East Rockaway touts country, community

On the East Rockaway waterfront Saturday, it wasn't just about fireworks. Crowds gathered hours before the pyrotechnic show to celebrate being a community.

"It's a wonderful way for people to get together," Debbie Banahan, 53, of Oceanside, said. "It's a celebration of America."

The fifth annual Stars and Stripes Festival, a one-day event, offered plenty of attractions. While some stood in line for a chance to meet "American Idol" top-25 contestant Robby Rosen, others climbed artificial coconut trees, licked Italian ice out of paper cups, and danced to a local band's cover of "Mississippi Queen."

One man thought he heard a storm rolling in -- but his wife assured him it was only the portable bowling lane.

East Rockaway residents are known for being patriotic, said Mayor Francis Lenahan Jr., a veteran.

To remember the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, East Rockaway's Village Foundation sold commemorative coins and key chains in a fundraiser to expand the village's 9/11 memorial.

The memorial, behind Village Hall, has 11 stones, each honoring a person killed in the attacks who had ties to East Rockaway, said foundation president Theresa Gaffney.

SEE PHOTOSSee and share your Fourth of July photos

To Gaffney, 31, the Fourth is about honoring the military and the American flag.

"Our independence is huge," she said. "We wouldn't have our independence if it wasn't for our military. Nobody knows what they and their families go through on a regular basis."

Village Trustee and 20-year Army veteran Richard Gogarty, 54, said the Fourth is an invigorating day for him.

"It reminds me of the future of our country when I see little kids playing," he said.