Posts Tagged ‘community’

So many of us are mourning the loss of Jesse Lyons. He suddenly passed away on April 18, 2022. At first, I felt  my column wouldn’t be the appropriate forum to share about this. But then I thought, one of my main topics in this column is community. And Jesse was the embodiment of our Rockaway community. He was a local activist, a uniter, a force, a friend, a giver, a dancer, a skater, a beach lover. He was so much to so many in Rockaway and beyond. Jesse invented […]

(Left to Right) Carolin Wood, Rachel Maki, Rachel Krieger-Garone, Jason Heuer With a little nudge from a friend, I signed up for the Connection Through Creativity Class at Avoid The Day. All winter I’ve been attempting to get back to the drawing table but admittedly, I’ve had trouble focusing and finding inspiration. I felt this event was the ideal opportunity to reignite my passion for art. It did just that and more. Community organizers Rachel Krieger-Garone and Rachel Maki presented the concept of Connection Through Creativity to Jianna and Jason […]

The success of the Beach 91st Street Community Gardens’ art show last Saturday, featuring works by Clare Hilger, was beyond my expectations! So many neighbors and friends came to support us, to view and purchase artwork and enjoy the garden space. We had people in and out all day! I met a few neighbors that I never knew before and some mentioned how they’ve always walked by and wanted to come in. That makes me truly happy because community gardens should have a community impact and I feel we accomplished […]

I saw Rockaway Rod walking his dog on the boardwalk. He waved and smiled at me. His hair was in full Rod Stewart form. That is a good sign! Spring is here and the kids are in the skate park with the bluetooths blasting. Friends are on the beach with blankets and boards. The boardwalk was crowded over the weekend with people walking, biking and enjoying the warmer temperatures. I started cleaning up my front garden. My daylilies are breaking through the soil. The crocuses have sprung in the Beach […]

Last week, I felt uneasy about my column on chives, given all that’s going on. I needed some time to process. I ended up rewriting this column for this week three times. It just doesn’t feel okay for me to write about gardening or cooking right now. Our whole nation is in crisis. The killing of George Floyd on May 25th and the conversation about the resulting protests for justice and equality has entered every household in America, including mine. These hard discussions often take place around the dinner table. […]

A month ago, my friend Jodi and I went to the Rock-a-Block Blvd. Street festival hosted by the Rockaway Business Alliance. This event is great because it gives you an opportunity to chat with neighbors, meet business owners and stroll into stores you don’t normally visit. Since The Studio Phantasmagoria opened last spring, I’ve been curious to check it out. “What’s going on in there? Let’s go in!”  I said to Jodi. It felt whimsical, fresh and inspiring as we stepped through the doorway. I saw delicately dyed clothing, thoughtfully […]

On any beach day here in Rockaway we can enjoy Peruvian specialties at La Ceviche, exotic Hawaiian poke bowls from Edible Island. Also at Lowtide (Beach 97th) we can indulge in the deliciously rich pulled pork sandwiches from Breezy’s BBQ. If you want something lighter, have a fresh fruit smoothie from La Fruteria, among other tasty beach delights. They have the best burgers at Rippers (Beach 87th) and what about the decadent arepas at Caracas (Beach 106th)! In Far Rock on Beach 17th there’s Dreadsurfer. Oh that spicy Jerk Chicken!  […]

Anne’s husband, Dan Payne getting involved. I “met” Ann Kirby-Payne (@narrowbackslacker) on twitter some years ago – #rockawaybeach. Last week I saw a photo she posted captioned “I just want to give a shout out to @NYCSanitation and especially our #Rockaway team at the QE14, Stephen Dixon Garage for their quick response to my request to adopt a trash bin around the corner from my house!” Adopting a garbage can? Intriguing. I wanted to learn more about the NYC Adopt-A-Basket Program and what is required of its volunteers. I sat […]

Previously published in The Wave. “Push the dough out from the center, roll it lightly and don’t get too close to the edges,” Nicole instructed. “Can you believe I’m Italian and have never made pizza dough before! I’m so embarrassed” I admitted. “I’m Jamaican and I’ve never cooked oxtail, so don’t worry about it,” Nicole responded with a laugh. The conversation flowed naturally. I felt like I’d been in the kitchen with Nicole Russell for years. Nicole is the creator of Last Dragon Pizza in Arverne. We’ve been meaning to […]

As a child, I naturally gravitated towards art. I always loved putting the pencil to paper, making collages, making a mess and using bright colors to paint my Barbie dolls!  As a teenager, my passion for art continued. Instead of sitting in the cafeteria with my friends on a free period, I’d go to Ms. Carrion’s room, my art teacher, to continue working on my class projects. I’m not creating art now so much and I miss it. Last summer I volunteered to seasonally update the Beach 91st Street Community […]