Fire Island 2010, part 11

Written at 1:09 p.m. while on the Ocean Bay Park ferry terminal (and later crossing the bay.)

It’s a typical Sunday afternoon in August. People (and their children) are online at the ferry terminal waiting to return to the mainland after another weekend on the beach, boaters are enjoying the beautiful weather out on the water and one man is even trying to convince his friend he was right (about which I’m not particularly interested to know.)

It was a fairly quick trip to Fire Island this weekend because I am coming out for a week on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. In true August form, however, there was a lot on the agenda. This includes the annual Concerned Women of the Grove breast cancer benefit, a fundraiser for state Assemblywoman Ginny Fields at the Hotel Ciel pool deck in the Fire Island Pines, a tribute to long-time Cherry Grove archivist Harold Seeley, delivering newspapers (and several hours of dancing at Low Tea, Sip n’ Twirl and Cherry’s thrown in for good measure.)

It’s arguably unnecessary to provide any sort of analysis to contextualize the past weekend, but here are three notes and observations to consider.

- Lady Gaga performed at the Ice Palace on Aug. 8, 2008 (and “Paparazzi” is currently playing on my iPod as I write this blog on the ferry.)
- It is indeed possible to have at least three costume changes a day on Fire Island
- Kudos to the lovely Dallas Dubois for leading those at her and Logan Hardcore’s pool show on Saturday, Aug. 7, in a toast in honor of U.S. Circuit Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. Dubois also called out Best Buy and Target for contributing to a group that supports Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.



A perhaps all too common sentiment on Fire Island.



The lovely Dallas Dubois performs at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove.



The Concerned Women of the Grove auctioned off Lady Gaga paraphernalia at their annual fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 7.



Looking east into the Meatrack from Heaven n' Earth in Cherry Grove on Saturday, Aug. 7.



Looking towards Ocean Beach from the Ocean Bay Park ferry terminal.



On the Ocean Bay Park ferry terminal.



Lady Gaga performs at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove on Aug. 8, 2008. [Photo by Koitz]

New Yorkers applaud Prop 8 decision

It remains unclear whether U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker's decision will have any tangible impact here in New York State, but those who attended last night's rally in lower Manhattan obviously welcomed it. And they also put lawmakers on notice: support marriage or else.

Here are some snapshots from Centre Street.

Judge to issue Prop 8 ruling today

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is scheduled to post his decision on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 later today, and activists around the country plan to hold demonstrations, rallies and other events to react to the ruling.

A rally is scheduled to take place outside New York City Supreme Court on Centre Street in lower Manhattan at 7 p.m. Marriage Equality New York's Web site has more information, but Rex Wockner continues to compile ever-growing list of rallies and other events around the country.

More snapshots of a Fire Island summer

Here are three more clips shot on Fire Island over the last few days. Log onto the Fire Island News' Web site for stories, photos and other information from the beach.

Fire Island 2010, part 10

Written at 10:23 a.m. while sitting on the porch in Ocean Beach.

It’s a beautiful August morning here on Fire Island. The Ocean Beach Youth Group’s newest members are playing in the baseball field down the street from the cottage. Some insects are buzzing loudly in the nearby trees. And the clear blue sky once again proves overpaid (and overhyped) meteorologists often have no idea about what they are talking—their inaccuracy simply affords another beautiful day on this beloved beach.

It was Pines Party weekend, and the overall consensus is Josh Wood produced a generally spectacular bash. Casino at Whyte Hall proved particularly fun – and creative – with Queen Beach DeBree, Coco Love as a lobster, Luisa Verde as a piece of coral, Gimmi Hoffa as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Urban Sprawl and others on hand as dealers and bartenders. The fishnets around my waist quickly disintegrated into a potentially catastrophic wardrobe malfunction, but the night proceeded quite smoothly once they and the plastic mussels pinned to my sarong (file this one under the “it seemed like a good idea at the time” folder) were either thrown in the trash or left back in the house on Driftwood Walk. And watching the sunrise over the beach around 5 a.m. proved an almost emotional experience. A truly beautiful night, and I hope Dan from Lebanon enjoyed the sailor hat I gave him sometime around 4:30 a.m.!

One of the more interesting points of conversation over the last few days was the Page 6 report about how Congressman Barney Frank [D-Mass.] reportedly became upset at the Sayville Ferry terminal when employees refused to offer him the county’s senior discount. One source commented on how “the press knows what’s important to focus on”. It goes without saying, however, nearly everyone was not at all surprised the cantankerous politician caused this scene on his way to the beach. And on that note, here are three more Fire Island-generated lessons.

- All press is good press because it simply proves relevancy.
- Eating fried clams on top of the ferry in a 20 mph wind is almost certainly a good idea as this hungry reporter found out first hand on Wednesday, July 28.
- Safety pins are an invaluable accessory for anyone who wants to avoid a particularly embarrassing wardrobe malfunction at any cost.



Long Island corn outside Pines Pantry on Sunday, Aug. 1.



Hanging out by the Hotel Ciel pool deck in the Fire Island Pines on Sunday, Aug. 1.



The incomparable Panzi at Casino at Whyte Hall in the Pines on Saturday, July 31.



Constructing the Pines Party on Friday, July 30.



Delivering the Fire Island News on Thursday, July 29.



Cherry's in Cherry Grove on Friday, July 30.



On the beach in Cherry Grove on Friday, July 30.

City settles Sean Bell shooting lawsuit

The city has agreed to pay more than $7 million to settle a federal lawsuit after five New York Police Department officers shot and killed Sean Bell and wounded two of his friends outside a Queens strip club on what was to have been his wedding day.

The officers fired more than 50 shots at the car in which Bell and two friends—Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield—were as they attempted to drive away from Club Kalua in Jamaica on Nov. 25, 2006. The two children Bell had with his fiancée, Nicole Paultre Bell, will receive $3.25 million. Guzman will get $3 million. And Benefield will receive $900,000.

“No amount of money can provide closure, no amount of money can make up for the pain,” said Bell as she left federal court in Downtown Brooklyn.

Michael A. Cardozo, the city's Corporation Counsel, issued a statement after the settlement with the Bell family was announced.

“The Sean Bell shooting highlighted the complexities our dedicated officers must face each day,” said Cardozo. “The city regrets the loss of life in this tragic case, and we share our deepest condolences with the Bell family. The city is also settling claims with Mr. Guzman and Mr. Benefield. We hope that all parties can find some measure of closure by this settlement.”

A Queens judge in April 2008 acquitted three of the NYPD detectives who had faced criminal charges in connection with the shooting.

A tasty slice of summer

It goes without saying fresh tomatoes are one of summer's most enjoyable foods. And my garden here in Bushwick has produced a bumper crop of the savory fruit this summer.

Here are a few I picked yesterday afternoon to bring out to Fire Island.

Severe thunderstorms sweep NYC

A tornado warning is one of the last thing about which a New Yorker may hear on a Friday night, but the National Weather Service issued one for the five boroughs as severe thunderstorms passed over the city.

The storm did not spawn any tornadoes, but the sky did suddenly turn black -- and even green -- ahead of a vivid lightning show, gusty winds and torrential rain. The storm arrived here in Brooklyn shortly before 9 p.m., but it only lasted about 20 minutes. Here are three videos of the storm as it approached.

Dead jellyfish stings 150 people on N.H. beach

This is truly one of my worst nightmares come true--a dead jellyfish stung 150 people at Wallis Sands State Park in Rye, N.H., yesterday.

I have seen several jellyfish in the Great South Bay in recent weeks, but fortunately I have not experienced their painful stings first hand. And hopefully today will prove a far more enjoyable day at the beach at Wallis Sands.

Snapshots of a Fire Island summer

Fire Island 2010, part nine

Written around 10 a.m. while on the beach in Corneille Estates eating breakfast with my publisher and her family.

The tide is going out as Nicole, Ben, Sashi, Judy and I eat breakfast. The weekend crowds have thinned out significantly. And the “real” Fire Islanders are enjoying the beach on this sultry, but breezy Monday morning.

It was Fire Island Dance Festival--or the Bruce Vilanch experience for the comic’s die-hard fans--weekend, but a plethora of other events found themselves onto this reporter’s calendar. They include meetings of the Ocean Beach Association and the Cherry Grove Community Association, fundraisers for the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Assemblywoman Ginny Fields, Sunday brunch at the Blue Whale in the Fire Island Pines. And several hours of dancing at both Low Tea and Cherry’s on Saturday night.

It was a typically busy July weekend on the beach, but here are a couple of notes, observations and even lessons from the past couple of days.
- The group of 20-something women who couldn’t figure out where to stand (or sit) on the packed Montauk-bound train as it left Jamaica on Friday morning need to quickly school themselves on proper LIRR etiquette for their fellow passengers’ sake.
- Seared tuna makes for a wonderful lunch anywhere on Fire Island.
- Riding on the back of a water taxi at night remains one of the most magical experiences one can have on the beach.



The weekly schlep from Brooklyn to the beach.



Is this what Lyme disease looks like?



Momix's "Marigolds" at the Fire Island Dance Festival's kick-off party at Whyte Hall on Friday, July 16.



The end of the road in Cherry Grove on Saturday, July 17.



Fire Island Dance Festival stage on Sunday, July 18.



The surf off Corneille Estates on Monday, July 19.

Argentine Senate passes marriage bill

The Argentine Senate approved a bill earlier this morning that would allow gays and lesbians to marry in the South American country.

The 33-27 vote came after 14 hours of debate. Activists in a Buenos Aires cheered and began to chant ‘igualdad’ or once legislators approved the measure.



President Cristina Férnandez de Kirschner has said she would not veto the measure, but Argentina would become the first South American country to sanction marriage for gays and lesbians.

¡Viva España!

I understand soccer as much as some members of my family comprehend why I decided to move to the five boroughs, but I must congratulate the Spanish football team for winning the World Cup on Sunday. ¡Viva España! ¡La Roja está el campeon del mundo!

Fire Island 2010, part eight

Written earlier today while listening to music on my bed in Ocean Beach and eating eggs and drinking coffee.

The increasingly steady drum beat of complaints about the heat and humidity was a dominant theme of yesterday’s conversations on the beach—it was 105 degrees in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday so I have little sympathy for those who “sweltered” here on Fire Island last week. A welcome downpour, however, broke the sultry weather’s back (at least temporarily.) And today dawned sunny and far less humid.

The post-July 4 weekend found this reporter running back and forth between Ocean Beach, Cherry Grove, the Fire Island Pines (and a few places in between.) My travels brought me to the annual Lambda Legal fundraiser in the Pines, the Fire Island Pines Fire Department’s block party, a rain-soaked pool show at the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove, Jeanne and Anita’s 45th anniversary party at Cherry’s, Low Tea and Sip n’ Twirl, a “Boys in the Sand” screening at Whyte Hall, a meeting with Fire Island Association President Gerry Stoddard in Ocean Bay Park with my reporter Tim and a fundraiser for state Sen. Diane Savino [D-Staten Island] in the Pines. In other words, it was a typical July weekend on the beach.

The blisters on my feet from last weekend’s Invasion have mercifully healed, but here are a couple of noteworthy items from the last couple of days. Walking the same catwalk Casey Donovan did in “Boys in the Sand” in the summer of 1971 (I was fully clothed in case anyone is curious) is one of the experiences I have had on Fire Island I will treasure. Any drunken fool who dares to call my sarong a dress in an attempt to prove something to their equally stupid friends will learn very quickly how sharp my tongue can be. And it is arguably unwise to publicly object to a part of a specific community's history that helped to put it on the map.



Swans and their cygnets in the Bay Shore ferry terminal on Saturday, July 10.



Riding the Ocean Beach-bound ferry on Saturday, July 10.



From the water taxi to Fair Harbor.



A downpour approaches Fire Island around 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 10.



Hunter celebrates his friend's birthday at the Grove Hotel.



Cherry Grove dock after the downpour.



The beach in Cherry Grove on Saturday, July 10.



The original "Boys in the Sand" poster.



Looking west towards Ocean Beach from the roof of one of the houses in which Wakefield Poole shot "Boys in the Sand."



Looking out to sea in the Fire Island Pines on Sunday, July 11. An oil tanker passed a few miles off-shore when I shot this picture around 3 p.m.



Some law ornaments at the intersection of Ocean and Beach Hill Walks in the Fire Island Pines on Sunday, July 11.



The setting sun on a Bay Shore-bound ferry on Sunday, July 11.

Fire Island 2010, part seven

Written earlier this morning while listening to "Vogue" on the porch of the cottage in Ocean Beach.

It’s definitely a hot summer day here on Fire Island, but one image that remains entrenched in my mind is the woman who decided to have sex in the hot tub during Bay Dance in the Fire Island Pines – a straight woman, a possibly gay man and a lot of substance consumption! Did I mention it’s hot on the beach today?

Women—and I use that term quite loosely—were definitely a common theme on Fire Island over the long holiday weekend. Tracy Young was fabulous as usual at IndepenDANCE at Reflections last night, but the “women” from Cherry Grove who invaded the Pines really stole the show. This reporter spotted the Real Housewives of the Gulf Coast, Wendy Williams, Tormenta: Queen of the Seas, Acid Betty, the Rockford Peaches, Dorothy with her illegitimate child, M.I.Anus, Betty Beach Ball and even a possible sighting of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on her way to the Meatrack during the annual Invasion of the Pines yesterday afternoon. My brown cocktail dress with fishnet stockings and elbow length gloves was quite the hit, but the blisters on my feet prove this queen should never wear anything that resembles heels.

As I continue to nurse my feet, however, a couple of obligatory shout outs are in order. I would like to thank the kind woman on the dock in the Pines who offered me her margarita yesterday afternoon. And I dedicate this entry to my Madonna-obsessed friend John and everyone else at Cherry's last night who made an already great holiday weekend even better.



The Rockford Peaches pose for their post-Invasion photo op



The incomparable Gusty Winds



Joyce as Lady Gaga



This reporter poses for her close-up at the Ice Palace



Some queens



How you doin'?



Dorothy Doodrop and her illegitimate child



Miss Vuvuzela



The Real Housewives of the Gulf Coast




IndepenDANCE at Reflections in the Pines on Sunday, July 4



The Pines harbor on Friday, July 2



Dallas Dubois at the Grove Hotel pool show on Saturday, July 3



The setting sun at Bay Dance in the Pines on Saturday, July 3



Amid the crowd at Bay Dance in the Pines on Saturday, July 3



July 4 at Andy Tobias and Charles Nolan's house in the Pines

New York City + 6 years

It's a beautiful Thursday afternoon here in Ocean Beach as I rush to finish this week's work--the newspapers are delivered, I just wrapped up a lengthy interview with a journalist I've known for years about the controversy surrounding my latest Village Voice story and I'm looking forward to making a kale and yellow squash salad (and maybe even taking a much needed cat nap) before heading to Cherry Grove tonight.

I spent a significant amount of time last night and this morning thinking about what I have learned since I moved to Brooklyn six years ago. The insanity that has been my life over the last two weeks has made this contemplation appear less important at this very moment. That said, however, one thing remains abundantly clear as I acknowledge my sixth anniversary in New York: I am still in love with the city, and I remain immensely thankful for everything it has allowed me to experience and accomplish.