High Tide

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It’s happened. Starbucks, for the first time in Rockaway, has opened its doors on Beach 73rd and Beach Channel Drive.

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Meet Birds-of-Prey at Raptorama. This Saturday, October 15, the Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) invites the public to come and meet rehabilitated owls, hawks, and eagles up-close at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The event, Raptorama, is the final wildlife festival of the year. JBRPC is joined by partners, NYC Audubon, American Littoral Society, Gateway National Recreation Area, NYC Parks, and Marine Park Alliance. The fun runs from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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The General Membership meeting of the Rockaway Civic Association is set for Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m. at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club.

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We were on our way down Rockaway Beach Blvd in Belle Harbor when we thought we saw smoke and maybe a fire from a corner house on Beach 133rd Street. We were pleased (then spooked!) to see it was just a mysterious fog coming from a haunted house. Some final touches were being added to this fun (and big) Halloween set-up. See @Manor_of_screams on Instagram for more spooktacular updates.

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The Sandy anniversary is not the only noteworthy date coming up. Fifty years ago, Gateway National Recreation Area was founded on October 27, 1972. We wish it was something worth celebrating but it’s a fact that much of the park on the Rockaway Peninsula is in a state of disrepair (and hasn’t been improved in those fifty years).

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Advocates for Queenslink turned out last Sunday to push for better transit for South Queens including Rockaway. Queenslink is ok with a park and say their proposal could accommodate a park and better transit. Nothing wrong with that!

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Marty Ingraham authored Flood, Fire and a Superstorm, the incredible and inspirational take of volunteer fire companies which fought fires and floods during the big storm ten years ago, and then helped in the long recovery in Breezy Point. Marty will have a book signing at The Rockaway Hotel on Thursday, October 27 from 5:00-9:00 pm. The book is available on Amazon and has garnered wonderful reviews.

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And Larry’s Sandy Diary (photographs from 2012 and 2022) by Larry Racioppo will be on display at RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd October 14 through November 19, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. A reception will be held Saturday, October 22 from 1-3 p.m. For more information go to Larryracioppo.com or RiseRockaway.org

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Late reminder, the fundraiser for Brian Hanna (brother of Liz Hanna, last year named Person of the Year by The Rockaway Times) is tomorrow (Friday) at The Knights of Columbus, 333 Beach 90th Street, from 7-11 p.m. DJs at Work and Wine with Sue will provide the tunes. There’ll be food and beverages. Tickets are available at the door.

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We got some great photos after asking readers to send in Sandy photos and we’re happy to accept more but, if you can, include the NOW photos as well. We’d like to show how far we’ve come. Please email us at Mail@rockawaytimes.com and put Sandy in the subject line.