High Tide
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Happy 2023! How’s your resolution going?
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Woah, this is weird! New year, new publishers of the Rockaway Times. We hope the transition will be seamless for everyone! With the Rockaway Times’ “Dream Team” remaining intact we have very high hopes. As for us newbies, take it easy on us, will ya?!
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For some, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day can be notoriously disorienting. What day is it? Where am I? When will my next Rockaway Times be delivered? Hopefully that holiday season fog is beginning to lift, and you are settling back into your routines.
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As per tradition, on Sunday morning, hundreds across the peninsula took part in New Year’s Day Polar Plunges. Plunges were held on Beach 145th, 127th, 119th, 108th and 67th amongst others. Thankfully, this week felt almost 50 degrees warmer than the previous week! That being said, the water temperature was still a frigid 40 degrees. Some say that the warmer air actually makes the plunge worse because the drastic change in temperature is such a shock to the body. Although the logic is, who wouldn’t take 50 degrees over -10 degrees any year!? Check out some photos from a few of the plunges on pages 16, 17, 18 and 28.
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It’s always nice getting the affirmation from our readers that we made the right decision on certain things. Keith “Bugsy” Goldberg being named the 2022 Rockaway Times Person of the Year certainly received that and more! The response was overwhelming and obviously very well deserved. As one person commented on Facebook, “the best part of Rockaway is having Bugsy!” Not sure how we will be able to top Bugsy next year. Any suggestions? Let us know!
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York District has announced an extension to the public comment period for the New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Study (the study that discusses bayside protection measures and sea gates). The public comment period closing date has been extended to March 7, 2023, instead of January 6. Comments can be emailed to: nynjharbor.tribstudy@usace.army.mil
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Readers love the Word Search and Spot The Difference so we’re offering some more fun with Math Rocks. See Page 33 for a head scratcher.
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Who knew a dead whale could swim so far? From the streets of Rockaway to across the world, Tim Moriarty’s video that we posted to our Facebook page, of surfers trying to rescue the sperm whale that washed up on December 13, has now reached more than 20.5 million people and has been watched by more than 16 million. Now that’s a whale of a record!
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Yesterday, almost two full months after Election Day in New York, the contest for New York State’s 23rd Assembly district was finally decided. After having previously been separated by just one vote, Stacey Pheffer Amato has been declared the winner by less than 20 votes. Congratulations to Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato. The hotly contested count made its way to the courts where certain disqualified votes were reinstated. Hopefully, the new Assemblywoman’s first course of action will be to find a way to expedite this process in the future. As Sullivan quipped last month, “In the state of Georgia, 3.5 million voters have now had two elections in a month. New York State’s 23rd Assembly District of 32 thousand voters continues to drag on.” Two months is too long.
