Barbara Gaby Placilla ~ Life as we have always known it in Ocean Bay Park is finally coming back, as witnessed by this year’s July 4 celebrations. Although the weather was not the best, it was fantastic to be able to get together with family and friends and the red, white and blue was everywhere. The Fourth was definitely with us!The annual barbecue at the firehouse was a success and Seaview member Matt Tirschwell’s pulled pork was a big hit. Matt is known as a true grill master with his wood fired smoker. Fire Commissioner Paul Brincat had Ocean Bay Park Fire Department collectible challenge coins made up and they quickly sold out.We accepted an invitation from the Band of Brothers – Jack Lyddy; his son Rich; Lynn Van de Water; and Tiger Barton to visit their “BOB” house on the bay. It was good to see Lynn again as he spent last summer off island due to the pandemic. And I made a new friend, Riley John Lyddy, Jack’s grandson who has a typical 3-year-old’s love of anything dinosaurs. The next day I brought him over a shopping bag of dinosaurs of all sizes that my three grandchildren outgrew a long time ago. It was a win win for me – watch a child’s face light up and free up some space in the guest room.You can tell that vacations are in full swing. The town is packed with families and there are kids of all ages zooming on bikes, skate boards and scooters. Last Wednesday must have been “three towns” date night because I ran into Erie Street’s Leslie and Harvey Klein, E Street’s Joy and Joel Fox and Ocean Breeze’s Gail Stamler and her partner Bob having dinner together. When I stopped to say hi, and ask Leslie how her daughter Zoe is, she told me that Zoe and her husband David Wittenberg recently had their first child, Jacob Solomon. Grandma Leslie and Grandpa Harvey are both over the moon. I remarked that the day your first grandchild is born is one that you never forget, and I could not get over the fact that Zoe, who I always think of as a little girl, is now a mother herself.The Brincats have been busy the past few weeks dog sitting a 4-month-old Maltipoo named Lucy who JoAnne nicknamed Lucy-fur, an affectionate reference to Lucifer due to her devilish behavior. I watched Lucy for a few hours one night and I can attest. I also realize now why I’m a cat person. Of course I am only kidding since I love all animals. We have a new neighbor named Bentley. He’s a rescue Labradoodle that the Cataneses took in to replace their beloved Cheddar who recently passed. I look forward to baking dog biscuits for him and getting to know him.Friends, it’s mid-July, it’s great to be back and I look forward to filling you all in on what’s happening in and around the Park because I just know that the best is yet to come!
