SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

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State Senator Marty Golden will be hosting his Annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children and families of his district, March 23 at 12:00 p.m. in Marine Park, Fillmore Avenue and Madison Place. The Easter Egg Hunt events include games, music, and activities for the whole family, as well as prizes for the children.

“I encourage all children and families to join in this fun event. The challenge is on to find the eggs hidden in the parks for a chance to win prizes. These special events in our parks are what makes our community a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Golden stated.

Golden, who sponsors the event every year, will be hosting another Easter Egg Hunt next week in the Bay Ridge section of his district.

To learn more, call Golden’s District Office at (718) 238-6044.

It’s with a heavy heart and empty stomach that we’re forced to announce that Grillin’ On The Bay and the Brooklyn Chili Smackdown have been canceled for 2013.

The event, New York City’s only sanctioned barbecue contest, is another unfortunate victim of the ravages of Hurricane Sandy. While we worked hard – specifically, event organizer and Sheepshead Bites business manager Robert Fernandez worked hard – to get the event off the ground with a much shorter planning period than usual, a number of last minute challenges could not be overcome.

Initially, we were very optimistic, and Robert even began planning a number of extra features for the public to enjoy at the event. But the core – the grilling competition itself – confronted unexpected hurdles.

Many teams who have participated in the past were badly affected by the storm and unable to compete this year. In previous years we’ve seen approximately 20 teams coming from as far as Maine and Ohio – but many of these teams lived in areas swallowed up by the waters, winds and ferocity of Hurricane Sandy. We were able to secure less than half of the usual suspects – not enough to justify moving forward.

Furthermore, businesses in the area that supported us in past years are financially unable to do so as they struggle to rebuild. My thoughts and prayers are with them, the teams and our neighbors as we all try to get back to the new normal.

Without the teams, the event was a nonstarter, and the problem was compounded when our host informed us earlier this week of a paperwork problem that stood in the way of obtaining a necessary permit.

We do plan on bringing Grillin’ On The Bay and the Brooklyn Chili Smackdown back next year. We also plan on launching some exciting new features to the event that we had hoped to see this year – including a VIP tasting event and bourbon pairing, cooking demonstrations and more.

Our thanks go to all those in the neighborhood who showed support this year and in previous years, those of you who gave us tremendous feedback and spread the word to friends.

Our thanks also go to Bill Fletcher and Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue for offering to sponsor the event, and for going above and beyond to make the contest happen. Fletcher and his head chef Matt Fisher are producing the best barbecue in New York right now. Please be sure to visit the new restaurant at 433 Third Avenue in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn. It’s worth a trip from anywhere.

Thanks also to the Brooklyn Brewery for their sponsorship of beer, both for the team and the public; and to Breuckelen Distilling for the sponsorship of whiskeys for the event.

Thanks to Michelle, Sandy, Terry, Andy and all the folks at the New England Barbecue Society for all their work supporting Grillin’ On The Bay.

We’ll see you there in 2014, and if there’s anything you’d like to see happen at next year’s contest, please let us know!

In 2009, some riders dressed up to ride the nostalgia train. Hubba-hubba. (Photo by Allan Rosen)

THE COMMUTE: It’s time to take a break from cleaning Superstorm Sandy’s remains out of your basement. It’s time to forget your problems and take a brief, cheap vacation into the times of yesteryear by riding the Nostalgia Train.

Yes, the MTA has brought back this popular feature of the holiday season every Sunday from Thanksgiving to Christmas. You can board at the Second Avenue Station in Manhattan, where the train has a 20-minute layover making it easy to conveniently walk between cars to see the different cars in operation, and read and photograph all the old time advertisements.

You can also board at Queens Plaza or any station in between on the M line, where it operates. The train, however, does not linger at Queens Plaza. You have to get off and go to the Manhattan-bound platform for the trip back unless you are on the final trip of the day. In that case, you would have to take the E or the R back to Manhattan and transfer to a Brooklyn-bound train there.

In past years, there have been jazz bands and riders dressed in period costumes. This is a great family event and a fun time is had by all, those who remember riding these trains with the wicker seats and incandescent light bulbs and those for whom this is a new experience. Whatever you do, do not wait until the last minute. Since these trains only operate once a year and are maintained by volunteers, they are not in the best operating condition and can break down with some trips being canceled. So allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy this yearly event for the price of a subway fare. Next year it will cost more, and if you want to ride these old trains during other times of the year on other routes, other than from Grand Central to Yankee Stadium, you can expect to pay at least $40 per person for trips arranged by the New York Transit Museum.

So take advantage of this bargain while you can. You will find everyone in a festive holiday mood speaking to each other, unlike your typical morning commute. Here is the schedule and more details about the train.

The Commute is a weekly feature highlighting news and information about the city’s mass transit system and transportation infrastructure. It is written by Allan Rosen, a Manhattan Beach resident and former Director of MTA/NYC Transit Bus Planning (1981).

Disclaimer: The above is an opinion column and may not represent the thoughts or position of Sheepshead Bites. Based upon their expertise in their respective fields, our columnists are responsible for fact-checking their own work, and their submissions are edited only for length, grammar and clarity. If you would like to submit an opinion piece or become a regularly featured contributor, please e-mail nberke [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com.

Source: richiebits/Flickr

Our friends over at the South Marine Park branch of TD Bank (2944 Gravesend Neck Road, near Nostrand Avenue and Avenue U) informed us of a fun family event local branches are organizing tomorrow: free pumpkin painting for Halloween.

“Paint a pumpkin and take it with you!” the flier claims. The event – and the pumpkins – are free of charge.

Head to the Gravesend Neck Road branch – or one of the other branches listed below – tomorrow, October 26, between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to join the party. This is a rain or shine event.

The local TD Bank branches participating are:

• South Marine Park - 2944 Gravesend Neck Road
• Avenue U – 1602 Avenue U
• Kings Highway – 1122-1126 Kings Highway
• Midwood – 1104 Avenue J

If you’ve been on Gravesend Neck Road near East 14th Street in the past month, you may have noticed that the area is looking a lot more colorful thanks to some love from locals.

Several over-sized flower pots sporting shrubs and flowers debuted on the road in mid-June after neighbors on East 14th Street had enough of the area’s gritty appearance.

Julia Chernova and other residents of the block applied for and received a $1,000 from Citizen’s Committee for New York City’s Love Your Block grant, a city program to empower neighborhoods at the grassroots level to take things into their own hands.

With money in hand, they bought the planters,  flowers, and soil, as well as tree guards for their block on East 14th Street, between Avenue X and Gravesend Neck Road, Chernova told Sheepshead Bites.

This is the same group of residents who, along with the block’s civic-minded kids, worked hard to clean up their street, turning unused tree wells into mini gardens in April 2011. It wasn’t long before some heartless passerby damaged their hand-painted “Don’t Litter” signs, but that was fixed up right quick, and the kids were honored by local pols for their efforts.

This, folks, is how you take care of your community!

Is that the UA parking deck behind Batman?

Looks like the rebooted Batman series Dark Knight is trying to reclaim the coveted mantle of “Biggest All-Time Opening Weekend at the Box Office,” and it’s getting a little help from Regal Entertainment, operator of the United Artists Sheepshead Bay Stadium 14 (3907 Shore Parkway).

Regal announced yesterday that their theaters will feature 72-hours of continuous screenings of The Dark Knight Rises, the last in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy opening this Friday, July 20.

Before making the announcement, Regal had already sold out tickets in more than 100 theaters nationwide.

But that’s not all. Regal is also doing a marathon showing of the entire Batman trilogy, letting moviegoers what all three Nolan flicks for $25 on Thursday, July 19.

So who’s beating the heat at the movies this weekend?

As you flip through the photos in this article, you’ll need to remind yourself: yes, this is still New York City.

It’s an easy fact to forget on the waters of Jamaica Bay and, just outside the Rockaway inlet, the Atlantic Ocean. Homes seem few and far between. Greenery is lush. And, oh, the quiet is so… quiet.

But on a clear, sunny day like June 24, the day of the 26th Annual Blessing of the Fleet, the Freedom Tower and Manhattan skyline loom in the background, an impressive reminder of place.

The Blessing of the Fleet is an annual tradition in which all of Sheepshead Bay’s yacht and boating club members converge in the open waters, sail through the Bay, and past the Emmons Avenue yacht clubs. There, leaders of various faiths dole out wishes of good fortune and safety to more than 100 participating vessels.

Find out more about the event, and view our photos!

Enjoy the warm July evening weather sitting outdoors on the beach, watching a film on a large screen, as “Flicks on the Beach” returns to Coney Island beginning today.

“Flicks on the Beach,” is presented by New York City & Co. and Rooftop Films. Thanks to New York City & Co. and the Coney Island Development Corporation, the films can be viewed free of charge.

Can it get any better than that?

Screenings will take place in Coney Island on Monday nights, from July 2 through August 6. Selected films will be shown on a gigantic 40-foot screen on the Coney Island beach at West 10th Street, right near Coney Island’s boardwalk and amusement park. Film screenings are set to commence at dusk (8:30 p.m.). Many of the screenings are preceded by music and dancing, kicking off at 7:00 p.m.

A special screening will also take place on Saturday, July 14. For those who are busy during the week, save this date and enjoy the weekend with friends, family and an evening outdoor free movie.

Here’s the full rundown of the seven-film lineup:

• July 2: Ghostbusters (1984)
• July 9: Edge of the City: Underground NY Shorts by the Sea
• July 14: Bound for Glory (1976)
• July 16: Manhattan (1979)
• July 23: The Muppets (2011)
• July 30: Girl Walk (2011)
• August 6: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

Additional details of the film screenings can be viewed here.

In addition to these Coney Island events, New York City & Co. and Rooftop Films will present special outdoor events in all five boroughs of New York. To obtain the full listing of these events, visit nycgo.com/rooftopfilms.

Photo by Lynn Aliston

If you’re looking for a fun and affordable way to kick up your heels this summer, look no further than Kingsborough Community College. On Stage at Kingsborough once again brings you its free 2012 “Hot Summer Nights” concert series, taking place every Saturday night in July. The concerts, which start at 7:00 p.m. (no reservations are necessary), are held at Kingsborough’s outdoor bandshell, in the shadow of the lighthouse, and steps from the sea wall.

According to Anna Becker, executive director of On Stage at Kingsborough, “This year, our concerts will take us on a patriotic and swinging journey across America, with a stopover on Broadway, and a final destination at a hot Parisian night club. The only thing you’ll need to pack is your dancing shoes.” Becker invites everyone to “bring a picnic and make a wonderful summer evening of it.”

See Hot Summer Nights 2012′s full schedule.

Photo: addicted Eyes/Flickr

Jet ski riders of Jamaica Bay will have to find another place to enjoy the summer weather, zooming and splashing around on their jets.

Well, its either that or the risk of getting caught and fined for performing an illegal action.

Park officials around the Bay are cracking down on the decade-old ban on jet skiing in Jamaica Bay to protect the wildlife in the area, National Parks officials said.

The ban was officially put into place in 2001, yet it has not been enforced over the past decade. Currently however, those caught zipping down the stream are given a warning, or a ticket as high as $75, according the Daily News. These penalties have been in effect since the beginning of the summer season.

The ban has left several Jamaica Bay jet ski riders frustrated and agitated, and operators of jet ski rental companies complain that it’s hurting business.

“We get harassed constantly by (the US Parks Police),” Anthony Stallone, operator of the jet ski rental service at Emmons Avenue’s Venice Marina, told the Daily News.

Stallone, 41, said that he was out on a jet ski with friends, enjoying the sunny weather of early June, when they were bombarded and fined by a hoard of federal officials. Stallone felt as though this was a trap. He said that the officials were waiting for them as soon as they exited the Bay.

Upset or not, unfair or not, riders must decide whether or not they are willing to stand up to the ban and risk being fined, or whether they should just give in, and find another waterway in which jet ski riding is legal.