Rockaway Times 4-27-23

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Community Gathers to Create Resilient Shoreline

By Jeanne DuPont, RISE Executive Director, & Syeda Shume, RISE Youth Engagement Coordinator

On Saturday, April 1, RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity) hosted the first community planting of the season as part of the implementation phase of Greater Rockaway Community & Shoreline Enhancement Plan. The purpose was to create a natural protective buffer by planting native grasses and shrubs along a designated pilot area on Beach 60th Street to Beach 63rd Street. The plantings also provide an important habitat and ecosystem for birds, bees, and other wildlife along the Rockaway shoreline, while also reducing flooding and protecting the community against storm surge.

While RISE is leading this initiative, the project is in partnership with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Natural Resources Group, NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Develop­

ment, eDesign Dynamics, and WXY Architecture + Urban Design in creating a replicable model that includes local participants in stewardship and long­term maintenance to protect our shoreline.

RISE Shore Corps interns as well as local businesses, families, other not­for­profits from the Rockaway community, including Surfrider Foundation, and residents of Arverne By the Sea, also participated. The initiative is currently the only project in the State of New York

being funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Coastal Resilience Fund and has caught the attention of UIA World Congress, which has invited Shore Corps students and WXY to present the project at its conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July.

Local elementary schools PS 43Q, PS 104Q, PS 105Q, PS 106Q, PS 183Q, PS 197Q, PS 317Q, PS 362Q, and St. John’s School for Boys also were selected as partners to assist in growing native seedlings and

will be planting hundreds of native plant plugs on the site in May.

RISE recently hired six local residents to do maintenance, watering, and monitoring of the pilot planting area for the coming season. This effort will be taking place over the next four years to ensure the plantings are well maintained and monitored for the long term. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or participating in the effort should go to www.riserockaway.org.

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2023

Lifeguards to Receive Additional Raises

NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue announced Tuesday that the City has reached an agreement with DC37 to raise the pay rates for new and second year seasonal lifeguards to approximately $21.26/hr. Additionally, all lifeguards working through mid­August are eligible to receive a $1,000 bonus, and Parks will once again offer a mini­pool specific lifeguard certification for staff who cover mini­pools only, making it more accessible for New Yorkers to secure a job as a lifeguard.

"Our public pools and beaches offer New Yorkers a safe place to get exercise, beat the heat, and make the most of their summers,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. "The wellbeing of our swimmers is our number one priority, and lifeguards are essential to creating safe environments that all New Yorkers can enjoy.

As we continue to build our lifeguard corps, we're committed to supporting these critical staff who put their own safety at risk to save lives and make summer happen for millions of New Yorkers."

Qualifying exams for new lifeguards were held starting in December 2022 and ended in March 2023. New Yorkers who worked as lifeguards in Summer 2022 are urged to sign up today to get their recertification with the NYC Parks Lifeguard School in order to serve again this summer.

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 Rockaway Park, NY 11694

Email: joannariola32@gmail.com 718-318-6411

State Senator James Sanders Jr. 1931 Mott Avenue – Suite 305 Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Email: sanders@nysenate.gov 718-327-7017

Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson 19-31 Mott Avenue, Suite 301 Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Email: Andersonk@nyassembly.gov 718-327-1845

The

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Katie McFadden MANAGING EDITOR

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The Rockaway Times

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Phone: 718-634-3030

www.rockawaytimes.com

Email: news@rockawaytimes.com, mail@rockawaytimes.com

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We Love You Kleino

This column is reprinted from the May 5, 2022, issue of The Rockaway Times.

He said he was speaking for all of the Canarsie firehouse when he concluded his eulogy, “We will never forget you. We all love you, Kleino.” But Vin Geary, friend and fellow firefighter of Tim Klein, could have been speaking for thousands of people. Thousands who came to St. Francis de Sales last Friday. Thousands who watched the livestream and thousands and thousands from across the city and country.

You didn’t have to personally know Tim Klein to love Klein­o. You love him for his bravery and service. And you love him because of what you learned, what others said about him. You love that he was born a fighter. He was diagnosed with a rare form of anemia at nine months and illness and hospital visits were common as a child. But he persevered.

You love him because illness and physical challenges didn’t stop him from playing and excelling in sports. He was small but, again, he persevered.

You loved him because he followed his dream. And followed in the FDNY footsteps of his dad and grandfather, his uncles, and cousins. And you love him because his study hall in college was Murph’s Pub. You loved him because he reminds you of the best friends you’ve had in your life. Including the mischievous ones, especially the mischievous ones. You love when his mother says the family rule was the door was locked at 4 in the morning and Tim was often on the wrong side of the door.

You love Tim because of where you live. Few places in the country are so closely identified with firefighters than Rockaway. Through generation after generation, members of the FDNY are born and bred here. A death in the line of duty shakes the community to its core. When word spread about Tim, words like devastating and horrible and heartbreaking didn’t come close to capturing the shock and pain. In the days after, it seemed like so many people were in a stunned state of sadness.

The Klein family somehow shook us all out of it. They were keen on

celebrating Tim’s life, not the tragedy. Vin Geary and Jimmy Quinn and Adam Bishop were among those who helped lift the clouds a little. We heard about Tim and the Yankees, Rangers, koozies, sharing stories with his dad, on a first name basis with his mom, his dedication to the job, pranking guys, battling and loving his sisters like the best kind of brother.

What a life.

You know, we’re taught to love our fellow man – well, it’s easy when it’s a fellow like Tim.

On behalf of your extended family everywhere: We all love you Kleino.

WE ALSO DEDICATE THIS MOTHER'S DAY EVENT IN MEMORY OF ALL THE MOMS OF OUR SPECIAL ATHLETES & VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE GONE TO HEAVEN REGINA CLARK

Senator Sanders Participates in the “Tuvalu Challenge” on Earth Day

“Second Annual Tuvalu Challenge” at Beach 86th Street and Shorefront Parkway.

In honor of Earth Day, NYS Senator James Sanders Jr. stood waist deep – and at some point, was submerged entirely – in the ocean to deliver a speech calling on the local and international community to take action towards mitigating the climate crisis that is setting our world ablaze. Emphasizing Southeast Queens as a region particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and flooding, Senator Sanders conducted the

The Tuvalu Challenge was inspired by Foreign Minister Simon Kofe of the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, who dramatized the plight of his endangered nation from climate change by delivering a powerful speech while standing in the ocean on November 5, 2021. Senator Sanders then took to the water to deliver his speech and perform the Tuvalu Challenge, joined in the ocean by Assemblymember Anderson, Marcus Sibley of NWF, and Lou Harris of the  Black Surfing Association. During the 15­minute challenge in the freezing ocean, each participant spoke to the importance of community efforts towards a

better world, and the importance of passing proposed legislation facing New York’s elected officials right now. As Senator Sanders asserted clearly, “Humanity must vanquish climate change, or climate change will vanquish humanity. We are at a point where we have to do something about this problem, or this problem is going to do something about us. We accept the challenge. We stand in solidarity with the people of the Earth, and we understand that the problem of climate change came from the West, not the developing nations. We can show the way back by recycling, we can show the way back by electrifying and stepping away from fossil fuels, and we intend to do that.” Furthermore, the Senator drew a parallel between the experience of constituents in the Rockaways and those inhabiting island nations near and far, as during the wrath of Hurricane

Sandy, Rockaway residents observed the “bay meet the beach” with no one coming to the rescue despite sea levels rising continually.

“Senator Sanders has been a tremendous leader on climate— and his Tuvalu Challenge drives home how climate change directly affects us here in New York. This Earth Day event is an important part of our efforts to ensure that New York takes action this summer to Stop Funding Climate Destruction. The New York Tropical Deforestation­Free Procurement Act is one of the most important actions the state can take on climate this summer,” said Marcus Sibley of the NWF. As emphasized by Sibley, “Passion without legislation is just a conversation.” A sentiment Senator Sanders greatly adheres to in the fight against climate change through quality, sustainable legislation.

“The Lazer” Lou Pastina was spotted rocking his appropriately dark Rockaway Times t­shir t on the south shore of the Firth of Forth at Blackness Castle in Scotland. Even though its dark, that shirt and Lou both seem to shine bright!

So, you might notice that things look a little different throughout the paper this week. You’ve got a sharp eye! Well, we had a little incident. There was a fire at our printer’s facility located in Rockaway, New Jersey (we’re just Rockaway through and through!). We were informed on Monday that they would not be able to print for us this week (and who knows how long) and yet, here we are, three days later with a paper in your hands. Thanks to some very kind fellow newspaper people, we were able to secure a temporary spot with another printer (thank you Richner Printers!). Now, these were some hectic days, and we were at our temporary printer’s will, so you will notice some things are

a little different and other things might be slightly out of the normal order. We apologize and hope to be back to normal as

soon as possible. For almost nine years, The Rockaway Times has not missed a week. We plan on keeping that streak going. *****

Father Jim of St. Francis de Sales was scheduled to have his kidney transplant surgery this past Tuesday but unfortunately it was postponed. That didn’t stop Fr. Jim and his donor, Mike Coughlin, from being together on the day. Instead, they shared a lunch together at Kennedy’s! The new surgery date is scheduled for May 11.  We continue to keep Father Jim and Mike in our thoughts/prayers.   *****

Engine 257 / Ladder 170 / Battalion 58 held a plaque dedication ceremony at their quarters in Canarsie this past Monday, the one­

year anniversary of the day we lost FF Timmy Klein. Timmy’s mother DeeDee and Timmy’s fellow firefighter and friend Andrew Spadaro gave Timmy an amazing tribute at the ceremony.  *****

Next week, we will have for you the Top 30 from The Rockaway Times Photo Contest! While the photos will be printed in the paper, for now, they will still remain anonymous as our esteemed judges have not agreed to remain sequestered for the summer.

Rockaway had quite the showing in this year’s High School Girls Basketball All­Star Team compiled by The Tablet with nominations by the league’s coaches. Five of the talented young ladies who brought home honors call Rockaway home. They could field their own team! The Rockaway All­Stars are Alexandra Carbonaro of Xaverian High School, Caitlin Mullen of Archbishop Molloy, Kaitlyn Nestor of Archbishop Molloy, Jenna Karr of St. Edmunds Prep, and Noelle Polanco of Fontbonne Hall Academy.

RBQ was officially sold and will be passing the torch to new owners. They will be having a Last Hurrah tomorrow, Friday, April 28.

On Saturday, April 29 at 11 a.m., head out to the Howard Beach Public Library, located at 92­06 156th Avenue, for Hero Story Time organized by Councilwoman Joann Ariola. Children will be read stories by local heroes including police officers and firefighters. *****

The next meeting of the Rockaway Republican Club will be held at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club on Tuesday May 2 at 7:30 p.m. The keynote speaker this week will be former New York State Attorney General candidate Michael Henry.

Almost a month after the original deadline, a budget for New York State is expected to be agreed upon by the end of the week. In the end, Governor Hochul’s controversial housing plan was stripped from the budget completely after fierce opposition from suburban legislators.

New Owners Scoop Up Mara’s Ice Cream

By Katie McFadden

After 10 years, Mara Valentino decided to sell Mara’s Ice Cream Parlor, but don’t fret, the scoopers are in good hands. In March, Mara turned over the keys to a young local couple that is looking to keep the same sweet treats as they carry Mara’s legacy forward.

Mara Valentino had been getting burnt out after working in Italian ice shops when her husband, Mike, convinced her to become her own boss and open a shop of her own. And after Rockaway was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, the peninsula was in need of a sweet pick­me­up. Despite residing in Long Island, Mike Valentino had taken a liking to Rockaway when he worked on the peninsula as an NYPD officer, and he had purchased some bungalows after retiring in 2004. Mara opened up an Uncle Louie G’s franchise in spring 2014 along with her nephew, Christopher, becoming some of the first business owners to take part in the post­Sandy Rockaway Beach renaissance. After two years of commuting, Mike and Mara found a place to rent in town. About five years ago, Mara moved the shop a few doors down and reopened it as Mara’s Ice Cream Parlor, and two years ago, they made the full move to Beach 90th in Rockaway and sold their Long Island home. “I’m not leaving Rockaway,” Valentino said.

However, she is hitting the road in her camper. “I bought a camper on 97th and the bay and I want to travel from the east coast to the west coast,” she said. She has big plans for the camper called The Wanderer. “Everybody will see me. I’m going to be painting it hot pink and black and put ‘Mara’s nuts’ on the back and I’ll have my fictitious dog sitting in the seat next to me, Brody the Roadie. I want to travel and that’s it,” Valentino said.

So after 10 years, the time was right to pass the ice cream scooper onto the next generation. And the Valentinos had the perfect option in mind. “I had 10 bungalows on Beach 100th and I sold them to Matt a few years ago. He was my exterminator. And he and his girl­

friend, Hannah, said, ‘if you ever decide to sell the ice cream shop, let us know,’” Mike Valentino said. So when the time came, they knew just who to call—Matt Moers and Hannah Sautner.

The couple are lifelong locals who have some experience as business owners with Matt owning his own pest control business and Hannah owning an eyelash extension business. “This couple was the best choice I could have made,” Mara Valentino said. “I put a lot of heart into that store, and I think they’re the perfect fit. I wouldn’t have just given it to anyone. She’s my baby and they’re the perfect couple for it.”

Moers and Sautner had remained friends with the Valentinos and were hoping this would come to fruition. “We always joked with them, whenever you’re ready to retire, I want to come for your ice cream shop. We always loved coming into Mara’s. And then she called us in March,” Sautner said. Although they had hinted about wanting to buy the shop, Mara’s sudden decision to actually sell caught them off guard. “It was out of the blue and we weren’t prepared or planning for it, but we were hoping one day maybe it would happen,” Sautner said.

But they’ve stepped right up to the challenge. “Matt and I have been together for 10 years and we’re best friends and partners, and we’ve talked about finding a business to do together. He’s great at running businesses and the backend of things while I’m real­

ly creative and like to make things sparkle. This was the right opportunity and it’s been perfect so far,” Sautner said.

Adjusting came easy as Mara laid the groundwork for a successful business, one that Moers and Sautner don’t plan on changing much. “Mara’s has great bones. She built this business for 10 years, picking out premium ice creams and Italian ices. We don’t want to change up a good thing. She also had a great staff that she brought over that we’ll have in addition to family members offering up that same great customer service experience that Mara provided the community for the last 10 years,” Sautner said. And of course, they’ll utilize the shop’s backyard space and will continue to offer events like live music.

However, they would like to add on to what’s already good. “We hope to add to this and make it more of a dessert shop with other frozen treats, soft serve and baked goods,” Sautner said. “Right now, we’re hunkering down and getting ready for the summer season so the products will be the same, but may­

be we’ll change up some flavors here and there.” Even the name will remain for now.

Matt and Hannah say they’re honored to be passed the ice cream scoops. “It’s overwhelming in the best way. We feel very grateful and happy that she felt we were a good fit. It was a big thing that we closed the deal on her tenth year to the day she opened. It was this full circle moment, and we feel blessed and we’re looking forward to keeping this business going,” Sautner said.

And Mara is confident in what Matt and Hannah will accomplish. “I had a pang in my heart when I left but I know it’s in good hands. They’re young and will take it to the next level,” Valentino said. “They’re a great couple and I hope Rockaway embraces them as much as they embraced me.”

So say hello to Hannah and Matt, and order a cup or cone! Mara’s Ice Cream Parlor is located at 92­14 Rockaway Beach Blvd. They’re still operating on winter hours but starting Memorial Day weekend, and all summer long, they’ll be open seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mara Valentino sold her shop after 10 years.

Matt and Hannah are the new scoopers in town.

Timmy Klein Memorialized at Canarsie’s Bravest

By Katie McFadden

Late firefighter Timmy Klein will forever be remembered by the members of Ladder 170 in Canarsie, but now, he will forever be memorialized by all who walk through their doors. On Monday, April 24, a year to the day that Klein died while on duty, a plaque dedication was held at the Canarsie’s Bravest house, Engine 257/Ladder 170/Battalion 58, to honor the beloved firefighter who called Rockaway home.

The service began with bagpipes and a prayer led by FDNY Chaplain, Monsignor John Delendick. “Timmy was a man who came here, following in his father’s footsteps, and he came here to live out a dream. He came here and he lost his life, so we come together, and we pray for him, remember him and dedicate this plaque to him,” Msgr. Delendick said.

Captain Mark Schweighardt of Ladder 170 hosted the ceremony and acknowledged all in attendance, including Klein’s mother, Dee Dee; father, Patrick; his sisters, Tara, Bridget and Erin, and his girlfriend, Courtney, along with many other family members and friends. Also in attendance was the family of the late firefighter Billy Moon, who died during a training exercise in December, and the family of late firefighter Steven Pollard, also a member of Ladder 170, who in 2019, Klein had eulogized, as they were close friends.

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh addressed the Klein family about the person Timmy was and the sacrifice he made on April 24, 2022, when he responded to a fire on Avenue N. “We gather for a plaque dedication in Tim’s honor. We place his name on the wall of this firehouse and know that his story will continue and will be told for decades to come for all who pass through these doors,” Kavanagh said. “When you come into this firehouse, pause for a moment at the plaque that now bears his name. Remember that he died doing what he loved, in a

city that he loved, with the people that he loved. He will never be forgotten.”

“We are gathered here for a sad reason, but it’s also a special one,” FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said. “We are making sure that Timmy’s sacrifice is never forgotten. Timmy was just the type of example we want future firefighters to emulate. A selfless, brave, kind individual with a heart of gold who loved his job. In the days since Timmy left us, we have heard countless retellings of his dedication to firefighting and also to his community. Timmy’s actions inside and outside of the firehouse truly made him shine.”

Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association dedicated a plaque of their own to the Klein family. “Your son’s sacrifice, and the sacrifice of the Pollard family and the Moon family—they give us the name ‘the Bravest,’ and we’d like to honor the gift of the name they’ve given us by always being there for you,” Ansbro said.

Fellow firefighter and Rockaway resident Andrew Spadaro then gave an emotional speech about the day of the fire, in which a floor collapsed, ultimately killing Timmy. But he mostly focused on events before that day, recalling another tragedy that faced Canarsie’s Bravest. He spoke of the day in which firefighter Steven Pollard died, falling from a drawbridge while responding to an accident on the Belt Parkway in January 2019. He spoke of Timmy’s efforts to perform CPR and stay by Pollard’s side until doctors took over, and ultimately shared the tragic news that 30 ­ year­ old Pollard had passed. Spadaro spoke of the leadership role Klein took in those dark days, even while dealing with his own grief, and how he found the time to write Pollard’s eulogy, which Klein delivered five days later. But it was in the quiet ways that Klein continued to honor Pollard that was truly touching.

“The background on his phone was Steve. He had child ­sized

hockey jerseys that he got for Steve’s nieces and nephews, that we found after in his car,” Spadaro said. Klein visited the Pollard family, often bringing them fresh bread. He joined the board of the Fight for Firefighters Foundation to build ramps in Pollard’s name. “He would never mention these things because Timmy’s love for Steve and his family was not contrived. He didn’t need likes or recognition. Timmy carried Steve Pollard in his heart and everywhere he went. And now I know what happened on Avenue N one year ago today. Timmy carried Steve into that fire, and Steve carried Timmy out, and now we carry both of them in the only way we know how, and that’s the way Timmy showed us. We love and miss you brother.”

It was a tough speech to follow, but Klein’s mother, Dee Dee did it with grace. She thanked Klein’s fellow firefighters for all of the support they’ve given the family over the past year before speaking of her son. “Tim grew up in a firefighter family. He made his dream a reality, becoming a New York City firefighter in 2015. So we know for sure Tim was where he wanted to be in his life. He wanted nothing more to do his best as he served this city he loved,” she said. “Life for Tim, and all of us, could not have been better until that horrific day one year ago, when he came here to

work but never made it home. And now, just 12 months later, we come here to his firehouse home to be with you all and honor his memory and his sacrifice as he gave his life to save another.

“The plaque dedication today and his memorial here will continue to help us all remember the person he was. As Tim was, we are now dedicated to the Fight for Firefighters Foundation and have established the Timothy P. Klein Memorial Foundation, which helps us all continue to live as Timmy did—quietly but determined to give back and help others in need,” Dee Dee Klein said. “We ask Tim to somehow continue to give us all the strength and courage we need to accept our difficult new life without him and guide us through each day, always remembering and honoring his quiet, selfless nature. Free and easy, Timmy. We love and miss you forever.”

Msgr. Delendick said a prayer over the plaque that read, “Dedicated to the memory of Firefighter Timothy P Klein, Ladder Company 170, who made the supreme sacrifice while in the performance of his duty. At Brooklyn Box 332075. April 24, 2022.” The ceremony concluded with the playing of “Taps” on the bugle and “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

Photo from the FDNY.

Temple Beth-El Remembers the Holocaust

By Katie McFadden

Yom HaShoah marks Holocaust

Remembrance Day and on the evening of Sunday, April 23, Temple Beth­El honored the occasion with a ceremony remembering the six million Jewish people who were killed during the Holocaust, and a theme questioning whether or not schools are doing enough to combat antisemitism today.

At the ceremony that was open to all, The Temple Beth­El sanctuary in Rockaway Park was filled on Sunday evening with congregants of Temple Beth­El, West End Temple and others in Rockaway, as well as people of other faiths, such as Councilwoman Joann Ariola and even Monsignor John Bracken of St. Francis de Sales, showing that the events of the Holocaust are not just important to the Jewish people, but to humanity. The annual ceremony served as an emotional evening of memories, reflection and unity.

The evening began with members of the Jewish War Veterans bringing up the flags and the singing of the National Anthem. Then a procession of people walked through the sanctuary and placed candles at the bimah. One of the youths leading the ceremony also made note of something very special at the front of the sanctuary—a Torah that survived the Holocaust. “This Torah was ravaged and physically abused during the Holocaust but fortunately, was rescued to teach, guide and inspire us. Appropriately on the Torah mantle is the word zachor—Remember.”

Rabbi Matt Carl of Temple BethEl acknowledged the presence of Councilwoman Ariola and Msgr. Bracken. “The representations of organizations, that are in some ways, outside of our community, is extremely important. People of other faiths, people in government positions, send a message that this is not just an event that concerns the Jewish community. This is an event that concerns everyone,” he said.

“Our theme this year is Antisemitism: Are School’s Doing Their Job? We’re living in times when we see the diary of Anne Frank being censored, not being placed in schools in

our country. We see the rejection of schools teaching basic understanding of the history of oppressions in this country,” Rabbi Carl said. But he said there is hope. “We see teachers themselves and school districts around the country pushing back against these sorts of things. These are things that the entire country, entire community, entire world needs to address, and we will do so.”

Rabbi Rebecca Epstein of West End Temple then spoke of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and his student, Ariel Burger, who wrote a book called “Witness.” “In the book, Dr. Burger recalls hearing what happened when a student of Elie Wiesel’s asked, ‘what should we do, who never experienced the Holocaust, who never experienced suffering like yours? How can we really take on your lesson if we have really not experienced it ourselves?’ And I think that’s the question that we’re facing today, with so few survivors left to really share their stories,” she said. Rabbi Epstein then shared a story with a message that even just sharing the story is enough.

The youth then spoke of the significance of the number six. “Six has a visceral connotation and represents the staggering and incomprehensible number of the six million souls murdered in the Shoah, including the one and a half million children,” she said. Six individuals were then welcomed up to the bimah to light a candle in memory of loved ones who were impacted by the Holocaust. Some lit candles in memory of parents or grandparents who

were either killed in death camps or while trying to flee, and those who went on to survive the Holocaust.

A special song was sung in tribute to those who were able to rise up and fight back during the Holocaust. They came to be known as partisans—“fearless fighters who took on the Nazis and established a bold motto,” a youth speaker said.

Another spoke of the rise in antisemitism in recent times. “This past year, we saw the biggest increase in antisemitism incidents in the U.S. since the time of the Holocaust. Jews make up 2% of the population but are the target of more than 50% of religious hate crimes. Furthermore, it’s become routine for celebrities, athletes and even members of congress to utter anti­Jewish slurs with little or no impunity. At this Holocaust memorial, we say enough.”

Three speakers then spoke on the subject of “Antisemitism: Are Schools Doing Their Job?” A high school senior, Sarah Roberts, spoke about experiencing antisemitism for the first time at eight years old in a public school, where she was teased for being Jewish. She said the principal of the school was notified but took no action, resulting in her transferring schools. “The only thing you can do about this is spread awareness to people. Students need to be more aware of their words and the way they treat others, as well as standing up if they see something. Teachers should not ignore student problems,” she said.

Liv Musumeci, a 20­year­old art history student at FIT said she ex­

perienced antisemitism in 8th grade music class, when she found a swastika drawn on her desk. She notified a teacher, but never heard anything more on the issue afterwards. “Institutions must be proactive, educate staff, faculty and students on antisemitism and how to combat it,” Musumeci said.

Lastly was Dr. Alexander Gruenstein, a dentist who had spent time volunteering in Israel and serving in the Israel Defense Forces. When applying for a dental residency in New York in 2021 and using the application portal to add his volunteer experience, Dr. Gruenstein found that all of the cities in Israel were translated from Arabic, when in 2017, this wasn’t the case. “The residency application service got political and attempted to strip our people over any claim over Israel. I wasn’t going to stand for this,” he said. Dr. Gruenstein contacted several people multiple times until he got someone to pay attention and make the change. “When I’m confronted with antisemitism directly, I don’t tolerate it. I attacked it head on and ultimately made a positive change. If it’s not you, it’s no one. It doesn’t get better on its own. It only gets resolved when we do not stay silent,” he said.

The ceremony ended on a hopeful note, with examples of Jewish people fighting back against antisemitism in recent times. There was then a youth cantata with several of the youth singing hymns and songs that sent a message of “Never Again,” in hopes that the Holocaust will only be something in memories and stories. They also acknowledged Ruth Pagirsky, a local Holocaust survivor who passed away last year, and how she was always touched when she saw the youth carrying out the Yom HaShoah ceremony.

“I cried two times during this ceremony,” Cantor Dennis Waldman said. “Once because of the nature of the evening and second, I cry for joy because of what the youth represent and offer, mainly that precious gift called hope,” he said. The ceremony then concluded with an anthem of hope, the Hatikvah, sung by all congregants, showing true unity to end the evening.

Denim Day Shows Locals They’re Not Alone

By Katie McFadden

In the summer of 1998, an 18­year­old Italian girl was raped by her 45­year­old driving instructor. A year later, the perpetrator was released after the Italian Supreme Court overturned his sentence because the man had argued that because she was wearing tight jeans, it would have required her to remove them, so the sex was consensual. In protest, women across Italy showed up to work the next day wearing jeans. That protest in 1999 began Denim Day. April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and April 26 was the annual Denim Day to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual assault. On Saturday, April 22, local resident, Theresa Racine, organized Rockaway’s own Denim Day event to bring awareness to sexual assault and domestic violence, and to bring healing to those who have experienced it.

On Saturday, Racine brought together the community to the Hammels Playground for a day that included a memorial to victims, resources, speeches from survivors, and healing activities like Zumba, Yoga and even self­defense.

Racine has been working on Denim Day events since 2015 but wanted to bring a big event to Rockaway for two reasons. “The first was because I feel there are a lot of survivors and people who have not dealt with the pain in their heart, so I wanted to do this to maybe help one or two souls get some healing. And two, I see a lot of division in the Rockaways. I wanted to see diversity and to see everyone come together in a spot where you would not normally see everyone. It was a beautiful thing to bring everyone together.”

The event opened with Racine speaking about the origins of Denim Day. “Victim blaming is happening every day. Whether it’s somebody wearing a short dress, somebody wearing tight jeans, the way you dress should not be a reason why you get raped,” she said. Racine then shared her own story

of being raped by her stepfather when she was adopted, and by others in her lifetime. “If you are a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault, you are not alone,” she said.

After the singing of the National Anthem, Racine told all attendees to open giftbags left on their seats. They contained cards that can help people test their drinks to see if they were drugged. They also received whistles that they can carry to sound an alarm if they’re in trouble. Everyone was also able to take home a pair of jeans. Inside the pockets of the jeans was the number of the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800­799­7233), for guests to utilize if they need to.

As a memorial to victims, MC Mia Carastro asked everyone to pick up a piece of chalk and write words supportive phrases around the Hammels basketball court, like “You are Not Alone.” Within minutes, the entire park was filled with loving words.

All were then invited to participate in a Zumba class led by Veronica Caicedo, who teaches at the YMCA. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity to get the community together to address the issue of sexual violence. We need to be together and make sure we fight together and are not afraid to speak out,” Caicedo said.

The event was full of resources, including the FBI, which spoke and provided stats. “In 2022, the NYPD released rape incident reporting with CompStats. There were 466 rape incidents. And we

all know that is under­reported, so there are many more,” the FBI representative said. “Children are the ones that are targeted most. We offer events like this so the community can come together and build a safe space for survivors.”

Officer Michael Guerrini of the 100th Precinct’s Domestic Violence unit shared the ways in which the police can assist victims, working with Safe Horizons, by providing resources, panic buttons, and showing up when victims need it. He also shared an example of a success story of a woman, now living in Long Island, who got sober and escaped a long cycle of abuse.

Enchantress Shane Kulman left guests with a mantra to tell themselves. “I am peace, I am joy. I am loved. I am light. I was born in this body, and I have a light and because of that light, I am not afraid of anyone or anything,” she said.

Survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse were then invited to share their own stories. Visol Smith of Rock Safe Streets shared that domestic violence is something that affects everyone, and in many circumstances, men aren’t believed. “As a survivor, as a man, I’m going to be the man that’s not afraid to speak up,” he said. “Before you put your hands on a woman, go get help, leave, walk away.”

A woman named Elizabeth shared that her abuse started in a relationship in her teens and followed her through her life. She en­

couraged seeking out help to heal, rather than carrying that burden. “Get the help you need because it’s important to heal,” she said. Another person named Mercury shared their story of being abused as a child and encouraged finding ways to heal to break the cycle of abuse. Shereen Fuller, who was an immigrant, shared her story of being raped and abused, but left folks with some hope, as she shared that with help, she turned her life around, becoming a paralegal that is about to take the Bar Exam, and buying a five­bedroom house upstate for her kids to live a good life. “You can build your life back up again,” Fuller said. “Don’t always think you’re stuck.” Finally, Ron Savage shared his story of being raped by a hiphop legend, and another survivor, Simone. Sang “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”

The event ended with a yoga class led by Sonia Moise, a self­defense class led by Moises Reyes and more. Guests were provided with food and water donated by Whit’s End and Stop and Shop. DJ Andrew Hays and DJ Rhythm Selector J kept the tunes going. Miguel and Judy Torres helped take photos. Racine says Sadie Wilson, Sarah Bruno from Partnership for Parks and the Ocean Bay Development were all a big help in making the event possible. The 101st Precinct was also a big help in collecting jeans to be donated. Racine is grateful for all of the support. “Thank you to all of our sponsors who came and made it great,” she said.

Rockaway’s Denim Day was a success. “It was amazing,” Racine said. “So many people came up to me afterward and said we need more of this.” She plans on making it an annual event in Rockaway.

$23,000 a year in savings* from lighting upgrades means more of this for Long Island.

When the nonprofit Canine Companions requested a free energy assessment, we discovered that installing LED fixtures and other energy efficiency measures could save them nearly $2,000 a month. And with available PSEG Long Island rebates, the installation was affordable. Today, those changes have meant more funds for the mission of providing service dogs to Long Islanders with disabilities. And that means a better Long Island for us all.

For rebate information, visit PSEGLINY.com/Business.

Chicken Caprese

By Sharon Feldman

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced (4 pieces)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

• 2 teaspoons fresh basil, torn

• ½ bag baby spinach

• 4 slices mozzarella

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, approximately 6 minutes per side. Remove to a plate. Add balsamic vinegar and garlic and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and spinach and season with salt. Let simmer until soft, ap­

proximately 5­7 minutes. Stir in the basil.

Return the chicken to the pan and nestle in the tomatoes. Top with mozzarella cheese and cover until cheese melts.

Spoon the tomatoes over the chicken and serve.

Hochul’s Housing Compact Gets Squashed

Governor Kathy Hochul’s Housing Compact plan, as mentioned on the front page of the March 23 issue of The Rockaway Times, has been squashed.

On April 20, the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association shared the news from Paul Graziano, an urban planner who spoke about the matter at their March meeting, that the Housing Compact was dead in the state budget negotiations.

The BHPOA warned that similar issues may pop up in further legislation in New York City, so they told neighbors to remain vigilant. “But we take our hats off to every citizen who called or emailed elected officials, wrote letters to the editor, and attended meetings/rallies against the Housing Compact,” a BHPOA newsletter read.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola also released a statement on the

matter saying, “The news that the governor’s housing plan has been dropped from the budget discussions in Albany should bring a sigh of relief to New York’s homeowners. The plan would have effectively destroyed residential communities across the state as we know them, empowering developers to bypass local zoning laws to build multi­family buildings in neighborhoods otherwise zoned for single­ and two­family homes.”

“Furthermore, the governor’s plan also would have brought in the so­called ‘Good Cause’ legislation, which handcuffs landlords and restricts their ability to remove disruptive tenants. Landlords in New York are already getting the short end of the stick, and this would have only further limited the tools available to them when they need to deal with unwelcome and unruly tenants.”

This Week in History

APRIL 27

Michelle Comins was born.  Nancy Gahles was born.

1956 ­ Rocky Marciano retired as the undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion.

1983 ­ Pitcher Nolan Ryan surpassed Walter Johnson’s strikeout record — one Johnson had held since 1927.

APRIL 28

Jim Moore was born.

1945 ­ Benito Mussolini was executed. 1947 ­ Thor Heyerdahl and five others began their Pacific Ocean crossing on the raft, Kon­Tiki.

APRIL 29

Terence McNicholas was born.  Mary Sternhell was born.

1992 ­ A Los Angeles jury acquitted four police officers accused of beating Rodney King. Massive rioting and looting ensued.

APRIL 30

Rose Love Resker was born.  Margaret O’Hanlon was born. Donna Hickey Graves was born.

1803 ­ France sold Louisiana and adjoining lands to the United States

as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

1945 ­ Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide.

MAY 1

John O’Connor was born. Trends by Meg was born.

1931 ­ The Empire State Building opened in New York City. At 102 stories, it would be the world's tallest building for the next 41 years.

1960 ­ The Soviet Union shot down an American U­2 reconnaissance plane over Soviet territory.

MAY 2

Mary Kilgallen was born.

1939 ­ Lou Gehrig established a new major­league baseball record when he played his 2,130th consecutive game. It would take another 57 years before Cal Ripken, Jr., broke it.

2011 ­ U.S. troops and CIA operatives shot and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

MAY 3

Marian Scannell Slakman was born. Claudine Larson was born.

1937 ­ Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for Gone With the Wind.

Sean Fitzgerald

Direct 917-860-6701

Coastalfitz@gmail.com

Ellen May Esposito - Banks

646-209-2744 Licensed

Office: 718-318-5030

coastalrealestateny.com

New to Market - Broad Channel

Renovated 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, kitchen w/ granite countertops. Bamboo flooring throughout. Walking distance to all. Offered at $530,000

Ocean One

Mint 2 BR, 2 Bath Condo. Unobstructed ocean views from every room. Laundry in unit.

Private balcony. Offered at $685,000

Mary Beth Meade 347-426-8002

Daniel Donahue 917-399-7188 Licensed

BELLE HARBOR NEW CONSTRUCTION LEGAL TWO FAMILY

Two Duplex Apartments. Each unit has 3 bedrooms and two full baths, gas fireplaces, laundry. Central Air throughout. Hardwood floors, Electric Vehicle Charge ready. Private driveway. Offered at $1,348,000

Rockaway Park

Large Studio. Top floor with unobstructed views of the bay and Manhattan skyline. Offered at $220,000

COMING SOON COMING SOON

Breezy Point Two bedroom, one bathroom on a desirable block.

Walking distance to stores and bay. Finished yard Offered at $640,000

COMING SOON

Rockaway Park Brick Legal Two Family Offered at $1,125,000

Rockaway Park Apartment

Oceanfront 2 bedroom rental Great Building. $3,100

Legal Seven (7) family house in the heart of Belle Harbor Needs work. Call for details

Neponsit – Three bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, large open eat in kitchen w/ fp, living room, finished basement, attached one car garage, pvt pkg and landscaped grounds $1.3M

Brand New on the Market - Mint Belle Harbor Beach Block 60x100

3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms with an open layout, living room, kitchen, great room plus den. Two driveways, 2 car garage, inground heated pool! This property has gorgeous ocean views $2.1M

Belle Harbor – Legal 2 on 60x100 lot

Mint one bedroom apt w top 2 floors 6 bed and 4 baths Needs work! $1.3M

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Building on Beach 116th Street with storefront. Think out of the box – Movie Theatre, Roller Rink. Create something great for the neighborhood!!! $2.8M

Belle Shores – Oceanfront duplex condo with open layout with galley kitchen, one large bedroom (can be made into 2), 2 baths plus large top floor terrace $799K

Rockaway Park - 80x100 - Oversized Legal 3 on beach block

3 bed 2 bath duplex, 2 bedroom 1 bath plus 1 bedroom on top floor Needs work! $1.3M

Call for details

OCEAN VIEWS GALORE / NEPONSIT BEACH BLOCK

Move right in! Great room w/ wbfp, EIK plus den, 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, finished basement, in-ground & heated pool & spa, long private driveway, 1 car garage. $2.6M Apartments

PHOTO SHY

PHOTO SHY

Neponsit Best Block EVER!

IN CONTRACT

This charming home features a tremendous front porch for entertaining, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, full unfinished basement. Two car garage, plus parking for 5 cars. Call for appointment. $1.5M

Legal Two Family Beach 124th Street

Belle Harbor - Unique two family on a beach block with spectacular ocean views. Six rooms, 2 baths with terrace over 6 rooms with 2 baths and front porch. Full basement with washer/dryer, large long driveway and garage. $1.249M

SUMMER RENTAL SUMMER RENTAL

House for RentBeach block $25,000 p/mo

Beautiful renovated Studio

July & August $5,500

BH Upper - Six rooms, 2 bathrooms in a two family house.

July & August $11,000

Belle Harbor - One bedroom apt. July & August $6,000

Six rooms, two baths with dynamic oceanviews. Available May - September $30,000

Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, with front porch, oceanviews, use of backyard.

May - September $35,000

Belle Harbor - legal three family. Every apt is occupied. Large front porch on a beach block. First floor, 2 bedrooms, 2nd and 3rd floors one bedroom apt each. Long private driveway for 5 cars. Great for an investor. Call to take a look. $1,089M

Rockaway Beach - Beach 90th Street. Newly Renovated. Direct Ocean views. One and one half bedrooms.

Belle Harbor - Beautiful two bedrooms, brand new kitchen and bathroom. Available 5/1 includes seasonal parking. (plus utilities). Mint condition

Belle Harbor - 6 rooms, two baths with w&d

Rockaway Beach - One bedroom, beach block with laundry and parking

Belle Harbor - Beach block, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, two large terraces, w/d, parking. Fully furnished.

Rockaway Beach - 3 rooms behind a store.

Rockaway Park - Beach block, two bedrooms, fully furnished with parking, wi , utilities included.

HOUSE FOR RENT

Belle Harbor -Six rooms, large living room/dining room, two full bathrooms, family room, plus w/d, use of backyard Year round parking for two cars $4,200

OPEN HOUSE - NEPONSIT

OPEN HOUSE - BELLE HARBOR

First Showing - 302 Beach 149th Street

Sunday, 4/30 · 12-1:30pm

IMPRESSIVE CUSTOM BUILT HOME on a 60 x 100 corner lot. This home has 4BR’s including 3 primary suites and 4 full bathrooms. Desirable open floor plan,10’ ceilings, inground pool and so much more. $2,000,000

Motivated Seller - 190 Beach 134th Street

Sunday, 4/30 · 12-1:30pm

SPECTACULAR MOTHER DAUGHTER - This Stately 6BR, 5.5 bath home was recently renovated and has over 3,400 sq. ft. of delightful living space. This is the largest beach block home available. $1,950,000

ROCKAWAY PARK - FREE BUILD OUT! Attention Entrepeneurs! Come bring your ideas to fruition in this 1800 sq. ft. open space with 2 bathrooms. $4,500

ROCKAWAY PARK - FULLY RENOVATED! Located right at the top of the main business district on Beach 116th St. Parking in the rear. $2,115

ROCKAWAY PARK - FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY Perfectly sized office space that can be custom designed to fit any business needs! Comes with parking. $2,400

$11,000

PARK - 40'x100' - R7A - C1-3 Renovate or develop a new building, choice is yours! Condo's? Apartments? $2,800,000

Lic. Broker-Owner: Lisa Jackson Lic. Associate Brokers: Barbara Ferguson • Nia Casilla • Colleen Brady • Tracy Czik Lic. RE Agents: Joseph Magiera • Zachary Plattner • Carol Feintisch Samantha Benanti • Jack Brandes • Nicole Switzer

OPEN HOUSE - FIRST SHOWING

OCEANFRONT SEASONAL RENTAL

157 Beach 109th Street, S aturday, 4/29 · 12-1:30pm

Fully renovated 3 BR oceanfront with huge terrace overlooking the boardwalk and Atlantic Ocean. $15,000 /month

OPEN HOUSE - NEPONSIT

OPEN HOUSE - BELLE HARBOR

Neponsit - 414 Beach 143rd Street

Sunday, 4/30 · 12-1:30pm

BRIGHT AND SPACIOUSE 6 BR, 4 bath on a 60’x100’ lot. Vaulted ceilings, LR/DR, EIK. Upstairs is a brand new addition to the home. High ceilings, recessed lighting and large attic for additional storage. $1,595,000

Water Views - 525 Beach 125th Street

Sunday, 4/30 · 12-1:30pm

LEGAL TWO FAMILY - Customize this 40’x100’ home to your liking, H/W floors, a huge basement with high ceilings, one car garage with a long private driveway. Would be a great single family. A must see! $950,000

B. 141: High End 5BR, 3.5BA home with 2 outdoor decks and private drive. (LJ) $15,000

ABTS: Beachfront 1BR, 1BA apt with pull out couch, private balcony and W/D (BF) $10,000

B. 117: 2BR, 1BA seasonal or long term rental in multi family. Incl. all utilities (TC) $3,500

bsmt & laundry (TC)

B. 141: Gorgeous 5BR, 3.5BA house rental with 2 decks, long private drive. (LJ)

B. 118: Beach block 2BR, 1BA apt with all utilities included and shared W&D (CF)

B. 122: Beach block 3BR, 2BA, SS app., balcony, laundry room and shared yard(BF)

ABTS: 2BR, 1BA duplex apt w/ pvt. ocean view rooftop deck and home office (BF)

B. 134: 2BR, 1.5BA apt with finished basement, W&D and private driveway (JM)

B. 125: Top flr 3BR, 2BA, HW floors and terrace with city views (LJ)

ABTS: Beautiful 2BR, 2BA apt with ocean views and W/D in unit (SB)

B. 91: 2BR, 1.5BA newly renovated duplex apt with SS appliances and W&D (CF)

B. 117: First floor 2BR, 1BA in multi family home (TC)

B. 96: Corner 1BR, 1BA, views of Jamacia Bay and shared laundry (CF)

B. 114: Gorgeous newly renovated beach block 2BR, 1BA apt (CF).

B. 126: Walk in 1BR, 1BA apt with HW floors and summer weekend parking (BF)

Brooklyn: Spacious and bright 1BR, 1BA apt in Georgetown (TC)

Brooklyn: 1BR, 1.5BA condo Bergen Beach with SS appliances (TC)

B. 96: 1BR, 1BA apt in elevator building with parking available (CF)

B. 125: Second floor 1BR, 1BA rental with HW floors (TC)

B. 93: Charming 1BR, 1BA HW floors and W/D in building (SB)

Associate Real Estate Broker

Rebuilding the Rockaways -

See this fully gut renovated 2 family Townhome with �nished basement.

Hurricane Forecast is not very favorable this year! Everyone needs to get a flood policy!

Ten (10) rooms, �ve (�) bedrooms, four (4) full bathrooms. Completely new, and affordable. Minutes to all amenities, shops, beach, bus & ferry. Own with little money down payment & low closing costs.

Only $799,000

FHA & VA Welcome Call for your appointment.

APARTMENTS

Studios available from.

Call Susan 347-260-3891

OCEANFRONT CONDO

Condo | 118-14 Ocean Prom., Unit 4A

MOTIVATED SELLER!

JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER!

COMING SOON

Rockaway Park Oceanfront two bedroom, two bathroom condo with indoor deeded parking spot. $675K CALL SUSAN 347-260-3891

$1,100 - $1,400

Beach 120’s – two bedroom, oceanfront w/terrace, no pets, pay electric. Available May 1st

$2950

Enjoy living at the beach in this 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with ocean front terrace. Direct ocean views, sunny open layout, high-end kitchen, w/d, lots of closets, deeded indoor parking space, storage, pet friendly.

$735K

Call Susan 347-260-3891

Belle Harbor Charming ONE FAMILY. Three floors of living space, includes; 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, large living room with wood burning fireplace, formal dining room, eat in kitchen, hardwood floors, semi finished basement, garage, deck and yard.

Asking $975,000. Call Susan 347-260- 3891

BRAND NEW EXCLUSIVE LISTING

Beach Block Legal Two Owner apartment, 2 or 3 bedrooms, renovated kitchen, large living room and dining room, semi finished basement with half bath. Rental apartment: 2 bedrooms, large living room with terrace, and bonus space on top floor, 3 extra rooms. $965,000

Call Kate 917-680-8051

Call Susan 347-260-3891

Rockaway Park – beach block, 2 bedroom furnished unit with wifi, parking, use of yard

Call Susan 347-260-3891

Rockaway Park – 2 bedroom walk up. All utilities included.

Call Susan 347-260-3891

$3250

$1650

Summer Rentals: Call Susan 347-260-3891

• B130’s - 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, use of indent parking

• B130’s – Studio, use of yard and parking

• Rockaway Park -2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

• Belle Harbor summer house rental

• Beach Block - Steps to Ocean 2 bedrooms, eat in kitchen, terrace, ocean view. Memorial Day to Labor Day…..........$10,600

Call Kate 917 680 8051

“We owe a lot of our success to the Rockaway Times and the advertising. The weekly paper delivered for FREE to every doorstep in the community was the best advertising we could have asked for. COUNTLESS people have come in to our business over the years saying they saw our specials in the Times. For that, we are EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.”

HOME SALE TAX BREAK

By Robin Shapiro

SUMMER EFFECTS

for the sale is health, place of employment, etc.

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!

If you sell your home and have a long ­ term capital gain, then you may be able to exclude up to $250k of the gain (or $500k for married couples) from your tax return. There are provisos: the home must have been your primary residence for at least two of the previous five years, and you must not have used this exclusion during the past two years. Theoretically, you can do this every two years, if you are fortunate enough to buy a home (live in it) and flip it for a profit.

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.

The IRS does provide an exemption to the two year rules for use and ownership if the reason

The capital gain is computed by subtracting closing costs, original purchase price, and the cost of improvements from your selling price. The long ­ term capital gain tax rate usually runs from 0% to 15% depending on your income. It can even reach 20% or a bit higher. Check with your accountant. Home improvements are usually considered to be items like new plumbing, wiring, or anything which adds value. Things which prolong the useful life of the home are appropriate. Call me. Love, Robin

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.

Call me, Love, Robin. 718-490-9463

our future is on the ballot

PAW PRINTS byTerriEstes CATS

This week we are diving into the won derful world of cats! There are many dif ferent breeds of cats. The International Cat Association (TICA) currently rec ognizes 71 breeds of cats, but there are many more breeds of cats that are not officially recognized by this organiza tion or other cat associations. The typi cal household cat is not a specific breed, but rather a domestic shortdomestic long­haired cat. These cats are not recognized as a specific breed of cat, but may have many characteristics of different breeds, or no specific breed at all. Domestic short­haired and long haired cats can have a variety of coat colors and patterns, and they can be found in households all over the world. These cats make great pets as they tend to be affectionate, adaptable and easy to care for.

Cats, like humans, have unique personalities, and there is no one­size­fits­all answer

ROCKAWAY BEACH STUNNER

have learned to live with each other andother. It is important to note that some cats have very strong personalities and

Some people allow their cats to roam freely, and some always keep their cats indoors. Allowing cats to roam freely can have both positive and negative ­

door cats are free to explore and exercise their natural hunting instincts. While on the other hand, they are exposed to risks such as being hit by cars, attacked ­

tracting diseases. If you have a pet cat, it’s important to consider the risks and benefits of letting them roam freelybeing. Some

options to consider include building a secure outdoor enclosure or, for indoor cats, providing them with plenty of toys and activities to keep them stimulated. Having a pet cat can be a wonderful experience. Cats are affectionate, playful and can provide their owners with companionship and comfort. They are a great source of entertainment and can also have a calming presence in the household. Building a strong bond with your cat can be a rewarding experience that brings joy and love into your life. There are several pet adoption organizations in the Rockaway area that have an abundance of cats and kittens looking for homes. If you are ready for a feline companion, contact one of these local organizations, and provide a local cat or kitten a much­needed home! $1.085M

Three FamilyHull Ave, Bronx, NY

Three family on 98th Street beach block. Completely renovated with top of the line amenities - state of the art kitchens, bathrooms and security system. Turnkey. Eight bedrooms, ve full bathrooms, plus a balcony from the main oor apt. Beautifully secluded fenced in backyard with additional storage shed. So many more amenities $1.590M

Two bedroom apt on 118th St beach block. Fully furnished, heat, electric, cable plus parking included.

Balance Poses

The theme at Ocean Bliss Yoga Studio for the month of May is balance poses! Today’s article serves as an introduction to balancing, including what it takes to balance and some of the benefits that come from practicing these types of poses. Before we dive in, let’s start with some balancing pranayama (breath­work).

Take a moment to straighten your posture and come to center. Cover your left nostril and take three silent, smooth, circular breaths in and out of your right nostril. Next, cover your right nostril and take these same three breaths in and out of your left nostril. Finally, relax your hand down and take three of these same breaths in and out of both nostrils.

Encourage your breaths to be round and easy (do not hold the breath in between c ycles) and equal in length. How do you feel?

For an incredible breath­work experience we

invite you to join Christine Walker at Ocean Bliss Yoga this Sunday, 4/30 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for her Transformational Breath Workshop. Maximum of 10 participants. Sign up at oceanblissyoga.net.

Now, back on topic!

Balance poses are an essential category of poses to incorporate into every yoga practice. Even simple balances require deep, focused attention. The moment the mind begins to wander, the body topples over. Standing on one foot obligates us to drop external thoughts and fully concentrate on the task at hand. Staying balanced and centered requires constant efforts and adjustments.

Balancing is an act that brings our physical bodies, nervous systems, thoughts, emotions, and consciousness into equilibrium. The result of the deep and devoted alertness required for balance is a holistic sense of rooted calm in body, mind, and heart. Balance poses also strengthen muscles and improve coordination. The benefits of balancing radiate off the mat into everyday life, improving quality of life and the range of what is possible. Practicing these poses even prolongs our lifespan, as they help us to avoid falls that can lead to injury and death as we age.

To break it down, balancing calls for three essential ingredients: (1) alignment, (2) strength, and (3) attention.

Alignment makes balance physically possible. In order to balance, we must line up our body's center of gravity with that of the Earth.

Strength gives us the capability to make, maintain, and adjust alignment. You can build up your strength by using a wall to help you hold your balance pose until fatigue, and repeating it a few

times. Eventually, you start to let go of the wall. As you get better at balancing, you will become more skilled at using your bone structure to support your weight. This makes your efforts more efficient, as you start to require less muscular exertion to hold your poses. You will also tremble less, which means fewer muscular adjustments to stay in the pose.

Attention is the third ingredient for yoga balance poses. Focused attention in a pose monitors alignment and gives us the ability to make the adjustments necessary to maintain our center. As we balance, our minds and nervous systems are constantly reviewing our positions, noticing any adjustments, and making the necessary corrections to stay aligned.

We look forward to focusing on balance poses all month long in the studio!

Join us in class to improve your balance and learn more about how getting good at balancing can benefit you and your life.

Sign up at oceanblissyoga.net.

APARTMENTS

for our troops. Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.

Born on August 17, 1941 to Vincent Sr. (Vinnie) and Margaret Murphy of Manhattan, Vincent was an only child.

Vincent graduated from Power Memorial High School and received his undergraduate degree in business from Pace University in New York City. Shortly after college, Vincent married the love of his life, Maureen who he met at age 17.

After experiencing a taste of the good life renting a bungalow in the Rockaways, Vincent and Maureen realized they couldn't live without the sand in their shoes. So, they made it official and moved to Rockaway Beach full time. They couldn’t imagine another place in the world to call home and raise a family. In 1979, they moved to Belle Harbor where they would raise three children- Vincent III (married to Adrienne) with children Connor and Chloe of Middletown NJ; Julie (married to Patrick from Longford, Ireland) with children Patrick, Jr. and Molly of Bayridge, Brooklyn; Kate (married to Travis) with children Lauren, Katelyn and Travis of Belle Harbor

Vincent and Maureen loved strolling the beaches not only in Rockaway, but also in their happy place of Aruba where they honeymooned in 1964. Nothing gave them more joy than to share this tropical paradise with their children and grandchildren. Purchasing a timeshare allowed them to do just that!

Vincent worked on Wall Street in New York City as a managing law clerk for the maritime law firm of Bigham Englar, Jones & Houston until his retirement. He was a talented cook and impressed all who were lucky enough to sample his cuisine. He attended the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan where he studied the fundamentals of catering. His passion for music was deep as he loved all genres and styles ranging from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga and everything in between. He entered and won many singing contests where he never disappointed the crowds with his famous rendition of New York, New York by Frank Sinatra. Vincent loved the theater and was a regular cast member with the Rockaway Theatre Company.

Vincent was deeply loved and will be missed by all whose lives he impacted with his delicious meals, quick wit, love for music and trivia, as well as his kind generosity.

A wake and service was held at Denis S, O’Connor Funeral Home in Rockaway Beach, New York on April 25, 2023 from 9:30am-11:30am.

A devoted husband, father of three, grandfather to seven, Vincent Thomas Hoban Jr., passed away peacefully at The Calvary Hospital on April 23, 2023, surrounded by family and loving wife, Maureen who rarely left his side.

84122P0017-Operations and Management Services for NYCDOT Public Spaces. The New York City Department of Transportation seeks to select an appropriately qualified vendor or multiple vendors to provide Management and Operations services to high-need public spaces including but not exclusively limited to NYC DOT Plazas, Shared Streets, and Open Streets.

This Request for Proposals (RFP)/RFx is released through PASSPort, New York City’s online procurement portal. Responses to this RFP/RFx must be submitted via PASSPort. To access the RFP/RFx, vendors should visit the PASSPort public Portal at https://passport.cityofnewyork.us/page.aspx/en/rf p/request_browse_public To quickly locate the RFP/Rl x, insert the HPIN, 84122P(X)17, into the Keyword search field. In order to respond to this RFP/RFx, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so. A pre-bid conference via Microsoft TEAMS is scheduled for 5/8/23 at 11:00 am. Those wishing to attend must request the Microsoft TF.AMS link by no later than 5:00 pm on 5/5/23 via email from the Authorized Agency Contact. The deadline for the submission of questions is 5/10/23 by 5:00 pm. The proposal due date (submission via PASSPort) is 5/31/23 by 2:00 pm.

This procurement is subject to participation goals for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) as required by Section 6-129 of the New York Administrative Code. The M/WBE goal for this project is 30%. Any inquiries concerning this RFP/RFx should be directed by email to the Authorized Agency Contact, David Maco, at dmaco@dot.nyc.gov

Facts You Probably D on’t Need

 Morgan Freeman didn’t appear in a movie until the age of 34 and didn’t get a big role until he was 52 with “Driving Miss Daisy” and “Glory.”

 The singular form of “spaghetti” is “spaghetto.”

 Peter Benchley, the author of “Jaws,” dedicated the last decade of his life to the preservation of sharks to make up for the mass hysteria that he felt he had helped create.

 When Marco Polo passed through Sumatra, he saw an animal which he thought was a unicorn. He said it was a combination of a wild boar, a buffalo, and an elephant. The animal he was describing was actually a rhinoceros.

 Budapest was once two cities, Buda and Pest. They merged in 1873.

 Christopher Lloyd was only 46 years old when he filmed “Back to the Future.”

 The four vultures in Disney’s “The Jungle Book” were both designed after and originally supposed to be voiced by the Beatles.

 Ancient Greeks believed that redheads turned into vampires after death.

Facts by Sean McVeigh, factologist.

The Yankees finished their opening homestand with a record of 4 wins 2 losses. If they continue to play at this level for 162 games what would their record be.

Find the answer on page 30

Floyd Bennett Stargazing

On Friday, April 28 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., join the Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA) at historic Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn for free stargazing sessions.

What Makes a Bird?

On Saturday, April 29 at 11 a.m., head to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and join Ranger Flor as they break down the anatomy of a bird with a guest beak(er).

Bayswater State Park Cleanup

On Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., head to 14­79 Point Breeze Place in Far Rockaway to join Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato and JBRPC for a cleanup of the park.

Tree & Compost Giveaway

On Saturday, April 29 at 10 a.m., head to RISE (58­03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard) for a tree and compost

giveaway. You must pre­register at: www.riserockaway.org/rise/events/

Rockaway Civic Meeting

On Tuesday, May 2 at 6 p.m., head to the Belle Harbor Yacht Club (533 Beach 126th Street) to discuss the beach work and closures between Beach 117th and Beach 143rd this summer.

Belle Harbor Beach Cleanup

On Saturday, May 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., join the BHPOA for a beach cleanup. Meet at the beach wall at Beach 134th Street to get bags, gloves and tools. Bring a rake if you have one.

Morning Moves at RISE

On Thursday, May 4 and Thursday, May 11, at 11 a.m., head to the RISE Center (58­03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.) to join Ann Fosteris’ Fitness to You class.

JASA Weekly Yoga

On Mondays at 11 a.m. and Fridays at 11:30 a.m., adults 60+ are welcome

to JASA Rockaway Park Older Adult Center (106­20 Shore Front Parkway) for Yoga with Cynthia. Open to Adults 60+. To register, call: 718­634­3044.

JASA Weekly Arts

On Thursdays at 10 a.m., adults 60+ are welcome to JASA Rockaway Park

Older Adult Center (106­20 Shore Front Parkway) for weekly painting/ arts and crafts. Let your creativity be free! To RSVP and for more details, call: 718­634­3044.

Hangar B Tour

On Sundays through May 28, at 10 a.m., head to Hangar B at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to join a Park Ranger for a tour of Hangar B and the aircraft inside, which are part of Floyd Bennett Field’s aviation history.

Core on the Floor

On Thursday, May 4 and Thursday, May 11, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., head to the RISE Center (58­03 Rockaway Beach Blvd.) for a free core and

lower body class with Ann Fosteris of Fitness to You. Bring a mat.

Chair Movement Class

On Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., head to Temple Beth­El (201 Beach 121st Street) and breathe, balance, move and stretch in this chair yoga class led by Christine Walker. Donation based.

Mother’s Day Half Marathon & Rose Gurry 5K

Save the date. On May 13 at 8 a.m., Rockaway Track Club is hosting its Mother’s Day Half Marathon, Rose Gurry 5K and a one­mile walk to help raise funds for St. Camillus Special Olympics. Check in on Beach 94th and the boardwalk. The races begin at 9 a.m. Pre­register at: Rockawaytc. org

Writing Course

Rock Away Pens is offering their free writer's workshop on Zoom for the next 12 week session. For info, email: rockawaypens@gmail.com

The Importance of Earth Day GO GREEN

By Tom Last

Earth Day was celebrated on April 22 this year, and so we should consider the importance of this special day. Earth Day teaches us to be grateful for the beauty of our planet and its amazing natural resources.

The first Earth Day was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson and celebrated in 1970. Senator Nelson was an environmentalist who wanted to raise awareness about environmental issues. During the first Earth Day, celebration rallies took place around the country with more than twenty million Americans demonstrating in different cities. One of the results of the first Earth Day movement was the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 1970.

As we reflect on the environment this Earth Day, the stakes seem higher than ever before as climate change disasters increase around the world and in our country. Recently, Fort Lauderdale was deluged with an estimated 26 inches of rain in a 24 ­ hour period. Normal rainfall for the month is about four inches. Meteorologists classified the rain as a 1,000year event; however, these epic rains and storms have occurred more frequently in the past decade.

In California, Tulare Lake has reappeared for the first time since 1997. Homes, streets, and farmland have been inundated due to a historically wet winter with increased runoff from several rivers, with more flooding expected over the new few months as the state’s record snowpack melts.

Here's how you can join the Earth Day movement:

• Speak up! Talk to your friends and family, and make sure your government repre ­

sentatives are enacting new laws that limit carbon emissions and require corporations that pollute our land to pay the price to clean it up.

• Eliminate single use plastics – Use reusable water bottles and coffee mugs, replace plastic detergent jugs with laundry sheets, replace plastic toothbrushes with bamboo toothbrushes, eliminate straws or use paper or bamboo straws. Do research to find a greener alternative to anything plastic.

• Purchase energy efficient appliances – When shopping for refrigerators, washing machines, heat pump water heaters, and other appliances, look for the Energy Star label. It will tell you which appliances are the most energy efficient.

• Reduce water waste – Saving water reduces carbon pollution. So, take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and switch to WaterSense ­ labeled fixtures and appliances.

• Eat the food you buy and compost what you can’t – 10 percent of U.S. energy goes into growing, processing, packaging, and shipping food – about 40 percent of which winds up in the landfill. Food scraps and leftovers should be placed in a compost bin instead of sending them to a landfill where they emit methane gases.

• Buy better bulbs – Use LED light bulbs only. LED light bulbs use one ­six th the amount of energy compared to incandescent lights and last 10 times longer.

• Pull the plug – Audio and video devices, cordless vacuums and power tools, and other electronics use energy even when they’re not charging. So don’t leave fully charged devices plugged into your home outlets.

• Drive a fuel ­ efficient vehicle – Choose gas ­sm art cars,

such as hybrids and fully electric vehicles to save fuel and money. Ensure your car tires are properly inflated and have a tune ­ up performed periodically. Even better, leave the car at home and walk and bike more. Use mass transit or carpool whenever possible.

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle –Reducing your waste should be a priority. Become a minimalist and think before you buy. Reducing waste and limiting what goes into our landfills is a key to reducing greenhouse gases. We are grateful to Senator Gaylord Nelson for establishing Earth Day to help remind us to be thankful for this beautiful Earth that we live on. The Senator started a movement that asks all of us to be environmental guardians of our planet.

Let’s continue what Senator Nelson and others started decades ago and be proactive in our quest to make this a cleaner, more sustainable Earth. Remember there is no Planet B!

LEGAL NOTICES

SILVER YOUNG HOLDINGS LLC Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 03/18/2023. Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 136-20 38th Avenue, Suite 3A-1, Flushing, NY 11354 Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of GM FF II, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/3/23. Office location: Queens County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 42-15 235th St, Douglaston, NY 11363. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of formation of Clique Studios NYC LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on August 2, 2022 Office location: Queens County, NY. SSNY is designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 144-15 243rd Street, Rosedale NY 11422. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

JUNOMRJ PROPERTIES LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/23/2023. Office loc: Queens County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Yury Tsadyk, 6846 Juno Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of PEEK A BOO EI LLC, Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/22/2022. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 141-28 71st Avenue, Flushing NY 11367. Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of JRPP LLC, Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY) on 4/3/2023. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to JRPP LLC, 8302 Cornish Ave Apt 3D, Elmhurst, NY 11373. Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of RemoteAir Hvac LLC, Articles of Organization Filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on March 15, 2023. Office location: Queens, NY. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to RemoteAir LLC, 3110 75th St, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. Any lawful purpose.

14-20 130 STREET LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/30/23. 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, 55 Bregman Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Zhong Geng LLC, Arts of Org.filed with ec. of State of NY (SSNY) 3/14/2023.

Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 47-45 189th St., Flushing, NY 11358. General Purpose

144 Sheridan Ave LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/27/2022. Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Dragisa Fljankovic, 156-51 78th St., Howard Beach, NY 11414. General Purpose

Notice of Formation of ALPHABET GROUP LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 06/21/2022. Office location: QUEENS County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 13211 101ST AVE, FL 2, SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY, UNITED STATES, 11419 Purpose: Any lawful activity.

LEGAL NOTICES

DEAR GOD LLC Art of Org. filed with the SSNY on 03/17/2023.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, LEGALCORP SOLUTIONS 1060 Broadway Suite 100 ALBANY, NY 12204 Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

1566 LGP, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 4/5/2023.

Cty: Queens. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 3636 Main St., Flushing, NY 11354. General Purpose

KENLE DEVELOPMENT LLC

Articles of Org. filed with NY Sec. of State (SSNY) on 03/13/2023. Office in Queens Co. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 45-43 ROBINSON ST, QUEENS, NY, 11355, USA. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

Notice of Formation of Furnify LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 03/04/2023. Office located in Queens, NY. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 29-59 Northern Blvd, Apt 15R, Queens, NY 11101. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Answer: 108 W 54 L

Play Ball! BCAC Baseball/Softball Celebrates Opening Day

By Kami­Leigh Agard

Despite chances of rain in the forecast, the Broad Channel Athletic Club scored a win as the sky cleared this past Saturday, April 22 for their baseball and softball opening day festivities.

He shared, “In 1999, some leaders of the club realized that we needed to start our own baseball program and put some structure to it. So, they applied and were granted a Little League charter. So, our in ­ house program, the Jamaica Bay Little League,

In the parade—led by the American Legion Color Guard, followed by local pols, Councilwoman Joann Ariola, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards— hundreds of boys and girls in full uniform marched down Cross Bay Boulevard, cheered on by family members and Broad Channel residents. Plus, the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department added to the excitement with their fire truck leading paraders to the BCAC Memorial Field.

After everyone was assembled on the field, players removed their caps and faced the American flag as the “Star Spangled Banner” boomed over the speakers, then recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Next, BCAC President Jack Allen welcomed everyone and spoke about the BCAC’s baseball and softball program’s beginnings.

is an official Little League chartered program. Now, we’re in our twenty ­ fourth year,” to which the crowd at the field applauded.

Allen continued, “This is a big accomplishment for the Broad Channel community. The way little leagues are starting to go to the wayside, it’s important that our little league stays in the forefront because every kid should play baseball in my opinion.”

The BCAC was established in 1961 as a football program. In 1999, the athletic club kicked off the Jamaica Bay Little League. Fast forward to today, the BCAC runs a plethora of sports programs, including football, baseball, softball, soccer, swimming and basketball. The baseball teams are registered with the National Little League sports program, and also host an in­house league, and participate in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). The football league plays in the Nassau and Suffolk Football League. Soccer is completely run by the BCAC

and participates in the CYO. The swimming team participates in both the Police Athletic League of New York City and CYO. The basketball league also participates in CYO. According to Allen, the baseball program has approximately 450 children and the BCAC overall, through all the sports programs, has about 800 children.

Saturday’s opening day ceremonial first pitches were delivered by Broad Channel Civic Association President Dan Mundy Jr., and local pols, Councilwoman Ariola, Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato and Queen Borough President Donovan Richards.

Soon after, children of all ages raced across the field towards the bouncy house and to line up for their respective games.

According to sixth ­ grade besties, Kira, Mackenzie, Sophia, Caden and Dylan—all residents of Broad Channel playing softball since they were two years old, the BCAC has been instrumental in cultivating their love for playing sports. Dylan said, “I like playing with the BCAC because it's a good way to hang out with friends, and it keeps us active. It keeps us motivated to accomplish something together.”

Mackenzie added, “As a team we have a common goal that keeps us focused.”

Hayden’s mom, Floralba Cardoza, agreed. When asked why she enrolled her daughter in the BCAC sports program she said, “I appreciate how it keeps the kids involved, plus, it's good for them to be active and actually have something to do. Playing sports shows them the importance of teamwork and being responsible. Once you commit to something, you stick with it.”

For parents interested in registering their children in the BCAC, according to Allen, for some of the sports programs, there’s still time. He said, “For some of the baseball programs, some of the teams are capped, but with the in ­ house programs, they can still get in. Some of the older kids play in different leagues that started already, so it would be a little difficult to get them onto a team. However, for the in ­ house programs, the eight­ year­ olds and under can still get in.”

For more information about the Broad Channel Athletic Club, including their seasonal game calendar, visit: bcacny.com

Thanks for Stopping

Dear Editor:

A big thank you to whomever authorized the four­way full­stop sign on 117th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard. This is a busy pedestrian cross­over street, and now it can be done more safely.

Maureen McNelis

Alma’s Deceit

Dear Editor:

(Originally sent to Queens Borough President, Councilwoman Ariola, Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato and Senator Sanders)

Ladies and Gentlemen, The pictures Alma chose for the ad in the 4/6/23 edition of The Rockaway Times with the verbiage “Proud of Rockaway’s Past / Excited for Rockaway’s Future” are deceitful.

The top photo shows Beach 108th Street before it was given a complete upgrade. The bottom photo shows a Cinderella rendition of Alma’s plans to beautify the same street with wooden tables and chairs and what appears to be a wooden sidewalk. Presently, many of the old wood benches surrounding the Surfside buildings are too dirty to sit on and are missing wood slats. The trees in this illustration are fully grown and the many plants surrounding them look like the grounds of famous botanical gardens. Trees are a great source for shade ­ but none have been planted around our three buildings. Many of the

plants beautifying our buildings have been purchased by residents who also volunteer for their upkeep. Finally, Alma shows a vehicle parked along the curb. Do they actually expect the newly paved parking area to be redesigned from vertical to horizontal parking to accommodate their plans? The only true item appearing in this ad is the seagulls.

It’s very obvious to the few tenants who viewed the actual proposal plans, Alma purposely did not choose to show the three 20­stor y buildings they want to erect in front of our existing buildings which, as a matter of fact, would eliminate the views many tenants presently have of the Manhattan skyline, the airport and Jamaica Bay. There is certainly nothing attractive about gargantuan brick structures being crammed into a one block areaand it is my opinion Alma is fully aware of that ­ which is why they chose to show this very small section of their plans to the readers.

I’m not familiar with anything Alma has done to benefit the Rockaway community.  It is my opinion that the purpose of their future building plans is to put more money into their pockets, which in no way benefits our community.

Perhaps you as our Representatives can persuade The Rockaway Times to suggest their readers Google the Alma­Realty­Complaint­1­6­23 to get a true understanding of Alma Realty’s shenanigans.

Most importantly, I urge you to deny Alma from going forward with their planned construction. Respectfully submitted, Ann Lundon

Inaccessible Beaches

Dear Editor:

Once again, beach weather is upon us, for some of us, that is. Many of us who are elderly and/or handicapped or both have been complaining on deaf ears

that we have zero access to the ocean. Beach dunes have added the burden of climbing to access the tide line. Climbing up a hill is athleticism I no longer possess. But, climbing down is even more impossible. When phoning our local politicians about beach access for quite a few of our local population, I am told there is handicapped access. All I need to do is to walk three blocks to get to a ramp in order to utilize it. My comment is "if I could walk three blocks, I could gain access to the ocean front on my own block."

There was a time for years predune when access to the oceanfront was straight on a plane level with the street. Sandy, our hundred­year storm, took care of handicapped residents as future users of the beach forever.  Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is paving what's left of our beach with no assurance that this will be effective were another Sandy to befall us. Our federal government shoved this beach plan down our throats to show us they could do something. But is their concept of something worth the effort? Beaches in Florida are restored annually after hurricane season to replace the sand blown away or to the back of the beaches. In the 1970s­2000s, our beaches were maintained twice a year, the sand that collected at the sea walls being leveled down to the tide line with a cooperative effort by Parks and Sanitation using front end loaders with drivers guided by bamboo poles with markers to sculpt our beaches magnificently. Meanwhile anyone who could walk on a flat surface could use our beaches once beach maintenance was complete. No more!

So it is with a sigh that I point out how great living here used to be, especially for aging swimmers. Our politicians and Parks Department rejected our handicapped entreaties hoping their silence would exhaust us and eventually shut us up. I live here, pay taxes here, vote here and know depriving the elderly of beach access is untenable, unfair and probably illegal. To our politicians and Parkies: you think you won by excluding not only our handicapped beach access but

also disregarding our legitimate complaints by waiting us out. I haven't been swimming in the ocean since the berms were installed. It doesn't look like I will ever have another opportunity. I'm guessing this doesn't matter to you.

Here's a suggestion that might resolve the problem. Why not do whatever has to be done to make the beach known as Bay One an all handicapped beach with handicapped on premises parking? Golf cars could be used to shuttle needy users to and from the beach. It seems so simple. How about finally paying attention to a problem ostensibly created under the guise of making our beaches safer? Politicians, Parks and Army Corps: You've taken what used to be our summer swimming haven and turned it into impossible access without even a thought of how difficult perambulation is for the handicapped; and, without offering so much as an offer of an alternative. It is clear that your message to the handicapped is "we couldn't care less." This discouraging deprivation has been ongoing for too many years. Your three­block walk 'solution' is no solution at all.  It's time to strategize an effective plan. Handicapped residents deserve beach and ocean access. As for the time being and all the time you may have reveled in your success at shunning us and keeping us at bay, shame on you!

Joan Mettler

By Peter Galvin, MD

Ask the DOC Melanoma

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that affects the pigment­producing cells (melanocytes) of the skin. It accounts for only 1% of skin cancers but causes the majority of deaths from skin cancer, mostly because it is nearly the only skin cancer that is invasive (squamous cell carcinomas can be locally invasive but do not compare to the virulence of melanomas). In the U.S. in 2022, about 100,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed, and there were 7,650 deaths from melanoma. Melanomas commonly appear as dark brown or black, irregularly

shaped marks that have a different appearance than a person’s other moles and freckles. They may contain a mix of light and dark colors and have jagged, asymmetrical borders. While most are tan or brown, some lack pigment and appear pink. They frequently change over time; they may grow in size, become more raised, develop color changes, and/ or bleed. Although melanoma typically occurs on the skin, it may develop in other parts of the body such as the eye or mouth. They may also arise in areas of the skin that have had little to no sun exposure, like

the bottom of the feet and groin.

Major risk factors for melanoma include older age, male sex, increased number of moles, lighter skin tone, having a family member with melanoma, and a history of extensive exposure to UV light from the sun and/or tanning beds. They may occur in younger people with darker skin tones. In these people, melanomas often develop in more commonly sun­protected areas like the palms and soles and may not be associated with UV exposure. The standard way to diagnose melanoma is with skin biopsy. Treatment usually involves surgical removal of the melanoma and a margin of surrounding normal skin (Mohs surgery). Immediate microscopic evaluation is performed to ensure that the entire lesion was removed, and the margins are free of tumor. If the melanoma has grown deeply into the skin, then local lymph node biopsy is performed. If melanoma is deep or present in the lymph nodes, then evaluation with imaging studies like MRI, CT, or PET scanning is done to look for distant spread (metastatic disease). Advanced melano­

mas or melanomas not amenable to surgical removal may be treated with systemic medications including chemotherapy.

The prognosis of melanoma is determined by its staging, which is based on tumor size, depth of skin invasion, lymph node involvement, and distant spread. The 5­year survival rates range from 99% for melanoma in situ (no spread) to 30% for patients with metastatic disease. This is why early diagnosis and removal is important. Regular visual inspection of the skin, preferably by a dermatologist, including areas usually sun­protected like the scalp, groin, nails, palms, and soles of the feet (yes, they look everywhere!), is important for early diagnosis and treatment. Skin lesions that are concerning for melanoma require prompt evaluation. Finally, as I have written before, never, ever use a tanning bed, as even short lengths of use are associated with melanomas. For more information go to the website of the National Cancer Institute. Please direct questions and comments to editor@rockawaytimes. com

Hundreds Walk the Boardwalk for Autism

Undeterred by a weather forecast of rain, this past Sunday, April 23, more than 200 people walked the boardwalk in support of the autism community. This was the first­ ever walk for

Paul King and Community Board

14 Chairwoman Delores Orr.

Co ­sp onsor of the walk, Rockaway ­ based gym, The Fitness Bar, conducted a warmup and cooldown for all walkers by the gym’s owner, Kenny Peña.

Additional co ­sp onsors were Belisario Cruz Reyn—Compass Realty, Howard Beach Civilian Observation Patrol, Kiwanis Club of Lefferts/Liberty, The Joseph V. Caruana Foundation, Jeremy Bucaria and family, and Empanadas On The Rise, which was also a vendor at the event.

After the walk, RBAF hosted a post­ walk celebration with live music featuring The Poorhouse, Chris Solo and DJ Daryl at neighboring restaurant/event space, RBQ.

autism in Rockaway, hosted by local autism advocacy organization, Rockaway Beach Autism Families (RBAF). Starting from Beach 96th Street to Beach 126th Street, the boardwalk was awash with people of all ages donning RBAF’s t­shir t stating, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and indeed—the crowd of supporters who showed up for RBAF’s walk—demonstrated that Rockaway’s autism community will never walk alone. Also walking were NYC Councilwoman Joann

For RBAF founder, Kami ­ Leigh Agard, Sunday’s Walk for Autism has been a goal since she founded the organization in 2016. "April is Global Autism Month, and finally, the Rockaway community was blessed with our very own walk in support of the autism community. And what better place than on our beautiful boardwalk, adjacent to the ocean, which we as Rockaway locals, and our visitors, prize dearly.

“There are numerous people who were instrumental in making Rockaway’s first­ ever walk for autism a tremendous

success. A colossal thanks to RBAF’s board members, Venus Ramos and her son, James; Rojo Rasoari, Christine Dydzuhn, Matt Wolff, Patricia Labossiere, Jeremy Bucaria, The Best Dressed Man in Rockaway, Jeanette Peña, Ariel Randall, Rado Rafiringa; Christine, Jim and John of the Moroney family; co ­sp onsors, Kenny Peña of The Fitness Bar, Joe Cruz of Belisario Cruz Reyn—Compass Realty; and our local community representatives, Paul King of the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association, Councilwoman Ariola and her office’s constituent liaison, Margaret Powers; and The Rockaway Times’ managing editor, Katie McFadden. Also, thank you to the bands who crowned RBAF’s post­ walk celebration, Mason Porretto of The Poorhouse, Chris Solo and DJ Daryl. In respective capacities, these individuals all truly made RBAF’s First Annual Walk for Autism one for the history books.

“And foremost, I must thank my 14 ­ year­ old nonverbal au ­

tistic daughter, Soanirina, who is my driving force to keep on pressing on to lift up the autism community,” Agard said.

Rockaway Beach Autism Families is a grassroots organization advocating for acceptance, inclusion, education and employment for autistic individuals and their families. The organization hosts monthly support group meetings with guest speakers providing information about a variety of resources and services. They also host a plethora of recreational activities on the boardwalk, including their annual Rock Out For Autism Music Festival, Dance Out Under The Stars, Halloween Beach Treasure Hunt, and their summer barbecue and end ­ of­ year holiday party at Knights of Columbus.

For more information about RBAF and upcoming events, visit: rockawaybeachautismfamilies.org or @rockawaybeachautismfamilies on Facebook and Instagram.

Photos by Paul King and Katie McFadden

Ariola, Belle Harbor Property Owners Association President

By Kami­Leigh Agard

RT Readers—Just a month away until Memorial Day weekend! And with the boardwalk concessions already open, Rockaway is in summer mode! So, party it up with a Rockaway Good Times crawl, using our weekly entertainment roundup below! Here’s a tip—this weekend, come out to support John Moroney as he beckons the community to celebrate RBQ’s last weekend!

LIVE MUSIC

FRIDAY, April 28 7 p.m.

If bubble gum pop’s not your flavor, head to Tap That for Anthem Acoustic’s legit brew of rock classics.

111­04 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

FRIDAY, April 28

8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Ooh la la! French­Mediterranean restaurant, Bar Marseille, brings Manhattan chic to Rockaway with a lounge­inspired vibe featuring live music with Cat Nip performing an eclectic lineup of classic and alternative rock.

190 Beach 69th Street

FRIDAY, April 28

8 p.m. to Midnight

Enter Rogers and party like there’s no tomorrow with a tall pitcher of The Knobs alternative rock favorites.

203 Beach 116th Street

FRIDAY, April 28 9 p.m.

Whether you’re a beer or Bair lover, make the Belle Harbor Yacht Club your hot ticket tonight as music maestro, Gerald Bair, will be in the upstairs lounge pouring out his Rockaway love.

533 Beach 126th Street

FRIDAY, April 28

What’s on the menu tonight at Kennedy’s? Divine sunset views, food, bevies and music by Frank Persico. Call (718) 9450202 for showtime and reservations. Also, the picturesque Breezy bayside restaurant is taking Mother’s Day reservations.

406 Bayside, Breezy Point

SATURDAY, April 29

4 p.m.

Chris Decker is back at The Sugar Bowl

THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2023

ROCKAWAY GOOD TIMES

jammin’ sweet acoustic tunes.

15 Bedford Ave., Breezy Point

SATURDAY, April 29

7 p.m.

Solshyne is making their debut at Tap That, and if you’re not already a fanatic for this psychedelic rock band’s supreme sound, be prepared to be baptized a Solshyne­r!

111­04 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

4 p.m.

The GrassLighters are back at The Sugar Bowl rockin’ their unique blend of rock, folk, bluegrass and R&B. By the way, Sugar Bowl Bites’ lovers, the kitchen is open! For schedule and menu, follow: @the_bowl_1976 on Instagram.

15 Bedford Ave., Breezy Point

SUNDAY, April 30

5 p.m.

Breeze into Breezy as Harry McDonald’s Locals Rule band drifts in with a classic rock jam fit for The BayHouse.

500 Bayside Drive, Breezy Point

SUNDAY, April 30

5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

With Arturo Rivera on tap, walk into Rogers, raise your frothy glass and toast, “Sláinte” to another week.

203 Beach 116th Street

ONGOING

Wine WEDNESDAYS

8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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

91­11 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

Selfie SATURDAYS

6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Savor West Indian Island vibes at Dred Surfer’s, “Caribbean Soiree,” every Saturday, featuring seafood and drink specials, plus, reggae vibrations by Eyez A Bleed. Rain or shine. Free entry.

16­27 Seagirt Blvd., Far Rockaway (Beach 17th Concession)

OPEN MIC NIGHT

RUFFLE BAR OPEN MIC JAM SESSIONS + KARAOKE

MONDAY, May 1 & May 22

7 p.m.

Dreamin’ of being a rock star? Bring an instrument, your voice and sing or play your heart out at Ruffle Bar’s “Monday Open Mic Jam Sessions” in Broad Channel. Plus, if karaoke is your groove, get ready to be an American Idol!

919 Cross Bay Blvd., Broad Channel

SPECIAL MENTIONS

RBQ’S LAST HURRAH!

FRIDAY, April 28 TO SUNDAY, April 30 (times vary)

Since 2018, RBQ has been serving up barbecue, beats and bevvies, establishing Rockaway Beach Blvd. as Rockaway’s midtown weekend hot spot. Sadly, this weekend, RBQ’s proprietor

John Moroney announced that the restaurant/bar/event space is passing on the torch to new owners. So, calling on the community to come out, and make the Moroney family’s last weekend running RBQ one forever stamped in Rockaway’s history books! This weekend’s final music lineup: Friday—The Rock­

A­Wades, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday— Mixed Bag at 8 p.m. to midnight, and finally, Sunday—Gerald Bair, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

97­20 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

FANCY HAT, BINGO & TEA PARTY BENEFIT FOR TCAH

SATURDAY, April 29 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Don’t pack away your Easter bonnets just yet! Join The Campaign Against Hunger's (TCAH) “Fancy Hat & Bingo Party,” a benefit fundraiser for the multi­faceted nonprofit, at Beach Dunes Eats & Arts Cafe. Fun prizes for bingo winners. TCAH serves lower income NYC residents in 150 zip codes with nutritious food and other vital programs and services. Tickets are $25, and can be purchased at bit.ly/tcahteaparty2023

45­19 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

ROCKAWAY BEACH FITNESS

CRAWL & AFTER-PARTY

SATURDAY, April 29 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. / 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Rockaway Beach Fitness Crawl is back! So, come see all the health and

fitness opportunities the community has to offer. Besides burning calories, refuel with sample delicious treats from local eateries. The biggest bonus? By participating, you’ll be helping raise much­needed funds for local charity, Chait Domestic Abuse Center of Far Rockaway. 10% of all proceeds will be donated. Afterwards, party it up at the after­party at The Wharf, featuring open bar, appetizers, raffles and local vendors. Tickets are $90 for the entire day and $60 for the after­party only. For tickets and more info, including venues, visit: https://www.channelcreationsbc.com/about­2

RUFFLE BAR PRE-MOTHER’S DAY SIP & SHOP

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Ruffle Bar presents a day of sipping and shopping, featuring a wide array of vendors selling handcrafted jewelry, candles, art and more! Plus, with Mother’s Day just two weeks, get a head start on buying gifts for the special mommies in your life.

919 Cross Bay Blvd., Broad Channel “CONSECRATION” GOSPEL CONCERT

SUNDAY, April 30 4 p.m.

Be spiritually lifted at “The Consecration Gospel Concert,” hosted by local church, Haven Ministries International. Gospel music artists performing include: The Tokyo Soulmatics, The Whiz, David Wright NY Fellowship Choir and Richard Hartley Singers. Free! 188 Beach 84th Street

THE ROCKAWAY HOTEL KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY

SATURDAY, May 6

4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Giddy­up! The Rockaway Hotel is hosting a watch party on the rooftop for the storied 149th Kentucky Derby. So, pull out your best derby attire and head to the hotel for an evening of derby bites, drinks and music by DJ Teddy. Plus, you may go home dubbed as the “Best Dressed,” in the hotel’s derby attire competition. Tickets are $100. For tickets and more info, visit: https://www.therockawayhotel.com/happenings

108­10 Rockaway Beach Blvd.

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 us this week. Send your photos (limit to 2 per week) to mail@rockawaytimes.com and we’ll do our best to print them (space permitting). We do receive more than we can print.

Kevin Quinn

Ken Lavery

Thomas O’Callaghan

Eileen Barteldt

Paul Richter

Joe DiLalla

Mark Wade

Name: _________________________________________________

Rockaway Word search

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Findthefollowingwordsinthepuzzle. Wordsarehiddenand.

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PAGE 38 Kids Korner - MAKE HALF PAGE VERTICAL

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SPOT THE DIFFERENCES (AT LEAST 6)

Updates on Mercedes Mone, CM Punk and Kevin Owens

Hey wrestling fans! I hope you had a good week, let's get into some pro wrestling news!

Former WWE Superstar Sasha Banks, who is now Mercedes Mone, has reportedly extended her contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer. It appears she has extended her contract until May 21, 2023, which will be NJPW's Resurgence Live Event, which will be held in Long Beach, California. After May 21, 2023, there is currently no reported plans for Mercedes Mone

to make a live appearance with the company. This is a developing story, and we will keep you updated.

So, a new update on the possible return of CM Punk to AEW has surfaced and, at this time, it is only rumored that AEW will launch a new television show on Saturday nights. The name of the show will reportedly be called "AEW Collision," and CM Punk will be the show's featured top star. Now, like I said, these are just reports with nothing really made official, so we will keep you posted.

Staying with AEW, it was announced that AEW's Rampage Show is scheduled to return to Friday nights starting on May 5, 2023. But the show will have a different time slot. As reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the May 5 edition of Rampage will have a new start time of 5:30 p.m. ET. This is reportedly being done so the TNT Network can cover the NHL playoffs.

Reports are coming in of a possible injury for WWE Superstar Kevin Owens, who worked a house show on April 22, 2023, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He worked a match with his tag team partner Sami Zayn against the Usos. Apparently, during the match, Kevin Owens appeared to have injured his ankle, and after the match he was seen limping and needed assistance leaving the ring. Kevin did work a follow up show in Toledo, Ohio, where he apparently was seen not limping, so we can only speculate that he may be doing better. Nothing official has been announced by the WWE at this time.

The Question of the Week comes Brad C. in Rockaway Park and he asked, "Do you know if we will see more of Lita on WWE programming? I'm a big fan of her." Brad, excellent question, but unfortunately, we have heard that there are no current plans for the WWE to use Lita moving forward. Now, I feel she will make a return after being attacked by Trish Stratus at some point, which would make sense. But, at the same time, she could had been written off television with no scheduled return. So, we are just going to have to wait and see. Thanks for the question!

If you have a question or comment, please send it in to eavil183@ yahoo.com — have a great weekend!

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