BROAD CHANNEL CIVIC ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER
A Publication of the Broad Channel Civic Association
March 2015
Vol. 28 No. 3
CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING
***** VFW Hall – Shad Creek Road – 7:00 PM *****
*****March 26, 2015*****
This issue of the Newsletter is sponsored by the
Stephen Lattmann.
President’s Message
This month's Civic meeting will be held on Thursday, March 26th at 7 PM at the VFW Hall.
Spring is here and it will be good to see everyone out and about again after a cold winter where spotting your
neighbor outside was not a common occurrence. As we all finally get a chance to spend some time outside, the
Civic Association is encouraging all residents to try to help beautify our neighborhood by sweeping up the street in
front of their, and maybe their neighbors, homes. Speaking of spring, the fishing season will be upon us soon and
for the many stripe bass fishermen out there, take note of the NYC DEC notice for the change in regulations
pertaining to stripe bass rules -- "Marine and Coastal district (south of the George Washington Bridge): 1 fish, 28
inches or larger, during the Apr. 15 – Dec. 15 season".
The Participatory Budget process is almost complete which means it is time to once again vote for the choices
you would like to see funded. Councilman Ulrich has once again agreed to use this process to allow his
constituents to choose where they would like to see discretionary funding spent. In the past, even though Broad
Channel has a lower population then some of our surrounding neighborhood communities, we have had a very
good turnout and have seen some great projects funded for our neighborhood. Voting will take place at the library
and we will publish the date and time as soon as it is finalized, on both the Broad Channel Facebook page as well
as our town website -- broadchannelcivic.org. In addition we will be taking voting submissions at the March Civic
meeting as well.
The Councilman is also working to arrange for a cleanup of Crossbay Boulevard throughout the "strip" along the
North-bound lanes as it has become quite a mess again after the long winter. Personally I would like to see some
occasional enforcement regarding littering as it is mainly thoughtless drivers who discard this debris that ends up
lining the sidewalk and curb.
Assemblyman Goldfeder has announced a bill he has introduced in Albany to create a NY State Flood
Insurance Association. This would be an attempt to create an alternative to the Federal NFIP program at the State
level. Should this be successful it would be a great development for coastal communities in New York State.
FEMA has been a disaster in their management of the Federal Flood Insurance Program and that has led to the
threat of ever higher premiums for those in the flood zone. We will continue to attempt to be involved in the
national conversation regarding the NFIP flood program and in particular with the discussions revolving around
the 2017 re-authorization bill for the flood program which are beginning now, but it is great to see this type of
initiative from our Assemblyman and we hope this concept is a success!!
The Civic Association has been working with Borough President Melinda Katz on the Hurricane Rebuilding
and in specific the problems and issues arising in the Build it Back Program, the street raising project and on the
issue of changing the zoning issues that are hampering those who are trying to elevate their homes. Many residents
are running into problems with the Department of Buildings where they are not allowing a portion of the long
existing home to be raised as it does not show on the City maps from 1960, an issue we were promised would not
arise in the days after the hurricane. Now the solution seems to be a change to the wording in the zoning that will
remove this insane mandate from the process. Borough President Melinda Katz has been an outstanding advocate
for this community in addressing all of these issues
Quote of the Month -“A man is not old until...his regrets take the place of his dreams "--John Barrymore
Respectfully submitted,
Dan Mundy Jr.
This issue of the Newsletter is sponsored by
NW Subsurface.
.
CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BY THE SEA
Christ Presbyterian Church will be hosting Breakfast
with the Easter Bunny on Easter Sunday from 10AM-2
PM. Menu includes eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns,
etc. There will be raffles and a 50/50. Photos will be
taken with the Easter Bunny. Notices will be posted in
all local stores.
AMERICAN LEGION
The Broad Channel American Legion Auxiliary will
host their Palm Sunday Brunch, Sunday, March 28th,
from 10 AM to 1 PM. Hope to see you there!
ST. CAMILLUS / ST. VIRGILIUS
- Palm Sunday (March 29th) Saturday Evening at
4 p.m. & Sunday at 10 a.m.
- Reconciliation Monday (March 30th).
Confessions will be heard in St. Virgilius from
7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Holy Thursday (April 2nd ) Mass of the Lord's
Supper at 7:30 p.m. in St. Camillus Church
(Rockaway Park)
- Good Friday (April 3rd ) Celebration of the
Lord's Passion at 12 Noon in St. Virgilius
Church
o Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. in St.
Virgilius Church
- Holy Saturday (April 4th) Easter Vigil at 8 p.m.
in St. Camillus Church
o NO 4 p.m. Saturday Evening Mass at St.
Virgilius Church
- Easter Sunday (April 5th ) Mass at 10 a.m. & 12
Noon in St. Virgilius Church
Weekday Masses: Please Note: Beginning Monday,
April 6th the weekday Masses (Monday to Thursday)
and Communion Service (Friday) will take place in St.
Virgilius Church.
Religious Education Program: There will be NO
CLASSES on Wednesday (April 8th) due to Easter
Recess.
- Bishop Octavio Cisneros will celebrate the
Sacrament of Confirmation on Friday, April
17th at 5 p.m. in St. Camillus Church.
Congratulations to our Confirmation Candidates,
their Sponsors and Families.
- Congratulations to the children who will receive
FIRST HOLY COMUNUION on Saturday
(May 2) at 12 Noon in St. Virgilius or Sunday
(May 3) at 11:30 a.m. in St. Camillus
St. Virgilius Golden Age Club meets on Thursday
afternoons at 12:30 p.m. in the American Legion Hall
St. Virgilius Altar-Rosary Society meets on the third
Monday (April 20th) at 12:30 p.m. in the American
Legion Hall
St. Camillus Catholic Academy: Please call the School
at 718-634-5260 for information concerning registration
on ALL GRADES -- FREE FULL-DAY UNIVERSAL
PRE-K; Kindergarten to Grade 8
- Breakfast with the Easter Bunny: Sunday,
March 29th in Springman Hall. Please call 718634-5260 for details.
- PLEASE NOTE: Drawing for Jet-Blue Tickets
will take place at the Breakfast.
The Flag will fly in April for
John Gerard Willsen,
US Coast Guard, WWII
BROAD CHANNEL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT.
The BCVFD will be conducting an Open House
weekend on Saturday April 25th and Sunday April 26th;
times to be determined but these are all day events. This
event coincides with a recruitment weekend sponsored
by our State-wide fraternal organization, FASNY. We
are planning many events and exhibitions to foster and
encourage greater community involvement in the
BCVFD. We will have activities for children including
bouncy rides and magicians, demonstrations of
firefighting and EMS activities, and of course a chance
to meet the volunteers who actively protect the
community. Signs and literature will be posted and
distributed as we near the dates.
Also the BCVFD will be conducting our Annual Fund
Drive starting in May. Exact date to be determined, but
most likely on May 2nd and 3rd and May 16th and 17thth.
As we have for the past 15 years we are requesting each
household donate $75 and our Chief has authorized
offering a free home safety inspection to any household
that meets or exceeds our requested sum. Fund Drive is
our organization’s primary method of obtaining funding
to cover operating costs. Please help us help you!
Letters and return envelopes will be distributed midApril, ‘We Gave, We Care” widow stickers will be
distributed when we go door to door in May.
GLIMPSE OF THE PAST
Reminiscences of William Stephen White
(When age 90 in 2014)
************************************
William (Bill, a.k.a. Uncle Ben) was born in Broad
Channel in 1924 at 1226 Cross Bay Boulevard, a house
built by his Great Uncle Matt Hyland. His parents were
Charles White, an inspector of imported crude rubber,
and Florence Fagan of Woodhaven. There were nine
children: Helen, James J., Florence (Flossie), Charles
Augustus, Jr., William S., Harold Francis, Edward,
Mary, and Theresa. Bill graduated from St. Virgilius
School in 1938. He played quarterback on the Nut Club
football team and joined the Navy in 1943. He served as
a coxswain stationed in southern England near
Southampton, during the buildup to DDay.
His four brothers also joined up: Charles (Navy), Harold
(Army, recipient of a Purple Heart for the Battle of the
Bulge), James (Air Corp) and Edward (Navy,).
After the war, Bill returned to Broad Channel and
worked on the docks carrying 200 pound bags of crude
rubber. In 1950, Bill married Theresa Becker from
Rockaway and moved to the peninsula. In 1957, he
joined the NYC Fire Department, serving in Manhattan,
Rockaway, and retiring from the Howard Beach station.
He remembers the carousel, the Broad Channel Baths
(swimming, handball, baseball, football), the Long
Island Railroad and going to the Park Theatre on 116th
Street in Rockaway (where his sister-in-law was ticket
taker).
Bill has three children: Kathleen, Charles and Billy
(fraternal twins). The family moved to Howard Beach in
1963.
Material to be printed in the next Newsletter is due by April
10th.