High Tide
Well, we have had our first taste of winter weather this past week. Although we saw some snowflakes this week, Rockaway was spared for the most part. There may not have been much snow to talk about, but it has certainly been cold and from the looks of the forecasts, it appears that’s not changing any time soon! On a brighter note, there are only 134 days until the start of Memorial Day weekend! But who’s counting?!
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If you haven’t said goodbye to the holidays just yet, you may want to at least take down your tree. The Department of Sanitation will pick up “naked” Christmas trees and wreaths — no lights, ornaments or tinsel — on your normal curbside composting day, the same day the rest of your recycling is collected. And unlike other years, if you are one of those who isn’t ready to say goodbye to the holidays and want to keep your tree up, there is no deadline to get your tree to the curb.
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Well, it’s almost that time, so, get your cameras out… you know what’s coming up in just over a month? You got it! The kick-off of the Rockaway Times Photo Contest! Start snapping! We know you’ll want to be ready to submit your awesome photos when the contest begins. Stay tuned for more details to come on the contest in the coming weeks.
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Although we were hoping for some last-minute reversal or at least postponement of the congestion pricing plan, we had no such luck. Governor Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing officially started on Sunday, January 5. So, those driving into the city will see a much heftier E-ZPass bill. Thanks, Governor.
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Congratulations to Alice O’Connor, who joined the Barbara Mullaney team at Coldwell Banker American Homes, and became one of our advertisers. See their ad at page 16 of this week’s paper.
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Interested in learning CPR? The FDNY is offering free CPR hands-on 30-minute classes at various locations throughout the year. Special classes can be organized for groups of 15 or more. For more information, visit: https://www.fdnysmart.org/cpr/
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Join the JBRPC and the National Park Service for Park Pals this Saturday, January 11 from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Park Pals is an early childhood family program for children aged 0 to 6 years old and their caregivers at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, every second Saturday from January to May. To kick off the new year, this week’s session will focus on exploring the winter landscape at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and learning about seasonal changes. There will be sensory activities, a read-aloud, and a winter scavenger hunt led by a park ranger. For more information, email Education@JBRPC.org and to register, go to bit.ly/4gDUdLw
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Didn’t get your Rockaway Times this week? Make sure to take another look! When the forecast calls for inclement weather, your home-delivered copy of The Rockaway Times will be inserted in the same bag as the coupon circular that usually accompanies the paper. And, as always, if you would rather read the paper online, send an email to mail@rockawaytimes.com and we will sign you up for our weekly email blast.
