By Rebecca Hoey ~ WHAT A SCHOOL YEAR this was… The students weren’t the only ones learning this year as everybody’s roles shifted literally overnight. Parents became teachers, kids became homes- choolers, and teachers educated from afar. Yet even with the turbulence of major change, everyone worked hard and the students of Fire Is- land School have been recognized virtually … Full Story
Hello From The Quarantine
By Timothy Bolger ~ That is the best word to describe the past three months of reporting around the clock on the horrid details of a historic pandemic, navigating the ensuing economic calamity, and taking previously foreign preventive measures to keep my family from contracting a virus with ever-changing expert opinions on transmission risks. My lovely but anxious wife, boisterous … Full Story
Lost at Sea: One Fire Island Resident’s COVID-19 Horror Story
By Mariana Dominguez ~ Calm Before the Storm: The first seven days went as planned. On March 3, Joan Rashid flew out of New York headed for Buenos Aires. On March 7, she boarded Holland-America’s “MS–Zaandam” for a 31-day South American cruise beginning in Buenos Aires and ending in Fort Lauderdale. Early in March COVID-19 was a mostly European problem. … Full Story
Fire Island Restaurants Adapt to New Challenges
By Joey Macellaro / Photos by Robert Sherman ~ Fire Island restaurateurs have always had to work a little harder than most to operate in a town where patrons and provisions arrive by ferry. In the age of COVID-19, their problems have been compounded even further. “We are changing the menu daily because getting food from purveyors is not as … Full Story
Summer of 1968 on Fire Island
By Marc Gold ~ The wonderful time capsule of music … what would we do without it? I was beginning my daily walking journey in the Staten Island woods at Rivington and Park Drive North, armed with a music set list I was proud of. “My Back Pages,” the Byrds iconic Dylan cover played at top volume. Suddenly I was … Full Story
Bon Voyage to Captain Jayne
By Robert Levine ~ After 55 years at the helm, longtime friend of Fire Island, Captain Mike Jayne has retired from Sayville Ferry Service. His last triangle voyage took place on Tuesday afternoon on April 28, 2020 as a group of well-wishers from Cherry Grove assembled at the dock to send him off with style. At the 3:30 p.m. arrival, … Full Story
“I Am” by Mary O’Brien
I am confident I wonder about the origins of the sea I hear tales of fantasy and bravery I see words on a page written so carefully. I want the world to be a better place I am Mary O’Brien I pretend that I am characters from Harry Potter I feel connected to some characters that I read about I … Full Story
Sharing the Stoke: The Zen of Social Distancing in Surfing
By Craig Low ~ I once spent several hours about 20 feet or so of another person and had no conversation the whole time. Not that we didn’t communicate, we did, through nods, eye contact, smiles and the occasional spoken, “right on!” It was one of the best days of surfing I had in a long time and even though … Full Story
SAFE/HAVEN: Fire Island History comes to Florida in 1950’s Photo Exhibition
By Susan Kravitz ~ The Cherry Grove Archives Collection’s (CGAC) premier photography exhibition, “Safe/Haven: Gay Life in 1950’s Cherry Grove” officially opened at the Stonewall National Museum – Wilton Manors Gallery in Wilton Manors, Fla., on Feb. 21, 2020. Two receptions to celebrate this event were held at the gallery. The first, a VIP event on Feb. 20 for Stonewall … Full Story
“Split Decision” Encores in Theatre NYC District
By Leonard Feigenblatt ~ “Split Decision” made its debut in Cherry Grove last summer at the Cherry Grove Community House Theatre. “The show is heartwarming, honest and funny,” wrote Fire Island News community columnist Robert Levine in the Aug. 30, 2019, edition. “Make a point to see it.” Thanks to the patronage of the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, many … Full Story