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“We Are Open For Business”

Local businesses say they are ready for the summer rush

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Thomas Quinn (right), one of the owners of Fat Cardinal Provisions and Sydney Miller want folks to know that they and the other businesses in and around Rockaway Beach are open and ready to serve. Photo by Mark C. Healey

“We need to spread the message that Rockaway Beach is open for business,” said Mara Valentino, who owns Uncle Louie G’s on Rockaway Beach Boulevard with her husband Michael. “The media keeps telling people ‘the beach is closed, the beach is closed,’ and it’s not the message we need to send!”

Valentino is a member of the Rockaway Business Alliance (RBA), an organization once formally known as the Beach 116th Street Partnership. RBA is the latest effort of the local business community to organize and assist all of the peninsula’s businesses.

The energetic group’s biggest challenge to date is how to deal with the NYC Parks’ decision to close the beaches from Beach 91st Street to Beach 102nd Street just before the start of summer rush (Memorial Day). The impact of that decision has been already been felt, but many say the mainstream media’s mangled attempt to report it is making things worse.

“It sucks the way they are portraying it,” said Thomas Quinn, one of the owners of Fat Cardinal Provisions, another RBA member which recently opened on Beach 92nd Street. “Rockaway Beach isn’t closed, just a little section of beach is. Everything is in walking distance. Is it unfortunate? Yes. Can we live with it? Sure.”

Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, was furious with the decision and renewed her efforts to get rid of the $4.25 toll on the Cross Bay Bridge, which she felt would draw business to the peninsula.

“With part of the beach closed, our local businesses, and ultimately our economy, will take a huge hit this summer,” said Amato. “Our business owners need as much help as the state can provide, and I am appealing to the MTA to step up and provide relief after this devastating setback.”

She is joined in this effort by Thomas J. Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

“[We] have advocated eliminating fully the toll on the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge. Now is exactly the right time,” said Grech. “So much of the livelihood of the merchants and small businesses in this area of the Rockaways will be negatively impacted; it’s the least that government can do”

Well, just as The Wave was going to press, Amato called us from Albany with the news that her bill to prohibit the imposition and collection of a fare, toll, rental, rate, charge or other fee on the CBB had been passed in the State Assembly.

“I look forward to a speedy passage in the [State] Senate and signature by Governor Cuomo.”

The bill is currently sponsored in the Senate by Senator Joseph P. Addabbo and has been sent to the Senate to be voted on.

Robert Walsh, who served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) from January 2002 to December 2013 says more needs to be done.

Walsh has been trying to assist the RBA even though he’s no longer in office.

When he’s not offering his expert advice on 1010 WINS, he teaches at Baruch College.

“One of my students is from Rockaway, and when I mentioned that I had been doing some workshops there, he said, ‘it’s a shame the beaches are closed,” said Walsh. “We have got to change that perception. The city owes that to Rockaway!”

Walsh, who has been advocating for RBA even after leaving office, says the city should provide more financial support and resources to RBA so they can do even more creative work in rallying the merchants.

“The Mayor’s Fund and NYC & Company should launch a summer-long marketing campaign that features the local businesses and raises awareness that the Rockaways are open for business,” said Walsh, who will be repeating the same message on his 1010 WINS segments on Friday, June 15. “Use print publications, phone kiosks, bus shelters, the ferry system, subways – and of course radio – to get the word out.”

Walsh isn’t being paid for any kind of consulting work for RBA; he just cares about the Rockaway community.

“When [Superstorm] Sandy happened, I couldn’t believe how that group of people responded,” said Walsh. “I fell in love with those folks and have been rooting for them ever since.”

Walsh and other advocates have expressed the opinion that one way the city can help is by allowing RBA to get the Rockaway ConneX beacon project on the boardwalk.

Rockaway ConneX is a technology-based and innovative way to passively communicate to smartphone users, information about local businesses, events and other information at more than 100 locations.

RBA has told The Wave – which is also an RBA member — that the project is fully funded and would be easy to install throughout the boardwalk, but is being held up because of Parks’ regulations about signage and commercial messaging.

“We feel this is a perfect opportunity for Parks to aid the local business community,” said a spokesperson for RBA.

 

 

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