SUMMER 2024

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As we enter our 9th year, I am proud to be the new president of the BPHS and thank both Barbara Johnson and Kevin Reilly for their leadership over the past two years. My predecessors worked very hard and left big shoes to fill. I hope, with the help of our officers, trustees, and volunteers, I can follow in their footsteps. I welcome back Kevin as the Vice President and Artie Lighthall’s return as Treasurer. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the great work of Leslie Barnett, our Secretary for the past several years, but, unfortunately, while remaining as a Trustee, she has decided not to return as this year’s Secretary.

The mission of our incorporated not-for-profit organization is to preserve the history of the “Point” from the 1900’s to the present by collecting and categorizing documents, be they photographs, brochures, artifacts, maps etc. We are also dedicated to conducting programs and events to educate, preserve, and maintain the legacy of a community we all love. To date we have acquired thousands of individual pieces of history and the task sorting them out has been undertaken by Angela DiLalla, our Catalog Manager. She, with Paul Balukas, Curator, and Cathy Murfitt, Office Manager, began this herculean task in January. There is a lot of initial work in setting up a catalogue, but once the framework is complete, we will have a living library of the history of our community.

We welcome newly elected trustees: Marty Ingram, Nancy Rasmussen and Mary Elizabeth Smith and look forward for their assistance in helping with the Hall of Fame Banquet, fundraising, and community presentations. This year we intend to offer two walking tours and several presentations. Information on these events will be displayed on our website, facebook page, in our newsletter and the weekly column in the Rockaway Point News. Please join us for one or perhaps all our events.

I am looking forward to an enjoyable, educational, and informational 2024 season!