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

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.

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