By Thomas McGann Fire Island has had its share of exposure on the big screen (movies), not often, but enough to be notable. However, it is not much seen on the small screen (television), until fairly recently. To touch on … Full Story
Fire Island’s Woodhull School Celebrates Its Centennial
By Thomas McGann Happy birthday to the Fire Island School District! Fire Island’s only school, the Woodhull School, is a public school located on the southeast corner of Midway and Surf Road on the border of Ocean Beach/ Corneille Estates … Full Story
HISTORY: Frank O’Hara: Poetry and Death on Fire Island
by Thomas McGann Frank O’Hara (1926-1966) was a poet whose life and tragic death are inextricably bound with Fire Island. He was an influential member of what has come to be known as The New York School, a group of … Full Story
Martin Luther King Jr. and Fire Island
By Thomas McGann Fifty years ago, on Sept. 2, 1967, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the guest of honor at a fundraiser in Seaview, Fire Island. Despite the fact that the summer of ‘67 was … Full Story
History: Life on Fire Island
Then and Now By Thomas McGann Introduction: With our eye on FIN’s 60 Anniversary, we sent History columnist Tom McGann a well-worn vintage copy of Fire Island News to get his perspective on what has changed and what remains the same on our beloved … Full Story
The LIRR and Fire Island
By Thomas McGann Besides the obvious — beaches, beauty, and solitude — a major reason Fire Island is so popular is its proximity to New York City and its environs, drawing on a population of 12 million people within a … Full Story
A Brief History of Maguire’s Restaurant
By Thomas McGann It is hard to miss the obvious pride that the owners of Maguire’s Bay Front Restaurant, Jim Betz and Drew Becker, amply demonstrated over this past winter. One look at their extensive renovations is proof positive. Maguire’s … Full Story
HISTORY: General George C. Marshall and Fire Island
General George C. Marshall (Dec. 31, 1880 – Oct. 16, 1959) author of the internationally acclaimed and hugely successful Marshall Plan and recipient of the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize was a resident of Ocean Beach, Fire Island for over 20 … Full Story
Celebrating John Muir: “Father of the National Parks”
By Thomas McGann IT IS ONLY FITTING that as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of our National Park System on Aug. 25, 2016, we should also celebrate the life of John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club … Full Story
Happy 70th Anniversary to the Fire Island Summer Club
By Thomas McGann FIRE ISLAND SUMMER CLUB is one of the lesser known of the 16 individual and distinct communities on Fire Island. It is located between Corneille Estates, a mere two-block walk from the infamous metropolis of Ocean Beach … Full Story