Posts Tagged ‘Rockaway’

 A month ago, I wrote about an experience with Don Riepe, our beloved The Jamaica Bay Guardian. He stopped by the Beach 91St Street Community Garden to give a talk on what we can do as a community to help protect the monarch butterfly. We learned about their habitat, migration, life cycle and feeding. The takeaway – plant an abundant amount of milkweed and goldenrod in your garden. We also discussed the importance of other pollinators and their vital role in our ecosystem. To learn more, Don told us to […]

From Left to Right – Diane Cardwell, Don Riepe, Charley The Dog, Kristi Dickerson   The New York Times published an article last week stating the monarch butterfly has been placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The Times informed, “In 2020, U.S. wildlife officials found that monarchs were threatened with extinction but declined to add them to the endangered species list because they said conservation of other species took priority…. Eastern monarchs, which make up most of the population in North America, dropped by […]

The soil is the canvas. The hues of flowers are the paint. The texture of leaves and branches are the brushes. A garden is a painting. Some paintings are completed in a day, some in a year or many years. A garden is ever-changing and its picture is never finished. Each garden I pass on the street speaks to the individuality of the gardener and their personal creative expression. These living canvases, small or large, are intended to be seen by passersby, to call forth reaction or to showcase beauty. […]

Join animal lovers throughout the peninsula for ANIMAL ROCK 2022. This always anticipated event is an expression and celebration of the love that humans and animals share. Expect information on ways to support animals, pick up a raffle to win prizes from local businesses, begin your pet adoptions process, bring your beloved animal for a special blessing, enjoy vegan food offerings from Mara’s Ice Cream and Thai Rock and much animal inspired merriment! This celebration will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 10:00 am to 4:00pm at Beach […]

On Saturday, May 14, walking your dog can take on a whole new meaning. Join the community in celebration of our beloved four-legged friends by participating with your pup, in the Inaugural Rockaway Pups on Parade Event! The festivities begin at Beach 108th Street and the boardwalk (near the hockey rink). The parade will start at noon heading east, finishing at Beach 92nd Street and the boardwalk. Judges, Enchantress Shane and Cooper. After the parade, the judging will commence. Enchantress Shane and her dog Cooper, Claire Van Winkle and her […]

(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 […]

There’s been a lot of talk around town about those gelatinous blobs floating in the water up at Riis Park and elsewhere. A couple of weeks back I was swimming with friends and they were suspended in every inch of the water close to shore. It felt weird against our skin but that didn’t deter our swim. Although it’s all we could talk about as we were bobbing around, trying to cool off in the water. Our first thought was baby jellyfish. But that just seemed too simple. And the […]

I feel overwhelmed by the masses coming to Rockaway the past few weeks. Last summer it was calm in comparison, due to the pandemic. The garbage, the parking situation, and the dunes problem have been upsetting. Before I scare you off though, I’d like to say,  I’m not using this forum to complain. This is not Facebook!  I’ve been thinking about it and I want to share some of the positives I came across relating to these local issues. The Garbage: A few Mondays ago I went down to the beach […]

My friend Matt Johnson stopped by to borrow a blow dryer to fix a window screen. (Yes, it’s actually a thing). As a thank you, Matt brought over homemade clafoutis. What is clafoutis? I didn’t know either until I took a bite of this decadent French pastry. The dessert is traditionally made with black cherries and placed in a shallow, buttered baking dish. It is then covered with a thick flan-like batter and topped with powdered sugar and butter. It’s served lukewarm and sometimes with cream. Matt’s been baking all […]

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 […]