Rockaway Times

Jeanne Ferriola and Sean McVeigh PUBLISHER

Katie McFadden MANAGING EDITOR

Mary Ellen Olsen MANAGER

Monica Clifford BILLING/ LEGALS

Tom McVeigh and Fred Marino SALES

Kevin Boyle

FOUNDER/PUBLISHER EMERITUS

It’s that time of year again! It’s time to freeze for a reason. The Special Olympics New York polar plunge is Saturday, March 11! Join hundreds of neighbors and take the plunge for this charitable cause.

On Saturday, March 11 on Beach 94th Street, all are welcome to join in on the fun. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and goes until 11 a.m. The plunge takes place at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome to join with a team or as an individual.

All of the money raised through the Polar Plunge® helps provide year-round sports training and competition as well as leadership, health and inclusion programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities in your community. Every dollar donated makes a difference! Rockaway’s local Special Olympics chapter holds programs at St. Camillus each week.

Right now, the top fundraising team this year is the Cross Island Plungers, with more than $2,000 raised and the top individual is Denise Zayas with $410 raised. To donate to any of the teams or plungers, register or form a team, or for more information, head to PolarPlungeNY.org

City Councilwoman Joann Ariola

114-12 Beach Channel Drive, suite #1 Rockaway Park, NY 11694

Email: joannariola32@gmail.com 718-318-6411

State Senator James Sanders Jr.

1931 Mott Avenue – Suite 305 Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Email: sanders@nysenate.gov 718-327-7017

Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson

19-31 Mott Avenue, Suite 301 Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Email: Andersonk@nyassembly.gov 718-327-1845

The Rockaway Times

114-04 Beach Channel Drive Rockaway Park, NY 11694

Phone: 718-634-3030 www.rockawaytimes.com

Email: news@rockawaytimes.com, mail@rockawaytimes.com

THE ROCKAWAY TIMES is published every Thursday by Double Nickel LLC (USPS # 16930), 114-04 Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, NY 11694. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Rockaway Times, 114-04 Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, NY 11694. Periodical postage paid at Rockaway Park Post Office, 11694.

Ad space reservations by Monday, 12 noon, preceding date of subject. Editorial submission must be made by Monday, 3 P.M., preceding date of publication. All letters to THE ROCKAWAY TIMES should be brief and are sub– ject to editing. Writers should include a full address and home office telephone number. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without permission of THE ROCKAWAY TIMES. The publisher will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE ROCKAWAY TIMES within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication.

THE ROCKAWAY TIMES assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold THE ROCKAWAY TIMES and its employees harmless from all costs, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. © 2015 Double Nickel LLC.

Monday, March 6th

Join us for a raucous & musical Purim Spiel!

6pm - Potluck dinner & hamantaschen 7pm - A Very Frozen Purim Spiel!

Sunday, March 12th 10am - 12pm

Join West End's Religious School for fun Purim activities, like baking hamentaschen, crafts, games, and a costume parade!

All are welcome!

Geared towards ages 5-12

West End Temple 147-02 Newport Avenue Neponsit, NY, 11694

For more information please call 718-634-0301

To advertise in The Rockaway Times call 718-634-3030 · ads@RockawayTimes.com

As usual, the following content is intended for immature audiences.

Appetizers

Potato Leek Soup cup 5 | bowl 6

Irish Nachos 14

Duck Wonton 16

Onion Rings 12

Broccoli Cheddar Bites 10

Chicken Teriyaki Dumplings 12

Food Specials CORNED BEEF SANDWICH 15 sliced corned beef on rye

CORNED BEEF THUMBITS 22 sliced corned beef on garlic bread topped with mozzarella cheese

LAMB SHANK 34 served over mashed potatoes with rosemary mint gravy

CHICKEN POT PIE 18 chicken, peas, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes in a white cream sauce topped with a puff pastry

CORNED BEEF DINNER 24 slow cooked corned beef with cabbage, red potatoes, carrots

BEER BRAISED IRISH STEW & COLCANNON 22 beef, carrots, onions, celery in a savory brown sauce served over potatoes colcannon

IRISH GUINNESS SIRLOIN STEAK 32 sliced sirloin topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions in a rich stout sauce up the microwave for 34 seconds. Even with such exquisite timing, if you’ve put a standard nine set on the plate, you can bet only five will turn out just right. Two of them are nuked to death and another two are only cooked on one side.

I get it. Everybody’s got an opinion about pizza, especially lately, with some contest that just concluded. This one’s the best. No, that one is. Blah, blah, blah. Well, I’d like to steer the conversation to pizza’s low-rent, teeth-missing distant cousin: the pizza bagel.

At my age, you really shouldn’t be eating pizza bagels, certainly not the kind that you buy frozen. For that matter, maybe you shouldn’t be eating them at any age unless it’s 4 in the morning and you’re too drunk to go to Pickles and Pies for The Godfather or The Rockaway Chicken Club.

In my case, I do it for the science.

And the speed. A minute and 34 in all the clinical studies I’ve conducted is about right.

We’re talking cooking time.

The wise choice no one ever chooses is using the regular oven. You’re really gonna pre-heat the oven for these things? It’s bad enough you’re eating them; the least you can do is get it over with.

What’s the science on two of them being half cooked? And two being incinerated? Same microwave, same plate. Further study is needed. I chew one of the five good Bagel Bites and wonder about the two half- baked guys, a little sad that they’ll never fully mature. They had their chance; they’re not getting more than a minute thirty-four. They’re going in your mouth. They’re halfbaked and you half hate yourself for eating them.

Crossfade Nights | Saturday, March 11th

Knobs Acoustic | Sunday, March 12th

Rockawades | Friday, March 17th

Winston McBoogie | Sunday, March 19th

Wine with Sue | Friday, March 24th

Gregg Parr | Sunday, March 26th

11th | check social for times

Our Daily Menu Is Also Available!

Serving Lunch Daily 12 PM - 3:00 PM = Sunday Brunch 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Available for Private Parties

Watch the Parade on the Deck while enjoying a cold pint of Guinness Check Facebook and Instagram for

Of course, the microwave turns them into red and white chewing gum. But as gum goes? They ain’t bad. And the flavor lasts longer than a stick of Wrigley’s. Sheesh, that’s another column. Mentos gum is no better. The flavor’s gone so fast, all you’re doing is giving your jaw and temple a workout, but I digress…

Now, as I ponder plates of Bagel Bites, I wonder if it’s actually more art than science. You set the microwave on high for a minute and as the seconds count down, you peer through the glass and see a minute’s too short. The red and white orbs are barely thawed. You re-

The nuked ones, practically fused into the plate, are fakeouts. You think the burnt cheese and the surviving remnants of the bagel would be worth chiseling off the plate, but you’d be wrong. I’m no expert but my guess is this is what dead skin and warm cardboard taste like. Sometimes you eat the second one just to make sure the first one was really that bad. (And when I say you, I don’t mean you. I mean me– or a close relative).

Now that I’m retired – oh, you hadn’t heard? – I’m trying to save money. To be clear, I’m not buying new pizza bagels. I’m saving by eating stuff in the fridge that should have gone in the attic. Who knows, maybe I’ll save a buck if I venture to the back of the fridge and open some stuff that was put in tin foil. Hmmm….Nah…That looks like pre-Sandy.

But maybe if I put it in for a minute and 37…

525 Bayview Avenue

Inwood, NY 11096 phone: 516.802.0999 fax: 516.239.9698

416 Beach 116th Street

Business Hours

Sunday - Wednesday • 9AM - 8PM

Automotive, Auto Body & Electrical Repair in one location

•Quality Parts

•Experienced and Highly Trained Technicians

•State of the Art Diagnostic Center

•NYS Inspection Certification

•Member Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)

•Member Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)

•Assured Performance Network Facility

•Certified Collision Repair Facility

Factory Certified Repair Facility

•Alfa Romeo•Acura

•Ford •Fiat Chrysler

•GM

•Hyundai

•Kia

•Nissan

•Volvo

Proudly offering

•Honda

•Infiniti

•Mazda

•Subaru

•others pending

•Mechanical Warranty: 12 months or 12,000 miles

•Customer Parking, Reception and Waiting Area

•5-Star Customer Satisfaction Rating

•Owned and Operated by a Rockaway Resident

Thursday - Saturday • 9AM - 9PM

JOIN US AFTER RSPD FOR DRINK SPECIALS, CORNED BEEF, ETC

ROCKAWAY BEACH BAR & RESTAURANT

Rockaway's Best Waterfront Scene

Sláinte! Happy Rockaway St. Patrick’s Day to all! The annual parade will be held this Saturday, March 4, at 1 p.m. with festivities to follow throughout the peninsula. Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees! *****

Advertiser Alert! As you may know, Rockaway St. Patrick’s Day also marks the unofficial start of spring around these parts, regardless of what the thermometer says. With the thought of warmer weather also comes The Rockaway Times Summer & Community Guide! Back by popular demand, The Summer Guide, which has continued to be a for its ninth year. Time is flying by, so start planning your summer ad now! *****

Happy Purim to those who are observing! This Jewish holiday begins the evening of Monday, March 6 and will end the evening of Tuesday, March 7. *****

Many were alarmed when a foreign, white substance was seen falling from the skies this week. According to multiple sources, this has been determined to be something called “snow.” Apparently, this used to be a common occurrence during the winter months but has since gone to the wayside along with VHS falling from the heavens – what a strange world we used to live in…

NYC is reportedly looking into putting one new “high tech” public toilet in one city park in each of the five boroughs. The five taxpayer-funded toilets are estimated to cost $5.3 million. We are truly at a loss for words. Wait… We found some: What a bunch of crap!

We knew that itch would need to be scratched sooner or later! The O.G. is back with a new Boyleing Points! Make sure you check it out on page 5.

We would like to apologize for the misspelling of the Honorable Janet McDonnell’s name in last week’s High Tide. Luckily, we had the opportunity to make up for it with a full story this week on Rockaway’s newest New York City Criminal Court Judges. Check it out on page 33.

The Rockaway Times 20 under 40 is underway and we hope to hear from you with some nominations of people from the community that you feel fit the bill. For more information check out page 11 or drop us a line at edi-

The Edgemere Community Civic Association’s monthly meeting will be held this Monday, March 6, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be at the Beach Green Dunes Eats & Arts.

The Rockaway Republican Club will be holding their next meeting on Tuesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club. The guest speaker will be Joe Pinion, who ran against U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer last year. The meeting will also see RRC members nominate candidates for club officer positions and form committees.

Residents around the affordable housing buildings in Downtown Far Rockaway recently spread the news that a parking garage has opened. But starting at $5.44 plus tax per half an hour, or $300 for a monthly rate, with no discounts for tenants, who exactly is this affordable for? That’s $3,600 a year for tenants who have to make between $21K and $48K to even apply for the lottery for these buildings. With scarce street parking available, those with cars have little