High Tide

Merry Christmas to all from The Rockaway Times!

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Advertiser Alert: New Year’s Day also falls on a Thursday next week, so we will once again be delivering the paper on Wednesday, December 31. The paper will also be emailed at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Please note: all advertisements must be submitted by Tuesday, December 30.

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Attention College-Age Students — ’Tis the Season to Darty! St. Francis de Sales Parish invites you to a Christmas Darty (that’s a “day-party” for the uninitiated) on Sunday, January 4, at 2 p.m. There will be a Mass, followed by a reception in the Small Hall.

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For tomorrow, Thursday, December 25, the Department of Sanitation has announced that there will be no trash, curbside composting, or recycling collection in observance of the Christmas holiday. Residents who normally receive Thursday collection may place their materials curbside Thursday evening for Friday, December 26, pickup.

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Wondering what to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays? The NYC Parks Department is hosting Mulchfest from December 26 through January 11, helping to make NYC even greener. To find a Mulchfest drop-off site, visit:
https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/festivals/mulchfest

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They are also hosting a “Chipping Weekend” on Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where you can bring your tree to a chipping site and leave with your very own bag of mulch.

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The ferry will operate on a modified holiday schedule on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The weekend schedule will also be in effect today, Christmas Eve. Please plan your trip accordingly. The full schedule is available at: https://www.ferry.nyc/

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This past Sunday, December 21, marked the winter solstice—the shortest day and longest night of the year. From here on out, we can look forward to days growing longer, little by little.

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The Remembrance Tree on Beach 106th had a little hiccup over the weekend as the high winds broke the top off of it, but by Monday, a replacement, also donated by First Congregational Church, was installed and the memorial shells were put back in their rightful place.

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Speaking of wind, Equinor’s Empire Wind farm project, being built off the coast of Jones Beach, is once again on pause, along with four others on the East Coast as the federal Department of Defense deemed them national security risks.

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What has been saved are horseshoe crabs after Gov. Kathy Hochul finally signed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which bans the prehistoric ocean and sand dwellers from being commercially fished or taken for biomedical purposes. She vetoed the bill last year, saying fisherman needed more time to adjust.

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Interested in joining the New York Dippers Club for daily ocean dips? They meet at Beach 67 Street Monday through Thursday at 8 a.m., Fridays at 4:15 p.m. for a sunset dip, and Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. On New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, they will gather at 10 a.m. for their annual Polar Plunge.

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Speaking of the ocean, if you’re interested in helping protect swimmers next summer by becoming a NYC Parks lifeguard, we can’t blame you—it’s the best summer job out there! With higher pay and new retention bonuses, it’s better than ever. Learn more about the application process and testing at:
http://nyc.gov/parks/lifeguards

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We email the entire paper every Thursday to more than 4,200 subscribers. It’s fast (arriving at 8:30 a.m.) and free. Are you receiving it online? If not, email us at Mail@RockawayTimes.com, and we’ll add you to the list.