18 The Courier sun • SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com First Poseidon Parade makes a splash in Rockaway Beach The Rockaway Mermaid Brigade’s colorful sea dragon float was front and center at the first ever Poseidon Parade in Rockaway Beach. Martin Levy 718-268-1700 103-20 Metropolitan Avenue Forest Hills martinlevy@allstate.com Call or stop by to see how much you can save. Photo by Kelly Marie Mancuso 149127 Protect your world Auto • Home • Life • Retirement Call me today to discuss your options. Some people think Allstate only protects your car. Truth is, Allstate can also protect your home or apartment, your boat, motorcycle - even your retirement and your life. And the more of your world you put in Good Hands®, the more you can save. Insurance subject to terms, qualifications and availability. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co., Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Co. Life insurance and annuities issued by Lincoln Benefit Life Company, Lincoln, NE, Allstate Life Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL. In New York, Allstate Life Insurance Company of New York, Hauppauge, NY. Northbrook, IL. © 2010 Allstate Insurance Co. BY KELLY MARIE MANCUSO editorial@queenscourier.com/@KellyMMancuso Sea-lovers of all ages donned a colorful array of costumes, fins and floats and strutted down the newly refurbished boardwalk during Rockaway Beach’s inaugural Poseidon Parade on Sept. 19. The parade is the brainchild of the Rockaway Mermaid Brigade, the reigning Motorized Float champions at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade for the past two years. After representing the Rockaways for years at the iconic parade, the group was inspired to bring the fanfare and festivities to the shores of Queens. “We’re honoring the ocean and artistic expression, like we experience each year in Coney Island,” wrote parade co-founder and 2015 Queen Mermaid Casey Brouder. “Poseidon is a symbol that speaks to the resilience of Rockaway. After all we have been through as a community, we can pay homage to the strong and beautiful ocean we can’t seem to live without.” Adults and children masquerading as mermaids, sea creatures and pirates participated in the parade, with special prizes awarded for Best Bike, Best Baby Carriage and Best Pet. A post-parade celebration featuring face-painting and a DJ was held at the Beach 95th Street plaza. The Poseidon Parade also included a tribute to Whalemina, the beloved whale sculpture and symbol of the Rockaways that was washed inland and shattered along Shore Parkway at the height of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. A large inflatable version of Whalemina was created by artist Geoff Rawling and anchored to a grassy spot near the boardwalk at Beach 95th Street for the duration of the parade. Paradegoers posed for photos and were encouraged to sign the big balloon as a tribute to Whalemina. Alpha Care Supply Accessibility Solutions Specialist Serving NYC Metro Area for 20 years Ramps of every type and application Stairlifts - Interior and Exterior Wheelchair Vertical Platform Lifts ADA Bathroom Remodels Residential Elevators Fully Insured and Properly Licensed Call Alpha Care Supply for all your ADA & Accessibility needs 516.568.3010 www.aplhacaresupply.com 21 Stringham Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580 New and Used Rentals Rockaway Beach residents Nicholas Rowe and Joshua Southerton are part of a group working to raise funds to replace the Whalemina sculpture. The new whale would also be created by Rawling, who also refurbished and redesigned the original Whalemina after she was brought to Rockaway Beach in the 1990s from the Central Park Zoo where she was previously known as Jonah. “We’re trying to raise $20,000 so that we could have a new, permanent whale,” Southerton explained. “Once we do, we’re going to dismantle this whale and make it into a permanent mural for Rockaway Beach.” Both Southerton and Rowe explained that they each still have a small piece of the original mosaic Whalemina sculpture found near their homes after the storm. Local author Laura Cryan even wrote a children’s book in Whalemina’s honor with artwork by Rawling. “There’s been a whole lot of fundraising efforts,” Southerton added. “We’re really trying to pull the community together and bring back our whale.”
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