10 Years and Counting!
We did it. Go ahead and give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. We made it through another winter. Now we know some of you cheated a bit — going down south for the season is not really a winter — but we will not hold it against you. We have won the battle and now let’s enjoy the spoils!
Welcome to summer 2024 in Rockaway!
It’s hard to believe, but this is the 10th Summer & Community Guide. We are so proud of this milestone and we know that we have only YOU to thank. That means 10 years of the businesses of Rockaway believing in us enough to advertise and 10 years of our loyal readers picking up our paper and supporting those advertisers.
We are a community paper through and through. It is the community we cover, the community that supports us, the community that gives us a thumbs up when we’re doing a good job, and the community that gives us a different finger when we slip up. We love Rockaway and we hope that feeling is reciprocated.
In the following pages, we’ll guide you through the essentials of crafting the perfect Rockaway summer. It doesn’t matter if you are a go-getter looking for nonstop fun or if you are a little more laid back and are counting the minutes until your next beach nap; our comprehensive guide has something for everyone.
From the sizzling grills in the backyards to evenings ordering pizza to the beach, summer in Rockaway is always an experience. It’s the scent of sunscreen, the feel of the salty sea breeze, the sounds of the Summer Classic under the lights, and the clinking of ice in a glass of … we’ll call it lemonade. It’s a short time of year when memories are made that last a lifetime.
This guide is only made possible because of the amazing work of some incredible people.
Mary Ellen Olsen leads the charge laying out the whole shebang. I know our advertisers are familiar with her and her work but the readers should be too. Without her, Lord knows where we’d be.
Monica Clifford is The Rockaway Times’ jack-of-all-trades. If there is something she can’t do, we have not found it yet … and trust us, we’re trying!
Tom McVeigh and Fred Marino lead our tenacious sales team. Day in and day out you can find them shaking babies and kissing hands and, most importantly, they keep the lights on.
I think it is safe to say that Pat McVeigh is officially a veteran at this. The Rockaway Times’ cornerstone. She has been the conductor making this train run for as long as it has been around and no one does it better. And it is not a Summer Guide unless Kaitlin McVeigh-Gibbons has given it a once (or twice or thrice) over. She may have the sharpest eye on the peninsula and we are sure glad she’s on our team. She makes us all look and sound more professional than we are!
Our Managing Editor Katie McFadden leads our editorial team whether it’s for this guide or each week in the paper. When she’s not winning awards for her work, you can probably find her about town documenting all the important happenings on the peninsula. Writer Dan Guarino, the sage of Broad Channel, pitched in big time with the guide this year and always seems to be there when we need him. Lou Pastina, Dr. Peter Galvin, John Sica, Kailey Aiken, and Susan Jasper all took the time to give a little something to this year’s guide to make it one of the best yet! The man, the myth, the legend Kevin Boyle even makes an appearance this year. We are so grateful to all of our writers and columnists for the unparalleled work they do week after week.
As you flip through this guide, we hope you’ll find inspiration to make this summer your most unforgettable yet. The team put a lot of effort into making sure this guide will be relevant all summer long! Be sure to hang on to it — it’s a keeper.
So, slather on that SPF, grab your sunglasses, and let’s dive into the season of sun and fun. Welcome to your ultimate summer guide — your companion for a season filled with sitting under a beach umbrella, grabbing a bite to eat by the water, and sipping on a cold drink under the sun.
Here’s to summer 2024 and welcome to Rockaway!
The Rockaway Times Publishers,
Sean McVeigh and
Jeanne Ferriola
