Beach 97th Concessions

Mysterious Boardwalk Sabotage Threatens Rockaways Vendors

"Vendors discovered extensive, deliberate contamination and destruction inside the Shore Front Parkway concessions building: a pervasive rotten-fish stench led to finding bags of raw fish and bottles of sour milk and rotting meat stuffed into ceiling ventilation shafts; a sealed concessions office was forced open and found ransacked with broken equipment and shelving; many floor drains were filled with sand that concealed concrete beneath. Merchants characterize the scene as sabotage rather than a prank. A formal NYPD complaint cited damage to metal doors, an office in disarray, and food placed inside pipes and vents, with estimated damages over $10,000; the incident was classified as criminal mischief (reported May 13). Cleanup efforts are ongoing, vendors worry about missing the busy Memorial Day weekend, and some locals speculate the attack was retaliation after a controversial change in boardwalk management." - Chris Shott