Rockaway Times

09/14/2026

On Thursday evening, the community came out for an impromptu prayer service at the new Shells of Remembrance tribute for the 25th anniversary of 9/11. A crowd gathered at Beach 105th Street for the ceremony which featured Betting Hornung singing the National Anthem, a prayer led by Deacon Mike Pearce of St. Camillus and Barbara Buffolino, who helped organize the ceremony and thanked all of those involved in creating the tribute, including Suzanne Campbell O’Rahilly and her many volunteers.

Photos by Mike Kahlau, Dan Guarino and Katie McFadden.

09/14/2026

The Sacred Art of Remembering 9/11

Part of never forgetting 9/11 is having permanent reminders and places to seek solace. Not long after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Rockaway, Breezy Point and Roxbury started thinking of ways to honor the locals who died that day. Today, all three communities have their own memorials, carefully designed and constructed with the fallen in mind, by stained glass artist Patrick Clark.

Within weeks of 9/11, Rockaway was discussing a memorial for the dozens of people who died in the terrorist attack. Community Board 14 and the Rockaway Chamber of Commerce, led by Liz Sulik, spearheaded the effort. By September 2002, a bayside location on Beach 116th St. originally meant to be an artist park, was given the green light for development. The space would become Tribute Park, Rockaway’s permanent memorial to those who died on 9/11. A contest was then held for the community to decide what would be included in the park. Patrick Clark’s piece stood out— “Heavens Over Rockaway.” Clark, known for his work through his Sunlite Stained Glass Studio, would also be commissioned by the Breezy Point Cooperative to create the Breezy Point and Roxbury memorials.

In early 2003, the Chamber of Commerce selected Tribute Park’s winning design which featured a French stained-glass style dome with 57 stars bearing the names of the known deceased from the peninsula. Held up by columns, the dome would tower above a Tiffany-style mosaic on the floor known as “Navigator Star,” which would point right where the World Trade Center had stood, with a message saying We will never forget our loved ones who died in the World Trade Center and our heroes who sought to save them September 11, 2001. Rockaway will always remember.”

It was later decided that the dome and mosaic would be separate pieces, to prevent people from walking on the mosaic. The delicate 47,000-piece glass mosaic would instead be placed on an elevated base and serve as the centerpiece of Tribute Park. Clark would also have a hand in the park’s third piece, Fireman’s Rock, donated by the Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. For that piece, he enlisted sculptor Isabella Slobodov to carve the firefighter helmet on top. It would become a job Clark had to finish. “We got started on it and later found out she had terminal cancer. She didn’t quite finish it. That was her last great work. She did a beautiful job,” Clark said.

For Clark, having a hand in Tribute Park, as well as the Breezy Point and Roxbury memorials, was deeply meaningful. On September 11, 2001, while working to raise his home on Norton Dr. in Bayswater, he and his crew watched as smoke emerged from the North Tower, and a plane slammed into the South Tower. “It was just…. disbelief. This was obviously terrorism,” Clark said. As they watched the towers fall, coating Lower Manhattan in a cloud of dust, Clark had his landlord in mind, Eric Allen, who worked for FDNY’s Rescue Squad 18. “I thought, I hope Eric isn’t working. But he was. From that point it was a matter of trying to find out if Eric was OK,” Clark said. Within a few days, with no word from Eric, the answer became clear. Eric Allen had perished on 9/11.
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Part of never forgetting 9/11 is having permanent reminders and places to seek solace. Not long after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Rockaway, Breezy Point and Roxbury started thinking of ways to honor the locals who died that day. Today, all three communities have thei...

09/12/2026

The Broad Channel Volunteers Were There

“Where were you when the Towers came down?”

Two members of the Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department (BCVFD) can answer directly. They were there.

Twenty-five years later Broad Channel’s Chris “Bubba” Kalisak and Ed Wilmarth III remember September 11, 2001. The day they raced out of the firehouse on Noel Road, and barely made it back.

“I was at home when the call came in,” Wilmarth recalled. “I was doing the overnight at the firehouse,” Kalisak said, “with Freddie Grey. We got the call from FDNY, ‘Some sort of aircraft hit the World Trade Center.’”
Kalisak joined the Broad Channel “Vollies” in 1999, and served as a Firefighter, EMT and Safety Officer. In 1993, Wilmarth joined their Junior Department, becoming a senior member in 1998. He is currently a deputy chief in charge of fire operations, and has served as a BCVFD chief.

He remembers around 9:50 a.m. “FDNY EMS had called the BCVFD requesting Mutual Aid for us to send an ambulance to the World Trade Center for a plane crash. FF/EMT Chris Kalisak and FF/Ambulance Driver Fred Grey were at the firehouse when the call came in. Myself and Safety Officer Bob Nussberger responded…when they sent out the call over the department dispatch frequency.”

Though the Vollies were responding as an EMS unit, as also trained firefighters, Kalisak remembers them saying, “Make sure we grab all our gear. We don’t know what we’re going to. Back then, bunker gear—multi-layer protective coats, pants and other clothing protecting firefighters from burns, abrasions, and other hazards—was not worn by EMS.

Speeding from their island community, “We could see across the water. We could see the smoke,” Kalisak recalled.

NYPD had cleared highway lanes for emergency vehicles to get right through. Once on the Gowanus Expressway, Wilmarth says, “we had a much better visual of the World Trade Center. It was then we saw that both towers were on fire. We were completely unaware that a second plane had hit the other tower.
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Twenty-five years later Broad Channel’s Chris “Bubba” Kalisak and Ed Wilmarth III remember September 11, 2001. The day they raced out of the firehouse on Noel Road, and barely made it back.

09/12/2026

What’s the buzz on this beautiful Saturday? NYC Honey Fest is on Beach 106th Street until 6 p.m. Come stock up on your local honeys! Including RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity) Rockaway Honeyworks!

09/12/2026

Rockaway Bow Foundation Lights the Way to Never Forget

Losses never fade, and in Rockaway, neither does the promise to never forget. This September, the Rockaway Bow Foundation is turning that promise into light, helping residents across Rockaway, Breezy Point and Broad Channel illuminate their windows in remembrance of those lost on 9/11, and as a symbol of a community that, even after its darkest days, continues to shine.
From homes to apartments to firehouses and police precincts, on September 11 and throughout the month, candles provided by the Rockaway Bow Foundation will illuminate the night.

The Rockaway Bow Foundation, started by Belle Harbor residents Christie Rasmussen and Diane Perrotta, began as a way for the community to show support following the line-of-duty deaths of beloved local firefighters Timmy Klein and Pat Brady. Those losses hit close to home. “My husband is a fireman, and it just makes you think, this could have been me, or any one of us, dealing with this tragedy,” Rasmussen said.

Leading up to those funerals in April 2022 and November 2025, Rasmussen turned to her neighbor, Perrotta, to come up with a way for the community to show solidarity with the families and for fellow firefighters who lost their brothers. They decided filling the procession route with firefighter red bows on trees and poles would be a simple, yet meaningful way to do that.

As Perrotta’s family owns Shannon Florist, they were able to provide the materials, and the women got to work. “We had a very tight window because the funerals were here in Rockaway and we wanted to make sure that the route for the procession was completely bowed up,” Rasmussen said. “Timmy Klein’s firehouse came to my house, and we worked with them, and with Pat Brady, there was even more fire department involvement because we knew what we were dealing with and we needed all hands on deck.”

From the effort, the Rockaway Bow Foundation was formed. In addition to bows to line the streets, the ladies provided a way for the community to order materials to put bows on their homes, street signs and trees in support of the Klein and Brady families. In true Rockaway fashion, the community came out strong for the effort. “The community got so, so involved, that we were driving to multiple states to acquire these bows. We could not get them fast enough,” Perrotta said.
Click link to read more:

Losses never fade, and in Rockaway, neither does the promise to never forget. This September, the Rockaway Bow Foundation is turning that promise into light, helping residents across Rockaway, Breezy Point and Broad Channel illuminate their windows in remembrance of those lost on 9/11, and as a symb...

09/12/2026

NYC Parks announced they postponed the first annual Wiffle Ball Tournament until September 20 due to rain in the forecast.

09/11/2026

A reunion 25 years in the making. On September 11, 2001, as smoke and debris filled the basement offices of the North Tower, trapping office workers behind a jammed door, Rockaway resident Ed McCabe, a maintenance worker at the time, was able to free them. He went back three times, making sure the office was clear. Twenty-five years later, one such employee he helped save, got to thank the man that helped her. In a complete surprise to Ed, he finally got to meet Biance Figueroa-Greco in between sets while playing with W**e With Sue at the Beach 97th concession.

09/11/2026

‘We’re the Lucky Ones’: 9/11 Survivor Reunites With Local Rescuer 25 Years Later

There are many stories about 9/11 that tell of tragedy, terror and loss. But there are also many more stories of survival.

It’s been 25 years since 2,753 people were killed when the World Trade Center came crashing down on that awful day, but another roughly 18,000 people escaped—many with the help of first responders, coworkers and everyday civilians who, amid unimaginable chaos, displayed extraordinary bravery simply by doing what they could to help.

Twenty-five years later, some people involved in life-changing moments that day, are getting the chance to say, “thank you.” On Saturday, September 5, that was the case for Rockaway resident Ed McCabe and Bianca Figueroa-Greco of the Bronx. “We were lucky enough to walk away that day, but so many weren’t.” Figueroa-Greco said. McCabe added, “We’re the lucky ones.”

As McCabe, a Howard Beach native and a longtime bassist for Walker and the Brotherhood of the Grape, was filling in on bass for W**e With Sue at their Beach 97th concessions performance on Saturday, he had no idea a heartwarming surprise was waiting for him after the first set. Figueroa-Greco, along with her husband, Rafe Greco, and their son, Roman, was there to finally meet the man she credits with saving her life 25 years ago—and, in turn, making her 9/11 love story possible.

Figueroa-Greco was working for Turner Construction on the B4 basement level of the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. She said that had McCabe not appeared at a pivotal moment to lead her and several coworkers to safety, she would not be alive today—much less have had the opportunity to later meet her future husband at Ground Zero. Figueroa-Greco recently shared that love story on a NY1 9/11 25th Anniversary segment. “Out of the smoke came a man, I’ll never forget his name…Ed McCabe,” Figueroa-Greco said about the man that helped save her.

McCabe’s sister, Terry Fogarty, happened to be watching. She let her brother, and his new wife, Peggy McCabe, know about the segment, which inspired Peggy to track down Bianca, and set in motion a surprise reunion 25 years after 9/11. Judging from the expressions of shock and disbelief on Ed McCabe’s face when he met the Grecos on Saturday, it was a moment that will be forever stamped in his heart.

McCabe, a stationary engineer and member of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), had been working at the World Trade Center since 1987. He was even there during the first WTC terror attack in 1993.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, McCabe arrived at work around 7:30 a.m. and met with the others on his crew. He was stationed deep underground in Tower 1’s basement sub-levels. When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, the violent impact shook the entire subterranean infrastructure, jamming doors and trapping personnel, including Figueroa-Greco and her colleagues at Turner Construction.

The freight elevator shaft exploded into the area where they were, blowing the door off its hinges. At the time, those in the basement didn’t know that a plane had hit the upper floors of the building. Later McCabe would learn that jet fuel had filled the elevator shaft, causing the explosion. He walked up to the door and tried to open it, but it was heavily jammed. “I remember feeling the door, like I’m trained to do, and it was sideways and I just threw it and all these people came running in,” McCabe said.
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There are many stories about 9/11 that tell of tragedy, terror and loss. But there are also many more stories of survival.

09/11/2026

When the Towers Fell, Rockaway Rose

There are textbooks, documentaries and firsthand accounts of what took place on September 11, 2001. But only longtime locals remember how Rockaway responded to unimaginable tragedy and immense loss—in the ways Rockaway knew how.

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, the world changed forever. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, between Floors 93 to 99. Was it an accident? That question was answered at 9:03 a.m. when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower between Floors 77 to 85. This was no accident.

As many of Rockaway’s first responders answered the call from their firehouses, police departments or homes, and others worried about relatives who worked in the towers, people across the peninsula noticed the New York City skyline transforming before their eyes.

“I was a senior in high school at Stella Maris on September 11, 2001. We could see the billowing smoke from across the bay,” local resident Lizzy Hurley said. “I remember going to Norton Drive in Bayswater where you had a view of Manhattan across the bay. A bunch of other people had the same idea apparently because there was quite a crowd,” Harold Flay said.

At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower collapsed. At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower followed, forever changing Rockaway’s view of Manhattan—and bringing with it the gut-wrenching reality that some friends, family members and neighbors wouldn’t be coming home.
From that day forward, the communities of Rockaway, Breezy Point and Broad Channel responded in the ways only they could.
Some neighbors took immediate action to help those responding to the scene, as well as those whose commutes were upended when bridges shut down and public transportation ceased, leaving many to walk home, some still covered in the dust that filled Lower Manhattan as the towers came crashing down.

Many had their children in mind, who had just started the new school year. “As a faculty member at Xavier HS, I tended to any student who thought their loved one might have been in the buildings. The list was a lot longer than we imagined. Parents came to sign them out and made their way home,” Jayne Lee said. “Because the trains were not operating, many of the boys were going to have to spend the night. Many volunteered to stay with them in the library for the night. Several of us had cars. We got word that they were allowing cars to drive to Brooklyn via the Midtown Tunnel. With the permission of their parents, Gerry McKinney and I drove several boys home to their families in both Brooklyn and Rockaway.”
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https://rockawaytimes.com/towers-fell-rockaway-rose/

09/11/2026

👨‍🚒FF Joe Agnello
👨‍🚒FF Eric Allen
👨‍🚒FF Richie Allen
Michael Andrews
Ezra Aviles
👨‍🚒FF Steve Belson
Gennady Boyarsky
Pamela Boyce
Brandon Buchanan
Matthew Burke
👨‍🚒CAPT. Frank Callahan
Liam Callahan
Marcia Carter
Paul Cascio
Mandy Chang-Burke
Anthony Coladonato
👨‍🚒FF Tom Cullen
👨‍🚒FF Jerry Dewan
Matthew Diaz
👨‍🚒LT. Kevin Dowdell
Mary Dowling
John Farrell
👨‍🚒1ST DEP. COMM. William Feehan
Mark Gilles
Kerene Gordon
Chris Grady
Florence Gregory
Charles Heeran
👨‍🚒FF John Heffernan
Joe Henry
Clara Hinds
👨‍🚒CAPT. Walter Hynes
👨‍🚒FF Billy Johnston
👨‍🚒F.M. Vincent Kane
Lisa King-Johnson
Brendan Lang
Roseann Lang
Stephan Lefkowitz
👨‍🚒FF Michael Lynch
👨‍🚒FF Thomas McCann
Edmund McNally
👨‍🚒FF Terry McShane
Peter Milano
👨‍🚒FF Henry Miller, Jr.
Manuel Molina
Brian Monaghan
Frank Monahan
👨‍🚒CHIEF John Moran
Nancy Morgenstern
Peter Mulligan
👨‍🚒FF Dennis Mulligan
Terry Munson
👨‍🚒FF Kevin O'Rourke
Tommy Palazzo
William Peterson
👨‍🚒LT Kevin Pfeifer
Gregory Reda
Linda Rivera
👨‍🚒FF Michael Roberts
👨‍🚒FF Stephen Russell
Rob Scandole
Mark Schwartz
Angelo Sereno
Vincent Slavin
👨‍🚒FF Danny Suhr
Patrick Sullivan
Rachel Tamares
👨‍🚒FF John Tierney
Richard Todisco
👨‍🚒FF Eugene Whelan
Ken White
Jimmy Woods
👨‍🚒FF Raymond York

Rockaway was one of the hardest hit communities by loss due to 9/11. Today, among the nearly 3,000 fallen, we remember the neighbors we lost that day, 25 years ago. We also remember those that we've lost since. Those we've lost due to 9/11 related illnesses.

If you can, please attend the service at Tribute Park on Beach 116th and the bay starting at 8:30 a.m. to remember them.