High Tide
Here’s to a great Labor Day Weekend. And Happy Mardi Gras Weekend!
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Don’t tell your kids — and especially not your DOE/schoolteacher friends! — but the summer is not over yet! Beaches are officially open until next Sunday, September 8, the boardwalk and Riis concessions are still open. The best-kept secret of Rockaway is that this is almost always the best time of the year.
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We have our 2024 Rockaway Times Photo Contest Champion! Congratulations to Lauren Devine for her winning shot! Congratulations, also, to Don Riepe and Theresa Racine who rounded out the podium. A huge thank you to our sponsors at NYC Ferry, Jamaica Bay – Rockaway Parks Conservancy and NYC Parks Department. Thank you to all who participated this year — we hope to see you next year as well! Next year’s contest is right around the corner, so get out there and get snappin’!
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The Community Board 14 District Town Hall will be held on Monday, September 16, at the Rockaway YMCA on Beach 73rd Street. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards will be on hand, along with other city agencies and elected officials, to answer questions and discuss concerns for the neighborhood.
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We are sad to see the folks at Thai Rock go. After 13 years, they are officially closing their doors this Saturday, August 31. Thank you to the late Robert Kaskel and his wife, Metta, for all they’ve done for the community. If you find yourself in Hollywood, Florida, you can visit their sister restaurant, Siam Rice Thai & Tapas.
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Congratulations to the Summer Classic on finishing up its 40th Season. The Summer Classic keeps the great Rockaway basketball tradition alive and well by providing some of the best summer competition in all of NYC. The long sleeve champion t-shirt is as coveted a trophy as there is. This year featured the most teams ever. Thank you to Keith “Bugsy” Goldberg for continuing to make it all work (and his fantastic write-ups in the Rockaway Times).
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Congratulations to Mike Benn, president of Rockaway’s own St. Patrick’s Day Parade, for being named Grand Marshal of the 2025 NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
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The Richie Allen Memorial Surf Classic will be held on Sunday, September 8, on Beach 91st Street. This great day, in honor of a Rockaway hero, features an always impressive youth surf contest for boys and girls ages 16 and under. Sign-up is at 8 a.m. and the contest will begin at 9 a.m. There will also be a traditional paddle out in memory of Richie. See page 2 of this paper for more information.
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On Labor Day, Monday, September 2, NYC Ferry will operate on a weekend schedule. Regular service will resume on Tuesday, September 3. Remember, fees go up to $4.50 a ride starting September 9.
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There will be no trash collection on Labor Day, Monday, September 2. If your trash is normally collected on Monday, please place it out on Monday evening to be collected on Tuesday.
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If you want to join Councilwoman Joann Ariola and the D32 Clean-Up Crew for a beach cleanup to help make Rockaway’s beaches sparkle, head to Beach 108th Street, on Friday, August 30 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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Rockaway’s first legal marijuana shop, Moonshot, is coming to the corner of Beach 96th and Rockaway Beach Blvd. They got their approval on August 6 and construction is underway. It’ll be run by the folks from Pharm.NYC, which sells CBD products out of Surf Lot.
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While it may feel like summer is over, please remember that Rockaway’s weekend street parking rules remain in effect ‘til September 30.
