High Tide
Happy New Year! It sure feels like we are jumping the gun, but our next issue comes out on January 2. So, here’s to 2025!
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And we hope everyone had a great Christmas and beginning of Hanukkah! It has been a very long week of festivities with the holidays falling on a Wednesday this year.
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Happy Kwanzaa to our friends and neighbors who celebrate!
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Just like last week, because New Year’s Day is on a Wednesday next week, we will be wrapping up the paper on Tuesday afternoon. So, advertiser alert: please get your ads in by Tuesday. The paper will still be delivered on Thursday, January 2, by email and to your door.
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Congratulations to Kami-Leigh Agard on being named The Rockaway Times Person of the Year! This tradition was started three years ago when Liz Hanna was crowned for all her efforts helping businesses and the community during Covid. The second year was Keith “Bugsy” Goldberg’s year for all he does for the community. Last year, Rocco Pisani was honored, who beat cancer and does a seemingly endless amount of charity work and advocacy for blood cancer awareness. Kami is the founder of Rockaway Beach Autism Families (RBAF) and has done so much on the peninsula and off supporting and advocating for those with autism. She also writes a must-read column in a great little local paper. We are so proud of the work Kami does with RBAF. Congratulations, Kami!
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Last week the iconic Whit’s End announced that this would be their last week at their current location. We are hearing that they are on the hunt for a new, more intimate location around town. Wherever they land, we hope it is sooner rather than later! Their last night in the current location will be this Sunday, December 29.
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Our thoughts are with the Baldwin family as Smoke & Barrel was impacted by a fire in the roof of the building at 97-20 Rockaway Beach Blvd. on the night of December 19. No one was injured but the barbecue restaurant is closed until further notice. We hope to see them back soon!
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Congratulations to local high school basketball player Alex Carbonnaro, a senior at Xaverian High School, who scored her 1,000th point last Wednesday at a home game playing for Xaverian’s Varsity Girls Basketball team. Congratulations Alex and keep up the good work.
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For those of you looking to start 2025 with a bang, look no further than a polar plunge on New Year’s Day on Monday, January 1. While the original plunge on Beach 145th Street is still going strong, countless other blocks and groups do their own plunges from one end of the peninsula to the other.
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Due to construction, the Rockaway Freeway will be completely closed between Beach 102nd Street and Beach 108th Street beginning Wednesday, January 1 until Friday, March 21, 2025.
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Wondering what to do with your Christmas tree? The NYC Department of Sanitation collects Christmas trees and wreaths at the curb with Curbside Composting service, which is collected on your recycling day. No appointments are necessary. Just make sure to remove all stands, lights, ornaments, and tinsel before placing them at the curb. Do not put the tree in a bag.
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Didn’t get your Rockaway Times this week? Make sure to take another look! When inclement weather is forecasted, your home-delivered copy of The Rockaway Times will be inserted in the same bag as the coupon circular. And, as always, if you’d rather read the paper online, email mail@rockawaytimes.com to sign up for our weekly email blast.
