Posts categorized as Rockaway

I attended the Shakespeare On The Rocks Fundraiser Gala last week, and it was a theatrical party to remember! There were many familiar faces — our Rockaway celebs, fancy Brooklyn folks, artists, and community supporters. Cast members from last year’s performance of Romeo and Juliet were in attendance, along with gala hosts, founders, and co-producers/directors Elwin Cuevas and Robert Bryn, who held court all night. The evening featured lively short performances—including a memorable one by Actor Catherine Yeager McQuaid —as well as romantic poetry by Owen Loof, a sneak peek […]

On New Year’s Day, I was invited to a cute craft party at my friend Carolin Wood’s home. We spent the afternoon sewing patches for a Rockaway community quilt—chatting and snacking. What fun! Carolin Wood and her creative partner, Rachel Krieger-Garone, are the co-founders of Benevolent Objects, a small business creating beautifully unique aprons from vintage materials. By the end of the afternoon, there was talk of organizing something bigger—an event that could fit more community sewers and crafters. Now they’ve secured a winter location for the next sew gathering, […]

It didn’t feel right to write about anything else this week after the heartbreaking news that Mike Honan passed away. I’ve known The Honans for 22 years. Their family welcomed me into Rockaway and were some of the first people I met here. They treated me like family. Mike Honan, an Irishman, married Fran Chiodo, an Italian, and I remember how comforting it felt to be with them, like I wasn’t the only Italian on the peninsula. If I needed to name an example of a beautiful marriage and a […]

The faces of the children when the potato piñata exploded were worth everything! I’m happy no one got clocked on the head with a potato. Yes, I put small fingerling potatoes in the piñata, along with, obviously, a bunch of chocolate, Twizzlers, gummy bears, and potato stickers. And then there was the edible potato diorama, brought by Tom, complete with bear and wolf figures drinking from a serene BBQ sauce river. Herbs from the Beach 91st Street Community completed the culinary piece, bringing color and texture to the landscape. At […]

Far from a quiver, yet I need to let everyone know that I now have a Dewey Weber Professional, 9’2.” My second board! Thank you, Kristeli! My friend and previous rider of the vintage classic called the board “The Fairy” for its beautiful, pastel, and cream waves in the glassing. A new nickname has come about for me, though — Big Mamma. I’m a small person, and she is a big board! My mid-length is an 8’6” Faktion. The extra 8 inches of length and heavy fiberglass are a whole […]

Now that I’ve had a bit of time to process the past few months, I’m ready to share that I started a new job at the Department of Education, and it’s been a major shift. The opportunity came up, and it was supposed to be “easy”—out by 3 pm, all the holidays, and allow me time to still work as a graphic designer. It provides supplemental income, stability, and health insurance. The last few years of chasing freelance checks, unable to find a full-time job, the mortgage, and all the life […]

Far Rockaway through Breezy Point, and all in between – the big ol porches with wicker furnishings are iconic. They hold a place in time—before me, before the boomers, before their parents. These porches are portals. A glimpse into another version of Rockaway: a place where women’s long, lacy dresses touched the sand, parasols twirling, walking next to the gentlemen in tophats. Not a Croc in to be seen! Where summer homes were grand, dance halls held the drama, and fishing piers lined the Irish Riviera. All the porches whispered, […]

  Rehearsal in action! Josh Armstrong (left), Eric Dahl (center), Steve Hyltons (Right).  Photo by: Jena Cumbo It’s the perfect, hot, sunny beach day — yet fifteen dedicated actors, some from Rockaway and others from afar, head up the stairs to the small rehearsal space at the Knights of Columbus on Beach 90th Street, as they have been for months. The scene: discipline and dedication, with laughter and serious tone scattered throughout the hours. Sword fights! Stops and starts, iced matcha, tension over creative, 5-inch tan, sparkly high heels, and drama twirled into the […]

This Saturday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit the Beach 91st Street Community Garden for our Plant Sale Fundraiser! Soak in the spring, connect with neighbors, and make a day of it. We’ll have a mix of plants to inspire your garden. There will be veggie starters and culinary herbs, perennials, including walker’s low, autumn joy, milkweed, daylily, and coastal grasses. We’ve also got some houseplants and garden pots! Adding to the fun this year: Holland Ave Soap Co. (@hollandavesoapco) will be on-site, offering ocean-inspired cold-process bar soaps—some made […]

We’re in the icy heart of Rockaway Winter. And it’s a good thing. Every year – 10 years now – I enjoy the winter more and more here. It’s a time to rest and recharge and be kind to our bodies. It’s time to plan our goals. It’s a time to connect with friends in a more intimate way. It’s a time to catch up on the things you set aside during the active summer that were postponed because the holidays popped up so fast. It’s a time to visit […]