Our fondest summer memories

Former, current East Rockaway and Lynbrook residents reminisce about sun, sand, surf and sandwiches!

Posted

Swimming races in the Bay Park canal


I learned sportsmanship at the Bay Park Beach and Grand Canal swimming races ... sometimes you win, sometimes you lose!
Thank you to all the fine men and woman that helped at the Annual Swimming Races Events. It was always a day of excitement. My trophies might be in the box, from when I moved from East Rockaway in 1975, but I believe I still have them. Some of the swimming races pictures even showed up at class reunions.

Roberta Cuite DeRose
Farmingville, NY
Formerly of East Rockaway

Christine Upton and family in the summer of 1978.

    I miss Jones Beach. When I was a child we drove to Jones Beach in our crowded station wagon, and when we would start to get impatient — because it took too long to get there — my mother would say, “keep your eyes on the tower (we called it the pointy head) and we will be there soon.” I have fond memories of Jones Beach that will stay with me forever.
I’m still on the east coast because I need to be near the ocean. Jones Beach has spoiled me because there is nowhere as beautiful. I remember taking pictures of the sunrise and sunset depending on the season.
    On one of our many trips to as a child, I remember my brother getting lost and how the lifeguards helped us find him. He was sitting on a blanket with a women who had found him — and she was feeding him ice cream. Give my brother food and he would sit still forever!

Christine Upton-Ewald
Sebastian, Florida
Formerly of Lynbrook

Genie (writer), Melanie, Cathy and Paula at Long Beach.

    I remember going clamming with my dad down in Bay Park and stuffing ourselves; spending every summer day at Long Beach with my mom, brother and sister, Aunt Jo, Cathy and Paula, and weekends our dads would join us. Sandwiches and drinks packed in the Scotch cooler, we were at the beach very early in the day, and always in the same spot, waiting for an hour after eating lunch before going back in the water — I’m still not sure why. Voting for Miss Reingold at the concession stand, and the Fireman’s Parade and block party at Memorial Park.

Tom Drinane Norwich, Vermont

I remember drinking orange soda (with paper straw) and my mother’s wax paper ham sandwiches at what we called “the little beach” — Bay Park, East Rockaway.

Alex Arroyave with his wife, Stephanie, left, and sister Damaris Arroyave.

    Going to get a tan at Long Beach — there I left for Korea back in 2009, I haven’t been in Lynbrook for the summer. The thing I miss most about summer time in Lynbrook is going to the car shows in town and going to Long Beach to get my tan on. There arent any beaches in Kansas and I know there definitely wont be any beaches in Afghanistan. Hopefully I get a chance to go to Long Beach when I go home on leave before my deployment.

Alex Arroyave
U.S. Army,
Fort Riley, Kansas
Formely of Lynbrook