Barbara Moran found the Cold War nuclear bomb incident in Spain interesting and decided to do more research on the subject. She never thought she had to go through so much hassle to get her information. The information was classified, Moran said, so she had to get it declassified by the government. "It took a long time," Moran remarked. More...

A crowd of more than 500 ticket-holders jammed St. Francis de Sales Church on April 29 to hear Immaculee Illibagiza, author of the bestseller, "Left To Tell," which documents her horrifying experiences while escaping from the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Illibagiza survived because she and seven other women were safely hidden in a 3' by 4' bathroom for 91 days by a Protestant minister. Although the author's entire family was murdered, she delivered a passionate message of peace, faith and forgiveness, which resonated with the audience. She was given a rousing standing ovation at the conclusion of her remarks and attendees then lined up around the perimeter of the school gymnasium to purchase her book. Illibagiza then autographed copies of her work for the audience for over an hour. Genie Smilowitz (left), of Belle Harbor, was one of the first in line for the author's autograph. Another member of the audience was the lucky recipient of a rosary from Illibagiza. The event was organized by a committee headed by Kathy McGowan, and the author was welcomed to St. Francis de Sales parish by Msgr. John Brown. Photos by Vivian Rattay Carter. More...

Channel View School for Research Chorus was chosen to perform at a luncheon, sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, at the Waldorf Astoria on Thursday, April 23 at 12:15 p.m., honoring the legendary Placido Domingo. The event celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Domingo's Metropolitan Opera debut. More...

If you're reading this on newspaper paper as opposed to online, you may be able to relate to the dramatic subplot in the political thriller, "State of Play:" The death of hard copy news and the rise of the internet blog. Old time reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) of the Washington Globe is hot on a case involving the mysterious demise of a congressman's mistress. More...

The Crossbay Diner, located at 160-31 Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach, just minutes from Rockaway's west end, wishes all the moms a happy Mother's Day and urges them to join the staff of the diner for a memorable occasion. More...

Another portion of the Rockaway Freeway closed for good on Thursday, April 30. The Freeway will be closed from Beach 73 Street east to Beach 67 Street. More...

St. John's Episcopal Hospital has appointed Michael J. Piro as the new Chief Information Officer, responsible for all functions of information technology at St. John's and the entire Episcopal Health Services. Piro will oversee the Hospital's information technology transition from various systems to one seamless Meditech system. More...

The last two weeks for Far Rockaway/FDA VI girls' tennis coach Richard Chimienti has been a hectic, but welcome rollercoaster ride. On April 27, a 4-1 loss against Richmond Hill placed the Lady Seahorses in a tenuous position. More...

Last year, Rockaway residents racked up more than 8,000 parking tickets, a number that seems excessive when matched to much larger and economically active communities that received roughly the same number. More...

Dear Editor, I live on Beach 128 Street between Rockaway Beach Boulevard and the beach. Our street was repaved not more than two years ago. I realize that many streets in the neighborhood need repaving, but our block is NOT one of them. They just finished painting the Stop sign and school crossing signs from the last paving. More...

Maxine Elizabeth Armstead, 45, a longtime Rockaway resident, died April 26. Armstead was born on December 23, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York and worked as a community assistant at Ocean Bay Community Center. Armstead is preceded in death by her grandmother, Phoebe Armstead and brother, Gregory Freeman. More...