the area at one time and it’s a good thing. It helps us all, there’s more foot traffic which is good for business and good for everybody,” Heeran said. “We all help each other and there’s good camaraderie on the block.”

If the event is a success, they hope to make it a regular occur rence, and on a bigger scale “I definitely hope that it’s a success ful thing so that we can do this yearly. Ultimately our goal would be to close Beach 129th for the day, and get vendors involved in selling things and just make this a big, fun event,” Heeran said. “This is our first year trying to get our

foot off the ground so we’ll see how this goes and make it bigger and better, and if we can do this to raise money for a good cause every year, it’s always a good thing.”

While the Fall Freedom Fest will have a set music schedule, participants can pop into any one of the participating restaurants at any point. Participants must be 21 and over. The restaurants will also be open for regular business including dine-in and takeout for those who aren’t participating in the Fest.

Heeran encourages all to come out on October 22. “We’re hop ing people get out and if we have a really nice day and the sun is out, it’s going to be awesome. It’s going to be a fun event,” he said.

For more details and music times, make sure to follow the restaurants on Facebook and In stagram.

GOODFORM Gym Takes Shape at a New Space

By Katie McFadden

GOODFORM Studios is taking shape at its new space in the old Wave building. The strength and conditioning hybrid gym held its grand opening of its new groundfloor space on Sunday, October 9.

may feel intimidated going into certain spaces, and I wanted to get rid of that feeling, and provide a space where everyone can feel comfortable and make it as acces sible as possible,” she said.

She just needed a little help get ting started. “One of my friends suggested I should start raising money to open my own space. I thought it was crazy, but I start ed telling people in my network about these online classes to raise money to pay for my first space. I raised more than $6,000 in a month,” Small said. “I was amazed. Who knew people loved me so much that they would help me do this?”

Monice Small’s GOODFORM

Studios might have a shiny new space, but the gym has been serv ing the community for two years.

Small started GOODFORM in June 2020, at a time when gyms had been shut down due to the Covid peak. But for Small, who moved to Rockaway about eight years ago, the timing was right.

“At the time, I had just been laid off from my job at the Rock away Brewery and I wasn’t get ting unemployment because of my immigration status. I only had a few things under my belt like pilates, but there were no gyms, and I was stuck in this rut of not knowing what to do. My friends said I should offer online classes, so I started doing that in my liv ing room,” Small said. She gained a following of friends from in the community and outside, but Small wanted more, for herself and others like her.

“I feel because I am a black woman, I don’t often see gym spaces that have people who look like me. When I took classes for myself, I would feel a little uncom fortable and it would feel like I don’t fit in. There was a need here. A lot of the time, when it comes to exercise, people who look like me

Small connected with the folks at the old Wave building at 88-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd. and put the money down on a third floor, 400 sq. ft. space in June 2020. Soon, word spread, and GOOD FORM started to build its mem bership. “This community is very good when it comes to spreading the word. News travels quick here and because I worked at a lot of local establishments, the local businesses were amazing when it came to sharing my posts and flyers. When I first started, I told myself I just needed two people to pay rent, but it took off and I did not expect it at all. I thought I would have the time to take more courses and expand my knowl edge, but people wanted to work out, and they just keep coming,” she said.

With an expanding member ship, Small wanted to provide a better space for her clients. So when an opportunity opened to move to the ground floor space, offering GOODFORM better ex posure, she jumped at it. “The space is much bigger and gives me the opportunity to host larg er classes,” she said. Over the summer, GOODFORM moved on down to the new space in the building and on Sunday, October 9, Small held a grand opening and ribbon cutting.

“We had an amazing turnout. We had 25 people in the class working out. People came in and out all day, and even a few days later we

still have people coming in to sign up. It’s been good,” she said.

What exactly does GOODFORM offer? It’s not your typical big box gym with workout machines. GOODFORM is all about classes. “We offer multiple classes. Body Camp is my signature class. It’s circuit training with a focus on strength and conditioning and pilates. My background is in per sonal training and pilates so I incorporate those into my pri vate sessions. It’s a full body class which is beginner friendly, using light to moderate weights, mov ing through different exercises for about 45 to 50 minutes. People tend to really like this class. I play really good music. We also have high intensity classes like cardio kickboxing, using body weight only, a HIIT class and a dance class,” she said. Classes are of fered seven days a week.

And with the new space, Small hopes to expand their offerings. “I want to do a Body Camp 2 class for more advanced folks and we’re going to start offering kids’ classes in November,” Small said. She also hopes to expand her staff. Monice and her husband, Eric, run operations at the studio, but her team of instructors in cludes Cassie Phifer, who teaches dance, John Carruci, who teach es kickboxing and will do Body Camp classes, and Taina Manigat, who leads HIIT and Body Camp

classes. But with more staff, Small hopes to offer even more variety.

“Whether its yoga, kettlebell, pi lates, I’m open to it. I’m hoping we can get an even larger, solid group of fitness people in Rocka way,” she said.

GOODFORM Studios offers a variety of membership types from one class a week/ four classes a month to two classes a week/ eight a month and weekly unlim ited memberships that are ideal for summer residents. And those who are interested can try a class before committing to a member ship. But Small says, people usu ally sign up after giving it a go. “We offer a community here, and good, positive energy. I’m not a bootcamp style person. I’m en couraging but I don’t like yelling. We offer a light space that’s clean and makes you feel like you can breathe,” she said.

Small hopes others come ex perience GOODFORM for them selves. “I hope people see the space and feel welcome and ex cited to have another spot to do something other than going to a bar or restaurants. It’s another way for people to meet and have a good time without alcohol,” she said.

GOODFORM is located at 88-08 Rockaway Beach Blvd. For more information, check out: www. goodformny.com and follow Goodform_studtios on Instagram.

SALUTE TO JEWISH VETERANS & VISIT FROM WEST POINT AT TEMPLE BETH-EL

On Saturday, October 22, Temple Beth-El of Rockaway Park will hon or Veteran's Day a little early with special guests from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Everyone is invited to this special event by reg istering at the number below.

Temple Beth-El is very excited to welcome Ma jor David Frommer, Jew ish Chaplain at West Point, along with Jewish Officers and Cadets and Jewish Veterans. They will be arriving in time to participate in Servic es at 10 a.m. and a youth presentation and program which begin at 11 a.m. This will be followed by lunch and a ques tion-and-answer period in the

Temple Social Hall.

Major Frommer has a distin guished background. Graduat ing from Yale University in 2004,

after completing four se mesters of Modern He brew, he received his B.A. with Honors. Following that, he enlisted as a Lone Soldier in the Israel De fense Forces (IDF) which he served with distinction in the West Bank. He con tinued his Hebrew studies earning a master’s degree in Sacred Music from the Jewish Institute of Reli gion in both Jerusalem and New York. While still in the seminary, he was commissioned in the New York National Guard as a Chaplain candidate and completed the Chaplain "Basic Officer Leadership Course" at the U.S. Army Chap lain Center and School at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Fol lowing that he was the first Can

tor assigned overseas, provid ing religious support for Jewish personnel stationed in Afghan istan, Kuwait, Jordan and Qa tar. On his return to the U.S. and additional assignments by the army, Major Frommer be came cantor at synagogues in Santa Rosa and San Francisco in California. He transferred to the Regular Army and began his current assignment as Jew ish Chaplain at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. At the present time he lives at West Point with his wife and their three children.

We hope you attend and enjoy Services and a wonderful pro gram and lunch. Check this pa per for an advertisement and full details and call Temple Beth-El 718-634-8100 to make your res ervation. Proof of vaccination is required.

Running for a Cause

By Theresa M Racine

Queen's Royal Priesthood held their 5th Annual 5K B-Cauze run/ walk on Saturday, October 8 from Beach 90th Street to Beach 17th. What was the cause for this charity event? Whatever you needed it to be.

CEO and founder Queen Esther Arroyo told participants whatever you felt the need to walk or run for such as domestic violence, breast cancer awareness, mental health, peace, whatever was in your heart, was why you should run or walk. She herself had a specific reason for this walk. Queen was a former marathon runner. She felt the need to educate the community about the importance of keeping your health in check. She also part nered up with the New Visions Hu manities IV School. She noted that the east and the west do not really come together, so her hope is for this race was to bring each end of the community together for a good cause.

The winners this year received a trophy for coming in the top spots. The first-place winner was Mia Al len and the second-place winner was Leom Greene. Both saw a fly er about the event and decided to participate on Saturday. And the third-place winner was Dequon Lewis, who is only 11 years old. Plus 20 other people ran the race.

All who completed the race re ceived medals.

Queens Royal Priesthood sees the value in providing the city’s youth with the tools, resources, and support they need in order to reach their potential. Ever since the organization’s founding in 2014, they have strived to create more safe, vibrant and compassionate

neighborhoods. Queen Esther Ar royo and her longtime friend and business partner Rosalyn Ma son are often out in the streets of Rockaway helping, preaching and speaking to stop the violence in our communities.

They have a long-standing rep utation and have built many re lationships throughout the years. As she handed out plaques, Ar royo thanked all of the partners who have stood by her in these efforts. Many organizations came out to show support by providing resources at tables af ter the event. Free raffle tickets were given to everyone who was there, and some great prizes were given out from goodies for the kids to $25 gift certificates. A DJ kept the crowds moving to the music while a food truck provided free food. The NYPD sponsored free cotton candy and popcorn.

For more information about Queens Royal Priesthood, see: www.queensroyalpriesthood.org/

Flowers of Hope Making Strides

By Theresa Racine

On Sunday, October 9, in Brookville Park, Rosedale held their annual Breast Cancer Walk by Flowers of Hope NY, in part nership with the American Cancer Society and New York City Parks. Gina Narcisa Vasquez founded Flowers of Hope NY when her 17-year-old son was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Now he is 34 years old and cancer free. Flow ers of Hope has a cancer sup port group, mental health work shops and fitness classes like Zumba and Yoga. Sunday’s walk brought out survivors who gave testimonials, and supporters. Local elected officials Queens Borough President Donavan Richards, Senator James Sand ers Jr., Assemblyman Khaleel M Anderson and Councilwom an Selvena Brooks-Powers all showed up to show their sup port. Aside from the walk, there were family friendly activities throughout the day and enter

tainment. Participants were asked to wear pink to help raise awareness.

To learn more about Flow ers of Hope, follow Flowersof hopeNY on Twitter or Facebook.

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Norman Visits

By Lou Pastina

Late last year I had the brain storm that what we really need ed in our lives was a dog. Our first grandchild had arrived six months earlier, and it had been nine years since our beloved King Charles Cavalier, Toby, had passed; and now was the time I thought.

Norman arrived in November, about a month old, a beautiful brown, orange, and white cava lier. My daughters arranged for the purchase, and I arranged the financing while the mermaid and I were away on a trip. When we came home, we launched the surprise. Love quickly turned into, “what the hell are we going to do with the dog?” I had to ad mit I overreached on this one. A six-month trial proved that ba bies crawling and puppies teeth ing don’t go well together. So, we found a new home for Nor man, one with loving new par ents who agreed that we could be Norman’s grandparents and watch him when they went on vacation.

Well, that day finally arrived, and we were overjoyed to see the little munchkin dog again. He remembered us, and his first love, my little mermaid. We in troduced Norman back to baby Rowan, who is now running around giving orders, speaking in mermaid tongues, and gener ally being hilarious. They imme diately took to each other, one chasing the other, then reversing and the other chasing the one. There was licking, giggling and

more order giving. Turns out six months makes a difference with puppies and babies. My timing was a little off initially, but my heart was in the right spot. These two were fast friends. Our time together was short, only a week, but hopefully this will become a regular thing.

Norman’s new parents have done a terrific job. He is well trained, something I could never do. He listens, sits patiently and is just a beautiful little dog. What can I say, I’m a proud dog-grand parent! When everyone went to bed, Norman and I stayed up to watch baseball and Netflix; we both root for the Yankees and we like the same shows. We took long walks on the beach along the top of the dunes. He re minded me why I love Fall with its blooming goldenrods, which attract butterflies, finches, and bees. He walks along as I peer out over the Atlantic and watch the waves roll gently in as he tugs at the leash in with youth ful enthusiasm. Pure joy, dogs are really man’s (and woman’s) best friend!

When I was a young boy read ing Jack London’s White Fang or Call of the Wild, or even Old Yeller, I always wanted a dog, but two things stood in my way. One, we lived in a four room “rail road apartment,” and two, I was afraid of dogs! Turns out the sec ond one was harder to overcome than the first. My mom had dogs, but they were hers, not the fami ly’s. The first was a black poodle, not exactly the “wolf” I had en visioned. The second was a West

Highland terrier, and he was too much wolf for me to handle, as terriers are really bold and ag gressive and I was a scaredy-cat! When our family got Toby, my oldest daughter rightfully noted that he was more human than dog. My son treated him like

the brother he never had. I was mostly ambivalent.

Norman changed all that. Our visit was a short one, but he is in my heart, I know he is with great parents, and as a dog-grand parent, I can’t wait to see him again!

George

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By Robin Shapiro

SUMMER EFFECTS

THE SIGN

One very useful advertising tool in the sale of a property is the sign. The word-of- mouth publicity which is created can be formidable. People who are NOT shopping may be more aware of this listing and tell their friends about it. House hunters sometimes drive around looking for house styles and blocks which appeal to them. Also, people may notice your home and become motivated to purchase it even though they are not actively looking to buy.

The summer season has mixed effects on the Rockaway real estate market. On the one hand, we are a beachfront community and the draw of the summer activities does bring people here for: beaches, swimming, cycling, running, surfing, organized teams for kids and adults (although the pandemic may crimp some of these this year; thankfully the “end” is in sight). On the other hand, some sellers are reluctant to sell during the summer because they enjoy the aforementioned activities and don’t want to give them up so fast!

ing. If so, then it’s just another reason why the seller NEEDS ME. Why? I am very willing to work on a listing without a sign, although I advocate using it. My advertising (website, Rockaway Times, internet search engines, etc.), plus my experience (I know all the “players” in Rockaway) and my expertise serve to bring in prospective buyers to view the listing.

It can be harder to sell real estate during the summer due to vacations by buyers and sellers alike. Summer activities can also occupy people instead of allowing them to focus on the home sale process.

Some sellers do not like the idea of having a for-sale sign. They don’t want to answer questions from neighbors about why they are sell-

The spring season has been generally good for our real estate market. There has been action across the board in all price categories with an emphasis on the range below $1 million (approx). Prices have firmed up within the framework of recent comparable sales and in some cases are creeping higher. Inventory levels remain very low.

If you have a sign on your property and competing brokers complain, then ask yourself why are they complaining? Ask yourself if those competing brokers would be happy to put their own sign on your property! Call me. Love, Robin.

fair taxes ID-1 ef

our future is on the ballot

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can rank your favorite candidates and have a greater impact on our election.

PASSION

Passion is a fuel. Passion is also a Mom of invention. Passion produces good feelings. Passion lights the way for real change. Passion reaches one. Passion reaches many.

Twice recently in two separate places - not here - I was told yes, what I ordered was definitely gluten free, wheat-free, oat-free. And within minutes upon walking, the allergic reaction started.

I was surprised because I am always very clear about the effect. Maybe cross-contamination. Who knows?

Last month, when I was having a meal at Rocco’s sitting at the bar enjoying, I asked which gelato was gluten-free. The month before when I was there, they told me the chocolate was gluten-free, so I had it. (Yes, about a monthly house-made gelato

hits the spot.) This time the Chef came out and told me I could have only the “pistachio,” the only one that didn’t have “stabilizzante” as he didn’t know exactly what was in that. I was happy I was able to have one!

The other night after a long busy day on my way home, I stopped there to eat, have a glass of wine and chat with some of the staff before their dinner rush. They are family-like there. The person behind the bar told me that the Chef told her when “la signora” came back to call him out. Chef Bruno came out to tell me I could now have many flavors of gelato because he spent time calling the company, calling the company back and spending an hour on the phone to get all of the ingredients - exactly. So there is no wheat or oats or gluten in it and I am safe to have it. I had vanilla.

I love his passion for, first of all, making things handmade. And then it was bothering him

that maybe what I or anyone was eating from his kitchen may not be safe. So he took the time to find out. I would say it is important to him just by the couple of conversations I had with him, that each person enjoy his offerings with ease.

It is about attention. It is about being present. It is about being happy in what you do. It is about one-pointed focus. And compassion. And knowing. Sounds to me what we talk about a lot in our yoga classes, and in our sharings. And then add in passion. What a feeling to be fueled by passion. Passion to be the best we can be. For ourselves. For others. Passion to be fiercely determined. And then giving of oneself.

Chef Bruno is passionate about being a chef. Thank you, Chef Bruno.

May you be happy. May you be free. May you be compassionate. May you be grateful. May you let go of things that do not serve you. May you have inner peace.

Friend in Need Fundraiser

On Friday, October 14 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., head to the Knights of Columbus (333 Beach 90th Street) for a fundraiser on behalf of Brian Hanna, brother of Liz Hanna, who is recovering from a liver transplant. $50 tick ets at the door for live music by Wine With Sue, DJs@Work, food, beverages, raffles and more.

Hip Hop Halloween & Harvest

On Saturday, October 15 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., head to RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boule vard, for their 9th annual HipHop Halloween & Harvest Cel ebration in the garden. Take part in painting pumpkins, face painting, music, dancing, festive food, and more! This event is free. Masks are required inside RISE.

Rockaway Market Street

On Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., head under the elevated A train track at Beach 60th for an outdoor market in cluding vendors such as: Black smith’s Breads, Edgemere Farm, Horman’s Best Pickles, Mush room Queens, Rockaway Soda, Saratoga Peanut Butter Compa ny, and more! Live music.

Raptorama!

On Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., head to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to join Gateway, the American Lit toral Society, Jamaica Bay-Rock away Parks Conservancy, and NYC Audubon for the 5th annual Rapt-o-rama. Learn all about the hawks and owls of Jamaica Bay. See some of these amazing rap tors during a live demonstration, and go on walks with experts to

get a look at hawk species flying south for the winter

Far Rock Cancer & Domestic Violence Walk

On Sunday, October 16 at 8 a.m., head to Beach 17th and the boardwalk to join for a walk to raise awareness for breast can cer and domestic violence, in support of Strides Against Breast Cancer in honor of Trina Wil liams. There will be a presenta tion on domestic violence at 11 a.m. at Beach 73rd Street.

Chair Yoga at Rise

On Tuesday, October 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., head to the RISE Center (58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd). for a free chair yoga class with Certified yoga instruc tor Ruth Graves. All are welcome! From beginners to seasoned practitioners.

Fitness at Rise

On Mondays at 11 a.m., head to RISE (58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.) to join for Ann Fosteris’ Fitness to You class for all ages.

Inspirational Workshops for 50+

Are you NYS Resident 50+years of Age? Thinking of retiring or have retired? Join for FREE inspi rational workshops online with Zoom on Tuesdays, October 18December 20 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information and to register email: susan.lavin@ kbcc.cuny.edu or call Susan Lavin 347- 260 - 3891

Got events? Send an email to katie@rockawaytimes.com with details for consideration to be listed.

LEGAL NOTICES

Notice of Formation of SAT BRAND,LLC., Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 09/18/2022. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 1611 NORMAN ST,RIDGEWOOD, NY 11385. Any lawful purpose.

MCDUFFIE LUXURIOUS CAR RENTALS

LLC Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 8/31/2022. Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 10519 170th Street Jamaica NY 11433. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

ADPP Realty Company LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 6/22/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 357 Soundview Ln., College Point, NY 11356.

General Purpose

D&J Premier Holdings LLC Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 07/14/2022. Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 15944 97th Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

The Skin Im In, LLC Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 12/08/2020. Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 16842 127TH Ave Suite 7G, Queens, NY 11434. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of TOUSSAINT CONSULTING SERVICES, LLC, Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 9/18/2022. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to TOUSSAINT CONSULTING SERVICES, LLC, 115-72 221st Street, Cambria Heights, NY 11411. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Startup Paths, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/4/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 61-43 186 St., Fresh Meadows, NY 11365. General Purpose

FLUSHING AVENUE 6057 LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/25/22 Office: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 635 South Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY 11757. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Free Spirit Transit LLC, Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 07/28/22. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Free Spirit Transit LLC, 15-27 Dunbar Street, Far Rockaway, NY, 11691. Any lawful purpose.

63-35 78TH STREET, LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect'y of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/3/2022. Office: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: The LLC, 251 Dogwood Ln., Manhasset, NY, 11030. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of LaTanyology, LLC, Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 04/13/2021. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to LaTanyology, LLC, 16104 Baisley Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11434. Any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of THAT PLACE LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/9/22. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to: 35-07 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of Loadus LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 08/26/2022. Office located in Queens Co. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC: 104-15 202nd Street, Saint Albans, NY 11412. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

SALE

HELP WANTED Local Insurance

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

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By Peter Galvin, MD

Polio

This past summer saw one case of paralysis due to the polio virus. The case occurred in an Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland County. Polio had been eliminat ed in the U.S. and the last reported case was in 2013. Initial reports that the patient, who was unvaccinat ed, had been infected by contact with someone who had travelled out of the country, turned out to be incorrect. Genomic testing found that the case was caused by a vac cine-derived poliovirus. According to the CDC, the virus had been cir culating locally for at least a year. Infection with poliovirus, an en

terovirus that primarily infects the gastrointestinal tract, is sympto matic only about 25% of time, caus ing a flu-like illness. Depending on the virus type, 1% to 5% of patients will develop meningitis, an inflam mation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Even so, only about 0.5% to 0.05% of those who become infected will develop pa ralysis. Because of these numbers, experts believe that at least 100 members of that community were infected but asymptomatic. Genet ically similar poliovirus has been detected in wastewater in Rockland and Orange Counties, as well as

in NYC. This confirms that the vi rus has indeed been circulating in those communities and probably others for some time now.

So, if polio has been eliminat ed and the detected poliovirus is genetically the same as the virus used in vaccines, where did it come from? The CDC has confirmed that the virus did not come from out of the country. The answer lies in the vaccine type, of which there are two. Since 2000, the US has exclusively used the injectable poliovirus vac cine, or IPV. That vaccine contains only dead virus. Following vaccina tion, the vaccinated individual will shed the virus via urine and feces. In the IPV case, the individual will shed dead virus, which is harmless to others. However, the oral polio virus vaccine, or OPV, uses an in activated, or weakened poliovirus. The vaccinated individual will shed live virus, which in rare cases may regain its strength. This is one of the reasons the U.S. stopped using the OPV in 2000, however it is still used in many other countries. The CDC experts believe that some one in that Rockland community

received the oral vaccine overseas and unwittingly brought the virus home with them. There is one other important difference between IPV and OPV. Both, after three doses, im part a life-long immunity that is very effective (99% for IPV, 95% for OPV) however, because OPV uses a live virus, there have been rare cases of vaccine-derived paralysis (one case of paralysis in one to three million vaccinations).

Currently, the CDC recommends one booster shot for adults who have had the three previous dos es of IPV and who are at high risk of polio exposure. This includes people who are travelling to ar eas where polio is still endemic (Afghanistan and Pakistan), lab technicians who handle poliovirus samples, and healthcare workers and others caring for infected indi viduals. Those who administer the vaccine are not at risk. Finally, if you live or have close relatives who live in the Rockland County com munity in question, speak to your doctor about getting a booster shot.

Questions and comments may be sent to editor@rockawaytimes.com.

Sadhana Gupta, MD Zoya Koroleva, DO Stanislav Kaminyar, DO Alla Buzinover,

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

By Sharon Feldman Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, sliced into

½” rounds

1-1/2 cups of Panko breadcrumbs (or use seasoned)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (if using Panko or unseasoned breadcrumbs)

2 eggs (or 1 egg and 2 egg whites)

Cooking spray

1 (25 ounce) jar of tomato sauce (I used Prego, tomato and basil)

2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

**½ cup fresh chopped fresh basil

**2/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Sprinkle each round of eggplant with a pinch of salt and place them in a colander in the sink to drain.

Wait 30 minutes then rinse and pat them dry.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together Panko crumbs, Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon salt until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Dip

each eggplant round in egg mixture then into the breadcrumb mixture until it is completely coated.

Put eggplant on baking sheets until they are evenly spaced. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until the breadcrumbs are toasted and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over an 11x8 inch baking dish. Spread an additional cup of tomato sauce evenly over the

eggplant. Then sprinkle 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce. (If you are using Parmesan cheese, sprinkle 1/3 cup over the eggplant followed by the basil) Repeat with another layer of eggplant, then tomato sauce, then Mozzarella, then Parmesan.

Bake 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts to slightly turn golden around the edges and the sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining basil.

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By Kami-Leigh Agard

Want to know what’s happening in Rockaway this weekend? Use our Rockaway Good Times weekly guide below to plan your rockin’ Rocktober crawl. Plus, special mention—show your love with Wine With Sue for a local friend in need this Friday!

LIVE MUSIC

Friday, October 14 6 p.m.

Tonight’s forecast: 100% chance of great food, drinks and music with Rock-A-Wades at Harbor Light.

129-18 Newport Avenue

Friday, October 14 7 p.m.

Don’t miss Moon Lot’s last Comedy Night for the season featuring an ensemble of top-rated comics. Bring your blanket and get ready to get cozy, laugh your heart out, and dine on delish Thai Food and $5 Japanese Sapporo under the stars. Plus, open mic!

189 Beach 96th Street

Friday, October 14 8 p.m.

Get ready to do the hula with Patsy and guests at Rockaway Tiki Bar. 67-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd

Friday, October 14 8 p.m. to midnight

Tonight—from sizzlin' country, rockabilly, rock & roll and jump blues—Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers brings back high-octane Honkytonk to RBQ. 97-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd

Friday, October 14 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Rocktober with Cat Nip Duo’s eclectic lineup of classic and alternative rock at Kennedy’s.

406 Bayside, Breezy Point

Friday, October 14 9 p.m.

Tonight, be seduced by the Kerry Kearney Band’s heavy serving of original roots and blues at Rogers.

203 Beach 116th Street Friday, October 14 9 p.m.

Nothin’ says Friday than chillin’ and vibin’ with friends and Arturo Rivera inside the Belle Harbor Yacht Club’s upstairs lounge.

533 Beach 126th Street

ROCKAWAY GOOD TIMES

Saturday, October 15 4 p.m.

The GrassLighters are back at The Sugar Bowl rockin’ their unique blend of rock, folk, bluegrass and R&B.

15 Bedford Ave, Breezy Point

Saturday, October 15 6 p.m.

In the mood for Rockaway Tiki or Batesy’s tonight? Why not both! Plus, a side of Grateful Dead with tribute band, The Rainbow Spirals, at the portico adjoining both restaurants.

67-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

Saturday, October 15 8 p.m. to Midnight

Home-townies Mixed Bag is back at RBQ deliverin' a hefty mix of your favorite rock classics.

97-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

Saturday, October 15 9 p.m.

Tonight, take a walk down memory lane with Crossfade jammin’ classics you used to rock on your Walkman.

203 Beach 116th Street

Sunday, October 16 4 p.m.

On tap at The Sugar Bowl is Magic Bones belting out the best in classic rock, Country, Motown and soul.

15 Bedford Ave, Breezy Point Sunday, October 16

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Celebrate Sunday! Funday! with the Rock-A-Wades at Rogers. 203 Beach 116th Street

Sunday, October 16 6:30 p.m.

Be mesmerized as piano man/ singer-songwriter, Mike Tedesco, takes the stage at Thai Rock playing original music and covers from Billy Joel, John Legend and more!

375 Beach 92nd Street

Sunday, October 16

Bid adieu to the weekend well above ‘Parr’ with music by special guest, Greg Parr! For show time, visit: @harborlightpub on Instagram. 129-18 Newport Avenue

ONGOING LIVE MUSIC

Thirsty Thursdays

7 p.m.

Head to Bungie for Trivia Thursdays. For weekly themes, follow: @ bungalowbarny on Instagram. 377 Beach 92nd Street

7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Get ready to FamJam with Rocka-

way’s favorite surf cowboy/musician, Patsy, at Rockaway Brewing Co. 415 Beach 72nd Street

Wine Wednesdays

8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Bask in an evening of rhythmic storytelling with Ireland’s Cork-born renowned folk songsmith, Niall Connolly at Sayra’s.

91-11 Rockaway Beach Blvd

Social Saturdays

7 p.m. to close

What’s poppin’ at The Rockaway Hotel tonight? Live DJ, crafty cocktails and snacks to keep your energy up on the dance floor—get it all on the rooftop (sixth floor).

108-10 Rockaway Beach Drive

ARTS/CULTURE

TCAH HARVEST HEROES CELEBRATION

Thursday, October 13 6 p.m.

This Thursday, join The Campaign Against Hunger’s celebration of Rockaway’s leaders committed to food and economic justice at their annual Harvest Heroes event at Beach Dunes Eats & Arts. Gear up for a fun evening of food, drinks, live entertainment, plus a silent auction.

45-19 Rockaway Beach Blvd

LARRY RACIOPPO’S OPENING RECEPTION OF PHOTO EXHIBIT, “SANDY DIARY”

Friday, October 14 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Rockaway photographer, Larry Racioppo, hosts the opening reception of his brand-new photo exhibit, “Sandy Diary” at Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE). Check out his touching collection of photos before and after Superstorm Sandy, plus share your own Sandy memories with attendees. The public is invited to view the exhibit Monday through Friday through November 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Masks are required.

58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

9TH ANNUAL HIP-HOP HALLOWEEN & HARVEST CELEBRATION

Saturday, October 15 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Join RISE for their 9th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration with family and friends in the Rockaway Hip-Hop Communi-

ty Garden. From pumpkin painting, face painting, music, dancing, festive food, and more—make memories with the entire family! Free! Masks required indoors. For more info, call (718) 327-5919.

58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

SPECIAL MENTION

BENEFIT FOR A LOCAL FRIEND IN NEED

Friday, October 14 7 p.m.

Join Wine With Sue and other locals at Knights of Columbus for a benefit to support the Hanna family as Brian Hanna recovers from a liver transplant. Don’t miss out on this special night of fun featuring live music from Wine With Sue and DJs At Work, light food fare, 50/50s, raffles generously donated by Rockaway’s business community and more! $50 admission. If you can’t attend, but would like to support, please send a check made payable to the Graybeards, noting in the memo: “For The Friends of BH” to 129-04 Newport Avenue, Belle Harbor, NY 11694. For more info, email: friendsofbh920@ gmail.com

333 Beach 90th Street

SHOP LOCAL

ROCKAWAY MAKERS FALL MARKET

Sunday, October 16 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

It’s Fall y’all and Rockaway Makers Market is back with another night of shopping under the stars from a mile-long list of vendors at Arverne Cinema. Plus, live jazz with the RatCats and drinks by Rockaway Brewing Co.!

72-02 Gouverneur Ave

RISE WEEKEND OUTDOOR “ROCKAWAY MARKET STREET”

Saturdays & Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Just three weekends left! Through October 22, shop local at RISE’s outdoor farmer’s Rockaway Market Street, located under the elevated train line on Beach 60th Street. Credit cards, SNAP, and WIC vouchers are all accepted.

Beach 60th Street

Got info on local live music, arts and more? Email: editor@rockawaytimes.com

LOCAL COLOR: READERS SEND IN THEIR PIX

We might be a little biased, but we think some of the best photographers in the world live in Rockaway. Here are some shots that readers shared with

this week.

your

per

and we’ll do our best to print them (space permitting). We do receive more than we can

Tara McGuinness

Diane LeonardMike McGevna

Maryann Polanco

John Santana

Kathleen Slevin

Joe DiLalla

Mark Wade

Alma Needs to Refocus

Dear Editor:

The Surfside Housing Tenant Association, SHAFT, are happy to know that The Wave’s Rocka way Family Fun/Health & Well ness Day was a success. Despite the weather that day. Rockaway strong!

And the Tenant Association is happy to learn that the corpora tion that owns and manages the homes of our 2000+ Rockaway neighbors recognizes the pow er of our Rockaway community. Nick Conway, an executive with

the corporation, Alma Realty, re portedly said "support [Rocka way’s] bright future.”

Our Rockaway community should know, however, that those 2,000 of us whose homes are man aged by Alma Realty have had to repeatedly draw on our elected officials to intervene on scores of occasions to hold Alma to ac count for chronic health and safe ty violations. Many of us are cur rent or retired essential workers, city workers in FDNY and NYPD, EMS, teachers, nurses, and par ents with small children or retired residents who just want to enjoy our homes. With you, we ARE the Rockaway community.

So although it’s lovely to have corporate sponsors for our com munity events, let’s be clear about the Walk of their Talk. About where their PR dollars are being spent versus where they are providing healthy, safe living environments for our Rockaway community.

As a Tenant Association, we con tinue to struggle with Alma Realty's attitude and failure to consistently

provide essential resident services such as heat, hot water and eleva tors that operate reliably up and down the 12 stories in each of the three buildings.

Alma must recognize that the bright future of Rockaway is NOW, and their effort should be focused on restoring the existing buildings and property for the current and future generations of the Rocka way community.

Barbara Buffolino, Karen Nevirs and the Surfside Residents

More on Barrett’s Dear Editor:

Dr. Galvin gave a nice overview of Barrett’s esophagus (9/29 Ask the Doc), a topic that’s been debat ed in our gastroenterology practic es for many decades.

The discussion has escalated recently due to the five-to-sevenfold increase in cases of esopha geal adenocarcinoma, for which Barrett’s esophagus remains a risk factor.

It’s estimated that 3 to 5% of United States residents have Bar

Love Shouldn't Hurt

By Theresa M Racine

Domestic Violence Awareness month is in October. Many are go ing purple, yet it’s still not talked about as much as it should be. According to the National Coali tion Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), intimate partner vio lence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime. One in four women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence. Most of these crimes go unreport ed due to the belief system of the person who is being abused. On average, 20 people per minute are physically abused.

I am sharing this due to my own physical abuse that never was re ported. When I was abused as a child and as an adult, I believed that love was abuse. It wasn't un til something tragic happened to someone I loved that I realized what was happening to me.

Behind the walls of the home, domestic violence plays out. Men

and women inflict harm on each other. Tragically, children also be come the victims of domestic vio lence, either directly or by watch ing a parent abuse another.

Rarely is a camera present to record the crime. Other than the victim, there is often no one to wit ness the emotional, verbal, physi cal and/or sexual abuse. Often the victim feels trapped or helpless. Abusers isolate their victims and eliminate any "lifeline" that the victim might have. Many times,

the victim feels as though it is his or her word against the abuser's. Many times, a man who is being abused will be disregarded when he calls out his abuser.

Every year I have an event that aims to spread awareness. This year xtrememeasure.org is part nering with Casa Cares at the Co pacabana and other organizations to share vital information to those who may need help. We will start the night off with information and tabling with experts who can offer advice on how you can become part of the solution, or if you your self is in need of help, these organ izations will help you connect to resources you need. Then we will have a panel discussion.

Queen Esther Arrroyo, a long time Rockaway resident who has worked to deter violence and has her own organization, Queen Roy al Priesthood, will be sharing her story on how abuse affected her life and the life of others around her. We will be having many others

rett’s esophagus, yet many show no symptoms,

Overall, the risk for cancer in Barrett’s esophagus patients is .5 to 1% per year.

Unfortunately, the disease is as sociated with a 40 fold increase in risk for esophageal adenocarcino ma. The good news is that we now have clear guidelines on how to follow people with Barrett’s and much better therapeutic options.

Current guidelines recommend surveillance endoscopy in three to five years, as there is a relative ly low risk for developing malig nancy in those who do not have dysplasia on biopsies. Those with dysplasia on biopsy need follow up endoscopy in one year, and re quire daily PPI treatment.

We now are able to endoscop ically resect the Barrett’s epithe lium or alternatively ablate the Barrett’s epithelium with argon plasma coagulation. These pro cedures have, for the most part, replaced the need for surgical re section.

William Erber MD

on the panel that will bring differ ent perspectives from law enforce ment to a male domestic violence survivor and much more. Gina Vasquez, a Rosedale resident, will be sharing empowerment through Zumba classes and a professional belly dancing class. Tyrone Turner, a Rockaway resident, will be shar ing his self-defense skills. Last, we will have a fashion show with two amazing designers, Richard Qui nones Couture and Nege Styles, and models who support the cause.

We are encouraging people to shine the light on Domestic Vio lence by wearing the color purple that evening. The event will be held at The Copacabana, 625 West 51st in Manhattan, on October 21 from 4-8 p.m. All are welcome.

Also consider participating in the Far Rockaway Cancer and Domestic Violence Walk on Sunday, October 16 at 8 a.m. on Beach 17th Street.

My motto is see something, do something. To see change, we must be the change.

Spotted: Oh, Canada!

Facts You Probably D on’t Need

The northernmost point in Brazil is closer to Canada than to the southernmost point in Brazil.

and squid have three hearts.

King of Hearts is the only king in a deck of cards without a mustache.

5,327,231,061.

Similar to an apricot, black pepper is technically a stone fruit.

Nicolas Cage has already bought his grave. It is a nine-foot-tall pyramid in New Orleans.

You might see the Northern Lights when visiting Canada’s Northwest Territories, but nothing lights up the sky like a Rockaway Times t-shirt. Eileen Reilly, Ann-Marie Reilly and Gavin Pretor- Pinney are pictured here on their second trip with the Cloud Appreciation Society. Gavin is the founder of the society. Blachford Lake is way up there in Canada and you can see the Aurora borealis without freezing temps. And we can see that great Rock Times tee!

U.S. Army is responsible for the creation of Ray-Ban sunglasses.

The world population in 1980 was 4,458,003,514. By 1990, it had grown to

There is a Nikola Tesla statue that radiates free Wi-Fi in Silicon Valley.

Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.

File No. 2019-4524 SURRO GATE’S COURT – KINGS COUNTY 17-A GUARDIANSHIP CITATION (Supplemental) THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK by the Grace of God Free and Independent To: Antonie Augustin a petition having been filed by, Sandra Marie Harriot who is domiciled at 735 Lincoln Avenue, Apt. 2 B, Brooklyn, NY 11208 YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE Virtually before the Surrogate’s Court, Kings County, on November 16, 2022 10 a.m. of that day, why the letters of the guardianship of the person of Jenna Marie Augustin should not be granted to Sandra Marie Harriott and why the appointment of Dillon Rodney as Standby Guardian of the person of Jennah Marie Augustin, should not be grant-

CITATION

ed; and why the appointment of Andrea Harriott First Alternate Standby Guardian of the person of Jennah Marie Augustin, should not be granted; and why a hearing__ should be held ___ should not be held; and why the appearance of respondent __ should be ___ should not be required at the hearing; and why the guardian(s) of the person should not be authorized and empowered to make decisions with respect to the medical and dental need of the respondent and to render consent to any medical procedures which are necessary to the health and welfare of the respondent, unless the court decides other wise. A health care decision may include a decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment as defined by subdi-

vision 1750-b(1) of the Sur rogate’s Court Procedure Act. (State further relief requested). NOTICE: Appearances on the return date of the citation will occur by video conference utilizing the following Microsoft Teams application link VIDEO CONFERENCE APPEARANCE into an internet brows er or by dialing 347-378-4143 or 833-262-7886 and entering conference I.D. 202545209#. Pursuant to the Kings County Surrogate’s Court Notice the Cited Parties, written responses may be filed prior to the return of the citation to Kings County Surrogate’s Court either by electronic filing at https:// iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/HomePage or by any form of regular or overnight mail addressed to Guardianship De-

partment, Kings County Surro gate’s Court, 2 Johnson Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201. The video link may also be found on the court’s website at http:// ww2nycourts.gov/courts/2jd/ surrogates/index.shtml Dated, Attested and Sealed October 6, 2022 ROSEMARIE MONTALBANO HON. ROSEMARIE MONTAL BANO, Surrogate Lisa Mathis, Chief Clerk Pro Se Attorney for Petitioner Note: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to ap pear or respond. However, if you fail to respond to this citation in writing by mail, electronic mail, or electronic filing, it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have the right to have an attorney-at-law appear or respond for you.

K

Wrestle Talk

BRAY WYATT RETURNS!

By Eric Jayden

So, this past week at the WWE Extreme Rules Live Event, what we have been talking about for months has finally come true. Bray Wyatt Is Back! All of the sudden, the lights turned off in the entire arena and a voice came over singing "he has the whole world in his hands" and various characters from Bray Wyatt's Firefly Funhouse Show started popping up throughout the arena, and then you see a masked man come out with a lantern and then he takes the mask off to reveal Bray Wyatt!

Yes, Bray Wyatt has made his return to the WWE and the way it was done was absolutely perfect! This left fans in pure amazement. Now that he is back, we have

to ask the question, who will be part of his faction? We have seen the hashtag "Wyatt6" now and it’s leading us to believe that he will possibly add six new members to his stable. Will Alexa Bliss return with Bray Wyatt? Will top superstars like Seth Rollins join his faction? The list of names is huge, and the opportunities are endless at this point.

I have read some negative backlash to Bray's return with some saying his whole gimmick is horrible and people just don't buy into it. I'm sure you have heard me say this many times before… wrestling is a form of entertainment! When you are watching a wrestling show, well, that's exactly what you are doing—watching a show. It’s the opportunity to suspend your disbelief

and enjoy the stories being told. Too many people forget to do that and overthink about what they are watching. Wrestling is meant to be enjoyed not to be overanalyzed.

Bray Wyatt portrays a supernatural character, similar to Friday the 13th's "Jason" or Nightmare on Elm Street's "Freddy." We, watch to see the story unfold and see what's going to happen next. I, for one am very happy he is back and I look forward to seeing what Bray Wyatt's storyline has to offer.

Fans, you can see me live this weekend at 1CW Pro Wrestling Show "Halloween Madness" a benefit to cancer. The show will be in Houston, Delaware and tickets can be purchased by contacting 410-829-1114.