High Tide
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” – Thomas Jefferson
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This coming Tuesday, November 7 is Election Day. Get out and vote! As a result of the mandated redistricting, all New York City Council seats are up for reelection this year. The Queens District Attorney is also up for election and Civil Court Judge seats. In addition, there will be two new proposals on the ballot: The first is a proposed amendment to the Constitution which removes the special constitutional debt limitation now placed on small city school districts. The second is a proposed amendment to the Constitution which extends for ten years the authority of counties, cities, towns, and villages to remove from their constitutional debt limits debt for the construction of sewage facilities.
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It seems like overnight the tents went up and supplies were delivered to Floyd Bennett Field. (So the city can get things done quickly when they want to…) On Monday, it was announced that 500 people were imminently expected to begin arriving but the newly erected facilities are capable of holding 2,000. The space includes an intake tent, a 24/7 cafeteria, bathroom and shower tents and dormitory tents. The city has said that their plan is to provide shuttle buses to mass transit stations and to bus the children to public schools in Coney Island. The city’s bill of expenses to house the migrants at Floyd Bennett Field is going to be astonishing. The hearing on the injunction is scheduled for Friday, November 3. As of going to press, no migrants had arrived yet.
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Hello darkness, my old friend. Daylight Saving is this Saturday night (really Sunday) at 2 a.m. There has been a lot of discussion the past few years about the removal of daylight saving permanently. The Sunshine Protection Act was passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate but was rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives. A new bill will need to be brought to the floor for a vote. As an unfortunate consequence, we lose an hour this weekend. So, don’t forget to put your clocks back!
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Next week is Veteran’s Day. To honor our local veterans for sacrificing so much and serving our beloved country, send us in a photo of a local veteran to mail@rockawaytimes.com. We will do our best to get it in the paper next week.
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Councilwoman Joann Ariola is having a Thanksgiving Feast food giveaway. If you or a family you know is in need this Thanksgiving, her office is giving away precooked trays of food. Give them a call at 718-738-1083 to reserve one in advance. Supply is limited, so call soon.
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Halloween is over, November is here and there are only 53 days until Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, we have our first Christmas reminder … save the date – the Beach 116th Street tree lighting is set for Monday, December 4. It starts at 4 p.m., with Christmas performances, and the tree lighting will be at 7 p.m.
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Advertiser (and reader) alert. We’ll be publishing early Thanksgiving week. The email and the paper delivery will be on Wednesday, November 22. Advertisers, please have your ad to us by that Tuesday morning the latest – especially if you want to reach Black Friday shoppers.
