High Tide
Happy Fourth of July! We hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend!
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Next Thursday, July 10, the Wounded Warriors will be returning to the peninsula! The veterans are expected to arrive in Rockaway around 6:30 p.m. As usual, these heroes will be welcomed with a parade procession across the Marine Parkway Bridge, down Rockaway Beach Boulevard to Beach 120th Street, and then back up Beach Channel Drive to Breezy Point. If you’re traveling during that time, be aware that there may be road closures and delays along Flatbush Avenue, the Belt Parkway, and throughout the peninsula. If you’ll be home, line the streets and give our heroes a warm Rockaway welcome!
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This past weekend, Rockaway’s lifeguards reminded us just how important they are. A group of guards, including The Rockaway Times’ very own Kailey Aiken (“Day in the Life(guard)”), acted quickly to save a little girl in the water on Beach 95th Street. Eyewitnesses had very high praise for all the lifeguards involved in the young girl’s rescue and their care for her afterward. Great job, Kailey, and thank you to all the lifeguards involved!
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Starting July 4, more lifeguards will be on the beach, allowing for more beaches to be open this summer, but as the lifeguard shortage is ongoing, open beaches will be limited.
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There will be limited service on the Rockaway Ferry for the Fourth of July. Most NYC Ferry routes will end service by 3 p.m. on Friday, July 4. The last boat leaving Wall St./Pier 11 for Rockaway departs at 2:45 p.m., and the last boat from Rockaway to Wall St./Pier 11 leaves at 1:57 p.m.
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This past weekend marked the 58th anniversary of Monsignor Jack Bracken’s arrival at St. Francis de Sales Parish as a newly ordained priest. St. Francis has been truly blessed to have his service for so many years.
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The Rockaway Track Club is hosting its Firecracker Half Marathon and 5K on Saturday, July 5. Check-in is at 6:30 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m. at the Amphitheater on Beach 94th Street. You can sign up at www.rockawaytc.org. Use the code FIRECRACKERS for a 5% discount.
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The next meeting of the Rockaway Beach Civic Association will take place on Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m. on the back patio of the Knights of Columbus (333 Beach 90th Street). In the event of inclement weather, the meeting will move upstairs. Guest speakers will include: Kim Fraczek and JK Canepa of Sane Energy Project and Saylor Pochan, Chair Emeritus of Surfrider Foundation NYC. They will discuss the revived Williams NESE Pipeline Proposal and the related next steps.
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St. John’s Hospital will host its 9th annual back-to-school event later this summer. You can help by purchasing a backpack for $15 or becoming a sponsor to provide school supplies for a child. Visit sjicarefoundation.org/Back-to-School for more information.
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In partnership with NYC Public Schools, Queens Public Library is offering free lunches for kids and teens all summer long at select branches. Meals are available Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and are open to all children 18 and under. No enrollment or ID is required. The program runs from Monday, June 30, through Friday, August 29. Far Rockaway Library, 1637 Central Avenue, and Peninsula Library, 92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, are both participating locations. Check the QPL website for a full list of participating branches.
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