Home Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article American Airlines flight 587, flight of an Airbus A300-605R passenger airliner that crashed in Belle Harbor, New York All 251 passengers and nine crew members on board died Then came the shocking news: shortly after take-off the American Airlines Airbus A300 had crashed The crash came just two months after the September 11 attacks, and rumours circulated that this, too, was the work of terrorists. Though a member of al-Qaeda later claimed the plane had been blown up the crash was in fact caused by structural failure that resulted from the first officer’s actions As the first officer tried to stabilize the plane when it entered turbulence caused by the take-off of another jet causing complete loss of control; the plane’s engines separated in flight and the plane crashed and burst into flames in a residential neighborhood An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the principal cause of the accident was the loss of the vertical stabilizer following the first officer’s unnecessary use of rudder controls after encountering turbulence at approximately 1,700 feet (518 m) in altitude the turbulence was within tolerance levels of the aircraft’s automatic systems and required no intervention but the first officer “had a demonstrated tendency toward aggressive reaction to wake turbulence” for which he had been criticized previously The report also faulted what it deemed to be inadequate training of pilots in the proper use of the rudder system initiating reforms in training and certification on the part of the manufacturer and airline operators A memorial near Belle Harbor is angled to face the Atlantic in the direction of the Dominican Republic This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Many knew Richard as an all around nice guy the 100th Precinct Community Council and the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association meetings He also frequently kept The Rockaway Times on our toes with his letters to the editor and reminding us to include Hurricane Donna in This Week in History and making sure we had EMS Station 47 correctly listed in the Summer Guide Berger often shared his knowledge in his letters and comments at meetings bringing with him roughly 40 years of EMT experience Berger had volunteered with the Peninsula Volunteer Ambulance Corps He also worked for a number of private ambulette companies From June 1985 until he was forced to retire in October 2011 Our thoughts are with Berger’s girlfriend of 36 years A graveside service was held for Richard Berger on Monday December 30 at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale and website in this browser for the next time I comment independent news source that provides the Rockaways with a unique voice The paper is distributed for free throughout the peninsula and is available online at rockawaytimes.com Koelsch Communities has announced the opening of its Belle Harbour campus in Bellevue The $100 million development includes two communities: The Park at Belle Harbour The campus aims to provide personalized living experiences with 24-hour nursing care to support aging residents with dignity The grand opening event for Belle Harbour is today (June 26) and the Bellevue community to tour the facility The development features a total of 145 suites across both buildings The assisted living community includes 73 apartment suites “Belle Harbour is a very special property and serves as an expansion of our portfolio in multiple ways neighborhood-style concept that connects two standalone multi-story communities by a skybridge,” said Aaron Koelsch “This approach allows us to care for resident needs over time and enables them to remain in a familiar setting as they age We approached this design opportunity head-on ultimately constructing an exquisite campus that offers residents a one-of-a-kind place to live Both The Park and The Inn at Belle Harbour offer amenities like 24/7 nursing care The assisted living suites feature fireplaces Belle Harbour is designed to cater to residents with diverse levels of care needs facilitating aging in place through smooth transitions between its assisted living and memory care communities A licensed nurse is available on-site at all times Principal Designer Judy Koelsch of JSK Design curated Belle Harbour’s interior with a regional nautical theme featuring artwork and memorabilia reflective of the area The community showcases a 1950s-era MG MGA 1500 Roadster Koelsch Construction and Shearer Construction were the general contractors for the $100 million development The address is 2168 116th Avenue Northeast For more information about The Park and The Inn at Belle Harbour, visit http://parkbelleharbour.com Pingback: In The Pipeline: National Church Residences Continues Growth; Tutera Opens $55M Community Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More A windy Tuesday morning in the Rockaways was the backdrop for a somber ceremony at the Flight 587 memorial American Airlines Flight 587 took off from John F killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground I still mourn the loss of my father and sister," Teresita Corporan said through tears at the ceremony offering words of solace to the families of those who were lost on that day it’s still as fresh and as new to the family members who feel the loss and it is so important that we read over the names because it allows us to hold on to those memories,” Adams said the initial speculation was that the crash was another terror attack investigators later determined the cause to be a combination of human error and a faulty tail on the plane "If we are gonna compare 9/11 with Flight 587 the magnitude is different," said Belkis Lora Tuesday marked the first time some members of the Department of Correction who helped in the recovery efforts on both 9/11 and at the Flight 587 crash site It’ll never leave you," former correction officer Samuel Valle said "But it gives you some solace to some degree that you brought remains back home to families that need some sort of what they call closure." "I lost my sister and my best friend," said Yvette Careers "people are forgetting about [the crash]." "They don’t come anymore," Careers said.  But Lora said one thing remains constant: "Our commitment to remembering this day and honoring the memories."  Already have an account? Log in here Senior-living provider Koelsch Communities is celebrating its new $100 million Belle Harbour project in Bellevue with a grand opening event scheduled for June 26 Senior-living provider Koelsch Communities is celebrating its new $100 million Belle Harbour project in Bellevue with a grand-opening event scheduled for June 26 The Belle Harbour project is home to The Park at Belle Harbour The grand-opening celebration will be held from 3:30-6 p.m “Belle Harbour is special and serves as an expansion of our portfolio in multiple ways “This unique approach allows us to care for resident needs over time without having to relocate to a new We are proud to have faced this design opportunity head-on ultimately constructing a campus that offers residents a one-of-a-kind place to live The campus features 145 suites across both buildings with the assisted-living community containing 73 apartment suites comprised of private studios The memory care building has 72 suites ranging from private to shared and “neighborhood” options The campus encompasses nearly 3 acres overall Koelsch Construction served as general contractor for both developments with Shearer Construction as a partner on the Belle Harbour project Judy Koelsch and JSK Design managed the interior design of both campuses Email notifications are only sent once a day find out how a Kirkland contestant fared on an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune' this week downtown Bellevue debuts its first head spa Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: We are just one weekend away from the 50th Annual Queens County St excitement grew for the big anniversary with the Installation Ball at Antun’s on Saturday At one of the biggest fundraisers for the annual parade surrounded by family and friends and even Mayor Eric Adams this year’s honorees were introduced and celebrated at the formal dinner dance and many of them include locals from the peninsula including this year’s Grand Marshal Terence Mullin of Belle Harbor Many may know Mullin as co-owner of Callie’s on Beach 129th Street Account Executive for Fidelity National Title’s New York National Commercial Services (NCS) operation Mullin is joined by parade’s honorary grand marshals Vice President of the Central Royalty Container Collection Fund of the International Longshoreman Association and the United States Maritime Alliance There are also 12 deputy grand marshals this year including retired NYPD officer John Tansey Brian Sharkey of the New York Corrections Department Emerald Society and Grand Council United Emerald Society James Moroney of Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 21 Tribute Park stained glass artist Patrick Clark Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians members retired NYPD officer Catherine O’Connor and Joanne Larcheveque New York Guard 2nd Lieutenant Melissa Farrell Brendan Gallagher of the Irish American Building Society The evening at Antun’s included a cocktail hour a performance by County Tyrone Bagpipes and Drums and the Celtic Justice Band who had everyone dancing the night away Mayor Adams and parade president Michael Benn who has the special honor of being the Grand Marshal for the NYC St starting at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue continuing down Newport to Beach 116th Street where it will turn down Rockaway Beach Boulevard pass the viewing stand around Beach 105th Street the Shore Garden Club of Neponsit & Belle Harbor enjoyed a spectacular luncheon at the Harbor Light after which they enjoyed two floral presentations designed to enhance their gardening skills members had been asked to volunteer to bring in specific types of arrangements and explain the elements of their designs brought in several different types of design arrangements which were discussed among those present Haley Desetta of Desetta Nursery in Woodmere began her Container Gardening Presentation While elegantly creating three gorgeous arrangements with the cut flowers she brought from her nursery she worked diligently creating her floral masterpieces while explaining how texture color and placement yielded beautiful arrangements Every one of the 20 members in attendance were delighted with her creations Raffle results brought smiles and great joy to Bella All agreed it was a fantastic meeting and are looking forward to their next meeting on the third Monday of August the members will hone their gardening skills and continue to enjoy the beautiful landscaping throughout our beautiful community Popular international luxury retailer Bal Harbour is set to open an "Access Pop-Up Shop" on the grounds of Haywood Mall in late summer or early fall The makeshift retail space is located to the left of the main Haywood Road entrance of Haywood Mall It comprises shipping containers and features a design reminiscent of South Florida The luxury brand pop-up shop is expected to remain open for eight weeks and will include high-end brands such as Golden Goose Here is more on what we know about the upcoming Bal Harbour Shops Access Pop Up: More to Arrive: Two luxury townhome developments are planned near downtown Greenville; here are details How did Bal Harbour Access Shops Pop Up arrive in Greenville?In 2023 a similar style Bal Harbour Pop Up shop came to the Six Forks area in Raleigh showcasing high-end shops and a restaurant concept both Sarasota and South Walton received the luxury brand showcase This project is under the development and asset management of Matthew Lazenby the current president and CEO of Whitman Family Development and grew fond of the nearby Greenville area As opportunities for Bal Harbour arose in North Carolina and the Southeast Lazenby's familiarity with Greenville and connection to Simon (Haywood Mall) led to the idea of bringing a high-end shopping pop-up Known as an upscale mix of shopping stores Bal Harbour Shops opened in 1965 in response to the rapid growth of shopping malls in the Southeast Its brand was created to imitate the look and feel of South Florida and is an open-air shopping concept created by Stanley Whitman Neiman Marcus became Bal Harbour's first high-end retailer The City of Greenville is expected to announce an official opening date at a later time More: Pickleball Kitchen and Leisure (PKL) to open at Unity Park in fall, 'eatertainment' – A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription a highly respected New Yorker who represented Long Island in Congress for 14 terms will endorse local resident Paul King for Congress on June 20 at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club Paul King is running against incumbent Gregory Meeks in New York’s 5th Congressional District Peter and Paul are not related but they share working class values and a belief in the American Dream Other Republican endorsements are expected as part of the “King Day” program State-level candidates Tom Sullivan and Michael O’Reilly will also address the audience “I am honored to again receive Congressman King’s support and will try to emulate them in Congress,” said Paul King Peter King was a consistent voice in support of soldiers King was ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of the U.S He set the example of putting America’s needs ahead of partisan divisions King received a very high “leadership score” from GovTrack for his ability to attract co-sponsors and get things done in Washington Peter King is a regular guest on the Sid & Friends radio show with Sid Rosenberg This is Paul King’s second run for Congress he earned the highest voter percentage ever achieved by a Republican against Meeks As a member of the Community Board 14 and president of a local civic he has demonstrated his ability to work across divides for the common good His platform is “Fighting for Your American Dream.” King is managing partner for a consulting firm that helps clients solve systemic problems His business has helped government agencies eliminate more than $2 billion in waste while simultaneously improving service for citizens The Belle Harbor Yacht Club is at 533 Beach 126th Street from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Rockawades will be performing. People interested in attending can register at https://king2024.us/KingDay Questions about the King campaign can be directed to Margaret Powers at info@king2024.us local Jewish families from the Rockaway area gathered at the Belle Harbor Chai Center (BHCC) to celebrate Chanukah “Chanukah is a time to unite together as a people and spread the light” explained Rabbi Levi Osdoba “The core essence of every Jew is the soul we unite with all of our Jewish family and our differences fade away.” The Chanukah celebration was a family event with crafts for the children It was an honor having New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola join in the celebration The event ended with the annual outdoor lighting of the menorah which then broke into a dance with the Dreidel Mascots and community activities for local Jewish families for over 20 years The organization is spearheaded by Rabbi Levi Osdoba and his wife Lea The Chai Center, located at 140-06 Rockaway Beach Blvd. is open to all. For more information visit belleharborchai.com or email info@belleharborchai.com Located on the waterfront in Seattle, Washington, Bell Harbor International Conference Center (www.bellharbor.com) and its surrounding Bell Street Pier offers 100,000 square feet of conference meeting and special event space featuring 180-degree panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains Puget Sound’s Elliott Bay and the Seattle skyline When planning your event with the Bell Harbor team you may choose from several unique venues including space at Bell Harbor’s neighboring World Trade Center Seattle and Maritime Event Center Bell Harbor’s full-service properties are built with complete state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment Bell Harbor offers fresh and innovative Northwest-inspired cuisine www.bellharbor.com Port of Seattle Conference Facilities Nordby Conference Center See All Related Content Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker There’s a saying that there’s strength in numbers twenty-five women—all widows—converged at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club for their Rockaway WAVES holiday gathering Though all these women shared the loss of a spouse they reflected on something else they had in in common—their zeal to support and share in each other’s new lease on life Rockaway WAVES (which stands for Widows Aspiring Valiance Encouragement & Strength) was co-founded by Belle Harbor residents Tammaro lost her husband of over four decades and after reuniting with her best friend from high school who started a similar widows’ support and friendship group in New Jersey She and I went to dinner one night at Pico and talked for hours This was the first time that I went out with someone who also lost their husband and understood what I was going through we got to talking about starting a group for local widows Francis de Sales Parish Bereavement group but wanted to start something different that was more about companionship with other women who got it the two women hosted Rockaway WAVES first gathering at Harbor Light “We had our first get-together with as many as widows as we could reach I was a little nervous at first because we didn’t know how well it would go I have to say most of the women that were here with us from day one are still here the group continues to host monthly gatherings someone’s house or even at the beach during the summer The women described Rockaway WAVES as a friendship/support group with ladies who share the common denominator of rebuilding after the severe loss of a spouse It’s about friendships with women who are alone like you we all get together and have a good time.” who is also Tammaro’s aunt and lost her husband of 56 years added Another woman in attendance at Wednesday’s gathering remarked “What I tell new widows is when you’re ready It’s less about grieving and more about keeping positive that you’ll be ok and deserve to have fun.” the sentiment expressed by members at the gathering was how impactful the Rockaway Waves has been in each of their lives they do some heavy lifting when it comes to discussing their emotional challenges since the loss of their spouses we throw out challenges by asking questions have you ever been sent a ‘Save The Date’ notice for a wedding but later find out that you weren’t even invited It’s not that friends or family members don’t love you How did you spend the first holiday after losing your spouse versus what you plan to do now?” and went to Florida to visit friends and family because I knew I couldn’t do it alone I started to feel a little bit more normal It doesn’t matter how many people you’re around I’ll get a call or text from one of these women There’s one profound statement that I will be grateful for and never forget We all went out to Staten Island about a couple of weeks ago You all gave me that there’s life after death.’ We’re here and trying the best we can.” Another sentiment expressed by the women at the gathering was resilience “We’re all resilient and coping in different ways I’ve gone through being widowed twice Society doesn’t teach us about grief A lot us are in a fog when we lose our spouse but eventually you get to realize that you are not alone Another way the group supports each other is with networking resources when faced with challenges such as home repairs people our kids went to school with—you can call on anyone in the community there’s always Google,” laughed one of the women The only sober sentiment at the gathering was—every month there’s more people because they’re new widows being created every day the Rockaway WAVES is indeed here for recent and longtime widows as a dynamic group for support and encouragement For more info about Rockaway WAVES, email: rwaves2022@gmail.com CB14 Committees Express Skepticism Over City of Yes Queens (WABC) -- The crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in Belle Harbor stunned and terrified a region still reeling from the horror of 9/11 two months earlier bridges and tunnels were shut down as authorities worked to determine whether the plane was brought down by terrorists It turned out to be an accident but a city still grieving from 9/11 found itself in new emotional anguish The Airbus A300 was headed to the Dominican Republic but crashed after takeoff from Kennedy Airport killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground in second-deadliest aviation accident in U.S NTSB investigators said the plane's rudder system and inadequate pilot training caused the crash steering systems for some planes have been redesigned This is extended coverage from Eyewitness News at 6 from Nov Bill Ritter and Diana Williams are at the anchor desk and reporters in the field include Jim Dolan and Joe Torres You can watch this installment of the Channel 7 Eyewitness News Vault here but if you want to have a better experience Just make sure you add the ABC7NY app to your streaming device (Roku etc.) to check out this and other episodes of "The Vault." A ceremony to honor the victims of the American Airlines Flight 587 crash 20 years ago was held on Friday Kennedy International Airport and headed to the Dominican Republic crashed in Belle Harbor loved ones of the victims lost in the crash and local leaders gathered in Rockaway Park to remember the passengers and crew who died two decades ago in what is the second-deadliest plane crash in U.S and I honor you for that,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio “It's been a labor of love to remember and to support people we have come to know so deeply and with such appreciation.” American Airlines Flight 587 crashed a little after 9 a.m less than five minutes after first taking off which happened when the plane lost its rudder due to a faulty system and insufficient pilot training leading many to speculate that the accident was the result of a terror attack especially those in Belle Harbor – the plan came down on Newport Avenue and Beach 131st Street Many of the passengers on the plan were of Dominican descent and it heavily affected New York City’s Dominican population Gregory Meeks introduced a resolution in Congress on Friday in remembrance of the victims of the crash "The tragic American Airlines Flight 587 plane crash took place just two months after the September 11th terrorist attacks while our community was already grieving," Meeks said "The devastation has been felt every single day since and we will always remember the lives of the 265 victims who lost their lives and this resolution will ensure this I stand with Congressman Espaillat and the loved ones of the victims of Flight 587 and the Belle Harbor Community." Espaillat said the resolution was designed to “ensure that the memories of every single victim and their surviving family members are not forgotten.” the crash is still a visceral wound and closure remains elusive,” Espaillat said “No matter how many anniversaries pass us by we must never forget the magnitude of this loss and the impact it will forever have on the lives of countless families across the country." As the clean-up from the aftermath of 9/11 continued first responders and those in the community were again called upon to help wade through the wreckage of a plane crash it's extraordinary to imagine – it's hard to believe 20 years have passed but we all can feel what it felt like those days just after 9/11 feeling that pain already,” de Blasio said a tragedy felt from the Dominican Republic all the way here to Belle Harbor appreciate all the people who came in that moment to try to help – the first responders the people from the neighborhood who tried to help from that moment on.” you've been there for each other,” he added “You've created a community and out of the pain The memorial in honor of the victims was dedicated in 2006 It’s located on 116th Street and the Rockaway Beach boardwalk Home / Law / Crime / Politics / Communities / Voices / All Stories / Who We Are / Terms and Conditions Belle Harbor resident Paul King was endorsed by the Queens County GOP and New York State Conservative Party in this year’s election for Congress in New York’s CD 5 which covers all of Rockaway and much of southern Queens King also ran for Congress against incumbent Gregory Meeks in 2022 “Paul is an outstanding candidate,” said Jerry Kassar the New York State Conservative Party Chairman We will be proud to have him represent us in Washington.” King is pleased to have the support of the Conservative Party again “The Conservative team was very knowledgeable and helpful to my campaign in 2022 Their focus on being faithful to the Constitution is important in these times – especially with progressives and socialists having such a big voice in New York government.” Meeks won but King earned the largest percentage of votes ever achieved against the Democrat in his 25-year career in Congress The strength of that challenge has inspired other Republican candidates King earned the County’s support ahead of the coming primary “I trust Paul to spend our taxpayer dollars wisely and to represent our community needs.” Primary election day is June 25 with early voting beginning on June 15 King is not disappointed to have a primary challenge for the Republican nomination but I believe the primary will make my campaign and the party stronger My competitors in June will be allies in November.” King is confident he will prevail in a primary due to the inroads he made across CD5 in 2022 and the strength of the Rockaway Republican Club The support of the RRC will make me hard to beat They will be great assets for Tom Sullivan and Mike O’Reilly in November The Rockaway Republican Club rebooted one year ago and quickly grew to more than 200 members Its next meeting is March 6 at the Breezy Point Catholic Club The main theme of King’s campaign is the American Dream His policies promote solutions that will remove the barriers to opportunity These include policies to reduce lawlessness and to protect parents’ rights in education and medical decisions King launched a new website (king2024.us) and new Facebook and Instagram pages for 2024 The website includes a new section –Elephants in the Room– that claims to address the tough questions elected officials often dodge President of the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association and a coach and longtime supporter of Rockaway Little League The following script is from "Belle Harbor" which aired on Nov snow began to fall on the shoulders of people struggling to get back up after Hurricane Sandy many thousands are still out of their homes and thousands more have no power A long stretch of the East Coast looks like it lost a war is the New York City neighborhood of Belle Harbor For information on Hurricane Sandy relief, click here but it has seen much more than its share of tragedy A lot of its residents are cops and firemen Now the storm has swept away a great deal of Belle Harbor but it did not take way the grit of the people who always reach out for one another when many in Belle Harbor thought fate would finally take their town Susan Brady: We were terrified when the fire started Because we watched the houses on the next block go up one after another and the fire department couldn't get here 'cause the water was so high The water was six feet high at Susan Brady's porch when her son shot this video -- the moment the neighborhood was squeezed into a narrow space between drowning and burning Brian Brady: The water was breaking on the back deck it was coming through the basement windows the kitchen window shattered in the height of the storm and we were in a bad place The Bradys are an Irish American family typical for Belle Harbor Jimmy and Brian are New York City firefighters Patrick is applying to join the fire department The night of the storm the Bradys did not evacuate Scott Pelley: I can't imagine anything worse than being 1,000 miles from here and have your wife on the phone telling you that the house is flooded and the fire's coming Dennis Brady: I couldn't wait to get in the car Dennis Brady: I ran to the store and got everything I could "Stuff the car with everything you got in this place and put it in there Dennis Brady: I called American Express and I told them Scott Pelley: How long did it take you to drive here Scott Pelley: And when you got here what did you see generators and supplies than he could use because he knew someone would need them It didn't matter who -- the houses in his neighborhood have been in the same families for three and four generations I don't have a key to my front door and my door is never locked And if it is I couldn't get into it 'cause I don't have a key Scott Pelley: This isn't the place people think of when they think of New York City Belle Harbor is down there below Manhattan in Queens on a strip of sand called the Rockaway Peninsula separates what they call the Rockaways from the island of Manhattan But over the years it settled into what were neat rows of middle class homes The main drag has been knocked out of business But a neighborhood is made of people and here they take care of their own Mike McDonnell sheltered in a house with his neighbors when the tidal surge began filling the street "I'm going to the front of the house to see how much tide is still gonna rise." At that moment there were embers of flames pouring over the house If you shake a snow globe and you see all the white coming down McDonnell wanted to lead everyone through the tide to a house across the street McDonnell found that he didn't have a rope for the rescue Scott Pelley: Extension cords and twine and lamp cords Mike McDonnell: The rope here went from the banister over to the tree here McDonnell showed us how a neighbor on a surfboard tied the other end across the street McDonnell used this lifeline as he carried six people And then the other alternative is to jump into raging water that looked like tsunami waters Mike McDonnell: This whole thing was fueled by nothing more than hope and trust Mike McDonnell: Because I promised them that nothing would happen to them There's something great about this community Rockaway has a great fabric running through it where they don't mind putting their lives on the line decided to make a break for it with their kids using their own rope that Kenny tied loops in Liz: Kenny stood here on the porch and as the children came out he said "You put your wrist in the loop and you hold on." And then they had their swim kickboard and they went like this and one by one they jumped straight off the porch into the water I can't believe this is happening to myself God." And really my fear was losing one of the children Scott Pelley: So jumping into the flood seemed like the best option you had The water was deep enough for one of my children to ask Jim O'Conner could see the fire consuming his neighborhood Jim O'Conner: My wife likened it to the "Titanic" meets "Gone With The Wind" when Atlanta was burning When flames hit this house across the street He jumped in the water to help three women escape They all took refuge with a neighbor until dawn we came over here and we turned our corner not knowing if we had a house not standing the only thing we haven't got now is the locusts and the frogs I think over here Not unlike when the book of Exodus was written Francis gym has filled with coats and food and supplies sent to the Rockaway Peninsula from just about everywhere Francis with fireman Sean Heeran and James Brennan -- childhood friends who'd seen their town survive before and didn't imagine losing it to the sea they love and my sister-in-law with four young children And it was by far the scariest night of my life if I did have to get them all outta the house I think my brother was watching down on me Scott Pelley: Your brother was watching down on you And among those grieving was Charlie Heeran's best friend an American Airlines jet got into trouble leaving Kennedy airport and nosed straight in to Belle Harbor Two hundred and sixty were killed on the plane Scott Pelley: The plane crash in 2001 happened just beyond that yellow house there on the very next block And so -- here it is -- in the same neighborhood that more than a dozen houses burned down during Hurricane Sandy And three people were killed here in Belle Harbor One woman bled to death when she was cut by flying glass and two men drowned in their basements Those deaths would have been mourned here at the Harbor Light Pub owned by a man who lost a son and now a business -- Sean Heeran's dad Scott Pelley: Your dad's restaurant the Harbor Light is really the center of this community it seems for most people It became a place where everybody could go James Brennan: I'm in the restaurant business now and my first job was as an 11-year-old bus boy at the Harbor Light which I got fired from and then I got rehired as a dishwasher The homes they knew were ruined by the sea The houses of Belle Harbor are turned inside out When the military hits the beach you know there's a lot of work to do these are signs that its time to go -- at least for a while We met five moms and 15 kids going to San Diego for the next few weeks...so the kids can get in school and dads He turned his busboy experience into a chain of restaurants in California And now he's raising money to get debris cleaned out and get electricity and heat back in they're helping out on the main drag to get the businesses open And the rest of the time they're tearing out what was lost in their own home Scott Pelley: Do you think of yourselves as victims of the hurricane Scott Pelley: You said you're the lucky ones Scott Pelley: I think most people walking around this neighborhood wouldn't think of you as being too lucky Patrick Brady: If you walk around the block you'd say so There's houses completely burned to the ground And our house is still standing all we do is gut our basement It brought countless other families together People have flown in from all over the world from all over the country that are from here that have families here to help its brought everybody back and grounded again The people of Belle Harbor reminded us of what Churchill said keep going." With every setback that is what they've done not pausing for help or waiting for instructions They have seen the likes of this before and they know the promise that lies beyond it For information on how to help the families of Belle Harbor as well as others affected by Hurricane Sandy, please go to 60Minutes.com An anti-Semitic vandal drew hate messages in the sand at Belle Harbor just two days after after vandals defaced a private Breezy Point beach club with disturbing messages Click on the image to view the uncensored version Two separate instances of anti-Semitic and white nationalist vandalism marred Labor Day Weekend along the Rockaway Peninsula and prompted forceful denunciations from local leaders and Jewish community groups The hate messages, scrawled on walls in Breezy Point and a beach in Belle Harbor, were just the latest examples of racist graffiti in Queens, where hate crimes are on the rise, according to city statistics and reporting by the Anti-Defamation League.  “It is time for the rampant and often violent acts of anti-Semitism to stop,” the Queens Brandeis Association said in a statement to the Eagle “The Brandeis Association calls upon the leaders of all communities to speak up against this form of bigotry and hatred and to make it known that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated.” Vandals scrawled “gas chamber,” anti-Semitic messages and other racial slurs on the walls and playground at the Silver Gull forced the Silver Gull to close its playground.  beachgoers in nearby Belle Harbor encountered more anti-Semitic messages dug into the sand The messages included specific white nationalist slogans including “white pride” and “14/88.”  The anti-Semitic vandal at Belle Harbor wrote “14/88” in the sand The number is popular shorthand for White Nationalists honoring Hitler and the 14-word statement of white power ideology The numbers are a common trope among white nationalists. The “14” represents the 14-word white supremacist slogan “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” according to the Anti-Defamation League While the “88” represents “HH” — H is the eighth letter of the alphabet — and stands for “Heil Hitler,” the ADL explains “I was horrified and disgusted to learn of not only one, but two incidents in our community this weekend where Nazi imagery and anti-Semitic graffiti were discovered,” local Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato wrote on Facebook “The fact that these images were discovered means that there is a systematic attempt to intimidate this community.” Pheffer Amato called on community members to “demonstrate that our love and commitment to our community is stronger than their attempt [to]  instill fear and intimidation We must stand up together against this bigotry and intolerance.” The NYPD sent additional officers to patrol the area Andrew Cuomo directed the state police’s Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate the racist graffiti.  “I am disgusted by the anti-Semitic symbols and racist graffiti found at the Silver Gull's playground,” Cuomo said in a statement Despite an overall decrease in crime, an NYPD report from May 2019 showed an 82 percent increase in anti-Semitic crimes in the first quarter of 2019 and a 67 percent increase in total hate crimes. Hate crimes increased in the city by 64 percent between June of this year and June 2018 with anti-Semitic hate crimes accounting for 60 percent of all report hate crimes according to data from the NYPD cited by the Mayor’s Office in a June report on the city’s new Office of Hate Crime Prevention.  Local Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato condemned the messages in her district Last month, bigots left several anti-Semitic fliers at a Ridgewood subway station. Earlier this year, a group attacked a Bukharian Jewish boy in Forest Hills The Brandeis Association continues to fight back against white supremacy by educating community members and partnering with other associations for events highlighting the rise of hatred and its echoes from the past “After the election in 2016 and then the [white supremacist rally] in Charlottesville last year we began to take more notice of anti-semitism,” Neda Melamed co-chair of the Brandeis Association’s Committee on Anti-Semitism and a past association president lawyers and members of the legal community we felt it was our responsibility to continue this education.” Correction: A previous version of this article identified the second site of the anti-Semitic graffiti as Broad Channel and not Belle Harbor By: Nikolai Fedak 6:00 am on September 19 New building applications have been filed for a substantial addition to Temple Beth Elementary School, at 445 Beach 135th Street in Belle Harbor, Queens There will be 27,606 square feet of space spread over three floors and the permits indicate that this will hold 11 classrooms and support spaces Andrew Berger of Di Domenico + Partners LLP is the architect of record and the New York City School Construction Authority is listed as the developer Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Aloha!..YIMBY..good in reasons that I could not anti-everything ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Standard_336x280-100-2.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'PCRichards Builders Division', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PCR_Beko_Compact_YIMB_336x280.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'yimby+', 'Impression', 'https://newyorkyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/image.png', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram var sb_instagram_js_options = {"font_method":"svg","placeholder":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/instagram-feed\/img\/placeholder.png","resized_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sb-instagram-feed-images\/","ajax_url":"https:\/\/newyorkyimby.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php"}; © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY® LLC YIMBY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF NIKOLAI FEDAK / NEW YORK YIMBY LLC