High Tide

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Today, March 30,  is Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. The Yankees play at home at 1:05 p.m. and the Mets play in Miami at 4:10 p.m. Maybe with baseball, it will also start to feel like spring around here!  We can only hope!

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As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Fr. Jim Cunningham, of St. Francis de Sales parish, has found a match for a living kidney donor from within his own community once again. This week Katie McFadden has the incredible story of Fr. Jim, his donor Mike Coughlin, and how that match came to be on page 12.

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Last week, after we went to press, a local fisherman on Beach 38th Street and Norton Drive discovered a large stash of stolen guns in Jamaica Bay. The NYPD was able to recover three rifles and over a dozen handguns which they have since connected to a burglary in Putnam County.

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The Riis Park Bathhouse has officially received funding for its massive revitalization project. The group involved has closed on $47.5 million intended to bring the historic building, built in 1932, back to its former glory. The project, which includes a $15 million historic tax credit, plans to bring new restaurants, a bar, a pool, event spaces and even 28 hotel rooms. Work is set to begin this spring with a phased opening planned for 2024. We can only hope that this will lead to the further enhancement of the NPS area which is so desperately needed.

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The race for City Council District 32 just got a little smaller. Mike Scala, who had declared as the Democratic challenger to incumbent Councilwoman Joann Ariola, has dropped out of the race. As of now, Joann Ariola, who is also facing an unopposed Republican primary this summer, is now poised to run unopposed in this fall’s election.

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What do Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services have in common with the MTA? Not much. Except for the fact that New York Assembly members have proposed a new 4% tax on all streaming services in New York in order to raise funds for the MTA. What’s next? The Verrazano Bridge needs a little work so there will be a 10% tax on poppy seed bagels.

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Only 56 days until the can’t miss publication of the year, the 2023 Rockaway Times Summer Guide, is released! That means only 15 more days to reserve your ad space. Don’t wait, reserve your place today in the peninsula’s go-to resource for everyone’s favorite time of the year!

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One final reminder that the new sanitation rules go into effect this Saturday, April 1. Cans are permitted to go out at 6 p.m. and loose trash bags at 8 p.m.

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Next week, many local schools begin their spring breaks. If you are going away, enjoy your trip. If you are staying local, consider taking a trip on the ferry into the city and take advantage of all this great city has to offer.  See Tracey McCormick’s ideas on page 29 for some things to do while in the city!  

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The next meeting of the Rockaway Republican Club will feature former New York gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Giuliani. The meeting will take place on April 4 at 7 p.m., at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club.