By Thomas McGann Besides the obvious — beaches, beauty, and solitude — a major reason Fire Island is so popular is its proximity to New York City and its environs, drawing on a population of 12 million people within a … Full Story
A Brief History of Maguire’s Restaurant
By Thomas McGann It is hard to miss the obvious pride that the owners of Maguire’s Bay Front Restaurant, Jim Betz and Drew Becker, amply demonstrated over this past winter. One look at their extensive renovations is proof positive. Maguire’s … Full Story
HISTORY: General George C. Marshall and Fire Island
General George C. Marshall (Dec. 31, 1880 – Oct. 16, 1959) author of the internationally acclaimed and hugely successful Marshall Plan and recipient of the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize was a resident of Ocean Beach, Fire Island for over 20 … Full Story
Celebrating John Muir: “Father of the National Parks”
By Thomas McGann IT IS ONLY FITTING that as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of our National Park System on Aug. 25, 2016, we should also celebrate the life of John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club … Full Story
Happy 70th Anniversary to the Fire Island Summer Club
By Thomas McGann FIRE ISLAND SUMMER CLUB is one of the lesser known of the 16 individual and distinct communities on Fire Island. It is located between Corneille Estates, a mere two-block walk from the infamous metropolis of Ocean Beach … Full Story
Free Union Church of Ocean Beach Celebrates its Centennial Anniversary
By Thomas McGann THE FREE UNION CHURCH located at Ocean Breeze Walk and Midway in Ocean Beach will be celebrating its 100th anniversary with a re-dedication ceremony on Sunday, August 28, 2016. Events will include: Saturday, August 27 at 7 … Full Story
Fire Island National Seashore as a World Heritage Site?
By Thomas McGann A WORLD HERITAGE SITE (WHS) is a PLACE listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural and/ or physical significance. Once a World Heritage Site designation has been assigned, … Full Story
Women’s Rights, an Italian Revolutionary and a Shipwreck
By Thomas McGann This year marks the 165th anniversary of the shipwreck of the barque “Elizabeth” off the coast of Fire Island. On July 19, 1850, a sailing vessel named “Elizabeth” ran aground on a bar near Point O’ Woods, … Full Story